SMW 92

“By the way, how are things going with that boy lately?”

My relief was short-lived; the hard-won peace was shaken. Pretending not to understand, I toyed with my wine glass and replied.

“What boy?”

“That boy in your class you wanted to lend a book to. I haven’t heard anything about how it went since then.”

Of course she hadn’t. Since then, there hadn’t been any particular event worth mentioning… Well, it wasn’t that there were none, but they were all things I couldn’t talk about. After all, the only thing that came to mind was the history of me struggling alone while Han Yeo-reum just stood there. And tell her that? If I did, this quick-witted old woman would definitely figure it out. And she’d tease me. For the rest of my life.

“I’m not talking about it because there’s nothing to say. Just drop it.”

“Did you get dumped?”

“Who got dum—!”

The moment I reacted impulsively, Grandma narrowed her eyes and wore a meaningful smile. A sense of foreboding washed over me.

“Oho. You did get dumped by that boy.”

Damn it.

“That’s not it.”

“It is.”

Grandma clicked her tongue, looking at me with pity.

“I even gave you advice; I told you to keep your temper in [unauthorized copy]check and seduce him with your face first. You [visit our site]unauthorized copyshould have gained his favor somehow. What about the book? Did you lend it?”

“…I lent it.”

“And?”

“And we talked a few times.”

Even though I was the one who forced him to stop and start the conversations.

“We met outside a few times, too.”

Of course, one of those times I pushed for it, one was a coincidence, and one was essentially a trade.

“And? That’s it?”

“…I got the book back today. He said he enjoyed it and offered to buy me a meal, but as you know, I didn’t have time Read on Read BL Novelstoday, so Read on Read BL NovelsI told him to buy it next time.”

“You idiot. In that case, you should have explained your situation and brought him along. Or you could have lied and said the grandma you live with was buying dinner.”

It wasn’t that I hadn’t thought of that. Even if he was scared of me, he never refused once I spoke to him and made a suggestion. But if I did that, it would be like putting Han Yeo-reum in danger again, rendering the point of calling Baek Min-ah meaningless.

Since I couldn’t tell Grandma the circumstances, I had no choice but to say something else.

“How could I introduce my family? It would be too burdensome for him. He’s already intimidated whenever he sees me.”

“Well, your face is the kind that makes other men feel intimidated.”

“It’s not because of my face.”

“Then what?”

“Just… I’m so conspicuous that he finds [unauthorized copy]it [visit our site]burdensome to be with me when there are a lot of people. But he was unauthorized copyokay when we were alone. He spoke quite well, laughed occasionally, and…”

And, though he often blushed and got flustered, he didn’t particularly reject me. Despite being troubled, he went along with my stubborn demands. If he truly hated me, he wouldn’t have done that. I had run that hope-circuit countless times. But after doing so, all that remained was the opposite emotion.

“I see why your love life isn’t going well. When you have a crush, you tend to become timid and negative.”

It seemed Grandma possessed some superpower I wasn’t aware of. Even so, the unfamiliar definition applied to me was flustering.

“A crush? Me?”

“Yes. Everything you’ve said so far is basically a briefing on a one-sided love.”

She let out a sigh of pity.

“How did my wonderful grandson’s first love turn into a one-sided love?”

Since the definition of a one-sided love is loving someone alone, it did fit my current situation. However, hearing it in such blunt [stolen content]terms felt [unauthorized copy]awkward [Read on Read BL Novels]and uncomfortable. Because “love” felt like something that absolutely had to be fulfilled.

“I had no intention of confessing in the first place.”

“Why? Because he’s a man?”

“That’s… but Grandma, aren’t you too open-minded? At this rate, you might never see a great-grandchild.”

“One brat growing up is enough for me. There’s no reason my grandson shouldn’t end up with the person he wants because of something like that.”

“Aren’t you going too far?”

“You’re the one who brought up the great-grandchild first.”

“I only said that because you kept going on. I’m only seventeen.”

“That’s exactly why I’m saying stolen contentthis. If a seventeen-year-old’s first love is that heartbreaking, you’ll stolen contentnever forget it for the rest of your life. That Read on Read BL Novelswould be rude to the person who will be with you later.”

But I can’t let go. I keep thinking about you.

Suddenly, the words I had said to Han Yeo-reum came to mind. At the time, I had blurted them out almost impulsively because I was so hurt by his words that I should “cut it off.” But after hearing Grandma’s words, it felt as if those words had become a curse I cast upon myself, and I was suddenly terrified.

If I truly can’t forget you for the rest of my life and spend it longing only for you, what am I supposed to do?

“I still won’t do it.”

Even so, I couldn’t convey my feelings to you.

“I have no intention of making him uncomfortable because of my own greed. I don’t have the right to.”

“Is it perhaps because of that man?”

As I paused and looked at her, Grandma [visit our site]smiled faintly. It was unsettling, as visit our siteif she knew exactly what was inside my head.

“Why bring that man up? It ruins my appetite.”

“Seol-ah. If it is because of that man, don’t worry. This grandmother has a plan.”

The wine glass I had been holding absentmindedly trembled. My expression hardened.

“Did that man come to see you?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Why is it not my concern!”

I sprang up from my seat. If I could, I wanted to find that man right now and grab him by the collar. He said he would never appear before Grandma while I was attending school, so why on earth?

