Chapter 83: Puberty (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: Puberty (2)
A few more days had passed since our trip to the movie theater.
“······.”
Creak—
I leaned back in my chair and looked down at my phone.
— Club President: Does anyone have a place they want to go?
A message had popped up in the Counseling Club group chat. We were currently in the middle of deciding where to go for our summer trip.
Senior Min-ji added a follow-up to the President's message.
— Vice President: Places you don't want to go are fine too!
— Vice President: [Determined Fist Emoji]
— Vice President: Personally, I think somewhere with water would be nice.
Senior Min-ji was subtly pushing her own preference.
— Lee Sol: I’m fine with anywhere except the beach.
— Vice President: How about the beach?
ㄴ Vice President: (Message Deleted)
The timing overlapped. She deleted her suggestion immediately.
— Vice President: Really? Why?
— Lee Sol: Well...
— Lee Sol: I don't really like getting sand on me.
Fair enough. Wiping off sand is a huge hassle. Knowing Lee Sol’s personality, it made perfect sense.
— Lee Seung-ho: I’m not a big fan of the beach either.
— Lee Sol: [Bouncing Hamster Emoji]
For similar reasons, the beach was my least favorite place to go swimming.
— Shin A-young: Then how about a valley?
— Lee Sol: I like that.
I liked the idea of a valley, too.
— Club President: So, we’re going to a valley?
— Vice President: [Thumbs Up Emoji]
Not just Senior Min-ji, but everyone else agreed in unison. The consensus was set on the valley.
— Club President: Then we just need to set a time.
— Vice President: How about next week?
“······.”
I tilted my head at the message. Next week wouldn't work; I already had plans.
— Ji Nuri: [Surprised Cat Emoji]
— Ji Nuri: I can’t do next week.
— Ji Nuri: My family is going on a trip then ㅠㅠ
— Club President: Then how about the week after?
That worked.
— Lee Seung-ho: That works for me.
I sent the message immediately.
Knock, knock—
Just then, a light knock came from the door.
“Yeah?”
As soon as I answered, Lee Seung-ah poked her head through the gap.
“Mom says to come out and eat some watermelon.”
“Okay.”
I put my phone down and followed her into the living room.
“Oh, son. Sit down and have some of this.”
My parents were sitting on the living room floor, enjoying some watermelon.
Munch.
I joined them and took a big bite out of a slice. Sweet juice flooded my mouth. It was a damn good watermelon.
As I was enjoying the fruit...
“Oh, right.”
Lee Seung-ah, who had been chewing on her slice, suddenly stood up. She marched to the middle of the living room and cleared her throat.
“······.”
What was she up to this time? My parents and I all turned to look at her.
“We’re going to Gimhae for this vacation.”
Seung-ah spoke as if making a grand proclamation.
“...Gimhae?”
I tilted my head. It was a rather random statement. Hadn't we already decided to go somewhere else for vacation?
“What is she talking about all of a sudden?”
“...”
My mother looked baffled. My father didn't say anything, but he clearly felt the same. His Mini-Me let out a hollow chuckle.
“Hehe.”
Seung-ah, on the other hand, straightened her back confidently.
— “Exactly the expressions I expected.”
Her Mini-Me wore an innocent smile. It was definitely intentional.
“Ta-da!”
Seung-ah pulled out a piece of paper.
“...Tickets?”
Four long, paper tickets.
“Are those water park tickets?”
“And not just any water park—the biggest one in the country.”
Seung-ah fluttered the tickets back and forth.
“...Where did you get those? Did you buy them?”
“I got them as a gift, obviously.”
“A gift? From who?”
“You know that senior I mentioned? The one who was supposed to come to the event last time but couldn't?”
“Oh...”
Now that she mentioned it, I remembered something like that.
“She gave them to me. She said it was a thank-you for selling things in her place back then.”
“Really?”
These tickets were part of a package that included a stay at a nearby hotel. Either she made a killing from the merch, or she was just rich to begin with. Either way, she was generous.
“She gave them to me a while ago so I could go during the summer.”
— “I almost forgot I even had them, though...”
No wonder she hadn't said anything until now.
— “Seriously, it’s a relief the other kids mentioned it...”
Apparently, the other kids who ran the booth together had received tickets too. If they hadn't said anything, these gifts would have been lost forever.
“...Hmm?”
I narrowed my eyes at the text printed at the bottom of the ticket. I read the letters slowly. The expiration date on these...
“...Hey, the expiration date is almost up.”
“Huh?”
Seung-ah checked the tickets again.
“Uh, uhhh...”
Her pupils darted left and right as she read the text over and over. After a brief moment of silence, she slowly lifted her head.
“...You're right?”
Seung-ah gave an awkward, cutesy smile.
Seriously. What am I going to do with her?
*
The day of the family trip.
We ended up leaving for the trip earlier than planned. Fortunately, we didn't have to change the vacation dates. The very last day of the expiration period happened to be the first day of our vacation, so we were able to use them just in time.
I wasn't sure if I should call this lucky or not. Regardless, it worked out.
