Chapter 116: Autumn (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 116: Autumn (5)
"—…When did Lee Seung-ho get so big?"
I heard the Mini-Me mumble.
Well, I have grown a bit.
I barely managed to suppress the urge to let a smirk slip. It was a result I was personally satisfied with. All that hard work exercising and making sure to take my supplements every morning must have finally paid off.
"?"
What was she thinking about? Ji Nuri wasn't following me; she was lagging far behind. Her Mini-Me was still muttering something.
"Hey, aren’t you coming?"
"I-I’m coming!"
When I called out to her, she seemed to snap out of it and came scurrying over.
"—…I guess putting my arm around his shoulder is out. I have to make it look natural… but he grew way too much for no reason."
For no reason? There are no downsides to being tall.
"I’m heading out first!"
Ji Nuri tapped my shoulder and bolted ahead. She was already quite a distance away. I walked slowly since I found running to be a chore. Besides, it would be even more troublesome if a teacher caught me running in the hallway.
"Nuri…!"
"I-I’m sorry!"
I saw Ji Nuri getting caught by a teacher immediately.
See? I told you.
……Hmm.
I thought back to what Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me had been mumbling. Putting an arm around my shoulder? It seemed to be an extension of whatever she had been plotting since this morning. I never imagined she’d use a method like that to find out.
I really can’t predict her.
……She won’t take it any further than that, will she?
If that was her plan, I felt a bit guilty for knowing everything while pretending I didn't.
*
Ji Nuri had no intention of giving up easily. Even though her first plan had been derailed by an unexpected variable, a good plan always had a backup.
Alright.
She followed Lee Seung-ho’s back as he looked around the school snack shop. She immediately pivoted to her backup plan.
Just a slight brush of the arms should be fine.
Like an accidental bump. That wouldn't be too much, and it would allow her to approach him very naturally.
"Hey, what are you gonna eat?"
Ji Nuri walked over with quick steps. She pressed close to Lee Seung-ho, playfully bumping her arm against his. A solid, firm sensation traveled up her arm the moment they touched.
……Hiek.
Ji Nuri almost let out a squeal. She bit her lower lip hard. She was surprised because his forearm was thicker than she expected, and he didn't budge an inch.
……S-Still, this should be enough.
Seeing that things were going according to plan, Ji Nuri let out a low chuckle to herself. This would be more than enough to draw a reaction from the other two—whether they got jealous or didn't react at all. To anyone else, they would look like more than just close friends; they’d look like a guy and a girl with something going on.
"……?"
…Wait a minute. That’s how we look?
The thought made a faint heat rise to her cheeks. She suddenly realized that her actions were more embarrassing than she had anticipated.
"Ahem…."
Lee Seung-ho also seemed conscious of it, letting out a small cough. He appeared inwardly flustered by the sudden contact.
"……."
At first, she felt a bit guilty for dragging Lee Seung-ho into this, but looking at his reaction, it didn't seem like he minded that much. Well, of course, Lee Seung-ho would like it. It was a situation where only she had to endure the awkwardness.
Now, how about that!
With a triumphant smile, Ji Nuri turned her gaze toward the two people behind them.
"Don’t you think Original tastes better than Zero Cola?"
"It’s fattening."
"Sol, since when did you ever care about that?"
"…I care, okay?"
"Besides, you’ll gain weight no matter what you eat."
They weren't looking this way at all…! They were in the middle of a heated debate over the differences between Zero Cola and the original.
Ji Nuri waited a bit longer, but…
"……."
Realizing it wasn't working, she subtly pulled away from Lee Seung-ho. Staying attached any longer would only invite unnecessary suspicion. Her second attempt had also ended in failure.
"…I’ll pay for these."
Ji Nuri handed her card to the shop owner. After finishing the transaction, she stepped outside. She pressed the cold canned drink against her earlobe while brainstorming her next move.
…At this point, her pride was on the line.
*
……Something was strange.
"……."
Shin A-young’s eyes narrowed into crescents. …She’s been really weird since this morning.
There had been signs since the start of the day, but it had intensified after they returned from the snack shop. Ji Nuri was usually a bit odd, but today that tendency was even more pronounced.
Even now.
"Seung-ho, help me with this."
"What?"
"The Club President stuff. There’s something here I don’t really know…."
Despite her earlier boast that she knew everything and there was nothing to worry about, she was now asking Lee Seung-ho for help.
Lee Seung-ho asked, "Didn’t you say you knew it all? You said you were doing fine on your own last time."
Nice, keep it up.
Shin A-young nodded in satisfaction at his words.
"……."
Ji Nuri paused for a moment at that.
"I’m confused."
