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“Right, right.”
But interest just arose now. Whatever it was, this was better than being rumored to be gay.
“I thought so, you were staring so blatantly.”
“……”
“I’ll tell you Jang Woogyun’s part-time job location. By the way, this is premium information. It’s a part-time job he got in secret. It won’t be a loss for you, right? Given the nature of the work, if you go there, it’ll be easy to get close to him.”
If I didn’t accept the note Gong Minyeong was holding out now, I’d have to explain why I was staring at Woogyun so blatantly. But actually, her proposal wasn’t bad. Woogyun’s secret part-time job location? It’ll be easy to get close to him? Sorry to Cha Geonhyeok, but these were conditions that were difficult to refuse.
“…Instead of arranging a gathering, let’s say we ran into each other by chance at a bar.”
I said while extending my hand. Gong Minyeong, who had been thinking for a moment while scratching the air with her big eyes, answered “Okay” and gave me the note. I quickly checked it after receiving it and immediately put it in my pocket.
“You’ll properly set the mood to suggest joining tables, right?”
Gong Minyeong, who had confirmed my hand movements, smiled slightly and asked. It seemed like she was somewhat mocking me.
“Yeah… Who else is coming besides you?”
“Well. Kim Hoseong?”
“What?”
Kim Hoseong liked Gong Minyeong. If he went to that gathering, he’d only get hurt a lot.
“Not Hoseong, just bring a girl. Yujin or Hyeon…”
“Is there a need for a 2-on-2 blind date? If you don’t like Kim Hoseong, you pick another guy… Ah, let’s do Jang Woogyun.”
I flinched at the sudden development. Gong Minyeong, who had crossed her arms, smiled with a satisfied expression.
“If you and Geonhyeok are at the bar, I’ll bring Jang Woogyun after about thirty minutes. We’ll pretend to know each other there and join tables. How about it?”
How about it, she asks.
“…Good.”
It was too good. Gong Minyeong drew an arc with her lips and offered me a handshake. Sorry, Cha Geonhyeok. I bit my lip to hide it while grabbing and shaking her hand. Then I asked her about a thought that suddenly occurred to me.
“But, didn’t you hear from Cha Geonhyeok? That, to him…”
“That he has someone he likes?”
I was a bit surprised that she said it so nonchalantly. I answered, “Yeah.”
“Hey, people’s hearts can change. It’s not like he has a girlfriend, so if I seduce him that’s that.”
Having said this stylishly, she released my hand with a tap and swept back her hair. It smelled nice.
“We’ll talk about the details after class. Don’t go anywhere and come here right after it ends. We’ll plan the strategy.”
Having finished speaking as she pleased, Gong Minyeong moved away with light footsteps. Left alone, I ruminated on the conversation. Then, when I could no longer see her figure, I slid down the wall and crouched.
Cha Geonhyeok would be angry if he found out. But if I just acted well, Cha Geonhyeok would never know for his entire life that Gong Minyeong and I had planned a strategy. Regardless of whether he knew or not, the fact that I was deceiving him pricked my conscience a bit, but when you think about it, this wasn’t a blind date or anything, just a drinking session. A classmate gathering that Cha Geonhyeok had shown up to once or twice. So it would be fine.
It’s okay, it’s okay. I stood up while repeating this to myself. I filled my uneasy mind with positivity. If this went well, I would have drinks with Woogyun… I couldn’t help but grin immediately. The declaration of abstinence from alcohol in my heart had long been torn up and disappeared.
* * *
The D-day that Gong Minyeong and I set was Thursday. The major class ended at five o’clock that day, which was why, and all the people participating in the drinking session took that class. After school, it was suitable for running into each other by chance at a bar near campus.
I had confirmed the day before yesterday that Cha Geonhyeok, a lead character, had no plans today. Pretending to decide on a date to have sex, I very naturally asked him about his schedule by day of the week. He answered that he had nothing much going on Thursday and Friday evenings. The situation fit perfectly. Now I just had to act well.
Near the end of class time, I exchanged glances with Gong Minyeong, who was sitting two rows away. She nodded her head slightly, and I also blinked once. What was this, I was nervous.
“Let’s stop here. Those who came in late, come out for attendance check.”
The professor said. Students gradually raised their voices and prepared to leave. I quickly grabbed my bag that I’d prepared in advance and went to the front of Cha Geonhyeok, who was sitting in the very back by the window. He raised his eyes.
“What.”
His asking voice wasn’t much different from usual. Having gained strange courage, I bent my knees in front of the desk and sat looking up at him.
“Want to go drink?”
“Drink?”
