READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 9.1
“You’re back? …Huh? H-honey?”
“Yeah, honey,” I replied casually.
The moment I said it, Eum-ah’s face turned beet red with an audible poof. Clearly, she didn’t dislike it! Haha! Neither do I!
“W-what!”
I tugged lightly on one of her long ears. They were supposed to be sensitive, so I was gentle, but she still flinched. Was she embarrassed or… enjoying it?
Still, now wasn’t the time for teasing. I leaned closer and whispered,
“Mommyammi found out.”
“F-found out? About what…?”
“The bathroom earlier. That crazy cat was eating Churu in the last stall and eavesdropping on us.”
“W-WHAT?!”
“Anyway, I told her we were flirting to get her off our backs. If she asks about it, just go with it, okay?”
“F-flirting…? W-we’re f-flirting…?!”
“Not for real! It’s just a cover story—why are you acting like this?!”
Suddenly, Eum-ah flopped onto her side with a thud. Her body trembled, looking exactly like one of those three-second rabbit gifs you’d see online.
“J-Jihyuk… and me… flirting…”
“Well, yeah, that’s the story, so keep that in mind…”
“Jihyuk… and me… flirting…”
She wasn’t even listening anymore.
“Anyway, if things get messy, just explain that you let me. Mommyammi’s the type to assume you’re a victim no matter what. I’m scared she’ll accuse me of something and blow this out of proportion.”
“Y-yeah! Got it!”
Eum-ah suddenly stood up, her expression resolute. Placing her hands on her flushed cheeks, she declared,
“Don’t worry, Jihyuk! Eum-ah will protect you!”
That was unexpectedly reassuring. Go, Choi Eum-ah!
Later, the lecture hall was finally opened by Kyeon Na-ri, the teaching assistant, who came sprinting back from the cafeteria. Being part canine, she wasn’t even winded despite her ridiculous speed.
The lecture began shortly after, but throughout class, I could feel Mommyammi’s suspicious gaze boring into me and Eum-ah.
Honestly, I couldn’t even blame her. It did look a bit sketchy. Heh.
After class, Eum-ah and I found ourselves in the dormitory elevator together. Tilting her head, she asked,
“J-Jihyuk… are you having ramen for dinner again tonight?”
“Nope.”
“Th-then what…?”
“I’m having two bowls of ramen. All I had for lunch was that triangle kimbap.”
“Oh, I see. Th-then… do you want to eat together?”
Wait. Was this… that? Was she asking, “Do you want to come over to my place for ramen?”
Nice try, Choi Eum-ah, but not tonight.
“Nah. I’m eating alone tonight.”
“Ah… oh… okay…”
“It’s just one of those nights. I feel like eating solo.”
“Mm… I understand…” she mumbled, looking utterly deflated.
As soon as we stepped off the elevator, she shuffled toward her room, clearly disappointed. Sorry, but I need this. Spending time with you is draining.
Back in my room, I slumped into my chair. “Ugh. What kind of ramen should I have tonight? …Huh? Na Min-seo?”
A notification popped up. Na Min-seo had messaged me.
After a brief exchange on KakaoTalk, I put my phone away and focused on the more pressing matter.
“Time for ramen! Let’s go!”
[KakaoTalk Messages]
Na Min-seo: How’d it go with the “VG solo-action” girl?
Me: Turns out she’s a goddess. LOL.
Na Min-seo: What the hell? Explain.
Me: Nah, too much effort. LOL.
Na Min-seo: ???
There was no way I was going to admit that I’d gone from hearing about her solo activities to being in a situation where she was grinding on me. Some things were better left unsaid.
That evening, a new announcement appeared in the group chat for the design department.
[Baek Sang-ah]:
Hello, everyone! All class representatives and vice reps, please don’t go anywhere during tomorrow’s lunch break and gather in the first-year lecture hall! We need to finalize the MT schedule! Let’s order jajangmyeon for lunch—it’s on me!
MT!
What’s MT, you ask? It’s short for “Membership Training,” a bonding trip for students of all grades in the department! A time-honored tradition for freshmen—the highlight of their first year! (By the way, MT doesn’t mean motel. Let’s not get that wrong.)
[Ha Ti-ho]: Got it!
[Kim Daram-i]: Noted~
[Yang Hwa-bin]: Confirmed~
[Me]: Understood!!
Everyone sent their confirmation messages.
Well, everyone except one person.
The stubborn “1” indicator lingered, but eventually, it disappeared, and a new message popped up.
[Mommyammi]: Confirm.
What a jerk.
Hmm. If I’m eating with the upperclassmen tomorrow, does that mean Choi Eum-ah will have to eat alone? It’s strange to think about. Ever since the semester started, we’ve been practically glued together. Now that I’m planning to eat with someone else, it feels… odd.
Just then, a KakaoTalk notification popped up from Eum-ah.
[Choi Eum-ah]: Jihyuk, want to work on assignments together in my room?
Assignments? Or something else? Was it just me, or was this fishy?
‘It’s not just you. It’s obvious.’
Assignments at this hour? Yeah, right. Her intentions were crystal clear. Besides, we don’t even have any assignments!
[Me]: I’m going to sleep, lol. Bye.
[Choi Eum-ah]: Ah… o-okay…
Does she really need to sound so dejected even over text?
The next morning.
“G-good morning, Jihyuk…”
Choi Eum-ah greeted me with a weak smile.
Her words said “good morning,” but the dark circles under her eyes screamed otherwise.
“Did you not sleep?”
“N-no… I was up… thinking about you…”
So she stayed up thinking about me while handling herself?
The mental image was… stimulating. My body reacted, but I kept calm. I’m a gentleman, after all.
“By the way, you’ll have to eat lunch alone today.”
“H-huh…? W-why all of a sudden…?”
She’d clearly assumed we’d eat together.
“I have a class rep meeting during lunch. I’m eating with the upperclassmen afterward.”
“T-then… if I wait for you… can we eat together after?”
“Miss Choi Eum-ah, were you not listening? I said I’m eating with the upperclassmen. You, a regular student, can’t just crash the meeting.”