#53
“I don’t know what happened, but Chae-rin helped you, right?”
“…”
“It’s funny that you suddenly started dating. It’s obvious that oppa isn’t interested in women.”
Her perceptiveness was indeed remarkable. She wasn’t just someone who got along with everyone for no reason. Ha-min looked at Eun-soo with a surprised face.
“And Chae-rin too…”
“…”
“Anyway, I’ll keep it a secret.”
“…”
“It seems like there are circumstances.”
Eun-soo started to say something but stopped and smiled broadly. Ha-min wanted to ask what she was going to say, but Eun-soo turned around without hesitation.
“Let’s go to the second round, oppa.”
Eun-soo turned and pulled Ha-min’s arm familiarly. Ha-min nodded and followed obediently. Suddenly, Eun-soo frowned and continued in an annoyed tone.
“Oh, by the way, oppa.”
Eun-soo started, frowning as if she had suddenly remembered something.
“Can’t you tell Tae-rim sunbae to delete my number?”
“Huh?”
Ha-min asked in confusion at the sudden words from her mouth.
“He keeps calling and asking where you are. Today he was asking how you looked, and earlier when I said we were having a department gathering, he kept pressing for where it was.”
“Uh…?”
He couldn’t help but be confused by this information he was hearing for the first time. Wait, how did they even have each other’s numbers in the first place?
“He told me to contact him if anything happened to you.”
“…”
“But he’s the one doing it more.”
Eun-soo let out a laugh of disbelief.
“Are you sure you didn’t really fight? He could just ask you, why does he keep calling me?”
“…”
“It’s annoying, so can you please have him delete my number when you get the chance?”
Eun-soo requested with a pleading face. She really looked displeased. “Ah…” Ha-min awkwardly nodded with a bewildered expression.
**
The second round was even more boisterous than the first. The atmosphere was even more heated, and everyone’s voices were louder, probably due to the alcohol. Ha-min quietly listened to the others chattering loudly, responding obediently and just sipping his beer. People from all around asked if he was really dating Chae-rin, but Ha-min just smiled without answering. Chae-rin also received many questions but skillfully ignored them with an indifferent face.
“Hyung, are you listening to me?!”
“Yes.”
“I mean, I’m really happy you two are dating, but I feel a bit betrayed, you know? Damn… Kang Chae-rin didn’t even tell me once…”
“Is that so?”
“I had my suspicions, but I was half-joking about it, you know.”
Woo-kyung, drunk, had been repeating the same words, seemingly upset that he hadn’t been given any hint. Chae-rin had left her seat long ago, probably tired of listening, and only Ha-min was quietly comforting and listening to him.
It was understandable that Woo-kyung felt hurt since he and Chae-rin were long-time friends. Suddenly, Ha-min thought of Tae-in. He was hiding so much from his only childhood friend… Would he feel hurt when he found out later? Ha-min swallowed a bitter sigh and quietly drank his beer.
“Hyung… if Kang Chae-rin mistreats you, tell me…”
“Huh?”
“I can’t do much… but I’ll gossip about her with you…”
Ha-min smiled slightly at Woo-kyung, who was pretending to cry and slumping over, drunk. Of course, Woo-kyung couldn’t do anything against Chae-rin.
After a few more drinks, Woo-kyung naturally collapsed onto the table. What should I do…? While pondering what to do with the completely drunk guy, Ha-min’s phone vibrated. Seeing the name on the screen, Ha-min moved his lips silently for a moment before going to a quiet place to answer the call.
“Hello…?”
He crouched in a corner, trying to keep the noisy sounds from being heard too much.
“Want to come out?”
He asked as soon as Ha-min answered. Ha-min’s eyes widened at the abrupt words.
“Uh, where?”
As Ha-min stumbled over his words at the sudden question, a chuckle came through the phone.
“You’re drinking, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
“You’ve drunk enough by now, haven’t you? Come out now.”
Ah… Ha-min moved with a foolish face to check through the bar’s window. His tall figure was visible not far away.
“You’re sick, you shouldn’t drink too much.”
Ha-min blinked blankly and responded quietly.
“I’m not sick anymore…”
“Oh really? Then should we do it again today?”
“Uh, what?”
“I’ve been waiting for you to get better.”
Ha-min’s mouth gaped at the casual dirty talk. He shook his head, his face pale. The sensation of that man’s enormous lower part piercing into him was dizzying just to think about.
“A-actually, I think I’m still sick…”
Perhaps this was the answer he wanted to hear, as he chuckled at Ha-min’s hesitant response and continued.
