“Uh, um, so…….”
“We’re dating.”
As I was struggling to say it quickly, Ban Eunhye spoke up for me.
“What?”
The only person who shouted in surprise was Han Jibin.
Yeon Hayun, as if she had predicted it long ago, smiled with satisfaction and gave a small clap.
Ji Ganghan was surprised, but only barely showed it on his face.
Eun Bada took a deep breath and covered her mouth, but her reaction wasn’t as intense as Han Jibin’s.
Except for Han Jibin, everyone else remained calm, but the real shocked screams came from somewhere else.
“What? Eunhye is dating who?!”
“Eunhye is in a relationship…?”
“That’s impossible.”
The female students who constantly followed Ban Eunhye looked dazed, unable to believe the news.
They looked like people who had just heard a prophecy that their world was about to collapse, drooping and stunned, then quickly ran outside to spread the news.
But even faster than the female students shouting the news, there were informers—at least one in every class.
Usually, they were the kids who shouted, “Somebody’s dating!” right after the class bell rang and before the teacher came in.
“Hey! Ban Eunhye is dating Dan-A!”
The voice yelling down the hallway caught the attention of all the students.
In the hallway, which became as noisy as a market street, occasional cries of female students and sounds of denial could be heard.
Apart from those kids, most students showed reactions of fascination.
“Ban Eunhye is dating someone?”
“I thought she would remain single forever, but Dan-A just swooped in next to the Emotional High School’s main player.”
I gave up on eavesdropping and chose to try and sleep.
Ban Eunhye, who watched me take out my earplugs and put them in my ears skillfully, smirked.
She propped her chin on her hand and fully turned her body toward me, causing the Ban group to react strongly.
“When should I wake you up?”
“Don’t wake me.”
Hearing our conversation, the chaos only escalated.
‘Isn’t that just a normal conversation?’
I didn’t understand why every little action or brief dialogue between us caused such a fuss.
To avoid the burdensome reactions, I quickly put on my earplugs and rested, deliberately turning my head toward the window.
But I felt a steady gaze from behind.
It seemed Ban Eunhye was watching me.
“Do you like just looking at Dan-A’s back?”
Yeon Hayun teased after seeing that.
At her words, Eun Bada and Han Jibin poked Ban Eunhye and laughed.
I tried to hide my red face from embarrassment by burying it deeper in my arm.
It was mid-May, with summer fast approaching.
The sunlight, which felt a bit too hot, quickly made my body tired.
My heavy eyelids slowly closed.
***
Ban Eunhye couldn’t take her eyes off the sleeping Dan-A.
‘She’s my girlfriend.’
With a smirk, Ban Eunhye covered the sunlight with his hand as Dan-A squinted her eyes in the bright sun.
He propped his chin on his hand, resting it above Dan-A’s face.
From earlier, the gazes of the students who kept staring became even more intense.
“What are you looking at?”
His temper, which had seemed to have calmed down recently in front of Dan-A, suddenly flared, and everyone quickly averted their eyes.
“Dan-A’s mine. No one touch her.”
With a fierce warning, the male students of Class Ban nodded in agreement.
‘No one will touch her….’
The male students, unable to say this outright, decided to be even more cautious when approaching Dan-A and consciously avoided looking her way.
Ban Eunhye was someone none of us had ever seen in a romantic relationship before.
We knew Ban Eunhye’s usual personality well, but no one knew how his personality might change when he was dating.
Just for looking at Dan-A, we might have to endure his fierce glare.
Thinking that way, I worried that class life might become a little more difficult going forward.
‘I won’t let her be taken away to another dimension again.’
No matter what the Ban group thought, Ban Eunhye, who wasn’t interested in anyone’s opinions, bit his tongue hard, remembering the time Dan-A had crossed over to that other dimension.
Back then, he was lucky to get the chance to travel between dimensions, but who knew if such an opportunity would come again.
So he had to always stick close to Dan-A’s side, wherever and whenever.
“Hey, when is your guild dungeon raid this month?”
“Next Friday night.”
“I’m coming then too.”
“…Did I hear that wrong?”
Yeon Hayun rubbed her ears in disbelief at Ban Eunhye’s sudden announcement.
Regardless, Ban Eunhye thought the notice was done and turned his body forward.
“Are you crazy in love or what? Why would the Guild Leader of the Four Heavenly Kings come to our guild’s raid?”
“Who knows when Dan-A might get into danger? Isn’t it natural for her boyfriend to watch over her?”
“Two guys?”
Yeon Hayun was about to curse that he was obviously crazy in love, but Eun Bada hurriedly stopped her.
