Chapter 88: The Valley (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: The Valley (1)
“...”
Lee Sol stared at her phone, her eyes never wavering.
She couldn't quite process the situation. Understanding the facts was one thing, but empathizing with them was an entirely different matter.
Sol read the text message she had received over and over again.
“Ah...”
As she finished the message for the umpteenth time, a soft sigh finally escaped her lips.
Nuri is with Seung-ho?
Her nerves, which had been blissfully relaxed just moments ago, were now pulled taut.
A family trip?
Sol reflexively clutched the edge of her blanket. It was an incredibly enviable situation.
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped her. It was absurd. This was a complete coincidence—not something that could be planned. It was nothing more than a stroke of pure, accidental luck, and yet it wasn't something she could even hope to replicate.
“...”
Sol slowly pushed herself up from the bed. She wondered what might have happened between the two of them at their destination. The thought nagged at her so much that she couldn't stay still.
Step, step.
She eventually came to a stop in front of the mirror.
“...”
Her reflection stared back. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her frumpy pajamas were stretched out. She looked exactly like someone who had just rolled out of bed.
“Ah...”
Sol brushed her hand over her mouth with trembling fingers. Had she become too comfortable just because it was summer break? She looked like a mess. She looked downright shabby.
This won't do.
Sol bolted upright. Just because they had gone to a movie and the ice rink once, she had become far too complacent. It was pure negligence. Not to mention Shin A-young, even Ji Nuri was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
At this rate...
She would definitely be pushed aside. They were not opponents she could afford to let her guard down against.
“Whew...”
Sol placed both hands on the mirror, leaning her face in close. Even her appearance, which she considered her only real advantage... in the current situation, it didn't feel like much of an advantage at all.
And for good reason.
Because those two are pretty, too...
Beauty was relative. Even compared to her, those two didn't fall behind by much. No, in other aspects, they were actually...
“...”
Naturally, her gaze drifted downward.
“Ugh.”
Sol bit her lip in frustration, her fists clenching tight.
Something...
She needed a change. More than anything, it was time for a major step forward. She had something in mind—something she had been debating for a long time.
“...”
Sol set her worries aside for a moment and walked into the living room. She saw her mother sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a book. As Sol hovered nearby...
“Do you need more allowance?” her mother asked without looking up.
Sol shook her head vigorously. “No, it’s not that...”
“...”
At that, her mother placed her teacup on the table and adjusted her posture. She looked as if she were bracing herself for something.
“...Is there something you want to say?” she asked cautiously.
“...”
Sol fell silent for a moment.
Let’s just ask.
No matter how much she thought about it, this was the only way. There was no one else to ask. Besides, she figured her mother would give her the most honest answer.
Yeah, let’s ask.
Just once. After all, there was no harm in just asking.
Sol took a deep breath before speaking. “Mom. What would you think if I cut my hair short?”
“...”
Her mother blinked several times. “...Sol, what on earth are you talking about?”
*
“...”
I stood blankly in front of a convenience store by the subway station.
Meem— Meem—
The cicadas were buzzing noisily. I was starting to think those insects were the very definition of noise itself.
Slurp, slurp—
This time, a sound came from the opposite direction.
Slurp, slurp, slurp—
It was the sound of Ji Nuri and Shin A-young eating ice cream.
“...”
Today was the day the Counseling Club was going on a trip. That was the reason I was here with them. We had agreed to meet the others at our destination, but since we were all second-years, we decided to travel together.
“It’s so hooot...”
Ji Nuri, who had finished her ice cream before I knew it, began to whine. I couldn't even blame her.
...It really is hot.
It felt even hotter than last week. It was definitely the peak of summer.
— “Sol is late...”
Shin A-young’s Mini-Me checked her phone. Actually, it was just that we had arrived earlier than the appointed time. If I had known, I would have come out a bit later.
But as they say, speak of the devil.
“Seung-ho...!”
Just then, I heard Lee Sol’s voice. I turned around, glad to see her.
“Oh.”
I froze mid-turn, my head tilted up. I was quite surprised by Sol’s appearance. The other two had similar reactions; their faces were masks of pure bewilderment.
“What? You cut your hair?!” Ji Nuri’s voice spiked in shock. “It was long when we went to buy swimsuits together!”
“I didn't cut it; it’s a wig,” Sol replied calmly.
“Oh, really?”
“My mom stopped me. She told me to try it out before actually cutting it.”
No wonder her hair, which used to be closer to gray, looked more like pure silver now. So it was a wig.
“...Nothing happened, right?” Nuri asked with a worried look.
“...”
Sol looked at Nuri and nodded. For some reason, her response was slightly delayed. “It’s nothing big. I just wanted to change things up for a mood boost.”
Sol lightly ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes constantly glancing over at me.
“...Why? Does it look weird?”
“It’s fine. It suits you well.”
I nodded in agreement. It definitely gave her a cleaner, sharper impression than before. She looked professionally groomed, giving off a real model vibe.
“...”
At my answer, Sol gave a small nod.
— “Thank goodness...”
Her Mini-Me let out a sigh of relief.
“...Shall we go now?”
I had been so surprised by Sol’s change that I’d forgotten we needed to move. We had a long way to go—subway, transfer, and then a bus to reach the valley.
