Chapter 38: Duality (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: Duality (6)
Lee Seung-ah’s gaze remained unwavering. Her expression was bold, making it clear she wasn't joking.
Her eyes were fixed squarely on her.
Lee Sol swallowed hard.
“Uh, um…”
Not knowing what to do with her hands, she fidgeted restlessly before lightly clutching the hem of her skirt. Amidst her chaotic emotions, she chewed over the words Seung-ah had just uttered.
…Please don’t confess to my brother.
Don’t confess.
Don’t confess?
“Uh, u-uh…”
Her lips parted slightly. A dazed expression gradually spread across Lee Sol’s face.
Did I do something wrong to her?
That was the only thought circling her mind. Surely, unless that was the case, she wouldn't say something like that.
“Uh, well…”
Lee Sol’s lips hovered open, her eyes drooping despondently.
She hates me.
She looked crestfallen, her expression turning gloomy.
“No, no!” Seeing this, Lee Seung-ah waved her hands in a panic. “I meant don’t confess to him yet…!”
“…Yet?”
Life returned to Lee Sol’s eyes.
But still. A confession is something you either do or you don’t. What on earth did she mean by "don't do it yet"?
“What do you mean by ‘yet’…?”
“Well…”
Seung-ah looked troubled, rubbing the back of her neck. She fidgeted, her gaze dropping to the floor.
“Whew—”
Closing her eyes halfway, Lee Seung-ah pouted. She muttered to herself in a dissatisfied tone, wondering why she was even doing this.
“…This might sound a bit strange. I’ll just say it quickly, okay?”
With a deep frown, Lee Seung-ah leaned one hand against the wall.
“Okay.”
Lee Sol nodded, swept along by her intensity.
“A few years ago, my brother got really, really sick.”
Lee Seung-ah recalled that time. It must have been when Lee Seung-ho was in his second year of middle school. He had suffered from a high fever of unknown origin and was rushed to the emergency room in the middle of the night.
Fortunately, the fever broke quickly, but…
“It probably started around then.” Lee Seung-ah lowered her eyes slightly. “Since then, it’s like my brother can’t feel things like romantic feelings anymore.”
At those words, Lee Sol froze.
“…Huh?”
She had prepared herself not to be surprised by common occurrences, but this was something she couldn't possibly ignore. To be precise, rather than being surprised, she felt dazed, as if she had lost her sense of reality.
“…”
“…”
The two shared a silent look for a moment. Seung-ah looked like she found her own words absurd, but her tone was dead serious. At the very least, she didn't look like she was lying.
“…Really?”
Seung-ah nodded silently.
“In middle school, he flat-out rejected a girl he was seeing when she confessed. They were actually on really good terms… but anyway, that’s what happened.”
The testimony continued. Lee Sol’s shoulders flinched. It was a topic that bothered her, even if only a little.
…For now, she decided to set that aside.
“…Did something go wrong because he was sick?”
“No, the hospital said there was nothing wrong.” Seung-ah shook her head with a complicated expression. “He’s perfectly normal in every other way. He gets angry when he’s mad, and he’s happy when he eats something delicious.”
His emotions themselves weren't the problem.
“It’s just… I don’t know if I should say his emotional threshold got higher… or if they just got blurred… I’m not sure myself. But that’s the situation.”
It felt as if his very nature had shifted after that incident. He used to enjoy dramas filled with romance, but after that day, he started preferring movies, saying dramas were boring. His grades, which were below average, suddenly shot up, and he started exercising, which he’d never done before.
Like some kind of Equivalent Exchange out of a manga. As if in exchange for gaining something, a part of his emotions had become blurred.
That was how he had changed.
“So, if you rush in and confess, you won’t get a good answer.” Lee Seung-ah crossed her arms. In the end, this was the conclusion. “He probably won’t even budge.”
“…”
“Anyone else would have been making a fuss the moment they made plans to be alone with you, but that guy doesn't even blink.”
Lee Sol bit her lip slightly. That was true. As soon as they arrived home, Lee Seung-ho had immediately pulled out his workbooks.
“That’s why I’m telling you not to confess.”
Because it wouldn't work anyway.
“…”
Lee Sol didn't answer. It was largely because her mind hadn't finished processing the sudden topic.
“I wouldn't recommend my brother as someone to date,” Seung-ah offered her advice. “There’s no guarantee your feelings will be returned. If you only have a crush on him, it might be better to find someone else now—”
“Seung-ah.” Lee Sol called her name softly, cutting her off.
“…”
Lee Sol slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were calm and settled. She slowly parted her lips.
