Chapter: 133
Trudging back home, my steps felt heavy as if my previous good mood had evaporated into thin air. As I passed a building, my reflection appeared in the glass—my face was etched with deep worry.
A sigh slipped out of me without even realizing it. This condition wouldn’t do. Yoon Si-woo would be waiting back at home, and he already carried enough on his shoulders without me adding to his worries. I rubbed my face vigorously to ease the tension, and while it didn’t look great, it was definitely an improvement.
…This should be enough to keep it from showing, I thought as I made my way home.
“I’m back,” I announced.
“Ah, Scarlet! How was it?” Yoon Si-woo chimed in.
“…Yeah, nothing special.”
As I opened the door, Yoon Si-woo greeted me like he’d been waiting on the sofa in the living room since I left. I felt a flicker of mild surprise; I could have sworn he had been sitting in that same position before I left.
When I responded awkwardly, I caught a momentary stiffening in his expression. My mind flickered—clearly, I hadn’t controlled my thoughts well enough. It was my mistake. I should’ve been more attentive during our conversations.
“…Did something happen outside?” Yoon Si-woo asked.
“…Just a little. Seriously, it’s nothing you need to worry about. Let’s just eat dinner already; you must have been waiting for me.”
I hastily changed the topic. Yoon Si-woo looked concerned, but thankfully, he didn’t press further.
After setting the table swiftly, I remembered something as we sat across each other.
“Hey, didn’t you say your leave ends today?” I asked.
“Yeah, I have to return to the base tomorrow. This time, I got an extended leave due to special circumstances, but usually, I only get one day off a week,” he explained.
“…I see. So from tomorrow on, I’ll be by myself for a week…”
I had known it was coming, but knowing it and facing it didn’t turn out to be a good feeling. Yoon Si-woo being around meant I could relax, and without him, well, it wouldn’t be the same.
As I stared down, lost in thought, Yoon Si-woo chuckled awkwardly and teased, “Hahaha… Why do you look like that? You don’t want me to go, do you?”
“…If I say no, it would be a lie.”
“Huh? Really? I was joking…”
Yoon Si-woo’s eyes darted to mine, surprised.
…What’s with that reaction? Should I have said I’d enjoy having the place all to myself?
Amidst the silence, Yoon Si-woo asked seriously, “…Scarlet, do you have something on your mind?”
“…”
By refusing to respond, he took my silence as an opening to continue.
“You said I could help with anything, and while it’s a bit embarrassing to say, I want to help you however I can. If there’s something you need, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
He smiled then added, “After all, we’re friends, right?”
His words hit me like a gut punch. The weight behind the word “friend” felt unbearably heavy.
I remembered something my father once said: true friends don’t tally up benefits. That’s why he poured everything into helping friends in need, only to be betrayed by one he trusted. Yet, he never spoke a word of resentment toward that friend, perhaps because he still considered them a friend.
I could understand my father’s feelings perfectly.
But what about the opposite? If that person who betrayed my father also considered him a friend—was it really justifiable, then?
I didn’t want to be that kind of friend.
I knew it. I yearned for a relationship that went beyond give-and-take.
Still, whether in the past or present, I was closer to being someone who received help. People who got close to me wanted to help when they saw my situation. I struggled to avoid accepting help unless absolutely necessary, and if I did accept help, I was determined to repay it in full.
I didn’t want to take advantage of anyone’s kindness under the pretense of friendship. I didn’t want someone I cared about to suffer because of it, just like my father had.
So, I swallowed it down.
While desperately wanting to cling to Yoon Si-woo and beg him to stay by my side, I forced a smile and said, “Thanks, but I’m fine. Really.”
For now, it was okay. I could hang on somehow. But how long I could maintain this facade, I had no idea.
“See you later. Keep the house in order while I’m gone for a week.”
“Sure, I got this. Oh, I’ll fold your laundry and leave it on your bed,” he replied.
“Ugh… I’ll handle my own laundry…”
“Come on, it’s no big deal. Have a good time.”
