episode_0383

.

The academy festival had the same familiar taste as always.

Though to say “same familiar taste” was a bit of an overused expression—considering I’d only ever enjoyed it twice, including the time I went to a university festival with Baek Jiho back when we were still eating school lunches.

“You like these, right? Takoyaki.”

“…Ah, yeah. I do.”

“Let’s go.”

After my boyfriend, whose class had ended late, finally joined me, we started wandering around.

We passed by a takoyaki truck that smelled delicious, so we stopped there to fill our stomachs.

Honestly, I couldn’t say it was particularly high-quality food, but I chewed and swallowed it with the thought that festival food was just like that.

If Hayun had been sitting here instead of me, she would’ve said things my boyfriend would’ve liked to hear.

Or maybe she would’ve held a takoyaki ball up to his mouth and told him to open wide.

Or, conversely, let him feed her.

Of course, I had absolutely no intention of doing such embarrassing things.

What kind of nonsense was that between people as close as family?

But at least I had enough sense not to say anything my boyfriend would dislike.

So I pretended to enjoy it moderately, chewing and swallowing at a reasonable pace.

…Well, Baek Jiho, sitting across from me and poking at his takoyaki with a toothpick, seemed to have no thoughts at all, unlike me.

Seeing him chew and swallow quickly, it must’ve been at least somewhat to his taste.

“Looks like they’re taking Polaroid photos over there. Wanna go? The sunset’s coming down, so it might turn out pretty.”

“…Sure. Let’s go.”

We headed toward the booth offering Polaroid photos after spotting it while walking around.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this kind of thing suited us—whether it was awkward or just plain cheesy. Negative thoughts kept surfacing.

But since I’d seen others doing it earlier, I played along moderately.

Seo Woojin. Though he was a man with many things I found disagreeable, he had a lot to teach when it came to couple-like behavior.

Especially for couples like us, who were going through a slump… or something similar.

We spent the rest of our time doing a few mundane things.

Since it was hot, we got another round of pearl ice cream.

We bought and ate yakitori grilled by a first-year Transcendent who specialized in fire.

After enjoying various snacks, we stopped by a sprawling flea market to browse handmade keychains and such.

“……”

But, of course.

Nothing felt special.

No matter how I looked at it, it was just like any other date with Baek Jiho—an extension of the usual.

Staring blankly at him, who now felt more like an older brother than anything else, I let out a light sigh and adjusted my clothes.

The weather had cooled slightly as the sun set, which was part of the reason.

But more than that, as the crowd around us grew, so did the number of eyes naturally turning toward me.

To be more precise, the eyes lingering on my body—here and there.

I didn’t say it out loud because it might’ve sounded like self-conscious overthinking, but the prickling gazes from all directions were undeniably real.

I accidentally turned my head and locked eyes with some random guy, so I frowned slightly and looked away.

…Yeah. I understood why they were like that.

Back in high school, I’d overheard girls whispering behind the bathroom door: “Seol Dabin’s pretty, but doesn’t she look like a slut?” or “I heard she got caught in front of the tel last time.”

I just wanted to get along with everyone.

Did they have some kind of inferiority complex toward me?

Pathetic bitches.

If even girls were spreading ridiculous rumors like that, how must I have looked in the eyes of guys?

…The phrasing’s a bit crude, but they were probably drooling.

The way their eyes licked over my chest and thighs—it wasn’t like this was my first time noticing.

Ugh… Maybe I should’ve just talked about having a boyfriend sooner.

If I had, maybe the motel rumors wouldn’t have spread.

If I hadn’t immediately announced having a boyfriend upon arriving at the academy, would my current friends have thought the same way as those damn bitches back then?

No, deep down, I did kind of look like a…

Lost in old memories, I briefly indulged in negative thoughts before clicking my tongue and reaching forward.

I grabbed Baek Jiho’s wrist—he’d been walking a step ahead of me for a while now.

“Let’s head over there. The outdoor stage.”

There was no point wandering around anymore. If there had been anything special, I would’ve noticed by now.

So, taking the lead again, I walked with my boyfriend—who was humming cheerfully—toward the outdoor stage.

Maybe because the sunset had faded and the dim blue of twilight painted the sky.

The outdoor stage was already packed with people.

It’s summer—isn’t it too hot for this? I couldn’t help but think.

What was it again? Academy students could get to the front on a first-come, first-served basis to watch the performances.

But it was clearly too late now, and I didn’t want to squeeze into that crowd, so I took Baek Jiho to the slightly worse seats further back.

And so, we listened to the voices of celebrities I didn’t really know.

“…?”

Over there.

At the edge of the crowd, watching the performance.

Someone who looked like Seo Woojin.

“…Hmm.”

“What?”

“Ah, I just saw someone I know… a friend.”

“Friend?”

“A classmate from A-Class.”

Calling Seo Woojin “someone I know” felt a bit off.

Sure, he was the health teacher, so he technically fit the category, but still…

It’s not like I was close to him.

