Chapter 16

Episode 016. What do you think?

It was a weekend day when Chae Ah asked Joo Min a serious question.

– What’s a childhood friend?

– Huh, are we childhood friends?

– If we’re not childhood friends, then what are we?

– So what do you mean by that?

– …?

Hyun Woo also couldn’t answer the question about what a “childhood friend” was as time passed.

I’ve never once thought about what a childhood friend is.

Firstly, I wanted to move on from being just childhood friends to the next stage.

‘What’s her intention with this question?’

Secondly, I didn’t understand why Chae Ah would ask such a question.

– Aren’t all the things we did today something only lovers would do?

– …No, right? Then have we been dating since the old days?

– Maybe…

– Suddenly, what are you saying? It’s cold, so hurry up and come inside.

Confused by her random comment,

I ended the conversation like that at the time.

‘Is she regaining her memories? Or even without her memories…’

Chae Ah might start liking me again.

The mere assumption of it made my heart flutter.

It was such an interesting feeling.

I thought my heart would explode from the sudden closeness and unexpected skin contact.

But when I thought about a happy family, I felt as if I were floating all day.

If the former is a physical reaction,

the latter is a sensation where my brain goes mushy.

‘…Stop talking nonsense and get up.’

Hyun Woo sighed and got up.

Today was Monday morning after the weekend.

I don’t even remember how Sunday went by.

Just because Chae Ah asked one question, I floated around all day.

But as the cold reality of going to school approached,

my head cooled down too.

‘No matter how I think about it, helping her regain her memories should come first.’

It wasn’t because Hyun Woo was some poor youth with dysfunctional faculties.

‘If I start dating Chae Ah now, what happens to the Chae Ah from before losing her memory? Am I just loving her body while burying my memories of her?’

This thought came to him after he had relieved himself in the restroom and reached a state of Zen.

Of course, reflecting during such moments might be excessive, but

one thing was certain:

‘I like Chae Ah, not just her body.’

At least until Chae Ah regains all her memories with Hyun Woo,

he wanted to confess to her.

He didn’t want to become an animal who falls for every little touch.

In other words, Hyun Woo’s declaration of humanity.

Of course.

“Ugh…”

“Get up, Chae Ah. Stop exposing your stomach.”

“Hyun Woooo…”

When he saw Chae Ah sticking to his arm after baring her white belly,

“Don’t test me already…”

“What did you say?”

“Hurry up and get up.”

No one knew how long this declaration of humanity would last.

*

*

*

Even though I was deep in thought from the morning,

I somehow managed to leave home on time.

“Isn’t your bra strap filling out completely now?”

“Please don’t say things like that outside…”

It was because dressing Chae Ah had become routine by now.

And perhaps because I was lost in deep thoughts, it became less embarrassing.

Anyway, having finished the hardest task quickly,

We arrived at school rather early despite Chae Ah’s still-unsteady foot.

“Hmm? Hyun Woo and Chae Ah are already here?”

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, teacher!”

Greeting their homeroom teacher in front of the staff room,

“Well, good morning. I was planning to give you some leeway if you were late, but you’re still the diligent couple, aren’t you?”

The teacher sipped coffee from a paper cup and smiled mischievously.

Since the incident in the gymnasium,

Rumors about Hyun Woo and Chae Ah spread throughout the entire school.

– Although there’s no official ban on dating, isn’t this too obvious?

– Teacher, it wasn’t intentional…

With the teachers hearing these rumors,

it was natural for the homeroom teacher to know as well.

Yet, older teachers seemed to find high school romance quite adorable.

“Since you’re usually diligent, I won’t say anything, but don’t let studying suffer because of love, alright?”

Whenever encountering Hyun Woo and Chae Ah, the teacher would smile and add such comments.

“…Yes.”

Realizing that the stage for explanation had long passed, Hyun Woo nodded humbly.

“Hyun Woo.”

As soon as the homeroom teacher entered the staff room,

Chae Ah called out to Hyun Woo.

“What is it?”

“So, are we officially a couple at school?”

“Huh?”

“Since you didn’t deny it just now.”

Chae Ah blinked her big eyes,

and Hyun Woo chuckled nervously upon meeting her innocent gaze.

“…It’s just that we can’t go around explaining everything. The rumors have already spread anyway.”

“Hmm… So we’re officially a couple at school, then.”

“Why does it have to be like that?”

Puzzled by the offbeat conversation, Hyun Woo opened the classroom door.

“What is it? Why are you here so early?”

Jin Hyuk unexpectedly greeted them early.

