The Nerdy Young Lady’s Rental Boyfriend

9 – The Nameless Extra (4)

“One… two… three… four…”

With each movement of my fingers, the coins in my hand made a satisfying jingling sound. Soon, not just one hand, but both hands were filled with shiny silver coins, and a smile naturally appeared on my face.

For someone, it might be an insignificant amount. But at least for me, each of these small coins held significant meaning. It could be the difference between having lunch or going hungry today. There was no choice. I felt the reassuring weight of the pockets full of coins after a long time and happily headed to the restaurant.

No, sorry for bragging. Actually, it’s not after a long time; it’s the first time. Having so much money like this.

And honestly, it was somewhat ambiguous whether I could truly enjoy this feeling. The vivid gaze she had sent during the magical hour was still fresh in my mind. Shame. Anger. And confusion. All these emotions mixed in her expression, and there was no hint of a positive vibe.

I wonder if she’s really angry. It seemed like she might be. Fortunately, thanks to Elise’s excellent magic skills and the Crown Prince’s affectionate gaze, Yunah and I were able to quickly bury our thoughts. But still, it’s true that we appeared strange to others. Even if I were Yunah, I wouldn’t easily forgive myself.

I felt a light tension, like a herbivore before entering a lion’s den. Soon, the villainous Yeongaenai in the library would mercilessly tear me apart.

“Hmm… What should I do…”

…

I don’t know.

Since thinking about it didn’t lead to a clear answer, I gave up on my thoughts after a few seconds. After all, how clear of an answer could I come up with just by pondering? That’s what I thought as I raised my head.

“Um, what would you like to order?”

Then, I heard the slightly annoying question from the restaurant lady. It seemed like I had been taking too long. When I turned my head slightly, I noticed that the students behind me were also glancing in my direction. I should choose the menu quickly.

Hmm. In the end, even though I’m doing this to survive, I should worry about eating the least. Life is truly a paradoxical and contradictory collection of mysteries. With a brief moment of contemplation, I blurted out a word.

“I’ll have an egg sandwich.”

After grabbing the sandwich, I quickly headed towards the library. It was a situation where I should be tense, but the faint smell of books and the lazy appearance of the librarian dozing off made me feel strangely relaxed. And when I felt the warm energy from the sandwich in my hands, all the tension disappeared, leaving only the pounding sound of my heart.

Where should I sit today? With lighter steps, I walked towards the inside of the library. Imperial history, magic, magic potions. As I glanced at the familiar bookshelves, I heard a crackling sound along with a familiar smell from inside. It sounded like someone rolling their feet on the ground.

Without hesitation, I headed towards that direction, unlike last time. Then, I felt the presence of Yeongaenai from inside the forbidden books section again. Last time, the word “forbidden” seemed like a sign of caution towards the other party, but this time it felt like a message directed at me. That wicked person. I wondered if it was a subtle way of conveying an unspeakable insult about being depraved.

“Hmm…”

In front of that word “forbidden,” I sighed slowly. It was not to make me more tense, but rather to signal that I was about to enter where someone was inside. I waited for the sound of footsteps to stop, then slowly entered inside.

And there, unlike last time, I met eyes with Yeongaenai, who was leaning against the bookshelf, waiting for me.

“…You’re late.”

As soon as our eyes met, Yunah scolded me in a very low voice. It was supposed to be a cold remark, but unfortunately, it didn’t feel that way at all because of those big glasses that sat on top of her eyes once again.

This won’t do. I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Does she not know that she looks cute when she wears those glasses? I even crossed my arms and hid my trembling hands and feet in the shadows, but all the atmosphere crumbled because of those glasses. Still, I made an effort to put a hint of apology in my voice as I opened my mouth.

“Sorry. But I’m really hungry.”

“What’s going down your throat right now? Why would you do that?”

“But I can’t help being hungry, you know.”

“You can’t help it! Can’t you endure even that much? Seriously, you…”

“Yuna, haven’t you had lunch yet?”

Interrupting her irritating words that seemed to continue, I put my hand into my pocket and pulled out a still warm sandwich. I then extended it towards her.

