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“Sophomores?”
“Who?”
“The people I met at the group date yesterday!”
“Oh, yeah. The class president said they were English Literature sophomores. That’s why everyone didn’t go. Didn’t you know?”
I didn’t know. Even when they introduced themselves at the group date, they didn’t say their age. They just said they were the same age as us. While smiling cheekily.
“You went out not knowing those noonas are heavy drinkers?”
Kim Hoseong giggled while glancing sideways at me frozen with a stupid expression. Indignant, I brought my fist down on his thigh. He cried out “Ack!” I left him alone and sat facing forward, letting out a long sigh.
It wasn’t that I was angry at being deceived by them or felt betrayed by the class president who didn’t tell me the important fact. It was just that I thought maybe Woogyun’s taste was sophisticated older women. I looked down at the clothes I had carefully chosen to wear. The plain gray sweatshirt I wore over a white t-shirt looked especially immature today.
“Looks like all the kids who went to the group date yesterday didn’t come to school.”
Kim Hoseong, who had finished one game, spoke while watching classmates streaming in through the front door. As he said, Classmates 1 and 2 who had shared drinks with me yesterday weren’t visible. Instead, someone else was visible.
“What time did you guys break up?”
“……”
“Yunhae, what time did the group date end yesterday?”
“Ah, uh. I don’t know.”
Why? Why is he looking at me? Why, why is he coming this way? Woogyun was approaching me. I was out of it. But I felt like I shouldn’t clumsily avoid our eyes meeting, so I forced myself to smile. Woogyun, who stopped in front of my desk, smiled back.
“Yunhae-ya, I heard you went to the group date yesterday.”
He spoke to me. Woogyun to me, calling my name. I grabbed my rattling heart and forced out my voice with difficulty.
“Yeah… I went to the group date.”
“Thanks. Actually, if it weren’t for you, I would’ve been in trouble. I had, you know, something going on.”
The corners of Woogyun’s lips, who caressed the back of his long neck as if embarrassed, curved up gently. Butterflies flew. No, they didn’t really fly, but anyway, to my eyes I saw flowers and butterflies behind Woogyun’s back.
“No. Just, well… I had time, and I made good memories, and drank alcohol… It was fun.”
At my somehow rambling words, Woogyun lowered his eyes and smiled even bigger. Really, isn’t he way, way too handsome? My eyeballs were hot. Hahaha. Laughter came out naturally.
“Still, I’m grateful, so next time if you have anything to ask of me, tell me.”
*Tap tap,* he spoke while tapping my desk with his neatly trimmed nails. My eyes were busy. I wanted to see his hands too, and I didn’t want to take my eyes off his face either. I was so busy that my lips wouldn’t part easily. In my place, Woogyun opened his mouth.
“I’m glad you don’t seem to have a hangover.”
I quietly looked up at him speaking in a kind voice. Our meeting gazes were fragrant. I barely opened my tightening throat and laughed, “Haha.” *Tap.* Woogyun, who smiled while touching my desk once more, moved away. *Creak,* it seemed he took a seat behind where I was sitting. I was concerned about the back of my head that I hadn’t properly dried. I swallowed dry saliva and corrected my posture.
“But really, how did you come to school? No hangover?”
Kim Hoseong asked. I sweated it out, came too, and slept soundly. Maybe that’s why I didn’t have a hangover. Perhaps it was the power of love to see Woogyun.
“Right… Maybe because I slept well, I’m okay.”
“If you look closely, you drink pretty well. Is your body as simple as your brain structure?”
I let Kim Hoseong’s words go in one ear. And I continuously replayed my Gyun’s voice that remained in my ear, showing off its presence. I should have turned on a recording app. Ah, does that seem too perverted? But I felt like I would already forget what Woogyun said because I was nervous. I grabbed onto the sentences Woogyun had uttered as best as I could.
But why did Woogyun sit in the back today? Usually he would sit in the third row from the front. I was disappointed that I couldn’t see his back or profile. But it was okay. Because we had a conversation. I received thanks, and heard such sweet words like he was glad I didn’t seem to have a hangover. I thought I did really well coming to school. And I wanted to quickly brag about this fact. To my secret diary who would be sprawled out sleeping soundly.
“Honestly, it would be a lie to say I didn’t expect it…”
I trailed off while stirring the seaweed soup that came out as a menu item for the cafeteria set meal. The mushy seaweed caught on the spoon and swayed here and there. I opened my mouth while recalling Woogyun’s cheerful smile.
“Actually, I thought about what to do in that case beforehand. I was going to say carefully but confidently like, ‘If you’re that grateful, buy me candy at the convenience store.'”
