Chapter 67: Karaoke (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 67: Karaoke (1)
“······.”
A figure sprinted across the school field.
Dark hair fluttered in the wind.
He had grown quite a bit since she last saw him; perhaps because of that, his jawline had become much more defined. Compared to his middle school days, he had changed so much that one might not even recognize him at first glance.
“Hah…”
However, there was no way she could fail to recognize that characteristic, indifferent gaze. That uniquely arrogant look in his eyes, as if he already knew everything the world had to offer.
It was the one trait that made him instantly recognizable.
Lee Seung-ho.
No matter how she looked at it, it was him.
“····.”
Ha Seo-rim’s expression stiffened the moment she saw Lee Seung-ho’s face. She radiated a visible sense of coldness. Her lips curled into a crooked line, and her eyes narrowed.
What is that guy doing here?
She never imagined they would end up at the same school. It was even more surprising that they hadn't crossed paths until now.
“Seo-rim, what’s wrong?”
A friend called out to her, noticing that Ha Seo-rim had frozen in place.
“...Hey, do you know that senior?” Ha Seo-rim gestured toward the field with her eyes.
He was running across the center of the grounds, perfectly positioned to be seen at a glance.
“Ah—” The friend looked over and nodded. “Senior Lee Sol? Of course I know her. She’s famous around here.”
“No, not her. The guy right next to her.”
“The guy next to her?”
“Yeah.”
The friend tilted her head, looking confused. “No… I don’t really know him.”
She looked like she had no idea who he was, no matter how hard she racked her brain.
“Why? Is he someone you know?”
At that, Ha Seo-rim fell silent.
“Hmm…”
How should she put it? They were merely acquaintances back in middle school. They hadn't shared many conversations—just a few words exchanged in passing. That was the extent of their relationship.
If she had to describe it, he was someone she knew through a mutual friend. A friend of an acquaintance, so to speak.
Except for one thing.
That 'acquaintance' and Lee Seung-ho had once been 'involved.' And it was a relationship that hadn't ended very well.
Therefore, if asked if he was someone she knew…
“No.”
Ha Seo-rim answered firmly.
Hmph.
She snorted and brushed it off. He wasn't someone she needed to acknowledge now. Even if they attended the same school, it didn't change a thing.
*
“Everyone worked hard today!”
The homeroom teacher stood at the podium, letting out a hearty chuckle. He seemed pleased that our class had performed well during Sports Day.
— [The Korean teacher is definitely going to treat us today.]
His Mini-me let out a boisterous laugh. It was in a great mood, likely because of some secret bet that had taken place among the faculty.
“Our class won the soccer finals, right?”
““Yes!”” the students answered in unison.
“Right. We’ll have the pizza and chicken next week. For today, go home early and get some rest!”
With that, the closing remarks were over. The teacher disappeared with a brisk pace. I looked at the clock above the podium; it was barely past 1:00 PM.
This was the best part of Sports Day. We finished earlier than usual, and there were no classes to sit through.
“...”
As I was packing my gym clothes into my bag, getting ready to head out…
“Seung-hooo—”
Poke. Poke.
Lee Sol pressed her finger against my back. The ticklish sensation was her way of calling out to me. However, I didn't react. She had been doing this for a while now. She was calling me for no reason at all—it was purely meaningless.
— [Hehe.]
Just look at that smirking Mini-me. There was no reason; she just thought it was fun. Lee Sol seemed to have completely moved past her bad mood, as she wore her usual expression. No, she actually looked better than usual. A gentle smile was faintly visible behind the hand she used to partially cover her face.
“...”
As I continued to ignore her, her tone rose slightly.
“This time, I really, really have something to ask.”
Poke-poke-poke. The finger-poking grew faster.
“...What?”
When I slowly turned around, Lee Sol peeked her head out.
“Hey. Did you say there was a club meeting today?”
“...Club?”
I thought about it for a second. “No, not today.”
It was something even I had momentarily forgotten. If I hadn't stopped to think, I might have walked all the way to the club room out of habit.
“Huh? Not today?” Ji Nuri turned around as if this was news to her.
I nodded. “Because it’s Sports Day.”
The entire school had canceled club activities for the day. It was common sense, really. The teacher had even announced it a few days ago. It seemed Ji Nuri hadn't heard him because she’d been lost in thought.
“Then, are you going straight home?”
“Yeah.” I nodded at Lee Sol’s question and stood up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder.
