Chapter 203

Once I pulled myself together and stepped out of the room, the atmosphere was deeply strange.

It had been reasonably noisy out here before, but when I came out, everything was oddly quiet. It didn't seem to be because I'd suddenly gone full Sara. The moment I opened the door, people's eyes were trained on the main entrance, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not on me.

Had someone arrived?

Or maybe they'd been watching someone important leave. I didn't know who.

During the early part of the party, Sara had been the one in the body, so I genuinely didn't know most of the people who'd come.

I scanned the room to get a read on the situation and caught Ha-neul's eye across the way.

I flinched for a second, but mercifully, Ha-neul's expression was different from the one she'd worn when she confessed.

Though maybe "mercifully" was the wrong word. Unlike that moment when she'd looked ready to soar into the sky, Ha-neul now wore an intensely grave expression.

And it wasn't just Ha-neul. Su-a, standing beside her, looked the same.

So did Nam Da-un.

.......

Ah, right.

I'd personally handed an invitation to Nam Da-un and invited him, and then I hadn't exchanged a single greeting with him. Not on purpose; I'd been so preoccupied with everything happening that it had slipped my mind entirely.

......Had Sara greeted him in my stead? I really hoped so.

Ha-neul's gaze shifted toward me, then Su-a's, then Nam Da-un's. So-hee was nowhere to be seen; I didn't know where she'd gone. Same for Yang Hye-in.

Following those three sets of eyes, the rest of the room's attention turned toward me.

These weren't the furtive glances of people who'd been waiting for a chance to approach me during the party. They were weighty, serious stares. And most of them came from adults who looked like Yujin Group affiliates, not students in red.

"Now, now."

Someone clapped their hands a few times. The sound rang out loud and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clear, and all eyes shifted toward the source.

Ye In-hyeok...... Sara's so-called "uncle."

"The party has been underway for several hours. Wouldn't this be a good time to begin wrapping things up?"

Nobody answered, but a current of agreement ran through the room. Truth be told, even if the party continued, the awkwardness probably wouldn't fully de-Sara-fy itself anyway.

"Sara."

"Yes?"

His eyes landed on me without warning, and I replied, startled.

"The guest of honor ought to close out the party."

He extended a hand as he spoke, and I glanced back toward Ha-neul and Su-a.

Both of them gave me a small nod, so I drew a quiet breath and walked over to Sara's uncle.

Every gaze in the room followed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me. Honestly, the weight of it was a lot to bear.

Realistically, how many of these people had ever actually seen my face? Not just mine, even if you added up everyone Sara had known throughout her whole life in this body, only a tiny fraction would be familiar faces here.

People who'd shown zero interest before, only rushing over once the chairwoman was on the brink of falling.

Of course, they probably had their own circumstances. Duties to uphold as members of their families, or maybe they were just following whatever was written in the former Yujin Group chair's will or last testament, something like that.

But that didn't mean I had to sit here and personally empathize with each and every one of them. From Sara's perspective, it was the same.

Not that I could go and smash all those relationships to pieces right here, either. That would cause its own problems.

When I reached Sara's uncle's side, at least most of the attendees could see me. The guest list was substantial, but the lobby was equally vast, and there was plenty of space between people. Even with Sara's small stature, I could manage to survey the crowd well enough.

"Thank you all for gathering here today to celebrate my birthday."

I looked around and chose my next words carefully. I wasn't going to burn bridges on the spot, but I still needed to deliver a warning and leave them with something to think about.

And there was one bit of material that suited that purpose nicely.

"Truthfully, there are so many people here I've never met before. I hadn't realized 'my side' was quite this——"

I let the sentence hang for the briefest moment and glanced toward the cluster of students in red standing off to one side. Following my eyes, the room's attention turned in the same direction.

My side.

The group that, among everyone here, would be most firmly on my side.

I know which side I'm looking at. The people I'm meeting for the first time today? I obviously can't trust them.

