Chapter 55: Day 2 (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: Day 2 (4)
“...Is that right?”
I repeated Ji Nuri’s words back to her, my voice trailing off.
It was a completely unexpected way of speaking. I couldn't help but tilt my head in confusion. I wondered if one of her parents was from the Chungcheong province.
“Ah!”
At my question, Ji Nuri jumped in surprise and clamped her hand over her mouth.
Judging by her reaction, the dialect had slipped out unconsciously.
“N-no! That’s not it...!”
Ji Nuri waved her hands frantically, signaling a firm denial. She clearly wasn't a fan of her dialect showing. Some people are like that—they find it mortifying when a single slip of the tongue draws everyone's attention.
But while my attention was caught by her speech...
...The people around us were focused on something else entirely.
‘Wow... Nuri is so bold. She just came right out with it...’
‘What’s with those two? Are they dating?’
I could hear the whispering. Lee Seung-ah’s friends were chatting with excited expressions, their eyes darting between us. They had the exact look of teenage girls watching the climax of a romance drama.
“T-that’s not it!”
Ji Nuri’s face turned a brilliant shade of crimson when she noticed them.
“I’m telling you, they were here...!”
She desperately continued her excuse, looking a bit wronged.
“Hey... just calm down for a second.”
I raised both hands and slowly lowered them in a 'calm down' gesture. There was no need to get so worked up.
“...”
Ji Nuri hesitated for a moment before finally catching her breath.
“Ssssp... Hooo...”
She took a slow, deep breath and exhaled, forcing the air from her lungs.
Huff, puff.
She seemed to be calming down, bit by bit.
“So, who are ‘they’?”
I finally brought up the question I’d been holding onto. Ji Nuri’s eyes half-closed, and her expression turned pouty.
“...A-young and Sol.”
“Huh?”
My voice went up despite myself. It was an unexpected pair of names. I hadn't anticipated those two coming up at all.
“Here? Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure you didn't just see someone who looked like them?”
“No, I saw them clearly. It was definitely those two!”
Ji Nuri tapped her thigh in frustration.
“It’s not like girls who look like them are common. I could tell it was them even from a distance.”
And more importantly...
“They were wearing clothes that didn't fit this place at all. They looked like they were dressed for a relaxing afternoon at some quiet cafe.”
For some reason, her description was oddly vivid. She seemed genuinely annoyed that they had shown up dressed like that. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but Ji Nuri’s expression remained grumpy.
“But...”
If Ji Nuri hadn't seen wrong, it meant those two were actually here. That raised another question.
“...Why are they here?”
Why would they come? And together, no less.
“How should I know?”
Ji Nuri shrugged. She didn't seem to have any guesses either, crossing her arms and tilting her head. She eventually began stroking her chin, lost in thought.
“...It’s not like they’re the type to enjoy this kind of event.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean ‘why’? It’s obvious just by looking at them.”
...Then what about me?
I was about to ask that, but then I caught a glimpse of my own reflection. I was currently in full game character cosplay, wearing a sharp formal suit.
“Hmm...”
I decided to just keep my mouth shut. Even if it wasn't intentional, my outfit was undeniable to anyone who saw it.
Just then, someone else caught my eye. Out of everyone here, she looked the most anxious.
“Hmm...”
Lee Seung-ah, who had been letting out low groans, leaned her head forward. On the surface, her face was perfectly calm—natural and unadorned.
However, her inner thoughts were a different story.
— “...Could it be because of the photo I sent?”
Her Mini-Me was sweating bullets, its pupils shaking like an earthquake. It was the unmistakable reaction of someone with a guilty conscience.
‘Hmm...’
Still, coming all the way here just because of a photo seemed like a bit of a stretch. Why would they drop everything just because they saw one picture? There was no reason to.
I doubted they would go that far, but then I thought about how I’d feel if I heard a friend was cosplaying...
‘Oh.’
Actually, I probably wouldn't be able to resist either. I’d likely come just out of pure curiosity.
“Ahem.”
Ji Nuri cleared her throat, drawing everyone's attention back to her.
“Anyway, the point is, I was just helping you so you wouldn't get caught by them.”
She firmly wrapped up the situation, looking a bit relieved as she finished speaking. With a satisfied expression, as if she’d solved a major crisis, she took a long sip of her Choco Latte.
On the other hand, the others looked a bit disappointed.
‘What, it was nothing?’
‘And here I thought they were in that kind of relationship...’
I heard the disappointed whispers. It was the sound of people sad they wouldn't get to hear a juicy romance story.
“...”
