School Trip (11) – Midnight Counseling
Fortunately, Lee Yuyeong didn't follow me, and I didn't run into any teachers on patrol. I made it smoothly to the dorm where the Pulkkot High School second-years were staying.
“Taeyang!!”
Min Iri noona waved from over here. As I got closer, Kim Hayan noona, Iri noona, and Choi Gahee noona were waiting.
Wasn't Gahee noona in a different room? Hayan noona must've told her. She could've just passed the message on instead.
Seong Juyeon wasn't there. Well, we're not that close anyway. I hoped she'd head to Choi Seonwoo right now. That way, Hayan noona couldn't request any counseling.
“Taeyang, was it tough getting here?”
Gahee noona came right up and asked.
“Nah, it's fine. Weather's nice too.”
“Yeah?”
“Taeyang, seriously~ You could've just handed it over tomorrow.”
Hayan noona said it like it was a hassle, but her face didn't look too upset. She just gently stroked my head.
“Did I bug you too much?”
“No way! Who'd turn down snacks?”
Iri noona looked even happier about the cookies than I was. Hadn't she polished off almost all the ones Gahee noona ordered earlier by herself?
“How much do you love food?”
“Hehe, anything from Taeyang tastes great.”
She stuck her hand out right away for the cookies.
“You're really okay, right?” Hayan noona asked, worried.
I pulled the cookies from my pocket to ease her concerns.
“I'm good. As long as I don't head back too late, no one's gonna say shit.”
Of course, that assumed I didn't get caught.
I handed the cookies out to the noonas one by one.
“Give this one to Juyeon noona.”
It'd feel weird skipping her since she was in the same room. I considered grabbing some for Seonwoo or Cho Yuli but dropped it. Seonwoo was kinda pitiful, but I had no reason to look out for him, and with Yuli, I needed to keep up the unfavorable image.
The noonas didn't bring it up either. Gahee noona took hers especially graciously.
“I'll treasure this forever!”
“It'll probably get moldy in like three months.”
Iri noona, on the other hand, had already torn open the packaging and shoved one in her mouth.
“Mmm... It's a teddy bear that looks just like Taeyang.”
“Like me? No. And eat it inside.”
On the back of the wrapper was some English text: Remember me.
Trip souvenir gimmick, I guess.
I brushed it off without a second thought. Well, the meaning was pretty similar to Gahee noona's whole “treasure it forever” bit.
Anyway, cookies delivered. Time to chat and kill some time.
Thinking back to the game plot, Seonwoo usually swung by the girls' rooms around 9 p.m. So about 30 minutes left.
Originally, Hayan noona should've run into Seonwoo by now, but she'd come straight to meet me without a peep. Guess there really was no counseling session.
As long as no weird variables popped up, I just needed to stall for about an hour.
“Now that we've got cookies, wanna come in for a drink or something?”
And conveniently, Iri noona suggested hitting the vending area first.
“If Iri noona's buying, hell yeah.”
“Taeyang, I'll get you something too!”
Gahee noona jumped in like she'd been scooped.
“Just a drink's fine.”
I ignored Gahee noona's deflated look and headed to the vending machines with the noonas.
Sitting at the vending area, Iri noona excitedly loaded up on snacks.
Didn't she say just drinks?
“Might as well munch on a bunch while we hang out.”
“Iri, Taeyang's gotta head back soon.”
Hayan noona clearly wanted me gone ASAP. Fair enough—she was the one stuck managing her little brother.
“It's cool, noona.”
“No. You gotta go back quick or you'll get yelled at.”
“Ugh...”
“Um... Hayan. A tiny bit longer should be fine, right? Taeyang looks like he wants to chill with us.”
Gahee noona chimed in to persuade her.
“I'll play tomorrow. And Juyeon's probably waiting for us to get back.”
“Juyeon said she'd head to Seonwoo later?”
Right then, Iri noona dropped the exact update I wanted.
If Seong Juyeon's flag triggered like this, the whole trip here was a win.
“Hmm... Fine, just a little longer, then you have to go.”
“Yeah, got it.”
With the noonas ganging up, Hayan noona reluctantly caved.
Maybe 'cause things were going my way, but the snacks on the first-floor terrace tasted extra sweet.
About 30 minutes later, the noonas called it. I wrapped up without any regrets.
This meant Hayan noona wouldn't have time for a solo meetup with Seonwoo.
Iri noona texted Seong Juyeon that we'd be late, and the reply confirmed she was actually hanging with Seonwoo.
Satisfied, I headed back in high spirits.
“Night!”
“Thanks for the cookies!”
“Yeah, night noonas. See ya tomorrow.”
“Be safe, text when you get there.”
“Got it. You head in first.”
Hayan noona sure worries a ton.
After stepping a bit away from the dorm building, the noonas headed inside.
“Phew~”
I let out a sigh of relief and walked lightly.
