Letting out a sigh at my pitiful situation, I watched as Min Siheon, who had followed after me, approached carrying a tray.
He was easily half a head taller than most people around him, so naturally, attention gravitated his way.
The hem of his fairly long coat swayed around knee level, accentuating his physique.
From a group of girls seated not far away, I could hear whispers laced with admiration. This was one of the things I’d grown used to after getting close to him.
“Wait, is he a celebrity?”
“I’ve never seen him before??”
“Insanely handsome. His face is unreal. Does he have a girlfriend…?”
Min Siheon reached me and handed over my cup. Was he showing off his money or something? The card I’d given him came back into my hand without any payment notification arriving.
“Here. It was an Americano, right?”
“You paid again? Next time I’m going down to order.”
“Sure. I’ll treat myself then.”
“…Liar.”
Even though I pouted and complained, Min Siheon just smiled, as if he enjoyed it. He brushed off my scolding like it was nothing. Seriously, he was such a mild guy.
Why did people call him an asshole? The thought left me feeling strangely unsettled, so I turned my head as if I hadn’t noticed his expression.
I lifted the coffee from the table and took a sip when I felt a large shift beside me.
I’d been seated in the innermost spot, with Yoo In-ho next to me. The sofa lifted and sank again, and I subtly rolled my eyes.
“This bastard or that bastard—either way, I’m the one getting screwed over.”
At some point, Yoo In-ho had stood up and was now in front of the table, while Min Siheon seemed to be maneuvering himself into my direction.
“Sorry. I dressed a bit lightly today, so I’m cold. The outer seat’s in the shade.”
“You crazy bastard! It’s the same sofa! Does the middle seat even have heated seats or something? And the way you’re talking makes it sound like I can freeze to death for all you care!”
Looks like he’d used the cold as an excuse to steal the center seat Yoo In-ho had been occupying.
Come to think of it, the innermost seat was directly across from where Go Heemin was sitting. The transparent trick made me snort, and I got up as well.
I thought he was just mild-mannered, but judging by this, maybe he was surprisingly bad at romance despite that face.
“Jungwoo, why are you—”
“You said you’re cold. Min Siheon, you go sit all the way inside. The sunlight hits that spot well. I’ll sit on the very outside.”
As I vacated the innermost seat, Min Siheon stopped mid-step and turned to look at me.
A languid smile hung at the corner of his lips, but somehow it looked almost displeased.
I’d gone out of my way to be considerate, and that’s the look I get. He said he was cold, so I gave up the sunniest seat.
Plus, it was directly in front of his beloved Go Heemin. He should’ve been satisfied with that.
It seemed like he’d wanted to keep me next to him to pull off some jealousy tactic, but I wasn’t particularly motivated to play along in that department.
I could tell he was annoyed that things hadn’t gone according to his plan, but this was one thing I couldn’t concede either.
“Hey, Min Siheon! Just sit already! What are you doing, performing a ritual over your coffee?”
“…Yeah.”
Yoo In-ho fluttered around and shoved Min Siheon from behind. Under the push, Min Siheon reluctantly sat down. I followed suit, planting myself at the far end, putting plenty of distance between us.
Being closer to Kang Taeyoon was uncomfortable, but this was the best I could do.
Sipping my coffee with a weary heart, I noticed Go Heemin diagonally across from me staring my way. He’d been busy glancing around earlier, seemingly just observing everything.
Maybe he was conscious of me watching, because under the table he kept swatting away Kang Taeyoon’s hand that persistently tried to latch onto him.
He probably thought it wasn’t visible, but I’d already caught it several times.
You’re happy I moved away, aren’t you? So just accept Min Siheon already. The affection that had built up in the meantime was a scary thing. Or maybe I just had a tendency to root for the sub-male lead.
While sneaking glances at Min Siheon seated inside, my eyes met Go Heemin’s again. It seemed he’d been alternating his gaze between me and Min Siheon.
“What?”
“No, it’s just….”
There was a trace of curiosity in Go Heemin’s eyes. They say this is a prestigious university, but all my classmates seem to be nothing but weirdos.
Three of them were novel protagonists, one was a transmigrator, and there was only a single person you could call normal. I honestly wished that whole truth was a lie. My daily life was exhausting.
Feeling like it was about time to get up, I pulled out my phone from my pocket. I scrolled to a familiar contact and sent a message. Before long, it vibrated.
“…Jungwoo-ya. Who is it?”
While I was busily typing a reply, Min Siheon—who had been sitting far away, staring only at his coffee with his lips pressed shut—suddenly asked.
He finally lifted his head to look at me, and strangely, his gaze felt cold.
Like he was interrogating me… Wait. What am I even thinking right now?
“A junior.”
The moment I checked the reply, I seized the chance and grabbed the bag I’d set down.
This wasn’t me running from Min Siheon’s gaze. …If I say it’s not, then it’s not.
I downed the rest of my coffee in one gulp and stood up. Everyone at the table looked at me.
The most intense gaze among them was Min Siheon’s.
Just before we entered the café, his face had been bright. Now, there was something subtly sharp about it.
“Jungwoo, where are you going? You said you had time before the next class.”
“I’ve got plans.”
“Cha Jung, are you ditching all your classes today? Damn, that’s bold.”
“I usually attend properly. Skipping one day won’t kill me.”
