Chapter 130: Outside. Sea Song (end)
Part 15
“Feeling better, Yoonseo-ssi?”
The commotion had settled, the barbecue smoke now a faint trace dissolving into the distant horizon. Considering how much less she ate since her days as a man, Yoonseo felt she’d overindulged, caught up in the mood. Drowsy with a mix of fullness and lethargy, she turned her half-lidded eyes toward the voice.
Hyunji, holding a skewer of grilled squid, spoke casually, the savory buttery scent mingling with the sea breeze. It tempted Yoonseo to eat more, though she wondered if someone in a figure-conscious job like Hyunji’s could afford to. Is this okay?
“Angry?” Yoonseo replied.
“Yeah, you were super pissed earlier. Did the food help?”
“Pfft, a grown adult getting mad over that? Just joking.”
Her faint smile met Hyunji’s shifting expression. A brief, awkward silence threatened, but Hyunji’s hesitant “W-Well, I see” and slow nod kept the conversation alive, though her unease was clear.
Did I overplay it? Yoonseo worried others might think her petty. She’d clarify later. The salty sea breeze stirred her thoughts.
“So, what’s up?” she asked.
“Nothing much. We’re the only girls here, right? After eating, the vibe calmed, and I felt awkward stuck between the guys, so I slipped out. You too, huh?”
“That squid’s gotta be a calorie bomb. You sure about eating so much?”
“I-I manage fine normally, okay?! Why bring up my stomach?!”
Yoonseo hadn’t mentioned her stomach, but Hyunji’s reaction confirmed her own awareness of overdoing it. Let’s leave it at that.
“Anyway, looking for a comrade? Feels like you’re surrounded by guys,” Hyunji said.
“…You’ve got a packed event schedule when we’re back. It’s nice to relax, but don’t overdo it.”
“That sounds like something Minho would say!”
Yoonseo had hoped to steer away from awkward topics, but Hyunji seemed used to hearing this. Wait, I forgot—Minho’s here too. The thought hit her, but she swallowed it, knowing it’d tank her image if spoken aloud.
“…Want some?” Yoonseo offered the squid.
“I’ll take one to help out.”
“How do you get cheekier every day?”
Already full, she accepted the squid anyway. The buttery aroma drew her hand to her mouth.
The parasol’s shade and the not-too-sweltering breeze made her drowsy. Was post-meal lethargy universal? The sweet-salty taste sapped her energy further.
“So, our femme fatale, no comment on your tangled guy relationships?” Hyunji teased.
“Kehk! Cough… Guh…”
Hyunji’s counterpunch was brutal. Choking on the squid, Yoonseo barely kept it down, covering her mouth. Hyunji, smirking as if in revenge, handed her a chilled electrolyte drink. What to say? What did she mean? Gulping the drink, the hazy scenery shimmered differently.
“…You okay?” Hyunji asked.
“I don’t have any tangled guy relationships!” Yoonseo snapped.
Hyunji’s “Was that too much?” expression didn’t look innocent. Her sulky face might’ve conveyed her thoughts, but her sneaky plan to bury the topic was clearly futile.
“If it’s uncomfortable, I won’t pry, but you said—”
“…You’re bored and want me to play along, right?”
Hyunji couldn’t miss her pained expression—nose stinging from coughing—but she pressed on, as if saying, “That’s that, this is this.” Yoonseo’s attempt to change the subject wasn’t ignored, but Hyunji’s “I want to hear what I can, I’m bored” intent was clear.
True, Yoonseo had left Hyunji, who came mostly for her, hanging for too long. Ignoring her fatigue from maintaining a bright facade amidst rational people wasn’t fair.
“What’s so curious?” Yoonseo asked, rubbing her stinging nose.
“Are you dating the doctor or Sihyun-ssi?”
The question made her want to lose consciousness.
Part 16
“…You’re kidding, right?”
“I’m serious.”
“No way. Common sense says that’s why they’re like this?”
How would a normie like me understand the minds of those smart folks? Yoonseo grumbled, but Hyunji wasn’t buying it.
“Common sense? A hospital bigshot and a chart-topping celebrity fawning over you for that?”
“Who’s fawning over who?”
“Letting you vacation on their private island, taking leave to follow you, bringing food, meds, even a floatie pump—that’s fawning!”
It did feel a bit pampered…
“That’s really it. I was sick for a year, saw the doctor regularly, and met Sihyun through streaming. I got some vocal training because my singing was awful.”
“Is the world really all about looks…?” Hyunji muttered.
She wasn’t convinced, and Yoonseo admitted the explanation felt incomplete. Still, all she could do was play the wronged card.
Sihyun shared her experience. The doctor was nearly the only non-family to witness her transformation. The 4Gang took years to adjust their bond. But Hyunji and Minho? No shared history, just this new her.
“You’re plenty blessed with looks and figure,” Yoonseo said.
“Your compliments don’t sound like compliments,” Hyunji shot back.
Despite sorting out how to live as herself, Yoonseo couldn’t muster the courage to tell those who didn’t know her past, “I was a guy.” Maybe she’d already decided it was wiser not to. The fear of Hyunji’s reaction to such a reveal loomed large.
Yet, part of her wondered if she could open up to them.
“…So, neither’s like that, right?” Hyunji pressed.
“Never been interested in guys.”
“You do bicker with your friends like that.”
Had old worries resurfaced, making her overthink? She brushed off Hyunji’s words casually. Maybe one day she’d be ready, but for now, it was just the heat and fullness talking. She reassured herself.
“…Yoonseo-ssi, don’t tell me you’re into girls?”
“Maybe you’re onto something.”
She handed the half-eaten squid to a stunned Hyunji, whose face flushed as she alternated between Yoonseo and the skewer.
“We’ve been away too long. Shall we head back?”
“W-Wait, what did you just say?!”
Chuckling at Hyunji’s flustered reaction, Yoonseo stood, shaking off drowsiness. Unlike the parasol’s shade, the blazing summer sun was stiflingly refreshing.