Chapter 72: something about us

“Hey, look over there! They’re selling a limited edition of the Prirara Idol Time microphone, which only had 5,000 units released last year!”

“Prirara…what?”

“I’ll go buy it quickly, so you just wait here, okay? Don’t move around or you’ll get lost.”

“I think you’re the one who’ll get lost…”

She mutters something under her breath, but as soon as she finishes speaking, she quickly runs toward the toy store. Her short hair, barely covering her neck, flutters in the breeze.

Watching her small back, Hyung-gon scratches the back of his head as if to say, “I can’t help it.” However, even as he made a gesture of embarrassment, a pleasant smile lingered on his lips. In fact, he couldn’t suppress the happiness that welled up in him with every breath he took.

After all, the scene he had once thought he could only see in his dreams had become a reality right before his eyes.

“…I’m so glad the surgery was successful.”

Thanks to advances in medicine, seven out of ten cancer surgeries are now curable, but that’s for cases that are close to terminal, and the situation is different when the patient is an elementary school student.

In fact, the doctor had advised giving up on the surgery early on.

But Hyung-gon never gave up, and whether it was because of that or not, the surgery was a success.

The result is the healthy younger sister we have today.

“Brother… do I not have to take medicine anymore?”

“Yes.”

“…Can I go home anytime I want?”

“Yes.”

“Do I not have to cut my hair like a soldier anymore?”

“Yes.”

On the day the surgery ended amid worries and concerns, the entire family gathered in the small hospital room to celebrate the younger sister’s recovery. And from that day on, Hyung-gon could see his younger sister’s true smile.

It wasn’t a forced smile to reassure her worried family, but a genuine smile that came from her true feelings.

Of course, even this lively younger sister was extremely weak immediately after the surgery. But that’s all in the past now, thanks to several months of rehabilitation.

These days, seeing him run around outside without hesitation, he seems more active than most boys his age.

Moreover, with his younger brother discharged from the hospital and the family’s financial situation, which had been struggling under the heavy hospital bills, now much improved, Hyung-gon had nothing to complain about.

“Freshman representative, Isia.”

“Well… if it’s just for a little while, it wouldn’t be so bad to hang out with her. Pass me the ball.”

“Damn it! You bot-line losers! Are you playing the game with your feet?”

“Take care. Let’s meet up again sometime and play a few games of League of Legends.”

However, how selfish the human heart is. Even in the midst of what could be called the peak of happiness, her image occasionally comes to mind.

A young girl with long hair, neatly dressed in her school uniform.

The one I sent away with my own hands. At first, I was unsure if this was love, but looking back, she was the woman I loved dearly.

They say first love is bound to fail. Though I was threatened, I don’t blame others for that failure. In the end, it was I who, out of fear, let her go.

But the mind and heart always act independently, and no matter how many times I erase the image that comes to mind, the lingering regret remains.

Yes, the impulse that occasionally comes and torments my mind. If only I hadn’t given up and had continued to pursue her…

“…No, it’s already in the past. Don’t think about it.”

For whatever reason, I gave up on her, and now I can’t pursue her. I’ve confirmed this fact many times. He doesn’t even desire the happiness he has now. Because that would be too much to ask for.

Still, if he happens to run into her by chance, he wants to ask how she is doing. His sister raises her arm toward Hyung-gon, asking if he bought the item he wanted. Hyung-gon waves back at her and gently curls the corners of his mouth upward.

In any case, he was completely satisfied with the present moment.

The building was mostly made of ivory-colored marble, with a blue-painted spire. The lion statues on either side of the main gate gave visitors a sense of awe, and the iron fence surrounding the building clearly distinguished the boundary between the forest and the mansion.

It was a mansion of enormous scale, the kind that would befit someone with the epithet “great” before their name.

In one corner of the beautifully manicured garden, Isaka Paul Heidrich sat on a small bench.

In the silence, only the sound of water trickling quietly echoed. Izana leaned her chin on her hand and gazed at the fountain in front of her. She had no particular purpose, just passing time aimlessly.

Normally, she would have watched a movie or taken drugs, engaging in more productive activities, but perhaps because she had returned to her homeland after a long time, she felt no motivation.

