Childhood Friend Who Sees the Future Utters Nonsense

109 – Incoming Video Call

I barely stopped crying and wiped away the remaining tears with the tissue Seungyeon unnie handed me. Only then did my vision, which had been wet like the view from the passenger seat when it rained, return to its original state.

But the crying didn’t go away yet, so I sat on the sofa and kept sobbing. Yerin came up to me and hugged me tightly. The hands that were patting my back and head were playful and warm.

“Oh my, are you that surprised?”

“Phew, of course… . Oh, I’m so sorry…”

No one will know how I felt when I encountered Yerin’s explosive acting. My heart sank, it shrank, and I felt like it was going to disappear.

Because of the members’ comforting words, tears welled up in my eyes even more, and I held back the tears that had finally stopped from starting again.

“I told you not to do that. Anyway, I told you that I can’t live because of Yerin.”

Then, So-eun came to me and looked at me with a pitiful expression, then shook her head and yelled at Ye-rin as if she couldn’t live like this. Ye-rin, who was the target, looked as if she had been wronged.

“You said I’d be the only one doing it!? You all said it would be fun and that you’d join in, and now…!”

“I, I didn’t say it would be fun. I just said it would be interesting to make Yuna cry.”

“That’s it!”

Yerin shouted in an agitated tone at Seungyeon’s excuse. I couldn’t understand how that was any different from saying it would be fun.

“Anyway, I’m sorry, Yuna. Actually, we already knew that you were dating Siyoon.”

“Me, really…?”

Just when the crying had finally subsided, So-eun scratched her cheek with her index finger and told me the unexpected truth.

I just heard the news from the boss and thought they had finished talking amongst themselves, but I found out about their secret relationship a long time ago. How did you know?

“You hid it so thoroughly, how did everyone know?”

When I asked the question out of pure curiosity, the three exchanged glances and looked awkward.

“Uh… Thoroughly?”

“Has the dictionary meaning of thoroughly as I know it changed?”

“What exactly? You, you’re so obvious?”

“Huh…?”

Really? Did I really show that much? At the dorm, I deliberately didn’t talk to Siyoon on the phone, and if I had something to do, I would pretend to go to the convenience store in front and go out to talk to her. I was also very good at beating around the bush when we were on KakaoTalk.

“I thought I hid it well….”

“You hide it well. Every time you go to the convenience store, we get together and giggle, saying, ‘I’m going to talk to Siyoon.’”

“That’s right. In the first place, I go to the convenience store eight times a day on my days off, so it’s even stranger that I don’t know that.”

“… … .”

I went out 8 times a day? I didn’t even realize it. I guess it’s not too much of a stretch to think that it’s strange.

But how did you know that the other person was Siyoon? You introduced me as your cousin when you first met me. Did you find out from the beginning?

“So you all knew that Siyoon wasn’t your cousin?”

“… Isn’t it strange that you don’t know that?”

I looked around at the three people and asked urgently, and So-eun unnie pointed out with an expression that was not only cool but also incredulous. She added, ‘I thought you were thinking of pretending to be my cousin.’

“It’s just like So-eun said. With honey dripping from her eyes, do you really think she’s my cousin?”

“Admit it. I could really set up an apiary in front of your eyes.”

“Ugh…!”

I was knocked down and couldn’t come to my senses due to the consecutive attacks from Seungyeon and Yerin. In a normal fighting match, I would be so confused that the referee would stop me from doing any more attacks.

“That’s right, that’s right. Unnie, I was really dumbfounded at first. When we first met at the showcase, she introduced herself as my cousin, and when Siyoon said that we were pretty, she got jealous. I thought to myself, ‘What?’”

But there was no referee to stop Yerin on this ring, and I had to be hit without resistance while being mounted while lying face down and in a coma.

Please stop! I might die of embarrassment if I keep doing this!

“Okay, let’s stop here. If we keep doing this, we’ll die of shame before our youngest even goes public with his relationship.”

“Sigh, from now on… .”

Thanks to the restraint of Seungyeon, who was the most sensible person and mediator in our group, I was able to save my life.

As my sister said, if the attacks had continued like that, I would have really run to the Han River and dove in first. I’m serious.

