LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 191
Late Evening.
It was still early to hit the hay, but here we were, arriving at the place Da-eun booked, getting ready to crash a bit earlier to be fresh for tomorrow.
And all together in one room, no less.
I couldn’t quite grasp why we had to squeeze into a single room in such a massive pension meant for three.
“Isn’t it weird to sleep separately when we’ve finally gone out for a bit of fun?”
“What’s the big deal with going to bed together?”
“Of course it matters! Late-night whispering is one of the best parts of a trip!”
“…Really?”
“Yeah! Yuki thinks so too, I bet.”
“It does seem a bit lacking in warmth.”
“See, even Yuki agrees!”
“…‘That’ Yuki?”
Whether Yuki tried to make a fist or not, Da-eun dumped the pillow she was clutching onto the floor.
“You know why they make kids sleep in one place on school trips? To build camaraderie and create memories!”
“Huh? I remember sleeping alone in my own bed.”
“Wait, really?”
“We shared a room, sure, but it wasn’t like we all piled into one big cuddle heap. When it was time to crash, we just headed to our own rooms.”
“…I’ve heard kids these days are into individualism, but hearing that makes it hit home for me.”
“You’re the same age as me, yet you sound ancient.”
“Anyway!”
Bang!
Da-eun thumped the pillows harder.
“Kana, you know what I missed most during my hospital stay? Not having a typical school life like everyone else. And most of all, not being able to go on a school trip.”
She had started to regain her health around the time she entered high school, so she could follow the schedule, but it felt more disappointing to her that she missed out on middle school trips.
Da-eun continued, “You, Kana, were off playing war when you should’ve been running around with friends. I wanted to create some memories like this for you. Sure, it’s not perfect, but…”
“Going off to war can be a memory, you know?”
“…Can you just be quiet?”
“…”
Yuki, oblivious to the vibe, got hit with Da-eun’s piercing glare and sank into defeat.
Breaking the silence, I finally spoke up.
“So, what’s the real deal?”
“I’ve become someone who can’t sleep if Kana isn’t next to me… so you have to take responsibility!”
“What the-”
“Aaaah! I’m not listening!”
With her ears plugged, Da-eun flailed about.
This was ridiculous…
I watched in disbelief as Da-eun rolled on her bed.
“Geez…”
I wasn’t against sharing the bed. I’d been sleeping in the same bed since moving in with Da-eun, so there was no way I’d suddenly freak out about it.
In short, what Da-eun was doing was just unnecessary fuss.
I had just said I didn’t get it, but who knew it would escalate to this level?
“I get it, so stop rolling around.”
You’re kicking up dust, you know?
I waved my hand to disperse whatever floating particles were in the air, could be dust, could be threads, who knows?
“…Are you going to sleep with us?”
“Don’t you think asking that now is a bit late to the party?”
“Hehe, that’s true.”
With that silly laughter, the commotion wound down.
We nestled down into our spread-out blankets side by side.
“If Kana were an adult, we could share a drink…”
Da-eun, lying on her side, said.
“Do you like alcohol?”
Yuki asked, mirroring Da-eun’s position.
“I’m not a huge fan, but it’s nice to share a drink when you’re out and about, you know?”
“Hmm. I get what you mean. So we’ll just have to hang out again after Kana becomes an adult.”
“…I’m not really keen on that.”
“Why?”
“I just can’t imagine Kana as an adult. I only see this adorable little girl in my mind…”
“You can be cute even when you’re older.”
“True, I guess?”
“Throw around more of that sweet nonsense.”
As I listened to the back and forth, I peeked out from my blanket cocoon.
“You know I can hear you, right?”
“But talking about someone who isn’t here is kinda naughty, isn’t it? Sure, we aren’t slandering, but it’s still dodgy.”
“Don’t bring up common sense just now. And it was slander to me.”
“…Huh?”
“…Huh? Seriously, what’s with the confused look?”
I turned away from Da-eun, who still seemed baffled.
Ignoring her little pout, I found myself face to face with Yuki’s wide-eyed expression.
That look made an involuntary whine escape my lips.
“Why do I have to be the one in the middle?”
“Well, Kana is the center of our little group, our mascot, and our emotional support…”
I dove under the blankets to escape the seemingly endless prattle.
Getting sucked into this nonsense would ruin my chances of getting to sleep early.
With the blanket over me, Da-eun’s pointless chatter transformed into a lullaby I could tolerate.
We’d be climbing mountains bright and early tomorrow, and I needed to get some sleep, but why were we still at it?
Rather than click my tongue in annoyance, I curled up tighter.
‘…Should I have brought that?’
And with an air of regret, I opened and closed my hand a couple of times.
