Chapter 28: The Last Day (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 28: The Last Day (2)
*
“Hey, are you okay?”
I checked Ji Nuri’s face. Between her pale lips and the cold sweat beading on her forehead, it clearly wasn't just a passing cramp.
“Ugh...”
She let out a low groan, her body doubling over.
Was it a stomach ache? Or maybe her period?
“Just hang in there. Let’s get you to the infirmary.”
*
I set Ji Nuri down inside the infirmary.
It was a long walk from the Henry Potter attraction. Since she could barely keep her feet under her, I’d had no choice but to carry her on my back.
“...”
The school nurse began asking questions, and Ji Nuri weakly explained her symptoms. After a brief exchange, the nurse led her to a bed in the back with a calm expression.
“お腹の調子が悪いみたいですね。少し休めば良くなると思います。無理のかかる乗り物は避けてくださいね.”
She gave us a short explanation in Japanese. To be honest, I didn't have a clue what she was saying.
— “There’s always one kid like this every trip...”
I only guessed it wasn't anything serious because I could hear the nurse’s Mini-Me muttering to itself.
Still, I needed to know the specifics. I turned to Shin A-young, who had been listening in.
“...What did she say?”
“She said it’s just a simple case of indigestion. She’ll be fine after some rest, but she needs to avoid any intense rides that might strain her body.”
“...What about medicine? Did she give her anything?”
“Hold on.”
At my prompt, Shin A-young stepped forward and spoke softly to the nurse.
“ここではお腹が痛いときの薬はもらえませんか...?”
The nurse replied with a shake of her head.
“うちは医療機関ではないため、治療行為や薬の提供はしておりません.”
“What’d she say?” I asked.
“She says they don’t give out medicine here.”
No medicine? In an infirmary?
“代わりに、温かい温熱パックをお渡しできます.”
While I was wondering what to do, the nurse said something else and started rummaging through a drawer. Shin A-young translated for me.
“She said she can give her a heat pack instead.”
Ji Nuri took the pack and pressed it against her stomach.
“Whew...”
It must have helped, as the tension finally began to bleed out of her face.
Perhaps she had finally calmed down, or maybe she just felt guilty for holding us up. Ji Nuri looked at us with an awkward, sheepish expression.
“...You guys go on ahead. I’ll contact the teacher myself. It’s almost time for your reservation at Dotendo World anyway.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“I’m fine. It’s my own fault for overeating at the buffet.”
Ji Nuri let out a forced laugh.
“Ah.”
As if remembering something important, she pulled a notebook out of her pocket.
“Here, take this.”
I took it from her. It was the notebook she had been working on so diligently since yesterday.
“I wrote down today’s route in there. Just follow that and you’ll see everything.”
Ji Nuri lay back on the bed and closed her eyes.
“...I’ll call you once I’ve rested and feel better.”
— “— — — — —”
The noise was still there. Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me was clutching its stomach, tears pricking its eyes. She was still in pain. It was obvious that trying to have fun in this state was out of the question.
“Alright.”
I stepped out of the infirmary, notebook in hand. I couldn't exactly stay by her side the whole time while she was sick. She said she’d call the teacher, so she’d probably be fine.
...That was the logical conclusion, but.
“...”
“...”
A heavy silence stretched between the three of us. The awkwardness was palpable.
— “This atmosphere is freaking suffocating...”
Shin A-young’s Mini-Me mouthed the words. She clearly found the silence unbearable. Finally, unable to take it anymore, Shin A-young spoke up.
“...We should just have enough fun for Nuri’s sake too!”
“...Yeah, you’re right,” Lee Sol agreed, nodding.
— “...Is it really okay for us to go play by ourselves?”
— “I’m so worried... but I still really want to go to Dotendo World...”
Despite their words, their Mini-Mes remained uneasy. I suppose this is why I hang out with them. Deep down, they’re good kids.
“...”
I flipped open the notebook Nuri had handed me. It was filled with dense, detailed notes written in neat, cute handwriting.
Something about it felt heavy.
[☆IMPORTANT☆]
[Things to ride at Dotendo World.]
[Bario Kart Attraction ← MUST ride this...!]
I could tell immediately how much effort she had poured into this.
[Precautions]
[There isn't enough time to enjoy all the content on the Dotendo Bracelet in one day.]
[If anyone wants to buy one, stop them.]
[Things I definitely want to do!]
...
...
...
A long list of schedules followed. Which foods were worth the price, which spots were tourist traps. I hadn't seen the notebook before, so I hadn't realized just how much research she had done.
...I could see exactly how much she had been looking forward to this.
“...”
I quietly closed the notebook.
“...Seung-ho? Aren't you coming?”
Shin A-young gave me a puzzled look. The two of them had already passed the ticket check and were standing just inside the entrance to Dotendo World.
“Hmm...”
I frowned and looked up. Beyond the gates, I could see the vibrant structures of Dotendo World. It was a surreal sight, like stepping directly into a video game. There was no way that place wouldn't be a blast.
