“Yes, I just used my check card.”
– I see. It’s lunchtime and I didn’t get a card transaction text. I was about to call the card company.
At my words, hyung-nim sighed like someone feeling disappointed.
– Why did you use Hajin’s card? It’s a card that needs to build up points, so use it as you please.
“Aw, hyung-nim, you need to tighten your belt these days. Today I came to eat pork cutlet set meal instead of cafeteria food, so I swiped mine. That place is a bit expensive.”
I heard somewhere that when you first start a business, you need a lot of money. And the famous pork cutlet set meal restaurant in front of our school was quite pricey.
At my whispered words, I heard a low laugh from beyond the phone.
My heart pounded at the completely different atmosphere from when he’d sighed earlier. My palms tickled, and the spring breeze brushed my nose.
– Hyung will take care of tightening his belt himself. Use it comfortably whether you’re eating or drinking coffee, and you can buy for your friends too. If you say Hajin’s hyung is buying, most of them won’t feel burdened eating it.
“Oh, then I’m passing by a cafe right now……”
– Mm-hm. Eat everything you want at the cafe.
I hesitated for a moment. But hyung-nim seemed to have completely grasped the reason I hesitated.
– You can even have something like a cookie crumble strawberry shake.
“Huk. Really?”
That was a menu I’d had with hyung-nim not long ago when we passed by near the officetel.
– Yeah, same for your friends.
So from then on, I ate meals with hyung-nim’s card and occasionally treated my classmates to coffee.
Naturally, since I was name-dropping hyung-nim to show off, rumors were circulating among my classmates that ‘Lee Hajin’s hyung is super rich and a lawyer and an alpha.’ Of course, I didn’t bother to correct that this hyung wasn’t my real brother, but my close friends would probably find out gradually.
So even now, there was a cookie crumble strawberry shake in front of me.
But at my words, Choi Jihwan shook his head saying that still wasn’t okay.
“It’s not just because of that. The clothes you wear and things you carry around are all brands, and you keep buying meals and coffee for classmates. I’m saying this looking at this comprehensive image of you.”
“Huh? That’s a problem too? Everyone seemed to like it, so I didn’t think much of it.”
“Of course it’s not your fault. But originally when people stand out among others, there are always people who dislike them.”
“I see……”
“If you’re not careful, you could become a pushover.”
Really? I blinked blankly for a moment and said.
“I really didn’t know. I’ve never been someone who stood out like that in my life.”
“I don’t know, didn’t you just not notice?”
“No, really.”
I shook my head. My life surrounded by Mom and Dad, the aunt and uncle next door, and Jeongwoo hyung-nim was the epitome of a smooth and safe life itself. Whether it was conflicts with friends or times I almost got involved in bad things, in the end, adults always protected me.
There was that environmental reason, but inherently, compared to Jeongyeon who stuck to me like a twin, I had a weak presence and lived like a boring goody-two-shoes.
“Of course, it’s still fine for now, but you never know. Haven’t you heard that there are a lot of weird people in university? This is also a small society.”
“I haven’t really heard that…… But since it’s your words, I’ll be careful from now on.”
“You won’t buy meals?”
“Yeah. It’s okay to just occasionally buy coffee, right?”
“Only when it’s four people or less. It’s good if I’m included too.”
“Okay, okay.”
“You listen well.”
There are still many difficult things in the world. But now that I had a standard, it became a bit easier. With a much lighter feeling, I took a sip of my shake.
“Oh, just in case, I’m telling you, absolutely don’t buy anything at next week’s MT. There will be seniors too, and you might unnecessarily become a subject of gossip.”
“Okay, got it.”
Compared to Jeongyeon who was more straightforward than me but somewhat immature, Choi Jihwan was quite mature. That first impression I had was somehow becoming more certain as time passed.
“Jihwan-ah.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m glad you’re the first friend I made in college.”
