episode_0013

“I told you yesterday, but it’s my turn today.”

[I know, I know. I’d rather get paid more.]

“Thank you… .”

[No, no. Don’t thank me for something like this. Oh, a guest has arrived. Thank you for your time.]

After finishing my call with my part-time job sister, I headed to the bathroom. It was my turn to come back once a month, in order of my number. It would have been fortunate if I had been caught on Friday, my day off from work, but on a day like today, I couldn’t help but cause trouble.

Still, I’m glad that my time shift sister understands. If she were my night shift sister, she would have used her shift as an excuse to cause all kinds of trouble.

“Hey, what’s up with Iharu? These days, guys only talk about him.”

“I don’t know, it’s so annoying. Hyunseo, isn’t Leeharu in your class? What do you think?”

“You’re sticking with Hanna Yeon, so how can you be a proper bitch? Let’s go to the elementary school together.”

“Seriously. You guys are leaving right after this day ends? You guys really get along well.”

A venomous voice flowed from inside the bathroom. It seemed like some of the kids who had gone with Iharu on the first day were among them.

Even though we were so close, even if it was only for a short while, do you really want to talk like that?

No, that must be why.

The reason those kids started to hate me was the same. Because I didn’t treat them kindly. I don’t know the exact truth, but at least that’s what I thought.

Not only was there no one around to talk to, but there were few people who approached me, and I didn’t really want friends.

That’s why I pushed away Oh Hyun-seo, who was in the same class as me in my first year of middle school. Oh Hyun-seo was the complete opposite of me. I didn’t need to be friends with her when we weren’t fun to be together.

“Oh, right. Did you see Iharu reject your confession? He cut you like a knife, like he was something? Are rags idols these days?”

“Boys also try to get a taste of it once. If they give it to you, their life will end.”

The conversation became increasingly hostile.

What do you gain by badmouthing someone who just sits still? What do you get in the end that makes you so persistent in hating them? That’s a tenacity that’s truly enviable.

Well, I guess they say persistence is a talent. It must have been because he had talent that he was able to win his friends over to his side.

In contrast, I had no talent since I was young.

Taekwondo, Judo, Karate, and Kendo schools that I have been to since I was young. As someone who is not good at talking, I enjoyed communicating with my body rather than my voice.

But in the end, I couldn’t settle down anywhere. When I was about to mix in with the dojo, I got an offer to try out being a player, but I turned them all down and got away, saying it was annoying.

Yeah, it was annoying. I didn’t want to get absorbed in anything.

─You know that it’s a really bad habit to gloss over everything by saying it’s annoying?

Suddenly, I remembered what Iharu had said. When I heard that from Iharu, I couldn’t say a single word back.

I knew it too. Being lazy is just an excuse.

I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to live up to other people’s expectations, and that I wouldn’t be able to get up if I made even one mistake.

I just kept running around making excuses about being bothered.

Not being good at anything, not seeming interested in anything, and even looking at myself from a distance.

I have been playing the role of a person who is calm and composed, no matter what happens.

After that, I felt much more at ease. I didn’t have to burden my father who raised me and Hannah alone. I didn’t have to go astray, and I didn’t have to break down.

“Hanna Yeon, Lee Haru. They look good together. A girl who had a baby in elementary school, and a girl who acts like a punk.”

This is how I’ve lived up until now. Unlike Haru, who just rushes in and sees things, I’ve lived avoiding and ignoring everything.

So it doesn’t matter. Just run away like you did before. Close your eyes, cover your ears, and ignore what other people say.

“Whoa, what kind of crazy bitch are you!”

“Sorry, mistake.”

I held the dry mop against my dirty mouth. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her shiny lips rubbing against the mop.

“What, what are you saying, sleep, sleep, Hannah Yeon?”

“What the heck! Are you crazy? Is that slut crazy!”

The palm flew slowly.

Even though I was young, my body had been through a lot of exercise. Before I could even think, my body reacted and grabbed the girl’s slender arm.

However, since it was clear that it would break if I applied even a little force, I placed my legs on it and gently laid it on the floor.

“Ow, shit!! What the heck is this! It hurts, it hurts!”

“It suits you well.”

He smiled at the girl whose face was pressed against the bathroom floor. Would it have been easier if he had done this earlier?

No. If it weren’t for this day, I wouldn’t have had to do such a bothersome thing.

“Don’t get involved with Iharu.”

I blurted out a word to Oh Hyeon-seo, who was standing there blankly, and started walking.

“annoying… .”

That’s it. Let’s end this annoying work here. If we stay with Iharu, we’ll just cause trouble for each other.

* * *

School is fun these days. Plus, tomorrow is the day we promised to go to Chuchu Land!

It’s really full of fun things.

“Hanna…Hannayeon!”

But Hanna Yeon’s thoughts seem to be different. I went there because I thought we might have lunch together, but Hanna Yeon completely ignored me and quickly disappeared.

Is something bothering you? Did the teacher call you?

