“…Hey.”
“Go Woojae, if you have business with me, just say it.”
Gye Sajun had now turned around and was looking at Woojae. Moreover, he was directly asking if he had business with him. Of course he had business. What was the movie title, how were they going to do the assignment? What the hell was he thinking with all that kiss talk back then? No, he didn’t want to know that. Because even if he found out, it would only make things noisy in his head. Woojae met the eyes of Gye Sajun looking down at him and chose his words. He should ask about the movie first, but strangely, his mouth wouldn’t move.
On the quiet campus at night, there wasn’t even an ant in sight. And in the still air, Woojae’s lips moved against his will.
“Where have you been?”
That’s not what’s important right now. Woojae wore a blank expression at the question that had popped out without his knowing. They say you can wipe up spilled water with a rag, but there was no way to take back spoken words.
“Are you curious about that?”
“…”
“Who are you to me?”
The words that followed were so chilling. Normally, he would have demanded the movie title first and whether Gye Sajun’s face was pale or not, whether he’d been away from school for a few days or not, he would have just achieved his goal and left him behind. Honestly, he didn’t understand himself for being flustered by Sajun’s indifference more than Sajun acting indifferent.
‘Have I finally gone crazy?’
Even in this situation, Gye Sajun’s ghastly pale face kept grabbing his attention. It was as if someone was whispering inside his head.
‘He looks sick.’
That’s not what’s important. Whether that bastard is sick or not has nothing to do with me. Did I develop some attachment in the meantime? Because that bastard kept following me around, did I get influenced?
Why does this bother me so much? Woojae couldn’t erase his confused expression and bit his lip. He gathered his strange feelings for a moment and brought up his business.
“The movie. You should at least tell me the title. I have to do the assignment.”
Woojae was speaking in a slightly dejected voice. Gye Sajun stared coldly at Woojae like that for a long while. The silence felt as long as an eternity. Finally, unable to bear the silence, Woojae added accusingly. He should have started with this topic from the beginning. Why did he ask such a useless question?
“Let’s say the verification photo is done. I have to do the assignment but I can’t do anything because I don’t know the movie title. You don’t want to watch a movie with me again either.”
Saying that hurt his pride. Who was it that talked about kissing and whatnot, said ridiculous things to him, and pulled tricks in the first place? He still felt like the wrist that bastard had grabbed and the nape he’d bitten were throbbing. Does that bastard even have the right to act so standoffish now, pretending nothing happened? Why the hell did he treat me like that—
“I Thought It Was Love.”
A low, monotone voice muttered flatly. Woojae just blinked for a long while, unable to understand those words. What did he just say?
“…What?”
At the dazed question, Gye Sajun let out a sigh and gave a lengthy answer.
“The movie title. It’s called <I Thought It Was Love>. The verification photo thing was a lie. I thought you were listening carefully in class, but I guess not. Good luck.”
He left only those words and turned his back, leaving Woojae on the path.
“…What the?”
What, is that crazy bastard for real? Woojae’s face turned bright red. This was all the movie title’s fault.
However, the most absurd thing was that even in the midst of being this flustered and angry, that bastard’s ghastly stiff face kept floating around in his head.
‘The verification photo was bullshit? Good luck?’
‘Then why did he lie about that in the first place?’
‘Are you sick somewhere?’
He felt a sense of defeat at the last question that came to mind. Did I develop some attachment in that short time? Even after that, Woojae had to stand there for quite a while. Because his feet wouldn’t easily move.
***
“Woojae, what are you doing here?”
“Ah… I’m working part-time.”
At the friendly question, Woojae’s head shot up. He answered that he was working part-time, but it took him a moment to recall who the other person was.
“Jeong Minho? What brings you here?”
“Ah, Teaching Assistant-nim. Hello.”
And when Teaching Assistant Im, who had just come out of the inner office, called his name, he realized that he was Jeong Minho, the main person who had made him sit next to him at the opening general meeting and relentlessly poured him drinks. He didn’t recognize him because he was wearing glasses. And today, perhaps because the weather had warmed up a bit, he wasn’t wearing his department jumper either. He himself wasn’t wearing an outer layer today either. It was such spring-like weather.
“I came to see the teaching assistant for a moment. Professor Kim asked me to bring some documents to the department office.”
“Ugh. You’re having a hard time too. Does that man have no hands, no feet?”
“If it’s comfortable for him that I do it, that’s fortunate.”
His impression hadn’t been that great back then, but whether it was the glasses, he looked very diligent. Glasses have that kind of effect. Woojae newly realized the importance of accessories. He even had the stupid thought that he should try wearing them when he wanted to act nice.