However, one question still remained. I turned to Ji Nuri and asked, “But are you going to be okay?”
“Huh? With what?”
Ji Nuri blinked at me blankly. She was waiting to hear what I had to say, her face full of innocent confusion. Had she forgotten already?
I forced her to face reality.
“You have to perform soon. Once you’re up on stage, they’re definitely going to see you.”
“...”
Ji Nuri didn't answer.
— “Ah.”
Her Mini-Me let out a short gasp instead. She just blinked wordlessly. I wondered if she was okay, but then I noticed the hand holding her latte was trembling violently.
— “...Crap.”
She finally couldn't hold it in and let out a short curse under her breath. Her face crumpled into a look of pure despair.
“...”
Sigh.
It wasn't like I was entirely blameless in this. Looking at her Mini-Me, I felt like I should probably help her out.
*
“Haa...!”
Lee Sol exhaled a weary breath.
“Here.”
Shin A-young pulled a cold Cola from the vending machine and handed it to her.
“...Ah, thanks.”
Lee Sol popped the tab and downed it in one go. Only then did she look like she was coming back to life.
“...How much of this place is left?”
Shin A-young answered Lee Sol’s question.
“We still have half the venue to go.”
Despite walking around this much, they hadn't even seen the back of Lee Seung-ho’s head. The size of the venue was one problem, but there were just too many people. They wondered if they had accidentally passed him by in the crowd.
“...Whew...”
A deep sigh escaped. Shin A-young lightly massaged the back of her neck. Fatigue was finally starting to set in. They had been walking since morning. They’d gone shopping and then come straight here. It was only natural to be exhausted after moving non-stop.
“...”
Shin A-young’s eyes drifted downward. Even she, who usually moved around a lot, felt this way...
“Ugh...”
Lee Sol was even worse. She was practically half-asleep, crouching against a wall. She looked like she was about to pass out right there.
On the other hand...
‘...That’s impressive.’
Watching the people walking briskly past, Shin A-young felt a sense of wonder. Hardly anyone looked tired. Everyone was moving with bright, sparkling eyes. They even looked a bit busy. Was this the difference between those who were enjoying themselves and those who weren't?
“...”
Thinking she should rest for a moment, Shin A-young sat down next to Lee Sol.
At that exact moment...
Vrrr— Vrrr—
“...!”
Her phone vibrated. A text had arrived. It was from Lee Seung-ho.
— [Lee Seung-ho: Where are you guys right now?]
It was a group message sent to both her and Lee Sol. It was a short text, but the timing was impeccable. Shin A-young’s mind began to race.
“...Do you think Seung-ho realized we’re here?”
Shin A-young stared down at the text, a small bead of cold sweat forming. If that was really the case, they were in trouble. After all, they had come here secretly without his permission.
“...Probably not.”
Lee Sol tried to deny it, hoping it wasn't true. Shin A-young nodded. She had a point. With so many people here, how could he possibly spot them?
“...Let’s try to make something up for now.”
At Shin A-young’s suggestion, Lee Sol gave a timid nod.
“...Okay.”
Lee Sol thought about what excuse to use and then came up with one.
“I’ll say I’m studying.”
“Should I say we’re studying together?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
Tap, tap, tap.
Shin A-young typed at high speed and sent the DM. Soon, the ‘1’ next to the message disappeared.
— [Lee Seung-ho: Okay.]
A reply came back immediately.
“Hey.”
A low, mid-range voice pierced her eardrums.
“Eek!”
Shin A-young jumped. She couldn't help but be startled by the voice that suddenly came from right beside her.
“Wh-what?”
When she saw the owner of the voice, Shin A-young’s eyes darted around as if she were broken. Lee Seung-ho was standing there.
“...What are you guys doing here?”
His eyes were half-closed, and he had a somewhat grumpy expression. He looked as if their presence wasn't exactly welcome.
But his tone didn't even register with her. In that split second, Shin A-young scanned him from head to toe.
“...”
It was different from a school uniform. Shin A-young realized that even if the designs were similar, a formal suit was something else entirely. More than anything, the natural makeup and that swept-back hairstyle...
His appearance, so different from his usual self, made her freeze. It made her thoughts go blank.
“...”
Shin A-young’s gaze dropped to the floor tiles. For some reason, it was hard to meet his eyes, and her chest felt ticklish.
Come to think of it, this was their first meeting since she had become aware of her own feelings.
“...”
Shin A-young had no idea how to react. It felt like her thoughts were cutting in and out.
She just stayed like that for a while.
...Can I take a picture?
She was lost in that internal debate. She suspected Lee Sol wasn't feeling much different.