Chapter 51: Why are you coming home?

After school, I arrived home, tossed my bag aside, and collapsed onto my bed.

‘I’m so tired…’

Another hectic day had passed.

Especially since I had been on edge all day, paying attention to the relationship between Kim Harin and Seo Yuna.

Honestly, even I hadn’t expected Kim Harin to act so boldly.

“This is seriously leading to something, isn’t it?”

There was definitely some hidden agenda.

But it wasn’t like I could just straight-up ask, “You’ve got something planned, don’t you?”

‘I should just keep an eye on things for now…’

At that moment, I heard a familiar presence outside my room.

Kim Harin was heading out somewhere.

A sense of unease filled me.

‘She wasn’t planning to cause trouble, was she?’

I couldn’t just sit back and watch. I got up, opened my door, and stepped into the living room.

“Harin, where are you going?”

Kim Harin, who was putting on her shoes, turned to look at me.

“Hm?”

“I asked where you’re going.”

I tried to sound casual, though I wasn’t feeling calm at all.

Kim Harin smiled naturally and replied, “I’m going grocery shopping.”

“…Shopping?”

“Yuna unni is coming over this weekend, so I thought I’d prepare some food for us.”

“What?”

I froze on the spot.

‘What? Seo Yuna is coming to our house?’

For a moment, I was speechless.

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

Kim Harin, still casually putting on her shoes, repeated herself.

“Yuna unni is coming over this weekend. So I’m getting ready to welcome her.”

“…Why? Why is she coming to our house?”

I was completely thrown off.

‘Without me even knowing, Kim Harin had invited Seo Yuna over?’

‘What kind of ridiculous situation was this?’

I stared at Kim Harin in disbelief.

“You… You invited her?”

She nodded and smiled.

“Yes. I want to get closer to Yuna unni. You’re happy about it too, right?”

‘Happy, my ass.’

My thoughts were spinning.

‘Was Kim Harin really just trying to befriend Seo Yuna?’

“…So, what are you planning to buy?”

I forced myself to ask as calmly as possible.

Kim Harin smiled and started folding her fingers one by one.

“I’m going to prepare some desserts like fruit, and I’ll make an omelet too.”

“…Omelet?”

“You always eat well when I make it for you.”

I swallowed a sigh.

This wasn’t just surveillance—she had me completely figured out.

To be fair, omelets were delicious.

But that wasn’t the issue here.

I still couldn’t figure out what Kim Harin was really up to.

I needed to stay close and find out.

“Should I come with you?”

Kim Harin looked slightly surprised.

“You? Oppa?”

“Yeah. It’s a hassle to go alone, isn’t it?”

I tried to sound as casual as possible.

“It’ll be easier if I go with you.”

She thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

“Alright, let’s go together.”

Watching her walk ahead, I made up my mind.

‘This is dangerous. I can’t let my guard down.’

***

At the supermarket, I followed Kim Harin around, holding the shopping basket.

She picked out items with a calm expression.

“Hmm… Yuna unni likes strawberry macarons, so I should get some strawberries for dessert.”

I asked as nonchalantly as I could.

“When did you and Seo Yuna get so close?”

Kim Harin chuckled lightly and replied, “Hmm, I don’t know. We just talked, and she seemed like a nice person.”

I gently shook the basket, testing the waters.

“But you’re not usually the type to reach out to people first, are you?”

Kim Harin paused for a moment, then gave me a quiet smile.

“Hmm… I get along well with my friends at school. You probably wouldn’t know, though.”

“Right…”

I wouldn’t know.

I was always cooped up at home.

‘So she was actually social?’

‘Wait, was it okay for a yandere to be this sociable?’

Kim Harin still looked completely unbothered.

I glanced at her before probing further.

“Still, it’s not common for you to actively try to befriend someone, is it?”

She tilted her head slightly and answered, “Maybe not.”

She pulled out a pack of strawberries from the basket and began inspecting them carefully—checking for bruises, making sure they were big and fresh.

She looked unusually serious.

“But it’s fun being around Yuna unni. She’s… a bit unusual.”

I paused and looked at her.

“…Unusual?”

Kim Harin smiled leisurely as she placed a pack of strawberries into the basket.

“Yeah. She’s always bright and says whatever she wants.”

“Well, that’s just how Seo Yuna is.”

“You know her pretty well…?”

Kim Harin glanced at me.

Shit.

That was a mistake.

I just complimented another girl in front of Kim Harin.

“You seem happy whenever you’re with Yuna unni, Oppa.”

I felt a tightness in my chest.

