Chapter 50: On The Contrary

Summer vacation was over.

Unbelievably, it was really over.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, the night Kim Dohyun confessed to me felt like a dream.

…But the problem is, it wasn’t a dream.

Since that day, I hadn’t seen Kim Dohyun even once.

“You’re such an idiot, not even reaching out.”

“I told you I’d give you a confession even cooler than yours. Just wait, okay?”

Well, it had only been two or three days at most.

I told myself that, but why did I keep checking my phone every now and then?

I felt ridiculous.

Shouldn’t the person who confessed be the one more on edge?

I was the one who got confessed to, so why was I the one agonizing over it?

It felt like things were backward somehow.

I didn’t like it.

It was as if he had unloaded the weight of his confession and was now carefree.

That made Kim Dohyun all the more annoying.

I was still frustrated, unable to sort out my own feelings.

And he just blocked me off again!

So I made up my mind.

Today, I would make the first move.

I wanted to see that indifferent face of his break into surprise at least once.

7 a.m.

The sky was still slightly hazy.

Rubbing my sleepy eyes,

I crouched at the corner of the alley in front of Kim Dohyun’s house.

It was the perfect ambush.

I curled up tightly and held my breath.

Though this position was surprisingly uncomfortable.

My thighs felt like they might cramp, but I endured it and waited.

“Heh heh… He’s really gonna be surprised.”

At that moment—

Someone tapped my shoulder.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah! You scared—eek?!”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

My heart almost stopped.

I was trying to surprise him, but instead, I was the one who got startled.

Clutching my chest, I looked up at Kim Dohyun.

He was staring down at me, the corner of his lips quirking up just slightly.

“…Your plan to surprise me failed, huh.”

We started walking side by side.

I thought it’d be awkward, but it just felt natural.

Kim Dohyun asked quietly,

“Did you eat breakfast?”

“Yeah. Half a slice of bread.”

“…That’s not breakfast.”

“By my standards, it’s plenty!”

He rummaged through his bag and held something out.

Two small rice balls.

“Here, eat this.”

My eyes went wide.

“…Did you make these?”

“Yeah.”

“Wait, for me?”

“No. I usually pack two.”

Hmph. Liar.

You’re terrible at hiding it when you lie, you know. Idiot.

I took a bite of the rice ball.

…But.

“…Hmm.”

“What.”

“…The rice is kinda hard.”

“……”

“And why is there nothing in it? No seasoning at all.”

He glanced at my expression and forced a nonchalant tone.

“It’s my first time making them.”

“So I’m your test subject for your first rice balls?!”

“If it’s bad, you don’t have to eat it.”

“Who said I wouldn’t eat it? If someone gives me something, I’m eating it no matter what!”

“Then eat quietly. Why are you complaining?”

Kim Dohyun reached out as if to take the rice ball back.

I dodged his hand, tilting my head with a grin.

“Because you made it for me.”

He let out a small breath and turned his head away.

The corner of his lips might’ve lifted just a little.

The walk to school went on like that.

Full of chatter, strangely funny, sometimes embarrassing.

Occasionally, our toes would brush,

Our arms would graze,

Our eyes would meet.

Every time, my heart would skip a beat.

This… must be what first love feels like.

***

Break time.

I was sitting at my desk, organizing my bag.

Then, someone approached from behind.

“Jian~.”

A familiar voice.

I turned my head to see someone with their arms crossed, looking down at me.

It was Choi Somi, my friend since middle school.

Her eyes were sparkling.

……Ah, I have a bad feeling about this.

“Oh, Somi. What’s up?”

Choi Somi plopped down next to me and asked out of the blue.

“What’s going on between you two?”

“……Huh?”

“Dohyun and you. What’s your relationship?”

I grabbed the pencil case on my desk, fumbling with the zipper to avoid her gaze.

“Wh-what do you mean? We’re just classmates.”

“Is that so? But I’ve seen you walking to school together. And going home too.”

“Th-that’s just… because we happened to run into each other! The timing matched!”

Somi looked at me with suspicious eyes.

“So, it was just a coincidence?”

I hesitated, then nodded.

I’m really bad at lying. I knew it was obvious, but right now, this was the best I could do.

“Hmm~”

Somi rested her chin on her hand, studying me.

“……You’re acting really shy, aren’t you?”

“N-no, I’m not!”

“Your ears are all red, you know?”

I covered my face with both hands.

“They’re not red! It’s just… the lighting is weird!”

“Our classroom has fluorescent lights, though?”

“Ugh, seriously!”

Somi chuckled and stood up.

“Alright~ Fine, I’ll let it slide for now. But I’ll ask again someday, okay?”

She took a few steps back, waving playfully.

I slumped onto my desk.

My heart was still pounding, refusing to calm down.

