Friends from the Start
The phone vibrated like crazy from the early morning. Whoa! For a split second I thought it was a call from work and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Ah…!" The moment I sat up in bed and checked the messages, all the tension drained out of me.
[Hey!]
[Hey!]
[Hey!]
[I remember!]
[I remembered!]
Lee Yoo-na had always been like this? What a lively friend.
[Sleeping] I replied, and a call from her came through right away.
"Why? Let me sleep a little more."
[It's already 8 a.m.! Get up! Let's go for a walk! I remembered everything~!]
"It's Saturday morning at eight o'clock, Yoo-na-ssi. Personal matters are a bit inconvenient…"
[Yaa~! Let's eat breakfast~. Let's go for a walk~.] She even sang as she tried to drag me out.
I let out a long sigh and nodded. "I'm going out without washing up."
[Ung~! That's fine!]
After hanging up, I threw on a gray hoodie and matching pigment wide sweatpants, then added a black ball cap and an old padded jacket. When I stepped outside, Lee Yoo-na was already waiting up ahead, waving at me with a bright smile.
She wore a white padded jacket and sweats with a scarf. Seeing her in casual clothes after only ever seeing her at the office felt strange.
"Hi~!" Even her bare face was unfamiliar, yet somehow it suited her better than I expected. Her already clear, innocent look felt even stronger without makeup.
"Mm, why so early? I'm sleepy."
"Let's eat breakfast and go for a walk! I remembered everything!"
"……" I just wanted to sleep.
"No way. You have to live healthily!"
"……Then let's smoke one cigarette first."
When I lit up in the corner, she puffed out her cheeks in displeasure. "You just said we should live healthily……"
"King Sejong said cigarettes are only beneficial."
"……Yaa."
Because she felt like a real friend now, she looked at me with pure disbelief. Her expressions had become much more varied.
"Hoo." I watched the smoke drift away until her pointed stare forced me to put it out quickly.
"The first cigarette of the morning is supposed to be enjoyed slowly."
"Seriously~, you're going to die young at this rate."
"……That can't happen." I still wanted to become closely intertwined with the local big shots here.
"I eat breakfast here every morning."
"……Poke?" It just looked like a salad, but apparently it had its own name.
"……Is the price really this much?"
"Huh? You can pack the leftovers and eat them for lunch."
The price for a few leaves and pieces of meat was ridiculous. With that money you could get way more at a regular rice-and-soup place. I kept the thought to myself.
"Let's walk quickly and go."
"Ung!"
When I started walking like I was clearing a quest, she grabbed my shoulder.
"Slowly~. You're not a robot."
"……It's cold. It's winter."
"That's exactly when you need to move more~."
Her eyes sparkled. "You've grown up so well, our Do-yun."
Since when was I "our Do-yun"?
"You used to be such a lonely little kid who sniffled all by himself."
"……" A bullied kid……. The backstory I implanted was correct, but hearing it out loud felt weird. I had been perfectly ordinary. I still met up with my old friends whenever I went to Seoul.
"Hehe." Lee Yoo-na laughed, full of pride. Hypnosis really was terrifying.
"The really amazing part is that yesterday I seriously couldn't remember anything at all~."
"……" Of course. Those memories had never existed.
"But the moment I opened my eyes this morning, everything came back so vividly!"
"Uh, congrats."
"Oh? Look at that reaction?" She poked my side playfully. It wasn't bad. After a year without a single friend in this place, having someone around for the first time actually felt healing.
"You're my pride."
I looked at her when she suddenly confessed that out of nowhere.
"You know what? I was bullied when I was little too."
Suddenly?
"You know that too~."
"Yeah, I know." She sniffled, her nose red from the cold, and continued.
"Back then my friends helped me~. So I guess I wanted to help you too."
I smiled faintly as I listened. Completely empty plausibility created discomfort, but a moderately empty one filled itself in naturally. That alone was a huge gain.
"I once thought that someday I wanted to give back what I received from my friends to someone else. And the first person was you."
After finishing her shy confession, she smiled softly and patted my back.
"You're so admirable~."
"……" It was an unexpected development, but not a bad one.
"Is that so."
"Ung, that's right~."
Had I ever met someone this altruistic and pure in my life? I searched my memories but came up empty. Maybe it was because I was too calculating.
"Mm."
"Why are you staring like that~?"
