《Semantic Error》 Chapter 0 More than half of the students were asleep in the university seminar room. In a large class attended by more than a hundred students, it was hard for even the professor to get everyone oriented. Furthermore, nothing about the appearance of the presenter on stage was eye-catching. The presenter wore an unfashionable checkered shirt and dark blue jeans, and his face was hard to see because of the black cap on his head obscuring it. Once he pressed the laser pointer to play the presentation, the eyes of the bored spectators were suddenly filled with astonishment. [ The desirable characteristics and roles in society for a Hanguk University student.] The letters being 93 points big was already an atrocity, but more surprising than anything else was the font in GulimChe. No, the biggest problem was the blurry Bonobono character in the background? Or was it the sincerity of each letter in rainbow colors? ¡°I¡¯ll begin with my presentation.¡± The presenter moved on to the next slide indifferently, as if mocking the audience¡¯s reaction. This time, only the subtitle was written in yellow on the black background. However, the unreadable font and its dreadful size still remained. ¡°In this presentation, I¡¯ll be taking a look at the reputation of renowned Hanguk University graduates, to see the talent, honesty, creativity, and passion Hanguk University instills in their students, while redefining desirable personality traits and exploring what responsibilities and roles they might play in the future¡­.¡± The students who had woken up at the sight of the shocking Powerpoint screen, quickly began to fall asleep again. The speaker¡¯s voice was dull and flat, and no matter how long they waited, the first sentence never finished. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m an honest person.¡± The presenter meticulously checked whether talent training was accessible on the Korea National University website and concluded that it was not. Politicians who were disqualified as lawmakers for their criminal record of bribery, professors who forged documents, and businessmen who got work applications for money were the graduates he cited as examples. The content was unusually thorough and the presentation was rational. It was rare for a student to be so diligent in a group project worth only two credits. Unfortunately, less than ten individuals, including the professor, seemed to be listening by the end of the lecture. The presenter ended his discussion lasting a little over ten minutes, stressing authenticity and integrity, but there was little applause. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± As soon as he moved to the last slide, the small audience burst into startled chatter. Even the students who were not interested in the presentation, paid attention to the screen. [ Leader: Chu Sangwoo Presenter: Chu Sangwoo Data research part 1: Chu Sangwoo Data research part 2: Chu Sangwoo Data gathering: Chu Sangwoo Final presentation creator: Chu Sangwoo Group members: Chu Sangwoo ] The professor raised his glasses with a puzzled look while the students were in a frenzy. He observed the lecture room and thought that the speaker and the popular character in the powerpoint¡¯s background garnered a good response. A student wearing a hat entered the faculty room and the professor urged him to sit down with a perplexed look. ¡°Good to see you, Sangwoo. I just called you in to talk with regard to today¡¯s presentation.¡± ¡°Was there a problem?¡± ¡°The presentation was impressive. But¡­.¡± The professor flipped the attendance book open, looking nonplussed. Chu Sangwoo presented an amazingly in-depth presentation, but this was still a joint task at the end of the day. There were still three more people in his group. ¡°Did the other members of the group not participate at all?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The student answered without change in his expression. ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± ¡°Originally, I was only supposed to do the research for the first part and create the presentation. But the person assigned to do the second part of the data research did not keep her promise to send it by six o¡¯clock yesterday, so I completed it instead. For the person in charge of presenting, he couldn¡¯t attend today because of his aunt¡¯s death, so I took over for that, too.¡± ¡°What about the last member?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen him before.¡± The professor nodded and checked the attendance book three times. He looked closely to see if he could find something. ¡°There¡¯s a prospective graduate in your group. He mentioned in his email that he couldn¡¯t make it this week because he was flying overseas to attend a contest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s a contestant.¡± The professor looked at the student, ¡°Knowing the situation, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much to leave his name out?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If he¡¯d been contributing and only missed today¡¯s class, I would consider it. But he¡¯s never attended a meeting and also didn¡¯t help with the assignment.¡± The professor pushed the attendance book forward, ¡°Look here. It says that he¡¯s been present in all the classes except for some absences before and this week¡­.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He must have made someone attend on his behalf.¡± The professor¡¯s expression changed oddly after hearing the student¡¯s answer. ¡°I see. I got it. You can go now, Chu Sangwoo.¡± ¡°Alright .¡± The student bowed his head and left the lab with a grave face, just as he did when he came in. Chapter 1.1 The first quarter of the third grade semester was over. The toughest time for Sangwoo, who had a tight schedule of 23 credits, was not because of his infamously difficult major, but instead, a two-credit liberal arts class. ¡°Korean University Student Personality Education,¡± was a compulsory liberal arts class with mandatory course attendance and required for graduation. It consisted of basic lectures and a simple group presentation. ¡®The presentation topic was so easy, that I thought it was funny at first. It was no big deal to know that one of the group members did not come to class allegedly to participate in a contest. But someone was injured and someone went off the grid the day before the presentation. If I had done it alone from the beginning, I would have finished it in a day. Instead, I spent all my time contacting my group members and sending them data.¡¯ Sangwoo was annoyed, but after the presentation, he forgot about those bad experiences. However, after he received the grade, he realized there was a problem. Freeloader 1: Hyung, did you remove my name from the presentation? Why did you do that? Did you happen to notice that I couldn¡¯t attend because my grandmother died? 10:04 pm Freeloader 2: I eventually got an F in humanities. Are you satisfied?^^ 15:29 pm Freeloader 3: Let¡¯s chat, Hoobae. Thanks to you. I couldn¡¯t graduate. 20:23 pm On the day the score was announced, messages inundated Sangwoo¡¯s phone. The messages were sent one by one, but one of the senders kept begging to meet up and talk. He even called. In the end, Sangwoo blocked the number. Then it was vacation. For the next semester, Sangwoo planned to reduce his course load and produce mobile games. He taught himself a programming language during the week and worked part-time at a PC room on the weekends. His daily life went smoothly, but there was one thing that bothered him. As usual, on a Saturday, when he was working in the PC room, two college students came in and played games all day long. Sangwoo heard their conversation while in front of the counter. ¡°Did you hear? Jaeyoung won¡¯t be able to graduate.¡± ¡°Why? I thought he was going to study abroad.¡± ¡°It was a two-credit humanities course, but then someone snitched to the professor that someone else was attending on his behalf, so he got an F.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t they change the grade?¡± ¡°The professor must have said that he couldn¡¯t let it go because he was so popular.¡± ¡°They should talk to the person involved.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve heard this story before.¡¯ Sangwoo kept eavesdropping on their conversation, pretending to be looking at the counter. ¡°But the person isn¡¯t picking up the phone.¡± ¡°Which department is he in right now?¡¯¡± ¡°Is it mechanical or computer engineering? He said he wanted to find this guy¡¯s address and kill him, but no one knows it. It¡¯s fucking absurd.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re messing with me. I guess he¡¯s going to live lawlessly.¡± Sangwoo seemed to have involved himself with a very bad person. He has often been in conflicts while attending university, but they have been resolved so far. When he was a freshman, he almost got into a fistfight with a senior who forced him to drink a bomb shot. Even a newspaper company reported that he would not pay student fees. There was a time when he bumped into a passerby on the street, and there was an incident where he went to the police station, because he quarreled with a person who cut in line, but it was a trivial thing compared to not being able to graduate. Sangwoo seriously thought about changing his cell phone number. In the end, he didn¡¯t do anything, because he thought he had no grounds to be afraid. But after that day, he got into the habit of being nervous whenever he received a phone notification. Han Sooyoung Sunbae, from the Visual Design Department: Engineer Hoobae^^! I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t work with you because I have an urgent job opportunity. However, I have asked a good colleague to go to the meeting in my place. 12:31 pm The next message, which took some time to arrive, contained few details. Han Sooyoung was so busy, that she was slow in submitting her design, even though she did a great job. Sangwoo had already planned the game according to her design style, so it was bad news for there to be a change in designer. There were too many irresponsible people at school. Was it a relief that this person had a successor and ran away? There was no guarantee that this replacement designer was a talented student. That¡¯s too bad. I liked your drawing style tho. 12:33 pm Han Sooyoung from the Visual Design Department: This person is better than me. Don¡¯t worry! 12:34 pm Give me their phone number, at least. 12:34 pm Han Sooyoung from the Visual Design Department: Something happened to my contacts list, and I don¡¯t have their information. When we met yesterday, they told me exactly where and when to meet. They are in the same class as me and named Jaeyoung Jang!^^ 12:40 pm All right. 12:41 pm Sangwoo finished his conversation with her and headed to school. The meeting was at four o¡¯clock, but he arrived three hours early to organize the draft and a character. ¡®Jang Jaeyoung, a visual design major. I don¡¯t know anything except some vague information that they are capable. I don¡¯t know if this person is a man or a woman, their appearance, or design style. I doubted that they would be busy since they are a senior. I also don¡¯t know if they would disappear in the middle of the project due to getting a job like Han Sooyoung, but I think I should meet them for now.¡¯ Sangwoo left his seat at 15:55pm and climbed the stairs. He arrived at the small conference room on the third floor of the library, which he had reserved online. He arrived a minute before the appointment and took out his notes and papers. However, the designer did not show up. ¡®If I had other appointments, I would have left without looking back, but I need a designer. This is a project that I can¡¯t do alone.¡¯ Sangwoo took out his cell phone and spent 10 minutes playing a game, but the designer still had not shown up. ¡®Maybe he was mistaken about the time? Maybe Han Sooyoung got the time and location wrong? Maybe he changed his mind, or did something else happen?¡¯ Another 10 minutes had passed while he pondered questions he had no way of answering. The designer did not show up. ¡®They have a bad personality.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no one who¡¯s punctual. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s going to work out well on a project with someone like that. It¡¯s been more than 10 minutes since I¡¯ve been waiting inside.¡¯ The designer still hadn¡¯t shown up. ¡®This is really the last time.¡¯ Sangwoo waited another 10 minutes to see the replacement designer for Han Sooyoung, a talented and kind senior. He endured this stoically, but the designer never showed up. He clenched his teeth and got up aggressively from his seat. Sangwoo was reluctant to waste anything, but what he hated most was wasting time. However, as soon as he tried to grab the door handle, it swung away. ¡°Is it him?¡± Sangwoo looked at his opponent angrily. The man, wearing a slouchy, black beanie, walked in with an arrogant look, and sat across from Sangwoo. There were large glasses on the tip of his nose and three metal piercings in one ear. He came to the meeting but was empty-handed. He took his hands out of his pockets, rubbed them together , and looked up. ¡°Oh!¡± As soon as their eyes met, he pointed at Sangwoo. ¡°What?¡± Sangwoo inadvertently touched his cheek, wondering if something was on his face. The opponent looked surprised, but his eyes increasingly narrowed. Sangwoo had no intention of working with this person, but he forced himself to sit down thinking that he should make some effort. He grabbed a pen, purposely not looking at the man¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re a senior designer, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You heard what I was doing, right?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We¡¯re working on a 2D action-adventure game using the Cocos2d framework. We¡¯ve set the genre to be a children¡¯s point-of-view adventure.¡± [t/n: Cocos is an open source development engine] But the man didn¡¯t seem to listen to Sangwoo. He sat bouncing his legs against the chair and flipped through Sangwoo¡¯s notebook without permission, wearing a ¡°you did your best¡± look on his face. Sangwoo took out the notebook again, put it on the desk, and opened it to a blank page. He removed the file containing the former designer¡¯s work from his bag and gave it to the man. The paper detailed the title of the game, the overall concept, and the character design. The man looked down at the document without a word. ¡°It¡¯s seriously no fun,¡± he muttered to himself. He took his eyes off the paper and carefully organized the draft of ¡®Yachae Man.¡¯ [t/n: ¡®Yachae Man¡¯: a game-based character.] ¡°She¡¯s good, but she didn¡¯t do much. I didn¡¯t try anything to come up with a concept, and I didn¡¯t even make a sketch.¡± As the man pushed the document forward, it flew up, and a corner became stuck to Sangwoo¡¯s nose. Sangwoo stiffly put the paper down on the notebook. He tried to explain everything even if it was already detailed, but his patience ran out. Sangwoo thought it was better to stop wasting energy on this useless meeting. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a good match for me. I¡¯ll find another designer.¡± He tried to put his notes and documents in his bag, but the man suddenly asked, ¡°Are you that good at coding? If I ask you to implement something, how far can you go?¡± ¡°As long as the design is good. We can implement almost everything we need in 2D action games.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very confident.¡± The remark sounded like a taunt to Sangwoo. The man continued, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re a student, or do you think you¡¯ve just returned to school after being discharged from the military?¡± ¡°In particular, I¡¯m confident in debugging and optimizing. I made a diary app when I was in high school and an HTML5-based arcade game,¡± Sang-woo replied aggressively, because he felt a little queasy. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± The man pushed up his glasses. He continued by poking his finger on the ¡®Yachae Man¡¯ draft¡¯. ¡°This game shouldn¡¯t just work well, it should also be interesting to play. It¡¯s important to have a strong impact with not only the graphics, but also realistic animation and BGM,. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have confidence in this design. Is it worth my precious time to work with you?¡± He was a man with great self-control. He seemed to be calm, as light as a feather, but suddenly he looked serious, and Sangwoo became nervous. ¡°If you leave it to me, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Sangwoo felt wronged after his modest answer. He was the developer and employer, but there was no reason to grovel like a subcontractor. Sangwoo straightened his back, sat upright, and folded his arms. ¡°By the way, have you ever participated in mobile game development?¡± It was a timely and appropriate counterattack. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°I have some web development experience.¡± Sangwoo, who was about to get up, but paused. It was hard to build an app if you were only good at web UI design. The object size is smaller and you have to worry about optimization, but they are essentially similar. In addition, the senior who recommended him said he was very talented. ¡°Can I see your portfolio?¡± The man laughed and took out a tablet from his coat pocket. After tapping it a few times, he handed it over to Sangwoo. Sangwoo looked at the lateral scrolling portfolio page where designs were displayed on a white background. He checked the work carefully, by pressing each thumbnail one by one. The man had done web design, illustrations, and logo design. In addition, they all seemed to be more complete than a typical student portfolio. ¡®It¡¯s better than most programs.¡¯ UI efficiency passed. UI simplicity passed. Accepted color use. Illustration eligibility passed. In particular, his drawing style was unique and vivid. Sangwoo erased his favorite draft of ¡®Yachae Man¡¯ from his head. ¡°I¡¯ve haven¡¯t heard someone call me low-skilled.¡± He glanced at Sangwoo¡¯s expression. Sangwoo said, ¡°You did everything yourself, right?¡± The man laughed off Sangwoo¡¯s valid questions and began to sketch in his notebook with a pen. He drew a carrot in 20 seconds in a completely different style from his predecessor. It was more rebellious and decadent than before, but it was very stylish. Sangwoo was convinced that he was worth it. ¡®It¡¯s awesome.¡¯ His heart throbbed. He intentionally put brakes on his expectations before they grew out of control. But there was something bothering him. ¡°Will you be able to invest your time throughout next semester?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s been a setback in my graduation, and I¡¯ve got nothing to do.¡± ¡°If you get a job in the middle of the project like Han Sooyoung did¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish the project we¡¯ve been working on.¡± A person who was 40 minutes late and unreliable, suddenly seemed to be reliable. Sangwoo was willing to tolerate some degree of unreliability with that level of skill. Above all, it was a great resolution for him who valued sincerity. ¡°Then give me your phone number.¡± Sangwoo took out his cell phone and held it out politely, and the person entered his number. Suddenly, his face changed. He frowned and slowly turned to Sangwoo. ¡°You already saved my number.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Look. Here.¡± The man¡¯s voice was very sharp. Sangwoo returned the device to his hand without understanding what was going on. Calling toll- Freeloader 3... Sangwoo and the man were looking at the name at the same time, and soon his cell phone rang. With a cold look on his face, the man who had taken the phone out of his coat pocket and gave a wry smile. Sangwoo saw the name saved on Jaeyoung¡¯s phone. He was called motherfucker. Sangwoo was so embarrassed that he ran out of the conference room not bothering to take his notes and papers. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know if that guy called me, followed me, or stood still, because I was running away without looking back.¡¯ Almost 20 minutes of his memory had been wiped clean. After entering his house, Sangwoo locked the door three times and finally took a breath of relief. He fell on the stairs and his knees tingled. He took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and moistened his throat. ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± In a daze, Sangwoo gathered some courage and took out his cell phone. There was no recent activity. When he unblocked Freeloader 3 with trembling hands, a few messages and several missed calls came up. Five days ago, as Freeloader 3, Jang Jaeyoung sent Sangwoo a lengthy message asking for his understanding. It was his fault for not directly contacting the team leader, but he had explained the situation to the others. In addition, there were several other threatening messages. You¡¯ll regret it so much. 2days ago And that was the last message. After reading the message, Sangwoo became calm again. It turned out that the person who he thought was a competent designer was just unscrupulous, deceitful, and had a garbage personality. He was rather fortunate to know this before working together on the project. Sangwoo had gotten his expectations up after seeing Jaeyoung¡¯s illustration, so the disappointment was strong, but he had no choice but to give up. Sangwoo had no intention of collaborating with the scumbag, and it was clear that he would not want to work with Sangwoo either. ¡®I¡¯m not at fault.¡¯ Although there was an unexpected conflict, it was not his fault, and Sangwoo felt proud. Nevertheless, he still felt uncomfortable. Sangwoo had no reason to feel that way, but he fell asleep late at dawn while constantly checking his cell phone. When he woke up the next day, there was a message. Freeloader 3: Sangwoo, let¡¯s talk. 09:02 Sangwoo rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at the screen for a long time. Ever since he was young, his parents were the only ones in the world who called him Sangwoo. In college, he was called Student Sangwoo, Sangwoo Sunbae, and Mr. Chu Sangwoo. In the army, there are soldiers such as Chu Yi, Chu Il, Chu Sang, and Chu Byung Jang. You got the wrong number. Have a nice day. 09:01 Freeloader 3: Abstract Woo/25/Computer Engineering 3rd grade/took military leave in September semester and then returned/No clubs/ No student council activities 09:02 If you don¡¯t want to drop out of school, see me while I am still being nice. 09:02 The message contained some scary implications. Sangwoo read the message several times, staring at it intently. Meanwhile, a new message had arrived. Freeloader 3: Come to the front gate of the school by 6 o¡¯clock today. 09:05 Freeloader 3: I won¡¯t hit you. 09:06 ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± Sangwoo smiled coldly and held his phone tightly. ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why should I listen to him?¡¯ ¡®What if you did a background check on me? You want me to call the police?¡¯ Chapter 1.2 The first quarter of the third grade semester was over. The toughest time for Sangwoo, who had a tight schedule of 23 credits, was not because of his infamously difficult major, but instead, a two-credit liberal arts class. ¡°Korean University Student Personality Education,¡± was a compulsory liberal arts class with mandatory course attendance and required for graduation. It consisted of basic lectures and a simple group presentation. ¡®The presentation topic was so easy, that I thought it was funny at first. It was no big deal to know that one of the group members did not come to class allegedly to participate in a contest. But someone was injured and someone went off the grid the day before the presentation. If I had done it alone from the beginning, I would have finished it in a day. Instead, I spent all my time contacting my group members and sending them data.¡¯ Sangwoo was annoyed, but after the presentation, he forgot about those bad experiences. However, after he received the grade, he realized there was a problem. Freeloader 1: Hyung, did you remove my name from the presentation? Why did you do that? Did you happen to notice that I couldn¡¯t attend because my grandmother died? 10:04 pm Freeloader 2: I eventually got an F in humanities. Are you satisfied?^^ 15:29 pm Freeloader 3: Let¡¯s chat, Hoobae. Thanks to you. I couldn¡¯t graduate. 20:23 pm On the day the score was announced, messages inundated Sangwoo¡¯s phone. The messages were sent one by one, but one of the senders kept begging to meet up and talk. He even called. In the end, Sangwoo blocked the number. Then it was vacation. For the next semester, Sangwoo planned to reduce his course load and produce mobile games. He taught himself a programming language during the week and worked part-time at a PC room on the weekends. His daily life went smoothly, but there was one thing that bothered him. As usual, on a Saturday, when he was working in the PC room, two college students came in and played games all day long. Sangwoo heard their conversation while in front of the counter. ¡°Did you hear? Jaeyoung won¡¯t be able to graduate.¡± ¡°Why? I thought he was going to study abroad.¡± ¡°It was a two-credit humanities course, but then someone snitched to the professor that someone else was attending on his behalf, so he got an F.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t they change the grade?¡± ¡°The professor must have said that he couldn¡¯t let it go because he was so popular.¡± ¡°They should talk to the person involved.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve heard this story before.¡¯ Sangwoo kept eavesdropping on their conversation, pretending to be looking at the counter. ¡°But the person isn¡¯t picking up the phone.¡± ¡°Which department is he in right now?¡¯¡± ¡°Is it mechanical or computer engineering? He said he wanted to find this guy¡¯s address and kill him, but no one knows it. It¡¯s fucking absurd.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re messing with me. I guess he¡¯s going to live lawlessly.¡± Sangwoo seemed to have involved himself with a very bad person. He has often been in conflicts while attending university, but they have been resolved so far. When he was a freshman, he almost got into a fistfight with a senior who forced him to drink a bomb shot. Even a newspaper company reported that he would not pay student fees. There was a time when he bumped into a passerby on the street, and there was an incident where he went to the police station, because he quarreled with a person who cut in line, but it was a trivial thing compared to not being able to graduate. Sangwoo seriously thought about changing his cell phone number. In the end, he didn¡¯t do anything, because he thought he had no grounds to be afraid. But after that day, he got into the habit of being nervous whenever he received a phone notification. Han Sooyoung Sunbae, from the Visual Design Department: Engineer Hoobae^^! I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t work with you because I have an urgent job opportunity. However, I have asked a good colleague to go to the meeting in my place. 12:31 pm The next message, which took some time to arrive, contained few details. Han Sooyoung was so busy, that she was slow in submitting her design, even though she did a great job. Sangwoo had already planned the game according to her design style, so it was bad news for there to be a change in designer. There were too many irresponsible people at school. Was it a relief that this person had a successor and ran away? There was no guarantee that this replacement designer was a talented student. That¡¯s too bad. I liked your drawing style tho. 12:33 pm Han Sooyoung from the Visual Design Department: This person is better than me. Don¡¯t worry! 12:34 pm Give me their phone number, at least. 12:34 pm Han Sooyoung from the Visual Design Department: Something happened to my contacts list, and I don¡¯t have their information. When we met yesterday, they told me exactly where and when to meet. They are in the same class as me and named Jaeyoung Jang!^^ 12:40 pm All right. 12:41 pm Sangwoo finished his conversation with her and headed to school. The meeting was at four o¡¯clock, but he arrived three hours early to organize the draft and a character. ¡®Jang Jaeyoung, a visual design major. I don¡¯t know anything except some vague information that they are capable. I don¡¯t know if this person is a man or a woman, their appearance, or design style. I doubted that they would be busy since they are a senior. I also don¡¯t know if they would disappear in the middle of the project due to getting a job like Han Sooyoung, but I think I should meet them for now.¡¯ Sangwoo left his seat at 15:55pm and climbed the stairs. He arrived at the small conference room on the third floor of the library, which he had reserved online. He arrived a minute before the appointment and took out his notes and papers. However, the designer did not show up. ¡®If I had other appointments, I would have left without looking back, but I need a designer. This is a project that I can¡¯t do alone.¡¯ Sangwoo took out his cell phone and spent 10 minutes playing a game, but the designer still had not shown up. ¡®Maybe he was mistaken about the time? Maybe Han Sooyoung got the time and location wrong? Maybe he changed his mind, or did something else happen?¡¯ Another 10 minutes had passed while he pondered questions he had no way of answering. The designer did not show up. ¡®They have a bad personality.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no one who¡¯s punctual. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s going to work out well on a project with someone like that. It¡¯s been more than 10 minutes since I¡¯ve been waiting inside.¡¯ The designer still hadn¡¯t shown up. ¡®This is really the last time.¡¯ Sangwoo waited another 10 minutes to see the replacement designer for Han Sooyoung, a talented and kind senior. He endured this stoically, but the designer never showed up. He clenched his teeth and got up aggressively from his seat. Sangwoo was reluctant to waste anything, but what he hated most was wasting time. However, as soon as he tried to grab the door handle, it swung away. ¡°Is it him?¡± Sangwoo looked at his opponent angrily. The man, wearing a slouchy, black beanie, walked in with an arrogant look, and sat across from Sangwoo. There were large glasses on the tip of his nose and three metal piercings in one ear. He came to the meeting but was empty-handed. He took his hands out of his pockets, rubbed them together , and looked up. ¡°Oh!¡± As soon as their eyes met, he pointed at Sangwoo. ¡°What?¡± Sangwoo inadvertently touched his cheek, wondering if something was on his face. The opponent looked surprised, but his eyes increasingly narrowed. Sangwoo had no intention of working with this person, but he forced himself to sit down thinking that he should make some effort. He grabbed a pen, purposely not looking at the man¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re a senior designer, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You heard what I was doing, right?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We¡¯re working on a 2D action-adventure game using the Cocos2d framework. We¡¯ve set the genre to be a children¡¯s point-of-view adventure.¡± [t/n: Cocos is an open source development engine] But the man didn¡¯t seem to listen to Sangwoo. He sat bouncing his legs against the chair and flipped through Sangwoo¡¯s notebook without permission, wearing a ¡°you did your best¡± look on his face. Sangwoo took out the notebook again, put it on the desk, and opened it to a blank page. He removed the file containing the former designer¡¯s work from his bag and gave it to the man. The paper detailed the title of the game, the overall concept, and the character design. The man looked down at the document without a word. ¡°It¡¯s seriously no fun,¡± he muttered to himself. He took his eyes off the paper and carefully organized the draft of ¡®Yachae Man.¡¯ [t/n: ¡®Yachae Man¡¯: a game-based character.] ¡°She¡¯s good, but she didn¡¯t do much. I didn¡¯t try anything to come up with a concept, and I didn¡¯t even make a sketch.¡± As the man pushed the document forward, it flew up, and a corner became stuck to Sangwoo¡¯s nose. Sangwoo stiffly put the paper down on the notebook. He tried to explain everything even if it was already detailed, but his patience ran out. Sangwoo thought it was better to stop wasting energy on this useless meeting. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a good match for me. I¡¯ll find another designer.¡± He tried to put his notes and documents in his bag, but the man suddenly asked, ¡°Are you that good at coding? If I ask you to implement something, how far can you go?¡± ¡°As long as the design is good. We can implement almost everything we need in 2D action games.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very confident.¡± The remark sounded like a taunt to Sangwoo. The man continued, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re a student, or do you think you¡¯ve just returned to school after being discharged from the military?¡± ¡°In particular, I¡¯m confident in debugging and optimizing. I made a diary app when I was in high school and an HTML5-based arcade game,¡± Sang-woo replied aggressively, because he felt a little queasy. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± The man pushed up his glasses. He continued by poking his finger on the ¡®Yachae Man¡¯ draft¡¯. ¡°This game shouldn¡¯t just work well, it should also be interesting to play. It¡¯s important to have a strong impact with not only the graphics, but also realistic animation and BGM,. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have confidence in this design. Is it worth my precious time to work with you?¡± He was a man with great self-control. He seemed to be calm, as light as a feather, but suddenly he looked serious, and Sangwoo became nervous. ¡°If you leave it to me, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Sangwoo felt wronged after his modest answer. He was the developer and employer, but there was no reason to grovel like a subcontractor. Sangwoo straightened his back, sat upright, and folded his arms. ¡°By the way, have you ever participated in mobile game development?¡± It was a timely and appropriate counterattack. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°I have some web development experience.¡± Sangwoo, who was about to get up, but paused. It was hard to build an app if you were only good at web UI design. The object size is smaller and you have to worry about optimization, but they are essentially similar. In addition, the senior who recommended him said he was very talented. ¡°Can I see your portfolio?¡± The man laughed and took out a tablet from his coat pocket. After tapping it a few times, he handed it over to Sangwoo. Sangwoo looked at the lateral scrolling portfolio page where designs were displayed on a white background. He checked the work carefully, by pressing each thumbnail one by one. The man had done web design, illustrations, and logo design. In addition, they all seemed to be more complete than a typical student portfolio. ¡®It¡¯s better than most programs.¡¯ UI efficiency passed. UI simplicity passed. Accepted color use. Illustration eligibility passed. In particular, his drawing style was unique and vivid. Sangwoo erased his favorite draft of ¡®Yachae Man¡¯ from his head. ¡°I¡¯ve haven¡¯t heard someone call me low-skilled.¡± He glanced at Sangwoo¡¯s expression. Sangwoo said, ¡°You did everything yourself, right?¡± The man laughed off Sangwoo¡¯s valid questions and began to sketch in his notebook with a pen. He drew a carrot in 20 seconds in a completely different style from his predecessor. It was more rebellious and decadent than before, but it was very stylish. Sangwoo was convinced that he was worth it. ¡®It¡¯s awesome.¡¯ His heart throbbed. He intentionally put brakes on his expectations before they grew out of control. But there was something bothering him. ¡°Will you be able to invest your time throughout next semester?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s been a setback in my graduation, and I¡¯ve got nothing to do.¡± ¡°If you get a job in the middle of the project like Han Sooyoung did¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish the project we¡¯ve been working on.¡± A person who was 40 minutes late and unreliable, suddenly seemed to be reliable. Sangwoo was willing to tolerate some degree of unreliability with that level of skill. Above all, it was a great resolution for him who valued sincerity. ¡°Then give me your phone number.¡± Sangwoo took out his cell phone and held it out politely, and the person entered his number. Suddenly, his face changed. He frowned and slowly turned to Sangwoo. ¡°You already saved my number.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Look. Here.¡± The man¡¯s voice was very sharp. Sangwoo returned the device to his hand without understanding what was going on. Calling toll- Freeloader 3... Sangwoo and the man were looking at the name at the same time, and soon his cell phone rang. With a cold look on his face, the man who had taken the phone out of his coat pocket and gave a wry smile. Sangwoo saw the name saved on Jaeyoung¡¯s phone. He was called motherfucker. Sangwoo was so embarrassed that he ran out of the conference room not bothering to take his notes and papers. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know if that guy called me, followed me, or stood still, because I was running away without looking back.¡¯ Almost 20 minutes of his memory had been wiped clean. After entering his house, Sangwoo locked the door three times and finally took a breath of relief. He fell on the stairs and his knees tingled. He took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and moistened his throat. ¡°There¡¯s no way.