episode_0019

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Do I look okay…!”

“Why did you push me into the closet like that out of the blue?”

“Well, obviously we had to hide before someone caught us, didn’t you hear footsteps coming down the hallway?”

“? True.”

“Couldn’t we just confidently stay out in the open? I don’t understand why we have to hide.”

“It might not bother you, but I feel embarrassed and can’t do it!”

In the cramped closet, Sehee and Taeyang were tangled up together, their bodies so close that they could feel each other’s warmth.

Sehee couldn’t focus due to the subtle scent of perfume and body odor emanating in the confined space.

‘What am I doing… Or maybe being alone with Taeyang like this isn’t so bad?’

‘The guy who always sweats from exercising seems unexpectedly nice with his scent…’

*Sniff sniff*

“Hmm?”

Lost in her thoughts, Sehee made a strange noise at the whiff from Taeyang’s nose.

“Don’t you dare smell me like that, you pervert!”

“I was just breathing!”

“We’re stuck together like this, what else can we do?”

“Then stop breathing and die!”

“You’re too much~”

“Anyway…”

“You seem quite familiar with my perfume scent, don’t you think…?”

Startled

“How would I know! It’s probably just a common fragrance that people use.”

“I don’t think so.”

“What was it again…”

“…Ah!”

As if something came to mind, Taeyang chuckled mischievously, teasing Sehee about the perfume he gifted her last year.

“Haha, I wonder… Does it smell like the perfume I gave you for your birthday last year?”

“You have no sense; I told you to use it yourself, where did that person go? Did they die or something?”

“Even if you say you don’t like it, your body is honest about it, haha.”

“Do you like this tsundere-like side of me?”

“….”

“Haha, Miss Choi Sehee? Care to respond?”

*Thud*

‘This clueless guy…!’

Unable to contain her excitement in a moment alone with her crush, Sehee decided to take timid revenge on Taeyang, who was constantly teasing her like a grade schooler.

With a heart full of resentment, she pinched Taeyang’s flesh sincerely.

*Squeal*

“What are you doing!”

“Hmph.”

“Hey, we came in here to hide, is this kind of thing allowed?”

“I don’t know, it’s fine for you.”

She pinched even harder as if to say there was no way around it.

“Ouch! That really hurts!”

“Stay still!”

“Oof!”

“Huh?!”

When Taeyang, unable to bear the pain from the pinch, moved vigorously, Sehee lost her balance and fell, ending up in Taeyang’s wide embrace.

“Hey! What are you doing moving like that!”

“How can I not move when you’re pinching me so hard?”

“Ugh, anyway, let go for now.”

“Just hold on, it’s too tight to move properly…”

Already close, they found themselves pressed tightly against each other without any room to spare.

Just as the startled pair tried to separate,

*Click!*

Creak…

“..!”

The door opened as if on cue.

“Oh, get a grip on yourself.”

“..? Where did Sehee go?”

“She must have stepped out for a moment.”

Pitter-patter

“My wallet… Where did I put it?”

One of Sehee’s roommates, who had gone to another room, returned to retrieve a valuable item she had left behind.

“…Darn, did I leave it here?”

“Hey… Shh! Just stay put until she leaves!”

“If you make even a slight noise… You know, right?”

*Nods nervously*

Blocking Taeyang, who was about to advertise himself, Sehee watched the situation unfold with cold sweat dripping down her face.

Although the posture was a bit odd, it was a million times better than letting others know about the situation.

Please leave quickly…!

However, the wallet was nowhere to be found even after more than 10 minutes had passed.

The friend, moving as if deliberately slow, was becoming increasingly frustrating, as if she knew but was dragging things out.

And vice versa.

Slowly feeling suffocated in the fixed position receiving Sehee, as time passed, Taeyang reached his limit.

“Oh no!”

Suddenly, his body hit the wardrobe wall, making a loud noise.

Thud!

“What was that sound?”

Without anyone else around in the room, his friend immediately reacted to the strange noise they heard.

Thump thump

The sound was getting closer and closer.

“Hey! Did you make a noise because you couldn’t stand it anymore?”

“Is it because it’s too narrow and you’re supporting me that you made a mistake?”

“Why?!”

Exchanging glances and silently cursing each other, their friend had already gotten close without them noticing.

Soon, the wardrobe door began to open slowly.

Thump thump thump

A level of tension and anxiety different from before.

“Oh…! What do we call this situation?”

“Kim Taeyang came uninvited? No, no, he just made an excuse.”

“I don’t know!”

Click…

“Ugh!”

Sehee, thinking it was all over, closed her eyes tightly.

“….?”

However, the light coming through the slightly opened wardrobe door did not increase any further but remained as it was.

“What’s going on?”

Perplexed, the two friends wondered.

Not long after, the wardrobe door, which had been slowly opening, closed again, and they heard a voice expressing relief.

“Oh! Found it. Oh, there it is. Let’s go back quickly; the kids must be waiting.”

Clank

…

How long had it been since the door closed?

Two sweaty men and women jumped out of the wardrobe.

