The Sound of the Heart (6)
Yoon Seo-a didn't wait for my answer. She simply reached out, seized my collar, and yanked me down.
"Whoa?!"
How was she this strong?! Caught completely off guard by that grip, I toppled over without a shred of resistance. Even so, the thought that the bed was remarkably soft followed right after.
I carefully opened the eyes I'd squeezed shut. And then— hic—I swallowed my breath.
There was Yoon Seo-a, still facing the ceiling, rolling only her eyes to look my way.
Just what was with that look? I wanted to spit out my complaints, but instead I let out a sigh and carefully pressed the towel-wrapped ice pack I'd been clutching against Yoon Seo-a's injury.
"Nngh."
Whether it was the sting or the unexpected cold, Yoon Seo-a let out a short moan, then closed her eyes and began breathing evenly.
She wasn't asleep. It was more like she was meditating with her eyes shut. I awkwardly kept my arm raised and carefully shifted my body.
Having been thrown down so suddenly, my posture was terribly uncomfortable. No matter how nice the bed, an awkward position made it meaningless. On top of that, I had to keep one arm raised so the ice pack wouldn't spill onto Yoon Seo-a's face, and I had to adjust it properly so she wouldn't get frostbite from holding it too long.
Maybe that was why—though it felt like not even five minutes had passed—my arm holding the ice pack already started to feel sore.
Maybe I should have put less ice in it? She'd rushed me to make a replacement, so I'd just filled it up without thinking, and it was packed full and extremely heavy. Next time, I should put less or find another way. As I was thinking that to myself, Yoon Seo-a, who had her eyes closed, spoke.
"Ha-eun, what kind of life have you lived?"
"...What kind of life I've lived? Why are you suddenly asking something like that?"
"Because I'm curious."
Was she suddenly interested in a commoner's life now? As I thought that to myself, I suddenly recalled the argument I'd had with Yoon Seo-a in the infirmary.
You harass me every day without so much as a conversation—how could you possibly know me?
Surely she wasn't asking because of that? As I continued my thoughts with a sour expression, Yoon Seo-a said,
"Anything is fine, so would you tell me?"
"It's not difficult, but... is there really any need to tell you?"
At my words, her closed eyes opened and turned toward me. But this time, I had something to say as well.
"Just like you did a background check on Chae-rin, you can just do one on me this time too."
"..."
"Ah, or have you already done it?"
At my pure question mixed with just a little sarcasm, Yoon Seo-a looked at me and let out a long breath.
Her chest swelled greatly, and she made no effort to hide the long hoooo— sound. Did that mean she was angry but would hold it in just this once?
Of course, whether she got angry or not made no difference to me, half-resigned as I was. Come at me if you want.
...If you ask why my arm is trembling on that note, I have nothing to say, so please don't ask.
"Yu Ha-eun."
"Y-Yes?!"
At Yoon Seo-a dropping the honorifics and calling me by my full name, I answered in surprise without meaning to. But I quickly realized she wasn't calling me.
"Father died fifteen years ago in a drunk-driving accident, and Mother, who had been a housewife, immediately used her previous experience to join a well-known company as a sales representative. Apparently quite the talented individual, as she currently serves as deputy manager of the sales department."
"Uh, uh..."
"As a child, she seems to have had a tomboyish streak, enough to be called the alley boss by kids her age. Whether from a sense of justice or something, she frequently mediated bullying and fights without looking the other way."
Wait, how far did she investigate? Not noticing that my face was turning pale, Yoon Seo-a continued.
"However, in the summer of her thirteenth year, after collapsing from a sudden fever, there was some kind of change, and she no longer showed the same lively personality as before. Still, mediating bullying and fights remained unchanged."
"At fourteen, she began swimming, yoga, and other exercise. In my personal opinion, this seems to be when she started preparing for admission to Private Acacia Academy. Otherwise, same as above."
"Particularly close human relationships for Yu Ha-eun: none."
Finishing her mechanical recitation, Yoon Seo-a turned her head to look at my stiffly frozen form and said,
"You said a background check would do, didn't you? Did you think I wouldn't have done something so obvious? Of course, I didn't just investigate Ha-eun. I investigated the entire first year, including Class 1-D."
"Y-You... just since when...?"
"Why, from the very day of the entrance ceremony, of course. Here at Private Acacia Academy, until you enroll, no one but yourself knows who else is entering, right?"
Yoon Seo-a spoke as if it were nothing special, but I was getting goosebumps.
"Just... why would you do something like that?"
"Why...? You're saying something strange. To deal with any potential persons of interest, information is necessary, isn't that obvious? I made a mistake on the entrance exam because I was busy inputting the already public information on upperclassmen, which is why I ended up in Class 1-D, but I can raise my rank whenever I want."
At Yoon Seo-a casually saying things I couldn't possibly understand, I finally realized that she and I were people from completely different worlds.
"...That's not normal."
"Is that so? A commoner like you might not understand, but in our world, this is common sense."
