A Pleasant Weekend with Lee Yu-ri
After sharing a cup of coffee each at the café, Choi Su-yeon and I finally parted ways.
"Take care heading home. See you Monday. I had a good time today."
"You too, Senior. And… yeah, it wasn't bad. It actually felt pretty fresh and nice for me too."
Choi Su-yeon flashed that signature cheeky grin, spun on her heel, and slowly disappeared down the street. She always wore a smile, so it was impossible to tell what she was really thinking. On the surface she was just another delinquent from the second-year troublemaker crowd—a classic gyaru thug. Because she ran with that crew, she carried a complex, wondering if that was why Gong Yeong-bae kept his distance.
I'd given her a small push, and once her weakness was exposed she'd become far more emotional than usual, surrendering herself to our one-day date. She probably still harbored feelings for Gong Yeong-bae deep down, and the thought of wounding her heart left a bitter taste in my mouth.
But…
If I date one of them, the other two might leave me…
Gong Yeong-bae's shocking words still echoed in my head. Even if I hadn't stirred Choi Su-yeon's heart today, that selfish, vile side of his meant she was doomed to keep nursing unrequited feelings that would never be rewarded, suffering in silence.
I'm sorry for making it tough on you today, Su-yeon. But I don't want to watch you struggle while staring at a bastard like that ever again. You're going to be mine. And this time, I'll repay your heart more than enough.
After parting with Choi Su-yeon I slung my bag over my shoulder and turned on my phone. In the class group chat I tapped a random visible profile and sent that guy a direct message.
What the hell is this about?
Judging by Gong Yeong-bae's trash mindset and the way he took the girls' affection for granted, asking him to reconcile with Lee Yu-ri wouldn't lead to any reconciliation—it would only make things worse. I'd already predicted that, which was why I'd arranged for the two of them to be left alone and even made sure Choi Su-yeon saw them talking, carving out space in her heart for me. Everything seemed to have gone according to plan, but…
What happened that made her leave school early?
I'd only expected their conflict to intensify. I never imagined the model student Lee Yu-ri would skip all her afternoon classes and head home. I wanted to grill Gong Yeong-bae and find out exactly what went down, but…
"Guess I should take care of our cute little glass-hearted Yuri first."
I sent Lee Yu-ri a short message.
The read receipt popped up immediately, but no reply came even after I got home. I changed clothes, showered, drank some water—nearly forty minutes passed before my phone finally buzzed.
Of course I knew she wasn't actually sick, but I pretended to believe her and didn't pester her any further. Instead, I had my own preparations to make.
"Ugh, I really need to start saving money now."
Checking my last debit card transaction made my steps toward the pharmacy feel heavy.
After ending the brief chat with Han Seong-jin, Lee Yu-ri dropped her phone onto the pillow beside her with a lifeless hand, like someone on the verge of death. She wasn't sick. She wasn't sleepy. But her heart felt like it would burst at any moment, and heat seemed to radiate from the back of her neck all the way to her earlobes.
I made the promise on my own and then broke it…
She felt a little sorry toward Han Seong-jin, but she simply had no energy left to do anything.
"Little one, are you very sick? Should Mom make you some porridge?"
Her mother's voice drifted in from outside the room.
"No, Mom… I'm fine. Just let me rest a little."
Lee Yu-ri gave a suitable excuse, then pulled the blanket over her head. Just thinking about what happened at lunch made her heart ache and her eyes burn with rage and tears.
"I'm sorry for getting so angry last time."
"Yuri, aren't you ashamed at all?"
"……What?"
Lee Yu-ri, who had been trying to reconcile, felt like she'd been struck in the head with a hammer. Gong Yeong-bae was still looking at her with accusatory eyes.
"Did you hear what that Han Seong-jin bastard just said? 'Our' student council president? Since when has he been that close to you? And what? You get lonely? You two walk home stuck together? Aren't you embarrassed hanging around a guy like that?"
"You… you're acting like this toward me because of that…?"
"How much leeway did you give him for him to act that way!"
"Leeway? Is that all you can think about? Han Seong-jin hasn't caused any trouble since the start of the semester, and he's better than the rumors said, so we only had normal everyday conversations! That's giving him leeway?"
"Why would you try to look good to a guy like that? Haven't you heard the rumors about him?"
"I said he's better than what I heard!"
"He's the bastard who kicked someone on the very first day!"
"That was to save us!"
As Lee Yu-ri and Gong Yeong-bae's voices rose, the surrounding students' gazes turned toward them, but the two only glared at each other, panting, completely unaware of their audience.
"Fine, let's say that's true. But have you thought about what kind of label you'll get if you keep hanging around him? What about me, your childhood friend?"
"Ha? A label? What label? If we walk together a few times because our houses are in the same direction, will I suddenly become the bottom of the class? Or will I stop doing my job as student council president properly? Or maybe I'll start selling my body?! And you? Why does it matter to you?"
