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At the arcade, I, Yu-ri Lee, and Soo-yeon Choi were having a lot of fun, but Gong
Young-bae didn't seem interested in it at all.
Gong Young-bae didn't participate very actively in the racing games, DDR, or even
when we sang at the coin karaoke.
"Hey, aren't you having fun?"
I approached Gong Young-bae and asked him, lightly tapping him on the shoulder as if
we were close.
"Huh? No, it's not that I'm not having fun, it's just... I've never done anything like this
before, and I just don't think it suits my personality."
"Well, you can't like everything. You said you would come, so you should at least try to
set the mood. The other two are having fun, but what kind of mood is it if you stand
there looking like that?"
"Yeah, I guess..."
But even after that, Gong Young-bae showed little interest in playing in a place like
this.
After about an hour of fun, we followed Yu-ri Lee and Soo-yeon Choi's suggestion and
went to a rice bowl restaurant for a meal.
Since other academies, including Jinsugyo, had all finished their exams today, the
area was bustling with customers our age, even though it was only 1 p.m.
"It's a bit noisy."
Gong Young-bae, who was eating, frowned slightly at the loud sounds around us.
"Dude, a lot of academies just finished their April exams today, so of course it's going
to be crowded. If we wait until it gets quiet, everyone will be really hungry. Besides,
some restaurants take an afternoon break."
"That's right."
"You can't always go to places you like. Sometimes, even if it's uncomfortable, you
have to deal with it. Let's just eat."
Yu-ri Lee listened to our conversation silently while she ate.
After the meal, I patted my full stomach.
"Ha, I feel like I can live again now that I've had a decent meal."
"That's why I always live sparingly."
Yu-ri frowned as she looked at me.
"Right. Now that I've received my salary, I should at least try to live a normal life. Oh,
Yu-ri. Thank you for making me a packed lunch every morning. It was really delicious."
At my words, Gong Young-bae looked at me and Yu-ri Lee in turn with a very
concerned expression.
But Yu-ri Lee ignored him and only looked at me.
"Well... Really? I'm glad you liked it. Anyway, you would have starved to death without
me. You're welcome."
"That's why I'm saying thank you. But it's still a shame. I've gotten used to it, and now I
can't eat your homemade lunch box made with love anymore."
"Well... I can still make you some from time to time-"
However, Yu-ri Lee's words were cut off by Gong Young-bae's interruption.
Gong Young-bae opened his mouth with a slightly fearful but determined expression,
as if he knew he had to say what was on his mind.
"Han Seong-jin... I don't know why you got a lunch box from Yu-ri, but I heard you just
got your paycheck. Then, whatever the reason, you shouldn't ask someone to get up
early in the morning and make you a lunch box. It's a nuisance."
"..."
For a moment, Yu-ri Lee glared at him as if she could kill him, but Gong Young-bae
didn't notice her gaze because he was focused on me.
Then Soo-yeon Choi didn't miss the opportunity and chimed in.
"Then should I make it for you? It's no nuisance to me."
Yu-ri Lee, whose eyes widened after seeing Choi Soo-yeon acting so cute, quickly
spoke up.
"I haven't said anything yet. So... I can still make it for you sometime... If you want."
"Yu-ri, even with all your academy and student council work, that's just too much-"
"If it's hard, I can stop on my own. Why are you meddling?"
Yu-ri Lee responded coldly to Gong Young-bae, and he was left speechless, looking at
her with a devastated expression.
"Oh, really? That food you made was really delicious. So, can I ask you for it again
whenever I feel like it?"
"... Okay. You can count on it."
Even with Gong Young-bae right in front of her, Yu-ri Lee nodded and said that she
would make me a lunch box from time to time.
And the expression on Gong Young-bae's face as he watched...
'What a minister.'
Is this exactly what a person who has lost his country looks like?
So, when I make her a packed lunch, she eats it well and praises me for how delicious
it is.
Young-bae, this is the difference between you and me.
I pay attention to the girls' feelings, consider their emotions, and most importantly, I
express them clearly without taking advantage of them.
It's too late for him to figure it out now.
As some time passed and it was approaching 3 p.m., Han Seong-jin and Choi Soo-
yeon returned home.
Yu-ri Lee also prepared to go straight to her house, but when the two of them were
alone, Gong Young-bae stopped her.
"What?"
"Yu-ri, let's talk for a moment, okay?"
"I said I have nothing to say."
"I was wrong!"
Yu-ri Lee paused for a moment at Gong Young-bae's apology.
Yu-ri Lee, who had been staring at him, asked in a cold voice.
"Do you know why I'm doing this?"
Gong Young-bae was silent for a moment and then answered.
"Yeah. I kept saying things about you hanging out with Han Seong-jin, and I arrogantly
meddled in your actions. I'm sorry, I won't do that anymore. So, can you please accept
my apology...?"
His answer wasn't perfect, but he seemed to know at least some of the reasons.
After hearing those words, Yu-ri Lee felt relieved for a moment.
Unlike Choi Soo-yeon, she had known Gong Young-bae for over 10 years, and she had
liked him for a long time.
