Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 147
Chapter Title: No Need to Rush
"Get up already..."
Jeong Eun-seong's whispering voice scratched like it was catching on something.
"Sorry!"
I scrambled off his body in a fluster.
I'd laid him out on the bare ground and sprawled right on top like he was my personal bed.
His back must've hurt like hell from that tree branch digging in.
I hadn't even thought of that and just used Jeong Eun-seong like my own mattress.
It was too comfortable... and Jeong Eun-seong's got such a big frame...
"Really sorry... This protector must make me even heavier."
Embarrassed, I threw in random excuses as I pushed my upper body up. As I wriggled to steady myself, Jeong Eun-seong sucked in a sharp breath.
He covered his face with his arms.
The reaction was way too intense. I'd fallen on him in the drama club room before, but it hadn't been like this.
Did I lean on him too carelessly?
"Sorry... It was heavy, wasn't it."
To my repeated apologies, Jeong Eun-seong clenched his jaw and forced the words out.
"It wasn't heavy."
"Yeah, okay..."
"Really."
"Thanks..."
"For real. It's just... me being... like that a bit..."
"Yeah................"
I'll get out of your way quick. I rolled right off.
Even after I was off, I gave the still-lying Jeong Eun-seong some time to compose himself while I picked up the stuff scattered around.
Grabbed the gun too. And the helmet I'd tossed aside.
In the meantime, Jeong Eun-seong—who'd been gritting his teeth alone and grimacing—finally managed to sit up. He shook his head once, like a wet puppy shivering off water.
"Let me see."
He shoved his face right up to mine as I sat there brushing off dirt. He glanced at my tear-streaked face once, then at his own muddied sleeve once.
"What are you doing?"
"The inside's clean."
He rolled up the sleeve of his camo uniform double, pressing the clean lining firmly against the corners of my eyes.
"I can wipe it myself."
"Your clothes'll get dirty."
He brushed it off and peered carefully into my face.
"Grimy."
"What?"
"Close your eyes."
"Huh?"
"Quick."
I shut my eyes on reflex.
With sight blocked, my other senses sharpened.
The unique soft scent wafting from Jeong Eun-seong's hand right in front of my nose, the whooshing wind through the mountains, the gentle pressure carefully wiping my face.
Jeong Eun-seong hesitated, then spoke.
If I was craving a vanilla latte but had no powder at home, one sip of latte plus one listen to Jeong Eun-seong's voice and it'd all be fixed.
"...Kang Da-hye. You're great at studying."
"Yeah."
"You'll go to Korea University when you turn twenty. You'll shine so bright."
"Yeah..."
"I want to shine like you too. And debut's the only way."
"......"
"I want to treat her right. But to do that..."
Jeong Eun-seong trailed off there, but I got it all.
Ah.
He means he wants to do right by that girl he likes, look cool for her—that's why he's hung up on debuting.
That it's worth gambling his future on.
That it's precious enough to endure misfortune for.
I grabbed his retreating hand.
Opened my eyes—Jeong Eun-seong was right there.
I squeezed the hand I'd caught and said,
"First off, thanks for being so sure I'll make Korea University..."
Sometimes it felt like Jeong Eun-seong believed in me more than I did myself.
"But there are a few errors in what you said."
"Errors?"
"First one: going to Korea University doesn't mean you shine."
Just means you get a fancy degree.
Lift your head and look toward Yeouido. How many Korea U grads pull shady crap?
"Second: what exactly do you mean by wanting to 'shine as much as me'?"
Intensity, or duration? Jeong Eun-seong's face went blank at my question.
But this was important.
"If your goal's a short, intense burst and burnout, then yeah, I get your attitude. Crappy agency, crappy members—no matter, just debut and don't flop. But is that what you want?"
You want to shine bright, but long-lasting too, right?
Then you gotta look at the long game.
I gripped the hand I'd been holding tight now with both of mine, hard. Snap out of it.
"Getting ahead or falling behind in your early twenties? No big deal. Debut a year or two early, blow up—sure, feels like success then... but you planning to quit after one year as an idol? Nah. Gotta think beyond that."
I lived to twenty-nine, so I know.
