Chapter 119
“A gift?”
“I picked out the best-selling items from the online store, so wear them when you’re dressing up.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“You’re young, so it’s better to enjoy your youth while you can. If I were your age, I wouldn’t dress so plainly.”
“……”
“You should try various things when you’re young, that’s how you develop your own style when you get older. Don’t just rely on your face, listen to me. The inner self is important, but in this world, appearances matter too, you know?”
I was a fool for feeling touched even for a moment. The boss’s old-fashioned nagging made my warm feelings evaporate completely.
I halfheartedly replied and carefully put the gift from the boss in my bag.
*
Finally! Tomorrow was Joo Kwon-oh’s birthday!
Although I had already given him the birthday present after being discovered, I still had a reservation at a fancy restaurant where I had spent all my part-time job earnings.
I always felt like I was just receiving from Joo Kwon-oh, so this time I wanted to do my best to take care of him.
Moreover, although it wasn’t confirmed yet, the thought that he might go abroad soon for an internship made me want to do even better.
Forced by my mom to stay at home until the day before classes started, I was busy from the morning choosing clothes to wear for tomorrow’s date.
I wanted to look effortlessly stylish… The problem is that all my clothes look similar, so I don’t have many options.
While I was contemplating over the few decent-looking clothes I had, I received a notification on my phone.
[Choi Kyung-won has invited you and Ji-ye♥ to a group chat.]
[Choi Kyung-won: Hi]
[Choi Kyung-won: Everyone doing well during the break?]
[Choi Kyung-won: hahahahaha]
[Ji-ye♥: Oh]
[Ji-ye♥: It’s been a while, I’m doing well hehe]
Suddenly, Choi Kyung-won created a new group chat. Seeing that Shin Ji-ye was also there, it seemed to be for our general education classmates, but I wondered why he made a new group chat. Don’t we already have a separate one for the class?
I saw Shin Ji-ye’s KakaoTalk message and wondered how to reply naturally.
Since we hadn’t contacted each other since the day I confessed, suddenly meeting in a chat room made me feel sorry and uncomfortable. Of course, Shin Ji-ye would probably feel more uncomfortable than me…
[Me: I’m doing well too]
[Me: But what’s up?]
[Choi Kyung-won: Tomorrow is Joo Kwon-oh’s birthday]
[Choi Kyung-won: We’re planning to barge in with a cake, those of us living nearby]
[Choi Kyung-won: Do you guys want to join???]
Now that I knew why Choi Kyung-won had created a group chat without Joo Kwon-oh, I couldn’t help but feel flustered.
Barging into Joo Kwon-oh’s apartment? But I have a date with Joo Kwon-oh tomorrow…
[Ji-ye♥: Oh right]
[Ji-ye♥: I just saw the notification on KakaoTalk haha]
[Ji-ye♥: Are we having a birthday party?]
[Choi Kyung-won: Yeah, a simple birthday party]
[Choi Kyung-won: Actually, last year I got hit in the face with a cake as a birthday prank]
[Choi Kyung-won: So I’m taking this chance for revenge ^^ damn]
Moreover, it’s not even a genuine celebration, but a gathering with very impure intentions.
What should I do?
I bit my lower lip and anxiously stared at the chat window.
[Choi Kyung-won: The others can’t make it because they’re traveling or went back home]
[Choi Kyung-won: About three business school students said they’d come]
[Choi Kyung-won: The number of people seems a bit awkward]
[Choi Kyung-won: Since Joo Kwon-oh is close with you guys too haha]
[Choi Kyung-won: How about joining us for the birthday party and hanging out together??]
[Ji-ye♥: Ooooh!!]
[Choi Kyung-won: I want to see your faces too~~]
[Choi Kyung-won: It’s a win-win haha I missed you guys]
With three business school students and Choi Kyung-won, that’s a total of four people. Isn’t four people barging into Joo Kwon-oh’s apartment already quite crowded?
It seemed like this number wasn’t enough for Choi Kyung-won, who had a different standard than me.
[Ji-ye♥: Does Kwon-oh oppa know?]
[Ji-ye♥: About us barging in tomorrow hehe]
[Choi Kyung-won: Of course not haha]
[Choi Kyung-won: He’ll probably be super pissed and go crazy hahahaha]
[Ji-ye♥: Ah I’m looking forward to it]
[Ji-ye♥: I love it]
[Ji-ye♥: What about Jeong-ha oppa?]
I thought she would definitely refuse to come because of the awkwardness from rejecting my confession. But Shin Ji-ye was cooler than I expected.
