# Chapter 89
Stares from everywhere watching like spectators. An awkward meal time. The inexplicable attitudes of Moon Seoheon and The Four, or rather, the Three.
After repeatedly suppressing sighs that kept trying to escape, I finished my meal and finally exploded once I reached the classroom. Rather than angrily raging, it was more like everything I’d been holding back burst out, and complaints spilled from my mouth uncontrollably.
“Why do you guys always come here?!”
I crossed my arms and glared at them with all my might. I tried to maintain a calm expression, but it wasn’t working well. I was annoyed at Byeon Seungha, who had taken my seat, and Maeng Moa and Jung Hyoin, who were camped in front of him.
Surely they had plenty of other places where they could gather and relax, but these guys who kept bothering me every lunch break were becoming unbearable.
As for Moon Seoheon, I couldn’t tell if he never delivered my message despite saying he would talk to them, or if they simply ignored him as he had warned they might.
When I glanced at Moon Seoheon, his expression was natural. With his chin propped up and his mouth covered, he widened his eyes at my outburst. The others also stared at me with round eyes, each reflecting their personality—some furrowing their brows, others with their lips curling up strangely.
All of them looked surprised yet innocently clueless as to why I was acting this way.
I let out a hollow laugh and, standing awkwardly between the desk rows, spoke with a sigh.
“Please just go to your own classroom. Why do you keep coming here and taking other people’s seats?”
“You can just pull up a chair from somewhere else and sit.”
“And what about them?”
As Maeng Moa spoke as if there was no problem, he gestured with his chin toward the adjacent row. I noticed students who had vacated their seats fidgeting nervously as they stood elsewhere.
“Where are they supposed to sit?”
“There are plenty of empty seats, aren’t there?”
Maeng Moa said, looking around. He was right—there were many empty seats. Undoubtedly some students had deliberately gone outside rather than stay in the classroom. Even so, what kind of mindset allows someone to just sit in someone else’s seat without permission?
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity, but I didn’t point it out. Right now, my time was more important. I had been planning to put my head down and nap during the remaining lunch break because I was tired, but it seemed I would completely waste that time.
I rubbed my forehead as I called out to Byeon Seungha, who was comfortably sitting in my seat as if it were his own. He raised his eyebrows at my call.
“Please, just for today, move out of my way. I’m really sleepy.”
Maybe it was because I had a full stomach, but I really was feeling drowsy. I thought even a quick ten-minute nap would help me feel better.
When I spoke in an almost pleading tone, Byeon Seungha, who had been looking at me, showed an expression I’d never seen before. Usually, his face was either frowning or completely rigid, but now it had softened considerably.
I didn’t even have time to be surprised by his expression as I pressed my fingers between my eyebrows, feeling my head getting heavier.
“Could it be that you’re still not feeling well?”
“I told you. I’m tired. I want to sleep.”
“Oh… your face looks a bit red too.”
At Maeng Moa’s murmur, I touched my forehead. I did feel slightly feverish, but it wasn’t a fever from being sick. Feeling a wave of heat, I loosened my tie a little.
“Are you really sick?”
Maeng Moa, who had been staring at my face, noisily pulled his chair back and stood up. Judging by his expression, he seemed quite concerned. I guess I didn’t look very well.
If my face was red, it was probably just from frustration. Since I had collapsed before, it wasn’t strange that they were worried, but I briefly considered whether I needed to correct them.
“Hmm, I thought so. After collapsing like that yesterday, there’s no way you could be completely fine in just one day.”
As Maeng Moa approached closely and muttered that I really didn’t look well, I could only sigh without answering. I just wanted to rest for a bit—maybe I shouldn’t have come to the classroom?
“Do you want to go to the nurse’s office?”
While I was sighing softly, Maeng Moa leaned in and grabbed my arm as he spoke. I considered actually going to the nurse’s office to take a nap as he suggested. Maybe I should have gone straight there instead of coming to the classroom after lunch.
As I promised myself never to return to the classroom tomorrow, Maeng Moa lowered the arms he was holding and made eye contact with me. Just then, my body flinched at a noise louder than before from the side. Maeng Moa’s offer to take me to the nurse’s office was drowned out by the sound. It was the noise of Byeon Seungha and Jung Hyoin noisily rising from their seats.
“Hey. If you’re sleepy, sleep here.”
Byeon Seungha approached with large strides and grabbed my shoulder. Since it was the same shoulder that had been grabbed before, I involuntarily flinched, causing his hand to hesitate for a moment. I wondered if he had stopped because I was startled, but as if to say “dream on,” he firmly grabbed it again.
