ASIAH 2

Right after starting college, it’s natural to be awkward with everyone unless they’re from the same entrance exam prep academy. In my case, the kids who were in my class all went to the sculpture department, and I wasn’t particularly close to anyone in the first place.

Hyun Jaekyung, on the other hand, said he had prepared for the entrance exams entirely in Samcheonpo without taking any special lectures in Seoul. So, even though he shouldn’t have known anyone, he was already the center of our department from the first day of classes. Apparently, some of the classmates had gotten in touch and met up before the entrance ceremony, and it seemed he had befriended everyone he spoke to then.

That kind of thing had nothing to do with me, and I’m not a fan of show-offs, so I tried not to pay him any mind. But we were classmates, and that social butterfly would strike up pointless conversations with anyone and everyone. So if I ended up sitting next to him, I usually just avoided him.

Freshmen, especially art students, have personalities that are way too strong. It annoyed me how, whenever a few of them gathered, they’d get so loud it was like they were competing to see who could enjoy the small talk the most. Since Hyun Jaekyung was the one who brought that kind of chaos with him, from my perspective, avoiding him was no different from dodging a sudden downpour. But that attention-seeker, Hyun Jaekyung, had this to say about my evasion:

“Ah, I want to be friends with Jooyoon, but I think he totally hates me. Don’t you think so?”

Hyun Jaekyung usually spoke in standard Korean, but a slight accent would creep in whenever he was trying to act overly friendly. The girls especially found that way of speaking novel and cute. They’d even make him repeat the same phrase over and over like they were training a parrot, but Hyun Jaekyung, whether he had no pride or just never got tired of it, willingly played the clown.

“Jooyoon, Yoon-ah.”

“…”

“I’m really mustering up my courage here. In my hometown, you’d get murdered for calling someone so cutesy.”

“Hah…”

I couldn’t hold back the sigh. Crazy bastard. Not even my mom calls me that. I tried not to feed the troll and continued on my path of escape.

“Haha, I guess I must really stink.”

“Want me to smell you?”

I heard shrieks of laughter from behind me. Did someone really just stick their nose on Hyun Jaekyung’s body? For a second, I found myself wondering what Hyun Jaekyung smelled like, and I was dumbfounded at my own thought.

Time flew by as we had our welcoming ceremony, went through safety training, and joined clubs. My classmates, claiming they needed to make up for all the fun they missed while preparing for the practical exams after the CSATs, flocked around everywhere. The members in the photos posted on social media changed every time, but Hyun Jaekyung was never missing. He was only that restrained because he was a work-study student; if he hadn’t been, he would have been popping up all over the place.

Just looking at them was exhausting. Everyone was so excited, acting like they were ten-year-best-friends even though we’d only just started our first year. And I had no idea why I was staring at pictures of my classmates hanging out. I knew I was only doing it because I was bored.

It was embarrassing to call myself an otaku, because for some time now, I hadn’t loved anything and only occasionally assembled plastic models. It made me wonder what on earth I did for fun before.

But I came to a new realization: I was never that hardcore of an otaku to begin with. Time just passed quickly when I listened to the kids in the anime club talk or browsed online forums. Now that I don’t have an interest to delve that deeply into, I play a little bit of games, watch a little bit of movies, listen to a little bit of music, go to a few performances, and watch a few variety shows.

…I’m so bored.

Oh, in the basketball club, our positions aren’t strictly defined, but I play center. It was during the basic skills test after the initial big welcome party. The club president, who was spinning a ball on one finger, asked me.

“Jooyoon, is your eyesight really bad? Have you tried contacts?”

“No.”

“Really?”

I meant that my eyesight wasn’t bad, but he seemed to have understood it as I’d never tried contacts. The president recommended contacts but also mentioned goggles were an option as he handed me a sports headband.

“I know you’re an art kid, but let’s just stick to sports on the court.”

It took me a moment to understand what he meant, but it seemed the president thought my shaggy hair and glasses were some kind of “grunge look” or an intentional “nerd look.” I guess since our school is dominated by the arts and physical education departments, the students’ styles were so varied that he just chalked it up to being my personal style.

But I have 20/20 vision in both eyes. The glasses just have a blue light filter, and I wore them to achieve a certain effect. Still, without a word, I took off my glasses and used the headband with the Swoosh¹ on it (I learned the name of this logo in my Basic Design class) to push all my bangs back. With my vision cleared, it certainly seemed better for playing sports.

When I turned away from the mirror, the club members, who had all been chattering away, fell silent at once. Their gazes were a mixture of shock and admiration. I savored the atmosphere, brushing back a stray strand of hair with an intentionally cool gesture. Since the silence continued even after that, I started to feel awkward and just asked a random question.

“Is this mine to keep?”

“Uh… yeah. Keep it all.”

