Chapter 264: Clumsy Change
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 264: Clumsy Change
"You know," I began.
A soft smile played on my lips.
The words that followed were my absolute truth, something no one could deny or doubt.
"I don't believe happiness is as far off as people think."
"..."
Choi Jin-ah stared at me intently.
"It’s always like that. We only fail to realize how precious it is because it’s always by our side."
I calmly lowered my gaze.
My grip on her hand remained steady, a silent vow that I would never let go.
"That—"
Choi Jin-ah started to say something but closed her mouth again.
Perhaps it was the noise and the eyes of the crowd around us. She seemed burdened by the mere act of speaking.
"That’s what happiness is. Seeing a sunrise for the first time in a while, taking a walk alone late at night, waking up feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep, or finding out a movie was better than expected. Things like that."
"..."
"Happiness is already rooted in our daily lives. It’s not strange to miss it, though."
Because most people do.
"Our eyes, as we live our fierce lives, are always looking forward."
"..."
"Look around you. You’ll realize that there was more happiness surrounding you than you thought."
Choi Jin-ah still didn't answer.
Was she nervous because we were up on stage? The sharp gazes of the people watching were certainly a bit stinging.
"Whew."
Choi Jin-ah let out a long breath.
Finally, unable to hold it in any longer, she turned to me and asked, "Why are you telling me this now?"
She tried to pull her hand away, wanting to shake me off immediately, but I tightened my grip, overbearingly preventing her from escaping.
"Because it seems like you don't really know. About these small joys in everyday life."
"Small joys?"
Choi Jin-ah spoke as if she found it absurd, but I answered firmly and clearly.
"Yes. These small joys are what make life good."
Hadn't I just told her?
"For example, finding out a new flavor of ice cream is tastier than expected, feeling proud after helping an old lady with heavy bags, or finding an old photo album..."
Or.
"Winning a Porsche as a prize."
At my words, Choi Jin-ah’s expression filled with utter despondency. Even as her eyes screamed, 'What is wrong with this guy?' my lips curled into a smirk.
"The... prize will now be awarded."
Bong-geun walked onto the stage with a look like he’d just chewed on a piece of crap. In his hand was the Porsche key he had to give me.
"Hahahaha!"
I couldn't stop laughing.
Man, I always knew Bong-geun spent money like water, but who would have thought he’d put up a Porsche as the first-place prize for a treasure hunt!
"Please... say a few words."
Bong-geun’s expression as he handed me the microphone wasn't exactly pleasant.
But hey, I found the answer using the rules and hints he set, so he shouldn't be mad at me.
"Ah, yes. To be honest, I wasn't actually planning on looking for it."
The looks from the people below the stage weren't great.
Come to think of it, I’d shown up in knock-off sportswear, caused a scene, and was now walking away with a Porsche. Plus, I’d already arranged to have some food packed up to go.
"But thanks to the hint Bong-geun—"
"James!"
At Bong-geun’s shout from beside me, I scratched my head.
He gave me alcohol, he gave me food, and he even gave me a Porsche. I could call him whatever he wanted to be called.
"I was able to find it thanks to the hint James gave me."
Bong-geun had provided three hints in total:
— It is in a place of global prestige.
— It looks the same as us, but it is actually different.
When I first heard those, I didn't think much of them. I wasn't even interested.
But then came the third hint, which I heard while Senior Ju-hee was settling the money from the bet after winning her sparring match.
— It can stay in constant motion.
While I was heading over to give Choi Jin-ah the money I’d won from her, I saw her on the phone.
A bleak expression?
Tears welling in her eyes?
A back slowly hunching as if crushed by something?
The sound of pained breathing?
Setting all that aside.
'Is her bracelet broken?'
On the night ferry, seeing her wrist as she talked on the phone in the shadows of the crowd, that was the only thought I had.
The red bracelet on her wrist wasn't glowing.
In that moment:
— It is in a place of global prestige.
— It looks the same as us, but it is actually different.
— It can stay in constant motion.
The realization struck me like a bolt of lightning, giving me an intense urge to shout "Eureka!"
However, I also noticed the gazes of the men still targeting Choi Jin-ah. Their eyes, looking for an opportunity to approach her naturally, looked to me like they were about to steal my prize.
That was why I had dashed across the deck to reach her.
