Episode 9: Drawing Lots
I fell for an obvious provocation. His expression was so infuriating that I almost punched him.
In a fit of anger, I agreed, but there was no way the rest of the class would go along with something this stupid.
A courage test? That’s the kind of thing you do in elementary school.
It was obvious no one would be interested in such childish antics.
‘We’re practically adults. No way.’
Holding onto the hope that it would fizzle out, I sat in my seat, killing time.
Ding-dong-dang-dong.
As soon as the bell signaling the break rang, Jinyoung started weaving through the boys, chatting them up as if he’d planned a strategy in advance.
Go ahead and try persuading them. No one’s going to do it.
Or so I thought.
“Hey, Sanghyuk.”
“What?”
“You’ve been feeling lonely lately, haven’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah, listen. Have you heard of the suspension bridge effect?”
The boy looked at Jinyoung with an annoyed expression.
“What’s that?”
“It’s when your heart races in a scary situation, and you mistake it for romantic feelings. It’s a scientifically proven psychological theory.”
“And so?”
“This is the perfect opportunity. You can get closer to the girls during the courage test.”
Hearing this, Sanghyuk snorted.
“As if the girls would do it.”
“They will. Even Kim Dohyun said he’d join.”
At that moment, Sanghyuk’s expression changed.
“He did?”
“Yep. Almost all the girls are on board.”
This bastard.
He was casually using my name to sell his plan.
‘His scheming… seriously.’
This guy could become a professional con artist one day.
And just like that, it took Jinyoung 30 seconds to bring someone over to his side.
From there, he used his snake-like tongue to reel in the rest of the boys.
“Hey, Minho.”
“What?”
“You want a girlfriend, don’t you?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“If you miss this chance, you’ll be single forever.”
“Not interested.”
“Dohyun’s joining, and so are the girls.”
“…Seriously?”
Before long, all the boys expressed their willingness to participate.
Why is this working? Idiots.
Never co-sign anything for these guys in the future.
Now they were excitedly scheming among themselves, pretending it was all about a courage test, when they were really just looking for a romantic summer night.
And they were doing it right by my seat.
“We’ve got a big problem. The numbers don’t match.”
One of them pointed out an issue.
“There are 20 boys in the class but only 17 girls.”
The mood quickly turned somber.
“So three of us are automatically out?”
Murmurs spread across the group. As if anticipating this moment, Jinyoung flashed a confident smile.
“Draw lots. If you’re scared, you can just quit.”
“Deal.”
“If anyone tries to cheat, I’ll break their fingers, got it?”
These guys. They clearly wanted to do this from the start.
As soon as Jinyoung finished recruiting all the boys, he headed straight for the girls.
I shook my head in disbelief.
‘The girls definitely won’t do it.’
Honestly, it was no surprise the simple-minded boys fell for Jinyoung’s “suspension bridge effect” theory, but the girls would be different.
If the girls didn’t participate, the boys would inevitably back out as well.
What a dumb move—it was a dead end.
Their reaction would be predictable, anyway.
“Isn’t this way too childish?”
“We’re too old for this kind of stuff.”
“What are we, elementary school kids?”
See?
I crossed my arms and watched the scene unfold.
There was no way they’d fall for it as easily as the boys. Girls barely even had enough time to hang out at cafes and take pictures for social media after school—why would they bother with a courage test?
But Jinyoung didn’t seem fazed by their reactions.
“Don’t regret it later, okay?”
“Ugh, whatever. Go play with the other idiots.”
“Hey, Hyejin, karaoke after this?”
“Sure.”
At that moment, Jinyoung’s lips curled into a sly smile.
“Kim Dohyun’s joining, by the way. Too bad.”
“What?”
The mood shifted in an instant.
“Kim Dohyun?”
“Dohyun’s doing it?”
“Doesn’t he hate this kind of stuff?”
A murmur rippled through the group of girls.
“Well, he doesn’t seem interested in you guys, so I’ll just go ask someone else. See ya~”
Jinyoung turned away with a casual, confident air.
Then came a frantic cry.
“W-Wait! Are you saying there’s a chance we could partner with Dohyun?”
“Yep. We’re drawing lots to decide.”
“Then I’ll do it!”
“Me too!”
I stared at Jinyoung in disbelief.
This bastard. Using my name again?
And didn’t he tell the boys earlier that all the girls were already convinced? That was a lie too.
Jinyoung flinched slightly when our eyes met, but quickly recovered, his shameless grin returning in full force.
He was practically saying, “What are you gonna do about it?”
“Kim Dohyun’s joining, you know? You won’t get another chance like this.”
“But isn’t it scary?”
“It’s fine—it’s two people per team.”
“Teaming up with Dohyun… hehe…”
“Well, that’s settled then. All the girls are in.”
“Wait, I haven’t—”
Someone tried to protest, but the decision had already been made.
Jinyoung raised his hand triumphantly, like a general celebrating a victory.
“Alright then! We’ll draw lots during lunch, so get ready.”
I buried my face in my hands.
This is really happening…
I could hear the girls whispering excitedly about whether they might get paired with me.
My head started throbbing, and I instinctively rubbed my temples.
*
Seo Yuna sat by the classroom window, gazing outside with a quiet sigh.
Lately, she’d been acting like a crazy person, constantly flirting and, for no reason, dragging Kim Dohyun into trouble.
‘Choi Kihoon, that bastard.’
She cursed him silently while listening to the boys chattering nearby.
