Chapter 156: Amusement Park (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156: Amusement Park (5)
“I’m hoooome!”
“Sol, you’re—”
Lee Sol rushed past her mother and ran straight into her room. Before her mother could even get another word out, Sol slammed the door shut in a frantic hurry.
She tossed her bag aside.
“Hehe.”
After glancing at the headband on her head a few times, she placed it gently on her bed. Then, she stepped back out of her room.
“Sol—”
“I’m going to go wash up!”
This time, she bolted for the bathroom. She didn't want to talk right now. She felt too embarrassed to look at anyone while she was in such high spirits.
“……Ugh.”
Lee Sol stopped in front of the mirror and tried to stiffen her expression.
See?
Even at a glance, her reflection was visibly flushed. Splash, splash— She threw cold water on her face, but the heat refused to subside.
Sshhhhhhh—
Steam filled the shower booth, turning everything white.
“Haaaah……”
As the warm water hit her, Lee Sol slowly slid down to sit on the floor. Her bare back felt the biting chill of the wall, but she didn't care. Her breath had been shallow for a while now, so she placed a hand over her heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump—
Her heart was pounding wildly. The aftereffects were still very much there. Sol traced her lips with the tip of her index finger.
A back hug might not seem like much on the surface, but the reality was completely different. It couldn't even be compared to an indirect kiss. His back, which she had pressed herself against, was broader than she expected, and so warm…
What if... what if the roles were reversed? How would that feel?
“……Ah, seriously.”
It was driving her crazy.
Patter, patter.
After finishing her shower, Sol hurried back to her room. She dove onto her bed, landing face-down with a soft thud.
“Mmmph…!”
Sol hugged her pillow tight. Still overcome with embarrassment, she kicked her legs against the duvet in a rhythmic thump, thump, thump. The blood rushed to her head. She couldn't get her emotions under control.
“Hehehe…”
Laughter escaped her lips involuntarily. She wriggled her body deeper into the blankets. She spent a good while rolling around on the bed like that until—
“Sol, come out and have some strawberries.”
Her mother called to her from outside the door.
“……Strawberries.”
Sol’s eyes snapped open. As a strawberry lover, this was something she couldn't miss. She wiped her face as if washing it again and stood up.
“Ahem.”
Only after clearing her throat did she feel like she was finally calming down.
“…….”
Sol peeked out cautiously, and her eyes met her mother’s in the living room.
“I put them on the dining table, so go ahead and eat.”
“Okay….”
The strawberries on the table looked delicious. Sol popped a whole one into her mouth. Munch, munch. Her cheeks puffed out roundly.
“…I bought them at the market yesterday. How are they?”
“Mmh, they’re good,” Sol replied while chewing.
They really were delicious. They were so sweet that she wanted to give one to Lee Seung-ho. He liked fruit, too. He’d probably like these.
Yeah, I’m sure he would….
“…Ah.”
Sol blinked. The tips of her ears turned hot again. Thinking about him even at a time like this—she had it bad.
“…….”
Her mother, who had been in the living room, sat down across from her. She silently picked up a strawberry with a fork. After taking a small bite, she spoke up.
“So….” She suddenly opened the conversation. “…How was today? Did you make any progress?”
The moment of truth had arrived.
“…Um, well….”
Sol’s lips moved hesitantly. She couldn't avoid it. If she wanted help, she’d need to talk to some extent. And honestly, a part of her wanted to brag about what happened. Besides, she didn't really have anyone else to talk to about it.
“Well….” Sol looked down at the table with a flushed face and picked up a random strawberry. “……A little bit?”
Her mother’s eyebrows shot up. She looked like she hadn't actually expected any progress.
“…So, what did you do?” she asked again in a gentle voice.
Sol fidgeted with her fingers. “…From, from behind. Like this.”
She expressed it through actions rather than words. It was easier that way.
“A back hug?”
“……Yes.”
“Mhm.”
Her mother let out a small hum. Interest sparked in her eyes. She looked down at Sol as if she were adorable. At this point, she was genuinely enjoying hearing about her daughter’s love life.
“…But did you have time to be alone? You wouldn't have done that openly in front of the others.”
“On the way home…….”
She didn't mention that she had done it impulsively.
“How did Seung-ho react?”
“…Uh.”
She didn't know.
“I didn't see that….”
She had been too busy running away in embarrassment to notice. Suddenly, she felt anxious. What if Seung-ho hated it?
