Chapter 36: Confession
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 36: Confession
Snap. Snap. Snap.
The sound of Yoo Ah-rin eating Pepero right next to me was getting on my nerves.
The others didn't seem to mind, but maybe because I wasn't her biggest fan, even her smallest actions felt irritating.
"Hey, eat quietly."
Snap. Snap. Snap.
"I said, eat quietly."
When I spoke up again with a frown, Yoo Ah-rin wordlessly held out a Pepero stick toward me.
"Want one?"
"I told you to be quiet."
"Look at you, taking it anyway."
I shook my head while munching on the Pepero she gave me. Giving me a snack didn't mean I was letting her off the hook, though.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
I started making noise while eating my Pepero, too. After all, eating Pepero loudly is practically an unwritten rule.
As we sat there snapping away at our snacks, I realized Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo were staring at me.
"Ahem."
Since I was the one who had complained only to end up doing the exact same thing, it was only natural they’d look at me with judging eyes.
I tried to pretend I hadn't noticed and focus back on my studies, but my gaze kept drifting elsewhere.
It’s about time he showed up.
For some reason, Yoo Ah-rin, who I thought was just passing by, had ended up joining our study session.
To be honest, I wasn't thrilled about it, but her presence was actually a bit of an opportunity.
Sensing the atmosphere had settled back into a calm lull, I casually tossed out a comment while keeping my eyes on my notebook, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"One of my friends is coming over to study too. That’s okay, right?"
I acted like I was scribbling something down after saying it, but I could feel the heat of their stares on my head.
When I peeked up at them, none of them were studying; all eyes were fixed on me.
"A friend? Who?"
Choi I-seo asked, her expression full of suspicion. Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin looked curious as well.
"…Is it a girl?"
I told Seo Ye-rin, who had asked tentatively, that it wasn't.
"It’s a guy."
This time, Yoo Ah-rin chimed in from across the table.
"You actually have friends?"
"……."
As I hesitated to answer that, the other two couldn't hide their shocked expressions either.
"Woo-jin actually has a male friend…"
"Honestly, I’m pretty surprised. That’s a relief."
"Why do I feel insulted?"
Being openly looked down upon by the three of them gave me a strange feeling, but I didn't really have a comeback to deny it.
I just waited for the moment I could prove that I did, in fact, have a friend.
Actually, calling the person who was coming a 'friend' was a bit of a stretch.
Just then, I saw a guy across the street.
Even from a distance, his sharp jawline and straight nose made it impossible to hide the fact that he was handsome.
"Oh, you're here?"
As I waved to welcome Jeong Chan-woo, everyone’s attention shifted toward him.
Yoo Ah-rin was the first to react.
She whipped her head around to look at me, and her reaction was so unexpected it caught me off guard.
Did she just glare at me?
It wasn't a joke, either; she had glared at me with a dead-serious expression. Of course, she immediately masked it with her usual playful smirk.
"Hey."
Jeong Chan-woo walked over to our table and gave an awkward smile as a greeting.
"You've all seen him around before, right?"
The reason I could invite him was that he had already met everyone here at least once.
He had told me he was close with Yoo Ah-rin and Seo Ye-rin back in high school, and while he’d only met Choi I-seo once at the gym, he’d known of her existence long before that.
"This is Jeong Chan-woo. He’s my friend—he’s a good guy and he’s handsome, so try to get along."
At first, things were a bit awkward, and a subtle tension hung in the air between Jeong Chan-woo and Seo Ye-rin.
"Hi."
"Yeah, hi."
Despite the awkwardness, they greeted each other, and he took a seat. I purposely stood up and made him sit in the spot I had been occupying.
Choi I-seo was next to him, but since he was directly across from Yoo Ah-rin, it wasn't a bad spot.
"……."
Choi I-seo shot me a glare over Jeong Chan-woo’s shoulder, but the seating arrangement was finalized regardless.
I’ll suggest we grab dinner after we finish studying. Alcohol… might be tough since it’s exam period.
As I was weighing various options, Yoo Ah-rin suddenly stood up.
"Aren't you guys thirsty? I'm going to the convenience store. Want me to pick up some drinks?"
"Then go with Chan-woo—"
I tried to send Jeong Chan-woo with her, but Yoo Ah-rin flashed a bright smile and grabbed my wrist.
"Chan-woo just got here, and you want him to leave again? You three stay here and chat. You come with me."
"No, why me? I don't want to go."
"I need someone to help me carry the drinks."
"You can't even carry a few drinks?"
I tried to argue that she was being ridiculous, but Yoo Ah-rin kept dragging me along. Fearing things would get weird if I resisted further, I followed her.
Sigh, this isn't going the way I planned.
I wanted to help him out, but it felt like Yoo Ah-rin was constantly slipping away.
Anyway, the convenience store wasn't far. We were browsing the drinks when—
"Hey."
