IWYFB Chapter 5

The new haircut was undeniably one that screamed middle school.

 

The adults in the village often said she still looked like an elementary school student, but ever since her short bob, they started calling her a middle schooler instead.

 

While it was a relief to shed the “elementary school” image, being called a middle schooler didn’t sit well with her either.

 

The high school next to her middle school allowed for long hair, and most girls sported curls or perms, their looks completed with light makeup.

 

The high school seniors, with their delicate features and grown-up airs, always seemed so much more elegant to Ji-woo.

 

It made her long for high school even more.

 

She had come prepared with a list of necessary workbooks, and as soon as she entered the bookstore, she made her way to the designated section.

 

The place was crowded with familiar faces. Among them, the one she least wanted to see was Jun-seok.

 

Most of the boys were hanging out together, and Ji-woo tried to avoid making eye contact.

 

Despite being in middle school, they still had that playful, mischievous air about them, looking more like kids than anything else.

 

She reached for a workbook on a high shelf, but as she stretched on tiptoe, a hand appeared from behind, pulling the book down for her.

 

Startled, Ji-woo turned around to find none other than Jun-seok, the boy she had just avoided making eye contact with earlier.

 

He had grown taller, towering over her. His chest met her eye level, and Ji-woo found herself irritated by his calmness.

 

Unlike her, who had to stretch on tiptoe, he effortlessly reached up and pulled the book down.

 

Without hesitation, Jun-seok extended the workbook toward her, grinning.

 

“Is this the one you need?”

 

Ji-woo gave him a look, her gaze flat and uninterested.

 

Jun-seok, sensing her indifference, tried to explain himself.

 

“I thought you couldn’t reach it.”

 

“Who asked for your help?”

 

Her words were sharp, and she quickly reached for the book herself, pretending to ignore him completely.

 

Feeling awkward, Jun-seok scratched his head and returned the book to its place on the shelf.

 

“Are you here alone?”

 

Ji-woo’s eyes flickered to Jun-seok’s group of friends, who had been eyeing her from a distance. As soon as they met her gaze, they quickly turned away.

 

She shot Jun-seok an exasperated look, her annoyance clear.

 

“What’s it to you?”

 

Jun-seok, always the troublemaker, had never been one to earn any praise from her.

 

But he didn’t care; he had learned over the years that teasing Ji-woo was the only way to get her to react.

 

And whenever she did react, whether with anger or a glare, it was the only validation he’d ever received.

 

Now, he understood that his methods had been wrong, and that Ji-woo still didn’t think much of him.

 

But despite that understanding, it was hard not to feel a twinge of sadness.

 

He had a million things he wanted to say, like asking if she wanted to go home together or offering to take her to get tteokbokki, but the coldness in her expression always made him hesitate.

 

As Ji-woo passed by with her reference book in hand, Jun-seok could only watch her quietly from a distance.

 

 

 

 

As Ji-woo browsed through the workbooks, she suddenly veered toward the bestseller section.

 

It wasn’t that she was particularly interested in the latest releases, it was just that standing near Jun-seok made her uneasy.

 

He had a way of drawing trouble wherever he went, and when she was nearby, she inevitably got caught up in it.

 

Trying to shake off her thoughts, Ji-woo flipped through a newly released book, reading the author’s note with mild interest.

 

“That one’s good.”

 

A familiar voice startled her.

 

She looked up abruptly, her breath catching in her throat.

 

Han Tae-mu.

 

She hadn’t expected to run into him here.

 

Everyone said he spent most of his time in Seoul, buried in his studies for the looming college entrance exams.

 

It had been a while since she last saw him, long enough that he now seemed like a different person, more mature, almost unrecognizable.

 

Maybe it was because he wasn’t wearing his school uniform, dressed instead in a black jacket and fitted jeans.

 

“I read it not too long ago.”

 

Tae-mu picked up a copy of the same book she was holding, flipping through the pages.

 

“Why do you look so shocked? You’re making me feel self-conscious.”

 

His teasing tone made Ji-woo snap her mouth shut.

 

“It’s just… I didn’t expect to see you here. You’re always at the academy.”

 

Tae-mu glanced away, his voice indifferent.

 

“I came back for my grandfather’s birthday.”

 

The black jacket he wore made him look even leaner than before.

 

Not that he ever had an ounce of unnecessary weight on him, but today, he seemed almost gaunt.

 

Was it the stress of senior year? The endless studying?

 

Ji-woo found herself unable to focus on the words printed on the pages in her hands. Instead, she became hyper-aware of his presence, the quiet sound of his breathing, the faint, clean scent that lingered around him. It clouded her thoughts, making her lightheaded.

