Chapter 29: The Last Day (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: The Last Day (3)
*
—“...Wait, does he actually like me?”
At that faint murmur from Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me...
“?”
I instinctively furrowed my brows.
Excuse me?
For a moment, I was at a total loss for words. How on earth did she jump to that conclusion?
I stood there, momentarily dumbfounded by her flustered logic, but then...
“...”
Thinking about it, I could see why she might feel that way. From Ji Nuri’s perspective—not knowing my specific situation—I suppose I had been acting a bit excessively kind.
—“...Let’s handle this better this time so things don’t end up like before...!”
The Mini-Me was fluttering about excitedly, making a massive scene.
To prevent Ji Nuri from taking this any further, I needed to change the subject naturally. I handed her the bag and held out my other hand.
“...”
Ji Nuri glanced down at it.
—“...What does this mean? Is he trying to hold my hand?!”
The Mini-Me covered its mouth with its tiny hands.
...No.
“Give me the money. Three thousand yen.”
“Oh.”
Ji Nuri fell silent for a beat. She fumbled for her wallet and handed over the bills.
—“...”
Whether she was embarrassed by her mistake or just flustered, the tips of her ears turned a bright red. Both the Mini-Me and the real Ji Nuri.
I pulled over a chair and sat down next to the bed.
Rustle.
I pulled out the turtle calzone I’d bought while getting her lunch. A calzone. To be honest, I didn’t really know what kind of food it was; I just bought it because it looked like bread.
Click—
It looked pretty, so I snapped a photo. Ji Nuri watched me quietly before finally speaking up.
“...You’re more into taking photos than I thought.”
“...What do you mean, ‘more than I thought’?”
“Don’t guys usually hate this kind of thing?”
“...Is that so?”
Now that I thought about it, she might be right.
“Girls usually take a lot for their Instagram,” Ji Nuri said, tossing her medicine into her mouth.
“Hmm.”
...I suppose. Technically, I was a Theater and Film major. Maybe I’d just become accustomed to it because I dealt with cameras so often. Not that I was going to stop taking photos, though.
“Even if I don’t post them, these are the only things that remain in the end. It’s fun to look back on them later.”
“That’s true.”
I handed Ji Nuri a disposable spoon. “Here, you should eat too.”
“Um...”
Ji Nuri hesitated. She seemed worried about eating after having such a bad upset stomach.
“I heard it’s better to eat at least a little bit as long as you aren’t vomiting. I asked the nurse just to make sure.”
I gestured toward the school nurse, who was busy moving around in the background. Of course, she’d said not to eat too much—just enough to settle the stomach. I wasn't going to force her.
“If you really can’t eat, you don’t have to.”
Apparently, that wasn't the case. Ji Nuri carefully took a spoonful of oatmeal.
“...It’s good.”
Ji Nuri’s sharp eyes narrowed pleasantly. The corners of her dainty mouth curled up slightly. Fortunately, it seemed to suit her palate.
“How’s your stomach?”
“Better than before. Resting here for a bit helped.”
—“Did the medicine kick in already?”
She lightly patted her stomach. Judging by the Mini-Me’s reaction, she really did seem fine. At this rate, I could probably get the nurse’s approval and head out soon.
...Should I send a text first?
Tap, tap.
I sent a message to the two who were still in Dotendo World.
Lee Seung-ho: Ji Nuri seems to be doing better.
Lee Seung-ho: Let’s meet up later.
I wondered if they were having fun. The '1' next to the message didn't disappear. I shoved my phone into my pocket and stood up.
“Alright, if you’re okay, let’s head out. She said it’s fine to look around as long as we don’t push it.”
“By looking around, do you mean the parade?”
“No, not that.”
I racked my brain, trying to remember what was written in her notebook.
“You wrote about a Pirate Show in your notebook... or something like that. You said it was popular.”
“Ah, right. There was that, too.”
Universal Studios didn't just have rides; there were several performances as well. Ji Nuri seemed a bit unsure about it, though. It wasn't on the original schedule, so she probably hadn't researched it in detail.
Whatever it was, that was our destination for now. It was the only thing we could really do in our current situation.
*
I stepped out of the infirmary with Ji Nuri. The clamor that had been muffled inside the building grew loud once again.
“...”
“...”
We walked side by side. We were walking together, but...
—“Naturally. Act naturally.”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me was following along with a stiff gait, stealing glances at me. I could feel a slight sense of distance in her short, quick steps.
“...”
...She’d been like that for a while now. I assumed that reflected Ji Nuri’s current state of mind. It was time to clear up the misunderstanding.
If the misunderstanding arose because of my kindness... then I just had to show her that this kindness wasn't reserved only for her.
“...”
