Chapter 19
It might be true what Seo Jinhyung said—that I had been avoiding him.
If this were the old days, I would have forced him to make time for treatment no matter what.
But that was that, and this was this.
“…Fine, but not like this. This isn’t even a proper hug.”
It felt like I was being pounced on or something. If a real middle-aged couple saw us like this, we’d be doomed.
With a calm smile, Seo Jinhyung said,
“Then I think Seyeon has to let go first.”
“…Ah.”
My face burned. I quickly loosened my arms from around his neck, and he let out a soft chuckle.
‘Wow. I want to kill him.’
Only then did he climb off me and lie down beside me.
Then, shamelessly, he spread his arm.
“Here.”
“Ugh….”
Once is hard. The second time isn’t.
I naturally rested my head on his arm.
Seo Jinhyung carefully tucked the blanket over me. It seemed like he wanted to sleep together again, just like last time.
“Hey, before anyone comes in the morning, wake up at the right time and leave….”
I mumbled into his broad chest, and his large hand gently stroked the back of my head. That probably meant okay.
‘This is really strange. Why is it so comfortable…?’
My heart was still pounding, but not as much as before.
I didn’t even feel that uncomfortable guilt anymore, like I was doing something wrong.
If I had a real older brother, would it feel like this? Strangely, that thought crossed my mind.
In my past life and this life, I was an only child both times. Maybe that’s why—I didn’t really know what having siblings felt like.
“Seyeon.”
“Mm.”
At his low voice, I answered sleepily.
“Can I not hug you tighter today?”
“Ah, damn it….”
My drowsiness disappeared instantly.
At my blunt irritation, Seo Jinhyung’s short laugh brushed over my head.
“Forget it. Not today.”
I placed my arm over his waist and closed my eyes again.
Even the sound of my pounding heart felt like a soft lullaby.
It was a refreshing morning.
Seo Jinhyung started going to school with me in the same car again, and at school, Yeon Jaehyun was waiting for me with the contract.
But…
“Hey, get back to your seat.”
“Nope. If I just sit there quietly, random kids keep talking to me.”
“That’s your fate.”
Jung Sumin, who had stolen the desk of the kid behind me—the temporary class president who had now become the real one—looked completely shameless.
He had been like this since the moment I walked into the classroom.
‘Ugh, this means I can’t talk to Yeon Jaehyun.’
“The teacher’s coming soon.”
“There are still five minutes left.”
“Do you know what people call someone like you who insists on starting everything exactly on time? Useless trash. Get to your seat early and prepare for class.”
“Aaang.”
“Are you insane?”
Goosebumps rose on my skin when Jung Sumin grabbed my hand and acted cute in a way that absolutely didn’t suit him.
When I coldly shook his hand off, he drooped his eyebrows like he was hurt.
“Why are you being so cold to me these days?”
“Huh? How can I be any warmer than this? You randomly started that trainee thing and now you can’t even go to the cafeteria for a while, and I even put up with your crazy tantrum yesterday….”
The more I talked, the more unfair it felt. I was practically a wingless angel.
What an ungrateful bastard.
“Whatever. I hate Kim Seyeon.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
He flopped onto the desk and whined like a seven-year-old. He looked insane.
It didn’t seem like he remembered how big he was.
‘…Is he having a hard time these days?’
He didn’t look like it, but he was secretly sensitive. I started worrying.
I reached out and lightly patted his smooth hair.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
“Training on Saturday. Nothing on Sunday.”
“I’ll come over on Sunday. I want to see Hamin and Yumin too.”
At that, Jung Sumin slowly lifted his upper body.
“Really? Jung Hamin’s going through puberty lately. His attitude’s crazy.”
“Please. You’re the one who’ll provoke him.”
“Then you must be provoking that Seo Jinhyung guy too.”
“You little—?”
Come to think of it… maybe I was. I had nothing to say.
Thankfully, class was about to start, so I was able to naturally kick Jung Sumin out.
The unfortunate part was that as soon as I did, the teacher walked in, and I completely missed my timing to talk to Yeon Jaehyun.
‘I’ll talk to him during break.’
For now, I focused on the class in front of me. After the shocking result of the last quiz, I couldn’t afford to slack off.
I had definitely planned to talk to Yeon Jaehyun as soon as first period ended.
I wanted to briefly talk about what happened yesterday and get the contract.
But unlike my plan, I couldn’t say a single word to Yeon Jaehyun all morning.
“Kim Seyeon, let’s go to the school store.”
“Ha….”
Jung Sumin seriously didn’t leave my side for even a second.
This time too, the moment the lunch bell rang, he ran straight to my seat. I finally snapped.
“What are you, a damn puppy with separation anxiety? Or a cursed doll that keeps coming back no matter how many times I throw it away?”
“If we go late, everything’ll be sold out. Get up.”
“Nope. I need to talk to him. Go buy it yourself.”
“What?”
When I finally told him honestly, Jung Sumin’s gaze turned cold and landed on Yeon Jaehyun sitting quietly beside me.
