episode_0055

After taking care of their business and returning to their seats, the three women were already seated in their respective places.

Han Do-ah and Na Yuna sat side by side, with an empty seat next to Kim Noeul. It seemed like Na Yuna and Kim Noeul were seated towards the window.

I sat next to Kim Noeul. Naturally, Han Do-ah’s figure was in front of me.

The three women each had different expressions. Kim Noeul had a slight smile on her lips, while Na Yuna had the face of a patriot who lost her country.

And Han Do-ah, unlike herself, was looking at me with a subtle smile.

“Is it a good idea to go back to our hometown?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

When I asked a question, Han Do-ah still smiled and replied, “You’re laughing right now.”

“…Ahem.”

Avoiding my gaze, she took out a vocabulary book from her pocket and quietly started memorizing. Occasionally, she glanced at my face.

“We might arrive after lunch, so if you feel sleepy, you should nap in between, right?”

Kim Noeul, who was sitting next to me, yawned as she spoke. However, judging by her expression, it sounded like there was some ulterior motive.

“Why are you suggesting sleeping?”

When I sharply questioned, Kim Noeul casually scratched her neck.

“Oh, well… just saying? I wouldn’t really mind if you leaned on me while sleeping.”

“No, Noeul. Let’s switch seats.”

Na Yuna, who was staring at us with hazy eyes, suggested a seat change to Kim Noeul. Of course, Kim Noeul didn’t even pretend to hear.

“Noeul…”

“Ugh~. Can’t hear well because I’m sleepy. Should I just sleep?”

“I’ll listen to what you want later, so please….”

“Snooze….”

With her eyes closed, Kim Noeul began breathing rhythmically. She really seemed like she wanted to sleep.

Na Yuna observed her closely, pursing her lips. If Kim Noeul’s head tilted even slightly, she was ready to wake her up.

“Maru, if Noeul leans on your shoulder while napping, tell me immediately. I’ll wake her up.”

“It doesn’t really bother me if she leans on me. We’re not strangers.”

“No, no. That won’t do. It’s physical contact between genders.”

Rejecting me, Na Yuna assumed a teacher-like concept that didn’t suit her. Thinking it would be a waste of time to argue, I decided to save it for later, like incorrect answers in a practice test on my phone.

Seeing my focused attitude on studying, Na Yuna finally fell silent.

For quite some time, Han Do-ah and I studied, Na Yuna read a magazine, and Kim Noeul slept.

While reviewing a wrong problem, I felt a strange sensation on my shoulder. When I turned, I saw Kim Noeul leaning on my shoulder, dozing off.

‘She seems really asleep.’

I subtly glanced at the older sister duo.

Han Do-ah was murmuring as she memorized words, Na Yuna was engrossed in the magazine with a serious expression, unaware of Kim Noeul’s actions.

I had no intention of separating her.

‘She went through a lot during the Rotary Bazaar.’

Thinking about her lying in a hospital bed with bruises all over her body, my heart still ached.

Once the vacation ends and we return to school, we’ll have to work hard without rest. It’s better to let her rest peacefully now.

I focused on Kim Noeul’s sleeping head.

Her hair emitted the familiar scent of shampoo. It was the fragrance we always smelled together throughout the semester.

This time, I looked at her face.

Usually a sharp, diligent student, but now, while dozing off, she looked like a silly puppy.

Finding it amusing to observe Kim Noeul, I noticed a food cart passing by in the hallway. They were selling lunch boxes and other items.

‘It’s a bit early to skip lunch.’

Perhaps due to using my brain, I felt hungry. So, I asked Na Yuna and Han Do-ah first.

“Seniors, do you want to buy lunch?”

“Huh? I’m fine….”

“A good suggestion….”

The two women’s gazes were fixed on Kim Noeul, who had her head resting on my shoulder. Han Do-ah nudged Kim Noeul’s face.

“Noeul, are you going to eat lunch?”

“Ye~s.”

Yu-na grabbed No-eul’s shoulder next to Han-do-a and shook it. No-eul frowned slightly and opened her eyes.

“Mmm… What is it?”

