NOVEL FROG Chapter 167
Jin Yeseo quickly hid behind the big tree in the garden. Even so, she cautiously peeked out to observe them.
Unaware of Jin Yeseo’s presence, the two at a distance were deeply engaged in conversation about something.
Although she couldn’t hear the details, it was clear that Yeon Minha was throwing a fit that was almost rebellious towards him.
However, the man neither got angry nor harshly rejected Yeon Minha.
He simply maintained a calm demeanor while dealing with her.
“…!”
Suddenly, Jin Yeseo’s eyes widened in surprise at Yeon Minha’s next action.
She looked around and then ran towards the man, throwing herself into his chest with a thud.
‘How, how shameless…!’
The solid yet strangely stabilizing form of that man was completely different from the tender feminine body.
Jin Yeseo’s earlobes turned red as memories of that night resurfaced.
‘Why is she allowed to do that…’
It was nothing but a string of surprises. To think that Yeon Minha would do something like that so casually in broad daylight. Moreover, the man seemed completely relaxed, almost familiar with the situation.
“Ugh…”
Seeing him, Jin Yeseo unconsciously clutched her own chest. A dull yet prickling pain was poking at her heart.
It was an unfamiliar sensation that she had never felt before, and it was terribly painful.
Still, she had no clue where it was coming from.
*
The long life in the ward was finally nearing its end. The stitches from her wound had been removed, and various test results were stable.
According to the caretaker, she might even get discharged as early as tomorrow.
While she felt good about it, the thought of catching up with piles of assignments and missed lectures left her feeling overwhelmed. There were all sorts of other tasks she also needed to take care of.
For now, she had to find meaning in the fact that she would escape this frustrating space. Honestly, she couldn’t say it was all bad.
There was no place better than here to sort out her thoughts alone.
Visitor after visitor who wanted to become friends with her had been dealt with by Yeon Minha on her own, and she herself had to return to the dormitory at night.
Perhaps it was a choice made considering her personality, which did not particularly like meeting new people. She was just grateful to Yeon Minha. Thanks to that, she had regained quite a bit of her peace of mind.
…That was what she had been thinking until just recently.
“Hello, junior!”
“…?”
Jin Yeseo stared blankly at the intruder who had suddenly barged into the hospital room. The female student, resembling a peach with a tear mole on her left eye, waved cheerfully at her.
“Kwon Yuri… senior?”
“Oh dear. Just call me ‘noona’. Come on, say it: ‘Yuri noona.'”
“…”
Instead of responding, Jin Yeseo turned her head to look out the window leading outside the ward. Kwon Yuri, as if reading her thoughts, put on a bright smile.
“Minha will be a little late today; it’s the day for the student council’s regular settlement. I came to avoid her on purpose.”
“…What brings you here?”
She was still a tricky person to deal with. On the surface, she was from the completely opposing faction. Yet, unlike the former Yeon Minha, who openly displayed hostility, Kwon Yuri only smiled innocently at every encounter.
It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
“What brings me here? Of course, it’s a hospital visit!”
Kwon Yuri seemed to ask as if bewildered by the question.
“Here, this is a gift for your hospital visit! It’s a top-tier vitality booster made by our pharmaceutical company!”
She boldly approached, almost as if it was her own room, and plopped down in a chair, placing the large package she had been holding on the table.
“This is really precious! It’s probably much better than ordinary over-the-counter medications.”
She then pulled out a small bottle from inside and handed it to Jin Yeseo, unscrewing the lid herself.
“Since our junior is still a chick, it’s strawberry flavor.”
“…”
“Don’t worry! Just a thank you is fine. We don’t need to be so formal between us.”
Seeing Jin Yeseo’s perplexed expression, Kwon Yuri chatted playfully. Holding the bottle, Jin Yeseo examined its contents. It had a tempting red color and a fragrant fruity aroma that tickled her nose.
It was indeed the perfect condition to hide something toxic.
“Hmm? Why?”
Kwon Yuri’s eyes sparkled curiously as she tilted her head.
“…”
Well, it’s not like she’d try to outright assassinate me with such a foolish method.
But…
“…I’ll have it later. I’m not really hungry right now.”
Still, she felt uneasy. She didn’t even bring the bottle to her mouth and simply pushed it to the side.
“…Hmph.”
In response, Kwon Yuri cast her a resentful glance. The expression she made seemed oddly childish yet surprisingly fitting.
“So, what’s your motive this time?”
“Motive? If you put it like that, I’d be really hurt. I came all the way to visit you because I was worried!”
Kwon Yuri pretended to be angry, crossing her arms and turning her head away dramatically.
“I never thought a senior would care so much about me.”
“If the junior I decided to have a meal with dies first, it would be too lonely, you know.”
“…”
“Well, it seems like you’re good now. I guess I don’t have to worry about you dying.”
Kwon Yuri glanced at the clock, dusting off her skirt as she stood up.
