“What?”
When he gestured with his chin at the guy with glasses and asked, Kwon Yunsu giggled.
“That professor only talks scary but isn’t really like that. He’s uncomfortable doing one-on-one meetings with students, so don’t go to the professor’s office, just send him an email with pretty words and send it by today.”
“Do it quickly.”
“I’ll do it now, go to class, and come back to finish it. Lend me your laptop.”
Lee Euishin took out his laptop from his bag and handed it over. Kwon Yunsu, holding the laptop and taking out his USB, asked.
“Will you be here? You don’t have next class.”
He nodded while pretending to turn his neck, sneaking a glance at Shin Jaewoo.
“I’ll read a book or something.”
The guy who received his gaze just smiled gently. Then he checked his wristwatch and picked up the bag on the table.
“I should get going. Song Taesu, get up, we have to go to class.”
“Okay. Well then, I’ll be going…”
“Ahn Shinwook, take two thousand won from Song Taesu’s wallet. Pay the price before you go, you loser. Is everyone leaving? Did you read the club application form carefully?”
At Kim Younghwan’s question, Lee Euishin glanced at the paper rolling around on the table.
“You know this club is super chill, right? No faculty advisor, and you can create activity reports while playing FIFA. You can freely express your outsider desires.”
“Ah, this hyung is making dangerous statements.”
“I thought you weren’t interested in recruiting members.”
“But looking at this guy makes me greedy.”
Lee Euishin looked at Kwon Yunsu. Kwon Yunsu, who had been staring at him intently for a while, sent an earnestly cheering gaze. Do you want me to join this club? Just as he was about to make sure,
“Is there any paper left?”
The guy barged in. There was no other way to express it. Kwon Yunsu immediately turned his body.
“Shin Jaewoo, are you going to join?”
“Yeah.”
The sight of him leisurely writing letters on white paper. The arc-shaped lips stuck in Lee Euishin’s eyes.
“…Looks fun.”
Fucking hell.
“I’ll be seeing you often now.”
Really fucking hell.
“Then let’s have a welcome party at dinner. Let’s eat kimchi pancakes with makgeolli.”
“Great!”
These fucking bastards have nothing to do and meet every day to stuff their faces and make a fuss. There’s not a single girl but they’re having fun among themselves.
“Since it’s a welcome party for the new face, I’ll pay five thousand won more.”
“You just do your homework, cheapskate.”
The bastard who thinks everyone in the world is like him. A country bumpkin left out by the water.
After afternoon classes started, only Kwon Yunsu diligently writing his report, Lee Euishin with a book in hand, and Ahn Shinwook sprawled on the sofa looking at his phone remained in the club room.
Lee Euishin propped his chin and looked at Kwon Yunsu. Kwon Yunsu was muttering softly while tapping the keyboard. It must be a report asking for thoughts and ideas rather than summarizing or editing knowledge. The way he still had that expression full of a sense of duty and determination whenever he concentrated on something remained the same.
When they first met at fifteen, Kwon Yunsu was a delinquent who was smart but had absolutely no interest in studying. What made the current Kwon Yunsu who was ambitious about studying was the sincere sense of duty to become a child not shameful to both of his separated parents, and himself who had diligently brainwashed him.
Me, leftover scraps?
He didn’t grind his teeth for three years and endure for two years just to occupy such a position. When he thought about what Kwon Yunsu had done, he still couldn’t sleep soundly with his legs stretched out. Leftover scraps, what fucking nonsense.
Lee Euishin reached out his hand. He stroked the round head that fit perfectly in his palm and lightly brushed the cheek mumbling as it tried to form words. It didn’t turn pink. His lips shaped “What? Why?” and then just turned his gaze to the monitor. Only Ahn Shinwook, who stretched and ended up seeing that sight, widened his eyes.
“Kwon Yunsu.”
Lee Euishin finally put into words what he’d missed the timing for.
“Do you want me to join this club?”
