Chapter 9
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 9 – A Day of Misfortune
—–CROW—–
My daily routine at school was always the same.
I’d stroll into the classroom about 10 minutes before class started.
And then I’d sit through lectures that made me question why I was paying tuition.
Before I knew it, it would be lunchtime.
I usually ate lunch with Han Seo-ah, Seo Young-joo, and Kim Na-yeon.
Na-yeon was a female friend I’d met at university, like Young-joo. We became acquainted through Seo-ah, just as Young-joo and I became closer through her.
Anyway,
That wasn’t important right now.
“So, what are we doing now?”
“…I don’t know. Why are you asking me?”
The important thing was that I had nothing to do because I’d arrived at school an hour earlier than usual.
“This is all because you came early, unlike usual.”
“…This is my fault?”
“Then whose fault is it?”
“I went all the way to wake you up because you told me not to leave you behind today.”
“Right. So, why did you ditch me yesterday?”
“…Huh?”
Han Seo-ah, who had been annoyed just moments ago, was now flustered by the sudden question.
“My mom said you even came to my house. There must be a reason why you left without waking me up.”
“Did she? I don’t remember.”
“…Are you seriously playing dumb right now?”
“I don’t know! I don’t remember!”
Wow.
If she didn’t know, she didn’t know. Why was she suddenly getting angry?
‘…Her anger makes it even more suspicious.’
My past experiences as Han Seo-ah’s childhood friend told me that her reaction was very suspicious.
As if responding to my suspicion, the now-familiar sentences appeared.
[I can’t tell him that I was staring at his sleeping face and got caught by his mother, so I ran away.]
[I asked his mother not to tell him, so no one will know if I keep my mouth shut.]
“…”
So that’s what happened.
I was wondering why she came to my house but left without waking me up.
To think she was staring at my sleeping face and got caught by my mom.
Actually, it wasn’t that strange that she left me in that situation.
I would have been flustered too if I was caught by her mother staring at her sleeping face.
Of course, the premise of staring at someone’s sleeping face was strange to begin with.
What kind of crazy person stares at their sleeping childhood friend?
Especially when she was about to be late for class.
Staring at someone who might be late?
That didn’t seem easy to me.
Anyway.
What’s done is done.
“So, what are we really doing now?”
“…I don’t know.”
We were still plagued by the problem of having nothing to do.
What should we do?
Should we go to a nearby cafe?
As I picked up my smartphone to search for nearby cafes, I heard a hesitant voice beside me.
“…Lee Si-woo?”
“What?”
“If you have nothing to do, want to go to a cafe?”
“I was just thinking about that…”
“Thinking about what?”
“Would it be okay? Going to a cafe, just the two of us?”
This was my concern.
We were already mistaken as a couple in our department.
What would people think if they saw us, the only two people who came to school early, sitting together at a cafe?
‘…Instant confirmation of a campus couple.’
Coming to school together because we lived nearby was understandable.
But coming to school early and sitting together at a nearby cafe? Even I wouldn’t understand that.
Han Seo-ah asked again, as if she didn’t understand what I meant.
“Why would that matter?”
“Well, if someone we know sees us, rumors will spread that we’re a campus couple. Is that okay with you?”
“…Ah. Is that what you meant?”
How else did she interpret my words?
I was curious, but unfortunately, no sentences appeared this time, probably because she wasn’t lying.
“That is a bit of a problem. I don’t want to be labeled a campus couple with an idiot like you.”
“…Why am I an idiot?”
“Then what should I do? I don’t want to be seen as a couple with you, but I have nowhere else to go.”
[A campus couple with Si-woo? Just imagining it makes me happy.]
[Should I just confess? Telling Na-yeon that Si-woo and I are dating has been on my bucket list.]
They say you shouldn’t look into the abyss of a person’s heart.
Han Seo-ah’s inner thoughts, which I couldn’t help but see, were beyond my imagination.
What kind of bucket list item was that?
Usually, people hide their campus couple status to avoid complications if they break up.
As I was shaking my head in disbelief, Han Seo-ah declared that she had finished her contemplation.
“I guess I have no choice. I’ll make the sacrifice.”
“…Sacrifice?”
“I’ll risk being rumored as your girlfriend and go to the cafe with you.”
[God, please let someone I know see Si-woo and me alone at the cafe.]
“…”
There was a reason why people said not to tell lies when your inner thoughts were visible.