“I asked if you’re going to eat lunch.”

“Oh, it’s lunchtime.”

Rubbing her eyes, she yawned and stretched while still leaning on my shoulder, then nodded.

“Yes, I’ll eat.”

She closed her eyes again. Han-do-a, who couldn’t bear seeing her like that, pulled her away forcibly.

“Stop bothering her since Maru is having a hard time. Let her choose what to buy.”

No-eul looked at the food cart and spoke up.

“…Then, let’s go with pork.”

“I’ll have pork too.”

“What a coincidence. I was also thinking of having pork.”

The three women unanimously chose pork. It was a dish known as a manly meal in their past lives. I also chose the same menu as them.

Han-do-a handed over her card and paid for four lunch boxes.

“I’ll send you the money later.”

“No need. Today, I’m buying as a senior.”

Although Han-do-a refused, when the three of us insisted on sending money, she reluctantly agreed to our wishes.

“If we make you buy lunch boxes on top of taking you home, that would be robbery.”

Muttering this, No-eul picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

Observing the four lunch boxes, differences were noticeable.

“All the side dishes are different?”

Mine had rolled omelet, Han-do-a had braised spicy chicken, Yu-na had Vienna sausages, and No-eul had fried pancakes.

“It seems only the pork is the same.”

Yu-na mumbled as she stared at Han-do-a’s lunch box. She probably likes braised spicy chicken.

“Yu-na, do you like braised spicy chicken?”

“I quite like it.”

“Then, have some.”

Responding positively to my question, Yu-na readily accepted Han-do-a’s offer and placed braised spicy chicken on Yu-na’s rice.

“Heh.”

Smiling like a fool, Yu-na put the braised spicy chicken into her mouth. After hesitating for a moment, Han-do-a picked up some braised spicy chicken and fed it to me.

“….”

She could have just put it on the lunch box, but why did she feed me directly?

‘Is she telling me to open my mouth?’

Blushing slightly, Han-do-a was staring at me intently.

As I blankly stared at her chopsticks, suddenly another pair of chopsticks intruded from the side.

No-eul had snatched Han-do-a’s braised spicy chicken with her chopsticks and ate it.

“Mmm~. Delicious. Thank you, senior.”

“I didn’t give it to you.”

“Maru wasn’t eating, so I thought you didn’t like it.”

“What? Do you not like braised spicy chicken?”

Surprised by Han-do-a’s question, I shook my head.

“It’s not that I don’t like it. But since I don’t love it that much, the person who wants to eat it should.”

“Maru says the same thing. Just give it to me from now on.”

Mumbling, No-eul moved her lips hesitantly. Han-do-a stared at her mumbling figure with a cold gaze.

After finishing lunch and cleaning up, we were nearing our destination. We picked up our bags and stepped out of the train.

We saw foreigners who seemed to be touring Gangneung and soldiers who were on vacation. By the way, the soldiers were all women.

‘In this world, women have mandatory military service.’

Since I was brought to this world before enlisting in my past life, I will never enlist.

“Why are you staring at them so intently? The soldiers?”

No-eul approached me as I absentmindedly watched the soldiers.

“Just find it fascinating.”

It was intriguing to see women wearing military uniforms instead of men.

“Men are nothing special, huh?”

No-eul gazed at the soldiers with an uneasy expression. Seeing that all the soldiers had short hair, I asked No-eul.

“Are all soldiers required to have short hair?”

“Probably. At least, it shouldn’t go past the shoulders. It’s said to interfere with combat or something.”

Touching her long hair, No-eul muttered.

“Don’t want to cut it?”

“Of course not. How could I?”

She showed resistance while touching her long hair.

“For women, hair is half of everything. Short hair is a symbol of appearance.”

I gazed at Kim Noeul, imagining her with short hair. Kim Noeul with short hair…

“It doesn’t seem like her appearance will be sealed.”

“You won’t look much different.”

“…What do you mean?”

At my words, Kim Noeul narrowed her eyes, a clear sign of annoyance. I avoided giving a direct answer.

“What do you mean? Are you saying any hairstyle doesn’t matter to me?”

