There weren’t actually that many chances to run into Won-hyeok at school. If he had to name the places where he could at least see him somewhat often, it would be the student cafeteria and the lounge on the first floor of the College of Humanities building.
Based on the results of his diligent observations so far, Won-hyeok used the cafeteria at least once a week. But the actual day varied wildly, so if Han-gyeom wanted to see him, he had to practically clock in at the cafeteria every single day.
Ah, it’s sunbae.
Today as well, with the spicy stir-fried pork rice bowl he had eaten yesterday sitting in front of him again, Han-gyeom turned his gaze elsewhere. He had been wondering what he’d do if sunbae didn’t come today either, but fortunately, Won-hyeok slowly entered the cafeteria, his dazzling proportions practically shining.
Wearing a thin knit top and jeans, Won-hyeok stood in line with his classmates as usual, his face fresh and bright. Just seeing his brilliantly smiling face made it feel like all the fatigue of the day melted away.
During the two weeks since the semester started, whether in the Humanities building or at the cafeteria, there hadn’t been a single day when Han-gyeom hadn’t run into Won-hyeok at least once. It seemed he probably didn’t have any free periods this semester. Han-gyeom stored that information away in his mind and kept following Won-hyeok with his eyes.
As Won-hyeok came in, some of the students already inside also stopped eating and turned their heads.
‘The idol of Korea University’s English Department.’
There wasn’t any huge reason he was called that. He had the kind of dazzling looks an idol would have, and on top of that, he was such a complete angel personality-wise that he greeted everyone with a kind smile. It also helped that he was a dominant alpha, a rare trait in Korea.
In modern times, laws banning trait discrimination had become stricter, and open contempt or mistreatment based on traits had clearly decreased. Even so, admiration for dominant alphas hadn’t disappeared. In fact, since many successful businessmen and famous people in South Korea were dominant alphas, the trait was considered quite special.
Of course, I would’ve liked sunbae no matter whether he was a dominant alpha or not.
Just as Han-gyeom was thinking that, he saw Won-hyeok sit down at the table right in front of him. To be lucky enough to see sunbae this close. This semester really was definitely different.
“Ah, is it for real that we have this many group projects this semester? I’m already stressed.”
The one who had just spoken was Kim Sun-woo, classmate ‘1’ whom sunbae often hung out with.
“Still, if we want to graduate, we have to do them.”
Won-hyeok said it with a smile. How could he say something so practical that effortlessly? He had a personality that was kind yet firm.
Whenever Han-gyeom somehow managed to create a situation where he could see him and, by sheer luck, ended up running into him, he stored away every expression, action, and gesture of Won-hyeok in his eyes. He already knew very well that his own presence was faint, so if he used that to his advantage, there was little chance of getting caught.
“Hey, Do Won-hyeok. You’re really not going to join a club?”
Classmate ‘2’ he often hung out with, Kang Yubin sunbae , said in a whining voice.
“Yubin-ah, this again?”
“I’m saying it because it’s a shame. Hey, Kim Sun-woo, hurry up and help me out too.”
Kim Sun-woo and Kang Yubin, forgetting to even eat, started excitedly going on about something. Even in that moment, Han-gyeom was watching Do Won-hyeok.
Sunbae isn’t smiling.
Because he watched him all the time, catching even the briefest expression wasn’t that hard for Han-gyeom. It had already been well over a year since he first entered this university and began following Won-hyeok around and observing him.
Won-hyeok was handsome, pretty, kind to everyone regardless of whether they were juniors, seniors, or classmates, and upright in character—but very occasionally, he showed a certain expression, something incredibly subtle. Yeah, like right now: that look on his face as if everything in the world was boring, his soul practically drained out of him. Well, even that was absurdly handsome, which was a problem if anything.
Had he been staring too long? Or had Won-hyeok somehow sensed the gaze of someone whose presence was this faint? Coincidentally, Won-hyeok turned his head, and in the end, their eyes met exactly.
