# Chapter 81
I stared blankly ahead with a bewildered feeling.
Moon Seoheon was still standing quietly, exactly as he had been when we parted. He had only turned his body in place, standing there motionless and staring out the window. Wondering if there was something outside, I craned my neck to look, but there was nothing noteworthy.
Green leaves draped over the window frame and potted plants visible here and there. A few students could be seen running around on the wide-open field.
Sunlight pouring through the window brightened the surroundings. It was no different from the usual leisurely early summer scenery.
But I couldn’t understand why he was standing in the middle of the hallway, staring out the window—what could there possibly be to see?
“Moon Seoheon!”
After calling his name, I walked toward him, treading on the warm sunlight that spread across the hallway.
At my call, he smoothly turned his body. When our eyes met and he smiled gently, my footsteps halted abruptly. But it was only for a moment, barely noticeable unless one looked closely.
Having walked quickly, I stared intently at Moon Seoheon. My shoulders heaved as I was short of breath, even though I hadn’t been running. After calming my breathing, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Why are you still here?”
“I said I’d wait, didn’t I?”
I took a deep breath. Unable to pound my increasingly tight chest right in front of him, I just let out a heavy sigh.
I clearly told him not to wait and to leave, so why is he still here?
I remembered waving goodbye to him as if parting, and even gesturing for him to leave quickly while he stood there like he was nailed to the spot as I walked down the corridor toward the club room. Now I just felt uncomfortable.
“Huh? …That’s not right. It wasn’t me—Moon Seoheon carried you.”
As Kim Junwoo’s words came back to me, my head became more complicated. I was already troubled with club business, and Moon Seoheon’s attitude only added to my sighs.
“You’re deliberately trying to make me uncomfortable, aren’t you?”
I said that hoping he’d feel some burden. However, showing no signs of being affected, he even gave a small snort before finally lifting his feet. His gaze, which had been fixed on the window, now landed squarely on me. His face gleamed even more in the sunlight. That’s his weapon, after all.
Having such features that made one can’t help but stare blankly even when still, he approached with an expressionless face showing no particular emotion, making words get caught in my throat.
The Four are main characters and top students recognized by the school, so they might display crazy madness at any moment, which is why I’m trying hard to ignore them… but the protagonist’s owner was no joke as a major character as well.
In the end, all that came out was a brief sigh, but I frowned deeply, still displeased.
“Did I sound like I was just talking? I said I’d wait, so I should wait.”
That’s true, but why stand there so pathetically? Of course, that was just my perception—he was infinitely detached.
As in the anime, Moon Seoheon was far from looking shabby or pitiful in reality. To the point where it was puzzling why Yoon Taeho would look down on him with pity.
“Then you could have sat down somewhere.”
Aren’t his legs sore? Although only about 10 minutes had passed, it was concerning to see him standing in the exact same spot where we’d parted. Making my thoughts seem foolish, he might have been planning to go somewhere to rest or return to the Social Club room after a little while.
As I spoke while vigorously scratching the back of my neck, Moon Seoheon grabbed my arm. After briefly staring at the red marks left on my neck from scratching, he said in a subdued voice:
“Just… the weather is nice.”
Despite his words, his expression was utterly bland? But since what he said was true, I didn’t argue.
Moon Seoheon lowered his gaze from my face and stared at something intently. As I lowered my head toward where he was looking, I didn’t notice anything unusual. I could only see the apron worn over my uniform.
Wondering what he was looking at, I gazed at Moon Seoheon. Then suddenly, his outstretched hand gently grabbed and lifted the hem of the apron. Confused about what he was doing, I looked at him quizzically, and Moon Seoheon lightly fluttered it. By now, the corners of his mouth had risen leisurely.
Soon, after releasing the apron, he said brightly:
“It’s my first time seeing you in an apron—it suits you well.”
“Huh? …Thanks.”
Suddenly, a wave of embarrassment hit me for coming out while still wearing the apron. It was already embarrassing enough with its blue background and a character’s smiling face printed on it.
I absentmindedly looked at the scenery outside and wiggled my foot. After tapping the floor a few times, I laughed awkwardly.
“I hear you carried me during lunch time.”
Moon Seoheon raised his eyebrows as if this was unexpected. I also felt awkward bringing it up now, so I looked elsewhere.
“I thought someone else had put me in the infirmary. Anyway, thanks.”
My casual tone made Moon Seoheon nod as if it wasn’t a big deal. However, he was still holding my wrist, and he suddenly moved closer, bringing his face right up to mine. The momentum pulled my body forward.
When his face, which was already close, came right up to my nose, I recalled what had happened in the infirmary. Startled, I shrank back my neck and took a step back.
