Yoo Ha-yeon's Daily Life (1)
My name is Seo Ji-yeon. I'm currently a second-year middle school student. Writing in first person instead of third is a bit tough. They say it's for historical records to compile an autobiography someday... but I still don't quite get what that means. Oh, to avoid any misunderstandings from future readers, let me add that this isn't my autobiography—it's the young miss's. Yoo Ha-yeon, that is. Our proud young miss seems to be preparing her autobiography already. She told me she has perfect memory, an incredible ability, but she's worried no one around her will believe it. So, for cross-verification, she asked me to keep records. Is this what they call puberty? I skipped it myself, so I'm not sure.
Of course! I have infinite loyalty to Ha-yeon. Actually, even calling her Ha-yeon so casually feels awkward. I've always called her "young miss." Back in my elementary school days, when I was getting bullied by nasty kids, she swooped in like a prince and saved me—that memory's still crystal clear. On top of that, my dad, who works at Daeha Securities, keeps drilling into me not to upset the young miss. How could I ever think badly of her? The occasional things I say are just honest advice from a loyal retainer. And... well, separately from that, the young miss does have a quirky personality. Honestly, at first I thought she was a total pervert. Her natural disposition isn't exactly prim and proper, fine—but her clothes? I wish she'd do something about them, but nope, no change. When we went to America, she threw on this embarrassing bunny outfit, called it "cute," and even tried pushing it on me. Luckily, she didn't show it off to anyone else, but she snapped a few photos, so it's pointless. Knowing her, she'll share them with everyone. Might even stick them in the autobiography midway.
Still, I'm one of the lucky ones. The young miss favors me so much that I get to live with her now. That's huge. I can record her every move, build a personal friendship, and learn from her knowledge. And this is exactly why I'm doing the recording instead of her super-beloved former chief secretary. That scary big sis is off in Russia right now... Sending her most treasured person to the most dangerous place? Classic young miss.
...Whoops, too much gossip. Time for the main point. This is my record of Yoo Ha-yeon's daily life. And if you've read the above, you know I'm the type to faithfully record—and point out—even my master's flaws. Worried my limited perspective might lead to misinterpretations, I've stuck to the plain facts, so no misunderstandings, please. I swear on my honor and my father's: no lies or exaggerations here.
One day in October 1993.
"Yawn..."
The morning of Yoo Ha-yeon, the genius of the Daeha family, was worlds apart from your average middle schooler's.
-Rustle.
For starters, her room had a full-sized bed. And then there was the classmate snuggled up beside her.
"Ji-yeon, you up?"
The first sight that greeted Seo Ji-yeon as she woke was Yoo Ha-yeon, stark naked, brushing her hair in front of the mirror. She'd clearly taken a quick shower already—her skin glistened faintly with moisture. Even to another girl, it was a body so perfect that "beautiful" was the only word that came to mind. Ji-yeon's sleepiness evaporated a little.
"Ah, yep. I'm up."
Seo Ji-yeon was Yoo Ha-yeon's devoted servant, but she was smack in the middle of a growth spurt, so she often woke up later. Still, Ha-yeon was pretty lenient with her subordinates, so she didn't scold Ji-yeon for sleeping in. Naturally, the writer here can't record what happened before she woke up, so no clue what Ha-yeon was up to earlier. But one thing was certain: no funny business like taking advantage of a defenseless girl's body. Not because of Ha-yeon's virtuous nature—quite the opposite. She loved teasing people regardless of gender and watching their reactions. Sleeping folks don't react.
"Ugh, young miss, you're so diligent even on weekends. It's only 6 AM..."
Ha-yeon flashed a soft smile at Ji-yeon and said, like she was doing her a favor,
"I don't need much sleep. No tasks for you today, so feel free to crash longer."
This was half a lie. Ha-yeon could sleep half the day if she wanted and adored rest. She just loved something else even more.
"What're you up to today, then?"
"Dunno. First, I'll check the paperwork that piled up while I slept."
