Chapter 135: Busan (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 135: Busan (5)
[Ha-neul]
That was the name flashing on the screen.
“…….”
Ha Seo-rim stared at the name before stealing a quick glance at Lee Seung-ho.
She couldn't help but be conscious of him. If he realized who was calling, things would get uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. Still, she couldn't just ignore it.
“…I’ll be right back. I need to take this,” Ha Seo-rim signaled to the group.
The others nodded, telling her to go ahead. Only then did she step away to a quiet corner.
“…….”
Once she was a safe distance away, Ha Seo-rim pressed the phone to her ear.
“Hello?”
— Hello?
A familiar voice drifted through the speaker—her usual soft, melodic tone. Yu Ha-neul continued gently.
— What are you doing right now? Are you outside?
“Yeah, I’m out.”
Ha Seo-rim turned her head slightly. She could see Lee Seung-ho chatting with the others in the distance.
“…Is something up?”
Why did she have to call at this exact moment? The timing was truly cruel.
— I was just calling to see if you were free after your part-time job today.
“…Sorry. I can’t today.”
— Oh? Really?
Though her words expressed surprise, her tone remained perfectly composed. Yu Ha-neul continued nonchalantly.
— Well, tomorrow is fine too.
“Um….”
Ha Seo-rim scratched the bridge of her nose, searching for the right words.
“The thing is… I don’t think tomorrow will work either. I’m actually on a trip with some friends.”
— Ah~ What? Is that so?
Yu Ha-neul let out a hollow laugh. She sounded a bit hurt that Seo-rim had gone on a trip without mentioning it.
— With school friends?
“Yeah.”
It was definitely for the best to hide the fact that she was traveling with Lee Seung-ho.
— That’s a shame.
“Sorry, let’s hang out next time.”
— I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to go by myself.
“……?”
Seo-rim didn't know where she was referring to, but it seemed Ha-neul had planned for them to go somewhere specific. If it were just a movie, she would have suggested going another time. Since she didn't, it was likely an event with a fixed date.
“Then—”
Just as the conversation was about to end, Yu Ha-neul spoke up again.
— Oh, right.
— Did you ask him about what I mentioned last time?
Ha Seo-rim pressed the phone tighter against her ear.
“……What are you talking about?”
In truth, she knew exactly what Ha-neul meant. She remembered the topic perfectly well, but she feigned ignorance, hoping the subject would just be dropped.
— …You know. About Seung-ho.
Was it just her imagination? Yu Ha-neul’s voice seemed to have dropped an octave.
Since she had been that direct, Seo-rim couldn't pretend anymore. She spoke as if the realization had just hit her.
“About setting up a time for you to talk to Senior Seung-ho?”
— Yes. Did you ask?
“…Not yet.”
She hadn't even found the courage to bring it up.
“I’ll ask him soon.”
— Okay, I’m counting on you, Seo-rim.
At that confirmation, Yu Ha-neul’s voice instantly brightened again.
— Then have a great time on your trip.
“Yeah, okay.”
— Eat lots of delicious food. Call me when you’re coming back up~
“Okay.”
With those final words, the call ended.
The moment she turned to head back to the group, her footsteps slowed. A sudden realization caught her off guard.
…When I’m coming back up?
Did I ever mention I was outside of Seoul?
“…….”
Ha Seo-rim closed her eyes tightly for a moment, then gave her head a light shake.
No, I must have mentioned it earlier.
‘More importantly….’
There was another problem weighing on her. She had promised to arrange a meeting with Lee Seung-ho. Since she had agreed to it, she had to deliver the message… but she felt completely at a loss as to how to bring it up.
Since she was quitting her part-time job soon, there weren't many opportunities left to talk to him privately.
*
Inside the bus heading to the hotel.
“…….”
I silently observed Ha Seo-rim standing next to me. Her mood had shifted noticeably after that phone call. Her expression was calm, but her inner thoughts were a mess.
— “What should I do…?”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me was pacing around me restlessly. She was clearly testing the waters, debating whether or not to speak to me.
— “…Forget it. Let’s not worry about it now.”
Then, she shook her head vigorously. It seemed she had decided to enjoy the moment rather than dwell on useless anxieties.
As I watched her internal struggle, the scenery outside the window shifted. Before long, we arrived at the hotel. I followed behind Ji Nuri, who was leading the way.
“He said he’d be waiting in front of the hotel… Ah, there he is. That’s him.”
Ji Nuri walked toward a man standing near the entrance, looking down at his phone.
“Hey, Ji Woo-hyeok!”
Ji Nuri shouted at the top of her lungs. At her call, the man slowly lifted his head.
“…….”
— “…I heard about it, but she really does have a lot of friends.”
He scanned us with a stoic, unimpressed gaze.
“These are my friends. This is a senior from my club, and this is a junior.”
Ji Nuri introduced us one by one, and we greeted him in unison.
“Hello.”
“…Yeah, hey.”
He gave a blunt nod. Based on the stories I’d heard and the fact that he was Ji Nuri’s brother, I had imagined someone more energetic. The reality was the exact opposite. His first impression was incredibly gruff.
“…You’re going to drop off your bags and go eat right away, right?” Ji Woo-hyeok asked.
“Yeah. What about you?” Ji Nuri replied.
