LCL 20

“Should we play games on the way, Young-hyun? We should have bought some beer. I asked someone on the other bus, and they said they’re already drinking and singing karaoke.”

Sigh… I closed my eyes, exasperated by In-gong’s chatter. In-gong, completely oblivious to the atmosphere, kept talking whether I pushed him away or not.

He did this even though I barely responded. I wished the seniors would say something, but they were all asleep so they couldn’t.

“Ki Young-hyun.”

Lim Dae-han extended a helping hand. I, who had been leaning my upper body into the aisle, just turned my head. Dae-han got up from his seat and put something in my hand. It was wired earphones.

“I’m not using them. You can use them.”

Ah. Dae-han handed me the earphones, his hand overlapping mine, then returned to his seat. The earphone cord was hopelessly tangled.

It seemed like it would take a while to untangle. I hastily tried to unravel the cord. As I struggled with the earphones that were tangled like a ball of yarn, feeling it might be faster to just cut and rejoin them, Lim Dae-han said to senior Hyuna:

“Doesn’t this look like Ki Young-hyun?”

“Yeah, it’s cute. It really does look like Young-hyun. Look at it zoomed in. Ah, so cute. Is it a strawberry?”

“Yes.”

“Find one that looks like me too.”

“For you, senior… this one.”

“Did you choose that too carelessly? …Oh, it does look cute. I’ll take this one too. It’s adorable.”

There was laughter in the senior’s voice. Anyone watching would think they were flirting. I bit my lip and glared at the earphones.

Why won’t they untangle? I pulled at the earphones as if trying to tear them apart. 

Due to the messy tangles, they wouldn’t come undone easily. In the end, unable to fully untangle them, I just pulled them as far apart as I could and plugged them in.

The music played, but the uneasiness of not having properly untangled the messy earphones still lingered.

* * *

The pension located in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, was said to have appeared on a variety show. There was an advertising sign at the entrance with a screenshot from the show, but it looked worn from long exposure to the elements. Though it seemed well-maintained overall, just looking at the sign gave it a haunted house vibe.

All three pensions were rented out by their department, and there were no outsiders besides the students. They had access to the swimming pool, foot volleyball court, and even a field for campfires. Of course, being college students, they probably wouldn’t do such things.

Due to the large number of people, the 80 or so students were divided into ten groups. Lim Dae-han and I were in different groups. Dae-han and Park In-gong were in the same group, while I was separated from them but grouped with classmates I got along with well. As we started meeting students from other classes we didn’t share major courses with, the MT atmosphere began to set in.

Typically, MTs revolve around freshmen, with seniors mostly lounging in their rooms. Or they gather to smoke cigarettes or drink beer.

For the group choice programs, our group rode ATV mountain bikes. Though the path was gentle, it was bumpy, so we could only properly take in the surroundings after we got off.

It was a place filled with the scent of soil and grass. Perhaps it was the escape from the stuffiness of the city, but the wide-open view lifted my spirits.

“Ah, this is nice.”

“What is?”

Ji-yoon, who was standing next to him, asked. We sat on rocks, waiting for the other groups. Ji-yoon leaned her back against mine.

I tensed up. Although Ji-yoon was friendly with everyone regardless of gender, I hadn’t had much interaction with girls until high school. There were some I occasionally talked to, but having only an older brother made it uncomfortable.

So, getting along well with girls now in college was something unimaginable for my past self. Of course, it was thanks to them approaching me and looking after me that we started hanging out together.

How could Park In-gong, who also went to an all-boys high school, act so naturally around them? Was it because he was naturally a friendly person?

Anyway, I couldn’t be like that. I raised my hand and rubbed my forehead vigorously. Sigh.

“For tomorrow’s talent show, we absolutely have to win first place. You memorized the choreography, right?”

I felt Ji-yoon’s voice vibrate against my back every time she spoke.

“Yeah.”

I answered calmly, enjoying the idle moment. As we were passing time quietly, classmates who had been boating on the river came stumbling up like zombies.

Seemingly wanting to bask in the sun, they came over to our rock and flopped down one by one.

“This feels more like training than an MT.”

“How was the mountain bike ride?”

“It was just fun.”

“Why are you two sticking so close together?”

“My back is weak, so I need support.”

