[Gidan S / Serhi A]

Woojoo, who had docked Serhi’s score a little, tried hard to ignore the pricks of conscience stabbing at him.

'Sorry, Serhi hyung.'

It wasn’t that he held a grudge against Serhi.

It was just that Gu Hwiyeon had become Guru’s partner for the Chick Class’s semester-end free project, and Woojoo wanted that spot for himself.

Somehow, Gu Hwiyeon had noticed that he liked Guru and slyly proposed a trade.

Gu Hwiyeon

I’ll switch partners for you in the free project

Gu Hwiyeon

So can’t you give Gidan oppa a higher score?

Gu Hwiyeon

(teary emoji)

If it were another assignment, he would never have done something so dirty—

But the semester free project meant choosing a topic freely with your partner and writing a report based on what they had learned in kindergarten.

Since it was a project submitted at the end of the semester, it also meant inevitably spending quite a long time with that partner.

He couldn’t miss such a chance.

Woojoo firmed up his resolve again.

Ever since Mephisto had taken human form, his heart had been restless.

When Mephisto was just a bird, he hadn’t been on guard at all, but in truth the creature was a person, and even liked Guru.

Not only that—Mephisto’s human form was ridiculously pretty.

Yes, being pretty was a problem.

In Woojoo’s eyes, Guru was a total face-fanatic.

Hadn’t she called him “Pretty Woojoo” the very first time they met?

Even now, the only things he could boast in front of Guru were his looks and his fame, and that already hurt his pride plenty.

If she were to move from Pretty Woojoo over to Pretty Mephi instead...?

Thud—his heart dropped.

'That would be the worst.'

The one who had to show off a cool and pretty side to Guru wasn’t Mephisto. It had to be him.

And for that, he needed to spend more time with her.

'So ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) there’s no helping it.'

It was the moment Woojoo finished convincing himself and lifted his head.

“...?!”

He met a pair of sunset-colored eyes staring right at him.

Startled, Woojoo gasped and sucked in a breath. Why was he looking at him like that?

Flustered, Woojoo reflexively hid the tablet behind his back.

Mephisto narrowed his eyes, then seeing Woojoo’s reaction, seemed to sense something. His beak tilted into a crooked smile.

'No way!'

With a sly pip-pip-pip laugh, Mephisto hopped down onto Guru’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“W-wait a second!”

“Um?”

Holding her chick tube float, Guru turned her head with a tilt.

“Woojoo-ya, why you actin’ weiwd?”

“N-no, it’s nothing...”

When Mephisto teasingly pressed his beak to Guru’s ear again, Woojoo’s shoulders flinched and his whole body stiffened.

After repeating the motion a few times as if to taunt him, Mephisto smiled like a satisfied predator.

'Damn it!'

He’d been caught red-handed!

“Pip-pipit!”

Watching Woojoo squirm, Mephisto snickered and gestured with his wing to the side.

That meant: let’s talk later.

Deflated, Woojoo could only nod.

“...?”

Guru tilted her head and scurried closer in little steps.

“Woojoo-ya, why you suddwy got no stwength?”

“It’s nothing, really...”

“Ohing?”

Guru massaged his shoulders with her little hands, smiling as if to cheer him on.

“Eusha-eusha!”

This time it was Mephisto who began bubbling with anger.

Woojoo deliberately leaned slightly into Guru while flashing a smile at Mephisto.

Tremble tremble!

Putting on a weary act, he asked in a weak voice,

“Guru.”

“Ung?”

“What kind of person do you like?”

What kind of person?

Guru sniffed thoughtfully, tugging her slipping float tube back up.

“Jijon.”

“...O-other than Jijon?”

“Uuung—”

Guru let out a cute hum, thought for a moment, then answered—

“Jijon.”

The way she said “Jijon” was as firm as a crowd shouting “Neutral State” in a square.

...In that case, the method of deciding was clear. They had to fight over who was most fitting for Jijon.

First step: beat that tiny, cheeky bird.

When Woojoo fixed his gaze on Mephisto, Mephisto glared right back without backing down.

As the staring contest dragged on, Mephisto’s kick came flying toward Woojoo’s face.

But—

Swoosh—

“...!”

Woojoo blocked the kick with his palm and shoved hard.

Flapping frantically, Mephisto righted himself midair.

Sparks crackled in both their eyes. A fight was about to erupt.

