Chapter 4. Plans, As Always, Go Awry
Mo Taehee, in his consideration, left me alone and went out of the room.
I sat on the edge of the bed, clutching my head. I let out a silent scream. Why me… why do trials keep coming at me endlessly?
Whose trickery is this? Why the hell are these crazy bastards doing this to me? At this point, it felt like I had to sell the country at least ten times in my past life to deserve this kind of development.
When I first opened my eyes here, I vaguely thought. Once I see the ending, once one of these three gets together with Park Min-ah, or if these bastards get weird and I end up with Park Min-ah instead, and it ends with 'they lived happily ever after'… then when I open my eyes, wouldn't I be back in the reality I used to live in?
But the road to the ending was only rough, and the story had been twisted for a long time. When I came to my senses, I was among these scary bastards… struggling to not get eaten alive.
Will I really be able to return to reality? Where did the real Ha Yeoul go? Is the real me okay…?
The end of the chain of thoughts was always the same.
Will there even be an ending… damn it…
I covered my face, which Mo Taehee had cleaned so nicely, with both hands and sighed repeatedly. I needed a plan, a plan to leave these bastards safely. And, a way to protect my body safely.
"Ha… what should I do…"
No matter how much I thought about it, nothing really came to mind. Running away in the middle of the night had repeatedly failed because these bastards had good ears, and my shallow trick to get together with Park Min-ah had long been seen through by these bastards and become useless.
Then… what should I do now? Maybe… maybe look for someone else…?
I unknowingly slapped my knee as an idea flashed in my head, and then stood up.
So what if I don't end up with Park Min-ah, I'm just an insignificant supporting character anyway.
"Wow…"
That was it. I didn't necessarily have to end up with Park Min-ah. The semester was just around the corner, and college was like a meeting square.
I cheered inwardly. That's it. I didn't need to look good to anyone anymore. I felt a little sorry for Park Min-ah, but even to her.
I slowly organized my thoughts. I had to take Park Min-ah out of my category now and prepare a backup plan. I had to make a girlfriend or a something as soon as possible after the semester started. I also had to make some friends and make my relationships smooth.
I nodded to myself. It was the right answer to a stupid question. I felt much relieved. I thought I could finally breathe a little.
Once the semester starts, I'll be so busy that I won't have time for anything, so I'll naturally drift away from these bastards. Then I'll go back to living in Ha Yeoul's house… and commute to school.
Commuting to college is the best. Living alone? Living alone in such a luxurious house is out of the question.
I thought of various excuses to leave the house I was living in with the three of them. Um… first… I should naturally go to school and then take a leave of absence. What's the point of graduating anyway? My body doesn't seem like it'll be able to do any work properly.
I'd rather take a leave of absence and go study abroad. Going to the other side of the world and getting away from these bastards forever is also a way, I thought.
I laughed for no reason. It was still a plan that I hadn't put into action yet, but somehow it felt like everything would be fine once the semester started. Feeling better, I felt like it would be okay to go home with Nam Kangwoo or anyone else.
I left the room in a slightly excited state. It was almost time for the appointment to meet in the lobby, and it was time to go back as Mo Taehee had said.
I gathered the few things I had brought and went out to the living room, and for some reason, all three of them were sitting on the living room sofa. What's going on… I didn't even know anyone was coming… No. More than that, why are they always sitting so scary… Feeling a bit, no, a lot intimidated by the gloomy atmosphere, I was a little scared.
"Why are you… here…?"
"Ha Yeoul. You said you were going home."
I never said I was going home, Mo Taehee told me to go home.
I glared at Mo Taehee without showing it.
"Ah…"
"Did you get another nosebleed?"
Seo Jaehoon was shaking his leg and suddenly stood up. What's going on. I flinched and unknowingly took a step back.
Seo Jaehoon sighed at my action and quickly walked towards me. His white hand quickly reached out towards my face, grabbed my chin, and turned it around to examine it.
"Should I grind up some lotus root and feed it to you…"
"…What?"
After grinding green juice once, this bastard was now trying to grind something and feed it to me all the time. He's going to grind up something that I don't even eat as a side dish and feed it to me…
"Yeoul says our nosebleeds are our fault."
"What?"
