Lie Again! Chapter 33

<Chapter 33. Mary had a little lamb>

 

Starting from that day, the atmosphere between Jin and Evan gradually softened, little by little. 

 

Instead of just quietly going about their tasks and only speaking when they had questions or when it was time for their regular assignment exchanges, small conversations began to mix into the silence of the music room. 

 

“What kind of music do you like?”

It was an unexpected remark suddenly thrown into the space where only the sound of pens scratching could be heard. However, instead of being flustered, Jin responded with familiarity. 

 

“…There isn’t. I can’t concentrate on what I’m doing when I listen to music, so I usually don’t. What about you?” 

 

“Same here. I just listen to whatever it plays automatically.”

 

Evan tapped his phone lightly as he spoke. Jin looked at him with a surprised expression. Unlike herself—someone who was fine with anything, this or that—she had always thought Evan was the type with clear likes and dislikes. 

 

Whenever the music he was listening to leaked faintly through his earphones, Jin would sometimes find herself distracted from studying, instinctively tuning in to the small sound. Wondering what song it might be. 

 

Jin ended the random conversation with a small nod. And then, as silence returned, the familiar sounds of a pen tip tapping against the desk and fingers flicking and spinning it filled the room. Just when those sounds had settled into the rhythm of the moment, it was Jin who spoke this time. 

 

“Why don’t you play any sports?”

 

“What kind of sports?” 

 

“Just, like tennis, swimming, basketball, stuff like that. Other kids are all in some kind of sports club, you know.”

 

Jin thought of Amanda, Ruth, and Dustin’s clubs one by one. Unlike in Korea, where P.E. class only happened once a week, it was common in the U.S. to join a sports team. 

 

Most kids, including Ruth and the others, would stay after school in the afternoon or come in early before first period for sports team activities. It was actually rare not to be involved in any kind of club.

 

“You don’t do it either.” 

 

“Well, I…”

 

That’s because she’s terrible at sports and stuff like that. 

 

Jin swallowed her words. 

 

Besides, Jin was technically a tenth grader, but she was still just a newcomer who had only completed her first semester. She wanted to take her time, at least for a semester, to get a feel for the school without rushing into anything. 

 

Still, every time she overheard conversations about club activities or college plans, a quiet worry would creep in—was she already falling behind? 

 

“Well, with that lack of athletic ability, I’d probably fail the tryouts and not even make the candidate list.”

 

Evan seemed to understand exactly what Jin had said and laughed heartily.

 

When Jin narrowed his eyes at Evan’s teasing, Evan shrugged his shoulders and frowned deeply. 

 

“It’s annoying to be tied down to a team.”

 

“…Everyone says it’s a must if you want to get into college, though.”

 

“Well, they say you don’t have to do that. So I’m actually experimenting to see if that’s true.”

 

Evan smiled wryly, spinning the pen with one hand.

 

“Who?”

 

Evan’s expression turned mischievous at Jin’s curious voice.

 

“Jin, of course, that doesn’t apply to you. You’ll probably have to do something next semester. If not, you can join the orchestra or the marching band. Do you play any instruments?”

 

“Uhm…”

 

Instead of answering, Jin got up from her seat and sat at the piano. Evan watched her from behind with interest.

 

The long-closed black piano lid creaked open. As Jin pressed a few keys, the sound of the piano echoed softly. 

 

“Consider that it’s out of tune.”

 

Jin straightened her back, took a light breath, and gently placed her hands on the keys. Soon, her slender fingers began to tap the keys slowly. 

 

Mi, Re, Do, Re, Mi, Mi, Mi. The familiar melody, made up of just three basic notes, flowed out, breaking the serious atmosphere.

 

Evan, who had been watching Jin with interest, burst into laughter. Despite his teasing laughter, Jin continued to play the nursery rhyme, a faint smile tugging at her lips as she did. 

 

Evan, who had been quietly listening to the performance, hummed lowly and added unfamiliar English lyrics to his keyboard playing.

 

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb.

 

“How do you know this? It’s a Korean nursery rhyme.”

 

“That’s what I’d like to ask. You seem to know your American nursery rhymes well, Lady Jin.”

 

Surprised, Jin stopped playing and turned to look at him, and Evan let out a small laugh.

 

After a brief, playful argument where each claimed the song was a folk song from their own country, Jin, after finishing the search, realized with a sense of betrayal that what she had firmly believed to be a Korean folk song was actually of American origin.

 

Ding-

 

Evan approached Jin and pressed the keys.

 

Mi, Re, Do, Re, Mi, Mi, Mi.

 

“With this skill, the orchestra would be difficult.”

 

Evan repeated the children’s song Jin had played, his fingers pressing the keys one by one. The notes, instead of flowing smoothly, were choppy and abrupt. The childish, naive melody clumsily spilled out. 

 

He’s ignoring Korea’s early piano education, huh? Jin glared at him before adjusting her posture. Her hands lightly rested on the keys. 

 

Soon, the melody that flowed from her fingertips began to slowly fill the music room. 

 

The piece was closer to New Age than classical. Jin fumbled for the scales she hadn’t played in a long time.

 

Although it was sheet music she hadn’t looked at in a while, fortunately, her fingers seemed to remember the frequently played piece, moving smoothly enough.

 

The autumn sunlight streamed in through the window, lingering beneath Jin’s feet. The shadows of the leaf patterns embroidered on the music room floor swayed gently in the breeze, then returned to their original positions, repeating the motion. The sunlight, the wind, the leaves, and even the dust floating in the music room all seemed to be dancing in time with the music, as if they were part of the accompaniment. 

 

‘…Dancing? What a foolish thought.’

 

Evan realized the thought that had occurred to him without thinking and laughed at himself. How could he be so sensitive, even though he was not a young girl?

 

The girl sitting in front of the piano smiled awkwardly, as if she had made a mistake while pressing the keys. The long corners of her eyes, which usually looked cold, folded and small wrinkles formed on the bridge of her white nose.

 

Ah, he should tease her about that mistake—at least, that’s what he thought. But strangely, his mouth wouldn’t move. 

 

He just stood there blankly, simply watching the faint smile lingering on her face and the way her dark hair rippled over her shoulders with each press of the keys.

 

In truth, he couldn’t even tell whether Jin had smiled because of a mistake, or if she’d smiled for no reason at all. His field of vision felt strangely narrow. 

 

Long eyelashes casting shadows, cheeks tinged with life, lips subtly curling upward in quiet delight, and fingers lightly dancing over the keys. 

 

All he could see were those things. He felt like a complete fool who didn’t know anything. 

 

“….”

 

“….”

 

After a short while, Jin’s fingers gradually came to a stop. The final note circled the music room once before fading away. Feeling quite pleased with how she had finished the piece, Jin looked at Evan with a triumphant expression. 

 

“…What’s wrong?” 

 

Wondering if something was on her face, Jin reached up to tidy her hair. Evan blinked, as if only just realizing the performance had ended.

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

Evan got up from the desk where he was sitting and returned to his seat. He didn’t say anything about playing. 

 

Jin, who was embarrassed by the boring reaction, closed the piano lid and got up. Jin was looking at her pile of homework, regretting her actions. \\

 

“What’s the title?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“What’s the name of the song you just played?”

 

Evan suddenly turned to Jin and asked a question. Jin rummaged through her mind. This was definitely a drama OST, but what was the title of this song…?

 

“…I don’t remember.”

 

She was sure she could recall the name easily, but after a moment of hesitation, what came out was a lie. Somehow, it felt a little… a little difficult to say it with her own mouth. 

 

Evan, who was staring blankly at Jin, nodded and let it go.