The Belief That Things Will Get Better – 3

The cool night air accompanied us as Yoon Sia and I walked down the hill.

After tutoring, I thought it would be dangerous for her to walk alone on a deserted night road, so I insisted on accompanying her.

I knew it was unnecessary meddling, and that each of these actions was a brick in the tower of obsession, but what could I do? That’s just my personality.

Frankly, even if I die, I can be reborn somewhere else, but for other people, death is the end.

If a sacrifice has to be made, it’s more cost-effective for me to do it.

Of course, it’s a bit much to attach grandiose words like sacrifice to this current accompaniment…

It just so happened that I wanted to get some fresh air, and I didn’t feel comfortable sending Yoon Sia home alone.

“You don’t have to take me home every time.”

About halfway down, Yoon Sia said this.

I told her I wasn’t trying to take her home.

I said I had something to buy at the convenience store, so we were going together for that reason.

“Okay, let’s go with that.”

Wondering what she was thinking, Yoon Sia smiled and looked at the moonlit scenery.

The round moon hanging on her shoulder line showed off its beauty.

“You know, this place used to be a shantytown.”

As we walked down in silence, Yoon Sia brought up a new topic of conversation, perhaps because she was bored.

“That’s probably why the hill is so steep.”

A ridiculously high hill.

It’s hard to climb even with a car.

“Isn’t it amazing? It used to be a neighborhood where poor people lived, but now it’s a neighborhood where rich people live.”

I kicked a small stone slightly raised on the paved road, sending it rolling down, and Yoon Sia watched the stone with her eyes as she spoke.

“I don’t know.”

Unable to read Yoon Sia’s mind, I gave a moderate response.

The reversal of fortunes between wealthy and poor neighborhoods happens everywhere.

“Well… I guess it’s not a very relatable story for you.”

Yoon Sia smiled awkwardly at my ambiguous reaction.

We walked down the hill in silence.

A chilly wind brushed against our ankles, and it seemed like we could see our breath a little.

Glancing to the side, I saw Yoon Sia’s face, which had become dejected.

I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I guess she thought she had brought up an unnecessary topic.

It might have been shocking for her to realize that something she considered normal was not normal for someone else.

Suddenly, a story my friend told me came to mind.

My friend had been preparing a webtoon with his cousin, who was an artist, and he told me about a conversation they had at that time, which I still remember.

‘The main character is an ordinary person. An ordinary college student.’

The friend who was in charge of the story said that, and his cousin retorted like this.

‘Why is a college student ordinary? There are more people who don’t go to college.’

In short, people tend to define ‘normal’ based on themselves.

Therefore, when the standard of that normal is shaken, they are shocked.

Isn’t that what Yoon Sia is feeling right now?

I speculate arbitrarily.

“Divine Doctor, what’s college like?”

I bring up a different topic to pull her out of the swamp of deep thought she’s diving into.

“It’s different from high school. High school was like someone spoon-feeding you lessons, but college is like having to prepare your own meals.”

She thought for a moment and replied.

“Is it fun?”

“Fun… I don’t know. But it’s kind of busy. The commute takes a long time, there’s a lot of homework, and it costs a lot of money… Ah! Did I only say bad things? I like college. It’s free and stuff.”

I hurriedly added, afraid that she might lose interest in college.

No, I already graduated from college… Don’t sugarcoat it.

“So, Inho, what department do you want to go to? What are your dreams for the future?”

“I haven’t thought about it.”

It’s too far in the future, so I don’t have any particular thoughts.

“Well, these days, there are many cases where people choose a job regardless of their major… But if you become interested in a field, tell me. I’ll see if there are any related departments.”

Yoon Sia clenches her fist and shows enthusiasm.

“Okay~”

I replied moderately.

As we exchanged stories, we reached the bottom of the hill.

“Then, goodbye. I’m going to the convenience store….”

I was about to send her off at the entrance of the convenience store when a familiar face appeared in front of Yoon Sia.

“……”

It was Shin Jeonga.

“Oh, hello?”

She was someone I hadn’t been in touch with lately.

Does she live around here? I ran into her here last time, and now I’m meeting her here again.

“Did you finish late today?”

Shin Jeonga looked back and forth between Yoon Sia and me and asked.

“Yeah, the class was a bit late.”

Shin Jeonga looked at me with a flushed face. Her body was swaying slightly, and she didn’t seem normal.

“Hey, you, maybe….”

Just as I was about to ask, Yoon Sia stepped forward and put me behind her.

“Hello? You’re Jeonga, right?”

Yoon Sia smiled brightly and pretended to know her.

“…….”

Shin Jeonga didn’t hide her unpleasant feelings.

“Inho, I’ll go now. Jeonga and I are taking the same bus.”

Yoon Sia rattled off the words without giving me a chance to intervene, grabbed Shin Jeonga’s shoulder, and headed for the bus stop.

Watching them walk away, all I could do was wave awkwardly.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Shin Jeonga, who couldn’t cope properly with Yoon Sia’s sudden push at the convenience store, was able to shake off Yoon Sia’s arm when she reached the bus stop.

“Huh? What is it?”

Yoon Sia smiled and looked down at Shin Jeonga.

“Why are you suddenly acting friendly?”

Shin Jeonga glared.

It was a look that would have made other friends at school flinch, but Yoon Sia didn’t react.

“You’ve been drinking, haven’t you?”

Instead, she asked this question.

At Yoon Sia’s question, Shin Jeonga automatically put her hand on her face.

Despite the chilly weather, her face was still slightly warm.

“And you seem to have smoked too.”

Yoon Sia sniffed.

“So?”

At Yoon Sia’s words, Shin Jeonga flinched for a moment, but soon straightened her shoulders as if she had nothing to be caught for.

A question in the tone of ‘What are you going to do about it?’ Even to that aggressive question, Yoon Sia didn’t lose her composure.

“I just didn’t want Inho to see that side of you.”

“I didn’t know you cared about me that much.”

Shin Jeonga sneered at her soft words.

“What are you talking about?”

Yoon Sia’s eyes widened at Shin Jeonga’s words.

“I wasn’t trying to protect you, I just didn’t want Inho to see you like that.”

Yoon Sia corrects her.

The softness from her voice gradually began to disappear as she spoke quietly.

“…What did you say?”

Shin Jeonga just glared at Yoon Sia.

Yoon Sia shrugged.

“It’s as I said. Seeing a friend drinking and smoking, you might want to drink and smoke again, right? I want Inho to keep going down the right path.”

Yoon Sia, with her arms crossed, looks down at Shin Jeonga.

“What are you? Do you know more about Inho than I do?”

Shin Jeonga looked up at her as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Then what do you know?”

At Yoon Sia’s question, she retorted. Shin Jeonga closed her mouth.

“I know more than you do, at least.”

“No, I don’t think you know. How kind Inho is?”

“Kind?”

She certainly had feelings for him, but she couldn’t help but question whether he was kind.

“Inho is kind at heart. He seems sincere. So I was curious… Why is he going astray….”

Yoon Sia takes one step closer.

“I think…”

Shin Jeonga swallowed.

“Isn’t it because the friends around him are having a bad influence on Inho?”

Before they knew it, they were close enough to look into each other’s eyes.

The gaze that slowly approached and pressed down on her contained uprightness.

“Ha!”

Shin Jeonga laughed out loud.

“You’re really hopeless.”

Shin Jeonga said, tilting her head without any hesitation.