Chapter 49
I hung up the phone and jumped up, rushing to the front door. Some classmates gave me curious looks, but only briefly. Since it was such a busy period with practical assignments, they quickly focused back on their own work.
“Why are you here suddenly… I mean, how did you come here?”
After closing the door behind me, I asked Kwon-oh, unable to hide my surprised expression. He playfully squinted his eyes.
“You weren’t replying for a while, so I thought you might be really busy and wanted to see your face for a moment. We can’t meet separately today since our free periods don’t match up.”
The troubled feelings I had about Kwon-oh until just now were gone, replaced by happiness at seeing him.
“Don’t you have to go to class soon?”
Since I had memorized Kwon-oh’s class schedule, I knew we didn’t even have a few minutes to see each other now.
“Yeah, I should go. Now that I’ve seen your face, I’ll run to the lecture hall.”
I was grateful that he came all this way for those few short minutes.
“You saw my picture earlier though.”
“What can I do if you’re prettier in person?”
Kwon-oh squeezed both my cheeks with his large hands and let go. I covered my cheeks and hurriedly looked around the corridor. My heart was racing, worried that someone might see us like this.
“D-don’t do that.”
“Nobody saw.”
“How would you know?”
“I was watching everything.”
I unnecessarily scratched the cheeks where his hands had touched.
“Jeong-ha, don’t touch it like that. Don’t you know water peaches bruise easily?”
“Pfft.”
It was ridiculous how he said such nonsense with a completely serious face.
“You finally smiled.”
At Kwon-oh’s words, I realized I was smiling. Thanks to him, my mood seemed to brighten up.
“Hey, Kwon-oh.”
“Hm?”
“By any chance…”
I started to speak, recalling the scene I had witnessed at the central library.
But the more I tried to verbalize the complicated situation and sentences, the more they tangled up and rolled around in my head.
Where should I start explaining and asking about what I had seen and heard earlier…
“Have you eaten lunch?”
“Not yet. I’ll eat after the class I’m going to now. What about you, Jeong-ha? Are you hungry?”
Kwon-oh answered as if it was a silly question.
“No, I’m not hungry. I was just curious if you had eaten.”
I was planning to skip lunch because I felt sick, but I didn’t tell Kwon-oh that.
“I think you’re the one who needs to eat properly, Jeong-ha. You need to gain some weight.”
“But, shouldn’t you go now? What if you’re late for class…”
I cautiously mentioned his next class. Although I felt reluctant, I couldn’t make him late because of me.
“Oh. Right. I might be late at this rate.”
Kwon-oh frowned as he checked his Apple Watch and confirmed that his next class was approaching. Before leaving, he took out a small bag from his pocket and handed it to me.
“Take this with you.”
“…Snacks?”
Inside the bag was the same canned drink I had bought earlier. There were also snacks like bread and jelly that could provide some energy.
“Eat these while you work on your assignment, don’t starve yourself.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“I’m going.”
Kwon-oh waved his hand and sprinted down the corridor.
I timidly waved back, worried that someone might see, and couldn’t smile freely due to the strange feelings I was experiencing.
Are you this kind to other girls too? Is your confession that you liked me still valid?
While I was happy that Kwon-oh cared for me, I felt frustrated with myself for not being able to ask what I really wanted to ask.
*
That night. After working on my project in the art studio until evening, I returned home because my physical condition was simply not cooperating.
In the meantime, I had come up with my own answer regarding what had happened during the day.
Although I had witnessed Kwon-oh exchanging contact information without hesitation at the library, despite promising never to give his number to a girl again, I hadn’t heard their entire conversation, so it was too early to conclude that he had broken his promise.
Moreover, given my personality, it was nearly impossible for me to calmly confront Kwon-oh about issues with other girls.
So, the solution I came up with was to ‘try to meet on Wednesday’.
‘Should I invite him to hang out where everyone’s gathering on Wednesday? It’s not like we’d be seeing each other alone.’
Since that girl said she would call Kwon-oh on Wednesday, if I asked to meet on the same day, it would settle things one way or another.
If he chooses me, it was just a misunderstanding, and if he chooses the girl… it might mean that Kwon-oh’s confession is no longer valid.
[Me: Kwon-oh]
[Me: You know how we were supposed to meet for the third time? Let’s meet this Wednesday]
As soon as I organized my thoughts, I sent a KakaoTalk message to Kwon-oh.
However, even though he usually replied quickly, there was no response for over an hour.
“Is he already asleep?”
I lay sprawled on my apartment bed, staring intently at my silent phone.
He might have fallen asleep since he’s been so busy with school lately. Or is he still out?
[Me: Kwon-oh, are you sleeping?]
If there’s no reply within thirty minutes, I should go to sleep too.
Unable to just wait quietly, I went to brush my teeth in the bathroom.
