Chapter 131: Busan (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: Busan (1)
"I'm home."
Shin A-young returned to her house after having dinner with Lee Seung-ho. She kicked off her shoes and stepped into the living room.
"Oh, you're back?"
Her mother, who was busy watching a drama, greeted her from the sofa.
"..."
Shin A-young glanced around the house. "Where's Dad?"
"He’s not home yet. He said he’d be late today. Why? Do you have something to say to him?"
"Um... no, just wondering."
Actually, this was better. She would tell her mom first and talk to him later.
"Is that so?" Her mother looked a bit suspicious but let it slide without much thought. "I sliced some apples and put them in the fridge. Go wash your hands and have some."
"Okay."
Intending to wash up properly, Shin A-young took off her clothes and headed into the bathroom. It was a natural movement born of habit. With a slightly dazed expression, she lifted the shower lever.
Creak—
Whoosh!
"Gah!"
The moment she lifted the lever, a deluge of freezing water poured over her head. She winced, her eyes squeezing shut.
—Is something wrong?
At her mother's voice from outside, Shin A-young shouted back.
"It's nothing...!"
Shin A-young quickly wrenched the lever toward the hot water side. She stepped back to avoid the spray and waited a moment.
"Whew..."
Soon, the shower head began to spray warm water. The steam rose as the water soaked her body, and the shock to her system finally began to settle. She pushed her bangs back.
I wonder if Seung-ho... is feeling any better...
As she calmed down, her thoughts naturally drifted back to him. His expression had been more subdued than usual.
"...Hmm."
Shin A-young fell into deep thought. The reason he was in a bad mood... it would be a lie to say she wasn't bothered by it. It felt like it wasn't just some simple reason, which made it even more nagging.
...I'm curious.
To be honest, she was dying to know. It bothered her enough to make her brow furrow slightly. It made her feel down, too. The only reason she hadn't pressed him for details was that she didn't want to dampen the mood further.
Maybe he ran into a total jerk or something...
No, that wasn't it. At least, it probably wasn't that kind of thing. He wasn't the type to let something like that get to him so much, nor would his lack of energy last this long. It was something in a slightly different realm.
"..."
Shin A-young finished her shower and stepped out. She wrapped her black hair in a towel and twisted it up before returning to her room.
"...Should I ask him or not?"
There was definitely something going on. But she couldn't quite muster the courage to go that far.
"...Sigh."
Shin A-young stared down at her phone before sending a text. The recipient was Ha Seo-rim. She had heard that Seo-rim worked a part-time job with Lee Seung-ho. Since they were at the shop together every day, she assumed today was no different.
"..."
To be honest, they weren't exactly close, so she felt a bit hesitant to send a text like this, but... she had a strong gut feeling that she shouldn't avoid this right now.
[Hi, Seo-rim. Is it okay if I text you right now?]
About five minutes passed after she sent the message.
[Hi, unnie.]
[Yes, it's fine.]
The reply came back. She was relieved she wasn't interrupting anything.
"Whew..."
Shin A-young let out a short breath at the response. Good. It didn't seem like she was being a nuisance.
[Did something happen to him today?]
She waited for a few minutes, but the '1' indicating the message was unread didn't disappear.
"Hmm."
She decided to do something else in the meantime. She still had to talk to her parents about the Busan trip. The reply would come eventually.
"Mom."
Shin A-young walked out into the living room. She approached the sofa with cautious steps.
"Yeah?"
"...Can I go on a trip with my friends on the day the CSAT ends?"
"Why are you even asking that? Just go."
"No... the thing is..."
"Oh, are you out of allowance money?"
That wasn't what she was going to say. But she was slightly tempted.
"Are you going to give me some?"
"Give my shoulders a rub first."
Her mother tapped her shoulders as if to say nothing in life is free. Shin A-young had no choice but to take a position behind her and start kneading her shoulders.
"Ooh..." Her mother soon let out a satisfied sigh. "Mmm... so, why are you asking?"
At her mother's question, Shin A-young answered as naturally as possible. "Because it's a bit far away."
"Really? Where are you going?"
"...Busan."
"Busan? Isn't that a bit far for a day trip?"
"Uh... well..." Shin A-young stared at the floor as she answered. "...It's an overnight trip."
"..."
A heavy silence followed. When she looked up, her mother was looking back at her. While she was worrying that her mother might say no, her mother asked in a gentle tone.
"...Who are you going with?"
"The people from the Counseling Club."
"Any chaperones?"
"Oh, well... an unnie and an oppa who used to be in the Counseling Club said they'd help us out."
