Ch.63Episode 13. Yoo Ari’s Request (1)

“……Why?”

No matter how hard I tried to understand, my mind kept spitting out questions. It felt like a broken machine repeating the same section over and over.

I could understand her developing feelings for me because someone she could trust and depend on had appeared. I had hoped for this kind of relationship too.

But I couldn’t comprehend why she wanted to spend the night with me.

We weren’t lovers, and we were just starting to get close. It was troubling for things to move this quickly already.

Of course, it was nice when the other person approached proactively first. After all, you don’t necessarily have to be dating to have sex.

Still, part of me felt guilty, like I was taking advantage of an innocent child.

“W-well…?”

Her pupils darted around restlessly as if they were about to bounce.

I gently reached out and tucked Yoo Ari’s hair behind her ear.

Seeing her skin flushed—from her cheeks to her ears—I became certain. Yoo Ari was clearly thinking about that when she spoke.

“…Do you want to?”

Yoo Ari’s face turned bright red as she immediately understood what I meant.

She hurriedly covered her face with her hair, unable to control the blood rushing to her cheeks.

“Uuugh…”

So she’s not denying it…

I chuckled and patted her head. While I appreciated her feelings, I had no intention of embracing her right now.

More important than immediate pleasure was maintaining a smooth relationship with them until Akcheon’s downfall.

Still, her courage was admirable. I suppose she was trying to change in her own way.

“By the way… why is this bag so stuffed?”

I naturally changed the subject.

“Ah… th-this.”

She, who had been awkwardly fidgeting in the uncomfortable atmosphere, set down her bag as if she’d been waiting for this moment.

She unzips it.

The first thing visible through the opening was a worn black teddy bear, just the right size for hugging.

“This is…”

“I-it’s Silly!”

“Silly?”

“Ah…”

…Oh, that was its name.

Silly.

The one and only being who had kept Yoo Ari company during her solitary conversations.

Looking at it now, I found it amazing how she had endured loneliness all this time.

Usually, women with this kind of disposition can’t bear loneliness and often meet people at every opportunity.

Even if they temporarily forget their loneliness that way, it’s ultimately hollow, and they’ll feel that thirst again the next day, creating a vicious cycle.

I believe they call this “emotional deprivation.”

But this trait wasn’t apparent in Yoo Ari.

Not because she was unusual, but because being abandoned by others was more painful to her than resolving her loneliness.

In other words, she had merely endured her emotional deprivation until now, not that she didn’t have any.

“Ah… aah! Th-that is… to put it simply, he’s like a v-volleyball that helps with loneliness on a deserted island?!”

Is she talking about that Wilson or whatever?

“Aah…”

But she didn’t need to explain it.

These personal things only became more embarrassing with explanation. I could take it lightly since I already knew about it from the novel.

“So the teddy bear’s name is Silly?”

“Yes…!”

“…Oh. Yeah. Got it.”

“Wh-what’s with that delayed reaction?! Do you think it’s w-weird?!”

“No. I don’t think it’s weird.”

I actually thought it was cute.

When I read about it in the novel, I found it entertaining how she would talk to herself in her room, like she was role-playing.

But at the same time, I found it pitiful.

Her talking to herself alone in her room meant she had no one to share her worries with except Silly.

“It’s a cute name.”

“Isn’t it?!”

“Y-yeah…”

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at the rare high tension emanating from Yoo Ari.

“Silly is kind. He always waits for me at home, listens well to my stories… He’s the only one who’s helped me… endure until now. Ah… though I guess he’s not the ‘only one’ anymore. Since I have you, Instructor.”

She smiles shyly.

It’s quite a unique feeling to see someone genuinely happy just because I’m quietly listening to them.

When reading the novel, I remember writing that she was so pitiful that even I, who never leaves comments, wanted to comfort her.

I never imagined it would actually become possible.

“I see.”

Ironically, the person who bought that teddy bear was Yoo Ari’s parents.

Though she was already in middle school, her dual-income parents bought her the doll on her birthday to comfort her loneliness.

The fact that she still kept something given by the parents who abandoned her suggested that a part of her heart still longed for her family.

In fact, Yoo Ari felt guilty thinking about her parents when she entered Akcheon.

I remember her wistful inner thoughts about no longer being able to face her parents with dignity.

“Then call me sometimes when you’re bored. I’ll answer.”

So that she could find some comfort.

