Executive Director, shall I book a room ?? - Chapter 7

Even after that absurd confession, Junseong’s attitude remained unchanged.

No one in that room would have believed that Soo-hyuk was her type, but to Junseong, those words evaluating him must have been quite unpleasant.

Yet, there was no opportunity to correct them.

Besides, if nothing else, it was true that it was hard to tell what Junseong was really thinking.

Junseong was always affectionate, radiating an unchanging, human charm. But from March, when I first met him, until December of that year—what felt like a long time spent together—I realized he wasn’t just endlessly warm and cheerful.

He was incredibly stubborn, and his excessive sense of justice made him rigid at times. His refusal to tolerate injustice often led to clashes with some rough guys, and his strong sense of responsibility and dislike for excuses sometimes caused unexpected misunderstandings.

I had experienced that side of him not long after our first encounter in the library.

Even if I had developed feelings for him, there had been no real progress. From the start, the barrier to approaching him was too high. Even within the same department, there were about a hundred students in our year alone. Among so many people, I couldn’t imagine standing out. Though I often saw him in lectures—maybe because our schedules overlapped—surrounded by friends at the far end of the classroom, I wasn’t bold enough to squeeze into that circle and strike up a conversation.

“Hey, Kim Soojin. Right?”

So when a guy suddenly called out to me in the middle of a crowded lecture hall, I could only stare at him in shock.

“Uh, yeah. You’re… Song Junseong, right?”

“Yeah, you know me? That’s a relief. I was worried I’d have to introduce myself first.”

Who wouldn’t know you?

The absurdity of his words made me laugh despite myself. Even though we’d already been on a department retreat together, that day was the first time we’d properly exchanged names. While I stood there flustered, unable to respond, Yeonhui, who was next to me, smirked and took over.

“Oh? Song Junseong. What brings you here? Coming all the way to talk to her first?”

“Nothing special. I just… wanted to ask Soojin for a favor.”

“A favor?”

More than anything, I was surprised that Junseong had something to ask of me. Under my puzzled gaze, he hesitated briefly before speaking carefully.

“Uh, actually… can I borrow your notes? Would that be okay?”

“Oh.”

It was a bit of a letdown, but it made sense.

I hadn’t seen him around lately, and I vaguely remembered hearing he’d been abroad for about ten days due to family matters. Missing that much class must’ve been tough.

But with so many friends around, why me?

“Well, if you need help with this, no one’s better than our Soojin. That’s the power of the top admit, right? But why are your hands empty?”

“Hey, stop.”

“I mean, even if you’re Song Junseong, the most popular guy in our school, you can’t just—”

I awkwardly laughed, covering Yeonhui’s mouth as she teased him, and a faint smile appeared on Junseong’s face. Meanwhile, Yeonhui wriggled free and raised her voice even louder.

“Ugh, let me go! If you’re gonna get something, make sure you get it properly. Song Junseong, you’re not planning to take it for free, are you?”

“Of course not. Hey, if it’s okay with you, how about dinner tonight? I’ll treat you somewhere nice.”

His tone was cautious, but his demeanor was relaxed. His eyes held the confidence of someone who had never been refused.

Honestly, it wasn’t bad. It was just like him, and in my heart, I was already imagining accepting his offer and sitting across from him.

But something held me back. I didn’t like the idea of eagerly following along, as if I’d been waiting for this moment. More accurately, I didn’t want to look like one of those people desperately trying to get close to him.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just lending some notes—no need to go all out with dinner.”

I quickly waved it off, asked which notes he needed, and opened my bag.

“The next class is on Monday. Just return them by then.”

Junseong’s expression was a little strange as he took the notebook. He looked slightly flustered, as if he hadn’t expected this, but soon smiled.

“Oh, okay. Thanks. And, uh…”

“I’ll get going now. I have a part-time job.”

As I walked away, Yeonhui followed, chattering excitedly.

“You’re working today too? It’s Friday!”

“Yeah, the boss has some family stuff. I agreed to cover weekends for a while. It’s not too busy, so I can study in my free time. Two birds with one stone.”

“You’re amazing. Let’s walk together, then. I was craving your coffee anyway.”

“You’re okay drinking it at night?”

