# Chapter 5. Apple Juice Was Sweet Even Without Tasting It
‘I wonder how many kids know Yeonho’s phone number?’
How many does he actually exchange messages with? At school, Yeonho is the only one who knows my number. Ah, the homeroom teacher knows it too.
Anyway, I was no longer just one of the 34 kids in the class. Even if Yeonho and I end up in different classes next year, I could remain one of those who know his phone number. Somehow, I felt like my status had been elevated.
“You’re smiling well, our Seungwoo.”
Yeonho actually said “our” Seungwoo. I bit the inside of my cheek hard to hide the corners of my mouth that were trying to rise uncontrollably, trying not to smile more.
These days, Yeonho stuck to me whenever he had time.
Even now, as soon as the third period ended and break time began, Yeonho had taken the seat of the kid who sits in front of me (who’d rushed to the school store), and while fiddling with his phone, he said that—I don’t know when he’d noticed me. Yeonho definitely has eyes on his sides, back, and even on top of his head. I pretended I wasn’t doing anything.
“Anyone who sees you would think you two are dating.”
Kim Jungwoo, who called himself Yeonho’s best friend, grumbled as he pulled a chair next to my desk and sat down. He was sulking because Yeonho had been “stolen” by me. He has serious delusions.
Even so, it’s all Yeonho’s choice, so it’s useless to complain to me.
‘Well, I guess it’s natural since he doesn’t really know the real Yeonho?’
Kim Jungwoo stared at my face with his elbows on the desk and his chin resting on his hands. It was like he was evaluating me. Things like whether I was good enough to be by Yeonho’s side, or if I was someone who should be kept away. Anyone would think he was Yeonho’s personal manager.
I don’t like Kim Jungwoo very much. His behavior is questionable, his so-called girlfriend who visits our class every day changes frequently, and he’s the one who gossips about Yeonho receiving confessions as if they’re his own business.
Last time, he made a big fuss about a guy from another school confessing to Yeonho, then urged Yeonho to accept it once, saying he was curious about it.
There really is no one worse.
I wonder if the guy who confessed to Yeonho knows that Kim Jungwoo is spreading his business around? He must have gathered enormous courage, but unfortunately, he got caught up with such a big mouth… really pitiful.
Anyway, just from that, Kim Jungwoo was like a germ that brought nothing but bad influence to Yeonho, far from being beneficial. He would surely tempt innocent Yeonho to go out with girls, show off, and do all kinds of bad things.
Even though we’d never talked since becoming classmates, I had already formed the perception that he was an unparalleled villain in the world. Somehow, his face seemed to have malice plastered all over it. It seems like Yeonho gets along with even this kind of person as a friend, but I wish he wouldn’t.
While both he and I were silently staring at each other’s faces, Yeonho spoke.
“Seungwoo-ya, do you know him?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? We’re in the same class, of course he knows me. Right?”
Kim Jungwoo hit my arm pretending to be friendly. He was as big as Yeonho, so it hurt quite a bit. I frowned and nodded.
How could I not know you, you villain.
“I thought you only looked at me.”
At Yeonho’s words, which were lower than before, I turned my head away from looking at Kim Jungwoo.
Yeonho was staring at me with his lips turned down askew. That face looked so cute, like he was sulking.
I can’t say that I couldn’t help but know him after looking at you… Wait, is Yeonho sulking?
“Ah, no… I…”
“What, it really seems like you’re dating, it’s giving me the creeps. Hey, are you gay?”
Kim Jungwoo said with an unpleasant smile. It was a worthless comment, but I shook my head frantically, afraid that Yeonho might misunderstand. Kim Jungwoo said something stupid like strong denial is actually affirmation, but I wish he would just shut up.
“Stop it, you’re making me dizzy.”
Yeonho covered my ears with both hands. Wouldn’t this cause misunderstandings if Kim Jungwoo saw us touching like this? Worried about that, I rolled my eyes to look at Kim Jungwoo while my head was held, but for some reason, this time he had his mouth firmly shut.
It seems like he’s watching Yeonho’s reaction too…
“You keep getting distracted.”
I was about to say that’s not it, but the bell signaling the start of class rang. Our Korean teacher, who must have been waiting outside, came in right away and tapped the blackboard, telling everyone to sit down.
Kim Jungwoo quickly got up and returned to his seat, and Yeonho also stood up…
“Let’s have lunch together later.”
Yeonho’s hand brushed my cheek again. Now he touched me as he pleased. He’d done it three times just today.
‘Was Yeonho always so touchy with others?’
I couldn’t remember well. As if under hypnosis, I thought only of Yeonho throughout the entire class period, making the teacher’s voice explaining the midterm exam content sound as tiny as an ant.
‘When did Yeonho become a hypnotist?’
Ah, I’m going crazy. My ear hurt, which seemed to indicate that I was getting a fever again. I covered my left ear, the direction where Yeonho’s seat was, to hide it.
That day’s lunch was pea rice, soybean paste soup, stir-fried potato strips, cubed radish kimchi, and Vienna sausages. For dessert, there was milk and apples, which Yeonho had said tasted good. When I sat with Yeonho at the same table in the cafeteria, all eyes were on us. That was expected.
