Chapter 144: Winter (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: Winter (3)
Clatter!
Ji Nuri, who had been practically sprinting down the hallway, collapsed the moment she burst into the band club room.
It was the only place she had left to go.
"Phew..."
Slumping onto the floor, Nuri buried her face in her hands.
...Why did I run away?
Why on earth had she done that?
She thought she was fine. She had told herself that if Lee Seung-ho didn't like her back, it was actually for the best. That way, she could just remain close friends with him, Lee Sol, and Shin A-young. Things wouldn't have to be awkward.
That was exactly why she had been acting even more like a tomboy than usual since this morning.
"..."
But the moment she saw the two of them earlier...
— Wait, don't move for a second.
That short murmur from Lee Sol. Seeing how close the two of them were... she simply couldn't stand there and watch.
Whenever she thought back to that scene, her chest felt tight and heavy, as if she were suffering from a sudden bout of indigestion. Her mood plummeted, and her gaze instinctively dropped to the floor—
"What are you doing in the club room? Did you leave something behind?"
"Aaah!"
Startled by the sudden voice, Ji Nuri scrambled backward.
Thump!
The back of her head slammed hard against the wall.
"Gah!"
The impact sent her tumbling back down to the floor.
"Ow, ow, ow...!" Nuri rubbed her head vigorously, trying to massage the pain away.
"Oh, uh..."
Ha Seo-rim, who had called out to her, covered her mouth with a look of pure bewilderment. She clearly hadn't expected Nuri to be that startled. "...Are you okay?"
"I'm fine... I'm fine..." Nuri endured the throbbing pain while clutching the back of her head.
Wait, why was Ha Seo-rim even in the club room?
"...W-what are you doing here? There's no practice today."
"I was studying for my exams." Ha Seo-rim held up a workbook.
"Huh? In here?"
There were no chairs or desks in the practice room. At best, there were music stands to hold sheet music, but she couldn't exactly stand up and study the whole time. It was an incredibly uncomfortable environment.
"Why not just do it at home?"
"I can't focus at home because of my younger sibling."
"Then what about a study room?"
"They're all full. It's finals season, after all."
"Ah... I see." Nuri looked down at Ha Seo-rim, who was crouched on the floor. "...Still, doesn't your back hurt sitting like that?"
"Oh... well, I'm used to it, so it's fine." She calmly went back to reading her book.
"Hmm..." Nuri scratched her forehead. No matter how she looked at it, it bothered her. "Do you always study like this?"
"Whenever the study rooms are crowded."
"Then come study in the Counseling Club room. No one's coming in for counseling these days anyway. I'll let the others know."
"..."
At those words, Ha Seo-rim looked up.
...Is she worried it'll be uncomfortable because there are other people? Nuri realized that might be the case. Seo-rim was surprisingly shy around strangers. If she seemed truly uncomfortable with the idea, Nuri figured she should just drop it.
"...Is it really okay with everyone else?"
But the response was different from what she expected.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm sure they'll say it's fine."
"...If the others agree... then okay, I will."
She accepted surprisingly easily. Even if she said she was fine, she must have found it uncomfortable here after all.
"...By the way, weren't you looking for something in the club room?" Seo-rim asked, closing her workbook.
"Huh?" Nuri shook her head quickly. "No, I just... had some things to think about on my own..."
She gave a vague excuse.
"What kind of things?"
"..."
Nuri hesitated. Should I tell her?
"...Hey, Seo-rim. Have you ever dated anyone?"
"...Where is this coming from?" Seo-rim tilted her head.
"Have you?"
"......No."
"What about a 'some' relationship? A guy you were talking to?"
"......Never had one." Seo-rim's eyebrows lowered. She seemed slightly embarrassed by the admission.
"Hmm..." Nuri crossed her arms. This made it difficult to ask. If she was going to ask for advice, shouldn't it be from someone who actually knew something?
"...Why? Do you have a crush on someone, Nuri?"
"Nooo?" Nuri's voice pitched upward defensively.
"...Then what is it?"
Under Seo-rim's probing gaze, Nuri felt pressured to explain.
"Well, you know... A-young writes, right? She's been worrying about her story a lot lately." She couldn't tell the whole truth, so she improvised.
"A romance story?"
"Y-yeah, exactly." Since Seo-rim seemed to believe her, Nuri nodded eagerly. "She said she's stuck on a certain part, so I'm helping her brainstorm."
"I see... Which part is she stuck on?"
"Well..."
Nuri calmly explained the situation piece by piece. The part where the girl thought the boy liked her. The part where she heard from her brother that it wasn't the case. And the part where she ran away after seeing him getting close to another girl. She presented it all as if it were a scene from a script.
"..."
After listening, Ha Seo-rim offered a brief critique. "That character is kind of an idiot."
"..."
Flinch—
Nuri's shoulders gave a tiny shudder.
"...I-I mean, couldn't that happen? It's a possible reaction."
