# Chapter 56
“There’s nobody dating here.”
“You crazy—”
Baek Han’s words were cut off as he pointed at me accusingly. After moving his lips silently for a moment, he pounded his chest in frustration and then touched his forehead.
“Let’s drop it.”
Even his dismissive hand wave was filled with resignation. It seemed to imply I shouldn’t ask further, so I decided to change the subject.
“Anyway, did you solve the science problems properly? That’s the subject you asked me about the most.”
“I solved everything.”
“Good then. How about you, Kwon Dojin? You were confused too.”
“I solved everything you taught me. Don’t worry.”
Kwon Dojin stroked my hair with a faint smile. He must have learned how to stroke without tangling my hair, because when he touched it, my hair fluttered without getting knotted.
“With that in mind, shall we have lunch together?”
“I told you I’m going home.”
Kwon Dojin was still persistent. He had somehow already wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“At this point, just eat with us.”
“Baek Han, I feel like you’re always selling me out.”
“I do it because everything becomes peaceful when I sell you out.”
Saying this, Baek Han demonstrated the skill of accepting gifts prepared by his fan club without stopping his stride. Then he waved his hand briefly to express gratitude. Whether this was familiar to him or sufficient, small screams erupted from behind.
“I don’t have a bag.”
“Didn’t they put it in a paper bag expecting that?”
“It’s candy and chocolate.”
After checking the contents by opening the bag, Baek Han took one out and put it in his mouth. It must have been chocolate because he kept his mouth tightly closed for a while. Meanwhile, Kwon Dojin was also holding gifts prepared by his fan club.
“When did you get yours?”
“Just now. Would you like some too, Habin?”
Kwon Dojin, who had already unwrapped a chocolate, looked at me and opened his mouth with an “ah.” Reflexively following him, I parted my lips, and the chocolate entered as if it had been waiting.
“Huh—”
“Did you just… just see that?”
“Dojin-nim fed him personally…”
The slowly melting cocoa taste was both sweet and slightly bitter. After rolling my eyes to look around, I faced shocked people. Then I immediately lowered my gaze. Honestly, seeing such reactions made me uncomfortable, as if I’d done something wrong.
“This chocolate is delicious.”
“Yeah, it’s the best one so far, isn’t it?”
Oblivious to my discomfort, Kwon Dojin and Baek Han were busy examining the chocolate brand.
“Take notes! From now on, we must buy this chocolate brand!”
“Who planned the gifts this time? Prepare a reward!”
Yes, they didn’t need to know. Both of you, keep expressing your delight quickly.
The attention quickly shifted from Kwon Dojin feeding me chocolate to the two of them, as if everyone had completely forgotten their initial shock. They were busy noting their preferences and rejoicing that the two were satisfied.
“There are hot chocolate spoons too. Let’s drink this together, okay?”
“Hot chocolate spoons?”
Did he mean the ones you dissolve in milk? If so, I was quite fond of them and willing to go along. Kwon Dojin opened the paper bag to show me the contents, and as I leaned slightly to check, there really were hot chocolate spoons for dissolving and drinking.
“Let’s have lunch together today. We’ll eat at your house, right, Kwon Dojin?”
“Look at that change of attitude.”
“Yes. Let’s go to my house.”
There was no reason not to change my mind when faced with a favorite beverage. Baek Han looked at me with incredulous eyes, but I didn’t care. I was more excited about the hot chocolate spoons I hadn’t had in a long time.
“What about you, Baek Han? Aren’t you coming?”
“Why would I be crazy enough to go? I’m going home. I need to play with Poppo.”
“That can’t be helped.”
There was no way Kwon Dojin and I would be prioritized over a pet. We sent Baek Han off without regret and headed to Kwon Dojin’s house. We’d taken the bus to his house for nearly three days, but today Kwon Dojin took out his phone, apparently intending to take a taxi.
“Taxis do seem more convenient.”
“Have you had enough fun with buses?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Kwon Dojin trailed off with a faint smile. Before even making the call, he spotted an empty taxi and raised his hand to signal. After the taxi stopped in front of us, Kwon Dojin opened the door and pulled my hand to let me in first.
I had planned to chat with Kwon Dojin during the ride to avoid boredom, but he seemed busy with something, rapidly moving his thumb on his phone. He gave me an apologetic look, asking for understanding, so I just went with it.
Figuring it must be hierarchy business, I looked out the window instead. The roads were less crowded than usual in the daylight, but after about five minutes of sightseeing, I got bored and checked my phone.
Due to the exam period, I hadn’t read webtoons, novels, or played games. I started reading the backlog of webtoons one by one, and before I knew it, we were near our destination.
Wondering if he was still busy, I looked at Kwon Dojin and saw he seemed to be having a hard time. After running his fingers through his hair in irritation, he forced a smile when our eyes met, which made me feel sorry for him. I patted his arm, and he dropped the smile, sighed, and put his phone in his pocket.
“We’ve arrived.”
I stopped Kwon Dojin’s hand as he naturally tried to pay, slapping the back of his hand and offering my card instead. Kwon Dojin slightly furrowed his brow, but then seemed to remember our previous conversation and readily agreed.