Ji-yoon swatted away the classmates who were getting ready to tease us. Still, they added strange, childish sound effects. Even elementary school kids wouldn’t act like this.

They did this despite knowing I had a lover. Well, I guess it’s because I didn’t really talk about it.

“Besides, Ki Young-hyun has a girlfriend. Don’t try to set us up. I have high standards.”

“I wasn’t…”

It’s pointless to grumble to myself… no one was listening anyway.

“Oh right, I forgot he had one since he never talks about it.”

When I remained silent, one of the guys cautiously spoke up.

“You do have one, right? You’re not lying?”

What do they take me for? Even so, I wouldn’t lie about having a lover.

“I do.”

I answered curtly without realizing it.

“…Did you break up?”

“No, we’re still dating…”

We even had lunch together with you guys today. I decided not to add that last part. The conversation about my love life, which I thought would end quickly, unexpectedly dragged on. My classmates teased me with narrowed eyes.

“I can’t imagine how Young-hyun is with his girlfriend. He’s kind of awkward, isn’t he? I bet he just gets dragged along.”

“…”

“Right? You just get dragged along, don’t you?”

“I-I do well too.”

“Do what well?”

“What do you mean by doing well?”

Oh no. Without a subject, it became a mess. I meant to say I was good at dating, that we were getting along well, but it was like I had thrown them bait.

It was a disaster. I wanted to tear my hair out. I shouted at the guys who were holding their stomachs and rolling on the ground as if they’d just scored big,

“I’m good at dating, okay!”

In reality, it wasn’t even that funny, but everyone was overreacting just to tease me. Given the atmosphere of the MT, they were even more rowdy. Every time my classmates rolled on the rocks, water splashed everywhere.

Ah-! I barely held back the urge to scream. In the end, I grabbed my head and hung it low. I didn’t need to see to know.

My face must have turned bright red. The commotion around me grew louder. Right then, classmates who had finished their activities started gathering. It didn’t seem like things would calm down anytime soon.

“Hey, In-gong, come over here!”

Of all people, it had to be Park In-gong’s group. Then Lim Dae-han must be with him too. As I lifted my head, I saw the two of them coming, parting the gravel path.

I squinted at the intense sunlight pouring down. Just as I was being teased here, Park In-gong was the target over there.

Lim Dae-han flicked the water on his hand right in front of Park In-gong’s face. Park In-gong struggled and squirmed, but he couldn’t do the same to Lim Dae-han. Whenever I saw Park In-gong, I was reminded of Jung Ji-pil. He always grumbled like this even though he couldn’t fight back.

Seeing us gathered, Park In-gong made a strange “eugyagyagya” sound and ran over. He pushed through the classmates and boldly took a spot next to me. Of all people, why did he have to sit next to me? Now we’d be teased as a pair.

Lim Dae-han sauntered over with his hands in his pockets and propped one leg up on the rock. A shadow formed, blocking the pouring sunlight. Only then could I look up at the sky.

Standing opposite me, Im Dae-han quietly looked down at me, then shifted his gaze to Ji-yoon, who was sitting back-to-back with me. He tapped his foot on the rock. He was pretending not to know, but I knew everything.

“What were you guys talking about? I could hear you chattering all the way down there.”

Park In-gong asked, looking around at the classmates. I kept my mouth firmly shut. Since I had been the one to take the bait, I had nothing to say.

“Well, you see, it’s…”

I mumbled. The other classmates eagerly raised their voices.

“Young-hyun says he’s really good~ when he’s with his girlfriend.”

I glared at their feigned innocence, but it was useless. Why did they have to talk about that at an MT? I was sure they would tease me for days even after the MT was over.

“No, I mean, I’m good at dating…! It’s not, not like that.”

I denied it, waving my hands and feet, but I knew it wouldn’t make a difference. I couldn’t even lift my head properly as I stayed in my spot.

Thump. I stretched out my legs that had been bent at the knees. Lim Dae-han hooked his foot around my heel and pulled it. When I looked up, Lim Dae-han was also barely holding back laughter.

Even you, Lim Dae-han… In the end, I gave up. Fine, do as you please. Do as you please!

“If he’s so good, why is he sitting back-to-back with Seo Ji-yoon?”

