At least it was fortunate that it wasn’t news of his mother’s condition worsening. Through a welfare program within the hospital, 85% of the hospital fees were deducted in Wooyeon’s case, but he had to worry every month because he couldn’t even properly pay the 15% amount. At least there was a place where tutoring fees would come out this week, so it seemed like he could plug the hole for now.
「No way. When student Wooyeon asked me like that. I’m behaving well so it doesn’t reach their ears. I even came out saying I’m going to the bathroom to take this call.」
“Thank you. To the billing department… please tell them I’ll definitely visit within this week.”
「Got it. Student Wooyeon, then study hard.」
“Yes, thank you. Please go back in.”
Wooyeon bowed his head while holding his phone. Could one phone call exhaust him mentally and physically like this? Wooyeon touched his forehead for no reason.
Students poured out of the College of Social Sciences entrance as if their lectures had ended at similar times. Wooyeon also came out of the College of Social Sciences as if swept up in that gap. Despite the chilliness of March, the ivy climbing along the school walls bore a vivid green color.
Come to think of it, it seemed like he was living without time to look at the sky. Wooyeon was blankly looking at the sky when a car horn sounded not far away. Unconsciously turning his head toward where the sound came from, there was a black car with an unfamiliar design that he seemed to be seeing for the first time in his life.
“Sunbae.”
And in the driver’s seat of that car sat Kwon Jeonghan. It felt like someone had hit him on the head. To Wooyeon, it was a scene that felt utterly unrealistic, so he just stood still in place even at the voice calling him. Then Jeonghan called out to Wooyeon again, saying “Sunbae.” His refreshing lips were leisurely smiling.
“Get in.”
When they’d agreed to meet at the College of Social Sciences, the expectation that he would ride in Jeonghan’s car wasn’t in Wooyeon’s head at all. He felt somewhat troubled, but the surrounding gazes were directed at Wooyeon. In the end, Wooyeon had no choice but to get into Jeonghan’s car to escape those gazes.
“You haven’t had lunch yet, right?”
At Jeonghan’s words, Wooyeon looked at Jeonghan with eyes full of wariness. They’d met to have a group meeting, but suddenly he’d put him in a car and was going somewhere. No matter how he thought about it, Jeonghan wasn’t normal. Moreover, the warning sound inside the car that had started ringing since Wooyeon got in the car continued without stopping, getting on Wooyeon’s nerves.
“Sunbae, seatbelt.”
Because he wasn’t used to cars, Wooyeon hadn’t even known the warning sound was ringing because of him. When Wooyeon hurriedly pulled the seatbelt and fitted it into the clip, the warning sound that had been strangely grating stopped.
“Where are we going?”
“Ah, I was hoping we could have a meal.”
“Did you say anything to me about eating?”
“I was afraid you’d refuse if I asked.”
Jeonghan turned the steering wheel smoothly and laughed, “Haha.” The car that left the campus picked up speed and passed through a forest of buildings. Perhaps because it was still before lunchtime, there weren’t many cars on the road.
Having already gotten in the car, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t like Jeonghan arbitrarily putting him in a car and going somewhere, but he didn’t want to argue anymore either. Wooyeon fiddled with the coffee takeout cup in his hand and looked out the car window. The scenery passing quickly under the blue sky only felt unfamiliar.
“Sunbae, you seem to drink coffee often. You were holding coffee before too.”
When had he seen that—Jeonghan spoke to Wooyeon. When Wooyeon turned his head to look at Jeonghan, Jeonghan was only looking ahead and driving. Just when had he seen that?
“Stop drinking coffee, it’s bad for your stomach. You said you didn’t even eat breakfast.”
Wooyeon didn’t answer and just touched the outside of the takeout cup. Rather than drinking it to enjoy coffee, it was closer to drinking it to survive, to not fall asleep. If he’d had to pay money for even that, he wouldn’t have been able to drink it. The bakery opening shift was by no means leisurely, but this one cup of coffee obtained as compensation was a kind of daily comfort for Wooyeon.
“Are you originally this interested in other people?”
Wooyeon’s voice as he questioned back was sharp. As soon as he spat out the words, Wooyeon thought that his nerves must be on edge.
“Probably in normal cases I’m not really like that.”
“……”
“I’m a bit like that with you, sunbae.”
Jeonghan had no hesitation in revealing his feelings. That appearance sometimes came across as even more arrogant, which might have been because of his innate looks.
The car had already entered the mountains. And through the car window, a magnificent palace-like tile-roofed house was revealed. To think there was a place like this not far from school. Wooyeon looked outside with disbelieving eyes. Soon the car that entered a parking line slowly stopped.
