Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Two People Who Get Along Well
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Kim Do-yoon and Son Chae-eun began chatting affectionately with each other, and watching them, Seol-i said to me in a quiet voice.
"Do-yoon's girlfriend is super pretty."
"Yeah... she is."
"...She's pretty. That sister."
Seol-i said softly, nodding her head slightly.
Something felt a little chilly all of a sudden. Some instinctual warning I couldn't quite place went off in my head.
I never ignored those alarms, so I quickly fired back with a non-denial denial.
"Older women aren't my type, though."
"...So younger ones are?"
"Well, as long as she's not older, I guess."
To be blunt, I'd never really thought about what kind of girl I liked. Not once.
It wasn't like I'd deliberately avoided thinking about it; I just never had the chance to date anyone.
Back in middle and high school, I was too busy taking care of the kids at the orphanage to even consider it. After starting college, I buried myself in studies and part-time jobs to pay for tuition and rent.
In that packed schedule, dating wasn't even an option.
I didn't even have the hope of dating. If I'd had a plausibly handsome face like Kim Do-yoon's, maybe, but mine is just average—nothing special.
This is probably the part where I've gotten the angriest at the author since coming to this world.
Why'd you give me the exact same face as my previous life? Couldn't you at least sprinkle in a spoonful of plausibility?
Look at Kim Do-yoon. When they were character-creating him, it was like they went, "A heaping spoonful of plausibilityyyyyy!" and piled it on.
If I'd even looked 10% like that, I bet I'd have dated at least once in my past life.
Anyway, the point is, I have no idea what my type is—not just in looks, but anything.
Even if Seol-i asked, I couldn't answer.
Meanwhile, Seol-i was glaring at me hard while listening to my words.
It felt like she was trying to figure out if I was telling the truth.
Of course, it didn't faze me. Even if she stared like that, it was no different from a cute hamster glaring.
"Okay, I'll believe you."
And hearing "I'll believe you" like she was doing me a favor made it even funnier. It didn't suit Seol-i at all.
Just then, Kim Do-yoon, who had been outside the cafe, looked our way.
I went out with Seol-i, following his gaze...
"Hello, I'm Son Chae-eun, the one who'll be boarding at Do-yoon's place."
...and met the novel's heroine for the first time.
She was incredibly polite. In the novel, she's described as competent with a slight ditzy side, but right now, she just seemed totally competent.
This must be that mask-like thing.
Actually, that could be part of the character's charm. Ironclad and capable on the outside, but a total ditz around the person she likes. That's a huge moe point, right?
I greeted Son Chae-eun... noona, who had bowed politely to us.
"Noona, hello. I'm Kang Ha-neul, Do-yoon's friend."
"I'm Hyun-seol, Do-yoon's friend too...!"
Seol-i bowed her head deeply.
Seol-a, you don't need to bow that much. You're practically bowing to a teacher.
Maybe reacting the same way I did, Chae-eun noona said to Seol-i,
"You don't have to be so formal... Hehe, looking forward to getting along."
"Yes, me too...!"
"Likewise."
I gave a casual greeting, then parted ways with the two and took Seol-i home.
On the way, Seol-i chatted about Chae-eun noona.
"She's so pretty... Is that why she's dating Do-yoon?"
"I told you, she's not actually dating Kim Do-yoon."
"But you said they were earlier."
"I said it was a joke too."
"No way, they seemed way too close for a joke."
"We're close too, and we're just friends."
"Just friends... Yeah... right..."
Seol-i nodded, then suddenly shook her head vigorously and looked straight at me.
"No, I still think those two are dating...!"
"You think so?"
"Yeah! They're definitely going out!"
"Doesn't seem like it yet... But maybe they'll end up together someday?"
Yeah, if I hadn't shown up, Kim Do-yoon—who rejected your confessions twice—would've ended up with Chae-eun noona.
Of course, since Seol-i has no reason to confess to him now, they might even start dating sooner.
