Chapter 41: Counseling (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: Counseling (2)
Cutting class wasn't actually that hard.
Just as I’d told the Club President, all I had to do was give him a heads-up.
I was a little bothered by Lee Sol, who had been staring holes into the back of my head, but...
“...”
Shin A-young shook her head as if clearing her thoughts.
I’ll worry about that later.
“Picked one yet?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
Shin A-young gave a small shake of her head. Since she’d won the bet, we had stopped by a convenience store before heading to our actual destination. She was currently agonizing over which ice cream to pick.
“...Hurry it up.”
“Ummm...”
She stared down into the freezer, lost in thought. Unable to wait any longer, I started browsing the rest of the aisles.
“...”
Shin A-young’s eyes flickered toward me surreptitiously.
Hmm...
So far, I hadn't asked a single thing about her 'counseling.' Usually, anyone else would have pried at least once. Was I waiting for her to bring up her worries herself? Or had I realized the counseling was just an excuse and decided to play along?
Whichever it was, she seemed grateful. It meant I was being considerate of her space. Perhaps that was why she felt so comfortable around me. Being with me was easy.
“...”
After a final moment of deliberation, Shin A-young pulled out a chocolate bar. It was the cheapest ice cream in the case.
“I’ll go with this.”
*
“Thank you! Come again—!”
“...”
I took a bite of my own ice cream as we stepped out of the convenience store. With the ambient noise of the school gone, my mind felt significantly clearer.
“Thanks for the treat~” Shin A-young said, tearing open her wrapper with a cheerful expression.
— “It’s... so... tasty.”
Perhaps it was because she was enjoying the treat, but the 'noise' in my head was gradually subsiding. I could now roughly interpret what her Mini-Me was saying.
That aside...
I glanced at Shin A-young’s shoulder.
— “....”
The Mini-Me sitting there was munching away on its own tiny ice cream. However, its expression was somewhat vacant. The stress was still lingering.
We made it out, but...
I wondered where I should take her next. Revisiting the original goal: I needed to relieve her stress and eliminate the noise I was hearing.
So, where did Shin A-young’s stress actually come from?
In my opinion, it likely stemmed from two things. First, the excessive public gaze. Second, the pressure to maintain her image as a celebrity’s daughter because of that gaze. She had chosen gaming as a way to vent because she didn't have to worry about what others thought, no matter how many mistakes she made.
However, since that wasn't working out well lately, I had to think of a better alternative.
In times like this, physical activity is usually best.
Some people say running relieves stress. While I wouldn't recommend that to someone like Lee Sol, it seemed like it might actually work for Shin A-young. Was there something nearby we could do?
As I was lost in thought, we arrived at the bus stop before I knew it.
“By the way, where are we going?” Shin A-young asked, finally voicing her curiosity after finishing a bite of ice cream.
“...Are you any good at skating?” I asked after a moment.
“...An ice rink?”
“Yeah.”
“I know how to skate.”
— “I... when I was... young... a few times... so it should... be fine.”
I concentrated to understand the Mini-Me’s muffled words. It seemed she’d skated a few times as a child, so she thought she’d be okay. It didn't sound like she was particularly skilled, though.
Actually, that was better. Shin A-young needed to get used to showing her true, unpolished self.
“Are we really going to an ice rink?”
“If you don’t want to, we can go somewhere else.”
I had no intention of forcing her. In counseling, the client’s opinion is always paramount.
“No, no. It’s fine,” Shin A-young said, shaking her head vigorously. I couldn't tell if she was truly okay with it or if she was just being mindful of me. “I just wondered if it was okay to go like this. We don’t have any gear.”
“We already changed out of our school uniforms, and we can just buy gloves there.”
I had anticipated this and changed into my gym clothes beforehand. On days with PE in the afternoon, we were allowed to head home in our athletic gear.
*
After a short bus ride, Shin A-young and I entered the ice rink.
The air itself was different here. I felt a crisp chill with every breath. It smelled like winter.
“It’s pretty empty. Maybe because it’s a weekday.”
I looked around. There weren't many people—hardly any adults, mostly just elementary school students. As someone who wasn't fond of crowds, this was a pleasant surprise.
“Wow... It’s been so long.” Shin A-young’s eyes sparkled as she followed me in.
“Do you come here often?” she asked.
“Not really. I think I came once the year before last... What about you?”
“First time since I was a kid.”
