episode_0328

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Have I ever cared this much about “someone else’s business” in my entire life?

I tried retracing my memories all the way back to childhood, but nothing of the sort came to mind.

At most, there was Baek Jiho—that fitness fanatic—who acted like a kid left by the riverside since kindergarten, so I naturally paid attention to him. That was it.

No matter how close Hayun and I are, I’m not her mother.

Much less her real sister.

But wanting to meddle this much—is that just being a nuisance?

Would it be better to pretend I don’t know the details and just cheer her on?

But what if problems arise between them later?

…Guilt.

Could I really say I wouldn’t feel it?

Still unable to settle my thoughts, I exhaled sharply and stared at the training hall floor.

Right after the promised sparring session ended, I sat slumped on the ground, completely drained.

“Ughhh… I’m exhausted…”

“You did well.”

“I think I’ll just eat lunch inside today… What about you, Dabin? Going out with your boyfriend again?”

“Hmm… I don’t really feel like going far today either…”

“Oh, starting today, the cafeteria’s selling naengmyeon.”

“Naengmyeon…”

As I chatted with my friend, who had flopped onto the floor, my gaze drifted into the distance.

There stood none other than Hayun.

Hayun, whose practical exam ranking had skyrocketed absurdly after this midterm evaluation.

Among close friends, we’d already been buzzing about her even before the midterms… but that’s beside the point.

Seeing Hayun—now a minor celebrity overnight among the Evolver students who’d received offers from notable agencies—left me with mixed feelings.

Hayun never said it outright, but the health teacher must have played a huge role in her suddenly gaining such control over her abilities.

Meaning, not only are they lovers, but they’re also deeply entangled.

Even if she realizes too late that he’s a man wearing a mask of kindness, it’s not something she can easily break free from.

“…”

In this situation, what can I do for Hayun?

Even if it feels like meddling, is there some kind of preventive measure I can take to avoid the worst-case scenario?

No matter how much I think about it…

“…Haah…”

There’s only one thing.

I lowered my gaze to the floor again and sighed.

If only I hadn’t run into that man downtown a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t be thinking about any of this.

With that bitter thought.

328

…I never imagined I wouldn’t get a chance to check Yozora’s neck until lunchtime.

The bell signaling the end of class rang.

As I stretched with a groan, I glanced at the back of the Japanese girl sitting in front of me and began organizing my notes.

There wasn’t much to tidy—just a mechanical pencil, a notebook, and some handouts.

Maybe it was because I’d spent the last three, four hours since morning drowning in suspicion.

The heated “hickey debate” in my head had tilted heavily toward Seo Woojin being guilty.

The reason was simple.

Because Seo Woojin is the kind of pervert who would date my sister and cheat on her with me.

Even if I replaced “sister” with my own name—Lee Jiyoon—or swapped my name with Yozora’s, it wouldn’t be strange at all, right?

Plus, Yozora’s suspicious reaction this morning was pretty dubious.

I’ve occasionally—very occasionally—thought about stealing something of my sister’s, but I’ve never once imagined someone taking what’s mine.

Of course, it didn’t feel great.

“…”

…Maybe it’s karma.

Or maybe there’s another reason.

It wasn’t all bad, though.

“Jiyoon, Jiyoon!”

“…”

“Umm, Jiyoon-jiyoon-chan?”

“…I told you not to call me that.”

Yozora, who had been comfortably dozing off until just now, still had a faintly drowsy expression.

This time, she turned her chair almost fully toward me and playfully invaded my desk space.

I wanted to tell Han Sooah to drag her away, but since Sooah was nowhere in sight, she must have slipped off to the bathroom.

…Another failed attempt to check her neck.

Unfortunately, her posture was too low, so I still couldn’t see.

“You hate it that much? I’m just trying to get closer with a cute nickname~ Like Sooah-chan.”

“I don’t like it. That Japanese-style phrasing.”

“Hmm… If you really want authentic Japanese vibes, just calling someone ‘-chan’ is nowhere near enough~”

“……”

“Oh, how was that? Did it sound Korean?”

It occurred to me that it might be racist, but Yozora didn’t seem to care.

While I paused to choose my words carefully and avoid another slip-up, Yozora scooted her chair closer, propped her chin on one hand, and flashed her signature teasing smile.

Now I could see her collarbone and the lower part of her neck, but the hickey was still out of sight.

It must be further in.

Somewhere only reachable if you pull someone close and tilt your head down.

That kind of spot.

“Did it sound super Korean? How was it, how was it?”

“…I don’t know. Why are you asking me?”

“Why? Because you’re Korean, duh. Pffft… Anyway, I’ve got something to tell our adorable Jiyoon-jiyoon-chan~”

Yozora continued without waiting for my input.

She reached back for a pen and a handout, then started scribbling something on the back of a sheet.

At first, she tried writing upside down so I could read it, but after two characters, she scratched them out and started over.

Even Koreans struggle with that, so of course a foreigner would.

But why write instead of just saying it?

As I alternated between sympathy and curiosity, watching Yozora’s hand fumble, she finished writing and spun the paper toward me.

| Guess what? I hung out with the health teacher yesterday?

I already knew.

Because I overheard Yozora talking to Han Sooah yesterday.

And because Seo Woojin complained about Yozora bothering him.

So, I wrote my reply beneath hers.

…It was a bit of a secret, after all.

| I know.

| Huh? How? Did I tell you? Wait, did I get too excited and blab to you…?

| I overheard you and Sooah talking before the exam yesterday.

| …Eek…? Jiyoon-jiyoon… were you creepily eavesdropping on us…?

