Chapter 71: Exam Period (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 71: Exam Period (2)
"Hmm..."
Swipe, swipe.
Shin A-young sat on her bed, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. She wasn't looking for anything in particular; she was just bored. She sat there blankly, lost in the labyrinth of her own thoughts.
"..."
Flop.
Like a weighted doll toppling over, A-young collapsed onto her duvet.
I’ve never seen him make a face like that before...
Lee Seung-ho’s expression was still burned into her mind. That dazed, flustered look—it wasn't a reaction you saw from him every day. Usually, Seung-ho was the definition of composed.
The air had turned incredibly awkward in that moment. In that suffocating silence, only Ji Nuri had remained unfazed.
What is up with that girl...
A-young took a sharp breath. The moment she thought of Ha Seo-rim, her eyes narrowed instinctively.
Something definitely happened between her and Seung-ho...
She didn't know the details, but the suspicion lingered. Is that why he’s so hard to get?
Looking at how Lee Sol acted, any other guy would have fallen for her a dozen times over by now. Yet, there didn't seem to be any real progress in their relationship.
"Hmm."
In a way, this was a good thing for A-young. It was a relief, at least.
"Ugh...!"
A-young rolled across her bed in a fit of pique. She grabbed a long cat plushie and buried her face in its soft fur.
Thud, thud— she kicked her legs against the duvet. Thinking about it only brought back a wave of regret.
"Ahhh... why did I do that...?"
Why did she have to help Lee Sol realize her own feelings? No, that part was fine. Sol would have figured it out eventually anyway. But if only she hadn't offered to help. If she hadn't played matchmaker, she wouldn't be feeling this bothered.
"Sigh—"
A heavy sigh escaped her. It was a classic case of belated regret. It wasn't that she intended to give up on Lee Seung-ho, but her conscience was definitely feeling the weight of her choices.
"..."
A-young fiddled with her phone aimlessly, having no other way to vent her complicated emotions.
Oh?
Just then, a notification popped up on her screen.
...Did Seung-ho’s sister post something?
She had followed her recently, hoping that something related to Seung-ho might eventually show up. Her intuition had been spot on.
[Came to work out lol]
Along with the caption, a photo had been uploaded. Lee Seung-ah was taking a mirror selfie in her tracksuit. The background showed rows of exercise equipment—clearly a gym.
"Ah."
A-young’s eyes widened. He was there.
If you looked closely, Lee Seung-ho’s reflection was visible in the mirror. He was standing in the background with a blank expression, watching whatever Seung-ah was doing.
"...Hehe."
A silly giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it.
"!"
Startled by her own reaction, her shoulders jerked. She cast a wary glance around her empty room.
"Ugh..."
The reason she said she’d help Lee Sol was... yeah, that was it. But who knew things would turn out like this?
"Uwaaa...!"
Regret washed over her again, and she buried her face back into the duvet, curling up like a shrimp.
"..."
Slowly, she lifted her head. A-young stared at the screen over the mound of blankets.
"...Wow."
Since he was working out, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and athletic shorts. His thighs were surprisingly thick. It was a side of him she'd never seen before. The sight of his exposed skin made her heart do a frantic little dance.
...Gulp.
She swallowed hard. A-young admired the photo, her face turning a deep shade of crimson. Her fingertips tapped nervously against her lips.
The resolution is a bit disappointing...
That was the only flaw. But it couldn't be helped, since he was just caught in the background of someone else's selfie.
Tap, tap.
She liked Seung-ah’s post and immediately saved the photo to her phone.
"...Maybe I should start working out too?"
Seeing the photo sparked the idea. It actually seemed like a brilliant plan.
My shoulders have been feeling a bit stiff lately...
A-young massaged her shoulders. Every time she tilted her neck, it let out a dry crack. The reason for the tension was simple: they were unnecessarily large.
...Wait a minute.
A-young froze. Her face flushed even deeper, and her eyes darted around the room. Her fingers fidgeted.
...I wonder if Seung-ho likes them big, too?
Aren't all boys like that? That’s what people said, anyway. Even during PE class at school, she sometimes felt the boys' gazes lingering on her. Usually, that thought made her feel disgusted, but... thinking that Seung-ho might be like that...
"...Phew..."
An excited breath escaped her.
...I-I think that would be okay.
In its own way, the thought didn't feel so bad.
...Ugh!
