Chapter 17
17.
Just as when we went to the restaurant, Seong Ji-hoon drove while Seo Geon-woo sat beside me.
About ten minutes after we set off for Baekgeum Arts University, where Hong Ye-na went to school, Seo Geon-woo leaned over and whispered to me.
“Hey, Ha-won. What are you planning to tell Ye-na?”
“About what?”
“I mean, the fact that you became a woman.”
“I wasn't planning to bring it up. Even if I did, she wouldn't believe me.”
“Really?”
“You and your family are weirdly trusting. Most people can't easily believe something this unrealistic.”
I briefly considered not changing my name, either, but then remembered I'd told Woo Da-yeon it was Won Ha-jeong.
‘Can't be helped. I'll stick with the name I gave her.’
Seo Geon-woo seemed to mull something over, then leaned toward me again and whispered.
“But why are you going out of your way to meet Ye-na? You could get your hair and makeup done at a professional salon.”
“That'd be fine if that were all I needed to learn. But it's not.”
“Then what else do you need?”
“Ah, I don't know. Go away.”
Trying to explain every little thing to that hopeless bear made my laziness kick in full force.
I nudged Seo Geon-woo's shoulder, pushing him away.
Hong Ye-na.
She was a girl who'd been in my class during my second and third years of high school.
I remember her as a pretty girl who didn't talk much.
I can't remember how she ended up in my group, but when I looked around, she was already hanging out with us.
Unlike Woo Da-yeon, she wasn't particularly loud, but she wasn't the type to glue herself to her desk studying, either.
What should I call it? Somewhere in the middle?
Still, I remember her seeming quite feminine, and being good at applying makeup without making it look awkward.
I wanted to learn that side of her.
Feminine words and actions.
Not these instinctive emotions that occasionally pop out like they do now, but something natural.
They say if you don't know something, you should learn it.
A girl born female naturally learns femininity by watching the women around her—her mother, female friends, teachers, and so on.
Of course, some parts may be instinctive because of one's chromosomes, but I figured the influence of what you learn afterward would be significant.
My hormones and chromosomes had changed to female, so I could assume I had the instinctive aspects down. But since I lacked that acquired learning, I thought I should force myself to learn it.
‘Might as well make some friends while I'm at it.’
Rather than taking lessons or watching videos, I figured having a female friend beside me would help me learn much faster and more naturally.
Much like learning a language other than your mother tongue.
While I was wondering how to strike up a conversation with Hong Ye-na, we soon reached the main gate of Baekgeum Arts University, where she studied.
Seong Ji-hoon asked me,
“Shall I drive into the campus?”
“That would be better, right? There should be a parking lot somewhere inside.”
“Understood.”
As we entered the campus, I asked Seo Geon-woo,
“What did Hong Ye-na say?”
Seo Geon-woo, who'd been texting her at my request, turned around and answered.
“Oh, yeah. Her class is supposed to end in about twenty minutes.”
I waited for him to continue, but his lips stayed shut.
“And? Where are we supposed to meet? What on earth did you talk about?”
“Oh, r-right… Just a second.”
Good grief, this is so frustrating.
He seemed like he had some sense, but at times like this, he was the stupidest person in the world.
Seo Geon-woo kept texting until the car was fully parked, then said, sweating profusely,
“Whew, she says to meet at the cafeteria in OO Hall.”
“Where's that?”
“Well, even I don't really know….”
I clutched my forehead.
Just then, Seong Ji-hoon, in the driver's seat, turned around and showed me his phone screen.
“Ms. Ha-won, I believe OO Hall is this way. It's about a 150-meter walk northwest from this parking lot.”
I studied the map on his screen.
It didn't look too hard to find.
I looked back at Seo Geon-woo.
What was he grinning so broadly about?
“Quit grinning like an idiot and get out!”
Seo Geon-woo opened the door and got out in a flash.
Seong Ji-hoon looked like he was about to get out too, so I quickly stopped him.
“Wait in the car, Mr. Seong. Don't leave this spot until I contact you.”
“Understood.”
I watched Seong Ji-hoon for a moment as he immediately agreed without adding some “but” or other qualification.
‘That word to Secretary Shin really did the trick, huh?’
I was pleased.
The corners of my mouth rose before I knew it.
“Oh, and I'm planning to introduce myself to the other friends—not you or Seo Geon-woo—as Won Ha-jeong, so keep that in mind and use your judgment.”
“Understood.”
As expected, he understood immediately without adding anything.
I nodded and got out of the car too.
Seo Geon-woo and I started walking toward our destination.
It wasn't the school I attended, but walking around a campus after so long stirred up a lot of memories.
It felt kind of like being a freshman again.
Maybe the excitement and thrill of having become a woman contributed to that feeling.
After walking for a while, I suddenly felt gazes coming at me from all directions and landing on me.
It was a sensation I'd occasionally felt before, too.
I could tell people were sneaking glances at me without even turning my eyes toward them.
What a fascinating ability.
I could tell without even looking.
Even I could say that my current appearance was good enough to put me in the top one percent.
On top of that, I was blessed with an absurdly good figure, so even I, someone who'd once been a man, could understand why people stared.
I didn't mind it.
If anything, it was the opposite.
‘So this is what it's like to live as a beautiful woman.’
I glanced at Seo Geon-woo beside me.
He was wearing a plain short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of unremarkable slacks.
‘If I'd known, I should've dressed him up a little, too.’
