Chapter 17 : I like you, a lot (1)
by fnovelpia
“…So, we just have to report it to the police?”
“What?”
“I’m asking if we should report a crazy YouTuber committing a crime to the police.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
We entered the school’s main entrance.
Since we didn’t have indoor slippers, we tiptoed down the hallway in just our socks like thieves.
It was the weekend, and maybe because no staff were working, the school was completely quiet.
“Then what is it? Why do you have the school’s security key?”
“I borrowed it.”
“Borrowed? From who?”
“Who do you think? My dad. Hehe.”
“No way…?”
“Yup, that ‘no way.’ Oh, right! To my subscribers: don’t worry. This isn’t a crime! I got full permission to film here!”
Chaeryeong’s dad was a successful businessman, and just like Chaeryeong, he had a very sociable personality.
No—actually, it’s more accurate to say that Yoo Chaeryeong inherited that personality from him.
Anyway, among the many people her dad was connected with, one of them was the principal of our old high school.
In fact, that connection was a big reason why I ended up attending this school.
Our old school, Hyeondeok High School, was a decent private school known in the area for its excellent teachers and facilities.
Especially for someone like me, who wasn’t born with a silver spoon like Chaeryeong.
Normally, I couldn’t have even dreamed of attending such a good private school.
Even though my grades were better than Chaeryeong’s, I was planning to go to a public school.
Taeo.
Have you ever thought about going to the same high school as Chaeryeong?
Huh?
Well, she doesn’t say it out loud, but I think she wants to go to school with you.
I know a good school.
One of my friends runs it. It’s close by.
And so, thanks to her dad’s introduction, I got into Hyeondeok High School at a much cheaper tuition than normal.
I was able to keep being friends with Chaeryeong and go to the same school as her.
Back then, I was kind of confused, but now that I’m an adult, I realize just how thankful I should be.
“What did you say to your dad exactly?”
“I said I had a school assignment that involved filming a video, and I needed to shoot it at our old school. Then Dad said he’d ask the principal for me.”
“Not bad, Yoo Chaeryeong.”
“I’m pretty good at thinking on my feet. Hehe.”
Chaeryeong smiled smugly, flashing a V sign.
Her parents probably didn’t know she was a YouTuber.
They probably thought she was just studying hard at school.
If they knew, they would’ve found out we were dating, and I would’ve gotten a call from them.
We continued talking about personal stuff—likely to be edited out of the video—and began heading up the stairs.
As we walked down the hallway of the 1st-year classrooms on the 2nd floor, we chatted casually.
“We were in different classes during first year, so I guess there’s not much to talk about.”
“Still, I was probably around you the most back then. My classmates always asked me where I was going during breaks.”
“Really? What did you say?”
“I joked that I was going to meet a guy. And they all said, ‘Ooh, Yoo Chaeryeong! Hurry up, hurry up!’”
She did a perfect impression of the girls from back then.
I couldn’t help but laugh at how spot-on her mimicry was.
Thinking back, she’d always come find me—asking to go to the snack shop or saying she was bored.
Because of that, people misunderstood a lot.
“Yeah, because of you, people kept asking if you were my girlfriend. You’d come cling to me every break.”
“So what? You liked it, didn’t you? Being mistaken for having a pretty girlfriend like me?”
“No, back then it was just annoying.”
“Pfft. Sure. You liked it. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”
“Eventually I got tired of explaining we were just friends, so I just said you were my girlfriend.”
“What? Seriously? That explains why your classmates always gave me those looks!”
“What looks?”
“Like, ‘Ugh, here comes that girl rubbing it in our faces again.’ You know, that kind of vibe? I definitely felt hostility. Anyway.”
“You’re the amazing one, showing up all the time despite those looks.”
“Well, I die if I get lonely.”
“You a rabbit or something?”
“I’ve been a baby capybara since back then.”
“What kind of capybara only comes to me? Why not hang out with other people too?”
“I did! Just not very often. You were the easiest to be around~.”
Well, not that I disliked it either.
In our first year, I didn’t like her romantically yet,
But getting those envious looks felt kind of good.
And if hanging out with her had been boring, I wouldn’t still be sticking with her to this day.
We casually peeked into our old classrooms on the second floor and then quickly headed up to the third.
After all, the real stories began here.
Because we were in the same class for both second and third year.
“Wow, Class 7, Second Year. This is insane. I’m really here…”
“So many memories.”
Peeking into the classroom through a window locked from the outside.
I couldn’t help but marvel at how little had changed inside.