Seo Jaehoon turned his head while holding my chin. Why is that our fault. Nam Kangwoo, who was sitting next to Mo Taehee, leaned back on the sofa and twisted his lips into a smile.
The three of them stared at me persistently. Why are these crazy bastards… smirking like that.
"That's right. What did you say why earlier, Yeoul?"
My face flushed with the shame that was washing over me.
"No… I mean… that's… but Min-ah, what about Min-ah…?"
I pulled my chin out of Seo Jaehoon's grasp and bowed my head to hide my flushed face. Just then, I heard a clicking sound from behind. What's going on.
I slowly raised my head and turned around to see Park Min-ah walking out of the bathroom, shaking her wet hands.
"Oh? Yeoul!"
Park Min-ah smiled at me with a face that was happy to see me, even though I had seen her this morning, and walked towards me.
"Are you sick? Did you get another nosebleed?"
"Huh? Ah… no. I'm not sick…"
"Taehee said you were going with Kangwoo."
"Ah…"
Instead of answering, I just nodded. I blinked, wondering what to say, and just smiled weakly.
"Your health isn't getting any better. I wish I had more time to be with you before the semester starts."
"…What, what is it…"
Park Min-ah's face flushed at my insignificant words. Why is she so embarrassed again… I wondered if I had said something wrong.
"I, I also… with Yeoul…"
Park Min-ah turned her head away with a face full of regret. Her cheeks were still flushed with the color of roses.
"…Yeoul, is it hard even for a little while? You've been in the room the whole time you've been here… and you haven't even gone out with me… Can't we even take a short walk in the park in front of us?"
A small, warm hand held my hand tightly. Park Min-ah was about half a hand shorter than me, but the way she looked up at me was like looking at Puss in Boots. Too, cute.
I nodded without realizing it. Actually, being sick was all a lie.
"A walk… sounds okay…"
After blurting out the words as if possessed, I looked at the faces of my housemates. These bastards always had faces that were impossible to read, and they had those faces now as well. Consistent bastards.
Only Seo Jaehoon didn't seem to have any thoughts. This bastard was still muttering lotus root, lotus root. Crazy bastard…
"I'm going to take a walk with Min-ah… Are you guys going to stay here…?"
I asked with a look that said please don't follow me. Please don't follow me, read the room… I quickly grabbed Park Min-ah's hand before those bastards could interfere.
"Yeoul."
"Ha Yeoul."
"Hey."
The front door was right in front of me. Park Min-ah was looking at the three of them calling me with a puzzled look.
"Yeoul, should I go out first? Do you want to talk to the guys and come down?"
No, it's okay. I couldn't bring myself to say the words that were welling up in my throat, and I smiled awkwardly.
Park Min-ah, who was pretty, considerate, and kind, put her small feet into the shoes that were neatly placed at the front door and opened the front door wide.
"I'll be in the lobby. Come quickly."
Then she smiled with her eyes and waved her small hand. Let's… go together…
Park Min-ah left through the front door without noticing my desperate eyes at all. I stopped at the front door as if frozen. So… why did these bastards… stop me…?
"Why… what's wrong…?"
"It's cold outside, Ha Yeoul. Damn it, you just had a huge nosebleed. What if you collapse…"
Seo Jaehoon grumbled and moved his body. He quickly took out my cardigan that was hanging on the back of the sofa, shook it out, and wrapped it around my shoulders.
This bastard was worried about my body as if he were a worry doll. The repertoire was always obvious. A weak bastard, if you catch a cold, you'll be sick for three months and ten days. And yet, such a bastard... did this to me...
"I'll be back… soon. Really."
"Should we go with you, Yeoul?"
Mo Taehee asked in a low voice. I immediately answered no. Whew, I was so glad that my answer was faster than the other bastard's suggestion.
"I'll really be back soon. Min-ah is waiting, so I'll go and come back soon…!"
"Ha Yeoul, you said you were going home."
Even Nam Kangwoo… was unusually eerie. Should I not go home? In that fleeting moment, I thought about what excuse I could make to not go home.
"Ha Yeoul."
I nodded vaguely towards Nam Kangwoo, who called my name once more in a low voice, and quickly put my feet into my shoes.
"I'm going home, but… I'll, really be back soon…!"
It was the first outing without those losers.
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