Ha-yeon finished fixing her hair and slipped into the underwear at the foot of the bed. For the record, getting her to at least wear underwear was one of Ji-yeon's rare achievements since moving in.
What, is she some money-making beast or something...?
Ignoring Ji-yeon's momentary irreverent thought, Ha-yeon grabbed the documents and pen from her desk. To someone stirring up trouble worldwide, day and night were just markers of the sun's position.
-Click.
"Hmm... I don't need to handle this one... Gotta swing by here later... Ah, Ji-yeon, come take a look. You'll learn a ton."
Ji-yeon, smitten anew by Ha-yeon's beautiful, intelligent form, nodded.
"Ah, sure!"
This was normally chief secretary Lee Si-hyun's job, but no one—not even Ji-yeon—could fully replace her, so Ha-yeon was just a tad busier.
Have I been too lazy...? Nah, I can still learn if I start now.
Ji-yeon felt guilty for not helping more and worked hard to fulfill her secretarial duties.
"Nah, you're plenty helpful already."
-Rustle.
Ha-yeon, in her thin nightgown, pulled Ji-yeon into a light hug. Her soft, squishy chest pressed against Ji-yeon's cheek, but Ji-yeon felt zero arousal.
"...Yeah, I know."
She knew. Ha-yeon truly thought she was helpful, and Ji-yeon believed it too. That let her, the useless backup secretary, salvage some pride. But deep down, Ji-yeon wished she wasn't helpful—even if it shattered her pride. Someone who couldn't sleep without sharing warmth with family or friends nearby... was just pitiful.
Truth was, Ji-yeon's master was terribly prone to loneliness. She'd deny it to her dying breath, but... hearing her occasionally sob for her dad at night made it impossible not to know.
"Ha, I can see those weird thoughts. Ji-yeon, I'm not that fragile, you know."
"Ah, no, you're not."
"Hmm...? What does that mean?"
"I-It means I'm not thinking weird stuff!"
She's not my big sis, she's my classmate...
Ji-yeon swallowed a sigh inwardly and grumbled just as—
"Ah!"
-Whoosh.
Ha-yeon's eyes flashed as she bolted upright.
"Ji-yeon, pack your bags."
"Huh? M-Me? Why me...?"
"No time to call the others. Just carry stuff and think of it as gaining experience. Got clothes? If not, wear mine. I have an elementary school blazer that'll probably fit you now."
Ha-yeon started frantically packing nearby items. Ji-yeon rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked,
"W-What's going on? Why the sudden—?"
"We're going to New York. Oh, and a quick stop in Russia."
"Uh... why New York? You said no schedule today..."
Ji-yeon pulled a sad face as her day evaporated, but Ha-yeon replied like it was obvious.
"Something came up. Complicated to explain, but it's worth tens of millions of dollars. Thought I had more time—guess not. Clear your schedule; nothing important, right? Hurry and prep, grab whatever food's in the fridge, and come out. Oh, right—the driver's off golfing at 7:30, so he's up now. I just paged him. You call the secretary's office first and get our passports. We're flying."
"W-Wait, slow down a sec..."
"Tch, so incompetent."
"Guh!"
Ha-yeon furrowed her brow and clicked her tongue. But she kindly repeated it clearly anyway—so very Ha-yeon. Ji-yeon's hands trembled as she jotted it down on a notepad and asked,
"But New York means jet lag..."
Ha-yeon tilted her head like why ask something so basic?
"Huh? That's actually perfect. Work 36 hours, then crash?"
"...Isn't it 24? I figured you'd say work 24 hours here, arrive in New York at night, and sleep then."
But Ha-yeon always exceeded expectations.
"Pfft, you gonna sleep in New York? Gotta come back to Korea. Korea might be night, but it's day in New York, so you can push past 24 hours easy! Chase the sun and it's always daytime. You never read The Little Prince?"
"..."
Ji-yeon revised her thinking a bit. If that inhuman monster didn't crave human warmth, she'd have been a calamity for the whole world.
It was 6:30 AM.