Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Why.
Why did I wake up feeling completely unrested?
Well, to be fair, Ye Sa-ra's body was especially weak in the mornings. In my previous life, I also wasn't the type to wake up bright-eyed, but Ye Sa-ra's body, which seemed to be in somewhat poor shape, was even more prone to this.
Even after getting up, it took me ages to come to my senses. Even after showering, I kept sitting there in a daze while Yang Hye-in dried my hair.
Still, by the time I ate breakfast, my head would usually clear, and by the time I reached school, I was functional enough to manage daily life without major problems.
But today, I felt like I'd dragged myself out of sleep paralysis.
First of all, both my arms were incredibly damp. The sleeves of my pajamas were soaked, as if I'd sweated profusely all night.
The rest of me was the same. My stomach and chest were damp and clammy, the fabric clinging to my skin, not a pleasant feeling. Two of the buttons that had been done all the way up to my neck were now undone. Did I undo them in my sleep because I was hot?
My hair, which Lee Su-a had so lovingly touched last night, was sticking out in every direction.
......Was it that hot last night? Or did I maybe have a fever? Without any memory of the night, I couldn't really tell.
Groaning, I pushed myself up. The three others who had slept in the same bed last night were already dressed.
Compared to my sleep-paralysis state, their faces were absolutely glowing.
Not that they weren't glowing to begin with.
Still, seeing them look so full of life even in the morning made me think they must all be very diligent people.
"Oh, you're up?"
Seeing me sit up in bed, Shin So-hee greeted me. She was just finishing buttoning her shirt and had probably washed up not long ago. Her hair looked roughly dried, but the ends still seemed a little damp.
"Ughhh."
I meant to say "Oh," but thanks to the dry morning humidity, what came out of my parched mouth was that pathetic sound.
"You okay? Are you feeling really unwell?"
Fully dressed, Yu Ha-neul leaned in to look at my face and asked. Without hesitation, her hand landed on my forehead. It was warm.
"Hmm~ you don't seem to have a fever."
Yu Ha-neul said, withdrawing her hand. My forehead must have been disgustingly clammy, slick with sweat.
"We still have time. We woke up a bit early, so you could lie down a little longer—"
Lee Su-a, who was tying up her hair, was in the middle of saying that when—
A beeping sound came from the door, followed by a ding, and the door slid open.
"Young lady, it's about time you were waking—"
And just then, Yang Hye-in, neatly dressed in her maid uniform, walked through the open door and stopped short.
She saw my hair, far wilder than usual, and my pajamas drenched in sweat, and she closed her mouth tight, as if she'd lost all words.
Then she turned her head and gave the three other girls a long, pointed look. Perhaps uncomfortable under that gaze, they all averted their eyes.
"Ughhh."
The sound that came out of my mouth as I tried to answer Yang Hye-in was, once again, that sound.
*
In the end, she must have deemed me incapable of washing myself, because it took everything I had to dissuade her from promptly hauling me into the bathroom. Honestly, I'd been completely out of it right up until that moment, but the thought of possibly having to bathe with Yang Hye-in brought my mind sharply back.
No matter what, I wasn't mentally ready to bathe with another woman. And first thing in the morning, no less? I'd be lucky if I didn't end up strangely excited.
Not that I could possibly overpower Yang Hye-in or anything, but, how should I put it, the conscience deep in my heart was screaming that I shouldn't profit from this situation.
......Though, to be honest, it hadn't said a peep last night.
Anyway, I was embarrassed. Getting dressed was one thing, I could just not look, but bathing meant the other person would actually have to touch my body.
Receiving Yang Hye-in's worried gaze, I shuffled into the shower room and turned on the water. Still, by the time I was done showering, I'd almost completely regained my senses.
When I came out after a rough wash, Yang Hye-in was already waiting with a hairdryer and a comb in her hands. Having seen Lee Su-a touch my hair yesterday, the other girls looked as though they wished they could do it themselves, and they now watched Yang Hye-in with slightly wistful expressions.
In truth, Yang Hye-in doing my hair at night was the normal routine, but yesterday she hadn't come in, perhaps out of consideration for that I had friends over.
Had she decided that, even so, a professional should handle the morning grooming?
As Yang Hye-in brushed my hair, I squinted my eyes, and the remaining three girls stared straight at me.
......It was a little embarrassing.
*
Naturally, the four of us ate breakfast together.
No conversation flowed. The morning meals here were delicious, but not the kind of grand affair served in the evenings.
Plus, with the servants standing nearby, it was hard to chat comfortably. In a situation like this, only a person who'd lived their entire life in this atmosphere would be completely unfazed by the servants.
......To name an example, Ye Sa-ra.
But that didn't mean nobody opened their mouth.
"Young lady."
Just as the meal was wrapping up, Yang Hye-in addressed me.
"Yes."
I quietly set down my utensils as I replied. My plate was nearly empty, so it seemed fine to finish.
"......Last night, a call came from the Chairwoman."
And at her next words, I froze solid.
The soft clinking of forks and knives, still faintly audible until then, stopped dead at the same moment.
