Chapter 52: Day 2 (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 52: Day 2 (1)
— “---Ah, uh-ah…”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me stood with its mouth agape, twitching rhythmically as if its circuits had fried. Thinking about what was to come tomorrow, it emitted a sharp burst of static.
— “Performing in cosplay in front of Lee Seung-ho…” the Mini-Me mumbled.
“……”
I wasn't so sure about that.
She was in the band club, so getting up on stage shouldn't have been a big deal for her. I wondered if there was really a reason for her to be this sensitive. Was it really that embarrassing?
— “And anime songs, on top of that…”
Hmm.
Okay, that is a bit much. I’ll give her that.
— “…Is there no way out of this?”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me slumped to the floor, pulling its knees to its chest. It rocked back and forth like a roly-poly toy, its eyes completely lifeless.
— “Aaah… I guess not, right?”
Before long, it looked like it was on the verge of tears.
Tap, tap, tap. The sound of light, cheerful footsteps approached.
“Everything’s settled. Let’s go home now!”
Lee Seung-ah approached with a jubilant expression, only to freeze when she spotted the catatonic Ji Nuri.
“…?”
She tilted her head at the sight. Slinking over to my side, Lee Seung-ah whispered softly.
“…Did something happen?”
It was a question born of pure curiosity.
“…I don’t know either,” I replied.
I had no choice but to give a vague answer. I figured it was best to just leave her be.
*
The next day.
It was the kind of weather that gave you a headache just looking at the sky. The weather was so good—even better than yesterday—that the thought of the crowds that would come swarming in was enough to make my head throb.
The event was held throughout the weekend. Since it ran on both Saturday and Sunday, it was the kind of schedule that made me worry about the coming Monday.
“……”
Deciding to start the day with breakfast, I walked into a convenience store near the venue with Lee Seung-ah.
“What the?”
Ji Nuri was already there, nibbling on a triangle kimbap.
“Hey, Nuri~” Lee Seung-ah offered a casual greeting, as if she had expected this.
“What are you doing here?”
“…Seung-ah told me to meet up with you guys, so I was waiting.”
“Is that so?”
It was no big deal. I nodded and tried to walk past.
— “Seung-ho might be disappointed, but… I have to make things clear.”
The Mini-Me muttered, insisting she hadn't been waiting for me. Ji Nuri’s behavior was absurd, yet it also felt strangely irritating.
“…Did you prepare well for the performance?” I tossed the comment out as I passed by.
— “—!”
The Mini-Me jumped in shock, its body jolting. It practically hopped in place.
“…Don’t bring that up.”
Ji Nuri’s eyebrows slumped, and her ears turned bright red.
“Sure.”
I nodded nonchalantly.
*
After eating breakfast, we moved to the event venue.
The routine was the same as yesterday. We changed clothes and put on makeup. Since Ji Nuri had disappeared to change as well, only the two of us remained.
“…”
I stood still while the top of my head was held in place. Lee Seung-ah’s hands moved with delicate precision.
“…Great. All done.”
She dusted off her hands with a satisfied smile. It was the same cosplay as yesterday: the Archive Teacher. Perhaps because I’d done it once before, I was starting to get used to this appearance.
“Look this way for a sec.”
Lee Seung-ah gave my arm a little tug.
“…?”
Wondering what was up, I turned around.
Click—
The sound of a camera shutter rang out. Lee Seung-ah made a V-sign with her fingers and took a selfie with her phone, capturing both herself and me.
“…What was that for?”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her sudden action. There was no way she was just taking a photo for no reason. I felt a surge of anxiety, wondering what she was up to this time.
“It’s for the memories,” Lee Seung-ah shrugged.
She rattled off the casual excuse naturally.
— “I should send this to Sol-unni. I wonder if she’ll like it?”
The Mini-Me let out a mischievous giggle.
