Chapter 77: Secret Classroom Date (3)

So-yul’s shoulders trembled slightly. Even her long hair held a faint quiver.

The way she curled up in my arms, as if trying to hide herself, revealed the fear in her heart.

I was just as afraid as she was.

Our relationship directly violated the school’s ban on dating. Putting aside the punishment, the moment So-yul’s mother found out—that woman who already disliked her daughter—we would certainly have to break up.

She might even take So-yul back to America for good. If she discovered her daughter had escaped her surveillance to date a boyfriend, her restrictions would undoubtedly become even more severe.

But I couldn’t afford to show my anxiety.

With So-yul trembling in my arms, I needed to remain calm for her sake at the very least.

I gently embraced her delicate back, as if to comfort her in her fear.

Perhaps my embrace had eased her anxiety somewhat. Her violently trembling body stabilized a little.

From now on… all we could do was pray.

While we were like this, the conversation between the two students continued.

“That’s Min Woo-jin’s bag?”

“Isn’t it? Now that I think about it, I feel like Min Woo-jin carries a bag similar to this.”

“Well, I guess that does seem right…”

The voice expressing agreement was clearly filled with bewilderment.

They’d been questioning our relationship all this time. They’d even asked if we were really dating. It was natural for them to be shocked as circumstantial evidence unfolded before their eyes.

Meanwhile, the student who was confidently convincing the other sounded rather excited.

Well, dating stories were rare at our school. It wasn’t surprising they found it so fascinating… except for the fact that we were the subjects.

“So then?”

The skeptical girl cautiously asked.

“Are you saying they’re really dating?”

“No, I can’t say that yet, but they left their belongings behind and disappeared, so something must be…”

She had been speaking excitedly, but her voice trailed off.

These situations typically fell into two categories.

One was when she discovered a contradiction in what she was about to say. The other was when a new suspicion arose that she hadn’t considered before.

I hoped for the former, but since everything was true, there couldn’t be any contradictions.

“…What if they were hiding because we suddenly came in?”

As expected, her next guess was spot on.

“Hiding because of us?”

“Yeah. If they weren’t planning to use the classroom, there’d be no need to leave their stuff lying around. Maybe they were secretly dating here?”

“Hmm~ You think so?”

“Plus, we also rushed in because the classroom was oddly open. If So-yul and Min Woo-jin were together in the classroom, and they hurriedly hid when we barged in…”

She didn’t finish her sentence.

Perhaps she felt it unnecessary to say more. Or maybe she thought it too hasty to draw a confident conclusion.

One thing was certain, though.

If she decided to verify her theory, discovering us would only be a matter of time.

Just as I was thinking this, unhurried footsteps rang out.

“Hey, where are you going?”

To her friend’s confused question, the owner of the footsteps replied, “Just checking something real quick.”

There was no follow-up question like “What are you checking?” This was probably because she could guess well enough without asking.

In this wide classroom, there were hardly any places to hide. If we were truly hiding, where would we be? With this thought, after looking around once, only one spot would stand out.

The footsteps… were approaching the teacher’s podium.

Was this how we’d be caught?

Would this ordinary morning become our last meeting?

Step.

Step.

Step.

The sound of footsteps continued to draw closer.

In time with them, So-yul’s and my heartbeats also kept accelerating without pause.

Even though I held her tightly, it seemed the fear rising from within was hard to dispel. So-yul’s fragile body was still trembling.

Her suppressed breathing against my chest even contained a slight sob.

And finally.

The footsteps that had come so close suddenly stopped, and then:

“What? What are you guys doing here?”

…The source of those words came from an entirely unexpected direction.

At the same time, So-yul jerked her head up to look at me.

Surprised by this unexpected situation, her eyes were filled with astonishment.

But it made perfect sense.

The voice we had just heard belonged to… the arts track girl who always doted on So-yul.

The footsteps that had approached stopped completely.

Then came the sound of someone turning around.

“Huh? What’s up? Weren’t you supposed to be at the meeting place?”

“I came looking for you because you were taking too long. What on earth are you doing in the classroom that’s keeping you?”

“Nothing, really. We found So-yul’s clothes lying here, so we were wondering if she might be hiding somewhere in the classroom.”

“What?”

The friend who heard this explanation let out a disbelieving laugh.

“Why would they hide in the classroom? They’re not little kids playing hide-and-seek.”

“Well? So-yul does look like a child, doesn’t she?”

“Ah~ I guess she does? That’s why she’s so much cuter too.”

So-yul’s friend chuckled as if finding this amusing.

