Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Seriously. What am I even being so suspicious of?
This was the girl who brought me out here to help me in the first place. If I let myself get paranoid about that, I'd just be the one in the wrong. She was trying to let me experience things in her own way. I had no reason to blame Yu Ha-neul.
Besides, honestly speaking, this wasn't a bad deal for me at all. She's a girl, not a guy, and it's Yu Ha-neul, someone anyone would call pretty without a second thought. Being with her wasn't unpleasant. If anything, it was genuinely nice. I barely had any memories of walking around with a girl in my past life.
"No, of course it was fun."
Hearing that, Yu Ha-neul broke into a quiet smile.
"This is going to melt. Let's eat."
As I picked up my spoon and spoke, Yu Ha-neul nodded.
Well... when you think about it, if we were lovers, this would be a date. If not, we're just hanging out. Back in my old life, even meeting friends didn't always need a big group—we'd just grab drinks, split some budae-jjigae (army stew), or eat gamjatang (pork-bone stew), just the two of us.
Though if you asked me whether a parfait and budae-jjigae are in the same category, I wouldn't have much to say.
Taking a spoonful of the sweet parfait, I rationalized the whole situation away in my head just like that.
*
I tried to pay, but Yu Ha-neul absolutely refused. She argued that since she ate well over half of the parfait, she should pay, or at the very least we should split the bill.
It seemed like we'd never leave the cafe if I insisted on paying, so we finally compromised and split it. You know, they don't call her the female lead for nothing; she was incredibly stubborn.
Then again, I guess that's exactly why male and female leads always end up together after butting heads to the very end.
"Ah, so, um..."
Once we stepped outside the cafe, Yu Ha-neul started talking to me while fidgeting.
Just a moment ago she had been sticking close to me, but now she was walking about half a step behind, stammering like that. It seemed she was horribly embarrassed about getting caught looking up date spots.
...And the way she kept glancing at my arm, it seemed like she wanted to link arms.
Didn't she say earlier, when I asked, that close friends can do that?
If I rejected her here, would that be me declaring, "We are not close"?
I didn't want that. Beyond just thinking I should stick close to her because she's the female lead, I personally didn't want to push Yu Ha-neul away. Even setting aside the whole 'female lead' thing, wasn't she a pretty and kind girl? Honestly, looking at it as friend to friend, she was out of my league.
I lifted my arm slightly, my hand still in my pocket, and spoke.
"You're the one who was looking up places to go. I'd really appreciate it if you could guide me properly."
As I said that, Yu Ha-neul's face lit up instantly. Well, it had already been bright, but that was the feeling I got.
"Right~?"
Saying that, Yu Ha-neul linked her arm through my left one. Then she pressed herself close to me, as if leaning on me slightly.
...Is this really how friends act?
The thought flashed through my mind, but I quickly shook my head. If I couldn't trust Yu Ha-neul in this world, who could I trust? Well, there were about two others I could trust, but they weren't here right now.
"This way!"
Just like before, Yu Ha-neul stepped forward first. My arm was gently pulled along. I moved my feet to match her pace.
It seemed like she still had a lot of places she wanted to go with me.
So it looked like I'd be spending the whole day with Yu Ha-neul.
Well, it wasn't a bad way to spend one of my weekend days.
*
I stayed with Yu Ha-neul for a long while after that, right past lunchtime. By the time I came to my senses, the once-blue sky had been dyed a deep red.
We hadn't done anything particularly special. After walking for a while, we ate tonkatsu for lunch nearby. Having eaten so much since morning, I couldn't manage even half of it, and the rest of the pieces all went into Yu Ha-neul's stomach.
We headed back out to the streets and walked through the city center. Strolled along the path stretching beside the stream, crossed the stepping stones. We peeked into a used bookstore we passed by, and when my feet started to hurt and I sat on a bench, it got too cold so we quickly ducked into a nearby cafe.
Around sunset, we found ourselves back in front of the mansion gates.
She probably started walking in this direction on purpose at some point along the way. It was her consideration for me, since I had to return here in the end.
The main gate was already open. Had the person secretly tailing me tipped them off ahead of time? Or did they already know the gate stays open because no one else is coming back anyway? Neither reason was particularly pleasant.
My mood, which had been so great up until just a moment ago, sank rapidly as I gazed at the mansion far off beyond the gate.
Because once I went back there, I'd be left alone in a place so silent that all of today's liveliness would feel worlds away.
I could empathize with Ye Sa-ra a little now, the one who would have even tried to escape this place in death. I'd only been living like this for barely two months, but Ye Sa-ra had spent years like this since she was nine. She didn't even have any hope. There were no kids like Yu Ha-neul or Lee Su-a to talk to her, and no friends outside of school like Shin So-hee.
Inside the mansion, the staff did not speak to Ye Sa-ra.
"......."
The security guard standing next to the gate was staring this way. Unlike that panicked look this morning, his face was expressionless now. Maybe it was a different person? Or maybe, thinking back to the shock of this morning, he'd just steeled himself not to get surprised again.
The security guard muttered something into the mic attached to his collar. He was probably calling Yang Hye-in. Right, unlike yesterday, I'd been outside since this morning. If he'd been standing there waiting, he must have been on his feet practically his entire shift.
