Cho-yeon has a lot of things that prick his conscience. Hee-ae showed a wary expression and stuck close. And In-sae asked indifferently.
“Are you getting autographs?”
‘He’s doing that to sell autographs.’
“Well, should I do it?”
Cho-yeon glanced at me for a moment. If you want to do it, you should do it. Why are you looking at my expression? After making eye contact with me, he answered.
“I’ll think about it.”
As always, I know full well that he’ll do it after saying that. An auction for Cho-yeon’s autograph is about to open soon. How much will it sell for? While thinking such thoughts and going down to the 3rd floor, kids looked at me with surprised eyes.
“Why are you coming together with Han Cho-yeon?”
“He said our paths overlapped.”
“Look at how calm Yu Shi-dan is. So indifferent.”
“Kim In-sae looks calm too though.”
The kids were convinced. The kids who had been hesitating gathered around the four of us. Of course, they couldn’t get close to Cho-yeon and maintained a certain distance. We ended up in a situation where we were all crowding together like the Five Great Kings and the crowds.
“Wow, I stood next to Han Cho-yeon and he didn’t say anything.”
“Is this that modest charm?”
The kids gathered closely behind Cho-yeon and whispered. It’s like they’re chicks following a mother hen.
No, in the first place, it seems like Cho-yeon has thought you guys are better than the Five Great Kings since the school trip. He probably won’t say anything as long as you don’t cling to him stickily.
“Shi-dan. I’m going to the bathroom.”
“Okay, go ahead.”
Hee-ae left in the middle. In-sae’s pace slowed, so I also slowed my pace. Since finding out earlier that I received a letter, my friends seem impatient. In-sae also keeps getting lost in thought and seems to be worrying about something.
“Shi-dan.”
“Yeah, In-sae.”
I answered while imitating In-sae’s verbal habit. In-sae spoke in a dry tone.
“The person you like.”
In-sae stopped walking completely. On the other hand, the kids continued walking cheerfully while chattering. After the crowd passed, In-sae asked.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“Is it someone I know?”
Looking at how he’s asking, is it someone I know too? I can’t get a sense of it.
“Yeah.”
In-sae answered right away. I slowly recalled the faces of other kids. There aren’t many people that come to mind. It’s probably someone who sticks close to In-sae a lot.
“I don’t know many people. It’s not Lee Seung, is it?”
In-sae made a truly disgusted expression. He always has a cool expression, but this is the first time I’ve seen him make such an intensely disgusted face. I asked because he often goes around with Lee Seung, but I guess I got it wrong. I immediately apologized.
“Sorry. It’s not him.”
Then who is it? These days he’s been going around with us often, so I haven’t really seen him talk to other people. I have no sense of it at all.
“They’re in our class.”
“Our class? Well, excluding me, Hee-ae…”
“Why are you excluding yourself?”
I answered In-sae’s question as if it was obvious.
“Because of course it’s not me. Is it Hee-ae by any chance?”
“……”
“I’ll apologize for this one too.”
Don’t act like you want an answer like “Could it be me?” If anyone saw this, they’d be suspicious. In-sae didn’t give up and asked again.
“What if it were you?”
“That can’t be.”
“Why are you so sure?”
I made a puzzled expression. In-sae pondered whether to say something more or not.
“Yu Shi-dan!”
A skinny boy came running from the right and shouted. The subtle atmosphere from earlier broke. How does he know my name when it’s our first meeting? There’s no way I became popular without knowing.
“Did you see the newspaper?”
“Did the newspaper club publish this month’s paper? What’s the title?”
“Actions That Are Perfect for Being Misunderstood, Don’t Do This!”
“The newspaper club wrote an article like that? The title is like today’s life knowledge.”
The newspaper club informs you. Actions perfect for being misunderstood: If you play music loudly on the street and dance, you might be misunderstood! Is that the content?
“I heard a rumor about you. I hope you read it.”
Tell me what rumor it is before you go. The boy gave me a newspaper and disappeared.
‘How Not to Be Misunderstood?’
It seems okay to read. I should read it later and memorize it well so I don’t get misunderstood. When I unfolded the newspaper, In-sae also came close and showed interest.
“It’s here. Actions perfect for being misunderstood.”
I slowly read along with the newspaper’s text.
“Number one, you can’t smile at just anyone. Heart heart huh?”
Who wrote such bizarre expressions? A parade of special characters continued after the sentence. It would be better to throw away this newspaper.
I had forgotten for a moment. This was originally that kind of place. I blankly just looked at In-sae’s face next to me. This place is really weird. After reading that newspaper just now, I feel like my eyesight has lowered. Can I claim compensation for damages?
In-sae flinched at my gaze. While I was thinking about something else for a moment, In-sae covered my eyes with his hand. If I remove this hand, ta-da, a pigeon will appear before my eyes—is he going to show me that kind of performance? In-sae’s sudden action and strange atmosphere are unfamiliar.
“Why are you covering my eyes? It’s dark.”
