Chapter 40.1

“Where are you going?”

The sound of a wrapper rustling came as Dora ate her snack. She looked at me with raised eyebrows, wondering why I was neatly dressed even though it was the weekend. I smoothed my hair, slurring the end of my sentence as I spoke.

“Uh, I…… Noah sunbae is helping me with something.”

“If you are wearing that to go see the person you have a crush on, I’m cutting all ties with you starting today,” Dora spat after examining my outfit.

I was wearing my freshly laundered school uniform. The shirt was blindingly white, like it was new, and the skirt was neat too. I therefore saw no reason for her to be so indignant.

“Is it that bad? What’s wrong with wearing this?”

The school uniform was neat and nice.

I fiddled with my tie, doing my best to avoid Dora’s gaze.

“I don’t like that sunbae much…… but this is not it. This uniform is just not it! It’s the weekend, not even a weekday!” Dora cried out as she shook off the snack grumbles on her hand. Then she grabbed me by the neck.

“At the very least, you should wear what you usually wear when we go out together. Come here.”

“Hold on, hold on. Please make it look like I didn’t spend hours thinking about it,”  I begged, instinctively knowing what she had in mind. But Dora was relentless.

It wouldn’t be good if I was the only one dolled up.

In the end, feeling her touch my face, I just closed my eyes.

* * *

My white skirt fluttered gently in the wind.

Dora had said she would make me the ultimate version of myself, and as if proving her right, I could feel a number of people turning around to look my way. [1] Feeling embarrassed, I shook my head and grabbed my bag tighter.

What had that girl, Dora, put on my lips?

I shook my head again as I thought of Dora who had laid the product thick on my lips while saying that it was an item fresh off the production line. When I rubbed my lips, slightly frustrated, an excessive pink colour, one that didn’t suit me, came off on my finger.

I turned my head and looked at my reflection in the store window. A girl with curly blonde hair looked back at me, her green eyes blinking. It was a face I saw everyday, but something was different this time. It was a little…… pretty?

Ehh, what am I saying?

Staring at my face for no reason, I smiled and turned my head in embarrassment.

“You came early.”

That was when I heard Noah sunbae’s voice coming from behind me.

Turning my head, I greeted him and took a look at his outfit. He was in plain clothing, not uniform. His pure silver hair was in a low ponytail…… Wow, the black shirt was unexpected, but he looked great in it too.

Wow, it would have been a mess if I had won my uniform. Thank you, Dora.

I felt relief inside as I looked at Noah sunbae with a dopey face.

“He-hello.”

Noah sunbae’s eyes turned to my outfit.

“Your clothes……”

I hurriedly waved my hands as I made an excuse.

“Ah, I didn’t dress up for this. I have another appointment later this evening……”

Your lips are pink. It’s pretty.”

“Huh?”

Sunbae touched my lips and smiled. I could hear a dumb sound flow from my lips. The corners of my mouth shook slightly, as his finger moved towards my lips again. The pink colour came off on his finger once more.

Dora, thank you so much.

My heart was pounding fast. We were so close to each other; what if he heard the sound?

“An appointment?”

I had a hand on my chest when I heard Noah sunbae mumble to himself.

“Must be nice.”

He didn’t even know who I was meeting.

What did he mean? Was he saying it must be nice for me or that it must be nice for the person I am going to see? [2]

……I wished he meant the latter.

I twisted a strand of my hair around my finger and felt my face flush.

“Shall we go in? You must be tired from standing here so long.”

“Not at all. I also just arrived.”

We entered the cafe together and sat at a window table. The rays of summer sun that came in through the pretty pink curtains set my heart aflutter for some reason.

This, this felt like a date.

I blushed again as I tilted the cup of sweet hot cocoa.

Sunbae looked exceptionally good today; I wasn’t just saying this to pay lip-service. He looked good on other days, but today, I felt blinded by how handsome he was. Because we were seated by a window, his diamond-like silver hair that hung past his shoulders sparkled. His long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, while his golden eyes focused on me. The heart I’d tried so hard to calm down began pounding again.

It seemed I may have to see a doctor soon. Was it okay for my heart to beat this fast?

Sunbae sat across from me drinking his tea, with no clue as to what my internal dialogue was. He cut such a lovely figure. I thought of the contents of that book again and felt like my heart would splinter.

Well, if Sunbae was happy, then I was too…… My foot. I was so, so jealous of Flora Sunbae.

“Shall we begin?”

I shook my head briskly to erase the thoughts running through my mind. Then I took a notebook from my bag and placed it on the table. Noah sunbae nodded and picked up his own notebook. I began feeling nervous again.

Notes:

[1] Ultimate version: ; means the final boss, and means green tobacco according to Naver. So I am not sure what this actually means.

[2] Noah is jealous that she is going to see someone else, and wishes that he was the one she had an appointment with. I wasn’t sure if it was clear, so here is a little explanation.