‘Because Yeonho has never eaten with someone like me before…’
With stares that seemed to be wondering who I was, I couldn’t tell whether the food was going into my mouth or my nose. Actually, it was more because Yeonho was staring at me so much.
Near our table, besides Yeonho, there were Kim Jungwoo and his girlfriend, as well as the kids I saw in the old building. As I had noticed from afar, Yeonho was mostly just listening rather than talking. Later, when I saw Yeonho’s gaze fixed on me, I realized he wasn’t listening to their conversation.
I was certain when I saw Kim Jungwoo excitedly asking Yeonho something, and he responded that he didn’t know. Somehow, I felt a bit smug and my lips, which had been closed, might have twitched a bit—I wonder if Yeonho saw that too?
Since Yeonho kept staring at me, I barely finished lunch, which left a lot of time. I was drinking milk in the classroom, which I had already had at home this morning, when I heard Yeonho, who had briefly gone somewhere else, calling me, and I looked up.
“Are you drinking milk so diligently to grow taller?”
Yeonho giggled and rubbed the corner of my mouth. He was probably wiping off some milk that was there.
Was Yeonho always this kind? Ah, yes. I think he was.
I hadn’t particularly thought about height, but when standing next to Yeonho, the difference was so great that it was hard to see his face, so growing a bit taller might be good.
I pulled my head back to avoid Yeonho’s hand, which was still rubbing the corner of my mouth, and wiped my chin roughly with my sleeve.
Otherwise, it felt too ticklish to bear.
“Seungwoo-ya.”
Yeonho squatted next to my desk and rested both arms on it. He rested his head there and looked up at me slightly askew.
‘Looking at me as if I’m so loveable…’
You’ve gone crazy, Park Seungwoo. Why are you thinking like that on your own?! Surprised by my own thoughts, I tightly gripped the milk carton I was holding. Fortunately, there wasn’t much content left, so nothing spilled out.
“Shall we kiss again?”
“…Are you cr—”
Are you crazy??? I covered Yeonho’s mouth with my hand, a look of shock on my face, and quickly looked around. I didn’t know my reflexes were this fast. Fortunately, since it was still lunchtime, most students were either out on the playground or at the school store, so not many were left in the classroom. Everyone seemed focused on their own business and didn’t appear to have heard Yeonho’s crazy words.
“…!!”
No, I was the one who felt like I was going crazy. Yeonho grabbed my wrist and was rubbing his lips on my palm as he pleased.
“…S-stop it… If the others see…”
What’s wrong with him? I twisted and pulled my hand to free it from Yeonho’s grasp, but his hand didn’t budge at all.
‘Does everything he eats turn into strength?’
Yeonho completely covered the back of my hand and interlaced his fingers with mine. Every joint in my hand curled involuntarily when Yeonho’s lips touched our intertwined fingers. It was the first time I felt such a chilling sensation. It was a slightly different feeling from kissing, but wherever Yeonho was touching felt as hot as if burned. Feeling like I might get a burn if it continued any longer, I shook my arm vigorously, but the more I did that, the tighter Yeonho gripped my hand, enjoying it.
“…Ugh…”
I had no intention of competing with Yeonho in strength, and it was becoming too difficult to endure, so I pushed Yeonho’s forehead with all my might as he was laughing with narrowed eyes, as if teasing me.
“Ow, ow, ow…”
Yeonho, who had been resisting a bit, finally released my hand, feigning pain.
I don’t know if it’s good or bad for health when your heart beats this wildly—they say blood circulates faster.
The back of my hand that had been held by Yeonho was red. My face was probably the same, as Yeonho tapped my cheek and said:
“You were whining like a puppy, which made me want to tease you. Sorry.”
If he teases me a second time, I might kill someone.
Looking at this, it seems like other people’s stares are really not an issue for Yeonho. Even if someone had actually seen us, Yeonho didn’t seem like he would bat an eye.
I lowered my hands under the desk and clasped them tightly together, afraid that Yeonho might grab my hand again. My clasped hands were very hot, perhaps because the heat had transferred.
Doing whatever he wanted once was enough. I spoke very firmly to ensure Yeonho wouldn’t do this again.
“…D-don’t do this from now on.”
“Will you be angry if I say I don’t want to stop?”
Me, getting angry at Yeonho?
I tried to imagine it briefly, but such a thing could never happen. It’s not just me. Who could ever get angry at Yeonho?
“…No.”
“You like me too much.”
“…”
For the first time, I thought Yeonho was annoying. I don’t know how he can be so confident about whether I like him or not.
‘…Did I tell Yeonho that I liked him?’
Suddenly, I remembered saying something like that because I felt awkward continuing to interact with Yeonho.
But how does he know if it was sincere or not?
Yeonho eventually didn’t say he wouldn’t do it again. Yeonho, who seemed to not consider others’ positions at all, took away my crumpled milk carton and instead placed apple juice in my hand. He said it was because I ate the apple well earlier. I carefully put it in my bag.
“Aren’t you going to drink it?”
“…I-I’m saving it for later…”
Yeonho didn’t say anything more and just smiled.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
