While we were debating whether to head to a restaurant in Daehangno, Yoo In-ho, who had been rummaging through his bag, suddenly shouted as if he’d realized something.
“Holy—why is this in here?!”
“What is it?”
“My International Business report.”
What he pulled out of his bag was the report for the class we’d just finished. I distinctly remembered the professor telling us to submit it to the podium right before the lecture ended.
“Then what the hell did you turn in? You went up to the front earlier.”
“Oh, I must’ve swapped it with the materials for the afternoon class. Wait—so the assignment for Business Statistics 1 that we have later is gone? Haha.”
“You’re laughing right now?”
After digging through his bag a few more times, Yoo In-ho finally seemed to grasp the situation and let out a laugh.
Business Statistics 1 was another required major course. It looked like he’d accidentally switched the materials for the upcoming class with the report for the class that had just ended.
“Congratulations on graduating in the fall semester. You’ll get to enjoy college life half a year longer than me, my friend.”
“Go ahead and curse me properly!!”
Yoo In-ho grabbed me by the collar and shook me. Mixed in with that grip was a desperate plea.
“Cha Jung! Save me! Please come with me to Professor Jang!! The professor likes you!!”
“Ghk—okay, okay! Just let go first!”
In the end, I had no choice but to go see the professor for that class. Yoo In-ho insisted we had to catch him before he left for lunch, so we practically ran there. Thanks to picking the wrong friend, I got an intense workout I hadn’t planned on.
Long story short, Yoo In-ho managed to switch the assignments safely. That was only because he practically begged the professor, who had been just about to leave.
“…Did you get in through early admission?”
“Pardon? No, I came through regular admission.”
“…I see.”
“…Pfft.”
Under the professor’s displeased gaze, we barely managed to escape the office.
Judging by how Yoo In-ho was aggressively ruffling his own hair, he must’ve been replaying the humiliation in his head. Even though he was my friend, I didn’t particularly want to stand too close to him right now.
“Yeah, damn it! Whenever I say I got in through regular admission, people act shocked! Even Hanguk University students can make mistakes!”
“Think you can shout that in front of the professor?”
“…No, so shut up. I know I messed up.”
We were walking along, continuing our trivial chatter, when the department office door beside us suddenly opened.
At the click of the handle, my head turned automatically—and I made eye contact with the person stepping out.
…Wow. I couldn’t help the expression of awe that crossed my face.
After seeing Kang Taeyoon and Go Heemin, I thought I’d been conditioned against being shocked by good looks. But this was a whole new kind of impact.
What caught my eye first was his height—the department office door looked small behind him.
He was a student, right? Judging by the atmosphere he carried, he wouldn’t have looked out of place as an actor filming a promotional video for the university.
His slightly light-colored hair fluttered as he closed the door. The features set against his pale face could only be described as textbook handsome.
Neatly shaped brows framed deep-set eyes, and lashes long enough to be rare cast faint shadows.
Beneath blinking lids, I caught a glimpse of light brown irises that seemed faintly diluted in pigment.
A straight, high-bridged nose, and a mouth with a clean, open shape. If he were to speak or smile, his sculpted beauty might almost feel unreal.
And in contrast to his pretty face, his imposing build drew attention as well. A thin turtleneck and beige single coat suited him alarmingly well.
As I stood frozen, Yoo In-ho followed my gaze.
Only after seeing the figure behind us did he quietly utter a name.
“Huh? That’s Min Siheon.”
Min Siheon? That name sounded familiar… Wait, Min Siheon?
In that instant, someone flashed through my mind—the sub-top from the novel I’d overheard about in the cafeteria.
Right then, Min Siheon turned toward me.
Maybe he’d heard his name, because his gaze landed in this direction.
Our eyes met, and when I instinctively took a step back, Min Siheon started walking toward us.
What? Had I been staring too blatantly? I awkwardly looked away as if I’d been mistaken, only to realize his steps were headed toward Yoo In-ho.
Rolling my eyes to mask the embarrassment, I watched as he began talking to Yoo In-ho.
“It’s been a while. I heard you came back.”
“Yeah. You too.”
It didn’t seem like they were particularly close. Their exchange felt sparse and dry.
So this was the sub-top. I quietly admired his unfamiliar type of beauty once more.
Min Siheon, seemingly sensitive to presence, quickly turned toward me.
“…And who’s this?”
“You two really don’t know each other? Same year. Cha Jungwoo.”
“Oh, I…”
I? He acted as if he’d heard of me somewhere before. It felt awkward to press, so I dipped my head slightly—just as a violent vibration rang from Yoo In-ho’s pocket.
“Crap…! I forgot! Sorry! I’m on my way right now!”
After answering the call, he turned pale and mouthed a plea at me. Judging by the look of it, he must’ve had another appointment.
With a nod telling him to go and a gesture apologizing, Yoo In-ho disappeared down the hallway.
That left just the two of us in front of the department office, stiff without even having properly introduced ourselves.
I wasn’t exactly warm and friendly either, but Min Siheon seemed even worse.
