My Platinum-Blond Childhood Friend Is So Pretty

11 – 04. Now not a young child, but not yet an adult at sixteen

Sehwa Middle School.

Grade 3, Class 2.

During self-study time, thanks to the consideration of the Home Economics teacher, who had only a few exams left.

There were children who sincerely focused on studying, but their numbers were not many.

Most of them were sleeping after lunch during the 5th period, and aside from a few who were studying, others were chatting softly with friends sitting nearby or daydreaming.

And within that, Lee Soyeon looked at the boy sitting diagonally in front of her, absentmindedly touching her chin.

At sixteen, he already had a tall height reaching 180cm and naturally well-defined shoulders.

Unlike the other boys who seemed childish, he had a mature atmosphere that suited the white school uniform shirt so well.

His gentle eyes and a faint smile were visible on his side profile.

Lee Soyeon unknowingly nodded her head while looking at him.

“Indeed, I Do-yoon’s perm suits him. He’s so handsome. He did a great job convincing Ellie for a week. It’s really good. Because he’s me, after all.”

He was so satisfied with himself that he would self-praise. His current hairstyle suited him so well.

And with his handsome appearance and a tranquil smile, he was being discreetly admired by the other girls in the class, including himself.

He was diligently moving his pencil.

“He’s drawing again.”

Now there was no one who didn’t know that he wasn’t studying, but playing around by drawing in his notebook.

He must be drawing a picture of his favorite character, just like he did in elementary school.

It was a hobby that clearly screamed otaku, and it wouldn’t be strange for him to be teased for it.

But no one genuinely mocked Do-yoon’s hobby.

For him to receive such teasing, Do-yoon was good at sports, singing, and his grades were above average…

And above all, he was handsome.

In any case, he was a good-looking guy who was also sociable in terms of personality.

Moreover, even with such character drawings, his drawing skills had significantly improved from before. It was enough to elicit admiration when you saw it.

Of course, Soyeon was just a drawing and nothing special.

Soyeon, along with a few other girls who didn’t like to study and weren’t really inclined to sleep either.

They were simply indulging in the eye candy of good-looking guys in their class.

Grateful for having a guy that they could see on TV or YouTube in the same class.

-Ding ding ring, ring!

“Well then, everyone, good luck with your exams.”

– Shuffling noise

The bell signaling the end of the class rang, and as soon as the teacher left the classroom.

Taking advantage of the fact that all the guys who usually hung out with Doyoon were all asleep, a few girls from the other class approached him.

“Oh, what is this? Did you draw again? Don’t you study, nerd?”

“You can study during class.”

“But you really draw well. I saw this too. My brother bought a comic book.”

“Really?”

Friends who had no interest in drawings and comic books, but were only interested in talking to Doyoon face to face.

For some reason, she couldn’t figure out their intentions.

Soyeon shook her head in frustration. It was useless. They would know too. They would know, but it couldn’t be helped.

Falling for someone is not something that can be stopped by willpower.

Especially when they come so unexpectedly.

“Isn’t this interesting?”

Without pointing out anyone, she happily chatted and laughed with them.

Why couldn’t she do the same?

But after a while.

The futile reason for their hearts being half-hearted arrived.

-Shuffling noise

The front door of the classroom opened again, and a girl walked in. As soon as the girls who had given their attention to that direction saw her face, resignation filled their expressions.

Now, she had become somewhat accustomed to it, but as soon as she entered, she captivated the attention of all the awake students.

She, who gathered the gaze of everyone as soon as she entered.

A white shirt and a black hoodie over her school uniform. A pretty silhouette revealed under a perfectly fitted skirt.

Her beautiful platinum hair, which even radiated brilliance, brushed against her forehead, showing a slightly wavy floral perm different from her elementary school days.

She scanned the room with her lake-like blue eyes.

The most famous person in Sehwa Middle School.

Alisha.

As she entered the classroom, she said to Yido-yoon, who was surrounded by girls.

Though she didn’t particularly like Yido-yoon being among the girls, she didn’t feel annoyed anymore because she had gotten used to it. She just slightly furrowed her brows.

“Yido-yoon, come with me.”

“Where are we going?”

“The convenience store.”

“Alright. Oh, sorry. I’ll go to the convenience store.”

As if she weren’t interested in the other kids, she quickly caught Yido-yoon and left.

The remaining girls sighed.

“He really… lives in his own little world.”

“Hey hey, the tint color is insane! He said he uses the one that Juah advertises. Do you want to go see it later?”

“Oh, is that so? He will be so overshadowed if he tries to compare himself using the same thing.”

“Honestly, it’s all a scam for the skin.”

Naturally admitting defeat, they casually chatted among themselves again, as if nothing mattered to them. Isouyeon knew their hearts better than anyone else.

She had been a fortress that didn’t allow anyone near Yido-yoon since elementary school.

