Paper Friendship Chapter 14

I knew Choi Juoon had been strangely obsessed with me since middle school. But back then, Choi Juoon himself was just strange, so I didn’t think that was weird either. Or rather, come to think of it, I don’t think I even gave it any thought from the beginning….

“I know you guys are close, but isn’t that a bit too much?”

“I’ll make sure to say something to Choi Juoon.”

“Ah…. This is so annoying, seriously….”

“We had plans today, so he was a bit….”

“No, I’m saying he’s been annoying even before.”

“Sorry, sorry. Then, I’ll include that too….”

I kept coaxing Joo Sunhye like that. Persuasion, apologies, jokes, then back to persuasion, apologies, and jokes…. After repeating this for a long time, fortunately, Joo Sunhye’s mood seemed to gradually lift.

“You’re hungry, right? Let’s get something to eat first.”

As I stood up and said that, Joo Sunhye reluctantly stood up and followed me.

“…Just don’t let something like this happen again.”

After saying I understood, I took Joo Sunhye’s bag again. Many thoughts were slowly creeping up in my mind, but for now, I tried my best to focus on the Joo Sunhye right in front of me.

∞ ∞ ∞

It was when I was eating a hamburger and Joo Sunhye was eating french fries.

“The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is.”

There was no subject, but I knew it was about Choi Juoon. As I started to become self-conscious again, Joo Sunhye continued.

“I’m going to tell him.”

Huh? What is she talking about? I froze with the hamburger still in my mouth. Then, I just rolled my eyes and looked to the side.

[Choi Juoon]

Joo Sunhye was calling Choi Juoon right now. A moment later, I heard the ringing tone, and just as I was hurriedly chewing the contents of my mouth to say something, it connected.

— Yeah.

Choi Juoon had a very low voice, as if he’d just woken up from sleep. It wasn’t even on speaker, but because he was right next to her, I could hear it clearly. Strangely, my throat felt parched, so I took a deep gulp of my cola. Joo Sunhye calmly picked up a french fry and said:

“Where are you?”

— Home. Why.

“What’s your deal today? Don’t you think you need to fix your attitude?”

This was the first time I’d ever seen someone talk to Choi Juoon like that. My heart, hearing it, pounded even harder. Choi Juoon let out a long sigh. Then, there was a rustling sound, as if he were getting out of bed. After a period of time that was neither long nor short, Choi Juoon spat out in an irritated voice:

— Ah…. I’m working on fixing it too, lately.

Hearing that, Joo Sunhye threw down her french fries and stood up. Then she walked far away from me to make the call. I thought the call would be long, but unexpectedly, it ended in less than a minute. As Joo Sunhye sat back down, she spoke in a lighter tone than before.

“Let’s eat.”

Hearing those words, only then did I take another bite of my hamburger. I had so many questions. There was so much I wanted to ask.

What is Choi Juoon working on fixing? What did they talk about? I hoped Joo Sunhye would tell me the content of the call, but in the end, she didn’t say a single word about what they had talked about.

∞ ∞ ∞

I returned home, lay down on my bed, and chewed over what Joo Sunhye had said today and the behavior I’d seen from Choi Juoon up until now.

Choi Juoon likes Lee Juun.

There is no sentence more perfectly incorrect than this. Choi Juoon doesn’t like men at all, really, not at all. If someone were to say to Choi Juoon… that he’s gay, well…. that person might genuinely be in big trouble. Moreover, I’ve never once in my life felt like he liked me.

No…. isn’t he?

I turned my lying position around.

Choi Juoon likes Lee Juun.

I don’t know the reason, but I felt a passing sensation of that. That maybe it’s possible…. It made some sense, and it was a sentence that somehow felt right.

Is that why… he was like that in the study room… bathroom? I knew Choi Juoon had no lingering feelings for his ex-girlfriends, so I had thought it was a bit strange.

Ah….

So…. that’s why he was like that.

