Choi Giryang let out an easy laugh, gesturing down the street. "…What a coincidence, running into you all like this. I was actually on my way to a PC bang with my friends," he said, pointing ahead.
"Ahh…" Seolhyo replied politely.
Park Dong's eyes followed the direction of Giryang's finger and then his face stiffened.
..Friends?
The moment he spotted one of the guys standing there, his mood dropped straight through the floor.
"…Shit."
Without missing a beat, Park Dong spun around, planting both hands on Irina's shoulders and physically turning her the other way. "Hey. Let's go to the convenience store."
Irina blinked. "Convenience store?"
"I'm hungry," he said too quickly. "Gonna grab something to eat."
She shot him a look over her shoulder. "Seriously? You weren't full after devouring half the menu back there?"
Then she frowned. "Go by yourself. Why are you dragging me into it?"
Before he could answer, one of the guys near Giryang shouted loudly, "Choi Giryang! Hurry up! What are you doing over there?"
Irina's gaze drifted in that direction and the instant she saw Kim Kwangwoon, her expression went ice-cold.
Kwangwoon noticed her at the same time.
He froze.
Then, like he'd seen a ghost, he flinched and bolted, disappearing down the street without a word.
The other two guys stared after him in confusion.
"What the hell was that about?" one of them muttered.
Park Dong swallowed hard, forcing a laugh that didn't reach his eyes.
Ha… ha…
Terrible timing, fck...
Seolhyo glanced up at me briefly, a flicker of unease crossing her face like she was checking whether I knew who Choi Giryang was.
When she saw that I wasn't reacting, her shoulders relaxed just a little.
Then
Vrooooom.
The sound of an approaching bus cut through the tension.
Seolhyo turned toward it, then faced Giryang again, her expression polite but cool. "It was nice seeing you again," she said.
After that, her attention shifted back to me.
Our hands were still linked at our sides. Her gaze softened, warmth returning to her eyes."…Thank you," she added quietly. "For today."
I squeezed her hand, smiling without hesitation.
"Anything for you."
She hesitated for half a second, then tugged gently on my hand. "Lean down."
I bent closer confused for a moment
And then she pressed a quick, warm kiss against my cheek.
For a second, I just froze.
Seolhyo almost never initiated things like that I'd always been the one to initiate things but receiving it seems much better.
Giryang's eyes darkened at the sight, his smile vanishing for a heartbeat before he forced it back, masking it under strained composure.
Seolhyo turned back to the others, a faint blush still lingering on her cheeks."We're gonna go now!"
Jinkyung walking beside Seolhyo waved at others. "Bye!"
Irina blinked, still a little out of it. "Huh? Oh uh, okay…"
Park Dong, hands still grasp Irina's shoulders, shouted, "Take care!!"
Just as we were about to step onto the bus
"Hyorim!"
Seolhyo paused and turned her head.
Choi Giryang stood a few steps away, one hand raised in a wave, wearing a smile."Can I text you?"
She didn't answer.
Her brow lifted slightly, expression cool and unreadable, and then she simply turned away and stepped onto the bus without a word.
Giryang's hand hung in the air for a second too long before he let it fall, fists clenched tight at his sides while the bus pulled away into the night.
Then he felt someone was staring at his back.
He looked back, meeting my eyes sharp.
He held it for half a second, then clicked his tongue under his breath and turned away, walking off toward his friends without another glance.
-
The billiard hall buzzed with life the sharp clack of balls colliding, faint music humming from an old speaker, and the low murmur of voices blending together.
The four of the Seojin, Jisung, Daegyu, and Suwon crowded around the table with cue sticks in hand, while Park Dong and Irina lounged on the sofa in the corner, watching halfheartedly.
BAM!
Jisung straightened up, fist pumping. "Nice hit! Feels good feels really good!"
Daegyu squinted at the table. "Wait… is it really gonna go like that?"
"Obviously," Jisung shot back. "Ji Suwon, your turn! At least hit a ball this time!"
"Shut up," Suwon muttered, lining up his shot.
"Hurry up!!"
Suwon leaned in, steadied his cue and clack.
The cue ball barely brushed the side of another ball.
"It's not my fault!" he protested. "The ball was dodging."
"Idiot," Jisung laughed. "Since when do balls dodge?"
I stepped forward, twirling my cue once. "Whatever you say Chestnut, Move. Watch how a pro plays."
Suwon scoffed. "Yeah, right…"
Before I could shoot, Daegyu suddenly burst out laughing.
Suwon frowned at him. "Why are you laughing? You look insane."
"HAHA I just can't," Daegyu wheezed. "That guy's face earlier, when Seolhyo left him hanging HAHA!"
Jisung snorted. "That's what he deserves. Does he really think he's something just because he's a little good-looking?"
Suwon nodded. "Seriously. Why would he even say ask that to Hyorim? Anyone can tell she and Seojin are dating."
From the sofa, Irina crossed her arms. "Yeah. Seolhyo and him might have dated before, but that barely counts.
They dater for like three days, then after that incident they never met again. They're basically strangers now."
Park Dong laughed loudly. "Seojin looked like he wanted to beat that guy to a pulp earlier HAHA!"
I only chuckled, bending down to take my shot.
Clean. Smooth. The ball rolled straight into the pocket.
Park then glanced sideways at Irina. "Why'd you even come if you're not gonna play? I told you I'd teach you, dumbass."
Irina stared ahead blankly. "Then you do it."
"If you're not hitting, I'm not either."
"Then don't." She paused, then added casually, "By the way… earlier. You guys looked like you ran into Choi Giryang oppa before."
Park Dong stiffened. "Hm?"
"You're not even close to him. You only saw him briefly in middle school," Irina continued. "Was Kim Kwangwoon with him then?"
Park Dong fell silent for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on her, weighing whether he should tell her the truth. In the end, he let out a slow breath and lied through his teeth.
"…A few months ago, I ran into your ex while I was out with friends. He was with his friends too. I just said hi. We smoked a cigarette together."
Irina crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "Then why didn't you say anything? Was it after I broke up with him?"
Park Dong's shoulders tensed. "I–I forgot," he said quickly. "Hey, after you guys broke up, I didn't even act like I knew him."
Irina paused, then nodded slowly. "Well… that makes sense."
She clicked her tongue. "I didn't even know he was friends with Seolhyo's ex. He should've shown his friends more often then I would've known."
Her expression hardened. "Just seeing his face makes me feel disgusting. And all he did was run away. Seriously… such a pathetic loser."
Park Dong watched her in silence.
Still.. Bothered by him, huh.
At that moment, someone dropped onto the couch beside them with a lazy sigh. "Man, these guys don't know how to play at all."
They both turned and sees seojin leaning back at the couch.
Irina raised a brow. "Seojin," she asked lightly, "are you worried about that guy?"
Seojin looked at her like she'd just said something completely absurd, then burst out laughing. "Me? Worried about him?"
He shook my head, still amused. "HAHA good joke, Rina."
Seojin leaned back against the couch and added smugly, "Why would I worry about someone that less than me?"
Seojin scoffed, waving a hand. "Didn't he get an eye job or something? Whatever it's called."
Seojin turned to face them fully, an arrogant smirk tugging at my lips. "After all that… I'm still better-looking."
Park Dong and Irina stared at me for a second, then exchanged a look.
…Yeah. Why would anyone bother worrying about this guy?
Park Dong snorted first. "God, you're really annoying you know."
Irina rolled her eyes, but there was a tired smile. "It's annoying but I can't refute since he's not wrong."