“I’m pulling an all-nighter anyway. Gonna burn through this Friday night. You just focus on your work-study job.”

Laughing, Yeonhui linked arms with me. Glancing back, I caught Junseong still standing there, watching me, but I chose not to dwell on it.

Then Monday came.
I entered the lecture hall later than usual, having spent extra time picking out my clothes. For once, I put effort into my makeup and even styled my hair, usually tied back neatly.

Though I didn’t want to admit it, I was a little giddy with anticipation.

With slightly nervous hands, I opened the classroom door and glanced toward the window seat where Junseong always sat. But among the chatting students, he wasn’t there—only Soohyuk, surrounded by a few girls.

Just as I was suppressing the sinking feeling in my chest and taking my seat—

“Wow, this is insane. How is everything so neatly organized?”

“Right? You could sell these notes.”

“The handwriting’s so clean too—I thought it was a font. Whose are these?”

The exaggerated chatter of the girls reached me. Without thinking, I turned my head—and froze when I saw the notebook in the last girl’s hands.

“Wait. Can I see that?”

The cover was painfully familiar. Still, I told myself it couldn’t be mine—until I saw the handwriting.

My face hardened.

“Where did you get this?”

“From Song Junseong. Why? Is it yours?”

“Oh, it’s Kim Soojin’s? No wonder it’s so well-organized.”

“Top admit status shows even in note-taking. But you only lend these to Soohyuk and Junseong? Share with us too.”

Ignoring the half-teasing, half-sarcastic remarks, I returned to my seat. Soohyuk looked somewhat flustered, but I didn’t want to confront him there.

Lending my notes unconditionally had been my own goodwill. Seeing them treated so carelessly left a bitter taste.

As soon as class ended, I packed up and left. I had plans to have lunch with Yeonhui before her afternoon class. But before I could take more than a few steps, someone blocked my path. Startled, I stopped—Junseong stood before me, looking uneasy.

“What? Do you have something to say?”

I thought I’d calmed down, but my voice came out stiff. Hearing myself only made my expression harder. The awkward smile on Junseong’s lips faded. This is the worst.

“I heard you got your notes back.”

“Is that all?”

“Huh? Oh. I’m sorry. I should’ve kept them safe… I don’t even know what to say. I know this must’ve upset you. I’m really sorry.”

I silently watched him apologize sincerely. It would’ve been better if you hadn’t done anything to apologize for in the first place. Or maybe if he’d at least given an excuse, I’d have felt slightly better.

“Yeah, whatever. I got them back before class, so it’s fine. I’ll get going now.”
I brushed it off and walked away.

What difference does it make anyway?

It wasn’t like we were close enough for me to be that disappointed over something like this. Yet, strangely, my chest felt heavy.

I learned the full story that afternoon. Soohyuk suddenly showed up at the library, looking utterly miserable, and repeatedly begged for forgiveness.

“It’s all my fault. I’m the worst. I’m sorry, really. You can curse me out or hit me—I’ll take it.”

He’d gone to Junseong’s place, seen the notebook neatly placed on the desk, and thought, What’s this? He’d secretly made copies, planning to return them on Monday—but when some girls showed interest, he couldn’t resist showing off. Of course, he’d assumed they were Junseong’s, thinking the worst that could happen was a light scuffle.

“I had no idea they were borrowed from you. In all my life, I’ve never seen him ask anyone for help. This is the first time since elementary school I’ve seen him this mad. He’s been ignoring me all day. I’m terrified.”

I stared blankly at Soohyuk, who clutched his chest dramatically. Was this an apology or a complaint?
“But Soojin, since when were you and Junseong so close?”

“We’re not. I just helped him out because I felt bad.”
“Really? Huh. Doesn’t seem like it. Anyway, this was all me, so don’t hate Junseong too much. If you’re still upset, hate me instead, okay? Please make up with him.”

Is he even listening? Only after extracting a vague agreement from me did Soohyuk leave. Alone, I sank into thought.

Oddly, I could kind of understand. Junseong was the type to stand firm on his principles. Of course he wouldn’t shift blame onto someone else for his own mistake. A straightforward apology suited him far better than excuses.

But even knowing the circumstances, there was nothing left for me to do. If the person misunderstood wasn’t speaking up, it wasn’t my place to demand an explanation.