For a moment, the documents that man had sent through Han Yeo-reum came to mind.

“Did you… did you get something from that man…?”

“Seol-ah.”

Grandma called me quietly.

“This was an adult problem from the start.”

“…”

“Of course, it’s your business too. I’m not saying I’ll ignore or exclude you. I’m just saying there’s no reason for you to handle this alone.”

“But…”

“Sit down first. As Read on Read BL Novelsyou said, [stolen content]there’s no need to ruin [visit our site]our pleasant mealtime, is there?”

At her soft but firm tone, I had no choice but to sit back down. However, my lost appetite didn’t return. Instead, I reached for the wine glass, but it was quickly snatched away by Grandma.

“Didn’t I tell you not to drink alcohol out of anger?”

A glass of water was handed to me instead. I let out a hollow laugh and asked.

“Then when am I supposed to drink?”

“You drink to be happy. It’s fine alone, but it’s better to share it with someone you love.”

Grandma savored a sip of the wine she had taken from me.

“Mmm, as expected, the taste of alcohol shared with my grandson is the best.”

“You just took my glass, what do you mean ‘shared’?”

“Shall I pour you another glass?”

“Forget it. You told me not to drink out of anger.”

“Seol-ah. Are you still feeling down?”

I didn’t answer. As I kept my mouth shut, Grandma spoke soothingly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll never do anything reckless. I am Park Bong-hee. I raised a wonderful grandson while working, and I’m a Park Bong-hee who succeeded in her own career. I never fight a losing battle.”

“…Do you have some kind of way?”

“At the very least, I know a way to make that man give up on you.”

“What is it?”

“That’s all. Like I said, this is an adult problem.”

She drew a firm line. I knew that when Grandma spoke like this, there was no way for me to intervene, no matter what I did. So, I had to give up on digging further.

“You don’t distrust your grandmother, do you?”

“No, I trust you. It’s just… I’m worried.”

“Don’t worry and just enjoy your school life like a student. You haven’t even been able to attend classes properly lately because you were nursing me.”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s not affecting my studies.”

“You can handle the studying on your own, but it’s still a waste. The boy you like is at school, isn’t he? That alone can make school life so much happier.”

“…”

As I stared blankly at the unexpected comment, Grandma sighed in pity.

“I’m not saying you should just confess blindly. But it’s a waste to give up just like that. If the boy hates you, there’s nothing to be done, but from what I’ve heard, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. So, wouldn’t it be okay to try? Of course, you must respect the other person’s will during the process. Just because you like him doesn’t mean he has any obligation to like you back. Honestly, if he doesn’t give you a chance even after you’ve conveyed your feelings, then you can give up cleanly.”

Grandma raised her wine glass as if making a toast and winked.

“This grandmother will properly soothe the pain of a broken heart with alcohol. So don’t worry and just push forward with your face.”

That damn face.

I chuckled and clinked my glass against Grandma’s.

“Grandma, you’ll have to live a long time if you’re going to soothe me every time I get my heart broken.”

“Just how long am I supposed to soothe you?”

“Hmm, maybe until you’re a hundred?”

“A hundred? Just how much more are you planning to make your grandmother suffer?”

Grandma waved her hand, saying the mere thought was overwhelming, and tilted her glass. Watching her, my appetite returned. It was just as I picked up my fork to stab the food in front of me.

“Right. By the way, what’s his name?”

I thought for a moment before speaking.

“Han Yeo-reum.”

“Huh? Han Yeo-reum?”

“His surname is Han and his name is Yeo-reum. Unusual, right?”

“Indeed, his parents must have been determined when naming him.”

Grandma murmured softly, tasting the name in her mouth as if it were curious.

“Han Yeo-reum… it’s a name that somehow makes me miss winter.”

“…Does it?”

For a moment, I wondered if she was teasing me like Baek Hee-won, but the words resonated in my chest. Come to think of it, Han Yeo-reum said he liked winter. If that’s because you are ‘Summer,’ then what about me?

“This is a match made in heaven. Should our Seol-ie change his name to ‘Winter’ for this occasion?”

As expected, she was just teasing.

“Forget it. It’s basically the same thing. What’s the difference?”

“It’s better to match them if possible. Rather than Yeo-reum and Seol, Yeo-reum and Winter… Oh? Actually, the first one sounds pretty good too.”

“I said forget it. I like the name you’ve called me by all this time. I have no intention of changing it, so don’t waste your energy on this.”

And it was the name you called me by, too. Under that hot summer sun, the name you called out made me realize for the first time what it felt like for my heart to flutter. That’s why it was precious.

“Oh my, our grandson is only saying pretty things today.”

“Ah, don’t touch my hair. Wait, Grandma! The glass! You’re spilling— Ah, you actually spilled the water.”

“Sorry. Waiter, we spilled some water here.”

I wanted to live with the people I loved for a long time. Grandma was that existence for me, and now, Han Yeo-reum, you were too. Of course, I didn’t know how my heart would feel as time passed.

Still, I wanted to eat a meal with you.

Since Grandma said it would be okay, maybe I could be a little greedy? It might be too much for now, but I should try asking you to buy me a meal before winter comes.

But in the end, I was never able to eat a meal with Han Yeo-reum. And the days of drinking alcohol with Grandma never returned.