A woman who still couldn’t help but admire her, getting prettier day by day.

Because Yido-yoon was that kind of person to Ellie.

The platinum-haired friend who caused a stir throughout middle school since enrolling last year was still beautiful and still proudly displayed an unchanging relationship with Yido-yoon.

There was no room for anyone to intervene between them.

Really, not at all.

***

“…I thought that, but it seems like you guys have some fault in not being able to win the kids’ hearts.”

“What are you talking about?”

After all the classes were over.

While waiting for a friend who briefly stopped by the office, Isouyeon said to Ellie, who was sitting with a chubby face. She received a blunt reply.

In her eyes, Ellie had changed quite a bit compared to before. In a good way.

Unlike in the past when they always lived together with Yido-yoon by their side, since around the end of last year, the two had gradually started to spend more time apart from each other.

That didn’t mean their relationship had become distant.

Yido-yoon just had other male friends in his own way.

Unlike when she was a cheeky elementary school student, Ellie, who had begun to take an interest in adorning herself, occasionally spent time with Isouyeon and the other girls like this.

There were occasional days when they would go out separately.

Anyway, Isuyeon once again said to Ellie, who seemed to be texting Ido Yun.

“Why haven’t you announced that you’re dating yet? It keeps giving them a chance, you know? So, yesterday wasn’t it Yang Jiyun who confessed?”

“We’re not dating yet. But, wait? Yang Jiyun? She confessed?”

“Oh, she told me in secret…”

“Ido Yun is dead.”

“He didn’t say anything either? I thought Ido Yun was kind…”

“I’m going to kill her.”

“Sorry, Ido Yun!”

Ido Yun receives quite a lot of confessions. He is the kind of person who can’t help but receive confessions. Handsome, good personality, kind, and fun… and handsome.

However, on the other hand, there are very few guys who confess to Ellie.

Sometimes, guys who play around subtly confess as if it’s a joke, but other than that, there is no one who dares to challenge Ellie.

Among guys, Ido Yun is the only one who hangs out with Ellie and probably has a tough personality that is not easily approached by Ellie.

“Anyway! Because you guys always say things like ‘We’re childhood friends…’ the kids can’t give up.”

“So what?”

“Well… couldn’t it give the impression that you guys are just fooling around in the eyes of others?”

This is what girls actually talk behind their backs. In fact, they say that Ido Yun plays with other girls while pretending not to be dating.

But actually, there are hardly any rumors about Ido Yun, who receives a lot of confessions… It’s a woman’s nature to be jealous of other women.

Upon hearing her worrying words, Ellie snorted.

“Ha. We’re not managing an aquarium. Why should I care about liking someone and then closing my heart alone? Well, what if the feelings disappear if we say we’re dating?”

“Well… that might be true?”

Isuyeon became somewhat convinced.

Certainly, aside from saying ‘we’re not dating,’ there wasn’t much room for misunderstanding with other people.

Ido Yun is kind to everyone, but he never gave a green light as a man to anyone.

“Speaking of which, when and where did Yang Jiyun confess?”

“Sorry, I can’t say because we promised. It was a real mistake just now.”

“Then you should tell Ido Yun. See you at home. He’s dead.”

“Ido Yun, I’m really, really sorry…!”

Actually, Isuyeon didn’t feel sorry for him at all. She was just disappointed that she couldn’t witness Ido Yun being questioned by Ellie.

It was a genuine mistake, but since they wouldn’t actually fight about this, it doesn’t matter.

The sight of Lee Doyoon sighing and muttering, “Ah… Lee Soyeon…” in the classroom tomorrow is already highly anticipated.

While chatting away, during a momentary pause in the conversation…

“……”

Observing Ellie, who had pursed her lips while fiddling with her phone, Lee Soyeon realized that her own feelings, which she had confessed – that she liked Alicia as much as Doyoon – remained unchanged.

She could still understand why Doyoon would describe Ellie as a ‘princess’ even now.

Having seen Doyoon draw Ellie, the princess, for years, Lee Soyeon, too, couldn’t help but become a bit of an otaku.

It was inevitable because Ellie was that beautiful.

Even in the current appearance with a school uniform shirt and a hoodie, it was like looking at a photoshoot.

Gazing at that beauty that delighted the eyes, Lee Soyeon asked again.

“But why aren’t you dating her?”

Beyond simple small talk, it was a question she genuinely wondered about.

She had refrained from prying too much, thinking they might have their reasons.

Considering the current conversation and not finding any particularly serious reasons from Lee Soyeon’s perspective, she finally raised the question properly.

“……”

Simultaneously, Ellie took her eyes off the phone and looked at Lee Soyeon. Lee Soyeon, with her long black hair and blue eyes, was reflected in Ellie’s blue eyes.

Objectively, Lee Soyeon was quite cute and pretty.

