Pyeii and I continued our childish back-and-forth until it was time for dinner. After eating our late dinner, I fought off my drowsiness and called Narae. She answered before the phone could ring even once.
“Hello~.”
《What do you want?》
I wasn’t used to calling Narae, and I was taken aback by the frostiness of her response. She wasn’t this cold the last time I called her. Maybe it was because I only called her when I needed something. I should probably call her more often just to chat.
…I’m not saying this because of what Pyeii wrote.
“I was just wondering if you got home safe.”
《And you’re only asking that now?》
She made a point to which I had no response.
“Sorry. Something came up that I had to deal with first.”
《Whatever. It’s not like I was expecting your call.》
My feelings. That hurt my feelings. I already knew that I could be insensitive about things like this, but her words still hurt my feelings.
《Still, since you knew to call me, maybe you have grown.》
“Hahahahaha.”
I gave a dry, apologetic laugh.
“I’ll do better from now on.”
《Do you think you’ll get the chance to?》
…That was quite the scary thing she said. But, while we were talking, I noticed something odd. It sounded like Narae’s voice was echoing.
“Ah, just wondering, where are you right now?”
《Uh, what?》
Caught off guard, Narae spoke uncertainly with the sound of splashing water. Did that mean…?
《…I’m taking a bath.》
I knew it.
“Ah, sorry. Want me to call later?”
《It’s fine. What’re you acting all considerate for?》
“Who knows?”
I couldn’t see her, but I could tell that her brow was furrowed in annoyance. In response, I unconsciously shrugged my shoulders.
《So what do you want? You only ever call me when you need something.》
This was why childhood friends were scary. She understood everything even without me having to tell her.
《Did your parents pack up everything and move out or something?》
“…That’s a scarily realistic thing to ask.”
《That’s right, that happened once, didn’t it?》
“Yes, it did.”
When I was around eight or nine, that exact scenario happened. I came home from school to find my house completely empty.
《I remember you ran to my house crying. You said your mommy and daddy ran away without you.》
Bad memories take a long time to fade.
“anyway!”
I quickly brought up the reason for my call in order to hide my embarrassment.
“I called to tell you that when I got home, Chii and her friend were here as well.”
What followed was a few moments of terrifying silence.
“…Hello?”
《What’d you just say?》
Her voice sounded sharper than before, but it must have been my imagination.
“You know Chii, right?”
《I do.》
“Chii and her friend are staying here, so….”
《At your house?! This late at night?!》
I was half-afraid I was going to go deaf.
“Uh, yeah.”
《Just you two?》
“No. Her friend makes three.”
《Are there any adults?》
“No.”
…Wait. For some reason, I got the feeling that I’d had this conversation before.
《Then….》
“There’s no need for you to come over!”
I spoke abruptly, cutting Narae off.
“Because it’s too late.”
《You mean you’ve already done it?!》
Sometimes, Narae scared me. Just what did she think I was?
“Narae-nim, it hasn’t even been three days since I confessed to you. My confession most definitely still applies.”
《You need to give me a reason to trust you.》
“Wow, I can’t believe you don’t trust me.”
《Don’t get flippant just because this is a phone call, Sunghoon. Who knows what might happen tomorrow?》
Narae couldn’t see what I was doing, but I got down on my knees and raised my arms reverently towards the sky, the phone in both my hands.
《There’s no need to kneel and lift up your phone.》
“Are you a ghost?!”
《I can tell without looking. Since we’ve been dating for more than a day or two.》
“What?”
《Nothing, never mind.》
Narae sounded almost embarrassed.
《In that case, I’ll drop by tomorrow.》
“Has that already been decided?”
《I want to meet that Chii kid, so yeah, it has. Or would you rather take Chii to school with you?》
…Ah. I misinterpreted what she said. I figured she was going to stay the night at my house like last time. I was once again counting my chickens when I hadn’t even procured any eggs yet.
“All right. See you tomorrow.”
《Yep.》
“Okay. Bye, then.”
《Got it.》
I listened for the tone that would signal she hung up … except it never came. I continued to wait for the ending tone until I asked:
“Aren’t you going to hang up?”
《…It’s manners for the one who called with something on his mind to hang up first.》
“I agree, but when the one I’m talking to is an adult, isn’t the opposite true?”