“…”
…She had realized something lately. She didn't particularly like it when others interfered with the choices she had already made. It was the same during the midterms, and at the aquarium during the school trip.
So.
“I’ll take care of it…”
Lee Sol took a sharp breath and corrected her words. If a confession from her side wouldn't work, as Seung-ah said, then she just had to do the opposite.
She would make Lee Seung-ho confess to her.
“…I’m going to seduce him.”
Lee Sol twirled the end of her hair with her finger. Her face heated up the moment she said it.
…So, Seung-ah didn't need to worry about it anymore. Because she intended to pursue a gradual romance.
Left alone in the room, Lee Seung-ah sat on the floor, covering her face with both hands. Her eyes blinked through the gaps in her fingers. Her toes curled.
“Wow…”
Seung-ah’s face was slightly flushed with embarrassment. Honestly, even as a bystander, she was shocked. It felt like she had just eaten a spoonful of pure sugar. It made her want to watch a romance drama for the first time in ages.
“Ha, seriously…”
The scene from moments ago replayed in her mind. The greyish hair falling slightly downward. The budding emotions reflected in the pupils visible through the strands. The subtle gloominess peeking out here and there.
Every single bit of it was more than enough to stir a teenage girl’s heart. It was a complete romance story in itself.
“…”
Just then, with a beeping sound from the front door, it swung open.
“I’m back.”
Lee Seung-ho walked in with a nonchalant expression. He held a white plastic bag in one hand.
“Ah.”
Seung-ah’s expression instantly turned flat. It was the feeling of being caught by your parents while watching anime alone. She looked at him with a stern face.
“…You lucky bastard. You should get your allowance cut in half.”
Looking at him, she couldn't help but mutter that.
“…?”
Lee Seung-ho looked at her with a metaphorical question mark, looking baffled. He scratched his forehead with a finger—specifically, his middle finger. He placed the bag he bought on the table.
“Ah.”
Seung-ah’s eyes lit up when she saw it. She forgot about that.
“Hmm-hmm~”
Humming to herself, Seung-ah quickly tore it open. There were various snacks in the bag. She rummaged through them and pulled out a bag of Spicy Potato Chips. At least he had the sense to buy the right things.
“…Where’s Lee Sol?” Seung-ho asked, looking around the house.
“She said she couldn't focus on studying and went home.” Seung-ah gave a bitter smile, thinking of Lee Sol.
Where had that confident girl gone? She had reverted to her tiny, flustered self and bolted out of the house as if she were running away.
“Did you not run into her on your way out?”
At Seung-ah’s question, Seung-ho replied while organizing the snacks on the shelf. “I didn't see her.”
If that was the case, she must have taken a different route on purpose. She really is a shy one, Seung-ah thought.
“…”
As he quietly organized the shelf, Seung-ho asked tentatively, “…Did you tell her?”
His gaze was still fixed on the shelf.
“I did.”
Seung-ah also answered without meeting his eyes. And for good reason. Rather than telling her later, it was better that she was the one who told her now.
About his mental state.
Rather than him having to explain and reject her when she confessed—rather than Seung-ho having to say it himself in such a pathetic way—it would be more believable coming from someone else. And it wouldn't hurt her as much.
“…”
Seung-ho remained quiet, as if in agreement. It was a silent affirmation.
“…”
Resting her chin on her hand, Seung-ah let out a hollow laugh. Even now, it was absurd. Of all emotions, only romantic feelings were blurred. She wondered if he had traded them in an Equivalent Exchange for that strangely sharp intuition he had developed at some point.
“…Hey. Where are you going?” Seung-ah caught Seung-ho as he tried to head into his room.
“? Why.”
“No, why are you just walking away so casually?” Seung-ah narrowed her eyes and interrogated him. She boldly held out one hand. “There’s a give and take in this world. I helped you, so you have to help me too.”
“……What do you want?” Seung-ho went silent for a moment before hesitantly turning back to ask.
“It’s nothing too difficult.” Seung-ah tapped on her phone. “Look at this.”
She held out the screen. Seung-ho’s eyes narrowed as he looked at it.
“…Comic Festival?”
“Yeah, I was planning to open a booth here next weekend.”
The Comic Festival. An offline event for all otaku held at regular intervals. It was a venue where people bought and sold fan creations or watched cosplayers. Just hearing about it was enough to make one’s heart race.
As someone who aspired to be an illustrator, Seung-ah participated in these events periodically.
“There was someone who was supposed to come with me, but they were suddenly hospitalized.”
Therefore.
“Help me out with the event this time.”