“…”
I kept my mouth shut. It wasn't like I could stop her. Since the existence of the Mini-Me was a secret to everyone, I had no choice but to just watch.
…Still. I’ll deal with you later.
*
‘Are they not here yet?’
Shin A-young stood in front of the plaza, glancing around. She had plans today.
“Ah.”
Shin A-young spotted her target and raised her hand slightly. There she was: Lee Sol.
“…”
Lee Sol walked over with quick, short steps. She was dressed very casually in a black tracksuit set. To anyone else, she looked like she had just stepped out for a stroll in front of her house.
The problem was that they were about to go shopping at a department store. In a way… it was a very Sol-like outfit.
“…Did you wait long?”
“No, I just got here too.”
Shin A-young gave a light shrug.
“I see.”
Shin A-young walked side-by-side with Lee Sol.
‘I didn’t expect to actually have plans with Sol…’ Shin A-young thought to herself as they walked slowly.
After all, it was Lee Sol who had reached out first. She had asked if they could go shopping together, saying she had nothing to wear. Since Ji Nuri couldn't make it because of her performance today, it created a somewhat bizarre picture of Shin A-young and Lee Sol walking together.
To be honest… ever since she realized her feelings for Lee Seung-ho, things had been a bit awkward.
“…”
Shin A-young stared intently at Lee Sol, who was walking ahead of her. She tightened her grip on her hands inside her coat pockets. She wondered if she could say it today. That was the reason she had accepted the invitation. She wanted to take this opportunity to tell her in advance exactly how she felt about Lee Seung-ho.
“…”
“…”
The two of them wandered through the department store. Their pace slowed once they reached the women’s clothing section.
“Which one do you think looks okay?” Lee Sol rummaged through the hanging clothes, inspecting them.
‘…Isn’t she trusting me a bit too much?’ Shin A-young rolled her eyes at the question.
Looking back, it was true. Lee Sol seemed to have noticed her feelings to some extent as well. She hadn't expected her to ask for help so readily.
“…What are you going to wear it for?” Shin A-young asked out of courtesy.
“A date.”
“…”
Shin A-young's hand froze mid-air. Her heart sank. It felt as if cold water was sloshing around inside her chest.
“…Do you have a date scheduled?” Shin A-young asked cautiously, pretending not to let it show.
“…”
There was no answer. Sol stood there in silence for a moment. That silence felt incredibly long. Lee Sol glanced at Shin A-young, then quickly turned her head away.
“…Well, not exactly.”
“…”
So she didn't. A small sense of relief washed over A-young. She let out an awkward laugh. “Haha—”
“…”
Lee Sol was still picking out clothes, her face expressionless. Then, she picked one up: a bright, multi-colored yellow T-shirt.
“I think this—”
“No, absolutely not…!” Shin A-young raised her voice, her eyebrows shooting up.
The clothes Lee Sol had picked were horrifying.
“Oh… really?” Lee Sol looked down at the shirt, a bead of sweat trickling down her face. “Is it really that bad…?”
“The design looks way too childish.”
“…Childish…”
Lee Sol looked crushed, as if she were shrinking into herself. But Shin A-young had no intention of backing down. Even the color scheme was weird. Who goes on a date wearing a bright, multi-colored yellow T-shirt?
“I wear stuff like this all the time for work…” Lee Sol muttered timidly, as if making an excuse.
She said she wore them for her modeling work. Sure, that was possible. Since she was a model, she’d probably look good in anything. She would definitely pull it off.
But.
“Anyway, not this one.”
Shin A-young snatched the hanger from her hand. After putting it back where it belonged, she looked for other clothes.
“Let me see.” Shin A-young flipped through the hangers. “How did you dress during the school trip? You dressed well back then.”
She asked grumpily. From what she remembered, Sol had dressed very sophisticatedly then. It was an outfit that suited Lee Sol’s image perfectly and enhanced her unique beauty. Back then, she had thought, ‘She really is a model.’
“…My mom picked those out for me.”