“R-really?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah… b-but wouldn’t that be a bother? I’m sure I’ll… I’ll end up talking for f-four hours straight once I start…!”

Yeah. That would definitely be a bother.

But how much does she have to say to talk for four hours?

“Then consider it canceled.”

“Aaaah! No! No canceling…!”

She frantically grabbed both my arms and shook her head. She shook it so vigorously that her long hair scattered in all directions.

Just as a bitter smile was about to escape at her passionate reaction, she hurriedly pulled away and cleared her throat. Her attempt to hide her embarrassment was quite adorable.

“But there’s something else in the bag?”

“Ah… ingredients.”

She opens the bag to show me the contents.

Inside were ingredients like pork, onions, and peppers—clearly indicating what kind of dish she planned to make.

“Why did you buy ingredients?”

“T-today… since we’ll be in your room all day. I brought them to c-cook in your room.”

“If you want something to eat, we could just order delivery, you know?”

“I just… wanted to cook for you. Is it a b-bother?”

“It’s not a bother. I just don’t want you to go through the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble. I’ve always w-wanted to cook for someone I could trust! Lots of dishes!”

“Then I’ll look forward to it today.”

“Y-yes!”

As I was watching her respond energetically, I flinched when I looked inside the bag.

Three bottles of soju were neatly placed in the corner of the bag.

“Isn’t this… alcohol?”

I asked, pulling out one bottle of soju.

“That’s right. You c-can’t have meat without alcohol as a side dish, right?”

This is clearly a setup, isn’t it?

A man and woman drinking alcohol in an enclosed space?

Even the most innocent person could predict where this might lead.

“Um… So basically, you want to spend time together from now until Sunday morning, right?”

“Yes. But there’s one m-more condition.”

“What condition?”

“J-just the two of us. I don’t want our time to be interrupted.”

Her lips parted slightly as she spread her index and middle fingers. I could tell how much she was looking forward to this from her seductive smile that exuded a certain decadence.

“Alright. I understand.”

“Good. Now that you’ve answered, sh-shall we get started right away?”

“With what?”

“Please take out your phone.”

I obediently followed her instructions, not knowing what she was up to.

Yoo Ari was about to dictate a message to send when she suddenly made an unexpected comment.

“Hmm~ You seem to talk q-quite a lot with other women?”

Her voice was calm, but there was a sharpness in her tone.

“Well… during training, I sometimes ask about things I don’t understand or don’t know. We also chat about trivial things.”

Honestly, my teaching style was closer and less distant compared to other instructors.

If other instructors were like teachers in a city, I was like a teacher in a rural village.

But I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my teaching method. Sometimes, for certain students, connection is more important than learning.

“…Still, it’s a r-relief.”

Yoo Ari muttered as she glanced at the messages.

“A relief?”

“Ah, aah… I’m sorry. I ended up checking your messages without meaning to.”

There was no need to apologize.

After all, I had only responded for work purposes, and we had just exchanged meaningless jokes.

“If we send this, other people won’t come and interrupt us, r-right?”

Yoo Ari said, checking what I had written. Then she pressed the send button herself, sending a group message to the special class students.

[I’m planning to rest today, so if there’s a problem, text me instead of coming to find me right away.]

After sending it, she grinned.

“B-but, Instructor, you mainly contact only the special class students?”

Did she see the message history before turning it off?

“That’s right.”

“Are you perhaps in c-contact with other women personally?”

“I’m too busy teaching you all to contact anyone else.”

“I-I see…”

“Why? What would you have done if I was in contact with other women?”

I asked, knowing full well what she meant. It was a mischievous tease.

“…Who knows. I h-haven’t thought about it. But even if there were… I don’t think I would have ‘given up.'”

She answered my joke seriously, not taking her eyes off the phone I was holding.

As the atmosphere shifted strangely, I changed the subject by saying, “I see.”

“So what are we going to do this morning? There’s not much we can do in my room.”

“I-I’d be happy just looking at you, Instructor…”

Ah, this is driving me crazy.

Does she even realize what she’s saying?

Though she probably wasn’t aware of it herself, no man could avoid misunderstanding after hearing such words.

I thought she’d be timid and hesitant, but she’s surprisingly bold.

Maybe she thinks we’ve gotten close enough?

“Well then… since we have nothing to do, shall we watch something?”

“Yes.”

I turned on the television.