“You shouldn’t do that right in front of someone, you know? Look, he even paid for our meal today. He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”
“…Well, if you say so.”
Before I knew it, Min Siheon had stepped right up to Go Heemin and gave him a small bow. Then he extended his hand, offering a handshake.
Startled, Go Heemin hurriedly clasped his hand. Watching their hands lightly shake for a moment made my breath catch for no reason. Ah, this is awkward. I decided to get out of here as quickly as possible.
Up until now, I hadn’t realized it because I’d been standing on the sidelines while Kang Taeyoon and Go Heemin waged their ridiculous romantic war. But it seemed I’d been right in the eye of the storm.
To be honest, I couldn’t exactly say I was happy about the new relationship forming before my eyes.
“Thanks for the food. I’ll get going, then.”
“Yeah. See you.”
After the somewhat awkward handshake ended, Min Siheon turned away first. Judging by the tight grip he had on my shoulder, it seemed he’d been nervous too.
There didn’t seem to be anything more to say, and I felt like my role here was finished.
I’d ended up getting involved in their first meeting and helping things along, but I had no intention of becoming deeply tied to the story itself. I gave Go Heemin a casual wave and stepped out of the restaurant.
“Heemin, I’m heading out.”
“I’ll call you later.”
“Sure.”
Min Siheon, who had been striding down the stairs in long steps, glanced down at me from right beside me. I followed him out of the building, sensing his unspoken satisfaction.
Maybe because we’d spent quite a while inside the restaurant, the sun had already begun to set. I watched the sunset tint Min Siheon’s brown hair with a deeper glow before speaking.
“Thanks for the meal today. I’ll pay next time.”
“No, I was the one who insisted we eat. And this.”
At that, Min Siheon suddenly held his phone out in front of my face. Come to think of it, we’d never properly exchanged contact information before.
Our relationship had formed purely by chance encounters. Suddenly, I thought that even if I didn’t get tangled up in their love story, maybe I should at least remain as a fellow classmate.
More than anything, it felt strange seeing Min Siheon—who had been moving cautiously like he was shy—take such initiative the moment he met Go Heemin.
Well, if I wanted to help him talk more with that guy, it’d be better if I stayed in the middle. I’d grown fairly fond of him too, so I decided to keep things as a decent friendship and calmly typed in my number.
“That’s my number. Save it.”
“Okay.”
Min Siheon even called it to double-check. Watching him, I lifted my phone and looked at the eleven digits now stored there.
***
Was it because of Go Heemin? After that day, Min Siheon’s attitude seemed different somehow. We used to just exchange greetings in passing, but now it felt like we were meeting more directly.
A few days later, a gathering was arranged with Go Heemin and Kang Taeyoon—who usually hung out together—as well as Min Siheon.
We were all in the same year and the same department, so it was meant to be a casual meet-up to get acquainted.
Excluding Yoo In-ho, who said he’d join later, the four of us met up first.
As we sat in an empty lecture room and I glanced around, I caught Go Heemin sneaking looks at me. Behind him, Kang Taeyoon sat as usual with an indifferent expression, looking faintly displeased.
Go Heemin still hasn’t let that go, huh. In fact, right before this meet-up, there had been some concern on his end.
He’d said he would call after the meal, and he actually did.
—Hey, are you really going to get close to him?
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
—I’m just worried. I know what you’re like, and it feels like you let him into your circle too easily.
He hadn’t said much at the restaurant, but Go Heemin was clearly wary of Min Siheon. The biggest problem was that I was the one he chose to vent that to. You bastards. Leave me out of this. It was giving me a headache.
In this situation, I was the one stuck in the most awkward position. I didn’t even know the original novel in detail, and yet the story was already showing signs of going off track.
Honestly, whatever they did—fighting, flirting, whatever—had little to do with me. But as someone who had transmigrated into the book as a third party, I couldn’t help worrying about what might happen if the story derailed.
I was also concerned about Min Siheon, whom I’d grown fairly close to. I worried that because of me, he might not even get the chance to properly begin his connection with Go Heemin, the main bottom.
So I urged the worried Go Heemin to go through with this meeting. Kang Taeyoon was a bit of a concern, but if I framed it as just introducing my friend, I figured it would pass without major trouble.
The empty lecture room, cleared of other students, felt filled with nothing but chilly air. I could overlook Kang Taeyoon and even Min Siheon, who still seemed a bit reserved—but with Go Heemin, who usually acted as the mood-maker, being like this, that left only me.
Yoo In-ho, where the hell are you when I need you?
Even as I grumbled inwardly, I forced a smile and tried to keep the conversation flowing by bringing up common ground.
“Siheon, you know him, right? You saw him at the restaurant.”
“Yeah. …Go Heemin, was it?”
“That’s right. Tch, nice to see you again. Since it’s come to this, let’s get along.”
Hey, that tone says you’re not happy at all. Go Heemin let out a small sigh, shot me a glare, then made a resigned expression.
After sounding uncomfortable throughout our phone call last night, he’d finally answered as if conceding.
