Chapter 134: Busan (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: Busan (4)
[I’m here.]
I sent the message to the group chat and headed toward the food court with Ha Seo-rim.
We took the escalator up. While there were plenty of restaurants on the first floor, I wanted a proper meal rather than just bread or snacks.
We finally reached the food court. I tapped through the kiosk screen and asked, “What do you want?”
“Ummm…”
Ha Seo-rim fell into deep thought.
— “There are so many options…”
Since it was a food court, they had everything: Chinese, Western, Japanese, Korean… The sheer variety seemed to make the decision harder for her.
“What about you, Senior?”
“I’m having the soybean paste stew.”
“Then I’ll have…”
Ha Seo-rim scanned the Korean food section. She likely figured that if we ordered from the same stall, the food would come out at the same time, making it easier to match our pace.
“…I’ll go with the soft tofu stew.”
“Spice level?”
“Normal, please.”
“Soft tofu stew… normal spice… no extra bowl of rice. Right?”
“Yes.”
I tapped the screen, added the items, swiped my card, and took the receipt.
“Send me your account number later. I’ll transfer the money,” she said.
“Sure.”
I found a decent empty table and sat down. The place was fairly crowded, so we weren't in a position to be picky about seating.
The wait was short; our orders came out quickly.
— “…He eats more than he looks.”
Her Mini-Me muttered softly while looking at my tray.
“……”
I pursed my lips at the thought.
Is that so?
Now that she mentioned it, I guess I do. Maybe it’s because I’ve gotten bigger, but my appetite has definitely increased lately. I am in my growing phase, after all.
“Phew… that was a good meal.”
The meal proceeded at a leisurely pace. I set my utensils down, satisfied by the fullness in my stomach.
Ring-ring— Ring-ring—
Just then, the phone I had placed on the table rang. It was a call from Lee Sol.
“Hello?”
— …Hello? I just got inside. Where are you?
“I’m at the food court. Third floor.”
— Got it. I’ll head over there.
“Okay.”
By the time I finished clearing our trays and stepped out of the food court, I saw a figure in pure white coming up the escalator. I walked straight toward her.
“You’re here?”
Lee Sol’s eyes shifted to the person beside me, and she gave a small nod. “Hello.”
“…Ah, hi.”
Lee Sol waved awkwardly at Ha Seo-rim.
— “…She’s kind of cute.”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me’s eyes softened.
That was fast. Is appearance really everything? Lee Sol had won her over instantly.
Lee Sol stepped up to my left side. “…Did you eat?”
“Just finished.”
“I see.”
Lee Sol turned her gaze to Ha Seo-rim. “You too, Seo-rim?”
“Ah, yes.”
Ha Seo-rim nodded, her movements still stiff with awkwardness.
— “…But isn’t she cold?” her Mini-Me muttered.
Lee Sol was wearing the outfit she had bought when we went shopping last time—a beige cropped coat and a checkered skirt. It definitely looked much colder than wearing a padded parka.
And in reality, she was freezing.
— “…H-h-h-huuu.”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me was shivering violently. Despite that, she stubbornly maintained a facade of composure. It was a classic case of fashion over freezing.
Unable to watch any longer, I asked, “…Do you want a hand warmer?”
“D-do you have one?”
“I was using it on my way here.”
I pulled the hand warmer out of my pocket. Because the heat had built up, it was more than just warm—it was hot. “Here.”
“…….”
Lee Sol took it and squeezed it tight. She looked down at it with a fluttering gaze.
— “…A hand warmer Seung-ho was kneading…”
I didn't really knead it that much. Ever since the ice cream incident, she seemed to have developed some strange tastes.
— “…Phew.”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me let out a breath. As the cold subsided, her trembling limbs calmed down. She looked much more peaceful than before.
“…By the way, where are the others?”
“They haven’t arrived yet.”
I picked up my bag and asked, “Did you take your motion sickness medicine?”
“I did.”
“Oh.”
She’s taking care of herself well now. Or maybe Lee Sol’s mother packed it for her. I guess buying the extra motion sickness medicine was a waste of money.
“What about you?”
“I’m fine,” Ha Seo-rim said, waving her hand.
