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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Textbook Tsundere
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“Ah……. Just as I thought.”
The bus was packed to the brim today, as always.
“Sorry.”
A-jin squeezed through the crowd and secured the most stable spot she could find.
But a musty smell started wafting from somewhere, and she pinched her nose shut.
“Eep.”
Being short, she’d often caught whiffs of people’s armpits.
This time, though, the stench was particularly bad.
Curious about the source, she looked up—and locked eyes with Ho-jin.
*So it was you.*
“Ah……. Hi.”
A-jin quickly dropped her hand from her nose and greeted him.
He gave a nod in return, and they both turned to stare out the window at the same time.
They’d never exchanged a word in class, so it felt awkward.
More than that, the smell made it hard to breathe.
But she couldn’t let it show or move away.
Ho-jin might get hurt.
She just held her breath as long as possible, spacing out her inhales.
“Hey! Puppy.”
Then someone called her by her nickname.
A-jin turned toward the voice.
“Come here.”
Jun-woo was beckoning her.
A-jin timidly shook her head.
“Come on, I’ve got something to say.”
He called her again.
“…….”
*Why should I go to you?*
A-jin turned toward the window, pretending not to hear.
Then he grabbed her wrist and pulled.
She was startled and flustered, but she couldn’t yank her hand free in such a crowded space.
Against her will, she was dragged over to him.
“Why?”
“…….”
She asked why he’d pulled her, but Jun-woo said nothing.
“You said you had something to say.”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“I said nope.”
“You called me over with nothing to say?”
“Thought you might pass out.”
“What?”
“Your face is all yellow.”
“Mine?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you talking about?”
A-jin touched her face, exasperated but realizing his intention—and feeling a bit grateful.
That didn’t mean all her resentment was gone, though.
She pouted to hide her real feelings.
*-Vroom. Thud-*
*-Screech. Cough-*
The bus driver showed no mercy to the passengers, driving rough as ever.
A-jin couldn’t steady herself properly.
Finally, at a speed bump, he slammed on the brakes without slowing down. A-jin stumbled and grabbed a woman’s hair instead of the seat handle.
“S-sorry!”
“I-it’s okay.”
The woman tried to play it off, but her pained expression said otherwise. A-jin felt terrible and didn’t know what to do.
“I’m sorry.”
A-jin kept apologizing profusely.
Watching her, he casually extended his arm.
“Grab my arm.”
“No thanks.”
But A-jin refused his offer.
*-Screech. Thud-*
The brutal driving continued, and A-jin’s body lurched again.
Jun-woo snatched her flailing hand and placed it on his arm.
“Don’t fall and embarrass yourself. Just hold on.”
“No…….”
“Just hold on.”
“Still…….”
A-jin tried to pull her hand off his arm, and Jun-woo furrowed his brow at her stubbornness.
“Fine, then fall and don’t expect me to help. It’d be embarrassing.”
*There it is. He’s just helping so he doesn’t look bad.*
A-jin pursed her lips.
*Still, I’m grateful.*
She still didn’t like him much, but today she felt a little thankful.
* * *
“Cho-hee, what’re you up to this weekend?”
Jong-min fidgeted, unable to stay still from nervousness.
He scratched his hands, shrugged his shoulders a bit, then tilted his head.
“This weekend? Why?”
“Wanna catch a movie?”
“A movie? Out of nowhere?”
“I scored some tickets.”
“…….”
Jong-min squirmed, terrified of rejection. Cho-hee found his distracted fidgeting annoying and lowered her gaze.
“N-not interested?”
With no reply, he asked again. Cho-hee finally rolled her eyes toward the sky, then flashed a pretty smile.
“How about we all four go?”
“All four?”
“Yeah. My friend likes Jun-woo, so I was hoping to introduce them. Let’s hang out as a group this time.”
“So we’re watching together?”
“Yeah. I’ll get the popcorn.”
“No way. I’ll cover everything.”
Jong-min grinned ear to ear at her agreement.
“But who’s this friend?”
“Huh?”
“The one who wants an intro to Jun-woo?”
At his question, the corners of Cho-hee’s mouth curved up slyly.
Then she lowered them and shook her head.
“You don’t know her.”
* * *
After lunch, Cho-hee walked A-jin all the way to her class. The other hallway would’ve been closer to her own classroom, but she deliberately passed A-jin’s in hopes of bumping into Jun-woo.
“Next time, let’s go to your class first.”
“Nah. The cafeteria’s closer to yours.”
“Still.”
“It’s fine.”
“We’ve got time left. Wanna sit for a bit?”
A-jin’s suggestion was music to her ears.
She could catch more of Jun-woo’s attention once inside.
“Huh? What’s this?”
On their way to A-jin’s desk, they spotted a prettily wrapped gift box sitting on it.
“Someone gave you a present?”
Cho-hee had seen plenty of gifts piled on her own desk, but never A-jin getting one like this.
She acted amazed, like it was a big deal.
A-jin was equally stunned and asked Jung-hwa, who was seated in front.
“Jung-hwa, is this mine? Who left it?”
“Dunno. It was here when I got here.”
*Who could it be?*
A-jin tilted her head, clueless.
“Open it anyway. There might be a note inside.”
“Oh! Right.”
At Cho-hee’s urging, A-jin carefully unwrapped it.
Their eyes peered inside together.
There was a pastel pink power bank.
And engraved on it: A-JIN.
“It’s cute. But who…….”
A-jin glanced at Jun-woo’s seat.
She had a pretty good idea who sent it.
Cho-hee thought the same.
In that instant, burning jealousy twisted her face.
*What the hell’s so special about a stupid thing like that? Annoying.*
* * *
A-jin couldn’t focus in class, too distracted by Jun-woo.
Should she thank him? Or refuse it?
