4 – Our Yeong-ae Has Changed (3)
Decadent literature.
“…”
The moment I saw the large letters written on the bookshelf, I couldn’t help but stop in my tracks. The only place where the fallen villain Yeong-ae could catch her breath was ultimately in the shadow of decadence.
But upon closer thought, it was quite a clever choice. If the other party were a commoner, one could simply suppress them with authority, and if it were a noble, they wouldn’t step foot in such a debauched place in the first place. Well, in reality, commoners wouldn’t either. Such places are like bathrooms, and once you know someone is inside, entering becomes extremely undesirable.
Yet, I couldn’t resist the curiosity-driven steps. Of course, that didn’t mean I boldly walked; I hesitated a bit and leaned against the bookshelf, muffling my footsteps. Then, like a boy entering adolescence, I cautiously reached out towards the edge of decadence, peering inside.
And there, among the old bookshelves, I saw Yuna sitting at a small desk.
At first glance, her appearance seemed almost unchanged from when she was in the classroom. Her face, focused only on the book in front of her, buried among thick books, was still cold and pragmatic. Even the urgent footsteps from earlier, which might have been a misconception that it wasn’t Yuna’s, seemed to fade away.
But the more I looked, the more differences I noticed compared to what I saw in the classroom. As these details became more apparent, the hesitation that lingered seemed to gradually diminish. After some contemplation, I randomly picked a book from the shelf and approached the desk.
Thud. Thud.
“…”
“…”
“Phew…”
Yuna didn’t show any reaction until I sat at the desk. However, as I sat down directly across from her, she slightly raised her head towards the books. At that moment, her brown hair tousled, and her large glasses shook with a clatter.
Upon seeing those big glasses, I had to exert all my effort to suppress the laughter that came to mind. It was simply because those excessively large and round glasses didn’t seem to suit her at all. It wasn’t an overestimation of my aesthetic sense, but the glasses covering her sharp eyes and attractive thick eyebrows didn’t seem to enhance her charm. Nevertheless, as I continued to look, I started to think they might suit her quite well. Although they covered her eyes, they seemed to soften her expression, giving a more friendly and familiar feeling. Moreover, whether it was the effect of the glasses or not, her pretty green eyes seemed to stand out even more.
“…”
“…”
“…Phew…”
After staring at her for a while, Yuna suddenly raised her hand to her chest and took a short breath, as if the recoil from the earlier sprint hadn’t completely subsided. There were still lingering echoes of her rapid heartbeat in her throbbing chest, and her cheeks, damp with sweat, had strands of curly hair sticking to them.
Having scrutinized each of these elements with my eyes, the malicious image of Yeong-ae disappeared, leaving behind just a cute girl with slightly weak stamina. With long curly hair, wearing large glasses, and bending over a book on the desk, she appeared more like a diligent homebody than a noble young lady. I gazed at this new side of her that I had never seen before for a long time.
“…”
However, the time for admiration didn’t last long. Yuna, who had been completely focused on the book, gradually began to notice my gaze, and her stiff posture started to relax. Then, raising her pupils slightly, she secretly looked in my direction. I simply smiled without any noticeable reaction.
“…!”
As soon as Yuna faced my smile, she flinched and trembled, burying her face in the book again. However, like oil rising to the surface of water, she eventually raised her head and glanced at me briefly. Each time, I would simply smile without saying a word.
“hahahaha…”
“…”
“Hmm…”
“…”
“…”
“…Ugh…”
Finally, Yuna let out a sigh as if admitting defeat and put down her book. Then, she cleared her throat and spoke to me for the first time.
“Um, do you have any business with me, by any chance?”
It’s pointless to use such a dignified tone now. I glanced at the book titled “The Similarities Between Virgins and Apples” deliberately placed in the back and said.
“You don’t need to use such a noble tone in a place like this.”
“Ugh…”
Yuna, who had been following my gaze naturally, let out a sigh as if collapsing at the end. Then, she made an effort to appear nonchalant and opened her mouth again.
“Never mind about that. Do you have any business with me? I’ve been feeling your gaze since earlier.”
“Yeah. I thought you were focused on studying. Is it all done now?”
“No, it’s not like that…”
“Then let’s talk when you’re done. I’ll be waiting.”
“Well, it’s hard to concentrate when you’re looking at me like that…”
Unconsciously, Yuna almost lost her noble tone and bit her lip in surprise. Then, she looked at me with a slightly resentful gaze.
“That side’s gaze bothered me so much that I couldn’t focus at all.”
“It’s not ‘that side,’ it’s Ellen.”
“… Ellen, who was looking at me.”
“Sigh.”
An awkward title like ‘Ellen’ made me burst into laughter unintentionally. Then, Yuna, as if embarrassed, lowered her head and murmured in a voice that seemed audible yet hesitant.
“Who on earth is this… Was there such a character?”
“What are you saying?”
“What? That… that…”
What does it matter who the character is? When Yuna expressed doubt with a strange monologue, she seemed surprised and then spoke in a voice that seemed to sneak in.
“So why did you come here…”
“Well, about that.”
Unable to postpone it any longer, I slowly opened my mouth. And with a slightly lowered voice, I asked.
“There, you know. When I held hands earlier, there.”
“Oh… that time.”
“Did you feel really bad then?”
“What?”
At my words, Yuna opened her eyes a little wider, pursing her lips. Looking into her eyes, I leaned in that direction.
“Somehow, you seemed quite embarrassed.”
“I… I wasn’t that embarrassed.”
“Your face was really red and all. Did you feel uncomfortable or anything?”
“No! It’s not like that. It’s just… um.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It’s just… well…”
At that, I laughed again. Was I always this awkward in dealing with people? Somehow, amidst the conversation that flowed without much context, I found myself gently smiling, and Yuna turned her gaze, contemplating my words. Perhaps she was recalling what happened earlier.
