Chapter 257
Chapter 257
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 257. Reflection
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After the man left,
"Can't be helped. This is just a temporary alliance."
After Kim Jaeheon departed, Song Arin lifted her head, and the two women looked at her.
"Suddenly?"
"We're on the same team, aren't we?"
"Get a grip, both of you."
Song Arin growled as she glared at Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon.
"He's saying he's going to meet someone else right now."
"And... what right do we have to say anything about that?"
"R-Right..."
Jang Chaeyeon mumbled dejectedly, and Yoo Daon followed suit, looking downcast.
"You idiots!"
Song Arin grabbed the wet towel from Yoo Daon's face and threw it at her, then smacked Jang Chaeyeon on the back of the head.
"Ow, Arin!"
"...Wanna die?"
Yoo Daon widened her eyes, and Jang Chaeyeon rubbed the back of her head while glaring at Song Arin.
"He's acting weird."
"...Huh?"
"What?"
The two stared blankly at Song Arin.
"I just realized it from what he said."
Song Arin clapped her hands sharply, just like the man had done to get their attention.
"First off, he's treating us way too casually."
"Is Arin finally losing it?"
"'Finally' is a bad word."
"..."
Yoo Daon and Jang Chaeyeon started whispering to each other, and Song Arin raised one eyebrow as she looked at them.
"Quiet! When the situation hits, you think about escaping first, not giving up already!"
"That's something Jaeheon would say."
"Yeah."
The two looked up at Song Arin quietly, and she clapped her hands again.
"Listen up. We have to stop this."
"Just have Arin go hypnotize her, and it's done."
"Then I'd be the only crazy one."
She couldn't die alone. With that resolve, Song Arin stared intensely at the two.
"We have to block it legally."
"I agree."
The response came from elsewhere.
The three turned their heads to see Ailin walking in, her dull blonde hair draped down.
The branch manager was behind her.
"Got interesting, so I came."
"You switched perfumes again today? But you're still using that cheap shampoo!"
Yoo Daon waved her hand and greeted the branch manager brightly, who paused slightly before smiling back at her.
"Shouldn't we schedule our sparring session?"
"Oh, right. We should!"
"Great. Pick a day and let me know. Wear something light, black."
"Black, got it!"
"Yeah."
Leaving the beaming branch manager behind, Song Arin looked at Ailin.
"Where'd you hear about this?"
"Heard roughly. Let's make a plan."
Ailin dragged over a chair from somewhere, crossed her legs, and sat. Song Arin stared at her in disbelief before opening her mouth again.
"Fine. All of this has to happen naturally."
"Just hypnotize her and kill off her image of the woman. Problem solved."
"I'm ignoring that since I already shot it down."
Brushing off Ailin's words, Song Arin spoke.
"Alright, let's make a plan now."
*
So what the hell is going on?
I looked at Yoo Daon and Jang Chaeyeon sitting across from me.
The two just stared at me without saying a word, sipping their drinks.
But if Yoo Daon drinks like that, she'll definitely get wasted.
Is it really okay for her to drink that much? While I stared at her, Hwang Ji-hye poked my side.
"Why are you staring so hard? Know her?"
"Uh, no. Thought she looked like someone I know."
"Ah, here I thought you liked me."
She smiled, and I forced my gaze away from the two.
The two sipped their drinks quietly.
Their silence made them even scarier.
Maybe noticing my gaze kept drifting their way, Hwang Ji-hye made a dissatisfied face and poked my arm again.
"What do you want?"
"Ah, yeah. Recommend something."
"Got it."
She nodded at my words and called someone over to order.
In the meantime, I looked at Jang Chaeyeon and Yoo Daon again.
Should I gesture for them to leave?
That's when Yoo Daon started stumbling, and Jang Chaeyeon looked at her annoyedly.
No, why bring someone who can't hold her liquor and... what are they even planning?
Jang Chaeyeon isn't helping much either. Shouldn't she do something?
Why are they even here in the first place?
Should I get up and send them away? Then they'd know.
My worries only deepened.
*
"Listen up. We absolutely can't sabotage it openly."
"Then have Arin use hypnosis—"
"Hey. I said no."
Song Arin glared at Yoo Daon and spoke again.
"The most important thing is to let him know we've become a bigger part of his life than he thinks."
Song Arin recalled the man's recent behavior.
As always, he'd been deliberately avoiding them.
The moment anything felt off, he'd arm himself with ironclad rationality and push them away on purpose.
Especially when the white-haired one pushed hard.
Song Arin gritted her teeth.
This was like hypnosis.
Not some arrogant ploy to make him realize their absence.
This was a desperate appeal.
Please look at the people right here in front of you. That was the message.
To spread that message—
"You take the lead."
"Me?"
Song Arin pointed at Yoo Daon, who pointed at herself with wide eyes.
"Yeah, you."
"What should I do...?"
"Get drunk."
"Huh...?"
A question mark practically floated over the black-haired girl's unusually puzzled face, making Song Arin want to smack her—but for the sake of gain, she held back and nodded.
"Just drink. Get drunk."
"That's really all?"
"Yeah."
Yoo Daon eyed Song Arin suspiciously, and Song Arin replied shamelessly.
Song Arin resented Yoo Daon.
