DI Ch 103

It doesn’t matter to me because I just have morning classes today, but was it really okay?  Woo Ji-min, unable to contain his worries, stood at the entrance of the main building, hesitating to speak with a troubled expression on his face.

“I’m retaking this course. It’s okay. As long as I don’t fail the final like last time, there won’t be any issues.”

He seemed quite confident as if he had taken this class before taking a leave of absence. I walked briskly beside him, trying to keep up.

As soon as he sat down on the lawn, he asked seriously.

“You weren’t threatened, right?”

“We live together because I like them.”

“Do your parents know?”

“…Not yet.”

“You may seem like an adult, but you’re really immature.”

“…”

He questioned me persistently, like a teacher. What did that person say? Is it really okay? …But the more I listened, the more I felt like I was talking about a fictional character. My head begins to roll quite a bit when I lessen the dose of medications I take. If the two did not meet, who did they meet instead?

“You’re not focusing. Anyway, it’s because you’re so disorganized, that’s why… that’s why! You shouldn’t be hanging out with dangerous people!”

His personality makes it easy for him to swear, but he still chose his words carefully as he scolded. It felt like he scolded me for a good hour and a half. We’ve been bickering a lot lately… I was absent-mindedly listening to his nagging when a shadow fell behind me. When I raised my head, I saw Kang Moo-hyun with a strange expression.

“I was wondering why you didn’t come to class.”

It had been so long since I saw him that I almost forgot, but I recognized him instantly. However, despite being taller than me, we seemed to have a similar build. Was he better, or had I gotten worse?

“What’re you doing.”

“Nothing, I think I’ve lost some muscle.”

Woo Ji-min glanced at me pitifully as I touched my chest. But I was serious. In my third year of high school, I learned martial arts and increased my arm strength in preparation for a confrontation with the kidnapper. I hadn’t exercised since nearly falling while running on a treadmill next to Tae Seong-je during a hotel stay, and it appeared that I had lost a lot of strength. Well, I’ve been playing way too much recently. It felt like I needed to start something again.

“I was worried. You’ve never been like this before.”

Kang Moo-hyun’s calm voice reminded me that I had forgotten about him, but Woo Ji-min had a cold expression on his face as if he had been ignoring him on purpose. One eye was fixedly looking, while the other trembled as if warning of imminent calamity.

I took a sip of my drink and gazed around in the odd atmosphere. I didn’t know what had happened during the break, but there was no happiness on Kang Moo-hyun’s face, who used to always smile in front of Woo Ji-min. It was as if the mask had taken off and he was sincere, yet Woo Ji-min expressed his discomfort with an exhausted voice.

“Hey. It gives me the creeps, so just leave. What does it matter if I attend class or not?”

“…”

The silence was long. He was staring at Woo Ji-min motionlessly and then dropped his gaze. I bowed my head slightly when our eyes met.

“Hello. Sunbae.”

“… Yeah.”

His eyes were cold as he looked at me. I felt like being pushed on stage by a fight I didn’t want to be a part of. Even Woo Ji-min, who was supposed to be the prize of the territorial fight, appeared uncomfortable with the feeling of being treated as an object. Considering this, was it really necessary to proceed this way? I had no idea that one person’s one-sided attention could be so violent, so this situation was truly burdensome.

I reached out and lightly tapped Woo Ji-min’s hand with my fingertips while looking at him. Since there were only three of us here, maybe pretending that something was going on would be enough. Woo Ji-min pushed the nose of my shoe. I moved my gaze away from Kang Moo-hyun and looked at him. What did that mean? ‘Why?’ I asked with my lips.

Woo Ji-min shook his head. Ah. I couldn’t do it unless I got permission from my lover. It couldn’t be helped. I was about to put down the cup, expressing my regret over the empty glass when Kang Moo-hyun opened his mouth in a voice full of displeasure.

“What?”

I glanced at the once gentle face that seemed to have disappeared and been replaced by the stern one amid the bleak atmosphere. Honestly, I was a bit surprised. We haven’t done anything yet. Even Woo Ji-min, who used to act negatively about Kang Moo-hyun, seemed puzzled. However, he provided an opportunity to stir up emotions, so there was no reason to deliberately avoid it.

“Well…”

Woo Ji-min tapped my leg and asked what I was doing when I expressed a meaningful attitude. I didn’t do anything. It’s just a misunderstanding on the other side, but whatever. I shrugged my shoulders to indicate that I didn’t do anything wrong. Well, pretending to have something going on was unexpectedly easy.

“Are you not going to drink anymore?”

“Yeah… Thanks to someone, I lost my appetite for alcohol.”

I didn’t say anything, but I looked at Kang Moo-hyun’s back with a smirk and poured another drink into the glass.

“Sunbae, I will lend you my room, so can you do me a favor?”

