chapter 19
chapter 19
The fourth period on Monday is when Min Arin becomes the most active, physical education class.
And now that it is fourth period, Min Arin is calmer than usual.
The reason is probably because the PE class was pushed back.
…Or maybe not?
Something definitely feels different from usual.
Even if PE got pushed back, it only switched with seventh period.
Ending the day with PE should actually be something Min Arin would like.
And rather than seeming down, she just looks endlessly composed.
The class is in full swing, and she is concentrating well, but since she’s showing strange behavior right next to me, my gaze keeps drifting toward her.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to just ignore it and adjusted my glasses again.
But then, this time Min Arin showed a new movement.
Her head was still facing forward, but her eyes suddenly darted to the side.
What is she trying to do?
No, looking closely, her head isn’t completely facing forward either.
It’s slightly tilted toward me, and it doesn’t really look like she’s looking at the board.
…
It’s not hard to guess what she’s thinking.
It seems like she’s trying to catch the moment when I take off my glasses.
To test the hypothesis, I slightly lifted my glasses and put them back down, and her eyes moved sharply again, allowing me to reach a clear conclusion.
Earlier, when I set conditions, she reacted as if she had lost interest. Was that all an act?
Honestly, I wonder if my bare face is worth that much effort.
A few lines disappearing from a face doesn’t change a person.
I can at least acknowledge that she put some serious thought into it.
It’s been about forty minutes since the topic of glasses came up, and I hadn’t noticed anything during that time.
If there’s something unfortunate, it’s probably Min Arin’s acting skills.
Even if she doesn’t turn her head, moving her eyes like that makes it obvious.
As I always say, it’s surprisingly easy to notice where someone’s gaze is directed.
Anyway. In a situation like this, what I should do is…
Just focus on studying.
Since she’s going that far, I plan to avoid taking off my glasses as much as possible, but that’s not what’s important right now.
…
Still.
Maybe I’ll try just one thing.
I slowly turned my head to the side.
Min Arin flinched and then turned her head to the side as well.
Then she started pretending to look out the window.
I seriously don’t know what she’s doing.
As I stayed like that for a moment, I heard the teacher calling me.
“Seunggi, do you want to try answering this?”
“Ah, yes.”
I had been listening to the explanation, but I missed a bit while looking at Min Arin.
Well, it’s not something I don’t know.
After answering, as expected, there came the usual praise about Seunggi this and that.
I’m grateful for the compliment, but living with this face, I hear praise even for trivial things, so it didn’t really move me.
After the praise ended, the teacher turned her gaze away, but there was something unusual.
Before looking away, her eyes subtly shifted to the side.
Toward Min Arin.
Min Arin was still looking out the window like the heroine of some comic. No, pretending to.
That. I think the teacher noticed her.
When I started listening to the lesson again, I felt a subtle unease.
That gaze from earlier kept bothering me.
You know that feeling when something just doesn’t sit right.
Sure enough, after briefly explaining a new concept, the teacher started giving a simple problem again.
Hmm. Maybe I should do her a favor.
I wrote the answer in my textbook.
The problem wasn’t even fully written yet, but it was obvious enough at a glance.
Then, I took Min Arin’s textbook, which had already turned toward me at some point, and placed mine on her desk.
She’d be fine even without help, but there’s no harm in helping.
I’ve received a lot from her too.
“W-what are you doing, Han Seunggi? I was l-listening to the class…”
“Be quiet.”
“Huh…?”
The chatter ended quickly.
Because exactly what I expected happened.
“This time… Min Arin? Arin, would you like to answer?”
“Y-yes…?”
“Min Arin. I gave you the textbook.”
Of course, I said it quietly.
Everyone’s attention was on her, and I’m not the type to say something like that openly in that situation.
When Min Arin gave the correct answer, surprise appeared on the teacher’s face.
Honestly, I think I would’ve reacted the same way.
Anyway, the situation passed like that. The teacher didn’t send any more glances her way.
I waited for a moment, then took my textbook back.
“Min Arin, if you’re not going to pay attention, at least don’t get caught.”
“I-I was concentrating?!”
“Then concentrate more. And lower your voice.”
“No, I….”
“Why.”
“Thank you….”
