Chapter 42: Counseling (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 42: Counseling (3)
The noise subsided quickly. Shin A-young’s Mini-Me took a deep, shaky breath.
— “Th-that really startled me…”
She didn’t look hurt, but her pupils had shrunk, showing just how shaken she was. She stood there awkwardly, huddled against the wall.
— “Ah, man… how embarrassing. I got carried away for nothing…”
The Mini-Me pouted, her face flushing a deep crimson.
“Should we head out for a bit?” I asked.
I thought it might be best to step outside so she could pull herself together.
“No, I’m really okay.”
A-young shook her head. She waved her hand as if telling me to hurry up and follow her, then started moving forward with a brave front.
But her movements were strangely stiff. I couldn’t help but worry if she was actually alright.
*
“Should we head out now?”
“Huh?”
A-young, who had been gliding smoothly across the ice, drifted toward the wall. It was a move she had become quite accustomed to by now.
“Already?”
She looked back at me, her eyebrows arching upward.
— “Why so soon…? Can’t we stay a bit longer?”
The Mini-Me looked disappointed, licking her lips as she lightly kicked the ice.
However, it was a bit late to be saying “already.”
“It’s almost six o’clock.”
I pointed to the digital clock hanging on the wall. Quite a lot of time had passed. We needed to get out, grab some food, and head back.
“Oh?”
A-young’s eyes went wide.
— “…Really? It’s that late already?”
She must have been having a great time to lose track of the clock like that. It was a satisfying thought.
But then—
Gurgle—
The sound of an empty stomach echoed. It came from mine.
I let out an embarrassed cough. I couldn’t help it; all that moving around had made me incredibly hungry.
A-young must have heard it too, because a hint of a smile played around her round eyes.
— “…I guess he’s hungry.”
The Mini-Me let out a soft chuckle.
“Alright, let’s go.”
A-young took the lead. She did one last lap around the rink before heading to the exit. Stepping onto solid ground felt strange; the wobbly sensation was a sharp contrast to the smooth glide of the ice.
As we walked back to where we’d left our things—
“Ah…!”
A-young started to take off her helmet but immediately pulled it back down over her head. Her eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings. It seemed her hair was a mess from the sweat.
— “Ugh… I’m a total sweaty mess… I hope I don’t smell.”
The Mini-Me touched her hair with a distressed expression, her eyebrows twitching in discomfort.
“Give me a second?” A-young excused herself, looking self-conscious.
“Sure.”
I nodded. She waddled toward the restroom like a penguin, having forgotten to take off her skates in her haste.
In the meantime, I changed back into my sneakers. My body felt light, as if a heavy shackle had been removed. At the same time, my mind felt even lighter now that A-young’s noise had been resolved.
*
‘She’s taking a while…’
I wondered what was keeping her. Just as I was starting to get tired of waiting and was sipping a drink from the vending machine—
“I’m back.”
A-young reappeared. She had her helmet tucked under her arm, and her messy hair was now tied back. A cool, soapy scent wafted from her, as if she’d used a deodorizer.
She looked strangely radiant. She must carry a lot of things in her school bag.
— “Phew—that’s sorted for now. This should be fine.”
The Mini-Me flipped her ponytail back. She had been agitated about her appearance just moments ago, but now she looked like she’d regained her confidence.
“Let’s go.”
When we stepped outside, a darkening sky greeted us.
“The timing is a bit awkward…”
I checked the time and muttered to myself as I slipped my phone into my pocket. If we headed home now, it would be well past seven by the time we arrived. Since I was already hungry from the exercise, I wanted to eat here if possible.
Still, it was only right to ask.
“What do you want to do?” I asked A-young. “Do you want to grab dinner near here? I think we’ll be late if we take the bus now.”
“…Oh? Weren’t you planning on doing that anyway?”
A-young tilted her head. It seemed she was just as hungry as I was. She had apparently expected us to eat together from the start.
“What do you want to eat? Anything in particular?”
There were plenty of restaurants nearby. A quick look around would reveal a place for almost anything she might name.
“Hmm… nothing’s coming to mind immediately. I’m not picky, though.”
A-young crossed her arms and fell silent, lost in thought.
— “What should we eat…? I wonder what he likes?”
The Mini-Me glanced at me, deep in contemplation. It seemed she was being considerate of my tastes. The problem was, I didn’t have anything specific in mind either.
In times like this, there was a reliable method.
“Then I’ll list some things, and you tell me if any of them sound good.”
I looked up and scanned the street, naming the menus from the signs lined up along the road.
“Let’s see… right now I see burgers, tteokbokki, kimbap… there’s a pasta place over there…”
“Hmm…” A-young trailed off.
