As I stepped out of the motel, I noticed Yoon Si-woo staring at .
I wondered why he was here again and was about to walk past him, but suddenly, Yoon Si-woo blocked my way.
Standing in front of , staring intensely, I honestly felt a bit intimidated and flinched slightly.
The fact that I was intimidated was a blow to my pride, so I shot back at Yoon Si-woo.
“What do you want?”
“…What were you doing in there?”
“Why should I tell you that?”
I answered curtly to Yoon Si-woo, who was trying to create a serious atmosphere, and it made even more nervous.
There was no way I could tell him that I was showing off my fla tricks and getting my picture taken while those uncles praised my show.
Yoon Si-woo glanced at the envelope of money I was holding.
“Is it… because of the money?”
Of course I’m doing part-ti work for the money. What else would it be for?
I nodded in response.
“…You’re not doing it because you have to, right? Nobody forced you to do sothing tough or…?”
“I did it because I wanted to. It wasn’t hard at all; I actually enjoyed it.”
What’s so tough about it? It’s a sweet gig!
When I thought about the annoying custors I had to deal with while getting minimum wage at the convenience store, I couldn’t help but wonder if I really deserved this money.
Ugh, at least clean up after yourself!
I couldn’t forget the horrendous ss left behind by the custors.
…Honestly, getting paid 60,000 won an hour felt like a true superpower compared to spitting flas.
For the first ti, my so-called useless ability felt pretty amazing.
While I was lost in thought, Yoon Si-woo kept asking endless questions.
“…Are you going to do this kind of work again?”
“Well, if I get the chance. There’s no other job where I can make money this easy.”
If it were truly possible, I would want to do it again.
Just hanging out with the uncles and the money keeps rolling in!
Is there really a job where you can relax and make money?
As I was thinking about all this, Yoon Si-woo, with a twisted expression, spoke up.
“Can’t you just not do this?”
Yoon Si-woo, almost on the verge of crying, sounded desperate.
“If you’re short on cash, I can help you. So…”
“What help? Who do you think you are to ? I don’t need you.”
Does he think I’m a beggar or sothing?
I’m currently a wealthy guy with 143,000 gold!
Plus, the idea of needing help makes sick.
After responding coldly, I walked past the now-stiff Yoon Si-woo and headed ho.
—
Flashback: A debt to repay
“Dad left us with debts to pay.”
When I was a child, I woke up to see red papers stuck all over the house.
When I asked Mom what they were, she forced a smile and answered like that.
There was a ti when I visited friends’ houses and envied how spacious they were.
Back then, I thought it would be lovely to have a big house.
Mom, Dad, and .
Our house felt too small compared to my friends’ houses for the three of us.
But after everything, I realized that having a big house wasn’t always a good thing.
The house, now empty after the red papers took everything, felt way too big for just Mom and .
“Son, if you incur debt, you must repay it.”
In that house, just the two of us, Mom held my hand and said those words while we shared a blanket.
If you don’t repay, it could make life hard for others.
So, I decided to live without going into debt, whenever possible.
—
Present: At ho
I heard footsteps behind .
Turning around, I saw Yoon Si-woo following .
I shot him a disapproving glance, and he started to explain himself.
“It’s dangerous for a girl to walk alone at night…”
Um, I’m technically a super-powered person here.
I gave him a look of disdain, but it looked like he had no intention of leaving.
I knew him to be stubborn as iron, so I continued walking ho.
The building where I lived in my studio looked a bit shabby from the outside.
Though it looked like it might fall apart at any mont, the interior was surprisingly solid.
As I climbed the slightly rickety stairs to my room, I could see Yoon Si-woo’s eyes darting around anxiously.
Pfft, what a scaredy-cat. There’s nothing to worry about; this place isn’t going to collapse.
After I opened the door, I wanted to send Yoon Si-woo away, but he just wouldn’t budge at the door.
…Well, since he brought here out of concern, I sighed and gestured for him to co in.
“Just co in for a mont.”
Yoon Si-woo’s eyes widened.
He timidly stepped inside, his legs trembling.
His reaction was like soone entering a creepy old house in a horror movie.
Usually, these types of guys end up saying, “Wow, it’s cleaner than I expected in here.”
