#71
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As the festival approached, he could feel the school atmosphere becoming excited. Students from each department seemed busy preparing for the festival. Just yesterday they had been setting up tents, and on his way here he saw plastic tables and chairs placed under the tents.
Bonoh sat in the back row of the lecture hall and looked down out the window. Several students were crouched on the ground pasting papers. They were probably papers with arrows drawn on them, guiding the direction to the drinking booths.
The students sitting in the lecture hall also seemed to have a higher proportion than usual who couldn’t concentrate on class. Their attire was different from the start. Except for a few, everyone clearly showed they had dressed up considerably.
Sitting in the back row, he could see the laptop and tablet screens nakedly. Without exception, they were all chatting on messengers or doing other things. The professor seemed to read the atmosphere and cleared his throat, but when it had no effect, he had no choice but to continue with the class.
Bonoh was one of those students too. Usually he was the type who tried to listen to lectures, but today he couldn’t. Because today was the day the school festival began, and he had arranged to meet Taeseong after class ended.
Bonoh had decided to confess to Taeseong during the festival period. The problem was that he still hadn’t decided when, where, or how to confess. If they had met outside school, he would have looked into restaurants with good atmosphere first, but since they were meeting to enjoy the festival, he’d be fortunate if they didn’t just grab meals from food trucks or drinking booths.
Even if he suggested going out to eat, he couldn’t think of any excuse to suddenly take Taeseong to a romantic atmosphere restaurant.
On top of that, what to say when confessing was also a problem. Should he first say that he likes men, or should saying “I like you” come first? He couldn’t think of any decent confession lines either.
What should I do? Bonoh’s leg trembled anxiously. Then he felt the gaze of the person sitting next to him looking over, so he pressed his thigh with his hand to stop his trembling leg.
Taeseong checked the time. When it was time for Bonoh’s class to end, he looked around searching for Bonoh. A festival – not only students but outsiders were crowding in, so even though it was still early, there were many people.
There were several people nearby who hesitated and then shyly approached trying to hold out their phones, but when Taeseong looked at them with an irritated, scrunched-up face, they disappeared without speaking to him.
What wind was blowing that made Kim Bonoh suggest going to the festival together? There were many people and it was noisy, making him feel tired already. If Kim Bonoh hadn’t asked, it was a festival he wouldn’t have glanced at until graduation.
Taeseong was a diligent student who rarely skipped classes. However, during festival periods, he was often seized by the urge to create his own free periods. The entire school was scattered and the rapidly increasing population density made stress shoot up just from entering campus.
Taeseong tried to contact Bonoh on his phone. If Kim Bonoh came, he felt like he could endure all of this.
“Ah.”
Just when he was about to get irritated anyway, someone rammed into Taeseong from behind with their body. Fuck, really. From the direction of force and the impact delivered, it was clearly intentional.
Taeseong was someone who didn’t even use public transportation because he hated bumping into people. Every time he bumped into someone, his insides twisted. There were occasionally people who deliberately bumped bodies while pretending it was a mistake. They were either the type who showed favor toward Taeseong or the type who picked fights because of his expression. Even if it was really a mistake it was annoying, but if it was intentional, it was even more unbearable.
Taeseong turned around without hiding his expression distorted with anger. Whoever it was, you’re dead, that was his feeling.
“Hey, Joo Taeseong! Hehe.”
“…Oh.”
“Huh, are you mad by any chance? Did I hit too hard… me?”
“No. I was lost in thought.”
The person who had bumped into him with their whole body was Bonoh. Taeseong, whose rising anger instantly subsided, hurriedly composed his expression. It didn’t require much effort to arrange his expression either. The moment he saw Kim Bonoh, his distorted expression naturally smoothed out.
If it had been someone else, maybe not, but if it was Kim Bonoh, the story was different. Looking back on it, it didn’t seem like he had bumped that hard either.
No, even if he had, it wouldn’t have mattered. Taeseong wasn’t unpleasant at all about physical contact with Bonoh. Rather, it was the opposite. It meant that Kim Bonoh considered him close enough to play around like this. Thinking that way, laughter seemed about to leak out. Now Taeseong had to manage his expression for a different reason.
If he was this happy now, what would it be like if they actually dated?
Kim Bonoh was the person closest to Taeseong and the person he was most concerned about. For Taeseong, Kim Bonoh was the only such person. However, for Bonoh, there were already two friends that Taeseong knew of, and many other people he got along well with. Bonoh had a good personality and flawless appearance, so anyone would find him likeable.
