Answer My Question
"Well, that was delicious...!"
The suffocating dinner finally came to an end.
Haeun beamed at my parents and bowed politely, thanking them again and again.
I grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out into the hallway before she could say another word.
The moment the door closed behind us, I let all the irritation I'd been holding back explode.
"Hey, Baek Haeun. Are you out of your mind?"
"Huh…? What do you mean, Woojin…?"
Haeun looked up at me with wide, confused eyes.
I grabbed her shoulders and shoved her back.
"Why the hell did you come to my house without asking and act like that? Are you my girlfriend or something? I told you not to cross the line!"
Her shoulders flinched and stiffened under my sharp words.
She dropped her gaze to the floor and bit down hard on her lip.
She looked like she was about to burst into tears at any second.
But when she finally spoke, her voice came out with an unexpected edge.
"Then… when I collapsed at school…"
"……"
"Why did you help me that time? Why did you take me to your house and treat me so kindly…?"
I froze, my mouth opening and closing without a sound.
"That was…!"
I looked away and snapped at her.
"Helping someone who's sick is just common decency. I only helped because you looked pathetic lying there. Don't get the wrong idea."
Haeun stared at me blankly for a moment.
Then she slowly nodded.
"…You're right. I overstepped, Woojin."
Her voice was hollow.
"I'm sorry. …I'll go home now."
Her small shoulders slumped.
I watched her retreating back as she hurried away, then roughly ran a hand through my hair.
Why the hell is she acting like the victim here?
A strange, uncomfortable feeling twisted in my chest, but I shook it off.
No. It's fine. Don't overthink it, Lee Woojin. If Baek Haeun actually has feelings for me, then keeping her anxious and uncertain is exactly what I want. Yeah. This is right.
Click—
I rationalized it to myself and stepped back inside, locking the door behind me.
"........"
Behind the firmly closed door of the neighboring apartment, Haeun leaned her back against it.
She pressed her eye to the peephole and stared out into the hallway without blinking.
She didn't look away until Woojin's figure had completely disappeared and the door had shut.
Her eyes were empty.
***
The next morning, the moment I opened the classroom door, chaos swallowed me whole.
"Woojin~ You're here!"
Before I could even set my bag down, Jiwon latched onto my arm.
"Dude, are you serious?!"
Minjae came barreling toward my desk, eyes bulging.
"I heard the rumors this morning and thought it was bullshit. Hey, Lee Woojin! Are you two actually dating? I never even saw you two talk before. Since when were you that close?!"
The entire class swarmed around us at Minjae's outburst.
"Whoa~ Woojin, you dark horse!"
"Jiwon, did you actually like him?!"
The classroom erupted.
Kids were pushing between desks to get closer when one of them bumped into Choi Jia's desk.
She was slumped over in the back, looking completely drained.
Her body swayed from the impact.
"Ah… shit…"
A short groan slipped out.
Everyone froze.
They all knew what had happened to Haeun just days ago.
Nervous glances flicked toward Jia.
But Jia didn't react at all.
She didn't curse, didn't glare, didn't even lift her head.
She just kept staring at her desk, biting her lip.
"......"
"C'mon, let's just go."
When Jia stayed silent, the others quickly lost interest and turned back to us, chattering again.
"So how did you two start dating?!"
"Pepero Day's coming up soon, right?"
"Kiss! Kiss~!"
The guys started banging on desks and cheering.
My face burned.
I forced a laugh and waved them off.
"Guys, come on… not here, haha…"
While the noise swirled around me, I glanced toward the front of the classroom.
"……"
Baek Haeun stood quietly at her desk, watching the scene from a distance.
I kept smiling awkwardly with Jiwon's arm looped through mine, but inside I was grinning at Haeun in triumph.
How does it feel, Baek Haeun?
I could feel her gaze on me.
Don't you want to run over here and rip Jiwon's hair out? Aren't you dying to know when we started dating? Don't you want to grab me and demand to know why I helped you only to end up with someone else?
I searched her face, waiting for the explosion of jealousy.
But after staring at us in silence for a long moment, Haeun simply looked away.
She sat down quietly and pulled a book from her bag.
Her back was eerily calm.
No anger. No tears.
……
My mouth twisted in disappointment.
She'll think about it. She'll get confused.
I tried to reassure myself.
It must hurt… Sorry. But this is the right way, Haeun. Just stay anxious for a little longer. Once I get rid of Jiwon…
I pushed the thoughts away and dropped into my seat, escaping the rowdy crowd.