The lengthened hair since elementary school added femininity, and her playful personality made her friends feel a sense of familiarity.

Thanks to these traits, she was popular, but she had never dated anyone.

Ellie knew that it wasn’t because Lee Soyeon had no interest in dating boys.

Up until two years ago, when Lee Soyeon had short hair, Ellie knew why she had started growing her hair longer.

Yet, knowing Lee Soyeon’s heart, which she never revealed to anyone except her mother, who always treated her like a friend…

“For now… she should remain a childhood friend.”

Except for her mother, whom she always treated like a friend, Ellie revealed her inner thoughts that she had never shared with anyone.

Knowing that she wasn’t the type to get close to someone easily, she still had her own gratitude for Lee Soyeon, who always approached her in a friendly manner.

Therefore, she answered seriously, and Lee Soyeon expressed her doubts once again.

“For now? Why? Is there a reason not to be in a relationship if you’re close?”

“…Because I might ruin it.”

“Ruining what?”

Under the persistent questioning, a blush appeared on Ellie’s snow-white face.

However, without hiding anything, Ellie realized she wanted to gossip a bit with her friend and opened her mouth.

As a close female friend, she poured out her peculiar inner thoughts.

“If we date… I feel like I won’t be able to hold back. Like I’ll just do everything. Every day… doing nothing else but being with Lee Doyoon…”

“……”

“……”

“……”

“……What? Is it weird?”

“No… I couldn’t help but agree 200%.”

In her answer filled with an adult-rated scent, although there was no chance, Lee Soyeon thought that if Ellie said something unreasonable, she might genuinely confront Lee Doyoon again.

She completely understood 200%.

She felt like she knew what that feeling was like.

Not just handsome but subtly mixed with cuteness, Lee Doyoon.

If they were to date.

As lovers, not childhood friends, the feeling of not knowing what she might do once the limits in her heart were lifted.

“I understand. Yeah. I totally get it. That’s unavoidable.”

Lee Soyeon understood.

***

Because a friend they were waiting for suddenly received a call to return home, Ellie and Lee Soyeon ended up leaving school together.

“Where should we go? Want to check out Naverly on the tablet while eating something? There were a lot of summer new arrivals.”

“No. Let’s go see underwear. I need some these days.”

“…They grew again? Seriously, shamelessly growing without telling me? You won’t share with me?”

“I won’t share.”

Having such a conversation, as they headed towards the underwear store Ellie had decided on beforehand,

On their way, they bumped into a girl.

“……”

“……”

“Ah, Ju Hye-ryeong…”

As if she didn’t like her, the top student of Class 1 glanced sharply at Ellie… She excelled academically and didn’t mess around unnecessarily.

A pretty girl of the same age as Ellie, with long straight black hair parted to one side, revealing her forehead, a different type from Ellie.

Ju Hye-ryeong.

The combination of her thick black hair and shining platinum hair was beautiful, yet the atmosphere itself was quite harsh.

After staring at Ellie’s face for a brief moment, she turned her head without saying a word and walked away.

Once the suffocating situation passed, Yiso-yeon sighed in relief.

“So, you used to laugh so flirtatiously in front of Lee Do-yoon…”

“Hmph. What can I do?”

“That’s what I’m saying. After all, Lee Do-yoon is yours.”

“That’s right.”

Ju Hye-ryeong had openly fallen for Lee Do-yoon since first grade and still persistently pursued him, albeit subtly.

But it was clear to everyone that Lee Do-yoon had feelings for Ellie, which is why Ju Hye-ryeong had harbored great animosity towards Ellie since first grade.

Of course, there was no chance for Lee Do-yoon to go to Ju Hye-ryeong, so it wasn’t a concern.

Still, it was inevitable that Ellie found Ju Hye-ryeong bothersome. She continued to pursue Lee Do-yoon and honestly, she was pretty. But from the beginning, Ellie had disliked her openly.

“If it weren’t for Lee Do-yoon, she would’ve had her pick of any other guy…Why Lee Do-yoon of all people…Sigh.”

But even if Ellie paid more attention, it would only ruin her mood. So, Yiso-yeon headed back to the lingerie shop she had originally planned to go to with Ellie.

“But are you really not going to Nenean? Is the money okay?”

“I have my mom.”

“Well, that’s good…If it’s your style, by any chance…are you buying it to show him?”

“……”

“Wait. What’s with this reaction? You’re not actually planning to…”

“…I might show it by accident.”

“I won’t be able to bear it if you don’t buy it! But what are you planning to show him?”

“What does it matter if I show Lee Do-yoon a bra or panties? And who said I would show anything? I might just…”

“Just go and ask him out! What’s with the childhood friend!”

She teased her while being mischievous.

But if by any chance, something like ‘that’ were to happen, she definitely, definitely wanted to hear the details.

Yiso-yeon enjoyed her time with her most beautiful, closest, and favorite friend.