61 – Are you two dating?
“No, father. I’m really fine now. Yes, I’m going to school soon. Of course, don’t worry.”
Ara ended the phone call with her father Jaejun Yoo with a forced smile.
Contrary to what she told him, it was still a long way to get to school, but it was difficult for Ara to pretend to be okay anymore, so she made an excuse to hang up the phone.
“It’s still a long way to go to school, but… “
“I know.”
“… Sorry.”
Ara sighed at the thoughtless words of Jin Sang-cheol, the attendant.
Today is Wednesday. Ara had already missed two days of school, but she couldn’t continue to stay locked in her room like that.
More than anyone else, she should not have worried Jae-jun, her father, about something like this, and she should not have let him find out about Han-sol and her story.
Her older siblings, Ji-tae and A-hyeon, begged her not to tell their father.
Since she only knew that Ara was dumped by Hansol, she was able to get a promise not to tell her father about the love affair between the two younger brothers.
Her siblings made an excuse to her father, saying that Ara was a little sick.
While traveling in her car, Ara was busy typing on her cell phone.
「Araya, are you coming to school today? All of our classmates are worried about you a lot ㅜㅜ」
「Isn’t something really going on? “I’m going to visit your house like this, really???”
「Ara ara! Do you have to come today? If I miss Professor Nam-seon Koo’s lecture, I’ll be in big trouble… !」
Her class of 23, not to mention her classmates’ chat room, nearly 20 people sent her personal chats today as well.
I decided to go to school today, so I felt obligated to reply to everyone who worried about me.
She may have a long-standing habit of not being scolded by anyone, but this was due to Ara’s good nature.
Ara gave the same excuse to each of them.
‘Because of family circumstances.’
Her position as a third-generation chaebol was comfortable at times like this. Everyone just moves on without asking any more questions. They say there’s something big going on that we don’t know about.
There were quite a few personal messages not only from her classmates but also from seniors in the same department. But…
「Sol-i」
Hansol’s profile saved as a nickname. I had to scroll far down the list of recent conversations to see his name.
No message came from the person who really wanted to be worried.
“… I was really sick. “It still hurts so much because of you.”
But you must have been in more pain during this time.
… It won’t work. Thinking about how sick Hansol was, Ara felt like tears would well up again.
“Hmm… “
You can’t cry now.
Even though Ara was sick, she couldn’t even show it in front of others.
It’s okay, acting is my specialty now.
Comforting herself, Ara closed her eyes and composed her mind.
“Well, lady. “I arrived at the main gate of the school.”
“… “I’ll be there in a bit.”
She arrived at school, but Ara deliberately planned to enter the lecture a little late.
I was afraid that if I went to school early, I would come face to face with Hansol.
I wasn’t confident that I would be okay after seeing his face yet.
Ara got out of the car about 3 minutes later than the 3 p.M. Lecture start time, took a book out of the first-year locker and entered the classroom.
“Ara student? Long time no see.”
“… Forgive me for being late.”
I opened the back door as quietly as possible and entered, but everyone’s attention in the classroom was focused on Ara.
Even her professor, who wouldn’t have paid any attention to her if she were another student, pretends to know her because she is a toddler.
Ara mechanically gave her professor a nod and walked away, ignoring all the eyes that came her way.
Fearing that Hansol might be among those looking behind her, Ara walked heavily to the corner seat at the back of her classroom without turning her head.
It was fortunate that the seat next to me was empty. It must have been very difficult for someone without any tact to talk to her right now.
Ara, who had been adjusting her seat while doing her homework, finally raised her head when her lecture resumed and everyone’s eyes turned to the professor again.
Her anxiously moving eyes were able to quickly find him.
It was impossible not to notice her platinum-haired body and larger body than the other students of the National Education Department.
“Ugh… “
Just looking at his back made her heart break, and Ara had no choice but to lower her head again. His expression crumpled and he fell silent.
Hansol said that her heart aches when she only looks at him. Oh, she did it herself.
Now, it hurts just to see Hansol. Hansol made it that way.
No, Ara herself made it that way.
———-
“… Forgive me for being late.”
Her appearance, which came a little later than her class time, made everyone in the classroom excited.
I already knew that Ara was coming to school today because I had heard about it in her classmate’s chat room and through conversations with classmates who spoke in passing.
I knew, but my heart was pounding violently.
Unable to resist the urge, I eventually turned my head away.
I saw your face.
Is it because she wanted to do it or because she was having a really hard time?
Ara’s face looked quite gaunt when I saw her for the first time in three days.
Despite her close gaze, Ara walked only looking straight ahead at her without turning her head in this direction.
Close lips and trembling eyes. That’s a face I know.
When you are afraid of something, when you are anxious. Young Ara always had that kind of face.
It became difficult to look at her pitiful face, so I turned my head.
