SAV Chapter 14

 

At that moment, Choi Jeha, visibly flustered, burst out in anger.

 

“Ah, seriously…!”

 

And just like that, a banana slipped straight into his open mouth. He gagged and made a choking sound. Startled, I quickly pulled it out. It wasn’t intentional—it was an accident.

 

“Sorry! My bad, my bad.”

 

When I tried to check if he was okay, Choi Jeha forcefully shoved me away, yelling at me to get lost. His eyes were red with fury, and tears glistened on his lashes under the sunlight filtering through the swaying leaves. He must have been so angry for his face to look like that.

 

I only wanted to help him out, but I guess my clumsy attempt backfired. I felt bad.

 

“Why’d you suddenly open your mouth like that?”

 

Awkwardly laughing to mask my embarrassment, I stopped offering him the banana and casually took a bite myself. His dark eyes, which had been glaring at me moments ago, wavered noticeably.

 

“That’s disgusting—why would you…?”

 

“What’s so disgusting about it? It’s not like it fell on the ground.”

 

I added that he had already refused to eat it and that I couldn’t give it to anyone else now since it was already peeled. So logically, it made sense for me to eat it. At this, Choi Jeha opened his mouth as if to argue but instead let out a deep sigh before glaring at me again.

 

“You’re seriously annoying, you know that?”

 

“I didn’t realize feeding a friend who doesn’t take care of himself properly was such a nuisance. Got it. I’ll remember that.”

 

I smiled as I chewed on the banana.

 

“You do know that what you’re doing is meddling, right?”

 

“Nope. From my perspective, it’s called friendship.”

 

“What friendship? We’re not even friends.”

 

“Well, I think of you as a friend. If there’s such a thing as unrequited love, why can’t there be unrequited friendship?”

 

When I kept responding to everything he said, Choi Jeha shook his head as if giving up on me entirely.

 

“I really don’t get you.”

 

“Why stress yourself trying to understand? Don’t bother. Just accept that there are all kinds of people in the world.”

 

When he stared at the banana slowly disappearing into my mouth, I held it out toward him and asked if he wanted some. He crossed his arms and leaned back with an exasperated look as if dealing with someone beyond reason. This time, I pulled out a yogurt drink from another pocket and held it out to him.

 

“Don’t let your guard down—there’s more.”

 

His large eyes widened in horror as he visibly recoiled from me. Judging by how fast his lips moved, I could guess what he was about to say.

 

“I’m not drinking that!”

 

“I’m not drinking that! Oh wow, nailed it.”

 

As we spoke in unison, I grinned in delight while Choi Jeha dropped his head into his hands in frustration.

 

Forcing him to drink the yogurt would probably just make him hate me more. So instead, I shoved the yogurt into his pocket. His thigh was so firm that even though the yogurt didn’t fit completely into the pocket, my hand got stuck trying to push it further in. To make matters worse, something already inside his pocket blocked its way.

 

“What are you—a pervert? Why is your hand…?!”

 

Choi Jeha grabbed my wrist and yanked my hand out of his pocket. Startled by his sudden reaction, I blinked at him with wide eyes.

 

“What? How does putting yogurt in your pocket make me a pervert? You said you wouldn’t drink it! So I left it for later.”

 

Still holding onto my wrist, I looked up at him. His usually pale skin had turned bright red. It seemed like he heated up whenever he got angry—but this time, I couldn’t figure out what exactly had set him off.

 

I didn’t force him to drink it or pour it down his throat; in fact, I thoughtfully left it for later by tucking it into his pocket.

 

With his lips pressed tightly together, Choi Jeha suddenly stood up.

 

“Don’t follow me. If you do—I swear—I’ll kill you.”

 

Choi Jeha roughly yanked out one of the earphones lodged in his ear and turned away, heading toward the main building.

 

“Hey, what’s your problem now? Huh? What’s bothering you again? Saying you’ll kill someone between friends is way over the line, isn’t it?”

 

Normally, he walked fast to avoid me, but this time he moved at nearly triple his usual pace. I had no idea what I’d done wrong, which left me both confused and slightly embarrassed.

 

“Ah, come on! What is it now? What didn’t sit well with you this time?”

 

Dusting off my pants, I quickly got up and chased after Choi Jeha as he fled, his neck flushed red. When I saw him dart into the restroom, I hesitated. Following him in there might make me look like a total creep, so I decided to head back to the classroom alone.

 

A few minutes later, Choi Jeha returned to the classroom. His bangs were damp, likely from splashing water on his face to cool down.

 

As he passed by me, I muttered softly, asking what I had done wrong. He ignored me completely. Just as I was about to get up and walk over to him, the front door slid open with a loud *clatter*, and our homeroom teacher entered, preventing me from moving further.

 

“Alright, everyone sit properly. Kim Juyoung, come in.”

 

The shadow lingering at the open doorway stepped into the room. The moment I saw his face, my mouth fell open involuntarily.

