76) Chapter 13. She Says She Wants to Talk to You (3)

*

Soi was confused.

Rua… talked to someone first?

No, of course Rua could talk to other people. That wasn’t strange. In fact, it was something to praise and encourage.

Having more friends would be good for Rua.

But the person she talked to was a boy?

A boy?

A boy?

…….

Calm down. Think again. Maybe it couldn’t be helped.

Rua was a girl too.

Even though Rua had always shown zero interest in male characters, only played games full of girls, and suspiciously enjoyed setting half‑naked female characters on her lobby screen… maybe she could be interested in boys?

No matter how she thought about it, that seemed unlikely.

Rua was way too honest about her tastes to hide something like that.

So Soi’s eyes kept scanning Nam Jinwoo’s face and body.

“Hm~.”

At Soi’s nasal hum, Jinwoo flinched.

Seeing that, Soi narrowed her eyes.

Not reliable at all.

And that annoyed her.

Of course, Soi knew Rua didn’t find her or Chae‑yi particularly reliable either.

Something had clearly happened, and Rua was suffering because of it, yet she kept hiding it from Soi and Chae‑yi.

Whenever they tried to ask, she dodged the question.

She always hid her pain and wounds.

Not that she had shown those wounds to Jinwoo either, but still—Rua, who usually let herself be dragged around by Soi and Chae‑yi, was suddenly acting so forward with this Jinwoo kid. It made Soi think too many things.

“…….”

Chae‑yi was thinking the same.

She remembered Rua from when they were very young.

Not all memories from the orphanage were clear. She couldn’t remember most of the kids’ faces, and even the teachers’ faces were blurry now.

Even the memories she had when she ran away to the orphanage had faded. But among those fading memories, Rua alone remained vivid.

Rua, who was always confident. Rua, who held her head high and declared, “I’m pretty!”

Rua, who said she would obviously become popular, so no matter what school she went to, they’d find her easily.

That Rua was nowhere to be seen now.

……But somehow, the Rua who talked to Jinwoo looked a little like that old Rua.

They’d only known Jinwoo for two weeks. They hadn’t even had a proper conversation.

So why could Rua talk to Jinwoo so confidently? Why could she invite him to eat together first?

Should she have acted more timid in front of Rua? She tried to adjust herself after seeing Rua’s situation, but maybe she acted too confidently?

Hyeonji was also confused.

Just last week, Rua had approached her wanting to be friends. But after the weekend, Rua suddenly acted like there was a wall between them. Whenever Hyeonji asked what was wrong, Rua only stuttered vague answers.

Yet she was showing interest in Jinwoo, someone she barely interacted with.

Hyeonji wasn’t as jealous as Soi or Chae‑yi, but Rua was her first friend since coming to this school, so she couldn’t help but care.

They were roommates too.

Of course, the biggest victim here was Jinwoo.

Jinwoo had been quiet even in middle school. Almost invisible.

She talked a little with some girls but never got close. A few kind boys included her in their group sometimes, but they never became close friends.

Because getting too close would cause too many problems.

So she had no immunity to this kind of attention. Three girls staring at her with jealousy, irritation, and curiosity.

“Ugh……”

Even if she groaned inwardly, it was useless.

Some passing students glanced at them, surprised by the unusual combination. Jinwoo wasn’t famous at the academy, so the attention was obviously directed at the girls walking with her.

A timid boy walking among pretty girls.

Of course people would stare.

So Jinwoo was simply overwhelmed.

She glanced at Rua.

Rua looked calm. Somehow, she even looked more comfortable than she did in class.

Why?

Rua was the one who created this tense situation, yet she alone looked peaceful. It was irritating in a way.

But what could she do? She was timid.

Unable to refuse, Jinwoo simply followed, hoping this would end soon.

*
*
*

What is this?

Why do I feel so relaxed?

After walking for a while, I finally understood.

Ah!

This is the same feeling I get when I’m with Mirae and Ji‑hye.

I didn’t get to meet them on the first weekend, but we still message each other often.

We usually talk about games or manga. Unfortunately, they prefer female‑oriented works, so they keep recommending male characters or series full of men, but it’s not unbearable.

The reason they’re comfortable isn’t because our tastes match—

It’s because they’re easy.

Yes. Mirae and Ji‑hye are “safe” people for me. Even if I say something awkward, they won’t get mad, and they can’t bully me.

So I never have to worry about being prey in front of them. They’re easy, so I can relax.

And Jinwoo is timid by nature, so I don’t have to be scared in front of her either.

If she were actually a boy, there might be things to worry about. But she’s not.

“So, what do you want to eat today?”

Lost in thought, I was startled when Hyeonji spoke to me.

I turned—and froze again.

Soi and Chae‑yi’s expressions were terrifying in different ways. Soi was smiling, and Chae‑yi wasn’t making any expression at all, but both had something ominous simmering underneath.

I didn’t know why.

“Uh, um… what do you want to eat?”

So I passed the question to Jinwoo.

Hic.

Jinwoo hiccuped. Soi and Chae‑yi’s gazes toward me grew even sharper, but I pretended not to notice.

“Uh, uh, m‑meat?”

She seemed to have forced her brain to produce a single word.

“Then let’s get steak.”

I said quickly and looked back.

Soi and Chae‑yi still had the same expressions. Hyeonji looked complicated.

But none of them objected.

I expected that, but I still let out a tiny sigh of relief inside.

*

There were many cute shops on the academy grounds.

There were barbecue places too, but teachers used them so often that students avoided them.

Besides, how well could high schoolers grill meat? Most were used to their parents grilling it at home.

So the “Instagram‑style” cafés and restaurants were more popular.

“O‑oh…”

Jinwoo, who had been stiff with fear, let her eyes sparkle a little when we entered the restaurant. She quickly returned to her timid expression, though.

Well.

Just because she’s “a boy” doesn’t mean she can’t like pretty places.

I also prefer clean, nice places when I eat. Clean bathrooms are a bonus.

So this wasn’t enough to confirm she was a girl.

We took our seats.

I ordered a big steak. Soi ordered a big steak. Chae‑yi ordered a slightly smaller steak.

Surprisingly, even Hyeonji chose a large steak.

And Jinwoo, after hesitating, chose… mala rosé pasta.

Of course, boys can like mala too.

But I don’t. I’m not big on strong spices. I’ll eat it if Soi or Chae‑yi want it, but that’s it.

“……W‑why?”

Jinwoo asked nervously as four girls stared at her.

“Are you worried about the price?”

“N‑no.”

She shook her head quickly.

Well, the original never said she was poor.

So this must be her genuine preference.

Hmm.

I narrowed my eyes, and Jinwoo tried to look away, turning her head left and right—only to find girls staring at her from every direction. She lowered her head completely.

……Ah. I feel a little bad.

I can relate too well.

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Pub: 15 Apr 2026 07:17 UTC

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