Juyeon Ditches the Alliance and Runs, Leaving Suhyun to Take the Fall
Juyeon had ditched their alliance and bolted. The responsibility fell squarely on Suhyun, who had been left behind. Hana's eyes blinked rapidly, demanding an explanation.
"Um... Juyeon said... she had something she wanted to ask me about."
"What is it?"
"I actually don't know either."
It wasn't a joke meant to tease Hana; he genuinely didn't know. But this flimsy explanation wasn't enough to convince her.
"Hey. Lee Suhyun."
As Hana took a step forward, Suhyun instinctively took a step back.
"Uh... yeah?"
"Are you seriously going to act like this?"
"Act like what?"
Hana planted both hands on the desk and cornered him as if protesting.
"After I taught you guitar and showed you movies!"
All things Suhyun was deeply grateful for. He had been so grateful that he'd even given her a gift, hadn't he?
"...Don't tell me you two are dating?"
The possibility flashed through Hana's mind. If there was a reason they absolutely had to meet alone, it was probably something like with Seoeun unnie...
"That's not it."
Suhyun cut her off firmly. It was truly a groundless rumor.
"But I really don't know why Juyeon asked to meet separately either."
"Really?"
It didn't seem like he was lying. Since he wasn't the type to lie frequently like a slippery snake, Hana easily believed him.
"...Okay then."
She felt a little disappointed in Juyeon, but the Hana of today decided to back off here.
"Get home safe, Suhyun."
Suhyun, bag in hand, gave a warm smile.
"It's only eight in the evening, you know?"
"Still."
"And honestly, if we arm wrestled, it seems like I'd win?"
She was grumbling for no reason, but looking at the scrawny Suhyun, Hana really thought she might actually win.
"I-I'm starting to work out with Kang from tomorrow, so wouldn't I win?"
"Then that just means the winning starts from tomorrow."
Their pointless bickering ended the moment Suhyun left the club room. Hana was left alone in the now-empty space. The room that had been filled with all kinds of noise and chatter just moments ago was now endlessly quiet.
Her slender index finger slid smoothly across the guitar strings resting on the stand. The familiar sound of standard tuning, beginning and ending on E.
Hana plopped down in the seat where Suhyun had been sitting and stretched lazily.
She thought it was a relief.
The bright fluorescent lights looked unusually glaring. Hana still showed no signs of getting used to feeling these kinds of emotions.
With Hana's image still lingering in his mind, Suhyun hurried his steps. When he reached School Pizza, the person who popped out from inside was Juyeon, the vocalist from the twenty-third class.
"...Hey."
He figured he should at least say something about her running off like that, since a request was still a request.
"You worked hard."
Juyeon nodded at Suhyun with a solemn face.
"But if you just leave like that..."
"Instead, I'll buy today's meal."
Juyeon lifted the pizza box that still carried the warmth from the oven. The complaint that had risen to Suhyun's throat at her offer to pay slipped right back down. Was today a lucky day? After a free gym pass came free pizza. Rare free events for Suhyun.
"But... it's nice that you bought it, but where are we supposed to eat this?"
If they were going to eat pizza anyway, they could have just eaten inside the shop. Couldn't they have ordered something two people could finish together?
"...My place."
"Huh?"
He thought he had misheard and asked again.
"We're eating at my house."
Her tone was firm, allowing no room for questions.
"Ah... okay."
He said he understood, but an unmistakable question mark hovered over Suhyun's head. Why? Just the two of them? Eating pizza? And not anywhere else but at Juyeon's house?
He figured she wanted to talk about streaming, but it still felt like an overreaction. Though she had answered with a very serious face, Juyeon was just as anxious.
She had never once brought a guest home. She had been invited to Seoeun and Hana's places, but Juyeon never let anyone into her own home. She thought there was nothing worth seeing in her room. And after she started streaming, it became an absolute forbidden zone. Wouldn't they notice the microphone right away?