Either way, since Seol-i only saw Kim Do-yoon as a friend, I figured we wouldn't end up with any deep ties to him or Chae-eun.
And that was a perfectly reasonable judgment.
At least, that's what I thought back then.
A few days later, Seol-i showed me something.
"Ha-neul, look at this! This!"
"What is it?"
"Chae-eun unnie drew it! Isn't it amazing?"
...It was a drawing Seol-i got from Chae-eun noona.
A cute hamster drawing, and Seol-i seemed to love it.
Yeah. For the current Seol-i, whose feelings for Kim Do-yoon are just friendly, Chae-eun noona is a great friend.
Pretty, good at drawing, nice personality— an older same-sex friend.
This is turning into a pure friendship route?
Soccer with Kim Do-yoon wrapped up, and somehow, Seol-i came up in conversation.
More precisely, Kim Do-yoon brought her up first.
"Come to think of it, Seol-i's gotten really close with Chae-eun noona."
"Seol-i has?"
"Yeah."
They do seem close. I knew they'd exchanged numbers separately. I remember Chae-eun noona suggesting it first when they met.
But I didn't expect them to talk this often. I figured it'd be occasional chats about Kim Do-yoon.
"So thanks to Seol-i, that noona's made a close same-sex friend here. She didn't have any when she first came."
From what I know, Son Chae-eun is sociable and makes friends right away in the new area.
So the "friend" Kim Do-yoon means must be something deeper, a closer bond.
If I had to compare, maybe like Seol-i with Ji-yoon, or Seol-i with Yoo Seung-a.
Thinking about it, it actually suits Seol-i's personality more.
She doesn't make many friends, but gets super close with the few she has—the human capybara Hyun-seol who pours her heart into them.
"I'll pass on the thanks for you."
"Cool, thanks."
After hearing that, I headed straight to Seol-i. Since he'd asked, I should relay it.
Seol-i was sitting quietly, reading a book.
It was from the recommended teen reading list— one of those novels that looked too tough for me, so I never read it.
Our Seol-i has loved reading since she was little. Still does.
I mentally apologized to the friend in the seat ahead of her, sat there, and stared right at Seol-i.
A moment later, she suddenly looked up at me.
"You scared me... Say something if you're here, Ha-neul."
"You were too into your book."
"Thanks for waiting."
She smiled softly, slipped in a bookmark, closed the book, and looked at me.
"What's up?"
"Oh, Kim Do-yoon said thanks. For being friends with Chae-eun... noona."
"Is that something to thank me for...? Chae-eun unnie probably has tons of friends."
"That's what Do-yoon said, anyway."
"Okay... got it."
I lightly asked Seol-i, who nodded,
"So... what're you doing today?"
"What do you mean?"
She looked into my eyes and asked back, so I answered casually.
"You coming to my place?"
Lately, Seol-i's gotten close with Chae-eun noona, hangs out more with Ji-yoon, sometimes with Yoo Seung-a and Ji Ye-eun too.
So I asked if she'd hang with friends after school.
Seol-i answered right away.
"Of course I'm coming. Our Da-som's waiting."
I was a little surprised watching her bright smile.
Even with new and old friends getting closer, she comes to our house every day to watch Da-som and hang out with me.
I'd worried it might tire her out, or that she might stop coming soon.
But she even said "our Da-som" and insisted on coming.
She gives so much to me and my family. I'm grateful.
"Don't come if you're tired."
"I'm not! Da-som's too cute, and playing with her is fun..."
She trailed off a bit, fiddled with her hair lightly, then smiled even brighter.
"And you're there too, Ha-neul."
She answered with a smile so bright it made me happy just seeing it.
Watching her like that, a smile crept onto my face too.
I was so thankful for our Seol-i smiling back at me, so grateful this girl was my friend.
And since being with her made me happy too.
Maybe I'd gotten so used to Seol-i that I'd fallen completely for Hyun-seol the person.