“Excuse me, but could you take a picture for us? Here in front of the Ferris wheel.”
“Yes, I’ll take it for you.”
I answered while receiving the light blue-tinted camera.
“I’ll take it. One, two, three.”
The flash went off. I blinked my dazzled eyes and returned the camera to the two. The two exchanged glances, then showed friendly smiles and said,
“Thank you. You have such a refreshing energy, would you like a soft drink?”
Perhaps noticing my awkward expression, Hee-ae pretended to receive a phone call.
“Yeah, what? You said we promised to ride the Ferris wheel, right. Shi-dan, the kids are waiting.”
“We have an urgent appointment so we’ll go ahead.”
I greeted the two and left with the kids. We ran all the way to the front of the Ferris wheel before stopping. Cho-yeon looked around and said,
“What, they’re doing a parade over there?”
“It’s September, what’s there to have a parade for?”
While asking back at Cho-yeon’s words, I approached the parade procession. A person wearing a cat mask, the amusement park’s mascot, waved at me. Finding it cute, I smiled brightly and greeted them without realizing it.
I was watching the procession for a moment. Among the fan club kids, some particularly overzealous ones discovered me and walked over. As expected, if you’re an Aseon High student, you should be able to easily break through a crowd like this. I’m proud of you guys.
“You’re Yu Shi-dan? The one who received confessions from not one but three people, right?”
“We already know each other. Why are you acting like we just met?”
The kids who were hit right on the mark lost their words. It really helps at times like this to have joined the fan club. One of them turned their face to the opposite side and held something out. A paper bag?
“We put in plenty.”
“You want me to take this and break up with our kid?”
I asked while looking down at the paper bag. The fan club kids answered with disgusted expressions.
“I just wanted to try saying that line once. Isn’t it fun?”
I tried not to show my absurdity. The kid holding the paper bag muttered with a sad expression.
“Even though I was rejected, you should do well with those people.”
“You were rejected? Were you the one who sent the love letter?”
Hee-ae asked with a smiling face while bowing his head. The kid clearly showed signs of being caught. That’s why I don’t talk to myself. Hee-ae grabbed me and backed away with a wary expression.
“The one who said they’d give you a piggyback ride during the first semester school trip?”
“Right, how do you remember that?”
“Shi-dan, don’t remember things like that.”
I remember it because I was so flustered then. I just guessed but it really was the same person? Hee-ae sharpened his edge more and stuck close to me. Just then, a person in a costume suddenly popped out and shouted,
“Where is the hero who will save the prince? Here you are!”
“What?”
Does this involve audience participation too? People dressed as fairies pulled Hee-ae forward. Both the fan club kids and I were flustered and stared at Hee-ae and the parade procession. Hee-ae looked at me with eyes asking for help.
“Sob sob. How pitiful, the prince is grieving alone. Please bring this stone to the prince and give him a word of encouragement!”
People dressed in various costumes made severely artificial crying sounds. Why do we have to bring him a stone? I don’t understand this parade’s plot at all.
“I prepared for a play before too, it reminds me of that time.”
I muttered at a memory that suddenly came to mind while watching the parade. Before possessing this body, it was the day before summer vacation. While preparing for the play, I had a big fight with friends so the plan fizzled out, and because summer vacation started, we couldn’t even reconcile.
“What was that? I was suddenly called up and came out without doing anything.”
Hee-ae squeezed in next to me with a bewildered expression. In the meantime, the parade procession had called another person and was urging them to say a word of encouragement.
“Let’s watch a bit more before we go.”
I checked the time at Hee-ae’s words. There was still plenty of time left. We could watch leisurely before going. In-sae approached holding a balloon.
“Shi-dan, I brought another balloon. Take it.”
“Where did you get this?”
“Those guys were giving them out.”
The overzealous fan club kids waved and greeted. While my attention was briefly stolen, I inadvertently received the balloon from In-sae. This time it’s a blue balloon.
“Thanks.”
“The parade seems like it’ll end soon? Too bad.”
Contrary to saying it’s too bad, Hee-ae smiled brightly while turning to me. I made eye contact with Hee-ae for the first time in a while.
“Yeah, too bad.”
“Why the hell are they giving me this? Hey, you use this.”
Cho-yeon roughly took off the animal ear headband and threw it at me. From afar, the Five Great Kings laughed playfully at Cho-yeon.
“I’m not really into this either.”
