Chapter 46 – The Difference Between You and Me (2)
At the arcade, I, Yu-ri Lee, and Soo-yeon Choi had a lot of fun with each other, but Gong Young-bae didn’t seem to have any interest in it in the first place.
Gong Young-bae did not participate very actively when playing racing game consoles or other things, including DDR, or when singing at coin karaoke.
“Hey, isn’t it fun?”
I approached Gong Young-bae and asked her, lightly tapping her on the shoulder, pretending to be friendly.
“Huh? No, I’m not saying it’s fun or not, it’s just that… I’ve never done anything like this before and I just don’t think it suits my personality.”
“Well, you can’t like them all. Dude, it’s not like you said you wouldn’t come, but when I asked you if you said you would come, set the mood a little. Those two are having fun, so what’s the mood like if you do that next to them?”
“Yeah, yeah…”
But even so, Gong Young-bae had little interest in playing in a place like this.
After having fun for about an hour, we followed Yu-ri Lee and Su-yeon Choi’s main opinions and went to a rice bowl restaurant to have a meal.
Perhaps because other academies, including Jinsugyo, had all finished their exams today, the area was bustling with customers of our age even though it was 1pm.
“It’s a bit noisy.”
Gong Young-bae, who was eating, frowned slightly at the noisy sounds around him.
“Dude, there are a lot of academies here and there that finished their April exams today, so of course there will be a lot of them at this time. But if we wait until it gets quiet, everyone will be very hungry. Or maybe the restaurants are taking afternoon breaks.”
“That’s right.”
“How can you always go to places you like? Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, but you have to put up with it. Let’s eat.”
And Yuri Lee was silently listening to our conversation while eating.
After the meal was over, I patted my full stomach.
“Ha, now I feel like I can live because I eat like a human.”
“That’s why I always live sparingly.”
Yuri frowned as she looked at me.
“That’s right. Now that I’ve received my salary, I should at least live a normal life. Oh, Yuri. Thank you for giving me a packed lunch every morning. It was really delicious.”
At those words, Gong Young-bae looked at me and Yu-ri Lee in turn with a very concerned expression.
But Yuri Lee didn’t pay attention to that and was only looking at me.
“Well… Really? I’m glad it was delicious. Anyway, you would have starved to death if it weren’t for me. Thank you.”
“That’s why I’m saying thank you. But it’s still a pity. I’ve gotten used to it, but I can’t eat Yuri’s homemade lunch box made with love anymore.”
“Well… Sometimes I can do a little more-“
However, Lee Yu-ri’s words were cut off due to Gong Yeong-bae’s intrusion.
Gong Young-bae opened his mouth with a slightly fearful but determined expression that he had to say what he had to say.
“Han Seong-jin… I don’t know why you got a lunch box from Yuri, but I heard you just got your paycheck. Then, whatever the reason, you shouldn’t ask someone to get up early in the morning and make you a lunch box. It’s a nuisance.”
“…”
For a moment, Lee Yu-ri glared at him as if he were going to kill him, but Gong Young-bae didn’t notice that gaze because he was looking at me.
Then Sooyeon Choi did not miss the opportunity and intervened.
“Then shall I make it for you? It’s not a nuisance to me.”
Lee Yu-ri, who opened her eyes after seeing Choi Soo-yeon acting cutely, intervened.
“I haven’t said anything yet. So… Go, I can make it for you sometime… If you want.”
“Yuri, no matter what, the academy work and the student council work must be too much, but that’s-“
“If it’s hard, I can stop on my own. Why are you meddling?”
Lee Yu-ri responded coldly to Gong Young-bae, and Gong Young-bae was speechless and looked at her with a devastated expression.
“Oh, really? That thing you made was really delicious. Then, can I ask you a favor when I think of it again?”
“… Okay. You can’t leave it for me.”
Even though Gong Young-bae was right in front of her, Lee Yu-ri nodded and said that she would make me a lunch box from time to time.
And the expression on Gong Young-bae’s face when he looks at it…
‘What a minister.’
Is this exactly what a person who has lost his country looks like?
So, when I usually make lunch for her, she eats it well and compliments me on how delicious it is.
Youngbae, this is the difference between you and me.
Pay attention to the girls’ feelings, consider their feelings, and above all, express them clearly without taking advantage of them.
It’s too late to find out now.
#####
As some time passed, and it was approaching 3pm, Han Seong-jin and Choi Soo-yeon returned home.
Lee Yu-ri also prepared to go straight to her house, but when the two of them were alone, Gong Yeong-bae caught her.
“What?”
“Yuri, let’s talk for a moment, okay?”
“I said I had nothing to say.”
“I was wrong!”
Lee Yu-ri paused for a moment in response to Gong Young-bae’s apology.
Yuri Lee, who was staring at him, asked in a cold voice.
“Do you know why I do this?”
Gong Young-bae closed her mouth for a moment and then answered.
“Yeah. I kept saying things about you hanging out with Han Seong-jin, and I was arrogantly meddling in your actions. I’m sorry, I won’t do that anymore. So, won’t you accept my apology…?”
She didn’t have a perfect answer, but she seemed to know at least some reasons.
