Chapter 21
“Sunbae said you were lonely too. That you wanted to date…”
For a brief moment, Sieun’s earnest face flashed across Yeonjae’s mind—but she quickly shook her head.
“No way. Even so…”
Before she knew it, class had ended.
Yeonjae stuffed her barely opened major textbook back into her bag, and Hyunoh, glancing at her, said,
“You looked like your soul left your body. Didn’t listen to a single thing, did you?”
“Yeah… I guess I’ll have to buy the notes off Everytime again….”
“Just look at mine.”
Without even waiting for a reply, he placed his neatly organized printed notes on top of her textbook.
Come to think of it, this too was Hyunoh doing her a favor.
“…Thank you.”
Awkwardly, Yeonjae accepted the printouts and tucked them into her bag.
“When’s your free period today?”
“Fourth period.”
“Don’t tell me you’re fully booked until third?”
“Yeah. And I even have a fifth period class.”
“But fourth period is free, right?”
“Right. What about you, sunbae?”
“I’m free starting third period.”
“Lucky….”
“Anyway, let’s meet then and grab lunch.”
“You’re going to wait for me?”
“Yup. I’ll wait.”
“What are we eating?”
“Miss Shin Yeonjae, who has a long list of foods she can’t eat, can choose.”
“Ah, okay.”
At this point, they were practically just lunch buddies.
On her way to her next major class after parting with Hyunoh, Yeonjae spotted Sieun walking in the same direction.
Let’s not make eye contact.
Having turned down Sieun’s request several times before, Yeonjae felt oddly guilty and lowered her gaze to the ground, pretending to be very interested in the campus lawn.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Sieun’s well-maintained brown hair swaying.
Yeonjae had eyes—she knew. Sieun was famous as “the pretty girl from the Korean Literature department.”
Even beyond campus, the description fit. She wasn’t the kind of stunning beauty who made heads turn instantly, but she was undeniably pretty at first glance.
More than anything, Sieun herself enjoyed that fact. She was the type who checked mirrors constantly to live up to her title.
Sieun’s popular too.
Even Yeonjae, who was rather detached from department life, had overheard rumors about guys in the Korean Lit department liking Sieun.
As Sieun walked ahead, she casually glanced around and then looked back.
Their eyes met.
Startled, Yeonjae faltered.
She still felt uneasy about rejecting her before. Maybe Sieun held some lingering resentment.
But Sieun’s reaction was—
“Oh, hi!”
Perfectly normal. A bright voice, like greeting a moderately close classmate.
“O-oh, hi….”
As if she’d completely forgotten what happened.
“Yeonjae~ Have you thought about what I told you?!”
…Ah. So she remembered just fine.
“Haha, I think it’s still kind of difficult.”
Yeonjae reflexively declined again.
This time, Sieun didn’t even look particularly disappointed. She responded with easy confidence.
“Sure, sure. But Yeonjae, people’s hearts can change in no time, right? They say a person’s feelings flip as easily as a coin. If you change your mind, tell me anytime! I’m totally a ready woman.”
“Haha… okay…”
Yeonjae could only laugh awkwardly.
“Wow, we’re going to be late. Let’s hurry!”
As if they were already close friends just because she’d struck up a conversation, Sieun grabbed Yeonjae and pulled her along without minding her awkwardness.
“Oh right, Yeonjae, want to say hi to our classmates?”
“Huh?”
“Well, we have group projects in this class sometimes. I thought it’d be good if we all at least knew each other.”
“Oh, sure.”
Before she knew it, Yeonjae nodded.
As soon as they entered the classroom, Sieun introduced Yeonjae to the group she usually hung out with.
“You all saw her at the orientation, right? Yeonjae.”
Just like that, Yeonjae properly introduced herself to her classmates for the first time and ended up sitting next to Sieun during the lecture.
What is happening?
Everything unfolded so quickly that Yeonjae just blinked in confusion.
Of course, once class ended, they each had different places to be and said goodbye.
Did she plan this in advance?
You know—like pretending to be friendly to get someone to set you up.
But if it was a scheme, it felt too natural. Sieun treated Yeonjae as though she’d already agreed to help her.
“Yeonjae, I’m heading out. Let’s eat together next time! There’s this instant tteokbokki place that’s perfect for five people.”
“O-okay….”
Even after Sieun left, Yeonjae remained flustered.
The moment she rejected Sieun’s request, she’d assumed they’d have no reason to talk again.
But somehow things had flowed like this.
With an attitude as if being rejected hadn’t bothered her at all, Sieun acted warmly, as though a new connection had formed between them.
Sieun really wasn’t ordinary.
As Yeonjae left the classroom, she found herself smiling at the memory of Sieun waving enthusiastically.
The drifting thoughts in her head disappeared when her phone screen suddenly lit up with rapid incoming messages.
Where are you
It was from the person who now occupied the largest portion of her message inbox these days.
I’m starving
For some reason, about one-third of her conversations with Hyunoh revolved around food.
A thought suddenly struck her.
He keeps doing this because he doesn’t have anyone else to eat with.
Then what if Hyunoh got a girlfriend?
At that very moment, Hyunoh.
For the past hour, he’d been sprawled on the dusty department lounge sofa, turning down every invitation to eat.
“Wanna grab food?”
“No.”
“Oppa, we’re going for dakgalbi. Wanna come?”
“No.”
“PC room? We can eat while gaming.”
“Nope.”
“Hey, want to order sweet and sour pork and jjajangmyeon?”
“Rejected.”
“You not eating?”
“Not with you guys.”
“That’s the longest sentence he’s said today.”
“What’s wrong with Kang Hyunoh?”
“No idea.”
“You sick or something?”
“……”
“Forget it. Let’s go….”
Then, right around the time her class would end, he quickly sent messages.
Where are you now
When does your class end
I’m starving to death
Her reply came immediately.
McDonald’s in front of school?
With a faint smile playing on his lips, Hyunoh jumped to his feet.
The classmates gathered around the old tables—ones that had probably existed for ten years before they even enrolled—looked at him curiously.
“Where are you going? Don’t you not have a fourth period?”
At that moment, one of them was mixing the jjajangmyeon he’d rejected just thirty minutes ago.
“To eat.”
And before they could ask more, he slammed the door shut behind him and left.
Staring at the door he’d just disappeared through, one classmate muttered in disbelief,
“I thought he said he wasn’t eating….”
On the way from the main gate to the fast-food restaurant with Hyunoh, Yeonjae kept searching for the right timing.
While waiting for him, she’d already made up her mind.
She was going to introduce Sieun to him—if Hyunoh liked the idea, of course.
The reason Yeonjae had changed her mind was simple.
Today, she’d seen a new side of Sieun.
A heart that didn’t waver despite repeated rejection.
That was the attitude of a true unrequited love—enough to move the heart of a fellow one-sided lover.
And honestly, the biggest reason was that the Sieun she’d just gotten to know seemed like a good person.
“Yeonjae, honestly, I wanted to introduce you to my friends from the first time I talked to you. But I thought you wouldn’t like it, so I couldn’t say anything. If you’re okay with it, let’s eat together sometimes.”
She was genuine, easygoing, and didn’t cross boundaries carelessly.
And since Hyunoh also seemed to keep looking for someone to eat with—
Yeonjae concluded that introducing two people whose needs aligned this well might not be such a bad idea after all.
