# Chapter 42
It was right to spend one day of the weekend going out and the other staying at home. Thanks to firmly rejecting Kwon Dojin’s insistence that I stay over without even a moment’s hesitation, I was able to secure my precious day off.
Lying flat on my bed with both arms resting on my chest, I took a deep breath and exhaled. Being able to lie in bed until late afternoon was nothing short of a blessing.
“Hey-!”
I elegantly ignored the troublemaker who burst through the door shouting. Having gone out yesterday, I was twice as tired as usual and didn’t even have the energy to deal with her.
“Ah, Lee Habin!”
When I didn’t respond, Lee Yumin ran to the bed and snatched away my blanket. Having lost the precious item that had been providing me with cozy warmth, I supposed I’d have to respond if I wanted to return to the peaceful rest I’d been enjoying moments ago.
Sighing, I opened one eye to look at the wild filly who was disturbing her only oppa’s rest.
“What.”
“Lend me some money.”
“…Where’s your conscience?”
“Don’t have one.”
Well, that seems accurate.
I stared at Lee Yumin in disbelief. Completely undeterred by my gaze, she brazenly lifted her head high and placed my phone on my chest after finding it.
“Please transfer some money.”
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t you know?”
“What would I know?”
I frowned at her habit of beating around the bush instead of getting straight to the point. With eyes that suggested she had the upper hand, Yumin raised the corners of her mouth and pointed at the phone resting on my chest.
“Payment first.”
“What payment? You’ve clearly heard something from somewhere. Forget it, go away.”
The nerve of this kid. Completely annoyed, I turned my body to face the wall instead.
“Oh come on! I’ll tell you. Just give me some money, okay?”
She must be not just short on money but completely broke. At this point, Yumin, who would normally storm out in a huff, was persistently shaking my shoulder.
But that wasn’t my problem, so I just wiggled my fingers twice. Like an unspoken understanding, Yumin caught my meaning and frowned before opening her mouth.
“Today’s the day the Four Heavenly Kings and Baek Han-nim are meeting.”
“How do you know that? You stalker-.”
“What are you saying! The date, place, and time for the monthly meetings of ranks 1 through 5 are all publicly announced, you know? Who are you calling a stalker!”
“Ah-. So that’s happening today?”
“Yeah, today. So hurry up and give me some money!”
This world is like an onion, an onion. How is it that there’s always something new that pops up no matter how many layers you peel? Although Yumin’s information left me bewildered, my curiosity was satisfied, so I picked up my phone.
“How much.”
“30,000 won!”
“Fine.”
After transferring the amount she wanted, Yumin, who received the notification, jumped up and down excitedly as she left the room. I didn’t even give her a glance since there was something bothering me more than the excited filly who had just gotten money.
If Kwon Dojin had plans today, why did he ask me to stay over yesterday? Maybe he didn’t know? That was highly possible. Dojin was surprisingly uninterested in things that happened within the ranking system. Baek Han was actually more knowledgeable about such things.
“…Why am I concerned about this?”
It wasn’t like they’d be fighting, but something was bothering me. Was it because Dojin and Ji Haecheon, who don’t get along, would be meeting? But what does that have to do with me?
I don’t understand my own feelings. I tried to clear my mind as I tossed and turned, but it wasn’t very effective. Finally, I sighed and sat up, picking up my phone.
“Let’s call him first.”
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say, but I figured I’d come up with something during our conversation. I pulled up Dojin’s number on the screen, stared intensely at his name, then closed my eyes tight and pressed the call button.
Drrrr, I silently focused on the connection tone, still with my eyes closed.
“Hello?”
[Good morning, did you just wake up?]
A voice so sweet it seemed dipped in honey rang in my ear. Although we hadn’t called each other many times before, his tone suggested that contacting each other was natural, which slightly caught me off guard.
“Why would I call you right after waking up?”
[Your voice sounds a bit hoarse. If you’re not just getting up, then you must have been lying down this whole time?]
My eyes twitched at the question that saw right through my actions. Had I always been this easy to read?
“I have nothing to say.”
[Resting is good, but make sure you eat properly.]
“Yeah, yeah, I will.”
I called because I had something I wanted to say, but I was deterred by Dojin. Even though I knew this wasn’t it, I couldn’t ignore his words, so I answered sincerely.
[So, what was our Habin so curious about that he called?]
The question that flowed so naturally left me speechless. Why does he know me so well? To be precise, I didn’t call because I was curious about something, but I did call to figure out what I wanted to say to Dojin. The meaning was roughly similar.
[Hmm? Habin-ah.]
“…Well, it’s nothing special.”
[Nothing special?]
“I heard there’s some kind of meeting today-.”
What should I say? What did I want to say?
I thought I’d figure it out while talking with Dojin, but that wasn’t the case at all. The words that left my mouth scattered into the air without reaching a proper conclusion.
