Chapter 6

※?6th

xx

Even in the cram school, Geunchul, who was my partner in school, became my partner again.

The lecture hall, which was about twice the size of a school classroom, was packed with students from nearby high schools. Although there were no fixed seats, in most cases, girls sat in the front and boys in the back.

No matter how much we were in our final year of high school, it was impossible to just study all the time.

Before class started, students gathered in small groups, busy chatting about their interests. Most of the topics were about dramas, entertainment gossip, and card games. I wondered why they were so interested in celebrities they had never even seen or known much about….

I have my own celebrity. It's Jang Mijeong…. I want to call her Mijeong without the honorific "nuna" (older sister). I want to tell her that we are actually the same age, but I can't do anything for fear that she might feel uncomfortable. I just feel pathetic.

"Minwoo, what are you thinking about so long?"

It was Geunchul who brought me back to my senses, lost in thoughts of the lovely Mijeong. Lately, I've been having trouble concentrating on my studies because of my thoughts about Mijeong. For example, when I see a couple walking with a child, I imagine what it would be like to marry Mijeong and have a child, and I imagine the whole process in detail. I even imagine happy things like where we would go for our honeymoon and where we would set up our home….

Geunchul pulled me out of my happy daydreams and back to reality.

"Starting today, the operation begins!"

Geunchul muttered, looking at Jisook, who was sitting in the front row.

"From what I see, Seokhoon also seems to be infatuated with Jisook…. Do you really want to make Jisook yours?"

"Of course. I'm not like someone who thinks it's fine if it works out and can't do anything if it doesn't. I'm desperate!"

"Well, do as you please."

I decided not to care about what Geunchul did. I could like someone, but I didn't want to get involved. It would be a waste of time, and I had no particular interest in a fellow third-year high school girl.

Geunchul started observing Jisook whenever he had time, and after two weeks, he identified a few boys who were close to her.

"I think I need a big move."

While walking home from the cram school, Geunchul suddenly said.

"A big move?"

"Usually, this is called a decisive move. There are about three or four guys who are always around Jisook, but I think I can ignore them. They're just small fries."

"You're one of those small fries, too."

"Shit…. I can't deny what you said…. But just wait and see. Watch how I approach Jisook."

"You sound like a literary boy. You might end up being a stalker. I saw a movie called Cape Fear recently, and the Robert De Niro character in it is just like you. Jisook is the victim…."

"Shut up. How can you understand my pure heart? But… do you have time to watch movies?"

"Only on weekends."

"With who?"

Faced with Geunchul's persistent questioning, I hesitated about whether to tell him about Mijeong and decided to keep it a secret. If I told him I watched a movie with my tutor sister, he would ask more questions.

"She suddenly suggested watching a movie together."

"Huh? I thought you didn't get along with your older sister?"

"We're not that bad. We can still watch a movie together."

Seeing Geunchul's persistent questioning, I suddenly realized I had been telling him too much. I decided I would never talk about Mijeong, whom I met every weekend. Mijeong should be my own woman. I couldn't let her be a topic of conversation for any other guys.

"Anyway, it's already been two weeks. I've roughly figured out the situation around Jisook, so I'm going to make her mine with a big move. I want to show that I'm different from Seokhoon."

"Are you sure you won't end up at the police station like last time?"

"I'm going to make Jisook feel something. Why would the police station come into it? Do you want to hear my plan?"

Geunchul, already smiling as if his big move had already succeeded, started to explain to me.

Somehow, he found out Jisook's birthday, which happened to be in a week. Since the cram school classes end after 12:00, he was excited about being the first to wish her a happy birthday.

For Geunchul's plan to succeed, the small park on the way to Jisook's house had to be empty, the wind couldn't blow out the candles, and there couldn't be any complaints about noise when he sang with guitar accompaniment.

Geunchul, who had been forgotten after his failed confession and gift attack a month ago, steadily approached Jisook. And then, D-day….

At Geunchul's request, Seokhoon and I left the cram school early and laid out candles in the park. We hurriedly lit the candles just as Jisook was about to pass by.

"If this works, I'll get a tattoo on my hand…."

I whispered to Seokhoon, who was standing next to me, so Geunchul couldn't hear. Seokhoon smiled, finding it amusing.

"Who knows… it might work…."

Geunchul was practicing "I Even Love the Pain" by Cho Jung-hyun on his guitar. According to the plan, Jisook would follow the path of candles into the center of the park, where she would hear Geunchul's romantic words and a sweet song with guitar accompaniment. After the song, he would give her a large teddy bear to finish the event.

And….

Until the event was over, Seokhoon and I had to watch from a hidden spot in the park. But Geunchul's plan went wrong from the start.

"How can I go all the way to my house? Think about my situation! Sometimes my mom comes to pick me up! Hurry up!"

"Just a moment, please follow the candles with me. I promise I won't wait for you at your house if you do this…."

"I'm sorry, but I like someone. That person will probably get angry if there's another guy around me. Please, don't do this."

Seokhoon, who had been watching from a distance, tapped my shoulder.

"What?"

"Let's clean up what we did. It looks like it's going to fail. We might need this later…."

While cleaning up the mostly extinguished candles, I glanced at Geunchul and Jisook. A while later, Jisook went home, and Geunchul stood there, motionless.

As Seokhoon predicted, we didn't need the candles and the teddy bear again.

***

A few days passed after the Jisook birthday incident. Although the promised month had not yet passed, Geunchul had no intention of approaching Jisook.

"So, are you giving up on Jisook because she has a boyfriend?"

Geunchul shook his head without answering. I looked at him curiously and asked again.

"Are you going to try again?"

Geunchul looked at me with a determined face.

"Don't think I'm weird for saying this, but what I saw that night…."

"What did you see?"

"I felt that Jisook was trembling with fear. My intuition is accurate. There's definitely something. I have to find out what it is."

I couldn't help but sigh at Geunchul's words.

"Ugh…. Do as you please."

"If I find out why Jisook is trembling with fear, I'll tell you guys."

Geunchul didn't know when to give up. He found out that Jisook went to church every Sunday and started following her there. He stubbornly refused when Seokhoon and I were asked to join him. Seokhoon refused because he was Buddhist, and I refused because I had a study place on Sundays. Geunchul seemed to understand.

A few days passed.

As usual, on a weekday when we didn't have cram school, we met at the convenience store where we always gathered after night study.

"I found out what was causing the fear I saw in Jisook's trembling eyes!"

"Are you writing a poem now?"

Seokhoon mocked, but Geunchul ignored him and continued.

"There's a college student who goes to church with us. He's not good at playing the guitar, but he flirts with girls just because of his looks. I don't like that. He often hangs around Jisook. When he talks to her, she initially seems happy, but when he turns away, her expression hardens. It's like she's worried about whether she can get through the situation safely…."

Seokhoon looked at Geunchul in disbelief.

"You're writing a novel, aren't you…."

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