Her expression and actions carried a strong sense of maternal warmth and acceptance.
"Yoo-na."
"Yeah?"
I smiled and added another layer of plausibility.
"Thanks for not telling the others about me."
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
Since she hadn't had any memories until yesterday, of course she couldn't have told anyone. I filled that gap with consideration.
"You know too, Yoo-na. My wounds are still big, so I don't get along well with people."
"Ung, I know, I know."
With this, I had completed the reason why I wouldn't get involved with her acquaintances. From now on, everything between us would remain a secret shared only by the two of us.
"Only you know my real self. Got it?"
"Got it~. Don't worry! I'm really good at keeping secrets, you know?"
Watching her act, I honestly doubted she'd keep secrets well, but that wasn't important right now.
My dream had one fatal flaw: the lack of fun. Wanting to live a life without any incidents or accidents was the same as living a colorless, odorless existence. Now that I had the hypnosis app…… I could enjoy myself without any backlash or responsibility.
Fwoosh!
"Want to see?"
"Huh? What is it?"
We were in a quiet park between the youth rental housing complexes. Because it was a quiet weekend morning, no one was passing by.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Lee Yoo-na stared at the candle flame without the slightest suspicion, pure as she was. Her pupils grew hazy, then began to follow the flame.
"Say your name, age, height, and weight in order."
"……Lee… Yoo-na……27…years old…163…52……"
Yoo-na, you and I are going to become the closest of friends. The suggestion that we were childhood friends was only meant to prepare for any possible mishaps. But that small seed had begun to sprout, nourished by my personal desires.
"Because we've been friends since childhood……, even mischievous words and actions are nothing more than simple jokes."
"……since childhood……friend……jokes……"
That's right, Yoo-na. We've been friends since we were kids. It's just the kind of joke only friends can share, right?
"Because we've been friends since childhood, even high-level pranks are accepted lightly."
"……childhood……friend……high……pranks……"
This time the core phrase was "friends since childhood." Words like "childhood friend" or "ride-or-die friend" had come to mind, but I chose this to connect with the previous suggestions.
"Because we've been friends since childhood, even dirty jokes…… or sex jokes don't feel unpleasant."
"……friend……jokes……unpleasant……no……"
"Because we've been friends since childhood, touching each other's bodies is just an acceptable joke."
"……childhood……friend……touch……okay……"
Suggestions piled up inside her. "Childhood friend." "Bullied kid." Then "childhood friend" again.
Time was running out.
Forty-one seconds. Did she really understand?
"Did you understand everything I just said?"
"……Yes……"
A positive sign.
"Tell me what you understood."
Lee Yoo-na's moist lips slowly parted.
"……Because we've been……friends since childhood……everything you do……is just a light joke……"
"……"
"……So it doesn't feel unpleasant……even if it's a joke……"
She understood perfectly.
"What would it feel like if I touched your butt?"
"……Just……a joke between friends……"
Perfect! At that moment the candle flame went out.
Whoosh!
Now the third suggestion would be established in her mind.
"Ah…… Just now…. Ugh~! My eyes feel all gritty again~."
It was fascinating. Every time her unfocused eyes regained clarity, it felt like watching a miracle.
"Want me to buy you eye drops?"
"Huh? Do-yun~, really? We must be getting old if our eyes are this dry. Hwaaang~. I hate getting older~."
She reacted brightly, completely unaware of what had just happened. Well, she'd find out tomorrow.
"You're really going to buy them?"
"Yeah, eye drops are no big deal."
Eye drops were something I could easily buy. After all, from now on she was going to be my one and only friend.
"Let's go to the pharmacy."
"O~kay~."
Her excited reaction made me smile without realizing it.
"Puhaha! Are you that happy?"
"Ung? Of course~. You're so admirable~."
She genuinely thought I was admirable. Because I was the friend who had overcome being bullied. And because I was the friend she had personally pulled out of that situation.
After I bought the eye drops at the pharmacy, Lee Yoo-na bounced around the moment we stepped outside.
"Yay~. Thank you!"
"It's not free."
"Eh? Really?"
She widened her eyes in surprise, and I smiled gently at her.
"It's payment for pulling me out of there when we were kids. So it's not free."
I gave her a line full of sentiment. That way her emotional reaction would double.
"……"
Seeing her truly moved face felt strange again.