“Take one just in case. You might regret it later.”
“Well…”
“If you don’t have any, want one?”
I handed her the medicine I had bought. Ha Seo-rim took it.
“Hey, guys~!”
Ji Nuri waved her hand. Shin A-young was walking right beside her; it seemed they had run into each other on the way.
— “…They’re finally here,” Lee Sol’s Mini-Me muttered.
“…Wait a second.”
Shin A-young gestured with her chin for the two of them to follow her.
“Ah, right.”
Shin A-young turned away as if she knew exactly what was going on. Ji Nuri looked around like she had no idea what was happening, yet she followed along like a lost puppy.
— “…What’s that about?”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me narrowed her eyes at the sight.
“…….”
Who knows. I couldn't tell what was going on just from that, but it seemed like something was up.
In the meantime...
“Ah, you’re here?”
Senior Min-ji and the former Club President, Kim Yisu, appeared.
“Sorry, did you wait long?”
Senior Min-ji walked over with a goofy smile. She had looked like she was at death's door before the college results came out, but she had bounced back to her usual self in no time.
“But where are the others?” Senior Min-ji looked around for the rest of the group. “Weren’t they the first to arrive?”
“They went off to do something for a moment… Ah, here they come.”
The three of them returned shortly.
— “I accidentally won…”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me looked down at her hand. She was holding out 'scissors,' and her expression was somewhat dazed.
— “Tch.”
— “Click.”
The other two clicked their tongues in disappointment. Watching them, I fell even deeper into confusion. What on earth were they doing?
“…It’s time, so let’s head in to board.”
Ha Seo-rim pointed at the clock. She was right; we had to go now.
“…….”
— “…But is it okay to just walk in like this? Don’t they usually check tickets?”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me adjusted her bag and glanced around. She followed behind us with a slightly anxious look.
Now that I thought about it, she was right. Unlike other forms of transportation, there were no ticket gates here.
“…What is it?”
Sensing my gaze, Ha Seo-rim turned her head sharply.
“Nothing.” I shook my head.
“Wow…”
As we headed down the escalator, Ha Seo-rim let out a small gasp. The long, straight tracks and the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the ceiling created an atmospheric scene she couldn't help but admire.
I called out to her softly. She was so distracted she was about to walk in the wrong direction.
“Ha Seo-rim.”
“Ah, yes.”
She snapped out of it. We walked along the platform and boarded our designated car.
“Let’s see…”
Checking the tickets, I walked down the center aisle and stopped. This was it.
“Here’s your seat, and these three next to it.”
“It’s a face-to-face seating arrangement?”
“It feels more like a trip that way. It's better.”
I put my bag on the overhead rack and reached for Ji Nuri’s luggage. “Give it here.”
“Thanks.”
After putting up Ji Nuri’s luggage, I turned to Ha Seo-rim. “Yours too.”
“Oh… thank you.” She gave a small bow.
““…….””
Since Lee Sol and Shin A-young were also looking at me, I put theirs up as well. Then, as I sat in the inner seat...
“Ahem.”
Ji Nuri sat in the seat next to me. It was a natural flow. Even if Lee Sol and Shin A-young were dissatisfied, they didn't object.
Wait. Was what they did earlier to decide who would sit where?
“…….”
And so, the seats were settled.
On the left side: Ha Seo-rim, me, and Ji Nuri.
On the right side: Park Min-ji, Kim Yisu, Shin A-young, and Lee Sol.
[Our train, departing from Seoul Station…]
The announcement played, and shortly after, a faint vibration hummed through the floor. The train began to glide away.
— “…I-it’s moving.”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me’s eyebrows twitched as she looked out the window. Watching the scenery flash by, she gave off an excited vibe despite her expressionless face.
“How long will it take us to get there?”
“We should arrive around 11:00.”
Ji Nuri pulled out her tablet. “Want to watch this? Season 2 just came out. You finished Season 1, right?”
“It was definitely interesting.”
“Right, right?”
It was an anime about a traveling elf. Unlike typical fantasy works, it had a way of tugging at the emotions.
“Here, put this in.”
“…….”
I stared silently at the wireless earbud Ji Nuri was holding out.
