It's Fine If It's You (3)
“Ugh... group projects are exhausting... People keep talking to me and draining my energy...”
After school, I kicked off my shoes the moment I got home and flopped onto the living room sofa. “I must’ve said the same thing a hundred times today... seriously...”
Every time I switched classes or ran into girls from our department, they bombarded me with questions about how Yoon Taeo and I started dating. I felt like a broken robot stuck on repeat. Even though I’m pretty extroverted, that doesn’t mean I never get tired of people. Especially when it’s someone I’m not close with—I have to stay on my toes the whole time.
Being tired doesn’t mean I hate it, but tired is still tired. If it weren’t for that, I probably wouldn’t have stuck to Yoon Taeo’s side every single day. Being with him is just... comfortable. Really comfortable.
“I should shower. If I want to get into bed, I have to wash up, Chae-ryeong.”
Now that I live alone, I have to nag myself with the same line Mom used to say every day. I stripped off my clothes like shedding skin and headed straight for the bathroom.
“Brr, it’s cold.”
Shivering from the sudden chill, I turned on the shower. Warm water poured down, filling the room with steam, and my body finally started to relax. Standing under the stream, my mind drifted.
Why don’t I feel uncomfortable about it?
The thought that surfaced was, of course, about Yoon Taeo—the conversation we’d had at the café after morning classes.
“...Why are you asking something like that with such a serious face? Him?”
That expression wasn’t one I usually saw on the playful guy I knew, so I’d been caught off guard. Without thinking, I’d blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “Because it’s us.”
Now the question lingered.
“...What exactly are we to each other?”
The words echoed off the bathroom walls, sounding almost like something Taeo himself might say.
It’s okay if it’s you.
He’d said the same thing to me. That kissing me for a scene didn’t bother him because we were friends. But still...
“Is that really how it works between friends? Kissing and it not being a big deal?”
I didn’t know. I didn’t have any other guy friends to compare it to. And maybe Taeo wasn’t just a guy friend to begin with. We’d become so used to each other that being apart felt empty. Sometimes he felt like family, sometimes like a friend, sometimes like a sibling. A relationship I couldn’t quite define.
“Other girls with guy friends don’t seem to feel this way...”
From what I’d heard from classmates, none of them described anything like what Taeo and I had. At least, none of them said kissing their guy friend wouldn’t feel weird. Plenty of them got annoyed just from brushing hands.
The more I thought about it, the more our relationship seemed... unusual.
“...Agh. Yoon Taeo. Seriously. Why’d you have to say something like that and make me overthink everything?”
When my thoughts spiraled, I blamed him. I hated when my head got messy. If I enjoyed that sort of thing, I’d probably be great at studying alone. Usually, the model student Yoon Taeo would step in and sort out these headaches for me. But he wasn’t here now. Only my own face stared back from the mirror, and those red lips that would soon touch his—even if it was just acting—stood out more than anything.
Without realizing it, I touched my lips.
“Come to think of it, if we film that kiss scene, it’ll be my first kiss with him. Even if it’s acting.”
I could almost understand why he’d looked so worried. It was probably his first kiss too. I’d never heard about him having a girlfriend, and we were together every day so I would’ve noticed. I always thought first kisses should be with someone you like... How did things end up like this?
“Whatever. Stop thinking. Just stop.”
If I kept this up, my brain was going to overheat. I squeezed shampoo into my hand and started washing my hair.
Why don’t I feel uncomfortable about it?
His serious voice echoed in my mind again.
...It’s probably just because we’re friends. That easy answer should’ve rolled right off my tongue, but for some reason it wouldn’t come out today.
“Weird. Really weird.”
Unable to reach any conclusion about us, I only felt more frustrated.
#
“So once we upload a couple more videos, people are bound to get curious. Who are these two?”
“...”
“What kind of couple are they? How did they live, how did they start dating? That sort of thing.”
“.......”
“Just like how movie scripts and drama scenarios need character backstories, couple vlogs are the same. Story! Story is everything!”
“Yes, noted from our resident couple-vlog expert. So?”
