Chapter 17: Doki Doki literary club

After drying Seon-a’s hair, we spent quite a bit of time together.

Playing games on the console, chatting about trivial things… it was a relaxing time, a welcome break from everything. I felt like I was on a school trip.

I hadn’t even realized how much time had passed until it was almost six o’clock.

Thankfully, Seon-a didn’t look as sick as she had initially.

In fact, she seemed more energetic than me after her shower, which surprised me.

Perhaps she was tougher than I thought.

“It’s already six…”

“Why? Are you late for something?”

“Yes, I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

Just as I was about to suggest having dinner together, Seon-a spoke, her face clouding over.

It seemed her family was strict. She looked like she really didn’t want to go.

I felt the same, but her disappointed expression, like a puppy that had been left behind, made me chuckle.

I reached out and stroked her hair as she sat beside me on the sofa, enjoying the soft texture. Her pout finally dissolved.

“I’ll walk you home. Do you live nearby?”

“Yes, about 15 minutes from here.”

That wasn’t far. I got up from the sofa, grabbed my padded jacket, and handed her another coat.

It was still cold outside, even if it was a short distance.

Seon-a initially refused, saying it was right around the corner, but she eventually gave in to my insistence.

I turned off all the lights in the house and we stepped outside.

I looked up at the sky.

An everyday scene, but somehow different because of the person beside me.

The setting sun painted the world in hues of orange, and I was momentarily lost in thought.

Then I felt Seon-a’s arm link with mine.

I flinched at the soft, warm touch.

I slowly turned my gaze from the scenery to her. She was smiling mischievously, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

Was she telling me to pay attention to her instead of the sunset? Her grip tightened as our eyes met.

It was embarrassing, but I gave up on trying to unlink our arms and started walking.

I’d always thought of Seon-a as delicate, but she was surprisingly strong.

Come to think of it, she’d mentioned during our conversation that her father worked in law enforcement.

“Sia~, Sia~, Siaaa~.”

“…Stop it, it’s embarrassing.”

Humming a silly tune, I followed Seon-a’s lead to a nearby park.

She said her apartment was right past it. As we reached the park entrance, she finally released my arm.

“This is it. Thanks for walking me home.”

I followed her pointing finger and looked up at the towering building.

It was tall and large, like a skyscraper, an impressive sight.

I thought about Seon-a again. Well, attending a rich kids’ school, it was only natural that she would be wealthy, but I had forgotten for a moment, since she was so approachable.

“…Miss Seon-a?”

“No special treatment just because you’re using honorifics.”

“Tsk.”

I’d briefly considered becoming a maid in a chaebol household, but she rejected me rather curtly.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

I waved back as Seon-a walked away. I stood there for a moment, watching her go.

Her auburn bob, her slightly short skirt, the coat I’d given her… the familiar figure gradually grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared from sight. I finally turned around and headed home.

I was going to go straight to bed as soon as I got home.

Playing with Seon-a was fun, but also tiring. Girls sure could talk. But seeing her chatting away so happily made me smile.

I would invite her over again when I had time.

But next time, I wanted to introduce her to my sister. They were both kind people, so they would probably get along.

I suddenly stopped in my tracks.

Why was he here, sitting on a bench, reading a book? I froze, surprised by the unexpected encounter.

I quickly resumed walking. We weren’t close, so he would probably ignore me if I pretended not to see him.

He was a handsome boy, the kind girls wanted to protect, and a chaebol heir to boot.

Even disregarding those game facts, I didn’t want to get involved with someone so conspicuous. No, really, I didn’t.

As I walked with my head down, trying to be quiet, a male voice called out to me.

“Why are you pretending not to see me, Lee Sia?”

Oh dear, I’d been caught.

“Hmm hmm hmm ♪”

It had been a refreshing day, so much so that I was humming to myself without realizing it.

My heart felt light, and my steps were brisk.

I’d cleared up a misunderstanding, enjoyed some alone time with her, and most importantly, I’d been with her all day.

It had been such a wonderful day that I wouldn’t mind getting soaked in the rain for hours to experience it again.

I walked briskly through the empty park.

I was in a great mood.

Yes, even the small figure slowly approaching me from afar couldn’t dampen my spirits.

“…You’re really persistent.”

Her cold voice, devoid of emotion and filled with malice, was unpleasant.

Her resemblance to her was also unpleasant.

She was the epitome of unpleasantness.

But encountering her in my current cheerful state wasn’t entirely unenjoyable.

I smiled mischievously. Her jealousy was surprisingly amusing.

“You’re really annoying.”

“I agree.”

This was the first, and perhaps the last, time we would agree on something.

She was losing her usual composure and snapping at me like a restless puppy.

I smiled triumphantly, thinking how pathetic she looked.

It was amusing, almost endearing, to see someone who always looked down on you self-destruct.

“You won’t listen even if I tell you to stay away from her. You have nothing to lose.”

“But don’t think you can get away with this forever. Soon… soon, I’ll make sure you’re out of the picture. So enjoy yourself while you can.”

Whatever.

I sensed her malice directed at me, but I shrugged it off and walked away.

This clash was inevitable from the moment we first met.

There was no reason for me to be bothered now. Besides, her childish threats were just pathetic.

She was like a piece of trash in the room, slightly bothersome, but not enough to ruin my good mood.

I left with a smile on my face.