Chapter 87: Walking the Street
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 87: Walking the Street
The call ended, and I stared blankly down at my phone. My oldest brother’s use of the word "again" still rang in my ears. I wanted to go find him right this second, but the thought that this might be exactly what he wanted—part of some calculated move—left me paralyzed, unable to act.
‘He knows about Yun-ji.’
I hadn’t started dating her until I got to college, and since then, I hadn’t really kept in touch with my family. We had only dated for a single semester before breaking up, which meant he must have known about it for quite some time.
“Whew.”
I sat back down with a bitter sigh. A sharp, unpleasant prickling sensation nagged at the back of my head. More than anything, I hated myself for even having a sliver of hope that things might be different.
“What’s up? Why so serious all of a sudden?”
Yoo Ah-rin tilted her head, sensing the shift in my mood as I stared grimly at my phone. She had probably been joking around because she thought my brother and I were close, seeing as we were trading insults.
“Sigh. Well, you actually did me a favor.”
If it hadn't been for Ah-rin’s prank, I wouldn't have realized that my brother knew about my relationship with Oh Yun-ji. I suppose I had to credit Ah-rin’s bubbly personality... or rather, her sheer lunacy, for accidentally stumbling onto the truth.
“Can’t you just use it as bragging rights against him?” Ah-rin asked with a playful grin.
It was almost funny how she had been walking on eggshells and preparing to apologize just a moment ago, only to become smug the second I said it was fine. Well, family problems were best left to the family. Right now, I needed to address what she had said earlier.
“Hey, what was that about earlier? You said Chan-woo told you I was here.”
Ah-rin kicked off her shoes and sat cross-legged on her chair, answering with a shrug. “What do you mean, ‘what was that’? It’s exactly what it sounds like. Chan-woo told me you were here, so I came.”
“Why would Chan-woo tell you that?”
“How should I know?!”
It was clear that continuing this conversation wouldn't yield anything productive. It would be easier to just ask Chan-woo directly later.
“...But why did you come just because he told you?”
As I added that last bit, Ah-rin spun her chair around, looking annoyed. “I came to see if you were doing a good job editing. Got a problem with that?”
“I did a great job. Senior Ju-hee saw it and even praised me for it.”
“...Really?”
When I showed the video I had edited to Ah-rin, her eyes widened in surprise.
“Whoa, you’re actually good?”
If even she was giving me an honest compliment, I must have really done a decent job.
‘Maybe I should look into being an editor?’
I had already given up on the camping channel long ago, and I was determined to find a part-time job to get through the winter. I’d heard that Neutube editing was usually paid per video, so it might not be a bad idea to learn the ropes properly and work as an editor.
“Oh? Ah-rin, you’re here too?”
Just then, Senior Ju-hee approached, smelling faintly of deodorant.
“Hello, Senior!”
The two of them started chatting away, and I began browsing job search websites on the computer.
* * *
We ended up staying at the PC Bang longer than I expected.
I didn't think Ah-rin played games, but she ended up joining Senior Ju-hee, who had lost all her money in Go-stop and moved on to Poker. Senior Ju-hee seemed to have zero talent for these kinds of games, but surprisingly, Ah-rin was quite good.
Anyway.
Since we had already eaten dinner at the PC Bang and had nothing else to do, I started to get up. Ah-rin was staring blankly at the screen with a candy in her mouth. For some reason, she was now playing Yut Nori.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you leaving?”
When I called out to her, Ah-rin glanced my way and shook her head. “I’ll leave in a bit.”
“...”
Her tone and the atmosphere around her were different from usual. I knew Chan-woo’s shift was about to end soon. It seemed she was planning to talk to him before heading out.
“Alright, good luck.”
I gave the back of her chair a light pat and walked out with Senior Ju-hee.
“Nnnngh! That feels great!”
Senior Ju-hee stretched and let out a refreshed shout. It had been a bit stuffy inside the PC Bang because of the heater, so the cool night air felt incredibly crisp and pleasant.
“Are you going straight back to your place, Woo-jin?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty tired, so I think I’ll head in.”
“Alright. Sigh, I guess I have to head back to that dreadful dormitory.”
Ju-hee, who had been loosening up her body with some stretches, was about to say goodbye and leave.
“Senior, what’s the dormitory like?”
