Chapter Text
They should have noticed it earlier. What was the use of being some of the smartest kids in their school if they couldn’t even figure out that Lee Ruda was not the one they should be looking out for? Sure, he was very openly courting Dan-I. Sure, he is not shy with the skinship and smiling at Dan-I with that smile of his. Sure, Ruda was in the running for Dan-I’s affections. And yet…he wasn’t the one they should have been worried about.
He was annoying. He caused trouble. And sure he got on their nerves, but he was a distraction from the true danger of Class 8.
They should have noticed how his light brown eyes softened when she spoke to him about Higashino Kego and the latest mystery novel. How at ease she looked around him and how easily she smiled around him. Even Kim Hye Kil and her twin brother saw it. How she’d go to him first when she needed help with the classwork. How his gentle demeanor would match her calm nature. But they didn’t see all those things unfold, because they weren’t in the same damn class.
“Oh! Wait!” Dan-I said before turning around and heading back to the school
“Where are you going, Dan-ah!” Yeo Ryeong called out as her brows furrowed.
“I forgot to return this book to—“ Yelping, she let out a laugh when she bumped into the person she was looking for. His hands quickly moving to grip her to prevent her from falling. “Seohyeon!”
“Dan-I…You should watch where you are going.” He said with a soft smile. “What are you doing running around like that. You’re gonna fall and hurt yourself if you don’t watch yourself.”
“Ahh sorry sorry!” She said with a laugh before she moved to bring her backpack to the front before taking out a book. “This! I wanted to return this to you. Thank you so much for letting me borrow it! It was so good! It really is like Higashino Kego’s style…I couldn’t believe who the killer was!”
“Right? Wasn’t it so good? I have to say it’s in my top three. I mean the twist…I’m so glad that Jeong In didn’t read it…imagine that monster.” Both shuttering at the notorious spoiler king of their class.
“I would join you in burying his body.” Dan-I said seriously as she held out the book. Shuttering as she felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn’t have to turn around to know that Yeo Ryeong was glaring daggers at them. The rest of the group seemed to also be contributing to the tense and glooming aura that seemed to be surrounding her friends. Sighing, she rubbed the back of her neck. Those guys…Don’t they realize that he's just a side character like me? He’s not going to go after Yeo Ryeong.
“You know there’s going to be a book signing for him this weekend. Do you want to go with me?”
“Wait? Really? No way!”
“Yeah! It’s for the release of his new book Amnesia. I heard it’s already getting talks about being made into a movie. The reviews are incredible.”
“Woah…But aren’t the book signing tickets already sold out?”
“I mean I have two tickets since my dad is a publisher. Do you want to go?”
“Yeah! That’d be great! Wait..Are you sure Jeong In wouldn’t want to go?”
“Dan-I…”He put both of his hands on top of her shoulder, a tired expression appearing on his face. “Please save me from that…It’ll be a favor….Please…”
Laughing at the brunette’s antics, she nodded before she heard Yeo Ryeong call out her name again. “Then text me where I should meet you?”
“Yeah, No worries. I have to head to archery practice anyways. “
“Woo….So cool Shin Seohyeon.” Dan-I said before playfully punching his shoulder. “Text me!” She ran to catch up with Yeo Ryeong. Linking arms with Dan-I as soon as she was in arms reach. Once back in their group, the others began asking questions as to what took her so long, to a distracting question if she was hungry and wanted to eat.
Yeo Ryeong turned around, squinted for a few moments before she pointed her index and pinky fingers to her eyes and then turning her wrists to point at Seohyeon. “I’m watching you.” She mouthed before her expression shifted into a bright smile when Dan-I asked her a question.
“He has brown hair.” Ji Ho said once Dan-I excused herself to take a call from her parents.
“Who has brown hair?” Eun Hyung asked before stabbing an apple with his fork and taking a bite.
“His name is Shin Seohyeon. He sits one row in front of Mom….”
“Yeah him. That jerk.”
“What does him having brown hair have to do with anything?” Chun Young asked, his gaze lifting from his phone to look at his friends.
“Dan-I won’t date anyone with doesn't have brown hair and brown eyes.”
“And he has both…..” Yeo Ryeong finished, her expression dark before she bit into an apple that was cut by Dan-I angrily. “That snake…That cunning and sly snake.”
“Whose a snake?” Dan-I asked when she re-entered the room, her head angled to the side before she sat down to stare at the empty plate of apples. “Wow…didn’t even save me one..”
“I can cut some more!” Eun Hyung said quickly
“I’m kidding It’s totally okay. Relax, Eun Hyung.” A smile formed on her lips as saw Yeo Ryeong hold out her fork with her half-eaten apple. Looking at her with such a cute expression, Dan-I couldn’t help but laugh. “Thanks, Yeo Ryeong.” Taking a bite, she noticed her friend’s cheeks turn a light pink before pulling back with a soft smile on her lips.
“Do you have any plans over the weekend, Mom? We should do something.” Joo In said bouncing in his seat, looking at Dan-I with his trademark grin.
“Yeah! Actually I’m going to a book signing with Seohyeon. He just texted me where we should meet up before heading to where the signing is at.”
A fork fell onto the table with a loud clang. They stared at Yeo Ryeong whose eyes were wide at the new information. Blinking slowly, she shook her head. “Sorry….I suddenly... You’re going out with that brown-haired boy from earlier?”
“Yeah? I mean when you say it like that you make it sound like a date.”
Because it does sound like a date. The five of them thought darkly as they looked at the nervously laughing Dan-I who rubbed the back of her head before checking her phone because of an alert.
“We’re just going to a book signing as friends… I mean you don’t even like those kinds of books.”
“Well then you’ll be able to watch a movie with us later right?” Eun Hyung said with his trademark smile and attempt to ease the tension surrounding the group. “You can show us the book you got at the signing.”
“Yeah that sounds like a good idea. Oh, wait… I have to take this call. It’s my mom again.” Getting up from her seat, they all waited until she was out of ears to reach before Yeo Ryeong smacked Eun Hyung’s arm.
“Why are you encouraging this!?”
“Well…she doesn’t seem to think of it as a date?”
“But what if he does.” Ji Ho’s jaw was tense before he lowered his fork gently and stared at the empty plate. “I mean we all know how charmingly dense she is in regards to these kinds of things.”
“We could always tail her.” Joo In was already looking up upcoming book signings in the area.
“And if she finds us tailing her? Wouldn’t she be upset with the fact that we are stalking her like some overprotective parents?” Chun Young asked with a frown before running a hand through his blue hair. “We paid too much attention to Lee Ruda.”
“That blonde bastard…he was a distraction…A red herring. Who would have thought there was a snake in class eight.” Yeo Ryeong whispered low before messing her hair with both of her hands. “Doesn’t it seem like a date though? What if it is a date? What if she doesn’t think it is but he does and thus it becomes their first day. What if he confesses that he’s always liked her. I mean who wouldn’t like Dan-I but still….What if…”
“Your brain is going to explode if you continue with this train of thought..While that might be funny. I really don’t want to clean up bits of Yeo Ryeong from my living room.”
“Shut up Ji Ho.”
“So…what do we do?” Getting up from his seat, Eun Hyung took the empty plate and utensils and headed to the kitchen.
“We follow them…obviously.”