The Expression She Never Shows Han Noah
"Hehe~ I just couldn't wait any longer, so I came myself!"
Sunny beamed with a bright smile as she buried her face straight into my chest.
It looked like two people were now sharing one chair. Yuri was the perfect size to hold, so it wasn't particularly uncomfortable, but...
What should I do? This kind of situation feels way too heavy.
Before I could even process it, the eyes of the kids from my class next to us pinned me in place.
No one said a word, but every single face carried the exact same question.
Who the hell is that girl?
Eventually Seong-tae took one for the team and opened the hearing.
"Han Noah. You had a girlfriend?"
"Uh... she's not my girlfriend. She's my childhood friend."
"For a childhood friend, she's making a seriously pouty face, don't you think?"
I looked down. Yuri's cheeks were puffed out like a hamster's.
Puff—!
Why are you mad? We're not even dating yet!
Still, I stroked her hair and scratched under her chin, and just like that she was grinning again.
"Should we ask the person herself? So, about you and Noah—"
"Ah... ugh..."
At Seong-tae's words, Yuri instantly panicked and buried her entire face in my chest.
Her complexion had gone a little pale, and sweat looked ready to bead on her forehead.
"Wow, shot down the second he spoke to her."
"The expression she never shows Han Noah."
"Be grateful the 'NTR Must Die' knight hasn't shown up, Seong-tae."
Even in the middle of all that, my classmates were still roasting him mercilessly.
"What did I even do?! I asked super politely!"
"Sorry, Hwang Seong-tae. Yuri's really shy around strangers. Cut her some slack."
It was unfortunate, but Yuri had social anxiety. Even though this was her bright, outgoing personality that could go outside, the only person she could hold a smooth conversation with was me—her childhood friend.
Oh right, she did say convenience stores were manageable. Though that's basically just paying at the counter.
Anyway, now that Yuri had shown up like this, I needed to change my plans.
I kept one arm wrapped tightly around Sunny, used the other to shut down the computer, and grabbed my bag.
"Wait, Han Noah. You're just leaving? What about the one-win challenge you promised me?"
"As you can see, I have a guest now. I can't just make her wait, can I? I'll make it up to you later."
"Ugh, you lucky bastard. Get lost already."
"See you tomorrow. Thanks again for inviting me today. I really appreciate it."
After saying goodbye to the other guys nearby, I left the PC bang.
With Yuri in my arms and my bag slung over my shoulder.
"Yuri, can you get down now?"
"No. Being held like this makes me feel safe."
My childhood friend clung to me like the "please hug me" emoji and showed zero intention of letting go.
It felt like I'd suddenly adopted a human cicada.
"Carrying you all the way home like this is a bit much, though."
"But Noah's super strong! Carry me! I came all this way to find you!"
"Other people are staring, you know? And we need to hurry home and eat bulgogi. If we keep this up, dinner will be late."
"Gasp, that won't do!"
Yuri quickly slid down and stretched her arms high.
The way the sunset dyed her golden straight hair left me momentarily speechless...
"Noah!"
"Yeah?"
"How did you feel when I came out to meet you like this?"
"...Happy."
"Hehe! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"
Yuri and I went home and stuffed ourselves with bulgogi until our stomachs were about to burst.
After finishing the dishes, the clock struck eight in the evening.
"The original personality still hasn't come out, huh."
"She says it's too embarrassing to show herself! I get to monopolize Noah a little longer even after the sun's gone down, so I'm happy~"
Sunny leaned her body against my chest, kicking her legs lightly as she laughed.
We weren't watching TV or using the computer or anything.
We were simply sharing each other's warmth, leaning together.
And yet it felt perfect.
So perfect I wished time would just stop flowing.
"Yuri. Now that I think about it, there's something I want to ask."
"What is it? My three sizes? They've been growing every year~"
When she started to lift her shirt to show her stomach again, I nearly choked.
I hadn't expected that kind of line to come from the dog-like personality.
"Wh-who exactly taught you to say things like that?"
"Hmm... the original personality referenced a video she watched yesterday. Top 10 Questions Guys Love?"
"Ahaha. That's... alarming. But it's not that."
"Then what, what?"
"Does the original personality play games on the computer too?"
"How did you know, Noah? She watches streams and plays a ton of games!"
Of course. If she was into internet broadcasts, there was no way she wouldn't play games.
She might even be a harder-core gamer than I was.
"Do you know what kinds of games she mainly plays?"