My eyes darted around as I scanned our surroundings. It wasn't someone I knew, and normally I would have refrained, but...
—“They said it was this way... This is strange...!”
A blonde tourist’s Mini-Me was peering at a small map, turning it every which way. Tears were welling up in the corners of its eyes.
...Perfect. I’d found the ideal target.
“Hold on.”
“?”
Leaving a puzzled Ji Nuri behind, I quickened my pace. I turned on a translator app and exchanged a few words with the tourist. It seemed they couldn't find the attraction they wanted, and it happened to be one I knew.
I explained where the place was, pointing the way. The foreign tourist gave a bright smile, thanked me profusely, and went on their way.
Ji Nuri crept up from behind and asked, “What was that? What happened?”
“Someone was lost.” I gestured toward the departing foreigner.
“Oh... You noticed that? How did you know?”
“The blonde hair made them stand out,” I gave a vague excuse.
Ji Nuri just looked impressed and didn't question it further.
“Wait a second.”
“Huh? Again?”
I pointed out the location of a trash can to a tourist who was looking for one. I helped an elderly woman find her lost wallet. I even took a lost child to the information center.
“...”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead, feeling refreshed. I felt somewhat proud of myself. Since I’d done some good deeds, I wondered if good luck would follow me, like that one Japanese baseball player once said.
Phew.
This should be enough.
—“...Is he just a really good person...?”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me narrowed its eyes at me.
...Did I overdo it? No, the effect was clear. The important thing was to leave a strong impression.
—“...He doesn't like me after all. I misunderstood for nothing.”
The Mini-Me scratched its head sheepishly.
Good. The misunderstanding was officially cleared.
“...”
Because I’d been busy playing Good Samaritan, it took a bit of time to reach the Pirate Show.
“Ah, there it is.”
Ji Nuri pointed toward the building where the show was held. We followed the crowd inside. A massive circular water tank was positioned in the center. They called it a Pirate Show, so the stage was set on the water.
Perhaps because there were still about 30 minutes left until the show started...
“There are still plenty of seats.”
...As soon as I said that, people started pouring in from behind us. Were they Chinese tourists? They really swarmed in.
“...It’s getting crowded. Let’s sit down quickly.”
We hurriedly moved down to the front rows and claimed seats on the blue chairs.
“Phew...”
“That was close.”
Ji Nuri and I breathed sighs of relief. Looking at the schedule, we would have had to wait quite a while for the next show. It would have been a huge loss if we missed this one.
While waiting for the show to start, we engaged in some light small talk. With the misunderstanding cleared, Ji Nuri continued the conversation with a much more relaxed expression.
About 30 minutes passed...
—[#$%^&&*$@ ...!]
An announcement came over the speakers. It was in Japanese and very muffled, so I couldn't understand a word.
“I guess it’s starting.”
The voices of the chattering crowd settled down. Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed that was the case. The people sitting in the very front rows began to fumble with raincoats.
“...?”
What was that? Suddenly, something caught my eye. There was text printed on the chairs in the front row. It was hard to read because it was partially obscured by the people in front, and the letters were upside down.
I calmly read it through.
Spl... Splash...?
“Whoa...! Hey, look!”
Ji Nuri shook me in surprise, pointing her finger. I looked up—
“Wow.”
What was that? An actor appeared, performing stunts while hanging from a rope.
Whoosh—!
In the following scene, flames decorated the stage.
Bang—!
A real explosion occurred along with a loud popping sound. It was a performance where every single moment captured the eye. The highlight was even more spectacular. The protagonist and the antagonist engaged in a boat chase on the water tank.
Finally, a model airplane rose from behind the stage and slowly plummeted toward the water’s surface.
...Only then did I snap to my senses.
“Ah.”
These seats—
Without time to think, I raised both arms to shield Ji Nuri.
Splash—!
Cold water sprayed everywhere.
“...”
...These seats were in the Splash Zone.
Fortunately, we weren't in the very front row, so we didn't get soaked, but my arms were quite damp.
“Uh, hey...?”
Ji Nuri looked up at me with a flustered face. At least she looked fine, probably because I’d blocked the brunt of the water.
Getting hit by water → condition getting worse → my responsibility for bringing her here. If I wasn't careful, things could have easily gone down that path.
“...We picked the wrong seats.”
Next time I came, I’d have to look into it more...
—“Ah, uh...”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me’s mouth hung open. Then, it furrowed its brows and shouted:
—“T-This definitely means he likes me...!”
The Mini-Me’s ears turned a deep shade of red.
At that shout, I briefly reflected on my actions.
...Ah.
“...”
I sat back down without a word and took a long sip of the drink I’d bought on the way.
...Oh, for crying out loud.