¡± In a daze, Sangwoo gathered some courage and took out his cell phone. There was no recent activity. When he unblocked Freeloader 3 with trembling hands, a few messages and several missed calls came up. Five days ago, as Freeloader 3, Jang Jaeyoung sent Sangwoo a lengthy message asking for his understanding. It was his fault for not directly contacting the team leader, but he had explained the situation to the others. In addition, there were several other threatening messages. You¡¯ll regret it so much. 2days ago And that was the last message. After reading the message, Sangwoo became calm again. It turned out that the person who he thought was a competent designer was just unscrupulous, deceitful, and had a garbage personality. He was rather fortunate to know this before working together on the project. Sangwoo had gotten his expectations up after seeing Jaeyoung¡¯s illustration, so the disappointment was strong, but he had no choice but to give up. Sangwoo had no intention of collaborating with the scumbag, and it was clear that he would not want to work with Sangwoo either. ¡®I¡¯m not at fault.¡¯ Although there was an unexpected conflict, it was not his fault, and Sangwoo felt proud. Nevertheless, he still felt uncomfortable. Sangwoo had no reason to feel that way, but he fell asleep late at dawn while constantly checking his cell phone. When he woke up the next day, there was a message. Freeloader 3: Sangwoo, let¡¯s talk. 09:02 Sangwoo rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at the screen for a long time. Ever since he was young, his parents were the only ones in the world who called him Sangwoo. In college, he was called Student Sangwoo, Sangwoo Sunbae, and Mr. Chu Sangwoo. In the army, there are soldiers such as Chu Yi, Chu Il, Chu Sang, and Chu Byung Jang. You got the wrong number. Have a nice day. 09:01 Freeloader 3: Abstract Woo/25/Computer Engineering 3rd grade/took military leave in September semester and then returned/No clubs/ No student council activities 09:02 If you don¡¯t want to drop out of school, see me while I am still being nice. 09:02 The message contained some scary implications. Sangwoo read the message several times, staring at it intently. Meanwhile, a new message had arrived. Freeloader 3: Come to the front gate of the school by 6 o¡¯clock today. 09:05 Freeloader 3: I won¡¯t hit you. 09:06 ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± Sangwoo smiled coldly and held his phone tightly. ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why should I listen to him?¡¯ ¡®What if you did a background check on me? You want me to call the police?¡¯ Chapter 2 - Chapter 2 – Red Chapter 2 ¨C Red The first time he saw that nut job was at a welcoming party for freshmen during the first semester of third year. The Department of Visual Design and the Department of Computer Science had jointly chosen the same location for their MT.* The new students from both departments were sitting at the same BBQ restaurant with a few tables between them. Although everyone was the same age, they felt as though they were from different species. People from the design department made an effort to look unique. However, those from computer science appeared to be a monochromatic sea, seeming as if there were a rule that they would be caught if they splashed out. Even by just comparing the number of dyed heads, it was obvious they had different views of expressing their individuality. [t/n: MT = Membership Training. This is an event usually held by universities and other groups and organizations. People get together at a remote location for two days and carry out group bonding activities. Usually, it involves games, drinking games, and BBQ.] Jaeyoung saw him as he was heading towards some freshmen who were getting drunk. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Jaeyoung had sharp eyes, but it was impossible to remember the appearance of a person he¡¯d seen four years ago in detail. In addition, his appearance was not that noticeable. The only impression left on him until now, was that he was moderately ordinary and had a good temper. If there was one unusual thing, it was that his neck was exceptionally thin, so his eyes lingered there. ¡°You can¡¯t drink? Are you religious?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I drink, but right now, I don¡¯t feel like drinking.¡± The department student representatives* and the freshmen were replacing the liquids in the makgeolli bowls with bomb shots. At that point, the design department noticed the appearance of the nut job from the next department. The representatives stopped what they were doing and watched what was transpiring at the next table. [t/n: Older students of a department join the MTs to recruit freshmen for college activities to create a bond and sense of community]. ¡°Do you find your sunbae* ridiculous ? Are you defying your sunbae?¡±** *[t/n: sunbae is the Korean word for ¡®senior.¡¯ It is used to address someone of higher rank, or grade, in this case.] ** [t/n: Forcing your subordinates to drink is very prevalent in Korea. More recently, many colleges have been implementing rules and holding seminars to ensure that this doesn¡¯t happen, as many students have been complaining that it gives them anxiety and stresses them out]. ¡°It¡¯s not because it is alcohol that sunbae gave me, but because I do not want to drink alcohol at this point.¡± Jaeyoung remembers when the guy clicked his tongue in disapproval and how earnest he was in saying something so unlikely. As 90% of students in the CS department were male, there was a culture of letting off steam by drinking together. Rather than insisting on not drinking because he was religious or allergic, the wacko just got the computer science department into trouble for no reason. It would have been better if it just ended like that, but things blew up as the somewhat intoxicated department yelled for more drinks. Normal people would¡¯ve given in by then, but the nut job picked up his phone. ¡°What are you doing? Where are you calling?¡± ¡°The police.¡± It was really crazy. On one side, they reached out to grab his cell phone, as the nut job ran around the restaurant to avoid them, while on the other side, the CS department loudly yelled for someone to bring a baseball bat. It was an astonishing sight. Jaeyoung, who was spectating the fire next to him, stepped in as the situation became serious. Fighting hand-to-hand, the cell phone was grabbed and after the battery was thrown out, Jaeyoung blocked the CS representative who was holding a frying pan, which allowed the nut job to make his escape. While this was happening, Jaeyoung got hit by a blow? He couldn¡¯t remember clearly. The MT had become a mess, but the college students drank to their heart¡¯s content amidst the chaos. The nut job, who became a fresh side dish, was crushed to powder and chewed up like a squid. The CS department finally declared that they would kill the fucking bastard¡­ Seeing the nut job still alive instead of walking around as a headless ghost, was not as easy as it sounded. In fact, it would have been difficult to torment someone who doesn¡¯t participate in clubs, doesn¡¯t participate in student council activities, and only takes classes. The sophomores in the CS department seemed to have tried all the misdeeds they could think of, but Jaeyoung heard that the nut job hadn¡¯t been affected at all. As if it were a given, the nut job ate on his own and ignored it when he got cursed at, and when the bullying was too much (whenever there were hints of assault or he was blocked on his way to class), he dialed 112* on his phone. [t/n: 112 is the police emergency number in Korea.] What was even more surprising, was that the nut job was a very sincere and excellent student. There had been a lot of talk among the CS students that the guy speaks programming languages like his native language, because he¡¯s a machine. Despite the obstruction he brought along with him, his overtaking of the top spot in his department and becoming number one in ranking, would have remained a dark part of the history of the CS department. Up until this point, the nut job had only been a distant source of gossip for Jaeyoung. One day, Jaeyoung ran into the nut job in front of the snack bar. He looked at Jaeyoung with a glance that slightly rose and gave off an air of indifference. ¡°Senior, give me back the 850 won you borrowed three days ago.¡± He said that out of the blue. Perhaps because he was the owner of the neck that he had always peeked at, Jaeyoung was embarrassed but took out a 1,000 won bill. After receiving the money, the nut job lowered his eyes and checked it as if it were counterfeit money. His eyelashes were thick. He couldn¡¯t see well because of the hat¡¯s visor, so Jaeyoung felt that he wanted to take off the stuffed ball cap on his head. ¡°I have to give you change, but I don¡¯t have 50 won in change.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to give it to me.¡± He put 150 won in Jaeyoung¡¯s palm. In that moment, a kind of triangular structure was formed when the nut job ran into a large male student. When the student greeted him, the nut job looked awkward while circling around the student and Jaeyoung. ¡°Wait, did I borrow money from you? Or was it someone else?¡± said the big student to the nut job. ¡°It¡¯s me. And it¡¯s 850 won.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Take 1,000 won.¡± The nut job received the money from the student and gave it to Jaeyoung. ¡°I mistook you for someone else. Give me 150 won again, please.¡± Jaeyoung returned the coin after receiving the bill, feeling like an idiot. The nut job passed the coin to the boy and suddenly disappeared. Only after standing there for a long time could Jaeyoung grasp the situation. The tall male student did not have a single feature that looked similar to Jaeyoung, but there was only one thing in common, brightly bleached hair. The absurd incident had long since subsided in memory, because he had joined the army after the second semester of his third year. Jaeyoung, who returned to school after being discharged from the military, was very busy with classes, outsourcing work, exercising, and acting in the theater department. So, there was no opportunity to think of the nut job. In the second semester of the fourth year and the last semester of his busy schedule, Jaeyoung could not refuse his junior¡¯s earnest request to be the MC at the school festival. He held several events and used intermission to walk around the campus with a broadcasting station camera and interviewed students with microphones. Jaeyoung met him again in front of the engineering college. His skin was less white and soft than in his freshman year (his tan made him look like he had gone to the army), but his indifferent eyes remained the same. Jaeyoung impulsively rushed forward. ¡°How are you enjoying the festival, fellow student?¡± He was glad to see the nut job he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. He mistook whatever confidence he had of being recognized, because the nut job answered without even as much as looking at Jaeyoung¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not buying.¡± Jaeyoung got annoyed at the moment, but he himself didn¡¯t exactly know why. He didn¡¯t give up, kept walking, and followed the nut job with one more step. ¡°The camera is filming you, fellow student. How are you enjoying the festival?¡± ¡°This kind of culture needs to be eliminated. Don¡¯t force me to enjoy the festival, because I¡¯m not interested in it, and I¡¯m not enjoying it at all.¡± As Jaeyoung stopped walking, he had a strange feeling while the nut job walked far away. On the outside, he giggled with a junior in the broadcasting department, because there were all kinds of strange bastards in the world, but Jaeyoung was fuming with rage on the inside. Jaeyoung, who was about to graduate, won the grand prize at the Branding International Competition and went to an award ceremony in Singapore. Based on several awards and a large portfolio of work, he got accepted into a graduate program at a prestigious design school in the U.S. In the second half of the semester, he barely went to class, using his status as a prospective graduate, and went to play or prepare for his graduation play. There was nothing to be desired, until he received his final grades like a bolt from the blue. Personality Education for Korean University Students (compulsory subject) ¨C Fail Decision ¨C No Graduation He really didn¡¯t know that the two-credit liberal arts class would hold him back. There were more than a hundred students stuffed in the classroom, and whether they were listening or not, they were given a moral lecture. This was a work-on-your-presentations-at-the-last-minute kind of class. It was a trash subject that no one cared about, because it was compulsory, but a passing grade was guaranteed as long as they attended. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t attend the class even once. He hated subjects dealing with things such as personality. He couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to other matters, because of the competition exhibition and theater activities. Most of all, he believed in the promise that his junior would be responsible for attendance and group projects in his place. Later, however, this junior was in a similar situation. ¡°Hyung,* I¡¯m so sorry. I have nothing to say¡­ Actually, I also failed. Even though I attended all classes, I got 0 points for the assignment, so I got an F. That coldblooded bastard group leader¡­ I¡¯m already so sad that my grandmother passed away¡­¡± [t/n: hyung is the Korean word for older brother (when called by a male). It is also used between friends, as it indicates a close relationship.] Jaeyoung hurriedly bought a green tea set from Jeju Island and went to find the professor to repent for his mistake, to tell him how good of a graduate school he got accepted into, and how he would boast of the status of Hanguk University and Korea to the world, but he still failed to get his grade changed. The professor responded in an exhausted tone: ¡°The situation is unfortunate, but it¡¯s difficult. I went to the head of the administrative department of the arts and had a huge fight, but there¡¯s nothing that can be done. Why didn¡¯t you come and inform me at first that it would be difficult for you to attend the class because you¡¯re graduating? These days, the issue of proxy attendance is also seen on the news, so it¡¯s hard to simply let it go. If no one else knew¡­ The student was very stubborn.¡± In other words, it sounded like he only needed to persuade the group leader. Jaeyoung was infuriated and contacted his junior group leader after receiving his phone number, but the rude bastard ignored his messages and didn¡¯t even answer his phone calls. He seemed to have blocked Jaeyoung¡¯s number. As it was vacation, he had to go to find him himself, but it was not easy to find his address. He was a returning student and had no department activity at all, so the Department of Computer Science also did not know his address. There was no one named ¡°Chu Sangwoo¡± on the lists of film appreciation, acapella, judo, or any club at all. As things fizzled out, the period of grade correction ended. Jaeyoung was devastated, but he was able to laugh it off after a few days, because he fundamentally wasn¡¯t able to graduate due to his own laziness. The situation was so funny, and he got used to it, because he got used to being a laughingstock while drinking. After chewing on the team leader with his friends, he was able to shake it off. Jaeyoung had that much time on his hands. Even if graduation were delayed, it was not as if it were late among male students who had completed military service. In addition, the portfolio was so solid, that he was confident in getting a job or studying abroad, even if he played around for about half a year. ¡°Hey, good thing I ran into you. There¡¯s a rumor going around that you can¡¯t graduate. Then, why don¡¯t you work on a mobile game project?¡± ¡°What game? Is it a student project?¡± ¡°Yeah, the developer is known to be a genius in the computer science department, so he¡¯s really good. It¡¯ll probably be fun. If you don¡¯t have anything to do, don¡¯t play around. Why don¡¯t you try this instead?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re just passing it on.¡± Han Sooyoung was the same age as Jaeyoung, but she had taken a long break from school and graduated this year. She was planning to go to graduate school at Hanguk University, but she joined a large overseas conglomerate, so she was in a hurry to sort out her personal affairs. ¡°Look at me. There¡¯s no time to care that much. It¡¯s because the developer is a bit sensitive. Even if you won¡¯t do it, go to the meeting instead, and explain that I can¡¯t do it anymore. Yeah?¡± ¡°For free?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a drink when it¡¯s all over next month.¡± It was Jaeyoung who was playing games in the club room, because there was nothing else to do. He accepted Sooyoung¡¯s request as if he hadn¡¯t been able to oppose it. Chapter 2.2 Absurdly enough, the nut job was sitting in the meeting room. He was a freshman who talked back to his senior without even blinking an eye, a student whose neck was as white as snow, and a fool who couldn¡¯t remember a face even after several encounters. Apparently, he couldn¡¯t recognize Jaeyoung again this time. The meeting that he didn¡¯t look forward to at all, turned out to be interesting. The nut job first looked at Jaeyoung suspiciously, but after seeing his portfolio, he changed his initial response. As Jaeyoung heard rumors about this guy¡¯s phenomenal coding skills, his expectations gradually grew. Despite being annoyed that he prevented him from graduating, something interesting happened. ¡°Then give me your number.¡± It was even an honor to have the nut job ask for one¡¯s number, but then things got twisted again. When Jaeyoung was confronted with the fact that ¡°the nut job = group leader (Chu Sangwoo),¡± the bastard left the meeting room after leaving a note. As the deep sorrow of not being able to graduate due to a mere two credits was exposed, it made him boil with anger. To relieve himself of some of the stress, he tried calling him out to discipline him, but the nut job just ignored his message again. Jaeyoung was very, very, very angry. However, the grade correction period had long since passed. Beating up the nut job wouldn¡¯t make him graduate, and it wasn¡¯t as if he even knew where he lived. There was no other choice but to move on as if nothing had happened. (6) One free weekend, Jaeyoung saw the nut job again when he went to play games with his friends. Unfittingly, he was working at a PC room. Several ways to abuse him immediately came to his mind, however, the nut job wasn¡¯t an opponent that could be dealt with by typical means. Jaeyoung decided to be cautious, as he knew of previous cases where others had failed. However, the nut job¡¯s presence as he was gaming, made Jaeyoung so upset, he couldn¡¯t concentrate at all. Jaeyoung impulsively ordered ramyun. He didn¡¯t have an ulterior motive in nitpicking him or asking him to remake the ramyun. He simply wanted to see an embarrassed expression, even if the nut job didn¡¯t express an apology like a normal human being. However, the nut job was brazen. Jaeyoung sympathized with the feelings of others who tried to harass him, who in the end, cursed and got angry. ¡°Keep living like trash and just make sure to not call me, please.¡± It was the first time he saw a bastard lacking social skills to such a degree. Jaeyoung desperately wanted to beat him up, but even if he did hit him, it would be obvious that the nut job would dial 112 without even showing any signs of pain. Jaeyoung held himself back that day too. He had been observing the nut job for years, and despite what others said about him, he had a vaguely favorable impression of him. Originally, Jaeyoung tended to like rebellious types who didn¡¯t fall into the normal category. However, craziness can only go so far. As getting involved with him ultimately turned out to be disconcerting rather than interesting, he wanted to stop seeing the bastard around. (7) Then one day, the nut job, who asked that they stay away from each other, suddenly appeared at the restaurant where Jaeyoung was working with a pretty girl. At the request of his noona,* Jaeyoung had been helping out by working at this restaurant since its opening. It was fairly well-known in the neighborhood that he was working there. [t/n: noona is the Korean word for older sister (when said by a male). It is also used between friends, as it indicates a close relationship.] Jaeyoung¡¯s blood pressure rose from the moment the nut job entered. His heart was pounding when he approached him, as the nut job had fearlessly come to pick a fight. However, the nut job just ordered pasta without recognizing Jaeyoung. It wasn¡¯t an act. Even though their eyes met, he looked at him the same way one glances at someone they meet for the first time. All the anger that had accumulated up to that point doubled as violent emotions surged inside. What the fuck? While the food was being served, he mulled over how the situation had become so twisted. The answer could only be: extreme indifference. It was reasonable that previous encounters (the freshman welcoming party, the 850 won incident, the student festival, the game designer interview at the caf¨¦, and the PC room) had been so long ago, that they had been forgotten. However, in a situation where one of your actions made someone unable to graduate, if you, a bastard, are a human being, you should think about their feelings, and at least pretend that you are ashamed of what you did. This feeling of remorse should even be greater if the other person first displayed a favorable attitude toward you. This damn guy¡¯s head seemed to only be filled with thoughts about getting out quickly, as he had done nothing wrong. ¡°Ah, Kim Yongjae¡­ sunbae.*¡± [t/n: sunbae is the Korean word for ¡®senior.¡¯ It is used to address someone of higher rank or grade, as in this case.] Moreover, it was obvious that the nut job didn¡¯t regard him as a human being. He instead thought that Jaeyoung was someone who just made a lot of noise for no reason. That¡¯s why although his clothes and accessories had changed a little bit, he still couldn¡¯t recognize him at all. Until this point, Jaeyoung had never met anyone that made him feel so rejected. The anger that Jaeyoung was feeling took a strange turn. If he wanted to trample this nut job CS major who was asking him to serve pasta, Jaeyoung wanted to make him feel as disturbed as he was made to feel. Jaeyoung hoped that nut job¡¯s indifferent eyes would be crushed by all the intense, violent hatred he felt towards him, and that the three characters in the name, Jang Jaeyoung, would be imprinted on his android brain. ¡°Is there anything to your dissatisfaction?¡± ¡°Sunbae.¡± If so, it was too easy. As soon as he finished work that day, he started working on a plan. The notes that the nut job had left in the meeting room were organized for the coming semester¡¯s subjects. Jaeyoung rearranged his timetable by referring to the chart. After that, he did the legwork. ¡°Do you know a student named Chu Sangwoo? He¡¯s a student who always wears black clothes and a black hat.¡± He went around to ask security guards at the front and back gates, restaurant workers, nutritionists, snack shop owners, administrative part-timers, librarians, construction workers, and students who took classes with him last semester. The outcome was amusing. ¡°That student. He rides his bike to school at the same time every day, so I know of him well, of course.¡± (Security guard) ¡°He always buys the same coffee at the same time and drinks it. He doesn¡¯t even put anything else in his mouth.¡± (Snack shop owner) ¡°That student came in at 4:02 every day last semester without skipping a day. I didn¡¯t need a watch.¡± (Librarian) ¡°You mean the boy who roams around alone every day? It¡¯s because he always walks by at precisely 41 minutes past the hour. And, he makes sure to throw a can of coffee in the second trash can around the corner. He doesn¡¯t seem to like other trash cans.¡± (Construction worker) ¡°He always sat in the same seat. I think it was like that for the entire semester.¡± (Student) That motherfucker was a more serious nut job than he thought. Others have already shown that he cannot even be scratched through normal methods. That¡¯s why Jaeyoung needed to put himself in his shoes to find a nut job-esque method. Jaeyoung took measures to break down the perfect daily life of Chu Sangwoo. Chapter 3.1 Sangwoo couldn¡¯t concentrate on his Chinese class at all. The interrupter sitting next to him constantly twirled his pen with his fingers and shook his legs nonstop. In addition, even if he forgot about these annoyances for just a second, he tapped Sangwoo with his elbow. Because of that, the 50-minute class felt like five hours. It was to the point where he felt grateful when the class ended. Sangwoo stood up without even looking at Jaeyoung, who was immersed in inking the edge of the desk with a pen. He headed to the next class faster than anyone else. ¡®I tried to let it go, because I thought you weren¡¯t normal, but I changed my mind. Look forward to next semester.¡¯ The change of mind couldn¡¯t possibly mean that he would attend the same class to disturb him so that he couldn¡¯t pay attention? The ominous feeling rose up inside, but he tried hard to deny it. It won¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s a coincidence that the subjects overlap. After running to the next classroom, it was frustrating to see, once again, a bag placed on Sangwoo¡¯s preferred chair. This time, it was a navy backpack. Unfortunately, there was someone in this class as well, who knew that this was his optimum seating position. Sangwoo calmed down by taking deep breaths and sat next to that seat and opened his book, but he was so angry that he couldn¡¯t see the letters. The page where he placed his fist was wet with sweat. He couldn¡¯t believe he had to see the devil every Monday morning. Because of this, he couldn¡¯t even concentrate in class! While cursing inside, the owner of the backpack arrived. Sangwoo was not interested in whoever it was, but this time, his head turned automatically. Red padded jacket, red jersey, red hat, and Coca-Cola! His enemy sat down with both a messenger bag and a backpack hanging on the chair. Sangwoo only looked at him blankly for 30 seconds. Jang Jaeyoung smirked after taking a sip of Coke. Sangwoo thought it was not right, so he left his seat, but he still couldn¡¯t miss class. He moved and sat down at the seat farthest away from Jaeyoung. The class started shortly after that. While calling attendance, the professor put his glasses on when it was Jaeyoung¡¯s turn. ¡°Jang Jaeyoung, you¡¯re majoring in visual design. Will this class be okay?¡± ¡°I really like math, professor.¡± ¡°But even so, engineering math?¡± The professor was excited, but Sangwoo was overwhelmed. He held his head in his hands in despair, so lost four minutes of class. It was hard to concentrate after that too. Because he wasn¡¯t in his typical, optimized seat, the viewing angle of the professor was different. Maybe it was because of his mood, but he couldn¡¯t seem to hear his voice well either. It was the worst, because the atmosphere was more disordered than usual. At the end of class, Sangwoo ran out of the classroom like a bullet. He had never felt such intense anger before. In most situations, he remained calm and maintained his composure, but he felt like he had been stabbed in his Achilles¡¯ heel. It was fortunate that he didn¡¯t talk to him, but now he felt like he would get a rash just being around the guy. It took a long time for his tension to ease that day. He sat down two minutes earlier than usual at the Korean food section. Nevertheless, Sangwoo was feeling anxious. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a seat right there!¡± ¡°Just then?¡± The awful foreboding didn¡¯t disappear. Jaeyoung, who was walking around with a tray, passed numerous empty tables and sat next to Sangwoo, who had chosen to eat at a seat in a corner. i) Go to another seat: he follows and the same situation happens. Waste of time. ii) Stay still: nothing happens. After a simple simulation, Sangwoo ignored him and ate. ¡°Hyung, hyung, hyung! What brings you to the school cafeteria?¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen this bastard.¡± ¡°I heard that after you cursed at the professor, so you couldn¡¯t graduate. Is that true?¡± ¡°No motherfucker, who said that?¡± And he saw a surprising sight. Even though he chose a seat in a quiet location on purpose, the table was filled simply because Jaeyoung sat next to him. Because of the people who filled his surroundings and the excessive noise, Sangwoo ate without knowing whether the food went into his mouth or his nose. After finishing his meal, he checked the time, and it was 12:22, six minutes earlier than usual. Sangwoo quickly got up with an empty tray, quickly disposed of the leftovers, and drank five glasses of water from the sink. He didn¡¯t feel well, because he ate in a hurry and felt like he had an upset stomach. Sangwoo came out through the back door and stopped by the snack bar. After finishing each day, he drank Blackholic brand canned coffee. The reason why this product was preferred, was because it was the cheapest and had the optimal quantity of liquid. There were three beverage refrigerators located past the snack, ramyun, and ice cream sections. Sangwoo stood in front of the third refrigerator and looked at the fifth shelf. ¡°What? Where is it?¡± No matter how hard he looked, the location of his preferred canned coffee was empty. Sangwoo was not the type of person who was used to unexpected situations. After standing in front of the refrigerator for a while, for the first time in his entire college career, he approached the middle-aged woman who manages the snack bar. ¡°Are you not stocking ¡°Blackholic¡± anymore?¡± ¡°Oh, student! That¡¯s¡­.¡± She avoided Sangwoo¡¯s eyes as if she were at a loss. ¡°Some student bought everything yesterday afternoon.¡± Sangwoo felt like the sky had collapsed. He didn¡¯t have to ask which student did that. Knowing the cause clearly, the important thing was the follow-up. ¡°Then when will it be restocked?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sell well, so I think it¡¯ll take about two weeks?¡± He was forced to pick up a can with a design similar to ¡°Blackholic¡± and stagger out of the snack shop. Has he ever had such a shitty day in his life. Had there ever been a day when things didn¡¯t go as intended? To be sure, there had not been such a day. As he walked, Sangwoo felt numb. There was a road where he always drank coffee after eating. An 11-minute walk through a trail in the mountain behind the school always boosted his energy. Sangwoo walked slowly and recalled the unpleasant things that happened today. There were many strange things. How did Jang Jaeyoung know Sangwoo¡¯s timetable? And how did he find out which seat was his? And what kind of coffee he was drinking? Just like a stalker. ¡°You can¡¯t go in this way.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The theater department is using it.¡± The entrance to the road Sangwoo always uses was blocked. It was not a strange situation, but it was suspicious that this happened today, because it had never happened before. Sangwoo had no choice but to walk another way. He took a sip of his coffee, but it was so sweet that he involuntarily frowned. After passing the futsal site, a worker who was resting in front of the construction site spoke to Sangwoo. ¡°Student, why are you coming out that way today?¡± He didn¡¯t know what he was talking about, as it was their first meeting. It was a day when so many strange things had happened. Sangwoo poured the rest of the coffee down the sewer and walked to the front of the College of Natural Sciences. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± It would not be a coincidence that the second trash can, which he always used, was full. Sangwoo had only thrown away cans in that trash can so far, because he had no worry about it being full. Throwing cans into the third trash can didn¡¯t feel good, because the can hit the opening and fell out, so he had to pick it up and throw it away again. Sangwoo headed to the library trembling. ¡®He can¡¯t torment me here.¡¯ The library had a reservation system, so Sangwoo, who always reserved seats at midnight, had no chance of losing his seat. Sangwoo walked in like a fierce storm, sat in front of his computer, reserved the books he needed, and checked out some books on the¡°new arrivals¡± bookshelf. He sat down on the rightmost seat of the fourth desk he¡¯d reserved in advance in the study room. It wasn¡¯t crowded around this seat, because it was next to the theology section where students did not come often. There were no obstructions, as there were no windows. Sangwoo had never sat in any other seat. His heart sank for a moment when he saw a bag lying on the seat next to his, but fortunately, it was a white eco bag, not the backpack or the leather messenger bag he had seen today. Sangwoo opened a computer science textbook and started studying. He went to the bathroom once in the middle of his studies. When he returned to his seat, there was a can of coffee on his desk. He went through three levels of algorithms and reached out for the can. At the moment he was about to drink after opening the lid ring, he saw a Post-it note with the words, ¡°a new development, property of Jang Jaeyoung¡± written on it. Sangwoo frowned as if he had seen a disgusting bug. Then, that guy¡¯s hand popped up from behind his shoulder and took the can. Sangwoo¡¯s eyes rolled up and were met with the eyes behind the large glasses. ¡°We meet again.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jaeyoung hung his backpack and leather messenger bag on the chair by the desk with the white eco bag. It was difficult to even believe what he was seeing. There was a bastard who carried three bags purely to fool others. He took off his red fur hat, put it on his desk, and left. Sangwoo broke his mechanical pencil lead twice, because he put too much pressure while writing. One is more concerned with cockroaches when they are invisible than when they are in front of them. Jang Jaeyoung did precisely that to Sangwoo. Even if he wasn¡¯t sitting right next to him, he couldn¡¯t study, because Sangwoo paid attention to what Jaeyoung was doing with that shocking red beanie on his desk. Jaeyoung soon returned with some books: History of Sex, The Nature of the Orgasm, and The Beauty of Nudity. He tilted his chair back, bobbed up and down as he turned the pages, and whenever he saw a picture, he examined it very closely. ¡°Pathetic bastard¡­.¡± He tried hard not to look over at him, but he could hear the frequent sound of turning pages. In addition, he kept tapping his leg and shaking his desk. If there were one more student, he would have joined forces to confront him, but Sangwoo was the only one there. It was an eight-person desk, but his intentions in sitting so close to Sangwoo and shaking the desk were obvious. Expression of anger = defeat Ignore = Win When he was in high school, Sangwoo had a fight with some attention whores, so he was well aware of how to respond. No matter the level of attention-seeking, it¡¯s just a similar type of psychology as Burberry Man (a flasher), who took off his pants hoping to surprise his opponent. Jang Jaeyoung wanted Sangwoo to lose his composure and collapse by getting angry while cursing. However, even though he knew this, his patience continued to bottom out. Sangwoo tried to endure it somehow, but when the desk shook and the mechanical pencil lead broke, he automatically rose to leave. When Sangwoo organized his pencil case, closed the textbook, and put them roughly in his backpack, Jaeyoung got up and stretched. He followed behind as if it were a natural thing to do. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t even surprised at this point. Sangwoo decided to ignore him. However, while going down the stairs, with his anger building up, he almost bumped into Jaeyoung in front of the building. He couldn¡¯t keep it in anymore, so he faced Jang Jaeyoung. It seemed like a duel in the wilderness. Just looking at their faces, Sangwoo, whose expression was distorted, would look like the villain, while the relaxed Jaeyoung, would look like the hero. However, the situation was quite the opposite. When Sangwoo faced the villain who tormented him, a wind current passed through them as if directed in a game. Sangwoo wanted to take out his weapon and stab him like the main character of an RPG game. ¡°Are you insane?¡± The weak attack did nothing to the enemy. Rather, Jaeyoung seemed satisfied to hear that. ¡°Sunbae, are you a stalker?¡± ¡°Stalker? Hoobae-nim, this is obviously your area of expertise, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jaeyoung covered his mouth while yawning, and put his hands in his pocket. ¡°Everyone knows that you do the same thing at the same time and place every day. Did you think you wouldn¡¯t be seen if you¡¯re wearing black? You stand out way more than you think.¡± ¡°How did you know my timetable?¡± He took a familiar-looking note from one of his three bags and threw it at Sangwoo. It was the note left behind in the meeting room with Sangwoo¡¯s timetable. As Jaeyoung took a few steps closer, the height difference, which was not so noticeable from afar, became clear. Sangwoo looked up at him with his eyes wide open so as not to lose his advantage. ¡°This won¡¯t make you graduate. Why are you wasting your time?¡± ¡°Since it is somewhat amusing to me, I¡¯ll be troublesome. You shouldn¡¯t have bothered me.¡± ¡°What would you gain by tormenting me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simply¡­ a matter of feelings.¡± Jang Jaeyoung who was smiling mischievously, seemed like a real villain. Sangwoo felt goosebumps on his arms. Was it wrong to assume that he was a man of limited reason? Jaeyoung was just saying things that he couldn¡¯t understand. Don¡¯t you usually do harm to others for a desired goal? What does one do if the person is simply a sadist who enjoys tormenting others? ¡°What should I do to make you stop?¡± ¡°Who knows? I haven¡¯t thought about that yet. Start acting obediently. You¡¯ve been so rude and haven¡¯t even apologized.