Chapter 70: Encounter

[I’m finally going to eat after practicing all day. What are you up to?]

That afternoon, as I headed back to the dorm after dinner.

I pulled out my phone when it suddenly rang and found this KakaoTalk message from So-yul.

The energy and cuteness conveyed in that short message – it was truly So-yul-like.

Her tone, seemingly waiting for my reply, reminded me of an excited puppy wagging its tail.

I smiled softly as I responded.

[Just finished eating and heading to the dorm. You worked hard practicing today.]

[Yeah, thanks. Though actually I’ll be practicing more after dinner too…]

Along with her delighted reply, So-yul sent a bear emoticon proudly showing off its shoulders.

I was glad that even just my simple words of appreciation seemed to comfort her.

Well, So-yul always became deeply touched by even the briefest compliments. Nothing unusual there.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

If I had been by her side, I would have constantly praised her, telling her how good her playing sounded.

No, even before that, So-yul would have approached me first with sparkling eyes asking, “How was my performance?”

This semester, her mother planned to stay firmly by So-yul’s side.

Which meant I wouldn’t get a chance to hear my girlfriend’s excellent performances.

Having to practice under the watchful eye of her mother, who, unlike me, would only meticulously look for flaws.

So-yul had maturely said she was used to it… but I doubted that was really true.

This was a person who showed barely any reaction even when So-yul demonstrated skills honed through endless practice.

She had even openly mocked her daughter when she made an unexpected mistake at a crucial performance.

During practice too, she would surely inflict wounds on So-yul’s heart with all kinds of harsh words.

No matter how strong-willed So-yul was, could this really be something one gets used to?

Understanding the reason for pain doesn’t make the pain completely disappear.

So-yul wasn’t unaffected by the pain – she had simply learned to endure and bear it despite hurting.

All I could do was comfort her when she returned wounded and barely offer words like “you worked hard.”

Frustrated by my own weakness, I let out a deep sigh.

Beyond my scattered sigh, another message from So-yul arrived.

[You worked hard too. …Dealing with everyone all afternoon.]

Dealing with everyone all afternoon.

Though there was no explanation, I immediately understood what she meant.

After we were caught together, there seemed to be quite a commotion among our classmates.

I heard things got rather chaotic with gossip like “what’s going on between those two,” “are they dating,” “no way, not at our school.”

“Those two were really bold,” Juho had added jokingly when he passed along this news.

Though I appreciated the information, I wanted to punch him just once.

Thanks to that, the afternoon had been complete chaos with everyone pestering me.

When I entered the classroom after lunch, they were all whispering together. Some kept glancing sideways at me. Others outright stared while murmuring.

Just when I was lamenting that they should just ask me directly, someone actually came to question me.

“Hey, what’s your relationship with Han So-yul?”

“We don’t have any relationship.”

“Then what was that earlier?”

“I don’t know. It was nothing special. Just talking briefly about the movie we filmed in the film production club last semester.”

“Come on. You’re lying.”

After dismissing my hastily fabricated excuse with one sentence, the guy clicked his tongue and walked away.

He asked me himself but wouldn’t believe me at all. It was frustrating. …Well, of course, it was a lie.

Still, I should be grateful he asked me directly.

Those who just sat there giving me incomprehensible looks had already half-accepted it as fact.

This kind of rumor spreads quickly. Especially since the other person involved was So-yul, the most famous student here. In a few days, other classes and even different grades would be talking about our relationship.

From now on, there would be even more eyes watching us.

The head of student affairs would be on high alert too, so we needed to be careful not to get caught with decisive evidence.

Anyway, though I’d had a hard time, it wasn’t difficult enough to complain about to my girlfriend.

After thinking about how to reply, I moved my fingers.

[It wasn’t a big deal for me. But we should be more careful from now on. Even if we run into each other, we should act natural.]

Just as I wrote this and was about to press send immediately.

Suddenly, from ahead, I heard the sound of someone firmly planting their foot on the ground.

Reflexively lifting my head at the sound, the two people standing there were truly unexpected.

None other than… So-yul and her mother.

“…!”

As our eyes met, So-yul’s eyes widened in surprise. She looked startled, as if she never imagined we’d run into each other here.

