Why (4)
Choi Byung-su stared at Oh Hae-in in silence.
Surrounded by the girls everyone envied… the son of the prosecutor who had shamed his own father.
I hid the hatred and mockery, greeting him like an old friend after a long time, and answered first.
“I am the real culprit? Hae-in, that joke… I still can’t get used to it. I have nothing to say to you, and I don’t know why you came here, but… I’m not happy to see you again. Why do you follow me all the way to the academy I attend? We agreed to stay out of each other’s lives, didn’t we? This isn’t right.”
“Our connection really is stubborn, isn’t it, Byung-su. Don’t you wonder why I came here?”
“How could you not wonder? Like those other bastards, did I leak the secrets of those girls? You did it, so why are you the only one making a fuss?”
The exchange between the two of them was quiet, but the other students started whispering and staring at Oh Hae-in.
The parents waiting for their children in the car…
They noticed Oh Hae-in and looked shocked.
“Byung-su. It’s really sad news, but Min-soo has gone to the heavens with his parents. Will you attend the funeral? You should see him off on his last journey.”
“…He died? What does that have to do with me?”
“You really didn’t know? Anyway, when the funeral schedule comes out, I’ll contact you, so please come.”
Oh Hae-in only gave the notification to attend Yoo Min-soo’s funeral and immediately turned around and left.
Choi Byung-su froze for a moment, then reacted with bad luck and tried to ignore him and leave…
- Ka-tok.
An alert rang from Choi Byung-su’s phone.
Sender: Oh Hae-in.
Only one photo was uploaded…
But Choi Byung-su began sending reply after reply like a madman.
Oh Hae-in’s reply was,
[When you come alone to Yoo Min-soo’s funeral, I’ll delete it.]
Eventually,
[I understand.]
Choi Byung-su held his phone tightly while sending the reply and barely answered.
Oh Hae-in and Choi Byung-su were about to meet again…
Enjoying the cold night air, they made their promise.
***
Cha Sang-hwi had attended school after a long time.
Lee Ga-rang and Gong Na-rin had held her arms and brought her to school, but she wore a dissatisfied expression and stared out the window in the classroom without saying a word.
In this school, students who remembered Cha Sang-hwi’s angelic appearance…
Were her two friends, Lee Ga-rang and Gong Na-rin.
The other friends, or former friends, had forgotten the time when she was their angel…
And only whispered while sneaking glances at her…
It was like repeating the same old mistakes.
- Sang-hwi, your cigarette smell is on my clothes.
- What did we do… we were just staring at you earlier…
“Kids, Sang-hwi is next to you. Stop staring in front, okay?”
Lee Ga-rang had asked the former friends whispering to her to stop, and Gong Na-rin also watched with eyes free of mischief from the side.
The former friends quickly changed the subject as if nothing had happened.
The two girls removed their sad expressions and came to sit beside their friend staring at the window, but Cha Sang-hwi’s eyes showed no emotion, as if she had transcended how she treated them.
She mistook their forced bright smile for happiness.
She didn’t notice that while they didn’t cry, they knew the expression of despair on her face.
Not only Cha Sang-hwi, but Lee Ga-rang and Gong Na-rin were the same.
They too only pretended to be unaware in roundabout ways…
The three remained silently beside each other, but the emptiness was overwhelming.
Their hearts were……
- I heard Oh Hae-in’s dad was stabbed with a knife and is in the hospital!
One of the kids from the opposing group who had just heard the news was telling their friends,
That single sentence penetrated the three girls.
Even though it was break time and the atmosphere was lively, the three girls became serious.
The news that a family of a boy they both hated and loved was in danger…
Changed in an instant from grudge to love.
To go find him and comfort him…
***
Although I wanted to interrogate him for full information on the White Flame Cult from Park Jun-woo, I had to endure it.
If I kept pushing him, he would resort to extreme measures.
He was already a cornered mouse, and for now, I would use him as a source to first learn the dark footsteps toward the White Flame Cult.
- Ping.
A message arrived.
It was a text from the relative of Yoo Min-soo.
Today’s funeral will be held…
I immediately sent a chat to Choi Byung-su to send the funeral hall location, and he replied by confirming he had read the chat instead of answering.
Tonight…
The photo I sent to Choi Byung-su was his weakness that Park Jun-woo had secretly kept.
It wasn’t ruin, but if exposed, he would have to face social embarrassment, and there were quite a few other weaknesses besides that photo.
How to cook him with this…
“Oh Hae-in, it’s today.”
As I was lost in thought staring at the hallway window, Eun Na-rin whispered beside me with a sparkling smile, “Today?”
“Today? … Ah, the day I said to come for my friend’s birthday?”
“You’re smart. After school, you have to go with Noona. Got it?”
