Became an Observer in Love Company

The night air was cold.

The can in my hand was colder still.

It was a drink I’d never seen before. Not one I usually enjoyed or even liked.

Strange design, barley-flavored soda – how peculiar.

But when I took the first sip,

The sensation spreading in my mouth was surprisingly pleasant.

It wasn’t a familiar taste, not one I had expected, yet it made me feel inexplicably good.

I looked down at the can.

“…Weird.”

I muttered quietly.

That he picked a drink that suited my taste so well…

It could just be a coincidence.

Maybe it was just lucky guess.

But still. I looked up at him.

His silhouette stood clearly under the streetlight.

An emotionless face.

Yet even in that aloofness, there was a hidden kindness I could sense.

At the back of the gym,

At the bus stop,

Why did I keep ending up noticed by this person?

I rubbed the can with my fingertips again.

He shrugged in front of me.

“If you don’t like it, just throw it away. It’s buy-one-get-one anyway.”

His deep voice carried.

Seeming indifferent, but not light.

I found his words strangely irritating.

I drank it because I wanted to, not because he picked it.

Still, realizing how well it suited me made my chest feel strangely ticklish.

“…Your contact.”

I spoke first.

As soon as the words came out, my heart beat twice quickly. Not “thump thump” but a fast “thump-thump.”

He tilted his head.

“What?”

“…Since we’re in the same club, I thought it’d be useful.”

He took out his phone without hesitation.

I followed naturally.

✉ [Contact added.]

When the small notification popped up, I held my breath for a moment.

He put his phone away.

Still, I stared at my screen for a while.

He’s just a normal clubmate.

Still.

I almost pressed his name again.

My fingertips stiffened slightly.

“Weird.”

It could just be a misunderstanding.

Maybe it was just a coincidence our tastes matched.

And maybe I was overthinking his casual kindness.

But still.

I ran my fingertips along the can and looked up quietly.

“See you tomorrow.”

Leaving those short words, I boarded the bus.

The doors closed soon after and the bus started moving slowly.

The bus stop receded through the window.

He was still standing there.

Not moving anywhere, just standing still.

The sight bothered me.

My fingertips stiffened subtly.

The distance between us felt off, by just a little.

I leaned against the window and quietly held my phone.

Without naming the feelings I felt toward him.

But still.

The memory of the drink he chose kept lingering in my mind.

*

The Performance Club lived up to its long history in its size.

The number of freshmen alone was countless. Too many to count individually.

On one side of the auditorium, the newcomers formed natural clusters.

The groups were largely divided into girl groups and boy groups, having conversations.

I idly looked on while organizing the camera equipment.

The girls’ group was buzzing with talk about their ideal types.

“Hey, Senior Yeonhee, what’s your ideal type?”

When someone asked jokingly, Seo Yeonhee paused her fiddling with her tablet and grinned mischievously.

“Hmm~ Relationships shouldn’t be too emotional. You need to consider each other’s personalities. Someone who can lead and has sense is more important than someone who just tries too hard.”

“Ooh~ Definitely a relationship expert!”

“Looks like she has a lot of experience, right?”

Seo Yeonhee smiled as if this was routine.

“Of course. In theory, I’m Black Belt in relationships.”

“…Wait? Theory?”

Only then did the atmosphere feel slightly off.

“So, like, when you see patterns in books or movies, right? When you’re teasing someone, the important thing is-”

“Senior… don’t tell me you’ve never been in a real relationship?”

The calm atmosphere suddenly turned into chatter.

Seo Yeonhee flinched, then quickly looked away while pretending to look at her tablet again.

“N-not important, the flow is important! They say timing is everything in relationships!”

“Ah, so you’ve never seen the timing?”

Seo Yeonhee desperately turned to Lee Jian, her eyes carrying a cry for help.

“Jian, what about you?”

“Hmm? Me? Someone who’s cold to everyone but gentle to me?”

“Whaaat? That’s oddly specific? Do you like someone?”

The girls stared at her suspiciously.

Seo Yeonhee let out a quiet sigh of relief from behind.

“No. Seriously, no one.”

Lee Jian waved her hands as if flustered, and avoided eye contact.

Then incidentally, our eyes met.

She paused for a moment. Then quickly turned her head.

Meanwhile, the boys were having a similar conversation.

“Of course, appearance matters.”

“Right?”

“Definitely. Has to be pretty.”

