We decided not to cross the line.

Episode 72. Shithead Conan

We were carrying the Chinese food we’d packed up

and heading back to the hotel.

 


He suddenly seemed to remember something

and asked me.




"Seeing that you came to Paris on a trip,

you’re in a country nearby, right?"




"Oh... you were just like Conan."




"Don’t change the subject...

Can’t you tell me where you are?

At least I need to know what country you’re in."





"What difference does it make if I know or don’t know?

It’s the same either way if I can’t see you..."




"It’s different. Completely different!!

How is 'somewhere on Earth' the same as

'you’re in this country'?"




"If it’s somewhere on Earth,

then just think of it as being in some country."





"Before we part in Paris, I’m definitely going to find out."





We came up to his room

just as I was about to take out the food we’d brought back.






[Knock, knock, knock]





Someone knocked on his door.




"Oppa. It’s Yoonseo.

Something terrible happened!!"





"Huh..."




The two of us froze and looked at each other.




"What do we do..."




I lowered my voice and whispered.





"U-um... Yoonseo, what’s wrong,

what happened?"






"Oppa... open the door, please. Hurry.

I said it was serious."





'I should’ve gone to my room with the food...'

Why did I only think of that now..."





Watching me fidget nervously, Hunji pointed

toward the bathroom.





I tiptoed into the bathroom

and closed the door.





"Just a second...

I’m changing right now.."





Soon, I heard the door open.





"Why? What is it?"




"Oppa... there was a bug in my room.

I was seriously scared to death.

I won’t be able to sleep tonight..."




'What... that fox...'

'She’s the girl I saw at the ice cream shop earlier.'





I pressed my ear close to the bathroom door.





"Then I’ll go catch the bug for you.

Let’s hurry and go."




"No... the manager oppa is catching it in my room right now.

I was so scared I ran here."





"By now he should’ve caught it all..."

I’ll take you back."




"Huh? Oppa, you brought food back?

Why did you buy so much?

I’m hungry too...

Yoonseo can eat with you, right?"




'What the... what is she doing?'




"I was so hungry that

I bought enough for two people, but...

it might not be enough..."




"Aw, I only eat a little.

I should go wash my hands!!"




'No.. no...

What do I do...

This is insane...'


It felt like my heart was shrinking.




Soon after, Hunji’s frantic voice rang out.





"Yoonseo!! No!!

Oppa just took a huge dump.

You can’t go in there right now!!"





"What??

Oppa...."




I could hear the disappointment in her voice.




I covered my mouth with my hand

to keep from bursting out laughing.





After that, I didn’t hear her voice again,

and then I heard the door close.





I was trying so hard not to laugh I was about to cry.

My face in the mirror was as red as an apple.





A little later, Hunji opened the bathroom door for me.




"Yoonseo...

doesn’t seem like she’ll call me oppa again."





"Wow~~ great!!!"





I grabbed Hunji in a hug

and bounced up and down.





"No... I’ve suddenly become a poop guy

so why are you so happy?"





"Did you hear her earlier? She said a bug came out and she was scared to death...

Wow... she’s no ordinary fox."





"Maybe she really is scared of bugs."





"Huh? You believe that?

Men really don’t understand women.

She’s all 'oppa, oppa,' and the manager is catching a bug, but
 
why did she come here?

And why did you tell her my room number?

Come to think of it, this oppa is really weird!"





"Well, if she asks me something, how am I supposed to not answer?"




"Didn’t you tell me that Kim President, who followed me to Japan,

didn’t send me off on the plane right away

and you were mad at him?"

Don’t you remember, oppa!!"




"Oppa? Wow... I love that.

Say it one more time."




"Why do men like being called oppa so much?"



"Jungah, think about it too.

If a cute little brother kept following you around saying noona, noona,

how would you feel?"




"Hmm... that’d be so cute..."




"Right?"




"Right!"




We immediately reached a cool agreement

and started unpacking the food.





"Oppa, please unwrap this."





"Pfft...

Oh!! Wait!! The ring!!"




He recognized the ring

inside the card envelope on my finger.





"That ring suits you so well.

You said you left to forget me...

so why are you still wearing the ring?"




"A ring is just a ring, that’s all..."

Don’t look at it like it has some meaning."




I tried hard not to meet his eyes.




Then,

he raised his hand to his neck

as if he were taking something out from under his T-shirt.

He pulled a necklace out from under his T-shirt,

where it had been hidden.





And on that necklace...

the same ring as mine was hanging as a pendant.





"Hunji... don’t tell me?"




"Yeah. That’s right. This is a couple ring."




In this situation I’d never imagined,

I couldn’t say a word and just stared at him blankly.




"So why, when you still can’t forget me,

do you keep trying to do something that won’t work?..."




"The thing that won’t work...

is us keeping on seeing each other."




"No... the thing that won’t work...

is us trying to hold on without each other.

So stop denying it and give up already.

Stop wasting your effort.."





"Can’t we stay one more day?"