Chapter 90: The Valley (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 90: The Valley (3)
I quickly changed into my swimsuit and headed back out.
Calling it a swimsuit was a bit of a stretch, though—it was really just a pair of shorts and a black cotton T-shirt.
‘...They’re really going at it over there.’
I spotted two figures in the distance: the former President and the former Vice President. They were far enough away that I couldn't see them clearly.
Since this was technically a bonding trip, they were likely keeping their distance on purpose so the new members wouldn't feel awkward.
"?"
Step, step.
I heard footsteps behind me. It was the current President.
— "Wow, that looks really good on her. The other ones were okay, but this color is definitely the best!"
The President’s Mini-Me was making a scene all on its own, giving enthusiastic double thumbs-up.
"...?"
I watched silently to see what he was up to.
— "Is that too much? Maybe I should be more natural..."
The Mini-Me shook its head and muttered to itself.
'Ah.'
I realized what was happening. He was practicing how to react when he saw Senior Min-ji in her swimsuit.
So he actually worries about things like that. Well, it was certainly better to have a planned reaction than to just stand there gaping like an idiot.
— "Ssshh..."
He seemed lost in thought, agonizing over how to make his reaction seem spontaneous.
'Are the girls not out yet?'
There was still no sign of them emerging from the changing area.
Splash, splash—
I dipped my feet into the valley water first.
"Whoa..."
The water was colder than I expected. But because the weather was so sweltering, it felt refreshing rather than freezing.
I waded deeper. Before I knew it, the President had followed me in.
"The water's pretty deep, isn't it?"
"Must be because of the rain over the weekend."
The water reached up to my hips.
"Wanna race?" the President suggested.
"What kind of race?"
"To see who can get over there the fastest. Oh, and no walking allowed halfway through."
That meant we had to swim the whole way. Looking at the distance, it was actually quite a stretch.
"Are you confident?"
"I'm a decent swimmer."
"Alright then."
I nodded. I didn't have anything else to do anyway, so it was a good way to kill time.
"Hmm... it's a bit boring to just do it for nothing. How about a bet?" the President added.
"A bet? Like what?"
"How about ice cream?"
"Is there even a mart nearby?"
"Ah, right."
Realizing he hadn't thought that through, the President fell back into contemplation. Was there anything else...?
I glanced around and said, "Then how about the loser has to make the watermelon punch?"
"Oh, that’s a good one."
The President nodded. Someone had to make it anyway, so we decided to settle it between the two of us.
We lined up at the starting point.
"We go on three."
"Okay."
"Ready..."
I slowly crouched down. As I braced my heels to lunge forward—
— "I should start before he hits three."
I heard him mutter.
"..."
Wow, this guy.
...
"Huff, huff..."
— "Damn, that was exhausting..."
The President gasped for air as he hauled himself out of the water.
"...You really didn't hold back, did you?"
He spoke while panting, looking up at me. He’s only a year older than me, yet he was acting like an old man.
Having arrived first, I handed him a water bottle.
"Wasn't it a bet?"
"Sigh... yeah."
The President took a swig from the bottle with a bitter expression. To his credit, he didn't try to ask for a best-of-three. Or maybe he was just too tired to even try.
"Phew."
He collapsed into a camping chair as if his soul had left his body. Looking at him, it seemed like the latter.
Trudge, trudge—
I saw the girls walking toward us from a distance, chatting loudly as they approached. I called out to the lounging President.
"Senior Min-ji is coming."
"Oh, really?"
The President bolted upright. He was instantly in "reaction mode."
Is this the proper mindset of a boyfriend? I should probably take notes.
'...Oh.'
My eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Lee Sol's swimsuit. I was momentarily distracted.
'What kind of outfit is...?'
What was that design? There was a zipper in a very strange place. How was it even structured inside?
A natural, structural curiosity arose within me.
As if noticing my gaze—
— "...Nice."
