The Heroine's Little Lie
They say luck is a fickle thing, waxing and waning beyond human comprehension. Because it is entirely out of our hands, people often say it is wisest not to let ourselves be swayed by every little stroke of good or bad fortune.
Yet, there are always those rare individuals. It is as if everyone is allotted a fixed amount of luck in life, and they either find themselves blessed with an endless stream of fortune, or...
"Kyaaa...!"
...plagued by a relentless torrent of misfortune.
Jo Ayoung was, without a doubt, the latter.
The atmosphere between them hadn't been bad. Though things had been a bit awkward at first because of that minor... incident during lunchtime, they had quickly regained their usual rhythm, chatting about club activities as they walked home together.
But of all times, right as they turned the corner of the alleyway, preparing to part ways and head to their respective homes—
"Meow~"
A black cat suddenly leaped down from the top of a brick wall, jumping straight toward Ayoung.
It is only natural for anyone to flinch and dodge when an object suddenly flies toward them. Ayoung instinctively jerked her head back and took a hasty step backward.
The problem was that her trailing foot caught on a protruding stone.
She had no idea why these things always happened to her. It was as if the universe harbored a personal grudge; whenever she did anything, things had a way of spiraling into the worst possible outcome, uniquely targeting her.
Just like right now.
Ayoung flailed wildly, trying her absolute best to regain her balance and avoid a fall.
Unfortunately, she was naturally clumsy, and despite her desperate efforts, her center of gravity rapidly tipped toward the hard pavement.
...It was hopeless.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she braced her hands against the ground, bracing for the inevitable impact.
But at that exact moment...
Flump.
"...Ha, Hajun."
Hajun, who had been walking a short distance away, had rushed over in an instant and caught her falling body with his own.
"..."
"..."
They were so close their faces almost touched.
From that intimate distance, Hajun stared blankly—or rather, glared with a deadpan expression—at the black cat as it scurried away into the distance.
"Are you okay?"
Once the black cat vanished around the corner of the alley, Hajun's stiff expression softened, and he looked down at Ayoung with deep concern.
Feeling that warm gaze—a look she felt he reserved only for her—Ayoung couldn't help but lean into his comfort.
"I was so scared..."
It wasn't an exaggeration. Her heart had truly leaped into her throat when that creature suddenly lunged from the wall.
Thump-thump.
But now, her heart was pounding for an entirely different reason.
She remembered hearing some advice in the past: if you are so overwhelmed with stress that you feel like crying, try hugging a nearby doll. They said it would make you feel a little better.
Back then, whenever something terrible happened at home, Ayoung would find solace in hugging her stuffed rabbit. But now, she was being comforted not by a simple toy, but by the warm embrace of a real person.
Perhaps that was why she wanted to act spoiled and seek comfort over an incident she would have normally brushed off and stood up from if she were alone.
She didn't know why. It was just what her heart wanted.
Fortunately, Hajun didn't push her away. Instead, he held her close and asked gently, "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"
The moment she heard his voice, a lie slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"M-my foot... it hurts a little..."
In truth, it didn't hurt much at all. While she had tripped over the stone, Hajun had caught her before her feet even properly hit the ground. But...
"Where? Your left foot? Or your right?"
When Hajun knelt down with a serious expression and began to inspect her leg, a tiny... just a tiny bit of greed flared up inside her.
"Ah, your right foot?"
Ayoung squeezed her eyes shut and put on a pitiful, pained expression.
"Hold on a second."
Without a shred of suspicion, Hajun gently slipped off her sneaker and began to carefully examine the supposedly injured area.
"How is it? Does it hurt?"
Feeling a faint thrill of pleasure from his warm touch on her bare skin, Ayoung nodded.
"Y-yes, it hurts."
At her response, Hajun even slid off her white sock to check the overall swelling of her ankle.
"It doesn't look like a major injury, but..."
Ayoung's heart skipped a beat at those words, fearing her lie had been exposed.
"Still, there's a chance you might have strained a ligament, so it's probably best to be as careful as possible until tomorrow morning."
Hearing his follow-up, she let out a silent sigh of relief.
"...Okay," Ayoung replied, carefully reading his expression.
"Up we go."
Hajun straightened his knees, stood up, and asked gently, "How is it, Ayoung? Can you walk?"
