“Hey, are you crazy? We came all the way here, you’re just gonna let him go?”
The club president who had turned around grabbed Wooyeon again and pulled his wrist. He was being unreasonable. Before the flustered Wooyeon could say anything, dragged along helplessly, Wooyeon ended up facing dozens of eyes directed at him.
“You came all the way here, we’re not accepting non-participation fees~”
“I really have to go.”
The club president pulled out a 10,000 won bill from a wad of cash, folded it with one hand, and shoved it into Wooyeon’s pocket. He was definitely crazy. It was horrible that even in this moment, he found himself aware that he had gained even one more 10,000 won bill.
“I’ll just take the participation fee~”
“Hey.”
“Just one drink before you go! Just one!”
“That’s right, just sit for a bit before you go!”
Someone’s voice backed up the club president, and in the end, he forcibly sat Wooyeon in an empty seat. Of all places, in the middle seat, next to the club president. He wanted to decline the general meeting, but this kind of seat was even more unwelcome, and for Wooyeon who didn’t want to be the center of attention, it was the worst.
Thinking he needed to leave quickly, Wooyeon looked for an empty glass first and scanned the table cluttered with side dishes. And just as he was about to grab a glass bottle containing a light green liquid that was probably alcohol, someone snatched it away first.
“I’ll pour it for you.”
It was a low voice. When Wooyeon reflexively raised his head, in front of him was…
“Hello.”
He was there. Wooyeon froze with a bewildered expression.
“Ah, are you two meeting for the first time today?”
It was him. Definitely, the one who had shown an ID that read ‘Kwon Jeonghan’ at the convenience store not long ago.
As he smiled gently and poured the alcohol, light green filled Wooyeon’s glass.
“They say it’s green grape makgeolli.”
A pleasant voice settled low.
“Hey, he’s incredibly pretty. The best-looking person in our year.”
The club president wrapped his arm around Wooyeon’s shoulder and playfully cupped under Wooyeon’s face with his other hand. Normally, Wooyeon would have been disgusted and pulled his arm away, but right now he didn’t even have the luxury to do that. At the unexpected meeting, Wooyeon didn’t know how he should act.
“What’s this, oppa? Earlier you were saying that to Seonyoung unnie.”
“Hey, back then I didn’t know Seo Wooyeon was coming.”
The female students sitting around giggled. Nevertheless, Wooyeon’s gaze was directed only at Jeonghan.
In fact, it wasn’t like he had committed a crime, so there was nothing to be afraid of. But he didn’t know what this feeling was. He hoped he wouldn’t recognize him, but on the other hand, he also wanted him to recognize him. Wooyeon chewed on the tender flesh inside his lips.
“This is Kwon Jeonghan. A junior one year below us. He went to America around the time you returned to school, and he came back to Korea this time.”
Meeting him up close made it clearer. Even though his face showed quite a bit of masculine maturity, his childhood appearance overlapped with it. Now there wasn’t even a shred of doubt that the child in his memory and the man across from him were the same person. Wooyeon kept trying to read his expression, but he couldn’t read any particular emotion from his face.
Of course, he couldn’t acknowledge knowing him. It was true they had once been close, but it was a relationship that had ended badly. Although Wooyeon hadn’t stolen anything, he too clearly remembered the scene of his mother stealing trinkets from that mansion and stuffing them into her pockets. There was no need to bring up old memories.
No, even if he did acknowledge knowing him, there was no guarantee he would recognize him. He was younger than him now and in the past, and it wouldn’t be strange if he didn’t remember. Thinking differently, he had even changed his name, so it would be natural for him not to recognize him.
“It’s your first time meeting, right? Hey, Seo Wooyeon. What are you gonna do? Are you gonna lose the title of our department’s star?”
The club president giggled, finding something so amusing. Among the many people occupying seats at the long table, it seemed Wooyeon himself was the only one not laughing.
“It’s not our first time.”
Jeonghan smiled slightly and answered. Although it was entirely possible, it was still something he hadn’t expected to come out of his mouth. Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, his heart beat rapidly. Wooyeon’s large eyes froze, unable to leave Jeonghan.
If he had recognized him, what should he do? Should he just awkwardly greet him?
“Sunbae, you know me.”
It was a fastball coming straight in. Feeling like his breath was cut off, Wooyeon seemed to forget to breathe for a moment. With eyes that seemed like they would see right through him at any moment, his eye shape was curved pleasantly in a way that didn’t match.
“No, I don’t think so.”
It took only a few seconds to ponder how to answer. Wooyeon, who had blurted out what he thought was the most natural response, drank from the glass in front of him to erase the awkwardness.
“But I know you, sunbae.”
