Chapter 3…
She glanced sideways. Seeing Chaehyun smiling faintly, Seoyeon grimaced in disgust.
“Ah, seriously, it’s so damn annoying to look at.”
The wrinkles between her brows deepened, as if she truly hated it. Watching Seoyeon express her displeasure with her whole body, Chaehyun simply smiled brightly.
“Middle school third-years shouldn’t watch R-rated movies. Go watch EBS instead.”
Chaehyun rubbed Seoyeon’s head, messing up her hair. As if she hated being patted, Seoyeon shook her shoulders and stepped back. He chuckled and turned his head.
Then suddenly, his gaze met mine in the air.
“Eunsaem.”
Startled, I blinked as he called my name.
“Yes?”
“Don’t mind me. Just relax and make yourself comfortable.”
At his words, Seoyeon quickly opened the door for him, as if telling him to go inside.
“Why would she mind you? She’s going to treat you like you don’t exist. Don’t come out.”
As if she were locking him up, Chaehyun laughed dryly and went into the room.
“Have fun.”
Then he closed the door.
It felt like the tension suddenly drained from my body. Maybe it was because everything became quiet, but my pounding heartbeat sounded unusually loud.
Seoyeon stared at the closed door, her face scrunched up as she cursed—though no sound came out. Only I could tell from the shape of her lips.
I turned my head and looked at the cup in front of me. When I grabbed it, I felt the coldness through it.
Cold water.
I didn’t even ask for it. Why did he give me cold water?
As I wondered about it, I recalled what Chaehyun had said earlier. Seoyeon, now seated, looked at me and suddenly burst out laughing.
“Why are you laughing?”
The moment I felt an ominous premonition, Seoyeon pointed at my lips while laughing out loud.
“What’s this? Why do your lips suddenly look like Go Eun-ae’s?”
“Who’s Go Eun-ae?”
“You don’t know Dooggae-ssi?”
I didn’t. What was that supposed to be?
While Nam Seoyeon searched online to show me who Go Eun-ae was, I opened my phone’s camera and checked my face.
“…Oh my god.”
I almost swore.
It looked like I had eaten tteokbokki with my lips instead of my mouth. The sauce smeared all around my lips looked like a disaster.
Why didn’t anyone tell me?
Feeling miserable, I rubbed my lips with the back of my hand—and suddenly remembered Chaehyun handing me the cold water.
‘Is it spicy?’
Ah… damn it.
“Hey, this is her. Go Eun-ae.”
Seoyeon shoved the search result in front of my face, but I didn’t want to see it. I already knew what it would look like.
“So annoying…”
Thinking about Chaehyun possibly hearing Seoyeon’s laughter from inside his room, I pouted my lips.
When I got home, I lay on my bed, repeatedly picking up and putting down my phone.
Even though his birthday had already passed, people say the moment you think it’s too late is actually the fastest time to act.
Right. I made up my mind!
I suddenly sat up and grabbed my phone again. I opened the messenger app and searched for Chaehyun’s name.
“This guy never changes his profile picture.”
When I first got his contact and saved it, there wasn’t any photo. Then sometime later he added one, and it had stayed the same ever since.
In the photo, Chaehyun was wearing a blue baseball cap, looking at a flower vase beside him.
It would’ve been nicer if he were facing the camera, but even from the side, the picture couldn’t hide how handsome he was.
“Why is he so good-looking…”
This is crazy. His face is insane.
Muttering to myself like that, I forced courage into my fingers.
[I heard your birthday was a few days ago? It’s late, but happy birthday!!!]
After sending the message, I quickly went to the gift shop and sent him a mobile coupon for ice cream.
[It’s small, but it’s from my heart! Please enjoy it!]
Then I prepared a closing message right away. From past experience, I knew how awkward it felt when you sent a half-hearted conversation starter and got ignored.
Then have sweet dreams.
I was rapidly typing when I noticed the “1” next to the chat bubble disappear.
“…Oh my god, he read it.”
I quickly finished the sentence and hit send.
[Chaehyun Oppa: LOL]
[Then have sweet dreams!!!]
My message appeared right after his.
Ah… damn it.
Since I didn’t have much experience exchanging messages with Chaehyun in real time, I suddenly felt nervous.
Usually, our conversations were like this: I’d send something like “Happy New Year!” and he’d reply hours later—or even the next day.
[Chaehyun Oppa: Why are you in such a hurry?]
[Chaehyun Oppa: At least give me time to say thank you.]
His messages appeared.
Why was my heart pounding so much over something like this? I swallowed dryly.
Leaning my back against the wall, I sat there thinking about my reply.
Should I end the conversation here with a beautiful conclusion?
Or should I be a little greedy and exchange a few more messages?
My fingers moved.
I chose the latter.
[LOL it just happened that we sent messages at the same time]
[awkward]
He must’ve been looking at his phone because he read it immediately.
Just the thought that he and I were looking at the same chat window in different places made my heart flutter.
[Chaehyun Oppa: Thanks, Eunsaem]
[Chaehyun Oppa: But the heart you gave me is no joke]
What did that mean?