Maybe that was why her eyes curved into crescents, though her smile felt a bit bittersweet. Because her parents were celebrities, it seemed she hadn't been able to visit public places like this often with her family.
“I’ll pay.”
As soon as we reached the ticket booth, Shin A-young quickly swiped her card. She finished the transaction in a flash before I could even get a word in.
After getting the tickets, we headed to the skate rental.
“What’s your size?” I asked.
“Uh... probably around 250?”
“250?”
“Wait, no. It’s 240,” she corrected herself, lifting her heel to check the bottom of her shoe.
“One 260 and one 240, please.”
“Coming right up!” The employee quickly brought out two pairs of skates.
I took them and looked for a place to sit. On the way, I grabbed the provided helmets and bought a pair of gloves. I found an empty spot next to a vending machine, and we sat down to swap our shoes for the skates.
“Want to go in right away?”
“Sure.”
Shin A-young waddled forward with an awkward gait. Her Mini-Me waddled along behind her. It was a pretty funny sight.
“...!?”
The moment Shin A-young stepped onto the ice, her body tilted precariously. I caught her arm just as she started to stumble. Her balance, which looked like it was about to give way, gradually stabilized.
“I thought you said you knew how to skate.”
“...I-it’s just because it’s been a while! I’m not adjusted yet,” she snapped defensively, her brows knitting together. The tips of her ears were bright red.
“Is that so?”
“W-wait, don’t let go yet...!”
I felt her grip on my hand tighten. Her eyes shook with panic. Her legs buckled inward like a newborn giraffe’s.
“...Come over here slowly.”
I carefully led her toward the wall. She practically lunged for the railing to support herself.
“Phew...” Only then did she catch her breath.
“You going to be okay?”
“...I told you, I was just flustered because it’s been a long time...”
She bravely let go of the railing. As if trying to recall old muscle memory, she pushed off hard with her foot.
“Kyaa!”
Shin A-young slipped and landed hard on her backside. She hit the ice with a resounding thud. Following behind her, I immediately hugged the wall to stay clear.
“...You okay?”
“...”
Shin A-young’s eyes darted around the room. Rather than checking if she was hurt, she was instinctively scanning her surroundings. She looked terrified that others might be staring at her. It was that same obsession—the need to be perfect at everything.
“Here.”
I took her hand and slowly helped her up. She must have been incredibly embarrassed. The Mini-Me’s expression went beyond gloom; its eyes were shimmering with unshed tears.
However...
Upon realizing that the people around her weren't really paying her any mind, the Mini-Me’s stiff expression gradually softened. Falling at an ice rink was a daily occurrence. Inexperience was perfectly natural here.
Once she gained some confidence, it didn't take long. Shin A-young found her balance and began to glide forward slowly. She wasn't fast, but she was good enough to back up her claim that she knew how to skate. As expected, she was a fast learner.
“...”
Shin A-young narrowed her eyes at me.
— “Hmph.”
The Mini-Me puffed out its chest triumphantly. The noise had vanished before I even realized it. Whether it was the sense of accomplishment or the realization that she didn't need to care about the gaze of others, it was a good outcome.
“How is it? Not bad, right?”
“...”
At her question, I nodded silently and gave her a little round of applause. Shin A-young’s lips pouted. She playfully tapped my shoulder, telling me not to tease her.
“I’m getting pretty good now, aren't I?”
“Better than before.”
I really should have recorded her wobbling earlier. That was a missed opportunity. The people in the Counseling Club would have died laughing.
“Hah, really now.”
Dissatisfied with my answer, Shin A-young increased her speed, saying she’d try going a bit faster.
I had a bad feeling—
“...!”
Ah.
I dashed forward and grabbed Shin A-young’s arm. I pivoted smoothly so that instead of falling, she slid naturally to the side. The moment we pulled over to the wall...
Whoosh—! Swish—!
A group of kids zoomed past us at high speed. They were racing each other, not even looking where they were going.
Tweet—! Tweet-tweet!!
A lifeguard immediately appeared, blowing a whistle to stop the two children.
“Phew, that was close...” I frowned and clicked my tongue. What were they doing, being so reckless? I should have been more careful since there were so many kids out.
“Tsk...”
I watched the kids get scolded before turning back to Shin A-young.
“You didn't twist anything, did you?”
“...”
She had been standing there with a frozen expression, but then she blinked and looked at me. She slowly backed away. Since we were on the ice, it was a very smooth, fluid movement.
— “---”
She must have been quite startled. A short, faint burst of noise was echoing from the Mini-Me.