As if he had known he would answer that way, his response was quick.
It didn’t seem like a difficult task for him to tear down the wall Wooyeon had built. The sweet yet tangy taste of makgeolli spread inside Wooyeon’s mouth.
“I went there recently, the convenience store.”
Saying that, Jeonghan smiled again. In an instant, the eyes at the table shifted from Jeonghan to Wooyeon. As the tightening tension released, he felt like he was getting drunk from just one glass of makgeolli. Wooyeon swallowed while running his tongue over the inside of his mouth that still tasted sweet.
“What are you talking about?”
“It seemed like you were working part-time.”
He overflowed with composure as if that’s how he had been since birth. When Jeonghan looked at Wooyeon and mentioned ‘part-time work,’ Wooyeon even felt somehow embarrassed.
“Hey, you work at a convenience store too? When the hell do you study?”
The club president muttered that he was a tough guy and filled Wooyeon’s glass again. Before the glass was even full, Wooyeon snatched it and poured the alcohol down his throat, making the club president let out a cheer.
“I drank, so I’m leaving now.”
As soon as Wooyeon put down his glass, he stood up. He made eye contact with Jeonghan once more, but Wooyeon turned his head, trying not to care.
“Hey, why are you being so cold?”
“You said to drink just one glass and go.”
“That was just something I said. We’re about to go to the second round, let’s go together, huh?”
“I already drank two glasses. I’m going.”
He could feel several eyes following him, but not caring, Wooyeon left the store.
As soon as he opened the store door, the still cold wind poured onto his face. In the university district where the sun had already set, neon signs were lighting up one by one.
Even though he hadn’t drunk much, Wooyeon ran his hand over his face, flushed from the alcohol. There was no tutoring that day, and the hyung who had substituted before had agreed to cover his convenience store shift. It was truly a rare free evening to enjoy.
Just as Wooyeon was taking a step forward, leaving behind a somehow uncomfortable feeling, someone stopped him.
“…Well, who do we have here?”
It was a familiar voice. Stiffly frozen, when he averted his gaze, sure enough, the person Wooyeon had thought of was standing there.
“Living the good life? Going around drinking and all.”
Choi Seokwoo. The creditor for Wooyeon and his mother. In other words, a loan shark, a thug. More fittingly, a punk. He was also the supplier of the cheap illegal suppressants Wooyeon took.
When Wooyeon glared at him while frozen in place, he approached Wooyeon with a fishy smile.
“Well, I’m sure you weren’t coming out from pouring drinks in a place like this.”
“…”
“You said you had no money even to eat and die, but I guess that was all bullshit?”
Choi Seokwoo, with a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, hit Wooyeon’s chest with his wrist. At the slow touch that felt intentional, Wooyeon furrowed his brow. The 10,000 won bill the club president had put in his shirt pocket rustled.
“I told you I’d give it to you when I get paid for my part-time work.”
“That was when I didn’t know you were going around getting drunk like this.”
“It’s not like that.”
Choi Seokwoo snickered, then put the cigarette between his fingers in his mouth and sucked deeply. The bastard had a ridiculously good nose for money. He managed to pull out the single 10,000 won bill from Wooyeon’s shirt pocket and waved it in front of Wooyeon’s eyes.
“Did you get a tip or something?”
“Ha.”
He was a person whose thoughts only worked in that direction. Wooyeon turned his head in disbelief.
“Crazy bastard.”
When he muttered to himself, Choi Seokwoo laughed as if enjoying it instead. And then he neatly folded the 10,000 won again and put it back into Wooyeon’s shirt pocket. With clear intent, cigarette smoke was blown over Wooyeon’s face.
“I’ll give you the tip, what the hell.”
“…Fuck off.”
“Phew, I let it slide because you’re pretty.”
After Choi Seokwoo ruffled Wooyeon’s hair, he sucked on his cigarette again until his cheeks hollowed deeply. Behind that Choi Seokwoo, people from the same department who had been sitting together earlier were pouring out of the store. Among them were the club president, of course, and Kwon Jeonghan too.
“Oh! I thought you left, what are you doing here?”
The club president approached Wooyeon, acknowledging him.
“I’m going to the second round too.”
“You refused earlier?”
“When I thought about it, I felt like drinking more too.”
Without even glancing at Choi Seokwoo, Wooyeon naturally mixed back into the group of people. He had a desire to release the anger built up because of Choi Seokwoo, but more than anything, he had a strong desire to show off defiantly to Choi Seokwoo.
“Someone you know?”
The club president whispered while putting his arm around Wooyeon’s shoulder.
“No.”
Somehow it seemed like he had made eye contact with Jeonghan again, but Wooyeon decided not to think deeply about it.
