#Bridge Sick Visit
Even so, the fact that he'd come to visit her while she was sick made her forget all about her cold as a shy smile spread across her face.
She knew he had no feelings for her, but she couldn't help imagining otherwise, her heart fluttering pointlessly.
"Hmm…."
I realized she was living in an even worse environment than I'd imagined.
"My place is rural too, but…."
I rested my chin on my hand and stared out the bus window. I was starting to understand a little why Maeng Soyul worked and studied so hard.
"She's young, but so admirable."
She was much younger than me, but sometimes she acted so mature—and now I knew why.
I wondered if I'd been wrong to mess with a girl like that using the scenario book.
"Hmm."
That thought didn't last long. It wasn't like I'd sucked the life out of her or taken her money, so what did it matter? I rationalized it away.
Still, for future scenarios, I figured I'd better leave money out of things when it came to Maeng Soyul.
I always thought of myself as trash when I reflected on my actions, but I still had a sliver of conscience left.
A few days later.
We were past the middle of December.
"Christmas is coming up—gonna get a girlfriend or what~?"
Woo Da-young, bored as usual, draped her arm over the partition and teased me.
"Not thinking about it."
"Really? Want me to hook you up with my friend?"
"You never listen, do you?"
I shrugged, pretending to give in.
"So, is she pretty? Got a pic?"
She whipped out her phone like she'd been waiting.
"She's super sweet and cute, for real."
"…Wanna die?"
One look at the photo, and that was my instant reaction. Her face went slack in shock.
"Hey, why? She's pretty. Lots of aegyo, total good-wife material. Super devoted to her boyfriend."
"…."
I didn't judge solely by looks. I sometimes thought I was okay when I looked in the mirror, but objectively, I wasn't handsome.
"Nah. I like 'em slimmer."
"This is just a little chubby, right?"
"…Your eyes broken or something?"
"Don't badmouth my friend~."
I scratched my eyebrow and said,
"Anyway, I'm good. Zero interest in blind dates."
"For real? She's really pretty…."
She seemed genuinely convinced, so I added,
"Yeah, she's pretty, just not my type."
"What a shame."
I could see her disappointment plain as day.
"Plus, didn't you say no more blind dates?"
"Yeah, but still."
Even while we were working, she'd make these regretful faces—it was kinda scary.
Like she might force me into a setup anyway.
"Sunbae…."
Maeng Soyul quietly approached with the PPT I'd assigned her, all printed out neatly.
As I skimmed the well-made slides, she asked,
"You doing a blind date?"
"Huh? You heard? Nah, not doing it."
"Ah."
The girl who always had that cynical look when we were alone cracked a faint smile.
No mistaking it—she had a crush on me.
She was way better than Woo Da-young's friend, by like tenfold.
"Why do you ask?"
Come to think of it, the scenario book kept messing with my head—was I using formal or casual speech with her?
"No, just… curious."
She brushed it off, then asked something else.
"About the sick visit… I want to repay you."
"Hmm."
I'd known she liked me before, but now it was basically certain.
"You mean treating me to a meal? Nah, forget it. Buy something yummy for your siblings."
"…."
No change in her expression, but her fingers fidgeted—she was clearly thinking hard.
It was natural to show it around a crush, so I smiled as softly as I could.
"Or we could all eat together with the kids."
"…?"
"They'd want that too. They'd love it if their big sis treated them."
"Ah… Yeah, okay."
Setting a date was easy.
This Saturday.
Maeng Soyul.
"Kids, come on, get dressed quick."
She grabbed the excited kids who were ignoring her and running around the tiny room, dragging them to the bathroom.
"Nooo~, the water's cold~!"
Her little brother whined, but she poured boiling hot water from the kettle into the basin and mixed in cold to make it lukewarm.
Splash!
She wrestled the protesting kids through their baths, then hurriedly got them ready with the cooled water.
Vrrr.
Before drying her own hair, she had to dry theirs and dress them first.
"We're going somewhere yummy?"
"Yeah, remember that friend of your big sis? We're going with him."
"Ohhh~."
Only after dressing the kids could she finally get ready herself.
She put more effort into her makeup than usual.
She barely managed to apply her hardened mascara.
Half her cosmetics were dried out or nearly used up.
She had some new ones, but nothing fancy—just cheap stuff she could afford on her budget.
"Let's go."
She took the kids' hands and headed down the hillside slum.
"Whoa~."
The kids clung tight to her hands, bouncing with excitement.
They wanted to see her that badly, but she was also sweet for looking after her siblings.
"Anything someone you like does just looks good, huh."
I scratched my forehead and lazily got up, grabbing my coat.
