.
Eun Jiho, Kim Hye Hill, Yoon Jung In, Eun Hyung, Kim Hye Woo… I went through all their messages hurriedly, but as soon as I recognized whose name I was looking for, I shut my mouth again. It was Yoo Chun Young, whom I had been searching through the texts.
It had already been two weeks since that happened. During my long weekend break, I didn’t hear anything from Yoo Chun Young; however, I just accepted that it was just the way he was.
Honestly, Yoo Chun Young and I didn’t keep in touch often. Well, we were still close friends. I felt comfortable being together and doing fun things with him, although we weren’t talking as much as I would with most of my close friends. His strangely naïve character always made me smile. He, however, didn’t have much contact with other people, and our relationship did not differ from others.
Yoo Chun Young and I were now attending different classes; therefore, the fact that both of us would lose contact for a few days wasn’t a big deal. However, it was a bit weird that I had not heard from him for the last two weeks.
After kissing my cheek, Yi Ruda still treated me the same as ever. This was why I thought that he was just playing with me. If Yoo Chun Young also kissed me with the same reason in mind, then he should be treating me like nothing unusual happened. Unless he had some complicated inner struggles that he hadn’t told anyone else?
Delving deep into my own thoughts for a while, I flopped down onto the bed. My room grew dark, but I didn’t want to open the lights. I carefully closed my eyes after staring at the empty chair. I raised both my hands and slowly covered my face. ‘Why am I doing this?’ I couldn’t let go of this feeling.
When I first fell into this world, I made a few promises to myself that I wrote on the calendar, ‘the day the web novel began.’
Never interact with these ridiculous people. I had no idea what would happen to me.
Never show my affection toward them. Characters in the novel were capricious beings, and the author had full authority on what to do with them, so things were unpredictable.
Once I grew attached to them, these promises that I reiterated in my mind shattered in just a snap; this happened a long time ago. I bit my lip while thinking about it.
Who wouldn’t accept them as friends when those attractive people poured blind affection and attention towards them? Who could firmly assert for years that he or she would not build a relationship with them at all? Therefore, I accepted them in my life as friends. At that time, I never imagined that the world would flip again.
Once I encountered the ruined construct site, heard the recorded voice message which said that the number doesn’t exist, saw the stranger next door… And when those who became my everyday life turned into something surreal and noticed that they could disappear from me at any time, I felt terrified to death.
They, however, became my friends anyway. I laughed out loud a bit while thinking about this. If I told them, ‘You guys will disappear from me one day, so I won’t accept you all as my friends,’ then how hilariously would they react? How much contempt would they give me? Therefore, I couldn’t say anything but continued our relationship while ignoring the growing wave of anxiety within me.
Ever since that incident, during my senior year in middle school, I promised something to myself again. It was a little different this time.
Never love someone.
Honestly, each of the Four Heavenly Kings was, though it might sound very odd, truly attractive and incredible.
Why would those people who were smart, rich, good fighters, and top rankers in their school—regardless of their recreational lifestyles—appear as male protagonists in romance novels? Four of those people existed around me, and how could I not have a crush on them?
However, I promised something to myself, ‘No matter what happens, never fall in love with those four.’ This was what I pledged to myself in my senior year in middle school. Besides, they had Ban Yeo Ryung beside them.
Looking at them from aside, I concluded, ‘Oh, I’m fortunate to know that everything here is just a novel. Unlike others, I could avoid chasing an impossible love because their appearances captivated me. How lucky was I, then?’ With that thought in mind, I heaved a sigh of relief.
‘However, thinking about it now…’ I slowly dropped my hands that were covering my eyes. ‘Well, I’m not sure, but was I really fortunate?’
Above my head, the antique clock I got from Woo Jooin that looked like a relic from some long-lost dynasty era sent out a few ticking sounds. In contrast to the growing quietness outside, different voices burst out loud within me to the point that I’d felt dazed and confused. I buried my face in my knees while thinking, ‘Is it really a fortunate thing? I wish I knew nothing like the rest of them…’
‘No matter how much I try, I will never get a piece of sincerity from them as long as Ban Yeo Ryung is beside them. If I wasn’t aware of this, then shouldn’t I feel elated now? If I hadn’t known that there wasn’t even a chance…’ I thought.
From the moment I woke up… no, since yesterday… and the day before yesterday… If possible, I wanted to deny the fact that I had been thinking about Yoo Chun Young for a long time.
I was the only person who knew that it was impossible between us. Still, I was about to start something absurd now. My eyes stung.
Without any words, I raised my hand to rub my stinging eyes. My phone then vibrated. I opened my eyes and stretched out my hand to pick up the phone. My vision then grew a bit blurry.
‘Is it Yoo Chun Young?’ I thought, but no, it wasn’t.
Sent by: Dam Eun
Heyyy
‘Dam Eun? She is…’ My eyes widened while thinking, ‘What’s up with her?’ She was a friend who moved to a different elementary school in Gwangju. Yes, she was the girl whom I confided back then about my thoughts on transferring to another school. Yoo Chun Young heard me when I said those words and nearly killed me.
She didn’t message people that much but preferred phone calls to solve things, so it had been a long time since I last saw a text from her. ‘Is there something going on with her?’ I wondered but hurriedly texted her back.
To: Dam Eun
Huhhhhh?
Her response arrived soon.
Sent by: Dam Eun
Oh, god lololololololol what a greeting girl
To: Dam Eun
You miss me want to see me huh?
Sent by: Dam Eun
Shut up I’ll miss you forever
Geez, I looked at my phone blankly before rolling over my bed while laughing, ‘Oh, come on!’ I quickly typed my message.
To: Dam Eun
When did I ever say that you’ll never see me lololol
Sent by: Dam Eun
LOLOLOLOLOL
To: Dam Eun
Oh, you’re fluttering my heart lolololol
Sending that text, I lied on my stomach. Soon, the phone vibrated again.
This time it was a phone call. As soon as I opened my flip phone, Dam Eun spoke in her uniquely abrupt voice. No, that’s not quite right. It seemed that she’s only using that way of talking to me.
“Hey.”
“Uh-huh,” restraining my laugh, I replied shortly.
She didn’t change a bit, but her voice had a bit of seriousness in it too. Then, something came across my mind.
We mostly had phone calls when our exams were over or during the holiday seasons, such as Christmas, New Year, etc. Other than these days, we seldom talked on the phone. We were busy studying and going to school, so we gave tacit consent.
However, our mock test period in June was about to come. ‘She will be busy studying, but why did she call me?’ As soon as I had that thought in mind, Dam Eun flung a question.
“Hey, when did you get up?”
“Me? Just now.”
“Did you see the web?”
“No, why? Did something happen?”
“Your friend is on top trending searches… this ain’t why I called you, though.”
Her words made me get up from bed slowly with a grimace. ‘What’s so special about being on top trending searches, anyway?’ I had been dumbstruck a long time ago when I opened my computer and found that Yoo Chun Young’s name on top of the trending list. Thus, seeing him there again was nothing special to me anymore.
Putting the phone between my head and my shoulder, I sat down in my chair and opened the computer.
“My friend, who? Maybe, it’s Eun Jiho or Yoo Chun Young.”
“Yeah, it’s Yoo Chun Young.”
‘What a prompt response! Hmm…’ I fell into thought while slightly nodding. When he was on the most searched words on the portal before, he came out to the masses that he’s the heir of the Balhae Group. ‘Then what could they be talking about them this time…?’ As I had that thought in mind, Dam Eun responded in a flash, which made me choke while coughing.
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