episode_0058

The uncomfortable meals continued thereafter.

Handoa piled various dishes onto my plate, urging me to try them all. I accepted without resistance and ate like a hungry bird.

Kim Namsu looked at both of us with satisfaction, while the other two women couldn’t hide their discomfort.

It was fortunate that we were dining with Kim Namsu; otherwise, there might have been a big argument by now.

“Doa senior, Maru will eat well on his own. Please focus on your meal now, senior.”

Kim Noeul suggested to Handoa, trying to suppress her anger as much as possible.

Though it seemed like she was caring for Handoa outwardly, the reality was different.

“Doa, you don’t have to fuss over me so much.”

Initially agreeing with Kim Noeul’s words, Nayuna reached out and put some food on my plate. Kim Noeul glared at Nayuna with an annoyed expression.

“Sister, what are you doing?”

“Huh? I gave you food.”

“You said there was no need to fuss.”

“I meant that Doa doesn’t need to worry about you anymore, and I will take care of it from now on.”

“….”

“…Haha!”

While the three women were tense, Kim Namsu covered his mouth and chuckled. His laughter eased the tense atmosphere.

“Wow, at this age, witnessing such an amusing scene. Thank you all. Thanks to you, I have something to talk about with Do Young.”

Upon hearing those words, I felt a bitter taste in my heart.

“Are you going to reveal this embarrassment to her?”

From Kim Namsu’s perspective, it was an amusing incident, but for the parties involved, it was a bitter battle. Moreover, from Handoa’s point of view, it was not a pleasant sound at all.

“Father…? Why would you discuss such things with Mother…?”

“Why, it’s fun. I didn’t know you were leading such a lively school life.”

Saying so, Kim Namsu continued with a somewhat bitter expression.

“Yes, continue to live like this from now on.”

Handoa remained silent. We were the same.

We could somewhat anticipate why Kim Namsu was saying such things.

Since the last Rotary Club brawl, rumors had spread about Handoa and Lee Ji-hye, and even the counseling department had heard about it.

We didn’t ask because Handoa hadn’t spoken first.

After finishing our meal in a calm atmosphere, we helped Kim Namsu and the servants clean up the plates.

Kim Namsu stopped the servants from washing the dishes.

“Stop it. I’ll do it today.”

“What? Oh, okay. Understood.”

“Go and cut some fruit for the kids.”

Upon hearing Kim Namsu’s words, the servants headed towards the fruit refrigerator. As the four of us stood awkwardly, Kim Namsu spoke up.

“You can watch TV in the living room. I’ll bring the fruit soon.”

“We’ll help with the dishes too.”

Although Nayuna offered, Kim Namsu shook his head.

“There’s no need for that. Um…but if you really want to help….”

With a vague ending, he looked at me.

“Maru student, can you help a bit? You don’t have to help with everything.”

“Yes.”

To add, Kim Namsu is not someone who believes that household chores should be done by men.

I only agreed because I sensed from Kim Namsu’s gaze that he wanted to talk to me.

The three women quietly went to the living room. After they disappeared from sight, Kim Namsu and I started washing the dishes.

Amidst the clinking sounds of the plates being cleaned, Kim Namsu broached the topic first.

“I heard that Maru student was invited by Do Young.”

“That’s right. Since he saw me at the hospital, he mentioned it.”

“Of course, Do Young didn’t feel uncomfortable about inviting other friends. Rather, she was surprised. After that, she calmly allowed it.”

Even after Kim Namsu finished speaking, I remained silent. He asked again.

“Aren’t you curious? Why was Do Young surprised when Doa said she was bringing many friends?”

“…I am curious.”

“In fact, back when I graduated middle school, Doa was quite different from now.”

Kim Namsu’s hand slowed as he wiped the plates. His expression seemed to be lost in reminiscence.

“I don’t know how much Doa has told you…”

With a determined look, Kim Namsu stared at me.

“I think it would be okay to tell Maru student.”

“To me?”

“Yes. Looking at the relationship between you and Doa today, it seems inevitable to think so.”

