# Chapter 139
“This is delicious here.”
Yoon Taean pointed at a specific spot on the menu, recommending an item. Moon Seoheon, who had been quietly listening to his explanation, shifted in his seat. He moved his arm from the back of the chair to the table and nodded.
“I’ll have this then.”
“Great! …Sunbae, have you decided yet?”
Yoon Taean smoothly took the menu Moon Seoheon had been holding and turned his gaze to Kwak Junhee sitting across from him. Kwak Junhee, who was calmly reading the menu, furrowed his brow as if troubled.
“Can I really order anything? We could just get the same thing.”
“It’s fine. We deliberately kept the place reservation-free. Mom also says to order whatever you want.”
His mother, who had placed the flower basket near the entrance counter, heard the conversation and called out loudly.
“That’s right. Don’t hold back—order whatever you’d like.”
Kwak Junhee’s expression softened as he raised the corners of his mouth into a smile and passed the menu to Yoon Taean, asking for recommendations. As Yoon Taean enthusiastically chose recommended dishes, I watched Maeng Moa, Byeon Seungha, and Jung Hyoin all focused on one place, listening intently.
I moistened my lips with the lukewarm water his mother had brought and resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands.
It was more unsettling than bitter when his mother naturally passed by me. My feelings grew complicated as I watched the food, which seemed to have been prepared in advance, being served in front of me first.
Whether or not it was something Yoon Taeho enjoyed eating, the neatly plated charcoal-grilled Korean beef was visually pleasing. However, unlike the well-seared exterior, I couldn’t fully appreciate the reddish meat inside. I prefer my meat extremely well-done.
If I had known, I would have mentioned it beforehand. When his mother noticed my awkward movements, she asked what was wrong. Before I could answer, Kwak Junhee spoke up, his eyes crinkling.
“Don’t mind us. Go ahead and eat first.”
That wasn’t the reason, but since I was going to eat anyway, I inwardly laughed it off and cut the meat, putting it in my mouth. The meat was much more delicious than I expected.
After chewing and swallowing another piece, I picked up my knife again when suddenly a hand appeared, blocking my food.
Puzzled, I looked up to see Moon Seoheon alternating his quiet gaze between the side dishes that filled the table to the point of breaking and my face. Unconsciously holding my breath, I gestured with my eyes, asking what he was doing.
Without answering, Moon Seoheon took the plate he was blocking and handed me his cube steak instead. The perfectly cooked meat was a deep brown, looking appetizing mixed with colorful vegetables.
“Eat this.”
“…Why?”
At my delayed, stupid question, Moon Seoheon spoke with a dry expression, as if he was just filling his stomach despite eating expensive dishes.
“You seem to like this more than that.”
At his uncertain suggestion, the others asked if that was true, but I couldn’t answer as I blankly watched our plates being switched.
Feeling a stinging pain deep in my chest, I put down my fork and wiped my face with a napkin. Not satisfied with that, I went to the bathroom and washed my face.
When I came out, Yoon Taean was standing at the entrance, apparently having followed me.
“I thought you might have trouble alone, but I guess you weren’t using the toilet.”
Yoon Taean smiled awkwardly, as if embarrassed. With my eyelashes still wet, I squinted at the boy and let out a low sigh.
“Yoon Taean, I’m sorry.”
“Huh? For what?”
“…For pushing you to confess.”
Yoon Taean looked confused, but I returned to my seat without responding. Seeing that he didn’t ask further, he probably wasn’t thinking too deeply about it.
I just swallowed a sigh in my troubled state.
Why did the word “like”—something I’d said countless times before—keep making me so nervous?
The relationships I’d had until now seemed almost like they weren’t this type at all, making this feel unusually difficult. Even words said without particular meaning bothered me.
* * *
Toward the end of July, I was growing more tired daily despite rarely going outside due to the intense heat that had officially begun. Despite the sweltering weather, Oh Seulbi and Kim Yuna visited me at the hospital and shared some news.
“That’s our sunbae for you. I heard she got the best evaluation score. Everyone says she’s doing well, so that’s good.”
“I bet Jinyoung sunbae would do well anywhere, right?”
“That’s true.”
With summer vacation, Lee Jinyoung had started her field training. Since she would continue even after vacation ended, we wouldn’t see much of her at school anymore. I was somewhat surprised. I had thought she would go to college, but she was planning to get a job right away.
Lee Jinyoung, who planned to enter Deowon Food, had easily passed the document screening, and if there weren’t any major issues, she would be hired right after graduation.
When I first heard this, I briefly wondered if Teacher Jaewon had pulled some strings, but considering her skills and reputation, it wasn’t impossible, so I didn’t think too deeply about it. The teacher wouldn’t do something like that anyway.
“Are you two also planning to apply to Deowon Food?”
“No, I’m going to college. I’m thinking of applying to the Food and Nutrition department.”
“Me too. But I’m thinking of going into engineering. My goal is to gain experience at a research institute and then open my own shop when I’m older.”
As they listed their future plans in serious tones, I fell into a subtle mood. My perception of them as just younger kids was changing.
“Kim Junwoo seems to be thinking about getting a job.”
“Won’t he inherit his parents’ company? He’s basically a gold spoon, after all.”
Kim Junwoo, who had gone on a family trip abroad, had become completely friendly with the kids, now speaking comfortably with them. At Kim Yuna’s words, I suppressed a laugh and took a large spoonful of white yogurt mixed with pollack roe.
