Chapter 35: Small Warning

Thud.

Seo Yuna set down the phone she had been looking at on the desk.

Despite the bright smile on her face, her eyes were cold and subdued.

“Didn’t you say you stayed home over the weekend?”

“I did.”

‘Why did it feel like I had become a spy caught by an intelligence agent?’

“Then, what’s that post on the Bamboo Forest?”

“Oh, that…?”

Just as I was about to speak, the classroom door opened, and a girl walked in.

Damn it, why now of all times…

“Yuna!”

A cheerful voice.

It was Choi Dabin.

An unwanted and uncomfortable three-way confrontation was about to unfold.

Seo Yuna slowly turned her head toward Dabin.

“Oh, hey, Dabin. You’re a bit late today.”

“I didn’t sleep well last night!”

“Really? Did you have a good time with your family over the weekend?”

“Uh, yeah… We had some good food. But why?”

Dabin blinked a few times, tilting her head in confusion.

“A post went up on the Bamboo Forest. Someone said they saw you over the weekend.”

“Huh?”

“They saw you and Kim Dohyun at Hongdae, eating waffles together like a couple.”

The moment she heard those words, Dabin’s pupils trembled.

Seo Yuna glanced at me before curling her lips into a smirk and continuing the conversation.

“They must’ve looked really close. Ah, I wanted some fruit waffles too.”

The classroom instantly fell silent.

As soon as Seo Yuna finished speaking, murmurs gradually grew around us.

“What? What? A lovers’ quarrel?”

“Aren’t fruit waffles a place couples usually go to?”

I internally screamed in frustration.

‘Please, just stop. For the love of God!’

Dabin, having grasped the situation, smiled and responded.

“Oh, that? Kim Dohyun said he wanted to buy something from me, so we met up for a bit. We were a little hungry, so…”

Seo Yuna tilted her head.

“Buy what from you?”

“You know the limited edition Mochi-kun plushie? Dohyun wanted it.”

Jinyoung, who had been quietly listening to the conversation with great interest, suddenly rushed over.

As if he had been waiting for the perfect moment to jump in.

“Hey, Kim Dohyun!”

Then, he patted my shoulder and shouted.

“You siscon bastard! You begged Dabin to sell it to you because your little sister wanted the plushie over the weekend?”

The murmurs around us gradually died down.

“Oh, so that’s what it was?”

“I thought Kim Dohyun and Choi Dabin were dating.”

“Wow, he’s such a sweet brother. I wish I had an older brother like that…”

The classmates who had been eagerly eavesdropping quickly lost interest.

Only then did I let out a sigh of relief.

‘Nice assist.’

Seo Yuna was still staring at me.

Her eyes were slightly subdued, but her expression remained intrigued.

“Then why didn’t you just say that from the beginning?”

I shrugged and replied.

“I didn’t think it was necessary.”

“It’s not about that. The class almost misunderstood.”

‘Bullshit. She was the one who nearly misunderstood. Honestly, we weren’t even dating, so why did she care?’

‘Was she trying to act like my girlfriend?

It seemed like a small warning was needed.

A reminder not to overstep any boundaries.

“What does it matter if I watched a movie or ate waffles with Choi Dabin?”

“What…?”

“Why do you keep prying into what I did over the weekend?”

“…Because you lied and said you just stayed home.”

I looked at Seo Yuna with tired eyes.

“I just said that casually.”

“If you had told the truth from the start, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ugh, forget it. Why am I even talking to you?”

“What did you just say?”

The atmosphere turned ice-cold in an instant.

She kept trying to take control of whatever was between us, and it was starting to get on my nerves.

This girl… acting like she owns me.

I needed to set things straight now, so she wouldn’t pull this crap again.

“Mind your own business.”

“What?”

“You’re annoying.”

At my words, Seo Yuna’s expression froze.

Her lips trembled slightly.

I wasn’t sure if it was because her pride was hurt or if she was genuinely angry.

Without another word, she turned her head sharply and muttered in a low voice.

“Really? I was just bothering you. Sorry.”

She was 100% sulking.

‘And so what?’

‘Whether I dated another girl or did something else, what could she do about it?’

As the tension in the air thickened, Choi Dabin shifted uncomfortably, looking like she didn’t know what to do.

She probably thought this whole mess was her fault.

She looked incredibly uneasy.

‘What, does she feel guilty?’

“All we did was meet up, exchange the plushie, and leave.”

Wanting to break the awkward silence, I turned to Dabin.

“Hey, thanks for the plushie. My little sister really loved it.”

