Chapter 350 – Commoner Experience (2)

-Me: Hey, hey, hey – (unread)
-Me: What’s going on? – (unread)

As expected.

Either she’s intentionally not responding or is unable to receive my messages. The traces of the Cornus family have been erased from El Academy.

“What’s wrong?”

Marronnier seemed worried as she lowered her head and made eye contact with me. This isn’t polite either. Putting her cellphone in her pocket, she wore a friendly expression.

“It’s nothing. Have you finished eating?”
“Yeah.”

More than half of the tteokbokki was left in the bowl. Just a couple of rice cakes and one fish cake. She had picked up a fish cake and eaten it, but didn’t touch any more, seemingly full. Eating like this, she wouldn’t gain weight.

She took out a tissue and wiped her mouth. Her makeup was all gone. Compared to her neat hair, her face looked messy, which made me chuckle when I looked at her.

“Hey, all your makeup has come off.”
“Huh?”

“If you rub it off so harshly, oh my…”

An innocent face, wondering what the issue is.

It’s evident that they’re new to makeup. They sometimes sweat and cry from eating spicy food, but don’t even attempt to touch up their makeup.

‘Perhaps it’s because their natural beauty is so striking.’

Their magical skin suits even the ruined makeup. No wonder they have so many fans.

If I were a woman, I’d be confident in shedding tears over the world’s injustices.

“Shall we go once you’ve finished eating?”
“Ah, yes!”

Marronnier gets up hastily. After settling the bill, their movements seem a bit uneasy.

“About the money… I’m sorry. I’ll definitely exchange it and pay you back later.”
“Come on. Can’t I treat my friend to a meal? If a foreigner comes to Korea, Koreans should be hospitable.”

They blink their eyes rapidly, listening to my story, and let out a soft laugh. Their face is half-covered, yet their skin is so fair that everyone passing by can’t help but stare in awe.

“Then… come to France next time.”
“I’ll have to eat something expensive.”
“…Expensive? Puhaha. I know many places. But, I’ll have to put more effort into my makeup.”
“Now that I think about it, you have a lot of fans.”

As we chatted while moving to the next location, the topic of fans naturally came up. Fans always seem to follow those with exceptional looks. Singers, celebrities, MCs, comedians… Even ordinary people with attractive faces are shown off everywhere.

There are quite a few cafes where photos of Byul from the Hunter Association and even Se-Young from the Orc family are posted. Imagine how much more popular Marronnier, the national tree, would be.

‘There are many in Korea too.’

In well-known communities, it’s practically a rule that photos of these prominent figures circulate. Considering that the standard of beauty here is much higher than the world I used to live in… I can hardly grasp how immensely popular a character like Blanche must be.

And what about in France, my home country?

“Well… I’m not sure either. It just happened that way.”
“People like it?”
“Yes. I don’t know why.”

If anyone were to hear this, they’d clutch the back of their neck and collapse. Most beautiful individuals know they’re attractive. It’s not even a matter of pretense. As far as I know, the only person incapable of distinguishing their own appearance is an overwhelmingly nerdy star.

“…At the press conference, some people even asked me to sign autographs before taking pictures.”

The more popular you are, the more public support you gain. I’ve seen it somewhere before – in some countries, there were demonstrations to release a man from prison simply because he was handsome.

The more I observed, the clearer it became how much France adored Marronnier. In my eyes, she’s just a timid and curious girl.

“Do you browse the internet a lot? There are many stories about you.”
“Uh-huh.”

She shook her head back and forth. Then, pressing down firmly on her hat, she clung to me slightly to avoid the gazes of the people around us.

“It’s actually a bit burdensome.”

Gently, not forcefully. She glanced around and tugged at her sleeve near the elbow. Due to her hat, Marronnier’s expression was hidden.

“And, it’s not like there’s nothing else for Kookmok to do that they should worry about that.”

“It’s not just pretty, it’s so pretty that it must be burdensome. How mean.”

“…Have you never had such an experience?”

Resting her chin in her hand, she gazed at the sky for a moment, searching through her past memories.

“There’s a fan cafe… I have one too.”

After fighting with Jung Si-woo and having her mask removed, her name and face appeared in the media several times. She couldn’t bear to see the praise written with her name, so she ignored it. Nonetheless, there was a certain number of them.

For a brief moment, she felt like a celebrity.

“But I was so busy that I couldn’t even pay attention.”

A shared understanding formed casually. Marronnier, lifting her hat so only she could see, smiled broadly.

“Right?”

A genuine smile I had seldom seen before. I nearly lost myself.
Now I understand why she has fans.

“Starting today, I might look into your fan café as well.”
“…Huh?”

Unable to resist the urge, I stroked her head with my hand, hat and all.
The flustered Marronnier froze in place, raising both hands to her hat.

-Pat-pat.

“Enough…! Ugh.”

