Chapter 9. The Guy Next Door (9)

What exactly did people in their twenties mean when they said “anything”?

Eunkyo couldn’t give a quick answer. Lee Jaeheon wasn’t some sulking teenager, he was a full-grown adult.

“…Is your personality… always like this?”

“What do you think my personality is like?”

“Well… it’s not quite what I expected, I guess.”

Lee Jaeheon was someone who seemed to enjoy subtly revealing his twisted emotions. Or maybe no one had ever noticed them before. If she wasn’t imagining things, he was definitely taking some amusement in the awkwardness she was feeling.

That alone made her not want to play along.

“I thought you’d already figured it out, sunbae.”

“Figured what out?”

“I was trying to be nice to you. Friendly, polite. But…”

He trailed off, then looked her over with a quiet smirk.

“You know what kind of guy I am.”

Her brows furrowed as she tried to unpack the meaning behind those words. It didn’t take long to understand—he was saying he wasn’t going to bother putting on a good guy mask in front of her anymore.

He met her gaze and smiled—prettily, to the point it was annoying.

And he knew she’d seen through him. That explained why their eyes had kept meeting back at the restaurant.

He must’ve felt it—her probing gaze, like she could see right through him. And he hadn’t liked it.

Eunkyo looked up at him, her own expression void of a smile.

“I wasn’t thinking clearly. The notebook’s not that important anyway. Sorry to bother you. I’ll get going now.”

Her quick pivot made the corners of his mouth twitch in displeasure.

“That’s it? Isn’t that giving up a bit too easily?”

She turned her head to look at him, already mid-step.

“I don’t enjoy word games, arguments, or passive-aggressive nonsense. It’s not like that notebook’s a life-or-death thing.”

Her answer, biting and detached, seemed to irritate him. His eyes narrowed, and his slightly parted lips revealed a flash of red tongue before he drew them back.

“Are you mad?”

“Do I look mad?”

“Hmm. Then annoyed?”

She gave a short bow and started walking off when suddenly, he grabbed her wrist.

“I’m sorry. That was my bad, sunbae.”

He apologized quickly, and his face switched effortlessly into one of sincerity.

It was almost laughable. Did he realize how ridiculous this half-baked apology was?

“I’m not mad, so you don’t have to apologize. And… do you really have to call me sunbae?”

She tried to pull her hand free, but his grip was surprisingly strong.

“Then should I call you noona?”

“…Are you kidding me?”

“Jung Eunkyo.”

Hearing her name in that low, firm voice made her catch her breath. Her heart skipped—a sudden drop, then a crash.

Her hazy gaze landed on his lips.

Now she understood why his voice had sounded so strangely familiar. Why it had rubbed her the wrong way since the start.

It was similar.

To his voice—the one that had left her feeling so pathetic and hollow.

“I don’t think I can say your name after all. Can I just stick to calling you sunbae?”

And just like that, Jaeheon smiled—wide and sweet, like nothing had happened. Eunkyo quickly nodded.

“F-fine. I guess that might be better than using my name.”

Her reluctant agreement made his grin widen.

“I’ll bring you the notebook, then. So don’t be mad, okay, sunbae?”

“Thanks. I’ll count on you.”

Only then did he release her wrist. As she cradled her arm, still a little dazed, voices echoed from the stairs above.

“Down here, down here!”

“Looks like the move’s done, oppa. The truck’s gone.”

“Totally. Hey, Lee Jaeheon! Come eat some jjajangmyeon!”

Lee Jaeheon’s gaze snapped toward the door, sharp and cold for a moment. His jaw clenched slightly—but then, his face quickly softened back into a smile.

“Sounds like my friends are here.”

“Then I’ll get going. Please don’t forget about the notebook.”

Before she could even finish her sentence, the door swung open. A crowd of about six people piled in.

“Oh?”

They froze, clearly surprised to see someone already inside. Their faces shifted awkwardly as they recognized her.

Eunkyo didn’t look back. She practically bolted out of the studio.

“Goodbye…” someone said hesitantly behind her.

They were all clearly Jaeheon’s age. Glancing back mid-stair, she saw him greeting them through the glass door, smiling like a completely different person.

That boy—mid-twenties, youthful, surrounded by his peers—he was someone she had no business getting involved with.

Just for a moment, she’d let his voice blur the line between him and Lee Dohyun.

Eunkyo shook her head, chastising herself for the rash comparison.

“…Still, that’s a good thing..”

The relief of knowing she’d get her notebook back let her exhale. She caught her reflection in the building’s glass entrance.

Her face, flushed red all the way to her ears. Her lips—puffed up and rosy—looked like someone who’d just been kissed.

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