WTFUDLS 08

Chapter 08

“What? Class ended early?”

Jungi said as he saw Noeul entering the lounge.

Noeul set her bag on the desk and replied,

“Yeah. They let us out 30 minutes early since it was awkward to go further.”

“Nice.”

“Right.”

Noeul slumped onto the sofa, exhausted.

Jungi, looking at his phone, said,

“Sit gently. You’re kicking up so much dust.”

“…Ah, sorry.”

Noeul glanced at Jungi. His expression was blank, just staring at his phone. Noeul was surprised—Jungi had never scolded her for something like this.

Well, maybe it happens.

Noeul tilted slightly, scrolling her own phone.

“You busy these days?”

“Same as always.”

“You haven’t been around much.”

“Where? PC room?”

“Yeah, and usually you’d hang out if people asked, right?”

“…Right. I still join most things.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

Jungi nodded. Noeul had some time before the next class, so she pulled out her laptop to work on team project research.

“But Jiwoo was saying you’ve been avoiding her lately.”

“…Jiwoo? Really?”

Noeul said casually, though her attention went to Jungi. Now she understood why he said that earlier. She reminded herself she didn’t need to feel guilty or watch Jungi’s reaction.

“She said you don’t sit with her in class, and even if she asks to eat, you say no. She felt a bit hurt.”

Noeul chuckled lightly.

“Hurt? Then you should’ve eaten with her yourself.”

“…I do eat with you too.”

Jungi’s voice sounded sharp. Noeul felt uneasy—this conversation was pointless tension.

“I think Jiwoo once asked me to eat, but I had plans. Next time, we can eat together, the three of us.”

“Plans? With Hansol?”

“…Yeah.”

“Whoa, Noeul, you’re so popular.”

Noeul sensed the sarcasm but decided to act casual. She needed to subtly acknowledge Jungi’s superiority without showing it too much.

“Right? Crazy, huh? I felt a little thrilled too. The two prettiest girls in school asking me to eat… Probably my first and last time.”

Jungi smirked.

“How did you even get close with Hansol? I couldn’t even talk to her.”

Noeul thought: He probably meant, “I’m handsome and still couldn’t talk to her—how did you manage it?” She ignored it. Overanalyzing would only make her look paranoid.

Noeul replied casually,

“That day at our class project, she said she wanted to drink sorghum liquor. I quickly said I liked it too and offered to go with her. I paid.”

“Oh.”

Jungi nodded. Noeul felt her energy draining. She put her laptop back in her bag, trying to leave naturally.

“Jiwoo said she saw you drinking with Hansol yesterday. You two seemed like best friends.”

“Really? Hansol drinks well, but best friends? We were drunk… Maybe she saw it then. If we were seen, Jiwoo couldn’t join anyway.”

“They looked so close, she couldn’t join.”

Noeul giggled, but felt suffocated, like she was being interrogated. She grabbed her bag to leave.

“Jiwoo seemed a bit jealous.”

“Jealous? What… of me? Of you?”

“But hearing Jiwoo, it kinda makes sense. She asks you to hang out but you hang out closely with another girl… I’d be a bit hurt too.”

Noeul started getting annoyed. What was Jungi trying to say? Was he telling her how to behave? She was not Jiwoo’s caretaker.

“Hmm. Could be. But… it just happened that way. We’ll clear it up over a meal later.”

“So you didn’t avoid her on purpose?”

Noeul felt her blood boil. What had Jungi assumed? She forced a smile.

“What have you been hearing? Why would I avoid Jiwoo on purpose?”

“Usually, girls avoid attention, right? You said you’d buy sorghum for Hansol too. Guys do all kinds of things to attract girls’ attention.”

“Hansol and Jiwoo are different. Jiwoo is someone you like. What do you think I am?”

“Yeah, yeah. I thought maybe you avoid her because you like her, but she likes you… so you back off? You can’t ruin a friend’s chance?”

