Before Park Dong could argue any further, a voice cut through the noise.
"Hey!"
They all turned.
Irina was walking toward us with Park Mijin and Seolhyo beside her.
The late afternoon sun caught in Seolhyo's hair, and for half a second, everything else just blurred out.
Irina ask casually. "Wanna go out for dinner? There's a new 1,500 won jajangmyeon place that just opened!"
Seolhyo nodded. "Let's go together."
Park Dong blinked. "We just ate though?"
Irina shot him a look. "Why are you eating so fast? Did you come to school just to inhale lunch?"
Park Dong scoffed. "What then.. did you come to study?"
Irina stared at him, utterly speechless for once.
Seojin had already pushed off the pillar and walked over, stopping naturally at Seolhyo's side like that was just where he belonged.
She looked up at me. "Didn't you already eat?"
"I didn't like the semi-dried pollock," He casually said. "I threw it away after one bite and grabbed a fire burger from the snack store."
Her brows knitted slightly. "You threw it away?"
"It offended me," Seojin replied with a straight-faced.
She tried not to laugh.
Then Seojin glanced at their group noticing someone missing. "Jinkyung didn't come with you guys?"
Seolhyo slipped her arm through mine, hugging it lightly. "She's skipping dinner to diet."
Behind them, Seojin could feel the boys staring holes into his back.
Park Dong groaned loudly. "Ugh. Their relationship isn't even a couple at this point. It's like a guard and a princess."
Daegyu snorted. "He's like a loyal knight who must follow her everywhere."
Suwon added, "Seolhyo's got a tight grip on him, huh?"
Jisung clicked his tongue. "He's wasting his looks. If I had his face, I wouldn't commit to one girl. I'd have girls left and right."
All of them slowly turned to stare at him.
Jisung shifted awkwardly. "What?"
Park Dong suddenly clicked his tonged.
Ah, damn. I should've joined too. Looks kinda fun.
-
Meanwhile at the PC zone was thick with cigarette smoke, the air hazy under the glow of dozens of monitors.
The rapid clicking of mouse and keyboards blended with game sound effects and muted curses.
But Choi Giryang didn't came to play.
Ever since that weekend since seeing Seol Hyorim again she hadn't left his mind.
Her face kept surfacing at the worst times.
While brushing his teeth. While lying in bed. Even during class.
It intrigues him.
Now he found himself at Cyworld looking at Seol Hyorim mini homepage
After looking for a few minutes. "uh?"
He held the mouse in one hand while the other rested on the table, his chin propped against the back of his hand. "It was her birthday."
-
They soon reached the jjajangmyeon place the girls had been talking about.
The place was warm and noisy, the scent of black bean sauce hitting them before they could sit.
They pushed through the glass door and settled into a table for four by the window.
Seojin pulled out a chair for Seolhyo, earning a smile as she sat. He took the seat beside her, while Irina and Mijin settled in across from them.
"We'll have four bowls of jjajangmyeon and one tangsuyuk, please!" Irina called confidently.
The ahjumma scribbled quickly. "Okay, five jjajang and one tangsuyuk!"
"Eh? I said four-" Irina started.
"Forget it," Mijin cut in with a lazy wave. "You'll eat it anyway."
Irina's eyes widened. "What do you think I am? A-"
"Yes. You are," Mijin said without missing a beat.
Irina stared at her, utterly betrayed, before crossing her arms and muttering under her breath.
Mijin then leaned forward, elbow on the table, chin resting in her palm. "Anyway. Let's go see a movie this weekend."
Seolhyo tilted her head slightly. "Is there anything good out right now?"
"That one with Kang Dongwoon and Lee Nayeon…" Mijin snapped her fingers. "What's it called again? Whatever. Everyone's going crazy over it. They say he's insanely handsome."
Irina leaned her chin lazily at her palm. "It's been a while since I watched a movie. Should we go treat our eyes?"
Seojin leaned forward slowly, resting his chin on his hand, raising a brow.
"Handsome?" He repeated her word lazily.
His tone was dragged just enough to make it obvious what he meant.
More handsome than me?
Irina and Mijin both stared at me, completely deadpan.
