TWYW C19

In response to Yuhyeon’s question, Gyeoul thought not of the sandwich he had been given in the club room today, but of the dinner he had eaten on the day they watched a movie together. Then, the sound of his laughter came through the phone to his ear.

—Did the pork cutlet just finish digesting now?

“No, that’s not it….”

—Then I guess you’ll contact me about the sandwich next month.

Yuhyeon probably said it as a playful joke, but Gyeoul felt like he had found another suitable reason to message him, and the corners of his mouth crept up slightly.

—Are you feeling better now?

“Feeling? Why my feelings?”

—You left the club room in a huff.

“N-No, I didn’t.”

Gyeoul thought he had hidden his expression well, but Yuhyeon had noticed right away. However, Gyeoul didn’t want him to find out the reason, so he strongly denied it.

—To say you weren’t, even Jo Seungwon asked about it.

“…Was it that obvious?”

As if he had never denied it, Gyeoul was surprised to hear that even Seungwon had noticed and asked back.

—No. I was lying about Jo Seungwon asking.

“Damn it, jeez….”

Yuhyeon burst into a loud, amused laugh. Gyeoul was just glad that he couldn’t see his reddened face.

—So what was it about?

“It’s nothing….”

—You should talk when I’m giving you the chance.

Gyeoul could already feel from Yuhyeon’s tone that he had a rough idea of the reason. At this rate, I might as well just ask him straight up.

“What’s your relationship with that person, really…?”

—Who? Shin Juyeon?

“I-I don’t remember the name….”

Gyeoul hadn’t forgotten that name for a single moment all day, but out of pointless pride, he pretended not to know it.

—Then, who could it be.

“…Senior, you’re really mean.”

—I know, right. I just want to tease Lee Gyeoul whenever I see him.

Gyeoul asked again, his voice now full of sulkiness.

“What is your relationship, really?”

—Just a classmate from the same department.

“…Okay….”

At Yuhyeon’s straightforward answer, Gyeoul couldn’t press him for any more details. He would surely think he was strange. Besides, Gyeoul didn’t understand himself either.

—You ask as if you’re keeping tabs on your boyfriend.

“What? N-No, I’m not.”

—Right. We aren’t boyfriends.

Gyeoul felt his heart ache for no reason at Yuhyeon’s words. But since it wasn’t wrong, Gyeoul couldn’t do anything and just pouted his lips. Whenever he talked with Yuhyeon, he felt like he was on a roller coaster, his mood constantly swinging back and forth.

“I’m going to sleep now.”

—Are you sulking?

“Why would I be?”

Gyeoul’s voice was already thoroughly sullen.

—Exactly. Why would you be sulking.

“I said I’m not sulking.”

—Alright. You’ll be getting angry next.

Gyeoul had already left the club room showing his sullen side to Yuhyeon, so he couldn’t just hang up the phone while still being upset. Gyeoul forced his voice to soften, said a simple goodbye, and ended the conversation.

Gyeoul roughly wiped his face, his mind in turmoil over various things. He couldn’t precisely define the feelings he had for him, but he just found himself wishing they could be on terms where they could call each other every day. And then, it would be nice to see his face every day, and then if they dated… if they dated….

Gyeoul couldn’t bring himself to complete the last sentence. So, Gyeoul had to torment his poor lips by gnawing on them.

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Gyeoul’s steps on the way to Yuhyeon’s family home for tutoring were filled with a small sense of anticipation. Since Yuhyeon lived alone away from home, he couldn’t be sure if he would see him, but it was hard to hide the glimmer of hope. He was on his way after finishing his part-time job at the café, so Gyeoul was quite tired. Nevertheless, the anticipation of possibly seeing Yuhyeon made him walk a little faster.

Lately, it had become a habit for Gyeoul to look around more than usual while walking on campus, just in case he might see Yuhyeon. Even though they were in the same liberal arts class and the same club, they were in different years, and with it being midterm season, seeing him was even more difficult.

“Hello, teacher.”

When he arrived at Yuhyeon’s family home and went up to the second floor, Yuho, who was waiting for Gyeoul, greeted him brightly. Seeing Yuho still in his school uniform as he hadn’t changed yet, Gyeoul suddenly wondered in a corner of his mind what Yuhyeon would have looked like in a school uniform.

He must have been popular back then, too.

As Gyeoul added a pointless thought, he felt a sense of displeasure and tried to turn his thoughts away, starting the tutoring session. Since Yuho was a student who followed the lessons well, his midterm grades were expected to be fine as long as nothing unusual happened. It was true that Gyeoul was more concerned about Yuho’s midterm exams than his own college midterms. He was afraid of the storm that would follow if Yuho’s grades were to drop and his parents found out. He had been beaten countless times since he was a child, but even after years, he never got used to his father’s hand. He no longer cried, begged, or ran away, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel the pain.

With Yuho’s midterms starting tomorrow, Gyeoul was only able to leave after conducting the class a little longer than the usual tutoring time. Gyeoul also had to study for his own exams, so he couldn’t go to sleep right away even after returning home. Massaging his tired shoulders with his hand, Gyeoul passed through the large gate and walked toward the bus stop.

“Lee Gyeoul.”

Before Gyeoul had walked far, Yuhyeon’s car stopped beside him. When he turned his head at the voice calling him through the gap in the window, his eyes met Yuhyeon’s.

“I’ll give you a ride.”

As if he were now used to Yuhyeon’s car, Gyeoul opened the passenger door, quickly fastened his seatbelt, and leaned his body comfortably against the backrest. Moreover, just being in Yuhyeon’s car instead of a swaying bus with his weary body felt like it was relieving his fatigue.

“Do you work at the café every day?”

“Yes. But I’ve reduced my hours a bit lately because of the exam period.”

“You’re tutoring now too, don’t you think you don’t have to do it every day?”

“Uh… still… I have to work at the café.”

The truth was, Gyeoul wasn’t receiving payment for tutoring Yuho. He thought it was probably because their families knew each other, and moreover, because they were even supporting his father, who was a member of the National Assembly.

“Really? Are you earning money for your tuition too? I thought I heard the tutoring pay was quite high.”

“Tutoring pay…?”

Gyeoul had never once received tutoring pay, so he couldn’t hide his surprised expression at Yuhyeon’s words and asked back. After a moment of silence, Gyeoul’s expression darkened at the thought that his foster parents might not have given him the tutoring fee. Then he became flustered, wondering what Yuhyeon would think seeing his face. He was afraid that he might notice how he was treated in his family.

“Never mind, it’s nothing. I must have misheard.”

Fortunately, Yuhyeon brushed it off as if it were nothing. In that moment, Gyeoul composed his expression and looked away from him. Yuhyeon’s family home and the neighborhood Gyeoul lived in were very close, so they arrived in front of his house quickly. Thanks to Yuhyeon, Gyeoul was able to return home comfortably, but he felt a sense of disappointment that their time together seemed too short. Moreover, since it was the exam period, it was even harder to run into him, which made the feeling of regret greater.

“Go on in.”

However, as if Yuhyeon didn’t feel any regret, he immediately said goodbye to Gyeoul and quickly left the neighborhood. After entering the house, Gyeoul sat at his desk again and reviewed the notes he had organized for the exam scope. Then, suddenly, the words Yuhyeon had said in the car flashed through his mind.