# Chapter 9
“You must be hungry, hyung. I’ve heated up the grill. Sit down.”
“…What’s going on with you?”
Yeomin looked back and forth between Jiho and Taeyang with a bewildered expression.
Jiho seemed to be enjoying this situation immensely, smiling from ear to ear, while Taeyang appeared indifferent.
“Actually, Jiho said he’d treat us to a meal today.”
“Lee Taeyang, why are you only telling me this now?”
Yeomin gritted his molars as he pressed Taeyang.
“Jiho said he wanted to get closer with us but never had the chance. So this brilliant hyung set it up.”
Yeomin shot Taeyang a glare.
“What are you doing, Yeomin sunbae? Please sit. You must be very hungry.”
Jiho addressed him respectfully, using honorifics. What exactly was he plotting?
If the menu hadn’t been meat, Yeomin would have flipped the table and left right away… but he sat down anyway.
It was very like Yeomin to prioritize ‘appetite’ above all other instinctual desires.
The table was full of neatly arranged side dishes.
“Joo Yeomin, here’s blood cockles. You’re crazy about these.”
Taeyang shared TMI while Yeomin was busy stuffing his mouth.
“So you like blood cockles. What else does Yeomin sunbae like?”
And there was Seol Jiho, not missing a beat. What a fantastic duo they make.
“Can we just eat?”
“Ask me. I know Joo Yeomin’s favorites best.”
“Wow. What are they?”
Jiho’s eyes shone brightly.
Taeyang, unaware of the look Jiho was giving him, answered proudly:
“Money.”
“I see. Yeomin sunbae likes money. That explains it.”
‘Explains what?’ That comment just now was a bit offensive.
Taeyang continued making a fuss, saying, “Money is most important to Joo Yeomin. He only cares about money, that guy.”
If the thick slices of raw meat hadn’t arrived just then, he would have smacked both their heads with the tongs.
While Yeomin was inhaling the side dishes, Taeyang and Jiho talked endlessly.
“By the way, I didn’t know you were interested in getting to know your seniors, Jiho. You don’t usually participate in department activities.”
“I’m trying to be more involved in school now. Please help me a lot, hyung.”
“Of course! If you actively participate in department activities, everyone will love you.”
“Does Yeomin sunbae think so too?”
Yeomin, who was watching the employee grill the meat with intense concentration, replied indifferently:
“I’m too busy taking care of myself to care whether others come to school or not. Everyone lives their own life.”
Seol Jiho wasn’t a freshman anymore, so all this talk about department activities seemed ridiculous.
When Yeomin responded so coldly, Taeyang poked him in the side. But Yeomin only gave orders to the waiter like “Please bring more garlic.”
Is Seol Jiho’s department life important right now? Grilling garlic is more important.
“Hmm…”
Jiho pouted while looking at Yeomin.
Despite having the coldest face in the world, his actions and expressions were quite childish. Should we say all his emotions show on his face? Or that he never hides his feelings?
If we were to classify him, Jiho seemed like the latter. Someone who doesn’t try to conceal his emotions or intentions. Someone who has nothing to fear, nothing to be wary of, and no need to read the room.
“Can we eat the meat now?”
“Ah, not yet, customer…”
“The blood hasn’t even drained yet, Yeomin.”
Taeyang stopped Yeomin as if this was routine. Jiho stared at Yeomin, who was anxiously sucking on his chopsticks.
“If I had known this would happen, we should have gone for meat earlier.”
He seemed to smile, then said:
“Does Yeomin sunbae follow just anyone who offers to buy meat?”
The tone was subtly sharp, making even the oblivious Taeyang sense the tension.
Yeomin shot back without hesitation:
“Yeah. I’ll follow anyone who offers to buy me something.”
“Even if it’s someone you really dislike?”
“I rarely dislike people who buy me meat.”
Yeomin’s answer was remarkably consistent. Not the answer he wanted, perhaps, as Jiho still looked sullen.
“You can eat now,” the server said, and immediately Yeomin took a piece of meat and spoke:
“But even I can tell the difference between genuine kindness and approaching with dark intentions. If I just ate anything offered, I’d likely get sick.”
“…”
“Seol Jiho.”
“Yes, sunbae.”
When Yeomin called his name meaningfully, Jiho answered very obediently.
“I’m ordering stew and rice.”
His tone was so solemn that the atmosphere in the barbecue room felt grave.
Jiho finally nodded with a slight smile.
Yeomin felt like he wouldn’t be satisfied until he completely emptied Jiho’s wallet today.
* * *
Today, Jiho’s target wasn’t Yeomin but Taeyang. Throughout the meal, Jiho asked Taeyang various questions. Being the chatterbox he was, Taeyang spilled stories at the slightest prompt.
Of course, most of those stories were about Yeomin.
They were stories that Jiho had been desperately curious about but that Yeomin himself would never answer.
‘How did you seniors become friends?’
‘Are you two the closest friends among seniors?’
‘Taeyang sunbae, aren’t you dating? Has Yeomin sunbae ever dated? What about CC?’
‘What was Yeomin sunbae like as a freshman? Was he popular?’
