SCT-Novel Chapter 16: Is It An Illusion?
Chapter 16: Is It An Illusion?
chapter 16: is it an illusion?
“how’s it? does it suit your taste?”
“yes, it’s really delicious! i’m glad i didn’t eat outside.”
“hehe... you sure have a way with words, don’t you?”
“i mean it, though!”
“alright then, eat as much as you want. let me know if you need more.”
“thank you.”
we were all seated at one dining table, enjoying our meal together.
han-gyeol neatly picked from the various dishes. watching him eat, my mom wore a contented expression. i was silently grateful to han-gyeol for making her smile.
intermittent small talk continued until the meal came to an end.
i got up to clean up, and han-gyeol also immediately rose from his seat.
“i’ll help with the cleaning.”
“no, you don’t have to. you’re our guest, so just relax in the living room.”
“ah, but that would make me feel more uncomfortable, aunty. i’ll help eun-ha clean up.”
“really? then i’ll leave it to you two. work together and make it quick.”
my mom didn’t object either.
“alright then, i’ll count on you.”
“anytime.”
together, han-gyeol and i moved the empty dishes to the sink.
i was just about to put on rubber gloves to start washing when i saw han-gyeol still right beside me.
“you can relax in the living room now.”
“no, i’m comfortable here beside you. let me help.”
“uh...?! o-okay. how about i scrub and you rinse?”
“sure. can you move a bit to the side?”
i lathered up the dishes and passed them to han-gyeol, who rinsed off the suds with water.
it was just dishwashing, but for some reason, it made my heart flutter a bit.
i stole a glance at han-gyeol’s face, but he seemed nonchalant, simply focused on rinsing the dishes.
“you two look just like a married couple.”
my older brother, who was sipping water behind us, made another unnecessary comment.
“what—what are you talking about?! stop spouting nonsense and go back to the living room!”
“why are you getting so worked up? i just made a casual observation.”
“hahaha! you two do seem very close. as an only child, it makes me a bit jealous.”
it was an embarrassingly straightforward comment, but han-gyeol didn’t seem to mind.
he silently turned his attention back to the sink and continued rinsing the dishes.
“um... sorry about my brother’s stupid comments.”
“don’t worry about it. i can see why he might get that impression.”
“what?!”
i couldn’t help but raise my voice at han-gyeol’s nonchalant response.
“hahaha! i’m just joking.”
“seriously, han-gyeol, you’re not bothered by such comments?”
“well, they’re a bit embarrassing, but it’s not like i hate hearing them.”
“wha—?!”
“it’s another joke~”
“hey!”
“haha! sorry, just hand me the next dish.”
turned out, han-gyeol was quite the prankster.
han-gyeol laced up his shoes and bowed courteously.
“bye, come back and visit.”
with that final exchange, han-gyeol and i left the house. we were waiting for the elevator when our eyes met. startled, i instantly looked away.
“what’s the matter? are you avoiding my gaze? are you mad because i teased you?”
“no—?! not at all.”
why did i do that?
“today was really fun.”
“wasn’t it a bit chaotic? you might have found it tiring.”
“what? i actually liked the hustle and bustle. i’ll visit again.”
“next time, come when it’s quieter, then. it’s usually too loud.”
wait, did that sound weird?
a feeling of unease crept in, and when i looked up, han-gyeol seemed utterly flustered.
“look, eun-ha. no matter how close we are, i can’t just come over to an empty house with just a girl in it.”
“that’s not what i meant! i was just saying it’s nice when it’s quiet!”
“haha! don’t worry, i know it was just a slip of the tongue. everyone often makes those.”
“haha... i should be more careful.”
“was it a freudian slip?”
“no! ah? the elevator’s here!”
“then, i’ll be going. go back inside, eun-ha.”
“ah? i’ll walk you to the entrance.”
i offered to see him off, but he shook his head, refusing.
“it’s still too cold outside. you might catch a cold, just go inside.”
“i’m really fine...”
“do you want to spend more time with me?”
“you—!”
“haha! just kidding. see you at school next week?”
“uh, yeah... take care? text me when you get home.”
“sure. take care.”
after exchanging handshakes, the elevator door closed. when i returned home, everyone was still talking about han-gyeol.
“ah? you’re back early? what happened?”
“han-gyeol said it was cold outside and told me to go back in.”
“look at this! now it’s a hundred percent confirmed, you know?!”
“really... but isn’t that something a kind-hearted person would say? some people are just considerate.”
“ah! i’m going crazy! eun-ha is exactly like you, aunt! anyone can see han-gyeol likes her!”
i quickly interjected into their conversation.
“what are you guys talking about?!”
“eun-ha, han-gyeol definitely likes you. didn’t you feel anything?”
“no, no! han-gyeol said he’s liked someone for a long time!”
“but what if that’s you? you didn’t feel anything at all?”
at hyun-joo’s question, a flurry of memories flashed through my mind. but all of those could have been coincidences; it was hard to conclude that han-gyeol liked me based on that. however, a recent comment from han-gyeol lingered in my ears.
why am i thinking about him saying he’d be really happy if i were his girlfriend?
it could’ve been a joke... but my heart fluttered strangely.
--- the end of the chapter ---
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