#22
This flow of consciousness led to curiosity. Simple questions like whether he was taking summer classes, whether roommates would change this summer vacation. If Taeseong said he was leaving the dorm, probably another roommate would come in during summer vacation, and unless Taeseong applied to be roommates with Bonoh again, there would be no chance of meeting as roommates.
“Ah. Joo Taeseong, are you moving out after finals?”
“…No?”
Taeseong, who had been hesitating about something, finally opened his mouth. He looked exactly like someone who had just made a fresh decision.
“Then are you also taking summer classes?”
“No.”
As far as Bonoh knew, Taeseong didn’t particularly work part-time jobs. He wasn’t taking summer classes, wasn’t working part-time, and it wasn’t like his home was overseas or in some mountain valley that would be troublesome to get to. But was there a reason to keep staying in the dorm? This costs money too. Moreover, if he left the dorm, he could naturally change roommates. Could it be that his efforts so far were bearing fruit? Suddenly his heart announced its location.
“What? Then why aren’t you moving out?”
“You seem to want me to move out?”
“If you move out, you move out, if not, then not—why are you asking me? And… hey, you said you wanted to change rooms!”
In the end, words that were subtly probing slipped out of Bonoh’s mouth. Taeseong blinked rapidly several times. Then he barely squinted his eyes slightly. It was clearly a reaction speed that showed he didn’t properly remember even the fact that he had said such things. Taeseong, who chuckled, said:
“Did that bother you that much? I don’t plan to change now. There.”
“No… Right. Fine.”
Bonoh couldn’t hide the lukewarm feeling creeping up. Always like that. Does he have to say those words like he’s doing charity? Bonoh absolutely couldn’t understand it, but he’d become somewhat accustomed to Taeseong acting like this. Just as Bonoh was about to let it go with resignation, he realized he’d fallen for Taeseong’s deflection skills again. Political Science and Diplomacy majors, really.
“So why aren’t you moving out? Isn’t money precious?”
“How much could that be… Don’t be annoying and go do course registration.”
Bonoh, who didn’t know the reason why Taeseong’s dorm life started, grumbled. Look at this Seoul bourgeois kid. If he said more, it would definitely look like only Bonoh was being obsessive. Even now Taeseong was waving his hand dismissively. With that gesture, Taeseong very easily made Bonoh into someone who clings to him strangely. Bonoh jumped in frustration. There was someone else who went to ask for a room change just for eating some ramen, so why was he the only one stamping his feet like this! Whether Bonoh made a fuss or not, Taeseong didn’t care and wiped the floor once.
Still, Taeseong had softened a lot. Was that really the same Joo Taeseong who had openly talked about wanting to change rooms right in front of Bonoh…? Emotion welled up at words that showed his efforts hadn’t been in vain.
“Course registration is tomorrow. It’s still far off.”
“Hardly far off. Then go study.”
After looking around the room that didn’t have a speck of dust left, Taeseong sat at his desk. Since it was none other than Taeseong, who studied every day, saying this, there wasn’t even room to argue.
Ugh. At a time when he should be studying like he said, where could he use all this energy he was spending worrying about Joo Taeseong? Now he was really going to stop caring. Even while knowing he’d already cared plenty enough, he pretended not to know. Bonoh shook his head and pulled out a bundle of handouts, drawing lots of circles around words he didn’t know.
***
“Yes!”
Since so many people retaking courses flock to these required liberal arts classes, Bonoh, who had been nervously waiting for 12 o’clock to do summer course registration, shouted as soon as he saw the registration confirmation window. When it actually came down to it, he’d probably beg to be killed saying he absolutely didn’t want to study, but he’d been afraid that opportunity wouldn’t even be given. Bonoh wasn’t the only one who came to eat and do course registration. Right next to Bonoh sat a comrade named Hyungwoo, holding a spoon.
“Did it work?”
“Yeah. Complete success.”
“Then eat some food now. I’m finishing everything by myself.”
“What about him?”
“Leave him alone.”
Hyungwoo was tapping the screen as if he might bury his face in his phone, not even seeming to hear that they were talking about him. Even from 100 meters away, it was the appearance of someone who had failed course registration. Bonoh, the victor, shook his head. Then, following Junghwan’s words as he tapped his meal tray in front, he began shoving rice into his mouth. The cafeteria food that was called pork cheese rice bowl but had nothing but onions went down well since he was in a good mood. It was a positive attitude that completely forgot the fact that his current schedule was so miserable it couldn’t even be compared to Hyungwoo’s.
