Ch. 27 - Let's grab a bite sometime? (2)

I've heard this a lot over the years.

'Haha! Yeah, it was nice to meet you. Let's grab a bite sometime?'

'Let's get a meal together soon?'

It's just a polite way of saying, 'Maybe we'll meet again,' but it literally means, 'Bye~ I don't know when I'll see you again, but I hope we don't have to meet~.'

However, I had forgotten that Alice was kind and sincere enough to keep her word.

In retrospect, I remembered that I did ask her to meet after the terrorist attack, so that's probably why she asked just now.

To be honest, I didn't think she really wanted to see me, even if we had been together for a few days. I was in a position where I had to be harsh to her during her training.

Even then, she was probably smiling at me on the outside and resenting me a little on the inside.

Still, she asked to meet first.

[How about Saturday? I'm free that day.]

I'm also free on Sunday, but I wanted to rest on Sunday.

Her reply came quickly.

[Yes! That's fine~! Does Ms. Producer like aquariums by any chance?]

Aquariums?

[I'd say I like them.]

I don't hate it. I like to see different creatures that I haven't seen before.

So when I caught my first monster, I examined it thoroughly, trying to figure out what it looked like.

[Then why don't we go to the aquarium together? I just happened to win two tickets recently!]

[Really? I'll go with you that day if you don't mind.]

[Okay!!! See you then!!!]

Alice's cheerfulness is evident in the message. In the original story, Alice loved aquariums.

It was so cute when Alice first worked up the courage to ask the protagonist on a date to the aquari—

"Hmm?"

Wait. Alice wouldn't take someone to the aquarium unless she really liked them.

Since the event with Shin Chul-Min hasn't happened yet, is she asking me out just to use the ticket she got by chance? That feels a bit like she's using me for ticket disposal.

"Team Leader, what's the matter?"

Park Oh-Jin asked, curious, as I had been texting away on my phone for a while.

"Oh, it's nothing, just a personal matter."

I immediately waved my hand in the air, dismissing his suspicion that it was something serious.

Just as I was about to take another sip of beer, my phone rang again. This time it was a call, not a text.

I thought it was Alice again, but this time it was Jung Ha-Yeon.

What's going on with this girl?

"Guys, I'm going to take a call."

As I left the store, I thought about why she was calling. The reason was actually pretty obvious.

After all, I had saved her friend's life, and she wanted to thank me. Now that I think about it, she called me not too long ago.

At the time, I was so focused on the report that I put my phone away and ignored the call.

"Hello?"

[H-h-hello? Ms. Hye-Rim?]

I don't know why, but Jung Ha-Yeon's voice was shaking when she responded.

Lee Yoon-Seo was talking to Jung Ha-Yeon, who had come to visit her, when she suddenly became curious and asked, "Ha-Yeon, by the way, what is Ms. Hye-Rim doing right now?"

"Huh? Ms. Hye-Rim?"

She had heard that Shin Hye-Rim, the woman who saved her life, had been the talk of the town. What was she doing now?

"I heard she's so popular these days. I wonder what the person who saved my life, who is also a member of the Awakened Crime Division, is doing in this situation."

"...I don't know either."

"Oh? Really? You're close with Ms. Hye-Rim; haven't you heard anything from her?"

"......"

Jung Ha-Yeon shut her mouth, her expression turning slightly awkward.

Close? Me? With whom? With Ms. Hye-Rim?

Her face seemed to reflect these thoughts.

"Weren't you close to Ms. Hye-Rim? Every time you came to visit, all you talked about was her."

"W-who said I only talked about her?"

"You did, you," Lee Yoon-Seo said, her jaw dropping at the unexpected truth.

"From the way you talked, I thought you two were really close..."

"Shut up, shut up," Jung Ha-Yeon grumbled, but inside, she felt uneasy.

She really admired Shin Hye-Rim and thought she was a good person. Spending time with her made her happier than anything else, and she wanted to see her more often and for longer.

However, when she looked back, she couldn't help but wonder. Was I close to her? Does Ms. Hye-Rim enjoy spending time with me?

There were many things she received from her: power as a magical girl, revenge on her enemies, and a reunion with her friend. All these were things that would take a lifetime to repay.

But what had she ever done for her?

"...Nothing."

"Huh? What?"

"I don't think there's any reason for Ms. Hye-Rim to like me."

"...What?"

Lee Yoon-Seo looked bewildered.

Jung Ha-Yeon became slightly upset and asked, "What should I do to get close to Ms. Hye-Rim?"

In a way, Jung Ha-Yeon's time with Shin Hye-Rim had been short. They never had a chance to get close, she thought.