Well, without a mirror I couldn’t confirm, but perhaps I looked the same way.

In contrast, So-yul’s mother was shooting sharp glances at me.

As if the obstacle before her was a nuisance. Not even bothering to say “move aside,” she didn’t move her mouth once.

I was on my way back to the dorm after dinner. So-yul had said she was about to go eat.

The possibility of running into each other was entirely plausible. Even beyond today, we would probably pass each other a few times just moving around school. We should have agreed to pretend not to know each other if we met.

Of course, such regrets came far too late now.

Both So-yul and I had already unnaturally stopped in our tracks.

“Han So-yul. What are you wasting time for? Let’s go,” So-yul’s mother said, glancing at So-yul with a pressuring tone.

At those words, So-yul flinched, then hung her head low and answered with a soft “…Yes.”

Just seeing this made me vividly understand the kind of treatment So-yul normally received.

Breaking down a person’s spirit with every word and action. Yet emitting a strange charisma that prevented fragile So-yul from talking back.

So-yul’s mother had probably been tormenting her like this all along.

I clenched my molars to calm the anger rising from deep within my chest.

Unaware of my state, So-yul’s mother eventually turned her eyes to me.

Her gaze remained fiercely intimidating.

“And… what about you? Do you have something to say?”

Words thrown out with an aggressive tone matching her sharp eyes.

Suppressing my anger that threatened to escape, I answered:

“…No. Nothing at all.”

At these words, So-yul beside her mother let out a shallow sigh as if relieved.

In truth, I wanted to grab So-yul’s wrist right now and run away.

I wanted to shout that we didn’t need to care about her mother at all.

Though my will was strong and I would accept whatever consequences followed… So-yul dreamed of a future where even these parents properly acknowledged her. I couldn’t say that was necessarily the best path for her.

So right now, So-yul and I were just classmates. We happened to meet while walking and suddenly stopped. We truly had no relationship at all.

Repeating this to myself like self-hypnosis, I set off with my gaze cast aside.

Just as I was about to brush past So-yul.

“…Oh right. Now that I think about it.”

For some reason, So-yul’s mother stopped me with these words.

Of course, my steps halted.

When I looked back, So-yul’s mother was staring directly at me.

Still a cold gaze. A consistently distorted expression since earlier. The atmosphere around us had hardened. The air itself felt chilly.

Maintaining this demeanor, So-yul’s mother slowly moved her lips.

“Didn’t we meet at this school’s arts festival?”

“…Ah, yes. That’s right. I was assigned to escort VIP guests to the auditorium.”

“Right? I thought I’d seen you somewhere before.”

At my answer, So-yul’s mother nodded slightly.

“I remember you seemed quite interested in So-yul then, so I wanted to ask one thing.”

Then, subtly raising one corner of her mouth:

“The head of student affairs mentioned ‘there’s a male student who’s been close with So-yul lately.’ Do you know who that might be?”

Hearing her mother’s question, we both froze in an instant.

We both held our breath, too shocked to even breathe properly.

So-yul’s fingers, which had started trembling faintly, thankfully went unnoticed by anyone but me.

Could our relationship have been discovered?

No, if she was calmly asking the person involved, perhaps we hadn’t been caught yet.

A relationship that must not be discovered by anyone. From when we were fake lovers until now when we’d become real ones, we had always been in this kind of relationship.

That’s precisely why we had always tried our best not to get caught.

Among all people, there were certain individuals we absolutely must not be exposed to.

So-yul’s mother was certainly one of them.

The fact that such a person had caught even a fragment of our relationship was definitely not good news.

My heart pounded violently. My head felt dizzy, and my breathing grew harsh.

But if I showed surprise here, it would be like confessing and asking her to figure it out.

So I had to answer while hiding my bewilderment as much as possible.

“…No. I wouldn’t know.”

“Oh, is that so?”

So-yul’s mother briefly questioned, then snorted and:

Looking at me intently with an indifferent face:

“I see. …For now.”

Leaving only these words, she resumed her halted steps.

So-yul, hurriedly following her mother, looked quite flustered too.

For now, she had said.

I hoped the ominous feeling emanating from this strange choice of words was merely my own groundless anxiety.