Chapter 111
“Hah…”
Seokjae sighed at his throbbing head and pressed his temple with his hand. Strongly, to suppress the urge to go catch Muyoung right away without waiting for his return.
*Press. Pre-ess, press… press press press!*
His fingers, filled with emotion, pressed harder and more frequently. Pressing his temples alone wasn’t improving either his headache or his mood.
As the range expanded to include his brow and the corners of his eyes…
“Kuk… kukuk.”
Suddenly, laughter burst from Seokjae’s mouth. He found it absurd that he was experiencing a stress-induced headache.
“You’re making me go through all sorts of things.”
The experiences he was having for the first time because of Kang Muyoung’s existence weren’t just one or two. Reflecting on this fact anew, Seokjae made an odd expression.
He might be competitive, but he wasn’t attached. That was Tae Seokjae’s nature. Instead of wasting time fixating on what he couldn’t have, seeking something better would be more beneficial for the future.
‘I thought nothing in this world was irreplaceable.’
He had lived believing that everything in the world had substitutes, including not only material things but also friends, lovers, and even family. That’s why he didn’t care about worthless matters, and even if he became interested in something, he never looked back if he found it bothersome.
But meeting Muyoung turned his world upside down.
He realized that irreplaceable things existed, and experienced the irrational emotion of desperately wanting to look good in someone’s eyes even without any benefit. There were countless other small and large first-time experiences. So many that it would take considerable time to list them all.
Being swept up in these countless unfamiliar experiences, even someone as adaptable as him inevitably made mistakes. Quite frequently, too.
So he learned one fact: ‘Tae Seokjae becomes stupid when he’s with Kang Muyoung.’
Before, he hated that aspect of himself, thinking it made him look like an idiot, and was unnecessarily careful. But since their reunion, he didn’t think it was so bad. Because…
‘Kang Muyoung originally likes that side of me more anyway.’
*Slide-*
His thoughts were cut off by the sound of the door opening.
Looking immediately toward the door, he saw Muyoung peeking his head through the open doorway. After looking around for a moment, he seemed to notice the figure sitting in the middle of the classroom and flinched. It was the reaction of someone who didn’t expect anyone to be awake.
Seeing him standing at the doorway without entering the classroom, it seemed he had indeed been up to something. As Seokjae opened his mouth to say something with a sigh—
“Kang Muyoung, you—”
“Hyung! When did you wake up? Sorry, but could you come to the teachers’ office right now?”
Muyoung whispered, recognizing that it was him who was awake. Instead of looking guilty like a dog caught misbehaving, he was smiling brightly as if relieved that Seokjae was awake.
“……”
Surprised and puzzled by the unexpected response, Seokjae slowly blinked his eyes instead of answering.
“Umm… are you very tired?”
Misunderstanding Seokjae’s delayed reaction as being only partially awake, unlike his usual self, Muyoung fidgeted and drooped his eyebrows into a worried expression.
“No, no. I’ll come.”
Judging by the fact that he was wearing a desperately apologetic expression but not saying ‘it’s okay, go back to sleep,’ it must be quite an important matter. Seokjae temporarily put his scolding plans on hold and slowly got up. He pointed to the two sleeping people.
“Should I wake them up too?”
“…uh!”
Muyoung’s mouth opened wide, apparently in panic at the thought of Seokjae waking the two. He seemed to have swallowed the sound by covering his mouth before making it.
Only after confirming that the two were still sleeping soundly did he remove his hand and whisper.
“No, no. Just you, hyung.”
“Just me?”
“Yes. I’ll go ahead and wait, so take your time.”
Muyoung hurriedly left, maintaining his smile until the end.
‘We seemed to finish all our conversations this afternoon, so is there something else to talk about? Or did he discover something else while going outside?’
Seokjae contemplated various possibilities while looking at the spot where Muyoung had disappeared. But from Muyoung’s earlier expression, which looked like the effect of a ‘hee-hee’ sound might float around it, nothing could be inferred.
‘What on earth is it?’
What could possibly make him that happy? Unable to grasp it at all, Seokjae unconsciously narrowed his brow.
“…Well, I’ll find out when I get there.”
After lunch, Seokjae, who had completely erased the fact that today was his birthday from his mind, headed to the teachers’ office without realizing until the end why Muyoung had secretly called only him.
