episode_0018

[Lee Ji-woon: I can take care of it on my own, so there’s no need to come.]

What should we do with this innocent soul who does not know the dangers of the Golden Sun? No matter how close they were to each other since they were childhood friends for a long time, in the end, Geum Taeyang was Geum Taeyang. Just as a bamboo grown a long time ago will never become a pine tree, the fundamentals are different. The root.

[Park Ha-eun: Really? It’s a shame..ㅠㅠ]

[Park Ha-eun: Do you remember how we used to go to each other’s houses as if we were having a real meal?]

[Park Ha-eun: Ji-woon, you were like that back then. He said he wants to come here every day because his house is the best!]

Hey, look at this. As expected, the fundamentals of Geumtaeyang are not going somewhere? Even when I was young and didn’t know anything, I had my sights set on a girl’s house. It made me wonder if it was a good thing that the area wasn’t even marked.

Anyway, all these problems originated from the past. The relationship between Lee Ji-woon and Park Ha-eun seems completely unrelated to each other. In fact, if it wasn’t a story from the past, wouldn’t it be a relationship between a man and a woman that wouldn’t have anything to relate to or even a hobby to relate to?

Park Ha-eun’s persistence in somehow trying to end even such a relationship with the power of memories was truly remarkable. For such a delicate and painful subject, I keep trying to embrace Lee Ji-woon. A character who was foolish in some ways and quite benevolent in others.

I didn’t want to yell at this guy, telling him to forget everything about the past. If you say something like that anyway, they won’t listen, and if you want to make them understand the meaning, there is no other way than to make them realize it themselves.

[Lee Ji-woon: So, have you decided when to see it?]

In this case, it would have been better to change the subject. So that the essence of the conversation does not leak out. And, to make it easier for me to finish the story.

Park Ha-eun must have been sending messages to the chat room, and she seemed to have checked my chat immediately. Perhaps the reason it takes longer to send a message than before is because I’m deleting messages that didn’t match my answer.

[Park Ha-eun: Huh! How about 2 o’clock on Saturday? The location is in front of Dongam Station!]

[Lee Ji-woon: That’s appropriate. See you then. Please do not send any more messages.]

[Park Ha-eun: So, where are you going? There is a delicious pasta restaurant nearby… Ah, wow. okay…]

Ah, looking at all those dots lined up in a row, my heart ached. Obviously, I am reading printed text, but why does it feel sad as if Park Ha-eun’s weak voice is in my ear?

But unfortunately, this was the limit of what I could give. It probably won’t be much different when we meet in person. My role was simply to participate in Park Ha-eun’s memory game and in return, reduce her chances of going to juvenile detention center.

Oh. Now that I think about it, there is one more thing I need to do for my pink future. Now that the day to meet Park Ha-eun has been decided, isn’t it time to contact her?

[Lee Ji-woon: Senior Hong Seol. How about Sunday time?]

Before I forgot, I sent a message to Hong Seol, the leader of the leadership team who suggested the schedule. Of course, I wanted to press the delete contact button right away, but I didn’t dare because the repercussions from the witch that would follow if I did that would be enormous.

“Still, he seemed like a busy person, so I’m sure I’ll reply later…”

KakaoTalk-

“….this fast?”

I wondered if it was Yeji Lee when the reply came much faster than expected, but surprisingly, the sender was Hongseol, whom I had sent a KakaoTalk message to a while ago.

[Hong Seol: Sunday is okay. No problem.]

Was he originally looking at his smartphone? Based on my image, I thought she was the type of person who studied hard and only briefly looked at her phone right before going to bed, but I thought she might be less conscientious than I thought.

[Hongseol: You’re probably thinking something ironic, like I’m being less sincere than I thought just because I got the call sooner, right?]

[Lee Ji-woon: That’s right.]

[Hong Seol: You seem very embarrassed. Please correct the typo first and send it slowly.]

