Gentle Giant Chapter 84
Juho checked the text on his phone and pressed the call button.
“Yes, Managing Director Kim.”
-Hello. I apologize for calling so late in the evening.
“Not at all. What’s the matter?”
-I’m calling about what you requested a few days ago. Among the list the Chairwoman gave, the earliest date for an appointment is next Monday. What would you like to do?
“Ah.”
He had forgotten. Because Dain suddenly got hurt, his hormone problem had been completely erased from his mind. Juho organized his thoughts briefly before continuing.
“I’m not in a situation where I can be away all day right now. It’s not urgent enough that I’ll collapse immediately, so please arrange for an appointment about 2 weeks later.”
-Yes. That’s not difficult, but since you said you’ve been unstable lately. Two weeks is quite a long time, will you be alright?
“I’ll be fine. If it gets worse in the meantime, I’ll contact you again. And I’m planning not to come to work next week.”
-Pardon…?
Managing Director Kim answered with a flustered voice at Juho’s sudden statement.
Juho didn’t want to leave Dain alone. There would already be many inconveniences, and he was already worried that Dain might harm his health studying for midterms. Even today, he couldn’t concentrate at all while working.
“If there’s any necessary work, please send it by email.”
-Then are you planning to be away just next week?
“For now.”
-Yes, understood. I’ll relay this to each department.
“Then.”
After ending the call, Juho headed home with a relieved feeling. Now he could stay by Dain’s side without leaving.
When Juho opened the door and entered, Dain came running to the entrance.
“Juho, what did the company say?”
“Ah. Hyung, it’s good news.”
“Good news?”
Dain’s eyes widened. What good news could there be to tell at this late hour? As a student, Dain couldn’t predict anything.
Seeing Dain stamping his feet impatiently as if telling him to hurry up and say it, Juho let out a slight laugh.
“They told me not to come to the company and to study since it’s midterm period.”
“What?”
“Our company is really good, isn’t it?”
“Oh! It really is good! They called directly just to tell you that?”
“I guess so. They said they couldn’t tell me today because I left work early.”
“Wow!”
An exclamation burst from Dain’s mouth. What kind of company was it that found him a house, took care of his vacation days, and even contacted him separately to study for midterms instead of coming to work?
Come to think of it, he didn’t remember ever hearing which company Juho worked for.
Before forgetting again, Dain quickly asked Juho.
“Juho! What’s your company’s name?”
“Huh?”
“No, the company seems really good but I’ve never actually heard the company name.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
“Yeah! Where is it?”
Dain waited for an answer from Juho’s mouth with sparkling eyes.
If Juho looked good at the company now, he might even be able to get a job there. Though it would be premised on wrapping up his life in America first. Dain drank several bowls of kimchi soup in his mind.
“Mm, hyung probably doesn’t know it. It’s a small company.”
It wasn’t the answer he had expected. Dain quickly patted Juho’s back because his expression didn’t look good when he said it was a small company.
Did he hurt his boyfriend’s feelings by asking about the company for no reason?
Dain started comforting Juho.
“It’s okay! Even if it’s a small company, they treat you well, and looking at it, the benefits are really good too?”
“That’s true but.”
“That’s enough! Why are you being gloomy? Brighten up your face, okay?”
Dain, who had completely misunderstood Juho’s expression, busily circled around him. He didn’t know that Juho was holding back laughter because he found such Dain cute.
How could he be so innocent?
Juho grabbed both of Dain’s cheeks and pressed his lips all over his face. At Juho’s sudden display of affection, Dain’s face heated up and his eyes just rolled around.
Seeing Juho smiling with his eyes as if he had never been serious, Dain’s startled heartbeat quickly found its place.
“Juho, don’t worry. Hyung can support you.”
“Ahem, even if I can’t get a job at a big company?”
“Of course, what does that matter! Juho, you can just do what you want to do!”
Dain spoke with slurred pronunciation because of his cheeks being held by Juho.
Hearing a satisfactory answer, Juho smiled so widely his cheeks puffed out.
Seeing that, Dain became even more fired up about exam preparation. He had to work hard to support Juho!
Juho would be fine even if he did nothing and just smiled prettily by his side like this. He might have the fate of living off his face.
Dain interlocked fingers with Juho’s hands that were still holding his face and headed to the desk. His steps overflowed with motivation to study all night.
“Let’s study quickly, Juho. I think I’d be fine not sleeping for 3 days right now.”
“Hyung, hyung! You still need to do ice treatment! You stopped earlier!”
“It’s okay, the swelling is all gone now. Actually, your hands are warmer, aren’t they?”
