HRDH 10

Chapter 10

I lowered my trembling gaze. Between his slightly parted legs, there was just enough space for me to sit.

“Hey… isn’t this a bit weird?”

“Haha. So you do care about that kind of thing, Seyun.”

“Ugh. The way you talk.”

As if to say now you care?, Seo Jinhyung looked at me, and I swallowed my curse as I moved.

To begin with, hugging my mom’s boyfriend’s son was already abnormal.

It was supposedly for psychological therapy, but it was exactly the kind of thing that would get people calling it a total mess.

Whatever. Does that matter in front of survival?

I stepped in and sat between Seo Jinhyung’s thighs. At least I wasn’t sitting on his lap—that’s what I told myself.

He was only wearing a thin long-sleeve shirt. His arms wrapped around my waist. Thankfully, I had on a thick jacket, so it felt like some kind of protection from excessive skin contact.

“You’re not that warm either, Seyun.”

“Then go inside if you’re cold.”

Instead of answering, he rested his chin on my shoulder. The back of my neck stiffened with tension.

His face is way too close….

If I moved just a little, I’d feel his breath. My heart thudded for no reason, and it annoyed me.

“……”

He’s a sociopath. I’m probably the only one who finds this awkward.

Or maybe he’s just experienced enough that this is nothing to him.

With that face, has he only hugged girls? He’s probably done more than that. Not that it’s my business. I don’t want to know.

More importantly, I need to talk about something… anything….

I fiddled with my fingers and forced out a topic.

“Hey. If Mom or your dad see this, it’s kind of—”

“They’re both in the master bedroom.”

“Oh.”

It wasn’t surprising that my mom was getting ready for bed without caring that her daughter had gone out late at night.

“Right… It’s not like we’re doing anything weird.”

“Pfft….”

Seo Jinhyung let out a small laugh at my muttering. It irritated me.

“What.”

“Nothing. More importantly, you don’t call me ‘oppa’ anymore?”

“When did I ever call you oppa?”

I did once admit it was better than calling him “sunbae,” but still…

When I answered awkwardly, he dug up an old memory I had almost forgotten.

“You called me ‘orabeoni.’”

Ah, shit.

I had said it carelessly to mock him. I didn’t think he’d remember.

Grinding my teeth, I replied sarcastically, “Yes. If that’s what you want, I’ll call you that. Orabeoni.”

“Good, Seyun.”

“!”

Seo Jinhyung lightly buried his face into the back of my neck. His soft bangs and sharp nose brushed against me, tickling.

“Hey, wait… hah!”

I’m extremely weak to tickling. Just someone touching me is enough to make me lose it.

I twisted my body, trying to escape, but his arms around my waist kept me trapped.

Even when I ducked my head to move away, it only exposed my neck more.

There was nowhere to run.

“Ah! Wait—hahaha! It tickles!”

I laughed so hard my stomach hurt, shouting for time, but Seo Jinhyung, true to his sociopathic nature, ignored me.

Tears formed at the corners of my eyes. I wasn’t exaggerating—it felt like I might die from laughing.

Even if I tried to tell him seriously to stop, my voice kept coming out playful.

“Hahaha! Time! Seriously, stop! Hey, Seo Jin—!”

Behind the persistent tickling, something soft and warm brushed against me.

Lips…?

I flinched and pulled my neck back. Only then did the tickling stop.

After finishing my leftover giggles, I lowered my voice.

“Hey, stop it. Are you crazy?”

“…Seyun went outside and played kangaroo, huh.”

“……!”

Startled, I turned my head reflexively. My eyes met his light brown ones directly.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“I told you not to let oppa do things carelessly.”

“You didn’t!”

I shouted instinctively, but cold sweat ran down my back.

Damn it, do I smell like Jung Sumin?

But why am I explaining this to Seo Jinhyung? Even though I felt wronged, my mouth kept making excuses.

“I met a friend after a long time. Her fabric softener smelled strong. That’s probably it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Like I’m crazy enough to— Ah, whatever. Why do you even care?”

The moment I said it, I regretted it.

My mouth is the problem.

He said nothing. As the silence dragged on, I grew anxious.

I hurried to add, “I take it back. You probably do care. We live in the same house. You could worry.”

A weak laugh came from behind me. A laugh was still a laugh. It was ridiculous, but I felt relieved.

“…Anyway, how long are we staying like this? We have school tomorrow. We should sleep early. And it’s getting cold.”

Actually, it was pretty warm in his arms, and I wasn’t sleepy at all after taking a long nap.

At my words, his arms loosened. I quickly slipped out and stood up from the bench.

“Right. Let’s go inside.”