…I got caught.

Annoyed, I pulled out my notebook.

Today’s lessons were the last thing on my mind.

Gripping my pen tightly, I started doodling aimlessly.

And then…

I began drawing Dohyun’s face.

His indifferent eyes, slightly messy hair, black horn-rimmed glasses.

It was weirdly detailed.

…How could I remember his face this well?

So annoying.

Beneath it, I scribbled crookedly:

Stupid idiot, can’t even cook.

Writing it down made me feel a little better.

And then, at the very end…

Without thinking, I drew a tiny heart.

Just one small line, barely noticeable.

I stared at it blankly for a moment.

It was a little embarrassing.

Right at that moment—

“What’re you doing?”

A familiar voice.

Dohyun.

“N-nothing!!”

I reflexively shouted, slamming the notebook shut.

I quickly covered it with a textbook and forced an awkward smile as I turned to him.

“Really, it’s nothing.”

Dohyun looked down at me and smirked.

His eyes said it all.

‘I saw everything.’

He tilted his head and casually remarked,

“Should I count this as a confession too?”

My mind went blank.

My face burned hotter than I thought possible.

“Th-that was just… a doodle! I couldn’t focus in class, so… it’s nothing…!”

My words kept tangling.

Dohyun just watched me quietly, as if amused.

Meeting his gaze alone made it hard to breathe.

So—

I shot up from my seat.

“Ah! We have to switch classes, right?!”

I blurted out at the worst possible timing.

Then, without even packing my bag properly, I rushed out of the classroom.

Like I was running away.

But after just a few steps, I realized something was missing.

Ah…

My textbook.

I left it behind.

At that moment, quiet footsteps approached from behind.

A familiar hand tapped my shoulder.

“Jian.”

I turned around to see Dohyun holding my textbook.

“You forgot this.”

He held it out silently.

I took it carefully, barely touching his fingers.

“……Thanks.”

I mumbled softly.

Here’s your text with added spaces between each line:

He didn’t laugh.

He just gave a slight nod.

But I could tell.

Just now,

and a little more…

I felt caught.

***

Park Nayul and Yoon Jihoo were moving in sync at the center of the stage, matching each other’s rhythm.

I was quietly sitting against the back wall, catching my breath, while next to me, Kim Dohyun was checking his camera.

But—

His gaze was too fixed.

On Nayul.

To be precise, on the two of them moving across the center of the stage.

Over and over.

“……”

Without realizing it, my eyes narrowed.

Nayul leading, playfully nudging Jihoo,

Laughing and joking around,

And Dohyun watching it all.

Like a camera, expressionless, not a single flicker of emotion.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

I abruptly stood up.

Then quietly walked over to him, grabbed his face with both hands, and turned it toward me.

“……Huh?!”

Dohyun’s eyes widened.

Without hesitation, I squeezed his cheeks.

His lips puckered out like a fish’s—poof.

That face.

That dazed expression.

It was so ridiculous I almost laughed.

But I couldn’t.

Right now, I was supposed to be jealous.

I held it in and spoke in the most serious voice I could muster.

“…What are you looking at? You’re supposed to be looking at me.”

With his cheeks still squished, Dohyun mumbled something unintelligible.

“Mmmph… (What are you talking about…)”

Dohyun stared at me blankly.

His cheeks seemed slightly flushed.

He didn’t look away, but he didn’t say anything either.

Then,

Very softly,

Almost like a whisper, he said,

“……Okay. I’ll try.”

For a moment, I was stunned—

Then suddenly, irritation flared up.

“……Since when is that something you have to try for?”

Honestly, I snapped in an instant.

I didn’t even know why his words stung,

But I couldn’t help getting angry.

To make my pout obvious, I puffed up my cheeks with air.

…Pfft.

Eyes glaring at Dohyun, cheeks still inflated.

……Now that I think about it, this is really childish.

What am I even doing?

But right then—

Dohyun let out a small laugh,

Then—

Poke.

He pressed a finger against my cheek.

……Psshh.

The sound of air escaping.

Followed by a quiet, laughter-laced exhale.

Embarrassed, I quickly turned my head away.

God, I’m such an idiot.

Then.

A strange presence caught my attention.

I glanced to the side—

At the edge of the stage, Park Nayul stood with her arms crossed, watching us.

The corners of her eyes were slightly raised,

and her lips were curled in an unsettlingly sly smile.

Next to her,

Yoon Jihoo, arms also crossed, nodding with a look that said, “Hmm~”

“……”

“……”

The two of them stared at us in unison,

then simultaneously turned their heads away.

Both of their faces were red up to their ears.

Seriously.

Why do we keep getting caught?

Why do we… keep giving ourselves away?

……And.

The fact that I didn’t dislike it was the bigger problem.