Chapter 108: Don’t laugh like that

Seventh floor of the department store, a window seat bathed in sunlight.

The restaurant was quiet.

Perhaps because it was a late lunch, there were few customers, and only low music flowed subtly.

Warm plates were placed one by one in front of the four people.

Lasagna with a delicate butter aroma, smoked chicken salad, pasta, and steak.

I put down my water glass for a moment and spoke.

“Haru-ya.”

“Why?”

“You know you were acting a bit strange today, right?”

“What was?

I was completely normal?”

Koharu tried to stab a pickle with her fork but missed twice.

“Stop playing dumb.

Why were you like that?”

“I wasn’t acting strange!

Unni, maybe you saw wrong because you wore sunglasses for too long?”

“You were like that.

You kept offering to carry my bags, tried your best to stick right next to me, and kept talking to me, right?”

“That’s because I like my unni…”

Seeing Koharu’s voice trail off, Sara let out a light sigh.

“Haa.

See, I told you not to act up, Yoona.”

It was a situation where a counterattack could have immediately followed, but Koharu silently stared at her pasta plate with interest.

And I didn’t miss the light exchange of glances between Karen and Sara.

“Is there something between the three of you?”

Sara shrugged.

“Well, since idiot Yoona made it obvious…”

“I’m not an idiot…”

Koharu mumbled, but no one acknowledged her words.

“So what was it?”

Sara hesitated slightly before speaking.

“It’s just… Let’s all have a change of pace, something like that gathering.

But actually, the three of us wanted to see you.”

“Why me?”

This time, Karen quietly opened her mouth.

“Lately… You’ve been a bit busy.”

She seemed to be choosing her words, trailing off the end.

“One way or another, there were many things to worry about.

Broadcasting, personal matters too.

So… we thought, maybe it would be better if we just hung out like it’s no big deal.

That was the idea.”

Sara nodded.

“Asking directly, or comforting, didn’t seem right.

For your style.”

“So we didn’t say anything and dragged you shopping!”

Koharu raised her head again and said.

“It was a totally perfect plan, but I just… got caught.”

So, it meant this was an extension of that day when the members contacted me after finding out I didn’t have parents.

And recently, I had been entangled in controversy too.

Stop treating a war hero who’s been through thick and thin like a young lady… The words almost came out, but I held them back.

Because this kind of greeting seemed more fitting now.

I quietly took off my sunglasses.

And, meeting the eyes of the three, I said with a clear smile.

“Thank you.”

After a brief silence, Koharu was the first to raise her voice.

“Hieeek… You almost gave me a heart attack, Unni!”

She gathered her hands, which had almost dropped the fork, to her chest and gasped exaggeratedly.

Sara frowned and looked away.

“You, you.

Don’t smile like that.

If someone who doesn’t usually smile does that…”

Karen, sitting next to me, silently picked up my sunglasses.

And very slowly, she pushed them towards me and said.

“…I think, you need to wear these again.”

The tips of Karen’s cheeks were faintly flushed.

“This is… still a public place.”

Smiling again at those words.

I took the sunglasses back.

After that, we continued eating while having small talk.

The once-warm plates had cooled, and only a single strand of half-eaten pasta lay lonely on the plate.

Koharu straightened her back and said.

“So when is our next gathering?

The hotel staycation we talked about before?”

Karen picked up the thread.

“Not the sea, and not crowded places— So we decided on a hotel.”

“Yup yup.

Keeping Choeun Unni’s secret is top priority!”

Koharu exclaimed excitedly.

“Stop doing Yoona-like things.

You can’t even say the name Choeun out loud anymore!”

Sara interjected urgently.

“Eku… Unni, sorry!

But what do you mean Yoona-like things?”

While Koharu disciplined Sara – Sara was the shortest and weakest among the members – Karen said with an awkward smile.

“But we didn’t even decide on a place, and we haven’t prepared anything, right?

Let’s start planning, guys.”

Sara replied, rubbing her shoulder.

“Okay then.

Let’s coordinate the dates again first… And we need to pack swimsuits.”

“…Swimsuits?”

Sensing something ominous, I asked quietly.

“Of course.”

Koharu’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s a hotel staycation, are we not going to the pool?

That’s forfeiting the staycation.”

“Right.

Leah, you have a swimsuit, right?”

At Karen’s question, I should have just lied.

If I had just said, ‘Yeah, I have one or so,’ nothing would have happened.

My usual self might have done that.

But today – I let my guard down a little.

“No.

I don’t have any.”

The clothes that originally existed in the house due to the Goddess’s providence – somehow, swimsuits weren’t included.

The heads of the two people opposite me lifted simultaneously.

“Really!?”

“Eh?

Not even one?”

Koharu smiled in a way that could only be described as sly.

“Ehehe… Then we can’t just skip buying one, can we?”

“Yes.

Since we’re already at the department store.

We can go look right now.”

Karen nodded vigorously.

“No.

You all said you were tired?

I’ll buy one separately later.”

I hurriedly tried to dissuade them, but Koharu stood up abruptly and said.

“Nono.

Eating cleared up all the fatigue.”

Karen next to me subtly linked her arm through mine.

