บท 80: 494
[Chapter 136]
[Prelude to Love (3)]
Turning back time 1 year, to Seonryeok 11.
It was a hot summer day.
As a result, the playground with no shade was deserted.
Only two people were standing in the center of the playground.
"Why... are you suddenly saying we should break up? Huh?"
"...I'm sorry."
"So tell me the reason."
A boy and girl in school uniforms.
The boy was angrily shouting at her while sweating.
And she was just fidgeting with her fingers with her head bowed.
"You said you liked me too. How can you do this? So that's why I with Ye-jin... Ah, really... Why are you crying again?"
The boy sighed instead of cursing.
Because the girl was sobbing.
Soon she burst into tears.
"What did you do wrong that you're crying? I'm the one who wants to cry..."
"So-sorry... I couldn't help it..."
The boy chewed on his resentment.
Then he waited for the girl to stop crying.
Soon her crying subsided.
"I-I thought about it carefully at home... We-we shouldn't date after all. I feel sorry for Ye-jin..."
"...You seduced me. You said to go watch a movie with you on Saturday."
"...That was... to get closer to you..."
"Now you're making me out to be the bad guy. Fine, whatever. But you said you liked me too. You were the one who proposed we date in secret."
"Th-that's... I felt sorry for Ye-jin, and I was worried about what others would think..."
"But now that Ye-jin has found out, you're scared of what others will think? Then what am I?"
"...I'm... sorry... It's my fault..."
"Ah..."
Yoon I-byeol cries again.
The boy couldn't say anything and just held back his anger.
In the end, since she kept saying no, a conclusion was reached.
"—Fine, let's break up. Break up. Let's never see each other again."
The boy turned away from her.
He angrily kicked an empty can lying on the ground.
He tries to leave the playground while fuming.
Just then—
"—Um..."
"What now?"
Yoon I-byeol called the boy.
The boy frowned and turned to look at her.
She fidgets with her fingers and hesitates.
Then she says with an embarrassed smile on her tear-stained face.
"—So... We weren't dating from the start, right? Let's pretend these 4 days from today... never happened."
"Hah, really... Do you think Ye-jin will believe that? Idiot."
"Still... Nothing happened between us yet... Right?"
☆
The party No Eunha's faction hosts every year-end has now become established as the party academy students most want to attend.
It felt attractive to students hoping for success as a place to build connections with No Eunha's faction.
"...Sorry. I'll go look around elsewhere for a bit."
Excluding <Quick-witted> No Eunha who is essentially considered peerless under heaven.
The person receiving the most goodwill from students within No Eunha's faction was Alice Group's direct descendant Jeong Ha-yang.
She who was surrounded by students as soon as the party started soon excused herself and left her seat.
She was tired from dealing with them.
"Ha-yang, are you okay?"
"Yeah... I'm fine. What are the other kids doing now?"
"It's almost Ariel's turn so they're waiting in front of the stage. Should we go there too?"
"...No. I'll just rest somewhere quiet."
"Okay, rest. Should I bring you a drink?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Seo-na."
"No problem. I wanted to drink too."
Since so many students attended, there were even stage events.
Tipsy students were excitedly singing on stage.
Jeong Ha-yang who glanced at the stage shook her head and decided to rest for a while on the sofa in the hallway.
Jin Seo-na who had been assisting her since the party started left to bring drinks.
"Huh? Why are you here?"
"...Hi. I was resting for a bit."
Just then.
Ha-yang ran into Yoon I-byeol coming out of the bathroom.
The two were inwardly flustered.
Because their relationship had become increasingly awkward since that day when they confirmed each other's feelings.
"Th-then I'll go in."
"...I-byeol."
"Yeah?"
Yoon I-byeol hesitating and about to leave right away.
Jeong Ha-yang called her name as she was hurriedly trying to turn around.
She stopped awkwardly.
Jeong Ha-yang looked up at her while leaning back on the sofa.
"—I can understand you feeling awkward with me, I-byeol."
"..."
"But because of our relationship... let's not drag the other kids into it. Okay?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Just... Eunha won't like the other kids becoming distant because of us two."
Starting from entering high school academy.
The number of students coming under No Eunha's faction's shadow increased rapidly.
Of course the number of people close to Eunha increased too.
If there were good points from that, there were also not a few bad points.
So-called factions formed within No Eunha's faction.
"It's okay if you distance yourself from me. But... I hope you won't distance yourself from the other kids too."
"...I haven't distanced myself."
"Then I hope you'll be close with the other kids like Riel or Min-ji."
The male students weren't very interested in forming factions, and Min-ho and Eun-hyuk were managing the students well.
But the female students weren't.
As a result, the female student factions in No Eunha's faction were largely divided into three.
One was the middle and high school academy noble faction gathered around Jeong Ha-yang.
One was the high school academy success faction gathered around Yoon I-byeol.
One was the neutral faction gathered around Cha Eun-woo.
"...I'll try."
"And try talking with the boys too. They're all good kids. Eunha will surely want that too."
"..."
At first, Jeong Ha-yang's faction was strong.
But as Kim Min-ji spent more time with Yoon I-byeol, her faction naturally grew larger and created discord within No Eunha's faction.
To this, the good-natured Cha Eun-woo put forward Bae Soo-bin, Hoshimiya Kaede, etc. and created a faction to mediate between the two factions.
Actually, if Jeong Ha-yang put her mind to it, it wouldn't be difficult to deal with students dissatisfied with No Eunha's faction.
Just that—
—It's probably not what Eunha wants. Eunha... thinks he can accommodate everyone.
So I have to help with that.
Jeong Ha-yang who had vaguely heard Eunha's ideas before.