“So you came out to leave? Are you still sick?”
His slowly moving eyes scanned every inch of my body. Uncomfortable with the excessive care, I pushed him away, pressing down on his chest. As I had felt before, I thought he was really firm. Maybe that’s why—he truly didn’t budge at all.
I frowned at him, and Moon Seoheon leaned his upper body back to create some distance. If you’re going to do this, why pull me close? Although it probably wasn’t intentional, he had definitely come close, making my body flinch repeatedly. This guy’s skinship feels so natural today.
“I’m fine health-wise. I just came out to take a brief break, so I need to go back in right away. So really, you should either leave or…”
…wait. The last words came out softly. Though it was almost a whisper, he seemed to have understood, as Moon Seoheon grinned.
“I’ll wait, so let’s go together when you’re done.”
As the wind flowed through the open window, Moon Seoheon’s brown hair, bathed in sunlight, swayed gently. The refreshing scent of grass seemed to follow, circling around us.
“Let’s do that.”
Afraid that Moon Seoheon, who said he would wait, might just stand in the middle of the hallway again, I led him to a comfortable place to rest. Borrowing his words about the nice weather, we went outside, but I hesitated for a while as there wasn’t a suitable place.
Then, recalling the day I had sat on a bench with Maeng Moa, I took him to that spot. Since he had been looking at the scenery through the window while waiting, I meant for him to sit there and look around to his heart’s content.
“Then I’ll come right away when I’m done.”
“Okay.”
I suggested that he should return to the Social Club meeting, but gave up when he firmly refused. No matter how boring the movie might be, it would be better than watching kids running around on the field.
Anyway, since quite some time had passed since I left the club room, I hurriedly turned around. Even without looking, I felt Moon Seoheon’s gaze following me. Stroking the back of my neck, which felt ticklish, I entered the building.
When I returned to the club room, the teacher, who had been leaning against the wall, approached.
“Taeho, let me know if you’re feeling unwell. You can leave early if needed.”
His voice was full of concern, as if he had been worried when I didn’t return for so long. Even though I must have looked fine on the outside, his attentive gaze felt warm.
I hadn’t realized it because I hadn’t thought deeply about it, but perhaps because of his light-colored eyes, similar to Moon Seoheon’s, the atmosphere felt softer.
“No, I’m fine. I think it’s because I slept well.”
“Is that so? Still, you fainted, you know. Your recovery might not be complete, so tell me immediately if you feel something’s wrong.”
“Yes.”
It was something he could say as a teacher, but he could have just let it pass. Instead, he came directly to check on me, which made me feel both grateful and embarrassed.
As I bowed my head and returned to my seat, the other kids also stopped what they were doing and asked about my condition in the same way. Having heard my conversation with Teacher Jaewon, they were asking out of politeness. Still, their concern seemed somewhat genuine.
Smiling slightly, I waved my hand, telling them to continue with their work. At my gesture, they turned their heads and soon focused on their tasks.
I wiped my face with my dry hand. It was because time was almost up, and making suitable food with the ingredients in front of me was no easy task.
I had tried making various things, but it seemed to be my limit as I pulled up a chair and plopped down, feeling tired. Still, I felt somewhat proud for working hard. For a moment, I wondered if what I had made was acceptable? But since it was based on dishes I usually made, I guaranteed the taste would be good. Whether others would agree was another question.
The team members who had been moving busily also seemed to be in the final stages, taking a breather. Lee Jinyoung, who was looking around during the relaxed moment, saw me sitting there after having burned through my energy and approached.
“Taeho, are you finished?”
“…Yes. But I’m not sure if it’s good enough.”
Lee Jinyoung looked at the things in front of me, which were barely worth calling food. Seeing her momentary silence, it seems they were in too terrible a state for her to say anything.
“Ahaha. Amazing.”
Just then, Oh Seulbi, who had come back from putting her dish in the refrigerator, laughed loudly. Kim Yuna and Kim Junwoo also turned their attention to me while tidying up after hearing the sound.
“You made a lot.”
“Can we even consider that as cooking?”
Kim Yuna, who looked at what was in front of me with momentarily wide eyes, patted my shoulder saying I had worked hard. Kim Junwoo’s displeased expression as he glanced at me was annoying, but I ignored it.
“S-so, Taeho, what exactly did you make this from?”
Lee Jinyoung asked, pointing at the food I had made. Feeling embarrassed, I unnecessarily cleared my throat and recited in order:
“Since there was no rice, I made everything with tofu… I named them tofu pizza, orange tofu bossam, and tofu cake.”
