VDN Ch 5
by STAR“Cornea? Na Dae-yeol’s pupils wavered. In the meantime, the man made a phone call somewhere.
“Hey, Jang-mi.”
“Yes, young master. What’s the matter?”
The volume of the phone was at its maximum, so he could hear the other person’s voice.
“Do we deal with corneas too?”
“Ah, we don’t handle that. The butcher does. Why?”
“Well, there’s a fresh cornea here…”
Having heard this much, Na Dae-yeol turned pale and struck the man’s hand with all his might. The man with an expressionless face took a step forward.
“Ugh!”
Thud, thud!
Na Dae-yeol, who had been stepping back to avoid the man, fell over and rolled backward. The items that fell out of his bag rolled across the hallway floor.
“Ugh…”
Na Dae-yeol groaned in front of the man, who squatted down and grinned.
“My shoulder hurts.”
“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I really can’t see well in front of me…”
Na Dae-yeol apologized frantically. The man, who had looked neat until just a moment ago, now looked like a devil laughing with prey in front of him.
“People should use their hearts kindly.”
“Yes. Yes.”
“You can’t just say whatever you want because you have a mouth, can you?”
“No, you can’t, it’s not right.”
“You seem stupid, so always be careful with your words, got it?”
Na Dae-yeol, who had always been proud of his intelligence, just nodded his head at this moment.
“Yes, yes. I’m really sorry.”
“Go on.”
At the man’s gesture, Na Dae-yeol hurriedly grabbed his bag.
Shit, I’ve completely messed up. Na Dae-yeol ran away faster than ever without looking back.
Nam-woon clicked his tongue at the sight of the man running away desperately. Those who have nothing always talk big. Jang-mi’s voice came from the other side of the phone.
“Master?”
“Ah, Jang-mi, it’s nothing. I’m hanging up.”
[I was moved by Seok Nam-woon’s despicable blackmail!]
[As a reward, you will receive one reading ticket!]
“Despicable blackmail? Isn’t that a subtle dig? Anyway, it was good luck that I stumbled upon it.”
Nam-woon walked down the hallway with quiet steps.
Room 303.
Kwon Seo-oh was sitting in the same spot as before. His broad back was visible as he typed on his laptop keyboard. He was alone. It’s natural to do homework alone. But for some reason, Nam-woon found it hard to take his eyes off his back.
***
As the sky grew dark, Nam-woon waited patiently in front of the main gate for Kwon Seo-oh to come out, hugging his helmet while sitting. From a distance, he saw the man he had been waiting for trying to pass through the main gate. Nam-woon quickly shouted.
“Kwon Seo-oh!”
Kwon Seo-oh turned his head at the sound. Nam-woon, who made eye contact with him, waved his hand awkwardly. Hello. However, Kwon Seo-oh continued on his way as if he hadn’t seen anything. Nam-woon called his name a few more times from behind, but Kwon Seo-oh quickly moved away.
Step.
Nam-woon quickly followed and grabbed Kwon Seo-oh’s arm. Kwon Seo-oh roughly pulled his arm away. With a withdrawn hand, Nam-woon said,
“I kept calling your name, didn’t you hear?”
“Why are you here?”
“Why? I have to take you home. We always go together.”
Brat, so prickly.
As if anyone would come if they wanted to. I had no choice, either.
Nam-woon grumbled to himself and glanced up at Kwon Seo-oh.
[Role Fulfillment Clause No. 1: Kwon Seo-oh’s commute from school will be done together with Seok Nam-woon in his personal vehicle.]
[Warning if the mandatory clause is not followed!]
[Support application intensity weakens during the performance of mandatory clauses.]
Seo-oh frowned.
“You could have sent someone else.”
“It’s my job, so of course, I have to come myself.”
Ha, ha, Kwon Seo-oh laughed sarcastically and asked back, “My job?” then continued.
“Do as usual. Go drink the alcohol you like and chase after omegas.”
“Chase after omegas… Hey, I don’t do that anymore.”
Nam-woon replied hesitantly, but Kwon Seo-oh ignored him and passed by.
“Hey, where are you going?”
Becoming anxious, Nam-woon got on the pink bicycle behind him and pedaled. Nam-woon, who slowed down next to Kwon Seo-oh, said,
“Get on the back here!”
Kwon Seo-oh glanced at Nam-woon and then stopped dead in his tracks. With an indescribable expression, he looked at Nam-woon, or more precisely, at Nam-woon’s bicycle, for a long time. Nam-woon took out the helmet from the basket.
“There’s only one helmet. You wear this.”
“This is…”
“Here, take this.”
Nam-woon offered the pink helmet, but Kwon Seo-oh’s hand didn’t move. After a moment of silence, Kwon Seo-oh pointed somewhere near the main gate with his finger.
“Don’t steal the bicycle, hurry up and put it back where it belongs.”
“What are you talking about? This is mine. Hurry up and get on, we don’t have time.”
