episode_0262

.

Honestly, looking back now, it was a conversation we had far too carelessly.

Just because Yozora was slumped over and breathing softly, I actually thought she was asleep.

That’s not just naive—it’s downright foolish.

Of course, Seo Woojin probably brought it up thinking Yozora was genuinely asleep too, but this is Yozora we’re talking about.

Given how much she loves messing around, he should’ve at least poked her cheek a few times to check her reaction before saying anything.

No, scratch that. She wouldn’t have budged even then, so he should’ve just pried her eyelids open…

…Ugh. Whatever.

What’s the point of running simulations now?

The milk’s already spilled.

As I mentally retraced exactly what Woojin and I had talked about, I let out an exaggerated sigh and glanced at the two sitting across from me.

“…So, this is what you called me out for? Cafeteria food?”

“What’s wrong with it? It’s better than you’d think. Their omelets and kimchi udon are pretty good.”

“It’s not that it’s bad… just… sigh.”

After practically strong-arming me into coming, ending up at the academy’s student cafeteria feels a little anticlimactic, don’t you think?

Yozora’s sharp enough to get what I mean, but she just fiddled with the meal ticket she printed from the kiosk, feigning ignorance.

If she just wanted to mooch a nice meal off me, she could’ve picked some fancy restaurant nearby.

If she had something to say, there are plenty of places with private rooms.

So why the student cafeteria of all places?

…Maybe the real issue is me trying to understand Yozora in the first place.

I crossed my arms and stared at her for a moment before softening my expression slightly and shifting my gaze to Han Soo-ah beside her.

Rather than chiming in on our conversation, Soo-ah was busy tapping away on her phone.

Judging by her finger movements, she was probably texting.

And the recipient? Well, it didn’t take a genius to guess—Woojin, obviously.

The way she was smiling all giddy made it clear.

Part of me wanted to butt in and tell her she should keep her distance from that trashy playboy, but of course, I couldn’t actually say that.

The reason? Well, obviously—

“….”

—because a certain crazy woman, her eyes gleaming with excitement over her new toy, was staring holes into me with a smirk.

All I could do was chug the glass of cold water that had just arrived.

“Seo-yeon. Seo-yeon.”

“…At least call me ‘unnie’ in public. There are ears everywhere.”

“Didn’t we talk about this? Just say it’s a Japanese thing. Anyway, the reason I called you here—”

Here it comes.

Instinctively, I tensed up, scanning our surroundings, while Yozora’s grin grew even more blatant as she continued.

But what came out of her mouth was…

“I wanna help our Soo-ah-chan make more friends!”

“…What?”

“Eek…!”

Something utterly trivial.

A request so insignificant it made me think, That’s it?

Judging by Soo-ah’s surprised reaction, this was news to her too—meaning Yozora hadn’t discussed it beforehand.

Naturally, I’d expected… well, something far more compromising. Like being asked to help Woojin get more excited during their… activities.

But all she wanted was for me to befriend Soo-ah?

After practically dragging me here under threat, this is the nonsense she comes up with?

Of course, precisely because it’s such a trivial request, I can’t help but suspect there’s more to it.

But what kind of troublesome follow-up could possibly stem from the word “friend”…?

No matter how much I wrack my brain, I can’t think of anything.

If I really stretch my imagination into absurd territory, sure, there are a few possibilities—but within the bounds of common sense? Nothing comes to mind.

As I furrowed my brows at the baffling turn in conversation, Yozora—still grinning—leaned in, pulling Soo-ah closer with one arm.

“The kids in our class aren’t bad, but there aren’t many worth getting close to. Well, except maybe Lee Ji-yoon?”

Lee Ji-yoon—the girl Yozora had taken an interest in before.

But that tidbit alone didn’t clear up any of my confusion, so I stayed quiet and listened.

“Plus, the boys all just stare at Soo-ah-chan like this when she’s around, so it’s hard to talk to them. They can’t even make eye contact.”

“Eek…!”

“….”

“Honestly, maybe the problem is Soo-ah-chan’s body being too sexy?”

“S-Stop touching me… Yozora…!”

“….”

“What? It’s not like they’ll wear out from a little squeeze.”

Yozora, who’d had her arm around Soo-ah’s waist this whole time, playfully curled her fingers.

Specifically, she was groping the massive chest that Soo-ah’s uniform barely contained—freely kneading it like dough on a table.

Maybe I should’ve stepped in to stop her. But by the time the thought crossed my mind, it was already too late.

Ehe, ehe~ With each giggle from Yozora, her slender fingers sank deeper into Soo-ah’s uniform-clad breasts.

…And, of course.

Dozens of lecherous stares from around the cafeteria were now locked onto our table.

At this point, even if I told her to stop, Yozora would probably just get more blatant.

Hell, she might ditch the playful groping and start fondling Soo-ah with both hands in some obscene display.

Letting out a resigned sigh, I adjusted my own clothes while watching Soo-ah squirm helplessly.

…The perverted gazes burning into my back?

They showed no signs of fading—only growing more intense.

“….”

I don’t have anything to say—not to Yozora, and certainly not to the guys leering at this spectacle.

I’ve long since given up on reforming Yozora, and as for the guys… well.

Sure, it’s gross, but can I really blame them when even a girl would stare at a scene like this?

Besides, I was the one who just yesterday at Woojin’s place—

…That.

I stared too.

We’re all the same, really.

Yozora’s antics finally ended after another 30 seconds of kneading Soo-ah’s chest.

Having silently watched the whole ordeal, I grimaced at the lingering perverted energy in the air before finally speaking up.

