you didn't know the real reason behind his smile.
ᅠᅠ╰─> HE WAS Ban Yeoryeong's older brother, Ban Yeo Dan.
At first, my sister looked as if her eyes were blessed. The next, she was scratching her head out of pure distress. Seeing her unstable mental state, I hurried to come up with an excuse.
"Yes, it seems that way..."
It was a good thing I remembered what he spoke to us just now. If I hadn't, I would've ended up a laughing mess.
When he heard my answer, Ban Yeo Dan nodded his head before we walked together for the elevator. It was inevitable to avoid riding it with him, so we went in anyway. Ham Dan-I trailed behind me like a robot.
I hope Dan-I won't get sick because of this...Recording her in this state would be good quality content. I wish I can laugh now, but that'd seem insensitive, so nah...
"Is something wrong with Dan-I?"
I was a bit surprised when Ban Yeo Dan suddenly bent down and leaned closer to my ear to whisper, but I quickly recovered when I realized he was concerned for Ham Dan-I. Being immune to handsome guys and stunts like this, I awkwardly laughed to brush my flustered self off.
"Ah, she was reading a novel and the ending was a mess."
"Oh...is that so? Will she be alright??"
"Yup."
He sure seemed genuinely worried about her. It was just as strange as yesterday. Well...this is a dream, right...?
The place was silent again when he didn't talk. I actually lied about my sister's current condition, but it seems the guy bought it and didn't ask. Ham Dan-I didn't know about our little conversation as she was lost in her own world again.
I heaved a sigh before pulling out a book from my bag. I found out my room was packed with interesting books, so I took one with me.
Since I can only sketch at home...I should read instead for stress relief. I flipped a page and started to read. I was between Ham Dan-I and Ban Yeo Dan, so I felt a bit queasy and decided to distract myself with a good story.
While I was doing that, Ban Yeo Dan suddenly stretched out his hand holding a vanilla and chocolate milk carton in front of me.
I raised my head to ask what it was, but he opened his mouth before I got the chance.
"For you and Dan-I. I forgot to give this yesterday, so here. I placed them in the refrigerator since you like it cold."
How does he know I like cold things? Oh, wait...this is a dream... Even so, he's such an angel...!
"T-Thanks..." I couldn't suppress the blush from crawling on my cheeks. I liked vanilla and cold milk, so this was a pretty good combination.
Seeing the reaction he hoped for, the handsome boy affectionately ruffled my lush black hair as a tiny smile crept up on his lips. Again, I began to love this dream.
Meanwhile, Ham Dan-I was still mentally M.I.A.
....
"Hey, Haru unnie~ Dan~"
"Ah! Haru unnie, it's next period right?!"
Ban Yeoryeong darted out with flowers blooming around her, approaching my sister who swiftly turned around, ignoring the girl in a rush and dragged me along by the hood.
During break-
"Dan-a-"
"Want to play a card game?!"
My sister shuffled some cards and went to other classmates, pulling my arm.
Another time-
"Unnie!!"
This time, Ban Yeoryeong dashed towards me with teary eyes. I grew worried knowing that Ham Dan-I tried her best to avoid her at all costs.
Standing up from my reading time, I was about to console her.
"...Murasaki gir-"
"We need to use the bathroom!!"
Out of the blue, my sister grabbed my hood again and leaving dust, we zoomed out of the classroom.
Slamming the door shut behind us, Ham Dan-I finally let go of my hood that nearly choked me three times this morning.
"Ha...finally..."
My sister huffed deeply, looking famished by all the running. Meanwhile I still massaged my poor and abused neck. I was a bit peeved, but I didn't want to yell so I just kept silent.
As Ham Dan-I washed her hands while I just stood beside her, she let out a groan.
"Until when do we have to keep this up? There's no other way except to avoid her right...?"
I deadpanned. "If this keeps up, I'll end up dead due to suffocation."
"Ah...sorry..." Realizing her mistakes, she averted her gaze. My twin sister was guilty as charged.
Seeing her reaction made me wonder if it was attempted murder.
I didn't answer and just folded my arms. I was supposed to be Ban Yeoryeong's seatmate, so it was inevitable to not talk to her. As if knowing that, Ham Dan-I made a plan earlier.
This morning, before I even got the chance to greet her, Ham Dan-I managed to make me sit next to her for the rest of the day. I don't know what strings she pulled, but she managed to do so. The depressed look in Ban Yeoryeong's face was still embedded in my brain.