—Fine, you’ll handle it, I guess. He seemed to treat you well, at least.
“I don’t get it at all.”
—You’re so clueless when it comes to your own business.
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but it seemed like he was agreeing to go along with it since I was being firm.
Just as I was feeling relieved that I’d managed to smooth one thing over, I felt a cold gaze land somewhere on me.
Damn. The owner of that stare was Kang Taeyoon. His face clearly said he didn’t like Go Heemin’s attitude.
If you’ve got a problem, take it up with him. Instead of saying anything to the person you supposedly love, he redirected his resentment toward me, stuck in the middle.
It might be part of the burden of being an extra, but it still felt unfair.
Well, honestly, this wasn’t new. Every time Go Heemin’s social life seemed to be going well, Kang Taeyoon’s eyes would sharpen dangerously.
So this time, too, I decided to smooth things over casually. With a mild smile, I introduced them to each other again, and under the weight of my gaze, they reluctantly responded.
“That’s Kang Taeyoon. He’s been best friends with that brat Heemin since high school. Their classes overlap a lot, so you’ll probably see them as a one-plus-one set.”
“I see.”
“Hey, Kang Taeyoon. What are you, having a staring contest? You already knew Min Siheon, didn’t you? Say something.”
“…Yeah. Kang Taeyoon.”
“I’m Min Siheon.”
Their somewhat bleak exchange continued. Maybe guys labeled as tops or whatever just had worse social skills compared to their partners.
Then again, they weren’t the type to need to cater to others to get by.
Watching those bastards who were cruising down the highway of a successful life, I swallowed a sigh.
I thought I’d done enough just by getting them to meet face-to-face. That was when the lecture room door swung open, and the guy who would break this suffocating atmosphere finally appeared.
“You assholes, meeting here without me? If you knew I had class in the building down the hill, you could’ve come down there!”
“There he is.”
“About time.”
Panting, his face flushed red, was Yoo In-ho—the one Go Heemin and I had been waiting for.
They say if you’re oblivious, you’re brave. That fit him perfectly. Yoo In-ho, who could treat Kang Taeyoon and Min Siheon casually, was the savior who would thaw this frozen atmosphere.
He must’ve run all the way from the other building; his shirt was soaked in sweat as he flapped it for air. Even then, he didn’t stop talking, which meant my job here was finally over.
Relieved, I let my guard down. As I leaned back in my chair, Min Siheon’s long arm slipped around my shoulders.
Just before my back fully touched the chair, his arm slid in smoothly—an unfamiliar presence. He naturally adjusted his posture and pressed closer to my side.
“Hm? What.”
“You look tired.”
“Nosey. Thanks.”
As I answered, he tilted his head slightly downward. Min Siheon’s light brown hair fell over his face.
Even the smallest movement created a scene straight out of a photoshoot. I let out a quiet exclamation before noticing the strands covering his eyes.
The hair draped over his long lashes looked like it might poke his eyes. Without thinking, I raised my other hand and brushed his bangs aside.
Even with my hand suddenly approaching, Min Siheon didn’t startle easily. He simply closed his eyes and accepted what I was doing.
That was when I realized Min Siheon was much gentler than I’d thought.
The strange behavior I’d seen at the restaurant must have been a byproduct of the emotions that surfaced when he saw Go Heemin.
Before long, many things were bound to happen among these guys. And I would just step back like a supporting character in a novel and watch time flow by.
The parade of emotions I’d never experienced in my life felt simply fascinating. Love. It felt like something impossibly distant from me.
***
“…Jungwoo-ya?”
“…Huh?”
A firm shake at my shoulder snapped me back to my senses. The face in front of me was Min Siheon’s—slightly softer now than in my memories of the past.
Startled by his steady gaze fixed on me, I rubbed my face repeatedly.
When I didn’t respond to his calls, it seemed he’d gotten up and moved to the seat beside me. I wasn’t even sure when he’d cleared away the things he’d set down, and sitting here next to him now felt oddly awkward.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Hey, Cha Jung. Min Siheon called you like five times. Why are you spacing out?”
Yoo In-ho, without lifting his eyes from his laptop, voiced his confusion at me.
Did he really call me that many times? When I looked at Min Siheon, there were faint creases forming between his neat brows. The small marks on his pale, smooth skin felt strangely out of place.
Because he was leaning toward me, his bangs fell forward again, covering his eyes and obstructing his view.
“Your hair. …Ah, sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
For a moment, the scene overlapped with that time we’d met with Go Heemin and the others. Without realizing it, I reached out again. As I brushed his hair aside, Min Siheon closed his eyes just like before.
His fluttering lashes grazed my fingers, and feeling it, Min Siheon gave a ticklish smile.
You haven’t changed at all. A strange feeling stirred inside me. Something distant from reality—something hazy.
I quickly moved his hair away, then straightened up as if it were nothing and faced forward. With my movement, Min Siheon’s hand, which had been resting naturally on my shoulder, slipped away.
