WWBU - 12

“What? How can he just… so rude!”

It was unbelievable that Guk had left on his own without a second thought for someone with an injured leg. As cold-hearted as he was, this level of indifference was staggering.

But the bicycle was already long gone. Knowing that dwelling on it would only make her angrier, Hyun-soo limped forward. If she could just reach the road ahead, she’d be able to catch a taxi.

Already starting to sweat, Hyun-soo quickened her pace. Despite wobbling, she pressed on, determined to move forward. Finally, she reached the point where turning the next corner would reveal the road. With a sense of relief at being almost there, she rounded the corner with enthusiasm—only to stop in her tracks.

“What are you doing here?”

To her astonishment, a familiar face greeted her. It was none other than Guk, leaning casually against a wall and staring intently at her.

“Get on.”

“What…?”

“Not getting on?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Stop pretending and get on. We’re both going to be late if you don’t hurry.”

“How do you know whether I mean it or not… Hey! Let go of my bag!”

When Hyun-soo refused, Guk strode over and snatched her backpack—the very thing she clung to like a lifeline. Effortlessly slinging it over one shoulder, he guided her onto the backseat of his bike and took off without warning. The sudden start nearly caused Hyun-soo to fall backward, forcing her to instinctively grab onto Guk’s waist.

“I, I didn’t do that on purpose.”

“Sure.”

“I’m serious!”

As if to prove his point, Hyun-soo let go of his waist and instead clutched the fabric of his shirt with her fingertips.

“Are you holding on properly?”

“Yes, I’ve got it.”

“Don’t joke around. Hold on tight.”

“Why are you so annoyed?”

“It’s not annoyance—it’s concern. You’ll get hurt if you don’t hold on.”

“I’ll manage on my own.”

In truth, Hyun-soo couldn’t bring herself to wrap her arms around Guk’s waist again. Earlier, when she’d accidentally held onto him, she’d been startled by how warm and solid his body felt beneath her hands. The unexpected wave of attraction toward someone she’d written off as cold and distant left her flustered. Her heart raced uncontrollably.

Unaware of her inner turmoil, Guk kept insisting she hold on properly. He had no idea what he was putting her through!

“I’m speeding up.”

“What?”

“If you don’t want to get hurt, hold on tight.”

“Suddenly… Hey!”

Before she knew it, the bike surged forward, doubling its speed. Startled by the abrupt acceleration, Hyun-soo had no choice but to cling tightly to Guk once more, pressing herself against his back out of sheer survival instinct.

Thump, thump, thump.

Through the fabric of his shirt, she could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Its regularity and depth suited him perfectly. Meanwhile, Kim Hyun-soo was losing her mind.

“That’s why I told you to listen.”

His voice rumbled low against her cheek, as if speaking to a child. Though momentarily irritated by his tone, Hyun-soo decided to let it slide. She told herself it was because the sunlight filtering through the trees looked like watercolor art, and the faint scent of soap carried by the wind made her feel oddly at ease.

Relenting, Hyun-soo leaned fully into Guk, surrendering to the moment. For now, she allowed herself to feel carefree and unburdened.

How long did this peace last?

As summer breezes kept lifting the hem of her uniform skirt, Hyun-soo raised her voice.

“Hey! Let me off up ahead!”

“Just stay on until we get there.”

“No, let me off in front of the snack shop!”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“It’s not about being stubborn…!”

Seeing Hyun-soo struggle to explain, Guk glanced back briefly.

“If I walk in with you, everyone will stare. They’ll ask why we came together. What are you going to say then?”

“You can just tell them you hurt your leg and I gave you a ride. Problem solved.”

“You make it sound so easy!”

“What’s hard about it? If you have the brainpower to worry about this, use it to solve another math problem. Your scores have been dropping.”

“Hey!”

While they bickered, the bike rolled straight through the school gates. Students rushing in before the morning bell stared at the two of them.

“I really should learn to keep my mouth shut.”

The moment the bike stopped, Hyun-soo hopped off and hurried toward the classroom, limping but moving as fast as she could. She wanted to arrive before Guk. While he parked his bike, she quickened her pace, cheering inwardly as the classroom door came into view. But—

“We meet again.”

Guk, walking briskly with his long strides, caught up to her and stood right behind her. Determined not to lose, Hyun-soo tried opening the door faster—but failed. His hand reached past her and opened it first.

Creeeak.

In an instant, the noisy chatter inside the classroom fell silent, as if doused with cold water. Hyun-soo, about to groan aloud, stopped herself. Something about the atmosphere felt off. Everyone seemed to fall silent the moment they saw the two of them enter.

While Hyun-soo’s thoughts spiraled, Guk acted as if nothing unusual was happening. Without a second glance, he walked to his seat and sat down. Watching the back of his round head, Hyun-soo hesitated before taking her own seat.