The country bumpkin’s gaze was caught. He became serious for a moment as if gauging his sincerity, then put the hand touching his cheek down on the desk and patted it lightly.
“Yeah.”
Lee Euishin reached for the club application form.
***
“I’ll pay ten thousand won more today.”
Taking a makgeolli glass, Kwon Yunsu cheerfully declared. The poor club members who had no seniors to buy them a meal silently clapped. Glasses were passed around, they toasted, and watching elementary schoolers struggle over how to make a perfect 7-way division of the kimchi pancake, Lee Euishin chuckled. He figured this would be a scene he’d see often from now on.
“You decided to join quickly.”
And Shin Jaewoo spoke to him. Bones. Lee Euishin decided not to consider what was embedded in the guy’s words as a mistake.
“I’m late, rather.”
What’s scary about this seaweed-like bastard that he’d hide it?
“Let’s have fun together from now on.”
Lee Euishin clinked his glass hard against the guy’s makgeolli glass. Have fun together? Fuck that, shit. Even if there’s fun to be had, I’ll be the only one having it.
“Me too, cheers—”
Kwon Yunsu, who hated soju and thought beer was a waste of money, seemed to have developed a taste for makgeolli with its scary aftertaste. His eyes were already unfocused and he was smiling all over the place with flushed cheeks, making a fuss.
“Yunsu-ya, give me some too.”
Watching him happily feed pancakes into the guy’s mouth at such an obvious move, Lee Euishin tried hard to steel his heart. It’s better to monitor him from the side than to not know about this situation.
“Let’s see each other again tomorrow—. Bye!”
When it was time to break up, Kwon Yunsu said goodbye so loudly the narrow alley rang out, then vigorously linked arms with Lee Euishin.
“Let’s go now.”
“…”
There were people other than Lee Euishin who noticed that natural skinship. Shin Jaewoo, and Ahn Shinwook.
“Euishin-ah, I pressed send on the report earlier, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“I even proofread your fan letter to the professor for you.”
“Hehe, right….”
Holding onto Kwon Yunsu who was drooping like waterlogged cotton, he slowly returned home. He wasn’t that drunk—if told to walk alone he could walk—but when he subtly offered his shoulder, the guy kept leaning this way. He must have been like this at other drinking parties and MTs too. If someone said let’s do this, he’d say okay, if someone said let’s eat this, he’d excitedly reach out his hand, and if they said come here and sleep… whether it was Shin Jaewoo or whoever……
“This country bumpkin doing useless things….”
“Oh!”
Kwon Yunsu suddenly straightened his upper body and held out his hand.
“Just two thousand won.”
He understood. When he handed over the money without complaint, Kwon Yunsu said seriously,
“Euishin-ah, look at that. What is that?”
“Bungeoppang.”
“No, it’s my premonition, but that’s… this spring’s last! Bungeoppang.”
That would be the case. Next week they’d be entering mid-April, so it was time to start organizing clothes. The makgeolli-smelling padded vest Kwon Yunsu was wearing, and the bungeoppang machine too—goodbye to both.
“Two thousand won worth please.”
Watching Kwon Yunsu’s back as he cheerfully placed his order, Lee Euishin thought he should stop by the dry cleaner’s on the weekend. And Kwon Yunsu, who returned holding the bungeoppang bag to his chest, had a face as happy as if he’d gained the whole world.
“Here.”
Even though he was full to bursting, when Kwon Yunsu gave him something to eat, he couldn’t refuse. Because it was true that he liked eating and liked eating together with someone even more. Besides, when the country bumpkin had such a proud face, pouring cold water on it seemed like something he couldn’t do.
Holding bungeoppang in their mouths, they walked the night road side by side.
“Seems like the weather’s warming up. It’s not cold. Are you cold?”
“Not cold.”
Like most drunkards, Kwon Yunsu seemed to talk more when he drank. He already chattered normally, but now he talked twice as much. Lee Euishin looked at Kwon Yunsu’s profile as if looking at something fascinating. For something like this to be wandering the streets…. He lightly shook his head.
