Seeing how stiffly he was frozen, my guess soon turned into certainty.
It bothered me that a guy who had everything going for him still hadn’t met someone to give his heart to and was stuck like this.
He might end up with Go Heemin, and it wasn’t like I could bring the two of them together myself, but I felt like he’d look better with a more relaxed expression.
I wasn’t the type to meddle in other people’s business, yet when it came to Min Siheon, I found myself stepping forward.
Maybe that was why, in that moment, I didn’t even remember that I was supposed to avoid getting involved with the sub-top.
By the time I came to my senses, I had already caused trouble. Without realizing it, I was holding out the cocoa I’d saved to drink after the exam toward Min Siheon, as if telling him to have it.
The brown can with its cute design caught Min Siheon’s attention. His eyes moved left and right, following the slight sway of the hand holding it.
He’s totally going to think I have the taste of a little kid.
A guy built like that, and every time he sees me I’m offering him chocolate—if someone suspected me of age regression, I wouldn’t even have an excuse.
The thought that I’d completely screwed up made my face burn bright red.
“You’re giving this to me too?”
“…Forget it if you don’t want it.”
Feeling the heat in my ears, I pushed the can toward Min Siheon.
I raised a hand to my mouth, pretending to study. It was really just to hide my face. I couldn’t help but lament my uncharacteristic behavior inwardly.
Then, the silent Min Siheon finally gave something resembling a reaction. He lifted a finger and tapped my shoulder lightly, then gestured as if to say we should talk.
“Huh?”
Stealing a nervous glance at him, I saw that Min Siheon was smiling. The corners of his lips curved a little more distinctly than the barely noticeable lift from before, forming a clearer arc.
If he smiled wide, he’d probably get dimples…. The skin lifting over his pale cheeks stood out.
As I stared at him blankly, Min Siheon met my eyes and quietly thanked me.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
“Uh, yeah….”
Seeing his softly crescent-shaped eyes, it felt like the warm scent I had always imagined from his doll-like face was drifting toward me.
So he can make expressions like this—what’s with how he’d been acting until now? I didn’t know the reason, but just as I’d thought, smiling suited him much better.
***
As if that moment marked the beginning of our connection, I started running into Min Siheon everywhere we went after that.
Our daily routes overlapped so much that it was hard to believe we hadn’t known of each other’s existence before.
First was the hallway in front of the department office. Then the lecture hall for a class we both took. The third time we met was in front of the university library, where I’d gone to study for exams.
I had just looked at the seating chart—all filled—and was about to turn around.
With several days still left in the exam period, I’d planned to study at school, but I must have been a step too late. There were no seats, so it looked like I’d have to go home.
Letting out a sigh, I stepped back—and collided with someone entering the library.
Thud—. Maybe because he was big, I was pushed toward the ticket machine while the other person staggered a step back.
“I’m sorry!”
“…Cha Jungwoo?”
“What, it was you.”
At the familiar voice by my ear, I quickly looked up to check who it was. Standing there was Min Siheon, dressed far more simply than the last time I’d seen him—who knew where he’d left all his stuff.
The ivory knit sweater with the sleeves rolled up, and the silver-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, looked fantastic. I could see why he was a regular topic on Everytime.
As I blinked, Min Siheon slipped his phone into his pocket and stepped closer to me.
He even started the conversation first. Compared to our first meeting, it was a remarkable improvement.
“…Did you come to study?”
“Yeah, but there aren’t any seats. I don’t have class later today, so I’m just going to head home.”
As I adjusted the bag slung over my shoulder, Min Siheon glanced at the library entrance with a conflicted look.
“Looks like you got a seat. See you next time.”
It felt awkward to hold him up when he’d been about to go in, so I started to step away.
Whoosh—. A hand grabbed my shoulder. My vision spun for a moment, and I widened my eyes in surprise.
“…Cha Jungwoo!”
“Huh? Why??”
“Ah.”
Min Siheon, who stood before me, looked oddly flustered. He was the one who had grabbed my shoulder, yet he seemed more startled than I was.
For a while, he just stared at his own hand, unable to say anything.
What’s with him now? He’s seriously a strange guy. I waved my hand in front of his face. Then Min Siheon clenched and unclenched his hand, looking troubled.
“Hey, you startled me. …What’s wrong with you? You’re acting weird.”
“…Yeah, I know. That is weird.”
“What? I was just messing around….”
I didn’t know what he was thinking so hard about, but the atmosphere seemed looser than before.
I already knew that in moments like this, Min Siheon needed time. When I quietly waited, he looked at me again, showing he was willing to talk.
After several seconds of locked gazes, the lips of the man who’d been practicing silent meditation finally parted.
“…Want to go eat with me?”
“Out of nowhere?”
“Just… I want to treat you.”