 

“You cut your hair.”

 

His words made her freeze. She let out a soft, startled noise before instinctively reaching up to touch the short ends of her hair.

 

She already hated this haircut, and now he had noticed it too.

 

Just her luck.

 

“It suits you.”

 

She glanced up at him, suspicious, half-expecting to catch a smirk. But his expression was unreadable, serious, even.

 

He meant it.

 

And just like that, the haircut she had loathed no longer seemed so bad.

 

It felt like magic.

 

How could one simple sentence change the way she felt so completely? How could she be this easily swayed?

 

“Do you need to buy anything else?”

 

Tae-mu’s gaze flickered to the workbook in her hands.

 

“No, I’m done.”

 

It was a lie. She still had a few more books to pick up, but the thought of losing sight of him, even for a moment, made her say it without thinking.

 

“I skipped lunch before coming here, and now I’m starving. Want to grab something to eat?”

 

Her lips curved into a smile before she could stop herself.

 

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

 

Without waiting for a response, Tae-mu plucked the workbook and novel from her grasp.

 

“I’ll pay for these. Consider it a gift.”

 

She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, he was already walking toward the counter.

 

She could only watch as he moved away, effortlessly confident.

 

Dressed in dark colors, his lean frame stood out among the bookstore crowd.

 

He was taller than anyone else in the room, making him easy to spot, no matter where he went.

 

As he finished paying and turned back, he raised a hand toward her in a casual wave.

 

At that exact moment, Jun-seok, who had been standing at the next register, caught sight of Ji-woo smiling up at Tae-mu.

 

His gaze lowered to the small plush toy he had just purchased.

 

He had heard that girls liked attaching them to their bags, so he had bought it on impulse, intending to give it to Ji-woo.

 

But as he watched the way she looked at Tae-mu, his expression hardened.

 

Silently, he stuffed the plush deep into his pocket.

 

 

 

 

By the time they finally found a restaurant without a long queue, lunchtime had already passed.

 

As they stepped inside, Ji-woo immediately sensed that all eyes were on them, or rather, on Han Tae-mu.

 

She had momentarily forgotten just how well-known he and his family were in this town.

 

It would have been stranger if the people here didn’t recognize him.

 

The realization made her self-conscious, her awareness heightened by the murmurs and subtle glances thrown their way.

 

Yet Tae-mu seemed utterly unfazed, as if he had long grown used to such attention.

 

“What do you want to eat?”

 

He scanned the menu, but Ji-woo, flustered by their surroundings, wasn’t able to focus on the words in front of her.

 

“I’ll just have the same as you,” she replied absently.

 

Tae-mu’s gaze flickered toward her then, his expression briefly hardening.

 

He followed her line of sight, noting how she was uneasily gauging the reactions of those around them.

 

That subtle discomfort in her posture, the way she avoided meeting his eyes, it irritated him.

 

“That’s a pretty vague answer.”

 

He let out a soft scoff before pressing the call button for the waiter.

 

Ji-woo watched as he placed the order, his hand resting lightly against the menu.

 

His voice was calm, assured, as if he had done this a hundred times before.

 

Afterward, he took a sip of water, his sharp gaze settling back on her.

 

His eyes traced the line of her short hair, the way the uneven ends barely grazed her chin.

 

He hadn’t given it much thought before, but now, the more he looked at it, the more something about it unsettled him.

 

Or maybe it wasn’t the haircut.

 

Maybe it was the way she kept looking anywhere but at him.

 

“Do you want to leave?” he asked abruptly.

 

Ji-woo blinked in confusion.

 

“…What?”

 

“Are you uncomfortable being here with me?”

 

Her face instantly flushed, her eyes flickering with surprise.

 

“It’s not that,” she hurried to explain. “It’s just… Everyone here seems to know who you are, and I can’t help but feel self-conscious.”

 

“Should we have gone somewhere else?”

 

His voice was casual, but Ji-woo felt the weight behind the question.

 

She quickly shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

 

Tae-mu studied her for a long moment before finally looking away. Then, in a low, almost indifferent tone, he murmured,

 

“If you’re fine, then I’m fine.”

 

At that moment, their order arrived.

 

With practiced ease, Tae-mu set a small plate and a fork neatly in front of her.

 

More dishes followed, filling the table with a surprising variety of food. Ji-woo’s eyes widened.

 

“There’s so much…”

 

Tae-mu glanced at her reaction before shrugging.

 

“I didn’t know what you liked. And I didn’t really eat much this morning, so I figured I’d order a bit more.”