Episode 16
At Junyoung’s rambling tone, Beomjin let out a helpless laugh. Junyoung, who had been pouting, cleared her throat and asked,
“Did he hit you?”
“He didn’t lay a hand on me. Probably hit someone else, though.”
At his reply, Junyoung nodded.
“Yeah, I guess if my son were you, I wouldn’t hit him either.”
“Don’t say gross stuff like that.”
“You must’ve gotten your love for showing off your strength from your dad.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Did you inherit being such a sleepyhead from him too? Actually, no, if he slept a lot, it’d have been hard for him to become a gangster.”
Amused, Junyoung’s voice grew more and more animated. Though Beomjin didn’t mind hearing it, he frowned slightly, thinking he should stop her before she got too carried away.
“I’m not a sleepyhead.”
“Ha!” Junyoung burst into the biggest laugh he’d ever seen from her. It was like a tightly closed flower bud finally blooming. Slapping her knee as she laughed, she said with a face still glowing with mirth,
“Excuse me, but out of 24 hours in a day, I’m pretty sure you sleep at least 18. For reference, I barely get five.”
He couldn’t remember ever seeing such an unfiltered expression on her before. The mischievous look, like teasing a friend, was… cute. As he quietly watched her changing expression, Beomjin slowly spoke.
“It’s kind of like how you study.”
“What is?”
“If I close my eyes, nobody bothers me.”
Junyoung, who had been laughing teasingly, slowly closed her mouth. Blinking as if to process his words, she stammered,
“…You’re telling me you weren’t actually sleeping? Even though you’re always lying face down? Even here, you’re always sprawled out on the bed.”
Seeing the incredulous look on her face, a sudden wave of hunger hit him. Rubbing his firm stomach, he stood up. As the blanket slipped off, revealing his bare torso, Junyoung quickly averted her eyes and asked,
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to make ramyeon. Come down if you want and do that thing you love—studying.”
“You better have books down there. And don’t add an egg.”
As he trudged down the stairs, Beomjin frowned and glanced back. Junyoung was gathering her things and getting up to follow him.
“What the hell were you doing over there, anyway? You didn’t even eat?”
At his sharp tone, Junyoung let out an exaggerated sigh and shook her head.
“Don’t even get me started. There was a witch in that house, and I barely managed to escape.”
Ignoring Beomjin’s incredulous expression, she confidently tilted her chin as she came down the stairs.
“How many eggs are you adding? I want two.”
Their eyes met perfectly, for once at the same level. Beomjin could see directly into Junyoung’s clear, unwavering gaze.
He had been worried, but she hadn’t pulled away. Or was it just his imagination? It felt like she had taken one step closer instead.
His heart thudded wildly, skipping its usual rhythm. Following the beat, his hand moved on its own. He brushed the damp strands of hair clinging to her cheek away gently. In a low voice, he murmured,
“Dry your hair. You didn’t use a towel—you’ll catch a cold.”
Then he turned and continued down the stairs. The lingering sensation of Junyoung’s damp cheek against his fingertips seemed to seep into his skin. Heat spread throughout his entire body.
“You’re one to talk, walking around half-naked.”
Junyoung’s petulant voice followed behind him. Outside, the sound of rain drummed steadily on the roof. Beomjin closed his eyes for a moment.
Among the countless hours and memories that had simply flowed by, the smell, the atmosphere, this very moment—he had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to forget it for a long time.
* * *
The sky was clear. And it had gotten hot.
Adjusting her slipping bag, Junyoung walked into the classroom. She could feel the other kids glancing at her but ignored it. Everyone knew she had been invited to Seungwoon’s house, so she had to prepare herself to be the center of gossip all day.
Especially with Oh Hyesu—who knew how she would act?
With a small sigh, Junyoung’s gaze landed on the broad back occupying the seat in the very back of the room. Just seeing it almost made her laugh, and she forced a frown as she walked past. Beomjin was lying face down again, though it was unclear whether he was actually asleep.
If only the others knew how ridiculous he really is.
Then again… maybe they didn’t need to know.
As her hand brushed against Beomjin’s large one, which stuck out from his desk, Junyoung cleared her throat for no reason.
Kwon Beomjin was truly different from how he appeared. He had the kind of face that seemed to care about nothing in the world, yet sometimes he surprised her with his thoughtfulness.
When she was soaked, he handed her clothes. When she felt humiliated, he got angry on her behalf. Even when she acted stubbornly, he sighed but still accepted it all.
He cooked good ramyeon, didn’t exploit her weaknesses, never tried to blackmail her. And…
When she was sick in bed, he brought over a heater and closed the window for her.
*Who did you think of just now?*
Recalling Seungwoon’s words, Junyoung bit her lip hard.