¡± ¡°You must have done something wrong for an apology to be required.¡± ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 3.2 ¡°Or wait until I change my mind. I¡¯m very fickle, you know.¡± ¡°I just thought you were a piece of trash, but you¡¯re a huge psycho.¡± ¡°I hear that a lot.¡± There seemed to be an invisible spark between the two. Even if he didn¡¯t have to try, there was mockery in Sangwoo¡¯s words. ¡°You think I¡¯m a bastard pushover, but you¡¯re completely mistaken. I¡¯m not scared of anything, and I¡¯ve been able to fight off all the nut jobs, trash, and attention whores. What sunbae is doing is nothing to me.¡± Bluffing on purpose, Jaeyoung joyfully laughed. ¡°Hearing that makes me rage even more.¡± ¡°Go ahead and try, psycho sunbaenim.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t have anything to do anyway, thanks to you, nut job hoobaenim.¡± Sangwoo aggressively turned his back and approached the bicycle he had locked in front of the library. Just in case, he angled his back so that Jaeyoung could not peek, unlocked it, and jumped on his bike. ¡°I¡¯m sure the air wouldn¡¯t be taken out¡±. If he had touched the bicycle, there would be an excuse to report him to the police immediately. However, contrary to his expectations, the bicycle was unscathed. Sangwoo simply returned home earlier than usual. He locked his bike in front of his studio apartment and went up to the fourth floor. His mind and body relaxed as he unlocked the door. Sangwoo rested for a while, lying on the bed without changing his clothes. ¡®What a bolt out of the blue. He had suffered all day. He couldn¡¯t concentrate in class. The food he had for lunch gave him indigestion, his walk was ruined, and he couldn¡¯t study in the library. Unlike what he¡¯d told Jaeyoung, Sangwoo had no confidence. He was different from the bad guys he had come across up until now, this Jang Jaeyoung person. Jaeyoung was so cunningly meticulous that he was unlikely to resort to illegal activities. Reporting illegal activities was the only way Sangwoo knew how to fight back. ¡°There¡¯s only one solution.¡± The only way would be to endure it stoically and let Jaeyoung exhaust himself. No matter how far he goes in his craziness and no matter how hard he crams, Jang Jaeyoung will be unable to absorb and endure difficult classes like ¡°Engineering Mathematics 2.¡± Anyhow, at most, he will last only until the two-week drop period for classes. Two weeks. It may be agonizing, but it¡¯s not a long period of time over a semester. If he keeps his head down and endures, a good day will come. ¡®Still, it¡¯s annoying.¡¯ He barely had any friends, but one would probably not be able to relate to being stressed out from the mere reason that someone took your seat and sat next to you. Sangwoo slept very poorly that night. return 0; The next day was the long-awaited second day of the new semester. Usually, he got eight hours of high-quality sleep, but he woke up once in the middle of the night, because he had a nightmare and only slept for four hours. He was thus in a terrible condition. A red padded jacket appeared in his dream. As it was unzipped, a sharp tooth appeared and tried to pierce his skin. He felt ridiculous after waking up, but he ran away in his dream, because he was scared. ¡®Let¡¯s just hang in there for two weeks.¡¯ Sangwoo clenched his teeth and recited a magic spell. The groundless anxiety that his stable life would collapse kept surging, so he constantly had to pull himself together. There was no alternative, because he couldn¡¯t change the classes he had to take (because Jang Jaeyoung would follow him anyway), and he couldn¡¯t take a leave of absence based on such an insignificant matter. When he passed through the main gate, the electronic clock displayed 8:24. Unlike the previous day, he went to school early to secure a seat. There were barely any students on campus, because it was early. Sangwoo locked his bike in front of the library and headed to class in the engineering building. He immediately felt despair when he opened the classroom door. This was because a leather bag was placed on the rightmost desk in the fourth row. When on earth did he come to take his seat? He ran over to inspect the bag closely, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was the same as the one from yesterday. ¡®He can¡¯t possibly have left it there yesterday?¡¯ Sangwoo recollected a shocking possibility. No matter how closely he examined that person, he didn¡¯t look diligent no matter how hard he looked . It was more likely he had left his bag behind yesterday instead of arriving early just to leave it on the seat. Anyway, today was also a defeat. Sangwoo was forced to sit the farthest away from that seat. The heater hadn¡¯t turned on, so the classroom was as cold as it was outside. As he sat down without removing his layers and scarf, he felt sleepy. That was also because he didn¡¯t get enough sleep. He opened the book to preview the content of the upcoming class, but the letters kept blurring. ¡®If I doze off in class, I¡¯ll be in trouble.¡¯ Instead, it would be better to sleep a little before the class started. For the first time, he covered the book and used it as a pillow. As he closed his eyes while resting on his major textbooks, his consciousness quickly faded. ¡°¡­30 points consist of a homework, and the remaining 20 points consist of a final evaluation. My office and email address are on the syllabus, right? If you want to have a meeting, you can find the TA (teaching assistant) or send me an email directly. Now, let¡¯s look at the problem.¡± When Sangwoo opened his eyes again, he heard a monotonous voice. The color red filled his field of vision. He had definitely sat far enough away from that seat, but Jang Jaeyoung was right next to him with an expression full of ridicule. Sangwoo quickly checked his wristwatch. It was 14 minutes since the class began. Looking around, students had handouts, but only his own desk was empty. Next to him, Jaeyoung shook the A4 paper between his fingers. ¡®That crazy bastard.¡¯ Sangwoo hurriedly looked at other students, but no one had extra handouts. He would¡¯ve felt embarrassed to ask for the handout, since he should¡¯ve grabbed it in the beginning of class while the professor was still talking. Sangwoo clenched his teeth and held his hand out to Jaeyoung. He spoke in a low voice. ¡°Give it to me, my handout.¡± ¡°Was it left here? This one¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to study anyway.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes narrowed. A thin piece of paper fluttered at his fingertips. Sangwoo tried to reach out and pick it up, but he couldn¡¯t even touch it, because Jaeyoung grabbed it back and pulled it out of his hand. Jaeyoung folded the paper in half. Then he folded it in half again. Sangwoo impatiently watched what he was doing. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask politely if you want something?¡± Jaeyoung looked like a devil, wearing red clothes and whispering low in a fierce manner. The handout Sangwoo needed was now in the shape of an airplane, sandwiched between Jaeyoung¡¯s index and middle fingers. ¡°Give it to me, please.¡± ¡°More desperately.¡± ¡°I beg you.¡± ¡°Fail.¡± The moment the professor turned his back on the students to write on the blackboard, the paper plane drew a smooth arc in the air while escaping through the slightly opened back door. Sangwoo rose from his seat, suppressing his anger. It was also a foolish thought that he would get anything from Jang Jaeyoung. He squeezed between the tightly packed desks and went forward to grab a printout from the stack on the professor¡¯s desk. Just then, the professor turned around and made a cold expression. ¡°What is the student doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t get the materials, but I couldn¡¯t tell you, because I was afraid it would interfere with the lecture.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not because you¡¯ve been dozing off since the first hour?¡± The professor clicked his tongue in disapproval while wearing an expression that screamed ¡°pathetic.¡± ¡°Go to the bathroom or something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Bath. Room.¡± Sangwoo went out the front door with the handout without even knowing why he had to do so. He was not a student who was loved by professors for raising his hand or visiting the lab on his own initiative, but he naturally gained their trust at the end of the semester, due to his high assignment completion rate and high test scores. It was the first time he had made an impression on a professor on the very first day of class. In addition, Professor Choi was an important professor who mainly taught fourth-grade (advanced) subjects. After entering the bathroom, Sangwoo almost screamed. His reflection in the mirror was strange. A dark mustache had been vividly inked under his nose. He hurriedly turned on the faucet and washed his face with water, but nothing changed. ¡®I need to hurry and return though¡­¡¯ Sangwoo lathered his hands with soap and quickly rubbed his philtrum (the vertical cleft in the middle of the upper lip). The black graffiti was erased little by little, but it was a very slow process. Sangwoo couldn¡¯t believe that he was wasting his lecture time on such a useless thing. ¡®You¡¯ve been meticulously painted as an arts student, you son of a bitch.¡¯ He wasted 19 minutes like that. With only five minutes remaining in the class, he thought he¡¯d only be glared at by the professor upon returning to the classroom. ¡®What was it that I did that was so wrong?¡¯ Sangwoo suddenly felt wronged. He only told the professor the cold, hard facts about what happened in the class Jaeyong failed: Sangwoo had done the assignment alone. Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s failure to graduate may seem unfair to others, but it was self-inflicted. For that reason, it was too harsh for him to sit back and wait outside the classroom during class. ¡®Error-like motherfucker!¡¯ Sangwoo uttered the worst curse word he could think of. Even ¡®error¡¯ depended on the nature of the error. It could easily be fixed if it were caused by typos or formatting errors, but logical errors often appear and are not easily caught no matter how thoroughly the code is searched. Jang Jaeyoung, who unexpectedly appeared and tore down Sangwoo¡¯s daily life, was nothing short of a semantic error. After the class ended, the students, who had been tightly-packed like canned sardines, struggled as they pushed their way out of the classroom. Sangwoo walked back to his seat and packed his backpack. He saw red padding out the corner of his eye, but ignored it and left the classroom. Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s goal was to make Sangwoo angry. He didn¡¯t want to make him triumphant by showing him the expression on his face. He thought that it would be better to not attend this class rather than sit in such a position. However, because it was a required class for his major, he had no other choice but to stay far away from Jaeyoung, who had occupied the best seat. After that, things went the same way as the previous day. After getting his tray of Korean food, Sangwoo settled in the most remote place in the restaurant, and among the many empty seats, Jaeyoung sat next to him and ate without saying a word. Feeling indigestion, he cleaned his plate, and went to the snack shop, but of course, they didn¡¯t have the coffee Sangwoo wanted. Because of the theater crew, even his walk was ruined. After sitting down at his reserved seat in the library, he was exhausted. It had been only two days since the tormenting began. At this rate, how could he stand that psycho¡¯s attacks for two weeks? ¡°Hitting the books again today, hoobaenim.¡± He was sitting with poor posture and quietly opened a book, but Sangwoo glared at him with angry eyes. Now, just from looking at Jaeyoung¡¯s face, Sangwoo¡¯s seethed with anger. ¡°Can¡¯t I report it somewhere?¡± Charge: ¨C The crime of walking around in red. (Not against the law) ¨C The crime of occupying a seat. (Not against the law) ¨C The crime of sitting next to him. (Not against the law) ¨C The crime of shaking his leg. (Ambiguous) ¨C The crime of spinning his pen. (Ambiguous) ¨C The crime of buying up all the coffee. (Not against the law) ¨C The crime of filling up the trash can. (Not against the law) ¨C The crime of not giving the handout. (Not against the law) ¨C The crime of scribbling on the face. (Guilty) ¨C The crime of his very existence. (Not against the law) ¨C ¡­¡­. The more he analyzed Jaeyoung¡¯s faults, the more he himself seemed to feel shabby. The cunning villain couldn¡¯t be accused of using abusive language or violence. It was as if Jaeyong had gotten inside Sangwoo¡¯s head and then had only chosen things he absolutely hated, things that wouldn¡¯t seem like a big deal to others, to torment him. ¡°Bug-like bastard.¡± Sangwoo glared at Jaeyoung who was reading a book and giggling. With his back fully leaning against the chair, he crossed one leg over the other and nodded vigorously. A red hat filled his field of vision, so Sangwoo felt a strong desire to hit the back of Jaeyoung¡¯s head. He couldn¡¯t do anything, because he had been paying attention to Jang Jaeyoung for quite some time. But things got better after a while. His enemy, who was reading a book, yawned and began to fall asleep. Fortunately, he fell asleep quietly without snoring, grinding his teeth, or talking in his sleep. After Jaeyoung had fallen asleep, people he presumed were his friends were giggling as they went to take pictures. At the same time, a few female students hung around and whispered, but it wasn¡¯t that much of a distraction. Two hours later, Sangwoo put the book and the pencil case in his bag, careful not to wake up Jaeyoung. But the moment he pulled out his chair, Jaeyoung suddenly sprang to his feet. Drinks and several packed snacks that had been left behind by people he didn¡¯t know, dropped on the floor as he hit them with his elbow. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 3.3 Sangwoo came out of the library while pretending not to know him. He went down as fast as he could, but Jaeyoung quickly caught up with him. Then, it became like a competition, as they frantically went down the stairs to the first floor . ¡°Sangwoo, you¡¯re annoyed, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me, cause I don¡¯t want to hear your voice.¡± ¡°You brought it on yourself.¡± Sangwoo strode out of the building and walked toward his locked bike. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You¡¯re forcing yourself to do something that even elementary school students won¡¯t do sunbae, I¡­.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, and I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s throwing a fit? You¡¯re talking about that again?¡± Sangwoo stopped abruptly, because he couldn¡¯t get past what was said. ¡°What did I do wrong? If you¡¯re talking about not including your name on the PPT (Power Point)¡­.¡± ¡°Shove it.¡± Jaeyoung cut him off. He whipped around, but he was standing much closer than he had thought. He expected him to provokingly snicker, but he was unexpectedly serious. Against the dim sky, Sangwoo made eye contact with Jaeyoung who was wearing a red beanie. ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe, but I wanted to get along with you.¡± Sangwoo shut his mouth. It was not the first time he had seen Jaeyoung¡¯s face this up close. However, he had never carefully analyzed it. Until now, he neither knew nor cared that Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes behind the glasses were a little droopy, that he had a straight nose, whether or not he dressed neatly or like a delinquent, and that neither of his irises nor hair were completely black. ¡°The human is an animal of emotion. If you hadn¡¯t ignored me so much, I would have laughed off the PPT.¡± ¡°Then if I apologize, will you quit?¡± Jaeyoung looked puzzled and laughed out loud. ¡°Are you stupid? You¡¯re supposed to be a coding genius. Oh, you don¡¯t know human psychology well because you¡¯re a machine?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°If it were such a simple matter, would we have come all the way here, huh?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s cryptic remarks seemed more disconcerting than any other problem Sangwoo had ever solved. It felt like he was looking into endless darkness. Sangwoo could only hear the sound of catching the clouds. ¡°Don¡¯t justify yourself. You¡¯re nothing more than scum, a thug, a sadist, Sunbae.¡± Jaeyoung looked amused rather than angry at the words. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear compliments from you.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Yeah, you should be careful, too.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard,¡± Sangwoo muttered to himself as he unlocked the bike. Then, he got on his bike and left without looking back. return 0; On Wednesdays, there was a series of classes on ¡°Popular Culture and Cultural Theory. Although there were many reviews on how it was a difficult class, it was the only compulsory humanities and liberal arts class that could be taken during this period. The syllabus was full of unknown terms, because the class was grounded in The Frankfurt School and orientalism. Even after scanning the book ahead of time, the text was not easily understood. It had already seemed like a difficult class for science and engineering students. However, the potential presence of the interrupter made it unlikely for Sangwoo to understand anything at all. Sangwoo entered the classroom 19 minutes before class started and shut his eyes. Naturally, Jaeyoung would be there, but he didn¡¯t want to see the unsightly messenger bag. However, when he opened his eyes, his view was clear. The most perfect seat in the classroom was clean and tidy as if no one had ever sat down on it. ¡®What¡¯s going on here?¡¯ He was so surprised that his heart pounded. Sangwoo quickly approached and sat down on that perfect chair. For now, he felt a surge of satisfaction, but because he couldn¡¯t predict what Jang Jaeyoung would do again, he grew anxious. Sangwoo opened the textbook and previewed what they would learn today. He felt like he was studying for the first time in a long time, because he sat in the correct seat and couldn¡¯t see the color red next to him. As he was reading the book, a white eco bag was placed next to his seat. Sangwoo sighed loudly. ¡°Why are you sighing this morning?¡± He then raised his head to a voice he had expected to hear. It wasn¡¯t Jaeyoung. At first, Sangwoo felt happy by that fact alone. It was a female student in a dark green jumper who looked familiar. ¡°It¡¯s Jihye, Jihye. You¡¯re the person who helped me move the boxes. We even had dinner together, didn¡¯t we?¡± She sat down, speaking cheerfully as if she had read Sangwoo¡¯s expression. Only then did Sangwoo remember Jihye. Last time, her hair was styled differently, so he couldn¡¯t recognize her. Jihye completely turned her body around to Sangwoo and talked to him. ¡°Are you taking this class too, Oppa? Are you interested in philosophy? I¡¯m taking the class because I¡¯m interested in the theories of French thinkers, such as Lacan and Foucault.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested. I¡¯m taking it because I have to.¡± ¡°Oh really? Well, I have to take a computer class, too. That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll ask you which one¡¯s easier later on, Oppa. I heard that the biggest difference between information processing theory and computer science introduction is¡­.¡± Fortunately, the class started at the right time and cut her off. A professor who isn¡¯t late, comprehensive preparation material, and a perfect seat. Although there was someone next to him who seemed that they would talk all day long even if left to herself, Sangwoo evaluated that this situation was superb. Suddenly, he was struck with the thought that he hadn¡¯t seen Jang Jaeyoung once today. He was certain that he hadn¡¯t given up yet, and there was something going on. Anyway, he felt like he was breathing a little heavier. ¡°¡­so we see the world divided into a superior elite and a general public without power. The view is that the elites are leading the society.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the truth. If so, what does it mean to glorify the opposing opinions of the public? What¡¯s the point of them being discarded earlier?¡± ¡°We said that it wasn¡¯t a matter of true or false. We need to start with the attitude of approaching sociological theories with correctness.¡± Sangwoo was walking in the hallway at the College of Humanities and discussing the contents of today¡¯s class with Jihye. It was not surprising that Jihye was more intelligent than she looked. Sangwoo was encouraged because he did not see bright red at all. ¡®This is what normal is like.¡¯ After two days of suffering, he was delighted by the brief experience of normalcy. Jihye sat next to him during two class periods, but unlike anyone else, she didn¡¯t disturb him at all. In addition, after class, Sangwoo explained what she hadn¡¯t understood properly, which was icing on the cake. ¡°Oppa, where¡¯s the next class?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any more classes.¡± ¡°I envy you¡­¡± I still have two more. What should we eat for lunch?¡± Jihye said as if it were natural for two people who took the same class to have lunch together. Sangwoo questioned the compatibility of that premise, but he didn¡¯t bother to contradict her, as he was already on his way to the restaurant. Sangwoo felt anxious walking around campus, because he didn¡¯t know where his enemy would pop up. He kept looking around, and Jihye asked why he was doing that. The moment he was about to answer, Sangwoo saw a group of people pouring out of the humanities college. The only advantage of red padding is that it stands out from afar. ¡°Hey, quickly. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± Sangwoo arrived at the restaurant and quickly lined up at the Korean food section. Because Jang Jaeyoung came out among so many people, it meant that he had just taken a seminar class with a lot of students. Come to think of it, he has to retake the ¡°Personality Education for Korean University Students¡± class. It was clear that their classes overlapped, so he couldn¡¯t bother Sangwoo in the cultural theory class. Sangwoo felt satisfied while carrying his tray. He had a good idea upon choosing a seat after grabbing his meal. He headed to a crowded area unlike usual. When he quietly looked around at the restaurant, he looked for tables with only two empty seats. Sangwoo sat down with Jihye in these remaining seats. The table was now full, thereby blocking Jaeyoung¡¯s ability to take a seat. ¡°Oppa, you seem to be in a good mood.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Sangwoo started eating without saying a word. While eating, his gaze wandered over the people who were serving the food. The red padding was in line to get the pork cutlet. He also looked around as sharply as Sangwoo. Soon, Jaeyoung was pushed into the restaurant. Looking around everywhere, his eyes reached Sangwoo. Sangwoo had a triumphant look on his face, and Jaeyoung went to another area with a strange look of ridicule. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, but Sangwoo felt great pleasure. ¡°Are you going home after eating?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the library.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s go to the snack bar before that. I¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Sangwoo stopped his efficient chopsticks for a second. It was such a complicated story. How can you easily explain why you can¡¯t drink anything at the snack bar? ¡°It¡¯ll sound strange, but I¡¯m being bullied.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jihye looked so surprised that Sangwoo closed his mouth. When Sangwoo kept silent, she begged him to tell her more. ¡°Really, Oppa? That¡¯s a lot. If it¡¯s true, then it¡¯s serious.¡± He felt like he shouldn¡¯t have said anything. While thinking about how to explain this, Jihye seemed to imagine dreadful things. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell is doing such things, but there¡¯s a counseling center, a police station, and a lot of people in the world who can help.¡± Sangwoo became more embarrassed and just returned to Jihye¡¯s first question. ¡°He bought all the coffee I drink, so there are no drinks left in the snack shop to buy.¡± ¡°What? Sold out at the snack shop? The story of Master Heo.¡± Jihye burst into laughter after making an absurd expression. ¡°What? Just order a box online. What¡¯s wrong when it can be delivered within a day?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He was so shocked. It was as if he had been hit on the head. It wasn¡¯t only the school snack shop that sold ¡°Blackholic,¡± but it was the only one that had been trapped in his spatial frame. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t stupid, but he couldn¡¯t easily escape his rigid mindset. In the past, when he received a low score on the school intelligence test, the teacher explained that Sangwoo was a genius in logical computational intelligence. However, his lack of applied reasoning and emotional intelligence had reduced his average score. Sangwoo looked at Jihye from a new perspective. ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart.¡± Ha ha ha. Jihye laughed. ¡°In what other ways is he harassing you? Tell me everything.¡± ¡°¡­I know it sounds weird again this time, but I have to sit in a particular seat in class to concentrate.¡± ¡°Oh! I saw a guy like that in an American TV show. I¡¯m being cautious, but isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re talking about? OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)¡­¡± ¡°The doctor says it¡¯s not a disability. Anyway, that person keeps taking the seat before I do, so I can¡¯t sit there. The farther away I get from that seat, the more difficult it is to concentrate. But when I try to sit closer, I don¡¯t know what to do, because I hate that bas-¡­ no, that person so much.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Well, then just sit next to him and use a divider like the ones we used in elementary school.¡± Allow close physical distance, but block the view. This solution sounded good too. Sangwoo became increasingly trusting of Jihye¡¯s flexible mindset. ¡°And he keeps shaking his legs in the library and reading his books too loud. The sound of flipping pages is annoying¡­.¡± ¡°You can just wear earplugs. They¡¯re cheap.¡± Jihye grinned. Sangwoo laughed with her. ¡°Hey, thanks. I¡¯ll treat you to dinner next time.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll be looking forward to it!¡± Instead of going to the library that day, Sangwoo decided to shop extensively at the 1,000 won shop. When he finished his meal, he saw Jang Jaeyoung surrounded by friends and eating in another area. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 3.4 ¡°Oppa, but I¡¯m not done eating yet.¡± Sangwoo walked excitedly. He quickly cleared out the tray by the exit and gulped down a lot of water. He walked out of the restaurant feeling hopeful. ¡°Let¡¯s go together!¡± He heard Jihye¡¯s voice behind him. Her face turned red while her hair was flapping, and she looked like a green monster because of the clothes she was wearing. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why did you call for me?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ I¡¯m on my way anyway, so it¡¯d be nice if we went together. I get embarrassed when I eat alone.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s strange.¡± Sangwoo pondered that. He always ate alone, but he had never thought of it that way. ¡°Then don¡¯t go to the snack shop. I have a class at the College of Humanities, so please take me on your way.¡± ¡°¡­ why?¡± Sangwoo felt as if there was a significant age gap, because Jihye sounded like a child being kidnapped. ¡°It¡¯s good for your health to take a walk after eating. If you don¡¯t want to get sick, you have to do that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± For the first time, Sangwoo had a walking companion. Originally, he was going straight to the 1,000 won shop, but as Jihye said, it didn¡¯t sound bad to take a walk. Even though he does bodyweight plyometric exercises in the morning, he needs to walk daily life to stay healthy. ¡°Oppa, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Is that a question?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a rhetorical expression that I¡¯m about to ask about. Your childhood nickname was Sangchoo, right?¡± ¡°¡­how did you know?¡± Jihye clapped her hands while saying: ¡°I knew it.¡± He stopped walking and laughed, saying: ¡°I cared so much when I first heard the name that it almost popped out of my mouth.¡± ¡°Will you get mad if I call you Sangchoo, oppa?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Either way, Sangwoo had been called that all his life. It had been a long time since he had given up the useless task of asking people to stop using it. In addition, Jihye was unreasonable enough to insist on calling him ¡°oppa¡± now, even though he isn¡¯t her actual brother. People misuse titles at will, so paying attention to each of them will only make one tired. People he¡¯s close with, even those he considers to be enemies, call him ¡°Sangwoo,¡± just like family members. Coincidentally, as soon as he thought of Jaeyoung, the red padding himself appeared from behind the building. Jang Jaeyoung was walking with two male students. In that short moment, the two made eye contact. Sangwoo immediately turned around. ¡°¡­Oppa?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going that way. See you later.¡± ¡°Yes! Goodbye!¡± Sangwoo crouched and quickly walked past the bowing Jihye. He¡¯d paid attention in class, ate well, and even though he couldn¡¯t drink coffee, he was able to go for a walk. However, as soon as he saw the bright red color, his mood was ruined. Sangwoo really hated the color red now. He was walking for a long time before he looked back. Before he knew it, Jaeyoung, who fell away from his group, was ten steps behind him. His legs moved before his brain could give the order. ¡®I can¡¯t get caught.¡¯ It was an instinctive escape. Until now, no matter who made threats or used violence,the world had been firm in dealing with them. In middle and high school, teachers used their authority. Upon reaching adulthood, he used the legitimate system of the law. There was a sudden and unknown error that caused the program to fail. Since he was discharged from the army, he had never had any reason to run, but Sangwoo was running with all his might, because he didn¡¯t want to see Jang Jaeyoung. Like a flash, he passed by the natural (sciences) college, the institute, and the snack shop. He passed by countless students whose faces he didn¡¯t know. Sangwoo, who had already reached the main gate at some point, turned around thinking that this would be enough. ¡°Why are you so fast?¡± He screamed inwardly. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s catch our breath. Do I look like¡­ I can run¡­ at this age? It¡¯s not even a sports day, fucking shit..¡± Sangwoo wanted to leave Jaeyoung, who was squatting while panting, but he had also ran a long distance at full speed and was out of breath. Sangwoo sat on the sidewalk, putting enough distance between himself and Jaeyoung. He took a bottle of water out of his bag and quenched his thirst. ¡°Are you crazy? Why are you running?¡± ¡°Why are you chasing me? Is that running or not?¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird, you know. Because you were running away, I followed without a thought.¡± ¡°That¡¯s even more strange.¡± They had this strange conversation while panting, and then stopped talking for a long while. Sangwoo got up and walked away after resting long enough. He had to go to the front of the library to get his bike. Jaeyoung stood up with a look of annoyance and followed him closely. If he walked fast, he also walked as fast, and if he walked slowly, he also walked as slowly. Sangwoo ignored him and maintained his normal speed, because he thought it would turn into a sprint again. ¡°Your girlfriend is pretty.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name, the friend you were eating with earlier?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kim Jihye.¡± ¡°Which department?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the¡­ philosophy department? ¡°That¡¯s Ryu, and she¡¯s from the literature department.¡± Sangwoo, who was answering like a machine because he was concentrating on walking, stopped. He turned his head and looked at Jaeyoung. ¡°You even did a background check on her? She¡¯s a nice girl who has nothing to do with me!¡± Jaeyoung sneered at those words. ¡°What background check? You guys came to the restaurant where I work, you crazy bastard. I saw her student ID. It¡¯s normal to remember names like that.¡± Sangwoo ignored his words and walked again. ¡°You, do you know my name?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of knowing that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart. Can¡¯t you even memorize three characters of a person¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Efficient brains are supposed to erase worthless information.¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting me in a foul mood again.¡± Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s shoulder to stop him. As soon as his hands touched his body, Sangwoo automatically frowned. ¡°Task: ¡®Try making an acrostic poem with my name.¡¯¡± Jaeyoung was speaking nonsense. Sangwoo hit his hand off his shoulder first. ¡°Reward: ¡®I won¡¯t harass you from tomorrow on.¡¯¡± Those words were hard to ignore. Sangwoo thought about it for a while and said: ¡°Question: ¡®Do you count it as a success as long as I make the poem? To which degree of harassment?¡¯¡¯¡± ¡°Answer: ¡®It¡¯ll be considered a success with even the tiniest amount of artistry. The degree of harassment is based on your own standards.¡¯¡± Sangwoo thought it over carefully, but the word artistry was too vague. However, he liked the idea that he could decide the degree of harassment, so he decided to try it. ¡°Provide a rhyme, please.¡± ¡°You have to do it, you bastard.¡± Sangwoo thought it was common for the listener to rhyme when the three-lined acrostic poem was presented. Looking at Jaeyoung¡¯s reaction, it didn¡¯t seem so. He opened his mouth. ¡°Jang¡­ The rainy season is here.¡± When he said exactly what came to his mind, Jaeyoung had made an arrogant expression with his arms crossed. Looking at that face, he naturally decided on the next verse. ¡°It sucks.¡± The red padding was shining from the sunlight. ¡°For¡­ever¡­ if it got extinguished.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s expression was hard to read. His slight frown became a smirk. Sangwoo thought he had made a decent acrostic poem, but it was hard to figure out what Jaeyoung was thinking. He was also the judge, and when he kept his mouth shut, he became quite tense. ¡°Evaluation.¡± Jaeyoung spoke in a dignified manner. ¡°10 out of 10 for accuracy.¡± ¡°Oh¡­.¡± ¡°10 out of 10 in terms of the sincerity of emotions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more generous than I expected.¡± ¡°Three out of ten in artistic value.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°Story-wise, 1 out of 10.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°For novelty, out of 10 ¡­.¡± If I get 10 points here, is there a chance? ¡°0 points.¡± Sangwoo almost uttered a harsh swear word. ¡°24 out of 50 points in total. I¡¯ll see you again tomorrow, Sangwoo.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± Sangwoo strode past Jang Jaeyoung. In the end, he just wasted his time foolishly listening to his nonsense when he knew it would turn out this way. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t follow him, but he heard what he said behind him. ¡°I think I made a mistake. Now I must know how you operate. ¡± ¡°Am I a home appliance?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re similar.¡± It was not worth answering at all. Ever since he had eaten, all he could think of was the 1,000 won shop. He unlocked his bike and rode past Jaeyoung. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 4.1 - Green Chapter 4 ¨C Green Jang Jaeyoung bullied Chu Sangwoo to his heart¡¯s content for two days. By mobilizing his hoobaes, the seat Sangwoo always sat on was occupied in advance, and they acted loudly in every class. He watched Sangwoo shaking in anger as he followed him closely. Two days of performance. First of all, Jaeyoung earned six titles: (1) stalker (2) trash (3) psycho (4) scum (5) sadist (6) thug. In other words, he firmly imprinted himself on Chu Sangwoo. The labels Sangwoo gave him were not pretty, but it¡¯s better than not having any at all. Visual designer Jaeyoung knew the importance of branding better than anyone else. Putting aside the phrase, ¡°when he called my name, I became a flower,¡±1 It is not like a romance manhwa where handsome rich people throw water on someone¡¯s face and look for female twins. Noise marketing has a more intense effect, as negative impressions are more powerful than positive impressions. Furthermore, it may be an honor to be called six things by a nut job like Sangwoo, who doesn¡¯t give names to anyone. Second, Jaeyoung got quite the emotional revenge, like a sated feeling as refreshing as drinking soda. While breaking down the perfect Sangwoo, he felt that his own emotional damage was neutralized. Third, it was fun provoking Sangwoo. Crushing his grave and impassive face turned out to be pleasurable rather than pitiful. It was fun enough to endure the pain of waking up every morning. Sadist. He¡¯d never thought this of himself before, but maybe he did have such a side. Jaeyoung had planned to follow Sangwoo around for the entire two long weeks of the withdrawal period, but he was kindly considering quitting earlier. This is because Sangwoo was much more distressed than he¡¯d expected. He thought that it was to the point where Sangwoo might take the semester off if he kept going. Jaeyoung had thought that he¡¯d just bother Sangwoo a tiny bit, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin his daily life. In addition, Jaeyoung naturally easily lost interest in everything and found things troublesome. It was not easy to get his hoobaes to manage his bags. And what about the torture of sitting in a class where he couldn¡¯t understand a word? He felt itchy within a minute in a quiet place like the library. Moreover, it was really hard to eat food that tasted like a gnat¡¯s piss in a crowded restaurant. He wouldn¡¯t be able to last for two full weeks. Anyway, it was something that he did because he had time on his hands, because Jaeyoung really had nothing to do these days. ¡®Sangwoo, why did you do that?