Chapter 254: Guidance-1
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 254: Guidance-1
"It looks like you've been under a lot of stress lately."
The doctor in the white coat spoke.
"Pardon?"
"It’s a pseudocyesis—a phantom pregnancy. Stress has made your menstrual cycle irregular, and in connection with that, you’ve convinced yourself that you’re pregnant."
"Ah..."
Shin Jeong-ah’s mouth hung open slightly.
"Try to live a stress-free life. Make sure you're eating well, too."
The doctor offered the most cliché advice possible.
Does he really make that much money just by stating the obvious? Jeong-ah wondered for a brief moment.
"Anyway, you must have been very worried, so this should be a weight off your shoulders. Also, make sure to be more careful with contraception."
"Contraception?"
When the patient questioned him, the tired-looking doctor pressed his fingers against his eyes and sighed.
"If you came here worried about being pregnant, it means you're sexually active, doesn't it? You're still young; if you get pregnant because you're careless with protection, your boyfriend will have to take responsibility and all that. I'm just saying you both should be careful."
"Ah... Yes, thank you."
Jeong-ah gave a polite nod with an expressionless face and left the clinic.
As she walked down the street, she kept repeating the doctor's words in her head.
'Boyfriend taking responsibility?'
'Boyfriend taking responsibility?'
'Boyfriend taking responsibility?'
'Boyfriend taking responsibility?'
'Boyfriend taking responsibility?'
It felt as if she had finally found the answer to her suffocating situation.
*
Shin Jeong-ah flashed a smile.
It wasn't the refreshing smile she showed In-ho, nor was it the bright, innocent smile she wore when greeting Yun Si-a at his house.
It was that same twisted smile she had shown once before in a dark park.
"How unexpected. I thought you'd try to deny it at least once."
However, Yun Si-a did not tremble in fear like she had that day. Instead, she remained composed.
"You clearly came here knowing everything, so what's the point in denying it?"
Jeong-ah crossed her arms and glared at Si-a, who sat across from her. Her spiteful gaze swept over Si-a’s entire body.
"I have even more evidence I gathered while skipping my own classes... It’s almost a shame."
Si-a picked up her phone again, looking genuinely disappointed. It seemed she had plenty of other materials besides the screenshots.
"So... what is it you want?"
"Are you assuming I'm here to demand something?"
When Si-a asked back innocently, Jeong-ah let out a scoff of disbelief.
"If you came to tell me instead of In-ho, it’s only natural to assume you want something, isn't it?"
Jeong-ah was still using formal speech, but she didn't hide the unpleasant emotions laced in her words.
"I'm not here to demand anything. I'm giving you a chance."
At those words, Si-a’s face, which had relaxed slightly, hardened again.
"A chance?"
Jeong-ah couldn't help but raise her voice, drawing the brief attention of a few people nearby.
"Yes, a chance."
"A chance for what?"
"A chance to be honest with In-ho."
Si-a explained plainly.
However, Jeong-ah simply stared at her with wide eyes, as if she couldn't grasp the meaning behind the words.
Sigh. Si-a let out a small breath and added an explanation.
"It’ll be less of a shock for In-ho if you tell him the truth yourself rather than hearing it from me."
"...To In-ho?"
"Yes, to In-ho. You don't know how he's feeling right now, do you? You just think everything is fine as long as you're by his side."
Si-a sipped the rest of her drink with a bitter expression.
"But, Unnie."
Jeong-ah cut in.
"Who are you to interfere in someone else's business like this? You and In-ho are just a tutor and a student, right? So why are you going this far?"
"Would you understand if I said I was just being a busybody?"
"Honestly, I think you like In-ho."
Even if it doesn't suit you, Jeong-ah added inwardly.
"If you wanted In-ho all to yourself, wouldn't it be better to just tell him what you found out...?"
"Why are you doing this? Is this some kind of power trip? You're wasting your time. You might end up in a nasty situation like last time, you know?"
"Ah, is it that? Did you grow up in a happy home with everything you ever needed? Is that why you feel so entitled to pity others?"
Jeong-ah spoke while tapping her fingernails together. Si-a took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She seemed to be suppressing an emotion rising from deep within.
"Listen. Just because someone's life is in the gutter doesn't mean they're destined to turn out wrong."
Si-a opened her eyes.
"I don't know how tragic your family history is... but the fact that you're looking for the cause of why you're living like this in your environment rather than yourself is just..."
Si-a trailed off, unable to finish.
"..."
Jeong-ah remained silent as well.
After a moment of silence, Si-a spoke again.
"Giving you a chance... is a form of guidance. I'm giving you the opportunity to set this whole mess right. You're certainly twisted and off-track... but I believe you can still return to a normal path."
Though the chances aren't high, Si-a added to herself.
"..."
"As for me... I want people who try their best to have a corresponding amount of good luck."
Si-a gazed into the distance.
"And In-ho is trying his best to live well. I know that because I've watched him from the side."
Si-a took another sip of her drink. Her throat seemed parched from talking so much.
"It might just be a lie to you, but In-ho is suffering right now, stuck between a rock and a hard place. So, if you actually care about him, tell him the truth."
"..."
"You asked if I liked In-ho earlier, right? You're right. I do have feelings for him. And they're growing, bit by bit."
Si-a declared it as if sharing a great secret.
"That's why I'll do whatever it takes to make sure In-ho is happy and stays on the right path. And this is my first step."
Si-a drained the rest of her drink. She gathered her phone and bag, then stood up.
Jeong-ah tilted her head back to look up at her.
"From the second step onward, I won't be this kind."
It was a powerful warning.
"I don't think... you'll be up for today's lesson. I hope things are settled by the next one."
"It's next Monday."
With those final words, Yun Si-a left.
*
Shin Jeong-ah sat frozen like a stone statue, unable to get up.
She brought her thumb to her mouth.
Gnaw, gnaw. She tapped her front teeth against her thumbnail.
Shake, shake, shake. Her leg trembled as if she were gripped by anxiety.
The intensity of it only grew.
"Fuck... Fuck..."
"If I tell him the truth... I'll be abandoned again... That bitch... She knows everything... She knows everything..."
Whatever injustice she felt, Jeong-ah’s voice was thick with pure rage as she spat out curse after curse.