There are a lot of delivery calls after evening time. Unaware of Nam-woon’s desperate heart, Kwon Seo-oh continued to delay.
“Don’t lie. Where did you park the car?”
“I don’t drive anymore. Driving makes me feel sick. That’s right, I need to give you back the car keys from last time. I don’t have them with me right now…”
“I don’t need them.”
Kwon Seo-oh passed by Nam-woon without even looking at the helmet in front of him. Oh, this can’t be happening. Then I’ll be staggering around like a person with broken legs again. In desperation, Nam-woon shouted at his back.
“Kwon Seo-oh, can’t you just get on?”
Kwon Seo-oh, who seemed like he would walk straight to the end of the earth, suddenly stopped and turned around. He looked at Nam-woon with a suspicious gaze and then spoke.
“Seok Nam-woon.”
“…Yes?”
“Were you at the liberal arts building today?”
Oops. Did he find out?’
Caught off guard by the question, Nam-woon was internally startled but managed to keep a straight face and feign ignorance.
“No, I didn’t go. Why?”
“I thought I heard a voice similar to yours.”
He has sharp ears. Nam-woon turned his gaze away for no reason.
“Why would I go there? You must have heard wrong.
“Hey!”
Just then, a passerby who was walking by them stopped abruptly. He looked at Nam-woon with wide eyes, and Nam-woon did the same. It was because this man was the person Nam-woon had asked for directions to the liberal arts building earlier. The man said with a bright smile.
“You’re the person from earlier, right?! The one who…”
“No.”
“What?”
“I said no.”
Nam-woon denied it outright, and the man, taken aback, exclaimed.
“What? No, you’re the person I talked to here earlier!”
“It wasn’t me.”
Nam-woon quickly answered and urged Seo-oh to go, pulling the bicycle along. But then the man recognized Seo-oh’s face and acknowledged him.
“Huh? Kwon Seo-oh? Do you two know each other?”
“No.”
The man continued talking as if he hadn’t heard Seo-oh’s denial.
“Wow, that’s amazing. No, earlier this person started talking to me…”
“Let’s, let’s just go!”
Nam-woon raised his voice anxiously, fearing the man might say something. Cold sweat ran down his back as he pulled on Seo-oh’s forearm. He was certain that if Seo-oh found out what he had done in the liberal arts building, he would be furious.
“Uh? Excuse me, if it’s not too much trouble, could I get your number…!”
He heard the man shouting something from behind, but he ignored it and walked briskly. Fortunately, this time Seo-oh also followed along without resistance. When they stepped outside the main gate, Seo-oh asked,
“How do you know that guy? He’s a classmate from our department.”
“I don’t know him.”
Nam-woon denied it, but Seo-oh, asked again,
“What were you two talking about?”
“Did we talk? Well, my memory is a bit fuzzy.”
As Nam-woon feigned ignorance with a tilt of his head, Seo-oh spoke in a firm voice.
“Don’t approach the university students.”
…Gulp. He had already had a confrontation with a male student who had a dirty rag in his mouth at the liberal arts building. If this was discovered, it would be the end. Seo-oh said again,
“Don’t do anything strange here.”
“Strange things like…”
Nam-woon, about to say “I won’t do it,” momentarily closed his mouth and stared off into space with a blurred focus.
[Kwon Seo-oh’s commute home is to be done with Seok Nam-woon’s “personal vehicle”.]
The term “personal vehicle” caught his attention, but since Nam-woon disliked driving, this bicycle was essentially his personal vehicle. The system was a thing that could communicate, so it would probably have some flexibility. Nam-woon looked at Kwon Seo-oh and politely suggested,
“I won’t do anything weird, so could you please get on the back?”
The support had weakened, so saying this much should be fine. However, Kwon Seo-oh still showed no signs of getting on the bicycle, and the system was flashing in the air. Caught in a dilemma, Nam-woon, with tears in his eyes, blurted out his last plea.
“Please.”
Kwon Seo-oh looked at him as if he were something strange.
***
“Mom, look at that. The bicycle looks so pitiful.”
“Shouldn’t that be reported for bicycle abuse?”
People threw in their comments every time the slow-moving bicycle passed by.
“Huff, huff.”
Nam-woon took one hand off the handlebar, trying to fan himself with his shirt, but as soon as he let go, the bicycle wobbled crazily. Nam-woon couldn’t even fan himself once with his clothes and had to grab the handlebar again.
“Huff, huff. Next time, where was it? This way?”
“…….”
“Or not? This way? Right?”
“…….”
“Tell me!”
Exhausted, Nam-woon shouted without realizing it. Then Kwon Seo-oh, perhaps annoyed, shouted back just as loudly.
“Why are you pretending not to know the way today?”
“How would I know where your house is!”
“Don’t you remember!? You stopped by our house last time and left after cursing!?”
Yeah. I don’t remember.