Chapter 4
Ding dong~
As soon as I stepped out of my home and went to the next door, I rang the doorbell.
Thud thud thud
It sounded like someone was rushing to the door.
“Joonu!”
The door swung open, revealing my childhood friend of 13 years, Han Seo-ah, with a bright smile that could light up a room.
Even though we’ve known each other for ages, Han Seo-ah’s beauty was something I could never get used to. As she greeted me with a genuine smile, I couldn’t help but just stand there, staring blankly.
“Joonu…?”
Seeing me just stare at her without saying anything made Han Seo-ah tilt her head and call my name again.
Her expression had a power that made my heart clench involuntarily.
“Ugh…!”
So when I jokingly clutched my heart, I thought she’d toss a playful comment back at me, but instead, she looked genuinely worried and pulled out her phone to call 119.
“Wait, wait, wait!!!!”
I hadn’t meant to cause a panic, but seeing her like that made me grab her wrist to stop her.
“I was just joking! I’m fine, sorry. Just chill out, Han Seo-ah.”
“Really? You’re not hurt or anything?”
In that brief moment, the worry on her face contrasted sharply with her earlier bright smile, and I felt an overwhelming pang of guilt.
Ah, I want to die. Why did I have to mess around like this at such a time?
“Yeah, I said I’m fine. I was just teasing you…”
“Teasing me?”
I was about to say it was because she looked too pretty when she welcomed me, but I thought better of it. I could only imagine how much she’d tease me if I said that.
But Han Seo-ah seemed to think I was acting that way because of her, and her curiosity got the better of her.
“What did I do? Why did you tease me? I just said ‘Joonu!’…”
“Forget it. Just get ready to go.”
“Why~? Can’t you tell me? I’m really curious, Joonu!”
With a genuine look of curiosity, she stretched out the last word, and I was reminded exactly why I could never get the upper hand over her in 13 years.
“Uh… well, it’s just that when you opened the door and welcomed me, you looked so…”
“So?”
“Pretty! Ugh, that’s enough! Let’s just go to school already!”
Ah. I want to die.
Calling my childhood friend pretty first thing in the morning took a lot of courage, and trying to hide my embarrassment, I turned my head away.
But for some reason, Han Seo-ah had no reaction at all.
What’s with this girl? When I turned back, the sight before me was—
“Hehe, am I pretty, Joonu?”
With a blissful smile, Han Seo-ah looked up at me as if she was floating on cloud nine.
I had thought she was beautiful when she opened the door earlier, but right now, she looked so stunningly gorgeous that I was dumbstruck.
In that radiant smile, I once again found myself lost in thought.
‘There’s no end to beauty,’ I pondered.
“Hmm? Joonu?”
When I continued to stare blankly at her without answering, it seemed that a mere silent reply wasn’t enough.
With a firm determination to hear my answer, she pressed me, and eventually, I found myself bracing for social death as I responded honestly.
Both of our faces turned red simultaneously when she heard my answer and I realized it was definitely because the morning sun was just too hot.
After a series of ups and downs, we finally made our way to school.
As we walked, I glanced at Han Seo-ah, who seemed cheerful, probably because of what had just happened, as she hummed a little tune.
“Hey, Han Seo-ah.”
“Uh-huh~?”
Uh-huh?
What’s with this? Is this really the Han Seo-ah I know?
From when she opened her eyes this morning to now, her attitude was so different that it sent chills down my spine.
Some might say that having a beautiful childhood friend act all sweet is a total reward, but that’s only true if she’s typically sweet. The fact that she acted like this out of the blue was concerning, making me wonder if she was feeling sick.
“Are you… feeling okay?”
I steadied my confusion and asked sincerely.
“Me? Huh?”
Han Seo-ah tilted her head with big eyes wide open, clearly baffled by my sudden question.
“No… it’s just that you seem really… how should I put it… kinder? Sweeter? I don’t know, but you’re acting way different than usual. What’s going on?”
I added the word “scarily” as an afterthought, feeling awkward about the whole thing.
At first, her expression looked like she couldn’t believe it, then suddenly she seemed to have made a realization and muttered so softly I almost couldn’t hear.
“Right, that’s when…”
“What?”
