Chapter 132: How a Genius Loves (7)
Kim Si-woo, stunned by the situation where Kirishima Sumire had confessed on behalf of Arimura Noa, found himself deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Arimura Noa—who had no way of knowing this—finished her makeup, came out, and greeted Kim Si-woo.
“Writer-nim. Did you sleep well?”
“Ah, yes… Did you sleep well too, Noa-ssi?”
“Yes.”
Noticing Kim Si-woo’s somewhat awkward demeanor, Arimura Noa instinctively sensed something was off.
And when she looked toward the likely cause—Kirishima Sumire—she saw her acting lovey-dovey with her boyfriend, Honda Daisuke.
‘That… that girl.’
A fire flared up inside Arimura Noa’s heart, but she couldn’t bring herself to curse in front of Kim Si-woo.
“Sigh…”
In the end, she let out a long sigh and sat down at the table.
Kim Si-woo placed the dried pollock soup, kimchi, and rice on the table and took his seat as well.
Once Kim Si-woo took the first spoonful, the others finally picked up their spoons and began eating the soup.
“Ahhh… This is the taste. Nothing beats dried pollock soup for a hangover cure.”
Kirishima Sumire happily dug in, completely unaware of Arimura Noa’s inner turmoil.
After that, the atmosphere became subtly tense.
Lee Hae-soo and Kim Si-woo.
Kim Si-woo and Arimura Noa.
Arimura Noa and Lee Hae-soo.
The three of them created an awkward, ticking energy like a broken machine.
“Then we’ll talk to our agencies and start preparing. Timing-wise, right before the movie premiere?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay! Then we’ll head out first. Writer-nim, be happy~”
“What?”
Kirishima Sumire gave Kim Si-woo a thumbs-up and disappeared.
In the end, only Lee Hae-soo, Kim Si-woo, and Arimura Noa remained in the lodging.
In a painfully awkward silence.
The first to break it was Kim Si-woo.
“Noa-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“Can we talk for a moment?”
“Ah… sure.”
Arimura Noa thought the inevitable had come and stood up slowly.
Arriving in front of the vending machine near the house, Kim Si-woo bought an ion drink, handed it to Arimura Noa, and spoke.
“Noa-ssi.”
“Yes…”
“Do you like me?”
“Huh?”
Though she had suspected Kirishima Sumire might have done something strange, she never imagined it would involve her own feelings being laid bare. Arimura Noa was greatly startled.
But soon regaining her composure, she seized the opportunity and spoke her feelings honestly.
“Yes. I like you, Writer-nim.”
“Why?”
The answer that came back was completely unexpected.
“Why…?”
“I mean, someone like you, Noa-ssi, could easily find someone better-looking and richer than me. I just don’t really understand why you’d like me.”
“Huh?”
Arimura Noa was completely thrown off by Kim Si-woo’s response.
“No, do you really have to be handsome and rich to be liked? For me… I like that you write well. I like that you helped me with my acting. I like that you can hold your liquor. I like that you make great dried pollock soup. I like that you take good care of the people close to you…”
Arimura Noa began listing all the reasons she liked Kim Si-woo in a rush.
“And… I just like you. That’s it.”
The last reason was simply that.
“Sigh…”
Hearing Arimura Noa speak so earnestly, Kim Si-woo could only let out a long sigh.
First Lee Hae-soo, now Arimura Noa—things had gotten way too big.
“Is it because of Hae-soo-ssi?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly bringing up Hae-soo-ssi… Did you see what happened this morning?”
“Huh? No, I just saw you sigh…”
Arimura Noa, seemingly misunderstanding something, only made Kim Si-woo’s mind even more tangled.
“There’s that too… but I just needed some time to think.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Should I give you an answer right away?”
When Kim Si-woo asked if he should answer immediately, Arimura Noa shook her head.
“Then I’ll give you my answer before we leave Japan.”
“Okay.”
After sorting out the situation for now and returning to the lodging, Kim Si-woo saw Lee Hae-soo curled up anxiously in one corner.
“Let’s head back to the hotel now.”
“Yes!”
