By Zephyria 
“I think you’re overlooking something. Even in the novel, your real self wasn’t completely gone.”
“Ah… I remember you mentioning that before.”
That’s what Do Yun-hyeok told me when we first met. He said that in the novel, his real memories and self were submerged in his subconscious, overlaid by the character’s memories. That’s why he felt an inexplicable sense of frustration at the time. He also said that feeling disappeared when he saw me.
“You remember something I said in passing.”
“Of course. What you said…”
Snap.
I stopped talking abruptly, having spoken without thinking.
“What was that? You remember everything I say?”
“Just move on.”
“You’re not denying it.”
Do Yun-hyeok smiled with the look of a predator who had found its prey. He was skilled at changing the subject. I suppressed my surging embarrassment and shook my head, trying to appear nonchalant.
“Just continue what you were saying. Is it related to what you said back then?”
“Yes.”
Do Yun-hyeok’s explanation was as follows:
While the degree might vary from person to person, those who felt a sense of liberation, like a heavy veil being lifted, upon meeting me, would have fundamentally felt favorably towards me, and simultaneously, their suppressed real personalities would have surfaced.
Therefore, it couldn’t be definitively concluded that those confessions were solely products of the novel, disconnected from reality.
I blinked.
‘Was I… a person with a magnetic charm?’
It was utterly absurd.
“But still, can’t it be considered a state of weakened mind and body? Not being in a clear state of mind, so the feelings were from the novel… In any case, there’s also Min Si-hu’s situation.”
I babbled, trying to refute him somehow.
“Min Si-hu said he had a long-term girlfriend.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Or maybe he mistook kindness for romantic feelings.”
I rolled my eyes. At the time, Min Si-hu had said he wanted to make me laugh. It could be seen as something friends would say. However, if interpreted retrospectively, the possibilities were endless.
“If we go by that logic, weren’t you also mistaken?”
Do Yun-hyeok’s face instantly stiffened. I flinched even after saying it.
Was it not a joking matter? Of course, it wasn’t a joke. I was genuinely curious. How could Do Yun-hyeok be so sure of his feelings from that time until now?
Do Yun-hyeok, who was sitting next to me, leaned forward. He subtly pressed his lower body against mine. His lowered eyelids were fringed with dense lashes. His eyes, cast in shadow, looked down at me.
“Did I not give you enough certainty?”
The air suddenly grew dense.
His thick thighs pressed intimately against mine. I could feel his firm flesh through the thin fabric. Do Yun-hyeok lightly rubbed my thigh.
‘What’s with this atmosphere!’
Horrified, I pushed his arm back into place and slapped his thigh to snap him out of it. Fortunately, Do Yun-hyeok was wearing cotton pants, so it didn’t make a loud sound.
I lowered my voice and whispered a reprimand.
“We’re outside!”
Do Yun-hyeok pouted.
“I thought you were trying to seduce me.”
“How is this seduction?”
“You provoked me first.”
Do Yun-hyeok smirked and winked, as if he had established dominance. Even then, he possessed a dangerously attractive appearance. I quietly turned my head away.
Do Yun-hyeok, resting his chin on his hand, reached out and tidied my hair, murmuring,
“I guess I’ll just have to prove it physically.”
‘What a disgrace, hearing such a remark in broad daylight.’
On this respectable afternoon, people at other tables had no idea we were having this conversation.
I cooled the heat rising to my face and looked around unnecessarily. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to us. I cleared my throat, feeling self-conscious.
“Anyway. It’s possible it was just a feeling from the novel. That’s what Seong Hae-min was afraid of, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. Then it’s a relief.”
Do Yun-hyeok leaned back comfortably against the chair. He then looked out the window for a moment, and a thought seemed to strike him, making him suddenly grin.
“It doesn’t matter anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because Hae-jun, you like me.”
I was momentarily speechless.
‘How can he be so confident…?’
But I had no words to refute him. I only moved my lips.
“I just hope Lee Beom doesn’t end up being a nuisance.”
That was something I agreed with.