“Hic... What did I do wrong...”
Then, not long after, I caught some sobbing.
What the hell? Outta nowhere? The creepy night crying made me scan around uneasily.
In the corner bench of the park linked to the walkway, huddled in the shadows away from the streetlights, I spotted someone with long straight hair.
Ghost? But up close, it was a familiar face.
“Cho Yuli?”
Creeping closer, I made out her signature hime-cut and the frilly, flashy pajamas.
She was stifling her sobs in that dark corner to avoid notice, but the sounds carried all the way here.
Why the hell was she doing this here?
The Love Chain storyline didn't cover what Yuli got up to tonight.
Whatever. Leaving her to cry it out meant someone else would hear, and she'd die of embarrassment. Plus, it'd tank her condition even more.
Watching her spiral into wreck mode tugged at me. Couldn't comfort her directly, though. Damn.
This'd torpedo the whole The world is still a warm place! strategy too.
No choice—I edged closer, then scoped a spot nearby to hide and gauge her reactions. The vending machine barely shielded the bench she was on.
From here, at least I could hear her. Once the crying stopped, I'd bail back to the dorm.
I plopped on the bench, fired up my phone, and summoned my “good internet friend.”
Busy crying her eyes out, it took Yuli a bit to check the replies.
“……”
What? Why no response?
I peeked—she was staring at her phone, hesitating.
“……If I do this again, I'll just be a burden.”
Just reply already. If it was a burden, I wouldn't have started.
Yuli needed an outlet for her feelings anyway.
Her pale fingers slowly tapped on the phone case decked out with dangly charms.
“Thank you.”
The words slipped from Yuli's lips. She wiped the tears from her face and launched into the story I half-expected.
Who'd buy that? Was Yuli naive, or did she want me to see through it? Either way, she followed up with a wall of text.
No wonder her emotions spiraled out of control hearing that.
Yuli's sniffles picked back up. I paused, hunting for the right words, then tapped away.
“No!!”
I flinched hard. Yuli had blurted out her chat reply aloud. She'd probably realized her slip-up.
Damn, nearly gave me a heart attack yelling like that.
“Ugh...”
Yuli looked conflicted. She habitually self-blamed, but using a “friend” as a shield made her watch her words—mess up, and it'd sound like she was trashing her “friend.”
Best play here was to ignore it. They weren't kidnapping anyone in their sleep or anything—just one night, then back home, no more dealing with them.
But for the person involved, rational coping was tough.
My counter-question made Yuli pause, then she carefully typed.
That shut down YuliMental's replies—and Yuli's voice too.
Hope that comforted her a bit. I glanced to check her reaction.
Yuli looked stunned for a sec, then let out a small chuckle. Looked resolved—time to head back.
I started to stand, but then noisy girls' voices echoed from afar.
“No, for real!”
“Even so, sounds like bullshit!”
“Swear, someone saw that menhera bawling and running off yesterday!”
Menhera?
Thud!—something dropped. I glanced over naturally.
Yuli's phone had hit the ground. Screen's probably cracked.
“Hiding and sobbing like a loser? Told ya.”
“Isn't that her playing up the fragile act?”
“Kinda, yeah. Girl's way too try-hard.”
“Does that work on guys?”
“Dunno, think she snagged one from another class.”
I checked Yuli's face—they had to be the ones. Her eyes trembled as the girls drew closer, pure panic.
She was about to run smack into her gossips.
This school trip was never quiet.
Time for action.
Crash!!!
“Hey!! Fuck!!!!”
I slammed my foot into the vending machine, old soccer team power kicking in—the whole thing shook, and a soda dropped down.
Everyone jumped, eyes snapping my way.
I held my phone to my ear like I was on a call and stepped into the lit area where the girls were.
“Did I say fucking stop or not?!”
“Wh-what...?”
They quit gossiping and started whispering.
If I looked batshit crazy, they'd bail the other way.
“I said if I hear you talking shit again, I'll fucking kill you! Shit, wanna beat the crap outta every random I see.”
The girls ahead panicked and muttered about heading back. They didn't look like total punks, so a pissed-off blond tanned thug like me would make 'em scatter.
“You snitch on my smokes too? Dorm monitor's been eyeing me.”
Deep in method acting, I looked up—they'd already split.
“Haa~ I'm done.”
I muttered nonsense and hung up.
“Phew~”
Glancing over, I locked eyes with Yuli.
“...Ah, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop... s-sorry.”
Our eyes met, and she panicked, trembling, tears welling up.
“What're you staring at?”
I spat coldly and turned to leave.
Phew~ Scared off the girls, planted a “scary guy” image in Yuli's head. Mission accomplished?
Bonus if she was too freaked to remember the gossip.
I sent the chat after safely reaching the dorm, but YuliMental never replied.
Did I overdo the scare? Hope she wasn't still shaking somewhere.