A week since pair-senior, pair-junior started.
There was exactly one thing I learned.
Park Wonbin really says nothing.
No, it’s not even just that he says nothing.
"Wonbin, how was class?"
"...It was okay."
"Did you eat cafeteria food?"
"Yes."
"How about with your classmates?"
"...Yes."
The end.
At first, I thought maybe I was asking weird questions.
But I wasn’t.
He was like this with anyone.
Even when his classmates greeted him first in the hallway,
"Wonbin!"
"...Yeah."
The end.
Even when an older female senior talked to him,
"Have you adjusted to school yet?"
"...Yes."
The end.
'Wow...'
'This is a bit much.'
*
Just then, the department had arranged a lunch gathering to follow the freshmen OT after-party.
It was a gathering that the pair senior would attend too.
I deliberately claimed the seat next to Wonbin.
"Sit here."
"...Okay."
Around us were all freshmen.
The mood was noisy.
"Aren’t you looking forward to our department MT?"
"What are you gonna do at the festival?"
"What club are you joining?"
Laughter burst out here and there.
But Wonbin alone was quiet.
He just sipped his water over and over.
'Is he not close with his friends either...?'
Then the senior girl sitting across from us looked at Wonbin and smiled.
"Wonbin."
"...Yes."
"You’re really handsome."
"...Thank you."
"A lot of girls are probably gonna come on to you."
"..."
"..."
"..."
There was no answer.
The senior girl gave an awkward smile too.
"Ah, that’s embarrassing."
Someone beside me muttered softly,
"See?"
"Told you, he’s a prince and all."
"He doesn’t even talk to people."
It sounded louder than I expected.
I glanced at Wonbin for no reason.
His expression didn’t change.
I thought he didn’t even care.
*
After lunch, it was time to walk around campus.
A time for the pair seniors to show us the school facilities.
"The library is here."
"The student union is over there."
"The convenience store stays open late."
While I was explaining, Wonbin quietly followed along.
"Anything you want to know?"
"...No."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"You don’t have to just answer—feel free to ask too."
"..."
Still quiet.
In the end, I laughed.
"Hey."
"...Yes."
"Are you scared of me, by any chance?"
Wonbin looked at me with startled eyes.
"...No."
"Then why won’t you talk?"
"..."
"..."
After moving his lips for a long while, Wonbin finally said,
"...I’m sorry."
"...Huh?"
"I... I’m bad at talking."
That was so unexpected I went blank for a moment.
"At talking?"
"..."
"When I’m nervous."
"..."
"I always have been."
Only then did I start thinking back on the things that had seemed a little off.
How he couldn’t meet people’s eyes well.
How he froze when someone got close.
How he kept stopping right before speaking.
'No way...'
I stared at Wonbin.
"You."
"..."
"Do you maybe have a hard time talking to girls?"
Wonbin’s ears turned red in an instant.
"...Yes."
"...Seriously?"
He gave the tiniest nod.
"Why?"
"...Middle school."
"..."
"High school."
"..."
"...I came from."
I ended up laughing.
"That’s insane."
Wonbin looked flustered.
"...I’m sorry."
"No, that’s not what I meant."
"Huh?"
"So that’s why."
The pieces suddenly clicked into place in my head.
Why people said he was rude.
Why he didn’t talk to anyone.
Why he always went around alone.
All of it.
'So it was because he’s shy around people.'
I somehow felt indignant on his behalf.
'Well, I guess it makes sense that people would misunderstand him.'
If he doesn’t talk, of course he’d come off that way.
"Wonbin."
"...Yes."
"Want me to tell you something?"
"..."
"Right now, in the department."
"..."
"You’ve got a rumor that you’re rude."
Wonbin’s movements stopped completely.
"...Huh?"
"That you’re a prince."
"..."
"..."
"...Me?"
He looked genuinely shocked.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter at that face.
"Is that really that surprising?"
"..."
"Everyone thinks you look down on people."
Wonbin couldn’t say anything for a while.
Then he muttered softly,
"...I don’t."
That one line strangely stuck in my mind.
I don’t.
Really, I don’t.
He looked like someone who couldn’t even defend himself properly.
I laughed with a sigh.
"Got it."
"...?"
"From now on, I’ll defend you."
"..."
"I’ll make sure everyone knows our Wonbin isn’t rude."
Wonbin stared at me blankly.
After a while.
"...Thank you."
This time, he smiled a little more easily than before.
The moment I saw that, I was sure of it.
Park Wonbin wasn’t a prince.
He was just.
A person who was a little too bad at socializing.
