Before long, Choi Yeonho, who had been calling him hyung, hyung and acting friendly with Hyun Youngjae, suggested they eat dinner together, but he left saying he also needed to study now. Instead, he added that they should contact him anytime if they had questions.
Time rushed by and midterms began. Everyone solved problems doing their best. The three were the same. Thanks to studying hard, and thanks to two seniors, Baek Iseon and Hyun Youngjae, they had a pleasant premonition that they could get higher scores than expected.
And now only two subjects remained. Machine Element Design, which Choi Yeonho hated terribly, and Metal Materials Science, which was relatively manageable.
“Hey guys, should we call Youngjae hyung?”
As usual, while sitting and studying at a cafe, Choi Yeonho suddenly asked. The two, whose image of Hyun Youngjae had improved greatly, agreed. Jang Juwon, who had his phone number, called him. He answered that he was at the central library and came to the cafe before long.
“……So this problem, since it’s a bearing…….”
“Hmm, I see.”
Hyun Youngjae continued his explanation step by step and kindly. When they had flipped through several pages of the major textbook and solved about a few problems, Hyun Youngjae asked while flipping through Choi Yeonho’s textbook.
“But Yeonho-ya. Here, why did you fold page 100?”
“I marked the exam range.”
“Huh? The exam range is up to page 148 though.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
In an instant, a cold silence flowed over the table. The four people’s complexions began to turn white simultaneously.
“The, the exam range changed……. Didn’t you get the notice?”
Hyun Youngjae asked in an anxious voice.
“……What notice?”
Choi Yeonho’s voice trembled as he asked back.
“Oh, oh no. The class president said he’d send around contact…….”
“The class president……?”
“Lee Donghyuk, that son of a bitch…….”
Shin Jisu muttered in an extremely angry voice. The three had not received any notice at all. Class president Lee Donghyuk was undoubtedly resolving his grudge from being rejected by Shin Jisu this way.
“I should have told you a bit earlier. I’m sorry, guys…….”
“Why are you sorry, sunbae?”
“Lee Donghyuk is the fucking bastard who should be killed…….”
Shin Jisu ground her teeth. Jang Juwon was looking at empty space without saying anything. The moment his heart sank, there was a person who naturally came to his mind.
“Even if we have to pull an all-nighter tonight, I’ll look at the later pages with you……. Don’t worry too much…….”
“…….”
“…….”
However, despite Hyun Youngjae’s kind offer, Shin Jisu and Choi Yeonho were looking at Jang Juwon. Jang Juwon also knew why his friends’ gazes were directed at him and not at Hyun Youngjae. Because he was thinking the same thing.
*’What is this when I thought I wouldn’t rely on him…….’*
In the end, what you turn to when in difficulty is the easiest and sweetest method.
When the three remained silent and said nothing, Hyun Youngjae was a bit flustered.
“What’s wrong, guys……? If you don’t want to.”
“It’s not that we don’t want to. We can’t impose on you any more than this.”
Jang Juwon answered. Finally making a decision in his heart, he continued speaking.
“The three of us will figure it out somehow. Thank you just for the words.”
After sending Hyun Youngjae away, Jang Juwon came out of the cafe and put a cigarette to his parched lips. And he called that person who came to mind now. After a few rings, his voice answering the phone cheerfully was heard. Before his mind changed, Jang Juwon spat out words like a machine gun.
“I’ll do everything you tell me to. Please help me.”
Baek Iseon’s faint laughter was heard from the other side of the phone.
* * *
“……You’re just giving it to me?”
“Yeah.”
Baek Iseon smoothly held out a paper bag. Jang Juwon grabbed it but couldn’t put aside his suspicion. He was secretly anxious, wondering if he was going to do something weird later using this as an excuse.
“You’re not doing this to…… do something weird later, right?”
“Ahaha, no. Tomorrow’s the exam, right? Even if you memorize from now, you’ll have to pull an all-nighter, won’t you?”
“Ah.”
Baek Iseon said with a light laugh. Well, he was right about that. The bag in his hand was unexpectedly heavy. Just thinking about having to look through all of this in one night already made his head hurt.
“Then go study. I want to take you home but I’m a bit busy now too.”
“Ah, then I’ll get going. Thank you.”
