episode_0308

“Something fun you’re watching?”

Had I been spacing out for a moment?

Seated carelessly in a chair pulled up right in front of me, the teacher—her expression brimming with curiosity—leaned in and asked.

Luckily, she only stared across from me, refraining from the rudeness of peeking at someone else’s smartphone.

Spending time in the infirmary, I occasionally encountered students trying to sneak a glance at my phone.

I guess being a health teacher required a certain level of education. Age probably played a role too.

Had she taken just two more steps forward, I might’ve been labeled a pervert for looking at pictures of women’s breasts during work hours. That could’ve been awkward.

Tilting my screen slightly downward, I nodded with my usual mask in place.

“Just some meme floating around online. A friend sent it.”

“Ah-ha. Those seem popular nowadays. Hmm…”

Brightening up as if this was her kind of thing, the teacher launched into chatter.

After letting her show off her knowledge for about a minute, I lifted my phone again during a lull.

…Damn bitch.

A photo catching my eye again, the words lingering on the tip of my tongue.

Soft fabric clenched between teeth, pulled taut— A bra hook undone, revealing bare skin beneath.

If I had asked her to take and send a photo like this, she’d have flipped me off instead.

Staring blankly at the picture, I stole a glance at the bed hidden behind the curtains.

Though all I could see was a pair of shoes strewn haphazardly on the floor.

The Lee Ji-yoon I first met, the one I once knew, was just the girl sparring earlier.

But the Ji-yoon in my phone? No matter how I looked at her, she was the spitting image of her older sister.

Especially with these occasional playful moments—definitely.

Guess blood runs thick, huh.

Recalling her blunt demeanor during her café part-time days, I tapped my phone keyboard as sharp clashing sounds echoed from outside.

[Seo Woo-jin] – Exam period’s over. So?

[Lee Ji-yoon] – Yeah, it’s over.

[Seo Woo-jin] – So what’re you saying? – Wanna fuck here or something? – With people around?

[Lee Ji-yoon] – Here? Are you insane? And now? You think I’m some kinda pervert?

The typed-out Yeah, you are— vanished with a swipe.

Given how easily she got upset, biting back after her teasing would only lead to more trouble later.

Best to just keep it simple—schedule a meetup at her place for later.

Just as I finished that thought and tapped away with a sigh—

[Lee Ji-yoon] – Oh, right. – You’re pretty popular lately, huh?

[Seo Woo-jin] – Popular?

An unexpected turn. The conversation shifted.

[Lee Ji-yoon] – Those girls sitting in front of me in class. They were talking about you.

[Seo Woo-jin] – Good things? Or trash talk?

[Lee Ji-yoon] – You know and still ask? – What do you think? – The ridiculous kind, obviously.

After sending that, Ji-yoon tapped the bed once with her heel.

The rustling sound drew mine and the teacher’s gazes briefly before we looked away.

The ridiculous kind.

So… she meant not bad, right?

Staring at Ji-yoon’s chat, I chuckled lightly and racked my brain.

Who were the girls in front of her?

Had Ji-yoon ever mentioned them before?

But nothing came to mind.

Looking back now, it wasn’t surprising.

Ji-yoon wasn’t the type to gossip about academy life anyway.

[Seo Woo-jin] – Still, glad it’s not gossip behind my back.

[Lee Ji-yoon] – What’s there to be glad about? – They giggled saying they’d ask you to hang out today.

[Seo Woo-jin] – Ask?

Hang out? More proactive than I expected. As I double-checked, a lazy ‘Yeah’ instantly appeared at the bottom.

Then a few more messages.

[Lee Ji-yoon] – That black-haired Japanese girl. Watch out for her. – She’s scheming something with you. – Got it?

I had a rough idea who the black-haired Japanese girl was.

…Why Yozora chose to spill that in front of Ji-yoon puzzled me.

How much did she catch? Was she just testing the waters?

But for now, I kept things I couldn’t tell Ji-yoon hidden.

[Seo Woo-jin] – Got it. I’ll just deflect casually.

And sent another chat to a girl not saved under her name.

Saved as per usual.

Well, maybe a bit milder.

Dummy—

308

A crisp swish echoed across the basketball court, followed by students’ cheers blending into the early summer breeze.

The academy’s west side boasted decent recreational facilities—outdoor sports setups, indoor pools, even shooting ranges. Among them, I chewed on an ice cream while watching a basketball game.

Not because I liked ball sports.

Just passing by, I noticed five or six students gathered here.

Meeting someone secretly from behind? That’s an affair.

Meeting openly in front of people? That’s just meeting.

Had there been enough people playing football, badminton, or tennis instead, I wouldn’t have cared.

After declining an offer to join (“Just watching!”), I perched on a spectator-like seat and checked my phone.

…Running a bit late, I saw I was already two minutes past the agreed time.

Just two minutes.

Given a decade of habit (5 minutes late regularly, sometimes 30), this was nothing.

With a small sigh, I bit into my pale-blue ice cream again.

Another swish as the ball sank. A student, pleased with himself, sprinted shirt-over-head across the court.

