Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Embrace
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Thanks to Dasom, after the day I hugged Seol-i, the way Seol-i treated me changed just a little.
In truth, it didn't seem all that different. But compared to her usual self, the current Seol-i felt... much more subdued, somehow.
Seol-i was a gentle girl by nature, sure, but not to this extent. Back when I first met her, she was incredibly quiet, but after spending time with me and making other friends, she'd become a lot more lively in all sorts of ways.
Of course, that liveliness only really came out around me and our friends, but that's not the point.
The point is, whenever that lively Seol-i talked to me...
"Ah... Yeah...."
"No...."
"Mmm...."
...she'd switch to these one-word answers.
She even called my name way less often.
What the hell was going on? I didn't even need to think about it.
Why? Because I already knew the reason.
The reason Seol-i seemed to be subtly avoiding me... it was because...
"...I'm avoiding her."
It had to be because I'd avoided hugging Seol-i.
More precisely, because I'd pushed her away from the hug.
If I'd pushed her away because Mom showed up, Seol-i probably wouldn't have gotten this sulky. But I'd pushed her away before Mom even arrived.
It was due to that male physiological reaction I couldn't tell Seol-i about, but admitting that outright was way too embarrassing.
That's why I was racking my brain, slamming my head on the desk like this.
Oblivious to my turmoil, my so-called friends crowded around me, chattering away.
"Hey, soccer at lunch? If you come, we can make teams."
"Soccer, yeah."
"This Kang Haneul guy's a basketball nut, so he'll probably push for basketball."
"Oh, right?"
"Yeah, do it."
"...What?"
"Basketball nut Kang Haneul wants to play soccer?"
My friends were having this conversation, completely clueless about my inner pain.
All I could do was snap back irritably.
"You think I only play basketball? I play soccer too."
"Whenever we pick between soccer or basketball, you always say basketball."
I had nothing to say to that, but since I was itching to vent my frustration, I just grumbled.
"Basketball's just more fun."
"That's why you're a basketball nut."
The conversation was going in circles like a hamster wheel, so I clamped my mouth shut again.
Then my friends started trash-talking me right to my face. Front-stabbing, I guess?
Let's just call it gossip.
"What's his deal all of a sudden?"
"Is it that time of the month?"
"Oh, that day, huh."
"You crazy bastards."
Just as I was seriously about to curse them out, another idiot joined in with something even stupider.
"Must've fought with his girlfriend."
"Oh, that makes sense."
"Girlfriend? What girlfriend?"
They all stared at me like I was an idiot for asking.
"...You and Hyun Seol aren't dating?"
"We're friends."
"Friends hold hands?"
"It happens."
"Bullshit."
The curses flew sharp, but I wanted to refute them anyway.
What me and Seol-i had was... special, right?
Seol-i was my most precious friend, and I was hers.
So holding hands was...
"Guys and girls don't hold hands if they're just friends. Quit your crap."
Okay, yeah, fair point, but still, me and Seol-i's relationship was...
As I floundered, my head a mess, one guy smacked the back of my head with the perfect line.
"When a guy and girl hold hands but say they're not dating, it's either 'We're dating but not ready to go public yet~' or they're basically a couple pretending to just be in the talking stage."
It shut down every excuse I had.
My head hurt even more. It throbbed like I wanted to tear it apart.
What exactly was our relationship? That thought was consuming my mind entirely.
To shake it off, I decided to tackle the immediate problem first.
The immediate problem: the sulking Seol-i.
I had to get her back to normal. But how?
After agonizing and pondering, I finally arrived at one answer.
...I'll just ask Seol-i directly. Straight to the point.
If I ask her outright, she'll definitely give me an answer.
So I'll ask, figure out how to make her feel better, and fix it. We're close enough for that. It has to work.
*
That evening, after dinner with Seol-i, we had a bit of free time before self-study.
Seizing the moment, I asked her.
"Hey, Seol-i."
"Yeah...."
"...I have something to talk about. Is now okay?"
"Something to talk about...?"
"Yeah."
She nodded right away at my words.
"Yeah... go ahead...."
