Novel Bin Chapter 22: Graduation (4)
Chapter 22: Graduation (4)
TL/Editor: Raei
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"Then... maybe, is an oppa you know also coming...?"
"......."
There was no question that complicated Song Soo-yeon's mind more than this.
It was a question, but it didn't quite feel like one.
It was too specific.
Not about her parents, not about her siblings, not even about her cousins.
She asked about 'a oppa she knew,' and indeed, a 'oppa she knew' was going to attend her graduation.
It was as if the question implied knowledge of Jung-gyeom.
And for some reason, this fact irked her.
'Do you know the mister?' was a question swirling in Song Soo-yeon's mind.
But fearing Solace's answer, she changed the question.
And the altered question had an inevitable sharpness.
"......What does it matter to you?"
"....Huh?"
"Whoever comes to my graduation, what business is it of yours?"
"Ah...no, that's not it. I was just curious. Yeah."
Song Soo-yeon couldn't figure out how to respond to her words.
She didn't understand why she felt such discomfort from just one question.
And not knowing the cause, she couldn't alleviate it.
She was just left feeling frustrated and annoyed.
Honestly, this feeling was more unpleasant than when she was being bullied earlier.
Song Soo-yeon just wanted to get out of this space as quickly as possible.
As always, school was hardly different from hell.
It only left her with uncomfortable memories.
"I appreciate what you've done so far....but I don't want to become friends with you."
"....Huh?"
"I hate heroes."
Song Soo-yeon couldn't stop the words that had started flowing.
"Heroes are just thugs hired to beat up villains."
Her words gradually hardened Solace's expression.
Yet, Song Soo-yeon didn't stop.
"So, stop trying to dig into my personal information. Just your approach is stressful enough for me."
To the stiffened Solace, Song Soo-yeon bowed in farewell.
She conveyed her gratitude for the last time.
Then, Song Soo-yeon turned around.
The time spent at school wasn't long, especially since they had shortened classes, but it felt like her stress had doubled.
.....She missed Jung-gyeom.
---
---
Song Soo-yeon's mind remained heavy even as she headed home.
The discomfort wouldn't fade.
Solace's question kept haunting her thoughts.
But it wasn't just that.
The confessions from the boys, the bullying from the girls, all of it weighed her down.
The only improvement from the past was that she now had a way to relieve her stress.
She knew that seeing Jung-gyeom would gradually ease this anger.
"........"
But today, feeling more stifled than usual, she craved a stronger form of comfort.
As she walked, her eyes caught sight of a hair salon.
Instinctively, Song Soo-yeon ran her fingers through her hair.
It had grown quite long.
Usually, she would cut her hair herself with scissors, but this time, she wanted to get it professionally done.
The reason was simple: she knew Jung-gyeom liked her appearance, and she wanted to take a bit more care of it.
Recently, Jung-gyeom had given her a generous amount of part-time job earnings.
Maybe she could spend just a little bit.
She needed to save up quickly for the security deposit to return the studio apartment... but maybe ten thousand won wouldn't make a big difference.
Song Soo-yeon closed her eyes and imagined.
If she got her hair cut and went back, how would Jung-gyeom react?
After that, the decision was easy.
Song Soo-yeon headed to the hair salon.
---
---
The door lock beeped.
Lying on the bed, I got up.
Song Soo-yeon must have returned.
-Click.
The door opened, and Song Soo-yeon's eyes searched for me.
She wasn't surprised to see me, perhaps she had read my message.
"....I'm back."
She said.
But I couldn't focus on her greeting.
Something else caught my eye more quickly.
"....Soo-yeon."
I stiffened my expression and got off the bed, approaching her.
Song Soo-yeon brushed her hair and stood frozen at the entrance, waiting for me to approach.
I moved close to her.
My hand naturally reached towards her cheek.
".........."
Then, I snapped back to reality.
I shouldn't forget that Song Soo-yeon is afraid of men.
The cautious way her eyes watched my hand was proof of that.
I clenched my opened hand into a fist.
Without touching her, I finally asked.
".......Did something happen at school?"
"......Huh?"
I'm sensitive to negative emotions.
This is my area of expertise.
I might be clumsy with my own emotions, understanding positive emotions from others, and making friends, but I'm certain about the opposite.
I realized that Song Soo-yeon's expression was a shade darker than usual.
She tried to hide it, but I knew.
Song Soo-yeon sighed as if my question was absurd.
".....Shouldn't you notice something else first?"
"....What...oh, you got your hair cut?"
"........"
"You look pretty. It's a nice cut."
Song Soo-yeon ran her fingers through her newly cut bob a couple of times in response to my compliment.
Still, my concern wasn't focused on that.
"So, what happened at school?"
"....Why are you so perceptive?"
"I can't help but notice. You look so down."
"........."
Song Soo-yeon closed her mouth again.
It seemed like she was trying to hide the reason again.
She has a habit of hiding her pain.
I know why.
Showing your pain only reveals your weaknesses.
I was like that too.
Before my regression, and even now.
I'm not the type to expose my pain.
But I wanted to change that because I disliked it.
I tried to make friends, wanting someone to lean on.
I hoped Song Soo-yeon wouldn't continue to hide her pain.
I didn't want her to experience the hardships I went through.
".....Soo-yeon, don't hide it-"
"-The kids bullied me."
Contrary to my expectation that she would keep silent to the end, Song Soo-yeon frankly told me the reason.
