TSESHR 12

Chapter : 12

In my memory, Seo Jaegyeom was late as often as he ate meals.

School, meeting friends—whatever it was, he was always on his own schedule.

‘Hey, why isn’t Seo Jaegyeom here? Didn’t he say he was coming?’

‘Call him.’

‘He’s not answering… Oh, there he is.’

‘Jaegyeom, why are you so late?’

‘Just ’cause.’

Even when the school gate was about to close right in front of his nose in the morning, I never saw Jaegyeom run.

Friends never got angry at him for being an hour late. Neither did the teachers.

Maybe only his girlfriends, who changed every two months or so, got mad at him. But even then, that never made him change.

His constant girlfriend turnover probably had something to do with that too.

And yet, today of all days, Seo Jaegyeom was standing at the school gate on time.

…With Jisoo.

“Whoa, Jaegyeom! Is the sun setting in the east today? I’m seeing Seo Jaegyeom show up on time?”

The P.E. teacher, standing at the gate supervising kids coming in, threw an arm around Jaegyeom’s shoulder as if they were close.

Jaegyeom brushed his arm off with a blatantly annoyed expression.

Even at the rudeness, the P.E. teacher just laughed heartily and slapped him on the back.

Jaegyeom grimaced and readjusted Jisoo’s bag, which had slipped down from the impact.

“So heavy.”

“It’s full of workbooks.”

“Ah.”

“Are you coming to the academy today, Jaegyeom?”

“No.”

“How many times are you gonna skip in a month….”

“The math teacher’s belly sticks out too much. I can’t focus.”

As usual, even with cute nagging from Jisoo, his short replies and dead expression were probably just because he was sleepy.

After all, he woke up early just to go to school with Jisoo.

“Don’t look at the belly; look at the board.”

“How can I not? It’s blocking the view.”

Talking naturally back and forth, Jisoo and Jaegyeom passed through the gate.

I slowly lowered the arm I’d raised to call Jisoo.

‘Better not butt in.’

If I stuck myself between them now, it would only get awkward. I stopped walking on purpose. I messed with my hair and tightened my bag strap to kill time.

“Good morning….”

That should be long enough.

I lowered even my voice as I shuffled past the P.E. teacher.

“Oh! Dahye!”

“…Good morning.”

“Dahye! Why so low-energy in the morning! C’mon, fighting! Fight!”

“…….”

“Dah?”

At the loud booming voice, Jisoo and Jaegyeom ahead of me turned around.

Seeing my flustered face turning red, Jisoo also looked embarrassed.

Our eyes met like that. Then my gaze shifted to Jaegyeom standing beside her.

Jaegyeom clicked his tongue when he saw me.

‘? What’s his problem.’

Clicking your tongue at someone? Isn’t that too much?

“Dah!”

Jisoo, who had been walking shoulder to shoulder with Jaegyeom a moment ago, ran over to me.

“When did you get here?”

“…Like, a few seconds ago…?”

“Why didn’t you call me!”

“Ah… I didn’t see you. I didn’t know you were in front of me.”

“Jaegyeom and I just met on the way, by chance. We live close.”

Jisoo emphasized several times that they absolutely had not come together—that they just met by accident.

Jaegyeom stayed silent and didn’t butt in.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes landing on me—like I was something bothersome and tiring.

= Isn’t that too much, part two.

‘Yesterday he seemed a little nicer.’

Back to normal overnight.

But honestly, that’s just how Jaegyeom was.

Moody, does whatever he wants.

And it’s not like I can’t understand.

‘He was walking with the girl he likes, and I interrupted.’

How annoying must that be for him.

When I didn’t say anything, Jisoo looked worried.

“Dah, are you mad…?”

“No! Not at all! Why would I be? You two can totally walk here together.”

“Still…”

“Seriously, no. I’m in a great mood right now.”

Even waving my hands to show she shouldn’t worry, Jisoo still looked guilty—like she’d committed a huge betrayal. Watching her squirm, I suddenly wondered:

Maybe Jisoo likes Jaegyeom too, but hasn’t said anything because of me.

If these two liked each other back then, but didn’t become a couple only because I was in the way…

…then I’m totally the villain, aren’t I?

“I’m sorryyy… I should’ve been more considerate.”

“What are you talking about, it’s not like that.”

“Still.”

“Gang Dahye.”

Jaegyeom cut off Jisoo’s repeated apologies.

He swept his eyes over me from head to toe, full of annoyance.

“Do I need your permission to walk to school with Han Jisoo?”

“…No.”

“Right, you don’t. Because you’re not my girlfriend. And never will be.”

“That’s… true.”

“Good. Glad you know. Then can you get going first?”

“Yeah…”

I really am the villain, huh…

Jisoo must’ve sensed irritated Jaegyeom’s mood too—she shut her mouth and just watched.

Feeling awkward and at a loss, I decided to just leave.

That was when something came down on top of my head from behind.

A parasol lowered over me, casting shade. Everywhere else was bright with morning sunlight, but suddenly only my surroundings dimmed.

What the? I turned around dazed.

The guy who had suddenly covered me with an umbrella on such a sunny day lifted it slightly, showing his face.

Wait. Not an umbrella.

A parasol.

Standing there, looking down at me, was Jung Eunsung—holding a tiny, frilly lace parasol ridiculously small for his size.

He tilted it carefully to block the sun and said, expressionless:

“Hi.”

“…Hi.”

Wow, what an entrance. Straight out of Temptation of Wolves…

Is the parasol just a prop for dramatic effect…?

“That parasol… is yours?”

“Yeah.”

Eunsung shut it casually and began folding each rib with no regard for everybody staring.

Because of his sudden appearance holding a parasol, I forgot completely what we’d been talking about.

“What the…?”

“He’s that trainee guy….”

Everyone—including P.E. and the kids walking in—was staring at the 18-year-old boy who’d shown up with a sky-blue lace parasol.

“What kind of guy uses a lace parasol…”

“Aren’t parasols mostly like that?”

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve never bought one…”

Whether people whispered or not, Eunsung slipped the neatly folded parasol into his bag and said:

“UV rays are the number one cause of skin aging.”

“Oh… right.”

“If you’re tall with good skin, people think you’re handsome really easily. Even when you’re actually not.”

As he said that, his eyes landed squarely on Jaegyeom.

“……”

“……”

…Did he just call Seo Jaegyeom ugly?

“Aren’t you going? Or do you want to stand here under this blazing UV?”

“Oh—yeah, let’s go…”

Still stunned, I followed him.

Behind us, Jaegyeom scoffed in disbelief as we walked away.

I expected Eunsung to stride ahead by himself, but surprisingly, he slowed down to match my pace. As we changed shoes and started up the stairs, he said:

“You really want to like a jerk like that?”

He stressed the “Jae” part of “jaesueopda (no manners),” twisting it into a jab.

“He’s got Jae-rk energy but no decency. Not even handsome, but acting like he is. Guys like that getting called handsome—this world is real Jae-ridiculous.”

“….”

Dude, are you sure you’re not a rapper, not a vocalist?

I mumbled in embarrassment.

“No… He’s not usually that rude. He’s just sensitive today.”

“Hmph.”

Eunsung clearly wasn’t buying it.

I figured defending Jaegyeom any further would just get me roasted too, so I changed the topic.

“Why do you hate him so much, anyway?”

He’d only transferred a few days ago, so there shouldn’t have been time for drama.

And as far as I remember, those two didn’t fight back then either.

Even now, Jaegyeom looked completely uninterested in Eunsung.

It looks like it’s just Eunsung burning with hostility on his own…

He answered without changing expression.

“I.”

“Yeah, you?”