I turned on the light and set up the small dining table we used for als.
I gestured for him to sit, and he carefully took a seat at one end of the table.
With one more person in the room, it felt a bit cramped now.
I thought I should at least offer him so tea.
But there was nothing in the fridge.
No tea, not even anything to eat for breakfast tomorrow.
I should have picked sothing up from the convenience store, but I completely forgot since running into Yoon Si-woo was unexpected.
Darn it, Yoon Si-woo.
I sighed, closed the fridge, and went to the sink.
Fortunately, there were exactly two cups.
Since there’s no tea, I might as well offer this.
I filled both cups with tap water and walked back to the table, placing one in front of Yoon Si-woo.
“I’m sorry, but this is all I have to offer.”
After saying that, I took a sip from my cup.
Having sweated so much earlier, the water felt unbelievably refreshing.
I thought to myself… this tap water is… sweet…
With each gulp, I tried to forget my troubles for a mont.
Ahhh, what a sensation! As I sighed in satisfaction after putting my cup down, I realized Yoon Si-woo was staring at with a complex expression, not touching his glass.
Is he one of those who only drinks bottled water?
A rich bourgeois who won’t even touch anything but Evian?
I glared at Yoon Si-woo’s disdain for Arisu water.
Co on, just try it! It’s brilliant.
Finally, seeming to concede to the quality of Arisu, Yoon Si-woo lifted his glass and gulped it down in one go.
Perhaps impressed by tasting Arisu for the first ti, Yoon Si-woo looked slightly out of breath.
“If you’re done, you can leave now.”
I waved my hand, telling him to scram.
Yoon Si-woo hesitated, as if he wanted to say sothing, then silently got up.
He put on his shoes, opened the door, and stood there for a mont, turning his head slightly to give a small smile.
“See you tomorrow.”
Nodding in response, Yoon Si-woo went out, closing the door behind him.
After clearing the cups and folding up the table, I took off my school uniform and took a shower.
Once I dried off and changed into my pajamas, I opened the fridge.
In a barely visible corner lay a deford chocolate that had lted and re-solidified.
I took out the chocolates I had received earlier from the class president and put them in the fridge’s corner.
It’s better not to incur debts that you can’t repay anyway.
I closed the fridge door.
—
The next morning
I slowly opened my eyes.
Thinking I might have woken up too early, I grabbed my phone to check the ti.
8:20 AM.
…Huh?
Crap, I didn’t hear the alarm!!!!!
I jumped up in surprise, quickly got dressed, and dashed out.
But thinking it over, I was already late, so I decided to walk briskly instead of running.
Smoking, skipping classes, and now being late… I’m totally becoming a delinquent.
Feeling sad for my already tarnished reputation, I opened the classroom door.
Today, the classroom felt strangely quiet.
Well, it was quiet like usual during class, but the atmosphere felt different.
I had the impression that raising my voice would be a bad idea, so I quietly entered and took my seat.
Once I sat down, I figured out the source of the tense atmosphere.
In front of , where everyone typically focused their attention, Sylvia and Yoon Si-woo had deadly serious expressions on their faces.
Both had a natural charisma that was remarkable, and seeing them like this made everyone instinctively shrink back.
I could definitely feel it myself.
Sitting right behind them and exposed to that cold atmosphere, I trembled involuntarily.
During lunchti, for so unknown reason, Sylvia ate separately from Yoon Si-woo.
I noticed Sylvia’s ears perk up.
Seeing that, I quickly dashed to the snack bar to buy so macarons.
When I handed them to her, Sylvia’s face went cold as she clearly displayed her anger.
“I don’t need them.”
I tilted my head in confusion, and Sylvia spoke again.
“Did you not hear? I don’t need them. From now on, there’s no need for you to bring macarons. I have no reason to accept those from Scarlet.”
“But… we’re friends…”
I spoke, trembling, without realizing it, and Sylvia, with a chilly glare, looked straight in the eye.
“I’m sorry, but that’s just the truth. I did sothing wrong, so from today onwards, I’ll be honest.”
Her lips slowly parted.
“I have never thought of Scarlet as a friend.”
Each word that fell from her lips felt like a blow to my head.
My hands and feet trembled, and my breath caught in my throat.
My plan had crumbled.
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