Therefore, she took this opportunity to ask Yoon I-byeol.
But Yoon I-byeol seemed to feel like she was receiving orders from Jeong Ha-yang's request.
"I don't intend to interfere with Eunha either. I'll handle it myself."
"..."
"And I'm going to confess today."
Yoon I-byeol who had been trembling fixes her face and declares to her.
Then she sneers.
"Are you really going to just stay like this, Ha-yang?"
"...I'm... not going to."
"I see. Don't regret it later."
Yoon I-byeol sharply turns her body.
Ha-yang watched her walk away and tightly clenched her fist.
"..."
Confess?
She wants to confess.
But at the same time she was scared.
Afraid Eunha would push her away again like before.
She who had been rejected once ultimately couldn't muster the courage.
Moreover, isn't he trying to push her away now?
A confession is something you do when you're certain.
A half-hearted confession can destroy the relationship.
If that happened, a considerable portion of the relationships No Eunha has built up until now would fly away.
Jeong Ha-yang didn't want that.
And she would also lose the position she has built up until now.
—I really don't understand your heart.
I really... hate you.
To protect No Eunha who she hates because she likes him, and likes because she hates him.
Jeong Ha-yang is just doing what she can do.
In that way, she made excuses to protect her own heart.
"Why is I-byeol acting like that lately... Ha-yang, don't worry too much. I'll try to comfort I-byeol."
"Yeah... please do."
Jeong Ha-yang nodded to Kim Min-ji who had come out of the bathroom late and was watching the situation.
Kim Min-ji who keeps looking after her because of Eunha's request.
Her heart is with Jeong Ha-yang's faction, her body with Yoon I-byeol's faction. But the direction she ultimately pursues is Cha Eun-woo's faction that leaves it to No Eunha's heart.
In the end, Kim Min-ji who got caught between childhood friends lamented her situation and chased after Yoon I-byeol.
Meanwhile—
"—I don't know what's so good about No Eunha that they're having a battle of nerves like this..."
Because of Ha-yang and I-byeol's battle of nerves.
Hoshimiya Kaede who had been watching the situation from inside the bathroom sighed.
"By the way, where did Riel get clothes like this..."
If only she had her bow, her mind would be somewhat calmed.
Hoshimiya Kaede who couldn't resist Ariel's urging and ended up wearing a dress with a bare back and side slit.
She kept checking her appearance reflected in the mirror and couldn't sit still.
☆
Snow is falling.
Eunha stood on the balcony looking at the lake scenery.
Seeing the snowflakes falling on the lake, it seemed like it would pile up.
"17 years old passes like this too. Now... only 2 years left until the cocoon breaks."
Singing voices can be heard from behind.
Students drunk on alcohol are loudly singing in the party hall.
Eunha closed his eyes and quietly appreciated the singing voices.
While doing so, he traced and retraced the future he must walk.
"...They're really having fun singing. Aren't they tired after drinking so much?"
There were futures that unfolded as he planned.
There were also futures that flowed in ways he never expected.
But either way, it worked to his advantage.
Eunha hoped the future would flow as he wanted from now on.
"—What are you doing here?"
Just then.
He opened his eyes at the voice heard right next to him.
Yoon I-byeol was standing there smiling.
"...Nothing. Just getting some fresh air."
"Wow, look at the snow falling. It's pretty."
"Yeah."
Eunha hid his flustered emotions.
Whether she knew or not, she naturally approached his side.
"It reminds me of that time."
"That time? When?"
Yoon I-byeol looking up at the night sky.
She who exclaimed softly seeing the snow fall turned her gaze and smiled.
A bob cut that seemed to have been cut recently.
Her eyes wearing contacts were impressively eye-catching.
"When... we first met."
"Come to think of it, it was around this time."
"No. It was Christmas Eve."
"Was it?"
"Yeah. It was. A little over a year has passed."
Yoon I-byeol said with emphasis.
Eunha lightly responded and exhaled.
"You gave me gloves then too."
"...That's right. I guess I did."
"Actually, my heart was really pounding then."
Yoon I-byeol speaks in a calm tone.
Eunha closed his mouth.
Regardless, she continued laying out memories.
"...And. When you said you believed in me, and tried to protect me. I was really, really happy then."
"—You were my friend."
"Still..."
The atmosphere is not ordinary.
He opened his tightly closed mouth and spoke.
Then she pouted her lips and whined.
She fixes her expression again.
Her expression softens.
"—But it's okay. I like you. I... like you so much. I like you."
"..."
Yoon I-byeol's confession that seemed to contain all sorts of emotions.
She soon becomes shy and curves her eyes.
Her smile is beautiful.
Her gaze containing love sparkles looking only at Eunha.
But Eunha couldn't just look at her gaze.
—I didn't want to hear it.
If only Bae Soo-bin would set off some fireworks.
Eunha was feeling dismayed.
He thought he had pushed Yoon I-byeol away, but she finally confessed.
"—I'm sorry."
Afraid of needlessly hurting Yoon I-byeol.
No, afraid she would fall away.
So he hadn't been saying it.
Eunha desperately uttered the two words he had been hiding.
"...I thought so."
Yoon I-byeol's smile sinks into sadness.
Eunha turned his head away from her eyes that seemed to be filling with moisture.
"But... But what can I do if I like you."
"..."
"Won't you... give me a chance?"
But Eunha couldn't take a step.
Because Yoon I-byeol grabbed his hand and wouldn't let him go.
"..."
When Eunha turned around.
She dropped a single tear.
Her lips tremble.
"...Just 1 year. Won't you date me for just 1 year? Then... I won't bother you anymore."
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