Orange Girl (2)
Yoo Suhyun sang while Yeona danced along to the melody.
That kind of relationship continued throughout the entire rainy season.
There were troubles, both big and small.
Because of Suhyun's timid personality and appearance, many kids were scared of her and kept their distance.
Most of the problems stemmed from Suhyun's own self-esteem issues.
But they were the kind of things they could usually overcome.
"...Yeona."
"Yeah?"
Suhyun stopped singing in the dance club room and gave Yeona a bitter smile. Yeona listened, though her eyes were still searching for her lenses.
Suhyun continued carefully.
"...Do you regret becoming friends with me?"
"What?"
Only then did Yeona look at her. Clear tear streaks marked Suhyun's face. She smiled timidly, one hand resting over her chest.
"I-I heard it."
"Why are you crying? Did something happen? What did you hear?"
Even while flustered, Yeona soon smiled and crouched down beside Suhyun.
"The kids... they're badmouthing you."
"......"
"They say you're hanging around with some dyed-hair delinquent and a gloomy kid."
Suhyun lowered her gaze as she spoke.
"...You're not the kind of person who deserves to be insulted. You're so kind. You deserve praise."
Fresh tears welled in Suhyun's eyes. Yeona reached out and gently tugged at her cheeks.
"Hey, missy."
"Ehh...?"
"Are those kids my friends? Did they say they'd be friends with me?"
Yeona asked seriously, playfully furrowing her brows.
"Don't worry about it. People like that are always around."
"......"
"Besides, I'm not the only one getting insulted, you know? You're not the kind of person who deserves it either, Suhyun."
Yeona let go of her cheeks. Suhyun stared at her blankly.
"...Because you're amazing, Suhyun."
"A-Amazing?"
"You take care of two younger siblings and look after your dad. You're only in eighth grade, right? I couldn't do that even if we were the same age."
"......"
It wasn't comforting at all. Suhyun was someone whose age, including her previous life, was already quite high. If anything, she could only blame herself for not being able to do more despite being older.
"So hang in there."
"...O-Okay."
Whenever she heard Yeona's words, Suhyun felt at ease, as if she really had become a middle schooler again. The illusion that she was someone remarkable. Those days slowly piled up inside her.
-Shwaaaaa
Rain poured down. Yeona closed her eyes and smiled at the sound of rain hitting the window.
"It's pouring again."
"...I should head home now."
"Let's ride bikes! I'll give you a ride."
"Ehh...? It's raining."
"It's fine! You can shower at my place."
"...Dad will hate it."
"Hmm... Should I report it?"
"N-No... I said it's fine."
Suhyun looked away as she spoke. After a brief silence, she looked up at Yeona and smiled faintly.
"...I'll do it. At least once I'm in high school, I can drop out. I can take care of my siblings too."
"Ugh, you're so frustrating."
Yeona scolded her. Suhyun gave her a foolish laugh.
"Ehehe."
"Pfft...! What's that?"
"I don't know either."
The two of them were happy. They spent an incredibly joyful year together.
And one year later.
Winter break after graduation. It rained that day too.
-Shwaaaaa!!
Suhyun staggered in front of her house. Her hoodie was soaked in blood.
"S-Suhyun...?"
"...!!"
The day Suhyun mustered the courage to report the abuse, the bond between them broke.
"Suhyun...!! Grab the umbrella... Let's go to the hospital, the hospital......"
"...Yeona."
"You're bleeding...!"
"I-I can't feel my arms......"
An absurd amount of rain poured down. Suhyun staggered while Yeona rushed over to support her.
"The hospital! Let's go to the hospital, Suhyun. I'll take you right now—"
Yeona held Suhyun in her arms, forcing a smile with trembling lips and eyes.
Suhyun clutched at her with shaking hands.
"...Don't."
"...What?"
"Don't... If we go to the hospital, they'll r-report it."
"......"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Yeona. I failed...! I-I might die. I'm scared, what do I do...?"
Suhyun sobbed as she spoke. Yeona's heart felt torn apart watching Suhyun's unfocused eyes filled with terror. Her hoodie soaked in blood. The cold rain pouring down. Even though it was winter, the two of them embraced each other under the downpour that seemed to record the moment on video.
"...Yeona."
"......"
"Don't get involved......"
"...What?"
Suhyun spoke in a sunken voice and pushed Yeona away.
"Suhyun...!"
"......"
"I'll help you...!"
Suhyun took a step back. Yeona called out that she would help.
"No, no, Yeona... Don't come."
"You...! You'll die like this! You're going to die!"
Yeona shouted. The sound of the rain kept her voice from reaching inside the house. Whether from the rain or tears, Yeona couldn't keep her eyes open properly. At the end of her gaze stood Suhyun telling her not to come.