“…But didn't anything happen at the amusement park?”
“…….”
Sol’s mouth clamped shut. The events from earlier flashed through her mind. Naturally, Sol’s shoulders slumped. She looked completely deflated.
“……?”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “…Did something happen at the amusement park?”
“N-nothing happened.”
“Be honest with me. You didn't mess up, did you? I need to know so I can tell you how to fix it.”
“…….”
Honestly, it wasn't like nothing happened. She did mess up.
“The thing is…….”
But it was really hard to talk about. Sol hesitated before slowly recounting what had happened, trying to sugarcoat it as much as possible.
Starting from entering the amusement park. Deciding the order. Failing repeatedly due to bad luck. Getting motion sickness. The Ferris wheel incident after being left alone with Shin A-young. And finally, ending up in the lost child center.
“…….”
As the story went on, her mother’s expression turned blank. Perhaps the story was even more wild than she had anticipated. She remained silent for a long time, simply covering her mouth with her hands and maintaining a strange silence.
“…Mom?”
Tears welled up in Sol’s eyes. As I thought, is my image ruined?
“Whew….”
A low breath escaped her mother’s lips. “…And the other kids saw all of that? Seung-ho, too?”
“Yes….” Sol nodded awkwardly. “B-but A-young didn't say anything… so A-young is the only one who knows exactly what happened.”
She quickly added an excuse. At the very least, they shouldn't know the details. They must not know.
“Whew…….”
Her mother sighed again. The tips of her ears were slightly red, as if she were embarrassed on Sol's behalf.
“…Well, at least it was resolved.”
She glossed over the story, deciding to quietly bury that embarrassing past.
“Sol. This is no time to be satisfied with just a back hug.”
“Just a…”
She had done her absolute best, though.
“If you get too relaxed, the other girls will catch up to you in no time, you know?”
“…….”
Sol, who had been slumped over, straightened her back.
“That day is coming up soon, after all.”
“…That day?”
What day? It wasn't Seung-ho’s birthday. When Sol looked like she couldn't find the answer, her mother sighed softly and dropped a hint.
“…It’s December, isn't it?”
* * *
“…I’m back.”
I walked through the front door and into the house. My parents must not have been home yet, as I couldn't hear any conversation. However, there were signs of someone bustling about.
“Huff… huff….”
— “This is so hard….”
Someone was moving around frantically in front of the living room TV. Lee Seung-ah was holding a ring-shaped controller, lying on the floor with her legs raised high.
Leg raises. I narrowed my eyes at the sight.
“…What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Can’t you… huff… tell…? Haaah… I’m exercising….”
“No, I mean….”
I could tell she was exercising just by looking. Wasn't that the game where you exercise with a ring? I recall we bought that quite a while ago. It was strange to see her suddenly pull it out of storage and start using it.
“…You hated it so much when I told you to exercise.”
“That was then, this is now.”
Seung-ah furrowed her brows. She lowered her legs and sprawled out like an 'X'.
“…I feel like I’ve gained weight lately,” she replied while lying on the floor, patting her stomach.
It seemed she was starting to manage her weight now before heading off to high school.
“……?”
Suddenly, the way Seung-ah looked up at me changed. Her eyebrows arched. She looked me up and down curiously.
“…What? Why?”
Why was she looking at me like that?
“No, it’s just….” Seung-ah spoke quietly, continuing to squint at me. “…Did something happen outside?”
“…Like what?” I tilted my head, feigning ignorance.
“No, do you realize your expression is really weird right now, Oppa?”
“…Mine?”
“Yeah, you’re kind of red.”
“That’s….”
I started to say something, but in the end, I couldn't find the words and just shut my mouth.
“…You didn't catch a cold, did you? If you did, wear a mask.”
Seung-ah distanced herself from me, covering her nose and mouth with both hands. She clearly didn't want to catch whatever I had.
“…This is crazy.”
I let out a deep sigh and plopped down on the sofa.
“Why the sudden attitude?” Seung-ah glared at me. “Ah… did something happen with the unnies?”
“…….”
I didn't answer.
“Something definitely happened.”
Seung-ah giggled, her face full of mischief.
“…….”
She was unnecessarily quick-witted. Sometimes I wondered if she had a Mini-Me, too.
“Come on, what happened?”
Seung-ah sat up and asked in an inviting tone. She patted the floor, telling me to spill it. I looked down at Seung-ah for a moment. Then, I slowly opened my mouth.
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