“An answer, you say……”
Yujeong brought the glass he received to his lips without putting it down. He’d also mentioned there was no need to drink it, and since he didn’t think Yujeong would bother with formalities in front of Seongjo himself, it was somewhat unexpected.
He certainly didn’t seem to like alcohol, but he didn’t look like he couldn’t handle it either. If he were someone who couldn’t drink well, he would show it outwardly by frowning at the bitter taste, but Yujeong maintained an extremely calm state. Quietly putting down the empty glass, he continued his trailing words.
“How deep a question are you going to ask?”
This makes him want to suddenly throw a deep question to distort his expression. However, having gone to the trouble of arranging a drinking session, he couldn’t ruin the atmosphere that way. Seongjo answered with a calm smile.
“I’ll start with light ones.”
Does it mean there’s nothing more to refuse now that they’ve come this far? Yujeong nodded calmly as if telling him to speak. Seongjo continued smiling and asked.
“How old are you?”
“You’re persistent.”
“What’s the big deal that you keep not answering, Teacher Jeon?”
As Yujeong said, it was already a question he’d asked several times. In fact, Seongjo also thought age didn’t really matter. No matter how old he was, them calling each other Lee Seongjo-ssi and Jeon Yujeong-ssi and speaking formally to each other wouldn’t change. Nevertheless, the reason he kept acting stubbornly was pride. It could be attributed to his personality of having to see things through once started.
Yujeong didn’t answer right away this time either and paused. Did he know that dragging out time like this over something not even that serious made Seongjo more concerned instead?
Still, this time he didn’t generalize or avoid answering like before. He seemed to think that Seongjo wouldn’t give up anyway even if he did.
“I’m twenty-nine years old.”
He was certainly younger than Seongjo, but it was an embarrassing age to be mistaken for a college student. Suddenly remembering Yujeong getting hit on for his number by college students today became amusing. When he laughed out loud, Yujeong let out a small sigh as if asking what part was funny. Though he was younger, because of reactions like that he often showed, he also looked like an old man who’d lived through everything.
Seongjo didn’t answer why he laughed and appropriately changed the subject.
“What about hobbies?”
“I don’t particularly have any.”
“Then……”
It was such a boring answer that one might think he disliked answering. However, the statement that Yujeong had no hobbies also seemed to be true. Anyway, it was time to throw the next question. Seongjo, who hadn’t lost any enthusiasm, tapped the table with one hand and fell into thought. Yujeong, who had been watching that quietly, shook his head.
“Are these the only kinds of questions you have? You’ll be asking about blood type or MBTI or zodiac compatibility soon.”
Not bad though? However, if he said that, it was obvious what expression Yujeong would make again. Words aside, in fact these kinds of questions didn’t suit Seongjo’s aptitude either. Weren’t these questions that would come up in an unfamiliar and awkward relationship, having just met at a blind date?
When Seongjo’s glass emptied, Yujeong diligently poured alcohol. Except for the fact that he himself didn’t particularly enjoy drinking, he was a really good man as a drinking companion. Seongjo, who downed the soju Yujeong poured in one shot, opened his mouth again.
“What’s the reason you decided to become a teacher?”
“There’s no grand reason…… If you were expecting something special, you’ll be disappointed.”
It was a question that suddenly skipped several steps from age and hobbies. Yujeong also seemed flustered as he hesitated for a moment before replying.
However, for Seongjo, it was okay even if there wasn’t a grand reason. Because it was literally a question thrown out of pure desire to know about Jeon Yujeong. When he gestured as if telling him to say anything, Yujeong opened his mouth with a somewhat unconvinced face.
“I had a teacher in middle school. A person with many points to learn from. At the time, I thought I wanted to be like them……”
Isn’t that rather a cuter reason than expected? After that, Yujeong added words like he was young back then, or that by the time he realized dealing with children wasn’t his calling, it was already too late. He seemed slightly embarrassed, but such excuses didn’t really reach Seongjo’s ears. Watching Seongjo chuckling, Yujeong asked.
“……What part is funny?”
“No, I was thinking you were cute in middle school. Isn’t that a grand reason? I thought you’d say something like you just went where your grades matched.”
