Chapter 9: I’m Telling You, It’s Not Like That
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: I’m Telling You, It’s Not Like That
*
“...Ugh.”
My arms were throbbing again.
I really needed to do some stretching. I stopped in my tracks, set my school bag down, and began a light routine, pulling my arms across my chest.
“Argh... seriously, this is killing me.”
I must have overdone it yesterday. I practically passed out the moment I finished showering last night.
“...Maybe I should’ve taken it easy.”
But I couldn't help it. The thoughts of Shin A-young’s club senior had been weighing on my mind. I couldn't just ignore that "real deal" comment he’d spat out.
It was impossible not to care. Unlike spoken words, there are no lies in a person's inner thoughts. That’s why they carry so much more weight.
“...I wish I were just a little bit taller, though.”
I pressed down on the crown of my head, letting out a sigh of regret. I was on the shorter side compared to other guys my age—about 168cm. Since the average height for a high school boy is around 173cm, I definitely wasn't tall.
Still, it’s not like my growth plates have closed yet. Last year, I was 162cm. I’ve grown since then, so maybe I’ll have a massive growth spurt this year.
— Throb!
“Ugh...”
Another bolt of muscle pain shot through me. I’d definitely pushed myself too hard. From now on, I needed to stay within my limits. I just wanted to get to school and sit down...
“Meow~”
Just then, I heard a cat.
Could it be Chun-sam? He was the stray that lived in the school’s backyard. As it happened, I was right near his usual hangout. The last time I saw him was last year, so this would be the first time seeing him this term. It had been a while.
“Is he over here...?”
Following the sound, I turned the corner into an alleyway. The first thing I saw was a black guitar case. A female student with a brown bob cut, wearing the case on her back, was crouching down and looking at something.
“....”
That profile... no matter how I looked at it, it was Ji Nuri.
“Come here~ Meow~”
She was waving a piece of foxtail grass, calling out to a cat perched in the corner of a stone wall. Her eyes, which usually had a sharp edge to them, were soft and gentle. Her expression was a complete departure from her usual self.
...Let’s just pretend I didn't see this and move on.
Hop—
Chun-sam stood up and trotted toward me with light, nimble steps.
“Ah.”
Ji Nuri let out a disappointed sound as she watched Chun-sam suddenly bail. Her gaze naturally followed the cat—right toward where I was standing.
“....”
Our eyes met perfectly.
“?!”
Seeing me, Ji Nuri jumped in shock and bolted upright. The tips of her ears were already turning bright red from embarrassment.
“O-Oh, uh...”
— [Why is he coming out from there?!]
Ji Nuri’s flustered thoughts reached me loud and clear. Honestly, I wanted to say the same thing.
— Meow!
Regardless of the tension, Chun-sam rubbed his head against my leg. After I’d given him Churu a few times last year, he’d decided I was his personal snack dispenser. It was the desperate struggle of a stray cat wanting a treat.
I gently stroked his head.
“Hey, Chun-sam. Long time no see. You’ve been doing well, right?”
Ji Nuri looked puzzled. “...Chun-sam? Do you know this cat?”
“Yeah. He lives in the school backyard. He started remembering me after I played with him a few times.”
He was a wary fellow who usually stayed hidden, but for some reason, he was out in the open today. I looked at her with a knowing gaze. “I guess you like cats?”
Ji Nuri gave a slight nod. “...Not that much. Just a little?”
— [I freaking love them.]
Right, she freaking loves them.
In that case, I figured I’d do her a favor.
“Up we go.”
I lifted Chun-sam up. His body stretched downward like melted cheese.
“...Hey, did you gain even more weight since I last saw you?”
I was surprised by his heft. A heavier load than expected traveled up my wrists, making my sore muscles tingle. What has he been eating? It felt like he was living a more luxurious life than I was.
— Meow!
I can’t read the thoughts of animals, but that cry sounded offended. I nudged Chun-sam toward Ji Nuri.
“Want to try petting him?”
“Huh? Is it okay?”
“He’s just a bit timid. As long as you don’t grab him too hard, he won’t scratch.”
“....”
Ji Nuri silently locked eyes with Chun-sam. I saw her gulp. She carefully reached out a hand and began to stroke his fur as if she were handling a newborn baby.
Soft, soft.
Ji Nuri covered her mouth with her hand.
— [Whoa...! The texture is insane...!]
She looked even more satisfied than I expected. After a little while, she finally pulled her hand away, looking content. Then, she took a wet wipe out of her bag and handed it to me.
“Here, a wipe.”
“...Oh, thanks.”
