Study Group (4)
“I heard from Yuyeong that you told her to cut ties. What happened?”
“Cut ties? I didn’t go that far.”
Best to play it off for now. I’d never outright said the word “cut ties.” I’d just suggested we act like normal classmates.
“What are you talking about? You said you couldn’t hang out with me anymore, right?”
Lee Yuyeong huffed in disbelief. She still didn’t trust me one bit.
“That’s exactly what I meant, Yuyeong. Did you maybe not hear what the kids around us were saying while we talked?”
“What?”
“It’s… kinda embarrassing to say it outright, but whenever you talk about anime, your face lights up so much that the others think there’s something between us.”
“...Huh?”
Lee Yuyeong tilted her head, like Is that true? It wasn’t entirely baseless. When she and I stuck together, people would tease us jokingly. Kids our age know we’re just friends, but they still poke fun at guys and girls hanging out a lot—calling us a couple or making up nicknames.
“You don’t want that kinda misunderstanding either, right? It’s awkward.”
I glanced around. Some nodded in understanding, while others frowned, clearly unconvinced. The unconvinced ones were Hayan unnie and Gahee unnie.
“Even so, saying cut ties is too much.”
“Yeah, Yuyeong must’ve been hurt.”
“It… wasn’t cut ties, just classmates…”
“Taeyang, that’s not like you.”
Hayan unnie scolded me. Damn, I had nothing to say to that. Back in the day, I wouldn’t have gone this far over a girl—even if I’d never really been tangled up with one.
“You can’t take friendships so lightly. I think you should apologize to Yuyeong.”
“...Sorry.”
I apologized to Lee Yuyeong. But that wasn’t enough for unnie.
“You won’t do it again, right?”
The mood was shifting—they all wanted me to patch things up with Yuyeong. Made sense; the older sisters would wanna play peacemakers. Hayan unnie eyed me like she knew I was scheming as I picked my words carefully.
“You’ll be friends with Yuyeong from now on, right?”
“Uh… lemme think about it.”
“What?”
“It’s fine, unnie. I’ll talk to her later.”
Lee Yuyeong cut in. Hayan unnie apologized to her repeatedly while shooting me a glare. Her pretty face made it look more cute and pouty than sharp, but it still scared me.
“Sorry, Yuyeong. I’ll apologize for upsetting you.”
“Yeah, we’ll talk later about the rest.”
With her saying we’d sort it out privately, the tension eased. Couldn’t straight-up reject her in front of everyone. Better to smooth it over later and drift apart naturally.
The incident wrapped up, and we got back to studying. Thankfully, nothing else happened after that.
“Gahee unnie, can you check this problem?”
“Sure.”
“Me too.”
Lee Yuyeong was still watching me like a hawk around Gahee unnie. But this time, I really didn’t know it—the game had her as a math whiz who taught well.
“Unnie, you’re so good at math!”
“You guys could do it too with a little study.”
“Still, you’re amazing. I have no clue even looking at it.”
“Iri unnie… this is middle school level.”
“What does math have to do with age?”
Anyway, the study group flowed peacefully again. No incidents while we studied. No flags popping between Seonwoo and Gahee unnie either. I scanned the unnies, wondering if any had built up while I wasn’t looking—maybe lingering glances at him or something. But once my thing with Yuyeong was settled, they just focused quietly on their books. No signs of contact with Seonwoo or starting to care about him subtly.
If anything, I was the one stacking flags instead.
“……”
“……What?”
I glanced at Lee Yuyeong and our eyes met. I whipped my head away. The earlier contact flashed back. Snap out of it. She still disliked me, thankfully—no flags there.
To change the subject fast, I scooted over to Iri unnie.
“Iri unnie, you didn’t turn the page.”
“Ehh~? Taeyang’s so interested in me~”
“That’s ‘cause you’re not studying properly.”
Iri unnie started teasing me as an excuse to slack off. Did she seriously think I came to goof around too…?
The study group ended sharp at 5 p.m. We packed up. We’d studied plenty by then, and I was beat from all the drama. As we cleared plates and tidied, Lee Yuyeong called me like she’d been waiting.
“Taeyang. Meet me after?”
“Sure.”
Time to finish our talk. Was she still keen on being friends, or did she think I was after Gahee unnie? Probably the latter.
“Sort it out nicely, Taeyang. You don’t just break off relationships casually.”
Hayan unnie put a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, soothe the girl’s heart.”
Iri unnie giggled and patted my head. Come on, classmates are right here—embarrassing.
“Got it. Wanna go to my room for a sec?”
“Huh?”
Lee Yuyeong panicked. Shit, now she thinks I’m Geum Taeyang, gonna pounce or something.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
She fiddled with her phone.
