Chapter 159: December (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 159: December (3)
— "Sigh..."
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-me looked down at me, her crescent eyes narrowing into thin, skeptical slits.
— "...Caught up in something weird again, I see."
She didn't even look surprised.
Her reaction suggested this was nothing new—the weary attitude of someone who had grown far too accustomed to these situations.
"...Oh my. Oh my goodness."
I gave Ahn Bo-ram, who was overreacting beside her, a sharp nudge. It was a silent command to keep her mouth shut.
"Oof."
Ahn Bo-ram stumbled. Even without looking at her Mini-me, her face was a picture of pure indignation.
"Whew..."
As soon as Ha Seo-rim appeared, Shin A-young took a step back, putting some distance between us. At the same time, I let out a long-held breath.
— "Talk about terrible timing..."
Shin A-young’s Mini-me muttered. Her expression darkened, looking thoroughly displeased.
"Hi, Seo-rim."
A-young turned around and offered a soft greeting, her expression smoothing over instantly. She looked exactly like a senior happily bumping into a junior by chance.
"Hello."
Ha Seo-rim accepted the greeting with equal composure.
In the midst of this strange atmosphere, they exchanged perfectly ordinary pleasantries. That very normalcy created a bizarre sense of dissonance. An awkward tension hung in the air.
Within that silence, Ha Seo-rim’s eyes darted around.
— "...Should I help him out?"
She let out a tiny breath and muttered to herself.
How admirable. So she did have the heart to help. It felt like all the kindness I’d shown her was finally paying dividends.
"What are you two doing here?" Ha Seo-rim asked, slowly descending the stairs. Her steps were leisurely, but her gaze was fixed squarely on us. "Aren't you going to class? Break is almost over."
I reacted instinctively to her words. "Actually, we were just—"
"We're going," Shin A-young cut me off, interjecting mid-sentence. "We're going, but..."
She looked back at me, her eyes telling me to stay put.
"...I just have something to talk to Seung-ho about. We'll head out once we're finished."
A-young’s tone was soft, but it carried a clear note of insistence.
"..."
This wasn't going to work.
It seemed avoiding this would be difficult. She clearly had no intention of backing down until the conversation was over. Shin A-young’s resolve was firm. I took a short breath and finally resigned myself to it.
This happened because of a choice I made. I’d just have to grit my teeth and bear it. What else could I do?
"You two were on your way to class, right? Sorry, we're blocking the way." Shin A-young stepped back, gesturing slightly to open a path for them to pass. "Go on."
She gave a light wave, telling them to hurry along.
"..."
But no answer came.
The air in the hallway grew still. Ha Seo-rim remained rooted to the spot, scratching her forehead with an ambiguous expression. She looked as if something were weighing on her mind.
"...Aren't you going?" When the silence stretched on, Shin A-young spoke again.
"..."
That was when Ha Seo-rim took another step closer.
"...From where I'm standing," she stopped three paces away and tilted her chin up slightly, "it doesn't really look like the two of you are having a 'conversation.'"
"Oh?"
"To me, it looks like Senior Seung-ho is a bit uncomfortable."
She was half-right and half-wrong. While this situation was uncomfortable, it wasn't that Shin A-young herself made me feel that way.
"Hey, hey!" Terrified by the strange confrontation, Ahn Bo-ram frantically shook Ha Seo-rim’s shoulder.
"..."
The smile on Shin A-young’s face didn't waver.
"Hmm..." The corners of her mouth curled up ever so slightly.
— "Look at this girl."
However, I could see her Mini-me’s mood plummeting.
"...Well, Seung-ho has always been a bit blunt," Shin A-young said, nodding as if playing along with the comment. "Yeah, I guess it could look that way to an outsider."
Outsider.
She emphasized that word with biting clarity.
"We made you feel awkward, didn't we?" Shin A-young’s eyebrows slanted downward. She looked genuinely apologetic, but...
Her Mini-me let out a blatant, mocking snort.
"..."
Ha Seo-rim’s brow furrowed slightly.
— "...Was this girl always like this?"
The Mini-me’s eyes blinked. The situation was gradually spiraling in a strange direction.
Once again, a bizarre silence descended. It didn't seem like the tension would break anytime soon.
"...Let's just go to class for now." I gently nudged Shin A-young, who was blocking the path, and slipped out from the corner.
"...I'm not done talking yet." Shin A-young looked up at me, her eyes full of dissatisfaction.
"We can talk about it later."
At the very least, I wanted to talk when Ha Seo-rim wasn't around. Things were getting heated, and I couldn't let her get dragged into this any further.
"...Fine." Shin A-young looked away. She clearly wasn't happy, but she seemed willing to let it slide for the moment.
"You two should get to class, too."
"...Okay." Ha Seo-rim studied me for a moment before nodding. "See you later."