“The TV’s gotten better. That’s not the one we had back in our day.”
“It was still decent back then though.”
“Looks like they changed all the lights to LEDs too?”
“Yeah. But we can’t go inside? Couldn’t get the classroom key?”
“Nope. Unfortunately, it’s in the teachers’ office, so I couldn’t get it.”
We clung to the window from the hallway, busy trying to catch a glimpse inside the classroom.
It would’ve looked so much better if we could film from inside.
Pressing our faces to the glass, we peered in, trying to ease our disappointment.
“This kind of feels like we’re prisoners looking out from inside a cell.”
“Let us out! Get me out of here!! Like that?”
“Pfft.”
Charyeong suddenly grabbed the window and began shaking it, diving into an impromptu skit.
While she was jiggling the window, she abruptly froze as if something clicked.
“…Huh? Wait a second.”
“What is it?”
“Taeo. This one’s unlocked.”
“Huh? What is? The window?”
“Yeah. Looks like someone forgot to lock it properly yesterday.”
Though the front and back doors were securely padlocked, the window she was holding onto wasn’t.
She gave it a gentle push, and the sliding window smoothly opened.
I looked at her in surprise, and she smiled, locking eyes with me.
This… doesn’t feel like a good idea.
“…Shall we go in?”
“You sure about this?”
“That look in your eyes just now said, ‘I want to go in.’ Don’t act like it wasn’t.”
“Modesty is a Korean virtue. We always say no the first time.”
“It’ll be fine. Probably. We got permission to film anyway—it’s just the master key we didn’t get.”
“Hmm…”
“Besides, this is basically the universe inviting us in. How are we supposed to resist that? What kind of man wouldn’t go in?”
“You’re not a man.”
“Ugh, don’t nitpick. So, are we going or not?”
“Hmm…”
“Imagine how much better the shots would look from inside… and we’re not going in?”
Who can stop this dopamine addict?
Seeing the eager look in her eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
And honestly, from an editing perspective, it was true that interior shots would look much better.
I think hanging around her has made me a slave to YouTube too.
“…Let’s go in.”
“Nice!”
“I’m going first, then?”
“Yeah. Give me the camera first. I’ll hand it back once you’re inside.”
I passed the camera to Charyeong, climbed through the window with a grunt, and jumped down to the classroom floor.
…Whoa.
That window is higher than I thought.
I never climbed it back when I was a student.
A dull pain tingled in my feet from the landing.
Guess it’s just a high window.
“Here’s the camera.”
“Also, be careful when you come in. It’s higher than it looks.”
“Got it. Hang on~.”
She handed me the camera over the window, and I set it down on a nearby desk to film us.
Just in case, I got ready to help her in.
She’s always clumsy with stuff like this.
“Ughhh. What the… It’s really high—I can’t get up easily.”
“That’s why I told you to work out.”
“You don’t work out either! And this is ‘cause I’m short!”
Struggling on tiptoes, she clung to the frame.
Eventually, she gave up and called for help.
“This won’t work. Yoon Taeo. Help. Pull me up.”
“Alright, alright. Give me your hand, I’ll pull you.”
I grabbed her arm and hoisted her up until she could step onto the window frame.
Maybe because she’s shorter than me, she didn’t hit her head when she stood up there.
She seemed thrilled to be up high, grinning like a fool and spouting nonsense again.
“Mwahaha! You think you can beat me just ‘cause you’re a tall window? I stand in the heavens now!”
“Careful. You’ll hurt yourself again.”
This is why comedy shows are dying.
YouTube’s full of people like her—pure, walking dopamine.
I figured I’d film her goofy antics, turned the camera toward her, when—
“Huh?”
A weird sound from behind made me turn my head fast.
She must’ve tripped as she was jumping down—Charyeong lost her balance and fell forward.
Yup.
Called it.
Something always has to go wrong with her.
I rushed forward to catch her before she hit the ground, but I moved too fast and lost my footing too.
“Ugh.”
“Kyaaah!”
As I caught her, we both toppled over and crashed to the floor.
A sharp impact hit my back and shoulders, and as I opened my eyes to the sound of the crash—
“I told you to be careful—”
But the scolding froze in my throat.
“Ack… that scared me… Sorry… You okay, Yoon Taeo?”
My breath caught in my chest.
A sweet scent of shampoo tickled my nose.
The soft sensation of her body wrapped tightly around mine.
“…Ngh.”
I forgot all about the pain from the fall.
Because her face was that close—close enough to feel her breath.
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