"Don't you think kids might ask me weird questions if you get a strange label?"
At that moment, Lee Yu-ri remembered what Han Seong-jin had said.
Then that bastard isn't looking at Lee Yu-ri the person—he's only seeing the 'top student and student council president' side of you. He's not interested in you as a person; he's the type who's more interested in the 'amazing me who gets to walk around with that Lee Yu-ri' and using your image.
She had tried to brush it off as mere comforting words at the time. But listening to Gong Yeong-bae now, she had no choice but to admit that Han Seong-jin had hit the nail on the head.
"Wow. So that's what you were worried about? Not me getting a weird label, but you getting inconvenienced because of the weird label I get? Why, does your childhood friend always have to be the top student and student council president, and anyone who talks to a delinquent becomes someone you have to cut off?"
"That's not what I meant! Why are you twisting it like that?! Did hanging around Han Seong-jin pollute you or something?!"
"Han Seong-jin this, Han Seong-jin that! He hasn't influenced me at all, and it has nothing to do with what's happening right now! You're the one who's been bringing him up nonstop! I was trying to reconcile with you! From your perspective I seemed too sensitive last time, so I just apologized! But you? Haven't you done anything wrong to me? And your first words are 'aren't you ashamed'? Is that what you should be saying?!"
"What the hell have you been doing that a guy like that is sticking to your side! Is this even normal? He's calling you 'our president' and you're not saying anything!"
"However Han Seong-jin acts toward me, I decide my own relationships! We're just classmates having conversations that aren't even inappropriate, so I let it be. If he crossed the line I would have cut him off myself! Why are you interfering so much in how I manage my relationships!"
"You manage them so well that Han Seong-jin is acting this familiar with you? Or maybe he's had his eye on you since the beginning of the semester and you've been secretly flirting with him behind my back—"
SLAP!
Gong Yeong-bae's face snapped to the side. Lee Yu-ri's reddened hand trembled violently. Tears streamed down her quivering cheeks.
"…You son of a bitch."
A harsh curse slipped from Lee Yu-ri's lips—someone who never swore.
"I've been seeing you all wrong this whole time. If I'd known how lowly you thought of me, I would have cut ties with you first."
"What did you say?"
"Do you know what I regret most right now? It's not getting involved with Han Seong-jin, and it's not fighting with you here. It's you. Just you."
"Yuri, do you even know what you're—"
"Don't call my name like we're close. The thought of a delinquent-chasing slut like you saying my name with that arrogant mouth makes me sick."
Still crying, Lee Yu-ri stood up.
"I'm more disgusted that I was childhood friends with a bastard like you than I am about Han Seong-jin getting close to me. Never speak to me again."
It was early Saturday, just before noon. Lee Yu-ri had woken up early but remained lying in bed, half out of her mind, blankly staring at the ceiling.
Bzzz— Bzzz—
But her phone refused to let her stay lost in thought.
Who could it be at this hour…
Lee Yu-ri checked the name on the screen and shot upright in surprise.
"Han Seong-jin…? Why is he… Hello?"
"Hey, you're home, right?"
"Yeah. But why are you suddenly calling—"
"I'm sitting on the bench in front of your apartment. Can you come down for a second? I've got something to give you."
"What? What are you talking about? Why are you in front of my house on a Saturday morning just to give me something?"
"It's nothing special. If you're worried about not having makeup on, you can wear a hat and mask. It won't take long. Yes or no?"
"Ah, no— I mean yes, but what is this…"
"Then get ready and come down. I'll be on the bench."
"???"
Completely confused, Lee Yu-ri hurried to the bathroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth, quickly fixed her hair, threw on a hoodie and slippers, and went down to the first floor. She spotted a large blond guy sitting on the bench near the apartment entrance and approached him with an awkward expression.
Han Seong-jin noticed her, stood up, waved, and greeted her loudly.
"Oh, you came?"
"I mean… what is this, showing up in front of my house on Saturday morning? What are you giving me?"
"Nothing much. Just this."
The envelope Han Seong-jin held out contained fever medicine and a bowl of porridge he'd bought from a specialty shop.
"This is…"
"I heard from the guys yesterday that you left early because you were sick. So I bought some. This porridge is really good."
"……"
"I don't know if it's a cold or what, so I just got fever reducer. I mean, you probably already have medicine at home, but this stuff worked well when I was sick."
"……"
"I was curious about the meal you promised, but I'll ask for it later. You made the promise first, so you can't take it back. Just focus on getting better."
"Hic…"
Something hot rose in Lee Yu-ri's throat. The gaping hole in her heart—left yesterday after witnessing the true ugliness of her childhood friend and declaring their friendship over—felt like it was being gently filled by the fever medicine and bowl of porridge in the envelope.
In the end she couldn't hold back. Tears poured down her face as she dropped to her knees, crouching on the ground. Then she began to sob bitterly.
"Hic… Hoooeong! Uwaaaaaaaaang!"