Among them, one voice stood out.

“Isn’t Senior Park Nayul cool? Totally my type.”

The buzz spread.

“Forget it. Don’t pine for what you can’t have.”

“Imagination is free, though.”

Yoon Jihoo listened awkwardly with a tense smile.

Then the topic naturally shifted.

“Still, Lee Jian’s not bad, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Isn’t she?”

Yoon Jihoo tilted his head. That led to immediate rebuttals.

“Pretty, right?”

“Definitely.”

“Not playing around.”

Then someone suddenly realized and said,

“Ah, weren’t you two childhood friends? Are you maybe dating?”

At that moment, what the boys said reached the girls’ ears.

“What? Are you two dating?”

The girls started murmuring.

Eyes focused on Yoon Jihoo and Lee Jian.

[Main episode progression detected. Point of view fixed.]

Without warning, a system message appeared.

Just then, as Park Nayul was passing by the group of girls, she stopped.

A playful smile hung on her face.

“What’s the talk? Jian and Jiho dating?”

Yoon Jihoo smiled awkwardly and said,

“Seriously, we’re not like that.”

“Really?”

“Just normal friends.”

Yoon Jihoo chuckled uneasily and waved his hand, clearly setting boundaries.

While doing so, he subtly checked Park Nayul’s reaction.

The boys’ interest had already shifted elsewhere.

“Jiho?”

“Did Senior really call you Jiho?”

The boys’ eyes widened. Looks questioning why he’s close with Park Nayul were directed at Yoon Jihoo.

“Why? We can use first names sometimes.”

“Then why do you use her last name with Lee Jian?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

The boys’ envious looks were directed at Yoon Jihoo.

“Traitor!”

“Deceiver!”

…It’s just that Park Nayul’s social distance sense is off, though.

And from the girls’ group, another question came out.

“Are you really nothing?”

I quietly looked at Lee Jian.

She was wearing a light smile.

Her lips were relaxed, but her fingertips moved subtly.

That small motion caught my eye.

“…Could it be.”

Yoon Jihoo’s words might have bothered her.

Too certainly, too firmly, he drew the line.

She would say she’s fine.

Would pass it off as if it didn’t matter.

But right then,

Her eyes met mine.

With a firm voice, Lee Jian said,

“Totally nothing. Just friends.”

It felt like she was speaking to me.

Must be a misunderstanding. Overthinking.

Thinking so, I averted my eyes.

“Is there something over there?”

“Why the sudden sour face?”

“Nothing.”

Of course, there’s no way she’d feel good.

…

…

…

Behind the gym.

“Good job.”

After finishing organizing the camera equipment, Kwon Hyuktae said.

In response, I nodded slightly.

“Is the crew usually this small?”

“Ah, not many people sign up for the filming side. It’s not as flashy as performers, and it doesn’t control the overall situation like directors.”

“Quiet observers?”

“Good phrasing. That’s right.”

Kwon Hyuktae smiled approvingly and nodded.

“Still, not mere observers.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Different. Observers can intervene, they can be witnesses or assistants. But protagonists, well, protagonists are tough. We have to focus on the performers.”

“Just a random thought.”

Sometimes I wonder.

Am I moving under my free will? Or am I just a pawn in the system?

Unnecessarily became gloomy.

Noticing my sour expression, Kwon Hyuktae patted my shoulder and left without a word.

I sat down on the stairs.

“Feeling down? Might as well check that.”

After all, I filmed that video.

I slowly took out the earphones and put them in.

I put the phone back in my pocket, only intending to listen to the sound.

Always amusing music.

The person is tone-deaf and rhythm-impaired. Yet has an oddly good voice.

Involuntary laughter bubbled up.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

I turned around,

Poke. A small, delicate finger touched my cheek.

It was Lee Jian.

Startled, my eyes widened.

“What?”

“Haha. Guess you do have expressions?”

She burst into laughter, crouching next to me.

Collecting the earphones, I responded.

“I’m human too.”

‘Almost got caught.’

Almost revealed the filming.

“But what were you laughing at while listening to something?”

“Just some funny songs?”

“Hmm~?”

Lee Jian wore a somehow wicked smile and said.

Then she snatched the earphones from my hand.

“Then I should be able to listen too, right?”

“Ah-”

Before I could stop her, she inserted the small earphone into her ear.

And her face turned as red as a tomato, redder than a tomato even.

“Hey!!”

…

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