The heat was stifling, signaling that summer was approaching.
Lee Seyeong's arm was tightly wrapped around my neck. One hand tickled my chin, and her cheek pressed beneath my ear. Did I sweat a little? There was a faint green scent of sweet oak.
"Byeol was in contact with me. Teacher, she said she's coming this way."
"Hmm."
-Click.
The light under the streetlamp shone on the two of us. Summer night bugs flitted around nearby. The hot air added warmth between us.
"You don't seem very surprised?"
Lee Seyeong whispered softly. Her voice was always enchanting.
"Coming without a word?"
"…Can't I?"
"There's no reason you can't. Come here."
I turned off my phone, put it in my pocket, and reached back with my right hand to wrap it around Seyeong's waist. I pulled her body, which snuggled into my arm without resistance, forward.
"…Oh."
Seyeong's posture loosened from the back hug. I pressed her against the wall next to the streetlamp and brought my face close to hers. Our lips didn't touch.
-Hoo.
The sound of her breath. The dizzyingly sweet scent tickled the tip of my nose.
We were at a distance where we could see each other's pupils up close. A suffocating distance where we could exchange breaths. Seyeong's startled breath tickled my nose.
"…Why, what's the sudden occasion?"
"Didn't you come expecting this?"
Seyeong bent her knees a little, and I completely occupied the space above them. Wall slam. Was that what it's called? Her eyes, looking up at me, tried to avoid my gaze as much as possible. I could hear the sound of her heart beating from her chest, which was swelling up.
-Thump, thump.
Seyeong's eyes were slightly moist. How long had it been since I last saw her, and why did she look so beautiful?
I felt an urge to lick her long eyelashes with my tongue. I brought my face a little closer and pressed my cheek against hers.
"What about food?"
"…I didn't eat."
"What did you come here for?"
"Just… thought we could have a meal together."
She came all this way by plane just to have a meal with me.
"…Alcohol?"
-Nod.
I smiled and pulled my face away. Seyeong's face, hidden in the shadows, sparkled under the streetlamp. It was a dramatically blushing expression.
"…You're so cheesy."
"Come on, get up."
Seyeong, who got up holding my hand, fanned her face with her other hand. I linked arms with her, and despite her murmuring, she accepted my affectionate gesture without resistance.
It's the kind of affection Byeol used to show me.
'…She wants me to be sure.'
What should I do?
For now, I decided to do it my way. We weren't in some grand relationship formed by a fateful encounter.
"…Hey."
As we walked in a lover's pose, Seyeong asked from beside me. Now there was a bit of a height difference, and she looked up at me.
"So, did you do it with her?"
"Jin Dallae?"
"Yeah."
"Why would you ask that? Are you jealous, Teacher? …Ouch!"
-Punch!
As soon as I jokingly spoke, she retaliated immediately.
"Do you want to die?"
It seemed two of her fingers went into my side. Yeah… this was the real Lee Seyeong. She'd been too gentle for a while, so I'd taken her lightly.
As I unlinked arms and clutched my side, pretending to be in pain, Seyeong looked at me with a pitiful gaze.
"Why are you… not changed even though you seem to have become more serious?"
"I think it's a strength."
"If being a fool is a strength, then I guess it is."
"Ouch."
"…Why is a guy like you so popular? Girls cling to you because you look decent. So, did you sleep with her or not?"
Why did she keep asking if I did it with Jin Dallae? Seyeong was so persistent during the retreat for me to do it.
When I nodded without answering, Seyeong answered gruffly,
"Is that so?"
"Did you like it?"
"…Yeah, I liked it. I'm a man, after all."
"Sigh, it seems like your brain is replaced with your dick."
"If you'd accepted my confession back then, this wouldn't have happened."
I asked with some resentment. Seyeong also seemed to reflect on that time, showing a face full of regret.
"…Right. If I'd known the plan would be canceled, I would've just lived sweetly with you."
"Sweetly?"
"…Should I say messily instead?"
"Hehe."
Well, that wouldn't be so bad.
Secretly meeting each other, I would do my work, and Seyeong would do hers. Then, after graduating from the academy, we'd live as lovers. Seyeong was relatively free from her family's constraints, so choosing a marriage partner wouldn't have been difficult.
