Episode 46

I had a drink with senior Ju-hee and Yu Arin before.

But I never imagined that senior Han-kang would join us for a drink.

Thinking it was a unique combination, I agreed to it.

There, I bumped into Seo Yerin and Choi Yiseo.

The two of them drinking together was also an unexpected combination, but we ended up joining them.

“……”

“……”

Seo Yerin and Choi Yiseo’s gazes were continuously on me.

“What is it?”

Even when I asked why they were staring, they wouldn’t answer and continued to glare at me.

“Woojin! Let’s sit over there!”

Yu Arin suddenly linked her arms with me.

“What’s with you?”

I wondered why she was suddenly being this affectionate with me, but Yu Arin kept pushing me away with a bright smile.

“What? Let’s sit quickly.”

Sniffling and acting coquettishly, I wondered why she was like this, but then I felt the touch of her chest on my arm.

“Ahem.”

As soon as I sat down following Yu Arin, I noticed the gazes of two people constantly following me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

I asked why they had been staring at me, but they never answered.

“Kids, choose whatever you want. Today, Han-kang will pay for it all.”

Thanks to senior Min Ju-hee offering the menu, our gazes were directed there.

Seeing senior Han-kang shocked but not stopping it, it looks like he was prepared for this.

“What do you want to eat, Woojin?”

“Why are you suddenly acting so friendly with me, and what’s with calling me Woojin? Just a moment back you called me a cockroach…”

Thud.

Yu Arin covered my mouth with her hand and continued to cling to me.

“Ugh, spending the whole day together means showing off various sides of oneself.”

Removing her hand from my mouth, I spoke to Yu Arin,

“Because it sucks, can you stop talking like that?”

“……”

“It’s not a joke. I feel like I’m going to throw up. If you want to continue, go to the counter and get a black bag for me to puke in.”

“Hehe.”

Yu Arin pinched my thigh and then lowered her hand, laughing artificially.

I wondered why she was acting like this, then I noticed the glares from ahead.

Seo Yerin and Choi Yiseo were still looking at me while drinking the beer they’d ordered.

Only then did I realize that something was wrong. Something was off. From Yu Arin suddenly acting friendly towards me to the two people in front of us glaring.

My radar, honed through dealing with ex-girlfriends, was telling me that I was now in danger.

‘What is it, it’s clear that Yu Arin has done something.’

Seeing her being this nice to me suddenly made me think that something was up.

“What have you done?”

When I asked in a whisper, Yu Arin grinned like she was caught.

“I dunno…”

“If you make that short-tongued answer one more time, I’ll turn your tongue into a beef tongue dish. Speak properly.”

“I don’t know.”

When I asked again, really annoyed, Yu Arin turned her head as if to run away and began to choose what to order from the menu with Senior Ju-hee.

‘It can’t be because I didn’t go for a workout or games.’

Before I knew it, Seo Yerin and Choi Yiseo had turned their attention to help choose from the menu, but it was hard to say that the issue was resolved just because of that.

‘Hmm.’

I sneakily took my phone to check. I thought something was wrong when the two of them sent me a message earlier.

“Hmm?”

It’s an updated profile, in which there is a selfie of Yu Arin displayed, and it was taken in my room, which made me frown.

“Yah.”

I tapped Yu Arin on the shoulder who was burying her face in the menu, and she ignored me.

“Yah.”

I tapped again, but was ignored.

Clench.

“Kuak!”

Only after I grabbed her exposed side as if pinching her with my hand did she react.

“Have you lost it?!”

Her face was red which made me wonder if that was her weak spot, but well.

“What’s this?”

I asked, holding out Yu Arin’s profile, and she flinched.

“Why did you create a profile using a photo taken in my room?”

“Because it turned out well.”

“Take it down immediately.”

“Why? It looks good.”

“It did look good.”

But I don’t want my room to be displayed. Did Seo Yerin and Choi Yiseo feel uncomfortable because of this?

Did they think I was dating Yu Arin?

But…

‘Why does it concern them?’

Even if I rejected their request to be with Yu Arin, I wondered if they needed to be this sensitive towards me.

‘Do they have feelings for me?’

It might be a stretch, but I naturally arrived at that conclusion.

If the reactions of the two just now were out of jealousy, then there is no other way to interpret it.

“…I need to smoke.”

Senior Han-kang, who was observing us, quietly stood up to smoke.

Being with the main characters in the karaoke incident and drinking seemed a bit awkward for him.

He seemed fine when it was just us, but with Seo Yerin present, he felt uneasy.

“Ah, senior Han-kang, I’ll come with you too.”

Yu Arin left to avoid me.

“I need to use the bathroom first.”

Senior Min Ju-hee headed straight to the bathroom with hands in her pockets.

It was just me, Choi Yiseo, and Seo Yerin left.

It felt a bit strange, but silence lingered among us.

“D-did you spend the entire day with her?”

Seo Yerin asked.

I remember she wasn’t the type to ask such things, which only made me more suspicious.

“Yes, we were together.”

There was no need to lie.

I nodded honestly, and Seo Yerin’s expression stiffened slightly.

“What did you do?”

