Chapter 33
Morning, on the road up to Myeonghwa High School.
I walked slowly through the main gate, still blinking my sleepy eyes.
“···.”
I could hear the others chatting around me.
“Did you watch ‘Black World’ yesterday?”
“Oh, you watched it too? I heard it was getting popular, so I checked it out, and it was totally my thing.”
— “Ah, when’s the next episode coming out···.”
I could see a mini-me trudging along with drooping shoulders.
Was it really that fun?
These days, the mini-mes were the same way. Everywhere I went, people were talking about ‘Black World.’
‘It was the project Shin A-young’s father had filmed, right?’
I hadn’t watched it myself, but from what I’d heard, it seemed to be enjoying even greater popularity than expected.
With this much buzz, it was more than just a popular show.
Could it be aiming to become a hit that came around only once a year, if that?
‘···Wait, if that’s the case.’
I headed toward the classroom at a slightly quicker pace.
I was starting to feel quite uneasy.
“···.”
Ah.
— A writhing mass.
The kids were already clustered around Shin A-young. They were lined up almost like a wall.
It looked impossible to get to my seat.
“I’m telling you, it ended right there!”
“Seriously, how are we supposed to wait until next week?”
The chatter was raucous.
Naturally, the topic was the drama.
“A-young, have you met the actors in person? I heard the cast are really close with one another.”
At that question, Shin A-young shook her head.
“No, I haven’t met them either.”
She responded to each person with a faint smile.
Right, that was the Shin A-young everyone usually saw.
Lately, I had only seen her relaxed and somewhat slack side in the counseling room. But fundamentally, acting was her everyday life.
“Hmm···.”
I watched the scene from a distance.
The crowding in that narrow space was no joke.
At the same time, I couldn’t properly hear the mini-mes’ voices.
“···.”
It was only faint at this distance, but if I moved even a little closer, my head was sure to start hurting.
Besides.
It would be happening soon anyway—
— Ding-dong-dang-dong.
The class bell rang.
At the same time, the kids naturally dispersed.
“···.”
I took advantage of the opening and quickly sat down at my desk.
“Popular from the moment you arrive in the morning.”
“···Tell me about it.”
Shin A-young replied in a voice heavy with fatigue.
— “Ha··· I already want to leave school early···.”
Her mini-me had a sharp look on her face.
“···.”
I fell silent for a moment as I watched her.
I hadn’t seen her like this in a while, since she had been so docile lately, apparently without anything to stress her out.
I thought it had been quite some time since I’d last seen this side of her.
* * *
Fourth-period class ended.
One by one, the students hurried out of the classroom. Most were headed to the cafeteria. Or the snack bar.
Shin A-young neatly straightened her books with a few taps, then hurriedly stood up.
The kids would be waiting for her in the hallway.
“A-youngie!”
At the unfamiliar voice, Shin A-young slowed her steps.
It was already a name she had been called dozens of times today alone.
When she slowly turned around, a girl who had been in her class last year was standing there.
She approached with a friendly gait and moved in close beside her.
“Black World was so much fun.”
This was another topic I had expected.
“Really? I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Shin A-young put on an innocent smile.
What she had overlooked was that the girl, thrilled by that response, began spilling out her words.
“I was completely absorbed from the first episode. As expected, your father is such a great actor.”
Shin A-young nodded at that.
Once the conversation got going, it kept going.
“He’s the villain, but he has so much charm? Wow···.”
She gave a firm thumbs-up with both hands.
“I think I’ve become a huge fan this time.”
“···.”
“···Which reminds me···.”
So this was the real point after all.
She subtly held out the Choco Mong she had been holding in one hand.
“Could you get me just one autograph? Please? I’m begging you.”
“···.”
Hmm.
How many times had this happened today already?
From morning until now, she had barely had a moment’s rest outside of class.
To them, it was probably just one person, but did they have any idea she had to deal with dozens of them?
This had happened last year too, but it had become rare lately···.
The drama seemed to have brought it all back.
···Phew.
Shin A-young swallowed a sigh inwardly.
It felt as though her mental fatigue was continuing to pile up.
But she couldn’t get angry, either.
“···Sorry, he’s been so busy lately that he hardly even comes home. I don’t think he’ll have the time.”
The answer rolled off her tongue like a macro.
As she had always done, Shin A-young skillfully turned down the request.
Of course, she also handed the Choco Mong back to her.
“Ah··· I guess so?”
The girl scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
Had that been all she wanted? She hesitated awkwardly, then soon turned around.
“Th-then, enjoy your lunch.”
“Yeah, you too.”
She gave a small wave.
Shin A-young didn’t lose her smile until the very end.
“···.”
Once she confirmed the girl had completely disappeared from view.
Hmm.
She swallowed a breath.
Shin A-young turned and started walking again. Toward the three people who had been waiting silently for her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Yeah.”
“···.”
As she was subtly flustered by Jinuri’s candid answer,
Jinuri gave her a sly smile, lightly tapped her shoulder, and said it was a joke.
“By the way, what’s for lunch today?”