Even the drugs she had once been addicted to no longer appealed to her. Coca… Coca… Coca-Cola? What is that?

“Haa…”

What a ridiculous situation. Is this what they call the melancholy of a simple-minded woman? I let out a heavy sigh, a habit I picked up after breaking up with a lover of only three days.

The faint breath of a certain girl floats up before her eyes. Seeing that image, resentment rises in one corner of her heart, while longing rises in the other.

That despicable woman who occupies a corner of her heart and refuses to give up her place. Though she is clearly the landlady, for some reason, the roles have reversed, and she is the one pacing back and forth in anxiety.

This isn’t Juliet being rejected by Romeo. How could she, of all people, be acting so foolishly? Lee Ja-na smiled wryly. She felt pathetic for being so entangled in love.

“Come on.”

She let out a shout that she didn’t need to, got up from the bench, and brushed the dust off her buttocks. It was not a very noble lady-like action.

If her mother, who was still stuck in the Middle Ages, had seen this, she would have been shocked and yelled at her, but this kind of vulgarity was good for getting rid of her unnecessary heavy emotions.

While standing up, she also tidies up the ends of her slightly disheveled hair.
But even then, the illusion of her former lover remains.

She turns her gaze away from it, not easily, but with some effort. She is still struggling with this first breakup of her life.

However, even this flame that is still burning brightly will eventually die out.

That’s just how love works. That’s how people are.

At least it wasn’t a bad breakup.

Taking comfort in that one fact, Izana took off her high heels. And at that moment.

“Ishaka.”

A voice calling out to Izana as she was about to leave the garden. A sticky, thick voice, as if honey butter had been smeared on the vocal cords.
How long had it been since she had heard that voice? Even though she hadn’t sought it out during all that time, it suddenly came back to her.

It should have been familiar, but for some reason, it felt strange.

Izana stopped in her tracks at the unfamiliar sound of that voice.

“Raoul… It’s been a long time. Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah, I was discharged from the hospital a long time ago. But are you leaving already? Why don’t you sit down for a while?”

“…Yes.”

The man sat down next to her, brushing his dazzling blond hair back stylishly in the sunlight. It had been so long since she had seen him, and his face, which would make even Leonardo DiCaprio in his prime cry, made Izana hesitate for a moment before she slowly nodded.

He was a good-looking piece of trash. He was a man who had a fiancée but changed girlfriends whenever he got bored, but right now, he didn’t care who was next to him.

“I heard you went to Korea without me. Nothing happened, right?”

“Yes… nothing.”

He was a man who usually didn’t care about his fiancée, but what was his motive for suddenly asking her this? Izana narrowed her eyes slightly.

“Did you have any fun?”

“…Not really.”

The man who usually said they shouldn’t worry about each other’s fiancés suddenly had some ulterior motive. Ijana slightly narrowed her eyes.

But the man’s jade-colored eyes continued to warmly gaze at her.

Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, Izana quickly lowered her head. However, she couldn’t hide her bright red cheeks, and the man laughed out loud when he saw them.

“Why, why are you suddenly acting so friendly?”

“Isn’t that natural for a fiancé?”

“…That’s true, but…”

“Well, actually…”

As he trailed off, the man casually wrapped his arm around Izana’s shoulder. The warm breath tickling her ear made Izana’s body stiffen.”

“On the day our car overturned, while all the bodyguards were unconscious, you were the only one who woke up and desperately asked for help from those around you, right? I also heard that you stayed with me until I was hospitalized.”

“How did you know that?”

“It was reported on the news… Your face was blurred out, though.”

“That damn BBC… I should leave a bomb in the director’s office.”

“Haha, don’t be so violent. And the German public broadcaster is ARD, not BBC.”

“I know that! Get off me!”

She struggled to pry the man’s thick arm off her, but he didn’t budge, as if showing off his strength. Eventually, trapped, Izanami glared at the man, but the smug smile on his lips didn’t waver at all.

“Anyway, I finally realized it after hearing the news. All this time, I thought you hated me… but that wasn’t the case.”

“…You don’t hate me that much. You just don’t particularly like me, right?”

