US Trip (7)
US Trip (7)
A-yeon's gaze was fixed on Ha-rin.
Even though A-yeon had gone for a full face of makeup today thanks to Su-a's help.
The Ha-rin standing before her was effortlessly crushing her.
'...Is it even fair that she's that pretty and a chaebol on top of it?'
The quality of the makeup application was on a completely different level.
Even if Su-a had been agonizing over A-yeon's styling for three years.
She was no match for the chaebol Baek Ha-rin, who had spent twice that amount of time just grooming herself.
"...Wow."
Su-a's gaze remained fixed on Ha-rin for a moment.
'Who is she and where did she come from?'
Ha-rin didn't know it, but her appearance was so overwhelming that it made Su-a, a true lesbian, lose focus on A-yeon for a split second.
Feeling a cold gaze from somewhere, Su-a jumped in surprise and lowered her eyes.
'...Did I bring her for nothing?'
There were two reasons for bringing Su-a along.
One was, of course, penance through the induction of jealousy.
The other was for management.
According to Kim Su-a herself, you have to give a carrot once in a while if you want to gaslight someone.
Dohyun had said he had a separate schedule in the US.
So, she had planned to train Su-a a bit more during this opportunity.
But.
To think there was a woman who could make even that Su-a lose focus.
Tsk, A-yeon clicked her tongue inwardly.
"A-yeon-ah... you know I only have you, right?"
Sensing A-yeon's slightly angry mood, Su-a scrambled to defend herself.
'Sigh, what an idiot.'
A-yeon looked at her with contempt, then met Ha-rin's eyes once more.
'...And to think this person is my rival.'
Her self-esteem, which had soared after hitting the self-esteem dispenser next to her, plummeted to the floor.
The existence who had helped Dohyun.
The existence who had helped her get away with her crime with the minimum possible punishment.
She was a third-generation chaebol of a massive corporation, and she was already living with Dohyun, and they were even scheduled to be married.
With a background like that, shouldn't her looks be inferior to hers?
Is it okay for one person to have everything, just like that?
"Are you A-yeon?"
Next to the cowering Su-a, A-yeon also cowered.
Because she had too little self-love to feel jealous.
A-yeon felt an inferiority complex and entered Menhera mode.
"Oh my, she's so cute!"
No, she was about to enter it.
That was, if Ha-rin hadn't suddenly hugged A-yeon.
"...!?"
"So that's why Dohyun is so protective of you. If I had a younger sister like this, I would've sold my soul for her."
Ha-rin started poking at A-yeon's skin.
"Look at how firm her skin is. How old are you this year?"
"Oh? Yes, I'm... tw-twenty."
"You just became an adult? I'm so jealous of your youth. I'm already twenty-four. Even when I turn thirty, A-yeon will still be in her mid-twenties."
Ha-rin lamented.
"I really don't want to get old."
Yoo Seol, who had been watching the conversation from behind,tedly chimed in.
"Young Miss. For some reason, that sounds like a jab at me, someone in her late twenties."
She was the oldest in the group.
"Oh my, you're only that old?"
"'Only'?"
"I thought you were already in your thirties?"
A vein popped on Yoo Seol's forehead.
"Let's drop the formalities and have a go at it."
Yoo Seol had gained the legal right to be rude to Ha-rin after her resignation letter was rejected.
As she approached, Ha-rin immediately hid behind A-yeon.
"Eek, scary. A-yeon-ah, protect your unni."
"...Oh? Yes?"
...What is this person?
She was a type of person A-yeon had never encountered in her entire life.
With a princess-like appearance, she thought she would be haughty and cold.
But instead, she was pouncing like a Golden Retriever.
With Ha-rin's overwhelming sociability and high tension, A-yeon couldn't even find a moment to feel depressed.
"Why are you hiding behind someone younger than you?"
Yoo Seol clutched her own head.
"It's embarrassing. Come out."
"Nope, A-yeon barrier."
"Do you have no sense of shame?"
"Rainbow A-yeon reflection."
"...I really want to smack her once."
A deep sigh escaped her.
"...It's almost boarding time. Please, let's go."
Ha-rin, who had been hiding behind A-yeon, naturally grabbed her shoulders.
"Train departing!"
"Young Miss, please...!"
A-yeon, who had ended up playing train by accident, walked forward in confusion.
Dohyun smiled contentedly as he watched their cute display.
*
Wow.
The two siblings' mouths hung wide open.
The only planes they had ever seen in their lives were tiny dots floating in the sky.
The one they saw right in front of them was far more massive than they had imagined.
"Kids, you know you have to take your shoes off when you board a plane, right?"
"...Noona, how old is that joke?"
Brushing off Ha-rin's prank, Dohyun took his passport out from his chest pocket.
Then, he started looking for something at the entrance.
"What are you looking for?"
"The ticket gate."
Ha-rin's eyes went wide.
"The ticket gate?"
"Don't you scan your passport and go in when you board a plane?"
"Huh?"
"Like when you take the subway."
Ha-rin couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Ahahaha, a ticket gate... he said a ticket gate!"
"...I'm sure the internet said that? That all public transportation has them."
"Ahaha, ahahaha! Why would an airport have a ticket gate, it's not even a boarding gate! Ahahaha!"
"...Stop teasing me."
A-yeon, who had taken her passport out from behind, quietly tucked it away without anyone noticing.
"It's really taking off."
The seats the group boarded were, of course, first class.
The absolute pinnacle of throwing money around, offering priority boarding, spacious seats, and even a private lounge.
Because of this, even if they made a ruckus, it didn't bother the other passengers.