Early in the morning, after eating breakfast with Yoon Si-woo, I saw him off and headed to the academy, already worried about how the kids would react. Mei had texted me not to worry, but truthfully, the moment I stepped into the classroom, it was obvious everyone’s attention would focus on me like laser beams.
I had been cleared of all charges, but honestly, it was like having just stepped out of a courtroom—who could ignore that?
Yet, it wasn’t like I could just gather the kids and say, “Hey, everyone! I just got kidnapped by a witch and returned, only to face interrogation for alleged treason!” That wasn’t exactly snack-time conversation material.
As I walked, lost in thought about what I should do, I suddenly found myself at the academy.
My heart raced as I stood outside the classroom door, swallowing hard, and then swung the door wide open.
What greeted me was the focused stares of my classmates locked onto me.
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for the flood of questions, but instead, I heard,
“Hello, Scarlet.”
“Good morning!”
It was just a normal greeting, nothing at all like what I expected.
Still reeling from that unexpected calm, I replied and settled into my seat, feeling the collective gaze of the kids slowly fade.
As I relaxed a bit, I suddenly sensed something odd after some time had passed.
“…Hey, did you watch the broadcast yesterday?”
“…Huh? Oh, that? I did.”
The kids were chatting, yet they seemed completely unable to focus on each other.
Curious about the situation, I observed for a moment and began to realize what was happening.
Wait a minute, were they actually trying not to look at me?
I scratched my head, puzzled, and then stood up to find Mei.
“Hey, Mei? What’s going on?”
“…Honestly, everyone’s terrible at acting,” she sighed.
Upon my question, Mei rolled her eyes and explained, “…You went through quite a big deal, and since it seemed like you were going through a tough time, last week we all agreed that when you came back, we wouldn’t bring up anything unpleasant and would treat you normally. But clearly, it’s showing way too much. What a waste of effort.”
I was a bit taken aback by her words. “…You mean, everyone’s actually trying not to worry about me?”
“Why? Did you think we’d ostracize you over something like that?” she retorted.
If I was being honest, I had prepared for some fallout, so I nodded.
Mei smirked in disbelief, pointing toward the others. “Scarlet, if it weren’t for you, we might have ended up dead at the witch’s hands. Each of us owes our lives to you. It’d be ridiculous to treat you differently because of some suspicion. And by the way…”
She halted, then shot a fierce glare at the kids.
“If anyone even thinks of doing that, I won’t tolerate it, so don’t worry.”
“…Okay, I got it,” I replied, involuntarily shrinking back under her fierce aura.
Still, I felt touched. To think they were all trying to act like that because they cared about me…
When I exchanged a soft look with Mei, it seemed the kids had also been listening in and were now looking a bit sheepish.
…Sweet kids, all of them.
“Ah! S-Scarlet! Good morning!” Jessie exclaimed, having just arrived at school, her eyes widening in surprise.
She appeared incredibly tense, and I began to wonder if it was because of Mei’s suggestion to act like nothing had changed.
As I studied her closely, Jessie averted her gaze, stammering, “W-what’s wrong? G-g-good morning! It’s nothing different than usual!”
“…Jessie, you can stop. It was pretty obvious already,” I said.
“Eek! Is that so?!” she exclaimed.
After noticing her terrible acting skills, Mei nudged her, causing Jessie to relax, her tension dropping as she drooped her shoulders.
Then, she locked eyes with me for a moment before breaking into tears and diving into my arms, continuing to cry.
“I was so worried after hearing the story… Is everything okay now? Nothing happened, right?”
“It’s fine, Jessie. I’m okay, so let’s stop this.”
“Sniff… I’m glad you’re fine… I thought you were going to end up like your brother…”
Jessie didn’t seem to be able to stop her tears as she clung to me.
After patting her head for a long while, she finally calmed down and peeked up at me, flashing a bright smile.
“Ehehe, Scarlet, you’re really kind. You’re such a fool. There’s no way someone as nice as you could be involved with something as bad as a witch.”
With an expression free of any doubt, she stared straight at me.
Jessie smiled cheerfully, saying, “If that were true, I would have killed you myself—I wouldn’t let you off the hook. Right? Ehehe.”
And so, I found myself unable to nod in agreement.
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