.

She might not have wanted to admit that her legs were shorter than Yoo Chun Young’s. It had been quite a while since I last saw her being speechless like that. Strangely, Yi Ruda always looked calm and composed under any circumstances, so this situation seemed quite exceptional. Having that thought in mind, I glanced at Yoo Chun Young.

For some reason, his blue eyes still flashed dark blue with wary feelings. Both then suddenly looked at me at the same time as if they planned to do so, which made me draw my breath in.

‘Why are they looking at me out of the blue… when they were quarreling until now?”

Hand-fanning her face to cool herself down, Yi Ruda stared at me and flung a question.

“Donnie, do you think that makes sense? That arrogant bastard…”

“Don’t bring Ham Donnie into this.”

“Ha… I’m asking her to judge in an objective, third-person view.”

“I didn’t forget what you said to me yet.”

The voice falling from Yoo Chun Young’s lips sounded remarkably icy that it surprised me. The air then turned frigidly cold in a flash.

When I raised my eyes to look at Yi Ruda, her eyes stiffened as Yoo Chun Young gazed at her.

The Yi Ruda, who was throwing a tantrum with a blush until now, suddenly ceased to exist. As if she unmasked her face, she stared at Yoo Chun Young and perked the corners of her lips upwards slightly to hint a smile.

She then made the chair stand again and sat down on it. Placing her elbow on the table, she rested her chin on her hand and grinned at this side.

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” said Yi Ruda.

“Those that you said to me in the bathroom before.”

Bathroom? I furrowed my brows. Earlier in the semester, Yoo Chun Young and Yi Ruda took the gloves off in dealing with each other in the bathroom. The happening came across my mind unexpectedly.

Their relationship turned perceptibly bad around that time too. Before that incident, they were close to not knowing each other that well.

Yoo Chun Young fixed his blue eyes on this side. The unknown meaning embodying his gaze was directed at us. He then slowly detached his lips.

“What you said back then was and is a presumptuous interference.”

“So?”

Yi Ruda, who replied right after, stiffened her eyes too. She only left the grin on the corner of her lips. Yoo Chun Young, however, continued his remark nonchalantly.

“I know how absurd she is, but it’s seemingly not a simple matter. I also said that I can wait too. You told me that I’m being obsessed, but that’s what I should deal with.”

“So?”

“If you intervene again, then I won’t sit on the sidelines anymore.”

We were in a bright café on a sunny afternoon; however, there seemed to be dim shades hanging over Yi Ruda and Yoo Chun Young’s faces.

I looked back and forth between them before paying attention to the people scrambling. Both looked as if they were too absorbed in each other that nothing came into their ears. However, I could clearly hear what others were talking about.

“Whoa, what the heck? Are they having a lovers’ quarrel?”

“Did she just get caught cheating?”

“The black-haired boy is who she’s cheating with, and the blonde boy seems to be her boyfriend or maybe vice versa?”

“Who do you think it is?”

We should consider something here. It was only the two of them who had been fighting, but why should I be embarrassed? I felt a cold sweat on my back.

Why did people always think in a certain way…?

Regardless of the overall situation, an unfamiliar conversation was ongoing between Yi Ruda and Yoo Chun Young.

After quite a while, Yoo Chun Young detached his lips again.

“Since you told me to get away from her, I could say the same to you too.”

“Do you think that I’m gonna listen to you?”

“Didn’t you use the word ‘obsessed’ before? I have no idea, but, at least, I can’t stand suspicious people like you coming closer to her; besides, I know what people like you do.”

“What a weird expression! Who are the type of people like me?”

“Those who stop at nothing to gain their ends.”

“Wow, what the heck… then, you think you aren’t?”

‘What the hell are they talking about… abso-freakin-lutely no idea…’ with that thought in mind, I looked at Yi Ruda and Yoo Chun Young one after another while crossing my arms. Staring at them back and forth, I fell into thought again.

‘Can’t I just get out of here? They are so focused on each other that they won’t even notice that I’m gone.’

That was when I slowly got up from my seat. Suddenly, both turned their heads to look at me. ‘Why? Why are you guys looking at me out of the blue?’ I thought in surprise.

“I… wasn’t trying to leave… It’s just… I have varicose veins… I mean, my leg is sleeping…”

‘So, I just wanted to stand for a second…’ as I stammered, Yi Ruda’s voice cut into my words.

She turned back to look at Yoo Chun Young then opened her mouth with a smile.

“Do you know that much about Donnie? Well, then tell me about it. What’s her favorite fruit?”

“She hates grapes because it’s annoying to eat. Other than that, she likes all of it. What’s her favorite movie genre?”

“Everything except those with gross creatures, romance, and sad movies. Now, it’s my turn, huh? Her favorite book?”

“The most interesting one that she read is Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” What’s her favorite movie?”

“Geez, isn’t the question too specific?”

“I answered her favorite book; you must do it too.”

Looking at them facing each other while glaring their frosty blue eyes, I got up halfheartedly. Still, they were too busy giving themselves over to each other that they couldn’t care less about me.

Smiling awkwardly, I quickly left the place. I felt others’ gazes showering at the back of my head, but I tried to ignore all that.

“Wow, is she just fleeing away? Holy crap, when the other two guys are fighting for her?”

“OMG… incredible! My mom wouldn’t even know about me that much.”

Stepping out of the café entrance, I quietly showed a grin.

“Wish the two just go back home and get some sleep…” I murmured to myself.

What the hell are they doing in that public space…? They could have just hugged each other… Why are they bringing me into their conversation when I only remained silent?

Rambling such thoughts in mind, I decided not to see Yi Ruda and Yoo Chun Young for a while.

* * *

Maybe I buried myself in the courage test for too long. What should we do during the trial to surprise the kids effectively? Concerning myself with those things gave me nightmares.

Since we needed a few people to play the roles of surprising the kids, Yoon Jung In, Kim Hye Hill, Kim Hye Woo, Shin Suh Hyun, and I was about to back out as the preparation team.

I wondered why Yi Ruda, who often hung out with us, wasn’t participating. What came back from Yoon Jung In was something like this.

“We’re not supposed to let scary kids play those roles.”

“Scary kids?”

“People like him can kill someone by a heart attack.”

“I mean, why is Yi Ruda… scary?”

“I’m saying that we already have Kim Hye Hill and Shin Suh Hyun, the two demonic creatures from hell.”

“Demonic creatures from hell…”

‘Wow, Yoon Jung In what an expression…’ as I murmured after his hilarious remark, a creepy voice suddenly broke in over the phone.

At first, it sounded like a ghost that I nearly dropped my phone after being dumbstruck; however, once I heard it carefully, I realized that it sounded familiar. Oh, they were Kim Hye Hill and Shin Suh Hyun.

‘What does he mean by demonic creatures from hell?’

‘From hell? It doesn’t sound good.’

‘That’s what I’ve been thinking.’

Listening to their creepy voices as they went back and forth, I just hung up the phone while mumbling, ‘Yoon Jung In, RIP…’

Similarly, Class 1-1’s preparation team coalesced around Kwon Eun Hyung, Ban Yeo Ryung, and the rest of the Four Heavenly Kings. Hmm… lying on my bed, I thought about them and furrowed my brows.

Honestly, I wasn’t concerned about Eun Hyung, Yoo Chun Young, and Jooin that much… but Eun Jiho and Ban Yeo Ryung’s suggestion of doing a locked-room mystery didn’t seem like a joke.

‘They truly sounded like they would execute something like that… are they gonna do that for real?’ Wondering such things, I looked up at the ceiling before suddenly lifting my body from the bed.