At Jin Nari’s question, I shook my head. I could feel my cheeks heating up for no reason.
"No, I wasn't sick. I just... had something to take care of."
"Ah, I wanted to have lunch with you... I even called a few times... but you didn't pick up."
Jin Nari murmured, her face full of disappointment. A phone call...? I tilted my head at the unfamiliar word. Did Jin Nari call me? I thought back over the last two days. My phone hadn't rung for anything except calls from the three of them.
"You called? Sorry, I didn't know. I'll buy you a meal. When are you free?"
It felt strange, but I figured she wouldn't believe me if I said she didn't call, so I just mumbled something vague. My answer seemed to satisfy her, as Jin Nari smiled brightly. She was wearing a yellow cardigan today, and it really made her look like a forsythia. Looking at Jin Nari was like looking at spring itself.
The two of us continued our meaningless conversation. Jin Nari was mostly the one asking questions, and I was the one answering. When she asked what I liked, I started listing my favorite things in my head and my face flushed red again.
Feeling a bit awkward, I rubbed my cheek and gave a clumsy laugh, which made Jin Nari's face turn red as well.
"O-oppa, when you smile, you're really... really pretty. You must hear that a lot." Jin Nari ducked her head and mumbled.
No, I've never heard that before. I was about to give her that answer when a hand started massaging my shoulder, making me jump with a start.
"Ha Yeoul is pretty when he smiles."
I looked up at the familiar voice and saw Seo Jaehoon's face, smiling more brightly than any flower. Crazy, this crazy bastard... you scared me...
"Ha Yeoul, have you eaten?"
"...Bread, I was going to eat bread. Chanmin went to buy some."
These guys were obsessed with my meals. It's not like I'd die from skipping one. I looked up to meet Seo Jaehoon's eyes, then felt embarrassed for no reason and looked down.
"Ah, hello, sunbae-nim."
It seemed to be Jin Nari's first time seeing Seo Jaehoon. Her eyes were practically sparkling. Well, it's true Seo Jaehoon is handsome.
He gave Jin Nari a perfunctory nod and frowned slightly. What, what's he unhappy about now?
Seo Jaehoon's gaze swept over me and Jin Nari. Does he want to sit here? I gathered my bag and stood up. Both Jin Nari's and Seo Jaehoon's eyes followed me.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh? Oh... I thought you wanted to sit here."
I got up and moved to a single-person stool nearby. Seo Jaehoon stood there with a somewhat dumbfounded expression before letting out a dry laugh.
He stared at me for a moment with a cool gaze, then plopped down in the seat I had just vacated. Jin Nari's face instantly turned red.
"What about class?"
"My afternoon one is a double lecture..."
"Are you going with Taehee after?"
"...Yeah. Probably..."
I understood Seo Jaehoon's question without difficulty and nodded. Seo Jaehoon met my eyes with a slightly unreadable expression before giving a faint smile. Why does he keep smiling like that?
My heart started beating a little faster. I felt like my face was getting hot, too.
"Um... sunbae-nim, what perfume do you use? You smell really good."
Jin Nari's voice cut through the silence between us.
"I don't wear perfume."
Seo Jaehoon answered flatly. It was an obvious lie, but Jin Nari's face was still flushed as she looked at him and smiled brightly. "Liar," Jin Nari whispered softly, and he nonchalantly replied, "Was it Jo Malone, maybe?"
Jin Nari naturally grabbed Seo Jaehoon's wrist. Holding it under her nose to take in the scent, her gentle smile was incredibly cute, very natural.
Right, Seo Jaehoon does smell pretty good. I watched the two of them and nodded subtly.
"It smells really nice."
At her trembling voice, Seo Jaehoon looked down at his captured wrist and gave a faint smile.
"You have a nice personality. Your name is..."
"Pardon? Ah, I'm Jin Nari. I'm sorry, if I made you uncomfortable."
At Seo Jaehoon's words, Jin Nari quickly let go of his wrist, her face blushing. Wow, she's cute.
Watching the two of them gave me a sort of tingly feeling, but... it was... a strange feeling. Hard to explain, but anyway, it didn't feel entirely pleasant.
My gaze fell on Seo Jaehoon's wrist, where her hand had been just moments before. I think my expression stiffened.
"It's fine."
Seo Jaehoon smiled with a kind face. Their conversation flowed long and naturally without a break. I couldn't tell if Seo Jaehoon was a good talker, or if Jin Nari was just very friendly, or both. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Why isn't Park Chanmin back yet?
I was grumbling internally about the absent Park Chanmin when, as if the cafeteria were some kind of town square, another hand landed on my shoulder. This one was smaller, and softer.