“Oh… That’s good to hear.”

Dabin gave a hesitant smile and took a small step back.

“Uh… class is about to start! You two should sort things out!”

She quickly scurried back to her seat.

Watching her retreat, I let out a quiet sigh.

Next to me, Seo Yuna remained silent, staring at her phone screen irritably.

Well, whatever.

‘If I cared, I’d only be giving myself a headache.’

I rested my arms on my desk and laid my head down.

‘It’s nice and quiet now.’

***

Seo Yuna blankly stared at her phone screen.

The words blurred in her vision.

[Annoying.]

Those short words kept echoing in her head.

A heavy feeling settled deep in her chest.

‘Did he really call me annoying?’

It was a blow to her pride, but she quickly scolded herself.

She wasn’t Kim Dohyun’s girlfriend.

It didn’t matter who he spent time with or what he did.

So why was she so bothered by it?

Her fist clenched slightly before loosening again.

What exactly had she expected from Kim Dohyun?

For him to reply to her messages over the weekend?

Or maybe… to spend time with her instead?

He was someone who never really showed interest in others to begin with.

So why did she go out of her way to interrogate him like that?

What was she thinking?

‘Was I really upset that he hung out with Dabin over the weekend? That’s so childish, Seo Yuna.’

The thought made her feel utterly pathetic.

She set her phone down and turned to look out the window.

Kim Dohyun was lying on his desk, fast asleep.

Beyond the window, leaves trembled in the breeze, blurring her vision.

‘This is so pathetic. Seriously.’

A tangle of emotions twisted inside her—disappointment, self-reproach, and an unshakable tinge of jealousy.

‘Had she finally lost it?’

They were just friends.

Nothing more.

‘Whether he goes to Hongdae with Dabin or eats waffles with her, what does that have to do with me?’

She ran a hand through her hair and let out a slow breath.

And yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

— “Hey, thanks for the plushie. My sister really loved it.”

Kim Dohyun’s indifferent tone.

— “Oh… that’s good to hear.”

Dabin’s awkward smile.

Those moments replayed in her mind, tormenting her.

‘Since when did they get so close? Was it because of the club activities…?’

He was just thanking her.

That’s all it was.

So why did it make her feel this way?

‘Ugh, seriously. Why am I being so pathetic?’

She sighed, shaking her head in frustration.

She knew there was no reason to feel this way.

And yet, she couldn’t help it.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Kim Dohyun still lying on his desk, completely at ease.

For some reason, his peaceful sleeping face irritated her more than anything else today.

She needed to stop thinking about it.

Dwelling on something so trivial only made her feel ridiculous.

‘Yeah. Enough.’

She tried to steady herself, turning her gaze back to the window, and muttered under her breath.

“You bastard.”

***

The library club was unusually quiet today.

Especially Choi Dabin.

She was acting strangely.

It was as if she had made up her mind not to make eye contact with me.

For hours.

Dabin sat far away, staring intently at a book, as if I didn’t exist.

‘What the hell did I do now?’

Feeling a bit mischievous, I called out to her while still lying on my desk.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“…What?”

She finally lifted her head, but her gaze remained fixed on her book.

“Why are you sulking in the corner? Anyone would think I’m out to get you.”

Dabin let out a small sigh and answered flatly.

“I’m just reading.”

“This place is huge, and yet you’re huddled in the corner?”

With only two members in the library club, the large table had more than enough empty seats.

And yet, she chose to sit at the farthest corner.

Anyone would find that strange.

Dabin opened her mouth as if to say something but shook her head.

“What does it matter to you?”

She clearly wanted to avoid the conversation.

She picked up her book and quickly stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“I finished reading this one.”

She barely answered as she walked toward the high bookshelves.

After scanning the titles carefully, she finally spotted the one she wanted and reached for it.

‘She won’t reach it.’

I watched in amusement as she struggled, stretching on her toes to grab the book.

After a while, it became clear that she wasn’t going to succeed.

Suppressing a chuckle, I asked, “Want some help?”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.”

‘What the hell did I do to deserve being treated like I had the plague?’

I couldn’t help but feel a little unfairly accused.

Dabin continued stretching on her tiptoes, trying her best to grab the book.

The book, sitting just out of reach, seemed to mock her efforts.

And then—

“Got it.”

As soon as her fingers managed to grasp the book, she pulled it toward her.

At the same time, the bookshelf shook slightly, making a small rattling sound.

Watching this unfold, I thought to myself,

‘Ah, the classic cliché.’