I sighed in wonder. Was I really doing the right thing? Well, it obviously was not. I was letting myself get dragged around by my sister without doing something about this situation like any big sister should've done. I was willing to let Ban Yeoryeong make that hurtful face. What kind of person am I to shove pain at one who's innocent?
It may be true that this could be a dream or even a set up web novel, but she's still human...
I recalled the scene at our apartment. Ban Yeo Dan who was Ban Yeoryeong's older brother treated us as if we were his little sister's precious friends. An arrow hit my back. It was the stroke of conscience.
I...shouldn't tolerate this. I, for one, don't really care about anybody unless they pique my interest; but if knowing how protagonist-like their situations are, I don't wish to be on their bad side. Plus, she saved my wedding ring with Kiro. I still need to return the favor since I don't like being in debt with people. I pursed my lips before detaching them from one another. I had to act like a responsible big sister. Jeez, all I wanted was to spend time with my beloved Kiro, why did it have to turn out like this?
"...Dan-I, I don't think this is the right way to deal with this." I admitted, half-heartedly. "I know this sounds crazy and all, but why don't we 'not' avoid her instead?"
First, there was silence. And then a loud voice boomed.
"Are you nuts?!"
Not believing her ears, she snapped her head towards me, pale.
"Haru unnie, don't you want to avoid getting involved in this story too?!"
"Yes, I do."
"Then why-!"
"...Dan-I, we're hurting her."
Her eyes widened. As if a cat got her tongue, she closed her hanging mouth and bit her lower lip. Ham Dan-I knew what I said was true. Unknown to me, Ham Dan-I had seen how earnest my eyes looked like, shaming her selfishness. Since I wasn't the type to care about other people, she knew I wasn't joking.
"Then...then what should we do...?"
Her voice quivered. I knew she was struggling with what to do. Sympathizing, I rested my palm on her shoulder with a sweet smile.
"If she really is our friend, how about we bribe her into buying me key chains of my favorite anime?"
Despair.
Yes, it was despair that washed over my twin's face.
Ham Dan-I thought I gave in to the new year's resolution to be a good kid, but was appalled by the reality. Haru unnie doesn't give a damn about her at all...! She's just using Ban Yeoryeong to extort money...!
Before Ham Dan-I got the chance to describe how evil I was, the door of the bathroom pushed open and two girls came in.
"-is so annoying~" The girl with a cardigan said.
"Just let her be." The other one replied.
I recognized the two. They were from our class. The one with the cardigan was Baek Yeomin. The girl next to her was probably her friend Yura.
...what was she annoyed about? The door opening made it vague...
Baek Yeomin lifted her gaze and met mine when she noticed our presence. Her eyes bulged a bit before she turned to Ham Dan-I. Seeing my sister, her face brightened and she waved.
"Hi, Dan-a~?" She then fixed her eyes to me and grinned. "And you too, Haru, right~?"
Why is she friendly all of a sudden...? Is she a best friend this time? Seeing the girl's eyes, I sensed a similar feeling.
Ah, she's a fake.
"Uh...? H-Hi." My sister exchanged brief questioning glances with me and I just shrugged. I was certain that this girl wasn't like what happened with Ban Yeoryeong. There was something off about her friendly smile. It wasn't genuine.
I'm not one to judge, but somehow I didn't like the vibe coming from Baek Yeomin.
"Haru and Dan-i~."
She called us again.
"Yeah?"
When Ham Dan-I answered, she extended her right hand out to shake.
"Want to be friends?"
Someone whom we barely talk to suddenly wants to get closer to us...this doesn't look like pure intentions to me. How obvious can she be? Staring at Baek Yeomin who maintained a close eyed smile, there was something shady behind it. Maybe it was my imagination, however my gut knew that expression. Though we were cut from the same cloth, this one didn't seem eco-friendly.
My eyes thinned with suspicion. It was a different impression from when I met Ban Yeoryeong and the 'Four Heavenly Kings'.
She's also the kind I wouldn't want to be involved in. I was planning on declining her offer before Ham Dan-I spoke first.
"Alrighty! Let's become friends!"
I turned to my side only to spot an empty space. Raising my sight, I witnessed Ham Dan-I grasping both of Baek Yeomin's hands with a confident grin.
My façade cracked.
