EAR Ch 9

In March, the first day of school after the new year began. The feeling of starting a new grade was far from fresh.

The winter supplementary classes had devoured the precious vacation time, leaving only about ten days before they ended, and ten days was too short to feel excited about seeing the school again.

The school scenery in March was hardly different from late February. The trees around the playground and pathways were still bare, with no leaves except for a few evergreens, and the cold winter air, which still had a long way to go before spring, enveloped the entire school.

Since he already knew who among his friends would be in the same class, there was nothing to be curious about. On the day class assignments were announced, the site’s server crashed as expected, and everyone was busy exchanging messages to confirm who was in which class, but now he had a good grasp of the situation.

Seungpyo arrived at school earlier than usual. On the first day of the new grade, he wanted to secure a seat he liked to start the day off on a good note.

Aiming for a window seat at the back, he approached the classroom and frowned slightly upon opening the door. Someone had already taken his favorite spot. Perhaps with the same idea in mind, only two students, including him, were in the chilly classroom early.

As Seungpyo walked into the classroom, the guy looking out the window turned his head. Their expressionless faces met each other’s gaze.

Seungpyo wasn’t surprised. The one sitting down also seemed calm.

It was already known that the students who had taken first and second place in the entire school last year would be in the same class this year. Somehow, this news had leaked out, and by the day class assignments were announced, it was a rumor known to most students.

“…You’re early.”

While Seungpyo stood by the door, Ryu Jaemin greeted him first. He acted as if they had met just yesterday, but there was an inevitable awkwardness in his tone. Without replying, Seungpyo just looked at Ryu Jaemin silently, his slightly furrowed brows showing no clear expression.

“Hey, Ryu Jaemin!”

“The top two students of the school are here first, no surprise.”

Before they could finish their greeting, several students entered the classroom. Quite a few of them, who had been in Class 2, were now in the same class. Jaemin greeted them with a smile as they welcomed him back after his absence at the end of the vacation.

As the other students intervened, Seungpyo turned away without responding and sat at the farthest seat by the hallway, near the door, with a somewhat defiant and rough movement.

It was said that only about twenty students in the entire school chose Physics 1 as their elective for the new grade, so everyone who chose it would likely be in the same class. When he heard this rumor, Seungpyo had a hunch that Ryu Jaemin might be one of those twenty, but he didn’t mind. There was no need to change his elective just to avoid Jaemin.

While Seungpyo took out his phone with a sullen face, he could hear the conversation between Jaemin and the other students.

“How have you been?”

“What about you? Everyone thought you were sick when you suddenly didn’t come to school.”

“No, it’s just that my parents wanted me to study at home for the rest of the vacation.”

“I see,” the students seemed to think of expensive private tutors or one-on-one tutoring sessions. However, listening from a distance, Seungpyo didn’t feel that was the case.

‘Something’s definitely off here.’

During the remaining winter vacation, Seungpyo had spent a lot of time thinking about Ryu Jaemin. He had to; he was a victim who had suffered something akin to a crime from someone who seemed normal on the outside, with nowhere to vent his frustrations.

Seungpyo’s conclusion was simple. Ryu Jaemin is strange. And Ryu Jaemin’s parents are strange too.

Ryu Jaemin had said he lost Seungpyo’s phone, but Seungpyo received it by mail, wrapped in plastic like crime evidence, passed through two homeroom teachers. 

Since there was a call from Jaemin’s home, it meant that the Class 2 homeroom teacher had spoken directly with Ryu Jaemin’s mom or dad, which only explained that Ryu Jaemin’s parents were the ones who had sent the phone in such packaging.

Could it be that a psycho created another psycho? In Seungpyo’s mind, Ryu Jaemin’s parents, whom he had never met, were already portrayed as psychos surpassing their son. Perhaps because of this, rather than imagining normal tutoring sessions, images of bizarre parents from movies or TV shows came to mind.

“Let’s play basketball again. Now that Oh Seungpyo is in the same class, we can really dominate.”

Hearing his name suddenly mentioned, Seungpyo stopped his wandering thoughts. Looking in the direction of the voice, the students subtly looked at Seungpyo and asked,

“Right, Oh Seungpyo?”

