#030
The five had a blast. Seungwoo in particular was almost like a seal. Under the blazing sun, the sturdy high school boys splashed water at each other, swam, and continuously raised their voices.
After playing beach volleyball and drinking ion drinks from the ice box, Jiwoon’s expression regained its vitality. Seeing such Jiwoon, Jukyung, who was sprawled on a sun bed, lightly kicked Kyungjun’s side.
Why are you acting up again! Kyungjun immediately jumped up and yelled, making Jukyung laugh slyly. Seungwoo was walking from the sea to the parasol.
Jukyung asked Jiwoon.
“Should we head back?”
“Yeah. I’m fucking tired.”
“I heard there’s some bridge and cable car and lighthouse here too.”
At Choi Min’s sudden interjection, Kyungjun replied.
“Want to see it? Tourist spots are the worst.”
“Jiwoon-Jiwoon, what do you think?”
“Not going. It’s not like we’re on a school trip.”
Imagining five guys bustling around at tourist spots, Jiwoon put down his empty drink bottle with a disgusted face.
In the end, the five headed straight to the villa. Leaving Kyungjun, who fell asleep on the sofa as soon as he washed up, Jiwoon also lay down on the bed in his room. Fatigue washed over him.
* * *
After coming down from Yeosu and greeting the girls they met at the train station, Taehyun tilted his head. Looking at Yechan and Yewon, who seemed to know each other, Taehyun asked.
“What? How do you two know each other?”
“I saw her at the academy. I was the one who suggested we greet each other and get along.”
Yewon answered instead. Taehyun nodded and soon put his arm around Yechan’s neck, heading to a corner.
“Hey, what’s this? Are you in a situationship with her?”
“I just greeted her.”
“That’s Cha Yewon. Cha Yewon from Hansam Girls’ High. Haven’t you heard of her?”
“What are you talking about now?”
“She’s fucking famous at Hansam Girls’ High for being pretty. You just greet someone like that?”
“Then what should I do?”
“Fuck, your expression saying it’s nothing pisses me off even more. Unfair life…”
Taehyun glanced sideways at Yewon, who was wearing a pink crop top and white tennis skirt, and let out a deep sigh. Then he soon recovered.
Then I should get close to that cute friend. Muttering to himself, Taehyun soon approached the girl with brown bob hair wearing a sky-blue dress with quick steps.
Yechan watched Taehyun smile and say something to the girl, then turned his head.
“Should we go eat?”
“What are we eating?”
“Minho found a good restaurant.”
“Did he plan a date course?”
At the mischievous girls’ words, Minho smiled awkwardly. From three to six people, even if each person said just one thing, the audio was full.
Yechan silently followed behind Minho and Yujin. Yewon stood next to Yechan and asked.
“Did you eat breakfast?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you eat?”
“Toast.”
“Ah… Did you solve yesterday’s problems well?”
“I stayed up a bit late solving that and sleeping. The last problem was really twisted.”
Yechan had been answering daily conversations with short responses. He only spoke at length when talking about studying.
Yewon shrugged her shoulders as if she had expected this and said.
“You really like studying.”
“Don’t you?”
“Not really. I don’t do it because I like it.”
“Really?”
Kind of boring. Yewon, who slightly shook her head, closed her mouth. The two moved to the restaurant following the kids.
* * *
Minho and Yujin got along well. Although sometimes Taehyun made a face like he was going to throw up when he saw Minho blushing and unable to take his eyes off Yujin… Anyway, moderately serious Minho and gentle Yujin seemed to have quite a nice atmosphere.
Yechan pressed down with his spoon on the marinated crab that had been prepared in easy-to-eat sizes.
“You’re really neat.”
“I hate getting messy.”
“I should eat like that too.”
Yewon, who seemed to already be eating that way and hadn’t even touched the individually provided plastic gloves, said.
Taehyun was chewing crab enthusiastically, saying it was delicious. The bob-haired girl introduced as Yeonna was also freely pressing crab meat with her hands and putting it on her plate.
Yechan scraped off even the meat stuck to the crab shell. The marinated crab eaten with rice mixed in sesame oil was sweetly quite good.
Why is Yeosu famous for marinated crab? Because they catch a lot of crabs? Blue crabs are from Yeongdeok. That’s snow crab. Pointless conversation continued.
After eating and stopping by the bathroom to wash his hands, Yechan checked his messages. Jiwoon still hadn’t read his messages.
Is something wrong? Just as Yechan was thinking that, Taehyun came into the bathroom and called Yechan.
“Hey, the taxi’s here! Come out quickly!”
The next destination was the cable car. The six people who got on the transparent cable car where you could see everything below enjoyed themselves with all kinds of reactions. Everyone was making a fuss except for Yechan, who seemed unbothered.
While the conversation flowed about how scary it was, how thrilling, or how fun, Yechan looked at the islands that poked up through the horizon. The sunlight sparkling on the water was also worth seeing.
Yewon, with her straightforward and confident personality, got along well with Minho and Taehyun too. After getting off the cable car, Yechan checked his phone once more.
There were no new message notifications.
Minho had really planned a substantial date course. The group that looked at the sea and bridge at the main square, which was said to be Yeosu’s specialty, took pictures in front of a turtle ship model.
