you're annoying | ryeji

FIFTEEN

chp. 15

The most awkward moment of my life occurred when I was three years old. I remember emerging from my room after my mom had just bathed me during a family reunion. Nearly everyone present saw me naked, and an eerie silence fell over the room before erupting into laughter.

Honestly, that could easily qualify as my most embarrassing moment as well.

But now, as I sit across from my mom and Mr. Junho, with Ryujin by my side, I realize that it no longer holds the title of the most awkward moment of my life.

"So..." Junho rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting between Ryujin and me. He hadn't taken a single bite of dinner yet. "Are you guys dating?"

Okay, I was not expecting that.

Judging by Ryujin's reaction, it seemed she was equally surprised. She choked suddenly, struggling with water that seemed to have gotten stuck in her throat. I suppressed a snort and began patting her back vigorously, hoping to help.

The ensuing silence stretched for a few seconds. It was so deafening that I could hear snippets of conversations from the neighbours, despite several walls separating us.

"Um," Ryujin cast a quick glance at me, offering an awkward smile. "No, sir, we're not dating."

"Oh," Junho uttered, suddenly becoming more interested in our potential dynamic. "I guess that makes sense."

Before the situation could worsen, my mom interjected and gently pushed Junho back, effectively silencing him. "Ryujin, when did you become friends with Yeji?"

Well, it's safe to say that I did expect this one.

I turned my head toward the purple-haired girl beside me, my gaze expectant. I wanted to see how she would respond—whether she would reveal the truth about our first meeting or come up with a simple yet believable lie to extricate herself from this predicament.

"Not too long ago, actually." Ryujin smiled politely, deliberately avoiding my gaze. "We met at the library."

Perhaps that was the wiser choice. If she had told the truth, I shudder to think how disastrous this dinner could have become. My mom might have even considered banning her from our lives for supposedly harassing me.

Though it had only been two or three weeks since our first encounter, it already felt like a distant memory.

"Cute," Junho blurted out, only to flinch in pain as my mom presumably pinched him to keep him quiet. It was her interrogation period, and she didn't appreciate interruptions.

"What do your parents do, Ryujin?" My mom asked, leaning forward on the table with both elbows resting on the surface, scrutinizing her. However, Ryujin appeared surprisingly calm rather than nervous. It was somewhat perplexing.

Maintaining her smile, she responded, "They're bakers, Miss."

My mother seemed unimpressed with her response, and I can't say anything about it. She always had a high standard when it came to the profession of my potential partners' parents. She was a lawyer after all, and her being the typical asian mom also did not help.

"Bakers? What's their yearly salary?"

"Mom," I warned, shooting a pointed look towards her. Gosh, I would love to see the shock painted over her face once she sees the mansion Ryujin's family owned.

"What?" she redirected the look at me. "I'm curious."

"She's just a friend and there's nothing to be curious about," I sighed. "If anything, I should ask you about your relationship with... Mr. Junho."