Chapter 20
“…There’s a chance, though?”
Even Jung Sumin, who had never dated a girl as if he had lost some essential function as a man, might actually fall this time.
Seol Yuna shyly said goodbye and returned to her classroom. Right on time, Jung Sumin came back as well.
He looked so calm that it was hard to believe he had been angry. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he took Yeon Jaehyun’s empty seat.
“Bring something good to eat on Sunday.”
At his extremely simple tone, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
He shot me a look as if asking why, but I ignored it and kept chuckling.
Just like that, the slight loneliness and boredom I had been feeling were swept away like a wave.
“Are you planning to get a girlfriend?” I asked.
“Why?”
His voice was sharper than before.
“Don’t date anyone for a while.”
I said that while biting into a triangle kimbap I had torn open badly, the seaweed already half peeled off.
He stared at me, clearly trying to guess my intentions, but I ignored him.
Until the end of the first semester, I planned to make at least two friends in our class. Of course, not counting the girls who approached him just to flirt.
Until then, Jung Sumin had the duty to hang out with me.
That was all.
“What about you?”
“Huh?”
“Are you going to date Yeon Jaehyun?”
At his ridiculous comment, I froze mid-chew.
Me? With the male lead?
“He already has Myeong Ajin.”
Then again, the situation with the association president came to mind, which made things feel a bit awkward.
At least to Sung Taewoo, did we look like we were dating?
I suddenly remembered how, about a month ago, I had resolved to get a boyfriend in high school.
If that boyfriend were Yeon Jaehyun… I didn’t know.
His face perfectly matched my taste, but I had never once thought about dating him.
Maybe because he already had a destined partner in the original story.
More importantly, would Yeon Jaehyun even want to date me?
Tap.
As my thoughts dragged on, Jung Sumin lightly pushed my head with his fingertip.
“What are you doing? Are you actually thinking about it?”
He seemed slightly annoyed by my contradictory attitude—telling him not to date, yet hesitating myself.
“No. I just… never even thought about it before, so I’m surprised.”
“Oh, really?”
He had been irritated just a second ago, but his voice brightened again instantly. That was so like Jung Sumin.
I was hot-tempered, and he was moody. Two personality disasters, yet somehow we got along surprisingly well.
As if the past three weeks had been a dream, Seo Jinhyung was sitting in the car waiting for me after school, like nothing had happened.
Was he really just that busy? Either way, this worry would end next Monday.
“I’ll sign the contract and officially become affiliated with the association!”
Then I would find out exactly how many people Seo Jinhyung had killed—and whether he had started killing again while living under the same roof as me.
I would also learn why Yeon Jaehyun had enrolled as a freshman instead of transferring.
Having spent Friday and Saturday in the most relaxed state I’d felt lately, I started getting ready busily from late Sunday morning.
I even put on makeup, which I rarely did, and carefully picked out my clothes.
“Where are you going?” Mom asked as I came downstairs.
“To Jung Sumin’s house.”
“Then why are you all dressed up?”
“I’m Yumin’s first love. I can’t disappoint him.”
“Oh~ the third kid from that house.”
Jung Sumin had three siblings. He was the eldest, then Jung Hamin, and the youngest, Jung Yumin.
“How old is Yumin now?”
“First year of middle school. Ah, I have to go. Stop talking to me.”
I answered irritably.
“Fine, go. Are you eating dinner there?”
“Yeah.”
“Then I guess we’ll eat out. Jinhyung said he’s going to the study café and will be late too…”
“I’m leaving!”
I ignored the rest and slammed the front door shut.
“If this were before, it would’ve taken three minutes.”
Before moving, our houses were close. Now I had to take public transportation.
It was only twenty minutes away, but compared to the days when we would casually call each other out to kill time, it felt inconvenient.
Enjoying the warm weather heading toward April, I leisurely chose a cake and some desserts, then headed to Jung Sumin’s apartment with both hands full.
When I rang the bell, he opened the door not long after, dressed comfortably.
“Ah, you’re f***ing late—… What?”
“What.”
He looked me over from head to toe, slightly flustered, then stepped aside.
I slipped past him, took off my shoes, and cheerfully shouted,
“Hamin! Yumin! Unnie’s here!”
“Saeyeon unnie?”
“Noona!”
Hamin, who had been lying on the sofa, jumped up. Yumin ran out from inside, smiling brightly.
“Where are Auntie and Uncle?”
“They went on a date. But why haven’t you come in so long?! And what’s that?”
“Something delicious.”
“Whoa! Isn’t that expensive?”
Very much like a middle school girl, Hamin grabbed the desserts and ran straight to the dining table.
Yumin, who seemed to have grown taller again, stood there with slightly flushed cheeks, looking at me.
“Hi, Yumin. You’ve grown since last time.”
I ruffled his hair. He pouted.
“I’m taller than you now…”
“Sure you are.”
I snorted, and he clearly looked sulky. He was still just a kid.
Suddenly, someone hooked an arm around my neck from behind and pulled me back. I didn’t even need to look.
“Hey… want to die?”
