NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19
Clatter, clatter. The sound of cutlery clashing echoed through the vast cafeteria. I wasn’t the only one in the cafeteria, but I was definitely the only one eating.
To my right, Yang Hye-in stood quietly, and a bit further away, the chefs who cooked breakfast were also standing very still. They would jump into action the moment I gave a command, but until I opened my mouth, they probably wouldn’t say a word.
So, while I wasn’t alone in the cafeteria, it felt like I was.
Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about it until yesterday. After coming to this world, my biggest concern had been whether I could go back to the world I originally lived in or how to act within Ye Sara’s body to keep myself safe.
I’ve sort of adapted over the past two months… or at least I think I have, but there really wasn’t much to “adapt” to in Ye Sara’s life.
There was no one in this mansion to order me to do anything.
As long as I kept the unspoken rule of not going outside the mansion, I could wander around freely inside it.
That heavy atmosphere typical of old mansions? The oppressive air swirling among the servants?
That didn’t matter to me as soon as I realized I was the highest authority in this mansion. So what if the mansion felt heavy? It’s mine, after all. If there’s a thick atmosphere, who cares? I’m the one deciding whether to keep or dismiss those people.
So, there was nothing to fear.
That’s why I thought I had easily adapted to the quiet life that Ye Sara led.
Clatter, clatter.
I’m used to eating alone. I’ve gotten used to feeling solitary in such a large mansion.
But… then again.
Just when I thought I was used to such things, oddly enough, I kept recalling last night’s dinner.
Of course, we didn’t say a single word during dinner. Everyone was too focused on their steaks, and even if I had tried to talk, I wouldn’t have received a response.
However, the fact that we didn’t converse didn’t just mean it was a stiff and uncomfortable dining experience.
For example, yeah.
Clatter, clatter. As I fiddled with my fork and knife, that sound repeated itself in my mind from yesterday. Not all the sounds were the same. The sound of me playing with my cutlery was different from the sounds Yoo Ha-neul, Lee Soo-ah, and Shin So-hee made.
Lee Soo-ah moved methodically and quietly. Having used a fork and knife multiple times, she handled them much better than I did after just two months.
Yoo Ha-neul mimicked our movements but was a bit hurried. Occasionally, the sound of her knife or fork clashing against the plate would ring out, but she seemed too focused on her steak to notice.
Shin So-hee started off awkwardly trying to match the others’ vibe but eventually began chopping her meat more vigorously and later focused solely on her steak. Naturally, her fork and knife sounds were the loudest.
It might have been a big dining room for just three people, but it felt far more bustling than when I was eating alone now.
…Was I really someone who yearned for interactions with others?
“……”
I finished off the last piece of toast and wiped my mouth with a napkin before getting up from the table.
Yang Hye-in quietly trailed behind me.
Now that I think about it, she always followed me around, but when did she actually eat? I had never seen her eat before.
I turned my head and glanced at Yang Hye-in.
“Do you need anything?”
Yang Hye-in cleverly asked me that.
“…No, there’s no particular reason. Let’s just get ready for school.”
“Understood.”
Right, there’s no reason to be surrounded by silence during meals at school.
Lee Soo-ah, unlike her character in the games, was surprisingly quiet, but Yoo Ha-neul would bring up all sorts of topics even if I didn’t initiate a conversation.
At least I could feel a bit normal during one meal a day.
As I changed clothes while following Yang Hye-in’s movements, I drifted into such thoughts.
*
Yoo Ha-neul thought she usually arrived at school quite early.
Since childhood, she’d often been told she was meticulous, and she believed she was quite thorough in her preparations.
Before entering Hwayoung High School, she had searched for information here and there, which was one reason why she tended to arrive early.
Hwayoung High School was attended by children from wealthy families. Except for a handful of students like Yoo Ha-neul, who received tuition exemptions, the school fees were beyond what an average low-income household could manage. Sure, someone could stretch their finances to attend, but hardly anyone would sacrifice their everyday life or their family’s future just to send a child to Hwayoung High School.
On the flip side, households that could afford to send their children to this school would do so even if it meant traveling a distance. With so many people heading toward the school, it was no surprise that the entrance to Hwayoung High School, or rather all schools under the Hwayoung Educational Foundation, would be bustling with traffic in the mornings.
Considering it’s a school, there were plenty of parking spots at the entrance, and the traffic was generally well-controlled, so there hadn’t been any accidents, but it’s never a bad idea to be cautious.
However, that notion shattered when she arrived at Hwayoung High School.
Even though she thought she’d come out earlier than usual, cars were already frequently visible. Many kids were headed toward the school, and upon entering the classroom, she found students who had arrived earlier gathered in groups, chatting.