For a moment, his expression turned displeased, but since the strength in his hand was weaker than before, my dissatisfaction quickly disappeared. Rather, I was puzzled by his cautious behavior, which felt like he was barely touching me.
I looked at Byeon Seungha with one eyebrow raised. When our eyes met, his lips twitched as if something had upset him, and he pulled my arm down as if stroking my forearm with the hand that was holding my shoulder.
Naturally, Maeng Moa’s grip on me was released, and I was pulled toward Byeon Seungha. My feet tangled as my body staggered, but I didn’t fall thanks to Byeon Seungha’s firm grip.
“What’s going on?”
It wasn’t really a question, just a low murmur of bewilderment at the situation. Byeon Seungha, looking down at me, didn’t answer but soon sat me down in my seat.
“Be careful.”
As my body swayed unsteadily, even Moon Seoheon, who had been sitting quietly, stood up and held me as if supporting me. Thanks to both of their assistance, I finally managed to sit in my own seat, but I felt dazed by the sudden turn of events.
Byeon Seungha had been acting like he wouldn’t give up my seat, so why was he suddenly behaving like this? As I tried to twist my upper body to look back, before our eyes could meet, a hand pressed down on my head, forcing me to bow. Then a low voice was heard.
“Sleep.”
Despite the commanding words, the monotone delivery made me let out an involuntary breath. I wanted to protest this absurd situation, but I was too tired, and as my upper body was already bent forward, drowsiness began to overtake me.
The cold sensation of the desk against my cheek was refreshing, so I crossed my arms and placed them on the desk to find a more comfortable position.
Fine, do whatever you want. I didn’t understand what Byeon Seungha was thinking, but he had given up the seat as I wanted, so that was enough. Yawning widely, I closed my eyes and buried my face in my crossed arms, instantly feeling my mind grow hazy.
Maeng Moa’s voice asking if I was really going to sleep was blocked by the others. With the sound of footsteps fading away and a gentle voice wishing me good night, I soon fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
My eyes half-opened at the touch of someone shaking my body. I must have been in a really deep sleep because before I could fully come to my senses, I felt traces of drool at the corner of my mouth.
Embarrassed, I quickly wiped the drool with the back of my hand and turned my head. Moon Seoheon was watching me with his chin propped up. As I blinked my still drowsy eyes, he smiled slightly.
“The bell rang. Wake up.”
“…Yeah.”
Realizing I had fallen asleep during lunch break, I tried to raise my upper body, but my hair at the back of my head felt ticklish. Something was rubbing against the back of my head, but I couldn’t tell what it was. With all my attention drawn to the back, I wiggled my numb arm that had been supporting my head and pulled it out. And just as I was about to reach back to grab whatever it was, I realized it was Moon Seoheon’s hand.
“…”
The hand that was caressing my hair soon moved to the nape of my neck. The touch was so light that the fingers barely grazed my skin, but the eerie sensation made me feel like my hair was standing on end. I closed my slightly parted lips and looked at Moon Seoheon.
Despite his straight brow and expressionless face with lips pressed into a line, his eyes seemed to contain various emotions. His already calm eyes rippled warmly and softly.
I couldn’t even raise my slumped body and just blinked quietly. Though I was now awake, I could only stare blankly at his gaze. Despite telling me to get up, Moon Seoheon didn’t help me rise and just stared back at me.
“Hey.”
“Yeah.”
With his hand still touching my hair, I was the one who finally broke the silence. In response to my low murmur, he slowly withdrew his hand. The tickling sensation that had persisted finally subsided.
As I slowly raised my upper body, my muscles, stiff from being in the same position for so long, creaked. Perhaps because of this, even my voice sounded unnatural.
“I was wondering…”
Moon Seoheon didn’t rush me as I paused; he just nodded slightly as if to say he was listening.
‘Do you like me?’
The words I was about to ask were swallowed back. Even though I thought it was completely absurd, his behavior that had been confusing me since yesterday seemed so unusual that it felt like there might be some truth to it.
But in the end, I didn’t say it. I managed to hold back with what little patience I had left, but having just woken up, I probably wasn’t in my right mind.
“Never mind. It’s nothing.”
I forced a smile and withdrew my gaze from Moon Seoheon. I noticed his lips move at my change of subject, but fortunately, he didn’t say anything.
Maybe it was just me, but an awkward silence seemed to envelop us. Feeling his gaze from the side, I pressed my forehead with my hand as if trying to hide my face.
Soon after, the door opened and the teacher entered, allowing me to focus on the class right away. Still, both my body and mind felt heavy, making my chest feel tight.
