Chapter 7. Awakening
"Sis, what time did you head into town today?"
"Hmm... around 3? Why?"
Seonwoo had gone out for a walk at 2, arriving at the park twenty minutes later. Around evening, say 5 p.m., he was supposed to head home due to some family matter. Normally, that's when he'd get tangled up with Choi Gahee, but because of the variable I introduced, Seonwoo passed right by her and kept walking.
That's where I'd missed something crucial while scrambling to salvage Choi Gahee's collapsed first flag. Namely, I hadn't considered where Seonwoo would go after skipping her first flag. On top of that, I hadn't accounted for the possibility of my sister going out too.
"Taeyang? You look upset—what's wrong?"
My sister approached with a worried frown, leaning down to meet my eyes.
"It's nothing, Sis. I'm just a little bummed. Let's go together next time."
"Yeah!"
Leaving my beaming sister behind, I headed back to my room and shut the door.
"Phew~"
I wanted to flop onto the bed right now, but it wasn't time yet. I sat straight down at my desk and pulled out my Love Chain settings notebook from my bag. Our family always knocks before entering a room, so no worries about getting caught.
I flipped open a page and let out another deep sigh.
"I've been too complacent."
Closing my eyes, I reflected on the past few days. It hadn't been that long...
On my first day transferring in, I'd failed to block Seonwoo and my sister's first flag. Fine, that was an unavoidable variable. But everything after was blatantly my fault.
I'd completely sabotaged Choi Gahee's first flag—the one that absolutely needed to happen—and in doing so, I'd created an event where Seonwoo and my sister got even closer.
And the problems didn't stop there. Lee Yuyeong. Seonwoo's new heroine candidate, the girl sitting next to me, had gotten way too close. Contrary to my resolve to keep my distance, I'd softened up seeing her looking all hurt, cracking open my heart just a bit. And as a result, she'd secretly tailed me today and caused trouble.
The biggest reason for my mission failure, the most dangerous element—and I'd let it slide too carelessly. We'd even exchanged numbers, and I'd nearly told her what neighborhood I lived in.
Yeah, I'd been too lax all this time.
"No more sloppy, careless moves."
I steeled my resolve again. I absolutely could not see Kim Hayan's yandere ending.
I checked the notes spread out before me and jotted down the current progress in blue pen alongside them. What was done was done, so let's find a breakthrough for the current situation.
The next time Seonwoo and my sister would raise flags outside school was right here at our house. In Love Chain, with midterms approaching, Seonwoo, his childhood friend Seong Juyeon, and Kim Hayan form a study group. The location is Kim Hayan's house—mine.
And at this gathering, the first event occurs where Seonwoo chooses whether to boost affection with Kim Hayan or Seong Juyeon. It's not all the heroines, but between these two, it decides which route he'll take.
And there's no way I'd just sit back and watch. In the game, the little brother Kim Taeyang doesn't appear because of soccer club activities, but things are different here. I'll be the biggest variable, coming home early and waiting.
I'll intervene aggressively to block Seonwoo from raising flags with my sister Hayan. Plus, on that day, I'll add the heroine absent from the study group in the game: Choi Gahee.
In the game, Gahee has prior plans with other friends and can't join. So I'll make my move first and set up plans with her. Ask her to come over and help me study. We can study for exams with Hayan too, and she'll help with mine. If I secure that promise, Seonwoo's choices get split between Kim Hayan, Seong Juyeon, and Choi Gahee. It salvages Gahee's first flag and disperses his options—one stone, two birds.
"Phew~ The next event I can intervene in ends here, and now..."
I glanced at another issue noted beside it. Lee Yuyeong.
Yuyeong is Kim Taeyang's friend and doesn't have her first conversation with Seonwoo until a year in. So I'd figured as long as we didn't get too close early on, it'd be fine. Without ties to Kim Taeyang or Kim Hayan, she wouldn't naturally meet Seonwoo anyway.
"But lately, she's been weird."
She's been chattering excitedly to herself, looking for me in class more often. At first, I thought she just wanted someone to geek out about anime with, but now it feels like she's digging into me. Inviting me to soccer, suggesting we hang out alone, saying she'll come over, and today she even stalked me.
If this keeps up... I was starting to suspect her yandere target might shift from Seonwoo to me.
Of course, when Gahee straight-up asked if Yuyeong was my girlfriend, I'd denied it and stressed we were just friends, so no real feelings there yet. Still, you never know. With my mindset hardened, better to distance myself from Yuyeong too.
I checked my phone. Unbeknownst to me, a text had come in.
"Block first."
With the landmine defused on my phone, I finally felt a bit relieved.
"Situation sorted for now. Time to check the other heroines?"
After anticipating potential future variables and planning countermeasures, I could finally crash onto the bed with a clear mind.
"Let's do this right from now on."
