Chapter 46: Jealousy and Ugliness
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Jealousy and Ugliness
I had shared drinks with Senior Ju-hee and Yoo Ah-rin once before.
However, I never imagined I’d end up drinking with them again, especially with Senior Han-gang included in the mix.
I went along thinking it was a very peculiar combination of people, only to find Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo already there.
The two of them drinking together was an equally unexpected pairing, but we ended up joining their table regardless.
“…….”
“…….]”
Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo’s gazes were pinned directly on me.
“What?”
I asked why they were staring like that, but neither answered. They just kept glaring.
“Woo-jin! Let’s sit over there!”
Suddenly, Yoo Ah-rin linked her arm with mine.
“And what’s with you?”
I wondered why she was being so affectionate all of a sudden, but Ah-rin just kept pushing me along with a beaming smile.
“What do you mean? Let’s just sit down, Woo-jin-ie~”
She was acting coy, her voice thick with a nasal whine. I was wondering what had gotten into her when I felt the soft sensation of her chest against my arm.
“Ahem.”
As I followed her to a seat, the other two pairs of eyes followed my every move.
“Seriously, what is it?”
I asked again, wondering why they had been staring since I arrived, but they remained silent.
“Guys, pick whatever you want. Han-gang is footing the bill today.”
Fortunately, Senior Min Ju-hee held out the menu, naturally drawing everyone’s attention away from me.
Senior Han-gang looked flustered, but since he didn’t stop her, it seemed he had already resigned himself to the expense.
“Woo-jin-ie, what do you want to eat?”
“Why are you suddenly acting so close? And what’s with the 'Woo-jin-ie'? Until a moment ago, you were calling me a cockr—”
Thwack.
Ah-rin clamped her hand over my mouth and clung to me.
“Eing, I’m just showing you different sides of myself since we’ve been together all day.”
I pulled her hand off my mouth and looked at her.
“It’s annoying as hell, so can you stop talking like that?”
“…….”
“I’m not joking, I feel like I’m going to puke. If you’re going to keep it up, go to the counter and get a black plastic bag so I can throw up.”
“Hehe.”
Ah-rin gave a forced laugh, then reached down and pinched my thigh hard.
I wondered what on earth was wrong with her, but then I felt those stinging glares from across the table again.
Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo were still staring at me while sipping the beers they had already ordered.
Only then did I realize something was wrong. Something was definitely off. From Yoo Ah-rin’s sudden intimacy to the excessive glaring from the two in front of me.
The "sensor" I had developed through my ex-girlfriend was screaming that I was in the danger zone.
‘What is it? It’s obvious Yoo Ah-rin did something.’
The fact that she was suddenly being so nice to me suggested she had some ulterior motive.
“What did you do?” I whispered.
Ah-rin grinned like a child caught playing a prank.
“I dunno~”
“Talk with that fake lisp one more time and I’ll turn your tongue into an ox tongue set meal. Speak properly.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
When I asked with genuine annoyance, Ah-rin turned her head away as if escaping and started picking out food from the menu with Senior Ju-hee.
‘It can’t be just because we didn’t exercise or play games.’
Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo eventually looked away to help choose the menu, but it didn’t feel like the tension had been resolved.
‘Hmm.’
I quietly pulled out my phone to check. I wondered if something had gone wrong when those two messaged me earlier.
“Huh?”
There it was, right at the top of the "Updated Profiles" list: a selfie of Yoo Ah-rin. What’s more, the fact that it was clearly taken in my room made my brow furrow deeply.
“Hey.”
I tapped the shoulder of Ah-rin, who practically had her face buried in the menu, but she ignored me.
“Hey.”
I tapped again, but was ignored once more.
Grip.
“Kyah?!”
I grabbed her exposed flank and gave it a sharp squeeze. Only then did she finally react.
“Are—are you crazy?!”
Her face turned bright red. I wondered if her side was a weak point, but that didn't matter right now.
“What is this?”
I held up my phone, showing her profile. She flinched.
“Why did you set a photo taken in my room as your profile picture?”
“Because it turned out well.”
“Sigh. Take it down. Now.”
“Why? I look good in it.”
She did look good.
But I didn't like the fact that my room was visible. Was this why Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo were in a bad mood?
Did they think I was dating Yoo Ah-rin?
But then again...
‘Why does that even matter?’
Even if I told them I was with Ah-rin instead of keeping our plans, I didn't see why they needed to be so sensitive about it.
‘Do they like me?’
It seemed far-fetched, but the thought naturally crossed my mind. If the reaction they just showed was jealousy, there was no other way to interpret it.
“……I’m going to go have a smoke.”
Senior Han-gang, who had been glancing at us awkwardly, stood up and slipped away.
He looked quite uncomfortable drinking with the main players of the Karaoke Incident.
He seemed to manage when it was just me, but having Seo Ye-rin join the group appeared to have weakened his resolve.
“Oh, Senior Han-gang! I’ll go with you.”
Ah-rin, who doesn't even smoke, followed him out to escape from me.
“I should hit the restroom before I go out.”
Senior Min Ju-hee headed straight for the bathroom with her hands in her pockets.
That left only Choi I-seo, Seo Ye-rin, and me.
It felt a bit unnatural, and a heavy silence hung between us.
“D-did you spend the whole day with Ah-rin today?”
Seo Ye-rin was the first to speak.
I didn't remember her being the type to ask things like that, which only added to my suspicions.
“Yeah, we were together.”
There was no reason to lie.
When I nodded honestly, Ye-rin’s expression stiffened slightly.
“What did you do?”