If anything, he was more of a person of interest.

…Well, maybe it didn’t matter?

We’d exchanged greetings once in the downtown area before, so maybe Baek Jiho just thought, “Oh, that makes sense”?

It wasn’t strange for a friend’s boyfriend to be vaguely acquainted with someone, especially since he was the health teacher…

Like I said earlier.

Was I overreacting for no reason?

“Ah, you mean the health teacher?”

“…No. A real friend. That kid who looked sick last time we met.”

Well, no point dwelling on it now—what’s done is done.

Instead of explaining further, I briefly added that and started looking for Hayun, who should’ve been right next to him.

Of course, Seo Woojin stood out first because of his height—that was unavoidable.

If I scanned his surroundings, I’d probably find Hayun soon enough.

Jiyun’s snow-white hair was already visible.

A short-haired girl with white hair clinging close to Seo Woojin’s shoulder—that had to be Jiyun.

Then Hayun was probably in front, behind, or on the other side…

Ah. Found her.

Where’d she get that? She was eating something like twisted dough sticks.

…What, is she a squirrel?

“You mean the one with black hair? The white-haired one’s the little sister, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Hmm~”

“……”

“You wanna listen with your friend?”

“…Huh? No? I just saw her and looked. No real reason.”

“Ah. I just thought maybe, since you kept looking over there.”

“I just saw her. That’s all.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The performance was by some unknown idol singing an unknown song—probably booked in order of low appearance fees—so I got bored and looked elsewhere, where I happened to spot someone I knew.

Just the subject was… slightly different.

…Looking back, I might’ve reacted a bit strangely, but thankfully, Baek Jiho didn’t press further and just started enjoying the performance on stage.

Taking photos. Waving along when the crowd was encouraged to. Putting in the effort.

But still…

“……”

Was it really the right move for a boyfriend to be staring blankly at a female idol while his girlfriend was right beside him?

I didn’t say anything, though.

If a handsome male idol had been on stage, my eyes would’ve wandered too.

What could I do?

Human instinct was like that.

“…Sigh…”

Anyway, I wondered what Hayun was up to.

The heat from the outdoor stage was starting to wear me out, so after watching a few performances, I glanced over to where she’d been.

“…?”

But now, all three of them were gone.

Hayun and Jiyun might’ve been hidden due to their height, but Seo Woojin was tall—his face should’ve been visible like before.

But even he was nowhere to be seen.

I hadn’t checked the time, but I’d only looked away for about ten minutes, right?

Did they leave because the performance got boring?

Or did they just move spots?

While my boyfriend was distracted by the female idol on stage, I stood on my tiptoes, trying to spot the trio.

“……”

…Thanks to Jiyun’s white hair, I eventually found them.

But where the hell were they going?

That direction didn’t have any booths or food trucks.

It was just the main building.

“…Ugh, watch where you’re going.”

“Ah, sorry. It’s crowded, so it’s tight.”

I muttered a complaint after getting bumped by someone enthusiastically enjoying themselves, receiving a half-hearted apology in return.

I turned back to look at the three figures walking away.

Were they going to the restroom?

But it was weird for all three of them to go together.

Sure, they could all have business to take care of, but usually, at least one person would stay behind to keep the spot.

So then, what?

Why were all three of them heading toward the dimly lit main building?

Maybe Seo Woojin was using his teacher status to give Jiyun a tour of the academy during the festival chaos… but wait, wasn’t she a first-year here?

Or, what if… they were using this chance to do something lewd, Hayun and Seo Woojin alone? But then, what about the little sister right next to them…?

“……”

As my thoughts spiraled, I suddenly—

Really suddenly—remembered Hayun acting strange a few days ago.

She’d seemed like she had something urgent, fidgeting nervously behind Seo Woojin.

If it had just been the two of them, I would’ve assumed they were using a rotor or vibrator or something.

But with the little sister there, it became a mystery.

That Hayun.

“Phew… Oh, what? Dabin, you like this singer’s songs, don’t you? Lost interest already?”

“…Ah, no no. Just for a second…”

More expensive-looking singers had started taking the stage, but my attention was already fixed on the distant figures of the trio.

And in my head, one word surfaced: “What if.”

And Seo Woojin’s past, which supported that possibility.

A man who’d even had sex partners lined up.

No matter how charitably I tried to think about it, his past was disgustingly unlikable.

Add to that Hayun trembling behind Seo Woojin, trying to catch her breath right before getting in the taxi.

Jiyun, drenched in sweat and panting when I visited late at night.

The loud clattering from inside the room when I went up the stairs.

And finally, the fact that it was the same day Seo Woojin had taken Hayun home…

“…Hold on. I’m gonna run to the restroom. I’ll text when I’m on my way back.”

“Okay. Hurry back.”

One messy conclusion sprang to mind.

Hoping it wasn’t true.

Wanting to prove it wasn’t.

I tapped Baek Jiho’s shoulder, then quickly slipped through the crowd.