.  Anyway, thanks to Ban Hwee Hyul working part-time today, I was able to let the tricky situation slide without everyone feeling awkward.

  We bent our steps again, which was paused for a moment to have some conversation. I was now able to forget about the strangely lingering feelings that had been occupying my mind since the morning and began to flutter with some new hope.

  This was my first time to hang out with my classmates after school.

  In the karaoke, Yoon Jung In opened the first song with Block B’s ‘Romantically.’


  ‘Oh, very surprising……!’ With that thought in mind, I kept laughing while almost burying my head onto Kim Hye Hill’s shoulder ever since the music came out.

  It was utterly imaginable that Yoon Jung In would sing such a quiet song. I wondered, ‘Doesn’t he suit better with the song ‘NalinA,’ instead of ‘Romantically?’ However, my laughter gradually subsided as he started singing the song and, in the end, was completely gone.

  At some point, I was gawking at his side face dazzling in the screen light and the lightings on the wall. I murmured vacantly, “Not only can he sing but his voice is…… whoa…… so hot……”


  Now I had come to think of it, there was nothing Yoon Jung In couldn’t do although I almost forgot about that because of his usual character.

  Yoon Jung In pulled Lee Mina to have her arm around his waist. Shaking the tambourine with the other hand, she showed a slightly embarrassed look when our eyes met. As if she felt a little ashamed, Mina tried to get her hand off from Yoon Jung In’s grip, but he didn’t let it go. Instead, he looked at Mina and began to sing a song while fastening his gaze at her eyes.

  “Urgh……”


  With reddened face, Mina didn’t know what to do while looking around. In the end, she wasn’t able to escape from the situation but just sank her head on her chest. Watching that sight, Kim Hye Hill and I giggled.

  I put my lips close to Kim Hye Hill’s ears and whispered, “Mina is so cute. I didn’t know she would act that way.”


  “Exactly. Honestly, I’ve thought Yoon Jung In is on very short leash. You know he isn’t a bossy type of boy,” replied Kim Hye Hill.

  “Very true,” agreeing to her words, I kept observing the couple.

  Mina’s face was so blushing that it seemed to explode, which looked very rare and unique to see it again in my lifetime. So was Yoon Jung In, who was holding her hands with a swiveling smile and leisurely singing along to the song.

  At that moment, Kim Hye Woo, who couldn’t endure watching that sight anymore, shouted in that direction.

  “Hey, Mr. Yoon Jung In! We aren’t here to watch you proposing to her!”


  Yoon Jung In didn’t pause singing the song but stood up with a grin and walked toward Kim Hye Woo. The more Yoon Jung In got closer, the darker Kim Hye Woo’s face turned.

  Kim Hye Woo quickly uttered, “Dude, hold on, no…… No, it isn’t. It should be not……”


  Almost attaching his face to Kim Hye Woo’s cheek, Yoon Jung In kept singing, “I’m gonna~ say it~ very romantically~”


  “Argh!!!” roared Kim Hye Woo. He jumped up and down so hard that he seemed to reach the ceiling. After all, he took his shoes off and went up on the couch. Watching Kim Hye Woo’s frightened reaction, Kim Hye Hill and I were laughing to death.

  “Bahahaha!”


  “Oppa, don’t come to this side. I said don’t! Yoon Jung In is gonna stain me too!”


  While we had a fuss, the song was over. Shin Suh Hyun, who didn’t receive the microphone from Yoon Jung In, picked up the other mic and began to sing a soft rock song.

  Around that time, Yoon Jung In returned to his seat; I rubbed my aching stomach from laughing too hard and exhaled a rough breath.

  “Aha, hahaha, I laughed so hard…… ah, did she just say Yoon Jung In is gonna stain her?”


  Kim Hye Hill replied coyly at my words, “It just slipped from my mouth so urgently.”


  “Come on, that was a serious remark,” said Kim Hye Woo.

  Kim Hye Hill smacked her brother, who was intervening in her words, with the tambourine. Laughing at the twins quarreling that way, I soon removed the smile on my face as I saw Yoon Jung In putting Lee Mina’s arm around him as soon as he returned to his seat.

  After a moment of hesitation, I took out my phone from my pocket. My face turned dark while looking at the screen.

  It was 8:18 in the evening.

  The evening self-studying session would have begun since the mock exam was already over earlier. However, I didn’t receive any calls or messages. I swept my hair back.

  Well, commonsensically, this could happen since Yeo Dan oppa’s high school returned the phones to the students after the evening self-studying session was over. Thus, if he was studying right now, he would have not received his phone back and wasn’t able to reach out to me.

  I just heaved a sigh. At that moment, the kids spoke noisily. I lifted my head.

  “Eh? Who reserved the song, ‘Flying Duck?’ Is it you, Yoon Jung In?”


  “Me? No, hey, I should get started at a slow pace. If I start off with this one, it’s gonna kill me,” replied Yoon Jung In.

  “That’s me,” I quietly uttered through the fuss. Every eye was bent on me. As if someone pressed the mute button, the whole space became silent. I tilted my head.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  Lee Mina tossed a question.

  “You aren’t gonna talk tomorrow, are you?”


  I burst into small laughter at her words. Amid the situation, I pricked at my conscience since it felt like others read my mind.

  Whether it happened today late at night or tomorrow in the morning, I wished the first words coming out from Yeo Dan oppa’s mouth would be, ‘What’s wrong with your voice?’ when we bumped into each other.

  If I could see just a little bit of him showing some concerns about me, I would feel much relieved.

  Our last round took place in the café, as always. Since I chose very high-pitched songs continuously, everyone was utterly worn out. Leaning against the couch, we all just sipped some drinks. Even the talkative Yoon Jung In remained silent while looking up at the ceiling.

  As he barely recovered his stamina, he initiated a conversation about Yi Ruda.

  “Ah, the most I regret about is that I wasn’t able to bring Yi Ruda here,” he uttered.

  I also nodded at his remark, saying, “True. I thought we’d be able to hang out with him this time.”