episode_0020

Asuka Hasegawa, the only heroine in the original work. Her character was clear.

Lively, Japanese, with a subtle reminiscent atmosphere and the opposite, Gap Moe.

And sickly.

Asuka had a naturally weak body.

It is not a serious chronic illness that is life-threatening, but it is a chronic illness that prevents you from moving your body vigorously.

The reason I’m in that wheelchair right now isn’t because my legs are crippled, it’s just because I don’t have any muscles.

It’s probably in the process of being rehabilitated recently.

Anyway, it is said that for that reason, he could not go out often until middle school.

‘I heard you were in the hospital until the end of middle school.’

I didn’t know it was here.

Since the novel begins in high school, there is no mention of the hospital she was hospitalized in.

When I entered Seonghwa High School, I thought it would be a nearby hospital.

I never thought it would be so close by.

‘The meeting went faster than I thought.’

In the original, the two met after entering high school.

On the other hand, right now, I haven’t even graduated from middle school.

I don’t know if their meeting, which is much faster than the original, will be good news or bad news for them.

‘It’ll be okay.’

Because the mood between the two right now is not bad.

Of course, from the moment Yuwon saw his novel, he was quite upset. Looking at his expression, it seemed like he didn’t hate it.

And at that time, Riya’s voice was heard.

“Sihyeon, where are you looking?”

In a slightly different, colder voice than usual.

How long has it been since you heard a voice like that?

No, that wasn’t important right now.

If you leave Riya with a voice like this, something big will happen.

It was a realm of instinct, not experience.

“Yuwon.”

“Next to it. Didn’t you see it?”

“No, never.”

“Did you see it?”

“…I did catch my eye, but that was because of Yuwon.”

I wondered for a moment why I was explaining this, but I didn’t show it outwardly.

Because Riya’s mood was too scary to say that.

And… I was also pricked by my conscience for some reason.

“I will believe it.”

As Riya said that, she grabbed both my cheeks with her cold hands and fixed her gaze.

Look only at yourself.

It was something I did occasionally before. Making Riya look only at herself.

And usually, if Riya is embarrassed, she solves it first.

“Ahh…”

like this.

Riya looked intently into my eyes, her face turned red and she lowered her hands that were holding both cheeks.

Even though it was something I had done several times, I still felt embarrassed as if I wasn’t used to it.

‘I was a little embarrassed too…’

And this is a fact that she, who always looks away in shame, doesn’t know.

Every time this happened, my face also turned red and I felt quite embarrassed.

It was a face I always saw, but seeing it face to face like this, just the two of us, made me feel more embarrassed than I thought.

“…”

Perhaps because we were both embarrassed, we stayed silent for a moment, avoiding each other’s gaze.

The silence that lasts only between the two.

It was I who broke the silence.

“Ri, where are you going this Christmas?”

Today is December 23rd. There were at most two days left until Christmas.

This Christmas falls on a Wednesday, so there is no need to overlap with other schedules.

I had already made plans with my friends. We’ll meet tomorrow, Christmas Eve.

There were many reasons for making an appointment on Christmas Eve, but the biggest reason for me was to save Christmas Day.

“Nothing.”

“Then come to my house, your parents are not there on Christmas day.”

Riya’s parents were on a business trip for the entire month of December.

So he wasn’t home on Christmas day.

So I was thinking of calling Riya.

“Stay with my family.”

And another.

No, perhaps the reason is more central to me personally than anything else.

I wanted to be with Riya.

On the happy day called Christmas.

“Yes. Let’s stay together.”

Riya’s answer was short as always.

In some ways, I could have thought that he was indifferent and didn’t like me that much.

But I read it in Riya’s voice and in her expression.

She was liking it. Quite a lot too.

“Is there anything you want as a gift?”

“Well.. not really.”

“Then I will prepare it myself.”

“…Are you giving it to me as is?”

It goes without saying that I don’t have the option of not giving Riya a gift, right?

This is a gift to Riya.

“Sihyeon.”

At that time, someone called me. Yuwon’s voice, not Riya’s.

When I turned my gaze towards the voice, Yuwon was coming here, pulling the wheelchair that Asuka was sitting in.

‘It looks like the original illustration.’

In the original work, there was an illustration where Yuwon was pulling Asuka’s wheelchair.

It was quite surprising that the illustration and the current scene were quite similar.

I must say that I finally feel that I have really entered this world.

“Hello, I’m Asuka Hasegawa, who is going to enter Holy Fire High School!”

Asuka extended her thin, white hand to Riya, not me.