Their conversation continued endlessly, even as Yeomin cleared 3 servings of five-layer pork belly, 2 servings of pork jowl, 3 servings of beef brisket, beef brisket soybean paste stew, and two bowls of rice.
In other words, whether they chatted or not, Yeomin focused solely on eating as if it had nothing to do with him.
He looked just like a small animal preparing for hibernation.
On top of that, Yeomin finished the cold noodles that came as dessert, along with persimmon punch. The three finally ended their long meal and left the barbecue restaurant.
“I’m going home! Let’s see each other often at school, Jiho!”
“Take care, Taeyang sunbae.”
“What about you, Joo Yeomin?”
“I’m too full, so I want to take a walk before going home. I’ll text you.”
Yeomin sent Taeyang away first. Then he turned and walked silently.
Jiho followed behind him.
After walking about fifty meters in silence, Yeomin suddenly stopped. Jiho also stopped, following Yeomin’s lead.
“Is your stomach very full? You seemed to eat in a hurry. If your stomach feels bad, shall we stop by a pharmacy? Or a hospital…”
“No. My stomach is fine.”
“That’s good then.”
“The problem is that my mood is foul.”
Saying that, Yeomin turned to look at Jiho.
It was the usual calm, indifferent gaze without emotional fluctuation, but Jiho could see the sharp thorns he had raised.
Was Yeomin angry with him? If so, why was he angry?
Jiho couldn’t understand. Would he get angrier if asked? But since he didn’t know, he had to ask.
“Why is your mood foul?”
Yeomin walked ahead as if the question wasn’t worth answering. Jiho followed closely behind, being persistent.
“Why? Why is your mood foul?”
“Because I was investigated behind my back.”
Yeomin answered irritably without even looking back. His back looked quite fierce.
“Because I asked Taeyang sunbae about you?”
“You know it well.”
“Technically, isn’t it a front investigation?”
‘You wouldn’t have told me if I had asked you directly anyway.’
Jiho didn’t feel any remorse. Even now, what bothered him was that Yeomin was deliberately walking far apart. He didn’t like seeing Yeomin’s back.
Finally, Jiho strode forward to block Yeomin’s path.
“…”
Yeomin snorted and easily stepped aside. Though he usually seemed slow, he could be surprisingly agile at times like this.
Jiho called after him in a dejected voice:
“Hyung-“
“Take a walk around the neighborhood before coming home. I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
“Look at my face when you talk to me.”
“No.”
“Please look at me.”
Jiho was extremely anxious because Yeomin wouldn’t even glance at him. But he couldn’t force Yeomin to look at him by grabbing his face.
If he did that, Yeomin might not let him come home at all.
“Hyung-“
Instead, Jiho lightly pinched the hem of Yeomin’s sweatshirt with his thumb and index finger from behind.
He expected to be yelled at to let go, but Yeomin just gave a hollow laugh as if the situation was absurd.
“Seriously.”
Jiho watched carefully. So this much is acceptable. His mind worked quickly.
And so he followed along, holding only the edge of Yeomin’s clothes.
Passersby in the alley glanced at the strange sight of two grown men.
Jiho chattered to the back of Yeomin’s head:
“You said it would be weird if you acknowledged me at school. That’s why I did it. If I become friends with Taeyang sunbae too, no one will suspect anything, right?”
“Smart thinking. I’m so proud, really.”
Though Yeomin was saying he did well, it didn’t feel good. Naturally, because it wasn’t a compliment.
Honestly, what Jiho had just told Yeomin was a lie.
He was curious about Taeyang, who was closest to Yeomin, and wanted to know their history—when they became close and how.
He could have called Taeyang separately to talk, but he didn’t because… he wanted to show Yeomin.
To show him how much attention I’m giving you.
‘Is that why he’s upset? Because he doesn’t like getting attention from me?’
He wanted to turn Yeomin around right then, but Jiho opted to grip the hem of his clothes tighter instead.
Even that seemed uncomfortable as Yeomin stopped again. I’m going to get scolded again. Sensing his future, Jiho said gloomily:
“Are you going to kick me out?”
“What?”
“Are you going to throw me away?”
“…”
“Since you’re angry… you’ll throw me away, right?”
Jiho made the most pitiful expression he could.
Yeomin seemed momentarily flustered.
Though Yeomin was generally listless and emotionless, there were occasional moments when he wavered. Like now.
Yeomin sighed.
“You’re too big to throw away.”
“…”
“You’re too noticeable. I couldn’t even report you as bulky waste…”
Yeomin mumbled something incomprehensible and walked ahead.
Then he called out to Jiho, who stood rooted to the spot:
“Aren’t you coming?”
“…”
Jiho was conflicted.
‘Should I hold my ground here a little? What would Joo Yeomin say? Would he come back to me?’
But,
“If you don’t follow, I’ll change the password.”
How could he resist that? Jiho’s feet moved reflexively.
He didn’t want to be abandoned yet. No, now wasn’t the time to be abandoned.
Though he was annoyed that Yeomin sat next to Taeyang instead of beside him today, that Yeomin ate the side dishes Taeyang served him as if it was natural, that Yeomin told Taeyang to contact him when he got home…
He decided to endure it today.
‘The one who wants more has to be patient.’
Even a young master who had lived as he pleased understood that much about life.
