Her World – 3

School uniform and short hair. Lee Mina always had a neat impression, as usual.

It was not difficult to find traces of her as time had passed on her youthful face.

You haven’t changed much.

I compared the face of Lee Mina, who was wearing a suit and bustling around the office, to the one next to me now.

“What?” Yes… I didn’t even rent it on a lease.”Perhaps due to habit, I moved to another seat while using honorifics with a much younger student.”

Lee Mina sat next to me, keeping her distance, and stared blankly at the door of the community center.

Various people came and went at the community center.

The employees who came out to smoke saw me and Lee Mina sitting on the bench, and it was noticeable that they were whispering and going further away than usual.

Lee Mina was like the day she saw in front of the center, a day filled with anger.

She let out a long sigh and washed her face with cold water.

An uncomfortable and awkward silence continued.

I didn’t really think about starting a conversation.

It was because I knew that starting a conversation for no reason would likely lead to strange misunderstandings or raise suspicions.

“But why are you using honorifics?” You are older than me.”It was, of course, Lee Mina who broke the silence.” She spoke to me just like the first time she initiated a conversation.

“What?” Ah… Yes… It’s just our first meeting.”As I scratched my head and spoke defensively, Lee Mina’s eyes widened.”

And as if realizing something they had not known, they slowly nodded their head.

“It’s a very obvious thing to say, but why does it seem amazing to me?”Lee Mina let out a hollow laugh.

What should I call that?”Call me uncle.” But, do you have something to say?”Seong-a will feel sad if she knows, but that doesn’t mean I can tell her to call me brother.”

I just wanted to ask something.”What is it?””I don’t come often, but there are times when I do come to the center.” At that time, the uncle was here.A faint starlight brushed against her eyes, which were filled with fatigue and irritation.

“So what?””Um.”.. It’s a bit of a sensitive question. Are you unemployed, sir?”

“…….”Ah, I’m sorry.” Was that a bit rude?”Looking at my face, which had hardened stiffly, Lee Mina clasped her hands together and made an awkward expression.”

What is it? It seems that there is an awareness that I have said something rude.

“For now, I have a job.””It may not be the case here, but in reality, I was a working person.”

I think that by rationalizing it this way, I can reduce the mental shock.

“Huh?” Is that so?Lee Mina’s face noticeably brightened.

“But why the job?”…”Oh, I just don’t have anyone around me to ask.” I’m just curious about how to become independent.”Independence?””

“Yes. Not living with my parents anymore. Did you also become independent, sir? As far as I know, I heard that most people live alone.Lee Mina tilted her head. Her somewhat dull appearance and remarks shattered the image of Lee Mina that I had like a sandcastle.

Well, people are not perfect from the beginning, so I decided to think of it as a different appearance.

“Not everything is like that.” Many people live with their parents for economic reasons or geographical reasons.I cleared my throat and explained to her.

“아, Is that so? Still, there are people who go out, right?”There will be, right?” But why independence? You are still a student.”As I alternated between looking at the school uniform and the face, Lee Mina let out a deep sigh again.”

“I want to be independent.” I want to get away from my annoying parents.”

“…….Knowing the general circumstances, I chose silence.

Then Lee Mina looked at me as if she was puzzled.

That’s strange. When I say this, everyone asks if I’m going through puberty.”Everyone has their own circumstances.” If it were just simple puberty, I wouldn’t ask a stranger uncle something like this.”Wow.”.. You really seem like an adult, sir.”I’m an adult.””Anyway, how much do you need to live alone?” I plan to leave as soon as I become an adult.”Is she imagining a future of being alone? A faint light appeared on Lee Mina’s face.”

I’ll ask you first. How much do you think it will cost?”Um.”…Lee Mina pushed her lower lip up and fell into thought.

Thinking for a few minutes. She carefully held up two fingers.

“This, this is one hundred thousand won?””There’s no way.””Then how much is it?””The question was wrong from the beginning.” We need to decide on a location first. If you choose based only on price, it can become problematic if it’s far from your workplace.”

“Ah….”As if caught off guard, Lee Mina had a blank expression.”

That sight was both cute and sad.

“Are you a middle school student?””

“Yes.”First, decide what you want to do.” Don’t think about leaving first.”Why?””Right now, the surrounding environment is so tough that all I can think about is independence, but in fact, what comes after independence is important.” So we need to look further ahead and take action. Independence is a fact… Isn’t it close to a short-term goal?”He shrugged his shoulders.” What makes me so great that I talk like this?

Short-term goals….Lee Mina repeated what I said.

“What do you want to do, where can you learn that, and how will you learn it?”.. If you live with such goals, you will be able to achieve independence at some point.”It’s complicated language, but I think I have a rough idea of what it means.””She kept nodding her head while staring into space, as if she was calculating something.”

Then, as if he had gained enlightenment on his own, he clapped his hands and got up from the bench.

A neat school uniform and short hair were visible.

Thank you. You must have wondered why a crazy kid would say that….”No.” I also enjoyed talking.”

“Yes. See you next time.”Is there anything next?” As Lee Mina stepped out of the community center with a brisk walk, the world changed as if the screen had switched.

“I am a new employee, Lee Mina.” Thank you in advance.”An old notebook and a nondescript pen were all her belongings.”

She bowed her head to me, wearing her employee badge around her neck.

“아, Yes. I am….”I heard that you are the assistant manager Kang In-ho in charge of the new employee training.”A tone that is stiff like a machine.

Lee Mina’s eyes were cold and solemn like an endless deep sea.