〈Chapter 12〉

Department MT with My Childhood Friend

* * *

Two weeks after the day of the group project.

Yerin and I were on the KTX, heading toward the East Sea.

‘An MT, huh…’

I had gone back in my freshman year, but for some reason, I had more memories of drinking than actual “memories.”

Mindlessly gulping down the drinks the seniors shoved at me, then taking care of a hammered Chae-yeon… To me, an MT felt more like a form of hard labor than a vacation.

‘It’ll be different this time, right?’

Since we’re going with our own classmates, there are no seniors to force us to drink, and it was certain that Sohee would take care of Chae-yeon.

‘Then as for the rest…’

I stared blankly at Yerin, who was sitting in the seat next to me.

Having already polished off her third lunchbox, she was now pulling out a roll of convenience store kimbap.

Just as she was about to take a bite, she looked over at me.

“Want some?”

“I’m good. You eat up.”

When I waved my hand in refusal, Yerin tilted her head curiously and resumed her meal.

‘I guess I only have to look after this one this time.’

Even though Yerin was weak with alcohol, she had this big bluffing personality. She got drunk fast with just a few drinks, so she was a definite person to watch out for during this MT.

“…Why do you keep staring? You do want some, don’t you?”

Rummaging through her bag, Yerin handed me a Jeonju Bibimbap flavored triangular kimbap.

“I’m telling you, it’s not that…”

Pushing the kimbap aside, I peeled a grain of rice from the corner of Yerin’s mouth. Then, I spoke to her point-blank.

“Try not to drink during this MT if you can help it.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Why…?”

Just as I was about to say, “Because I have no idea where you’ll fly off to once you’re…

Yerin spoke up, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face.

“I get it. You’re worried that once I’m drunk, I’ll do something indecent with other guys, right?”

“What?”

How on earth does she come up with these ideas? While I was standing there spacing out in pure disbelief, Yerin patted my head and said.

“I understand how you feel, Si-hyeon. Having a friend as pretty as me by your side…?”

Before she could finish, I grabbed her lips and shook them.

“There you go with the bullshit again. Just forget it and finish what you were eating.”

Once I let go of her lips, Yerin let out a small groan, then belatedly let out a scoff.

“You keep treating me like I’m nothing special, but do you realize that to other guys, I’m basically a ‘flower on a high cliff’?”

“Flower on a high cliff, my ass.”

I spoke while gently tugging on the hair at the crown of Yerin’s head.

“You look like you’d be picked the second someone just gave you a little nudge.”

Boing. Boing.

‘This is actually kind of fun.’

I was playing with Yerin’s hair when I suddenly realized there was no reaction from her.

Did I actually make her mad this time? Just as I tried to peer at her face, which was hidden behind her bangs…

Thump

Yerin leaned her head against my chest. Then, she spoke in a trembling voice.

“If… if you think you can pick me, then go ahead and try…”

* * *

After getting off at the station, the two joined up with the rest of their classmates who had arrived first. Among them were Chae-yeon and Sohee; the moment Yerin saw them, her eyes narrowed.

Tighten…

As if she had no intention of letting go, Yerin gripped Si-hyeon’s hand firmly.

Chae-yeon glared at the sight with a frigid gaze, and the more she did, the more Yerin clung to Si-hyeon.

“Looks like everyone’s here now, so let’s head out.”

Once the destinations were sent out, everyone began catching taxis with their close friends to move to the next location.

“Shall we go too?”

Yerin nodded at Si-hyeon’s suggestion.

The two shared a taxi with a female classmate they were normally close with. While they were on their way to their destination—a large supermarket—the classmate sitting in the passenger seat turned around and asked:

“Hey… you two, are you dating by any chance?”

Blink. Blink.

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, both of them blinked simultaneously.

A brief silence followed.

Yerin, who was about to reflexively wave her hands in denial and laugh it off, lowered her hand and asked back with an interested look.

“What makes you think that?”

“Well, you two have been sticking together constantly lately. So, even among the others, there’s been frequent talk that you two are dating in secret.”

A satisfied expression spread across Yerin’s face as she nodded. Then, looking at Si-hyeon beside her, she said.

“Well… she and I are just friends who have known each other for a long time. It’s different from what everyone thinks.”

As Si-hyeon gave his flat, indifferent answer, Yerin’s brow furrowed. The classmate waved her hand dismissively and spoke up.

“Oh, come on… Since when do ‘just friends’ exist between a man and a woman? Everyone says they’re ‘just friends’ on the outside, but their inner feelings are always a different story.”

At the classmate’s perfectly reasonable words, Yerin nodded a thousand, even ten thousand times in agreement. Then, she looked up at Si-hyeon with an expectant gaze.

“Is that so…?”

As if he were trying to verify that claim, Si-hyeon stared intently at Yerin’s face. As a result, both of her cheeks began to turn a shade of red.

