Chapter 229

The world doesn’t change just because I feel unpleasant. Promises still exist, and I had to go buy a swimsuit today. It was a social obligation that couldn’t be twisted by my trivial feelings.

If I twisted it, then I wouldn’t be able to buy the swimsuit anyway.

I wasn’t just in a bad mood. I had taken too long of a nap yesterday and didn’t sleep well, so I was a bit tired. Plus, I was a little shocked because my underwear was slightly damp as soon as I woke up. I had thrown it right into the washing machine, but the fact that I had gotten wet didn’t disappear.

Still, I eventually got up.

…To go buy a swimsuit.

Hye-won could certainly help me plenty.

By the way, Eun-a had given me about 365 reasons why she should accompany me when I went to buy a swimsuit, but I turned her down, telling her to just focus on studying. She was worrying about trivial things instead of enjoying herself, despite being short on study time.

Besides, I was just going to buy something like a rash guard anyway.

I was a bit worried that Eun-a might try to throw a fit and come to my house to go with me, but fortunately, that didn’t happen, and I arrived at the meeting spot on time. I had dressed lightly for the day. The weather was certainly getting warmer, so I wore a suitably thin dress and a straw hat.

Hye-won always threw in something extra whenever I bought clothes, and this straw hat was one of those gifts. The sunlight was harsher than I expected, so it felt quite comfortable to wear. For reference, it wasn’t made of real straw; it was just an ordinary hat designed to look like one. I wasn’t sure what the material was, but fabric was still fabric.

I arrived about 30 minutes early and found a suitable bench to sit on. I felt eyes on me from the surroundings, but I stubbornly sat still, waiting for Hye-won. Fortunately, no one approached me during that time.

After waiting for about 20 minutes, I saw Hye-won waving her hand as she came closer.

“Hello~ Am I really late?”

“No, I came out a bit early.”

Once Hye-won arrived, I stood up and bowed slightly.

“Thank you for today, Hye-won.”

“Yeees. Let’s do our best, okay?”

What were we going to do well? It was just picking out a swimsuit.

“Oh, by the way, when you sit on a bench like this, you should lay down a handkerchief or something. The dress will get dirty. Do you still have the one I gave you last time?”

Ah, a handkerchief… I did receive it as a gift, but it felt awkward to carry something like that around with a dress. All I had on me right now was my phone and wallet. Honestly, that should be enough for the average outing.

“And… why did you put your wallet and phone in the pockets of your dress?”

“There are… pockets?”

“That messes up your style! No way. First, let’s buy a bag today.”

“Excuse me? I came here to buy a swimsuit…”

“That won’t take long! Let’s get a bag first. Handbags are essentials for girls!”

When she spoke firmly, she didn’t draw out her words…. It seemed she only acted like this with me; she didn’t do the same with Hwa-won.

I didn’t feel the need for a bag yet, but since she said it wouldn’t match the dress’s style, I decided to follow Hye-won’s suggestion. Even when wearing a swimsuit, having a bag would probably make it easier to move around.

“But it can’t be too expensive.”

“I’ll help you choose something cheap and nice.”

Hye-won smiled brightly, looking cheerful as always. She was a truly good person.

Of course, there were clothing stores that sold bags. We looked around at several places, but the prices were either too high or the sizes too large, and after several cuts, we finally found a decent item. It was very small compared to regular handbags, but it could be slung over the shoulder and was big enough to hold the essentials.

…Actually, it did seem like something kids would use. The design wasn’t childish at all, but the store had that kind of vibe, so I could tell. The strap was adjusted a bit short, which felt annoying (and it was just the right size).

Placing my wallet from my pocket and my smartphone into the bag certainly made it more convenient. I didn’t really know if it matched the outfit or not, but since Hye-won said it looked better than before, it must be true.

“Thank you.”

“Oh come on, it’s nothing. I’m not the one paying for it. You’re the one buying it, Seol-guk.”

Suddenly, I realized that we still addressed each other as Hye-won and Seol-guk. Hmm… It wasn’t that we were incredibly close, but still, when we only met occasionally and helped each other, those titles felt… a bit distant.

So, thinking to close that gap a bit, I decided to bring it up.

“Um… can we call each other more casually?”

“Hmm? How should I address you?”

“Uh, you can call me ‘noona.’”

“Wow, you’ve gotten cute since I last saw you!”

“Don’t tease me like that.”

“Alright, from now on, I’ll call you that. Seol-guk noona?”