¡¯ Within the first three minutes of repeating the ¡°Personality Education for Korean University Students¡± class, Jaeyoung started to blame Sangwoo. There were too many students in the classroom, so it was not managed well, and the students attending on behalf of him had been on board. How many of them would have to cancel their graduation? If Sangwoo was an ordinary guy who could overlook injustice, Jaeyoung would now be taking classes from the world¡¯s leading designers in the U.S. Regardless of that, it was not an ethics class. Anyway, it was a meaningless hypothesis. He had to lament the fact that he ended up in the same group as the grim reaper. There was no way out this semester, because his disgraceful acts last semester had made an impression on the professor. Jaeyoung sat at the very back, feeling distressed, so he borrowed a blank sheet of paper from the person next to him and began to scribble. The weather was great when he got out of the building. Spring, the season of gentle love, was arriving. It had been half a year since Jaeyoung broke up with his last girlfriend, so it¡¯d been a long time since he went on a date. While walking among the other students with such thoughts, he spotted Sangwoo from very far away. He was not wearing a noticeable outfit, but it was just amazing that it stood out. Sangwoo was walking fast toward a restaurant with a girl in green. ¡®Bastard, you¡¯re pretty good with polite girls.¡¯ Come to think of it, Sangwoo had also been with a female student when he came to the restaurant. It must be hard to be popular with women with such a personality. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t imagine Sangwoo dating at all. There were many people in the student restaurant attracted by curiosity. Skipping empty tables, Sangwoo was slyly eating at a full table. ¡®You got a hit.¡¯2 Jaeyoung laughed when he saw Sangwoo quickly take the empty seat just to avoid him. He had a cute side, too. The girl in green was sitting next to him. Looking closely, it was Ryu Jihye who was with him at the restaurant. Jaeyoung thought that he should quit eating disgustingly tasteless food. He couldn¡¯t stand eating one more meal like this. He¡¯d also bought 16 cans of coffee he had never seen before at the snack shop, but he couldn¡¯t stomach one after trying it, so he threw it away, and still had 15 cans left. He put them in the club room, but even his hoobaes weren¡¯t able to drink them, so they just sat there. While walking to the smoking area with his friends, he ran into Jihye and Sangwoo, who were walking from across the street. 1. It probably expresses that the person in question was happy that the person they liked called their name. It conveys a sense of purity. 2. Here, Jaeyoung thinks Sangwoo was finally able to retaliate against him by sitting down at a full table, thus preventing him from sitting next to him. Chapter 4.2 Their height difference is nice, and they look very youthful. Makes a nice picture, huh?¡¯ Just as a thug would say, Jaeyoung muttered this line in his head. As Jaeyoung didn¡¯t harass him today, Sangwoo looked like life was worth living. Jaeyoung expected Sangwoo to be distracted by Jihye and just walk past him, but surprisingly, he recognized Jaeyoung from afar. Jaeyoung felt a strange pleasure. Sangwoo turned around immediately, but Jaeyoung caught up with him by running halfway, with the intention of sticking to him like glue. When there were about ten steps left, Sangwoo looked back with a nervous expression, and his eyes widened. Jaeyoung knew he was surprised, but running with all his might was an unexpected reaction. It was a swift move, as if Jaeyoung were a serial killer. Jaeyoung chased after him. Fuck, why am I running? How crazy would he look if other people were watching? Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t understand himself, but his feet moved on their own. Sangwoo was extremely fast. Because he had the impression of being a study bug,1 Jaeyoung had seemed to think Sangwoo would go weak at the knees. Despite running at full speed, Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t keep up at all with Sangwoo, who was even running while wearing a backpack. As he came to his senses, he found himself in front of the main gate. While squatting on the ground and catching his breath, Jaeyoung realized this was the first time since being discharged from the military that he had run such a long distance with all his might. ¡®There¡¯s no end to human greed.¡¯ As Jaeyoung saw Sangwoo¡¯s back quickly receding into the distance, he realized why he had followed him. He felt no joy in engraving his existence on Sangwoo¡¯s mind. Although noise marketing may have been successful, Jaeyoung was just a defective product to Chu Sangwoo. Even if he might have momentarily taken pleasure in seeing Sangwoo¡¯s face distort as soon as he saw him, that wasn¡¯t able to give him any satisfaction. Jaeyoung felt the desire to become an amazing, competent, and fun senior to Sangwoo, just as other kids saw him. ¡®Did you do a background check on her? She¡¯s a kind girl who has nothing to do with me!¡¯ Ryu Jihye was looking for clues to find Sangwoo on social media. There were many difficulties, as she didn¡¯t know his name, department, or student ID number. As Jaeyoung roughly scanned the university¡¯s bulletin board, it seemed like even if she wasn¡¯t as extreme as Sangwoo, she seemed to be a sincere type. On the same date she had come to the restaurant with Sangwoo, she had left a message like that. He¡¯s a bit scary, but he doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Is there another chance for us to meet? #CuteOddball #FirstMeeting #Expectations Of course, it was about Chu Sangwoo. Ryu Jihye ¨C Nice Jang Jaeyoung ¨C stalker, trash, psycho, scum, sadist, thug Ryu Jihye was a fairy dressed in green, and Jang Jaeyoung was a red-cloaked devil with a hissing tongue in a hellhole. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t like this good and evil comparison. Given that he didn¡¯t know Jihye¡¯s surname or her department, Sangwoo didn¡¯t seem interested in her yet. Even so, boys who have such an innocent side could come around, if someone treated them well. At this rate, if Jaeyoung left them unchecked, he¡¯d bet the luxury watch he got from his grandfather on his graduation, that they would be dating within three months. He felt a sense of crisis. About eight years later, on the day when Chu Sangwoo and Ryu Jihye got married, while holding the bride¡¯s hands, Sangwoo would talk about how there used to be a person, Kim Youngjae or something, who had used dirty means to harass Sangwoo, because he hadn¡¯t been able to graduate. At that time, he had been able to overcome this because Jihye was by his side. He didn¡¯t remember that scum¡¯s face, but he would remember that he always wore a red padded jacket. ¡®I can¡¯t watch that happen.¡¯ Jaeyoung¡¯s goal changed. Or should he say it¡¯s been upgraded? What are the conditions of a good sunbae? At least it was clear that there was no hope of becoming one now. The only thing he could use now was his own presence. It was encouraging that Chu Sangwoo actually knew his name, and now he seemed to know how to deal with him a little bit. However, Jaeyoung felt he should first do something about the equation, ¡°Jang Jaeyoung = Red = Villain = Thug = Trash.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing such a tiresome thing¡­ It¡¯s because I have a lot of time anyway.¡¯ He thought about what kind of clothes he had in his closet. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 5.1 Sangwoo waited for Jang Jaeyoung with three bullets loaded1. He didn¡¯t expect the day would come when he¡¯d want to see him. Now, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t wait to see Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s flustered expression. He sat in the fourth row, at the second seat on the right, and waited. His textbook was open, but, these days it was just a habitual setup that didn¡¯t mean anything. Even if he was the TA, Jaeyoung hadn¡¯t even arrived after the professor did. Sangwoo had turned his body to look at the back entrance, but there was no red padding among the students who were rushing in. ¡°Where are you looking? I¡¯m right here,¡± said the man with his hand in his pocket in Jaeyoung¡¯s voice. Sangwoo stiffened. The reason why he was surprised was because he was wearing a dark green coat. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t even wearing glasses. When the man who had occupied the most perfect seat in the classroom in advance sat down, Sangwoo felt seriously confused. The mere fact that he didn¡¯t wear red padding made him feel like his data model was broken. Anyway, whatever it was he was wearing on the outside, it was clear that he was Jang Jaeyoung. So, Sangwoo took out the first bullet he had prepared, the divider, and placed it on his right side. He heard laughter coming from behind the yellow cardboard. ¡°You probably know that the skits start next Thursday. I¡¯d like to start preparing during this class.¡± He was aware of this, as it was written in the syllabus. The task of two people presenting a three-minute short play in Chinese was an important assignment that accounted for 20% of the total evaluation. The professor handed out the assignment to the first row of students (it wasn¡¯t done by the TA) and used the projector to display the pairing list. ¡°It¡¯s a list of the skit pairs and the order of the presentations. It would be disadvantageous to have an early presentation date, but it will be considered in the evaluation.¡± While looking through the list, Sangwoo found his name. The problem was the name next to it. Choo Sangwoo (Computer Engineering), Jang Jaeyoung (Visual Design) 3/14 (Thursday) Presentation ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Out of the over 30 students, not only did he have to be paired with him, but they also had to present first, which was on Thursday the following week. When Sangwoo raised his hand, the professor looked at him. ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t proceed with the team because I don¡¯t like the team member, would I be able to change it, professor?¡± She replied with a frown. ¡°No, some students are better and some are lacking. You have to use teamwork to overcome that. I was afraid people would ask this, so I asked the TA to choose at random. So you don¡¯t have to worry about it being unfair. Do you have any other questions besides changing groups or presentation dates?¡± ¡®That bastard¡¯s got a problem with fairness, professor¡­.¡¯ She cut him off so firmly that Sangwoo lost the courage to ask more. As he had already been branded by Professor Choi of the ¡°Embedded Systems¡± class, he kept quiet because of the anxiety that he¡¯d stand out here as well. At that moment, the divider collapsed like a scarecrow and fell to the floor. Jang Jaeyoung, with his chin supported in his hands, had a strange smile. ¡°Just trust your hyung. I¡¯ll carry you.¡± ¡®Shut up, please!¡¯ Sangwoo stuffed the useless divider into his backpack. He waited a little while before he got his handout. Sangwoo kept the paper before Jaeyoung left, and wrote down his student number and name on the top left. ¡°There are some expressions that you learned in ¡°Beginner¡¯s Chinese,¡± and some that are more advanced. You can use these 100 sentences to form a skit. Now, meet your partners and discuss with them.¡± Sangwoo read the handout diligently. About 30% of the sentences were stuff he had memorized in the past, so he could already understand their meaning. Sangwoo got an A in his ¡°Beginner¡¯s Chinese¡± class during his freshman year. He had perfect attendance and got a full score on his exams, but many points had been deducted from the skit and the oral exams. Therefore, in order to get an A+ this time, all he had to do was to get as many points as possible on the skit. Since he wasn¡¯t taking that many classes, he had plenty of time to practice, but if he had a problem, it was that he had a partner who would do anything to hold him back. However, Sangwoo did not worry too much. In the worst case, he was planning on just playing both roles during the performance. Either way, the syllabus stated that they would be scored individually. He opened his notebook and wrote down his ideas. He was going to do it alone, but Jaeyoung dragged the desks that were side by side and moved so he sat back to front with Sangwoo¡¯s desk. Without looking at him, Sangwoo said: ¡°There are many expressions to ask and answer about locations, so let¡¯s use a set-up where we help Chinese exchange students who came to Hanguk University with directions. I¡¯ll play the Korean, so sunbae should be Chinese.¡± Even though he wasn¡¯t waiting for a response, Jaeyoung muttered as if he had been waiting. ¡°That¡¯s hella fucking cheesy. I would have been in big trouble if I made a game with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Come to think of it, he always criticized Sangwoo for his lack of creativity. While he said that ¡°Yachae Man¡± wasn¡¯t fun, he also told him that he lacked imagination on two separate occasions. He had even given him zero points in the originality category in the acrostic poem evaluation. ¡°Then come up with an idea.¡± Sangwoo threw his sharpener onto the notebook and leaned back on the chair as Jaeyoung always did. Then he felt like he was doing something with his arms crossed. After looking through the handout of Chinese sentences, Jaeyoung said: ¡°Let¡¯s talk about voice phishing during the Qing Dynasty.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°At first, we¡¯ll sell things at the market. How much is it? It¡¯s 100,000 won for two clusters of grapes.2 It¡¯s too expensive. Please stop. Violence is an illegal act. Please exit through that door. Let¡¯s use all kinds of buy and sell expressions¡­¡± Sangwoo, who was getting ready to snort, gradually fell into the story. ¡°Today¡¯s income is 0 won. I am very poor. I have no money. Use these expressions¡­ I¡¯ve sold all my stuff. I bought a phone with the remaining money. The remaining money is 0 won. I¡¯ll write this¡­Oh, here¡¯s a good one. I¡¯m a swindler.¡± Jaeyoung continued. Sangwoo began to organize the plot in his notebook by checking the sentences he mentioned in the handout. ¡°I¡¯m calling with a cell phone, ring ring. Wei3? I am with your son. Give me 10 billion won please. He can go back home. Then the person answering the phone says this. I am unmarried. You¡¯re a swindler.¡± ¡°And so? What about the ending?¡± ¡°Not sure, what would you prefer?¡± Sangwoo thought hard about it, but he couldn¡¯t think of what the peddler, who failed to voice phishing in the Qing Dynasty, would do. At best¡­ ¡°You starved to death because there was no rice?¡± ¡°¡­yeah, that¡¯s very you. There¡¯s a good expression here. I¡¯m hungry. Please give me food. Expressions about dying are not on the list, but it¡¯s fine if we use that. I¡¯ll bequeath the phone to my younger brother through my will.¡± Sangwoo organized the contents and read through it once. Although the material looked a little strange, it contained an appropriate amount of both easy and advanced expressions. Then he had a question. ¡°Why the Qing Dynasty in particular?¡± ¡°That professor is a history buff on the Qing Dynasty. If we show up wearing outfits from the Qing Dynasty and Chinese queues, we¡¯ll probably get a perfect score.4¡° ¡°What kind of nonsense is that¡­.¡± ¡°Look here. ¡®Production/Humor/Preparation.¡¯ 20%¡± He had been wondering why those items were included. In addition, the allocation was extremely high, considering that 50% accounted for ¡®Intonation/Pronunciation/Fluency,¡¯ and 30% for ¡®Level of difficulty/Relevance of lines/Grammar.¡¯ When Sangwoo made a face indicating that he couldn¡¯t understand, Jaeyoung said: ¡°She¡¯s a professor in our club, so I know her well.¡± ¡°What club is it?¡± ¡°The theater department.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s mechanical pencil lead snapped and broke. It was unintended, but it hit Jaeyoung¡¯s face, so he frowned and rubbed his cheek with his hand. Sangwoo¡¯s walk had inevitably been stopped because of the theater department¡¯s schedule. Even that was a hoax. Sangwoo turned away from Jaeyoung and began to make lines as if pretending that he wasn¡¯t sitting in front of him. He only wrote down the Korean meaning of the sentences he didn¡¯t know, and copied the sentences he knew or that were on the list. Jaeyoung was quiet for some reason. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Except he was too quiet to the point where it bothered him. It was normal for him to slap the desk, mock him, noisily hand over the book, or do something, but he didn¡¯t do anything. Sangwoo looked up because things felt out of place. Then, he met Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes, which were very close to him. He was staring at Sangwoo¡¯s face, with his chin resting on the back of his hands. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± He said that and kept staring. Sangwoo immediately lowered his head and moved his pencil. ¡°What¡¯s amazing is¡­.¡± Jaeyoung whispered very quietly: ¡°We found something in common.¡± There couldn¡¯t have been such a thing. Sangwoo¡¯s face creased at the unpleasant words. Jaeyoung laughed quietly: ¡°Look at your expression. I meant the handwriting.¡± Sangwoo was shocked in a different way. He had never considered himself good at writing, but he didn¡¯t think that his writing was that messy: ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me.¡± ¡°Sangwoo.¡± He called his name in a low and friendly voice. After two days of crazy harassment, it was funny that he pretended to be nice now. ¡°You¡¯re so cool, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ignore. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any grudges. You¡¯re sitting face-to-face with a scum, thug, sadist, and we¡¯re even doing assignments together.¡± Ignore. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± Ignore. ¡°What do you think of the word ¡®revenge¡¯?¡± Ignore. ¡°There has to be some degree of emotions involved with that too, right? It seems like I am like a fly to you, so you wish I would just get out of your way. Don¡¯t you?¡± Ignore. ¡°Does it taste good when you chew on hyung¡¯s words?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a bastard bully in our family.5¡° ¡°You¡¯re starting to go too far, you cunt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on this. Please be quiet.¡± ¡°If you do me a favor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Take off your hat.¡± It was a rather absurd suggestion. Sangwoo raised his eyes and saw Jaeyoung with his chin still resting on the back of his hands. He thought the way he was looking at him was a new kind of mockery, but his face just looked brazen. Sangwoo decided to ignore him. As soon as he finished writing the last line, Jaeyoung took away his notes. He reviewed his lines in a condescending manner, saying, ¡°I see,¡± or ¡°better than expected.¡± Then he wrote something down with Sangwoo¡¯s pencil. There was no space in the notes that Jaeyoung handed back. He filled in the lines with Chinese characters in parts that Sangwoo had left blank. ¡®Why is he like this?¡¯ Sangwoo felt flustered. Come to think of it, he had written down the contents of the skit, and today he was only cooperating, not even interrupting. Did he decide to stop harassing him? ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been chasing me all the way to the end of the world to harass me, and it seems that you¡¯ve settled your grudge in two days.¡± Jaeyoung had been doing this and that. He had been a worthless bully and an immaculately-dressed restaurant part-timer. Then, after he¡¯d gotten angry while cursing, he¡¯d been all smiles, then chased after him like he wanted to kill him. Then, he¡¯d made him do acrostic poems and then after following him around and harassing him, he¡¯d helped with the team assignment. Jang Jaeyoung was the strangest person Sangwoo had ever come across in his life. ¡°How¡¯s the story going?¡± At that moment, he heard the professor¡¯s voice, who had been walking around and surveying the students¡¯ progress. She approached them and raised her eyebrows appraisingly. ¡°Oh, paired with Jaeyoung, huh? There won¡¯t be any problems here.¡± ¡°No, professor. Sangwoo here did everything.¡± Why is he like that? Sangwoo felt flustered by the unexpected response. The professor looked at Sangwoo with fond eyes. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see what kind of lines Sangwoo wrote.¡± Normally, he would have responded with the truth, ¡°No, Jaeyoung did the entire outline, and I only wrote it down,¡± but no words of praise were able to come out of his mouth. Sangwoo politely handed his notes to the professor. She burst into laughter shortly after. ¡°A Qing Dynasty merchant! That sounds like a lot of fun. Hahaha! Nice content. Aha! But the lines are a bit¡­.¡± Then her face, which had only been bright, gradually grew darker. ¡°That¡¯s too vulgar. Where did you learn to swear like this? Jaeyoung! You wrote it, right? The professor stared at Jaeyoung and saw that he was empty-handed. It was Sangwoo who held the mechanical pencil. The professor¡¯s scornful gaze shifted from Jaeyoung to Sangwoo. ¡°Correct the lines. If you present it like this, you¡¯ll get 0 points. Do you understand? ¡°¡­yes.¡± Sangwoo was forced to respond that way as the professor was glaring at them. Jaeyoung grinned after the professor handed Sangwoo back the notes and left. Sangwoo clenched his teeth and erased Jaeyoung¡¯s writings. ¡°I have some grudges, unlike you.¡± Afraid that there would be light traces left, Sangwoo meticulously erased his writings. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 5.2 eturn 0;1 As soon as class ended, Sangwoo was caught off guard by Jang Jaeyoung and ended up panting on his way to the engineering college. There was another class going on in the lecture hall right before his own class, so Sangwoo definitely arrived before Jaeyoung, but his bag (second navy backpack for saving seats) was already placed on the right side of the fourth row. Sangwoo sat on his left and put up his divider. They had no choice but to face each other during Chinese class, because they had to prepare for the skit. However, Sangwoo had believed that Jihye¡¯s advice would be useful during ¡°Engineering Mathematics 2¡±. He didn¡¯t think he would succeed that easily, though, as Jang Jaeyoung was like a devil. Sangwoo expected many maneuvers. By pretending it was a mistake, Jaeyoung might knock down the divider, tap his desk, or make strange noises to get his attention. However, no matter how long he waited, there was no sign of interruption. He lost six minutes of class, because he was anxious about what Jaeyoung was doing behind the divider. In the end, he was so curious, he had to put down the divider. Then, he put his head on the desk and watched Jaeyoung whose eyes were gently closed. He faced the person who had seemed out of place all day. It wasn¡¯t just that he didn¡¯t wear red padding or glasses. Jang Jaeyoung looked like a completely different person Sangwoo couldn¡¯t recognize, just as he had done when working as a part-timer at the Italian restaurant. He couldn¡¯t find the three piercings on each of his ears. He didn¡¯t know what had changed with his hair, but it looked much more neat and decent than usual. In addition, maybe it was because his eyes were shut that he seemed to be gentle. He didn¡¯t seem like the person who had done bad things to Sangwoo. ¡®What the hell is up with this bastard?¡¯ Sangwoo felt uncomfortable and confused at the same time. An existence that couldn¡¯t be defined in one way wasn¡¯t simple. Sangwoo had defined him as a ¡®bully, trash, and scum,¡¯ but he used modifiers such as ¡®neat, clean, and mature¡¯ with the figure in front of him. Just like with different data types, those properties weren¡¯t compatible. However, Sangwoo knew that unlike Jaeyoung¡¯s good appearance, his personality was rotten. The fact that he, someone who was majoring in design, was taking engineering math classes, was evidence of that. He was there to interrupt Sangwoo¡¯s class and ruin his studies by sitting in that seat. He was even achieving his goal with his eyes closed. Sangwoo gripped his pencil tightly and concentrated on the class again. While looking into what Jaeyoung was up to, the class had already moved forward to the next chapter. While taking his second ¡°Engineering Math 2¡± class of the term, Sangwoo was horrified he had learned very little. The same was true for all other subjects except for the ¡°Popular Culture and Cultural Theory¡± class he had on Wednesday. When Jaeyoung disappears after the two weeks have passed, he¡¯ll have to study outside of class by referring to books and watching lectures on the Internet. However, professors tend to emphasize what will be on the exam during class. Those two weeks hadn¡¯t been without loss. In that sense, the time Jaeyoung was asleep was an opportunity. Sangwoo focused on the professor¡¯s words and tried to understand what he was saying. Strangely enough, however, within a few minutes, his mind focused on the peacefully sleeping Jaeyoung. ¡®Now you¡¯re interrupting me even if you stay still. It¡¯s a great ability.¡¯ Sangwoo tried to resist the urge to look over there, but the desperate fight between reason and compulsion ended within a minute, so his head abruptly turned back. Jaeyoung was still quietly asleep during the subject of errors. Sangwoo was filled with a complex emotion that was difficult to put into words, and he didn¡¯t like that feeling at all. However, as he recalled the atrocities that Jaeyoung, who wore the mask of a normal person, had done, any ambiguous feelings disappeared and hostility was freshly set ablaze. Come to think of it, there is an ancient saying, ¡°An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.¡± He doesn¡¯t hold grudges? Jang Jaeyoung seemed to be mistaken. As long as the conditions are right, even Sangwoo could get enough revenge. He was simply not a nut job to that extent, so he didn¡¯t feel that it was worth using a lot of energy to harass others. ¡®There¡¯s nothing that I cannot do.¡¯ Sangwoo took out a marker from his pencil case. The act of opening the cap felt like pulling a knife out of the sheath. He carefully held the marker and sat himself a little closer to Jaeyoung. The moist tip of the marker stopped midair as it approached Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead. Sangwoo realized that it had been too long since he had last drawn. He didn¡¯t have to draw as well as an artist, but his inferiority complex over his drawing skills prevented him from going any further. He suddenly recalled getting scolded by his second grade elementary school teacher for not drawing anything at all on his drawing paper. Furthermore, suddenly hovering before his eyes were the words ¡®second rank in the entire school,¡¯ based on the evaluation of his practical skills in art during his third year of middle school. After hesitating for a long time, Sangwoo decided to draw a mole, but it wasn¡¯t easy to choose the right location. His eyes scanned every part of Jaeyoung¡¯s face. His tousled dark brown hair laid against his forehead. His dark eyebrows formed natural curves, and his long eyelashes (for being a man) cast a shadow on his cheeks. The slope of his nose began from his forehead. The lips under his philtrum were slightly open. ¡®You can just draw it anywhere!¡¯ Sangwoo encouraged himself while gripping the marker tighter. His hands trembled as he had never done anything like that before. He was even sacrificing his class time. He pressed his fingers hard and pushed forward decisively. The slightly wavering marker grazed Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead. At that moment, Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes suddenly opened causing Sangwoo¡¯s marker to draw a line down his nose. It seems that this is something people who have done this before do. It was nothing compared to Jaeyoung¡¯s scribble, but his heart sank like a child caught doing something bad, because he had never bothered anyone in his life. Jaeyoung kept his eyes wide open. Sangwoo put his maker in the pencil case and forced himself to stare at his book. His face paled and his heart started pounding. He didn¡¯t know how time passed by after that. Sangwoo stayed still, like a stone. By the time he came to his senses, the class had already ended and the students were leaving the classroom. He couldn¡¯t believe that he, for a moment, had been doing the same thing as Jang Jaeyoung because he had gotten upset. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had stooped to his level. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± He got goosebumps. If Jaeyoung was angry, Sangwoo would have something to say, but apart from that, he was unhappy that he had scribbled on a person¡¯s face with a marker. ¡°Sangwoo, hyung is calling for you.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°You got your revenge on me?¡± Sangwoo¡¯s head quickly swung around. Jaeyoung was smiling with a black line on his nose. ¡°Hey, it feels as if a robot vacuum cleaner baked bread.2¡± Instead of being angry, Jaeyoung found it amusing and patted his ball cap. Sangwoo felt so flustered, that he didn¡¯t even bother to chastise him for touching his body without permission. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. Hyung will buy it for you today.¡± ¡°¡­I only have you, noona.3¡° Sangwoo had just barely managed to answer. When Jaeyoung got up and grabbed his wrist, he was so out of it, that he was dragged away. As they left the engineering college, Jaeyoung pretended not to recognize a lot of people. All of Jaeyoung¡¯s acquaintances giggled and commented on Sangwoo¡¯s work. ¡°Oppa, why do you have something on your nose? Is it makeup?¡± ¡°Does it look cool? He did it.¡± ¡°Jaeyoung, what brings you to the engineering college? What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± ¡°Oh, I had some stuff to do here. He made my face this way.¡± Whenever this happened, rather than feeling embarrassed and ashamed, Jaeyoung simply pointed at Sangwoo as if he was the source of his dissertation, as if to inform everyone of his skills. He was really such a strange man. On that day, Sangwoo learned the meaning of the word ¡¯embarrassed.¡¯ Whenever he was introduced to Jaeyoung¡¯s acquaintances, he felt as if he was being attacked. When he came out of the lobby, he felt like he¡¯d been ripped up to pieces. After being dragged from place to place, he had recovered his senses and suddenly realized he was standing in front of the campus pizza place. ¡°Do you not like pizza?¡±Jaeyoung asked after sitting down. Sangwoo replied with resignation. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why are you being so well-mannered?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you erase that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to erase it.¡± Jaeyoung grinned and looked at the menu. He ordered a pizza and two bowls of risotto without asking for Sangwoo¡¯s opinion. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t like pasta, so I didn¡¯t order it.¡± He showed him a little bit of consideration. Sangwoo snorted to himself. Not liking pasta was just something he said because Jaeyoung works at an Italian restaurant. He had never considered if the food was good or bad, and he wasn¡¯t picky about their ingredients. Eating is just the process of acquiring calories. He thought it was meaningless to judge the taste or shape as long as the nutritional balance was right. In that sense, the idiot with a black line on his nose was wasting money when he could have bought a 3,000 won meal at the school cafeteria. ¡°Sangwoo, did you understand what was being taught in the class you just took?¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, sunbae, I would have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing. You can¡¯t even memorize three characters of a person¡¯s name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s even more amazing to see a senior who attends classes on behalf of someone else and then falls asleep instead.¡± The food was served during their conversation. Sangwoo ate without saying a word. Jaeyoung argued that he was eating in a boring way, but Sangwoo ignored him and kept eating. Sangwoo ate as much as he could and got up without saying a word. He wanted to quickly leave, because he was uncomfortable with not eating in his usual place. Maybe it had something to do with the stupid guy in front of him who was grinning despite having something on his nose. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± Before he knew it, Jaeyoung had paid and caught up with him. ¡°The weather is nice, isn¡¯t it? Look at the sky.¡± ¡®You¡¯re like a fly. Fly to the sky, please.¡¯ Sangwoo walked resolutely while looking at the ground. Before having walked a short distance from the restaurant, Jaeyoung took out a canned coffee from his leather bag. The black background, the familiar logo, and the large letters, ¡°Blackholic,¡± caught Sangwoo¡¯s attention. It was clear that he would tease him while sipping on the drink. ¡®I waited for this moment.¡¯ Sangwoo prepared for a situation like this the previous day by applying Jihye¡¯s second piece of advice. According to the snack shop owner¡¯s information, the Blackholic coffee would be restocked on the Monday after next week. Since he only consumes one can of coffee daily , he bought seven of them, the exact amount he needed, at the supermarket. However, the moment Sangwoo thought he should open his own backpack, Jaeyoung got embarrassed and extended the coffee towards him. ¡°Here you are, your coffee shuttle.4¡± Error, error, input error.5 Sangwoo, who thought that Jaeyoung naturally would open the can and loudly gulp it down to tease him, came to a halt without realizing it himself. He mindlessly accepted the can. When he brought it closer to his eyes to make sure it was properly sealed, Jaeyoung muttered, ¡°crazy bastard.¡± Sangwoo carefully examined it and even shook it, but the can was clean and not even a single drop of coffee leaked. ¡°Just drink, please.¡± ¡°What did you do to this?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be poisoned? I bought 16 of them, but I¡¯m throwing them into your mouth because they¡¯re so tasteless.¡± ¡®What¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ Sangwoo felt strange. There were too many questionable behaviors. It was like progressing through the multiples of two (2, 4, 6, 8¡­) but then suddenly finding ¡Ì55 in the sequence. Jaeyoung lingered by his side. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the remaining cans of coffee I have left, so take off your cap.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business what other people wear.¡± Sangwoo felt better at the refreshing sound of opening his canned coffee, because he hadn¡¯t heard it in a long time. He carefully put the opening to his lips and as soon as he tilted the can, lukewarm liquid flowed into his mouth. ¡°Do you find that tasty?¡± ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes 1Denotes successful completion of a program. 2I think he means that Sangwoo was behaving out of character. 3Sangwoo responds to Jaeyoung with noona (older sister). He is being sarcastic as Jaeyoung always calls himself Sangwoo¡¯s hyung (older brother), which would indicate a close relationship. Also, his choice of words, ¡®I only have person¡¯ (person-?? ??) means something like he is the only one he can count on. This is a normal Korean way of responding when a friend is treating you to a meal or helping you out with something. 4A Korean slang for an errand boy, but for getting coffee. 5Sangwoo is thinking about this situation as if it were a computer program. The input would be Jaeyoung¡¯s out of character behavior, hence ¡®input error.¡¯ Chapter 5.3 Sangwoo didn¡¯t have a concept of things such as taste. It was just that the sense of comfort he felt everyday put him into a nostalgic mood. Sangwoo ignored Jaeyoung and began to walk in the direction of the liberal arts college, perhaps in hope of recovering his lost daily routine. There was still a sign saying ¡°The theater department is shooting here¡± on the path he usually took. He had been tricked by that sign for three days, but he knew the truth now. Sangwoo kicked the sign, and put it in the trash can after breaking it. Peace found him as he was walking along his lost path, despite Jaeyoung being next to him. Sangwoo sipped on his canned coffee and even walked with his eyes closed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too daring?¡± Sangwoo walked a bit faster as he didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. Then, Jaeyoung sped up and chased after him as if it were the most natural thing to do. ¡°Even when you know what I¡¯ll do when it¡¯s just the two of us here alone.¡± ¡°Are you a fucking thug?¡± ¡°¡­look at the way you talk.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not a thug, it shouldn¡¯t matter. I just asked if you were a thug. Did it hit home?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take time for your favorite 112 to dispatch. Let¡¯s be careful,¡± Jaeyoung said while clenching his teeth. Sangwoo looked at Jaeyoung with a sneer. Even if he was handsomely tall, the coat he wore gave off a vibe of not being able to fight, especially not being skilled at martial arts. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re very good at fighting, sunbae.