“You saw me last week?”

“Yeah. Near the end of the movie. You seemed really moved.”

“Ah…”

Yi Soo asked with an embarrassed face, and Ji Ho answered nonchalantly.

Seeing as he even used the word ‘moved’, he must have seen me crying.

Ji Ho leaned his upper body diagonally towards Yi Soo, who couldn’t manage her expression, and whispered:

“Did you get home okay yesterday?”

Yi Soo flinched and subtly moved her body backwards.

There’s no need to speak this closely.

“Yeah.”

As she turned her head to the side, Yi Soo felt the gazes pouring towards Seo Ji Ho at the edge of her vision.

The lecture hall was stepped, so sitting in the back seats gave a clear view of the front.

‘Ah, this is uncomfortable. It’ll be like this all the time if I’m next to Seo Ji Ho.’

Yi Soo kept looking straight ahead after that, but it felt like the back of her head was constantly tingling.

Ji Ho was still turning his upper body diagonally towards Yi Soo.

“Is your stomach okay?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good.”

Yi Soo glanced at Ji Ho from the corner of her eye as she spoke.

“Are you okay? I heard you drank a lot yesterday.”

“I’m fine, as you can see.”

A sense of composure could be felt on Ji Ho’s smiling face.

“Ji Ho’s alcohol tolerance is infinite, you know.”

At Ha Joon’s voice suddenly chiming in, Yi Soo looked at Ji Ho with wide eyes.

“It’s not that extreme.”

Ji Ho slightly shook his head while winking.

“Min Woo’s pride must have taken a big hit because of Ji Ho yesterday. After boasting about his high tolerance, he passed out spectacularly. I wonder if he even made it to school alive today.”

As no junior had ever beaten Min Woo in drinking, Ha Joon spoke with a triumphant expression.

“It was really something to see yesterday.”

Yi Soo slightly furrowed her brow. How foolish to have a drinking contest.

Considering the alcohol he had drunk before drinking with senior Min Woo, Ji Ho must have had over 10 bottles of soju, but there wasn’t a trace of alcohol on his face.

It was simply amazing that he was fine after drinking so much.

His consistently handsome face looked peaceful, as if even a hangover avoided him.

**

When class started, Yi Soo focused on the lecture with an almost frightening intensity.

While others were casually listening to this elective course, her attitude was as if it were a required major subject.

As if there was no one beside her, Yi Soo’s eyes and ears seemed to be open only to the professor.

Her upright sitting posture. Her sparkling eyes. Even her serious expression trying not to miss anything.

It looked like a habit ingrained in her, as she had always been.

The intellectual atmosphere felt from her first impression wasn’t just an image exuded by her appearance, but Yi Soo’s actual self.

A perfect model student.

Ji Ho felt a mischievous urge and deliberately leaned towards Yi Soo to talk to her or stared at her obviously, but Yi Soo’s concentration didn’t waver at all.

No wonder she got into Korea University’s medical school right after high school.

Though he thought he should stop bothering her.

In fact, the reason Ji Ho’s head kept turning towards Yi Soo since first sitting next to her was the familiar scent emanating from her.

The thought that she was wearing the perfume he had gifted made him feel inexplicably pleased, but throughout the class, he found himself unconsciously leaning towards that scent that kept wafting over.

The subtle fragrance strangely grew stronger as time passed.

It felt like every breath of air was tinged with that scent.

Though clearly the same fragrance, it was subtly different.

Mixed with Yi Soo’s own scent, it smelled even more fragrant.

‘Is this the nice smell Yi Soo mentioned?’

A scent like this seemed like it would linger in memory for a long time.

Following Yi Soo’s tears last week, this week it was Yi Soo’s scent…

He didn’t think he’d remember much of the class content properly.

While Ji Ho was like this, Yi Soo continued to stare straight ahead without wavering.

**

“Guys, I have an appointment so I’ll go first.”

As soon as class ended, Ha Joon hurriedly said goodbye and left first.