While both of them let their imaginations run wild, they steadily walked toward the villa. Juyeon's house was closer than expected from Suhyun's. About a three-minute walk. The one-rooms near campus were all similar, but hers was on the closer side.
"...Turn around."
"Huh?"
"I'm going to enter the passcode, so turn around."
Suhyun promptly turned his body the other way. Once the lock clicked open, Juyeon led him inside. Like most studio apartments, the layout was nothing special. A desk and chair. Next to it stood a long, dark-brown bookshelf. On the opposite side, a lilac pillow and comforter were neatly arranged. It felt like a color that suited Juyeon perfectly.
"Th-The bathroom is over here."
Juyeon pushed the door open and ushered Suhyun inside. When the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Juyeon cupped her cheeks with both hands.
She had let a friend into her room. And it was a boy. It was a conclusion she had reached after running countless simulations, but the situation itself was still embarrassing. She had brought him here out of fear that a passerby might overhear she was a streamer...
With trembling hands, Juyeon untied the string on the pizza box. She unfolded the table, set the box on it, and brought over plates.
"I-I'm going to wash up too."
As Juyeon hurried into the bathroom, Suhyun scanned the room again. What caught his eye most was the large bucket on the desk. Did Juyeon really stack up sweets like that? The basket was filled with all kinds of candies and chocolates. The thought of that much sugar going into such a small body felt almost scary.
Did she actually eat all of it...?
"...Want some?"
Juyeon, who had come out at some point holding a towel, looked up at him intently.
"Huh? No, I'm good."
Juyeon brushed past him, grabbed a handful of candy, and held it out.
"Here."
"It's fine. We're about to eat anyway."
"This is a bribe."
"A bribe?"
Suhyun blinked as he took the candy without thinking.
"I want to look good to you."
Depending on how you heard it, the nuance was a little subtle, but for now the two sat facing each other and began to satisfy their hunger.
The pizza Juyeon had bought was a combination with cheese crust—the standard, classic choice. Juyeon diligently filled her small mouth, chewing away. On the surface she looked focused on eating, but in truth her nerves kept her eating more and more.
"So."
Suhyun slurped up a long stretch of cheese and asked.
"What exactly is this favor?"
Juyeon's face said the moment had come. Trembling slightly, she took a sip of cola and opened her mouth.
"I-I wanted to ask for your opinion... about streaming."
"Is this about the banner?"
"Not just the banner, but the overall progress... and this and that..."
She had decided that Suhyun would understand her situation better and empathize more.
"Then the candy and pizza are payment for the advice?"
Juyeon nodded instead of answering.
Suhyun, holding the clear glass, fell into thought. Worries about streaming, huh... As a loner who loved staying in and playing games, he did watch streams. But that was only from a viewer's perspective. He had never tried commentating or planning content, so he couldn't easily give an answer.
"Um. Is it going to be difficult?"
The plate once. Suhyun's face once. Juyeon's eyes darted back and forth.
"No, it's not that. But are you really okay asking me?"
"Th-That time we talked about it before, it seemed like you knew more than me."
That was true. After all, Juyeon wasn't someone who watched streams.
"Then, Juyeon."
"Yeah?"
"What kind of streams do you want to do, and why?"
It was a question that poked at a painful spot. At the same time, it was a question she had to answer.
"I want to... change myself."
"Change?"
"I... as you can see, I'm not good at talking like this, and I can't get along well with other people."
The sincerity she forced out with difficulty. The empathy hit Suhyun like a dose strong enough to be lethal, catching his breath.
"So... I thought if I practiced even this way, maybe it would get a little better."
"By communicating and talking with other people online, even if it's just that, you thought it might help?"
Juyeon, who resembled him so much. Suhyun couldn't refuse her request. No—he didn't want to refuse.
"...I'll help you."
Juyeon's eyes gradually widened.
"But first, let's buy a banner and hang it."
It was the moment a bucket of cold water was dumped on the touching atmosphere.