“Same. Calls, then KakaoTalk when blocked, then new IDs. After the kiss, he acts like we’re dating—even remembers anniversaries.”
“Anniversaries? Ugh… Reporting him would be best, but it’s not easy.”
“Right.”
I’d struggled to report my stalker. A 194cm guy walking into a police station saying, “I’m being stalked,”—would they even take me seriously? And it’s not like the stalker was a woman. I shook my head in solidarity.
We finished eating. I stood, dizzy from the alcohol. Heon caught me.
“Whoa… Sorry. I’m lightheaded.”
“Hyung, you okay?”
“Yeah. Just drank too much. I can walk.”
“Not all strong drinkers are monsters. I should’ve stopped you. Here, lean on me.”
He helped me to the register. I insisted on paying, shoving my card at the cashier.
“Tch. I’ll pay.”
“Then I’ll get the next one.”
“No. Hoobaes are supposed to be spoiled. You can buy for the freshmen later.”
I grinned, took the receipt, and we left. I patted my pockets for cigarettes.
“Damn, forgot them. I need one after drinking.”
Heon, who’d gone back for my bag, asked, “Looking for cigarettes?”
“Yeah, but I don’t have any.”
“Want me to get some?”
“I’ll go.”
“You paid for dinner… and you’re drunk. Sit. I’ll be back.”
“Then give me your bag.”
We sat on the bench outside the restaurant. Heon’s broad back disappeared into the convenience store. I shivered in the autumn chill, coughing.
The university area was noisy. A group of drunk girls laughed nearby. One caught my eye—a short-haired girl in a black off-shoulder top, stunning even among her friends. It’s natural to look at pretty girls, right?
They whispered, then turned to me, smiling.
Ah. This feels familiar.
I pretended not to notice.
She tucked her hair behind her ear. I fought to keep my smile in check.
“Excuse me.”
“…Yes?”
Maybe it was the alcohol, but this felt like hunting. She held out her phone.
“I like you.”
“…Oh.”
“Can I have your number?”
Wow. Bold. Cool. I took her phone, mesmerized, and typed in my number—Baek Siwoo—carefully. She smiled at my name.
“Oppa, you take TOEIC classes?”
“Huh? Yeah. How’d you know? Wait, are you in my class?”
“I’ve been watching you since class started. I worked up the courage to ask for your number. Don’t ignore me later, okay?”
Ignore her? Impossible. She was gorgeous and confident. Only an idiot like Jin-wook would ignore her.
I nodded slowly. “I won’t.”
She giggled. “I just called you. Your number should be popping up… Call me tomorrow, okay?”
She held out her pinky. A promise. Cute.
I stared, swallowed, and touched my chest. I think… I was smitten. My heart raced. When was the last time I’d felt like this? Since the TA noona?
I hooked my pinky with hers, about to ask her name—
“Hyung.”
Heon’s voice snapped me back. I pulled away, flustered.
Heon strode over, long legs carrying a pack of Esse Change, a hangover cure, and warm soy milk.
“Who are they?”
“Ah! This girl—she’s in our TOEIC class.”
“…Why are you with her?”
Too embarrassed to say she asked for my number, I hesitated. She spoke up.
“I got Siwoo oppa’s number. I like him.”
“…”
“My friends are waiting. I’ll go. Call me.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
She left. I stared at my phone. She’d actually called. I’d just been hunted.
My face burned. I grabbed the hangover cure and pressed it to my cheek. Was this real?
“Hyung.”
“Huh? Yeah?”
“Your face is red.”
I fanned myself, laughing awkwardly. “It’s been a while.”
“Happens often?”
“Not often, but sometimes… Wow, this feels good.”
“Lucky… I wish I got hunted.”
“Haven’t you?”
“Never.”
“Really?”
Honestly, I barely heard him. Her face lingered in my mind.
I should’ve asked her name. She was so cute.
After a while, I calmed down and drank the hangover cure. I felt like I was walking on clouds. I lit a cigarette—Esse Change, just like Heon brought.
“How’d you know I smoke these?”
“…”
No answer. I looked up. Heon was staring into the distance. I followed his gaze—nothing there. He blinked and looked at me.
“What?”
“How’d you know I smoke Esse Change?”
“Huh?”
“Esse Change.”
“You always smoke them after basketball practice.”
“I thought you didn’t smoke.”
“I quit. I can tell by the filter.”
“Oh.”
I lit the cigarette, not thinking much of it.
Heon’s gaze lingered on the empty space. I was too distracted by the hunting to notice.
All I could think about was calling her first.
***
Darkness.
I stood in a long, dark corridor—like the inside of an animal’s gut. The walls pulsed, slick and disgusting. I wanted out.
Why was I here? Why did I have to stay?
I walked forward. The darkness lifted slightly, but the path looped like a Möbius strip. After the second loop, I realized: I was trapped.
Cold skin, coated in thick mucus. The stench made me gag. I curled up, hiding my face in my knees. The floor squelched, licking my feet, pulling me down.
Something wrapped around me—like pig intestines—squeezing, suffocating.
I thrashed, reaching for air. The distant light vanished.
Blackout.
I gasped awake, shielding my eyes from the harsh bulb. The intestines still clung to my memory. I realized it was just a white blanket.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
