Hyun-woong was lying face down on the desk today too, wearing loose-fitting clothes. Compared to the men sitting around him, his build was far superior, making him look exactly like a wild beast. A house-sized animal holed up in a cave, fallen into deep sleep.
Jae-min suddenly thought of Yun-ji. Yun-ji was also a slender woman with a height over 170cm, so when she was with him, the size difference wasn’t that great. But when she appeared with Hyun-woong, she was stuck to his side like a small animal. It felt like she was shouting at him, ‘A real man’s body should be this big!’
At the inferiority complex that suddenly surged, veins stood out on Jae-min’s forehead as he momentarily welled up. That bastard was really annoying as expected.
‘My grades are a bit precious, but this could be an opportunity to screw him over by completely freeloading.’
Out of spite, he imagined the most negative scenario. Thinking that he could screw over that hateful man with this team project made him feel a bit better.
‘Don’t come on presentation day?’
Jae-min snickered, lost in his vicious imagination.
The professor entered and the lecture began. Throughout class, Jae-min worried about how he could both screw him over and get decent grades while preparing for the team project.
If possible, it would be good if that bear could do all the work while he just took the credit.
“You’ve all confirmed your team project partners, right? Contact each other and prepare well.”
The professor, who swept over the entire lecture hall, finished class with those final words. Jae-min, who had packed his bag early, slyly got up.
Whether he gave up on his grades and screwed him over, or had the bear do all the work to get good grades, he had to contact Hyun-woong anyway. Since he didn’t have his contact information, he planned to get his phone number from him first.
“Huh?”
Jae-min, who had turned around cheerfully, frowned without realizing it. Far away, Hyun-woong was lying down in a somewhat strange posture.
Earlier he’d been lying down ordinarily with his upper body resting on the desk, but now he’d pulled the chair far back and had only his head resting on the edge of the desk.
Because Hyun-woong, sitting right in front of the back door, was blocking the way with his chair, everyone seemed unable to go out that way and was going to the front door.
‘Why is he like that? It’s a nuisance.’
Tsk, Jae-min clicked his tongue lightly and approached Hyun-woong. His broad back moved up and down every time he breathed. Jae-min, who had approached right next to him, opened his mouth.
“Kang Hyun-woong?”
There was a clatter. The moment his name was called, Hyun-woong visibly trembled. He raised his head hastily. His face clearly showed embarrassment.
“Why are you so startled?”
“…Why did you call me?”
His eyes that had widened greatly narrowed again. Hyun-woong, who glanced at Jae-min standing blankly, turned his gaze back to the desk. Jae-min crookedly stood on one leg.
“Didn’t you see the team project announcement? You’re in the same group as me. I don’t know if you know your team member’s name though.”
“I know. Lim Jae-min.”
It was a voice that cracked at the end. Jae-min hesitated at the name that came right back. Though it was his own name, it felt unfamiliar, perhaps because it was the first time Hyun-woong had put those three syllables in his mouth.
‘Yun-ji must have told him.’
Jae-min scratched his temple with his lips twisted.
“Oh, right. I think we need to talk or meet because of that assignment. Since I don’t have your contact information.”
“Give me your phone.”
Hyun-woong reached out his arm then hesitated and tapped the desk. He didn’t even make eye contact. Though his attitude that looked very arrogant made irritation surge, more than that, his consistently awkward posture caught his eye.
‘Really, why is he tilted like that?’
Jae-min put his phone down on the desk with a thud. Hyun-woong, holding his own forehead with one hand, slowly pressed numbers with the other hand. His fingers were trembling finely.
“Are you sick somewhere?”
Without much thought, Jae-min asked bluntly. Hyun-woong, who had pressed all eleven digits, froze as he was. Jae-min tilted his head and looked at Hyun-woong’s face closely. His smooth forehead was damp with moisture.
“You seem to be breaking out in cold sweat…”
His hand went out thoughtlessly. It was when Jae-min’s fingertips approached near Hyun-woong’s face. Hyun-woong lifted the phone high and placed it against Jae-min’s hand as if pushing it. Because they bumped, Jae-min’s hand was pushed to the opposite side from Hyun-woong’s face.
