Chapter 3 - The Forgotten Classmate (ii)

The clock read 4:13 PM.

Hae Soo sighed, stretching a little before casually zipping up her bag.

As she slung it over her shoulder, Tae Hee suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Hey, let’s go to the arcade!” Tae Hee grinned, eyes full of excitement. “It’s been so long since we played—”

“Can’t.” Hae Soo cut in immediately.

Tae Hee blinked. “Huh? Why not?”

Hae Soo sighed and held up a few books.

“Min Je’s overdue library books. I need to return them before I get hunted down by the librarian.”

Tae Hee groaned. “Ugh, seriously? That senior of yours is making you do errands again?”

Hae Soo just shrugged.

“He asked nicely, though.” Hae Soo rubs the back of her head.

Tae Hee rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re way too nice to that guy.”

Hae Soo laughed softly, shaking her head. “Go have fun without me. I’ll catch you tomorrow.”

Tae Hee huffed but didn’t push further. “Fine, but you owe me next time!”

With that, she waved goodbye and dashed off, eager to get home.

Hae Soo, on the other hand, let out a small sigh before turning in the opposite direction—toward the library.

“Just a quick errand,” she told herself.

Hae Soo walked through the quiet halls, gripping the books in her arms. The library wasn’t far, just a few turns away but for some reason, today, the air felt different.

The sky outside the windows had darkened slightly, painted in hues of orange and purple. The usual after-school noises—chatter, footsteps, laughter had faded. Most students had already gone home, leaving only a few lingering around.

Hae Soo let out a small sigh.

“I should’ve just forced Min Je to return these himself…” she muttered, shifting the weight of the books in her arms.

Finally, she reached the library doors.

Sliding one open, she stepped inside.

It was empty.

Well, mostly.

The librarian sat at the front desk, typing away on a computer, barely acknowledging her presence. Rows of bookshelves stretched out before her, the dim lighting making the space feel even more silent than usual.

Hae Soo quickly made her way to the return counter and placed the books down with a soft thud.

“There. Done.”

She was about to leave but then, something made her stop. Somewhere, deep in the aisles, she heard footsteps.

Slow. Steady.

Someone else was here.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze shifting toward the bookshelves.

A figure.

Tall, standing near the farthest shelf, half-hidden in the shadows.

Her brows furrowed. “Who…?” She thought to herself.

The figure moved.

The dim light above flickered slightly, just enough for her to catch a glimpse.

A familiar uniform. A familiar stance. And then—a familiar face.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It’s Cha Ji Hoon, oh no wonder he seems familiar. Not interested also. But what a coincidence to meet him here

Suddenly he locks his gaze on her. More importantly, why was he staring right at her?

For a moment, their eyes met. Hae Soo’s breath hitched.

Cha Ji Hoon stood there, his usual cold expression unreadable, as if analyzing her for just a second too long.

And then he looked away.

Without a word. Without a reaction.

Like nothing happened.

He simply broke his gaze and continued scanning the shelves, fingers trailing over the book spines as if she didn’t exist.

Hae Soo blinked, her heart still beating weirdly fast. Before she could dwell on it—

“Lee Hae Soo.” A sharp voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She turned, only to be met with the irritated face of the librarian.

“Do you have any idea how overdue these books are?” The librarian crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her sleeve. “Two weeks overdue, to be exact.”

Hae Soo winced.

“I know, I know—look, they’re not mine! Min Je borrowed them. I’m just returning them for him.”

The librarian narrowed her eyes. “Do you have proof of that?”

Hae Soo opened her mouth, then froze.

Wait.

Shouldn’t there be a name recorded when someone borrows a book? Didn’t they have a system for this?

She glanced at the counter, where an open logbook sat.

She pointed at it. “Can’t you just check? His name should be there.”

The librarian sighed and muttered under her breath as she flipped through the pages. But after a moment, she stopped. Her expression shifted into something confused.

Hae Soo frowned. She almost tilts her head. “What?”

The librarian looked at her.

“There’s no record of these books being borrowed at all.”

Hae Soo gritted her teeth.

“Are you serious right now?” she muttered under her breath, her fingers twitching at her sides.

Min Je. That idiot.

Was he playing with her? Was this some kind of joke? How could he ask her to return these books when they weren’t even recorded as borrowed? She needed to talk to him. But before she could storm out and hunt him down, the librarian let out a long, dramatic sigh.

“Look,” the woman muttered, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if there’s no record, that means someone messed with the system. And that’s not my problem, it’s yours.”

Hae Soo held back a groan.

“But—”

“You’re responsible for these books now, whether you borrowed them or not. So unless you want to pay a fine or find proof, don’t waste my time.”

Hae Soo stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

She was so going to kill Min Je.

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