Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Change
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The next morning.
When I opened my eyes to the bright light shining on my face, sunlight was pouring in through the gap in the drawn-back curtains.
Pricking up my ears, I could hear something bubbling away through the slightly open door crack.
Of course, the only person who would be doing something like that was Si-eun.
She must have gotten up as usual and started her housekeeping duties.
She'd been a total mess from the drinking last night. Sleeping in for a day wouldn't have hurt anyone, but her upright personality wouldn't allow it. At this point, it was downright admirable.
I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen.
There she was, preparing food just like always.
An oversized hoodie and black sweatpants, with an apron tied over them. Her restrained movements as she stirred the pot or sprinkled in seasonings were the same as ever.
Except for one thing: her hair was tied up to the side.
The new hairstyle made her image strikingly different. Si-eun, who usually gave off a quiet, intellectual vibe, looked surprisingly lively today.
On top of that, tying up her always-long hair revealed her nape, which was normally hidden. A few stray strands poked out against her pale skin, catching my eye.
Sensing my presence, Si-eun turned her head.
"Good morning."
The same curt greeting as always.
Nothing had changed after all.
By the time I finished showering, Si-eun was just moving the pot to the dining table. She'd gotten the timing down perfectly now. Did she start preparing when she heard the shower turn off?
Instead of heading to my room, I sat right down at the kitchen chair. Si-eun glanced at me and deftly transferred the side dishes to bowls with practiced motions.
Once she'd finished setting the table, Si-eun sat down across from me.
"Thanks for the hard work."
"It's my job, and I'm getting paid for it."
"True enough."
"Eat up already."
"Yeah. Thanks for the meal."
I gave my thanks and picked up my spoon. Today's menu was spicy braised chicken. It was mildly seasoned, just like always.
Si-eun picked up her spoon following my lead, took a bite, and smiled faintly.
"Looks like it's tasty."
"Of course. Who made it?"
Was she saying it couldn't possibly taste bad since she made it herself? Her confidence was sky-high. Not that she didn't have the skills to back it up. She knew a wide range of dishes, and they all tasted great.
She'd said she'd been cooking since she was little, but aside from that, she just had a natural talent for it.
As I ate the spicy braised chicken and sides, I snuck glances at Si-eun from the corner of my eye.
There wasn't the slightest change in her behavior. It was as if she didn't remember anything from yesterday.
Come to think of it.
Looking at her like this really drove home how stunning Si-eun's looks were.
The way she rested her hand by her ear when she lowered her head. The way she stretched her arm to reach a far dish. Not a single moment went by without her showing off her beauty.
"I've got a question."
Lost in those thoughts, I heard Si-eun speak up softly.
I hurriedly shifted my gaze to my bowl and replied.
"What is it?"
"Did I say anything weird yesterday?"
The spoon in my hand stopped dead with a clink.
Hearing that brought it all rushing back.
Carrying her on my back all the way home, sitting her on the bed. And... that question about whether I'd kiss her.
But thinking about it another way.
Asking if she'd said anything weird meant she didn't remember yesterday at all.
Which made sense. After getting drunk, every single word out of her mouth had been weird.
As I hesitated with my answer, Si-eun waved her chopsticks in the air and said,
"I woke up and realized I hadn't even changed clothes. I must've been pretty wasted, huh?"
"Well, if you don't remember how drunk you were, then yeah, you were pretty wasted."
"Fair point."
Si-eun snorted in agreement.
I wanted to avoid bringing up what happened yesterday.
If she remembered and got embarrassed, that'd be one thing. But telling her myself when she'd forgotten? No thanks. I'd just end up embarrassed.
"So? Did I say something weird?"
But Si-eun went straight down the path I wanted to avoid.
What could I do? I kept my eyes averted and just moved my mouth.
"Nothing happened."
"Really?"
Si-eun pressed, her voice tinged with doubt.
"Then."
"Yeah."
