A Person Who Doesn't Want to Go Out (3)
A Person Who Doesn't Want to Go Out (3)
The sun set, and a deep darkness covered the city.
The moonlight couldn't pierce the sky dominated by gray clouds, and only the hologram lights seeping from the upper and middle layers quietly illuminated the streets of the lower layer.
Lee Si-woon, a young man about to enter an old pub, stepped back as the entrance suddenly erupted in chaos.
"What the fuck, you crazy bitch!"
"Hey, hey, run instead of talking!"
As he stepped back,
two men in shabby clothes poured out of the entrance as if fleeing.
They might have glanced at Lee Si-woon standing right next to the doorway, but too distracted by their escape, they didn't look back, ran off, and vanished into the alley.
'...Hmm.'
Should I just go back?
After a brief hesitation, Lee Si-woon shook his head to clear his thoughts and entered the pub.
Inside, neon signs flickered like a nightclub.
Broken chairs and a few intact ones lay scattered about, and several homeless-looking people lay passed out on the floor.
Lee Si-woon carefully stepped around the prone figures.
He headed toward the stage.
On the stage, a red-haired woman sat in a chair, clutching her eye socket.
"Yo, Andrea."
"...Ah, who did I think it was? It's you, Si-un."
At the sound of his voice, Andrea raised her head and looked at Lee Si-woon.
"You're even saying my name properly now."
"...Still, I'm a singer after all. I can't keep mispronouncing your name."
Andrea replied with a deep sigh.
Since it wasn't wrong, Lee Si-woon nodded, righted one of the intact chairs that had fallen over, and sat down in front of her.
"So, what happened today?"
"...The usual, you know."
Andrea continued.
"They told me to get lost if I was going to sing depressing songs, so I gave those bastards a reason to get lost instead."
"Your personality hasn't changed."
Lee Si-woon chuckled behind his mask in agreement.
Andrea's eyes narrowed a little, not amused, but she didn't get angry.
That was because they'd already worked together several times, taking mercenary requests as a 'side job.'
Other people assumed Andrea's mercenary work was her 'main job,' but in truth, singing was her main job, and the mercenary work was just a side gig.
"If you get banned from here too, there'll be no place left to sing. No matter what, you should've held your temper."
"Then I'd just sing on the street."
Did an image of Andrea singing on the street come to mind?
Lee Si-woon nodded without hesitation.
"Well, you do sing well."
Hearing his answer, Andrea leaned back and pressed herself against the chair.
Her blood-red hair cascaded down.
A brief silence passed.
It was a while later
when Andrea called out again.
"......Hey."
"Huh?"
Without looking at Lee Si-woon, Andrea muttered weakly, as if complaining.
"Should I just give up on being a singer?"
"You? Why all of a sudden."
"It's not sudden... well, it is what it is."
Even without her saying more, there were plenty of reasons.
She'd already been banned from more bars than she could count on her fingers.
One of the reasons was that the mercenary work she'd started as a part-time job turned out to be something she was quite talented at.
The list was endless.
It felt like everything in the world was telling her to quit being a singer.
'...He probably feels the same.'
Since they were colleagues who took on mercenary requests together,
she figured he'd prefer she didn't waste time on a singing career that wasn't working out and instead focused on mercenary work.
But her expectation was off the mark.
"No, never give up."
"......Why?"
Lee Si-woon spoke with conviction.
"I guarantee you can make it as a singer."
"...What's the point. Look at how things are now."
"Of course it's tough now, but things will get better as time passes."
As if declaring it fate,
Lee Si-woon looked straight at Andrea.
"I'm serious. Want to bet on it?"
"...Ha, a bet."
Sensing the fight had drained from Andrea's voice,
Lee Si-woon continued confidently.
"I said let's bet on it. I'll really guarantee it. You'll become the most famous singer in this city."
"......."
Andrea, who had been staring blankly into space, turned her gaze to look at Lee Si-woon.
More than she herself did,
his tone believed in her.
And.
Though it was just words.
For a person to fall in love.
