Paper Friendship Chapter 12

I heard that voice again. It was the same as before. Perhaps because I was so startled, my brain stopped working. I couldn’t turn around. I barely managed to open my mouth.

“…Who is it?”

There was no answer. Did I hear it wrong? There should definitely be no one here but me. In fact, to say I heard it wrong—the voice had been clear.

Before I could turn around of my own volition, someone forcefully spun my chair around.

Ah… seriously.

It was that asshole Choi Juoon. Choi Juoon was suppressing his laughter, making a keuk-keuk sound.

“Ah, you absolute asshole!”

I shouted. Then, Choi Juoon laughed and led me outside, saying we should go talk elsewhere even if it was just the two of us. I shook off Choi Juoon’s hand and strode out of the study room.

Choi Juoon came out a long time after I had changed my shoes. His face was beet-red from how much he had been laughing. Then, wiping the tears from his eyes, he said:

“Ah…. Ah, ah…. This is seriously hilarious.”

I gritted my teeth and glared at Choi Juoon. Choi Juoon was still laughing as he spoke.

“Sorry, ah…. I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again. Ah….”

I said nothing, pressed the elevator button, and we came out of the study room building.

“…When did you get here?”

“Yesterday.”

“…Why did you come?”

“Because it was boring without you.”

Honestly, I was glad Choi Juoon came. I was really glad. But the prank he just pulled was so fucked up that I didn’t show any signs of being happy.

“But where are we going now?”

“To get something to eat.”

I answered, trying my best to show that I was angry. Then, Choi Juoon looked at me once and said playfully:

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry.”

“…Forget it.”

“I didn’t bring my wallet or phone, so you buy it.”

I roughly nodded and went to the place where I had eaten lunch. As soon as I sat down, I ordered two omurice dishes. Choi Juoon set out the chopsticks and said:

“Hyung is sorry.”

“…Boss, change it to one omurice….”

“Sorry, sorry. Sorry.”

Choi Juoon said hurriedly. But why is this bastard acting like this today? He kept grinning, and he looked like he was in a great mood. I drank the water Choi Juoon had poured for me and said:

“What was that voice earlier? It gave me goosebumps.”

“The male voice was realistic, right?”

“Huh? It was a female voice.”

“…Are you crazy? It was a male voice.”

“It was a female.”

“…Lee Juun, it was a male voice.”

I stared at Choi Juoon with the cup still against my lips. I began to break out in a cold sweat. Really? Is it for real? Was it really a male voice? I asked, genuinely trembling. Choi Juoon drank his water just like me and said seriously:

“It was definitely a female voice.”

So, I seriously changed the order to one omurice.

∞ ∞ ∞

After eating, we went back to the study room. As expected, Choi Juoon had moved to the same study room I attended. However, Choi Juoon and I were in different rooms. As Choi Juoon walked into his room, he said:

“If you get scared, come to hyung’s room.”

I didn’t answer and raised my middle finger at his back.

I sat at my desk and opened my book. And it was only after confirming that Choi Juoon wasn’t there that I smiled slightly. Honestly, I had been wondering how I would continue to come here alone, but it was certainly good that Choi Juoon had come. Thinking that Choi Juoon was right next door, my heart felt strangely at ease.

After studying like that, around 1:30 in the morning, I carefully went to Choi Juoon’s room. Choi Juoon was still studying. I was going to quietly go back, but Choi Juoon called me over.

“I can hear all your footsteps.”

Choi Juoon looked at the clock, stretched his arms upward, and began to pack up his spot. Seeing that, I also returned to my room and packed my things.

As soon as I came out of the study room, I could smell the refreshing night air. Feeling good, I tilted my head to look at the sky, and then I heard Choi Juoon’s voice from beside me.

“It would be scary if you came here alone.”

“Right?”

“Still, you’re too much of a coward.”

I looked at Choi Juoon’s face and just laughed. Unlike me, Choi Juoon had an expressionless face. Choi Juoon draped his arm over my shoulder and said:

“Did you not miss me?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“I asked if you didn’t miss me because I wasn’t at the study room.”

