Yoon Bum x Reader: In-Justice

Chapter 3: Check Yes or No

Chapter 3: Check Yes or No

"So do you have a Valentine yet?" Your friend cooed playfully, leaning against the desk in front of you. A few weeks had passed and she seemed to have grown accustomed to Yoon Bum's presence. He never burdened your conversation with his opinions unless he was asked to, so she kind of thought of him as a lampshade in a way. Or maybe more like a creepy painting with eyes that move...

"Uh... Should I?" It was days away, wasn't it? 'Do people really plan that far ahead for this sort of thing?'

"My plan is to have someone special by Rose Day this year. What about you?"

"It will be yellow curry for me again, I bet." You chuckled, and Bum glanced at you. There were so many romanticized days on the calendar, too many to keep track of in your opinion. Tradition held that Valentines Day was the day that most boys buy girls gifts to show their affections. Then if said boy receives a gift back on White Day, one month later, the two are considered to be a couple. Those who don't receive any gifts all go out on Rose Day (some call it Yellow Day) and eat yellow curry; an ironic symbol aimed to "spice up" their love lives.

"Aw. Don't say that." She replied. "You never know. Anything could happen and you could find someone special too."

"I hope you're right." You smiled. "...But get me a good curry recipe just in case."

"Will do." She noticed you grab your chopsticks awkwardly. "Oh, by the way, how's your hand doing?"

"Good question. I'll check." You unraveled the bandage and held it up to the light "Hm..." It was mostly healed but seemed to have a looming red inflammation surrounding it. "Eh, it still looks kinda bad."

"I think it looks pretty." Yoon Bum said plainly and you both looked at him. Blaring red warning sirens went off in your head. He could feel the energy suddenly shift, becoming thick and stifling. It was silent for a long time, as your friend must have been struck just as speechless as you.

"...You say some weird things sometimes, Bum."

"Ah!" He frowned down at his lunch. 'Why does she look so upset about what I said? Usually when girls talk bad about themselves, they want a guy to tell them the opposite... Is this case an exception? Why? Girls talk about wanting to have pretty skin all the time...'

"But... I don't understand..." His voice came out even meeker than usual. "I thought it was a compliment..." He sat in puzzlement until you started to feel bad for him.

"Well... thanks, I guess." You shrugged and tried your best not to misread his words too much. Out of context it seemed like a bizarre and scary thing for him to say, alarming actually. But this was Bum you were talking about. You had seen the look of utter despair in his eyes the instant he cut you. You knew better than to think he got any sick enjoyment out of your injury. So the solution seemed simple enough: chalk it up to the poor thing being awkward and not having the faintest clue how to talk to girls.

Your attentiveness in the next class was hindered somewhat by Yoon Bum scribbling furiously onto a piece of notebook paper. 'Boy, if I could be that diligent while taking notes, I'd be valedictorian by now...' You thought to yourself. However, you were taken by surprise when he folded the thing and slid it over to you. You scratched your head in confusion before opening it, letting out a sigh of amusement at the contents. Before your eyes lay a very lengthy apology note regarding what he said at lunch. You only read the first few sentences, able to get the gist of it very quickly, before writing your response. You figured he must be worried that you're mad at him and didn't want to keep him waiting in suspense.