Chapter 91: Little by Little (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 91: Little by Little (7)
After tossing out that cryptic remark, she trudged over and plopped down on the wooden bench where I was sitting.
Now we were finally at eye level.
Her round eyes were filled with deep regret.
“What on earth is going on?” I asked, frustrated. Shin Yu-jeong finally managed to speak.
“I went to see that bastard Kim Jeong-hun today.”
I’d expected as much, ever since she bolted the moment class ended. She couldn't do anything yesterday because I'd made her promise, but she's the type who hates holding things in or letting them fester.
What I hadn't expected was her gloomy expression. I figured she’d plant a fist in his face and come home feeling satisfied.
“So what happened?”
“The first thing I did was punch him in the face.”
Hmm, just as I thought.
I wonder what his face looked like, getting punched out of the blue like that. Especially since the one hitting him was the girl he’d had a crush on. I bet it ranked in the top five shittiest moments of his life.
“After I hit him, I asked why he was dragging my name into it.”
“And what did he say?”
I was curious. What could he possibly have said?
The answer I expected to come rushing out didn't. Judging by how Shin Yu-jeong’s expression darkened even further, she must have heard something completely unexpected.
“…He said it was because of me.”
Didn't she already know that before she left?
“Well, um…”
Her hesitation told me there was more to it than what I’d shared with her. She ran her hands through her hair, messing it up nervously.
“He said he bullied you on my behalf because I hated you.”
Shin Yu-jeong lowered her head.
So, in short, all that crap he spouted whenever he bullied me—like telling me to stay away from her or get out of the house—was just an excuse. The real point was that he wanted to torment me… or rather, this body.
“Hmm…”
Honestly, I don't feel much anger about what this body endured. In the past, the embedded trauma would have triggered a physical reaction, but not anymore. Ever since I acquired the ‘One with Aptitude’ trait, I finally feel like this body is my own. In other words, it no longer reacts on its own to past events.
That’s not to say I’m not angry, though. The memories of his bullying show that he clearly crossed the line. For someone who was only eighteen or nineteen, his actions were audacious and cruel. Seeing a young bastard like him makes me wonder if Xunzi was right with his theory that human nature is inherently evil.
“Back then… yeah, I’ll admit it. I honestly hated you. A fucking lot.”
“I know.”
How could I not? Her face was sharp enough on its own, but when she glared at me with such open loathing, her eyes were like weapons. Honestly, I think I would’ve been a little intimidated even in Son Si-woo’s body.
“There were plenty of times I wanted to beat the shit out of you for being so fucking frustrating.”
…I can’t say I blame her. Real Do-jin’s behavior was the absolute worst.
He’d wake up late in the afternoon, eat brunch with the side dishes the ajumma made for him, and then lose himself in video games. In between, he’d browse the internet, saving nice pictures of Han Ju-hee… No, seriously, what a fucking psycho.
Whew.
Calm down, calm down.
Anyway, after saving the pictures… he’d eat dinner with the side dishes the ajumma provided and go right back to his games. It was an endless cycle of going to bed in the wee hours of the morning.
I could understand her point of view, to a degree. To Shin Yu-jeong, Real Do-jin must have seemed like nothing more than a parasite leeching off her mother.
“So… I sometimes talked about it. You know them, right? Those trashy bitches I used to hang out with.”
“Ah… those three.”
The three trashy girls who wore their school uniforms so short you could see their underwear whenever they went up the stairs. For whatever reason, Shin Yu-jeong, who was a completely different breed, used to hang out with them.
“Even though those bitches were boy-crazy and had psycho tendencies… they were my friends. When everyone else was too scared to approach me because of how I looked, they came up to me without any hesitation.”
“Ah…”
So that was the story behind it. It made sense that she was friends with them, then. The gratitude you feel for someone who approaches you when everyone else stays away is indescribable.
I’d had a similar experience myself. It was when I first went to visit my in-laws after Han Ju-hee had accepted my proposal. They gave me hell, saying an orphan wasn’t good enough for their family. I must have thought about calling the whole damn thing off and storming out a dozen times. But then, my sister-in-law was the only one who approached me without any hesitation. I was so grateful I felt like I’d gained an army.
“Anyway… while I was talking with them, I sometimes said things.”
“Like what?”
“…That watching the way you lived was so frustrating, I sometimes wanted to punch you.”
Her face flushed.
“Then you should have just punched me.”
If she had, maybe Real Do-jin would have at least tried to act a little more human. Hearing me, she replied in an aggrieved tone.
“…My mom would smack me on the back just for glaring at you. If I’d actually punched you, she probably would’ve kicked me out of the house.”
“Haha.”
The ajumma does have strong maternal instincts. She must have felt so sorry for Real Do-jin after he ran away from the orphanage. That’s probably why she even paid for his expensive rented room in Seoul.
“At its worst, I felt like you’d stolen my mom from me.”
…It was understandable she’d feel that way. No matter how mature she acted, she was only between seventeen and nineteen at the time. Just when she should have had her mother’s undivided attention, some guy showed up and stole half of it.
“Anyway, that’s not the issue right now.”
The conversation, which had gone off on a tangent, got back on track.
“I’m sure I only told those three, but that bastard knew.”
“Kim Jeong-hun?”
“Yeah. I don’t know if one of those bitches told him or if he just overheard it…”
“So you’re saying Kim Jeong-hun started bullying me after hearing that?”