"College students?"
"Yes."
Her mother pondered in silence for a moment. "Alright." She nodded.
"Huh? Really?" Shin A-young asked back in surprise.
"Why?"
"No, I just... honestly thought you'd say no..."
"You're going to be an adult soon anyway."
Her tone suggested it was fine as long as she called frequently. She knew her mother had a cool personality, but she hadn't expected her to be this chill about it.
"Oh, wait."
"Yes?"
"Make sure you get your father's permission separately."
"..."
I knew it.
*
After her meeting with Ha Seo-rim ended, Yu Ha-neul walked home with a composed stride.
Beep, beep, beep, beep. Click—
As she opened the front door and stepped inside, she was greeted by the warm air of the house.
"Is that you, Ha-neul?" As she entered, her mother greeted her while washing dishes in the kitchen. "Did you eat?"
"I already ate."
Yu Ha-neul passed through the living room and went into her room. She closed the door carefully, turned the handle, and pressed the lock pin.
Click. It locked secretly and quietly.
"..."
Slide...
Yu Ha-neul leaned her back against the door and slowly sank to the floor.
"Haaaaa..."
A feverish breath escaped her lips.
Thump, thump—
The image of him standing right in front of her was still vivid. It made her heart race wildly.
"As I thought..."
She couldn't do it. It was simply impossible.
"I can't give up on him."
She didn't know how much she had cried when he rejected her. Her heart had ached so much. The tears were only natural; after all, she had been rejected by the person she loved.
"..."
But once her plan had been discovered, backing off was the best and only choice she could make. If she stayed by his side, he would only hate her more. That was why she had waited for two years. She waited for time to soothe his heart.
"It was so hard..."
It was endurance. It was a time of suffering. She tried her best to keep her eyes off him. She felt like she wouldn't be able to stand it if she even saw a photo of him, so she hadn't even tried to look him up.
I was planning on visiting him soon anyway...
Keeping in frequent contact with Ha Seo-rim was part of that plan, because Seo-rim attended the same school as Lee Seung-ho. She hadn't expected them to be working the same part-time job, though.
Therefore, today's encounter was a coincidence through and through. A coincidence. An unexpected meeting, just like their first one. That was why she liked it. Isn't there a saying about destiny being found within a coincidence?
"...Hehe."
Yu Ha-neul's cheeks flushed a rosy red. The corners of her mouth twitched.
"..."
Then, Snap— her laughter cut off.
"......Ah."
A sudden memory surfaced. The cold gaze Lee Seung-ho had directed at her flashed through her mind. She remembered the repulsion he radiated. Thinking about it made her chest feel tight again.
"Hmph."
Yu Ha-neul sniffled with a gloomy expression. "...Mmm, this method won't work anymore."
The strategy of isolating him so that only she could be by his side wouldn't work. It made no sense to keep using a method that had already failed once.
Surprisingly...
Ha Seo-rim had reacted quite sharply, too.
That's Seung-ho for you.
She heard they hadn't been working together for long, yet they had already become close. His nature remained unchanged.
"Sigh..."
Yu Ha-neul let out a light sigh. If only she hadn't been caught, they would both be happy right now. What exactly had gone wrong? It was a pointless debate to have now.
Then, instead of this...
It was time to think of something else. A different strategy. A way to grab his attention.
"First..."
She had to meet Lee Seung-ho regardless.
"..."
Yu Ha-neul picked up her folder phone. "Mmm. I should probably change this, too..."
She could use messenger apps, but she couldn't use apps like Instagram with this. She had lived like this on purpose. If she hadn't, she knew she would have spent all her time scouring social media.
[Did you get home okay?]
Yu Ha-neul sent a message to Ha Seo-rim.
[Just got back.]
A few minutes later, a reply came from Ha Seo-rim.
Ring... Ring...
Yu Ha-neul called her immediately.
"Hello?"
—Yeah, unnie.
"Did you get home okay?"
—Yeah, I'm about to wash up.
The sound of rustling clothes came through the phone. She must be taking off her coat; it seemed she really had just arrived.
—But what's up?
"I wanted to say sorry for saying those weird things earlier. I feel like I was badmouthing him for no reason."
—No, I'm fine... but you shouldn't be telling me that.
"...Yeah, you're right."
At that answer, Yu Ha-neul's eyes curved into a clear crescent. "...So, about that."
—Yeah?
"About Seung-ho."
—...Mhm.
"After hearing what you said, I think there might have been a misunderstanding with him. I feel like I should talk to him properly..."
First, she had to pave the way.
"Could you help me out later?"
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