Chapter 31: The Last Day (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 31: The Last Day (5)
*
“Okay, I’m taking it now!”
Lee Seung-ho held up the camera from a distance.
Since they were all gathered together, someone had suggested taking a commemorative photo. Ji Nuri was currently posing in front of the ‘Goblin’s Blade’ statue alongside the other two.
“...”
Feeling a bit awkward, she raised her index and middle fingers into a classic V-sign. She stole a quick glance to see what the others were doing; they were posing quite naturally.
...This is harder than it looks.
How was one supposed to pose to look natural?
Anyway...
Ji Nuri bit her lip slightly.
She’d missed her chance to find out if Lee Seung-ho was one of her kind. It was a bit of a shame. If he were, she would have finally had someone to talk to about all of this.
...Well, there will be plenty of chances to ask him later.
She could just save it for next time.
Click— Click—
While they spent a few minutes busy with the photos, Lee Sol tilted her head slightly and asked, “...How’s your stomach?”
“It’s fine now. I think resting after taking the medicine really helped.”
The medicine was certainly effective. To think the symptoms would ease up immediately after just one dose.
By the way...
“How was Dotendo World? Was it really like being inside a game, like they say on NewTube?”
Even though she’d enjoyed the rest of the park, she was still disappointed about missing Dotendo World. Ji Nuri was curious about every little detail.
“Um... it was okay. Fun enough.”
Lee Sol’s expression was more nonchalant than expected.
Was it not her thing? Usually, she would have gone on and on about everything she’d done, but her reaction was strangely muted. To put it precisely, she looked like her mind was elsewhere...
“What about you?” Sol asked back.
“Me?”
“Yeah. What did you two do?”
“Well, we didn’t really do much...?”
“Hmm. I see.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t go on any attractions because of how I felt, so we mostly just looked around at the performances. But even that was pretty fun—”
Ji Nuri’s voice trailed off.
Suddenly, the incident during the pirate show flashed through her mind.
‘...We picked the wrong seats.’
The image of Lee Seung-ho reaching out his arm and getting soaked by the splashing water played in her head.
“...”
Ji Nuri’s eyebrows twitched.
Ah.
...It wasn’t exactly ‘nothing.’
She just remembered it now, but that did happen. She’d been so distracted by the anime stuff that she’d completely forgotten the possibility that Lee Seung-ho might actually like her.
At Ji Nuri’s brief silence, Lee Sol’s expression turned curious. “...Hmm?”
Ji Nuri quickly recovered.
“...It was really fun, so I think it would’ve been great if you could’ve seen it too, Sol.”
She made up an excuse for now. She couldn’t exactly blurt the truth out, could she? From Lee Seung-ho’s perspective, it was likely still a secret.
“Really?”
Sol expressed a moment of doubt but didn’t seem particularly suspicious.
“I’m done taking them. Want to come see?”
“Yeah.”
At Lee Seung-ho’s call from afar, Lee Sol started walking toward him. Her steps seemed somewhat lighter.
Watching her, Ji Nuri narrowed her eyes slightly.
“...”
...No way.
Was she secretly upset because she couldn’t hang out with me?
“...Cough, cough!”
Lee Seung-ho began coughing violently, spraying a bit of the drink he’d been sipping. It seemed it had gone down the wrong pipe.
Shin A-young, startled, patted him on the back. “Are you okay?”
Ji Nuri watched him and shook her head.
He should be more careful. He’s not a child; how does someone choke on a drink like that?
“...”
Lee Seung-ho simply nodded without a word.
“These came out well.”
Ji Nuri nodded in satisfaction after looking at the photos. Now that the pictures were done...
“Let’s go grab dinner and then watch the parade.”
Ji Nuri took the lead with a light, cheerful step.
*
The final hours passed by in a blur.
The sun set on their day at Universal Studios, and the last day of the school trip flew by like an arrow.
In truth, we didn’t do much on the final day.
We had breakfast as usual. We moved to the Sky Building to take a group photo and took the Ferris wheel to see the city at a glance. After lunch and some final shopping, we headed to the airport.
On the plane, everyone was exhausted and fell fast asleep.
“...”
...We’re finally here.
We stepped foot back in Incheon. As expected, there’s something about one’s home soil that puts the mind at ease.
After we did one final head count...
“Everyone enjoyed the school trip, right? Get some good rest today, and I’ll see you at school next week.”
The teacher, looking weary, dismissed the students immediately.
Shin A-young sidled up to me as I sat on a bench.
“How are you getting home? Want to split a taxi with us?”
“My mom said she’s coming to pick me up. I’ll probably go by car.”
“...Oh, really?”
Shin A-young crouched down and started rummaging through her trunk.
— “It should be around here... Ah, here it is.”
While I was watching to see what she was doing...
“Seung-ho!”
I heard a familiar voice calling my name. Turning my head, I saw someone waving slightly in the distance.
“You’re here? You got here fast.”
She’d said it would take a while, but she arrived quickly. Mom looked me up and down.