Dain, who was speaking while laughing, felt something strange and lifted Juho’s interlocked hand to eye level. Juho’s hand was definitely hotter than usual. Looking at his face with surprised eyes, both his cheeks had also turned reddish.
Dain, who had stopped walking toward the desk, showed a worried expression on his face.
“Juho, are you feeling unwell? You seem to have a fever, your cheeks are red too!”
“Ah, really?”
“Yeah. Want to lie down and rest?”
“I’m not sick. I think it’s because I kissed hyung.”
At Juho’s cheeky answer, Dain’s earlobes instantly turned red.
“I-is that so?”
“Yes. Hyung’s here and here turned red too.”
Juho slyly rubbed near Dain’s ears. Dain shrank his shoulders at the ticklish touch.
Juho’s hand touching Dain’s ear was still hot.
* * *
“This concludes Group 6’s presentation. Thank you for listening.”
Minjun, who had been presenting with a pleasant voice, bowed his head for a closing greeting. Dain, who had been nervous throughout the presentation, also bowed following Minjun.
When the presentation ended, some students clapped, and the professor in charge also clapped briefly with a satisfied expression.
During the following Q&A time, the expected questions they had prepared together as group members came up, so they could answer without being flustered.
“It must have been difficult to prepare during midterm period, but you did well. Good work.”
“Thank you!”
“Let’s end today’s lecture here, and next week will be Groups 7 and 8’s presentations.”
With the professor’s announcement, everyone stood up from their seats.
As the professor said about overlapping with exam period, dark circles had deeply settled on the students’ faces.
This was the same for the group members including Dain. Especially Dain, who almost pulled all-nighters during exam periods, felt like about half his soul had left his body.
Still, he felt good because the presentation he had been most worried about seemed to receive good evaluation. Now if he just finished the afternoon exam well, he could wrap up midterms.
“Good work, you really presented well!”
Jiyoon gave thumbs up with both hands toward Minjun. Minjun’s claim during the early stages of the group project that he was good at presenting was true. Dain also chimed in agreement with Jiyoon’s words.
Hearing the storm of praise from the two, Minjun’s eyes, beaming with joy, turned to Sujeong.
“Don’t you have anything to say?”
“No? Presenting was originally your job anyway.”
“Really! Even so, huh? You don’t even say ‘good work’!”
“I worked hard too, Jung Dain sunbae-nim worked hard too, Han Jiyoon hoobae-nim worked hard too. It wasn’t just you.”
“That’s true but it’s annoying, you.”
Minjun glared at Sujeong. Jiyoon and Dain standing beside him also inwardly agreed with Minjun.
Still, being able to bicker and laugh like this was thanks to successfully completing their group project.
Dain packed his bag with a relieved heart. He was thinking of going to the library to prepare for his next exam. But Jiyoon, who was watching Dain, quickly grabbed his shirt.
“…??”
Dain’s eyes alternated between looking at his stretched shirt and Jiyoon’s fingers holding it.
Jiyoon met Dain’s eyes and laughed “hehe.” It seemed like she had something to say.
“Jiyoon? Why?”
“Sunbae-nim, should we have lunch together as an after-party? We finished our group project so well!”
“Huh, lunch?”
“Yes! How about it??”
At Jiyoon’s suggestion, Dain made an apologetic expression and shook his head.
“I have an exam in the afternoon too, so I need to go study right away without eating lunch. What should I do? Sorry.”
“Ah, I see. That’s a shame.”
Jiyoon couldn’t hide her disappointed expression. Dain felt regretful too, but he couldn’t give up exam preparation.
“Then how about dinner?”
Sujeong, who had been silently watching the two, stepped forward. He was an unexpected person.
To confirm if he really said that, Dain turned around with wide eyes. Minjun was also looking at Sujeong with round eyes.
Since the others didn’t show any particular reaction, Sujeong scratched his nose tip as if embarrassed.
“I guess everyone dislikes dinner?”
“Oh, no! I like dinner! How about you, Dain sunbae?”
“Mm, I think dinner would be okay for me too.”
“Then I vote for dinner too!”
Finally, Minjun agreed as well.
After somehow making dinner plans with his group members, Dain headed to the library. Jiyoon was with him.
“Dain sunbae probably can’t drink alcohol because of your fracture, right? Let’s go drink beer next time when your hand heals!”
“Yeah, alcohol probably isn’t good for bone healing.”
“Right? Ah! And the school festival starts next week! It’s my first festival since coming to university, so I’m really looking forward to it. If you have time, would you like to go around with me?”
Looking at Jiyoon’s expectant eyes, Dain only gave an awkward smile.
“What should I do, I probably won’t participate in the festival…”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
