WYK 32

How much have Mi-hee and Jeong-yoon talked? After finishing the love story, they continued their talk, discussing anything from idol stories to professor anecdotes, and before they realized it, it was time for the next class.

Jeong-yoon approached the Social Science Building with a considerably lighter heart.

However, around 40 minutes after entering the classroom, he found himself surrounded by people and wearing a little uncomfortable expression. The professor was entirely to blame for this, as he assigned five students younger than Jeong-yoon to work in groups.

Now, the six students who had become groupmates faced each other, discussing and deciding on the group leader. Jeong-yoon fidgeted among them. A student returning from military service. Moreover, he was the group’s oldest member. He was convinced that a gloomy future lay ahead. For example, he thought he would be chosen as leader. He was convinced that the future would be unpleasant as a result of this.

“Then senior Seo Jeong-yoon is the leader…!”

A guy in a hat made a suggestion, and everyone in the group turned to look at Jeong-yoon. He bowed his head uncomfortably in order to avoid their sparkling glances.

Of course. He knew this would be the outcome. Being a leader, a class representative, he detested such roles. The biggest responsibility he had ever taken on was being the head of the beautification department during high school.

“Guys. It’s been less than a year since I was discharged from the military. I haven’t even adapted to society yet.”

He tried desperately to evade the responsibility by shaking his head. However, it seemed like they took it as a joke, and they all laughed and continued discussing the division of roles for the assignment.

‘Ah, this is going to be a pain.’

Jeong-yoon swallowed a long sigh in his heart. Just nodding along and saying “yes” to what others tell him to do is the best option. Even when he was working as a volunteer at a folk village, people said he was born to be ordered around. How could they ask him to be the leader?

‘But, there’s nothing I can do about it.’

However, despite feeling annoyed, he was determined to fulfill the responsibilities he had taken on. After all, Jeong-yoon was originally that kind of person.

***

Before he knew it, darkness had fallen on the campus. It was time for the street lights to begin glowing brilliantly. The street that runs straight across campus was lit up with dazzling LED lights, but the streetlights on the shortcut from the college building to the bus stop remained a low-saturated red.

Could it be because of that? Walking beneath the dim lighting, the atmosphere felt eerie and lonely, making even a man enjoying the autumn weather feel melancholy. And now it was the same. It only got worse as he kept thinking about Kang Chae-heon.

Jeong-yoon crunched on fallen leaves and fiddled with the band-aid attached to the nape of his neck.

“Forget love with love…”

Suddenly, Mi-hee’s words came to mind. After the blind date, met a few times and started dating. As time passed, you would grow fond of each other. And then, you forget love with love. It sounded so simple. But why was something so simple so difficult for him?

Would it be possible to forget this lingering feeling for Kang Chae-heon and replace it with someone else? Someone who had hidden his feelings for Kang Chae-heon like a pervert for years could not have accomplished such a thing. He was a coward who couldn’t even express himself for fear of being caught, and he was an idiot who couldn’t stop thinking about him. All he could do was silently suffer through it, wondering how he could even manage that.

Trying to relieve the frustration in his chest, he let out a deep sigh and walked along the winding road.

Jeong-yoon liked this road. Walking on a deserted road seemed like strolling down an old country road with the scent of grass wafting in the air, or visiting a secret place known only to himself. The tall trees and the short grass under his foot were all charming in their own way.

And. It seemed that Jeong-yoon himself was not the only one who knew that he liked this road.

He walked slowly and was about to pass a bench on a dark street corner. That bench where lovers sometimes sit, kiss, hold hands, and whisper in love. As he was passing there, someone called out his name from the depths of the darkness.

“Seo Jeong-yoon.”

“Ahh!”

Startled, Jeong-yoon let out a startled yelp and quickly stepped back. Jung Yoon pressed his hand to his pounding heart and looked toward the place where the voice had come from.

Chae-heon was standing there, illuminated only by the faint glow of a streetlight.

“… Hi.”

Jeong-yoon, who hesitantly greeted him out of habit, stood in his place. He wondered if it was a coincidence that Chae-heon was sitting there and calling his name. He was feeling anxious inside, but he couldn’t figure out the reason for that anxiety, which bothered him even more.

Chae-heon tapped the back of the bench.

“Sit down.”

It was a somewhat commanding tone. Jeong-yoon nodded and sat down about a step away from him.

Whether it was because of the discreet lighting or the memories that kept resurfacing, his heart fluttered just looking at him. Could it be that Chae-heon actually waited for him? How did Chae-heon know he’d come here? But, why did he wait? Surely he didn’t remember that day. Despite his efforts to maintain a calm demeanor as he glanced at Chae-heon, Jeong-yoon could not shake his nervousness. It felt like he was guilty of some sin, which only heightened his unease.

In truth, there was no need for him to feel this way. Subjectively or objectively, Chae-heon was more at fault. While it was true that he had stared at his face for quite some time, it was Chae-heon who had aggressively pushed himself onto him in a drunken haze.

He suddenly wondered if there was any reason to be so nervous. But as he met Chae-heon’s sharp gaze with a somewhat confident expression, he felt a bit intimidated again. The saying that the one who falls in love is always the loser seemed to be true.

Chae-heon was the first to speak.

“What is your relationship with Kwon Mi-hee?”