“Do you want to eat this? I bought enough for you too.”

“I…”

Yuna, about to retort sharply once again, looked at the sandwich in front of her, swallowed her saliva with an audible gulp, and then turned her gaze away as she finished her sentence.

“…I don’t need it. Do you think I’d eat something like that?”

“This is really delicious. Don’t you like eggs, by any chance?”

“I don’t dislike them. No, I don’t mean it that way.”

“Then eat at least a little. You’re hungry too. You need energy to get angry, don’t you?”

“I didn’t call you here to get angry.”

In response to my words, Yuna answered sharply and stared at the sandwich. Soon, the aroma of sweet bread and the distinctive savory smell of eggs mingled from the packaging, stimulating our hungry stomachs. Even I felt my mouth filling with saliva, making it seem unbearable.

“Well, technically, I bought this with my money anyway. I won’t refuse.”

Finally, Yuna surrendered, accepted the sandwich, and slumped into a chair. I naturally sat across from her and leaned on the table. I watched the sight of the packaging being peeled off one by one.

“Hey, could you stop staring so intently?”

“But there’s nowhere else to look.”

“You can look anywhere. Why are you fixated on me?”

“Well… But just looking at the titles of the books around here makes my face flush. It happened last time too. What on earth is the reason for you to keep coming here?”

“…Of all places, why does it have to be tucked away in this corner?”

The last words came out almost like a whisper. I pretended not to hear and gazed at the sandwich, emitting a savory aroma. Yuna, feeling uncomfortable with such a look, yet evidently hungry, took a big bite of the sandwich.

“Well, well… So, Ellen. What… Oh, this is delicious.”

“Isn’t it? It’s my favorite menu at the restaurant. Cheap and tasty.”

“Okay, that’s fine, but what just happened… What’s inside, by the way? What sauce is this?”

“I don’t know. It changes every time. But it always tastes good.”

“Yeah. Anyway… Oh, come on! Seriously!”

Yuna seemed annoyed by the constant intrusion of the sandwich into our conversation. She abruptly placed the half-eaten sandwich on the wrapping paper. Then, she stared at me with sharp eyes.

“Ahem. Anyway, Ellen. So, Ellen. Exactly what kind of Ellen are you?”

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘what kind of Ellen’? If you’re asking about my name or nickname, I didn’t have any originally.”

“Okay. Just Ellen, then.”

Yuna mulled over my name for a while before opening her mouth again.

“So, Ellen. Where are you from?”

“Elroad. A small village in the eastern corner of nowhere. Probably won’t ring a bell even if I tell you.”

“And your parents? Where are they?”

“My mom passed away three years ago. I don’t know who my dad is. Maybe my mom didn’t know either.”

“Oh… Uh… I see. I’m sorry.”

“No need. I don’t remember anything.”

I replied nonchalantly, but Yuna looked genuinely sorry, bowing her head. Then, she took out a notebook and stared into it for a while. What could be written inside? And why did she investigate my background in the first place? With various questions in my mind, as I glanced in her direction, Yuna hastily put the notebook away and once again adopted a serious expression.

“Yeah, Ellen. From Elroad, just an ordinary student.”

“Yeah. That’s right. Accurate.”

I wanted to lighten the mood, so I answered with a bright smile. However, Yuna responded with an unexpectedly heavy tone.

“So, what’s your intention, really?”

“What do you mean by intention?”

“Why do you keep acting like this towards me?”

“Well… What exactly?”

Her question wasn’t sarcastic; it was a genuine inquiry. Of course, there were plenty of things to pick on, but I tilted my head in confusion, not understanding the exact intention behind her question. However, it seemed that Yuna didn’t perceive it that way, furrowing her brows, she continued.

“You really don’t know? Fine. Let’s go through it step by step. First, we sat in the same spot without saying a word for a month, and suddenly, you grabbed my hand.”

“I told you. I wanted to get to know you better.”

“And then, you followed me to the library persistently.”

“You seemed upset, so I wanted to apologize.”

“But instead of an apology, you deceived my eyes with some strange trick.”

“It wasn’t a trick. You confirmed it too at that time.”

