Was it that obvious from his expression?
Kim Yeo-jin looked at Go Hoon with eyes that seemed quietly desperate, as if she were afraid he might say no.
Go Hoon stayed silent, lost in thought. He couldn’t say he was close to Kim Yeo-jin—far from it—but from what little he’d seen, she didn’t seem like the type to willingly set up a drinking date with Park Ki-cheol on her own.
Which meant the situation was likely exactly what he imagined: Park Ki-cheol must’ve pestered her until she gave in. She probably tried to turn him down politely, but it hadn’t worked out the way she hoped.
He could picture the whole thing perfectly. Even more so because he knew what kind of person Park Ki-cheol was. This was exactly the scenario he’d been dreading.
And from Kim Yeo-jin’s side, it had to be just as uncomfortable. Some guy she wasn’t interested in kept hovering around, and she couldn’t bring herself to give him a firm no.
Knowing all that, Go Hoon hesitated. He hated getting caught up in messy situations—especially if Park Ki-cheol was involved.
To top it off, he had to head into the factory later that night. It wasn’t like he had time to be hanging around for drinks. No matter how he looked at it, stepping in would only complicate things for him.
He kept his mouth shut and stared at her with a detached expression—just as the very person they both wished would stay away showed up.
“Yeo-jin.”
With a voice slick as oil, Park Ki-cheol appeared. Kim Yeo-jin visibly flinched and turned around. Then she stole a glance in Go Hoon’s direction.
“What the hell? You were here with Go Hoon?”
As he approached, Ki-cheol’s expression darkened.
“Uh, we just ran into each other and were talking for a bit,” Yeo-jin said quickly, like she was trying to explain.
Standing beside her, Go Hoon kept his gaze fixed on Park Ki-cheol.
So this bastard doesn’t have time to do any research for the project, but he’s got plenty of time to get drinks with girls? Bet the group chat’s still got unread messages piling up.
“Hmph, well. Nice seeing you. Go Hoon, I’ll catch you later.”
With Go Hoon still saying nothing and simply staring, even Park Ki-cheol seemed slightly rattled. He offered a quick, awkward goodbye and reached out to lightly place a hand on Yeo-jin’s shoulder, guiding her away.
“Let’s go, Yeo-jin.”
“Ah… okay.”
As she was led off, Kim Yeo-jin kept glancing back at Go Hoon. She looked like a cow being dragged to slaughter, eyes brimming with quiet dread.
Or maybe more like Kkongddeok-i on the way to the vet for his neutering.
Go Hoon frowned. That desperate look in her eyes rattled him. There was no way he could ignore it—no way he didn’t see the silent SOS she was sending him.
“…Haah. Fuck.”
He exhaled sharply, braced his stomach, and raised his voice.
“Sunbae Ki-cheol!”
Park Ki-cheol stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him. Go Hoon strode over decisively and stepped in front of the two.
“Why don’t you buy me a drink tonight?”
“…What?”
Is this guy insane? That was the look in Park Ki-cheol’s eyes. Yeah, I probably look crazy. Hell, I feel crazy. As Ki-cheol stared at him in disbelief, Go Hoon stepped in even closer and grabbed his arm.
“Come on. I really need a drink.”
His tone was firm, steady—too sincere to be brushed off. Park Ki-cheol scoffed in disbelief, letting out a sarcastic laugh before muttering in a mocking tone.
“Why the hell would I, you little shit?”
Why?
“No reason.”
There wasn’t a single legitimate reason for Park Ki-cheol to buy him a drink. But letting Kim Yeo-jin go with him wasn’t an option. That was it. Go Hoon didn’t have a plan—he was just acting on instinct.
“You screwing with me?”
Park Ki-cheol’s expression grew darker, more hostile. The look in his eyes made Go Hoon snap back to reality.
Begging a guy he couldn’t stand to buy him a drink—what the hell was he even doing?
Then his eyes met Kim Yeo-jin’s again.
She looked like she’d found a sliver of hope. Her eyes locked onto his, more desperate than ever.
“…I really need a drink tonight.”
Go Hoon echoed her gaze, replying slowly, deliberately. Park Ki-cheol stared at him like he’d finally lost it.
‘Screw it. Whatever happens, happens.’ Steeling himself, Go Hoon pressed on quickly.
“You said it yourself before, didn’t you? That we should grab dinner sometime to bond as teammates.”
“That was ages ago—”
Park Ki-cheol tried to push back, but Go Hoon cut him off.
“There’s been some tension between us lately. I figured it’d be good to clear the air over a few drinks… talk things out.”
Go Hoon kept rattling off lines he didn’t believe in.
But when Park Ki-cheol’s expression still didn’t budge, Go Hoon felt his pride start to crumble. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to take a step back.
“Also… I’d like to apologize.”
A string of curses almost slipped through, but he barely kept them in check. Right now, all that mattered was inserting himself into the situation—anything to keep the two from going off alone.