“You took your motion sickness medicine, right?” I turned to Sol, asking just in case.
“Ah.”
— “Ah.”
At that question, Sol and her Mini-Me flinched simultaneously.
— “I was too focused on fixing my hair...!”
The Mini-Me shook like a rattling car.
I figured as much.
I let out a silent, hollow laugh. Bad premonitions always come true. It was a good thing I brought some extra.
“Here.”
I pulled the motion sickness medicine out of my backpack and handed it to Sol. Her eyes widened.
“...Thanks.”
She took it with a small smile. Even if her appearance changed, Sol was still Sol. People don't change that easily.
*
Screech—
We stepped off the bus.
“I think this is the place...”
I looked around and lost my words. It really was the countryside. Grass, trees, and dirt roads. A long mountain path stretched out ahead of us.
“I guess we have to walk from here.”
I checked my map app. It looked like we had to head straight up.
— “...I hate this.”
— “...Ugh.”
Sol, who hated walking, and Nuri, who was vulnerable to the heat, both looked miserable.
“Come on, we only have a little further to go.”
Shin A-young was perfectly fine. Instead, she encouraged the other two. Perhaps due to her regular exercise, she followed behind me energetically.
......
“Are we there yet?” Sol walked with staggering steps.
“We’re almost there.”
“...You said that earlier, too.”
“This time for real.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” I gestured forward with my chin.
“Oh, hey guys!”
Senior Min-ji, who was setting up a tent, waved at us. She ran over with excited steps.
“Wait, what?!” she shouted as soon as she saw Sol. “Sol, you cut your hair?”
“It’s a wig, apparently.”
“Oh, really?”
Despite Senior Min-ji’s fuss, Sol nodded calmly as if it were no big deal. It was a stark contrast to her timid behavior from earlier. She even did a little twirl to show off her look. Senior Min-ji clapped happily at the display.
“...”
As I watched the scene with a bit of disbelief...
— “Hehe, he’s going to be so surprised, right?”
The Mini-Me’s voice drifted over on the wind.
“Hey, Kim Seung-ho!”
Grab!
I reflexively caught the arm reaching out for me. Just as I was about to tighten my grip...
“Whoa, whoa! It’s me! Me!” a frantic voice called out.
I instantly let go. It was someone I knew.
“Wow, I can't even play a prank on you anymore. You’ve grown so much! How have you been?” The guy greeted me while rubbing his arm.
“What? Hyung, why are you here?” I gave him a welcoming smile.
“Yuna came here too. Oh, she’s over there. See her?”
“Oh? You’re right.”
Tug, tug—
Just then, I felt someone pulling on my sleeve.
“...Who is he?” Sol whispered with an awkward expression.
“Ah...”
Come to think of it, they wouldn't know who he was. I formally introduced him. “Meet the former Club President from last year.”
“Hi, I’m Kim Jiho.”
“““Hello.”””
The trio bowed their heads at different intervals. I turned back to Kim Jiho.
“But what brings you here?”
“What do you mean? Your President called and asked me to come.”
“Pardon?”
“You need a guardian if you’re going to be using fire and stuff, right? And it would be awkward to call your parents.”
Ah. I guess that made sense. I understood the situation immediately.
“I’ll be over there on a date with Yuna, so you guys just have fun. Only call us when it’s time to eat.”
I paused at his words. “...Wait, are you two dating?”
“Ah... yeah, well, um. That’s how it turned out.” He nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“Oh. Well, have fun then.”
As if he were too shy to talk about it further, he hurried away. He was walking quite fast.
“Wait, what?” I stared at the back of his head, dumbfounded. “Did you know, Senior Min-ji?”
“No, I just found out today too.”
“Really?”
“I had no idea the Counseling Club jinx would continue like this!” Senior Min-ji crossed her arms and let out a short laugh.
“...A jinx?” Ji Nuri showed interest.
“Oh? You guys don't know?”
“Because you never told us.”
“Did I not?” Senior Min-ji scratched her head and continued casually. “It’s nothing much... There’s just a jinx in the Counseling Club that the President and Vice President end up together.”
It was probably a very old story. The former President—meaning, back when the senior who just graduated was a freshman—apparently, the President and Vice President at that time had also ended up together.
“I thought the cycle broke above us, but I guess not.”
Because the former President and Vice President hadn't dated before they graduated. In fact, they were known for not getting along very well.
“I really didn't think those two would date...”
“I know, right?” Senior Min-ji nodded. Her eyes grew distant as if she were reminiscing. “They spent the whole year bickering constantly.”
Maybe they grew fond of each other through their petty fights. I never expected that going to the same university would lead to this. I guess you really never know how life will turn out.
“...?”
Just then, I heard the Mini-Me’s muttering. When I looked back, a strange atmosphere was already thick in the air.
— “Ah...”
Shin A-young, who wasn't in the Counseling Club, was darting her eyes around in confusion.
— “...Vice President.”
Sol was curling the corners of her mouth up with a low murmur.
— “Are they going to make me the Vice President? That sounds like a hassle...”
Ji Nuri was busy worrying about unnecessary things.
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(Short hair wig ver. 1)
(Wig off ver.)
(Short hair wig ver. 2)
(Short hair wig ver. 3)