Despite my hemming and hawing, Dojin patiently waited. Feeling guilty for wasting his time regardless of his consideration, I opened my mouth to end the call.
“It’s really nothing. You must be busy, so I’ll-.”
[Thank you for worrying about me.]
Dojin gently cut off my hurried words. Frozen by the unexpected response, I couldn’t say anything for a while.
[You were worried, weren’t you?]
His voice, asking me again as I remained silent, had a faint trace of amusement in it.
‘Worry, worrying…’
“I guess that’s right.”
[Yes. Habin is kind-hearted, after all.]
“I don’t think so.”
I firmly denied it. Being kind-hearted wasn’t a word that described me. As I slightly furrowed my brow, Dojin let out a small laugh.
[Well, I disagree.]
“…Think whatever you want.”
I didn’t want to argue about someone else’s judgment. I waved my hand dismissively as if Dojin were right in front of me, then awkwardly lowered my arm when I realized I was alone.
[I have to leave now, so I’ll hang up.]
“Okay. Have a good time with your friends.”
[Friends…, sure. If that’s what Habin calls them, then that’s what they are. I’ll see you after the meeting.]
“Yeah. Hanging up now.”
[See you tomorrow at school.]
His tone suggested he didn’t think of them as friends, but I figured he knew what he was doing. I called them friends not for any special reason, but because I didn’t want to use cringeworthy titles like “Four Heavenly Kings.”
I stared at the screen showing the call duration, then brought my phone to my chest with both hands. So why did I call Dojin? Even after talking for more than five minutes, a clear answer wasn’t apparent.
I sighed, feeling utterly stifled. At this point, I decided to give up thinking about it further since I probably wouldn’t figure it out anyway. I didn’t want to rack my brain from weekend morning.
Slowly, I moved to retrieve the blanket Yumin had carelessly thrown on the floor. Although it was difficult to grab it while staying in bed, I was absolutely against getting up, so I managed to pull it over with much effort.
“My son has turned into a complete sloth.”
“…Mom. How long have you been watching?”
“Since you were flailing your legs trying to get the blanket.”
Extremely embarrassed, I pulled the blanket up to just below my eyes. My mother chuckled at the sight of me, then approached the bed and sat down at the head of it.
“I heard you gave Yumin some allowance?”
“She kept pestering me for it. I gave it to her because she was being noisy.”
“Do you have enough money for yourself?”
“It’s not like I don’t. If I didn’t have any to begin with, I wouldn’t have given her any.”
“Really? I thought my son might have a lot of expenses now that he has a girlfriend.”
Blinking with a dumbfounded expression at hearing a word I shouldn’t have heard, I slowly rolled my eyes up to look at my mother and saw her face beaming with a deep smile.
“…Me?”
Just to make sure, I asked again, and my mother nodded.
“Isn’t it true? My son who usually hates going out on weekends even went out yesterday, the number of times you go out after school has increased, and even your studying, which you used to do so diligently, seems more moderate these days.”
My mother proudly counted the reasons, folding her fingers one by one. Now that I was hearing it, these actions could indicate having a girlfriend, but they could also suggest I’d simply discovered the joys of going out.
“I don’t have a ring on my finger, and I haven’t acquired any new clothes. No new sneakers either. There’s not a single trace of the matching couple items that excited high school couples typically get…”
“Maybe you just haven’t matched them yet?”
“Unfortunately not.”
I answered firmly without a moment’s hesitation. There hadn’t been even a hint of a significant other in my life so far; it was a ridiculous suggestion.
“Oh my, that’s truly unfortunate.”
Her expression, which included a sigh, seemed to personify the word “regret.” I let out an empty laugh at her sincere words, and my mother gently pinched my cheek.
“Well, if you say so. It’s not something you need to tell your mother about anyway, so even if you’re hiding it, I understand.”
“No, I really don’t have a girlfriend.”
Despite the sincerity in my voice, my mother’s playful smile didn’t disappear, suggesting she didn’t believe me.
“Alright, if my son says so, then it must be true. Anyway, I came to give allowance to Habin, who gave allowance to Yumin.”
As if this were the main point all along, my mother picked up her phone and moved her fingers a few times. Not long after, ding!, my phone rang with a cheerful sound.
When I checked the screen, I saw an amount three times larger than what I had given Yumin, and my eyes widened.
“This much?”
“My son, who never used to go out, has finally started going out to have fun. In that spirit, do you have any plans today?”
Looking at her sparkling eyes, I somehow felt like I should go out. Plus, I had unexpectedly received this allowance-
“…I did agree to meet at the library.”
“I see. Then hurry up and get ready, son.”
Thanks to my mother, who personally grabbed both my arms and pulled me up, I bid a tearful farewell to my bed. I considered adding that the meeting had been canceled, but looking at my mother’s expression, I couldn’t bring myself to say such a thing. Her genuine happiness at her son going out made my conscience ache.
Given the situation, I had no choice. I guess I’ll go to the library and study for the first time in a while.
