Jaeyoon furrowed his eyebrows and bit his lip. He felt like an annoying misunderstanding was about to happen. And his premonition was right. The pupils watching them shook rapidly. Looking flustered, Kim Yeonwoo dropped all the class materials he was holding and stared at Han Doyoon’s hand gripping Jaeyoon’s arm.
“Doyoon sunbae, why are you with Jaeyoon…?”
Han Doyoon frowned and sighed at Yeonwoo’s voice calling his name. Yeonwoo’s shoulders flinched at this reaction. Seeing Yeonwoo fidgeting nervously while watching Doyoon’s response, Jaeyoon’s expression darkened.
‘…What’s going on? Han Doyoon never treated Kim Yeonwoo like this in the game?’
Han Doyoon had always been kind to Kim Yeonwoo. Like a reliable senior he could trust and depend on. It wasn’t that he never got angry with Yeonwoo, but he had never acted so openly annoyed like this. To Han Doyoon, Kim Yeonwoo had been someone who caught his interest, someone he had never met before. Unlike Doyoon who mercilessly used others, he gradually became attracted to Yeonwoo, who cared for and helped others. But now, Han Doyoon looked like a child staring at a toy he had lost interest in.
“…!!”
Turning his gaze away from Kim Yeonwoo, Han Doyoon looked at Jaeyoon. Jaeyoon’s eyes widened as they met the red eyes. Han Doyoon smiled slightly at this reaction. Releasing the arm he had been gripping painfully, he bent down and whispered softly in Jaeyoon’s ear.
“We’ll continue our conversation in the student council room during lunch.”
“…What?”
As Jaeyoon stared at him blankly, Han Doyoon smiled with curved eyes. Then he passed by Kim Yeonwoo indifferently and entered the staff room.
Click.
Slam!
The staff room door closed harshly. Jaeyoon frowned and gritted his teeth. What is going on here?! The bell signaling the start of class rang throughout the school. With a small sigh, he glanced at Yeonwoo before quickly turning away.
‘I really don’t understand what’s happening…’
***
“For the problems you got wrong, prepare error correction notes and submit them by next time.”
The teacher’s words were followed by protests from students, but they fell on deaf ears. The teacher’s gaze from the podium turned toward Jaeyoon. Seeing him diligently taking notes, the teacher made a long “hmm” sound and tapped his finger on the desk. But when it seemed like Jaeyoon’s note-taking would never end, the teacher frowned and then called his name loudly.
“Lee Jaeyoon!”
Jaeyoon’s brow furrowed. He was deliberately taking notes to avoid being called on, but the English teacher was still calling him anyway. He swallowed a sigh inwardly. When he raised his head to look at the teacher, the teacher pointed at the test papers and commanded, “Bring these to my desk.” Then, as the teacher casually walked out of the classroom, Jaeyoon stood up, thinking he’d like to hit the back of that head once.
“That teacher has been ordering you around ever since you pointed out that mistake, hasn’t he?”
“…Yeah.”
All I did was tell him the spelling was wrong, was that so offensive to him? Jaeyoon shook his head from side to side. I don’t want to go to the staff room again… Remembering what happened before first period, he let out a small sigh.
“Jaeyoon, I’ll take them for you.”
Seeing Sim Jaeha adjusting his glasses with a kind smile, Jaeyoon slowly shook his head. The teacher is deliberately trying to make me work, and if the class president delivers the test papers, he’ll somehow mock me during the next English class. Saying things like how I’m making the class president do my work…
“It’s okay. He’s deliberately making me do this… no, that’s not what I meant. It’s not heavy, and I’ll be right back. Besides, Class President, you need to prepare for the next class, right?”
“Don’t worry! I can do both!”
“I said it’s fine. Don’t be a bother and just do your own job properly.”
“I am doing it properly?!”
“Oh, is that so~?”
Leaving the two bickering, Jaeyoon tucked the test papers against his chest, used his foot to open the slightly ajar classroom door, and bumped into someone standing in front of the door.
“Oh?”
“Sunbae??”
Jung Jinhoo quickly caught the test papers that were about to fall. Phew, sighs of relief escaped from both of them.
“Sunbae, what brings you here?”
“I came to see you.”
Blinking blankly, Jaeyoon asked in confusion, “Me?” Jinhoo smiled with curved eyes.
“Yes, because I missed you.”
The test papers in his hand crumpled. Really, this sunbae…!! Jaeyoon bit his lip hard.
“Are you going to the staff room?”
“Yes.”
Jinhoo stared at the test papers in Jaeyoon’s hand, then took them from his heavily burdened hands. Wait, sunbae! When Jaeyoon became flustered, Jinhoo smiled brightly.
‘Does this sunbae think everything can be solved with a smile? He’s really cute…’
…No, that’s not it!! Jaeyoon brought his hand to his forehead. Am I too weak to sunbae’s face?
“Jaeyoon?”
Seeing Jinhoo looking at him with a puzzled expression and tilting his head, Jaeyoon exhaled calmly. Then he took half of the test papers from Jinhoo’s hand.
“Huh?!”
“Let’s each carry half. Half and half!”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
Seeing Jinhoo smiling happily, delighted for some reason, Jaeyoon smiled at the corners of his mouth as if he couldn’t help it. When the two arrived at the staff room, they placed the test papers on the English teacher’s desk. Normally, the English teacher would have assigned Jaeyoon various other tasks, but with Jinhoo standing next to him, the teacher became flustered, cleared his throat, and told them to leave, pretending to be busy working.
“Sunbae, thank you for helping.”