Ji Woo-hyeok shook his head.
“You guys go ahead. I’ll take care of myself. Just call me later before you come back to the hotel.”
“Okay, got it.”
“Here, the keys.”
He must have checked us in already, as he handed the keycards to Ji Nuri.
“Let’s go.”
He moved along with me and the Club President. Well, he wasn't the Club President anymore, but the title felt more natural than calling him Kim Yisu.
“…….”
While we were waiting for the elevator, Ji Woo-hyeok’s gaze briefly drifted toward me.
— “…Is this the kid Mom was talking about?”
His Mini-Me muttered.
“…….”
I couldn't help but wonder what exactly was being discussed within Ji Nuri’s family. It was a bit concerning.
*
“Phew—Busan is all about the pork soup.”
“Agreed.”
Senior Min-ji and Ji Nuri walked out of the restaurant, looking thoroughly satisfied. Lunch was over.
— “Phew.”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me had a lethargic expression, gently stroking her stomach. Perhaps due to a food coma, she looked even softer than usual.
As I was watching her, Ji Nuri turned around.
“So, where are we going now?”
“To see the ocean, obviously. This is Haeundae, after all.”
Since the event was tomorrow, we decided to spend today leisurely sightseeing. I walked along the street with the club members. Passing the wide sidewalk, we gradually drew closer to the beach until I could smell the salt in the air.
Emerging from between the buildings, the wide-open shoreline finally revealed itself.
“Wow… it’s beautiful,” Shin A-young marveled.
I had to agree. The surface of the water sparkled, reflecting the brilliant sunlight. Even if it wasn't a perfect emerald green, there was a certain undeniable charm to the Busan sea.
The others had similar reactions.
“…….”
Ji Nuri’s eyes twinkled as she looked at the horizon. Her clenched fists twitched with excitement.
— “The ocean—!”
Boing— Her Mini-Me leaped into the air. She couldn't shout out loud because of the crowds, but I could hear the roar of her heart.
“It’s a shame. We can’t go into the water, can we?”
“I think dipping our feet in is fine.”
As long as we weren't fully submerging, it seemed okay. Looking around, there were quite a few people walking barefoot along the tide.
“…Oh.”
Ha Seo-rim and Senior Min-ji were already out there. They were enjoying the chill of the waves with their bare feet. When did they even get down there? They were seriously fast.
— “Ah, what? If you were going in, you should’ve told us!”
Ji Nuri quickly ran to join them.
“……Hmm.”
On the other hand, a few of us stayed behind to enjoy the view from a distance. That was me, Lee Sol, and Shin A-young.
“…….”
Lee Sol walked daintily over the sand. Her movements were incredibly cautious, like a cat walking on fresh snow.
— “Don’t let the sand get in….”
Come to think of it, she hated getting sand in her shoes. Her Mini-Me was perched right on top of her head, looking equally worried.
“Seung-ho, Seung-ho.”
Tap, tap.
A hand tapped my shoulder.
“Try a bite of this.”
Shin A-young held out a seed hotteok to me. I had seen a stall on the way here; she must have grabbed it then. I took a bite of the warm, round pastry.
“Oh….”
A nutty sweetness spread through my mouth. It was actually quite delicious.
“Nom.”
Shin A-young smiled brightly and took a bite herself. Her lips touched the exact same spot I had just bitten. It happened in an instant, a perfectly natural flow of action.
As I watched her, she licked her lips.
“…Why?” she asked nonchalantly, a playful glint in her eyes.
“…Nothing.”
I shook my head and looked away. I felt a bit embarrassed, but I didn't let it show. Perhaps it was just a bit of clumsy pride.
“It’s freezing….”
“Hooo….”
Just then, the group that had been wading in the shore returned, shivering as they hurried over.
“Now that we’ve seen the ocean, shall we head somewhere else?” Senior Min-ji asked, looking satisfied.
I pulled a heat pack out of my pocket and asked, “…Where are we going?”
“The jjimjilbang.”
“Pardon?”
A jjimjilbang was an unexpected choice. Was Busan famous for those? I didn't think so.
“It’s not just any jjimjilbang,” Senior Min-ji said, crossing her arms.
Beside her, the Club President added an explanation. “I heard the biggest jjimjilbang in the country is right here in Busan.”
“Hmm.”
That piqued my curiosity.
“They say we can take the subway straight from here.”
It seemed they had done their research. We followed their lead. It wasn't even a long trip; we arrived in no time.
After a few stops, we reached the station. As soon as we took the escalator up to the surface, a massive structure dominated the skyline.
“…A department store?”
It was a department store—an enormous one. Weren't we going to a jjimjilbang?
Shin A-young explained, “They say this is the largest department store in the world. The jjimjilbang is inside.”
“Really?”
I looked up at the building again. It was staggering. Incredibly spacious.
“We can look around the shops after we’re done at the spa.”
The club members excitedly headed inside. I followed behind them, then paused for a moment.
“Aren't you coming?”
I called out to Ha Seo-rim, who was still staring blankly up at the massive building.
“…I-I’m coming!”
Ha Seo-rim jumped in surprise, her eyebrows curving upward. She marched into the building with an unnecessarily confident stride, but I could feel the sense of intimidation in her Mini-Me’s hesitant steps.
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