With a stiff movement, I turned my head and looked up at Yang Hye-in, who had at some point drawn close beside me. Her eyes were closed and her back was slightly bent. She was striking a pose straight out of a comic, exactly like a maid delivering a message to her master.
"What message did she leave?"
I'd never met the Chairwoman in person. At most, I'd had an extremely brief phone call. She hadn't contacted me separately after that.
......Could it be because of some news article, or because something I'd done at school had been reported...?
"She said she wished to reschedule the appointment originally set for April 1st to this Saturday. She intends to visit in the morning."
"......."
My jaw dropped.
"This... Saturday?"
"Yes, that's right. And—"
Yang Hye-in straightened her back. She opened her eyes and looked around at my three friends in the dining room as she spoke.
"She also said that it would be nice if she could meet your friends, if that were possible."
"......."
For a moment, no sound was heard in the dining room.
*
"Well, it's not like we can't go."
In front of the mansion's main gate, Shin So-hee said. Her outfit was the same one she'd worn when she entered the mansion yesterday. An unbuttoned school shirt, cardigan, and a short uniform skirt. But because she'd worn the clothes as they were for two days, they did look a little more wrinkled.
"She's just saying we should drop by and have a quick chat. Right?"
Out of the four of us, Shin So-hee was the only one who went to a different school. Her school was even in the opposite direction, so dropping her off by car was awkward. Shin So-hee said it wouldn't take long to walk from here, though.
"Yeah...... I doubt it'll be a big deal... probably."
Ha-neul said quietly, as if trying to reassure me.
"......."
Lee Su-a was silent, seeming lost in thought.
As for me...... Yeah, honestly, in my opinion, if something is going to blow up, it's sure as hell going to blow up spectacularly.
Threatening, persuading...... these are all things you can do without making someone sit in front of you. The fact that she intends to do it in front of me, no, in front of 'Ye Sa-ra', is a clear signal that she means to break Ye Sa-ra's will for good.
"Well, then."
Shin So-hee shrugged her shoulders at me once and said,
"Yesterday and today were fun. Next time, let's hang out properly. The four of us could grill some meat or something."
"Oh, right! The yard is plenty big!"
And the servants would have a fit.
"That sounds fun......."
Lee Su-a's eyes were already sparkling.
......At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if this mansion is going to become their personal playground.
Well, it's no skin off my nose.
"Sure. Alright then. Next time, let's plan it properly and have fun. And maybe bring proper clothes for it while you're at it."
"......."
"Hello?"
Why is nobody responding to that last part?
Did they not hear me?
*
In the end, all four of us piled into the car. Perhaps because she couldn't exactly put two guests in the front passenger seat, Yang Hye-in sat there.
Because of the driver and Yang Hye-in, we didn't have any real conversation in the car. I stared blankly out the window, and Ha-neul and Lee Su-a were both lost in their own thoughts, silent.
"......Take care."
"Yes, we'll be going now."
Receiving Yang Hye-in's send-off, we entered the school entrance.
As we walked side-by-side, people kept glancing around at us. Had another article gone up? Or perhaps word of how we'd acted all day yesterday had already spread.
Well, we did brazenly do that during class...... and I even sprayed water on the teacher's head. Just thinking about it makes my face burn. Honestly, anyone who didn't pay attention to me at this point would have to possess superhuman mental strength.
And, well, that's actually what I was aiming for.
The attention of one or two people can be blocked. Whether you spend money, pressure them with power, or coax them.
But you can't stop the attention of a crowd. You might be able to somehow block an entire school, but as the stories inevitably leak outside, as students who can't hold back their rumors babble to the outside world, the difficulty of suppressing them rises exponentially.
Even if you take down the articles, there's a high chance someone saved the photos that were posted. Unless you're going to control the entire internet, there's no helping the rumors from circulating.
In fact, the reason the students inside the school stay quiet probably isn't so much because each one was paid off, but more because one 'representative case' was made of what happens if you act in a certain way. Like the child mentioned in Ye Sa-ra's will, who used to be close with a young Ye Sa-ra and then simply disappeared.
The more you have to lose, the less you welcome such an ordeal happening to you.
I was walking along, hyper-aware of the kids' stares, when I felt someone's hands touch both my arms.
Ha-neul and Lee Su-a were linking arms with me. Very boldly, as if they were aware of the surrounding eyes.......Actually, Lee Su-a looked a little embarrassed, but she didn't seem to have any intention of pulling her hand away.
Yeah, well. This works.
There are only a few days left until this weekend, but making it so the whole school can't ever ignore me is now—
"Wait just a moment!"
—only a matter of time.
"......Huh?"
Wait, did someone just talk to me?
Inside this school?
I stopped walking, turning my head toward the source of the sound.
From a distance, a person with a faintly bluish tint to her long, straight hair was huffing with fury and striding toward me.
Since she was a Hwayeong High School student, her uniform was the same as ours,
but on her left arm was a fancy armband with the large letters 'Disciplinary' written on it.
......From the Student Council?
They're showing interest in me now?
It seems the events of yesterday really did have an incredible effect.