Indirect Kiss
As lunchtime wound down, Kim Doeun sauntered in through the back door of the classroom with a leisurely stride.
So-young and Jin-ah, who had been chatting at their desks, spotted her and hurried over.
"Doeun! Where'd you disappear to earlier?"
Doeun curled her lips into a smirk and casually brushed her hair back.
"Oh, nothing much. Just an upperclassman I know wanted to see me for a sec."
"Ooh~! For real? No way, did he confess?"
As Jin-ah made a huge fuss, Doeun neither confirmed nor denied it, just flashing a meaningful smile.
"Eh, something like that."
Even as she chatted, Doeun's gaze obsessively fixed on Yu Jiwon, slumped lifelessly over her desk in the corner of the room.
"Oh, right. Want me to introduce you to that senior's friends later?"
"Whoa! Seriously?! You can do that? What's he look like? Hot?"
Doeun swallowed a mocking laugh inside as So-young and Jin-ah bit the bait hard.
"Yeah, of course. They're my friends."
Doeun draped her arms affectionately around So-young and Jin-ah's shoulders, lowering her voice.
"So, here's the thing. Can you girls help me out with something?"
Ding-dong-dang-
The bell signaling the end of the long, tedious afternoon classes rang out, announcing it was time to go home.
I grabbed my bag and stood from my seat, pausing on my way to the back door.
My eyes drifted to Yu Jiwon's desk, where she'd been face-down the whole time.
'What the hell... hasn't she been like that since morning?'
I clicked my tongue softly at her utterly motionless back.
'She's not... dead, right?'
With a normal girlfriend, I'd go over and ask if she was okay.
But I had no such tenderness to spare.
She wasn't my real girlfriend anyway.
'Whatever, it's convenient that she doesn't talk to me and just stays quiet... Sigh. If only she'd get fed up with me just like this and ask to break up on her own~'
I stretched my arms with a light heart, then slipped out the back door without a second glance.
Once she confirmed I'd completely vanished down the hallway, Doeun exchanged glances with So-young and Jin-ah before approaching Jiwon's desk.
Bang!
"...Ugh!"
Doeun roughly kicked the desk leg, making Jiwon—who'd been suffering all day—jerk with a groan and lift her head.
"Hey. School's over. How long you gonna lie there?"
Doeun jutted her chin provocatively.
Jiwon, pale-faced and desperate to avoid them, scrambled to her feet.
"Oh... yeah. Thanks."
As Jiwon adjusted her bag and hurried to chase after me, Doeun grabbed her strap roughly, yanking her to a stop.
Snap-
"We weren't done talking. Don't you listen to your friends?"
"For real. We were nice enough to wake you, and look at this ungrateful attitude."
So-young and Jin-ah crossed their arms beside her, cornering Jiwon.
Jiwon bit her paling lip and glared at Doeun.
"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving. I'm busy."
As Jiwon turned to follow my trail again, Doeun fully blocked her path.
"I said we're not done."
"What... do you want?"
Jiwon snapped irritably, and Doeun cut her off with a venomous grin.
"You know, you've been pretending to be sick and lying there like a corpse since morning. Anyone'd think we were bullying you to hell and back."
"Right? Like~"
Jin-ah chimed in annoyingly from the side.
"Over us accidentally spilling some thumbtacks. Acting like you're some huge victim. You're the worst."
As the mocking barbs rained down, Doeun lightly—insultingly—tapped Jiwon's cheek with her fingers.
"Because of you, we look like the bad girls tormenting poor innocent you. Right?"
Doeun's cold fingertips grazed Jiwon's cheek.
"Loosen up that sour face at school from now on. Got it?"
Doeun scanned Jiwon up and down with contempt, then shooed her away like trash.
"We're done. Get lost."
"......"
So-young and Jin-ah burst into laughter at Doeun's blatant dismissal.
"Pfft, hahaha! Doeun, that's too much, even for you!"
"What's wrong with it? Hey, we're hungry—wanna grab some mala tang?"
"Ooh! I'm in, totally in!"
The three giggled among themselves as they headed out the front door.
Left alone in the empty classroom, Jiwon clenched her bandaged fist, gripping the tattered remnants of her heart.
After school.
As I pushed through the throng of students toward the bustling students toward the main gate, a familiar voice called from behind.
"Woojin."
It was Baek Haeun.
I didn't stop walking, just glanced back at her over my shoulder and kept going.
But Haeun had no intention of letting me off easy.
"Hey, Lee Woojin."
I finally halted abruptly.
Turning slowly to face her, I replied in a flat tone.
"What."
Haeun fell silent for a moment, just staring at me.
