While I was lost in my own world, Yoo In-ho pushed open the heavy metal door. Beyond his back, a few familiar faces were already inside.
Aside from two freshmen who looked like first-years, there were three classmates who had advanced to third year.
Maybe they had long gaps between classes—each of them had settled into a spot, busy with their own things. As we stepped into the room, they all turned toward us at Yoo In-ho’s grumbling.
Just like the lecture hall, the air conditioner wasn’t on, and the heat pressed against my skin.
I should’ve noticed when I saw the window open. The others must’ve been hot too, because they were gathered near the window in light clothing, fanning themselves with their hands.
“What the—no AC here either?”
“Huh? What brings you guys here?”
“It’s hot, that’s why. Damn, if I’d known, I would’ve gone to Dream Port.”
Dragging his feet, Yoo In-ho squeezed himself onto the sofa where one of the guys was sitting. Just looking at that cramped scene made me lose any desire to join them.
As I stood there with an awkward expression, the two freshmen at the opposite table greeted me. Their faces looked young, but strangely familiar—probably people who were active in department activities.
If that was the case, I must’ve crossed paths with them before. I raised my hand slightly in acknowledgment.
“Hello, sunbae-nim!”
“Uh, yeah….”
Where had I seen them? I hesitated, trying to recall their names. Two female classmates chatting by the window swayed their shoulders and greeted me warmly.
I vaguely remembered them—Seo Yeon-ju and Kim Eun-young. If Yoo In-ho’s stories were right, we’d done a group assignment together during first year.
Considering we’d only been connected through coursework, it seemed things had ended on good terms; both Yoo In-ho and they treated me like a casual acquaintance. That much meant I should at least act familiar for the sake of smooth college life.
When I greeted them back, they burst into high-pitched laughter. I didn’t know what was so funny, but I smiled along anyway.
“Hey, long time no see.”
“Right? Cha Jungwoo, it’s been forever since we’ve seen you. You’re hard to catch—come by more often~”
“Seriously, how is it we never run into you? We hear rumors all the time though. Business Administration’s guilty heartthrob—take care of your classmates too~ Oh wait, are we the sunbaes now?”
“…I told you not to call me that. I’ve just been busy lately.”
“Aw, don’t be shy~”
The nickname someone had stuck on me at the start of the semester made my ears heat up instantly. At this age, being called that was embarrassing. Ever since someone had mentioned it on Everytime early in second year, it had clung to me like a teasing label.
Not long after I’d transmigrated into the novel, I was passing by a lecture building when I saw a student who had unknowingly sat on a dirty bench. She was wearing a white skirt, and the stain on the back made things extremely awkward for her.
She didn’t have anyone with her and seemed at a loss, so I gave her the shirt I was wearing to cover up. That had been the start of the nickname.
She’d taken a picture of the shirt to thank me and uploaded it to Everytime, and it turned into endless teasing from everyone.
Regretting coming here, I glanced at Yoo In-ho. He was sprawled on the sofa with another guy, throwing playful jabs my way.
“That blockhead’s popularity is no joke~ Cha Jung, why are you just standing there spacing out? Sit somewhere. You’ve gotta kill time until the next class anyway.”
“Following you here was my mistake.”
With an annoyed sigh, I scratched my head and pulled out a chair at the table. I shook the takeaway cup in my hand—only ice rattled inside. Hearing the hollow clinking made me regret it.
Should’ve gone to a café instead. It wasn’t even cool in here, just awkward. The feeling that I shouldn’t have come kept growing.
Just then, I noticed the two freshmen across from me glancing at me. Thinking something might be wrong, I tilted my head, and one of them spoke in a small voice.
“Um, sunbae-nim….”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“Hey, you’re really going to ask??”
The other freshman smacked their shoulder, acting nervous.
It looked like they had something they were curious about. Maybe it was about Min Siheon, Go Heemin, or Kang Taeyoon.
Even someone as oblivious as me could feel how popular those guys were.
Min Siheon, in particular, was famous on Everytime as one of the campus “handsome guys.” Maybe it was his gentle image—questions about him popped up regularly.
According to Yoo In-ho, he hadn’t been like this in first year. Back then, he’d been more reserved, giving off an unapproachable vibe.
But now, with his good looks and unique charm, plenty of students liked him. There were even rumors he might debut in entertainment, so the attention probably wouldn’t fade before graduation.
And it wasn’t just Min Siheon—the other two protagonists were the same.
Kang Taeyoon didn’t get mentioned on Everytime as much because of his openly cold expression and distant attitude. Still, I’d heard plenty of undergrads tried to approach him behind the scenes.
