A Firm Resolve
On the day of our group class, I headed toward the operations management lecture hall while clutching my head in frustration. What if Yuna saw that cup? What would I even say? Should I just brush it off and tell her I’m a fan? The mere thought of her becoming conscious of me because of it already felt horrifying. Anyone would feel awkward if they found out someone they knew was their fan. There was a decent chance I’d shoved it haphazardly into the cabinet and it was sticking out. I’d rushed out after that sudden phone call, after all. I had considered asking her about it, but nothing was confirmed yet. If I moved too hastily, it would look like I was turning myself in.
When I entered the lecture hall, I immediately spotted Yuna sitting at a desk, staring blankly out the window. Why does she look so worn out? Had she been forcing her energy up during her recent streams? The Yuna I saw online and the one in front of me now felt slightly different. Either way, today was the mid-term report feedback session, so we had to sit with our groups. I hung my bag on the desk beside hers.
“Yuna. Hey.”
By now, the greeting came out a little more naturally. Yuna turned, saw it was me, and made a strange expression.
“...Oh. Oppa.”
“Is something going on lately? You look a bit tired.”
“No. Nothing’s wrong.”
I’d asked because I was genuinely worried. Maybe her streaming schedule had been too tight. “I’ll be right back from the restroom.”
The moment I sat down next to her, Yuna stood up as if uncomfortable. Watching her practically flee toward the bathroom, I sensed something was off. Is she avoiding me right now? Her expression, tone, and behavior all felt different from usual. No, maybe it was just my imagination. Even Yuna could have an off day.
By the time class started, Yuna had returned to her seat.
“Today I’ll be giving feedback on your mid-term reports. Please gather with your groups.”
The professor’s voice flowed from the microphone. Despite one member being absent, our group project was progressing surprisingly smoothly. Minseok looked at Yuna with open admiration.
“Wow, you really worked hard, Yuna.”
“Not at all. It was my part anyway.”
The roles had already been divided. Minseok would handle the presentation in place of me and Yuna, who both struggled with public speaking. Yuna took charge of research, and I handled the PPT. The mid-term report had essentially been carried by the research section alone. Since we hadn’t received feedback yet, moving into full production was difficult anyway. On the plus side, once you got past the early stages of research, the workload dropped significantly later.
“Still, thanks to Yuna organizing the data so cleanly, writing the report was incredibly easy.”
Having written the report based on that data, both Minseok and I knew it. Yuna had poured serious effort into the research. The materials were neatly arranged for the reader, complete with summaries and sources. The volume was far from small, either. Whether it was streaming or anything else, Yuna simply wasn’t the type to cut corners.
“...Ah, yes. Thank you.”
For some reason, Yuna’s response sounded a little reluctant. She’s been acting strange since earlier. She was deliberately avoiding both conversation and eye contact with me. Why? Had I done something wrong? Or had she really seen the cup at my place?
Before I could spiral further into worry, the feedback began. It didn’t take as long as expected, and soon the professor was approaching our group.
“Alright, Group 7. This is Group 7, correct?”
“Yes.” Minseok answered on our behalf. It was a relief to have at least one person with good social skills.
“Shall we take a look at the mid-term report?”
We submitted the formatted report to the professor. Without a word, he began reading it with meticulous care. Please just let it pass. I’m begging you. I was bothered by the hassle, but if revisions came up, it would clearly become a burden for Yuna. That was the nature of the research role, so it couldn’t be helped, but I knew how busy she was lately with competitions and streaming.
Yuna’s gaze toward the professor looked almost desperate. “Ah, you did well overall, but there are a few disappointing parts.”
The professor pointed out specific sections. “This direction is a bit too broad. Narrow the scope to focus on the logistics company’s processes or...”
He continued offering feedback. Honestly, I wondered if it really needed to be this detailed. This must be what they meant by the difference between a student’s and a professor’s perspective. Still, we diligently took notes on everything he said.
“I’d like you to revise it in this direction. There’s a makeup class this Friday, right? Have the report ready by then, and we’ll go over feedback again.”
