Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Oppa, Send Your Photo Too
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*
I knew it too. No, I probably knew it better than anyone.
...That Yerim liked me.
I had zero intention of pulling some old comic book protagonist routine like, "Gasp, Yerim likes me!? No way~!"
No matter how oblivious I might seem, I'm not that clueless.
From the start.
At some point, the way Yerim looked at me—embarrassing as it is to say it myself—wasn't just the gaze of a close friend toward an oppa.
Right?
Her eyes were always blooming with cherry blossoms before me, like eternal spring.
I'd initially thought those pink eyes meant she was shy, but now I had a pretty good idea what it meant to have them fixed on me.
Emotions are complex things, after all.
...Mine were no different.
Of course, even without her special eyes, I would've noticed.
No, I had to notice.
The way she looked at me, her expressions, her gestures, her voice—every little detail oozed affection she couldn't hide.
And probably, I was the same.
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But does it look frustrating from the outside? We just have our own pace.
Last time Han Sea nagged me about it, and now Seo Jinhyuk was making a fuss.
"Ah, Mom. I'll handle it. Stop worrying."
"Don't give me that 'Mom' crap. That's exactly why it's frustrating, you idiot. It's almost been a year already."
...What's one year anyway?
We're changing noticeably every month, so yeah, a year is a decent chunk of time.
But in the futures I sketch out in my head every night with Yerim, one year was just a tiny fragment.
"Hey, just hypothetically. What if Yerim and I started dating? What do you think?"
"What do I think? Beauty and the Beast."
This jerk.
He hit the nail on the head so casually, it stung.
"...Thanks a lot, asshole."
"Thanks for what? ...Wait, no way, you're not confessing? Dude, I was kidding! Why take it so seriously?"
Seo Jinhyuk looked flustered, like I'd croaked from a stone tossed in jest.
"I know. I've got eyes. Not the best thing to say in front of me, but honestly, I think I'm pretty damn decent."
"Not the best thing to say in front of me. Cute little punk."
"Shut up, mine's better built."
"Cheap shot. Let's settle it with exam scores then."
"......Anyway, what I'm saying is, yeah. I just want some certainty. The kind where I can stand next to Yerim without feeling ashamed of myself."
Seo Jinhyuk pondered my words for a moment before speaking up.
"...So, who gives you that certainty? Some certification board gonna stamp it? 'Yep, Han Woojin, you're qualified to stand by Seo Yerim.'"
Exactly. What do I even want?
His words were spot-on enough to make me want to smack him, but no one's handing out approvals like that.
Maybe I'm so satisfied with how things are now that I can't muster the nerve to move forward.
Some quote popped into my head—I forget where from. Human desire stems from lack... But right now, our affection for each other was so overflowing, there was no room for any sense of missing out.
"...Dunno. Gotta keep thinking about it."
Still, I didn't want to approach Yerim with some casual mindset like, "Eh, a year should do it." My feelings, and hers—they were too precious for cheap treatment like that.
"Ugh, whatever. It's your business, so I shouldn't butt in more. Good luck, just don't let my sister explode."
"Hey, she's your sister, but she's a woman to me. I'll handle it, punk."
"Don't say that to me—go tell Yerim, asshole."
"You take care too, brother-in-law."
"Wha—what...? Broth—what?"
"Didn't hear? Take care, brother-in-law."
"Argh, fuck—! Dude, never call me that again!"
Watching him scratch his ears like he'd heard something he shouldn't made me feel a lot better.
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[Seo Yerim]
- Oppa, sorry.... (crying cat emoticon)
- ;; What's to be sorry about? It's the first day, couldn't be helped. Enjoy your lunch!
- Okayyy, you too, Oppa.... Let's eat together tomorrow for sure....
- Oppa, what about my reply? (glaring cat emoticon)
- (sweating dog emoticon)
- ;; Sorry, someone called me away for a sec. Tomorrow for sure. Try telling me otherwise!
- What if you can't...?
