LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 272
“
You look great.”
“Thanks.”
“
?! Do you speak Korean?
”
“Yeah, I do.”
“
Wow
!”
Ozworld, who was as pretty as a doll, seemed unreal, like a game character. Even when I tried to recall, I had never seen anyone as handsome as him.
Maybe that’s why. He made me feel strangely uncomfortable.
As I thought he didn’t seem human and tried to look away, I accidentally made eye contact with Ozworld. At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
Bzzz!
“
Whoa
, that scared me.”
Startled, I quickly took out my phone and checked the screen. But instead of the usual constellation messages, something strange appeared.
[Ozworld Holton]
Likeability:
♥♥♥♥♡
※
If all five black hearts are filled, you will die.
Likeability? Die?
My eyes naturally turned back to Ozworld. He was still looking at me. Ozworld was the first to speak.
“Hi.”
“…Hi.”
Ignoring Umi, who kept trying to talk to him, Ozworld walked over to me. “Aren’t you going to tell me your name?”
Umi wouldn’t like this. I sighed softly, deciding to answer quickly and get it over with. “Chae Ji-woo.”
But Ozworld didn’t seem like he was going to leave; he offered his hand for a handshake. “Let’s be friends, Jiwoo.”
Why is he trying to be friendly with me?
I hesitated but shook his hand. Despite his appearance, which anyone would find likable, why did I feel so uneasy?
* * *
I learned a few things. The black hearts indicated how much he disliked me. So, Ozworld Holton really disliked me.
But it didn’t feel that way.
Rather than dislike me… he ignored me? His kind and pretty smile hid that fact, but I felt Ozworld was ignoring me. Maybe it was a misconception, but my first impression of Ozworld wasn’t that great.
I guess it’s fine since we won’t cross paths much in the future
… That’s what I thought.
“Ozworld is joining our school this year. He might not know the layout, so please help him out.”
“Yes.”
Out of nowhere, Ozworld transferred to my school in my second year.
Why did he come to an ordinary school if he was rich?
I looked at Ozworld, who sat behind me with a slightly confused face. He noticed me and smiled.
“We meet again.”
“…Yes.”
When he acknowledged me, curious eyes turned towards me. Someone abruptly asked me.
“Do you two know each other? Are you close?”
“No.” My answer came out almost instinctively.
Was I too firm?
To avoid seeming cold, I added a bit of explanation.
“We’re neighbors, so we’ve greeted each other once.” Then I took out a book, signaling not to talk to me anymore.
Although it was blurry, this world seemed predictable, like my first memory existed, and of course, I couldn’t relate to elementary school kids. The only new thing was reading books I hadn’t read before.
Luckily, the kids lost interest in boring me. With Ozworld behind me, his presence was too dazzling for them to notice someone as plain as me.
Why does he have to sit behind me?
It was quite annoying when kids crowded around during breaks, invading my space.
Ozworld became the most popular kid in school in just a day. The only American in a school full of Koreans, it was expected. Plus, he was handsome. Even teachers marveled at Ozworld. He was entirely different from me, who was almost invisible. It was only natural for us to stay out of each other’s way, but for some reason, Ozworld kept talking to me.
“What are you reading?”
He was hard to ignore, especially since he sat right behind me, and when he spoke, people stared.
I silently showed him the cover of my book on Western architecture history.
“Is it interesting?”
“Somewhat.”
Did I sound too stiff? I wasn’t used to being friendly, making small talk difficult. Ozworld’s sophisticated and kind tone made me more uncomfortable, making me feel inferior. It wasn’t a rivalry, but his presence made me shrink. Thus, my awkward demeanor became more apparent.
“Anyway, you wouldn’t be interested in this stuff.”
Ozworld, looking interested, rested his chin on my desk. “Why do you think so?”
“Most people aren’t interested.”
“That doesn’t seem like a reason for me not to be interested. Do I look like I wouldn’t find it interesting?”
Ah,
did my attitude come off as racist?
“Sorry. I just assumed because I’ve never seen anyone interested in architecture.”
Hmm.
That explanation seemed insufficient. I closed the book and offered it to him. “Want to read?”
Ozworld shook his head. “No, you were reading it first. Let me know when you’re done so I can borrow it.”
I was worried that I might have misspoken, but it seemed I had managed to pass it without issue. I cautiously took out my phone and checked the message that mentioned [Ozworld Holton].
[Ozworld Holton]
Likeability:
♥♥♥♡♡
Huh
? One black heart was gone. I checked to see if there were more black hearts, but unexpectedly, there was a positive outcome.
But why does only Ozworld’s likeability show up?
Ozworld was indeed special. He was more special to me in a different way because he appeared in this special message, which was visible only to me.
It’s like a game.
Ozworld Holton seemed like a game character I had to conquer.
Lost in thought, we stared silently at each other until a mischievous voice interrupted.
“Are you two dating?”
Turning my head, I saw a familiar face. It was Park Jeonggi who boasted about his unlimited phone plan and sent pointless texts to everyone who had a phone.
“
Oooh
.” The kids teased, seeing a new target.
I had no intention of responding to childish jokes, and Ozworld seemed the same. Honestly, aside from my uneasy feelings towards Ozworld, I felt we were alike. Despite the crowd, we probably had no one to talk to…
Saying it like this makes me sound like a middle schooler. Anyway, I felt that Ozworld showed interest in me for this reason.
Not that I think we’d get along well.
The kids soon stopped teasing when they got no reaction and dispersed. Only Park Jeonggi kept pestering me.
“Hey, you’re acting smart again, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“Why did you ignore my texts yesterday?”
“Texts?”
“What? Didn’t you see? I sent you about ten messages. Couldn’t you have responded to one?”
“No.” I honestly didn’t know if he had sent them or not. I just said no because it was easier than explaining.
“Then you should have told me that! Want me to send them again?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“My phone’s broken.”
“I just saw you using it.”
Why is he pestering me so much? Unable to focus on my book, I frowned and looked up.
“Jiwoo.”
Ozworld called my name, making me look at him instead of Park Jeonggi.
“Let’s go home together today. We’re neighbors, after all.”
I nodded.
“Sure.”
“…Really?”
But Ozworld’s reaction was strange. He looked surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. For the first time, Ozworld, who always seemed like a lifeless doll, looked somewhat human.
“Yeah, we’re neighbors.”
Since we were going the same way, it felt pointless to refuse.
That’s when Park Jeonggi, with a sulky expression, spoke. “I’m coming too.”
“You live in the opposite direction.”
“So what? I can visit your place.”
My expression hardened. “No, don’t follow us.”
Park Jeonggi seemed hurt by my firm answer, pouting, “So you are dating Ozworld. That’s why you want to go home alone together,
huh
?”
Ozworld gently explained that wasn’t true, and the kids who had been eavesdropping on our conversation chimed in.
“Come on, Jeonggi, knock it off. They said they’re not.”
“They’re just going home together because they’re neighbors. Why are you making a big deal out of it?”
“Do you like Jiwoo or something?”
At this, Park Jeonggi’s face turned bright red as he shouted angrily, “No way! Who’d like ugly Chae Jiwoo? Do you wanna die?!”
The other kids, finding his reaction amusing, quickly shifted their attention to him. Though I was still part of the conversation, I didn’t care as long as they left me alone.
Soon, the bell rang for class. Ozworld, who sat in front of me, moved back to his own seat. Before going back, he said something.
“To me, you’re pretty.”
…He didn’t mean me, right?