episode_0018

Episode 17: Will You Go to the Hospital with Me?

Second week of March.

Wednesday passed, and Thursday dawned.

I hadn’t suffered severe harassment yet.

Instead, the treatment was surprisingly ordinary, making it awkward.

Just bringing bread.

When asked why I was late, if I said I felt like collapsing on my way, they wouldn’t say anything.

Where were they getting their information from?

They knew about the incident during gym class where I almost collapsed and generously gave me extra time.

Surprisingly, it was Kang Hyun who started touching me more and more.

I wondered if Kim Hyungmin was quiet because she got angry.

Touching my shoulder, saying “Let’s do well.”

Cornering me against the wall to scare me.

But they didn’t actually hit me.

Anyway.

As time passed, the atmosphere began to change gradually.

It could still be considered early in the semester.

Classmates seemed to have adapted to each other and started playing pranks without hesitation.

Although Yoo Sein and Jung Ah-young were still invisible, it didn’t matter since we were two, not one.

Was that why?

Jung Ah-young showed a lot of interest in the new friend who suddenly appeared.

Was it because he was a guy, or simply because he was a friend?

“Sein, Sein.”

“Hmm…”

“Wanna go to the snack bar together?”

“The snack bar is a bit…”

Going there every lunch break got boring.

The change in Jung Ah-young over the past few days was a bit awkward.

Her still gloomy appearance and unkempt hair were uncomfortable, but they say humans are creatures of learning, right?

Having conversations with me, Jung Ah-young, who had become familiar with people, would smile awkwardly.

Contrary to her past of always looking gloomy and struggling while being harassed.

During the time spent with me, she conversed like an ordinary girl.

“Oh, sorry. I shouldn’t make this kind of mistake…”

“It’s okay.”

However, occasionally she would become melancholic as if pressing a button.

Especially making silly mistakes like now.

I’m fine, but what if she perceives it as a mistake from her perspective?

Then the self-blame switch turns on.

It’s kind of foolish but cute.

She looks like she might burst if poked too much, which is quite adorable.

“Ugh…”

“I’m holding my breath again.”

It was Jung Ah-young’s habit.

When she made a mistake related to me during a conversation, she would lie down on the desk like that.

“Don’t hold your breath~ Face it~”

“Uh, ugh…”

Twitch, twitch.

Whispering in an old-fashioned way, her ears turned red.

Is she sensitive to sound? Or does she have weak hearing?

Wanting to tease her a little, I moved closer.

I leaned close to her ear, whispering softly.

“Don’t hold your breath, let me see your face. Hm? Scaredy-cat.”

“Yi…!”

Phew.

A strong shiver ran through her body as the wind blew.

Should I tease her a bit more?

“You’re cute~ Our Ayoung.”

“Yi…!”

Did I touch a nerve in her female pride?

Suddenly, as if she snapped, Jung Ah-young sat up abruptly.

Her face turned as red as a beet.

Whether she was angry, she grabbed my wrist with both hands.

“Don’t… don’t tease me… calling a girl cute.”

“…Are you mad?”

“N-no, not mad…”

Her breathing gradually calmed down.

As the excitement subsided, her tension lowered, and she seemed to regain her senses.

She alternated between holding my hand and looking at my face.

And desire started to flicker in Jung Ah-young’s eyes.

Wait a moment. I feel a bit uneasy?

“A-Ayoung? Can you, can you let go of my hand…”

“….”

Ayoung?

Miss Jung Ah-young?

***

Does Han Se-in know?

Every time he teases with a mischievous face, how much more tempting it becomes.

His heart goes back and forth.

Casually touching women, teasing them.

How defenseless he is.

These days.

Each day was both joyful and painful.

A grateful presence just by your side.

Jung Ah-young thought he was truly a fortunate person.

Whenever she thought of Han Se-in, she felt that way.

However.

On the other hand, he was quite an unpleasant person.

It was a fact she learned unexpectedly.

So. A few days ago.

When she casually mentioned something related to his girlfriend.

[Do you have a girlfriend?]

[No? I’ve never dated, so I wouldn’t know?]

A word.

A question thrown without much thought.

The answer she received while regretting it later.

Perhaps that answer was also given without much thought.

He continued doing other things with the same expression.

His words caused quite a stir.

Timid, introverted, like a coward, they had a significant impact on the emotions he kept hidden in his heart.

[At 20, still a virgin guy, should I confess once?]

– How can a guy be a virgin at 20? Kids these days start at 14, 15.

– Maybe he’s a virgin, but not necessarily innocent, lol.

– Shut up, you girls.

I was foolish to ask on the forum.

Jung Ah-young let out a deep sigh.

She didn’t doubt whether what he said was true or not.

From the start, she deeply trusted Han Se-in.

That was what mattered here.

He too.

Lacked experience like herself.

The small anxiety deep in her heart.

Was confirmed by Han Se-in’s actions.