Youth, I mused—

When a shadow stepped onto the grass behind me, pat pat.

Sunlight blocked, I tilted my head back.

A couple of taut shirt buttons—

“You called?”

“…”

And a mischievous, upside-down grin.

“Called? What’s with the sudden, unnatural honorific?”

“Well, trying to piss you off backfired—you almost ditched me. So I switched tactics… Not working?”

“…If it’s roleplay, fine. But cut it out normally—it’s cringey.”

“Cringey? Why? Guys love this, don’t they? Porn’s full of girls using honorifics.”

“That’s why I said rolepla— Never mind. Just talk normally. Like friends.”

“Eh? Normally, I’d just trash-talk you, though?”

“What kind of no—”

I bit back the rest.

Ten years of memories were mine alone.

So normally meant different things to us.

The Yozora who sniffled at weird movie moments, The Yozora who drunkenly slurred Korean before dozing off on my back, The Yozora who teased me, delighting in my reactions—

All just memories now.

What remained? A Yozora who hurled hateful insults during sex.

…Better avoid slip-ups like this.

Crunching the last of my ice cream, Yozora slid beside me—closer than necessary.

Seats were spaced apart, yet she sat like clinging was natural.

“…Do whatever.”

“Then I’ll kindly call you ‘Woo-jin’ today~”

“Not like you usually do.”

“Well, usually— Oh, right. Seo Woo-jin.”

“…What’re you plotting now?”

“Plotting? Nothing~”

“‘Nothing’? You’re never this sus unless scheming.”

“Hmm… Still haven’t heard the really scary stuff, huh?”

“I’d be happy never hearing it. Just shut up.”

“Shut… Or not~”

“…”

I might’ve taped her mouth shut, but I’m the adult here prevailed.

Reacting to her antics was always a losing game.

Once I shut up, Yozora flashed a grin, lips quirking.

“Anyway, why’d you call? Done with work, so I was gonna read smut at home.”

“…You already know about Ji-yoon, don’t you?”

“Oh… That?”

“…”

“Duh? She’s fine but keeps visiting the infirmary—super sus.”

“…Sigh…”

Her blunt reply came with giggles, like she’d expected the question.

I wasn’t hiding it, but getting caught over something so trivial was… underwhelming.

Looking back, Ji-yoon visiting the infirmary was suspicious.

That tanned guy earlier—hadn’t I met him for the first time since starting this job?

Guess I’d been way more obvious than I thought.

Especially to someone like Yozora, who knew me.

Still, one thing bugged me. Watching the distant game, I asked:

“Could’ve just asked me directly. Why the roundabout way?”

“Well… deducing’s more fun?”

“Sigh… How long’ve you— No, whatever. How much do you know? About me and Ji-yoon.”

“Nothing major. Just that you two are something. Suspicious. That’s it.”

“…Weirdly sharp here, but all you did before was nonsense?”

“Nonsense? Like what?”

“Annoying me with ‘rape me’ crap.”

“Well… A girl like me suddenly acting cold? Normally, guys’d think This bitch— and get all squick and bad thoughts, no?”

“…Think you’ve got ‘normal’ wrong.”

“I know my normal. If I say it’s right, it is. Others’ opinions don’t matter.”

“Totally screwed in the head.”

“Pfft… Coming from a guy way more screwed~”

Unfazed, Yozora swung her legs—heel tap-tapping the ground.

“…Hot.”

“Hot? You were just eating ice cream.”

“You’re the reason.”

“…Oh? Wanna go inside and… cool down?”

“Heat of anger. Is sex all you think about?”

“Can’t help it. They say couples grow alike… Maybe that’s it?”

“Enough nonsense. …Anyway, stop provoking Ji-yoon. She hates it.”

“…”

Enough chit-chat.

Having warned her, I grabbed my tossed-aside ice cream stick and stood—

“…Seo Woo-jin.”

Yozora, still seated, tugged my sleeve, staring up.

“What.”

“Um… …Well…”

Uncharacteristically hesitant.

Voice faintly stumbling.

“You’ve got something to say, don’t you?”

“…Yeah. But… …Wait… 待って…”

Even rape roleplay—words she’d giggle through normally—she struggled with now.

Eyes darting to distant hills, then back to me as I sat down again.

Ahem, ahem.

An unnecessarily dramatic throat clear.

“So, uh…”

“Yeah.”

“…You asked why I probed about Ji-yoon… So you heard, right?”

“Heard what.”

“What I let slip to her.”

“That she’d ask to hang out?”

“…Yeah.”

“Why?”

“…”

“…Say it.”

“You’re free now… right? Yeah?”

“…Not busy, no.”

“Then…”

“…”

Avoiding eye contact.

Voice strained.

“Now?”

“…Yeah.”

Not the Yozora I knew.

Not the Yozora of the past few months.

“I’m meeting Ji-yoon tonight.”

“…Just until then…?”

“…Fine. Not hard.”

“…Hehe…”

A wholly unfamiliar look—

One I’d never seen in ten years.