Chapter 341

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'Oh, my god! This is making me so uncomfortable!' Pulling the giant teddy bear into my arms, I hid my face more onto Yeo Dan oppa's back. Other people showed a weird expression on their faces.

I was about to cry. A couple wandering around the town on a weekend evening with the girl hugging a teddy bear in her arms... I knew how this would look like in others' eyes.

The boys were the first to burst into a loud cheer. Swarming into Yeo Dan oppa, they asked, "Dude, what's going on? We heard Kim Sun Woo let you go join the group hangout on his behalf."

One of the boys suddenly raised his hand to cover his mouth with tears in his eye. 'Oh,' I murmured, 'I know that behavior pattern...'

Everyone then began to perform a soap-opera-like scene again while holding the wall or prostrating themselves near the couch.

"Yeo Dan, mommy can... now die in peace!"

"Hey, get out of my face! Why are we a couple?"

"You all shut up. Honestly, I'm the one who raised Ban Yeo Dan since he was a baby."

Listening to their bullsh*t, I wondered, 'How did Yeo Dan oppa befriend these people?' I thought about a theory that Yeo Dan oppa's friends acted frivolously to balance out the average atmosphere between them and Yeo Dan oppa, who was too calm. Did that theory happen to fit the fact?

If that wasn't the case... wouldn't this be Yeo Dan oppa's karma for being so flawless? Considering how Yeo Dan oppa's life would run so smoothly, God might have sprinkled some seasoning for him, which would be those friends.

Rambling such rude thoughts about the strangers, I looked back when someone suddenly tapped my shoulders. Two girls, who each had yellow and red hair shining below the karaoke light, were looking at me.

'Who... Who are they??' I tried to step back with a flinch. Before I could do so, the two girls raised their hands and slowly brought them close to my cheek.

Having been through a similar experience, I came up with a terrible thought instinctively. 'Cheek? Are they trying to slap me in the face?' I glanced at Yeo Dan oppa, but his friends cornered him with no way out, so he couldn't look in my direction at all.

'What should I do?' That was when I closed my eyes tightly.

"Oh, my god, look how soft her cheeks are!"

One of the girls dropped that remark with ease, which loosened up the strained atmosphere around my shoulders like a collapsing sandcastle. Feeling her finger poke me my cheek, I opened my eyes with a blink.

The two girls, who wore uniforms that belonged to a neighboring high school, were looking delighted as if they were kids who saw a doll for the first time. They exchanged words while touching my cheek.

"She's such a baby."

"We would have been like her when we were freshmen, right?"

"Nah, we didn't, even in freshmen."

What the heck was going on...? I squinted my eyes while looking at the two girls, who were perhaps the same age as Yeo Dan oppa and those I had never seen before. Why were they treating me in such a friendly way?

This was, for real, a strange situation since most of the girls, who were close to Yeo Dan oppa, couldn't avoid the jealousy of other girls around them. Even Ban Yeo Ryung, his sister, had to be at the receiving end of the hate from envious people. I mean, what was so wrong with siblings staying close?

As for having that long history, I was prepared to be slapped just now. However, I couldn't understand these people. They were fond of me as if I were a puppy or a kitten instead of a human being. Receiving their love for a while, I was soon dragged to the middle of the couch.

This time, they made me sit down and handed me some snacks and juice on the table. It felt like I suddenly changed from a pet into a Casanova, who had a group of women beside him.

"Try this. It's good."

"No, it isn't. Can't you see the leftovers? Have this one instead."

"What drinks do you like? If you don't like any of what we have here, I'll get you one on my way to the bathroom."

I couldn't respond since I had to chew five different kinds of snacks that came into my mouth at once. Barely swallowing the lump, I detached my lips at last.

"Uh... e... excuse... me..."

A moment of silence returned. Those who fought over feeding me first while holding snacks in their hands turned to look at me altogether.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I... I am not... Yeo Dan oppa's sister."

That was what I barely uttered since I couldn't ask them, 'Why were you so kind?'

This was the only reason I could imagine why they were having such amicable reactions while talking to me. Yeo Ryung didn't just receive hate from envious people. Some girls tried hard to impress Yeo Ryung to approach Yeo Dan oppa with less difficulty.

Thus, weren't these unnies also treating me this way for the same reason? The assumption sounded very reasonable to me, who was deeply rooted in distrust while living as a next-door neighbor to the Bans for almost four years.

However, the girls replied while opening their eyes wide at the same time, "I know. You don't look like him at all."

"And we all know what Ban Yeo Dan's sister looks like."

"How can someone forget her appearance?"

I emitted a whoop in my thought when someone dropped those words. Oh, that was so true. It really made sense. Whether it was Ban Yeo Ryung or Ban Yeo Dan, no one could forget their appearances regardless of their likes or dislikes and if they have a good memory or not.

Furrowing my brows, I let out a long wonder, "Um..." but only added inwardly, 'Then why...?'

From my attitude, they seemed to grasp why I was hesitant. Exchanging eye contact for a second, they asked me with a faint smile.

"Why aren't we jealous of you, who's close to Ban Yeo Dan?"

"Ah... that's..."

I couldn't nod or shake my head and reacted too honestly. It might look somehow rude, but the girls began to giggle while covering their mouths with their hands. My mind was, once again, facing an unsolved mystery. 'Eh? What on earth is going on?'

Yeo Dan oppa had become their topic, but why were they reacting this way? Did something happen that caused a sudden fall in Yeo Dan oppa's popularity before I realized?

However, my mouth gaped upon hearing their response.

"Do you think Ban Yeo Dan is a man to us? He's just... an ambassador of his sister."

"Excuse me?"

Someone beside them intervened while nodding, "He's more like a non-binary person to me."

"Looking forward to taking his partner position... at least, someone who knew him even a little bit wouldn't do such a thing."

"Exactly! Why would someone do that? You would only hear him talk about his sister, 24/7."

"That's very true."

Listening to their comments, the siren inside me rang intensely.

'Wise man! The wise man has appeared!' A strong impact struck my head as it did when I first met the Kim twins once I had entered high school.

While I was deeply impressed, they gave me a bottle of juice.

"You must have suffered just by staying with him. Take a sip and cheer up."

"Why don't you try this one too?"

Frozen on the spot, I barely moved my chin to chew and swallow all the different snacks with flavors that burst in my mouth. Watching my reaction, the girls complimented me again while saying, 'She's so cute!'

Receiving a bottle of juice that someone handed me, I nodded politely. I was getting thirsty just in time.

"Thank you."

"Oh, my god! So adorable!!"

Um, wasn't it rare for a person to call someone 'cute' when they were only a year older? Although I didn't understand this situation, wherein I became the number one cutie pie instead of Yeo Dan oppa, I decided to enjoy the moment since it was such a rare thing to happen. With that thought in mind, I took a big sip of juice.