This time, Choi I-seo took the baton and asked.
“Ah-rin suddenly showed up at my place and we ate, then we met Senior Ju-hee to talk about an assignment… and that was it.”
They both looked at me with skeptical eyes, but now it was my turn.
“Since you both asked, I get to ask one too, right?”
“Huh?”
“A question?”
They seemed flustered by the sudden proposal, but I asked directly without filtering my thoughts.
“Do you guys like me?”
“……What?”
“No, it’s just that you seem jealous about me being with Yoo Ah-rin. But there’s no reason for you to be jealous, right?”
Seeing them both rendered speechless, I scratched my cheek.
“Hmm, I should probably think about this for a second.”
Neither of them answered. As they seemed to be searching for words, I continued with a laugh.
“I’ve decided.”
“W-what?”
“Decided what?”
In response to Choi I-seo and Seo Ye-rin’s questions, I gave them a thumbs up.
“I should date Seo Ye-rin and marry Choi I-seo… Wa-wait!”
Choi I-seo threw an empty skewer at me. Not to be outdone, Seo Ye-rin threw a grilled clam shell.
“You lunatic! You crazy bastard!”
“There are things you can say and things you can’t!”
“Ah! It’s a joke! A joke! You guys were being so weirdly serious that I just made a joke!”
I eventually stood up to dodge their projectiles. The two of them glared at me with beet-red faces and shouted.
“We don’t like you! Girls just get uncomfortable when a friend hangs out without them, okay?!”
“T-that’s right! I just thought you didn't want to play games with me anymore because I got demoted back to Bronze 4!”
“Wow, I really don't want to play with you after hearing that.”
How do you even get demoted from Bronze 3 to 4?
When I looked at Seo Ye-rin with cold eyes, she hung her head as if she wanted to crawl into a hole.
“It—it’s because my team was bad.”
Her "team diff" excuse was perfect.
There are people who act like perfect human beings on the internet, but Seo Ye-rin was the exact opposite.
In reality, she was kind and beautiful, but on the internet, she was blaming her team and talking about sex.
“I better make a run for it.”
Since I was already standing, I took the opportunity to slip out of the restaurant.
I happened to run into Senior Ju-hee, who was heading out for a smoke after finishing in the restroom.
She glanced at me, nudged my chest with her elbow, and smirked.
“So, is Yoo Ah-rin your sex friend?”
“……You heard that?”
More importantly, "sex friend"?
She sure says such vulgar things without batting an eye.
“Woo-jin, you’re quite popular with the ladies, aren’t you? Is there a spot for me too?”
“I’d rather ask if there’s a spot for me in your life, Senior.”
You’re really making me fall for you today, Min Ju-hee.
“Hehe, this 'hyung' is too busy studying to date.”
As we walked jokingly to the smoking area next to the shop, we saw Yoo Ah-rin and Senior Han-gang talking about something.
“Ah, I’m going back in.”
As soon as she saw me, Ah-rin bolted back into the restaurant.
‘She’s such a brat.’
But since she let me feel her chest, I decided to let it slide.
“What were you guys talking about?”
Senior Ju-hee asked Han-gang as she lit a cigarette.
Han-gang looked awkward, exhaling a cloud of smoke before answering.
“She asked if I’d given up on Ye-rin…….”
“Hah, from what I can see, that girl is no ordinary psycho either.”
“You’ve finally realized Yoo Ah-rin’s true identity.”
I joined the conversation, admiring the seniors' insight.
* * *
After seeing Kim Woo-jin leave with the two seniors, Yoo Ah-rin returned to the table.
Whether it was from the alcohol or something else, Choi I-seo and Seo Ye-rin’s faces were flushed red as they aimlessly sipped their beer.
Watching Seo Ye-rin glance at her from across the table, Ah-rin smirked and spoke.
“I was with Woo-jin all day today, you know?”
She was openly provoking them using Kim Woo-jin.
“O-oh?”
Seeing Seo Ye-rin’s flustered expression, Ah-rin felt, for the first time in her life, that she was one step ahead of her.
To be honest.
It felt more than just thrilling; it was pure euphoria.
She knew she was being pathetic.
She couldn't shake the guilty feeling of using Kim Woo-jin, whom she was building a friendship with.
But even so, she wanted to feel superior to Seo Ye-rin, just this once.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. It’s not like we’re dating or anything, but he’s actually a pretty decent guy.”
When Ah-rin spoke so bluntly, Seo Ye-rin lowered her head as if shrinking.
‘Ah.’
Seeing the timid Seo Ye-rin, Ah-rin felt a pang in her chest.
How ugly.
She was truly ugly and wicked.
And yet.
She felt she couldn't endure it any other way.
She wanted to feel some sense of superiority over Seo Ye-rin, the girl who had effortlessly made the man Ah-rin had loved for so long fall for her.
‘I’m nauseating.’
With a smile on her face, Ah-rin made that declaration to herself.
Just as she was feeling even more loathsome for continuing this behavior despite knowing how dirty it was...
“Don’t mess with Woo-jin.”
Choi I-seo, who was sitting next to Seo Ye-rin, was staring at Ah-rin with her chin resting on her hand.
“What?”
Her voice was calm, yet freezing.
“Don’t use Woo-jin for your own greed.”
Ah-rin was taken aback.
She knew Seo Ye-rin had feelings for Kim Woo-jin, but she hadn't known about Choi I-seo.
“It’s quite...”
The sharp words Choi I-seo spat out...
“...unpleasant to watch.”
...pierced through Ah-rin quite painfully.