Yu Jiwon (1)
Haeun's eyes flashed with madness, as if she wanted to devour me whole.
Her grip on my wrist was crushing, like she meant to snap it in two. A chill shot up my spine for a moment, but I swallowed my rising panic and twisted my lips into a calm smirk.
"So, what're you gonna do about it?"
"It's a lie, isn't it."
"A lie?"
I gently but firmly pried her hand off mine and let out a low chuckle.
"Haeun. Why would we lie in front of the whole class? You think we're crazy enough to pull something like that...?"
My sharp retort made her shoulders stiffen.
Those pitch-black eyes, glittering with insanity, trembled faintly before drifting off into empty space.
"Yeah... you're right."
She mumbled it after her lips twitched silently for a long while, her voice on the verge of breaking.
"Sorry... I've been on edge lately. I must've said something weird."
"......"
On edge? Admitting it herself—how jealousy blinded her and made her sensitive.
It was going perfectly, just like my plan.
When Yu Jiwon first blackmailed me into this fake relationship, I thought it might screw things up worse. But in the end, it was a huge stroke of luck.
The perfect trigger to yank Haeun's leash.
"It's fine. That can happen. I get it."
I patted her shoulder lightly.
"You've been through a lot lately with all those rumors. No wonder you're sensitive. I know."
"......"
She fell into deep silence at my hollow comfort.
Then, with a bitterly twisted, eerie expression, she slowly nodded.
"Yeah... really."
I turned away, leaving her cryptic mutter behind.
"I'll head in first."
I grabbed the door handle to the karaoke room, where the blaring music swelled again.
But right before stepping inside, she stared right through me.
"Wow! That was so much fun today, right?"
On the way home after leaving the karaoke bar, the kids' lively chatter filled the night street.
"Haeun, how was it for you? Fun hanging out with everyone, huh?"
Kang Minjae, that clueless idiot, wagged his tail and stuck right to Haeun's side again.
Don't touch my Haeun, you oblivious bastard.
I glared at the scene, seething inwardly.
Then, Jiwon—who'd been walking with her arm linked in mine—tugged at my sleeve.
"Hey, Lee Woojin! They say Nyan Baskin Robbins has a new Ddeok-Kku ice cream flavor out. Wanna go grab some with me?"
Here we go again.
I scowled and snapped back curtly.
"Nah... I'm good. Tired."
"Hey..."
She lowered her voice a tone and whispered in my ear.
"You didn't... forget our deal, did you?"
My secret.
That damn blackmail, threatening to expose what I'd done.
I ruffled my hair in irritation.
I had to keep flies off my pet dog, but Jiwon was nagging without a clue, pissing me off.
"Ugh... fine. I'll go. Let's go."
At my resigned answer, she beamed like the blackmail never happened and waved to the group.
"Guys! We're heading out now. See you tomorrow~!"
"What? Where are you two sneaking off to already? No way...?"
The kids teased mischievously, and Jiwon flailed her arms dramatically.
"No, no! It's not like that! Anyway, see you tomorrow!"
As we turned to leave, I felt Baek Haeun's gaze piercing our backs sharply under the streetlight.
Once we started walking away, Minjae rode the vibe and turned to Haeun.
"Ahem! Haeun, wanna stop somewhere quick? Like for some tteokbokki...?"
"Oh... um, sorry. I'm kinda tired today, and it's late... Next time."
Minjae scratched the back of his head awkwardly at her stonewall rejection.
"Haha, yeah, it is pretty late! Guys, let's call it here and meet tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sounds good! See you all tomorrow~"
"Bye~ Later!"
I heard their cheerful goodbyes fade as Jiwon dragged me toward the ice cream shop.
Inside the Nyan Baskin Robbins, thick with sweet scents.
Jiwon glanced back at me while tapping the kiosk in front of the flashy ice cream case.
"What do you want? Pint means three flavors."
"Whatever you want."
Arms crossed, I stared out at the dark street through the glass, answering flatly.
"'Whatever' isn't an option, Lee Woojin. You're really... acting like this all night."
Thorns pricked her voice.
She yanked her hand from the kiosk irritably and glared at me.
"Do you even wanna make this work?!"
Her frustrated shout finally burst my pent-up exhaustion.
"Ugh... you know how it is. We're both just pretending to date for our own reasons. You're shaking me down with my weakness to get what you want."
I looked down at her coldly and stabbed at her weak spot.
"You don't actually like me for real, do you?"
"......"
Jiwon froze, her movements halting dead.
The girl who'd always teased me so boldly and confidently suddenly went dead silent, head bowed like she'd swallowed honey.
I clicked my tongue softly, regretting if I'd gone too far as I eyed her reddening ear tips.
