episode_0435

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Tomorrow happens to be Sunday.

I don’t have any prior commitments, and since it’s already quite late today, I figure it’s best to rest up and meet tomorrow to do something—anything, really.

Something simple like shopping would work. Or maybe a quick trip to the salon.

Even just taking a long walk together for the first time in a while wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I last watched a movie.

So, just a moment ago, I suggested to Baek Jiho that we meet around lunchtime tomorrow if he was free.

“Sorry. Maybe I’m just tired, but this time, I just want to stay home and rest.”

“…Ah, yeah, that’s understandable. You must be exhausted.”

Contrary to my expectations, I was flat-out rejected.

Honestly, I was a little taken aback.

The Baek Jiho I knew used to pester me almost daily to go out and get some fresh air.

To put it in perspective, it was like offering a walk to a dog that usually whines for one every day, only to find it lazily dozing on its cushion, seemingly uninterested for once…

Well, I guess the work he’s doing now must be really draining.

Even though I’ve never seen it firsthand, if it’s enough to make Baek Jiho act like this, it must be grueling.

In that case, it’s probably better to just let him rest at home like he said.

Rejected, I awkwardly scratched my cheek in the apartment hallway before patting Baek Jiho’s back as if nothing happened.

“If you get bored tomorrow while lying around, just let me know. We can always go out then.”

“…Sure. If I get restless, I’ll call you. Now go inside. It’s cold.”

“Cold? It’s just pleasantly cool. You’re the one who should hurry in. You said you’re tired.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Only after I playfully kicked his leg for not listening did Baek Jiho finally head inside.

I waved at him lazily, waited until the door properly closed, and then turned back toward my own place.

Was it because all I’d done was make a token appearance for my family? Barely any time had passed—less than an hour.

I’d left to pick up Baek Jiho around 9 p.m. Now it was 9:20.

An hour? Not even 30 minutes had gone by.

…I’ve got way too much time left. Is there anything else I should do?

Hmm…

Scratching the back of my thigh, which itched as if bitten by a bug, I approached my mom, who was lying sideways on the couch, giggling at something on her phone.

“Mom.”

“Gah! You scared me. What? Want more allowance?”

“No. I was just thinking of going for a quick run around the neighborhood. Wondered if you needed anything while I’m out.”

“An errand…? That’s just a roundabout way of asking for allowance, isn’t it? No?”

“…Hehe.”

“Ugh… Fine. I’ll send you some money later. Just go work out. We just got back from the supermarket, so we don’t need anything.”

435

Lying in bed watching YouTube or Netflix wouldn’t be bad, but…

I’d already done that while waiting for Baek Jiho earlier.

Doing it again now felt a little dull.

So, I decided to go for a long run to stretch my legs.

A good shower afterward would guarantee a deep sleep.

My destination? Banpo Hangang Park.

The reason was simple:

The floating bridge there. At night, it’s the perfect spot for running.

It’s a bit far from home, but not so much that it’s daunting.

At most, 10 km each way—a half-marathon round trip.

Even casual runners can handle 10 km without issue, let alone someone like me, who attends the Academy. There’s no way 20 km would break me.

So, after changing into leggings and throwing on a windbreaker, I headed out with the mindset of warming up my body.

……If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve brought a mask, even if it made breathing harder.

“Stop bothering me and get lost.”

“Come on, running together would be fun! I can pace you—”

“I said I’m fine on my own.”

“Hah… Do you have Strava on your phone? If you check the rankings for this route, I’m actually—”

“Ugh, fuck off, will you? I told you I have a boyfriend from the start.”

“Wow, you’re really prickly. I was just trying to be nice.”

After crossing the floating bridge, I sat on a park bench to catch my breath and check my phone when some random guy approached me out of nowhere.

If he’d genuinely been a running enthusiast, I might’ve humored him with a polite “What an interesting person.”

But the way his eyes kept darting to my leggings and sports bra made it impossible to respond kindly.

Honestly, I wanted to kick him a few times and walk away.

But if I did that to a civilian, I’d definitely face disciplinary action.

Not to mention the legal trouble. So, I settled for cursing him out and zipping my windbreaker all the way up.

“I’m from the Evolved faction, so I can run circles around you. If you’re just here to spout nonsense, go bother someone else.”

