The woman standing before him radiated an effortless confidence, the kind of commanding presence only someone who’d spent her whole life ahead of others could carry. Women like that always seemed to find Jae-ha cute. Usually, it was the noonas who called him out to clubs for drinks that fit the type.
Not that Jae-ha minded. She was beautiful enough to override any preferences he might’ve had… And besides, hadn’t he just learned that the guy he thought was his boyfriend actually wasn’t?
“Still, we should at least check our compatibility.”
Even so, he wasn’t feeling it. Seo Jae-ha, you’re pathetic. It was absurd—Hae-hyun didn’t even care, and yet here he was, restless and self-conscious. Swallowing the sting of self-reproach, he gave a flat reply, and the woman only laughed, amused.
“Not falling for it, huh?”
“I’ve been told I live up to my looks.”
“Not just putting on a show?”
“Never heard it phrased that negatively.”
Instead of being offended by his cheeky comeback, her eyes lit up, growing more intrigued. It was clear she wasn’t ordinary.
“Not bad. I like that you’ve got a backbone. How about we trade numbers?”
Backbone? What backbone? The nuance was strange, but Jae-ha refused without hesitation.
“No thanks. I already like someone.”
That much was true. What stung was that it wasn’t reciprocated.
“Oh really? What a shame.”
The woman smiled at his indifferent tone. Realizing he truly wasn’t going to budge, she moved straight to the point.
“Then at least tell me where the P.E. department building is. The person who was supposed to pick me up isn’t answering, and I’m stuck.”
Probably a coach, he thought. He’d heard about retired athletes dropping by the department sometimes. After he explained the directions, she frowned slightly.
“Sounds complicated. Can’t you just walk me there?”
“Want me to explain it again?”
“Geez, you really don’t give in, do you.”
Her light grumbling was laced with laughter. Jae-ha just tilted his head.
“Anyway, I’ll be going.”
“Take care. If we run into each other again, you’ll say hi, right?”
“If I see you, I’ll greet you.”
That earned a playful comment about how she’d have to come by more often, then.
Once their exchange wrapped up, she waved and headed off in the direction he’d pointed. The way she walked without the slightest hesitation made him wonder if she’d known the way all along. Still, he had time to kill, so it hardly mattered. Jae-ha brushed it off without another thought.
Hae-hyun didn’t come home until nearly an hour after Jae-ha had returned. When the front door opened, Jae-ha poked his head out from the bedroom.
“You’re back?”
“Yeah. I brought tteokbokki… Sunbae, where are you going?”
His cheerful greeting froze when his eyes landed on the small duffel bag. Following his gaze, Jae-ha looked around as well. The room was messier than usual, cluttered with things he’d pulled out while packing.
“Oh, the MT’s this weekend.”
“MT? The department MT?”
…Why so shocked? Jae-ha blinked at him. Still clutching the plastic bag, Hae-hyun strode into the room, the faint spicy-sweet scent of tteokbokki trailing behind him.
“Why are you going to an MT now? Midterms are just around the corner.”
“The professor scheduled it for when people were free.”
Even with that calm answer, Hae-hyun looked displeased.
“Do you really have to go? You were hurt, remember?”
“It was just a little cut on my forehead. And it’s already healed.”
When he reached up to peel off the band-aid—worn only for show—Hae-hyun practically panicked, stopping him. It was like he genuinely believed the second it came off, bacteria would swoop in and infect the wound.
“Don’t take it off, okay? Just leave it.”
He even started coaxing him like a kid. Why does it feel like I’m the one tormenting a child here? Bemused, Jae-ha dropped his hand obediently.
“Anyway, I’ll leave after lunch Saturday and be back Sunday by noon.”
“Where are you going?”
Realizing Jae-ha wasn’t about to change his mind, Hae-hyun slid closer and fiddled with the bag, fingers brushing over toiletries and loungewear. His reluctance was obvious.
“Daeseong-ri.”
“That’s in the mountains.”
His head shot up, eyes gleaming as if he’d just found an excuse.
“Do you know how many things live in those mountains? What if something weird latches onto you again?”
“It’s not like we’ll be hiking at night. What would I even run into?”
“But what if something does happen? What if you get hurt again…? No way. Don’t go. It’s too dangerous.”
Now he was being stubborn. What’s dangerous about an MT? It was absurd, but with that pleading look on his face, Jae-ha couldn’t bring himself to snap. He deflected instead.
“We’ll just be drinking at the lodge anyway.”
“You’re going to drink?”
The startled shout caught Jae-ha off guard.
“…You’ve seriously never been to an MT?”
Wasn’t every department event basically fueled by alcohol? And he wasn’t even a freshman—why act like it was news?
“You said we’d drink together.”
“You can’t come to our department’s MT.”
Even with that reasonable answer, Hae-hyun only sulked, lips pressed tight, looking utterly miserable.
Why do you look like the world’s ending just because I’m going to an MT? Completely thrown, Jae-ha stared at him, bewildered. He was acting like Jae-ha’s boyfriend.
“Hey, you…”
Did you already break things off with her? The words almost slipped out, but Jae-ha stopped himself just in time. Hae-hyun blinked, confused.
“Huh?”
“No, nothing. Just thinking.”
He covered it quickly, though cold sweat trickled down his back. He’d almost let the truth slip.
Hae-hyun didn’t even know Jae-ha was aware of that. Jae-ha’s eyes darkened. And besides, didn’t Hae-hyun still…
Why can’t you just break up? Why can’t you do even that one thing?
And then what? If he did, would you date him? The thought only made his frustration flare. As his expression soured, Hae-hyun seemed to sense it, softening his tone.
“…You’ll really be back Sunday morning? Should I wait without eating lunch?”
His cautious, drawn-out tone sounded almost childishly clingy. The same voice he’d used in that phone call that had driven Jae-ha insane—irritating, yet strangely endearing. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh.
I’m the real fool here. With a sigh, he shrugged.
“I’ll come back as soon as it ends. Go back to sleep.”
At that, Hae-hyun nodded eagerly. He even held out his pinky, insisting on a promise.
Built like a mountain, but acting like a kid. Even as the thought crossed his mind, Jae-ha couldn’t help but chuckle. Playing along, he hooked his finger with his, the warmth lingering long after they let go.
***
The business department’s second-semester MT, hastily organized because the professor insisted on attending, turned out huge.
Two full 45-seat buses were packed to capacity, and they’d rented out an entire pension. The main building alone had more than ten rooms and even a basement auditorium big enough for everyone to gather in one place. Smiling with satisfaction, the professor announced he’d be leaving after dinner and told them to enjoy themselves.
Managing such a crowd wasn’t easy, so the student council split everyone into ten groups of nine or ten people. Each team played icebreaker games, cooked, and had dinner with a bit of alcohol—a smooth but ordinary progression, despite Hyung-jun’s earlier boast that he’d prepared something special.
But once night fell and everyone had loosened up with a few drinks, the student council finally revealed their centerpiece event.
“A test of courage?”
“Yeah. There’s a little hill behind the lodge with a walking trail. You just have to take a lap around it and collect stamps.”
So that explained why half the council had disappeared earlier. He’d thought they were out buying snacks, but apparently they’d been setting this up.
Excitement and unease rippled through the crowd in equal measure.
“How many go together? I’m not going alone.”
A wide-eyed freshman already raised their hand. Hyung-jun reassured them confidently.
“Don’t worry. Teams of three. We’ll decide them with a game.”
“What game?”
At that, Hyung-jun’s gaze slid to Jae-ha, who had just taken a sip of his drink.
“……?”
