Stalking Diary

Chapter 9

*

[Me: I’ve finished organizing the table of contents. Should I send it via KakaoTalk? Or should I print it out for the lecture day?]

As soon as I finished organizing the materials at the library, I sent a KakaoTalk message to the group chat for our liberal arts team project. Within a minute, Choi Kyung-won replied.

[Choi Kyungwon: It’s a bit awkward to have a meeting in the middle of class]

[Choi Kyungwon: If you have time, let’s meet briefly]

[Choi Kyungwon: Listen to Jeong-ha’s explanation and distribute tasks haha]

[Choi Kyungwon: How about today?]

[Ji-ye♥: Wow, Jeong-ha oppa is so fast haha amazing]

[Ji-ye♥: I’m at school now, so I can meet after 4 pm :)]

Choi Kyung-won seems to prefer talking about everything in person. I had thought it would be fine to just send it via KakaoTalk, but I hesitated when I saw the content coming up in the group chat.

[Choi Kyungwon: What about Kwon-oh and Jeong-ha]

[Choi Kyungwon: I’m free from 4:30]

[Choi Kyungwon: Ji-ye, what are you doing at school until now?]

[Ji-ye♥: Preparing for a major exam ㅠㅠ I’ve been looking for various materials…]

[Ji-ye♥: I’m at a cafe now hehe]

[Ji-ye♥: By the way, does everyone have an umbrella? I heard it’s going to rain this afternoon, so I’m a bit worried ㅠ]

[Choi Kyungwon: It’s fine it’s fine]

[Choi Kyungwon: The weather forecast is always wrong anyway haha]

[Ji-ye♥: Ah, I see haha]

[Joo Kwon-oh: I’m free anytime in the afternoon too]

[Ji-ye♥: How about you, Jeong-ha oppa? Is it okay?]

[Me: Yeah. Then let’s meet at 4:30]

[Ji-ye♥: They say art students live at school, I guess it’s true haha]

[Ji-ye♥: Come to think of it, Jeong-ha oppa is always at school too haha]

[Me: ㅠㅠ]

The comment hit the mark, and I, who had been reading the KakaoTalk messages without much thought, felt a little sad.

[Choi Kyungwon: Hahahaha]

[Choi Kyungwon: Where should we meet?]

[Choi Kyungwon: It might be difficult to book a study room at the library on the same day]

[Choi Kyungwon: So that probably won’t work..]

[Joo Kwon-oh: How about the club room]

[Joo Kwon-oh: ?]

[Choi Kyungwon: Your club room? Is it empty??]

[Ji-ye♥: Oh]

[Joo Kwon-oh: Yeah]

[Choi Kyungwon: I thought you guys were always hanging out there playing board games? hahaha]

[Joo Kwon-oh: Everyone’s living a good life now haha]

[Choi Kyungwon: Nice]

The group chat ended with Joo Kwon-oh providing information about where the club room was located.

Just like that, a sudden appointment was made for that day. It was hard to refuse since everyone else could make it, and I actually had the time. I had no choice but to do a final review of the materials I had organized.

On my way to the club room at the appointed time, I wondered how I should act when I faced Joo Kwon-oh.

First, I wanted to ask for my notebook back when I got the chance. I’m not sure if it’s possible. I’m also at a loss for how to bring it up first.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that I had densely written information I had overheard in the notebook and even drawn pictures, I had also followed him to his part-time job place with Bae Yu-rim. If I were Joo Kwon-oh, I probably wouldn’t willingly return that notebook even if asked.

But I can’t let Joo Kwon-oh keep it either. It’s driving me crazy.

When I entered the building Joo Kwon-oh had indicated and opened the club room door, the other three had already arrived.

“Oppa, what happened to your face? Did you get hurt?”

Shin Ji-ye, who noticed me first, opened her eyes wide. I awkwardly touched the band-aid stuck on my cheek. Even I thought it was too noticeable.

“I got scratched by a cat.”

“What! At our school?”

“That’s strange. I didn’t know there was such a vicious cat at our school.”

“It was in a different neighborhood…”

I stiffened my neck, trying not to look in Joo Kwon-oh’s direction as much as possible.

Because I trailed off at the end of my answer, a moment of silence fell over the club room.

“Ah…”

“……”

“……”

With three outgoing people present, the awkward atmosphere was largely my fault.

I wanted to make up for it somehow, but livening up the mood was what I found most difficult.

“Oh right. I have some candy! Anyone want some?”

Fortunately, Shin Ji-ye urgently brought up a new topic. I nodded gratefully and sat down next to her.