"Why do you keep sneaking glances at me?"
My spoon-hand froze again.
Ugh. Busted completely. I'd tried to be subtle so she wouldn't notice, but she'd caught on.
"That's... your hair's tied up today, so it caught my eye a few times. It was different."
"Oh? I was feeling a bit tired this morning, and my hair was bothering me, so I tied it up."
Si-eun brushed it off casually.
"Guess I'll let it down then."
She swiftly undid the tie, shook her head, and went back to her usual long hair.
"Hair's down now. Happy?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess."
"Don't lie."
Her tone was firm.
"That's not why you've been staring this whole time, is it? It's not like tying my hair up is some big deal."
"No, well... it did make you look pretty different."
"What? Were you peeking at my nape or something?"
"I wasn't."
Well, okay, maybe a little...
"Then why were you looking?"
Unable to withstand the continued grilling, I lifted my head slightly.
She didn't seem angry, exactly. More worried, if anything. Probably fretting over whether she'd said something dumb yesterday.
The problem was, she had—and I couldn't tell her that.
But first off, there was that one thing I could brush off as just an episode. Maybe I could mention that.
"Actually... yesterday, you."
"Yeah."
I rubbed my brow and continued.
"You asked me to piggyback you home."
"...What?"
Her worried expression turned to shock in an instant.
Stunned, Si-eun's jaw dropped as she asked,
"Just to check... you didn't actually do it, right?"
"..."
"You really did..."
"Uh, it just kinda happened."
"Why would you?"
She sounded like she was grilling me for a crime. But I hadn't done anything wrong. I didn't want to be blamed for nothing.
"You kept whining about it. Said you'd just sit in the street if I didn't."
Telling it straight made her cheeks flush red instantly.
Apparently, begging for a piggyback embarrassed her more than actually getting one.
"Ugh, what did I do yesterday..."
"When I asked why you wanted it, you said you just wanted to be carried."
"Shut up. Forget it already..."
Si-eun muttered with her face beet red. She'd asked, but now that I answered, she told me to shut up. Felt a bit unfair.
"Anyway. That's what happened."
As I summed it up, Si-eun clutched her head.
"No way."
She still couldn't believe it, from the looks of her gesture. And that was nothing compared to the bolder stuff she'd said.
"You really don't remember any of it?"
"I remember up to drinking with So-hye and the three of us."
That was before she even got drunk.
She'd seemed perfectly normal until begging for the piggyback, but even that memory was gone? Had she already hit her limit by then?
"Well, honestly... I kinda feel like I dreamed about being carried home by you after that."
"That wasn't a dream. More like a fuzzy memory."
"This is unreal."
She covered her eyes with her hand, mortified. Her face was still flushed.
Seeing the usually aloof Si-eun react like this was pretty amusing. I chuckled at the thought, and she shot me a sharp glare.
"You didn't touch me anywhere weird, did you?"
"Do I seem like the type?"
She knew damn well I didn't have the guts for that. She'd said as much before.
But.
"True. You're always so careful about that stuff. You wouldn't have."
Her response took a slightly different angle.
Well, it was true. I just hadn't expected her to acknowledge it.
Soon, Si-eun shyly lifted her eyes.
"So... nothing else happened, right?"
"Yeah."
I answered curtly, and she murmured, "Good, that's a relief," before resuming her chopsticks.
I couldn't tell her about the very end.
That was all her doing. I wasn't at fault even 1%. Telling her everything would just add one more line to her black history. Nothing to blame me for.
But somehow, spilling it felt like it would upend our current relationship.
So I had to keep it secret.
As I resumed eating with a frustrated sigh, Si-eun looked up. Our eyes met naturally.
"Why do you keep staring? I even let my hair down."
Still suspicious, she pouted at me.
Risking more suspicion wasn't smart. I quickly turned my gaze to the spicy braised chicken and said,
"It's nothing."
That was all.