episode_0182

There is no particular schedule for the first day of the social gathering. The only official event is the opening banquet held at Hwayang Hall in the evening.

Jinyeseo said that although she comes from one of the five families, she is a first-year student and does not organize any club meetings. She also did not plan to participate in the tournament that was being held tomorrow.

“… So the conclusion is, just have fun.”

Jin Ye-seo’s voice, walking side by side, was full of cheerfulness.

“How about showing off your social skills during the day and entering the opening banquet together as partners in the evening? Wouldn’t that make you look like the perfect couple to anyone?”

“That’s true, but… ”

“I made this plan, but it’s really perfect. Oh, and there are places I have to stop by today. A street vendor selling cloud candy, a claw machine, a demonstration room for the latest blade, and, and… ”

“… ”

Is this really acting? It seems like a very fulfilling schedule after all that. And he only brought things that suited his taste…

Jin Ye-seo, who had been chatting excitedly for a while, suddenly stopped talking as if she remembered something. Then, she suddenly changed her attitude and looked at me.

“… Ahem. Of course, you should never forget to imitate your lover.”

Jin Ye-seo, who seemed to be approaching me quietly, now tightly links her arms. I can feel the lukewarm warmth and slight weight through my arm that is touching her.

“… Never forget. Today you are mine. My… boyfriend. ”

Then, without even looking at me, he spoke to me in a repetitive manner as if he was giving me a request.

***

Keep your promises. Especially if it’s to a friend in trouble.

That’s why, even if Jinyeseo didn’t ask me to, I really planned to do my best today.

Separately from me, Jin Ye-seo also seemed to be putting all her effort into acting. Of course, it was only natural, since her future was at stake…

The problem is that the direction feels a little off.

“Hey, that thing!”

“What is it this time…!”

Jin Ye-seo, who was walking ahead, held my hand tightly and led me. It was amazing to see her not even shedding a single drop of sweat even though she had already visited more than twenty stalls.

“Throw darts! The first place prize is ice cream! Let’s go quickly!”

“Wait a minute… ”

It was a suspicion before, but now it is a certainty. The blonde girl’s mind is full of thoughts of having fun socializing under the pretext of acting. Otherwise, there is no way to explain that bright smile.

Well, that doesn’t mean it won’t work out. If you like it that much, then the joy that comes from your heart will add more credibility to our relationship.

“… ”

The image of a pure girl enjoying the festival, forgetting all responsibility and duty. Before I knew it, it led me to the bottom of my memory.

-Hyun-ah! Come quickly…!

-Yeon-ah… You got hurt while running like that…

My ears felt like they were filled with water. Before I knew it, I was no longer at a fancy banquet, but in a shabby pioneer village in a remote corner of the country.

Every year, the townspeople would decorate the narrow square with lights and flags and have a party.

It’s not like there’s any cloud candy or magic demonstrations, and it’s not like it’s a festival where at most a few dozen residents gather to enjoy themselves.

Looking back, I didn’t really like festivals when I was young. What fun could I have at a festival with guys who would tease me for being insensitive and fight with me all day long?

-That! What is that?

-What about that?

-This is a first…!

The feeling of small, white fingers pulling me towards them.

-Wow… delicious… !

-Oh, try it. I’ll feed it to you!

-Hehehe, this is my first time doing something like this…! Are we doing it again next year? Let’s definitely come then too, okay?

-Really? You promised…?

Charangi’s black hair brushes before my eyes. A voice dripping with affection seeps into my ears.

A girl who was born small and sickly with an incurable disease and had to live in confinement her entire life. Because of that, even a small festival in a remote village was perceived as the ultimate stimulus.

If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have been able to continue enjoying the festival. But I think I had a lot of fun back then.

Of course, now… it’s all been a waste of time.

“Hey!”

And so, he continued to sink into the well.

What pulled me up for a moment was the cry of someone with a clearly sad expression on their face.

“… ?”

Before I knew it, Jinye was glaring at me, holding a cone of ice cream in both hands.

“Aren’t you acting properly? If I get caught because of you, you’ll take responsibility?”

“… That doesn’t seem like something the person who left it behind should say.”

“What am I supposed to do when I’m already in line! Take this!”

Jin Ye-seo roughly extends her hand and hands him the ice cream. In the meantime, it seems that she ended up winning first place in the dart throwing event.

“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”

“… Huh.”

In contrast to her grumpy tone, her face was filled with a satisfied smile. Jin Ye-seo’s social exploration continued even after eating ice cream.

And the opportunity to spread the word about the existence of her beloved lover, which Jin Ye-seo had been longing for, came sooner than expected.

“Yeseo!”

“Hey guys!”

“Are you having fun?”

A group of schoolgirls approach, waving happily. Each of them is wearing a strange-looking mask, but it is clear that they are Jin Ye-seo’s friends.

