Ch.141141. If I Were Alone

Seo-eun took Juyeon to an Italian restaurant that was quite popular among students near the school.

The place was also known as a photo spot.

She knew Juyeon wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about such things, but still, it was about the mood.

“Juyeon, what would you like to drink? Should we order some sweet cocktails today?”

Seo-eun was usually kind, but today her friendliness was more than doubled.

“…Sure. But I don’t really know the types, so you order for me.”

“Excuse me!”

When Seo-eun raised her hand, a staff member took their order and left.

“Haah…”

Now it was time to get to the main point.

Direct speech would be more helpful than awkward small talk about recent events.

“Um… so… when did you find out?”

“A few days ago.”

“Did Suhyeok or Hana tell you directly?”

“…No.”

Perhaps it would have been better if they had just told her.

She didn’t want to see the two of them buying such things at the convenience store anyway.

“Then how?”

“I happened to see them. On a date.”

“I see…”

Suhyeok and Hana hanging out together was an everyday occurrence.

But judging by how Juyeon had definitively called it a “date,” Seo-eun easily deduced that it must have involved excessive displays of affection.

“…It must have been hard for you.”

Juyeon pressed her lips tightly together.

Seeing her like that, Seo-eun quickly offered words of comfort.

“Ahaha. Ah… those two really have no tact. Sheesh. Not thinking about you at all.”

“I’ll scold them properly and tell them not to do weird things in the club room.”

“Order whatever you want today! It’s on me!”

The two began sipping the cocktails that had arrived.

Seo-eun was explaining to the silent Juyeon how many wonderful men there were in the world.

“Juyeon, guys like Suhyeok aren’t worth it. Let me be honest with you.”

“Just wait and see about that Hana girl. She’ll probably get frustrated with Suhyeok’s behavior soon enough.”

“Besides his personality, he’s going to the military soon. Ugh! She’s in for a tough time! Really tough!”

Though she had no ill feelings toward Suhyeok, Seo-eun wanted to focus entirely on Juyeon.

“…You think so?”

“Absolutely!”

“So… does that mean I can hope that Hana will give up on Suhyeok soon…?”

Put that way, Seo-eun couldn’t give a definitive answer.

“Ah… well, that’s hard to say…”

Giving false hope with careless words.

Exerting influence.

Lately, Seo-eun had been thinking she should stop doing that.

But then again, she wondered if her words really had any influence at all.

After all, Suhyeok and Hana had announced they were a couple regardless of her opinion.

“…Unnie.”

“Yes?”

“I appreciate the comfort, but…”

The sweet yet slightly bitter fruit-flavored cocktail slid down Juyeon’s throat.

“Please don’t badmouth Suhyeok.”

Seo-eun’s mind went blank for a moment.

Genuinely frustrated, she wanted to pound her chest with her fist.

Just curse him out! Juyeon!

Call him a player who strings girls along!

“I still like Suhyeok.”

“Juyeon.”

Seo-eun frowned.

“I know, unnie. That I shouldn’t feel this way anymore.”

That I should give up.

That I should let go.

It was something she’d always done anyway.

I’ll probably be good at it.

“But still… for now…”

Juyeon’s voice trailed off.

If it were feelings that could disappear overnight, it wouldn’t hurt this much.

While Suhyeok had permanent scars on his body from protecting Juyeon, Juyeon’s heart bore clear traces of the fever Suhyeok had left behind.

“It’s okay for me to like him on my own, isn’t it?”

I won’t talk to him.

I won’t visit him late at night.

Even if I miss him, I’ll hold back.

Just from a distance.

It’s okay to just wait for these embers to die out on my own, right?

“Oh dear… Juyeon…”

Seo-eun got up and moved to sit beside her.

She embraced Juyeon.

“…What am I going to do with you.”

Juyeon rested her head on Seo-eun’s shoulder.

“I don’t know either, unnie.”

Juyeon thought she could endure it if Suhyeok was happy with that.

* * *

“Babe.”

Suhyeok was working on an assignment.

Hana was lying on his bed behind him, looking at her phone.

“Yeah?”

“I went to my uncle’s place for work the other day, right?”

“You said the performance was great.”

“I told my uncle that we started dating.”

Unable to ignore such a significant topic, Suhyeok pushed his chair back with his foot and turned around.

“And?”

“He asked if we just started dating now.”

Hana laughed as if she found it ridiculous.

“He said he thought we were already dating but were just too shy to say it.”

“Well… um…”

Surprisingly, Suhyeok’s first kiss had been at Hana’s uncle’s shop.

Given how suspiciously lovey-dovey they had been, it wasn’t strange that her uncle had misunderstood.

“He wants you to come visit sometime!”

“Does he need help with a performance?”

“No. He said he wants to treat you to a meal.”

“Oh…”

He would have preferred going there to work.