“I know that much. But I was convinced that you hated me. That’s why I’ve been cold to you all this time. I have no excuse for that. I’m truly sorry.”

The man bowed his head deeply, as if to show that his apology was sincere. Izana sighed for the umpteenth time today. Receiving an apology from a man she had always thought of as shameless made her feel awkward.

“It’s okay, lift your head. It’s embarrassing.”

“Okay, thank you.”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“No, not yet. If you’re okay with it, I want to restore our engagement to normal… What do you think?”

“Hmm… Does that mean you won’t cheat on me anymore?”

“That’s right.”

Huh? Without realizing it, Izana snorted and narrowed her eyes as she locked gazes with the man. However, faced with his serious green eyes, she had no choice but to look away.

It felt like watching a naughty pet dog that used to bite its owner’s hand all the time, but became well-behaved after being sent to a training school.

It felt like watching a mischievous dog that used to bite its owner’s hand become well-behaved after being sent to a training school. She felt like forgiving him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. Whether he had reformed now or not, the fact that this man had tormented her for years remained unchanged.

Izana covered her mouth with her hand so that the man couldn’t see, and smiled mischievously.

“Are you really okay with me?”

“Yes, I like you, Isaka.”

“But what should I do? It looks like I’m going to be the one to leave.”

“……huh?”

“Actually, while I was traveling in that country without you, I encountered a fateful love.”

“What…what!? Is that true?”

When she said that casually, Izana quickly pinched her thigh to stop herself from laughing at the man’s flustered expression. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to hold back her laughter.

“Yes, of course…well, it didn’t last long.”

“Yes, of course… well, I was dumped right away, but…”

“Ah…”

“Haa… How dare that woman, who is the epitome of elegance, beauty, and ecstasy, dump me, a commoner?

Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah… Wait, woman?”

Yes, a woman. It’s funny that the girl who dreamed of a romance with the prince had her first love be another girl of the same gender. It’s even funnier when you think about how she was used and then dumped miserably.

I tried to hold back my laughter again, but I guess a wry smile slipped out without me realizing it. The man clenched his lips tightly, looking as if he had suffered a sad event himself.

Ugh, what an ugly face. Even the prince, who has the most handsome face in the world, looks so sad that he seems unremarkable. Izana gently rubbed the corner of the man’s mouth with her long index finger.

Perhaps unable to resist the tickling sensation, the corner of the man’s mouth slowly turned up.

“Anyway, I’m tired of giving love. So now, please give me your love. Please give me the most passionate love in the world.

If you keep doing that without looking at other women,…….well, maybe someday I’ll come to love you too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The man chuckled. Izana also shook off the bitter taste lingering on her tongue and smiled playfully.

“Why? You said you liked it earlier, but now you don’t?”

“No way, I like it even more now.”

=[The recent serial murder case that had the public in a state of fear was temporarily named “X” by the police. Literally, the identity of the perpetrator, which had been unknown until now, was revealed last night. However, it has been revealed that the perpetrator is the daughter of the police chief who was murdered.This is a shocking fact. In response to this, Kim Yong-gu, the chief of the Seoul Police Department, will hold a press conference this evening…]

“What are you doing? Hurry up and come eat breakfast.”

“Oh, okay.”

Without saying a word, I turn off the TV and head to the kitchen in response to my sister’s call. As I sit down at the dining table, my eyes are drawn to the colorful feast spread out before me.

It’s too luxurious to be a normal family breakfast, and I stare blankly at my sister sitting across from me. Jeong-ui

“I appreciate it, but was it really necessary to go to so much trouble for breakfast?”

“Hehe, it’s to celebrate your discharge from the hospital.”

Even so, I think it’s a bit too heavy for breakfast, but there’s no need to spoil the warm atmosphere by complaining.

I just zip my mouth shut and pick up my chopsticks. The first side dish I pick up is a hot dish of grilled fish with steam rising from it.

“Where’s Mom?”

“She went to work first. Anyway, it’s been a long time since we went to school together.”

“It feels like it’s been a long time since I went to school at all.”

