Chapter 36: Lovers’ Quarrel

So there we were, just the two of us left in front of the roof door.

Contrary to Juho’s intentions, an awkward silence stretched on.

Being suddenly left alone made things uncomfortable. Until now we’d always met after planning it. Plus all that talk about being a couple made it even more awkward. Well, even if we were fake dating…

Either way, I couldn’t get my mouth to move. Feeling somewhat at a loss, I just scratched the back of my head.

“…Ahaha.”

So-yul’s gentle laugh finally broke the silence.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Well. How should I put it? I’m just happy we have someone who understands our situation now.”

So-yul added this innocently, but I wasn’t so sure. To me it seemed like nothing but high-level teasing. They were probably doubled over laughing downstairs right now.

I snorted and replied:

“Seems more like they’re making fun of us than understanding.”

“So what? It’s all in how you take it.”

So-yul said this playfully with a light smile. Well, she wasn’t wrong.

As I quietly watched that fresh smile, I realized something. Come to think of it, this was our first time talking alone since getting caught by the teacher. The perfect timing to talk about yesterday.

“Are you feeling better?”

When I asked in a deliberately lowered voice, So-yul tilted her head slightly.

“Better about what?”

“Your condition. You were crying yesterday.”

“I wasn’t crying.”

So-yul narrowed her eyes and snapped back. What was the point of lying when I’d clearly seen it?

But well, if she was embarrassed about crying in front of others, I didn’t particularly want to push it. Even I didn’t want to do things So-yul disliked. …Much.

“Well, whether you cried or not. Are you feeling better now? You could barely stand yesterday.”

When I rephrased the question, So-yul giggled slightly and answered:

“Of course. Back then I was just startled for a moment getting caught by the head of student affairs. You saw yourself. I walked back to the dorm just fine after that.”

“You held my finger to stand up though.”

“That’s different.”

So she says.

“And even if I had actually cried, wouldn’t those feelings naturally be sorted out by the next day? Plus everything worked out somehow.”

“Well… that’s good then.”

So-yul had seemed really shocked yesterday. Enough that her whole body kept shaking even after the teacher left.

Plus she’d looked visibly stunned after being asked if she wasn’t sorry to her parents. Though she denied it, she’d shed quite a few tears.

Compared to then, So-yul seemed much better now. Had she really sorted out her feelings as she claimed? That would truly be fortunate.

As I nodded slightly in understanding, So-yul’s eyes suddenly narrowed. Then she spread one hand to cover her mouth.

Seeing her uncovered lips curl up… it seemed she was about to tease me again.

“My, were you that worried about your girlfriend?”

See?

“Getting all alone and asking questions like that. You must have been up all night thinking ‘Oh no, what about our So-yul~’ ‘I have to ask if she’s okay when I see her~'”

So-yul rapid-fired additional attacks with exaggerated tones. Hearing her overacting made me want to give her a light smack on the head. I’d never even thought phrases like “our So-yul” to myself.

But well…

“Huhuhu.”

So-yul flashed a smile of victory at me as I stood speechless.

Without avoiding that smile, I answered directly:

“Of course I was worried. Obviously.”

“…What?”

At those brief words, So-yul froze with her smiling expression intact. Her flushed cheeks were surely a sign of embarrassment. Seeing such an easy-to-read reaction, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Now it was my turn to counter-attack.

“I clearly told you you’re my girlfriend, even if fake. What kind of boyfriend wouldn’t worry when his girlfriend is hanging her head and crying right in front of him?”

“W-what?”

“Like you said, I worried all night. Your face kept appearing even when I sat at my desk. I picked up my phone thinking maybe I should send you a KakaoTalk message, then put it back down.”

“W-wait…”

“I was so anxious, but seeing you much better today put my mind at ease. Even your puffy eyes from crying have healed. Really, I’m just glad.”

“Hold on!”

I quickly shut my mouth at So-yul’s demanding shout.

Looking closely now, So-yul was sending me stop signals with her face bright red.

“What?”

When I asked casually, So-yul grumbled with her lips twitching:

“…I told you I didn’t cry.”

Is that all you can say in response?

She showed her signature playfulness while teasing, but got this flustered from just a slight counterattack. She was just too cute. At times like this I even wanted to reach out and gently pat her head.

“Okay, okay. Got it.”

“…You’re really annoying.”

So-yul muttered quietly, seemingly unwilling to accept defeat. I let her be annoyed all she wanted.

But well. Though So-yul had asked jokingly, I’d been genuinely worried about her.

Just, my concerns were slightly different.

When we got caught alone by the teacher yesterday, I really thought it was all over.

Of course I did. I hadn’t expected Juho to appear and offer their desperate excuse.

Though we barely made it through thanks to Juho’s super save, we couldn’t keep using that excuse. If we got caught just one more time, there really would be no next time.

Not just that. Now that they’d spotted circumstantial evidence, they’d try their hardest to find proof. The teacher’s surveillance would only get tighter from now on.

Above all… So-yul’s trembling figure, overcome with fear and terror, kept coming to mind.