The more I looked at this woman, the more I realized she wasn’t a great person who was just studying or something. In fact, if you look at it, wouldn’t it be a person who should be inspired and jump into the shaman front right now?

Anyway, I was so embarrassed and typed quickly on the keyboard that I ended up sending a sentence full of typos. At this level, it was no different from answering Hong Seol’s question in the affirmative.

[Hong Seol: Study time and rest time are strictly separated. The time you contacted me overlapped with my break time.]

In the meantime, Hong Seol was making excuses as if he didn’t want to be evaluated as being less sincere. This makes me look more like a student now. Since we had been communicating through chat, the person seemed more rigid, but now he seemed to be showing some humanity.

[Lee Ji-woon: It’s okay, senior. People can have fun and that can happen, well.]

[Hong Seol: Didn’t you hear me? I think you said it was break time.]

[Lee Ji-woon: Is that so? Well, everyone talks like that when they play.]

“Kiki kick. Taste it, you guy.”

Why hasn’t things been going at Hong Seol’s pace lately, as he keeps getting bullied? That part was strangely annoying and irritating, so when the opportunity came, I gently scratched Hong Seol’s temper.

Because of her personality, she always has to be exemplary and a role model for others, so wouldn’t she show an interesting reaction to these words? Surprisingly, he might show off his gap moe while making a fuss.

Now, how are you going to react, Hongseol? Depending on your reaction, my opinion of you may change…

Wooow-

‘…Why is there a sudden vibration?’

It was a moment when ominousness overtook my body. The phone vibrates as I playfully scratch Hongseol. The phone was probably set to vibrate, so it seemed obvious that Hong Seol was calling.

Sure enough, what appeared on the screen was ‘Senior Hong Seol’, a word I never wanted to see right now. I was swallowing dry saliva without realizing it and was trying to figure out how to solve this problem.

“There is one very surprising method.”

I ignored all of Hongseol’s KakaoTalk messages and phone calls that continued like a relay. Although I was a little afraid of the aftermath, there was no need to worry.

Because, tomorrow, I would figure it out on my own.

[Hong Seol: …Looking forward to Sunday.]

In the end, Hongseol, exhausted from her efforts, shouted her final words and disappeared from my smartphone.

Meanwhile, when I saw him mention Sunday, I could feel his indomitable will to accompany me even if he died soon.

Don’t you like me too much? The attention is too burdensome, so I wish it would be channeled elsewhere.

Anyway, the first phone call with Hong Seol ended successfully(?). Somehow, as the number of people I contacted increased, I felt tired.

What if it increases further? At that time, I didn’t even know I had to intentionally smash my phone.

‘Park Ha-eun at 2 o’clock on Saturday, Hong Seol at 10 o’clock on Sunday?’

It was a schedule that others would consider very happy. Of course, by my standards, the situation was no different from walking a tightrope in hell.

It felt like my anus was already getting numb from the butt show that had to be done for two days in a row. Still, isn’t the risk too high to keep repeating ‘You’re both bullies~’?

Even when I meet women, I have to worry about my butt. Maybe he was Geum Taeyang, but he was a safer man than anyone else.

“Let’s go home…”

After finishing everything, I started heading towards My Sweet Home with my legs exhausted.

I’m going to sleep right after washing, so I hope no one stops me.

* * *

“Are you here, Jiwoon?”

Time goes by and before you know it, it’s the weekend. In other words, the time had come to meet the two heroines.

And of those two, today’s guest was Park Ha-eun, a cute genius who was running towards me with her bright eyes and short stature.

Isn’t this a very biased statement? In fact, her appearance, wearing a white dress and a light denim jacket, drew the attention of people around her like a black hole.

Seeing that everyone, both men and women, was looking at Park Ha-eun, I thought that they were probably fascinated by her unique cuteness.

Of course, as soon as I showed up, they all hurriedly went about their business as if nothing had happened.

“Come slowly. The appointment time hasn’t even arrived yet.”

