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n.

nShe was a very evolved character, who seemed to control people as she wanted by evoking their sympathies and to understand exactly how things were happening around her.

nI was hesitant for a second, then carefully asked her what I was wondering.

n“How did you know that I was in trouble?”

n“I heard the twins talking about it. She was asking you their numbers, and they were wondering if should go help you or not.”

n“Oh.”

nAs I grasped the overall situation and turned back to see the twins, Kim Hye Hill pointed Yi Ruda with her finger. She then suddenly clapped her hands.

nWhy? What’s going on? While I had those thoughts in my mind, Yi Ruda, next to me, whispered in a low voice.

n“So beat.”

n“Huh?”

n“You’ll be so beat.”

nI looked at Yi Ruda in surprise. Her voice somehow implied that she understood me.

nUntil yesterday, she only showed her cheerful attitude to others as always, but now she would easily take off her mask in front of me.

nYi Ruda, who was leaning on her chair, slightly tilted her head to get some sun. It looked as though she had finally stripped off something that was concealing her real persona. Her blue pupils under her golden lashes turned cold like ice.

nAs I thought of the image of many pebbles being carried by the ocean tide, Yi Ruda raised her eyes to stare at me. Then she showed a grin on her face, which was not the usual bright smile she would often show but an attractively dangerous one instead.

nShe was surely one of the main characters of this novel. I tried to applaud but soon threw my head on the desk with a thud. Yi Ruda straightened up herself and asked in surprise.

n“W… what are you doing? Donnie, are you okay?”

n“Yes, I am. It wasn’t that strong.”

n“I mean, why did you hit your head on the desk in the first place?”

nYi Ruda asked me with concerned eyes. I tried to avoid her gaze and murmured to myself.

nFor just a moment, for that one moment, I considered Yi Ruda as a man. She looked like a girl, but there was something about her that confused me into thinking that she’s an attractive bad boy at the same time.

nOh my god, I felt like I was going insane. She was a female crossdresser, who was being chased by men in black. I tried to hit my head on the desk, but I was afraid of looking weird to others, so I gave it up. Instead, I had my eyes on Yi Ruda again.

nOkay, I did not have the chance to say it to her before, but now I should do it. With that thought in mind, I started to speak out what was on my mind.

n“Yi Ruda.”

n“Yeah?”

nShe replied, still looking concerned about me. I scratched my forehead. Oh, I really did not want to say such a thing, but there was nothing I could do.

n“Um, if you want to have an honest friend…”

n“Then?”

nI thought Yi Ruda would contradict my words, but unexpectedly, she asked in a calm voice while placing one of her arms on the desk.

nHer serene attitude was hardly something I could adapt easily. I tried to keep my peace of mind and as I continued my words.

n“A straight shooter exists everywhere, so it’s easy to find one.”

n“What are you talking about?”

nHuh? I raised my head in surprise. To interpret what I was implying, one could say that I was saying ‘there is not only me who will be a straight shooter to you, so look for someone else.’ Therefore, I thought about the possibility of Yi Ruda getting angry for misunderstanding what I meant.

nSurprisingly, she did not look mad at all. She just stared at me in confusion then asked back.

n“What are you trying to say?”

n“I mean, there are many straight shooters out there, so…”

n“You’re being weird.”

nYi Ruda interrupted my words with that response. Still, she did not look mad at all. Instead, she laughed as if my words made her dumbfounded. It was my turn to ask her back.

n“Being weird?”

n“You are right now.”

n“What do you mean by that?”

nYi Ruda, who was sitting beside the window, looked bright under the sun. Her blue eyes seemed to have an insight as to what was going on in my head.

nShe asked, “Don’t you know what I mean?”

n“Huh?”

n“The only person who I want to be friends with is you, Donnie.”

nI blinked my eyes since I still could not understand the meaning of her words. It was surprising. Sometimes, she did not understand what I meant but this time, it was me who was not getting what she was talking about.

nMy reactions made Yi Ruda heave a sigh. She then continued her words with a stern voice, as if she was teaching a kid.

n“When we try to make a friend, we don’t open a slot for an honest one or a brave one, something like that. We also don’t squeeze in someone to fit such a role. Finding friends is not like casting actors or actresses for a cast in a movie.”

n“…”

nMy eyes became wide open in surprise. Casting someone for a movie… While I was at a loss of words after feeling shocked at what she said, Yi Ruda concluded her remarks.

n“Why are you acting as if there is someone who can replace you? Then, did you just assumed that I am asking any honest people to be my friend while grabbing their hands? I told no one in this school except for you to be my friend. Unless you have a doppelgänger; aren’t you the only Donnie in this world?”

n“…”

n“You know, I’m trying my best, but do you really not want to be friends with me?”

nWhen she finished her words with a bitter smile, it was then did my hardened head found enlightenment. Casting for a movie, the only one in this world… What did I have in mind, and what had I been doing to these people until now?

nSo far, I simply thought I was satisfying some requirements to play the role of Ban Yeo Ryung and the Four Heavenly King’s friend. Others could take my position depending on the writer’s will. These were how I thought about myself in this world.

nThat was because the world seemed to be a well-manipulated play, so it was not that weird for me to think like that. Yi Ruda was, however, breaking my predetermined notions.

nBeing friends was not like casting someone for a movie. It was just that she liked me out of all the people around her.

nAs soon as I heard those words from her mouth, something like a relief welled up in my heart.

nThe emotion felt warm, soft, and fuzzy. Yi Ruda might have felt the same.

nNo one told me anything like this until now. That was because I never exhibited how I felt about myself before. I never told them my thoughts about how my friends could easily replace me anytime.

nTears were about to burst from out of my eyes out of the blue. I lowered my head to fight back the tears welling within me. Then, as if she misunderstood, Yi Ruda stretched out her hand to lift my chin. I grabbed her hand with both my hands and spoke to her quietly.

n“Yi Ruda.”

n“H… huh…?”

nYi Ruda’s voice was severely trembling as if the reversed situation had struck her dumb. I raised my head after realizing that my tears had all dried up. Then I began to talk while looking at her twinkling blue eyes.

n“You are such a cool b… boy… girl… person.”

n“R… really?”

nHer face was blushing like a flame.

nOf course, yes. As I nodded my head, grabbing her hands more tightly, Kim Hye Woo, who walked past me from behind, murmured in a very low voice.

n“Someone from abroad should be careful with a heart attack.”

n“They sure do.”

nKim Hye Hill also spat out like that, following her brother. As I turned back to see them in embarrassment, Yi Ruda carefully took her hand out of mine. Then she fanned herself with that hand to cool herself down.

nOur behaviors would have gotten others wrong; however, we were both girls, so what else would happen? I murmured to myself like that then pulled out the textbook for the next class.

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