Chapter 241: Chapter 241

.

Only then did I turn my head to the side. When I met Ban Yeo Ryung’s eyes, she slowly showed a smile. Putting that awkward grin, she diverted her gaze onto Yoon Jung In.

“Hey.”

Her lovely voice had a great impact despite the noise. Not only us, who was standing near her, but also other people around the hall turned around to look at this side.

Meanwhile, Yoon Jung In, whom Ban Yeo Ryung threw her glance at, stammered, “Uh… yeah?”

“Nice… to meet you.”

Even the short sentence seemed to be difficult for Ban Yeo Ryung to put out.

‘Well, I don’t blame that,’ I thought, as the long history of her love confession episodes came up in my head.

During the three years in middle school, how many times has it been for Ban Yeo Ryung to be pulled into a stranger’s arms? From a parade of those awful events, Ban Yeo Ryung never opened her heart to any other boys except for the Four Heavenly Kings. Especially, ever since she entered high school, she has built an even higher barricade inside her to block anyone approaching her out of the blue. Thus, as long as I remember, this was the first time for her to voluntarily exchange a greeting with a boy.

Besides, I saw Ban Yeo Ryung flaunting her grin after a long time. Still, it was such a gorgeous smile that even made my heart beat.

Looking at her a bit vacantly, Yoon Jung In then spoke while repeating the initial letters of his words.

“Uh… um… o… okay…”

“Yeah.”

Replying shortly with a swiveling smile, Ban Yeo Ryung grabbed my hand and attached her arm closely to mine.

I giggled and patted her hair. Ban Yeo Ryung didn’t come here with a fancy hairstyle or hair accessories to impress; however, her ebony hair was already a glamourous jewel itself.

Gently sweeping her hair, I complimented, “Good. Good job.”

“Yup.”

Ban Yeo Ryung smiled shyly.

When I turned my head to the side, Yoon Jung In and Eun Jiho were, again, quarreling over the responsibility upon Kwon Eun Hyung declaring an end to their friendship.

At that moment, I met Eun Hyung’s eyes. He had been pulling them apart with a smile but was now throwing a glance at me. It was such a short time, almost an instant, for us to have eye contact. Tilting my head for a second, I thought, ‘Am I mistaken?’

Suddenly, I realized Woo Jooin wasn’t here yet.

“Where is Jooin?” I asked.

It was Eun Jiho who responded to my question.

“His third cousin appeared and dragged him away.”

Opening my eyes wide, I asked back, “Oh, really? Who is he?”

“Woo San…”

Then after a moment of silence, Eun Jiho showed a vague smile and said, “Hey, Ham Donnie.”

“Huh?” I tilted my head to the side. Eun Jiho then spoke to me like a request.

“If you ever see a guy who looks the same as Woo Jooin, don’t you ever get close to him.”

Not only me but also Ban Yeo Ryung bent her head to the side in wonder.

She asked, “Why? Is that person that bad?”

Wondering what to say for a moment, Eun Jiho replied, “No, not THAT bad, but…”

With a pause, he fell into thought again. He then soon continued his words.

“As a metaphor, he’s like a kind storm. Do you get it now?”

Staring at him for a while, I asked, “Would you understand that?”

“I mean, well… let’s say that he doesn’t mean to but whenever he’s around, he destroys everything…?”

“Oh…”

I nodded my head while turning a little pale. He seemed to be a person whom I shouldn’t be around.

‘Jooin himself is so adorable and nice, but why are his cousins all…’ I thought while shaking my head sideways as Woo Rinara and Woo Rihon, the two Woo’s who had a bloody fight over Woo Jooin, came up in my head.

That was when the music suddenly came out. It has been playing in the background from the beginning; however, the music, just before, was something comfortable and tranquil. What began to be played right now was a rhythmical and upbeat waltz.

Blinking swiftly, I tried to turn my head to the orchestra, but suddenly, Yoo Chun Young, who was standing aside, stretched out his hand to me. The pair of his blue eyes shining under the light looked like well-refined gems.

Flickering my eyes, I dropped my gaze at his hand that was stuck out to me.

“A hand? Why?” I asked.

“Let’s dance.”

“Eh?”

What he just said was so unexpected that my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. As I glanced around, then I found a few people walking in pairs toward the inner part of the hall while making a circle.

In this regard, Yoo Chun Young’s ‘let’s dance’ wasn’t just a decision of his own but also from his experience of learning that these events had some sort of ballroom dance time in the middle.

‘Wow, this is indeed a web novel,’ I emitted a whoop.

Staring at each other, a moment of silence hung between us. Meanwhile, I could feel that others were throwing glances at me in curiosity. Particularly, the Kim twins and Yoon Jung In, who didn’t know yet how close I was to Yoo Chun Young, looked quite dumbstruck.

After a moment, I shook my head and stepped back.

“No, I’m not good at dancing.”

Come on, as to think commonsensically, what else could we dance as a teen except for some simple aerobic-like moves that we learned in school plays? However, Yoo Chun Young was being tenacious. Still looking expressionless, he replied, “It’s okay.”

No, it’s me who is not okay…

“I’m so bad that it embarrasses me.”

Frowning at my response, he then revealed a faint smile. Yoon Jung In, beside him, gasped in surprise.

Yoo Chun Young, however, closed the conversation yet with a smile.

“I’m good, so it’s okay.”

Oh lord…

Shutting my gaping mouth, I thought, ‘Do you know that you’re becoming more like Eun Jiho?’

My hands were, however, slowly approaching him. Feeling the heat on my cheeks, I grumbled to myself.

‘If he didn’t put that smile on his face, I would’ve not been persuaded to that hilarious remark.’

When his icy-cold eyes knitted into a crescent shape and his lips slightly hinted an enigmatic smile, I found myself just following whatever he wanted to do. He didn’t change the look on his face dramatically, but the subtle smile he had radiated something very special. It then made me think something like, ‘He’s smiling like that, so what’s the big deal? Oh, whatever, let’s just do what he wants.’

Swallowing my breath, I put my palm on his hand while thinking Yoo Chun Young would soon pull me into him; however, he just remained silent while having our palms overlapped to each other.

As if my heart moved to my hand, our attached hands fluttered. Casting down his long lashes, Yoo Chun Young fastened his blue eyes on our palms in silence.

That was when Kim Hye Hill and Kim Hye Woo’s whispering voices flooded into my ears.

“Aww, looks nice. You two look good.”

“Whoa~”

Yikes!

My cheeks then burned up in a twinkling. When I turned my head, I found them looking at us with a fit of giggles.

‘Would you please say that sincerely not soullessly?’ Muttering to myself, I looked forward again.

I felt ashamed of this moment, standing here while holding Yoo Chun Young’s hand in silence. That was when I tried to say to him, ‘Let’s just go if you want to dance.’

Suddenly, someone’s hand came closer to me and snatched the other side of my hand. Looking in that direction, I grimaced.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

Flaunting a smile, Eun Jiho answered back.

“You said you’ll treat me as it’s my birthday.”

What the heck was it supposed to do with this situation?

When I was about to fling that question, I quickly turned my head then had eye contact with Yoo Chun Young, who looked suddenly cold and stony-faced while grabbing my hand. I flinched my shoulders.

The look on Yoo Chun Young’s face seemed, of course, always low in temperature, but it was certainly different from this. While I had those thoughts in mind, Eun Jiho continued his remark in a relaxed tone.

“Don’t worry. You also heard what I said earlier. We decided to pretend that today is my birthday.”

Looking stiff until then, Yoo Chun Young, at last, detached his lips.

“What does that have to do with this?”