And for a rose's thorn to snap.
No further reason was necessary.
20. A Person Who Hates Going Out (3)
Andrea, having momentarily recalled the past, couldn't easily identify the emotion she was feeling now.
She'd never felt it in her life.
The emotion she'd thought she'd never experience was 'envy.'
'...Haa.'
Catherine had spent ten years with Lee Si-woon and built countless memories.
It was clear that the artificial intelligence named Eve held feelings beyond affection for the man who had saved her.
But what about herself?
She had only received a few words of comfort at a bar.
'...Envy, of all things.'
It was an emotion that didn't suit Andrea.
But it was also the emotion dominating her heart right now.
Of course.
Andrea found it ridiculous to harbor such feelings.
Originally, it was a love she'd already given up on because of Catherine's existence.
She had hidden those feelings well until now.
She had supported and advised Catherine, helping from behind so that love could be fulfilled.
But now that a future where they could all be together was becoming real,
she found herself envying the relationship of the other two, which was laughable.
Come to think of it, it was the same during the live broadcast.
If you acknowledge polygamy, just acknowledge it.
Why did she needlessly add that she was aiming for first place?
Andrea felt embarrassment and shame at her own actions.
"...So."
Catherine opened her mouth and spoke to the lost-in-thought Andrea.
"What about you?"
"......Uh."
The reason you fell for him.
"...Just because?"
"......."
"No, really...."
Since she'd been the one to bring up the topic first, now that it had come to this, Andrea wanted to crawl into a hole.
The one saving grace:
she could hide her blushing face with the mask she wore to cover her face.
But the heat didn't subside.
Andrea kept fanning herself with her hand and tried to change the subject.
"Anyway, we're living together now, right?"
"You're still just on the same floor, though."
"Let's overlook the minor details."
Andrea glanced at Catherine, who murmured, 'Is that minor?'
"What I'm saying is, we'll need rules."
"If you mean rules."
It was Eve who answered Andrea.
Her face was expressionless, showing no emotion.
But she seemed interested in Andrea's words.
"I'm not talking about anything grandiose."
Andrea continued.
"At the very least, let's not fight with each other while we're living together."
It was something she was saying to herself as well.
Since she'd joined late, she didn't want to disturb the two of them, and most importantly, she didn't want 'Lee Si-woon' to feel uncomfortable.
At her own pace.
Or at someone else's pace.
Andrea thought living like that would be fine.
"...You seem to have made up your mind?"
"Because you sent that message, too."
And after receiving that message,
Andrea had posted a question about polygamy from the vehicle and even appeared on a live broadcast.
Hearing her answer, Catherine put down her shopping bag and stretched.
"Well, that's fine then."
"...You roughly knew, right?"
"I just asked you about polygamy, what do you mean."
She said that, but it seemed she had known.
Andrea approached Eve and extended her hand.
It was a gesture asking for a handshake.
"...Anyway, please take care of me."
Looking down at Andrea's hand, Eve slowly took it.
"Multiple personnel are suitable for service. This is a rational choice."
"...Huh?"
As if not understanding Eve's words, Andrea asked back.
But Eve didn't answer and turned her head back toward the convenience store.
She was waiting for Lee Si-woon to come out.
In any case, it seemed to mean approval.
Andrea, who had been watching the two of them, let out a light breath and said,
"Who would really believe that three people like one person like this?"
That moment,
Catherine answered Andrea's words.
"Three people? What are you talking about."
"You, me, and Eve—that's three people."
Then Catherine shook her head firmly.
"No, there might be a few more added."
"?"
"...Four, five, hmm. It could be up to about six...."
Andrea momentarily couldn't understand what she had heard.
* * *
Having fully enjoyed my solitude at the convenience store, I felt it was about time to head back, so I bought a drink and went outside.
With a cold drink in hand, I returned to the three waiting outside.
.......
But somehow,
unlike before I'd entered the convenience store, Andrea was looking at me as though I were trash.
"......."
Had she caught on that I deliberately came out late?
I didn't know what I'd done wrong,
but I apologized first.