Just because a cat is cute doesn't mean it isn't dirty. Her practicality was very on-brand for her personality.
Wait, what time is it?
“Let’s go. We don’t have much time left.”
We’d spent too much time here. There were only about 15 minutes until the bell. We had to leave now to make sure we weren't late.
The moment I tried to step out of the alleyway...
Tug!
My body was pulled backward. Ji Nuri had grabbed my bag and yanked me back.
“?!”
What was going on? She was pressed right up against my back. It was a situation that could easily be misunderstood, but...
— [...I came out early on purpose, and I still run into them here? Sigh... please just pass by quickly...]
Reading her thoughts, I knew it wasn't anything like that. She was hiding from someone. Following Ji Nuri’s gaze, I saw a pair of students—a boy and a girl—walking toward the school.
I recognized them.
‘Those two are definitely in the Band Club with Ji Nuri...’
I couldn't remember their names, but I knew their faces. They had performed on stage during last year’s school festival.
“Phew...”
Once they had completely disappeared from sight, Ji Nuri let out the breath she’d been holding.
“...Ah.”
Did she only just realize how close we were? Ji Nuri let go of my bag and stepped back, creating some distance.
“Sorry. I startled you, didn't I?”
“...A little?”
It would be a lie to say I wasn't. Ji Nuri looked sheepish and averted her eyes.
“I’m really sorry. There were... circumstances.”
She looked like she found it difficult to talk about. I wasn't particularly curious, anyway; she clearly had her reasons. I gave her a light nudge.
“I get it, so let’s just hurry. We’re actually going to be late at this rate.”
“Ah, right. Let’s go...!”
Relieved that I wasn't going to pry, the tension in her face vanished instantly.
— [...He’s not asking what happened. Is he being considerate on purpose?]
“....”
A slight misunderstanding has occurred.
It was just that I’d already heard everything through her thoughts, so there was no need to ask.
Fortunately, we weren't late. Since we’d walked briskly, we even had a little time to spare. When I entered the classroom, I saw kids gathered in small groups, chatting away.
Ji Nuri went over to Shin A-young, who was sitting at her desk.
“Hi, A-young~”
“You’re here? You’re a bit late today.”
“...Yeah, something came up,” Ji Nuri replied vaguely. It seemed she couldn't bring herself to say she was late because she was playing with a cat.
Shin A-young didn't push it; she just gave a small smirk. She looked like she had a rough idea of what had happened.
“....”
Then, Shin A-young shifted her gaze toward me.
“...Seung-ho, you two came in together?”
“Oh, yeah.”
I replied and tilted my head slightly. Something was off. There was a slight sense of dissonance in Shin A-young’s expression.
“....”
She was smiling, but she wasn't smiling. It wasn't even that I’d read her thoughts; it was just plain to see. From her—someone who usually never showed dissatisfaction—I could feel a visible sense of discontent.
It was as if she were showing me her true face. It felt like she had intentionally let her mask slip just a tiny bit.
And then, she abruptly turned away from me.
“?”
Seriously, what was it? Didn't we get a bit closer while playing games together yesterday?
— [...See if I ever text him first again.]
Suddenly, I heard her inner thoughts.
“....”
What was that about? It was definitely directed at me.
A text? I pulled out my phone to check. I didn't remember getting a text from her...
“....”
Wait, I did. And it was a message I’d already "read."
I must have fallen asleep while checking my phone last night; I could see her message in the chat history marked as read.
...So that was why she was acting like this. Because the text she went through the trouble of sending had been left on read.
“....”
I looked up at Shin A-young again. She was chatting and laughing with others, but the moment she looked at me, her expression sank. She timed it perfectly so that only I would notice—just a tiny bit.
She was clearly showing me she was sulking. Leaving her like that seemed like it would only lead to more trouble later.
“Shin A-young.”
“...What?” Her reply was laced with bluntness.
“I saw you sent a text. I was pretty tired yesterday, so I think I fell asleep while checking it.”
At those words, Shin A-young froze. It seemed she hadn't considered that possibility.
“...Oh.” A small exclamation escaped her. She tried to recover as naturally as possible. “Ah~? So that’s what happened~?”
— [What, so that was it?]
Fortunately, her expression returned to normal in an instant. Her mood seemed to have cleared up already, as the corners of her mouth relaxed.
That was a relief. I’d solved that much more easily than I expected.
“....”
Ji Nuri, who had been watching the situation from the side, sucked in a breath.
— [...What’s with this atmosphere? They’re on texting terms? Could this be...?]
I’m telling you, it’s not like that.