'Woojoo and Mephi sure pwaying fun'.

Dropping that nuclear bomb between them, Guru toddled off toward where Serhi and Gidan were filming training videos.

'Pumhaeng inspwection!'

Peeking in and jotting notes on her tablet, Guru was soon approached by Team 1’s Son Taeha, who knelt before her.

“Guru-guru, what are you doing?”

“Checkin’ if Oppaws bein’ weally wowsey or not.”

“Puehng?”

“Pumhaeng!”

Guru showed him the tablet with the list.

“Oh, conduct. Right, pumhaeng. Pfft. That’s important. But what’s this?”

He pointed to the names and scores beside “conduct.”

“Ah, dat’s ’cuz Oppaws gotta decwide who da top is.”

“Top?”

At that, Serhi and Gidan, lounging on their sunbeds, perked up their ears.

“Yeeeh, Hyeonak Top!”

“Top?”

“With who?”

Amused, Team 1 and the film crew began to gather around.

They peered at the tablet, murmuring.

“Oooh, physical scores~”

“Ohh~ conduct and popularity scores too?”

“Wow, if you score high on all that, you’re definitely the Hyeonak Top.”

As they teased, Gidan chuckled and lay back down.

“Hyungs found another excuse, huh.”

“Sure did.”

Serhi snorted, then suddenly stood up.

“Who the hell cares about that crap.”

Coolly tossing off his shirt, Serhi spoke.

“Hooh!”

Guru gasped in admiration and raised her tablet pen.

That slight reaction made Gidan’s brow twitch.

“Sesewe Oppaw... fuww enthuuuusiasm...”

“....”

“Dani Oppaw... pumhaeng wowsey...”

Gidan, halfway up, protested.

“It’s not wowsey conduct, it’s an overactive one.”

“Um?”

Guru blinked innocently.

Gidan looked at her fondly, then turned his gaze to Serhi.

Serhi was stretching lightly in front of the diving board.

So Gidan quietly rose and stood beside him.

Their eyes locked.

“You really don’t care? About the top?”

Gidan smirked in a teasing way. Serhi’s face tightened slightly.

“Yeah. You worried because you’ll lose to me?”

“Scared?”

“Ha!”

“Wanna see who gives out first?”

“Any time.”

Splash!

Gidan and Serhi jumped into the pool and began to swim.

***

The pool was chaos, plain and simple.

Gidan and Serhi were circling the track dozens of laps in a battle of stamina, while Woojoo and Mephisto were fighting to see who was Jijon.

Team 1 and the film crew were shouting bets and cheering like crazy.

Meanwhile, Guru—the one who had started this entire mess—sat at the edge of the pool, resting her chin on her elbows atop her float.

Boooored!

Watching on with her tablet to see who won was far too dull.

“Haaaam—”

Guru stretched her mouth wide open in a huge yawn.

As the adults screamed themselves hoarse over who’d win, drunk on gambling stakes, Guru narrowed her eyes.

Just then, Nayeon came and sat beside her.

“Which side are you on?”

At Guru’s question, she smiled softly and shook her head.

“I didn’t bet. It’s not nice, saying one friend’s above or below another.”

Is that so? Guru blinked, mouth slightly open.

Nayeon let out a squeal and squished Guru’s cheeks all over.

Guru giggled and hugged her tight.

'Hmm, is it not nice?'

Fluffy clouds rose in Guru’s mind.

A little white lamb wearing red-rimmed glasses lined up Woojoo, Hwiyeon, Mephisto, Veilach, Lukshifer, and all her other friends by score.

The high scorers looked proud, while the low scorers hung their heads and wiped tears away.

But they were all her precious friends.

“Gwuu dink so too. Unnie ish wight.”

It wasn’t good, saying one friend was higher or lower.

Having lost interest in their contests, Guru splashed into the pool to play.

Paddling toward her with a tube float was Veilach.

“Myu-myu.” (Honestly, such fools.)

The ugly hamster reclined on the tube as if doing a backstroke, shaking his head.

“Sho kyoot.”

Guru grinned and poked his chubby cheek.

“....”

Expressionless, Veilach’s eyes rolled side to side before his face turned a little red.

As Guru spun his tube gently in circles, he floated along leisurely and remarked:

“Myu-myu-myt.” (Looks like today’s real winner is the adorable me.)