I absolutely couldn’t say something like “You’d look pretty even with short hair.” So, I actively avoided her gaze.

“Hey, let’s go now.”

It wasn’t until Nayuna and Handoa returned from the restroom that Kim Noeul’s questioning stopped.

As we emerged outside Gangneung Station, we locked eyes with a woman in a black sedan dressed in a suit.

The woman approached us directly.

“Miss, it’s been a while.”

When the woman greeted Handoa, she nodded. The three of us were left speechless by this strange encounter.

“After your friends have loaded their luggage into the trunk, please get in.”

We hesitantly loaded our luggage into the trunk.

“Have we been too rude to Doa all this time?”

While loading the luggage, Nayuna muttered softly. Kim Noeul and I silently agreed.

“…Please don’t say strange things like that.”

Handoa sighed as he closed the trunk.

We sat in the backseat, with Handoa taking the front passenger seat.

“We will depart now.”

With the driver’s words, the sedan started moving, enveloping us in an eerie silence.

Handoa remained silent, looking out the window, while the rest of us refrained from speaking casually.

“Surprisingly unexpected. This is the first time the lady has come with friends during vacation.”

“…Are you implying I have no friends?”

“No? If it sounded that way, my apologies.”

The driver and Handoa began conversing without hesitation. We also relaxed and joined in the conversation.

“It doesn’t seem like a strict household after all.”

“That’s right. I thought I should learn etiquette before stepping into the main house.”

Kim Noeul responded seriously to Nayuna’s comment.

“There’s no need for formalities.”

The driver, perhaps sensing our concerns, spoke up.

“As long as you follow the staff’s instructions, there shouldn’t be any issues.”

‘…Isn’t that etiquette?’

Both Kim Noeul and Nayuna seemed taken aback. Handoa, checking our expressions in the rearview mirror, turned around.

“Don’t worry too much. There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

“R-really? Can we relax then?”

Nayuna mumbled as if trying to reassure herself.

As we worried about various things, the sedan continued its journey diligently, finally arriving at the ancestral estate.

Passing through a neatly trimmed tree-lined street, we saw elegant country houses with tiled roofs.

“Wow… the house is beautiful…”

Nayuna admired the lake beside the house. The tree-lined garden was connected to the house by an arched wooden bridge, under which the lake flowed.

“Once we cross this bridge, we’ll reach the main house. Lady, the mistress isn’t fond of cars passing over it, so we’ll alight here.”

We unloaded our luggage from the trunk and walked towards the main house. The scenery along the way was so beautiful that we didn’t feel tired at all.

“After seeing grand Western palaces, it’s delightful to see such an atmospheric Eastern-style house.”

Kim Noeul smiled and looked around.

Upon reaching the entrance of the main house, we were greeted by several servants.

“Hello. We’ll move your friends’ luggage to the guesthouse.”

“Miss, Mr. Kim Namsu is on his way down.”

Just after handing over our luggage to the servants, a familiar face appeared.

It was the man I had encountered on the hospital stairs before.

He had the appearance of someone who studied cooking. His features were gentle, his skin fair as if he had never done rough work, embodying the image of a refined gentleman.

“I’ve arrived, Father.”

“Doa is here. His face looks a bit gaunt.”

After exchanging pleasantries with Handoa, he turned his gaze towards us.

“Pleasure to meet you. I am Kim Namsu, Doa’s father.”

“Hello.”

“Thank you for the invitation.”

Feeling the weight of Kim Namsu bowing first, we bowed even deeper.

“You must be tired from coming all this way. You can rest in the annex. The servants will guide you.”

Having said that, Kim Namsu addressed Handoa separately.

“Doa, to the training hall. Doyoung is waiting for you.”

“…Yes.”

With a somewhat uncomfortable expression, Handoa walked in the opposite direction from us.

Kim Noeul and Nayuna felt puzzled by Handoa’s attitude but obediently followed the servants towards the annex.

Watching Handoa’s retreating figure, I thought to myself.

“It seems like he was called to the training hall for a swordsmanship duel….”

Perhaps Handoa might not be able to come out of the training hall looking dignified.