271. Are They... Your Partner?
271. Are They... Your Partner?
***
After checking her smartphone screen, Serin paused for a moment and looked at Seoyun.
"Why? Do you need me to give you some space?"
When Seoyun asked if her presence made it awkward to answer, Serin thought for a moment and shook her head.
The caller was none other than Eunha.
It didn't seem like it would be a problem if Seoyun overheard her talking with Eunha.
'Besides, Seoyun isn't the type to go around spreading rumors.'
In fact, Seoyun was the person I trusted more than anyone right now, so it seemed fine.
"Hello?"
After several rings, she answered.
—Ah, Serin, do you have a moment?
Eunha's calm voice came through.
"I do. Did you send me a BaTalk message? If so, I haven't been able to check it yet because of today's scrim..."
As she spoke, she remembered the BaTalk messages she had deliberately not checked.
Actually, when Seoyun had brought her phone after the scrim ended, she had purposely avoided checking the hundreds of accumulated BaTalk messages.
At that moment, she had been too mentally exhausted and her head had been too jumbled, so she had planned to check them all at once later.
—Yes, I did send a BaTalk message. Ah, so how are you feeling right now? You hadn't replied, so I was worried something might have happened to you... That's why I called.
Hearing that Eunha had called out of worry, Serin felt grateful first.
'How is it that everyone I've gotten close to is this kind?'
Sua, who had come to see her in person just yesterday, and Eunha, who had called out of concern—everyone she had grown close to in this world was someone she liked.
She even knew that Eunha had almost no free time because of her packed scrim schedule, so it meant even more that she was looking out for her despite being so busy.
"Thank you so much for worrying about me. I'm really feeling better now. You don't need to worry so much."
—Well, that's a relief. But don't push yourself. I'm the same, and... Serin's fans are worried about you a lot too.
As she spoke so sincerely, Serin felt a strange tickling in her chest.
She wondered if this was what a real fan looked like, and it was also a little embarrassing that someone as impressive as Eunha was sincerely saying she was worried about her.
"...Okay. I'll be careful."
—You're not still very tired or anything, are you? If I'm keeping you for no reason...
From Eunha's cautious tone, Serin could instinctively sense that she wanted to keep talking.
When she had first answered the call, she hadn't intended to stay on long. But since this person had called out of concern for her, hanging up now would make it seem like she was only thinking about herself again.
"No, it's fine. And since you called for once, let's talk a little more."
—Well, I'm glad to hear that, but please don't push yourself, Serin. I'm really fine.
I smiled at how Eunha spoke even more cautiously on the phone than when we had met in person, and shook my head.
"I'm really fine. I'm not pushing myself. Anyway, Eunha, how was today's scrim? You said you've been busy with scrims morning and night lately."
—The scrim results were good. My performance has been better since returning to the team house. Ah, right. What about you, Serin? I heard the team you scrimmed today was the Knights of Charlemagne.
"Yes, that's right. The Knights of Charlemagne. Well, my scrim went pretty well too."
There had actually been a small disturbance in the middle, and it hadn't gone exactly as she had envisioned, so there was some regret, but it had still ended well.
At least it hadn't felt like she and the players had wasted their time.
—Today's scrim. Didn't you win every match, Serin?
Serin flinched for a moment at Eunha's sharp prediction.
'What the—she sounds so certain...?'
Despite that thought, she answered calmly.
"How could I tell you the scrim results? Really, Eunha. We're players in the same league, aren't we?"
She said it as if to ask how she could tell another pro team's scrim results to a rival pro team.
—Ah, I didn't mean it like that. I just thought that with your skill, Serin, winning every match would be entirely possible.
When she answered in an apologetic tone, I told her it was fine, but I felt strange.
Eunha's casual certainty about her winning every match made it feel like she knew Serin's skill level.
'Well... someone like Eunha would.'
Actually, it would be stranger if she didn't know Serin's skill.
They just weren't saying it out loud to each other.
Just as I had a rough sense of Eunha's skill, Eunha probably had a similar sense of mine.
"I can't tell you the exact results, but I can at least say there was a good outcome. I was confident about the scrim too."
As she was answering naturally, she felt eyes on her.
—Sis, who are you talking to?
Seoyun had come right up beside her and was silently mouthing the question.
She looked curious about the call going on longer than expected.
Just then, Eunha's voice came through.