¡± ¡°Oh, really? You must be working out?¡± Sangwoo practiced Taekwondo for a long time, but studying had been his priority since high school. These days, he didn¡¯t do any other exercise at home apart from stretching his arms or riding his bicycle to and from school. ¡°I used to exercise a bit before. I rarely do it these days.¡± ¡°Play basketball with hyung next time. I won¡¯t let you touch the ball.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to. And please stop adding family members to others.1¡± There was an almost fully-constructed futsal field at the end of the path. Sangwoo naturally walked to the front of the Natural Science College and stood to throw away the can. The can arced through the air and neatly landed in the second of the three trash cans. He felt relieved. Step-by-step, he felt like he was rebuilding the card tower someone had blown up. The library was next. Sangwoo sat down in the seat he had reserved in advance, and Jaeyoung sat down right next to it. This time, he didn¡¯t borrow any books, and just simply took out a pen. While Sangwoo took out the textbooks for his major and hung his backpack on the back of the chair, Jaeyoung grabbed his notebook. ¡°Give it back. It¡¯s theft.¡± Jaeyoung rolled his eyes as if he were annoyed, flipped the notebook over, and glanced at its back cover. After checking the price tag, he took out a leather wallet from his pocket, and put two 1,000 won bills on Sangwoo¡¯s desk. Sangwoo was at a loss for words. He would¡¯ve reported it if it were an important notebook, but he only used it to practice his material. Rather than wasting his time quarreling with Jaeyoung, he simply grabbed another notebook of the same design from his bag. And then the interference began again. Sangwoo was half-waiting, as he was anticipating the sound of flipping pages. Sangwoo grabbed his earplugs, the third bullet he¡¯d prepared, from his backpack, and plugged them into his ears so he couldn¡¯t hear any annoying sounds. Jihye¡¯s other two pieces of advice had gone up in smoke, but the third one was effective. The earplugs made him feel trapped and uncomfortable, but the positives outweighed the negatives as all noise was effectively blocked. He had a feeling that he would be able to concentrate and study well for the first time in a while. But, before he could even read a single paragraph, he felt a gaze fall upon his cheeks. When he looked to his right, Jaeyoung had completely turned his body to that side, and was drawing something in the notebook. He had a rather professional posture and expression on his face, and was alternating between looking at Sangwoo and the notebook, while quickly moving his pen. ¡®He¡¯s impossible.¡¯ Sangwoo grabbed his divider, put it up on his right side, and turned his head back to his book. He was startled so he looked to his side a minute later and noticed that the divider had been noiselessly lowered. He hadn¡¯t heard it because of the earplugs. Jaeyoung pulled it down when Sangwoo erected it again. After repeating this three times, Sangwoo got angry. He had thought he would have been able to study today at least, but it seemed like he had failed once again. After putting up the divider this time, he held it in place with his right hand so that it wouldn¡¯t fall over and returned to his book. It was fine at first, but after a short while, he felt another glare. This time, Jaeyoung had stood up and was drawing while looking diagonally across at Sangwoo. ¡®That crazy bastard.¡¯ Sangwoo moved his lips and silently cursed. Jaeyoung had contributed to their team project, kindly given him coffee, and removed the barrier from his preferred walking path. However, he had then ruined Sangwoo¡¯s reputation in front of the professor by joking around with the script and was now distracting him from his studies by watching him from the side. Things were better than the red-padded coat days, but today¡¯s green coat was just as irritating. Sangwoo decided to start studying at home instead. His desk at home wasn¡¯t as wide as the one in the library, and the lighting was dim, but it would be much better to study at home since he wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything done like this. Sangwoo violently pulled out his earplugs and tried to pack his stuff, but from he heard the sound of a page being torn from a notebook beside him. When he put his textbook in his backpack and turned around again, the paper that Jaeyoung had torn out was placed in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s a gift.¡± Jaeyoung had drawn a caricature in the notebook. The drawing was as exaggerated as those found in American political cartoons. The cheekbones stuck out and the eyes bulged, with dark shadows drawn beneath. The lips were twisted in a grimace and the neck was so thin, it looked like it would break. Most exaggerated of all though, was the tremendously over-sized black baseball cap. Sangwoo tore the paper to pieces on the spot. ¡°You¡¯re going too far, really.¡± He ignored Jaeyoung¡¯s murmur and put each piece of the torn paper into his hand. Then he threw them into the trash can on his way out. ¡°Do you know how much I get paid when I do magazine illustrations ?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that it¡¯s not the type of drawing you just tear into pieces like that.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t tear it because you can¡¯t draw well, but because it was you who drew it, sunbae.¡± ¡°You happily drank the coffee I gave you, though.¡± ¡°Cause it wasn¡¯t made by you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me speechless.¡± It was 13:32 (1:32 PM) when he exited the library. It had only been a huge waste of time. When Sangwoo got on his bike, Jaeyoung shouted from afar. ¡°Sangwoo!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit early, but good night.¡± It was completely meaningless to tell him such a thing in broad daylight. Though, it wouldn¡¯t be nice even if he said it at night. ¡°I hope you have a nightmare, sunbae.¡± The bike went downhill. return 0; Things got even better the next day. Since Sangwoo only had classes related to his major on Friday, Jaeyoung slept face down on the desk throughout all of first and second period. Sangwoo made an effort to concentrate on class while holding his pen, ruminating over the things he regretted from the previous day. He was in good condition despite Jaeyoung being next to him. ¡°Do you want me to buy you dinner again today?¡± After class, Jaeyoung offered to get Sangwoo free stuff for no reason again that day. If someone else had offered, he would¡¯ve accepted, but because it was Jaeyoung, he had to use his brain. i) Accept Financial gain (Y), Stress (Y) = low damage ii) Refuse ¨C If Jaeyoung follows him to the school cafeteria: Financial gain (N), Stress (Y) = high damage iii) Refuse ¨C If Jaeyoung goes to another restaurant: Financial gain (N), Stress (N) = status quo If he accepted his offer, there¡¯d be a 100% chance of him eating with Jaeyoung, so he would get stressed. If Jaeyoung followed him even if he refused, he wouldn¡¯t get a free meal and he¡¯d get even more stressed. It all depended on his opponent¡¯s reaction, so he had no choice but to make an educated guess and take a risk. ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°School cafeteria again today, then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a school cafeteria maniac. They should give you an award.¡± Luckily, the third option was a winner. After Jaeyoung went away, Sangwoo entered the cafeteria alone. He peacefully ate in an unfrequented corner of the cafeteria as usual. He finished the meal only a minute later than he normally did, so it was good thus far. However, Jaeyoung was waiting by the cafeteria exit. ¡°Here.¡± It was ¡®Blackholic,¡¯ without fail. Like the previous day, Sangwoo accepted the can, examined the exterior, shook it to make sure there wasn¡¯t anything wrong with it, and then popped it open. Jaeyoung asked something strange while he took his first sip. ¡°You want to do well on the Chinese skit, right?¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go somewhere.¡± It was a strange request to go to a certain place in order to do well on the skit. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°To go look for our costumes?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a Qing merchant, so are you going to wear a t-shirt with English on it?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s time to walk.¡± ¡°You can do that later.¡± Jaeyoung got irritated, but finally grabbed Sangwoo by the wrist and began to drag him away. ¡°This is an assault. I¡¯m going to report it. I said, I¡¯ll report it,¡± Sangwoo yelled while holding his cellphone in his other hand. However, Jaeyoung just frowned and took away his cell phone and put it in Sangwoo¡¯s pocket. He was stronger than he looked. ¡°I¡¯ll let you draw a red line today,¡±2 he continued. ¡°You stubborn bastard. Why on earth are you doing this to someone who is trying to help you? After we finish everything and you still think it is assault, report me. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Was he really trying to help? Sangwoo was suspicious, but he decided to believe him. Jaeyoung let go of his wrist when he answered: ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to be a Qing merchant, right?,¡± Jaeyoung asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Of course. That character had a lot more lines, so there was a high probability of getting a high score. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be a customer and a voice phishing guy.¡±3 Jaeyoung simply entered the student center without elaborating on where they were going. After they went up the stairs, Jaeyoung stopped at a door with ¡°Theater Department¡± written on it. As he opened the door, a messy room with props, masks, and costumes appeared. On top of a small refrigerator was a pile of Blackholic canned coffee that Jaeyoung had hoarded. There were posters of past plays on the wall and two boys sitting on the couch, playing a soccer game on a console. ¡°You¡¯re here, Jaeyoung sunbaenim?¡± ¡°Never mind us, just keep doing what you were doing.¡± Without even giving them as much as a glance, Jaeyoung moved the mannequin aside and opened a door behind it. Sangwoo entered the room when Jaeyoung gestured to him. The room was arranged like a two-tier closet with rods attached to three walls. It was frighteningly small, but there were all sorts of costumes tightly packed in there. Jaeyoung picked up a stick and used it to poke between the clothes on the top tier. Sangwoo followed his lead and searched along the bottom tier for Qing dynasty era clothing, but it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± Jaeyoung had found something meeting his requirements among tons of clothes. It was a blue robe that started from the neck and went all the way down to the ankles, with a belt around the waist, and an intricate gold pattern on the chest. He took out a purple robe with a similar design and placed it on top of Sangwoo¡¯s body. ¡°Is this better, or is that better?¡± Jaeyoung asked. ¡°They look the same.¡± ¡°The hem is different, though. The hem.¡± ¡°Just go with anything. It¡¯s weird to care this much about outfits for a Chinese skit.¡± ¡°This is what one ought to do if one is planning on getting a perfect score. I want to wear this one.¡± Jaeyoung seemed to like yellow clothes with similar designs (actually, they all looked the same in Sangwoo¡¯s eyes). ¡°Look for a pigtail.¡± Jaeyoung ordered. Sangwoo did as he was told and squatted down and searched for wigs in a box, but since he couldn¡¯t find any, he considered his actions to be unprofitable. As he reached for another box to rummage through, Jaeyoung suddenly squatted low to be at Sangwoo¡¯s level, so his face was now where his shin had been a moment before.¡°Please move back a bit.¡± ¡°Oh, gotcha.¡± Jaeyoung only spoke, but didn¡¯t actually move a single inch. Sangwoo dug through the box while feeling uncomfortable. Before long, his head felt bare. When he looked up, Jaeyoung was holding Sangwoo¡¯s ball cap. Even as Sangwoo saw that Jaeyoung stood as still as a statue, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t figure out what kind of trick he was pulling. Sangwoo guessed that he would like to have the hat, since he had been talking about the hat since yesterday. ¡°It¡¯s an old thing that I¡¯ve been using since high school. Just buy one.¡± Jaeyoung could only look closely at Sangwoo¡¯s face. ¡°If you don¡¯t come looking for me in the future, I¡¯ll buy you the same kind of cap.¡± Sangwoo suggested. Although Sangwoo made this suggestion with an if statement,4 he guessed his solution to this cap issue still wouldn¡¯t work. Borrowing Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s own expression, things would not have come this far if they could simply be solved with a cheap hat. Jaeyoung reacted oddly. This reaction wasn¡¯t one of mockery, sarcasm, or any other form of teasing. He didn¡¯t put the cap on himself or do anything Sangwoo would have predicted. The hand that didn¡¯t have the cap in it appeared in front of Sangwoo¡¯s eyes. ¡°You have something here.¡± The long fingers very slowly came closer. There was plenty of time to avoid them, but Sangwoo had been paralyzed by a strange kind of tension. Eventually, Jaeyoung¡¯s index finger and middle finger very slowly stretched out and touched Sangwoo¡¯s bangs. The moment the tips of his fingers touched Sangwoo¡¯s forehead, there was a static electric shock. Sangwoo crushed the box as he stepped back. An instinctive rejection of the unpleasant stimulus made him hit Jaeyoung¡¯s hand. ¡°Put it down.¡± ¡°You look much better without a hat on. Why are you so covered up?¡± ¡°I can do what I want. ¡± He extended his hand, but Jaeyoung didn¡¯t return his cap . Sangwoo got angry. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to give it back.¡± ¡°Why? Let¡¯s look at your face a bit.¡± ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes 1Hyung means older brother in Korean (when said by a male to a male). It is also used by friends, indicating a close relationship. Sangwoo can be very literal-minded. He thinks Jaeyoung referring to himself as his (Sangwoo¡¯s) hyung is an unacceptable degree of familiarity best used only among family members. 2The term ¡®red line¡¯ appears to be somewhat of a complex Korean idiom having to do with subverting the justice system (the law) and somehow managing to commit a crime within the confines of the law. Sangwoo mentions this ¡®red line¡¯ concept to Jaeyoung. Sangwoo sees Jaeyoung as constantly toeing this ¡®red line¡¯ of almost assaulting him (getting too close in a threatening manner, grabbing his wrist, etc.) and of almost stealing from him (taking his things without asking but then immediately compensating him). 3Voice phishing is a very common scam in Korea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_phishing. Although this skit is set in the Qing Dynasty, they are incorporating modern phrases they received in their handouts on the first day of class. Voice phishing obviously didn¡¯t exist during that era. 4¡®if¡¯ was actually written in English and refers to ¡®if statements¡¯ in computer programming languages. Here is a resource about if statements: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/ifstatme.htm. Sangwoo assumes Jaeyoung removes his ball cap and has made reference to it a few times because he thinks Jaeyoung wants one of his own. When the condition of an if statement is met or ¡®true,¡¯ something will happen (displaying a value, running a function, etc.) Using this framework, if it is true that Jaeyoung wants his own ball cap, then he¡¯ll truly get what he wants and leave Sangwoo in peace. Else, nothing will happen. Back to the drawing board about how to get rid of that troublesome Jaeyoung. Chapter 5.4 ¡°Ahhh, I told you to let go!¡± It was the first time Sangwoo had ever spoken informally to a senior. Sangwoo threw himself forward and snatched his hat from Jaeyoung¡¯s hand. Their chests momentarily bumped, and Jaeyoung fell backwards, but Sangwoo immediately stood up and ran out of the dressing room. The male students playing on the console turned their heads in surprise as the door slammed shut. Sangwoo could feel his heart pounding, and he could feel his face heating up. ¡®Why do you make a fuss and take what belongs to others so easily?¡¯ He was panting as he left the theater department. Jaeyoung had himself said that he was unpredictable, and this had been correct. Doing this and doing that, he was a bastard that was as unpredictable as the weather. Sangwoo, who had been in a rush, gradually slowed down. As time went by, he began to feel awkward. No matter if Jang Jaeyoung had taken the cap and not given it back to him, suddenly shouting out of nowhere, had been an overreaction. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t naturally the type of person who¡¯d lose his temper just because he got angry. But he had been surprised, because someone suddenly got very close to him and touched his face. This was why he hadn¡¯t been able to use good judgment. ¡®Come to think of it, it isn¡¯t even reasonable.¡¯ When you tackle someone in soccer, you¡¯re much closer than this. How about in wrestling or Ssireum1, when bodies are completely glued together? No one even bats an eye. In the army, it¡¯s nothing to be tightly packed together while taking showers being fully naked. All of these things are between men anyway. Sangwoo concluded that he had acted irrationally. So when Jaeyoung followed behind him, he couldn¡¯t look him in the eye. Jaeyoung handed Sangwoo a blue costume, a pigtail wig, and a cellphone. ¡°I joked around and removed your cap to put the pigtail on. I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d get angry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry.¡± It was a lie, because Sangwoo¡¯s heart was still pounding furiously. Jaeyoung was simply trying to prepare their props, but it became clear that Sangwoo had misunderstood him in a strange way. Whether he intended to or not, he seemed to be able to stress out Sangwoo in many ways. ¡°We have to practice to do well on the skit. Let¡¯s get along, Sangwoo.¡± Sangwoo ignored his words and left the building with the costume and the wig in his backpack. He could hear the sound of Jaeyoung following him from behind. Sangwoo turned around and said: ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve changed your strategy, but stuff like that doesn¡¯t work on me, so don¡¯t pretend that we¡¯re close.¡± A smile spread on Jaeyoung¡¯s expressionless mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t do things like planning strategies. I just do what I want.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t follow me from here. I don¡¯t even go to the library now, and I study at home, because of you, sunbae. ¡°Telling me not to do it makes me want to do it even more.¡± ¡°Follow me, then.¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll have to do what you say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Sangwoo quickly walked towards the library and got on his bike as usual. He thought that he¡¯d feel a bit better if he deliberately passed by Jaeyoung while going down the hill at lightning speed. But Jaeyoung followed him down the hill. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You told me to follow you.¡± Sangwoo looked at the fluorescent skateboard Jaeyoung was riding with an astonished look. Just how crazy was this person, really? Wasn¡¯t time precious to everyone? He shook his head and tried to concentrate on just riding his bicycle, but he kept glancing in Jaeyoung¡¯s direction. Jang Jaeyoung skated very well, and he knew it would grab people¡¯s attention. It wasn¡¯t just Sangwoo, but also those who saw him in the alley, curiously looked at him with admiration. Jaeyoung seemed to enjoy the attention as he showed off his skills by doing aerials in this crowded place. He smiled at people as if he were a celebrity and ran up to children and gave them high-fives. He looked as carefree as a video game character. Even then, Sangwoo knew that Jaeyoung was different from himself, but watching him skate with his hair fluttering in the wind and a smile on his face, he felt like they were from completely different species. From one to ten, they were complete opposites. Unlike Sangwoo, who only did what he had to, Jaeyoung seemed to do whatever he wanted to. Unlike Sangwoo, who didn¡¯t have a single friend, Jaeyoung was the university star with acquaintances everywhere. Unlike Sangwoo, who only wore black clothes, Jaeyoung¡¯s closet had to be rainbow-colored. Unlike Sangwoo, who always wore an indifferent expression, Jaeyoung always smiled mischievously. Unlike Sangwoo, who was obsessed with sticking to the same routine, Jaeyoung was like a homeless vagabond. They were living in different worlds. Without that unsavory incident, they would never have gotten to know each other. The two of them rode side by side around the sidewalk and entered an alley. Even though no one else was around, Jaeyoung did a 180 degree aerial to land. It was as if the skateboard were attached to his feet. ¡°Why the hell are you following me?¡± There were many better places to skateboard, but he couldn¡¯t understand why he would do it on the uneven pavement of an alley. Jaeyoung replied that there were no insignificant things and nothing is to be done lightly. It wasn¡¯t an appropriate response for the question. However, there wasn¡¯t any need to understand him anyway, since they were already halfway through this entire ordeal. ¡°There¡¯s only a week left now.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°The withdrawal period.¡± Jaeyoung just laughed without responding. They were almost in front of the studio building where Sangwoo lived. It was a four-story building with mold on the plaster walls. Sangwoo locked his bicycle to a covered bicycle rack marked #402. While he did that, Jaeyoung looked up at the building while lightly pushing his skateboard back and forth with his feet. ¡°So you live here.¡± ¡°The maximum sentence for trespassing is three years.¡± ¡°I was wondering why you hadn¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°If you pick the lock and take my bike, I¡¯ll report you immediately. The same goes for the saddle and other parts as well.¡± Jaeyoung just laughed at Sangwoo¡¯s words instead of saying something sarcastic. When he tapped the tip of the skateboard with his foot, the other side of the board flipped up. Jaeyoung held the board with his left hand and waved his right hand. ¡°Have a nice weekend, Sangwoo.¡± ¡°¡­ Ok.¡± He didn¡¯t have any choice but to give Jaeyoung¡¯s innocuous words a passive response. Sangwoo took his eyes off him and entered the building. He was wondering why he felt so uneasy, so he tried to contemplate this while climbing the stairs. By the look of things, it seemed to be because it was the first time that they parted in a normal way without cursing at each other. Sangwoo was anxious that Jaeyoung would follow him, but there wasn¡¯t a single sound behind him. Sangwoo climbed to the fourth floor and entered his studio upon inputting the door lock password. He sighed for an unknown reason. He put his backpack in front of the door, took off his cap and coat, and hung them up. He took off his jeans, changed into a training suit, and then washed his hands with soap in the bathroom. There was an ordinary guy with flat, unstyled bangs in the mirror. Sangwoo grabbed a book he was going to study with from the bookshelf and placed it on his desk. He grabbed the pencil case and the notebook from his backpack and placed them next to the book. However, before he sat down on the chair, his feet moved towards the window. He slightly lifted the curtains and looked down under the window. Jaeyoung had left the skateboard on the spot and was playing with a cat. The black cat was lying on the ground showing its belly, while Jaeyoung squatted and scratched the cat everywhere with his fingers. Sangwoo had also encountered this cat several times, but he had only seen it either hiss angrily or quickly make an escape. After he saw Jaeyoung take out his cellphone to take a picture of the cat, Sangwoo closed the curtains. He experienced two days in hardcore hell mode, one day of rest, and two days where he got slightly annoyed. Just like with his character, it was difficult to define with a word, but Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s behavior had been like an irregular sequence. Sangwoo hated things that didn¡¯t have a pattern, because they were unpredictable. He sat down at his desk and began to study. return 0; Uncertainty is accompanied by inefficiency. Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s behavior had no pattern at all, so he wasn¡¯t able to predict what he¡¯d do during the weekend. So, Sangwoo repeatedly felt nervous and then relieved whenever he saw a human silhouette projected onto a game poster that covered the window glass of the door to the PC room. His part-time job on that Saturday went by slowly. There were fewer people than usual, but he wasn¡¯t able to spend his spare time efficiently as he kept glancing at the door. It was a desirable defense if he had to deal with the sudden appearance of an enemy. However, Sangwoo thought it was funny, as just by looking at the situation itself, it seemed as if he were waiting for Jaeyoung. ¡®There hasn¡¯t been a day where I haven¡¯t seen him until now.¡¯ That was the only pattern he could find in Jaeyoung¡¯s behavior. He chased Sangwoo around as if preying upon him, even on Wednesday when their classes didn¡¯t overlap. However, by 10pm, Jaeyoung still hadn¡¯t shown up. Sangwoo felt odd and a bit uncomfortable, and he thought he might be waiting in front of his studio. Since he¡¯d gone there by skateboard once, with his persistent personality, it wouldn¡¯t be that much of an effort for him to return. Sangwoo walked to the front of his building and saw a black figure there. ¡®As expected, there he is!¡¯ But when he got closer and looked at it, it was just a huge garbage bag. In the end, Sangwoo didn¡¯t see Jaeyoung once that day. If he had known that it would turn out that way, he would have spent his time working more efficiently. As he was glancing at the door, he regretted the time wasted doing nothing. Sangwoo entered his studio while feeling a bit sullen and ended the day. i) Jang Jaeyoung appears and disappears during the week with [100]% certainty. ii) Jang Jaeyoung appears and disappears during the week with [x]% certainty. (0 ¡Ü x ¡Ü 50) Albeit incomplete, he drew the same conclusion from the example he got from the previous Saturday. In order to not be as anxious as he¡¯d been the previous day, Sangwoo believed in the option of Jaeyoung not appearing again today, with the same type of conviction as in religious belief. Ding-dong. However, Jang Jaeyoung broke down Sangwoo¡¯s ¡®belief¡¯ when he appeared at 19:33 (7:33pm). When the bell rang on the door, making eye contact with the visitors was a requirement of his job. Sangwoo¡¯s hypothesis that Jaeyoung wouldn¡¯t show up was partially torn into shreds. Jaeyoung picked up his card and passed the counter, so Sangwoo felt anxious about what he was going to do. The fortunate thing was that there was a security camera affixed to the ceiling, so if Jaeyoung were to do something irrational, he could just tell his manager and make it so that Jaeyoung could never return again. The manager was a kind man. In the past, he had sided with him when a fight had started between Sangwoo and a man asking for credit. [Customer #22 Order: HOT Chicken Flavor Ramyun]2 Sangwoo glared at the notification. Jaeyoung had only passed the counter a minute ago. It was clear that he had placed the order as soon as he had turned the computer on. Sangwoo got up from the seat, measured the appropriate amount of water, boiled it, and cooked the ramyun according to the instructions. He put the ramyun bowl on the tray and headed to the smoking room. Jaeyoung was leaning against a chair and shook his legs while looking at a webtoon. Sangwoo put the tray down on the table and turned around immediately. He heard a loud sigh behind him. Three minutes after returning to the counter, another notification arrived. [Customer #22 Order: Lemonade] ¡®It seems like the tactic today is to train a mutt.¡¯ If that were the case, then it would be the most bearable one so far. Jaeyoung¡¯s seat wasn¡¯t that far from the counter anyway, and since Sangwoo was already getting paid working there at the PC room, it was no big deal to do something else anyway. Eighty percent of the glass was filled with water from the water purifier. He dissolved one teaspoon of concentrated lemonade powder into the water. When he dropped in four ice cubes, the water level raised all the way to the top of the glass. Sangwoo went to Jaeyoung with the cup on the same tray as before. He was watching a video of people spray painting on walls. The bowl of ramyun was half-empty. ¡°Whew¡­¡± A heavy sigh left his lips as if he had been jolted by an earthquake. Sangwoo put the drink down next to the ramyun bowl and the smoking room. Five minutes after returning to his seat, another notification arrived. [Customer #22 Order: Abalone chips] Sangwoo glared at the screen with a displeased expression on his face. The system allowed all types of food to be ordered, but there were rarely any customers who rang the bell just to order a snack, as they usually went to the counter themselves to buy it. ¡®Thanks for allowing me to exercise that way.¡¯ Sangwoo grabbed the snacks from the shelf and headed towards the smoking room. Jaeyoung was watching a video of overseas basketball this time. ¡°Haaaaaa¡­¡± The sigh seemed to gradually get louder somehow. Sangwoo put the snack next to the lemonade and the ramyun bowl, and left the smoking room. Sangwoo knew that wouldn¡¯t be the end of it. He sat by the counter with his arms folded and looked at the screen. After waiting for a while, the notification went off again. [Customer #22 Order]: Fruit Jelly Sangwoo snatched the jelly, as if had been waiting to do so, and headed towards the smoking room. ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­.¡± ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes 1.SSireum is a form of Korean wrestling. 2.This was translated as Spicy Fire Ramyun in a previous chapter, but I decided to use the English name on the pack. The author changed a letter (probably in order to avoid copyright issues), so I changed it from ¡°ramen¡± to ¡°ramyun¡± as well. Many of you may have seen the massively popular spicy ramen eating challenge videos. Chapter 5.5 Jaeyoung sighed as soon as the door opened. Sangwoo threw the jelly onto Jaeyoung¡¯s lap. ¡°Order everything in one go.¡± ¡°Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa¡­.¡± ¡°And if you have something to say, say it. Don¡¯t just sigh.¡± ¡°It¡¯s miserable, so miserable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want me to do,¡± Sangwoo muttered and turned his back on Jaeyoung. When he grabbed the door handle to the smoking room, he heard a voice from behind. ¡°I was trying to place orders until you asked me why I was sighing.¡± Sangwoo forced a smile. If he wanted to say something, he could just do so. Why choose such a roundabout way and waste time and money on it? ¡°So why are you sighing?¡± ¡°My laptop broke,¡± Jaeyoung murmured as if had been waiting, and as if it were something he just said in passing at the same time. Sangwoo¡¯s curiosity was aroused. ¡°Where¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just beeps and it won¡¯t turn on.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably an issue with the memory card being out of the slot or the motherboard. If the RAM is missing, it¡¯s fine if you open it and insert it, but if the chipset is malfunctioning1, you have to submit it to the AS.2 Make a decision after listening to how many times the sound goes off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m computer illiterate, so I don¡¯t get stuff like that,¡± Jaeyoung depressingly murmured and sighed again. ¡°What should I do? Should I take it to a hardware store or something? It¡¯ll cost around 500,000 won3 right?¡± ¡®Is this bastard a pushover?¡¯ Jang Jaeyoung turned around and folded his arms. Jang Jaeyoung was nestled in his chair while staring at Sangwoo. He began to mutter to himself. ¡°I brought it with me, but it¡¯s not like it will be fixed if I touch it. I¡¯ll have to look for the AS Center after playing some games. I wonder if there¡¯s a place open at this hour. I¡¯m really worried¡­¡± ¡°Give it to me,¡± Sangwoo blurted out. He didn¡¯t mean to help him out of pity. If a problem was before him, he simply had a desire to solve it. Jaeyoung clapped his hands and widened his eyes. ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re majoring in computer science, aren¡¯t you? Since it¡¯s also a computer, are you able to fix it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at it.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t mind and extended the green bag that carried his laptop. Sangwoo took it and returned to the counter. When he opened the bag, he saw a 14¡± white laptop. It was a foreign model that was released two years ago. He had used one like this as well, so it was a brand he knew well. When he turned it on, it beeped twice without booting, just as Jaeyoung had said. If it beeped twice instead of four times, it was a sign of an issue with the memory. Sangwoo forced the laptop to shut down. He then grabbed a crosshead screwdriver out of the drawer and began to disassemble it. ¡®Will this work?¡¯ When he opened it, the RAM card didn¡¯t even move out of the slot an inch. In fact, there was no RAM card at all. Sangwoo requested for a conversation with Customer #22. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Admin: Sunbae, there is no RAM. [20:16] Guest22: whatsdat??? Check the bag [20:16] ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sangwoo made a frown at that nonsense, but he searched the pocket of the green bag since he didn¡¯t have anything to lose anyway. Ridiculously enough, there was a memory card inside. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Admin: There¡¯s one in the bag. Why did you take out the RAM? [20:18] Guest22: itmusthavefallenout sinceikeptswingingitaround?? [20:19] ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡®You¡¯re saying that the computer parts fell out on their own so the case was ripped off?¡¯ That was the most absurd thing that Jaeyoung had said so far. Anyway, when he plugged the memory card back in and turned the computer on, it rebooted. However, it didn¡¯t just seem like a hardware issue with his laptop. The boot time seemed unusually long. Five minutes or something had passed when something appeared on the desktop that made Sangwoo speechless. There were design software icons, images, videos, documents, and all kinds of folders displayed on the screen. He wasn¡¯t even able to see the face of the female celebrity set as the wallpaper because of this. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Admin: The booting is too slow. Clear up the icons on your desktop and erase the programs you don¡¯t use. [20:27] Guest22: isitbroken??? [20:27] Admin: It¡¯s not to the degree where it¡¯s broken. I¡¯ll install an optimization program. Buy a SSD and install it, if you can. [20:27] ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ However, it wasn¡¯t something that would be solved with a program. It was to the point where it took about a minute to even launch the web browser, so even if it weren¡¯t old, it was worth figuring out how the computer had been used. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Admin: I think it¡¯d be better to do a formatting. [20:32] Guest22: doitplease?? [20:32] Admin: There is no OS, though. [20:32] Guest22: Come to think of it, there¡¯s some sort of CD in the bag [20:32] ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Who in the world would carry an operating system disc in their bag? Surprisingly though, there was an authentic CD in the back pocket of the bag. Sangwoo felt the absurdity of the situation. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Admin: Do you usually walk around with an OS? [20:34] Guest22: i don¡¯t know?? it¡¯s probably a freebie [20:34] Admin: Got it. You have to back up your data. [20:35] Guest22: what¡¯s a backup tho??? [20:35] Admin: Find a high-storage USB memory stick or an external hard drive and bring it here. If you don¡¯t have one, do it on the cloud. [20:35] Guest22: Look for one in the bag [20:35] ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ridiculously enough, there was an external hard drive with 1TB in the inside pocket. At this point, you could even say that it was a magical bag that had everything. It was surprising that a person who didn¡¯t even know what a backup was had an external hard drive with high-capacity storage. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Admin: I¡¯ll do a formatting. Did you partition the drive?[20:37] Guest22: The C- and D-drives are divided into halves, with Windows in the D [20:38] Guest22: idon¡¯tknow anythingtho??iheardthats ggoodtouse??? [20:38] Admin: Yes. [20:39] ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Sangwoo backed up the data from the slow laptop to an external hard drive and formatted it. After that, he optimized the laptop and installed some basic software. He felt proud as he shut the cover. Time went by fast and he felt better inside since he¡¯d done productive work. ¡°Hey, your eyes are sparkling.¡± Jaeyoung was glancing down at Sangwoo with his arms and chin leaning against the counter. Since when had he been there? Sangwoo hadn¡¯t noticed him at all. ¡°Are you already done with everything? That¡¯s impressive.¡± Sangwoo had belatedly realized it. It seemed like two hours had flown by while fixing and formatting Jaeyoung¡¯s laptop. Nobody had asked him to, but he had done this on his own volition. Even though Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t as heinous as he had been at first, Sangwoo had fixed the laptop that belonged to this annoying thug with a garbage personality. Sangwoo put the device in the bag with an irritated look on his face and held it out to Jaeyoung. ¡°Here. The graphics tool isn¡¯t supported, so don¡¯t install it.