Without my pillow that I always hugged while sleeping back home, it felt a bit empty.
Sure, if I brought it, Da-eun would smirk and say, ‘Looks like Kana’s still a baby,’ so I left it behind.
If I went back in time, I’d probably make the same call, but still, a hint of disappointment lingered.
Snuggled in my blanket, I began to feel my eyelids growing heavy.
I could chase away the sleepy whispers knocking on my door, but I didn’t feel like it.
So, I welcomed the visit from that sleepy spirit.
“…Kuuuul.”
* * *
“…Kuuuul.”
Hearing the soft breaths wafting out from the blanket, Da-eun and Yuki suddenly hushed their conversation.
“Oh look at that.”
“She’s fallen asleep.”
“I thought it was a bit quiet earlier. Guess she was dozing under the blanket.”
Just in case Kana woke up hearing their voices, they lowered their volume and began to chat quietly.
“Isn’t it stifling to snuggle like this?”
Yuki looked at the blanket pile and voiced the same thoughts Da-eun once had.
“Kana says it’s comfy. Claims it gives her a sense of security.”
“She’s like a cat inside a box.”
“Right? I don’t call her Kana-nyang for nothing!”
Maybe the reason Kana loves burrowing into blankets is because of memories from her childhood.
Having faced abuse and lived in an environment with no one to trust, her instincts might push her to seek safety, even if it feels a little cramped.
Though she eventually met someone she could call Dad, those memories don’t just vanish.
While Da-eun believed her theory held some weight, she didn’t verbalize it.
Instead, she gently patted the blanket where Kana lay.
Softly and delicately, to avoid waking her.
“At first, I thought I might be dreaming.”
“…At first? Oh right, when I first saw Kana at my place? That makes sense. I felt the same way.”
In fact, I almost grabbed a god by the collar and shook him for good measure.
Da-eun chuckled awkwardly, that bit left unspoken.
“Besides, sometimes I still can’t believe it.”
“With that said, you sure do look like you’ve got that dreamy fairy vibe going on.”
“Hmph, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
That little remark was a subtle nod to how well she was handling things.
Da-eun smiled brightly, welcoming Yuki’s words.
Through babyhood, childhood, and even a bit of her teenage years, Da-eun had fought a tough battle against illness.
So, she was more accustomed to being cared for than taking care of others.
Thus, even while spending time with Kana, doubts sometimes crept in.
‘Am I really doing this right?’
Kana, by default, wasn’t very expressive of her feelings.
Sure, if you looked closely, you could see the emotions or thoughts hiding beneath her quiet exterior.
And I knew those feelings were rich and varied.
But she hardly ever revealed them, leaving Da-eun to doubt herself.
What if she was being too much of a bother?
It could be her lack of reliability that made Kana uneasy about opening up.
She just wanted to share her affection, but maybe she’d gone a bit overboard.
“I don’t think that’s something you should worry about.”
Yuki, who had been listening carefully to Da-eun, chimed in.
“If she didn’t like it, she would say so. She’s not the type to just keep quiet about things.”
“But still-”
“Well, you’re indeed kind of a handful, but she sticks around even while grumbling about it.”
“That’s just because Kana is nice.”
…Nice?
Yuki barely swallowed back what she wanted to say next.
“…Just think of it this way. Kana plays pranks on you often. But with me? Not so much.”
While not completely absent, those instances were just lighthearted teasing rather than full-on antics.
“Kana probably feels more at ease with you.”
“…Is that really how it is?”
Da-eun mulled over Yuki’s words.
While it was the sort of thing she’d tell herself to feel better, hearing it from someone else brought a fresh wave of comfort.
After some thoughtful processing, she cracked a smile.
“I hope that’s the case.”
“Stop worrying about silly things. Instead, why not think about getting stronger during that time?”
“Ah, that’s a bit too much.”
As she cut off Yuki’s sales pitch, Da-eun carried on chatting with her.
They shared light stories from everyday life, talked about broadcasts, and even shared some personal experiences.
Contrary to the image of a head filled only with combat, Yuki turned out to be quite a nice conversational partner.
As Da-eun had told Kana, the two girls chatted until they finally fell asleep just as dawn was breaking.
* * *
Even without facing a mirror, I could sense what kind of expression I had on my face.
It was probably one of utter disbelief.
“What the heck time did you guys crash?”
“Ugh… ugh…”
I sighed at the sight of Da-eun and Yuki, looking like a couple of zombies still in the grips of sleep.
Somehow, I had a feeling chatting all night wouldn’t bode well for our mountain climbing plans.
“Geez…”
Honestly, I couldn’t figure out who was calling whom a baby here.