“Huh?”

Mi-hee’s name came up unexpectedly. Jeong-yoon’s eyes widened in surprise. Chae-heon pressed on with a firm voice.

“Are you two seeing each other?”

“Do you mean if Mi-hee and I are dating? No. Mi-hee has someone else she’s seeing these days.”

The library man you also met. She was meeting the same guy who thinks you’re weird. Jeong-yoon hid his unnecessary answer and just shook his head.

Chae-heon slowly rubbed his nervous eyebrows, as if he was suppressing his emotions alone.

“But why do you have…,” he muttered, then paused. After a moment, he reached out and gently brushed something off Jeong-yoon’s face.

Jeong-yoon stared at him in silence as he held his breath. What a strange conversation. Every conversation he’d had with Chae-heon lately had been strange. Whether it was the talk they had in the alley after the sports event gathering, the encounter in front of the library, or this very moment.

“Seo Jeong-yoon. I’ve been thinking.”

“Yeah?”

Facing Chae-heon again as he spoke, Jeong-yoon nodded with a dull expression. But he couldn’t pretend to be indifferent to the words that came out right away.

“What happened that day wasn’t a dream.”

It was because Chae-heon brought up that day’s events.

In that instant, Jeong-yoon felt like all the blood drained from his body. It was obvious what Chae-heon was referring to—the moment they were pressed together. His heart raced low in his chest, and tension gripped his back. Even though it wasn’t his fault, everything felt like his mistake because he liked Chae-heon.

Chae-heon tilted his head slightly towards Jeong-yoon. Frozen in place, Jeong-yoon couldn’t move away from the approaching Chae-heon or even resist.

Chae-heon’s fingertips gently touched Jeong-yoon’s neck. That touch skimmed over Jeong-yoon’s throat, which tightened as he swallowed dryly, then landed on the band-aid.

“This.”

Chae-heon took off the band-aid. The red marks hidden underneath were clearly visible even in the darkness. Chae-heon’s fingertips slowly touched the kiss mark on Jeong-yoon’s neck. Chae-heon’s fingertip traced it slowly. Jeong-yoon felt goosebumps rise on his neck at the delicate sensation.

“I made this.”

“…”

“Right?”

Jeong-yoon couldn’t bring himself to say anything. His eyes, filled with uneasiness, darted back and forth. Chae-heon tilted his head slightly and looked into Jeong-yoon’s eyes. His hair, which fell over his forehead, shimmered in the light.

“You don’t remember. Or you’re pretending you don’t remember again.”

Chae-heon muttered to himself.

Jeong-yoon clenched his fists on his knees. There was no way he could forget. That day was still vivid in his mind. However, due to the strange tension in Chae-heon’s gaze, it was difficult for Jeong-yoon to open his lips.

Should he deny it? Or should he confess? And if not, should he blame Kang Chae-heon? Just as Jeong-yoon tried to say something, Chae-heon roughly wrapped his arms around Jeong-yoon’s neck, burying his face against it. His warm breath touched Jeong-yoon’s skin.

Startled, Jeong-yoon took a sharp breath. The streetlight in front of him blurred like an afterimage. What was happening? The fact that it happened so suddenly while he was sober made it all the more unsettling.

Chae-heon, who had bit the back of Jeong-yoon’s neck till it ached, soon relaxed and kissed his bare skin. Chae-heon’s lips touched Jeong-yoon’s bare skin, and the hot tongue tickled it.

Jeong-yoon’s body was frozen stiff. Chae-heon, who was rubbing Jeong-yoon’s ear with his forehead, soon began sucking Jeong-yoon’s neck hard, creating a hickey.

“Kang Chae-heon, what are you doing…!”

Only then did Jeong-yoon push away the shoulder that was pressing on his body. His voice trembled at the end as he called out for Chae-heon. However, he couldn’t pull away from his solid body, the hot touch of Chae-heon’s hands around his neck and the lips on his neck.

After making a wet sound, Kang Chae-heon kissed his way up Jeong-yoon’s neck, leaving a trail of kisses. Then he kissed right below the ear again and started carving red marks there.

“Mmm…”

Jeong-yoon uttered a strange moan. He tried to twist his waist to escape, but Chae-heon refused to let go. The sensation on his neck was strangely familiar, which added to his confusion. Jeong-yoon unintentionally breathed heavily when Chae-heon’s body pressed against his.

Moments later, Chae-heon lightly kissed Jeong-yoon’s neck and slowly withdrew his face.

As the heat between them faded, the evening air filled the space.

Jeong-yoon looked at Chae-heon with dazed eyes. Chae-heon ignored Jeong-yoon’s gaze and just stared at the hickey he had just made.

Chae-heon lowered his upper body and brought his face closer. Jeong-yoon’s anxious eyes and Chae-heon’s relaxed eyes looked at each other gently. The dim light of the street lamp shimmers like a halo behind Chae-heon’s body.

Chae-heon chuckled softly with his lips.

“Jeong-yoon-ah. Do you remember anything now?”

“…”

Jeong-yoon pressed his lips together silently. No words came out.

The person before him wasn’t the friendly and affectionate Kang Chae-heon he knew. Nor was it the indifferent and cold Kang Chae-heon he had encountered. He was a very unfamiliar man whom Jeong-yoon met for the first time.