“This is the first time in my life I’ve heard this many swear words.”
“Fuck off, you shit… asshole. Who the hell are you to tell me what to do, damn it.”
“Did you stuff a rag in your mouth?”
Gye Sajun thought he wanted to shut the lips of Woojae, who was ceaselessly spewing profanities. Come to think of it, he didn’t think he’d ever seen him not cursing.
On the way to the dormitory, the flushed face under the streetlamp lighting kept catching his attention. He never imagined he’d be carrying a beta on his back—it was quite amusing. After those words, Woojae fell asleep again as if fainting. There were still 20 minutes left before the dormitory doors would open.
Sitting on a bench in the park right in front of the dormitory, hot breath moistened Gye Sajun’s ear. There was no need to question whose it was. In the early spring dawn air, his hands and feet were cold, but the embrace holding Woojae was hot. The snow that couldn’t accumulate and melted left no trace. Honestly, he could have put him down, but Gye Sajun held this clueless drunk, worried he might catch a cold. The unknown fragrance that wafted very faintly through the terrible smell of alcohol was strange.
He wanted to confirm it. He needed to confirm it. But would that be okay? Wasn’t it a mistake?
Since he was born with a problem with his sense of smell, perhaps what he was feeling now was also a mistake. He recalled being earnestly warned before entering school that he must never let others find out about that fact. There had been many omegas trying to seduce him, but not once had he felt that they smelled good. Treatment had been meaningless. Yet Go Woojae, a beta, smelled good. It was strange.
Should I check?
Had about 10 minutes passed while he pondered? When Gye Sajun blankly gave his attention to the magnolia tree in front of the dormitory, Woojae’s body trembled.
“Are you cold?”
The dormitory was still closed—what should he do about this? Woojae raised his head, and the moment their eyes met, he opened his mouth.
“Urp……”
It was vomit.
***
– You threw up on Sajun.
Reality was cruel. Woojae didn’t want to accept this cruel reality. To be precise, he couldn’t accept it.
– Ha, that’s ridiculous…….
As Woojae shook his head in denial with a hollow laugh, Minwook conveyed the following testimony in a serious voice.
– Do you know how shocked I was? That handsome face was covered in vomit when he knocked on the door, and it’s merciful that he didn’t abandon you and brought you back. Where do you fry kimchi pancakes? That Gye Sajun guy is a bodhisattva. Go and prostrate yourself in apology. If it were me, I would’ve abandoned you on the street.
His usual playful manner of speaking was completely gone. And it was on his face, no less. Woojae felt a bit dizzy imagining that excellent face stained with vomit.
– You’re lying, that can’t be…….
– I have a weak stomach, so I was no help at all. Sorry, but I felt nauseous as soon as I saw it. Sorry. Sajun was also the one who washed you.
What?! Woojae just wanted to die right then and there. Only Minwook knew how pale Woojae’s complexion had become.
– Looking at your condition, it doesn’t seem like you were properly scrubbed clean, but anyway, just carrying you back in that state was impressive. I couldn’t have done it.
In a panic, Woojae wanted to kill Gye Sajun and himself. Additionally, Bang Minwook, who knew about this fact, too. It seemed he could only die honorably if he eliminated everyone who knew about what happened that night.
“Excuse me, aren’t you going to ring me up?”
A frowning customer came into view before Woojae, who was blankly lost in recollection, planning murder. Woojae hastily grabbed the items placed on the counter and scanned the barcodes.
“I’m sorry. That’s 18,700 won.”
“Here.”
“Would you like a receipt?”
“Please throw it away.”
“Please come again.”
Woojae gave a perfunctory greeting to the customer who waved their hand with an annoyed face. He was currently working part-time at the convenience store inside the dormitory. The manager had accepted Woojae after a conversation that couldn’t even be called an interview.
– Have you worked at a convenience store before?
– Yes, I did it for over a year.
Actually it was 10 months, but Woojae embellished appropriately. The manager smiled at Woojae without a trace of doubt.
– That’s great. There are absolutely no students here who volunteer to work part-time. For outsiders, the school requires so many documents and screenings…….
Whether it was the department office work-study position or the library, this school had no competition whatsoever when it came to labor. The reason Woojae was accepted for every part-time job he applied for wasn’t anything special. There simply were no competitors.
– You just need to come on weekends. I work on weekdays.
– I’ll work hard.
And so it was Saturday, his first day of work. The problem was that because of the memories from that night, he couldn’t focus on work. Eventually, he earned the dissatisfaction of the few customers. At this rate, he might get fired. Woojae straightened the uniform vest and gritted his teeth. His body kept shivering.
“Ha…… I want to die.”
The inner thoughts that kept leaking out resembled vomiting. It was because he couldn’t physically hold it in. Just then, a coffee milk was placed in front of Woojae.