Her Mini-Me let out a small, proud puff of air through its nose. It triumphantly placed its hands on its hips.
I took a sharp breath at that reaction. It seemed she had come out today with a very firm resolve.
"..."
Meanwhile, the President managed to keep his eyes fixed solely on Senior Min-ji. Impressive, truly.
The water play had been going on for a while. Lee Sol sat by the water's edge, watching the scene quietly.
Squeal—
The sound of boisterous laughter filled the air. Everyone was having a great time.
"..."
Shin A-young was over there, completely preoccupied with Ji Nuri and some fish they'd found. She looked quite busy.
Step, step—
Lee Seung-ho walked out of the water, dripping wet, and took a sip of a drink. As she watched him, their eyes met.
He tilted his head and asked, "Are you okay not going in the water?"
He seemed concerned that she was just sitting there by herself.
"..."
If she was going to do it, now was the time.
"...Then."
Lee Sol slowly stood up. She swallowed hard, a strange tension flickering within her.
"...Seung-ho."
Lee Sol carefully called his name.
"Yeah?"
"Could you... maybe put some sunscreen on me?"
"Huh?"
"It's just... I can't really reach the corners of my back..."
She felt like her tongue was going to get tied in knots. Even as she spoke, a taut tension followed her words.
"Oh, then—"
"Here."
She moved first. Lee Sol quickly pressed the sunscreen into his hand.
"...Y-you can put it on here."
She turned her back quickly before he could say anything else. She reached up to her nape to sweep her hair aside, but her fingers only cut through the air. She felt a sudden sense of emptiness.
Right. She had a bob cut now. She placed her lost palm against the back of her neck instead.
"..."
A long silence followed.
"Are you almost done...?"
A slippery sensation traveled up her lower back. The sunscreen touched her skin.
'Ugh...!'
Her face grew hot. She tensed her fingertips. His hands were longer and colder than she had expected. Was it because of the sunscreen? Or were his hands naturally cold?
"There, all done~"
A strange tone of voice. Tap, tap— her back was lightly patted.
"?"
A question mark naturally popped into her head. It was a delicate voice, but it wasn't Lee Seung-ho's.
Lee Sol blankly turned her head.
"I applied it very thoroughly."
Long black hair fluttered in the breeze. Shin A-young was standing there.
"Sol, your skin is really smooth. What do you usually put on it?"
"...Nothing. I don't put anything on."
Lee Sol smiled, though her eyebrows were twitching. She thought her timing had been perfect. She had anticipated Shin A-young's interference and specifically waited for a moment when her rival's attention was diverted.
It seemed A-young had been keeping an eye on her subconsciously the entire time.
"Whew..."
It’s okay, Lee Sol comforted herself. It wasn't like this was the only opportunity.
It was lunchtime. Actually, everyone had been so busy playing that it was a bit of a late lunch.
"Everyone, let's eat!"
The former President shouted as he started the fire at the campsite.
"Okay—"
At his call, the members of the Counseling Club emerged from the water one by one. Lee Sol also moved her splashing body. Her expression was somewhat dazed.
"..."
In the end, she hadn't succeeded at a single thing. Not when they were eating watermelon punch, nor when she tried to put sunscreen on him in reverse. The situations just didn't align.
Between Shin A-young's gatekeeping and Ji Nuri's innocent charm, making an appeal was proving to be incredibly difficult.
"..."
Sizzle—
Meat was cooking deliciously on the grill. There were three burners in total: one for boiling ramen and two for grilling meat. Lee Seung-ho was in charge of one of them.
"Mmm~ It really tastes better eating outside...!"
Ji Nuri popped a piece of meat into her mouth, a happy smile spreading across her face.
"..."
Lee Sol watched her with a pout. Lee Seung-ho was working busily, yet Nuri was just eating meat without a care in the world.
"..."
Wait. Lee Sol's movements slowed down.
"..."
