Chapter 409: Words Left Unsaid
I’m sometimes scared of Yu Daon.
Because the things she says are so dismissive of herself, and furthermore, the trust she places in me, which is sometimes heavy enough to be burdensome, can also be frightening.
“You know I’d never take you back to the hospital, right?”
At my words, Yu Daon smiled and nodded.
“You’re right, you might. But what I meant was, even if you really did take me to the hospital, I’d be okay with it.”
“I wouldn’t be okay. I fought tooth and nail against the hospital to get you out; what possible reason would I have to take you back there?”
“Is that so?”
Yu Daon gave a small laugh and continued.
“So, um. Why did you call me out today?”
“…”
It’s always a difficult question. When Song A-rin and Jang Chae-yeon asked me this, I never knew what to say.
And in times like that…
“Should we ride a ride first?”
“Oh, sure!”
At my words, Yu Daon smiled brightly, and I walked with her to ride an attraction.
But what should we ride? Yu Daon said she’s never been on a ride before…
“How about this one?”
“Huh?”
The rollercoaster Yu Daon picked out turned out to be one of those insanely fast types that drops steeply.
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
“Of course!”
In response to my question, she nodded with a confident expression and looked at me.
“I think I’ll be really good at it!”
“…Well, if you say so.”
If she says she’s good at it, what can I possibly say?
Thinking that, I stood in the rollercoaster queue with Yu Daon.
There weren’t as many people as I expected, and once we got on the rollercoaster,
“Wheee-!”
Yu Daon’s joyful scream echoed.
She really seems to be good at this.
*
After riding it twice, Yu Daon, having tied up her wind-tousled hair, looked at me and smiled.
“My god, that was really fun!”
“Really? Honestly, I thought you’d be scared.”
Since it was her first rollercoaster, I thought she might be frightened.
“Oh, come on.”
And Yu Daon shook her head with a smirk, as if to say my worry was unfounded.
“Don’t you remember, Jae-heon?”
“Huh?”
“In the Cube, when Chae-yeon shot me out like an arrow.”
“…Ah…”
“And in the hospital, when you two used me as a support beam to shoot out…”
“…That…”
“What else was there? When the elevator opened—”
“I’m sorry.”
I have nothing to say.
I bowed my head slightly to Yu Daon, and she shook her head with a playful laugh.
“No, no! It’s fine! Thanks to that, I can enjoy things like this so happily now!”
“I appreciate the positive review, but I’m still sorry.”
I really shouldn’t do that next time.
As I was thinking that with my head bowed, Yu Daon tugged on my sleeve.
“Then let’s play a bit more, okay?”
“I was planning to hang out with you even if I hadn’t messed up.”
“It’s just a figure of speech!”
Yu Daon smiled happily, and I inevitably ended up smiling along with her.
And so, we continued to enjoy the amusement park.
“Wow! This is delicious! Jae-heon, try a bite!”
“Ah, thank you. But, Daon, people are watching…”
“This too!”
“Ah, well. Thank you. Uh…”
It’s just that people’s attention is so focused on Yu Daon.
When I’m with Jang Chae-yeon, I know full well that everyone’s eyes are clearly on her.
Song A-rin, too, while she can be a bit sharp-tongued, is still cute-looking.
When I’m with Yu Daon, people surprisingly don’t stare much, because she doesn’t smile often.
To be precise, I heard she smiles when talking to me, but not so much with others.
But now that she’s smiling like this, I feel like I’m getting even more stares than when I’m with Jang Chae-yeon.
“It’s much better now that you’re smiling, Daon.”
“Me?”
At my muttering, Yu Daon, who was touching her own cheek, tilted her head.
“I’m always smiling, though?”
“I heard you weren’t?”
“Oh, come on. From your perspective, haven’t I always been smiling?”
“Well… I suppose so.”
“Then I am smiling.”
Smiling softly, Yu Daon took a bite of her food.
“The me that you see is always smiling, so that means I am smiling.”
“…”
I have nothing to say.
As I ate without saying a word, Yu Daon also just smiled and ate her food.
*
Time flew by, and night fell.
