Chapter 6: I Decided to Stop Being Her Fake Boyfriend
Ding-dong.
The bell that rang at an awkward time shattered the silence that had been hanging heavily in the classroom.
"Ah, what is it? Time's already like this?"
Junho glanced at his watch and turned his body.
Minseok had a face like he wanted to ask more, but when he saw the teacher entering through the classroom door, he closed his mouth.
I didn't say anything more and lowered my gaze to the book.
"..."
A moment later, the sound of a chair being dragged came from the back.
Without needing to check, I knew it was Yuna returning to her seat.
So it ended up like this.
Until yesterday, I hadn't thought that someone else would hear us say we broke up.
Since we never actually dated, the term "breakup" was odd in itself.
But anyway, for several years, it must have looked that way to others' eyes.
I wonder how I'll explain it one by one from now on.
Annoying.
With that thought, I focused on the homeroom teacher's voice.
* * *
After class ended.
"Yo."
Junho immediately turned his body.
Minseok also pulled his chair closer, having something to ask.
"Why."
"Not why."
Junho lowered his voice.
"What was that sound earlier?"
"What?"
The guy imitated my voice.
"I finished it."
"So don't ask me now."
"What is this?"
"Do you want to die?"
"No, I'm curious."
Minseok nodded as if he had the same thought.
"Really broke up?"
"..."
I didn't answer for a moment.
To be precise, we didn't break up either.
Since we never dated before that.
Explaining that the relationship for the past few years was all fake would be difficult in its own way.
"Just ended."
"Why?"
"Annoying to explain."
"Who got it?"
"Not that kind of thing."
"..."
I didn't answer and avoided eye contact.
Junho stared at my face for a moment, then shrugged as if he decided not to ask more.
"Yeah, if you don't want to talk, fine."
"Yeah."
Unlike Junho who didn't ask further, Minseok tilted his head as if something was strange.
"But, something's off."
"What."
"Yuna said it didn't end."
"..."
The words from the morning came back to mind.
We didn't break up.
I clicked my tongue.
"That's her situation."
"Oh."
Junho's eyes widened a bit.
"You really fought properly."
"Don't ask."
"Got it, got it."
Junho raised both hands.
At that moment, the 1st period teacher entered, and both returned to their seats.
Looking at that, the words Minseok said earlier lingered in my head for no reason.
Didn't end.
Even though he said it from the moment I left the house in the morning.
Does Yuna still think I'm just angry?
"..."
Whatever.
No matter what Yuna thinks.
I already ended it.
* * *
Time passed surprisingly quickly.
1st period ended, and I was in the middle of changing books to prepare for the next class.
"Jun-ah."
My hand stopped for a moment at the familiar voice.
When I looked up, Yuna was looking at me while half-turned.
"Why."
"You have a sharpener?"
"..."
Without thinking, my hand went to the pencil case, then stopped unconsciously.
It was a usual thing.
Because of Yuna's flustered personality, I often lent her sharpener, and when that happened, I naturally lent it.
Do I need to be conscious of even this?
It's not like I can't lend a sharpener to a friend.
But that thought came, but strangely my hand didn't move.
When I stayed still for a moment, Yuna's gaze went to my hand.
"None?"
"I have."
"Then I'll ask for one."
"..."
I eventually took out the sharpener case and put it on the desk.
"Take it."
"Uh-huh."
Yuna took out a few sharpener and pushed the case back to me.
"Thanks."
"Uh."
While picking up the sharpener case again, I felt a bit uneasy.
Because of that feeling, I added one more thing.
"From next time, you should bring it yourself."
"Don't ask me every time."
"...Eh?"
Yuna blinked with a dazed face after hearing my words.
"From next time, this is the last time I'm lending you mine."
"...Uh-huh. Okay."
The voice that was fine until a moment ago seemed subtly smaller, but
I stared at Yuna for a moment, then turned my gaze away.
Anyway, I had to get used to these one by one now.
* * *
During lunch break.
Before class ended, Junho jumped up from his seat.
"Food."
Minseok also stood up.
"Today it's pork belly, right?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Saw it earlier."
"Let's go."
I was about to get my phone and follow them when
"Lee Jun."
Someone called my name from the front of the classroom.
"Eh?"
When I turned my head, a familiar face was standing at the door.
Seo-hee.
"......What."
"What do you mean what."
Seo-hee came into the classroom.
"Are you going to eat?"
"I'm going to eat now."
"Good."
"What."
"I was also about to go eat now."
Seo-hee casually put her arm on my shoulder and said.
"Let's eat together."
"All of a sudden?"
"Why."
"Your friends?"
"They said they're going to the convenience store alone today."
"Then you can go too."
"I don't want to. I'm going to eat."
"Why. You don't want to eat together?"
"It's not that I don't want to."
"Then it's fine."
Seo-hee, who concluded alone, approached my desk.
Junho, who was watching that, poked my side.
"Hey."
"Why."
He lowered his voice a bit.
