LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 227
Eun-a’s insistence on going to the beach together was truly unreasonable, but there was some logic behind her words. After all, if Ji Kang-hyeon ends up going out with his friends, then that would leave just Mi-ra and myself to entertain each other. It might be fun in its own way, but wouldn’t it feel a little lacking?
Moreover, the reason they wanted us to go was that they needed an adult to supervise. Even though we were adults, technically we were still inexperienced babies who had only recently become adults. Wasn’t there a manager to supervise these kids?
Eun-a even suggested that if I brought Hwa-won along, I could help spark a connection between the two. Honestly, I was a bit tempted by this. It wasn’t just about Eun-a helping me; it was the thought of spending time with Hwa-won.
But ultimately, if Hwa-won couldn’t go, it wouldn’t matter at all, and despite acknowledging that I had become a woman, the mental hurdle of wearing a swimsuit was too high. I’d rather wear those minefield outfits again. Of course, even if I was told to wear them now, I wouldn’t.
I calmly explained the logical reasons I couldn’t go, and in the end, Eun-a relented, but she said there was still plenty of time to think about it.
After the call with Eun-a, I felt mentally drained and sprawled out on my bed.
Honestly, I was tempted, but a swimsuit just didn’t feel right. If Hwa-won couldn’t make time for it, I wouldn’t even have to worry about swimsuits. Even if Hwa-won could go, it was still going to be difficult.
A part of my mind was asking, what was the difference between this and the underwear I was currently wearing? Wasn’t underwear something that shouldn’t be shown to others?
…Still, should I ask Hwa-won later? You never know, right?
Of course, I couldn’t do anything since Hwa-won didn’t answer when I tried to call. I could call back, but I didn’t want to be seen as an annoying woman.
I waited for a long time, but Hwa-won’s call never came, and I eventually drifted off to sleep.
~
Ah, it had been a while since I had a dream.
To be honest, I usually don’t remember much of my dreams, so I couldn’t tell if it really had been a long time. Anyway, I was at a wedding as a guest, sitting in a chair and waiting for the entrance of the groom and bride.
…Something felt uneasy. I had attended weddings before, but I wasn’t really familiar enough to have them appear in my dreams. I didn’t have much experience with them, and since becoming who I was now, I had never attended one. But right now, I was in a female form.
There probably had been many dreams where my original self appeared. With time, however, that version of me had faded, and now my current self was the default. Sometimes, I barely remembered what my original face even looked like.
Suddenly, people were lifting me up and dragging me somewhere. I couldn’t resist, and before I knew it, I found myself in the groom’s waiting room. Ah, I understood. I was a bridesmaid.
As the groom walked down the wedding aisle, I was the one who sprinkled shiny pieces of cut colored paper? I wasn’t sure what it was, but that was the role I had. Wasn’t that something kids did? Anyway, I couldn’t see the groom’s face since I was behind him.
Once the groom’s entrance was finished, it was time for the bride to enter. I returned to my seat and saw the bride walking down the aisle. She was entering with her father, a blonde Westerner, but I couldn’t see the bride’s face due to the angle.
The usual officiant’s speech followed, and finally, the groom and bride looked at each other. It was time for the vows and the kiss.
At that moment, I caught sight of their faces.
The groom was Hwa-won, Gang Hwa-won, and the bride was Yoo Seol-rin. They looked just like the pictures I’d seen, but now their bodies were even more voluptuous and attractive.
Realizing the nature of this wedding, I lunged forward to stop them, but the many hands that had dragged me here held me back. I shouted, but no sound came out, and I could only reach out helplessly.
In that moment, Hwa-won turned to look at me.
I believed that Hwa-won would help me, but he simply turned back to the bride.
And then they… exchanged their vows of a hundred years.
Their lips met in a deep kiss, a time that was anything but light.
Yoo Seol-rin looked at me with a victorious smile. That decadent expression was cruel enough to belong to a drama’s villain.
No matter how much I shouted, my voice wouldn’t reach them, no matter how much I struggled, the grip holding me was too strong, and I could only watch that expression helplessly. Hwa-won’s face was no longer visible. What I felt now was not hatred but despair.
I didn’t feel anything at all about being mocked by Yoo Seol-rin. I was just… in so much pain, so sad that I couldn’t do anything.
I’d rather end this life with my own hands.
After their wedding, the dream accelerated.
Yoo Seol-rin and Hwa-won were living a perfectly normal and happy life. Hwa-won ran a successful company that everyone would recognize, and his life as a writer was also successful. Everyone knew the name Gang Hwa-won.
They looked happy. But I wasn’t part of it.
What was I doing? When I turned my gaze, I saw countless versions of myself. Each one was a different future.
One future where Jin Seo-hye stabbed me; one where Lee Cheon couldn’t escape the pressure and chose to commit suicide; one future where Seo Jae-Ah was a husk after being raped; one where I couldn’t escape Muk Ha-neul and became her adorable puppet; and one where I became a doll that played with Ham Yejin’s mother.
There was nothing but a brutally terrible world that looked better than just living a normal life without reaching any future.