“That’s 2,500 won.”
He mechanically scanned the barcode and recited the price, but the card that should have been handed over right away didn’t appear. Woojae looked at the male student who was staring at him. The male student was pretty-looking and seemed much younger than him. Is this his first time at a convenience store? Woojae’s eyebrows lost their kindness and contorted.
“You need to pay.”
When he looked at the coffee milk once and the customer once, the male student smiled.
“Aren’t you Go Woojae?”
“That’s right.”
At the informal speech that slipped out inadvertently, Woojae made an awkward expression. The male student laughed softly and revealed his identity.
“I drank in front of you yesterday, but you don’t seem to remember. Is my impression that vague?”
“Uh…… I think I remember.”
Who is this? I don’t know. If I remembered everyone who’s decent-looking, I should’ve memorized all the students’ faces at this school by now. Woojae hid his inner thoughts and exercised his social skills to lie. Fortunately, whether the male student liked Woojae’s smile, he spoke in a friendly manner. Since there were no customers and it was a leisurely time, there was no room to refuse.
“When did you go in yesterday?”
“I was too drunk, so I don’t remember well.”
“The vice student council president sunbae made a huge fuss saying you disappeared. Are you two already acquainted?”
Apparently, the fact that Woojae had talked a lot with the vice student council president yesterday had provoked his curiosity. The male student who was earnestly opening the floodgates of conversation was quite embarrassing. Why is he acting so friendly?
“No, I saw him for the first time yesterday. That’s a one-plus-one product. If you don’t need it cold, I’ll give you the one here.”
Woojae answered quickly and tried to proceed with the transaction of goods, which was the most important issue between the male student and himself. He wished he’d just grab another coffee milk and get lost. His insides were noisy, making it difficult to maintain his social skills. The male student, who had no way of knowing Woojae’s inner feelings as he barely managed to smile on the outside, waved his hand with sparkling eyes.
“Really? Then just eat the cold one yourself. I’ll give it to you.”
“……Thanks.”
Favor without reason feels fishy. But something to be grateful for is something to be grateful for.
“I’m Yeon Sojeong. Let’s greet each other and get along. I don’t dislike you. Don’t worry too much.”
“……”
“Should I give you my number? You can contact me when it’s convenient for you.”
Woojae held out his phone to Yeon Sojeong, who was being friendly, with a peculiar expression. It was even more fascinating that he didn’t show a surprised expression even after seeing the old broken phone. Is he kind or sneaky? Woojae blankly stared at the young master pressing the numbers firmly.
“Well, work hard. I’ll be going now.”
“Yeah.”
Yeon Sojeong disappeared with his bright brown hair swaying. That guy is pretty delicate-looking for a dude. Woojae ran his hand through his own hair, which he’d roughly washed with soap. An unfamiliar number was added to his phone. It was the first number of a classmate from the same department he’d obtained. ‘Natural Science classmate Yeon Sojeong’—the saved name was simple.
Woojae always lived thinking “life is a lonely road,” but after attending school for a week, he came to think that appropriate interaction was necessary. It was a school he’d attend for at least three and a half years, or as long as four years.
Although it had only been one day since he started working, Woojae praised himself for applying to the convenience store part-time job. They say those who are meant to make it will make it—despite there being a convenience store, thanks to students who wouldn’t even touch lunch boxes or triangle kimbap, there were overflowing amounts of discarded products.
The manager subtly hinted to Woojae that if he was okay with discarded items, he could take them, and Woojae didn’t refuse. Thanks to that, he saved on food expenses. On weekends, the dormitory cafeteria was also closed so no meals were provided, so he’d been worried, but it worked out well.
The dormitory was quiet for the weekend. It was because the students had all gone out. Among them, there would be students who went to their family homes, or those who went out for overnight stays in the city center. Since Minwook also packed his bags and left as soon as Friday evening came, Woojae could have time to himself until Sunday evening. Since he wasn’t feeling well, it worked out.
“It’s quiet.”
After about 8 hours of work—though he spent more time spacing out because there were no customers—Woojae returned to his dormitory room with an armful of discarded food. The hallway was so quiet that he had the illusion that there might not even be a single ant.
“That bastard probably went home too, right?”
Before opening his room door, Woojae gave his attention to the tightly closed door of the next room. He hadn’t seen Gye Sajun since then, but that was more fortunate. Honestly, if it weren’t for Bang Minwook, it would have been something he never knew about. Would he have been able to walk around shamelessly then? Woojae shook his head. It was because the moment of vomiting flashed by very slightly. Since he’d remembered it himself, he couldn’t pretend not to know. They say even shame corresponds to intelligence. At this moment, Woojae was sad about his high intelligence.
