#52
***
Bonoh bent down and opened the drawer under his bed. With a scraping sound, the drawer slid heavily. Inside the drawer, underwear and socks were mixed together. It seemed like they had originally been somewhat separated. He had put underwear on the left and socks on the right, but they had gotten tangled up so the distinction was blurred.
Especially the socks weren’t organized in pairs, but were just lying around randomly. Black ankle socks, white socks, and brown striped socks were all mixed together. Only the most numerous white socks seemed to be collected separately, but looking closely, they were all different. White sports socks with brand logos, white socks that had turned bluish from being washed incorrectly with jeans, summer white ankle socks – they were all different.
Usually Bonoh was diligent about doing laundry. Since the youngest Bonoh often took on household chores that his parents assigned to his noona and hyung, he even knew how to fold clothes properly. The problem was that he wasn’t the type to organize the washed clothes well.
Clothes could be roughly hung on hangers or neatly stacked to look somewhat organized, but socks and underwear were different. If not organized well, it showed immediately.
Whether you match sock pairs just before wearing them or when putting them in the drawer, it’s about the same thing. Bonoh thought this way. For this reason, every morning he would play a matching game in front of the drawer, looking for sock pairs.
Because of this, sometimes he had gone out wearing one white sports sock and one regular white sock. Though the colors were subtly different, Bonoh wasn’t sensitive to such things, so he would just grab two that looked roughly similar.
But today was different. Bonoh sat in front of the drawer and deliberately rummaged through the socks more slowly. He pretended not to find pairs, picking up and putting down socks one by one.
“Kim Bonoh. Are you still far from done?”
Joo Taeseong’s voice came from behind him.
“Oh, I’m looking for socks… You go ahead!”
Bonoh deliberately didn’t take his eyes off the drawer as he spoke. Actually, there was a reason he was stalling like this. It was a day when his class overlapped with Taeseong’s, so they would leave the dormitory together. But ever since Bonoh learned that Taeseong had ‘someone,’ it had become a little difficult to be together as usual.
“…Alright, then.”
Joo Taeseong answered after a brief silence. Then shortly after, the sound of the dormitory door opening and closing was heard.
“Phew…”
Bonoh let out a deep sigh. Honestly, he was a little nervous that Taeseong might say he’d wait. Living in the same room, he couldn’t always avoid Joo Taeseong like this. He knew this fact better than anyone, but the current Bonoh needed time.
In the end, Bonoh entered the lecture hall just in time for class. As expected, Joo Taeseong was in his usual seat. He had his elbow on the desk supporting his chin, and his head was turned slightly to the side. It was unclear whether he was looking out the window or just lost in thought.
The seat next to Joo Taeseong was empty. Seeing Joo Taeseong’s bag placed on the desk, he had clearly saved it intentionally. And it was likely Bonoh’s own seat. Just as Joo Taeseong always sat in that spot, Bonoh was always in the seat next to him.
After hesitating briefly, Bonoh didn’t go to that seat. Instead, he quietly walked to the very back row, put down his bag, and sat. It was a place where people wouldn’t easily notice him. As soon as he sat down, a notification appeared on his phone.
[Room 309 Sunfish: Not coming?]
It was Joo Taeseong. Bonoh paused his finger for a moment, then quickly sent a reply.
[I’m tired today so I want to sit in the back]
[The professor is here. Let’s meet after class]
Bonoh sent consecutive replies and then shoved his phone into his bag. Perhaps because the back row was good for doing other things, the professor’s voice sounded faint.
Bonoh looked at Taeseong. Since it was at a diagonal angle, Taeseong’s seat came into view. Taeseong was still supporting his chin with his gaze lowered. As expected, true to his FM nature, he concentrates during class. Bonoh quietly looked around the lecture hall.
Could the person Joo Taeseong had his heart set on be here? Except for going to exercise, he didn’t seem to go out often, so it was likely someone he met at school. Maybe he always sat in the same seat because it was near that person.
“Shit…”
Though it was just speculation, a sense of betrayal washed over him. To think Joo Taeseong had someone he was waiting to confess to. And that he would probably start dating soon… Unlike someone who was taken to the hospital by ambulance with stomach cramps, he rarely had stomach pain except when severely hungover, but his stomach was burning.
Having sex with me but planning to date someone else? Even if dirt got in his eyes, he absolutely couldn’t stand to see that sight. Bonoh lit a fire in his eyes and began observing Joo Taeseong.