Startled, Han-gyeom immediately lowered his head as if burying his face in his bowl. He had completely forgotten Observation Rule Number Two. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that staring shouldn’t continue for more than five seconds. At this point, there was no way he could keep looking at sunbae here today.
If their eyes met again, then it would really be a disaster. Without any lingering attachment, Han-gyeom finished his meal and left the cafeteria.
Not even realizing Won-hyeok’s gaze was following him afterward, Han-gyeom headed to the club room.
“Han-gyeom, you’re here?”
“Hello, President.”
“Yeah, there isn’t much time left for you to call me president, so call me that all you want while you can.”
Bae Seok-woo, the president of this reading club and a fourth-year in the Creative Writing Department, lay sprawled on the sofa and muttered weakly. Baek Woo-jin, who was playing a game beside him, was there too. Han-gyeom exchanged a simple greeting with him and sat down on the sofa.
“Is our club finally getting shut down?”
At the casual question, Bae Seok-woo shot up from the sofa like a spring.
“Kang Han-gyeom, you little punk. If you look at it, you really do poke right at the parts that hurt, don’t you?”
“Hyung, that’s just how he is. That’s why he doesn’t have a single friend in his department.”
“Woo-jin-ah, you don’t really have that many friends either.”
“Hey, I…!”
Woo-jin bristled, then soon muttered gloomily, “Actually, that’s true….”
“It’s okay. Not having friends isn’t any kind of flaw at all.”
Because they were short on the number of new members they needed to recruit this year, the atmosphere in the club lately had been pretty bad. They only needed one more person, but they couldn’t find even that one person right now, so starting with the president, every member was running around in all directions trying to solve it.
Han-gyeom wanted to help too, but since he really didn’t have any friends he could recommend, he was just quietly staying put.
“Haa, seriously, this year feels a little precarious.”
“President, don’t worry. I’ve been putting up posters all over the place, so at least one person will come.”
“Han-gyeom, I really envy how positive you are about everything.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
At that, both Bae Seok-woo and Baek Woo-jin let out loose laughs that were practically at the point of resignation.
“But the problem is that looking at your appearance, you don’t seem that way at all. Can you even see?”
When Woo-jin spread his hand and waved it left and right in front of Han-gyeom’s eyes, Han-gyeom reflexively fidgeted with his hair.
The black hair covering his eyes was so thick that to others it could look suffocating. That said, Han-gyeom had no major interest in styling, and on top of that he wore glasses too, so there was no way he gave off a particularly pleasant impression.
“Yeah. I can see.”
“Do you ever get a haircut?”
“When it really gets to the point where I can’t see, I just cut it myself.”
Beside him, Bae Seok-woo muttered that he was an unbelievable guy. Soon the topic drifted from Han-gyeom’s appearance back to the survival of the club, but no clear solution came up.
“Then, guys, I’m off. I’ve got class.”
“Hyung, let’s go together. I need to head out too.”
“Sure. What about Han-gyeom?”
“I, um, have a huge gap in my schedule today, so I’m going to stay a bit longer. And a freshman who wants to join might come, so I’ll hold down the fort.”
“Mmm. Hearing you say even that really does make me feel reassured.”
After the two of them left and Han-gyeom was alone in the club room, he took out a book from his bag. He had already finished the mystery novel he’d read recently, so this time he had borrowed a new one. This one was a work that had recently been quietly gaining word-of-mouth online as something fun to read.
He started reading without much expectation, but it turned out to be pretty enjoyable in its own way. In less than five minutes, Han-gyeom had already fallen into the world of the book.
There was no special reason he had come to like reading. Ever since he was young, he hadn’t been good at getting along with people either inside or outside the home, so books had simply been the way he chose to experience the world. Then unexpectedly, he grew genuinely interested, and it settled into a hobby.
Without taking a break, he kept reading until he eventually realized it was time to go to class. As Han-gyeom gathered up his things, he looked in one direction. The large stack of membership application forms sitting on the desk hadn’t sold a single sheet today either.
