It was finally the last day. Haeyoung had been a bit anxious when there was no response from the other team members even after Yeoeun uploaded the revised PowerPoint and he rewrote and uploaded the script, but fortunately it seemed everyone had come after familiarizing themselves with it.
Perhaps having slept well, the team members approached him with fresh faces, and Haeyoung also exchanged greetings with a calm smile. It wasn’t that he had no desire to say a word, but there was no reason to leave a bad impression on people he might see again. If there was something he’d learned from his university life, it was that even people you liked personally could become dislikeable while doing team projects.
Rather, the one who trembled the most was Yeoeun, who had prepared the longest. Even though there was still a long way to go before their presentation turn came, he could see her hands already trembling as she held the script.
Haeyoung put down the script he had already memorized next to where he was sitting and stood up. He went straight to the water dispenser, filled a thick paper cup with warm water, and brought it over to Yeoeun. Yoon Haeyoung, who took the script she was holding in her place, glanced at Yeoeun for a moment as she held the cup with both hands and sipped the warm water.
Though her face was still stiff, it was still much better than before. He lowered his gaze, waiting for Yeoeun to relax before their turn came. However, that was only for a moment.
“Haeyoung-ssi, that, you said you were filming a romance reality show or something.”
“Yes.”
Regarding the application of justification for illegality under Article 310 of the Criminal Act… He, who had been habitually reading Yeoeun’s script he was holding for her, raised his head again and answered.
It was quite an out-of-the-blue topic to bring up now when they were about to give their final project presentation. However, he thought it wouldn’t be bad if this kind of conversation could divert her attention and help her relax. Haeyoung tilted his head as if telling her to speak comfortably.
“Is there anyone you like?”
“……”
At the bombshell topic brought up right after he made a gesture telling her to speak comfortably, he hesitated. Neither the intention behind the unexpected question nor the answer to that question came to mind immediately. There was only one person he had feelings for, but he couldn’t say that name out loud.
Haeyoung, who had been slightly frowning, raised his hand to fidget with the area above his eyebrows as he called her.
“Um, Yeoeun-ssi.”
Having called Yeoeun, Haeyoung hesitated and unconsciously bit his lips.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t a bad topic. If he had answered her question playfully right away, he could have helped Yeoeun relax even more. And if it were his usual self, he would have likely acted that way before even thinking.
The reason he flinched at that common question of whether there was anyone he liked among the people he was filming with was because he had a guilty conscience. Especially since he showed him to Yeoeun yesterday. Because at her question, a familiar face that filled his mind happened to come up…
“Why do you ask?”
“No, it’s just that you seem like you’d be popular. I suddenly became curious if things were going well with anyone.”
Hearing what she said as she looked at him blankly, Haeyoung let out a low groan with a grimacing face. As expected, he had been needlessly guilty and overthought it.
She must have wanted to think about something else because she was so nervous. In the midst of that, since he was right in front of her, a topic related to him must have come to mind. Come to think of it, there was nothing strange about Yeoeun’s question at all. Having lost his energy in an instant, he laughed emptily and asked back.
“You think I’d be popular?”
The script that had been covering half his face went down. Because of that, his fully revealed face was tinged with a playful smile. Yeoeun swallowed a short breath watching such a Haeyoung. It was a relaxed smile that only someone confident they’d be loved wherever they went could make.
Yeoeun, who had been unconsciously smiling along while looking at the brightly smiling Haeyoung, soon came to her senses and glanced at him.
“…If I asked a question, you should give me an answer in return.”
He tried to brush it off playfully, but as expected, Yeoeun was not easy. Haeyoung, who closed his mouth, scratched the corner of his lips where his dimples were.
There were many empty words he could have said to help her relax, but he briefly wondered if it was okay to bring them up. Haeyoung, who had been briefly thinking, raised his head as if he’d made up his mind. When he went to work, he wasn’t wearing a microphone, so there was no way his conversation with Yeoeun would be broadcast. …Probably.
Wondering if there might be a camera he hadn’t discovered, he looked around and soon covered his profile with the script he was holding and whispered.
“At least it seems there’s no one who dislikes me.”
“That’s too abstract an answer.”
“They say being modest is my charm.”
Unlike the content of the words that advocated the virtue of modesty, his face was made up with an expression that seemed quite boastful.
At that expression imitating arrogance, Yeoeun finally couldn’t hold it in and let out a laugh. Hearing the cheerful laughter escaping, Haeyoung also soon relaxed his expression and chuckled.
It wasn’t even a funny story, but seeing her laugh, it seemed she’d forgotten she’d been nervous the whole time.
“Are you relaxed now?”