After smiling at the guy who chuckled, I opened my phone. Come to think of it, I needed to gradually tell hyung-nim about the MT.
Hyung-nim. I have something I want to discuss today, do you have time?
Come to think of it, is the word ‘discuss’ appropriate? The thought occurred belatedly after sending the text.
The incident with hyung-nim from a few days ago also came to mind. That historic night when hyung-nim said he would acknowledge that I’d grown up now.
“Jihwan-ah, you know. If I dress up, will I really look more mature?”
Not long ago when Han Seoyoung said ‘Hajin would become popular with just a little dressing up,’ he was there too.
At my words, Choi Jihwan’s gaze, which had been opening a phone game, turned toward me.
“Why, do you want to look more mature?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to still look like a high school student.”
“To hyung-nim?”
“Huh? Oh, no, it’s not necessarily that.”
Choi Jihwan looked at me playfully. I don’t know when exactly he caught on, but he seemed almost certain.
“Who are you fooling? I’ve done it too. I’ve probably done everything you’re doing now.”
“……”
“Then I have a hair salon appointment after class, want to get your hair done too?”
Hair? At the unexpected words, I checked my hair in the phone screen.
“I was thinking it’s about time to cut it anyway.”
“Is that so……”
My hair covering my forehead was light brown, and it was straight hair that didn’t easily stick out or curl even without a straight perm.
It had been consistently this neat style like now since high school. On the other hand, Choi Jihwan had had yellow hair since enrollment.
“I was actually curious. If I change my hair too, will I look a bit more mature? Like dyeing it like you.”
“That’s fine too. But since you look a bit gentle, I think just getting a perm would be good.”
Actually, after hearing Han Seoyoung’s words last time, I became curious for no reason, so last night I added dyeing my hair to the new bucket list I’d started writing of things to do before death.
Of course, Choi Jihwan was absolutely not an adult like hyung-nim either, but looking at his styling, he didn’t look like a freshman who had just graduated high school and come up to university like me.
So he looked exactly like a college student. In contrast, I felt like I’d look no different from myself last year even if I put on a school uniform right now.
“Or……”
Choi Jihwan’s hand moved toward my forehead, and I slightly closed my eyes.
His hand grabbed my hair and lifted it up.
“Oh. Just lifting your hair makes you look more mature than now.”
At those magical words, my eyes popped open involuntarily.
“Really? How much more than now?”
“Yeah, you look about one year older.”
“What?”
Only that much? I said awkwardly while still revealing my forehead.
“I want to look clearly mature.”
“Oho, is that so?”
Choi Jihwan raised the corners of his mouth as if interested.
“Do you suddenly want an image makeover?”
“Yeah. Last time the classmates also said I was like a younger sibling. It’s not just because of hyung-nim, but it seems like there’s a problem.”
Looking like a younger sibling to hyung-nim is actually natural. Hyung-nim is someone who watched all my growth processes since I was in Mom’s belly. But even that should be within limits.
“Well, saying you’re like a younger sibling isn’t necessarily about looks……”
Choi Jihwan nodded after touching my hair here and there as if running a simulation.
“I’m in favor. It’s no fun if you don’t do anything. It’s a life you only live once anyway.”
“Right?”
Choi Jihwan’s words aligned with my recent thoughts. Perhaps because I made my eyes shine too much, he burst out laughing.
“Sometimes the kids say I’m dragging around a good kid. Now I won’t hear that anymore.”
Just recently when even my classmates said I was like a younger sibling, I definitely thought a change was necessary. Come to think of it, Yoo Jeongyeon also treated me somewhat like a younger sibling.
It was time to escape that image.
“Then, I’ll follow you to the hair salon later.”
I’d made my decision, and Choi Jihwan readily nodded.
***
As it turned out, Choi Jihwan, who was only going to trim his hair length today, had to leave first for his part-time job, and after that I was stuck in the hair salon alone for several hours.
My eyes standing in front of the mirror were sparkling.