“I’m not sick at all, so take this and leave quickly.”
Hyun-woong stared straight at Jae-min with sharp eyes. It was a tough tone as if speaking through gritted teeth. Jae-min, absurd at the excessive reaction, let out a “Ha” breath and immediately grabbed the phone as if snatching it.
“You’re telling me to fuck off? Even when I’m worried about you, you’re being a jerk…”
“When did I tell you to fuck off? I’m fine, so don’t touch me and just go.”
“Wow, you think I want to touch you? That’s funny.”
Jae-min, who confirmed the number displayed on the screen, pressed the call button. Hyun-woong’s phone vibrated, making a buzzing sound.
After confirming the number was properly entered, Jae-min saved his number in the address book under the name ‘ㅗ’. Then he glared at the back of Hyun-woong’s head, who had already turned away.
He lay face down again in the same posture as at first, with only his head on the desk. His shoulders or back twitching intermittently made him look unwell no matter how you looked at it. It would be much more comfortable if he pulled the chair close and leaned his upper body, but it didn’t make sense at all.
“I’m leaving.”
Since it was awkward to leave without saying anything, Jae-min spoke as if throwing it out. There was no answer in return. At his attitude of thoroughly ignoring him, Jae-min, worked up again, now really turned to leave.
‘If he needs help, he’ll contact Lee Yun-ji.’
Anyway, seeing how he expressed himself properly and repeatedly said he was fine, it didn’t seem serious enough to call an ambulance.
‘Where’s the room to worry about that bastard? My own problems are overwhelming.’
It was time to go to the part-time job. If he went to work at the clinic like this, he’d have to deal with customers directly following Uncle. Jae-min swallowed dry saliva at the reality that was now really right before his eyes.
Thinking about kneading not soft, fluffy, round women’s breasts but rough, hard men’s pectorals made him let out a heavy sigh.
“3 million won, 3 million won.”
To boost his motivation again, Jae-min muttered the amount deposited in his account like a chant. Until now, it had been fun but he’d worked a lot and earned little. Now it was time to work little and earn a lot even if it was hard. Organizing it this way, the latter was definitely much more profitable.
With the feeling of swallowing bitter medicine that’s good for the body, Jae-min got on the bus.
⁕⁕⁕
“When the customer comes later, I’ll guide them to the treatment room after consultation.”
He received a final crash course massage tutoring in the director’s office.
He memorized thoroughly the method of releasing chests clenched with secretions and the pressure technique that made breast milk come out well. Jae-min nodded while taking off latex gloves that had become slippery with oil.
“Just follow me in and give the massage.”
“Massage and set up the machine?”
The shocking scene he’d witnessed on the first day was still vivid before his eyes. The breast pump apparatus attached to the robust man’s chest.
When Jae-min cupped his hands and pretended to attach the funnel-shaped glass tube connected to the breast pump machine to the front, Yong-seok shook his head.
“You probably won’t be able to do the machine part today.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s the person’s first time coming to the clinic. Secretions don’t come out well from the start. Today we’ll only be able to help with pain relief.”
Though he’d roughly learned the technique, Jae-min still didn’t perfectly understand the principle. When Uncle said so, he just accepted it. Scratching the back of his head roughly, Jae-min narrowed his brow.
“It’s their first time at the clinic, is it okay for me to touch them?”
“Because it’s their first time, you’re handling it. Patients who’ve been coming for a long time will immediately know you’re a beginner, right? The massage shows in the hand feel.”
At the reasonable words, Jae-min hesitated then nodded. Though they were strangers so it wasn’t his business, he felt a bit sorry for the patient he’d be in charge of today. They’d come expecting an expert’s touch but would have their chest entrusted to a new part-time worker’s hands.
That’s when it happened. Knock knock knock, a knocking sound rang on the director’s office door.
“Director, the patient who made a consultation appointment is here.”
It was Cheol-hui the desk staff’s voice. The patient Jae-min would be in charge of had arrived. While he’d been learning the massage at the end, his tension had eased a bit, but his body stiffened rigidly again. While swallowing dry saliva, Yong-seok smiled gently and got up.
