The Senior is About to Blacken
Jinwoo's honorable(?) injury recovered quickly. Eunbyul looked visibly relieved. According to her, it wasn't a serious injury, and indeed it wasn't, but still, it was different from hearing directly from the doctor that he was fine. Maybe Jinwoo was overdoing it because of her. It seemed like he could be discharged soon if things continued like this.
"Whew, finally escaping the hospital."
"Yeah. Glad you're getting better quickly."
"My body's always been sturdy."
Eunbyul smiled brightly at Jinwoo's words. But her inner thoughts weren't entirely cheerful.
'Then nursing him will end with this.'
Thinking that, Eunbyul's face turned slightly sullen. It's not that she's sad because Jinwoo is getting better. If that were the case, she wouldn't have thought about nursing him diligently by his side in the first place. The reason Eunbyul felt gloomy was because the situation where they could talk continuously by each other's side was disappearing. Of course, they often chatted via KakaoTalk or phone and met frequently even normally, but it was inevitably different from being constantly by each other's side like this.
'I could have monopolized him all to myself in the hospital.'
As she thought that far, her ears suddenly flushed. It was because she wondered if she had such strong possessiveness.
"Why are you like that, senior?"
"Huh, what? Ah, it's nothing!"
Eunbyul hurriedly shook her head. Saying in front of him that 'I want to stay by your side but it's a shame you're getting better so fast' – she could never say something like that. Moreover, wasn't she the one who caused Jinwoo's injury? It felt like even thinking such thoughts was a sin.
'......Sigh, when I'm with Jinwoo, I feel like I'm becoming a childish and petty person.'
Eunbyul is fundamentally a kind-hearted person. She prides herself on saying what needs to be said, but in reality, she's tender-hearted and cherishes her own people dearly. Even so, her fundamentally kind nature doesn't change. She rarely experienced feelings of jealousy or envy towards others. But when she's with Jinwoo, such feelings peek their heads out. Maybe it's because Jinwoo is the first person who's made her feel this way.......
'Ugh, embarrassing.'
Eunbyul fanned her flushed cheeks with her hand. She no longer even thinks about showing the composure of an older woman. It's already her limit just not to let this pounding and fluttering be noticed. ......Of course, there was also a tiny part of her that wished Jinwoo would just notice it.
'Hmm, isn't that too underhanded after all?'
But what can she do? For Eunbyul, a lifelong single, neither the courage to confess this feeling nor a way to express it comes to mind. In a novel, she would have found the protagonist's foolish behavior frustrating. But now that she's in the same situation, she's become a coward.
'But I don't want our current relationship to break either.'
If the confession succeeds, it's undoubtedly the best outcome. But what if it fails? With an awkward relationship, they couldn't meet comfortably or even contact each other. Something like dating under the pretext of helping with research like last time would be unimaginable. It's no lie to say that's scary. What woman in the world could be indifferent when the man she likes dislikes her?
'Of course, Jinwoo doesn't dislike me either......'
He wouldn't eat with someone he dislikes, feed them, go to the zoo, or even hold hands. No matter how much Jinwoo likes people, that's impossible. But that's a separate story from having romantic feelings, isn't it? Even for herself, she has close older sister and brother from the orphanage, but she doesn't want to date them or anything. Maybe the feelings Jinwoo has are exactly that level? Every time such thoughts arise, she becomes anxious. ......Of course, from a general perspective, Jinwoo's attitude isn't different from romantic feelings, but unfortunately, Eunbyul's mind didn't reach that far.
"Huh? A call came."
At that moment, Eunbyul's smartphone vibrated with a buzz. Although there was no one else in the hospital room besides the two of them, she had set it to vibrate out of courtesy.
"Oh, is it the novel PD?"
"No, it's not~ They don't usually contact me unless I'm writing a novel. Even if they do, it's usually via KakaoTalk."
Then what kind of stories do they talk about when writing novels? For a moment, Jinwoo showed a curious look in his eyes, but now wasn't the time to explain it one by one.
"I'll take the call and come back."
"Okay, go ahead."
"......Don't go somewhere without saying anything while I'm gone?"
"Come on, I'm not a kid."
After creating a slightly strange atmosphere, Eunbyul went outside. She went to a place without people and immediately answered the call.
"Sis, what's up calling out of the blue."
- Hey~ It's been a while. How've you been?
The voice heard was a woman's. An older sister from the same orphanage. Unlike herself, she had been strong and bold since long ago, someone Eunbyul had admired. Now that she has a boyfriend, that vibe seemed to have slightly disappeared.
- I just wanted to hear your voice, so I called. I was also curious how our star writer is doing~
"Aw, come on. Stop teasing me like that!"
- Hey, why? If it were me, with that much popularity, I'd be bragging all over the neighborhood.