Her reaction was perfect and adorable. Even though she asks me to stop, Blanche’s hands resting on the crown of her head don’t even consider pulling mine away.

“We’ve arrived.”
“…Huh?”

I slightly lifted her hat, allowing her to survey the surroundings.

Marronnier’s face, now finally visible. Her cheeks tinged with a subtle blush. Her eyes wide and round.
Her dilated pupils took in the environment around her.

A scene where children, fresh out of school, streamed through the main gate and entered stationery stores or snack bars.

They playfully spar with each other, swinging their school bags around. The children huddle together, clutching their phones and chattering excitedly.

Glancing to the left, high school students who finished their classes early walk by, observing the younger children.

The entrance of an alley where students from nearby schools gather in one place.

A scene of everyday life that Marronnier would have deeply admired.

“……”

Her fists clench tightly. Her agape mouth shows no signs of closing anytime soon.

As Marronnier’s gaze, once focused solely on me, begins to wander. She reaches out and asks,

“What’s that…?”

“It’s a Taekwondo academy van. In Korea, many parents both work, so children often sign up for after-school academies to have something to do in the afternoon. The timing coincides with the parents’ work hours.”

“Then, what’s that?”

“A video game console. It’s Snow Brothers. Wow, I’ve never seen this one before.”

Her curiosity piqued, she looks around and points at various things here and there.

Marronnier grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the center of the walkway.

“Oh, what’s this?”
“It’s a playground… kind of. It’s Fuji.”

Many questions were asked.

“Si-heon, look at this!”
“I’m not sure either.”

She didn’t hesitate in her actions.

Marronnier’s skirt fluttered as she ran barefoot. Her skin, appearing purer than the white fabric, drew the attention of many people under the sunlight.

She tied her hair in one place to keep the color hidden, and pressed her hat down again. Only visible to me, she raised her hat and stretched her hand toward the other side.

“Over there!”

Marronnier pointed to a coin-operated karaoke place.

Her smile never faded. The more excited Marronnier became, the more my shoulders bounced in response, as I had planned this outing.

“Do you want to go in?”

At my suggestion, Marronnier’s lips couldn’t help but curve into a smile.

Off we went, like the sight of a nimble cat running at dawn every day.

* * * * * * * *

– Huk, huk.

The sound of blowing air into the microphone.
As I was searching for a song to sing, Marronnier, who was seated right beside me, tapped my shoulder.

“Look at this!”

She removed her hat, and her blue hair swayed down to her waist.
Curious about her reaction, I turned my head to look at Marronnier.

“Jihyun Heart Zuho. Let’s go together forever?”
“Oh, that?”

It turned out the intriguing graffiti on the wall caught her attention.
Morally speaking, it’s not right, but as time passes, these small things accumulate and create an atmosphere.
Some places even use this as a marketing strategy.
The coin karaoke room we entered today seemed to be one of those.

As I informed her about it, Marronnier began to satisfy her curiosity, suggesting we check out the other graffiti as well, intrigued by what she had seen.

I extended an oil-based marker that was lying on the desk.

“Do you want to try one too?”
“Huh?”

After contemplating my suggestion for a moment, they shook their head.

“Later.”

Declining the offer, I placed the pen back on the desk. I surveyed the surroundings, and one by one, the scribbles Blanche had been reading caught my eye.

[Looking for a man. 010-xxxx-xxxx.] Let’s skip this one.
[Soundproofing here isn’t great lol] [Stop banging in the next room, you bastards]

It appeared to be a place where many victims had stayed.

‘Amen.’

After reciting a brief prayer, I moved the remote control to fulfill its primary function in the karaoke room.

Maronie, who had been observing the graffiti, was also seated next to me, examining the remote control with a curious expression.

“Is this your first time?”

They nodded with an excited face, the most exhilarated expression I had seen on Maronie recently.

“Then I’ll just give you a rough idea of how to use it.”

He taught me the basics of using the remote control.
Mainly the ability to search for foreign songs, rather than jumping between sections or anything like that.
I wasn’t sure how many French songs there would be, but there had to be some. Maybe not in the past, but nowadays, a lot of foreign songs have made their way in.

To demonstrate, I selected an appropriate song first.

-♪

As soon as it began, a melody filled the air.

“Ah!”

Reacting to the song, Marronnier gently closed her eyes and began to focus on the music.

“If you have a song you’d like to sing, make a reservation right away.”

Unlike before, when I knew no songs at all, I now tend to memorize one or two songs from the internet.

In my daily life, I find myself going to karaoke quite often.
There are some songs similar to the ones from the world I lived in, so if I pay attention to the pitch and the beat, I can sing them well enough to avoid any embarrassment.

“Ahem.”

I cleared my throat and began with the first verse.

I hadn’t come here to let loose, so I chose a fitting ballad and began to sing.
A voice emerging delicately along the tranquil notes.
I’m not particularly skilled at singing. The rhythm is somewhat unsteady.
Midway, I turned my head to gaze upon Marronnier.