Yoon Seo-a gave me a bright smile, but I didn't smile back. Regardless, she continued speaking.
"Well then, as Ha-eun wished, I've told you the contents of the background check. So now, it's Ha-eun's turn."
"...My turn?"
I hadn't even asked her to tell me, and I had no idea what she meant by "turn," so I looked at Yoon Seo-a.
"It's your turn to tell me what kind of life Ha-eun has lived."
"You just told me yourself a moment ago. You investigated so thoroughly that I have nothing left to say."
"Listed facts and the truth within them are different things. I don't want the lines of text my investigator brought me—I want to hear it directly from Ha-eun herself."
"Because I want to know Ha-eun better."
There was something captivating in her whispering voice.
If I weren't Yu Ha-eun and were still an ordinary man, I might have spilled everything I knew, ready to give her my liver and gallbladder.
But right now, I am Yu Ha-eun.
"...I refuse."
"You refuse."
At my answer, Yoon Seo-a seemed to ponder for a moment, then tilted her head and said,
"I can't understand. Ha-eun. Do you perhaps not understand the position you're in right now? I didn't think you were that stupid."
"I understand perfectly well. That Yoon Seo-a is showing me favor, so I haven't been dragged off to the Conduct Management Department for punishment. And that this conversation keeps continuing."
"Then—"
"But there's one thing Yoon Seo-a doesn't know."
Yoon Seo-a, who had been about to say something, closed her mouth. I looked straight into her eyes and spoke.
"People call humans rational animals. But in the end, since we're animals, if you touch the emotional parts, we don't follow reason—we follow what the heart tells us."
For example, when a shameful secret you want to hide is exposed. At my words, Yoon Seo-a looked at me with unreadable eyes, then opened her mouth.
"That's not rational."
"Yoon Seo-a isn't always rational either, is she? If you truly wanted to have me, you could have used any means necessary."
"I don't want a doll that always listens to me—I want a person. The person that is Ha-eun."
"What a coincidence. I hate Yoon Seo-a. Because you do background checks on people as you please, threaten them, and harass them."
It would probably be difficult for me to come to like Yoon Seo-a. Unless she completely changed as a person, the way things were now, I wouldn't be able to like her even if I lived forever.
Unless it was just her face. As I was thinking that to myself, Yoon Seo-a fell silent for a moment, then raised her hand and pushed away the ice pack that had been treating her injury.
"It's damp. Has it already all melted?"
"...You're right."
As she said, when I unwrapped the towel soaked with moisture and looked inside, the ice that had been in the ziplock bag was nowhere to be seen, just sloshing water. It didn't feel like we'd talked that long.
As I looked at the ziplock bag, Yoon Seo-a sat up, stretched, and said,
"I should take a bath. Maybe because I've had something cold on my face for so long, my body feels chilly."
Isn't that more because of the clothes you're wearing than the cold compress? As I thought that while looking at her fully exposed back, Yoon Seo-a turned her head and said to me,
"What are you doing? Aren't you getting up?"
"Huh?"
"I told you, didn't I? Today, Ha-eun is my servant. You'll have to attend me in the bath as well."
I have to help her wash too? What is she, a child? While grumbling complaints inside, I diligently got up from the bed, carrying the wet towel and ziplock bag.
I went downstairs, emptied the water-filled ziplock bag, threw it in the trash, and put the wet towel in the collection bin as well.
And then, at the sight of Yoon Seo-a with her back to me, I gulped.
"...Do I really have to undress you?"
"Then with a servant right here, and not being alone, should I take them off with my own hands?"
"But..."
Isn't she embarrassed? Even if we're the same gender, having a stranger undress her, and she's so nonchalant—I couldn't understand it. So when I asked, Yoon Seo-a snorted and said,
"At home, it's not a lady like Ha-eun—sometimes the butler does it for me."
"...A butler is a man, isn't he?!"
"And?"
What do you mean "and"? As I stammered and fumbled for words, Yoon Seo-a spoke as if I were pathetic.
"I said it earlier, didn't I? Servants aren't people. Do you feel embarrassed undressing in front of a pet you're raising?"
"No... they're not pets. They're living humans, after all..."
"They're the same in my eyes."
At Yoon Seo-a's words, I was so dumbfounded I shook my head. Are all upper-class people like this?
Anyway, talking any further would clearly be as pointless as spinning a hamster wheel, so I carefully grasped the shoulder strap.
The negligee she was wearing had no fasteners—it was held up by a single shoulder strap, so lowering that would strip it all off.
Indeed, when I lowered the shoulder strap, the faintly visible skin came into full view without filter.
"Ugh..."
Unable to hold back my face flushing bright red, I turned my head away—when,
"Then now it's Ha-eun's turn."
"What???"
Before I could even protest, Yoon Seo-a had already turned around, fully exposing her pure white chest, and reached out her hand.
And then— pop—came the sound of a button-style fastener being undone.