ETP Ch 27
by soapa“Are you crazy?”
“I’m not crazy.”
Yoohyun gritted his teeth, watching Bokseung stubbornly insist he’d done well.
“What were you going to do if something happened to you while you were talking back to them like that?”
“Who was the one asking why I couldn’t say a word just a moment ago?!”
This time, a vein bulged on Yoohyun’s forehead.
“You have to know when and where to pick your battles. Are you stupid?”
“I’m not stupid! I’m getting twice the flak because of you, Sunbae-nim!”
“What?”
Why was he the target again?
Yoohyun was now past the point of a headache; his stomach hurt from Kim Bokseung’s unpredictable behavior. He felt like he was going to get a nervous stomach ulcer.
“Those guys were badmouthing me, saying I was trying to seduce you, Sunbae-nim!”
Bokseung suddenly yelled.
Hearing this, Yoohyun was so stunned he forgot about his head and stomach ache.
Who’s seducing who?
While Yoohyun stood speechless, Bokseung seized the opportunity and poured out everything he’d been holding back.
“Honestly, even if you are a dominant alpha and come from a wealthy family, Sunbae-nim, I’m only 20 years old. I have such a bright future ahead of me, why would I try to seduce and leech off someone already? Don’t you think so?”
Yoohyun, who at the beginning of the second semester had mistakenly believed Bokseung was openly trying to seduce him, closed his mouth.
As Yoohyun’s fierce aura subsided, Bokseung grew bolder. See? Don’t you feel a little sorry for Bokseung now?
“People just can’t help but link two people together.”
Bokseung said with a thoroughly disgusted expression.
There were always those kinds of people everywhere. Men and women, omegas and alphas. If they heard that two people went to a cafe together, they would go on and on, practically planning their wedding.
They were incredibly nosy and had a nasty habit of disregarding individual preferences.
“…….”
Yoohyun agreed with him to some extent. Only to some extent.
After all, he had also thought Bokseung had approached him with ulterior motives, and he believed that there was no such thing as a 100% purely platonic relationship between people with traits.
However, he was certain that if he said that now, his connection with Bokseung would end here.
“Anyway, be careful not to get caught up in anything.”
“Yes, I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
Bokseung gave Yoohyun a cheerful farewell and headed back to the classroom.
The more he thought about it, the more infuriating those guys were. They were picking on Bokseung because they were scared of Hwang Yoohyun and thought Bokseung was an easy target.
Bokseung, still fuming, glared at the two in front of him before suddenly realizing he’d taken his anger out on Hwang Yoohyun, even though the ones he should be fighting with were right in front of him.
It was immature behavior, unbecoming of his age.
Everyone thought he was 20-year-old Kim Bokseung, but he was actually 33 and should have been more mature in his thinking.
Hmm, I need to reflect on this.
As Bokseung quietly reflected, he felt Yoohyun sit down next to him.
The two people sitting in front, despite knowing Hwang Yoohyun and Kim Bokseung were sitting together, kept their heads resolutely forward. They were probably afraid of accidentally making eye contact with Hwang Yoohyun.
Bokseung glared at them once more before leaving an apology note for Yoohyun.
Hwang Yoohyun was the only Sunbae who looked out for Bokseung. He shouldn’t hesitate to apologize to such a Sunbae-nim.
Wasn’t it a virtue of older people to immediately apologize for their mistakes?
“……?”
Yoohyun looked at the note that was subtly handed to him.
The lecture hadn’t even started yet, so why were they exchanging notes?
Yoohyun’s gaze shifted to Bokseung sitting beside him. As if he’d been watching him, their eyes met, and Bokseung grinned, gesturing towards the note with his eyes.
Yoohyun, taken aback by his 180-degree shift from the sharp glare in the hallway, unfolded the note with a perplexed feeling.
It had been folded so many times that he had to unfold it several times.
[Apology Coupon
—For the crime of getting slapped in Jongno and taking my anger out on you by the Han River, I offer you this coupon. (–)(__)
—Kim Bokseung’s Wallet Usage Rights x3
—Usable at: Restaurants, School, PC Bangs, and other convenience facilities]
Scribbled handwriting filled the crumpled paper.
It was the most insincere coupon he’d ever seen. And it was also the first coupon he’d ever been determined to use fully.
Though he had no intention of using Kim Bokseung’s wallet.
Bokseung surreptitiously observed Yoohyun’s reaction to the coupon he’d made.
80% of him worried Yoohyun might tear it up because it was useless. The remaining 20% suspected Yoohyun might get angry, thinking Bokseung considered him a beggar, and crumple it back up.
However, contrary to Bokseung’s worries, Hwang Yoohyun carefully smoothed out the coupon and tucked it safely inside his wallet.
“No take-backs.”
