She has such an innocent face, and after a while, everyone starts to murmur, wondering if it's okay to just make this public or if they need to discuss it. Yeo-ju also looks away from Tae-san and joins the murmur.
Then Jihyun says, "But who would say why it's a free choice?" In fact, this is the question Yeoju was most curious about. Then Seongho says,
"Once X is revealed, you'll feel more free. It'll be easier to talk and show off."
"What?"
"No, something like 'my X'?"
"That kind of thing...lol"
Ah, I understand after hearing what Seongho said. So this process can tell who you care about more between X and the new person. Not only is it easy to talk to X, but it also allows you to show off that your X is this guy and we had a lot of memories together and that you and he loved each other. Well, some people might say that they'll tell you first since it'll be known anyway, but Yeoju is curious about Taesan's choice. So she looks at him again and oh my, Taesan smiles at Yeoju without taking his eyes off her, so he taps his fingers twice on the desk and gets up from his seat.
"I'm just going to the bathroom for a bit, so don't talk about anything fun without me."
Tapping your fingers twice and getting up is the hand signal that Taesan and Yeoju used in high school. The secret love that Yeoju suggested during those romantic times, although short, was the happiest and most youthful moment. When Taesan would tell Yeoju to go out with his phone while he was with other people, he would quickly check her reaction and get up, and Yeoju would also quickly get up. One time, Yeoju would say that phones are not romantic and insist on a hand signal, but Taesan would just sit there and watch her without saying anything and smile. Tapping your fingers twiceLet's go outTwo weeks after it was decided to do it, the rumor had already spread around the school.
In fact, even though they knew it before, their romance didn't interfere. Yeo-ju, who insisted on using that hand signal even after it was all known because she liked it, still remembers it. In fact, that action was something people did without thinking, so even when Tae-san wasn't around, she remembered it so well that her body would move just by seeing the signal. After they broke up, she didn't even lift a finger from the desk. I wondered if Tae-san would remember. But Tae-san eventually pulled it out of his memory. Even the signal that Yeo-ju was afraid to use.
"Oh, I'll go to the bathroom anyway. I have to wait for Taesan anyway, so let's have some free time."
"Yeah, right."
"Oh, then me too"
Encouraged by Ji-ye's words, Yeo-ju quickly gets up from her seat and quickly escapes their gaze. Tae-san is waiting for her as she ascends the stairs. He smiles as if he remembered her, and it's impossible to dislike that. Yeo-ju raises her arm and asks, "Why?" Tae-san quietly takes her arm and climbs up. Yeo-ju, who has settled down somewhere out of sight,
"why?"
"Wow, Kim Yeo-ju, did you remember this?"
"Has it been a year since we broke up?"
"Huh, that's unexpected."
"I have nothing to say"
"We need to talk."
"What? You're not going to reveal it?"
"huh"
"...why?"
"After hearing what Seongho said, I think I should also take up a shield."
"What? Don't do that. I don't want attention."
"...I want to do it"
"No, do you just want to do it or do you really want to show off or something?"
"Of course I want to show it. How many times have I confessed to you so far?"
"Do I have to come out and talk about it?"
"But do you think it's okay if it doesn't come out?"
"why"
"Jaehyun hyung told me 100 times that he really wanted to know your X"
"Oh, Eva"
"Did you two talk behind my back?"
"What are you talking about? If you at least talk behind my back, I won't be in trouble."
"What, you secretly confessed to me there?"
"What did you say..? I don't know, I wasn't swearing."
It's not that I'm cursing, it's just that I'm being petty and irritable because I don't know how I feel about Taesan, and if I tell Taesan this, I'm going to be so embarrassed. From the beginning, I only gave Jaehyeom advice on things I couldn't tell Taesan, so now I feel a little embarrassed that Jaehyun might find out who the person I was counseling was.
"What? What did Kim Yeo-ju say about me?"
"Don't look at me like that."
"why?"
"Oh, don't do it. Just don't go public... just don't do it."
"Can I tell you if someone asks?"
".......Ah, Han Tae-san, really"
"If you hate it so much, I won't do it. I hate being hated by you even if I die."
"Why doesn't the child have a backbone?"
"Why don't you have my backbone when you have it?"
"Ah, this is why I really hate it..!"
