Chapter 582 (2/2)
“Of course.”
“How big?”
“Hm, high school maybe?”
“Then unni knows all about it?”
“That’s not entirely true.”
“Then what about mom? Do you know everything at your age?”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s right either.”
“Mom, you are strange sometimes.”
“...Sorry for being a weird mom.”
Bitna looked at her dejected mother before saying that she was just joking.
“My dear Bitna, you know how to make jokes, huh. You got me there.”
“I learned from that oppa.”
“That oppa?”
Bitna thought back to last summer. The shooting location was incredibly hot, and there was one oppa who encouraged the other oppas during the shoot. Bitna called that oppa the big oppa.
“Is it the Maru-oppa that you talked about last time?”
“Yeah.”
“Bitna seems to have taken a liking to that oppa, huh?”
“He was a fun oppa.”
“Do you like that oppa?”
Bitna shook her head.
“He’s just a fun oppa.”
“You’re quite picky, my girl.”
“But unni seems to like him, I think.”
“Unni does?”
Bitna thought about her sister’s - Yuna’s - expression. Ever since Bitna said that she knew who Maru was when he appeared on TV, she kept asking her about him. She asked when they played together and asked when they watched TV together. Her unni looked really happy when they talked about oppa.
“You said you were meeting him tomorrow, right?”
“Yeah, after school.”
“Bitna is letting her meet him, right?”
“Unni wants to meet him after all. But I am going to have to lie. Is that okay?”
“Lie?”
“I don’t really want to see big oppa that much. However, unni said that I wanted to see big oppa. If I become honest, unni will have become a liar, so I think it will be better if I lie instead.”
“Bitna is going to lie for your big sister’s sake?”
“Yeah. Otherwise, unni will be a liar.”
“But lying is a bad thing.”
“Isn’t it fine if you do it once a year?”
“Santa might not come to you.”
“Do you believe in Santa, mom?”
“...You can lie from time to time.”
Bitna lifted one finger.
“I will lie just this once. I don’t want unni to become a liar.”
“It’s fine because it’s a good lie for your big sister.”
“What’s a good lie? Weren’t lies bad things?”
“Hm, Bitna.”
“Yeah?”
“Try asking Maru-oppa that tomorrow.”
“Can’t you tell me, mom?”
“Mom needs to rest from time to time. Also, it’s no fun if mom tells you everything.”
“Is that how it is?”
“Of course.”
Her mother turned the car key. The car started vibrating with a low rattling noise. Bitna moved her little hands to put her seatbelt on.
“But mom.”
“Yes?”
“Do you get married if you like someone?”
Her mother didn’t reply.
“Will I understand when I become big?”
“Mom wants to explain, but I think it needs a lot of time. To put it very simply though, if you like someone, you get married, I think?”
“Then will unni marry big oppa?”
“That won’t necessarily be the case… but you can’t really say that it definitely won’t happen, it’s a complicated thing….”
Bitna crossed her arms.
“How hard.”
Her mom agreed.
“It is.”
The car left the parking lot.
* * *
“Yuna.”
“Yeah?”
“I think he fancies you.”
“What do you mean?”
Yuna turned around, unable to resist the pull on her uniform vest. The boy sitting at the end of the 3rd column was smiling at her.
“Girlie, you have it good, being popular and all.”
“It’s not like that.”
“What’s not? He’s completely in love with you. What do you think? I don’t think he’s that bad. Yuna, I heard you have never gone out with someone, right? Try going out with him at this chance.”
“What are you saying?”
Yuna shook her hand before taking out her textbook. Her friends covered their mouths and laughed. They always teased her when it was related to boys.
“Think about it seriously. I thought you wanted to become an actress. You won’t be able to date as you wish once you become one, so when else will you get the opportunity to date someone?”
“Right. You should do away with it while you still can.”
Do away with what? - Yuna pushed her friends away. Her friends giggled and went back to their seats. After hearing that, she felt a gaze on the back of her head. When she turned around, the boy that the girls talked about was still looking at her.
Haha - she smiled awkwardly before looking forward again.
‘I don’t necessarily hate it, but.’
It didn’t make her heart race. Actually, this might be because she was concerned about something else. She raised her head to look at the clock on the wall. She would get to meet him in just five more hours.
‘I wonder what kind of person he is.’
Just what kind of lessons did he receive and what kind of things did he learn to put on an act like that? Yuna had a lot of things to ask Maru.