"She does pretty much everything. She played that League thing you were playing earlier, and something about a storm in spacetime? Anyway, if something on stream catches her eye she buys it right away."
"So that's the only thing she actually spends her allowance on."
Yuri's personalities—except for Sunny—were all shut-ins.
Her mom even covered her food expenses.
Sunny only went out to exercise, so she wouldn't have much reason to spend money outside either.
That explains why she asked if I needed anything when we were texting at school last time.
I remembered being flustered when she suddenly offered to buy me whatever I wanted.
When I told her I wasn't doing it for favors, she said she had nowhere to spend money anyway and told me not to feel burdened. It had taken a lot to talk her out of it.
"But there is one game she plays consistently!"
"What is it?"
She lifted her head from my chest.
Her golden hair flowed down, catching my eyes directly.
"MaXcraft!"
"Huh? That blocky square world game? The one with zombies and sands at night, where you mine diamonds and when you turn around a creeper gives you a hug?"
Sunny made a big O shape with both hands.
Out of all the games, it was Minecraft.
Honestly, it wasn't that surprising.
It was a masterpiece anyone of any age could enjoy, with the highest degree of freedom.
When I was in the States, I'd stayed up all night playing it with the few friends I had and made some good memories.
"Hehe, Noah. I just got a great idea!"
Sunny's eyes suddenly sparkled.
If she'd had a tail like a dog, it would have been wagging wildly.
It felt like watching Bibi right before she caused some kind of trouble.
"Let's hear it first."
"It's special medicine for my stuffy original personality!"
Yuri slipped out of my arms completely.
She put on the cardigan I'd tossed on the sofa and headed for the front door.
"Yuri? Are you going out? I'll come with you."
"Noah, stay right there!"
She held up her palm to stop me from following.
It didn't make sense for the homeowner to leave a guest behind, but she looked completely confident.
"Hehe~ Noah, remember the computer in my room? There's no password. Turn it on and run Minecraft."
"Suddenly? This is so out of nowhere I'm confused. Plus we should respect privacy."
It was her personal computer.
If it were me, I'd freak out if someone touched my computer.
Obviously no one wants to show their browsing history or photos to others.
But Yuri was completely calm. She even smiled like she was enjoying this.
"I'll allow it! I'm Yuri too, you know~"
"Did the original personality tell you to do this, Sunny?"
"Nope! I'm actually trying to keep the original personality away by going out alone?"
".....?"
She was only making me more confused.
Just as my head started to ache, she put on her sneakers, opened the door, and gave me a bright smile.
"Don't touch anything else. If you enter the first world, there'll be a tunnel. Make sure you follow it all the way to the end."
"Yuri? Hey! You're really going? Haah..."
Click.
The door closed, leaving me alone in the house.
In my childhood friend's house, no less. And she was a girl.
"...Is she serious?"
I climbed the wooden stairs and headed to Yuri's room.
It was a room I'd entered many times before as her childhood friend.
But this time, I couldn't hide the strange mix of tension and excitement.
"Is it really okay to do this?"
Following Yuri's instructions, I stood in front of the computer.
The space had a pink keyboard and a cat-ear headset.
"Even though I have permission, it still feels wrong."
I didn't know what to do, but I was also incredibly curious.
In the end, I pressed the power button and sat down in front of the computer.
After a short loading screen, the desktop appeared.
"...This feels familiar."
Photos of the times Yuri and I had spent together were arranged like picture frames.
The scene of us holding hands on stage during the Pinocchio play in kindergarten.
The day we entered elementary school, looking shy but sticking right next to each other.
And... the last photo we took together before I left the country.
"She must see these photos every single time she turns on the computer."
I couldn't be certain, but she probably hadn't changed the background and had used this wallpaper the whole time.
Even after I left.
Even during those painful school days she endured.
Even until we met again like this.
What did she think about every night while looking at this screen?
The longing carried in the atmosphere of those days?
Or the loneliness and resentment toward me for leaving her behind?
"...I don't know."
Whether those feelings were negative or positive, I hadn't been able to stay by her side.
I let out a sigh and clicked the game icon.
True to her words about playing it consistently, it opened immediately.
Soon the game company's logo appeared, followed by the main screen.
She definitely said the first world.
A simple name. A world that holds three years of her thoughts, trauma, and the birth of her different personalities.
I checked the chat one more time before clicking.
"Got it. I won't run away."
Watching the tip messages on the loading screen flicker by one after another, I waited to be taken into Yuri's world.