It was definitely rude for another guild’s leader to get involved in someone else’s guild raid.
It was an unheard-of situation.
But to do it just because he was dating Dan-A—Yeon Hayun couldn’t accept that news.
Ban Eunhye didn’t care what others thought.
The Four Heavenly Kings, Yeon Hayun, and the rest of the Ban group all came to the same conclusion.
‘Ban Eunhye is completely smitten with Dan-A.’
***
To celebrate our relationship, we all went out to the city.
We were walking down the street looking for a restaurant for dinner.
“Oh? Hey, there!”
I spotted a familiar face walking toward us from across the street.
When I pointed, Ji Ganghan’s expression stiffened sharply.
He strode over with long steps and stopped in front of two male students.
“Ji Seongbin.”
They seemed to be from the same school as us, out in the city.
From afar, they looked just like two normal boys, and there was no indication that Ji Seongbin was cross-dressing.
Though she looked pretty and could cause some misunderstandings, her handsome face made it alright.
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
“Just hanging out. What about you?”
“I’m on a date.”
Ji Ganghan secretly clenched his fist tightly.
Others might not have noticed, but I definitely saw it.
Ji Seongbin avoided her older brother’s glare and greeted us warmly from behind.
“Long time no see, everyone. But why are those two holding hands?”
“They must be a couple.”
A pale, handsome guy standing beside her said with a stylish smirk.
Ji Seongbin, who was staring at our joined hands with wide eyes, gave a brief congratulation before rushing off.
Since Ji Ganghan was standing there, we didn’t know what mischief he might pull.
“If you’re a high schooler, it’s fine to date, cross-dress, and go to a boys’ school!”
Han Jibin tried to defend Ji Seongbin, but Ji Ganghan’s sharp glare immediately shut him up.
Maybe the first part was fine, but the last part made everyone uncomfortable.
Cross-dressing and attending a boys’ school was something you only saw in the Insomnia area.
“When is Seongbin transferring to our school? She already told her boyfriend she’s a girl, but it’s going to be uncomfortable if she keeps going to that school.”
“Next semester.”
“Really? That’s great.”
After hearing Ji Seongbin’s news, we were hanging out in the city with friends.
[^ Euphim (8): Is it true Ban Eunhye is dating Dan-A? 0 0
Wanso (7): Emotional High School’s top player finally dating? Lol
Rumors (/40105..※)(10): Who are you talking about? Anyway, a well-known girl came to the guild. She’s looking for Eunhye.]
“Uh, guys.”
The kids who heard about us dating sent a chat message.
Ban Eunhye smiled faintly at the phrase ‘top player,’ but then showed a confused expression at Jaime’s next message.
“No one’s coming for me.”
I wondered if it was one of Ban Eunhye’s followers, but no crazy person would go looking for him at the guild just because of our relationship, so I was puzzled.
[Rumors (640105..※)(10): She’s crying now ㅠㅠ. Her name’s Cheon Yeonju. Do you know her?]
As the next chat popped up, Ban Eunhye and Han Jibin stopped in their tracks while walking.
“Cheon Yeonju?”
I already knew Ban Eunhye had detached himself from Cheon Yeonju before, but it was the first time I’d seen Han Jibin’s expression harden that much.
“Do you know her?”
When I asked, Han Jibin brushed his hair back with an annoyed expression.
“She’s the girl who left our brother and came to Korea.”
“Ugh… what’s that supposed to mean?”
“She was dating our brother but said she liked Eunhye and suddenly left. But now Dan-A is Eunhye’s girlfriend, so it must hurt.”
His casual yet cold tone was very different from Han Jibin’s usual self, so it was unsettling.
Hearing the backstory created a chilling atmosphere.
Ban Eunhye sighed, frustrated, running his fingers through his messy hair.
“Don’t go. I’ll handle it.”
Han Jibin spoke first, worried Ban Eunhye might go to the guild.
Ban Eunhye nodded and was about to send Han Jibin alone to the guild.
“Wait, we’re coming too.”
I grabbed Han Jibin and gripped Ban Eunhye’s hand even tighter.
Everyone looked surprised when I said I was going with them to the guild.
“No matter what you say alone, no one will listen. It’s better if I go with you and make sure she gives up properly. Then we won’t have any trouble later.”
I doubted Cheon Yeonju would listen to reason, no matter how much Han Jibin tried.
We needed to show that we were definitely dating and firmly discourage her from coming back to the guild or bothering us again.
“Let’s go.”
We headed to the guild.