Cho-yeon said.
“I’ll give you a grace period, so show me you’re reflecting. Are we going to make the atmosphere awkward when we have to do a group project anyway?”
“That’s right, we have to do the group project. What if the sadness of unrequited love ruins our whole project?”
Hee-ae responded to Cho-yeon’s words. Hee-ae was responding when he muttered to himself.
“When I confessed, saying I’d make you like me too was a bit of a bluff. I didn’t think it would really happen, so why did it happen?”
Hee-ae started thinking seriously. Perhaps In-sae heard Hee-ae’s mutterings, as he looked back at me and said.
“I told you not to look at the sea with me.”
Did In-sae say something like that during the school trip?
“How far did you predict?”
I’m the person involved, but something is progressing on its own, leaving me out. The three decided on their own to resolve things properly after the group project was over. My objections didn’t work and everyone pretended not to hear.
I thought this. Even these three would eventually get tired of being conscious of each other. No matter how I thought about it, it was their loss.
Regardless, as soon as the conclusion was reached, In-sae left without listening to my counterarguments anymore. Hee-ae also left me behind the same way, and Cho-yeon was about to leave when he hesitated for a moment. I muttered to myself.
“I feel like everything I thought was common sense has become meaningless.”
“Basic common sense? The original work was like that from the start, so what do you expect? Common sense hasn’t worked here for a long time.”
Cho-yeon answered my muttering. How would I know what the original novel is? Did the original protagonist go around juggling ten relationships? I should ask him to tell me what the content is later.
I answered without even looking at Cho-yeon.
“The original is the original and I’m me. Just because the original protagonist juggled several relationships, do I have to do that too?”
“Someone kept teasing me saying ‘this is inside a novel, abandon common sense~’.”
In case anyone might hear, Cho-yeon came close and spoke quietly. I was about to retort that the current situation and that were separate things but stopped. I looked around and asked Cho-yeon something I’d been curious about.
“Are you doing this because I’m a fellow possessor?”
“The reason I first started talking with you was because of that, so it’s not without influence.”
“Because we possessed into the same novel?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It was more so because my family isn’t here either.”
Cho-yeon answered while brushing off his hands with an unimpressed expression. When Cho-yeon’s family came up, I didn’t say more and stopped the conversation.
I started blaming Cho-yeon.
“Han Cho-yeon. There’s a reason for the saying ‘words become seeds,’ you know? You kept teasing about three-timing, and it ended up actually happening.”
Cho-yeon let out an empty laugh as if dumbfounded. I continued thinking about the three people. I couldn’t quite understand them. I wasn’t someone worth clinging to that much.
“The kids will curse at how ridiculous this is too.”
I said while holding my forehead. Cho-yeon seemed to have decided not to leave the classroom after all. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and answered.
“The other kids won’t care at all. You should have worried about that months ago. It’s already been months since the three of them started liking you at the same time.”
I thought it was over, but Cho-yeon added one last comment.
“Everyone said they seem to have reached enlightenment.”
I went out of the classroom in frustration. Outside was noisy because of the Five Great Kings. As Cho-yeon tried to say something more, I blocked his words by rambling praise for the Five Great Kings.
“Today and tomorrow, they shine unchangingly. Why aren’t they going to space and becoming stars?”
“You’re working hard.”
Cho-yeon said half-heartedly. It’s fun to see the reactions of nearby friends who know it’s acting, so I keep doing it more. He checked if the Five Great Kings had all left and then imitated me.
“Ah, I saw the noble visage of the Five Great Kings and was at a loss for words. I barely opened my mouth and only these words came out. That face is not something a human can have.”
“Cho-yeon. What did you just say?”
I doubted my ears. Even if it was a joke, I couldn’t believe these words came from Cho-yeon’s mouth. I stared at Cho-yeon blankly in shock and bewilderment. He shook his head and said.
“I tried doing what you always do. Seeing your expression, I understand what fun you get from it.”
I think this is the importance of putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. Cho-yeon, who had been watching me from the side, must have felt this way. Cho-yeon was laughing at me when embarrassment about what he had done seemed to rush over him belatedly. He made a sullen expression and said.
“I’ll never praise them again.”
Cho-yeon brushed off his foot once. I made a proud expression, saying that not just anyone can do praise. Then I realized I was too close to Cho-yeon.
I clenched and unclenched my hands several times as if my body would stiffen. Cho-yeon stopped laughing and made a puzzled expression. I avoided his blue eyes and just looked at the equally blue window.
