#032
“Huh, Jiwoon’s going?”
“Yeah.”
“Jiwoon, Jiwoon, what’s the occasion?”
Jiwoon walked ahead without answering. Rather than being left alone at the table with just Yechan, it was better to do something bothersome that he had no interest in.
“No, crazy! What! Yoon Jukyung, get away from me!”
“Why~~~. Minkyung, change me too!”
“Wow. Jukyung hyung is fast at running too.”
“Of course. He’s faster than me.”
Yoon Jukyung, who was chasing after Kyungjun like a demon to torment him while he was on the phone, looked quite like an evil spirit.
Seungwoo clapped his hands as if impressed by the sight. Choi Min, who was standing beside him, was also watching the amusing situation with an entertained expression.
Jiwoon sat on a bench positioned in one corner of the garden and rubbed his face with dry hands.
He could see cherry trees that had bloomed with green leaves. Suddenly, he remembered the day he first watched a movie with Yechan.
The day when cherry blossoms were fluttering, when Yechan had handed him candy as usual.
The sound of waves crashing could be heard in the distance. The sky was pitch black with not even the moon visible.
Jiwoon let out continuous sighs toward that sky. His head felt slightly foggy from the chaotic whirlwind of thoughts.
After taking deep breaths for a while, he finally felt his insides settle a bit. Jukyung, who had approached at some point, sat down next to Jiwoon.
“Jiwoon, Jiwoon. Are you having a hard time?”
“What do you mean.”
Jiwoon, who answered Jukyung’s question, let out another long breath.
“You look tired.”
“Not really.”
“Then that’s a relief. Take care of yourself.”
Jukyung was concerned about Jiwoon’s condition. His friend, who had been in low spirits all morning, had rapidly and coldly sunk down after seeing Yechan.
Of course, observing the atmosphere flowing between the two was entertaining in itself. However, at the same time, Jukyung wanted to grab Yechan by the collar and shake him vigorously.
The group that had gathered again at the dining table soon moved to the living room. This time, the table in front of the sofa was grandly set. It was a perfect spread with nothing lacking – fruits, desserts, and snacks.
“Jiwoon, Jiwoon, come here.”
At Jukyung’s pat on the seat next to him, Jiwoon moved over. Yechan was sitting across from them.
Jiwoon picked up his glass and gulped down all the juice that had become bland from the melted ice.
“Hey, did you guys have fun with the kids? When is Kim Minho going to start dating?”
As soon as Jiwoon sat down, Seungwoo, who was sitting across from Jukyung, looked at Taehyun over there and asked. Taehyun, who had been brazenly calling him hyung while eating cheese, mumbled his answer.
“We had fun. Ask Kim Minho about his dating. But what’s even more amazing is that Cha Yewon was among the kids who came today.”
“Cha Yewon? I’ve heard that name somewhere… Oh? The girl who goes to the neighboring girls’ high school?”
“Yeah. She apparently stabbed Kim Minho’s girl because of Seo Yechan. Told her to take her away. I’m so jealous of Seo Yechan.”
At Taehyun’s words, Yechan furrowed his brow. He didn’t want to become a topic of conversation and be consumed like this.
Jiwoon leaned back against the sofa in a completely slouched position.
“Jiwoon, Jiwoon, I told you to take care of yourself.”
Then Jukyung pushed Jiwoon’s shoulder to correct his posture. Yechan stared at the two of them. Jiwoon was looking blankly at Taehyun and Seungwoo, who were still chattering with an expressionless face.
“Wow, Seo Yechan is doing well. But is Cha Yewon really that pretty?”
“Yeah. Fucking pretty. She’s got stars in her eyes. Plus her personality is easygoing and nice.”
It was then that Kyungjun opened his mouth as if to say something. Jukyung reached behind Jiwoon to smack Kyungjun, then brought his index finger to his lips.
Kyungjun made a “what?” expression but then quieted down. Taehyun praised Yewon’s appearance without pause. Taehyun’s mouth, which usually flew around, seemed to have sprouted wings and was flapping with excitement.
“Hey, then isn’t Seo Yechan going to get a girlfriend before Kim Minho?”
Yechan sighed with clouded eyes. At Seungwoo’s words, Taehyun turned his head to Minho and asked.
“Kim Minho, when are you going to start dating?”
“Within this year?”
Minho, who had tossed almonds into his mouth, tilted his head and answered.
“Crazy… it’s August now… That’s fucked. Fucked, and anyway our Yechan is a guy blessed with fortune, so he says he doesn’t want to.”
“What?”
“He says he doesn’t want to date and he doesn’t like Cha Yewon either. Right? You said with your own mouth it wasn’t leading her on, didn’t you?”
Taehyun pointed at Yechan as he spoke.
Yechan, who had been looking at Jiwoon’s glass, frowned and turned his head toward Taehyun. Before he knew it, all four third-years’ gazes were focused on Yechan.
Jiwoon’s face, which he was facing, still showed no expression. Yechan bit his lower lip. Oh Taehyun’s words were full of potential for misunderstanding.
“Oh Taehyun, talk about your own love life. Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Right, anyway Seo Yechan came to help me. Yechan, I was fucking grateful you came. Thanks to you, I also met a cute connection called Hana! I contacted her earlier and she arrived safely.”
Taehyun, who quickly diverted attention, twisted his body as if happy while speaking. At that sight, Seungwoo responded soullessly.
“Wow, fucking congratulations. Taehyun.”
It seemed like the urgent fire had been put out for now. Yechan, who had lifted his glass, crunched on the ice.
That’s when it happened. Minho looked at his phone and asked Yechan.
