Softshell Turtle
Blackmail (5) — At Cheongun Academy, second-year male student Han Taeyang was quite the notorious figure, and in more ways than one. On the surface, he was known as a playboy and womanizer who used his tall stature and handsome looks to enjoy flings with the female students. Yet that delinquent-like demeanor wasn't the whole story. If one looked closer, there was a surprisingly diligent side to him as well. That was the objective, overall assessment circulating around campus.
But.
'In reality, both views are wrong.'
Ryu Chaeeun, who shared the same second-year B class and had crossed paths with him privately several times over the past year, disagreed with those evaluations. Or rather, while she partially agreed with some aspects, she firmly believed he was wrong on the crucial points.
First, the tall height and handsome appearance. That was undeniably true. Han Taeyang certainly had a decent face for a guy.
On the other hand, the claim that he used those looks to enjoy flings with female students, that he was a playboy and womanizer? Ryu Chaeeun never showed it outwardly, but every time she heard that assessment, she would sneer inwardly.
'Fling, my ass... In reality, that oppa doesn't have the courage or the ability for any of that.'
After all, the rumors spreading openly were nothing more than baseless gossip. Talk of him sleeping with senior girls or having countless one-night stands sounded flashy, but if it couldn't be proven, there was no reason to believe it. That was Ryu Chaeeun's philosophy. She preferred judging people based on what she saw with her own eyes rather than relying on rumors.
That was why, even back at the start of last year when positive opinions about Han Taeyang were a minority, she paid no attention to the flood of bad rumors. The preconceptions about him being a tanned blonde delinquent, the unpleasant stories from his past that circulated as rumors—she ignored all of it. Instead, she faced Han Taeyang directly, talked with him, and judged him purely on her intuition.
So, what conclusion had Ryu Chaeeun ultimately reached about her classmate Han Taeyang?
'As expected, he's just like a softshell turtle.'
Ryu Chaeeun, still sitting with her legs crossed, sucked on her nearly empty drink and flashed a mischievous smile. Her gaze had been fixed on the dull blonde male student across from her since the beginning.
The group members gathered around the wide table were discussing strategies for the dungeon they would raid in a few days, but since the general guidelines had already been passed down from their seniors, there was no need for anyone to voice particularly strong opinions. Han Taeyang, seated across from Ryu Chaeeun, was also watching the others from a slight distance.
'Either he hasn't noticed, or he's pretending not to.'
Ryu Chaeeun narrowed her eyes and stared at him, letting out a relaxed chuckle. She had been openly staring at him this whole time—there was no way he hadn't noticed her gaze. He was deliberately ignoring her. More precisely, he was acting like he was ignoring her while hiding the fact that he was actually flustered and avoiding her eyes.
Once again, Ryu Chaeeun's inner assessment of Han Taeyang was that he was "like a softshell turtle." In other words, he was incredibly cowardly. Whether that was truly the case or not... at the very least, Ryu Chaeeun had no doubt in her own judgment. After all, she had seen enough to form that opinion.
She began to slowly recall her impressions of him from a year ago, when she first got to know Han Taeyang, and everything she had observed since then.
As expected of his rumored playboy reputation, Han Taeyang had indeed approached girls who already had boyfriends, including herself, without hesitation and thrown out flirtatious signals. Among the second-years, he had focused particularly on her, Baek Seolah, and Seo Ahyeon. The people around them would frown at the sight, saying there really was no other delinquent like him.
'How is that flirting? If anything, it was more like picking a fight. It always backfired, after all.'
At some point, Ryu Chaeeun had realized something. Han Taeyang's attitude was strangely clumsy. At first glance, it looked like flirting, but in essence, it was closer to baseless provocation. Whether he had intended to flirt but lacked the skill, turning it into a fight, or whether he had been trying to pick a fight from the very beginning, Ryu Chaeeun couldn't say for sure. But did it really matter which one it was? If it was the former, it meant Han Taeyang was actually terrible at seducing women. If it was the latter, it was proof that he wasn't a consistent playboy.
Moreover, Ryu Chaeeun had eventually noticed that Han Taeyang was particularly cautious around her and even went out of his way to avoid her. Combining all of this, she had reached a single, perfectly reasonable conclusion: the rumors about Han Taeyang that were widespread around campus were the result of his own deliberate image-making. There was no other possibility that made sense. Otherwise, why would he throw out a few half-hearted flirtatious signals at her and then avoid her completely afterward?
'Poor Taeyang oppa.'
Ryu Chaeeun looked at Han Taeyang with a gaze full of pity, as if she were looking at a hapless older cousin. With looks like his, how little experience with women must he have had to spread such a pathetic rumor about himself? If he had just been honest with her, she would have introduced him to a decent girl long ago. As time passed and she learned that Han Taeyang was actually quite diligent and sincere, she felt even more sorry for him. Naturally, Ryu Chaeeun found herself developing a human-like fondness for him.
That was why, whenever she saw Han Taeyang these days, she would play these little pranks on him, always based on goodwill—like today.
'He's a really good person, though...'
Even though her heart as a woman belonged to Jeong Jaeha, that didn't mean she had to dislike Han Taeyang. He was more than capable of winning people over when viewed simply as a fellow human being. He was sincere, and he had his own abilities. If she had to find a flaw, it would be that he was reckless enough to show interest in girls who already had boyfriends. But considering he probably had almost no dating experience, that was understandable.
