These were things his mother, who had been bedridden ever since collapsing while working at a restaurant, had never been able to enjoy. Whenever he did tutoring or part-time work and met middle-aged people, his mother invariably came to mind.
“Have you had dinner? Please eat before you go, Teacher.”
“Ah, no. I have plans.”
“Oh my, I see.”
“Yes. Ma’am, then I’ll be going now.”
Wooyeon, who had haphazardly put on his shoes at the entrance, bowed again toward the middle-aged woman. She was a generous and relaxed person who consistently called him “Teacher” even though he was merely a college student tutor. Standing beside her as she smiled with a kind face, the tutoring student also waved at Wooyeon.
“Get home safely.”
With a beep, the front door opened and the scenery of a small garden unfolded. Between the lush green lawn, several flat stones were laid out like stepping stones. It wasn’t a grand mansion, but it felt sufficiently wealthy. Wooyeon no longer felt any sense of inferiority about things like this. It was simply a different world.
When Wooyeon opened the large gate—incomparably larger than his own house—another sense of discord caught his eye. Across the street, Jeonghan stood smoking a cigarette. And next to him was parked an unfamiliar silver car.
After looking left and right, Wooyeon crossed over to where Jeonghan was. An unusual cigarette scent came from him.
“How was tutoring?”
Jeonghan dropped the cigarette that had been between his fingers to the ground and stubbed it out with his foot. Though the cigarette butt on the ground bothered him inwardly, Wooyeon tried to erase it from his mind. It was because he thought Jeonghan might think him provincial and uptight.
When Wooyeon nodded, Jeonghan went to the passenger side and opened the car door for him.
“Get in first.”
“Where are we going?”
Jeonghan, who had gotten into the driver’s seat, smiled with curved eyes. At Jeonghan’s face suddenly so close, Wooyeon swallowed. He could hear Jeonghan quietly laughing inside. Jeonghan turned his head and kissed Wooyeon’s cheek with a smacking sound. There was a click from below. Jeonghan had fastened Wooyeon’s seatbelt for him.
Jeonghan, who had quickly pulled away again, fastened his own seatbelt and started the engine. Wooyeon reminded himself countless times that he shouldn’t fall for this kind of tenderness from Jeonghan, but every time his heart pathetically crumbled. Wooyeon let out a long breath, trying to control his foolishly racing heart.
“When does your convenience store shift start?”
“10 o’clock……”
“Mm. It’s fine, it’s not far.”
It wasn’t an answer to Wooyeon’s question. Jeonghan, holding the steering wheel with one hand, slowly started the car. The car easily climbed the hill of the wealthy neighborhood that always felt like mountain climbing whenever Wooyeon came for tutoring.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there.”
Jeonghan seemed to be in a good mood. It appeared he had no intention of saying where they were going until they arrived. Wooyeon let out a small sigh and sank into the passenger seat. Fatigue seemed to wash over him with the comfort.
“How many cars do you have?”
“Are you curious about that?”
He wasn’t actually that curious. He asked the question mostly because he disliked the silence with Jeonghan. Whether Jeonghan had 3 cars or 30 cars, the fact that he was an incredible rich person from Wooyeon’s perspective remained unchanged. It was obvious he couldn’t even fathom it. He didn’t know the price of cars like this anyway. And he had no desire to know either.
“Just wondering.”
“Seven. Ah, was it eight?”
“……”
Wooyeon shut his mouth. He shouldn’t have asked. It was a thoughtless question, and he worried whether he seemed materialistic or strange. Jeonghan’s profile looked completely unbothered, but Wooyeon alone was having a sinking feeling.
Though the road was deserted and few people were around, the house roofs visible above the tall walls passing by on the side were each uniquely pretty. Would it feel like this if I went abroad? The idle thought passed quickly like the scenery.
With his head leaning against the car window, Wooyeon looked at the houses beyond the walls. White clouds passed over the already darkening black sky. Unlike the neighborhood where Wooyeon lived, there were so many streetlights here.
“We’re almost there.”
Jeonghan’s car gradually slowed down, then soon stopped under a streetlight. It was a place far more deserted than anywhere they had passed so far.
When Jeonghan got out of the driver’s seat, Wooyeon followed him out. And Wooyeon moved his steps as if drawn by something. Next to the empty road, a tall iron fence stood as if piercing the sky, and a garden was visible inside.
“Ah, I wanted to show you this place.”
Jeonghan, who had come to stand beside Wooyeon, used the key he was holding to open the entrance door. With a clanking metallic sound, the door opened, and Wooyeon felt as if he were dreaming.
Wooyeon entered the garden as if enchanted. The modest garden was filled with the occasional sounds of insects, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, and the scent of grass and flowers.
