Chapter 08
Seo Heejun, who had no choice but to hold the digestive medicine, muttered slowly.
“…Senior, at this point, you’re really being overprotective. Even the most loving parents wouldn’t treat their children like this.”
Well, if i were put in a situation where i had to start over because someone else was sick, i think i would do the same. It doesn’t have to be a parent or child, but anyone.
I rolled the rice in the soup, which was no longer steaming. Then i scooped up a spoonful and put it in my mouth.
______________
I walked out of the cafeteria side by side with Seo Heejun.
“Let’s go to your class. I’ll take you there.”
“Aren’t you trying to keep an eye on me rather than bring me here ?”
I secretly averted my eyes as i watched Seo Heejun slowly begin to figure me out.
“…Humble and humble.”
Seo Heejun laughed at the words, which he didn’t deny. He nodded, as if he were willing to be fooled.
As we were exchanging such meaningless conversation, a familiar silhouette approached from the other side of the hallway. I noticed her chestnut hair, fluttering in the air with every step.
Jung Dawon!
Female lead Jung Dawon was walking in the direction we were.
As soon as i recognized her identity, i hid behind Seo Heejun. Seo Heejun, with a surprised expression, half-turned to look at me.
“Senior ? What are you doing ?”
“Stay still, Seo Heejun.”
I returned Seo Heejun’s body to its original state. Still unable to comprehend the situation, he froze, and i poked his back.
“Do you remember the girl walking over there ?”
“Huh? Who is that…. Ah.”
Seo Heejun let out a small exclamation as he recalled the memory.
“Is that the kid i bumped into this morning ?”
“Yeah, that’s right. So go say hello.”
As she said that, she pushed Seo Heejun’s back hard. But he didn’t move, as if his feet were nailed to the ground.
Even if i tried to apply more force, it was the same. Seo Hee jun turned his head toward me, groaning and groaning.
“Why am i suddenly saying hello ?”
“Because the two of you need to become close.”
“Senior, do you know you’ve been saying strange things lately ?”
Only then did i take a quick look at Seo Heejun’s expression, feeling a pang of regret. It occurred to me that i had been pushing too hard, without any sense of direction.
He rolled his eyes and replied.
“The more friends you have, the better.”
“You told me earlier not to even make eye contact with other women.”
“That….”
“Huh ? That in the morning ?”
A sweet, sweet voice interrupted our conversation. Beyond Seo Heejun, i could sense the presence of someone who had suddenly become closer.
I desperately hoped Seo Heejun wouldn’t miss this opportunity, so i poked him in the ribs. He flinched, and reluctantly opened his mouth.
“…Hi.”
It was the long-awaited second meeting between the male and female leads. This time, i held my breath and listened intently to their conversation, hoping for a noticeable improvement.
Jung Dawon opened her eyes wide at Seo Hee-jun’s somewhat unexpected greeting and smiled awkwardly.
“Oh, hello.”
“…….”
And silence followed. The heavy atmosphere, where no one could speak or turn away, was a far cry from the thrilling encounter between the male and female leads.
I swallowed a sigh, snuggled up against his back, and lifted my heel. Then i carefully patted Seo Hee-jun on the back.
“Make a statement. Make a statement.”
She whispered in a small voice that only Seo Hee-jun could hear. Even so, she spoke again into his unmoving ear.
“Seo Heejun, tell me your name.”
Seo Hee-jun, who had been keeping his mouth shut, finally spoke slowly at my urging.
“…I’m Seo Heejun. We met this morning, right ?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m Jung Dawon.”
Once again, the gloomy silence continued.
‘This isn’t some child’s play.’
I pressed my eyebrows together, unconsciously furrowing them in frustration, and opened them. Still, i felt a sense of pride at how quickly we had become acquainted and even friendly.
It might sound like a child’s play, or like a shy kindergartener’s self-introduction. Either way, the fact that we were imprinted in each other’s minds was deeply meaningful.
Since it had come to this, i thought it would be a good idea to try as much as i could.
“Seo Heejun, Seo Heejun.”
I whispered to the back of Seo Heejun’s head, who didn’t answer.
“Ask for my phone number too. Naturally.”
Seo Heejun visibly stirred and sighed. Yet, he faithfully carried out my orders.
“Maybe i could give you my phone number….”
“Excuse me for interrupting. Who’s that person behind you ?”