They were talking about some urban legend—rumors of strange noises coming from a shrine.
Courage test? How childish.
This wasn’t the first time ghost stories or rumors had circulated around the academy. Still, she couldn’t believe how excited they were about it.
Ghosts? As if such things exist. Idiots.
She crossed her arms and shook her head, vowing never to get involved in such nonsense.
But then—
“Kim Dohyun’s joining, you know?”
Yuna’s head snapped around.
Kim Dohyun?
She thought she’d misheard.
But the other classmates were already treating his participation as a fact, laughing and chatting away.
And since the one who’d mentioned it was Jinyoung, who always stuck close to Dohyun, the odds of it being a lie were slim.
‘Surprising. I thought he’d hate things like this.’
Yuna bit her lip and turned her gaze back to the window.
Dohyun was usually calm and stoic. While he sometimes played along with jokes, he didn’t seem like someone who would get swept up in the mood.
But now, he was participating in something so childish?
‘No way…’
Yuna pondered the reason.
‘Is it because of Lee Jinyoung?’
It had to be. His clingy friend probably dragged him into it.
‘Of course…’
She tried to settle on that conclusion, but what really bothered her were the other girls.
“Wow, if I get paired with Kim Dohyun, I’ll feel so safe!”
“Should I pretend to be scared and cling to his arm a little?”
“No way, I’m just going to dive right into his arms.”
“Should I wear my best underwear today in case I get paired with him?”
“Pfft! You’re crazy!”
Snap.
A surge of heat rose inside her like a fire.
‘What the hell are they saying?’
Her shoulders felt tense for no reason.
Unwanted thoughts began to flood her mind.
She imagined Dohyun walking hand-in-hand with another girl in the dark.
“Don’t worry. I’m here for you.”
“Dohyun…”
“Shh—my little baby bird.”
The scene in her head continued with Dohyun tenderly holding a frightened girl who buried herself in his arms.
‘Ugh, so annoying!’
Yuna couldn’t understand why she was even thinking this.
‘What does he have to do with me? Am I going crazy?’
It wasn’t something she should care about. Even if that scenario actually happened, there was no reason for her to be bothered.
So why?
Why was it so irritating?
Why did her chest feel tight every time she imagined it?
‘This is so frustrating…’
The more she thought about it, the more it twisted her emotions.
She always kept a polite distance from Kim Dohyun. Not close enough to call him a friend, but not so far as to be strangers either.
But now, seeing other girls trying to close that gap so suddenly felt unbearable to her.
Just then, Jinyoung’s voice filled the classroom.
“Alright, it’s decided. All the girls are in too!”
Yuna nearly shot up from her seat.
‘What?’
At first, the girls had refused, but the moment Kim Dohyun’s name was mentioned, the situation completely flipped.
“Wait—”
She tried to protest, but her voice was drowned out by the classroom’s laughter and chatter.
Grinding her teeth, Yuna clenched her fists.
‘This isn’t right…’
Without realizing it, her eyes drifted toward Dohyun.
He was quietly sitting in his seat, watching the others.
His indifferent expression annoyed her even more.
‘Kim Dohyun, this is your fault.’
She blamed him in her mind, but the uneasy lump in her throat didn’t go away.
That unresolved discomfort left her feeling stuck.
With a bitter expression, Yuna turned back to the window.
‘…Fine. I’ll join this childish game too.’
*
By lunchtime, the classroom was buzzing with excitement.
Jinyoung shook a small box of papers from the teacher’s desk.
“Alright, time to draw lots! No complaints about who you’re paired with, got it?”
A strange tension had already spread among the girls.
“Please, let it be Kim Dohyun…”
“God, Buddha, anyone…”
Some students were laughing and joking around.
“Hey, if someone like you, a gorilla, ends up as someone’s partner, they’ll all run away!”
“What? You wanna die?!”
Amid the noise, my name was finally called.
“Kim Dohyun.”
All eyes turned toward me.
Guys, I’m not that big of a deal. This is seriously too much.
The girls who hadn’t been paired yet were staring at me with wide, hopeful eyes.
Jinyoung drew the next name, and a sly grin spread across his face.
“Kim Dohyun’s partner is… Seo Yuna! Congrats!”
“Hey! Redraw! This is rigged!”
“Again with Yuna? Seriously?”
Groans erupted from every corner of the room. Somewhere nearby, I heard a small gasp.
I glanced over at Yuna.
I didn’t think she’d be interested in this kind of thing.
I couldn’t understand why she was even participating.
“Did you actually agree to this?”
Avoiding my gaze, Yuna muttered irritably.
“Why? Am I not allowed to?”
Her tone was sharper than usual. Did I do something to upset her?
“No, it’s just unexpected.”
“I… I just… Everyone else is doing it, so…”
I shrugged at her explanation. Some girls liked occult stuff, so it wasn’t too strange.
“Alright, then. Let’s work together.”
I spoke casually, but Yuna puffed up her cheeks and glared at me.
“By the way…”
“What?”
“You know…”
“Spit it out.”
“Are you upset that you got paired with me? Like, would you rather be with someone else? I’m just asking since you don’t really have close friends…”
Hmm… Seo Yuna, huh?
She’s pretty and has a good personality. Honestly, wouldn’t being paired with her be a win?
“Not really. I don’t mind.”
At my response, Yuna’s eyes widened briefly before she quickly turned her head away.
What’s with her? She asked, so why’s she acting like that?