Riya, who was looking at the hand for a moment, also glanced at me, then nodded and held the arm.

“Riya. Abreliya.”

“This is my first time seeing mixed race in Russia! Please take care of me!”

“Me too.”

Riya’s reaction didn’t seem that bad.

Even in the original, the relationship between the two wasn’t that bad. There may be a reason why Asuka has a good personality.

It won’t be much different now.

“Please take care of yourself too!”

After saying hello to Riya, Asuka immediately extended her hand to me.

Good skin, even if pale. As I was looking at him, I also stretched out my hand and tried to shake his hand.

“….?”

“Liya?”

Suddenly Riya came up and grabbed his hand.

A hand that has nowhere to go with him.

Asuka must have been embarrassed, but she withdrew her hand and held it out to me again.

“…”

Riya grabbed that hand too.

what.

What are you doing?

“Handshake, no.”

When Asuka attempted to shake hands for the fifth time, Riya, who held her hand this time, spoke in a low voice.

Why can’t I shake hands?

I thought about the meaning of what she said for a moment, but before I could finish my thoughts, Asuka’s eyes widened.

“Oh my.”

Asuka moves her widened eyes back and forth between me and Riya.

And then he covered his mouth with his hand as if he knew something.

“Yuwon, Yuwon.”

“…Why?”

“Come here.”

Yuwon gives his ear to Asuka’s words.

She glanced at me and Riya and whispered in his ear.

I had no idea what he was talking about.

“Hmm… maybe?”

“Maybe?”

“Yes, but I’ve never seen him speak properly.”

What kind of question did you ask to get an answer like that?

I hope this isn’t a strange question.

“Hmm…”

Asuka looked at me and Riya and smiled with interest, looking like a subtly mischievous child.

Asuka looked at us for a moment, then reached out her hand to me once again.

“Okay, please take care of me!”

“…No.”

Riya grabbed her hand as if she couldn’t tolerate the last handshake.

Riya’s expression even looks resolute.

Asuka smiled slightly at Riya’s expression and withdrew her hand from shaking her hand again.

“Puhuh… It’s fun.”

After that we continued to chat a bit.

Things like how long have you been here, how is middle school, how are your friends, etc.

As the sun was slowly setting before we could continue those words for a while, I asked Yuwon.

“We’re going to leave now, what are you going to do?”

“Me?”

It seemed like the group had naturally changed, but Yuwon didn’t say anything.

Because it was true that the party changed.

“Just a little more? The deadline is over.”

“Wow! Let’s talk more with me. Novel story.”

“…Yeah, yeah.”

I felt a little shaken by the story of the novel, but Yuwon decided to stay a little longer, so Riya and I left the hospital.

It was quite a dark time.

“See you next week..”

“See you next time.”

After leaving the hospital, we headed straight to the house, but stopped at a nearby hamburger restaurant.

Since it was dinner time, it was better to eat and go.

‘I want to stay with Riya a little longer.’

This was a reason I couldn’t say.

I didn’t want to break up with Riya already.

It was just my feeling without any real reason.

We ordered hamburgers and continued eating without saying much.

You could say it was desolate, but this was us.

As we continued our gaze, this time Riya spoke first.

“Sihyeon. It’s on my hands.”

“Hand?”

When I looked at Riya’s right hand, I saw that there was ketchup on the little finger just as she said.

It’s not that much, but just enough that you can’t feel it.

“Ah, thank you.”

I moved my hand to wipe the ketchup, but at that moment she suddenly grabbed my hand.

A tight right hand.

He pulled my tightly held right hand towards her.

“….!”

She suddenly stuck out her tongue.

I licked the ketchup off my little finger with my tongue.

“…Ri, Riya!?”

The soft sensation of the tongue coming out of Riya’s mouth came through my fingers.

Slightly sticky saliva.

A soft tongue that moves as if licking the little finger.

And Riya’s blue eyes looking up at me while licking him.

I was lost in that sight for a moment, but then I came to my senses and immediately pulled my arm back.

“W-what are you doing…?”

I almost screamed, but I lowered my voice.

Because it’s Riya.

“Umm…”

Riya also turned her head with a deep blush on her face.

Her face and ears were redder than ever, as if she was so embarrassed.

But my face turned even redder than hers.

I could still feel my fingers getting wet.

And that feeling told me that what happened earlier was not a lie.

‘…what was it?’

Is it a dream?

Is this really a dream?

If it’s a dream, why don’t I wake up?

My heart is beating so fast.

I put my hand on my chest, where I could feel its beating.

I bowed my head.