Chapter 13 : Didn’t you say we were just friends? (3)

“Kim Yeji.”

“Huh? What? Are you two done talking?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

When I called her while entering the clubroom, Kim Yeji looked startled.

She quickly put her phone down and fumbled nervously.

Well, it made sense—someone unexpected had entered, not the person she was expecting.

“Where’s Chaeryeong?”

“She’s probably outside? But more importantly, I have something to tell you.”

“…You? To me?”

“Yeah.”

She hadn’t done anything in particular, but her face looked nervous.

I guess that’s what people mean when they say it’s obvious someone likes you.

It usually felt like this whenever I talked to her.

It was harder not to know.

“W-What is it?”

“I know. That you like me.”

“What? What are you talking about…?”

At my words, her face turned bright red, and she started stammering.

Her voice trembled, and she lowered her head like someone who had been hit right in the heart.

Probably to avoid meeting my eyes.

But she didn’t deny it.

Because she knew denying it would be pointless.

“And Chaeryeong gave me a rough idea. About what you two were talking about in the clubroom before I arrived.”

“…She told you that?”

“She didn’t mean anything bad. Yoo Chaeryeong felt really bad about it. Because she’s dating me.”

“…”

“You’ve probably seen the YouTube videos too. So I’ll just be honest. Chaeryeong and I are dating. We haven’t told anyone else yet.”

“…I thought so.”

Kim Yeji had a bitter look on her face after hearing that.

But I had no choice but to say this.

Even if it hurt her, our relationship had to be made public.

That way, we could continue filming our couple vlogs without any misunderstandings.

“But I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding between you two, and I want to clear it up.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Chaeryeong told you at the beginning of the semester that we were just friends, right?”

“…Yeah, she did.”

“I don’t know what you thought about that, but she was actually telling the truth at the time. Chaeryeong and I were just friends back then.”

“…”

“Chaeryeong never thought of me as a guy. Because I was the only one who liked her at the time.”

That’s the real issue here.

That Chaeryeong supposedly lied about us just being friends.

It wasn’t technically a lie, but since we’re dating now, it must’ve looked that way to Kim Yeji.

So I had one job.

Make what Chaeryeong said not be a lie.

That way, Kim Yeji wouldn’t feel betrayed anymore.

But if Chaeryeong explained it herself, it would sound like a lie.

That’s why it was better if I said it.

“A while ago, I couldn’t hold back anymore and confessed to her. I even got rejected the first time.”

All of that was a lie.

Except for the part where I liked her.

Saying I got rejected made it sound more believable.

That she only thought of me as a friend.

“I kept pushing even after getting rejected, until she gave in and said yes.”

“…”

“So don’t misunderstand. Chaeryeong didn’t do anything wrong. She didn’t try to seduce me, and she wasn’t even interested.”

At my words, Kim Yeji looked completely at a loss for words.

Of course.

Now Chaeryeong seemed like a victim too.

It would mean that Kim Yeji’s assumptions were all wrong, and she ended up painting her friend as a bad person.

Naturally, Kim Yeji’s gaze drifted behind me.

Standing behind the now open clubroom door was Yoo Chaeryeong.

…I told her not to come in.

I didn’t expect her to listen, but still, she never listens.

“…Is that true, Chaeryeong?”

At Kim Yeji’s cautious question, Chaeryeong glanced at my face.

What are you doing? You trying to ruin all my efforts?

When I gave her a look with that meaning, Chaeryeong finally nodded.

“It’s true. I was actually going to say this earlier…but it felt weird to explain it myself. Because if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t believe me either.”

“Ah…”

“I’m sorry, Yeji. I somehow ended up dating him… even though I knew you liked Yoon Taeo…”

At Chaeryeong’s sincere apology, Kim Yeji looked more flustered than hurt.

She couldn’t exactly say, “You should’ve turned him down since you knew,” because she had already turned me down once.

That gave it enough justification.

She probably knew that love and relationships don’t always go the way you want them to.

And Kim Yeji wasn’t the kind of girl to shamelessly tell someone to keep rejecting a guy just because someone else liked him.

“No, it’s okay, Chaeryeong. I’m the one who should apologize. I think I misunderstood everything. I knew you weren’t a bad person… but I let my emotions get the better of me… I’m sorry.”

“No, I understand. I would’ve felt the same. It’s a situation involving someone you like, right? As a girl, it’s natural to get sensitive about that.”

At some point, the power dynamic flipped.