So-yul, still in my arms, pouted her lips in irritation, but she didn’t say anything—confronting them now would make things worse. …And to be fair, she did look a bit childlike.

Eventually, So-yul’s friend said in a more serious tone:

“Anyway, come on. Instead of wasting time on pointless hide-and-seek, we should start practice right away.”

“Ah, right. We should hurry; the others are waiting. It’s not good to waste everyone’s time because of us.”

“…Hmm. That’s true, but…”

A contemplative voice sounded from nearby.

She seemed to be weighing whether to continue searching for us or head immediately to where her friends were waiting.

Then, after a moment:

“Alright. Let’s go.”

From a distance close enough that one or two more steps would have revealed our presence,

The footsteps slowly retreated towards the back of the classroom.

After some giggling conversation, we finally heard the door slide shut.

With all signs of presence and voices gone, only silence flowed through the classroom.

And in it, we remained frozen, holding each other as if for support.

How much time passed like that?

Too drained to even check her surroundings, So-yul kept her face buried in my chest and whispered softly:

“Di-did everyone leave?”

“Yeah. Looks like it.”

If they had pretended to leave while waiting for us to let our guard down, that would be another story. But if they were that calculating, it might be better to just let ourselves be caught.

This wasn’t the time for such pointless worries.

So-yul’s entire body was still trembling with fear. Her heartbeat, felt through our contact, showed no signs of calming down.

Concerned that her small body might not handle the stress well, I wanted to calm her quickly.

“Are you okay?”

I gently stroked her delicate back while whispering in her ear.

So-yul flinched for a moment, then raised her head to look at me.

Her eyes, looking back at me, were slightly moist.

“…I was so scared.”

“I know. Thank you for holding up so well despite being frightened.”

“Don’t thank me. I would have cried if you weren’t here.”

“I’m glad I could help. Anyway, it’s okay now. You can relax.”

“Mm-hmm.”

So-yul answered in a barely audible voice.

The fear of being caught was probably familiar to her by now. On the walking path, in the club room, in the elevator—we’d overcome various crises, so she might have gotten somewhat used to it.

But since we’d started dating for real, this was our first life-or-death situation.

Even if the end result would have been the same, the fear was naturally greater than when we were fake-dating.

That’s what love is—the more you share your hearts and grow your affection, the more you dread being apart.

Indeed, So-yul’s heart was still pounding fiercely.

It seemed her anxiety hadn’t subsided yet.

I embraced her fragile body tightly, conveying that she was safe with me.

So-yul let out a small, surprised “hnn” and a warm breath.

“Are you still scared?”

When I asked briefly, So-yul shook her head.

“N-no, I’m not scared.”

“Then why is your heart racing?”

At my concerned question, So-yul bit her lower lip hard.

“…I-it’s just that our position is a bit… you know. Dummy.”

“…Oh.”

Only now did I realize.

Come to think of it, So-yul and I were currently… embracing each other in a rather suggestive position.

When I hastily released my arms, So-yul moved away from me as if half-collapsing.

Her labored breathing suggested she had been restraining herself in various ways while in my arms.

Her cheeks, flushed red enough to emit steam, seemed to indicate emotions other than fear.

Following this, So-yul averted her gaze somewhere far away.

“…B-being in an embrace like that in the middle of the classroom feels strange.”

She blurted out what seemed like random words, as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

With a suppressed laugh, I calmly replied:

“Wouldn’t something like what just happened feel strange even outside the classroom?”

“Y-yeah, I guess so.”

At my response, So-yul let out a light “hehe” laugh.

And just like that, the frozen atmosphere from our sudden crisis instantly thawed.

Eventually, So-yul rubbed her still-reddened cheeks and said:

“I can’t believe even a brief meeting in the classroom has to be this difficult.”

“That’s true. It can’t be helped since dating is banned at our school.”

This school prohibited everything, citing school rules. It was only natural that enjoying dates alone together wouldn’t be easy.

Conversely, in a normal school, dating in the classroom wouldn’t have been that difficult.

“Yeah. I guess there’s nothing we can do at our school.”

Agreeing with my words, So-yul showed a gentle smile, then:

“Still, I’m glad we didn’t get caught. Right?”

“…Hmm.”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

Perhaps because my response wasn’t very clear, So-yul tilted her head slightly in confusion.

There was something that still bothered me a little.

But saying it aloud would only create unnecessary anxiety.

“It’s nothing.”

In the end, I placed my palm on So-yul’s head and smiled lightly.

Even just this made So-yul break into an innocent smile as if it tickled.