“Ugh. No, I just arrived too?”

Nope. Due to this guy’s personality, he would have showed up 10 minutes earlier than me and waited at the meeting place. Of course, I expected that and showed up 10 minutes earlier than the scheduled time, but unfortunately, Park Ha-eun showed up 10 minutes earlier than that and was waiting for me.

I was now afraid of where the world would end in these 10 minutes. If this phenomenon continues, I think I will probably have to pitch a tent and sleep at the meeting place the day before. Otherwise, it would have been reasonable to show up late in the first place. Shouldn’t he also experience the sting of society once before he becomes an adult?

“Shall we go eat first?”

As I was thinking this, Park Ha-eun opened her mouth and quietly crossed her arms. Of course, arm-twisting wasn’t something that was really special between lovers. To be precise, I should say that he had half of his arm draped between my free arm and his waist.

…Isn’t that what it is? Say no right away. Because I want to believe that I am not.

“Isn’t it too close?”

“What do you think? In the past, we walked around shoulder to shoulder!”

Then, let’s put our arms around each other’s shoulders. That looks like a friend, but you can’t close your arms even if you completely remove them. Relationship-wise and distance-wise, this is a complete rejection of being a friend!

“…I don’t like it?”

“I don’t like it. ….I don’t, but please keep your distance. We’ve all grown up. I’m not a child anymore.”

To be precise, I was only going to say ‘I don’t like it’, but as soon as I saw that Park Ha-eun’s expression suddenly darkened, I had no choice but to add it right away. Then, the sight of the little girl’s face sparkling and coming back to life, as if watering a withered flower, was truly overwhelming.

“Heehee.. But… ….I’m doing it.”

“What?”

“No, no! Anything! Bah, rice! Let’s go eat!”

She was muttering something to herself, and in response to my answer, she quickly started heading to the restaurant where she had made a reservation. And in the meantime, my wrist, which I naturally held, was a bonus.

‘Let’s keep some distance…’

Anyway, I thought today would be a pretty rough day.

* * *

The moment Lee Ji-woon answered ‘I don’t like it,’ Park Ha-eun felt her world fall apart.

Although this was an exaggerated expression, anyone who saw her expression at the time would have used that form of expression. It may have been more so because Park Ha-eun had a lot of emotional expression.

“….I don’t, but please keep your distance. We’re all cut. I’m not a child anymore.”

As if she was turning her palm over, she was lifting up again the feeling that had gone down due to Lee Ji-woon’s continued words. Thanks to that, the eyes and corners of the mouth bend straight away. It began to take the form of a thin, clear curve, as if representing Park Ha-eun’s current psychological state.

What was the reason why Park Ha-eun’s mood improved so quickly?

Lee Ji-woon, who used to growl and even shake his fists, is now a sweet person who kindly adds explanations?

Or, is it because he confirmed that he still cherishes Park Ha-eun, just as he saved her from the truck back then?

Of course, those two could have been correct if they were correct. In fact, Park Ha-eun gained hope that she and Lee Ji-woon could go back to the way they were before.

But, the most important thing is of course.

“Hee hee. But… you’re still conscious of me.”

She was pouring out her inner thoughts, but fortunately, none of it leaked into Lee Ji-woon’s ears.

At first, he just wrapped his arms around her out of joy, but once he realized that Lee Ji-woon was conscious of him as the opposite sex, his next actions had no choice but to be planned.

“Let’s go eat!”

A wrist with bronze skin that I gently grasp. The manly thickness of her wrist, which she couldn’t even fit in her small hands, and the angry veins that could be felt by the touch made Park Ha-eun’s heart pound.

It was a calculated action to appeal to the opposite sex for the first time in his life, but the naturalness of it seemed perfect. The acting skills that even Lee Ji-woon could easily be fooled were enough to instill confidence that he could really be a fox as Lee Ye-ji said.

‘Uuuu… I’m embarrassed….’

Of course, it was still a long way from becoming a fox.