"On that day, I wouldn't even be able to show my face in that neighborhood, you know?"
Eunbyul's representative work is, after all, an adult novel. It's not that it's wrong or illegal. But Eunbyul's heart wasn't strong enough to deliberately go around talking about it. If others knew, she'd be too embarrassed to even speak properly. Naturally, the fact that Eunbyul writes novels was a secret known only to really close people. In that sense, Jinwoo was a very special case.
- Aah, okay, okay. So what have you been up to lately? Your novel's already finished, right.
"Writers lose their livelihood if they don't write novels. I'm preparing for the next one quickly. Ah, I'm at the hospital right now."
- Hospital?! Hey! Don't tell me you're sick again?
"Ah, no......"
Eunbyul has a habit of worrying alone even when problems arise. Since her sister knows that too, she immediately pressed for answers. Since there was something to feel guilty about, Eunbyul rambled.
"It's not that I'm sick......"
- Hey! Tell me everything honestly right now! If not, I'm going to barge into your house right away?
"Even if you come, I won't be there anyway....... Anyway, it's not me, it's someone I know who got hurt."
- Someone you know? What are you talking about? You don't have friends!
Eunbyul was hurt by the casually spoken words. Though it was true! She barely has any friends her age!
"I met a high school junior."
- Junior? Why all of a sudden?
Eunbyul's face flushed red. She didn't expect she'd have to explain it like this. If she'd prepared in advance, she might have come up with a plausible lie. But the call was so sudden that she ended up speaking honestly without realizing it. Eventually, Eunbyul let out a deep sigh and began explaining.
"Well, you see......"
About what kind of relationship she had with Jinwoo, how they met, what happened after that, and now the story of her nursing the injured Jinwoo.
"......That's how it happened."
- Hmm~
Her sister didn't say anything for a moment. That strange pause made Eunbyul even more nervous. Come to think of it, this was the first time she'd told anyone else about her situation with Jinwoo. Of course, the only thing her sister, who had heard everything that had happened so far, could say was one thing.
- What, so are you two dating?
"Ah, we haven't said anything like that yet."
- Oho~ 'Yet'?
"......"
Eunbyul's face flushed rapidly again. She was used to teasing Jinwoo, but not used to being teased herself. Let alone when the topic was dating Jinwoo.
- Wow, our Eunbyul is quite capable, huh? Snagging a younger guy in a place where she barely knows anyone?
"T-that's, you too are dating your high school classmate!"
- Hey, hey! I just happened to run into that bastard at work! A-and why is that story coming up now?
A slight embarrassment could be felt in her sister's voice. She knew they were officially dating and it had been quite some time. It seemed she felt embarrassed anew hearing such words. Indeed, romance has profound aspects.
- So when are you going to confess?
"W-we're not in that kind of relationship!"
- Not in that kind of relationship~ Oh my!
Anyway, it means you're interested in him, right.
"......U-uh, yeah."
That much she couldn't deny. She still couldn't be sure of this feeling even herself. But when she's with Jinwoo, it's clearly enjoyable and at the same time heart-fluttering. It would be a lie to say there's no interest in that. She didn't want to lie even to her own heart.
- What, it's simple~ Then just pounce on him.
"I'm different from you, I can't do that!"
- Aang~? Different from me?! What does that mean now? Does that mean it's okay for me to pounce on guys?
"But it's true. As far as I know, clearly......"
- N-no it's not! In the first place, he was the one who... No, crazy! What are you making me say!
.......Strictly speaking, the one who brought it up first was her sister, but Eunbyul didn't point that out.
- Hmm~ Anyway, so you do have those kinds of feelings.
"Y-yeah, I do."
- Then steel your heart for now. They say clothes get wet in a drizzle without you noticing. You're the type who'd end up giving everything, liver and gallbladder included.
"Advice from an experienced person?"
- I'll kill you next time I see you, seriously.
Even through the smartphone, the killing intent made Eunbyul flinch. She had forgotten because she hadn't seen her recently, but her sister had quite a nasty personality.
- Anyway, think about this and that carefully. From what I see, that kid seems to have feelings for you too?
"Really?"
- Really. But if you keep dawdling, you'll get stolen by another girl? He's younger than you. So he's at the age where he's most interested in girls. ......
Jinwoo meeting another girl? Without realizing it, Eunbyul imagined Jinwoo dating someone else, arm in arm. Then Eunbyul's eyes began to change as if they were dead. It was a terrifying aura that would make even Jinwoo instinctively hide if he saw it.
- Anyway, I'm glad it seems like you're doing well. Then I'll hang up~ Report back when you make more progress~
Thus, the rare phone call with her sister ended. But Eunbyul's expression didn't easily relax.
"Jinwoo with another girl......"
It was because an assumption she hadn't thought of was making her heart anxious.