“The time… when exactly?”
“Sadly we’re third-years, so our schedules are tight. We’ll finish quickly, but you don’t like it?”
“I don’t dislike it… I was wondering if this was okay.”
“Why? Do you think it’s embarrassing to go with me? That’s good, that’s good!”
It wasn’t embarrassing…
Because I had to visit the mourning house.
Before going to the wake room, we were supposed to celebrate his birthday…
Since he said it would end quickly…
“It should be fine.”
“It’s not ‘should be fine’, it has to be ‘of course’. Don’t run away!”
“I understand, Noona. … I’ll go.”
Before I could see Choi Byung-su at the funeral hall…
I was invited to Eun Na-rin’s friend’s birthday with her.
Yes, Eun Na-rin had said to come before, so it wasn’t a coincidence, but…
It was the way home, and Eun Na-rin grabbed my wrist and followed her and her friends.
Luckily, because I had helped resolve the Kim Do-hoon case, her friends welcomed me.
The place we arrived at was a dessert cafe.
“This is the cafe my cousin operates!”
It was an emotional cafe operated by Eun Na-rin’s relative, and luckily her relative wasn’t at the cafe on other business.
It was really fortunate that I wasn’t spotted and caused a commotion.
A birthday celebration was held at a window seat on the first floor,
The protagonist of today, Eun Na-rin’s friend, was extremely happy, and she and her friends…
I also felt a bright smile…
For the first time in a long time.
A gathering like this…
After my identity as the manipulator of a school violence culprit…
“Ta-da! I made it! Not Italian, but Chinese-made Golden Egg Chocolate Brownie!”
Eun Na-rin had come with a plate of gooey brownie for me and her friends.
It was probably her personally made rich Golden Egg Chocolate Brownie.
However, because the origin had changed, it wasn’t Italian… but still a bit off.
“It’s delicious. You made it yourself, Noona?”
Eun Na-rin boasted silently, and her friend spoke in her place.
- Narin can make desserts like this! Sometimes she makes these snacks and I’m grateful, but… the problem is that she only makes them when there’s a test coming up…
As expected.
She doesn’t just make it for fun.
- Thanks to Kim Do-hoon’s mom’s company, the chocolate became Chinese… my stocks crashed…
Another friend of Eun Na-rin recalled the stock drop while eating and complained, explaining the behind-the-scenes story of changing the origin of the Golden Egg Chocolate.
It was Kim Do-hoon’s mother’s company that distributed it.
“Let’s not talk about that bastard, got it?”
- Ah, sorry~!
Eun Na-rin turned serious at the mention of Kim Do-hoon.
She probably didn’t want to hear it.
- Ding-dong.
The sound that another customer had visited the cafe was heard.
While I was talking and exchanging words, I heard the sound and accidentally turned my gaze toward them…
I shouldn’t have looked.
My former friends were staring at me with piercing eyes…
Lee Ga-rang, Gong Na-rin, Cha Sang-hwi.
The three of them were looking at me…
“Where are you looking? Ah! Narin, hello! And Narin’s friends too~”
Eun Na-rin saw me stop and asked where I was looking, then noticed Gong Na-rin.
In the end, they too were pulled into Eun Na-rin’s friend’s birthday party with me…
I couldn’t say anything, and Eun Na-rin just had a fun smile, but…
My former friends were all staring at me with murderous intent.
Eun Na-rin’s friends luckily hadn’t realized the fact that our relationship was victim and perpetrator.
The lively atmosphere had probably passed without it being noticed…
Just as I was about to say I should go and pretend not to know.
“Hae-in, we’re worried about you and the adults… we were going to visit your parents.”
Gong Na-rin was eating only the brownie while shrinking, and Cha Sang-hwi had a face that seemed ready to cry any moment, while…
Lee Ga-rang’s bright eyes wrapped around me as she whispered.
“So that’s it…? You still think about me… I’m happy.”
“I’m glad you’re happy, but… you’re with another woman, leaving us behind, as Narin said… as expected. On the day it was raining, you cursed me like a dog and said you shouldn’t have done that…”
“Leaving me? Ga-rang! Last week when it was raining… I was stressed and responded harshly. Don’t misunderstand. I have feelings too.”
“I know, I know you weren’t really bad-hearted when you cursed me.”
“If you know… no. Just wait a little more. I’ll… take care of everything and come back…”
“Take care of what? Celebrate. You won, you won.”
I couldn’t understand the bitter smile mixed with her words of celebration.
I tried to send a help request to Eun Na-rin to get out, but…
Because she was playing too well, I couldn’t send it.
Lee Ga-rang gently grabbed my ear…
And said.
“Our three… will all take responsibility?”
The lively birthday party… had to be celebrated, but…
I received a celebration message that wasn’t celebration…
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