My Platinum-Blond Childhood Friend Is So Pretty

23 – 08. Flirting with Ellie

As April came.

The midterm exams were getting closer, so Ellie and I started staying at school to study.

While our school allows complete freedom for staying after school, the study rooms are very clean and pleasant, so many students stay to study and then leave.

There are high partitions at each seat, so it’s good for concentrating alone.

And we joined in.

We only did it on Monday through Thursday last week, and we had been doing it from Monday to Wednesday this week because we didn’t have anything else to do. We were planning to do it tomorrow and the day after.

“Wow, it’s so hot.”

And like usual.

Once classes were over, I grabbed a simple meal with Ellie outside, played basketball with my friends until it was time for studying, and then went to the study room.

Even though it was a cool spring evening, I was sweating a little from running around and playing with the kids.

Then, Ellie, who was sitting next to me and had taken my place, stopped watching the online lecture and berated me.

“What are you going to do if you keep going until you’re that exhausted? Do you have any intention of studying?”

“I’ll cool down in no time, it’s just sweat. I’ll study hard from now on…”

“Just do your own thing like yesterday. You’ll suffocate yourself.”

“I absolutely won’t sleep today. But what about Yisoyeon?”

“She’s in the bathroom. I’ll keep an eye on her, for you.”

With an intimidating warning, Ellie turned her gaze back to her desk with a snort.

And I put on the Airpods I had given her for my birthday last year and focused on the online lecture on my smartphone.

Although it was still a bit noisy as it was not yet the official self-study time, I watched Ellie who was concentrating on her studies.

“She’s working hard.”

Surprisingly, Ellie did her best in studying. Even during middle school, we had studied hard together during exam periods, but now she was working even harder than before.

She didn’t particularly like studying, so I thought there wouldn’t be much of a difference compared to last year even though we agreed to focus more on studying this year.

Of course, except for English, which she learned easily because it was similar to Swedish, Ellie was somewhat weak in other subjects.

Still, it was good to see her working hard. By the time self-study time was over, she would be extremely exhausted, though.

She seemed to be making an effort to keep up with me, who had better grades than her.

I left my high school up to luck, but that wouldn’t be possible for college.

Even as someone who could accommodate everything for Ellie, I couldn’t apply to a lower-tier university just to go to the same place as her.

Because it would be absolutely wrong to jeopardize our future like that.

“Fighting!”

I silently cheered Ellie on, then rubbed my tired head and opened my textbooks and notebooks, trying to shake off the drowsiness.

I should start too.

***

A calm evening self-study room.

Intermittently, the sound of teachers walking, flipping through books, and the sound of pens writing spread through the space.

I was focused on my math workbook, holding on to it with all my attention.

Without even realizing the passing time, I was deeply absorbed in studying for the first time in a while.

*Sigh*

A gesture that disturbed me could be felt from the side.

“Cute…”

At that moment, my concentration was broken and I unconsciously let out laughter. Even without looking, I could tell.

When I casually touched my smartphone, it was already approaching half past nine.

Although there was a short break in the middle, it has already been three and a half hours since the night shift started.

It was about time for Ellie to start feeling tired.

Even though she tried her best, there is a limit to a person’s concentration.

I found out while studying together for exams in the past that Ellie’s limit was about three to four hours. After that, she needs to take a break for one or two hours for her concentration to return.

However, until yesterday, she seemed to be trying her best until the end of the night shift… But today seems a bit harder.

-Groan, groan…

When I didn’t respond, the pen poked my waist a little harder, several times.

Eventually, I turned my head to the side.

“……”

Sure enough, Ellie with a tired-looking face was giving me a chubby expression.

She seemed a bit sorry for bothering me, but still bored. It was a slightly complicated feeling.

Since the night shift only lasts until 9:50, there was not much time left.

So I neatly put away my study materials, took out my phone, and sent a message to Ellie.

[ Me: Are you bored? ]

Then Ellie slightly raised the corner of her mouth and responded.

[ Ellie: Can’t concentrate today. ]

[ Ellie: Wanna leave as soon as it’s over. ]

[ Me: hahahaha, there’s still 20 minutes left, though? ]

[ Ellie: Annoying. ]

[ Ellie: I’m bored. ]

How can I relieve our princess’s boredom?

Since we can’t disturb anyone around us, I thought about what we can do quietly.

The safest choice would be playing a game, right?