This time, a proper awakening.
"Hey, Taeyang!"
The moment I entered the classroom, Yuyeong greeted me with a bright smile.
"I texted you yesterday—were you super tired?"
"Yuyeong."
"Yeah?"
My serious expression from the morning caught her off guard, making her look a bit flustered.
"After school, can we talk alone? Just for a bit?"
"Huh? Uh... yeah, sure."
It was the kind of talk best not in front of others. Who knew how she'd react. If Yuyeong ended up crying, I'd be branded a total asshole at school.
"Of course... but isn't it a bit early?"
I overheard her muttering about misconceptions, but whatever. Today was the day to put a period on things with Yuyeong.
Until the end of school, I didn't say a word to her. She must've sensed something too, since she didn't approach me first. Occasionally, I'd feel her glancing over while chatting with friends, but that was it.
"Alright, that's it for homeroom today. Club kids, work hard, and don't forget your homework."
"Yes~!!"
Finally, after-school time arrived. I glanced over—Yuyeong sat there looking dazed.
So I approached first.
"Yuyeong."
"Huh! Oh, yeah, Taeyang."
"You gotta head to soccer club early or anything?"
"Nah, I told them I'd be a bit late today."
"Then can you come with me for a sec?"
Yuyeong nodded without a word. A slight blush colored her cheeks.
"If you're not feeling well or—"
"No, I'm fine. Phew~"
Leading Yuyeong—who exhaled like she'd braced herself—I headed to a quiet corner of the hallway. Time passed, kids headed to clubs or home, leaving the place deserted.
"Okay, spill it."
Yuyeong urged from behind as we stopped.
"I'm ready!"
Her face flushed, eyes squeezed shut as she shouted. Whatever her next expression, I wasn't eager to see it.
But.
"Yuyeong, thanks for everything up till now. And sorry."
"What?"
I had to say it.
"I'm really sorry, but I don't think we can hang out like friends anymore."
"...What do you mean?"
Yuyeong looked like she'd been struck by lightning. It was a shock in every way.
"It's my personal issue, really. Being around you just feels... uncomfortable."
Stunned, Yuyeong said nothing.
"I'm really sorry! You're a great, nice girl. It's better if you hang with other kids instead of being stuck with me."
I bowed deeply.
"I'm so sorry!"
"........."
An awkward silence stretched on. Outside, the sports teams' shouts echoed, while the classroom air felt frozen solid, deathly quiet and cold. By the time the spring breeze from outside cooled the cold sweat on my back, I got my answer.
"Why?"
Her voice was thin and trembling.
"We had fun yesterday too."
I looked up.
"You tailing me secretly? That creeped me out. Uncomfortable."
"That's why?"
"...You're getting too close in all sorts of ways. It's burdensome."
Silence fell again. Yuyeong furrowed her brow, looking conflicted. She clenched her cute little fists a few times, avoiding my eyes. That frozen moment thawed...
With Yuyeong's sigh.
"Haa~ This is a real shock."
She spoke in a forced calm tone.
"Here I thought you were gonna confess or something."
"What?"
Ah, yeah. From the morning setup alone, it was easy to misunderstand. Yuyeong was pretty enough to be in the beauty category; she'd probably gotten confessions like this before.
"I was waiting for when you'd ask me out..."
"What?"
"Anyway, you mean we should just be regular classmates from now on, right?"
"Yeah. Thanks for understanding."
I was grateful she got it.
"Whatever. I've got plenty of friends anyway?"
Yuyeong pouted. Honestly, I'd half-expected tears, but thankfully not that bad. I just gave a wry smile.
"But seriously, who straight-up says stuff like this?"
"Yeah, fair."
"Now I feel awkward."
"Sorry."
"Whatever. Gotta go now."
She'd only spared time from club activities. As soccer manager, I couldn't hold her long.
"Go ahead."
"Before that, Taeyang. Can I curse you out good one last time?"
"Knock yourself out."
I got why she'd want to. If a new friend suddenly declared we were done, I'd curse first too.
She took a deep breath—
And yelled.
"Get lost, you blonde tanned delinquent bastard!!!!!"
With that, Yuyeong bolted without looking back. As her echoing shout faded in the empty hall, I turned away with a bitter pang.
It was early April, and the cold snaps hadn't fully thawed yet.
The next morning at school, nothing had changed. Same classroom scenery, same kids as yesterday. Opening the door led to the familiar routine.
As I headed to my seat, my eyes met one girl's. Yuyeong glanced at me briefly, then looked away without a word.
No more starting the day with her cheerful greeting. Bitter, but what can you do. I didn't have time to dwell.
Midterms were coming—the 'Kim Hayan and Seong Juyeon Study Group Event.'
The second I sat, I opened my Love Chain notes and checked the schedule.
Right. Today, recruit Choi Gahee.