“You first.”
The second-floor hallway was empty. Lee Yuyeong followed quietly, then spoke once we were alone.
“I’m warning you—any funny business, and it’s useless. I’m recording, and I’ll report you right now.”
“This suspicion never ends? Your delusions.”
She still saw me as the blonde tanned thug. Bold of her to come to a room alone, though.
“Not my fault! You don’t give me any reason to trust you.”
How’d she end up this character? Was she always like this?
Lee Yuyeong in Love Chain was a positive, energetic sports beauty—reliable club manager, popular insider type. I hadn’t cleared her route, but could she degrade this much?
With mixed feelings, I led her to my room. Obviously, no creepy intentions.
“First off, sorry about that day. I was out of it and came off harsh.”
She stared silently, then spoke after a beat.
“Fine. I’m over it too.”
“Really?”
Good. But she had another hang-up.
“On one condition: no more messing with Gahee unnie.”
“I’ve said it before… Fine. No messing around.”
Arguing would just drag it out. Just agree.
“As long as you stay away from Gahee unnie, we’re good?”
“Yeah.”
“Won’t happen again. We’re done here.”
It wasn’t much of a reconciliation—she didn’t seem keen on getting closer either. Perfect.
I could fob off the unnies later. Linking Gahee unnie and Seonwoo might get trickier, though.
“All talked out? Let’s go.”
I opened the door, but Lee Yuyeong stood there blankly staring.
What’s with her? “…I still hate you.”
“Huh?”
She whispered, shaking her head.
“We’re not done talking.”
“Oh? What else?”
Was she hung up on the cut-ties thing after all? Guess I’d retract it and say let’s be friends. Even if we hung out, she’d back off if I acted weird.
“Got it. About that cut-ties declaration…”
“Show me the notebook.”
What? Notebook out of nowhere—like the Death Note? No soul-reaping here.
Then I saw her eyeing my desk—specifically, my scribbled notes tossed in the corner. The cover looked like my Love Chain settings notebook.
“I need to see that.”
“Hey, no!”
“I saw you doodling in it in class, grinning creepily. Hiding it from everyone?”
Her suspicious glare returned.
“Told you, it’s my diary.”
“Not a girl strategy notebook?”
“Who writes that in the middle of class?”
Me, technically—Seonwoo’s girl strategy notes, in a way. But no way I’d show it. Even if she didn’t believe, the names and suspicions inside would fuel it.
“Just a sec.”
“No. Privacy.”
“You too! You know I watch hentai!”
“That’s on you spilling it!!!”
No good. Her eyes were off. Life faded from those big pupils, replaced by eerie zeal. Right… Yandere Stage 1 mode!
In Love Chain, heroines’ eyes darken as yandere blooms. A famous streamer tiered it into three stages. Stage 1: mild obsession—fixating on objects, prying secrets obsessively. Sometimes funny, sometimes “cancerous.” High affection made it more “yandere bells tolling lol” than creepy.
Now I felt cancerous. Yanderes are real! I’d hoped this wasn’t the game ‘cause no yanderes… but here one was.
Sensing danger, I snatched the notebook off the desk. Time to chuck or burn it.
“Give it here.”
“Yuyeong? Haha, calm down. My bad, all mine.”
“Then let me see. You’re innocent, right?”
“I’ll delete Gahee unnie’s number. Watch me do it now if you don’t believe.”
She lunged. I dodged, but got cornered against the wall. She slammed a hand beside me.
I raised the notebook hand high. She was just a tad shorter—thank god. Her fingertips trembled short; she went on tiptoes. I did too, barely keeping it out.
“Just a quick peek…”
“Why invade my privacy?”
We glared, faces inches apart. Close enough for a fist between—not like the fall earlier, but intimate.
“……”
“……”
What’re a boy and girl this age doing alone in a room? Puberty central.
“Embarrassing, so back off?”
“...Fine.”
Whew~ She realized it too, lowering her tiptoes. Step back, persuade. Mood was getting weird.
Then, “Yah!”
I dropped the notebook. Couldn’t help it—her lips brushed my cheek. Barely missed, but the shock made me flinch. She snatched it mid-air, like she’d planned it.
“Hey! You just…!!”
She’s the real player thug. I yelled, beet-red, then lunged to grab it back.
“Ah…”
Too late—she’d read it. Frozen in shock, she looked at me.
“So that’s it.”
“Yuyeong, listen…”
“Sorry.”
“What?”
“For not realizing your feelings till now.”
She slid the notebook back, saying something cryptic. Why apologize? Puzzled, I checked it.
Pre-transfer: my old soccer club notebook.