It sounded so pathetic when you knew the truth.
If I hadn’t known, I might have been a little touched.
“…Sigh.”
“Why are you sighing? I’m making a sacrifice for you.”
[Si-woo doesn’t want to go, does he?]
[No way. This is a rare date opportunity.]
Han Seo-ah’s audacity would make even a shapeshifting game character cry.
Sighing again at her shamelessness, I showed her the location of the cafe I found on my smartphone.
“Here. This cafe has a good atmosphere.”
“What? Do you want to go somewhere with a good atmosphere with me? Sorry, but I don’t have feelings for you, Si-woo. We’re just friends.”
[Si-woo wants to go somewhere with a nice atmosphere with me? I’m not ready yet.]
“…Just shut up and follow me, Han Seo-ah.”
“…Yes.”
[I guess I was mistaken. I was a little excited…]
“Sigh.”
How many times was she going to make me sigh today?
This must have been Han Seo-ah’s plan, having heard that sighing was good for your health.
There was no other explanation.
***
We arrived at the cafe, located about three minutes from Hansol University, based on online reviews.
“…Not bad.”
“Right? The reviews were real.”
I let out a small exclamation at the cafe’s unexpectedly beautiful interior.
Han Seo-ah also spoke in wonder.
“To think Lee Si-woo had the talent to find a place like this.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Is this really the same Lee Si-woo who always goes to the same places because he’s too lazy to look for new ones?”
“…”
I couldn’t think of a rebuttal.
It was true that I always went to the same places because I was lazy.
Han Seo-ah burst into laughter, pointing at me.
“Pfft, look at your face. You’re admitting it, aren’t you?”
“…I don’t usually lie.”
“Pffft. Yeah, that’s Lee Si-woo for you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Stupidly idiotic, but honest. That kind of stupidly idiotic person.”
What?
It sounded like she just called me stupidly idiotic twice.
And what was this?
Why was my face turning red after hearing that?
Unable to understand myself, I spoke curtly to hide my flushed face.
“Hurry up and choose. We don’t have much time.”
“What, are you paying?”
“…Since I chose the cafe. Just this once.”
“Oh… Our Si-woo. All grown up. Buying noona coffee.”
“What’s with the ‘noona’ again? Just because you were born a month earlier.”
“If you’re so upset, you should have been born a month earlier, Si-woo. This noona will have an Americano.”
“…Two iced caramel macchiatos, please.”
“Okay, please have a seat and wait a moment.”
After ordering from the busy-looking barista, we took a seat at one of the empty tables.
Han Seo-ah looked around and said,
“This place is really nice. I should come here with Na-yeon later.”
“…Without me?”
“Why would you be there? It’s my and Na-yeon’s quality time.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
“Do you want to come? If you ask, I might let you join us.”
[Si-woo wants to come here with me again? What do I do? I can’t stop smiling.]
…What kind of fantasy was she living in?
I needed to clarify the misunderstanding before it went too far.
“No, it’s not that. I just didn’t want you to make plans without telling me, like last time.”
“Like last time?”
“Don’t you remember? You suddenly said it was urgent, so I followed you, and it turned out to be a blind date.”
“…I apologized for that. It couldn’t be helped.”
“Anyway, it’s always good to be careful.”
“…Hmph. Fine. Next time, you can beg, and I still won’t let you come.”
[I wanted Si-woo to naturally become my blind date partner that time.]
[Stupid Si-woo. He doesn’t even know my feelings.]
“Cough!”
“Why are you coughing all of a sudden? Do you have a cold?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
I wished she’d give me some warning before showing me those sentences.
It was too much for my heart.
I didn’t want to find Han Seo-ah cute.
It felt like my life was being denied.
This was so different from the Han Seo-ah I knew.
“Here are your two iced caramel macchiatos.”
As I was contemplating the denial of my existence, our coffees arrived.
“…Excuse me?”
“Yes, customer. Do you need anything?”
“Does your cafe usually serve coffee in one cup?”
“Huh? Aren’t you two a couple?”
“…What?”
A single cup of coffee with a heart-shaped straw, clearly advertising the fact that we were a couple.
“I’m so sorry! Our cafe usually serves coffee like this when two people order the same drink…”
“…”
“I’m really sorry!”
The barista bowed her head apologetically, as if everything was her fault.
…I knew I was having a bad day.
It seemed like I was destined for misfortune today.
—–CROW—–
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