“It’s so pretty.”
What caught Wooyeon’s eyes most of all were the cherry blossom trees planted around the edges of the garden. The cherry blossom trees, which seemed to have grown for quite a while and boasted large frames, were making cherry blossom rain fall in the breeze.
Wooyeon stood beneath them, watching the cherry blossoms fall. On this pitch-black night, under the lighting, Wooyeon was completely captivated by the falling pink petals.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Wooyeon, who had spread his palm to catch the petals, turned his head at Jeonghan’s voice. Jeonghan walking through the cherry blossoms was beautiful, and Wooyeon felt like he might cry for some reason. Was this also just a type of everyday kindness and tenderness for him? At his constantly trembling heart, Wooyeon ended up harboring futile hope and excitement.
A pink petal landed on Wooyeon’s outstretched palm. Jeonghan gazed at it, then overlapped his own hand on top of it, turned Wooyeon’s hand over, and pressed his lips against Wooyeon’s fingers.
“It suits you well, sunbae.”
He knew that smile wasn’t sincere.
But miserably, Wooyeon had fallen for him.
* * *
As if seeing the cherry blossom rain had truly been a dream, from the next day onward, rain poured down. Though the rainy season was still far off, the campus floor was completely damp from the rain that had continued for several days. In the puddles here and there, already fallen cherry blossom petals floated around, crushed.
Under the heavy rain, Wooyeon, who was holding a transparent vinyl umbrella he’d bought at the convenience store, was staring blankly at them, but eventually quickened his steps again. The pitiful petals made him feel sad for some reason.
It had been a while since he came to school at this time. Since his first class was canceled, he hadn’t eaten lunch with Jeonghan for the first time in a while. Passing by the school performance hall, there was a large banner hanging in front. On the banner was a name Wooyeon knew, and a face resembling Wooyeon was attached. At Seoha’s face dampened with moisture, Wooyeon’s heart became troubled.
‘Don’t get cocky just because you slept with Kwon Jeonghan once.’
‘You’re my substitute.’
‘Cheap as you are, you’re an omega.’
At Seoha’s voice that rose up, stabbing at his chest, Wooyeon stopped the steps he had been forcing himself to take. There’s not a single thing he said that’s wrong. His desolate gaze turned toward the tip of the umbrella where raindrops were dripping.
“Hey! Seo Wooyeon!”
Wooyeon, who had entered the liberal arts building, turned around at the voice calling him. Water was dripping from his folded umbrella. The one who had called Wooyeon was none other than the Club President. Had he said his hometown was Busan? Sometimes a dialect accent lingered in his speech.
“Did you come for a liberal arts class?”
Though Wooyeon didn’t think they were particularly close, he was always friendly to Wooyeon. Perhaps it was because of this personality that he was the club president, Wooyeon thought. He didn’t feel bad about him quickly closing the gap and approaching. Thinking it was his nature made it seem like a strength. Wooyeon nodded.
“Ah, seriously, what’s with this rain. Right?”
The Club President talked a lot. He brushed off the moisture on his arm with his bare hand while pouring out words like he was talking to himself. When Wooyeon subtly took a step to distance himself, he noticed like a ghost and followed the path Wooyeon was taking.
“You know our department is doing a bar at the festival, right?”
“Uh……?”
“Ah, this guy, this guy. I knew he’d be like this again.”
The Club President let out a deep sigh and looked at the ceiling.
“Hey, we’re the economics department, aren’t we. Honestly, conscientiously, obviously, shouldn’t we take first place at the bar? If not, it’d be too embarrassing to show our faces at school.”
Was a university festival bar supposed to demonstrate tremendous economic sense? Though he didn’t quite agree, Wooyeon didn’t bother to oppose it.
“So this time I’m going to completely fill it with good-looking kids.”
“Ah, really?”
“I’m asking even though I know you’ll say no, but you can’t do it, right?”
“……”
“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”
When Wooyeon stared at the Club President without answering, he raised his hand as if he understood.
“But come by once and at least fill a seat. Just order one pancake and sit there.”
“Huh? Yeah, if I have time.”
It was a promise without commitment. He didn’t even have enough time to sleep, living by splitting his time, so he didn’t have time to leisurely slack off at a festival bar. Wooyeon stopped walking in front of the lecture hall.
“I’m here, what about you?”
“Ah, I’m not on this floor.”
The Club President, who answered nonchalantly, made a funny face with wide eyes, then waved at Wooyeon. Wooyeon also awkwardly waved back at him before entering the lecture hall. ‘English Conversation and Culture’, it was a class he took with Jeonghan.