“Did you have fun? You’re not sick, are you?”
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
I noticed another presence behind Mom.
“...What the? Why are you here?”
My eyes widened slightly when I saw her. Lee Seung-ah. My younger sister had tagged along.
“Mom said we were going out to eat.”
Ah. Of course. There was no way she’d just follow along for no reason. In fact, it would have been creepier if there hadn’t been a reason.
“...Are those your friends behind you?” Lee Seung-ah asked, peeking behind me.
“““...”””
When I looked back, the three girls were standing there in awkward poses. They all seemed uncomfortable with the sudden encounter.
Among them...
— “Wait, what?”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me’s eyes were trembling.
— “No wonder he was so natural around us... He was just used to those kinds of looks?”
She groaned inwardly while looking back and forth between Mom and Lee Seung-ah. She was making a fuss about how beautiful the two of them were.
...Is it really that much?
Whatever.
Leaving Ji Nuri to her thoughts, I introduced my family to the girls.
“This is my mom, and this is my sister.”
“Hello. Are you Seung-ho’s friends?”
“...Hello.”
Mom greeted them with a smile, and Lee Seung-ah gave a slight bow.
The first one to move among the three was Shin A-young.
“Hello. I’m Shin A-young, a classmate of Seung-ho’s.”
She bowed with a bright, friendly smile. She had reverted to her ‘perfect daughter’ mode in an instant.
“Is such a pretty girl really Seung-ho’s friend?”
“Oh, no, not at all!”
Shin A-young waved her hand and looked away as if embarrassed.
— “Hehe. You certainly have an eye for quality.”
Her Mini-Me was puffing out its chest proudly. She was denying it on the outside, but that’s what she was thinking on the inside.
“This isn’t much, but... it’s a souvenir.”
Shin A-young held out a bottle of digestive medicine. It was that specific medicine everyone buys when they go to Japan. I wondered what she was digging for in her suitcase; she’d been looking for a souvenir to give.
“Oh, you didn’t have to...”
“It’s because Seung-ho helps me out with so many things usually.”
“Ho, hoh. Well, if that’s the case...”
Despite her words, Mom beamed as she took the gift. She wasn’t the type to refuse something given to her.
Next, Ji Nuri and Lee Sol introduced themselves.
“I’m Ji Nuri, from the same class. And this is...”
“...”
Lee Sol stepped forward with a stiff gait.
She was like this during the exams, too. She’s fine most of the time, but occasionally she gets incredibly tense.
“Hello. My name is Lee Sol...”
Her voice trailed off.
— “...Wait, what’s the best way to greet her...?”
The Mini-Me inside her was biting its lip.
“I look forward... to your... kindness...”
In the end, unable to think of anything better, she just bowed her head and ended it there.
— “...Ugh, I blew it.”
The Mini-Me dragged its hands down its face.
Mom gave a subtle smile as if she found Lee Sol cute.
“Right, please take good care of our Seung-ho.”
“Ye-Yes!”
Lee Sol nodded vigorously. It seemed the unexpected kindness made her expression brighten.
“Hmm.”
Lee Seung-ah looked around the group and fell into quiet thought.
— “...Why are there only girls?”
My shoulders flinched involuntarily.
No. It’s not like I wanted it to be this way. It just so happened that as I spent time in class, these were the only ones I ended up being friends with.
The shock of discovering that a kid who looks like an angel on the outside is actually pitch-black on the inside... That’s a feeling only those who know, know.
“...”
Lee Seung-ah silently scanned the three of them.
She skipped over Ji Nuri. Her gaze slowed down slightly at Shin A-young. Then, her head stopped right at Lee Sol. She narrowed her eyes, tilted her head, looked back and forth between me and Lee Sol, and then...
“Aha.”
The corners of her mouth curled up. A mischievous glint flickered across her face.
...Seriously, she’s way too quick on the uptake.
What is she planning now?
“...”
Lee Seung-ah stretched her neck and squinted her eyes. Then she muttered softly.
“Hmm... I’m kind of tired from the car ride. Is there anything sweet? Like chocolate. Oppa, do you have anything?”
“??”
Oppa? I felt a slight chill.
“...!”
Seeing this, Lee Sol’s eyebrows shot up, and she began to secretly unzip her bag.
...So this was her goal.
“...”
Unable to watch any longer, I grabbed Lee Seung-ah by the back of the neck.
“Ack.”
Lee Seung-ah tapped my arm, signaling for me to let go.
“Ow, wait! That actually hurts...!”
“I’m holding you so it hurts.”
I turned Lee Seung-ah around. I needed to get out of here before things got any weirder.
“See you at school.”
“Uh, yeah. See you next week.”
Lee Sol gave a small wave.
Lee Seung-ah sent a subtle smile toward the three of them and said, “...Well then, see you next time, unnies.”
“...”
The three of them stood there, slightly dazed by the farewell.
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me muttered.
— “...The siblings are both total players.”