"Why are you asking me that?"

Lee Yoon-Seo was dumbfounded but answered anyway.

"Call her and talk to her. You have to talk to each other a lot and see each other often to get close."

"Of course I called her, but she didn't answer."

Jung Ha-Yeon tried to call several times to thank her, but each time there was no response. She thought it might be because she was busy with work, but then the anxiety crept in: maybe she was avoiding her.

"What if she's avoiding me?"

"From what I've heard of her, she doesn't seem like that sort of person," Lee Yoon-Seo reassured her. But Jung Ha-Yeon was already biting her nails, her legs trembling.

"Ms. Hye-Rim doesn't think I'm a nuisance, right? Like, I'm someone who keeps making her watch over me?"

"That's impossible. Why are you so obsessed with your relationship with Ms. Hye-Rim? Calm down. People don't always have to give each other something to be together."

Lee Yoon-Seo sighed, muttering to herself, "She's never been like this before..."

"Love changes people so much."

"It's not like that; it's just that I admire Ms. Hye-Rim..."

"Whatever. You should call Ms. Hye-Rim right away, and when she picks up the phone, talk to her normally."

"...Okay."

"Then casually ask her to meet you next time. If you spend more time together, you'll naturally become closer, and if you take it further, you'll be able to have the next stage in your relationship."

"...What do you mean, next stage?"

"I'll leave that to your imagination."

Lee Yoon-Seo giggled mischievously. Despite feeling embarrassed by her friend's teasing, Jung Ha-Yeon picked up her phone and dialed Shin Hye-Rim.

-Ring Ring!

The phone continued to ring, and Jung Ha-Yeon was worried that Shin Hye-Rim wouldn't pick up again.

However, she knew deep down that Shin Hye-Rim wouldn't ignore her calls out of discomfort. She must be busy.

But the thought of Shin Hye-Rim possibly not wanting to talk to her made her heart ache.

She longed to hear Shin Hye-Rim's soft, kind voice to ease her anxiety.

[Hello?]

".....!"

Her prayers were answered as Shin Hye-Rim picked up the phone.

[H-h-hello? Ms. Hye-Rim?]

Jung Ha-Yeon's voice trembled as she spoke, unsure why she felt so nervous.

It was just a regular conversation, so why was she feeling nervous?

[Yes, Ms. Ha-Yeon, how are you?]

"Oh, um! I haven't been able to contact you in the last few days, so I didn't think you'd pick up, but you did."

[Ah, I've been a bit busy lately, so I'm sorry I didn't answer your call.]

"No, of course, that can happen when you're busy."

As Shin Hye-Rim apologized, Jung Ha-Yeon felt guilty. She thought that Shin Hye-Rim was ignoring the call because she was uncomfortable with her, when in reality, she was just busy.

'I must have lost my mind for a moment. I don't know why I'm doing this.'

When it came to Shin Hye-Rim, Jung Ha-Yeon seemed to lose her composure.

[By the way, what's going on?]

"Oh, actually, I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done for me..."

Jung Ha-Yeon told Shin Hye-Rim everything she couldn't before.

Jung Ha-Yeon poured her heart out to Shin Hye-Rim, expressing gratitude for saving Yoon-Seo and being their greatest benefactor.

"Thank you so much. You're my hero, Ms. Hye-Rim."

[Haha, no, I'm not. You don't have to go that far.]

"It's true. Oh, I have Yoon-Seo next to me right now; can I put her on? Yoon-Seo also has a lot of things she wants to say to Ms. Hye-Rim."

[Yes, that's fine.]

Jung Ha-Yeon handed the phone to Yoon-Seo, feeling relieved as warm feelings replaced her earlier anxiety.

'Whether I'm close to Ms. Hye-Rim or not, it doesn't matter. I don't have to worry about that. I can take my time to get closer.'

'And even if I don't, it will be okay,' she reassured herself.

Before she knew it, Yoon-Seo had finished talking to Shin Hye-Rim and handed the phone back to her.

Lee Yoon-Seo gestured to Jung Ha-Yeon, signaling for her to ask Shin Hye-Rim something.

"Oh, um, Ms. Hye-Rim, are you free this weekend?"

[Uh... this weekend?]

For the first time, Shin Hye-Rim sounded slightly uncomfortable, and Jung Ha-Yeon picked up on the change in her voice.

"Do you happen to be busy this week?"

[I don't mind on Sunday, but I'm going to the aquarium with Alice on Saturday.]

"......Aquarium with Ms. Alice?"

[Yes.]

The corners of Jung Ha-Yeon's mouth twitched at the response.

"Just the two of you?"

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