Do You Like Him?
"It's been a while. The four of us eating together like this."
"Yeah, it has."
I chimed in agreement with Yoon Tae-jun.
Normally we hung out more often in pairs—me with Yoon Tae-jun, Nam Yu-ri with Han Si-ah. We were all pretty close, but none of us felt like we absolutely had to eat every meal as a full group of four.
Today, though, Nam Yu-ri, Han Si-ah, and I had already been chatting together through lunch period, so it just naturally turned into all of us eating as a group.
"But when did you two get this close with Woo-hyun? You weren't this friendly before, right?"
At Yoon Tae-jun's question, the girls answered.
"We're just desk partners, so we talk a little more than usual."
"…I got closer through Cluster."
They replied like it was nothing. Yoon Tae-jun shrugged at that.
"Well, yeah. We've spent a lot of time with Woo-hyun since the semester started. I'm glad you guys are getting closer."
"…"
"We should all hang out somewhere together next time. At this rate."
Grinning from ear to ear, the guy looked genuinely happy that we'd become closer, pure and simple. Seeing things like this always reminded me that Yoon Tae-jun was an annoyingly good person.
"How about the four of us going somewhere during summer break? An amusement park, or since it's summer, a water park would be good too."
"Sounds good."
"I'll try to free up some time if I can."
"Me too. I'll check my schedule."
I answered, followed by Nam Yu-ri, then Han Si-ah. Unlike us free guys, the girls were busy. Still, once break season hit, everyone would probably have some free time, so Yoon Tae-jun's plan wasn't completely unrealistic.
Carrying our lunch trays, we headed for an empty stretch of seats at the far end. In the order we'd arrived, Nam Yu-ri slid in first toward the wall, then I sat down next to her. Han Si-ah and Yoon Tae-jun took the seats across from us.
That was when Han Si-ah carefully asked me,
"Seon Woo-hyun. Want to switch seats?"
"Huh? Seats?"
"Well, you always sit with Yoon Tae-jun."
"Ah. It's fine. Back then I was still a little awkward with Nam Yu-ri too."
We were close, sure, but honestly not close enough before to sit right next to each other for a meal. So I used to make a point of sitting beside Tae-jun whenever I could. Now, though, I was close enough with either Nam Yu-ri or Han Si-ah that sitting next to them for lunch felt perfectly natural.
"Oh, is that so?"
She had a somehow dissatisfied look on her face. Was it because I'd turned down her suggestion? Nam Yu-ri, who'd been listening, looked at the two of us with a strange expression, while Yoon Tae-jun stared at Han Si-ah and said incredulously,
"What? Are you trying to sit next to your dear Woo-hyun right now?"
"What the hell are you talking about? You wanna die? I was trying to sit next to Yu-ri."
"Ah. And here I thought you were sulking because you're desk partners in class but not in the cafeteria."
"Yoon Tae-jun. Keep clowning around like that and you're gonna get it big time one of these days."
"Oh no, I'm so scared."
"Ugh. Annoying."
Yoon Tae-jun's joke quickly smoothed things over, and a surprisingly lively meal began. He'd always gotten along well with the girls, and the distance between me and them had shrunk a lot too, so conversation flowed far more comfortably than before.
"So, how would everyone rate today's menu?"
"I'd give it a five. Way too few vegetables."
Yoon Tae-jun's question, and Han Si-ah's answer—she was always sensitive about her diet—made me think and score it myself.
"I think it's good? Like an eight? We've got matang, after all."
"Right. You were a total matang maniac."
Somehow Seon Woo-hyun and I had a lot of similarities, and if there was one common ground in our tastes, it was that we were both matang fanatics.
Even in my past-life high school days, whenever candied sweet potatoes showed up I'd go back for seconds and thirds—that was how much I loved them.
Yoon Tae-jun looked at me like he couldn't understand.
"I don't hate them or anything, but if I ate them the way you do they'd get dry and chalky and I'd have to stop."
"That's because you're a taste-blind idiot, Yoon Tae-jun. There's a special kind of pleasure that comes from shoving matang in until you can barely breathe."
"That is some seriously perverted logic."
But the real essence of matang was the way it went down when you choked it back with water. The mild sweetness of the sweet potato mixed with the artificial syrupy sugar—that harmony was killer.
"Woo-hyun likes matang, huh…?"
Nam Yu-ri looked at me with mild surprise. Fair enough—matang was the kind of dish that split opinions pretty hard.
"You don't like it, Nam Yu-ri?"
"The texture's a little too dry… and it's carbs plus sugar, so…"
Even while eating she was thinking about things like that—very Nam Yu-ri of her. She clearly saw it as the perfect food for packing on weight. She stared at the few pieces of matang on her own tray, then asked me,
"Want mine too, then?"
