WWBU - 4

‘Huh? Yoon Guk’s seatmate is here. Your name is Kim Hyun... Kim Hyun-seo? Or was it ‘Soo’?’  

‘Kim Hyun-soo.’  

‘Oh, right. Kim Hyun-soo. Want to switch seats with me?’  

‘What?’  

‘Let’s switch seats. How about it?’  

It was Song Tae-yeon, the class president—charitably described as the most active and cheerful kid in the class, though she couldn’t even remember her classmates’ names properly.  

When Tae-yeon casually suggested switching seats, dozens of pairs of eyes from the crowd surrounding them immediately turned toward Hyun-soo. The peanut cream bread bag in her tense hands crumpled further.  

‘Why...?’  

‘Why do you think? I want to get closer to the new transfer student.’  

‘...’  

‘Right, Yoon Guk? You’d want to get closer to me too, wouldn’t you? I’ll introduce you to everyone and help you settle into the school. What do you say?’  

Ironically, it seemed like Hyun-soo no longer had a choice in the matter. Tae-yeon had already taken her seat, eagerly hoping that Yoon Guk would allow her to stay by his side.  

Amid the brief commotion, Yoon Guk, who had been showing only his back until now, raised his hand and removed an earphone from his ear. She hadn’t even realized he was listening to music.  

‘What did you say?’  

Guk asked, looking at Tae-yeon. Tae-yeon froze for a moment before resuming her cheerful chatter.  

‘From now on, I’m your seatmate.’  

‘Why?’  

‘Huh?’  

‘Why should you be my seatmate?’  

Guk’s direct question left Tae-yeon momentarily speechless. Despite sensing the sudden silence around them, Guk calmly removed the other earphone and turned around. In doing so, his gaze met Hyun-soo’s, who stood there defenselessly.  

‘Isn’t the one at the bottom of the class my seatmate?’  

Hyun-soo wanted to correct him—it wasn’t that bad—but Guk quickly averted his eyes, leaving her unable to respond. Meanwhile, Tae-yeon, now seated beside him, strained to smooth out her expression.  

‘Since this is your first time at our school, Yoon Guk, and you must feel out of place, it’d be better if someone like me, a class officer, helped you adjust to school life. Don’t you think? Besides, your current seatmate has already agreed to the switch.’  

It seemed she was relying on the adage, ‘You can’t spit in a smiling face.’ Armed with a saccharine smile, Tae-yeon wasn’t about to give up easily. Just as her persistence began to feel like subtle stubbornness, Guk placed his pen down with a sharp tap and let out an audible sigh—one clearly laced with irritation.  

‘You.’  

‘Hmm?’  

‘What’s your name again?’  

Though it was just a single question, Tae-yeon lit up as if she’d won the lottery. Moving even closer to him, she whispered her name with a radiant smile.  

‘I’m Song Tae-yeon, the class president.’  

‘Ah.’  

‘If you have any questions, ask me. I’ll tell you everything—school-related stuff or anything else… it’s all fine.’  

As Tae-yeon spoke, Guk turned to look at her. Seeing his sharply chiseled profile after only glimpsing the back of his head made her swallow involuntarily. Watching the scene unfold, Hyun-soo felt the bread bag in her hand crumple even more pitifully, wondering if her seatmate was really being replaced just like that.  

‘Song Tae-yeon.’  

‘Yes!’  

‘Leave me alone.’  

‘What?’

‘Leave me alone.’  

‘Huh... what, what do you mean...?’  

‘Aren’t you supposed to be the class president? Is it okay for you to disrupt academic activities like this? I couldn’t even read a single page properly because of you.’  

Though his words sounded accusatory, his tone was utterly indifferent. As he spoke, Guk lifted his book and waved it in front of Tae-yeon’s face. Flustered and red-faced, Tae-yeon trembled before abruptly standing up, pushing her chair back.  

‘Everyone, back to your seats! The bell is about to ring!’  

Her frustration was directed at the other students now. The crowd of classmates, who had gathered like a swarm of bees, reluctantly dispersed, disappointed that the situation had fizzled out so anticlimactically. No sooner had they returned to their seats than the classroom door opened, and the teacher for the next period walked in.  

‘What are you still doing standing there?’  

Seeing the pointer aimed at her, Hyun-soo finally snapped out of her daze. Young-mi and Joo-yeon had already returned to their seats long ago. Those sneaky little—  

Hyun-soo bit down on her inner lip as she awkwardly took her seat. She could still feel the warmth radiating from beside her and the faint, pleasant scent of soap. He’s still my seatmate, she thought, a fleeting realization brushing her mind.  

Had he defended her? The thought sent a small flutter through her chest, an unexpectedly pleasant sensation.

‘Let’s go to karaoke, karaoke!’  

‘No way. I have to go eat tteokbokki.’  

‘You can eat after we play. Let’s go to karaoke first.’  

‘I said no! Don’t you know how hard it is to get a reservation at Bulkkot Tteokbokki? I barely managed to book it, and you’re ruining it.’  

‘Bulkkot? That changes things. Let’s eat first.’  

‘Exactly, let’s eat and then die happy. Eating comes first.’  

‘Let’s go, let’s go.’  

After school, with most of the students already gone, Hyun-soo had barely slung her bag over her shoulder when Young-mi and Joo-yeon linked arms with her from both sides. They were preemptively blocking her escape since Hyun-soo usually avoided spicy food like the plague. Catching onto their intentions, Hyun-soo smirked.  