“Uh, never mind. Sorry, Joonu. I startled you with my behavior, didn’t I?”
Seeing her honestly acknowledge that she was acting differently brought me relief.
“Right? I wasn’t imagining things, was I? I knew you weren’t being your normal self.”
Relieved it wasn’t my imagination, just as I sighed, I noticed Han Seo-ah looking down.
“H-Han Seo-ah?”
Oh no, did I hurt her feelings? I called her name, and when she lifted her head, her expression seemed like she was holding back tears.
Yet ironically, she was also smiling joyfully.
“?! Hey, are you crying?”
I was flustered, not knowing how to respond to her sudden emotional rollercoaster as Han Seo-ah finally calmed herself and spoke with a soft smile.
“No, I’m just… happy. Thank you, Joonu. You noticed right away.”
Suddenly, she was going through a mix of sadness and happiness, and when I looked confused, she chuckled lightly.
“Joonu, you really like me, don’t you?”
“W-What? Are you crazy? Since the morning when you were crying on the phone, you were acting weird, and now you’re crying and laughing by yourself? Have you finally lost it, Han Seo-ah?”
At her surprising question, I was flustered and denied it in a rush.
Yet, she looked at me as if she knew exactly what I was feeling, which was uncomfortably annoying.
“What’s with that look? Want me to curse at you for a change?”
Knowing I couldn’t back down now, I tried to act tough, but this was my childhood friend of 13 years, Han Seo-ah.
That wasn’t going to work.
“Hehe, how cute~”
The moment she stretched her hand to pinch my cheek with a look that said she thought I was adorable, I realized.
Ah. She really is crazy.
Mourning the insanity of my childhood friend in my heart, I quietly texted her mom.
Ay yay… what a crazy girl…
I sent a text to her mom saying that it seemed like her daughter had lost her mind, and before I knew it, I received a light smack on the back from Han Seo-ah.
The tiny girl didn’t seem like she could pack a punch, but wow, that hit hurt, and as I rubbed my sore back while entering the classroom, I spotted familiar faces.
Kim Seung-hyun. Park Jae-hwan. My childhood antagonists since middle school.
“Yo, you guys, big bro is here~”
“Welcome back, idiot~”
“What’s with the cheerful mood? You’re annoying me first thing in the morning.”
Was this what it meant to be eye candy? Even when they greeted me nicely (not really), their faces were just as ridiculous as their personalities.
“Look at these rude mouthfuls. Hey, more importantly, we’re in a crisis.”
“What? Your face?”
“His face is in crisis mode beyond critical!”
“Shut up, you losers! Can we have an actual conversation!”
Before I could even get to the point, I was flooded with their senseless accusations, making it hard to keep my composure, so I just threw in a curse for good measure.
“Whatever, just spill it.”
“What’s with the fuss, man?”
“Seriously, since when is Han Seo-ah—”
I saw Han Seo-ah entering a bit later, placing her bag down and greeting other classmates.
Keeping my voice low so she wouldn’t hear, I cautiously replied to my friends.
“Han Seo-ah?”
“Is your face messed up?”
“No, will you listen?! She was acting weird this morning!”
As I shouted the truth, my two friends still doubted me, giving me the “you’re just being dramatic” look.
“Oh, come on! What’s weird about her? She looks totally fine.”
“She welcomed me with a bright smile!”
“And she pinched my cheeks and called me cute!”
Between those two scenarios, which would get me labeled as crazy?
…Surprisingly, I figured both would have a 100% chance of being deemed mad.
Really, I felt like I was the one going crazy for sure.
I tried to argue my case, but then they stared at me like I’d suddenly lost my mind, dripping sweat under their cold glares.
“Why’d you stop talking?”
“What’s so weird about Han Seo-ah?”
“Ugh, I swear… it’s just that she’s acting differently!”
Not being able to share my reasoning, I was flustered and just gave up. They kind of looked at me as if saying, “Yeah, that sounds about right,” which felt incredibly unfair.
—I swear, something was really off with Han Seo-ah…!
As I debated with myself over whether to spill my thoughts, the homeroom teacher walked in, and class began.
In the end, my friends returned to their seats, leaving me in my pitiful state.