When Jang Juwon bowed to him, Baek Iseon waved his hand telling him to go ahead. He was about to turn around and leave, but somehow he felt strange. He’s letting me go this easily? Did he eat something wrong?
*’Baek Iseon must be busy too during exam period, naturally. Plus, he’s top of his class.’*
He kept making excuses and adding on to his words about being busy. When in reality he hadn’t said anything. He thought about asking him why he was busy but gave up. It felt off. Despite it clearly being a situation he should be happy about, a strange unpleasantness wouldn’t go away.
*’Is it really okay to just leave like this?’*
His steps wouldn’t come easily. Naturally, he thought he’d be in his embrace by now. He thought he’d cling to him saying he’d toy with him arbitrarily again and wouldn’t let him go. He felt an inexplicable emptiness.
*’Don’t tell me I’m thinking I’m disappointed.’*
At the thought that suddenly crossed his mind, Jang Juwon wanted to bang his head against the wall. That can’t be. When Baek Iseon is letting him go, plus he got what he wanted, there’s no way he’d be disappointed.
Jang Juwon forcibly pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled. Since it was a situation he should be happy about, naturally he should be happy.
Standing at the entrance trying to put on his shoes, even his feet wouldn’t go in easily today. Though they were sneakers he wore every day, they seemed to be rebelling as if they didn’t want him to leave. Jang Juwon irritably shoved his foot into the shoe. Really, like this…….
He slowly placed his palm on the front door. He should push the door, but even the door felt heavy as if it was fixed in that spot. He pulled his body back to apply more force. And the moment he was about to step forward again, he couldn’t move his body. He felt an all too familiar broad embrace from behind his back. Warm warmth wrapped around his shoulders and firmly held him. His arms were tightly gripping his body. He was caught. In the end, Baek Iseon wouldn’t let him go just like that. His heart began to beat madly.
“Wha, what…… are you doing?”
“Just a moment, just stay still for a moment.”
He felt him bury his face in his shoulder. His heart rate that had started racing wouldn’t stop pounding. It must have been because he was surprised by the sudden embrace. Nevertheless, for some reason, he felt he shouldn’t let him discover his wildly beating pulse. But at this rate, it was a matter of time before Baek Iseon noticed. Baek Iseon’s hand gripped Jang Juwon’s side tightly. It felt like the pounding beat would be transmitted through his arm at any moment. So he had to escape before that.
“As expected, I can’t just let you go.”
Ridiculously, at those words from Baek Iseon, he felt the unidentified unpleasantness remaining in his chest completely disappear. After all, favors received without a price feel off. So this must be only that too.
“Let go, let me go.”
His voice trembled a little. He felt Baek Iseon slightly loosen the strength in his gripping arms. Jang Juwon quickly pulled his back away from his chest and turned around. And the two were in a position facing each other. The pounding that he thought would calm down once their bodies separated began to beat more fiercely the moment he faced him. As if saying there’s no use struggling.
Jang Juwon thought. As expected, Baek Iseon is selfish. When did he say he’d let him go, and now he wants to do it again? If so, he had no right to refuse. He had to stop meaningless resistance and be held by him. As he said, he might have to pull an all-nighter tonight. Because there’s no time. So right now, immediately, he had to be held by him. No, he wanted to.
“……If you’re going to do it, hurry…….”
“Don’t beg. It’s hard holding back.”
Baek Iseon stepped forward one step. When Jang Juwon stepped back, his head hit the front door with a thud. When he frowned slightly, Baek Iseon raised his hand and cradled the back of his head. And when their eyes met again, they were already hastily bumping lips without knowing who started first.
Thud. The paper bag Jang Juwon was holding fell to the floor. Jang Juwon’s arms wrapped around Baek Iseon’s neck. Strength went into Baek Iseon’s hand cradling his head.
By the time the two’s lips parted, they were already out of breath up to their chins. Jang Juwon looked up at Baek Iseon with a face heated from the risen warmth. Baek Iseon stroked his reddened cheek with the back of his hand. Jang Juwon’s body flinched and trembled.
“Su, sunbae.”
“I’ll stop with this for today.”
Baek Iseon bent down, picked up the bag that had fallen on the floor, and handed it to Jang Juwon. Jang Juwon urgently snatched the bag. His gaze naturally went to his feet. Jang Juwon muttered in a small voice.
“……Don’t say something different later.”
“Okay.”
