Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Saturday #1
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After the parade ended and the amusement park closed down, we all went our separate ways.
Thanks to Seong Yurin’s help, we were able to get dropped off right in front of our homes.
A long day had finally come to an end.
For some reason, it felt about three times longer than any other day.
I finished getting ready for bed and lay down.
Tomorrow, I was meeting up with Hong Yeonseo—we’d made plans right before parting ways.
She’d been so thrilled about it that she practically jumped for joy, which made me feel kinda guilty for putting it off this long.
By the way, what should we do tomorrow?
Hong Yeonseo would probably like something active, right? Or maybe just browsing sportswear or sneakers together wouldn’t be so bad.
As I mulled it over, my phone rang.
I’d been fiddling with it anyway, so I checked the caller right away.
It was Hong Yeonseo.
I sat up, leaning against the wall, and answered.
"Jin, whatcha doing?"
"Lying down, about to sleep."
"You sound wiped out today. Your voice is all low."
And yet yours is so full of energy even this late at night.
Hong Yeonseo’s voice was so distinctive that if I closed my eyes, I could picture her face just from the sound.
She was always so spirited, it was impossible to imagine her looking deflated.
"Why’d you call? We already set the spot and time for tomorrow."
"Aw, c’mon, too businesslike. You gonna rattle off the details and hang up?"
"……."
"Fine, fine. Nothing big, but… you into table tennis by any chance?"
"Table tennis? You play that too?"
Of course, it was hard to imagine Hong Yeonseo sucking at any sport that got her moving…
"Yeah. The gym I know has a table. Wanna give it a shot?"
"Sounds good. But you went to a gym?"
"Ah~ Before school started, we couldn’t use the school facilities, so I did for like a month."
"Ah, gotcha."
Dawn High’s setup was way beyond most gyms, no contest.
But you had to be an enrolled student or staff to use it.
Even though she’d moved into the dorm early as an incoming student, looks like facilities were off-limits.
Pretty strict about it.
"Then bring comfy clothes and shoes! Got it? Oh, and the gym’s got showers and changing rooms, so don’t sweat it."
"Got it. So, what after table tennis?"
"Eh~ I picked one thing, so you pick the next."
……She sure knows how to leave me speechless.
"Alright. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah~ Bye-bye! Night~"
I hung up and flopped back down.
Table tennis, huh. In my past life, I played it until I was sick of it back in the military.
………Ha. Speaking of which, I’ve gotta do military service all over again.
As that forgotten nightmare crept back into my busy mind, my phone rang again.
Hong Yeonseo once more. What now? Something she forgot?
"Hello."
"Yes~ I’ve answered."
"……."
"Kidding! Pfft."
"Why’d you call?"
"Ah! Jin, you. I said goodnight first, and you just hung up? You gotta say it back!"
"…Yeah, goodnight."
"Yeah~ You too, night~"
This time, she hung up on her end.
She really sucks the energy right out of me.
Conversations with someone that full of vim and vigor are exhausting.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Hehe."
Hong Yeonseo clutched her phone and giggled.
"It didn’t come off too clingy or anything, right?"
Not that Seo Ijin gave it a second thought.
Wondering if she shouldn’t have called back, she grabbed fistfuls of her blanket.
"What’s that? Your boyfriend?"
"Ugh, it’s not like that."
Her dorm roommate from the bunk below piped up.
"Not your boyfriend, and you’re on the phone that long? Geez."
"Mind your own business."
They weren’t exactly on great terms usually.
Meanwhile, stung by the roommate’s jab, Hong Yeonseo replayed the call, wondering if she’d sounded too casual.
Ughhh—
She writhed in regret under the covers as her bickering with the annoyed roommate dragged on into the night.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Yo! Seo Ijin!"
The next day, as I headed to the meeting spot, Hong Yeonseo spotted me, waved, and strode over.
Honestly, at first I thought she was just some random redhead.
She looked so different from her usual self.
"Whoa. You let your hair down."
"Heh. Whaddya think? Suits me?"
Hong Yeonseo had her usually tied-back hair loose, for once not bothering with the practical ponytail.