“……”
“But when that actually became reality, my mouth wouldn’t open… Hey, are you listening to me?”
I raised my head toward the opposite side that showed no reaction. Cha Geonhyeok, who had narrowed his brow, was gulping down gomtang he bought from the convenience store. He put down the disposable container with a *thud* sound. Without a word, he took the napkin I had brought while getting food and wiped his mouth.
“What’s with candy, candy.”
Cha Geonhyeok’s first words were ignorant words spat out without understanding my deep meaning.
Cha Geonhyeok, who had skipped all his morning classes, appeared at school when lunchtime was almost over. Judging by the fact that he had driven his car and was wearing a black sweatshirt instead of the white t-shirt I had dirtied with ice cream, it seemed he had stopped by home.
He ran into me and the other classmates at a three-way intersection where roadside parking was allowed. Before even greeting Cha Geonhyeok, the classmates raised their voices saying let’s order jajangmyeon. I coldly rejected them and dragged Cha Geonhyeok into the cafeteria. It was to tell him in detail about what happened with Woogyun. But the reaction was very unsatisfactory.
“What’s wrong with candy? It’s cheap so it’s not burdensome, you can easily see it anywhere so it’s not hard to buy, and above all it’s cute.”
At my bold words, Cha Geonhyeok snorted. He hooked one arm over the empty chair next to him and crossed his legs. Why is he so annoying?
“If you’re going to ask for something anyway, something like coffee would be better. If you time it right, you can spend time together at a cafe.”
“Oh…”
It was plausible advice. I put down the spoon I was holding and recalled the timetable. I knew Woogyun’s major timetable perfectly, but I didn’t know the rest of his schedule. I didn’t want to creepily dig into his affairs, so I hadn’t asked anyone, not even him. Actually, it was closer to not being able to.
Anyway, since I didn’t know when Woogyun’s time was free, I couldn’t ask him to buy me coffee on a weekday. Because there was a high possibility that the timing would be off and we wouldn’t be able to spend time together at the cafe. Therefore, the weekend when there was relatively more time was suitable. Unless he was going somewhere on the weekend, he could probably spare about an hour for me. Probably.
But there was one thing that bothered me.
“Isn’t it a bit much to suddenly ask for coffee now?”
I asked while pushing my food tray closer to Cha Geonhyeok. He, who had been picking at my meat side dish with my chopsticks, raised his eyes.
“Your Gyun said he’d grant your request. Make up some excuse and call him out.”
I looked at Cha Geonhyeok with slightly surprised eyes. He, who pulled the food tray completely in front of himself, ate the rice I had left and said, “What.”
“You’re more useful than I thought…”
“What are you talking about? Hey, we’re out of yogurt at your house.”
“There were two left, did you eat all of them?”
I asked while resting my chin on the long table. Lately, the number of times Cha Geonhyeok opened my refrigerator door had been increasing.
“Yeah. Next time buy plain instead of peach.”
I felt like I’d left it in his care.
“You buy some. You always come empty-handed and just deplete my food supplies.”
“Empty-handed? Who’s been buying gel and condoms all this time…”
*Smack.*
“……”
My hand moved without me realizing it. That is, toward Cha Geonhyeok’s cheek.
Having hit him, I froze with my mouth slightly open in shock. *Ha.* Cha Geonhyeok, who let out an absurd breath, threw down his chopsticks and glared at me. *Murmur murmur.* The witnesses whispered. I bit my lips and carefully avoided his gaze.
“D-does it hurt?”
“This is absurd, really. Lee Yunhae-ssi, does hitting me feel good?”
“No… Not exactly…”
“Yunhae! Are you done eating?”
A tray with pork cutlet joined the conversation like a savior. A short classmate plopped down next to me. She greeted Cha Geonhyeok with an awkward face, saying hello. Cha Geonhyeok, who nodded to accept her greeting, reached his hand toward my water. I tried not to grovel and willingly handed him the water glass.
“Yunhae-ya, we have the same next class, right? Wait for me while I eat. Oh, what are you guys doing for the festival? I heard our department is doing a pub and Love Pop Candy or whatever, so come to the department room if you’re interested or have other ideas. You heard about it, right?”
“I didn’t hear about it.”
“You didn’t check the group chat? The class president sent it. Let me explain…”
To me who hadn’t heard the news, the talkative classmate rambled on with explanations. I nodded occasionally and stared at the jelly placed in front of Cha Geonhyeok. It was dessert that Cha Geonhyeok had bought along with his hangover cure gomtang.
Gomtang (곰탕) – Korean beef bone soup
Jajangmyeon (자장면) – Korean-Chinese black bean noodles
