episode_0052

16. Seonyudo regains its daily life (2)

We spent some time in the tent feeling quite listless until Director Ryu Jinseong called us.

When I tried to put on the earring-shaped artifact that Hyunseok gave me, I wondered if I should pierce my ears.

As soon as I tried it on, I realized that it was easy to put on, so those worries quickly disappeared.

” Hmm, is this the right way to do it? ”

” Look, yeah, I think that’ll work. But how come you don’t care about girls like this? ”

‘No, it’s only been a month and a half since I became a woman…! ‘

But I couldn’t say that, so I just said I wasn’t interested, and Yeonseo seemed to find that a funny reaction.

” Really? I wasn’t interested in accessories, but now that Hyunseok gave them to me, I’m interested in them? ”

” Even if that’s not the case?! More importantly, how do I activate the artifact now? ”

” Hmm, I’m going with the feeling of flowing magical power, so you should do it with the feeling of flowing divine power. Of course, while doing that, think about the appearance you want to change ”

” I mean, the appearance you want to change… ”

Actually, I liked silver hair more than blonde hair, so when I thought of that, my hair color gradually turned white and soon its length grew.

She had pure white silver hair that reached her waist, and her eyes that were once amber had now turned into a sapphire blue.

” Hmm… how is it? Does it look natural? ”

I turned around slightly and asked Yeonseo, but Yeonseo just blankly stared at me and then slowly approached me and started taking pictures of me with a Polaroid camera that she had taken out at some unknown time.

” Wow! The atmosphere has changed like this? Hurry up and strike a pose! ”

” What? Huh… Like… Like this?! ”

” Yeah! This time like this! ”

Before I knew it, I was being led by Yeonseo into various poses. Like the cat pose, turning my head around, or eating something while gently tucking my hair behind my ear.

As Yeonseo’s tension rose, I felt a little bit of fun without realizing it, when the tent door opened and someone came in.

” The owner is having a party now, so I have to leave now… ”

” Huh…?! ”

There, Hyunseok was there to pick us up at the owner’s request, and while I was taking a pose, I was so surprised that I fell over and ended up being hugged by Hyunseok.

” Uh…so…Charlotte? ”

” I tried using the artifact you gave me… how was it? ”

Hyunseok, who had accepted me, slowly looked at my changed appearance in response to my words and then let me go from his arms.

” It suits you well. Yeah. It’s nice because the atmosphere is different. ”

” Really…? ”

I was a little happy and embarrassed at Hyunseok’s words that the atmosphere had changed, so I scratched my cheek and looked at his expression.

He wasn’t smiling.

‘Why? If you said it was good, why are you making that face?’

I started to hate myself for being so stupidly happy just a moment ago.

‘Why on earth are you happy? Why?! Hyunseok isn’t even smiling and is just making that kind of expression, and I’m the only one who looks stupid…!’

My heart, which had been beating so hard just a moment ago, began to cool down, and I no longer felt like staying there, so I quickly ran out.

” Charlotte?! ”

As I ran away, small water droplets fell from my eyes.

*****

Hyun-seok and Yeon-seo left in the tent after Charlotte ran away. The atmosphere became heavy because of her sudden departure.

” Why did you suddenly run away? ”

At Hyunseok’s muttering, Yeonseo hit his back with a ‘thud! ‘ and said.

” You don’t know, so you ask? Hey! If you tell a girl that she looks good and make a face like you’ve lost everything in the world, she’ll misunderstand! ”

” Aah! Wait… What do you mean? Do you mean I look like I’ve lost everything in the world? ”

At those words, Yeonseo tilted her head and soon dragged Hyunseok to the place where the mirror was.

” Look! Is this a good look? ”

” Was this… my expression? ”

” Yeah! The atmosphere was good, but you ruined it, so take responsibility! ”

” No, even if you say that… ”

” Hey, what was Charlotte like earlier? She looked like she had been transformed by the artifact you gave her. ”

” Yeah, it was really good. It was refreshing because it was the complete opposite of the usual atmosphere. ”

” But do you know how shocking it would be for the listener to hear you say something like that with such a crumpled expression? ”

It was only then that Hyun-seok realized that he had hurt Charlotte and told Yeon-seo that he would go out to find Charlotte. Yeon-seo grabbed his arm and said,

” Tell me before you go. Is this because of your sister again? ”

” How do you…? ”

” You kept touching that pendant every time you looked at it. I understood what was there, but not Charlotte. So why did you suddenly think of your sister?

