chapter 31
<Episode 31> Date 4
It was already dark outside.
I thought about eating, but Si-eun didn’t seem hungry. This is probably because 90% of the popcorn bought at the cinema went into Si-eun’s mouth.
The planned route ended with a restaurant. It didn’t work, so I decided to just go home. After all, Si-eun’s dishes are better than any other restaurant food.
“let’s go.”
“okay.”
After a short conversation, we headed to the front of the station, where taxis were lined up.
But not long after I left, Si-eun grabbed my sleeve and pulled me out.
“for a moment.”
“yes?”
When I turned around, Si-eun was pointing to a store.
“Would you like to stop by over there?”
Following the word ‘over there’, I moved my gaze to the place where Si-eun’s fingers were pointing.
As a result, the place that came into view was surprisingly a beer house.
“Are you going to drink?”
“yes.”
“Are you okay?”
I asked with concern, but Si-eun raised her eyebrows and answered.
“it’s okay. I’m an adult. You are old enough to drink.”
Did you still keep the things you talked about in the morning?
“And just one drink and you’ll never get drunk.”
“You said that last time, and you just drank it.”
“then… … !”
Si-eun raised her voice for a moment, covered her mouth with her hand, and then turned the volume down to continue speaking.
“At that time, you said strange things, so I drank enough to get drunk without realizing it.”
“A strange word?”
what did i say There were so many memorable events that day, my memory is hazy. It’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten something I said at a drinking party.
“It’s okay if you don’t remember.”
Si-eun exclaimed and snorted. Well, it must have happened.
“Anyway, it’s okay to drink a little.”
“Then I’ll tell you in advance.”
“What?”
“Anyway, I can’t take it home from here.”
“I’m not going to ask you to pick it up.”
Si-eun crossed her arms and said with a sullen face.
What if I say yes? There was no way to stop Si-eun’s stubbornness, a great adult. Nodding our heads, we entered the bar.
It wasn’t late, but the seats inside were already full. After ordering two beers and a light snack, we went out and sat down at a side table.
“If you drink this, you will go home.”
said in a relaxed tone.
“right. I have to eat dinner.”
“But you said you were full, and if you eat alcohol and snacks, you can’t eat dinner, do you?”
“Meal boats are separate.”
Would you like to
After the conversation was over, there was silence between the two. Only the loud noises outside kept hitting my ears.
He stared blankly at the people walking in and out of the street, led by the sound.
There are too many people
I don’t like crowded places, and I don’t like to walk anywhere. Just the fact that Si-eun was by my side made today’s day enjoyable.
I, who used to be confined to the house, decided to go somewhere with someone. It doesn’t bother me at all and it’s a lot of fun. Even thinking about it myself, it was a phenomenal change.
When I turned my eyes, Si-eun was watching people just like me. With your legs crossed, your chin rested on the table.
Move your gaze outward again and open your mouth.
“There are so many people.”
“It’s the weekend, so everyone is out to play.”
“I don’t even go out to play on weekends.”
Si-eun responded with a smile to my words.
“It’s because you hate going out.”
“Well, it is not.”
After a while, the drinks and snacks we ordered came out.
The cups handed over by the clerk were placed one at a time on the side of Si-eun, and the snacks were placed in the middle.
Si-eun was just looking outside, holding her glass, presumably to keep watching the crowd. I don’t know, but shouldn’t we even have a toast?
But he couldn’t stop him like that.
It’s because Si-eun’s expression looking outside was very serious.
“What if?”
While I was waiting quietly, Si-eun suddenly spoke up.
“yes.”
When she answered, Si-eun continued her conversation with her eyes as if reminiscing on the past.
“If only our house had been a little more ordinary… … I also play like other people, study easily, and spend time alone without working part-time… … . Was it like this?”
Si-eun smiled and looked at the people who were moving and spoke in a low voice.
At the sudden words, I couldn’t open my mouth right away.
Si-eun said that she was brought up in a poor family from an early age.
So, I worked part-time to earn money, study hard, and even served as the student body president. It was a life that could not be sustained with any mental strength.
But Si-eun is also human. I have no choice but to want to rest or play. Sometimes you may want to skip lectures and sleep soundly.
It must have been that whenever she became weak, she remembered her mother’s situation and endured it.
“It must have been.”
He took a sip of the beer and answered.
“Still, I think you did well in a difficult situation. It sounds presumptuous, but well, at least when viewed from the side.”
Si-eun looked at me with her chin clenched and only turned her eyes.
“What do you think you know about me?”
“As an employer I’ve been living with for a few months, that’s what it looks like.”
“huh.”
Si-eun let out such a sound and took a sip of beer. He licks the foam on his lips with his tongue, and then immediately throws his gaze back at the people.
It looked like he was depressed, so the desire to comfort him rose.
“Are you going to go out like this sometime in the future?”
When asked as calmly as possible, Si-eun raised her chin up and made eye contact.
“In the future?”
“okay. There are many companies in the world where you can invest. There are many places I haven’t been to yet. There are a lot of streets to investigate.”
“It’s like that.”
After hearing my words, Si-eun put the glass down on the table and smiled.
Then.
“lie.”
“… … yes?”
“It’s a lie.”
… … did you hear
As she pretended not to be surprised, Si-eun grinned.
“Did you bring me here because I was bored over the weekend?”
“Well, there is a reason for that.”
“There is no other reason than that.”
“Well.”
Si-eun snorted at me, who was skeptical.
“Pretending not to be and taking care of you.”
“Ugh.”
“I don’t know how good people are. What kind of employer in the world even pays attention to this to a housekeeper?”
“I am a person who cares deeply about the welfare of my employees.”
“Do it again.”
With a smile, Si-eun took another sip of the beer. At the same time, I drink beer. Perhaps because I walked a lot more than usual, the beer felt delicious today.