I didn’t feel any negative emotions, like disgust or anything. It just felt strange. My chest area, in particular, felt strange. It was so ticklish. To think Choi Juoon likes me. Even when I tried to think more about it, my head started to throb and things got complicated.

I turned back around.

No, no. First! I have to find out for sure whether Choi Juoon likes me or not. It’s not certain yet. Figuring this out comes first. Let’s think about the rest later. I vowed that starting tomorrow, I would thoroughly investigate Choi Juoon.

∞ ∞ ∞

However, separate from my resolution, Choi Juoon and I couldn’t meet for a while. Choi Juoon continued attending the flight attendant academy, and the June mock exam was right around the corner.

And the day of the June mock exam. The long-awaited day had arrived. Today, just like on sports day, I had plans to hang out with the guys after it ended. Of course, Choi Juoon was included among them. Today, I had told Joo Sunhye in advance as well.

To Choi Juoon, it would just be an ordinary day like any other, but I had been waiting only for today. I will dissect Choi Juoon’s heart and definitely! find the answer to my curiosity.

∞ ∞ ∞

As soon as I got my phone, I ran to the men’s restroom. That was because on days they took mock exams, the guys usually gathered in the bathroom to smoke. Looking around from the entrance of the bathroom, I couldn’t see Choi Juoon because of the thick smoke. Just as I was about to go inside, wondering if he was in there, someone wrapped their arm around my neck from behind.

“Ah, you scared me…!”

“Let’s go.”

Choi Juoon had his usual face and expression. Ah, maybe it’s because the mock exam is over and we’re going to hang out, he looks a bit happy. Did he do well on the mock exam, too? Looking at him, I said:

“What about the others?”

“They went to the karaoke room first.”

“You guys aren’t going to the PC café these days?”

“Park Yoonchul said he’s giving up on studying and will practice singing from now on to prepare for becoming an idol.”

“Wow…. that’s seriously bullshit. If he debuts, he’s going to have tons of controversies. Should I cut ties with him even now….”

“But don’t you need to start preparing for singing practice too?”

“…. Hey…. I study really hard, you know?!”

I’m studying every night like I’m going to have a nosebleed…. When I said that, piqued, Choi Juoon laughed. I wanted to snipe at Choi Juoon regarding his studying, too…. but it seemed like this bastard did well this time.

We walked while talking about the mock exam we had just taken. Then suddenly, I noticed the fact that Choi Juoon still had his arm around me. Choi Juoon often puts his arm around me, though. Or not? Could this be…. is he doing this because he’s interested in me?

I naturally slid my arm out. Maybe because I moved it naturally, Choi Juoon also naturally put that hand into his pocket.

And we walked side by side.

No, wait a second. Why are we walking side by side? There would be many positions to walk in, like walking in front of me, or walking behind me. Why specifically next to me? Does he want to be next to me because he likes me? Feeling awkward, I quickened my pace on my own.

“Hey, walk with me.”

Choi Juoon called me from behind. At those words, I stopped and walked side by side next to Choi Juoon just like before. He had deliberately called me. The chances he likes me, about 55 percent…. Confirmed.

Maybe because we were walking side by side, Choi Juoon’s arm and my arm touched every so often. Is it because I know Choi Juoon is interested in me, or is it because the touched part was bare skin? Every time we touched, it was ticklish. Maybe that’s why my body kept flinching. While walking, Choi Juoon asked me:

“Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

A guy who has dated a lot says things like this to the person he likes. Seeing things like this, it also feels like he doesn’t like me…. I felt strangely embarrassed and said a bit awkwardly:

“Ah, no, I don’t.”

“Then are you sick somewhere?”

Choi Juoon raised his hand and felt my forehead. This action isn’t the first time. But why is it so hard to make eye contact?

No, wait. Thinking about it, guys don’t usually do this with each other. Ah, or is that wrong…. Park Yoonchul and the other guys have touched my forehead plenty of times, too….

“You don’t have a fever, though.”