...No. This was it.
A brilliant idea struck her, and Lee Sol's eyes widened. She quickly picked up her chopsticks.
Plop, plop—
She placed pork belly, ssamjang, a chili pepper, and rice on a lettuce leaf and rolled it up neatly. Round and round. Done. A delicious-looking wrap was made.
"Seung-ho."
She called his name softly. The recipient was, of course, already decided. Lee Sol hesitantly approached him as he busily grilled the meat.
"Eat this."
"Oh, thanks."
He took the wrap with one hand. She had wanted to feed it to him, but he took it before she could. It was disappointing, but this was enough for now.
Lee Seung-ho stuffed the wrap into his mouth.
Chew, chew—
"..."
Lee Sol watched him silently. His cheeks, puffed out with food, were cute.
As he was chewing—
"Ack!"
Lee Seung-ho's eyes narrowed.
Cough—!
Cough, cough—!
A series of coughs erupted from him.
"Huh? What??"
Lee Sol stood up in a panic. She scanned the table for something to drink.
"Wait, wait, water...?!"
"Here, here!"
Shin A-young hurriedly handed him a bottle of water. He gulped the water down.
"Phew...!"
Only then did he look like he could breathe again.
"Whoa—that pepper was really spicy."
"...Was it that spicy?"
"A little?"
"..."
The corners of Lee Sol's eyes drooped. Seeing him laugh it off and say he was fine only made her feel more guilty. Even this hadn't gone well.
"Ugh... I'm so full..."
"You know you'll gain weight if you lie down right after eating?"
Lee Sol half-listened to the conversation between Ji Nuri and Park Min-ji as she put down her utensils.
"..."
The messy, cluttered table felt like a reflection of her current mood.
"Shall we decide who's doing the dishes? Fair and square, the loser of rock-paper-scissors does it."
"How many people are we picking?"
"Hmm... maybe just two?"
The former President couple, who had prepared the meal, and Lee Seung-ho were excluded. The remaining members reached their hands forward.
""Rock, paper, scissors!""
Hands came down quickly.
"...Ah."
With a short sigh, Lee Sol looked down at her scissors. Everyone else had put out rocks.
...
"Phew... Sol, good job."
The dishes were finally finished. Park Min-ji shook her hands dry. She was the other person who had lost the bet.
"Yes..."
Lee Sol's fingertips felt numb. She had forgotten to bring rubber gloves, so she had to put her hands in the cold valley water. Maybe that was why the plates didn't even feel properly cleaned. Eating had taken an instant, but the dishes felt like they took an eternity.
"..."
Murmur, murmur—
The sounds of the others chatting drifted from a distance. They were having such a good time.
"Let's just move these and head in ourselves."
"Okay."
Lee Sol stacked the clean dishes. Once they carried them to the tent, they would be done.
"Heave-ho..."
Wobble, wobble— She walked with a large pot clutched in both hands. The weight made it difficult to move as she wanted, likely because of her awkward posture.
"Ah."
Slide—
Suddenly, her wig slipped down. Maybe the pins holding it had come loose. It slid down diagonally, blocking her vision. She couldn't see ahead and couldn't walk properly.
"Ah... ugh..."
She tried twisting her head this way and that, but once the wig had shifted, it wouldn't return to its original position.
"..."
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The wig was hotter and more stifling than she had imagined.
"Sigh..."
A long-suppressed sigh finally escaped her. What was wrong with today? It felt like one of those days where nothing went right.
Swish—
The hair that had fallen over her face was suddenly lifted upward.
"...Oh, thank yo—"
Just as she was about to thank Park Min-ji.
"..."
Lee Sol's eyes widened. The person reflected through the gap in her hair was not who she expected.
"..."
With a stoic gaze, he was looking down at her just as he always did. He blinked as if examining something, then—
"Come here for a second."
Lee Seung-ho took the dishes from Lee Sol's hands and turned around.
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