Chapter 39: Duality (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 39: Duality (7)
“...”
I stared into the sink, lost in thought as I rinsed my face with lukewarm water.
I was still processing what had happened yesterday.
Judging by Lee Sol’s actions and the thoughts I’d glimpsed, her feelings for me had clearly transcended a simple crush.
‘...But why?’
Why did she feel that way about me?
The question was only natural. As far as I could recall, I hadn't really done anything to earn that kind of devotion. If I had to dig for a reason, the only thing I’d done was offer her a tiny bit of help during the midterm exams.
‘Maybe...’
I slowly turned my head toward the mirror.
...Hmm.
“...”
Lee Seung-ah, who happened to be passing by, caught sight of me and kept walking without breaking her stride.
— “Ugh... what is his problem this early in the morning?”
Her Mini-Me shook its head in exasperation and scurried away.
“...”
...I guess it wasn't my looks.
I picked up a towel, quietly wiped the water from my face, and stepped out of the bathroom. My contemplation followed me.
‘...It’s not like looks have zero impact.’
But it felt like a stretch to say she’d fallen for me just because I was handsome. I wasn't ugly, sure, but I wasn't exactly celebrity-level either. There were plenty of guys at school better-looking than me. Looks were always relative.
If it were just about aesthetics, Lee Sol would already be dating someone else.
“Oh, right.”
Seung-ah, who was wandering around munching on a piece of bread, spoke with her mouth full.
“I already told everyone, so don't you dare even think about skipping next week's event, okay?”
“Yeah.”
I gave a noncommittal nod.
I didn't know why the event was scheduled for a weekend, but since they’d promised a small part-time wage, I didn't have much to complain about.
“...?”
I narrowed my eyes as I poured cereal into a bowl. Seung-ah had plopped herself down right across from me.
Why was she eating here?
She was the type who rarely ate breakfast, so seeing her sitting there felt out of place. Since I couldn't exactly tell her to leave, I just stayed quiet.
“Oppa, do you have an ideal type or something?”
Seung-ah suddenly threw the question at me.
I almost choked on my cereal.
— “...If he does, I’ll have to give Sol-unni a little tip later.”
Her Mini-Me’s lips curled into a devious smirk. It was the look of a true schemer.
‘Phew... I thought it was something serious.’
She had a habit of cutting her sentences in weird places, which tended to keep people on edge.
I turned my attention back to my cereal. The appropriate response here was...
“That’s incredibly random.”
Assuming I couldn't hear her thoughts, this was the most natural answer.
“...”
Seung-ah stopped chewing. She looked away, appearing slightly embarrassed.
— “Tsk... was I too hasty?”
The Mini-Me stroked its chin, looking disappointed.
“...Chomp.”
I crunched on my cereal, lost in thought. Seung-ah’s interest was starting to feel a bit burdensome. Between yesterday and today, I was grateful for her looking out for me.
‘I’m grateful, but...’
I had my own pace.
To others, it might seem slow. It might even look like I was building a wall around myself. And maybe, in some ways, I actually was.
“...”
I was slower and more cautious with human relationships than most. Because I could hear what others were thinking, forming genuine connections was paradoxically difficult. When I first started seeing the Mini-Mes, I had drifted away from all the friends I’d been close with until then.
And with that girl back in middle school...
Never mind. Let’s not think about that. It wasn't a particularly good memory.
Maintaining a certain emotional distance was a habit that had become ingrained in me through experience. It wasn't a temperament that could be fixed overnight.
However.
“...”
I fell silent as I thought of Lee Sol. When I pictured her, twisting her body in an effort to do something for me...
“...Hmm.”
Maybe.
Maybe I should try to change, even just a little.
I felt a slight sense of urgency.
Early morning.
The time when students arrived one by one.
If there was one major change after the drama Black World was released, it was the shift in the demographic of the people surrounding Shin A-young.
“...”
Shin A-young secretly scanned her surroundings.
The girls were standing far off, chatting amongst themselves.
“I saw the highlights uploaded to NewTube yesterday—”
The boys were the ones approaching her now, striking up conversations. Requests for autographs had disappeared at some point, but in their place, the number of male students using the drama as an excuse to talk to her had increased significantly.
The only saving grace was...
“A-young~ want some of this?”
Ji Nuri walked in, holding out a bag of snacks.
At that, the boys naturally filtered back to their seats. Whenever Ji Nuri or Lee Sol showed up, they tended to make themselves scarce. Nuri would give them pointed looks, and Lee Sol would bluntly tell them to get out of her seat.
“Sure, just one.”
Shin A-young took a snack, inwardly relieved by Ji Nuri’s arrival. Eating it made things a little more bearable.
...About nine hours left until after school.
...Nine hours.
Sigh.
Right. Let’s just hold on a little longer.
When I stepped into the hallway after my major class ended, I locked eyes with Lee Sol, who was walking from the other end of the corridor.
“...!”
Lee Sol froze. I could see her trembling from all the way over here.
— “— — — — —”
Her Mini-Me froze as well. The closer I got, the worse the noise became. Her gait was stiff and awkward. She’d been like that all day.
“You’re not feeling sick, are you?” Ji Nuri asked, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.
“...No.”