— “…I don’t know… those don’t feel like they’d be filling enough… wasn’t he hungry?”
The Mini-Me stroked her chin. I had suggested things I thought A-young would like, but she seemed lukewarm about them.
“There’s also tonkatsu, rice bowls, and dak-galbi over there…”
— “!”
The Mini-Me sat up straight, her shoulders twitching. She had reacted to the mention of dak-galbi.
However, A-young’s lips didn’t move.
— “Ah. Oh. This. Would this be okay?”
The Mini-Me’s eyes went wide as she gauged my reaction. She was sweating slightly and mouthing words, clearly debating whether she should speak up or not.
“Dak-galbi?” I asked, repeating the last item. “I think that sounds pretty good.”
It was a dish I liked, and more importantly, I was in the mood for a proper meal with rice.
“Yeah, yeah! Dak-galbi sounds great.”
A-young nodded eagerly, her face brightening instantly.
Now that the decision was made, we headed straight into the dak-galbi restaurant.
Tinkle—
“Welcome! How many in your party?”
“Two.”
“Right this way, please.”
The employee guided us to a seat with a bright, friendly smile.
— “Sigh… must be nice to be young…”
The employee’s Mini-Me, however, looked exhausted, rubbing a stiff neck. Despite the internal grumbling, she remained perfectly professional on the outside. I suppose that’s the service industry for you.
We sat across from each other at the table the employee had indicated.
“What should we get? Anything specific you want?” A-young asked.
I looked at the menu in the center of the table.
“I’m fine with the basic one.”
“Then I’ll have that too. Two orders of the basic dak-galbi? Do you want extra noodles?”
“Yeah, let’s add ramen noodles.”
The decision-making was swift. I was so hungry that I felt like anything would taste delicious.
“Excuse me?”
A-young raised her hand to call the employee. It seemed this place didn’t have kiosks.
“Yes—coming!”
The employee hurried over. “What can I get for you?”
“Two orders of the basic dak-galbi with an extra serving of ramen noodles, please.”
“How spicy would you like it?”
“Umm…”
A-young tilted her head at the question and turned to me.
“Medium?”
“Yeah.”
“Medium, please.”
She relayed my answer exactly. The employee scribbled on the order sheet and double-checked.
“Two basic dak-galbi and one ramen noodle addition, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I’ll have that out for you shortly.”
“Thank you~”
A-young kept up her bright smile until the employee was completely out of sight. Then—
“…Yawn~”
She covered her mouth with her hand and let out a yawn. She must have been tired from all the vigorous movement at the ice rink. Then, her eyebrows twitched.
— “…He didn’t see that, did he?”
The Mini-Me peeked at me.
I naturally turned my gaze toward the window. The atmosphere suggested I should pretend I hadn’t seen a thing.
*
Under the table, Shin A-young stretched her legs out. Her extended thighs trembled slightly.
“Phew…”
After finishing her subtle stretch, she let out a small breath. Her body was fatigued, but her mind felt soft and light, the heavy preoccupations having vanished.
She had been unsure about the ice rink at first, but she was glad she went.
‘I was a bit worried in the beginning…’
Her backside still throbbed a little when she thought about her falls. But once she got the hang of it, it had been exciting.
And when those kids had zoomed past, she had been startled when Lee Seung-ho suddenly pulled her out of the way.
A-young rested her chin on her hand, thinking back to that moment.
…He had pulled her away so effortlessly.
She knew he was just helping, but she hadn’t expected to be moved so easily. A-young lightly stroked her arm—the spot where he had grabbed her.
“…Ahem.”
Thinking about it made her feel strangely self-conscious, so she wiped her sweaty palms against her gym clothes.
“Here.”
Before she knew it, Lee Seung-ho had returned with aprons and handed her one.
“Ah. Thanks.”
A-young took it carefully. As she did, her eyes drifted toward the standing Seung-ho. She had to tilt her head back quite a bit to look at him. The angle felt surprisingly steep.
Wait…
This guy…
“Did you get taller?”
Looking at him closely now, it was undeniable. Compared to her memory of him at the start of the semester, the growth was obvious. She wondered how she hadn’t noticed it until now.
“…You think so?”
At her question, Lee Seung-ho sat back down and let out a dry cough. His eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, and the corners of his mouth quirked. Even though he was trying to act indifferent while drinking water, it was clear he was secretly pleased.
A-young watched him with a subtle, playful smile. His reaction was somehow endearing.
“Are you working out or something? You’re growing really fast.”
“…Just the gym, mostly.”
“Mm-hmm. And?”
A-young watched his expression closely. For some reason, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
She stayed like that for quite a while.