Lee Soo-ah felt just as uneasy about Yang Hye-in’s situation.
The reason was simple: right now, Soo-ah’s situation wasn’t that different from Yang Hye-in’s.
Of course, you couldn’t completely compare their situations. Yang Hye-in had actively participated in the circumstances that led to Sara’s isolation, whereas Soo-ah was a distant observer, turning a blind eye and watching from afar.
…No, that’s not it.
It wasn’t the same at all.
In reality, it was completely identical. Yang Hye-in didn’t actively abuse Sara; she simply pushed her into a corner bit by bit with endless indifference.
And such behavior couldn’t be done alone. To thoroughly isolate someone from society, everyone around them had to be on the same page.
Thus, in the end, Soo-ah was just a perpetrator too.
Ha Neul had only met Sara this year, and Sohee had too. The two of them were among the few people currently with Sara who had not wronged her in the past.
On the other hand, what about Soo-ah herself?
…Wasn’t she the one who had cooperated in Sara’s isolation at school?
The reasons didn’t matter. In the end, it was Soo-ah who truly believed those trivial reasons and participated in them.
Even now, deciding to change her mind at the last moment didn’t provide much comfort.
…Eventually, the ‘Sara’ that Soo-ah had been familiar with throughout her middle school years was someone completely different from the real Sara.
The one who accepted Soo-ah’s greetings, the one who took a photo with her that day—it was all Sara.
That didn’t mean it wasn’t joyful. Thanks to that, Soo-ah had properly recognized her mistakes. She had understood the direction in which she needed to move forward.
However, despite all those events, nothing had been resolved.
If Sara and the ‘Sara’ she imagined differed, could the real Sara—who Soo-ah had wronged—truly accept her apologies?
…She probably would.
But it would undoubtedly play out exactly the same way as Yang Hye-in’s situation. Just nodding as if nothing had happened, as if it never mattered from the start.
Could she really call that ‘forgiveness’?
…She had thought to gradually repay Sara for the rest of her life.
…She believed she was doing her best for Sara in her own way.
But now, she truly understood what Sara was really thinking.
Did everything Soo-ah had prepared really have any meaning?
Soo-ah might be considered a friend to Sara, but could she be a friend in Sara’s eyes?
For the past three years, to Sara, Soo-ah had merely been one of the countless students who ignored her.
…If it had been the real Sara, could they have taken that photo that day?
“What’s with the mood, everyone?”
Hearing Sara’s voice snapped Soo-ah out of her thoughts.
“We have to organize this situation one thing at a time. Well, if you guys don’t want to help, then I guess I can’t do anything about it—”
“I’ll help!”
After hearing those words, Soo-ah responded loudly, surprising even herself.
“Yikes!?”
Sara’s eyes widened in shock as she looked back at Soo-ah.
Although her eyes were merely surprised, to Soo-ah, that glance seemed to convey something different.
‘You?’
Of course, to Sara, Soo-ah probably seemed insignificant, and she couldn’t know if Sara was even thinking that deeply.
“…Well, okay.”
After staring at Soo-ah’s face for a moment, Sara shrugged her shoulders and replied.
“Soo-ah says she’s in, what about you guys?”
She bundled the rest into ‘you guys’ for convenience, but that ‘you guys’ surely included Yang Hye-in, whom Sara used polite speech with.
Soo-ah thought that was a relief.
At the same time, she felt a deep sense of self-loathing.
Unlike Yang Hye-in, who at least managed to apologize, Soo-ah hadn’t properly apologized at all.
And then, right after accepting Sara’s offer to help, she instantly let her guard down.
No, this won’t do.
The sins were too great.
It was a crime that couldn’t simply be brushed off with a mere ‘sorry.’ One couldn’t shift that burden onto anyone else or make excuses for it.
…Someday, she must properly atone for her sins.
…She didn’t know how to make Sara forgive her, or at least recognize it as a ‘crime,’ but…
*
Well, everyone seems completely motivated.
Sohee, Ha Neul, and even Yang Hye-in showed enthusiasm that totally surprised her.
Maybe this was due to some sort of reputation left from the person she originally was. The Yang Hye-in she had seen usually had either curious looks or a mechanical demeanor.
…It was a bit unnerving how suddenly enthusiastic she was, but that could be dealt with later.
In fact, ‘dealing with it’ didn’t require any grand methods.
It was just about letting that person rest and waiting for their mind to settle in my consciousness. That was what she had to do.
“Then, let’s do it this way from now on.”
And, ideally, she wanted to avoid leaving any worries for that person when they returned to her body.
Honestly, the thoughts she had were perfect for a casual chat in tonight’s dream. It would serve to cover most of the problems in a sloppy manner, preventing others from bringing up any more stories.
In a way, it might be somewhat of a betrayal to that person, who had awkwardly put in this effort for her.
But I’m sorry. I don’t want to see you suffer.
Especially not because of me.
“First, Ms. Yang Hye-in.”
I called out to Yang Hye-in.
Even then, with her waist bent and shoulders slightly trembling, she looked up at my words. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, as if she were on the verge of tears, but she hadn’t cried yet. Truly impressive emotional control. After all, she had spent three years as my maid maintaining an expressionless facade, so she’d probably continue to do well.
“From now on, please cut off all communication with my mother unilaterally.”
First things first, sever ties with my mother.
Of course, it would be impossible to ‘cut off completely.’ No matter what, she was still my mother. Deep down, I continued to await the kind mother of my childhood. That must have been why I almost lost my composure when Sohee embraced me gently earlier.
If I allowed myself to be pulled in by that fond longing and ended up meeting my mother again, I’d probably lose it and run into her arms.
The only reason I could think rationally at this moment and say such things was that my feelings and memories of that person had somewhat blended in with my own.
Those feelings and memories that I had been deprived of. All of them filled up the empty places in my heart, preventing it from collapsing. Whether it was intentional or not, that person had saved me like this.
And if I cut off the relationship like this, that person would surely respect my decision. Even after I entered my consciousness, they would probably avoid meeting my mother.
“Understood.”
Yang Hye-in nodded without further words.
“Oh, and don’t mention quitting your job. From now on, you are the caretaker of this mansion again. If anyone complains or refuses, just kick them out. After all, this mansion is mine, right?”
That person might not have gone this far, but I wasn’t generous enough to tolerate people running around in my house uninvited.
If there was a time when I couldn’t do anything about their attitude, that wouldn’t apply now that they had taken control of the mansion like this. It would be embarrassing not to utilize the system that person had been maintaining.
“…Understood.”
Turning my eyes away from Yang Hye-in, who bowed deeply again, I glanced at Sohee, Ha Neul, and then Soo-ah.
Sohee and Ha Neul had expressions of resolute determination.
…There was no need to gear up like that.
This wasn’t about doing something grand; I was just going to clean up what that person had left behind with my own hands. To prevent anyone from intervening and messing it up when that person returned to life.
So now it shouldn’t be such a difficult struggle.
Above all, I now had these three people with me.
For someone who had only my mom in life, it was these newly gifted relationships from that person.
Maybe the reason I wasn’t missing my mother at this moment was all thanks to them.
The ability to trust someone.
However, there was one person among these three whose reactions seemed oddly out of sync.
That was Sua.
While the other two were showing ‘passion,’ Sua appeared ‘wistful.’
…Was my story that sad?
…Well, one could argue that all three were in a competitive relation with me, but friends are friends. Friends who make you feel good when you’re together.
So then, when should I have a proper conversation with Sua?