After saying that, I realize that I can’t remember when the last time I went to school was. I swallow the fish I’m chewing and try to
through the tangled threads in his mind, but perhaps because so many things had happened in the meantime, he couldn’t quite remember.

So, Isaka shot a gun at school, got beaten up, was kidnapped… Even if he counts conservatively, it’s already been a month.

It’s certain that his school records have been ruined, but what if he’s been held back a grade without even knowing it? Lowering my head, I look down at my neatly pressed school uniform, and a sense of sadness creeps in.

Lately, with all the guns, s*x, and cigarettes, I’ve been so caught up in the excitement that I’ve forgotten I’m even a student.

What sin did I commit in a past life to have to repeat these three hellish years twice?

“…I guess I can’t go to college through the regular admissions process now.”

“Oh, if that’s the case, I’ll take care of the sick leave for you?”

“Huh? How?”

“Um… it’s a secret?”

“…Alright.”

She pressed her index finger against her lips and smiled like a mischievous child. She was cute, but wouldn’t she feel ashamed at that age?
I barely managed to stop myself from asking that question. If I had said it out loud, what would have happened? Probably a big fight
from the morning.

In the end, my sister would be the one to lose (give in), but I don’t want to argue about it. I’m used to the fact that my sister is a devious person by now. I just continue eating silently.

“Do you know what a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is? It’s a hamburger at McDonald’s.”

“Quarter Pounder? I know it, but why are you suddenly asking?”

“Do you know what they call it at McDonald’s in France?”

“What do they call it?”

“Royal with Cheese.”

“…?”

“Well, France uses the metric system just like we do.”

“…Never mind.”

After finishing our meal with such trivial conversation, we finished the mountain of dishes and left the house together with my sister.

“Ah”

As we pushed open the front door, the dazzling sunlight caressed our faces. The chirping of sparrows announcing the morning echoed in our ears. At the same time, a pleasant breeze, like a gentle mountain breeze, penetrated every crevice of our clothing, bringing a chill. Emotionally,
we shivered involuntarily.

“Why is it suddenly so cold?”

“They say it’ll be like this all week?”

“Damn it.”

“Hey, we agreed not to use bad language!”

“Shit, f*ck, damn it, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck
…It feels kind of awkward.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Leaves crunch under my shoes, and patches of moss cover the sidewalk blocks. Cars speed by right next to the guardrail, and students wearing the same school uniform as me walk in the same direction on the sidewalk.

It’s been a really, really long time since I walked this path to school.

Suddenly, I remember the first time I walked this path. The cherry blossoms in full bloom and the refreshing spring breeze pushing my back.
But now, those things are gone without a trace.

In their place are bare, withered tree branches and a cold chill that penetrates to the bone.

The seasons have changed, the scenery has changed, and I have changed as well. And in a rather extreme way.

Those who have left and those who remain. It would be a lie to say there were no happy memories. But when I look back, all that remains is regret. If only I could turn back time, perhaps I could have achieved a better outcome. Even knowing it’s impossible to go back, I can’t help but feel this way.

“Sister.”

“Hm?”
I stop walking and call out to my sister. Just then, a brown leaf falls in front of me. It is withered and twisted like the arm of a dying patient.
But does that mean we have to see it as something bad? Even if it’s miserable, that’s our life. That’s not to say I’m trying to justify myself.

I’m just offering myself a small comfort. Still, at this point, even for someone as clumsy as me, isn’t this a pretty good result? But only in my heart.

“Come here.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

“Just because.”

The truth is, I still can’t believe this world is real. Logically and emotionally, I just can’t believe it. Of course, this is also reality, and there’s no other way, but humans can’t help but doubt. Even Jesus Christ died because of doubt. Still, still, you know.

If my sister is by my side, then such things don’t matter anymore. If my sister is by my side, I think such things won’t matter anymore. If my sister is by my side, I will be happy, and if I can be happy even in a dream, that will be enough. And if it’s a dream that can’t be broken, that would be even better.

In other words, not everyone needs to take the red pill and wake up. So, so, you see.

I try to put all the thoughts that flashed through my mind into words, but then I give up. That’s not what’s important right now. Instead, I casually reach out my hand.

“…Hold my hand.”

My sister silently took my hand.