“What’s That?”
My heart was pounding.
Not because of Ban Eunhyeol, but because Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun’s followers were glaring at each other like they wanted to kill, with me caught right in the middle.
I frantically rolled my eyes, searching for a way out.
I needed to find a place to break through the crowd of schoolgirls swarming around like a cloud.
‘Let’s get out of here before they start fighting.’
Just then, I spotted a small gap.
It was a tight squeeze that would have been hard for anyone else to pass through, but it was enough for me.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
“Hey, kid! Why are you running off?”
Why on earth should I stop?!
As soon as I squeezed through the gap and started running, Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun followed right behind me.
To an outsider, it must have looked like I was fleeing because I’d done something wrong, running desperately like that.
Couldn’t they just pretend not to see?
Instead, they made a scene, drawing everyone’s attention.
To avoid people’s eyes, I kept my legs moving nonstop.
Luckily, a rarely used alley appeared ahead.
It seemed much better than running along the crowded main street, so without hesitation, I changed direction.
Once inside the alley, I slowed down.
It seemed better to calm those two down first when no one was watching and then head home.
“An Awakener? You look cute. I’m ranked 987th, so what’s your rank, baby?”
“Get lost.”
A punk who clearly didn’t recognize me swaggered over and started messing around.
I didn’t even think he was worth my time, so I answered shortly and ignored him.
But the punk looked seriously pissed off.
“If you talk like that, I’ll feel bad.”
His face smiled, but I could hear the anger in his voice.
Whatever, I just waited for Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun, who had fallen a bit behind, to catch up.
Just as the punk, fueled by being ignored, reached out to grab me—
“What’s this?”
As soon as Ban Eunhyeol entered the alley, he grabbed the punk’s wrist tightly.
“B-Ban Eunhyeol?”
That’s the punk’s go-to line whenever he’s about to get tired of things.
“Y-Yeah, I didn’t know it was you! Sorry!”
…Who did he think I was?
The punk seemed to have seriously misunderstood, practically begging on the ground. Ban Eunhyeol seemed satisfied with the apology and let go of his wrist.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
But this time, someone else looked furious.
While Ban Eunhyeol held the punk, Do Ihyun, who had stuck close to me, approached with deadly intent.
“So, whose are you, Danah?”
“Ah, sorry! I-I must’ve been mistaken! I didn’t know you were Do Ihyun’s…!”
Before he could finish, Ban Eunhyeol’s fist flew.
Do Ihyun seemed less angry than before but showed no sign of letting go of the punk easily.
Caught between attacks from both sides, the punk seemed clueless, desperately trying to guess who I belonged to. It looked a little pitiful.
‘Enough calming down, maybe I should just leave today.’
I thought about trying to make these two, who usually hated each other, make peace in the alley.
But after seeing that mess, I was sure it was impossible today.
I ran straight toward my house again.
Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun, having stopped punishing the punk, hurried after me.
“If you’re going to fight, don’t follow me!”
I shouted while running, and a reply came from behind.
“We’re not fighting!”
“We never fought! Look!”
Turning around at Ban Eunhyeol’s shout, I saw the two of them with their arms around each other.
‘They both look like their faces are sour, though.’
I tilted my head, confused, but since they went that far, I couldn’t just ignore them and kept walking.
After that, the two standing on either side of me forced fake smiles as we walked together.
Walking between Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun holding bouquets of roses in both hands was more grueling than I’d imagined.
Wherever they appeared, stories of sightings popped up on social media, attracting everyone’s attention: Ban Eunhyeol, Do Ihyun, and me caught in the middle.
‘Isn’t school going to be crazy next week?’
Just thinking about the flood of schoolgirls coming for me gave me a headache.
Just ahead, I spotted the entrance to our apartment complex.
I looked up at the two who still showed no intention of leaving my side.
“How far are you planning to follow? I’m going home.”
That was my subtle way of telling them to go home too.
But Ban Eunhyeol ignored my underlying meaning or didn’t understand and said something else.
“Shall we go greet them since it’s been a while?”
Right after the disappearance incident involving the two of us, when Ban Eunhyeol returned to this dimension, he had met my parents and talked with them.
We had even gathered at my house at the end of the year.
Do Ihyun suddenly hardened his expression and said in a solemn voice.
“I’m going too.”
“Where?”