She said it boldly, raising her index finger. Only she could be that dignified about not knowing something.
"……."
But that was acting. As someone for whom acting was a part of daily life, Shin A-young could spot a clumsy lie at a glance. Nuri knew exactly what she was doing and was asking for help anyway.
The problem was why Ji Nuri was doing this. Her ultimate goal remained a mystery.
…Because it’s Nuri.
That made it even harder to figure out. She didn't look it, but Ji Nuri had a lot of eccentric sides to her.
"…Should I help? I am the Vice Club President, after all," Shin A-young tested the waters.
"It’s fine." Ji Nuri shrugged. "Seung-ho got the handover directly from the former Club President, so he probably knows better."
"…Right, then."
Shin A-young nodded and looked away. It was a completely different answer than she had expected. Usually, Nuri would have said, "Would you?"
There was definitely something going on.
Tap, tap-tap, tap.
Shin A-young’s fingers flew across her phone screen.
[See? Isn't she weird?]
The recipient was Lee Sol.
Buzz.
Sol, who was sprawled on the sofa, tapped back.
[(Hamster emoticon nodding its head)]
Shin A-young followed up with the next message.
Tap, tap-tap, tap-tap-tap.
[Why is Nuri acting like that all of a sudden? Do you know anything?]
Buzz.
[(Hamster emoticon with eyes closed in thought)]
Did that mean she was thinking about it? While she waited with the screen closed…
Vrrr.
The phone vibrated.
[(Hamster emoticon with an exclamation mark)]
[Back then]
[Remember?]
A text like that arrived from Lee Sol. Shin A-young blinked blankly. Back then?
[At the Sports Day]
[I told yuo]
[you]
The typo-ridden messages arrived slowly. Shin A-young fell into thought as she read them.
…If it was during the Sports Day.
Shin A-young remembered something Lee Sol had told her before. Lee Sol had suspected that Ji Nuri might be interested in Lee Seung-ho. That was likely what she was trying to say. That was the only conversation they’d had about Ji Nuri back then.
"……."
[Are you saying Nuri likes Seung-ho?]
When she texted to ask if that was it…
[(Hamster emoticon nodding its head)]
[High possibility]
That was the reply she got.
"……."
Even though it was just a guess, Shin A-young’s expression momentarily stiffened. She looked up at Lee Seung-ho and Ji Nuri.
"You just need to categorize this report file separately."
"In here?"
"No, not there. The one that was created next to it."
Lee Seung-ho explained things step-by-step to Ji Nuri, and she pulled him closer, claiming she didn't understand.
…Interesting.
She had brushed it off back then, but now she understood why Lee Sol had those doubts. If that prediction was correct…
First Lee Sol, and now Ji Nuri. It was one obstacle after another. Even while hoping the guess was wrong, she couldn't help but keep her eyes on the two of them. It was a problem she couldn't stop worrying about.
……Does Ji Nuri really like Seung-ho?
*
"……."
Ji Nuri took a shallow breath.
The results of her hard work since this morning were showing. She had been sticking to Lee Seung-ho like glue. She’d grab his shoulder out of nowhere. Or she’d grab his arm and pull him, saying there was an emergency.
…It was nothing.
She had been startled the first time their arms touched because it was new, but once she got used to it, it was nothing. Grabbing a shoulder or a wrist was easy. She hadn't been able to do more than that because Lee Seung-ho had been avoiding her for some reason. He was surprisingly shy.
"……."
Actually, it was for the best. If she had gone any further, she might have given up out of embarrassment. Even pretending to touch him "accidentally" was making her nervous.
Anyway.
It’s over now, so all’s well that ends well. After all that effort, she had finally reached a conclusion.
"……."
Ji Nuri peeked out from behind her monitor. Look at that. Shin A-young’s expression was somber. She had turned strangely dark. Lee Sol was the same.
Facing that sight, she couldn't help but be certain.
Those two really do like Lee Seung-ho…!
Ji Nuri’s heart fluttered wildly. Her eyes, fixed on the monitor, trembled.
…What should I do?
That was the remaining worry. How should she act? Those two like Lee Seung-ho. And Lee Seung-ho likes me. Being too pretty is a problem too. It naturally invites such troublesome—
"Hya!"
Slap—
A light impact hit the crown of her head. Startled by the sudden sensation, she looked up.
"Hey, focus. Focus."
Lee Seung-ho pointed at the monitor, tapping his palm with a rolled-up piece of paper. He had hit her with that.
…Good grief.
He’s like a grade-schooler. I can't believe he's trying to get my attention like that.
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(!Signpost!)
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Triumphant Nuri Mini-Me