15
.
— You said you met Min Yoongi.
- uh···?
— Sorry... haha I thought you said that.
— How many things are you hiding from me? I can't trust you or Mr. J anymore.
— I'm doing this because I'm thinking of you.
— If you think of me, tell me. Everything.
— ···Just give me a minute to think about it.
A moment of silence passed, and during that moment, I had a lot to think about. It might be selfish, but I thought that if K were to be honest with me, I might be able to take a step closer to him, maybe I could trust him a little more. K met my eyes, seemingly determined.
— It's true that I met Min Yoongi. Fortunately, I have a connection with a fairly experienced police officer among the killers I know, so I was able to get over it easily.
— I thought things were going well. Is that the end?
- huh?
— Is that the end? What are you going to say to me?
K exchanged glances with Mr. J, who nodded resignedly. It seemed clear something was up. He seemed to be pondering the matter for a moment, then spoke to me.
— Are you sure you won't mind hearing this? It's about your father. Do you still want to hear it?
— ···Yeah, tell me.
— Actually, Min Yoongi's father passed away before your father.
- no way···.
— Yeah, your father killed Min Yoongi's father. I don't know if you knew, but the two of you were originally best friends, so why did your father make that choice? Neither we nor anyone else knows.
— I didn't even know my dad had a best friend... What on earth could be causing him to be like that...?
— I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d start thinking weird things again. Anyway, that’s why Min Yoongi chased after you as if he was going to kill you to get revenge.
Now, it felt like the puzzle was finally falling into place. I'd been chased without even knowing what was going on, and now that I'd heard the story, I finally understood a little. It was the same with the boss, and even now, the case was closed, but I still felt absolutely no peace.
— Um... Okay. I'll take a break.
.
— Dad... why are you like that? What is the reason for that...
'dripping'
Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about my father, and then suddenly there was a knock on the door. I quickly wiped away the tears and tried to compose myself, pretending I was fine, before answering.
— Yeoju... Are you okay?
— No... it's okay.
— You said it might be nothing. That's why I wasn't going to say anything.
— ······.
— Did you cry?
- no···.
— I want to stay by your side until you fall asleep. Is that okay?
— It's okay, I want to be alone.
— If I'm alone, I'll cry again.
— ···Then, just stay until I fall asleep. Then leave.
"Yeah! Just listen. You don't have to say anything. Now, I want to be by your side and make you happy. But I also feel sorry, wondering if it's my fault that things ended up like this...
— Hey, why is it because of you…
— What... I think you've been depressed since you met me.
—Whatever was going to happen would have happened even if it weren't for you. The depression was always there before I met you. Don't blame yourself.
- ···pretty.
- huh···?
— Huh? Oh, sorry...
—···You didn't listen to me.
— Okay... I'm going out. Can I sleep?
- why?
— You can sleep well.
- no.
This time, I didn't want to let him go. He suddenly tried to leave in a hurry, so I grabbed him. I think I unknowingly showed my affection for K through my actions for the first time.
— I'm calming you down right now, so let go. If you hold on, I won't be able to approach you slowly.
— Then come over.
— Huh? What did you say?
— I think I'm open-minded, so it's okay if you come to me. I like you too...
- omg···.
Actually, this was the first time I'd ever spoken my mind so directly, and even though it didn't seem like it on the outside, I was trembling inside. I felt once again that K was a warm-hearted person, and now I wanted to lean on him. K froze for a moment, as if startled, before returning to sit next to me.
— Really? You're not lying, are you?
—Why am I joking around with something like this?
— It's like a dream...
—Why do you look so happy like a child? Hahaha. I think this is the first time I’ve seen you like this.
—What did you say... Anyway, thank you so much. You took one step toward me, so I'll take two, three, no, many more steps. Thank you, heroine.
—Thank you too.
Suddenly, I thought K seemed like an older brother to me. Maybe it's because he never called me "sister," but his actions and speech always felt more mature than I was. But today, he seemed much younger. It was the first time I'd seen him like that, and I realized there was a side to him that was new to me. It was... cute. Now, I feel like I know K a little better, and I'm ready to accept him.
***