“To your house. Since we’re here, it would be good to greet them.”
I never thought those words would come from Do Ihyun’s mouth.
He was shy and avoided meeting people, so why the sudden change?
He was the guild leader, and all the things like interviews he had to attend were always left to Harang, so he rarely showed up himself…
Confused, we ended up at the front door together.
‘I bet Mom will be shocked if I suddenly bring these guys in.’
If my daughter’s school friends were ranked first and second in hierarchy and suddenly showed up at home, I’d be surprised too.
Standing in front of the door, I hesitated about whether to really let them in when the elevator stopped on our floor.
The moment the doors opened, my mom, carrying grocery bags in both hands, stopped with wide eyes at the sight of us.
***
“Oh dear, if I’d known your friends were coming over, I would’ve brought snacks.”
Surprisingly, Mom welcomed Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun warmly.
She was familiar with Ban Eunhyeol from a few previous visits, but even Do Ihyun—who rarely appeared on TV—was treated like an old acquaintance.
‘That’s a relief.’
But why did having those two in my house feel so strange?
Seeing them leaning against the sofa and sitting on the floor eating fruit just didn’t feel right no matter how much I looked.
“I’ll peel it.”
“No, I’m good at peeling fruit.”
Why are they competing even over this?
Since a while ago, Mom had placed fruit on a tray, and the two of them had been peeling it.
Where on earth did these rich kids learn to cut fruit so neatly?
Mom seemed to enjoy watching Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun competitively insist they’d do the peeling.
Looking at the surprisingly cozy scene in the living room, I gave Do Ihyun a surprised look.
I wasn’t worried about Ban Eunhyeol, but I wondered if Do Ihyun could really have a proper conversation at my house.
Yet Do Ihyun seemed to be getting along surprisingly well with Mom.
But there were moments when Do Ihyun couldn’t really fit in—when school came up.
“Danah’s been studying really hard at school lately. I’m her partner, so I see it right next to her. She’s different from last year.”
“Oh my, is that so? Please keep an eye on Danah’s studies from now on, too. I appreciated you tutoring her last year.”
Right, this was exactly the moment.
Do Ihyun didn’t even go to the same school as me, and although we studied together sometimes, it was mostly just messing around, so he didn’t have much to say.
After that, situations where Do Ihyun couldn’t join naturally kept popping up.
Mom also seemed more familiar and friendly with Ban Eunhyeol, whom she had seen several times, than with Do Ihyun, who she had just met.
That evening, after Ban Eunhyeol and Do Ihyun left, Mom sent me a subtle glance and brought up a certain topic.
“I like Eunhyeol.”
“Huh?”
“As a boyfriend. Ihyun’s okay too, but there are some parts I find lacking.”
“Boyfriend? What are you talking about!”
Boyfriend all of a sudden?
Mom dropped that bombshell but acted completely calm.
She looked happier than ever while carefully arranging the bouquets she’d received from the two into a vase.
“He acts like he’s not, but you could tell just by looking at their eyes. Even a passerby could tell.”
“No, what eyes? What do you mean…?”
I didn’t think there was anything special.
Weren’t they just glaring at each other, constantly competing?
“I heard Eunhyeol protected you without a scratch when you went missing. He got hurt a lot, but after seeing that, Mom made up her mind long ago.”
“We’re just friends!”
At the time, I didn’t have a single scratch, but Ban Eunhyeol was covered in wounds, so I’d exaggerated the story a bit.
It seemed Mom had completely misunderstood because of that.
I stared at Mom in disbelief as she ignored my reaction and went on saying her piece.
Only then, after finishing arranging the flowers, did she look up and check my expression.
Then, with a puzzled look, she said,
“I didn’t know my daughter was so oblivious. It’s obvious they both like you. Why don’t you get it?”
“No.”
“O…”
I was speechless.
I dashed into my room as if fleeing and waved my hand at my hot cheeks.
[Are you hot? Want me to cool you down?]
I calmed down Bisharp, who looked like it could blow out an Ice Breath right then, and took a deep breath.
I was finally starting to feel a little better.
‘They like me?’
Come to think of it, there had been plenty of reasons to think so.
But I had just brushed it off as simple friendship…
Even when I got those roses today, the thought I had tried so hard to deny suddenly popped into my head.
‘Do they really like me?’
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