"Haru unnie! This is great news!" She hurried back to me and drew closer to my ear, making sure I could only hear. "If we become friends with her, we can have a reasonable excuse to avoid Ban Yeoryeong without hurting her so much!"
...so much? We're still hurting her, huh.
I furrowed my brows when she pulled away from me with an excited look. This plan was no different than the previous one. We were still disregarding Ban Yeoryeong if we did this.
I looked at my sister, then at Baek Yeomin who waited for my response.
Closing my eyes, I forced my lips to form a kind smile.
"Thank you, but I'm sorry, I have to go. Excuse me."
"Haru unnie...?"
I ignored Ham Dan-I's call and brushed past Baek Yeomin and her friend, exiting the room to walk away.
...Dan-I, we're twins, but I guess you still can't tell between real and fake friends. Though I was grateful she couldn't tell the difference for now, it just shows how ignorant she was. But since she's the female protagonist, she might overcome this later on her own, or with the help of another protagonist. Either way, as a side character, it's my duty to leave her alone.
As these minutes went by, I was starting to realize how indifferent I was to our current situation.
I took out my Kiro keychain. There was an adorable chibi boy with blonde hair attached to the chain, reminding me that I was only interested in the 2D world. In the first place, I never wanted to get involved with anyone. I only accompanied Dan-I this whole time in this dream because it was entertaining. If it gets complicated, I'll just leave the scene.
"Ah-" Buried deep in my thoughts, I didn't notice the person coming my way and bumped into them.
It wasn't a powerful hit, so it was only a light bump that pushed us a few steps backwards.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking..."
I tilt my head up only to land my sights on silver hair. It was the guy who declared Ban Yeoryeong to be his rival academically. Shoot, is he going to be mad at me too?
"Hm?" He looked down, recognizing me. "You're the one who got 2nd place in the exams."
It was Eun Ji-ho.
"Ah... that's..." I wanted to say that it wasn't true, but then I remembered this was a dream and whatever happens, goes. Laughing awkwardly, I rubbed my nape. "... Are you going to be angry at me too?"
"What?" His brows knitted together like he felt wronged. He had this what-are-you-talking-about face.
"I thought you would be since I made you 3rd place instead of 2nd..."
Eun Ji-ho's face turned cold, as if that mere reminder dug the knife even deeper inside him.
His eyes twitched in annoyance before he scoffed and turned away from me. "As I said, I was going easy on you. I'll get serious now so you better watch yourself."
He stormed away passed by me, emitting a scary aura around him.
I watched him disappear in the corridors. I didn't really know what to make of his character. I could only confirm that he was strange just like everything in this dream.
Eun Ji-ho, huh... I had the impression of him being a gentleman, but I guess if his dignity is at stake, he shows his true colors.
That in mind, I realized that I left the comfort room to meet Ban Yeoryeong. She must be worried sick and puzzled by our behaviors, so I needed to clean this up. Maybe Ham Dan-I, Ban Yeoryeong and I could talk this out and everything will be fine. If that beautiful ending occurs, I could watch Kiro's gameplay all day long.
I need to explain everything to her first...
"Excuse me, are you student Ham Haru?"
I was about to start running, but then someone called me from behind. If it were the usual, I would give a smile, but I was in a hurry and just gave a passive look instead.
Turning, I saw a teacher standing not too far from me. A serious expression displayed on her face.
"You've got an emergency call from your parents."
I had an ominous feeling about this.
>>>>
a/n:
ayee, i finally caught up with my fanfiction ! for those of you who didn't know, i had actually published this fanfiction last year around august? or even before that month and i stopped at this chapter. this explains why you can see comments from last year even if i had just published the chapter recently. the original fanfiction i made was entitled "ham dan-i's sister" before it went to "pique", and now it became the current "deja vu" fanfic. back then the plot was a mess and i wasn't able to connect ham haru properly with the characters in inso's law so i unpublished it for editing. it took me a while to edit this since i didn't have much free time as i did last year, but now i finally caught up with the chapter i stopped with and now i'm back to finish this fanfiction.
for all of you who patiently waited for me since last year, thank you so much...and for those who had supported me recently too, i appreciate you guys as well. i couldn't have done this without you all, so thank you so much again ( U-U )<3 !
sorry for the long, not-so-necessary author's note. but i just wanted to explain if ever anyone was confused or something. again, thank you so, so much for loving, for voting, and for posting your cute and funny comments ! i'm so happy you guys enjoyed the ff so far :)
with love, cola.
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