Still, it wasn’t as awkward as I thought.
After all, we were close even on normal days, and the reason we went through such a negotiation from the start was because we didn’t want to hurt each other’s friendship. The remaining party still flowed quite well.
Thinking back, I couldn’t be more grateful that Nam Da-un waved goodbye first. Kissing in front of others might be embarrassing, but the degree of embarrassment in Nam Da-un’s case is completely different. It’s hard to express, but anyway, I didn’t want to show it too much.
No, more than that, I was a little regretting bringing Son Ah-reum all the way here.
“Ah, by the way.”
Just as I was thinking about Son Ah-reum, she spoke up, startling me. Thankfully, it seemed like Son Ah-reum, who was cutting the cake with a fork, didn’t notice.
“Aren’t you going to unwrap the gift?”
“Ah.”
That’s right. The gift.
Earlier, Son Ah-reum had given me a present. The other three received one each while kissing during the party, but Son Ah-reum’s gift was still unopened.
Glad I finished my piece of cake, I set my plate down and picked up her present, which I hadn’t unwrapped until that moment.
I completely forgot because I was so distracted.
It was a thin, long box. I had a feeling I knew what was inside.
Carefully tearing open the wrapping, a rather luxurious box emerged from inside.
When I opened it, there was a fountain pen.
I thought it might be a pen, a mechanical pencil, or a fountain pen, and unsurprisingly, it was exactly what it looked like.
How should I say this? It felt like a typical gift from Son Ah-reum. Of course, I didn’t think I would actually study with a fountain pen.
“Um… I wasn’t sure what kind of gift to give you. I think you already have most things. So I wanted to give you something that stands out from the gifts you receive, but I couldn’t really come up with anything.”
“No, thank you. I’ll use it well.”
I said it sincerely.
After all, I was the one who asked for anything. Of course, I should be happy with whatever I receive.
“Uh, yeah…”
At my words, Son Ah-reum blushed and nodded.
*
And so, the eventful birthday party came to an end. It turned into a much bigger deal than I expected, and with various incidents piled on top of each other, there were moments when I worried about how to deal with everything…
…Well, it’s true that…
…Hmm, now that I think about it, I don’t believe anything has actually been resolved.
The matters within the Yujin Group felt like they hadn’t even started, and there were many relatives I casually associated with. Of course, I hardly remembered the faces of any of those relatives so far.
Moreover, Choi Na-kyung hasn’t been caught yet. Plus, I had yet to respond to the girls who confessed to me.
So even after experiencing so much, not a single thing was, quite literally, resolved.
Well, still, I could at least set a direction. Although nothing was entirely settled, there were enough things to give a sense of direction.
For starters, Ye Sara’s group was formed within the school. Of course, it hasn’t been decided how to use them yet, but these kids could become my collaborators, whether they go to university later or into society. It would be wise to manage my connections to avoid being backstabbed.
As for my relatives, I wasn’t sure whether they were interested in the inheritance I would receive, but at least they had a significant interest in making sure the Yujin Group operates well. Even now, what I remember from my conversations with my relatives focused mostly on how the Yujin Group was doing.
Above all, Ye In-hyuk, acting as the actual leader in absence of Choi Na-kyung, had a strong interest in the Yujin Group itself.
So, I just had to make sure not to go too against that atmosphere. While maintaining a strong group, I could search for what I could gain and manage to stay relatively safe.
And lastly, the most important topic for me right now—
“Guys, wait a sec.”
I raised my hand casually towards Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee, who were naturally climbing onto my bed.
First of all, everyone took turns washing up today. While there had been kids who shared a bath with me until now, the reason why the other two hadn’t bathed together was made clear today; I firmly rejected that dark-hearted communal bath. The kids seemed disappointed, but they somewhat understood.
The problem was that the kids were naturally climbing onto my bed as it was getting close to bedtime.
No, more than that, originally, it had been me, Ha Neul, and Sua who slept together. With four people, the bed would be too cramped.