- Guess I'd eat alone, all lonely and sad....
- Tch, you'd eat with Jinhyuk-oppa anyway....
Even as she said that, I could picture Yerim smiling through the screen.
I'd never even suggested eating lunch together today.
Yet she was apologizing like it was a given we'd eat together, and it filled me with both joy and regret.
I knew it couldn't be helped on the first day—gotta get familiar with classmates and all.
But I'd hoped we could at least spend lunch together, so hearing otherwise made the disappointment swell a bit.
Guess that means I won't see her till after school.
...Wait, isn't that the same as last year?
Maybe swing by during break?
But a second-year showing up at a first-year classroom draws eyes already—and if it's to see Yerim?
I could easily imagine all eyes locking on.
Sigh, just for today.
Hold it together today, Han Woojin.
Tomorrow we'll commute together anyway, everyone'll find out soon enough.
Resolved to tough it out just for today, I stood to head back to my seat when my phone buzzed.
[Seo Yerim]
-(photo)
It was just a single photo, no words.
But it was more than enough to flip my lingering disappointment upside down.
- ...Different from the hairstyle I saw this morning?
- Sea and some other friends did it for me....
No hairstyle would look bad on Yerim anyway.
But with the uniform and her hair tied up all gal-style, it was... something else.
— Kinda sexy...
Shut up, Han Woojin.
I'm not looking at Yerim with eyes like that.
— But it looks good, right?
— Admitted.
- You're too pretty. Can I save the photo?
I almost hit save without thinking, then asked just in case.
...What if Yerim checks my phone later and goes, "Oppa, why'd you save this? ...Pervert."
...No idea why I'd assume she'd check, but better safe than sorry, right?
Normally instant-reply Yerim went quiet for a beat.
-Yees
-Then, fairly, send me your photo too, Oppa....
...Ah, that's why.
Even typos from how flustered she was.
I could vividly picture her flushed face hammering out the message.
*Click*
...No one's watching, right?
Taking a selfie in class took more guts than expected.
I rarely took them alone, so I fumbled through some killer-angle poses I'd seen somewhere.
-(photo)
-This okay?
"Han Woojin, you finally lost it? Why the hell are you taking selfies alone in class?"
"Shut up, you might be doing the same soon enough."
"What kinda bullshit is that?"
...Thought no one noticed, but of course it was the one guy I least wanted catching me.
But as my phone buzzed again, who cares.
- Delicious.... (happy cat emoticon)
- ...Haven't eaten lunch yet.
- Feels like I don't need to now....
"Pfft..."
"What, outta nowhere?"
Where'd she pick up lines like that?
But saving gal-Yerim's photo filled me up too.
Yeah, no way it's just me feeling bummed.
Knowing Yerim missed seeing me too tickled my heart.
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Lunch passed in abundance of heart and phone, sans Yerim herself.
Barely fending off crashing drowsiness, class finally ended.
God, it's exhausting. So damn tedious.
Thinking I had at least five more years of this crap nearly brought tears.
Trapped in school prison, classroom cell, all for the crime of being a student...
As I muttered nonsense to myself, someone tapped my shoulder from behind.
"Hey, Han Woojin, right?"
Turning, I saw a new face from our class today.
Average height, sly-looking but not off-putting.
— Total future class rep vibe.
Name... what was it?
Sneaking a peek at his name tag: Yoon Do-hyun.
"Yeah, that's me. What's up?"
"First day vibes, wanna get friendly? Rounding up a few for PC bang. You in?"
...Called it, class rep material. Saw him milling about earlier—turns out he was polling kids.
Impressive he'd approach total strangers like this.
PC bang, huh...
Sure, now I'm personal chef and workout shuttle for two little sisters, turned accidental goody-two-shoes.
But I loved games. More than loved—back in elementary, PC bangs were daily ritual with the crew.
What changed that? Made me ditch bangs and barely game anymore?
Yup, England again. No—Yerim.
Not 'cause she forbade it, but other reasons.