The Sub-Heroine Has Many Worries
While one couple was savoring a sweet, intimate moment together, someone else sat lost in thought at a franchise burger joint, idly poking at a pile of innocent french fries.
“...What are you, a cat? If you’re not going to eat them, stop playing with your food.”
The blonde girl, unable to watch any longer, finally spoke up to Lee Ha-rin.
“But…!”
At those words, Ha-rin stomped her feet in frustration and rapped her knuckles against the table bearing the large W logo.
“H-how could anyone do something like that in an alley where people walk by…”
That was the heart of it.
Ever since witnessing her friend A-yeong—whom she had believed was simply a friend—engaged in those kinds of acts with her boyfriend in a back alley, Ha-rin had been in a state of utter mental and physical exhaustion.
“So what exactly did you see that has you like this? Were they straight-up having outdoor s—”
“Aaaah! Don’t say it! Don’t you dare say it!”
Far from comforting her, her friend was about to utter a word no proper girl should speak. Ha-rin recoiled in horror.
“How old are you, really? Throwing a fit over something this minor… tsk.”
The blonde took a small bite of the fries in front of her and gave Ha-rin a pointed look.
“Get a hold of yourself, Lee Ha-rin. We’re not children. We’re grown adults—can’t we even speak about this much?”
Struck right where it hurt, Ha-rin let out a tiny “Nyaang—” before lifting her head.
“Still… she was my first real friend… To suddenly see her doing that in an alley…”
The blonde flipped her golden hair back, clearly at the end of her patience.
“So what did they do?! Did they kiss? Or—”
Ha-rin answered in a small voice.
“They… were hugging…”
The absurd response made the blonde frown deeply.
“Haa…?”
Ha-rin quickly added, “Not just any hug. Their faces were so close they looked like they might touch at any second… if that makes sense?”
The longer the explanation dragged on, the darker the blonde student’s expression became. Her name tag read Lee Sa-ra, and her white shirt had several buttons deliberately left undone.
“Are you messing with me right now?”
Sa-ra had rushed over after a frantic phone call suggesting something serious was wrong. Yet all she got was this.
“Two grown adults make a huge scene just because they hugged—not even kissed?”
Deciding it wasn’t worth any more of her time, Sa-ra stood up to leave the burger joint.
In a panic, Ha-rin desperately grabbed her arm and clung on.
“J-just listen a little longer, please!”
Sa-ra looked thoroughly fed up with the behavior, yet inwardly she thought,
…She really is insanely cute.
Those cat-like eyes, the small face, and the long ponytail cascading down her back perfectly appealed to Sa-ra’s love for adorable things. In the end, she couldn’t brush off that dainty hand and sat back down.
“…Continue.”
Relieved, Ha-rin hurriedly poured out the whole story.
“If it had been anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared this much, but A-yeong…”
She told Sa-ra everything about the severe bullying A-yeong had endured.
Sa-ra’s face twisted in disgust. “They’re completely insane bitches.”
Though Sa-ra carried a similar delinquent air, she still observed certain boundaries. The girls who had tormented A-yeong operated on an entirely different level of malice.
“Right?! So after hearing all that, I felt so bad for her…”
Ha-rin’s eyes grew misty as the emotions resurfaced. She gently dabbed at the corners of her eyes.
“That’s why I decided I should at least treat her well, so I started staying close to her, you know?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then suddenly she gets a boyfriend?!”
“…And?”
“Of course A-yeong can date! But given everything she’s been through, I worried she might end up with some creep, so I followed them once and…”
“Hmm…”
At first it had sounded ridiculous, but the more Sa-ra listened, the more she saw the logic in Ha-rin’s concern.
Especially the part where—
“They’ve only been together a short while, but it does seem awfully fast.”
Even to Sa-ra, who considered herself something of an expert on romance, the pace felt a little too quick for a first boyfriend.
“A-yeong’s the one who caused that stir with the boys in the auditorium, right?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t on purpose. The uniform was delivered in the wrong size, so it was too tight and—”
“I get it. Are you her defense attorney now?”
Every other sentence out of Ha-rin’s mouth painted A-yeong as pitiful or innocent. It almost made Sa-ra suspicious again. Still, even she had to admit that a girl like Jo A-yeong was exactly the type to attract the worst kinds of parasites.
After a moment of thought, Sa-ra reached a conclusion.
“We should probably keep an eye on things, at least.”
At those words, Ha-rin’s face lit up like the sun. “See? I’m not just being overly sensitive, am I?” She smiled with a soft “Nyaang—”.
But Sa-ra knew she had to draw a line.
“Lee Ha-rin.”
Her tone had turned serious. “I’m against getting too deeply involved in other people’s relationships.”
The excitement drained from Ha-rin’s face and she fell silent.
“Remember what happened to us in middle school?”
Ha-rin’s eyes trembled as she looked at her friend.
“Sure, helping people and showing them care is admirable. It makes you seem like a good person.”
Sa-ra spoke slowly, trying to persuade her.
“But who actually appreciates it?”
It was the cold, hard truth.
“Think back to middle school. You worked so hard, gathering evidence, reporting everything on their behalf…”
Sa-ra shook her head, the memory alone giving her a headache.
“Did those crazy girls ever thank you?”
Ha-rin lowered her head, unable to answer.
“No. Instead, some of them screamed at you, asking why you had to report it.”
It happens sometimes. You help someone with pure intentions, only for them to turn around and get angry.
Like rescuing a bundle that had fallen into the river, then being scolded for getting it wet.
“Sure, a few were grateful… but what did that change for you?”
Sa-ra tapped the table sharply with her finger, right on the big W logo.
“It didn’t help your life at all. If anything, you were the one who nearly got destroyed.”
She pulled out her phone and showed Ha-rin the message she had received.
“Look.”
“The bastard you reported is already out.”
Sa-ra gazed at her friend with genuine worry.
“Remember what that lunatic said to you before they dragged him away?”
Ha-rin’s body trembled slightly as she answered.
“…He swore he would get revenge.”
Sa-ra nodded emphatically. “Exactly! So please, stop thinking about getting mixed up in weird situations…”
She pleaded with her precious friend from the bottom of her heart.
“Just… take care of yourself first, okay?”
“…Okay.”
Having finally vented all the emotions she had kept bottled up, Sa-ra now noticed the look on Ha-rin’s face.
“H-hey, Ha-rin?”
“Sniff—”
Just as expected, Ha-rin was fighting back tears, her nose twitching.
Sigh… She’s too kind for her own good.
Touched by the pitiful sight, Sa-ra moved to the seat beside her.
“I’m sorry I was so harsh! Don’t cry!”
She fussed over her, trying to soothe her.
Ha-rin gently pushed her away.
“…I’m not crying.”
True to her word, though her nose was stuffy, no tears had actually fallen.
That stubborn pride of hers…
Sa-ra looked down at her friend, thinking how nice it would be if her personality matched her adorable appearance. Who did she take after to be this stubborn?
“Haa…”
Sa-ra let out a long sigh.
After sniffing once more, Ha-rin spoke softly.
“…I understand.”
Even she had to admit that a human piece of garbage like that might really come looking for her again.
“Since you said it out of worry for me… I’ll be careful.”
“…Good.”
Having finally gotten the answer she wanted, Sa-ra smiled and reached out to stroke Ha-rin’s hair.
Ha-rin looked up with a cat-like expression—“Nya?”—then swatted the hand away with a quick smack.
The friendship between them always seemed like it would last forever.
May that bright, clear blue never fade…