“But Yechan, since when have you been in contact with Cha Yewon?”
“Contact?”
Taehyun, who had whipped his head around, frowned deeply and asked. Minho answered while holding his phone.
“Yeah. Yujin is saying so now. That you two have been keeping in touch originally. Are you really not interested?”
“Wasn’t it just greetings?”
Taehyun suddenly shot up from his seat.
Leading on, contact. These were provocative words. Jiwoon, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, recalled Yechan sending messages to someone.
Having fun, aren’t you, Seo Yechan. His insides sank coldly.
Jiwoon, who had bitten his tongue, lifted his empty glass. What should I get? Seeing Jiwoon like this, Jukyung smiled and pointed to several drinks.
Yechan looked at Taehyun and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Wow, this bastard. You were in contact with her? What did you tell me at the station earlier. You said you only greeted her.”
“Hey, Taehyun. Why are you suddenly getting angry?”
Minho tried to get the suddenly aggressive Taehyun to sit down. Taehyun, who had brushed off Minho’s hand, raised his voice at Yechan.
“You tell me straight. What’s your relationship with Cha Yewon?”
“We’re nothing. You sit down and talk.”
“Then what’s this about being in contact.”
“Haah… We only talked about studying. No, but I don’t know why I have to explain this to you.”
“Are you an idiot? You’re nothing to each other but you’re in contact talking about studying?”
“Then what is that supposed to be.”
“Fuck, you’re at least study friends. No, you said you have no intention of dating and you don’t like Cha Yewon either. But why are you accepting contact from her.”
“I don’t know what you’re curious about.”
In the rapidly unfolding situation, Jiwoon was in the perfect position of a spectator. His heart was pounding, but his head was colder than ever.
Jiwoon set down his glass, which hadn’t even been filled, with a sharp sound. The argument continued beyond Jukyung, who immediately filled the glass with more juice.
“I’m not curious, I’m telling you. That’s called leading someone on, you idiot.”
“Are you going to keep cursing?”
“Yeah, you think I can’t? You bastard, your emotions are so unclear. You’re a bastard who draws clear lines with us, so why do you keep leading girls on and acting up?”
Seeing Taehyun yelling loudly, Yechan closed his eyes and took a deep breath without answering. There were too many people around to get angry as he pleased.
“You did this in middle school too. Accepting confessions from girls you didn’t even like. Then making them exhausted and fall away after draining their blood! Why do you keep doing that?”
Yechan finally remembered that the person he had dated in the past was Taehyun’s close friend. Right now, Taehyun was projecting Yewon onto his friend.
Jukyung quickly scanned the faces of the people present. Then he saw Jiwoon’s expression, sighed, and opened his mouth.
“Um… guys? Should you get beaten to death before you stop?”
Jukyung stood up with a smile. Jukyung, who had lightly grabbed Jiwoon’s arm, gestured with his chin to Choi Min and Kyungjun.
Kyungjun, who had been about to say something to Yechan, looked at Jiwoon’s face and shut his mouth.
“We hyungs will go out and come back, so sort it out yourselves. Seungwoo.”
Jukyung pulled Jiwoon’s arm again. Yechan, who had been glaring at Taehyun, finally saw Jiwoon’s expression.
Jiwoon was smiling.
“Yes, hyung!”
Seungwoo, who answered briskly, stood there as if nailed to the spot until the third-years left, then let out a deep sigh. Then he handed ice-filled cold water to the silent Taehyun.
“Oh Taehyun, if you do more here, you’ll really die. Jukyung hyung too, and Jiwoon hyung is fucking pissed right now. Did you see his expression?”
“Ah, no… I didn’t see it…”
“He’s smiling in a fucking creepy way. When that hyung beats people up, he does it like that, keeps smiling while doing it. I’m seriously scared right now, so stop and make up, you two.”
Seungwoo, who made another glass of ice-filled cold water, handed the cold water to Yechan.
Yechan gulped down the cold water. He couldn’t forget Jiwoon’s expression he had just seen. It was a smile that Yechan didn’t know, that Yechan was seeing for the first time.
“And when the hyungs come back later, bow down and apologize. Say you were wrong. Otherwise, you, me, and all of us are going to the emergency room tonight…”
Seungwoo trembled.
“And Seo Yechan, you… whether you lead girls on or not, it’s not really my business… But it would be good to talk with Taehyun and resolve this. I can roughly understand what he’s saying too.”
“Come on, stop it. Han Seungwoo, why are you doing this too. Anyway, those hyungs have 100 days left until Suneung, and we shouldn’t be doing this here. Oh Taehyun, you apologize quickly. You’re the one who started it first.”
Minho, who crunched on a piece of ice, massaged Taehyun’s shoulder. Taehyun’s face, which had been red, was returning to normal a bit.
As if finally realizing that he had been overly excited, Taehyun approached Yechan hesitantly. Then, as if he was going to sit in front of Yechan, he soon looked around nervously and knelt down with a thud.
“…Sorry. I went too far with my words. I thought of the past and acted like that. I’ll apologize.”
Yechan said nothing. He was thoroughly chewing over why the situation had turned out this way. When Yechan remained silent, Taehyun continued.
“Being upset is being upset… but I shouldn’t have caused such a scene here. I’m really sorry. Sorry to you and sorry to the hyungs. Please accept my apology.”
“Oh Taehyun. From your perspective, this seems like leading someone on?”
Yechan decided to acknowledge it. Depending on the person, they might judge his behavior that way. And he was the one who had acted that way.
“Huh? Yeah…”
“Then if I don’t want to date and I don’t like her either, I should have no contact at all, is that it?”
“That’s… right.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
