“What are you guys doing?”
“Ah.”
Kang Taeyoon merely shifted his eyes to glance over at us before continuing in a low voice, as if issuing a warning.
Judging by his indifferent tone, it didn’t seem like he had any intention of helping. It looked like the sight of us awkwardly standing near the table had irritated him.
Seeing how his thick brows were sharply furrowed, he didn’t appear to be in a good mood.
The likely cause seemed to be Go Heemin, who was over there drunkenly humming to himself.
For now, since I was being cautious around Kang Taeyoon, I figured I should get out of here quickly. As if on cue, the drunk Go Heemin turned this way.
After clinking glasses with Yoo In-ho, he let out a tipsy laugh. His pale skin was flushed red, making him look like a completely different person.
“Huh?! Jungwoo, my friend Cha Jungwoo~ where are you going~?”
“You drunk bastard. I’m going to smoke. Why.”
“A cigarette? Yeah, cigarettes are great~ but you chain-smoker bastard, take it easy!”
We exchanged what passed for well-wishes, as usual, and I waved him off with an indifferent face. In the middle of that, Go Heemin noticed Min Siheon gripping my shirt. Go Heemin pointed at him with a finger and mumbled in a small voice.
“…Hey, Min Siheon, you.”
“Me?”
The easy grin he’d been wearing vanished, and Go Heemin suddenly looked unusually serious. In response, Min Siheon turned his gaze toward him. I didn’t miss that timing and quickly pried his hand off me.
Min Siheon, having lost hold of me for a moment, turned his body back this way. But by then I had already moved far away from the table where they were sitting.
With somewhat hurried steps, I slipped between the seats where the other classmates were sitting. Pushing through the tangled mess of bodies, I kept moving forward and forward.
Thanks to the distance I’d put between us, I could no longer see Min Siheon or the others.
I finally managed to open the door and step out of the bar. The night air was still chilly. It felt like it cleared my head, which was refreshing.
“Ah, I’m tired.”
Fiddling with the cigarettes and lighter I’d brought, I walked toward the narrow alley beside the bar building. When I peeked inside, a few guys who seemed to have come out earlier were gathered there, exhaling thick clouds of smoke.
Judging by their unfamiliar faces, they were either from a different year or people I wasn’t close with. It didn’t seem like anything good would come from joining them.
So I decided not to go in. It would just be awkward.
I turned the corner and leaned against a suitable wall, putting a cigarette between my lips. Seeing a can placed on top of an outdoor AC unit as a makeshift ashtray, it looked like smoking here was tolerated.
The loud music and pounding bass drifting from afar made my head spin.
I figured I’d smoke one and then head back in with some excuse, planning to slip home early.
While staring at the dark night sky that wasn’t even clearly visible, I heard familiar names from beyond the corner I’d just passed.
“What the.”
I knew that when guys got drunk, their chatter was usually all the same.
Which meant it was rarely anything good, no matter how they normally behaved. And if they were talking in voices that flippant… I had a bad feeling about it.
I flicked the ash off the end of my cigarette and crushed the scattered bits on the ground. As I slowly walked forward, the voices grew clearer, and my temples began to throb.
“Min Siheon, that guy—that’s him, right?”
“Yeah~ the innermost table. I saw him a few times going back and forth. He looks damn good. I get why the girls were squealing.”
“Did you see all the freshmen glancing over there? It’s wild how close they all are.”
“Go Heemin sunbae’s group is famous, you know. The good-looking crowd. Don’t hot people just flock together?”
“Fuck, the rich get richer.”
“Yeah, and you’re just rotten.”
“You crazy bastard, you wanna die?!”
Their snickering laughter shook the narrow alley. It was amazing how they could talk shit like that with just a single wall between them and the people they were gossiping about.
From what I could tell, they didn’t seem like upperclassmen. Even if their mouths were foul, judging by their faces, they were probably first-year freshmen.
I never assumed that just because a university was academically strong, it would only attract people with good character. But I hadn’t expected there to be people this pathetic.
For a moment, I wondered if I should step in and stop them. Normally, I would’ve ignored it and walked away, but for some reason, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Even if it was just so I wouldn’t have to hear it anymore, I decided it’d be better to stop it directly. Honestly, I didn’t want to show off like this.
Just as I took one last drag of my cigarette and stepped forward, their alcohol-soaked brains seemed to have dissolved entirely. From beyond the alley came voices even more vulgar than before.
“Kang Taeyoon? That guy’s gaze is scary as hell. I ran into him once and almost pissed myself.”
“That’s gross, asshole. Still, the one with the most rumors going around is Min Siheon. He’s been hanging out with them a lot lately. That Cha Jungwoo guy? Looks damn good. Annoyingly so.”
“You jealous? You’re not even in the league to be. I haven’t heard much bad stuff about that side, though…. I just don’t get why Min Siheon’s close with him. What if they’re the same kind of people deep down?”
“Hey, I heard Min Siheon’s personality is fucking trash. Don’t compare them. They say he freaks out if someone even touches him—like he’s a germaphobe or something. There were rumors he beat someone up in high school. Wonder if that’s true.”
“How would I know? But judging by his build, if he hits someone, it’s gotta be at least serious injury. Did you see the size of his hands? If he punched you with that fist, you’d be dead. Better watch yourself.”
“He’s good-looking, so I bet his dating life’s complicated too. If it were me, I wouldn’t reject anyone—I’d take them all.”
“Gwak Hyun-cheol, are you fucking insane?!”
By now, I was close enough to them. I couldn’t just stand there and listen anymore.
I lifted my foot and kicked the exterior wall beside me. Bang! Crumbling bits of cement burst apart, dust scattering thickly into the air. Pebbles ricocheted off the outdoor AC unit, clanging loudly.
