＜Episode 12＞ Stranger
The words match, but the relationship with Si-eun must remain hidden.
Even the excuse of living next door is made up after all. When lies pile up, they eventually multiply out of control. It is better not to be suspicious as much as possible.
So, in order to hide the fact that Si-eun works as a housekeeper, I also needed to be careful about my actions.
For example, even if we meet while walking, we don’t say hello. After the lecture is over, Si-eun leaves and waits for a while before moving.
It’s better for me to pay attention than Si-eun, who has a lot to worry about. You’ll have to bear with this.
I thought so.
“there.”
A few days later, the lecture was over, and Si-eun spoke to me.
The classroom is still full of people getting ready to go out. Even if you are not careful, it is not enough.
He answered in a tone that was as relaxed as possible, so as not to raise suspicions around him.
“why?”
Si-eun smiled softly at my question.
“The group task, I thought it should be started slowly.”
“Ah, that.”
Fortunately, it was about the task. There will be no doubt
There may be some who wonder why Si-eun and I are doing the project together. Well, it would be natural to think that Si-eun specially put it together for me because I couldn’t make a group.
“Don’t waste your time, I thought it would be easier to talk after the lecture.”
“but.”
After sympathizing with Si-eun, he turned his gaze to the left.
Another member of the team, Sohye, was sleeping in the seat next to me.
You have to keep your ears open while sleeping. Did you not hear the professor saying that the lecture was over?
He turned his head to Si-eun again and asked.
“Do you have class next time?”
“It used to be, but it was canceled today.”
Si-eun smiled and responded in an official manner. It’s different from what you see at home. Si-eun seemed to be careful too.
For me, this was the last lecture, Si-eun’s next lecture was canceled, and one of them is sleeping well, although I don’t know. As Si-eun says, it would be good to have a meeting now.
She stretched out her arm and tapped Sohye’s bedside down.
“Wake up because it’s over.”
“Um, five more minutes… … .”
“This is not your bed.”
“uh? Why are you in my bed?”
“Because it’s not a bed… … .”
After an unexpected conversation, Sohye got up while rubbing her sleepy eyes. He slowly stretched out, noticed Si-eun standing in front of him, and nodded his head.
“Oh, Si-eun-senpai. hello.”
“yes. hi.”
Si-eun smiled softly and waved her hand.
“We decided to do a group project together, didn’t we?”
“yes! Oh, and it’s okay to say it in half.”
“then… … . That’s why I’m going to have a meeting for a while. Do you have any time?”
“yes! it’s okay!”
It’s not good, but it would be even more surprising if he was sleeping.
Sohye crossed her arms and spoke.
“Well, first of all, the content of the assignment… … . Did you even read it?”
“yes. I read it.”
Si-eun took out an A4 sheet of paper from her bag and read it. You can’t see it very well, but it was like a paper printed on the assignment posted on the website.
“I think I can use what I learned during the lecture. It won’t be that difficult.”
“Is that so? In fact, I can’t attend class because I’m always sleeping.”
“That’s not bragging.”
When he gave a reasonable point, Sohye pouted her mouth.
“Seniors just tap on their laptops every day.”
“Well, yes, but… … .”
“Sometimes I wake up to the sound of the keyboard. Be careful in the future, senpai.”
It’s a really ignorant conversation with the professor.
“Anyway.”
I decided to rectify the deviant topic.
I don’t listen to lectures, but I have already read the assignments. What kind of task, how long it will take, and how to do it is roughly summarized.
Say what you have envisioned in your head.
“After reading the assignments posted, I made a plan. First of all, it is a task to implement the API according to the content of the task page and use it to compose a simple web page. Ummm, DB and API side design will be needed, so I’ll make a draft and send it to you. We should all review it together and start working on it.”
Then he took the notebook out of his bag and unfolded one section. It was a page that summarized the general DB structure. The font is messed up though.
“It’s roughly like this. I’ll wrap it up and send it to you.”
The explanation ended with this.
I looked up to see if I could understand, and Si-eun and So-hye were looking at me with puzzled expressions.
“what’s the matter?”
When asked with a wink, Sohye made a sound of “Oh~” with a surprised look.
“I’ve never seen a senior talk so much.”
“How many times have you spoken to me?”
“Ahaha. It does. What should I say though? He has a pretty quiet image.”
I don’t know what the image is like, but I’m not really a quiet person. Sadly, the kids just don’t talk to me.
Soon after, Si-eun, who was next to her, said with her eyes closed.
“Are you surprisingly meticulous and smart?”
“uh… … . Thank you.”
I don’t know if it’s pure praise or low expectations. Anyway, I decided to take it as good as I thought it would be.
Actually, I’ve done this kind of work a few times. Because I have outsourced web development to earn investment. just get used to it
Si-eun seemed to ponder my briefing, then nodded her head slightly.
“yes. I think we should do what we just said.”
“I think it will be fine for now. Otherwise, I’ll stay up all night, huh?”
Then Sohye shook her head up and down as if following her.
“Then I do it. I will only trust my seniors and work hard.”
“Don’t sleep, work.”
