NOVEL NEXT Chapter 87
“Are you saying… let’s sleep together?”
nods
When Seo Yoo-jin nodded at my question, I blurted out in shock.
“Yoo-jin, didn’t you say you can’t share a room with anyone? I swear I heard that before…”
I remembered when she first came to Na Ah Ah Lodging, she was a B Rank participant using a private room, not an A Rank.
Looking at the B Rank room for two, she had said…
“…I, I can’t share a room with anyone.”
That was her back then. But now, why is she suddenly asking to sleep together…?
When I asked in confusion, Yoo-jin lowered her head with a glum expression and said,
“…I can’t sleep alone since last night. Last night… I slept with my mom.”
“……”
“Um… is it, is it okay? If you’re uncomfortable sleeping with someone else…”
“No, that’s not it.”
Since I reincarnated as Ha Ye-rin, I had slept between my mom and dad every night for 19 years.
I had no issues sleeping with others at all.
After a moment of hesitation, I said…
“Alright, come in, Yoo-jin.”
“…Thank you.”
I welcomed her into my room.
“I was just about to sleep. Lie down next to me. Let’s sleep together.”
“…Okay.”
The bed in the A Rank room was spacious enough for two, but…
squish
…it was still a bit cramped for two people to sleep side by side.
Since she had struggled a lot lately, I moved to the edge of the bed.
But then…
plop
“…Yoo-jin?”
To my surprise, as soon as she laid down, she cuddled right into my arms.
“Ah… am I being too clingy?”
“……”
No, this wasn’t just clingy; it was practically an embrace!
Our bodies were pressed against each other so tightly, there was no space in between. As I froze in shock, Yoo-jin looked up at me with her adorable eyes and asked,
“…Will we… fall?”
“……”
Yoo-jin looked like a drenched cat.
Damn it… she completely changed her character in an instant.
But that made my heart soften even more.
If a scrappy stray cat, who always hisses at me, came to me one day with sad eyes and bleeding… could anyone resist picking it up?
“…No, just be comfortable.”
“……”
squeeze
Reluctantly nodding my head, Yoo-jin pretended not to notice and moved even closer to me.
I gently stroked her hair.
“Was it that hard to sleep?”
“…… Yes.”
“…I see, you must have had a tough time.”
“……”
This was just a comforting remark I made off the cuff, but…
drip drip
“…Yoo-jin?”
“…Wah.”
Suddenly, Yoo-jin, who I was petting, started shedding tears…
plop
…and buried her face in my chest.
“…I’m sorry, if I’d listened to what you told me in the restroom back then, this wouldn’t have happened… sniff…”
“……”
I had no choice but to stay silent at her words.
Honestly, she wasn’t entirely innocent in this situation.
She really had been rude… no, downright disrespectful to the other participants.
The production team adding fuel to the fire was certainly a problem, but it was Yoo-jin who provided the excuse in the first place.
“But… but I wasn’t really that bad as I appeared on the show…”
“I know, I know everything.”
“But people just say I’m a horrible person… sob, just told me to fall off the roof…”
“……”
…So she really did read the comments.
Even I couldn’t bring myself to look at them, yet Yoo-jin managed to read the harsh critiques directed towards her.
She was a rich girl who had lived a sheltered life, and it was clear to anyone who saw her.
There’s no way she could keep her composure and sanity while taking in such harsh hatred.
“The company said if things get tough, we can drop Na Ah Ah… and my mom and dad told me… it’s okay if I don’t want to be an idol… don’t get hurt…”
“……”
“I… sniff, I just really want to be an idol… it’s my dream…”
Ah.
“But if I escape now, I feel like I won’t get another chance to be an idol again… so I thought I’d face it, but it’s scarier than I thought… sob…”
Yoo-jin was trembling and crying into my chest.
The overwhelming public condemnation, the uncomfortable stares from other participants, and the fact that no one approached her today, not to mention everyone rejecting her during team selection.
Yes, all of this was definitely too much for a 17-year-old who didn’t even know much about the world to handle alone.
As my chest soaked in her tears, I quietly embraced her.
And then…
[Status Window is being upgraded!]
“……?”
While I was petting Yoo-jin’s head, I recoiled at the unexpected message.
