The Gimbap Project

Chapter 20 Trouble in Paradise

"Hae-in ah," Hyun Woo called after her, his voice laced with concern.

Yang-gi had barely finished interrogating them when Hae-in stormed out without a word. The others lingered, poking at their half-melted McFlurries, but Hyun Woo was out the door before it even closed behind her.

Now, he was trying to catch up with her, his pace quickening but unable to match her furious strides.

"Hae-in ah, stop walking jebal! Why are you so upset?" His voice cracked slightly as he jogged after her, his shoulders slumped in frustration. "Did I make you uncomfortable back there?"

At his words, Hae-in abruptly stopped walking, but her back remained rigid, her fists trembling hard by her sides. She made no move to turn to face him, leaving Hyun Woo understandably concerned and perplexed.

"Yes, extremely," she replied sharply, her voice as cold as ice.

Hyun Woo's chest tightened uncomfortably in his chest as he stepped forward, opening his mouth to explain. "But I thought-"

"You are just too cute!" Hae-in whipped around, her eyes blazing with exasperation.

Hyun Woo blinked once, momentarily lost. "What?"

"You heard me," Hae-in muttered glumly.

Then, she began to list his qualities methodologically, the edge in her voice clear but softened by her undeniable admiration for the senior.

"You're handsome, kind, smart, but not arrogant. You have a nice voice and you were even a boxing champion when you were young. You're our star swimmer and you're guaranteed to be the top student of your cohort..."

"...nothing about that is guaranteed," Hyun Woo interjected innocently, feeling slightly flustered as he kicked the ground with his sneakers.

"Nevertheless," Hae-in crossed her arms, her tone filled with conviction. "You're the perfect guy. Look here, Baek Hyun Woo."

Hyun Woo's gaze softened, his eyes filled with warmth and tenderness. "Yes, I'm looking at you," he murmured gently.

Hae-in took a deep breath, her frustration brimming with every word. "I'm saying you're too perfect."

"I mean..." Hyun Woo tilted his head, a faint blush creeping up his neck. "Am I that perfect?"

"Of course!" Hae-in said in exasperation. She faltered for a second before sighing dramatically. "You have all the traits I love."

Hyun Woo chuckled, his deep voice sending a ripple through her. He leaned in closer, teasing, lips curling into a playful smile. "Jinjja? Do you love all of them?"

Hae-in glared at him, flustered. "I even like your laugh," she huffed, feeling her heart race before she seethed quietly. "How dare you."

"Mianhae, I still don't get the issue..." Hyun Woo scratched the back of his head.

With a frustrated groan, Hae-in threw her hands up. "I'm saying any girl would be lucky to have you!" she shouted before her voice faded into a thin whisper. "Any girl would want to date you..."

For the first time, Hae-in was admitting to herself that she could have lost Baek Hyun Woo to another girl.

She had taken him for granted, assuming their relationship would survive under the arrangement she proposed. She believed things would naturally fall into place, simply because she expected them to. But clearly, she had been wrong.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Hyun Woo – she did, with all her heart. It was the other girls she couldn't bring herself to trust. Especially when they didn't even know of her existence in his life.