Beside me, Oh Seulbi, who was gulping down her sikhye, suddenly spoke as if she’d just remembered something.
“Oh, those guys got suspended. They were upset about getting beaten up by Moon Seoheon and were showing off until they got caught by Teacher Jaewon and got demoted.”
Oh Seulbi laughed with satisfaction, and Kim Yuna also raised the corners of her mouth.
“That’s good. They weren’t even participating properly in activities.”
“It’s because the club has no power. If it wasn’t mandatory, those guys wouldn’t have joined any club at all.”
“True… Wasn’t the club almost closed but survived thanks to Teacher Jaewon?”
“Yeah. The teacher went through a lot. It’s been barely a year since he came, but he took over a failing club. That’s why those bastards just registered and brazenly didn’t show up.”
I secretly smiled as Kim Yuna clapped her hands in agreement. If I had heard this when I knew nothing, I would have cursed with them. Still, I didn’t think the teacher would have just sat back and done nothing.
“Well, those guys are one thing, but is it because of Son Gyucheon? The school atmosphere has become more peaceful.”
Oh Seulbi, who brought up the topic, stirred her straw as if checking my reaction. I didn’t particularly respond and just dismissed it with a gesture.
Son Gyucheon and Ye Abin eventually received prison sentences and were sent to juvenile detention. I hadn’t seen them once since returning, but hearing that their condition wasn’t very good, I felt relief rather than satisfaction, like I had just finished a task. And Jo Youngmin and Hong Hachan had left school. It was called voluntary withdrawal, but it was essentially the same as being expelled.
I wondered how the school had responded for those guys to back down, but I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I’d also contacted Ko Kyungsu to thank him for his help, so it was all wrapped up nicely.
With all kinds of incidents piling up, the school naturally conducted proper school violence investigations. More students than expected, especially High Class students, got suspended. I heard that the third-year who had threatened me was among them, and fortunately, as Oh Seulbi said, the school atmosphere had become quite harmonious despite the major incidents.
If they were going to do this, they should have done it sooner. Reflecting with regret, I realized how much I had suffered, and tears almost welled up. Though I still couldn’t completely relax each day, the uneasy feeling seemed to have subsided.
As the conversation paused while each of us had something in our mouths, a sudden phone alarm made Oh Seulbi and Kim Yuna look up. I glanced at the screen displaying “Rehabilitation Training” and said:
“I need to go for treatment now. You can stay longer or leave—do whatever you want.”
I said this thinking of the sweltering heat outside, unlike the hospital room, but they seemed to consider staying a burden and got up with me.
“How long do you have to do this? You can move without crutches now, right?”
“They said I need to continue for another month.”
After my casual response, Oh Seulbi, who had moved on without dwelling on it, suddenly paused when she noticed a note stuck between the table and storage compartment.
“Hey, that looks like it’s about to fall out.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I deliberately placed it there to be noticeable.”
Oh Seulbi raised her eyebrows questioningly, but I ignored it. I smiled as I saw them leave, following me out of the hospital room, then slowly walked away.
The note was left for Yoon Taeho to see when our bodies switched again. Since I couldn’t control it, I could only hope that Yoon Taeho would think positively after seeing that note.
If it didn’t work out, then I might have to make a decision even if it meant taking risks. Above all, something else was on my mind right now.
“It seems like it’s time for him to come, but he’s not here.”
I was a bit reluctant to contact him first, so I was just waiting, but it was concerning. I checked my phone once for no reason and entered the rehabilitation room.
These days, I was mainly receiving physical therapy rather than exercise. So without needing to exert myself much, I finished various tests and treatments and returned. When I got back, I noticed the hospital room door was slightly open. The caregiver must have arrived earlier than usual. I didn’t sweat much today, so I just needed to wash my hair rather than take a full shower.
I quickly made up my mind and opened the door, but unlike the large, familiar figure of the caregiver, the tall back view made me stop in my tracks.
The visitor, who had been looking out the window, slowly turned around at the sound of the door opening. Yoo Wono, who seemed like I hadn’t seen him in forever despite it not being that long, confirmed it was me and grinned.
Without particular surprise, I quietly closed the door and slowly entered the hospital room.
Unconsciously thinking that my body might switch again in this situation, I couldn’t leave it like this, so after considering various options, I decided to meet with Yoo Wono first. Unfortunately, he was the only one who could help me now.
The Four and Moon Seoheon would rather be obstacles. For a moment, Moon Seoheon’s tearful voice echoed like an auditory hallucination, but I deliberately stopped that thought.
I had no choice. If I stayed like this, I might really go crazy or die. Maybe I’d even become an enemy to my parents and Yoon Taean.
I simply nodded slightly to Yoo Wono as our eyes met, substituting it for a greeting. In response to my calm reaction, Yoo Wono tilted his head as if stretching his neck.
“You’re not surprised?”
“Is there any reason to be?”
On the day of the presentation, there was evidence of contact with Yoo Wono on my phone, though I hadn’t made the call. I expected him to barge in right away, but he came surprisingly late.
I sat gently on the bed and after a pause, said:
“Please tell me what you talked about with Yoon Taeho on the phone.”
At my firm tone, insisting on hearing properly, Yoo Wono smirked as if he understood. Looking like he hadn’t arrived long ago, he wiped the sweat from his face and approached closer. Then he stood within arm’s reach.
What? Why is he coming so close? As I frowned, his outstretched hand grabbed my forearm. While calming my startled heart, he growled in a low voice:
“If you were curious, you should have called first.”