For now, in case Seo Seung-won’s parents find out, I’ll have to decorate the room to make it seem like we’re just living together. Let’s deceive Kang Moo-hyun as well. But how long should I keep this up? Until it falls apart? Is that even possible?

***

Although I still have midterm exams, I feel at ease after writing the report I will submit at the end of the semester in advance. I had submitted the group project for the general education class, and I had finished the individual assignments. For now, it seemed like I could leisurely prepare for exams. That was also possible because of Woo Ji-min’s notes.

“Do you like the study room?”

“It’s the library.”

“Right. Is the library okay?”

Tae Seong-je, who was sitting on the living room sofa and checking something on a pad, asked back with a smile. I know that my house and even my closet, which he fills, are full of his taste. It was a house he showed me without any hesitation, so it didn’t reflect my wishes in any way, but I liked it because I didn’t really have any tastes.

“I like it.”

I hugged his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek.

“I like everything.”

I buried my face in Tae Seong-je’s neck and smiled. It felt like peace was in my arms.

“Take out the newly brewed health tonic and eat it.”

“Uh, that’s too bitter.”

“The more bitter, the better for your body.”

He chuckled and took out candies from his pocket, placing them in my hand as I shuddered. His gaze remained fixed on what was on his pad, so I moved on towards the kitchen. I took out a tonic from the designated herbal medicine compartment on one side of the refrigerator and drank it down. It’s a type you can never get used to, from the scent to the taste. I wanted to rinse my mouth right away, so I immediately grabbed an ion drink from the shelf below and took a sip.

“Ugh.”

I exhaled involuntarily at the refreshing, strong flavor of alcohol. I rolled it in my mouth again and gulped it down. It’s sweet. Even for something sweet, it was far too sweet. Perhaps it tastes even sweeter because I’m secretly drinking. I carefully returned the blue-labeled beverage bottle to its original location.

I went to the bathroom, gargled, brushed my teeth, and murmured to myself.

“If I get caught, I’ll be gagged, if I’m caught, I’ll be gagged…”

It was also a gag up and down. Since I didn’t have the resolve to quit, I had to make sure not to get caught… But I was confident I wouldn’t get caught. Over the past six months of seeing each other, I found out that Tae Seong-je never even touched a drink. Although there was never a shortage of bottled water, he would go far away to drink even if there was a drink right in front of him.

He must have lived in a first-class water supply in his previous life. Thanks to that, I never got caught even during the unexpected refrigerator inspections. Well, who would pour soju into a beverage bottle just to drink a bit? So, I was able to complain out loud about how he didn’t trust me.

After wiping off the water with a towel, I went out and got some water from the kitchen for the plants I saw in front of me. There were numerous green plants and flowers not just in the yard but also within the house, which was very pleasing. Many died at first because I failed to control the water, but I learned everything from books and videos and carefully studied plants, so there were no more dead ones.

I walked back to the kitchen and made a simple salad just in case. Although it was regrettable to clean up my mouth without even feeling the soju lingering on the tip of my tongue, I wasn’t someone who didn’t understand moderation. I just started missing drinking because I kept declining drink invitations.

I rolled up my sleeves and started washing the dishes. Even though summer had ended and cool autumn was approaching, I couldn’t wear heavy clothes since the sun was still hot, but it was always cooler in the house, so I didn’t mind wearing long sleeves.

Since Tae Seong-je’s clothes were large but comfortable, I had been picking them up and wearing them lately. As expected, they were loose, so the sleeves quickly slipped down.  A large arm came from behind just as the sleeves were going to get wet. Tae Seong-je rolled up my sleeves and hugged me tightly.

“You’re working hard by yourself.”

The range of activities was broad due to the size of the house. He brushed his head against the back of my neck while I shrugged and finished cleaning the dishes. I couldn’t maintain my balance because he kept clinging to me.

I tried to speak casually.

“Hyung, I’m going to go home for a little while after the midterm exams. Not immediately, but later.”

“I’ll take you.”

“No way. Hyung, you’re busy.”

We could be together like this in the morning and afternoon, but the number of times we ate together in the evening could be counted on one hand.

“It’s okay, I have things to do nearby.”

“Don’t make excuses. I know you don’t. I just need to get something, and I’ll be right back with it.”

I turned off the faucet and shook my hands. When I turned around, he wrapped his arms around my waist and I placed my arms around his neck. Our tongues mingled in a deep kiss, and a lustful sound rang in my ears.

“I’m going out now.”

“Going out? I thought your special lecture was at five.”

“I want to be there early.”

“Why go early? What for?”

“Just because…”

Each time I opened my mouth, the stuffed-up feeling in my chest increased. He didn’t give me a chance to speak. Nevertheless, it was fine, so I continued the kiss with a gasp.

“I’ll give you a ride. Let’s go out together.”