episode_0054

Kim Noeul narrowed the distance with Na Yuna, her eyes filled with a deathly gaze.

“Yes, very nice. Keep it up like that.”

“N-no, it’s not like that…”

Sensing the abyss within Kim Noeul’s eyes, Na Yuna’s complexion paled as she took a step back.

Just before Na Yuna was about to explode, Kim Noeul redirected the target towards Han Doa.

“And also, Senior Doa.”

“…What?”

Han Doa, too, seemed tense in response to Kim Noeul’s changed demeanor, causing a delayed reply.

“Who are you going to take responsibility for when you go back to your family estate? Your statement could be easily misunderstood. Could it be that someone like the Head of the Sect has developed strange feelings towards a junior?”

“W-what! I have never entertained such thoughts! Just as colleagues working towards a common goal…”

“Really? Just colleagues?”

“That…”

“Truly? So, even if it doesn’t evolve into something more than that, it wouldn’t matter to you?”

“….”

Unable to respond to that statement, Han Doa blushed and lowered her head.

Retreating, Kim Noeul pressed firmly on her phone screen after sinking both women.

“What are you doing?”

When I asked, she approached me and showed me the phone screen. All the names of men appeared grayed out.

“I blocked them. There won’t be any contact from them during the vacation.”

“But…”

“So, don’t assume I’ll be fooling around with guys during the break.”

“I haven’t assumed anything.”

“…I’m just letting you know. I can’t afford distractions during this crucial time.”

Witnessing Kim Noeul’s strict measures of blocking all her male friends, Na Yuna and Han Doa remained silent.

“I understand your determination well.”

I applauded.

“In truth, whether you date or do anything else doesn’t matter much, but I respect your determination. You seem full of plans to cross the bridge.”

“…Hmph.”

“Kick.”

As I finished speaking, Han Doa and Na Yuna burst into laughter. Meanwhile, Kim Noeul’s expression soured.

“Why does it not matter if I date? It could disrupt your plans, couldn’t it?”

“I don’t think you’re stupid enough to prioritize dating to the extent of losing focus.”

Kim Noeul offered no retort.

“And we don’t want to interfere in your personal life. If you want to, go ahead.”

“Noeul junior, we approve. Go for it!”

“Y-yes. Give it your all!”

“…Let’s stop and set a date.”

*

*

*

Several days had passed since the start of summer vacation. I was on the phone with the Vice Principal at the train station located within Hakdo.

[“It’s been a while since we talked. How have you been?”]

“I’ve been keeping in touch regularly, but someone might think otherwise.”

[“I want to talk more often. Will you be staying at Hakdo?”]

“No. I’ve been invited by an acquaintance, so I’ll be going there.”

[“Then you’ll come to the orphanage afterwards.”]

“Yes.”

[“Are you still keeping my things safe?”]

The mention of “my things” made me suddenly think of the letter.

The letter left by Alice.

At that time, my emotions were in turmoil, so I didn’t read it. And I still haven’t read it.

At times, I felt tempted to read it, but I resisted. The reason was simple.

If I read it, I might lose control of my emotions towards her.

I’ve been trying to resist Alice and have come this far. If I read that letter, I feared my resistance towards her would weaken.

But lately, I’ve been thinking differently.

If I’m shaken by just reading one letter, maybe it’s best to give up from the start…

So, this vacation, I plan to visit the orphanage and bring the letter. I can’t avoid reading it forever.

[“And you’re volunteering at Angel House. The Director seems to like the director over there.”]

“Oh, really? Then I should pass on my regards.”

[“That’s good.”]

The Vice Principal paused for a moment before speaking again.

[“A student from an orphanage volunteering at another orphanage… Such virtuous cycles should continue…”]

“Sorry, I spoke in a low voice. Go have fun and come back. We should cherish the current connection.”

“Okay.”

The call ended. On my phone screen, the English vocabulary app was open.

I stared blankly at it before entering the group chat.

[나유나: When you get off at Gangneung Station, someone from Doa’s house will come to pick you up, right?]

[한도아: That’s correct.]

[나유나: Wow, the driver is coming to pick us up personally;;]

[김노을: Excuse me, but can I have some pocket money?]

[한도아: I’ve said it before, but it’s really nothing special about the household.]

[김노을: A household that’s nothing special hires staff, has two ocean-view cottages, and drivers come to pick you up?]

[한도아: Let’s stop there;;]

As you can infer from the conversation, we are heading to Gangwon Province. Han Doa’s ancestral home is located there, with a nearby cottage.

We are planning to stay at that cottage. I heard it’s a building offered to guests and is even registered as a separate tourist agency.

“It was mentioned somewhat in the original work, but experiencing it firsthand, the household is more impressive than I thought.”

Han Doa’s unique way of speaking and behavior are influenced by the household environment.

“You’re here early.”

Like calling a tiger, Han Doa approached me. Even though it’s vacation time, she was dressed in her school uniform.

“…Do you like wearing your school uniform?”

“All the casual clothes I have are indoor wear, so I packed them in my bag. That’s why all that’s left is the school uniform.”

She unbuttoned one button on her school uniform shirt.

“It’s not very senior-like of you to unbutton like that. Is it hot?”

“It’s mid-July now. And unbuttoning one button is allowed.”

She wiped the sweat trickling down her neck with a handkerchief and sat next to me. Then, she suddenly moved away, looking surprised.

“Why did you move away from me?”

When I looked at her strangely, Han Doa hurriedly made an excuse.

“I might smell a bit because I sweated on the way here. That’s why I moved.”

