#64. What if it’s not love?
I was able to say that I am the one who knows him better than anyone else.
Because I…
I was the person who had been by his side the longest.
And the appearance of him just overpowering the drunk boy…
“Harin-ah! Are you okay?”
The other girls hurriedly came up to me, wrapped their arms around my shoulders and asked if I was okay.
“Ah, yes. It’s fine. Nothing happened.”
“Would you like to rest for a while, or would you like to talk to the class leader and ask if you can only work up to this point today?”
…That didn’t matter.
I had to go to Inwook.
“No no no. I’m really fine. Take care of it yourself. Huh? Okay?”
Leaving the worried classmates behind, I started running.
Where did you go? Inwook-ah.
Because I was wearing clogs, I could hardly speed up.
You can feel it between your toes.
It felt like blood was flowing, but I didn’t stop.
“Inwook-ah!”
From n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Not long after he started running, his back came into view.Inwook was looking at me with his eyes wide open as if he was surprised to see me.
“…Harin-ah.”
“Ha… Ha ha…”
I wanted to say something quickly, but I couldn’t convey it properly because I was out of breath.
“Are you okay?”
On the subject of asking me with a tone of concern.
“Inwook-ah.”
“Huh?”
I took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes.
“You like me.”
“What?”
Inwook asked my words as if embarrassed.
“You, Inwook. You still like me.”
Actually, for me, who had already been rejected once, this was like a gamble.
There was also the possibility that if he was rejected one more time, he would move away from him to a different level than it is now.
But I didn’t mean to say this to him without a reason.
He knew that I was able to subdue any number of students who flirted with me.
Pretend to be calm. Pretend to be mature.
He subdued the male students with simple movements, but his expression was still 20 years old. It was no different from Inwook, who jumped in without being able to overcome his anger.
“I…”
Inwook looked at me with a puzzled face.
I didn’t want to give him time to think.
“I love you, Inuk-ah.”
I hugged him with all my might.
If I do this, maybe even a little bit of my sincerity will reach you.
Will you take care of me?
“…Let’s talk about this.”
He seemed to want to separate me, but the more I did, the stronger I got into his arms.
“No. You like me too. You know everything.”
It didn’t matter if I thought I was acting like a child.
From n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
No? Rather, I had to act like a child.You seem to get along well with Lee Ji-eun, who is a real little girl anyway, but I thought I could be this stupid.
“Harin-ah…”
Despite my resistance, he finally managed to release my hand.
“…Inwook. You. You were worried about me after telling me so harshly.”
“I’m struggling. I’ve seen everything I glanced at from the seat next to me.”
“And just… I couldn’t stand the other man trying to touch me, just like back then…”
“Harin-ah. Don’t get me wrong. Tell me.”
Inwook was trying to explain something to me, but I had no intention of stopping.
“If that’s not love, what is it?”
Inwook did not respond to my words.
“If I can’t see it, I want to see it.”
“I’m worried when I’m sick.”
“The feeling of being annoyed and going crazy when someone touches it.”
I reached out and wiped his cheek.
“If that’s not love, what is it… Inuk-ah?”
“Harin-ah…”
He looked at me with trembling eyes.
I poured out all my feelings to him, and I only waited for his answer.
The feeling of being pushed to the edge of a cliff.
If he pushes me out here too, I…
But it was the wrong person who gave the answer.
“Um… Maybe… That… Me…”
A familiar high-pitched voice came out and Inwook’s head turned toward the voice at the same time.
“My classmates told me to come to you… Yo? Ha… Ha ha…”
Lee Ji-eun wiggled her index finger with a sullen look and spoke to us.
…Really you!
Barely endured the swear words rising up to her throat at her unexpected appearance.
Where the hell did it come from?
I was in a position where I had to unconditionally hear an answer.
I was waiting for his answer with my blood drying out…
But, given Inwook’s personality, it was clear that he was going to pass on Lee Ji-eun as an excuse.
Haha… Really, I was 10 times more angry than when the male students pointed at me a while ago.
Lee Ji-eun…!
Lee Ji-eun…!
I didn’t like it from the beginning.
