“That bastard will be there.”
Baek Iseon growled lowly.
“……Yes.”
There was an excellent mentor in that study group. Despite his busy schedule, he had willingly become a mentor at the underclassmen’s request. Ahn Jaeon, that was just the kind of person he was by nature.
“Come back safely.”
Though he was clearly displeased, Baek Iseon didn’t tell Jang Juwon not to go. Since the day he came to his house and put on a reconciliation show, he had definitely been changing.
“I’ll contact you after it’s over.”
“……Yeah.”
Jang Juwon replaced his greeting with a short kiss.
* * *
When he arrived at the lecture hall, Choi Yeonho, who had arrived first, acknowledged him. Jang Juwon plopped down in the seat next to him. Inside the lecture hall, besides Choi Yeonho, there were a few more classmates whose faces he only recognized. Since Ahn Jaeon was the mentor, undergraduates wanting to join the study session overflowed, and the study session soon took on a character closer to Ahn Jaeon’s job-hunting lecture rather than a gathering. Anyway, with the thought that it was still winter break, the undergraduates didn’t have any sense of urgency and the study session proceeded loosely. It was a good thing for Jang Juwon.
“Where’s Shin Jisu?”
“Would she come? These days she’s making a fuss about dropping out.”
“Dropping out?”
“Yeah. She’s protesting to her parents to set up a studio for her. Crazy girl.”
It had been quite a while since he’d seen Shin Jisu. She, who had fallen deeply in love, seemed to be properly enjoying her life taking advantage of this winter break. But he didn’t feel worried at all. Because it was Shin Jisu. Whatever she did, she would do well. Her family was fairly well-off too, so he thought she might really set up a studio. However, he couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed in her for not showing her face for so long.
“Jang Juwon, what about you?”
“Me what?”
“Are you seeing that sunbae well? He graduated.”
“Ah. Well, yeah……”
The problem, if it was a problem, was that they were seeing each other too well. Baek Iseon had no intention of leaving his side and, except for occasional outings, spent all day cooped up at home just waiting for him to return. And he’d even gone so far as to try to match his career path to him. They’d just had an argument about that very issue, so his mood became a bit complicated.
“Hello!”
“Hello, teaching assistant-nim!”
“Yeah, hi. Kids.”
Right on cue, Ahn Jaeon entered the lecture hall at a good time. The undergraduates were dying to greet him one after another, and Ahn Jaeon smiled and received each greeting. Even so, he didn’t forget what he had to do.
“Did everyone solve the aptitude test I told you to work on last week?”
“Ah, teaching assistant-nim. You have no mercy!”
One student who clearly hadn’t done the assignment shouted. Actually, she seemed to have no interest in the study session from the beginning. Her interest was clearly only in the handsome man before her eyes, Ahn Jaeon.
“Haha, what should I do? I originally have no mercy……”
Ahn Jaeon laughed as if quite troubled. And such a soft appearance became very good prey for the undergraduates. One undergraduate raised their hand high and shouted.
“Teaching assistant-nim, tell us about your first love.”
“Huh?”
At that mischievous question, Ahn Jaeon couldn’t hide his flustered look and fumbled around, making the undergraduates realize they’d caught a big fish. As laughter spread throughout the lecture hall, Ahn Jaeon’s eyes began to wander more and more, and eventually they met Jang Juwon’s. Ahn Jaeon quickly cast his eyes downward. He thought he had no right to look at Jang Juwon.
“Don’t mess around. What are you, kids?”
“We are kids though?”
“My story is boring.”
“It’s okay, teaching assistant-nim’s face is entertaining!”
Giggle. Once again, laughter swept through the lecture hall. It was just talk to kill time anyway. They didn’t care about things like entertainment.
“Haah……”
Ahn Jaeon let out a big sigh. And finally he raised his eyes to look at the undergraduates and opened his mouth. To tell a story he could tell now.
“So…… There was someone I fell for at first sight……”
Jang Juwon tried not to show his surprise. That was a fact even he hadn’t known. He’d thought all along that he was the one who liked first.
“Wow! Was she pretty?”
“Yeah, very pretty. Extremely pretty.”
“And then?”
“I liked them a lot…… But I was the one who said let’s break up.”
“Why?!”
“Back then…… My family situation was complicated.”
A rather bitter smile appeared on Ahn Jaeon’s face. The smiles were gradually disappearing from the faces of the underclassmen who had begged to hear the story first. There was no way they couldn’t know. That Ahn Jaeon still had feelings for that person.
“I tried to win them back, but they were already seeing someone else… Haha…”
“Wow, is there really someone better than you, Teaching Assistant? You’re handsome, you have a good personality.”
“No, my personality isn’t that good.”
“Come on.”
“Really. I did a lot of bad things because I wanted to win them back.”
“What, did you secretly contact them?”
“Haha, that’s a secret. Anyway, it’s completely over now.”
Ahn Jaeon smiled as he set down a stack of papers on the desk with a thud. It was somehow a refreshing smile.
“…Still.”
Ahn Jaeon added lastly. At that low voice, the underclassmen unconsciously held their breath.
“Still, if there’s one last chance, I want to say I’m sorry. That I regret doing those things.”
“…”
“Alright, my story’s over! Let’s study now.”
Ahn Jaeon, who had regained his usual demeanor, began distributing the papers with a friendly smile. The underclassmen grumbled but obediently received the papers Ahn Jaeon handed out. And they all thought the same thing. That they should listen well to Ahn Jaeon.
* * *
After the study session ended, Jang Juwon and Choi Yeonho got up from their seats together. As they were about to pass through the door together, a female student who was going ahead was losing her balance and wobbling in place.
“Ah…!”
She thought she was going to fall backward, but was startled by the firm, unfamiliar hands that caught her and turned around. A man with quite sturdy shoulders that contrasted with his soft tofu-like appearance was holding her.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah… Thanks, Choi Yeonho.”
“Be careful.”
“Okay. But you… you’re quite tall for how you look? Your arms look like you work out too…”
“R-really? I work out, I play basketball…”
The two looked at each other and smiled awkwardly. And there was someone witnessing this scene from one step behind—it was Jang Juwon. Jang Juwon silently moved aside without a word and didn’t forget to cheer for his friend in his heart.
* * *
Walking toward Baek Iseon’s house, which was now his home too, Jang Juwon was deeply lost in thought. He thought he had been too harsh earlier. Instead of telling him not to care, he could have said it more nicely.
Before long, Jang Juwon arrived in front of the house and resolved to talk with him again as he pressed the door lock.
“Hyung, I’m home.”
“You’re back?”
Baek Iseon, who had been in the kitchen, rushed out to the entrance and greeted Jang Juwon. Judging by the apron that was too small for his large body and the kitchen tongs in his hand, he seemed to have been in the middle of cooking.
“Were you preparing dinner?”
“Yeah. I’m almost done. Sit down and wait.”
Baek Iseon wasn’t good at cooking. He had tried a few times since they started living together, but the results were always unsatisfactory and he had given up on his cooking dreams. For him to be cooking himself—what was going on? Jang Juwon felt an ominous premonition. This situation, I feel like I’ve experienced this before…
Soon Baek Iseon set down two plates on the dining table. Jang Juwon’s face gradually hardened as he confirmed the contents on the plates.
“This is…”
The ominous premonition had come true. Chicken steak. That terrible dish was placed in front of him. This special steak was the food he ate as a treat during his muscle-building period.