And after overcoming all hardships, the wedding would be the finale.
Including Shiba, we could have a few children, and by then, Shiba would be old enough to take good care of our children as the eldest daughter.
It sounds like a happy ending from a novel.
"Hey."
Seyeong spoke quietly.
"Do you also think my thoughts are stupid?"
"Which ones?"
"The time you scolded me during the retreat. Honestly, I was quite surprised then."
"Oh… that."
Not saying anything to the person I liked and arbitrarily opposing Flower. I kept my mouth shut for a long time. Lee Seyeong's eyes looked uneasy.
Slowly, I began to speak.
"…Honestly, there are many parts I don't understand."
Since I couldn't mix lies, I simply conveyed my opinion truthfully.
"I feel like I always say this when this topic comes up, but we haven't known each other for long."
"…True. And it was terrible at first."
"From rape to sex friends. Then falling in love and becoming lovers… It's not like an American movie, it's strange. From my perspective, it doesn't make sense. Suddenly you're saying you'd die for me. It's not a fairy tale."
I subtly revealed the truth.
"And I heard from Byeol."
"…What?"
"I heard about your past. Stories like that."
"That damn Byeol…"
"Don't get mad. We're talking now, aren't we? You also told Byeol everything about me."
"…"
Seyeong closed her mouth. It seemed she knew well what her fault was.
Darkened stores. And far away, only the sign of a bar operating late into the night was lit.
We continued talking as we headed there.
"How much did you hear?"
"From your childhood, meeting Byeol at the academy until graduation."
"She told you everything, that bitch."
Lee Seyeong gritted her teeth. Despite her harsh words, she must cherish Byeol. Considering that Seyeong was willing to die for a few months of affection, she clearly valued her relationship with Byeol.
"So, were you planning to hide it from me all this time? I've told you everything."
"It's not that… It's just a bit unfair hearing it from her."
"Really?"
Then you should hear it directly. I stopped in front of the bar and pointed to the door.
"Let's hear it one more time, in detail, inside there."
"What?"
Time to hold a drink and define our relationship.
"…Well, it's not a big deal."
We rented a room and ordered a lot of drinks and food.
Thinking it might take a long time, I contacted Jin Dallae in advance. I told her that the teacher was here after a long time and that we'd be talking, so I wouldn't be going home tonight.
-[Jin Dallae]: (flower puffing cheek emoji)-[Jin Dallae]: …Just this once.
Having notified her, I poured several shots of soju for Lee Seyeong.
"Hey. Do I really have to say it? You said you heard it all."
"It's different hearing it directly. Drink up. All of it."
-Gulp.
Seyeong downed four shots of straight soju in one go. As she drank it all at once, her mouth and insides seemed to burn, and she stuck her tongue out.
It wasn't appropriate to start serious talk immediately, so I began with everyday topics while drinking a few shots myself and brought up Byeol.
"Come to think of it… I promised Byeol a favor for helping me with my work. She said she's going to the reunion this time."
"Reunion? Ah… she's weird. She knows it stresses her out, but she insists on going."
"Really?"
"Who would have thought there's a destined one in middle school! she says. Now that she has you, she doesn't need to go. She just wants to brag because you're decent-looking."
I knew that was her intention. There was no other reason for her to suddenly call for a reunion. Byeol had honestly stated that was her purpose.
"Being straightforward is one of Byeol's charms."
"Yeah. I agree."
Seyeong agreed with my words. Then, she seemed curious or maybe had always been suspicious and glared at me.
"…So. What are you doing behind my back?"
"What you were planning to do."
At my words, she furrowed her brow and sighed.
"Do you understand how dangerous it is?"
"As long as I don't meet the executives."
"Have you fought them?"
"Yes."
The first time, they were trivial fanatics. The second time, I struggled with an Ent. But from the third time… I was capable of fighting and winning against the sub-executives.
However, there was no way Lee Seyeong knew this.
-Thud.
Seyeong downed a shot of soju in one go, then picked up a piece of pineapple and put it in her mouth. She chewed it aggressively.
