Chapter 150

“I’m just so tired. Everyone keeps saying to go out somewhere or asking me to come visit, so I have no time to rest, no time to rest.”

No matter how much that may be the case, it’s ultimately a book. Muk Ha-neul’s book is surprisingly attracting a lot of attention, but that doesn’t mean it’s enough to turn South Korea upside down. If my schedule were truly packed to the point that I had no time to rest, I wouldn’t have been able to come here in the first place.

“I’m also, for now, a writer. I’ve dragged someone who’s only been writing in their room out here, so there’s no way my stamina could keep up.”

That’s true, but… By the way, when having a conversation, could you please clear away the snacks? Don’t spill crumbs on the floor.

“But I think I’ll get a little more comfortable now. Feels like things are gradually cooling down, right? I don’t really want to go out more either.”

“Do you think it’ll be that easy?”

I felt a bit skeptical, having gone through a similar experience, even if it was a completely different matter. Seeing my video of me singing that I thought would be buried still circulating means that thinking that way at this point was premature. Unlike my videos, which don’t earn a cent, a book becomes a valuable item the more famous it gets. It’s quite the opposite, really—this is a good thing.

“I’ve already made a lot of money… and I wasn’t exactly lacking to begin with.”

“Oh, you’re born with a silver spoon in your mouth.”

I briefly forgot that this guy was by no means struggling with money like I was. I didn’t need to worry in the first place.

“I suppose that can’t be said to be a silver spoon situation at all… is it wrong for me to think that?”

“You’ve changed your personality.”

I sighed as I looked at Muk Ha-neul, who immediately teased me. I felt like she used to be a bit more innocent than this. These days, she seems… cleverer, perhaps? She has a playful streak, and I feel like she’s become a bit wilder. Maybe this is really just Muk Ha-neul being herself, not putting on a facade as she usually does at home.

“You used to be nice back then.”

“I’m still nice.”

“You were a bit more modest back then.”

“I’m still modest.”

“You were more innocent back then.”

“I’m still innocent… No, why are you tormenting me like this today? I made a special effort to come see you! I came to catch up since we haven’t been able to meet often since the end of last year!”

“Look at how you are right now.”

For reference, Muk Ha-neul had been staying at my place for three days now. That meant she had been relying on my hospitality for three days, and currently, she was just wearing some pajamas over her underwear, scratching her messy hair while munching on snacks.

“Why are you even insisting on staying here?”

“I told you.”

She did say that, but it was a bit absurd. It was embarrassing too.

The surface reason she gave was quite reasonable. It was about a stalker. Muk Ha-neul, who had certainly become famous, had developed a stalker. So she was hiding out at my place to avoid the stalker.

The problem was that the stalker had already been caught some time ago. They apprehended him three days after he was discovered, and the legal process was already underway. So, in reality, there was no reason for Muk Ha-neul to specifically come to my house because of a stalker.

Rather, if the stalker was really still out there, wouldn’t my house actually be more dangerous?

“Well, you did resolve everything, didn’t you?”

“If it’s resolved, then there was no need to come.”

“This is my form of revenge.”

“…”

Yeah, the real reason was revenge.

Muk Ha-neul had confessed to me once. She said she loved me. Even though she has become like this, she said her feelings hadn’t changed.

At that time, I gave a vague answer. Muk Ha-neul didn’t pressure me for an answer. No matter when I was asked, I probably wouldn’t have been able to respond. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t trust it.

I didn’t believe that feeling could continue against someone like me, someone who had changed so much.

Because I couldn’t believe a woman’s love.

“Do you still feel that way?”

But Muk Ha-neul declared to me with confidence.

“I still do.”

I again couldn’t respond.

That’s why I couldn’t refuse when Muk Ha-neul said she would stay here for a few days. By the way, the reason this topic came up was that I accidentally mentioned that some acquaintances had stayed at my house a few times.

“You’re playing with a girl’s innocence~”

“‘Girl?'”

“…What? Do you have a problem with that?”

It was just a joke. Anyway,

“I just thought of something suddenly. If you still like me, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for us to be living together?”

“…You just realized that now?”

Muk Ha-neul frowned as if she found it absurd.

“How ridiculous. A cute junior like me is trying to seduce you, and you didn’t even notice?”

“I’m saying this again, but don’t talk about that while dropping snack crumbs everywhere. And if that’s true, I’m genuinely worried about my virtue.”

