I said in a light tone.
“I can’t even make excuses anymore. While talking with In-sae, I made a slip of the tongue and said it was the place I originally was.”
I lowered my voice while smiling and continued.
“No excuses worked at all. I didn’t want to keep lying. So I said everything except that I possessed someone.”
I turned my gaze to empty space.
“I said I came here while organizing books, and their expression.”
I now spoke almost in a whisper. My voice kept getting smaller. Cho-yeon, who somehow heard my words well, fell silent.
“Don’t say any more.”
“It is hard to believe though.”
I said as if whispering while sitting on the edge of a chair.
The classroom was empty, with only Cho-yeon and me. Cho-yeon, who had been lying face down on the desk as if trying to sleep, turned his head to the side.
“So you said that, with your own mouth.”
“I don’t know why I did that either.”
I said bitterly. I think I decided too hastily because of anxiety that I might be found out someday. I wonder if it would have been better not to say anything after all.
“Still, it’s fortunate I have someone to talk to.”
I smiled while looking at Cho-yeon.
“Since we’re both possessors… It’s my fault for reading that internet novel. Possessing a villain and only getting into fights.”
Cho-yeon, who had been speaking, blamed himself in a tired voice in the middle and buried his face in the desk. Fellow possessors, somehow those were words that remained deeply in my heart.
Will there be a day when I tell Cho-yeon that he was also a character? Lying to Cho-yeon and pretending not to know, I felt a familiar sense of guilt. I answered more exaggeratedly.
“It’s because you have a bad impression. From the first time I saw you, I thought, ‘Han Cho-yeon is definitely a villain.'”
“Yeah yeah, it’s all my fault. You look like bland soup.”
He muttered while pointing his finger.
“You shouldn’t have read that novel either. You possessed someone and only made them go through all kinds of hardships.”
Isn’t the one who actually suffered Cho-yeon himself? I smiled at Cho-yeon’s words. Cho-yeon looked around and asked in a small voice.
“You said you read the novel roughly? What did you say you remember?”
“The Five Great Kings and you, the end?”
I answered while counting on my fingers. Cho-yeon scolded me with a subtly pleased expression.
“You even forgot the title but why do you remember me? Even though it’s always the same answer, it’s absurd.”
“I remember because you appear in the beginning.”
I threw cold water on it for no reason. Cho-yeon objected.
“Do you remember the female lead? Didn’t you say you couldn’t even remember her name?”
“Strangely, I couldn’t memorize it.”
“And yet you remember a villain who briefly appeared and exited. That’s why I doubted at first whether you read the same novel as me. But, you’re just a spacey kid, right?”
Cho-yeon smiled slightly while speaking. My heart grew heavier at Cho-yeon’s words.
“You trust me too much.”
“That’s why you’re getting suspected. Look at this, look at you talking suspiciously.”
Cho-yeon said while throwing a pencil case. Now people were gradually starting to fill the classroom. We stopped our conversation and killed time chatting idly.
It was while I was sitting on Cho-yeon’s desk blankly staring into space.
“By the way, are you by any chance a goldfish?”
Cho-yeon, who had been looking at me for a few seconds, suddenly asked. He was frowning. It was when I was retracing whether I had just made a mistake. Cho-yeon said something unexpected.
“Sometimes I don’t understand. Did you by any chance forget that I confessed?”
“How can you say that? I remember it so clearly that it’s a big problem.”
I recalled that day that I still remember vividly. Just thinking about it drains all my energy. I waved my hand with a tired expression.
“Before, you at least were conscious of it, but these days you touch me so casually, that’s why I’m saying this.”
“What’s wrong with touching you a bit?”
I said while poking Cho-yeon’s arm. Cho-yeon said sarcastically.
“I’m a friend, is that what you’re saying?”
“You are?”
I immediately asked back. Recently, I’ve never thought of the three of them as purely friends. Moreover, after the sports festival, I started getting even more confused. Rather, it seems to get more complicated as days go by.
Cho-yeon observed my expression and let out a sigh of relief. He removed my finger and said.
“Now you definitely don’t seem to think of me as just a friend. Then what is this?”
I was just doing it for no reason. I deliberately didn’t answer. A little later, Hee-ae and In-sae entered the classroom. I prepared to return to my seat.
“The teacher won’t come for a long time, yet you’re already making a fuss about leaving.”
Cho-yeon said while pointing at the clock. At Cho-yeon’s words, I decided to play a bit more before leaving.