For all I knew, people passing us might think Seo Geon-woo and I were a couple or something.
I should've made more of an effort to spruce him up so he wouldn't bring down my image. I'd been too careless.
‘A couple?’
My face heated up again at the fact that I'd thought of that word so casually.
Absurd.
No matter how fully I'd decided to live as a woman now, the idea of being a couple with this guy was… What was I thinking?
Without realizing it, I looked back toward Seo Geon-woo.
This time, he looked back at me too.
“Hm? What's up, Ha-won? Do you have something to say?”
“N-no! Don't introduce me to Hong Ye-na as Jeong Ha-won later. Tell her I'm Won Ha-jeong.”
“Why?”
“Just do it!”
“Okay. But are you really hot?”
“No, I'm fine. Why?”
“Ah… Your face looks really red, so I thought you might be hot.”
“I'm not hot! Just hurry up and walk!”
He sure noticed things like that for no reason.
I wish he'd develop some sense in other areas.
Before long, OO Hall came into view.
The closer we got to the building, the more worried I became.
I was worried about what I should say to Hong Ye-na, but more than anything, I was worried that this hopeless bear would start babbling.
The building was quite cool, probably because the air conditioning was on.
The cafeteria was near the entrance.
We headed straight for it.
It was an open-style café, so there wasn't a separate entrance.
I was wondering whether we should order first when I saw someone inside waving. Seo Geon-woo was standing there looking lost again.
Seo Geon-woo noticed too and let out an “Ah.”
“Ye-na got here before us.”
Seo Geon-woo and I walked toward the woman waving at us.
As we got closer, her face came clearly into view.
It was Hong Ye-na. Her high school face was still there, but somehow she seemed more mature.
I remembered her having short hair before, but now her long, straight black hair fell past her shoulders, bringing out her graceful side.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Unexpectedly, Seo Geon-woo spoke naturally, even smiling.
“No, I just got here, too.”
What? I knew Hong Ye-na was pretty, but was she this pretty?
I found myself staring blankly at her face as she smiled and greeted Seo Geon-woo.
“By the way, who's the person next to you… Oh, could it be you two~?”
Hong Ye-na narrowed her eyes, gave us a knowing look, and pointed back and forth between Seo Geon-woo and me.
Seo Geon-woo quickly waved both hands in denial.
“N-no, it's not like that. W-we're friends.”
“Oh, really?”
She didn't look like she believed him much.
Hong Ye-na's gaze turned toward me.
Looking at her straight on, she seemed even prettier.
It was a different feeling from looking at a pretty woman when I was a man.
‘How does she not have a single blemish? Is it hidden with makeup? It doesn't look like she's wearing any….’
As I was thinking that, Hong Ye-na held out her hand and smiled brightly.
“Nice to meet you. I'm Hong Ye-na. I'm friends with Geon-woo from high school.”
“Ah, h-hello. I-I mean… Won! I'm Won Ha-jeong.”
Damn it, what? Why did it feel like my mouth had slipped out of my control?
I'd been worried Seo Geon-woo might stammer, but I should've been worrying about myself.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Ha-jeong.”
Hong Ye-na's hand in mine was so soft, I wondered if it was covered in silk.
That aside, she'd approached me so warmly right from the start, without any awkwardness or wariness.
Was Hong Ye-na always this sociable?
Since I hadn't paid much attention to anyone besides Seo Geon-woo in high school, my memories were pretty hazy.
“Shall we sit down first?”
“I'll go order. What would you like to drink?”
Thank goodness the hopeless bear had enough sense to do this much, too.
Hong Ye-na spoke first.
“I'll have a vanilla latte.”
“I-I'll have an iced Americano!”
Why did I keep stammering?
I barely managed to resist the urge to slap myself across the face.
Seo Geon-woo headed to the counter, leaving Hong Ye-na and me alone.
I thought there might be a slightly awkward silence, but once again, she spoke first.
“You said your name was Ha-jeong, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“You're not Geon-woo's girlfriend?”
I guess she'd been pretty curious.
She'd asked so directly.
“No. We're really just friends.”
“Hmm, all right. I'll take your word for it.”
Why ask if she wasn't going to believe me?
“You and Geon-woo seem pretty close?”
This time, I asked a question.
Hong Ye-na's gaze wandered upward, then returned to my face.
“Hmm, close? I wouldn't say we're super close or anything. We keep in touch once in a while?”
“Once in a while?”
“Yeah. Back in high school, Geon-woo and I had a few things in common, and he helped me with my studies, too. He was so scrawny and timid back then, but he's changed a lot now.”
Hong Ye-na said with a faint smile.
She said they weren't that close, but she didn't seem to think badly of Seo Geon-woo.
If anything, she seemed fond of him.
‘What? He acted like he never met any friends besides me.’
Had he been meeting up with and keeping in touch with one girl after another behind my back?
Woo Da-yeon, and now Hong Ye-na.
Was there someone else, too?
“I see.”
“What about you, Ms. Ha-jeong? How long have you known Geon-woo?”
“Ah, we met in college.”
“Ohh, I see.”
Just then, Seo Geon-woo appeared with the coffees he'd ordered.
He sat down between Hong Ye-na and me.
“Did you two get a chance to talk?”
For some reason, seeing Seo Geon-woo's face irritated me.
‘Why does he suddenly look so annoying?’
Watching Seo Geon-woo and Hong Ye-na laughing and chatting so happily, I felt something hot rise up in my chest for some reason.
‘I didn't come here for this….’