“I woke up early.”

Hyun Woo answered absentmindedly and sat down, but

“Did your weekend date go well?”

Jin Hyuk’s probing question stabbed Hyun Woo.

“…”

“…”

Immediately after they’d just discussed this, Jin Hyuk drops such a question upon seeing them—

“Are we officially a couple outside of school too?”

Yeah, I knew it would come to this.

“There’s a misunderstanding. Jin Hyuk, you’ve got it wrong.”

Hyun Woo, with over ten years of polished denial skills, calmly composed himself.

“Misunderstanding? Didn’t you send me a message saying it was a date?”

“Shut up and mind your own business.”

“Whoa. You shouldn’t talk to your friend like that; your girlfriend should know about it.”

However, Jin Hyuk’s relentless barrage of smears—or facts—was overwhelming.

“Who’s whose girlfriend?”

Making matters worse, Eun Bi arrived at the classroom just in time.

“Do Hyun Woo ignored my messages because he went on a date with Chae Ah over the weekend.”

“What? Pretending otherwise, and now revealing your true colors…”

“Ah, let me explain, Eun Bi. It’s not like that…”

Until the morning assembly began,

Hyun Woo’s time for explanations unfolded.

*

*

*

I didn’t even realize how the morning classes went by.

It was because I exhausted myself explaining the events of the weekend, and nothing registered in my ears.

“Are you okay, Hyun Woo?”

“…Yeah. Why?”

“You seem unable to focus. Do you want to see my notes later?”

“…Thanks.”

That we’ve reached the point where Chae Ah shows me her left-handed notes speaks volumes.

The reason Hyun Woo was this frazzled was simple.

Instead of giving the good answer—”I’ve decided to live as a human being!”—

He deployed the bad answer of *explanation mode*.

– So, you wore matching outfits, went to a café, did an escape room, and ate tteokbokki before coming back, right?

– Yeah, that’s all.

– That sounds like a date!

– Listen, this isn’t a date because…

It took too long,

– We’ve been going to escape rooms for a long time, so it can’t be proof we’re dating…

– Give me the gist in three lines.

It was tedious and overly academic,

– Isn’t the place you visited simply a dating course?

– Just because you visit dating spots doesn’t automatically make you lovers.

– Most couples follow dating courses, don’t they?

– That’s not necessarily true…

Then an argument erupted,

– Hmm, so you’ve been playing like a couple since forever?

– …

And ultimately, losing the argument made the world feel like it was collapsing.

After getting beaten 2-1 by Eun Bi and Jin Hyuk,

“I’m fine, Hyun Woo.”

“What do you mean you’re fine?”

“The misunderstanding that we’re dating?”

– …

With Chae Ah shaking his spirit with an incomprehensible statement,

Ding-Dong-Dang-Dong-

Until the fourth period ended and lunchtime arrived,

Hyun Woo spent the time in a daze.

“Hyun Woo, let’s go eat lunch.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Thinking to fill his stomach, he helped Chae Ah to the cafeteria.

“Can I join you guys?”

Eun Bi tagged along,

“Jin Hyuk, do you want to eat with us?”

“I’m Jin Hyuk. A man who doesn’t reject his friend’s girlfriend’s offer.”

Thanks to Chae Ah’s invitation, Jin Hyuk joined them for lunch as well.

“Oh? They’re serving soybean paste stew today.”

“At least the menu is decent.”

The previously slumped Hyun Woo perked up.

The cafeteria food was surprisingly good for a Monday morning.

After grabbing their lunches and settling into seats,

Chae Ah, who could only use her left hand, ate all the side dishes with a spoon.

“Guys, I have a question.”

She turned to Eun Bi and Jin Hyuk and casually threw out the question.

“Let’s assume Hyun Woo and I are dating.”

“Why assume that?”

“Didn’t you admit defeat earlier?”

– …

As the defeated Hyun Woo quietly bit into a sausage,

Chae Ah continued speaking.

“Then, what exactly is a childhood friend?”

“Huh?”

“What are you asking?”

Eun Bi and Jin Hyuk simultaneously raised question marks.

“Well, I always thought a childhood friend was someone like Hyun Woo and me, but now I’m curious because someone said we’re not.”

Her serious, thoughtful gaze.

“If we’re not childhood friends, then what’s the original meaning of ‘childhood friend’? We must definitely be childhood friends… right?”

Furrowing her brows slightly as if something dawned on her,

her confused expression posed the question,

“What do you guys think?”

Eun Bi and Jin Hyuk couldn’t answer easily and fell into thought.