If it wasn’t for the pair finals incident, she would have put up an iron wall so she couldn’t even say a word to Inwook…
The first day she moved.
She joked that when she told Inwook to go to bed, she really nearly collapsed from high blood pressure.
…Of course it was meant to be a joke because she didn’t know anything, but it was too real to be a joke to both of us.
“Harin-ah. Let’s go back. Everyone is looking for us.”
The real Inwook Choi.
I knew you would. I.
From the moment Lee Ji-eun appeared, she knew that he would run away like a loach like this.
Does my whole confession go in vain again like this?
It was as if the energy was draining out of my body.
At this time, the back of Inwook, who quickly turned to her because she wanted everything, felt wild.
And Lee Ji-eun, who has not yet started, is looking at me with a shy expression.
“…Ji Eun-ah.”
I called her name.
“…Huh?”
After confirming that Inwook had gone far enough, I had one thing to confirm.
“Have you ever seen…?”
When I asked carefully, Ji-eun Lee waved her arms and vehemently denied it.
“No, no, I haven’t seen one. Never.”
…I saw it.
Otherwise, there would be no need to fuss over her like that.
Hmm… How about this…
Actually, there weren’t that many things that were difficult to find out.
The story that I had a heart for In-wook, who helped me in trouble, was not so strange.
Then it might not be bad to use this opportunity as her role and stamp her with her seal …
“Jieun-ah… You know… I like Inwook.”
I whispered to her, like her twenty-year-old girl with her love fever.
“I think I’ve heard even a little bit of the conversation, so I’m just telling the truth.”
“That… So? Did you just confess?”
At Lee Ji-eun’s words, I gently nodded her head.
“Lee… Mr. Inwook. No. No. No. What does Inwook say?”
Lee Ji-eun waited for my answer with her anxious expression.
…I think I’m too engrossed in just listening to a normal friend’s story.
“I’ll think about it a little more.”
After giving an ambiguous answer that was neither a lie nor the truth, I carefully looked at her reaction.
And I didn’t miss the wave of joy that ran across her face.
This child is also…
“Ji Eun-ah… You seem to be getting along well with Inwook lately, so I’m going to have the courage to talk to you…”
The sound of her saliva passing from Lee Ji-eun’s throat could be heard up to here.
“Can you help Inwook form a relationship with me?”
I’ll put my hands on hers.
“Huh? If I do well, I’ll definitely pay you back.”
I thought it would be difficult for her to decline my offer in the circumstances, even if she had feelings for her In-wook to some extent.
Because that was normal manners and conversations between girls.
But she broke through that slim chance.
“Sorry.”
Lee Ji-eun pushed out my hand and apologized to me.
“Harin-ah. You know… I like Inwook too.”
Her red eyes shining transparently.
It was clear at a glance that there was not a single lie in her words.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know when you started liking him, but I also have my own reasons.”
You’re really 20 years old. This child.
“So I don’t think I can grant your request. I’m sorry.”
Lee Ji-eun turned her gaze away from me, and in a small voice she once again expressed her intention of her refusal.
…Don’t be ridiculous.
Your own reasons?
You mean to put that in front of me?
I waited 10 years.
She said she waited ten years to lose that man.
Do you even know how insignificant your reasons are that we haven’t even met for a month?
You Shihwa. Hana.
I was the only one who had already watched two people form with him.
Two nails were enough for my chest.
“…Yes?”
If you don’t want to be my ally…
“Then I can’t help it.”
I put her arms around Lee Ji-eun.
“We are competitors!”
I smiled at her.
For a moment, Lee Ji-eun seemed bewildered by my reaction, but she realized that I had softened her heart first, so she smiled at me and nodded her head.
“Somehow it happened! Hehe.”
“But let’s get along well. Ji Eun-ah.”
“Yeah… But I’m sorry… Harin-ah.”
“No no no. Well… It can be.”
It was like apologizing for a small argument and ending it.
My dad always said that.
If you really want to win.
The thing you need to be closer to than anyone else is the enemy.
When I returned with her arms folded with Lee Ji-eun, I helped clean up the tavern as if nothing had happened again.