Chapter 16.
This wasn’t the first or second time this had happened. Even in middle school, it was always Jeongwoo who clashed with groups like that. He’d joined the Disciplinary Committee after entering high school, and had been class president twice during his 3 years of middle school.
From that time, he’d been followed by words like “annoying” like a tail. He’d never particularly taken sides with friends. He’d just kept a bit of distance from the noisy groups.
There were countless errands with set deadlines like homework. Though it wasn’t his job, there were times when he’d stepped forward and spoken to the teacher. But kids who didn’t do it from the start didn’t do it no matter how many times it was postponed.
Instead, Jeongwoo, who got scolded or heard bad things, hadn’t sacrificed himself for others since then.
He extremely hated dealing with people who took even small considerations for granted.
Jihan’s group was exactly like that. It was obvious without even looking. Even if he spoke well to the teacher and got it postponed, they were kids who ultimately wouldn’t do it and would pass the blame to Jeongwoo.
“Jeongwoo.”
Jihan, who was sitting in his seat, called Jeongwoo. Reading the room somehow didn’t suit him.
When he just stared silently instead of answering, Jihan tapped his own desk as if he had something to say.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“Sorry. My friends went too far with their words.”
He opened his mouth right away as if he’d been waiting. The hand that had been tapping the desk had already stopped.
“I’ll scold them so they can never do that again.”
“You.”
“Huh?”
Jihan, whose eyes met with Seowon who was glancing this way, spoke as if making a pledge. Jeongwoo cut off the words that seemed about to continue with ‘Definitely! Absolutely! From now on!’ after saying he’d scold them.
“Why you.”
Jeongwoo asked because he was genuinely curious.
“Just because they’re my friends, and I want to get close with you-“
“Why do you want to get close that badly?”
“……”
“And why are you apologizing for what they did wrong? If they’re going to apologize, they should do it to me.”
Jeongwoo couldn’t understand Jihan. Seeing how he always teased Jeongwoo, in a situation like earlier, he should have ostentatiously sided with his friends.
He couldn’t understand why such a Jihan had taken his side, and he understood even less why he was stepping forward to apologize.
“Don’t tell me… did you make them? To curse me.”
He asked sharply to Jihan who was at a loss for words.
He was already bothered by the group that had been speaking badly of him earlier, and on top of that, his nerves became sharp because of someone who did nothing wrong apologizing.
Jeongwoo didn’t even know what he was saying right now. He was aware he was speaking, but he just blurted out whatever came out.
Jihan, who had been silently watching Jeongwoo, strongly denied it. Even waving his hands saying not to misunderstand.
“No! Absolutely not! Those guys are twisted bastards, no. I apologized just because I thought you might feel bad.”
“That’s enough.”
Jeongwoo turned his head as if he didn’t want to hear it.
With good timing, the teacher came in, and Jihan, who was about to grab Jeongwoo saying not to misunderstand, couldn’t say a word to Jeongwoo throughout the entire class.
***
After that day when Jihan put on a serious face at his friends and took Jeongwoo’s side.
Jeongwoo was being bothered by Sejong and Hyewoon.
“Doesn’t that hyung like you?”
“What are you talking about.”
Hyewoon, who hadn’t been at that place, whether he heard from Sejong, said that whenever only the three of them were left. Sejong, who had been still, nodded in silent agreement.
They played well then occasionally threw out words like that. He should be used to Hyewoon like this by now. Jeongwoo’s eyes narrowed.
Though it was the weekend, they had gathered at his house to help with Hyewoon’s overdue homework, so there were only the three of them.
The three of them had often gathered on weekends from before to help with homework or study. There were more days of playing because of Hyewoon who had no interest in studying. Nothing had changed just because they were 3rd years.
Currently, even their parents had given them money to buy lunch and gone out.
Hyewoon and Sejong had no interest in homework.
Sejong, who had been looking over Hyewoon’s exam papers and wrong-answer notes where rain was falling, pushed the notebook aside. As if to start talking in earnest, Hyewoon also put down the pen he was holding.
At the obvious development that would follow without even looking, Jeongwoo pushed the exam paper and notebook toward Sejong with an annoyed face, and put the pen in Hyewoon’s hand.