"Thanks to the hints, I realized that Miss Choi Jin-ah’s bracelet was the treasure."
I raised Choi Jin-ah’s hand, which I hadn't let go of once.
The bracelet she was wearing. This was the treasure.
With a satisfied smile, I handed the microphone back to Bong-geun.
Bong-geun’s eyes looked dead. However, like a true host, he tried his best to keep his energy up.
"Yes, that’s correct! The treasure was indeed Miss Choi Jin-ah’s bracelet!"
Complaints erupted from the crowd.
Mutterings of "How were we supposed to find that?" and grumbles that it only favored people close to Choi Jin-ah.
"I planned this because I thought she would be the most eye-catching person at this party," Bong-geun dismissed their complaints with a fake smile.
It was true; Choi Jin-ah couldn't help but stand out wherever she went. It was only because she’d been dragged around by us that people hadn't been able to approach her.
Otherwise, plenty of people would have approached her wanting to get close to a world-class violinist. Especially since rumors were flying that she was looking for a husband.
"Everyone was so enchanted by her beauty that no one noticed the treasure right next to them!"
Man, did he grease his tongue? He says those cringy lines without batting an eye.
More importantly, I stared at him as if to hurry up and hand over the car key. With a sigh, he handed me the key, which was kept in something resembling a jewelry box.
Camera flashes went off.
"Woo-jini is the best!"
"Wow! Oppa! Let's go for a drive today!"
"If I can't fit in the passenger seat, I'll sit on your lap!"
Seo Ye-rin and the other two women were cheering from below the stage.
"What did you say?! He's my man!"
Seo Ye-rin glared at the two of them sharply, looking like she was ready to pounce.
Senior Ju-hee gave me a big thumbs-up from a distance. The reason she had a massive grin on her face—unlike her usual self—was probably because she’d won a bike too.
As I was getting my picture taken, I whispered to Bong-geun.
"Thanks, Bong-geun. Thanks to you, I got a car and a bike. Make sure to invite me again next time."
From now on, I’m attending every single reunion.
"You can put the food in the Porsche's trunk, right?"
"...I'm never hosting again."
Well, that would be a shame.
"Hey, don't be like that. Where else am I going to find a gu— I mean, a guy as generous as you?"
"You were going to say 'gullible,' weren't you?"
"I do feel a bit like that, though. Like I came to someone else's birthday party and ate the whole cake by myself."
"So you do have a conscience?"
"Let's grab a drink later. I'll buy you something good. Do you like soju or beer?"
"..."
I ignored his look that asked why those were the only two options and finished taking the commemorative photos.
* * *
"..."
Choi Jin-ah stared blankly at Kim Woo-jin in the distance.
He was sitting in the driver's seat of the Porsche, looking incredibly excited as he talked to someone on the phone.
"Yeah! Yeah! No, I'm serious! I won a Porsche! It's freaking insane. Come out in front of the house! Let's go for a drive!"
"Huh? Did I drink? A little? Then isn't it drunk driving? Hmm... you're right."
"Let's go tomorrow, tomorrow. Eh? Do I have a license? Oh, right. I don't have a license."
'What kind of conversation is that?'
It was clear he was drunk. He was just rambling nonsense.
Watching him like that made her feel like a complete fool for worrying and agonizing so much.
— People who try to handle that guy often find things don't go their way.
'He was right.'
The words of Kim Jae-un, Kim Woo-jin’s eldest brother, came back to her.
She had thought something would surely change. But in the end, Kim Woo-jin had just snatched up exactly what he wanted and left, while she remained standing exactly where she started.
Two women approached her. They were the two who had been with her for most of the party.
"Let's exchange numbers!"
"Let's hang out later! You're surprisingly innocent and fun!"
"Ah, yes."
Choi Jin-ah didn't find them unpleasant, so she exchanged numbers without hesitation. She had quite a few friends, but she had never had friends like this.
"But... what do you usually do when you hang out?"
Perhaps because of that, she asked out of sudden curiosity. The two immediately poured out answers.
"What should we do?"
"Karaoke? A hunting pocha? A club? Just say the word if there's somewhere you haven't been! We'll take you everywhere!"
"..."
Looking at the two of them, she felt a momentary, complex desire.
