Just Marking Him Before Someone Steals Him~
Chae Serin couldn't understand her own heart.
She clearly despised her childhood friend, not even wanting to lay eyes on him.
Just having him in front of her made her uncomfortable, and memories of the past would flood her mind, irritation bubbling up unbidden.
But why...?
Every time her best friend Kim Minji drew close to Baek Haon, her body reacted on its own.
When she'd heard he was alone with a female senior, and now, alone with Kim Minji in the music room.
For some inexplicable reason, an anxiety gnawed at her mind.
'Why am I like this?'
It was none of her business, clearly.
If Kim Minji started dating Baek Haon, she'd just be worried her friend might pick up bad habits.
So why did that sticky unease linger in one corner of her chest?
'The only girl Baek Haon ever liked was me...'
The promise from middle school.
She regretted spitting it out, just a little.
Lost in a daze as she wandered the hallway, before she knew it...
"Serin-ah, what do you want to drink?"
She found herself standing in front of the vending machine.
"Huh? I'll have a fruit drink."
"Okay, Haon likes carbonated... and what about Minji?"
"Just get her the same as mine."
Walking with Lee Wooju hadn't felt awkward at all.
Maybe because he was so pure and bright?
His knack for understanding and accommodating others didn't look half bad in her eyes.
But strangely... being around Baek Haon made everyone else fade from view.
"By the way, you and Haon are friends, right?"
Having pulled all the drinks from the machine, Lee Wooju smoothly kept the conversation going.
"Huh? Yeah... we are."
"You don't seem that close, so I figured I'd ask."
He asked Chae Serin in a half-joking tone.
"Yeah, we used to be close... but now it's kinda awkward."
She gave a vague answer to his question.
"Well, if it's been a while, that makes sense~ Anyway, what was Haon like back then? A model student like now?"
Lee Wooju, utterly clueless.
His question struck Chae Serin as absurd, but...
"Yeah, I think he was doing fine."
She didn't dredge up Baek Haon's past.
Telling Lee Wooju the story would only make Baek Haon hate her more—it'd be like pouring fuel on the fire of her already awkward, snippy behavior toward him.
"I see~ You've seemed kinda sensitive lately whenever you run into Haon, so I thought something was up."
"Nah, we've just bickered since we were kids."
"Childhood friends? Like that?"
"Yeah."
Right.
She was Baek Haon's childhood friend.
No matter the mess between them, they had years of history.
That's why she could understand his heart better than anyone—knew him better than anyone.
Or so she'd deluded herself.
"But now we feel even more distant than just friends..."
After that middle school promise, she hadn't cared to wonder—or find out—how he'd been living.
She'd jumped to conclusions, slapped a trash label on him.
Every action of his? Slam—bad deed, and she'd hoped it was true.
Because...
She'd have to admit her own judgments were dead wrong.
And she couldn't take back all the harsh words she'd thrown... regret was crashing over her.
She'd known ages ago her behavior was wrong. He was living a whole new life now... while she'd been trapped in the past, seeing the world through a narrow lens.
Chae Serin let out a deep sigh, her face twisting in a frown.
Then...
"If you apologize, he'll accept it."
Lee Wooju smiled warmly and struck a fighting pose for her.
Forgiveness...
"I've said some really harsh stuff... you think it'd be okay?"
"Haon's not some fragile guy who'd get hurt by that. We're teammates—if we get along, our teamwork gets better, right?"
Lee Wooju encouraged her.
"Thanks."
Chae Serin felt genuine gratitude for his kindness.
With her turbulent heart somewhat settled, she pushed open the music room door...
"What the hell are you doing right now!"
Her barely calmed emotions exploded once more.
Kim Minji looked ready to do something any second, but... "What are you...?" She didn't actually do anything out of the ordinary. Just... "I just figured I needed to make it clear?" She laid her head on my arm while I was sprawled out, gazing at me intently. Phew, had I jumped to some dangerous assumptions? "Make it clear..." Still, her closeness alone had my heart pounding... "The others'll be back any minute." It'd spark unavoidable misunderstandings when the friends showed up. But she just... "I know." Silently stared into my eyes. What was this... the mood felt oddly intricate, bittersweet. Maybe 'cause I'd never been this close to a girl before...? Or 'cause I could study Kim Minji's familiar face in finer detail? My heart was inexplicably racing... The air around us felt serenely still, hushed. As if, from the start, this space held only us two. "Hear that? My heartbeat." Thump-thump— So close, I could make out Kim Minji's pulse clear as day. "Yeah..." "Wanted to show you I'm dead serious about hitting on you." She guided my head to her chest. "This is my mark." She murmured low and brief. Incredibly warm... cozy. Time seemed to halt entirely... I wished nothing would interrupt this moment...