Is it difficult for you to see my face anymore?
‘I thought I would feel a little better if I told you everything.’
When I see your painful face, my heart becomes even heavier.
When the lecture ended and I stood up, Ara had already left the classroom.
Without realizing it, I quickly packed my bag and came out of the classroom, so I could barely see her back.
My heart ached again when I saw her walking forlornly alone without any of the friends she usually walked with.
… But there is nothing I can do for you. It’s gone now.
I turned my back on Ara and walked away. It was a step as heavy as my heart.
———-
8Pm after peak hour on Saturday evening. Today, Soi Bunsik’s business closure sign was quickly put up.
Today, fortunately, was the first company dinner day since Soi Bunsik opened.
One day, I bought Soyi a drink and invited her over. There was a day when I invited her and Kwak Joo-hee joined her, so it was similar to her company dinner, but it wasn’t an official dinner party.
After waiting for a while in front of the store door, another part-time worker, Dami Lim, walked slowly.
Normally, she would arrive a few minutes earlier than her appointment time, but this woman arrived exactly on time. Without a single error.
“Hello.”
“What is it, Dami Lim, why are you so late!”
“It came just right?”
“People must arrive at the appointment location 5 minutes before the appointment time!”
“If that’s the case, it’s better to schedule your appointment 5 minutes in advance.”
Kkondae CEO Kwak Joo-hee scolded her, but her shameless face didn’t work for Im Da-mi.
Normally, if you were a subordinate, you would pretend to listen and say you will do that from next time, but this is amazing.
If she was just a salaried employee, such an attitude would not have looked very good, but I heard that Dami Lim is a quite capable employee.
I work in a different time zone than her, so it’s hard to imagine her being good at serving customers with that blunt face.
In any case, as long as she does her job well, her attitude is cute to the boss.
Therefore, Kwak Joo-hee did not bother to find fault with Im Da-mi and led the group to her dinner party.
“Hello, Mr. Hansol.”
“… Hello, Dami.”
Honestly, I feel a little uncomfortable with this woman.
This person doesn’t have any trouble with me. It’s just that her personality doesn’t match mine.
“You look very handsome today too. “I wish my boyfriend were half as good.”
“You must have other good points.”
“I don’t have any.”
“… “Then why are you dating?”
“It’s just that we have good inner compatibility.”
“…… “
From Noble mtl dot com
Her being so honest makes me uncomfortable. Would you say that the words that are blurted out indifferently take my breath away?
Dami Lim’s appearance is also one of the uncomfortable factors for me.
A long snake-like tattoo extending from the bottom can be seen on her side while wearing a cropped tank top. There is a similar tattoo on her right shoulder and on her exposed collarbone.
Usually I cover up at Kwak Joo-hee’s request, but today is not a work day, so I guess I’m walking around openly like that.
Her ears also had her piercings as if they were natural, and when I happened to see her the other day, there was also something stuck in her tongue.
It’s bad to judge people based on their appearance, and I hate it because I’ve been through that a lot… Even if you don’t discriminate, you can’t help but feel personally uncomfortable.
I walked instinctively, covering her eyes from her.
Her blunt conversation with her made her blush several times on the way.
“Alright, arrived! Let’s go in quickly. “The bosses are shooting today!”
“… “It’s an unlimited refill book.”
This man is truly amazing.
When we arrived at the meat buffet where the dinner was held, Dami Lim’s snout was causing trouble again.
If Dami Lim dies someday, I think she will get stabbed by someone for a mistake in her words.
Ignoring that, Kwak Joo-hee took the lead and personally opened the store door.
“Okay then, everyone disperse. “Do your best.”
As soon as we entered the store and took a seat, we were busy moving around.
We quickly completed the setup by assigning roles to each person and scooping out kimchi and ssam vegetables into bowls.
As expected because we are restaurant workers, the owner of the meat buffet also applauded our quick and disciplined movements… I felt like it was.
We all did the setting up, but grilling the meat became my lowest-ranking job. Her experience is slightly older than that of Dami Lim, but she is far behind in age.
I pushed the best-looking pieces of grilled meat to Soi sitting next to me.
The eldest member, Kwak Joo-hee, seemed a little wary, but he seemed to have no problem grinning at us.
“Kim So-i, eat this too.”
“Huh? No, I’m still in my mouth.”
“Eat more.”
As I was happily looking at Soyi, who was eating like a baby bird, I felt sharp gazes from next to me.
It couldn’t have been Kwak Joo-hee, who was looking at us with warm eyes. She was Lim Dami, who was silently scooping up her meat.
Did you only take care of Soi too openly?
I gently pushed her grilled meat towards her and watched her notice.
“… Why are you doing this? “Do you not like it?”
“Are you two dating?”
I’m glad it wasn’t a complaint about the meat, but a question came up that was difficult to answer.