Go Heemin and Yoo In-ho’s questions continued, but I answered without lifting my eyes from my phone. Considering what I was about to say next, it felt better not to look at them.
Kang Taeyoon looked uninterested, but Min Siheon seated behind was the problem. The way he stared as if he could bore through my cheek was oddly irritating.
He was sitting in the brightest seat under the sunlight, yet his eyes looked darker than usual.
“Hey, Yoo In-ho. Do the assignment with Siheon.”
“What?! What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?”
“Why? Weren’t you yelling earlier about me ditching you? Min Siheon, you said you’re shy and don’t want to work with strangers, right? Yoo In-ho’s perfect for you.”
Yoo In-ho looked shocked at my words, followed by Go Heemin and Kang Taeyoon reacting as if I’d lost my mind.
I didn’t dare look at Min Siheon. After throwing out my final line, I turned around.
“I already found a partner. So just assume that and you two do it. I’m heading out!”
“Hey—! Cha Jungwoo! You crazy bastard!”
“…….”
I bolted out of the café as if afraid someone might chase after me. I got cursed at, but this was for everyone’s sake.
Hurrying off to meet my junior, I happened to make eye contact with Min Siheon through the large glass window of the café’s second floor.
He looked very different from the grinning face he’d worn during class.
“Shouldn’t have looked.”
I gave him an awkward smile and a small wave before running off again. I’d felt my luck was bad since morning, so on days like this, it was best to avoid all potential hazards entirely.
The aftermath was a little frightening, but there wasn’t much Min Siheon could actually do.
“Was being a college student always this spectacular?”
The sub-top of this novel, Min Siheon, was seriously a strange guy. I couldn’t begin to guess what he was thinking.
***
“But hyung, is it really okay to do this with me?”
“Do you want to back out now?”
“No! I already told people I’m doing it with you, hyung. If you ditch me, I’m screwed!”
“Then why are you asking? Hurry up and look up the materials.”
The next day, after arranging to meet the junior to avoid those guys and discussing things, we met again. I deliberately chose a quiet café in Daehangno so I wouldn’t run into them.
“I mean, it’s just surprising~ That you’d leave the sunbaes and want to team up with me.”
“Yeah. Why did I call you, I wonder.”
“Whoa… Jungwoo hyung, that fact bomb was brutal.”
This kid was a junior I’d gotten acquainted with in the department lounge after returning to school. He followed me just enough that I didn’t mind it, and since he was in the same class, I’d contacted him just in case. He immediately agreed.
We were each searching for materials for our assigned parts on our laptops when he grabbed his mug and stared at me.
“What? Is it really that curious?”
“Yes! Didn’t you guys already decide partners in class that day? I saw you talking with Min Siheon sunbae.”
I hadn’t expected Min Siheon’s name to pop up even here. Out of all the people, why his name? Did we look that close? Feeling inexplicably awkward, I changed the subject.
“We did decide, more or less. But there’s one thing you’re forgetting. We’re an odd number.”
“Oh~ right. Wait! So you ended up alone??”
“Yeah. It just kind of happened.”
Strictly speaking, I hadn’t been left alone—I’d escaped. Min Siheon had insisted we team up, but I didn’t want to get dragged into a love rivalry, so I ran.
For a long while, we focused on our own work, staring at our laptops without talking.
Suddenly, I thought of the classmates I hadn’t seen for nearly a day. Without them around, everything was so peaceful that it almost made me forget I’d entered a world inside a book.
Min Siheon is probably doing fine, right? The damn sickeningly sweet couple didn’t need worrying about, but Min Siheon—who couldn’t approach the person he liked even with him right in front of him—did.
After all, it was partly because of me that he’d joined that group to begin with. And the messages he’d sent me last night felt strangely unsettling.
[Jungwoo-ya, am I really teaming up with In-ho?]
[You said you’re doing it with a junior. Are you two going to be okay?]
[If that’s the case, should I help too? I can match schedules with that junior you’re working with.]
[You’re free from 11 to 3 tomorrow, right? Let’s all have lunch together.]
Jungwoo-ya, Jungwoo-ya. At this rate, my name’s going to wear out. Every message from Min Siheon was filled with earnest desperation.
If he treated a girl like this, wouldn’t anyone fall for him? That’s how plaintive it felt.
“Instead of spending this time on me, why not just confront him directly….”
“Huh? What was that?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Kang Taeyoon was a formidable goalkeeper, sure, but Min Siheon wasn’t someone who would easily lose out to others either.
Even if an exceptional guy was standing beside the goal, I still thought this was a match that could be overturned if he really tried.
Seeing Min Siheon pull half-baked jealousy tactics made me want to give him advice without realizing it. If he found out, he might get angry and call it meddling, though.
[You said you’re shy. And In-ho was grumbling too. I already had someone to work with, so it didn’t matter to me. No need to feel sorry.]
[Why wouldn’t it work between us two? Sometimes you act worse than my parents.]
[Why are you helping with someone else’s assignment when you’re in the same class? Isn’t your schedule closer to Go Heemin’s tomorrow than mine? Though I guess Kang Taeyoon will be glued to him too… Take In-ho with you and make it four.]
[I’ve got plans, idiot. Check the time and we’ll meet up with the guys in the evening.]
Try pushing forward with that face of yours. The way he was wasting his charms on the wrong person made me think Min Siheon was oddly dense in some ways.
