Chapter 43: Face-to-Face (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 43: Face-to-Face (1)
"I’m back."
I pushed open the front door and stepped inside. The muffled sound of the TV drifted from the living room.
As I walked in, I saw Lee Seung-ah sprawled on the sofa, her eyes glued to an anime playing on the big screen. She spared me a fleeting glance before turning back to the TV.
"...What’s up? Did you go work out? I thought you were studying with Sol."
"I skipped today. I had a session at the Counseling Club."
"Oh, really...?"
Seung-ah didn’t seem particularly interested; her focus remained entirely on the screen.
I wasn’t in the mood for small talk either. Right now, all I wanted was to collapse. I tossed my bag into my room and peeled off my school uniform.
"Phew—"
After a quick shower, I flopped onto my bed.
"Sigh..."
Finally, I could breathe.
It had been a while since I’d gone skating, and the physical exertion had drained my stamina completely. My eyelids felt like lead, fluttering shut. At this rate, there was no way I was getting any extra exercise in today. I felt like I’d pass out if I blinked for more than a second.
"..."
Still, I figured I should handle what needed to be done. I rolled over and fumbled for my phone.
I managed to deal with Shin A-young for now...
I had resolved her noise. She should be fine for the time being. However, there was still someone left.
Lee Sol.
She was the one still radiating noise.
"..."
I recalled what had happened earlier. The noise had grown even more intense as we were leaving school. I wondered if she was okay now. I’d left in such a rush that I hadn’t been able to contact her since.
...What should I do?
I fiddled with my phone, holding the device up toward the ceiling. It felt strangely heavy.
Lee Sol’s noise was fundamentally different from Shin A-young’s. I was still struggling to interpret it, which made me hesitate to even send a casual message.
...I had to do something, though.
But my thumb just wouldn't move.
*
There was nothing like being home. And nothing beat lying down.
Lee Sol was someone who cherished her time at home more than anyone else. Just as one shouldn't disturb a dog during a meal or wake a deep sleeper, the moment Sol hit the couch was sacred—a time when she didn't have to do a single thing.
To her, being able to think about nothing meant there was no conflict and no fatigue. That was why Lee Sol loved her home.
...Except for today.
Today, she couldn't understand why she was stuck here.
"..."
Sol lay face down on the living room sofa, her chin resting on a cushion.
"Pffft..."
The sigh she let out hit the fabric, creating a vibrating brrr sound. She stared blankly at her phone, scrolling aimlessly. Her round eyes followed the rhythmic movement of her thumb.
It’s not like he went to a PC café...
The match histories for both of his accounts remained unchanged. Unless he had a secret smurf account, it didn’t look like he’d gone to play games.
"What is he even doing?!"
Sol scratched her gray hair aggressively. A surge of betrayal toward Shin A-young welled up inside her.
She said she’d help me...!
"..."
Well, actually...
She had told A-young that she’d handle things herself during the school trip and that she didn’t need help. But that didn’t mean A-young was supposed to get in her way, did it?
"Ugh..."
She hugged the cushion tightly and buried her face in it. After rolling around on the sofa for a while, she eventually went limp.
"...?"
Her mother, who had just finished showering, stepped out of the bathroom drying her hair. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Sol. With a slightly flustered expression, her mother lowered the towel and asked cautiously, "...Did something happen at school?"
Beneath her mother’s expressionless face lay a hidden current of worry.
"..."
Sol forced herself to sit up.
"...Nothing happened."
She shook her head. It really was nothing. Yeah, it was just one day, anyway.
"...I see...?"
Her mother’s expression turned awkward. For some reason, instead of going to her room, she lingered in the living room before eventually sitting down at the dining table.
Ding.
A small notification chimed from the phone.
"?"
Sol snatched up the phone. If it was Shin A-young calling, she was going to—
[Lee Seung-ho]
"...!"
Her eyebrows twitched. Lee Seung-ho had messaged her first. She was about to check it immediately but stopped, her hand trembling.
If I check it now, I’ll look like I was waiting for it.
She was worried that responding instantly would make it obvious she’d been hovering over her phone all evening.
...Okay, I’ll wait exactly two minutes.
Sol placed the phone neatly back on the sofa. She crossed her arms and tapped her finger impatiently. One minute passed... then two.
"..."
She intentionally narrowed her eyes into a frown as she unlocked the screen and tapped the message.
Lee Seung-ho: Did you get home okay?