"Honestly, no one would be that delusional. Who does that? It's not like she's some narcissist who thinks everyone's into her."
"..."
Nuri's shoulders shook again, drooping pitifully.
"So, what part did A-young say she was stuck on?"
"......She said she's having trouble expressing what the girl who ran away is feeling."
"What?" Seo-rim tilted her head, twirling her pen. Her gaze suggested she couldn't understand why that was a mystery. "You said she feels bad when she sees him with another girl."
"It's not exactly 'feeling bad,' more like... a fuzzy, restless feeling."
"That's the same thing."
No, it's definitely different, Nuri thought, feeling a natural surge of protest.
Unaware of Nuri's internal conflict, Seo-rim continued. "That's..."
"Yeah?"
"...Doesn't that mean she already has feelings for him?"
"......Huh?" Nuri's eyebrows shot up in shock. "No, why would you...?"
"She just hasn't realized it yet. It feels like she'd figure it out instantly if there was just one right catalyst."
"..."
Nuri's mouth hung open slightly. Meanwhile, Seo-rim kept talking. "They say you're usually the last one to know about your own feelings."
"Y-you seem to know a lot about this, Seo-rim...?"
"I watch a lot of romance dramas."
"..."
Nuri blinked. Dramas. Dramaaaas?
"Ayy, what was I thinking—" Nuri burst into a short laugh. She brushed it off with a chuckle.
Now that she thought about it, it made sense. Seo-rim had never dated anyone either. This was just knowledge she'd picked up from TV. Nuri had gotten worked up over nothing.
— Doesn't that mean she already has feelings for him?
Just then, Seo-rim's voice seemed to echo in her ears.
"..."
Nuri's expression froze. Her fingertips twitched. She couldn't hide the subtle trembling in her eyes. A strange heat made her palms damp, and she wiped them against her skirt. The anxiety over their changing relationship washed over her once again.
"...I-I should probably get going now." Nuri stood up.
"You're leaving already?"
"Yeah. Study hard."
The club room felt too hot; she couldn't stay there any longer. Once again, Ji Nuri hurried out of the room. It was almost like she was running away.
*
After-school activities ended, and it was time to head home.
On her way to the shop, Ha Seo-rim read her English vocab notebook as she walked. She hadn't made much progress studying in the practice room. She had gotten stuck on a difficult problem, and while she was wrestling with it, it had already become time for her part-time job.
"..."
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to her. Maybe I should ask A-young to show me the script later...
Seo-rim recalled the story Nuri had told her. Nuri had said it was something Shin A-young was writing. The details had felt strangely vivid, as if they were based on real experience, which piqued her interest. Seo-rim happened to be a fan of romance stories.
Lost in thought, she soon arrived at the shop.
Creak—
"Hello." Seo-rim greeted everyone as she entered the employee break room.
"Oh, you're here?" Lee Seung-ho, who had arrived first, acknowledged her with a nod.
"You're early."
"Club ended early today."
Come to think of it, Nuri had been wandering around alone earlier, too. Seung-ho glanced at her notebook and asked, "Studying for exams?"
After chatting with Seung-ho for a bit, Seo-rim set her bag down in the corner of the break room and headed out.
"..."
Kim Sujin, her co-worker, sidled up to her. Unlike Choi Su-hyeon, who had shown a clear interest in Lee Seung-ho, Sujin was a very playful and mischievous girl.
"Hehe." Sujin had a grin plastered across her face. She even gave Seo-rim a playful nudge with her elbow.
"...What?" Seo-rim asked bluntly, feeling strangely annoyed.
"I mean, you and Seung-ho have gotten really close, haven't you?"
"So?"
"You guys barely used to talk. Are you sad because he's quitting soon?"
"...Why would I be sad?"
That wasn't it. She had only kept her distance before because of a misunderstanding; now that it was cleared up, they were just getting along normally. They had gotten closer during the trip to Busan, and they even shared a secret only the two of them knew.
On top of that...
...If I just leave him alone, he'll end up charming all the other girls.
He wasn't a bad person, but that was definitely a flaw. She suspected he did it without even realizing it. He probably didn't know how his kindness was being perceived by others. She was simply keeping an eye on him to prevent any unnecessary trouble.
"Besides, he still has a week left before he quits."
"That's true, but..."
"Why? Are you sad?" Seo-rim asked back.
"Of course I am. A guy who's good at his job is leaving. He handles the difficult customers, he's good at the heavy lifting, and he's flexible and easygoing. It's going to be tough once he's gone."
Kim Sujin was nonchalant. She answered perfectly normally, without a hint of embarrassment.
"..."
Seo-rim blinked at her. She was sad because a good worker was leaving.
I guess so.
When put that way, it seemed like a natural reaction.
"I suppose..."
...Then, she supposed she was a little sad, too.
=========
(!Signpost!)
(Illustration below!)
=========
Seo-rim is sad.