“It’s not nonsense… Ugh, you’re making this weird.”

He was around 180 cm tall.

Given his build, he did seem like someone who worked out—though not to an impressive degree. From what I could see through his clothes, he was probably at Seo Woojin’s level: decent, but nothing special.

His face?

Not ugly, but not attractive either.

Definitely not the kind of first impression that wins people over.

No wonder he’s out here harassing women on a floating bridge.

……Ugh, seriously.

I really want to kick him like I would in sparring.

A few of his bones would definitely shatter if I did.

Should I just call the police?

As I sighed, glancing at the nearby CCTV and the murmuring crowd of onlookers—

“Do you know this man?”

“…Ah, sunbae…”

From the murmuring crowd, a figure in blue and white emerged and approached.

Not someone I was close to, but…

A familiar face.

The student council president.

The one who’d asked about Baek Jiho on the first day of the semester.

“Is this man someone you know?”

The sunbae repeated the question, eyeing the guy in front of me with disdain.

Her thumb hovered over the number “112” on her phone screen.

…Judging by her outfit, the sunbae must’ve been out for a light run too.

She probably just happened to spot me while passing by.

It was just some annoying guy hitting on me—something I could’ve handled alone.

But still, this is kind of embarrassing.

“I’m asking after the fact, but you don’t know him, right?”

“…No. Just some guy bothering me.”

“Did you tell him you have a boyfriend?”

“…He claimed that wasn’t his intention…”

“Really? Because to me, it looked exactly like that.”

“Yeah, same.”

As we walked lightly along the park path, I kicked a small pebble into the bushes and vented to the sunbae beside me.

Whenever I saw her at the Academy, she seemed strict and intimidating. But even in private, she’s the same, huh?

At least, that’s what I thought until five minutes ago when she chased off that creep. Now, my impression has shifted.

“Strict and intimidating” doesn’t quite fit. What’s the right word?

Well-trained?

Clear about her likes and dislikes?

Like the eldest daughter of a noble family?

Various vague descriptions flitted through my mind, but none felt quite right.

I should’ve read more books.

Watching YouTube and Instagram all the time has probably rotted my brain…

But one thing was certain:

She’s a good person.

Our Academy’s student council president is practically elected by popularity vote, after all. Someone with a bad personality wouldn’t stand a chance.

…Well, if you’re as good-looking as Seo Yeon sunbae, even a bad personality might not matter.

“Must be frustrating. If your boyfriend were here, you wouldn’t have had to deal with that.”

“Yeah. When I’m with Baek Jiho, this never happens…”

“Last I heard, he’s working in construction, right? Is everything okay there?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure, but he hasn’t mentioned anything. When he came home earlier, he just said he was tired and didn’t talk much.”

“I see… Oh, hold on…”

This kind, capable sunbae will graduate soon, and the frontrunner for the next student council president is Yoo Siwoo.

At this rate, Miren Academy might collapse during my time here.

As I mused over this ridiculous thought, the sunbae slowed her pace and pulled out her phone from her coat pocket.

I hadn’t noticed earlier, but she must’ve gotten a call.

From where I stood, her body blocked the screen, so I couldn’t see it clearly…

But she must’ve felt the vibration.

Maybe I should give her space to talk.

Or take this chance to say goodbye. We’ve talked enough, and it’s getting late.

Drawing from my limited social experience (gained mostly during breaks), I weighed my options.

But before I could decide—

“Hey…”

“Ah, Seol Dabin, right? And you can drop the formal—… Huh?”

“No, it’s just… I think we should part ways here.”

Her phone was still vibrating.

On the screen, the caller’s name was displayed—

Seo Woojin.

She hadn’t covered it properly, so I saw it clearly.

“It was nice meeting you. …Ah, and have a good weekend. You said your boyfriend’s back, right?”

“…Th-thank you…?”

…Wait, no.

It’s not like she showed it to me on purpose.

She’d turned away to check her phone first, right?

Then, when she turned back to speak to me,

she must’ve accidentally let it slip while trying to hide it,

and my eyes just happened to catch it.

There’s no way she meant for me to see.

But regardless—

Seo Woojin.

A call from him past 10 p.m. could only mean one thing.

The direction she was walking—toward where Seo Woojin lived—

“…….”

That blue-white strand of hair I’d found in the closet.

…Is this for real?