Chapter 120: Autumn (9)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 120: Autumn (9)
The story traces back to the previous night.
"Every single day? Like this?"
Lee Sol tentatively scanned the other woman’s expression. In her hand was a diet schedule for the coming days. Her face made it clear she thought the plan was utterly absurd.
"This is a bit..."
"You have to do at least this much."
Kim Bo-young remained firm.
For her, this was actually a golden opportunity. She had let herself go after quitting her modeling work, so she intended to use this chance to get back into proper shape. After all, she had to maintain her appearance for her social media shoots now.
"Can’t you do it? If you can’t, it doesn’t matter. We can just—"
Just as she reached out to take the paper back, Lee Sol reacted.
Snatch!
Lee Sol grabbed it with both hands.
"...I—I can do it."
Her tone suggested she wasn’t even sure of her own words. However, Kim Bo-young was satisfied; she could feel the girl's resolve.
"Good. You have to wake up early tomorrow, so go inside and get some sleep."
"...What time did you say I have to wake up?"
"By seven, at the latest."
"......"
Lee Sol’s expression froze. She was already dreading the morning.
"Don’t worry. Even if you don’t want to get up, I’ll make sure you’re awake."
The reason for the early start was simple: Bo-young had already instructed Lee Sol to go to school with Lee Seung-ho.
"...Is this really going to work?" Lee Sol looked doubtful that simply commuting together would be enough to catch Lee Seung-ho’s interest.
"Worry about actually waking up first."
"......"
Lee Sol shut her mouth, looking like she’d been hit where it hurts. "...You’re definitely going to wake me up, right?"
"Hurry up and go to sleep."
"......"
Lee Sol retreated obediently.
Kim Bo-young watched Lee Sol’s retreating back as she entered her room, then slowly leaned back against the sofa.
"She definitely won’t be able to wake up properly."
Forget waking up; she’d probably toss and turn all night from nerves. That was just the kind of girl Lee Sol was. Moreover, since she was someone who cherished her sleep, she would likely be in a complete daze even if she did manage to crawl out of bed. It was a predictable outcome that didn't even require waiting until morning to see.
She probably wouldn't even be in a state to hold a proper conversation.
However, if one considered Lee Seung-ho’s meddlesome nature...
That would be the key point.
*
Thud, thud.
I hurried across the living room. I had tried to get ready and come out as fast as possible, but it had still taken a while.
"Sorry for the wai—"
Creeak—
As I swung the front door open, I saw Lee Sol standing there, half-asleep. Unable to endure the wait, she had drifted off into a standing doze.
"Hey?"
When I called out to her softly, she jolted.
"Ugh. Oh. Yeah."
Lee Sol snapped her back straight, startled by my voice.
"I’m all ready. Let’s go."
"Mmhmm..."
Lee Sol followed beside me in a daze. Her slumped shoulders told the whole story of her current condition. It looked like she would collapse the moment she found a place to lie down.
— "Hwaaaa-yawn..."
Her Mini-Me let out a long, drawn-out yawn.
Even her thoughts were fragmented. Her voice drifted in and out, flickering like a dying candle. She was on the verge of passing out.
"Hey, where are you going?"
I grabbed Lee Sol’s backpack. I’d looked away for just a second, and she was already wandering off in the wrong direction.
"Ah..."
Lee Sol blinked with a languid expression. "Sowwy..."
"......"
I let out a dry chuckle at the sight of her. Her eyes were half-closed; she was clearly not in her right mind. She was drunk on sleep. She was usually a bit sluggish in the mornings, but today was on another level.
"Did you stay up late last night?"
"I tried to sleep early... but I couldn't... but then I had to wake up early..."
— "Mmh, so... sooooo..."
Whether it was the Mini-Me or Lee Sol herself, it was hard to understand what they were saying. It sounded like she was exhausted because she’d spent the night tossing and turning.
"...Should we just take the bus?"
The bus route took a long detour, so walking was actually faster, but it seemed better than walking in this state. "What do you want to do?"
"Mmm..."
Lee Sol groaned, lost in thought.
"Mmm..."
It was taking forever. It looked like she’d fall asleep before she could even make a decision.
"...Let’s take the bus."
I made the call. We couldn't go on like this. I grabbed the handle of her backpack and steered her toward the bus stop.
— "...Hehe."
Lee Sol let out a silly giggle, seemingly happy about something even as she was being dragged along. Luckily, not long after we reached the stop, the bus to school appeared in the distance.
"The bus is here."
"Mmhmm..."
I let Lee Sol board first and followed her up.
"Where’s your card?"
"......"
Without a word, Lee Sol shoved both hands into her skirt pockets. Nothing. They were empty. Her hands moved toward her bag.
"...Two students, please."