“Phew…!”

“Whew!”

They both collapsed as if exhausted.

“Phew, that was close.”

“We almost got caught.”

“Haha, sometimes these secret plays aren’t so bad, right?”

“It was dangerous because of whom?”

“Well, if we didn’t get caught, it’s all good. Sehee, you seemed to enjoy it too, didn’t you?”

“I don’t want to experience that again.”

Was it because the tension eased or because the feared situation didn’t happen that Sehee spoke about the recent events with a slight smile?

“This situation reminds me of what happened at our house.”

“Oh, now that I think about it, you kissed me before, right?”

“…I said that was an accident!”

“Haha, you were cute back then. It was almost a waste to see you telling yourself to leave the neighborhood after doing it.”

“Even if I like you, it’s still a sin.”

“Sorry for suddenly doing that; you probably didn’t like it either.”

“Wasn’t it uncomfortable being in the wardrobe with me?”

“…?”

“Why are you suddenly silent?”

“..No.”

“Huh?”

“..It wasn’t bad when you kissed me.”

“And being alone together just now?”

“…??”

Taeyang showed an unnatural side, unlike his usual teasing self, leaving Sehee puzzled.

“What? Hey, wait a minute!”

“Ahh, it’s hot. I need some fresh air. I’ll be right back!”

As Taeyang hurriedly left to cool off, Sehee wondered, “Why is he acting like that for the first time?”

“Wasn’t it bad?”

“…?!”

Sehee’s face turned red as she finally understood the meaning of his previous words.

Sehee’s reaction was too slow.

Meanwhile, while Taeyang and Sehee were filming a 2% lacking romantic comedy, in Yeonji’s room next door…

“Nayoon’s favorite random game~~”

“Yeah! Hong Sam Eble Berry Hong Sam!”

“Yeah! You! You!”

“Yeah! You!”

“Yeah! Hong Sam~!”

“Eble Berry Hong Sam!”

“Oops!”

“Sua wins! Hit her gently!”

“Ouch, be gentle..!”

They were joyfully playing a silly drinking game, laughing and shouting cheerfully.

And in the corner, Yeonji, who valued friendship among same-gender friends more than hanging out with guys, was sitting alone, watching her phone with a gloomy expression.

Why was she in a situation where she was alone and gloomy instead of having fun with the guys? Because a guy had come to visit, and Yeonji, who was inexperienced with the opposite sex, froze? No.

It was because the atmosphere in the room emphasized the importance of friendships between same-gender friends, and they were enjoying their own league without anyone visiting or interrupting their fun.

So, did you exclude and ostracize Yeonji because you found her annoying? Absolutely not.

Before playing, Yeonji’s classmates approached her first and suggested playing together.

Although they couldn’t get close to Yeonji at school, they believed it was possible now.

They may have looked like kids chewing gum, but they were very kind classmates!

Yeonji had withdrawn herself first, fearing that her timid nature, spending time only on internet communities without even knowing popular games, might ruin the warm atmosphere of the room.

“Ugh… I can’t take it anymore. I need a break.”

Yeonji, reaching her limit, put on her coat and stepped outside the lodging.

“Phew… Finally, some peace.”

The lodging was located by the seaside.

Crash-

The sound of waves.

The sandy beach illuminated by the faint moonlight.

And there was Yeonji, strolling along, stepping on the sand one foot at a time.

The autumn seaside was chilly, but after a hectic school trip with many events, it was just what she needed to clear her head.

“Kim Taeyang…”

Nothing good ever happens when dealing with that guy.

Was her plan to spend time alone shattered because of one person?

What a jerk…

Do I look that easy to him? Even if I lack social skills and am introverted, it’s not that simple!

Just wait, I’ll definitely give him a hard time later!

And how much did she chew out Kim Taeyang?

Feeling relieved…

“…I should probably start heading back soon.”

As bedtime approached, Yeonji decided to return.

However, isn’t there a saying that when five people gather, there’s always one troublemaker among them?

During the peak season of school trips, schools from all over the country came to Jeju Island, not just Hanbit Middle School.

And with more people, the proportion of troublesome individuals also increased significantly.

“Hey, you! The girl walking alone!”

“…Me?”

“Oh, it’s you~”

As she turned her head towards the voice coming closer, a group of troublemakers was suddenly right in front of her.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Haha, why do you think we called you to hang out with us?”

“Seeing you here at this quiet hour, you must be quite lonely, huh?”

“We could help you get rid of those feelings.”

…”

After a few words mixed in, Yeonji judged them as bad influences who shouldn’t be appeased.

She immediately prepared to run away, but…

“Hey!”

One of the troublemakers sensed something and grabbed Yeonji’s wrist.

“Let’s just talk quietly, okay?”

A tense situation.

Normally, at this hour, it’s rare to find someone wandering around, and there would be no one to help.

Except for one person who stood out from the ordinary.

“Hey, hey!”

“What are you doing to my girlfriend?”

“…Kim Taeyang?”

In this situation, a more reliable ally than anyone else appeared.