...Sigh. Better play nice. If I piss her off too much, she might spill my secret to the whole school in a huff.
I sighed and tossed out a compromise.
"...Green tea for me."
At my indifferent words, her slumped head snapped up.
"Oh... gr-green tea? Uh, y-yeah!"
The gloom vanished from her face in an instant.
"Then yogurt for the last one—my favorite!"
She hummed happily again, tapping the kiosk with renewed energy.
Watching her back as she pressed the screen, I rested my chin on my hand, lost in deep thought.
Kang Minjae... Yu Jiwon... Baek Haeun...
A few weeks flew by after that.
Jiwon and I became the school's envy-worthy, super lovey-dovey official couple.
She'd cling to the seat next to me during breaks, chattering away.
A few days ago on Pepero Day, she gave me a massive handmade Pepero basket as tall as me, earning jealous jeers from the class.
"Woojin, try this! I made it myself."
Seeing her pour her heart into me with that bright smile honestly pricked my chest a little, stirring faint guilt.
But that was it.
We were bound strictly for our own goals.
She might see me as her number one, but to me, she was just the perfect catalyst to provoke Haeun—and my backup plan.
Yeah, nothing more than a pawn for my endgame.
I rationalized it coldly, steeling myself again.
"Woojin. Math pop quiz next period, right? Want some chocolate?"
She pulled a prettily wrapped fresh chocolate from her uniform pocket.
"They say sugar spins your brain faster or something?"
"...Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though."
I brushed it off dryly, and she pouted a bit before smiling with crinkled eyes.
"Okay! Good luck on the quiz later?"
I watched her saunter back to her seat after her friendly wave, then quietly shifted my gaze to the empty desk at the front.
Baek Haeun's seat.
It'd been empty more often lately.
Ever since becoming student council president, she'd skip class openly for executive meetings and event prep.
Even now, she was probably holed up in the student council room somewhere.
"Sigh..."
Staring at the empty desk, I propped my chin and let out a deep breath.
I thought everything was under perfect control, my plan on track.
But one big miscalculation.
Baek Haeun started losing interest in me way faster than I expected.
That mad, jealous glint in her eyes when Jiwon and I first started dating.
I figured she'd snap from jealousy, clinging to me desperately.
But instead, as student council duties piled up, she stopped hovering around me noticeably.
Maybe seeing me glued to Jiwon hurt her, so she's letting go bit by bit.
Yeah, she's fragile, starved for affection.
If the loss outweighed the jealousy, she might've gotten scared and run.
...Not bad. Keeping distance like this, then shaking her up occasionally, will make her burn even hotter.
I smiled, pleased with my own handling skills.
Clueless to whatever she was plotting out of sight.
Ding-dong-dang—
The bell rang, and the announced boring pop quiz began.
"Phew, done. Woojin, how'd you do?"
As soon as the papers were collected, Jiwon scurried over to my desk.
"Eh... okay, I guess. You?"
"Mm... same? Hehe."
She grinned wide and tapped my shoulder.
"Oh, right! Gotta hit the bathroom."
"Yeah... go ahead."
I nodded, and she slipped out the back door with light steps.
The girls' bathroom buzzed with chatter.
As Jiwon passed the sinks and locked herself in the farthest stall, sitting on the toilet cover.
The clink of her makeup pouch, then familiar girls' voices from outside.
"God, what's Yu Jiwon's deal? Clinging to Lee Woojin all morning?"
"Right? She was so quiet before, like she barely existed. Now she's all over him just 'cause they're dating? So cringey."
The blatant gossip from girls fixing makeup at the mirror.
Jiwon froze in the stall.
"Fr, why's she suddenly acting up at school? Thinks she's hot shit now."
That's when it happened.
Someone washing their hands cut in with a cold, snippy voice.
Kim Doeun—the one who'd been trailing Woojin with math workbooks lately, only to get shot down hard.
"Yeah. With Choi Jia laid low after her screw-up, all these nobodies are crawling out thinking they matter."
"Lee Woojin's hilarious too. Dumps Baek Haeun just to pick Yu Jiwon? What a joke."
"Facts. No Choi Jia means she thinks she's queen."
Peals of mocking laughter.
With the sink water running, their footsteps faded out of the bathroom.
Jiwon clutched the door handle tight, not even breathing.
"......"
Empty bathroom.
Alone in the stall, Jiwon bit her trembling lip.
Why...
The truth was.
Unlike Woojin, she wasn't dating for some ulterior motive.
She just wanted to be close to the boy she'd watched for so long.
Even if it meant holding his secret hostage.
With the tyrant Choi Jia gone, the school wasn't peaceful—it had forged a new food chain, hunting the easiest prey.
"Why... do this to me..."