"Huh?"
"The matang. If you like it, take mine. I'm not going to eat it."
"Really? Then thanks."
I gratefully scooped the pieces she offered onto my tray with my spoon. That way I wouldn't have to stand in the lunch line again later—convenient.
Hehe. Looks delicious.
I was happily staring at the growing pile of matang on my tray when Han Si-ah, who'd been quietly watching the whole thing, suddenly transferred her own matang onto my tray as well.
"…If you like it that much, eat mine too."
"For real? Thanks."
What? Her too? Is it my birthday today?
The continuing donation parade left my tray piled high with matang. I was just about to pop one into my mouth when Yoon Tae-jun spoke up from across the table.
"What's with you, Han Si-ah?"
"What now? Why are you picking a fight?"
"You like matang. I distinctly remember you stealing mine all the time before. And you're just giving it to Seon Woo-hyun?"
He eyed her like something was off.
"Don't tell me this is lo—gack!"
"Shut up. Shut up. It's not like that. I'm just trying to watch my diet because I've been gaining weight lately."
Her ears flushed bright red as she kicked Yoon Tae-jun hard in the shin under the table. While he writhed in pain, I looked Si-ah over carefully.
Gained weight? Her?
I studied her closely, but if anything she looked thinner than a few months ago. A girl who was all bones talking about diet management? It felt weird, but since it wasn't doing me any harm I decided to let it go.
I popped a piece of matang into my mouth.
"Mmm. Delicious."
A wave of pure happiness hit me. While I was blissfully eating, I felt a strange gaze. Nam Yu-ri was looking back and forth between me and Han Si-ah with an unreadable expression. Wondering if she had something to say, I asked,
"What?"
"Mm. Nothing."
The moment I asked, she hurriedly started eating.
…What's with her now?
I'd thought it for a long time, but the way girls' minds worked was completely beyond me.
Having a pretty face.
It wasn't just an external advantage. It also meant getting dragged into countless romantic squabbles. Because you were pretty, even without any intention on your part, people of the same gender easily grew jealous and started treating you as competition.
Nam Yu-ri had experienced that more times than she could count. For example, if she simply talked to a boy in class, some girl who liked him would appear and start freezing her out.
Or she'd get warned, "He's the one I like, so don't touch him." Even though she had never once set her sights on any guy, she had gone through those situations over and over.
So being exceptionally good-looking also meant you developed sharp instincts about these things. Especially among girls, it was a critical skill. She had long since formed the habit of constantly checking other people's moods and steering clear of those situations before they could start.
And today—no, just a moment ago—Nam Yu-ri had caught that faintly off, prickly feeling. From her own friend, Han Si-ah, of all people.
…It might not be that, but something about it feels weird.
Si-ah's behavior in the cafeteria had been suspicious in a lot of ways. Trying to move Seon Woo-hyun, who was sitting next to Nam Yu-ri. Or, the second Yu-ri offered him her matang, giving him her own even though she liked it herself.
Come to think of it, even during break times, whenever Yu-ri was talking with Woo-hyun, Si-ah would suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Si-ah… is it not just a rumor? Does she actually like Woo-hyun?
Looking only at each individual action and its excuse, of course there were perfectly reasonable explanations. Offering to switch seats could just be consideration. Dieting wasn't strange for an idol trainee. Wanting to join in when friends were talking wasn't strange either.
But her instincts as a girl were telling Nam Yu-ri it wasn't only that. The way Si-ah looked at Woo-hyun lately. The way she sometimes stared at him blankly. The way she seemed happier when she was around him. Without even meaning to, Nam Yu-ri had picked up on all of those things.
If I'm wrong it'll be embarrassing… but I still want to talk to Si-ah about it.
Han Si-ah was her irreplaceable friend. Maybe even her only same-sex friend at school besides Woo-hyun and Tae-jun. Just as much as Si-ah looked up to her and followed her, Yu-ri also treasured and liked her friend Han Si-ah.
So if it really was true—if Si-ah liked Seon Woo-hyun—then Yu-ri wanted to tell her she had zero intention of anything like that. That there was absolutely no need for Si-ah to feel competitive with her.
"Si-ah."
"Hmm? What~?"
After finishing lunch, the two of them were walking back alone. The guys had gone off to the snack shop to buy drinks. Nam Yu-ri confirmed the hallway was empty, then asked in a quiet voice,
"I'm just asking in case, but…"
"Yeah. What is it?"
"Do you like Woo-hyun?"
At those words, Han Si-ah's footsteps came to a dead stop.