Seo Jaehoon remained frozen, still holding my calf.
I looked down at Seo Jaehoon's white hand wrapped around my foot and subtly pulled my leg away. The hand around my foot limply slid off. Seo Jaehoon's hand, which had been holding my foot, lost its grip and hung in the air.
"Stop it now—"
"Don't tell me to leave."
Seo Jaehoon snatched my words and stood up from his crouched position. I had nowhere else to retreat, but I still pressed myself as close to the railing as possible. Why is he doing this...?
"If you're not trying to fall off, come forward. Do you think I'm going to eat you?"
Seo Jaehoon's outstretched hand grabbed my arm. I reflexively shuddered. Seo Jaehoon's expression hardened at my reaction. The crazy bastard, he didn't expect this, did he?
I gave him a 'what do you want me to do' look for the butterfly effect-like consequences. Seo Jaehoon's face stiffened for a moment, then quickly relaxed. The bastard awkwardly stretched the corners of his lips and gently grasped my arm, pulling me inside.
"Min-ah and the others are all eating."
"......"
"Let's go too."
"I don't feel like it—"
"Eat even if you don't, damn it. I haven't seen you eat anything for days."
Seo Jaehoon abruptly cut me off. Seriously, damn it... I was despondent, feeling like these bastards didn't properly understand my words to leave me alone. I wish they would let me do what I want, but they just won't.
With a face that wouldn't brighten, I was led by Seo Jaehoon's hand towards the dining area. My mouth felt gritty, and I didn't want to eat anything, but I was seated in the center of the table where the three of them were sitting side by side.
With the appearance of me and Seo Jaehoon, the gazes of the three people who were already sitting and eating all turned to us. To be precise, the gazes of two out of the three brushed past Seo Jaehoon and lingered on me. Anyway.
I smiled awkwardly and greeted Park Min-ah. It seemed like it had been two days since I saw her outside.
"Yeoul, are you feeling better now?"
Park Min-ah worried about me with a clear, bird-like voice. At her worried voice, I smiled sheepishly and said,
"Yeah, sorry... I got sick after coming all the way here. Did you have fun?"
"Just, well... the same. Nothing's changed here."
Park Min-ah smiled, poking at the salad in front of her. Even in the morning, Park Min-ah, without any swelling, was as pretty as ever.
"Yeoul, is it... okay to go out today...?"
Park Min-ah asked with a very cautious face. As if she didn't want anyone to hear, she brought her face close to my ear with a low voice.
Even though it was a fairly quiet voice, all my housemates with good ears heard what Park Min-ah whispered. Pretending not to, all three of their gazes turned to me.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I rested well for two days. I think I'm feeling better now."
I also whispered quietly to Park Min-ah. It was a meaningless whisper. Even though the surroundings were quite noisy, the three of them understood everything I said without missing a word. So, I said 'I'm okay' once more in a slightly louder voice. I quickly added, 'What should we do today?' to Park Min-ah, lest these bastards interfere. And Mo Taehee didn't miss that moment.
"Yeoul, aren't you pushing yourself too hard?"
He appealed to Park Min-ah as if he knew my body wasn't feeling well better than I did. As if I was having a hard time. This bastard is being unnecessarily...
"No, I'm fine. I think I'm really okay now."
I took a bite of the bread in front of me and answered. I met Mo Taehee's eyes and quickly looked away to look at Park Min-ah. I'm serious. I mouthed the words. Park Min-ah chuckled softly.
"I've only been hanging out with you guys. I want to go on a date with Min-ah too."
I felt a little creeped out by the ticklish words that came out of my mouth, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to breathe easily in a place where those bastards weren't, even for a moment.
"Min-ah, is it okay?"
I barely chewed and swallowed the bread that felt like sand in my mouth and asked Park Min-ah. Not forgetting to smile. When I urged her with a 'huh?', Park Min-ah blushed and avoided my gaze.
"Yeah— s-sure, I also want to... go on a date with Yeoul..."
Park Min-ah nodded, her light pink cheeks flushed. Am I still in the green light with her? I don't know, but anyway, it seemed like Park Min-ah also wanted to spend time with me.
I poked at the scrambled eggs on the plate in front of me with a fork, put them in my mouth, and chewed slowly. Still, my mouth and stomach didn't seem to welcome the food very much.
I emptied the food just enough so that my stomach wouldn't feel bloated and quickly put down the fork.
"Yeoul."
"......Yeah."
"Are you going to stop eating?"
Mo Taehee called my name in a low voice. Yeah, you bastard...
I expressed with my whole body that I was going to stop eating. They kept making a fuss about me not eating anything. I thought, here we go again. My eyes, looking at Mo Taehee, seemed a bit too aggressive, so I quickly avoided his gaze like a coward.
