Free Web NovelWhen the four of them who had ended up in the same group project gathered, Go Yungyo immediately caught the look in Jeong Heejeong’s eyes.
Yungyo shut down the faintly tingling atmosphere at once and moved straight into dividing the parts.
“I’ll do the presentation. Jeong Heejeong, you’re good at making PPTs, right? You handle that. The other two can do the research.”
“Aah—wait, I can do research too...!”
Heejeong hurriedly cut in, but Yungyo’s sharp gaze snapped toward her.
“You’re good at PPTs? No, you’re not.”
Go Yungyo turned to Na Yuna as if forcing an answer out of her. Yuna unconsciously shook her head.
That piercing gaze then shifted to Seo Eden, who was sitting beside her.
“You good at it?”
“...Uh, a little....”
“Then you make the PPT, and Heejeong and Yuna can do the research together. Right?”
It was obvious she had no intention whatsoever of pairing Jeong Heejeong with Seo Eden. Sensing the atmosphere, Heejeong spoke with a sullen expression.
“Fine. I’ll just do the PPT.”
After the lecture ended, the students quickly dispersed. Seo Eden, who had exchanged contact information with them, also gave a small nod before leaving the classroom.
The one who grabbed Heejeong as she tried to follow him out was Go Yungyo.
“Hey. I don’t care how you live your life... but you know your ex is back from military service, right? Just keep it down.”
Heejeong’s first leave of absence had been because of that ex-boyfriend she dated as a freshman. Yuna had heard about it too. Heejeong stared straight at Yungyo.
“...Yeah, that was overstepping. Sorry.”
Yungyo was about to cleanly apologize when—
“You don’t have to.”
For a moment, Heejeong’s expression hardened, but soon it returned to a bright smile.
“I know you’re not actually sorry. No need to pretend.”
She shrugged as if it didn’t matter and picked up her bag. The way she walked out of the classroom looked completely unaffected.
* * *
– How come there’s no one around?
Heejeong’s narration played as she walked alone across campus. In the distance, she could see classmates heading to the cafeteria.
They were friends who had quickly drifted away after she started dating a senior as soon as she enrolled. She had spent not only her free periods but even lunch time entirely with her boyfriend.
– There was a time when my whole world felt completely, completely, completely filled with love.
Her eyes met theirs for a moment. They weren’t on bad terms. But they had never been close enough to be good or bad either.
A classmate waved at her, and Heejeong waved back.
That was all.
They went where they were going, and Heejeong went where she was going. They drifted apart without ever mixing.
– Why am I like this, so easy?
Laughter from groups of freshmen echoed from all around.
– Everyone is starting something.
The camera moved like Heejeong’s gaze, sweeping across the campus.
A couple walked side by side. The girl hit the guy’s shoulder playfully while laughing. Heejeong sized them up instantly.
– At least flirting.
Next, a group of friends stood together. Among them, a guy silently watching a girl. Heejeong read it again.
– One-sided love.
Then a couple sitting on a bench, both quietly staring at their phones.
– Clearly a slump.
Her gaze dropped to a small speed bump along the walkway.
– People misunderstand me really easily. They think I like starting love.
She stepped over the speed bump and crossed to the other side, like someone crossing a starting line into something new.
– But that’s not it. Not once has a beginning ever been good.
As she climbed the hill toward her next class, Seo Eden came into view ahead of her. Heejeong stared at his back as she walked.
A violin melody played—an OST that fit the campus perfectly. The added drum beats echoed like a heartbeat, just like her own.
– Because starting something means you ended what came before.
It felt like the opening of a proper unrequited love story. Seo Eden had no idea Heejeong was behind him, but she saw only him.
In the wide campus, her loneliness felt like something only Seo Eden could fill.
– I want an ending, fast. So there won’t be any more restarts. So I won’t have to fall in love so easily again. Just... “and they lived happily ever after,” like that.
Before she was dumped, Heejeong had been the one constantly bringing up marriage. Viewers who had already read her character profile knew why, and it tugged at their hearts.
– I’m sick to death of beginnings. This time, really... I just want it to end.
Seo Eden entered her view again. Heejeong’s expression looked like someone who had made a decision.
As if Seo Eden would be her last love.
A car rolled over the same yellow speed bump she had just stepped on, giving a slight jolt. Something about it felt familiar—the driver’s window was halfway open.
Inside was her ex-boyfriend.
He glanced at Heejeong alone through the rearview mirror, then returned his hands to the wheel. In the passenger seat sat a freshman—the bleached-haired classmate of Na Yuna.