“Well… if you put it that way, yes…”
Her voice trailed off. Seeing her with her head bowed and lips pressed tight, I figured I’d heard the gist of it.
“Then what was that question at the beginning, about whether you should feel sorry?”
“That’s…”
Shin Yu-jeong scowled, scratching her head vigorously. She looked completely dissatisfied.
“Right now, I feel so sorry I don’t even know how to put it into words, okay?”
“…You really don’t look it.”
If she could feel sorry while making a face like that, it had to be some kind of talent.
“Right now… I’m just forcing it down. To be honest, I feel so bad I can’t even look you in the eye.”
What the hell? Why did that sound like she was threatening me to just accept it and move on?
“But honestly, a part of me feels it’s unfair.”
“What is?”
“Some crazy bastard overheard something and went on a rampage, so why should I have to feel this sorry? And yet, I feel so guilty I can’t even look you in the face.”
She thumped her chest, her face contorted with frustration.
“It’s just… my chest feels so fucking tight. It’s even worse because I have no idea what to do to make it better.”
So, to sum it up: she felt incredibly sorry for me and was going crazy with frustration because she didn’t know how to fix it. That was it.
“So just tell me what I should do.”
At first, her question had seemed to come out of nowhere, but now that I knew the full story, I understood she wasn't just throwing words around. She wanted to place her fate in my hands… and I found myself wondering just how far she was willing to go.
“If I decide, will you do it? No matter what it is?”
When I questioned her resolve, she gave a difficult nod.
“…You were the one who suffered the most during that time. If I can’t decide for myself and have to listen to someone… it has to be you.”
Oh?
It seemed she had truly steeled herself.
In that case, let’s push it a little further.
“What if I told you to get out of my sight and never appear before me again?”
The moment the words left my mouth, her eyes trembled violently, like a ship caught in a storm. She bit her lower lip. A cool autumn breeze swept past us. Finally, she forced herself to speak.
“If that’s really what you want… We live in the same house and go to the same school, so I can’t disappear completely, but… I’ll try my best… my absolute best…!”
Then, the unexpected happened. As Shin Yu-jeong struggled with her words, a single tear traced a path down her cheek. I wasn’t actually telling her to disappear, just giving an example. What was I supposed to do if she started crying?
I was completely bewildered. But it seemed I wasn’t the only one. She looked surprised by her own tears, hastily pulling at the collar of her T-shirt to wipe her face. Her face was beet red as she shouted in desperation.
“I’ll do my best to fuck off! There, are you happy?!”
She started to get up as if to leave right then, so I quickly reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, calm down. I wasn’t actually telling you to get lost.”
“Ah…”
Her already red face looked like it was about to explode. She seemed to realize she’d gotten carried away in her agitation.
Ah, this is tough. Trying not to laugh.
“Fuck, fuck…”
My hearing is sharp, so I could hear every curse she muttered with her head hung low, which only made it harder to keep a straight face.
“Anyway, that question was just to test your resolve.”
Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I had the right to blame her for anything. Ever since I’d taken over this body, she had only ever helped me.
The only problem was her guilt. Guilt is a tricky thing. Even if the other person says it’s fine, it lingers like a knot in your chest until you can forgive yourself.
So, what could I do? I had to give her some kind of task, something that would feel like a fitting punishment for her perceived sin. There was, in fact, something I really wanted to make her do…
“I admit you have a right to feel it’s unfair. But I’m the one who has it the worst, right?”
“…I know that. That’s why I’m letting you decide,” Shin Yu-jeong answered bluntly, still a little sulky.
“So I gave it some thought. I was bullied by that guy for three whole years.”
“…And?”
“So, as penance, how about you live as my slave for three years…”
The moment I tentatively suggested it, a murderous glare shot toward my face.
Yikes, never mind.
“Yeah, I figured that was a no-go, um.”
“Stop messing around and just tell me.”
I wasn’t messing around, though…
Well, I guess I have no choice but to go with plan B.
“Then grant my wish.”
“…A wish?”
“Yep, a wish.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not asking you to grant it right now. More accurately, I want a wish coupon.”
There were plenty of things I wanted to make her do. I wanted to see her in some seriously lewd cosplay, and while her rough-and-tumble attitude was part of her charm, I also wanted to see her act gentle and sweet for a day. In other words, I planned to use her guilt to satisfy my own selfish desires.
It wasn’t an entirely bad thing, either. I’d be happy, and Shin Yu-jeong would get to assuage her guilt. A perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone.
“One wish?”
I shook my head.
“Come on, that’s a bit shameless. You don’t really think one wish coupon is enough to make up for three years of torment… do you?”
“Then how many do you want?”
If I had my way, I’d ask for thirty-six—one for every month. But I decided to be generous.
“Twelve.”
“…That many?”
“I was going to ask for thirty-six, one a month, but I cut you a deal… If you don’t want to, that’s fine.”
“I never said I didn’t want to.”
“So, deal?”
She thought for a moment, then a grin spread across her face as if she’d had a brilliant idea. She nodded.
“Deal.”
Looks like she’s come up with a plan of her own.
“Great. The deal is struck.”
I was confident, too. Confident that I could make Shin Yu-jeong yield to me completely before I even used up all twelve wishes. Little by little, without her even noticing.