As promised, Ye-rin and I went to Baskin Robbins.

We chose three flavors: Mint Chocolate Chip, Dad is an Alien, and Rainbow Sherbet. We quickly sat down in our seats.

Pushed by Ye-rin's urging, I started recounting what had happened in the club room.

"All that happened when I wasn't around!?"

"Yeah, that's right. Even though it was her fault, she kept asking me to apologize. I just don't get it."

"Did she eat something bad or what? How can someone be so selfish..."

Ye-rin stopped talking and just stared at me. Her usually soft eyes were now sharply narrowed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just... I was wondering how much you must have pampered her for her to become so arrogant."

"So, you're saying Chae-yeon's twisted personality is my fault?"

"Not entirely, but you do share some responsibility."

First that YouTuber, now Ye-rin. Why do they always blame me, the victim?

Ye-rin took a spoonful of her Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and continued while waving her spoon.

"You should have let go sooner. You got all caught up with the wrong girl and look at the mess you're in now."

"At least it's over now. Stop making such a fuss about it."

"True enough."

Ye-rin giggled and pinched my cheek. Then, shaking it back and forth, she added playfully, "From now on, when you date someone new, make sure to get my approval first. That way, you can avoid another Landmine Girl."

As if she's my mom or something.

I waved my hand, rejecting her suggestion.

"No thanks. I can find my own dating partners just fine."

"Oh, is that so? The guy who found someone like Lim Chae-yeon and turned into a pushover... oops."

Knowing what she was about to say, I silenced her by feeding her a spoonful of ice cream.

"Feeling talkative today, aren't we?"

Startled by my sudden move, Ye-rin blinked her big, innocent eyes in surprise.

Then, staring intently at my face, she blushed with a meaningful look in her eyes.

'What is that look about...'

While I was flustered by her intense gaze, Ye-rin brushed her hair behind her ear with a sly smile. And before long...

Munch munch.

I could feel her tongue moving against the spoon.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

There's a limit to teasing, you know.

I tried to pull the spoon away, but Ye-rin pursed her lips and refused to let go.

"Are you still not done? Let go already."

Smooch.

Her movements against the spoon became quicker and stronger.

Feeling embarrassed, I yanked the spoon with force.

Pop.

As the spoon came free, a thin silver string of saliva stretched between us.

The spoon that had been covered in ice cream just moments ago now looked spotless, as if it had been washed clean.

"Did someone spread honey on my spoon? Just how much did you need to suck on it to be satisfied?"

"Sorry. The ice cream was so delicious, I got carried away without realizing."

Well, that was just typical of Ye-rin, who couldn't resist food.

Ignoring the now gleaming spoon, I took a new one and started eating ice cream again.

"After eating weird stuff like mint chocolate chip for so long, this must taste amazing."

"But I like mint chocolate chip..."

Feeling sulky over something so odd, Ye-rin silently spooned up more mint chocolate chip.

Soon enough, the ice cream ran out, and as I was about to throw away the trash to repay the favor of having shared it...

"Give me the spoon. I'll take care of it."

Without waiting for my response, Ye-rin grabbed the spoon from me.

Three days have passed since my argument with Chae-yeon.

The conversation we had in the club room must have been a decisive blow. Neither of them bothered me anymore.

Glance. Swish—

...Though Sohui still kept an eye on me nervously.

'Well, I suppose this isn't too bad.'

I wished for this peace to last until I graduated from college.

Without getting entangled with Chae-yeon again, I just wanted us to live like invisible people to each other.

With such small hopes, I received the handout from the professor.

And the moment I read its contents...

"Shit."

An expletive escaped my mouth without realizing it.

《Group Composition》

[Group A:

[Group B: Kim Si-hyun, Lim Chae-yeon, Yoon Sohui, Han Ye-rin]

[Group C:

The professor who assigned the group project had chosen the worst group members possible.

'This is just absurd...'

I rubbed my eyes and even looked at the paper upside down, trying to deny the reality, but nothing changed.

Above all...

Chae-yeon was staring at me indifferently.

Sohui was making a fighting pose as if to cheer me on.

And Ye-rin was sitting beside me, frozen with her mouth open.

Their reactions confirmed that this was indeed my reality.

"Sigh..."

A headache was already coming on.

How could we meet like this again so soon after the fight?