...But.
— “— — — — —”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me from a moment ago flashed through my mind.
That noise... it wasn't just because she was in pain. It was because—
“...”
Ah, hell.
...This is really going to bother me.
Even if she looked fine on the outside, I knew she wasn't. Because I could see her true feelings, it gnawed at me even more. If we weren't close, or if she were just a little less pretty, I might have been able to ignore it.
“...”
I looked at Shin A-young, my voice sounding a bit strained.
“...Buy me a Bario hat. I’ll pay you back later.”
“Huh?”
“For now, you two go on ahead.”
“Eh? Where are you going?!” Shin A-young shouted.
“...Are you going back to Nuri?”
Lee Sol tried to follow me out, but a guide lightly stepped in her way.
“一度退場されますと、再入場はできません. よろしいですか?” (Once you exit, you cannot re-enter. Is that alright?)
“Huh? What? What did he say?”
Leaving behind Lee Sol, who was struggling with the language barrier, I said one last thing.
“I’ll call you later.”
With that, I turned around and headed back the way I came.
“...”
The last school trip of my life. The final day. A once-in-a-lifetime moment.
For the person who had looked forward to it more than anyone to be left behind like that...
That just didn't sit right with me, no matter how I looked at it.
*
“...”
Ji Nuri stared blankly at the ceiling. After lying down with the heat pack, the sharp pain in her stomach had subsided to a dull ache. As the fog of pain cleared, reality set in.
“Ah, damn it...! That was so embarrassing...!”
Ji Nuri’s face flushed a deep crimson. It wasn't food poisoning, and it wasn't her period. To think she was stuck here simply because she’d been a glutton at the buffet.
How awkward must they have felt seeing her like that?
“Sigh...”
She let out a long, heavy sigh.
“...”
Checking the clock, it was around 11:30 AM. She had nothing to do but scroll aimlessly through her phone.
“...”
Then, a thought occurred to her. She hadn't called her mom in a while, so she figured she’d check in. It was free if she used CocoaTalk.
— Ring, ring.
After a few rings, the line clicked open.
“Hello?”
— “Oh, sweetie! What’s up? Do you need something?”
Do I need something?
That was the first thing she heard after so long. Ji Nuri pouted, her feelings a bit hurt.
“...No. Do I only call when I need something?”
— “Isn't that usually how it goes? You haven't sent a single text until now.”
“...”
Ji Nuri fell silent at her mother's slightly sulky tone. She couldn't exactly argue.
“...I just called because I had some free time.”
— “Oh, is that so?”
“...”
— “Hmm~ You said you were going to the amusement park today, right?”
“Yeah.”
Ji Nuri rolled over slowly on the bed.
— “How is it? Are you having fun?”
She flinched.
The words caught in her throat. At the sound of her mother’s gentle, curious voice, a lump formed in her chest.
...She forced herself to swallow it down.
“...Yeah. I’m having a blast.”
Ji Nuri struggled to keep her voice steady and upbeat.
— “What did you do?”
“I rode Henry Potter. I ate churros while waiting in line...”
Ji Nuri’s gaze drifted toward the window, then dropped to the floor.
“And... well, just this and that.”
— “Really? Sounds like you’re having a great time. Do you need some more pocket money?”
“No, I’m good.”
She wouldn't be able to spend it anyway. A hollow, bitter smile touched her lips.
“I... have to go now, so I’m hanging up.”
She ended the conversation quickly, fearing that talking any longer would break her composure.
— “Alright, honey. Have fun, and make sure you eat something good for dinner.”
“Okay.”
The voice from the phone vanished. In its place, the distant roar of roller coasters and the muffled cheers of the crowd drifted in through the window.
“...”
Ji Nuri leaned forward and buried her face in the mattress.
Why did I eat so much yesterday...
A wave of regret and self-pity washed over her.
“Hey, you okay? Does it still hurt a lot?”
“?”
Ji Nuri froze. That voice...
When she cautiously lifted her head, she found Lee Seung-ho standing there, looking as nonchalant as ever.
Why was he here? No, more importantly...
“Hey, what about Dotendo World?!”
By now, he should have been deep inside the park. Had he not gone in? Or had he gotten lost?
“...”
Lee Seung-ho didn't answer. He set a plastic bag down on the bedside table and began pulling things out.
“...They didn't sell porridge, so I bought some oatmeal. Think you can stomach it? Or maybe take the medicine first.”
Did he buy all of this? For her?
“...Was there a place selling this inside the park?”
“There wasn't, so I went outside. I checked the map and saw there was a pharmacy nearby.”
“...”
Ji Nuri took the oatmeal, her expression dazed.
I mean... even if they were friends, did people usually go this far? They were in Japan. He’d given up his ticket and left the park just to get her medicine.
“...”
Ji Nuri’s eyes narrowed slightly. A sudden, wild thought flashed through her mind. Looking at what he’d just done, it wasn't completely impossible, was it?
Could it be?
...Wait, does he like me?