ETP Ch 15

Sungyeon’s eyes widened, and he shook his head vehemently, the movement almost creating a whooshing sound. Then, he smiled, a textbook example of a bright, toothy grin, corners of his mouth high, eight perfectly aligned teeth showing.

“How could that be, seniors? I’m so grateful that you came all the way here to my workplace. I was surprised, not at all displeased.”

Yoohyun was about to retort to the blatant lie that flowed so smoothly, but the black bear—no, Yoo Sunjung—standing next to him intervened.

“Hey, you little prick, are you a chestnut burr or something? So prickly. Why are you so eager to pick on him?”

Sunjung then turned to Bokseung and laughed heartily.

“He’s just annoyed because it’s crowded and noisy here. You can just ignore him.”

If he hated crowded and noisy places, he shouldn’t have come. Why come here so late at night and pick a fight?

Sungyeon’s tongue clicked at the illogical behavior. This time, he slightly lowered his head to avoid being noticed.

Yoohyun, seemingly deflated, glanced at Bokseung, who had lowered his head, and then at Sunjung, who was chattering beside him.

But that was all. He didn’t say anything more. He hadn’t actually come to devour the boy, so he could just quietly kill some time and leave.

Once Yoohyun closed his mouth, things moved swiftly.

Sungyeon guided them to the best seats and gave them ample service time.

And then, he worked like a dog. As it got later, more young people came in after having a few drinks. Instead of thinning out, the crowd grew denser as midnight approached, leaving no empty seats.

As a result, Sungyeon didn’t even have time to glance in their direction.

The two of them seemed to have noticed that their junior was busy, as they hadn’t even ordered any food.

Sungyeon glanced at the clock after finishing a round of dishwashing.

11:48 p.m. His shift was almost over, and there were no new customers.

Rolling his stiff shoulders, Sungyeon stood in front of the counter. Since they had come after he invited them, he intended to treat them properly, even if it was late.

Sungyeon, carrying a tray laden with snacks and drinks, hurried towards their seats. Bokseung’s thin arms trembled with each step.

“Where should I take this?”

Suddenly, a pleasant scent wafted into his nose, and the weight pressing down on Bokseung’s arm muscles disappeared.

His round, brown eyes turned to the side.

Standing there, holding the tray with an impassive expression, was Hwang Yoohyun.

“Oh, senior?”

“Aren’t your arms going to fall off carrying this? Your arms are as thin as twigs.”

Yoohyun clicked his tongue disapprovingly. He hadn’t liked the sight of him scurrying around this large space alone.

Bokseung, however, seemed displeased that Yoohyun had taken the tray.

“That’s for you, seniors, so I’ll carry it. Please give it back!”

“Us?”

“Yes, I feel like I haven’t treated you properly because I was busy, so I wanted to take care of you now…”

Who was treating whom? It was ridiculous. Just as Yoohyun was about to say they didn’t need this,

“Whoa! What’s this? I was just getting hungry! Our Bokseung is so thoughtful!”

Sunjung, who had apparently been listening to their conversation, suddenly appeared, snatched the tray from Yoohyun’s hands, and sat down.

Ignoring Yoohyun’s hardening expression, Sunjung began devouring the spicy mandu ramen.

“Oh! This place is a damn good restaurant!”

He even gave a thumbs-up and praised the food.

Sungyeon smiled, finding Sunjung incredibly cute.

That was how most guys in their early twenties were. Even after completing military service, they were still far from mature, only truly passionate about primal desires like eating, playing, and pooping.

Only the man beside him, Hwang Yoohyun, felt somewhat different from other guys in their early twenties.

Looking back and forth between the two, Sungyeon inwardly preened, thinking he was truly utilizing his “acquaintance privilege.”

Having lived a few more years than them as Lee Sungyeon, he knew that “acquaintance privileges” were more abundant from those around him who were moderately successful, rather than acquaintances from completely different worlds like them.

In times like these, these two wouldn’t parachute Bokseung into a company job just because they knew him, and they were unlikely to meet again after he graduated. Being around them would only increase his self-doubt about why he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

On the other hand, there was Hyungseop. He was a PC bang owner who could provide small but certain happiness. Sungyeon, who frequently played Go-Stop all night at Hyungseop’s PC bang, definitely enjoyed generous acquaintance privileges.

Sungyeon hoped these guys could also enjoy such simple happiness.

