Junyoung’s chatter caused Beomjin to let out a helpless laugh. As Junyoung pouted, she cleared her throat and asked,
“Did you hit them?”
“No, I didn’t touch them. But someone else probably did.”
At his response, Junyoung nodded thoughtfully.
“Right. If I were you and you were my son, I probably wouldn’t hit you either.”
“Stop saying weird stuff.”
“You must have gotten that strength from your father, huh?”
“That’s not it.”
“Is it the fact that you sleep a lot, too? Wait, if you slept that much, I don’t think you could’ve become a thug.”
Junyoung’s voice grew more playful, her tone light and almost teasing. It was pleasant to hear, yet Beomjin couldn't help but feel wary about how far it could go, so he put on a serious expression.
“I don’t sleep a lot.”
Junyoung burst into laughter, the loudest she’d laughed yet. It was as if a flower had suddenly bloomed in full. Slapping her knees, she laughed, her face lit with amusement.
“Hey, you sleep at least eighteen hours out of the twenty-four in a day, right? And just so you know, I barely sleep five hours.”
Beomjin gazed at her with a hint of curiosity, seeing her unfiltered expression for the first time. The mischievous look she wore, like a friend teasing, was unexpectedly cute.
After a moment, Beomjin slowly opened his mouth.
“It’s like how you study.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“When you close your eyes, no one bothers you.”
Junyoung’s teasing smile faltered as her lips slowly returned to a neutral position. She blinked slowly, stammering,
“...You weren’t actually sleeping? You’re always lying down, even here, on the bed.”
Seeing Junyoung’s disbelieving expression, an unexpected wave of hunger hit him. With a swift motion, he ran his hand down his firm stomach and stood up. As his blanket fell away, his bare body exposed, Junyoung instinctively turned away, but asked,
“Why? Where are you going?”
“I’m making ramen. You can come down and do some studying, or whatever you want.”
“I need a book for that. Don’t touch the eggs.”
Beomjin, walking down the stairs, furrowed his brow and glanced back. Junyoung was following him, slowly rising to her feet.
“What were you doing up there? Did you not eat?”
Junyoung let out a deep sigh, deliberately shaking her head in response to his sharp tone.
“Don’t even mention it. There’s a witch in that house, and I barely escaped.”
Ignoring Beomjin’s bewildered expression, she boldly nodded her chin and continued down the stairs.
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“How many eggs are you putting in? I’ll take two.”
At that moment, their eyes met perfectly. Beomjin found himself staring straight into Junyoung’s clear eyes, her gaze unflinching.
Though he’d been worried, she didn’t pull away. Oddly enough, it almost felt like she was moving closer.
His heart raced erratically, and his hand moved on its own. Slowly, he brushed the damp strands of hair from her cheek. In a low voice, he said,
“Use a towel and dry your hair. You’ll catch a cold.”
He turned his body and continued down the stairs, but the sensation of her damp cheek lingered, as if the touch had imprinted itself deep within his skin. The heat spread throughout his body.
“Is that something you should be saying when you’re naked?”
Junyoung’s voice followed him, sounding slightly annoyed. Outside, the rain tapped rhythmically on the roof. Beomjin closed his eyes, letting the moment wash over him.
Amidst the countless hours and memories that had simply passed by, this moment—the scent, the atmosphere, everything—was something he felt he would never forget. The feeling seemed almost prophetic.
***
The sky is clear, and the heat has risen.
As Junyoung entered the classroom, lifting her sagging bag, she felt the students glancing at her, but she ignored them. Since everyone knew she had been invited to Seungwoon’s house, she was prepared for the gossip that would follow her throughout the day.
Especially with how Hye Soo might react.
With a small sigh, her gaze fell on the large back occupying the last seat in the classroom. Just seeing it almost made her smile, but she deliberately scowled and walked past. Beomjin was still lying down, though whether he was sleeping was uncertain.
They should really know just how funny he is.
Though, well, it’s not like they need to know.
Junyoung brushed against Beomjin’s large hand, sticking out from his desk, and awkwardly cleared her throat.
Beomjin was truly different from what he seemed. He wore a face that seemed to care about nothing, but there were moments when he could be unexpectedly thoughtful.
When someone’s wet, he’d give them his clothes; if he thought someone was being humiliated, he’d get angry; if someone was being unreasonable, he’d sigh but still accept it.
He could cook ramen well, and he didn’t try to use or blackmail people over their weaknesses. And...
When he was lying sick, he’d bring a heater and close the window for them.
Who did you just think about?
Recalling Seungwoon’s words, Junyoung clenched her lips as she sat down.