“So that’s why we came all the way back to our old high school. Mm-hmm.”
Our Chae-ryeong nodded enthusiastically, looking thrilled even though the camera wasn’t rolling. She must’ve been looking forward to visiting our old school after so long. People do get nostalgic as they get older, after all.
“So the concept is a trip down memory lane? For the third video?”
“Exactly. If we keep uploading the same old ‘us just hanging out’ videos, won’t people get bored?”
“Hmm. As expected from a genius vlog director. Smart.”
“Right, right. Keep the compliments coming. Hehe.”
“You’re so amazing, Yoo Chae-ryeong-ssi?”
“That was sarcasm...”
“Wow, you can even tell the difference? Impressive.”
“You think I’m an idiot?!”
Our old high school wasn’t far. We’d just moved to Seoul for college and started living on our own. Honestly, commuting wouldn’t have been a big deal either.
“So how long are you planning to make me drive, Chae-ryeong-ssi?”
“.....Ahem.”
“You know, if you’re going to be like this, you should’ve asked your parents to sell you the car.”
“Nooo... Why sell it...? If we keep it, you’ll just keep driving for me anyway...”
“You have a license. So why am I the one driving all the time?”
“...Because I’m scared. You know I almost got into an accident during my first road test and now I have trauma...”
It was a story so old it was practically etched into my spine. That was the reason this driving-phobic girl had a license in the first place. The fact that she’d even passed was more surprising to me. So the used Morning her parents bought her as a college entrance gift was mostly driven by yours truly.
“Isn’t it about time you got over that trauma?”
“I can’t... No, I absolutely can’t...”
“Then are you just never going to drive again, even if you have a car?”
“.......Yeah. So drive for me forever. Let’s stay friends for life.”
“Haah.”
Don’t just casually say things like “drive for me forever” when they make my heart race. Seriously.
Anyway, I had no desire to force someone who said they couldn’t. It was just a little sad to think of her being stuck with a car she couldn’t even use when I wasn’t around. I’d learned to drive with Dad’s car, but never had one of my own. In that sense, the world really was fair.
Seeming eager to drop the driving topic, Chae-ryeong steered the conversation back to filming.
“So you came prepared, right? Since you said you’d handle it.”
“Handle what.”
“What do you mean, what? That thing... You said you’d write the story about how you started liking me.”
Chae-ryeong scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed to say it out loud. I remembered the phone call from a few days ago. While explaining her plan, she’d suddenly said—
Since it’s a trip down memory lane, wouldn’t it be nice to include some backstory about how we became a couple?
Backstory?
Even if we say the confession happened in college like you told Seo Ye-ji, we still need something before that. Like, you liked me earlier. That way the unrequited love angle feels believable.
You want to put that in this video?
Yeah. We can just make something up like you liked me since high school. We don’t know if Seo Ye-ji will actually watch, but if she does, our stories need to match what you told her before.
Using the concept that Chae-ryeong had liked me was tricky. Since I was the one who had to memorize the script anyway, I’d just said I’d write the story myself.
“Ah, that.”
“Ah, that? What’s with that half-hearted tone?”
“Don’t worry. I prepared it perfectly.”
“The script? Did you memorize it?”
“I could recite it word for word right now. Want me to?”
“No. That won’t work. If you already know the content, you won’t be able to react like you’re surprised later.”
“Wow, look at this professional actress over here.”
Honestly, it wasn’t much trouble. Because it wasn’t a script at all—I really had started liking her in high school. All I had to do was tell the story of the day I realized it, with a little extra seasoning.
Chatting like usual while driving, we soon arrived in front of our old school. I parked in the school lot, set up the camera, and got out. After doing this a few times, being a YouTuber already felt pretty natural.
Standing at the front gate, I pressed record and exchanged a glance with Chae-ryeong. She nodded, signaling she was ready. Filming began.
“Hiii, everyone. Bet you were surprised to see a school right at the start of the video, huh?”
Chae-ryeong bowed cutely.
“This is the high school we attended. Hyeondeok High. Does anyone recognize it?”
