Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Coincidence at the Library
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"Why are you here?"
I eyed Seo Jae-kyeom suspiciously as he stood at the library entrance.
Ever since that "Don't embarrass me for liking you" incident, he'd been shockingly quiet for days.
No KakaoTalk messages, no chit-chat. He acted like we weren't even classmates—he completely vanished from sight for a while.
Today, though, there was no avoiding him.
...Did the cherry blossom festival run out of flowers?
Was he drafted to stand in for them or something?
Seo Jae-kyeom always dressed well, but today he was dazzling.
What the heck.
Every guy I run into today is turning heads. Except Do Ha-jun.
I glanced down at my own frumpy outfit—clearly "here to study"—then back at Seo Jae-kyeom.
Dressed to the nines... for the library?
He met my skeptical gaze and insisted,
"It's a coincidence."
"What is?"
"Running into you like this. I'm not waiting for you or anything."
"......"
"Think about it logically. How would I know if you'd even come here, or what time? I'm not standing around waiting for you. It's a coincidence."
"I see."
"I come here all the time anyway."
"Right."
"I haven't messaged you since you told me not to. But I can't control every random encounter, right? You don't own the library. You're not the only citizen of Korea. I pay taxes too! Well, not much yet, but I'll pay more soon!"
"Seo Jae-kyeom."
"Yeah!"
"I didn't say anything."
"......"
"Here to study?"
"...Yeah."
"You come here a lot?"
"Yeah."
"Then show me your seat reservation."
"Huh?"
"Over there."
I pointed to the seat dispenser by the entrance.
Quick note: To use this library's reading rooms, you need to be pre-registered on their website.
Then you scan your membership card to use the dispenser.
Under my steady gaze, Seo Jae-kyeom shuffled awkwardly toward it. I watched from behind as his unnecessarily pretty fingers pressed the button.
[Please scan your membership card or enter your ID] "......"
"Heh."
This wasn't just praying for a coincidental meeting... this was straight-up staking out.
Stuff like this is what lovesick kids do.
Roaming their crush's haunts for a "chance" encounter.
Pre-regression me would've gotten my hopes up. Like, Seo Jae-kyeom likes me?
"No!"
His face paling, Seo Jae-kyeom waved his hands frantically.
"It's not like that, for real. I'm not trying to fish or manage you or whatever! It's not because I'm desperate! I did think I might run into you here, but anyway, it's really not like that!"
"Okay, calm down."
Breathe before you speak.
"I'll believe you."
Unless you're a total player, who puts this much passion into stringing someone along?
"Good? Then let's go."
I nudged Seo Jae-kyeom aside from the dispenser. As I scanned my card and picked a seat,
[Canceled.] "...If it was a coincidence!"
Seo Jae-kyeom huffed, having canceled the seat I'd carefully chosen.
"We're classmates! If we bump into each other while studying, can't we study together?!"
"...?"
"Our relationship isn't that bad, is it? Do we have to study alone just because we ran into each other?!"
"......"
Then study alone if that's the case—why drag it out in a group?
I wanted to reply coolly like the narrator in Camellia, but if I did, Seo Jae-kyeom might cry. He wasn't some tantrum-throwing kindergartener.
Sigh.
"Fine. Let's study together. ...I had some problems I didn't get anyway."
I'd planned to save them and ask the teacher on Monday, but figuring them out now would be better.
Seo Jae-kyeom didn't study much, but he was smart—cram the night before a test, and he'd ace it.
The type to slack off until senior year, then grind into Korea University via regular admissions.
Everyone laments, "If only he'd started earlier, he could've gone to Korea University," but he has zero regrets.
Even in college, he coasts but excels anyway. Infuriatingly talented.
I nodded half-heartedly, and his face lit up. Regaining his signature cocky smile, he jerked his chin.
"There's a cafe next door. Wanna go? Coffee's on me."
"I already had coffee earlier."
"With who? A guy?"
"......"
"Can't I ask?!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You didn't know this one? You?"
"Shh. Thanks. Now let's study."
We ended up at the cafe anyway.