Thump!!
"Minji! What the—right now, this is...!"
Ah. My mind snapped awake...
When I blinked my eyes open, Chae Serin and Lee Wooju gawked at us in shock.
Kim Minji handled it with slick ease...
"Ahh, no worries. I just marked him real quick."
She rose from my arm, stretching like she'd nodded off for a sec.
"Marked...?"
"Yeah, gotta do something or he'll get snatched up."
Kim Minji shot Chae Serin a loaded glance.
"Wh-who's gonna snatch him."
"Anyway, drag Minji out for a bit. Haon doesn't look all there right now..."
Wooju-kun...
I'm more compos mentis than ever... I was just happy!
Chae Serin hauled Minji—who'd been perched on me—out by the scruff.
"Don't pull that crap in public—save it for home."
Lee Wooju's pitying stare rained down.
"I'm innocent! I didn't do jack!"
"Staying put is crime enough."
You little shit...!
Facts hit like a truck—you'll crumble again...
"What're those muscles even for... just shove her off."
"Wooju... if you were in my spot... you got the guts to shake her off right away...?"
I gripped his shoulder, dead serious.
"Obviously..."
Wooju mulled it over gravely too.
"Sorry..."
He sighed, head hanging.
Yeah, this reaction's totally natural.
Dozing off to the quiet hush in someone's embrace? Normal as breathing...!
"I just... craved that warmth... *sob*..."
"I get it. Totally get it."
I flopped down, fake-sobbing. (Not really)
Wooju patted my shoulder vigorously, insisting he understood.
"Minji, you nuts? We're students still!"
Chae Serin's emotions were firing on all cylinders.
She hadn't dated much, but what her eyes had just witnessed crossed every line.
"Hm? Weird. Was just using his arm as a pillow."
"No, that's not the point!"
"Hmmm~?"
Kim Minji had been the one with Baek Haon, yet Chae Serin's face burned even redder.
Like she'd glimpsed something taboo.
"Our Serin's purer than I figured?"
"It's not purity...! We're still students..."
"Chill. Nothing weird like you're imagining."
Kim Minji snorted a laugh at her reaction, shrugging it off.
"For real...?"
"Yeah, for real."
Only then did Chae Serin's jackhammer heart ease to a trot, the scorching flush cooling bit by bit.
"But man, it's odd. You swore zero interest in Haon... so why the fuss?"
"What're you talking about! I never—!"
"Serin I knew was all cool-headed logic, but throw in anyone special and poof—bratty kid mode."
"Mis...understanding."
Regrettably, Kim Minji's reads were a cut above Chae Serin's.
A rival she didn't want had popped up.
"Eh, whatever. We make the pick in the end."
Kim Minji shrugged once more, patting Chae Serin's butt.
"I said no!"
Chae Serin's yell boomed down the entire hall.
Practice wrapped up smoothly after that, but our sneaky plot to ditch Lee Wooju and Chae Serin alone? Epic fail.
The second Kim Minji and I tried slipping out...
"No way in hell! You leave, we're out too!"
Chae Serin declared.
"Haon, think today... better stick together?"
Wooju backed her up.
I own it.
Parading that awkward scene? Our screw-up. Or more like Kim Minji's?
Whatever.
Per Chae Serin's call, we all grabbed quick burgers nearby after practice.
Thankfully, no one dragged up the elephant afterward.
But Kim Minji's sly new glint in her eye, plus Chae Serin side-eyeing her? Couldn't tell if the burgers went in my mouth or up my nose.
Meal done...
"Bus this way for me."
Kim Minji waved, heading to the stop.
"Same direction for me—see ya~"
Wooju beamed a wave our way.
Hold up... our way?
"C'mon."
Ah, right.
Come to think of it, Chae Serin and I were neighbors.
In Baek Haon's memories, sure—but never actually gone there, so yeah, slipped my mind.
Hmm...
Now what, though...
Group vibes were less weird, but solo with Chae Serin? Zero clue what to say.
Especially with her hating my guts...!
"You go ahead. Must be awkward."
I picked a detour to bail naturally.
"Hold on."
Chae Serin snagged my wrist.
"Got something to say... mind listening?"
She gazed at my face, a shy tint to it.