Lee Sol and Ji Nuri stood up to follow, but Shin A-young remained seated. She was as motionless as a statue.
“······.”
She was simply staring out the window with a dazed expression.
— [······.]
Her Mini-me was equally unresponsive. Shin A-young wasn't thinking about anything at all; she was just staring blankly at the scenery outside.
“Hey, hey.”
Tap. Tap.
I lightly tapped on the desk to snap her out of it. “Shin A-young, homeroom is over.”
“Ah…!”
Jump!
She had been sitting there blankly, but she stood up with a start.
“Ugh!”
Thud!
In her rush to stand, she smashed her knee right into the desk. She doubled over, trembling from the impact.
“Hey, are you okay…?” I asked, flustered, as I checked on her.
“I-I’m fine.”
No, she didn't look fine at all. Tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes as she forced a smile. Her round pupils shimmered with moisture.
— [Ow…!]
Shin A-young’s Mini-me hopped around, clutching its knee.
— [Ugh… I hope it doesn't bruise…]
“I’m fine, so let’s go.” Shin A-young grabbed her bag and pushed us along.
— [Sigh…]
The Mini-me looked at me with a gloomy gaze. Now that I’d dealt with Lee Sol, this one’s mood was in the gutter.
“Whew…”
It was a situation that gave me a lot to think about.
*
“...”
Step, step.
Shin A-young watched the two people walking ahead of her. She saw Lee Seung-ho and Lee Sol walking side by side.
Sigh…
She had to suppress the sigh that threatened to escape every time she saw them. Still, she couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to them. What particularly caught her eye was Lee Sol’s face.
She was in such a bad mood just a while ago.
But look at her now. Unlike her usual expressionless mask, a faint smile was spread across her entire face. She even went so far as to steal glances at her reflection in her phone screen. Even as they walked down the street, her gaze kept following him. Her slightly reddened ears made even Shin A-young feel embarrassed for her.
Ugh…
Shin A-young had no choice but to swallow her frustration.
“Should we split up here?” Lee Seung-ho suddenly stopped and spoke.
“Huh? You’re going already?” Shin A-young asked, startled. Realizing she sounded too surprised, she cleared her throat with a few coughs. She tried again with a calmer tone. “Where are you going? Do you have something urgent?”
“No, it’s not that.” Lee Seung-ho pointed at Lee Sol. “She asked me to help her study. Finals are coming up, after all.”
“Huh? No, wait… wait a minute.” Shin A-young pressed her hand to her forehead, processing his words. She looked at them suspiciously, doubting if she had heard correctly. “You’re going to study?”
“Yeah,” Lee Sol answered for him.
“Right now?”
“...Yeah.”
Shin A-young fell silent, completely shocked. This was insane. Lee Sol had been completely blinded by her feelings. This wasn't an answer that would normally come from her—at least not on a day like today. Usually, she would have said she needed to go home and roll around on her bed.
Is it to be alone with him…?
Could that be it? Shin A-young deduced Lee Sol’s scheme. She suspected Lee Sol was trying to squeeze her out using "studying" as a pretext. The thought made her head spin.
“No way! Who studies on a day like today?” Ji Nuri raised her voice in disbelief.
Shin A-young brightened at the sight. Good. Keep going!
“Exactly. On a day like today, we should go play,” Shin A-young quickly added.
“B-but…”
“You have to rest when it’s time to rest for your studying to actually work.” Shin A-young calmly refuted Lee Sol’s logic. Meanwhile, she racked her brain for something the four of them could do together. She had to push through with this momentum. Since Ji Nuri didn't particularly like games, she needed another option.
“How about karaoke?”
“Karaoke sounds great!” Ji Nuri nodded enthusiastically. Since she loved to sing, it was easy to predict she would agree.
The important thing was the reaction of the other two.
“Karaoke?” Lee Seung-ho looked intrigued. He seemed interested, which was a positive sign.
“...!”
Seeing that, Lee Sol’s eyes trembled. Since Lee Seung-ho’s reaction was positive, her eyebrows twitched as if she were locked in an internal conflict. After agonizing over it…
“O-okay. Karaoke.”
Watching Lee Sol nod reluctantly, Shin A-young felt a wave of relief. At the very least, she had managed to prevent the two of them from being left alone.
“...”
...But seriously, studying on a day like today is just wrong.
She’d really go that far?
Lee Sol was a much scarier girl than she had expected.