TWYW C3

Just then, the lecture ended. Having filled the time with meaningless chatter with Yuhyeon rather than discussing the group project, Gyeoul quickly grabbed his bag and left the classroom. Feeling as if he had been unnecessarily swept up by Yuhyeon, Gyeoul left without even waiting for his reply and headed to the café where he worked part-time. The small café, five bus stops away, was a place Gyeoul had been working at since his high school days.

“Boss, I’m here.”

“Oh, you’re here.”

Upon arriving at the café, Gyeoul immediately went into the break room, put down his bag, and naturally tied on an apron.

“You’re a bit early today.”

“Yes. My class ended early.”

The owner of the café where Gyeoul worked was the closest person he had to a friend. Though, to call them close was a stretch as they rarely had personal conversations, but for that very reason, Gyeoul felt more comfortable around him. Getting close to people inevitably led to sharing personal stories, and Gyeoul found such things simply uncomfortable. His blunt personality played a part, but he disliked interacting with people and preferred to be alone most of the time. The café he worked at was run by just the owner and Gyeoul, so when there were no customers, only the sound of music flowed through the space. Naturally, such silence put Gyeoul’s mind at ease.

Gyeoul finished his shift around the time it grew dark outside and waited for the bus home. Even though the bus was unusually late today, Gyeoul sat nonchalantly on the bus stop bench and watched the cars passing on the road.

It would be nice if the bus just never came.

Unfortunately, contrary to his wish, a bus stopped at the station, and Gyeoul rode it home. He got off in a high-end residential area lined with tall walls, passed a few single-family houses, and stood in front of a large gate. Gyeoul soon opened the door, walked across the wide garden, and went inside the house. Despite a light being on in the master bedroom, no one came out to greet him. However, being greeted with acknowledgment would have been far more uncomfortable, so Gyeoul, with an unfazed expression, took off his shoes at the entrance and quietly went up to the second floor, opening the door to the room in the farthest corner.

In the large house, the only space allotted to him was a small room with an attached bathroom, furnished with a single bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. Gyeoul quickly washed his tired body from work and prepared to go to bed a little early. Just as he was about to lie down, the door burst open.

“Gyeoul, you should say hello when you come home.”

“…The house was quiet, so I thought you were asleep.”

There had been a time when he had greeted them through the closed door upon entering the house, only to be chided to come in quietly. Gyeoul sighed inwardly, not knowing which tune to dance to.

“What are you doing after school tomorrow?”

“I have my part-time job at the café.”

“Are you still working for that paltry sum?”

It was because of that paltry sum that Gyeoul had to work part-time since high school.

“You’re starting to tutor a high school student from tomorrow.”

“…What?”

“You know the Rohm family, right? Their youngest son needs a tutor, so I recommended my son.”

Rohm was one of the major conglomerates with many subsidiaries. They had also been supporting his father, a member of the National Assembly, for a long time, so the families maintained a friendly relationship.

“You have to do well when you go. Don’t bring shame to your father’s name.”

“Yes…”

“Right, I know my son always does well without being told.”

His mother, having patted Gyeoul’s back, left the room as soon as she finished what she had to say. When she left the room, Gyeoul felt the tightness in his chest ease a little. Gyeoul had been intentionally not taking on more part-time jobs so as not to lose his university scholarship. Now that he was an adult, there were more things he could do, but he had only kept the café job in case it interfered with his studies. However, unable to refuse his mother’s words, Gyeoul let out a long breath at the tutoring job that had been forced upon him. With his mood sinking whenever he came home, Gyeoul quickly lay down on the bed in the room lit by a single indirect lamp and closed his eyes.

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Arriving at the university, Gyeoul strolled through the campus where dry branches were still visible here and there. It was long before his lecture was due to start, so he headed to the place where he always spent his time when he came to campus. It was a spot he had accidentally discovered on his first day of university while wandering around campus. However, it was a bit far from the main gate, so he had to take a shortcut past the central library, where many students gathered. A large number of students always gathered in front of the library building, so Gyeoul was reluctant to pass by it for no reason.

However, the place Gyeoul wanted to go required a long detour unless he went past the library, so today, too, he was inevitably passing through the bustling students. In fact, even before Gyeoul passed the library, a silhouette visible from a distance kept catching his eye.

