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My Soft Rice Cake 33

Take a look around. Everyone’s watching us.

Realizing what Go Hoon meant by his roundabout words, Park Ki-cheol finally glanced around, as if just now becoming self-conscious.

Ever since that outburst, the students had been sneaking glances in their direction. Some of them even seemed to know about the unpleasant history between the two and were whispering among themselves.

“Hey, you students over there. Is there a problem?”

Just then, a professor with his hands behind his back, surveying the room, seemed to sense the strange tension and turned his attention toward them.

“No, sir. There’s no problem,”

Bae Jung-yoon answered politely, then looked at Hoon. His gaze held a courteous plea: Let’s just drop it for now. The professor’s eyes also lingered on Go Hoon, as if checking to see if everything was truly settled.

“Just stay out of that bastard’s way from now on. If you run into him, treat him like a sunbae out of courtesy, but don’t take him seriously. Hoon, you avoid shit not because you’re scared of it, but because it stinks. Got it?”

He recalled Jo Seong-il’s advice. Hoon didn’t want to cause more of a scene either.

Yeah. He wasn’t avoiding this because he was scared. He was avoiding it because it was disgusting. Park Ki-cheol was shit. Big, filthy, reeking shit.

Besides, no matter how pissed off he was, he knew this was a high-risk bet. Even if Park Ki-cheol ended up in charge of the PPT or the presentation, it wasn’t like he’d produce anything worth using.

He must’ve gotten the message by now. Or at least, Hoon desperately hoped he had. Otherwise, they’d end up in a mess like two years ago all over again.

Go Hoon clenched his fist tightly, then relaxed it, repeating the motion until finally letting go of the tension.

“Fine. If you prepare the initial materials, we’ll go over them together during the meeting next Monday. After that, I’ll ask for any necessary additions.”

Go Hoon reluctantly agreed. The one in a bind should be the one working harder, after all. He was the one who needed the grade, so he’d just have to put up with some hassle.

“Tch, who died and made him team leader?”

Muttering to himself, Park Ki-cheol was completely ignored by Hoon, who instead turned to look at Kim Yeo-jin and Bae Jung-yoon in turn.

“Can you make it to the meeting next Monday?”

“Ah, yes. That works for me. I’ll have the materials ready.”

“Same here.”

Yeo-jin replied with an overly determined nod, and Jung-yoon accepted readily.

“What about you, sunbae?”

When Jung-yoon asked, Park Ki-cheol looked clearly displeased with the situation but let out a forced cough and nodded.

And just like that, Bae Jung-yoon was in charge of the presentation, Go Hoon was assigned the PPT and overall coordination, while Park Ki-cheol and Kim Yeo-jin would handle the research. The four of them exchanged contact information and created a group chat.

Honestly, it wasn’t a bad lineup—as long as you left out Park Ki-cheol. Clinging to this bit of optimism, Go Hoon heard the professor finally give permission for the groups that had finished their meetings to leave.

“Well, looks like we’ve covered everything we need to for today. Let’s wrap this up.”

Without hesitation, Hoon packed up his things and stood. At that, Park Ki-cheol quickly spoke up.

“Uh, hey. Now that we’re in the same group, how about grabbing dinner together? Good chance to bond, you know?”

After wrecking the mood like that, now he wanted to bond? What a joke. There was no way this was about “team bonding.” It was obvious he had some other agenda.

Go Hoon glanced at Kim Yeo-jin. She had no idea she was the target and looked around anxiously, only to freeze up slightly when her eyes met Hoon’s.

Judging by her reaction, she didn’t look thrilled about having dinner with this group either. Her expression said it all—she was already trying to come up with a polite excuse to dodge the “team dinner.”

And since he was already the one marked as the troublemaker, there was no harm in taking the hit again.

Turning to Park Ki-cheol, Hoon responded.

“Sorry, sunbae. I’m busy. Let’s just meet at next week’s team meeting. Thanks, everyone. I’ll head out first.”

“Uh… I-I actually have plans tonight too…”

Seizing the opportunity, Yeo-jin quickly stood up as well. Then she turned to Hoon and gave a small nod. “Thanks for your help.”

Go Hoon nodded back and left the classroom.

“That rude little shit hasn’t changed a bit.”

He could’ve sworn he heard Ki-cheol cursing under his breath behind him—but maybe that was just his imagination. Either way, Hoon brushed it off. Reacting to that guy every time would just be a waste of energy and emotion.

As he passed the throng of students and adjusted the strap of his bag, heading toward the stairs, a familiar voice called out from behind.

“Go Hoon.”

Without thinking, Hoon stopped and turned. Bae Jung-yoon was striding over, stopping right in front of him.

“Let’s get dinner.”

Go Hoon instinctively pulled out his phone to check the time. 4:50 p.m.

Why the hell is everyone obsessed with dinner today? It wasn’t even 6 yet.

Unlike that other guy with his transparent intentions, Jung-yoon’s face was unreadable—polished and emotionless. Hoon studied him for a moment before replying.

“Guess you didn’t hear what I said earlier.”

“You said you’re busy?”

It felt awkward to have dinner alone with him, so Hoon intended to come up with a smooth excuse. But before he could even try, Bae Jung-yoon approached with a sleek smile, as if he’d already seen right through the plan.

“You’re done with classes for today. And your part-time job starts at 9 p.m., remember?”

