If You're Stressed, I'll Help You Unwind

The long, drawn-out midterm exams had finally come to an end.

Even though finals were still ahead, finishing one set of tests was an accomplishment in itself.

Thanks to that, I was finally meeting up with my writer group friends ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after a long time to enjoy some freedom.

Hanging out with Chae-yeon was more fun, but if I spent too much time with just her, these guys would get sulky. Not that hanging out with them wasn't enjoyable.

"A's coming in. I hear a lot of footsteps?"

"I'm on my way."

"Try not to make any noise."

It had been ages since I'd been to a PC bang. Gaming at home was convenient, but playing face-to-face like this was so much better.

"Oh, I used my ult."

"Headshot. Got him."

"Ha-jin, nice!! As expected, our reliable Ha-jin never disappoints."

Maybe because the game came right after exams, we kept playing without even noticing our eyes were burning.

We must have played like that for about three hours.

We took a break to eat at the PC bang and have some casual chat time.

"Today's win rate wasn't bad at all."

"Are we playing more after we eat?"

"Let's do a couple more rounds and then head somewhere else."

Since I tend to run to the bathroom a lot after eating, I just sipped on a drink.

People always ask if I'm not hungry in these situations, but I'm really not.

This kind of thing happened often, and an empty stomach had always felt far more comfortable for me anyway.

"So, how are things going with her?"

"Oh, should I tell you something?"

"What?! What is it!! What's the news!!"

"I like her. Romantically."

The moment those words left my mouth, Kim Su-ho's hand flew out and grabbed my collar.

With just one sentence, I had become a traitor.

"Juk!! Chang!! Juk!! Chang!!"

"Alright, today I'm going to cook my favorite rabbit stew."

"So are you going to confess?"

"Well. I'm not sure about confessing."

I like Chae-yeon, but I have no way of knowing whether she likes me back.

Confessing in this situation would be a huge gamble.

If I confessed for no reason and it made things awkward between us, that would be the worst.

I didn't want our relationship to grow distant just because I wanted to fulfill my feelings for her.

If not confessing meant we could continue as we were, I would choose that option.

"You don't get it. Just confess already!!"

"If she rejects you, you won't even get your investment back. It's too much of a gamble."

"Why are you such a coward? When it's time to do it, you should."

"If she rejects me and we grow apart, are you going to take responsibility?"

"No? Why would I? I'm not the one confessing."

That bastard. Exactly as expected.

After my first relationship ended in middle school, I had a habit of confessing the moment a girl was even a little nice to me and we grew close.

Because of that habit, my nickname used to be "the guy who punishes with confessions."

Just one sentence had been enough to destroy a close relationship beyond repair.

I didn't want to go through that again. I was sick of repeating the same shallow mistakes.

"If you keep hesitating, the train will leave the station. It'll hurt even more if you miss it."

"That's true... but since this isn't just about me, I guess that's why I'm hesitating."

"Argh!! Jung-woo, you're so frustrating I could die!!"

"It just means you cherish her that much. I think that's a good thing."

As expected, the only trustworthy one among these four was Ha-jin.

How had he stayed completely untainted while surrounded by these four rotten guys?

"If you need it, just say the word. I'll bake some bread and bring it over."

Yeah, I was an idiot for believing him. What do you mean different? It's all the same.

In moments like these, what I wanted most was the ability to see the future.

I wanted to know what would happen if I confessed to Chae-yeon.

"Let's just play some games. That should clear my head."

"Now that I think about it, she hasn't called today. She always calls."

"She's finished with exams too, and she doesn't only have me as a friend. She's probably hanging out with other friends."

"You might lose her at this rate, you know?"

"Lose her how?"

"She's in medical school. Objectively speaking, she's pretty. Seems to have a good personality too. There are probably other guys waiting for their chance besides you."

"I'm the only male friend around Chae-yeon. That won't happen."

"Does it have to be a friend to confess? If someone likes her, they'll test the waters."

The moment I heard Su-ho's words, my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mind grew even more tangled.

Like Su-ho said, Chae-yeon possessed many charms.

The university she attended wasn't a women's college, so there were naturally guys who knew her face.

Maybe I needed to be a little more urgent about this?

Her soft voice had turned cold in an instant. It felt like the chill of a blade pressed against my throat.

To melt this icy atmosphere, the first step was explaining the situation.

"Eating makes me go to the bathroom a lot, and that gets inconvenient while gaming. I'll eat when I get home."

Did she have CCTV on me or something? How could she know that?

It had already been five months since Chae-yeon and I reunited.

She had figured out everything about me.

"Okay. I'll take a picture of my food and send it before I eat at home."

"Hey, hey. I hear some disgusting couple talk over there!!"

"Go outside to talk. Outside!! You're ruining my appetite."

To keep the background noise from reaching her, I stepped out of the PC bang and continued the call.

Chae-yeon was currently a second-year. I was a first-year.

First-years mostly took general education courses, while second-years were buried in major courses.

Even as a first-year I knew how different the study load was between the two, so this much was something I could easily do.

Besides, it wasn't for just anyone. It was for Chae-yeon.

After saying that, Chae-yeon sent a photo through the chat.

From the way the focus was on the clothes, it looked like she had gone shopping.

A three-quarter sleeve t-shirt and black skinny jeans. And on top of that, Chae-yeon's bright, smiling face.

It was a perfect picture.

The black leather bracelet on her left wrist especially stood out. She really seemed to wear it every single day without fail.

Just looking at the photo of Chae-yeon made the corners of my mouth lift on their own.

She's so pretty. Is it even allowed to be this pretty?

Back when I bought her that bracelet, I hadn't thought about wanting her to wear it every day.

At the time we were just friends, and I hadn't realized I liked her the way I do now.

But things were different now.

I hoped Chae-yeon would wear the bracelet I bought her every single day.

Knowing she actually did wear it every day made it impossible to stop smiling.

Another photo arrived.

This time it was Chae-yeon holding two tanghulu, one in each hand, smiling brightly.

How much did she like tanghulu to take a picture holding two of them?

The background that made Chae-yeon stand out even more was so beautiful it was hard to look away.

Even so, my eyes only stayed on the background for a moment before focusing on Chae-yeon in the photo again.

"Yeah, it's pretty."

"The guys are waiting for me. I'll call you later after we're done."

I hadn't planned to say the words I'd kept only in my heart.

Was it because of the casual comment Su-ho had thrown out?

I wanted Chae-yeon to know.

That I have feelings for her.