One of the things I had considered while looking for part-time jobs earlier was the dormitory. Given what my brother said, my allowance would probably be cut off soon. I had some savings for now, so it wasn't an immediate crisis, but the future was the problem. Instead of juggling a part-time job to cover both tuition and rent, I wondered if there was a way to move into the dorms for my second year.
At my question, Senior Ju-hee tilted her head and shoved her hands deep into her pockets.
“What? You’re thinking of moving into the dorms instead of living alone starting next year? It’ll be tough.”
“Is it that hard to get in?”
“Our university’s dorms are pretty big, so there’s less competition compared to other schools. Plus, there are plenty of cheap studio apartments nearby.”
That was true. Gahyeon University was well-known for being student-friendly because of the abundance of studio apartments in the area.
“But usually, they take all the freshmen, and from the second year onwards, they mostly only accept people who were already living there.”
“Ah.”
I had rarely heard of juniors or seniors living in the dorms. When I let out a genuine sigh of disappointment, Senior Ju-hee watched me for a moment before stepping closer and throwing an arm around my shoulder.
“Are you going to be good to your senior?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you going to do a proper job editing this assignment?”
Realizing she was looking for an excuse to help me, I nodded vigorously. “Yes! Of course!”
“Hehehe.”
She pinched my cheek, slapped my back, and started dragging me along.
“Let’s go. Believe it or not, there’s a certain Noona who’s a fourth-year and still haunting the dorms.”
“...Is that even allowed?”
“Who knows? She manages to stick around somehow, so who cares? Let’s go see her and get some tips on how to apply for the dorms.”
I was grateful for the help, but...
“Wait, isn't she an 'Unni' to you?”
The way she called her 'Noona' felt so natural that I almost missed it.
“Noona, Unni, what does it matter?”
Spoken like a true leader.
“Oh, right. Let’s buy her something on the way. That Noona is pretty picky.”
“...I guess you’d have to be to live in the dorms for four years. Does she have anything she likes?”
“Maybe just some energy drinks? She’s been looking pretty drained lately because she’s so busy.”
“Well, fourth-years are usually busy with graduation.”
As I nodded, Senior Ju-hee chuckled and shook her head.
“No, she’s becoming a teaching assistant and going to grad school at the same time. I thought she’d lost her mind.”
“Aha...?”
Wait.
Why did a specific person immediately come to mind?
“By any chance, is she in the Physical Therapy department, kind of short, and wears glasses?”
“Huh? Yeah. Do you know her?”
“Ah, I see. We don't need to buy anything then.”
Forget the convenience store. We could just charge straight into the dormitory.
* * *
About thirty minutes after Kim Woo-jin and Min Ju-hee left the PC Bang.
Yoo Ah-rin, who had been playing that tedious game of Yut Nori with a blank expression, glanced sideways as she felt someone approach. It was Jeong Chan-woo, now wearing his coat as his shift had ended. The sharp glares of the girls who had come to Zero PC Bang specifically to see him were pinned on Ah-rin.
“You done?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Ah-rin, who had finished her candy and was now working on a tube ice cream she’d bought earlier, stood up and shut down the computer. While some girls watched with envy, others seemed to give up, thinking they looked like a well-matched couple.
Stepping out of the PC Bang and breathing in the cold air, she felt a strange sensation. A sense of suffocation, somehow. Ah-rin knew all too well that it wasn't because of the atmosphere or the wind, but because of the person she was with.
“I’ll walk you home.”
“Sure.”
Perhaps he wanted to organize his thoughts. She didn't bother refusing Chan-woo’s offer to walk her home.
In the past...
Yes, in the past, walking home together like this certainly hadn't felt uncomfortable. As they walked through the alleys toward her house, Ah-rin stole a glance at Jeong Chan-woo.
He was handsome enough to be an actor. He had great proportions, so even just throwing on a coat made him look well-dressed. He had excellent manners and was careful in his relationships with others. He knew he was handsome, but he didn't flaunt it.
He was a good guy.
Chan-woo was.
“I heard from Senior Pyo Jin-ho.”
The first thing Chan-woo said when he finally opened his mouth was about Pyo Jin-ho.
“He said you turned him down. And quite harshly, too. I think Senior Jin-ho was pretty shocked.”
“He had it coming.”
She had been a bit excessive, but her heart felt light, and she didn't regret it. In fact, if she could go back to that moment, she had a few more things she wanted to say.
“That’s impressive. I’m still a bit scared of the seniors.”