“Are you crazy? How hard did you study?”

I laughed and joked around. Naturally, I thought he was just joking. But, unlike usual, Choi Juoon didn’t laugh. The atmosphere felt strange. We locked eyes for a short moment, then Choi Juoon turned his head forward first.

“I missed you like crazy.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t do without you anymore.”

Choi Juoon’s voice was so serious. Was that why? Hearing those words, I felt my heart ache just like it did in the morning. The arm Choi Juoon had draped around my neck felt warmer and warmer. Was it because the night air was nice, or was it because Choi Juoon was different from usual? I felt like even I was getting a bit strange.

So, uncharacteristically, I asked in a trembling voice:

“…Why?”

Choi Juoon turned his head to look at me. The same intense gaze as before in his pitch-black pupils. Then, his lips slowly curled upward.

“There’s no one else with such great impact as you.”

Choi Juoon laughed. I was dumbfounded, so I let out a dry laugh.

“Ah, why are you talking like a pervert?”

“I told you. You have great impact.”

Choi Juoon said in a voice full of laughter as he touched my earlobe. We walked along, joking as we usually did. When we got close to home, Choi Juoon said:

“What time do you want to go to the study room tomorrow?”

“Let’s meet at nine.”

“Uh, see you in front of your house.”

“Yeah.”

I came home, washed up as usual, and lay on my bed. But unlike other nights, I couldn’t sleep and tossed and turned. I kept thinking about Choi Juoon’s serious face from earlier. Is it because today was a memorable day? Or is it because I remembered him surprising me at the study room? Strangely enough, my heart kept pounding.

∞ ∞ ∞

Not long after, the sports day was held. Honestly, it wasn’t that fun. We were supposed to hang out with the guys after it ended, and I thought that would be much more fun anyway.

Anyway, since you didn’t have to stay in your own class during sports day, Park Yoonchul and I went to the tent for Choi Juoon’s class. Joo Sunhye had a dance performance in the afternoon, so we couldn’t meet because she was practicing. Then Park Yoonchul went off somewhere else. I sat next to Choi Juoon and talked with the other kids.

After some time had passed, the kids got up one by one, saying they were going to smoke. I don’t smoke, but I stood up to follow them. However, Choi Juoon didn’t get up; he grabbed my wrist and made me sit back down. Since Choi Juoon didn’t get up, Kim Euije, who was already standing, asked:

“Not going?”

“….”

Choi Juoon just turned his head to look at Kim Euije and smiled slightly. Then Kim Euije said, “What’s with you?” and lightly kicked Choi Juoon with his foot. Choi Juoon was still smiling without saying a word.

Kim Euije looked back and forth between Choi Juoon and me, then left. I watched the kids walk away, then asked Choi Juoon, who was lying diagonally.

“Are you quitting smoking?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Because it’s hot.”

The weather was cool, though. As I looked around, Choi Juoon unwrapped a piece of candy and put it in my mouth. My favorite blueberry flavor. And while eating one himself, he said:

“Let’s stop by the study room before going after this ends.”

“Why?”

“I left something behind.”

“You should take better care of your things….”

As I said that, laughing, Choi Juoon also laughed and pushed me with his foot a few times. In the space where only the two of us remained, we watched the kids passing by while bathed in sunlight. While watching, we had a somewhat serious discussion about whether to go to the billiards hall or the bowling alley after today ended.

∞ ∞ ∞

When Choi Juoon and I were eating lunch together, Joo Sunhye brought her lunch tray. Joo Sunhye didn’t seem to expect that I would be with Choi Juoon. She was a little flustered, but Joo Sunhye sat down next to me.

“You’re here?”

“Lee Juun, I’m tired.”

Choi Juoon and Joo Sunhye did not greet each other. The two were not the type to talk much, but there were especially no words between them today. They really didn’t say anything at all. It was silence itself.