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“Hey.”
“Noeul, I’m out to meet Jiwoo now,” Joonki replied as soon as Noeul answered the phone.
“Already? It’s just past one. What happened to two?”
“Yeah, came out early.”
“In this heat?” Noeul asked, incredulous.
“Should I pretend I just arrived when she comes?”
“Maybe… but that’s a bit much.”
“Well then, what? Hide and show up late?”
“No, this isn’t a movie. If she asks, say you came ten minutes early.”
“Ten minutes. Got it.”
“Are you seriously asking me?”
“You know Jiwoo better than I do.”
“Not really. I’m just her friend.”
“Still, what vibe should I go for?” Joonki asked. “Upbeat or chill? I’m worried I’ll seem stiff if I try to stay calm.”
“It’s fine to be nervous. Jiwoo knows you like her. Being fake would feel forced.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I am nervous. Just be natural, right?”
“You seem excited. Try speaking a bit slower than usual.”
“Slo-w-er… tha-n… us-ual…”
“Not that slow, idiot. Why are you acting like a fool? You’ve dated before.”
“I’m used to relying on my looks.”
“Now your true colors are showing. Didn’t you say you don’t get why people think you’re good-looking?”
“Of course I know. I was being modest.”
“Unbelievable.”
They both laughed.
“I feel better now,” Joonki said. “Thanks. I’ll try not to mess up this time.”
“Yeah.”
“Any more advice?”
“Get out of here. I have zero interest in dating.”
“Not dating advice. I mean how to win someone over as a person.”
Noeul paused before replying, “Just remember, even without your looks, you’re a good person. Easy to talk to and genuinely nice. People will notice that in conversation, even without you bragging.”
“That’s more like you.”
“Whoa, I’m feeling icky now.”
Joonki laughed. “I wish you were a girl. I’d date you.”
“Even with my face? As long as I have long hair, right?”
“Let me think about that.”
“Oppa, you never understand me!”
“Oh, damn.”
They both laughed again.
“Feel free to use funny stories about me,” Noeul offered. “A little exaggeration is okay, but don’t go overboard.”
“Really? Our friendship’s reaching new heights.”
“Just don’t make up too much. If Jiwoo gets back to me and goes, ‘Joonki said you pooped yourself on the street,’ you’re dead.”
“Got it. I’ll exaggerate by thirty percent.”
“That’s a bit much… but fine. For now, thirty is allowed.”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah. Good luck,” Noeul said.
“I’ll keep you posted.”
“Sure.”
Joonki hung up, feeling grateful for Noeul.
The truth was, he’d been feeling jealous of Noeul lately. It seemed Jiwoo was only interested in his friend, leaving Joonki feeling overlooked. At first, it seemed she was doing it intentionally. She constantly brought up Noeul and made sure he was included whenever they spent time together…
But Jiwoo’s interest never shifted toward Joonki.
Did she like Noeul more? It didn’t make sense. Joonki eventually decided Jiwoo wasn’t looking for a ‘boyfriend,’ but a ‘friend.’ And as a friend, maybe Noeul was a better fit. After all, Noeul was thoughtful, funny, and had no hidden agenda.
This made Joonki like Jiwoo even more. Most pretty girls wouldn’t befriend an unattractive guy, thinking it’d make them look bad. Usually, they preferred Joonki. But Jiwoo cared only about genuine goodness.
It made Joonki want to win her heart more. Everyone knew he was handsome. But if Jiwoo liked him, it’d prove he was more than just looks.
Then, he saw Jiwoo approaching.
She wore a short pleated skirt and a light cardigan. Each step made her skirt sway, showing off her legs. The cardigan highlighted her delicate shoulders and curves.
As she got closer, Jiwoo looked slightly sullen, like she wasn’t thrilled to be there.
Joonki wasn’t upset. He knew Jiwoo wasn’t particularly interested in him, which only increased his attraction. Most girls would smile at his face and laugh at anything he said.
Joonki wanted Jiwoo’s acknowledgment.
“Isn’t it hot?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
“There’s a café nearby. Should we go?”
“Sure.”
***
“That game is a masterpiece.”
“Noeul pulled all-nighters playing it in freshman year. Can’t believe he got you hooked too!”
“There’s a reason for that. Once you start, you can’t stop.”
When Joonki mentioned lacking shared interests with Jiwoo, Noeul suggested Happy Farm. He said it’d excite Jiwoo and break the ice.
Noeul was right. Jiwoo was obsessed with Happy Farm.