"Oh, you don't like this? Oh, this can't be fixed."
"Oh, okay. How many minutes have you been gone?"
"I'll go first, so you can cool off."
"and....!!!"
"lol"
Oh, Taesan, you're such a real player. Is it okay for you not to leave Yeoju alone for even a moment? Before you know it, Yeoju's temper is rising, and those words seem to be heating her up even more.
.
.
.
.
As Sisan passes by and goes down, you can hear everyone gathered together talking. When Jihyun asks what they are talking about, she laughs it off as useless talk and says that since she is in Yeoju, she should start slowly, creating a serious atmosphere as if it were a test. She pretends not to be conscious of Taesan.
"What should I do with this?"
"But is there anyone who doesn't like to make it public?"
"If everyone seems okay with it, let's do a random round and have exactly 2 out of 3 people say something?"
"Oh good, should I turn it?"
"yes yes"
Come? Then I just talked to Taesan for nothing. Taesan is also in a serious situation right now, as if this is a variable. This is something that should be brought up randomly, but since Yeoju stepped forward and told her not to do it, it had to be brought up. Yeoju, Taesan is a bit uneasy right now, which is funny. I hold back the laughter that is about to burst out, and I hope it will pass quietly. At that moment, the wheel that Jiye had turned stopped and turned towards Yeoju, causing Yeoju's heart rate to rise slightly, but when she realized that it was directed at Jihyun and not her, her heart rate plummeted.
"Wow, what is this, Jihyun's sister?"
"Uh, uh... what is this? Are you revealing this...?"
"If that's okay?"
"Uh...um...what should I do about that?"
"Wow, that must be really burdensome. Then what should I teach you?"
"Oh, let me tell you, Jihyun is my X and we dated for 3 years."
Huh? You're saying that Unhak's X is Jihyun right now? What did you say last time? The person you said you'd left was Jihyun, the person Yeoju liked the most. I can sense a look of discomfort on Jihyun's face right now.
"Oh, it's public like this...? Wow, this is really unexpected."
"That's right, I was thinking of Seongho."
"Oh my, why are you saying that?"
"And we broke up without any problems."
"What, this makes me wonder why?"
Oh, Jo Yeon's words just now silenced everyone. Seeing Ji Hyun's laughter fading as soon as Unhak revealed it, everyone tried to lighten the mood with a joke. Jo Yeon, for no reason, aroused everyone's curiosity by asking why. Yeo Joo watched Ji Hyun's reaction, and all she saw was an awkward smile.
"For various reasons"
"What are the reasons? There are various reasons."
"...."
Ah, Jo Yeon-ssi... I just wish you would stop talking to our Yeo-ju. Even Un-hak seems to be showing signs of discomfort now. The reason why only Yeo-ju knows vaguely is because someone's heart has left, so even Yeo-ju herself may not have wanted to reveal it.
"Well, you don't really have to answer, do you? Should we go back now?"
Ah, the affection for Ji-hyun and Un-hak that was boiling inside Yeo-ju overcame her shyness and she finally said those words, and everyone agreed that it was true, but she regained her energy by asking what was wrong with the atmosphere and saying, "What is this?" Ji-hyun's relaxed expression seemed to be telling Yeo-ju that she did well. When she felt at ease, you could feel Tae-san's gaze.
That smile was probably a compliment. Taesan smiled at Yeoju, who had mustered up some courage but whose voice was a little trembling. Yeoju quickly turned her head away. Then, before she knew it, the roulette wheel had spun, and it was headed in the exact opposite direction, and there was Jaehyun.
"Wow, is this real?"
"Brother, speak coolly like me."
"Are you really doing this?"
"Hey, Unhak did it too."
Jaehyun takes his time with an awkward smile, asking if he can really say this, and everyone jokingly criticizes him, saying things like, "You're older than Unhak." Yeoju also smiles and looks much more at ease when she sees Jihyun. At that moment, through the laughter,
"Oh, just say it quickly."
"....either you reveal it"
"I taught you, oppa."
"Was Unhak also pointed out and did it?"
"It's even stranger when you turn off the time."
What's going on right now? Jaehyun, who had been trying to dissuade Jiye by laughing at her words that broke the silence, suddenly loses his smile and looks at Jiye. Ah, just as expected, Jiye is Jihyun's X. Was it really right not to reveal the X? The good atmosphere suddenly turns tense and everyone's laughter disappears.