Shin A-young answered Lee Seungho’s casual question.
“Stir-fried gochujang pork.”
“···Pork again?”
“Yeah.”
She let out a faint laugh at Lee Seungho’s weary expression.
This was definitely where she felt most comfortable.
* * *
“Oh my, who do we have here?”
When they entered the cafeteria, the lunch lady’s face lit up.
It happened the moment she saw Shin A-young.
“Yes, hello···?”
Shin A-young slightly lowered her head in greeting.
Even then, the line behind them was bothering her quite a bit. There were a lot of people waiting.
“Could you tell your father I’ve been enjoying his drama lately?”
The lunch lady kept chatting brightly. Apparently, she watched the drama too.
“Thank you. I’ll be sure to tell him.”
Shin A-young nodded with a bright smile.
If only she would hurry up and serve the food.
She subtly shifted her gaze toward the back and hoped the woman would take the hint.
“Ah, this isn’t the time for this.”
Had she finally realized it? The lunch lady began bustling around again.
Fwoosh—
She scooped up a generous helping of meat with her ladle.
“Here, eat lots~”
“Ah.”
Shin A-young leaned back slightly.
That was far too much, no matter how she looked at it.
“You really can give me just a little. I’m dieting right now.”
It wasn’t as if she could eat that much anyway. Meat tended to become unappetizing quickly for her.
With this much, she would end up leaving two-thirds of it.
“Oh, come on~ What diet?”
The lunch lady grabbed Shin A-young’s tray.
“You’re already skin and bones. You need to eat plenty while you’re growing. I made a lot today, so don’t worry about the amount.”
Red broth poured over the tray with a splosh—
“···Thank you.”
Looking at the mountain of meat piled up to the point of overflowing, she smiled with her eyes, as always.
It was a naturally formed smile.
“···.”
Shin A-young trudged away.
How was she supposed to eat all of this? The thought welled up inside her.
“···.”
···No, there was no need to feel stifled.
There had been no bad intentions; the woman had only gone out of her way to look after her.
She should take it in the spirit it was intended.
Right, think positively.
“···.”
Shin A-young repeated that to herself over and over.
It was just that a faint murmur still lingered somewhere beneath her heart.
“···.”
Just as Shin A-young glanced around for a seat—
“Over here, over here.”
Lee Sol, who had already taken a seat, patted the empty spot beside her.
Lee Seungho and Jinuri were sitting nearby too. It was always the same group. At least it was a place where she could eat in peace.
Shin A-young naturally headed over.
“···.”
She sat down and picked up her chopsticks.
She took a bite of meat. A spicy flavor spread through her mouth.
It didn’t taste bad. It was actually delicious.
She ate the meat, then some rice too.
And so she continued eating in silence.
After a little while···
“···.”
She had already finished all her rice,
but the meat on her tray was still piled high.
Her stomach was already feeling heavy. As expected, the amount was the problem.
“···Sluurp.”
Shin A-young forced down another bite of meat.
“···.”
Ngh.
She felt nauseated.
The spicy flavor made it somewhat more bearable, but the meat’s characteristic heaviness was still there.
Even so, she couldn’t leave it behind.
“···.”
People might spread rumors that the celebrity’s daughter had left her side dishes, or that she was spoiled because she was full.
One might say those were ridiculous accusations.
But there were people like that in the world. People who looked for reasons to tear others down.
It was something she had already experienced back in middle school.
“···.”
Shin A-young felt more eyes on her than usual.
Most people were eating, but one or two were sneaking glances in this direction.
···Hmm.
Those gazes felt uncomfortably heavy.
“···.”
There was probably nothing she could do about it.
Just as she raised her chopsticks again, thinking she would force herself to eat···
“Hey.”
At that voice, Shin A-young raised her head.
Lee Seungho was pointing at the meat with his chopsticks.
“···If you’re not going to eat that, can she have it?”
“···?”
···Something about that sounded strange.
Shin A-young blinked.
‘Not “I,” but “she.”’
Wondering what he meant, she turned her gaze.
“···.”
There, she caught Jinuri eyeing the meat with undisguised interest.
Jinuri cleared her throat and put on a composed expression.
“If you’re offering, I suppose I could eat it.”
Jinuri said that, but she looked secretly hopeful.
This was an opportunity.
Shin A-young pushed her tray to the side.
Some went to Jinuri. Lee Sol and Lee Seungho divided the small amount that remained.
All the meat that had been piled up disappeared.
“···.”
Shin A-young turned to look at him.
···Had he helped her on purpose?
“···.”
Who knew? She didn’t know.
For some reason, she couldn’t read his expression.
Lee Seungho was simply concentrating on his meal again, wearing the same expression as usual.
Whatever the case, she felt grateful.
“···.”
Once the immediate problem was solved, the heavy feeling settled down.
“Phew···.”
Shin A-young slowly exhaled.
Her head felt a little clearer.
It felt as though her field of vision had opened up.
“···.”
Right.
Just hold on a little longer.
In the end, this was only a brief surge of attention caused by the drama, wasn’t it?
It would die down before long.