In-sae was thinking about something, so he didn’t remove his hand despite my words. I can’t see anything in front because of his hand. I wish he’d give me some kind of answer. It’s scary because the surroundings suddenly became silent.
Should I shake this off or not? While I was pondering, In-sae didn’t even answer why he covered my eyes and said something else.
“Did you reject the love letter?”
‘How did he know it was a love letter? He’s quick to catch on too.’
Originally, if you make excuses in situations like this, suspicions only increase. I should be honest and say I rejected it. I don’t know why he’s so wary of the love letter—at this rate, I’ll misunderstand that In-sae is jealous of that person.
“Yeah, I rejected it.”
“I see.”
It’s a strangely happy-sounding voice. In-sae lowered the hand that had been covering my eyes.
“Why were you sticking so close?”
I asked while looking at In-sae’s face that had come right up to my nose. Our faces are just about to bump into each other. If he hadn’t answered, we would have bumped foreheads.
“It just happened.”
True. It would look strange to just extend your hand from afar to cover someone’s eyes. I accepted this and asked a different question.
“So why did you cover my eyes?”
“I covered them because you were staring.”
Will he die if my gaze touches him? You guys always stare at me all the time and you react like this? He’s incomprehensible even when I think I understand.
In-sae leisurely stepped back slowly. It feels like there’s been a lot more affectionate expressions lately. Last time with Hee-ae too.
“Shi-dan!”
He hugged me from behind like this and surprised me. Because it’s me, I just let it pass even if he hugs me from behind—if it were someone else, they would have long since misunderstood.
Hee-ae is growing taller day by day like this, so later he’ll even reach the ceiling. Is he 180cm now?
In-sae grabbed my wrist and pulled me. Thanks to In-sae, when I escaped from Hee-ae’s embrace, Hee-ae made a disappointed expression. Then he showed interest in the newspaper I was holding.
“What’s that paper you’re holding? It’s a newspaper. Actions perfect for being misunderstood…?”
“Some kid said he heard a rumor about me and gave it to me.”
Hee-ae took the newspaper, examined it, and returned it to me. He spoke sternly as if giving a warning.
“Right. Don’t do the actions in here to other people.”
Wasn’t the first thing prohibition on smiling at just anyone? Starting today, I’m banned from smiling. Hee-ae bent his head forward and whispered in my ear.
“You can do it to me.”
“What’s with that?”
It’s completely arbitrary. Having heard the whisper, In-sae gripped my wrist even tighter.
“I don’t mind either.”
My friends, do you enjoy being misunderstood? If you dance right now, you could easily be misunderstood. I smiled at In-sae’s words and tried to enter the classroom.
“Aren’t you going into the classroom?”
I asked, puzzled that Hee-ae wasn’t following and was just standing still. Hee-ae looked at In-sae with determined eyes.
“In-sae, let’s talk for a moment.”
In-sae, who had been about to enter the classroom, came back out to the hallway. I let the two talk for a moment and entered the classroom first. Inside the classroom, kids were gathered in a circle around Cho-yeon.
“No matter how I look at it, I used up all my luck today. To think that Han Cho-yeon would have a conversation with us.”
Fan club kids from who knows where wiped their tears with handkerchiefs. It’s heartwarming to see Cho-yeon mixing with the kids and talking.
By the way, the Five Fake Kings are holding out better than expected. To think they’ve been making those 5 people not come to school for days while trying to catch them—they must have good skills.
Having noticed my presence, Cho-yeon turned around. He wrapped up the story he was telling.
“Anyway, I never did that.”
“Really? I thought it was true that you subdued the fangs of a viper who dared not know their place by verbal sparring.”
I heard that rumor too. Are you saying it was a false rumor? I feel betrayed because I thought that story might be true until now. Cho-yeon said with an absurd expression.
“Who on earth? It’s a false rumor.”
“Your speaking skills are so good that I thought it was real.”
I also naturally participated in the conversation while praising Cho-yeon. Cho-yeon crossed his arms and said.
“Do you think I’m that violent?”
You throwing cushions or pillows at me with a reddened face is daily life. Even now, with a suddenly reddened face, you seem to be pondering whether to throw your pencil case at me while fanning yourself with your hand. Should I throw it or not, should I throw it or not?
In the end, Cho-yeon, who took his hand off the pencil case, fixed his gaze on me. If you keep doing this, I’ll take it as a challenge to a staring contest.
As Cho-yeon stared intently only at me, one of the classmates asked.
“Wh-what are you doing…”
“I was staring because Yu Shi-dan’s eyes are fascinating.”
At someone’s question, Cho-yeon jumped up and shouted. Good kids are indeed fascinating—they responded with innocent smiles. Like this, he’s not the school celebrity Han Cho-yeon but an ordinary kid Han Cho-yeon.
“What’s that newspaper you’re holding?”
“I’m so happy that Han Cho-yeon is interested in something like this. It’s… Actions Perfect for Being Misunderstood, Don’t Do This?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