He left a remark that was unclear whether it was a confirmation or a warning.
🍑‧₊ ⋆˙
Sunjung, who was spending time at Yoohyun’s house as usual, sipping beer, widened her eyes.
Hwang Yoohyun was grinning at a piece of paper.
Did this bastard eat something wrong? Sunjung, with reasonable suspicion, stealthily approached Yoohyun from behind.
And when she saw the piece of paper in question… what was this?!
“Waaah!”
Sunjung’s startled shriek echoed through the living room.
Yoohyun’s eyebrows furrowed at Sunjung screaming next to his ear.
“Are you crazy?”
Yoohyun rubbed his ringing ear and glared at Sunjung.
Ignoring him, Sunjung used her long legs to hop over the back of the sofa and plop down next to Yoohyun.
“Holy shit! What the, Kim Bokseung has completely lost it?!”
“What?”
What about Kim Bokseung?
Yoohyun’s eyes sharpened. But Sunjung didn’t even notice. The words written on the coupon were all she could think about.
“No, no! You guys went on one date and now you’re exchanging things like this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about?! This coupon, ah, what, you already put it away?”
Yoohyun’s patience was considerably short when it came to listening to Sunjung’s fussing. Without hesitation, he pushed her head aside and stood up.
Listening to her nonsense was less productive than giving Yuja another snack.
“‘Kim Bokseung Usage Rights’! Bokseung, this won’t do! Huh? Does Hwang Yoohyun even know how and where to use…hmm? Ehehe?”
Without missing a beat, Sunjung, now clinging close behind Yoohyun, let out a suggestive laugh.
“Kim Bokseung Usage Rights…?”
“Isn’t that right?”
Sunjung pointed at Yoohyun’s pocket. Even though the writing was a bit faded, it clearly said Kim Bokseung, didn’t it?
After a brief pause, Yoohyun let out a snort.
“It’s not Kim Bokseung Usage Rights, it’s Kim Bokseung’s Wallet Usage Rights. Can’t you even read Korean now? Should I buy you an ABC book?”
“Huh??”
Sunjung stared at Yoohyun with a dumbfounded expression.
“Look closely. See? It says ‘wallet’ right here.”
Yoohyun pulled the coupon back out of his pocket and showed it to Sunjung.
“Whoa?”
Indeed, the scrawled word “wallet” was wedged between “Kim Bokseung” and “Usage Rights.”
Now, a different question arose.
“Did Kim Bokseung win the lottery?”
“What nonsense are you spouting now?”
“Well, I mean, how much money could he possibly have in his wallet? Wouldn’t he have to win the lottery twice to satisfy your desires?”
Yoohyun wasn’t usually materialistic. However, just because he wasn’t materialistic didn’t mean he lacked taste. If someone were to buy him things that met his standards, it would be beyond the means of an average person. Sunjung, who had known this side of Yoohyun since childhood, was impressed by Bokseung’s audacity.
He needs to get ripped off once to learn his lesson about giving out wallet usage rights.
“As if I’d actually use this.”
“Really? Then can I use it instead…?”
Smack!
Before she could finish, Yoohyun’s hand smacked Sunjung’s back. It was such a resounding smack that even Yuja, who was sitting nearby, jumped up with a “Meow!”
Yoohyun picked up Yuja and gently stroked his back, a stark contrast to the force with which he’d hit Sunjung.
However, far from being offended by the difference, Sunjung narrowed her eyes and poked Yoohyun in the side.
“Don’t want me to? Hmm? What do you want to rip off from Kim Bokseung? Hmm?”
“Stop it!”
The more Yoohyun recoiled, the wider Sunjung’s grin stretched. The thought of having missed out on this fun all this time was maddening.
Teasing Hwang Yoohyun is the most fun thing in the world!
Sunjung wiggled her large body, teasing Yoohyun. She didn’t even feel the hits she received.
“But why did Bokseung give you this? He doesn’t seem like the type to do anything wrong to you.”
“How would you know?”
“How could I not know? It’s obvious. Wait, slapped in Jongno and took his anger out by the Han River? Bokseung did?”
On him?
Sunjung rolled her eyes, her expression showing disbelief. The Hwang Yoohyun she knew wasn’t someone who would be on the receiving end of someone’s anger. That was a fact known by heaven, earth, and the sea.
He was more likely to take his anger out on Bokseung, yes indeed.
“Yeah, he got mad at me, saying I ruined things for him, and just started ranting.”
This time, Sunjung’s jaw dropped.
“Is Bokseung okay? Did you hit him hard? Did he write this while crying?”
“Hit him…”
If I’d stayed there any longer, I might have actually gotten hit by those small hands. The image of Bokseung with his fists clenched made Yoohyun chuckle.
Seeing that laugh only deepened Sunjung’s concern.