I momentarily made eye contact with In-sae. My heart felt a pang and I avoided their eyes. Since last time, I haven’t been able to talk properly with In-sae. I think I need to have a proper conversation soon.
I barely stopped myself from becoming gloomy. I was just playing with Cho-yeon’s hand for no reason. After doing that for a while, Cho-yeon said something.
“Let go, let go. These days you don’t listen even when I tell you to let go.”
I didn’t answer and just smiled. Cho-yeon raised his hand as if to shake me off, then lowered it.
“I’m really telling you to let go?”
Cho-yeon was half angry. I obediently let go and moved away. I was a bit depressed so I tried to fool around a bit, what a shame.
“I really don’t know what you’re doing. If someone sees this, they’ll think you like me too.”
Cho-yeon said in a self-deprecating tone. It felt like that would absolutely never happen. I tried to laugh loudly and say why are you like that.
“……”
Instead of words, only a smile came out. I was flustered at myself and froze. Cho-yeon was flustered at my unexpected reaction.
“I didn’t say that for you to react like that, what are you doing now?”
“No, I was so flustered that I was momentarily speechless.”
I barely answered. Cho-yeon shouted.
“Why are you flustered?”
“Hey, should I go to my seat?”
I pointed at my seat with my finger and prepared to leave. Hee-ae looked at me and Cho-yeon as if surprised. He stood up and said quietly.
“But you played around with me like that a lot too. Then what does that mean?”
“I’m telling you I’m going to my seat?”
I ran to my seat and sat down. I couldn’t calm down because I was so surprised. I closed my eyes tightly then opened them and explained further.
“I was just flustered, just flustered.”
“I already misunderstood, what should I do?”
Hee-ae smiled brightly. I naturally thought he’d say he didn’t misunderstand. Hee-ae seems to have decided to just think whatever he wants.
Hee-ae covered his ears and sat down. I regretted and blamed myself for why I couldn’t answer. I should have just pretended it was nothing and moved on.
After calming down a bit, I looked around. Cho-yeon was still lying down twitching as if the shock hadn’t worn off. In-sae was observing me and the kids, and Hee-ae looked happy.
***
“There was no point avoiding this. What did I do?”
I discovered In-sae walking from afar and muttered.
“I forgot. After-school activities…”
Anyway, everyone gathers together during after-school activities. I tried to manage my expression. In-sae saw me and greeted me. I also awkwardly greeted In-sae.
“Ah, Cho-yeon.”
A hand suddenly touched my shoulder. Naturally thinking it was Cho-yeon, I called out the name. I thought Cho-yeon would answer, but strangely he didn’t say anything. Something was odd.
“Was it Hee-ae?”
When I turned around, Hee-ae was looking at me with a hurt expression. He removed his hand from my shoulder and complained.
“Did you just mistake me for someone else? Without even turning around.”
“Well, Hee-ae, you call out ‘Shi-dan’ first. You don’t just silently place your hand.”
“I used to call you like this a lot before too. Can’t help it if you forgot. Well, anyone can call someone by the wrong name.”
Hee-ae said somewhat meaningfully. I smiled awkwardly and asked.
“Are you sulking?”
“Come back in about 10 seconds.”
Hee-ae said in a voice that still couldn’t hide his laughter, unlike his cold expression. Not 10 minutes but 10 seconds, what’s that even about? I can’t understand. Hee-ae quietly counted to 10.
“…10. Now come back.”
He grabbed me and dragged me to the seat next to him. I talked briefly with Hee-ae and waited for the rest of the kids.
“Look outside. The autumn leaves will fall soon.”
Hee-ae pointed outside the window. I followed Hee-ae’s hand and looked out the window. Red-stained leaves were swaying in the wind. Hee-ae sat in his chair and gently swung his feet as if happy.
There weren’t many noisy kids at the right time, so the surroundings were quiet. That’s why it was comfortable. For the first time in a while, I didn’t feel guilty.
“Everyone’s here now. Let’s begin.”
When Cho-yeon, In-sae, and the rest of the kids arrived, the teacher looked around and spoke. The moment I saw those two, my heart wavered again. I still couldn’t take responsibility for the lies I told.
I barely held back wanting to tell both of them it was all lies. It wasn’t the right time yet. When I finally tell the truth, I didn’t have the confidence to look at their faces.
“Today is really simple too, right? I deliberately brought only easy things.”
The teacher said while walking around. I tried to avert my eyes from my disastrous cooking. A rough name would be something like Twisted Mold Spores of the Underworld.
I had idle thoughts and waited until the teacher finished speaking. Soon the teacher was about to greet us and go home.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