Regardless of that, as he carefully examined Yerin’s face…

“What you’re saying isn’t wrong, but I think there are exceptions to that rule. To me, Yerin is someone more like family than an opposite sex.”

Thud.

At Si-hyeon’s remark—which felt both close and incredibly distant—Yerin felt like the world was spinning.

Plunged into despair, she hung her head low. At the same time, she reached into her shopping bag, touching the secret weapon she had tucked deep inside, and made a firm resolution.

Through this MT, she was going to make Si-hyeon’s heart lean toward her, no matter what.

* * *

The group finished their shopping and, after about a fifteen-minute walk, arrived at the reserved pension.

There were three spacious rooms booked: some for those who planned to play drinking games all night, and others for those who wanted to sleep.

Once they unpacked, everyone began preparing to head to the beach. Si-hyeon, finishing first, walked out of the pension and down the stone steps.

Step. Step.

These stone steps were the path leading to the beach.

Below lay the “hidden gem” the pension owner had boasted about so passionately.

“Man, it’s hot as hell…”

Wearing nothing but dark navy swim trunks, Si-hyeon walked down while feeling the sticky discomfort typical of sunscreen.

Once the stone staircase ended, an empty sandy beach came into view. Si-hyeon set up the parasol he had brought from the pension.

Then he sat beneath it, quietly watching the gentle waves.

‘Perfect weather for having fun.’

Just as Si-hyeon was soaking in the vibe of the calm sea…

a cacophony of voices hit his ears.

It seemed his classmates had finally made their way down. Si-hyeon kept his eyes fixed forward, unbothered, until a woman sat down beside him.

“Yerin…”

The moment Si-hyeon turned his head, he fell silent.

Since the woman had sat down beside him without a moment’s hesitation, he had naturally assumed it was Yerin—only to realize he was dead wrong.

“Hah. Do I look like Yerin to you?”

The person sitting next to him was none other than Chae-yeon.

Frowning at the fact that he had mistaken her for another woman, she continued in a flat, indifferent voice.

“I’m only sitting here because this is the only spot with shade. So don’t go getting the wrong ideas.”

Si-hyeon was about to snap back with a “I didn’t ask,” but decided ignoring her was better than scratching at her nerves for no reason.

How much time passed like that?

When Si-hyeon stole a glance toward Chae-yeon, his body suddenly froze.

‘That swimsuit… that’s the one Chae-yeon wore in Japan.’

Back then, Si-hyeon had wanted to see her in that bikini so badly that he used to constantly pester her to go to a mixed-gender bath with him.

Although Chae-yeon would react as if it were a total chore, she had actually tagged along every single time he asked—which, for Si-hyeon, remained one of his most cherished memories.

‘Why of all things did she have to wear that…?’

His romantic feelings began to poke their head out alongside the memories. Feeling his face grow hot, Si-hyeon buried his head between his shins.

Chae-yeon, who had been secretly monitoring his reaction, let a tiny smirk tug at the corner of her mouth.

Seizing this opportunity, she pulled something out of the pouch she was holding.

Pop.

The light, crisp sound of a cap being opened. His curiosity piqued, Si-hyeon glanced over at her.

‘Sunscreen…?’

He had no idea why she hadn’t applied it back at the pension and was doing it here instead, but what followed was more than enough to capture his full attention.

Rub, rub.

Chae-yeon began spreading the white liquid over her body.

Starting from the nape of her neck, moving to her chest, her slender waist, and down to her supple-looking thighs.

As she applied it slowly—almost as if she wanted him to watch—she suddenly looked toward Si-hyeon. As a result, their eyes met.

“Why do you keep staring?”

“…I just happened to look your way by chance.”

Making an awkward excuse, Sihyun quickly turned his head away.

His heart fluttered at the sight of that familiar swimsuit. Though it was only a remnant of his past feelings compared to before, it was enough to leave his mind in a state of total confusion.

‘Seriously… she’s just so damn pretty, it’s annoying.’

While Si-hyeon grumbled to himself while staring straight ahead,

Chae-yeon gazed intently at his profile.

Then, lowering her eyes to the sunscreen for a moment, she…

“Hold out your hand for a second.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

She pulled Si-hyeon’s hand toward her and squeezed some sunscreen onto his palm.

Then, showing him her back, Chae-yeon brushed her hair forward, exposing the nape of her snowy-white neck.

“I can’t reach, so… you put some on my back.”

With those words, Chae-yeon untied the back strings of her bikini. As gravity took hold and the swimsuit began to slip down, she held it in place with one hand.

“Wha—…!”

Faced with such a completely unexpected demand, Si-hyeon felt a suffocating sensation tighten in his throat. His eyes widened, and his entire body froze right then and there.

“…Hurry up.”

Chae-yeon grabbed his wrist and pressed his hand against her back.

Until now, she had always acted passively, but this time, she was being proactive. She had begun to lure Si-hyeon in, quite blatantly.

* * *

TNote:

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