¡±4 ¡°Thanks, Sangwoo.¡± Strangely enough, Jaeyoung¡¯s two words deeply touched his heart. He felt a little strange. That¡¯s because the price after two hours of labor couldn¡¯t be replaced with a simple thanks, but the moment he heard that one word, he had the illusion of thinking his hard work hadn¡¯t been worthless after all. Sangwoo nodded without looking into Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes. At that moment, the part-time worker for the night shift arrived and exchanged seats with Sangwoo. While Sangwoo cleared up his area and put on his coat, Jaeyoung stood in front of the door with the laptop bag hanging on his shoulder. Sangwoo walked for a while, without thinking of anything. Then, when the endorphins circulating through his body from working on a computer had died down, he found himself facing a situation where he was walking side by side with Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung was walking beside Sangwoo with his hand in his pocket while humming a strange song. He hadn¡¯t made an attempt to trip him, humiliate, or even torment him yet. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jaeyoung looked at Sangwoo as if he had just discovered that Sangwoo was there. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Me? Oh¡­ home?¡± ¡°This is the way to my place, though?¡± ¡°I live this way, too.¡± That explained while he was walking next to him. He wasn¡¯t following him; he was just on his way home. ¡°Sangwoo, you¡¯re good with computers.¡± ¡°You just had everything that was needed in the bag.¡± ¡°I think I should compensate you since I¡¯m thankful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I did it because I couldn¡¯t stand it,¡± Sangwoo firmly told him. He didn¡¯t know what he would get up to by using compensation as an excuse, and he hadn¡¯t done it because he¡¯d been hoping for something like that. ¡°No. You¡¯ve worked hard, so you need to be rewarded.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jaeyoung remained still for a while, then suddenly asked, ¡°Do you want to watch a movie?¡± Sangwoo wasn¡¯t interested in movies, but as far as he knew, the equation ¡®Cinema = dating course¡¯ was a common view in society. ¡°Why would I watch a movie with you, sunbae?¡± ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t ask you to go watch it together. I was going to give you a ticket to go watch it by yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t understand why he had been having so many weird misconceptions starting from a few days ago. He felt his breath become shallow and shaky. ¡°If that¡¯s so, sure.¡± He talked and walked as fast as he could chew. It was fortunate that he was almost home. Jaeyoung stopped walking in front of the studio apartment building. Sangwoo walked towards the door as if he were running away. ¡°Good night, Sangwoo.¡± It was an unnecessarily friendly greeting. Jaeyoung¡¯s greeting made Sangwoo feel awkward today. For some reason, Sangwoo wasn¡¯t able to ignore him like usual. ¡°¡­. You too, sunbae.¡± Sangwoo said without knowing whether Jaeyoung had heard him or not, and ran up the stairs two steps at a time. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes Chapter 6.1 Chapter 6 <100> Jang Jaeyoung has definitely gotten strange. The intensity of his harassment, which once utterly stressed out Sangwoo, had steeply declined, and it was finally converging to zero. That of course, only applied if he didn¡¯t take into consideration the basic stress of sitting next to him during class and the other types of stressors he got from just being around him. On the Monday of the second week, Jaeyoung went beyond not tormenting Sangwoo and actually began to be helpful. He showed this during Chinese class, when they had to practice conversational expressions they had learned with the person next to them. Sangwoo tried to practice with the girl on his left, rather than with Jaeyoung, but she refused his offer, telling him that she was friends with another female student. While he wasted time like that, the students both in front and behind him had all begun to practice, so Sangwoo had no choice but do it with Jaeyoung, who was sitting in awkward posture while laughing in his face. ¡°Gong-zol-tao-Seoulzan-duo-chang-sseu-jien?1¡±2 Sangwoo first asked how long it would take to get to Seoul Station in Chinese. Jaeyoung, who was listening, said: ¡°You¡¯re not really good with languages, are you?¡± Sangwoo ignored those words, Because he thought he only needed to practice more, Sangwoo ignored those words and moved on to the next dialogue. ¡°Womon-mingtien-yi-chi-chikan-tiening-ba?¡±3 Shall we go watch a movie tomorrow? Jaeyoung, who was calmly listening to Sangwoo¡¯s question, made a strange smile. He faked a cough and quickly responded. ¡°H¨§n h¨£o, k¨¤n sh¨¦nme di¨¤ny?ng?4 ¡±That¡¯s not how it goes.¡± Sangwoo frowned. It clearly said: ¡°I can¡¯t because I don¡¯t have time¡± in the textbook, but Jaeyoung made up a completely nonsensical response. He was a bastard who couldn¡¯t go a day without mischief. ¡°Did you understand? What does it mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s good. It¡¯s asking what kind of movie you¡¯re going to watch. Do it properly.¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re good at reading, writing, and listening. But for an intermediate class, your speaking level is in a critical condition.¡± ¡°I¡¯m following the lines in the book.¡± ¡°Language is meaningless if we can¡¯t communicate. All countries have their own different ways of speaking, but you¡¯re not making an effort to copy that at all.¡± ¡®Why is he acting like a teacher?¡¯ Sangwoo felt hostile at first, but then he recalled the bitter memory of his grade in Chinese 101, when he had gotten a single A among all his A+s during the first semester of freshman year. The cause for that grade had been because of points deducted from his pronunciation, just like Jaeyoung had pointed out. ¡°Read this,¡± Jaeyoung said. When Sangwoo tried his best to recite the sentence that Jaeyoung had pointed at with his long fingers, the latter squeezed his eyes shut so tightly suppressing laughter, it was as if they had disappeared. He put his fist into his mouth to stifle his laugh, but he stopped when he saw Sangwoo¡¯s expression. ¡°I did it correctly, so why are you laughing at me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at you, you¡¯re¡­¡± The end of his sentence began to trail off. ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s fine if we just keep pronouncing the first tone like we are now. Just for a bit longer.¡± Jaeyoung demonstrated how to do this for him. Sangwoo copied him. ¡°Good. The second tone feels like it¡¯s going from the bottom to the top. Look. It¡¯s like how a plane takes off.¡± Jaeyoung held his arm in a diagonal line and slowly raised it up like an airplane. This time as well, Jaeyoung first demonstrated the tone, and Sangwoo copied him. ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re doing well now that I¡¯ve let you know how to do it.¡± Without any forewarning, Jaeyoung¡¯s hand touched the back of Sangwoo¡¯s head. After it disappeared, a strange feeling remained in the spot where his head had been rubbed a few times. Sangwoo felt flustered, as he had forgotten how to breathe for a moment. He had been taught that the human body had evolved to prepare for various attacks from nature. It was as if his body had stiffened instinctively, considering Jaeyoung¡¯s hand to be a threat. Jaeyoung was looking at Sangwoo. He moved his hand with a serious look on his face, as if he were really into Sangwoo¡¯s lecture. ¡°Look at the third tone. It¡¯s like the feeling of when you¡¯re coming down to eat a spoonful of rice and then raise it again. Try it.¡± ¡°¡­ Ol-Jeu.¡± ¡°Oh, you went back to how you did it in the beginning. Then try the second tone again.¡± ¡°Ni-ii.¡± ¡°You did so well, so what¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden? Are you broken, or what? If you can¡¯t get past this, we¡¯ll never be able to get a perfect score on the skit.¡± Sangwoo grabbed his divider that had degenerated into a fan at some point, and fanned his face. Jaeyoung had turned his back to him to grab something from his bag. When he turned back to face him, he handed Sangwoo a piece of paper. It was a printout of Chinese characters. As he read it, he found that it was a script with lines between a street vendor, a customer, and a voice phishing guy from the Qing Dynasty. Sangwoo¡¯s eyes widened. Apart from being neatly arranged, the pinyin was written as well.5 As he carefully read through it, he found that unlike the previous handwritten script, which only contained lined up example sentences, the sentences on this one were revised according to the context, and there were no blanks on it. It was a task that he would¡¯ve had to spend a long time on if he had done it on his own. Even if he did his best, there still would¡¯ve been incomplete parts. ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes 2. 1) Correct pinyin: W¨¯men m¨ªngti¨¡n y¨©q¨« q¨´ k¨¤n di¨¤ny?ng ba? 2) ÎÒÃÇÃ÷ÌìÒ»ÆðÈ¥¿´µçÓ°°É£¿ 3) Shall we go watch a movie tomorrow? 3. 1) Jaeyoung¡¯s parts are left in the correct pinyin as he is fluent in Mandarin. 2)ºÜºÃ£¬¿´Ê²Ã´µçÓ°? 3) Sure, which movie? 4. Pinyin is the romanization system of Standard Mandarin. The Chinese pronunciation is written in Roman letters with four different kinds of accent marks, which are used to denote the tone. 5. ¡®I take responsibility the next day for the drunkard!¡¯ This is the slogan or catchphrase of this hangover relief drink. Chapter 6.2 Jaeyoung grinned when their eyes met. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any compliments for me?¡± ¡°Did you erase all the swear words?¡± Jaeyoung replied that he had gotten rid of them. However, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t just take his word for it, so he called the professor over, who had been passing by, and asked her to check the revised script. She accepted the script with a suspicious look on her face, and read it. The corner of her mouth gradually raised before she burst into laughter. ¡°What do you think, professor?¡± Jaeyoung asked her while spinning a pen between his fingers. ¡°The script was filled with vulgar lines last time, but you fixed it well. Anyway, I have a feeling I¡¯ll see a masterpiece. I¡¯m wondering if I should bring the camcorder.¡± ¡°Sangwoo did everything.¡± ¡°You also said that Sangwoo did everything last time. How would he know such nasty swear words? You probably would, though.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re so mean to your own student? That¡¯s too much.¡± The professor put her hand on Sangwoo¡¯s shoulder and said: ¡°Either way, I¡¯ll be looking forward to next week, both of you.¡± Sangwoo frowned. He couldn¡¯t deny it any longer: something was off. The error, Jaeyoung, had become kind. return 0; When the second period ended, Jaeyoung stood up as straight as an arrow while yawning and stretching at the same time. He had been sleeping throughout the ¡®Algorithms¡¯ class, but just as if he had accomplished something great, he then said: ¡°I must eat.¡± By now, Sangwoo had gotten used to walking with him in the hallway of the engineering college. Also going to the stairs at the same speed. And walking to the restaurant together and eating side by side. Today however, Jaeyoung stopped Sangwoo in front of the engineering college. ¡°Sangwoo, I have an appointment today.¡± He had said something completely unexpected. More than that, it was an odd situation. They didn¡¯t have the type of relationship where they¡¯d promised to have their meals together, yet Jaeyoung was acting as if Sangwoo had been waiting for him. Sangwoo pretended to be happy in order to break Jaeyoung¡¯s delusion. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. He clapped his hands five times and sneered at him. Jaeyoung grabbed a canned coffee out of his bag and put it in Sangwoo¡¯s hand. He looked at Sangwoo with a pitiful expression, the same way a grandmother would look at her grandson. ¡°Eat well, don¡¯t get indigestion, make sure to drink water, and don¡¯t follow strangers, ok?¡± Jaeyoung said, as if Sangwoo were disappointed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered, are you nuts?¡± Jaeyoung gave him a look. Without dodging him, his hand touched the top of Sangwoo¡¯s head and then dropped. ¡°¡­¡± By the time Sangwoo had decided to say something, his back was already receding into the distance. ¡®Are you broken or what?¡¯ Sangwoo recalled what Jaeyoung had said during first period. Those words were much more critical than his poor Chinese pronunciation or even the prediction they wouldn¡¯t get a perfect score on the skit if he kept going on like that. Starting at some point, Jaeyoung had frequently gotten closer than necessary to Sangwoo. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t used to stuff like that. He had become accustomed to instantly stopping accidents from occurring in such moments, as if he were literally broken. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll have to get angry again.¡¯ He felt quite upset. He was so upset that he was out of breath. Sangwoo walked along campus while feeling furious inside. Jaeyoung, who had gone quite far, had stopped in front of a bench at some point. He was with a male and a female student. When Jaeyoung said something, the female student hit his back hard while laughing. It must have been a really funny joke or something, because the male student completely fell down laughing. When Jaeyoung teased him by wrapping his arm around his neck, he completely sprawled out on the ground and laughed even louder. ¡®I feel good,¡¯ Sangwoo muttered inside, while taking his eyes off them. He had to feel good. He thought that they would eat together, but Jaeyoung left on his own volition. He could eat on schedule without worrying about getting interrupted or getting an upset stomach. That¡¯s really how it was. The mealtime where nothing happened was very serene. Sangwoo got up after quietly eating at a table that was empty except for a female student. He cleaned his tray and exited at 12:28, perfectly on time. For the first time in a while, he left the restaurant at the usual time, and opened the canned coffee that Jaeyoung had given him. The usual time, the usual taste, and the usual air. His walk while sipping on the coffee was pleasant. By the time he had finished one round of his walk, it was 12:41. Sangwoo threw the coffee can into the second trash can in front of the College of Natural Sciences and headed towards the library. ¡®I feel good. Really I do.¡¯ The library wasn¡¯t densely populated that day, so there was nothing to distract him from his studies. Sangwoo sat down after checking out some new programming books he had requested. ¡®Will I be able to read all of this?¡¯ Recently, for some strange reason, even just studying for his major had become too much for him, so he thought he needed to get counseling. However, he put the thick book in his backpack and grabbed another textbook for his subject major, which he had to use at that time. There was not a single student at his table. Sangwoo vacantly looked at the empty space and turned to his book. Condenser, capacitor, inductor, direct current and alternating current. His gaze kept shifting away from each word. He was clearly deciphering each letter, but he couldn¡¯t grasp the meaning even after reading it several times. Chapter 6.3 ¡®What¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ Sangwoo whined inside and was appalled at himself. Until now, he had never felt so incapable while studying. However, no matter how he approached it, the text didn¡¯t open the door to Sangwoo. Even after reading it a few more times, he was only able to take in the material at a superficial level and unable to grasp major concepts. It was clear that he was behind because he hadn¡¯t been able to properly pay attention in class. return 0; Time went by regardless of his torpor. It became night, and then it became day once again. The next day also started out this way, but not everything was exactly the same. There was a leather messenger bag in the seat next to Sangwoo, but it remained empty even 20 minutes after the class had begun. He could move it since the owner of the bag wasn¡¯t there, but Sangwoo felt a strange discomfort because the interrupter that should¡¯ve been there was missing. Jang Jaeyoung stumbled in through the back door the moment Sangwoo¡¯s digital watch read 22 minutes past the hour. A laser beam seemed to shoot out of Professor Choi¡¯s eyes, which glared at Jaeyoung, who was late and then fell flat on his desk. Jaeyoung reeked of alcohol. Sangwoo wondered if he had gone drinking with the people he was with at the bench the previous day. ¡°Why are you late?¡± The whisper that left his mouth actually contained another question. Yet it was meaningless to ask since he already knew the answer. Jaeyoung, who was lying facedown on the desk, turned his head slightly and looked up at Sangwoo. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Because you stayed up late drinking.¡± ¡°You know it well.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± The thinly veiled question slipped out of Sangwoo¡¯s lips. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t even raise his head because his body was so limp, but his eyes glistened with playfulness. ¡°Why does it matter who I drank with?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious who the stupid person is who would drink with you, sunbae.¡± ¡°If you want to drink with me, just say so.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Me?¡± Sangwoo wanted to blame Jaeyoung for not being able to concentrate on class when he arrived, but in reality, he hadn¡¯t been able to pay attention even before that. ¡®I have no idea what this class is about.¡¯ Sangwoo often felt unfamiliar emotions these days. At the same time, he felt like he had been deprived of familiar feelings. Meanwhile, the dark brown head kept drawing Sangwoo¡¯s attention away from his book. Today wouldn¡¯t work out as well. He should have foreseen it. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t get up and was slouching on his desk even after the class had ended. ¡°Sunbae.¡± He could¡¯ve just left him and headed towards his next class, but Sangwoo called out to him anyway. ¡°¡­ sunbae.¡± Without lifting his head from the desk, Jaeyoung stretched out his left hand and grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s arm. The action made Sangwoo very uncomfortable. ¡°Ah¡­ it feels like I¡¯m going to throw up, so I can¡¯t help it,¡± Jaeyoung said while clinging to Sangwoo¡¯s arm with both hands. He managed to pull himself up, and he then grabbed the ¡°Blackholic¡± from his bag and put it on the desk. There was only a canned coffee left in the spot after he had stumbled out. Sangwoo took the coffee and headed towards the next classroom. Without fail, there was a backpack on Sangwoo¡¯s preferred seat. Sangwoo hung his bag on the chair and sat down in that seat. It was unjust to clear off someone else¡¯s seat, but Sangwoo knew that Jaeyoung wouldn¡¯t show up. He sat in his favorite seat for the first time in a while, but strangely enough, he didn¡¯t feel good. That day, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t concentrate well even if the content in the ¡®Algorithms¡¯ class wasn¡¯t difficult. ¡®Is he throwing up?¡¯ Jaeyoung was to blame for drinking excessively despite having classes the next day. Sangwoo suddenly realized he had made a different judgment in a previous case with a similar logical structure. ¡®Jang Jaeyoung was to blame for having someone attend classes for him. Accordingly, even if he wasn¡¯t able to graduate, it was only right.¡¯ Sangwoo was thrown into confusion. The strange feeling of a crack appearing in his consistent way of thinking neither disappeared by the time class had ended, nor even as he ate alone at the cafeteria. Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any thoughts at all. He just sat down, because there was a seat and ate soup because there was a spoon. And then, he got up because the tray was empty. His body mechanically disposed of the leftovers and placed the empty tray on the conveyor belt. The spoon and the chopsticks were put in separate containers, and he drank a glass of water by the sink. There were no variables, only constants, so of course the time was 12:28. Sangwoo walked according to his routine as if he were a self-driving car. Before he knew it, he was at the snack shop, but he didn¡¯t need to buy a drink. He realized it when he stood in front of the refrigerator. The owner of the snack shop, who had been sitting by the checkout counter, approached Sangwoo and touched his shoulder while looking apologetic. ¡°Student, it¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ve told them to deliver the coffee on Monday, so don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°I got it,¡± Sangwoo replied while pushing her hand off him. ¡°I felt so bad that it kept bothering me. You¡¯ve been drinking it every day, so you must really be craving it, right?¡± Sangwoo¡¯s eyes turned towards the refrigerator. They didn¡¯t turn to the empty shelf on the fifth row, but to the one above it. Chapter 6.4 I take responsibility the next day for the drunkard!6 Patent #99999 Hangover Relief Drink 777 a.m. He inadvertently extended his hand, then clenched his fist, and put it back alongside his body. But then his hand reached out again. So he had to put it back by his body. His hands violated his brain¡¯s commands, as if they were independent organisms. After several battles, Sangwoo¡¯s right hand won over the brain and opened the refrigerator. The owner of the shop was looking at the ¡®777 a.m.,¡¯ and then told Sangwoo: ¡°Did you drink yesterday? I just have a feeling. After seeing your expression last time, it¡¯s been bothering me, so just take it.¡± Sangwoo somehow got a free hangover relieving drink. But what would he use this for? When Sangwoo was about to tell her that he¡¯d rather pay for it with money, the shop owner had already returned to the counter. Sangwoo left the shop and walked along the path while drinking the canned coffee Jaeyoung had given him in the morning. He threw the can in the second trash can in front of the College of Natural Sciences and headed towards the library. After checking out a new book he had requested, he sat down. As he opened his bag, he saw a canned drink among the major subjects textbooks. Sangwoo neatly put the books he needed on his desk and grabbed the ¡®777 a.m.¡¯ to examine it. ¡®I take responsibility the next day for the drunkard!¡¯ As soon as he saw the word drunkard, he was reminded of Jaeyoung, who was unable to walk steadily.7 He tried to recall what another drunkard looked like, but he couldn¡¯t think of anyone at all. So instead, he tried to imagine a bottle of alcohol or a whale, but once an image was stuck in his head, it was too powerful. Sangwoo, who had been sitting still for a while, jumped up at some point and picked up the drink. Then, he quickly walked down the stairs and crossed the lobby. Sangwoo enjoyed solving problems. Even if it wasn¡¯t his problem, it could be solved if the product claims written on the can were true: this brand had a patent for relieving hangovers. That was all. Actually, it was a rather careless thought. Jaeyoung might have already gotten something to drink. The drink might not be as good as its catchphrase. Jaeyoung might have already gone home. Sangwoo walked purposefully, deep in thought. He didn¡¯t know where Jaeyoung was, so he was just going to leave it at the theater department. If he did that, he¡¯d have done his best. Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any other obligation than that. Sangwoo stopped walking while on his way to the institute. Someone had caught his eye in the distance. His features weren¡¯t distinguishable at that distance, but Sangwoo could tell that he was laughing while pulling a face. He saw the gesture of his hand moving in the air several times. The angle of his bent legs weren¡¯t like anybody else¡¯s. The green coat he had removed was sprawled out on the ground. Jaeyoung was sitting down, occupying an entire bench for himself. A girl with a blond bob-cut stood in front of him with her arms folded. Even if he didn¡¯t look well, he looked much better than he had in class. When he touched his stomach while acting as if he were in agony, the girl burst out laughing. When he said something, the girl punched his arm with her first. Laugh, laugh, laugh. The guy and the girl¡¯s faces were filled with laughter. Sangwoo completely turned around and walked in the other direction. He just moved his feet thoughtlessly. By the time he came to his senses, he was already in front of the futsal field that was under construction. The worker who had said strange things to him the other day was now working. Sangwoo strode towards him. The man in the safety helmet looked surprised. ¡°Student! What are you doing here at this time?¡± ¡°What one earth are you talking about?¡± Sangwoo handed him the drink he was carrying. ¡°Drink this.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this? ¡­ I stopped drinking.¡± ¡°Anyway, drink.¡± Sangwoo returned to the library right away. He had kept wasting his time lately, but he had never wasted this much time before. His heart was pounding with guilt for spending time so inefficiently. Sangwoo was looking for a pencil case in his bag when his cell phone screen, previously put on mute, flashed. There was a rare message. ¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­. Freeloader3: sangwooillleavefirsttoday 13:27 Freeloader3: evenifyouresadholditin 13:27 ¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­.¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­..¡­¡­. _____________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes 6. This is the slogan or catchphrase of this hangover relief drink. 7. The Korean word for ¡®drunkard¡¯ is ???, which literally means ¡®alcohol¡¯ (?) and ¡®whale¡¯ (??). This is because a drunkard can drink as much as a whale. Chapter 6.5 Sangwoo glared at the screen. After reading the short messages a few times, he touched the reply button and hesitated for a while. ¡®That¡¯s great.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m glad.¡¯ ¡®Please do so tomorrow and the day after tomorrow as well.¡¯ He wrote and erased several messages. Sangwoo eventually just replied with a ¡°Yes.¡± and threw his cellphone into his bag. Jang Jaeyoung was clearly very mistaken. Or perhaps he was joking as usual. What did he mean by sad? Why the hell would he be sad because of him? It was a wonderful feeling to have a person who had been disturbing him disappear. return 0; ¡°Hi, Sangchu oppa,¡± Jihye said while sitting down next to him. It was 15 minutes before the cultural theory class would begin. Sangwoo nodded at her. His eyes returned to the thick stack of humanities handouts. ¡°The exam is still far away, yet you¡¯re studying very hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m studying in advance.¡± ¡°I want to do that as well, but I can¡¯t.¡± Jihye kept chatting next to him, but it didn¡¯t even disturb him half as much as when Jaeyoung had been sleeping. These days, he disturbed Sangwoo even when he wasn¡¯t in his seat. ¡°Oppa, you seem to be in a terrible mood.¡± Sangwoo ignored her words. ¡°I¡¯ll show you a picture that¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± Jihye brought the cellphone into his view. Sangwoo looked at several pictures of a small white dog taken from several angles with an indifferent expression. ¡°Is it not good? Then how about this one?¡± The next picture was of an orange cat. Sangwoo was just waiting for her to get through all the pictures. Then, he saw something unfamiliar when she was swiping through the pictures. ¡°Wait, what was that?¡± ¡°What? Ah, I took a screenshot while I was shopping online, but I put it in the wrong folder.¡± A picture of a keyboard appeared when Jihye tapped the screen with her finger. Sangwoo zoomed in on the small picture and examined it closely. Below the keyboard was a special edition Ninja Tenkiris. Each key had a special black and yellow color with LEDs as well. ¡°It¡¯s the Philcom ac8990 Honeybee Edition.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit pricey, but it uses a Berry 4 switch, so it¡¯s quite durable, the responsiveness is good, and you can also enter things at the same time, so it¡¯s just decent in many ways.1 You¡¯ll probably use it for a long time. Reconsider the LED for a bit. It drives me crazy. Which type of switch do you prefer?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Which one is good if I¡¯m planning on working on paperwork?¡± ¡°Then a clicky tactile switch that isn¡¯t audible. If you want a quiet one but still want to distinctly feel the keys, then a soft tactile switch is fine. Gamers usually prefer a linear switch.¡± ¡°Right? Right? Then should I buy a clicky tactile switch?¡± Jihye nodded while asking. Sangwoo responded after thinking for a bit. ¡°This one is listed for 198,000 won. Is that an okay price? It¡¯s a classic one that was released a long time ago, so there are many used ones. You can even get one in a good condition for around 100,000 won.¡± ¡°Oh, really? How do transactions with used goods work?¡± Sangwoo spent the rest of the time giving her trading tips for used goods. Jihye nodded while listening eagerly, and she even took notes, which made it difficult for him to stop. ¡°Oppa, there¡¯s nothing you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± The professor entered the classroom as Jihye said something odd. Sangwoo immediately turned to his textbook. A minute after the class had begun, Jihye placed something on top of the book. It was a note she had made by ripping out a page of her notebook. Sangwoo almost got mad at first, as he thought that she had put trash on his book, but when he closely examined it, there were letters written on it. Sangchu oppa ^-^ Thank you for giving me good information!!! If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, just ask me, please. I would like to be of help *_* Sangwoo wrote ¡°Sure¡± at the end of note and handed it back to Jihye. However, a question arose in a part of his mind. What could he possibly need to ask Jihye about? When he was curious about anything, he usually looked it up in books or solved them by checking the Internet. As a student in humanities, Ryu Jihye clearly understood the cultural theory subject much better than Sangwoo, but she was still only a college student just like him. She was unlikely able to provide more information than the collective intelligence he could find on the Internet world or through professional books. As Sangwoo was mulling this over, he recalled an area Jihye would know much better than him. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask her later during the break.¡¯ Sangwoo made a mental note and focused on the class again. return 0; ¡°That sunbae I was talking about.¡± It was recess, so Sangwoo seized the opportunity to speak to her. Jihye even corrected her posture while listening earnestly. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That¡­ Jang¡­ Jaeyoung sunbae.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah yeah.¡± ¡°I think he has a girlfriend.¡± Sangwoo felt embarrassed after spitting out those words. What Jihye looked for was a question. When Sangwoo thought about it, the statement was a perfect question, but when he blurted it out, it became neither one nor the other. Fortunately, Jihye didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°As far as I know, he doesn¡¯t,¡± she replied with a smile. Sangwoo¡¯s curiosity had easily been quenched. Footnote(s): Chapter 6.6 ¡°It¡¯s been a while since he broke up with the person he dated last year. She¡¯s already graduated from law school now, but¡­she¡¯s really pretty, she comes from a good family, and she¡¯s a genius, so she looks really cool even to other girls.¡± Information he hadn¡¯t even requested came out one after another. ¡°How do you know those things?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve checked their social media, and I also hear rumors from time to time.¡± ¡°What kind of rumors?¡± Jihye¡¯s mouth started moving again. When Jang Jaeyoung was twenty years old, some agency suggested that he becomes an actor. He worked as a model for a bit. The person he dated during his freshman year has now become a famous singer. These were all pieces of information that he didn¡¯t need to know at all. Jihye stopped talking when Sangwoo made a cool-story-bro-tell-me-more kind of expression.2 ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m interested in him, but my friend likes Jaeyoung oppa, so she keeps telling me these things.¡± ¡°Really? Why does she like him?¡± ¡°Because he¡¯s handsome.¡± Sangwoo also acknowledged that fact. ¡°And he¡¯s good at sports.¡± He was also good at riding a skateboard. ¡°And he also has a great personality.¡± A sentence that Sangwoo finally couldn¡¯t agree with appeared. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so? You should know since you¡¯re so close.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not close at all.¡± These days, that crazy bastard, scum, and sadist, had become markedly nice. There were only extreme words in his head that he could tell Jihye about Jaeyoung, whom she didn¡¯t even know. ¡°Oh, right, you used to get mad and tell me not to talk about Jaeyoung oppa. What the heck?!¡± Sangwoo pretended not to have heard it, since it was spot on. Fortunately enough, the professor returned at that moment. return 0; After class ended, it was time to eat. ¡°Oh yeah, what happened with that? The divider and the earplugs, I mean,¡± Jihye suddenly asked when Sangwoo was packing his books and his pencil case. ¡°It didn¡¯t work.¡± The divider had degenerated into a fan, he had seven cans of coffee just lying around at home, and he had only worn the earplugs once and never touched them again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t something that Jihye should feel apologetic for, as it was due to the other person being strange. Come to think of it, he had promised to treat her to a meal in return for her advice. Even if it hadn¡¯t been very helpful, a promise was a promise, so Sangwoo grabbed a meal ticket from his wallet and put it on her desk. Jihye stared at the meal ticket. ¡°Why are you giving me a meal ticket?¡± ¡°I told you that I¡¯d treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°Ah, really. You have to personally get it! What¡¯s this?!¡± ¡°Use this to get a meal.¡± Sangwoo got up from his seat while carrying his backpack, and Jihye put the meal ticket back into Sangwoo¡¯s pocket. ¡°This isn¡¯t right, oppa. Please treat me to a meal next time when you feel like it.¡± Sangwoo recalled getting pasta worth 23,500 won from her. Anyhow, Sangwoo suspected that Jihye wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with mere school cafeteria food, whose cost could be nowhere near as expensive as that, much less be of equal value¡­ ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll get you pizza some other time.¡± ¡°Really? Not just pizza bread or something like that?¡± ¡®I thought you were kind, but you¡¯re filled with suspicions; in fact, you are very suspicious.¡¯ As they were walking towards the restaurant, someone called for Sangwoo from behind. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± There was only one person who would call him that. Sangwoo quickly looked back. The person he expected it to be, was expectedly wearing a coat, and was panting hard as if he had been running. ¡°There you are. I found you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What do you mean why? You¡¯re supposed to eat with me.¡± ¡°Me?¡± That was news to him. Jaeyoung must have mistaken Sangwoo for someone else or clearly been wrong about something. Sangwoo turned around again and walked towards the restaurant, but this time, Jihye, who was next to him, had become stranded. ¡°Ah, French Lit.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ We met again, oppa. Hello.¡± ¡°So it seems. Did we introduce ourselves before?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ryu Jihye. Hehe. And I actually know your name, since you¡¯re so famous, oppa¡­¡± Sangwoo tried to increase the distance between them, but they rapidly followed him, so he was able to hear their entire conversation. ¡°You and Sangwoo get along well, Jihye hoobae-nim. You came to our restaurant together last time as well.¡± ¡°That day was actually the first time we met. Sangwoo oppa was so kind as to help me carry boxes, so¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to, but I had put too many books in the box, although you should spread out heavy stuff when packing. I didn¡¯t have to carry everything all at once, but I was trying to get it done in one try¡­¡± Blahblahblahblah. Jihye didn¡¯t stop talking. Also, the Jaeyoung-Jihye-Jaeyoung-Jihye-Jaeyoung conversation went back and forth like a ping pong ball. The line at the restaurant shortened unusually slowly. ¡°Hahahaha! You¡¯re so funny, oppa. Oh, right. My friend wants to get your autograph. Would you be able to give me one?¡± ¡°Eyy, I¡¯m not even a celebrity, so what autograph?¡± At some point, Jaeyoung had started talking to Jihye. If a stranger had been watching them, they would¡¯ve thought that the two had known each other for a long time. Time dragged on while he stood still and listened to them chattering like sparrows, but the line decreased inch by inch. They entered the restaurant after grabbing their trays. Jaeyoung lined up somewhere else to get special Banquet Noodles, but joined them later.3 Sangwoo eagerly looked for a table that only had one empty seat, but he couldn¡¯t see a single one, so the three of them were forced to sit together. 2. Some interpretations of this ¡°cool-story-bro-tell-me-more¡± type of expression can be found here. 3. Banquet Noodles (janchi guksu) is a noodle dish that consists of wheat flour noodles in a light broth made from anchovy or beef. Chapter 6.7 ¡°Jihye, you have a boyfriend, right?