Realizing his misunderstanding, I lowered my head.

“It’s just a normal senior-junior relationship. Nothing more than that…”

“I know about Doa. She thinks highly of Maru student. Maru student doesn’t seem oblivious to that, either.”

“…”

“It may sound poetic, but Doa is still dwelling in the past. As Hyungdo said, her infatuation clouds her judgment. I’m not a swordsman, so I don’t fully understand.”

Her issues align with what I’ve been thinking. Hyungdo also had a clear grasp of his daughter’s shortcomings.

“But unfortunately, it’s not us who can help her grow; it’s Maru student.”

“You’re expecting too much. Naturally, parents should provide better support.”

“Oh, at that age, girls tend to listen more to their boyfriends than their parents, right?”

“Not a boyfriend yet.”

“Not yet?”

Mr. Kim Namsu seems a bit tired.

With a firm expression, Mr. Kim Namsu chuckled at me. Then, he turned on the water to rinse the plates.

“Since we came together, I hope you can guide Doa well. I wish Doa could return to school with a smile.”

It seems Mr. Kim Namsu wishes for Doa to stay in school. Probably because of my presence.

In the original work, she overcame trauma with the help of her peers, but here, it seems my role has become more significant.

“Since we agreed to meet tonight anyway…”

“Curious? What happened to Doa when she was in middle school? You can ask her yourself. It seems right.”

After hearing me, Kim Namsu frowned for a moment. Then, he gracefully smiled.

“…Indeed, Doa has an eye for men.”

After finishing the dishes, Kim Namsu returned home, leaving a message asking me to take care of Doa.

In the living room, three women were eating apples and pears. As I wiped my hands, Kim Noeul pushed an apple into my mouth.

“Eat.”

I obediently followed Kim Noeul’s command. I chewed the apple several times; it was juicier than expected.

“Tasty, isn’t it?”

I nodded in agreement to Kim Noeul’s question.

“Yeah, it is. Is it a special fruit?”

“It’s nothing special. We have a separate supplier for fruits.”

“Is that considered special…?”

Reacting to Han Doa’s peculiar statement, Nayuna teased her.

Now, it seemed late as there were no staff members around the annex. It was just the four of us.

“And this is how the day ends…”

Kim Noeul stretched out on the sofa, covering her eyes with her arm.

“Are you really going to sleep like this?”

On the other hand, Nayuna was still lively. Considering it was almost her first trip with friends, it was understandable.

“Since we’re not leaving early tomorrow, it’s better to rest early due to jet lag.”

Han Doa replied to Nayuna, glancing at me. She remembered our appointment.

“As the senior said, let’s sleep early tonight. Oh, I’m so tired.”

Kim Noeul grabbed her toiletries and headed to the bathroom on the second floor. Nayuna followed her with a hint of regret.

Now, only Han Doa and I remained in the living room. Han Doa didn’t speak first, just watching my reaction.

“Do you remember, Senior Doa?”

“…I do.”

She sighed, stood up, and said, “There’s a gazebo to the west of the annex. Let’s talk there.”

We quietly stepped out of the annex. Following Han Do-ah quietly, we found ourselves walking along a bamboo-lined path that had grown lush.

The moonlight from the sky shone through the bamboo, creating a dreamy atmosphere. Han Do-ah’s light hair color sparkled under the moonlight.

“Is this place okay?”

Han Do-ah stopped by the pond. The moonlight reflected on the clear surface surrounded by small stones. Peering into the serene water, I replied,

“Yes. It’s nice and quiet here.”

As I looked at Han Do-ah, her Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

“Just a heads up, what I’m about to say is not an imposition. It’s merely a request.”

“Understood.”

“…What happened with Lee Ji-hye?”

Taken aback by my direct question, she nervously wet her lips. However, her silence didn’t last long.

“I suppose you’ve heard the rumors. It must be hard to keep hiding it now.”

“Hiding is your prerogative as a senior. It’s not an imposition.”

“In truth, once the rumors started circulating, I had already made up my mind. I planned to speak when the time was right.”

