Chapter 9
“Hey, Choi Hyun-ho!”
The tension in her chest eased the moment she saw Hyun-ho. It was a relief to see him first after the interview.
When she called out with a bright smile, he approached casually, as if uninterested.
“Did the interview go well?”
“Hmm. I think it went okay.”
“Oh, confidence.”
Hyun-ho’s eyes softened at the sight of her self-assuredness. He reached into his pocket and handed her a bottle of milk.
“What’s this? Wow, that’s touching.”
“Nothing special.”
“Huh? You didn’t… buy this just for me, did you?”
“Not really. The upperclassmen in the band gave it to me, so I’m giving it to you.”
Though he tried to act nonchalant, anyone could tell from his slightly flustered expression that it was a lie.
Even when the band members gave her lots of snacks, Hyun-ho had just said, “Enjoy.” Feeling guilty, he had rushed to the convenience store to buy the milk she liked.
He had bought it but spent the whole time wondering when it would be natural to give it to her. In the band room, he had tried to hide the milk in his pocket from others.
When he finally faced her, he tried to act as casual as possible, but her question about whether he had bought it on purpose made him flustered.
“Was it obvious?”
Though he worried internally, he thought only she would believe his awkward lie.
“Oh. Thanks to the upperclassmen, I’m living in luxury.”
Just like now.
“But didn’t you go to the band room? I thought you weren’t going to the interview. Didn’t they say you were a ‘drop-in’?”
“What do you take me for?”
Hyun-ho playfully but gently brushed her face with the palm of his hand.
“Hey!” she protested with a small squeak but continued as if accustomed.
“So, what do you play? Singing?”
“Bass.”
“Oh, bass.”
“Why, does it suit me?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to see. Can’t tell just by looking.”
“Ah, you’re clueless. At times like this, you should just say it suits me.”
“Nope.”
“Then get married.”
“I will.”
“You’re tiny.”
“My height is 162.5 cm!”
She stretched her head up and stood on tiptoe. Hyun-ho chuckled, lightly pressing her head down without hurting her.
“What’s with the decimal point?”
“It’s exact to the decimal! Do you know how hard I try to look taller?”
“Just round it up to 163. That’s what people see anyway.”
“Oh. Good idea. Then my height is 163!”
“Still tiny.”
Hyun-ho straightened his chin and moved closer, as if to assert his own height. The air between them became awkward when they realized how close they were.
Unsure how to break the tension, Hyun-ho lightly flicked her forehead with his finger and stepped back.
“Hey!”
At last, she broke out of the awkwardness and lightly tapped his arm. They continued their childish play all the way back to class.
At that moment, Sia, coming up the stairs, witnessed the scene.
Seeing Hyun-ho’s pure smile, her brown eyes flickered sharply.
“Was that Choi Hyun-ho just now?”
“No way. Did you see him with other girls?”
Sia’s sharp gaze softened at her friends’ words.
“I’m just worried. They’re in high school now; they should make friends.”
“But he seems to be getting along with the others these days.”
“…Really?”
“You don’t see it because your classroom is downstairs. But I can. Lately, he’s been greeting and talking to others.”
Sia’s eyes wavered. She bit her lip subtly to hide her inner tension.
At that moment, Kyul passed by, frowning as if displeased.
“There’s no reason not to get along. Is a simple greeting really a big deal? Isn’t it normal for classmates to talk and get along?”
Kyul looked at Sia as if to say she only cared about Hyun-ho.
“…Right. Classmates should get along. I’m just curious if Hyun-ho is adjusting well…”
Sia’s soft words and averted gaze made a nearby girl step forward sharply.
“You’re always sharp with Sia. Even though Ryu Sia seems easygoing, she’s actually very sensitive.”
“Exactly. Look at today. She came because she was worried about Hyun-ho. Even if he messed up, you…”
Kyul cut off the girl and asked Sia.
Sia, slightly embarrassed, bit her lip but answered gently.
“Oh? Of course I was worried.”
“Don’t worry. I’m right next to Hyun-ho.”
Kyul’s words and smile had a sharp edge that Sia felt as if saying, stay away from him.
Sia had never met anyone she couldn’t manage. Just a gentle expression or a slight smile was enough. Yet Kyul never yielded.
Hyun-ho was a bit like that too.
Kyul, unlike the aloof but kind Hyun-ho, had a gentle exterior but a cold interior.
Sia glared at Kyul as he walked past.
Kyul recalled Hyun-ho and Yeoreum playing around earlier. Even his small, disarmed smile lingered.
He seemed to understand why Hyun-ho left first, sighing quietly.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I know.”
A friend, seeing Sia’s averted gaze, spoke cautiously. Sia still glared at Kyul but responded in a way that made the friend doubt her words.
“You’re still worried, huh?”
“It’s because Kyul still annoys me. Can’t blame him.”
Sia pouted slightly, trying to smile.
Nearby, a quiet boy linked arms with her and smiled brightly.
“Hey, let’s go eat tteokbokki.”
“Let go! Who do you think you are grabbing a guy’s arm?”
Even as she said that, her expression betrayed that she liked him.
See? It’s this easy.
Sia thought she could handle both girls and boys easily and urged the boy, “Hurry, come on!”
At the same time, Yeoreum opened her textbook but couldn’t focus.
She kept checking her phone, anxious about the result promised by the senior by the end of self-study.
“Ugh, my phone’s going to break.”
“I’m so nervous…”
Her phone vibrated.
“Oh, it’s here…” she whispered. Everyone turned to look at her.
Her friends’ silent gestures encouraged her to check quickly. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened her eyes to read the message.
After reading for a long moment, she showed no reaction, making her friends anxious.
“Uh… I… I got in.”
She spoke dazedly. After three seconds of silence, her classmates erupted, clapping wildly.
The noise in the quiet study room caught a teacher passing by, who knocked twice on the door.
The class quieted down, and when the teacher left, Yeoreum glanced around and walked to the front of the classroom, writing quietly on the board: ‘Thank you!’
On her way back, she made eye contact with Taeyoung, who quietly clapped twice, and she smiled.
Hae-in, who had been sitting nearby, whispered.
“Then shall we skip self-study tomorrow?”
“Sounds amazing! Can’t wait!”
Yeoreum wished these fun days would last forever.
The next day.
When the dinner bell rang, Yeoreum and Hae-in exchanged determined looks.
They carried their bags and moved as naturally as possible, knowing they were skipping self-study to go to a chicken restaurant.
As they passed the cafeteria and headed toward the middle school playground, a low, heavy voice called behind them.
“Han Yeoreum, Choi Hae-in.”