Lim Dae-han, who had been trying hard to maintain a poker face, chimed in. Ji-yoon straightened up abruptly. The weight on my back finally eased.

“Oh, come on. I told you, my back hurts. Forget it. Instead of Ki Young-hyun, uh, Seo-hyun, can I lean on your back?”

“I’m wet, is that okay?”

“Better than Mr. Good-at-Dating.”

Damn, this is frustrating. I finally stood up. It was better to be alone under that tree over there than to stay with my classmates. As I moved away from the rock, I couldn’t contain my frustration and stomped on the ground.

The classmates laughed behind me, asking why I was stomping. It doesn’t matter. Life is meant to be lived alone anyway. Just as I was about to take a step, a senior from the executive committee blew a whistle. Tweet!

“Young-hyun, don’t go off on your own. You should stay with your classmates.”

In the end, I had no choice but to return to my classmates. The ensuing teasing and laughter were entirely at my expense.

The MT was scheduled for 2 nights and 3 days, so the itinerary was relaxed. On the first evening, we all cooked and ate together, then drank. Due to the large number of people, the drinking party was held in the auditorium.

While there wasn’t a forced drinking atmosphere, a few standout classmates were surrounded by seniors, engaged in semi-forced drinking sessions.

I was tucked away in a corner, sharing beer with people from my group. Senior Hyuna, who should have been with other seniors as part of the executive committee, was also with us. She was sitting next to me.

I silently picked at the snacks. Even amidst all the laughter and chatter, our group was quite quiet. That’s because Ji-yoon had already been dragged away by a senior from another group. There was no one to lead the atmosphere.

“Young-hyun.”

Senior Hyuna called me. I leaned back and turned to look at her. Instead of answering, I opened my eyes wide, and the senior smiled silently.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Ah, no…”

I answered briefly, meeting the senior’s eyes. To be honest, I didn’t expect her to talk to me. Just… Even during talent show practice, we had been awkward with each other.

The senior’s clear eyes sparkled. They didn’t seem to be wearing contact lenses, but they shone brightly. The senior poured beer into my cup.

I held the damp paper cup with both hands. That’s how I was taught. When receiving alcohol from a senior or professor.

I also poured alcohol into the senior’s cup. As the senior raised her cup for a toast, we clinked our cups lightly. I turned my head and drank the alcohol.

It tastes bad. It’s not good. I think once again that alcohol really doesn’t taste good. I crunched on some shrimp crackers loudly. The senior opened the conversation.

“I didn’t know, but I heard you went to the same school as Dae-han. You weren’t close, I guess?”

“Ah, yes… We were in the same class.”

“I see.”

The senior nodded. I read the senior’s gaze. It ended on Lim Dae-han. Senior Seong-hong was dragging Lim Dae-han around, making him greet other seniors.

Lim Dae-han sat with an indifferent expression. He received drinks, drank, and then filled the seniors’ cups again. So this is what they call an ‘insider’. Meanwhile, Park In-gong, who actually wanted to be an ‘insider’, was alone in a corner, just munching on snacks.

“Was Dae-han popular in high school?”

It was different from the usual questions. Most people just asked, ‘You were in the same school, were you close?’ Then I would reply, ‘No,’ and usually, they’d say, ‘I see,’ and leave it at that. Occasionally, some mischievous seniors would ask, ‘Wasn’t Lim Dae-han a delinquent in high school?’ but that wasn’t common.

Amidst all that, no one had asked if he was popular. Senior Hyuna was the first. I wondered what she meant by that. As I silently looked at her, she continued speaking somewhat disjointedly.

“Just curious. I think he would have been popular. He’s tall and handsome. He’s good at studying too, and his personality… well, it’s better than acting like a loser.”

Was the blush on the senior’s cheeks due to the alcohol, or did it mean something else? I tried to read her expression, but it wasn’t easy. I laughed awkwardly.

“He wasn’t popular. Everyone was scared of him.”

It was true. When Lim Dae-han was in school, his nickname was “Son of Jaecheon-dong.” His parents were in the livestock industry, and while everyone saw them as butchers, they actually ran a large business in the livestock industry.

They had franchise restaurants, butcher shops, and even distribution businesses. Lim Dae-han knew his nickname but didn’t bother to correct it.