Yi Soo had no choice but to leave the lecture hall with Ji Ho.

As students whose classes ended around the same time poured out all at once, the stairs going down were so crowded there was barely room to step.

Though Yi Soo was completely unaware, Ji Ho walked with his arm stretched out behind her back, as if protecting her from the surging crowd.

Thanks to the space Ji Ho created, Yi Soo came down the stairs comfortably without being pushed.

When Yi Soo showed signs of hurrying a bit, Ji Ho asked:

“Do you have an appointment too?”

“Yeah. Dong Woo said he’d wait for me.”

“Why?”

Last week when she came to return the student ID at the club room, Yi Soo had come with Dong Woo too.

And that’s not all. On Wednesday night, he saw them leaving together too.

“Dong Woo has class here too. We finish at the same time.”

“So?”

“Huh?”

“He waits for you every week?”

When Yi Soo nodded, Ji Ho slightly narrowed his brow, looking displeased.

“Just friends, you said.”

“Yeah. What about it?”

Yi Soo didn’t properly understand the meaning of Ji Ho’s words.

Or why he was asking with that expression.

“No man spends his time on a woman he doesn’t like.”

Ji Ho spoke while meeting Yi Soo’s brown eyes.

Does she really not know?

“If you didn’t know, know it now. So you won’t be surprised later.”

“…”

Yi Soo frowned and looked up at Ji Ho.

Is he misunderstanding something strange about Dong Woo waiting for me?

“You look like you didn’t know.”

“It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“You might want to believe it’s not, but a man knows men well. Do you really think I wouldn’t know better than you?”

At Ji Ho’s firm tone, Yi Soo showed a slightly incredulous smile and shook her head.

“Have you not considered that he might be doing that because you drew the line as just friends?”

Though he couldn’t be certain, that’s truly how it looked to Ji Ho, and.

He couldn’t hold back the words that sprang out at hearing she was going to meet Dong Woo.

Silence flowed between the two facing each other for a moment.

As she listened to Ji Ho’s words, Yi Soo suddenly became curious.

“…Are you like that too?”

“All men are like that.”

The answer came back without hesitation.

Yi Soo recalled the quite many hours she had spent with Ji Ho over the past week.

Ji Ho had taken Yi Soo home saying it would rain, followed her to Luna Garden and caught her when she stumbled, and tried to take her home saying she was drunk.

He had said he would wait for her call to meet on a rainy day.

Looking back, it wasn’t Dong Woo but Ji Ho who had spent his time for Yi Soo.

Yi Soo looked at Ji Ho with a face full of thoughts.

“…I see.”

The great Seo Ji Ho towards me…?

Surely not.

Yi Soo shook her head slightly.

Her face felt hot, as if she had momentarily had an absurd misunderstanding.

“Yi Soo!”

Just then, Yi Soo turned her head at the voice calling her.

She saw Dong Woo standing a few steps behind.

“I’ll go first. Take care.”

Yi Soo said looking at Ji Ho.

Ji Ho’s gaze was fixed not on Yi Soo but on Dong Woo.

Leaving Ji Ho standing there with his lips tightly pressed and no response, Yi Soo turned and walked away.

From behind her, she heard the sound of a low, dejected sigh.

**

“Dong Woo, did you drink a lot yesterday too?”

“Yeah.”

Just looking at his face full of fatigue, she could guess.

The two who had come outside were walking side by side on the main road towards the main gate.

“I saw you coming down with Seo Ji Ho earlier?”

“Oh yeah. We’re in the same class. Ha Joon too.”

“Ah.”

Dong Woo nodded while slightly furrowing his brow.

“The three of you took it together?”

“Yeah. I thought I didn’t know anyone, but it worked out well.”

Though Dong Woo honestly wasn’t pleased, he pulled up the corners of his mouth awkwardly seeing Yi Soo smiling.

“I see.”

Dong Woo wasn’t personally close with Ji Ho.