"Seriously?" Irina muttered.
"You wish," Mijin added flatly.
Seolhyo covered her mouth, but it did absolutely nothing to hide her laughter.
Her shoulders shook, and when she glanced at seojin, her smile only grew wider.
Mijin groaned immediately. "Don't encourage him."
"I'm not," Seolhyo said innocently.
But then she leaned her head against my shoulder, eyes sparkling as she added playfully,
"What? I didn't say anything."
Seolhyo straightened in her seat, eyes bright. "Anyway, I'm down!"
Seojin added. "Then I'm coming too."
Mijin propped her cheek on her fist, eyes gleaming behind her glasses as she smirked at Seojin.
"Hey, Yoon Seojin do you even know my name?"
He blinked at her, clearly confused. "…Huh?"
Her smirk stretched wider. "You don't, do you? Haha."
Seojin tilted his head and leaned back lazily in chair. "Of course I do."
"Yeah, right." Mijin narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Say it then."
A slow grin tugged at seojin lips as he tapped the table with his finger. "Park Mijin."
Her eyes widened. "…What?"
"Park. Mijin." Seojin repeated, dragging it out on purpose, enjoying the stunned look on her face. "Why are you so surprised? It's already the second semester."
She blinked at him. "…Well, we don't usually hang out. And we barely talk at school. I thought you didn't even know."
Seojin shrugged lightly. "I hear your name from Seolhyo and others."
Then he smirked. "And I remember your ugly face too. Kind of hard to forget."
Mijin gasped. "You-!"
Seolhyo shot Seojin a sideways with look of proud, and envy. "You know he's a top student, right? Like… possibly number one in the whole school. His memory's ridiculous."
Mijin froze. "Wait. Top student?"
She looked at him again, this time like a different person. "This guy?"
Seojin raised a brow, offended. "What? I don't look smart enough for you?"
She crossed her arms. "I just thought you were… you know. A freakishly handsome guys who survive on face value. And apparently a crazy good voice too, according to them."
Seojin leaned forward slightly. "So in your head, I'm just visuals and vocals? No brains?"
"Pretty much."
Seolhyo burst into laughter beside him.
Seojin clicked his tongue. "Unbelievable. I work hard for my grades."
Mijin squinted at him. "Do you, though? I always see you sleeping or staring out the window with a lollipop whenever I pass your class."
"That's called balance," Seojin said, lifting a brow. "Do you expect me to just study all day?"
Mijin groaned dramatically and dropped her forehead onto the table. "How is that balance? You just laze around, suck on lollipops, and somehow get top grades. It's so unfair."
Irina snorted. "Yeah, it's actually annoying."
"Sometimes it's frustrating," Seolhyo muttered, poking at her noodles. "He learns anything too easily."
Seojin turned to her slowly, his face was looking at her in disbelief. "…Even you? You're supposed to be on my side."
She just chuckled.
The ahjumma came over, setting down bowl after bowl of jjajangmyeon, steam rising from the bowls.
The rich, savory smell wrapped around us instantly.
"Careful, it's hot," she warned before walking away.
Irina clapped once. "Finally. I'm starving."
"When were you not?" Mijin muttered.
"What did you say?" Irina snapped, narrowing her eyes.
Mijin stiffened. "H-huh? Oh! I said I'm starving. Let's eat."
Irina squinted suspiciously… then started eating anyway.
Halfway through, Seolhyo tugged at her sleeve, frowning slightly.
She turned to Seojin. "Seojin… did I get bigger? My uniform feels tighter."
He looked at her for a second then leaned in and cupped her cheeks with both hands, gently squishing them.
"You did get a little fat."
Her eyes widened instantly. "I said bigger! So you think I'm fat?!" she protested, words coming out muffled through my hands.
He grinned. "it's fine even if you got fat, you'd still be pretty."
She smacked my wrist away, cheeks flushed. "That's not comforting!"
Irina smirked, slurping her noodles. "Honestly, who wouldn't get bigger if their boyfriend keeps spoiling them with food all the time?"
Seolhyo blinked. "…Is that a compliment or an insult?"