Kim Si-woo and Lee Hae-soo returned to the hotel, while Arimura Noa went back to her own home. They agreed to meet again in the evening.
Since they had come to Japan for fun, they still had planned activities to complete.
Even if the atmosphere was a little awkward.
They visited various tourist spots in Osaka to try to ease the tension, but surprisingly, the mood wasn’t bad.
In fact, it almost felt better than usual.
Lee Hae-soo, who seemed noticeably different from her usual self, took the lead in the conversation and lightened Kim Si-woo’s burden.
“Si-woo-ssi. We’re going to the amusement park tomorrow, right?”
“Ah… yes.”
“Hey, you can drop the formalities with me, you know?”
Kim Si-woo revised his opinion: Lee Hae-soo hadn’t just changed a little—she had changed a lot.
“Ah… should I?”
“Then… can I call you Oppa?”
“Uh… sure.”
Lee Hae-soo’s now much more proactive and outgoing demeanor felt unfamiliar, but it also suited her.
“By the way, are you coming to the amusement park tomorrow too, Noa-unnie? You go there so often—won’t it be boring for you? I can handle most Japanese now, so if you’re busy, feel free to rest. You don’t have to keep taking care of us…”
In girl-speak, this translated to: “It’s uncomfortable, so don’t tag along on our date—just stay home and rest.”
“Ah…”
At Lee Hae-soo’s subtle attack, Arimura Noa glanced at Kim Si-woo.
“I’m fine either way, Noa-ssi. Do whatever you want.”
“Then… I want to come too!”
The moment Arimura Noa said she was coming, Lee Hae-soo’s eyes shook violently, but she tried hard not to show it.
After finishing the sightseeing and returning to the hotel late in the evening, Lee Hae-soo flopped onto the bed the second she walked in and started kicking her feet wildly.
“Doing this really seems to make Si-woo Oppa like me more…”
Excited at the thought of going on various dates with Kim Si-woo in the future, Lee Hae-soo pounded the bed.
“Kyaaah! So tomorrow will be day one, right? But Noa-unnie definitely likes Si-woo Oppa too… What should I do?”
That night, Lee Hae-soo planned out the next day’s amusement park date.
***
The next morning.
Lee Hae-soo finished getting ready and waited for Kim Si-woo.
‘Makeup looks good today. Condition is perfect.’
A little later, when Kim Si-woo stepped out of his hotel room, Lee Hae-soo boldly linked arms with him.
“Shall we go?”
“Huh? Uh…”
Kim Si-woo was a bit flustered, but soon headed to the final stop of their Japan trip—the amusement park—together with Lee Hae-soo.
Upon arriving, they found Arimura Noa waiting at the entrance, looking slightly more pure and innocent than usual.
She flinched at the sight of them arm-in-arm, but quickly slapped her cheeks and walked up to Kim Si-woo.
“Writer-nim. Let’s go in.”
“Ah… yes.”
Arimura Noa calmly moved to Kim Si-woo’s other side and linked arms with him.
Once inside the amusement park, they began enjoying themselves in earnest.
Riding attractions, taking photos, and passing the time.
After the final schedule ended and they returned to the hotel, Kim Si-woo sent Lee Hae-soo inside first before talking with Arimura Noa.
“Phew… Is today really the last day?”
“Yeah. Now we have to head back to Korea. I need to check on how the movie preparations are going and show my face too.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Is it?”
“Of course…”
Now it was time for Kim Si-woo to give Arimura Noa an answer to her confession.
After a long pause, Kim Si-woo slowly opened his mouth.
“I’m… sorry, Noa-ssi. I don’t think I’m ready yet.”
“Ah… okay.”
“I’m really sorry.”
“It’s fine. That’s possible too. Still… still…”
Despite promising herself she wouldn’t cry, tears began to flow from Arimura Noa’s eyes.
“Still… can I keep contacting you?”
“Yeah… sure.”
Kim Si-woo handed his handkerchief to the crying Arimura Noa, then went back into the hotel. She sat down right there and cried for a long time before finally heading home.
The next day, he received a text from Arimura Noa saying she wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t see him off.