Seol-i still looked upset, but I had to talk anyway.
I gazed at her, my heart pounding.
How long had it been since I'd felt this nervous looking at Seol-i? Probably the first time since we met.
Even so, I had to push through the tension.
I couldn't bear the thought of Seol-i finding me uncomfortable, and I hated this atmosphere.
I wanted to go back to being close friends like before. I wanted to see her bright smile again.
So I had to fix this.
"...Lately, it feels like you're avoiding me. Like you're uncomfortable around me."
"Ah... No, I haven't...!"
"No, you have."
"I haven't, I said...!"
"You have..."
"No!! Ah...!"
She cut me off firmly, denying it.
Then she startled herself, clapping a hand over her mouth.
Her small hand covered her mouth, and I tried to speak to the shocked Seol-i as gently as possible.
"...Really nothing?"
Seol-i just stared at me, saying nothing.
Her face was completely blank. But for some reason... it looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"If it's nothing, I'll just think I was imagining it and move on."
I spoke softly again, and she hung her head, shaking it faintly.
"...It is something?"
-Nod...
Her nod confirmed I wasn't imagining it.
The current Seol-i was uncomfortable around me. Avoiding me because of it.
Now, what was the reason? Time to ask.
I already knew, but I had to confirm I wasn't off-base.
"...Is it because I pushed you away? Last weekend, when we were hugging."
Seol-i's body trembled hard. Flinched, really.
She seemed flustered, so yeah, that was it...
"...Seol-i."
"Yeah...."
"......I'm sorry."
The moment I apologized, she replied.
"For what?"
Hearing that question—what are you sorry for?—I realized the knot in her heart was more complicated than I'd thought.
"That..."
"What are you apologizing to me for?"
"Well..."
"......"
Seol-i stared at me silently, her expression emotionless.
I met her gaze, carefully choosing my words.
Picking words like always, ones that wouldn't hurt her.
...No. That wasn't it. I was looking for excuses.
But I knew those excuses were meaningless, so I just told the truth.
"......Because I pushed you away."
"That's what you're sorry for...?"
"Yeah...."
No matter how I thought about it, that was it. That was all I was sorry for.
Because that was what had caused the knot in her heart.
"Then..."
Seol-i trailed off, then spread her arms wide.
I could say for sure what that gesture meant.
She wanted it. The hug I'd pushed away before.
"...Hug me."
"Right now?"
"Yeah... Hug me quick."
"That..."
I glanced around.
This was school. Our empty classroom, in the corner of the building, so low chance of anyone barging in.
But still, school. A place of learning, not really for PDA.
"Hug me, Haneul."
Ignoring that, she kept pleading, looking like she'd collapse if I didn't hug her now.
"You're not doing it because you hate hugging me... right?"
"No..."
"Then prove it. Hug me now."
Firm, yet fragile. That's the vibe of her voice.
I listened carefully outside the classroom.
Convinced no one was there, I slowly... slowly approached Seol-i.
And...
-Squeeze...
I pulled her small body into my arms, hugging her.
Warmly, tenderly.
I felt her soft skin and her plush, warm body.
So tense I couldn't move, and Seol-i clung tightly to me, still as could be.
After a brief silence, I asked her.
"...Better?"
"......Hug me tighter."
"Tighter?"
"Yeah, tighter... Squeeze..."
I hugged her harder.
Now I could feel her warm, soft body even more clearly. It was so addictive, the sensation numbing my brain, flowing through every inch of me.
To think a texture like this existed in the world.
While receiving that tight embrace, Seol-i asked me.
"You don't... hate hugging me...?"
"No way."
"Then... why'd you push me away that time...?"
"......I'll tell you later."
"It's not because you hate me... right...?"
Hearing her trembling voice, I answered firmly.
"Absolutely not."
"......Then that's fine."
Seol-i seemed satisfied with my answer and hugged me even tighter.
After that, I held back that male reaction as long as I could, but eventually couldn't, so I ended the hug.
Even after, the heartbeat that had grown during our embrace kept pounding.
Of course—Seol-i, the one who'd made my heart race, was still right beside me.
No other reason.