“You have every reason to be.”
As Ah-rin gave her nonchalant reply, Chan-woo asked cautiously, “Did Woo-jin help you?”
“...”
At the mention of his name, Ah-rin stopped walking and looked at Chan-woo. He had a complex expression for many reasons, but he just gave an awkward smile and brushed it off.
“Just... just wondering.”
“He helped. He’s acting like he didn't, but I received his help.”
Kim Woo-jin would probably claim he had nothing to do with her sharp-tongued rejection, but Ah-rin knew. It was Kim Woo-jin who had created the atmosphere and the momentum for her to do so.
“Ah-rin.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you like Woo-jin?”
“...”
At those words, Ah-rin’s brow furrowed as she glared at Jeong Chan-woo.
“Are you crazy? No, I don't.”
“...”
Jeong Chan-woo stared blankly at the fuming Ah-rin. Unaware of what he was thinking, Ah-rin continued to shout at him.
“Do you have any idea how many girls like him? Jumping into that right now would be a suicide mission. Why would I throw myself into that explosion?”
“Is that so?”
“There’s Ye-rin, and there’s Choi I-seo, the English major rep. Sorry, but I’m not into suicide missions.”
“I see.”
“So, don't suddenly tell me where Kim Woo-jin is like you did today. And don't try to 'help' me in ways that aren't like you.”
“Alright.”
At his weak response, Ah-rin glared at Chan-woo and punched him hard in the chest.
“Did you actually understand me?”
“Yeah, I understood.”
“Sigh, why are you so spineless? Whatever, I’m going.”
With that, Ah-rin hurried off down the path. Watching her back, Jeong Chan-woo was lost in memory.
Did Ah-rin know? That she had asked the exact same question back in high school.
‘Do you like me?’
‘Are you crazy? No, I don't.’
And that she had given the exact same answer she had given to his past self. Back in high school, the two of them walking this path always had the same expressions. They were youthful, filled with fluttering excitement. The fact that they liked each other but couldn't say it out loud made their hearts beat even faster. The two of them had walked this path with the same look on their faces.
Time had passed. Many things had happened. And he had hurt her.
Chan-woo felt his eyes grow hot and lowered his head. Because he was scared, he had hurt the person he liked. Because he was scared, he had confessed to someone he didn't even like.
Before he knew it, he realized that her expression while walking this path was no longer the same as before. Unlike him, who was still in love with a youthful, fluttering heart, she had already been broken... and had stood back up.
She was walking with a calm, indifferent expression. He would probably never see that old expression again.
“Cut the crap.”
Through the vision blurred by his pouring tears, he saw his blonde childhood friend. Jeong Chan-woo, meeting the eyes of Yoo Ah-rin, who was glaring at him with her arms crossed, wore a dazed expression. But Ah-rin didn't hesitate for a second to spit out her venomous words.
“Does it hurt? It hurt for me too. When you rejected me, and when I heard you and Ye-rin were dating.”
“...”
“I cried right here, just like this.”
“Ah... rin.”
“It’s true that I really liked you. It’s true that I felt like I couldn't live without you.”
Isn't it funny? People say that humans repeat the same mistakes, and while that’s treated like a meme now, it really does pierce through the essence of life.
“It’s the same as you being scared of Pyo Jin-ho. Me liking you, and you liking me.”
In the end.
“Once time passes, it turns out it wasn't that big of a deal.”
Are you going to repeat the same kind of mistake again? Ah-rin was asking Jeong Chan-woo. Just like before, when he couldn't move because he was scared of Pyo Jin-ho, was he going to just sit there and suffer in his sadness?
“I liked you.”
When Ah-rin said it with a grin, as if telling him to follow her lead, the hesitating Jeong Chan-woo hurriedly wiped his tears, straightened his back, and replied.
“I... liked you.”
“Yeah, then that’s enough.”
They had spent a stinging youth. Thanks to that, they had achieved a sharp growth.
“Let’s go, friend.”
To Yoo Ah-rin, who was drawing a clear line.
“Yeah, friend.”
Jeong Chan-woo replied, forcing himself to wipe away the stray tears. The two of them continued to walk down the alley.
It was like that in high school. It was like that now in college. And it would probably be like that even after they became members of society. The youthful, fluttering atmosphere was no longer between them. That atmosphere and those expressions would never be directed at each other again.
But.
The two of them were still.
Walking the same path.