With a brief goodbye, she walked away first.
* * *
"...Hey. Ha Seo-rim, what's wrong with you?" Ahn Bo-ram followed close behind her, letting out a deep sigh of relief.
"What?"
"I mean, you suddenly did something so unlike you."
Unlike me? Please.
It wasn't that strange of a thing to do. I just helped out an acquaintance who looked like they were in a bind. It was just too much of a hassle to explain all that.
"..."
Ha Seo-rim remained silent.
Ahn Bo-ram walked beside her, reflecting on what had just happened. She brought up the topic with a smirk. "...But those two just now. The vibe was totally that, wasn't it?"
"...What vibe?"
"Oh, come on—you know—" Bo-ram gave her a playful nudge on the shoulder.
"..."
Ha Seo-rim stumbled slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"Those two. Aren't they dating? They totally had that kind of aura."
Dating?
Those two?
"Doesn't it seem likely? No wonder he's been turning down all those confessions... That senior is definitely something else."
She was right in more ways than one. Looking at the lineup of girls around him, it was hard to deny. There were certainly a lot of them.
However...
"...I don't think that's it."
"Huh?" Ahn Bo-ram’s expression shifted at the sudden remark, her face full of questions.
Ha Seo-rim felt the weight of that gaze and was overcome by a wave of inexplicable embarrassment. She avoided Bo-ram’s eyes as she continued.
"They aren't dating... or anything like that."
She was certain of it. Especially after what she’d just seen.
"What happened back there... anyone could see they were in the middle of a spat."
"Hmm... do people usually fight like that?" Bo-ram tilted her head.
"They're close, so she was probably just interrogating him."
Besides... there was one major reason.
"I don't think Senior Seung-ho likes people who are that pushy and overbearing."
Because she knew what he had been through.
Perhaps that was why Shin A-young’s approach toward Lee Seung-ho looked different to her. To put it harshly, it looked bad.
But then again, Shin A-young didn't know. That secret wasn't something that could be told lightly. Above all, it was something only she knew. She could understand why an 'outsider' who didn't know the truth might see it that way.
"Uh... really?" Ahn Bo-ram’s expression turned strange as she listened. "Wait, did you find that out while working part-time together?"
"...Uh, yeah. Something like that." Ha Seo-rim gave a vague nod.
Whatever.
"......Let's just get to class."
Zzzzip—
She lowered the zipper of her padded jacket slightly. It felt a bit hot.
* * *
Inside the elective classroom.
The teacher hadn't arrived yet, and the students were gathered in small groups, chatting idly.
Not many words had passed between us on the way back to the classroom. The atmosphere simply didn't allow for it. Shin A-young sat next to me, staring silently out the window.
— "Seriously, what does she know...?"
I could see Shin A-young’s Mini-me grumbling, white steam practically rising from her head. She was incredibly cranky.
— "...I've known Seung-ho the longest."
Technically, that was true. I’d only become close with Ha Seo-rim recently; before that, we were just acquaintances.
— "I didn't know Seo-rim was that kind of girl..."
The Mini-me’s eyes trembled. A sense of wariness toward Ha Seo-rim began to bloom.
— "He definitely didn't look like he hated it..."
She clenched her fists, insisting her eyes hadn't deceived her.
— "..."
Then, the Mini-me suddenly froze. She crossed her arms and let out a low hum of contemplation.
— "...What if he actually did hate it?"
Her large eyes began to wobble. Her legs started fidgeting restlessly. That anxiety bled through the Mini-me and manifested in her physical self.
"..."
I fell into silent thought.
To be honest, it wasn't that Shin A-young made me uncomfortable. If anything, the struggle was enduring the stimulation she provided. But I couldn't exactly say that.
I felt like I had to be the one to step on the brakes. Once she lost control, she’d cross the line by a mile.
Wasn't it strange? To have feelings for not just one person, but several. I wondered if I had always been this clumsy with emotions. I felt a pang of guilt toward the girls.
— "..."
Shin A-young’s Mini-me was still looking dejected. Seeing that, my own brows furrowed.
What should I do now? Regardless of everything, I should probably comfort her—
— "...Then, should I try to find out?"
Shin A-young’s Mini-me suddenly bolted upright.
— "I can just subtly test him to see if he's uncomfortable or not."
Her eyebrows wiggled as she nodded to herself with a sly smile. She seemed to think it was a brilliant idea.
No, I have no idea how she reached that conclusion.
"Seung-ho~"
Shin A-young whispered my name in a sweet, melodic tone.
"...I forgot to bring my textbook. Do you mind if we share yours just for today?"
There was a hint of aegyo in her voice. She blinked her long eyelashes, locking her gaze with mine.
"..."
I caught my breath as I looked at her.
I guess she wasn't done yet.
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(!Signpost!)
(Illustration below!)
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