The Gazes They Exchange (7) - What's Your Favorite Color? (Lee Hyun)
‘.....’
— What is it? (Lee Hyun)
‘What the hell’s wrong with her?’
When Lee Hyun suddenly messaged me out of the blue, I hesitated, wondering what serious bombshell she was about to drop. Ever since she got close with Jia, she’d mostly used our group chat, so a private message from her felt suspicious. I mulled it over before checking her text—and damn, she was just asking my favorite color.
‘Not even arguing about colors or anything... what the?’
‘She interrogating me or what?’
Lee Hyun had to know. I’d eaten all sorts of dishes made by her mom alongside her, and curry rice was a total bullseye for me—one of my top favorites. Nothing fancy about the recipe, but that thick texture mixed with finely chopped veggies, pork, and spices... it was the best thing I’d had at her place.
‘Is that even a question...’
I had no idea what her angle was, but it was starting to piss me off.
“Aw, this crazy bitch.”
I muttered a curse under my breath without thinking and pondered again. Chicken, pizza, dumplings, pork cutlet, tteokbokki, burgers, pork belly, jokbal—tons popped into my head right away. My tastes were so broad, it was hard to pick just one.
‘But... still. Mom’s cooking is the best.’
‘Fuck... anyone’d think I’m running a matchmaking service.’
I inwardly unleashed a torrent of curses at the invisible Lee Hyun but dutifully tapped away. Long straight hair down past the shoulders, or lightly wavy? Anyway, long hair over bob for me.
‘Or... ponytail might work too...’
Lee Hyun’s signature ponytail. It suited slim, egg-shaped heads like hers— not every girl could pull it off.
I pictured her for a moment, hesitated, then slowly hit send.
Ponytails were on my wishlist even beyond Lee Hyun. That tidy gathered fullness from the swept-back hair. On a girl with a pretty head shape, it really drew the eye. And if her face was pretty too? Perfection.
After a long wait with no reply, one finally came.
‘She’s finally lost it...’
Of course, ponytails made me think of her inevitably, but I hadn’t expected her to straight-up fish for compliments like this.
By now, I was getting annoyed. The random questions were one thing, but her prying felt off. And asking about girls’ styles...?
‘This the same girl who said she’d chase me with a knife if I confessed to Yuri?’
I felt pathetic for all the angst she’d caused recently. She was acting way too casual now. Maybe her coffee shop teasing was just messing with me.
Gripping my irritation, I typed fast.
‘What style? Super slutty, lots of skin. Yeah, basically naked’s best. Let’s see trendy revealing girls’ clothes these days.’
I searched around, typed furiously, and hit send.
‘Yep, gotta strip a girl to see her true value.’
‘Huh? Wait, what? Oh shit! Fuck?!’
I’d switched to the main screen mid-chat with Hyun to search girls’ clothes—that was my mistake. I noticed a new message but thought it was Hyun again since mine was delayed. Eager to troll her quick, I hammered the keys blindly. Fatal error.
‘Why’s Yumi sunbae messaging now?’
‘...Fuck, I’m screwed.’
I couldn’t exactly say I meant it for another girl, so I scrambled for excuses.
‘Huh?’
Things were veering off wildly. Since getting serious with Yuri, I’d spent free time with her. Memories with Yumi had faded naturally...
‘Gulp.’
Her invite stirred yesterday’s flashbacks. That violently curvy body, aggressive moves. Toned from workouts, skillful motions. Hidden by her figure but undeniable—her looks were rare. And any guy who’d slept with her couldn’t forget. Not just beautiful; she wielded her body like a weapon in bed. The squeezing ecstasy wasn’t forgettable.
Sex with Yuri mixed love and desire, exchanging emotions while burning up. With Yumi, it was pure destructive instinct, all raw lust. Which was better? Depends on taste. But fact: my legs always gave out after Yumi.
Caught off-guard by my slip-up, her message slipped through my defenses.
Lee Hyun, Yesul, Yuri—I’d been steeling myself amid the chaos. Now I crumbled in a heartbeat. Pathetic.
“...”
Lee Hyun stared endlessly at her phone, waiting for a reply.
‘Why’d this guy stop mid-answer?’
She’d wrapped the intro and was ready to dig deeper when his responses cut off.
‘Needs time to think?’
She knew outfits and colors drew varied reactions from guys. Always jeans and tees, she’d put real thought into these questions. A change, even if no one critiqued her style before.
‘Maybe tailor to Seonghwan sometimes.’
Her sister’s words once lingered. ‘Mackerel kimchi jjigae, purple.’ New info from a few questions. He ate whatever at her house without complaint; curry love wasn’t empty praise for her mom’s cooking. Kid days, he’d defer menus to her. School uniforms meant no style worries then.
She knew so little about him, despite years together.
“Hyun-ah, what’re you doing here?”
“Huh?”
Deep in thought, she turned at the voice. Jia smiled brightly, arms full of books.
“Oh... just texting. Hanging out.”
Snapping out of it, she answered evasively.
“Ooh, who with?”
“...Just hanging.”
“Heh, ‘just who’?”
“Why pry? What’s with all the books?”
Her deflection obvious, but Jia let it slide.
