episode_0254

“Uh, uh… ”

“Ugh… Ugh… ”

Soon, large teardrops fell to the floor. Her bloodshot eyes showed a sad expression. I waved my hands around in confusion.

One thing was certain: those simple words had just shattered my guard.

Perhaps I was the one who was narrow-minded.

Well, it’s a world where a cat that has transformed into a human clings to you and says you’re her daughter.

Even if behind those innocent tears is a squishy tentacle monster, if you are sincere, there is no reason why we can’t be friends.

The girl in front of me was still the Yena I knew. The first friend I made when I came to the cradle.

“That…sorry.”

When I realized it, I felt belated regret and shame. I awkwardly apologized to Yena, who was sniffling.

“I made a slip of the tongue. Thanks to you, I saved my life and I was shameless… I’m truly sorry. ”

“Ugh, no… ”

Then Yena shook her head.

Although tears were still falling, there was an awkward smile on his lips. I was the one who did wrong, and I was the one who apologized, but why was he even happy about that? Well… I don’t know.

“If I think about it… I was too greedy… ”

Yena added with a forlorn expression. She didn’t look at me properly the whole time, as if something was bothering her.

“I lied to you, saying I was your best friend. And I hurt other innocent people too. It’s only natural for you to think that way… ”

“It’s not your fault.”

The corners of Yena’s mouth trembled. Before she could shed another tear, I quickly intervened and Yena looked at me with tearful eyes.

“HyunA… ?”

“I know. That bitch Regulus was manipulating your body. You can’t say it’s your fault.”

“Ha, but… ”

Unlike what she said, Yena’s eyes were revealing an inner joy that she could not hide. And she could tell that the comfort she had just received was the one she had been hoping for all along.

While harboring intense guilt and sadness, on the other hand, he desperately wants to be comforted by someone.

In a way, this is the most human wish…

“… But I lied to you… Sob… And I didn’t even tell you my identity… ”

“It’s not that I didn’t do it, it’s that I couldn’t. You don’t have to tell me everything just because you’re my friend. We all have our own circumstances. Look, I also wear this weird mask on my face. And you’ve never asked me about it.”

“Well, of course I thought there was some reason… ”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Huh… ?”

Yena stopped moving. She is definitely not stupid. She must have guessed exactly what I meant just now.

“… ”

A gentle silence fell again. The soft brown pupils dilated and shrank repeatedly.

“Sigh, sob… ”

Soon, a deep sadness began to creep into him.

“Sorry, I’m sorry… Really… Sob… ”

“So… Oh my… ”

And the surroundings became a sea of tears, leaving no room to do anything. In this way, there was no point in trying to comfort them.

Yena sobbed like that for a long time. This time, I had no choice but to listen in silence.

“Sniff… I’m really sorry… for lying… ”

“I told you, stop crying now.”

“Yeah… ”

When I handed over the handkerchief that was in the school uniform regulations, Yena took it and wiped away her tears. This actually has a surprising use. I thought I would graduate without using it once in the three years.

“I… there is… ”

And then Yena opened her lips, which were still moist.

“Then we… are still friends?”

“Of course.”

“Ah… !”

And I answered right away. Along with that, a bright smile bloomed on Yena’s face like a flower. I thought that this was not enough, so I added it as a joke.

“I don’t discriminate against people based on their appearance.”

“What did it look like…?”

“Yeah. What does appearance matter? It’s the heart that matters. Even if it’s an ugly tentacle monster… ”

“Ha, don’t do that… !”

“Still, I think it’ll be a bit too much if there are more than ten legs. If I try my best, I might be able to hold out for twenty… ”

“You, you… !”

And Yena, who realized what I said belatedly, shook her head with a bewildered expression. She dodged the small hands that were trying to cover my mouth. Before I knew it, a red blush had spread across her face all the way to her ears.

“I was bad… really… ”

After a brief struggle, Yena, with traces of sadness dangling from the corners of her eyes, spoke while catching her breath.

“Hyun-i… I’m disappointed… I thought he was a good kid… !”

“I told you it was a joke. You were so depressed… ”

“Who, who makes jokes like that to a girl…!”

Yena still seemed to be still angry and grumbled slightly. She seemed to really hate him for glaring at her in an uncharacteristic way.