* * *
“Wow. That bastard’s a piece of shit, clear as day.”
Aetami almost dug up her own past memories—then stopped. There was nothing good about remembering them.
Crushing the empty beer can in her hand, she opened another. After gulping it down, she shouted,
“Seriously, what the hell!”
The people at the broadcasting station were masters at restoring memories you’d rather forget.
“I mean, honestly, when someone as pretty as you showed up among the freshmen, I thought I’d enrolled ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) in the wrong department—even though this is acting.”
“Hahaha! No way! That’s crazy.”
“Did you get in just based on your face? That’s what we were saying.”
“Ah, come on—!”
Heejeong’s first boyfriend—also her senior—was casually flirting with the bleached-haired freshman while pretending to be a playful upperclassman.
Taking her out in his car, buying her food—he was feeding right into her subtle desire to show off.
Youstagram Story
Thanks for the meal—freshmen really are the best (｡•̀ᴗ-ღ)
She tagged the senior lightly in her story, and DMs immediately started flooding in.
Input: lol he said he’s super shy so unless it’s one-on-one he gets kinda scary T_T LOOL next time you guys should come too!
The bleached-haired freshman smiled slightly, clearly not disliking the attention.
– She seriously has no idea TT_TT
– Sigh... even if you warn them, they never listen...
– If you show off like that as a freshman, rumors spread like crazy at drinking parties... and if it’s an older senior who’s already dated within the department, people will be saying they’re dating within an hour
↳ holy shit this is actually true LMAO
The live thread for <Youth Disqualified!> wasn’t much different from Aetami’s reaction. She pressed her forehead and groaned.
Before long, the conversation shifted to group dates, and the bleached-haired freshman brought up Heejeong.
“Ah, her....”
For a man in his mid-twenties, putting on a nostalgic act wasn’t difficult.
With an expression that practically said, “I should’ve treated her better back then, I was immature too,” the senior started talking.
“Yeah. Seriously.”
The number one thing freshmen needed to be careful about:
“Girls with... like, affection issues? You get tired of them pretty easily. You know what I mean.”
“Didn’t she break up with her ex before you for that reason too? He’s in the same department, right?”
“Yeah. I mean, how do you even date two guys in the same department...?”
“Maybe she liked how close it was.”
In college, there are ears everywhere.
Even in a quiet restroom.
“But really, nothing going on between you two?”
“I told you, nothing! If anything, it seemed like Heejeong still had feelings.”
The bleached-haired freshman and her friend laughed loudly as they finished fixing their makeup and walked out.
A few seconds later, the sound of a toilet flushing echoed in the supposedly empty restroom.
“....”
It was Jeong Heejeong.
– If that were me I’d be so pissed I couldn’t even speak, what the hell
– Stuff like this always reaches the person eventually... watch what you say in college. Your secrets get spilled at drinking parties
↳ this is real. Things people said drunk as freshmen? Someone will remember it years later. If a drinking session gets boring, it always comes up; even if it was a small group
Heejeong took a deep breath in, then let it out.
Then she fixed her makeup.
A shimmering pink lip gloss spread across her lips.
“I have zero lingering feelings.”
Her ex-boyfriend was using the exact same method he had used on her—this time to seduce a freshman.
Heejeong looked down at her phone as she stepped out of the restroom.
On the screen was Seo Eden’s social media.
* * *
There were so many gatherings during freshman year that it was hard to keep track. Na Yuna had ended up joining one without really meaning to, but she was terrible at drinking games.
“Got you!!!”
“Wow, she’s seriously going to drink everything here—.”
The place was loud and chaotic. Yuna accepted the drink handed to her, then grabbed the cup in front of her and gulped down water.
“Wait, it’s already this late?”
“What time was your class tomorrow again?”
Only then did it hit her that she didn’t even know what time it was. Yuna frowned and checked her phone, her expression slowly stiffening. It looked like the alcohol drained from her system in an instant.
– That’s the face of someone who missed the last train
– Why is this so real LMAO
– If you live in Gyeonggi, there are only two options: go home at 10 or take the first train
The last train was gone.
Yuna lowered her head in defeat. Regret over coming out drinking was written all over her face.
Han Yeoreum’s portrayal of Na Yuna perfectly captured that slightly detached, floating feeling of someone who never quite fits in. Because of that, viewers almost felt like the surrounding noise faded away naturally as they focused on her.
Before anyone noticed, the gathering was already breaking up.
“Hey, looking for people to split a taxi—!”
“Where did you say you live again?”
