Chapter 55: With Hongryeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: With Hongryeon
Tojo Karen had failed at her first love.
That was an undeniable fact.
Though it was nothing more than a week-long puppy love, Karen had sincerely tried to change herself to match the other person.
Her heart had gotten ahead of her, and her haste led to a clean rejection, but the aftereffects of the heartbreak didn't last as long as she'd expected.
That was probably because she had the reassuring presence of Kim Yoo-Sung by her side.
The first time she saw him was the day he came to the Kendo club room for a dojo-crushing challenge.
He had defeated Fuma-senpai, the only person in school Karen acknowledged as strong, in a single breath. To be honest, from the perspective of a regular student, he was no different from a natural disaster.
Among all the people she knew, the only ones who seemed as strong as Kim Yoo-Sung were her father, Naoto, and his right-hand man, Mr. Takeyama.
She started to get truly involved with him when she first asked the transfer student, Rika, for love advice.
On the outside, he was a gruff guy, and it was hard to tell what he was thinking, but once you actually talked to him, you could see the truth.
Kim Yoo-Sung wasn't a bad person by nature; he was just clumsy at conversation.
After realizing that, Karen slowly began to open her heart to him.
The clincher was after she was rejected by Sakamoto, when he comforted her without a word.
Looking back, Kim Yoo-Sung had always been by her side.
He was there through happy times and sad times, sharing in her emotions.
…It was impossible not to fall for such a kind man.
But Karen couldn't be honest about her feelings.
She believed she didn't have the right.
Kim Yoo-Sung was the boyfriend of her other friend, Rika.
If she told him she liked him, their current close relationship would inevitably crumble.
So, she tried to be satisfied with just being friends.
If it weren't for the appearance of a new rival.
A Russian girl, an exchange student who knew nothing, who had the nerve to ask Kim Yoo-Sung out on her very first day.
Naturally, Karen tried to support her friend, Rika.
That was the right thing to do.
But Rika's response was enough to shatter her hesitation.
"Huh? Ryu-chan and I aren't like that! What are you talking about all of a sudden, Karen-chan?!"
The moment she heard those words, it felt like she'd been hit hard on the back of the head.
Come to think of it, Kim Yoo-Sung and Rika had never once said they were dating.
Karen had just jumped to conclusions and assumed they were a couple.
The moment she realized the truth, Karen could no longer lie to the heart she had been ignoring.
She was already in love with Kim Yoo-Sung.
Not just as a simple friend, but as a member of the opposite sex.
"I had a chance, too…"
That was the moment Karen belatedly stepped into the fray surrounding Kim Yoo-Sung.
*
After eating the bingsu, we studied for about two more hours.
"Ugh, I'm exhausted~"
"I can't do any more~"
"Weak. To be tired already from just this."
The moment the clock struck six, the study session was over.
It was almost time for dinner, so we decided it was impossible to study any longer.
Karen, slumped over the table, asked.
"What should we do for dinner? You guys can eat here if you want."
At that, Rika's eyes lit up as she asked.
"What's on the menu today?"
"Anything's fine. If I tell the chef, he can make pretty much whatever."
"I'll eat!"
Rika, more serious about food than anyone else here, shouted as she shot her hand into the air.
We had been focused solely on studying for nearly half the day, so it wasn't strange to be getting hungry.
All we'd had in between was patbingsu.
"Sasha, what about you?"
"I've always been interested in Japanese home cooking."
"If you want to eat, just say you want to eat, damn it. We have a temporary truce today."
"…I would like to eat."
Karen let out a small laugh and said.
"There, that's better. At least you're being honest."
Finally, Karen asked me.
"Yoo-Sung, what about you?"
"I'll eat here too."
The consensus was already to stay for dinner.
If I were the only one to suddenly back out, it was obvious the atmosphere would turn awkward.
With the study group set to disband after dinner, we began to clean up the stationery scattered across the floor and table.
Karen had already spoken to a servant, so someone would probably come to get us soon.
Still, it was rewarding to teach them, as all three had followed along diligently.
