Chapter 998 – Good Things Should Be Shared Between Friends (3)
I didn’t want to go camping for any particular reason.
Just because it looks fun.
One of the friends I made after entering college mentioned that camping was her hobby, and when she heard about it, she thought it would be fun to go with Hye-su.
In fact, the friend who brought up her camping story was her male classmate, and she brought up her story to get closer to Ji-eun Lee, but unfortunately, Ji-eun Lee did not notice the signal.
Just say, ‘He likes camping’ or ‘It looks like fun.’ Should I try it with Hye-su this time?’ She just thought the same thing.
Out of common sense, rather than being cautious, the idea of going out alone with a man did not occur to her, and she naturally assumed that if she were going camping, it would be more fun to go with Jeong Hye-soo.
If she had any feelings for the other person, she might have thought differently, but unfortunately, Ji-eun Lee did not have any feelings for him.
To be precise, she didn’t have any special feelings for any of the men she met when she entered college.
It was a story of romantic feelings rather than person-to-person attraction.
I don’t know if it’s because I’ve already experienced love at first sight once, but unless I feel something similar to the excitement I felt at the time, romantic feelings don’t arise.
[〈I thought about it first. Aren’t you a little nervous about going with just two women?]
She told Jeong Hye-soo that she wanted to go camping, and only a few hours later did she get a reply.
Of course, it wasn’t that she didn’t get a reply at all, she just said that she would think about it for a while, so she didn’t have to wait around for a reply.
[〈 If two women go alone, you never know what might happen. Men can be annoying, and you never know what might happen.]
‘That’s true, but.’
When others hear that men can be annoying, they may think it’s excessive self-consciousness, but for Lee Ji-eun and Jeong Hye-soo, it wasn’t that unusual.
Since both of them had striking looks, there were one or two men who bothered them during their college days.
[〉 I know what you mean. However, going with a man is also a bit different. There is no one in particular to ask to go with.]
I couldn’t even think of the male classmate who brought up the camping story.
Right now, there is no one I can recommend going camping with me, and the same is probably true for Jeong Hye-su.
While attending middle and high school together, she never saw Jeong Hye-soo being friendly with a man, let alone dating, and even after she entered college, she didn’t hear much about it.
[〈If it’s okay with you, there is someone I can ask for.]
[〉Who is it?]
In response to the reply she had been waiting for, Lee Ji-eun tilted her head and asked again.
Is she trying to call a relative? She once again thought about the relationships she had with Jeong Hye-soo, but she couldn’t think of a man she could ask to go camping with her.
And, it was quiet, as if taking a pause, and the reply arrived a little late.
[〈 Minseok oppa.]
“. Huh?”
A small, stunned sound came out at the completely unexpected name. The expression on his face also showed a little bit of confusion.
‘Why all of a sudden.’
She can’t help but feel embarrassed when she suddenly hears her name, which she had forgotten since entering college.
She graduated from high school before starting college. The man Hye-soo met at the academy she went to get her license.
The person who, unlike love at first sight, risked shame and asked for her number.
And the person who gave him his first experience, but in the end he couldn’t date, and the relationship ended ambiguously.
Even now, when he masturbates, he still thinks about the sex he had back then, but now he doesn’t have that deep feeling.
Because I was busy with my college life, I didn’t see each other for a long time, and we didn’t contact each other, so my feelings probably cooled.
And, it must have been the same for Hye-soo as well for not contacting her for a long time. I was embarrassed that Minseok’s name suddenly appeared.
[〉 Isn’t it so unexpected?]
[〈 That’s right. I’ve contacted you a few times recently. Anyway, Minseok oppa doesn’t have a bad personality and is trustworthy.]
I heard you contacted Minseok oppa recently. This is my first time hearing this.
Of course, he didn’t have to report everything about who he was in contact with, but he felt a little weird hearing that he had been in contact with Minseok oppa. And,
‘It’s a bit hard to meet again.’
It’s embarrassing in many ways.
As Hye-su said, Min-seok didn’t have a bad personality, and he was a person you could trust, but even though you had sex with someone you couldn’t date, you met again and went out to have fun.
As I was thinking about a trip of at least 2 days and 1 night, or 3 days and 2 nights, my mind couldn’t help but become complicated.
‘Like Hye-soo said, it’s a bit weird to go with just two women, but…’
She wasn’t the one who brought up the idea of going out alone with the two women, but after hearing the story, she was a little worried herself.
[〉Isn’t it a bit weird to suddenly ask to go camping together?]
In the end, she couldn’t answer right away, so she turned around slightly and asked Hye-su’s opinion again. And,
[〈 I already asked. He said it was okay because he could make time as long as he let me know in advance.]
He looked embarrassed again when he heard that the story was already over.
It was the same when I got my license, but when the two of us did something, it was mostly Jeong Hye-soo’s job to look into the details and prepare.
This time, when she brought up the topic of camping and heard that she was going to think about it, she was just thinking, ‘I’m looking into this and that in advance.’
I couldn’t have guessed that she had already contacted her brother Minseok and even asked for her consent.
‘. At least tell me in advance.’