The amusement park, open for extended night hours, wasn’t particularly crowded even aside from me and Yu Daon, so the atmosphere was quiet for an amusement park.
“This reminds me of the old days.”
“You’re not talking about that amusement park where all hell broke loose, are you?”
“I am, though?”
At my question, Yu Daon laughed and replied, and I was at a loss for words.
“Of course, it’s hard to call it a fun and enjoyable place, but precisely because I’ve been to such a place, isn’t it that much more enjoyable to come here with you, Jae-heon?”
“…”
I don’t know what to say.
I just…
“Thank you.”
I gave her a short word of thanks, and Yu Daon, hearing it, smiled somewhat shyly.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing.”
Gazing at the dark amusement park’s night sky with Yu Daon, I slowly opened my mouth.
“So, Daon.”
“Yes.”
“As you know, I… not just with you, but with Chae-yeon and A-rin too…”
“Yes, I know.”
At my mumbling, Yu Daon replied calmly and smiled.
“And I also know why you called me out today.”
“…”
“But, Jae-heon.”
“Yes?”
Looking at me, Yu Daon smiled softly.
“Did you know? Since I met you, my answer has never changed.”
“…”
I knew all too well what Yu Daon was going to say.
“I’m okay with whatever you do.”
She smiled softly and spoke.
“Um, so. How should I put it.”
“…”
“It’s not that I’m leaving the answer up to you.”
She seemed to choose her words carefully, hesitating before continuing.
“It’s just that I’m happy with whatever you choose.”
“…”
“It’s not like I’m saying this because I think you’ll like me back or anything.”
“…”
“And I’m not saying it to make you feel burdened either.”
Yu Daon said this with a smile.
“So it’s okay.”
“No matter what answer I give?”
“No matter what answer you give.”
At my question, she laughed and nodded.
“So, Jae-heon!”
Yu Daon smiled radiantly.
Against the backdrop of the sparkling amusement park, her face shone.
“I’m happy, and I’m still happy now.”
In the end, I couldn’t say anything, and could only end the meeting with Yu Daon’s understanding.
*
As always, this time too, I saw Yu Daon home.
“You really don’t have to…”
“I saw the others home too.”
“Well, then, um. I guess I can’t say much…”
I smiled at the hesitating Yu Daon, and she smiled back at me.
“But I’m curious about something.”
“Yes?”
“When you parted ways, what did A-rin and Chae-yeon do to you?”
“…”
I hadn’t expected her to ask that all of a sudden.
“Uh, um.”
“…”
I stammered, and Yu Daon stared straight at me.
“Jae-heon. Just a moment.”
“You’re not going to tell me to close my eyes, are you?”
Remembering yesterday’s events, I glanced at Yu Daon, and she gave a small laugh.
“Would you like me to tell you to close your eyes?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Hmm, then…”
Yu Daon moved closer to me,
“…”
I took a slow breath.
“Daon?”
“…”
I looked at Yu Daon, unable to hide my bewilderment, but she just smiled, took a few deep breaths, and then,
“I’ll be going in now.”
She bowed her head slightly to me.
“Ah, well. Okay.”
“Get home safely, Jae-heon.”
Yu Daon smiled at me and went inside her house,
and after watching her for a moment, I also headed home.
*
When I got home, it was as if all the tension drained from my body.
“…Phew…”
I let out a deep sigh and sat down on a dining chair,
“…”
I pulled out the Manual, which had been quiet until then.
Even though I’d never taken it out from my breast pocket, conversely, I’d also never left it out of my breast pocket.
If it were the Manual I know, it would have at least said something or other.
But since the braised short rib recipe, it hasn’t said a word.
“…Hey.”
Slowly, I looked at the Manual and spoke.
“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”
I looked at the Manual as if coaxing a sulking friend, but the Manual still remained unopened.
“…Still, they’re all good people.”
Making an excuse that didn’t even sound like one, I slowly opened the Manual.
[Manual for Office Workers]
The inside was blank.
“…You really have nothing to say?”
I said, looking at the Manual,
and at the same time,
-Fwoosh!
A dazzling light poured out, and as I opened my eyes,
“…”
The Manual was staring straight at me.