A-young slapped her cheeks. She was starting to feel a bit lightheaded. She even felt a wave of self-deprecation, wondering if she had always been this kind of person. Her mind was a total mess.
"..."
With a strange, determined expression, A-young suddenly sat up straight.
Tap-tap-tap—
She began typing rapidly on the screen.
[Does working out make your chest smaller?]
...She was a little concerned, so she decided to look it up.
Oh, it doesn't. Thank god.
A-young felt a wave of relief. Apparently, there was no scientific evidence for that. Since working out wouldn't be a problem, then...
Her next move was swift.
Tap. Tap-tap-tap.
A-young tapped away at her phone's keyboard, sending a DM immediately.
[Shin A-young: Seung-ho!]
[Shin A-young: Which gym do you go to??]
[Shin A-young: I’ve been wanting to work out lately, but I can’t find a good place T_T]
[Shin A-young: I want to go to the same one as you lol]
She fired off the messages to Lee Seung-ho.
...And now for the finishing touch.
A-young scrolled through her collection of emoticons. She picked out a good one. This one should work.
[(An emoticon of a Golden Retriever tightly hugging a heart)]
...She was about to send it. Then she paused, falling into deep thought for a moment.
"...Is this a bit much?"
Isn't it too obvious? She worried. It was blatant flirting. She hesitated, wondering if he would find it burdensome.
"..."
She stared at the send button for a long time. Oh, whatever. Who cares?
Press—
[Shin A-young: (Golden Retriever tightly hugging a heart emoticon)]
A-young closed her eyes and went for it. She was in a "whatever happens, happens" state of mind.
Crazy, crazy...!
Even though she was the one who sent it, she freaked out and made a fuss. A-young tossed her phone to the far side of the bed. She didn't have the courage to check for a reply.
"..."
She jumped off the bed and paced around the room restlessly. Then, she caught her reflection in the mirror. Now that she thought about it, she didn't have time to pace.
...I need to buy workout clothes!
The kind... that would drive a guy crazy.
*
"Good. Keep that posture—"
I had come to the gym near our house with Lee Seung-ah to maintain my routine of at least one hour of exercise every day.
"Ughhh...!"
Seung-ah’s face turned beet red as she barely managed to lift the barbell. She looked at me with a desperate gaze, as if she had reached her absolute limit.
But it wasn't her limit yet. I could tell she had more in her.
"Good, just one more."
"Phew...!"
"Just one more time."
"Hnggg...!!"
"Nice, nice. Okay, just one more."
"...Guh."
— You... you crazy bastard...!
A curse word slipped out. The Mini-Me's voice had definitely grown louder. It was at the point where the mental noise was about to become a headache. Now she was truly at her limit.
"Haa— haa—"
She panted heavily, her body swaying.
— I-I'm gonna die...
Seeing as the Mini-Me's voice was still clearly audible, I had stopped her at just the right time. I had become quite adept at gauging her limits through practice.
"Ugh..."
"Where are you going? Let's do a quick run before we go."
I caught her as she headed for the showers. She must have thought that was the last exercise, but there was more. We had to finish with the treadmill.
"I need the bathroom."
— ...Should I run for it?
The Mini-Me's eyes darted around. She was looking for an opening.
"If I catch you trying to run away, look forward to tomorrow."
"Aha— you don't trust me at all. I'm serious."
Seung-ah burst into a laugh, waving her hand as if to say I shouldn't worry.
— Damn. He’s gotten way too quick at catching on.
The Mini-Me's face crumpled, its tiny lips pouting petulantly. She hurried away as if escaping.
"..."
I watched her go with a blunt expression. Since I had nothing else to do while waiting, I stepped onto a treadmill first. I adjusted the speed so it wasn't too intense.
As I ran at a steady pace...
"...Hmm."
That girl suddenly came to mind. Ha Seo-rim.
It really has been a long time.
Almost a year. Even though it wasn't that long, perhaps because she had dyed her hair, her impression was quite different from what I remembered. Back then, she had a much more childish face.
"...Sigh."
Forget it. Don't think about it anymore. She probably feels uncomfortable around me too, and I can't exactly treat her with total ease anymore either.
Looking at her naturally brought back memories of the past. Even though it didn't have much to do with her directly. Was it because Ha Seo-rim was close to her?
"..."
Beep-beep-beep!
I increased the speed of the treadmill for no reason.
"Phew...!"
Let's not worry about it. It's not like I'll run into her at school anymore anyway.
"..."
...But Lee Seung-ah. What's taking her so long?