Joonki listened, nodding as Jiwoo chattered on.
“Everyone’s playing it in our department.”
“Yeah. Happy Farm’s ruined a lot of grades,” Joonki replied. “But Noeul’s impressive. Top of the class while playing that game.”
“He’s so good at everything. If I have kids, I’d want Noeul to teach them.”
“Among my friends, he’s the smartest and has the best personality.”
“Right? My instincts were spot on. That’s why I wanted to get close to him.” Jiwoo agreed eagerly whenever Noeul came up. “Noeul said good things about you… How’d you become friends?”
“We met during that class trip in first semester. Before you transferred.”
“Ah, right.”
“I’d just come from Busan, missed orientation, had no friends. Everyone just glanced at me. Noeul was the first to talk to me.”
“Oooh, that’s just like him.” Jiwoo listened intently.
“He’s like that, right? Seems shy, but he can be bold. Doesn’t talk much, but he livens things up.”
“True. I like Noeul’s jokes. Funny without offending anyone.”
“Exactly. That’s why I like him.”
Joonki appreciated Noeul bridging him and Jiwoo. Without that, he’d have little to discuss with her alone.
It wasn’t fully satisfying getting closer through Noeul’s help rather than his own effort. But wasn’t getting closer the main goal? Then conversations would flow naturally, leading to even more closeness. Eventually, something unique to just Joonki and Jiwoo would develop.
“Are you really from Busan?” Jiwoo asked.
“Yeah.”
“How come you don’t use any dialect?”
“I practiced hard during freshman year.”
“Most people still struggle to fix it.”
“They probably don’t try hard enough. I use it with my parents, though.”
“So you can switch it. Impressive.”
“Yeah. Glad I fixed it before meeting you,” Joonki chuckled.
“It’d be fine if you used it. I know a few girls who do, it’s cute,” Jiwoo said.
“No, it’d be super duper hilarious.”
“‘Super duper’ is more hilarious than your dialect.”
“Oh right. Noeul told me to stop saying that.”
“Noeul did?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course he did.”
“Is it really that weird?”
“Well… it kind of ruins the vibe.”
“You should’ve told me sooner.”
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“So now it’s okay to hurt them?”
“Hmm… good point.”
Joonki grinned.
He decided against confessing to Jiwoo now. He feared it might revert them to that awkward not-close-but-not-distant stage.
Joonki liked things as they were. He felt he could gradually get closer to Jiwoo from here.
***
Noeul stared at Joonki’s message:
[Just finished meeting Jiwoo. I owe you big time. Got a good feeling about this.]
He replied after a long pause:
[Expecting at least a steak for the treat.]
Joonki responded quickly:
[Steak? You know what, I’m in a good mood. It’s on me.]
Noeul sent a dancing fox emoji, then silenced his phone and tossed it aside.
[I owe you big time. Got a good feeling about this.]
Reading it again, Noeul felt something cold inside. His conflicted feelings revealed he’d hoped for a different message. Something like, Jiwoo’s not that into me, the vibe was off. You helped, but it didn’t work.
He’d imagined getting such a message and thinking, I really tried my best. Nothing more I could do. He’d pictured shaking off his guilt, with Jiwoo and Joonki not working out, everything turning out well for him.
Why had he hoped for that? He knew attraction wasn’t special. Isn’t it more unusual for a pretty girl and a handsome guy to meet without a spark? Why had he expected otherwise?
Noeul realized he hadn’t truly believed things would work for Joonki and Jiwoo. Or maybe he just didn’t want to. He’d placed too much trust in Jiwoo’s earlier reactions: that Joonki was boring, their conversations didn’t flow, that she wasn’t interested.
He shook his head.
Tired of self-blame, he wanted to stop thinking about it. If they ended up together, fine; it wasn’t his concern anymore. He wanted to move on.
But seeing Jiwoo the next day, Noeul realized he hadn’t fully let go.
“As you said, Joonki’s really a great guy.”
Those words chilled him.
He’d hoped Joonki’s feelings weren’t reciprocated. He’d thought maybe Jiwoo would feel differently, that Joonki’s good vibe was just a misunderstanding.
Why did hope feel strongest when shattered?
“I told you it wouldn’t hurt to listen to me,” Noeul said.
I’m okay, he thought.
“I did some reflecting, too,” Jiwoo said.
It worked out for the best.
“You realized you shouldn’t judge too quickly?” Noeul guessed.
Everything is as it should be.
“Yeah. Thanks to you.”
“…”
“Thanks, Noeul.”

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