Chapter 143: Winter (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 143: Winter (2)
“…….”
The sound of footsteps echoed back and forth across the living room.
Kim Bo-young, Lee Sol’s mother, glanced at the wall clock and tapped her fingers rhythmically against her crossed arms.
She’s late.
It was well past the time her daughter should have been home, yet there was no sign of her.
She had received a text earlier saying Sol had arrived at Seoul Station. Based on the timing, she should have walked through the front door ages ago.
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
At the sound of the electronic lock engaging from the hallway, Kim Bo-young quickly sat down at the kitchen table. She opened a book she had kept closed until that very moment, pretending to be deep in thought.
“…I’m home.”
Lee Sol trudged into the house, her shoulders slumped.
“You’re back?”
Kim Bo-young greeted her, nonchalantly closing the book.
“Go inside and wash up, quickly.”
“I’m just going to wash my hands and feet and go straight to bed today…”
Sol dropped her bag on the floor and flopped onto the sofa. She looked utterly exhausted from the long trip.
“Sol, get up. You need to shower before you sleep.”
That was that, and this was this. She’d been running around outside all day and was bound to be sweaty. Letting her crawl into bed like that was out of the question—it was a matter of basic hygiene.
“……Mmm.”
Sol only hummed in response, offering no real answer.
“…….”
Just as Bo-young was debating whether to physically force her up, a thought occurred to her. She leaned in and murmured softly toward the sofa.
“…Does Seung-ho know you’re like this?”
“…….”
Twitch.
Sol’s shoulders shuddered. It was definitely effective.
“If he finds out later, he’ll surely be horrified by how messy you—”
“…Hee-euk!”
Sol scrambled up, her limbs trembling. Kim Bo-young watched with satisfaction as her daughter struggled toward the bathroom.
…This is convenient.
Come to think of it, Sol had always been the type to fall for these kinds of excuses. Bo-young remembered how Sol used to force herself to drink milk just because she wanted a present from Santa Claus.
She felt a twinge of guilt for using Lee Seung-ho as a bogeyman, but she fully intended to keep using him as leverage in the future.
“…….”
Eventually, Sol emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel.
“Sit here. I’ll dry it for you.”
When Kim Bo-young patted the spot next to her, Sol scurried over and sat at her feet.
Whirrrrr—
The hairdryer roared to life, sending Sol’s silky hair fluttering. Kim Bo-young gently ran her fingers through the strands to untangle them and asked, “How was the trip?”
“It was fun.”
“…Any progress?”
Sol fumbled with her phone and pulled up some photos to show her.
“Um, I walked along Haeundae Beach with Seung-ho…”
“Just the two of you?”
“A-young was right next to us, though.”
“…….”
Kim Bo-young tilted her head. It was hard to call that a date.
“Anything else?”
“Seung-ho made me a sheep-head towel hat at the bathhouse.”
“Only for you?”
“He made them for the others too, but…”
“…….”
Kim Bo-young’s eyes narrowed. There was nothing substantial here.
Noticing her mother’s skeptical gaze, Sol raised her voice defensively.
“…B-but I did find out what Seung-ho likes!”
“What he likes?”
Now, that was promising. When Bo-young gave her a look prompting her to continue, Sol muttered something under her breath.
“…play.”
“Huh?”
“Cos… Cosplay. I’m going to do it for the next photoshoot.”
“…….”
Kim Bo-young blinked in silence. Soon, she nodded as if she understood.
…Well.
Men did tend to like that sort of thing.
They call them cosplayers, right? I heard that’s becoming popular lately…
Since some of the outfits she'd seen online were quite cute and wholesome, she figured it wouldn't be a problem. If anything, it would probably help increase Sol's social media followers.
“Now that I think about it… didn’t you say Seung-ho’s younger sister knows a lot about that?”
That was how she remembered it.
“Yes, so I’m going to ask her for help.”
It seemed Sol had already been thinking along the same lines.
“…….”
Kim Bo-young paused while scrolling through the trip photos.
“Who are these kids?”
“Who?”
“The ones behind you.”
Kim Bo-young pointed to the people captured in the background. They weren't the kids who usually visited the house; these were faces she was seeing for the first time.
Sol leaned her head back slightly to check the screen.
“…Ah, the people sticking close behind us are the club seniors.”
“The couple?”
“Yes.”
Kim Bo-young felt relieved. If they were a couple, they weren't a threat.
“And the one next to them?”
“She’s a junior at school.”
“A junior?”
Kim Bo-young’s voice rose with a hint of doubt.
“Didn’t you say there were no juniors in your club?”
“Well, she’s not a club junior…”
Sol hesitated, wondering how to explain, before continuing.
“She works the same part-time job as Seung-ho, and she’s in the same club as Nuri.”
“…Hmm.”
Kim Bo-young’s gaze turned sharp as she looked down at the photo. Something felt off. It was an intuition born of experience.
“…Is that all?”
“That’s all…”
“…….”
“Ah.”
Sol raised her index finger as if remembering something.
“…She said she went to the same middle school as Seung-ho. That’s why they’re a bit awkward with each other.”