“So, to sum it up—you want me to get closer to Soo-ah here?”

“Yep!”

“…Putting aside how sudden this friend request is, is that really all? Just helping Soo-ah make friends?”

“Yep. That’s why I called you.”

“….”

“Why the scary face~? Don’t tell me you hate the idea of being friends with Soo-ah-chan?”

“…No, that’s not what I meant….”

This doesn’t make sense.

There’s got to be more to it.

After holding a lifetime’s worth of blackmail material over me, this is all she asks for? That’s not like Yozora.

Countless theories raced through my mind, but in the end, there was only one answer I could give.

“…Fine. Being friendly isn’t a big deal.”

Following Yozora’s orders, I’d play nice with Han Soo-ah.

…No idea if I’ll succeed, though.

I’ll try my best.

To not make it awkward.

A single screenshot.

That was all the message on my phone contained.

No cheap threats like “I’ve got someone hostage, come here”—just an ordinary map screenshot.

A route from the academy to some snack bar.

The sender? Lee Ha-yoon.

She didn’t add any text to the KakaoTalk message, but that alone was enough.

The fact that she sent it right before lunch and chose a place this far from the academy made her intentions obvious—she wanted to eat somewhere out of sight.

But part of me is a little disappointed.

I did tell Ha-yoon it’s fine if people know about us, yet she’s still insisting on secret lunch dates at remote snack bars.

Am I that embarrassing to introduce?

Or did she just forget?

If not, is she too shy to admit we’re dating?

“Hmm…”

It’s her call when to go public, but I’d much prefer options 2 or 3 over 1.

After one last glance at the map and the shop’s sign, I slid open the shabby door and stepped inside.

No academy uniforms in sight, but the place wasn’t empty either—a mix of office workers in suits and college students in casual clothes.

Must be a hidden gem. Otherwise, they’d just go to a franchise tteokbokki place.

Nodding to myself, I scanned the room for Ha-yoon—and that’s when it happened.

“Ah, over here! Here!”

Far in the back.

At a corner table, Lee Ha-yoon waved at me.

Maybe it was the bulky guys at nearby tables, but her average height made her look almost buried in her seat—weirdly cute.

“Hard to meet in the nurse’s office lately, so you changed tactics?”

“N-No, it’s not like that… I just really like their tteokbokki and fried stuff…”

“Really?”

“….”

“Ha-yoon noona.”

“……Fine. It’s gotten too hard to sneak touches in the nurse’s office, so we’re here. Happy now?”

“Yeah. Very.”

“…You’re such a creep when it comes to weird things…”

“This is totally normal taste. Any guy would love hearing what you just said.”

“Don’t care. Don’t caaare.”

After refilling her empty water glass, I smiled and continued.

“We’ll see each other after class anyway… Oh, how’s midterm prep going?”

“Don’t worry about that. If anything, you should be excited. I’ve gotten way stronger since first year.”

“Guess you’ve improved at controlling your strength? You used to hurt people by accident.”

“I was just an extreme case. Evolvers like that aren’t that rare…”

“I see… It’s kinda nice watching you grow. Like raising a plant, I guess?”

“…Are you treating me like a kid again?”

“I specifically said ‘plant’ to avoid that… And you like it when I treat you that way, don’t you?”

“…I’m just humoring your tastes.”

“Really?”

“….”

While Ha-yoon clamped her mouth shut, I skimmed the menu.

Figuring we’d get the usual, I set out utensils and asked,

“What about Ji-yoon?”

“Ji-yoon’s not coming.”

“Why? Got sick of it after ordering in last time?”

“Well… actually…”

“….”

“…I didn’t invite her.”

“…Ah.”

“….”

Makes sense. If they meet at home, Ji-yoon always tags along, so she probably wanted some alone time.

The thought was so cute I let out a soft laugh.

When our eyes met, Ha-yoon—who’d been alternating between staring at my face and the walls—finally glued her gaze to her phone.

If this were Ji-yoon, she wouldn’t just avoid eye contact—she’d snap, “What’re you looking at?!”

“….”

Still, I’m a little worried.

If Ji-yoon were here, we could at least claim we “just ran into each other and decided to eat together” if someone spotted us.

But like this? If we’re caught, there’s no way to spin it except as a secret date.

I scanned the shop again, but thankfully, no academy uniforms in sight.

Good. Even if this is a hidden gem, it’s a solid 10-minute walk from the academy…

And while tteokbokki is a common lunch choice, there are plenty of other options closer by.

No reason for anyone to come here.

Just as I wiped my hands with a restaurant napkin—

“Ah, there’s a seat. Let’s go over there.”

“…?”

“What’re you doing, dumbass? Don’t you see it? Hurry up, Lee…”

Clatter.

The door slid open as a pair of customers entered.

Normally, no big deal—but the girl’s voice sounded familiar.

Low for a girl.

A tone like she was scolding someone.

I’ve definitely heard it before. Not enough to place it immediately, but it’s there.

Maybe a student who visited the nurse’s office recently?

I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact.

The academy uniform wasn’t an issue, so I wasn’t too worried.

But in doing so, I missed two critical details.

“….”

“Huh? Ha-yoon?”

First—Ha-yoon’s face had turned beet red as she locked eyes with someone behind me.

And second—

“…Nurse?”

“….”

The person now standing right in front of me, clicking her tongue, was none other than Seol Da-bin… and her boyfriend.

“What? Why are you two here together…?”

“….”

“…Don’t tell me the person you mentioned last time is…”

“….”

That’s right.

Seol Da-bin—the one person who’s seen me with another girl before.

And now she’s staring at me in this situation.