Chapter 12 : What’s different

The classroom was quiet.

Outside the window, the streetlights cast a dim glow over the evening air.

A gentle breeze pushed the window open slightly, making the curtain sway slowly.

The occasional distant murmur from outside only seemed to emphasize the silence here even more.

On the desk, there was a pile of ungraded test papers.

My fingers tightened slightly around the pen.

Scribble.

Scratch.

Dohyun,Nayul.

The sound of the pen gliding across paper was the only noise in the room.

Kim Dohyun read out the answers in a calm voice.

“4, 2, 3, 4, 1.”

“4, 2, 3, 4, 1.”

I quietly repeated the numbers he called.

One by one, circles appeared on the test paper as I marked the answers.

There were more circles than slashes.

My grades had improved.

Feeling good for no reason, I thrust my test paper in front of Kim Dohyun’s face.

“Look at this!”

He glanced down at my test paper.

“Oh, your score went up a lot.”

“Amazing, right?

Huh?

Wait a minute…”

“What now?”

“How do you know my score went up?”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

‘Could he be interested in me?’

Thinking back, it made sense.

At the bus stop, he handed me a drink that matched my taste.

He also gave up the steamed egg dish for me, knowing I liked it.

Of course, that wasn’t enough to be sure.

I knew that.

But the thought of it made me feel oddly happy.

“…I can just tell from watching you.”

Yeah, there’s no way.

I already knew that, but for some reason, it still bothered me.

I glared at him and said,

“You keep underestimating me.

How about you?

What’s your score?”

I had originally planned to ask for something simple with my wish ticket, but now his attitude was annoying.

I had to make him do something embarrassing.

Like calling me ‘noona’ or acting cute.

‘And I’ll record it and tease him with it later.’

Half excited, half nervous, I watched his hand move.

Scribble, scratch.

The red pen moved across his test paper.

The faint light from outside brushed against Kim Dohyun’s face.

A dimly lit classroom.

Ash-gray hair blending into the evening glow.

A blank expression.

His face looked as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but for some reason, I wanted to keep looking at it.

Scribble, scratch.

Every time he marked an answer, his fingers moved.

I followed the movement with my eyes.

Before I knew it, I was staring at his lips.

Soft breaths escaped from them.

His lips, pressed together more neatly than usual.

I quickly lowered my gaze.

‘What am I even doing?’

I had never focused on someone’s face this closely before.

Because of that, I didn’t notice the many circles covering his test paper.

Trying to hide the way my heart was wavering, I raised my voice.

“Don’t forget!

The wish ticket!

Got it?

Do you want to back out now?”

Without much reaction, he handed me his graded test paper.

I took it and checked.

And froze.

“…….”

“Well?

Want to take it back now?”

I bit my lip.

I lost.

Completely lost.

“Can I?”

I asked, clinging to my last bit of pride.

“No, I was just saying.”

I glared at him, filled with betrayal.

“In the world of competition, there’s no mercy.”

“Aren’t you being a little too cold for our relationship?”

Grumbling, I kicked a small rock on the ground.

“What relationship?”

“…Just… we’re friends.”

I lowered my head.

It wasn’t just because I lost.

For some reason, I didn’t like how this conversation was going.

Just friends.

We were just friends.

The words stuck in my ears and kept repeating in my mind.

It felt strange.

“You fought well, even though you lost.”

He lightly patted my shoulder.

I casually brushed his hand away.

“Forget that.

Can’t you just let me off the hook?”

“Nope.”

“You’re so unfair!”

I playfully nudged his arm.

Kim Dohyun didn’t dodge.

“Anyway, since you lost, my wish ticket is still valid.”

“If you don’t keep your word, that’s basically fraud.”

I shut my mouth.

He was right.

“Then, can I ask you something?”

“A wish ticket is something you have to fulfill, though.”

“Then think of it as a consolation question.”

“What is it?”

I looked up at him.

After hesitating for a moment, I blurted out a question before I even realized it.

“Do you like someone?”

At that moment, his steps halted.

Half-expectant, half-teasing, I watched him.

But his reaction was odd.

Normally, he would have responded immediately.

But this time, he didn’t answer right away.

His hesitation rose and popped like carbonation bubbles.

“…No.”

His answer was brief.

But the short pause before he spoke.

That stuck with me.

I felt uneasy for no reason.

“Really?”

I acted casual.

But his answer kept echoing in my mind.

It felt like a lie.

That’s what I thought.

I sneaked a sidelong glance at Kim Dohyun.

His gaze was fixed on the two of them.

He showed no sign of looking away.

And then, he took a step back.

As if he was running away, as if he didn’t want to see it.

For a brief moment, his expression wavered.