Right then, they turned their heads toward me.
I had already crushed the cigarette butt into the can atop the AC unit. Sparks had jumped past my fingers, but I hadn’t even registered the pain.
Checking my knuckles indifferently, I walked toward them. Their faces were drained of color. Tilting my head, I exhaled smoke. I had just moistened my dry lips with my tongue.
“First-years? Right?”
I stopped in front of them with a swagger I’d never used in my life.
“Ah….”
“…We’re fucked.”
Some of them, having recognized my face, turned pale and glanced at each other. I hadn’t planned on speaking informally to people I’d never met before. But the way they were acting was so pathetic that there was no way polite words would come out.
“The three of you were having quite the fun conversation.”
“That’s….”
“Ah, fuck.”
Two of them looked flustered and unsure what to do, but one, thinking he was grown, spat out rough words. Right then, something inside me snapped.
“Wow…. So? Did you have fun?”
“…….”
I strode over quickly and slung an arm over the shoulder of the one who had said the thing I hated most. He was shorter than me, so I had to bend slightly.
“Think carefully. My footing here is probably a lot more solid than yours, considering you’re just freshmen.”
At that, the one still holding a cigarette trembled slightly as he read the room.
That’s why you don’t do shit like this. There’s a reason people keep rumors to whispers even when they know them.
If you’re going to talk, at least read the situation. These idiots couldn’t even control the level of what they were saying, and they were way too close.
Since this was a prestigious university, this kind of filthy behavior wouldn’t be welcomed. As first-years, they’d have plenty of external activities ahead of them. My connections with other years were far deeper than theirs.
I emphasized that and put it indirectly; the reactions that followed were exactly what I expected.
Even if there were rumors going around, most undergraduates expressed favor toward Min Siheon, Kang Taeyoon, and Go Heemin. If I leveraged that, it was obvious their campus lives wouldn’t go smoothly.
They must’ve had some brains, because they understood what I meant and fell silent.
I had no intention of becoming someone like them, so I decided a warning would be enough.
Tightening the arm around his neck, I pressed down hard on his shoulder. Staring at the wall, I spoke in a low voice.
“Gwak Hyun-cheol, was it…. Hyun-cheol, I get that you’re excited to be an adult and enjoying campus life. But maybe fix that habit of trashing people without even knowing the facts. This is a university, not a middle school classroom.”
“Yes…. We’re sorry.”
Since they were clearly in the wrong, they didn’t seem to have anything to say. As they bowed their heads, I added the last thing I wanted to say.
There was no guarantee guys like this wouldn’t do it again. It was a precaution for what might come later.
“Oh, and I’m pretty close with Min Siheon. If you’re going to spread something, how about this instead? That Cha Jungwoo from Business Administration drags in and chews out anyone spreading bullshit rumors.”
I released my arm from his shoulders and patted him lightly. The color had completely drained from their faces, and they avoided my gaze.
In times like this, having a big build helps. For the first time, I felt grateful for my height and frame. More than anything, I knew my physique had an impact.
“I’ll let it slide today. Head back in nicely. And when you go inside, manage your expressions. Hyung doesn’t want his drink ruined.”
Feeling exhausted, I didn’t want to stay around them any longer. When I shoved their backs and told them to go, they glanced back at me and hurried out of the alley.
Judging by the direction they went, it looked like they were planning to grab their things and leave the bar.
I’d told them to control their expressions in front of Min Siheon. It seemed they didn’t have the confidence to face him.
Or maybe they were afraid I’d go in and spread rumors about them instead. They hated the idea of being talked about themselves, yet they had no problem spreading baseless gossip about others. I couldn’t understand it.
In the end, I just shook my head, thinking it was all pointless. At least it was fortunate that the people involved hadn’t known about it.
Just as I was about to head back into the bar, grumbling that I’d only lost my appetite after coming out for a smoke, I sensed someone’s presence beyond the opposite wall from where the guys had disappeared.
It seemed there had been one more spectator to this whole situation besides those bastards and me. Feeling a headache coming on, I scratched the back of my head and moistened my dry lips before calling out.
“Excuse me.”
“…….”
There was no reply, but the wavering shadow on the ground seemed to speak for itself. As I started to approach directly, the person who had let out a sigh stepped forward first.
“Ah.”
It was someone I knew very well. Min Siheon, head slightly lowered.
I told you not to follow me. I sighed at the sight of him. Under the brilliantly bright moonlight, a sense of helplessness made my vision swim.
With the streetlamp and bar lights behind him, I couldn’t clearly see his expression. Only when a passing car’s headlights swept by could I barely make out his features.
“You… heard everything?”
“Yeah.”
A bleak aura flowed over the shadowed bridge of his nose. Beneath the faint passing light, I caught sight of eyes that looked dark and lifeless, and I lost my words.
What is this? I didn’t know why, but instead of looking hurt, there was a strange exhilaration in Min Siheon’s gaze.
His eyes, usually gentle, were stiff now, piercing sharply.
As Min Siheon’s gaze slowly swept over my face, I felt goosebumps rise along my spine.
The night air was cold, but not cold enough to explain this. That’s what made it strange.
Thinking I should at least try talking to him, I stepped closer. Judging by his tightly pressed lips, though, Min Siheon didn’t seem inclined to speak with me.
A restless urge rose in my throat, like thirst. I wondered if I should at least offer him some comfort.
But it didn’t seem like that kind of atmosphere.
I had barely taken a few steps when I stopped. This time, Min Siheon approached me instead.
Dirty dust and cigarette butts crunched under his shoes, yet he moved without the slightest hesitation.
He was a big guy, and as he strode toward me, I unconsciously took a step back.
Seeing that, Min Siheon slowly reached his hand out toward me.