So, after hearing his words, she felt a strong desire to forgive him.
That is, until the next words came out of his mouth.
"I'm really sorry. From now on, I won't say anything even if you go out with Han Seong-
jin or go to places like before. So, can't you let go of your anger now?"
"..."
Even if I go with Han Seong-jin?
Even if you go to 'that kind of place'?
Yu-ri Lee's stomach began to boil again.
He was choosing his words as if she was doing something she shouldn't.
She felt like he was implying that going to places like arcades and having fun was
wrong, but that now he was just tolerating it.
Once she got angry, she started getting angry all over again at what Gong Young-bae
said in his apology.
When she first heard it, she thought for a moment that she was convinced and wanted
to forgive him, but after hearing what he said, she realized that he had no idea why she
was furious.
His attitude of taking her affection and attention for granted, yet he doesn't do the
same for her, and because he seems to be trying to distance himself from such topics,
he even curses at Han Seong-jin, who was nice to her.
When she thought of those scenes, Yu-ri Lee's stomach, which had been burning like
an active volcano, soon calmed down as if cold water had been poured in.
And she answered calmly, to her own surprise.
"Okay, alright."
Gong Young-bae's face, which had been in the shadows the whole time, finally
brightened.
"Really? Thank you, Yu-ri. I won't do anything to make you feel bad anymore. I'm really
sorry."
"Yes, it's good to know."
"Well... Now we're just like before... Right?"
"After the exam, I ate, and I'm feeling sleepy. I'll go in first. You go quickly, too."
"Huh? Oh, right. It's about time to get sleepy. Then, go in carefully, Yu-ri."
"... Yes."
On the outside, it seemed like she had accepted Gong Young-bae's apology and their
relationship was restored, but Yu-ri Lee's heart was freezing over.
Yu-ri Lee, who had shaken off all the little regrets she had and even her feelings for
Gong Young-bae's remarks that seemed to be filled with an air of entitlement, now felt
relieved.
She no longer gets angry when she sees Gong Young-bae.
She had ended up in the same state as Choi Soo-yeon.
Sighing lightly, Yu-ri Lee cleared her mind and took out her cell phone.
On my way home for my last part-time job of the week, I took out my phone when I felt
a vibration in my pocket.
There was a message from Yu-ri Lee.
[Yu-ri Lee]: Are you going home?
[Me]: Oh, I have to go to a part-time job.
[Yu-ri Lee]: That's a pity. If it were Friday today, you wouldn't have had to go to your
part-time job.
[Me]: Would you have wanted to play more if I hadn't gone to my part-time job? Haha,
that's cute.
[Yu-ri Lee]: Why can't I just play like that sometimes?
[Me]: No, I actually encourage playing.
[Yu-ri Lee]: But I won't play as badly as you.
And for a moment, Yu-ri Lee said nothing.
Then, he suddenly made a video call to me.
"A video call out of nowhere? Did you miss me that much?"
- ... Just.
Yu-ri Lee's mood seemed similar to her usual mood, but it was subtly different.
I guess something else happened with Gong Young-bae after Choi Soo-yeon and I
left?
"Something about the atmosphere is a little different. Should I say that you are
liberated or that you look distant?"
- ... Do I?
"It just seems that way for some reason. Don't worry about it. But why did you
suddenly video call me? You could have just said it in a chat."
- Well... I don't know why I did it. I just moved my hand without thinking.
"What is that? When you say it like that, it sounds like you really just called because
you wanted to see me?"
- ... Hey, Han Seong-jin.
"Why?"
- Do you remember the promise I made last time? I said I would go to your house
later to cook dinner.
"Of course, I remember. You lied and said you were sick, so I brought you medicine
and oatmeal on Saturday morning and went to your house."
- I couldn't go then... Can I go this Saturday?
I quietly took a deep breath so as not to show how excited I was.
If she had come to my house last time, her emotional hurdles were still high, so I
could have just made her a meal and she would have left.
However, if she comes to our house in this situation, she is not a fool and will know
what will happen next.
Even though she knew that, she said she would come to our house.
I decided not to say anything more about that.
"Okay, come hang out. Make it pretty. Oh, but since you're always pretty, there's really
no need to do that?"
- Anyway, what I'm saying is... Then, tell me your home address.
"Oh, the security in the neighborhood where I live is a bit... Not good. It's a bit rough to
leave you alone, so I'll pick you up in front of your house that day. Around 11:30 a.m.?"
- Will you do that?
"You look a little touched?"
- ... No.
"Anyway, I'll pick you up, you can count on that. But I don't think we'll have many
ingredients to cook at home."
- That's okay.
"Okay, then, I'll see you at the academy tomorrow."
- Okay. And... Thank you.
And Yu-ri Lee's face turned red enough to be seen even through the screen, and she
uttered one last word in a much quieter voice than before.
- ... Seongjin.
And then she hurriedly ended the video call.
She could have teased her about that last comment, but I decided to give Yu-ri time to
be embarrassed to her heart's content.
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