That was why Ryu Chaeeun had decided to pretend she didn't know Han Taeyang's pitiful truth(?). She realized she had finished her drink, let out a small laugh, and set the cup down.
Thud—
Lately, there had been some ridiculous rumor going around that Han Taeyang had stolen Baek Seolah and Seo Ahyeon away from their respective boyfriends to make them his playthings. Even Ryu Chaeeun herself had witnessed them suddenly acting friendly toward Han Taeyang a few times recently.
'Our softshell turtle Taeyang oppa. He might fool everyone else, but he can't fool me.'
It was an incredibly ironic situation. It was a good habit not to easily believe rumors and only trust what one saw with one's own eyes. But when that was combined with a personality that refused to believe even fairly solid rumors and never doubted one's own convictions... well. Just like Ryu Chaeeun right now, one could end up trapped in their own little world, continuing a tearful misunderstanding for an entire year. It would still take her a little more time to realize that her belief was nothing more than an embarrassing delusion.
*****
'She's thinking something weird again.'
I let out a quiet sigh inwardly and forced myself to ignore Ryu Chaeeun's expression, which looked like she was holding back a laugh while staring at me with that strange gaze. As I mentioned earlier, she was one of the heroines I had relatively less desire to get involved with compared to Baek Seolah or Seo Ahyeon. That meant I didn't know the "Ryu Chaeeun" of this world—who had once been a character in a novel that became reality—perfectly. But even so, when she was grinning so blatantly like that, it was impossible not to notice. Whether I liked it or not, this kid was definitely thinking something completely off the mark.
Of course, I had no way of knowing exactly what that off-the-mark thought was. All I could do was hope that Ryu Chaeeun wouldn't make things any more troublesome for me. If this kept happening, it would become harder and harder to resist the urge to scold her properly one of these days.
'Did you hear that, Chaeeun? I didn't say it out loud, but if you somehow understood, you'd better watch yourself. Before I grab those unnecessarily large breasts of yours and yank them right off.'
"...So the formation is decided, then."
Around that time, the discussion about the dungeon raid strategy for the practical exam day was finally wrapping up.
"Seolah will be the main dealer, and Han Taeyang will handle the front line and dealer protection. Since Jaemin and I are the supporter and reconnaissance specialists respectively, Chaeeun will take on the utility and sub-dealer role. Everyone's fine with that?"
Kang Dasom, the D-class girl with glasses who gave off a strong intellectual vibe, looked around at the group members as if seeking confirmation. Since none of the five had overlapping usual positions, there were no signs of disagreement or complaints.
"Good, then."
After confirming everyone's reactions, Kang Dasom nodded and wrapped things up.
"Unless something unexpected happens, we'll stick with these roles. The exam is this Friday, so it might be good to practice together in the training room tomorrow or the day after. What do you all think?"
"I agree."
"I'm fine with whenever."
Sim Jaemin agreed first, and Baek Seolah followed with her soft voice. Ryu Chaeeun and I didn't have any objections either, so the decision was unanimous. Since we weren't particularly close with one another, the meeting atmosphere naturally shifted toward disbanding.
"Ugh... I'll head out first, then. Good work, everyone."
"See you all tomorrow at 5 PM."
Kang Dasom stood up first, stretching, and Sim Jaemin followed with his usual friendly smile.
"Hmm."
Around that time, I also finished my coffee and was about to stand up to head back to the dorm when—
"...?"
Strangely enough, two pairs of eyes immediately followed my movement. I paused for a moment and narrowed my eyes at the two gazes coming from across and beside me.
'What now?'
One of them was, of course, Ryu Chaeeun's light green gaze that had been persistently stuck to me throughout the entire group meeting. That one didn't need any explanation. Since there had been an unspoken promise of "let's talk when it's just the two of us," it was pretty obvious what she wanted.
Which meant the other gaze... was actually the important one. Since Kang Dasom and Sim Jaemin had already left, I could just use process of elimination. The owner of that second gaze was—
'Seriously, what is it?'
It was a gaze that had become so familiar to me that it felt almost natural for it to be nearby.
"What is it, unnie?"
"...What are you still doing here instead of leaving, Chaeeun?"
My secret friend and sex partner, Baek Seolah. It was her golden gaze.
Ryu Chaeeun tilted her head in genuine confusion as she looked at her, while Baek Seolah responded with an oddly chilly smile.
Crackle—!
...Why did it feel like sparks were flying between the two girls' gazes, each carrying completely different emotions?
I suddenly felt an ominous sense of déjà vu and shivered involuntarily.
"I still have some things to talk about with Taeyang oppa! I was going to finish at the café before heading out."
"...What? Oppa? Taeyang, haa?"
Unlike the mutual tension that had once existed between Seo Ahyeon and Baek Seolah, this time it felt like Baek Seolah's anger was completely one-sided. What part of Ryu Chaeeun's straightforward answer had rubbed her the wrong way? A cross-shaped vein popped up on Baek Seolah's forehead as she twitched her eyes, and I found myself awkwardly averting my gaze while watching her expression.
'Baekselgi...'
Why are you suddenly acting like this again? I really can't figure you out these days. Are you on your period or something?