Chapter 106
* * *
— “Ah, there she is.”
It was Ji Nuri’s voice.
Perhaps because the performance was over, Minimi’s voice could be heard more clearly again.
“Yap.”
I turned around, feeling the weight pressing down on my shoulder.
“You came right over instead of staying with the band club members?”
“Come on. If I butt in for no reason, the kids will feel awkward. I had to read the room and give the club members some time together.”
— “Now this is consideration.”
Minimi snorted as it brushed back its hair.
It seemed to think it had demonstrated its senior’s thoughtfulness.
“Hmm.”
Technically, wasn’t Ji Nuri also a member of the band club?
Even if only temporarily, she had performed with them.
Wouldn’t the kids be disappointed?
“Oh, what’s that jelly? Give me one too!”
“Th-this….”
Ji Nuri rushed over when she saw the jelly Shin Ayoung was holding.
‘……Should I just leave her be.’
Seeing how much she liked it, it did seem better to leave her alone.
* * *
<The Myunghwa Arts Festival we shared with all of you has now come to an end. To everyone who joined us today with laughter and passion……>
An announcement from a broadcasting-club member flowed from the speakers in the hallway.
The festival had already reached its final stretch.
Clack—
I locked the clubroom with the key.
We had cleaned everything thoroughly, left nothing behind, and gathered all our belongings….
I had checked everything.
I turned around after completing the final inspection.
“All done. Let’s just leave the key in the faculty office.”
I hung the key in the key cabinet inside the faculty office.
And with that, the day was over.
Trudge, trudge—
I walked toward the school gate with the others.
“Ah~ It feels kind of sad that it’s over~”
Ji Nuri stretched her arms out and yawned. She looked like she wanted to play a little longer.
— “Time really flew. It’s already well past six.”
It had been fun.
I hadn’t realized it had gotten this late, either.
“Want to go have dinner together? And then karaoke?”
Ji Nuri asked, her eyes sparkling.
As much as I regretted it, I couldn’t.
“You guys should eat without me.”
“Huh? You’re not coming?”
“I have something to do today.”
At that, Lee Seungah whipped her head around.
“Huh? Does that mean you have work today too?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow….”
The girl covered the corner of her mouth.
— “Aw, poor thing.”
Even as Minimi said that, its mouth was trembling. It was holding back laughter.
It even danced exuberantly, saying I didn’t need to go to the gym today.
…I really want to bonk it.
“I’m heading out. See you next week.”
I gave them a small wave. Since tomorrow was Saturday, I wouldn’t see them at school until Monday.
“Okay, see you next week.”
Isol nodded, a faint smile lingering on her expressionless face.
‘…See you tomorrow.’
Shin Ayoung mouthed the words quietly.
“…….”
As I thought about what she meant,
I realized she meant we would see each other at the gym.
I headed for the bus stop across the street.
There was no one on the bench. I plopped down on it.
“Haa….”
A tired sigh escaped me.
I don’t want to work.
There was nothing I could do about feeling that way.
“Haa…….”
The exact same sigh came from somewhere.
When I shifted my gaze in that direction, Ha Seorim was standing there.
“……!”
She had been walking while looking at the ground, but when she saw me, she flinched and stopped in her tracks.
“…Hello.”
She gave a small bow.
“Oh.”
She sat down at the end of the bench. Perhaps because there were only the two of us at the bus stop, the distance between us stood out more than usual.
I looked down at my phone and spoke.
“…On your way to work?”
“Yes.”
A quiet answer came back.
— “Now that I look at her, she does kind of resemble her younger sister.”
Minimi’s mumble reached me.
Come to think of it, maybe she did. It seemed Lee Seungah and Ha Seorim had run into each other today.
“I heard you met my younger sister today?”
“…Yes, she was in the clubroom.”
“She didn’t cause you any trouble, did she? She’s a little scatterbrained.”
“…No, she didn’t. She seemed to have a really nice personality…?”
“…Really?”
That was the first I’d heard of it.
Still, it was a relief that nothing had happened.
I looked down at my phone and sent Ji Nuri the video files I had recorded today.
Since I had intentionally filmed them in separate parts, transferring the files didn’t take very long.
“…….”
As I watched the videos being sent, Ha Seorim’s figure also vaguely came to mind.
She had played as if she were running around onstage.
It was somewhat unexpected, too.
At work, she always showed only her sharp, capable side. I hadn’t known she could enjoy herself so freely.
“You played well today.”
I tossed out the remark in a casual tone.
“…….”
Perhaps it had caught her off guard.
Ha Seorim was silent for a moment, then—
“…Thank you.”
She awkwardly turned her eyes away.
— “…Trying to get closer like this.”
Minimi bounced up and down, as if it had known this would happen.
“…….”
I put my phone away and turned my gaze forward.
Enough.
Let’s just keep my mouth shut.
* * *
“I’m hooome.”
Ji Nuri came home, carelessly kicking off her shoes.
The sound of the TV came from the living room. There was a general sense of bustle.
Did both of her parents get off work early today?
“Hwaa— I’m tireeed—”
Just as she was about to get a glass of water and flop down on the living-room sofa,
“Hey, hey, I’m lying here.”
Along with a sharp, high-pitched voice, a hand shoved her away.
A tone her body remembered.
…It was her older sister’s voice.
“W-what?! When did you get here?”
Ji Nuri stumbled backward in surprise.
She couldn’t help being flustered. Why was her older sister, who had moved out, suddenly lying in the living room?
“…What are you talking about?”
Ji Hyori, Ji Nuri’s older sister, made an incredulous face.