It wasn’t like super long straight hair, but it went great with her white tee.
And she looked taller, too.
Up close, the heels with her jeans actually added height, and her whole outfit made her tower even more.
"Uh…. Yeah, suits you."
"Right? When I put in the effort, it’s like this~"
She shrugged with a smug grin.
"So, what’s the big occasion for dolling up like this?"
She stared right at me in response.
"Hmm……."
Her intense gaze made me step back a bit.
She snickered.
"Then figuring out the answer to that is today’s homework. Hit me with it before we split."
"What kinda homework is that…."
"If I don’t spell it out, you won’t even bother thinking about it."
Thinking about it, huh….
As I started mulling it over for real, she cut in.
"Anyway, lunch first. Burgers sound good!?"
"I’m down, but don’t you do like a diet or something?"
"Psh. Haven’t you seen me eat? And on days like this, diet or no, you gotta indulge."
Recalling her usual eating habits, I got it immediately.
I followed her lead.
But she breezed past a familiar fast-food chain and ducked into an alley.
"Where we headed?"
"Artisan burgers! Been dying to try this place."
The gap between us narrowed as she shoved her phone screen in my face.
A fresh fruity scent hit my nose.
I ignored it—acting like I noticed would be weird—and focused on the phone.
The map app was open, guiding the way.
A few taps, and the shop info popped up.
"Whoa. Ratings are sky-high."
"Right? Gets you curious, huh?"
"Yeah. Let’s check it out."
I’d been expecting run-of-the-mill fast food, but the stars and reviews had me hyped for real deal burgers.
About five minutes later, following her lead, the shop entrance came into view.
The vibe screamed anything but your typical Korean alley joint.
More like some cozy Western bistro in rural Europe.
"Ooh~ This place has some serious style."
I just nodded at her impressed tone.
But what really jumped out first was the line snaking out front.
"Kinda packed, huh."
Small place like that, turnover’d be slow, and there were already a few groups ahead.
"No helping it. But we’ll be in within 30 minutes, easy."
We joined the queue for burgers.
No chit-chat, so I killed time scrolling empty notifications.
Then she leaned in and whispered.
"Jin."
"…Yeah."
"The folks ahead? Everyone but us is coupled up."
I glanced up—yep, definitely pairs of guys and girls all cozy and close.
"……But to the people behind us, we probably look the exact same."
…….
A line had formed behind us at some point.
Uh...
"M-Maybe. You’re standing too close. Back up a little."
"What’s the big deal? Hate looking like my boyfriend?"
"Not… hate it. Just figured you might feel weird."
"Why would I?"
"……."
She’s got a knack for shutting me down.
I didn’t wanna launch into some ramble about how I don’t measure up to her—that’d just tank my self-esteem—so I stayed quiet.
"I’m… fine with it."
"…Huh?"
"Nothin’. Never mind."
She murmured softly as she eased back from me.
Her words got lost in the rustle of fabric, barely audible.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ‘I-Is this okay? Don’t look too obvious or anything, right?’
Hong Yeonseo worked to steady her racing heart.
Face isn’t flushed, is it?
She snuck peeks at her reflection in her phone’s dark screen.
‘Anyway, the ceasefire’s done.’
The makeshift alliance—half-joke, half-serious—among her, Lee Sea, and the other two had crumbled yesterday thanks to Lee Sea’s move.
Lee Sea turning down Yoon Jiu’s confession had quietly reset all their dynamics.
Meaning, Lee Sea could up and confess to Seo Ijin any second now—maybe after a drink or whatever.
…Nah, she probably doesn’t even touch booze.
‘Sigh. Gets me jittery every time. Ugh, why am I the one sweating this?’
She stole a glance at Seo Ijin.
To her smitten eyes, even him idly messing with his phone looked effortlessly cool.
‘No wonder they say the one falling hard has it rough.’
She’d spent her life getting crushes and affection from guys, never dishing it out, so all this felt clumsy as hell.
Still, giving up? No way.
‘Hmph. A catch like me? Third or fourth choice? As if.’
She nodded to herself, convinced, and fired herself up all over again.