# Chapter 65
“Sunbae, I really don’t want to go.”
– But the kids are asking with sparkling eyes when Yeomin sunbae is coming. What should I do?
Even though it was a persuasive tactic, knowing that Yeomin never refused a free meal, he still didn’t feel like going at all.
Yeomin hung up the phone and headed toward the food alley in front of the school, looking like he was being dragged to a slaughterhouse.
“…Always doing whatever he wants.”
Grumbling, Yeomin’s steps toward the main gate came to a halt.
On the first day of the new semester, the campus was bustling. In the distance, a familiar tall figure in a hoodie caught his eye.
“Seol Jiho.”
Yeomin’s feet moved faster than his judgment. Before he knew it, he was running down the slope without hesitation.
“Seol Jiho!”
In his urgency, he called out the name first. As he was running, Yeomin collided with a passerby.
Staggering and losing his balance, Yeomin ended up sliding across the ground.
“Ugh!”
From his elbow to his arm and knee, everything was scraped. But the anxiety of losing sight of Jiho was greater than the pain.
“Oh my! Are you okay?”
“Ah, I’m sorry!”
After apologizing hurriedly, Yeomin looked around again searching for Jiho.
The man in the gray hoodie was meeting with a woman in front of the fountain, laughing.
When the man turned around with a smile, Yeomin was disappointed to see it wasn’t Jiho. Only then did the delayed pain hit him.
“Are you really okay? You’re bleeding…”
“Ah, yes. I’m really fine.”
“…”
The student who had collided with Yeomin walked away looking more shocked than Yeomin himself.
Yeomin brushed off his dirtied clothes. His knee was killing him, but his senior’s messages kept coming in his pocket, asking when he would arrive.
“Hurts like hell…”
The person he thought was Seol Jiho wasn’t Seol Jiho, and the phone kept ringing about a dinner he didn’t even want to attend, and the fact that a full-grown adult was so desperate that he fell without even having time to look around, and that it was all because of Seol Jiho…
It was infuriating.
“Leave me alone.”
Yeomin frowned and pressed “Block” on the call.
After that, Yeomin looked toward where the man who resembled Jiho had been and said:
“If you’re done enjoying the show, come out now.”
He was speaking to the air.
“I saw you following me from earlier, so come out.”
After speaking more forcefully, a man suddenly appeared from behind a tree where Yeomin had been standing.
It was Director Ahn… wearing a rider jacket.
“Hello?”
It was him, greeting with an embarrassed face.
Yeomin was dumbfounded.
“What are you wearing? A rider jacket in this weather?”
“I wanted to look like a college student… Do I look old?”
As if wearing just a rider jacket would make him look like a college student. Even if Director Ahn did look young for his age.
At that moment, his scraped palm stung. Director Ahn, looking Yeomin up and down, clicked his tongue.
“You fell pretty hard. Should we go to the hospital?”
Yeomin shook his head. Acting as if it wasn’t a big deal, he wiped his palm on his clothes and made an unexpected proposal.
“If you haven’t had lunch, let’s eat together. I canceled my appointment too.”
“Me? How dare I? Is that okay?”
“Who needs permission for that?”
Yeomin shot him a sharp glance.
Why wasn’t Jiho showing up when he was supposed to, and why was Director Ahn circling around him instead? Was this also ordered by Jiho, or by President Ahn?
He needed to know everything now. He didn’t want to be deceived without knowing anything anymore.
“Or should I reveal right here why Ian Group’s Director Ahn Hyungju is pretending to be a college student on campus?”
“Let’s eat! What’s good here? It’s been so long since I’ve been to a university, I’m excited~”
Director Ahn quickly changed his attitude in response to Yeomin’s strong stance.
Hmph, he should have done that from the beginning.
* * *
Someone was watching as Yeomin and Director Ahn left through the main gate together.
“…”
In front of the school, Jiho sat in his car, watching the two figures walk away.
In that short time, Yeomin had cut his hair shorter, dyed it, and even gained a little weight in his face.
But his often-worn checkered shirt and the old backpack he always carried were the same.
[Stupid Director Ahn: What do I do? What do I do??? What should I do!!!]
[Stupid Director Ahn: Just come out yourself, you brat]
Real-time SOS signals were flying in from Director Ahn. Jiho sent a reply.
[No way, hyung will get mad at me]
This was the Yeomin who had said he would run away if Jiho appeared in front of him, that he would kill himself.
So even though Jiho felt like he was going crazy, even though he wanted to find Yeomin right away and hold him, he was exercising the utmost patience of his life.