Wasted time waiting for him to register would've been annoying.
We grabbed a spot on the second floor of the massive chain cafe catering to study crowds. I opened my bag, and Seo Jae-kyeom watched intently before pulling out the exact same workbook.
The one our class A math group bought together.
"Page 90 practice problems, right?"
"Yeah."
"Let's do them together. I'll time us."
"OMR marking done within time."
45 minutes later.
"Done!"
"Argh!"
As I flipped the OMR sheet on the table, Seo Jae-kyeom grabbed my hand—completely engulfing it—then flinched, pulled away, and sneaked another glance at me. Ignoring it, I pulled a red pen from my case.
"Kang Da-hye, I messed up the last marking... Can I fix just one?"
"No. Markings are permanent."
"What about confessions?"
"Huh?"
"Is rejecting a confession permanent too?"
"......"
The red pen I'd just uncapped slipped, leaving a straight line across the back of my other hand.
Coming in hot out of nowhere.
"What'd you say?"
I stared at Seo Jae-kyeom. He looked up at me, hunching his big frame pitifully.
Height difference meant he couldn't actually look up, but he faked it with a pathetic expression.
"Can I take back rejecting you?"
"......"
"Without the confession and rejection part. So no mixed signals from me being nice. Can we just... be friends?"
"......"
"I wanna talk to you, tease you, but if that's giving mixed signals or not allowed... I don't know what to do."
"...Why do you wanna do that?"
"Dunno."
Seo Jae-kyeom's face clouded over.
Watching his confused expression, I thought,
Is this that thing?
'I just wanted to be close friends, why'd you confess and ruin our friendship?!'
I had no idea why Seo Jae-kyeom—who barely noticed me before—suddenly wanted to build a friendship now.
'No point in things being awkward with him anyway.'
We were classmates for the next year, after all.
If he wanted to cancel the confession, great for me.
I capped the pen and told him,
"Okay."
"Really?!"
"But on one condition."
"What?"
"Don't deliberately try to seduce me."
"...How do you tell the difference between being nice to a friend and seducing?"
"Use your conscience."
"Got it."
Seo Jae-kyeom nodded.
His face brightened as I glanced back down at the OMR sheet.
Pre-regression Seo Jae-kyeom felt untouchable, way above me. Post-regression...
'Kinda pathetic.'
"Now let's study."
"Yeah!"
Good grief.
"Kang Da-hye. Just friend stuff, okay?"
"Yeah."
"Talking to you?"
"Fine."
"Staring at you in class?"
"No."
Look forward, not at me.
"KakaoTalk?"
"Only if you have business."
"Picking stuff off your face?"
"Bugs only."
"Accidental hand brushes?"
"Unavoidable."
"Wiping pen marks off your hand with a wet wipe?"
"Gimme. I'll do it myself."
Scrub scrub.
"Telling you I cut contact with Baek Eun-joo, Yang Da-jeong, and Kim Hae-in?"
"(Ignore)"
"Handing you a fork for cake?"
"(Chew)"
"Offering you a sip of mine?"
"(Look away)"
"Borrowing your eraser?"
"(Close case)"
"Doodling in your workbook?"
"Hey, cut it out!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Kang Da-hye's gonna take first place again anyway, right?"
"I'll try."
"Best at studying, super popular now. Kang Da-hye's the queen."
"Huh? I'm not popular."
I'd take first, sure.
Being number one? Not hard. Get everything right, and it's automatic.
Getting everything right isn't impossible. Just don't miss any.
Study hard, and only familiar problems pop up—no misses.
Acing one subject with effort isn't tough. Do it for all, full marks across the board.
Math makes me a bit nervous, but... topping the school isn't that big a deal.
No need to compare to others. Just do my best.
Ace everything, game's over.
But popularity? Nah...
Han Ji-su laughed beside me, where I sat squinting suspiciously.
"No way, you've gotten popular, Da-hye. You're class president."
"That's just me pushing myself forward."
"Nope. Wanna see?"
Grinning, Ji-su pointed across the room.