Chapter 8: Chapter 8

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“Mom is busy!”

Of course, I truly appreciate her effort on packing my lunch, but how could she allow, not even Ban Yeo Ryung, but Eun Jiho to my room.

Eun Jiho asked indifferently, “It’s not my first time here. What’s the matter?”

“I… I… when I’m awake and when asleep…”

“You look ugly no matter what.”

I wiped the scowl off my face and gave him a grin. Eun Jiho stepped back with a startle.

He even says how ugly Ban Yeo Ryung is every day – Law of the Web Novel Article 3: Regardless of Her Goddess-like Beauty, the Male Protagonist will Call the Female Protagonist Ugly. For example, the Ugly Face – does this mean I look like Ban Yeo Ryung? I asked him with a smile.

“Dude, you always say ugly to Ban Yeo Ryung as well. So that means Ban Yeo Ryung and I… look… alike? Hehe.”

Eun Jiho seemed to understand the grin on me only after I asked him like that with a blush.

He replied with that usual lukewarm face, “Do you really want to hear?”

“…”

I remained silent and pointed the door with my chin. There was no reason for me to look shabby in my tracksuits to him. It was not his first time to break into my room with Ban Yeo Ryung, so there was no need to dress up. However, I will become a high school student after a week. From now on, I wanted to build a new image for him.

As he went out of the room, I shoved my head in a red hoodie and wore gray fleece-lined leggings with a skirt on. Then I sat down at the desk to comb my hair insanely with a small brush looking at the mirror.

Yeah, why did he grab my hand? Did he just want to wake me up by holding my hand with his cold hand? I closed and then opened my hand again. As I went out of my room, I saw Eun Jiho sitting in the living room against the still dark balcony.

The lights were off in the living room, so his face gleamed light orange due to the kitchen light.

I saw his hair for the last three years, but it was still unreal to me. If I realize I have escaped this world again, it would be when Eun Jiho’s silver hair doesn’t exist in front of my eyes.

I stared at him, lost in memories. How much did I suffer from his nonsense over the last three years? I felt that this world was all a lie and everything would change again once I woke up. These feelings were always… always, making me hard to settle in reality.

The real world was not a place for me to believe and rely on. It was a place that could be changed overnight. Didn’t I already go through it?

Eun Jiho placed his feet on the table and nestled down into the couch, not budging an inch.

As I was gazing at him at the door, he called me, “What are you doing?”

“…”

“Looks good?”

When he looked at me and laughed naughtily, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Whether the world could change overnight or not, the one thing that does not change is that every day becomes different. The change of relationship between Eun Jiho and I also went natural like that.

I refused this reality; however, the relationship between the world and I gradually changed. The time I spent for the last three years and the results of all the changes I went through were in front of me right now. Eun Jiho’s friendly smile proved that.

I went closer to him with a giggle.

“Your legs are really long.”

“Yeah, they are.”

“But who said to put your legs on my table? I eat food here.”

“…”

He took his feet off furtively. I burst out laughing at his reaction. A girl next door becoming the main character of a web novel overnight is, of course, outrageous. However, the result of it all doesn’t feel terrible.

At least I was having a chance to see these cute and funny guys in front of me? Though they were the sour grapes.

* * *

The weather was refreshing, but it was still dark enough to see the stars in the morning. The horizon looked transparent, but I thought maybe we were now in the middle of the night. As I waited with Eun Jiho, Ban Yeo Ryung, who was heavily covered with a scarf and earmuffs, came out of the apartment entrance with a bright smile.

Did I describe how Ban Yeo Ryung changed over the last three years? They say women’s beauty is in full bloom around eighteen. Now, Ban Yeo Ryung was seventeen.

Her looks were like… Oh, I would not even talk about her ebony hair or her jet-black eyes. However, to add detail, her eyes were more fascinating than the night sky with numerous stars above us.

