Chapter 9
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Cupid of Love?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The long-awaited first day of midterms. The hallway buzzed with a vibe slightly different from the usual.
Groups of three or five clustered together, erupting in boisterous laughter much like always, but woven tightly between were the frantic rustles of flipping paper and the mutterings of last-minute cramming.
Siwoo barely set down his bag before collapsing into his seat with hollowed-out eyes.
It was because he'd worn himself out last night photographing and sending Korean notes to Hyunsu, only to stay up until dawn anxiously grinding his own exam prep before finally snagging some shut-eye.
"Hey, what's with the dark circles?"
Juwon tossed his bag onto the desk next to him and greeted him cheerfully.
Juwon looked as impeccably put-together and relaxed as ever, as if exam day was unbelievable.
"Uh... didn't sleep much last night. Guess I got nervous..."
"Ease up, dude. You'll nod off mid-exam and tank it."
Juwon smirked and gave Siwoo's slouched back a light pat. Right then, as Siwoo began to unwind a bit from the touch...
Drag-!
The back door flew open roughly, and Hyunsu strode in with heavy steps.
Clutched in his hand was his phone, screen lit up with the photos of notes Siwoo had sent at the crack of dawn yesterday.
Hyunsu swept his gaze across the classroom, subtly clocking Juwon, then approached Siwoo's desk and leaned in close.
He whispered in a voice low enough that Juwon couldn't catch it.
"Hey, Nam Siwoo. Why's page 15 from yesterday all shaky? Light glare wiped out every damn letter. You do that on purpose to screw me?"
Chills prickled down Siwoo's spine. He jolted upright, stammering excuses.
"Huh? S-sorry... Must've rushed the shot and not checked. Later before phones-in, I'll retake it..."
"Forget it. What's it matter now. Bullshit. Anyway, we'll check math later."
Hyunsu glared at Siwoo like he wanted to chew him up, demanding agreement, when Juwon—mid-bag unpack nearby—frowned and cut in sharply.
"Ah, why drag your ass to our class first thing and start shit. Bell's ringing soon—scram to yours."
Juwon's edged defense snapped Hyunsu's piercing stare from Siwoo into empty air.
In an instant, like it never happened, he swapped to a cheeky grin.
"Oh, right. Time flew. Anyway, thanks, Namjjin!"
Hyunsu pretended to check his watch, clapped Siwoo's shoulder, and bolted back to his own class.
"What a bad-luck jerk from the morning. Leaves his class to hassle ours."
"Haha... yeah."
Siwoo couldn't bring himself to spill the pressure Hyunsu had piled on, just tugged his lips into a forced, dopey smile.
First period Korean wrapped up, and as Siwoo cross-checked his answers on the marked answer sheet for a quick score, the back door swung open.
"Hey~ How'd it go?"
Park Geon shuffled in, rubbing sleepy eyes.
Hyunsu slunk in right behind.
"Eh, around 60 for me, I figure."
Park Geon snickered at Juwon's laid-back reply and slung an arm around his neck.
"Namjjin! Bet you crushed it without asking."
True to his word, Siwoo had always aced Korean since middle school, even if other subjects lagged.
"Me... just did my usual. You, Geon?"
Siwoo grinned sheepishly and turned to Park Geon, who beamed and shot a thumbs-up.
"Me? All-in on 3, obviously. Straight shooter—that's a man."
"Moron. What'll you live off later? Manual labor?"
"You'll end up same—shut it."
Park Geon swatted Juwon's back, but grins lit both their faces.
Hyunsu sidled up too, swiping Siwoo's sheet to match against his own, and the first-period break flew by in the kids' rowdy chaos.
Second period done, quiet Iseol and Jiyoon slipped in to fill break time around Siwoo and Juwon.
Iseol especially just leaned wordlessly on the edge of Siwoo's desk, tackling problems—that alone made him happy.
Third period over, the door nearly splintered as Dasom and Chaerin burst in.
"Hey, Namjjin! Answer 4 on this?!"
"No, 5—how many times?"
Siwoo chuckled at the duo's unrelenting noise even on exam day, helping check their sheets together.
