Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: Wojo
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Yoo Ha-neul’s father was a rather stoic person.
Unlike her mother, who worried about everything Yoo Ha-neul did, her father would always reply with, “Yeah, I got it.”
Of course, that didn’t mean that Yoo Ha-neul and her father weren’t close.
He had the kind of gruff demeanor you might see in an old novel or drama, but his actions also fit that image.
Even if Yoo Ha-neul didn’t ask for something, he would take note of what she liked and buy it for her on her birthday or Christmas.
When she said she wanted to attend the most prestigious high school in Korea, he supported her without a word.
And when he heard that there was an issue with her health, he’d be there by her side after work, without fail.
For that reason, Yoo Ha-neul had never disliked her father.
Although he was stoic and never called first, she always felt his love as a family member.
The two of them had a bond built on unspoken trust.
So, it was unusual when her father called first.
Her mother always fussed and worried whenever Yoo Ha-neul said she would sleep over at a friend’s house, making sure she had everything she needed.
But once Yoo Ha-neul mentioned her plans, her father wouldn’t ask about it again.
Unlike her mother, who would sometimes ask for the names and relationships of her friends, her father never did.
It’s not that he wasn’t interested; it always felt more like he was too shy to ask.
Her father never showed his worry by calling or asking questions, but he was always concerned about her.
That’s why, if something happened to her, he would rush to her side.
So, it was unusual that her father called first.
Yoo Ha-neul was surprised by the situation.
“Dad?”
She stepped into the hallway to answer the phone.
[Yes, Ha-neul.]
Her father’s voice sounded no different from usual, with his typical gruff tone that might come off as curt.
“…Is something wrong?”
Knowing that her father never called first, Yoo Ha-neul always made sure to call home when she stayed over at her friends’ places, letting them know where she was and when she’d be back.
She had done the same today.
Yet her father, who would usually respond with just “Got it,” had called her again.
[Did you say the friend’s house you’re staying at tonight is a girl named Ye Sara?]
“…Yeah.”
Though her father’s tone was the same as usual, Yoo Ha-neul felt a strange sense of discomfort.
…Her dad never really asked about her friends.
It wasn’t like she never talked about her school life.
Yoo Ha-neul, being quite talkative, often shared stories about school during meals with her parents.
Though she left out the hard parts.
She didn’t share anything too personal or serious, just the fun stuff.
Because if she shared the difficult things, her parents would worry.
Though, things had been going well lately, so it was easier to talk about her day.
[Okay, I got it.]
“Is something wrong?”
As her father seemed ready to end the call with that, Yoo Ha-neul quickly asked again.
[No. Have fun.]
But all she got in return was his usual short and curt response.
And with that, the call ended.
“…”
Yoo Ha-neul looked down at the phone.
…What could it be?
…Actually, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t guess what might be going on.
The fact that her father had asked about Sara.
Normally, her father never asked for the names of her friends.
Even when she talked about school, he would quietly listen while showing some interest.
He was the type to remember details from their conversations, so it wasn’t strange for him to know the name of one of her friends.
…But it was the first time he had confirmed a friend’s name like this.
So, it probably had something to do with Sara.
He had made sure to verify her name.
Did Choi Na-kyung do something?
Yoo Ha-neul bit her lip.
Her father didn’t work for Eugene Group, but that didn’t mean his company had no connection to Eugene Group.
From deep within her heart, guilt started creeping in.
If her family suffered because of her decisions, who wouldn’t feel guilty?
“But…”
But she couldn’t talk to Sara about this.
It was a situation that arose because of her own choices.
Saying that she hadn’t thought it through would be a lie, but she had definitely been too complacent.
Yoo Ha-neul had already been saved by Sara once.
To ask for another favor from Sara…
Was that asking for too much?
Resolving to talk to her father when she got home, Yoo Ha-neul returned to the room.
Only to find that Soo-ah, who had been waiting inside, had disappeared.
*
—In the end, a compromise, or something like it, was reached.
Under the pretext of managing bath time efficiently, they agreed to take turns bathing with Sara.
Despite the excuse of “managing bath time efficiently,” no one suggested that Soo-hee and Soo-ah, or Yoo Ha-neul and another girl, could bathe together.
Even though she knew that everyone liked her, ‘Sara’ was oddly oblivious to such matters and accepted the arrangement without a second thought.
Did she think that none of the other girls would ever be interested in each other romantically?
That obliviousness was kind of cute.
Not that it was as cute as Sara herself.
However, despite witnessing such cuteness, Yoo Ha-neul couldn’t relax after receiving that phone call earlier.
“Ha-neul.”
The first person to notice the change in her mood was,
“Is something wrong?”
‘Sara.’
Looking up at her and asking with such concern, ‘Sara’ was heart-meltingly cute.
Because, after all, it was Sara’s face.
Of course, Yoo Ha-neul was fully aware that Sara and ‘Sara’ were different people, but it still felt unfair seeing the same face show such adorable expressions.
At least outwardly, they were the same person.
Would she react the same way if the two were twins with different bodies?
Yoo Ha-neul felt a bit of self-reproach at the thought.
“…No.”
“What? If something’s wrong, just say it. It’s written all over your face.”
“Huh?”
“When you’re with Sara, you usually look like you couldn’t be happier. So, seeing you sulking now makes me worry, don’t you think?”
“Huh?”
At that, Yoo Ha-neul’s face turned red before she knew it.
“Y-you can tell the difference?”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
‘Sara’ folded her arms and looked up at her with a cocky expression.
“You know, you two have spent more time with me than even Yang Hye-in. Did you know that? If you count the time we’ve spent together, it’s much longer. Even though I just watch you two from the sidelines most of the time, I still have enough sense to notice these things.”
With a small huff, she continued.
“If you think you’re some poker-faced expert, you should give up on that. Even if someone’s not a professional gambler, it’s easy to read your ever-changing expressions. Especially when someone who’s always smiling suddenly looks downcast—it’s pretty obvious, right?”
Looking around, ‘Sara’ sought agreement from the others.
Soo-hee and Soo-ah quickly nodded.
“See? They agree. So, spit it out already. It’s making me uncomfortable.”
“…Did I really look like that?”
“I’m telling you, yes.”
“….”
At ‘Sara’s’ words, Yoo Ha-neul stared at her.
“So, you’re saying you want to help me?”
Then, she threw an entirely unrelated question.
‘Sara’ gave her a look that seemed to ask what on earth she was talking about.
“Of course. If I can be of any help, why wouldn’t I? As long as it’s not something like a matter of life and death, I’ll do what I can to help. Actually, even if it is about life and death, I’ll do my best to help.”
“….”
Yoo Ha-neul quietly looked down at the mumbling ‘Sara’—
“Eek!?”
And then, in an instant, she pulled ‘Sara’ into a tight hug.
Caught off guard, since she only saw Yoo Ha-neul as a ‘close friend,’ ‘Sara’ was clearly flustered.
“H-hey! What are you doing!?”
And having once narrowly avoided getting ‘caught’ by Yoo Ha-neul before, ‘Sara’ felt extremely threatened by the act.
She twisted and turned to get free, like a hedgehog trying to escape the embrace of a lion, but Yoo Ha-neul’s grip was far too strong for her.
“Let me go!”
“…Thank you so much.”
At Yoo Ha-neul’s words, ‘Sara’ stopped struggling.
“…Really, thank you.”
“…Uh, um…”
Unsure of what to do, ‘Sara’ remained awkwardly hugged by Yoo Ha-neul for a while.