“Then come out.”
He gently commanded and hung up. Ha-min stared at the ended call with a foolish face for a moment before gathering his bag. He was concerned about Woo-kyung sleeping at the table, but apparently having regained consciousness, he was now clinging to Eun-soo and complaining.
“Oh, oppa. Where are you going?”
“Just to make a call… Eun-soo, I think I need to go, will Woo-kyung be okay?”
“Oh, if he falls asleep, we can just abandon him.”
“Huh? No, that’s not right. His mouth might…”
As Ha-min opened his eyes seriously, Eun-soo laughed.
“Ah, I’m just kidding, oppa. Don’t worry and go home.”
Saying she couldn’t even joke around, Eun-soo patted Ha-min’s shoulder hard. She seemed a bit drunk too, as the force of her pats was no joke. Rubbing his sore arm, Ha-min smiled awkwardly. “Well, I’ll be going then.” He said a brief goodbye and pushed open the glass door to exit. Or rather, he was about to. Just then, he came face to face with Cha Jun-seong, who seemed to have returned from smoking. Even though they were a couple of steps apart, the smell of alcohol was strong. As Ha-min avoided eye contact and stopped, Jun-seong smirked and made way for him to leave.
“…”
Ha-min hesitantly moved towards the door Jun-seong had opened.
Thud, with a dull sound, Jun-seong’s foot caught Ha-min’s. It wasn’t just catching it. It was more like he outright kicked Ha-min’s foot. Ha-min’s body felt like it was floating before falling down. Fortunately, he fell on his knees and palms first, avoiding hitting his head. Still, his skin must have been scraped as a stinging pain rose.
“Fucking bastard.”
Jun-seong cursed under his breath. The venomous words fell on Ha-min’s head as he sat on the ground. Suddenly, shadows from the past overlapped.
‘Fucking pig.’
Ha-min’s gaze sank deeply.
“Just seeing your face makes me sick, I can’t even come to school.”
‘Fat ass, the school stinks when you come.’
“Fuck, are you putting out for all the girls? They’re all going crazy trying to get you. Shit.”
‘Hey pig, just die. Then we’ll have a funeral with a pig’s head.’
The echoing laughter and Jun-seong’s vicious voice resonated. “Ah…” Ha-min let out a small groan at the voices reverberating like afterimages. Ha-min’s hand on the ground trembled. He thought he had been coping well until now… Ha-min tightly closed his eyes, furrowing his brow at the sounds echoing in his head.
“What are you doing, not getting up?”
“…”
“Want to put on a show for everyone to see?”
Jun-seong giggled and stepped on Ha-min’s hand that couldn’t get up. But more than the physical pain, Ha-min’s vision blurred from the suffocating feeling rising from within. Ah… I shouldn’t be like this here. Ha-min’s eyes contorted in pain at the feeling of his throat closing up.
“What the hell. Hey, I said what are you doing not getting up?”
“Ha…”
Jun-seong kicked Ha-min’s upper body that couldn’t get up. As passersby started to glance over, he frowned fiercely, seemingly bothered.
“You’re really something, fuck. What, are you playing the victim now?”
“…”
Ha-min took a deep breath, enduring the sound of deliberate cursing. Sometimes when flashbacks swept by, his breath would come out in gasps. But it had been quiet lately… Ha-min roughly rubbed around his neck, feeling suffocated.
“Everyone knows you put out for both women and men.”
“…”
“What, you’re dating Kang Chae-rin? Don’t bullshit me. I saw with my own eyes you rubbing up against some guy in front of your gosiwon.”
Ha-min’s eyes bloodshot at the vile face sneering at him. For a moment, he thought of hyung. The only person he had been intimate with was hyung. Ah, what if this affects hyung…? Foolishly, that worry came first. He wanted to explain that it wasn’t true, but strangely, the sound of approaching footsteps rang so clearly in his ears that his attention shifted there.
“I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone, didn’t I? Fuck, just because you have a pretty face…”
“…”
“Should I really make your school life miserable, you slut?”
Jun-seong spat out words like a machine gun, either unable to control his emotions due to drunkenness or having wanted to say these things for a long time. He alternated between giggling continuously and getting angry. But Ha-min couldn’t hear his words.
Because the polite footsteps approaching had stopped right in front of him.
“…”
Ha-min slowly raised his sunken gaze. But before he could fully raise it, the man in front of him knelt on one knee, matching Ha-min’s eye level. Then he immediately lifted Ha-min’s hand that was on the ground. The man’s somewhat dark gaze scanned the wound on Ha-min’s palm.
