WYK 31

Jeong-yoon thought he had roughly sorted out his feelings over the weekend. However, it appeared otherwise.

Jeong-yoon lay down on the sofa in the department room and played cell phone games as usual. Even though he was lying down comfortably, his attention was drawn to other things, leaving him both mentally and physically exhausted. It was because Chae-heon, sitting across the table from him, was staring at him intently.

Chae-heon, who had a stern expression that was clearly not smiling like usual, was resting his chin and following Jeong-yoon with his gaze. The intensity of his stare seemed to stir something inside Jeong-yoon, making him break into a cold sweat. At that point, Jeong-yoon felt like a small mouse in front of a snake with its mouth wide open. He felt even more guilty.

It would have been better if Chae-heon took some action early on, thinking it was better to face things head-on. Jeong-yoon’s inner distress worsened as he remained silent. He prayed Chae-heon would either admit to remembering something or express his anger – just do something.

Jeong-yoon felt his heart burn as Chae-heon’s gaze continued to pierce through him. He wasn’t sure whether he was playing the game consciously or absentmindedly pressing the screen. Just as he was rolling around on the sofa in confusion, Min-soo tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, let’s go to the cultural event. It starts in ten minutes. We need to hurry to the art gallery.”

These remarks were like a lifeline. Jeong-yoon stood up and packed his bag as if he had been waiting. Chae-heon’s gaze didn’t leave Jeong-yoon even until he hurriedly left the study room with Min-soo. It was a bewildering day.

***

Jeong-yoon didn’t know in what state of mind he attended the cultural event with Min-soo. Before he knew it, the class had ended, and he found himself grabbing his writing materials and getting dragged away by the crowd.

“Hey. Have you got a girlfriend?”

Min-soo asked on the road from the art museum to the academy. Jeong-yoon’s blank gaze turned to Min-soo.

“What do you mean?”

“That thing on your neck, did you put it on to cover the mark? When did you secretly get a girlfriend? Huh? I feel betrayed here.”

At those words, Jeong-yoon fiddled with the band-aid attached to the back of his neck. It was put on because the red mark left by Chae-heon was still clear. In fact, Min-soo was right about ‘that mark.’ The significant issue was that the person who made it was not his new girlfriend but Kang Chae-heon.

“It’s not like that. I just scratched myself.”

Kim Min-soo chuckled sinisterly.

“Oh, really?”

“…”

“Anyway, don’t make it too obvious. Everyone was staring. Also, don’t leave it where your girlfriend may see it. You have to take care of your partner’s image.”

“I told you it’s not like that. Seriously, I just got bitten by a bug.”

He mumbled vaguely, feeling awkward inside. It was too embarrassing to say anything more. Min-soo nodded as if he understood before gently wrapping his arm around Jeong-yoon’s shoulder. Min-soo whispered discreetly into his ear.

“Dude, I thought you were an eunuch since you never dated. Anyway, show me your girlfriend later, okay?”

“…”

What should he show him? He had already seen him. Kang Chae-heon was sitting in the department room with a threatening expression.

Jeong-yoon swallowed the words he couldn’t bear to say and just sighed. Min-soo patted Jeong-yoon on the back and left first, saying he would go to his next class.

Jeong-yoon sighed again over the spot where Min-soo had disappeared. He couldn’t believe all the guys were staring. He was so focused on Chae-heon that he didn’t even notice the other guys’ gazes. Did Chae-heon look at him for the same reason? Out of curiosity? He was concerned that it could be because Chae-hoon remembered what happened that day, but he was relieved.

***

After parting way with Min-soo, he wandered around the campus without thinking. He walked around under the shade of trees and even pressed the grass beside the law department building while lost in thought. Eventually, he sat down heavily on a bench in front of the law department building. When he looked up, the sunlight was gently filtering through the tangled leaves.

How much time has passed?

“Seo Jeong-yoon.”

Jeong-yoon heard a familiar voice from above. It was Mi-hee. Jeong-yoon turned his head towards her and weakly greeted her. Despite raising the corners of his mouth, the expression he could make was nothing more than a weak smile.

“Got a break? What are you doing alone here?”

“Sunbathing.”

“What? Under the shade.”

Mi-hee laughed incredulously and instructed her two friends next to her to go first. It seemed like she was going to have a cup of tea with her friends at a cafe, but she decided to stay with Jeong-yoon instead. Mi-hee sat next to Jeong-yoon and waved her hands over his hot face.

“But do you have a girlfriend?”

Again. Following Min-soo, Mi-hee also voiced her curiosity. Jeong-yoon shook his head with a half-resigned expression. It was hard to explain now. How would she interpret his situation? Mi-hee playfully clicked her tongue.

“Why is your expression like that? Did you break up as soon as you started dating?”

“…”

Jeong-yoon’s expression sunk quietly. Upon reflection, it was somewhat similar. Despite the fact that they weren’t lover or even had a hint of a relationship, he gave up day after day without even trying. It wasn’t all that different.

Mi-hee blinked as if flustered by Jeong-yoon’s reaction.

“… Really? … Uh, sorry. It was just a joke.”

“No. It’s not like that.”

He shook his head and quickly denied it. However, the sympathetic look in Mi-hee’s eyes did not disappear. It was as if she did not believe Jeong-yoon’s words at all.

Mi-hee took out a candy from her bag and held it out.

“Here. Eat this first. When the world gets on your nerves, eat something sweet. That’s why I always carry candies with me. The world annoys me too much.”