Now Kim Yeji was apologizing, and Yoo Chaeryeong was the one accepting it.

Since the picture I wanted was complete, I quietly left the clubroom.

The rest was up to the two of them—to cry it out, hug it out, whatever.

…I set the table. They can at least feed themselves, right?

With that, I stepped outside and quietly closed the door to the clubroom.

So the two of them could have a proper, heartfelt reconciliation.

Very quietly.

Not long after, Chaeryeong appeared at the clubroom door, her face noticeably brighter.

Her expression made it obvious things had gone well, so there was no need to ask.

“Did you finish talking?”

“…Yeah. Thanks to you.”

“Then let’s go eat. You said you were hungry.”

I spoke first and began walking ahead. Behind me, Chaeryeong quickly followed.

Once she was beside me, she cautiously glanced at me and asked,

“Yoon Taeo.”

“Yeah?”

“…I’m glad things worked out with Yeji. But… are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know, your reputation… I mean, because of me, you ended up becoming a guy who had a one-sided crush, got rejected, and kept clinging on. I feel kind of bad…”

“If I hadn’t said that, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.”

“…Still, it bothers me. I mean, it’s not really your problem, is it?”

Chaeryeong genuinely looked sorry.

Since when were you so considerate?

You looked like you were burdened with guilt — enough to stir my protective instincts.

“Since when did you care so much about my image? Geez.”

“Hey, I’m trying to be considerate here, and you have to say it like that? That’s hurtful…”

“Whatever. If my reputation takes a hit and everything gets resolved, that’s fine by me. That’s what friends are for, right?”

Friends.

A nice word to wrap things in, but if we were just friends, I wouldn’t have gone this far.

I wonder if you know…

That the reason I could do all this is because I like you.

The lies, the acting, even the hit to my pride.

As long as you’re happy, I don’t really care anymore.

…At this rate, I’m worried I might commit a crime for you, Chaeryeong.

I really think I could.

So please stop looking at me with that guilty face.

“If you feel that bad, you can pay for lunch today.”

“Should I? Will that settle things between us?”

“Only if we eat the most expensive thing. Hmm, what’s the priciest restaurant near campus? Is there a VIPS or something?”

“Hey, no steak! After I paid your signing bonus, I’m short on living expenses…”

“Not my problem~ We’re eating the most expensive thing. Mwahaha.”

Laughing like usual, I cracked a joke.

“How about ribs or pork belly instead of steak? Or beef? I know a great beef place!”

“Beef? You can’t afford that either. What if I order only premium cuts?”

“Aaah… please, mercy… Yoon Taeo… I don’t want to eat instant noodles for a whole month…”

You’re most beautiful when you laugh like that.

Just stay by my side, bright and cheerful, like always, Chaeryeong.

“Hey… Yoon Taeo.”

“What now?”

“Thanks for helping today. I’m glad you’re my friend.”

Yeah, exactly like that.

***

Two days later, I got up from bed late in the afternoon.

“Ugh… no class today is the best… College students live for these days off…”

I enjoyed the bliss of a weekday with no classes and finally got up from bed.

I had spent the whole morning on my phone, so I figured I should be at least a little productive in the afternoon.

“Don’t feel like studying… Maybe I’ll do some editing…”

I still found schoolwork boring, so I decided to edit some fun YouTube videos instead.

Since I didn’t have any new footage, I was cutting up existing videos to make YouTube Shorts.

These days, I was enjoying posting videos more than playing games.

“I need more footage. Gotta ask Chaeryeong to shoot something with me soon.”

While I was fired up in editor mode,

Bzzz— My phone vibrated.

I checked, thinking it might be a message from Chaeryeong.

[Congrats, Yoon Taeo.]

But it wasn’t from her. It was from that guy, Yoon Kanghoo.

On my free day, a sudden congratulatory message got me thinking all sorts of things.

What?

Is it my birthday?

Or is he going to say something like, “Congrats, you won a chance to hang out with me”?

[What? Congratulate me for what? Did I win something?]

[I heard. You and Chaeryeong are dating now. After all that whining, you finally got together, huh.]

[What? How do you know that?]

We weren’t actually dating, but we’d agreed to present it that way publicly.

Still, the only one who should’ve known about that was Kim Yeji… right?

Kanghoo replied quickly.

[Everyone in the department already knows. Some girls told me. You two are the official couple now.]

…Kim Yeji.

Turns out you’re a lot looser-lipped than I expected.