《What’re you talking about. We’re the same age.》
“Your birthday is earlier than mine. So please hang up first, Narae-nuna.”
Narae’s birthday was September 17, and mine was November 24. But I had to wonder why, despite the hot and humid weather, I felt a chill go down my spine.
《…Sunghoon?》
“Yes?!”
《See you tomorrow.》
That voice made me worry that I wouldn’t be making it out of tomorrow alive, so I instinctively yelled:
“W-wait!”
Beep—. I never realized the disconnect tone could be so scary. But I also realized that there was nothing to be gained from worrying about tomorrow. Instead, I should get some sleep.
Though it was strange that Narae was taking a bath so late. Normally, she’d take a bath at 7 or 8. …I only knew this because Narae kept a regular schedule for those activities, that’s all.
I turned off the lights and closed my eyes, ready to at last put an end to this drawn-out day.
“Excuse the interruption, Young Master.”
I opened my eyes. That was Saehee’s voice. I didn’t think that I was going to hear that voice for at least a short while, and I looked around the room in surprise. It was too dark to see anything. When I got up and turned on the light, I found the source of that voice.
“Over here, Young Master.”
It was Saehee’s doll. The doll that had been inside a briefcase was now standing on my bedside, on its two legs that couldn’t possibly support its own weight. In other words, it was a satanic—I mean, possessed doll. But, like an idiot, I was actually happy to hear Saehee’s voice again.
“You are creeping me out, Young Master.”
“Shut up.”
I sat with my legs crossed in front of Saehee’s doll and grabbed it around the middle.
“To grab a woman’s belly so haphazardly, I see you have abandoned any delicacy as well as any humanity, Young Master.”
Sorry that I didn’t bother being delicate with a doll.
“More importantly, how are you….”
The doll raised its hand. She was probably telling me to stop asking questions. But I was still curious as to how a doll made of this material could possibly move around. Of course, I didn’t voice my question. Because she was just going to respond with, “It is magic.”
“This doll is a product of science.”
“The heck kind of high-tech … technology did you use?!”
I forgot that you already explained this when you gave me the doll, so don’t look at me with that dead-pan expression.
“I see that it is not long until you develop dementia.”
“Shut up.”
“With that aside.”
Saehee’s doll put its hands on my hand, then jumped out of my grip so that she was sitting on my shoulder.
“I noticed that you found a new addition for your harem. You frighten me, Young Master. Do you plan on making a baseball team with your progeny?”
“Did you show up just so you could say that?”
“Heaven forfend. I simply wished to give the Young Master a word of advice.”
It was rare that Saehee ever spoke so directly, and I unconsciously tensed up and swallowed hard to clear my mouth.
“The talisman used to create this boundary is formidable, and it is only with great difficulty that I am able to tell you this vital information. Please keep what I am about to tell you close to heart.”
There was only one thought going through my head. Because of that thought, I couldn’t wait for Saehee to continue and asked:
“Did something happen to Rangii?”
“Not at all. The reason for my difficulty is merely that that person is keeping an oppressively close eye on me.”
That was a small reassurance. I breathed a sigh of relief, though it turned out to be premature.
“I will speak plainly.”
I tensed up again. What problem could be about to arise between Rangii and me for Saehee to go to such lengths to talk with me through her doll?
“The Young Master’s first time belongs to the Master. You are forbidden from touching another….”
I took out Ungnyeo’s Bone Club, tossed Saehee’s doll into the air, and hit it with a textbook homerun swing into the corner of the room. What the hell were you making me all nervous for, dammit! Breathing heavily, I picked up Saehee’s doll.
“Hey.”
Saehee’s doll spoke, its eyes spinning around in circles.
“I have sustained serious damage and will now enter hibernation mode. This grudge shall not be forgotten, Young Master.”
“Huh? Wait. I thought it didn’t matter what happened to your doll!”
However, Saehee’s doll gave no answer. Its lack of response seemed to mean it returned to being a normal doll.
“Anyone there?”
I poked it in the cheek, pushed on its belly, even looked under its skirt and felt up its chest, but there was no response.
“…For five thousand years.”
I had no idea why, but I suddenly remembered what Saehee said back at Jirisan. I decided to forget what had just happened and fell asleep.