Midterms (4): Whispers of Gossip and Unspoken Regrets
As soon as the third day's exam ended, Lee Min-woo vanished from the classroom in a flash.
Tomorrow was the final one, so he was probably heading to the library again today, just like always.
But unlike usual, he was alone this time. Until recently, Lee Seol had seen him going with Yoon Seo-ha and U Hana.
U Hana made sense since they'd studied together yesterday, but Yoon Seo-ha too?
She wondered if there was something else going on... then realized it was pointless to dwell on it.
Lee Seol let out a shallow sigh. It wasn't until Lee Min-woo had left the classroom that she finally felt like she could breathe.
Watching him made her nerves tingle uncomfortably, but when he was out of sight, she obsessed even more.
Just his gaze alone could send her heart soaring or plummeting, and lately, those swings had grown so intense she could barely handle them herself.
Lee Seol tidied her desk. She planned to head to the library too.
Her mind was a mess, but at least one good thing: she'd aced her exams. Diving into studying to drown out her tangled thoughts had worked wonders.
Lee Seol stepped into the hallway and started toward the familiar path.
Right before turning the corner, familiar voices drifted from around it.
She froze—not because of the voices, but because of what they were saying.
"Lately, things between Seo-ha and Min-woo feel kinda off, right? Am I the only one?"
"Nah, they're just getting close."
"How do you even get close to Seo-ha?"
"Guess Min-woo can pull it off."
"Fair. If a face like that turned sweet on me... Why doesn't he with me?"
"He'd probably be nice if you talked to him..."
"Sure, but... it's a different vibe."
Around the corner, a group of girls from their class was huddled together, chatting and giggling lightly.
It should have sounded like meaningless gossip, but every word etched itself sharply into her ears.
"But they don't seem like a couple."
"Neither looks interested in dating."
"Min-woo and Hana feel more suspicious, though."
"Why? Min-woo's linked to every girl in school."
"Nah, there's a vibe. With Seol, they seem friendly, but no spark."
"Aren't those two kinda awkward anyway?"
Her own name came up at the end. Hearing it tossed in so casually felt weirder than expected. The funny part? They were spot on.
"I'm team Seo-ha."
"Bullshit."
"It's fun, though."
"I'm team Hana."
"Crazy."
Low chuckles followed.
Lee Seol stood there, clutching her bag strap.
Was she hurt that her name wasn't in the mix? No, it wasn't that childish.
Just a bit resentful. That their relationship came off as nothing more.
Of course, she'd brought it on herself.
That's when someone approached the frozen Lee Seol.
It was U Hana. They'd studied together yesterday, and today too.
"Something up?"
U Hana stopped beside her, tilting her head at Lee Seol's stiff stance.
Before Lee Seol could respond, voices picked up again from around the corner.
"Min-woo does seem closer to Hana."
"Seo-ha's the type who sticks once she decides—no take-backs."
U Hana's expression stiffened. She'd caught on instantly.
U Hana brushed past Lee Seol, took a few steps, rounded the corner, and faced the speakers.
"Girls. I can hear everything."
The area went dead silent for a beat. Then flustered voices overlapped.
"Oh crap, Hana. Sorry."
"We weren't trash-talking or anything..."
"It's fine."
U Hana waved it off with a smile, wrapping it up smoothly without dragging it out.
She turned back to Lee Seol with her usual face.
"Shall we go?"
Lee Seol nodded and walked alongside her, then hesitantly asked,
"...Going well?"
U Hana smiled—somewhat apologetic, a touch embarrassed.
"Dunno."
"Why?"
"You heard."
U Hana shrugged lightly.
"He's too popular."
It came off playful, but...
From that casualness, a sharp thought poked up in Lee Seol's mind.
If you're so chill about it now...
Why'd you act like that back then?
She got it, of course. If someone hovered around a guy you liked, it'd get under your skin. You'd want to stake your claim. Nothing weird there.
The problem was her. First time dealing with it, she panicked, reacted weirdly.
Got prickly for no reason, twisted everything, piled up actions she couldn't even explain to herself...
Now, just awkward distance remained.
She and U Hana had made up. At least the surface tension was gone.
But the stuffiness didn't fully fade. U Hana wasn't even the root of it.
All her thoughts circled back to herself.
Lost in that, U Hana suddenly turned to her.
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"You've looked off the last few days... Something happen?"
U Hana's voice grew cautious.
Lee Seol's shoulders twitched.
"Did something go down with Jae-hyun?"
"Ah..."
The tension drained from Lee Seol's body. A hollow breath escaped faintly.
"Yeah."
"What happened...?"
As she pondered how to explain, a familiar back came into view.
Yoon Seo-ha, walking ahead.
Already stifled, and there was her escape hatch.
