Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Jeong Eun-seong's Laughter
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Jeong Eun-seong from Class 2-2 of the second year was the diligent type.
And he liked movies.
In fact, he liked movies and dramas far more than his main gig of dance and song.
That said, there was no need to go back to the theater on opening day with drama club members he wasn't even close to.
Especially if the movie hadn't left much impression on Eun-seong himself.
He had choreography to memorize by tomorrow.
Today's movie had already eaten up his time, so he'd have to double down tonight.
He could've just said he was busy and turned it down.
Why'd he go?
'The movie was good.'
It was worth seeing twice. That's why he went. Once it's out of theaters, it's gone, right?
...Didn't you just say it left no impression?
Besides, to talk about the movie, hadn't he and Kang Da-hye only caught the last thirty minutes while waiting for Do Ha-jun?
'A day only has twenty-four hours. Thirty minutes is plenty. My eyes were hurting anyway.'
Got two eyes for life. Gotta make 'em last.
This way, that way—what was the real reason?
The bewildering boy Jeong Eun-seong headed toward the bus stop, swinging his arms.
The other drama club members had already split off, some saying they were going cherry blossom viewing, others heading to a PC bang.
He hadn't wanted to get swept up in the crowd, so he'd ducked into the bathroom, washed his hands, reapplied sunscreen, and come out.
As he stepped onto the escalator leading outside, his phone buzzed.
"......"
Unknown number. Eun-seong ignored it lightly and rode up.
The square right in front of the shopping mall was still packed with cherry blossom watchers.
This was his chance—someone spreading out a spot to play Cherry Blossom Opening, another on tiptoes trying to tuck a branch into their ear without breaking it...
And in the midst of it all, a girl more springlike than the flowers themselves.
When he'd given her that single petal, the way she'd jumped in surprise—he'd wanted to hand over a hundred petals.
A hundred?
No.
A thousand.
Still short?
Ten thousand, maybe?
As Eun-seong lowered his eyes and chuckled to himself, recalling her dazed face as she clutched the petal and stared at him—
"Jeong Eun-seong."
Someone tapped his back from behind.
He turned to see Han Ji-su. Kang Da-hye's friend.
She glanced at the phone in his hand and hung up. His phone stopped vibrating at the same time.
"Wow. Ignoring my call straight-up."
"......"
"You don't even have my number saved, do you?"
Right.
Eun-seong stayed silent.
Looking up at him, Han Ji-su beamed.
"Got a sec?"
"No."
"You're heading to the bus, right? We can talk on the way."
"Fine."
If she insisted on chatting beside him, what could Eun-seong do to stop her? At his word, Ji-su (Eun-seong was confused, but her name was actually Ji-su) jumped right in.
"Did I do something wrong to you or what?"
The fastball caught him off guard, and Eun-seong shook his head.
"No."
"Really? But you seem kinda aggressive toward me."
"Never been."
He didn't care enough to be aggressive or whatever. She was just Kang Da-hye's friend, someone he only saw during mobile class.
"Then why ignore my KakaoTalks? Why not talk to me first? Unless you've got bad feelings, there's no reason."
"......"
"We've got club activities for the next year, and we're the leads in the play. This makes it awkward."
Anyone overhearing would think Eun-seong was the rude one.
But Eun-seong had his side too.
He didn't ignore Han Ji-su. He greeted her in the halls when they passed, answered if she asked something. He replied diligently to her KakaoTalks too. The only thing he'd ghosted was one chat.
Getting along didn't mean he had to chit-chat nonstop.
"Done?"
Eun-seong looked down at her. Even with her one escalator step below, he loomed plenty tall—it wasn't hard.
Meeting his steady gaze, she confessed.
"Yeah. Truth is, I wanna be friends with you."
"Why?"
"'Cause you're close with Da-hye."
"?"
What? Did she just not wanna be left out? But before Eun-seong could ask, she pressed on.
"And that thing earlier about 'noticing.' You aren't still mad about the canteen, are you?"
"Canteen?"
"When you first transferred. My friends were trash-talking Da-hye at the canteen."
Deciding this needed clearing up, she crossed her arms and met his eyes.
"You must've only heard the start. I was on an important call and couldn't cut them off right away."
Was that it?
"I got them to apologize on the spot, and they all owned up to it. That's why we're still friends. Don't get the wrong idea."
Hmm.
"Da-hye's my absolute favorite friend. Closest one. But they're my friends too... I just want us all to get along. No fighting."
Mm.
"I never told Da-hye 'cause it'd hurt her feelings. No point knowing people talk smack behind your back. Da-hye's got a surprisingly fragile side."
"Yeah."
Not interested. Casual reply.
But Han Ji-su apparently thought that wrapped it up.
She lightly grabbed Eun-seong's arm and grinned wide.
"So no hard feelings?"
"Never did."
"Great. Let's get along then. Da-hye's right in the middle of us. She'd be sad if we didn't."
True enough.
He'd seen her cry once, and it soured his mood.
That's why he'd picked on her back then.
Much better seeing her all indignant.
Like with that stable bit earlier.
'Or what, riding a horse? No stable to park it, that's why you're late?'
Recalling Da-hye swinging her straw in a huff, Eun-seong muttered without thinking.
"Really funny."
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing."
"That's not nothing..."
"Bus is here."
As he started to dash off without a goodbye, Eun-seong paused.
"Han Ji-young."
"Han Ji-su..."
"Bye."
Well, whatever—she was Da-hye's best friend, after all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "What's so hilarious?"
"Shu cream."
"Sounds tasty."
The guy sprawled out groaned and rolled to the side. He was from the same practice team as Eun-seong.
Ever since that debut girl group's romance scandal, the company mood had been icy. Today was no different.
There was already a boy group debut lineup set, but apparently one of them had caused trouble too.
The CEO was furious, swapping members left and right... Total chaos.
The trainees were just tiptoeing around.
While everyone else was sweaty and speechless, his teammates eyed Eun-seong oddly as he chuckled to himself.
"What's shu cream?"
"Lemme tell you."
Kang Da-hye's screen this, shu cream that. The whole spiel.
"So then she—"
Couldn't talk like this at school. Everyone knew Da-hye.
Here, where he could freely ramble about her, Eun-seong got chatty.
He rarely spoke this much. Curious, one hyung listened in, his expression turning weirder by the second.
Clueless, Eun-seong kept bubbling on excitedly.
"And when the guy was still late, she started fuming by herself. Bus is ten minutes—why an hour? Riding a horse or what? Then he shows up, but ignores everyone and yaks away, so she mutters all quiet, 'Listen for once, don't just ride it...' Super funny."
"...Eun-seong-ah."
"Yeah?"
"So... where's the funny part?"
"...? Ain't it hilarious?"
"Not even a little."
"Oh."
Eun-seong, who'd been hyped solo, clamped his mouth shut in embarrassment.
Watching him, the hyung pushed his upper body up from where it'd been rubbing the practice room floor.
"That the girl you mentioned before? The super-smart one?"
Had he talked about Da-hye last time too?
Maybe. She was funny.
"Yeah. Smart. Thinks deep."
"She's a girl?"
"Yeah."
"Hey. Jeong Eun-seong."
"Yeah."
"You aren't trying to date her, are you?"