Why Did You Call Me Today? – 1

“Phew…”

Ye-rin finally seemed satisfied, making a sensual sound as she pulled away.

…How long were we at it?

Both my lips and mouth were damp.

I felt like Ye-rin was still inside my mouth.

While doing it, I thought it was brief, but after separating,

I could tell we’d enjoyed each other for a longer time than expected.

Ye-rin seemed to feel the same way, sitting there with a dazed expression.

“…Ye-rin, want something to drink? I’ll get it.”

“Yeah, thanks…”

My throat was parched too, and thinking we both needed to cool down, I offered to get drinks. Ye-rin shyly nodded.

Getting permission, I opened the door and stepped into the living room.

— So refreshing.

It was sweltering in Ye-rin’s room, but the living room felt like a different world.

“What, done studying?”

Jin-hyuk, lounging in the living room, spotted me and spoke.

…If only you weren’t here.

Suddenly I remembered what Ye-rin said earlier about not doing it because this guy was home.

Of course, I didn’t particularly? expect? or think about? doing that? But somehow thinking it was because of this guy made me feel a bit wronged.

I went to where Jin-hyuk was lying and poked him with my foot in revenge.

“What’s wrong with you, crazy bastard?”

“I’m crazy, so what?”

“Are you really crazy?”

Jin-hyuk looked at me incredulously, then grew concerned.

“Are you sick? Why’s your face so red?”

“…Is my face red right now?”

“Like a burning sweet potato? Don’t tell me you’re giving my sister your cold?”

…That’s because I just finished making out with your sister.

Epic—

Since I couldn’t say that,

When I couldn’t respond, not knowing what to say, Jin-hyuk sighed helplessly and stood up.

“I’ll get you cold medicine so take it and go home to rest. No matter how much you two want to be together, this isn’t right.”

…I don’t have a cold, idiot.

**

The next day at lunch, after being kicked out by Jin-hyuk who actually brought me cold medicine,

The kiss with Ye-rin kept replaying in my mind at school, making me smile without realizing it.

…I want to do it again.

The soft lips, sweet scent, everything I felt in that moment—

was enough to make me a fool.

“Hey, why’s Han Woo-jin like this today?”

“I don’t know, he’s been happy all day. It’s annoying.”

“…Nothing to be annoyed about, right?”

My mood must’ve been obvious, because Jin-hyuk and Yoon Do-hyun picking fights annoyed me.

“No, you have to see for yourself. It’s written ‘I’m happy’ and I really want to punch him.”

“If I was stronger, I’d have hit him already. Right?”

“Totally.”

“I’ll hit you first before you hit me. Come here, bastards.”

Can’t tell if that’s a mouth or an asshole.

Standing up to punish them for spewing shit, they giggled and quickly scampered away.

“Seriously, why are you happy alone? Tell us so we can laugh together.”

“It’s obviously about his girlfriend. Did you kiss or something?”

Yoon Do-hyun’s casual correct guess made me flinch.

But Jin-hyuk must not have seen it, dismissing it with “As if” and lightly hitting Yoon Do-hyun’s shoulder.

“Don’t talk shit. Why bring up my sister?”

“Then who else would it be, crazy?”

“Hey, Woo-jin. Say something…?”

“…………….”

“Wait. Wait wait wait… Hey, hold on… Yesterday you were definitely… face all red…?”

As I stayed silent, Jin-hyuk seemed to realize something, muttering while looking down.

Soon he stared at me, devastated.

“…Hey, it’s not…?”

“………”

“… Say something, Han Woo-jin. It’s not. You, you definitely had a cold, right…?”

“…I was fucking fine yesterday.”

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD I WAS HOME WITH MY EYES WIDE OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Cough, hey, wai…t!”

Whether possessed by Sahu, Jin-hyuk grabbed my collar and shook me violently, making it hard to breathe, but I couldn’t resist.

I did the same last time.

As I endured karma’s payback, Ye-rin and Se-ah entered through our classroom door.

“…Jin-hyuk oppa, what are you doing?”

“Are you two fighting~?”

“Ye-rin, this guy did to you…!”