Seungpyo shrugged his shoulders without answering. The students then looked at Jaemin, but he didn’t give a definitive answer either.

“We’ll see when we have time.”

Jaemin responded vaguely. Seungpyo, keeping silent to the end, only shot cold, curt glances like arrows.

Meanwhile, the classroom began to fill up with students. Seungpyo didn’t join the conversation any further and turned his head away.

The first class began with quite an energetic atmosphere. The teachers who came in for classes from morning until lunchtime warned sternly that there was a huge difference between first and second year, emphasizing that they should study with the mindset of third-year students.

At first, the students seemed to nod and tense up, but as the warnings repeated every class, they eventually just stared blankly at the teacher’s podium with relaxed eyes.

For Seungpyo, who was second in the entire school, this advice was no threat at all. College entrance wasn’t much of a concern for him.

His only father was someone who believed it was enough if his children could make a living. There was no pressure to attend a specific university or choose a particular career path, and due to the almost neglectful freedom at home, Seungpyo had an overly broad range of options.

Every time he saw kids dragged around by their mothers or nagged by their fathers to go to various academies, seminars, and experiential learning, Seungpyo felt grateful that he didn’t have anyone bothering him like that. Yet, sometimes, he felt like a baby dolphin lost at sea, as he had seen in a marine documentary, a comparison that seemed too cute for his conscience to bear.

So, Seungpyo’s goal upon entering his second year wasn’t to attend a prestigious university or secure a good job. It was simply to reclaim his position as the top student in the school, as he had been in middle school, and to give that face-perfect pervert a proper smackdown. Achieving the top spot would naturally lead to good university entrance results anyway.

The first day back at school after ten days felt like a century from the first class until lunchtime. Now in his second year, he didn’t need to watch who he would have lunch with on the first day. Naturally, he sat at a table with friends from last year’s class and kids he knew through them.

Instead of rushing out of the classroom at lunchtime, the boys were more focused on venting their frustrations and complaints over the accumulated stress than eating.

“Man, coming back to school after so long is so damn boring.”

“But when you’re at home, you kind of miss school.”

“Yeah, if you don’t study at home, you feel like you’re under scrutiny.”

“Dude, now my room only has a bed. They took out the desk to the living room so I wouldn’t do anything else.”

“Study in the living room? That’s even less distracting, isn’t it?”

While the other students grumbled and conversed, Seungpyo remained quiet. Today, he seemed unusually down for the first day of school.

Ryu Jaemin didn’t sit at the same table as Seungpyo. Whether it was intentional by the school or a natural outcome from sorting students by elective subjects, Class 3 of the second year, where Seungpyo and Jaemin were, had a fair number of high-ranking students aside from the first and second place.

These students had already taken up the seats around Jaemin, while the kids who played basketball with him last year sat at different tables.

…Seungpyo had never made friends based on grades. He knew there were those types everywhere, but he found it distasteful how students subtly judged each other by grades. Above all, if there was to be any division, he naturally thought he was better than those guys.

Why would someone as good as me need to mingle with and get evaluated by those who are worse? Seungpyo thought this way and adhered to the principle of choosing his own friends.

In any case, to those calculating types, Ryu Jaemin would naturally be an attractive target. Jaemin was an acknowledged model student and top scorer, with both parents being university professors and living in an incredibly expensive apartment.

The only person who knew that Jaemin secretly posted photos and videos of himself masturbating on an anonymous social media account was Oh Seungpyo. Now, there was no evidence left, and the terror he experienced during the supplementary classes seemed like a distant memory.

Yes, all the injustices in the world get buried silently like this. Seungpyo felt like he had learned something about the world as he gripped his spoon.

📚

After what felt like an endless series of classes, there were after-school activities. As they were about to part at the school gate, the friend who had attended the academy with him during the vacation asked,

“Are you going to re-register for the academy now that the special lectures are over?”

“I’ll think about it.”

He had registered for the academy just to catch a glimpse of Ryu Jaemin’s face, but he hadn’t seen him once during the vacation. Nonetheless, since he had registered, Seungpyo attended the academy regularly. He had no expectations or curiosity about the academy classes, but once he started attending, he understood why everyone chased after famous lecturers.

