SWNOVELXO Chapter 147
When I think about it, there really isn’t much in such a big mansion that I can truly call ‘mine.’
Of course, the mansion belonged to me. Legally, it was the place I inherited from my father, and I had been using it as ‘my home’ since I was nine.
But I never felt like that place was my home.
The few things in that mansion that I wanted to own were minimal. The furniture and decor were already prepared for me the moment I stepped into the mansion.
Of course, there was nothing lacking. At least in terms of ‘things,’ there was nothing short… but…
It always felt like a place I was just borrowing from someone else, like it was not truly ‘mine’ when I was there.
Perhaps that’s why the luggage I packed fit neatly into a big travel bag. A few days’ worth of clothes and underwear, my school uniform, and some notebooks and letters from the drawer, along with a few odds and ends.
Truth be told, most of the school uniform and underwear weren’t even things I picked out. The only clothes I could claim as mine were the casual outfits I bought with friends over the last two months.
A few accessories were indeed things I bought, but most were trivial items I couldn’t even remember where or how I got them. I probably bought most of them from street vendors while wandering around with my dad or mom.
Putting them all together, it wasn’t much to fill a small box, and although I couldn’t remember where or how most of them were obtained, those little things were proof that I had happy times in the past and fragments of memories.
One such item was the pin I always wore on my head when going out.
In contrast, Sohee’s room was completely the opposite of my mansion.
Without even needing to ask about each object, just taking a quick look around made it clear that this room was filled with Sohee’s tastes.
Sohee approached her close friends with an energetic puppy-like personality, but on the flip side, she had a bit of a prickly demeanor towards those she wasn’t close with.
From just looking at her prickly appearances, one might think her personality is somewhat rough, and depending on the person, they might see her as a bit androgynous or having a boyish side, but—
Well, at least based on what I can see right now, her true personality seems to come out when she’s with her friends.
There weren’t many dark-colored items in the room.
When I briefly glanced while leaving my bag behind, I thought it was just a well-arranged, clean room, but looking again now, it strangely seemed cluttered.
No, I don’t mean it was messy or chaotic.
How should I put it? While the items on the desk and the large stuffed animals on the bed were clearly well-organized, seeing all these miscellaneous things made it look strangely unorganized… so it was a room that seemed well-organized but oddly messy.
…Right, I don’t even know what I’m saying.
“Okay, let me reintroduce. This will be the room we’ll be sharing for a while!”
“Uh…”
It’s cramped.
No, not the room, but the bed.
Sohee’s bed was obviously a single. It didn’t seem like this room was made for two people to share from the start. That said, it wasn’t so cramped that two people would feel crowded, but still…
“Oh, if the bed seems too small,”
Did she sense my gaze on that pink bed? Sohee quickly spoke up.
“I’ll sleep on the floor. I’m the one who suggested we share, so there’s no need to make a guest sleep on the floor.”
“No, even so, it’s your house.”
“Huh? Oh, then should we sleep on the floor together? If we spread a blanket, it might actually be wider down there.”
“……”
Isn’t that a bit strange in its own way?
Of course, the floor wouldn’t be cold, so even if we slept together down there, it wouldn’t be a problem… but isn’t it ironic that the one who insists on not making a guest sleep on the floor also proposes to sleep there together?
“It’s fine. After all, I usually sleep in the same bed.”
Sohee’s habit of getting confused between beds when she went to the bathroom late at night was hard to shake off. Thanks to that, I had to wake up every morning on a strangely cramped bed. Though the bed was big enough for three people, Sohee and Sua would cling to me, searching for warmth.
…Though I still think it’s better than waking up alone on that large bed.
Even if it’s a single bed, it looked like it could fit the two of us lying down. It might be a little cramped, but if it’s really uncomfortable, we could figure out who sleeps where… or as Sohee suggested, just sleep on the floor together.
“Really?!”
Sohee’s face lit up at my answer.
…Could it be she dislikes sleeping alone?
Hmm, thinking about it, that might be the case. She often slept with Sori, after all. Going to bed every night might have become a habit for her.
With her family around, maybe she has a personality that feels lonely without them?
“Okay, let’s try that for now. We’ve decided to sleep in the same room anyway.”
“Alright!”
Sohee’s reply was undoubtedly about my words, but somehow it felt a bit ticklish as it was directed towards me.
*
“……”
I thought this house was big enough for a family of four, and I figured that in terms of total area, it might be bigger than my room, but within that space, the rooms seemed partitioned, making me feel like Sohee’s house was a bit smaller than my room.
When considering the area of the living room or each room, that may indeed be the case.
Above all, the reason I felt that way was likely because this family was almost always together in the same space.
Of course, I had only just come to this place today, and the only things I’d seen were the family gathered in the living room or Sohee prepping a late dinner in the kitchen, so that could add to the sensation of it feeling that way.
In my room, it was usually the four of us—me, Sohee, Sua, and Ha Neul—playing together, and if something was going on, Hwang Hye-in would sometimes join us, but there wasn’t much to do in a room that was over half-empty; it didn’t feel full with only four people.
But here, it felt different.
Instead of one empty space, there are rooms divided by reasons or purposes, along with shared living and kitchen areas.
The TV was on, but no one was watching it. Amid the low sound of the TV muttering to itself,
“Sori, could you bring this to the dining table?”
“Okay!”
The adept sound of Sohee serving rice in bowls and Sori retrieving the side dishes from the fridge and placing them on the dining table intermixed with,
“……”
The sound of Sohee’s father concentrating quietly on grilling sausages in the frying pan. The three of us gave off a lively atmosphere.
It didn’t feel noisy. Rather, it felt comforting due to the naturalness of the scene.
Despite Sohee having been away from home for quite some time, the moment she returned, she seamlessly blended back into her family.
Actually, saying she blended in is misleading. She was fundamentally part of this family from the start.
No matter how long she was away, there was a family waiting for her here. She could effortlessly become a family member again, no matter when she returned.
That bond isn’t something easily severed by just anyone.
“Sis.”
“Yeah?”
Before I knew it, Sori had come up next to me, looking up at me intently.
Ah, have I really not done anything at all?
I was sitting at the kitchen table because Sohee told me to, but I felt it wasn’t polite to just sit there while the homeowners were working.
Just as I was thinking about getting up from the chair, Sori spoke again.
“Sad?”
“Huh?”
For a moment, I didn’t understand what that meant, and as I tilted my head in confusion, Sori continued to gaze up at me.
“You looked like you were having sad thoughts.”
“……Really?”
Could this little kid actually read my emotions?
Now that I think about it, I probably was feeling that way.
Unlike this tightly bonded family, I was in the process of breaking off my relationship with my mom.
That was the biggest reason for being here in the first place.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Even after seeing me nod, Sori continued to look at me for a while.
“Okay then. I’ll believe you.”
She then placed her hands on her hips, as if to say she was doing me a favor.
In other words, it meant she didn’t actually believe me at all.
“Thank you, you’re kind.”
But I just smiled and replied in that way.