Despite adding that it was serious, it wasn’t truly a serious topic. After all, at the moment we were just two girls, and Muk Ha-neul wasn’t the type to act that way. Although considering her physique, she could have. It was a playful enough question, but surprisingly, Muk Ha-neul gave me a serious answer.

“Don’t worry. What I like is your inner self.”

“…Is that so?”

“Senpai, more than the Seol-guk, I will always love you, no matter what.”

“Even if footprints are left, if the snow falls, and they are covered?”

“I want to keep leaving my footprints.”

“…If I were to become ugly, would you still say that?”

I asked a pointless question in the heat of the moment and immediately regretted it. If I said yes, it wouldn’t be believable, and if I said no, it would be disappointing. Still, I wished she would say yes.

But Muk Ha-neul wasn’t either.

“I don’t know!”

“…You idiot.”

She really was a girl who wouldn’t say the words I wanted to hear.

“It’s something that hasn’t happened yet, so I can only not know. Still, I think I want to.”

That she still wants to love a person named Seol-guk.

That’s probably the most realistic and best answer. Just that much was enough of a reply. It was really unexpected, but Muk Ha-neul always treated me sincerely.

“So you can rest assured. I won’t attack you in the middle of the night.”

“Is that something I should be relieved about?”

“If I make you trust me, it’ll be easier to do it later.”

“Why in the world has this girl changed so much…”

In any event, we eventually came back to this topic for the first time at the end. Why has she truly changed so much?

“Wouldn’t it have been great if you had answered a bit faster?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Still, I couldn’t respond.

“It’s okay. I’ll wait for as long as it takes.”

“Yeah…”

I don’t know when I’ll be able to answer, nor if I’ll be able to repay her wait.

“Oh, a call came in. I’ll step outside for a bit to take it.”

“Is it an important call?”

“For now, yes?”

With that, Muk Ha-neul went outside. The place she had just occupied was now littered with snack crumbs. I sighed and began to clean up the mess.

“You messy girl…”

On TV, I could still see Muk Ha-neul participating in an interview program with a famous celebrity. She was discussing the drama.

On the screen, Muk Ha-neul looked quite pretty.

That night, Muk Ha-neul went home. It was the night of the third day.

~

That was the end of the second significant event.

In truth, there were many stories to tell around me, even if they weren’t particularly special.

Seo Eun-a got into a good university, but she hasn’t been able to adapt properly since the start of the semester. She mostly just chats with me and hasn’t come to my house much lately. According to Professor Seo, she seems to be really struggling.

I haven’t met Im Mi-ra again since that time. Still, I managed to keep in touch with Seo Eun-a, so I occasionally hear news. I heard she started studying for a retake. She apparently gave up on attending a cram school and decided to try on her own.

I heard this through Han-bom, who casually visits my house but also mentioned that Park Chan-wook’s work got involved in a plagiarism controversy, and he’s apparently been having a really tough time lately because of it. And while telling this story, Han-bom spent a hefty amount on her favorite mobile game.

I coincidentally saw Ji Kang-hyeon on a program, and he was really tall now. With a complicated heart, I measured my height just in case, and it came out that I’d grown about 1 cm to be 149. I wondered if I should be happy about that. When Seo Eun-a heard this, she went on about how she shouldn’t grow any taller.

Another unexpected event was that the government suddenly announced a significant increase in support funds. It seems that while updating the support system for patients with rare diseases, they also increased the funds for TS disease. Ham Yejin successfully transferred to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, but she couldn’t become my case manager.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family decided there was no need to assign a case manager to me, citing that the support system had changed and that my health had stabilized. It seemed Ham Yejin didn’t accept this at all.

There were many mundane, yet ordinary events like these. It was something I couldn’t have even imagined before. Maybe that’s why, without even realizing it, sometimes I find myself thinking a bit positively about this change, just a little, very slightly.

But there was something special enough to mention separately.

Thinking about how the word “special” can also have a positive connotation, it might not be all that special after all.

[Still, I don’t know how it will turn out.]

Hwa-won’s father said that if she couldn’t deliver results by the promised time, then she should go gain experience at the American branch to become the successor.

If Hwa-won doesn’t produce results within a year, she will leave for America. The remaining time is less than half a year now.

For Hwa-won, becoming the successor was something she had already braced herself for. However, it seems she didn’t expect herself to actually go to America.

If that happens, we won’t be able to meet for at least a few years. I comforted Hwa-won, saying I was sure she would deliver results.

And then Hwa-won failed at the competition.