about you ✧ lee dohwa

twelve . .

A few days later, the cafeteria buzzed with the usual rhythm of scripted events. Eun Danoh burst in, catching Jinmichae's attention. He greeted her with a nonchalant, "Oh? You're here."

Danoh, searching for answers, scanned the room and found Dahye perched on a counter, engrossed in the manhwa. She approached Dahye, her tone wavering, "Well, hi—," but before she could finish, Danoh snatched the manhwa from Dahye's hands.

Dahye, surprised, looked at her, "There...?"

Danoh turned to Jinmichae, her eyes widening as she flipped through the pages. "I'm just an... extra?" she uttered, realization sinking in. Jinmichae observed the unfolding scene, his expression a mix of amusement and something deeper.

As Eun Danoh grappled with the revelation, the manhwa slipped from her trembling hands, falling to the floor with a soft thud. The cafeteria momentarily hushed, the scripted rhythm disrupted by the unexpected turn of events. Danoh stared at the scattered pages, her world unraveling as she grappled with the realization that she wasn't the protagonist of her own story.

Dahye exchanged a glance with Jinmichae, both silently acknowledging the profound impact of this revelation on Eun Danoh's understanding of her existence in the manhwa universe.

The cafeteria, frozen in a momentary suspension of scripted reality, awaited the next beat in the unfolding drama.

Amidst the scattered pages of the fallen manhwa, Dahye sat with Eun Danoh and Jinmichae, the cafeteria now a silent witness to the unfolding drama of their scripted lives.

Jinmichae, noticing Dahye's presence, asked, "Are there less chairs for you?"

Dahye shrugged, "It's cooler sitting like this."

Eun Danoh, her frustration evident, mumbled, "I always thought the names of my classmates were weird—i-jin, l-jin, sam-jin, ban-jang."

Jinmichae, trying to lighten the mood, pointed to himself. "Yeo Ju Da, Oh Nam Ju. Isn't that simple?" He smiled.

Danoh scoffed, "Why didn't they just name me Heart Disease, then?"

Dahye smiled, leaning her head to one shoulder. "I think my name is quite cool, though. Yoon Dahye. I like it."

Danoh sighed, "But you know, I thought I was the protagonist at first too."

Dahye shrugged in response. Danoh, looking at Dahye, said, "You too?! I mean, understandable."

Jinmichae chimed in, "Well, look at her! She adapted pretty quickly."

Dahye, indifferent to the drama, shrugged again. Frustrated, Danoh pointed at the manhwa, "I mean, it's ridiculous enough that I'm part of a comic book, but an extra? Me, Eun Danoh!"

Jinmichae nodded, opening the characters page and holding the book, pointing to the page. "Yes, you're not one of the protagonists."

Danoh sighed, "This is crazy."

Dahye, offering a simple solution, said, "Just accept it with an open heart."

Danoh sarcastically smiled, "I mean, it's bad enough that I'm not the main character in this childish comic book not even kids would read, and you two are saying I should be grateful?"

Danoh then pointed at Dahye, "Oh, and you're labeled as Oh Namju's childhood friend. Isn't that an amazing title?" sarcastically, of course.

Dahye, unaffected, replied, "Yes, sure, Baek Kyung's fiancée."

Danoh, sighing in defeat, said, "Yeah, well, I have it a lot worse."

Jinmichae, observing, remarked, "It seems like you're more upset about being an extra than anything else."

Danoh, with expressive gestures, exclaimed, "Well, everything I do, speak is for Yeo Juda and Oh Namju. Then what about me? UGH, WHAT ABOUT ME?! Am I supposed to be an extra until I die?"

Jinmichae, offering perspective, said, "Hmm, an extra plays an important role too. The writer will decide everything you speak and do."

Danoh protested, "That's what I don't like!" Standing up, she declared, "Who does he think he is? Darn it!"

Dahye placed a hand on her chest, remarking, "Wow, you're even a lot scarier than I was."

Jinmichae, suggesting a more graceful approach, said, "We're in a romance comic book, why don't we try to be more graceful?"

Danoh scoffed, "Graceful? Ha. Ha. I'm not even the protagonist, and I should be graceful?" She started cursing out the writer to prove her point, and Dahye continued her efforts to calm her down amidst the unfolding drama of their scripted reality.

oops, forgot this existed