"…It's too dangerous."
"Dangerous, you say."
"It's Flower, not some other trivial group. They see human lives as disposable as cows in a slaughterhouse."
She seemed to think she had come too far, so Seyeong closed her mouth.
"Ah… Sorry. I just meant to drink, but this talk went too far."
I understood her feelings. It was the same concern I had for her. I filled her soju glass to the brim.
"I'm not going to die, so just take care of your own matters."
"…Alright."
She didn't seem convinced. Rather, she looked like she had a lot to say but was holding back. Still, since it was a rare meeting, she seemed to accept it, choosing to enjoy the moment rather than dwell on the bitter talk.
If left like this, she might overdo it again someday.
How should I handle this person?
'There is one way.'
It's a bit of a sneaky method, but it's also a sure and fitting way for the current situation. It does mean giving Lee Seyeong a responsibility, but it's better than her suddenly leaving my sight to fight Flower.
-Slurrrp.
After finishing about two bottles of soju each, Seyeong's face began to show signs of inebriation.
-How have you been? Just as usual. Any dangerous work? How could my work not be dangerous?
Continuing such mundane conversations, I subtly changed the subject.
"Shall we start talking about the past?"
"…Do I really have to say it?"
Seyeong still seemed reluctant, biting her lip and looking troubled. Still, the alcohol seemed to have relaxed her face a bit more than before.
She had to talk. Since we hadn't known each other for long, we needed to know more about each other. Though I thought I knew enough, it wasn't everything.
"Hmm…"
After a long hesitation, Seyeong began to slowly unravel her story.
She talked about the life she lived, how she was treated, and her struggles doing hard labor alone.
Thanks to Byeol's detailed stories, what I heard from her didn't stray much from what I already knew. It was just a matter of what emotions Seyeong felt during certain events. I empathized throughout our conversation. That must have been tough. Wow, really?
The dry narrative I'd heard from Byeol was now infused with emotion, transforming into a heartfelt story.
Even though it was just that, the atmosphere of the story had changed significantly, making it feel like a scene from a movie heading straight for a bad ending. A melodrama. If I had to sum up Seyeong's life in one word, that would be it.
"…That's all."
Though she swore and was rough, she had a soft core hidden under her tough exterior.
That's why Lee Seyeong never let go of someone who touched her heart.
'In a way, it's fortunate.'
If the person she met back then hadn't been as kind as Byeol, or if she had met someone else and been betrayed, she might have truly become a villain by the time she met me. Come to think of it, she was indeed a villain trying to steal my Tree Circle Pill right before the rape.
"Is there any part you left out?"
"Do you think I would after looking at my face right now?"
Whether it was out of shame or sadness, her eyes were moist. Explaining the miserable life she had lived was one of the saddest things.
"Hehe. But you've had a tough life."
"…Are you pitying me right now? Ugh."
Seyeong tapped my shin with her toe.
I continued speaking with a smile.
"Nowadays, you don't go around taking Tree Circle Pills from other kids, right? I can't shield that, even for you."
"That's… I don't do that anymore. Since meeting you, I haven't done anything."
"Doing well from now on is what matters."
Seyeong sighed. She seemed to be reminiscing about the narrow life she had lived.
That was indeed wrong. It was a crime.
Since I had also committed wrongdoings, I couldn't say anything. Both I and she were ultimately people of the shadows.
I reached out and brushed her bangs aside. The familiar green hair, now even I had become accustomed to this world. This hair color didn't bother me anymore.
Seyeong accepted my touch silently. She even brought her face closer as if inviting me to touch her more. I touched her soft cheek once and then withdrew my hand.
"Let's stop talking about dark things now."
That should be enough. Telling her story to me must have meant something to her.
I felt I understood why Seyeong had done so much for me. My heart felt a bit more at ease.
Thinking about it now, trying to understand her was probably not a mistake. They say it's impossible to truly empathize with someone's thoughts. I think that's true. I received her love without reason, so I should repay it.
"Cheers."
I lifted my soju glass. Seyeong looked at me for a while, sighed, and then lifted her glass as well.
"…Cheers."
The two soju glasses clinked in the air.