"......See you tomorrow."
As I said that, the strength drained from Yu Ha-neul's hands, which had been holding my arm. Then she hesitated a little and stepped slightly to the side.
"I had fun."
At my words, Yu Ha-neul nodded slightly. She seemed a bit shy. Honestly, I was a little embarrassed to say something like that, too.
But I felt like I had to say it.
"Can I come by again next time?"
"Yeah."
It might actually not be allowed. According to Yang Hye-in, an irregularity like today's would definitely be reported to the Chairwoman. And if it had been reported, the Chairwoman would find some way to clamp down on me again.
If things went wrong, something bad could even happen to Yu Ha-neul.
...I really needed to find whoever was helping me from the outside, as quickly as possible.
"Anyway, see you at school."
At my words, Yu Ha-neul nodded.
"Yeah!"
And once again, she flashed me that bright smile of hers.
*
"You've returned, young lady."
Yang Hye-in, who I ran into on the way to the mansion, bowed politely and asked. I gave a simple nod and walked past her.
For a while, the only sounds were my footsteps and Yang Hye-in's following behind me. There had definitely been cars and people passing by outside the main gate, but weirdly, inside here, it felt completely silent.
A mansion with a heavy atmosphere and stagnant air. The prison that had confined Ye Sa-ra.
Ironically, the doors of this mansion would open without me even having to touch them. It was as if someone was sharing my movements, and wherever I tried to go inside the mansion, the doors would be opened for me.
But Ye Sa-ra couldn't walk out through those wide-open doors. Because there was no one to take her by the hand and lead her out.
"Allow me to take your clothes."
To Yang Hye-in, who said this, I handed over the jumper I'd bought and worn today, along with the shopping bag holding my gym clothes. The rest of my stuff was in the jumper's pockets, so she'd figure that out on her own.
Normally, Yang Hye-in would bow after taking the clothes and go off to attend to her duties. I'd go up to my room and just sprawl out there until it was time for dinner.
I thought today would be the same.
But after taking my things, Yang Hye-in did not immediately go about her duties.
She stood there looking at me for a moment, and then asked in a careful, quiet voice.
"Did you... have fun today?"
Her tone made it sound as if she would have no idea what to do if I didn't answer.
"......."
I stared blankly up at Yang Hye-in for a moment.
Yang Hye-in continued to stand in that spot, as if waiting for my answer. Like she'd made some big resolve.
"......Yes. I had fun."
"......I see."
Yang Hye-in answered as if she was chewing on my reply for a bit.
"Understood. Then."
And after bowing respectfully toward me once again, she turned around and headed off to her duties.
"......."
What just happened?
All I could do was stare blankly at the back of Yang Hye-in's head as she walked away.
*
"Yu Ha-neul... you've finally gone crazy."
Yu Ha-neul, who had returned home, threw herself onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow.
When she'd been buzzing around next to Sara, she hadn't been conscious of it, but on the entire way home, every single action she'd taken today replayed in her head—clearly, vividly, in order. To Sara, who knew nothing about friendship, today Yu Ha-neul had half-draped herself over her arm, fed her food, ordered and shared a menu item together... basically, she'd done almost everything you do on a 'date.'
Of course, to some extent, these were things she had done with her middle school friends too.
Linking arms, popping food into someone's mouth, sharing a bowl of bingsu (shaved ice dessert) together—she'd done things like that plenty of times. But, how to put it... maybe because Sara hadn't shown any discomfort, she felt like she'd really let herself go today.
"Sara won't think it was weird... right?"
She had almost thought it was weird. Though she'd managed to answer Sara's question and gloss over it.
Sara had accepted that excuse, so she probably just took Yu Ha-neul's actions afterward at face value.
"Kyaak!"
Yu Ha-neul buried her face in the bed and kicked her feet wildly. The hem of the dress that Sara had given her, which she was still wearing, fluttered about.
Embarrassing. It was incredibly embarrassing. Honestly, she wasn't even sure if she could look Sara in the eye on Monday.
But she didn't hate that weird, ticklish feeling in her chest. For some reason, she wanted to walk together like this again.
"......Ah."
But in that instant, one crucial fact passed through Yu Ha-neul's mind.
Sara still didn't know the precise distance between friends. So there was a chance she really would believe what Yu Ha-neul had taught her today.
And if she did believe it just like that...
"......Ah......"
Yu Ha-neul's face turned deathly pale.
This was bad.
If things went wrong, Sara might end up doing the very things Yu Ha-neul had taught her today, with other 'friends'!
Possibly while flashing that gentle eye smile of hers that she often showed Yu Ha-neul.
Yu Ha-neul grabbed her head with both hands.
"No way!"
She had no idea exactly what was wrong or why it was wrong. After all, Yu Ha-neul and Sara still weren't anything more than friends. It wasn't Yu Ha-neul's place to just randomly stop Sara from doing something she wanted to do.
But,
Still—
Something about it just really, really didn't sit right with her.
"......."
Yu Ha-neul resolved that when she saw Sara again on Monday, she would have to justify her own actions to her once more.