Noeul laughed, thinking it ridiculous.

“Crazy. I’m not that delusional. This is insane. You overthink everything. You really like Jiwoo?”

“Of course not.”

Jungi laughed loudly, easing the tension. Noeul didn’t want more pointless arguments. She put her bag down and took out her phone.

“Okay. I’ll ask Jiwoo to have dinner. If there’s a misunderstanding, we’ll clear it up, and I’ll call you midway. Then I’ll step back. Fine?”

“Ah, I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“Nope, this obvious little brat.”

Noeul just wanted them to sort things out quickly. Why did she have to be caught in the middle of their love fight? She was the most tired in this process.

Noeul messaged Jiwoo in front of Jungi:

[Wanna grab dinner tonight?]

She hoped Jiwoo would reply slowly, so Jungi would think Jiwoo wasn’t interested. But Jiwoo replied immediately.

Jungi’s face tensed slightly. Noeul pretended not to notice.

[Noeul! What a surprise. Sounds great!]

Jiwoo even sent a dancing duck emoji.

Noeul replied:

[7 PM at Jangdokdae, okay?]

[Oh, perfect! Anyone else coming?]

[Let’s see the two of us first, then decide if we call anyone else.]

[Okay~]

Noeul looked at Jungi with a “See?” expression.

“Boss, one draft beer first, please.”

Noeul sat expressionless. She didn’t feel happy—she was just a tool in a handsome couple’s love story. Previously, she had volunteered for this, but now it seemed pointless, like a child’s game.

Most annoying was that she had made this arrangement herself, feeling like she had done something wrong. Why couldn’t she just let them handle their own love life?

She took a gulp of beer.

Noeul would have been okay helping anyone with dating, but Jungi and Jiwoo treated using someone else’s time as normal. Did ugly people’s time not matter?

Noeul grew more irritated, deciding this was the only time she’d help. Next time, they’d have to handle it themselves.

“Noeul!”

She looked up. Jiwoo was standing at the door, smiling brightly.

Seeing Jiwoo after a while… she seemed even prettier. The warm restaurant lights made her shine, and her name sounded more beautiful than ever—like the sunset, soft and vivid. Noeul had never liked her name before, but now she did.

Jiwoo sat across from Noeul, still smiling. Noeul rarely smiled herself—she didn’t want her unattractive face to worsen with a smile.

“I love Jangdokdae. Their seafood pancake is amazing.”

“Eat up, eat up.”

Noeul handed the menu over to Jiwoo. She stared at it like a textbook. Watching her, Noeul reminded herself: Jiwoo’s happiness was fine, but she couldn’t get attached. She had to keep her distance until Jungi arrived.

“I want honey makgeolli.”

“Again?”

“And seafood pancake… We can finish both, right?”

Noeul nodded.

“You pick one.”

“No, you pick one.”

“No, you choose.”

Noeul pondered what Jiwoo would like, what went well with seafood pancake.

“How about spicy whelk noodles?”

“Ha! I wanted that too.”

“Then let’s order it.”

“No, you have to pick one. But it worked out, right?”

Noeul silently pressed the call button.

A short silence followed. Jiwoo stared at Noeul. She sipped water and fiddled with her spoon.

“I thought you didn’t like me.”

“I did? Jungi told you? What nonsense thoughts.”

“Why nonsense?”

Noeul restrained herself from saying, “Does it make sense for an ugly girl to dislike a pretty girl?”—it would sound like pity.

“You didn’t do anything to make me dislike you.”

“True… But sometimes I do things without realizing that annoy others.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“How did you know?”

“Just… overheard things in high school, classmates said stuff.”

Jiwoo’s calm manner surprised Noeul. Thinking Jiwoo worried about her, she felt guilty.

“…I don’t dislike you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Jiwoo’s eyes lit up, and she giggled. Noeul felt her chest tighten.

She wondered if she could keep pushing Jiwoo away, acting robotic, until Jungi arrived.