“There’s nothing cute about it……”
Watching Yujeong trail off, Seongjo just laughed again. This much wasn’t without harvest. Seongjo, whose mood had become quite generous, asked Yujeong as if doing him a favor.
“Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”
Because asking and receiving questions is a virtue. However, he didn’t think there would be anything Yujeong would be curious about regarding him. So even this time, if an answer like ‘I wonder’ came out, he planned to quickly confiscate the opportunity and throw the next question himself.
But upon hearing Seongjo’s words, Yujeong immediately raised his head to face Seongjo. It was a truly unexpected situation, but his question popped out right away.
“How did you end up breaking up?”
And it was a much more…… deep question than expected.
Come to think of it, he had mentioned it to him. That it hadn’t been long since he broke up with his ex-lover, and after that his father desperately hoped for Seongjo’s marriage. Since he said there was also such a reason for even moving near Yujeong, he wouldn’t have forgotten Seongjo’s words. But even if he remembered, who would have thought he’d throw such a sensitive topic straight out without a filter?
Seongjo looked at him with an uncharacteristically bewildered face.
“I’m a bit surprised…… I didn’t know you’d be curious about that?”
It was sincere. Because Yujeong looked like he had no interest at all in others’ romantic history. Far from taking interest, he seemed like the type who would only annoyedly say to break up if an acquaintance consulted him about romance. Yujeong slightly pushed the empty glass toward Seongjo and said. Does he mean he’ll drink more?
“Didn’t you tell me to ask? This is the only thing that comes to mind.”
“Hmm…… This is difficult.”
Seongjo stroked his chin as if contemplating. Because he didn’t expect such a question to fly at words thrown out half out of courtesy.
First, he filled Yujeong’s extended glass halfway with alcohol. He had no intention of avoiding the answer or changing the subject, but saying everything exactly as it was was also a problem. If he made a wrong move, the drinking session that had been going well with good harvest could degenerate into a venue for badmouthing his ex-lover.
“I ended up breaking up because my ex-lover was trash. We dated for quite a while, but now he wasn’t the guy I knew anymore…… It’s 100% his fault so it’s awkward to say more?”
Yujeong just looked at Seongjo’s face silently.
He thought another somewhat blunt answer might come out. Something like ‘I can’t believe Lee Seongjo-ssi has no fault at all……’ or such.
But Yujeong threw out exactly one sentence in a calm voice.
“Do you still like him?”
“……I said he was a trash bastard. It would be stupid if I still had feelings left.”
The brief hesitation wasn’t because he was conflicted, but because Yujeong’s question was unexpected. It would be a lie to say he’d forgotten even the tender memories completely and cleanly. However, if asked whether he had feelings remaining, he absolutely would not answer yes.
“Don’t you have even a little lingering attachment?”
A question that continued once more. It also sounded like an interrogation. He thought it would be enjoyable if Yujeong took interest in him and threw questions, but this topic was still uncomfortable after all. Seongjo laughed as if it was nothing and answered with deliberate laziness.
“Well, do you want to get us back together because you’re annoyed by me chasing after you? Surely that’s not it, right? Even if that were the case, I can’t grant that, so don’t expect too much.”
“I don’t have such expectations.”
Yujeong immediately answered Seongjo’s joke. To the extent that Seongjo, who was trying to pass it off playfully, was rather surprised. That wasn’t even the end.
“Not at all.”
“……”
“Getting back together with trash is a loss.”
It was an unexpectedly firm statement. Laughter burst out automatically at the clear-cut voice. When he laughed and emptied his glass again, the first soju bottle had already hit bottom. Seongjo naturally reached his hand toward the second bottle. Yujeong quietly looked down at Seongjo’s hand. He didn’t openly stop him by grabbing that hand or anything, but his expression showed reluctance.
“Why are you looking at me like that again?”
Seongjo, who laughed slightly, asked again. He didn’t know what he was worrying about like that. It was funny how he was looking at him as if he were a person holding an explosive when he was merely holding a soju bottle. Does he perhaps think he’s overdoing it because he wants alcohol from the ex-lover talk?
Watching Seongjo’s grinning face, Yujeong opened his mouth.
“Seeing you keep laughing…… I’m thinking you’re already drunk after all.”
Seongjo faced him with his arms crossed.
“Why have you been underestimating my drinking capacity since earlier? Should we make a bet?”.