“Just be quiet.”
But they weren’t friends who would listen.
“Hey, if you’re not going to study, I’m going home.”
“Gays aren’t only in all-boys schools, Jeongwoo.”
Sejong, who was sitting across from Jeongwoo, grabbed his hands. Jeongwoo, asking if he was crazy, shook off the two hands clasped as if praying in disgust.
“Woo Sejong, just look at what you were looking at.”
“Wow, when your friend is taking your side, it wouldn’t be enough even to say thanks, oof!”
Jeongwoo grabbed the lips of Sejong who was spreading his shoulders and lifting his chin.
“Ow! It hurts!”
When he released the hand that had been firmly grabbing and shaking, Sejong groaned and clutched his own lips.
“Ptui. Salty!”
“I said it hurt.”
Sejong, whose lips and the area around them had turned red, suddenly spat saying it was salty.
Hyewoon, who frowned and protected his notebook, pushed Sejong away and sat facing Jeongwoo.
“What do you want now.”
“I have no prejudice, Jeongwoo.”
Wherever he saw and came from, whenever this topic came up for conversation, it was that sound.
At first, Jeongwoo, who had shouted “What if you have prejudice and what if you don’t?!”, now didn’t even have the desire to shout. Because the more intensely he reacted, the more fun his friends would find it.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, cut it out.”
“Whoever you like, I’ll support you as your friend doing what’s right.”
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
Hyewoon thrust his face forward toward Jeongwoo.
“Do well. That hyung didn’t seem that bad.”
When Jeongwoo pushed away the head that was coming burdeningly close and huffed, Hyewoon laughed as if it was fun.
Why was Hyewoon’s handsome face, which even Jeongwoo acknowledged, so annoying today? Hyewoon, who had been holding out firmly, burst into laughter watching Jeongwoo’s gradually distorting expression.
“Is it fun?”
“Yeah, it is fun.”
“We were quite serious though.”
“Shut up.”
He cut off sharply the words full of teasing. Sejong, who was watching Jeongwoo’s expression, stopped Hyewoon who was about to open his mouth again, saying he’d really get angry at this rate. Sejong, who knew the timing of hitting and pulling back well, was even more annoying.
Jeongwoo, thinking they wouldn’t bring up this story for the next few hours, opened his problem book.
Hyewoon, who was looking at Jeongwoo’s deeply bowed head, also devoted himself to homework again. Sejong also became quiet likewise.
Jeongwoo, who he thought had been concentrating on studying, had been stuck on one problem since earlier.
Every time he read the problem, various words kept circling in his ears.
‘Doesn’t that hyung like you?’
‘We have no prejudice. Whoever you date, you’re welcome.’
‘You didn’t seem to dislike it either. Do well.’
His friends’ words like that.
‘Jeongwoo isn’t acting superior, he’s originally superior.’
‘Sorry. My friends went too far with their words.’
Things like Jihan’s voice.
The more he tried not to concentrate on it, the thicker Jihan’s voice became.
Several days had already passed, but far from being forgotten, it was only vividly drawn like it happened just yesterday.
‘He’s not acting superior, he’s originally superior.’
‘…originally superior.’
When Jihan’s face taking his side became clear, a faint smile hung on Jeongwoo’s lips.
However, Jeongwoo didn’t even know he was smiling. Unfortunately, his friends couldn’t see it either since his head was bowed.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Chicken!”
“Jajangmyeon call?”
“Ah, why. Let’s eat chicken.”
“Let’s eat jajangmyeon.”
“Then why did you ask?”
Sejong and Hyewoon, who he thought were quiet, fought over the lunch menu.
Jeongwoo, who had been blankly looking at his problem book, raised his head at that sound. The lips that had softened had already returned to normal.
“Let’s eat pizza.”
“Pizza? Kwon Jeongwoo, you want pizza?”
“…eat whatever.”
He was going to say let’s eat anything, but why did pizza suddenly come out? Was it because he’d been thinking too much about Jihan? Why of all times was he remembering the pizza he ate with Jihan now?
Jeongwoo, who couldn’t bring himself to say it was because of Jihan, said to eat anything and lay down on the floor.
This was all because of Sejong and Hyewoon.