Every break, his desk swarmed with friends angling for answer checks or just to chill.
For Siwoo, who'd lived quietly forever, the clamor was welcome yet soul-draining.
At last, the first exam day's slate cleared, ushering early dismissal.
Empty classroom, cleaning duty holdouts only.
Siwoo, tension fully gone, ditched his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and flopped face-first onto his desk.
All day as the kids' human grader, syncing to their rhythm, had sucked his spirit dry.
Juwon stared down plainly at the wiped-out boy.
"...Siwoo, you're legit tight with the other kids now, huh?"
Unlike his usual feather-light tone, this came lower, more serious.
Siwoo puzzledly craned his neck, spotting Juwon smirking as he yanked his chair close.
"Looks good. Not long ago, you were crazy nervous around everyone. Now you chat easy."
"Yeah... all thanks to you, really. Without you watching out, I'd still be the lone weirdo."
Siwoo spoke from the heart, scratching his nape sheepishly.
Juwon playfully patted his shoulder with a grin, then scanned the room and dropped his voice.
"Oh, and you."
Siwoo cocked his head at the secretive summons.
"You like Baek Iseol."
"...!!"
Siwoo's heart plummeted.
Sirens wailed in his skull; heat bloomed from his earlobes, flushing his face tomato-red in seconds.
"N-no! What're you talking about...! Me like Iseol...?!"
"Pfft!"
Juwon, chin-propped on the desk savoring the reaction, finally cracked up.
"Dude, that face? Crystal clear. Transparent. Too red to play dumb."
"No... it's not... seriously not... Ugh. How'd you know...?"
Siwoo clutched his scorching cheeks, desperate to cool down, but Juwon's knowing mischief pinned him.
Juwon cackled, ruffling Siwoo's tousled mop with a massive paw.
"Dude, you ogle Baek Iseol with those goo-goo eyes nonstop—how not notice? And you glitch whenever she talks. Obvious."
"...That obvious?"
Siwoo forehead-slammed the desk in despair; Juwon shrugged.
"Eh... Everyone but Park Geon? Hyunsu too, probably clueless. Too self-absorbed. Girls all sniffed it out..."
Relief and mortification crashed over Siwoo at once.
But Juwon's face wasn't purely sunny. He drum-tapped the desk, easing into words.
"Thing is, landing Iseol..."
Mid-sentence, Juwon bit his lip like it pained him, trailing off.
"...Yeah. I get it. Tough, and she doesn't fit me..."
Siwoo gave a resigned, bitter smile; Juwon flailed in horror.
"No, idiot—not some inferiority crap!"
Even so, Juwon hemmed and hawed.
"Not saying you're unworthy... just messy. Old drama too, and Iseol's got walls up, sharp edges—takes real grit to stick."
Juwon nearly spilled more but caught himself—her personal biz—and clammed up.
Siwoo, though, nodded like it was fine.
"Reason or history or whatever, gotta hear it straight from her. Still, thanks. Means a lot you worry like that."
"Ugh... Dude. Your crush is so damn mopey..."
Juwon stared into Siwoo's steady, unflinching gaze, frozen long, then snapped his eyes open with resolve.
"Screw it. Better you, all heart-eyes, than some creep snagging her."
"Uh...?"
"Trust your bro. I'll shove you two together hard from here on. Time to Cupid for real."
Siwoo flailed in panic at the abrupt vow.
"Ah, no need for that..."
Drag-!
"Yo, you coming?"
Back door opened before Siwoo could retort.
"Class empty, you two gossiping secrets?"
"Secrets? Nah, nothing. Karaoke tonight?"
"Dude, exams through tomorrow—karaoke?"
Juwon, all casual like zilch happened, hooked Park Geon's shoulder and steered him out.
Bantering with Park Geon through the door, he glanced back at Siwoo with a wink.
'Leave it to me.'
That sly glint screamed it.
Cold sweat trickled down Siwoo's spine.
'Ah, we're doomed...'
Juwon's cocky baseless hype stirred fresh dread in Siwoo.