 

The most beautiful person in my younger sibling’s fictional universe was standing before me, radiating brilliance.

 

If Choi Jeha’s skin resembled the pale whiteness of dawn snow, then this guy’s skin reflected sunlight like dazzling ice. His large eyes, perfectly sharp nose bridge, and lively lips seemed to glow as if painted with light.

 

His face matched every description my sibling had written in their story. It was immediately clear—he was the protagonist of this tale.

 

The true lead of this novel: Kim Juyoung.

 

“Juyoung has something to say to all of you,” the teacher announced.

 

For once, the teacher—normally scowling with furrowed brows—wore an expression that could only be described as cheerful. It made sense; having a dominant Omega emerge from his classroom was a source of pride. He probably felt like Kim Juyoung’s success reflected on him somehow. Even though he’d done nothing for us as students, he likely saw Juyoung’s achievements as his own glory. Maybe he was even hoping for donations or sponsorships from companies matched with Juyoung. Who knows? There had to be something behind that ear-to-ear grin.

 

Is there no system for changing homeroom teachers? Studying under this guy might drive me to a mental breakdown.

 

“I’m apparently a dominant Omega,” said Kim Juyoung casually.

 

The boy—who had a sturdy yet elegant build and looked like a literal prince—smiled brightly and formed a V-sign with his fingers.

 

His words sent the entire class into chaos. Some students cheered excitedly about his promising future; others muttered enviously under their breath or expressed their jealousy through aggressive remarks. The noise grew so loud it felt like my eardrums might burst.

 

Then I remembered the bet I’d made with Choi Jeha. By now, he was probably rolling those shiny black eyes of his toward me in disbelief.

 

I needed to respond to that shocked expression. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I checked my reflection on my phone screen to make sure my hair wasn’t out of place. Once satisfied, I turned slightly toward him with anticipation and prepared to mouth *“I won”* at him triumphantly.

 

But—

 

“Ah… what the heck.”

 

Shouldn’t someone who correctly predicts the future be looked at with awe first?

 

Instead of looking at me, Choi Jeha’s gaze was fixed entirely on Kim Juyoung.

 

I knew where his heart lay from reading the synopsis of this story, but seeing it play out in reality left me feeling a little bitter. Not because of jealousy between guys—I wasn’t jealous—but because here I was trying so hard just to be friends with him while someone else effortlessly captured all his attention simply by existing.

 

The stark contrast in how much interest we received was painfully clear.

 

It stung a bit.

 

“Go take your seat,” said our teacher abruptly.

 

At the teacher’s instruction, Kim Juyoung adjusted his bag and walked toward my row. There weren’t any empty seats in this area. I looked around, wondering if I’d misunderstood, but all the seats around me were indeed occupied. As he made his way to the middle of the classroom, a student grabbed his arm to stop him.

 

“Juyoung, are you staying here? Aren’t you transferring?”

 

Due to his physiological condition, Kim Juyoung was supposed to be sent to a specialized school rather than a regular one. These schools segregated Alphas and Omegas into separate institutions with much better facilities than regular high schools. They even had hospitals attached to them, allowing for quick responses whenever a cycle suddenly triggered.

 

Unlike our school, where teachers anxiously watched the principal’s every move while worrying about their next appointment, these specialized schools were staffed with professional, educational talent. In short, there was no reason for someone like him not to attend such a place.

 

“Oh, I decided not to go because I want to graduate with all of you.”

 

Despite this, Kim Juyoung said he was giving up the school that regular students would die to attend. He said it with a face showing absolutely no regret. Was this the nonchalance of the privileged? Since I wasn’t originally from this world, I didn’t feel envious of him like the other students did, but I was somewhat intrigued. His reason for turning down the opportunity seemed rather unconvincing.

 

I wondered what his true intentions were.

 

No sooner had he passed the student who asked the question than another one approached him. I’d seen in his character profile that he was supposed to be popular, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent. Having spent my school days without a single friend, I felt a twinge of envy toward someone who was universally liked.

 

“Huh? Why would you pass up such a good school? Some people would do anything to go there.”

 

“I only have one more year anyway. It’s too bothersome to adjust to a new school.”

 

Kim Juyoung’s gaze drifted toward where Choi Jeha was sitting.

 

“No way. Does Kim Juyoung have feelings for Choi Jeha too?”

 

From the synopsis, I got the impression that Kim Juyoung only viewed Choi Jeha as a tool to elevate his social status, but maybe there was something I didn’t know. Then again, I hadn’t read the entire novel—only brief story points from the synopsis—so how could I fully understand all the characters’ emotions? Besides, I could barely remember the sequence of events without checking my notes.

 

Either way, couldn’t he meet his friends from the specialized school after classes? Yet Kim Juyoung chose to remain at this school, rejecting that superior system because of his attachment to Choi Jeha. He must have been worried about leaving Choi Jeha alone.

 

But something about this seemed a bit strange.