“You can register anytime during the term, so just let me know. Hey, let’s keep going together if possible.”

“Yeah, I’ll decide quickly.”

After a brief exchange of greetings, the friend who had vanished quickly was now in a different class for this year. Seungpyo put his hands in his pockets and contemplated lightly.

To continue or not. It wouldn’t be bad, but the idea of continuing even after the vacation ended seemed bothersome, and it felt like a waste of money too.

He knew his father made a good living as a captain, but he had overheard his aunts talking about how his father’s days at sea were numbered. Apparently, young people with good degrees were pushing up, making it harder for older captains to keep their positions.

Standing at the school gate, lost in thought, Seungpyo caught sight of a familiar face in the distance. Ryu Jaemin, with whom he hadn’t exchanged a single word or even made proper eye contact today, was getting into a car. It wasn’t his parents picking him up; there was a separate vehicle for academy pick-ups, and it was a Benz.

‘Is he going home? Or since the vacation is over, back to the academy?’

Seungpyo watched the car door close and then turned away without hesitation. As he walked home, he suddenly stopped, swallowed lightly, and glanced around as if he was checking if anyone was watching. Then, he changed direction and caught a bus that had just arrived.

The bus was packed with students in school uniforms. Even without shouting or playing around, the energy of the boys and girls was enough to make the bus lively. Seungpyo, putting in earphones to signal he didn’t want to be disturbed, looked out the window silently amidst the noise.

As rush hour approached, the roads were getting congested, but the bus, running on a dedicated lane, moved without hindrance. The Benz that had left earlier was now in Seungpyo’s line of sight.

The two vehicles, moving back and forth, eventually stopped at similar times and places. Ryu Jaemin got out of the Benz parked just ahead of the bus stop, confirming Seungpyo’s guess that his destination was the academy. The academy was right there, but with more than twenty minutes until the regular class, there was plenty of time to prepare.

Ryu Jaemin seemed entirely uninterested in his surroundings. Even the expression he managed around classmates at school looked tired and blunt. He walked forward, looking only ahead, seemingly unaware that Seungpyo was watching him.

Seungpyo followed Jaemin a few steps behind, like a detective tailing a criminal. He didn’t try to hide his presence or keep a wide distance, yet thanks to the bustling people and the noisy city, his tailing was successful.

However, as Seungpyo followed Jaemin’s back, his brows began to furrow. Jaemin had passed the academy’s entrance.

Where is he going? A foreboding feeling came over him, but Seungpyo continued to follow silently. Suddenly, Jaemin turned around to check behind him. Seungpyo, who had been holding his head high as if he didn’t care if Jaemin spotted him, was startled and quickly hid behind a telephone pole.

‘What am I doing?’

He found his own behavior ridiculous, but he didn’t want to stop there. Seungpyo peeked out to check where Jaemin had been, and then,

“Crazy bastard….”

The words he had muttered several times when encountering Ryu Jaemin were voiced out loud on this first day of the second year.

Seungpyo stood there, blankly staring at the building in front of him. The place where Jaemin had disappeared was in front of an abandoned building where they had bumped into each other during a rainy winter vacation day.

Now he understood why Jaemin had suddenly turned around to check his surroundings. Seungpyo had also instinctively looked around before opening the door to the abandoned building. But people were just going about their own business, showing no interest in what Seungpyo was about to do.

The building, marked with red spray-painted X’s here and there on the walls, had a large sign saying ‘No Entry’ on the entrance door, which Seungpyo opened without hesitation. As soon as he stepped inside, the smell of old cement filled the air, and the stairs, unused by anyone, were dark and eerie. Naturally, neither the lights nor the elevator worked.

While climbing the stairs, he tried turning the handles of doors at various landings, but they were all locked. Seungpyo ascended the stairs quietly, one step at a time. Once inside, the place seemed more suited for a test of courage or ghost story contests than for taking pervert photos. Reaching the top floor, the fourth floor, Seungpyo finally turned the last door handle.

The door leading to the roof was not locked. Through the silently opened door, he saw Ryu Jaemin’s silhouette leaning against the railing, looking down.

“You really are hopeless.”

At Seungpyo’s sigh-laced voice, Jaemin, who had been facing the railing, turned around.