“Aha…?”
So she knew. Lee Sol’s mother already knew that her daughter’s sense of fashion was bizarre.
“Hmm, this one’s good.”
Holding it up against Lee Sol’s body, the size seemed about right.
‘Models really are on another level…’
It looked good on her just by holding it up. Lee Sol wasn't exactly tall, but her face was so tiny—about the size of a fist. She looked like a doll. Her proportions were cheating.
“I’ll go try it on.”
“Yeah, take your time,” Shin A-young gave a small wave.
And then, she stopped.
‘Ah.’
Reality set in again.
‘This wasn’t the plan…!’
She hadn't intended to help her properly. Even if she didn't sabotage her, she had planned to just give half-hearted advice. But before she knew it, she was helping her. Lee Sol’s clueless behavior had forced her to intervene.
“…”
Shin A-young lightly patted her cheeks. Get it together. This isn't what you're supposed to be doing.
*
The shopping trip ended quickly. Only after picking out a few more outfits was Shin A-young able to settle her uneasy feelings.
“Thanks for today.”
At Lee Sol’s innocent expression of gratitude, Shin A-young gave a mysterious smile. It was a truly complicated emotion.
It was then—
Ding—!
An alert sounded from a phone. Shin A-young checked to see if it was hers, but it wasn't. It was Lee Sol’s. Sol slowly checked her phone.
And then.
“…”
Lee Sol came to a dead stop. Her eyes were fixed on the screen. She looked a bit flustered, her eyes darting back and forth before she stared blankly at the screen.
“…?”
Wondering what it was, Shin A-young peered over Lee Sol’s shoulder.
“…Oh…”
It was someone she’d seen before. Definitely the girl she had seen at the airport. And the person captured behind her was none other than him.
As if he’d been caught off guard by the photo, he had a wide-eyed expression. A crisp, well-tailored suit, a striking and unfamiliar hairstyle, and makeup that made his features stand out.
It was Seung-ho. It was Lee Seung-ho, all dressed up. It looked like he was at some kind of event. He actually looked quite good in the photo.
“…”
Lee Sol suddenly turned the screen away.
“Ah.” A short sound of disappointment escaped Shin A-young.
“…”
Lee Sol clutched the phone to her chest and took a step back. She seemed guarded, biting her lip firmly. Come to think of it, A-young wondered why a photo of Lee Seung-ho had been sent to her.
“…Are you in touch with Seung-ho’s sister?”
“Well… I guess…?”
Lee Sol tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. A faint sense of pride rose in her expression. It was the relaxed confidence of someone who was ahead.
“…”
Shin A-young’s eyebrows twitched.
…I see.
Ah, she already knew. Shin A-young realized the moment she saw that expression that Lee Sol was already aware of her own feelings.
“How did that happen?” Shin A-young maintained her composure and gave a bright smile. Hiding her expressions was the thing she was most confident in. However, her voice had turned strangely low.
“I met her when I went to Seung-ho’s house to study.”
“Mm… is that so?”
Maybe she should tag along for the next study session, A-young found herself contemplating.
“…”
“…”
A strange silence followed.
“…Hmm.”
Shin A-young fell into silence. The image of Lee Seung-ho she had caught a glimpse of earlier kept swirling in her head. So that was what he was doing today when he said he had things to do.
“…”
Before she knew it, Shin A-young was tapping on her phone screen.
…A cosplay event? If it was happening today, where would it be?
Tap. Tap. Tap-tap-tap.
Ah. Found it.
“…”
As she looked up, her eyes met Lee Sol’s.
“…Shall we call it a day for shopping?”
“…Let’s do that.”
Their thoughts were already in sync. They just wanted to take a little peek.
*
“…Whew.”
Ji Nuri tried her best to steady her breathing. It was fine. Only one person she knew was here. And since Lee Seung-ho was tight-lipped, it would be okay.
She comforted herself with those thoughts.