Ch.214IF Side Story: Somehow, Everyone Seems to Like Me (15)

# Christmas Party Was Yesterday

The Christmas party was held yesterday.

Every Christmas, Santa Claus visits the orphanage.

It’s not the orphanage teachers in costume. There weren’t any male teachers to begin with, and more importantly, if even one teacher disappeared, the children would immediately notice.

From the children’s perspective, these are people they’ve seen their entire lives. They’re essentially parents, so there’s no way they wouldn’t recognize them. Very young children might be fooled, but that’s about it.

A relative of one of the teachers dresses up as Santa and comes to distribute gifts that were prepared in advance for the children.

We can’t always give the children exactly what they want. Even with the support funds I earn from working, we can’t operate too extravagantly. Facilities like this don’t always maintain the same financial state forever.

Still, we try to give them something similar to what they asked for in their letters to Santa.

The children were happy.

Even the teenagers who aren’t much younger than me enjoyed it quite a bit. For them too, the children and teachers here are family.

And today, besides Santa, we had other visitors.

My seniors and my friends.

A Magical Girl, and the next-generation chairman of the largest company in this country.

“We could buy the kids whatever gifts they ask for,” Pang Pang whispered to me.

“…But if we do it once this year, we’ll have to keep doing it in the future.”

Pang Pang could probably afford to do that.

But still, I feel a bit uncomfortable asking for help indefinitely.

Later, when I start earning proper money, I want to help this place proudly with my own funds.

“Let’s think about it a bit more before deciding.”

At my quiet voice, Pang Pang nodded with a slight smile.

*

Even though the Christmas Eve event ended simply, our gathering was just getting started.

More precisely, after we finished playing with the children on Christmas Day.

We left the orphanage around 4 PM and headed to the party room that the seniors had reserved.

Though it was called a party room, it was just a large room convenient for hanging out. I heard they had made the reservation quite a while ago to secure it for Christmas.

We weren’t staying overnight—the reservation was only until midnight today—but that was enough.

Since our seniors weren’t quite of legal drinking age yet, we responsibly poured soft drinks into our glasses.

“Welcome to hell, college entrance exam takers.”

“Hey, it’s not even next year yet.”

“The real exam preparation starts a year before the actual exam.”

I felt like I’d been doing many things besides studying even with a year left, but since most of that was my own doing, I decided to let it slide.

With the college entrance exam over and December nearly gone, the year was truly coming to an end.

The seniors looked genuinely relieved. Even Chaeyeon, who rarely showed any expression, looked relaxed.

“There’s… really not much time left,” Seo-hee suddenly said with a gloomy expression.

It’s winter break now.

Some high schools these days start winter break a bit later and skip spring break, going straight to the new school year in March, but somehow our school kept to the old schedule.

Whether they were preserving tradition or if it was just because that’s how things were when the original author went to school and it got reflected in this world…

Thanks to that, the seniors’ graduation was set for February.

Though there were two months left, strictly speaking, we just shared the same school in name only. It wouldn’t be strange to say the seniors were no longer students of our school.

“…”

Seeing how we all went quiet at her words, Seo-hee quickly waved her hands.

“Come on, let’s not think too gloomily about it. It’s not like we won’t be able to see each other anymore.”

“That’s right. We’ll probably have even more free time once we’re in university.”

Yeonwoo chimed in from the side, but we all knew.

Meeting as students of the same school and meeting seniors who have become adults would feel completely different.

Teenagers and twenty-somethings.

When I became a twenty-something, I didn’t feel much change. The me I perceive changes gradually, and honestly, early twenties thinking isn’t that different from teenage thinking.

But teenagers view twenty-somethings differently.

Twenty-somethings can do many things teenagers can’t. Even if they do those things, no one says anything. Because they’re allowed to.

Smoking and drinking.

Going to clubs and dancing with others, getting boyfriends… twenty-something seniors will do things that might make teenage juniors feel a bit constrained.

“…There is a way to remain seniors and juniors,” Chaeyeon spoke up as we fell silent.

“You could go to the same university as us.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I laughed briefly.