I said awkwardly while fiddling with the fluffy cat ear headband. No matter how I look at it.
“It suits you. Yeah… it suits you well.”
I placed the headband on Cho-yeon’s head and moved away. Cho-yeon got sharply annoyed and threw the headband at In-sae. In-sae stared at the headband blankly then tried to throw it in the trash.
I pointed at Cho-yeon and said while holding back my queasiness,
“But it really did suit you.”
***
“They picked an amazing location for the lodging. How did they get such a nice place?”
Lee Seung walked with Seon-yoon praising the school. I agreed. How did they get such a fancy lodging?
“Did Han Cho-yeon-nim’s family help out this time?”
“Ah, right. Cho-yeon, were you a chaebol too?”
I whispered just loud enough for only Cho-yeon next to me to hear.
“Probably, I think Cho-young Apartments was also built by my uncle’s company, the apartment name Cho-young is after my cousin noona’s name. Who names an apartment like that, it’s ridiculous.”
“No wonder the Cho-young Apartments name was similar to yours.”
“But Han Cho-yeon’s family didn’t help out. I don’t even have their contact information.”
Cho-yeon emphasized and pronounced ‘Han Cho-yeon’s’. Well, of course, Cho-yeon has his pre-possession family. He must have wanted to keep distance at least in the way of addressing them.
I pondered Cho-yeon’s words while drinking water. Hee-ae looked at the water bottle intently then said,
“Shi-dan, that’s the water I drank from earlier.”
“Right? No, but it was a while ago so it’s okay.”
I already drank from it, so what, can’t be helped. I closed the lid of the empty water bottle and said to Hee-ae, Cho-yeon, and In-sae,
“I left my jacket in the room. I’ll be right back.”
“Let’s go together.”
“I’ll run quickly and come back. It’s almost time for recreation.”
I was just going to endure it until recreation started but it was too cold. I left the three behind and ran quickly toward the room. I could hear kids chattering.
“Really? The Five Great Kings-nim suddenly said that?”
“What should we do? Totally. Can’t. Relate!”
The kids gathered in the hallway laughed heartily. I slowed my running steps.
“So they came back from a restaurant tour. He’s really unique, unique.”
One kid who was about to drink water seemed to recognize me and was startled, jerking their hand. It’s the kid who said ‘We put in plenty’ earlier. Water spilled from the plastic bottle and got on my clothes.
“Yu Shi-dan? Sorry, are you okay? What should we do?”
The kid asked like a machine gun. I calmed the startled kid. Originally it’s always like this when you possess someone. I’ve gotten wet a few times at the beginning of the semester too, so it’s not even surprising.
“It’s okay. I can go to the room and change clothes. It’s just water so it’ll be fine once it dries.”
“Still, I’m sorry. My hand lost strength at the worst time, really.”
The kid repeatedly apologized. I kept telling the kid it was okay while opening the door.
I went to the room where I left my luggage and was about to change clothes but hesitated. I always change clothes without locking the door, and there are always developments where kids come in. I anxiously stared at the slightly open door.
‘Safety first.’
Security must be thorough. There are always unexpected things. And just when I took off my top, sure enough, there was a rattling sound of someone trying to open the door.
“Is this what they call foresight? How is it so predictable?”
I muttered to myself while half-dressed. When does the possessor buff wear off? Does it last forever for life? In-sae’s voice came from beyond the door.
“Shi-dan? The door is locked.”
“I locked it because I’m changing clothes.”
Ah, In-sae made a sound of understanding. I tidied my clothes and opened the door I had locked. In-sae adjusted my slipped clothes and said,
“Seo Lee Seung and the kids were looking for you.”
“The kids? Why me.”
“They said you’re wearing a skirt. Put it on now.”
My complexion turned white as I froze stiffly. Should I run away even now, while I was worrying, In-sae added,
“There’s no one to do it. You know?”
“Right, I can’t change it now. But I can just change when I get to the auditorium.”
“Ah.”
In-sae made a small sound as if realizing. Why did I lose to the kids and say something I couldn’t handle like wearing a skirt? I grumbled as I left the room.
“By now I should have times when I win against you or the kids, but I always lose.”
“Hello!”
As soon as I came out into the hallway, kids greeted me cheerfully. Cho-yeon and Hee-ae also followed and were mixed in the crowd. In-sae looked at Cho-yeon, then went back into the room and rummaged through his bag.
“Han Cho-yeon. The autograph name you gave last time is strange.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