If it were another man, they might feel embarrassed and cover up, but he revealed it without a second thought.

She was already worried about the summer.

Her thoughtless words stirred the woman’s heart.

Even as Jung Ah-young conversed with him, she had to calm her pounding heart as she lay her head on the desk.

Look at him now.

A hesitant smile.

Clearly, despite making a mistake that could furrow brows, he laughed it off nonchalantly.

It’s okay.

It happens.

No need to apologize.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, why?

His every word deeply embedded itself in Jung Ah-young’s heart.

It felt like healing all the torment she had endured until now.

Removing the thorn deeply lodged and applying ointment to the remaining hole.

Could Han Se-in be an angel?

And.

The foolish human.

Began to harbor dark thoughts towards the sacred and radiant being.

“Ugh, ugh…”

I want to date.

I want to kiss Han Se-in.

Lie on the bed and share love abundantly…

Holding both wrists, oh, oh…

This kind of thinking, fantasy, is not allowed.

I must stop.

But I can’t stop when he’s right beside me.

Jung Ah-young was struggling.

Despite trying her best to regain composure.

Trying to clear her mind and think of something else.

Han Se-in’s voice, whispering in her ear, grabbed hold of her fleeing desires.

Even as she tried to forget. He kept appearing in her mind, making it whirl.

“Eek…!!”

Thus.

For a moment.

Just a moment, Jung Ah-young lost her reason.

With heightened body temperature and irregular breathing.

In an unstable state, but it didn’t take long to calm down.

After all, this was a school.

And it was Han Se-in’s voice that woke her up again.

I have to apologize.

Grabbing a man’s wrist without permission.

It could lead to immediate trouble.

Being accused of sexual harassment, unable to cry out unjustly.

But.

She had to correct it right away.

Because if she didn’t, she really felt she couldn’t endure it.

Not just a mere friend.

Hansein was an incredibly charming man.

He had been warned not to do it.

It was firmly emphasized.

It was quite strange.

The moment the words flowed out,

Her anger melted away like snow.

Overwhelmed by strength,

Hansein seemed weaker and smaller than herself.

Gulp.

Jung Ah-young swallowed her saliva.

She knew he was frail, but…

This weak?

Even without exerting much force, his hands moved freely.

The soft skin and texture of his wrists.

No matter what she did to him,

It was obvious he wouldn’t even resist properly.

Her regained rationality was quickly fading away.

Her lower abdomen felt warm. Almost as if she needed to pee.

A tingling sensation around the sensitive area made her shiver.

It even stung a bit.

Although there were times when she felt like this with him before,

Never had it been this intense.

“Ah, Ah-young? Can you, can you let go of my hand…”

When Hansein’s voice reached her,

It felt like her sanity would snap.

“Ah-young?”

“I, I’ll, I’ll go to the bathroom.”

In the end,

Jung Ah-young tightly closed her eyes,

Released Hansein’s hand, and headed to the bathroom.

“Ouch…!”

“….”

Of course, Jung Ah-young couldn’t even make it to the bathroom properly.

She had closed her eyes so tightly

that instead of going out of the classroom door, she hit the wall.

“Ow…”

“My, my head! My head!”

“Uh…?”

“Ah-young! You’re bleeding!”

It hurt, but was it this bad?

Jung Ah-young touched her forehead.

Only then did the blood start seeping from her hand.

“Ow…”

“To the hospital, hospital!”

“I’m, I’m fine.”

“You call this fine!”

“Th-thank you… Hansein.”

“Let’s go to the infirmary. Quickly.”

“Okay.”

And so, the two headed to the infirmary.

The expression on the nurse’s face was not good.

“I feel a bit dizzy…”

“…Yes.”

In truth, it was due to excessive excitement.

The cause of it all was Hansein,

but the nurse decided to give her a pass, looking at her forehead covered with gauze.

“You should go with a guardian. Because it’s related to your head…”

“I’m a bit busy…”

Jung Ah-young raised her hand, saying she was fine.

But the nurse, who felt responsible, insisted firmly.

She would write the necessary documents for early dismissal.

And if she didn’t have a guardian…

“…Me?”

“Yes, I need to stay here.”

Normally, her homeroom teacher would have gone with her,

but this was Hwarang Academy.

Jung Ah-young was an adult.

Hansein was an adult too.

It had similarities to high school, but it was relatively free.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll explain.”

“Yes.”

“I really am fine.”

“No. Let’s go, Ah-young.”

Hansein lingered by her side.

He tried to support her as if embracing her shoulders,

doing his best to help her in any way he could as she was the patient.

And that sight was…

“Why are you like this?”

“It’s nothing…”

Jung Ah-young’s mouth twitched.

It was an effort to avoid looking crestfallen.

Receiving care from Hansein.

Jung Ah-young felt a blissful emotion.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

Even if her forehead hurt, that was secondary.