"Don't come, Yeona."
"I'll help...! We're friends! Just trust me once...! Please!"
Yeona pleaded, begging to be allowed to help. It felt like if not now, she would never be able to save Suhyun. Suhyun seemed on the verge of crossing some irreversible line. To protect her, Yeona screamed. She begged Suhyun to take her hand, not to fall any further.
"Don't go...! Don't go, Yoo Suhyun!! Are you going to die?! Are you going to live like that and die!!!"
"...Yeah."
"...!!"
"I'm going to live like this and die."
But Suhyun shook off her hand. She smiled faintly under the rain with unfocused eyes. Yeona's pupils trembled as she looked at Suhyun, who no longer seemed sane.
"...W-What do you mean."
"Yeona."
"......"
"Don't get involved. You'll get hurt."
"No... Suhyun, I—"
"Be quiet. Don't come."
Suhyun drew a line between them.
"W-We... weren't meant to be from the start."
"No... Aah......"
"I'm sorry. Thank you."
After saying that, Suhyun limped away, bleeding. She looked back at Yeona.
"If you report it, he'll kill me."
Yeona had tried to grab her, but she couldn't. A large man stood behind Suhyun, as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
She knew instinctively. That man was Suhyun's father.
"What the hell are you doing here, you crazy bitch? Huh? Planning to report me again?"
"N-No, Dad......"
"Who the hell is that girl?"
He pointed at Yeona. Yeona tried to shout for him to let Suhyun go, but—
"...C-Class president. She came to congratulate me on graduating."
"......"
"S-She's just a kid who doesn't know anything, Dad. P-Please calm down, I'm sorry. So please don't do anything to her......"
Because Suhyun stood in front of her father to block him, Yeona couldn't say a word. She could only stare helplessly at Suhyun. Suhyun turned back and gave her a faint smile. A smile that said she had protected her.
Leaving that smile behind, Suhyun turned away.
"...Damn it, get inside."
"...Yes."
Yeona collapsed on the spot.
-Shwaaaaa.
The rain poured down.
"Hic...! Sob!"
Tears poured down with it.
"Aaaah...!! Kkhh...!! You goddamn bastard...!!"
Whether cursing herself or Suhyun, Yeona spat out insults.
"Why! Why...!! Why are you doing this... Why......"
She still didn't understand. Was she cursing herself for not pulling Suhyun out as she walked into that house? Or cursing the frustrating Suhyun? Yeona didn't know.
'...Yeona, you're so kind.'
"Yeah, I'm kind... I'll help you... Please."
'You're an amazing person, Yeona.'
Suhyun's face as she smiled and spoke to her overlapped with the broken face she had seen last. No matter how much she screamed, the sound of the rain drowned it out before it could reach Suhyun.
"...Haa... Haa......"
After crying for a long time, Yeona stood up weakly and looked at Suhyun's house.
-Slap!
"You brought a friend?! You crazy bitch!! Do you want to watch your dad die!!"
"Kkh!! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!"
Then came the horrifying sounds from inside.
"...!!"
She realized it. To Suhyun, she had only ever been a painful finger to be cut off.
Tears flowed.
'...Suhyun, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'
A crumpled transparent umbrella. Without even realizing she had brought it, Yeona ran through the rainy city, crying. She ran without feeling the cold even though it was winter. Whether from crying or the rain, her lenses had fallen out and her surroundings blurred. She kept falling and stumbling until she reached home.
"Yeona...!!"
"Yeona, you...! Do you know how worried Mom and Dad were!?"
Her parents were waiting for her. It was warm. Yeona tried to ask them for help, but—
'If you report it, he'll kill me.'
"...Ah."
She couldn't. What if Suhyun really died? What if she could never see her again?
"Mom... Dad......"
She was just a child who could only cry. Yeona simply wept.
* * *
-Ring ring ring
-Ring ring ring ring
In a dark room.
"......"
[Hello?]
"...Haram."
The orange-haired woman called Haram in a sunken voice.
[Yes, go ahead! Do you need help with work? I'm free right now, heheh.]
"......"
[Kitsu?]
"...C-Could I..."
She had meant to ask for just a phone number. But Yeona couldn't bring herself to say it and only hesitated.
About five minutes later.
"It's nothing. I'm sorry."
[Huh? Ah... Okay, I'll hang up!]
"Yes, goodbye."
Yeona smiled faintly as she ended the call. She walked over to the window.
-Tap, tap
"...It's raining."
It used to be a weather she liked, but now she didn't care much for the rain. She took out a lighter and put a cigarette to her lips.
"Huuu... I wonder what she'd say if she saw me now."
Yeona smiled faintly. Tears streamed down the face of her reflection in the window.
* * *
Joo Yeona
