Chapter 149: Winter (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Winter (8)
"…Wasn't it, then?"
Shin A-young tilted her head, her voice trailing off.
I muttered the phrase under my breath, repeating the bit of dialect that had just slipped out of her mouth.
"N-no, that’s not it…!"
Ji Nuri waved her hands frantically, her face flushing a deep crimson. The dialect always came out without her realizing it whenever she got flustered.
"Ahem…!"
She let out a dry cough, desperate to change the subject. "You’re talking about what happened during the exam period, right?"
"Yeah, before midterms," Lee Sol nodded.
"…I know what you saw that made you say that, okay?"
This was about that time—the time they were trying to figure out if they actually had feelings for Lee Seung-ho. Ji Nuri had intentionally clung to him back then.
"B-but I wasn't rubbing up against him! It was just a little. I was just sticking close to him, that's all."
She had to be precise about these things. Even if it might have looked suggestive from behind, the reality was different. Their forearms had merely brushed against each other.
"Was that so?" Shin A-young’s eyes narrowed playfully.
"It was!"
"Honestly, didn't you touch him a bit more than that?"
"I told you, no!" Ji Nuri’s voice rose an octave.
"Okay, okay. I get it." Shin A-young made a calming gesture with both hands, signaling her to relax.
"……."
Ji Nuri’s eyebrows drooped. Looking at their skeptical faces, she couldn't help but feel defeated. "You don't believe a word I'm saying."
"I said I believe you."
"Really?"
"……."
Shin A-young just smirked silently.
"Hmph."
Ji Nuri swallowed hard. Since A-young claimed to believe her, Nuri decided to let it slide for the moment.
"Anyway…." Ji Nuri scratched her head awkwardly. "…I didn't know you guys already knew."
"Uh, well…." Shin A-young’s expression turned subtle. "It’s more surprising that you thought we didn't know."
"…Yeah, my thoughts exactly," Lee Sol added.
The two of them whispered to each other while glancing at Ji Nuri. It seemed she had been incredibly obvious; there were signs she had been giving off that even she hadn't realized.
"……."
It was embarrassing. Ji Nuri’s cheeks puffed out, heating up with a faint, embarrassed glow.
"But…." Lee Sol shoved her hands into her pockets and aimlessly kicked at the ground. "Telling us that means you intend for it to stay that way, right?"
"Huh?" Ji Nuri’s eyes rounded. "What do you mean?"
"It means you have no intention of letting Seung-ho be taken."
"……Uh."
"I don't plan on going easy on you just because it's you, Nuri."
"……."
Ji Nuri stammered, but Lee Sol was dead serious.
"……Whew." A small sigh escaped Lee Sol’s lips.
How did it end up like this? In the beginning, she was definitely the only one. But following Shin A-young, now even Ji Nuri had developed feelings for Lee Seung-ho. At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if the list kept growing. The mere thought made Lee Sol feel a surge of anxiety.
"……."
Unaware of her inner turmoil, the other two continued their conversation casually.
"But hey…." Shin A-young let out a somewhat mischievous laugh. "…What is it about Seung-ho that you like so much, Nuri?"
"?!"
Ji Nuri’s body jolted. She was clearly flustered by the sudden, direct question. Though she tried to maintain a calm facade, beads of sweat were visible on her forehead.
"W-what?"
"There must be something."
"Well…." Ji Nuri fidgeted with her fingers, at a loss for words. Then, she tried to deflect. "…W-what about you, A-young?"
"I asked you first."
"If—if you tell me first, then I'll tell you."
"Hmm… fine." Shin A-young agreed and began folding her fingers one by one as she listed points.
"?!"
Ji Nuri looked stunned; she hadn't expected her to actually answer.
"First off, he’s handsome, right?"
"……Well, for someone like Seung-ho." He wasn't ugly. Lately, it felt like his jawline and masculine features were becoming much more defined.
"He’s very attentive."
"……." Ji Nuri nodded. He was attentive enough to remember even the smallest details.
"Maybe it’s because he exercises, but his body is solid, too."
"……."
"If you touch his forearms, the muscles are… gulp." Shin A-young swallowed hard.
"…You sound like a total pervert." Watching her, Lee Sol narrowed her eyes. Her small lips twitched as she tried to suppress her own embarrassment.
"N-no…." Shin A-young stammered, her face turning red as her brow furrowed. "……Don't you ever feel like you just want to touch him? Is it just me?"
"Nope." Lee Sol snorted and nodded calmly, acting as if she were a person entirely undriven by such base desires.
"Are you sure?" Shin A-young pressed.
"……."
Lee Sol’s eyelid flickered. She had no answer for that.
"……."
"……."
A lingering, heavy silence followed.