Ayoung hesitated for a moment, tentatively placing her foot on the ground before immediately lifting it back up with a soft whimper.
"Ugh... it hurts."
It had started as a simple act, but because she kept telling herself it hurts, it hurts, it actually began to feel painful. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look as though she was on the verge of crying.
Seeing this, Hajun reached out with a worried look.
"This won't do."
Is he going to help me walk?
Since this was exactly the kind of scenario Ayoung had hoped for, she smiled inwardly, preparing to accept his support.
"Ayoung, get on my back."
But Hajun went a step further, bending his back in front of her and offering a piggyback ride.
O-oh no, what do I do?
The unexpected turn of events threw Ayoung into a state of utter panic.
She had only imagined him draping her arm over his shoulder or holding her hand to support her. She never expected a piggyback ride.
"N-no... I'm fine," Ayoung stammered, lowering her head as if she couldn't possibly bring herself to do it.
"Ayoung, my back is going to hurt if I stay like this. Hurry up."
Urged on by his gentle prompting, she finally reached out with trembling hands and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hold on tight. It's dangerous."
"...Okay."
At his instruction, Ayoung pressed her chest flush against his back and wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Alright, let's go."
Hajun took hold of her bare thighs and began to walk forward with slow, steady steps.
Oh my gosh, what am I doing?!
Ayoung, is it really okay to get a piggyback ride when you aren't even hurt?
But Ayoung had already crossed too many lines to let a guilty conscience make her ask to be put down now.
Feigning ignorance, she buried her face in his back and whispered softly, "...Hajun, is it not too hard?"
Unable to see his face, she heard Hajun reply in a playful tone, "Well... you are a bit heavy."
Ayoung's face flushed bright red.
"A-ah... Should I get down?"
As she squirmed in embarrassment, Hajun tightened his grip on her thighs—firmly enough to leave a faint mark—and whispered softly.
"...I'm kidding. You're not heavy at all."
At those words, her face burned even hotter.
"R-really?"
"Yeah."
"Really, really?"
"Yeah, really. You're not heavy at all."
She didn't care anymore...
She knew she was a grown adult and shouldn't be acting so spoiled, but she couldn't help it.
Squeeze.
Melting into his warmth, Ayoung emptied her mind of all thoughts. Just a little longer. She would get down in just a little bit.
Under the crimson glow of the setting sun, the shadow of the boy carrying the girl slowly stretched and faded into the distance of the alleyway.
It feels a bit embarrassing to say this after trying so hard to look cool, but carrying someone on your back is not as easy as it looks.
"Phew..."
Thank goodness the distance from the alley to Ayoung's house wasn't that far. If it had been even five hundred meters longer, I might have seriously considered putting her down halfway. It was that exhausting.
"...Hajun, is it hard?"
It's fucking exhausting.
But there was no way I could say that right in front of her house, so I forced a smile.
"No, not at all."
Well, what's the big deal? If my beautiful girlfriend is happy, that's all that matters.
With that thought, I walked up to the main entrance of her apartment building and gently set her down on a nearby bench.
"How is it? Feel any better now?" I asked gently.
"...Yeah, I think I can walk."
Saying so, Ayoung began to limp forward, taking slow, tentative steps.
She looked so unstable that I instinctively reached out and lightly held her arm.
"Don't push yourself if it hurts. Do you have pain relief patches at home?"
"...Yes."
"Apply one before you go to sleep, otherwise it might swell up like a balloon tomorrow."
"...Okay."
"And if it hurts too much, go to the hospital, alright?"
Ayoung let out a soft, sweet giggle and nodded.
Seriously, I felt like I was raising a daughter. It was exhausting, but it felt rewarding.
After fussing over her, I slung my bag over my shoulder, preparing to head back home. But just as I turned to leave—
"Um, Hajun."
From behind, Ayoung gently tugged on the hem of my shirt.
"Yeah? What is it?"
Worried that her ankle might be hurting again, I turned around.
Ayoung, her head lowered, mumbled softly.
"Well, because my ankle hurts..."
I waited for her to finish.
"Could you... walk me all the way to my front door?"
Looking into her pleading, upturned eyes, I couldn't bring myself to say no.
...Well, it's just to her front door. I already came all this way, so I might as well do that much.
"Sure."
Accepting readily, I supported her arm.
Surely, nothing crazy is going to happen, right?