“Cut it out and come inside. I don’t want to babysit them on my day off.”
“I came to see Hamin and Yumin, though?”
“Ah, come on.”
Even though he complained, he only tugged lightly, and I let myself be dragged.
Yumin looked at me longingly, but it couldn’t be helped.
Thud.
Jung Sumin closed his bedroom door completely and gestured for me to sit.
I didn’t refuse and flopped onto his bed.
“Why did you dress up all of a sudden?”
“I’m Yumin’s first love. It’s been a while, so I have to give him some fan service.”
As I pulled the blanket over myself, he let out a hollow laugh.
“Because of Jung Yumin?”
“Yumin is seriously so cute. I want to kiss him.”
As an only child, his siblings were incredibly adorable to me.
I still vividly remembered them toddling after me, calling me unnie and noona with their small bodies barely reaching my stomach.
Especially Yumin—unlike Hamin, who looked like the female version of Jung Sumin, Yumin didn’t resemble anyone and was even cuter because of it.
Jung Sumin always just called them gross.
“Are you crazy?”
“I used to kiss him a lot when he was little… but now he’s in puberty, so I shouldn’t touch him too much, right?”
“Obviously! And he’s over 170 cm! That’s harassment!”
He shouted loudly.
Even if he pretended not to, he clearly cared about his siblings.
“I’m kidding. I won’t, idiot…”
When I looked at him with an exasperated expression, he finally quieted down.
Bang!
The door flew open without warning.
“Unnie, eat this while you hang out.”
“Oh, thanks.”
The desserts I bought were neatly arranged on a plate.
Being treated like a guest made me feel strangely touched. They weren’t even my real siblings.
Meanwhile, Jung Sumin just took the plate and placed it on his desk like it was nothing.
After delivering the snacks, Hamin peeked back in before closing the door.
“And if Jung Sumin does anything weird, scream right away.”
“Jung Hamin!”
He yelled, but she had already slammed the door shut.
An awkward silence settled in the room.
Something weird with Jung Sumin? I had never even imagined it. I was beyond embarrassed—more like baffled.
“Hamin’s already at the age where she knows about that stuff…”
A strange emptiness accompanied the thought.
“What’s wrong with her, seriously.”
“Why care? Bring that here.”
“Ah, I hate eating on the bed.”
Yet he obediently brought it anyway. I thought I had trained him well.
I placed the tray on my lap and bit into a financier.
“Bring your laptop too. Let’s watch a movie.”
“I hate your trash movie taste.”
“You’re the trash one. At least act your size.”
I liked hardcore action. He, surprisingly, liked romance.
I remembered the romance movie we had watched together last time because of his stubbornness.
I almost fell asleep from boredom, while he cried beside me.
What was it about again?
Oh right. The main character had promised to marry her childhood friend but changed her mind and married someone else.
Jung Sumin kept pestering me for my thoughts.
After about twenty wrong answers, I finally said, “It’s so sad and something that should never happen,” squeezing my soul into the response. Only then did he leave me alone.
“Then want to watch Next Door and Next Door again?”
That movie.
I frowned in horror.
“No.”
He brought the laptop and climbed onto the bed, sitting close beside me.
When we were younger, the bed felt spacious. But after he grew, it felt a bit cramped for two people.
“Then let’s watch an American drama.”
He browsed through OTT and played a mystery series.
“Can you see well? Should I move the tray?”
“No. I’ll eat while watching.”
“Don’t spill.”
“Mm.”
I focused on the laptop resting on his thighs.
American dramas really hooked you from the first episode.
But the screen was angled more toward him, so my neck started to hurt.
After a moment’s thought, I leaned my head against his shoulder.
Thud.
He was tall, so the height was perfect. My neck didn’t bend awkwardly.
I felt him flinch slightly, but I ignored it.
He clung to me all the time, yet when I touched him once in a while, he acted startled. Ridiculous.
“Should I tease him?”
I dropped the idea. The drama was too interesting.
“This makes no sense!”
“Oh, glad you finally realized.”
The thrilling plot devoured time quickly.
“In my opinion, that bastard’s the culprit.”
“Saeyeon, don’t try to deduce things. No… just don’t think at all.”
“Want to die? Hey, look! He’s doing something weird—”
The man I pointed out as the culprit started doing something very inappropriate with the main character.
Very typical American drama—sudden explicit scene with no buildup.
Jung Sumin panicked and covered the laptop screen with his palm.
Normally one hand wouldn’t block the screen, but his big hand worked perfectly.
“Th-this is weird… It was rated 15+…”
His ears were red, and his voice flustered.
“Sorry, should I turn it off?”
“Just watch. It’s only 15+ level anyway.”
“O-okay…”
It wasn’t like I wasn’t embarrassed too.
But it really was just mild for a 15+ rating, and more than anything, his reaction was hilarious.
“Pfft… how old are you to react like this…?”
I buried my face in his shoulder and laughed softly.
“Be quiet,” he muttered awkwardly above my head.
Of course, now that I had such good teasing material, there was no way I was going to stay quiet.
