episode_0380

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It had been a long time since I last had such leisurely moments.

Of course, the workload at the infirmary had lightened considerably since the midterm evaluations, but I’m talking about everything else—mental burdens and the like.

My efforts to reach out to Lee Jiyoon, whom I’d been interested in for a while, sparked by my chance encounter with Lee Hayoon.

Now, I no longer needed to try so hard—things had naturally fallen into place.

Teaching Han Sua all sorts of absurd misconceptions with Yozora’s cryptic help.

And for the first time, “correcting” Yozora, who had always expressed affection in the most exhausting ways.

These, too, were nearing their conclusion.

When I first set my goals at the academy, I hadn’t noticed her, but later, I grew fond of Baek Seoyeon and began making her mine.

There’s still one thing left I really want to do, but it’s also coming to an end.

So, these past few days, I’ve been living in a truly drowsy routine.

No particular worries,

no particular schemes to devise.

If there’s anything that still lingers in my mind…

It’s that since briefly running into Seol Dabin and her boyfriend on a weekend evening, there’s been no further contact.

And the tiny worry about how Yoo Siwoo would react after hearing some stranger’s voice passed off as Baek Seoyeon’s.

But even that didn’t escalate into anything noteworthy.

As for Seol Dabin, as long as I don’t do anything strange to Lee Hayoon, she’ll probably stay quiet like this.

And even if Yoo Siwoo reacts differently than I expected, it wouldn’t be surprising.

…Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Siwoo at all in the past week.

Not that he’s the type to get hurt and visit the infirmary in the first place.

Even if he were seriously injured, he’s not the type to come here.

But given how completely absent he’s been, it almost feels intentional—like he’s avoiding me.

Losing the girl he had a crush on in the worst way possible would justify that… or so I thought, but

seeing him tuck his tail and stay so quiet made another, slightly rude thought creep into my mind.

Maybe he had those inclinations from the start—that kind of rude thought.

Well, I once overheard sounds from the next room at a motel, so it’s not entirely baseless.

But the real reason he’s being so meek, curled up like a dead mouse, is probably something only he knows.

More than that, I’d like to find a way to increase my interactions with Seol Dabin…

“Ah, ouch…”

“…Ah, sorry. I shouldn’t have spaced out like that…”

“It’s fine! It hasn’t been long since lunch anyway. Besides, all you did was press lightly on the wound with your fingertip.”

“Still… It must’ve hurt a lot.”

“Heheh. I’ve done way more painful things with my boyfriend, so it’s nothing.”

“…….”

“Teacher, teacher. More importantly…”

Enough of these pointless thoughts.

Clearing my throat to shift focus, I started small talk with the student I’d been treating.

A girl whose face I didn’t remember—not my type—and whose name I didn’t recognize at all.

But judging from our earlier conversation, she’s probably a second-year.

“Is it true that you saved Hayoon when she almost got into a car accident?”

“Hayoon’s sister told you that much?”

“Wow, no way. She called herself ‘noona’…? Ah, sorry. I got a little excited…”

“It’s fine. Over something so trivial.”

Ever since Lee Hayoon first hinted on her SNS profile that she was in a relationship,

more than half of the female students visiting the infirmary, regardless of grade, would bring up this topic without hesitation.

I pretended to be hearing the story of our first meeting for the first time, but I’d already lost count of how many times I’d heard it.

For them, it might be their first time talking to me about it, but for me, it’s the same question I’ve been hearing for a week—I’m getting a little tired of it.

But they’re just high school students, barely out of their uniforms, not even young professionals yet.

So lately, I’ve made it a habit to listen indulgently as the older party.

“Anyway, I guess she mentioned that much. My noona.”

“…Ah, it’s not like Hayoon just blurted everything out! It’s just that the class atmosphere has been a bit like that lately.”

“Like what?”

“Hayoon’s kinda like a puppy, you know? So the kids keep prying into everything… And before we knew it, we ended up learning almost everything about what happened with you, the school nurse.”

“…….”

“Plus, the kids who drank with Hayoon before said they heard a lot too…”

Still, she probably didn’t confess everything about what happened with her sister—just harmless bits.

The drinking story must be from when Seol Dabin called me out.

If I’d slipped up then, rumors would’ve spread like wildfire, but since that hasn’t happened, it’s nothing to worry about.

I’d already pieced most of this together since last Monday, after the “fun time” with the two sisters before work.

But after hearing it all, I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck.

Because this girl across from me had clearly been waiting to say this.