It felt like he’d made that whole fuss just to get her to take the charger.
No. He was still wrong for throwing it out.
But engraving her name on it… maybe he wasn’t so bad.
Her mind was a mess.
Accepting it felt like forgiving everything. Refusing seemed too harsh. She agonized.
“That’s it for today. Anyone who didn’t turn in homework, submit by morning.”
Class ended.
A-jin hesitated, then approached Jun-woo.
“Um, th…….”
But he was already up and heading for the back door.
A-jin hurried after him.
“H-hey! Wait!”
He half-turned at her call.
“What?”
“Uh? Oh, well……. You know…….”
For some reason, thanks wouldn’t come out right.
He grew impatient at her stalling, speaking with a hint of irritation.
“What? I gotta hit the bathroom. Spit it out.”
“Ah! Uh. Thanks.”
“What?”
He squinted, her mumble too quiet.
*Fine, if I’m saying it, say it loud!*
A-jin shouted.
“I said thanks! But I didn’t mean for you to replace it or anything. It wasn’t just a charger to me, it had meaning…….”
“Yeah.”
“It was meaningful, that’s why I said that. I really didn’t want a replacement.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jun-woo turned away indifferently from her rambling explanation.
“Thanks. I’ll use it well.”
A-jin called after his retreating back one more time.
He didn’t reply, just let a faint smile cross his face.
* * *
[You HAVE to come!! Just once. Please, just this once, help me out.]
Jong-min’s message dripped with desperation.
Jun-woo had tossed his phone on the bed without replying, annoyed.
But here he was at the theater.
Regretting it, yet he’d come for his friend’s plea.
Fiddling with his phone while waiting for Jong-min, someone in black slingback heels stopped in front of him.
Jun-woo looked up slowly.
Cho-hee stood there.
She’d spotted him from the entrance, sitting far off.
Even from a distance, he stood out—handsome as ever.
Cho-hee checked her reflection in the glass.
The black mini dress with a white collar made her look like a British princess.
Her neatly half-up hair was elegant and innocent.
Perfect.
Standing before Jun-woo, she met his eyes and gave a shy smile.
She wanted to look pretty for him.
“Hi.”
“Yeah.”
*Doesn’t he notice the effort?*
His indifferent gaze made her two hours of prep feel wasted.
But she knew his personality.
If anything, his gruff charm drew her in more.
Cho-hee pressed on with a sweet smile.
“Where’s Jong-min?”
“Not here yet.”
“Isn’t it time to go in?”
“I’ll call him.”
“He’ll be here soon. Let’s wait a bit more. Here, this first.”
Cho-hee handed him one of the coffees she held in both hands.
“…….”
He paused, then accepted it with a nod.
Silence stretched between them after.
Jun-woo stared at his phone. Cho-hee sipped her coffee, stealing glances at his profile.
She wanted to talk.
“You like mov…….”
“Where are you?”
But he called Jong-min.
Cho-hee tensed.
She strained to hear Jong-min’s voice from the phone.
-I’m at Mega Box? You there?
“Why’re you at Mega Box? I thought GGV?”
-Oh……. Park Jun-woo, I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you someday. Truth is, I wanted to go alone with Cho-hee, so I lied.
“What’re you talking about? Han Cho-hee’s right…….”
Cho-hee snatched Jun-woo’s phone and hung up.
Stunned by her actions, Jun-woo stared.
“What the hell?”
“Don’t tell him I’m here!!”
“What?”
“I said don’t tell him I’m here!”
He looked baffled. Cho-hee gazed at him pleadingly.
“Why not?”
“I like you.”
“Huh?”
His brow furrowed deeply at the onslaught of confusion.
“I messed up and came here by mistake too, but I was so happy. That it was you here, not Jong-min.”
“…….”
“I’ve liked you for so long.”
“Does Jong-min know?”
“No.”
He seemed to be struggling to process the awkward mess.
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Well……. You’re his friend. I didn’t wanna reject him and make things weird with you. Is it Jong-min you’re worried about? That’d be unfair. I like you.”
“No, more than that—I don’t get it. Isn’t creating this vague situation even more awkward?”
“It was the only way to get a natural chance to get close.”
“…….”
He was speechless for a moment.
Anxious, Cho-hee prodded.
“What about me? Don’t think about Jong-min.”
She waited nervously for his lips to part.
Finally, he spoke slowly.
“Sorry, but even if Jong-min didn’t like you, I wouldn’t.”
“Huh?”
No time for thinking it over, no “too sudden” excuse.
He rejected her confession outright.
It was her first taste of such cold dismissal, leaving her flustered.
“I’m not interested in you.”
His bold refusal flushed her face red with embarrassment.
*Who does he think he is!*
Her pride stung, anger rising, but she hid it.
She just welled up tears in her big eyes, hoping he’d look again.
“Still, without even thinking about it…….”
“Better to be clear. So reject Jong-min straight-up too. He’s out there flailing alone.”
Ignoring her tears, worrying only for his friend—it infuriated her.
Her pride shattered further, and one tear spilled over.
She hoped the rolling tear would be her weapon.
“If I clearly reject Choi Jong-min, will you give me a shot then?”
“That’s separate. I’m not looking to date anyone right now.”
“…….”
“See ya. I’m heading out.”
Jun-woo turned to leave without seeing the movie.
Outraged, Cho-hee rolled her eyes.
*He’s just gonna go?*
She couldn’t let him leave like this.
A chance to be alone— she couldn’t waste it.
Pretending it was an accident, Cho-hee spilled the coffee on her own hand.
“Ow, hot!”
Her scream drew every eye in the theater to her.
Naturally, Jun-woo stopped in his tracks.
“What happened?”
Cho-hee clutched her scalded hand.
“I dropped it…….”