I wasn’t being creepy.

You were the ones talking loud enough for me to hear.

I swallowed the words threatening to spill out.

…Yozora, sitting right across from me, grinned mischievously.

She’d definitely planned this.

| It was an accident. Pure accident.

| Hmm~ Well, anyway, the health teacher and I hung out super late yesterday~

Yozora handed me the sheet with her neat handwriting, then cleared her throat.

After glancing around, she brushed aside her long black hair—long enough to cover her uniform’s waist—with the back of her hand.

“Ta-da~”

Quietly.

So quietly it was barely audible.

Just enough for the fluorescent light to catch the left side of her neck.

Just enough for the faint hickey to enter my line of sight.

Just for a fleeting moment—long enough for me to see, but not others.

Like she was showing off to me.

Then she took the sheet back and added one more line before showing it to me again.

| We even did this yesterday.

Was this a provocation?

I wasn’t sure yet.

There was no guarantee Yozora knew about my relationship with Seo Woojin.

Maybe she just wanted to tease me and see my reaction.

That seemed more plausible.

Given Yozora’s behavior so far, definitely.

…Either way, there was a 99% chance that mark was from Seo Woojin.

All I had to do was visit the infirmary later and give him a good knuckle sandwich.

While grilling him about what exactly he did with Yozora.

Feeling oddly lighter, I scribbled my reply.

| And what do you want me to do about it?

| Aren’t you jealous? The health teacher’s handsome, you know?

| Not really. I don’t care.

| Don’t lie. Do you know how much I begged him for this?

| Sigh… Fine. How much did you beg?

| I told him if he didn’t give me a hickey, I’d kidnap him to my house!

| …You’re not a villain. What kind of threat is that?

So he didn’t lose control and jump on another girl—Yozora was the one who pestered him for it.

Hearing the rough details, I let out a slow sigh.

And mentally reduced the knuckle sandwich I’d give him later by half.

But then.

| Jiyoon-jiyoon. You’re acting way too cool about this…

| What’s with the “acting cool”? Don’t jump to conclusions.

| But you’ve been visiting the infirmary a lot even when you’re not hurt, right?

| …What are you talking about? I only go when I’m hurt.

The next line hit a little too close to home.

| Even Sooah-chan and I have only been, like, once? Maybe?

| I just get minor injuries a lot. Scratches, bruises, stuff like that.

| Hmm~ Even though you’re a Mage?

| Mages don’t get hurt?

| I’ll keep this between us. There’s only one reason you’d go to the infirmary, right?

| Yeah. Because I’m hurt.

If I didn’t want to show panic, I had to answer without hesitation.

| Jiyoon-jiyoon. Be honest. You have a crush on the health teacher, don’t you?

| Stop talking nonsense. I’m not interested.

| Then, is it okay if I flirt with him as much as I want?

| Do whatever.

| What if I hug him and kiss him? You won’t care?

| I won’t.

| Anytime? As much as I want? Really?

| Why are you asking me?

I answered quickly and met Yozora’s teasing gaze without flinching.

| Then, can I keep contacting him from now on?

| Go ahead.

…Looking back now,

I might have

made a slight mistake.

Early summer.

The midday heat, far from cool, made the asphalt sizzle, sending heat waves shimmering upward.

As if the sweat of those treading the ground had evaporated into steam and vanished.

Seol Dabin hated summer weather like this.

Given the choice between “die from heat” or “die from cold,” she’d always pick the latter.

She’d been like that her whole life, but the trend of long padded jackets had only reinforced it.

In winter, you could rely on cheat items like those, but in summer, no matter how hot it got, you couldn’t just strip down.

…Though right now, her discomfort was probably just fatigue from the training hall.

Compared to the peak heat of July and August, this was nothing.

But the combination of exhaustion and mild heat made the idea of leaving the academy grounds unbearably bothersome.

“…Haah.”

But she’d stepped out anyway.

Simply because

her boyfriend didn’t mind the heat as much.

Something about being born in summer, or whatever.

The kind of explanation that made the listener feel dumber for hearing it.

“So, you want naengmyeon for lunch?”

“Yeah. You’ve liked it since you were little, right?”

“I do… but…”

Not that I’m craving it right now.

The words dissolved in her mouth and disappeared.

All that remained was a nod laced with lethargy.

Seol Dabin pushed her boyfriend’s back—prompting a confused “Why?”—and steered him toward the crosswalk.

Even if she explained, he wouldn’t get it. At this point, she just wanted to minimize time spent standing outside.

“…….”

Then, in the distance,

she spotted a familiar face.

A group of teachers, including the health teacher—

none other than Seo Woojin.

Judging by their formation, they were probably heading out for a meal together.

With so many restaurants around, it was hard to guess their destination.

Seol Dabin’s gaze, which had been following Seo Woojin’s profile, now shifted to his surroundings.

Three male teachers, including him, and two female teachers.

A group of five, perfectly positioned to block foot traffic.

Seo Woojin was right behind the person leading the group.

It wasn’t a straight line, so it was hard to describe, but at least he wasn’t sandwiched between the female teachers.

That much was barely acceptable.

Ideally, he’d only have male teacher friends, but…

…Hayun likes him so much.

Couldn’t he keep just a little more distance from other women?

Was that so hard?

Seol Dabin stared fixedly at Seo Woojin until he disappeared into the distance.

By the time she noticed the crosswalk signal had changed, her boyfriend had to nudge her before she finally started walking.