She didn’t know why Beomjin was kind to her, but one thing was clear.
...He didn’t want to lose his position in her life.
They’d bicker, throw out random words, but then they’d quickly make ramen together and naturally go on to their separate tasks. Time spent with Beomjin in that place was the only time in her life when she could express her feelings honestly without worry.
The fact that she could laugh, even in this dark, uncertain situation where the future was as unclear as the next step.
Before she knew it, that space, and Beomjin in it, had become that important.
Junyoung, who had forgotten to take out her book, suddenly shook her head as though trying to shake off her thoughts. The images that had been repeating in her head, tormenting her, were unavoidable.
Beomjin’s face clearly visible when they had stood at the same eye level on the stairs. The hand that casually brushed her hair aside. The faint concern hidden in his words about catching a cold, his gaze lingering far longer than it should’ve. Those thoughts had a way of surfacing at any time, no matter where or when.
The fact that she had been unable to sleep because she kept thinking of them was humiliating. Adjusting her expression to its usual stoic mask, Junyoung clenched her fist.
No. That’s not it. You shouldn’t be thinking about such things, Yoon Junyoung. Even if Beomjin is standing there naked and doing a dance to drum music in front of you, you can’t let yourself be distracted by it.
“Junyoung.”
The voice broke through her thoughts, and she looked up, startled. Seungwoon was standing there, smiling gently. She responded awkwardly with an "oh" and turned her head away.
The day she’d only expected to change clothes and head back out was suddenly interrupted when Seungwoon had rushed out to catch her, seeing the rain and insisting on fetching an umbrella. While he went back into his house, Junyoung had simply run off.
She was sure he didn’t understand the situation. That woman didn’t seem the type to say she wanted to put Junyoung into the scholarship foundation. That proposal had felt like something between Junyoung and that woman alone.
“Are you okay? You didn’t catch a cold, did you? Why did you leave in such a hurry...?”
“I’m fine.”
Maybe Seungwoon had gotten so used to being in the spotlight that he didn’t realize that even if he just spoke to her, every single person in the classroom would focus on them.
Trying to cut the conversation short, Junyoung was about to speak, but Seungwoon didn’t seem to notice her cue. Instead, he carefully extended a shopping bag toward her.
“This... you left it behind.”
Junyoung’s expression froze when she peeked inside the bag. The blouse she had worn that day gave off a pleasant fragrance. She quickly grabbed the shopping bag and set it down on the desk.
“Thank you.”
“Actually...”
Seungwoon quickly added, his voice soft as he whispered.
“If my mom said something thoughtless and upset you, I’m sorry. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but sometimes she speaks without thinking.”
Junyoung couldn’t help but let out a laugh, narrowing her eyes as she looked up at him silently.
Na Seungwoon probably received royalty treatment at home. He really didn’t seem to know anything. When that woman spoke “thoughtlessly,” it was probably after careful calculation.
“How does it feel to be so protected?”
She couldn’t hold it back, and before she knew it, the words had slipped out. Seungwoon blinked in confusion.
“What?”
Junyoung bit her lip in punishment for her own words and shook her head. Seungwoon, about to say something, noticed the weary homeroom teacher entering the classroom and stepped back.
With Seungwoon’s lingering gaze and the curious stares of the other students, Junyoung opened her book. She felt the urge to throw the shopping bag, which was tangled in her feet, across the room in frustration.
***
“Alright, so what you need to do is pair up and pick one of the topics here to research. The class president will gather the group lists and topics by the end of today.”
Junyoung’s face scrunched up as she listened to the lesson. This was the moment she hated most.
The world was supposed to be lived alone. Why did they insist on doing things in pairs? It would be far more efficient and well done if she worked alone.
This was all because of the idiots who had unnecessary positive illusions about socializing. Glaring at the empty space in front of her, Junyoung flicked her pen.
Anyway, there was no friend who would approach her about teaming up. Even if she sold herself off cheaply and ended up with a rotten fish, she would still naturally be grouped with another rotten fish who shared the same position...
Her hand, which had been twirling the pen, dropped it with a small thud. For a moment, her eyes sparkled.
There was someone exactly in the same situation as her! Someone who wouldn’t be approached by anyone—just like a rotten fish!
Her lips instinctively curved upward. It was only natural for her to be paired with Beomjin in this situation. No one would find it strange if they spent time together in the library or outside.
It was hard to imagine herself with Beomjin anywhere other than his house, but she forced down the fluttering feeling in her chest. As she tapped her desk, she looked up.
“Junyoung, want to partner up with me?”
Seungwoon stood with the sunlight streaming in through the window, his back to it. Junyoung’s lips parted in confusion.