What the hell was with that attitude, like he knew Hoon’s entire schedule? Sure, most students wrapped up their classes around this time and either headed home or went out drinking early. But the way Bae Jung-yoon said it, it was like he really did know every detail of Hoon’s day, and that made his offer feel… unsettling. As Go Hoon frowned slightly, Jung-yoon stepped in and casually draped a firm arm over his shoulder.

“Come on. I’ll treat you to something good.”

Before he realized it, Hoon’s legs were already moving, following along without resistance. For someone who had tried to refuse, he gave in way too easily.

If you had to explain it, it was a kind of conditioned response. His body had grown too accustomed to being fed by Bae Jung-yoon—it was betraying his rational mind.

The moment he realized that, Hoon tried to plant his feet and stop. But his attention was swept away by something else entirely.

As the distance between them shrank, a sharp, clean scent filled his nose. Jung-yoon had apparently worn cologne today. From the proximity of their bodies, Hoon could catch a cool fragrance he’d never smelled on him before.

 

***

 

Go Hoon didn’t feel comfortable around Bae Jung-yoon.

After all, he was the very “Kkongddeok-i,” the beloved cat that Jung-yoon had been desperately searching for. Not to mention, he was also the one who had injured him—leaving a mark on his forehead and then vanishing.

He glanced at the fading scar on Jung-yoon’s forehead, just where the bandage had been removed. The once flawless face now had a blemish he’d put there, and that left him with a twinge of guilt.

Hurting him aside, what really made Hoon uneasy was that he still couldn’t figure out who Bae Jung-yoon truly was. He had seen another side to him—a side no one else seemed to know. The Bae Jung-yoon who had beaten someone to a pulp was a complete stranger compared to the one he thought he knew.

Granted, the guy who got beaten did deserve it. Choi Joo-won had used violence against a defenseless animal, after all.

But even so, that didn’t mean Jung-yoon’s actions were fully justified. The fact remained—he had been far more brutal than necessary.

Not even his closest friends would know that side of him. There wasn’t a single rumor or whisper about Bae Jung-yoon being violent. Not once had Hoon heard anything of the sort.

“Why aren’t you eating? This stuff’s good.”

As Hoon sat there staring at the food like he was performing a ritual, Jung-yoon raised an eyebrow.

“I’m going to eat.”

Go Hoon hurriedly picked up his spoon. But a sulky thought slipped through.

‘He said he’d treat me to something good. This is it?’

Hoon looked down at the bowl of cloudy broth, where slices of soondae floated quietly.

“This place is famous.”

Maybe he caught the disappointment in Hoon’s eyes, because Jung-yoon let out a short laugh and explained.

“I know. I used to come here a lot.”

He’d even eaten here the day before enlisting. The shop had a 60-year reputation for soondae-gukbap and served generous portions for only 6,000 won—a place known for great value.

The owner was a blunt, no-nonsense older woman who never bothered trying to charm her regulars. It was the perfect place to eat alone quickly and get out, which made it a go-to for solo diners—especially men.

Go Hoon blew on a spoonful of hot broth and took a sip. He had it often in the past, but maybe because it was his first bowl since getting discharged, it tasted even better than usual.

Still, he couldn’t shake his surprise at Jung-yoon’s choice of food.

Hoon always thought he had a clean—or perhaps picky—diet. Jung-yoon usually cooked for himself, even if it was something simple. He rarely ate out, never ordered delivery, and Hoon had certainly never seen him eat something like gukbap.

And yet, here they were, eating soondae-gukbap together.

“Why’d you suddenly want to have dinner together?”

Hoon asked as casually as possible. Maybe it was because he had so much to hide, but despite telling himself not to overreact, he found himself being naturally cautious about everything.

“We’re classmates. It’s nice to get along.”

Jung-yoon answered like it was the most natural thing in the world, as if he had no ulterior motive. But even after hearing that, Hoon couldn’t relax.

‘Was he always this friendly with people?’

He couldn’t tell. Sometimes, Jung-yoon seemed incredibly easygoing, and yet… the memory of that violent moment flashed through his mind, and Hoon’s guard shot right back up.

“You and Ki-cheol sunbae… don’t seem to get along.”

Snapped out of his thoughts, Hoon looked up. Jung-yoon had stopped eating and was staring straight at him.

Levia
Author: Levia

My Soft Rice Cake

My Soft Rice Cake

Status: Completed Author:
Go Hoon, a college student with no family and nothing but a sturdy body to his name. The morning after a drunken blackout, he wakes up to find he’s suddenly turned into a cat. “Hello, kitty.” To make matters worse, the one who picks up Hoon off the street is none other than his classmate Bae Jung-yoon. Caught off guard, Hoon ends up under Jung-yoon’s care. With celebrity-level looks, unmatched intelligence, and overwhelming wealth, Bae Jung-yoon seems to have it all. But the longer they live together, the more Hoon begins to see a darker, dual-sided nature behind that perfect façade. “I told you, didn’t I? More than anything, I hate it when people touch what’s mine.” Then one day, after finally managing to return to human form, Hoon successfully escapes Jung-yoon’s home without his knowledge. Relieved that everything is finally back to normal— that relief is short-lived. On the day he returns to school, he runs into Bae Jung-yoon on campus… “…Kkongddeok-i?” Somehow, it feels like Bae Jung-yoon recognizes him.

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