His eyes widened slightly, showing a hint of surprise, but that was all. Jaemin had a cigarette between his lips, which he held with his fingers, blowing out smoke leisurely and looking at Seungpyo with an indifferent expression. Then, as if they were friends who had casually talked until recently, he answered,

“How did you know to come here?”

“I was on my way to the academy.”

Jaemin continued smoking as if Seungpyo’s presence didn’t matter. The wrinkles on Seungpyo’s forehead deepened.

“Can’t you live without doing something wrong? If you can’t take pervert photos, do you have to smoke?”

“What about you? Did you come up here because you were curious if I’d take more photos?”

Jaemin chuckled and turned his head away.

“You must have really wanted to see me taking those photos.”

“Shut up.”

“You’re so interested in me, really.”

“It’s not interest, you bastard, it’s you who—”

Seungpyo couldn’t finish his sentence, gritting his teeth, while Jaemin looked at him with an expression asking, ‘So what are you going to do about it?’

Although it was an empty threat, Seungpyo had once threatened to expose Jaemin’s photos. If it became known that the top student of the school was smoking secretly on the first day of his second year, it would cause a huge uproar.

Yet, Jaemin didn’t bother to put out his cigarette; instead, he confidently exhaled smoke. Even if a photo were taken right now, it would be undeniable evidence.

Seungpyo just stared at Jaemin with a look of disbelief, doing nothing. Meanwhile, Jaemin smoked his cigarette down to the stub without saying a word, carefully extinguished it, and only then spoke.

“Move. I need to go down.”

How he managed to get the rooftop door open was a mystery, but the roof of the old building was quite spacious. Even if Seungpyo didn’t move aside, Jaemin could easily pass through the door.

“Hey.”

Instead of moving out of the way, Seungpyo spoke up.

“Are you doing this because you’re stressed out again?”

“…I need to go to the academy, so move.”

“No, seriously, I don’t get it. Do you only know how to deal with stress by taking pervert photos, getting comments from perverts, or smoking? Why does someone smart like you do this?”

Seungpyo had seen Ryu Jaemin’s face light up in a broad smile, even in the cold winter weather, sweating as if there was nothing more enjoyable in the world.

“Why don’t you play basketball with the guys again? Everyone wants to play with you.”

“Where would I find the time for that?”

Jaemin’s face began to show signs of irritation. He seemed about to snap back but then checked his watch, swallowing his anger. He finally passed by Seungpyo, who was blocking his way, saying,

“I’m going. You shouldn’t be here either, so get out quickly.”

Seungpyo watched Jaemin’s back as he walked towards the exit with indifference. There was no need to feel regret over parting like this; they would see each other at school tomorrow and, for the next year, possibly until graduation, they’d be seeing each other all too often.

Yet, Seungpyo couldn’t leave and moved his lips, feeling like he had a lot to say but not knowing what exactly he wanted to express. His chest felt tight, wanting to shout something without knowing what it should be.

Seungpyo’s voice came out just as Jaemin was about to open the door.

“Time is something you can make!”

“…”

Jaemin didn’t turn around. But he didn’t leave either. Seungpyo adjusted his bag and made a new proposal.

“Hey, let’s just check in at the academy and leave.”

At that, Jaemin finally turned to look at Seungpyo.

For Seungpyo, this was a significant proposal. Just this morning, he had wanted to throw his bag at Jaemin’s face and grab him by the collar, asking if he thought he could get away with it. Enduring the uncomfortable feeling all day was already a great favor.

On top of that, he was even thinking about saving this unpredictable psycho, which could almost be recorded as a good deed under ‘rehabilitating a delinquent student’ in his record.

Jaemin’s face was as expressionless as when he was smoking. Seungpyo furrowed his brows. Surely, he wasn’t going to act haughty when he hadn’t done anything good. But Jaemin was more practical than haughty.

“Have you never been to an academy? You can’t leave after just checking in.”

“Why not? They don’t have guards.”

“The teachers check attendance.”

“There must be a way.”

Seungpyo suddenly remembered something from the vacation. The instructors at the academy had been worriedly discussing why the top student from Ilyang Boys’ High School suddenly decided not to attend. For the academy, a student like Ryu Jaemin was one they’d want to keep until the end.