The one who always had an indifferent face, for once, let his emotions show.

And it was because of what he saw in the practice room.

That made me feel bad for no reason.

I pulled my gaze away from his face and looked back inside at Yoon Jihoo and Nayul senior.

My eyes were directed toward them, but my attention was elsewhere.

Kim Dohyun was still looking inside.

He didn’t seem able to look away easily.

It was strange.

I had liked seeing his emotions break through that blank mask back in the gym.

But for some reason, I didn’t want to see him like this—shaken because of someone else.

‘Why does it hurt now?’

I couldn’t shake off the feeling.

Why was Kim Dohyun making that face?

His expression was as neutral as always, but something in his eyes looked different.

At that moment, an absurd thought crossed my mind.

Could it be…

Does Kim Dohyun like Nayul senior?

I quietly studied his face.

His gaze toward senior.

Or rather, toward her as she stood with Yoon Jihoo.

I tried to interpret his expression, but it wasn’t easy.

Without realizing it, I kept staring at him.

His foot quietly traced a line backward.

As if he was stepping away from something he wasn’t supposed to be part of.

“Where are you going?”

Before I knew it, I had grabbed his wrist.

He looked down at me.

“Are you okay?”

I blurted out the question.

I was really curious.

Was he upset?

Was he… jealous?

He stared at me for a moment before answering shortly.

“I’m fine.

It’s not like I have any reason to feel bad.”

Hearing that, I thought to myself—

If that’s true, then that’s a relief.

If it’s not, then… I don’t really like it.

“Don’t tell me…”

Do you…like Nayul senior?

I’d never heard of Kim Dohyun liking anyone before.

And I’d never seen him show those kinds of emotions either.

Or… had I?

That slight hesitation when I asked if he liked someone.

Who had he thought of in that moment?

But in the end, it had nothing to do with me.

Like I did with Yoon Jihoo, I could just cheer for a friend’s love.

Then why does it bother me so much?

What’s different between Yoon Jihoo and Kim Dohyun?

I unconsciously fidgeted with my fingertips, as if trying to scatter my messy thoughts.

I should just ask playfully.

Like it’s nothing, just as a joke.

Like I always do.

I should ask if he likes senior.

Just as I was about to open my mouth, he changed the subject.

“Oh, right. I saw you at the bookstore the other day.”

“Really?

When?

Why didn’t you say anything?”

“There wasn’t a chance to.”

He said that and then quietly held out a book.

“…What’s this?”

“This.

Didn’t you want to buy it?”

I was caught off guard.

The fact that he knew I wanted this book.

And the fact that he went out of his way to buy it for me.

I tried to brush it off like usual, but my head felt like a tangled mess.

“Why would you…?”

‘Why you, of all people?’

I felt my face heat up slightly.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“I think you need to be a little more honest with yourself.”

“…What are you talking about?”

I deliberately pretended not to understand.

He silently pointed at the book.

“You don’t always have to give things up.”

There was a faintly bitter smile on his lips.

“If you want something, you can just say so.

Otherwise, when it really matters, you might end up losing it.”

For a moment, Nayul senior flashed through my mind.

And then, Kim Dohyun, looking at her.

Not stepping forward, but backing away.

‘Who are you saying that to? Isn’t that advice for yourself?’

My heart ached like a dull wound.

Even now, he was looking at them as if he was hurting.

No.

That’s not it.

More than that…

I quietly grasped the book in my hands.

I didn’t want to mix these emotions into this moment.

Right now, I just felt grateful.

For the book.

For the fact that he had thought of me.

That was all.

“Thanks.”

And so, a natural smile spread across my lips.

The warmth in my chest spilled onto my face.

It felt like my heart might leap out of my mouth.

With a slightly flushed face, I clutched the hem of his sleeve and spoke.

He averted his gaze.

And without realizing it, so did I.

What is this?

I felt like I couldn’t breathe for a second.

A strange, awkward silence settled between us.

Maybe he didn’t like the atmosphere, because he suddenly spoke in a playful tone.

“By the way, if you like stuff like this, why didn’t you say so?”

A manga with the title Procutie.

It was the same manga he once said was fun during our interview prep.

Somehow, I felt like he had read my mind, and it embarrassed me.

“Ahh!

It’s not like that!

And don’t say it so loud, idiot!”

“Why am I the idiot?

If anything, you’re the one who lost the bet.”

“Hmph, if you don’t like me calling you that, then use your wish ticket.”

“That’s so petty.”

“Yep. I’m totally petty.”

A silly conversation.

Yet ironically, it felt comfortable.

And then—

A familiar voice cut in.

“What’s this?

What’s going on?

Are you two… dating?”

It was Nayul senior’s voice.