“I’m glad you like it. I made it with special care! And I added extra service time, so please enjoy yourselves!”

That was why he meticulously shared the winning menu combinations he’d observed from customers and recommended the games that worked best in a PC bang setting.

Sungyeon’s efforts seemed to have worked, as even Hwang Yoohyun, who usually didn’t touch games, sat down and listened to Bokseung’s voice.

However, the peaceful time didn’t last long. The bell signaling a request rang out.

Part-timer Kim Bokseung, with about two minutes left on his shift, turned around and disappeared without hesitation.

As Yoohyun watched his retreating figure, Sunjung placed chopsticks in his hand and said, “Hey, try some of this. Bokseung’s cooking is amazing.”

“You should stop eating.”

“He made this for us, how can we leave it? The kid has no manners.”

Listening to him, Yoohyun realized Sunjung wasn’t wrong. After a brief moment of surprise that his friend was making a valid point, Yoohyun looked up, searching for Bokseung.

He was subtly worried that the boy might be struggling with heavy things again.

“Where did Kim Bokseung go?”

He couldn’t spot the boy’s fluffy brown hair anywhere.

Hearing Yoohyun’s murmur, Sunjung put down his chopsticks and stood up. He, too, scanned the PC bang like Yoohyun.

“Huh, he really is gone.”

Yoohyun’s brows furrowed at Sunjung’s words. He wondered if Bokseung had actually left, but considering his past behavior, it seemed plausible.

As Yoohyun’s expression darkened and Bokseung remained out of sight, Sunjung cautiously cleared the leftover dishes. Even with his brazen personality, he couldn’t bring himself to enjoy his food in this atmosphere.

Eventually, the two cleared their table and headed to the counter.

Instead of the bright, round-faced Kim Bokseung, a large, tough-looking man was stationed at the counter.

As the two tall figures approached, the man scrutinized their faces before acknowledging them.

“Our Bokseung’s seniors?”

Hwang Yoohyun found the phrase “our Bokseung” grating, but he nodded in confirmation.

The man then proceeded to scan them from head to toe, as if he wouldn’t let anything suspicious slide.

Just as Yoohyun and Sunjung exchanged uneasy glances at being scrutinized like this, a hearty laugh erupted from the man.

“Wow, you’re both very handsome! Bokseung kept talking about how great his seniors are. Stay and play longer! I’ll give you more service!”

Judging by his words, this man seemed to be the owner of the PC bang. While Sunjung’s ears perked up at the offer of more service, Yoohyun’s attention was elsewhere.

“Is Kim Bokseung here?”

The PC bang owner, Hyungseop, frowned at Yoohyun’s question about Bokseung’s whereabouts, which completely ignored his offer of goodwill. His attitude, as if he were looking for lost property, was extremely unpleasant.

Bokseung had said these were his close seniors, but they seemed more like creditors here to collect a debt. Especially the pale one on the left, who looked like he’d devour Bokseung whole if he were brought before him.

“Bokseung left because of the last bus. So, are you seniors going to stay longer or not?”

Hyungseop’s casual remark felt like a blow to the back of Yoohyun’s head.

He invited them to his workplace and then just took off? Without a word, he just left them hanging?

Yoohyun had planned to walk Bokseung home since he hadn’t been drinking, and if the timing was right, grab a late-night snack with him.

Of course, he hadn’t asked Bokseung about it beforehand, but it was common courtesy to take responsibility for someone you invited out.

Yoohyun found Bokseung incredibly inconsiderate. He decided to lecture him about interpersonal relationships the next time they met. He vowed to deliver exactly twice the amount of nagging that had come out of that small mouth.

“We’ll be going now.”

There was no reason to stay at the PC bang if Bokseung wasn’t there. Yoohyun curtly answered the owner’s question.

Hyungseop simply waved his hand and said, “Oh, okay,” clearly wanting them to leave quickly.

Yoohyun felt further annoyed at being treated like a bothersome salesman or a troublesome customer.

“Ugh, I should’ve told Bokseung we’d take him home! Right?”

Sunjung said to Yoohyun as they emerged onto the street.

Sunjung, too, had assumed they’d go home with Bokseung, so he was taken aback by the owner’s words about him leaving to catch the last bus.

But it didn’t seem like something to be this upset about.

Sunjung smacked his lips, watching his friend’s expression grow increasingly grim.

He regretted leaving the food behind in their haste.