Yoon Soye
On the way home.
At school, I made a new friend and she came to talk to me.
“Soye-ya, did you get close to that senior earlier?”
“That senior earlier? Jaeha-senpai?”
“Yeah, you two seemed super close?”
Is it that close?
I don’t really know.
“Close, huh?”
“If it’s not close, then besides me, who would call you a friend?”
“You… only you…”
“Heh, that’s because you’re too timid. You dummy.”
-squeeze squeeze
“Don’t squeeze…”
Chorok is squeezing my cheek. It feels like she’s frustrated with me.
I know I’m a timid person, but is it to this extent even when Chorok does it?
Chorok looked at me like I was her little brother, then burst into a small laugh and said,
“To me, you seem super close to that senior already?”
“Really?”
“Definitely.”
“But, actually, Jaeha-senpai might think I’m not close to him.”
This time, where did my words go wrong? Chorok’s expression hardened again.
It looked like she was exasperated, but I was sincere.
If I think of them as friends when they’re not, then they’re not friends.
“I thought you were my friend, but if Jaeha-senpai doesn’t think so, isn’t that rude?”
I told my thoughts hoping Chorok would understand, but it seems she doesn’t get it.
“Hey, dummy.”
“I’m not a dummy.”
“Not a dummy~ Our Soye~”
-squeeze squeeze squeeze
Chorok keeps squeezing my cheek, and I don’t understand.
If she’s going to squeeze, why squeeze my cheek?
“Yeah, we’re not dummies, Soye. Guys are super simple, their actions are sincere. It’s different with girls.”
“Really?”
“Of course~ Maybe she’s hitting on me because Soye is cute?”
“That’s not the case.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really.”
No. Jaeha-senpai is someone who takes care of me as a junior.
If there was ulterior motive, he would have started talking and pretended to be close from the beginning, or deliberately called me, or contacted me on a day off to hang out.
“Guys don’t know how to read the room~”
“You said earlier they are super simple and actions are sincere.”
“It’s wolves who try to hide their lewd thoughts towards women somehow.”
“Lewd thoughts…?”
Does Jaeha-senpai have lewd thoughts towards me?
I don’t think so. Even if he has some interest in me as a woman, he probably wouldn’t force lewd thoughts on me.
Honestly, at this point, I think Chorok is teasing me.
“You, you’re teasing me.”
“No~ Not at all~”
Not at all, but from the expression, she’s teasing me.
Why is it fun for Chorok to tease me like this? I’m not even the type to react entertainingly.
Chorok lightly puffed her cheeks, then poked my cheek again and chuckled.
“Oh, our Soye is pouting~”
“I’m not pouting.”
“I can see it.”
Chorok is laughing hehe, suddenly checked her phone, apologized “Sorry, one sec” to me, and started sending messages furiously.
Who is it? Is it someone I know?
No, probably not. Unlike me, Chorok is lively and sociable, so she has many friends.
It’s only been about 2 weeks since I became friends with Chorok, but sometimes I envy Chorok.
Chorok is always an honest kid who spills her stories, and she can talk casually with anyone she just met.
If I had a similar personality to Chorok, wouldn’t I have more friends than now?
I know it’s meaningless to assume. I’m different from Chorok.
Still, it’s a pity. I wish I was a bit more proactive.
After finishing the conversation, Chorok smiled small and took my hand again.
“Sorry, I was having fun talking.”
“It’s okay, but who was it?”
“My boyfriend.”
“… Really?”
“A male friend. Not a lover, just a male friend.”
I blinked in surprise, and Chorok burst into bigger laughter.
It seems Chorok is really into teasing me. Even like this.
“Soye, you~re too cute. Can I keep you as my sister for life?”
“No way.”
“Too much~ Soye~ But Soye-ya, do you think I don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Yeah, Chorok seems to have tons of friends but no boyfriend.”
“That’s not being feminine?”
She was saying it indirectly, but the straightforward Chorok saw through my hidden feelings immediately.
Sometimes it seems like that’s why Chorok is popular. She accurately reads what the other person wants to say. Should I say she’s perceptive?
“Hmph…”
“Hehe, I know~ But do you know this? Until my 3rd year of middle school, I had a boyfriend?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. Want to see the photos?”
Chorok held her phone with one hand, flipped through the photo album, and showed me a photo.
There was a photo of a guy with a playful expression making a V sign with his fingers gently.
I couldn’t help but smile at the very affectionate look.
Chorok saw that and asked with a very proud voice.
“What do you think? I really had a boyfriend, right?”
“I see, you really did.”
“It was for 2 years. From 2nd year to a month ago.”
“I see. Did you like some specific point?”
“Because he was cool, honest, and had a lot of playful side that was cute?”
Chorok seems to definitely like cute things. She finds cute guys too.
Maybe that’s why she became friends with me?
It could be. I don’t know, but Chorok seems to see me as a cute person.
“So, what about that 2nd year senior do you like?”
“Like it, I….”
“You do like it~”
Do I like it?
It seems right.
Jaeha-senpai has a playful side, is cheerful but not light-hearted, is serious, and has deep consideration.
Moreover, he listens to my endless movie stories without getting tired. If it was someone else, they would be annoyed.
Not only that, he supports me when I go for interviews, and helps when I organize my stuff.
How can I not like such a person.
When I list it like this, it might seem like Chorok is hitting on me, but I know.
Jaeha-senpai’s attitude towards me has respect and affection.
“It seems so.”
“So, is spring coming to our Soye too~?”
“You, it’s only been 2 weeks since we got to know each other. I can have a boyfriend too, right?”
“Our Soye? Boyfriend? No~ Have you held a guy’s hand? Except with family and elementary school.”
If I ask that, I have nothing to say.
Chorok might be a bit annoyed. She’s too perceptive.
-squeeze
Since I had no answer, Chorok lightly hugged me.
“Hey, our Soye~ I don’t know any guys~ Baby~ Baby~”
“Sigh… Chorok, you’re the same age as me.”
“But when we go somewhere, I think I’ll be treated as older sister?”
The saddest news is that I can’t deny it.
Suddenly, we arrived at the bus stop, Chorok waved her hand to me. Chorok has to take the bus from the opposite bus stop.
“Soye-ya, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
When we waved hands together, Chorok laughed mischievously and waved bigger.
My parents and sister were worried ‘What if I can’t make friends in high school?’ but luckily I have such a wonderful friend, so I’m glad.
Can Jaeha-senpai be called a friend?
I hope so. Jaeha-senpai is really a good person.
The bus that Chorok needs to take arrived first, and the Chorok on the opposite side waved her hand big and boarded the bus first.
After sending Chorok off, the bus I need to take came, and I boarded.
When I got on the bus, I felt a bit empty. Probably because Jaeha-senpai is not there.
Jaeha-senpai is the one who keeps waving his hand until I sit and it gets far.
Without someone to see me off until the end, it feels empty.
It seems Jaeha-senpai is more to my liking than I thought.
So, I have to be more careful.
I can’t let Jaeha-senpai’s interference happen.