After drinking bread and beverages that were clearly tourist products at a nearby cafe, it was suddenly just before evening. The time to meet Seungwoo was approaching.
“I originally found a good restaurant for dinner too. Sorry.”
“No, we’re going to play at these kids’ grandmother’s house anyway!”
At Minho’s words, Yujin smiled and linked arms with Hana.
“Take care. See you at the academy.”
Yewon also patted Yechan’s back and said.
“Yeah.”
At Yechan’s short answer, Yewon’s eyes clouded for a moment before she soon headed to the taxi.
Watching the girls disappear in the taxi, Yechan turned his shoulders. He was a bit tired. It wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, but it wasn’t particularly comfortable time either.
“Here? Is the address here?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Wow, it’s right in front of the sea.”
“Rich kids really have a different scale.”
While Taehyun was calling a taxi, Yechan took out his phone and typed a message.
‘Hyung, we’re coming now. See you soon. You are in Yeosu, right?’ Looking at the screen where one more unread message had piled up, Taehyun said to Yechan.
“Seo Yechan was boring, right?”
“Did I seem like it?”
“Yeah. Fucking. But kid, thanks. Hana was really nice. Thanks to you, I got to talk to Cha Yewon too and it was fun.”
“It’s not thanks to me.”
Yechan replied in a bewildered tone. Then Minho joined their conversation.
“It probably is? Cha Yewon said she’d go too if you went to Yeosu, according to Yujin.”
“Whoa, really? Awesome! Is Seo Yechan getting a girlfriend?”
“Stop talking nonsense and watch where the taxi is coming.”
“Huh? There’s still some time left. But what do you think of Cha Yewon? You don’t like her?”
“It’s not a matter of liking or disliking, I said I won’t date.”
“What, this bastard. Are you playing the field?”
“How is that playing the field?”
“You should clearly say whether you like or dislike someone. If you just say you don’t want to date, they don’t really know. Then it’s natural for the other person to have expectations, isn’t it?”
“Yechan. I think Taehyun’s right about this.”
For once, Minho sided with Taehyun. Yechan replied with a disgusted expression.
“Fine, I don’t like her. Happy now?”
“Good. That’s how it should be. If you ever get confessed to, make sure to say it clearly. This guy is weird in strange places too.”
Taehyun spun his index finger in circles next to Yechan’s head.
* * *
After sleeping and waking up, it was busy outside. Jiwoon opened the door and headed to the living room. Jukyung, Kyungjun, and Seungwoo were chattering in front of the TV.
Seeing Jiwoon, Seungwoo spoke affectionately.
“Hyung, you’re awake?”
“Yeah.”
“My friends are coming soon. That, Seo Yechan too.”
Jiwoon stretched. Though he had washed after finishing water play, to shake off his drowsiness, Jiwoon entered the bathroom attached to his room once more.
After finishing his shower, Jiwoon put on a white short-sleeved t-shirt with a lemon cream-colored loose-fit shirt that rustled over it and wore light blue jeans. Putting on white socks and choosing an appropriate bracelet to wear, Jiwoon finally took out white sneakers. They were to replace the sandals that had gotten wet from water play.
“Jiwoon-Jiwoon, fresh.”
Jukyung said with a slightly reddened face, smiling.
“Wow, where is this bastard going?”
“Please, you go somewhere.”
Jiwoon kicked the back of Kyungjun, who was dressed like a gym uncle, chewing almonds while swaggering.
Eok! Kyungjun, who made a sound, was about to get angry about something when he saw Seungwoo’s clothes and nodded.
“People who dress well are really different.”
Seungwoo was wearing a lettering t-shirt with well-fitted cargo pants and had piercings in his ears.
Jiwoon sat next to Choi Min, who had come out at some point. Sitting on the sofa with his knees up, pressing the TV remote control buttons, Seungwoo’s phone suddenly rang.
“The kids must be here! I’ll go get them.”
“The host should go greet them for things like this. Let’s go together, Seungwoo.”
Jiwoon silently continued pressing the remote control buttons. He wanted to see Yechan, but at the same time didn’t want to.
His mouth felt rough. Look at you. Jiwoon, who handed the remote to Kyungjun, opened a can of soda.
The drink he gulped down went down his empty stomach.
“This is delicious.”
Choi Min handed over a few cashew nuts. Jiwoon crunched the nuts while taking another sip of his drink.
“The kids are here.”
“Hello!”
The door opened. People following behind Jukyung and Seungwoo could be seen entering.
Jiwoon put his elbow on the sofa armrest and supported his head with his hand. His posture was crooked.
“Hello, hyungs! I’m Oh Taehyun!”
“That self-introduction is fucking loud.”
Kyungjun said with a smile as if he liked it. Seungwoo continued the introductions while patting Minho and Yechan’s backs.
“This friend is Kim Minho, and this is Seo Yechan. I think you might know him. Haha.”
Seungwoo laughed awkwardly and looked at Jiwoon. Seeing Yechan, who only bowed his head slightly unlike Minho who bent his waist, Jiwoon opened his mouth.
“Hello.”
Seeing Jiwoon greeting with languid eyes, Yechan slightly curved his lips. Jiwoon sprawled crookedly on the sofa was a bit unfamiliar.
“These guys brought cake.”
Seungwoo pointed to the large cake box he was holding.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