I'm not sure if the audience picked up on that thought, but it didn't matter if it didn't reach everyone. I only needed to single out the ones who'd definitively stand with me, with Sara.

"——this large."

Some people met my eyes. Others discreetly avoided them. They all understood what I was saying.

"I hope we can continue to maintain such positive relationships going forward. Once again, my sincere thanks to everyone who gathered to celebrate my birthday. I hope you can enjoy the remainder of your time until you head home."

I dipped my head slightly as I finished, and a ripple of soft applause followed. It wasn't so much that few people were clapping; it was more accurate to say they were clapping cautiously, keeping the sound small.

When I'd said my piece, I looked up at "Uncle." He nodded and spoke.

"Everyone, as Sara said, please enjoy the remaining time."

Of course, the remaining time was the sort of window where dragging things out offered no real benefit. I had no intention of making any more official moves.

As I shifted my gaze, Yang Hye-in entered the edge of my vision.

......I hadn't seen her at all until I came out of the room. Where on earth had she been hiding?

I gave Yang Hye-in a tilt of my chin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠when our eyes met. She bowed her head slightly, then walked toward me.

I didn't wait for her. She'd follow right behind me anyway.

I sent a look toward Yu Ha-neul and Su-a, standing in the distance, and they both nodded back.

When I looked at Nam Da-un, who stood beside them, he simply shrugged his shoulders once, then gave me a small wave.

Looked like she planned to head straight home.

I did wish she'd change back into her own clothes before she went, if possible.

I gave Nam Da-un a small wave in return.

Then I turned away without lingering and headed toward the second floor, where my room was.

And that was how the chaotic birthday party finally, barely, came to an end.

*

"If any of the students I personally gave invitations to are still here, could you gather them for me?"

"Yes, understood."

Back in my room, I spoke, and Yang Hye-in, who'd been sticking close behind me, answered with a polite bow.

Unless someone was as brazenly bold as Nam Da-un, they probably hadn't gone straight home. They'd most likely still be at the party, just watching each other's cues.

I figured I should at least say a word of thanks for their trouble. From their standpoint, it couldn't have been the kind of party where they could relax and enjoy themselves.

And then—

I looked at Ha-neul and Su-a, who had followed me in.

Both of them blushed when our eyes met.

But the reactions themselves were a little different. Ha-neul beamed brightly at me, while Su-a fidgeted and averted her gaze.

......And once So-hee, who wasn't here right now, showed up, this whole situation was going to get a lot more complicated.

In one day, not even half a day, not even a quarter of a day, barely a single hour, I'd received confessions from three girls.

And I didn't just hear the confessions. Every single one of them had kissed me.

When I'd just been standing there doing nothing!

And even though the party was over, the whole affair wasn't over for me.

......Because we'd agreed that after this party ended, we'd hold a separate, proper birthday party just among friends.

......How was I supposed to get through this cleanly?

I had no idea.

I'd never in my life been loved by this many girls at once, so I genuinely had no clue.

I'd spent my whole life watching harem rom-coms and cussing out the male lead, but now that I was in the middle of one myself, I didn't know what to do.

And it wasn't just these three. Sara, who was currently passed out, would absolutely not stay quiet when she found out about any of this.

I'd landed in a situation where I couldn't run—whether I was awake or asleep.

So I—

"Hold on. The work isn't over yet...... Once we're done, let's talk properly."

——opted, for now, to put off dealing with this.

Right. I still had a pretext. The kids from school hadn't all left for home yet, and I'd already asked Yang Hye-in to gather everyone in one spot.

So...... I still had a little time. A very little.

I needed to come up with a decent idea in the meantime.

......Whether I actually could was another question.

"Okay!"

Admirably, Ha-neul replied right away.

"Got it."

Su-a was no less admirable.

Would So-hee be this cooperative, too?

She'd probably answer.

So-hee was still a "minor," after all. Right?

......The moment the thought crossed my mind, a chill ran down my spine.

What was this feeling? Like I'd just become prey.