Chapter 33: Suspicion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: Suspicion
In the end, Choi I-seo couldn't even finish her meal properly with Kim Woo-jin before heading home.
She had excused herself by claiming she’d forgotten a dinner appointment with Min-ji, but her mind was still a restless, tangled mess.
Why did Kim Woo-jin have a semi-nude photo of Seo Ye-rin?
No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't find an answer. I-seo could only fret in silence.
"Sigh."
As she let out a heavy sigh and trudged inside, the spicy aroma of food hit her nose.
She saw Min-ji in the living room, busy eating tteokbokki she had ordered.
"Oh? Didn't you say you were going to eat dinner after working out?"
Min-ji had mentioned going to do some volunteer work today to fill her required hours, so it seemed she was having a late dinner now that she was back.
"Min-ji."
Since I-seo had recently reconciled with Min-ji, she felt like she could finally open up about her worries.
And so...
Sitting across from her friend, completely forgetting about her workout as she picked at the tteokbokki, I-seo shared the dilemma weighing on her heart.
It was a situation that defied all common sense as she knew it, and she desperately needed a second opinion—even if it was just from Min-ji.
"Wh-what?!"
Naturally, Min-ji shrieked, making a huge fuss.
"Wait, wait. You're saying a semi-nude photo of your department's goddess is on Kim Woo-jin's phone?!"
For a split second, I-seo wondered if she’d made a mistake by telling her. After all, Min-ji was the one who had started those weird rumors about Kim Woo-jin in the past.
However, as if sensing I-seo’s concern, Min-ji immediately waved her hands dismissively.
"I'm not going to go crazy and spread rumors again! Besides, based on the Kim Woo-jin we know, I don't think he's the type to do something sketchy."
"That's exactly what I mean."
Even I-seo couldn't bring herself to believe that Kim Woo-jin held onto that photo with any malicious intent.
"Let's think about this. Are you absolutely sure it was a photo of the goddess? Could it have been someone else?"
"The mole's location, the body type, even the underwear... it was all identical."
"Damn."
If I-seo was being that definitive, then it had to be true. Min-ji scratched her head and stuffed a piece of spicy tteokbokki into her mouth.
She chewed thoughtfully, weighing the possibilities.
"Maybe they're just dating? Like, they're secretly seeing each other and keeping it on the down-low."
"Do you... think so?"
I-seo also felt that was the most logical explanation, but for some reason, she found herself hoping it wasn't the case.
"I mean, she's the goddess. She must be incredibly popular with the guys."
"She is."
Seo Ye-rin’s popularity wasn't limited to the English Department; it extended across the entire university.
Word was that she’d been scouted by major entertainment agencies back in high school, and even now, she supposedly collected business cards and guys' phone numbers just by walking down the street.
Given that level of fame, it wouldn't be strange for them to keep a relationship secret, but...
'Still, somehow...'
It didn't feel right.
For starters, Kim Woo-jin spent way more time with I-seo than he did with Seo Ye-rin.
'What kind of girlfriend would be okay with her boyfriend hanging out with another girl that often?'
They had even fallen asleep right next to each other at the jjimjilbang.
Furthermore...
'I mean, I'm... not exactly bad-looking myself.'
It felt awkward to say it out loud, but I-seo knew she was considered one of the prettier girls on campus. What kind of woman would just stand by while a girl like her was constantly around her boyfriend?
"Sigh, I don't think they're dating."
"Really?"
At I-seo’s words, Min-ji began to approach the problem from a different angle. Knowing Kim Woo-jin’s personality, she didn't want to jump to a negative conclusion.
But as for the reason he’d have a semi-nude photo of the department beauty...
"Then, maybe..."
"Maybe?"
Min-ji hesitated, wondering if she should even say it, and stole a glance at I-seo.
She had reached a conclusion of her own, but she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to voice it.
"What? What is it?"
Seeing her friend's urging, Min-ji seemed to make up her mind. She clenched her fists and asked.
"Before I say anything, I have to ask you one thing, I-seo."
"Yeah?"
Tension rose at Min-ji’s solemn tone. I-seo gave a small nod.
"Do you like Kim Woo-jin?"
The directness of the question caught I-seo off guard. She frantically waved her hands.
"M-me? Woo-jin? No! Absolutely not!"
"For real?"
"Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Because if you don't, there's no reason for you to be agonizing this much over him having a photo of the goddess."
"..."
She wasn't wrong.
In fact, I-seo began to wonder why she had been so worked up about it until now.
'Y-yeah, exactly.'
Hanging out with Kim Woo-jin was fun and comfortable, but if asked if it was romantic love, she didn't feel like it had reached that point.
Not yet...
