Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Next Year
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Lately, I've realized that the saying "time passes slowly when you're a kid" isn't entirely true.
Before coming to this world, back when I was a kid, time really did drag on forever. That's how it felt then...
But these days, time flies by incredibly fast.
Maybe it's because my mind is that of a 23-year-old guy who's finished his military service, or maybe...
"Haneulll~"
It's because Seol-i, right by my side, keeps my life from ever getting boring.
Seol-i came running up to me with that adorable smile she always has.
She was in sixth grade now—an incredibly young girl—but she was starting to shed a bit of her childish innocence.
That pretty smile of hers always warmed my heart.
"Seol-i, what is it?"
"What are you doing after school today?"
"After school today?"
I racked my brain for anything special, but nothing came to mind.
"...Nothing, really."
"Then play with me today too!"
She made a face like she had a tail that would be wagging back and forth furiously.
It was cute, but there was something I had to point out.
"...What about your workbook?"
"...Haven't done it yet."
She grumbled and avoided my eyes.
I lightly pinched her cheek and gave her my answer.
"You still have to do it."
"Ughhhh... I don't wanna..."
"I'll come over to your house today and sit with you while you finish it."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Hehe, thanks."
As I fought the urge to pat her head while she grinned bashfully, Yu Seung-ah approached us from the side with a mischievous smile full of playfulness.
"Heyyy~ You two up front~"
"Seung-ah?"
"Yu Seung-ah, what now."
Yu Seung-ah was the type whose image from before had solidified completely.
She'd become a girl who was really good at having fun.
Not in a delinquent way, but more like someone who just enjoyed the moment moderately.
"You two aren't really dating, are you? Honestly, you act like a married couple."
"M...married couple...? Seung-ahhh...!!"
Seol-i's face turned bright red as she couldn't handle the embarrassment and started throwing a tantrum at Yu Seung-ah that looked utterly adorable in my eyes. Yu Seung-ah just giggled, clearly finding it cute too.
"But seriously, are you two not dating? You've been stuck together from first grade all the way to sixth. You got some promise for the future or something?"
"N...no, nothing like that..."
Seol-i kept denying it shyly, and I just nodded along.
"Yeah, nothing."
"Just try saying 'let's date' to me later. I'll make you buy me something yummy!"
I landed a solid counterpunch on Yu Seung-ah, who spoke in a pouty tone.
"If that happens, I'll just buy you tteokbokki from your place. That's the best, right?"
"That's what we eat all the time, pass~"
I watched her make an X with her hands, then turned my gaze back to Seol-i.
But Seol-i kept glancing at me nervously, and the moment I looked at her, she immediately averted her eyes elsewhere.
Why was she avoiding my gaze? Had I done something wrong?
Not knowing the reason, I kept chatting with Yu Seung-ah and Seol-i about this and that.
Right then.
"Hi~ Hi-hi~"
"And now Ji Ye-eun joins the party."
Actually, I had a nickname for Ji Ye-eun.
It was none other than 'Seol-i's Personal Guard'...
"Seol-i, has this guy been bullying you?"
"No, no."
"Really, no?"
"Really no...!"
Because she was so overprotective of Seol-i.
Honestly, even I'd probably do the same.
Seol-i was so pure and kind that if any other kids bullied her, she wouldn't even fight back.
That's why having someone like that around made me feel at ease.
Up until now, Yu Seung-ah had been filling that role pretty well. Since she was the playful type, she handled the guard duty just fine.
But Yu Seung-ah wasn't super tough or anything. Tougher than Seol-i, sure, but just average level?
Compared to her, Ji Ye-eun was hands down the toughest girl in our school. From what I knew, she got into real fistfights with boys at least once a year last year.
Not arguments—actual punches thrown.
Apparently, she'd been doing taekwondo for eight years since she was five, so that body of hers was basically a deadly weapon. Scary stuff.
If the day ever came when I bullied Seol-i, that might be my last day on earth.
Ji Ye-eun's real-deal kick would come flying at me.
After becoming sixth graders, everyone was buzzing with excitement about middle school.
But thinking about middle school just made me tense up.
I couldn't help it—this world... the novel starts from middle school with 'My Boarding House Sister Likes Me Too Much.'
And the first time the protagonist meets Seol-i is in first year of middle school...
The key point is that Seol-i meets him after going to 'a different region.'
Yeah, a different region.
Seol-i moves to a different region for middle school.
From the story's description, it seems less like a transfer and more like she attends middle school there from the start, meaning I don't have much time left with her.
Still, I held onto a sliver of hope.
Seol-i and I had been together from first to sixth grade without ever being in different classes. Not even once.
That kind of thing doesn't happen unless the author intervenes.
In other words, the upcoming plot could be changed by the author too.
I remember clearly—that reply where I asked him to make Seol-i happy.
If the author really intends to do that, maybe he could prevent Seol-i from going to another region altogether.
Clutching that hope in my chest, I tried my best to push middle school out of my mind.
No point worrying about something I couldn't fix anyway.
That's when a clear voice called out to me from the side.
"Haneul."
"Yeah, Seol-i."
"...You okay?"
Seol-i looked at me, blinking her big eyes.
Those eyes were filled with worry for me.
"...I'm fine."
"Hehe. Good."
Seol-i flashed that cute, beaming smile, and watching it made me decide to wipe away all the worries I'd had just moments ago.
Yeah, it'll work out somehow.
Truth be told, I'd done everything I could.
Even though I knew all the material, I pretended to study extra hard to build the image of a 'son who studies well on his own' with my parents.
Thanks to that, I didn't have to go to cram school and could stay glued to Seol-i.
If Seol-i ends up going to the same middle school as me, I can handle all the variables from there.
So all I could do was pray to the author.
Please don't let me and Seol-i be separated.
Please don't let Seol-i meet that oblivious alpha-male protagonist with dead-fish eyes.
If she has to meet him, then at least let me be right there beside her.
With those wishes, time kept passing.
And during that time, I was almost always with Seol-i.
I skipped the fifth-grade training camp with her, stayed at school during the sixth-grade school trip instead of going together, and even joined her for field trips.
For sports days or events, we always paired up on purpose, and when studying, we were almost always side by side.
And not once did the words 'transfer' or 'moving' ever come out of Seol-i's mouth.
Honestly, by November or so, I started feeling relieved.
If a transfer or move was set, they'd have started preparing around then.
On November 11th, I gave Seol-i Pepero as a gift, and up until then, I was pretty secure.
But I overlooked one thing.
The reason the author sent me to this world was because I left a long complaint comment that pissed him off.
Meaning he could smack me in the back of the head at any crucial moment.
Like this.
Seol-i gave me the exact same Pepero in return...
-Drip... drip...
...while shedding tears.
"...Seol-i?"
"Haneul... Haneulll... I'm... I'm moving awaaay..."
The tears she'd been holding back burst out like a dam breaking.
"I don't wanna go... Don't wanna gooo... Waaahhh..."
I immediately pulled Seol-i, who was sobbing with the stick candy still clutched in her hand, into a hug.
And in my mind, I shot a message to the author watching this scene.
You bastard, you really hit me when I was off guard.
Even so, I have no intention of giving up.
I'm certain of it. For Seol-i to be happy, she can't have her heart stolen by the novel's protagonist—that oblivious alpha-male.
The best way is for them not to meet at all. The next best is for me to stick by her side and take care of her.