Out of habit, I was about to apply hand cream before sleeping, but remembering how I had used it last time, I just lay down on the bed. It felt awkward even though no one was watching.
“Oh.”
When I checked my phone, there was a reply that had come while I was in the bathroom. I quickly unlocked the phone and read the KakaoTalk message.
[Kwon-oh: No, I’m not sleeping lol]
[Kwon-oh: Wednesday?]
[Kwon-oh: I want to see you on the weekend though]
Why is he avoiding Wednesday? I really need to see him on Wednesday.
[Me: Can’t you do Wednesday? T_T]
I immediately typed a reply and stared intensely at the chat window. Not that it would make Kwon-oh read it any faster.
The ‘1’ doesn’t disappear. What on earth is he doing at this late hour? He said he wasn’t sleeping.
Is he ignoring my message again? Given the previous incidents, I couldn’t shake off my doubts.
…Or did he really agree to meet that girl on Wednesday?
Ah. It’s bothering me. With the project not going well and now this issue with Kwon-oh, my head was throbbing. I’ve barely eaten anything all day, but my stomach feels heavy.
As my mood was sinking endlessly, after a long while, the screen lit up again.
[Kwon-oh: Let’s do that]
[Kwon-oh: See you Wednesday evening]
“Ah.”
And so, our second meeting was successfully arranged.
A long sigh of relief escaped my lips without me realizing it. At least it meant he wouldn’t be meeting that girl on Wednesday.
I guess it was just needless worry after all.
[Me: Okay, good night]
*
“Ryu Jeong-ha, if you’re feeling really sick, go home and rest. Don’t force yourself.”
Maybe it was because I had been living with stress and tension for days on end. It seemed like I had finally come down with a cold.
Even a passing classmate commented on my complexion.
“I heard you left at dawn yesterday too.”
“I took medicine, so I’m fine.”
“This deadline is killing us.”
“I don’t think it’s about the assignment, you should go to the hospital.”
Even Kim Jae-hyun added his voice to the opinion that I should rest this time.
But today was Wednesday. We were supposed to meet outside and have dinner as soon as Kwon-oh’s lecture ended in the afternoon.
How could I cancel an appointment that was made like this? It was absolutely impossible.
The reason I had been pushing myself to work late for several days in a row was for today.
“Did you order these oil pastels directly from Japan?”
A classmate approached as I was applying oil pastels to the canvas with tired eyes.
“I bought them on Danggeun Market.”
“These are always sold out when they’re in stock, how did you manage to get them?”
“Even the secondhand ones were expensive.”
In the end, I accepted the professor’s feedback and added oil pastels to my coloring materials.
Honestly, even though the curriculum and classes were lacking, the professor wasn’t one for no reason. I was experiencing firsthand during the revision process that applying oil pastels on top of oil paints mixed with drying agents brought out the feeling much better.
I was reaping the benefits of having gone through the trouble of obtaining oil pastels sold only in Japan instead of buying what was available at the art supply store near the school. Although I was happy with the revised painting, my wallet had become that much thinner.
Since Kwon-oh always treated me to meals, this time I absolutely had to buy him dinner. So for the past few days, I had skipped breakfast and lunch several times to save on food expenses. I managed to save some money, but it seems I lost a bit of health in exchange.
“Wow, did you revise all of this in just a few days? It’s definitely better after the changes, Jeong-ha. As expected, people need that fighting spirit.”
It was a relief that even others could see that the revision looked better.
After that, even though my classmates nagged me to go home and rest if I had no more classes, I stubbornly stayed in the art studio.
Maybe it’s because I’m sick. Although I had been waiting for just this day, strangely, I didn’t feel happy at all. Far from excitement, negative thoughts kept infiltrating my weakened body.
Come to think of it, even if I managed to hold onto Kwon-oh today, he could go to gatherings with girls anytime, not just today.
Asking to meet on Wednesday wasn’t a solution or anything. It was just a temporary measure that could calm my anxious heart for a very brief moment.
Moreover, the fact that Kwon-oh’s reply was slow on the day we made the appointment also nagged at me.
With all this noise constantly floating in my head, I even regretted going to the central library that day.
As the appointed time approached, I took off my work clothes and prepared to leave the art studio. Amidst my terrible mood and condition, at least I was glad that I had properly revised my assignment.
After organizing my locker, I looked in the mirror attached to the steel door and saw that my eyes looked more tired than usual. My face also seemed flushed, probably due to fever.
If he asks if something’s wrong, I’ll just say I’m tired from working late.
“Ryu Jeong-ha, are you leaving now?”
“Yeah.”
“Good thinking. Don’t get sidetracked, go to the hospital first.”
Kim Jae-hyun, who was returning from the bathroom, clicked his tongue. I said goodbye to Kim Jae-hyun, telling him I’d see him tomorrow, then took some fever reducer and left the building.