There was this kid moping about needing three tries to get into our school—passed the CPA exam before graduation, working at a firm while everyone else job-hunted. Said feeling behind fueled him.
The guy who stayed unemployed longest till all his peers got jobs suddenly started YouTube and ended up the highest earner among us.
Last holdout unemployed was me, then I regressed.
"You know this better than me, Jeong Eun-seong. Unknowns who grind and long-run to stardom, or meteors who flame out after one hit."
Life's a marathon—the start matters less than you think.
It just looms big because you barely started running.
"No need to rush at all. Life's long."
Let's pick something that considers how long our shine lasts.
"More than anything, Jeong Eun-seong."
"...Yeah."
"If I see you forcing yourself into a job you don't even like, just to shine right now for some reason... I'd be sad."
"Sad? You?"
"Yeah. ...I'm not that girl you think is worth betting your future on, but I'm still a friend, right?"
I added carefully.
You told Do Ha-jun's mom last time—friendship's precious too. Friends are like one body. Don't go flipping scripts now.
Jeong Eun-seong's face got a strange look for a split second.
No way he's pulling an 'Eh, don't care about a friend's opinion!' now, right? But my worry was for nothing—he answered dead serious.
"Kang Da-hye can't be sad. You're me."
"......"
"Got it. I'll make the best choice for me. The one that makes me happiest. The most selfish one."
"Yeah."
Should've talked like this, hands clasped, from the start.
Heart much lighter now, I checked Jeong Eun-seong's expression.
He looked a bit thoughtful, then out of nowhere said,
"Kang Da-hye, you know."
"Yeah."
"I think I hide my feelings really well."
"Huh?"
Suddenly?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "No big milk at the convenience store here."
"Oh."
"Breakfast was low on protein too..."
"Yeah?"
"But Kang Da-hye, which hospital were you born at?"
"Hospital? No idea."
"Can't ask your sister for me?"
"I'd ask Mom anything if you stop calling her 'sister.'"
Chatter chatter. All the way back to the starting point together, Jeong Eun-seong wouldn't shut up.
Listening along, I finally asked,
"You wanted to talk my ear off all day—how'd you hold back?"
"Korean society nearly collapsed."
"Huh...?"
God, please stop on the collapsing already?
"Huh? No re-match for teammates."
He'd been griping about the blanket being too rough on his skin when suddenly Jeong Eun-seong yanked me behind a tree. Sure enough, Lee Seo-jun was coming from that direction.
Hasn't spotted us yet.
"Oh. Lee Seo-jun must've gotten some shots off."
Not a speck of paint on his clothes. Plenty of ammo left too.
Compared to us...
"......"
"......"
Total wrecks...
I looked up at Jeong Eun-seong, who looked like he hadn't fired a single shot all day.
"Still gotta finish the game, right?"
"Aaak!"
"Huh?! Jeong Eun-seong?!"
"Uwaaaak! Aak!"
It hurts so much!
Jeong Eun-seong rolling on the spot. He reached out toward the startled Lee Seo-jun.
"Help me out, Lee Seo... Seo... Kang Da-hye's partner!"
"Yeah!"
Lee Seo-jun—eyes already huge, now wide like saucers—rushed right over to Jeong Eun-seong. He knelt in front of the guy clutching his leg and sprawled out, checking him over.
"Wh-what's wrong? Where're you hurt? Does it hurt bad?"
So pure-hearted.
I clicked my tongue inwardly and stepped out from behind the tree. Rustle. Lee Seo-jun whipped around at the sound under my feet.
But by then, it was too late.
"Sorry, Seo-jun."
Thwack!
Lee Seo-jun took a paintball to the back and went blank-faced.
...Guilt stabbing me...
"Sorry."
I grabbed the hand of Lee Seo-jun—the guy I'd just "killed"—and pulled him up. Face beet-red, he shook his head vigorously.
"I-it's fine!"
Says he's fine even after getting shot. Aigoo.
Meanwhile, Jeong Eun-seong—who was up and patting his butt like nothing happened—I vented my guilt to him about.
"Don't we kinda look like... that? You know..."
"Married scammer duo?"
"......"
I was gonna say our names were Kang Da-hye 1, 2, 11 in order... like doppelgangers killing each other...