“I’ve been going back and forth here so much, but it’s funny that I’ve never seen you once.”
“It’s because your schedules don’t match. Have you chosen your major?”
“I’m thinking about it.”
Jeong Minho spoke to Woojae, but Teaching Assistant Im answered instead. Since the timetables were different for each year, the teaching assistant would know for sure. Woojae thought it was rather comfortable that he didn’t need to answer.
“Still, I haven’t seen your face at all. We’re in the same department.”
“I’m busy.”
“Right, Woojae is really busy. He works so hard at part-time jobs here and there.”
“Ah, really.”
Somehow annoyance seeped through Jeong Minho’s words. Just then, a call came to the department office and Teaching Assistant Im stepped away from the conversation. Then Jeong Minho plopped down right in the seat next to Woojae and even put down his bag. Look at this bastard? Woojae looked at him with puzzled eyes until his eyebrows curved.
“I thought something had happened to you. You didn’t answer your phone.”
“Phone…”
The plain face hidden behind the glasses looked simply naive, as if harboring no schemes. Come to think of it, there had been a few calls from unknown numbers. Because it was after he’d been harshly treated by Gye Sajun, Woojae hadn’t done the foolish thing of answering calls from unknown numbers.
As soon as he returned to his room, heated from the last incident, he’d deleted all of Gye Sajun’s number and records. Woojae regretted it belatedly. Perhaps it would have been better to leave that bastard’s number as it was. Then he wouldn’t have been misunderstood for avoiding the vice student council president’s contact like this. Because he would just need to not answer Gye Sajun’s calls.
Of course, the person who actually made Woojae do that hadn’t contacted him at all after that.
“Hyung was so worried when you disappeared like that that day.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m strong.”
Thinking about that day automatically reminded him of the fact that he’d thrown up on Gye Sajun. Thinking that he had to suffer that humiliation because of this bastard, the corners of his mouth naturally twitched.
“What good is being strong when you’re that drunk? And there are plenty of people stronger than you here.”
“Are you worried I’ll get robbed? That’s why I don’t carry money around.”
Woojae lightly refuted Jeong Minho’s needless worry. He’d never been physically dragged anywhere, but among these alpha bastards who were supposedly physically evolved, such concerns were understandable. There were also many who held grudges against him.
“You can’t leave your body behind though.”
Is he really worried I might get beaten up?
“If I get hit, I can just report it.”
“There’s assault that’s difficult to report. Woojae, you’re still innocent so you probably don’t know well.”
Woojae ignored Jeong Minho, who was staring at him from beside him, and organized the documents that Teaching Assistant Im had given him.
“Want to have lunch together today? Hyung will treat you. In March, freshmen shouldn’t be carrying wallets. You should mooch off your seniors.”
“I’m good.”
“Why?”
“Then I’d have to become a wallet next year, playing the senior role.”
Why are there so many people offering to buy me food these days? The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it became.
“Woojae, you really talk in an interesting way. Don’t you buy for others. I can just keep buying for you.”
What kind of nonsense is that? Woojae swallowed the truth he couldn’t spit out to a superior.
“If you keep refusing, I’ll be too embarrassed.”
Jeong Minho laughed while tapping Woojae’s shoulder. It was plausible that the vice student council president would offer to buy a meal for a freshman. Am I being too sharp? He felt somewhat uneasy, but it was also awkward to keep refusing.
“Then let’s just eat at the school cafeteria. It would be hard if you’re trying to treat all the freshmen.”
No matter how rich he is, it would be hard to buy meals for dozens of people, sure. Woojae showed meaningless consideration and sat a little away from Jeong Minho. At that moment, Jeong Minho’s eyes behind his glasses narrowed.
“Alright. If we’re eating at the cafeteria, I’ll treat you 30 times.”
“What?”
“Or we can go out in a car and eat just 3 times.”
What kind of ‘3 times’ nonsense is that? What the hell?
“I don’t have time to go out. I’m only going to use one hour for lunch.”
“Teaching Assistant-nim, I want to feed Woojae something delicious, can’t you spare him two hours?”
When Woojae showed his refusal, Jeong Minho asked for help from Teaching Assistant Im, who was busy writing emails.
“So these guys are going to eat something delicious without me. Fine. It’s not like there’s anything urgent. Woojae has worked hard too, I’ll count today as worked. Go eat something delicious and clock out now.”
Teaching Assistant Im pushed Woojae’s back without taking her eyes off the monitor. She was someone who secretly wanted him to blend into the department, so it seemed she didn’t want him to miss this opportunity. With the teaching assistant’s permission granted, Jeong Minho triumphantly placed his hand on Woojae’s shoulder.