Out of nowhere, an upgrade to the Status Window?
I had never experienced something like this in my life!
[From now on, you can check ‘Status Abnormalities’ through the Status Window.]
‘Status Abnormality…?’
I didn’t know what that was, but the reason for this change was surely because of Yoo-jin in front of me.
So, I opened Yoo-jin’s Status Window after a long time.
And…
“………”
…I couldn’t help but freeze.
[Status Abnormality: Severe Depression, Severe Anxiety Disorder, Nervous Breakdown.]
Her condition was far worse than I had imagined.
‘Not just depression or anxiety, but severe depression, severe anxiety disorder… and a nervous breakdown…’
This is dangerous, isn’t it?
Yoo-jin’s struggles were only just beginning today.
Even now, when our phones had been confiscated and we couldn’t check the public reaction, people must be hurling stones and insults at her.
The suffering and pain that Yoo-jin would endure in the future would surely be so much more brutal than today.
And yet, she’s in such a state already…
What if, by the end of all this, the pressure from people’s criticism drives Yoo-jin to make an extreme choice?
…
“……Phew.”
If the girl in my arms were to do that… I’d definitely never be able to sleep comfortably for the rest of my life.
So, for the sake of both Yoo-jin and myself… I decided to use the Sky Demon Enchantment I had been saving to help her mental state.
But…
‘…But I failed to use the Sky Demon Enchantment on Yoo-jin before. What if I mess up again?’
Just before using it, I remembered the time I had failed to cast the Sky Demon Enchantment on Yoo-jin.
So this time, I approached it more carefully.
The Sky Demon Enchantment activates through my emotions… so I needed to express my feelings more genuinely and honestly.
“Yoo-jin.”
“sniff, …yes?”
“…This incident is definitely your fault.”
“……!”
As soon as she heard that, Yoo-jin’s eyes widened, trembling like a leaf.
…
“Yoo-jin… our daughter… if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to go to the shoot. Mom and Dad will… take care of everything…”
“……”
After dropping Yoo-jin off at the Na Ah Ah set this morning, her parents spoke gently to her.
Telling her she didn’t have to go.
But…
“It’s okay, Mom, Dad. …I’m not a child anymore. I’ll do my best and come back.”
Yoo-jin replied boldly to her parents.
If she showed even a hint of distress, her mom and dad might forcibly keep her from going to the filming location.
And…
If she were to quit Na Ah Ah now… she felt like she’d never get the chance to pursue her dream of being an idol again.
She thought it was better to face the fear head-on than to give up her dream of being an idol so easily.
But…
‘…I’m sorry. I refuse.’
‘…I refuse.’
‘I’m, I’m refusing.’
‘…I’m sorry.’
As all the participants rejected her selection… the urge to run away surged up once more.
I was scared.
I missed my mom and dad.
Each time I felt the eyes of others on me… those comments I had seen last night echoed in my mind.
Telling her to just die.
To fall off the roof.
It felt as if those terrifying words were being shouted at her by the crowd.
And at that moment when I thought Yoo-jin wouldn’t be able to withstand it…
‘…I will select participant Seo Yoo-jin.’
Like a beam of light, Ha Ye-rin reached out a hand to help her.
I had always considered Ha Ye-rin to be a mountain to climb and a rival for Yoo-jin.
But when Ha Ye-rin reached out to the lonely and scared Yoo-jin…
She became Yoo-jin’s lifeline.
Yoo-jin felt a sense of relief when she was with Ha Ye-rin, so she couldn’t let go of the hand she held.
She believed Ha Ye-rin would be her support during this challenging week’s Na Ah Ah recording.
But…
“…This incident is definitely your fault.”
“……!”
That Ha Ye-rin said this…
“U-unnie…”
Of course, Yoo-jin thought she was largely at fault in this situation.
But for Ha Ye-rin, the only one who had stood up for her here to say so… she felt a sense of betrayal as tears welled in her eyes.
But just then…
“That doesn’t mean you should be suffering this much right now.”
Ha Ye-rin continued speaking as if to suggest Yoo-jin to listen to her fully.
whisper
Ha Ye-rin’s hand that had been stroking Yoo-jin’s head had now moved to her cheek.
