“Do you have money to spare? The academy fees aren’t small either, so if you’re going to spend money on that kind of nonsense, you might as well reduce my debt instead.”
When I grumbled, Jukyung shrugged his shoulders as if he couldn’t understand.
“Why should I reduce the money I spend on my own enjoyment to forgive your debt? The basic premise of earning money is for myself. And think about it, it’s killing two birds with one stone. I pleasantly prepare for the English test, and thanks to me you’ll earn a bit more money too, right? It’s a percentage-based system.”
I was just staring at him in disbelief when Jukyung grinned and put his arm around my shoulder.
“These days I barely see your face, so isn’t it nice to go home together like this? From tomorrow I’ll stop by the academy right on my way home from work, so let’s eat dinner together. You said you’re free from 5 o’clock for 2 hours, right?”
As I nodded, a bit of heat rose so I swept my face with my hand. Doesn’t it sound like he came because he missed me? My heart tickled so I had to scratch my chest over my clothes.
***
Throughout the winter, days continued where we commuted together in the early morning, Jukyung stopped by on his way home from work and we ate dinner together, and after Jukyung went home and came back out to attend the last class, we returned home together. Since the two of us went out together every time, the students, front desk staff, and fellow instructors asked what kind of relationship we were in, and then Jukyung suddenly answered like this:
“We’re living together.”
“Hey.”
“Why, we are living together.”
At his shameless answer, the people around us giggled and laughed.
“You could just say we’re roommates or housemates.”
When I grumbled, Jukyung made an expression as if to say what’s the problem, that’s the same thing. But when you say “living together,” somehow the nuance understood in our country feels different. Still, fortunately it seemed everyone around took it as a joke. Well, it’s because I was feeling guilty for no reason. Anyway, in reality it actually did start as just freeloading, and becoming sex partners was just something that flowed that way by chance.
“Oh, Teacher Yoon. Wow, it’s been a while. How have you been?”
It was a day like any other when we’d eaten dinner together and stopped by a cafe to have a cool drink. I was in front of the counter thinking about what to drink when someone clung to my arm.
I turned around to find it was a student who’d attended the morning conversation class until last month, a fresh college student. Was her name Suhyun? Behind her, a male student and a female student who always went around together stood side by side, and when our eyes met they smiled and greeted me. It was a group that always stuck together as a trio.
Now all three had finished the Korean conversation course and moved to the native speaker conversation class. They all had easygoing, sociable personalities, but Suhyun especially was the friendly type. At first I wondered what was going on because she acted familiar without any reservation, but once I got used to it, she was cute like a younger sibling since she knew how to appropriately stick close and appropriately fall back.
“Oh, I’m the same as always. Have you all been well? How’s class?”
“It’s fun. Teacher James is kind… though a little less than Teacher Yoon.”
The last words were whispered slightly into my ear as she stood on tiptoe. I knew it was just flattery, but there was no way I’d dislike hearing nice words. Even if it was empty words, I smiled and said thanks.
“It’s not empty words, it’s true though… Oh, more importantly Teacher, won’t you buy us coffee?”
Huh? Suddenly what coffee?
I was flustered. I had no choice but to be flustered.
I’d started receiving something called a salary from working, but my economic rights still hadn’t escaped Jukyung’s control. Though I wasn’t yet having my entire salary confiscated, he said we’d settle everything all at once later and didn’t let me touch it. I was also still using Jukyung’s debit card for some reason I didn’t know. Probably to monitor my spending habits.
Even in the midst of all that, as I started doing things like special lectures or private tutoring, I came to have something called emergency funds. I opened a separate bank account and collected money there, and with that money I’d siphoned off, I occasionally had small snacks with fellow instructors, front desk staff, and students. Sometimes receiving treats and sometimes treating them.
It was the same now. Treating them wasn’t really a problem, but right now was awkward. Jukyung was standing right beside me. Like a criminal caught at the scene by a detective, I panicked. It suddenly felt like sweat was forming on the back of my neck. Even though the air conditioning was blasting full force inside the cafe.
“Uh… co-coffee?”
I stuttered while sneaking glances at Jukyung. It seemed like his eyes had narrowed a bit, but was that just my imagination… or not.
“Ah. You forgot.”
Suhyun sighed.
“Remember, on the last day, you said you’d treat us to coffee, but we couldn’t come that day because of our school project.”
