THE TRACE OF LOVE // 양정원

제 12 과

Daisy presses the bell and we wait for seconds before the door opens. And I instantly feel Daisy's tight grasp at my inner upper arm that she uses to intertwine whenever she feels comfortable or nervous.

But at the sight of Jay revealed before us with a small smile on, without a coat but looking posh in the simple white shirt, I'm sure it's the nervousness this time.

I deduce they were playing games before we arrived but as soon as Jungwon and I spot each other inside the roomy living room, he drops his controller and swiftly grabs his backpack from the sofa.

"Let's go." That's all he says with his usual dead-pan face before heading inside the hall.

But I cannot move at once, "are we not studying in here? The living room?"

He turns around and says, "no. The rooftop is better."

"There's a big table on the rooftop." Jay backs up his friend, picking up his backpack the same and walks pass Jungwon toward the back of the hall.

Well, the rooftop is better than his room, isn't it?

Jungwon lives in a somewhat clean neighborhood. The fancy-looking buildings and dear apartments, but I can see he lives quite comfortably considering his place is tidy and chic. Daisy follows up Jay behind him while Jungwon follows up behind me making me a bit self-conscious, even though it's appropriate that he doesn't want first-time strangers in his place to be out of his sight.

I thought Daisy would stick with me out of her shyness when we got here but what was I thinking? She settles next to Jay and gestures me to sit across her at the opposite side of the long wooden table. I can only sigh and sit at where she wants me to. Much to my conscience, Jungwon settles next to me then takes ff his coat afterwards. Daisy takes notice of it and does the same to herself.

But I guess she only does it to be matching with Jay who seems to be careless about his surroundings but the screen of his phone.

I bring out my books and stationeries. So does Jungwon. But not the two before us.

"Jay's here to accompany me. He's not studying." Jungwon says as he notices me noticing it.

Daisy suppresses her beam but I frown. Daisy won't definitely study either if he doesn't. Are they going to just sit and stare at their phones all two hours? That's no good. Or is happy Daisy going to flirt with and him giggle constantly while I'm helping Jungwon out? That's ever worse—disturbing.

"Are you studying with us?" Jungwon asks Daisy and she contemplates amidst her glances toward Jay.

Then she smiles, "not really. I'm here to accompany Dan."

That witch. She told me she would study together with us. But all she does is following Jay whatever he does. I should've known better.

At her words, Jay smirks, "really? Then, we don't need to be in here." He takes a furtive glimpse at the guy next to me.
"I came up here because I thought of accompanying Jungwon in case he'd be alone with two girls."

He then gets up, "do you want to go downstairs? I don't want to disturb them." He asks Daisy.

Daisy's been really lucky these days. She's getting whatever she wants all along.

She, of course, agrees to go with him and under seconds, Jungwon and I are alone on the rooftop with breezes and birds' chirping.

But he immediately scoops his chair closer to mine as soon as the two leaves the door closed behind them.
I can feel a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"She doesn't seem like someone who would tell him straight away." He comments out of the blue.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

His eyes bear into mine, "it means I bet she's someone who will stick to him until she can make him fall for her, but not someone who will take the first step which is as simple as asking him out."

Woah, he reads Daisy like an open book. I only exude a small smile. That he catches up with.

"You're smiling because you're proud of her? Or because you know in that way, you'll have to tutor me for a long time?"