Love for love's sake [ENG TRANS]

Chapter 31

[Tae Myeongha's POV]

[Ahn Gyeonghun] : Myeongha

[Ahn Gyeonghun] : Thank you so much for yesterday

When I woke up and checked my phone, there was a message from someone in the middle of the night thanking me. A message like this at 3AM? I had already received thanks and apologies from Ahn Gyeonghun before meeting up with Cha Yeowoon yesterday. I practically had to push him away when he insisted on helping with the cleaning.

Based on what I had heard about Ahn Gyeonghun, a story could be roughly drawn. The reason why he had received mental health treatment was probably due to bullies like Tak Junho yesterday. Maybe that was why his family and teachers felt the need to be overprotective or show extra concern for him.

I began attending New Leaf only in my 3rd year after having fallen into the classroom, so I wasn't aware at first. Though, if I had known, it wouldn't have mattered much. Ahn Gyeonghun was just one of the many worries I was going through.

"S-Study, when?" The culprit, who had been sending me vague texts since early morning, confronted me as I just reached school, fixing me with a determined gaze while unaware of my worries.

"We're going to study together with Cha Yeowoon. Is that okay?"

"Huh? Together? The three of us?"

"Ehm. It would be good if you could teach him too, but if you think it'll interfere with your studies, you can focus on your own."

"N-No!" Ahn Gyeonghun, who had been hesitating, shook his head as if he had made a big decision. "Cha Yeowoon, um, I'll teach the hubae as well."

His burning enthusiasm seemed to be more about repaying a debt than studying. He didn't need to go that far. I scratched the back of my head for a moment. Well, I guess it was fine.

***

[Tae Myeongha's POV]

"Hello."

"H-Hello...Hello."

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward. It felt suffocating. Cha Yeowoon and Ahn Gyeonghun couldn't have been more awkward than this. Still, we had eaten tteokbokki together last time.

We had decided to study at Cha Yeowoon's place, but even the journey there posed a problem. Although there were plenty of empty seats on the bus when we boarded at the time Cha Yeowoon's training ended, the three of us stood awkwardly together.

"Why don't you sit down?"

Just to clarify, it wasn't that I didn't sit because I didn't want to. It was because Cha Yeowoon and Ahn Gyeonghun had both attached themselves to me and didn't move, so I also stood.

"Where are you going to sit, sunbae?"

"I was going to sit alone, so you two can sit together." I let out a deep sigh when neither of them took a seat.

It was clear why they were standing like this on a bus that had already started moving. Despite the fact that they could have sat anywhere, they were watching where I would sit. Both of them at that. In the end, I sat in the back seat, right in the middle, like a king. With Cha Yeowoon and Ahn Gyeonghun on either side of me. I wanted to sit by the window, but that would have made them uncomfortable sitting side by side. I began to have my doubts about today's study session.

"I-I've brought some workbooks I had used in my 2nd year. I thought they might be helpful."

Contrary to my worries, Ahn Gyeonghun behaved extremely politely once we arrived at Cha Yeowoon's place. It was a far cry from the No-License delinquent who had complained about how anyone could live here. From the seemingly heavy bag, Ahn Gyeonghun carefully placed a few workbooks onto the desk. Cha Yeowoon hesitated for a moment when he received the workbooks sorted by subject, then nodded.