#62. (Physical)
#62. (Physical)
In the incredibly chaotic atmosphere.
Fortunately, Hwi-min kept his composure and finished the presentation without a hitch.
Of course, neither I nor Na-eun directly caused him any harm, but what can I say...
I just felt unnecessarily sorry.
Honestly, even during the presentation, it felt like about half the students were staring at us instead of the screen.
"Yes. You prepared well."
Once the presentation ended, the Professor-nim gave us feedback about half as long as the other groups—probably to wash away the awkward vibe—and quickly sent us back to our seats.
I returned to my spot and wrapped my scarf around my neck again.
I poked Na-eun, who was just sitting there without putting hers back on, with my elbow.
"Hey. Put on your scarf."
"They already saw everything anyway. Just leave it. What's the big deal?"
Na-eun completely ignored my whisper.
No matter how much we've shown it all, what are the kids gonna think when they see that...
Lee Min-ho got sucked fucking thoroughly. That's what they're thinking, right?
Haa...
But with this, the Eat and Dump guy controversy would probably die out with high probability.
Instead, the two of us would earn the title of insane couple.
Honestly, I didn't even register the presentations after ours.
I was just thinking about bolting home once this was over.
"Alright. Everyone prepared really well, so we'll end class here for today."
As the Professor-nim wrapped up the class, Hwi-min stood in front of us.
"Hey. Lee Min-ho."
"Yeah. Hwi-min. Good job on the presentation."
"You two. What the hell is going on."
Hwi-min looked down at me sitting there with eyes demanding an explanation.
"Ah... well..."
"No. You said you'd contact me later, but no text at all, and then you show up arm-in-arm with Na-eun out of nowhere."
...Sorry. I had my reasons.
"Ah... well..."
"So what is it. Spill it."
As I subtly checked Na-eun's reaction, she stared at me blankly and then...
Sreuk.
The scarf around her neck fell limply to the floor under her touch.
The vivid marks left by Na-eun's lips on my skin were exposed to the outside air again.
The warm, soft sensation on my neck.
Nalgeom.
Na-eun's tongue traced over the kiss mark on my neck again.
"...Honey?"
I blinked with a dumb look on my face, calling out the pet name Na-eun had decided on.
It wasn't just me and Hwi-min who were stunned.
The other students watching us like zoo animals flinched at her actions here and there.
"Good enough?"
Na-eun shoved her chair back and stood up.
"Let's go. Honey."
Hey. I haven't packed my stuff yet...
Na-eun left the classroom with quick steps without looking back.
I hurriedly packed my bag, apologized to Hwi-min while patting his shoulder a couple times, and ran after her.
"Na-eun-ah."
"What."
On the sofa at Na-eun's place.
We were sitting side by side in a row, staring at the TV screen playing some meaningless ad.
The Na-eun who usually pulled cheap tricks to aim for sex was just as limp and deflated as me today.
"...Thanks."
We were both hit hard by reality and not saying a word, but we couldn't just keep sitting like this.
And honestly, Na-eun had carried this one.
She didn't hesitate to ruin her own image and officially became the crazy bitch for my sake.
I knew full well how tough a decision that was.
It was a courageous act that required putting me before herself.
Truth be told, the one who fucked up the most was that fucking bastard who spread the video without our permission... piece of shit...
"No. I'm the one who's sorry. What are you talking about."
Na-eun, still fixing her gaze on the TV, slowly leaned her body against me.
"Oppa."
"Yeah."
"Let's just tough it out for this one month and then take a clean leave of absence."
"...For real?"
Most Department of Architecture students went up to 5th year, so there weren't that many who graduated straight through.
You might think 5 years is doable, but hell no.
After 5 years in the Department of Architecture, most people who fail to Tal-geon end up right in... an architectural firm.
Sure, you get paid and it's better than undergrad in some ways, but after 5 straight years of school, voluntarily crawling into design hell with no breaks...
I'd kill myself.
Of course, there were occasionally superhuman types with insane stamina and mental fortitude who took that route.
Sorry, but that didn't apply to me.
That was a world line reserved for Architecture Villain types like Hwi-min.
Too much for me.
In that context, taking a leave of absence next year was something I'd been considering too.