“Ah, your senior is doing better. I won’t be of much help. Wouldn’t that just be a hindrance?”
“I might have heard what you said… … .”
“So, if you fail, the senior will shoot you one meal, and I will just follow along.”
“no. I won’t shoot.”
“Ah~”
What is a.
From the first time we talked, I thought it wasn’t normal. This child named Sohye might be more unusual than I expected.
I looked at Si-eun with such worries.
“… … .”
Si-eun was staring strangely at So-hye and I talking.
I couldn’t even get a sense of the meaning contained in those gazes.
◎
After the meeting, I sent Si-eun first, and I slowly walked home.
Si-eun said that the next lecture was canceled. It was just like going home together. In the end, I pretended to go to the bathroom and left with a time lag.
As I trudged, I saw someone standing in the distance near the back door.
It is a somewhat familiar silhouette. At first, I wanted someone, but the closer I got, the clearer it was.
When we arrived at the back door, Si-eun was standing there as expected.
It looked like it was staring blankly into the air. The men walking around gave a glance, but even that didn’t seem to reach Si-eun.
will you ignore it? That’s what I thought, but, well, it’s not wrong to pretend to know someone you know. As long as you don’t gossip, you won’t have any problems.
I spoke to Si-eun’s back.
“Who are you waiting for?”
Si-eun immediately shook her shoulders at my question, then turned and looked up at me.
“you.”
“What?”
“I was waiting for you.”
Hmm, I guess I didn’t hear it wrong.
“why?”
“Because the road is the same.”
Even the destination is the same. That’s it, I know.
After closing the distance one step further, he silenced his voice and continued the conversation.
“You say you don’t want to be caught working at my house?”
“That’s right. I live right next door, and it’s weirder to go back separately, isn’t it?”
is it? I don’t know. Because I’ve never walked home with a friend.
If the party, Si-eun, is okay with it, there is no need to keep distance.
“Then, what?”
After answering no matter what, I walked ahead. Si-eun lightly moved her feet and started walking next to me, keeping some distance.
About 10 minutes from the back door to the house. For a time that was neither long nor short, we became like taking a walk together.
Come to think of it, it was the first time we walked outside together since we first went to buy cooking utensils.
I’m reluctant to go out, go to school at different times, and even if I see each other at school, I ignore them. It’s because I never had a chance.
“You seem to have a good relationship with a girl named Sohye.”
I was quietly urging my steps, but Si-eun suddenly spoke up.
“It’s not particularly good. why?”
“I thought we were close because we had a fun conversation earlier. There are very few people in this world who can talk to you kindly.”
“There aren’t many at school, but there are probably more in the world… … .”
that’s it though
“That kid is weird.”
“Is that weird?”
“There have been very few people who have talked to me consistently. There were about two of us at our school, but this time there is only one more.”
“There is nothing strange about it.”
“right. To be honest, I’m the weird one.”
I am acting and speaking, and everything lies outside the normal range. I know, but I just can’t fix it.
So, I didn’t have any complaints about how other people treated me like a stranger and pushed me out of the fence. Although there are inconveniences. It is difficult to form a group task team right now.
Either way, there’s nothing I can do about it.
I laughed and was about to walk away, but Si-eun said in a quiet voice.
“If you talk properly, you’ll see that I’m not that bad of a person.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t think I’m a particularly bad person.”
He responded as if joking, but Si-eun, who was looking at him from the side, had a very serious expression.
It was the first time I saw Si-eun with a face like this, so I was a little perplexed.
In that state, Si-eun and I just walked without a word.
Si-eun opened her mouth again when we were almost home.
“Is there any food you want to eat today?”
“Because of the dinner menu?”
“yes. Because I’m going to go shopping.”
“As usual, choose the food you want to eat and make it.”
Si-eun frowned at my answer.
“no.”
“no?”
“Today, I will make your favorite food.”
Si-eun then put her hands on her waist. From outrageous sounds to outrageous actions. I had no way of figuring out why all of a sudden this was happening.
but… … .
“I’m just asking, just in case. Are you trying to comfort me?”
There were no corners to stray.
If you’re interested in what I said earlier, that I don’t have friends or that I’m weird. Well, it’s understandable to do this all of a sudden. It is questionable whether Si-eun has the personality to do such a thing.
Upon hearing my guess, Si-eun immediately opened her eyes wide.
“… … no it’s not.”
“okay?”
“okay. not at all This is just… … It’s just working as a housekeeper.”
“Or not.”
It seems that the inference is wrong. I’m a little shy.
Anyway, I decided not to refuse to cook my favorite food.
“I like ramen the best.”
“It sounds like ramen again… … .”
“It’s true, but what?”
When asked, Si-eun took a deep breath.
However, that was also for a while. After a while, Si-eun raised the corners of her lips slightly and answered.
“Okay. Today, I will prepare ramen.”
Then he immediately turned around and started walking towards the mart.
I thought for a moment that I would follow it, but I stopped. No one goes shopping at the supermarket with the person next door. This distance was just right for our relationship.
So I just snorted and turned my back.