I recognized one of them. She was a cynical-looking female student who had previously saved my life in the South and given me information about Jinyeseo in return.

Her name was definitely Haewon. Unlike the other girls who were busy chatting, she was looking at me intently.

Surely you’re not going to find out?

“But who’s the person next to you?”

“By any chance…?”

The female students who had been chatting about various things finally got to the main point. Their voices were filled with anticipation that they couldn’t hide. Their mouths seemed to be twitching as if they wanted to ask about the identity the whole time.

Jin Ye-seo, standing next to me, lightly scratches my back and gives me a silent hint. We’ve talked about this situation before.

-Just stand still. I’ll take care of the rest.

I gave her a slight nod to show that I remembered. But it seemed that wasn’t what Jin Ye-seo wanted.

For a moment, a look of discontent flashed across her green eyes, and then Jin Ye-seo shifted her weight and leaned her body towards me.

We ended up almost half-body touching.

“Ahem, guys. Let me introduce you. This is the person I’m dating… ”

“Oh my god…!”

“I knew it!”

But before Jin Ye-seo could even finish speaking.

The screams of the female students, which sound like the final words of a demon, fill my ears with pain.

“Wow, wow…! I never thought that would happen…!”

“See! I told you I clearly saw it in the square earlier! Anyway, I don’t trust people… ”

“What is going on… Yeseo is finally… ”

Jin Ye-seo blushed in embarrassment at the admiration of the female students. In an instant, they surrounded us and began to bombard us with questions.

What family are you from, how old are you, where did you meet, etc.

“He works at the Capital Central Management Office. He’s older than me… ”

“I happened to receive help from an external request last time… ”

“The family is a secret. We haven’t officially gotten engaged yet… But soon… ”

“We haven’t been dating for very long. About 27 days… ”

However, Jin Ye-seo continues to answer the questions that pour in without hesitation. Her thorough preparation is simply amazing.

But the 27th. I thought about what it meant, and it turned out to be the day we arrived in the first city and first found accommodations together.

…Why on earth did you put the date on that date? Did you just make it random?

“I confessed first… Oh, my. You’re a student and you’re already preparing for marriage… ”

The aforementioned Jin Ye-seo continued to lie without even wiping her mouth.

***

The interrogation of the female students lasted for several dozen minutes before it finally ended.

“You look so familiar… Could you please take off that mask for a moment… Ugh!”

“Oh my, what is she talking about! Didn’t Yeseo say it was still a secret!”

“I’m sorry, Haewon is a bit of a weirdo… ”

“We’re going now! Bye! Have fun with your fiance!”

There was a brief moment of crisis when Haewon looked at her with suspicion… but fortunately, thanks to her friends who quickly stepped in to suppress it, no untoward incidents were averted.

“Whew… ”

“Strength, are you tired? You’ve worked hard… ”

Jin Ye-seo trailed off as if she felt sorry. Her face was still red.

“… It’s okay since I got through it well.”

I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard, but… if you think about the purpose of today’s play, it wasn’t all that bad.

Now, those female students will be the seeds that will spread rumors about Jin Ye-seo and her mysterious fiancé throughout the academy.

Then, students like Cheon Su-ho won’t approach Jin Ye-seo anymore. Throwing flirtations at someone who’s engaged is like openly insulting them.

I feel more at ease now that I think Jin Ye-seo has achieved what she wanted to some extent.

“It’s already this time… ”

The sun, which had already set in the west, was casting its last rays of sunset in all directions. Jin Ye-seo’s voice, which saw him, was clearly filled with regret.

“Is the opening ceremony banquet the only thing left now?”

“That’s right. But since I still have some time, let’s take a leisurely walk over there… Huh?”

But not all encounters were pleasant.

Jin Ye-seo, who was walking with her arms tightly clinging to his, stops for a moment. Her eyes, standing tall, were fixed on a couple across the street from the stalls.

To be exact, it’s the female one. And I know her well too.

Moon Yeo-ul, a fresh-faced female student. Despite being from a prestigious family, she has always been overshadowed by Jin Ye-seo. They were once quite close, but now they have completely drifted apart.

Moon Yeo-ul on the other side also stares at me with sharp eyes. Her fiancé, Seung-heon, just smiles awkwardly.

There are some parts of women’s fights that are difficult to intervene in, especially in situations like this.

Maybe he feels the same way as I do.

Moon Yeo-ul, who had been staring at Jin Ye-seo the whole time, briefly turns her gaze to me. And what passes in that split second is… a clear laughter.

However, it somehow feels like the target of the laughter is not me but someone else. Also, Moon Yeo-ul doesn’t seem particularly interested in Jin Ye-seo’s fiancée like the female students earlier.

But it is true that I feel really dirty. Why does Seungheon like such a vicious and arrogant woman? It doesn’t seem like she is tied up for political reasons.