If there was someone in here who made him wait for a confession, Joo Taeseong would look at them at least once. No matter how much of a Joo Taeseong he was, eyes don’t lie. Just get caught, whoever you are. Even if Bonoh found out who it was, there wasn’t much he could do, but he still had to find out. To prepare for when things didn’t work out between Joo Taeseong and that person, he at least needed to know what kind of person Joo Taeseong liked.
Taeseong wasn’t even taking notes and just sat still. He didn’t even pay attention to the PowerPoint screen. Was he doing that to concentrate on the professor’s voice? Wouldn’t he get sleepy sitting still with his eyes lowered like that? He was thinking such things while staring when Joo Taeseong turned his head and looked back.
“……”
Because of this, their eyes met with Bonoh, who had been looking only at Taeseong. For a moment, his mind went blank.
‘What, did I stare too long?’
Startled, Bonoh hurriedly wondered whether to turn his gaze away or pretend not to see and bow his head, fluttering internally. Taeseong looked at such Bonoh and smiled slightly. It was a short smile of unknown meaning. Turning his head forward again, Taeseong took out his phone and began quietly fiddling with it.
‘Who is he contacting…’
Bonoh muttered internally. Even though he knew well that he couldn’t see Taeseong’s phone screen from the back row, Bonoh pointlessly craned his neck. He even slightly changed his posture to try to see, but as expected, the screen wasn’t visible.
Then Bonoh’s phone screen, which was on the desk, lit up. Bonoh’s attention was drawn to his phone screen.
[Pay attention to class. Don’t leave your highlighter cap open again later]
It was a message from Taeseong. It felt like he had been caught doing something.
Bonoh glanced at Taeseong sideways to avoid making eye contact with him again. Fortunately, Taeseong didn’t turn around again. After sending the message, Taeseong only looked at the PowerPoint screen. Except for briefly turning around, Taeseong’s gaze never went toward anyone.
‘Hmm… Maybe not in this class.’
There was no one particularly noticeable. Maybe not today. Or maybe it was a student from a completely different department. After class ended, Bonoh scanned the lecture hall once more while pulling his chair. Meanwhile, Taeseong had already gotten up from his seat and was approaching Bonoh. This was because after taking the same class, they always went to eat together.
Bonoh began to rack his brain. Where should they go to have a high chance of running into the person Joo Taeseong liked? If it was someone from school… they should go somewhere crowded, right? A complex and bustling place. Bonoh’s eyes sparkled at the thought that came to mind.
“Joo Taeseong, how about the school cafeteria today?”
***
The student cafeteria during lunch time was bustling as always. There was a long line in front of the kiosks at the entrance, and food smells mixed complexly among students holding trays. Bonoh scanned the surroundings as soon as he entered. Could that person be in here somewhere?
“Be careful.”
When he almost bumped shoulders with a passing person while lost in thought, Taeseong pulled Bonoh toward him. Bonoh staggered briefly from being suddenly pulled, then barely regained his balance.
“Oh, uh…”
Taeseong himself didn’t show particular interest in other people even while standing in line. He just looked displeased from bumping into people standing in front and behind as the line slowly moved. It was understandable that Taeseong would be uncomfortable in a noisy place mixed with all kinds of food smells. Still, it was fortunate that he followed along without complaint.
‘No, normally when you like someone, don’t you look around at least once?’
Bonoh recalled when Hyungwoo was having a fling. The guy who usually just threw on training pants and any top appeared at school dressed up like a male peacock even for brief visits when he got a girlfriend. Not satisfied with that, he would look around distractedly wherever he went on campus.
Joo Taeseong, well, even when he wasn’t dressed up, he was more handsome than Shin Hyungwoo dressed up like a peacock. Plus, he was someone who always dressed neatly, so his appearance aside, he was too quiet. He barely said anything while standing in line, and even after sitting down, he just ate his meal silently. Bonoh paused mid-spoonful and glanced at Taeseong.
‘Is it not someone from school? Or maybe he’s hiding it from me?’
He couldn’t tactfully ask about it. If he was someone who would answer, he would have told him already. Joo Taeseong had an unreadable expression. What on earth was he thinking? As he tried to swallow his rice with frustration, he heard conversation from behind.
“Hey, didn’t that guy confess while drunk yesterday?”
“Crazy, so it was a public confession?”
“Yeah. He apparently cried and talked about it while everyone was there, whether he was drunk or not.”
“Ah, I should have gone to yesterday’s drinking session.”
This is it! A way to find out Joo Taeseong’s true feelings came to mind. Bonoh took a small breath.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