After hearing those words, Yu-ri Lee felt relieved for a moment.
Unlike Choi Soo-yeon, she has known Gong Young-bae for over 10 years, and she has liked him for a long time.
So after hearing those words, she felt moved to forgive Gong Yeong-bae.
Until the next words came out of his mouth.
“I’m really sorry. From now on, I won’t say anything even if you go out with Han Seong-jin or go to places like before. So, can’t you let go of your anger now?”
“…”
Even if I go with Han Seong-jin?
Even if you go to ‘that kind of place’?
Yuri Lee’s stomach began to boil again.
Choosing words as if he was doing something he shouldn’t.
It’s wrong to go to places like arcades and have fun, but the tone seems like it won’t be an issue anymore.
Once I got angry, I started getting angry again about what Gong Young-bae said when he apologized.
When I first heard it, I thought for a moment that I was convinced and wanted to forgive him, but after hearing what he said, I realized that he had no idea why he was furious.
Her attitude of taking her affection and attention for granted, yet she doesn’t do the same to herself, and because she seems to be trying to distance herself from such topics, she even curses at Han Seong-jin, who was nice to her.
When she thought of those scenes, Yu-ri Lee’s stomach, which had been burning like an active volcano, soon calmed down as if coolant had been poured in.
And she answered calmly, surprisingly to herself.
“Okay, okay.”
Gong Young-bae’s face, which had been in the shadows the whole time, finally became bright.
“Really? Thank you, Yuri. I won’t do anything to make you feel bad anymore. I’m really sorry.”
“Yes, it’s good to know.”
“Well… Now we’re just like before… Right?”
“After the exam, I ate, and I’m feeling sleepy. I’ll go in first. You go quickly, too.”
“Huh? Oh, right. It’s just time to get sleepy. Then, go in carefully, Yuri.”
“… Yes.”
On the outside, it seemed like she had accepted Gong Yeong-bae’s apology and their relationship had been restored, but Yu-ri Lee’s heart was freezing.
Lee Yu-ri, who had shaken off all the little regrets she had and even her feelings for Gong Young-bae’s remarks that seemed to be filled with the consciousness of the chosen people, now felt relieved.
I no longer get angry when I see Gong Young-bae.
She ended up in the same state as Choi Su-yeon.
Sighing lightly, Yuri Lee cleared her mind and took out her cell phone.
#####
On my way home for my last part-time job of the week, I took out my phone when I felt a vibration in my pocket.
There was a message from Yuri Lee.
[Lee Yu-ri]: Are you going home?
[Me]: Oh, I have to go to a part-time job
[Lee Yu-ri]: It’s a pity, if it were Friday today, you wouldn’t have had to go to your part-time job.
[Me]: Would you have wanted to play more if I hadn’t gone to my part-time job? Haha, it’s cute
[Lee Yu-ri]: Why can’t I just play like that sometimes?
[Me]: No, I actually encourage playing
[Lee Yu-ri]: But I won’t play as badly as you
And for a moment, Yuri Lee said nothing.
Then suddenly he made a video call to me.
“Suddenly a video call? Did you miss me that much?”
– … Just.
Yuri Lee’s mood seemed similar to her usual mood, but was subtly different.
I guess something else happened with Gong Young-bae after Choi Su-yeon and I left?
“Something about the atmosphere is a little different? Should I say that I am liberated or that I look aloof?”
– … Did I do that?
“It’s just that it seems like that for some reason. Don’t worry about it. But why did you suddenly make a video call? You could have just said it over a chat.
– Well… I don’t know why I walked. I just moved my hand without thinking about it.
“What is that? When you hear it like that, it sounds like you really just called because you wanted to see me?”
– … Hey, Han Seongjin.
“Why?”
– Do you remember the promise I made last time? I said I would go to your house later to cook dinner.
“Of course I remember. You lied and said you were sick, so I brought you medicine and oatmeal on Saturday morning and went to your house.”
– I couldn’t go then… Can I go this Saturday?
I quietly took a deep breath so as not to show that I was excited.
If she had come to my house last time, her emotional hurdles were still high, so I could have just made her a meal and left.
However, if she comes to our house in this situation, she is not a fool and will know what will happen next.
Even though she knew that, she said she would come to our house.
I decided not to say anything more about that.
“Okay, come hang out. Make it pretty. Oh, since you’re always pretty, is there really no need to do that?”
– Anyway, what I’m saying is… Then, tell me your home address.
“Oh, the security in the neighborhood where I live is a bit… Not good. If you leave me alone, it’s a bit harsh, so I’ll pick you up in front of your house that day. Around 11:30 a.M.?
– Will you do that?
“You look a little touched?”
– … No.
“Anyway, I’ll pick you up, I know that. But I don’t think we’ll have many ingredients to cook at home.”
– That’s okay.
“Okay, then, I’ll see you at the academy tomorrow.”
– Okay. And… Thank you.
And Yuri Lee’s face turned red enough to be seen even through the screen, and she spat out a word in a much quieter voice than before.
-… Seongjin.
And then he hurriedly ended the video call.
She said that she could have teased her with that comment just now, but now she decided to give Yu-ri time to embarrass herself to her heart’s content.