“…Is that so?”
Hmm.
For being "awkward," they looked strangely close. The type who bicker but still do everything together… She had the kind of face that suggested as much.
“…Why?”
Sol lifted her chin, sensing the shift in the atmosphere.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Kim Bo-young shook her head. It was just a hunch, after all. There was a high chance she was overthinking it.
“…Hmm.”
Regardless… Lee Seung-ho certainly had a lot of girls around him. And every single one of them was exceptionally pretty.
She didn't need to take after me when it comes to her taste in men.
It brought back many memories of her own past.
“…….”
At least it was a relief that this "junior" girl supposedly didn't like Seung-ho. The fewer competitors, the better. If another person was added to the mix, it would be—
“…?”
Kim Bo-young’s eyes narrowed as she swiped to the next photo.
It was a photo taken against the backdrop of the Busan Station night view before they headed back to Seoul. Ha Seo-rim’s expression in that photo struck her as peculiar.
“…….”
Kim Bo-young swiped through a few more photos, comparing them to the ones from the first day.
Between yesterday and today.
The way the girl looked at him had clearly softened.
This is…
Kim Bo-young swallowed hard. A strong, bad premonition surged within her.
“Sol.”
…Ah.
Kim Bo-young started to call her name but lowered her voice.
“Mmm……”
Nod, nod.
Sol was already dozing off. She must have been exhausted.
“…….”
Forget it. She wouldn't say anything. It wasn't a certainty yet, and she didn't want to cause unnecessary confusion.
Besides, even if one more person was added, nothing would change. All Sol had to do was be the fastest to the finish line.
*
…Time is really dragging.
I blinked my tired eyes as I walked alone down the hallway toward the club room.
Maybe it was because it was Monday. It felt like an eternity had passed, yet after-school hours had only just arrived. Once I finished club activities and my part-time job, the day would finally be over.
At least the job is ending soon.
This was my last week at the part-time job. Thinking about that gave me a bit of a second wind.
“Hey! Lee Seung-ho!”
Suddenly, a weight pressed down on my arm. Ji Nuri ran up and playfully bumped her shoulder into mine, giving my back a few hearty thumps.
“You’re heading to the club room, right?”
“Yeah.”
Ji Nuri looked refreshed.
…She’s been full of energy since this morning.
She felt even more easygoing than usual. Was it because the misunderstanding about me had been cleared up? Instead of keeping her distance, she approached me with the casual closeness of an old friend. I accepted her presence naturally.
But.
“…Stop hitting me.”
She was getting a bit too playful because I was letting her. I grabbed the wrist of the hand that kept thumping my back and gripped the back of her neck firmly, giving her a deep, mock-threatening massage.
“Ah! Wait, wait!”
Ji Nuri tried to endure it at first but eventually tapped out. I lightly released my grip.
— “He’s gotten so damn strong…”
Her Mini-Me grumbled.
Ji Nuri pouted and asked, “…You’re going straight to the club room?”
“I have to.”
“But where are the others?”
Ji Nuri looked around.
“Sol is probably lying down in the club room… and Shin A-young was called to the teachers' office for a moment.”
“Really?”
I entered the club room with Ji Nuri.
Slide—
As we opened the door and stepped inside...
“…You’re here?”
Sol, who had arrived first, greeted us with a sleepy look while leaning against the sofa.
“No one else is here yet?”
“Nope.”
Sol shook her head. Looking at the schedule, there were no counseling sessions today either.
Good. I could just rest and study for a bit before heading out. I dropped my bag on the floor and settled onto the sofa.
“…Oh.”
Just then, Ji Nuri raised her voice while looking at me.
“You’ve got something stuck in your hair.”
“Huh?”
“Over here.”
Ji Nuri pointed to her own head. Seeing that, I shook my head vigorously.
“Is it gone now?”
“No, not there.”
“Here?”
Looking frustrated, Ji Nuri reached out.
“No, not there, it’s—”
“Wait, don’t move.”
Sol, who had approached from behind, pressed down on my shoulder. As if telling me not to move, she lightly held one side of my cheek.
“…….”
Sol looked down at me intently as I sat in the chair, her hand reaching out carefully.
Rustle, rustle—
Her slender fingers brushed through my hair.
“…Yeah, got it.”
From between the strands, she pulled out a tiny feather. As Sol lightly flicked her hand, I saw the feather flutter down. It must have come out of my puffer jacket and gotten stuck in my hair.
“…….”
My eyes darted around.
…That startled me. She suddenly got so close. I tried to shake off the warmth lingering on my face.
— “…….”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me’s attitude changed strangely. Her hands resting on her knees went stiff, and her eyes darted around with a flustered expression.
Then.
“…I-I’ll head out first.”
She suddenly stood up.
“…So suddenly?”
I stared blankly at Ji Nuri, confused by her abrupt behavior. Club time wasn't even over yet.
“I-I forgot I had band club practice today…!”
Before I could even say a word, Ji Nuri hurried out of the club room.
“……?”
I leaned back, staring at the spot where she had been.
Band practice? I thought there was no band practice during the exam period. That’s what I’d heard, anyway.
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