[ Me: Wanna play mobile games? Invite Lee So-yeon and play games like Monopoly or Catch Mind? ]

[ Ellie: No, thanks. ]

[ Me: How about the two of us playing Gomoku? ]

[ Ellie: Do you want to die? ]

[ Ellie: What kind of Gomoku is that? ]

[ Ellie: Something else. ]

Hmm.

Today is a bit challenging.

Well, this moment itself is just to pass the time, so even Ellie’s casual and grumpy responses seem deliberate.

[Ellie: Hurry up.]

[Ellie: Something interesting.]

Like a child throwing a tantrum, I silently chuckled and turned my head to look at Ellie.

Ellie was also looking at me, and I noticed that her eyebrows were slightly curved.

I was certain that no matter what I suggested, she would answer that she doesn’t want to do it.

“What would be fun?”

I briefly pondered, wanting to playfully tease her back.

Then it came to me.

A game that would be enjoyable for me and that Ellie definitely wouldn’t dislike.

[Me: Do you want to try something really fun?]

[Ellie: What is it?]

[Me: Guessing the word.]

[Ellie: ? What’s that?]

Her response showed she had no clue, so I laughed and playfully nudged her again.

[Me: Move your hand down to the left.]

After sending the instructions, I immediately looked at Ellie, who was frowning as if she couldn’t catch on.

However, she obediently lowered her left hand, curious about what it could be.

While Ellie looked at me in that position, I quietly smiled and shifted slightly towards her, moving my chair and body closer.

Then, I reached out my right hand and held Ellie’s left hand.

-Tightly.

Her smooth hand clung to mine, and Ellie looked at me with questioning eyes.

But it seemed to satisfy her, as she extended her left hand further towards me to make me more comfortable.

Of course, my intention wasn’t just to hold hands with Ellie.

With our hands still clutched together, I gently bent my index finger inward.

-Squeeze…

I began to trace a word on the palm of Ellie’s hand.

“Hmm…”

Elly’s face turned red as my touch seemed ticklish, and she bit her lip. But I didn’t let go of her hand, and I slowly wrote the letters ‘Elly’ until the end.

And with my left hand, I sent her a poke.

[Me: Do you know what I wrote?]

Elly’s quick response came back.

[Elly: It’s Elly.]

[Elly: Easy.]

It was a bit easy. Anyway, I’m glad Elly likes it.

[Elly: Next.]

Seeing Elly smile, I felt satisfied as if she was saying, “Let’s have a drink.”

And I started thinking for a moment before moving my finger again.

-Zip, swipe…

-Jump!

I firmly held onto Elly’s hand, which flinched at the tickling sensation, and wrote a letter on her palm.

This time, it’s three letters.

After a moment, when I gave her the problem and looked at Elly…

“……”

Elly blushed even more and looked at me.

I smiled back at her as if I didn’t understand why she was doing that, considering her gaze.

And I dared Elly with a poke.

[Me: Don’t know?]

Elly immediately replied.

[Elly: Annoying.]

[Me: Not that, hahahaha.]

Even while sending the poke, we still held each other’s hands and stared at each other’s faces.

Elly, who saw my teasing poke, pursed her red lips with her blushing face, and slowly sent a new response.

[Elly: I like you.]

That was the correct answer.

But instead of saying it was the correct answer, I replied with different words.

[Me: I like you too.]

She replied, “……”

Upon seeing it, Elli narrowed her eyes even more and gestured with her lips as she spoke to me.

“Ba. Bo.”

These were words, perhaps uttered in embarrassment or confusion, with a lower level of profanity than usual to hide her embarrassment.

I smiled happily at the cute sight of Elli. And just as I was about to send another message to pose the next question…

*Swoosh*

A black shadow loomed behind us.

“……”

“……”

Feeling the unease, Elli and I simultaneously turned our heads backward, where…

“……”

An emotionless gaze that felt like it wouldn’t even register a hint of emotion, staring at us with an extreme level of expressionlessness.

In his early thirties, our Korean teacher and today’s supervisor for the study session.

As far as I knew, still without a boyfriend.

Teacher Choi Seon-yeong quietly stood there.

The moment our eyes met with the teacher, Elli and I immediately released the hands we were holding, attempting to pretend we were focusing on our books, but…

*Chin*

*Thud…!*

“Huuk…!”

The teacher’s fierce grip grabbed Elli’s slender neck.

“Study during the study session. If not, how will you succeed, Alicia? Understand?”

With a lonely and somewhat angry voice, the teacher spoke, breaking the silence.

“……I’m sorry.”

Elli readily admitted her mistake.