The sense of freedom she felt when Kim Woo-jin dragged her away earlier. The different version of herself she discovered through experiences she’d never had before.
She wanted to feel those things again.
She wanted to try being a different Choi Jin-ah, not Choi Jin-ah the violinist. Just like the two women in front of her, who were her polar opposites.
"Are you two... good people?"
Despite the sudden question, the two weren't particularly flustered and spoke their minds.
"No! We're bad bitches!"
"Total bad bitches! That's probably why we only attract bad guys!"
"Hahahaha! Exactly! We really need to fix our behavior!"
"Even coming here was because we got tangled up with some weird guy! I guess this is just our fate!"
Her head was a mess and she couldn't quite organize her thoughts, but...
"Could I... change like that too?"
She summoned her courage to speak. It was her first step, a brave attempt to change into something other than who she was now.
"Hell yeah! Let's have car sex! Car sex!"
"Isn't Porsche sex like the most expensive adult toy in the world?!"
But hearing Kim Woo-jin’s voice, who seemed to be living without a single thought in his head, she felt like a fool again.
Vrrr!
Just then, her father’s phone call came in. The number of missed calls was terrifying.
"Hello."
— Where are you?
The boiling rage in his voice felt like it would melt her eardrums.
— And who was that guy earlier?
"Mr. Woo-jin."
Just hearing his voice made her various emotions evaporate. Before she knew it, she was reporting to him as usual.
— You're not saying you're going to meet that guy again, are you?! I looked into him! He's nothing but a total playboy!
— Absolutely not! Find someone else, not him!
She had always been a daughter who listened well. A fool who didn't even know how to show that she had changed.
To her, who couldn't say a word in front of her father, a very simple opportunity was given for the first and last time.
And having had several unique experiences today, she didn't miss it.
Bad girls are bound to date bad guys.
"I like him."
— What...?
"I'm... I'm going to d-date that bad man!"
Click.
She hung up just like that.
It was the first time in her life Choi Jin-ah had unilaterally hung up a phone call, and the fact that the target was her father made her heart race.
"Hah! Ha... haaaa!"
As she caught her breath with a strange sound, the two women in front of her stared with wide eyes.
"Are you... are you really going to date him?!"
"Wait! Doesn't that guy have a girlfriend?"
At their words, Choi Jin-ah turned off her phone completely and answered.
"I don't like him!"
She didn't deny that he was her first love. But honestly, it was ridiculous to say she was remembering her elementary school crush because of his actions today.
However, she was interested. Because she had done so many things for the first time today.
It was her first time drinking soju, her first time seeing martial arts so close, and her first time betting money.
'He said happiness is closer than you think.'
In that sense, it was similar to the bracelet on her wrist.
She hadn't even thought about looking for the treasure. She hadn't even bothered to try and find out. That was why she hadn't discovered the treasure that was already on her wrist.
'How funny.'
He had clearly said it just to tease her, but...
"Jin-ah! Take a picture of us!"
Kim Woo-jin called out, asking her to take a photo of them with the Porsche.
Looking at him, Choi Jin-ah walked over with an exasperated expression. She let down her hair, which she had tied up in a mess earlier.
The ship was approaching land. The lights visible in the distance felt like they were welcoming her.
There was no sudden, dramatic change. She was still the same Choi Jin-ah.
But she had started trying to be a little different, and for now, that was enough.
"Let's play a bit more before we go."
She didn't want this day to end. She wanted this day—strangely dizzying yet refreshingly cool—to continue.
"Eh? I don't want to."
Naturally, Kim Woo-jin refused, but...
"It's because I want to get closer to Ye-rin."
"Me too!"
Choi Jin-ah turned toward Seo Ye-rin, and Seo Ye-rin, who was naturally social, didn't refuse and accepted. She was slowly learning her own way of handling Kim Woo-jin.
"Yay! Let's play! Let's play more!"
"Oppa, it's only 12 o'clock! It's too early to end!"
The two women who followed also cheered, welcoming Choi Jin-ah’s suggestion.
"Sigh, what do you want to do then?"
When Seo Ye-rin welcomed getting close to a celebrity like Choi Jin-ah, Kim Woo-jin finally asked, following along.
"Hmm, first of all."
Choi Jin-ah answered with a bright smile.
"I want to drink soju!"