"Actually, we've been seeing each other for a while~"
Jiwon sat beside me, cheeks flushed, happily spinning more lies.
"What's she so happy about… Seriously. Haa."
I rested my chin on my hand and sighed heavily, glancing between Jiwon and Haeun sitting far ahead.
The classroom was loud, but something cold and heavy was slowly tightening around my throat.
***
After school.
The second the bell rang, I grabbed my bag and tried to slip out the back door.
A heavy arm suddenly dropped onto my shoulder.
"Hey, Lee Woojin. Where do you think you're going?"
Kang Minjae, the king of obliviousness.
"Haeun got elected student council president, remember? Everyone's throwing a party. We're all going to karaoke. Don't tell me you're gonna bail again with some excuse about being sick."
He blocked my escape route with a grin.
I swallowed a curse and forced a friendly smile.
"Hahaha! Of course not. I was just… heading to the bathroom real quick."
"Okay! Hurry up then. We'll wait at the front gate!"
I ditched Minjae and hid in the bathroom.
Standing alone at the sink, I turned the faucet on full blast.
Cold water poured out as I let out a long sigh.
"Haa… This is such a pain."
Everyone acting like becoming student council president was some huge achievement.
Using it as an excuse to drag Haeun into their social circle when she should be left alone to stew.
"Huu… Calm down. Just calm down, Lee Woojin."
I stared at my own cold reflection in the mirror.
My plan hadn't fallen apart yet.
Jiwon was a ticking bomb, but if I used her right, I could still drag Haeun back down to rock bottom.
"Yeah, Lee Woojin. You've come this far. You're not gonna ruin it now, are you? It's almost over. Just be patient."
I slapped both cheeks hard.
"Right. Almost there… almost."
After hypnotizing myself in the mirror, I plastered on a fake smile and headed back out.
***
Inside the karaoke room, colorful lights spun wildly and music blasted at full volume.
I sat in the corner of the sofa.
Jiwon was glued to my side like she was part of my body.
"Woojin, aaah…"
She made a cutesy sound and held a snack up to my mouth.
I wanted to slap her hand away, but Minjae and the others were watching us with obvious interest from across the room.
If I pushed her off now, the whole fake relationship would be exposed.
"…Yeah. Thanks."
I forced my lips into a smile and accepted the snack.
Jiwon gently stroked my cheek and smiled.
"Good?"
"Y-yeah."
Her touch on my face wasn't unpleasant.
She wasn't ugly, after all. Objectively, she was pretty attractive.
She smelled nice. Her hand was soft.
…If we were actually dating…
The thought crept in before I could stop it.
But something about it still felt hollow.
Unable to stand the discomfort any longer, I half-rose from my seat.
"I'll… go get some water."
"Huh…? Okay. Come back quick~"
Jiwon reluctantly let go of my arm.
I slipped out of the noisy room and into the quiet hallway.
At the water dispenser at the end of the corridor, I filled a paper cup and downed it in one gulp.
Just as I was rubbing the back of my stiff neck—
"…You two aren't actually dating, are you?"
A low, cold voice cut through the silence.
I whipped around.
Baek Haeun was standing right behind me.
She hadn't followed me out with her usual desperate, pleading expression.
The air around her felt strangely heavy.
I flinched, then quickly hardened my face and answered coldly.
"…What? Stop saying nonsense and move."
I crumpled the cup and tossed it into the trash, then tried to brush past her.
Thud—!
Her pale, slender hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
"……!"
"You're not… right?"
Her head was bowed low.
Her voice came out strained and quiet.
Her hand on my wrist was ice cold.
I could feel her thin shoulders trembling slightly.
…No need to cry about it.
I smiled inwardly.
Yeah. Watching me flirt with another girl must've driven her crazy with jealousy.
Any second now she'd start crying and begging me not to leave her.
Haa… Maybe I pushed too hard. I should pretend to comfort her a little. Just a little.
With that arrogant thought, I turned my head and looked down at her, expecting to see a tear-streaked, pitiful face.
But the moment my eyes met hers, my heart dropped straight through the floor.
"You're not. Right?"
There were no tears.
Not a single one.
Haeun slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were pitch black and completely empty.
Only the corner of her mouth twisted upward in a grotesque smile.
"Answer my question, Woojin."
"......"
"You're not. Right?"