Because this is my first loveW. Gotseol-young (꽃서령)
The memory of that day is still vivid to this day.
Leaving the school I had grown fond of,
Unable to adapt to my new school, I hid quietly in a deserted room.
"There's no one here... but there's someone here, right?"
Beyond the gently opened door,
There was a boy with incredibly large eyes.
Seeing his face, I stared at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion.
An incredibly small face, eyes that take up half of the face, sharp features...
I couldn't take my eyes off it.
...Huh? But I feel like I've seen this face somewhere before...
It's rare to find such a perfect face.
Before I could think, a sharp voice came from across the room.
"What are you looking at?"
It was a cold voice that suited his good looks.
Feeling awkward, I instinctively bowed my head slightly.
Seriously, I've seen this face before...
It gives off an icy, cold impression...Ice? Ice!?
Memories suddenly came flooding back, as if by magic.
Reflexively, I looked up and stared at him.
Yes, this is definitely the face.
"...You're kidding."
I have to run.
That was all I could do at the time.
-
To explain my insignificant relationship with him,
We need to go back a year.
At the time, I had just turned 18 and had failed miserably on my first mock exam.
It was because I got too cocky because I did well on my final mock exam as a freshman.
That whole day I wandered around school feeling like I had lost my soul.
Were you surprised to see me like that?
Kang took my hand and led me to my favorite dessert cafe.
"Your face looks dead."
Even though he was brought here by force,
The moment I took a bite of the sweets, I felt a little better.
Apparently he was trying to comfort her by saying, "There's always next time. You've done your best."
It didn't resonate with me.
It's even more pathetic when someone who's always been in second place is comforted by being in first place...
My head naturally dropped and I pressed my forehead against the table and muttered.
"In this March mock exam, I got more than half of the essay questions wrong.
Why are you suddenly publishing scientific papers?
There's no way I, a liberal arts student, could solve such a math and science problem."
"Yeah, it was difficult even for me, a science major."
If it's difficult even for science students, then it must be hellish for humanities students.
The anger that had been calmed by the sweet treats flared up again.
I looked up and stabbed the cake with my fork.
"Today's questioner, I want you to be walking down the street and suddenly be caught in a downpour!"
"Considering how angry you are, isn't the punishment too light?"
Kang, resting his chin at an angle, said with a chuckle.
Well, I can't tell you to die.
I just created a slightly difficult question...
As I said this, I hesitated.
Honestly, the reason didn't matter.
It's my fault for getting cocky with my results last time and slacking off this time.
"Ok, after I eat this, I'll start preparing for the next mock exam.
If he falls again, I'll have to bring him back."
As if it were natural, Kang picked up the crumbs from my mouth with his fingers.
I just took a bite and ate it.
If it had been any other boy, it would have been embarrassing,
I've known Kang since I was little, so I'm used to that kind of behavior.
"Well... just look!"
"Hmm? What?"
"Isn't that guy over there drinking the chocolate smoothie really handsome?"
Kang turns around too.
I looked at his face and my eyes lit up.
How can you have a face like that?
Then Khan's face clouded over with a look of dissatisfaction.
"I don't think it's that bad either..."
Are you trying to say that you're not bad either?
Kang glared, chewing on the end of his straw.
In fact, Kang is quite handsome.
There are constant confessions at school too.
But to me, it doesn't feel like a man...
Maybe because we're childhood friends, I don't see it that way.
"Yeah, yeah, Kang is cool too."
Kang's eye twitched.
Apparently he saw through my attempts to calm him down.
That's true, but it's also cool...
"Oh no, our eyes met."
My eyes met his and I instinctively looked down.
After a few seconds, I looked up again and saw him muttering something.
Huh, are you talking to me?
The "love at first sight" scenes often seen in romance novels replayed in my mind...
My eyes fell on the wireless earphones.
"...Oh, he's on the phone."
Wasn't he talking to me?
I feel embarrassed that I felt a little excited for just a moment.
I slurp my coffee through the straw to hide my embarrassment.
He left the cafe without paying me any attention.
"He really is the Ice Prince."
"...What's a prince?"
That's what I thought at the time.
He was just a passing person who passed through my daily life like a gentle breeze.
──Until that time.
Bang!
"Ah, that's terrible..."
The coffee that spilled from my hand soaked his shirt.
His chocolate smoothie rolled to the floor.
Before I even noticed the pain in my forehead, the stain on my shirt caught my eye.
I cried out, squeezing my eyes shut as I backed away in a panic.
"S-sorry!!"
"Are you okay?!"
Kang, who had followed behind, saw the situation and his eyes widened.
When he asked me, "Are you okay?" I nodded with relief.
"Um, I'll pay for the cleaning!
I'm really, really sorry!!"
Can you pay for the cleaning fee?
"Huh?" I asked, looking up, and what I saw was--
A shirt with a famous luxury brand logo.
Oh no, I did it.
I knew he looked rich, but I didn't realize he was actually the heir of a wealthy family.
As I panicked, I heard Khan's low voice from behind me.
"I'll pay. Is that okay?"
It was clear from his voice that he was annoyed.
I was shocked and my eyes widened as Kan wavered between polite and casual speech.
Kang is from a wealthy family, so maybe he was just being pushy...
I found that a bit unsettling.
I grabbed his arm to stop him, and then he (the Ice Prince) spoke.
"I don't need the cleaning fee. Just the smoothie fee."
His voice was neither polite nor completely casual, so I was a bit taken aback, but I nodded.
"Is that okay...?" I asked him with my eyes, and he said,
"Is that not okay?" he replied.
I quickly took out my wallet and gave him the money for the smoothie.
I was filled with relief and gratitude.
...That's what was supposed to happen.
"Why is this person here?!"
Could it be the same high school student?
That alone was surprising, but the fact that we went to the same school.
As I stood there in shock, my eyes met his.
He stared at me with a blank expression.
He seemed to not even remember my face, so I laughed awkwardly.
"...Oh, I was wrong," he said, stepping back.
That was when it happened.
"Hey."
With that one word, my body stiffened.