Apparently, he was always with a friend and rarely alone, which made it hard for people to get close.
That friend was Go Heemin. They were the main top and main bottom of the novel, after all.
Honestly, Go Heemin also had a surprisingly high demand, even if he didn’t act like it. His pretty face paired with a friendly personality made people naturally like him.
His features were delicate, but he was tall and broad enough that, when standing with most people, he looked quite masculine.
He was popular with everyone, regardless of gender, which often drove Kang Taeyoon half-mad with jealousy.
A scene Cha Seung-ah had mentioned to me flickered through my mind.
She’d mentioned that, during their time in the department, there was an incident involving a girl who liked Go Heemin. Not that I wanted to get involved in something like that.
Of course, it didn’t help that all the popular ones treated the opposite sex like roadside stones. Setting aside the fact that they were gay, they already had people they cared about.
And they were stubbornly persistent, too. I quietly shook my head, thinking about the tangled, sticky relationships that would continue in the future.
It was a secret I couldn’t possibly tell the fresh-faced students sitting in front of me.
Still, I leaned in slightly, deciding to respond politely. Maybe the others found it interesting, because the classmates sitting apart watched us with amused expressions.
What’s with those idiots? Yoo In-ho, wedged into the sofa, let out a high whistle. His smug face annoyed me, so I turned my back and pretended not to notice.
“S- sunbae-nim, do you maybe have a girlfriend….”
“Hmm?”
Right then, the closed clubroom door opened, and a familiar face walked in. It was Min Siheon, dressed far lighter than a few days ago, his handsome looks on full display.
Maybe it was hot outside for him too—he ran a hand through his bangs as he entered. His long strides felt more intense than usual.
It looked like he’d come straight after class; thin-framed glasses rested on the bridge of his high nose. Naturally, he came over and took a seat near us.
Thud—his bag dropped, and a few notebooks slipped out.
The classmates stared at him with obvious curiosity. Well, he was even more famous than me in the department for being closed-off.
He used to come here quite often at first, but stopped around the same time I did. Since it felt unfamiliar seeing him here, I waved.
“Ah, found you.”
“Min Siheon? What brings you here??”
“I heard you guys were here. Came to ask if you wanted to eat together. In-ho, we’ve got an assignment to do too.”
“Ah, right. Sorry~”
Now that I thought about it, Min Siheon must’ve come looking for Yoo In-ho because of their assignment. The back of his neck was flushed red, like he’d hurried over.
Through his thin shirt, I could see sweat beading along his nape. While I was absentmindedly watching him, his gaze met mine.
“Huh? Hey, that’s mine.”
“Sorry. I was thirsty.”
Still staring at me, Min Siheon smoothly slipped the takeaway cup from my hand.
There wasn’t much left inside anyway—just a few pieces of ice clinking around. Beneath the half-melted ice, a thin layer of water sloshed faintly.
Wrapping his large hand around the damp holder, he pressed his lips to the straw I’d been using without hesitation.
At the strangely sensual sight, both I and the freshmen across from me fell silent. His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times, and the remaining water disappeared.
Still thirsty, he popped open the lid and tipped the remaining ice into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch—the sound of ice breaking echoed right beside my ear.
When I glanced back, his gaze landed naturally on me. Maybe that was why the slight curve of his lips felt oddly heated.
Why is this guy looking at me like that? I turned my head away and flapped the collar of my shirt, showing how hot I felt. Min Siheon pressed the cold, damp cup against my cheek.
“Here, refreshing, right?”
“…It’s cold. My head hurts.”
“Heh.”
Feeling embarrassed, I shifted my eyes—and noticed the two freshmen at the same table still staring at us.
That reminded me of what they’d been about to ask before he came in. It seemed like they’d wanted to ask something secretive.
Now it felt awkward to continue the conversation with him here. When I tilted my head apologetically, the freshman who’d tried to ask raised both hands and shook them.
“Sorry, it feels kinda hard to finish asking your question now, right?”
“Huh? Y-yeah….”
“I’ll hear it next time. I don’t know what it is, but if you’re really curious, I’m in the department group chat—just message me.”
“Oh! Okay!”
“…What are you whispering about?”
Min Siheon, unable to wait even that short moment, leaned over and asked me, lowering himself until he was almost lying across the table.
I pushed his face away with my hand, muttering that he had no sense of timing—but I could feel his breath through my palm. The lukewarm exhale stirred something hollow inside me.
When his soft lips brushed against me, I flinched and quickly pulled my hand away.