However, if Do Yun-hyeok was right and Lee Beom’s personality in reality had some influence from the novel, he wouldn’t be the type to carelessly make others uncomfortable. Although I didn’t know Lee Beom that well yet.
Still, hearing Do Yun-hyeok’s words helped me decide on my approach towards Lee Beom.
If Lee Beom confesses…
‘I’ll think about it then.’
Because, as Do Yun-hyeok said, my answer was already decided as a rejection.
While it was necessary to be somewhat prepared, my reaction was already set. Therefore, I just hoped that Lee Beom wouldn’t waste his emotions unnecessarily, and that our relationships with others wouldn’t get strangely tangled in the process.
“Well, Hae-jun, you’ll handle it well.”
Do Yun-hyeok grinned and tapped the back of my hand. His large hand almost covered mine. My hand felt warm, and a strange sense of shyness washed over me, but I didn’t pull my hand away. My heart fluttered.
I must really like Do Yun-hyeok a lot, to feel this happy flutter from such a small gesture.
“…Yes.”
And I only managed a curt reply. Ticklish words hovered near my throat before scattering. I wasn’t good with words, after all. But seeing that expression, as if he knew exactly what I wanted to say, made me feel like it was okay.
Do Yun-hyeok said he was a lucky person, but wasn’t I the truly lucky one?
I flipped my hand over and lightly intertwined my fingers with his. Do Yun-hyeok’s eyes widened, then he smiled brightly and firmly clasped my hand.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Me: (PPR Type A Mock Exam Question 1_Lee Beom (Correction Complete).pdf)”
“Me: (PPR Type A Mock Exam Question 1_Sample Answer.pdf)”
“Me: Here are the corrected version and the sample answer.”
“Me: It would be good to check both and re-examine the logic development.”
“Lee Beom: Yes, thank you!”
I was proud of Lee Beom for diligently following through without complaint.
Currently, we were spending our time giving Lee Beom academic advice. Since Lee Beom lived in a different region, we couldn’t see each other often, but this wasn’t the past where we had to cram messages into 80 bytes on a feature phone. In an era where we could contact each other freely at any time, physical distance wasn’t a major issue.
I heard Seong Hae-min was also checking Lee Beom’s study plan and explaining problems, and I was also offering help with my experience in essay writing and interviews.
We hadn’t applied for university admissions yet, but after discussing university plans with Lee Beom, we concluded that applying through the essay-based admission track for some universities would be a good idea.
Of course, it wasn’t a track that could be mastered in a short period, but he said he had at least studied essay writing to some extent. He had even received advice from his teacher in his third year of high school to seriously study essay writing, so it seemed promising.
I was glad I hadn’t thrown away the files from when I studied essay writing, thinking they might be useful someday. The materials were still shining even after I finished my own university applications.
“Lee Beom: I’ll definitely get into a good university and treat you to a meal.”
“Me: If you get in, we’ll treat you ㅋㅋ”
“Me: You’re working hard, so you’ll get good results.”
“Me: Fighting!”
“Lee Beom: No, I should treat you.”
“Lee Beom: I really want to treat you.”
“Hmm…?”
Still, when Lee Beom spoke like that, I couldn’t help but get goosebumps.
Even though they were ordinary words, they felt like they had hidden meanings, as if I had become overly self-conscious. I shook my head.
‘No, I shouldn’t overthink it.’
I replied appropriately and put down my mobile phone.
Lee Beom still showed no signs of remembering the novel. Of course, as Do Yun-hyeok said, he might suddenly remember one day…
‘Even if he doesn’t remember in the future, wouldn’t this kind of relationship be okay too?’
It wasn’t just because of my own burden. It wasn’t because I was afraid he would remember Lee Beom’s confession and make things awkward.
Just like in the novel, from what I’d seen so far, Lee Beom was a pretty good guy in reality too. Even without the common experience from the novel, he was undoubtedly someone good to befriend anew. Though I didn’t know the intentions of Lee Beom, Seong Hae-min, or Min Si-hu.
Whichever way it went, I hoped it would be in a direction that wouldn’t make Seong Hae-min, who was Lee Beom’s closest friend in the novel, feel disappointed, and I let out a light sigh.