For a moment, I panicked, wondering if he had discovered my feelings. But then I realized he meant the ice cream size I sent—it was the half-gallon, the biggest one.
I kept laughing awkwardly and sent random emojis, pretending to be casual, though even my ears had turned red.
Why did my heart feel so ticklish? I kept thinking I might die from embarrassment.
[Since it’s summer, you can eat it when it’s hot out ㅠㅠ]
[Chaehyun Oppa: Is this the one with 6 flavors?]
[Yes! That’s right!]
[Chaehyun Oppa: What do you like?]
Had I suddenly installed a “like” filter in my brain?
Every time I saw the words “like”, my heart dropped.
If I had just thought about it for a second, I would’ve realized he meant ice cream flavors, but my mind was in such a hurry that my fingers replied first.
[Huh? Like what?]
For a moment my brain had become so simple that if he had asked “Who do you like?”, I might’ve seriously debated whether I should answer “You, oppa.”
You could say my thoughts had already drifted into outer space.
[Chaehyun Oppa: Ice cream LOL]
“Ah…”
I sighed softly.
What should I say?
Suddenly I could only remember vanilla and cookies-and-cream, so I opened the internet and searched for the 31 flavors.
For some reason, I wanted to give a slightly nicer answer—something Chaehyun might like.
Then I found a name that sounded good and decided it would be my favorite flavor.
[Strawberry in Love!]
He might not know it, but that message had my timid feelings smeared all over it.
The “1” beside the chat bubble disappeared, and after a moment his reply arrived.
[Chaehyun Oppa: LOL what is that, that’s cute]
[Chaehyun Oppa: Let’s eat it together next time]
I doubted my eyes.
Only for a moment though. I was so happy that I gasped and covered my mouth with one hand.
Ding, ding.
It felt like bells were ringing in my ears.
During cleaning time at school, we roughly wiped down the auditorium and spent the remaining time lying on the stage.
“Hey, Seoyeon. Don’t you have something like a family photo?”
I asked.
“A family photo? Our family doesn’t really take those. Oh wait, actually—we took one when my brother graduated middle school.”
My eyes widened, but determined to control my expression, I calmly extended my hand.
“Oh really? I’m curious. Let me see.”
I tried to act casual, though my fingertips trembled slightly. Acting really wasn’t my strong suit.
Fortunately, Nam Seoyeon didn’t suspect anything. She took out her phone and opened her photo album.
She scrolled through countless pictures before suddenly stopping.
“Here it is.”
She showed me the photo.
Tilting my head, I stared intently at her phone screen.
It was the school field. Seoyeon’s parents, Seoyeon, and—most importantly—Nam Chaehyun, holding a bouquet of flowers.
“Look at me. I’m so short. I suddenly grew last year.”
Seoyeon pointed at herself in a white coat.
“You were already tall then…”
But I barely listened to her. I was busy admiring Chaehyun.
He was only seventeen then, just graduating middle school and about to enter high school, yet he looked far superior compared to others his age.
He wore a gray school uniform with a black padded jacket, giving him a cold and dark appearance—but the smile on his face above the bouquet looked like warm spring.
“Really? I wasn’t even 160 cm then. I cried while growing taller last year.”
Realizing I had missed the point, I pointed at Seoyeon beside Chaehyun and nodded.
“Ah, right. You used to cry every time you slept because it hurt. But looking at this now, you resemble your father, and your brother resembles your mother.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They both have really beautiful eyes. Yours are like a puppy’s… and your brother’s are like a deer’s.”
Before I could finish, Seoyeon burst out laughing.
“Deeeeer?!”
She laughed so hard she rolled around on the floor.
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard recently. Nam Chaehyun, deer eyes.”
“Why, why…”
It wasn’t wrong, was it? I almost said he looked like a person sent down by an angel, but I held it in.
Feeling self-conscious, I awkwardly smiled.
“Was that a bit cringe?”
Scratching my chin, I asked.
“Well, that too—but it sounds like you really like my brother.”
Seoyeon sat up, tying her messy hair back with the elastic on her wrist.
I lay on my stomach, looking up at her.
“Well… when we went on that field trip before, your brother saved me.”
I cautiously brought up the moment I had fallen for Chaehyun at first sight.
Seoyeon tilted her head.
“When we were in elementary school. During Aramdan.”
Now remembering, she opened her mouth.
“Ohhh, when you got locked in that storage room?”
I nodded, and she smirked.
“That was ages ago. You still like him because of that? That’s all fake. Didn’t you see him a few days ago?”
If she meant a few days ago, that must’ve been at Seoyeon’s house.
But I couldn’t remember Chaehyun arguing with Seoyeon.
All I remembered was him smiling faintly and saying I was cute.
Ugh, what is this…
Feeling my cheeks heat up, I covered them with both hands.
“Do you know how much he bossed me around when he hurt his finger? He seriously has zero warmth. He’s cold, rude, inconsiderate, and shameless. He’s missing everything.”
Seoyeon counted off her brother’s flaws one by one while criticizing him.