Lee Seung-ho: What happened with studying today?
"Hmph."
A puff of air escaped Sol’s small lips. So, he was worried after all.
Lee Sol: (Emoticon of a hamster falling flat on its back)
Lee Sol: Min-ji unnie helped me.
Lee Sol: But it was hard.
Sol sent her reply.
"..."
She rested her chin on her hand, tapping her finger against her lips. A reply didn’t come immediately.
Lee Seung-ho: Then.
Another message popped up.
Lee Seung-ho: Let’s do a study group tomorrow.
"..."
Sol blinked.
"...Hmph."
She let out a prim breath, forcing her expression to stay neutral.
Tap, tap, tap.
Meanwhile, her shins were bouncing rhythmically against the sofa. At that moment...
"..."
"..."
Sol’s eyes met her mother’s.
"...What?"
She slowly sat up straighter, clearing her throat and fixing her posture.
"Oh, nothing... I just wondered if something good happened?"
"...Nothing happened."
She meant it.
*
The next day. Sunlight filtered softly through the gaps in the classroom windows.
Lee Sol, who had arrived earlier than usual, was half-dozing at her desk.
"Sol."
It was Shin A-young’s voice. Sol slowly opened her eyes to see A-young setting down her bag and taking her seat.
"Here, take this."
A-young held out a small, elegant box.
"...What’s this?"
"I felt like I got in the way of your studying yesterday. You like these, right?"
Looking closer, Sol saw it was a box of chocolates tied with a ribbon. It was a high-end brand.
"Sure, thanks. I’ll enjoy them."
There was no reason to refuse. Sol accepted the gift. The situation was different from yesterday. After all, she now understood the hardships A-young was going through.
"Mhm."
Sol popped a chocolate into her mouth and nodded to herself. A-young must have been under a lot of stress lately, given how much attention she was getting because of the drama. Yesterday’s behavior could just be seen as a result of that.
The Counseling Club existed for moments like that, after all. If that was the case... she could let it slide once. She could be understanding. Because she was a broad-minded woman!
"...By the way."
Sol tapped on A-young’s desk to get her attention. Regardless of her "understanding," she was still curious.
"What did you two do after you left yesterday?"
"Huh?"
A-young’s movements slowed.
"..."
It was nothing major. She was just curious. After all...
"...It didn’t look like you went to a PC café."
"..."
A-young fell silent for a moment. She twirled a lock of hair around her pinky finger, looking somewhat troubled.
"Umm... just... this and that? We didn’t do anything special."
She gave a vague answer.
"Really?"
Though it bothered her slightly, Sol brushed it off, thinking it probably wasn't a big deal.
"..."
The conversation ended there. Sol drifted back into a daze, using the warm sunlight as a blanket. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when...
"Ah."
Sol opened her eyes slightly at A-young’s short exclamation.
"Hi, Seung-ho~"
A-young waved lightly toward Lee Seung-ho as he walked in through the back door.
"Oh, good morning."
He sat down in his seat, acknowledging the greeting.
"Seung-ho, Seung-ho."
A-young called out to him and walked over to the seat in front of his. She tapped him on the shoulder.
"Want to go to the snack shop later? I saw them restocking the snacks that were sold out this morning."
"Really?"
"What was it again? The one you wanted to try last time."
"The fruit ice cream...?"
"Yeah, that’s it. They brought in a few of those too."
...What is this?
"...Hmm?"
Sol’s eyes narrowed as she watched the exchange. Looking at A-young’s face, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It was a look she had seen somewhere before.
"..."
Sol leaned forward, scrutinizing A-young’s expression more closely. A-young tucked her hair behind her ear, her gaze fixed intently on one spot.
Seeing this, Sol’s mouth slowly fell open.
"You guys are coming too, right?"
A-young suddenly turned her head and asked Sol and Ji Nuri.
Ji Nuri pulled out one earbud and said, "I’m in if you’re paying."
"Okay, so Nuri’s not going."
A-young shifted her gaze to the left, toward Lee Sol.
"What about you, Sol?"
"..."
Sol pushed her chair back and stood up. She reached out and tugged firmly on A-young’s sleeve.
"Huh? What is it?"
As confusion clouded A-young’s eyes, Sol spoke.
"...Come talk to me for a second."
With a stiff, awkward expression, Sol led her out of the classroom. For some reason, she felt that if she let this go any further, things were going to get dangerous.