“Yeah. There’s a place that opened not long ago, and they say the snacks are delicious…”
Cha Geonhyeok looked at me without speaking. I met his gaze with a smile then subtly turned my eyes away. What if he says he won’t go? Should I deploy the jumping-to-conclusions strategy by bringing up the atmosphere reconnaissance for a future date with Woogyun that may or may not happen? Or should I push through to the end with the snack excuse strategy I’d already spit out?
“You’re buying?”
I looked back at Cha Geonhyeok, stopping my pondering. He stood up with a soft laugh.
“I’m joking. Where is it?”
I got up following Cha Geonhyeok while showing a smile I couldn’t hide. I grabbed onto his clothes and walked together with him.
“It’s downtown, but I know the way. Did you bring your car?”
“Yeah. Is there parking?”
“Yeah! Or do you want to leave the car? It’s not far from my house.”
“Then let’s leave it. But weren’t you abstaining from alcohol?”
It was a sharp point. Haha, I laughed out loud. While appropriately deflecting with a manufactured laugh, I was pushing through the kids gathered near the door when my shoulder was grabbed.
“You guys going to drink? Let me come too!”
It was Classmate 2, the alcohol ghost.
“Me too! I want to go too!”
“What, where are you guys going? Going to drink? Let’s go together.”
Classmates and even sunbaes taking first-year classes gathered. I quickly shook my head and let go of Cha Geonhyeok’s clothes I’d been holding and linked arms with him.
“No. We’re going to talk about secrets.”
What, don’t be like that and let’s go together. What secret talk? Lee Yunhae, do you even have anything secret? I want to drink too! Where are you going? Secrets? What secrets?
I exited the lecture hall breaking through the words pouring out noisily. Just before crossing the threshold, I turned around. I saw Gong Minyeong quietly raising her thumb with an innocent face. I blinked at her once more then dragged Cha Geonhyeok out. For reference, I couldn’t wink.
“What is it. Gyun again?”
I reflexively covered Cha Geonhyeok’s mouth. I glared with my eyes at him who was looking down at me. We hadn’t gotten far enough from the lecture hall yet. After quickly scanning the surroundings, I lowered my hand and unnecessarily cleared my throat once. I pulled his arm and continued the steps I’d momentarily stopped.
“No, just… I don’t think we’ve ever drunk just the two of us.”
Thinking about it after saying it, that was really true. We’d attended drinking sessions with department people together, but we’d never drunk just the two of us.
“That’s different from the reason you said earlier.”
Was it an entrapment investigation? I opened my mouth while working hard on managing my expression.
“…So that’s why I want to try those delicious snacks with just you, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Ah, is that what you’re saying?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Where did you park the car?”
“Behind the building.”
I hit Cha Geonhyeok’s side once because he was annoying. Ha, Cha Geonhyeok exhaled as if absurd. Anyway, Stage 1 of the operation—luring Cha Geonhyeok out—was a success.
We left the car at home and went to the bar together with Cha Geonhyeok. The part about the snacks being delicious was something I roughly made up, but the part about it having opened not long ago wasn’t a lie—the popularity wasn’t bad, as there were quite a few customers despite it being early.
We settled into a table for four placed in a reasonably visible spot. I pushed the menu toward Cha Geonhyeok and took out my phone. I sent Gong Minyeong a text that we’d arrived and quickly scanned the snacks placed on other tables. Each table had one pot dish. I also saw many single-serving iron plate dishes. After confirming the popular menu items, I grabbed the menu Cha Geonhyeok was looking at together.
“They say this and this are delicious.”
I said while picking out snacks with a low probability of failure from the soups and dishes categories. Cha Geonhyeok, who nodded his head, answered, “Order those.”
“What about alcohol? Want to drink beer? Or soju-maekju?”
“Let’s drink beer.”
“Okay.”
I pressed the bell to call an employee. After ordering from the employee who came with basic snacks and glasses, I looked at Cha Geonhyeok. I laughed for no reason.
“Why are you laughing?”
I received a question, but I didn’t know the reason either, so I shook my head and shrugged. Cha Geonhyeok, who raised his eyebrows, picked up and ate some puffed rice.
“You’re going to come here with Jang Woogyun later.”
“…It’s not that I didn’t have that thought.”
Cha Geonhyeok, who laughed softly, threw a grain of puffed rice at me. The puffed rice passed by my cheek as I flinched.
“Do you like him that much?”
I was about to take revenge on Cha Geonhyeok by picking up the puffed rice but stopped and lowered my hand. I shyly lowered my eyes while thinking of Woogyun.
“I like him so much.”
“What do you like so much about him?”
Whether my expression was funny or my tone was funny, Cha Geonhyeok asked teasingly in a voice tinged with laughter. I confidently raised one hand halfway. And I folded my fingers one by one to match my words.
“He’s tall, handsome, has fair skin, smiles well, is mature, kind, sweet, has a nice voice, smells good…”