It wasn’t that I was killed, or that I committed suicide, or that I was raped, or that I became a puppet, or that I became a doll.
The reason those futures were terrifying was,
because Hwa-won was absent from them.
Ah, truly.
This is serious.
~
I woke up to the sound of a bell. Before I could regain my scattered mind from that terrible dream, I received a call. I didn’t even check who it was. There was no need.
[Hello…?]
[Were you sleeping?]
No, I wasn’t. I was just in pain.
[Yeah.]
[Should I call back later?]
[No, no. Let’s talk now. It’s fine, don’t hang up.]
[Why are you in such a hurry?]
Her tone sounded a bit rushed. I needed to calm down and ask.
[Why didn’t you answer earlier?]
[…Ah, I usually take a break during lunch, so I must have missed it. I was really busy eating with my dad.]
[That sounds like a disaster.]
Thank goodness. It wasn’t that I didn’t answer because I was annoyed.
[So? Is there something important you want to talk about? Just send it in a text.]
[Oh, I just wanted to hear your voice….]
I shouldn’t say that I wanted to hear her voice.
[What about my voice?]
[It’s nothing. Just something trivial. I called but you didn’t answer, so I was going to talk later. Do you have time today?]
[Hey, I’ve only been back in Korea for three days. It’s Thursday, and we just met Monday. You want to meet again today?]
I had just wanted to ask, but Hwa-won’s slightly sharp reaction made my heart sink. Is it annoying to her? Could it be that she felt that way?
As my reply faded and silence ensued, Hwa-won sighed deeply. And that alone hurt my heart. Luckily, Hwa-won was still Hwa-won.
[Oh, I’m sorry. I’m just a bit irritated. I might be stressed because of my dad. It’s not something I should be taking out on you. If I upset you, I’m sorry.]
[It’s okay. Stress at work can do that.]
[Is there something important you want to discuss if we meet today?]
Meeting you. That’s the only important thing. But I couldn’t say that.
I did have something to ask. The same thing Ji Kang-hyeon had asked. It wasn’t something important enough to need to meet in person, and I didn’t have much thought about it, but it could serve as an excuse.
[Well, it’s not that… um, I have something to ask. It’s a bit sudden, though.]
[What is it?]
[Um, do you have time this weekend? And what about Monday?]
[I’m resting this weekend. I’m going to work on Monday.]
[Oh, then that won’t work….]
I had guessed it wouldn’t work from the start, so I felt no disappointment over it. Right now, I was just grateful to Ji Kang-hyeon for giving me a topic to throw out.
[I heard about a two-night, three-day seaside trip planned for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. If you can’t go, I won’t go either.]
[Is the beach open this time of year?]
[It seems to be a private beach. It’s only rented out to us for a few days. Kang Hwa-won and a few friends of Ji Kang-hyeon are going. They say they’re a bit worried since there won’t be any real adults there.]
[Does he not have a manager?]
[He does. I don’t know much about it. I’ve only seen his face once.]
[But if I don’t go, then why can’t you go?]
[Huh? No, it’s just that I’m not really into those places. We have to wear swimsuits and all. I just asked in case you wanted to go to the beach.]
For some reason, Hwa-won let out a small sigh. I wondered if something was bothering her. I was worried, but thankfully, she wouldn’t notice that I was feeling restless over the phone.
[Don’t say you’re not going and just go have fun together. It’s hot these days, so it would be perfect.]
[No, I actually didn’t have much interest in it either.]
A moment of silence. What was she thinking? I was a bit worried about what Hwa-won would say, but I hadn’t brought up anything strange, so it should be okay… right?
[You can take a day off, so let’s go. Just tell them you’re coming with me.]
[Eh? Really? I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.]
[It’s fine. I wanted to take a break, too. I’ve been so stressed out with my dad thinking he’s won everything, and he’s been working me hard.]
[…Then I’ll let them know about it.]
[There’s nothing you need to particularly keep in mind, right?]
[Um, I’m not really sure. I’ll ask and get back to you.]
[Okay, rest well.]
[You too, take care.]
The call ended.
…I hadn’t intended to end up in this situation. I looked at the clock and realized it was already past seven. I supposed Hwa-won would be resting now. Clearly, it wasn’t my fault that she hadn’t called. Thank goodness.
But suddenly going to the beach… it felt a bit, just a bit off. However, the situation had already begun to unfold, and it would now be awkward to pull out.
To be honest, I was a bit excited. Regardless, since meeting only a couple of times over the weekend, the thought of spending two whole nights and three days with Hwa-won appealed to me.
In novels, couples meet and stay together all the time, but in reality, that’s difficult. I didn’t know how others managed, but that was my assumption.
Steeling myself, I told Eun-a, Mi-ra, and Ji Kang-hyeon that I would be joining Hwa-won. Ji Kang-hyeon smirked, saying he had expected it, and Mi-ra expressed her usual happiness. And then Eun-a asked,
[Do you have a swimsuit?]
Without warning, she attacked me with the topic I dreaded most. I sighed and began to reply.
But still… I could be with Hwa-won for the entire two nights and three days. That was undoubtedly a good thing. The dream I had earlier had already faded long ago from my memory.