"You and Choi Seo-hee are close?"
"Kind of?"
"Since when?"
"Since middle school."
Junho looked at me with disbelief.
"Why does this guy keep coming out no matter how much I dig?"
"What."
"Wait, but."
As I listened to Junho's words, I suddenly became curious and asked.
"How did you know Seo-hee?"
"What do you mean how?"
Junho showed a dumbfounded expression.
"She's famous at school."
"Seo-hee?"
"Yeah. She's pretty."
"..."
First time hearing that?
When I stared without saying anything, Junho's expression crumpled more.
"You didn't know?"
"I didn't know."
"Wow, really."
Junho let out a dry laugh, and at that time, Seo-hee looked at us and asked.
"What are you two whispering about."
"He's saying you're scary."
"Insane guy."
Junho immediately hit my back.
"Ah!!"
"When did I ever do that."
"You said it with your expression."
"Do you want to die?"
When we were bickering, Seo-hee smiled faintly.
"Your friends are fun."
"Let's go. If I'm with them, my IQ drops."
"Hey!"
The protest was ignored, and when I was about to move my feet.
"Jun-ah."
Yuna's voice came from behind.
At that sound, Seo-hee and I turned our heads at the same time.
Yuna was standing up from her seat and looking this way.
"...Why."
"Are you going to eat lunch?"
"Yeah."
"..."
Yuna looked at Seo-hee standing next to me for a moment.
By the way, the two have known each other to some extent.
Since Seo-hee knew that I was Yuna's childhood friend since before.
"Hello."
Seo-hee raised her hand slightly first.
"...Yeah. Hello."
Yuna also greeted briefly, and a slightly awkward silence flowed.
In that awkward atmosphere, I looked at Junho for no reason and said.
"What are you doing, the pork will disappear."
"Ah, right. Hey Minseok, let's hurry."
"Okay, Lee Jun, finish up and come out too."
With those words, Junho and Minseok exited the classroom first, leaving me, Seo-hee, and Yuna.
So why did he call me?
I stared at Yuna who called me but said nothing, then moved my feet.
"If you have nothing to say, we'll go first."
"Seo-hee, let's go."
"Uh-huh."
With that said, I was about to follow the guys out when
─Tug.
The end of the school uniform sleeve was slightly pulled.
"......?"
When I turned my head, Yuna was holding my sleeve with her fingertips.
"I'm also going to eat lunch."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Then it's fine, go."
"..."
Yuna's lips closed slightly after hearing my words.
If it was usual, we wouldn't need to say such things and would go to eat lunch together.
But that usual also ended yesterday.
"Let's go together."
Yuna said softly.
"Anyway, we're going to the same place, do as you like."
When I turned my body again to leave the classroom, Yuna immediately followed behind us.
* * *
When we arrived at the cafeteria, there were already quite a few students gathered.
"Where did they go."
Looking around, Junho waving his hand from the window side.
"Hey! Here!"
Junho and Minseok who came down first were occupying a table that could seat about six.
"We've secured a seat."
"Of course."
Junho said cheerfully.
"You think we came first for nothing?"
"You didn't come first to eat pork belly?"
"There's that too."
Junho and Minseok were already sitting side by side on one side, so I put my tray on the opposite window side.
Seo-hee who followed immediately naturally put her tray next to me.
─Clack.
"I'm sitting here."
"Eh... eh."
At that time, Yuna's footsteps that followed stopped.
"..."
Yuna looked at the tray Seo-hee put down for a moment.
Then she looked back and forth between my seat and the remaining seats, standing still as if unsure what to do.
"What are you doing? Not sitting?"
"Ah, no, sorry."
When the friends behind said something, Yuna finally put her tray on Seo-hee's side seat.
─Click.
The sight of her sitting with a gloomy face without saying much was there, but
I didn't care and picked up my spoon.
At that time, Seo-hee sitting next to me leaned her body slightly toward me.
"Hey."
"Why."
Seo-hee glanced at Yuna once, then lowered her voice so much that others couldn't hear.
"Are you okay?"
"..."
It seemed I didn't need to explain what she meant.
"I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Seo-hee looked at my face for a moment and then straightened her body without saying anything.
"Then it's fine."
With that, she picked up one piece of pork belly from her tray and put it on my tray.
"Eat."
"...What is this again."
"To give you strength."
"I'm fine."
"Just eat when I say eat."
"..."
I stared at the pork belly for a moment, then eventually ate it as is.
"Are you done?"
"Wow, you ate well."
Seo-hee smiled faintly and moved her chopsticks back to her tray.
"What are you saying."
I also smiled faintly and ate my rice again.
Then, suddenly, I looked up at the gaze coming from next to Seo-hee.
"..."
Yuna was staring fixedly at this side while alternating between me and Seo-hee.
"Why."
When our eyes met, Yuna flinched for a moment.
"...No."
Only then did Yuna lower her gaze, poking at the rice on her tray with her chopsticks.
"It's nothing."