¡± Jaeyoung asked her a strange question without even touching his noodles. ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Jihye replied with a bright smile. ¡°Really? I thought that you must have one.¡± Sangwoo turned his gaze towards Jaeyoung¡¯s face. He was staring at Jihye with an unusual look in his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. I don¡¯t think men know my true value.¡± ¡°I have a lot of single acquaintances, so just let me know.¡± Jaeyoung flashed a grin and sat down with his arms folded after pulling up his chair. ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about it, should I really introduce you to one? While we¡¯re at it, I can think of a couple of nice guys. What kind of style do you like?¡± He even grabbed his cellphone and started browsing through his contacts list. Jihye smiled and then whispered. ¡°My goodness, no. I¡¯m just planning on studying this semester. But thanks for your help, anyway.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ really?¡± Jaeyoung carefully looked at her face while putting the phone back in his pocket. ¡°What about Sangwoo, then? I think you¡¯d look good together.¡± Sangwoo spat out the seaweed soup he had in his mouth. They all looked surprised, but Sangwoo was the most surprised one of all. Jihye grabbed some wet wipes out of her bag and stuck them out. ¡°Sangchu oppa! Aren¡¯t you being too much? Did it make you feel that bad?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way one can feel good when they¡¯re just sitting still minding their own business while someone is trying to hook them up with someone.¡± ¡°Those were just words, though.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t like it.¡± Sangwoo grabbed a piece of wet tissue and wiped the soup off and then the table with another one. What kind of situation was this? Sangwoo couldn¡¯t understand at all, but he felt uncomfortable anyway. He wanted to leave quickly. Jaeyoung giggled and looked at Sangwoo. ¡°Sang¡­chu?¡± ¡°Sangwoo oppa¡¯s nickname when he was younger was Sangchu. It¡¯s really cute, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Is that so? You have to be very close to our Sangwoo, since you¡¯re even calling him by a nickname.¡± ¡®Our Sangwoo?¡¯4 It was something that he hadn¡¯t even heard his own mother say. Sangwoo felt as if the food he ate gave him indigestion on the spot. Nobody spoke for a while. However, Jaeyoung broke the silence before the quiet atmosphere had passed. ¡°By the way¡­are you going somewhere today?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your makeup is heavier than the last time I saw you.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­ Do you remember stuff like that? I just put on light makeup to be comfortable that time, since I had to move boxes around. I normally make more of an effort. Haha.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about last Wednesday, though.¡± ¡°Oh¡­I had a situation that day as well, so¡­ I woke up late, so I was almost late to class.¡± ¡°I see. I thought that you were meeting someone important today since it¡¯s obvious that you put in extra effort in today.¡± It was a completely meaningless conversation. Sangwoo thought that a conversation like that wouldn¡¯t be able to help with his digestion at all. Perhaps it was because Jaeyoung was talking so much, but Jihye didn¡¯t look too well. Sangwoo sympathized with her grievances as if they were his own. Anyone would get annoyed if they were made to talk so much they weren¡¯t able to eat. When they were on their way out, Jihye asked something strange in front of the restaurant. ¡°How did you two get close? You both have completely different styles, so it¡¯s amazing.¡± There was an error in what she said. Sangwoo immediately refuted it. ¡°We¡¯re not close at¡­¡± ¡°We had a misunderstanding at first.¡± Just then, Jaeyoung wrapped his arm around Sangwoo¡¯s shoulder. That small action made Sangwoo stiffen, and he forgot the timing to exhale, even after swallowing his breath. Jaeyoung¡¯s arm that was leaning on his shoulder, felt as heavy as a lump of iron. ¡°We didn¡¯t have any good feelings towards each other, but we¡¯ve worked it all out now. Right?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sangwoo pushed him off his shoulder. Jang Jaeyoung was unreservedly liberal in touching other people¡¯s bodies. He had always been like that. He was a person who would put his arm around anyone (even people he wasn¡¯t close to at all), call someone¡¯s name at random, touch someone¡¯s face, joke around, and flirt. Sangwoo loathed things like that. In foreign countries, there were cultures where they often hugged kids, but Sangwoo didn¡¯t grow up in such an environment at home. In Sangwoo¡¯s world, the only person who it would make sense to touch him was his romantic partner. Even then, it had to be done on a limited basis. No matter how innocent the act was, he didn¡¯t have a choice but to feel bad about it. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. Cause nothing has been solved, and it¡¯s still the worst. Do you think things will change just because you¡¯re pretending to be nice? I still don¡¯t have any good feelings towards you, and I have no intentions of resolving them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been fine for a while, and now it¡¯s starting again,¡± Jaeyoung murmured with an impassive face. Jihye widened her eyes like a rabbit. ¡°You have a skit tomorrow. That¡¯s so brave! Can you handle it?¡± Since Jaeyoung was being sarcastic, Sangwoo missed the timing to warn him not to touch his body, because it made him feel uncomfortable. Footnotes: 4. Using our while referring to someone is a type of possessive pronoun that indicates closeness. If you¡¯ve ever watched a Korean drama, this is usually said when a person who is interested in someone refers to them in front of others, to show possessiveness/closeness. Chapter 6.8 ¡°Don¡¯t come to class, please. I¡¯ll play three parts on my own.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Jaeyoung said lazily while stretching. ¡°Jihye, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m gonna take Sangwoo away. I mean that I have an incredibly important announcement to make tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah!¡± Then he pulled Sangwoo¡¯s wrist all of a sudden. Sangwoo shook off his hand, but Jaeyoung hit his back this time. Sangwoo felt flustered since it was the first time this had happened in his life. Jaeyoung grabbed his backpack from his shoulders, causing it to bounce violently. ¡°Hey? Sunbae!¡± He loudly called him, but he didn¡¯t stop. ¡®Is he actually nuts?¡¯ Even if Sangwoo considered it absurd, he didn¡¯t have a choice but to run after him, as he couldn¡¯t predict what he would do with his backpack. It being Jaeyoung, it wouldn¡¯t be weird even if he were to dump everything down the drain. Jaeyoung, who had been lightly jogging at first, sped up when he was in danger of getting caught by Sangwoo. ¡°Stay there!¡± Before he knew it, Jaeyoung was running at full speed with Sangwoo¡¯s backpack worn in front. At one point, Sangwoo¡¯s fingertips brushed Jaeyoung¡¯s shoulder, but Jaeyoung just sneered at him and ran away. He remembered running away with all his might exactly a week ago and now something similar was being repeated. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m tired.¡± Jaeyoung only stopped after arriving by the vast field of grass in front of the main gate. That was after having passed the futsal field, the snack shop, and the institution around the engineering college. Sangwoo was panting hard because he was out of breath. ¡°Give it back. Give it to me.5¡± He weakly held out his arm, but Jaeyoung opened Sangwoo¡¯s backpack as if he hadn¡¯t heard him, and grabbed a bottle of water to moisten his neck. ¡°Are you actually crazy?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Sangwoo accepted the water bottle he threw at him and drank from it. His heart was pounding as he had abruptly broken out into a run. The surrounding scenery was unfamiliar to him. Students were resting on the lawn everywhere like laundry. Sangwoo hadn¡¯t put a foot there during his six semesters. ¡°What are you doing? Sit down,¡± Jaeyoung said while slumping down and slapping the spot next to him. Then, he laid down on Sangwoo¡¯s backpack. He had his legs spread out and clasped his hands to support the back of his head. His eyes were closed and the corners of his mouth turned up as if he were in a really good mood. The sun shone on his hair making it sparkle brightly. ¡°Give me the bag.¡± ¡°I¡¯m using it.¡± ¡°I said give it to me.¡± ¡°Then get me another pillow or something.¡± Sangwoo squatted and suddenly pulled at his backpack. However, he couldn¡¯t take it away because Jaeyoung was still wearing the backpack straps around his arms and lying back on it as if it were a pillow. ¡°You said we¡¯d prepare for the skit?¡± ¡°I was planning on doing that here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no desk and not even a chair. Are we really doing it here?¡± ¡°We have to memorize the entire script, don¡¯t we? What won¡¯t we be able to do here?¡± Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t able to see it for himself, as he had his eyes closed, but Sangwoo nodded. If it was about the script, he was already well-acquainted with it. He felt strange when he sat his butt down on the grass. Sangwoo smelled the grass while wondering what he was doing, sitting in a place like that. ¡°I¡¯ll start then.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just rest for 10 minutes first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a waste of¡­¡± ¡°Wasting only that much is fine, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jaeyoung grabbed a can of coffee from Sangwoo¡¯s bag and held it out. Sangwoo checked his wristwatch and found that it was still the appointed time for his on-campus walk. He replied that he got it and popped the lid off the canned coffee. As if he had fallen asleep, Jaeyoung kept quiet for a while, and then called his name when the can was half-empty. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your ideal type?¡± Sangwoo frowned and looked at Jaeyoung, but he still had his eyes closed in a carefree manner. ¡°Why are you asking something so personal?¡± ¡°Usually, when you¡¯re ¡°not close at all,¡± you pass time while asking these useless kinds of things.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Sangwoo answered after reviewing Jaeyoung¡¯s question. He had never properly thought about it, but when he considered the women who he had gotten even a slight positive impression of so far, he quickly caught his drift. ¡°I prefer people who are neat-looking and that have reserved personalities.¡± ¡°Oh, the kindergarten teacher type of style.¡± Sangwoo ignored his words and drank his coffee without saying a word. Then, a little later, the second question arrived. ¡°When was your first love?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°The concept is too vague. I¡¯ll answer if you define it more clearly.¡± Jaeyoung made a grimace and opened his eyes. The eyes filled with sunlight looked brown. ¡°Is it the time when I first started dating, or when I first had intercourse? You have to be clear about the term,¡± Sangwoo added when Jaeyoung looked him in the eye. Jaeyoung rolled his eyes with a look that expressed that he still didn¡¯t get it. Footnotes: 5. Sangwoo spoke the last sentence using informal language. Chapter 6.9 ¡°Have you never liked anyone?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the kind of concept you¡¯re talking about¡­ My first love was when I was six years old, and the object wasn¡¯t a person.¡± He snorted as soon as he heard it, but Sangwoo actually laughed at him. Sangwoo didn¡¯t believe in the kind of emotional love that was depicted on broadcasted media. He regarded it as an illusion that irrational people confused with sexual desire, and he thought that it was a lie that the government instigated to maintain the marriage system. It was because everyone experienced it, but Sangwoo had never felt that way himself. ¡°Time¡¯s up. I¡¯ll begin.¡± Sangwoo checked his watch and corrected his posture. ¡°Piyeni-piyeni-tayi-piyeni¡­1¡± It¡¯s cheap, it¡¯s cheap. The fruit is cheap. Buy a bundle. Jaeyoung burst into laughter when he said the first line. His cheeks rose and even teeth were revealed between his lips. ¡°X¨©nq¨ªng h¨£o.¡±2 ¡°That¡¯s not how it goes. Do it properly.¡± ¡°What did I even say?¡± ¡°I feel good.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sangwoo sneezed because his nose was itchy. There were flies flying around. No, was it a butterfly? return 0; The weather, which had become somewhat fine for a while, became chilly due to the final cold snap at the end of March. Sangwoo¡¯s padded jacket kept his body warm, but the biting wind hit his face when he rode his bike. Sangwoo arrived at the humanities college with red cheeks. He put his backpack in the classroom and double-checked the script to see if he had memorized the lines for all three roles (as there wasn¡¯t any guarantee that Jaeyoung would attend). After confirming that his memory was intact, he grabbed his costume and the wig and headed towards the restroom. The right toilet stall always had a sign on it that said it was broken, so he went into the left one. Four minutes had passed when he got out after changing his clothes. Ultimately, he had plenty of time to practice. He returned to the classroom and opened the back door. Jaeyoung was wearing a shiny yellow outfit, and he was sitting hunched down while looking at his phone. Hair was sticking out under the rubber band of the wig, because he wasn¡¯t wearing it properly. What an unpredictable person. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know what he would be up to next. Yesterday and today¡¯s figures looked as different as night and day like his entire personality had changed. He was a fatal error, but Sangwoo seemed to have gotten used to it at some point. Thug, sadist, trash, scum. What a mess he had become because he didn¡¯t detest him. Jaeyoung raised his head and exploded with laughter. Even while doing the same thing as him, he pointed his finger at Sangwoo while laughing loudly as if he were looking at the most funny spectacle in the world. ¡°Why did you come so early?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the teaching assistant for this class.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± He had never seen him act as a teaching assistant, but he was talking nonsense. Sangwoo kicked Jaeyoung¡¯s extended legs out of the way and sat down next to him. He put his hand on his temple and checked his lines, but Jaeyoung raised his cellphone and took a picture of his face. Sangwoo covered his face with an irritated look. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Wear that around even on normal days. It really suits you.¡± Jaeyoung smirked as he checked some of the pictures he had just taken. Then, he turned the camera on again. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you want to take a selfie?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jaeyoung just pulled up his chair and sat right next to Sangwoo. The screen showed the two of them wearing silly-looking bald wigs. Sangwoo stayed still as he thought it would be fine to please him at least once. ¡°Smile, dude.¡± That didn¡¯t mean that he felt like forcing himself to smile when he wasn¡¯t even happy. Jaeyoung took three pictures in a row, but his expression changed each time. He smiled on the first one, stuck out his tongue on the second, and he didn¡¯t know how he did it, but on the third one, he distorted his facial muscles to make it look hideous. ¡°You look the best in this one.¡± Jaeyoung said while showing him the picture. It all looked the same in Sangwoo¡¯s eyes, and they all looked weird.3 They adjusted their lines during the rest of the time. Jaeyoung carefully listened to Sangwoo¡¯s pronunciation, and if there was a part that could be improved (it was almost every part), he made him practice it repeatedly. Then, the students arrived. People he didn¡¯t know pointed fingers at Jaeyoung while laughing out loud and even started talking to him. The Chinese professor, who arrived a bit earlier, laughed so hard when she saw them that she was out of breath. Even during class, when her eyes would move in their direction, she had to suppress her laughter. The lecture ended after 40 minutes, and three teams took turns presenting their plays during the last 10 minutes of class. The first team played a Chinese couple traveling to Paris. Footnotes: 1. The English translation for this sentence is quite clear. Sangwoo is saying: ¡°It¡¯s cheap, it¡¯s cheap. The fruit is cheap. Buy a bundle.¡± However, the pinyin is not quite clear to our translation team. All we are sure about is when Sangwoo says ¡°piyeni¡± it is actually ¡°pi¨¢ny¨ª¡± which means ¡°cheap. 2. X¨©nq¨ªng h¨£o = ÐÄÇéºÃ = I feel good (I¡¯m in a good mood). 3. Ridibooks, the publisher of this novel and its corresponding manhua set up social media accounts for Jaeyoung (@jaeyoung_j_ on IG and Twitter.) Look for a December 24, 2020 post on either platform for this selfie scene. Chapter 6.10 It was a mainstream play with dialogues such as ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ or ¡®It¡¯s the Eiffel Tower.¡¯ The second play was about a Hanguk University student who gave a tour of the campus to their Chinese friend (they seemed to have overheard Sangwoo¡¯s idea). Then it was their turn. ¡°Next. Jang Jaeyoung and Chu Sangwoo, please do your presentation.¡± Jaeyoung got up, stretched, and smiled down at Sangwoo. His confident expression made it seem like he was going on a picnic. Jaeyoung picked up props such as grapes, a phone, and a baton from his bag, and Sangwoo followed him empty-handed. The students clapped their hands when they stood in the front. They weren¡¯t a problem, but the professor was holding a camcorder. Sangwoo said his first line once they had gotten everything ready. They were lines about a sales promotion for cheap fruits. Then, Jaeyoung, who was hiding behind the pillar, arrogantly came forward while fanning himself with a paper fan, and then fiddled with the grapes on the desk while asking the price. Sangwoo made eye contact with him. His eyes were telling him that everything would go well, that they were doing something really entertaining. The excitement he felt from everything working out well was unfamiliar to him. Jaeyoung had been preparing for this much harder than Sangwoo had thought. Props are props, but he had prepared the dial tone and the end tone, and he played it back during the phone call scene. When they changed roles, Sangwoo changed his clothes behind the teacher¡¯s platform during the short time Jaeyoung had his monologue. He showed his acting skills as a member of the theater department, and even if the lines were slightly different from the script, the meaning didn¡¯t change very much. Apart from the inappropriate ad-libbing he did in the middle where he asked Sangwoo if he was a robot, he did well enough to make the person look different. The reaction was explosive. A camcorder and five phone cameras recorded the play, and they were showered with the sound of shutters clicking. The professor dropped her grading pen because she was laughing so hard. Sangwoo received applause and cheers even though he only said the lines he had memorized. He was forced to admit it: Jang Jaeyoung ¡°carried¡± them through this skit as he once assured he would. After the play, Sangwoo high-fived Jaeyoung¡¯s extended hand. At that moment, he completely forgot all the negative feelings he previously had and felt a comradeship instead. ¡°It was fun, you two. The best skit I¡¯ve seen in these 10 years.¡± The professor who ended the class early approached them with two thumbs up. ¡°Sangwoo, you too. You need to work a lot on your pronunciation, but you managed to memorize all of those lines perfectly. It¡¯s amazing,¡± she said, while looking at Sangwoo. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What do you think about becoming a teaching assistant for this class?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have to do anything on normal days, but I would only need for you to come in early and copy the handouts on the specific dates I request. You would take care of exam papers during the midterms and finals, and collect the homework later. You¡¯d get extra credit at the end of the semester, and I¡¯ll even treat you to a meal.¡± Only then did Sangwoo understand what she was talking about. His eyes moved in Jaeyoung¡¯s direction. Jaeyoung looked at the professor with a calm expression. ¡°Jaeyoung recommended you as his replacement.¡± The withdrawal period without causing damage only lasted for two weeks. Sangwoo knew that Jaeyoung would drop all his classes before the third week, and he had been waiting for that day. There were only two days left before the two weeks were up. ¡°¡­ Yes. I¡¯ll do it.¡± When Sangwoo nodded, the professor told him to do his best while greeting him with her eyes, and then turned to face Jaeyoung. ¡°Good job, Jaeyoung. Thanks for taking responsibility in helping your hoobae.¡± ¡°Not at all, professor. I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m dropping out like this when I said I¡¯ll be the TA.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Getting such a good opportunity is an event worthy of celebration. Can I congratulate you in advance for getting accepted?¡± ¡°I reapplied, but there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll get accepted again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible. You¡¯ll definitely get in.¡± Sangwoo finished packing his bag, but he didn¡¯t leave, because he was absentmindedly listening to their conversation. When the professor asked what he was going to do next, Jaeyoung replied that he was thinking about taking a break while preparing to study abroad. They then spent a few minutes talking about the location of the graduate school that Jaeyoung was going to attend. ¡°I envy you. It makes me think of the time I went to study abroad.¡± ¡°Come and visit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny. You haven¡¯t even gotten accepted yet.¡± ¡°You said that I¡¯ll get in, Professor, so it¡¯ll work out.¡± The atmosphere was great, but Sangwoo didn¡¯t laugh. A thick layer of sadness had bloomed in his heart for some unknown reason. Chapter 6.11 ¡°We have to go, right?¡± It was only when Jaeyoung, who was talking to the professor, suddenly asked him that when he came to his senses. They greeted the professor and left the classroom. Sangwoo rapidly changed his clothes in the restroom and handed the costume and wig to Jaeyoung. Something unexpected happened in the next classroom. There was no navy backpack in the usual seat. Sangwoo looked at Jaeyoung in surprise, but he just frowned and took out his cellphone. Jaeyoung looked down at Sangwoo, who had abruptly sat down, and called someone. The phone volume was high, so whatever the other person said was audible. ¨C Yeah, Hyungnim! ¡°Hey, you bastard, are you kidding me? Didn¡¯t I tell you to just do it for two weeks?¡± ¨C Ah, you¡¯re being unfair. You didn¡¯t even give me your bag yesterday. ¡°Didn¡¯t I give it to you?¡± ¨C It wasn¡¯t in the locker or in the practice room, so I just thought I didn¡¯t have to do it again. Jaeyoung remained silent for a while and then covered his eyes with his hand as if he had thought of something. ¡°Right¡­ I didn¡¯t bring it with me cause I got drunk the day before yesterday. Fuck, I guess someone took it.¡± ¨C Can¡¯t I stop doing it now? It may seem like nothing to you, hyung, but it¡¯s a bit troublesome. Really. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to use the seat, hyung. You¡¯re not even going to take that class. ¡°Whatever, dude. Bye!¡± ¨C Hyuuuuung, are you mad? Oh yeah, come to the department room during lunch later. Choi Ji said she wants to see you, hyung. Let¡¯s have some sweet and sour pork delivered¡­ The laughter mixed in the voices continued until Jaeyoung hung up. He was called hyung wherever he went. Sangwoo thought that he heard ¡®hyung, hyung¡¯ at the end of every sentence. Jaeyoung put his cellphone back in his pocket, and his lips showed a ridiculous smile. ¡°I can¡¯t even bother you today.¡± Only then did Sangwoo recall that he was being harassed. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± Sangwoo looked up at Jaeyoung while remaining seated. Jaeyoung smiled and said: ¡°I really don¡¯t get this class cause it¡¯s like an alien language. And I almost burst into laughter several times because the professor looks like Pororo. You can take this class on your own in comfort from now on.4¡± He gently stepped back and even explained the reason in detail. Sangwoo nodded without saying a word. ¡°Are you getting lunch at the school cafeteria again today?¡± He nodded his head again. ¡°If I say I¡¯ll treat you to something else instead, you¡¯ll probably say no.¡± He nodded again. ¡°Ok. Enjoy your meal,¡± Jaeyoung said and put a canned coffee on Sangwoo¡¯s desk. Sangwoo was caught off guard when Jaeyoung touched the back of his head again. The light touch quickly disappeared, so it took some time for him to notice it. When he opened his mouth to scold him, Jaeyoung had already walked to the back door. Sangwoo was a bit mad at him for always touching his back. He would definitely tell him next time. Don¡¯t touch him cause it¡¯s very unpleasant. Class had already started by the time Sangwoo had groaned about not having an object for his anger. The professor looked like a penguin that day.5 He thought that he¡¯d be able to concentrate since he got his seat back, but the same symptoms occurred as during the ¡®Algorithms¡¯ class last time. ¡®Engineering Mathematics 2¡¯ was a subject that Sangwoo studied outside of school, so he was following along well with it, but nothing registered as his head was empty. The class was over by the time he came to his senses. Sangwoo ate by himself in a stifled mood.6 What was the problem? What was the problem? What the hell was the problem? It was rooted in Jaeyoung¡¯s harassment. The problem was that he always sat next to him and interrupted class in multiple ways. However, he didn¡¯t bother Sangwoo anymore. Why wasn¡¯t his life proceeding smoothly when the cause of the problem was gone, then? When he checked his cellphone during lunch, there was a message. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Freeloader3: (Image) good job 11:03 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. His thumb was hesitating above the reply button. Sangwoo didn¡¯t have anything to say, so he put the device in his bag. He walked around campus twice because he was so distracted. Nothing changed even after he arrived at the library. He was increasingly feeling unwell and frustrated. It even turned into anger, but there was nothing he could do about it. Fever seemed to break out inside. However, nothing like this had ever happened to him before, so he didn¡¯t know who the object was, why it was like that, or how to solve it. ¡°You didn¡¯t go home?¡± Originally, Sangwoo had been thinking about packing up and going home around that time. However, all such thoughts disappeared the moment he heard Jaeyoung¡¯s voice. Jaeyoung took out the notebook he had ¡°bought¡± from him when Sangwoo had accused him of stealing it during a previous encounter. He opened Sangwoo¡¯s pencil case and grabbed a pen as if it were nothing. Then he slightly leaned back on his chair, crossed his legs, put the notebook on his knee, flipped open a page, and began to scribble. Footnotes: 4. Pororo is an animated TV-show featuring an anthropomorphic penguin. 5. The professor looked like a penguin to Sangwoo that day since Jaeyoung told Sangwoo that the professor looks like Pororo. 6. In the raws the term ¡®stifled¡¯ (????) was used to describe how Sangwoo felt in the absence of Jaeyoung¡¯s continued harassment. Used in this way, stifled can convey a sense of being frustrated and emotionally suffocated or constricted, as if someone had a metaphorical burden in their hearts or on their minds. This idea is a bit difficult to express using just one or two words in English. Chapter 6.12 Meanwhile, an amazing change happened to Sangwoo. The anger that he didn¡¯t know what to do about vanished, and his emotions stabilized. The letters began to reappear on the page that was previously unreadable. Sangwoo felt ridiculous as he started studying again. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ He guessed that Jaeyoung being by his side had become a default now. It was clear that his mind had a new preset, because its former ¡®normal¡¯ state was so deeply eroded by the error. People assume the area around Chernobyl, where the nuclear accident in 1986 occurred, is the land of death. In fact, however, wild hawfinches with abnormally high antioxidant levels are thriving there.7 Just like animals that have adapted to radiation, Sangwoo had adapted to the disaster that was Jang Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung was being quiet. There was sometimes the sound of pen scratching on paper, but it wasn¡¯t as annoying as before. Sangwoo felt pleasure for the first time in a while, from teaching himself what he had missed in class. It was the first time he was able to concentrate so well on his studies since Jaeyoung had entered his life. How much time passed? Sangwoo felt proud while briefly putting down the sharpener. Only then did he become aware of the profile next to him. Jaeyoung was drawing another picture with Sangwoo as his model. ¡°Your hat is crooked,¡± Jaeyoung whispered as they made eye contact while smiling. He pressed down on the top of Sangwoo¡¯s head to adjust his cap. This time, he couldn¡¯t justify getting angry since he had been forewarned. Sangwoo sat still while pretending that nothing was wrong. The problem was that the hand didn¡¯t leave the top of his head. Far from it, the pressure was increasing. ¡°Sangwoo, I have something to tell you¡­¡± The sole voice sounded particularly loud in the very quiet library. The weight of the pressure on top of his head felt much heavier than it actually was. He had to tell him to remove his hand, but his mouth wouldn¡¯t budge. Time seemed to have stopped. The air became heavy and his senses more alert. Sangwoo¡¯s eyes scanned every part of Jaeyoung¡¯s face. He thought that he would even be able to see his pores if he decided to look for them. Artificial light was dispersed on the surface of the brown irises. If there were actually physical depth in his eyes, how far would it reach? Sangwoo came up with a ridiculous question even though he knew the exact structure of the eyeball. When Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes slowly blinked, the shadow cast on his eyelashes shortened and then extended again. Grass from the lawn was stuck on his bangs. ¡®Did he lie down in the same position again today?¡¯ Sangwoo thoughtlessly reached out and plucked off the grass. Jaeyoung flinched. His mouth slightly opened, and his alluringly pink tongue slightly appeared, claiming Sangwoo¡¯s attention. His tongue began from the right corner of his mouth as he slowly licked towards the left part of his upper lip. The incredibly sensual moment felt very long. Sangwoo was personally experiencing the special theory of relativity. Error, error, error. Anomaly, anomaly, anomaly. His blood flow circulated rapidly. His heart passionately proclaimed its existence. Thump, thump, thump, thump. He felt nauseated, like he had gotten motion sickness, and goosebumps stuck out of his skin. His body was signaling an emergency. Sangwoo simultaneously felt perplexed and frustrated by the sense of something not being suited for the situation. ¡®Do, Donghae Waters and¡­. Baek¡­ Doosan¡­ dry, are dried, dries up¡­ is dried up¡­¡¯8 Jaeyoung got up by pressing down on Sangwoo¡¯s head. The lips that entranced Sangwoo enlarged in his field of view. Jaeyoung¡¯s lips gradually approached him and disappeared from his sight. The piercings in his ears and the hair that slightly stuck out at the back flashed across his field of vision before it disappeared. The smell of cigarettes stimulated his olfactory sense. ¡°Go to the movies with me.¡± Hot air hit his ear and the whisper relayed the message in the form of soundwaves to his brain. Those waves led to vibrations being converted into electrical signals leading to the accurate deciphering of human communication symbols.9 Heat rose to his face from his neck. His efforts to calm down had no effect. Constricted areas controlled by autonomous nerves worked beyond the control of reason. Sangwoo got up from his seat and ran towards the door. The chair seemed to have collapsed, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He burst through the men¡¯s restroom door and panted in front of the mirror. His face looked as contorted with extreme exertion as someone who had just run a marathon or something. He bent down, turned on the cold water tap, and splashed it on his cheeks. He washed his face several times in order to soothe the heat he was feeling. ¡®I must be crazy.¡¯ Sangwoo was well aware of when and for what purpose the male penis stiffened. He could not recall being sexually stimulated, but his lower abdomen stiffening and his genitalia becoming hard were absurd malfunctions. When Sangwoo frantically washed his face and looked up, the bathroom door opened. He made eye contact with Jaeyoung through the mirror, water dripping from his chin. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Footnotes: 7. A study has been done where they¡¯ve found that some species in the Chernobyl exclusion zone actually have adapted to the ionizing radiation there. Some bird species, such as the hawfinch, are possibly even benefitting from it. There are a lot of scientific articles on this. Here is one. 8. Sangwoo is reciting the Korean National Anthem in his head. Here¡¯s a link to the lyrics in both Korean and English. 9. Apparently, Sangwoo is so shocked by this whisper that he can only grasp at the most clinical and logical way to understand the situation at hand. It is possible that this is a way of maintaining a degree of sanity. Click here for more on the physics of sound. Chapter 6.13 Sangwoo trembled a bit. Jaeyoung, who was looking at him with a slight frown, felt more threatening than ever. He came one step closer. Sangwoo stretched out his arm to block him from making contact with him, and opened his mouth. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I don¡¯t want to go watch a movie.¡± The words came out in the most straightforward way. Why would he ask him out to the movies when he wasn¡¯t even of the opposite sex? Jaeyoung¡¯s suggestion knocked over the delicate dominoes that had been built recently. As a result, the inner fortress that had been built inside his mind was burnt to ashes in one go. Jaeyoung squinted while staring at Sangwoo. ¡°Is it because you¡¯re going with me? Or is it because it¡¯s two guys going?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°It¡¯s compensation for fixing my computer. Is it bad enough to make you knock the chair over as you run away?¡± There was a sharp tone to his voice that Sangwoo hadn¡¯t heard recently. Sangwoo¡¯s mouth opened on its own and spat out his rebuttal. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a brain? Being near each other is exhausting; it takes a heavy toll on us. How is that compensation?¡± ¡°Your words are getting harsher. Don¡¯t push it.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s posture became increasingly crooked. The tension he had been feeling since the first day they met was hanging in the air. At the same time, Sangwoo wasn¡¯t afraid of Jaeyoung cursing and behaving like a thug at all. However, Sangwoo now felt scared when he was speaking quietly instead. But it wasn¡¯t a common fear to have. ¡®Don¡¯t come close to me. Don¡¯t touch me either. Stop destroying my daily life.¡¯ After staring at Sangwoo¡¯s face for a long time, Jaeyoung icily made a sarcastic remark. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you money for the reparation fee. How much do I owe you?¡± ¡°Ten million won.1¡± ¡°This bastard is being like this again. You have a habit of letting shitty things come out of your mouth even when saying them nicely.¡± Jaeyoung smiled in a way that was much closer to enmity rather than amity. That was the moment Sangwoo¡¯s fear became defiant. ¡°I already told you that I don¡¯t need any compensation. I¡¯d rather be harassed like I was on the first day, so stop trying to pull any tricks.¡± ¡°What kind of trick did I pull?¡± ¡°Why are you whispering!¡± ¡°Then should I yell inside the library?¡± Sangwoo shoulder checked Jaeyoung and ran back to the study room. The librarian who widely opened her eyes, seemed to consider if she should stop him. Sangwoo left through the door carrying his bag, having just thrown everything in without even closing the zipper. He dashed because he was afraid of someone following him, but he couldn¡¯t sense anything behind him. Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! Error! There was a red warning sound in his head. A sign of a serious problem with his body. It was so serious that he felt as if he needed to run straight to the hospital. Heart ¨C abnormally high heart rate compared to the amount of exercise Skin ¨C high heat emission Hand ¨C hand tremors Mouth ¨C xerostomia (dry mouth) Penis ¨C ¡­fuck Sangwoo felt dizzy as he entered his apartment. Without doing anything, he immediately fell onto his bed and covered his head with a blanket. What transpired 20 minutes ago was the single most shocking event of his life. Something similar had happened once in the second year of middle school, but that was it. Sangwoo had sniffed something nice while he was on his way to school. He had fantasized about what was inside the white short-sleeved blouse the woman who was passing by him was wearing. That time, when he remembered the picture of a female model in a swimsuit he had seen at a bus stop, his heart had started pounding and a specific part of his lower body had become hard. Scientifically, he knew exactly what had happened in his body, but he didn¡¯t know that such a thing would happen to him as well. He had turned around and returned home on the spot, feeling ashamed because it felt as if he had become a beast. He had told his mother about it when she returned from work, and fortunately enough, she had told him that it was a natural reaction. ¡®Are you aware of what¡¯s in your testicles?