Chapter 5 : First Vlog (2)

After leaving the walking path, we wandered around different parts of the campus.

We took light shots of the library, the student cafeteria, and the buildings where we have our classes before stepping back outside.

“Look over there. Someone’s busking.”

“Yeah, I see. Are they a student from our school?”

“Not sure. So many people come and go here.”

On weekends, our school opens its facilities to local citizens.

I think I heard the president of the university is from this region.

To build a school without distance from the local community, they opened the facilities like this.

So on weekends, the place was always filled with all kinds of people.

Couples on dates, families out for a stroll, street performers, and more.

“Jeowoon University opens the campus to the public on weekends like this. That’s why you see so many different people. You all should come visit too,”

Chaeryeong whispered to the camera as she watched a woman singing and playing an acoustic guitar.

The performance ended for a moment, and the audience clapped and cheered.

As the woman gave her thanks, we clapped along as well.

“Sister~! You’re amazing!”

“Oh gosh, that’s embarrassing. I’m going to pretend I don’t know you.”

I ran off with the camera in another direction, away from the excited and shouting Chaeryeong.

“Hey, couples are supposed to be of one heart and mind—where are you going?”

“Then don’t yell like that. Everyone’s staring at us. More than at that woman.”

“So what? Enjoy the attention. Once this vlog is uploaded, even more people might see us.”

“Must be nice to be so carefree.”

That part of her is something I kind of envy.

She’s open and doesn’t get embarrassed easily.

Well, at the very least, she’s honest and true to her emotions.

If she wants to laugh, she laughs. If she wants to cry, she cries.

Her body may be 20 years old, but she still has the innocence of a child.

But I don’t bother putting that into words.

Because I’m the kind of adult who can’t even express that I like her.

As we kept walking down the path, we saw someone sitting alone with a chair right in the middle of the roadside.

[I’ll draw you – Caricatures, Portraits.]

A street artist.

The kind you sometimes see in parks and similar places.

They seemed to be someone who drew pictures as a hobby.

Since there are a lot of people here, they must’ve set up their spot for the weekend.

“Do you think they’re doing the drawings for free?”

“Looks like it? There’s no price list.”

“Let’s go check it out! I can’t resist free art!”

“Your hair’s going to fall out from that excitement.”

“It’s fine! The lady at the salon told me I’ve got too much hair anyway, so I can spare some.”

Giggling, she made her way around to the back of the street artist.

As we got closer, the artist was already finishing up drawings of two women who seemed to be friends.

From behind, the pencil sketches looked incredibly detailed and beautiful.

“Wow, they’re so good. Looks like they only use pencils.”

“It’s like a photo, not a drawing.”

We whispered in admiration from behind so as not to disturb.

Soon after, the artist handed the finished drawings to the two women.

“Here you go. All done. You can take them.”

“Woooow~! They’re amazing! Thank you so much!”

The two women left smiling brightly, repeatedly thanking the artist as they walked off with their portraits.

Once they were out of sight, we quickly stepped up to the artist.

The outgoing Chaeryeong was the first to speak.

“Are you drawing portraits for free?”

“Yes, that’s right. Are you two a couple?”

“Yes! We are!”

Chaeryeong eagerly nodded at the artist who smiled at us.

Do we really look like a couple to others?

That thought alone made me feel kind of happy.

“We’re filming a vlog, actually. Would it be okay if we record while you draw?”

“Oh sure, I don’t mind. Would you like a couple portrait? Or separate ones?”

“Yoon Taeo, what do you want to do?”

The artist was cooler about it than expected.

Chaeryeong turned her head quickly and looked at me at the question.

“Let’s do a couple portrait.”

No need to hesitate here.

The whole point of the shoot was a couple vlog—what would be the point of doing separate portraits?

At my straightforward answer, Chaeryeong let out a delighted “Ooooh~!”

…If we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right.

“Hmm, then I think that bench over there would be perfect. Could you two sit there?”

“Okay~!”

The artist looked around, then pointed to a bench with a clear and pretty background.

Excited, Chaeryeong pulled me along and we sat down.

We placed the camera on the artist’s desk to film us being drawn.

“This is my first time having my portrait drawn. I’m kind of nervous.”

“Same here. It’s not something you experience every day.”

As we chatted and awkwardly looked straight ahead, the artist smiled awkwardly and said,

“Right now, your expressions are way too stiff. Don’t be too nervous just because you’re getting drawn.”

“Ahaha… is that so?”

“Yes. Like a broken robot. Just relax. And since it’s a couple shot, if you do a pose like a couple, I think it’ll come out prettier.”

A couple-like pose, huh.

Only then do we briefly meet each other’s eyes.

Looking at our current posture, it looked like two people sitting side by side for an interview.

Seeing each other’s awkwardness, we both let out a small chuckle.

“What kind of pose should we do?”

“You just stay still. I’ll take care of it.”

When I asked her, Chaeryeong threw out a line like a tough girl and quickly linked arms with me.

In an instant—whoosh—the distance between us shrank.