What followed was an interrogation-like conversation: What about Hayoon made you fall for her? Was it her face? How far have you gone? Hayoon definitely did this with you, right? And so on.

Since this had become routine lately, I gave vague answers and wrapped up the treatment.

“Ah, teacher. So, are you going to walk around the festival with Hayoon this time?”

Festival.

A keyword I’d been hearing often recently.

That’s probably why the student council, including Baek Seoyeon, has been so busy…

“Probably? I wasn’t asked to stay in the infirmary. If nothing else comes up, I’ll probably walk around with my noona.”

The reason is simple.

It’s more natural as a couple.

And if a few noticeable students see us, it’ll help build a good image.

Plus, all these actions—

“Don’t come back. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“Ehehe. Thank you, teacher!”

—might eventually reach Seol Dabin’s ears, the one who wants me to reform.

I can’t say for sure it’ll have a good influence,

but it won’t have a bad one.

Finishing the treatment with that simple calculation, I escorted the bowing student to the infirmary door.

Come to think of it, the weather’s been nice these past few days.

Turns out it was a sign of rain.

Should I be glad it’s raining now, before the festival with Hayoon?

Or should I worry that if it keeps pouring like this during the festival in a few days, it’ll be ruined?

Looking at the dim morning outside, I got up and fumbled to turn off the blaring alarm.

Morning grogginess is unavoidable, but to be this tired even at 10 a.m.?

At this point, maybe I should just set my weekend alarm for 11.

Though, honestly, the bigger issue is staying up late the night before, indulging until I collapse into sleep.

“Phew…”

Yozora, who came over last night and spent the late hours until dawn pounding my cervix before passing out in exhaustion.

Maybe because of the loud alarm earlier, she stretched like a cat, groaning. Leaving her be, I chugged cold water until my head tingled.

Outside, rain poured relentlessly, but unfortunately, I had plans today.

“Time to get up. I need to head out soon.”

“Five more minutes… No, three…”

“Just in case, don’t stay here all day. Go home before sunset.”

“…Mmm…”

Nothing particularly special.

Just a weekend date with Lee Hayoon.

The only difference from usual is that Lee Jiyoon isn’t here.

An ordinary yet special date.

“Ah, damn it…”

Maybe I should’ve switched to sandals after all.

When my mom asked, “You’re not going out in flip-flops in this rain, are you?” as if she had a CCTV at the door, I should’ve fought through the annoyance and listened.

Grimacing at the sensation of rainwater splashing between my toes, Seol Dabin clutched the heavy grocery bag and ducked under a store awning to escape the rain.

The rhythmic pitter-patter of rain hitting the eaves sounded almost musical, but she wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it.

Not when soggy leaves stuck to the soles of her feet.

“Who sends someone out for groceries in this weather… Ugh.”

Well, fine. Errands are normal.

She knew that logically.

It wasn’t even far—just a 10-minute walk from home to the grocery store.

But with rainwater and debris squishing under her feet, she couldn’t help blaming her mom.

Even though, if she were being fair, it was her own fault for ignoring her mom’s warning not to wear flip-flops.

…At this rate, she should demand double the allowance for this errand.

Delivery apps charge extra in the rain, so shouldn’t she?

She knew she brought this on herself, but the frustration kept bubbling up.

“…?”

Then, in the distance, she spotted a familiar face across the crosswalk.

Under a large black umbrella—the kind a dad would use—next to someone holding a translucent convenience-store umbrella.

There he was: Seo Woojin, whom she’d been seeing a lot lately.

His lips curled in a pleased smile—

objectively handsome, laughing brightly.

So the one with the plastic umbrella must be Hayoon.

Surely he wasn’t laughing like that with some other girl.

Squinting through the downpour, she confirmed it was indeed Hayoon and finally relaxed with a sigh.

Not that she planned to show herself to them in her current bedraggled state.

Let’s see.

Looks like they’re on a date.

Or at least walking to wherever their date is.

…Couldn’t they take a car or public transport? Why walk in this?

Do they just want to walk together in the rain?

Well, they haven’t been dating long, so maybe that’s it.

Other new couples she’d seen clung to each other like they’d die if separated.

“…….”

Come to think of it, I don’t think I was ever like that.

Maybe because Baek Jiho and I acted like an old married couple from the start.

If my memory’s right, we’ve known each other since we were five or six…

Well, everyone has their own way of dating.

Lost in thought, Seol Dabin shook her head wearily and trudged home.

The scolding from her mom—”Why are you so late?” and “Why are your flip-flops soaked?”—came a little later.