episode_0045
by fnovelpia
#45
And after some time, the rain started to lessen a bit.
“… I think I should go now. I have plans in the evening.”
Yunseol slowly got up from her seat.
“Oh, yes.”
It’s still drizzling, but… it’s a lot better than when the lightning struck a little while ago.
“Then, I enjoyed the hot chocolate. Thank you.”
“What? I’m sorry you wasted your time because of me.”
“No way. Oh. And… ”
Yunseol continued speaking, scratching her cheek slightly as if she was embarrassed.
“Don’t forget to buy me dinner later.”
Squeak.
After saying those words, she left the store with a slightly hurried look on her face.
‘Later, La…’
.
After that, I was left alone in the store, doing some light cleaning to kill time… and then suddenly an idea occurred to me.
‘Come to think of it, did Zia take the umbrella?’
… I don’t think I brought it.
The same goes for Mina… Mina can just buy an umbrella at a nearby convenience store. But Ji-ah, who is at school, can’t do that.
“… I should go pick her up.”
Anyway, the high school that Jia goes to is not that far from here.
They said it would end around 4 o’clock, so the time was about right.
“After you grab an umbrella from the store, you can just walk slowly.”
When I first met Jia, I was walking out of the store with the blue umbrella I had been holding and the plain-looking black umbrella, when a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘You won’t mind if I pick you up, right?’
… Should I go look in the mirror?
***
Dingdong-
‘Ugh.’
At the sound of the school bell signaling the end of class, I woke up and rubbed my sleepy eyes.
‘What time is it… .’
I look up and see the clock on the blackboard. The hand is pointing to three o’clock in the afternoon.
‘What, I slept for an hour.’
Our school has voluntary supplementary classes and afternoon classes, so school will be over in about an hour.
Since the college entrance exam is just around the corner, it seems like most of the kids except me will be participating, but… this story doesn’t really apply to me.
‘From the beginning.’
After all, studying is something you do for your future career.
My life up until now has been too overwhelming for me to think about such a future.
Because those were the days when I had to worry about what to eat today rather than tomorrow, and I was anxious that my father, the author, would not come home.
At that time, I was tired of a life that didn’t change, even though I had hopes that things would get better every day.
“… Excuse me, I’m the owner of the cocktail bar over there?”
“I’ll leave the umbrella here, so you can take it home, or if you want to return it, come to the store.”
Yeah. Until I met you─
“Ugh… .”
Swaaaah-
Since that day, I’ve been liking rainy days more than ever.
Yeah, that reminds me of that time.
“… .”
No, I can’t. I have to go straight to the store after school.
My uncle told me to get some rest after school and come back around 8pm… but I still want to see you sooner, what can I do?
“Hoo.”
Honestly, it’s strange not to fall in love.
Because the old man pulled me up out of the muddy ground. So many times.
‘I’ll be graduating in 6 months…’
Okay. Let’s just hold on until then.
I think the old man still sees me as a child…
“It’s pretty. It suits you well.”
… Judging from the old man’s reaction the last time we went out, it wasn’t completely impossible.
‘I don’t think he’ll have a girlfriend before I graduate.’
… Honestly, there are a few people I can guess.
Especially… Yunseol, who came to see the old man last time.
‘That guy is the problem.’
I still remember it.
That day, when that person, Yunseol, suddenly came to my house,
When Yunseol said she was going back, the old man’s eyes were dripping with regret.
‘I wonder if the old man likes that person… . ’
A popular hero, let alone a face… I only exchanged a few words with him, but he seemed like a person with a gentle demeanor.
Besides, I knew intuitively that the man’s feelings for me were at least friendly, and beyond that.
If, although it’s unlikely, the two of them were dating…
“No…!”
‘ah.’
The eyes of the kids around me who were quietly studying suddenly turned to me.
‘…I’m embarrassed.’
It’s all your fault, sir. Really.
Why do I have to worry about this?
“… .”
I wish school would end soon─I thought, and was about to go back to sleep.
“Over there.”
The person sitting next to me spoke quietly to me.
“… Did you have a nightmare?”
He was the first kid who became my deskmate right after we switched seats after school started… I guess he spoke to me because I yelled at him just now.
Anyway, it’s all your fault.
I answered my partner, feeling my face burn.
“No, it wasn’t a nightmare. I just had a dream about falling off a cliff.”
“Phew. I’ve been there too.”
A partner who plays along with me with a smile on his face.
She was a cute little school girl with brown hair and round glasses.
… What was this guy’s name?
Luckily, our school uniforms had name tags on the chest, so I could tell what name the kid who was talking to me was.
‘Sheep… Seyoung?’
It’s a slightly familiar name.
… I think I remember that he was an aspiring cartoonist.
I remember his name because news went around the class that he had won an award in some contest before.
Whispering.
“I think this is the first time I’ve talked to you since we went to school.”
“Okay.”
Seyoung spoke to me in a low voice so as not to bother the other students who were studying on their own.
“Now that this semester is over and I’m about to graduate… Actually, I wanted to talk to you once. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was being too friendly.”
Hehehe. Seyoung’s awkward smile as he spoke looked like a squirrel laughing while looking for an acorn.
“I’m sorry… .”
I felt awkward about Seyoung’s attitude, so I ended up answering a little rudely.
“Hehe.”
Seyoung laughed bashfully after hearing my answer.
Fortunately, it seems like he wasn’t particularly offended.
‘… I need to fix this habit.’
It’s a habit I developed while working several part-time jobs in the past, but I end up speaking rather rudely to strangers.
Because there was no benefit to being looked down on. At that time.
“… .”
When I glanced at Seyoung’s desk, I saw a picture that looked like the one he had been drawing earlier.
‘You draw well.’
It seemed like a drawing of a male character that usually appears in comic books.
