My Childhood Friend’s Stock Will Never Fail Chapter 42

“Then… I think it’d be even better.”

 

Yoohee’s round eyes met Joohoon’s long, gentle gaze.

 

Beneath those innocent gray eyes that blinked so guilelessly lingered a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

 

A yearning—no, a desire—that she could hardly believe belonged to Joohoon.

 

“Ah, we don’t have time to just stand around. Let’s head back to the classroom.”

 

Joohoon smiled softly, his eyes curving as he rose to his feet.

 

And just like that, the conversation about imprinting faded away without reaching any conclusion.

 

Still feeling dazed, Yoohee followed him toward the exit. Just as she reached for the tightly shut iron door—

 

“This door slams pretty hard with just a little force. Better be careful.”

 

Standing behind her, Joohoon casually reached past and pulled the door open.

 

When Yoohee had tried moments ago, it hadn’t even budged.

 

“…”

 

She stared up at him blankly.

 

With his usual gentle tone, he said.

 

“You go first, Yoohee.”

 

“O-Okay.”

 

As she stepped through the doorway Joohoon had opened for her, the musty smell filling the warehouse disappeared, replaced by the fresh scent of grass brushing against her nose.

 

As they walked side by side toward the classroom, Yoohee couldn’t shake the strange feeling lingering in her chest.

 

Perhaps… the Joohoon she thought she knew wasn’t all there was to him.

 

[Warning! The affection level of the male lead candidate, “Kim Joohoon,” has become unstable.]

[Activating the cooling fan to maintain system stability.]

[The affection level of the male lead candidate, “Kim Joohoon,” has increased.]

[Kim Joohoon (Affection ??? → ???)]

 

Although the exact value was hidden, Joohoon’s affection had increased.

 

Why…?

 

What did I even do for his affection to go up?

 

Looking down at Yoohee, Joohoon whispered as though confessing something from the bottom of his heart.

 

“I really… didn’t want to feel this way.”

 

His long black eyelashes fluttered slowly.

 

“But I want to keep you from leaving.”

 

There was something unsettling in Joohoon’s gaze.

 

Unlike before, there was no system error message this time, yet instinctively, Yoohee felt that something was going terribly wrong.

 

“What do you mean, keep me from leaving…?”

 

“How far would you let that senior go?”

 

As Joohoon pulled on Yoohee’s hand, she ended up leaning into his embrace.

 

“Would hugging be okay?”

 

Have I ever hugged Seohyun…?

 

Before she could search her memory for an answer, Joohoon spoke in a slightly hurt voice.

 

“I’ve only ever done something like this with you, Yoohee.”

 

“M-Me too.”

 

Yoohee answered hurriedly, hoping to reassure him.

 

At that, the corner of Joohoon’s lips twitched upward ever so slightly.

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course. Who else would there be?”

 

I picked your route from the very beginning, Joohoon, she thought to herself.

 

As she did, his cheeks gradually grew warmer.

 

But they didn’t stop at merely blushing—they became as red as a ripe tomato.

 

…Huh?

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Worried that another system malfunction had affected him, Yoohee looked him over anxiously.

 

Joohoon parted his lips, and a sweet confession slipped out.

 

“Yoohee… am I the only one for you, too?”

 

His eyes were filled with bashfulness as he swallowed hard.

 

He certainly looked embarrassed, yet at the same time there was something strangely different about him—as though, instead of being flustered, he found her irresistibly adorable.

 

“What should I do… I really don’t want to let you go.”

 

Joohoon covered Yoohee’s hand with his own.

 

“Stay the night in my room.”

 

“…What?”

 

“I like waking up and seeing you there.”

 

Keeping their hands intertwined, Joohoon gently pressed them against the wall.

 

His grip was surprisingly strong, pinning Yoohee in place.

 

Perhaps that was why the tightness she’d been feeling in her chest suddenly became even more suffocating.

 

“W-Wait, Joohoon…”

 

She couldn’t breathe.

 

Her head felt light.

 

Her stomach churned.

 

For real.

 

***

 

Whoosh.

 

The toilet flushed powerfully, the water swirling down the bowl.

 

She had already flushed it several times.

 

Haah… How am I supposed to face Joohoon now?

 

Slumped down in front of the toilet, Yoohee buried her head in her hands in despair.

 

Sniff, sniff.

 

Almost unconsciously, she smelled herself.

 

Even her hair seemed to carry a faint sour odor.

 

“Yoohee, are you okay? Should I come in?”

 

Joohoon’s worried voice came from outside the bathroom.

 

If she said she wasn’t okay, it felt like he’d break the door down to come in.

 

Yoohee hurriedly lifted her head and replied,

 

“N-No! I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”

 

Haah…

 

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stand.

 

Under the bathroom’s bright white light, she looked utterly miserable.

 

After throwing up several times, the nausea had finally subsided, but all the color had drained from her face, and even her lips were pale.

 

The sweatshirt Joohoon had lent her hung all the way down to her thighs, its oversized sleeves dangling from the mess she’d made earlier.

 

…Did my chances with Team Joohoon just go down the drain?

 

So, what exactly happened?

 

Just moments ago…

 

A spectacular rainbow-colored 

 

BLEGH—

 

splattered all over both Yoohee and Joohoon’s clothes.

 

Overwhelmed by the relentless nausea, Yoohee had bolted straight to the bathroom without even being able to clean up after herself.

 

Meanwhile, Joohoon silently cleaned up the mess she’d left behind.

 

He’s definitely lost whatever affection he had for me. Who could possibly be more embarrassing than this…?

 

She rinsed her mouth repeatedly until the unpleasant taste finally disappeared, then slowly unlocked the bathroom door.

 

Click.

 

“Ah, Yoohee.”

 

As she stepped outside, she found Joohoon waiting in front of the bathroom.

 

He, too, had changed out of his school uniform into a comfortable sweatshirt.

 

“Are you okay? Are you still feeling sick?”

 

“I’m okay now. I’m… really sorry.”

 

As Yoohee apologized for the humiliating scene that kept replaying in her mind, Joohoon simply waved his hand dismissively.