I remembered. It was the first class I’d been in charge of, and despite my inexperience, most of the students followed through to the end of the course, so out of gratitude I said I’d treat them to coffee. But the college student trio happened to have a project so they couldn’t come, and since they usually had good reactions in class and I’d received drinks from them a few times, I specially said I’d buy for them separately on another day. But from the next month, I got incredibly busy with the huge increase in classes and completely forgot.
“That’s right, oh. Sorry. I suddenly got busy so I was out of my mind. Uh, but right now is a bit…”
I glanced at Jukyung’s face again. He’d caught me in the act of what I’d been doing behind his back. He must definitely be making an expression right before nagging me about spending money recklessly for no reason. But Jukyung suddenly came close and grabbed Suhyun’s arm that was clinging to mine.
“What do you want to drink?”
The voice that flowed out was gentle. My eyes widened. It was a tone that seemed completely unlikely to come from that bastard’s mouth. Come to think of it, the eyes that had been right on the verge of turning into snake eyes just moments ago had changed to be gentle like a puppy.
“Huh?”
Suhyun looked at Jukyung in bewilderment. As their eyes met, her cheeks instantly flushed. Ah, damn it. My pride was a bit hurt. When she first saw me, her reaction wasn’t quite to that degree.
Jukyung gently removed Suhyun’s hand that was clinging to my arm and smoothly pulled her toward himself.
“I’m his friend. We live together. Since it’s the same pocket anyway, whether he buys or I buy, it’s the same. What do you want? Drinks, and if you want other desserts too, choose. I hear the cake here is delicious. You’re with them, right? Come here and look together.”
With an amiable expression and tone, Jukyung even called over Suhyun’s friends who’d been standing a bit apart. The kids who hadn’t completely shed their youthful look yet gathered in front of the cake display with faces bright as babies following an adult offering candy.
With many types of cakes, Jukyung ordered a bunch of different kinds on behalf of the kids who were hesitating, not knowing what to choose. He also let them order whatever drinks they wanted, and when they sat down he was even smoothly good at conversation. He asked how university life was and even went on about how the two of us had attended the same university. Watching it was absurd.
No, why are you buying food for my students! I get all kinds of nagging about debt and whatnot for buying even one cup of coffee, so why are you buying mountains of cake that you don’t even need to buy while doing a good person cosplay!
And what? Same pocket? No, it’s not wrong given the situation, but that’s not how you use that expression, is it? Somehow it feels off. Surely the money spent today won’t also go straight onto my ledger. Compared to clothing costs it’s not much, but still, what’s wrong is wrong, isn’t it?
Moreover, now I even had a strange sense of déjà vu. Doesn’t that feel similar to how he seduced and took away the girls who were my dates? Of course I’d never directly witnessed him hitting on those girls, but I was sure he must have charmed them with that kind of amiable attitude and material offensive. Ah, if that’s the case, it’s really annoying, isn’t it? Now even my mood was starting to worsen.
“…Then were Teacher Yoon and hyung close since university?”
Chanyoung, the only male among the three, asked. Now the three of them were openly calling him oppa and hyung. Get a little closer and they’ll be ready to become sworn siblings.
“No, we were kind of distant back then… because he didn’t really like me.”
Suddenly the arrow flew toward me.
“Really? Why?”
Suhyun looked at me with wide eyes. The words hidden behind that puzzled face were obvious. When he’s that handsome, has a good personality, talks well, and spends money well, why?
“What are you talking about… Weren’t you the one who didn’t really like me?”
I looked at Jukyung in disbelief and asked. Whether it was a joke or serious, and if serious, what meaning was behind bringing it up—I had no idea.
“Me? Why would I?”
Jukyung had an expression that said he didn’t understand my words.
“I don’t know why either.”
I grimaced.
“You always looked at me with kind of a fierce expression. Like someone who had a complaint.”
“Whoa. Jukyung oppa with a fierce expression? I can’t imagine it at all.”
Suhyun said with an expression of real disbelief.
“No, really. This bastard acting all friendly like this, I’ve…”
I was about to say I’d barely ever seen it, then closed my mouth. There was no point telling these kids who were just students that Jukyung had an annoying personality, or that he was originally cold, and there was no point talking about how he actually stole all my dates when we were in school.
Of course these days Jukyung did sometimes act kindly toward me too. Especially in bed after sleeping together, he was unnecessarily affectionate. No, is that a bit of a different matter from now? Wait. What am I thinking right now?
Because my thoughts suddenly flowed to a strange place, I blushed alone for no reason.
“…Anyway, what are you doing for the end of the year? Individual dates? Or travel?”
