Ignoring Kang Taeyoon’s evaluation that everything “sucked,” I chose a gift at a price range appropriate for a college student. I was watching his back as he calmly paid for it, even though he clearly wasn’t pleased.
When the employee asked if we wanted it wrapped, he nodded. Confirming that, I pulled out my phone, which had been vibrating in my pocket for a while.
Judging by how persistently it continued, it wasn’t a text—it was a call.
[Min Siheon]
Wasn’t it class time? I tilted my head, but the call showed no sign of ending. The persistence felt like he wouldn’t stop until I answered, so I gave up and pressed the call button.
—Jungwoo.
With the soft click of the line connecting, Min Siheon’s heavy voice rang out. It sounded much more subdued than this morning—so much so that for a second I wondered if he’d been asleep.
“Yeah, what’s up?”
—Are you still with Taeyoon?
“Somehow, yeah.”
—……
Min Siheon followed up with a somewhat strange question. When I let out a dry chuckle, I heard a slightly rough breath on the other end.
It didn’t sound like he was near a lecture hall—the area around him seemed quiet. I was just about to ask if he’d skipped class again when Kang Taeyoon, who had just finished paying, turned to look at me.
There were those delinquent eyes again. Using his long legs, he strode over and spoke bluntly.
“Is that Min Siheon?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think he’s in class right now.”
“Then what about Go Heemin?”
“How would I know?”
Whether it was this or that, it always came back to Go Heemin. That bastard’s head was definitely filled with nothing but Go Heemin.
“Hey, Siheon. Kang Taeyoon’s asking what Go Heemin’s up to.”
—Heemin’s in class.
“Then you?”
—I’m not feeling well, so I stepped out.
“…Again?”
—Yeah, kind of.
It seemed Min Siheon’s cold from a few days ago hadn’t completely gone away. His voice, saying he wasn’t feeling well, was dim and sunken.
It sounded like he might be running a fever again. I couldn’t exactly tell him to push through class like that.
“Then go home and rest.”
—No, ah, Jungwoo, did you hear about it too? They’re having drinks tonight to celebrate Heemin’s birthday. …You’re coming, right?
“Tonight? Kang Taeyoon, what is he talking about?”
I flared up at what Min Siheon said.
When I asked the guy next to me, Kang Taeyoon only looked at me impassively.
“What?”
“Drinks. Go Heemin’s birthday isn’t for a while, is it? There’s a gathering tonight?”
“I mentioned it this morning. He said he’d ask you at lunch.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
Was this what it meant for your insides to burst? I thumped my chest with my fist. Meanwhile, a heavy sigh poured through the phone.
—…Hah.
Was he really feeling that bad? I was just about to tell him not to push himself when I heard a sharp sound—like something being crushed—followed by the crack of something breaking.
“What was that? I just heard something.”
—Ah, I bumped into a wall for a second.
“Are you hurt?”
—No. …So, Jungwoo, you’re coming tonight, right?
“Hey, that’s not the important thing right now.”
—Are you coming?
“…You’re persistent. It’s sudden, but…”
Even as I talked to Min Siheon, I glanced at Kang Taeyoon holding the shopping bag. The reason we bought this gift in the first place was for Go Heemin’s birthday.
It crossed my mind that maybe it’d be better to just give it to him tonight and be done with it.
So I answered Min Siheon with reluctant agreement.
“I guess I’ll go. Siheon, are you sure you can? If you’re not feeling well, just rest. It’s not like Heemin would be some bastard who wouldn’t understand.”
—No. I’m going too.
I’d meant he should rest if he was sick, but Min Siheon responded almost immediately. Thinking about it, health aside, he’d probably want to celebrate the birthday of the guy he liked.
As I tried to hang up, telling him not to overdo it, Min Siheon spoke again. His voice sounded strained, almost scraped raw, as if something was pressing down on it.
—Jungwoo. Hurry and come.
Judging by how thick and burning his voice sounded, his condition really wasn’t good. Kang Taeyoon, who had been standing there listening to our call the whole time, kept letting out amused scoffs for some reason.
“I’m done here. If you skipped class, just go home and rest before you come. I’m not even eating lunch with them anyway, so don’t worry about it.”
As if on cue with my words that we were finished, Kang Taeyoon tossed the shopping bag into my arms. When I caught it quickly, he waved a hand as if to say he was leaving and started walking ahead.
“I’ll message you in a bit. Come after you see it. I put today’s payment inside the bag.”
“What kind of bullshit is that, that bastard.”
As if he truly had no lingering attachment, Kang Taeyoon left the department store without hesitation. Cool to the point of cold—it felt like a definition of whatever relationship we had.
Still, even this had been an unusually long conversation with him. Not three weeks’ worth—more like three months’ worth. At this rate, we might not speak again until the end of the semester.
Go Heemin really had bad luck. How did he end up getting targeted by someone like that… Shaking my head, I noticed something inside the shopping bag.
One was the gift box I’d picked out—presumably Go Heemin’s birthday present. But the other item felt unfamiliar.