After that inexplicable pause, she shrugged lightly and spoke.
"...Nothing. Anyway, we need to buy supplies for next week's festival. Wanna come with?"
...Wanna come with? Honestly, hell yeah.
I wanted to escape boring Yu Jiwon for once and bask in Haeun's pampering like old times—healing.
But no.
If I caved now, it'd derail all the careful plans I'd built up.
Absolutely not.
Sorry, Haeun... next time... sigh.
I swallowed bitter tears inside while plastering on an endlessly annoyed expression.
"Too much hassle. Pass."
I shot her down flat.
But instead of looking hurt, Haeun smirked like she'd been waiting for it.
"Okay? Your mom always asks when she's coming to visit. Guess I'll tell her Woojin says don't bother~"
"...Hey, Baek Haeun."
"What?"
Haeun blinked innocently back at me.
"You're a genius..."
Mom as a shield—perfect checkmate. No way to refuse.
I sighed deeply, feigning defeat.
"Sigh... fine. It'll be quick, right?"
I grumbled like I was being dragged along and took the lead.
'Yes!'
Of course, inside I was cheering triumphantly.
So there we were, me pretending to be reluctant while secretly thrilled, walking side-by-side with Haeun down the stationery street.
Suddenly, a sweet, thick buttery scent tickled my nose from somewhere.
"Huh?"
Haeun's gaze lingered on a street vendor selling the viral SNS sensation, Dubai chocolate bungeoppang—aka "Dubai choco fish pastries."
"Woojin. Buy me one."
Haeun tugged lightly at my sleeve, wheedling.
I furrowed my brow and threw up a wall.
"What...? No. I'm not eating street food."
At my firm refusal, Haeun didn't back down—she hooked her arm deeply through mine.
The soft sensation wrapping my arm made my shoulder twitch involuntarily.
"Even like this...?"
Haeun tilted her head slightly, looking up at me with a coy smile.
'Sigh... you're killing me.'
I swallowed dryly inside and averted my eyes.
Maybe because Yu Jiwon's been clinging so much lately, it's messing with my head—I can't brush her off like before...
"Ahem..."
I cleared my throat awkwardly, staring off into the distance for an excuse.
"You know I'm broke lately. Allowance is barely cutting it this month."
"......"
The moment my excuse landed, the smile vanished from Haeun's face—like it had never been there—as she clung to my arm.
"Why?"
Her wheedling tone from seconds ago was gone, replaced by ice-cold chill.
"Because you're meeting... someone every weekend?"
My heart dropped.
"...What?! Where'd you hear that?"
I couldn't hide my panic, grilling her.
Haeun stared at me with empty eyes, twisting her lips into a slight smirk.
"Oh... just a shot in the dark."
"......!"
"It's true? You meet someone every weekend?"
Shit, I slipped.
Her clever probe had me digging my own grave.
"I-it was just a guess... right...?"
I rolled my eyes awkwardly, scrambling to change the subject.
"Ah, whatever! Ma'am, two Dubai choco bungeoppangs here!"
No choice now—drown the awkwardness in pastry and cut the convo short.
But Haeun firmly corrected the vendor.
"No. Just one."
"Hey? I want one too."
I protested in disbelief, but Haeun ignored me, pulling cash from her wallet and paying.
"Thank you~"
Haeun took the steaming bungeoppang from the vendor.
Without hesitation, she took a big bite from the head.
Then she thrust the bitten body's torso right up to my mouth.
"Here, ahh~."
The bungeoppang hovered tantalizingly close to my lips, laced with her intense scent.
'Baek Haeun... you're insane.'
My mind blanked white for a second, ears burning hot with fluster.
Honestly... I desperately wanted to chomp down on that bungeoppang at my lips.
'Sigh... it'd be nice, for real.'
But I scraped together what reason I had left.
Fake or not, the whole school knew I was dating Yu Jiwon.
If I fell for her pace here, I might lose control of my perfect training plan entirely.
'Gotta refuse.'
I put on a grave face and lectured her.
"Haeun. You know this is an indirect kiss, right...?"
I stepped back like an iron wall of a guy.
"Even so... we're not dating, so this feels wrong. I have a girlfriend."
I drew a clear line.
Any normal girl would blush, mumble "O-oh, right..." or tear up and turn away.
But.
"......"
Haeun slowly lowered the hand holding the bungeoppang, gazing up at me with pitch-black, empty eyes devoid of light, and whispered very softly.
"...So what?"
"......Huh?"
Our breaths mingled suffocatingly close.
Haeun gripped my gaze like my collar, murmuring.
"What does your girlfriend have to do with me?"