"I was planning to anyway."
"Why?"
"Just. I wanna rest a bit. And focus on writing."
It was an embarrassing novel to show off anywhere, but its popularity was at its peak right now.
It was raking in way more income than slaving away with overtime at a design firm.
So yeah, wanting to ignore school and focus on writing was sincere.
"Yeah?"
Na-eun, who had been resting her head on my shoulder, gradually shifted her center of gravity toward me.
"...What're you doing."
"Oppa doesn't like this kind of thing?"
Na-eun laid her head on my thigh.
Na-eun looking up at me.
Me looking down at her.
"This position. It was in the book oppa bought me."
The book I bought her...?
Ah... 101 Reasons Why I Love You, right.
Guess there's a lap pillow scene in there.
"You read it?"
"...It was the first gift from oppa. Did you think I'd throw it away?"
Unexpected answer.
"So, how is it like this?"
I raised my hand and slowly brushed back her messy hair.
"Not bad."
Na-eun seemed to enjoy my touch and closed her eyes gently.
"Oppa."
"Yeah."
"Can I nap like this for a bit?"
My thigh apparently made a pretty great pillow.
"Yeah. Sleep."
No matter how loose the screws in Na-eun's head were, she was still younger.
Even if she was bold and full of quirks, she must've been scared deep down.
This much service was a given.
"...Thanks."
And so, for a moment.
We turned our eyes away from a reality messier than any novel.
Euum...
Whoa. Feels refreshing.
I opened my eyes, stretched, and sat up.
What time is it now.
The clock pointed to 8 PM.
Na-eun was...?
She'd been breathing softly on my lap earlier, but she wasn't there—must've woken up first.
Thinking she might be in the bedroom, I slowly headed toward her room.
Knock knock knock.
"Na-eun-ah."
"Come in."
Looks like Na-eun was in her room after all.
Light pink camisole.
Black dolphin pants.
The camisole was a bit short, so her smooth waistline peeked out a little.
"You woke up first?"
"Not that long ago."
Na-eun with her hair tied up gave a slightly different vibe from usual.
"What're you doing?"
When I asked her, Na-eun silently turned the screen a bit toward me.
"...Working, huh."
Yeah. Good. She's working hard.
After waking up, Na-eun had been working on the illustration for [Han Na-eun] in the novel.
"How's the coloring?"
Last time it was black-and-white line art, but she'd already almost finished the first round of coloring.
"Looks good."
What can I say, HNE Author-nim.
"So I can just keep going with this?"
"Have I ever told you to stop working?"
Even before I knew her identity, I'd hardly ever nitpicked her art.
Critiqued... well, not even critiques.
Just asked her to tweak minor props or details.
Na-eun's work was always near-perfect by my standards.
"We should eat."
"Yeah."
We'd bolted from school like escaping and come straight back to Na-eun's place.
All I'd had since morning was half a sandwich...
My stomach was rumbling like crazy for food.
"I'd like to make something, but there's no ingredients at home..."
Na-eun scratched her head, looking troubled.
"Nah. Then I'll just head home and eat."
I'll order something at home.
No need to bother Na-eun.
"...You're going home?"
Na-eun shot up from her seat like protesting.
"No. I gotta go home too. Write the manuscript. Do design work."
"Ha. Oppa, you're really like this?"
...Why's she getting so pissed just because I'm going to my own place.
Na-eun grabbed her phone and shoved the school community site at me.
"Look."
[That Eat and Dump guy's obsessive chick is fucking legendary.]
[Saw them in real time with kiss marks all over his neck after they probably fucked hard lol]
[Damn, guy's so lucky. Why don't I have a total babe obsessing over me.]
...Yup, the guts are still churning.
But the really fortunate part was that posts treating me as the one-sided perpetrator seemed mostly gone.
Public opinion was just treating us as a couple where the singularity had hit.
"Your girlfriend sacrificed her body to save her boyfriend's ass, and now you're saying you have no business here and heading home?"
"But what am I supposed to do if you keep me here."
That was the moment.
Na-eun's eyes felt like a snake that had captured its prey.
"...Oppa has to sacrifice his body too."
...One body (physics), huh. This is.