Chapter 40

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on April 5, 2025

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Yumina leaned back in her seat. She wondered about the intentions of this Secretary grandfather in approaching her.

She glanced sideways and their eyes met. The grandfather gave a subtle smile.

“Where would you like to go?”

“Just… to the nearby library.”

She answered vaguely, though she didn’t know if the library was open or closed. As she did, the grandfather nodded, and the driver, apparently confirming this through the rearview mirror, started the car.

In the laptop video, Cha Haneul and Doyugeon were still arguing. Could it be that she was here because of Doyugeon? Given that a secretary had come personally, it seemed more like Grandfather’s intention than Cha Haneul’s father’s. In that case, it made sense that Doyugeon lingering near Cha Haneul might irritate the grandfather. But then, why approach her? Wouldn’t it make more sense to go straight to Doyugeon?

The grandfather closed the laptop, cutting off the voices and leaving silence in their wake.

“Miss Cha Haneul, I’ve known her since she was a child. It’s been a year since she entered middle school, but I’m quite worried. She doesn’t seem to have a particularly social or open personality.”

The grandfather gave a quiet laugh.

“I’d like to hear about her school life.”

Cha Haneul’s school life? Various unpleasant aspects of her lifestyle ran through Yumina’s mind. But then a sudden thought struck her—didn’t the school belong to Cha Haneul’s mother’s foundation? Surely they already knew all this. And if he really wanted to know, why was he asking now, after a whole year? There might be some complicated circumstances, but…

“Cha Haneul’s doing fine at school.”

“How exactly?”

Things like going for walks during class or skipping class on nice weather days… She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. It felt strange to talk about Cha Haneul without her present. Even if it was true, saying it out loud felt like gossiping.

“Just… she’s comfortable there.”

“Does she skip classes?”

It seemed like he already knew.

“Yes, well, yeah.”

“How about with friends?”

“…She gets along well with her friends.”

Cha Haneul only really has one friend in school—herself. To be straightforward, she’s the only one who can confidently say she’s Cha Haneul’s friend. Cha Haneul herself signals “don’t approach me,” making it hard for others to become friends. At the start of the school year, there were many potential friends, but they fell away because of this behavior. And even Yumina herself, who now claims friendship, initially approached her with different intentions. Normally, Cha Haneul would have lashed out at the attempts at friendship, but to Yumina’s surprise, she was an exception.

“In what way does she get along well?”

If asked that way, wasn’t the previous statement a lie?

“Uh… like… in a Cha Haneul kind of way?”

She realized after saying it how inadequate the answer was.

The grandfather, who had been looking at her carefully, chuckled. Yumina felt a cold sweat.

“That’s fortunate.”

“Yes.”

Looking out the window, the library was still far away. She thought they were getting close and would soon arrive, but they were still far. The situation was uncomfortable; she hoped they’d arrive sooner. But it seemed the car was circling around. She paid closer attention to the streets and confirmed they were indeed circling. It made her uneasy.

She looked back at the grandfather, who gazed ahead with a gentle smile. It was an odd sensation.

“Even though it’s a relief, the worries don’t go away as I grow old. I’m concerned about her making bad friends or going astray… And you seem like the type who can be lenient with friends, which worries me more. Is that excessive?”

“No, it’s fine.”

What was his intention in circling around? The driver hadn’t been told, yet they were doing this, which suggested it was prearranged. If so, it meant there was another purpose for approaching her. But what was it?

She leaned against the corner of her seat. Everything was so uncomfortable.

“This happened because of the recent incident. Ignoring the bodyguard’s advice and getting too close to a friend in a dangerous situation… It’s troubling to see worries become reality, isn’t it?”

It sounded like he was talking about Doyugeon. Cha Haneul tends to follow him around.

A brief moment of silence followed before Yumina hesitantly spoke.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Their eyes met.

“Since you’re her friend, couldn’t you kindly advise her against doing that?”

“That’s true.”

But wouldn’t it be faster to persuade Doyugeon instead? Speaking to Cha Haneul would likely just result in her nodding and brushing it off with “I know.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Understood.”

She leaned further into her seat. It was for such a trivial reason, but she had been unnecessarily tense. The circuitous route seemed like a necessary measure because of the lengthy conversation. Plus, the library was nearby.

“It’s fortunate that Miss Cha Haneul has made good friends.”

It was slightly awkward to be praised so openly as a good friend, but it also felt nice.

“But I heard you go out late at night. Is there some trouble?”

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the question felt too intrusive. Adults usually lack consideration for such things, but this came too suddenly.

“…No, I just like being outside.”

Even to her own ears, the answer sounded awkward.

“Is that so?”

The grandfather pulled a paper envelope from his coat and handed it to her. Not knowing what it was, she looked at his eyes, and he gestured for her to open it.

“Just a little gift—go ahead and take it.”

She hesitated briefly, then opened the envelope. Inside was a bankbook, a card, and some unreadable paper.

Curious, she inspected the contents more carefully. She had some idea of what it might be. During her time getting to know Cha Haneul, she had imagined such little earnings but never actually pursued them. Initially, she approached Cha Haneul partly as an effort to reduce her dependence on pocket money. Since Cha Haneul had covered things, Yumina’s allowance had stopped, yet her savings remained, allowing her to still go out.