“You son of a… just put your hair back down.”

“Why the hell did you go around looking like that?”

“…The world is so damn unfair. Please tell me your dick is small.”

“Or a beggar…”

If I were Hyun Jaekyung, I would have clasped my hands together and swung them around in thanks the moment the cursing started. But I just humbly wiped my forehead with my wristband.

So… I know I’m handsome. My dad is handsome, my mom is handsome, and my sister is handsome, so I’d be an idiot not to know. We all suit the word “handsome” better than “pretty,” and we hear it a lot.

My sister, back when she was infecting me with the otaku virus, was apparently very popular for cosplaying male characters. I wasn’t interested in cosplay, so I wondered if that was even possible, but I often witnessed her receiving mountains of snacks and chocolates.

And I, too, had far too many troublesome incidents up until middle school. Have you ever seen girls duel each other like gentlemen fighting over a lady? I was unintentionally the “lady” in that scenario, and the world is a strange place. I hated that kind of thing.

Then one day during middle school, a friend from the comics club said to me seriously.

‘Jooyoon, you’re a real protagonist.’

‘A protagonist?’

‘You’re expressionless and taciturn. The cool, black-haired type.’

He said a protagonist is someone who hides some incredible ability, whether it’s their lineage or a talent. He’s the type who gets annoyed by the attention from all the girls who flock to him against his will, a situation that seems like a blessing to others. Listening to him, it sounded exactly like me. So, I got really into the role of the so-called “loser who hides his power,” and aimed to create an unapproachable aura.

And then, surprisingly… the “unintentional harem,” one of the key elements of being a protagonist, completely vanished. It made me realize that such a protagonist isn’t realistic. In any case, as someone who found others’ attention bothersome, it couldn’t have been more comfortable.

My sister, after she started pretending not to be an otaku, would hurl insults at me, saying I looked like an easy target for bullies. But while that might be true if I were just a tall, skinny anchovy, with my build, no one messes with me. I’ve been tall since elementary school, so do you think I’d be a novice at basketball? It might sound like I’m bragging, but it’s the truth.

After that, my relationship with the club members became both more awkward and more intimate. And, having only heard half of my self-introduction, they all think I’m a sculpture major. But I figured it wasn’t so bad to be the major I once dreamed of, at least here, so I just let it slide. Also, since it’s a club with no girls, I had no reservations about flaunting my good looks.

However, unlike in the club, I tried my best not to stand out in my major classes and the studio.

“Whoa, Jooyoon was here too?”

“…”

“He’s so tall, why is he so hard to spot?”

My stealth skill was quite successful. But even though I only showed my face where I absolutely had to, there was hardly a day I didn’t drink. It’s a good thing I can hold my liquor; I hate making a fool of myself.

I realized I was a strong drinker when I drank with my family right after turning twenty, but since I’ve never even been drunk, I don’t know my limit. Have you ever been the only sober one at a drinking party? Some people say you can get drunk on the atmosphere even without drinking; I wish I could get drunk like that. Sometimes it’s overwhelming to have to endure all sorts of embarrassing conversations with a clear mind.

And the biggest problem is Hyun Jaekyung. This bastard is starting to make me hate alcohol even more. Wherever he is, Hyun Jaekyung gets completely wasted whenever he drinks. So far, that’s just Hyun Jaekyung’s pathetic habit, none of my business. However, since everyone had already done a full background check on each other, there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know that Hyun Jaekyung lived in the dorms and I lived in a studio apartment a stone’s throw away. Even this is just a list of facts that don’t seem problematic.

The real problem is that whenever Hyun Jaekyung gets drunk, he looks for me.

-Our Yoonie, come pick me up. If you don’t come, I’m just gonna freeze to death right here.

When he drank far away, I’d put him in a taxi, and he’d collapse right where he got out and call for me. When he drank in front of the school, he’d collapse and call for me. Is he insane? But Hyun Jaekyung was also a big guy, so there was no one else who could handle him. In reality, two or three people could have dragged him, but I’m sure they all just wanted to watch the ridiculous spectacle of me and Hyun Jaekyung. I’m certain of it.

The first time that bullshit happened was at a drinking party with our classmates. I naturally refused, but Hyun Jaekyung clung to me. In the phrase “loser who hides his power,” I was supposed to be the “hiding his power” part, but Hyun Jaekyung emphasized the “loser” part. Of course, I could have pushed him off if I wanted to, but I’m not that cruel. Anyway, after cursing him out internally and hauling him to the dorm, do you know what Hyun Jaekyung is like the next day?

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t have this kind of drunken habit in high school…”

He didn’t have this kind of drunken habit in high school. Who asked? Why is he trying to subtly appeal that he drank in high school too? Yeah, okay, you were a bit of a bad boy. Is he saying I’m his shuttle now?

Ugh, we really don’t get along.