If they skipped the whole class, they’d have no choice but to contact the parents, but for just being a bit late, the academy might look the other way. They wouldn’t want to call home only for Jaemin to stop coming, which wouldn’t be good for them either. Both at school and at the academy, adults were lenient with minor deviations from top students.

“Then 30 minutes.”

“30 minutes for what?”

“I was going to register for that academy today, right? I’ll call ahead and we can go in 30 minutes late. They won’t say anything about that.”

Jaemin didn’t reply, seeming to hesitate. Seungpyo took the first step, and Jaemin, who had been reluctant to follow, hurried after him, his steps quickening.

“What are you planning to do? Really play basketball?”

“There’s nowhere to play basketball near the academy.”

“Then?”

“Are you worried there’s nothing fun to do? It’s not about having nothing; it’s about having no time.”

Jaemin’s voice, which had been acting all worldly with a cigarette in his mouth just moments ago, was already excited. Seungpyo could sense that Jaemin was already tempted by the allure of 30 minutes of skipping class.

Seeing this frustrating guy who always did weird things made Seungpyo feel suffocated, so this proposal was half-impulsive, but upon reflection, it wasn’t a bad choice at all.

Unlike Seungpyo, who could easily remain the second in school while studying casually at home, Ryu Jaemin was surrounded by all kinds of expensive private education to maintain his position as the top student. If Seungpyo could lure him into skipping class a few times, perhaps Jaemin might get so caught up in the fun that his grades would start to drop, like a thief learning too late the fear of being caught. Unaware of Seungpyo’s sinister plan, Jaemin obediently followed like a gentle lamb.

The two, planning to have some fun, moved quickly like agents on a mission without exchanging a word. Less than 10 minutes were left before class began. Seungpyo calmly called the first-period instructor.

“Hello, teacher. This is Oh Seungpyo.”

Seungpyo was nonchalant. 

Teacher, me and Jaemin, we have a really close friend whose birthday it is today. We’ll do a surprise for just 20 minutes and then come in. Just 20 minutes! Yes, that’s right. We’re close friends too. Ah, teacher. Please keep it a secret, just for 20 minutes. Really, really. Oh, of course, we’ll keep it a secret too.

Having gotten close to many instructors during the vacation while attending the academy, Seungpyo knew how to charm them. The fact that the first and second place students from Ilyang Boys’ High School were friends, and these top students were asking for a little delay for a friend’s birthday party, seemed to touch the instructor’s heart.

“Thank you!”

After hanging up with a vigorous salute, Seungpyo waved his phone at Jaemin. See? Jaemin slightly furrowed his brows at Seungpyo’s triumphant face.

“You said 30 minutes, why did you cut it to 20?”

“They won’t call home if we’re just 10 minutes later. Once class starts, they won’t even check the time.”

Jaemin seemed convinced and didn’t ask further. 30 minutes of freedom. As Seungpyo had suggested, it was enough time for a game of basketball, but Jaemin had said no to basketball. After leaving the abandoned building, Jaemin spoke again.

“So, what are we going to do?”

“Just follow me. You don’t have anything you want to do anyway.”

Seungpyo was right. Ryu Jaemin had never skipped academy in his life and had no idea how to enjoy himself for 30 minutes.

As their free time dwindled, their pace quickened. They arrived at a building with large glass windows where many people were bustling around. The entrance was wide open, invitingly, and all sorts of loud noises could be heard from inside. Jaemin was shocked.

“You want to go here?”

“Why are you acting like we’re going somewhere we shouldn’t?”

Jaemin had never been to a place like this, having never skipped academy before. Under the English sign saying ‘Game Station,’ Seungpyo entered first. He turned back, gesturing Jaemin to hurry up.

“This is just an arcade, not some place like Kangwon Land, so relax your shoulders.”

As he said, the wholesome game center was filled mostly with students in school uniforms. If it had been a gambling den, Jaemin might have acted nonchalantly, but here, he kept lowering his head, afraid of being spotted by someone from school. For him, this might have felt like a worse offense than uploading those photos to social media, an emotion that might seem unbalanced to others.

“Are you some kind of celebrity? Who cares if someone sees you?”