For some reason, he looked just as impulsive as I felt. He seemed flustered by his own words, and I wondered if it would be better for me to turn him down instead.
“But weren’t you about to go into the library?”
“No, it’s fine. …I’ll grab my stuff and come out, so, uh, don’t go anywhere.”
Since I tried to phrase my refusal gently, Min Siheon hurried to speak as if telling me not to decline.
Then he left me there, bewildered, and went into the library.
For someone usually so composed, his movements carried an unusual sense of urgency. Figuring it must be my imagination, I called out to his retreating back.
“What? Hey, hey! Min Siheon! Are you seriously asking me to eat with you??”
Through the glass door, I saw him gesture for me not to go anywhere.
The motion wasn’t particularly large, but when he pointed at me and mouthed something, it looked like he was saying, Don’t move.
For a handsome guy who looked devoid of warmth, his actions were oddly friendly. Seriously, what a strange person.
“…Is he really asking me to eat? With me? Why?”
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to leave and just waited for Min Siheon to come back out.
After watching people pass by for a bit, Min Siheon emerged with his belongings.
He’d taken off his glasses, and the hem of the coat draped over his light-colored knit caught my eye.
Even coming to study, he gave off the aura of someone walking a runway.
“…You really stayed.”
“What do you mean? You told me to wait.”
He’d told me not to go, so I waited. Min Siheon looked almost pleased that I’d kept my word.
Well, not that he’d actually be happy about something like that. Embarrassed, I pretended to be nonchalant as I looked at him.
In the end, Min Siheon and I abandoned studying for exams altogether and headed to the restaurant district in Daehangno.
The place we visited was a Western restaurant popular with students these days. Judging from Min Siheon’s image, pasta or pizza seemed to suit him.
That was how we ended up deliberately going to a place I normally wouldn’t visit. Of course, that little secret was mine alone.
“I heard this place is good.”
“Really? Then let’s eat here.”
“But are you sure? I’ve got money too….”
“No, I want to treat you. I was the one who asked first.”
“You’re seriously generous.”
“It’s for all the… um, chocolate you’ve given me.”
“Min Siheon, you can make jokes? Guess we’ve gotten pretty close.”
Min Siheon seemed to realize only belatedly what he’d just said, his expression stiffening. But when I teased him, the conversation soon flowed naturally again.
“But hearing you mention chocolate changed my mind. Cancel that—I take back calling you generous.”
Jingle—. The bell above the door rang brightly.
Maybe because we came at an awkward time, we were able to enter without waiting, even though it was usually quite popular.
After glancing at the scenery outside the window, we sat where the sunlight streamed in.
“What do you want? They say this and this are good.”
“Hmm, I’m fine with anything.”
“Hey, you’re the one paying. At least pick what you want to eat.”
Even as I scanned the menu and recommended different dishes, Min Siheon kept looking only at me.
I’d known from the start that he was someone who moved at his own pace. But his behavior was so unconventional that I found myself treating him comfortably without realizing it.
As I pouted and grumbled, something flickered in his eyes.
His face was still impassive, yet the atmosphere was quite different from when I first met him.
No matter how I looked at it, Min Siheon was definitely suffering in college because of false rumors.
I made a quiet plan to subtly correct them someday.
Just then, a shadow fell over my head as a staff member approached. As I looked at the apron tied around their waist, the voice from above felt strangely familiar.
“What would you like to order, sir?”
“Uh, so, the tomato risotto and… Go Heemin?”
“Yes~ sir, I’m not on the menu. Tomato risotto and what else? Finish your order, Cha Jungwoo.”
Standing there with a notepad in hand, wearing the restaurant uniform, was Go Heemin.
Why is he here? Go Heemin hadn’t worked part-time jobs before. His sudden appearance puzzled me—only for another thought to take over.
Then… I unconsciously turned to look at Min Siheon, who was sitting across from me.
If this were the novel, this would be the first scene where the sub-top and the main bottom came face to face.
***
“Uh—oh! Just a second! I’m getting off!”
Lost in memories of the past, I suddenly realized we’d reached my stop. I must have gotten too immersed while thinking.
Startled, I practically leapt off the bus. The doors closed behind me at a narrow timing.
“The weather’s nice.”
For no reason, my heart raced under the clear sky. It was all because of that sky. Come to think of it, the days I ran into Min Siheon were always sunny.
I let out a small laugh, wondering if he was the type to carry the sun around with him. Then I headed toward the porridge place I’d looked up earlier.
I was going to order just one, but I didn’t want to be called heartless, so I packed a few more kinds that looked easy to eat.
Taking care of a sick guy caused a hemorrhage in my wallet. Still, thinking that it was for Min Siheon, it didn’t feel so bad.
Gripping the heavy bags in both hands, I hurried toward Min Siheon’s officetel. I was determined to feed him before the porridge got cold and then head to the library.