I tilted my head and headed to the store in a lonely manner. Then I bought a dirty, tasteless, dry, chewy peanut sandwich. I sat down in the corner of the store and ripped off the packaging.

Stickers… . First, I need to check the stickers.

[no.12 Bandaged Chuchu]

It’s you again?

I’m meeting you again, sick Chuchu. My heart aches every time I see you, so I wish you’d just leave.

“Should I throw it away… .”

Mirae also has this sticker. I gave it to her because I brought the one that came out yesterday. If that’s the case, there’s no reason for me to buy this crappy bread…

“Oh, this is Iharu.”

I was about to put the stickers aside and take a bite of my sandwich when a boy came over to me, waving his hand in a friendly manner. He was a short, lively boy, and perhaps because of the atmosphere he gave off, he gave off a beagle-like vibe.

“Are you eating alone? Can I sit next to you?”

“I… I just finished eating. Sorry, I’ll get up first.”

I stood up, putting the sandwich I was holding back into its packaging. In fact, my only purpose was the stickers, and I wasn’t very hungry.

“Come on. Can I talk to you? Do you know me? I’m the captain of the soccer team.”

Oh, the captain of the soccer team. The most popular kid among popular kids from various subcultures. The embodiment of popular kids.

“… I’m a little shy.”

“Don’t do that. Why don’t we become friends from now on?”

He was a popular kid, so to me, who was an outsider, he was a very uncomfortable person. He didn’t touch my body directly, but he came close enough to touch me. I lowered my face and brushed past the popular kid.

“Iharu, go out with me. It’s weird to say this directly, but I’m really confident that I can do it well. I know a lot of people, so it’ll be fun in many ways.”

What the heck? Are you bragging about having a lot of friends?

“Thank you. And I’m sorry. I have no intention of dating anyone.”

The smile on the boy’s face disappeared in an instant, and I got scared and ran out of the store.

“Wow… Park Do-hyun was also in the car.”

“It’s actually more attractive because it’s full?”

“Really. Did you say that because Iharu has a boyfriend? I’m really jealous. It would be so great to date Iharu, right?”

“Go ahead and do something crazy. Do you think Iharu will even look at you?”

Someone nearby sighed as if they felt sorry, and I could even hear words rolling in from somewhere.

Don’t feel bad. He’s complimenting me anyway, so there’s no need to hate him.

“Haa… … .”

I walked briskly down the hallway and stopped for a moment, resting my hand on the wall. No matter how much I tried to console myself, my rumbling stomach didn’t get any better.

I can’t forget the stern expression the boy gave me at the end. It was a look that seemed to be a hatred, as if he was looking at an enemy. The shock was even greater because he had approached me in a friendly manner with a smile at first.

“Hanna Yeon… !”

While I was catching my breath like that for a while, I saw Hanna Yeon approaching from afar.

Perhaps because I had been relying on Hannah Yeon so much until now, the feeling that had been sinking deep inside me felt much better as soon as I saw her dark blonde hair tied in a ponytail.

Well, I told Hanna Yeon everything about the future, and maybe it was because our personalities matched well, but I was able to talk to her comfortably.

“Hannayeon! Wait a minute… .”

I called out louder again, wondering if she had heard, but Hanna Yeon didn’t even glance at me and went into the classroom.

“Why are you doing that… .”

Did something upset you? Did I say something wrong? No matter how much I racked my brain, nothing came to mind. After all, I didn’t get to say a word to Hanna Yeon today.

“Hanna Yeon, where does it hurt? Do you want to go to the infirmary?”

I hurriedly followed behind and grabbed Hanna Yeon’s wrist. Then Hanna Yeon pushed my hand away with her other hand and sat down.

At the same time, the entire class was filled with silence. The students were just glancing in this direction and not moving easily. In that stagnant atmosphere, I was the only one facing Hanna Yeon.

“… What did I do wrong?”

The tingling sensation I felt earlier came back again. It felt like someone was grabbing my brain and spinning it around. A cold sweat ran down my back, and a pain surged as if someone was poking me in the lower abdomen with a needle and squeezing me.

It was definitely not a regular occurrence, but it felt eerily similar to menstrual cramps. Could it be that Hanna Yeon was in a bad mood that day?

“I just got annoyed.”

Yeah, that’s why her attitude changed. Hanna Yeon suddenly… .

“… What?”

“Don’t pretend to know, it’s annoying.”

Even if I pretended not to hear and asked again, the answer I got was the same.

“… Are you serious?”

“Uh.”

Even when I asked differently, his expression did not change.

A cold face that made my heart freeze. I usually thought that Hannah Yeon was cute even when she was scary, but now she looked like a completely empty doll.

It felt like he had emptied me of all interest, feelings, and even memories.

“… Yeah.”

That’s why I couldn’t face Hanna Yeon anymore. Of course, the Hanna Yeon I had now wasn’t Hanna Yeon.

There’s no way Hanna Yeon would do this to me… .