“Me.”

Shin Ji-ye handed a Chupa Chups to me, who answered first, then distributed them to Joo Kwon-oh and Choi Kyung-won in turn.

Choi Kyung-won and Shin Ji-ye immediately started eating their candies, but Joo Kwon-oh and I put them in our pockets and set our bags down on the desk.

As I took out the materials I had prepared, I tried my best not to make it obvious that I was looking around the club room.

They said it was a board game club, and indeed, boxes containing game boards and cards were piled up here and there. Judging by the personal belongings and major textbooks visible in corners, it seemed like there were many members and the club was quite active.

“Is that a new notebook? Kwon-oh, since when did you use such a girly pastel tone?”

I, who had been carefully spying, was startled by Choi Kyung-won’s words. When I looked up, Joo Kwon-oh, sitting across from me, was just taking out his writing tools and notebook from his bag.

And that pastel-toned notebook Choi Kyung-won mentioned was actually mine. The unfortunate sky-blue notebook that had fallen into Joo Kwon-oh’s hands.

“Why? It’s cheerful, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t it inconvenient to use a notebook after always carrying around just an iPad?”

“Doesn’t it suit me?”

Joo Kwon-oh giggled with Choi Kyung-won and waved the notebook around as if showing off. Every time the pages fluttered, I felt my blood run cold.

What’s worse, my name, Ryu Jeong-ha, was clearly written at the bottom of the notebook, so I broke out in a cold sweat, worried that Choi Kyung-won might notice.

“Oh, it really doesn’t suit you at all. Why did you buy something so cute and dainty? It looks like something girls would use.”

“Come on, that kind of thinking is outdated these days.”

I couldn’t add anything to their conversation. Even though I knew Joo Kwon-oh was doing this to provoke me, I couldn’t help but flinch every time he moved his hand.

He seemed quite excited, as if my reactions were amusing.

I wish he would stop. How on earth am I going to get that back…

“I’ll explain what I’ve researched. Take a look at this first.”

Since I couldn’t keep watching, I handed out the printouts while trying to maintain a calm voice.

Fortunately, Choi Kyung-won and Shin Ji-ye lost interest in the notebook and quickly focused on the materials I handed out.

“Wow, it’s so detailed. At this level, it seems like Jeong-ha has done everything.”

“Oppa, wasn’t it hard to organize all this by yourself?”

“…Do you have any other opinions?”

“No, not at all. We can just decide on the topic with this and start researching cases right away.”

“Let’s have the three of us do the case research and PPT, excluding Jeong-ha oppa.”

“Let’s do that. You’ve worked hard, Jeong-ha.”

The reactions weren’t bad. Even Joo Kwon-oh, who was reading the materials, nodded in agreement.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. I had spent a lot of time pushing myself, so it was fortunate that it was useful.

After that, I tried my best to keep my head fixed, not looking in Joo Kwon-oh’s direction, and participated in the meeting by only making eye contact with Choi Kyung-won and Shin Ji-ye.

As time passed, Joo Kwon-oh, who seemed to have noticed that I was thoroughly avoiding him, started to openly stare at me at some point.

The cheek where his gaze landed stung as if having an allergic reaction. I don’t know where to look or what expression to make. The more this happened, the more desperately I tried to focus on Choi Kyung-won and Shin Ji-ye.

“By the way, can I go get some water from the vending machine? I’ve been drinking only coffee for a while now, so I’m thirsty. I’ll throw out the trash while I’m at it.”

In the middle of exchanging opinions, Shin Ji-ye, who had finished her candy and was holding the empty stick, carefully got up. Choi Kyung-won immediately responded.

“Is there a vending machine here? I didn’t see one.”

“It’s on the first floor.”

“Then I’ll go with you. I suddenly feel thirsty from talking so much.”

“Right. The air here seems dry too.”

“What about Kwon-oh and Jeong-ha? Don’t you need anything?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then we’ll be back quickly!”

Oh, no.

Before I could answer, Choi Kyung-won and Shin Ji-ye sprang up from their seats and left the club room in an instant.

The conversation had moved so quickly that I missed the timing to say I would go too.

The noise of them noisily pulling out their chairs and slamming the door shut was so loud that when they left, the club room was met with a chilly silence in contrast to just a few seconds ago.

“……”

“……”

I kept my mouth shut and hid my bewildered expression. For now, I decided to pretend to be busy looking at something on my phone to avoid irritating Joo Kwon-oh.

However, perhaps because we were left alone, Joo Kwon-oh’s gaze towards me became even more blatant.