Jin-hyuk opened his mouth as if he got caught red-handed, making me wonder if he’d say it.

But soon regaining his senses, his forcefully opened mouth quietly closed.

“What?”

“…Nothing.”

“And don’t call my oppa ‘this guy.'”

“Aren’t I your oppa too, sister…?”

Jin-hyuk weakly protested with slumped shoulders, but Ye-rin dismissed it with a huff while linking arms with me.

“Let’s go, oppa…”

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

I could feel Jin-hyuk’s murderous glare burning my back at the extreme contrast.

Well, what’re you gonna do?

I turned back with a smirk before lightly leaving the classroom.

While walking to the cafeteria with Ye-rin,

I involuntarily flinched.

The other person also seemed startled seeing us.

…Should I greet Yu-ri, whom I haven’t seen since the first day of school?

But with Ye-rin next to me, it felt inappropriate, so I deliberately looked away, and Yu-ri also didn’t acknowledge me.

After passing each other,

I internally sighed with relief…

“…Oppa.”

“Yeah?”

“Was that the person you mentioned before…?”

“…………….Huh?”

“I’m sure you said ‘Lee Yu-ri’ before…”

…What’s with your memory? First Detective Jin-hyuk, now Detective Ye-rin taking turns made me breathless.

Gulping at Ye-rin’s exact recall of a name from two years ago, I said,

“…Right. How’d you know?”

“You flinched when you saw her, how could I not notice…?”

“…Was it that obvious?”

“Mm, more than obvious…”

She wasn’t checking every name tag of passing students.

When I wondered how she noticed, Ye-rin gripped my arm tightly as if saying, you’re the culprit.

“Because it’s about oppa…”

As if saying it’s you she’s talking about—

Ye-rin looked at me with a playful smile.

…I can’t compete.

I had to surrender before that smile.

“…Yeah, she was the Yu-ri I mentioned.”

“Why’d you ignore her…?”

“Just, acknowledging her now feels weird.”

After cutting her off, now saying “let’s be friends again” with Ye-rin back would be shamelessly thick-faced, deserving a slap from Yu-ri.

And.

While Yu-ri wasn’t an ex or anything—just someone I briefly knew, a passing friend—

I felt uncomfortable acknowledging her in front of Ye-rin, but couldn’t say that honestly.

So I shared only partial truth.

Whether satisfied, Ye-rin pondered briefly with her finger to her lips.

Soon she changed the subject.

…Phew.

When caught ignoring her, I thought I was in trouble.

Seeing Ye-rin act normally, I relieved myself with an unconscious sigh.

…Why am I here?

That thought came sitting with Han Woo-jin’s girlfriend at a café.

After classes, during sudden downpour, I was humming while packing to go home and rest when—

The classroom buzzed, and a friend excitedly said someone was calling for me.

…Who could it be?

Walking to the back door under everyone’s curious stares,

I immediately understood their reaction.

A girl looking like a doll stood there.

…The one arm-in-arm with Han Woo-jin earlier?

Flustered, I asked why she called. When she asked if I had time today, I unknowingly said yes.

And here we are.

…This is Han Woo-jin’s girlfriend, right?

A girl linking arms with that bad guy who coldly cut me off—definitely his girlfriend.

This thought crossed my mind too:

— Bad guy. Thought he was romantic, turns out he’s face-obsessed?

The girl across me was just drinking a latte, yet looked incredibly beautiful.

…I never thought I’d lose to anyone appearance-wise.

But before this girl, no chance.

Ask 100 guys, probably 90 would choose her?

…10 is my last shred of pride.

Anyway.

— Why’d she want to meet me alone?

I initially thought Han Woo-jin would join, but here we were, just us two.

On the way here and even now,

I couldn’t guess why.

Does she want to warn me off her boyfriend like in dramas…?

Hah, she won’t throw water, right?

Should I prepare to block?

But…except for two years ago, we barely talked?

Conversation requires the other party’s participation.

That bad guy Han Woo-jin only responded with “uh,” “uh-huh,” “yeah”—impossible to hold a conversation.

Unable to figure it out,

I finally spoke up.

“So. Why’d you call me today?”