Seungpyo grumbled like that before suddenly taking off his school jacket. Thinking it was because he was hot, he unexpectedly draped the jacket over Jaemin’s head. Jaemin, feeling like he’d suddenly become a coat hanger, questioned him in confusion.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Just cover your face with it so you won’t be so self-conscious.”

“What crime have I committed?”

Indeed, it looked similar to a scene one might see in the news of a criminal being apprehended, just short of handcuffs on the wrists. Seungpyo chuckled as he looked Jaemin up and down.

“You committed a crime against me. It suits you, so wear it.”

Although having a school jacket over his head might draw more attention, one of the advantages of the game center was that everyone was too absorbed in their games to care about others. Especially among students playing rhythm games in front of an audience, there were those who put on performances to attract attention, so covering one’s head with a school jacket wasn’t particularly odd.

Unaware of this, Jaemin still worried about others while following Seungpyo. Though he felt annoyed, Seungpyo was right. It was more comfortable to hide his face, even if it looked ridiculous, rather than being anxious about being recognized.

What made it even more awkward for Jaemin was that the jacket he had put over his head had been worn by Oh Seungpyo just moments before. Burying his face in it, he could feel Seungpyo’s scent and warmth.

It was somewhat similar to the smell he had encountered when his face had been pressed into Seungpyo’s t-shirt before. It was a bit absurd that he had ended up pressing his face into this guy’s clothes twice without being particularly close to him.

The center was very noisy. Along the walls were racing games where you could drive cars or motorcycles, shooting games where you could take down enemies with guns, and rhythm games where you could dance or play music. Near the entrance, there were machines for claw games, and inside, there were air hockey tables and even basketball games. In the middle of the wide hall, there were numerous game machines where you could sit and play using sticks and buttons.

The screens were dazzling, and each machine emitted flashy music and sound effects. Mixed with the shouts of people intensely competing, it was a chaotic place.

“You need to do this, psycho.”

Navigating through the crowd with ease, Seungpyo led Jaemin to a large shooting game machine. In front of the screen, where flames seemed to dance, there were heavy-looking machine guns, one on each side, and on the screen, zombies were falling as they were shot.

Before Jaemin could even agree, Seungpyo had already inserted coins into the slot and the game started.

“Hey, grab the gun quickly!”

Seungpyo was already firing away with the machine gun. Although Jaemin didn’t know how to operate it, he quickly grabbed the other gun. Pulling the trigger sent vibrations through the gun, shaking Jaemin’s arms and shoulders.

Jaemin quickly got the hang of it. It was a game that didn’t require precision or skill. Just keeping your hand on the trigger made the gun fire automatically, and directing it roughly towards the zombies was enough to make them fall. The zombies, screaming as they approached, were helpless against Jaemin’s attack. His face, which had been clouded with anxiety, gradually brightened.

I shouldn’t be here.

What if someone sees me?

What if they find out I was late to the academy? Why am I doing this with this guy?

With each zombie he shot, the miscellaneous thoughts filling Jaemin’s mind also exploded like the heads of zombies, scattering into fragments.

By the time the screen displayed that they had defeated the boss with multiple arms, Jaemin found himself laughing without realizing it.

His head felt empty and refreshed. It wasn’t exactly the same as when he finished a basketball game for the first time, but it was a similar feeling. Jaemin enthusiastically adjusted his grip on the gun for the next stage.

“Let’s do something else now.”

But Seungpyo had already lost interest and put down the gun. Jaemin, who thought they would continue playing, looked at him in confusion.

“Why? We still have lives left.”

“We only have 10 minutes left to play if we want to be on time. Since we’re here, it’s better to try out different things.”

“Hmm.”

I was enjoying this… Jaemin felt a bit disappointed but was also curious about other games. He followed Seungpyo without complaint, looking at different games when Seungpyo stopped and asked,

“Hey, want to sing instead of playing games?”

Jaemin turned to look where Seungpyo was pointing. There were a few small karaoke booths for coin use.

Jaemin blinked. He had only heard about karaoke; he had never been there. Even if he wasn’t allowed to go with friends, it was a place one might visit with family at least once, but Jaemin’s mother detested all kinds of loud noises. Forget karaoke, even at home, they weren’t allowed to turn up the TV volume or listen to music loudly.

