Chapter 92: Pepero Day (1)

As I walked to school in the noticeably colder air, I was greeted by a classroom that was different from usual.

Some sat rigidly, waiting for something. Others clutched their heads with gloomy faces.

Among them was even a guy who seemed inexplicably excited, grabbing nearby classmates and chattering endlessly.

The classroom, filled with countless expressions, had a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety flowing through it.

Why was everyone acting like this today? Had they collectively agreed to lose their minds at the same time?

At the very least, I had no memory of making such an agreement. Nor was I overflowing with enough loyalty to eagerly join in.

I made my way to my usual seat, navigating through the peculiar classmates.

Then suddenly.

“…Ah.”

I belatedly remembered what day it was.

Of course, it wasn’t a day where everyone had agreed to pretend to be crazy.

Today was November 11th.

The famous Pepero Day.

At a school that strictly controlled interactions between genders, they would never turn a blind eye to such an occasion.

On a day like today, even getting caught eating Pepero would lead to interrogation about who gave it to you. I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if you were caught giving or receiving them. This school was truly remarkable.

Of course, even repression has its limits.

Unlike Valentine’s Day, which overlapped with winter break, or White Day, which came at the start of a new school year, Pepero Day arrived near the end of the academic year.

After a year of big and small interactions, feelings naturally develop. Even if you can’t date, it’s human nature to want to convey your feelings.

Because of this, an ancient tradition had been passed down from earlier generations at this school.

The tradition was to anonymously gift Pepero on Pepero Day, indirectly confessing one’s feelings.

But where there’s light, there’s shadow.

Unfortunately, not everyone could emerge as winners.

“Just because you didn’t get any snacks, do you have to look so depressed since morning?”

I asked my friend sitting in front of me, who was sighing heavily.

He’d been sighing so much it felt like my ears would grow calluses.

Without even turning to look at me, my friend answered in a miserable voice.

“You think I’m like this because I couldn’t eat any? I’m like this because I didn’t receive any.”

“That’s the same thing.”

“No, it’s not. I didn’t receive any even though our school has a 1:1 gender ratio. When I go to college, I’ll only see countless guys. It means there’s no hope for my future.”

“You’re overreacting.”

As I dismissed him, my friend slumped onto his desk.

“Dude, will I ever get a girlfriend even once before I die…”

“Well, I guess. Probably with a high likelihood.”

“Likelihood. It’s not reassuring, man.”

My friend laughed as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Of course I was joking. After leaving this place where dating is forbidden, he might get a girlfriend right after entering college. No, he definitely would. …With high likelihood.

Putting the joke aside.

“Anyway, everyone’s really making a fuss.”

I shared this observation while looking around at the spectacle unfolding in the classroom.

It was the same last year—everyone gets rowdy on this day. It almost feels like proof that pressuring students with school rules is pointless.

Well, it had nothing to do with me. I took out a pen from my pencil case and spun it around, watching from a distance like someone observing a fire across the river. Just then, my friend in front turned to face me.

“Oh, by the way, you must be happy because you have a girlfriend, right? You probably got Pepero from Han So-yul.”

Wheeeeeet, thunk.

At this sudden comment, I tensed up so much that my pen flew far away. It flew so far that even nearby students glanced over at me.

What nonsense was this guy spouting?

I clicked my tongue and got up to retrieve my pen. When I returned, my friend was looking at me with a grinning expression.

I pretended to jab him with the pen and said:

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Well, you’ve been pretending she’s not your girlfriend, right?”

“I’m not pretending—she really isn’t.”

Of course, in reality, she actually was my girlfriend…

As I continued my denial, my friend nodded as if there was nothing he could do. Yet he showed no sign of backing down and continued:

“Fine. I’ll go along with the idea that you’re not dating. But you still received Pepero, right? At the very least, your relationship seems to be more than ordinary.”

This guy talking as if he’d made a great concession. What did he mean by “go along with it”? His tone implied he’d already decided we were dating.

This was actually a good opportunity. Since the topic had come up, it would be better to present evidence. Having reached this conclusion, I furrowed my brow and flatly replied:

“I didn’t get any.”

“What?”

He asked as if he’d misheard.

Though I’m sure he heard me correctly.

“I said I didn’t get any. Pepero.”

“…No way.”