“And today, you came out of nowhere during the practical session, acting like you came with incredibly good intentions, and to me… to me… that… that…!”

Her tone suddenly became intense, perhaps recalling the recent incident. But the more she remembered, the more embarrassment overshadowed her anger, and her voice gradually lowered into a subdued whisper.

“…did something strange.”

“There’s no excuse for that…”

I sighed bitterly and laid my head on the desk. I was clearly in trouble.

However, there seemed to be nothing I could do about it. I had already given all possible explanations, and there was nothing malicious in what I had done. Therefore, I just kept silent, staring through Yuna’s eyes.

Yuna, too, stared at me in silence for a while, as if trying to see through my soul. What on earth was this troublesome pebble that had suddenly jumped into my life? And what was the hidden motive within her? Of course, staring like that wouldn’t reveal anything. At best, there was just an ordinary face, an empty stomach, and some old scars.

…

Gurgle…

Amidst the ongoing exchange of silent glances, an uninvited sound of gurgling emanated from my stomach. It seemed even I was hungry, despite being engrossed in the unfolding situation. With that sound, the brief tension that had dominated the space dissipated, leaving it lifeless. Yuna, with a somewhat weakened voice, asked me.

“Haven’t had lunch?”

“No.”

“But still hungry?”

“I didn’t eat until last night.”

“Yet you bought mine too?”

“As you said, it’s the money you earned, right?”

Yuna didn’t respond to my words. She simply stared at the sandwich in silence.

After a not-so-brief period, Yuna brought the sandwich to her mouth, chewed the remaining portion, and swallowed. Then, she looked at me again and spoke.

“I understand. You’re not harboring any ill intentions. And, though it’s hard to believe, I know you’re not lying.”

“…Thanks for believing me now.”

“To be honest, I still don’t fully believe everything you say. But I did see the spectacle of coins appearing out of nowhere, and earlier… well… yeah. I felt it firsthand.”

“Hey, Yuna. I’ve always felt this, but your choice of words is quite poor, you know?”

I timidly pointed it out, but Yuna completely ignored my words and continued.

“At first, I thought it had nothing to do with me. Whether you touch my body and get sponsorship or not, what does it have to do with me? I thought it was just a story I could ignore.”

“Hmm…”

“But it seems that’s not the case. The person sending this sponsorship clearly has some clear intention and seems to want to entangle you and me in some way. If that’s really the case, just consistently ignoring it might be difficult.”

“Well… maybe you’re right.”

“But, you know. Honestly, I don’t want to get close to anyone. It’s not that I dislike you. It’s just… for the sake of the future, I want to dedicate myself to studying now. Whether it’s friends or lovers, I don’t want to create anything.”

“…”

In the calmly spoken words, an indescribable loneliness could be felt. Yet, Yuna seemed to embrace that loneliness as if it were her inherent nature. She spoke about it as if it were an asset she was born with. I wanted to ask why, but I remained silent. Maybe because it seemed like I wouldn’t get an answer, or perhaps it wasn’t an area I could interfere with just yet.

Yuna, deep in contemplation of her inherent solitude, suddenly stood up. Then she walked towards me with firm steps.

“Of course, your perspective might be a bit different. I’ve been ignoring it for a while, but I know. You can’t even afford lunch, your school uniform is torn and you can’t fix it properly. But now that there’s a place where you can easily earn money, it would be a waste to just give up.”

“Huh? No, I haven’t really thought that far…”

“And I also want to know the intentions of the person sending this sponsorship. Why me? Why they’re doing this to you. And you need money too, right? So…”

“Uh… wait. Yuna. Getting too close… ugh.”

At that moment, Yuna, who was approaching, firmly grabbed my shoulder. In the first courageous grasp of her fingers, there was a faint but definite determination. Even after grabbing first, the slightly trembling fingers, along with the trembling voice, once again pressed against my body.

“So, I’ll pick for you.”

“Huh…?”

“I… I’ll…”

The words that had been harbored in her heart once again got stuck in her throat. However, as if determined, Yuna struggled to bring out that one sentence.

“I’ll pick periodically.”