As I sighed and held my head, I heard Ye-rin's concerned voice.

"Si-hyun, are you okay?"

"No, not at all..."

Honestly, I wanted to ditch the whole project, but...

I thought it would be rude to screw up everyone's grades just because of personal feelings.

At the very least, I should do my part and then ignore them if I had to.

"Sit with your assigned group members," the professor instructed.

Students began to move. Some looked happy to be with friends, while others awkwardly exchanged greetings.

And the worst of them all...

Zap.

Chae-yeon was glaring at me as if she wanted to kill me as soon as I got closer. Yep, that was my group.

"If you have complaints, why not say them out loud?"

"I don't have any complaints."

Right. She says she doesn’t, but her uncomfortable expression says otherwise.

"Sigh..."

How many sighs have I let out already?

Realizing the long road of hardship ahead, I sat down across from Chae-yeon, feeling as if everything was going dark.

Not long after, Ye-rin arrived with her laptop and took a seat next to me.

"........."

It felt like we had been sitting for five minutes, yet no one had said a word. Tension filled the air.

Ye-rin, especially, was staring coldly at Chae-yeon. Her gaze was so intimidating that even a brief glance from her made my body shrink.

"Uh... guys? Since we’re working together now, let’s give it our best!"

Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, Sohui spoke up to try and lighten the mood.

Realizing that the project wouldn't proceed at this rate, I decided to join in.

"Let's just cooperate until the end of this project, even if we're not thrilled about it."

Relief washed over Sohui’s face, and Chae-yeon and Ye-rin belatedly nodded in agreement.

With the atmosphere loosening slightly, Sohui quickly continued.

"About this group project... I’m thinking one person can do the presentation, another can make the PPT, and two can gather research materials. So, what do you guys want to do?"

I’m not really good at making PPTs... and I hate standing in front of others for presentations.

"I'll do the research."

"I’ll do it too."

Ye-rin followed my lead and chose research as well.

"Okay, so Si-hyun and Ye-rin will handle the research.Chae-yeon, what about you?”

“I’ll make the PPT.”

“Okay. Then I’ll do the presentation... I think it’s best if we all meet up, when would be a good time?”

Sohui particularly emphasized ‘all meet up.’

‘Is she still not giving up?’

She must know by now that things between Chae-yeon and me are completely broken...

Earlier, she was so busy trying to read the mood, but now she seemed unusually excited, like she saw a new opportunity.

“Do we really need to meet?”

Sohui responded to my question with a bright smile.

“If we’re in the same space, we can give and receive feedback quickly.”

“We can do that well enough over social media.”

“No way. What if someone just goes silent on us?”

That won’t happen. Everyone here is responsible and does their part.

Ye-rin is diligent when she takes on a task, and Chae-yeon isn’t the type to shirk responsibilities.

Of course, neither am I.

‘Given Sohui knows this, too…’

I suspected Sohui was insisting on getting together to try to link up Chae-yeon and me. Just as I was about to refuse—

“Fine. Let’s focus and finish it in one day, then,” Ye-rin accepted Sohui’s suggestion.

“What the!?” I pinched her thigh, annoyed she made that decision on her own.

Ye-rin flinched and whispered in my ear.

“It’s better to get it over with at once. What if we do it online and they use that as an excuse to keep in touch?”

“Oh...”

Ye-rin had a point. Acknowledging her reasoning, I quickly apologized to her as she rubbed her thigh, looking teary-eyed.

"Okay. Then I'll set up a group chat later to finalize the details."

With Sohui's closing remark, the conversation ended.

'Why is Lim Chae-yeon so silent?'

Meeting me must be uncomfortable for her too... Strangely, she didn’t voice any complaints.

A few days later.

For their group project, the four gathered at a study cafe.

Chae-yeon and Sohui. Si-hyun and Ye-rin. The four of them sat facing each other, with an awkward tension in the air.

"How about we get something to drink before we start?"

To break the ice, Si-hyun stood up and began taking orders.

As if waiting for this moment, Ye-rin immediately spoke up.

"Si-hyun, get me my usual."

"Got it."

Si-hyun understood Ye-rin's vague order instantly.

How often had they come to this cafe for him to know her order just like that?

As Ye-rin flaunted her closeness with Si-hyun, Chae-yeon and Sohui watched wide-eyed.