With the atmosphere going this way, it would be weird if I was the only one not joining…
I decided to reply that I would come.
[Me: I’m okay with it too.]
[Me: Is there anything I need to bring?]
[Choi Kyung-won: Nah]
[Choi Kyung-won: Our department friends are buying the cake]
[Choi Kyung-won: Jeong-ha and Ji-ye, just bring yourselves]
[Ji-ye♥: A surprise birthday party is so nice hehe]
What should I do? I can’t interfere with Joo Kwon-oh’s friends’ secret preparations. Giving Joo Kwon-oh a heads up… would be too cowardly, right?
It seemed like joining them was the only option.
I felt a bit disappointed that my plan to meet early and spend the whole day together had fallen through. But if Joo Kwon-oh gets accepted for the internship, he won’t be able to come to school for three months. It seemed more fitting for him to spend his birthday noisily with his friends.
For these reasons, I decided to participate in the surprise birthday party and revenge plan that Choi Kyung-won had organized.
*
The next day. Joo Kwon-oh’s birthday. When I woke up late, there was a KakaoTalk message from Joo Kwon-oh.
[Joo Kwon-oh: Jeong-ha what are you doing]
[Joo Kwon-oh: ?]
I rubbed my sleepy eyes and replied to him.
[Me: Just woke up, about to get ready]
[Joo Kwon-oh: Take your time getting ready]
[Joo Kwon-oh: Choi Kyung-won said he’s coming over for a bit, so I’ll send him off]
[Joo Kwon-oh: Then I’ll get ready to go out too haha]
Joo Kwon-oh probably doesn’t know that not just Choi Kyung-won, but I’m coming too…
[Choi Kyung-won: No one’s running late, right?]
[Choi Kyung-won: I just bought one cream cake and one chocolate cake]
[Ji-ye♥: Great]
[Ji-ye♥: What should we eat for lunch?]
[Choi Kyung-won: Let’s order something at Joo Kwon-oh’s place haha]
The group chat was buzzing with conspiracy.
I felt a bit guilty for unintentionally participating in the surprise, but now that the day had come, I was a little excited too. Imagining how Joo Kwon-oh would react later even made me smile.
[Me: Okay, see you all later]
“Oh, Jeong-ha, you’re early? Have you been well?”
Choi Kyung-won was already waiting in front of Joo Kwon-oh’s apartment building.
“You’re early too. Where are the others?”
“They went to the convenience store saying they need a lighter. Ji-ye hasn’t arrived yet.”
“…What did you tell Kwon-oh?”
“I just said I wanted to see his face for a bit since it’s his birthday.”
Choi Kyung-won chuckled, shaking the two cake boxes in his hand.
“Ah. Writing letters feels a bit cheesy for us. We wrote a few words each on a rolling paper, do you want to join?”
Choi Kyung-won pulled out a thick, long paper he had placed under the cake boxes. He also took out a pen from his pocket.
Looking at the handwriting left by other friends, it seemed this was a common way for close classmates in the business department to celebrate.
I nodded and wrote briefly in the corner of the paper, placing it on a flat surface.
—Happy birthday. From Jeong-ha.
Does it look too plain and insincere? After pondering for a bit, I added some cute drawings around my writing. Stars and sparkling effects, strawberries, and finally, a peach.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah.”
Just then, the business school students who went to buy lighters were returning. I awkwardly greeted them, recognizing their faces from occasional encounters. Unlike me who was shy, they greeted me warmly, asking how I’ve been.
While we were taking out one cream cake and putting candles on it, Shin Ji-ye arrived too. Choi Kyung-won and Shin Ji-ye greeted each other enthusiastically, waving their arms.
Since we were right in front of the apartment building, we couldn’t make loud noises in case it echoed, so we huddled together in a circle, whispering like thieves.
“Jeong-ha oppa! What did you do during the break?”
“Me… I just hung around. Did some part-time work and went home.”
“I see. You could have at least contacted us once. Tsk.”
“Ah.”
“You’re surprisingly cold, oppa.”
Shin Ji-ye spoke more cheerfully than usual, trying to loosen up my stiff attitude.
“Ji-ye. Jeong-ha’s personality is really strict, you know? He might look soft, but guys like him are actually more merciless.”
Choi Kyung-won, unaware of what had happened between us, thoughtlessly chimed in.
“Oh, right. That seems true.”
“So don’t even think about confessing to someone like Jeong-ha.”
“……”
“……”
For a moment, a very brief silence fell. I wanted to shut the mouth of Choi Kyung-won, who had no tact but unnecessarily good intuition.