Going to the same university just to maintain a senior-junior relationship sounds a bit strange. Universities aren’t really places where senior-junior relationships matter much unless you’re in the same department.

But Chaeyeon’s expression remained completely serious.

“…You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

Chaeyeon looked at me as she spoke.

“I wish we had become friends earlier.”

Hearing that made me feel a bit ticklish inside.

“…”

I stayed silent for a moment, then said,

“But we’ll meet up and hang out anyway, even after you become university students.”

Chaeyeon was quiet for a moment, then nodded.

“Yeah, and I’ll give you free tutoring!” Yeonwoo said, patting my back.

“I’ll definitely pass on all the know-how you need to get into our university!”

“That would be helpful.”

But still, friends suggesting going to the same university together.

How close must they be?

…And the fact that they were saying such things to me, their junior, made me feel a bit happy.

I gulped down my drink. Maybe in a couple of years, this would be beer instead?

I wonder how Hayun would react when drinking alcohol. Jihye seemed quite curious about alcohol. Ju-a would probably get drunk easily— For Pang Pang, alcohol wouldn’t matter. She doesn’t get intoxicated unless it’s caffeine.

As for the seniors, they all give the impression they could handle their drinks well.

Yes, that’s right.

Even if our affiliations change, even if people change bit by bit.

The seniors I know will continue to be seniors in the future. Because that’s what I started calling them.

I’ve been calling them by their names from the beginning anyway.

I just need to maintain these relationships and slowly change myself too.

Somehow, thinking that way made me feel a bit relieved.

*

The way home was chilly.

It reminds me a bit of the past.

Earlier this year, feeling similar weather, I had completely different thoughts than I do now.

That I hadn’t accomplished anything, that my efforts were in vain.

That I wanted to be the protagonist of my life, but ended up being a supporting character—

“…”

That probably wasn’t the case.

“Do you all have plans on the 1st?”

“If you mean plans, wouldn’t they be with the seniors or these guys? Is there any point in asking?”

“No, just asking out of courtesy.”

I burst out laughing when I heard Jihye and Seo-hee talking.

Everyone turned to look at me, startled by my laughter.

Did I laugh too loudly?

…Well, it doesn’t matter.

The weather is cold. Honestly, it’s so cold that it’s hard to bear if you keep your hands outside your pockets.

But my heart wasn’t cold.

Whether I laugh or cry in this moment, there are people who will empathize with me and stay by my side.

“…Ah.”

As I looked up at the sky, I felt something cold touch my forehead.

When I stretched out my palm facing upward, something white and cold fell onto my hand.

Snow.

“Talk about perfect timing.”

Snow on Christmas, with friends all together.

We all stopped walking. Other passersby also stopped and looked up at the sky.

With smiles on our faces, we stood still for a moment, letting the gently falling white snow land on us.

I learned in textbooks that snow seen in childhood symbolizes innocence, while snow seen as an adult represents harsh reality.

Ironically, I’m feeling the complete opposite this year compared to last year.

Have I returned to innocence now? After growing up so much?

When I lowered my gaze, all the kids were looking at me.

I smiled brightly at all of them.

“Since it’s come to this, want to stay over? The rooms will be quite cramped though.”

“Yes, let’s stay!” Ju-a quickly answered, then closed her mouth. We all laughed.

“Well, if the rooms are cramped, at least we won’t be cold. We’ll sleep all huddled together.”

Seo-hee answered as our representative.

“Let’s buy snacks! And while we’re at it, let’s buy lots for the kids too,” Yeonwoo said.

“I wonder if there are any leftover cakes? If they’re selling them cheap, it would be nice to buy a lot. We could give some to the kids,” Jihye added.

“It doesn’t have to be cheap. I can buy them,” Pang Pang said, puffing out her chest, and the kids responded with admiring “oohs.”

Actually, there are fewer people here who aren’t rich.

I felt someone link arms with me from the side, and when I looked, it was Hayun.

Against the backdrop of falling white snow, Hayun was smiling brightly.

I smiled back, then looked up at the sky briefly before we all started walking again.

Tonight will probably be quite lively too.