Lee Sol gave a mechanical nod. Her actions said the exact opposite; she didn't seem okay at all.
“Are you sure—”
— “----------!”
The noise from the Mini-Me grew even more intense. I took a half-step back. Amidst the static, words like ‘embarrassing’ and ‘humiliating’ leaked through.
‘What is it?’
Something had clearly happened with Seung-ah yesterday, but I had no way of knowing what.
“...”
Forget it. There was no way to find out in this state.
“Let’s get going.”
It was time for the club. I grabbed my bag from the classroom.
“I have practice again today. Sol, could you take care of this for me?” Ji Nuri handed an excuse form to Lee Sol.
“Okay.”
She seemed perfectly fine when interacting with Nuri.
— “I feel bad for skipping so much, but...”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me adjusted the strap of its small guitar case, looking apologetic.
— “But time is tight if I want to perform on stage.”
A stage? I guess she was planning to do a street performance somewhere.
“Sorry, I’ll head out first.”
“Yeah.”
I gave a casual wave to Ji Nuri as she left. That left just the two of us.
“Shall we go too?”
“...”
Lee Sol nodded silently. I noticed her grip tighten slightly on her bag. Was that nervousness? Well, since I couldn't read her thoughts, I couldn't be sure.
...By the time we almost reached the club room.
“...Wait a second.”
Lee Sol turned away, telling me to go into the club room first. Looking at the direction she was headed, it seemed she had an urgent need for the restroom.
“...”
I nodded and opened the club room door.
Slide—
As I stepped inside, I saw the President and Vice President playing a card game.
“Oh... you’re here?” The President glanced at me before turning his eyes back to his deck. Then... “Ah, right. You have a counseling request.”
“For me?”
“Yeah.”
The President pointed to the desk. A white envelope was sitting there.
This happened occasionally. In face-to-face counseling, the client could choose who they wanted. It was the client's right to speak to the person they preferred.
— “...Well... Seung-ho should be able to handle it... hmm...”
Perhaps because he was focused on the game, I could only read fragments of the Mini-Me’s thoughts. The rest were all about the card game.
‘Let’s see...’
After signing the pledge form, I opened the counseling request.
“...Wait. Is this for real?”
As soon as I saw the name written on it, I couldn't help but blink in confusion.
Shin A-young walked until she reached an empty hallway.
“Phew...”
She let out a long sigh and leaned her back against the wall. She was completely drained.
“...”
She wiped her face with her hands and then lightly tapped her cheeks to wake herself up. Right, just a little more. Today, she wasn't using a fake illness or an excuse; she had a legitimate reason to skip the club.
......
The major class ended.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Shin A-young moved with a much faster pace than usual. She hurried down the empty stairs, slowed down slightly to give a teacher a polite smile, and then broke into a fast walk the moment she was past them.
Her destination was the same as always.
Slide— She opened the door and stepped into the counseling office.
“Hello. I’m here.”
“...Oh, you’re here?”
Park Min-ji, the Vice President, was the first to greet her. At her words, everyone in the room turned their heads at once. Lee Seung-ho was there, and the President was beside him.
Ji Nuri probably hadn't come because of practice... but for some reason, Lee Sol was nowhere to be seen.
Just as she wondered about that.
“...”
The door slid open behind her, and Lee Sol walked in. Her bangs were slightly damp. Had she just washed her face?
“...Oh, you were here?”
Lee Sol’s eyebrows twitched when she saw her, and she brushed past. She plopped down in the seat across from Lee Seung-ho. Her movements were a bit more awkward than usual.
“...Where are we studying today?”
“Actually, I don't think we can today.”
“Huh?”
Lee Sol’s expression went blank. She shifted in her seat as if this was completely unexpected.
“I have a counseling session scheduled with Shin A-young.”
“Wait, what?”
Lee Sol’s eyes grew even wider, becoming as round as marbles.
“Something’s been bothering me... so I decided to get some counseling today.”
Shin A-young clasped her hands together and tilted her head slightly as if to apologize.
“...”
Lee Sol’s eyes darted back and forth. She parted her lips, looking a bit more anxious than usual.
“Then I’ll also—”
“It’s a one-on-one session.”
“Oh... then I—”
“And I thought Seung-ho would be better at this kind of counseling.”
Shin A-young placed a gentle hand on Lee Sol’s shoulder, lightly tracing the line of it.
“Besides, you have to study, Sol.”
Final exams were only a month and a half away. She had to start working steadily now.
“...”
Lee Sol bit her lip.
“Instead, Min-ji unni said she’d help you with your studies.”
Shin A-young gestured toward the side. Park Min-ji nodded, even while continuing her card game.
“...”
Lee Sol didn't answer.
‘Hmm.’
Shin A-young felt like she knew what Lee Sol was thinking. She probably saw this as an interference. And maybe... yeah, maybe she was right.
“Let’s go in.”
Shin A-young led Lee Seung-ho into the private counseling room. She quietly closed the sliding door. Through the closing gap, she caught a glimpse of Lee Sol’s stunned face.
Shin A-young’s lips twitched as she watched her.
‘I do feel a bit bad.’
But she had been waiting patiently, too. It was just for one day. She was just trying to relieve some stress for a single day.
So...
...Sol, please understand just this much.