She didn’t know why Beomjin was so good to her, but one thing was clear:
…She didn’t want to lose her place with him.
The bickering, the spontaneous ramyeon sessions, the way they each quietly went about their own business afterward—her time with Beomjin was the only part of her life where she could express herself honestly without a single worry.
Just thinking about it made her smile, even in this bleak situation where she couldn’t see an inch ahead.
Before she realized it, that space and the Beomjin who occupied it had become that important to her.
Lost in thought, Junyoung didn’t even take out her books. Suddenly shaking her head, she tried to clear it. A scene kept replaying in her mind, tormenting her.
Standing face-to-face on the stairs, their eyes meeting perfectly. The way he casually brushed her hair back. The faint worry in his voice when he told her she’d catch a cold, and the look in his eyes at that moment—those images popped up at random, no matter the time or place.
It was humiliating that she had even lost sleep over it. Steeling her expression, Junyoung clenched her fist.
No. It’s not like that. Not at all. Yoon Junyoung, you don’t have time to be distracted by things like this. Even if Kwon Beomjin stripped naked and started doing a traditional mask dance in front of you, you *must not* waver.
“Junyoung.”
A voice broke through her spiraling thoughts, and she snapped her head up in surprise. Seungwoon was standing there with a gentle smile.
“Uh…” she mumbled awkwardly, turning her head away.
She had thought she would change clothes and come right back out that day. But as she had hurried to leave Seungwoon’s house, he had followed her out in confusion. Seeing the rain, he had gone back in to get an umbrella, but Junyoung had run off before he returned.
He must have been bewildered. She doubted that woman had told Seungwoon about wanting to put her into the scholarship foundation. That suggestion felt like it was meant to stay between just the two of them.
“Are you okay? You didn’t catch a cold, did you? Why did you leave in such a rush that day…?”
“I’m fine.”
Was he so used to being the center of attention that he didn’t realize it? Even just talking to her was enough to draw every pair of eyes in the classroom their way.
Junyoung tried to cut the conversation short, but Seungwoon didn’t seem to notice her signals. He cautiously held out a shopping bag.
“This… you left it behind.”
*What?* Peeking inside, Junyoung’s expression stiffened. It was the blouse she had worn that day, still carrying a lovely scent. She quickly snatched the bag and set it on the floor.
“Thanks.”
“Did…”
Seungwoon hesitated before speaking in a low, almost whispering voice.
“Did my mom say something thoughtless that upset you? If so, I’m sorry on her behalf. She doesn’t mean harm, but sometimes she says harsh things without thinking.”
A laugh slipped out before Junyoung could stop it. She frowned slightly and looked up at him.
It was clear Na Seungwoon was treated like a prince even at home. He really didn’t know a thing. When that woman seemed to speak harshly “without thinking,” it was probably after she had already calculated everything down to the last detail.
“What’s it like… to be so protected?”
She hadn’t meant to say it, but the words slipped out before she could hold them back. Seungwoon blinked in confusion.
“What?”
Biting her lip as if to punish herself for the thoughtless remark, Junyoung shook her head. Seungwoon, about to say something, fell silent as their weary-looking homeroom teacher entered the classroom.
Under Seungwoon’s lingering gaze and the curious stares of the other students, Junyoung opened her book. She wanted nothing more than to hurl the shopping bag rustling at her feet across the room.
* * *
“Alright, so you’ll pair up in twos and pick one of the topics listed here to research. The class president will give me the finalized groups and topics by the end of today.”
Junyoung’s face crumpled as the teacher spoke during the sleepy afternoon period. This was the moment she hated most.
The world was meant to be lived alone. Why must she be forced to do anything with someone else? She worked more efficiently and performed better on her own anyway.
It was all because of idiots who clung to their naïve ideals about “socialization.” Scowling at the ceiling, Junyoung flicked her pen impatiently.
Of course, there wouldn’t be anyone asking to partner up with her. She’d probably end up like the leftover rotten fish at the market, inevitably paired with another equally unwanted rotten fish…
As her pen spun around in her fingers, it slipped and fell. In that instant, Junyoung’s eyes gleamed.
There *was* one person in the exact same situation as her! Someone no one else would dare approach—the perfect rotten fish.
A grin spread across her face. Naturally partnering up with Beomjin in this situation wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. That meant she could even be seen with him at the library or outside without anyone thinking it strange.
But imagining herself with Kwon Beomjin anywhere other than his house was oddly difficult.
Suppressing the excitement bubbling up inside her, Junyoung was interrupted by a knock on her desk. She looked up.
“Junyoung, want to partner with me?”
Bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, Seungwoon stood there. Junyoung’s lips parted helplessly.
(Continued…)
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