Startled by Jung Dawon’s voice, i flinched and crouched even more, but that kind of response was meaningless in a situation where i had already been caught.
Seo Heejun stepped aside, exposing me to Jung Dawon. Exposed in that awkward position, i froze.
I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder. Seo Heejun, who had wrapped his arms around me, slightly raised the corners of his lips.
“He’s a senior i know.”
He wasn’t a close older brother, nor a close senior, just a senior i knew. It was Seo Heejun who had been overly friendly with me in the mere day since we’d truly gotten to know each other, and it was he who had been the first to approach me in the cafeteria. And now, if i said i wasn’t a little bothered by the fact that he was now drawing the line at “an acquaintance,” i’d be lying.
But there were no complaints.
‘You wouldn’t want to introduce a suspicious person like me to a woman who would become your lover, would you ?’
As i was trying to convince myself, i felt Jung Dawon staring intently at me, who wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. Unable to resist his gaze, i couldn’t help but raise my head.
Thanks to that, Jung Dawon met my eyes and fluttered her long eyelashes a few times before giving me a kind smile.
“Hello, senior.”
“…Hi.”
To be honest, i felt so unfamiliar standing here facing Jung Dawon like this.
Just as Seo Heejun always said, “i like someone,” no matter what, Jung Dawon also fell in love with him. Unless unavoidable circumstances prevented her from going under the cherry blossom tree, Jung Dawon would repeatedly confess and reject him.
Thanks to that, i could ignore Jung Dawon and focus solely on Seo Heejun. In fact, it was quite a challenge just to support Seo Heejun so he wouldn’t fall for another woman and instead develop feelings for Jung Dawon.
For that reason, the number of times i directly encountered Jung Dawon in the entire ‘month’ could be counted on one hand.
Besides, Seo Heejun was the only person i’d ever met, talked to, and become close with. And even that wasn’t a normal pace of closeness.
Since i had never properly learned social skills, i had no idea how to deal with someone other than Seo Heejun, someone with an ego.
Even after exchanging greetings, Jung Dawon remained silent, and i averted my gaze. She, too, immediately turned away, as if she had no business with me left.
“I was on my way to the library. I’ll be going now.”
‘What ?’
However, i never wanted Jung Dawon to leave this place right away.
While i gaped in embarrassment, Jung Da-
won twisted her body. In that brief moment, watching her walk past me, only one thought came to mind.
‘I can’t let it go like this.’
With my head filled with such thoughts, i reflexively reached out and grabbed Jung Dawon’s wrist.
Jung Dawon, who had stopped quietly without kicking me out, looked back at me. Her wide-open eyes blinked.
Those eyes, so innocent and pure, looked just like Seo Heejun.
“Yes ?”
“Uh ?”
“…Yes ?”
After exchanging stupid questions, i came to my senses with a sudden “oops.” After much deliberation, i let go of Jung Dawon and nudged Seo Heejun with my elbow.
“Please give me your phone.”
“Is it a phone ?”
Seo Heejun expressed his doubts, then placed his phone in front of me. I swiped the unlocked screen to bring up the phone dialer and handed it to Jung Dawon.
“Hey, if it’s okay, could you give me your phone number ?”
“…….”
“Of course i don’t mean to burden you. Feel free to decline.”
Jung Dawon, who had been quietly looking down at her phone, accepted it. Her momentary hesitation had made me worry that i was being too radical, but Jung Dawon immediately tapped the screen.
Soon, Jung Dawon handed me a phone with an 11 digit phone number on it.
“Here.”
Before i knew it, a smile filled my mouth.
Even as Jung Dawon bowed and turned away, my eyes were fixed on a phone that didn’t even belong to me. I was so absorbed in fiddling with it that i didn’t even notice that Jung Dawon had already disappeared down the hallway.
“Senior.”
It was only after Seo Heejun called me that i looked up from my phone.
“Huh ?”
“Jung Dawon, he’s already gone.”
“…Ah.”
He looked around and let out a soft sigh.
“When did you go ?”
“It was a long time ago. My senior was so engrossed in his phone that he didn’t even say hello.”
I couldn’t remember. It wasn’t the first time, and i was so overwhelmed with satisfaction at having gotten the female protagonist’s number that i almost lost my mind.
I was staring blankly at the spot where Jung Dawon had been standing, then i looked back at Seo Heejun.
“Ruler.”
He held out his phone without turning off the screen that had Jung Dawon’s phone number written on it.
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