I really don’t understand…

“… ”

After a brief standoff, the four people in the room seemed to have reached the same conclusion and began walking in silence.

If you don’t intend to start a fight, it would be best to leave.

“Cut… Park… ”

However, the moment Jin Ye-seo and Moon Yeo-ul passed by, a noise was heard. Jin Ye-seo stopped walking again.

“… Why?”

“… ”

Jin Ye-seo didn’t answer. It was clear that something had been said between the two. As soon as the noise was heard, Jin Ye-seo lowered her head. It was as if she was upset about something.

“… Sorry. I’ll go fix my makeup for a bit. ”

Jin Ye-seo finally opened her mouth after some time had passed.

“Hey, wait a minute… ”

“I’ll be right back, wait here… !”

Then, leaving those words behind, he disappeared in an instant. I was left completely alone.

“… ”

What on earth did you talk about that made you so emotional that you couldn’t even speak properly?

I feel like my impression of Moon Yeo-wool is only going to get worse. If she weren’t Seung-heon’s fiancée, I would have punched her in the stomach a few times.

Just asking for permission once… would be impossible.

“Have you been waiting long?”

I suddenly turned around at the sound of a voice. Jin Ye-seo, who had returned before I knew it, was walking towards me, waving her hand.

“You just got here. Are you okay?”

“… What, are you okay… ?”

Jin Ye-seo replied as if she was very upset. She didn’t want to think about their meeting earlier. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be a good idea to bring up the subject further, even if it was to comfort her.

“Let’s go faster than that. What if we’re late for the opening ceremony?”

Jin Ye-seo, who had come closer, naturally put her arm around him as if they were now familiar with each other.

“… ?”

But somehow, the weight of the soft flesh on my arm feels heavier than before.

Are you a little tired from working hard all day?

“Why?”

Jin Ye-seo, who felt my gaze, tilted her head as if she found it strange.

“… No. But why do I suddenly feel like I’ve gotten a little taller?”

“Huh? Oh, I guess it’s because I came here wearing heels. Here.”

Jin Ye-seo taps her feet with her hand as if it were nothing special. She can definitely see that she is wearing high heels that I hadn’t seen before. Did she change her shoes in preparation for the banquet?

Even considering the heel height, it feels a bit bigger than before… I guess there’s a difference between seeing it with your eyes and feeling it in person.

“It’s hard to walk because you stick so close… ”

“You’re my fiancé. So what?”

I walked towards Hwayanggwan with Jinyeseo holding my arm tightly and not letting go.

***

“Hoo… ”

Jin Ye-seo was facing the mirror in the powder room with a flushed face. Rather than feeling shame or humiliation, she gave the impression of being flushed with excitement.

“I almost got caught… ”

She started to walk hurriedly without realizing it, fearing that a man might see her like this.

-Didn’t you say you didn’t like men? Maybe you changed your mind?

-They said I was a shallow and reckless female beast… Ha.

“… ”

The words Moon Yeo-ul left behind as if whispering. Without even looking into them, they are full of mockery.

What’s even more poignant is that these are things he has clearly said before.

Moon Yeo-ul simply returned it.

“Vulgar and reckless… ”

The intention is clear: to humiliate and shame her.

But now, Jin Ye-seo was feeling a completely different kind of emotion. That was why she was even more embarrassed. Far from feeling humiliated or ashamed, she was…

“Why… Are you feeling okay… ”

Jin Ye-seo, who was looking at herself in the mirror with drowsy eyes, shook her head quickly. Then, she opened her eyes wide as if making up her mind.

“Wake up, Jinyeseo. Not yet, not yet… ”

Today’s goal is twofold. First, to show off their close relationship in front of the family’s watchdogs, and second, to stop Baek Seo-yeon, who harbors evil intentions, before he can commit any wrongdoing.

Up until now, things were going smoothly. But what was more important was from now on.

An evening festival where people can easily let loose, a banquet that lasts all night, and various drinks and sweet foods that cloud one’s senses.

“… You can do it. You prepared properly. It’s different from last time. You’ve definitely finished organizing… ”

Jin Ye-seo was determined as a pilgrim with a noble mission. In fact, she was closer to a martyr. She was willing to sacrifice her own body to save Baek Seo-yeon.

“… I can do it.”

Jin Ye-seo, who was muttering to herself, fixed her appearance one last time. She straightened her hair and slightly unbuttoned the button above her neck, revealing her collarbone. Then she sprayed some special perfume she had purchased from a secret shop.

Taking a deep breath, she finally left the powder room and headed to where the man was waiting.

“Sorry. I kept you waiting for so long… Huh?”

However, Jin Ye-seo let out a bewildered voice without realizing it.

Because there was no trace of the tall man wearing the lion’s head.