I Like You, Like, A Lot (2)
My head was throbbing. After taking the full weight of both Chae-ryeong and myself, there was no way it wouldn’t hurt. But even that pain felt distant, like it belonged to someone else, as if I’d been numbed by anesthesia.
What hit me harder was the way she sat perched on my waist, her delicate hands resting lightly on my shoulders. The soft warmth of her thighs and backside pressing against my stomach. Those full, generous curves of her chest molded tightly against mine. And when Chae-ryeong finally lifted her head, our faces were so close our lips were almost brushing. Every single detail clouded my mind until I couldn’t think straight.
......
Our eyes met for a brief moment. The emotions swirling in them were a tangle of embarrassment and shyness. Just looking at her vivid, cherry-red lips made my head spin.
What would they feel like?
Should I just lean in like it was an accident? We’re going to kiss for the scene anyway. Would it really be so bad if I touched them first?
A humid wave of desire surged up from somewhere deep inside me. But the question that burned even hotter was this:
If I actually kissed her… what would Yoo Chae-ryeong do? Would she hate it? Brush it off? Or would she look at me with nothing but contempt?
“Hey… Yoon Taeo? You’re okay, right? Why are you just staring at me without saying anything…? It’s embarrassing.”
Chae-ryeong’s face flushed a soft pink under my heavy gaze. Her words instantly scattered the wild fantasies that had been blooming in my head.
“Ah, sorry. I think I spaced out for a second after hitting my head.”
“What? Did you get another concussion? I’m so sorry. Making you go through shocking experiences at school twice like this…”
“It’s fine. Stop talking nonsense and get off me. That face doesn’t look sorry at all.”
“Neee~”
She wriggled awkwardly as she climbed off me. I endured the subtle, dangerous friction her movements created against my lower body, then pushed myself up with her.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Nope. Don’t worry. Since you were underneath, you’d be the one hurt if anyone was.”
“I wasn’t actually that worried about you. If you got hurt, today’s shoot would be ruined. That’s all.”
“Oh, is that so? How long are you planning to keep up this tsundere act?”
“It’s not an act. Anyway, stop messing around. How is it that you can’t get through a single day without something happening?”
“Hehe… sorry about that… It’s just, when I thought about sneaking into the classroom through the window like we used to back in the day, I got all excited…”
“Sigh.”
Even elementary school kids were probably more careful than her. But if you took away that pure innocence, Chae-ryeong wouldn’t be Chae-ryeong anymore. I glanced around the classroom and told her, “Anyway, we went through all that trouble to get in, so let’s film what we came for. Quickly.”
“You’re right. We should.”
Chae-ryeong pulled out the comb she always carried, roughly fixed her messy hair, and checked her face with her phone. Deciding everything was fine, she switched back into full filming mode the moment I picked up the camera.
“And this is the classroom where we spent our second year.”
“Looking at it now, the desks and chairs look insanely small. The lockers used to seem so tall back then.”
“Right? Does that mean we’ve gotten taller?”
She stood on her tiptoes and held the edge of her hand above her head like she was measuring her height.
“I don’t know about height, but you’ve definitely gained some wei—urk.”
“You’re not supposed to say things like that in front of your girlfriend, are you? Got it?”
“Cough, cough. Yes… I’ll be careful…”
A merciless neck chop flew at me instantly, cutting off my airway. For someone so small, her hands packed a ridiculous punch. Damn.
“Wow, here it is! This was my seat! Yoon Taeo, do you remember?”
“Yeah. You were always face-down asleep at that back desk.”
“That’s not true! I didn’t sleep that much!”
“Every time I looked over, you were out cold.”
“That’s just bad timing! It’s exactly like how my mom never comes into my room when I’m studying but always shows up the second I start playing and starts nagging.”
“Okay, okay. We’ll go with that. Don’t sulk.”
“It’s not ‘going with that’~! It really is like that!”
I ignored her protests and directed her into position for the video.
“Sit there. Like you used to. Let’s get a shot.”
“Ah, okay. Sounds good. Hello again, desk of my memories?”
She greeted the desk like an old friend and stroked its surface the way someone might pet a dog. Then she sat down primly in the chair, exactly like she used to in her school uniform.
“No, not like that. You have to flop down and pretend to sleep for real.”
“I told you I didn’t sleep… ugh.”
I filmed her sulking expression thoroughly, then turned the camera to where my own desk used to be.
“You know, do you remember the kid who sat next to me?”
“Next to you? Who was it again?”
“Kim Min-su. That timid guy, remember?”
“…Oh. The one who was always quietly reading books?”
“Yeah, him. Because you were always sitting next to me, he’d disappear to the library every lunch and break time. Did you know that?”