Suddenly Taeseong thought it was really fortunate. The fact that he was Kim Bonoh’s dorm roommate. If someone other than himself saw Kim Bonoh defenseless right after showering, if Bonoh lived in the same room with someone else given how casually he acted.
It was horrible to imagine Bonoh doing with someone else the things he had done with him. Just as Kim Bonoh was that way for him, Taeseong wanted to be the only person for Bonoh too.
Taeseong, who had been looking at Bonoh smiling sheepishly, glanced around. It was bustling and chaotic with people. Neither the atmosphere nor the timing was good. He had resolved to confess to Kim Bonoh, but the festival wasn’t an appropriate place. If nothing else came up, he should say it after the festival ended, when they were alone together in a quiet place, Taeseong thought to himself.
Most of the food truck foods were terrible. The drinking booths run by departments or clubs still only had menus suitable as side dishes rather than meals, even after regulations on alcohol sales were implemented. This was because convenience stores on campus sold alcohol. Students brought alcohol from convenience stores or outside and ended up drinking at the drinking booths anyway.
If they wanted to drink, they would have gone to a drinking booth, but Kim Bonoh said he wanted to see performances, so they simply settled their meal with food truck foods. Even when they stood in line in front of the food truck, Bonoh had looked at the long line and was full of anticipation that it would be delicious. But when he actually received the chicken gangjeong, it was closer to nuggets sprinkled with mustard and chicken seasoning sauce rather than chicken gangjeong.
Kim Bonoh ate even that deliciously. Taeseong wasn’t particularly drawn to it due to hygiene concerns, but ate more because Bonoh seemed to be checking how much he was eating from beside him. He didn’t forget to reassure Bonoh with insincere words that it was edible.
Whether excited by the festival or what, Kim Bonoh was acting strangely suspicious somehow. He kept being mindful and acting anxious, but since Taeseong had seen this behavior several times before, it didn’t particularly concern him. If it had been a few months ago, Taeseong might have gotten nervous too, thinking “Bonoh seems like he’s going to confess to me.” However, there had already been several occasions where it passed without incident.
Taeseong and Bonoh entered the main athletic field. Despite there being plenty of time until the performance, the field was already bustling with people trying to secure good spots. The field that was usually only used by people playing soccer had been transformed into quite a decent outdoor performance venue thanks to the prepared stage and equipment.
Behind the stage, a large LED screen was installed, and on both sides of the stage, two slightly smaller electronic displays were positioned. The screen filmed by relay cameras set up in front seats far away was being broadcast in real-time on the electronic displays.
Music was flowing from the speakers, but the sound quality had the distinctly amateur feel characteristic of university festivals. The sound wasn’t clean, but even that aspect seemed to match the free atmosphere of the festival.
On the stage not captured by the relay cameras, several people were moving busily checking something. The stage was too far away for Bonoh to distinguish whether they were professional staff or student council members preparing the festival.
The stepped cement stands on one side of the field were already crowded with students. There were people sitting on the stands leisurely having conversations or looking at their phones, and people who had placed bags to save seats for friends. Though the start of the performance was still far off, the field’s atmosphere was elevated with anticipation.
Should we have come earlier to secure seats? Bonoh anxiously looked around searching for better seats. However, seeing people already standing densely packed near the stage, he gave up. Thinking of Taeseong being among them already made him feel uncomfortable.
Bonoh recalled the gazes that had been directed at Taeseong until now. With his already striking appearance and tall height, he stood out even more. Taeseong was someone who inevitably attracted attention just by being still, and Bonoh empathized with that point more than anyone. You were surprised seeing him too, right? I was like that at first too. No, I’m still often surprised…
Being with Taeseong as company, his shoulders would slyly rise with pride. However, he felt anxious because of several people approaching to ask Taeseong for his number. Part of it was worry that Taeseong might give out his number, but when he thought about it, he himself wasn’t much different from those people.
Though he planned to confess, Bonoh wasn’t confident. Bonoh’s goal wasn’t to become Taeseong’s boyfriend, but to not receive contempt from Taeseong. Of course, it would be better if he became Taeseong’s boyfriend.
But when others tried to talk to him, Taeseong was displeased, and when they asked for his number, he got angry asking why they were trying to dig into his personal information. He had the personality to make even people who approached him based on his appearance hesitate. You were surprised too, right? I’m often surprised too… Bonoh sent pitying glances to those people.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