That was definitely a loaded statement.

I had to answer carefully.

I kept my voice as neutral as possible.

“Who knows? She just talks a lot and likes to joke around, so maybe that’s why.”

“So… you really don’t feel anything at all?”

Kim Harin tilted her head to exactly a 45-degree angle as she stared at me.

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

‘…This is heading in a weird direction, isn’t it?’

I mumbled something vague and grabbed the shopping basket.

“Whatever. If we’re done, let’s go.”

Kim Harin gave a small smile and nodded.

“Yes, we got everything.”

As I followed her to the checkout, one thought ran through my mind.

‘Is this a thriller or what?’

***

After returning home, I sat on the sofa and scratched my head.

“So, is Seo Yuna really coming over? Wouldn’t she feel uncomfortable too?”

I asked again for confirmation.

Kim Harin neatly arranged the groceries on the table as she replied, “Yes. We’re going to watch a movie together and have dinner.”

I let out a short laugh in disbelief.

I couldn’t understand why Seo Yuna had agreed to this, nor could I figure out what Kim Harin was thinking when she invited her over.

“Then you should’ve told me about it beforehand.”

Kim Harin lifted her head and looked at me.

“Oppa, do you not like it?”

For a moment, I couldn’t answer.

“…No, it’s not that…”

Honestly, I didn’t hate the idea, but the problem was that I had no clue what Kim Harin’s true intentions were.

She quietly watched me before speaking again.

“I just want to get closer to Yuna unni. Don’t you think that’s a good thing too?”

I bit my lip.

This felt like a trap.

Her expression was innocent and cheerful, but I couldn’t shake off my unease.

“…Yeah, sure.”

Kim Harin smiled softly, as if satisfied, and went back to organizing the groceries.

After hesitating for a while, I finally picked up my phone and quickly typed out a message.

[Me: Did you really agree to come over to our house?]

A reply came almost immediately from Seo Yuna.

[Yuna: Yeah, why?]

I swallowed a curse and started typing again.

She was acting all carefree, completely oblivious to my concerns.

It was frustrating.

[Me: I told you to let me know if anything was up.]

[Yuna: What’s with that reaction? Can’t I just come over? Besides, I’m not going there for you, I’m going for Harin.]

I clenched my phone and let out a deep sigh.

‘Shit. Is she asking to get stabbed or something?’

[Me: I just found out that Kim Harin invited you.]

[Yuna: Whoa, seriously? Harin didn’t tell you?]

[Me: Nope.]

[Yuna: Huh~ Well, it’s fine with me. I got invited, so I might as well go and enjoy it, right?]

I paused my fingers over the screen, lost in thought.

‘Why hadn’t Kim Harin told me about this in advance?’

‘There’s no way she simply forgot.’

Kim Harin was the type to plan things out carefully.

I sent another message.

[Me: But do you have to come over? Can’t you just meet outside?]

[Yuna: Nah, Harin said she wanted to watch a movie and have dinner at her place. It sounded fun, so I said yes.]

[Me: Do you always take things at face value like that?]

[Yuna: Are you uncomfortable with it?]

I couldn’t answer right away.

‘Uncomfortable?’

‘If it were just discomfort, that would be a relief.’

It wasn’t discomfort—I felt uneasy.

‘There was a high chance that Kim Harin hadn’t invited Seo Yuna just to get closer to her.’

‘Of course, maybe I was overthinking things.’

‘Maybe she was just acting like an extreme brocon because she didn’t have an older sibling.’

But still…

I couldn’t shake off this creeping sense of dread.

‘What exactly does Kim Harin think of Seo Yuna?’

‘Was it just casual interest?’

‘Or something more?’

I slumped onto the couch, gripping my head.

No matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t just simple socializing.

[Me: It just bothers me.]

[Yuna: Bother you how?]

[Me: Just… be careful.]

[Yuna: ???]

[Me: I don’t know. Just always be cautious, always double-check your surroundings. Watch out for anything falling from above when you’re walking down the street. Always check your—]

[Yuna: Are you actually crazy? What’s with the sudden paranoia?]

“…Shit.”

I let out a frustrated sigh.

‘Was I overreacting?’

‘Maybe.’

But still… this uneasiness wouldn’t go away.

[Me: Whatever. Just stay alert, you never know what could happen.]

That was all I wrote before sending the message.

Then, I put my phone down and stared up at the ceiling.

‘What the hell is going to happen this weekend?’

I tried to push away the feeling of dread creeping up on me, but the more I ignored it, the stronger it became.

I could only hope that this weekend would pass without any incidents.