“So, what was going on that made you like that?”
After paying, we got out of the taxi and walked side by side, matching our pace. Seeing that Kwon Dojin’s irritation hadn’t fully subsided, I casually brought it up.
“Seems like they’ve gone wild since exams are over.”
“Is it because of enforcement?”
Kwon Dojin slowly nodded in affirmation. They’ve gone wild since exams ended? How much havoc could they be wreaking for Kwon Dojin to have to step in?
It was kind of ridiculous to even talk about “enforcement” in a novel world. Though of course, it was good to enforce rules for my safety in case of unexpected situations.
“If they want to fight, they should go somewhere less crowded, why fight on a main street?”
“Then Baek Han must have gone too.”
“He already left.”
“Ah, poor Poppo…”
Baek Han probably couldn’t play properly with Poppo during exam period, and now he’s gone to enforce rules today too. Though I’d never met Poppo, I felt sorry for the disappointed dog.
“But don’t you need to go?”
“I convinced reluctant Habin to have lunch with me, so I can’t go. Ahn Ji Yu and Sunwoo Hyun have stepped in, so it should be fine for now.”
“What about Ji Haecheon? He’s the number one ranked after all.”
When Ji Haecheon’s name came up, Kwon Dojin wrinkled his brow and fell silent. Since his expression said everything, I patted his arm again. I had suspected as much since I first heard that only Baek Han and Kwon Dojin were handling enforcement against clubs and motorcycles.
“Will you go after we eat?”
“I think I’ll have to. Habin can take his time.”
“What would I do alone in a place without the owner?”
“You could take a nap before leaving.”
With my eyes feeling drowsy right now, Kwon Dojin’s suggestion was tempting. Still, it didn’t seem right to stay alone after Kwon Dojin left, so I resisted the temptation and refused.
Kwon Dojin, who was entering the passcode for his front door, expressed his disappointment openly. Pretending not to notice, I followed him, took off my shoes, and went inside. The interior had become familiar long ago, so I automatically found the bathroom, washed my hands, and came out.
“I just ordered tteokbokki. With fried food and Coolpis, right?”
“Cheese?”
“Of course I added it.”
We were indeed on the same wavelength. Plus, he ordered from my favorite brand, which made me doubly satisfied. Until the tteokbokki arrived, I sat at the table with my exam papers, planning to grade them.
“Wouldn’t Habin have gotten everything right anyway?”
“Still, it’s good to know for sure.”
Following my example, Kwon Dojin sat across from me with his exam papers and twirled a red colored pencil in his hand. From the past three days’ experience, I knew he did this when checking answers.
Still, the smoothly spinning colored pencil remained fascinating, and I watched it for a while.
“…What is it?”
“It’s interesting. Don’t mind me and keep grading.”
When I waved my hand dismissively, Kwon Dojin turned his attention back to the papers. I also focused on grading, burying my head in the task.
“…No way.”
This is number 5? Why?
I thought I would get everything right since I answered the problematic question 17 correctly, but an unexpected obstacle was hidden. Looking at the single crossed-out number 9, my hands trembled.
“Hmm.”
Kwon Dojin glanced at my exam paper and made an exclamation. Thud! The sharp sound echoed through the living room as I put down the colored pencil with a nervous hand.
“Damn it. This is why I hate Korean.”
Why do they have to twist words? Would it hurt to speak directly?
It didn’t matter if I got one problem wrong. I knew that, of course. But it was frustrating to miss a question I had answered so confidently.
As I tugged at my hair and buried my face on the table, Kwon Dojin covered my hands with his. Then, one by one, taking his time, he detached my fingers from my hair.
“Want me to make you the hot chocolate with the spoons?”
A gentle voice drummed against my ear. I glanced up at him trying to change the subject, then buried my forehead on the table again.
“I want some.”
My voice naturally came out dejected. Kwon Dojin gently stroked my hair and got up from his seat.
I heard the sounds of milk being heated, the hot chocolate spoon wrapper being torn, and cups being taken out. Taking a deep breath, I calmed my unsettled feelings.
Soon, there was a clank as a cup was placed on the table. When I raised my upper body, I saw a teacup with flower petals drawn on a white background.
“You had teacups too?”
“Yes, apparently.”
His awkward answer confirmed it. Kwon Dojin didn’t know there were teacups in his house either. He probably found them just now while looking for cups. I thought I heard water sounds.
I stared blankly at the chocolate slowly melting in the warm milk. Sitting across from me, Kwon Dojin stirred with the spoon in his hand. Watching the white milk gradually turn chocolate-colored with his gestures, I also reached out and grabbed the spoon in front of me.
Following Kwon Dojin’s example, I stirred slowly, and before I knew it, the chocolate had completely dissolved in the milk. Removing the spoon from the cup, I carefully took a sip. Silence continued for a while. In the quiet space, only the occasional sound of cups being set down spread.
At that moment, I realized that sometimes, a warm cup of tea offering silent comfort is better than a hundred words.