"Oh, then I'll do it?"
"..."
"Kim Ji-ye and I dated for a year and then broke up."
".... Really..?"
"Do you have any questions?"
Honestly, I wonder how much pain the two of them must have caused each other to look at each other like that. When everyone fell silent at Jaehyun's question, Jiye, as if she had been waiting for it, asked who would ask in this atmosphere, and Jaehyun told her to be quiet. Although no one was shouting or raising their voices, the fact that they were both speaking in whispers made it even more tense. When Jihyun whispered to them to just end it, Yeoju nodded.
"Uh... I did it for about two people, but isn't there anyone else who wants to do it? No, it's too late."
"Oh, right, already...um, uh"
"Uh..! I'll go to bed first. I'm so tired today.."
As soon as our female protagonist Jihyun catches his eye, he bravely stands up and says he'll go in first. Jiye is the first to apologize and leave, and everyone else responds that it's okay, saying that he was brave. The female protagonist feels even more uncomfortable in this atmosphere, so she quickly gets up and quickly goes upstairs. Taesan completely forgets about it and is left with only embarrassment.
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When I entered the room, Jiye was lying on the bed. Ah, wouldn't it be better not to come in? Our heroine fidgeted and slowly closed the door slightly. When I came in, Jiye had packed up the blanket and rolled it up.
"I'm sorry, Yeoju, for making the atmosphere like this."
"Oh, no...! That could be true."
"I'm so annoyed, for real"
"Oh, it might be annoying, but just rest a bit. Everyone's fine."
"....I look weird"
"no?"
"...Sorry, I need to rest."
"Hey, good night"
Ji-ye, with a face I'd never seen before, lies down again, pulling the blanket over her head. Yeo-ju, seeing this, slowly opens the door and goes out. Somehow, she feels she shouldn't stay any longer. Yeo-ju, wondering what to do, heads for the terrace, but only when she grabs the handle does she realize Un-hak is inside.
"Oh, there it was."
"Oh, come in, it doesn't matter."
"okay?"
"Why did you come?"
"No, Jiye, rest."
"I'm surprised. What's going on with X-public?"
"I thought you'd be a bit more serious, but this kind of atmosphere is a bit..."
"So, if Kim Yeo-ju hadn't been there earlier, the atmosphere would have been even worse."
"Was it cool? But I was freaking out."
"lol"
"I'm really shy, so I can't really say things like that."
"I should have said it, but the words didn't come out."
"That could be possible"
"I told you something last time."
"Uh...uh"
"I'm saying this because I'm afraid you might misunderstand, but since you seem close to Jihyun noona, it wasn't bad that Jihyun noona left me, it was natural. I felt like I had to tell you this."
"....Uh...um...it's become really special"
"ㅋㅋㅋㅋYou and Jihyun noona are close and only you know"
"It's cool, even an explanation that isn't an explanation"
"I have to do it"
".....But what's so obvious? Unless you're a bad person."
"He might have been a bad guy"
"It's not that they're both bad, it's just that people change at different rates."
".....I just think I stepped on the accelerator"
"What is this... I don't know anything about it"
"Hahahaha, it's okay, just listen"
"I really can't console you, so I can only give you some encouragement..."
"ㅋㅋㅋThis is really hard"
"Don't lie when you don't have any strength left."
"Aren't you talented at comforting others?"
"...Really? I said something cool earlier."
Since Unhak can't straighten his hunched shoulders, it seems he doesn't have the talent to comfort Yeoju. All he can do now is to chat with him so he doesn't feel lonely, but Yeoju has nothing to say and can only sit next to him with her eyes closed.
Tonight is bound to be a noisy night. Some people will have a noisy head and a noisy heart and can't sleep. Some people will have a hard time keeping their eyes closed.
"Let's go, you're sleepy."
"Oh, I got caught."
"You go first"
"Oh, okay, cheer up."
In the end, all she could do was cheer up, but she yawned and went into her room, thinking that it would be better than seeing Unhak lost in his thoughts here alone. And that's how our Yeoju's day passed by. Unhak's day wasn't over, and neither was anyone else's day.