“I didn’t notice anything.”

“Is that so…”

After a fake cough, she came back to sit beside me. Some of her hair, let down in a ponytail, stuck to her neck, emitting a strange scent.

I felt my face getting warm. Thinking it was due to the heat, I changed the subject.

“By the way, are there any rules to follow when we go to your ancestral home?”

“Rules? Are you talking about etiquette?”

“Yes. It’s not an ordinary household, after all.”

Han Doa seemed to ponder over my question. Then she looked at me.

“Maru Hoobae, do you happen to dislike wearing traditional or modified hanbok?”

“I’ve hardly ever worn them, so I don’t know, but I probably wouldn’t mind.”

“In that case, it’s fine. You’ll receive those clothes around bath time, and you only need to wear them then.”

“Is it similar to a Japanese onsen trip?”

I heard that you wear such attire before and after bathing at onsen trips. Of course, there are also package tours where you don’t do that.

“And there’s a set mealtime, but that only applies to the guests, so Maru Hoobae won’t need to worry about it…”

“Then, will we have meals separately?”

“If you want, we can eat together. But I don’t recommend it.”

I agreed with Han Doa’s words. Still, the gaze of Han Do Young, who was still staring at me, was unsettling.

I faced her just to utilize the original plot, but if not for that, keeping quiet would have been the best option.

However, Han Doa added something unexpected.

“Um… Maru Hoobae will probably be invited to the meal.”

“Pardon?”

“Since Mother initially suggested that you come to the ancestral home, you’ll likely be a key guest.”

Suddenly, a sense of unease washed over me.

Seeing my discomfort, Han Doa quickly spoke up.

“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to prevent Mother from saying anything strange. I have that much ability.”

“No, you don’t have to go that far. It’s just nerves. Anyway, since we’re going out to have fun, we should clear our minds. Seniors should forget about the past for a moment.”

“…I’ll give it a try.”

Upon hearing the term “Ojakgyo,” Han Do-ah’s eyebrows twitched.

Judging from her reaction, it seemed like she was still contemplating a fight with Lee Ji-hye.

It was quite understandable. Lee Ji-hye was both Han Do-ah’s rival and trauma.

“So, you’re still thinking about that fight?”

“…”

“I know it might sound strange coming from someone who lost to Eun Yoo-ri, but you did well enough. Even Ji-hye ended up in the hospital after that.”

“It’s not just about winning or losing.”

Han Do-ah sighed and closed her eyes.

“As you may have heard through rumors… Ji-hye and I were middle school classmates.”

“…Is Ji-hye sending letters from TT Academy related to that past?”

At that moment, Ji-hye’s lackeys came to us claiming that Ji-hye had sent a letter. Han Do-ah tore up the letter without even reading it.

“That assumption is correct. Regardless of what Ji-hye might think, it’s a fateful connection for me. A connection I desperately want to sever…”

With a muffled tone, Han Do-ah gently opened her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this when I’m supposed to clear my mind. I’ll really empty my mind now. Let’s have breakfast for a moment.”

Han Do-ah started deep breathing as she began her breakfast. I stared intently at her silent figure.

“It seems she’s not ready to talk yet.”

I decided to wait until she spoke for herself. If things followed the original story, she would eventually reveal her past at her hometown.

“Maru, Do-ah! You arrived first!”

“You two are early birds.”

Na Yuna and Kim No-eul appeared to have met on the way here.

Na Yuna wore a yellow dress, while Kim No-eul was dressed in a chiffon white shirt and blue wide pants.

Approaching Han Do-ah who was having breakfast, Kim No-eul examined her outfit. It was a gaze akin to seeing an alien.

“Why… is this person wearing a school uniform…?”

“Wearing a school u-uniform is comfortable!”

Despite Na Yuna’s efforts to defend her, confusion was evident in her eyes as well.

As the two women were about to transition to a conversation about fashion from Han Do-ah’s school uniform attire, the train pulled into the station.

Hearing the train sound, Han Do-ah stopped her breakfast and got up from her seat. We followed Han Do-ah into the train.

“We were in car number 6, right?”

“Yes, with four seats in D section.”

Kim No-eul, answering Na Yuna’s question, found their seats. The seats were arranged in pairs facing each other.

She lifted our luggage onto the shelf as if lifting a light child.

Na Yuna exclaimed with widened eyes, “You’re strong…”

“It’s the result of training.”

Kim No-eul, nonchalantly, took a seat by the window.

“I have something to check quickly.”

I headed towards the restroom, leaving the three women behind.

*

*

*

When Kim Maru left her seat, Na Yuna and Han Do-ah exchanged looks, creating a subtle tension between them.

“Do-ah, where do you want to sit?”

“What about you? Where do you want to sit?”

They only asked each other’s preferences, never revealing their own first. Kim No-eul looked at them with a cold, piercing gaze.

“Unnies, just sit down already.”

“No-eul, why are you taking a seat already? Get up.”

“No-eul. Seats should be decided by mutual agreement.”

Kim No-eul reluctantly stood up under the intimidating gazes of the two sisters.

“I’ll randomly assign numbers to the seats. Seats by the window are 1 and 2. The rest are 3 and 4.”

Taking the lead, Han Do-ah guided the conversation.

“Let’s decide everyone’s seats by playing rock-paper-scissors.”

Kim No-eul and Na Yuna seemed tense at Han Do-ah’s proposal.

“Let’s begin.”

The three women extended their fists.

“Rock…”

“Paper…”

“Scissors!”