“…Just call me Seol. The name Seol-guk doesn’t sound pretty. It just doesn’t have a nice ring to it.”

Actually, it wasn’t that I hesitated to use that name just because of how it sounded. It was mostly because of what Han Su-young had said back then. Honestly, it wasn’t a pretty name, so it was lucky that this excuse worked well.

“Seol noona?”

“Then what should I call you? Hye-won?”

“Can’t you just call me Hye-won noona?”

“Didn’t I say not to tease me?”

“Oh, come on, it’s just a joke. It’s okay to speak casually.”

“…Okay, Hye-won.”

Hye-won was still smiling that friendly smile. Suddenly, thoughts of Hwa-won came to mind. The Hye-won who was smiling in front of me now was also someone who had spent the night with Hwa-won.

In fact, Hye-won was a very good person. She was living her life diligently, and if I were a man, it would have seemed odd to let go of such a precious girl.

Why did things fall apart with Hwa-won?

“I have a question. Can I ask?”

“Sure.”

“…Why did you break up with Hwa-won?”

“Pardon?”

“Hmm?”

…What was that reaction?

“We weren’t dating.”

“Ah, that’s not what I meant… I meant, um… like, as a friends-with-benefits situation….”

Ah, I really shouldn’t have asked that. Why did I bring up such a question at this time? Talking about this outside wasn’t really appropriate. I felt embarrassed, and my face began to heat up.

“Ah, you mean friends-with-benefits! Why haven’t you two had sex together recently?”

“Lo, lower your voice!”

No, seriously, Hye-won, do you have no sense of embarrassment? Speaking so freely without regard for the surrounding gazes was impressive in many ways.

“There’s really no particular reason.”

“Hmm?”

“I mean… until recently, I had a boyfriend, and when I was with Hwa-won, I was single. It was around a year ago that I was really seeing someone. But at some point, we just lost interest and stopped contacting each other.”

“I, lost interest?”

“Right? Hwa-won has met a lot of girls, so maybe that’s why. I wasn’t thinking much about it, though.”

“Is, is that so…”

So even Hye-won, who was pretty and had a good figure, lost interest. Still… he must have been quite the guy.

Then what about me… what should I do?

I mean, my body isn’t that great, and what if I get bored with it quickly…?

No, no, no, why am I having these thoughts? What’s wrong with thinking such shameless things out in public? Especially with Hye-won right in front of me.

“Your face is really red. Are you feeling heated up?”

“N-no!”

Ahem, ahem. Anyway, it was really time to go buy a swimsuit now. When I suggested buying a swimsuit, Hye-won suddenly seemed to forget about the previous conversation and became lively. Was she really that excited? I was just going to buy a rash guard anyway.

“I’ll pick out the prettiest ones for you.”

“I-I don’t need something pretty. Just something simple like a rash guard…”

“Really?”

…Why that reaction again? I’m struggling here…

“No, no, rash guards are great! But, um… how should I put it?”

“What is it?”

Why do I feel uneasy? Why am I scared of what Hye-won might say? Suddenly…I became a bit anxious.

“If you’re going to buy a rash guard anyway, didn’t you really just need to go by yourself?”

With that statement, I suddenly had a realization.

You’re right. Why is that? It would be enough for me to go buy it alone.

Thinking about it now, I could have bought a swimsuit without her. Especially if it was a rash guard. If any problems arose, there were employees at the store; it wasn’t necessary to bring someone else along, right? So why did I really bring Hye-won with me? Why did I ask her for help?

The reason was already out. I already knew it.

…Because Hye-won had been intimate with Hwa-won.

That was it.

Hye-won would know Hwa-won’s preferences better than anyone else.

I think I was subconsciously thinking that. That’s why I chose Hye-won over Eun-a.

I could have asked anyone else for help.

But Han-bom had to work, and with her history, it was hard to trust her. It felt awkward to call Mira just to pick a swimsuit. It was a hassle to imagine Eun-a squealing and making a scene. So by process of elimination, it was Hye-won.

But the truth was not that simple. I chose Hye-won solely to know Hwa-won’s tastes. All other reasons were mere excuses.

As I came to that realization, my face flushed to the point where it was clear to anyone watching. It heated up. I felt like my face had turned red enough for Hye-won to start worrying about me. Hye-won asked with concern.

“Are you, are you okay?”

“Wait, just… let me take a break.”

In the end, I had no choice but to buy myself some time.