“Anyway, Yuna, you can tell from the atmosphere that we’re not really mad at you.”

“Yes, Seungyeon unnie is right. As members, we will support your love as much as we can, so don’t worry too much.”

While I was so ashamed, my heart was touched by the words of comfort and encouragement that my two older sisters gave me while patting my shoulder at the same time. Even though it may sound easy when you hear it, I know better than anyone that it was not an easy choice.

“But later, if there’s a good person among Siyoon’s friends, introduce him to me… Huh!?”

“You should be a little more cheerful.”

In the meantime, Yerin tried to make a joke that didn’t work, but Soeun hit her and she backed down, but it wasn’t something new since it was something we always saw in our group.

“Thank you all so much. Actually, I feel more sorry towards the members than towards the CEO or Jiwon… .”

“Huh? Hey, sis! She’s crying again! Do something about it!”

While expressing her gratitude, her eyes began to water again out of regret. Then, as if she had not expected this, Yerin grabbed Seungyeon’s arm and started to fuss.

“That’s right. I thought Yuna was the one who cried the least in the group, but it turns out she’s a crybaby.”

“Whew…! I’m not a crybaby….”

I’m Han Yuna, a prize winner. Siyoon said that.

I tried to protest as hard as I could, but there was no point in talking while my tears were falling. Rather, as if she found me cute, Seungyeon unnie reached out the hand that was stroking my head and hugged me tightly, shaking me.

“What should I do with our youngest who is so cute? It would be a shame to give him to Siyoon.”

Even though I knew that she was just trying to make me feel better, I found myself laughing at myself for thinking, “Siyoon is a good girl.” It made me realize that I really do like Siyoon a lot.

“If Shiyoon cries, tell us. We’ll give her a sharp word.”

“Oh, So-eun! That sounds fun. While we’re on the subject, should I declare war on Si-yoon and make a video call?”

Then, all of a sudden, at Yerin’s suggestion, everyone made a shocked expression and immediately shouted, “Let’s go!” The reason for this was an unknown reason, that they wanted to formally introduce themselves to my boyfriend.

Anyway, as I wiped away my tears and called Siyoon, a contact name saved as ‘♥’ popped up in front of me in a big font. I felt a strange sense of pride when I saw that, but Yerin, who didn’t notice, started talking nonsense right next to me.

“Look at this! You said you got a call from your mom before, and you were so shocked from the start! You didn’t even think about hiding it from the beginning, did you!? Just tell me!”

“… … .”

The moment I heard that, I had a feeling that maybe my subconscious had thought that way.

Come to think of it, I was just desperate to show off to those around me.

***

It was dinnertime when I got a call from Yuna’s manager. The expression on the face of the woman who answered the phone is still vivid in my mind.

Actually, the conversation didn’t have much substance. The manager, who had left a message saying that Yuna would tell it herself and that he would have to hear the details from Yuna, asked to change the caller to me.

Just like what I told my mother, this one didn’t contain much content either. It was just two words: ‘I heard the story’ and ‘Please take good care of Yuna.’

It was a shocking experience for me, who had mentally prepared myself for the impending attack. On the other hand, I was also curious about how things would turn out.

“Siyoon, go to your room and rest for a while. It won’t do you any good even if I come out.”

“…yes.”

Then, as if the old man was more worried about me than Yuna, he pushed me into the room as if he was pushing me from behind, so there was a moment when I had no choice but to head to the bed for a moment.

♪~♬~♩

“… … !?”

Suddenly, I got a call from Yuna. At an unexpected moment, I got up from my bed as if a spring had sprung up.

But why a video call? Should I go to the living room first and tell the adults about this? No, wouldn’t it be better to first get in touch and hear the whole story before I tell them?

As all sorts of thoughts occupied my mind, my finger unconsciously reached out and pressed the screen.

At the same time,

– Siyoon!

– Mr. Park, how have you been!?

– You must have been worried a lot, your face… .

– We’re kidnapping your girlfriend!

From across the street, I could hear the chaotic voices of a group of people reminiscent of a flea market. Yuna’s face, which I had expected to look gloomy, was nowhere to be seen.

What kind of case is this?