“Ah! Got these from the department office. Seniors marked up old textbooks like cheat sheets. Park In-ho sunbae gave ’em.”
“Ah...”
In-ho—the sunbae who ate with them day one.
“He was in history education too?”
“Yeah, helps me a ton. He said study classical Chinese ahead—essential for East Asian history.”
“...”
Jia, always bubbly and genuine, suddenly seemed mature. Chummy with seniors already? Not just sociable nature.
She looked grown-up all of a sudden.
“Oh, right! Chatting with Park In-ho sunbae, heard shocking news.”
“What now that’s ‘shocking’?”
Department gossip queen—self-proclaimed info hub—always brought rumors. Mostly trash, but some useful.
“You know Young & Youth?”
“Young & Youth?”
Lee Hyun tilted her head. Vaguely familiar, nothing solid.
“Knew it. You don’t watch variety shows.”
“Variety?”
“Heh. Know Yoon Hee-seok?”
Easy after ‘variety.’
“That comedian?”
“Yup, MC a lot lately. One’s Young & Youth. They’re filming at our school next week. Admin knew but hushed it. Now promoting with banners soon.”
“Hmm.”
“Kinda meh reaction?”
Jia’s eyes sparkled; Lee Hyun stayed neutral.
Celebs were cool, but just peeking at shoots. Might check if free, but no hype.
“Huhu, you don’t know the format? Interviews students mostly. Quizzes, cafeteria eats, school life chats.”
‘Fun?’
Yoon Hee-seok aced stand-up, witty MC. But student chem all show? Tough.
“Seasonal; last season almost here but protests—prof scandals.”
“Yeah?”
Freshman her knew none; Jia scooped it all.
“Know Shin Nara? On TV lots. From this show. Finally meet celebs? Wonder guests. Hope C9’s Chan-yong. Idols sometimes.”
Jia buzzed with excitement.
“Check last season. Might film you. Nah, with your looks, director’d beg. Prettier than Shin Nara.”
“Not interested. Bad talker. You’re chatty—perfect. I’d be nuisance.”
“Duh, pretty’s enough. Me dancing vs. your smile? Yours wins. Sigh, envy your genes.”
“...”
Each saw the other’s strengths clearest.
Honest, sociable Jia—secretly envied, wanted to emulate.
‘Can I ever be that open?’
Doubt gnawed.
“Uh......”
I’d hesitated after Yumi’s text but ended up at her place like enchanted. Even climbing the familiar back path through villas and old buildings, doubts flickered. Punching her code, my fingers dragged slower than before.
Door opened.
“Whoa, come in. Faster than I thought?”
“......”
See-through tank top, baggy training pants accenting her wide hips. Navel bare under short top. Meeting Yumi’s eyes, words failed.
“Huh? Why stand there? Come in.”
She turned welcoming; her plump, firm ass grabbed my gaze. Grabbing beers from the fridge, every move teased.
‘Not horny-deprived? Did Yuri just days ago...’
I tried calming my rising lower gut, but couldn’t peel eyes from her sensuality after so long.
“Oh, didn’t run into Mincheol sunbae on the way, right?”
“Ack?”
His name from her deflated me instantly.
“N-no? Why Mincheol sunbae?”
“Ah... met him earlier.”
“Lunch?”
“Yeah. Persistent, so I went. Done with him.”
“And? What’d he say?”
“Nothing much.”
“Oh, okay?”
Seemed anticlimactic. Her calm face suggested closure.
I sank into the sofa, sipping her beer.
“Nah, nothing. Confessed I cheated. He flipped. No biggie?”
“Pffft!!”
Beer sprayed from mouth and nose.
“Cough, cough. What the...”
“Calm down. Gotta clean. Sofa okay?”
Still serene, she wiped with tissues around me.
I gawked, baffled.
“That’s ‘no biggie’? Confirmed you cheated to Mincheol?”
“To me, yeah. Think his usual. Could’ve torched him anytime. Real trouble if you ran into him coming here.”
‘Fuck, warn me sooner.’
I’d have scoped carefully—or skipped. Mincheol lurked for guys like me.
She knew, yet hid it. Either doubted I’d come, or wanted blowup.
‘Risky...’
Bending to clean, her deep cleavage loomed. Normally his ugly mug first, but her tempting exposure blanked my mind.
“Scared? Of Mincheol sunbae?”
“......”
Provocative question.
‘Scared?’
Not anymore. Not fear now.
‘He gonna kill me?’
Beats? Fine. Break a bone? Youthful folly, hospital. Real fear: loose-lipped campus rumors. Info age boards— one slip, lifetime roast. Not just me... all girls linked to me.
Slowly, her hand trailed up my lower abs. Eyes widened.
She smirked.
“Scared? I’ll keep him off you.”
‘How?’
Embarrassing to ask. Leaning on girl for safety? Lame. Not why they confessed.
Anger surged. I grabbed her creeping hand.
“Who said? Me scared?”
Glared; she dropped smile, met eyes. My blazing glare. Her body heating with anticipation, she pressed lips to mine without hesitation.
“Mm.”
Feeling her melt into me, I wrapped her waist, hesitation gone.