As I recalled Cho-yeon’s praise, I laughed again. I confirmed there was no one around. And I said quietly as if there was no other choice.
“I should quit the praise. I recently stopped the acting of praising the Five Great Kings because it was hard.”
“The Five Great Kings just heard that and left.”
Cho-yeon tried to scare me. I answered in a small voice with a smile.
“They already know. It’ll be fine even if they hear.”
Cho-yeon stopped walking and looked to the side.
“That just now was a lie. But someone really did pass by over there.”
“Wow, me. This acting really almost fooled me. Let’s stop.”
“Am I you? Would I joke around and lie about something like this?”
Cho-yeon turned direction as if surprised. When I followed Cho-yeon, I saw one fan club member ahead. The fan club member pointed at me and asked.
“I think I vaguely heard something while coming, is your praise of the Five Great Kings all acting?”
“No, I thought of something while praising the Five Great Kings—those people should become actors and act.”
I answered quickly. Cho-yeon lightly patted my back, saying I tried hard. The fan club president nearby came running, and it seemed things would get troublesome.
He repeated several times asking what on earth acting meant. Hee-ae, who was beside me, shouted in an obviously contrived tone.
“I think you heard wrong. I was always next to him and it didn’t seem like acting.”
Hee-ae’s words were immediately blocked. The kids scolded Hee-ae, saying he should know how to suspect people.
In-sae also appeared.
“In-sae, explain for me. Would I dare act while praising the Five Great Kings?”
“You didn’t.”
In-sae answered as soon as he spoke. I had always trusted In-sae and knew he would take my side like this. The kids wavered at In-sae’s clean answer.
“He was bribed.”
“That’s right.”
The kids started ganging up. Only then did I realize the kids were mostly teasing me. I should feel relieved that it wasn’t a serious interrogation.
Lee Seung expressed his miserable feelings, saying he didn’t expect this from an honorary member. Of course, I never became an honorary member or anything like that. It’s already been several weeks since I started skipping fan club activities, so being on the verge of expulsion is more accurate.
I was fortunate to have finished talking with the Five Great Kings before. Even if it’s a simple joke, when rumors spread, people think the joke is real.
The kids chattered wildly. I started to get gradually scared of the fan club kids hovering around. Hee-ae, who approached me, kept smiling with a disheveled face. He seemed troubled by the kids. He linked arms with me and said.
“The fan club will absolutely not disband. Got it?”
“Hee-ae? What are you doing right now?”
“Don’t disband…… Seo Lee Seung only said this all day today.”
Hee-ae returned to his original tone and said. Perhaps tired, he almost leaned on me completely. I stopped myself from habitually reaching for Hee-ae’s hair.
Hee-ae voluntarily placed my hand on his head. I hesitated uncharacteristically, then removed my hand and asked.
“Did something happen to the Five Great Kings?”
“Other high schools formed an alliance and challenged…… I don’t think I need to tell you. The kids are distracted by other things so they’re not doing fan club activities well. That’s probably why.”
Hee-ae took out his phone. Why would Hee-ae, who rarely touches his phone at school, be doing this? Is today an exception?
Hee-ae even tilted the screen so I could see his phone screen. Several messages were piled up in his message box.
“But what are these texts? Don’t use this kind of speech.”
“All the kids use it, why?”
Hee-ae opened his eyes wide in curiosity. I read the messages.
“‘Hi-ru bang-ga-bang-ga,’ ‘hello-sam’—what era are these from?”
Hee-ae laughed loudly. Even though this is inside an internet novel, aren’t these slightly outdated phrases? Hee-ae folded his phone again and put it in his pocket. I looked at Hee-ae’s haggard face and asked.
“But did you stay up late studying yesterday?”
“I did sleep late. Of course, I didn’t only study.”
Hee-ae answered. He grimaced when he said the word study. I don’t know if Hee-ae hates or likes studying. He seemed to dislike talking more about studying.
Hee-ae looked at the kids and asked.
“Should we run away and come back when the kids calm down?”
“Let’s not voluntarily become prey.”
I decided to treat whatever happened around me with indifference. The kids were already gradually shifting their attention elsewhere anyway. I vented my frustration to Hee-ae.
“Why are they like this to just one ordinary fan club member? Is this worth making such a fuss and being surprised about?”
“The weight of the excessive praise Shi-dan has done until now? It’s because exam period comes after the group project ends.”
Hee-ae answered. Even if it’s exam period, is it okay to be like that? The kids seem to be overreacting. Hee-ae was also looking at the kids strangely.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