Yoo Ah-rin wasn't looking at the drinks; she was staring straight at me.
"Hershey Choco Milk is the best. Chocomong is kind of…"
"Hey, I'm not playing around."
"……."
When I gave her a half-hearted answer, she called out to me again with a serious face. I straightened my back and turned to look at her.
"What?"
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Picking out drinks."
When I answered while holding a Chocomong and a Hershey Choco Milk, Yoo Ah-rin bit her lip and brushed back her bangs.
Her brilliant blonde hair fluttered as if signaling her rising anger.
"Why did you bring Jeong Chan-woo? You're not even that close to him."
"We are close. Closer than I am to you, since you just barged in."
To be honest, I wanted to be closer to Jeong Chan-woo than to Yoo Ah-rin. Like the girls said earlier, it’s good to have at least one male friend.
Plus, he was a likable guy.
"Ha, fine. Whatever, let's move past that."
"Move past it?"
"Why did you bring him? You wouldn't have called him out of the blue like this unless you had an ulterior motive. You're not the type to just invite extra people for no reason."
She seemed to know me surprisingly well, and honestly, she hit the nail on the head.
I wasn't the type to go through the hassle of expanding a group unless there was a specific reason.
However, I couldn't exactly tell her that Chan-woo liked her, so I kept my mouth shut.
"Did Jeong Chan-woo ask you to help him get with me?"
"?!"
My eyes widened as I looked at Yoo Ah-rin. There was no point in trying to hide it. She was already certain.
"Sigh."
Seeing my reaction confirmed her suspicions, and she glared at me with genuine annoyance.
"Don't do it. Got it? I'm telling you clearly. I have zero feelings for Jeong Chan-woo, so don't even try."
"Seriously? I mean, he’s a good-looking guy. Couldn't you at least try going out with him once? Is it because you've been friends since you were kids and you're afraid of ruining the relationship?"
"Stop talking bullshit. I don't give a damn if it gets ruined or not."
"I really don't get it. He’s got a good personality, he’s handsome, and he’s got manners. Is there a reason to dislike him this much?"
"Whew, you're crossing the fucking line, seriously."
Yoo Ah-rin suddenly started cursing, but I just shrugged it off.
"Was that a line? You should've said something."
"……."
"Cursing is one thing, but I'm more of a friend to Chan-woo than I am to you, so I want to take his side."
"Do you have any idea how unlikable you are?"
"Most people hate me, so I'm used to it. Haven't you heard the people in our department talking shit about me?"
When I told her it was no big deal, Yoo Ah-rin looked at me as if she found me absurd.
"Is your mental strength made of stone? Or are you just bluffing?"
"Think whatever you want. If you're not going to explain, just pick what you want to drink. Chocomong or Hershey?"
When I asked indifferently, Yoo Ah-rin finally exploded and lunged at me.
"Chocomong! You jerk! I'm having Chocomong!"
"I already picked Hershey for myself."
"Shut up! Buy the Chocomong!"
We bickered until the convenience store clerk started giving us looks, so we quickly bought the drinks and left.
I had my Hershey and Yoo Ah-rin had her Chocomong, and as we walked back, sipping through our straws—
"I confessed to him a long time ago."
Yoo Ah-rin dropped a bit of a bombshell.
"What?"
Did I hear that right?
I whipped my head around to look at her, and she let out a sigh, grumbling.
"But he rejected me. That was the end of it. I don't like Jeong Chan-woo anymore, I have no intention of liking him, and to be blunt, I've lost every ounce of affection I had for him."
"……."
"So don't try to set us up. Got it?"
Yoo Ah-rin snapped at me and quickened her pace, walking ahead.
Staring at her back, I felt like I’d been hit over the head with a blunt object.
I quickly caught up to her and asked.
"Sometimes, after someone confesses to you, you start seeing them in a different light."
I’d heard that even if someone rejects a confession because they weren't interested, they often find themselves thinking about the person afterward.
At my words, Yoo Ah-rin crossed her arms and looked up at me.
"And? I have absolutely no interest now."
Her cold response told me she was dead serious. She truly felt nothing for Jeong Chan-woo.
And.
Something must have happened.
It wasn't just a simple rejection. I was certain something had occurred for Yoo Ah-rin to be this cold and definitive.
However, it would be overstepping for me to pry any further.
After that, we returned to the table in silence. The other three were still focused on their studies without much conversation.
"The ugly guy was being stubborn, so we're late!"
Yoo Ah-rin immediately reverted to her previous high-energy persona.
It could be seen as her effort not to make the atmosphere awkward.
But seeing a girl who had been radiating a freezing aura just moments ago act like this was fascinating.
Looking at Yoo Ah-rin, I whispered softly so the others couldn't hear.
"Are you a psycho?"
"Just drop dead."
At my remark, Yoo Ah-rin irritably flipped me the bird.
I flipped her right back.