Beep—
I just tapped my card. There were people waiting behind us, and it looked like it would take her an eternity to find it.
"Come here."
I moved toward the inner seats. Despite it being peak school hours, there were luckily a few seats left.
"Phew..."
"Haaa..."
The moment we sat down, we both let out a weary sigh. We were exhausted.
"......"
I opened the map app on my phone to check our arrival time. Fortunately, it looked like we’d make it on time. We just had to go four more stops. Until then, I could just rest comfortably—
Thump.
A soft weight pressed down on my shoulder.
I rolled my eyes to the side. Lee Sol had fallen fast asleep.
— "Zzzzz..."
The Mini-Me rolled onto my lap. Even in sleep, it was tossing and turning restlessly.
"......"
Ssssss...
The sound of quiet breathing whispered in my ear. Perhaps she had put on perfume; a faint, cozy scent reached the tip of my nose. My head turned toward the window of its own accord. A strange tension crept up my spine.
The bus was unusually quiet, and even the Mini-Me’s voice had gone silent. A rare tranquility settled over us.
I wonder how much time passed like that...
"Ah."
By the time I snapped out of it, the bus had already arrived in front of the school. I hurriedly shook Lee Sol’s shoulder.
"Hey, hey. Wake up."
"Huh?"
"We have to get off now."
I grabbed Lee Sol’s wrist and pulled her up from the seat.
"Sorry! We’re getting off!"
As the doors were about to close, I raised my voice to the driver. We scrambled down the steps.
"Phew..."
That was close. If we’d been even a second later, we would have been forced to get off at the next stop.
Man, things have been hectic since first thing this morning.
*
Early morning, on the way to school.
"...Yawn."
Ji Nuri was walking along the sidewalk with a tired complexion. It was because of the worry that had plagued her all through the night—the worry of how she should treat Lee Seung-ho and the other two. And that worry was still ongoing.
Right, let’s just ask.
Ji Nuri finally decided to change her approach. Instead of agonizing over it alone, she would seek advice. And the subject of her consultation was none other than... a Chat AI.
[A male friend likes me. But two of my friends like that guy. What should I do in a situation like this?]
She didn't really have anyone else to ask. Besides, it felt a bit awkward to ask the teacher at the counseling office about something like this. After a brief loading period, an answer came back.
[Ah... that’s a really tricky situation. First, let’s break the situation down calmly.]
"...Tsk."
She didn't quite like the fact that it was being so casual, but since she was the one in need of advice, she decided to let it slide. Ji Nuri read through the response.
[1. The most important thing is your heart.]
[Do you like that guy even a little bit? Or do you just think of him as a friend?]
[This is the most important part. Your feelings come before anyone else’s. The approach changes depending on that.]
"Mmm..."
Ji Nuri groaned. It was asking a difficult question right from the start.
"To begin with..."
[What does it mean to 'like' someone?]
For Ji Nuri, that was the hardest problem of all.
[Wow... seeing this question come up, it’s clear you’re thinking about this very seriously.]
"......"
Being told it was a 'serious concern' made her feel strangely embarrassed. It wasn't like that. It wasn't that serious; it was just a moderately serious question.
Regardless of her embarrassment, the Chat AI continued its response.
"Let’s see..."
Ji Nuri read through the items one by one.
[You feel comfortable when you’re together.]
Hmm. She was comfortable. He was the only person who knew about her hobby, so it would be a lie to say otherwise.
[It’s more fun than heart-fluttering.]
She’d never really felt her heart flutter. On the other hand, there were many times when things were fun.
[You don’t think much of it when they contact you.]
This was also true. She didn't really think much of it.
[You don’t really care if they’re with other girls.]
And this was the final item.
"......"
Ji Nuri tilted her chin. "Lee Seung-ho with another girl..."
She tried to picture it in her head. Lee Seung-ho, Lee Sol, and Shin A-young sitting in the counseling club room. It was a familiar scene she’d seen many times, and it was easy to visualize.
"...It’s fine, though?"
She didn't feel much of anything.
"What was I worried about—"
Ji Nuri let out a light laugh. As expected, she only thought of Lee Seung-ho as a friend. Good. Now that she’d reached a conclusion about her own feelings, all she had to do was ask what she should do in this situation—
"......?"
Right then, a scene happened to catch her eye.
In the distance, a bus pulled up to the stop, and she saw Lee Seung-ho getting off. Ji Nuri felt a surge of gladness at the chance encounter and was about to run over when she froze. Her footsteps came to a dead halt.
"Oh..."
Lee Sol was right beside him.
On top of that, because his hand was firmly gripping her wrist, Ji Nuri’s expression turned into one of bewilderment.
"...Wh-what the?"
Natural physical contact with another girl.
It was the moment a microscopic crack appeared in the premise that Lee Seung-ho liked her.
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