episode_0026

I first handed the gift box to ISEA.

“Ahem. I picked something that I think will suit you well. It might be a bit simple… but, oh well, I chose it with Soyun. It should match your taste.”

Suddenly, ISEA turned her head towards Soyun.

Soyun, with a bewildered expression, looked at me and then turned her head as if to say, “What will happen if I say it…”

Why is she acting like this? Maybe because it’s before her birthday that they kept meeting secretly?

After the intense eye contact between ISEA and Soyun ended, ISEA received my gift and opened it, taking out a pin.

“Would you… do this for me, Jin?”

With a shy smile, ISEA brushed her hair behind her ear with one hand and handed me the pin I bought with the other, then approached me.

Looking down at ISEA’s hand, a cute star-shaped pin was shining.

Nervously swallowing my saliva, I accepted the pin.

And with awkward movements, I carefully placed the pin in ISEA’s hair.

“Is… is this okay? Am I doing it right?”

“Yes! It’s so pretty!”

As ISEA looked at herself in the mirror brought by the approaching maid, she smiled brightly.

Indeed, as she looked at herself from the side, ISEA’s bright smile shone brightly.

But suddenly, while looking at herself in the mirror, ISEA inexplicably approached me.

What, is she trying to hug me like the girls earlier?

Feeling flustered, I quickly took out a special card before ISEA could approach me.

ISEA’s movements froze as she saw what was in my hand.

“If I only gave you that pin as a gift, it would seem like I prepared it carelessly.”

What I held in my hand was a small frame.

With a drawing of ISEA.

I went through quite a bit of trouble drawing this.

I was so familiar with ISEA’s face that I could picture it with my eyes closed, but… for some reason, drawing ISEA’s smiling face was difficult, and I had to erase and redraw it several times.

ISEA slowly moved her hand to accept the frame.

Tears welled up in ISEA’s eyes as she stared at herself in the frame she received from me.

“Th-thank you…”

I couldn’t help but embrace ISEA, who suddenly rushed into me.

It was such a touching gift that I felt proud that my efforts had paid off.

This was the first time I had drawn a picture as a gift, and I thought I should have given her a gift like this sooner.

“Why are you crying? On a good day like this.”

There must be better words to comfort a crying girl.

But all that came to mind from my foolish, perpetually single mind was this.

I could only awkwardly pat ISEA’s head and stroke it gently.

ISEA’s tears didn’t stop.

After crying in my arms for a long minute, she wiped her eyes and ran away as if to escape.

After an awkward moment of eye contact with Yoon Jiwoo and the kids, ISEA returned.

ISEA looked at me with a vivid face, as if she had fixed her makeup during that time.

“Thank you so, so, so much. Jin! Really, for life. I’ll cherish it forever!”

That, that’s good.

If there was a tail, I’m sure ISEA’s enthusiasm would be wagging fiercely, which was a bit overwhelming for me, but still, seeing her so happy made me feel like my hard work had paid off.

* * *

After the series of events, we enjoyed a delightful party.

Despite preparing a generous amount of food, the maids had to hastily make more dishes due to Hong Yeonseo’s monstrous appetite.

After finishing the party at the restaurant, we took a short break and gathered back in the reception room.

“Ah… I feel like my stomach is going to burst.”

“You really look like you’re about to burst.”

“What! Are you really calling me a pig right now?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like that…”

Yoon Jiuwoo, who poked Hong Yeonseo’s nose while she was sleeping, got a smack.

Actually, I was about to say something if Yoon Jiuwoo hadn’t spoken first.

Thank you, Jiyoo.

“Now what should we do? It’s too early to go to sleep.”

“Oh, in that case…”

Seong Yurin, who got up from her seat, went to the corner and opened a drawer to bring something out.

“It’s ‘Bourmable’.”

What Seong Yurin brought out was a board game.

“Hmm… this is the only game we have that multiple people can play at home.”

“I’ll watch you guys play.”

I said, sitting slightly away from the table.

As you know, ‘Bourmable’ is a 4-player board game.

Since there are 6 of us, 2 people have to watch the game.

“Then I’ll watch too.”

Seong Yurin, who placed the game board on the table, came and sat next to me.

“Wow, this isn’t your average ‘Bourmable’.”

Yoon Jiuwoo exclaimed as he picked up the dice.

Upon closer inspection, there were shiny gemstones embedded in the pieces, giving off a luxurious feel.

It looks like real gems, not cubic zirconia.

Indeed, this house seems to be luxurious in every aspect, even the ‘Bourmable’ game.

The dice were also elegantly designed, resembling the super dice in online games…

Somehow, ‘Bourmable’ began.

Early on, Iso Yoon, who rolled doubles twice, took the lead by buying expensive properties in Seoul.

On the other hand, Hong Yeonseo, who got stuck on the deserted island from the first lap, was in despair.

“If I’m stuck on this deserted island, can I come out by swimming?”

“Does that make sense…?”

Still, with Hong Yeonseo, anything is possible…

As the game progressed, an incident occurred when everyone had completed three laps.

“Roll any number except 10, please! …Agh!”

As if the horse had ears, Yoon Jiuwoo rolled a 10 on the dice, landing on the highest level landmark built by Iso Yoon in Seoul.