If we continued this fake relationship, we might actually encounter such a bad ending someday.

There was more than enough cause for concern.

“What’s wrong?”

So-yul tilted her head and asked as I fell unnaturally silent.

Her cheeks were still reddish, and as usual her moist lips held a pink tinge. Her eyes, large with confusion, were framed by long eyelashes. Her fair skin was like an unblemished canvas.

Though I was happy to have such a lovely fake girlfriend.

Perhaps right now was the final detour available to So-yul and me.

“Han So-yul.”

“Yes?”

So-yul looked up at me directly when I called her name.

Looking straight back at that face, I spoke the words I’d long pondered:

“Should we stop this fake dating game?”

At that moment, the air around us seemed to turn ice cold.

Neither of us moved, just staring at each other. Neither speaking a word. The color gradually drained from our faces until we both wore expressionless masks.

The utterly silent space felt frozen in place.

So-yul broke this silence again.

“…What do you mean?”

Her voice trembled slightly, clearly shocked.

Deliberately ignoring that, I voiced my thoughts directly:

“We got caught by the teacher yesterday. Though Juho helped resolve it somehow. But they didn’t seem to completely drop their suspicions. The surveillance will get stricter now.”

“…So?”

“We won’t know where the teacher might be watching, so it’ll be harder to find places to meet. Even if we manage to meet, who knows if it’ll be safe.”

I rubbed my neck as I continued.

“If we get caught again there won’t be room for excuses. It doesn’t matter much if I get kicked out of this school, but it’s different for you. You have goals to achieve here. Things tied to your parents too. So, for your sake…”

Deliberately avoiding her gaze:

“Maybe we should end this relationship.”

I closed my mouth after saying this much. I’d said everything I needed to. Now I could only leave it to So-yul’s choice.

If So-yul gave up now, our fake relationship would end right here. Though we’d promised to appear in Juho’s film, that just meant meeting briefly to film.

A relationship that started by agreement could end by agreement too.

This was the weight our relationship had carried from the start.

As I waited for So-yul’s answer like this.

Finally a thin voice came from across from me.

“No.”

It was a firm tone I’d never heard before.

“If I was afraid of getting caught, I wouldn’t have started in the first place. Even if it gets harder to meet from now on, it’s not like it was easy until now. Even if we get caught again and something terrible happens, I’ll handle it somehow.”

“Is that so.”

“So.”

I turned to look at So-yul when her voice rose a tone.

So-yul was glaring at me, though very weakly.

Without dropping that gaze, she spoke in almost a whisper:

“…Don’t act like you’re looking out for your girlfriend and suggest breaking up, you dummy boyfriend.”

Her tone was so calm it seemed almost serene.

But beneath that surface, a hint of hurt seemed to linger.

“I’m going down now. We need to go to the staff room.”

Leaving only these final words, So-yul walked past me.

Tap tap. The footsteps following suggested she was heading down the stairs.

As she passed by me, her expression held a strange trace of disappointment.

Afterward, I followed So-yul downstairs too.

Below, Juho greeted us with an amused smile. Seeing them even wave unnecessarily, they’d clearly planned to tease us.

But this didn’t last long. Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere between us, Juho soon dropped their smile. They even gestured questioningly at me about what had happened. But what could I do? I couldn’t answer with just gestures.

Anyway, after joining Juho we headed to the staff room.

Since our excuse had worked for now, the head of student affairs didn’t say much. Though they did shoot us fierce glares.

After receiving our reflection paper forms, we headed back to the classroom.

The whole time, all three of us just walked in silence. The quiet felt heavy. I felt quite sorry for involving innocent Juho too.

As we were about to enter the classroom maintaining this silence, Juho finally spoke up:

“Anyway, thanks both of you for agreeing to help with the film. I’ll let you know once the schedule’s set. Have a good class.”

“Sure.”

“Okay.”

My answer overlapped with So-yul’s. Our gazes naturally met too. A slightly dissatisfied look flew from So-yul.

Then finally.

“Hmph!”

Making this sound clearly meant for me to hear, So-yul sharply turned her head away.

Then she went into the classroom first, leaving us in the hallway.

At such sudden behavior, I could only stare blankly at her retreating back.

I might understand, but there was someone who definitely wouldn’t get this situation. Juho asked with a gesture:

“Why is she upset?”

I barely parted my dry lips to answer:

“I followed your advice.”

“What advice?”

Juho tilted their head and asked again. As I was about to explain what had happened… I ended up keeping my mouth shut.

Talking to others would just make things more complicated. In the end it was between me and So-yul. I’d probably just get obvious advice like “hang in there.”

So this was all I could answer:

“The advice about keeping lovers’ quarrels private.”

“What?”

“Let’s hurry in too. The teacher will be here soon.”

After answering to avoid more questions, I entered the classroom. Juho seemed puzzled for a moment, but soon added with a smirk:

“Well, it’ll be fine. Lovers’ quarrels are like drawing lines in water.”

They were clearly teasing again.