“For real?”
“You owe him an apology. Even when I told him not to go, he said he was more comfortable that way and left anyway.”
“Ugh… I had no idea… I’m sorry… Min-su. If you’re watching this video, please forgive me. I wasn’t trying to steal your seat.”
In truth, Chae-ryeong hadn’t been trying to steal his seat. She’d just occasionally sit next to me when the spot was empty. Min-su must have felt overwhelmed by her popularity or uncomfortable, because he eventually moved his entire base of operations to the library. Still, all of it was just a fond memory now.
We spent a while lost in nostalgia, spilling old stories in front of the camera. By the time we ran out of things to say, I stood up.
“Let’s head out. We still need to see the third-year classroom.”
“Okay.”
There were still plenty of places left to visit. The third-year classroom, the library, the art room, the music room—we went through them one after another.
“It’s a shame we can’t go inside any of them. Maybe I should’ve asked for a master key.”
“Can’t be helped. Still, it’s better than just walking around the outside of the school.”
If we’d only looked at the exterior and left, it would have felt even more empty. The footage we’d already shot would be more than enough for the next video.
“The cafeteria seems hard to get into… So I guess the gym and infirmary are the only ones left?”
“Looks like it. Let’s start with the gym since it’s closer.”
“Okay.”
We walked through the indoor hallways until we reached the gym. After passing along the third-floor corridor and crossing the skybridge, we arrived at the entrance. As expected, the gym door was also locked tight.
“It’s locked here too, just like I thought.”
“Of course. Remember when you performed here during the school festival? Our Hyeondeok Festival. You remember, right?”
“Ah… that… ugh.”
She ducked her head in embarrassment. The gym doubled as an auditorium, so it had been used as the stage for the festival.
“You came out with your class and danced to an idol song. Heh.”
“Ugh.”
“You actually danced pretty well. If only you hadn’t tripped over your own feet.”
“Kyaaaa! Don’t bring up my dark history in front of the camera! Edit that out! Edit it!”
“Nope. Absolutely not. It’s going in for sure.”
She rushed at me to cover my mouth, but I bolted away, camera in hand.
“Still, it was cute how your face turned bright red but you kept going until the end. The other kids were all laughing, though.”
“Saying all that and then complimenting me doesn’t mean anything… I’m going to kill you…”
“I’m serious. It was pretty cool in its own way.”
At least to me. The way she refused to give up had looked beautiful. Maybe because I was already in love with her back then.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Suddenly being good at something wouldn’t suit you anyway.”
“……Why do I have that kind of image with you?”
She puffed out her cheeks and made a sulky face. Well, it was because she was always clumsy and getting hurt. Thinking about her getting injured reminded me of something else that had happened in the gym.
“Now that I think about it, you got badly hurt here once. When was that? During badminton class?”
“Ah~ yeah. That time. When I stepped wrong during a match and twisted my ankle?”
“Yeah. That day.”
“Pfft. Remember how you panicked more than the gym teacher?”
“Panicked? You’re twisting my genuine concern for a friend?”
“You literally scooped me up and ran all the way to the infirmary. The gym teacher looked so shocked. I still laugh when I think about his face back then. Hehe.”
“You were the one who collapsed clutching your ankle and letting out that pitiful scream. I only fell for your method acting. I’m innocent.”
How could I stay calm when she suddenly grabbed her ankle and let out that delicate cry in the middle of a match?
Chae-ryeong, who had been quietly listening, suddenly broke into a suspicious smile as if a brilliant idea had struck her.
“Yoon Taeo, I just had a great idea.”
That was her usual face whenever she thought of good YouTube content. Hmm.
“What is it?”
When I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, Chae-ryeong suddenly grabbed her ankle and dropped to the floor, delivering the most ridiculous, textbook-level terrible acting.
“Ah~ My ankle’s twisted and it hurts so much. I wonder if someone will carry me to the infirmary while making a big fuss?”
As always, she completely exceeded my expectations. I stared blankly at her as she reached out, begging to be carried.
“You want to recreate it?”
“It’ll be fun, right? We have to go to the infirmary next anyway.”
“Ah, you’re so hea—”
“What was that?”
“……My girlfriend is so light I can’t even tell I’m carrying anyone. Yeah. Let’s do it. Haha.”
After nearly slipping up, I received a sharp glare and bent down. Chae-ryeong grabbed my shoulders and shifted her weight onto my back.
“Ugh, up we go.”
“How is it? Light as a feather, right?”
“Wow, my legs are shaking. Hey.”
“Hey.”
“—I mean, you’re so light. Is there actually someone on my back? I can’t even tell~”