It wasn’t because I was unpleasant or disappointed, but because the current situation was so sudden and embarrassing.
To be really honest, the biggest reason was that she didn’t know how to react to the thought that she might meet Minseok again.
It wasn’t that she didn’t have any regrets or regrets as the contact became less frequent, and contrary to the thought that she didn’t have any feelings left, I felt her heart pounding.
‘. What should I do?’
[〈Jeong If you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to call, so don’t worry too much. It’s just that it’s a little bit like that, it’s not like anything will really happen if the two of you go together.]
Perhaps she was too late in replying because she was lost in thought, so she added her words as if she were making up for it on Hye-su’s part.
“Ugh…”
However, hearing these words actually makes me feel more worried.
Hye-su: I guess it was something I thought about and did in my own way. Minseok oppa isn’t really someone you can’t trust, and I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal for him to refuse just because he was uncomfortable meeting him.
‘If we meet again… Nothing like that will happen…?’
It wasn’t a forced request from here, and if Minseok oppa accepted it, it might be okay.
Although it’s a little embarrassing, it’s already happened in the past, so when we actually meet, the atmosphere might not be so strange.
In the end, I was inclined to accept it.
[〉No. It’s a little embarrassing, though. I think it’ll be okay.]
[〈 Yes? Then, let’s call your brother and talk about it together?]
“Oh, no.”
She mumbled in surprise at the sudden call for Minseok oppa, but she didn’t send a message and there’s no way she could have heard what she muttered to herself.
Without any time to reply, a new group chat room with Minseok oppa was created.
[Jeong Hye-soo: The author said it was okay, so I made it.]
[Jeong Hye-soo: First of all, we don’t have any plans yet, so let’s talk about it here.]
“Oh, what should I do?”
Hye-soo’s message, which summarized the situation as if she were hearing a calm voice just by reading it, trembled and muttered as if the screen was about to burst.
Should I say hello first? Or should I just act naturally as if nothing happened?
Whatever it was, I felt like I couldn’t just keep my mouth shut, so I quickly tapped the screen and sent a message.
[Lee Ji-eun: It’s been a while.]
Still, I thought I should say hello first, so I said hello in moderation.
And, while waiting for a reply, strangely the number next to the message does not disappear, so I start to feel a little anxious.
[Jeong Hye-soo: I said I was going to take a shower earlier, so just wait a little while and I will come.]
“. Please tell me in advance.”
If I had, I would have greeted my brother properly after he came.
It’s not really a mistake, but it’s a little embarrassing that I hurriedly greeted someone who didn’t even know that the chat room was created.
It was even more so because he pretended not to be embarrassed and greeted me in a short and calm tone.
And, contrary to Jeong Hye-soo’s words that she would come if she waited a little, it was almost two hours later that Choi Min-seok checked the chat room and sent a reply.
[Choi Min-seok: Sorry, I was late to see it.]
[Choi Min-seok: How are you?]
[Jeong Hye-soo: What were you doing so late? If it had been a little later, I wouldn’t have been able to stand it and just slept.]
[Minseok Choi: Just a little. But is the author sleeping?]
[Lee Ji-eun: I’m not sleeping yet.]
Although Hye-soo felt a little tingly, other than that, she sighed briefly and relaxed in a normal atmosphere that wasn’t particularly awkward.
Because she didn’t see her face in person, she felt a little strange, but she didn’t say she was uncomfortable.
[Jeong Hye-soo: First, decide where to go. Author, where do you want to go?]
[Lee Ji-eun: If possible, I want to go to the valley.]
It wasn’t the hottest season yet, but the weather was slowly getting hotter, so she heard from a friend who had mentioned camping that it was a good idea to go somewhere cooler, like a valley.
[Jeong Hye-soo: It will be okay because the weather will soon get warmer. What about your brother?]
[Choi Min-seok: I’m fine too. Since I’m following along as your guardian, you guys decide where you want to go and when. I’ll just drive or be a porter.]
[Jeong Hye-soo: Okay.]
“…”
I can’t say for sure because I can’t see the expression or voice, but it had a very natural atmosphere.
She said she contacted me a few times recently. I was a little concerned about what prompted the contact.
[Choi Min-seok: Also, if you need anything else, I will prepare it, so let me know.]
[Jeong Hye-soo: Ji-eun said she also wanted to try barbecue. You can rent things like grills at the campsite, so try not to prepare them for now. I’ll talk about it when I’m done organizing it.]
[Minseok Choi: Okay. Then, I’ll go to bed first, so let’s talk together and let me know.]
[Jeong Hye-soo: I will. Sorry for the late hour.]
[Choi Min-seok: There is nothing to be sorry about. Sleep well, author, and see you next time.]
[Lee Ji-eun: Yes. Sleep well, too.]
Also, Ji-eun Lee was just watching the two of them conversing naturally, and only after she said goodbye did she reply in a panic.
I thought it was because she responded too bluntly when I sent her a message, unlike in person, but the message had already arrived.
I was definitely excited about camping until a few minutes ago. Right now, I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
Little did she know that Hye-soo, who did not greet her, would have sent a good night message to Choi Min-seok through her personal message behind her back.