Her fluttering hair tickled my shoulder and cheek.

Then, plop.

Chaeryeong rested her head on my shoulder.

A pose you’d expect from couples in dramas or movies—leaning on the shoulder.

Her sweet scent lingered at the tip of my nose, and the warm, soft sensation made my head spin.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Once again, my heartbeat began to race.

Even though I knew there would be some physical contact, once we touched, my body reacted on its own.

“How is it? Not bad, right?”

“…It’s not bad.”

Unlike my nervous self, her bright face showed no signs of discomfort.

Was she just that good at acting?

Or did she not think of me as a guy at all, so there was nothing to be nervous about?

I didn’t know which it was, but I just desperately hoped it wasn’t the latter.

“Oh. Nice pose! Please stay just like that for about five minutes. Don’t move, okay?”

…Like this, for five minutes?

So began a moment I wasn’t sure was happiness or torture.

***

I unconsciously tensed my arm that she was holding onto.

Her head, which was supposed to be comfortably resting, just felt awkward.

I was trying to figure out what to name this fuzzy feeling bubbling up inside me.

Excitement?

Nervousness?

Or embarrassment?

…Yeah, this must be embarrassment.

I’m hugging Yoon Taeo in front of a stranger.

I tried to keep a straight face, but somehow, I felt like my face was about to turn red.

In the end, I decided it was embarrassment.

The artist’s eyes observed us carefully.

Down to the finest details.

Being captured like a couple through a camera lens wasn’t that embarrassing.

Just earlier, I even had fun pretending to be jealous in front of him.

But being watched directly by someone in person, believing we were a couple, was different.

That’s why I felt embarrassed.

Even if he’s a guy friend I’ve known for 15 years, even if I don’t see him as a guy at all—

In this kind of situation, wouldn’t anyone be embarrassed?

Honestly, even if it were my dad, I’d still be embarrassed.

That’s what I told myself, trying to suppress my emotions.

Then I stared at Taeo’s face, who was just calmly looking straight ahead as if nothing was going on.

“…What?”

“Mm. Nothing.”

Maybe he sensed my gaze.

He whispered without moving, and I replied that way too.

Does he not feel anything?

Or does he not even feel embarrassed?

That usual expressionless, cold-looking face.

Seeing how little his expression changed made me feel… strangely disappointed.

Then came a feeling of frustration.

…Why am I the only one feeling embarrassed?

It’s not fair.

If someone’s going to be embarrassed, we should both be embarrassed.

I felt annoyed thinking I was the only one blushing.

So I tightened my grip around his arm even more.

And pressed my body closely against his side.

Not knowing what exactly this emotion was, I ended up spending a begrudging modeling session.

***

After receiving the painting from the artist, we headed toward the last building on campus—the student union building.

Since it had club music rooms and such, it was built at the top of a hill, requiring quite a climb up the stairs.

As we climbed the stairs, I stared at the painting the artist gave us and let out a gasp of admiration.

“It’s so pretty.”

I tried my best to show it off on camera for people to see.

Chaeryeong leaning on me with a relaxed expression, and me with a slight smile.

Maybe our real expressions weren’t that natural, but I’m sure the artist made some adjustments.

Then I turned the camera again to film Chaeryeong walking ahead up the stairs.

“Yoon Taeo.”

“Yeah?”

“…You know, you were really calm when we were getting drawn earlier.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, it was kind of an embarrassing situation, but you didn’t look embarrassed at all. That’s all.”

“I wasn’t embarrassed, really.”

Embarrassed?

Far from it.

I was dying because of the feel of her chest against my arm, not the artist’s gaze.

I had no mental room to worry about someone watching us.

All I could do was look forward and silently recite Buddhist chants and the national anthem in my head.

“…Really? Never mind then.”

But at my reply, Chaeryeong sounded oddly dissatisfied.

I wondered what her problem was, but honestly, Chaeryeong going off on weird tangents was nothing new.

So I just let it slide.

“More importantly, could you tell our viewers where we’re heading now, Ms. Chaeryeong?”

“Oh, right! If you go all the way up these stairs, you’ll see that big building at the top? That’s our school’s famous club room and student union building.”

“That’s our school’s landmark?”

“Why not? It’s at the highest point and the easiest to spot. It’s like a campus landmark.”

Then, as if she suddenly remembered they were filming a vlog—

Chaeryeong brightened up and spoke cheerfully again, and the strange mood from earlier quickly dissipated.

Then suddenly, she stopped at the top of the stairs and gave a mischievous grin.

She must’ve thought of something fun again.

“Wanna do that thing, Taeo?”

“Huh? What thing?”

“Rock-paper-scissors stair race.”

“Here? There are so many stairs left.”

“That’s why it’s fun! Come on, let’s do it~!”

“Fine, I’ll do it. But don’t just stand at the edge like that. You’ll fall.”

“It’s fine, I’m not a little kid—kyaa!”

…Was that a flag?

As I saw her lose balance and fall from the upper stairs, that fleeting thought crossed my mind.