This time, Choi Yiseo took the lead and asked.

“Yu Arin suddenly came over to the house to eat, and after meeting with senior Ju-hee about the assignment and talking… this happened.”

Both of them looked at me skeptically, but it seemed like it was my turn.

“Since you both asked, now it’s my turn.”

“Huh?”

“To ask a question?”

It seemed like they were taken aback by my words, but I continued.

“Do you guys like me?”

“…What?”

“No, it seems like you two are jealous of me for being with Yu Arin. But there’s no need for jealousy.”

Seeing them both speechless, I scratched my cheek.

“Hmm, I think I might need to think about it?”

There was no response.

Seeing them searching for answers, I smiled.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

“What?”

“You’ve decided?”

To Choi Yiseo and Seo Yerin, I responded with a thumbs up.

“I’ll date Seo Yerin and marry… Choi Yiseo… wait, hold on!”

Choi Yiseo, who finished the skewers that came as side dishes, threw them directly at me. Not only that, but Seo Yerin also threw the shell of the grilled clam at me.

“You’re insane! That’s what you are!”

“There are things you can and cannot say!”

“Ah. It was a joke! A joke! You both were taking it way too seriously, so I had to make a joke!”

I got up from my seat to avoid them. Both of them, fuming and with flushed faces, glared at me.

“We don’t like you! Girls naturally feel uncomfortable when their friends hang out without them!”

“Y-yes! I thought maybe you didn’t want to play games with me since I got demoted back to Bronze 4!”

“Wow, that really makes me not want to play together.”

How can someone get demoted from Bronze 3 to 4?

With cold eyes, I looked at Seo Yerin, who bowed her head as if she wanted to hide somewhere.

“Th-the team’s fault!”

Blaming the team for it.

On the internet, there are people who pretend to be perfect, but Seo Yerin was the complete opposite.

In reality, she’s kind and pretty, but online, she blames the team and talks about sex.

“I should go.”

As I stood up to leave the place,

I bumped into senior Ju-hee, who was on her way back from smoking.

After glancing at me, she elbowed me and smirked.

“So, is Yu Arin a sex friend?”

“…You heard everything?”

More than that, a sex friend?

Such a vulgar term being uttered so casually!

“Woojin is popular with the ladies, huh? Is there a spot for me too?”

“I want to ask if there is a place for me with senior.”

I am falling hard today, Min Ju-hee.

“Hehe, I have no time for love because I’m busy studying.”

As we playfully spoke and headed to the smoking area next to the store, Yu Arin and senior Han-kang were in the middle of some talk.

“Ah, I’ll go.”

Seeing me, Yu Arin darted into the restaurant.

‘She is so annoying.’

But I was thinking of letting it slide since she let me touch her chest.

“What were you talking about?”

Senior Ju-hee asked senior Han-kang what they were talking about as she lit the cigarette.

Senior Han-kang had an awkward look as he exhaled the smoke before saying,

“I asked if Yerin had given up…”

“Huh, from what I can see, that one is not a normal crazy one.”

“You have finally realized the true nature of Yu Arin.”

I marveled at the insights of the two seniors and joined in the talks.

Seeing Kim Woojin leave with the two seniors, Yu Arin went back to her spot.

Whether it was because of alcohol or some other reason, Choi Yiseo and Seo Yerin’s faces turned red as they drank beer, with nothing else left to do.

Yu Arin, noticing Seo Yerin glancing at her from the table, smiled.

“I was with Woojin all day today.”

Yu Arin openly used Kim Woojin to provoke Seo Yerin in a sort of challenge.

“Uh?”

Seeing Seo Yerin all shocked, Yu Arin felt for the first time that she had gotten one step ahead of Seo Yerin.

To be honest,

it was a thrill that went beyond excitement, even pleasure.

She knew it was shameful to feel that way.

But she couldn’t shake off the dirty feeling of using Kim Woojin, whom she was becoming close friends with.

Even in this way, she wanted to feel superior to Seo Yerin, even if it was just once.

“Ah, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like we’re dating, but he seemed pretty decent.”

As Yu Arin spoke, Seo Yerin continued to bow lower.

‘Ah.’

Seeing Seo Yerin become timid, Yu Arin felt a sharp pain in her heart.

’Disgusting.

I am truly vile and evil.

But even so.’

There was a part of her that couldn’t stop this.

To Seo Yerin, who effortlessly captivated the man she had been secretly in love with for a long time, she wanted to feel superior in any way possible.

‘How disgusting.’

With a smile, Yu Arin declared that to herself.

At that moment, feeling even more repulsive for continuing to do something so dirty despite knowing it.

“Don’t mess with Woojin.”

Seo Yerin was next to Choi Yiseo, who had her hand resting and was staring at Yu Arin.

“What?”

Cold yet frosty.

“Don’t use Woojin because of your greed.”

Yu Arin was taken aback.

She only knew that Seo Yerin had a subtle interest in Kim Woojin, but not about Choi Yiseo.

“This sight.”

Therefore, the sharp words now coming from Choi Yiseo.

“Is unpleasant.”

Pierced Yu Arin painfully.