Ignoring him, I took out my wallet and handed him a ten-thousand-won bill.
“Here. Tuna mayo for me.”
“What is this supposed to be?”
“Ugh… stop arguing and just go.”
“No, Kim Seyeon….”
His expression looked a little angry. Or maybe hurt.
‘What a pain.’
“I said I’d hang out with you on Sunday. Hey, if you go late—”
“Fine. Keep your money.”
Rarely, he cut me off, then opened the front door and walked out.
‘Is he mad?’
I awkwardly put the bill back into my wallet and looked at Yeon Jaehyun.
“Sorry. I wanted to talk to you since morning.”
“It’s okay….”
“Do you keep doing that to me too?”
I meant the awkward loser act.
Yeon Jaehyun glanced around the classroom, where a few students were still lingering.
Even though they were pretending not to, their eyes were still faintly focused on us.
I nodded lightly in understanding.
‘Even so… he’s really thorough.’
There was a reason he hadn’t been exposed at all during his entire first year in the original story. Though it all got revealed in second year.
“Did you bring the contract?”
He silently shook his head. I widened my eyes and pressed him.
“Why? Was it canceled? They said no? Did they think it was too much?”
“…No. I told you last night. I’ll give it to you on Monday.”
For a moment, I panicked, thinking the association president had changed his mind. Then I felt embarrassed.
Right. It hadn’t even been a full day.
An organization on the level of the White Killer Association wouldn’t just hand out contracts like they were hiring a part-timer at a convenience store.
“Do I need my parents’ permission? Or the school’s?”
“Just your parents’… should be enough.”
“Ah, that’s a relief.”
If it were my mom, she’d probably sign it with her eyes closed. Or I could just forge her signature.
“More importantly… are you okay? Sumin looked upset.”
“Huh? He’s fine. He’ll get over it.”
I was more surprised that Yeon Jaehyun was worried about my friendships than about Jung Sumin himself.
Was that part of his loser act too? I couldn’t tell, but I let it go.
“You should go eat too.”
“Okay.”
After waving at the back of Yeon Jaehyun’s head as he finally left the classroom, I took out my phone.
Jung Sumin, who I thought would be back in five minutes, was later than expected.
‘Why does Myung Ajin wander around so much?’
As I scrolled absentmindedly, that thought suddenly crossed my mind.
…Wait. Do I not have any friends right now?
It was shocking.
Since the beginning of the semester, I’d been stuck to Jung Sumin and Myung Ajin while focusing only on Yeon Jaehyun. Even though almost a month had passed, I hadn’t properly gotten close to anyone else.
‘Damn it, Jung Sumin… you should’ve just stuck to basketball.’
It wasn’t that I felt uncomfortable being alone in the classroom.
It had happened in middle school too.
Was it second year? I’d finally made a friend, but they transferred after three months. I couldn’t find my place in class after that and spent the remaining year alone.
That continued into the next grade, and I naturally became an outsider.
Jung Sumin, who was busy with training, wasn’t much help.
‘Still, until elementary school and first year of middle school, I had plenty of friends.’
They say you get used to things. Looking at myself now, living just fine without friends, I felt both pitiful and proud.
Was it because I was mentally more mature than them? Not really.
From the moment I was reincarnated, my past-life self had been blurry, and even those memories were gradually disappearing over time. It didn’t really feel like I was living a second life.
‘More than anything, I died young back then too….’
In terms of mental age, I was probably only slightly more mature than my peers. Sometimes, because of my short temper, I was even more immature.
I’d just gotten used to not having friends.
After that realization, a hollow feeling filled my chest.
Knock, knock.
In my lowered vision, a small white fist tapped on my desk.
When I looked up, a pretty girl brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled faintly.
“Hi, Seyeon.”
“…?”
The shiny name tag read Yoon Seola.
‘The prettiest girl in the grade!’
Myung Ajin’s voice from some time ago echoed in my head.
I had never spoken to her before.
‘More importantly, she’s not even in our class…?’
I frowned slightly in confusion, and Yoon Seola gave an awkward little smile.
“Sorry for coming out of nowhere. I just wanted to ask something….”
“I’m not dating Jung Sumin.”
I answered immediately. The girl’s big eyes widened in surprise.
‘Sorry, but you’re the third one this week….’
I thought there would be fewer in high school, but girls in the prime of their youth had no shame when it came to love.
Right now, at the beginning of the semester, it only went as far as asking if he had a girlfriend or for his number. But soon enough, there would be psychopaths trying to get close to me just to aim for Jung Sumin.
Just thinking about it gave me a headache.
“Ah… I see. Thank you.”
As expected.
Even the so-called prettiest girl in the grade had such poor taste in men.
Yoon Seola lightly covered her mouth with her fingertips and smiled.
A faint blush spread over her pale skin, and a soft perfume scent drifted from her flowing long hair.
The prettiest girl in the grade. Myung Ajin was half right and half wrong.
Yoon Seola was the prettiest girl I had seen in the entire school.