If they had just slacked off from start to finish, I might have lost my motivation partway through.
Wasn't this proof that, at the very least, they still had some grit as students?
I watched fondly as Rika, overjoyed that studying was finally over, began playfully messing around with Karen.
I wasn't sure about the other subjects, but I was looking forward to seeing these two's midterm exam results.
*
"Hahaha! It's not much, but eat up, everyone!"
A short while later, we were led to what could only be described as a magnificent feast.
An entire table was laden with dishes made from all sorts of delicacies from land and sea, all served on immaculate plates.
For some reason, Karen's father and Boris had naturally joined us, sitting across from each other, drinking and pouring sake for one another.
It seemed the two of them had found some common ground while we were studying.
Well, I suppose enjoying a drink with a fine meal is a temptation no man can resist.
I forced my gaze away from the sake the two were drinking and decided to focus on my meal.
Karen, sitting across from me, asked.
"How is it, Kim Yoo-Sung? Is the food to your liking?"
I nodded obediently.
"It feels like a meal you'd get at a high-end ryokan. Not that I've ever been to one."
"Hehe, I'm glad you like it. Eat as much as you want. There's plenty of food."
"Then I won't hold back."
To maintain a build and muscle mass like mine, my daily food intake has to be quite large.
For lunch, I usually pack a lunchbox or make do with the student cafeteria, but I tend to eat hearty breakfasts and dinners.
I began to voraciously devour the side dishes and rice on the table.
Seeing me eat, Karen's father praised me for being manly, but I barely heard him.
It wasn't often a normal high school student got the chance to fill their stomach with such high-quality food.
My meal finally ended after I had gotten five refills of rice and soup.
The surprising thing was that even though I ate so much, I finished around the same time as everyone else.
We bowed our heads, thanking Karen and her father for the delicious meal.
"Thank you for the food."
It was a truly delicious meal.
*
Karen saw us all the way to the gate.
Her father, Mr. Naoto, had insisted we stay the night since we must be tired, but that felt like too much of an imposition, so we politely declined.
Besides, we hadn't brought toiletries or a change of clothes.
…For some reason, he kept looking at me and licking his lips with a hint of disappointment. It must have been my imagination, right?
Just like in the morning, I returned home in Sasha's black armored vehicle. When my mother asked if I'd eaten, I told her I ate at a friend's house.
It was 8 PM, almost time to close the shop.
I cleared the traces and dishes left by the last customers and did the remaining dishes in the kitchen.
"Aigoo, you must be tired after studying all day. Go on in and rest."
"Nah, this is nothing. You and Dad must be more tired."
With those words, I had my parents sit and rest on the chairs outside while I finished the rest of the cleaning.
Wiping my wet hands on my apron, I came out to find them laughing heartily while watching a variety show on TV.
Seeing them like that, I suddenly felt guilty for being the only one who had eaten something so delicious, so I casually asked them.
"You haven't had dinner yet, right? Is there anything you'd like to eat? I can make it for you."
"Oh my, what's gotten into my son? Saying something so thoughtful all of a sudden."
"I have my moments."
As I said that with a smile, my mother pondered for a moment before answering, "Hmm~."
"Then make me a rolled omelet."
"What about you, Dad?"
"Anything is fine with me."
"Then I'll make the chili shrimp you usually like."
I rummaged through the kitchen fridge and carefully prepared a meal for them.
When I brought the food out, my father pulled out a chair and told me to sit next to him.
After placing the food on the table, I took a cold beer from the fridge and handed each of them a glass.
"My, my, our son has good sense."
Embarrassed by Ms. Lee Mi-ja's compliment, I rubbed the back of my neck and tilted the beer bottle to pour for them, making sure not to create too much foam.
My father gulped down the beer in his glass and let out a satisfied sigh, "Kaaah~."
"This is why I stay in business."
"If you need more food, just let me know. I'll make more."
"Why don't you have a glass, too?"
"I'm fine. I'll drink when I'm an adult."
For the first time in a while, I had a peaceful, harmonious time, chatting warmly with my parents.
The Saturday night deepened around us.