I told you. Charlotte definitely looks like your sister, but she’s not your sister. That’s why I told you to think of her as ‘Charlotte’, not ‘sister’. ”

” I know. ”

” Why are you doing that when you know that! ”

” That’s because the goddess Patruna who appeared in Charlotte’s body might be my sister! ”

Yeonseo, who flinched in surprise at Hyunseok’s sudden shout, asked him with a surprised expression when she realized what Hyunseok had just said.

” What does that mean..? Why is that goddess your younger sister? ”

” You didn’t see her because you were looking somewhere else when she left, but at that time, the goddess greeted Charlotte in the same way her sister always does when they leave. ”

” Even so, isn’t that just a posture that other people did to call her a younger sister? ”

” No, that can’t be, because that’s a pose that my sister and I made for each other when we were little. ”

” Then tell Charlotte about it. She’s been noticing your gloomy expression since earlier. ”

” Yes, thank you. I’ll definitely talk to you. ”

Hyun-seok quickly went out to find Charlotte, and Yeon-seo, who was watching him, contacted someone through the device.

We spent our time lying down on the blanket and continuing to talk on the phone, laughing non-stop.

*****

I jumped out of the tent and ran towards the garden where there was a large tree right in front of me.

I don’t know why I was running away from that place, but I was too scared to stay there any longer.

I was scared of him after seeing that expression on his face earlier, because it felt like every expression he had shown me up until now was a lie.

‘Were all the expressions you showed me fake?’

Before I knew it, I was under a large tree, and I sat down there, hugging my knees and starting to sob.

” Ugh, why… my heart hurts so much… why on earth? ”

The feeling of my chest being thumped, thumped, and pressed repeatedly, and the unpleasant, sticky feeling of being squeezed tightly weighed me down.

I don’t know why I feel this way.

Of course, I think there must be a reason why Hyunseok made that face towards me, but unlike what I thought in my head, I kept thinking in my heart.

Negative thoughts like, ‘Does he hate me?’, ‘Was he just being polite until now?’ began to creep up on me.

” Why am I doing this? It’s not like I did anything wrong. ”

As I said that, I tried to get up from my seat, but then I suddenly remembered the expression on his face that I had seen earlier, and my hands started shaking, causing me to sit back down.

As I leaned against the tree and looked up at the sky, the red sunset had now turned into a pitch-black darkness, just like my heart.

It’s funny, but even as my heart ached like this, I still wanted to see him and talk to him.

” Haa, that’s really funny. It’s really unbelievable to see someone who’s not even a proper woman acting like a woman. ”

If I had been born a woman instead of a man, would I know why I am like this now?

If I had known, would things have been the same as they are now? Or would I have just thought it was no big deal and gone to the party with everyone?

While thinking such trivial thoughts, I quietly hugged my legs and lifted my face, which was buried under my skin, and quietly called his name.

” Hyunseok… ”

” You called me?! ”

” Huh?! ”

I was startled by his voice that I suddenly heard, so I raised my head and saw him running, sweating, and breathing heavily.

When I thought about how he had been looking for me, the pain in my chest that I had felt until just now disappeared and I felt my heart beating strongly again.

” Why are you…here? ”

But I fooled myself into thinking that and snapped at him. He scratched his head and sat down next to me.

” What? Why are you sitting? ”

As he sat down next to me, I moved to the side and got away from him.

” Are you upset? ”

” What?! What are you talking about?! Why am I getting upset?! ”

” Well, that’s not because I said I liked how you’ve changed, right? ”

” That’s…not that…”

” Really? ”

” Ugh, ah… no… that… ”

As he looked at me, I gathered my long hair in both hands and placed it against my cheek, covering my face.

Of course, it wasn’t an action that covered one’s face to anyone, but right now, I wanted to avoid his gaze by doing this.

” Sorry about earlier. I was thinking about something else and didn’t look at you properly, Charlotte. Is it okay now? ”

” What…what?! Wait…wait…! ”

I was at a loss as to what to do when he suddenly grabbed my shoulder and came closer to me.

As Hyunseok stared at me intently, I became so feverish that I lost consciousness and collapsed.