"Whoa, it's cold."
I'd layered a fleece under my knit, but the chill wind made it feel even colder.
The place I planned to take her wasn't fancy or atmospheric.
Just your standard franchise rice spot you'd find downtown.
"Yawn."
I stretched hugely as I reached the meeting spot and spotted Maeng Soyul in the distance, holding tight to the kids' hands.
I waved, and she bowed politely.
Seeing her lead the little ones like a duckling with her ducklings made me chuckle.
"What do you wanna eat?"
"Anything's fine for me."
"That's the hardest answer. Like hamburgers?"
"Ah… Sure."
Maeng Soyul's eyes went wide at "hamburger," like she'd never expected it.
Then she spun around.
"Not there."
"Huh? Isn't it Lotteria…?"
"…?"
I grabbed her little forehead with my palm and spun her back around.
"This way."
"…Here?"
She eyed the alley skeptically. The kids, clueless, lit up at the word "hamburger."
"Come on."
The alley was packed with eateries.
A little ways in, there was a handmade burger joint on the second floor.
"Let's go in—it's freezing."
"Ah, okay."
Being a weekend, it was full of couples.
"You kids like burgers too, right?"
"Yess~!"
The kids huddled together peering at the menu. Maeng Soyul, looking over their shoulders, flinched.
"Isn't this… too expensive for burgers?"
"Try it once. Never been?"
"No."
Guess I'd asked a dumb question.
I picked and rang the bell.
"Two shrimp wasabi mayo and two bacon, please."
After ordering, I sat back and watched Maeng Soyul and the kids across from me.
"The kids'll love it."
"Ah, yeah."
You could tell they were thrilled just to be out after so long.
"Here you go."
Maeng Soyul's eyes widened at the huge burgers.
"That's why they're pricey."
"…Not really."
I pulled out the center stick and sliced them with a knife.
"Eat 'em like this. Holding it is tastier, but you'll drop everything."
"Okay."
Her short replies made me second-guess if she really liked me.
"Kids, tasty?"
"Yeah!"
"Yess~!"
I ordered drinks for them too, and they stabbed their meat chunks with tiny forks.
"Noona, this is so good."
"Yeah?"
Maeng Soyul glanced at me.
"Thank you, sunbae."
"…?"
"For the sick visit. I didn't think you'd come."
"Oh, that."
I waved my knife hand dismissively.
"You were sick, so I went. If you weren't, I wouldn't have."
"…Isn't it normal not to go if someone's not sick?"
"…."
She had a way of leaving me speechless sometimes.
"And this place is new for me too. So, thanks."
"…No need to thank me like that."
Her deadpan delivery made even a thank-you feel awkward.
"Shall we head out?"
As we walked outside, her gaze drifted to a cosmetics store.
She lingered on the products inside—probably wanted to buy something.
"Running low on makeup?"
"Yeah… If it's okay, could we stop at Olive Young?"
"Isn't that what you want?"
"Too expensive."
Her quick, honest answer was refreshing.
"I'll buy it."
"Huh? No! It's fine."
"Okay then."
"…."
My firm "okay" made her shoulders slump.
"Pfft, you're easy to read. When I say I'll buy it, let me. You got the meal, so this is on me."
And damn, it was pricier than I thought.
"…."
Paying and handing her the gift bag felt a little heavy.
"Just call it payback for your first time."
If we counted it as her virginity fee, it wasn't bad.
I could always squeeze more out of Woo Da-hee later.
"Ah, thank you."
"So, what now?"
"Ah…."
Looked like she'd only planned up to the meal.
From her reaction, she wanted to hang out more with me.
"Next time, just the two of us for a meal."
"Really?"
Maeng Soyul looked up at me, her cat-like face full of expectation. She was cuter and smaller-faced than I'd realized, and it caught me off guard.
"Y-yeah. For real."
"Hee…."
My confirmation brought out a smile so soft I barely heard it.
"Looks like snow soon—let's get you home, it's cold."
"Yeah…."
I patted her head, then put her and the kids on the bus.
"Bye!"
"Bye!"
Before boarding, the kids struck a formal bow like they'd learned at kindergarten.
"Pfft! Yeah, got it."
After seeing them off, I boarded another bus, zoning out, when I spotted Christmas trees already up on the street.
"…Oh, Christmas…."
Spending it alone sounded depressing, so maybe I'd call Woo Da-young or Woo Da-hee.
Dressing them as Santa could be fun.
"…Hmm…."
That sounded good, but my mind kept drifting back to Maeng Soyul's shy face from today.
"Sigh… Maybe give it a shot."
As always, trashy thoughts in mind, I headed straight to the workshop the moment I got home.