At Jaeyoon’s words, Jinhoo smiled with his eyes. Thanks to his newly cut bangs, his beautifully smiling face was more visible than usual.
“Jaeyoon, let’s have lunch together. I’ll come to your classroom.”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
As he answered with a gentle smile, Jaeyoon suddenly remembered what Han Doyoon had said.
-We’ll continue our conversation in the student council room during lunch.
“Ah…”
“Jaeyoon? What’s wrong?”
Seeing Jinhoo’s worried expression, Jaeyoon blinked slowly before smiling brightly. He only said to meet during lunch period, not to come right when the bell rings.
“I was just thinking about today’s lunch menu.”
“Today’s menu is brown rice, army stew, duck, kimchi, stir-fried fish cake, and strawberry pudding for dessert.”
“Sunbae, did you memorize the entire cafeteria menu??”
Surprised by the list of menu items flowing from his mouth, Jaeyoon asked, and Jinhoo gently shook his head as he answered.
“I checked in advance in case there wasn’t anything you liked, so we could go to the school store instead.”
Jaeyoon’s eyes widened. Someone who often skipped lunch checked the cafeteria menu for my sake? Feeling the corners of his mouth rising unconsciously, Jaeyoon lowered his head and covered his mouth with the back of his hand.
‘This really makes me happy…’
It was a very small thing, but that’s why it was nice. Jinhoo raised his hand and gently touched Jaeyoon’s head. Looking at Jaeyoon who raised his head to look at him, Jinhoo glanced around to check their surroundings, then bent down and briefly kissed Jaeyoon’s forehead.
“!?”
With surprised rabbit eyes, Jaeyoon touched his forehead, and his face quickly turned red.
“S-Sun-Sunbae?!”
Patting Jaeyoon’s head as he panicked, Jinhoo smiled and told him to study hard, then left the frozen Jaeyoon and walked back down the corridor. Staring blankly at Jinhoo’s disappearing back, Jaeyoon lowered his head at the sensation of lips still vividly remaining on his forehead.
“Ah, really…!! This sunbae!”
Could you please turn on your blinkers before coming in? Somehow it feels like I’m the only one getting flustered… Get a grip, 28-year-old!! Jaeyoon removed his hand from his hot forehead and messed up his hair vigorously. The air was already muggy, as if summer was right around the corner. This summer is going to be really hot…
Jaeyoon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. The next class was math, right? The math teacher was Jaeyoon’s homeroom teacher. Known for his strict personality, the homeroom teacher would get angry if the math textbook wasn’t out on the desk before class started. As Jaeyoon was about to return to the classroom, he frowned at a figure that suddenly appeared from around the corner. He tried to ignore it and walk past, but his path was blocked.
“…What are you trying to do?”
There was no answer to his question. Jaeyoon’s brows furrowed. When he tried to change direction and pass by again, his path was blocked once more.
“What do you want, Kim Yeonwoo?”
“…Why, why do you keep doing this?”
Jaeyoon’s expression darkened. That’s what I want to ask you—why do you keep blocking my way? But Kim Yeonwoo just kept spitting out his own words as if he couldn’t hear Jaeyoon’s voice.
“Why do you keep hovering around me…? Why do you keep trying to take what’s mine? Why? Just why…?!”
As he spoke, Kim Yeonwoo became increasingly emotional. With clenched fists, his shoulders trembled, and tears finally welled up in his eyes. Looking only at that, he seemed like a truly wronged victim. Jaeyoon’s blue eyes narrowed. Hey, what are you doing? In this absurd situation, Jaeyoon calmly collected his thoughts and quietly stared at Kim Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo’s mouth kept moving non-stop, as if he had much more to say.
“You, ever since you suddenly changed, everything became strange… Minho sunbae, Hangyeol… even Doyoon sunbae!! Why, why are you doing this? Why are you trying to take what’s mine? Don’t do it, please don’t… I, I…!!”
“Haa…”
“!?”
Jaeyoon sighed heavily and brushed back his bangs. I was wondering what he’d say… Jaeyoon’s subdued eyes turned toward Kim Yeonwoo.
Kim Yeonwoo’s body flinched. Jaeyoon briefly massaged his shoulders and exhaled a long breath. He took a moment to calm his emotions, fearing that sharp words might escape if he opened his mouth right away.
“I’ve never once taken anything that was yours.”
“Stop lying…!! You’ve been hovering around me, waiting for an opportunity!”
“I wasn’t hovering around you; we’re in adjacent rooms in the dormitory, so we inevitably keep running into each other.”
“You deliberately approached Doyoon sunbae, Minho sunbae, and Hangyeol by talking to them!”
Jaeyoon’s brow narrowed. He touched his temple with his hand and answered.
“Lee Minho is my older brother, and Im Hangyeol is my middle school friend, so saying I approached them by talking to them—don’t you think that sentence itself is strange?”
The brown eyes shook rapidly. Jaeyoon exhaled and spoke.
“And as for Student Council President Han Doyoon, I’ve never once talked to him because I wanted to. I swear.”
“Lies… Stop lying!! You’re saying everyone changed without you doing anything? That’s impossible! It’s you, all you!! If it weren’t for you, if you weren’t here…!!”
“Kim Yeonwoo, please calm down…”
“Don’t touch me!”
Whack!
As Kim Yeonwoo spewed words like he was having a fit, Jaeyoon tried to calm him down, only to be slapped across the cheek by Yeonwoo’s flailing hand. When Jaeyoon touched his stinging cheek, red blood stained his fingers.
‘Really…’
This is annoying.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
…how hard was that slap that blood came out? And the og MC still needs protection?!