She slightly lowered her head while gripping one arm with her other hand.

“Lee Ji-hye calls me ‘big sister.’ That title… signifies a leader of sorts within a certain group.”

“…Like a gang leader?”

At the mention of “gang leader,” Han Do-ah bit her lip. She seemed like she wanted to argue but quickly softened her expression, perhaps acknowledging it.

“Yes. Unintentionally, I became the founding figure of a certain group. A group akin to… an unstable bridge.”

Han Do-ah spoke with a slightly trembling voice.

“It all began when I joined the kendo club. It may sound like boasting, but I garnered a lot of attention from the start.”

“That makes sense. You were the heir apparent.”

“And to live up to that attention, I achieved various feats. Over nearly three years, my fame spread not only within the kendo club but also around the school.”

“With fame comes… unwanted attention, I assume.”

“Correct. Every time I walked down the street, I’d get into altercations, but fortunately, I could handle them. Eventually, I ended up rescuing a certain female student.”

I already knew who that female student was.

“Lee Ji-hye.”

Han Do-ah reluctantly mentioned Lee Ji-hye’s name.

As if even uttering that name was repulsive, Han Do-ah shuddered and took a deep breath.

“The one I rescued was Lee Ji-hye. She was being attacked by much larger girls. Even then, Lee Ji-hye didn’t fight back. She just stood there quietly, letting those girls hit her.”

“After I rescued her, she started following me.”

“…She didn’t show immediate interest in me. When I first saved her, she left without a word of thanks. Watching her walk away with her head bowed, I was consumed by a useless sense of justice.”

*

*

*

After that, Han Do-ah helped Lee Ji-hye several times. As the rumors spread, the delinquents stopped bothering Lee Ji-hye.

Only then did Lee Ji-hye gaze at Han Do-ah with a fierce look.

“Why did you help me?”

“It’s my belief.”

“Belief…? Doing that meaningless act of freeing someone from pain who can’t even feel it?”

“Yes.”

“Just ignore it.”

“…In reality, I didn’t help you out of pure goodwill.”

“I thought as much. What do you want? Money? Favors?”

“Join the kendo club.”

“…What?”

“Gazing defiantly at the fist aimed at you when facing delinquents is a skill only a few possess. It’s something only you, who can’t feel pain, can do.”

“So… being a punching bag is my talent?”

“I won’t say more. If you want to change, come to the kendo club.”

Han Do-ah coolly left the spot.

Lee Ji-hye stared blankly at Han Do-ah’s swaying ponytail, standing still in her place.

Surprisingly, a glimmer of life returned to her fierce eyes.

*

*

*

“Did you actually join the kendo club?”

“Alright. A few days later, I knocked on the door of the Kendo Club. Immediately, the head approached me and said, ‘Mom ran away, and Dad is wandering the streets because he has no money.’”

I was taken aback when I unexpectedly heard about Lee Ji-hye’s family situation. In the original work, apart from Alice, they didn’t directly reveal the personal lives of the officials like this.

“They advised that if I showed skill, a scholarship would be granted. Of course, until I produced results, they supported me personally by dipping into my scholarship fund.”

Here, Han Do-ah’s character is revealed. She took the best possible measures to guide Lee Ji-hye in the right direction.

“Lee Ji-hye actually started to change. She devoted herself to kendo, began interacting with fellow members, and no longer wore a sad expression.”

A slight smile lingered on Han Do-ah’s face as she spoke those words, reminiscent of the past moments with Lee Ji-hye.

“I thought it would end well like that…”

However, as life often goes, things don’t always flow in the direction one desires.

*

*

*

The club members practicing were startled to see Han Do-ah, covered in wounds, entering the training hall.

“Captain!? Where did you get all those bruises from!”

“Don’t worry. Just some usual troublemakers causing a ruckus.”

“But it’s almost time for the competition…!”

Considering Han Do-ah’s injury, the coach decided not to let her compete. Han Do-ah quietly accepted that decision.

Observing all of this, Lee Ji-hye gazed coldly with an indifferent expression.