Or maybe some inexplicable fondness had developed because of that botched operation from before. No, even if that were the case, it still didn’t make sense. It was only recently that he’d acted cold and drawn a clear line.
“What, do you feel sorry for me because I’m crying? Feeling sympathetic? Want to make a donation?”
“Go Woojae. I’m warning you, don’t get friendly with Jeong Minho.”
Who said I was getting friendly with him? Woojae stared at Gye Sajun with a dumbfounded look.
“Jesus Christ… What ridiculous meddling.”
“I’m saying this for your own good, so just listen without any backtalk.”
“Am I your servant? What gives you the right to order me around!”
He had no idea how many times he’d said the same thing. Fed up with the commanding tone, Woojae shouted at Gye Sajun with genuine feeling. But the response he got back was absurd.
“Servant, I like that. How much would I have to pay you to do it?”
“This fucking bastard, I’ve been patient but—!”
Just how much did he have to look down on someone to say something like that? Did he receive his upbringing through his asshole? Woojae let out empty breaths—ha, ha—as if utterly flabbergasted. Sajun seemed confused, biting his lips repeatedly before soon apologizing.
“That just now was a mistake. I’ll apologize.”
“……”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“……Fuck, I already knew your personality was a mess, so just get lost.”
His insides were boiling, but the immediate apology cooled him down like cold water had been splashed on him. But the tears were still flowing endlessly. Like a broken faucet. In that completely disheveled state, Gye Sajun’s face—unlike his usual indifferent expression—was turbulent and restless today.
“Stop crying already. Why are you crying, what happened, how many times do I have to ask?”
“Ah, do I have to answer everything just because you’re fucking curious? What kind of person are you? What business is it of yours, why do you keep acting crazy toward me. Why do you keep acting in ways that make me notice you!”
His mood, which had settled down, boiled up again, and Woojae lost his temper to an extent that felt a bit excessive. His voice was damp, which was embarrassing. This was all because of Jeong Minho. Woojae groaned and clutched his forehead. Even to himself he seemed crazy—how much more so to this guy?
“……Do I make you notice me?”
Until now Sajun’s voice had only been angry, but it changed to something strangely dazed. Very strangely so.
“What the……”
What kind of question is that? The suddenly dropped question was so odd that a stupid answer came out.
“Go Woojae.”
“……”
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying anymore……?”
As they exchanged this idiotic conversation, the broken faucet seemed to have stopped. Woojae brushed himself off and stood up. He thought it was time to go in and rest. The problem was that Gye Sajun was standing there blocking his way.
“Do I make you notice me?”
“……Then fuck, wouldn’t I? When you keep acting like such a shitty asshole?”
“You said you hated it when I got close. Do you hate it when I’m distant too?”
“What bullshit……”
His face was too close. Ah, seriously. There was no following this guy’s train of thought. It felt unfamiliar to sense him looking so restless. So unpredictable. When Woojae opened the door he’d come through and headed for the hallway, Sajun followed him like a puppy. No, seriously, why is he acting like this?
“Are you done crying?”
“I told you I wasn’t crying.”
“I saw you crying.”
Bark all you want. Woojae didn’t respond to Sajun’s words and rummaged through his bag. Sajun stood still even while Woojae searched through his bag. If he’s done with his business, he should crawl back into his room. How nice to have a room to himself? Fucking lucky bastard. Bastard who pays a shitload of money to attend school. While I get paid to attend. Is he made of money? So fucking annoying. He had no idea why the guy was standing next to him. Woojae rubbed his increasingly reddening ear with one hand and moved his hand to find his key.
However, 10 seconds later, Woojae’s hand, which had been leisurely searching through his bag, became increasingly frantic. Eventually he even dumped the bag out on the floor.
“Oh, it’s not here……”
The bag had been slightly open, so he must have dropped it when he was throwing up. Woojae ran his now-dry hand through his wet hair and squeezed his eyes shut. Fuck. I’m screwed.
“Did you lose your key?”
“It’s outside, it’ll be outside.”
“It’s raining right now. Where are you going?”
Right on cue, thunder roared loudly. The sound of rain could be heard distantly from afar.
“I’m already soaked, what does it matter?”
“The key isn’t going to run away. Knock on the door first. Bang Minwook might be in the room. Or at least try calling him.”
When he picked up his phone, the battery was barely hanging on. 2%. What is this, a drink? With a dazed expression, Woojae hurriedly tried to search through his contacts when he discovered a message that had arrived from Minwook.
[I’m sleeping out tonight :>]
What’s with this cute emoticon…… Woojae witnessed his phone turning off with that cute emoticon as the last thing on screen. He couldn’t help but feel hopeless. Since Minwook had notified him that he was sleeping out, going outside like this would be more of a problem when there was no guarantee he could find the key. If the security guard had locked up anew, he wouldn’t even be able to get back inside the dorm without a key.
