Caramel Popcorn

50

Caramel popcorn [Caramel popcorn]

50.

...

"Where's Yeonjun right now?"

At my question, Jiu and Yewon made eye contact at the same time.

김지우 image

김지우

"Hmm?"

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최예원

"I think he was with Jaehyun earlier?"

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오여주

"Jaehyun too?"

At the mention that he was with Jaehyun, I found myself biting my lip tightly.

Thinking about how he seemed to have been running around everywhere for me all day yesterday, awkwardness aside, a corner of my heart felt strangely uncomfortable.

오여주 image

오여주

"I should say thank you, but..."

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김지우

"To who?"

At Jiu's question, I thought for a moment.

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오여주

"Both?"

At my answer, Jiu let out a snort of a laugh.

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김지우

"Then why are you hesitating?"

오여주 image

오여주

"Yeah, exactly..."

I don't know.

I just feel grateful to both of them...

Still shaken by this feeling of awkwardness, even the obvious thoughts and actions wouldn't come out easily, as if they were buffering.

Then.

"Yeoju!"

At the voice calling from far away, I turned around and saw Jaehyun walking toward me from the end of the hallway.

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명재현

"Are you okay?"

Coming straight up in front of me, Jaehyun opened his mouth while shifting his gaze to my arm.

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명재현

"I heard you got a bruise on your arm."

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오여주

"How did you know?"

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명재현

"Yeonjun..."

Jaehyun stopped the hand he had raised, as if he was naturally about to take my arm.

And just before it reached my arm, he lowered it right away.

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명재현

"...Ah, sorry."

The moment I saw that, I remembered what I had said a few days ago.

'The kindness you give so casually makes me uncomfortable.'

I was the one who drew the line first.

But when I saw Jaehyun being this careful...

'This is weird...'

I waved one arm around for no reason and said,

오여주 image

오여주

"It's okay. I barely even have a bruise."

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명재현

"That's a relief."

Jaehyun gave a short reply and smiled.

He didn't tousle my hair like before, didn't come close, and didn't add any unnecessary words.

'He changed that fast...'

It was what I wanted, though...

Why is this bothering me so much...?

오여주 image

오여주

"But where's Yeonjun?"

Wanting to get out of the awkward mood, I asked about Yeonjun's whereabouts first.

Then Jaehyun, who had been smiling just a moment ago, strangely let the corners of his mouth drop.

After looking at me for a moment, Jaehyun pointed toward the rooftop.

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명재현

"I saw him going up earlier."

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오여주

"The rooftop?"

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명재현

"Yeah."

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오여주

"Thanks."

I immediately turned toward the stairs.

But...

After only a few steps, I stopped walking.

Something felt off.

If it were normal, he would have asked where I was going, or said he'd come with me and followed along...

But I couldn't hear anything.

When I glanced back, I could already see Jaehyun's back as he walked toward Jiu and Yewon.

It was funny to be thinking about it now, but maybe this feeling of being bothered was because I felt sorry toward you...

오여주 image

오여주

"Jaehyun."

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명재현

"Hm?"

I started talking, trying to shake off even that feeling.

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오여주

"Thanks."

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명재현

"...For what?"

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오여주

"Yesterday. You said you looked around with me because of me."

Jaehyun looked at me for a moment, then smiled softly.

"It wasn't anything special."

"Still, thank you."

After finishing those words, I let Jaehyun turn away and leave as he turned back again...

I stared at that back for a long time before pouting my lips.

I tried to wash away my guilt, but the distance I felt only made another feeling grow larger.

A sense of emptiness.

...

Clack-

When I opened the rooftop door, a cool breeze brushed across my face.

And there was Yeonjun's back.

Yeonjun, who had been leaning on the railing and looking at his phone, seemed startled by the sound of someone there and turned his head. When he found me, I could see his eyes widen a little.

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최연준

"Yeoju...?"

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오여주

"So you were here."

As I walked closer one step at a time, Yeonjun put his phone in his pocket and stood up.

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최연준

"Were you looking for me?"

I came right up in front of Yeonjun and held up my phone, shaking it in front of his eyes.

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오여주

"I saw the apology post."

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최연준

"Ah..."

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오여주

"You said you were the one who found it."

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최연준

"I looked for it with Jaehyun."

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오여주

"I know."

Scratching the back of his neck, Yeonjun gave an awkward smile.

Looking steadily at him, I smiled and told him how I felt.

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오여주

"Thank you."

When I finished speaking briefly, Yeonjun stared at me intently.

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오여주

"Why?"

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최연준

"I just thought it was funny."

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오여주

"What was?"

Taking his gaze away from me, Yeonjun let out a snort of a laugh.

"Yesterday you said it wasn't the time for you to be doing this with me."

Ah.

Right.

'Because right now I'm the worst kind of bitch who stole my friend's boyfriend.'

The words I had said came back to me exactly as they were.

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오여주

"That was... yesterday."

As I stumbled over my words, unable to hide my fluster, Yeonjun seemed to find the situation funny and, still smiling, turned his head toward me and asked,

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최연준

"What about today?"

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오여주

"The false accusation's been cleared up."

I answered quickly, trying to hide the fact that I was flustered.

At my answer, Yeonjun's mouth slowly lifted at the corners.

"Then can you be with me now?"

For a moment, I was speechless.

'Why would he say it like that?'

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오여주

"No, I mean..."

Clack-

남학생

"Choi Yeonjun!"

Suddenly the rooftop door opened, and someone called out to Yeonjun.

남학생

"The teacher's looking for you..."

The boy's gaze, lost between me and Yeonjun.

남학생

"...so."

An oddly awkward silence fell.

I quietly stepped one pace away from Yeonjun.

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오여주

"I'll go first."

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최연준

"Come with me."

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오여주

"Go where?"

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최연준

"I have to go too."

Then Yeonjun casually stepped one pace closer to my side.

I hurried out through the rooftop door first and remembered the conversation we had just been having.

'Then can you be with me now?'

...

'Seriously, why would you say it like that?'

With my flushed cheeks hidden by my long hair, I kept walking...

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자까

You were surprised because you had to start reading again from episode 50, right? ㅜㅜ I think the writing quality dropped a bit because it had been a while since I wrote, and then I wrote in a rush, so I revised it again ㅜㅜ I'll think it over again and try to write with even better quality!!

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