Although her uncle wasn’t Hana’s parent, he had practically raised her, so he was essentially her guardian.

Suhyeok found gatherings with adults quite burdensome.

Especially now that he was officially dating Hana, he felt like he would be judged by even stricter standards.

“Um. When?”

“Don’t know. He didn’t mention a specific date.”

“I see.”

“What’s with that relieved expression?”

Hana sat up and crawled toward Suhyeok like a cat.

“My uncle doesn’t dislike you.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“He says he likes you because you’re into rock music.”

“Who knew that would come in handy someday.”

It was quite a niche hobby.

These days, young people who appreciated rock music were noticeably fewer in number.

To begin with, the number of young people was also decreasing exponentially these days.

“Are you done with your assignment yet?”

Hana pouted her lips as if waiting was boring her.

“Uh… not yet.”

“Come on… when are you going to play with me…”

“To finish this, I need about…”

“Ugh~ Is this how you treat your girlfriend when you’re about to go to the military the day after tomorrow?”

Suhyeok found Hana’s nonsensical muttering cute and got up from his chair to move beside her.

He sat down next to Hana.

“I’ll stay like this for just 10 minutes. I really need to finish that work.”

“Once you start hanging out with me, you’ll be the one desperate to keep playing, you know?”

Hana, now in a better mood, grabbed Suhyeok’s cheeks with both hands.

“No, I still need to submit it.”

“You can do it after we play.”

“What do you want to do anyway?”

The way she kept using the word “play” made it sound like she had something specific in mind.

“Whatever you like.”

“What?”

Hana planted a loud kiss on Suhyeok’s forehead.

“Something naughty?”

“…Not right now.”

“Wow. Already bored of it?”

Hana narrowed her eyes as if disappointed.

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then hurry up and kiss me.”

Hana pointed at her pink lips with her index finger.

“Ah. Quickly.”

Though he should have been used to it by now, Suhyeok still found himself looking around as if conscious of his surroundings.

Even though he knew no one was there.

-Smooch

A brief kiss followed.

Hana, seemingly unsatisfied, pulled his neck and kissed him once more.

“Babe.”

“Yeah?”

“Should we go on a double date?”

“With whom?”

“Either with Sohye or with Seo-eun unnie.”

“…Do you really want to?”

Suhyeok tried to picture it in his mind.

First, Seo-eun’s group seemed like a no-go.

He thought Seo-eun probably didn’t think well of him since he had rejected her request not to date.

He’d probably be pulled aside for a personal talk soon…

As for Kang’s group… hmm…

While he was close to Sohye and Kang since they often worked out together, he didn’t think the four of them would have a harmonious conversation.

They were an excessively independent couple.

It would be difficult to expect normal chemistry.

“If I had to pick one, maybe Kang’s group…?”

“Really? Then you talk to him and ask if they want to hang out.”

“But what would we do?”

“How about an amusement park?”

Suhyeok’s eyes widened like a child filled with dreams.

An amusement park with his girlfriend.

It was the kind of sentimental thing you’d only see in dramas, not something that suited Suhyeok.

“Ooh…”

A short exclamation escaped Suhyeok’s lips.

“What? You like the idea?”

“There’s something I’ve wanted to try.”

“What is it?”

“The… Ferris wheel.”

The last time Suhyeok had been to an amusement park was on a middle school field trip.

Since then, he’d had neither the occasion nor the friends to go with.

Going with a girlfriend was something he hadn’t even imagined.

But Suhyeok had harbored a somewhat random desire to ride a Ferris wheel.

“Ferris wheel? Why?”

Hana tilted her head in confusion.

Of all the many rides, why that one?

“Just… something I wanted to do… if I got a girlfriend…”

Suhyeok scratched his head sheepishly.

Meanwhile, Hana was filled with delight at the thought of being able to fulfill Suhyeok’s romantic fantasy.

“Hey, let’s ask them to go to the amusement park with us.”

“Right away?”

“Yeah. I’ll ride the Ferris wheel with you ten times if you want.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“But you said you wanted to ride it.”

Hana playfully poked Suhyeok’s side.

It felt like a dream that Hana was here like this.

My girlfriend, Yoon Hana.

With her long golden hair, she kept teasing him, poking his body here and there.

Even when he said it tickled, she wouldn’t stop.

Suhyeok finally managed to restrain her by wrapping his arms around her.

The two lay side by side on the bed.

Hana looked at Suhyeok with eyes full of affection.

“Ah. I don’t want to leave.”

“Where are you going?”

“To work.”

“Don’t you have the day off from your part-time job?”

“Not that work. Another job.”

Suhyeok couldn’t remember what job Hana had to do.

What is it? Did I forget something?

As Suhyeok looked at her in confusion, Hana rubbed his cheek with her palm.

“…I need to go help Juyeon with her song composition.”

It was something beyond Suhyeok’s control now.