“Ha, fuck……”
Gye Sajun stood still, watching Woojae in his defeated state. What should I do about this? Water droplets were dripping from his wet clothes. He could have been stubborn about it, but he had class and a part-time job tomorrow, and if he stayed like this it was obvious he’d catch a cold. Honestly, he was cold even now.
Even if he slept in the lounge, he had to take off his wet clothes. Moreover, once he got sick, he tended to get severely ill. With his immune system clearly at rock bottom right now, Woojae was feeling a threat to his life.
“Hey……”
In the end, this guy was the only one who could help him. Woojae squeezed his eyes shut and called out to Gye Sajun.
“Speak.”
“I, just for a bit, that, your room……”
The words broke off in fragments, unable to form sentences. Woojae swallowed dry saliva. How shameless. Ah, seriously, why are things getting so tangled up? Woojae groaned lowly in self-loathing.
“Let me… impose on you.”
Gye Sajun hesitated for a moment, then opened his room door. Having to unintentionally impose on someone who disliked him in consecutive situations was torture.
“Wash up first.”
As soon as he entered the room, what Gye Sajun handed him was none other than a new toothbrush, training clothes, and new underwear. He’d expected the clothes to be expensive, but he hadn’t anticipated the toothbrush. The packaging and shape, different from the discounted toothbrush bundles at the mart, made him feel oddly deflated.
Entering the bathroom, his appearance like a drowned rat was reflected in the mirror.
Woojae roughly tore open the toothbrush Sajun had given him and shoved it into his mouth, facing the red-eyed man in the mirror. It was a face that clearly said “I was bawling my eyes out.” I’ll be all puffy tomorrow. Damn it…… He rinsed out his mouth several times, washing away every faint trace of vomit.
Suddenly the vomiting incident he couldn’t even properly remember came to mind. That embarrassing and guilty day when he’d thrown up on someone’s face. It was fortunate that he barely remembered it.
Taking off wet clothes was quite difficult. Naked, Woojae didn’t bother examining Sajun’s bath products one by one. He just squeezed out whatever and scrubbed roughly, washing his body. Shampoo or body wash were all the same to him. As long as it made bubbles, it was good enough.
But he regretted it a little when he just grabbed something and applied it to his body. It must have been conditioner because his whole body became slippery and it took a long time to rinse off with water. Anyway, tomorrow morning he’d return to his room with Minwook, so there was no need to bathe properly and perfectly. He couldn’t understand why someone would need all these complicated things lined up when one bar of soap would solve everything.
“Is this a blanket or clothes?”
The clothes he was semi-forced to borrow from Gye Sajun were ridiculously big. As soon as he put them on, the shoulder line drooped. They were both men, yet his pride was quite hurt. He himself was by no means short either. Back in high school, there were plenty of male students shorter than him everywhere. But wearing this guy’s clothes made him look like a teenager borrowing adult clothes.
“So ridiculously big.”
The underwear that was loose despite being a fitted design hurt his pride the most. Are you showing off or what? Woojae grumbled as he emerged from the bathroom, and Gye Sajun, who was relatively less wet, had only changed clothes and was shaking out his hair. And as soon as their eyes met, he started interrogating.
“Tell me what happened with Jeong Minho.”
Woojae had given up by now. Whether it was just Gye Sajun’s way of speaking, it sounded like a command. It didn’t seem like it would change even if he pointed it out. More than anything, he couldn’t do that at this point when he was imposing on him while completely sober. He lowered his head and let out a low sigh. It would be more comfortable if the guy acted shitty like he did at first…… Gye Sajun had a strangely softened atmosphere. Like the day he’d suddenly proposed a kiss.
“Why do you keep bringing up that person? Nothing happened.”
Woojae told the truth. He couldn’t trust Gye Sajun enough yet to explain everything in detail from Professor Min’s father’s death to Jeong Minho’s disgusting attitude. While it was a clear fact that he’d helped him, it was also a fact that he had more in common with Jeong Minho as an alpha than with himself. If he had to receive another “So what?” look consecutively, his trauma would resurface. Or he might just go ahead and set fire to this trash can of a dorm building.
“I’m supposed to believe that when I saw you throw up and cry after meeting that person?”
Gye Sajun didn’t drop his suspicion and pointed this out.
“What? Should I have thrown up on Jeong Minho’s face?”
I should have. That fucking bastard. Woojae felt newly regretful even after saying it himself. If he’d thrown up on that guy’s face, or at the very least in his car, it would have been satisfying. Of course, he hated the feeling of being indebted even more, but that guy deserved it. Unlike with Gye Sajun…….
No, what’s different? Woojae shook his head at his train of thought. Gye Sajun answered with an expression as if recalling something from what he’d said.
“……Is throwing up on men’s faces your hobby?”