Everyone was getting ready to leave. Yuna checked the taxi app and calculated the fare to her house, then closed her eyes for a moment.
It looked like she had made up her mind to just spend the night at a nearby 24-hour café.
“Is your place far?”
A bright voice came from beside her. Before she realized it, Jeong Heejeong had linked arms with her.
“Come sleep at my place!”
Was this what it meant to be completely unguarded? An awkward expression flickered across Yuna’s face. Despite barely knowing her, Heejeong pulled her along and brought her home.
Inside the neatly decorated apartment, Heejeong bustled around like a squirrel, bringing out all sorts of things.
“Shower, change into this, and put this mask on! I use it all the time—it’s really good. Oh, and you can use three towels if you want! Don’t feel pressured.”
“...Thank you.”
“Hehe.”
After showering, changing into the pink pajama dress Heejeong gave her, and putting on the face mask, Yuna awkwardly looked around the apartment while Heejeong washed up.
Someday, Yuna had imagined living alone like this once she got into university. It was one of those idealized parts of campus life.
– Living alone is only for the rich... seriously
– Rent, food, utilities—easily a thousand a month. Yeah, I’ll just commute four hours a day instead
– Yuna’s expression kinda hurts to watch... she looks uncomfortable no matter where she is
Yuna, as portrayed by Han Yeoreum, always looked slightly out of place. The way she stood awkwardly instead of sitting on Heejeong’s bed made it seem like she felt she didn’t belong there.
She couldn’t even use the hair dryer comfortably, instead pressing her hair dry with a towel, careful not to let strands fall onto the floor.
“The body wash smells nice, right!”
“Huh? Oh... yeah....”
“There’s no extra blanket for the floor, so we have to sleep together.”
Heejeong came out of the bathroom, shaking her hair dry with a towel, completely at ease—as if they had been close for years.
Lying on the same bed, the two of them were very close.
“Why are you turning away!”
“I drank a lot....”
“Nooo. Face me. I’m lonely.”
Heejeong was honest. She leaped right over the line Yuna had drawn, without hesitation.
No one had ever come this close to Yuna before. Heejeong stuck to her shoulder and kept talking in the dark room.
“Is it a bit overwhelming?”
“...No.”
“If you had said ‘yeah,’ I would’ve been hurt.”
Heejeong looked at her playfully before finally saying what she wanted.
“Help me out.”
“...With what....”
“Aaaah, you knooow—.”
Both Go Yungyo and Na Yuna had already noticed that Heejeong liked Seo Eden. What she needed help with was obvious.
“Think about it. This is good for both of us.”
“I mean, how is that—”
“You’re busy with part-time work, right? And your house is far. So what if I help with the research? You get to manage your time, your grades, and your friends!”
At the word “friends,” Yuna blinked.
“During your free periods! You can come over anytime. Even when I’m not home, it’s totally fine.”
“How would I even get in if you’re not there?”
“So what! I’ll give you a key.”
Rubbing her cheek against Yuna’s shoulder, Heejeong laughed. At that easy, unrestrained closeness, Yuna let out a small sigh.
“...You don’t care if rumors spread?”
“I’m human. Of course I care.”
Heejeong answered lightly.
“But it’s better to regret doing something than regret not doing it.”
Her voice didn’t waver.
“If not now, then when would I ever try something like this? That’s how I see it. This is the moment! Like this. When I fall in love, I don’t see anything else.”
It was exactly what Yuna needed to hear.
In the quiet room, Yuna’s voice came in as narration.
– When exactly is the right time? I know the average people talk about. I’ve heard it too many times.
It had been a long time since she had made a friend. Maybe Jeong Heejeong was just another classmate, nothing more.
Why was she this honest?
Heejeong’s breathing, already asleep, sounded almost too peaceful.
Yuna turned her head slightly. Heejeong was sleeping soundly, eyes closed.
– But for someone who has fallen off that track, does the right time never come again? I felt like a rocket that had veered off its designated path. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Like it would shoot upward at any moment—only to fall just as suddenly.
Yuna stared up at the ceiling, her eyes complicated.
– The warmth of someone who didn’t hesitate melted even my own hesitation into something lukewarm.
At last, Yuna closed her eyes and let out a long breath, matching Heejeong’s soft breathing.
– Yeah. Let’s try it.
Yuna fell into a deep sleep. At the end of her usually dry voice, there was a faint hint of strength.
As if she had made a decision.
– Even if something I did to avoid regret comes back to me as regret again.
And the next day, she submitted the club application she had written but never turned in.
