Because of that little incident, Park Dong and Yang Jinsu grew noticeably closer to Ji Suwon. The three of them started hanging out more often even inviting him along whenever they pulled me with them.
Then, during one of our breaks, Suwon's phone buzzed on the desk. 'Brrrr'. He glanced down, thumb swiping across the screen.
[Where are you? We're going to eat.] It was a message from Inseop.
Suwon's lips curved faintly, and he typed back without hesitation:
[I'm eating with my friends.]
In the cafeteria, the six of us crowded around one table Park Dong, Yang Jinsu, Ji Suwon, Lee Daegyu, Kim Jiseong, and me. Trays clattered as we dug in, the table loud with banter and the occasional shove when someone tried to steal a side dish.
It wasn't anything special just rice, soup, and the same bland school food but the way we laughed and argued made it feel different. For the first time, it really felt like we were becoming a group.
Suddenly, Park Dong glanced up, eyes catching on a hand waving across the room.
"Hey over here!" someone called.
We all turned just in time to see Seol Hyorim walking toward us, Irina and Jinkyung flanking her like always. The cafeteria's noise seemed to dip for a moment not silent, but enough that I noticed the shift.
Without hesitation, Hyorim slid into the empty seat at my left, the faint scent of her shampoo drifting over as she settled in.
On her other side, Jinkyung plopped down, already busy unwrapping her chopsticks. Irina claimed the spot across from Hyorim, right beside Daegyu, who straightened in his seat like he didn't know what to do with his hands.
Just like that, our table doubled in energy.
After settling into her seat, Irina leaned across the table.
"Hey, Suwon."
Suwon looked up from his tray. "Hmm?"
"I uploaded that picture you drew for me remember? The one I asked you to sketch. Put it up on my Cyworld."
Suwon blinked, surprised. "Oh, really? You uploaded it?"
Irina grinned. "Yeah, and the comments are blowing up. Everyone's saying how good it looks. Even my boyfriend saw it and asked who drew it he said to tell you thanks, and that he really liked it. Said it was drawn really well."
Suwon's ears turned faintly pink at the praise, but before he could say anything, Irina turned toward the rest of us.
"Don't you guys think Suwon will become a cartoonist later?"
The four of the guy's Park Dong, Jinsu, Daegyu, and kim jiseong exchanged glances. Then, almost in unison, they nodded.
"Of course."
"No doubt about it."
"He'll be a great one."
"Yeah, seriously."
Suwon ducked his head, embarrassed, while Irina stared at us like we'd all lost it.
"…Why are you guys praising him so much? You're so annoying," she groaned, rolling her eyes.
She quickly changed the subject, waving her chopsticks. "Oh, right. The school's releasing new uniforms soon can you believe this? They said they'd let us vote, but they didn't even show us anything they're just deciding themselves. I swear, if it's outdated-looking, I'm not wearing it."
Before anyone could reply, Jinsu leaned back in his chair. "Hey, Rina. Come here for a sec."
She frowned. "What?"
Jinsu puffed out his cheeks and exhaled hard, blowing straight at her face. The stench hit instantly. Irina's expression crumpled, her eyes narrowing in disgust.
"…You're insane," she spat, fanning her hand in front of her nose.
"Seriously, are you crazy?" Hyorim scolded, glaring.
Jinkyung pinched her nose and gagged. "God, did you eat shit or something?"
"Smells foul as hell!" Park Dong chimed in, scooting his chair back.
The whole table burst into laughter, unrestrained, impossible to hold back. Even I couldn't stop grinning at Irina's grimace.
At the other table, Inseop sat eating with Junhyun and In Ohno, though his chopsticks moved absently.
His gaze kept drifting, fixed squarely on our table more specifically, on Ji Suwon.
Seol Hyorim turned her gaze toward me, a slight smile tugging at her lips.
"We're planning on going to Lotte World this weekend,"
she said. "There's a free event. Want to come?"
"I'll go," I answered without hesitation, meeting her eyes. The faint blush that rose to my face betrayed me, especially when I caught the subtle curve of her smile.
Hyorim turned back to the table, her voice casual but her glance lingering on me for a second longer than needed.
"You guys really won't come?" she asked Park Dong and the others, raising her brows.
Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "Ji Suwon, you should come too."
Park Dong leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was sharing some heavy secret. "Are you really sure you want to go?"
Before I could answer, Lee Daegyu chimed in with a nervous laugh. "Yeah, man. If her brother sees you hanging around with her… he might actually kill you."
The words had barely left his mouth when Hyorim's chair screeched against the floor. Her fists clenched on the table, her eyes flashing white with fury.
"What the hell are you two talking about?!" she snapped, her voice cutting through the cafeteria chatter like a whip. Everyone nearby stiffened, heads turning in our direction.
Her gaze bore down on Daegyu and Park Dong, who instantly shrank back, their smug grins vanishing.
Hyorim's lip curled, her tone sharp and shaking with anger. "If you don't want to come, then don't come!! Why bring up my damn brother!!"
"Come on, how bad can it be?" I leaned back casually.
flashing a grin. "If the problem's just her brother seeing me with her, then I'll just hide, right? Hahahaha."
My laughter echoed, easing some of the stiffness at the table. Irina snorted into her drink, trying not to laugh, while Jinkyung rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. Even Hyorim's shoulders lost a bit of their edge, her glare softening as she let out a small huff through her nose.
On the way home, Ji Suwon walked with Inseop, Junhyun, and Ohno. Their chatter filled the evening air until Inseop suddenly asked, "Why didn't you eat with us today? You were with Park Dong and Yang Jinsu. Didn't you say you hated guys like them?"
Suwon chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I still hate Jinsu… but we're classmates. Can't exactly avoid him forever, right?"
Inseop frowned but nodded. "Fair enough. Just… don't get too close to him if you can help it."
"Got it, got it," Suwon laughed, brushing it off.
Then Junhyun grinned suddenly. "Hey, how about we hit Lotte World this Sunday?"
"An amusement park? Out of nowhere?" Inseop blinked.
"You always drag us to Everland," Suwon teased. "About time we switch it up. I've always wanted to go to Lotte, but it's in Seoul. Isn't it kind of far?"
"Ji Suwon, you're popular with the boys, right?" Junhyun teased with a grin.
"Why don't you show us too? I heard your stuff is amazing."
Suwon flinched, waving his hands. "I-it's kind of hard to just show like that…"
"What, are you discriminating against us or something, idiot?" Junhyun pressed, laughing.
Suwon sighed, scratching his cheek. "Fine, I'll show you later. But if some people find out… I might not even be able to keep going to this school."
Saturday afternoon, Hyorim pushed open the living room door and found her brother curled on the sofa, cigarette in hand and the TV glowing across his face.
She hesitated, then sat on the armrest.
"Can I borrow some money for Lotte World tomorrow?" she asked.
Seol Minsu didn't look away from the screen. "Money? What for?"
"The money you gave me wasn't enough," she said. "Irina and Jinkyung are coming."
He snorted. "You sure you're not making that up?"
"I'm not," she said, exasperated. "It's just a free event Mom said it was okay."
Seol Minsu sighed, reached for his wallet, and slid a few bills across the table. "Use this, then."
He paused, eyes hard. "But if I find out you went with any of those boys… I'll kill them."
Hyorim rolled her eyes but managed a grateful, "Thanks." The warning hung in the smoky room long after the TV droned on.