She flipped open the bankbook and checked the transaction history. Two followed by seven zeroes and two commas. After a moment, she processed the value. Two hundred million.

Her mouth fell open, surprised. Trying to compose herself, she looked at the grandfather, who was still looking ahead. She closed the bankbook and inspected the card, which seemed connected to it. Setting the card aside, she unfolded the anonymous paper, revealing a brief map, an address, and a password written below. It took her a moment to understand what it was.

“It’s not a luxury, but it’s a sufficient place to stay temporarily. You can change the password to something you prefer.”

A flood of emotions washed over her as she stifled her breath.

“…Thank you.”

The grandfather quietly chuckled and instructed the driver.

“I’ve said what I needed to, so stop circling and head to the library.”

The car turned towards the library.

Buildings and streetlights blurred past the window. The view of the usual street felt different. Somehow, the world seemed a bit more beautiful.

She had occasionally seen news about Cha Haneul’s grandfather’s pharmaceutical company drastically raising drug prices, potentially endangering some patients, so she had assumed he was ruthless. Clearly, that wasn’t true, and she felt unnecessary remorse.

Two hundred million wasn’t a sum that could solve everything, but it was enough to do things she couldn’t before. With this, she could rent a place and fund herself for at least a few months. Better yet, with this residence, it was even possible to live economically independently until middle school graduation. If she chose a boarding school for high school, she might not have to visit home until adulthood.

Her heart lightened, a sense of happiness lifting her. She could feel her lips smiling, but she didn’t feel inclined to stop.

The car continued until it reached the front of the library. Yumina carefully placed the passbook and envelope back together, along with the card and address paper. Before getting out, she turned to thank the grandfather, recalling her earlier suspicions awkwardly.

“Thank you.”

The grandfather simply smiled quietly. With no further farewell, she reached for the door handle.

At that moment, the grandfather suddenly spoke.

“Oh, this reminds me…”

“Yes?”

“Ha ha, it seems I’m forgetting things as I grow older. Besides what I’ve already asked, could I trouble you with a few more requests?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

She released the door handle and straightened up.

“Miss Cha Haneul doesn’t seem like the type to open up easily about her inner thoughts, right?”

“Right.”

“Which is quite frustrating. I’d like to understand her, and I thought it would be good to ask from a friend’s perspective.”

“What about?”

“If she has feelings for Doyugeon. I’m somewhat skeptical of her claim that she doesn’t…”

Given that this had been a common topic of her idle inquiry, it wasn’t out of bounds. Still, Yumina wondered if she was allowed to forward what she heard without Cha Haneul’s permission.

“I’ll first ask Cha Haneul if I can talk about it.”

The grandfather shook his head.

“No, that would defeat the purpose. I want you to let me know without her knowing.”

“That…”

The envelope shook softly.

“And one more thing. Whenever you and Doyugeon meet privately, could you also tell me any comments she makes about Doyugeon?”

“…What kind of comments?”

“Anything negative about Doyugeon.”

Although Cha Haneul doesn’t usually say harsh things about Doyugeon, it isn’t exactly something she can just pass along easily.

“That’s… slander!”

“I see you understand quickly.”

Her heart raced, and her stomach churned.

“Similarly, any negative remarks Doyugeon makes about her can be shared with her.”

“That… Cha Haneul won’t leave me alone if she finds out.”

“Hmm, I guess you’re right. But sharing with Doyugeon should be okay, right?”

Her breathing hitched. The rustling sound of the envelope seemed louder than usual.

If she got caught, a sincere apology might resolve things. Doyugeon would likely forgive her if she apologized properly, and Cha Haneul… Well, they’d reached a point where they could overlook such minor infractions, right?

The grandfather glanced at his wristwatch.

“My next schedule is tight, so it would be best if you could respond quickly. Time waits for no one.”

With this sum of money, she could live comfortably, and with this house, she could actually live independently. There was a new sense of lightness in imagining and aiming for greater futures with this gift.

“Grandpa.”

“You can call me Secretary.”

“You’re like Cha Haneul.”

“What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath.

“Rude, unlucky, and downright annoying!”

She threw the envelope in his face, grabbed the car door, and jumped out. Hastily, she rushed towards the library’s entrance. After a moment, the car started to move, and looking over her shoulder, she saw it driving away. They had no intention of chasing after her.

She stared for a moment, then turned back, feeling exhausted and dragging her feet towards the library entrance. She felt powerless, wondering why, given her lack of skills or opportunities, she had to endure such things. She couldn’t get her parents’ consent for a job. She didn’t have any other sources of income and couldn’t run away and live confidently on her own.

She headbutted the library’s glass door.

“Ow!”

Rubbing her forehead and looking at the glass, she noticed it was closed.

“Why are you closed too?”

She shook the door in frustration but it wouldn’t budge. A few futile attempts and the aching in her hands forced her to stop.

She crouched down, pulled out her smartphone, and called Cha Haneul after a few taps.

“Why?”

Her voice sounded peaceful.

“You’re irritating.”

“What?”

“Rude, unlucky, and annoying!”

“I know.”