‘Oh, please. You guys can’t fool me. I see right through you.’  

‘Yeah, sure. You’re the one who falls for everything.’  

‘If anyone’s easy to read, it’s you, Kim Hyun-soo. Plus, you’ve got thin ears, don’t you?’  

‘She’d be hopeless without us. She’d get scammed left and right.’  

‘Curse you, curse you.’  

Despite their teasing, they all burst into laughter eventually. Pushing and pulling at each other, the three of them staggered toward the back door like a single, clumsy body.  

‘Today’s bill is on—’  

‘Huh?’  

‘What?’  

The three froze just as they stepped out the back door, confronted by an unexpected figure. Leaning casually against the wall and checking his wristwatch was none other than Yoon Guk.  

‘Uh...’  

Should they greet him or not? Ignoring him felt too cold-hearted, but saying hello seemed overly familiar since they’d only been seatmates for a day. While Hyun-soo’s mind raced with calculations, Young-mi and Joo-yeon exchanged nervous glances. He had looked good from afar, but up close, he was stunning.  

‘Ah, hi. See you later.’  

In the end, Hyun-soo greeted him, but immediately regretted it. They’d probably run into him at home later anyway. And since Young-mi and Joo-yeon didn’t know about their living arrangements, was this even the right move? She wasn’t sure. Her face flushed again as she berated herself for acting so awkwardly.  

‘Let’s go.’  

At Hyun-soo’s urging, Young-mi and Joo-yeon muttered, ‘Oh, uh,’ and started walking. Both of them secretly wanted to leave a good impression on Guk, but the timing felt off. With regretful expressions, they clicked their tongues and turned away.

‘Kim Hyun-soo.’  

At that moment, a sudden voice made all three of them turn around simultaneously.  

‘Huh?’  

‘Eh?’  

‘What?’  

Their responses overlapped, and Guk raised an eyebrow as if to ask what was going on before taking another step closer.  

‘Kim Hyun-soo. Where are you going?’  

‘M-me? I... I’m going to eat tteokbokki...’  

‘Tteokbokki?’  

‘Uh... Bulkkot Tteokbokki...’  

‘Go home.’  

‘What?’  

‘I said, let’s go home.’  

If this were a scene from a comic, three giant question marks would have been floating in the air. Hyun-soo, Young-mi, and Joo-yeon exchanged bewildered looks, unable to comprehend what Guk was saying.  

Moreover, it wasn’t ‘Go home!’ but ‘Let’s go home!’?  

‘What do you mean, suddenly? Why should I go home? I’m going to eat tteokbokki...’  

‘The lady of the house asked me to tell you.’  

‘The lady of the house?’  

‘Your mother.’  

‘My mom?’  

‘Yes. From now on, after school ends, come straight home with me.’  

So, this was all because of his mom’s instructions? It made a little more sense than it had a minute ago, but for Young-mi and Joo-yeon, who didn’t know that Guk lived with Hyun-soo, it only added to their confusion.  

And besides, shouldn’t Guk be more careful about revealing personal details like this in front of others? Somehow, it felt like he shouldn’t be so open about it.  

‘Our moms are close. That’s why.’  

‘What? What are you talking about? You just transferred here—how could you...’  

‘I’ll explain later. Today, you guys go ahead without her.’  

‘Are you crazy? It’s Bulkkot Tteokbokki! Not just any place, but Bulkkot! Are you really not coming?’  

‘Yeah, I’m not going!’  

‘Don’t come crying to me tomorrow if you regret it.’  

‘Hurry up and go!’  

In the end, Hyun-soo forcibly pushed Young-mi and Joo-yeon away, still brimming with unanswered questions. Guk, who had been silently observing the scene, checked his wristwatch again before speaking.  

‘From tomorrow, you’ll come straight home right after class. We don’t have time to waste like this.’  

As Guk spoke, facing Hyun-soo directly, a flicker of annoyance passed through his eyes. Feeling awkward for no reason, Hyun-soo nodded hesitantly.  

‘O-okay, I got it for now.’  

‘Let’s go, then.’  

Without looking back, Guk immediately turned and started walking ahead. Hyun-soo hurriedly followed him with quick, small steps.  

‘Hey! Wait!’  

‘...’  

‘I’ve been taking a taxi every day, you know? So maybe you could ride with me from now on... Hey? Yoo-hoo?’

It was the epitome of ‘You bark, and I’ll go my way.’ In reality, the distance between home and school was perfect for biking—too close for a car and slightly too far for walking.  

Since the family driver, Mr. Park, always chauffeured her sister Hyun-seo, Hyun-soo had grown accustomed to taking taxis. That had been the norm—until now. The moment Yoon Guk appeared and started accompanying her, that unspoken rule had shattered into pieces. Was this right? Was it supposed to be like this?  

‘Could you slow down a bit...?’  

But it seemed he didn’t hear her—or perhaps he chose not to. His long legs carried him in wide, quick strides, making it feel like an all-out sprint just to keep up with him from Hyun-soo’s perspective.  

After about 30 minutes of this relentless pace, with Hyun-soo panting heavily while chasing after his retreating figure, the mansion finally came into view. Realizing they had reached their destination, Hyun-soo let out a faint laugh and flapped her uniform jacket to cool herself down. Her entire body was drenched in sweat.