Yoon Seo-ha seemed way more natural with Lee Min-woo lately.
Thinking about it, an ease had settled between them that anyone could sense—a far cry from before.
Plus, she'd already gotten advice from Yoon Seo-ha once. About her worries.
And that time with Yoon Seo-ha, she'd dragged Lee Min-woo along. Confessed out of nowhere, got shot down.
One more time. Borrow her help again.
She knew bugging her right before the last exam was rude. But just a bit. Really quick.
"Hana, go ahead to the library?"
"Huh? Oh... sure."
"I'll text."
Lee Seol dashed forward and caught up to Yoon Seo-ha.
"Seo-ha!"
"..."
Yoon Seo-ha turned with her unchanging expression.
No flicker even seeing Lee Seol. Knowing that was par for the course, she pressed on.
"I request a worry consultation!"
"..."
"Please..."
Yoon Seo-ha exhaled softly and nodded.
That's how they ended up at a cafe near school. The same one as last time, coincidentally.
Hard to start at first... but once she did, it all poured out.
Probably because Yoon Seo-ha was steady, not the type to brush off someone's story.
After listening quietly, Yoon Seo-ha sipped her tea and said,
"You confessed, huh..."
It was almost a murmur. Lee Seol felt her face heat up instantly.
She'd thought she was explaining it smoothly until then, but hearing it from Yoon Seo-ha's mouth made it crash back to reality.
Lee Seol squirmed in embarrassment, then nodded.
"...Yeah."
"He said no?"
"...Yeah."
"But the worries won't quit, so... to stay friends? Or can't let go yet?"
The latter. But saying it aloud? After rejection, knowing his feelings—admitting she still clung was... not pride-shattering as a girl, just pathetically small.
Her silence was answer enough.
Yoon Seo-ha glanced at her. Wow, mortifying. Like her insides were laid bare.
But Yoon Seo-ha shrugged it off casually.
"Anyway, confessing doesn't end everything."
"No, but..."
Lee Seol looked up, then down again.
"I hated that part until now..."
Yoon Seo-ha nodded readily. She knew enough about Lee Seol and Seo Jae-hyun to get the gist.
"Min-woo's not dating anyone now."
"True, but..."
Lee Seol had heard it herself. Not dating U Hana.
True, at least for now.
"Doesn't seem like you need to stress solo. You're not the only one who likes him."
"No, the situation is... Huh?"
"Why?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"What?"
"No, something in what you just said felt off."
Yoon Seo-ha didn't clarify. Instead, she said,
"If you still like him, what other answer is there?"
"...Even after that brutal rejection?"
"Turning that around is on you."
Lee Seol shut her mouth.
Not easy. She knew that better than anyone.
She'd always been the type to tire of those feelings.
She got the contradiction...
But only one path forward. Yoon Seo-ha spelled it out: if she couldn't bury it, force it down—or own what lingered.
What a weird feeling. Doing what she'd always despised.
Lee Seol fiddled with her straw needlessly, then lightened the mood.
"Anyway... you and Min-woo got super close?"
"Don't fish for his info through me."
"W-what? You think I'm a stalker sniffing around?"
Lee Seol protested innocently, and Yoon Seo-ha said,
"You asked last time too."
"That was... no, just curious."
True. Maybe a hint of other feelings, but her intent wasn't sleazy.
Yoon Seo-ha paused.
Hand on her cup, eyes down briefly like pondering. Then casually,
"He's a good guy."
"...You."
"He says the same about me."
"..."
*
"Exams are over!"
Someone yelled it first right as it ended.
Chairs scraped everywhere, the stifled air exploding into rowdy relief.
I felt the lightness too, lifting my gaze to see Seo Jae-hyun heading my way.
His face barely changed even post-exam. No glee, no regret.
Makes sense. He hadn't studied anyway—end or not didn't matter.
Watching Seo Jae-hyun felt like a knot in my chest wouldn't loosen. That's why I'd avoided him during exams on purpose.
Running into him just needled me, bred useless thoughts.
He stopped and stared at me.
After that long look, all he said was,
"How do you pour yourself into everything like that?"
"..."
Random, but the answer came quick. I'd thought it a lot lately.
Because the chance I'd been given was precious.
That sparked the next: precious chance. New life. Second shot at existence.
No exaggeration to call it a blessing. All the perks innate, opportunity in hand.
Back when I hadn't achieved squat here, something mattered more than my life.
Couldn't screw it up, had to steer to the ending I knew. Obviously obsessive.
Things had changed a ton now.
My own life grew precious; people I didn't want to lose appeared. These guys included.
But that didn't mean controlling them all toward my known end.
Forcing every bond into that script? Too much had shifted.
For starters, things with U Hana were worlds apart from before.
This is a whole different world now.