“I told you I was coming up for a bit today. Don’t you remember? You forgot again, didn’t you?”
“No, I remember!?”
Ji Nuri snapped back.
…Come to think of it, maybe she had said that.
She hadn’t paid close attention, so she didn’t remember clearly. Still, it vaguely lingered in her memory.
“I just forgot for a moment because today was so hectic.”
Ji Nuri replied with a scoff.
To be honest, admitting it outright would have wounded her pride.
At that, Ji Hyori adjusted her glasses and said,
“Hectic, my foot. You spend every day at school the same way.”
“Today was the school festival, okay?”
“Oh~”
A brief acknowledgment.
She had asked, but she wasn’t interested in the topic at all.
She gave a perfunctory nod and sank into the sofa.
Bzzzzzz——
Just then, the phone in her pocket began to vibrate.
[Here’s what I recorded today.]
A link from Lee Seungho had arrived.
When she tapped it, videos began appearing one after another in the cloud channel.
From the first song to the last. The videos had been split up by section.
“…Thoughtful.”
She’d probably have to treat him to something really delicious later.
[Thanks]
[(Dog emoji giving a thumbs-up)]
Ji Nuri immediately sent a reply.
“…Who is it? Your crush?”
“Aah!”
Ji Nuri jumped in fright and moved away.
Her sister had approached from behind without a sound and was peering over her shoulder.
Her heart pounded.
“Ah, come on!”
Despite Ji Nuri’s irritation, her sister asked what she wanted to know.
“So who is it? Is he really your crush?”
“He’s not my crush, okay? He’s just a friend, a guy friend.”
Ji Nuri answered while hiding her phone screen against her chest.
Why was she so interested in other people’s relationships?
“Oh~ So this is that guy? What was his name again, Minsik?”
“Seungho.”
“Oh. His name is Seungho?”
“…….”
Ji Nuri’s lower eyelid twitched.
She had walked right into it.
“Wait… if it’s Seungho, is he that guy? The one you went on a trip with in the summer.”
“Huh? What? How do you know that, Unni?”
“Mom told me.”
“…….”
Ji Nuri’s expression crumpled.
In her mind, she called out to Mom at full volume.
Seriously, why did she do that? Why did she tell her sister something so unnecessary?
“Heh….”
Just look at her now. Wasn’t she letting out a sly giggle?
It was the look of a predator swiveling its eyes as it searched for something to tease her about.
“…Forget it. I’m going to my room.”
Ji Nuri chose to retreat to her room with a prim expression.
“If things work out with him, tell me all the details later~”
Her sister waved from the sofa.
“I told you. It’s not like that…!”
Ji Nuri shouted indignantly and closed the door.
Bang—!!
“…I-it slammed because of the draft…!”
It had made a louder sound than she expected.
Creak. Thud.
After making her excuse, she closed the door again.
“Sheesh…….”
A sigh escaped her naturally.
It was her first time seeing her sister in a while, but she had gotten a huge dose of stress the moment they met.
Flop——
Ji Nuri sprawled on her bed and played the downloaded videos.
[Yop.]
Isol’s plump, round face filled the screen.
“……What?”
The moment she saw it, Ji Nuri let out a silly laugh.
Her furrowed brow slowly smoothed out.
Seeing something so undeniably cute did make her feel better.
“Sss.”
Just as watching a mukbang made you hungry, she suddenly wanted to squish Isol’s soft, chubby cheeks.
‘…Ah, it’s starting.’
The curtains opened and the lights came on.
The screen zoomed in, revealing her standing onstage.
“……Ahem.”
Somehow, seeing it like this made her feel inexplicably embarrassed.
When she performed onstage, this was how she looked to other people.
[Oh….]
A low, resonant voice could be heard faintly near the intro.
“…….”
Ji Nuri’s eyes slowly blinked.
Blink, blink. She closed them and opened them again.
She rolled over onto her stomach and nudged the playback bar slightly backward.
[Oh….]
That voice flowed out again.
“…Heh. That’s Seungho.”
Hearing it again, she could be sure.
A small laugh escaped her.
Was her performance really that surprising?
Since Lee Seungho was rarely surprised by anything, even that little exclamation made her feel strangely proud.
“…I was in pretty good shape today, though.”
Even she had to admit her fingers had been in peak form.
Her throat had felt fairly good too, and the ensemble had come together to a satisfying degree.
“Huh?”
While she was watching the second video, the focus on the screen wavered slightly.
It tilted to the side.
Why had such a mistake happened when he had been filming so well?
“……Could it be….”
Ji Nuri stroked her chin.
Had he taken his eyes off the screen because he was focused on the stage?
If that was the case, everything fit perfectly.
It was almost certain.
That definitely seemed to be the case.
“Good grief….”
Ji Nuri chuckled and shrugged.
He really was hopeless.
* * *
……Nearly a week passed.
Today, it had finally become Thursday.
“Hello. I’m Lee Seungho.”
I bowed my head with a tense voice.
It was a different kind of tension from interviewing for high school or a part-time job.
And understandably so.
The person sitting in front of me was creating that atmosphere.
“……Yes, it’s been a while.”
Long hair spilling down and languidly slanted eyes.
A subtle distance showing through.
She had the appearance Isol might have if she grew up exactly as she was now.
I was sitting across from Isol’s mother.
It was the day we had arranged to meet.
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(!Signboard!)
(There’s an illustration if you scroll down!)
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Isol’s mother, whom I drew because I couldn’t think of anything else to draw.
I wonder if Isol would grow up like this when she matures...?