“Some people might. It’s pretty well-known around here.”
“Wow, if any of our alumni or old classmates are watching this, it must be fun, right?”
“They’ll probably laugh at your fake persona. How are you so different from usual—”
“What nonsense. Tsk. I’m exactly the same as always. I’m not being fake, everyone. He’s just teasing me~!”
“I’ll leave it up to your imagination whether it’s teasing or not. Yes.”
“Anyway, aren’t you curious how we spent our high school days? Let’s take a look around together.”
The creature that would’ve been cute if she weren’t laughing like that soon took in the school grounds with a nostalgic expression.
“It’s been so long. Nothing’s changed at all.”
“That part changed, though. There used to be a basketball hoop there.”
“Hey, don’t ruin the moment!”
“Oh? The library entrance looks different too. Did they remodel it?”
“Now you’re just ignoring me outright... Anyway, should we go inside?”
Filming the school scenery with the camera, we walked into the building together. Walking the same path we took every morning gave me a strangely familiar feeling. As we headed from the gate along the field toward the main building, memories surfaced and I spoke first.
“We used to sprint across this field every day. Remember?”
“Huh?”
“Whenever you overslept, I had to wake you up so we could run here together. You sleepyhead.”
Just like now, Chae-ryeong had always been a heavy sleeper. Thanks to that, I was late more often than not because I waited for her.
“Oh, right. That happened.”
“Oh~ right. That happened? This is why the perpetrator never remembers. Do you know how hard I worked to keep up my model-student image? I was late three times because of you. Three times.”
“That’s not even that many? Only three.”
“Of course you’d say that. You were late all the time.”
Without me, she probably would’ve been held back for excessive tardiness. This girl.
As we walked around the field, Chae-ryeong stared at the bleachers and suddenly burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“You slammed your head into that pole over there and cracked it open, remember? Thinking about it again is hilarious. Pfft.”
“Ah, that time? And why is someone else getting a head injury funny to you?”
“I was right next to you. It was so ridiculous! We were talking while going down the stairs, and you didn’t see the pole and just—bam—slammed into it and collapsed. I thought I was watching a slapstick comedy.”
“I seriously thought I was going to die. Have you ever had a concussion? Your head just rings and rings.”
“Like a phone vibrating? Insane. Khkh.”
“Yeah. Want me to let you experience it? How about a passionate romance with the bleacher pole?”
“I’ll pass.”
She raised her hands and ran off giggling. We passed the path between the gate and the main building and arrived at the school building. Seeing the lights off and doors locked on a weekend, I asked,
“Lights are off. It’s the weekend, after all. Are we just going to look around the outside?”
I’d only heard we were going to our old school. Most of the filming plan was up to Chae-ryeong. Actually, thinking about it, even on a weekday it probably wouldn’t have worked. Even as alumni, outsiders couldn’t just walk in while classes were happening.
“No? Of course not. Then how would we get enough footage?”
“Huh? Then what are you planning? Break a window and climb in?”
“Now, now, there’s always a way. Just wait and see. I’ll show you some magic.”
At my confused question, Chae-ryeong grinned like a little devil and stood in front of the main entrance.
“Open sesame!”
She shouted the classic spell. What kind of nonsense was this again?
She reached out and placed her hand on the door, but of course nothing happened.
“What are you doing?”
When I asked, looking baffled, she cleared her throat awkwardly and pulled something from her pocket—a key card—and unlocked the door. I’d thought she was joking with her officetel key or something, but no. The lock actually disengaged with a beep.
Staring at her in shock, Chae-ryeong opened the door with a straight face and said,
“Edit that scene together with the earlier one. Make it look like saying ‘open sesame’ actually opened it. Got it?”
“Uh... I get that, but... why do you even have that?”
“Hehe. There’s always a way. A way.”
What, she just happened to have the key card to our old high school? Was she some kind of phantom thief?
“Don’t tell me... you stole it?”
“Of course I didn’t steal it! What do you take me for?!”
“A crazy girl so obsessed with content that she’d steal the school’s key card?”
“No, I didn’t!”