Chapter 361

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I changed my mind after looking at Ban Yeo Ryung's smile. People were fastening their gazes in this direction, not because Ban Yeo Ryung looked like she had just escaped from the hospital, but since she was just damn gorgeous.

Wearing the loose patient gown, her slender neck, wrist, and ankle particularly stood out. Her rolled-up pants, which she seemed to wear that way since it was slightly longer for her, looked very stylish. To join the sports match, she was wearing sneakers, not flip flops, on her feet.

Hmm... I briefly imagined Ban Yeo Ryung participating in the competition. She would definitely sweep over every game even with that hospital gown. I could estimate how weird it would look just by picturing the scenes in my head.

I suddenly uttered, "Yeo Ryung."

"Huh?"

The Ban siblings turned their heads to look at me simultaneously.

"The t-shirt for Class 1-1 is a unis.e.x outfit, right?"

Sometimes, boys didn't wear a class outfit but instead had some soccer uniforms arranged. When Ban Yeo Ryung tried to reply with her eyes wide open, someone called us from behind. I turned around.

"Mama!"

Jooin was running toward this side while swaying his hospital gown sleeves. His bright blond hair also swung along with his movements.

Directing my eyes behind his back thoughtlessly, I soon burst into laughter, "Pfft." I flopped down on the ground as my legs turned like jelly. Ban Yeo Ryung and Yeo Dan oppa became surprised at the same time. While I tried to stand up holding Yeo Dan oppa's hand, which was just stretched out to me, someone dropped a perverse question.

"Why are you laughing the minute you see me?"

'Then why did you avoid me the minute you saw me?' Those words welled up in my throat, but I flaunted a smile instead.

Looking at me while still squatting on the ground with laughter, Eun Jiho said, "Dude, just get up first. Everyone's looking at you."

I replied desultorily while smiling, "Nah, it's just... you... you look so awkward." Lifting my head to recheck his overall appearance, Eun Jiho looked like an elite agent who stole a patient's gown to sneak into a hospital. If he wandered around a hospital with that look, he would be kicked out immediately. He looked weird with that outfit.

While Eun Jiho stared at me, laughing for quite a while, in annoyance, Yeo Dan oppa pulled me into his arms and raised me up. A moment of silence swept the space.

Pulling his backpack straps to adjust his posture, Yeo Dan oppa uttered, "See you later."

"Okay," I nodded. Gently tapping my head, Yeo Dan oppa turned around and headed toward Nam Gye High School. I realized we were going to different schools as I watched him being swept along in the crowd of students. At the same time, my heart was all aflutter in anticipation of today's event, Sports Day. I adjusted my hairband and smiled.

"Are you gonna meet him after school again?"

"Huh?" Asking that way, I turned my head to look aside. Although he was the one who flung the question, Eun Jiho didn't look at me but was staring at Yeo Dan oppa. His gaze was somehow cold and persistent.

Being perplexed for a moment, I replied evasively, "Well, maybe... we've been studying together, after all. He's a senior in high school."

Since Yeo Ryung was beside us, I couldn't tell him that Yeo Dan oppa and I were faking a relationship to get rid of his stalker, so I was getting his free tutoring session in return for having this relationship.

Anyway, could I act like I know him again now? Rolling my eyes for a second, I carefully asked, "By the way, when do you have time?"

"Why?"

Being conscious of Ban Yeo Ryung, I replied as composedly as possible, "I have something to tell you."

If Eun Jiho was finally inclined to talk to me, it was a fortunate thing. Besides Yi Ruda, I gained another person I could confess my secret about Yeo Dan oppa and my relationship with. A person whom I trust enough to share my secret...

However, Eun Jiho just frowned wordlessly. He struck a retort, which made my jaw drop onto the ground.

"NO! Why would you take time out of your busy dating schedule to meet me?"

"What? Hey, what the heck is wrong with you...?" I raised my voice.

Jooin and Yeo Ryung, who were chitchatting loudly beside me, turned their heads to look at us. As if Yeo Ryung wasn't paying attention to us, she tilted her head in wonder. Jooin, on the other hand, seemed to have heard our conversation, pretending like he didn't.

Heaving a sigh, Jooin pulled Eun Jiho and asked, "Hey, why are you talking that way?"

"Ah, I know. This isn't what I'm trying to do..."

Eun Jiho suddenly disheveled his hair as if he was all jammed up inside. I stared at him in surprise. Meanwhile, he dropped his hands and murmured, "That's why I've tried not to talk with you..."

"What does that even mean...?" I slurred the end of my sentence then closed my mouth. As I breathed out twice in silence, the three all looked anxious. Amid the situation, I opened my mouth while trying to speak as nonchalantly as possible.

"Now, I realized that you think I'm the kind of person who would neglect you guys just because I'm dating someone." However, I couldn't help my voice from trembling.

Eun Jiho replied as if he became bewildered, "Uh, that's not what I meant... Gosh..."

Eun Jiho disheveled his hair again as if he was feeling frustrated. Watching him behaving that way with a cold gaze, I turned on my heel. Pulling Yeo Ryung's arm closer to me, I added, "Never mind. I shouldn't have time to talk to you guys when I have a boyfriend, right?"

"Dude, listen to me for a sec..."

"No! Why should I? Just as you said, I'm too busy to talk to you, right?"

Adding that way with a dry, flat voice, I pulled Ban Yeo Ryung and left. Eun Jiho and Jooin, standing in the school entrance, were increasingly getting farther away from me.

On her way to the classroom, Yeo Ryung glanced behind her back as if she was feeling on edge. She carefully opened her lips at last.

"Donnie."

"Yeah," I replied.

"Um... It's not that Eun Jiho wasn't thinking about you. When we happened to gather in the schoolyard, he was always staring at you."

I was aware of that too. As Sports Day was closely approaching, many classes came outside the schoolyard to practice; our class was at the schoolyard with Class 1-1 often. Whenever that happened, I could grasp the pouring gaze on my side.

But... but... hesitating for a moment, I barely blurted out, "Even if he glanced at me or thought about me..."

"Uh-huh," replied Yeo Ryung in a small voice with a nod.

Heaving a sigh, I concluded my words with a low voice, "... I'm upset because he would still talk and behave that way in front of me."

"Donnie."

Yeo Ryung grabbed my hand with a fl.u.s.tered look. She whispered, "Right. You're correct. It's very upsetting."

Biting my lips for a second, I continued, "He asked me to do him a favor while bringing out what happened three years ago, so I tried to understand him. How long do I have to stay like this without any promised time frame, though?"

"Donnie..."

"Since he initiated a conversation for the first time in a while, I thought that we're cool, but he started reacting that away again when I asked him to spare some time to talk about something."

My voice was becoming enraged, so I turned my head away from Yeo Ryung. It might look like I was losing my temper at her; besides, too many people walked past us. So many things had taken place between us. I really didn't want any bad rumors about us fighting to spread.

Throwing my glance outside the window, I uttered, "No, I'm just... I'm just wondering...."

"Uh-huh."

"What did I do... wrong...? Am I the only one clueless about this?"

Raising my hand, I firmly pressed my warm eyelid with my palm. I wouldn't be able to hide the look on my face if I didn't do that. I kept on speaking with difficulty.

"He told me that if something happens, I could just tell it to him any time. He said he would blame me if I didn't tell him anything if I ever need his help, but when I actually tried to tell him something, he's..."

Ban Yeo Ryung spoke with an anxious face, "Donnie, no. There's really nothing you've done wrong."

"Then, did he just get tired of me?"

"You know that doesn't make sense."

"That's what I've thought too," I replied determinedly.