He asked Yeoeun. Perhaps conscious of the other team members’ gazes, she, who had been bowing her head and trying to hold in her laughter as much as possible, covered her lips with her hand and raised her gaze. Her eyes, which had been filled with cheerfulness for quite a while, sparkled as they caught the light.
Seeing her head nodding lightly, the relieved Haeyoung returned the script he was holding. Their turn to present was approaching soon.
***
Though his memory of how it ended was hazy, finally the last day of the law firm practical training and the final assignment were both over.
After all the teams’ presentations ended, as is often the case anywhere, there was time for everyone to share contact information, saying they should keep in touch from time to time. Even though he thought there would be no reason to contact them again, Haeyoung also obediently gave his number to those who asked for his contact information.
Then, to his intern colleagues who said it would be a shame to just let the last day pass so they should all go to an after-party together, Haeyoung declined with a regretful smile. Those staying behind had more regretful faces than the one leaving, but he waved lightly with a smiling face and left without lingering.
Of course, it wasn’t that he had no regrets either, but since there was a second official date schedule the very next day, he had no choice. The other person might have been looking forward to this date, and even if he couldn’t perfectly satisfy those expectations, he had to keep basic courtesy, right? In such circumstances, he couldn’t be drinking the night before and coming home.
It didn’t take long for Haeyoung to realize his thoughts weren’t wrong. When he came home from work yesterday, he had discovered Soyoon waiting for him.
‘Oppa, you know you’re dating me tomorrow, right?’
Haeyoung had vaguely noticed from roughly listening to others’ conversations and the atmosphere that his date partner was Soyoon. However, since Minho seemed to have clear feelings for her, he had been pretending not to know as much as possible and raised the corners of his lips ambiguously with his mouth closed.
Should he act as if he just found out now? After briefly pondering that moment, he had no choice but to swallow a sigh and nod his head. Perhaps quite excited, Soyoon was standing on the stairs, not even in a common area, waiting for him. He didn’t want to embarrass such a Soyoon just to make himself feel comfortable.
At Haeyoung’s short nod, Soyoon smiled with an even brighter face, revealing her neat teeth.
‘I think I know where we’re having our date.’
‘Really? Where are we having it?’
‘That’s a secret.’
What the heck. Seeing Soyoon, who seemed about to tell him then soon closed her mouth saying it was a secret, Haeyoung smiled with a grimace. Even to his gaze asking if she was teasing him, she only grinned without responding, and Haeyoung eventually raised the white flag and tilted his head.
‘Not even a hint?’
‘Mmm. Okay, I’ll give you a hint. It would be good to wear casual clothes. Something comfortable to move in!’
‘Casual…’
Though it was an answer closer to twenty questions than a hint, Haeyoung nodded saying he understood. Since she told him to come in casual clothes that were comfortable to move in, it was probably an active date course. He didn’t know where they were going, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be easy. Of course, he liked moving his body, so it didn’t matter.
His worry was elsewhere. Haeyoung, who had come up to the second floor with Soyoon, stopped abruptly in the hallway instead of entering his room. Then he turned his head slightly and asked Soyoon if Minho was in the common area, and she shook her head with a puzzled face. It was inevitably concerning behavior unlike him, who wouldn’t think of leaving Soyoon’s side when he was home.
It was also then that Seonwoo, who wouldn’t have known Haeyoung was coming, opened the door as if he’d been waiting. Haeyoung, who had been standing in the hallway briefly lost in thought, raised his head seeing the door to the room he was staying in open.
And seeing Seonwoo coming out from there, he unconsciously made a deliberately surprised expression.
‘You’re back?’
Stopping while coming out of the room, he, who discovered him, drew a bright smile on his face as if a light had been turned on. Seeing him unable to hide his pleased color and smiling as if he’d been waiting for him the whole time, Haeyoung also nodded inadvertently. Even though they saw each other every day, Cha Seonwoo seemed glad to see him every day.
Seeing his nod, as he strode closer, Haeyoung, who almost reflexively stepped back, came to his senses and turned around. Then he tilted his head as if puzzled.
‘Aren’t you going into your room, Haeyoung-ah?’
‘Uh… I’m going to stop by the room next door for a moment. I think Kim Minho is screwing up, so I’m going to go check.’
‘…I screw up well too.’
What is he saying? Haeyoung completely changed direction, deliberately ignoring the gaze persistently following him. While heading to Minho’s room, he could hear Seonwoo saying from behind, ‘How kind, Haeyoung-ah. You’re so worried that you’re even visiting another man’s room at this hour,’ tackling him in a soft voice, but Haeyoung firmly held back, pretending not to hear.