“Sigh… But now that I’ve registered, it’s another headache. I never played properly during the semester, but I have to do this during vacation too. Even more intensely.”
“You don’t play? Hasn’t your department had its MT yet?”
“Of course we did. I just didn’t go. I’m all old and worn out, what MT? It’s not like I’m in student government. The mood would really improve if a returning student ajussi went. And I can’t go anyway—the kids milk how much I did CC before.”
In any group, there are kids who try not to talk about others’ personal affairs, but there are also bastards who milk it worse than bone broth saying they’ll tease them. And usually the latter types attend events without fail. For Bonoh, who was already sick of it, there was no reason to go.
“Ah, I acknowledge the CC. But if I went to MT despite being all old and worn out, does that mean I should go die?”
“Ah, business is a big department, so that’s fine. We’re a small department so all the rumors spread.”
Even while saying all sorts of things, Hyungwoo didn’t put down his phone and kept tapping it. Then Junghwan suddenly spoke as if he remembered something.
“Right, but there’s a department that had a huge incident because of MT.”
“Huh? What kind of incident?”
“Didn’t you say your roommate is Political Science and Diplomacy? Haven’t you heard anything?”
“I don’t know?”
Taeseong wasn’t the type to spill everything he knew to Bonoh in detail. Most conversations were conducted with Bonoh speaking at length and Taeseong very efficiently, or more precisely, Taeseong giving charitable responses. Thanks to that, he didn’t know much about Taeseong either, so there was no way Bonoh would know the trivial stories of the Political Science and Diplomacy department. Moreover, since Taeseong didn’t even go to MT, even Taeseong might not know. No, wait. Whatever the problem was, Bonoh could bet his hair that Taeseong didn’t know about it.
“What, Kim Bonoh, you don’t know? A while ago two guys got caught kissing in the bathroom after drinking and it was a huge incident.”
“What?!”
“No, humanly speaking, even if it was just a woman and man, rumors would spread everywhere, but since it was that, the school community really flipped upside down and it was chaos. I thought you’d obviously know, but you didn’t know this?”
“I don’t look at that stuff… people don’t talk about it, so how would I know?”
Even while responding to Hyungwoo, who didn’t pretend to listen when talking about himself but ghostily butted into stories like this, he was bewildered. For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was Taeseong’s disgusted face. Only then did he finally have some thoughts.
Wow. Bonoh at least had the military to escape to. But wouldn’t that level require almost dropping out? Bonoh felt both pity and amazement. How could someone think to kiss a man even while drunk? Or were they originally dating? Whatever it was, it was definitely an extraordinary incident.
“It is pitiful. How do they attend school now?”
“What’s pitiful about it, they brought it all on themselves. The kids who witnessed it are the pitiful ones. Why did they have to do it in the bathroom, disgustingly.”
“That’s true too.”
“Oh oh. Found it. The one someone posted originally. Should I read it?”
He wasn’t particularly that curious and was just somewhat shocked, but completely regardless of Bonoh’s intentions, the post reading began.
“…Political Science and Diplomacy… a third-year and a freshman, …in the stall without even closing the door… Hey shit, everyone must have sobered up completely. At MT there would be tons of kids throwing up, but they thought to do it there? Anyway. Someone screamed so they separated… the mood was completely ruined and there was deadly silence until the next day… their excuse was that they were too drunk… no matter how drunk you are, does this make sense? They’re just gay, period. That’s what it says. And looking at the comments, the freshman ran away.”
“Oh. Right.”
“No matter how many times I hear it, it’s shocking.”
He felt bad for no reason. Of course, he didn’t feel great sympathy for those who committed indecent acts in public places, but he could clearly picture them receiving all kinds of abuse. Perhaps it was because he was hearing it from the perspective of someone who had experienced being an issue in his department once. He had various other thoughts, but there were no words worth saying out loud. Bonoh poked Hyungwoo, who was relaying the highly recommended comments one by one.
“So did your course registration succeed?”
“…I could take it next time, couldn’t I?”
“Fighting.”
“But is summer session important right now? Finals are important.”
“This guy makes people suffer like this again.”
One way or another, daily life rolled on like a hamster wheel. How much time had passed since midterms that he had to prepare for finals? While thinking he wished vacation would come, his eyes went dark thinking about taking summer classes during that very vacation. Alcohol… He craved soju, which he hadn’t been able to consume properly for various reasons. He should smuggle in some pack soju for once. If he got the chance, he’d offer it as a bribe to Taeseong again. Bonoh thought such thoughts as he combatively emptied his meal tray.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
