Chapter 103
“Then I’ll let go.”
As if to say he would hold on tight until then, he grabbed my wrist with both hands. The frequency of his kissing sounds increased rapidly.
My lips, which had been pressed together in a straight line, parted when his tongue slipped out. As his wet tongue tip licked along the lines of my palm, feeling embarrassed and awkward became secondary issues.
“Eu…”
But contrary to my resolve, pronunciation didn’t come easily. My complexion was probably burning an even brighter red than Ryu Eun-seok’s.
“Eu, Eun-seok.”
The rippling corners of Ryu Eun-seok’s eyes returned to their original sharp shape. Because he usually smiled so much, I hadn’t realized it, but seeing only his eyes like this, hidden by my hand, he gave off a rather cold aura. Even now, receiving his gaze fixed on me without a trace of a smile, my neck shrank back involuntarily.
“You said you’d let go if I called your name.”
When I shook my wrist and urged him, Ryu Eun-seok belatedly released his grip. The cool breeze brushed against my finally freed, damp palm. The ticklish feeling grew stronger, so I quickly wiped it on my pants.
“Let’s go now.”
“Sang-hee.”
Ryu Eun-seok held me back with only his low voice, without touching me.
“Let’s do well this semester too.”
His sharp features from a moment ago had returned to their usual relaxed state.
“Without fighting.”
I knew exactly what time he was referring to. Remembering how petty I had been back then made me unable to lift my head.
“Yeah.”
Though I pretended to have an indifferent expression, I was actually struggling to keep my balance amid the wave-like surge of excitement.
Even when we returned to the dormitory walking apart, even when Ryu Eun-seok waved at the entrance where the living quarters separated, even when I turned away and walked off, even when he was still standing in the same spot, and even when I caught him smiling slightly as our eyes met—I felt as if I were standing on a bobbing boat.
I wanted to tell someone every detail of what happened with Ryu Eun-seok today. What he said, how he smiled, how handsome he looked—I wanted to brag about it all without missing a single thing.
Heading up to my dorm room, I fidgeted with my phone. But the person at the very top of my chat list was the subject himself, Ryu Eun-seok. And this wasn’t something I could bring up in the family group chat.
Today of all days, my dry, unexciting chat list had never felt so disappointing.
***
Monday morning, my footsteps slowly slowed as I entered the classroom. No one was going to pay me any attention, yet I was alone in my nervous tension.
Ryu Eun-seok had suggested we go to the business building together, but I coldly refused. Since we had agreed to keep it a secret, he kept trying to give us away, and I had to shut him down every time. When I said that just because we were a couple didn’t mean we had to do everything together, he sent me a flood of crying emojis.
I sat in my usual spot, the second row from the front, middle seat. Sitting as close to the wall as possible gave me a sense of psychological stability, but class was the exception.
With about a five-minute gap, Ryu Eun-seok appeared beyond the classroom door. The man with the sulky expression found me instantly. His protruding jaw was full of discontent.
Without any special acknowledgment, Ryu Eun-seok came into the classroom and took the seat one space away from me.
Then he plopped his bag down on the chair between us. The panda doll keyring dangling from the zipper swayed.
Ah, right. That keyring…!
I glanced at my backpack hanging on the hook under my desk. In my rush to not show that we were dating, I had completely forgotten that we shared matching keyrings.
Anyone quick-witted would notice immediately. And because Ryu Eun-seok’s usual style didn’t match that cute doll at all, it stood out even more.
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