More precisely, she resented the way the man looked at Yoo Daon.
Was this what it felt like to watch someone favored?
The favored one might not realize, but Song Arin had always thought the man favored her.
Her voice came out prickly, but Song Arin didn't bother fixing it.
"Fine. Got a problem? Suggest another way."
"What about me?"
Jang Chaeyeon soon raised her hand and looked at Song Arin.
"You stick by her side. And ignore him."
"...That's it?"
"Yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon didn't know push-pull.
She only knew brute push. No pull.
"Absolutely. No matter what, don't greet him or act like you know him."
"Th-Then...?"
Uncharacteristically, bewilderment appeared on Jang Chaeyeon's face.
"Just sit there."
"...Is that really okay?"
Anxiety flickered across Jang Chaeyeon's face.
This was the expression she should have made.
Feeling a strange emotion, Song Arin nodded.
"Yeah. Do that. That's right."
Awareness of the situation always comes from dissonance.
When the everyday becomes abnormal.
When the usually kind one acts cold.
When the always smiling one is crying.
That's when people feel the discomfort.
"What about you?"
Jang Chaeyeon looked at Song Arin, who nodded.
"I'm not showing up."
"Really?"
"For real."
Song Arin closed her eyes as she answered.
Because that was the most uncharacteristic thing for her.
"What about me?"
"Do I have to babysit other teams' blondes too? Figure it out yourself."
*
Drunk Yoo Daon, Jang Chaeyeon averting her eyes from me.
Did she really get pissed?
Is this what they mean by on pins and needles?
What do I do—
"Drinks are here."
My thoughts were cut off as drinks were placed in front of me.
"You've been out of it since earlier. Got sold?"
The woman stared at me.
"Ah, yeah."
"Sold?"
"No, no. Haven't been sold."
"..."
Now she looked completely displeased.
"Should we head out?"
The drinks had just arrived, but she seemed totally checked out.
"...Yeah."
I couldn't help being distracted either, so I decided to stand up.
As we stepped outside, cool air brushed my cheeks.
"Those two at the table earlier. You know them, right?"
She turned to me right after we exited.
"...Yeah."
"Figured. Your eyes wouldn't leave them. But they were full of worry."
"...Sorry."
I bowed my head, and she sighed.
"Fine. Comparing to types like that just makes me miserable anyway."
"..."
"I don't know why you wanted to meet me, but..."
She let out a groan.
"Not even jealousy bait. No idea."
"..."
Too gross to say it's for a Critical hit.
"Sorry."
I could only bow my head again.
"Ugh, whatever. First time seeing you anyway."
She waved her hand and turned to walk away.
"Anyway, thanks for the drinks."
Then she vanished into the street's darkness without looking back.
"..."
I went back inside the bar.
Drunk Yoo Daon was leaning on Jang Chaeyeon, who shoved her off hurriedly when she saw me.
-Thud!
Yoo Daon smacked her head on the table and winced with a groan.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
My eyes met Jang Chaeyeon's, and she looked away first.
What should I say?
How did you get here? Why are you here?
No, that's not it.
I sighed deeply.
Jang Chaeyeon glanced at me nervously, while Yoo Daon was still out of it.
"What are you doing."
I grabbed Yoo Daon's shoulder from the other side and looked at Jang Chaeyeon.
"Help."
"...Ah, yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded and helped support Yoo Daon. No telekinesis outside, of course.
After settling the bill, we carried Yoo Daon out of the bar.
That woman didn't even pay, in the end.
"...Not mad?"
Jang Chaeyeon eyed me warily as we walked with Yoo Daon, and I turned only my head to look at her.
She still gazed at me with anxious eyes.
"Not mad."
"..."
Some things can't be fixed with words alone.
People are simple—they won't believe forgiveness just because you say it.
Sometimes you have to accept a small gesture to signal it's okay.
"...If Chaeyeon brings a lunchbox tomorrow, I won't be mad."
"...!"
Jang Chaeyeon's face lit up.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll make one."
She nodded vigorously.
Seeing that stabbed my conscience even more.
Never do this again.
"Let's go."
We headed into the darkness, dragging Yoo Daon along.
Yeah. My bad.
When the people right in front of you change, your eyes spin with worry—what nonsense was that?
I swallowed a bitter smile as we headed to where we needed to go.
"Where to?"
"Leave her at the Management Bureau on-call room."
Is this really enough?
*
Song Arin sighed as she watched the man disappear.
Wearing a cap pulled low, Ailin stood beside her.
"This work?"
"It's done."
"No, does this really work? You."
Ailin stared at Song Arin, who pulled her cap lower.
"It's done, whatever."
Did the man even think about her?
Who knows.
But she'd achieved the ideal result through the most efficient method.
"So it's done."
Song Arin muttered and walked in the opposite direction from where the man had gone.
Yet she had no idea why a corner of her chest ached so.
*
"Help me out a bit."
A few days later, as the blind date incident settled, the branch manager appeared before me.
"...What do you need?"
"Containment Team's heading out on dispatch, short on manpower."
"...Why me for dispatch..."
"You get travel pay and overtime."
Overtime's nice, but...
Why me for Containment Team dispatch?
"I'll throw in An Sanghyeon."
"Sigh... This once."