Yuhyeon was surrounded by several people, and a constant smile played on his lips as if he was sharing some pleasant story. Gyeoul, for some reason, thought the sight was unpleasant, glared, and passed by at a slight distance. In case he might spot him and offer a greeting, Gyeoul walked a little faster. However, Yuhyeon didn’t seem to have noticed Gyeoul, and only the sound of his low laughter rang in his ears.

Jerk.

Although Gyeoul had hoped Yuhyeon wouldn’t talk to him, a strange irritation washed over him when he really did pretend not to know him. However, he thought little of it, attributing it to his mood being soured by Yuhyeon picking a fight with him in class yesterday.

Gyeoul climbed a slightly steep staircase and sat down on a small bench. It was a high point on campus, so the scenery of the campus spread out below his feet. It was the place with the best view in the university, but since it required climbing dozens of stairs, students didn’t often come here. That’s why, ever since Gyeoul discovered this place, he spent his time here every day, either studying on the bench or sometimes just sitting with an empty mind.

Feeling the pleasant breeze, Gyeoul took a book out of his bag and began to read. It was what could be called his only hobby. Gyeoul, who enjoyed reading various things without being picky about the genre, eventually ended up majoring in creative writing. There was a clear difference between reading and writing, but as he read many books, at some point, he began to feel the desire to write himself. That’s why, despite his family’s vehement opposition, Gyeoul ultimately chose to major in creative writing and entered university.

The day he told his family he was going to major in creative writing was the day Gyeoul had been to the threshold of death, not knowing if it was heaven or hell. His family wanted him to go to law school, so that day, Gyeoul was beaten all over by his father, just enough not to die. Even now, when he recalled that day, he felt as if his whole body ached. His family had said they wouldn’t contribute a single penny to his tuition, and he had worried about having to give up on enrolling, but fortunately, Gyeoul was able to enter university on a scholarship.

While Gyeoul was lost in thought, the sound of a lighter being flicked came from somewhere. Since hardly anyone ever came here, Gyeoul raised his head in curiosity to check who it was. Yuhyeon, who had certainly been in front of the library, was leaning against a bench post, lighting a cigarette he held in his mouth. Seeing the unexpected person, Gyeoul quickly turned his head and avoided his gaze.

“Hubae-nim, hello.”

Gyeoul merely gave a slight glare at Yuhyeon’s greeting and didn’t answer.

“Are you sulking because I didn’t say hi in front of the library?”

“What, what are you talking about, sulking? Of course not.”

“You’re sulking.”

“I said I’m not.”

Watching Gyeoul deny it in a firm voice, Yuhyeon let out a small laugh.

“You saw me too but didn’t say hi.”

“I didn’t see you.”

“But I saw you.”

“So what.”

At Gyeoul’s snappy response, the smile drawn on Yuhyeon’s lips widened. Gyeoul felt as if he was about to be sucked into Yuhyeon’s smiling face and pointlessly stared down at his own feet, averting his gaze.

“You’re not an elementary schooler.”

“I’m twenty, you know.”

At Gyeoul’s retort, Yuhyeon stubbed out the cigarette he had barely smoked and came closer.

“Wh-what is it.”

Just how tall was he? Even though he was sitting down, he had to crane his neck to look up at Yuhyeon standing in front of him. Gyeoul, who had barely managed to meet his eyes, instinctively flinched his body as a large hand suddenly approached. However, making his flinched body feel foolish, Yuhyeon’s hand lightly patted Gyeoul’s head and passed by.

“I’m leaving, baby.”

Startled by Yuhyeon calling him ‘baby’, Gyeoul couldn’t even manage a proper comeback and just stared blankly at the broad back disappearing from his sight.

Shit. What is he talking about.

Gyeoul roughly grabbed his bag for no reason and walked down toward the building where his major lecture was held. Entering the classroom, Gyeoul, as usual, found a seat in the corner by the window where he would be least noticeable. Most of the students filling the classroom were his classmates from the same department, but since he didn’t particularly interact with people, no one greeted Gyeoul. However, Gyeoul, who was used to being alone, preferred it when no one talked to him. Moreover, since it was a writing lecture, all the assignments were things one had to do alone. There was already an assignment waiting to write a short story, so Gye-oul’s mind had been busy lately, thinking up story ideas in his spare moments.