The atmosphere wasn’t particularly focused on studying. Except for the fact that most of the kids ignored her, the vibe was warm and welcoming. Ironically, that same vibe made any act of exclusion feel more pronounced.
Creak.
As Yoo Ha-neul opened the classroom door, the chatter ceased momentarily, and all gaze shifted toward her. Once they deemed her unremarkable, they redirected their attention back to each other, chattering away.
But there was one person.
When Yoo Ha-neul entered the classroom, one person didn’t turn away.
With sharp eyes, the girl scanned Yoo Ha-neul from head to toe. As her gaze rose to meet Yoo Ha-neul’s face, those red eyes, which seemed to express discontent, narrowed even further. What was already a sharp expression seemed to turn into an outright glare by the time her eyes reached Yoo Ha-neul.
But at the moment their eyes met, that sharp look softened slightly. It didn’t seem like she was genuinely glaring, but the tension it brought was enough to make one uneasy. In a moment, that fierce look dissipated, leaving behind an enchanting smile that could probably charm even a fox. A slight smile rested on her lips.
With her chin resting on her hand, she made eye contact once and then turned away to gaze out the window. That demeanor seemed quite coy.
For the past few days, this was the image Yoo Ha-neul had seen of Sara every morning.
In this space, she was the only one willing to greet Yoo Ha-neul with a response to her words. However, thinking that made a peculiar flutter rise in Yoo Ha-neul’s chest. This didn’t feel like an ordinary scenario.
As usual, Yoo Ha-neul sat beside Sara. But today felt a bit different from the past few days. Normally, she wouldn’t initiate conversation and would remain silent until a thought struck her, but today, she had something prepared.
Rummaging through her bag, she pulled out what she’d brought. Despite the rustling noise, Sara, deep in her thoughts, didn’t glance over. In fact, unless someone called out to her or showed her something, she usually didn’t pay much attention to others. Her seeming indifference to her own isolated condition was probably due to that attitude.
…It didn’t quite seem like that if you recalled how dinner went last night, though.
Completing her preparations, Yoo Ha-neul took a small breath. To be honest, she was a bit nervous. While she had done various things with her middle school friends, there were still many things she hadn’t tried with Sara. She couldn’t quite predict how Sara would react.
Nevertheless.
Some things you won’t know unless you take the leap.
Yoo Ha-neul poked Sara in the side with her finger.
“Eek!?”
Sara always made the cutest sound when surprised. Though it might be a bit mean to think that way, honestly, she seemed like the type to merely turn and ask ‘What?’ if poked in the side. Of course, that image stood out more due to how starkly it contrasted with her actual reaction.
Someone nearby breathed in with a sharp inhale. Though it was just a sound, no one acted like it was noticeable.
“What—”
As Sara, filled with dissatisfaction, turned to glare at Yoo Ha-neul after the unexpected poke, Yoo Ha-neul swiftly shoved the chocolate she had in her hand into Sara’s mouth.
It wasn’t really that big. Even though Sara’s mouth wasn’t particularly large, the chocolate slipped in without any resistance.
…Ah, my finger brushed her lips.
I quickly pulled my finger away, but the sensation of touching her soft skin didn’t just vanish.
“……”
Sara’s eyes went wide as she stared at Yoo Ha-neul. Yoo Ha-neul felt her face heat up. Should she come up with an excuse?
Sara momentarily pursed her lips, then swallowed the chocolate in her mouth. She sneaked a look at the chocolate bag Yoo Ha-neul had placed on the desk.
“Want another one?”
In an effort to dispel the awkwardness, Yoo Ha-neul quickly said that, and Sara blinked and asked.
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah, I brought them to share, after all.”
It wasn’t premium chocolate, just an ordinary one from a convenience store, but sweet things seemed to be a universal truth. Without hesitation, Sara took another chocolate.
As she reached for the chocolate, Sara’s wrist seemed particularly slender.
During lunch and even last night when they had dinner together, it was clear just by looking that Sara had eaten less than half of what Yoo Ha-neul had.
To build a healthy body, exercise is essential, and for that, one must possess a foundational level of stamina. Seeing Sara nearly collapsing after a single lap around the track, it was evident that she needed to cultivate a body with more energy.
And the best way to achieve that was to feed her lots of different things. If she couldn’t eat a lot at once, wouldn’t it be possible to consistently eat a little bit at a time?
Preferably, something high in calories and something she likes.
“……What are you staring at?”
Sara narrowed her eyes at Yoo Ha-neul, who was looking intently at her while she chewed on the second chocolate. It was a cautious expression as if she was under scrutiny.
Usually a complete ice princess, there were strangely times when she seemed reminiscent of a small animal.
“Nah, just. Your eating looks nice.”
“……”
However, even after Yoo Ha-neul’s answer, Sara’s wariness didn’t vanish for a while.
She ate two more chocolates.