Watching I-seo struggle to face her own emotions, Min-ji stroked her chin.
Regardless, she decided to offer the answer she had come up with.
"In my opinion, those two are..."
"...Those two are what?"
I-seo gulped, focusing intently. Min-ji made her declaration without hesitation.
"They're FWBs."
* * *
"Sigh."
The arrival of autumn at Gahyeon University meant many things. It meant midterm exams were creeping closer, which led to everyone studying like their lives depended on it.
Naturally, that atmosphere carried over into the Bamboo Forest.
While the board was naturally filled with exam-related talk, that wasn't the only topic.
The Gahyeon Festival.
In other words, the university festival.
While most festivals are held in mid-May, Gahyeon University intentionally holds theirs around this time.
I heard they pushed it back to avoid overlapping with nearby universities.
Anyway.
Since the festival followed right after midterms, the mood on the board wasn't entirely grim.
Well, if we're talking about grim...
Choi I-seo, who was currently glaring at me, was the grimmest of all.
"...What's wrong with I-seo?"
Tuesday lunch.
A time when my, Seo Ye-rin’s, and Choi I-seo’s lectures overlapped. We had come to eat jeyuk for the first time in a while.
Seo Ye-rin, sitting next to me, whispered the question, but I could only answer that I didn't know.
"No idea. She's been like that since last Friday."
After we went to the gym on Friday, she had left without even eating dinner, and she’d been in this state ever since.
Her gaze was especially sharp now that she was with Seo Ye-rin.
"Is it because we're eating jeyuk?"
"Sorry, but I won that rock-paper-scissors fair and square."
"Still, I-seo said she’s doing a body profile shoot. You could’ve been more considerate."
"Are you disrespecting jeyuk right now?"
"..."
When I stood my ground, Seo Ye-rin looked baffled, but considering I-seo had been acting strange since Friday, the jeyuk probably wasn't the issue.
'Eh, whatever.'
I decided to just change the subject and turned to I-seo.
"What are we doing for the festival? I heard every department has to do something."
I’d heard that students were practically forced to participate. I figured I-seo, being the Class Rep, would know something.
"Nothing's decided yet. Probably just a food stall or something."
She was pouting, but at least she was still answering me. Should I consider that a relief?
"I guess everyone does pretty much the same thing. It's not like we're in some Japanese anime."
In anime, they always do things like maid cafes, but if you did that at a real university festival, you'd be roasted online instantly.
Seo Ye-rin flinched beside me.
I wondered what was up, but she just awkwardly poked at the side dishes with her chopsticks.
"S-so, Woo-jin, you watch anime too?"
"Hmm? Yeah. I watch it sometimes. It's fun."
There’s a certain vibe you can't get from dramas or movies. Even lines that would be cringeworthy in real life can strangely tug at your heartstrings in an anime.
"...What do you watch?"
Seo Ye-rin leaned in slightly as she asked. The moment I saw her face, I knew exactly what was happening.
"Heh."
She was a closet otaku.
Well, it happens.
Come to think of it, she hides the fact that she plays games, so it made sense she wouldn't go around announcing she watches anime.
"Oh, this and that. Recently, I watched something like Blade of Demon Slaying."
"That one's good... I like it too."
I let out a sigh as I watched Seo Ye-rin mumble, fidgeting so quietly that I-seo could barely hear her.
"Geez, hey. Why are you so embarrassed?"
"N-no, it's not that I'm embarrassed..."
"Is watching anime embarrassing? Is it a crime? Are you ashamed of being an otaku?"
"W-Woo-jin!"
The eyes of every student in the restaurant snapped toward us. Since the place was mostly full of guys, they had already been stealing glances at our table, but now they were staring openly.
"This won't do. To make you feel more comfortable, I'll just post it in our department group chat. Seo Ye-rin is an ota—"
"Hey!"
Seo Ye-rin immediately snatched my phone and pulled it away to her side. For a second, I flinched, remembering how I almost got caught as the Bamboo Forest Manager last time.
But I played it cool and waved her off.
"Alright, alright. I'm joking."
"Phew, seriously."
"But honestly, it's nothing to be ashamed of. As long as you aren't hurting anyone, who cares?"
"...I don't watch anime."
Yeah, right.
After I got my phone back, the jeyuk arrived right on time. I was about to dig in, but for some reason...
The glare from Choi I-seo, who was gripping her spoon tightly, felt like it was burning a hole through me.
"Seriously, what is it?"
I asked because I genuinely didn't understand, but I-seo just glanced at Seo Ye-rin and silently began eating her jeyuk.
Thwack!
"Ow!"
Right after she delivered a sharp kick to my shin under the table.