It was as if a child was confiding in a parent.
I couldn't help but be surprised.
Had I become someone she could lean on?
I wasn't sure yet.
But if that was the case, there could be nothing more rewarding.
"They bullied you?"
I seized the opportunity to probe further.
I had realized at some point that talking about pain could help alleviate it.
I hoped that by sharing with me, she could ease her pain a little.
"Some unknown boys confessed to me, and when I refused... the jealous girls started bullying me. Stepping on my shoes, pushing and pulling me around..."
"......Haa.."
But the more I heard, the more my heart churned.
I felt unjustly angry and upset.
Pity and regret surged through me.
I had to suppress the urge to comfort her shoulders.
"....If they liked a boy, they should have confessed. Why be jealous afterward? Is it my fault that boys confessed to me?"
"No, it's not your fault, Soo-yeon."
"...Right? Even nave mister here knows that, but they don't."
As Song Soo-yeon continued her story, her face gradually brightened.
It seemed like she was sorting out her feelings as she talked to me.
".....So you just let it happen?"
I asked.
Song Soo-yeon shook her head.
"No. The hero assigned to the school sorted it out. Because of you... there's a hero assigned there, you know."
"....I see."
Song Soo-yeon recounted the events of the day, staring blankly as if replaying each scene in her mind.
Then suddenly, her expression crumpled.
"But that hero asked if I knew a certain opp...."
"Knew...?"
"..........."
Song Soo-yeon cut off her sentence.
Her focus returned to her eyes.
Then she scrutinized me from head to toe.
After hesitating for a moment, she snapped at me.
".....Never mind. You don't need to know. What would you do with that information?"
"Tell me the rest. You've already said so much."
"Never mind, I said."
It seems she became embarrassed after coming to her senses.
Maybe she confided in me not because she relied on me, but because she just needed someone to talk to.
But I was satisfied with that.
It was enough that she opened up about her worries, even just a little.
"....But now it's all over, Soo-yeon. You don't have to go back to that classroom tomorrow, right?"
".......Well...yes."
"Good. You've done well."
I turned around.
There was no need for us to stand idly in the entrance.
"Come in."
"Mister."
"...Yes?"
As I was heading into the room, Song Soo-yeon called out to me.
She couldn't lift her head, just staring at the floor.
After a long silence, she spoke.
".....Do you really think my hair looks okay?"
"Yes. It's pretty. It suits you really well."
"........."
After hearing my words, she fidgeted and suddenly started running her hands from the top of her head through her hair.
"....But the hair feels a bit damaged. It feels weird."New novel chapt𝒆rs are published on novel(b)in(.)com
".....Really?"
"Can you check it for me... just once?"
I approached her again.
"Check it? How exactly?"
"....Just touch it once."
She kept her expression hidden, continuing to speak.
I asked in confusion.
"....You want me to touch your hair?"
"....Are you deaf? I asked you to check it."
"No, I mean. You want me to check it by touching?"
"What other way is there?"
"You don't like being touched."
"Ugh, when someone asks you for a favor, at least try to listen properly...!"
I shrugged my shoulders.
"Is this a request from Soo-yeon?"
"....."
I cautiously picked up the end of her hair between my thumb and forefinger and rubbed it.
Returning from the salon, her hair had a fresh scent.
The texture was soft; it didn't seem damaged.
"...It seems fine?"
"You can't tell just by touching it like that. Are you kidding me? Damn it...
"What exactly do you want me to do? Say it clearly."
"Ah...! Uh...like I mean..."
She stuttered, seemingly struggling to get the words out.
"Ah...! Like I did earlier...!"
Her voice started strong but then waned.
I had to lean in to catch what she was saying.
"What did you say?"
"I said, check it like I did earlier!"
Suddenly, she raised her voice.
"And how was that?"
"Ah damn, really. Are you stupid or what... so frustrating."
"That's a bit harsh..."
In front of me, Song Soo-yeon ran her hands through her hair a couple of times.
"Like, like this! Check it like this..!"
"You could have said that from the start."
I mimicked her action.
I hesitated for a moment before my hand touched her hair, but since she asked, I did it.
From the top of her head to the side, I gently stroked her hair, checking the texture.
It almost felt like my hand would brush her cheek as well.
......But is this really the right way to check the texture of hair?
Actually, when I rubbed it between my thumb and forefinger earlier, it seemed like a more accurate way to assess the texture.
Honestly, it was fun.
Not only is Song Soo-yeon beautiful, but this also gave me the illusion that we had become a bit closer.
After stroking her hair a few times, Song Soo-yeon asked.
"How, how is it...?"
"It's fine. It's soft. Not damaged."
"..You're not having weird thoughts, are-"
"-No, no. Don't worry."
I withdrew my hand and turned back towards the house.
"Mister."
Song Soo-yeon called out to me again as I was walking away.
"What now?"
I turned to look at her again.
With a slightly flushed face, Song Soo-yeon said.
"....Make me something delicious."
"........."
I checked the time for a moment.
It was lunchtime.
"Something delicious?"
"....Like black bean noodles... something like that."
A smile gradually formed on my face.
Yeah, it wasn't a bad suggestion.
It would be good for relieving her stress, and it's something I can do well.
And.....it seemed like the perfect opportunity to suggest looking for another place for her.
"Should I?"
Having finished my thoughts, I said with a smile.