How To End a Crush - Chapter 47.1

I stared at Sunbae with my mouth wide open.

‘Huh? What? Come again?’

Noah sunbae’s lips were clenched tight like he was trying his hardest to hold his tears back. He looked sad and pitiful, like a lonesome lily. He looked even more so with his head bent and his hair dishevelled. There was none of the straitlaced and slight cold air that I always felt from him. It had all disappeared once the tears began falling.

‘Oh come on, now is not the time to be appreciating Sunbae’s beauty.’

I quickly closed my wide-open mouth and made a serious face.

“I won’t annoy you……”

Sunbae grabbed my fingers  and continued.

“If I did something wrong, I’ll fix it. So could you stop avoiding me?”

“……”

Just listening to him, one would think that Sunbae liked me, when in fact, the opposite was the case.

But, this really was too much now…… how was he still so pretty at this moment, despite the situation? My mouth, which I had struggled to close earlier, began opening again. Even Sunbae’s sad face had such immense power. I finally came to my senses and spoke.

“But Sunbae…… I never hated you.”

Noah sunbae’s head had been bent, his breaths shallow and fast. Now his face lit up a little.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

When Sunbae lifted his face and looked at me, I was once again blinded by his beauty. I frowned as I blushed.

Ah, good heavens. Someone was crying before me, and there I was, having these wicked thoughts. I was truly deplorable.

“……why don’t you wipe your tears first, Sunbae?”

Just in time, I found a handkerchief in my other pocket. And of course, it turned out to be the gnarliest handkerchief I owned. On the sly, I folded it so that the stain on it wouldn’t show, before handing it to Noah sunbae.

“Okay.”

Once he took off his glasses, my mouth, which I had just barely closed, grew wide again.

Wow. Wowww.

I rubbed my reddened face with my hand. I already knew his beauty was of the gods. But just his singular act of taking off his glasses was enough to get him penalised as an offence against public decency. His eyes had reddened because he had been crying, and now his face was even more, more……

“Cough.”

I coughed to hide my embarrassment, and turned away, when Noah sunbae grabbed me. I could hear anxiety in his voice.

“Can’t you stay with me for a bit?”

I walked back hesitantly. I had to stay with Sunbae until he calmed down. It would cause trouble if he went back to class in such a state. His reputation had to be protected, at least.

I leaned against the wall as I looked at Noah Sunbae who was holding onto the used handkerchief like it was a treasure. He lifted up his hair that had all come loose, and tied it up. My heart raced at how innocent he looked. You could hear a pin drop in the empty hallway. Maybe that was why my heartbeat sounded especially loud.

Boom, boom.

No, hold on. Was that really the sound of my heart?

I frowned slightly, and placed my hand on my heart.

How strange. It doesn’t seem that loud.

Come to think of it, I thought I could also hear a weak thumping sound from Sunbae’s side as well.

“Sunbae, are you okay? Why does your heart……” I asked, still leaning on the wall. Noah sunbae replied slowly.

“……because you are next to me.”

“……Huh?”

Now I was confused. I couldn’t not be confused. The heartbeat I had heard earlier grew louder. My mouth widened unconsciously.

“……Sunbae, do you like me?”

Sunbae’s lips opened slightly. I groaned as I grabbed my hair and bent my head.

What in the world did I just say?

“Ah, Ah, don’t reply to that. Just forget I ever said that. Please, I beg you.”

Probably because he was worried that I would get mad again, or avoid him once more, Noah sunbae tucked his hair behind his reddened ears and nodded his head. However, his blushing cheeks also gave an indirect answer. I thought they may have become so red because he had cried, but something told me that was not the case. I touched my now hot face and lowered my head.

Ah, I am done for.

* * * * * *

“What?! Hahaha!” laughed Gloria sunbae after she heard my story. She held onto her stomach as she laughed, then muttered.

“This whole business. I don’t think you have many days left to hang out with me like this.”

“Please don’t laugh. I really cannot see you anymore.”

“Why? Are you dumping me?”

“That……” I murmured instead of answering. Then Gloria sunbae whispered in my ear.

“Ah, here’s something. Do you know what he asked me at the last book club meeting, before you and Flora arrived?”

I became curious at what sunbae had to say after seeing the sudden change in her attitude.

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