"Yeoul, long time no see."
A voice like a songbird rang out from above my head.
Park Min-ah naturally sat on the two-person stool next to me and called out to Seo Jaehoon.
"Iced Americano."
"It's cold out, what are you doing with iced? Drink something hot."
Looking as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Seo Jaehoon got up and left the table to order Park Min-ah's coffee. Park Min-ah was always pretty, but she looked exceptionally beautiful today. I wondered if it was because I hadn't seen her in a while.
"Yeoul, how are you feeling?"
"Me? Ah, I'm fine. Same as always, you know."
I gave a vague answer that could mean I was fine or not, and smiled. Park Min-ah seemed to find my answer absurd because she giggled before turning her gaze to Jin Nari, who was sitting in Seo Jaehoon's spot.
"Who's this?"
"Ah, Nari, Jin Nari. From the same department."
"Nice to meet you. I'm—"
"Hello! You're Park Min-ah sunbae-nim from the visual design department, right? You're even prettier in person. You're so famous, I already knew who you were! And please, speak comfortably with me!"
The words came tumbling out of Jin Nari; she seemed to have a great personality. Very friendly, too. She blinked her large eyes and whispered once more to Park Min-ah, "You're really pretty."
"You all must be really close."
"Hmm? Why?"
Park Min-ah smiled brightly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Jin Nari, who had been staring at her, continued in a voice tinged with laughter.
"I mean, as soon as you got here, you just ordered Seo Jaehoon sunbae-nim to go buy you coffee and he went without even frowning once. I'm so jealous of a friendship like that."
Jin Nari's voice was genuinely full of envy, but Park Min-ah's expression momentarily hardened before softening again. What was that...? I just listened quietly to their conversation, occasionally observing both of them. Something was...
"We're close, but... it's not just Jaehoon, there are others. We were famous. If I know my own rumors, I'm sure you do too. Or maybe not."
Park Min-ah asked with an innocent smile.
"Pardon?"
"That our relationship wasn't exactly what you'd call a friendship."
"..."
"The me in the rumors was such a bad bitch. I had no idea there was anyone who thought of me and them as friends."
Park Min-ah smiled like sunshine. Without malice. It was a smile that made anyone who saw it want to smile along.
But what were the rumors that made Park Min-ah "a bad bitch?" I looked at her with a bit of pity.
Right... yeah, that's right. Park Min-ah had been weighing her options between the three of them. The memory surfaced, and I suddenly felt guilty. As if I had stolen away someone who might have ended up with Park Min-ah.
But thinking about it again, those guys were pretty ridiculous. Why on earth did the spark fly towards me...? It was still a mystery.
I remained strangely zoned out until Seo Jaehoon and Park Chanmin returned with drinks and bread. I could hear Park Min-ah's and Jin Nari's conversation from either side of me, but the words didn't quite register. Both of them would occasionally smile with unreadable expressions.
Before long, Park Chanmin and Seo Jaehoon came back with a tray full of drinks and desserts. Seo Jaehoon sat down next to Jin Nari againThat was subtly unpleasant to see, and I think I frowned.
Park Min-ah took a small piece of bread and fed it directly into my mouth as I continued to stare blankly into space. I was surprised by the soft texture against my lips, then opened my mouth to accept the bread.
"Why is it so hard to see your face, Yeoul?"
"Huh? Ah... I know. You should come over to my place sometime when you have time. I've missed you too."
Feeling a bit cheesy, I smiled without realizing it, and a smile quickly appeared on Park Min-ah's face as well.
"Okay, I'll make time."
Park Min-ah nodded at me a few times before resuming her conversation with Jin Nari.
Seo Jaehoon's gaze would occasionally land on me. I thought I saw a hint of heat in his eyes, and maybe a hint of annoyance too. Even though I knew he was looking at me, I deliberately avoided his gaze and kept my eyes fixed on the table.
Listening to Park Min-ah and Jin Nari's conversation, which went in one ear and out the other, I thought to myself that girls become friends so quickly. The atmosphere had seemed a bit strange earlier, but I guess I was mistaken.
I sat there in a daze for a while longer, tracing the engravings on the table, until a steady tapping sound made my eyes move.
My gaze fell on Seo Jaehoon's fingertips, which were tapping the armrest, and I naturally lifted my head. Our eyes met in mid-air, and just as I was about to look away, I saw Seo Jaehoon's lips part and close, and heat instantly spread across my face.
His handsome lips formed a familiar shape. It was only a few syllables, but it was a word that had become incredibly familiar lately.
'I like you.'
My body flinched.
Seo Jaehoon confirmed my reaction and smiled with a languid expression.
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