Cultural Festival (8)
‘……Oppa?’
I froze for a moment, but Choi Gahee quickly pulled herself together. Well, it’s not like they can’t get close, right? Yeah, what’s the big deal?
‘Oppa’ is just what a younger girl calls a slightly older guy. Yeah, even if Yuyeong was younger than Taeyang, she’d call him oppa, and the same if I were younger than him. No need to overthink it.
Taeyang and Eunbi seemed really close, chatting and laughing happily. They looked awfully friendly…
……Yeah, the festival committee has a ton of tough work, so having a friend is a good thing. Totally natural. I exchanged numbers with the other committee members too. Sure, every time a notification pops up, I frantically check my phone hoping it’s Taeyang changing his mind and reaching out again, only to find it’s some random guy’s irrelevant text, which stresses me out. But that’s just how social life goes, so it’s not weird for Taeyang to have a girl around. Yeah, he’s already got Yuyeong, Iri, and Juyeon nearby…
…Huh? Why does Taeyang have so many girls around him anyway?
I’d actually noticed for a while that Yuyeong and Iri had feelings for Taeyang. Since they’re precious friends and I knew about their crushes, I decided to respect that. We’re not even dating yet, after all. But what if Eunbi does too? Is the list growing again?
“……Hey.”
“Eek!”
“Oops…”
Taeyang, who’d glanced my way, looked startled when he saw me. Control your expression… control it. Seriously, what am I doing scaring Taeyang like this? Must be the alienation from not getting my ‘Taeyang cuteness fix’ for so long—it drove me a little crazy there. He’s told me over and over he hates this side of me.
“Hoo~”
Deep breath, calm down. Clear your mind. Holding onto bad feelings will just make things worse.
I smiled at Taeyang as casually as possible. Taeyang, your big sis gets it all. But after that, he wouldn’t even look my way.
“Ugh~”
A little hurt, huh? Well, shaking off the negativity let me reframe things. Actually, getting close to that junior could be an excuse to get close to Taeyang again.
First, finish my tasks. I’ve been peeking at management docs over my parents’ shoulders since I was little, and they made me keep a detailed allowance ledger too. I scrapped the plan to beg Taeyang for help as an excuse, so this should be quick.
As I reviewed and handled the materials, an annoying sound caught my ear.
“Um, oppa…”
“Yeah? ‘Hey’ again?”
“Uh… I lack confidence… Sorry.”
“No. I’ll help anytime you ask, so quit with the apologies.”
“…Okay.”
“Lemme see.”
“Here.”
“I’ll take a look!”
“Huh?”
I jumped in midway. It felt like a perfect opening. Taeyang glanced at me again, but unfortunately, he just looked for a second before quietly flipping through the papers.
“What don’t you get?”
“This… oh, I think I get it now.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Y-Yeah, thanks to you, sunbae. Thank you so much.”
Eunbi took the papers back and bowed politely. She scurried to her spot and started processing them frantically.
Ugh… can’t let it end like this. I need to get closer to Eunbi somehow.
“Any other stuff you don’t know? Unnie’s all done and has time.”
“Pardon? …Unnie?”
Huh? Did the mood just chill? Like when someone you’re not close to suddenly acts buddy-buddy?
I figured it was fine since she calls Taeyang ‘oppa’ right away, but she must still be shy around me.
“The other girl juniors call me casually too, so I thought it’d be easier for you.”
“I-I’m just… not good at that sort of thing.”
“Eunbi’s super shy with people.”
Taeyang defended her from the side.
“Ahaha, really? Well, can’t be helped then.”
Next to me, Eunbi gazes only at Taeyang, murmuring ‘O… oppa’ gratefully. Heh~ So shy, huh~ I see~ And yet she calls Taeyang ‘oppa’ just fine~
But Taeyang, you seem to enjoy girls calling you ‘oppa’ right away, while saying it’d be tough for them to call others ‘unnie’? Like that naughty book I found last time, and your reactions to other girls being different. You weren’t that sweet to me, the noonas, or Yuyeong. Kinda tsundere, pulling away whenever we got close.
Why are you so nice only to her?
“Choi Gahee sunbae?”
“Ah, ahaha, just embarrassed. It’s fine. We’ll get close over time.”
Damn, another weird thought creeping in. Am I jealous right now? Jealous of that tiny, quiet girl four years younger? What’s wrong with me?
“Gahee. Help me out.”
“Oh, sure. Juyeon.”
I went to Juyeon to clear my head. Even while helping, I couldn’t help eavesdropping on Taeyang and Eunbi.
“Eunbi, your pace suddenly sped up—is the math right?”
“Huh? Yeah?”
“Yeah, not doubting you, but you skim and check so fast.”
“S-Sorry… ah, no.”
Eunbi recalled Taeyang’s advice not to apologize and stammered.
“I can do mental math right away.”
Even for addition, mentally calculating ten-plus items at once? Juyeon, who overheard, stared at Eunbi too.