After pondering for a while, Yuna turned towards me again and asked, “So, is that the end?”
“Huh?”
“Is that what you wanted to know? If it’s over?”
Yuna looked at me with a slightly hopeful expression. It seemed like she was asking if it was finally over. Unfortunately, I still had a bit of business left.
“Well… actually, there’s one more thing I want to confirm.”
“Something you want to confirm?”
“Yeah. So, Yuna.”
With those words, I raised my hand.
“Can I hold your hand again, just for a moment?”
“…Yes?”
“I have something I want to make sure of. Is that okay?”
“Well…”
Yuna, taken aback by the sudden request, avoided eye contact. After staring at her own hand for a moment, she bit her lip and said, “That… that’s not possible.”
“Why?”
“That…”
She desperately hid her hand from me and stammered in response.
“I have too much sweat on my hands.”
…
Rather, it’s fine.
“I’m okay. Just for a moment…”
“No. I still don’t like it. It bothers you, so…”
“Then wipe it.”
“I don’t have a handkerchief. And even if I wipe, it keeps sweating, so it won’t work.”
Suddenly, Yuna’s voice became firm. It seemed really embarrassing that her hands were wet. After some hesitation, I smiled as a strange thought occurred to me.
“Really? Then how about this?”
“What?”
I got up from my seat and approached Yuna. As the distance closed, her face rapidly heated up, and her gaze naturally shifted elsewhere. I stopped right in front of her.
And I reached out a pocket towards her.
“How about grabbing it through the clothes?”
“…What?”
“If you put your hand in the pocket, I’ll grab it from the outside. Then things like sweat won’t be a problem, right?”
“Yes… yes?”
I thought it was a clear solution, but Yuna was extremely embarrassed and stepped back a bit. If this prevents sweat from staining again, it shouldn’t be a problem. And if money goes into the pocket again this time, it would be a clear answer to why I’m doing this now.
“But that’s…”
“Can I put my hand in there?”
“No way!”
Yuna shouted, then startled herself with the sound she made, quickly covering her mouth. Lowering her voice more than necessary, she asked.
“W-What… What does this even mean?”
“You’ll find out when you do it. If nothing happens, I won’t bother you like this again. Is that okay?”
“Well…”
Yuna hesitated but soon nodded slowly.
“…So, are we really doing this? If nothing happens, we’ll just forget about it.”
“Got it. Let’s do that.”
I nodded firmly. Only then did Yuna stand up.
Perhaps due to being so close, her long hair fluttered lightly, brushing against my clothes as she stood up. Yuna, surprised, stepped back, then, as if determined, bit her lip and approached me. Slowly, she raised her hand. Watching her, I slightly opened the pocket of my upper garment. Yuna, tense, exhaled nervously at the sight of the opened hole.
“So… Am I putting it in?”
“Yeah.”
“Really putting it in?”
“…Okay, don’t say it like that, now that I’ve agreed.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Maybe because of the peculiar choice of words, Yuna became even more tense, breathing heavily. Once, twice, thrice. With every heartbeat, her chest fluttered, and each time, unintentionally, my gaze turned in that direction. This shouldn’t be happening. Even when I forcibly turned my head away, my eyes kept involuntarily returning. Eventually, I too became nervous, and my heart started pounding.
“Huff…”
What is this? Yuna closed her eyes once, took several deep breaths, and repeated it. Then, with hands now moist from sweat, she cautiously put them into my pocket. As her slightly trembling fingers slipped through the hole, the sound of fabric brushing against each other echoed softly in my ears. Soon, like a warm body temperature settling deep in my pocket, her hand gently rested. Feeling the distinct weight, I whispered.
“So, should I hold onto it?”
“…Yes.”
Yuna lowered her head in embarrassment, barely managing to respond. I cautiously grasped the pocket, feeling a strong scent of soap that seemed to waft over.
Under the thin fabric of her school uniform, I could feel the touch of the small hand I had held in the classroom earlier. It didn’t have the softness of before or the moistness of sweat, but it definitely transmitted her body temperature.
At first, I had just intended to hold it lightly, but unknowingly, my fingers tightened as I felt the pleasant warmth. I wondered if this was okay. Despite my doubts, I was already firmly clasping Yuna’s hand. The creases of her collar wrapped around my palm, and something cold yet hot flowed through my fingers as sweat seeped through the fabric. Finally, I looked at Yuna’s face with a little concern.
She didn’t meet my gaze. But the cute blush that slowly spread through her brown hair was clearly visible. Somehow, Yuna, who had been exhaling faint breaths as if she had relaxed, entrusted her body to my hand without any resistance. And then, I moved my fingers ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, to gently enclose her palm.
“Um…”
“Uh…”
In the peculiar atmosphere, we both exhaled a sigh-like breath. Then, unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, Yuna tried to take her hand out of her pocket.
“Well, then? Now…”
“Just a moment.”
However, I grabbed her hand again as she tried to leave and pressed our bodies closer. Startled by the realization that she had to speak politely, Yuna let out a surprised sound.
“Kyaaah…! Hey!”
“Shh, calm down.”
I quietly hushed Yuna and turned my gaze away. It felt like I heard another sound in my head once again.
And after a while, as if to prove that it wasn’t just a feeling, the woman’s voice came again.
But this time, it didn’t end with a brief remark like before. She continued to utter a lengthy message in her unmistakably clear voice.
“[Yuna-nim has made a donation of 5000 won.]”
“[Yuna-nim has sent a message along with the donation.]”
At that moment, the woman paused for the first time and took a brief respite. I held my breath, anticipating that something extraordinary would be said. Soon, in the midst of the stillness, a short but powerful statement was delivered through my suspended breath.
“Put it in.”
🧐