-Swish, swish.

Her head swayed from side to side. Left, right. With each sway, her hair fluttered like a cat’s tail.
Today, the long lashes of Marronnier, whose eyelids were gently closed, seemed more prominent than ever.

With a sly grin, she dissolved into the melody.
She immersed herself in a song she’d never heard before, and it was apparent to anyone that she was a person who loved singing.

“Ah~♪ Ah~”

Though I didn’t know the lyrics, I sang along with the melody.
Somehow, that alone made the song feel more resplendent.

Marronnier, who had enjoyed my modest singing wholeheartedly and slightly opened her eyes, locked her gaze with mine.

“Are you not reserving a song?”

I couldn’t help but ask, suddenly curious as to why she hadn’t chosen her next song.

“…When others are singing, you shouldn’t do anything else. It’s pleasant to listen. Keep singing.”

Objectively, it wasn’t a song sung well, but Marronnier enjoyed it, swaying her shoulders. Seeing her listen with such a serious attitude, I felt I shouldn’t stop singing, so I raised my voice as much as possible.

──♬

My voice blended into Marronnier’s harmony.

After the song ended, it felt as if we had just wrapped up an amazing performance. Lost in the lingering emotions, I spaced out. Marronnier timidly clapped her hands and smiled.

“Wow~. Hehe.”

Clap, clap, clap. After three claps, she lifted the remote control, found a song, and immediately pressed the start button.

-Treureu~

A gentle melody accompanied by the sound of an acoustic guitar.

Marronnier, holding the microphone firmly with both hands, measured the distance between the microphone and her mouth before fixing her gaze directly on me.

“Hmmm.”

A cute, short sniffle, as if beckoning to be heard just once.

Soon after, a melody of enraptured tones emerged.

“Les rêves des amoureux sont comme le bon vin (Lovers’ dreams are like fine wine.)”

A gentle, ear-melting voice.
The karaoke room fills with a song that could effortlessly be called a heavenly timbre.

Just the first verse sends shivers across my skin. Unknowingly, I stroked my arm.

Uttering only a single word in serene French.
It was entirely different from the Blanche’s voice I knew.

“L’espoir est un plat bien trop vite consommé (Hope is a dish that ends too soon.)”

With a vibrant, bouncing voice.
Elegant and cute.

Uniquely beautiful, it evokes an image of a tiny fairy ascending to my shoulder and tapping on my ear. The microphone grasped firmly in both hands, and Blanche’s joyous smile above it, leaves onlookers utterly spellbound.

‘Ah.’

I finally realize.

The OST of a particular animated film.
The delightful music that played at the very end. The singer may have changed, but it still evokes the same feeling.

Marronnier’s eyes crinkle slightly as she acknowledges me with a glance.

“Laissez-moi vous émerveiller et prendre mon envol (I’ll amaze you, and then I’ll soar).”

Though I don’t understand the meaning of the lyrics, they somehow bring comfort.
It feels like a blessing, and yet it sparks a peculiar sense of enjoyment.

Unintentionally, I nod my head in rhythm.

Marronnier, gripping the microphone tightly, tilts her head and rests it on my shoulder.

With a face showing no trace of shyness, she relaxed her entire body, focusing solely on the song.

A gentle whisper, brimming with emotion.

“Nous allons enfin nous régaler (We will finally be treated).”

Setting the stage for a new life.

“Je suis heureux à l’idée de ce nouveau destin (I am happy at the thought of this new destiny).”

The voice she wanted to record and cherish for a long time made one side of her heart feel heavy, and her hands spontaneously clapped.

It was said that Marronnier’s songs were delightful to hear. She wasn’t unaware of this, but listening through the microphone, the emotions evoked were different.

“Le festin est sur mon chemin. . . .”

There’s a feast on my path.

As the melody continued to flow, Marronnier lowered the microphone and glanced up at me slightly.

It was only then that she seemed to notice our closeness. Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but perhaps she deemed this the perfect opportunity. With a puzzled expression, she whispered to me.

“Ça va? (How is it?)”

A single exotic word murmured in that beautiful voice. Until now, I had missed her voice, as I had been focusing on the translator. It nearly took my breath away. I suddenly understood how one could fall for someone after just a single song.

Thinking her slightly flushed cheeks would be soft, I gently stretched Marronnier’s cheek with one hand.

“Uh, huh?! What are you doing?!”

Ah, that’s Blanche for you. As I let go of her hand, Marronnier grasped her cheeks with both hands and glared at me with a pouting face.

“You sang really well. I’d love to listen to it for the rest of my life.”

I earnestly shared my admiration.

At that moment, Marronnier’s face briefly registered shock. Soon after, she hung her head low in resignation.
Her hair, previously flattened beneath her hat, sprang up like cat ears.
Her ears flushed a bright red.