"Really……"
Lee Yoo-na was at a loss for words. I didn't stop there.
"I'm not good at giving like you are, Yoo-na. But……"
"……"
"At least when it comes to you, I want to give. Thank you. Sincerely."
It was cringey, but necessary. Lee Yoo-na bit her lower lip, holding back tears. I felt a twinge of guilt for no reason.
"Het." She poked the tears that threatened to fall, then gave me a soft smile.
"Do-yun. That's enough~. Even if it just means the kindness I've shown wasn't a bad thing, that's meaningful, right?"
"Yeah."
Lee Yoo-na lightly tapped my shoulder and continued.
"Thanks for growing up well……"
"……Why are you talking like my mom? So cringey."
"Geez……"
She couldn't keep acting anymore. But the effect was clear. Lee Yoo-na's expression as she looked at me had become noticeably more relaxed.
"And! Don't worry. You never liked showing things to others since you were little, right? So I'll keep the secret well."
It seemed like a new definition of who I was was being formed inside Lee Yoo-na's mind. Well, that was fine by me.
"Then I'm heading in~."
"Already?"
"……I've been out for two hours……"
Give me back my Saturday, damn it. I need rest too.
"Uung. That's a shame."
"……No, let's play tomorrow. You were tired yesterday too. I need to rest as well."
She nodded with a reluctant but understanding face.
"Okay…. Still, I'm glad. Hehet. I never thought we'd both end up meeting in a foreign place like this."
"……Yeah. I'm glad you came too."
So please go now. Why are you dragging this out?
"Th-then I'll get going. See you?"
"Got it~!"
She held up the eye drops and shook them.
"Bye~. I'll use this well~!"
"Yeah, take care of your eyes."
"Het."
She must have sensed the concern in my blunt tone. Healthy eyes meant I could stack more suggestions.
§ Buzz! Buzz!
"……Again."
The phone showed Lee Yoo-na's name.
"Haa……" Well, I understood. She'd been alone in a strange place without friends for a whole year, so she must have been bored and lonely. Then suddenly I appeared—an incredibly special and meaningful friend!
"How could I not call…… Geez……"
[Do-yun! Let's go into the city!]
§ Hana City. The name of the city I was in. A planned city developed under government leadership. Thanks to that, the buildings in the downtown area were all stylish and clean. Too bad my workplace was out in the countryside.
"Do-yun~. Hi~."
She wore a black scarf and a light-green short padded jacket, with an ivory sweatshirt and standard-fit wide jeans underneath.
"Do-yun~, you have to greet me too~."
Her outfit looked comfortable yet put-together, and it suited her so well that I found myself staring without realizing it.
"I spaced out because you look pretty."
"Uwaa~. Really? Thanks so much?"
She beamed like a child who had just been praised.
"Let's go~. There's a place I've wanted to check out ever since I got a friend! I was alone for a while, you know……"
"Where is it?"
When I asked as we got into the car, she gave me a mysterious smile.
"Secret~."
"Then tell me the address."
"Here."
It was the building with the movie theater.
"A movie? You can watch one alone, you know."
"Nooo, that's not it."
Her shampoo and perfume scent slowly filled the car. Maybe because she had just come out of the house, the fresh, clean smell made me oddly nervous. There was another meaning to it too.
— Would that mischievous joke actually work?
"……"
My heart started pounding just like the first time I used hypnosis. Vroom! Like the engine roaring when I pressed the accelerator, my heartbeat grew louder.
Should I try? Should I do it? Would it work?
After a long hesitation, I reached out—not for the gear stick, but for her thigh.
"Eh?"
Lee Yoo-na looked at me in surprise, both hands clasped in front of her chest. At times like this, I had to act confident.
"It's warm here."
I slid my hand deeper between her thighs.
"Yaa."
She stared at me with a serious expression. Shit. Maybe I should have stacked more suggestions first? Or used more direct words instead of "joke"?
"You need both hands on the wheel when driving!"
"……Huh?"
"Drive safely~!"
Ah.
"So putting my hand between your thighs is okay?"
She answered as if it were nothing.
"You said it was warm~."
"……Y-yeah, that's right."
It worked. She was treating my hand between her thighs as nothing more than a joke between friends.
"Ah, right! But you absolutely can't get a girlfriend~. Got it?"
Don't worry. I had a feeling today would be the most fun day of my rural civil servant life.