Wasn’t he bothered because they brought up that day whenever he was about to forget? Today was a bit strange even to himself.
His friends would tease him bringing up Jihan whenever they were bored, but why was that comment so bothersome and concerning especially today?
Jeongwoo just let out deep sighs watching his friends now fighting over pizza and chicken, hamburgers and jajangmyeon.
***
Jeongwoo felt like he was withering day by day. Part of it was because he’d been Jihan’s desk partner continuously since March due to the homeroom teacher who wouldn’t change seats.
Jeongwoo, who had spent an especially tiring weekend, dismissed his friends’ words as nonsense, but he couldn’t help being bothered by it.
It was something that would be fine if he just ignored it like usual, but why couldn’t he do that? Jihan was also to blame for this.
Once he became conscious of it, he noticed Jihan’s actions being considerate of him.
Like gathering friends on the completely opposite side instead of always meeting at the back of the classroom where Jihan and Jeongwoo’s seats were, or always coming to his seat alone. Come to think of it, last week, Jihan’s group, who had never submitted homework on time even once, had been submitting homework promptly.
Not only that, but even while playing with friends, if it seemed to get noisy, Jihan would watch Jeongwoo’s reaction.
Though there were many other friends who gave hints to be quiet, Jihan never looked at them once. He only watched Jeongwoo’s reaction, and if his expression seemed to stiffen even a little, he would take his friends outside the classroom.
Once one thing bothered him, things he hadn’t seen became visible.
The words that started as his friends’ joke had somehow turned into a serious matter for Jeongwoo.
“Jeongwoo, hi.”
Jihan, whom he met in front of the school gate, called Jeongwoo with a bright smile.
Today too, as expected, he had no tie. He who used to call him background check every time they met in the morning started calling him by name at some point.
Thinking about it carefully, it was after that day. That day when Jihan took his side. Just as the memory of that day was about to revive again.
“Where are you going without a tie?”
Jeongwoo erased the thought.
And naturally caught Jihan who was trying to enter.
“Being so strict between us. Just overlook it once.”
“No.”
Looking at the firm Jeongwoo, Jihan made a tearful face.
“Year, class, number, name.”
“You know it well. It would have been better if it was an answer.”
Jihan, who intercepted what Jeongwoo was going to say, laughed confidently. The expression that seemed to say ‘See, you know everything without me saying it?’ was like a child hoping for praise.
But Jeongwoo wasn’t someone who would easily give in to him asking to overlook it just once.
“Year, class.”
“3rd year, Class 5.”
“Just say the number and name too.”
“Moon Jihan. And memorize the number already. Zero one zero, four five.”
“That’s enough. Hey, you stand here.”
Jeongwoo, who put on a serious face, waved his hand with a fed-up face. It meant he didn’t even want to deal with him.
Ignoring Jihan who was in front, he called a junior who was behind. Then Jihan pouted his lips and grumbled.
The 1st year Disciplinary Committee member, who was coming because he was called by the Disciplinary Committee head, hesitantly approached seeing Jihan in front of Jeongwoo. To a 1st year, 3rd years were always difficult existences.
Jihan, who gave that 1st year a brief glance, turned his head sharply. Though brief, cold sweat ran down the 1st year’s back at the chilly gaze that touched him. His eyes drooped down wondering if he’d done something wrong.
“Jeongwoo, who are you looking at when I’m in front of you?”
“……”
“…S-sunbae-nim.”
At Jihan’s jealous remark, the air seemed to freeze.
The 1st year, who had been making a tearful face thinking he’d been marked by the delinquent 3rd year who argued with the Disciplinary Committee head every day, rolled his eyes around.
The delinquent senior glaring at him frightfully and the respectable senior who, though not warm, treated him kindly.
The 1st year caught between the two couldn’t even lift his head properly and was busy reading the room.
‘No matter how big a mistake I make, the Disciplinary Committee head has never been that stiffly frozen.’
The 1st year, who saw Jeongwoo with a scarier face than the delinquent-looking Jihan, wiped the sweat flowing from his forehead.
“That’s enough. You can go.”
Jeongwoo sent back the 1st year who was turning pale. Jihan’s face, watching the 1st year returning to his original place, relaxed considerably.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