“Idiot. How many times do I hear that I’m cute? Probably the most among the first graders… ”

“I know. The kids must have been talking a lot. What did they say? Almost a landslide victory in last month’s popularity poll… ”

And I felt a strange atmosphere, so I closed my mouth. Before I knew it, Yena had her head down and was not even able to make eye contact with me.

“So… ”

“Howoo… ”

Even though I only slightly shook my head, Yena trembled like an aspen tree. Like a rat thrown in front of a cat.

An awkward atmosphere suddenly settles between us. It seems even more so because we once expressed deep emotions.

I desperately tried to think of a way to overcome this situation, but my hardened head wouldn’t turn. It seemed that Yena was the same. After struggling for a while, Yena clapped her hands lightly as if she remembered something she had forgotten.

“Ah, ah… that’s right… !”

“What are you doing…?”

Yena fumbled through her bag and took something out, handing it to me. Soon, a small package with a slight weight was placed on my palm. Since the end was slightly open, I could immediately see the contents.

“Cookies?”

“I, I made it… Did I say it before? I cooperated sincerely and they gave me a lot of conveniences… ”

Yena spoke without making proper eye contact.

“I borrowed the kitchen for a bit this morning… I made it just in case you were hungry… Would you like to try it if you don’t mind…?”

The package was filled with cookies of various shapes. Each one was so cute that it was almost a shame to put them in my mouth. Come to think of it, Yena seemed to be good at this kind of thing. The first person to give candy to the nation during the founding of the country was Yena.

… If you think about it, you have multiple hands, so you can do things like this in no time… No, let’s not do that.

“… ?”

“… No. I’ll… eat well.”

I shook my head, shaking off the evil thoughts that had crossed my mind for a moment.

And after a moment of hesitation, I reached for the cookie. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I didn’t want to reject the kindness that had been given to me.

I took one out, brought it to my mouth, and bit into it halfway. Soon, a crunching sound was heard, and a sweet scent instantly filled my mouth.

“Uh, how is it…?”

And then Yena, who was looking at me with a somewhat tense expression, swallowed hard and asked.

“It’s delicious.”

“Really??”

“Yeah. I think it’s really well made.”

“Whew, hooah… ”

After hearing her honest feelings, Yena relaxed and let out a deep sigh of relief. I put the remaining half in my mouth and picked up a few more, saying,

“I don’t know for sure… but I feel a deep and mysterious taste. It’s so sweet that the word sweet isn’t enough… ”

“That, that sweet… ?”

“Yeah. This is the most delicious snack I’ve had recently. I think I’m going to get addicted to this. I can’t stop putting it in my mouth.”

“Oh, I think I’m going to get addicted… ”

“Oh, that was a compliment. It means it’s that delicious. You’re really good at it. I think I could eat these cookies every day without getting tired of them… ”

“Ugh… I want to eat this every day… ”

“… ? Why?”

“Ah, it’s nothing… !”

But unlike what she said, Yena’s face had been red up to her earlobes for a long time. Yena didn’t even look at me and lowered her head, shaking her body.

… I feel like my reaction is a bit too much for just a few words of praise. Was it really that good? It doesn’t feel like that…

“… Did you put something weird in the cookies?”

“What, what, what, what are you talking about…! This is weird…!”

I asked just in case. Then Yena shook her head even more fiercely and denied what I said.

“I didn’t put that in… Really… ”

“Really?”

“Jeong, really… !”

“… Will you be honest with me?”

However, Yena’s reaction was already exactly the same as that of the criminal who was caught at the crime scene.

Somehow, my doubts grew, so I continued to question him. I don’t really have anything to say. Of course, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to poison me or anything like that.

Just because of the intense reaction… I was a little curious.

“I’m not saying anything. I’m just curious about the ingredients. It’s so delicious.”

“Ugh… ”

As I dug deeper, Yena began to hesitate clearly. After a moment of agony, she glanced at me.

“Jeong, are you really not going to say anything…?”

“That’s not it.”

“Ugh… ”

Even after hearing what I said, Yena was in agony for a long time. At this point, I was really curious. What on earth did you put in it that made it so delicious, and why did you react like that?

“Actually… ”

“… What’s the truth?”

And then, Yena, who had been worrying, finally raised her head. Her eyes showed a resolute will. And since I had tasted such delicious cookies, I was willing to ignore any strange ingredients that might have been added.

I thought so.

“… I put my blood in it.”

“Coolook, coolook!!”