It would be a bit of a shame if the club disappeared. The club members were all kind and good people. In this day and age, where the culture of reading was slowly disappearing, having even a few people who shared the same hobby was a great blessing for Han-gyeom.
“How are we supposed to find one person…?”
Even saying that, Han-gyeom was no different in that he couldn’t think of any real solution either. With a slightly dispirited hand, he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, and at that moment, a dark shadow fell in front of him.
Han-gyeom naturally lifted his head.
And froze solid on the spot.
“Ah, someone was here?”
Bang—
The moment he heard the other person’s voice, Han-gyeom slammed the door shut again.
S-sunbae? Wasn’t that sunbae just now? No. There’s no way sunbae would be here. T-then someone who looks like him?
But the very premise that someone resembling sunbae could actually exist in this world was impossible to begin with. Then obviously, he must have seen wrong. Thinking he’d really gone too far now that he was seeing hallucinations of sunbae, he yanked the door back open again, and—
“Is it not okay if I come in?”
Do Won-hyeok smiled softly and spoke to him again. It wasn’t a lookalike, and it wasn’t a hallucination. It was the real person himself. When Han-gyeom tried to shut the door again, Won-hyeok’s eyebrow twitched. Then he slipped his hand into the gap and pushed back with force.
“Come on, why are you doing this and making the person who came all the way here feel awkward? You’re a student in the English Department like me, right?”
“Huh? Y-you know me?”
Startled, Han-gyeom abruptly let go of the doorknob. Because of that, Won-hyeok, who had been pushing from outside, lurched sharply forward.
“Ah, fuck….”
At that moment, Won-hyeok unconsciously muttered a curse under his breath, then looked at Han-gyeom with surprise on his face.
“Sunbae-nim, y-you know who I am?”
But Han-gyeom’s brain had already overloaded from the appearance of his favorite and the words he had spoken, so he didn’t even hear the curse Won-hyeok had let out.
“Ah, yes. The vending machine in the lounge the other day.”
“Ah.”
Of course. Han-gyeom quickly threw away the hope he had briefly harbored.
“I saw that the book you were carrying then said English Department, 2nd Year.”
Smiling with his eyes, Won-hyeok subtly swept a glance over Han-gyeom from top to bottom. Of course, it would be impossible to remember every person you happened to run into, but on the other hand, forgetting a guy who walked around looking like this would be stranger.
“B-but what brings you here…?”
“Oh, right. By any chance, can I meet the president here right now?”
Now that he remembered Han-gyeom was his junior from the same department, the end of Won-hyeok’s speech had already become more casual again.
“Huh? Why do you need the president?”
Han-gyeom hurriedly pushed up the glasses that had slipped down.
“I want to join this club.”
After hearing that, Han-gyeom blinked. The words that had come out of Won-hyeok’s mouth didn’t sink in easily.
“J-join? You mean the kind of joining I know…?”
At that, Won-hyeok let out a small laugh. Han-gyeom went rigid at that laughter, as fresh as a spring breeze cutting through the air.
“Is there another meaning to joining?”
“Ah, w-well, that is… P-President sunbae went to class just now…”
“Oh, really?”
Won-hyeok stared intently at Han-gyeom, who had his head bowed low. From the crown of his head to the tips of his toes, there really wasn’t a trace of style to be found. With his hair that long, could he even see? And why on earth did he wear glasses that huge? Won-hyeok couldn’t understand it. That black sweatshirt, which didn’t suit this fresh green season at all, looked stuffy just to look at.
And seeing him in this club room, it seemed this guy really was a member of the reading club. He thought the quiet club suited him quite well.
“Then I’ll come back later.”
Won-hyeok turned around.
But then, what was this—suddenly he felt as though someone had tugged at his collar from behind.
“E-excuse me, sunbae-nim. If it’s okay with you, h-how about waiting a little? I think his class should end soon, so if I contact him, he’ll probably come right away…”
Won-hyeok’s indifferent face lowered toward the pale white hand clutching his clothes. The tips of those slender fingers had turned red.