—I thought so. Honestly, with your skill, Serin, the Knights of Charlemagne aren't just enough as a scrim opponent—they're more than enough.
"...You're exaggerating, Eunha. Me, more than enough?"
Poke.
Seoyun was now touching her arm and silently whining, and Serin couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
—...Serin?
At Eunha's voice, Serin found herself looking at Seoyun again.
'This might be a good chance to introduce Seoyun.'
There was no way Seoyun would normally have a way to meet someone like Eunha.
And conversely, Eunha, who kept showing interest in me, would probably be curious if I mentioned I had a younger sister.
"Ah, it's nothing. There's someone here with me right now."
Thinking it over again, it seemed fine, and she smiled.
***
Inside the TSJ building.
Jeanne d'Arc, Yoo Eunha's private room.
After finishing dinner with Seola and returning to her private room, Eunha had found herself worrying when Serin still hadn't replied even as time passed.
'Serin's scrim should have ended long ago.'
Had something happened to her?
She kept worrying and eventually ended up calling.
After that, as they exchanged small talk and Serin seemed to be doing better than expected, a sigh of relief escaped her.
......
While they were still on the phone.
—Pfft.
At a moment when there was no reason to laugh, Serin suddenly burst out laughing, and Eunha found herself calling her name.
"...Serin?"
—Ah, it's nothing. There's someone here with me right now.
At the cheerful voice coming through the phone, Eunha blinked.
'Someone is with Serin right now?'
Who?
All sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind, and suddenly she remembered a notice that had been posted yesterday.
A notice saying that since the streamer Plea was taking a hiatus because of her, Plea's viewers should be understanding.
At that thought, Eunha smiled faintly.
"Is the person with you perhaps Plea?"
Even as she said it, she thought that if it was Plea, that would actually be a relief.
When Serin was sick, it would be better than being alone.
—Ah, if you mean Sua, she went off to stream a little while ago. Seeing as you specifically guessed Plea, Eunha, I take it you saw the notice?
"Ah, yes. I saw the notice...."
As Eunha continued answering, the smile gradually faded from her expression.
It wasn't Plea.
'Then who on earth is with Serin?'
Yesterday she had clearly said she was sick, and today she had been exhausted from the scrim.
She hadn't been able to reply to BaTalk because of that, so Eunha had thought Serin must be having a hard time.
But now, suddenly, she was saying someone was with her.
It felt like hearing an answer she truly hadn't expected at all.
"Serin. If it's not too rude... may I ask about the person you're with right now?"
Even as she spoke, she was cautious about whether she was crossing a line.
This was clearly private territory, and she felt she shouldn't ask. But she was too curious not to.
'She said she wasn't feeling well...'
She found herself worrying about whether the person with Serin right now was someone trustworthy.
In an instant, the image of Serin's delicate figure came to mind, and she even wondered if it might be dangerous. All sorts of thoughts ran through her head.
What if it was a man, and he saw Serin's appearance and had bad intentions?
Would Serin be able to resist properly? And so on....
While Eunha was lost in such thoughts—
—It's not rude at all. Ah, but if I just tell you right away, it won't be fun. Do you want to guess, Eunha? Who I'm with right now.
A playful voice came through.
Eunha calmly gathered her thoughts and parted her lips.
"I'm not sure. I can't guess. But seeing as you're saying it like that, Serin, I suppose it's someone you can trust?"
Even as she spoke, various situations came to mind.
It was already past 8 p.m.—late evening.
If they had been together until now...
Suddenly, even that thought occurred to her.
Was she perhaps interrupting Serin right now?
—Someone I can trust... Yes, that's right. It's someone I trust more than anyone.
At that moment, hearing Serin's voice through the phone made her chest feel strangely ticklish.
Clench.
Enough that she unconsciously clenched the hand not holding her smartphone.
'I feel strange.'
Serin was the first person she had ever taken an interest in and tried to get close to first.
But now Serin was saying she had someone she was actually closer to.
Or that she had someone more important to her—it felt that way, and the feeling was so strange.
She had thought of her as a friend. But it felt like seeing a friend who said she had a closer friend—and also not like that.
Whatever it was exactly, one thing was certain.
It wasn't a very good feeling.
'Someone I trust more than anyone.'
Even the words Serin had said lingered in her mind.
"Are they... your partner?"