It’s a Dating Sim, but There’s No Romance
Between the girls’ dorm and the boys’ dorm.
There was no other presence on the emergency stairs. From below, the top of her black hair looked round and smooth.
Do Ye-hyun had been looking at me ever since I opened the door.
“Lights out in five minutes.”
At this hour?
I was startled when I got the text.
Her hair tips were slightly wet, as if she had just washed up like me.
Her eyes reflected under the sensor light, more glistening than usual. I stood across from her on the stair landing.
“What’s up?”
There was no immediate answer.
Blink—the light went off. Her slightly subdued voice sounded softly.
“You fell, right?”
Ah.
So the rumor even reached the boys, huh.
No matter how much a famous name might overshadow it, in the same class, news spreads.
“How badly are you hurt?”
“I’m okay…”
Blink—the light came on again.
I corrected the answer I had almost blurted out instinctively.
“A little.”
For some reason, I couldn’t lie.
Maybe it’s because it’s the emergency stairs.
I remembered the day we sat side by side on the stairs. I cried, she listened.
“Gu Eun-jin told me. I…”
Her thin lips pressed together. An awkward silence followed.
The sentence formed three beats late.
“I only found out in the evening.”
It wasn’t really Do Ye-hyun’s fault.
The rumor itself had spread late; most students only learned of the incident around evening.
Because things were sorted out before the kids went home.
The rumor spread quickly after Vanessa returned from the hospital. Who pushed whom, what happened.
Vanessa summarized the conflict well for a few people, who told a few others, and so on…
Most probably found out around that time.
But Do Ye-hyun didn’t seem to want to hear that answer.
A quiet person sending a text, meeting right before lights out, to share this story—her intention was…
Tricky.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t figure it out.
It was just too clear. There was a subtle reproach, like she was saying—I’m hurt.
…Should I apologize?
After all, we were ‘friends’.
I always teased her under the guise of friendship, so hearing that she got hurt would probably be shocking.
But is apologizing the right move?
It’s easy to bow and say sorry… but is that what she wants to hear?
Blink—the light went off again.
I waved my right hand above my head. The yellow light revealed her thick lashes, pale cheeks, and pouty lips.
“You know, Ye-hyun.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you worry about me a lot?”
“You really say the obvious stuff…”
Her face, tense with sensitivity, twisted noticeably. She brushed her bangs roughly aside and let out a long sigh.
Not obvious at all.
At the start of the semester, she wouldn’t have cared if the person next to her got hurt or skipped class.
“You know, Ye-hyun.”
“Why again?”
“When we go to the beach tomorrow, want to stick together?”
The tension around her frowning eyes relaxed.
“…Sure.”
Blink—the light went off. I didn’t see Do Ye-hyun’s expression as she nodded.
The third day afternoon was clear as if by magic.
The wide-open sea glittered emerald green. Some kids jumped in without even stretching.
“Wow, Ye-hyun, you want to do that too? Dive in?”
“Nope.”
I expected that.
Do Ye-hyun, with her shirt buttoned up to the neck, didn’t fit the beach vibe at all.
“It’s free time anyway. Let’s wander slowly.”
“By the way, what about your camera?”
“The lens got smashed.”
After such a wild tumble, there was no way the lens survived.
Vanessa said she’d make them pay for it.
Anyway, there was nothing I could do as a member of the photography club. Vanessa couldn’t move much either, thanks to her ankle, and my phone was just a flip phone.
“Right, can I borrow your phone for a sec?”
I held out my hand. Without asking why, Do Ye-hyun handed over her phone casually.
“Together…”
“Huh?”
“After you finish taking pictures, let’s take one together.”
“So you want to take a photo with me?”
“Ye-na will take it.”
Her voice added softly, almost like an excuse.
Shy as expected.
Of course, if she weren’t my younger sister, she wouldn’t leave a single photo of herself.
“Whatever. We can take it now.”
I switched to camera mode and stood close to Do Ye-hyun.
A light elbow touch felt refreshing. Immediately after, Do Ye-hyun moved a bit away.
“Your arm…”
“Huh? Arm?”
I followed her gaze to my arms, fully visible. Nothing seemed unusual…
“Oh, it’s from the bruise? It’s pretty bad. You got it when you fell yesterday?”
“I saw it yesterday. …Where’s the jacket you’ve been wearing all the time?”
“Too hot, left it on the bus.”
The black hem of my dress fluttered near my ankle. I lightly held it and bobbed my knees.
“How’s this? I bought it for the school trip.”
“How’s it…? What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it pretty? Sleeveless and cool. So-bin said dresses suit me well.”
“So-bin… who’s that?”
“Class president’s friend. She recommended this, and the sandals too.”
As expected, Do Ye-hyun’s reaction was indifferent.
Sure, she probably doesn’t even notice if hair is styled or not.
I tidied my hair, carefully styled by the class president, and took a photo. Keeping the awkward distance Do Ye-hyun preferred.
Click, click.
“That’s enough.”
“Only two shots so far.”
“That’s enough… Let’s go get something to drink.”
Do Ye-hyun didn’t check the photos and turned to walk.
The nearest convenience store to the beach was packed from the entrance.
“Wow, this is the only one here?”
“Seems like it.”
“So many people. Won’t we pass out?”
“…I’ll get it, just rest in the shade.”
“You’ll get bored waiting alone.”
“Two people going in would just make it more crowded.”
Indeed, being the top student wasn’t just luck—it was logic.
I said what I wanted to drink and leisurely walked back to the beach.
Since it was school trip season, voices with different accents were heard often.
Looks like many other schools came too.
Some bravely spoke to strangers:
“What school are you from? Which dorm?”
“Do you have a girlfriend now?”
“Ah, I’m going to the airport tomorrow too. Then we could…”
Youth itself.
“Excuse me.”
Of course, I’ve never taken a number from someone I didn’t know, not at this age or ten years later.
“Um, hi…!”
“Huh? Me? Are you talking to me?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Regaining my focus, I saw a boy standing in front of me.
He smiled shyly and spoke.
“Where are you from? How old?”
“E-eighteen.”
“Same age as me?”
Is this… hitting on me?
“Can you give me your number?”
Wow, definitely hitting on me!
It was refreshing, but I had only one answer.
“No, I can’t give it.”
“…Huh? Do you have a boyfriend?”
“No boyfriend.”
“Then why not? Let’s just stay in touch.”
Maybe I should have said I did.
“Huh? Honestly, I’m pretty popular at our school.”
“Congrats. Enjoy it.”
“No, I mean—”
“Junior!”
A bright, sing-songy voice.
There was only one person in the world who called me that way.
“What is it?”
Her forehead glowed red in the heat. Ma Hae-won naturally looped her arm around my shoulder.
“Was he trying to get our junior’s number? Huh?”
“No… she said she doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“We’re not dating.”
Her wide smile was refreshing. Her words matched her expression.
“I like him one-sidedly.”