“It’s fine.”
Still, seeing someone nine years younger than me act like this doesn’t look so bad.
If someone was like this at twenty-six…
Hmm.
That would be a bit…
Something…
It feels like a triangle of conscience is stabbing me.
I didn’t expect Han Seunggi to act like this!
The price of Han Seunggi’s glasses was way too high.
Studying just to see that one thing feels a bit much.
Spending that time playing soccer, baseball, or basketball would be much more fun.
Anyway, I decided to aim for an opening and carefully continued observing him.
I almost got caught during fourth period, but judging by his reaction, I don’t think I actually did.
When the teacher called on me, I was seriously startled.
She usually doesn’t even look at me, so what got into her today…
But I didn’t expect to get help from Han Seunggi there.
I’m going this far just to see something he doesn’t want to show, and yet he keeps helping me.
I do have a conscience, after all.
But I can’t give up.
Wanting to see him without his glasses once isn’t such a big wrongdoing, right?
…
It shouldn’t be.
It’s lunchtime now.
I’ve been pretending to sleep with my head down for a while.
I was planning to quietly follow Han Seunggi when he went to eat and observe him.
But why isn’t he going to eat?
I’ve run into him at the cafeteria once before, but thinking about it, I don’t remember seeing him during lunch after that.
So, after waiting for dozens of minutes with that question in mind.
Just as I was thinking of going to eat since we also have PE today, Han Seunggi stood up.
After he left the classroom, I checked the clock, and there were fifteen minutes left of lunch.
No. This is insane. What is this.
This isn’t right!
Did he realize I wasn’t actually sleeping?
No way. I’ve been perfect today.
After going down to the cafeteria, I ran into a bit of a problem.
I had originally planned to blend in near Han Seunggi, but there weren’t many people in the cafeteria, so even the area around him was empty.
But that wasn’t the biggest problem.
Me.
Do I have to eat alone?
Eating alone. That’s scary.
I’m not the type to care much about what others think, but eating alone in the school cafeteria feels different.
If I run into a friend, it would be a bit…
It would feel kind of awkward…
No.
Still, I can’t give up now.
And there isn’t much lunch time left anyway.
I quickly got my meal and sat a little distance away from Han Seunggi.
It’s actually a pretty good spot.
I can glance at him easily, but it’s not close enough to catch his attention…
Ah.
“Min Arin. What are you doing?”
“……”
I calmly scooped food into my mouth, pretending not to hear him.
I think our eyes met, but no. They didn’t. Anyway, that’s how it is.
I can’t even tell what the food tastes like. I don’t have the mind to focus on that.
As I kept stuffing food into my mouth for a moment, it suddenly felt like things had gotten quiet, so I turned my gaze back to where Han Seunggi had been.
Huh?
Where did he go?
“Since when do you eat alone?”
“Ah, damn!!”
“I helped you during class, and that’s what I get?”
“No! That’s not it!”
“Let’s eat together. You looked lonely.”
“Huh? Ah. Okay….”
“……”
“……”
The only sound was the clinking of utensils against the tray.
“Um… Han Seunggi?”
“What.”
“Do you usually eat at this time?”
“Yeah.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah.”
“Every day?”
“Yeah.”
Han Seunggi might be even stranger than I thought.
Eating alone isn’t strange, and I’ve never really thought about it that way, but saying it so matter-of-factly isn’t exactly normal either.
“Why…?”
“If there’s leftover food, you can eat more. Didn’t I tell you before?”
“I thought that was just that one time.”
…
Why does he seem so cool when he’s with me?
It feels like he’s living in a completely different world.
“Min Arin, eat this.”
“Huh? Meat? Why?”
“You took too little. You have a PE evaluation later.”
“Still, you can eat it. I eat well every day.”
“I eat well too. It’s fine for you to eat. You gave me some last time.”
“When we ate together before?”
“Yeah.”
“No, that was…”
“Just eat.”
“…Okay.”
But then again, he’s also really kind to me.
Is he like this to everyone?
He’s definitely kind, but it feels different from when he treats other people.
Well. That’s not something I can figure out.
Anyway.
It should be easier to observe him from up close, right?
My plan hasn’t fallen apart yet.
…
Probably.