Ha Ye-rin’s hand, gently cupping Yoo-jin’s face, felt cold yet warm.
“So don’t suffer for a mistake you didn’t even commit.”
“……”
The warmth that began at her cheek spread throughout Yoo-jin’s whole body.
At that moment, she felt like Ha Ye-rin was glowing behind her.
Right at this moment… Ha Ye-rin looked like a savior.
And the savior was telling her… it wasn’t her fault.
Hearing that from her made Yoo-jin genuinely feel like her guilt was washing away.
“Later, sincerely apologize to those you were rude to. If they forgive you… then your mistake is gone.”
“……”
“Disregard the malicious words people throw your way. If you find it hard to ignore…”
plop
Ha Ye-rin whispered in Yoo-jin’s ear as she embraced her face against her chest.
“Then just snuggle up like this. I’ll cover your ears.”
Ah.
thud thud
At that moment, the ringing in Yoo-jin’s ears began to bravely chase away the negative thoughts in her mind.
Yoo-jin realized where the ringing sound came from.
thud thud
…It was the sound of her heart.
Why was her heartbeat so loud at this moment?
Yoo-jin couldn’t comprehend it, but…
‘What does it matter?’
All she knew was that the moment felt too warm and comforting.
squeeze
To soak up more of that warmth and comfort, Yoo-jin hugged Ha Ye-rin tightly, mumbling.
“…I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“…I was rude to you too… I’m sorry.”
Seeing Yoo-jin acting shy like a kindergartener when apologizing, Ha Ye-rin smiled gently.
“I forgive you.”
Just saying those simple words brought an immense sense of relief and touched Yoo-jin’s heart.
squelch
“…So you won’t hate me?”
“Of course not. Why would I hate you?”
“…Thank you.”
Ha Ye-rin’s words were warm… and her body felt even warmer.
And Ha Ye-rin’s warmth embraced Yoo-jin as well.
Yoo-jin, lost in that blissful sensation, whispered without realizing it.
“…And I love you.”
“Sure, I love you too, Yoo-jin… huh? What did you say?”
“…Ah.”
Yoo-jin snapped back to reality at Ha Ye-rin’s surprised voice and quickly tried to explain.
“No, um… you just felt like a mom for a second… it was a slip of the tongue!”
“Oh… I see.”
A slip of the tongue.
It was indeed a slip of the tongue, born from Ha Ye-rin’s embrace reminding her of her mom.
No, to be fair, it was different from her mom’s embrace. Anyway…!
Why did I suddenly have to make things awkward with a slip of the tongue?
Yoo-jin slapped her own cheeks a couple of times.
Fortunately, Ha Ye-rin nodded as if she understood.
“You can slip up sometimes… But Yoo-jin, you don’t intend to sleep like this all night, do you? I’m starting to feel a bit suffocated…”
“…Ah.”
As soon as Ha Ye-rin mentioned feeling suffocated, Yoo-jin was startled and released her tight grip on Ha Ye-rin.
‘I was actually thinking of sleeping like this all night…’
She felt a pang of disappointment and cautiously asked Ha Ye-rin.
“So then… unnie, can we at least hold hands while we sleep?”
“……”
At Yoo-jin’s strange request, Ha Ye-rin gasped and then nodded.
“…Alright.”
“Hehe.”
clack
As soon as permission was granted, Yoo-jin grabbed Ha Ye-rin’s hand and intertwined their fingers.
Watching this, Ha Ye-rin initially looked surprised but then smiled softly.
“Have the unwanted thoughts mostly disappeared now?”
“…Yes, unnie.”
While the negative thoughts hadn’t completely vanished, at least in this moment, Yoo-jin felt at peace.
“Let’s sleep. We need to work hard tomorrow too.”
“…Yes, unnie. Good night.”
“Yeah.”
squeeze
And so, Yoo-jin closed her eyes, tightly gripping Ha Ye-rin’s hand.
Compared to the night before, it was a truly peaceful night.
She soon drifted into a comfortable sleep.
And just before falling asleep, she made a wish in her mind.
‘I hope tomorrow and the future can be this warm too.’
Of course…
That wish of hers was shattered the very next day.