*Thud.*
Stepping outside the classroom, Muyoung had already disappeared, presumably having reached the teachers’ office. Only Seokjae’s footsteps echoed through the corridor.
It was after walking just a few steps down the straight corridor. The nameplate that came into view gave Seokjae another question.
‘I don’t understand why he went ahead when it’s not even that far.’
It was literally just a few seconds’ distance. Moreover, as he approached closer, the door was closed. Despite knowing he was coming, Muyoung had deliberately closed it. Curiosity crept up.
“Maybe he found something good.”
Judging by actions alone, it was the typical pattern of someone calling to secretly share found goods. But Seokjae soon laughed with a deflating sound.
‘Kang Muyoung of all people? That can’t be. He’s expecting endlessly just because I chose him once today. He’s not some axe-obsessed patient.’
Seokjae sighed, admonishing himself for foolishly getting excited, and turned the doorknob. He wanted to see reality as soon as possible and end his misunderstanding, fearing that he would be disappointed despite anticipating that it would be nothing.
*Click.*
“Hm?”
*Click. Click.*
But the door wouldn’t open. He tried turning it again just to be sure, but it was stuck as if locked, not turning any further.
“What’s this?”
*Rattle, rattle!*
Had it rusted and become stiff? This time, applying more force and shaking it, the doorknob wobbled as if it might come off, and the door moved noisily as if there was an earthquake. Only then did a seemingly flustered voice come from inside the teachers’ office.
“H-hyung, is that you?!”
“Muyoung, this door seems broken. Can you try opening it from the inside?”
Seokjae spoke seriously, shaking the handle with enough force to break it, not even thinking that Muyoung might have locked it. At this, urgency was added to the voice.
“Ah, j-just a moment! Hyung! Right away— aack!”
“What was that sound just now?”
“It’s nothing! Wait, just a moment, really. I’ll open the door right now!”
He clearly made a yelping sound yet claimed it was nothing. Had he fallen while rushing to open the door?
The feeling that had been half curiosity, half interest—like chasing a hopping rabbit—vanished in an instant. His mind was filled only with concern for Muyoung’s condition.
*Click.*
Fortunately, not long after, a metallic sound like a lock being released was heard from inside.
*Patter patter!*
Followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.
“You can come in now!”
And finally, Muyoung’s permission came. Seokjae noticed that there seemed to be a hint of suppressed laughter in that voice.
‘Ah, could it be that he called me in the middle of the night because he wanted to play a prank?’
A chuckle escaped at the belated thought.
‘So his sudden departure wasn’t to go outside but to check out toys in another classroom? If that’s really the case, I should properly evaluate it.’
Whether his postponed disciplinary plan would proceed or be canceled would depend on how satisfactory Muyoung’s prank was to his heart.
‘Still, it’s a good thing that he’s comfortable enough with me to play pranks. I should at least respond properly. Should I just pretend to be surprised?’
He had essentially likened Muyoung, who would be waiting inside, to a cat hiding to surprise someone. Thinking of giving an appropriate reaction so Muyoung wouldn’t feel dejected, Seokjae turned the doorknob gently, unlike how he had shaken it roughly earlier.
*Creak-*
The door opened slowly. Where would the toy that would surprise him jump out from? As Seokjae was rolling his eyes with an inward smile, a reddish light approached his face from the dark office interior.
“…!”
Recognizing what it was, Seokjae’s eyes widened and he froze.
“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Dear Seokjae hyung~ Happy birthday to you~!”
“……”
“Ahem! Now make a wish and blow out the candles quickly! Oh no, the candles are melting!”
At his urging, Seokjae blew out the candles like a robot following commands—*whoosh*.
Letting out a small cheer instead of applause—”Yaay”—Muyoung placed the cake made by stacking three chocolate buns on the desk and quickly turned on the lights.
“Wait a moment. That’s not all!”
Then, while Seokjae still stood motionless at the doorway, he took out a bouquet hidden on a chair and held it out.
“This is your gift!”
Earlier it was a reddish light. Now Seokjae’s vision was filled with a red hue.
The red flower with round petals layered upon one another, and below, the red ribbon awkwardly tied around the stem. Though slightly clumsy, it had a proper gift-like appearance proportional to the effort put in.
However, Seokjae’s eyes were fixed not on the flowers boasting their brilliant colors, but on the pale face behind them.