"…You guys are exactly the same." Seeing their reactions, Shin A-young pouted. Ji Nuri kept her mouth shut, having nothing to say in her own defense.
* * *
After-school hours arrived.
With the final exams scheduled for early December, there was only about a week left. Inside the club room, the only sound was the rhythmic scratching of pencils. Everyone was locked in, focused on their studies.
"……."
Red circles were drawn over the problems, stopping at the very last one.
"……I got them all right," Ha Seo-rim murmured. "I got them all right."
She held up her workbook and pushed it toward me.
"Let me see."
I checked it, flipping through the pages and re-verifying everything from the first question to the last. The results were perfect. Even if it was just a practice run, she had scored a hundred.
"Oh, nice job."
Since she had a solid foundation, she was a quick learner. I had only helped her a few times, but her progress was rapid.
"…Senior, you’re surprisingly good at teaching."
'Surprisingly'? I wasn't sure if I should take that as a compliment.
"I can see why kids go to academies now."
"You don't go to one, do you?"
"……."
Ha Seo-rim gave a small nod.
— “…But it’s a waste of money.”
Her Mini-Me was quite firm about that. She had been studying on her own until now. For someone self-taught, her basics were remarkably solid.
"……."
Thud.
Lee Sol placed her test paper down in front of me. It was covered in straight red lines marking her mistakes.
"Hmm."
She had gotten quite a few wrong. I had increased the difficulty, but this was more than I expected.
"…Were there a lot of confusing parts?"
"A little," Lee Sol nodded, looking embarrassed.
— “Look at mine too.”
Her Mini-Me looked up at me, a hint of disappointment lingering in her eyes.
"…Seo-rim, I think you’ll be fine if you just keep doing what you’re doing."
After giving Ha Seo-rim some brief feedback, I looked down at Lee Sol’s problems. I realized I hadn't been able to look after her properly lately.
"…Ah, okay."
At my words, Ha Seo-rim nodded awkwardly and looked back down at her workbook. She glanced over at us a few times.
— “…Focus. Focus.”
With a short murmur from Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me, she channeled her energy back into solving problems.
* * *
A break finally arrived after the long study session.
"Phew…."
Shin A-young massaged her shoulders and stepped out of the club room. She wanted to get some fresh air and clear her head.
‘……It is a bit sudden.’
She had laughed it off earlier, but she hadn't expected Ji Nuri to be so forward.
‘I knew, though.’
She had suspected Ji Nuri’s feelings for a while, but hearing them confirmed directly carried a different weight. It changed the dynamic.
"……Hmm."
She couldn't shake the restless feeling in her chest. It was Ji Nuri—a girl who was completely unpredictable. Since she was now a formal rival, A-young couldn't afford to let her guard down.
‘Besides, I haven't really done anything lately….’
She was still sticking to her strategy of physical closeness, and she was still getting meaningful reactions from Seung-ho. However, it felt like that alone wasn't enough anymore.
‘I need something else…….’
While she was lost in thought walking down the hallway…
"?"
Someone entered Shin A-young’s field of vision.
"……."
Step, step.
A female student was walking from the other end of the hallway. She had light brown, medium-length hair and a black mask covering the lower half of her face. Even at a glance, it was obvious she was pretty.
‘…Was there someone like that at our school?’
Perhaps she was trying not to stand out, but her cautious gait and the way she scanned her surroundings actually left a stronger impression.
‘……Wait, she’s from another school?’
The color of the hem of her skirt didn't match their school uniform. She was wearing a padded jacket, so it wasn't immediately obvious, but Shin A-young was observant enough to notice instantly.
‘What’s her business here?’
As she pondered why an outsider would be wandering the halls…
‘Ah…. She must be here to submit a transfer application.’
Seeing the notice posted on the hallway wall, she remembered there was an upcoming transfer exam to fill vacancies in the second year. A teacher had mentioned it in passing.
"……."
"……."
For a moment, their eyes met. It was only for a split second, but the girl’s gaze shifted toward her before quickly snapping back forward.
The girl walked away.
Shin A-young also looked away and continued on her path, but her pace gradually slowed.
……A sense of déjà vu, coupled with a subtle, jarring dissonance.
She felt it.
Whish—
Shin A-young turned back toward the direction the girl had gone.
"……."
But the hallway was empty. The girl she had just seen had already vanished.
"……What was that?"
Shin A-young’s eyes narrowed. Since she had only seen her in passing, she couldn't be certain, but…
‘Acting?’
Her outward expression had seemed normal, but that was the impression Shin A-young got. However, it was different in nature from the "acting" A-young did herself.
If she had to put a finger on it…
It was the kind of expression she had often seen in thriller movies.
"……."
Shin A-young tilted her head and started walking again.
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