“I cleaned it thoroughly, so just put it in already.”
“…Okay.”
I obediently placed it in my right ear.
“…Are you watching a movie?”
Ha Seo-rim, sitting across from me, asked. She must have been curious.
“It’s a popular anime these days.”
“Uh, yeah. That’s right,” Ji Nuri chimed in awkwardly. She still seemed uncomfortable talking about anime in front of others.
“…Umm.”
Ji Nuri fidgeted with her fingers before asking cautiously, “…Do you want to watch too?”
“I’m okay. I think I’ll get motion sickness if I watch… I’m just going to sleep.”
“Really? Then I guess it can’t be helped.”
Ji Nuri’s expression brightened.
Tap.
She immediately pressed the play button.
“…….”
“…….”
Not long after the anime started, we were sucked into the screen. I had planned to sleep if it was boring, but before I knew it, my sleepiness had vanished.
‘…This is actually really nice.’
Since most people on the train were sleeping, we could enjoy the show quietly. It was a level of focus I hadn't felt in a long time. I could even tolerate Ji Nuri’s occasional chatter. That was actually quite cute.
— “Phew… the animation is insane…”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me clenched her fists, flailing her tiny arms and legs. I understood why she was reacting that way.
Am I getting used to anime too?
“Mmm…”
Just then, Ha Seo-rim, who had been trying to sleep, shifted her body.
— “…My neck hurts.”
A raspy voice. Her Mini-Me massaged her neck with a tired face.
“…….”
Without a word, I casually handed her the neck pillow I had been using, all while keeping my eyes on the screen.
“…Ah, thank you.”
Ha Seo-rim gave a sleepy nod. She leaned on it and quietly closed her eyes again.
— “……Gasp.”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me’s eyes snapped open. Her sleepiness vanished instantly. She gripped the pillow with an embarrassed expression.
— “He just does it so naturally, like breathing…”
“…….”
I looked away, letting Ha Seo-rim’s mutterings slide. I focused on the sound coming through the earbud. I was getting used to that, too.
*
““Nnnngh—””
Ji Nuri and Lee Sol stretched at the same time.
“…We’re finally here.”
Sitting for several hours had definitely made my body stiff. Since I was just as tired, I loosened up my muscles.
“…….”
That aside, the weather was great.
“Phew… it’s still warm here.”
“I know, right?”
Ha Seo-rim unzipped her parka all the way. It wasn't exactly hot, but it wasn't cold enough to be bundled up either.
“Photos. Let’s take a photo here.”
Ji Nuri clenched her fists with an excited face. I pulled the camera out of my bag.
“You brought a tripod?”
“I figured this would happen.”
I began to unfold the tripod. Should I set it up here? Or would over there be better?
“…….”
Ji Nuri stared at me silently before pulling out her phone. “Why go to all that trouble? These things are meant to be taken quickly.”
Ji Nuri dragged me over and stood me in front of the others. Then, from a short distance away, she extended her selfie stick so everyone would be in the frame.
“Say cheese—!”
Click—!
“Okay.”
The photoshoot ended quickly. I looked at the photo; it had its own kind of charm.
“Hmm~ Hmm-hmm~”
Excited, Ji Nuri uploaded the photo to Instagram.
‘I should take a few SNS photos for Lee Sol while we’re here.’
Seeing that reminded me. I’d have to ask her later what kind of concept she wanted…
I put the tripod back into my bag and asked, “Ji Nuri, what about your brother?”
“Uh… he’s waiting near the hotel.”
“Then we can drop our luggage off at the hotel first and then go eat.”
The plan was set.
“What do you want for lunch?” I asked the senior couple.
“Anything’s fine with me.”
“Me too.”
Neither of them had a plan. I couldn't sense any will to think from them either. Is this what everyone becomes like after the CSAT? I felt like I was on a trip with two elderly people.
Ding-ding, ding-ding——
A faint ringtone sounded from behind. Wondering what it was, I turned around.
“……Ah.”
The expression on Ha Seo-rim’s face as she looked down at her phone had changed strangely.
“…….”
The way she glanced at me nervously… I could tell instantly who the call was from.
*
(Scroll down for illustration!)
Ji Nuri inside the train.