Despite his light-colored eyes, his expression was cool—almost cold—and a little hard to approach.
After watching him for a moment, I scratched my head and tried to continue the introduction I’d awkwardly cut off.
He looked like the silent type, so I figured I’d better take the initiative and ramble a bit.
Honestly, my immediate goal was simply to wrap this up without offending him and leave.
We’d run into each other by chance, but Min Siheon was the sub-top in this novel, after all.
“Cha Jungwoo. Nice to meet you. Since we’re in the same department, I guess we’ll see each other around.”
“Yeah. I’m Min Siheon.”
Sensing the cue, I held out my hand. Min Siheon stared at it.
Judging by his indifferent air, he seemed uncomfortable with the situation.
Just as I was about to withdraw my hand, thinking it had been unnecessary, he slowly reached out and took it.
Once this was over, I planned to head off and do my own thing. But the moment our fingertips touched, Min Siheon’s body temperature felt startlingly cold.
He looked like spring sunlight personified, yet his skin was icy. My shoulders twitched.
“…!”
Without realizing it, I lifted my head toward him. Perhaps surprised by my movement, he froze too, half-bent at the waist.
That brought us half a step closer. We weren’t fully touching, but it felt far too close for two male classmates meeting for the first time that day.
Beyond his widened eyes, I saw the light caught in his pupils—and reflected in his clear irises was my own face, mouth slightly open in surprise.
I hastily pulled my hand back and stepped away. Min Siheon then gently rubbed his fingertips again.
“Sorry. Your hands are cold.”
“…Yeah.”
Unlike me, who’d shown several reactions in those brief seconds, his expression barely changed throughout.
Only when I’d lifted my head had his lips parted slightly. He struck me as someone who didn’t express emotions strongly.
He had a face that would probably look beautiful when smiling… yet somehow, that chilly impression of his lingered in my mind.
Maybe that was why—I impulsively rummaged through my bag.
It should be in here somewhere. When my fingers caught on it, I let out a small sigh.
“Here.”
What I held out in my clenched fist was a single, individually wrapped chocolate. Min Siheon stood still, staring at my outstretched hand.
“……”
…Cha Jungwoo, you crazy bastard. What are you doing right now? Only then did I realize what I’d just done.
No grown man would be pleased to receive something like this.
Just as I was about to pull my hand back, thinking I’d made a mistake, Min Siheon took the chocolate from my hand.
In his large palm, the small piece of chocolate looked oddly delicate. He stared at it for a moment, then slowly shifted his gaze to me.
“…I’ll eat it well.”
“Sure.”
When he said that, I looked at him more closely and saw the faintest lift at the corner of his lips. It was so subtle you’d miss it if you weren’t looking carefully—but it seemed enough.
Maybe he didn’t mind. I’d thought he might be offended at being treated like a kid, but unexpectedly, it seemed to please him.
Looking at the wrapper resting on his palm, Min Siheon lightly rolled his fingers over it.
For some reason, the atmosphere shifted at that moment. The air around us felt noticeably softer than before.
***
A few days later, I entered the lecture hall for an exam. Scanning the nearly full room, I spotted an empty seat in the corner.
“Excuse me. I’ll sit here.”
After confirming there were no belongings, I asked the person beside the seat for permission. Only after setting my bag down did I realize he’d been staring at me in silence.
“Huh?”
“Hi.”
It was only after I sat down that I recognized the person next to me—none other than Min Siheon.
We’d been attending this class for nearly a month, yet this was the first time I’d noticed.
As if he found it amusing too, Min Siheon pushed aside the major textbook he’d been reading and spoke.
In his previously calm eyes, I caught a flicker of curiosity.
“Guess we really had no interest in each other. How did I not know you were here?”
“Seriously.”
“What? Are you laughing?”
“…Huh?”
Despite his cool style, maybe he was dense about this kind of thing. His lips had clearly curved up slightly, yet he seemed completely unaware.
Since he didn’t notice, I didn’t see the need to correct him. So I quickly shook my head, saying I must’ve imagined it.
After all, he was the sub-top in the novel. It felt like distancing myself had already failed, but I was doing my best in my own way.
“It’s nothing.”
“Mm. …Still, how did I not notice you?”
His attitude was similar to before—indifferent—but something about Min Siheon felt different. The conversation flowed more naturally than it had during our first meeting.
Feeling awkward, I scratched my head and took out my things.
After setting up my pencil case and pulling out materials to skim over, he finally shifted his gaze away from me.
Though his finger traced the exam scope repeatedly, he didn’t seem very focused. It felt like I was distracting him.
When I glanced sideways, I saw Min Siheon resting his chin on his hand as he flipped through pages.
Even the single pen held lightly in his large hand made him seem detached from reality.
And yet, that faint chill about him hadn’t disappeared. Maybe the novel’s story hadn’t progressed yet. Various hypotheses crossed my mind.
It seemed that sub-top Min Siheon hadn’t even met the main protagonist, Go Heemin, yet.