“there.”
As I was savoring the taste of beer, I heard Si-eun’s voice.
“yes.”
“It was then.”
“at that time?”
When asked, Si-eun hesitated for a moment.
“That night.”
“That night?”
“Are you pretending not to understand now?”
“no. I really didn’t understand.”
Si-eun, who smiled in vain at my answer, said with a slightly blushed cheek.
“I’m talking about the night I was drunk.”
“Ah, yes.”
I never thought that this topic would come up again. At that time, the work was completed in two parts, the very next day and the day the chocolate was given.
Si-eun, whose cheeks were red as if she was already drunk, could not open her mouth. What was the first thing to say, so I had no choice but to wait.
Soon after that, Si-eun continued.
“On that day, maybe I… … .”
“yes.”
“confession… … did you?”
“… … What?”
I was shocked when I heard a word I didn’t expect at all.
it’s a confession can it be If you don’t have a heart, you won’t do that even when you’re drunk.
Seeing me bewildered, Si-eun waved her palms and hurriedly explained.
“No, that’s it. Because your mood suddenly became a little awkward. It seemed like he was trying to keep some distance from me. So, if I was drunk, I didn’t even care… … I thought he might have made a confession.”
“Oh, what. Are you talking about that?”
It’s a plausible guess. But in conclusion.
“no.”
Were my words unexpected? Si-eun only blinked her eyes.
“No?”
“yes. no.”
When he properly denied the question that seemed to be asked for confirmation, Si-eun tilted her head as if she had not expected it.
After a while, Si-eun opened her mouth again.
“Then why did you keep away from me then?”
I finally came to this question.
I didn’t want to reply here, so I’ve been avoiding this topic as much as possible.
However, in this situation, it was difficult to falter again. Above all, it was a sealed problem anyway, but it was strange to hide it for nothing. If I did nothing that day and kept trying to keep it a secret, I could be misunderstood.
I answer by scratching my head.
“in fact.”
“yes.”
It was difficult to make eye contact with Si-eun.
He avoided his gaze and spoke behind his back.
“you… … I was like, ‘Would you like a kiss?’”
“What?”
It was a startled voice.
Looking sideways, Si-eun was frowned. However, it didn’t look like he was trying to blame me. To be honest, it must have been a shock to myself at the time.
I added a word to the nostalgia.
“By the way, I didn’t.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think you would have done it.”
I’ve heard it many times, but I’m even happy today. I was very fortunate not to suspect that I was lying.
Si-eun looked away like me and muttered softly.
“It makes no difference at all.”
Maybe it is.
“Anyway, I can’t see your face as usual when I hear such sounds. So I kept my distance.”
“Even if you were like me, I think it would have been awkward if you said that.”
No, if I did, I think I would be in a detention center by now.
Anyway, the story went like this.
Even the hidden parts were revealed. Now, this topic will never be mentioned again. When I opened it up, it even made me feel cool again. Did you mean to confide in me earlier?
As I was about to take a sip of beer, Si-eun also raised a glass with me.
Si-eun and I, who put their glasses down the same as if the timing was right, turned their heads away from each other.
Then, Si-eun said in a low voice.
“Well then.”
“yes.”
Si-eun paused for a moment.
“Kiss, will you?”
… … .
It felt like the circuits in my head had stopped for a moment.
I looked back over and over to see if I had properly interpreted the sound I just heard, but in the end there was only one translation.
Now Si-eun asked if she would kiss her again.
I turn my face and look at Si-eun.
“Did you get drunk?”
“You said You won’t get drunk with just one cup.”
Si-eun answered with an expressionless expression and immediately made eye contact with me.
At that moment, the noise of passersby disappeared.
I can’t hear anything, I can’t see anything else.
What caught my eyes were red-tinted cheeks, straight eyes, well-dressed clothes, and well-groomed hair.
and… … pink lips.
Seeing Si-eun in her sight, my heart started pounding.
My body temperature rose and I felt goosebumps all over my body.
I hope Si-eun is also me… … .
while thinking like that.
Si-eun’s cell phone lying on the table rang.
The vibration continued. It wasn’t a text message or a Kakao Talk, but a phone call.
“… … .”
“… … .”
“Call me, won’t you?”
It was difficult for me to stand the silence, so I spoke quietly.
Then Si-eun smirked.
“I was going to get it now.”
With that in mind, I picked up my phone.
Si-eun’s expression hardened for a moment as she looked at the screen.
“sorry. I’ll call you in a moment.”
“Um, yes.”
After hearing my answer, Si-eun got up from her seat. Then I walked quickly to the empty lot behind the store.
A table without poetry.
Whoops, I let out a long sigh. The tension wrapped around my body was released, and I immediately wanted to lie down on the table.
“It must have been a joke.”
He sheds words to himself that he doesn’t know who to listen to.
okay. Si-eun’s behavior just before was probably a joke. There is no reason for a woman like Si-eun to have such feelings for me. If you poked your lips in because you thought it was sincere, the staring gaze would have flown in immediately.
After taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and picked up the phone.
But for some reason, a KakaoTalk message arrived.
Who is it? I don’t have anyone to contact me except for my friends and Si-eun. I checked the owner of the message by manipulating the phone with my doubts.
The answer was an unexpected person.
The name that appeared on the screen was ‘Han So-hye’.
Did you get any additional notices for the group assignment you submitted last time? Or have the results been published? If not, did you just say something useless like in a lecture hall?
Making that guess, I unwrapped the pattern and checked the message.
[senior.
Don’t you usually go out on a date with the person next door?]
At that moment, I felt a cold sweat running down my back.
I slowly raise my face and look towards the street.
And the alley next to the store.
Sohye tilted her head and looked at me.