.

Beside Ban Yeo Ryung were faces that I hadn’t seen for quite a while. We could now say ‘hello’ inside of the school openly, but those who frequently came over to my house ceased to visit, so I felt quite lonesome somehow. We also hadn’t seen each other as often as we did before.

Eun Jiho, who was standing beside Ban Yeo Ryung, displayed a twisted smile on his face while directing it at me. He would only show that grin to those who were close to him. Aside from him, there stood Eun Hyung, who was kindly smiling at me today as well.

Oh, there was also a third change that I didn’t mention earlier; Eun Hyung began to wear glasses. He didn’t have poor eyesight; however, his vision failed with a 0.6 score, so he would sometimes fail to see the blackboard well when he sat in the back. That was why he had to wear glasses.

It was just regular horn-rimmed glasses, but Eun Hyung looked so good with it that it seemed like a fashion item. He indeed had a more decent yet sedated impression than before. Looking at his updated look, I came across what Eun Jiho mumbled to Kwon Eun Hyung in a mournful tone.

‘How many would that nerdy look fool and attack him only to get knocked out…’

‘What did you say?’

‘Nothing.’

Eun Jiho remained silent with a stern look as if he didn’t say anything. He then snatched Kwon Eun Hyung’s glasses and put it on the tip of his nose. It looked as if he was trying to change the topic.

“Do I look good?”

“… You shouldn’t wear that…”

Never in my life had I seen a face looking so terrible with glasses on; therefore, I was seriously giving him a piece of thoughtful advice. Eun Jiho, however, seemed quite upset that he pushed the back of my head with force. We, again, wrangled with each other.

Yeah… it was the first time I had seen Eun Jiho again after that day… The day when we walked across the tree-lined street overshadowed with green shades while holding each other’s hands… The loud noise of the cicadas, the summer heat in his hand, and his long white fingers with thick knuckles… Those images appeared one after another before my sight and entwined with each other.

I thought meeting him after that day would embarrass the hell out of me, but it seemed that that wasn’t the case. Our relationship remained just the same. He teased me as always, and I would lash out of him, then we would burst into a peal of laughter. Everything remained the same as if nothing happened. It made me smile.

While looking at Eun Jiho, I realized that someone was missing.

“Where’s Yoo Chun Young? Out for a shoot again?”

“Nope, he’s choosing his ice cream there. He can’t decide between the turtle egg and the chocolate fudge.”

Eun Jiho’s response made Ban Yeo Ryung giggle. She then handed out the beverage that she was drinking to me. As I took it to take a sip, I felt the presence of someone standing behind me. When I turned around, I saw that there stood Yoo Chun Young.

“…”

The distance between us was so close that it was surprising. As if Yoo Chun Young also didn’t anticipate that I’ll turn back to see him in such a near distance, he also looked quite perplexed for a second. He then stepped a few steps away from me. I looked up to stare at his eyes. They were still exotically blue but had a feeling of fatigue around them; however, he looked more healthy than I expected. I wondered how he was doing since we genuinely didn’t have much time to see each other these days. Besides, among the four of them, keeping in contact with Yoo Chun Young was the hardest to do among the four.

When his gaze dropped onto the floor and flashed by my direction once more, a dim light shone on his chin at lightning speed as it passed as fast as it came. For that moment, I understood why everyone in the cafeteria was staring at this side while holding their breaths. Inside his eyes, a bluish light seen in a darkened exhibition and would arrest our attention sometimes was there luring my sight. Then, at the next moment, when Yoo Chun Young tilted his body in my direction with a smile, the minute of magical silence passed. As if I got dragged out of water in a flash, the heat and loud noise of our surroundings soon enveloped the whole space.

Yoo Chun Young also looked quite glad to see me after a while. He showed a face full of vibrant smile that he seldom showed. That soft glare inside his blue eyes… Oh, I grinned at him too.

“Why aren’t you carrying anything? Weren’t you choosing an ice cream?” I asked.

“I couldn’t decide which was annoying, so I just came outside.”

“Come on…”

As I replied with a smile, Yoo Chun Young wrinkled the tip of his nose with a shrug. Eun Hyung then flung a question to me.

“Donnie, what’s your class doing right now? We just played some movies and came out.”

“Oh, our class was playing Crazy Arcade until just now and tried to watch a movie then. There was nothing to watch, though.”

It seemed that Yi Ruda and Woo Jooin was still engaged in a chase that they weren’t even in the schoolyard. I returned Ban Yeo Ryung’s beverage to her and chatted for a moment before taking a bite of the ice cream. Someone then walked toward us with exhausted steps while gasping hard. When I turned my head to see who it was, I burst out a giggle.

It was Yi Ruda. She was leaning against the cafeteria wall as if she was about to faint while looking frazzled, which rarely happened. Yi Ruda then found me and strode toward this side.

She glanced at Eun Jiho and the other Heavenly Kings before walking closer to stand beside me. Before I could ask her what she had been doing, Yi Ruda brought her mouth near the ice cream that I had just bitten. She then asked me with her blue eyes if it was okay for her to have some.

Yi Ruda looked too exhausted to say a word. The bead of sweat hanging on her chin ran down her neck. Hmm… I rolled my eyes for a second; however, there was nothing to be concerned about.

‘Yi Ruda is a girl…’ as I nodded apathetically with that thought in mind, Yi Ruda stretched her hand out and grabbed my wrist before bending her body. Her wet lashes sparkled momentarily under the sun.

That was when a hand suddenly interrupted from beside me and snatched my arm that was holding that ice cream. It was such a precipitous action that I almost tumbled out of balance. Thankfully, the person who pulled me like that also supported me, so I barely stood up while reeling from the shock.

As soon as it happened, I raised my head with my eyes wide open. I saw that Yoo Chun Young’s face was right above me. He looked even paler than me as I saw him holding my wrist.

While I was looking at him, someone then took the ice cream away from my hand. It was Eun Jiho this time. Eun Jiho yelled at me while holding my ice cream.

“Dude, are you out of your mind!? How can you give someone your ice cream after taking a bite out of it, especially when it’s a person who you aren’t even dating!? What are you doing in front of all these people!?”

When Eun Jiho quickly drew in his breath after that remark, I came across the fact that I forgot.

‘These idiots still don’t know that Yi Ruda is a girl… geez…’

However, I couldn’t help it sometimes. They wouldn’t know Yi Ruda’s real identity indeed because a female crossdresser never aroused suspicion until she became topless.

When I fetched a deep sigh with a tired face, Eun Jiho pressed my head while asking why I was showing such a look. Ouch! As I scowled at Eun Jiho, someone beside me stretched out the arm and wrapped it around my neck.

It was a slender, pale arm, but it was heavier than it looked; it was from none other than Yi Ruda’.

When I turned my head, I saw that Yi Ruda’s eyes under her golden lashes were on Eun Jiho while showing a gentle grin on her lips. She then whispered in my ear.

“Donnie, apparently, it’s okay if we’re dating. Should we just go out then?”

Yi Ruda’s remark or her attitude might have provoked Eun Jiho’s composure. At the next moment, Eun Jiho’s cheeks froze frigidly. Like it was never touched by the rays of the sun, his cheeks turned as pale as a sheet of paper, and his eyes blazed into a fit of rage. Eun Jiho then snarled through his lips.

“Get your hands off her.”

“Donnie isn’t saying anything. Why don’t you mind your own business instead?”

With that said, Yi Ruda looked at me as if asking for my approval. Her face was still captivatingly pretty, and her lips were moistly red. With a shrug, I looked at Eun Jiho. ‘Oh, he looks furious…’ I thought. I need to change the topic ASAP.