He didn’t go to Yeomin’s house (though he did send Director Ahn to check if he was living well), he didn’t spy on who Yeomin was meeting (though he did confirm that Taeyang was still dating his girlfriend and was relieved), and even though he deliberately registered for the same classes as Yeomin, he didn’t go to the lectures.
Even though he came to school knowing Yeomin would be attending, he made sure never to be seen by him.
Because that’s what Joo Yeomin had told him to do. Only for that reason.
[Stupid Director Ahn: You crazy bastard]
[Stupid Director Ahn: I can’t be your puppet anymore]
[Stupid Director Ahn: I’m going to do what I want]
A series of messages arrived from the suddenly impulsive Director Ahn.
“Haa.”
Jiho sighed and buried his head against the steering wheel.
And pouting his lips as he dwelled on Yeomin’s briefly-glimpsed appearance.
“…He’s cute.”
Truly, his shortened hair was so cute that Jiho wanted to run over and hug him right away. He also wanted to touch and kiss his now more visible ears.
‘Everyone gets to greet Joo Yeomin, glance at him, even eat with him, why can’t I? Why only me…’
Though he wanted to argue that this was an extremely unfair and unjust treatment, he held back.
If he obediently accepted his punishment like this, would Yeomin forgive him someday? Would this wait ever end? Since Yeomin had told him not to come, would Yeomin eventually come to him?
What if he doesn’t come?
‘Then I’ll wait until he does…’
He would ride the carousel round and round, as many times as it takes. Until Joo Yeomin comes. Forever, even.
That was all Seol Jiho could do right now.
Wait.
Without realizing it, Jiho was learning the way of love.
* * *
Yeomin went to a home-style restaurant in front of the school with Director Ahn. Director Ahn seemed excited about the lunch menu.
“It reminds me of my college days. There was a place like this in front of our school too. A 30-year-old restaurant.”
And then he went on to share unsolicited TMI about how he had “simple tastes.”
Yeomin only wiped his hands with a wet wipe. The place where he had fallen earlier would probably sting.
Director Ahn frowned as if he himself was in pain.
“Why did you run so suddenly back there?”
“I thought it was Seol Jiho.”
“You chase after Seol Jiho like that? What were you going to do if it was Seol Jiho?”
“Beat him up.”
Yeomin said calmly (but meaningfully). Director Ahn laughed as if he had missed a good show.
Meanwhile, the food arrived. Director Ahn picked up his spoon excitedly, but Yeomin didn’t reach for the rice.
He often lacked an appetite these days. Since when had he eaten based on appetite anyway?
“How is Seol Jiho?”
Whether he really came here to eat, Director Ahn just kept eating heartily despite Yeomin’s question. Yeomin felt frustrated.
Director Ahn responded with his cheeks full:
“What kind of answer do you want?”
His attitude suggested he would answer according to what Yeomin wanted to hear.
…Well. What answer about Jiho’s recent life would make him feel better?
Yeomin thought about it.
‘That he’s not eating every day and pining away? That he’s sincerely reflecting and repenting?’
Neither felt realistic. He didn’t want to hear lies.
“Just the plain truth.”
“The stir-fried anchovies here are killer. Do they sell it separately? I want to take some home.”
Are you even listening to me?! Yeomin gripped his chopsticks tightly.
Only then, sensing the surging murderous intent, did Director Ahn properly answer.
“He registered for this semester but couldn’t attend classes. But if he’s sending me dressed like this to check if you’re doing well, hmm… is he doing well or not? He’s the same as always. People don’t change easily, you know.”
“…”
“But he seems to be more considerate of you than before. It’s the first time I’ve seen him being careful around someone, it’s interesting.”
“Who knows if this is all just for show?”
No, it definitely is a show. A trick to show how well he’s following my words and reflecting.
Strangely, Director Ahn didn’t defend Jiho. No, rather, he went further and criticized him.
“You’re right. It’s probably all a show. He needs to be punished more.”
“…But shouldn’t you take his side, Director Ahn?”
“Why should I?”
“Because you’re his uncle.”
Yeomin looked at Director Ahn with accusing eyes. Director Ahn protested.
“Do you think he treats me like an uncle? He just thinks I’m his lackey.”
“…That’s true, but.”
“Yeomin, let me advise you. Don’t ever meet him again. He needs to reflect for the rest of his life. He needs to be taught a lesson to realize his mistakes!”
Why are you getting more excited? Yeomin felt rapidly exhausted.
“…Just finish your meal.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have brought it up. Talking with Director Ahn didn’t make him feel better; it only made him feel more uneasy.
Yeomin realized what answer he had wanted to hear.