The games were fun, but Jaemin was also curious about the karaoke. Plus, once inside the booth, he wouldn’t have to worry about people seeing his face. When Jaemin nodded, Seungpyo smiled with satisfaction and opened the booth door.

The small booth felt cramped with the two over-180-centimeter guys inside. After closing the door, Jaemin looked around with curiosity.

“It’s really tight in here.”

“All arcade karaoke booths are like this. Choose a song quickly.”

Despite the urging, Jaemin had nothing to say. He didn’t know many songs, and the only time he had sung with a karaoke machine was during music performance evaluations.

What kind of songs do people usually sing here? No particular song came to mind, so Jaemin just stared blankly at the remote Seungpyo handed him. Seungpyo, seeming impatient, already had the microphone in hand.

On the other hand, Jaemin became like a mute who had eaten honey. His curiosity had brought him into this booth, but imagining himself singing loudly in this confined space seemed absurd.

Come to think of it, except for music performance evaluations, he had never sung in front of anyone else. And now, singing in front of Oh Seungpyo? He couldn’t make up his mind, so he pushed the turn onto Seungpyo.

“You go first.”

“We don’t have time, so put in your reservation.”

“Just you first.”

Seungpyo cleared his throat and adjusted the microphone. He must have been here often because he quickly entered a number without searching and pressed the start button. When the fast beat of the instrumental started, Seungpyo cleared his throat.

“Ah, ah.”

His voice through the microphone filled the small booth. Seungpyo, who had been urging Jaemin to choose quickly, now looked stiff. Jaemin noticed that Seungpyo was experiencing a similar awkwardness.

Indeed, since when had Oh Seungpyo and Ryu Jaemin become the kind of friends who sang in front of each other? Maybe they should have just kept playing games; this seemed like a mistake.

However, the machine, unaware of their embarrassment, dutifully did its job. When the lyrics started appearing on the screen after the interlude, Seungpyo began reciting the words at a fast pace.

It would be more accurate to say he was reciting rather than singing. Jaemin watched with wide eyes, alternating between the screen and Seungpyo. The song Seungpyo chose had a very fast rhythm, with much more rap than melody, and it included slang and curses.

For Jaemin, who rarely listened to rap, this was an entirely unfamiliar song. Seungpyo was adept at following the fast lyrics, adding hand gestures here and there, performing quite skillfully. He must have sung this song many times before.

Still wearing the jacket over his head, captivated by his first karaoke experience, Jaemin listened intently to Seungpyo’s rap, gradually lowering his head. Underneath the jacket covering his face, his tightly closed lips were trembling.

“Ah, we don’t have time, so just the first verse.”

Seungpyo pressed the stop button on the remote and turned to Jaemin.

“Have you decided what to sing?”

Instead of answering, Jaemin pulled the jacket’s collar to cover his face even more. Seungpyo, following suit by lowering his head, asked with a puzzled look.

“What are you doing?”

“Keuk.”

From Jaemin’s tightly closed lips came an inaudible groan, which soon turned into low chuckles. After laughing for a while with his head down, Jaemin finally lifted his head to meet Seungpyo’s eyes.

His face was flushed red from laughter, and his eyes even had a hint of tears. Seungpyo looked at Jaemin’s face, filled with laughter, peeking through the jacket, without blinking.

Seeming not to notice Seungpyo’s gaze, Jaemin was busy catching his breath after laughing. Only after taking a long, deep breath did he finally speak.

“You’re crazy, you… you’re really bad at singing. You’re offbeat.”

“This bastard.”

Seungpyo frowned as if he was about to snap, but then he relaxed his expression. He just scoffed and handed over the microphone.

“That’s why I’m not an entertainer.”

“Why are you waving your hands so much when you can’t even sing?”

When Jaemin exaggeratedly mimicked Seungpyo’s hand movements, Seungpyo replied curtly.

“You pay to sing, so why try to do it well? I just need to enjoy it. Choose quickly.”

“I’m good. I won’t sing.”

“What? If you’re not going to sing, why did you come in here?”

“I’ve seen it, so that’s enough.”

Seungpyo’s eyes widened at that.