Was my answer that unexpected? My friend blinked his eyes in disbelief. He even shook his head as if he couldn’t possibly believe it.

Really, he had such little faith in me.

“Look.”

I rummaged through my desk drawer to show him it was completely empty. Then I dug through my bag hanging on the side to prove there was no Pepero hidden inside either.

So, what did he think now? If I was really dating So-yul, wouldn’t I have received at least a Pepero gift?

There was no trace of receiving Pepero in either my drawer or bag. Since I’d arrived late, the possibility that I’d hidden it earlier was also low. This should be enough evidence to prove that there was nothing between So-yul and me.

With this intention, I confidently faced my friend.

In response, my friend opened his mouth as if he felt sorry for me and said:

“…Did you two break up already?”

“I told you we’re not dating.”

Really, this guy had no intention of listening to me.

◎

…That’s what I proudly said, but.

In truth, I was also puzzled about not receiving any Pepero.

This was So-yul, who had made a homemade cake to celebrate my birthday. She’d even come to my home to nurse me when I was sick. I’d expected to receive at least some store-bought Pepero, if not homemade.

Of course, I had no right to expect anything since I didn’t even know what day it was until now.

But it was understandable.

So-yul’s performance was at the end of November. About two weeks remained.

It was a golden opportunity to gain her mother’s recognition. A chance to strike back while defying her mother’s demands. In such a situation, a worthless occasion like Pepero Day wouldn’t even register.

When days like this fall right before exams, most students in the academic track don’t even glance at it. Even I had told friends not to contact me during exam studying periods before I started dating So-yul.

So-yul probably felt the same way.

With a major event ahead causing her worry, she wouldn’t have the capacity to prepare Pepero too. So there was absolutely no reason to feel down about not receiving a mere snack. Yes, absolutely.

…Despite reassuring myself with these words.

During lunch that day.

So-yul, who had called me to the stairs below the rooftop after a long time, was just standing silently with a Pepero stick in her mouth.

“…What are you doing?”

The first words that escaped me upon seeing that sight were genuinely out of confusion.

She had a Pepero stick in her mouth but wasn’t eating it. She wasn’t saying anything, just silently looking up at me. She even had expectant eyes that were sparkling brightly.

I had no way of figuring out what she wanted. I just stood there bewildered, my mouth opening and closing.

As I remained frozen like that, So-yul eventually began to eat the Pepero stick slowly.

After diligently chewing and swallowing all of the Pepero, So-yul finally gave me an answer.

“…Dummy.”

No, it seems that wasn’t an answer.

For some reason, I even got called a dummy out of nowhere. Since she’d called me by message, I’d rushed right over, and this is how my girlfriend treats me? She was truly a hard-to-read girlfriend.

But there was one thing I understood.

“Did you prepare Pepero because it’s Pepero Day?”

When I asked with a smile, So-yul took out a new Pepero stick from the box in her hand and said:

“That’s right. My friend said she was going out to buy some, so I asked her to get one for me too.”

“Oh, did you?”

“Yes. It’s an opportunity I didn’t want to miss.”

An opportunity she didn’t want to miss…?

After dropping this puzzling statement, So-yul bit into the Pepero she was holding.

But somehow, the rate at which it was disappearing was very slow. Because her mouth was as small as her body, she had to take small bites even of a single Pepero stick.

The sight reminded me of a hamster savoring a sunflower seed, and a faint smile inadvertently escaped me.

So-yul tilted her head.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Because you’re cute.”

“Hmm~”

So-yul shot me a probing glance while munching on her Pepero.

I genuinely smiled because she was cute. She looked so adorable that anyone would have smiled.

Did she not trust her boyfriend that much? Or did she underestimate her own cuteness? I really couldn’t tell.

What could I do? I just smiled and reached out to the Pepero box So-yul was holding.

I picked up one stick and was about to put it in my mouth when…

“Wait.”

With these words, So-yul quickly hid the Pepero.

Why, why was she doing this?

“…Am I not allowed to eat it?”

When I asked this, standing dumbfounded, So-yul burst into laughter with a “pfft,” then:

“Of course you can eat it. I bought it for my boyfriend.”

“Uh… Then can I have one Pepero stick?”

“No.”

“…”

What exactly did she want me to do?

Though I looked at her with puzzlement, So-yul just continued eating her Pepero without saying anything.

But on her face, there seemed to be a hint of some scheme.