…Does this feel like being arrested?

Koharu’s voice confirmed my feeling.

“Alright!

Arrest her and drag her away!”

※※※

A short while later, 3rd floor, sports & leisure brand store.

The moment we stopped in front of the swimsuit section, I felt my expression stiffen.

“Wow~ The lines here are good.

Lots of pretty ones too!”

Koharu’s eyes were already sparkling.

“They have everything from simple to flashy.”

Sara also crossed her arms and scanned a rack.

Karen had already turned towards the bikini section.

“Let’s pick something flashy since we’re at it.

It’s not a crowded place anyway, right?”

“No, that’s not it.”

I quickly raised my hand to stop them.

“I won’t wear a bikini.

Absolutely not.”

“Aww~ Why?”

Koharu came closer.

“Leah Unni, you have to give us a chance to see the swimsuit fan art in real life!

And with Unni’s figure, anything but a bikini is a waste!”

“I have no obligation to recreate fan art.”

I spat out coldly, but the eyes of the three were already those of warriors holding bikinis.

“Hmm… Let’s just try one on for now.

It doesn’t have to be a bikini.”

Karen said quickly.

“That’s right!

Try on others, and try on a bikini too.

You might unexpectedly like it once you wear it?”

Koharu agreed, and Sara also picked one up from the rack she was browsing.

“This feels more like a bodysuit than a swimsuit?

Let’s start with this one.”

“…Okay.

I’ll try them on.”

The moment those words left my mouth, the three simultaneously looked up.

“Really?”

“…Yes.

But,”

I raised my hand.

“I’m not showing you.

I’ll try it on alone and come out alone.”

“Wow, then let’s go to the fitting room!

Unni, let’s go, let’s go!”

Koharu approached, almost grabbing my arm.

“But don’t you need someone inside to help check?”

Sara tossed out casually.

Why is this unni like this too.

“Ah, right.

Two aren’t allowed, but one person can accompany.”

Karen interjected expressionlessly, seemingly having already asked the staff.

“…I don’t need help checking?”

I lowered my voice.

“And whoever it is, just try coming in.

Really.”

“Then let’s be fair!”

Koharu rolled up her sleeves.

“Rock!

Paper!

…”

“Wait.”

I stopped the group.

“Are you guys really… really planning to come in?”

“No, Unni~”

Koharu said with a mischievous smile.

“Just open it, say ‘Wow~’, ‘That’s our Unni!’, and leave immediately.

Just appreciate respectfully.”

“…Appreciating is the problem.”

“Then let’s pick first!”

Sara and Karen handed me the clothes they were holding.

A bikini was included.

“Just try it on.

If it doesn’t suit you, we’ll give up too.”

I slowly accepted the swimsuits.

The thin, smooth fabric touching my fingertips felt lighter than expected.

From behind, I heard the three whispering simultaneously.

“Rock-paper-scissors again!”

“You keep putting yours out a little late.”

“That’s strategy!”

“More like no conscience.”

I sighed and opened the door.

“I warned you.

You might see something rough if you come in.”

I closed the fitting room curtain and hung the swimsuits one by one on the hook inside.

I started trying on the least burdensome design first.

Simple monokini, tube top style, one-piece type… I stood in front of the mirror trying them on in order.

This much is fine.
Even if the exposure wasn’t minimal, it seemed somewhat acceptable.

The last one remaining.

A black bikini.

The material was thin and elastic, and the straps were thinness itself.

After hesitating for a moment, I changed into it just to check.

And— looked in the mirror.

…Yeah, this isn’t it.

The me in the mirror felt like I was just standing there in underwear.

Just then, I sensed a presence outside.

Someone cautiously approached the door, and lightly.

A whispering voice was heard.

“Maybe… are you done changing?

Choeun Unni?”

It was Koharu.
“I’m not opening it.”

I answered shortly and clearly.

Silence again after that.
And then, Sara’s sigh-filled voice.

“See.

That’s why I tried to stop you.”

“But we tried, didn’t we…!”

I heard the sound of receding footsteps.

Footsteps mixed with a little lingering regret.

I looked in the mirror again.

The strap resting on my shoulder was too light, and what should have wrapped around my waist remained only as lines thinner than straps.

More than half of my buttocks were exposed, and my chest could barely be described as covered.

Eventually, I decided on the swimsuit with more coverage and came out.

I couldn’t stop Karen from buying a bikini in my size with her own money at the checkout, but I just wouldn’t wear it then.

※※※

The atmosphere was shifting towards leaving and going to a cafe.

Karen brought up the underground parking lot, Sara stretched complaining her feet hurt.

Koharu was still excited.

I adjusted my sunglasses and walked quietly behind.

The floor gleamed, and our reflections were faintly visible beyond the store windows.

It was then.

…I felt it.

The flow of air changed.

Behind my shoulder, a gaze not aligned with the light.

A lens subtly shaking from an angle.

Reflected in the shop window, a too-obvious finger angle.

A normal person wouldn’t see it.

But I— my body is such that I cannot overlook such things.

Walking nonchalantly, and then at some point.

My right foot, lightly stepped onto the railing by the wall.