“Is it true you’ve never been to a karaoke before?”

Seungpyo looked at Jaemin as if he were an oddity. If it really was his first time, it would make sense for him to just sit there doing nothing. Jaemin retorted curtly.

“What’s the point of coming here? I don’t like singing, so I never came.”

“Great. I was thinking about how to get back at you for your perverted actions.”

Seungpyo began searching for a song title on the remote.

“Try singing a song you don’t like. Then I’ll overlook what you did. Let’s see how well you can sing while mocking me.”

Jaemin again fell silent like a mute who had eaten honey.

Jaemin knew that his behavior had been crazy in front of Seungpyo due to a momentary lapse in self-control. Being told not to go to school by his father after that day was upsetting, but he also thought it was somewhat of a relief not to have to face Oh Seungpyo.

Enough time had passed that facing Seungpyo wasn’t as embarrassing as before, but that was only if they both ignored each other. That said, he certainly didn’t want to apologize to the guy who had called him a pervert first.

While Jaemin remained silent, Seungpyo was boasting about himself.

“Wow, where else would you find such a generous person? Did I report you or beat you up for your perverted behavior? I brought you here to have fun, and I’m even willing to forgive you for one song.”

“Why do you keep bringing that up when you did nothing great?”

“I really wanted to kill you, but you were quick to run away, so you’re lucky.”

Meanwhile, Seungpyo had selected a song. The interlude of a melody familiar to Jaemin started playing.

The song Seungpyo chose was the theme song from a popular children’s animation. It had played so often on the school’s broadcast last year that no student at Ilyang Boys’ High School would be unfamiliar with it. Even during the lively interlude, Jaemin didn’t back down.

“I showed it because you wanted to see it. What’s your complaint?”

“That was ages ago. I didn’t want to see it then. I told you not to do it.”

“Did I tie you up to make you watch? If you didn’t want to see it, you could have left. You watched it with your eyes wide open and now you’re complaining.”

“That was because I was shocked by your sudden perverted behavior, you idiot!”

When Seungpyo raised his voice in anger, Jaemin gave him a look of scorn similar to when he was smoking on the rooftop earlier.

“Repeating the same old story… You’re boring.”

“What?”

“I want to stop talking about this with you. I’ll give you one last chance; do whatever you want here. Just don’t bring it up again. If you wanted to kill me, then what? If you can, do it.”

Seungpyo slightly furrowed his brows. He got close to Jaemin’s face and sneered.

“The guy who trembled when I flicked his forehead is acting tough.”

“If you want to keep showing off, just hit me now. Hit me ten times, and then never bring it up again.”

Oh, really? Seungpyo scoffed as if to say that and reached out his hand. His large hand grabbed Jaemin’s collar and pulled him close. Jaemin stiffened for a moment but then let himself be pulled, as if saying, ‘hit me if you’re going to.’

In the cramped booth, the two were already sitting so close they almost touched. With Seungpyo’s grip, their faces were close enough to bump into each other.

No one was holding the microphone, but the karaoke machine continued to play the loud, cheerful melody. The lyrics of the nursery rhyme they had heard countless times over the year naturally came to Jaemin’s mind.

[Playing is the best. Gather up, friends…]*

While silently singing along in his head, the psychedelic lights in the booth flashed in vibrant reds and blues. The colors passed over Jaemin’s face hidden in the jacket, and over Seungpyo’s face, who was watching Jaemin with a stern look. They stared at each other without backing down.

“If you’re going to hit, then do it quickly…”

As the staring contest dragged on, Jaemin couldn’t stand it and spoke first.

Then it happened. Seungpyo reached out and pulled the jacket covering Jaemin’s head, bringing his own head under it too.

Suddenly, both of their faces were trapped under one jacket. Everything went dark. Jaemin gasped in surprise.

“…Uh…!”

Soon after, a small sound of sniffing escaped. Unlike Seungpyo’s hand that was gripping Jaemin’s collar and the jacket, Jaemin’s hands, which had been holding nothing, flailed in surprise before landing on Seungpyo’s thigh. His trembling hand inadvertently scratched over the fabric of the pants.

The noise from the karaoke and the game center covered the increasingly rapid breathing.