But from what he’d heard from classmates and experienced directly while doing team projects, Ji Ho was someone everyone wanted to get close to, but couldn’t easily.

He maintained only minimal politeness towards people other than those close to him, treating them with indifference and drawing clear lines.

He never approached first, nor did he welcome approaches.

That’s why women who admired Ji Ho only watched him from afar.

He always disappeared like smoke after just attending classes at school, as if he were always busy with something.

It was strange that he had joined the club this year, and yesterday he even came to the opening party and sent senior Min Woo home with alcohol as if he had planned it.

And just now. Yi Soo may not have noticed, but Dong Woo clearly saw Seo Ji Ho coming down the stairs with his arm around Yi Soo’s shoulders as if protecting her.

Even the gentle gaze and expression as he looked at Yi Soo.

It was so different from the Seo Ji Ho that Dong Woo knew.

“Dong Woo?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you thinking about so much?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Yi Soo, are you going straight home?”

Dong Woo asked Yi Soo as he came out of his thoughts.

“Yeah.”

“You left early yesterday because you weren’t feeling well, right? Were you very unwell?”

He had called several times knowing she had disappeared midway, but Yi Soo never answered until the end.

Later, a single text saying she was leaving early was all.

“I drank quite a bit because of senior Min Woo. I felt like I absolutely couldn’t drink anymore, so I ran away in the middle.”

After Yi Soo left yesterday, Ji Ho disappeared too.

Were they together?

Dong Woo hesitated, looking at Yi Soo intently, wondering if he should ask.

“You should have told me.”

“Why bother.”

“Then I would have taken you home. You must have had a hard time going alone when you were so drunk.”

Until now, Dong Woo had never once taken Yi Soo home.

That was Yi Soo’s way of drawing the line as friends.

Not giving unnecessary room.

Not accepting more kindness than necessary.

There were no exceptions even for Dong Woo, her longtime friend.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“Next time, don’t go alone and tell me. What are friends for?”

Friends. They clearly were friends, but.

Perhaps because of what she heard from Ji Ho, that word stuck in Yi Soo’s ear.

“Dong Woo, why don’t you date?”

She had thought about it occasionally, but this was the first time she had asked.

Come to think of it, she had never heard of Dong Woo going on blind dates or group dates.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

Dong Woo looked at her, seeming a bit surprised by the unexpected question.

“Just curious.”

Dong Woo had a gentle impression and good personality, so he was well-liked everywhere.

Even in high school, quite a few girls had confessed to him, but as far as Yi Soo knew, he had never accepted any of them.

He wasn’t picky by nature, so was he just particular about women?

Yi Soo looked at Dong Woo, waiting for an answer.

Dong Woo just glanced at Yi Soo like that, saying nothing.

“Well.”

The reason was clear, but he couldn’t say it.

Dong Woo had hidden his feelings while remaining friends with Yi Soo all this time.

Sometimes his heart would swell to the point of almost overflowing, but Yi Soo never even suspected.

It was fortunate, but also disheartening to think there wasn’t even room for suspicion.

What could he say when Yi Soo still only wanted a comfortable friend in Dong Woo?

It’s not the right time yet.

“I just haven’t thought about it yet. What about you? Why don’t you date?”

Yi Soo would preemptively put up walls if men showed even a little interest.

Knowing this, Dong Woo also pretended to be appropriately indifferent and tried to maintain the line of friendship.

It was unavoidable if he didn’t want to lose even their friendship.

“I don’t like dating. It’s too emotionally draining… I think, why bother meeting and trying so hard when you’ll just break up in the end. That’s how dating is, right? You start because you like each other, then feelings change and you get hurt, and eventually you break up.”

Yi Soo spoke calmly.

“They’re not all like that. You’re being too definitive. Even though you haven’t really tried properly.”

Dong Woo spoke with a joking smile, but his heart felt heavy feeling that the wall Yi Soo had built was even more solid and higher.