“…Apologize?”
Thankfully, the word apologize seemed to hit a nerve. Park Ki-cheol cleared his throat with a smug little ahem, clearly weighing it over. To him, this probably felt like a golden opportunity to inflate his bruised ego.
Still, no matter the circumstances, for Park Ki-cheol, booze and women always came first.
“Not tonight. Do it some other time.”
He tried to shake off Go Hoon’s hand, but Go Hoon tightened his grip.
“No. I really want to have a drink with you tonight, Sunbae.”
He clung, persistent. Ki-cheol clenched his jaw, starting to suspect Go Hoon was deliberately getting in his way. His expression began to twist.
“Hey, Go Hoon. You little shit, tonight I told Yeo-jin I’d—”
“I-I’m okay with it!”
Sensing the tension spike, Kim Yeo-jin quickly raised her voice. Park Ki-cheol fell silent and turned to look at her.
Their eyes met, and she instantly fell quiet, gaze dropping to the floor like a scolded child. It was obvious how much courage it had taken her just to speak up.
“Yeo-jin’s okay with it, so let’s go.”
Go Hoon seized the opening and took the lead without hesitation.
“S-Sunbae… let’s all just go together.”
Kim Yeo-jin added her voice, giving Ki-cheol’s arm a small tug and forcing a tight, awkward smile. With no way to refuse, Park Ki-cheol followed after them, wearing a face like he’d swallowed something foul. Beside him, Yeo-jin exhaled a quiet sigh of relief.
***
Even after they got to the bar and the drinks started flowing, Park Ki-cheol’s mood remained sour. Arms crossed, he sat glaring and launched into a string of nitpicking jabs at Go Hoon.
“This little shit struts around campus like he owns the place—never greets his Sunbae. And now, out of nowhere, he shows up to a drinking party he normally bails on? Must’ve cleared your busy schedule or something, huh?”
Every word oozed sarcasm.
“Exactly. A busy junior like me dropping everything to share a drink with my amazing Sunbae—don’t you think that’s sweet? Show a little appreciation.”
Go Hoon forced a polite smile, doing his best to stay composed. But Ki-cheol wasn’t done.
He launched into everything from “Still juggling two part-time jobs like some desperate cash rat?” to “Didn’t even spend a single won on your juniors in the military, huh? Guess that stingy streak never left.”
It didn’t stop. Every comment was designed to cut him down.
“Me? I’ve never been like that. I’ve always been generous. Always looked out for my juniors. Like now—buying drinks for everyone. What a great Sunbae I am, right? Don’t you think so, Yeo-jin?”
As he took digs at Go Hoon, he kept building himself up, obviously trying to impress Yeo-jin by comparison.
Go Hoon let it all roll off with a bland chuckle. Just like Park Ki-cheol’s gaze brimmed with spite, Go Hoon was far from enjoying himself. But he knew this wasn’t the time to pick a fight.
Not tonight. Not until he saw Kim Yeo-jin safely home. That was the only reason he came.
Call it meddling if you want—he didn’t care.
“I used to be way slimmer back in the day, Yeo-jin. I wasn’t bad-looking either, honestly. Even now—I’m like an unscratched lottery ticket, you know?”
As if the arrogance wasn’t enough, Park Ki-cheol started bragging about his so-called prime years—which no one here had seen—with all the self-satisfaction of a man still living in the past.
“Ahaha… really?”
“I’m serious. Want to see a picture?”
“Oh, uh… sure, sure. Let’s see it.”
Next to him, Yeo-jin forced another smile, doing her best to play along.
She shouldn’t have to. Go Hoon clicked his tongue silently, but he understood.
No one wants to be on a Sunbae’s bad side. Especially one like Park Ki-cheol. Life’s all about connections, after all—sometimes you hold your tongue and hope it pays off down the line.
As the two of them leaned over a phone, heads nearly touching, Go Hoon watched with mounting disinterest—until Park Ki-cheol locked eyes with him.
“Hey, don’t you have a shift at your part-time job?”
The look in his eyes made it clear—he wanted Go Hoon gone. But Go Hoon only pretended not to notice and dug in his heels.
“Nope. I’ve got the whole night free.”
He left out the fact that he was actually due at work at nine. If Ki-cheol found out, he’d just use it as an excuse to kick him out.
“What, seriously? But you’ve gotta stack that cash, right?”
Leaning in with that oily grin, Ki-cheol kept pressing.
The same old crap. Prodding at Go Hoon’s financial situation, trying to humiliate him. Go Hoon let it slide again.
“You’re the only one bringing money home, right? You little shit.”
But now it was starting to cross the line.
“This guy’s the breadwinner. A one-man household.”
Park Ki-cheol chuckled, looking straight at Kim Yeo-jin as he said it.
And in that moment, Go Hoon’s gaze turned cold.