Kim Si-woo wanted to visit her, but he felt it would be impolite to go see her after just rejecting her confession, so he turned away.
And there was still one thing left for Kim Si-woo to resolve.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
After boarding the plane with Lee Hae-soo and arriving back in Korea, Kim Si-woo let her sit in the passenger seat and drove her home.
When they arrived in front of her house, unlike his usual routine of just dropping her off, today Kim Si-woo got out of the car with her.
“Hae-soo-ya.”
“Yes.”
In the suffocating tension, all Lee Hae-soo could see were Kim Si-woo’s lips.
Her entire focus was on his slightly trembling lips.
“Would it be okay with someone like me?”
“Yes!”
“Then take good care of me from now on. It’s been a while since I dated, so I might feel a bit stifled at times.”
“I’ve never dated before either. So please take good care of me too… Oppa.”
And so, Kim Si-woo’s new relationship began.
For Lee Hae-soo, it was her very first love.
After parting with Kim Si-woo and entering her home, Lee Hae-soo lay on her bed, heart pounding, staring blankly at the ceiling as she replayed the moment over and over.
“How can Oppa get even more handsome?”
Completely under the spell of love, Lee Hae-soo kept thinking about Kim Si-woo’s shy expression.
“Now I can call him whenever I want, right? Yeah, I’m his girlfriend now—what’s the big deal! Should I call him now? No, he might not be home yet. What if he gets into an accident while driving? Just wait a little longer…”
Ten minutes later.
Lee Hae-soo clutched her smartphone, trembling.
“Ah… I want to call him. I want to hear Si-woo Oppa’s voice…”
Twenty minutes later.
“He’s probably home by now, right? No, just wait a little more…”
Thirty minutes later.
“I can’t take it anymore. I’m calling.”
Ring ring ring.
The call connected not long after the tone started.
—Hello?
Hearing Kim Si-woo’s voice through the phone, Lee Hae-soo spoke in a fluster.
“O-Oppa? Did you get home safely?”
—Huh? Not yet. There’s a bit of traffic.
“Ah, really? I’m sorry… calling while you’re driving…”
—What’s there to be sorry about? My girlfriend wants to talk… Actually, it’s perfect timing since I’m bored. Can you stay on the phone with me until I get home?
“Yes!”
At Kim Si-woo’s words, the corners of Lee Hae-soo’s mouth lifted into a huge smile.
After that, she chatted about this and that, sharing all the things she had always wanted to do once she had a boyfriend.
Kim Si-woo found her adorable and played along with everything she said.
—Yeah, let’s do all of them, one by one.
“Yes!”
—Ah, I just got home. I’ll shower and call you back.
“Okay, Oppa.”
After the call ended, Lee Hae-soo felt a little disappointed, but she also needed to remove her makeup and shower, so she quickly got up.
“Hurry, hurry. What if Oppa calls and I miss it?”
Even while showering, she couldn’t stop humming happily.
Normally she would have fallen asleep from exhaustion, but for some reason, she was overflowing with energy.
“By the way… Oppa really seems to like this side of me more.”
As her shower neared its end, Lee Hae-soo thought back on the Japan trip.
In truth, after watching the movie in Japan, she had been flooded with all sorts of emotions and realizations—one of which was how passive and reserved she had always been.
She judged that her timid, naïve self would never be able to win Kim Si-woo over.
Taking inspiration from Arimura Noa in the movie and from Kim Si-woo’s ideal type, she decided to reinvent herself into someone brighter, more cheerful, and more confident.
At first, she had to force herself—powered by sleepiness and alcohol.
But the results were so overwhelmingly positive that she gained real confidence, and afterward, she became this new version of Lee Hae-soo.
But at that moment, she had no idea.
How easily a fabricated persona… could crumble.
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TL Note:
This novel is now translated and finished at Chapter 176
If you’d like to continue right away, the remaining chapters are available on My Patreon Premium tier and Plus Tier, but if you want to read my other 5 translated novels, join the Premium Tier
Link: https://www.patreon.com/cw/Vritratls
For this novel specifically, check the collection under “Genius Writer”
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