“I’ve seen you’re okay, so I’ll head out. Anyway, the student council settlement should be ending soon. Minha is way too overprotective. What kind of person stops others from visiting a sick person? Right?”
This time, it seemed like Minha’s words held some truth. But she felt a bit confused.
She thought Kwon Yuri would hang around trying to gather information.
Yet she just came, handed the hospital gift, and left?
“Thank goodness you’re recovering well.”
While pondering Kwon Yuri’s intentions, she suddenly added one last whispered remark.
“That’s great. Baek Seoyeon will be really happy too.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“…”
Kwon Yuri didn’t answer and disappeared in an instant. Silence filled the room as if no one had been there.
“Ha…”
She felt utterly drained.
One of the things she had to do once leaving the ward was now haunting her again.
Jin Yeseo contemplated the meaning behind Kwon Yuri’s parting words. Why would she be happy about her recovery?
Could it be because she wants to keep a promise to Heukryeon? Or maybe…
“…”
In any case, it didn’t sound positive at all. It was making her head throb.
If that was Kwon Yuri’s intention to shorten her lifespan with stress, she could consider it a success.
–knock knock–
While she was lost in thought, a knock was heard. The ward’s caretaker peeked through the door.
“Uh, patient? Someone else wants to visit you…”
What on earth kind of day is this?
She didn’t want to expend any more mental energy.
“Again? I’m sorry, but please tell them to go back…”
She was about to refuse.
But while checking the visitor list, the caretaker suddenly mentioned a familiar name.
“Jin Yeseo… a first-year student…”
“…Huh?”
Unconsciously, she repeated the question with a dazed voice. She had been curious about Jin Yeseo’s recent activities.
The girl had disappeared after saying she would come back.
Was she discharged or something? But she didn’t expect her to boldly apply for a visit.
…Didn’t Minha say she would be coming soon too?
“…”
She couldn’t predict what would happen if the two met.
Jin Yeseo seemed to look up to her a lot. While Yeon Minha had always looked down on everything, for some reason, lately, she’s been acting more hostile towards the female students.
Jin Yeseo hurriedly moved to turn away the visitor.
But just as she reached the entrance to the garden of the ward…
“Hey.”
A sulky voice suddenly came from behind.
“…Senior.”
Yeon Minha had returned to the ward and was staring at her with a piercing gaze.
“You’re here?”
“I just popped in for a moment. I have a night lecture, so I have to go back again. This academy is so…”
Yeon Minha grumbled with dissatisfaction.
Just a quick stop…
But the distance between the ward and the main building was considerable.
She was quite diligent.
“But you…”
Yeon Minha directed a sharp gaze at Jin Yeseo. A bead of cold sweat trickled down her back.
If she found out Jin Yeseo was here, she would definitely flip out.
How should she handle this situation?
“You were trying to train in the garden again without telling me.”
“…Huh?”
However, as Yeon Minha grabbed her wrist and said that…
Although Jin Yeseo asked in shock, it seemed Yeon Minha accepted it as evidence of her guilt.
She wore a look of conviction and closed the distance while still holding her wrist tightly.
“I knew it. How many times have I told you to be careful? Hmm?”
Before she knew it, Yeon Minha was close enough to feel her breath. She wrapped her arms around Jin Yeseo’s back. It felt like being caught in a trap.
Then she buried her face into Jin Yeseo’s chest, inhaling deeply as her shoulders trembled.
“What are you… doing?”
“Checking.”
“Checking?”
“Yes. I thought I smelled sweat… sniff sniff…”
“…”
Jin Yeseo was at a loss for words at her nonchalance. What kind of person acts so thoroughly? And come to think of it, Yeon Minha seemed to really enjoy coaxing out smells.
Was that some secret preference of a noble lady? Or did she perhaps have a past life as a dog?
Well, it wasn’t like she had trained today, so there shouldn’t be any smell.
Since she was being this insistent, maybe she should show a little sincerity. She could always make up for things once discharged…
“Wait… is that smell…?”
As Yeon Minha was sniffing around, she abruptly stopped moving. The chill in her voice sent a shiver down Jin Yeseo’s spine.
Still buried in Jin Yeseo’s embrace, Yeon Minha lifted her head to look at her.
The fire in her eyes was literally burning.
“Did Kwon Yuri come by?”
“…Yes.”
It was hard to lie when she asked like that. Yeon Minha’s face began turning bright red with anger.
“This girl… I warned her so many times…!”
Yeon Minha let go of Jin Yeseo’s wrist and turned sharply, storming off with furious strides.
“I won’t let this slide. Rules? I’ll really kill her…”
In the blink of an eye, Yeon Minha vanished from the ward, leaving only silence in her wake.
“Ha.”
Finally, Jin Yeseo let out a sigh of relief. For now, she was a bit thankful to Kwon Yuri. Thanks to her, the presence of someone else in the ward was concealed.
She continued walking towards the garden where Jin Yeseo was waiting for her.
“…?”
However, she was soon left with a perplexed expression.
The lovely garden was eerily quiet, devoid of any presence.