Her long hair streamed over her back and her long legs paired with the black leggings she’s wearing under her beige duffle coat were enchanting. I did not want to use the word ‘enchanting’ to a girl my age, but that was the only term to describe her.

Ban Yeo Ryung gave a gorgeous smile with her lips and eyes. She then yelled as she grabbed my hand.

“Let’s go!”

Eun Jiho gazed at us and made his step. Spring was here, but the weather was still cold and our footprints left a trace on the snow.

Because it was early in the morning, there were not many people in the subway. Unless it is the college festival season, there will not be many people taking the first train.

The station had opened subway cars waiting for the first commuters. As I stared at a drowsy couple sitting shoulder to shoulder through the opened door, I told the folks I will be going to the bathroom. I heard Ban Yeo Ryung grumbling behind.

“Gosh, Yoo Chun Young. He is such a procrastinator.”

I agreed with her. Not only Yoo Chun Young but also Kwon Eun Hyung and Woo Jooin were not here yet. Yoo Chun Young was, however, never on time.

He looked as though he would be thorough about everything, but he was always late at least 5 minutes.

The reason was first, his irregular schedule as a model, and second, he slept a lot.

He was such a sleepaholic Eun Hyung once joked about piling up the alarm clocks Chun Young has thrown away so far will look like the size of an elephant. At that time, I did not believe that.

When I saw Yoo Chun Young later sleeping in our couch and punching the face of Woo Jooin, who was waking him up, I realized it was no joke. Holy cow, what would the kids in school who called him the ‘Ice Prince’ or whatever would talk about in that situation?

As I washed my hands and got out of the bathroom, I was about to bump harshly into a guy coming out of the door right next to me. Fortunately, I stopped in front of him. Then I looked up.

He was a tall guy, about 20 cm taller than me, and had outstandingly long legs. I could not see his face since he was wearing a black hat and a black face mask with teeth printed design. His neck was particularly pale between the black face mask and the red scarf.

As if his drowsiness made him drunk, he did not even apologize to me but nodded shortly and hurried his steps.

While looking at his back slipping away, I noticed the hairs stuck out of the hat were blue-black.

I yelled at his back, “Hey, Yoo Chun Young!”

I shouted, which rarely happens to me, with a voice filled with conviction. As if he was still sleepy, he walked across the empty hallway for a while then suddenly stood there. He turned back to look at me.

After a moment, he hesitated and pulled the mask down to his chin. Yeah, the sharp nose ridge and the icy cold lips. The corners of my lips were lifted.

He asked me placidly, “How did you know?”

“Your hair color and…”

I mumbled for a moment. The biggest thing that blew him his cover was the particular scent of cool water he’s emitting that caught my nose when we were about to bump into each other. Not kidding, it was really the smell of cool water.

I stopped talking, pulled down my brows and asked, “Dude… are you wearing perfume?”

“No.”

His answer was short. If it was Eun Jiho, he would have added something like ‘Are you kidding, why should I?’ However, for this guy, that was it. He stood still as if he was waiting for me. I walked along in a dash and thought of something.

Then he smells like cool water without any perfume on? Wow, he really is the Ice Prince, one of the main characters in the novel. However, why is it supposed to be cool water instead of other scents?

He sank his head on his chest dues to his intoxicating sleepiness. I looked at him and gently grasped his clothes. I did it to check how rich the cool water scent smelled. However, then he got astounded for a moment and pushed my hand away.

He finally opened his half-closed eyes and gave me his attention under his hat. A feeling of embarrassment spread in his blue eyes.

I dithered and swung my hands with a smile.

“Oh, sorry. I should have not touched you when you’re asleep.”

“Sorry.”

“No.”

Then I shoved my hands inside the padded pocket. Yoo Chun Young also remained silent for a while. If someone sees us right now, they will question how we could be friends for over three years. The air between us was so awkward we might as well be strangers.

The reason we were being this careful was that we had a big fight less than a month ago. That day, I cried my eyes out and even the expressionless Yoo Chun Young also had tears ready to well up in his eyes.