"A-yeon-ah, look at that. The buildings look like dots."
"...Daebak."
As the plane passed through the clouds, Dohyun and A-yeon let out exclamations once again.
"Whoa."
For Ha-rin, it was a sight she saw all the time, so it didn't really hit home.
So, she focused on the side profile of Dohyun, who was enjoying it like a young child.
Seeing the man she liked smiling made her feel bittersweet as well.
"Kids, it takes about 12 hours to get there, so don't wear yourselves out already. You'll be tired later, you know?"
"It takes that long?"
"We're going to the other side of the globe, so of course it does."
Ha-rin, who had turned her head for a moment, spotted Su-a.
Su-a was also blankly looking at someone.
And in the direction of that gaze, A-yeon was sitting.
She said A-yeon was her friend.
She had suspected that she might be another romantic rival appearing with a cute look, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.
She had never had a conversation with this girl.
Ha-rin, who didn't know Su-a's true nature, struck up a conversation.
"Hi?"
"...Hello."
The sound of murmuring conversation could be heard from the side.
Dohyun and A-yeon finally came to their senses and took their eyes off the window.
'Noona is a no-go.'
'Unni is a no-go.'
The siblings, whose intentions were aligned, looked at the person of interest.
Contrary to their concerns, a normal conversation was taking place.
"So, I've been using that product lately. The color payoff is much better than the others."
"...I see."
"I think it would suit you, too."
"Is there anything you think would suit A-yeon well?"
"In my opinion, A-yeon is better off wearing less. Her original features are so good. A bit lighter..."
Actually, Su-a had high feminine charm.
Since she was in the position of seducing women, it was only natural.
Surprisingly, she hit it off well with Ha-rin, who also had high feminine charm.
Deep down, the siblings wished Su-a wouldn't even be able to strike up a conversation here.
But they couldn't reveal her true nature because they didn't want to ruin the travel atmosphere.
'I'll have to give her some training once we arrive.'
A-yeon, who had recovered some self-esteem thanks to Ha-rin's shower of compliments, made a resolution.
Su-a, not even noticing that her spine was turning cold, continued the conversation about cosmetics.
*
It's boring.
I ate the in-flight meal, watched a movie, and even took a nap, but.
There was still a long way to go until arrival.
I yawned and fiddled with my phone, which didn't even have internet.
'I should've brought my Gear.'
It would be perfect to play Phantastia at a time like this.
Unlike the phone, which couldn't be used on the plane, Phantastia could be accessed anytime, anywhere.
I used to think the technology was truly amazing.
But now that I knew the truth, it felt a little different.
Whatever.
It's a game I'll be playing until I get sick of it once I get back from the trip.
'Should I think about Yoon-seo?'
Let's melt the time away by thinking about Yoon-seo, whom I'll be meeting soon.
4 hours until the plane arrives.
2 hours for immigration procedures and visiting the accommodation.
And 1 hour by taxi.
7 hours.
Less than half a day left until I meet Yoon-seo.
'Hmm.'
Suddenly, my heart started to race.
'Crazy.'
Am I really on my way to meet Yoon-seo right now?
I'm meeting her before tonight is over?
Dopamine was surging to its limit in my brain.
My legs started to tremble.
'...I'm so nervous that time isn't moving at all.'
Let's think about memories with Yoon-seo.
The things that happened with her.
The conversations we had in the hospital room.
And the whisper from that day.
Before I knew it, the captain announced that we had arrived at our destination, the US.
We went through immigration and picked up our luggage.
As it was first class, it proceeded smoothly and quickly.
The accommodation was a top-tier hotel that Yoo Seol-ssi had booked in advance.
It was an expensive facility that would make anyone's eyes pop out, but there was no way it would enter my eyes right now.
"Dohyun-ah, the facilities are really nice, aren't they?"
"...."
"...Dohyun-ah?"
"Oh! Oh, yeah, they're nice, yeah."
"He's already lost his mind."
Watching me act restless, Ha-rin-noona puffed out her cheeks.
"Do you like Yoon-seo that much?"
"...That's."
"To think you'd be thinking of another woman while leaving your fiancée behind. Dohyun is a bad man."
Ha-rin-noona laughed playfully and snatched the suitcase I was holding.
"Leave your luggage and go quickly. I'll take care of the unpacking."
"Sorry, noona."
"You don't really have to be sorry."
Ha-rin-noona whispered.
"I booked the same room for you and me."
"...Huh?"
"You can spend your days with another woman, but your nights are mine, okay?"
*
In addition to noona's temptation, A-yeon also sent me sparkling eyes as if she wanted to be with me too, but.
No one could stop my footsteps.
"Taxi."
I am someone who perfectly completed the learning of magic, which is harder than getting into Seoul National University.
I had learned enough English just in case I needed to read papers.
"Please take me to Johns Hopkins Hospital."
The closer I got to the hospital, the more my legs trembled.
My heart, which had been pounding, was now on the verge of exploding.
I hadn't even met her yet, but my nose was stinging for no reason.
What if she was even thinner than the girl who was already thin?
Maybe it was because the last image I saw of her was her pale and bleeding.
I couldn't imagine Yoon-seo being safe at all.
[ Lee Yoon-seo : Where? Where? ]
[ Lee Yoon-seo : When are you arriving? ]
The annoying girl who kept sending messages without knowing how I felt.
I got out of the taxi and stepped into the hospital.
And, guided by the staff, I found Yoon-seo's room.
The single room was closed.
I read the name of the room's occupant written on it.
Lee Yoon-seo
I steadied my breathing and entered the hospital room.
"You're fucking late. Can't you hurry up and get here?"
You were there.