I was about to take it out to see what it was when I realized the call hadn’t ended. Min Siheon’s voice came through again.
Had he overheard what Kang Taeyoon said? My heart dropped at the thought.
—…Jungwoo.
“You still haven’t hung up? I told you to go home.”
—Make sure you come tonight.
“Yeah, I’ll go, I’ll go. …Hey, if you’re really not feeling well, call me.”
—Okay.
When I asked out of concern, a deep sigh poured out from Min Siheon. Staring at the ended call screen, I overlapped it with the image of him bedridden not long ago.
Tall and well-built, yet still collapsing like that. Remembering how he’d struggled with that cold, my feet wouldn’t move easily.
I decided I’d check whatever that ‘payment’ Kang Taeyoon mentioned later, and instead resolved to stop by a shop on the second floor of the department store.
“They say when you’re sick, nothing else matters. Guess that’s true.”
For some reason, urgency flooded through my entire body. If Min Siheon didn’t show up at the drinking party tonight, I figured I’d just hand over the gift and then go find him.
***
“Hey, Cha Jungwoo!”
“Jungwoo, he really came? What’s the occasion? You actually showed up to a group gathering?”
“Hand over 30,000 won. I won.”
What the hell is this… I’d rushed here after class. It was the bar location they’d belatedly sent me after I’d skipped class because of Min Siheon’s group before.
True to Go Heemin’s nature—someone loved by everyone, regardless of age or gender—the scale of the birthday party didn’t seem small.
Even though it was almost spontaneous, quite a lot of people had gathered.
I should’ve known from the moment I agreed to come. There had to be at least twenty people here. Voices welcoming each other echoed from all around.
Some faces were familiar, others not. It seemed they’d invited anyone in the Business Administration department they were even remotely close to, regardless of year.
A wave of fatigue washed over me, and I immediately regretted coming. Even as I calmly searched for familiar faces, Min Siheon was the first one I thought of. He didn’t look well earlier—did he really come?
Just then, from the central table, today’s main character appeared: Go Heemin. Rising from the seat of honor, he swayed slightly, already drunk on the atmosphere.
“Hey, Cha Jungwoo! You really came?”
“Are you kidding me? You didn’t say it’d be this packed.”
“Hey, if I told you there’d be this many people, you wouldn’t have come. Are you sulking because we didn’t throw a party with just us? That’s for later~”
“Don’t touch me. Back off.”
The one who stopped him was Kang Taeyoon, standing beside him.
He was the one being crowded, so why was I the one getting snapped at? Kang Taeyoon was on edge.
When I lightly tapped the shopping bag I was holding, Go Heemin finally turned his head and made a teasing expression.
“Hey, your gift.”
“What’s this? You really got me a birthday present? I called you out so suddenly—this is so touching. See? I knew I was right to worry about you~ Right, Taeyoon?”
“Yeah.”
Annoyed, I shoved the shopping bag into Go Heemin’s arms. At first he looked confused about what it was, but it didn’t take long for him to realize it was his birthday gift, and he brightened.
I didn’t even buy that. Completely unaware that Kang Taeyoon had half-played me, Go Heemin looked delighted.
Judging by the situation, he was going to get eaten alive soon enough. I shook my head and silently prayed for his safety.
Even amid the surrounding cheers, my mind was elsewhere. That bastard who’d had me worried all day—I was busy looking for Min Siheon.
While Go Heemin’s attention was fixed on Kang Taeyoon, I stepped back and quickly scanned the seats. He was a big guy; the fact that I couldn’t easily spot him made me wonder if he hadn’t come.
Then I found him—alone at the very corner, leaning back against a sofa. Even in the lively atmosphere, he radiated low pressure all by himself.
Seeing him sitting there with his eyes closed, as if even people were too much for him, made me sigh.
I knew he’d be like this. I knew those bastards wouldn’t take care of him, but the sight was worse than I expected, and my chest felt tight.
As I walked over, unbuttoning the top button at my collar, someone sitting on the outer edge called out to me.
It was that first-year junior I’d run into at the department club room last time.
This time, she had two or three friends with her and kept glancing at me. When I waved casually in acknowledgment, a few of my classmates nearby cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted.
“… Jungwoo sunbae, do you want to sit here?”
“Ooooh~”
“What do you mean ‘ooooh,’ you idiots? Sorry, they’re just being annoying. I promised to meet someone, so I’ll head over. See you later.”
“Ah… okay.”
“If you get the chance, ask me what you were curious about before. If it’s something I can answer, I will.”
“…Yes!”
“Damn….”
I had no idea what they were so excited about, but other girls crowded around the first-year. Figuring it was just that age, I ignored it and instead turned to a few classmates who’d been acting cheeky.
“You guys are getting hit first.”
“Ah!”
“Damn, Cha Jungwoo’s hand hurts like hell!”
After smacking my classmates on the back one by one, I headed toward the sofa where Min Siheon was sitting. He must’ve heard my name when I arrived, so the fact that he was just sitting there felt strange.
If you’re sick, stay home. Seriously, he never listens. As I approached and reached out toward him, he suddenly snapped his eyes open.