“······.”
...That aside.
“······.”
I was currently standing at a rest stop alone with Lee Seung-ah.
“Whew...”
Seung-ah looked like she was about to die. She had severe motion sickness, and it had been a while since she’d traveled a long distance.
“Ugh...”
Seung-ah panted, using my shoulder for support.
— “I feel so fucking nauseous...”
I couldn't hear any "noise" yet, so I guessed she was doing better than she looked. She was just being dramatic. Her Mini-Me was already slumped over her shoulder, though.
“...You really are something else.”
I let out a deep sigh as I looked at her. I couldn't help but nag.
“That’s why I told you to take the motion sickness medicine.”
I knew this would happen when she refused to listen.
“...”
Seung-ah didn't respond. She didn't seem to have the strength.
— “...How was I supposed to know I’d get motion sickness?”
Instead, she grumbled internally.
“What about food?”
“I don't want any...”
“Then go sit outside for a bit.”
“Okay...”
I sat Seung-ah down on a bench in the corner. She slowly closed her eyes. I decided to leave her be; she’d probably feel better after getting some fresh air.
“Where’s Seung-ah?”
My father, who had just finished parking the car, looked around for her.
“She said she’s going to sit on the bench for a bit.”
“Really? What about lunch?”
“She said she’s not eating.”
My father nodded. We headed toward the food court inside the rest stop to settle our lunch. I ordered ramen, and my parents ordered a Korean full-course meal. It was the same menu we always ate whenever we went on a trip.
After a short wait, the buzzer went off. I brought the steaming food back to the table.
“Mmm.”
Slurp— Slurrrp—
As expected, ramen at a rest stop was a special treat. I dug into the noodles with gusto.
“······.”
As I continued my meal, I saw Lee Seung-ah walking in from the distance. She looked around, spotted us, and trudged over.
Screech—
She pulled out a chair and plopped down in the seat across from me.
“Are you feeling any better?”
My mother looked at her with a worried expression.
“Better than before.”
Seung-ah gave an awkward smile. Her complexion had certainly improved. I guess she was okay now.
Slurrrp—
I slurped up the noodles vigorously.
“······.”
Seung-ah stared at me intently. It was a strangely bothersome gaze.
Smack.
Seung-ah licked her lips.
“...Give me a bite.”
“Just order your own.”
“It’s a bit late to order now... I’d have to wait forever.”
Yeah, sure. I figured you’d say that.
“I already ordered an extra one, so go get it.”
“Huh? Really?”
Seung-ah’s face lit up with surprise. Her eyes asked what I would have done if she hadn't wanted to eat.
‘As if you wouldn't eat.’
I had calculated this thoroughly. I could tell her condition by looking at her Mini-Me, but more than anything, I had years of experience. The odds of Lee Seung-ah coming to steal a bite were 100%.
“Hehehe.”
Seung-ah hummed happily as she brought the ramen over.
Slurp!
Look at her. She was eating just fine.
*
“Whoa, what the!”
Before I knew it, Seung-ah was back to her usual self. After one meal, she had completely recovered her energy and was bouncing around.
“The view is insane...!”
She wandered around the room, constantly letting out exclamations of awe.
‘It is pretty nice.’
A hotel built right next to the water park. This was the room where we would be staying until tomorrow. Being expensive, it was on a different level of style. There was a living room, a capsule coffee machine, and... a lot of other things. I guess high-end hotels really are different.
— “Holy crap! This room is huge!”
Seung-ah’s Mini-Me was jumping up and down on the bed. She sure knew how to have fun. After enjoying herself on the bed for a while, she scurried off somewhere else.
“······.”
Hmm.
I slowly looked around. Everyone had gone somewhere; I was alone in the room. I stealthily climbed onto the bed.
I tried jumping.
Boing, boing—!
“Hmm.”
It certainly was soft. Very much so.
“Phew—”
Feeling thoroughly refreshed, I climbed down from the bed. Come to think of it, I saw a cafe in the lobby.
— Lee Seung-ho: I’m going down to the 1st floor for a bit.
After letting my parents know where I was going, I headed out.
‘This is it.’
I arrived at the cafe. The clean, modern interior caught my eye. They sold bread and, of course, coffee. I sent a text to my parents asking if they wanted anything. Everything looked delicious, so I figured I should buy something.
‘I’ll get this, and...’
It was while I was picking out bread one by one...
— “Wow, they even have a cafe...!”
A familiar voice reached my ears. Instinctively, I turned my gaze toward it.
“...?”
I froze in my tracks. A familiar face was there. It was Ji Nuri.
Walking along with an innocent smile, she...
“...”
“...”
...ran straight into me inside the cafe.
Our eyes met for a moment. Ji Nuri blinked blankly several times.
“?!”
It didn't take long for Ji Nuri’s voice to pitch upward.
‘Seriously, what are the odds?’
I narrowed my eyes.
...What the hell was she doing here?
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(!Signpost!)
(Scroll down for AI illustration!)
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(Lee Seung-ah)