Too bad, Jiyoo.

After Yoon Jiuwoo retired in one turn and went bankrupt, Iso Yoon, who became rich, began to dominate the game.

“Ugh, because of you, Sooyoon has too much money.”

“Did I do it because I wanted to get caught…?”

Isea scolded Yoon Jiuwoo.

After Yoon Jiuwoo’s heroic death, it was Hong Yeonseo’s turn in the game.

“Oh! Golden card~ I wonder what will come out.”

Hong Yeonseo landed on the golden card area, and Seong Yurin, who was holding the golden card deck, drew a card.

…But, that card isn’t really gold-plated, right?

Ignoring the suspiciously shining color of the card, I turned my gaze back to the ‘Bourmable’ board.

“Change buildings! Sooyoon, Seoul is mine~”

With the building change card, Hong Yeonseo swapped her cheap hotel land for the land where Yoon Jiuwoo’s tomb was located in Seoul.

“This, this is unbelievable…”

And on top of that, the second victim arrived right after.

“Ugh. It was my land.”

Iso Yoon, who was robbed of Seoul by Hong Yeonseo, coincidentally arrived on the next turn.

In an instant, Iso Yoon, who had to sell most of her properties, plummeted to a level where recovery was difficult.

Now the game had become a one-on-one between Isea and Hong Yeonseo.

Gulp.

A game where one stroke of luck determines the outcome.

The dice left Isea’s hand and flew through the air, landing at the center of the ‘Bourmable’ board.

That sight felt like it was in slow motion.

“Ack!”

……

Do you know what that is?

To win at games is the usual way for the rulers of Seoul.

And so, three tombstones were erected in Seoul for Hong Yeonseo.

* * *

After spending quite a long time together, we dispersed to our rooms when it was ten o’clock.

Sitting for so long made my neck stiff.

After showering in the small bathroom in the guest room and changing into the gown provided by the maid, lying down on the bed felt like paradise.

By the way, it seems like the staff of this mansion never leave work.

I closed my eyes, sending a silent thank you to the hardworking butler and maids with no work-life balance.

The next day, waking up to my alarm, I felt refreshed.

“I’m going crazy. If I ever make real money, I’m living in this bed.”

Just sleeping in this bed after all that walking yesterday was enough to rejuvenate me completely.

It was like a high-end bed with the functionality of a healing machine from a certain center.

After praising the bed, I changed my clothes again.

Yesterday, they even took my clothes to wash while I showered and brought them back in the morning.

Next on the list after the bed, hiring a maid for the house when I make money….

Well, that’s unlikely.

Wearing clothes that now carried the scent of the Seongyurin house, not the familiar scent from my clothes, felt strangely pleasant.

Am I being weird for thinking this…?

As I tidied up the bedding and cleaned the room, someone knocked on the door.

“Yep.”

Opening the door, four girls were staring at me.

“Where’s Yoon Jiu?”

“She’s getting ready to leave now.”

After fluffing the blankets and grabbing my bag, I followed the girls out.

Stopping in front of Yoon Jiu’s door, I knocked.

“Is she still asleep?”

It was almost nine o’clock, but Yoon Jiu seemed to still be asleep.

“What should we do?”

“Um… should we go eat breakfast first?”

Lee Soyun and Lee Saeah were lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, Seongyurin spoke up.

“Let’s go to the dining room first. I’ll tell the staff to wake Yoon Jiu up.”

In the end, Yoon Jiu didn’t show up until we finished breakfast, and as we were preparing to leave Seongyurin’s house, Yoon Jiu rushed out, scratching her head.

“Oops. Sorry. The bed was just too comfortable, so I passed out.”

“Well… I can totally agree with that.”

I nodded at Yoon Jiu’s explanation.

“The breakfast was really delicious this morning, but it’s a shame you missed it~”

Hong Yeonseo teased Yoon Jiu.

“You ate my portion too, didn’t you?”

“W-What!”

Yoon Jiu retaliated, and Hong Yeonseo got angry.

Once again, the two of them were bickering.

Well, that’s how people become closer by fighting.

As we walked out to the mansion garden, Seongyurin came to bid us farewell.

Seongyurin’s mother had left after the party ended yesterday for work, and Seongarin was still weak and sleeping in the morning.

“Take care… see you tomorrow.”

Seongyurin looked at us with a very regretful expression as we left.

“Why are you looking so gloomy? Are you planning to live here forever?”

“W-What. I never said let’s live together!”

…I never said that.

Everyone waved goodbye with laughter, and we were able to ride back home in a car driven by Seongyurin’s driver, courtesy of Seongyurin.

It wasn’t a limousine this time, but it was still a spacious and comfortable vehicle that easily accommodated the five of us.

I was the first to get off in front of my house, saying goodbye to everyone before entering.

Just by being there for a day, I filled the chilly atmosphere of the house with the warmth of human presence.

In the quiet environment with no noticeable noise even in broad daylight, I felt a moment of daze.

“Oh. Tomorrow is another school day.”

The cold juice taken out from the refrigerator awakened my dulled mind with its refreshing sensation, making me feel like I had returned to my ordinary daily life once again.