“Impressive.”
“N-Not that impressive…”
Eunbi ducked her head, embarrassed by Taeyang’s single compliment. Nearby committee members who happened to hear turned in surprise but ignored her, knowing her personality.
I don’t need to pay attention to those two either. Ignore it.
“At this point, shouldn’t you be helping me?”
“Oppa, should I?”
“Nah, I got it.”
“Aww~”
“I don’t wanna hear ‘sorry’ like someone.”
“Ugh…”
“Hey~ Just kidding, don’t pout.”
………They really seem close.
“Gahee?”
“Huh?”
“You look pale. You okay?”
“Take the day off!”
“Unnie, I’ll tell the festival committee supervisor.”
“N-No, I’m fine! Don’t worry, everyone.”
“I-I think you should rest too, sunbae.”
Even Eunbi, noticing the commotion and looking over, chimed in, making it worse.
“I’m really fine!”
Jealousy helps nothing. Right now, I need to befriend Eunbi, who’s closer to Taeyang than I am. That’ll fade these useless feelings.
While Taeyang was out on a student council errand, I called Eunbi over.
“Um, Eunbi.”
“Yes?… What’s up, sunbae?”
“I have something to say to you. Got a sec?”
“Huh?”
Eunbi’s big eyes widened sadly, her head drooping in despair. She trembled, curling her already small frame tighter—it stirred my protective instincts.
“D-Did I… mess up somehow?”
Oh no, if anyone sees this—especially Taeyang—it’ll look like I’m bullying her. Calm her down first.
“No, Eunbi, you did nothing wrong.”
“Really?”
Her green eyes sparkled as she looked up. Kinda unnatural—contacts maybe?
“Yeah! I wanted to talk, and get closer to you too.”
“…Okay.”
I’d sensed it from afar, but yeah, she struggles with people. That reaction made it seem like something bad happened. Feeling guilty for targeting a kid like her.
“Anyway, you free?”
“Yes, sure.”
We stepped into the hallway, walking to a quieter spot.
“Sunbae… what did you want to say…”
“Eunbi, sorry, but could you do me a favor?”
At ‘favor,’ she panicked and stepped back.
“What?”
“Well, there was a little misunderstanding between Taeyang and me.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Can’t go into details, but I want to make up with him.”
So I asked for her help. She stared at me a moment, then spoke.
“Before that, one question?”
“Sure.”
“So, um… what’s your relationship with Taeyang oppa?”
I expected that. But I hadn’t sorted my answer, so I panicked.
“Uh? Well………cl…”
“Cl?”
“………Cl”
Close. He’s the one I like. Hya! Saying it outright is embarrassing.
“J-Just, we’ve been super special since way back!”
“I see.”
Eunbi nodded, then reverted to her insecure face.
“I want to help, but… I don’t know much about this stuff… might just mess it up…”
“No way!”
It’d be tough for her—suddenly stuck in the middle, not knowing what to do. Can’t burden her.
“I wanna get along with you too, so just occasionally join when we talk from now on.”
“……He might avoid you, sunbae… but I’ll try.”
“Thanks!”
Good kid after all. Ashamed I got jealous of someone so meek, pure, and kind. Get it together, Choi Gahee.
We headed back to work.
Hoo~ Now the real work begins.
Now I have excuses: work, and being friends with Eunbi—to get closer to Taeyang. What if he starts avoiding Eunbi too? Nah, he’s not like that. And her ‘oppa~ oppa~’ is clearly his type, right? He can’t brush off a cute junior easily.
…Wish I’d been born a girl matching his tastes.
“……Oppa.”
“Huh?”
Oh crap, I mumbled without thinking.
“Nothing.”
Eunbi tilted her head, but it passed without issue. Last time I tried that on Taeyang, it backfired. He denied having that taste hard. Yeah, mimicking a younger girl’s act won’t work on him. Older girls have their own charm. Gotta show him that, whatever it takes. How do I shift his tastes from younger to older?
Gahee’s challenges were piling up.
Choi Gahee’s gaze on me was unsettling. Of course, I’m fully aware how coldly and inflexibly I rejected her. Lingering feelings for a guy she once obsessed over are inevitable. Love can flip to hate or resentment in a flash, especially with strong yandere traits.
Just earlier, while I chatted with Eunbi, Gahee shot me a scary look. Her clouded eyes burned like negative emotions swirling inside. Jealousy? Nah. She’s always been fine with Iri or Yuyeong sticking to me and mingled well. No way she’d suddenly get jealous of a four-years-younger junior.
Definitely, her negative feelings toward me are growing.
“Hoo~ Yeah, this is all my karma.”
Avoiding won’t solve it. It’ll just fuel her hate more. Before it escalates, I need to talk to Gahee again. If it has to happen someday, better now while it’s salvageable.
I finished the student council’s simple errand and returned to the paperwork area.