Jeong-yoon nodded and accepted the candy kindly. The sweet tasted similar to the cheap, 300-won milk he used to get from the vending machine in front of the library. Just as the candy was halfway gone, Mi-hee spoke again.

“But why did you get dumped?”

“I wasn’t dumped.”

“You are not?”

“No.”

“…Hmm. I’m telling you just in case… They say Yagwanmun(natural viagra) is good these days.”

Jeong-yoon looked at Mi-hee. Yagwanmun. He heard it too. Wasn’t it good for stamina? If it’s ending quickly with someone who leaves marks on your neck, maybe you need to put in some effort. Mi-hee seemed to be telling him that now.

Strange. Mi-hee used to be quite shy when she was a freshman, but why did her expressions suddenly become so direct? If he were a man who easily feel ashamed, what would she do if it really hurt his feelings?

“Mi-hee. No, it’s not like that. I’m not that kind of person.”

He calmly denied it. Indeed, he was a healthy young man with no defects. It wasn’t something else, and this misunderstanding was quite awkward. Mi-hee shrugged her shoulders with an expression that seemed to say she couldn’t believe him, then gently patted Jeong-yoon’s shoulder. It was somewhat comforting.

“Anyway… how about I set you up on a blind date?”

“….”

“For the sake of our Jeong-yoon, I’ll buy Yagwanmun and arrange a blind date for you.”

At that point, Jeong-yoon just let out a dry laugh. After getting a hickey from Kang Chae-heon, he suddenly became a man who had a hot night, had a girlfriend, and then got dumped. He chewed the candy that had become very small and shook his head.

“It’s okay, I don’t need a blind date.”

“Now that I think about it, why don’t you go on a blind date?”

By the way, did you really contact that guy from the library?”

“Don’t change the subject. Why don’t you go on blind dates? We’ve known each other for years, but I’ve never seen you go on a blind date or a meet up.”

Jeong-yoon tried to deflect her attention by bringing up the story of the man at the library who asked him for Mi-hee’s phone number, but he couldn’t. Jeong-yoon licked his sweet lips and sighed.

“I can’t go on a blind date. There’s someone I’ve liked for a long time.”

“From the past? Who? Who is it? No, that’s not what’s important. What does having someone you like have to do with going on a blind date?”

“How can I go on a blind date when I like someone else? It’s not polite.”

At those words, Mi-hee laughed as if it were absurd.

Mi-hee laughed as if she found his words absurd.

“Come on. Everyone meets like that. Love is about forgetting through love, something like that.”

“…”

“Go on a few blind dates, and if it feels okay, start dating. As you go on, you’ll like each other more and more, and that’s it.”

Jeong-yoon blinked his eyes. Listening to Mi-hee, it seemed so simple and easy, but why was it so difficult for him? Dating someone else while keeping Kang Chae-heon in his heart was an impossible thing. From the beginning, he wasn’t the type of person who could do that.

“What if I start like that but can’t genuinely like the other person till the end?”

“Then you’ll have to break up. It’s not a crime. You won’t go to jail.”

“…”

Jeong-yoon was lost in light thoughts. Was this kind of dating supposed to be natural? Because he was struggling with his unrequited love alone, he had never had the experience of dating anyone. As a result, it was unfamiliar to even start a relationship, let alone have deep emotional exchanges.

Jeong-yoon, who used to envision ordinary dates like having a girlfriend, holding hands, and watching movies, stared into the distance. There was no possibility of liking someone else. Meeting someone other than Chae-heon would only consume him as a temporary escape. That was both regrettable and undesirable.

Turning his head back to Mi-hee, he quietly replied.

“I can’t. I just want to live like this.”

“Our Jeong-yoon, love seems to be quite difficult for you.”

“…”

“Anyway, if you’re thinking about a blind date, let me know.”

“Yeah, got it.”

“Don’t cry alone.”

“Why would I cry? I wasn’t really dumped.”

At Jeong-yoon’s earnest denial, Mi-hee lightly laughed. It was clear. Mi-hee was now 100% convinced that he had been dumped.

Just as he was about to make another excuse, Mi-hee said, ‘Ah!’ as if she remembered something.

“Right. And what you asked earlier. Getting in touch with that library guy, Park Tae-won.”

“Really? How is he? Is he a nice person?”

“Yeah. He’s nice. I contacted him because he looked handsome, and when I met him, his personality was nice too.”

“Really? That’s good to hear.”

Jeong-yoon’s heart felt lighter, and he let out a sigh-like laugh. He had a bit of concern that the guy would be strange, but it was fortunate. As he was letting out a quiet laugh, a gentle breeze seemed to blow from somewhere. Jeong-yoon brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face and stared at Mi-hee.

Mi-hee blankly at Jeong-yoon’s eyelashes twinkling in the sunlight filtering through the leaves, scratched her nose, and let out a deep sigh.

“Why were you dumped when you’re so pretty… Maybe I should buy you Yagwanmun after all.”

Jeong-yoon gave up denying it at this point and just burst into laughter. Earlier, he felt as if he had dug a hole several meters deep into the ground, but now he didn’t feel that way. His heart felt much lighter as a result of his playful banter with Mi-hee.

And at that time, Chae-heon, who was sitting by the window on the second floor of the law department building and taking a liberal arts class, tapped his notebook with the tip of his pen. He rested his chin with a cold expression as his gaze fixed on Jeong-yoon’s face that was smiling at Mi-hee.