"I'm going to stop eating... and today I'm going to be with Min-ah..."
"Then let's all go out together. Get ready and meet in the lobby at..."
Nam Kangwoo checked the watch on his wrist and said.
"We can meet by 10 o'clock."
As expected, it seemed like I wouldn't be able to do anything alone with Park Min-ah. I had already given up halfway, but still... I felt a little stubborn because I was being interrupted like this.
But as always, even that quickly fizzled out. I didn't have the energy to be stubborn, and the hurdles of the three of them and Park Min-ah seemed a bit too high.
I had to connect Park Min-ah with one of the three bastards as I initially thought and slowly distance myself from these bastards for my safety.
I slowly met the eight eyes looking at me. A little longer with Park Min-ah. Looking at her, who was probably Ha Yeoul's first love, I thought.
Park Min-ah and I won't end up together anyway... I know it. So, let's not feel guilty.
I had such leisurely thoughts as to which of the three I should push. Scary bastards... but they probably won't be scary to Park Min-ah...
I shivered for no reason, feeling a chill. I grabbed the water glass in front of me and rubbed the lip of the cup as a habit.
"Yeoul, do you want to go up with me? I think I'm done eating too."
I flinched at Mo Taehee's question. Before I could answer, Mo Taehee's movements were quick. My head naturally followed his movements.
It was when I raised my gaze and met Mo Taehee's eyes... this bastard's eyes were always scary, but they were especially so today.
"Let's go up."
"Huh? Ah... okay."
Mo Taehee came around the table. He stopped behind me, waited for me to get up from my seat, and naturally wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Ha... my heart was pounding. Really in a different sense.
"M-Min-ah, see you later. Eat a lot and go up. Okay...?"
"Okay, see you later, Yeoul."
Min-ah didn't notice that I was completely terrified and gave me a faint smile. She said 'see you later' once more in a gentle voice and lifted the juice glass in front of her.
She brought the glass to her mouth, took a few sips, and then talked to the two who were sitting across from her again. Roughly listening, it was about where to go.
I... I moved my steps with Mo Taehee, cowering like an animal being dragged somewhere.
Me and Mo Taehee, who got on the elevator side by side, didn't have much conversation. The elevator went up disgustingly slowly like dawn. The soft classical music echoing in it somehow felt out of sync with the current situation.
I was just looking ahead, wondering when the door would open, when I turned my head like a broken robot at the gaze piercing the side of my head. ...How long has he been looking?
"Why... what's wrong, Taehee...?"
"Just. It feels like it's been a while since I've seen Yeoul."
"...Uh... we saw each other yesterday."
"Did we?"
Mo Taehee turned his body to look at me as if he had been waiting for me to notice his gaze.
"Yeoul."
"Uh... uh?"
Mo Taehee's voice lowered. I don't want to admit it one by one... but I really reacted to that bastard's voice one by one. Shrugging my shoulders.
"Why are you shaking so much? Are you scared?"
"...Huh? No. Why would I..."
"You grabbed Kangwoo the other day and cried that you were scared to death."
What a bastard with good ears...
"If it were me."
"......"
"I wouldn't have scared Yeoul."
Mo Taehee lowered his head towards me and murmured quietly. What is this bastard saying now...?
"Yeoul."
"......"
"Yeoul."
Mo Taehee sometimes calls my name like this.
"Yeoul-ah."
As if calling a lost first love. Making even the listener feel a little sad.
Instead of answering the call, I turned my head. Because it felt like I was suffocating. Without realizing it, I bit my lip tightly and lowered my head sharply with an anxious face.
The atmosphere kept getting more and more suggestive.
"Yeoul, I."
"...Uh huh...?"
"Even if it were me, I would have done the same as Jaehoon."
Bastard. I clenched my fist without realizing it at the gentle voice that flowed from Mo Taehee's mouth. Because of that, my nails dug into my soft palm.
"But I would only hold you when you said you wanted it."
"...You crazy bastards..."
"That's why the first experience is so important, Yeoul."
I wanted to shut Mo Taehee's mouth. Even though it wasn't an obscene word, my face flushed. It must have turned red. When I turned my head, a large hand reached out and cupped my cheek. Mo Taehee's hand was still warm. As always.
"Look at me. It's just the two of us."
Mo Taehee put strength into the hand cupping my cheek and forcibly lifted my head.
"Yeoul."
Our gazes lingered thickly in the air. I couldn't stand it even for a moment with the heated gaze and lowered my eyes.
Crazy bastard...
At the head that was naturally lowering, I reflexively raised my hand and covered my mouth.
Soft and moist lips lightly touched and fell off my hand. A small burst of laughter echoed.
"Let's go."
Comments Box