I walked quickly toward the entrance with a bright expression. Of course, he caught up in three steps.

“Whoa.”

The next morning, I rushed downstairs at the last minute like always. Seo Jinhyung was standing by the front door.

Mom told me not to keep oppa waiting and to hurry up.

“We’re heading out.”

As I stepped outside, I looked at him suspiciously.

“What’s the occasion?”

“If Seyun is playing with me, I should at least do this much.”

Hmm.

His tone was strange, but he always seemed off anyway, so I decided to take it positively.

The kangaroo play definitely worked. I should think of more methods.

I hadn’t eaten dinner or breakfast. With a chocolate bar Mom shoved into my hand, I headed to school.

Of course, one wasn’t enough. I unwrapped and ate three in a row.

With the last one in my mouth, I got out of the car and saw Jung Sumin standing at the school gate again.

Unlike yesterday, when I almost tripped and broke my nose, I walked slowly today.

“What are you doing? Go inside.”

“Hello, hyung.”

“Wow, ignoring me?”

“Ah, you’re Seyun’s friend. Hi.”

Jung Sumin ignored me and greeted Seo Jinhyung instead. I was dumbfounded.

Since when were they acquainted?

Seo Jinhyung wore his perfect first-impression smile. Jung Sumin smiled back brightly.

I didn’t even know what they were competing for, but watching them made me uncomfortable.

If I stayed between them, I might throw up, so I walked ahead quickly.

“Hey, you can’t bring food past the gate.”

A disciplinary committee student pointed at me.

“Ah, damn it….”

As I pulled the chocolate bar from my mouth, Seo Jinhyung came up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Seyun couldn’t eat breakfast. It’s fine just for today, right?”

“Huh? Ah, uh….”

The committee member’s eyes widened, her cheeks turning red as she nodded.

Was this lookism? Or the invisible power of a rich family? Or both?

Either way, life looked easy.

“They still have a disciplinary committee here. What era is this?”

“Seriously.”

I agreed deeply with Jung Sumin, who had somehow appeared beside me.

Still, I understood. The disciplinary committee was necessary for that legendary episode where the protagonist’s hidden side is revealed.

“Let’s go. Seo Jinhyung, you’re in the annex building, right? See you.”

“Yeah. See you after school.”

First-year classrooms were in the main building. Second and third years were in the annex.

I waved casually and headed to class.

Just thinking about climbing to the fifth floor again gave me a headache.

“I wish they’d switch the teachers’ office and the classrooms.”

“Yeah right. It’d be faster if you rebuilt your stamina.”

Jung Sumin never let a single comment slide. Every day was a quarrel.

My new seat in the classroom was far from my favorite—back row by the window.

We drew lots, and I never had good luck anyway.

But right in the very front, next to the front door?

It was almost impressive how bad it was.

Still, the darkest place is under the lamp. Teachers often overlooked this spot.

My seatmate was a quiet boy.

“Hi.”

“Ah, hi….”

He seemed intimidated, probably because of Jung Sumin causing a scene yesterday. I felt a bit guilty.

I turned and glared at Jung Sumin sitting in the very back middle row.

So what? he mouthed.

His seatmate was Myung A-jin. “Wow, daebak! How is this possible? It must be fate!” she jumped excitedly.

We had to stay in these seats for three months.

The protagonist will transfer before that, right?

Since there were no empty seats, they’d probably bring in a new desk and chair and place them in the back row.

And a few days later, we’d change seats.

Hopefully next to me…

“Stupid lottery, damn it.”

“Huh…?”

“I was talking to myself.”

My seatmate looked way too nervous.

A friend’s fault is my fault. I decided to ease his tension.

“What was your name again?”

“Huh?!”

To check his name tag, I lifted the hood of his zip-up hoodie.

The black hood fell back, revealing the hidden name tag.

“Yeon… Jae-hyun?”

“Ah, yeah….”

“…Yeon Jae-hyun?! Your name is Yeon Jae-hyun?!!”

I jumped to my feet and shouted.

Yeon Jaehyun flinched and looked up at me. The class fell silent.

I didn’t care.

My heart was beating faster than ever as I stared down at him.

Long bangs covering almost half his eyes. Thick black-rimmed glasses. White disposable mask.

Yesterday and even just now, I thought he was just a loser with a cold.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

Looking at him now… it’s exactly how he was described in the novel. Why didn’t I…?

I let my guard down. I believed the protagonist would definitely transfer.

That’s how it was in the original story.

Wasn’t that practically the true beginning of the novel?!

I swallowed dryly and froze.

The protagonist I thought would transfer…

was sitting right next to me.