The mood remained strange—not complete silence, but whispers buzzed quietly among the students.

Unable to sit still any longer, Hyun-soo nudged Young-mi, who sat nearby.

“Hey, why’s the atmosphere like this?”

At her whispered question, Young-mi hesitated. Then, tearing a piece of paper, she scribbled something and tossed it onto Hyun-soo’s desk. Quickly unfolding the note, Hyun-soo read:

There’s a weird rumor going around.

A weird rumor? What kind of rumor? And what does it have to do with me or Yoon Guk?

Young-mi’s deskmate, who was absent due to a prolonged hospital stay after a traffic accident, wasn’t there. Hyun-soo nodded knowingly. Glancing at Guk, who was writing nonchalantly, she quietly moved to sit beside Young-mi.

What rumor?

Without hesitation, Hyun-soo shoved her notebook toward Young-mi to begin their exchange. But Young-mi hesitated, unwilling to respond immediately.

What rumor?????

Frustrated, Hyun-soo scrawled question marks furiously across the page and shoved it under Young-mi’s nose. Finally relenting, Young-mi began jotting something down. As the answer slowly emerged, Hyun-soo nearly fainted.

You’re living together.

“What?!”

Her loud exclamation drew the attention of the entire class. Realizing the situation, Hyun-soo quickly shrank back into her seat. Still, the absurdity of the claim refused to fade. Living together? What nonsense was this?

What kind of garbage is this???

Is it true?

Of course not! I don’t even have a boyfriend. How could I be living with someone??

That’s what Juyeon and I thought too.

“Agh, this is ridiculous.”

Hyun-soo fanned herself with her palm, feeling her blood boil. Grabbing the notebook again, she hastily scribbled another question.

Who’s the person involved?

Huh?

Who am I supposedly living with?

Once again, Young-mi hesitated. Frustrated, Hyun-soo pinched her friend’s arm. Wincing in pain, Young-mi grabbed her mechanical pencil and wrote:

Yoon Guk.

What? Hyun-soo stared in disbelief, her world tilting. This couldn’t be real.

Why is this rumor spreading?

Young-mi paused, glancing around cautiously before leaning in to whisper.

“Choi Cheol-ho saw it while helping the homeroom teacher organize paperwork. He noticed that your address and Yoon Guk’s are identical.”

Hyun-soo had nothing to say. It was true—they lived at the same address. Stammering, she struggled to come up with a defense.

“Come to think of it, you two always leave school together. Choi Cheol-ho said he’s seen you walking arm-in-arm.”

Choi Cheol-ho, that idiot. When had she ever walked arm-in-arm with Guk?

“That slimy noodle-faced jerk.”

Anger flared in Hyun-soo’s eyes as she glared at Choi Cheol-ho. Their eyes met, and his laughter died instantly. Instead, he feigned ignorance, pretending not to notice her glare. Meanwhile, Song Tae-yeon, seated in front of him, continued glaring daggers at Hyun-soo. She understood why.

“Hey, Young-mi, can I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?”

“Yeah. You’re good at spreading rumors. Can you help me clear this up?”

“Isn’t it awkward asking me, the person involved, to spread rumors about yourself?”

“Please tell everyone that Yoon Guk and I aren’t living together. It’s just a mistake with the address registration. Okay?”

Moved by her earnest plea, Young-mi squinted suspiciously. Some doubt lingered in her expression.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Guk lives at 12, and I live at 13. We’re neighbors, so we happen to walk in the same direction. That’s why we leave school together.”

“Hmm… I’m still skeptical.”

“Would I lie to you?”

Clutching Young-mi’s hands, Hyun-soo shook them pleadingly. Desperation filled her actions. Young-mi gazed at their intertwined fingers.

“Fine, fine. I’ll subtly spread the word among the students.”

“For real? You promise?”

“Yeah, for real.”

“Thank you so much, Young-mi! I owe you big time. I’ll treat you to spicy rice cakes three times.”

“Three times? Do you think three times will be enough to fix this mess?”

“Okay, four times then.”

“Better make it five. Don’t forget your promise.”

“Got it, got it.”

Though guilt weighed heavily on her conscience for lying to her close friend and keeping secrets, Hyun-soo knew she had no choice. Without doing this, there was no way to contain the ridiculousness of the situation.

Over Young-mi’s shoulder, Hyun-soo caught sight of Guk. Watching him, she felt a fleeting sense of relief. At least he wasn’t aware of this rumor. Even if he wouldn’t care and would brush it off easily, she was glad he wouldn’t have to deal with the hassle.

“Rumors blow over eventually. Don’t worry.”

Young-mi whispered soothingly as she patted Hyun-soo’s back.

“Yeah, I know.”

Leaning in, Hyun-soo whispered back. Inside, her chest felt like it was filled with balloons on the verge of bursting.