“Ah, yes.”
The deadline was this week, of all times. The makeup session for the lecture we’d missed last time happened to fall on this very week. Everyone’s faces began to darken. Writing the report was annoying enough, but the biggest issue was the additional research. With the revisions, we’d have to discard some of the existing data and gather more.
“It’s not a small amount, and he wants it by this week? The professor is being too harsh.”
“Seriously. There are way more revisions than I expected...”
I half-heartedly responded to Minseok’s whining. Still, those of us writing the report had it easier. When I glanced at Yuna’s expression, she looked completely frozen. She probably hadn’t anticipated this. Her mind must be a mess of tangled streaming schedules and assignments right now.
Yuna turned on her phone, checked something, then let out a sigh. “My schedule this week is really packed... Would it be possible for me to upload the materials by Thursday instead?”
Writing the report wouldn’t take that long, but doing it in a single day was still a burden. Knowing that, she was asking for our understanding. I let out a small breath. No way around it, huh? Instead of agreeing, I offered a different solution.
“The PPT doesn’t have much to it anyway. I’ll handle the additional research.”
“...What?”
Yuna’s eyes widened as she stared at me. Even Minseok looked surprised. Well, group projects were usually a game of hot potato, so volunteering for extra work was unusual.
“Research takes up a lot of volume, and the presentation requires practice and a tight script. Honestly, the PPT is the most relaxed part.”
I wasn’t some freak who enjoyed assignments. But knowing Yuna’s situation, I couldn’t just sit back. Besides, what I said wasn’t wrong. Out of all of us, I had the lightest workload.
“...Still, it’s my responsibility...”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it too much.”
I cut my words short, making it clear I wouldn’t accept further objections. I waved my hands at Yuna with an awkward smile, trying to smooth things over. Hey. Why are you looking at me like that? It’s making me uncomfortable.
Yuna kept staring at me with those meaningful eyes. In the end, I forced myself to ignore her gaze. I hadn’t expected it to continue until the end of the lecture.
Again. Oppa kept showing up whenever I was in trouble and helped me without making a big deal out of it. As if he wasn’t expecting anything in return.
When the mid-term report revisions poured in like a tidal wave, cold sweat ran down my back. I already had streaming, classes, assignments for other subjects, and now additional research on top of it. Would I have to give up on sleep entirely this week? That would seriously affect my next stream. All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind, and the moment I said I’d bring the research by Thursday—
“The PPT doesn’t have much to it anyway. I’ll handle the additional research.”
Oppa said it so casually. Even when I insisted I would do it, he waved his hands and stubbornly claimed the task for himself. Honestly, I was grateful. Just having that one burden lifted made everything much easier.
But at the same time, I couldn’t shake a certain thought. Oppa knows my streaming schedule. Otherwise, no matter how kind he was, there would be no reason for him to step forward like that. The volume was a bit much, but it was the part I had originally taken on. He must have suggested it because he knew how hard it would be for me.
Why are you so kind to me?
I spent the entire lecture staring at him, lost in thought. Should I tell Oppa that I know his identity? But I couldn’t keep avoiding him forever. And part of me was drawn to these gentle gestures of his.
It was time to draw a clear line. If Oppa was doing all this out of fan affection, simply because I was Uni, then I didn’t want any more of this kindness. We still had to see each other until the group project ended, after all. We couldn’t continue like this.
We needed to return to being just a fan and a streamer. That’s right. Let’s settle this today, no matter what. You can do it, Yuna.
As soon as class ended, I quickly packed my bag and left the lecture hall. I planned to talk to him before he disappeared. I waited by the door for Oppa to come out.
When he finally emerged, still looking at his phone, I tapped his shoulder.
“Oppa. Can we talk for a moment?”
He finally put his phone in his pocket and looked at me.
“Hm? Is this about what happened earlier? I told you I’m really fine.”
That was part of it, but not everything. I spoke in a firm voice.
“No. It’s something more important than that.”
“...Something more important?”
Oppa could only tilt his head in confusion at my words.