“We’re here.”
Jeonghan grinned at Wooyeon and turned off the car’s ignition. When Jeonghan got out of the car first, Wooyeon soon followed.
Trees grown high as if to pierce the sky were dense. Even the occasionally heard bird sounds—everything felt new.
“Let’s go in.”
Following Jeonghan inside the gate of the tile-roofed house, middle-aged women dressed beautifully in hanbok bowed at the waist in greeting. At the scene that could only be seen in dramas or movies, Wooyeon’s heart seemed to be blocked with a thud, beyond just feeling amazed.
“Since we don’t have much time, please prepare a single table setting.”
“Yes.”
It seemed to be a place Jeonghan came to often. That’s how natural he looked finding his way to the inner room without any other guidance.
When Jeonghan took off his shoes and went up onto the wooden floor, employees wearing hanbok opened the latticed doors with intricately carved window frames for him. Wooyeon also slowly followed Jeonghan. Whether he’d made a reservation, chopsticks and spoons for two people were already placed facing each other on the long table.
“I don’t have money to eat at a place like this.”
Wooyeon spoke up as soon as the employees left. Wooyeon felt like running out of here right now. The time when talking about poverty felt miserable had long passed. Wooyeon was utterly calm even while talking about his shortcomings.
“I’m buying. I didn’t want to eat lunch alone either, so I brought you along, sunbae.”
Jeonghan’s face was calm as if it was completely natural. He couldn’t tell whether he should get angry or just be grateful and eat. He was just irritated by the current situation.
“Just think of it as having a group meeting and eat. The food here is good.”
The latticed door opened again and the employees came in. A woman who seemed to be his mother’s age pointed to the thickly laid cushions with a warm smile, and since he couldn’t keep standing, Wooyeon eventually sat down. Jeonghan, facing Wooyeon, touched his masculinely angular chin as if trying to hold back laughter.
The employees placed various beautiful dishes on the long table and left the room again. The food in the brass bowls was uniformly neat. It looked like he shouldn’t touch anything anywhere. He didn’t even dare pick up his utensils at the dishes placed densely on the table—just how many side dishes had come out?
“Please eat.”
Jeonghan gestured toward Wooyeon, then picked up his chopsticks first. Even in his everyday use of chopsticks, he had the air of a young master. Since he was the young master of such a grand mansion, perhaps it was natural. Wooyeon watched Jeonghan for a moment, then picked up his spoon and nibbled at the porridge closest to him.
When entering university, Wooyeon had only thought about ‘the major with the best employment’ and applied to the economics department. And the person in front of Wooyeon had probably come to the economics department to gain help with practical management.
Even while knowing it was a useless inferiority complex, Wooyeon couldn’t stop thinking. This tremendous table setting and the man in front of him both seemed unsuited to him and burdensome.
“Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
Seeing Wooyeon only pass a couple spoonfuls of porridge, Jeonghan also stopped using his chopsticks. The arrogant face that always overflowed with leisure was slightly stiff.
“Sunbae, do you not like Korean food?”
“It’s not that. It’s delicious.”
Anyway, having sat down and started eating, it would be polite to eat well. Wooyeon shook his head and scooped up porridge again to swallow.
“Then try this too. I found this to be the most delicious thing here.”
Jeonghan placed a side dish on Wooyeon’s spoon. When Wooyeon raised his head, Jeonghan smiled slightly at their meeting gaze. A small whirlpool formed in Wooyeon’s heart.
“Why are you like this to me?”
“Like what?”
“We’re not that close, but you seem to treat me too well.”
“Ah.”
“You don’t need to buy me such expensive meals.”
He was sick of keeping things bottled up inside. For some reason, in front of Jeonghan, questioning and asking about his feelings wasn’t difficult.
“I just don’t understand.”
“To me it’s not really something special. It’s not that expensive either. Sunbae, you don’t need to feel burdened.”
“……”
“It’s not like I’ve only been buying meals for school people for a day or two.”
Jeonghan added that and lowered his head again. Wooyeon looked at Jeonghan eating, then scooped up another spoonful of porridge and brought it to his mouth.
Right, to Jeonghan, the price of a meal at a restaurant like this would be a laughably small amount of money. It would be something commonly bestowed on other people too.
“What’s wrong, sunbae? Is your stomach upset?”
When Wooyeon tapped his chest with his fist, Jeonghan asked with a worried face. It did seem like he had a bit of indigestion.
He didn’t know. Jeonghan was clearly saying not to feel burdened, but why was his chest getting so stuffy like this…
