Chapter 161: December (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: December (5)
I grabbed two Chocomongs and stepped out of the school snack shop.
Pop— I mindlessly poked a straw into one and took a sip of the sweet liquid. As the biting cold wind brushed against me, my reason slowly began to return.
‘…Ah.’
I’ve done it now. I really went and did it.
I had fallen helplessly for Shin A-young’s provocation.
“Haah—”
I sat on a bench in front of the playground and let out a deep sigh. What on earth was I thinking?
‘I guess there’s no going back now….’
Once that line had been crossed, it didn’t seem like pushing her away would work anymore. But choosing just one person… I doubted the girls would just meekly accept that. Besides, I hadn’t even made up my own mind yet.
— Or…
Suddenly, a thought Lee Seung-ah once had flickered through my mind.
— There’s always the option of just going for it like a total madman.
“…….”
I lowered my head slowly, the straw still in my mouth. One person being involved with multiple partners… isn’t illegal. It was simply not illegal.
Naturally, public perception was far from positive. You’d occasionally see news reports about some guy getting beaten up by a girl’s family and sent to the hospital. In the first place, it wasn’t the kind of thing a normal person would even consider.
A normal person…
“……Hmm.”
In front of my eyes, I saw the Mini-mes moving along with their host bodies.
“Hey, Lee Seung-ho!”
Suddenly, I felt a hand clap down on my shoulder.
“…Gah?!”
Startled, I ended up taking a massive gulp of Chocomong.
“Cough! Hack!”
It went down the wrong pipe. I couldn't stop coughing.
“Oh, o-oh….”
I heard a flustered voice. Even without looking back, I knew exactly who it was. It was Ji Nuri.
“Hey, hey. Are you okay?!”
Ji Nuri checked my face with panicked gestures, frantically patting me on the back.
“Ahem! Cough!”
I cleared my throat, finally catching my breath. I glared at Ji Nuri and said, “…Make some noise when you approach someone.”
“…I walked right up to you. You’re the one who didn’t hear me, okay? I called your name several times.”
“…….”
Did she? Since she sounded so certain, I had nothing to say.
“But…”
Ji Nuri rubbed a hot pack between her hands and looked up at me. “…What were you thinking about so deeply?”
At Ji Nuri’s casual question, I had no choice but to dodge the subject.
“…It’s nothing.”
It wasn’t the kind of problem I could talk to someone else about. Especially not if that someone was Ji Nuri.
“Hmm….”
Ji Nuri let out a low hum as she studied me.
— “…Why is he so startled?”
Ji Nuri soon wore a mischievous grin. It was the smile of a little rascal.
“……You weren’t thinking about something weird, were you?”
“It’s not like tha—… it’s not.”
I tried to refute her immediately, but I tripped over my words. Come to think of it, she wasn’t entirely wrong.
“…….”
Ji Nuri’s lips parted slightly.
— “Wait, r-really…?”
Her eyelids trembled. Whatever she was imagining, white steam immediately began to rise from her Mini-me.
— “W-What on earth are you thinking about at school?!”
The Mini-me shrieked, jumping up and down with a bright red face.
“Hey, hey. It’s not what you think.”
I hurriedly tried to correct Ji Nuri’s misunderstanding.
“Wh-What isn’t?”
“…It’s not the kind of thing you’re thinking about.”
“What am I thinking? I didn’t even say anything!”
Ji Nuri hugged her own arms as if she were innocent.
“…H-Hold it in a bit while you’re at school.”
Ji Nuri tapped my shoulder lightly.
Patter, patter, patter.
Then, she fled the scene as if running away.
— “……I guess Lee Seung-ho is a teenage boy in his prime, after all.”
The Mini-me’s mutter was the final blow. I narrowed my eyes and quickly chased after her.
“Hey, I told you it’s not like that…!”
* * *
Ha Seo-rim sat quietly in the classroom, resting her chin on her hand.
‘…What was that?’
She kept thinking about what happened earlier. Given what had happened before, she had only intended to check if Lee Seung-ho was doing okay as she passed by. But for some reason, all she saw was Shin A-young’s strange reaction.
A-young was radiating a beaming smile as if something wonderful had happened.
“…….”
Thinking about it made Seo-rim feel unpleasant again, and her eyebrows knitted together. What was with that expression? Even when they ran into each other by chance, Shin A-young always had a smile on her face. It was the same smile as always, yet Seo-rim felt it was fundamentally different this time.
“Are you feeling okay today?”
Ahn Bo-ram, sitting in the seat in front of her, turned around and asked.
“…Why?”
The question felt out of the blue. Ha Seo-rim wore a puzzled expression.
“No, it’s just that you’ve been really quiet since this morning.”
“…I’m always like this.”
“You’re even more so than usual. Your expression looks blank, too.”