…Ah, I see.
Sohee likes me.
Of course, she wouldn’t be comfortable sharing a bed with other girls.
So, every night, she crawls into my bed.
And then pretends she walked in by mistake after going to the bathroom at night?
No wonder I’ve been waking up to the same bed every day.
“Even so, isn’t it a bit weird to sleep in the same bed with someone you like? I mean, I know you guys probably enjoy it, but still.”
Seeing their expressions change in real-time at my words, I hastily added,
“…So it’s not like you all slept together because we’re ‘friends’ or anything.”
“Uh…”
“Uhm…”
“Ah…”
Right.
They probably had some very inappropriate thoughts while sleeping together. If all four of us slept together, we would be cuddled up tight.
I know no one would act strangely while I was sleeping, but still, their intentions seem quite impure.
“This is just like kissing. Let’s all sleep separately. Otherwise, it won’t be fair to someone.”
“Sarah…”
Sohee looked at me with sparkling eyes. She often switched from other beds to mine, so it makes sense she might feel some dissatisfaction.
Of course, that wasn’t the reason I said it.
As I shot a piercing glare at Sohee, she quickly covered her mouth.
“…When we keep our neutral stance, let’s strictly maintain it. If even one breaks, the friendship ends, you know? I don’t want that.”
I’m aware of how selfish that sounds. But I had to point that out. The friends I made after coming to this world have grown too close to part ways now. If relationships were to shatter, I would certainly feel deeply discouraged.
And I believe the same goes for the other girls.
“…But there’s not enough space.”
Ha Neul muttered, as if offering an excuse.
In fact, two of them had homes to return to, and the other one didn’t really have to stay here, so there was no reason to say that. Nevertheless, without them, this big room would feel too empty, so I didn’t dwell on it.
“You have that sleeping bag Sohee brought. We’re using that today. We can order an extra bed anytime.”
The bed Sohee sleeps on arrived yesterday, so as long as I told Yang Hye-in about the other beds, they would be there while we were at school.
“I’ll just sleep on the floor.”
Ha Neul said, but,
“That means someone is going to end up next to me anyway.”
I firmly rejected that.
“But, still, you’re the host here.”
I looked steadily at Ha Neul, who was intently arguing.
“We’re merely guests here, sleeping over…”
Steadily.
“Even so, this room is yours, so it makes sense for you to sleep in the bed, right?”
Steadily.
“….”
In the end, it seemed Ha Neul was giving up under my gaze.
“Okay, then, now you understand?”
I smiled brightly at the three of them and said,
“Since we’ve set the rules, let’s keep them properly.”
The three nodded with slightly troubled expressions.
*
As Son Ah-reum left the mansion, she let out a huge breath.
The events that had unfolded inside the mansion had been a continuous shock.
The mansion’s size, the skill to make uniforms in one day, and the scale of the party. It was vastly different from the birthday party she had imagined.
And above all, the relationship between Sara and the other three.
She had heard the stories many times, but the impact of seeing it firsthand was too much.
“Plus…”
Son Ah-reum placed her hand over her racing heart and said.
She hadn’t calmed down since earlier.
When they were sharing the cake, she really thought she would be found out.
“Why… why is this happening…”
In fact, these feelings started surfacing after Sara accepted Son Ah-reum’s apology. Since then, she has had a desire to treat Sara better, but… it wasn’t easy.
So, finally mustering up her courage to come all this way, she had just managed to hand over a gift with a smile.
But seeing Sara kiss the other kids—
“No.”
Son Ah-reum stopped in her tracks.
“This is just… feelings as a friend.”
She sighed deeply and exhaled.
The excitement in her heart calmed down a little.
‘A little’ calmed down.
As she calmed her heart gradually, a fleeting memory struck her mind.
…Earlier, while she was distracted, she couldn’t quite point out what it was when they talked about Sara’s personality or whatever…
