I sit down.
"Tha, thanks for having… us…"
This has to be one of my hallucinations again. I just imagined Nelly was talking to me. I really have to fix it.
"Pstt… Sunbae, aren't you going to say something?" That was Sohee; her voice is almost like a whisper. She scans my face for a while, and I make sure she knows I have no idea what she wants me to say.
"Nelly just said something," She clarified.
… huh. So that wasn't a fake scenario I made up?
I look at the girl who thanked me, looking nothing but at the fists on top of her thigh as if waiting.
I wanted to be surprised, but I found no reason to. I can't say she's acting like she's not her own. I barely know the girl after all.
"You're welcome," I finally replied. Usually, I'd say something more interesting if not for the fact that this is Nelly and I could die.
The air suddenly feels thicker; I'd know because I have stayed at this place for almost a week. Sohee seemed to have realized it, too, and she goes back and forth between looking at Nelly and me.
"S—So how's Maria? Is she doing well over there?" She awkwardly laughs as if to distract both of us from our own thoughts.
I tell her that Maria is making the greatest orange juice in the world. Sohee talks about her concerns about bothering Maria too much. "It's fine, she's more comfortable doing this for you guys," I say.
"Speaking of you two," I make an effort to smile, "I'm glad to see it's fine now."
Whatever Sohee did or said, they seemed to be friends again. If only her broken arm could heal that quickly.
"It's just a simple misunderstanding after all," Sohee smiles back.
"I'm sorry…"
Sohee turns to her friend, putting her hand on her thigh. "Nelly…"
The pink returns to me again after making sure her friend is not to blame for everything. "Sunbae. Nelly is in trouble."
I have a feeling this isn't about her androphobia. "Is it really something that I can help with?"
Sohee looks at Nelly, expecting something from her. We waited.
"I… uhm… I…"
This is weird. Usually, if Nelly has something to convey and she fails, Sohee'd be the one to step in and translate it for us.
"I…"
Before anything else can be said, we stop, hearing someone coming in our direction.
Maria walks in, holding a tray and two glasses filled with orange juice. Her dark almond eyes study the room… noticing the air. She puts the tray on the table in silence.
Sohee thanked Maria twice for the drink.
But I have something else to say.
"I noticed there were only two…" I begin, pointing at the drinks.
"Yeah, duh, two guests."
"Oh."
Here I was, hoping to get a taste of the best orange juice in the world.
"All right, if you guys need anything that my brother can't provide, which is many, by the way, I'd be in my room; just knock."
She steps away in disappointment. I know that she wanted to stay longer, sit on a sofa just beside my warmth, and get to talk with Nelly, a girl that girls talked about. If it's any other middle schooler, they'd do just that. But Maria is too mature for her own age. She probably realized that whatever is going to be talked about at this table is very personal and… does not want her included.
Sohee and Nelly take a sip of the juice she made. They smile. So it is really that good, then.
Thud.
Maria closed the door to her room. Only three pairs of ears are left here.
Now, back to business. "So you were saying?"
"Sun… Sunbae…"
Calling my nickname, it was Nelly. I lean forward, squint my ear, and open my ear as much as possible. Sohee looks a little shocked. Maybe that was real. Maybe she did call me.
This is amazing. I have barely done anything, and my relationship with this androphobic girl is already improving.
Sohee touches her arm, almost as if to hold her act of bravery much longer.
"Sunbae…"
Twice now. You have called me twice. My heart jumps in joy each time.
She takes a deep breath and pulls up her head to face mine… as much strength as she can. When our eyes met, I knew: whatever she is going to say is something that much worse than me.
"Someone is following me."
She is still looking… she is expecting something from my face. So I crunched my face, bit my teeth a little, and stared at her sternly. Just like a worried tutor everyone is expecting.
She drops her face again.
Her body is trembling a little less now.
Telling while looking at me must have drained all of her energy; she might not want to talk for a little while.
So I turn to Sohee, "I'm guessing this is not happening at school."
I figured since it's an all-girls school. I don't think a horny lesbian is scary enough for her to ask me for help. And not to mention, Nelly is one of the girls prioritized there. Not a teacher or a student dared to lay a hand on her.
Sohee nods.
None of them talked for a while. As if they trust that little information is enough for me to decipher the whole story.
So I begin, "How long… has this been going on?"
"A couple of weeks ago," Nelly manages to answer, "he has a missing ear."
This looks like a serious issue… that's not for me to handle. "Have you talked to the police about this?"
Grip. Her fist crunches the white baggy pants. Her shoulder is shuddering.
I said something wrong.
Does she have a history with the police?
I look at Sohee for an answer, but she is busy comforting her friend.
The little trust we have built might be snapped if I don't do something. I have to stop her from thinking. "What about your aunt?"
She shakes her brown head.
That's a no.
Right, I guess that makes sense why they came here.
Sohee must have known all of this… and suggested me since, in her eyes, I am the perfect man she has ever known.
If that's so, I need a full story of what happened.
But I can't do that. It'd resurface her memory of that day.
She must have been so scared.
She must have cried so hard.
She must have run so much.
I can almost picture her there.
Running into the playground.
Hiding in the red tunnel.
Praying for every god she knows.
It was rainy.
I didn't bring my umbrella.
… Huh?
This is not normal.
I am narrating to myself… as if I were there with her.
As if I have watched this happen.
But that's not possible. I have only been here a week ago. This happened before I came into this world.
"Sunbae… are you okay?"
Sohee… Sohee is that you? Why is the room dark all of a sudden? Why do you sound so far away?
Where am I?
Stab.