Was it? She felt the same as always. Well, she supposed it could look different to others.
“Nothing happened.”
Nothing particularly bad had happened. There was just something a bit questionable.
“Reaaally?”
Ahn Bo-ram seemed unconvinced, but she didn’t press any further. It didn’t feel like she wasn’t curious; rather, it felt like she was being considerate and holding back.
‘……Is my expression really that different from usual?’
Ha Seo-rim pulled out a hand mirror and examined her face. Hmm. She still couldn't tell. What was so different? It looked exactly the same as always.
Ha Seo-rim couldn't see any major change in her face. Looking closer…
‘Is my skin a bit chapped?’
Ha Seo-rim turned her face this way and that. It seemed so. Maybe it was because the air had gotten dry with winter.
“…….”
Suddenly, Shin A-young’s face came to mind. Her skin was transparently clear, and her lips were tinted a beautiful crimson. She was the textbook definition of a beauty. She really was pretty.
‘Hmm.’
Ha Seo-rim looked in the mirror.
‘Should I try wearing makeup too?’
…No, what makeup?
‘It’s just a waste of money.’
Ha Seo-rim immediately discarded the thought. Forget it. Who would she even be showing it to? For now, basic skincare was enough. It wouldn't be too late to start after she became an adult.
Ha Seo-rim shook off the idle thoughts and decided to focus on class.
* * *
After school.
Ha Seo-rim’s schedule continued as usual. Since today was a Band Club practice day, Ji Nuri joined earlier than usual, and practice ended smoothly without any major issues.
“Good work, everyone.”
“Yeah.”
Ha Seo-rim responded to Ahn Bo-ram’s words while putting her bass into its case.
“…….”
She scanned the club room. It was something she had just noticed.
“Something feels…”
It felt like the amount of stuff in the practice room was gradually increasing. No, it was more than just a feeling.
‘It wasn’t like this before.’
It used to be an empty space with nothing but instruments, but now there were even cushioned chairs you could lie down on. They were all Ji Nuri’s things. She wondered where Nuri even brought them from.
“Hmm-hmm~”
Lying on one of those chairs, Ji Nuri was humming to herself while diligently writing something in a notebook.
“…Unni. What are you looking at so intently?”
Seo-rim wondered if she was composing. Ji Nuri was a songwriter, after all.
“Oh, this?”
Ji Nuri waved her pen. “I’m writing down what to do with you guys during break. Planning ahead.”
“Ah….”
Right, it was almost winter break.
“…….”
Break was coming soon. What should she do during the break? Since she’d have extra time, she thought about picking up a few more part-time jobs.
“…….”
At that thought, the corners of Ha Seo-rim’s eyes drooped. She suddenly felt depressed.
‘I’m jealous.’
Seeing Ji Nuri without a care in the world made that thought arise naturally. She wanted to play, too. Paradoxically, there was so much she had to do to make that possible. Since it was break, she also had to look after her younger siblings who would be at home.
‘…I hate school breaks.’
It was a thought she always had, but it felt even stronger this year. Furthermore…
“Hmm…….”
Suddenly, a very abrupt thought occurred to her. She wouldn’t be able to see Lee Seung-ho for a while.
They didn’t work the same part-time job anymore, and they weren’t in the same club to begin with. Even until now, she had only been hanging around him because she was squeezed in among the Counseling Club members. So, once break started, the chances of meeting him would naturally decrease.
“……Are you not feeling well today?”
Ji Nuri scratched her cheek as she looked at Ha Seo-rim. “Practice is over, so you can head home first if you want.”
“…….”
She was hearing that a lot today.
“I’m fine.”
“…Really?”
She really was fine. She appreciated the concern, but she didn’t want to hear it anymore.
“Oh, right.”
Ji Nuri suddenly sat up. “By the way, Seo-rim.”
“Yes?”
“Did something happen with Seung-ho this morning?” Ji Nuri asked as she picked up her bag.
“Umm, well……”
Something had happened. But it felt awkward to say it outright. Even though she was involved, it wasn't exactly her business.
“……Nothing much happened.”
“Really?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No… Seung-ho told me to give this to you. He said he was sorry for making you worry.”
Ji Nuri pulled something out of her bag and held it out. It was a Chocomong.
“Why would he give me this…?”
Ha Seo-rim reached out to take it, but after a brief moment of hesitation, she pulled her hand back. “…No, I’m okay.”
“Huh? Why?”
Ji Nuri’s expression turned strange. She looked like she couldn't understand Seo-rim’s behavior.
“…If he’s really sorry, could you tell him to give it to me himself?”
He’s older, yet he’s so clumsy. A proper thank you or apology should be expressed in person. That’s just common sense.
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The pose has zero relevance to the text, but I chose this illustration just because it’s cute.
Will she ever act this adorable one day?