‘Somehow he looks like an old man… what is that?’
I guess I’m really crazy.
While I was cursing myself like that.
Seyoung seemed to know that my gaze was directed towards her painting.
“Ehehe.”
Seyoung hurriedly flipped the picture over and said with an awkward smile.
“It’s not a picture worth showing. It’s not finished yet… .”
“I drew it well, right?”
It was a well-drawn picture that even I, who wasn’t particularly interested in that area, could tell at a glance. The picture just now.
“Oh, really?”
Perhaps because he felt good about receiving the compliment, the corners of Seyoung’s eyes quickly furrowed.
… I thought about it before, but it looks like a smiling squirrel.
“Hey, Jia. Do you have a favorite webtoon or comic?”
“Huh? There isn’t any.”
“Then… ”
Seyoung, whose words were trailing off, soon opened her bag and took something out.
That something is…
‘Comic books?’
That’s right. Comic books.
The cover depicts two men surrounding a black-haired girl.
… one of them looked strangely like the old man.
“The female heroine here looks like you. She’s my favorite, and if you get a two-shot with the sub-male lead, the visuals are… ”
Favorite? Heroine? Secondary male lead?
Just when I was starting to feel a bit dizzy from all the new terms coming out, Seyoung handed me the book.
“… Would you like to read it? It’s really fun!”
“Uh, uh uh… .”
I answered hesitantly and took the book.
‘What, would that be so fun?’
***
As time passed, I arrived at the main gate of the high school that Gia attended.
“Ah, I don’t want to go to school X.”
“Really. Ugh.”
… Seeing the high school students coming out one by one, it seemed like they came out just in time for school to end.
‘Let’s send a text.’
[Jia, hold your umbrella in front of the main gate.]
Transmission.
And not long after I sent the text, I got a call on my cell phone.
“Hello?”
[Sir? It’s at the front gate of our school?]
“Oh. I brought an umbrella.”
[Okay, just wait. I’ll just read this and then come down! It’ll really only take a moment!]
‘…What are you reading?’
It’s not a textbook… I guess. It’s probably a comic book.
How long did you wait after that?
Bam.
As I was blankly staring at the raindrops, I felt something touch my shoulder.
“… .”
After a while, I look back and see Jia breathing quite heavily.
“Whew. Sir. I’m here.”
“What is this? You can come slowly.”
It looks like you came in quite a hurry. Judging from the way you’re out of breath.
“Phew. How can you do that… . And you don’t have to come.”
“This is employee welfare.”
“chi.”
Jia smiled faintly at my words and quickly accepted the black umbrella I handed her.
At that time,
“Hello.”
A female student standing behind Zia bowed her head slightly to me.
I think she’s Gia’s friend.
… Looks like you made some friends. That’s great.
“Okay, Jia. See you tomorrow.”
“Huh? Seyoung. Don’t you have an umbrella?”
“I brought it with me… but it wasn’t there when I left. I guess someone took it by mistake.”
A female student scratching her head and responding to Jia’s words. I think her name is Seyoung.
You look like a squirrel. You’re still young, so you haven’t lost any baby fat, but you naturally have the appearance of someone who is considered pretty.
Minah was just like that before.
“… Then, use this.”
‘hmm?’
Jia handed the umbrella she was holding to Seyoung and quickly moved towards me.
Seyoung spoke in a surprised voice, seeming bewildered by Ji-ah’s actions.
“Ji, Ji-ah. It’s okay. I live close by… .”
“Don’t be shy. I’ll be using your umbrella anyway. Right?”
“… .”
Anyway, I told you the kid is kind.
“… Thank you. Jia.”
“It’s nothing. Well, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah… !”
Seyoung hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the umbrella that Jia had given her and headed outside.
And then, for some reason, he bowed to me as well.
‘… You are so polite.’
“Go. Sir.”
“Uh.”
Step step step
In the end, Jia and I ended up sharing an umbrella.
… Somehow, the memory of sharing an umbrella with Yunseol at lunch today is about to pass by.
I brought two umbrellas on purpose, but I didn’t expect this to happen.
“Hey, look at that. Who’s next to Lee Ji-ah? Is that her boyfriend? ”
“You’re tall. For some reason, even when the kids confessed to you, you didn’t pay any attention… You must have been dating a college student.”
“But still, you feel sorry for Lee Ji-ah? No, from the beginning. X Shin-ah. It could be oppa.”
“Is that so?”
… By the way, I feel a little uncomfortable with the stares from the students around me.
It felt like I was just a bit of a spectator.
It seemed like Gia was quite a famous person at this school.
‘If this continues, what if some strange rumor spreads to Jia?’
… After thinking that far, I spoke quietly to Jia, who was standing next to me with a blank expression.
“Jia. Should I take a taxi?”
“Yes? Do you really have to?”
“I’m afraid you might be worried. It’s a bit weird if those kids misunderstand something strange.”
I glanced at the boys around me who were looking at us and spoke quietly to Zia.
After a while, Jia heard what I said…
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
‘Oh.’
… answered me in a slightly angry voice.
“People keep staring at him. If they see him sharing an umbrella with an old man like me, they might make fun of him.”
I was a little taken aback by Zia’s reaction, so I made an excuse that was rather lame…
“Haa… Really.”
Jia let out a sigh that clearly looked uncomfortable, then bit her lip.
A look that clearly shows anger.
After a while, Jia,
“I’ve always found it hard to hear… Why do you keep saying that?”
He continued speaking to me in a voice that was clearly angry, as if he was glaring at me.
“They keep asking me if I’m embarrassed to be with them. They’re making strange misunderstandings.”
“I hate hearing those kinds of self-deprecating words, don’t you?”
‘What should I do?’
A gut feeling that something big was going on flashed through my head.
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