¡¯ ¡®There are 200-500 million sperm that are prepared for reproduction.¡¯ Footnotes: 1. Roughly $8900 USD. Chapter 6.14 ¡®Exactly. It¡¯s a structure that is normally only used for stockpiling, but it is ejaculated when it¡¯s sexually stimulated. Since you¡¯re still a young student, you¡¯re not in a position to have sex, so until you find a partner you can have consensual sex with, you can induce a situation similar to sexual intercourse by stroking the penis with your hand. Socially, there¡¯s a perception of it being dirty, so don¡¯t do it in public, and just do it when you¡¯re alone. Take care so nothing splashes on the floor, and also make sure to wash your hands both before and after you do it.¡¯ ¡®I understand. Won¡¯t I catch a disease from doing it?¡¯ ¡®¡­what kind of unscientific idea is that? Healthy men reach that age at 11 and it lasts forever, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯ Sangwoo had never felt embarrassed even when similar things occurred ever since then. Fortunately, his bodily organs tended to be well controlled by reason, so he was able to prevent things from escalating beforehand in most cases or quickly settle them when they occasionally went out of control. There had never been such an inappropriate case such as this one in his entire life. Sangwoo understood that when a special person caused an erection in someone, it revealed the male desire to conceive offspring. Reacting to a man without a uterus was completely inappropriate for the purpose of the organ. The error that ruined Sangwoo¡¯s past two weeks seemed to have even permeated through his body. Chu Sangwoo ¨C broken Like the second toilet stall in the restroom on the 4th floor of the liberal arts college ¨C broken Sangwoo spent the day absentmindedly lying down without eating or drinking anything. He received such a big shock from not being able to control his own body, that he seriously considered taking a leave of absence this semester. Studies were important as well, but he believed that if he repeatedly kept letting this happen from now on, he would have a much more serious problem than delaying his graduation by one semester. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t confident enough to go to class the next day. Jang Jaeyoung would either naturally put his arm around his shoulders, pat his head, or whisper things into his ears without restraint, so Sangwoo¡¯s body, which had been eroded by an error, might malfunction like it had earlier that day. Sangwoo turned his alarm off for the first time in a long time and fell asleep very late that day. return 0; The next day, Sangwoo woke up at the same time he usually did even though his alarm didn¡¯t go off. The fact that he couldn¡¯t attend his classes was painful and distressing, but he decided that it was to prevent even deeper pain. He stayed in bed even after it was time to get up. While he was absentmindedly lying in bed playing games on his phone, it was time for class, but Sangwoo didn¡¯t take a single step out of bed. 10:00 ¡®What will the professor in ¡®Embedded Systems¡¯ think?¡¯ He would probably remember Sangwoo as the type of student who slept on his desk and had a mustache drawn on his face from the very first day of class, but he would just find him pathetic if he even skipped class. ¡®I¡¯m going to take the semester off anyway.¡¯ 10:10 He looked up how he could apply for a leave of absence. The procedure was much simpler than he thought, so he decided to take care of it during the day. The explanation page didn¡¯t give any information on what would happen if someone with full scholarship took a leave of absence in the middle of the semester, so he thought that he ought to inquire about that. 10:20 He worked on a new plan since his old one would change due to his leave of absence. He made a plan where he would graduate in the first half of the year he turned 26, and then get a job at a foreign gaming company in the second half. Taking a leave of absence would only delay his plans by six months, so the damage wouldn¡¯t be that significant. The bigger issue was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to produce a game this semester. He had planned on creating and launching this game in order to build a core portfolio so that he could join a gaming company. However, it was still not too late. If he could only find a designer, then he could produce a game even while taking the semester off. 10:30 Sangwoo entered the university¡¯s intranet and reread his recruitment post for a designer. It was now pushed back to page 30, and there were several comments on the post that no one had read. Comments rless: Fellow students that are applying for this project, contact me first and not Chu Sangwoo, the writer of this post. Visual Design Department Jang Jaeyoung 010-****-**** ©¸ Peking Duck: Jang Jaeyoung sunbaenim! I¡¯ll give you a call^^ ©¸ Choi Sujin: I¡¯ll give you a call sunbaenim ^0^ ©¸ mingee03: Ah, I¡¯m very late¡­ Still, I texted you ©¸ Scap-jjangS: Has the deadline closed??? ©¸ Yoo Hyun Jeong: Is Jang Jaeyoung sunbaenim participating as well??? I sent a text Chapter 6.15 Sangwoo hadn¡¯t received a single text, yet there were over ten comments saying that they had contacted him. Sangwoo held back his irritation and copied the text and posted it again. He deleted the previous post that Jaeyoung had ruined. If he had already spread bad rumors about him around the Visual Design department, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to find anyone, so at this point, he was thinking of trying to find a professional freelancer. 10:36 Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. It wasn¡¯t a place where packages arrived, so what was going on? Sangwoo got out of bed. Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock! The force of the pounding on the door increased. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know who it was, but it was clear that it was an impatient and rude person. When he was approaching the door to look through the peephole, he heard a resounding shout. ¡°Hey, Chu Sangwoo!¡± Sangwoo stopped, hesitantly standing with one foot on the doorstep. ¡°I know you¡¯re in there. Open the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you not gonna answer me, you motherfucker?¡± Sangwoo an unexpected swear word. He quickly grasped the situation. He hadn¡¯t gone to class. Jang Jaeyoung had followed him to the front of his house, so he knew where he lived. His bike was locked by the bicycle rack, so he was able to guess that Sangwoo was home. The bike owner¡¯s apartment number is written down on the bicycle rack. With hostile eyes, Sangwoo yelled out to his opponent on the other side of the door. ¡°Get out of here before I report you for brawling.¡± Bang! There was a sound so loud that Sangwoo worried that the door had been broken. ¡°Open up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Open the door!¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to. Why are you trying to make someone else open their door!¡± There was an oppressive silence for a while. The opponent who had been acting out on the door calmed down for a bit. Sangwoo glared at the door. ¡°Hey, you asshole. Was asking you to go to the movies with me awful enough for you to skip class?¡± Sangwoo could hear him gasp. Sangwoo¡¯s chest rose and fell. ¡°You skipped a class? A bastard who would scramble to hold his seat even five minutes before the world ended?¡± ¡°Think whatever you want.¡± Knock. It was a weak sound this time. Sangwoo could tell that Jaeyoung was leaning against the door. ¡°I just asked you to go to the movies with me once, and things turned into nuclear waste. Are you also going to take a leave of absence from school or something?¡± His mumbling seemed exactly like he was talking to himself. ¡°Go ahead. How about you write your reason for it like this? My fucking sunbae, who¡¯s a dude, erratically asked me to go watch a movie with him, so I want to take the semester off.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Did anyone say they were going to kidnap you to confine and torture you? That they were gonna drug you and take your organs?¡± ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be good! It¡¯s disgusting between men¡­¡± ¡°What kind of ancient mindset is that? I can watch movies just fine even with men. I even went yesterday.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I only watch movies with the opposite sex and on the premise of marriage. So don¡¯t yell in front of someone else¡¯s apartment and just get out of here!¡± He heard a medley of curses through the door, followed by a sigh. ¡°How much time and effort have I spent on you? What does this motherfucker think about people?¡± ¡°What are you even talking about after harassing me at first?¡± ¡°Two days. I just did it for two days. And I haven¡¯t been doing anything for the rest of the week. Shit, this is the first time I¡¯ve done anything so pointless since I was discharged from the army. Thank you so fucking much for giving me the opportunity to do something so fruitless.¡± ¡°Do you have a personality disorder? What the hell did you do that¡¯s so great that you even get mad at me?¡± ¡°Just forget it.¡± Perhaps it was because he had enough of a fit already, but the malice in his voice had disappeared. After a brief lull, a thin sheet of paper came in through the gap between the door and the floor. It was a movie ticket with a picture of a film on it. ¡°Just take it and get lost. I won¡¯t even do as much as look your way anymore.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re saying that, then leave right away.¡± ¡°You can get out of here yourself, you crazy bastard. And never appear before me again.¡± Where is he telling someone who¡¯s already home to go? It was like a candle telling the wind to blow it out. Sangwoo soon heard tempest-like footsteps. The rough and mechanical-sounding footsteps increasingly grew farther away, until they couldn¡¯t be heard at some point. ¡®That worked out well.¡¯ Sangwoo was so furious at that moment that his intention of taking a leave of absence completely vanished. He changed his clothes without even washing up, so that he wouldn¡¯t be late for his next class. Everything he had been worrying about before Jaeyoung came to find him became dim. As he had completely turned things around, Sangwoo was filled with a strong desire to finish the semester. Chapter 6.16 ¡®Never appear before me again.¡¯ It was the second time he heard it. Sangwoo felt terrible both then and now, but he was happy to hear it. Within seven minutes of hearing that, he came out of his apartment properly dressed and wearing a backpack. He headed to school while pedaling hard enough for his legs to break. He arrived when it was time for the first period to end. Sangwoo headed to the engineering college with his nose streaming. Jang Jaeyoung had declared that he would walk out of his life, so his troubles had practically disappeared. All that remained for him to do was to restore the seat that this typhoon had swept through. After standing in front of classroom #303 while waiting for people to leave, Sangwoo sat down in his spotless seat. He opened the textbook for his major and read the letters with greater intensity than he ever had before. His sympathetic nervous system gave him an adrenaline rush. His anger towards Jang Jaeyoung was a powerful motivation. Sangwoo made eye contact with the professor with a blazing look and took notes while pressing down with enough pressure to rip the paper. He memorized every single detail. All he had to do was to look at the problem, and the solution would appear in his head. He felt like he was playing a game where he got a fever buff2. His heart was pounding. He couldn¡¯t stand his daily routine being ruined by Jang Jaeyoung and others. Determined not to become a victim, Sangwoo led a more fiercely efficient life on that Friday than he usually did. He sat by his desk and studied without getting up for hours at a time and solved homework problems during his part-time job. He looked at the letters with his eyes wide open without skipping even the least important question. When he came home on Sunday night, he collapsed on his bed. His three-day long Fever Buff was on its last legs. Sangwoo felt slightly depressed and severely fatigued. He made an effort to not think about anything, but as he was lying down and looking at the ceiling, his head was filled with all sorts of trivial things. Things such as a hand that suddenly appears, swearing out of spite, pretending to be close by saying his name, or a tongue that was slowly licking lips, were all related to one person. The virus in his brain that was called Jang Jaeyoung seemed to increase like a geometric progression. That phenomenon continued even after the fire had been extinguished. It was an unpleasant evening. return 0; Week 3. A complete program with errors debugged had been run. 8:30am: Wake up, exercise, shower, breakfast 9:16am: Go to school 9:24am: Arrive at school 9:30am: Arrive at the classroom, study ahead, review 10:00am: First class begins 10:50am: Transfer classrooms 11:00am: Second class begins 12:00pm: Transfer to the restaurant, meal 12:28pm: Transfer to the snack shop, buy coffee, walk 12:45pm: Transfer to the library, check new book, book loan, solve homework 6:00pm: Transfer to the restaurant, meal 6:28pm: Return home, brush teeth, change clothes, rest 7:00pm: Game 9:00pm: Study game trends, figure out community trends 10:00pm: Study programming languages 12:00am: Reserve library seat, rest 12:30am: Bedtime Sangwoo went to school at the same time, sat in the same seat, and took his classes sitting with the same posture. The ¡®Embedded Systems¡¯ class seemed as fresh as when he took it on the first day. As Sangwoo had been frequently disturbed and thus not been able to concentrate at all, it was no different than it being the first class to him. The professor called for Sangwoo after class, which had been hectic because he was checking the parts he needed to study separately. ¡°Come see me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In the past, he would have felt as if the sky were falling down, but Sangwoo put his book in the bag with a calm expression. There were so many strange things that had been happening, so this amount of stress felt like nothing. Sangwoo got up from his seat and headed towards the teachers¡¯ platform. The professor was putting away the microphone. ¡°You asked to see me?¡± Sangwoo said in a gloomy voice. ¡°I noticed you were absent during the previous class. Why?¡± The professor said while winding up the microphone cord. ¡®My sunbae, who¡¯s a dude, erratically asked me to go watch a movie with him and whispered in my ear, so I didn¡¯t attend the class. This was because my heart was filled with the intention of taking the semester off having received such a big shock.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Did the student next to you who sleeps everyday go somewhere?¡± ¡°I think he dropped the class.¡± The professor finished with the microphone, handed it to the teaching assistant, and stared at Sangwoo. He was the type who had fierce and sharp eyes, but Sangwoo didn¡¯t feel anything. ¡°I have high expectations, Sangwoo.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve heard of me?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t a single professor in our department who doesn¡¯t know of you.¡± The professor smiled slightly. It was so faint that it didn¡¯t even look like a smile. ¡°I was disappointed in the beginning, but it¡¯s still not too late. Let¡¯s get it together from now on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ______________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: 2. A ¡®fever buff¡¯ is a buff system in the MMORPG game Maplestory. Think of it as a buffer feature where all actions are sped up. Chapter 6.17 Sangwoo greeted him with a bow and headed towards the school cafeteria. It had become a habit for him to look sideways in case someone were to sit down next to him. However, no matter how much he looked around the cafeteria, there wasn¡¯t anyone that wanted to sit next to him. Sangwoo finished his meal at the usual time and left through the exit. ¡°Student! The coffee is in!¡± the owner of the snack shop cried out as soon as he entered. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot, so pick a bunch.¡± Without being able to control them, Sangwoo¡¯s legs piloted themselves to the front of the third refrigerator. His hand opened the door and grabbed a canned coffee from the fifth row. ¡®I already have seven at home.¡¯ He popped up the lid while leaving the shop. Since it was ready-made, it was clear that it tasted the same as before. However, strangely enough, Sangwoo realized that it wasn¡¯t delicious. Not everything had returned to normal. return 0; A week went by according to his routine. Everything was in place and all situations were normal. Sangwoo himself was the only one who had changed. Sangwoo was depressed for the first time in his life, but he did his best to study even harder. However, cracks in his life were appearing everywhere. His concentration declined, and even if he was listening to what people were saying, he had to think for a really long time in order to understand what they were saying. Gaming was not fun and everything became bothersome. There were times when he suddenly stopped while he was brushing his teeth, reading a book, or walking down the street, just as if he were lagging behind. When that happened, he had to make an effort to turn his attention back to what he was doing. It was very tiresome. He found himself in front of the classroom, at the stairs at the engineering and humanities colleges, in front of the school cafeteria, and by the library. He first thought that he was slowing his walking pace in places where Jang Jaeyoung haunted him, as he had gotten the habit of avoiding him. However, he couldn¡¯t solve this problem even though he knew he was 100% unlikely to appear. Then a tiny problem appeared. There were terrible symptoms such as taking three chopsticks when he was going to eat at the cafeteria, wearing his clothes inside out, wearing mismatched socks, or just sitting around and doing nothing for ten minutes. This continued until Tuesday, when he saw Jang Jaeyoung in front of the main gate. He was wearing neither a red padded jacket nor a green coat. He was standing there in a baseball jacket Sangwoo had never seen before, smoking, and wearing glasses again. Two male students were happily playing in front of Jaeyoung, balancing on his skateboard. Sangwoo pondered how odd it was that he had spotted Jaeyoung in the distance and among people. Perhaps it was because of his cocky swagger, or because he was tall. Or was it because of his lean and slender body? Or because his smiling face was pretty? Sangwoo felt unfamiliar with himself, thinking such thoughts. He quickly passed by Jaeyoung, but the mere fact that he had seen him, brought back his boring slow-going days. The adrenaline-driven short term fever mode had arrived. Even if it hadn¡¯t lasted for very long, Sangwoo had felt as if he had returned to his original state for a moment. Chu Sangwoo ¨C broken That new fact pierced into Sangwoo¡¯s thought circuit. He walked into his apartment hunched over as if he were the sole survivor of a defeated army that had gotten caught in the rain. He then washed his hands and sat down in front of his desk. When he checked his phone, there was a new message. Sangwoo felt his heart pounding, but when he checked it, it wasn¡¯t what he had expected. ¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­. Unsaved: Hi~ I¡¯m contacteng you after seeing your advertaisment^^ I¡¯m a Junior at the desain department I¡¯m innerested in the game you¡¯re planninng on produsing but what should I do to proseed? 16:52 ¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­.¡­¡­. Having waited so long to receive a message from a potential designer, why didn¡¯t he feel motivated about a project he had planned his entire semester around? It might have been because he had discovered seven misspelled words. Sangwoo put down his email address in the reply section and asked the person to send him their portfolio. It was then time to lock his screen, but his fingers were opening messages sent by another person. Chapter 6.18 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Freeloader3: (Image) good job 12 days ago ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. When he clicked the thumbnail, it went into full-screen mode. Jaeyoung was smiling and sticking his tongue out next to Sangwoo, who was very stiff. The rubber wigs they were wearing on their foreheads reflected fluorescent light. Zoom in, zoom in, zoom in. Jaeyoung¡¯s face filled the entire cell phone screen. It was so pixelated that he didn¡¯t like it. ¡®You said you were going to put in on social media, right?¡¯ Samgwoo put his cell phone away and turned on his desktop computer. Even though he used various methods to reduce the booting time, it was difficult to wait. As soon as the desktop came up, he launched an Internet browser and logged into a social media site where he had only created an account in the past. Sangwoo only had two followers. Sangchu you little fucker, why aren¡¯t you picking up my calls? sangchusangchusanchu what month are you going to be discharged from the army? There were some short DMs a few of his friends from middle school and high school had sent him a few years ago. Sangwoo used the search bar to look for Jang Jaeyoung. There was an incredible amount of people with the same name, but the version he was looking for was at the very top, because he had a lot of followers. Jang Jaeyoung (Jae. J) Graphic Designer / Graffiti Writer / SkateBoarder The introduction in his bio was brief, and there was a link to his portfolio page below it. There were 22 posts, so he wasn¡¯t the type who posted a lot. The most recent post was a picture he had taken with Sangwoo on the day they had the Chinese skit. ¡®With a cute hoobae¡¯ Looking at when he had posted it, it had been before their relationship had broken down at the library. There were hundreds of ¡°likes¡± from people who had never even seen Sangwoo. By the time he came to his senses, he found that he had already zoomed in as much as he could on the picture, so he took a screenshot and saved it so that he could look at Jaeyoung¡¯s comment. He had stepped earnestly into Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s world. The first post was a selfie he had posted in the beginning of last year. There were a lot of heart and crying emojis under the ¡°Nice to meet you¡± post. The studs in his ears looked like they were sparkling. His bleached hair was disheveled and looked slightly orange. His face was expressionless. ¡®That¡¯s really unsightly. Looks like a delinquent.¡¯ Sangwoo jerked his head back as if he had been sucked into the monitor and saved the picture. The second post was of the shop he worked at, which he had tagged. Jaeyoung seemed to be working at ¡®Olive Tree,¡¯ because he was helping out the owner, whom he seemed to know well. He was standing in front of the caf¨¦ with the owner, and the days and time he was working were written on it. ¡®That smile is clearly fake.¡¯ Saved. The next post was also a promotional one, and the one after that was a personal photo. He was sitting in front of a computer, wearing a black beanie in that one. His hair color was still bright. Sangwoo saw how dark it was outside of the window, so it seemed like Jaeyoung had been doing homework all night. ¡®How would a person who pulled an all-nighter look so flawless? There¡¯s no need to stage a picture.¡¯ Saved. Next, next, next. The mouse moved frantically. Jaeyoung was making strange poses with his friends in a photo where he was dressed up in a suit. ¡®Attention seeker.¡¯ Saved. The next post was a short video clip of him wearing a helmet and guards. He was sitting on the floor and laughing after having fallen off his skateboard during a practice session. ¡®¡­ Moron.¡¯ Saved. In the next picture, Jaeyoung was standing in front of a large wall where he had spray-painted strange fluorescent letters and a black tongue. ¡®Definitely painted a stupid-looking monster.¡¯ Saved. In another picture, he was standing in front of a black background, wearing heavy theatrical makeup with his eyes closed. ¡°¡­¡± Saved. It was too difficult to try to define him in one word: a bewitching smile, sparkling eyes that drew you in, with a mischievously crooked grin, a laugh that seemed sarcastic, a smile that looked villainous. Sangwoo suddenly remembered when he was six years old and first saw a toy forklift. After begging his parents for it for the next 15 days, his father secretly bought it for him without telling his mother. He had felt the exact same way then as he did now. Even now, in his mid-20s, Sangwoo¡¯s heart still started pounding whenever he saw a forklift. Chapter 6.19 Sangwoo watched and saved all the short theatrical recordings and promotional videos, skateboard videos, and graffiti videos posted on YouTube. He googled Jaeyoung¡¯s ID to search for his interests and even found his electronic music playlist on YouTube. Washiba Gatgatnova it¡¯s like you¡¯re flying this season. Planning on ascending to the heavens soon Planning on ascending to the heavens ?? You won¡¯t even be able to use a cap with that and you¡¯ll accidentally squash it so it will spray everywhere. Don¡¯t buy it It¡¯s so fucking pretty, but it seems like it¡¯ll break down right away? Sangwoo found and read the few comments Jaeyoung had left on forums online and even some reviews of products he had purchased at some online shopping sites. He went to Jaeyoung¡¯s portfolio page and looked at everything: the design he made for graduation, the work he won an award for at a contest, websites he had done freelance work for, indie singer concert posters and banners, magazine illustrations, and the graffiti and illustrations he had done for fun. He even searched through all his previous posts about the theater department on the school¡¯s intranet. He read about their recruitment notices, promotional production posts for various plays and exhibitions. (5min walk) Looking for a male roommate. Only come to see me in person, please. In the dark dawn after pulling an all-nighter, Sangwoo eventually came to his senses after reading a post from six years ago. ¡®What am I doing right now?¡¯ There were 36 photos and nine videos sorted by date in the ¡®Jang Jaeyoung¡¯ folder created on his desktop. Sangwoo found himself opening them one by one to appreciate them more closely again. The only memories he had of Jaeyoung were either when they were arguing. However, since they were in this state, he had mistaken it for having gotten close to Jaeyoung, approaching the point where he wanted to address him in a different way. ¡®Hyung. What have you done to me?¡¯ The first time they ran into each other at the PC room, when Jaeyoung had put the spicy ramen in front of him and started cursing and saying that they shouldn¡¯t run into each other again, he had just been a small syntax error. However, even after catching the error, the program wouldn¡¯t run as it had before. Like the seven cans of coffee in his refrigerator, the tiny defect that had wormed its way into Sangwoo¡¯s heart and mind did not disappear. ¡®There must have been a deletion somewhere in the source code.¡¯ Twelve days had passed since they had fought. The coffee had lost its flavor, gaming became dull, and he felt depressed. Originally, Sangwoo was far from the type of human being who was swayed by their emotions. However, he asked himself: ¡®how many emotions had he exhausted over the past three weeks?¡¯ i) Severe irritation, severe anxiety, feeling wronged and misunderstood ¨C 2 days ii) Slight irritation, slight anxiety, doubt ¨C 3 days iii) Confusion, anger, absentmindedness ¨C 6 days iv) Depression, anger ¨C 12 days Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s existence was the cause of i), ii), and iii), and would be resolved if he disappeared. However, the cause of iv) was the absence of Jang Jaeyoung. Sangwoo, who had turned a blind eye to that fact for over 10 days of falling apart, concluded that he couldn¡¯t keep going like this. Ignoring the problem wouldn¡¯t make it disappear. Since this was the case, Sangwoo had to act as a problem solver. He carefully thought about the cause of the problem, the advantages of his connection to Jaeyoung, and the circumstances. Naturally, the more complicated a problem is, the more simple solutions there would be. He didn¡¯t include irrational emotional elements and just analyzed the situation itself. The reason Sangwoo felt dissatisfied was because Jang Jaeyoung had disappeared from his life. Since it was so, he had to drag him back into his life. He combined several options to produce the most optimal solution. He came to one conclusion, and he saw no other way to handle it. Sangwoo always preferred the shortest path, and he had every intention of taking it. return 0; ¡°Hey.¡± Sangwoo called for Jihye while eating after their cultural theory class. She looked up as she was drinking her soup. ¡°You know how I¡¯m supposed to treat you to a meal?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to treat you today.¡± A smile spread over her formerly expressionless face. Sangwoo wondered if she was having a difficult time lately. ¡°If you agree, then come to Olive Tree by 6pm tonight.¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s where we had our first meal together, oppa. Do you remember? But it¡¯s really expensive there¡­¡± ¡°I know. Do you agree or not?¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± Jihye looked thrilled to get an expensive meal for free. Sangwoo asked for her phone number in case they missed each other going to the restaurant. Jihye stuttered while giving him her number. Chapter 6.20 ¡°What was your last name, again?¡± ¡°Ryu.¡± He saved her as ¡®French Literature Ryu Jihye¡¯ and put his phone back in his bag. ¡°Do you know my name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jihye.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I thought you wouldn¡¯t know.¡± It sounded like Jihye was testing Sangwoo¡¯s memory. Sangwoo and Jihye were lined up in front of the restaurant a little after 6pm. Sangwoo had never wasted time waiting for something so futile as eating, but he thought he could endure it just this once. ¡°I think there¡¯s a seat. Let¡¯s enter.¡± When the employee opened the huge door on the second floor, there was a rattling sound from the bell. As soon as he entered the expansive restaurant, Sangwoo looked around everywhere. All tables were occupied and there were three waiters walking around in black aprons. Jang Jaeyoung was taking orders from a table far away from Sangwoo. The handwritten letters on the memo had to be so messy that nothing else could be recognized. Jaeyoung wrote everything down and put the memo in the pocket of his apron. When he turned towards Sangwoo¡¯s direction, Sangwoo thought that they had made eye contact. However, he seemed to have been mistaken as Jaeyoung quickly walked into the kitchen. ¡°¡­¡± He must have been na?ve to have thought Jaeyoung would come so far just to take their order, like last time. An unknown man came to their table and asked to take their order. Jihye ordered pasta vongole, and Sangwoo ordered whatever was on the very top of the menu. ¡°Oppa, you seem to like seafood. You got lobster last time,¡± Jihye said while smiling after the part-time worker had left. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You ordered pasta with mussels¡­Isn¡¯t that only for people who know what they¡¯re doing? I noticed it again.¡± ¡®What the hell is she talking about?¡¯ Sangwoo was busy looking around for Jaeyoung, so he wasn¡¯t paying attention. It was impossible to answer all Jihye¡¯s questions at the same time. Then, he saw Jaeyoung leave the kitchen and head for the exit. If he left with an apron on, it meant that he was going to run a quick errand. Did he have something urgent come up? Had he seen them and was avoiding him? The food was being served while he was wasting time worrying about a question that he wasn¡¯t able to answer. Jihye got regular spaghetti, but Sangwoo¡¯s entire plate was filled with red soup with mussels. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t fussy about food, but he thought it was annoying to eat something he would have to deshell. He started eating after he was forced to pick the mussels out with a spoon and a fork. ¡°Is it delicious?¡± Jihye asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sangwoo kept glancing at the door throughout their meal. Jaeyoung still hadn¡¯t returned even after Sangwoo had deshelled about half of the mussels and put them in his mouth, as if it were a task. Sangwoo was so bothered that he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. Jihye looked surprised when he got up. ¡°Where are you going, oppa?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just go outside for a minute.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just gonna leave me behind again, aren¡¯t you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave my wallet here.¡± Jihye was a kind kid, but she was filled with suspicion. Sangwoo left his wallet as her hostage and got out of his seat. His steps got increasingly faster after he left through the door. He ran down the stairs, and as soon as he left the building, he stopped completely. It was a dark place, but he could spot him in a second. Jaeyoung was leaning against the side of the building and smoking while talking to someone on the phone. Sangwoo¡¯s chest started pounding as he saw him. This was the bad guy who had broken down his daily life and who had become an error that ate into his body. How long had he been looking at him? The shadow fell, and only dark eyes were looked at Sangwoo. Jaeyoung narrowed his eyes as if he were in a single-frame scene of a Noir game. ¡°I¡¯m planning on doing it for the time being¡­ I¡¯m on a quick break right now¡­¡± For a moment, Sangwoo thought that he might hang up and maybe talk to him. That¡¯s what the glance he gave him seemed like. ¡°No, I¡¯m not busy right now so tell me.¡± However, Jaeyoung took his eyes off Sangwoo, and he simply held the cigarette that was between his fingers and put it to his mouth. He looked at his wristwatch while holding the cell phone between his ear and shoulder. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae,¡± Sangwoo spat out. Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes, which were gazing at the wall, slowly returned towards him. Sangwoo made eye contact with Jaeyoung. ¡°Tell them that you¡¯re busy and hang up. I have something important to tell you.¡± Chapter 7.1 Chapter 7 ¨C Blue Jaeyoung believed that since ancient times and through his many personal experiences, one could get along with their juniors and gain a sense of loyalty if they treated them to a meal. So far, there was only one hoobae that this hadn¡¯t worked on. While eating with a look that made him question if the pizza was made of mud, that guy was like a machine for taking in food in order to destroy it. The risotto didn¡¯t taste bad, yet his face had made it seem like the food hadn¡¯t even been seasoned. It wasn¡¯t even as if he were a picky eater, seeing that he watched him eat food at the school cafeteria every day without complaining. Jaeyoung had spent five years in college and was very good at winning over his juniors in different ways. Male students usually became loyal dogs when they saw him ride his skateboard after he had stuffed them full with delivery food. Female students should have equally stuffed bellies but needed more attention paid to them. He had to talk to them often and laugh a lot, so they would get the impression that you had a close relationship with them. In that sense, he wondered if Chu Sangwoo was a third gender. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t use any methods to target Sangwoo. He tried to stop provoking him by only using soft language (although there were a few moments where he hadn¡¯t been able to suppress his playfulness), he had made a huge contribution to their Chinese skit, and he had even daily prepared coffee to suit the characteristics of his routine-driven opponent. Although it had turned out to be counterproductive, he had wholeheartedly and earnestly drawn Sangwoo¡¯s caricature. He had even showed off his secret weapon, skateboarding, and escorted him all the way home. At this point, as long as he knew how to, he would have used all kinds of methods. ¡®I hope you have a nightmare, sunbae.¡¯ He was surprised that nothing had worked. Jaeyoung pushed even further as he wanted to press the backspace button, wondering if that guy wasn¡¯t a human bastard. ¡®There has to be a way to deal with a mechanical human being.¡¯ On the Sunday when Jaeyoung had become angry at his slow computer while reading webtoons, he had suddenly gotten a good idea. The level of obsession he displayed by taking his laptop apart in order to get his hoobae¡¯s attention was abnormal. Jaeyoung was the type to get obsessed with something once he set his sights on it. He expected Sangwoo to refuse to help him when asked to format his laptop. He headed to the PC room anyway after having prepared the bait and all the necessary equipment. Sangwoo acted according to Jaeyoung¡¯s expectations without a single exception. He always had a grim look on his face when he was dealing with people, but his dark eyes sparkled when he was touching a machine. ¡®They say that working men are sexy.¡¯ Jaeyoung was observing Sangwoo for a long time, while leaning over the counter with great interest. He felt that Sangwoo, who had formatted and even optimized his laptop, was cute. It was hard to explain why. Chu Sangwoo could not be classified as the puppy, cat, or rabbit type. Bluntly speaking, even if it was difficult to find a similar example among ordinary mammals, he definitely had a cute part to him. The bastard was the type who would wait for the crosswalk signal to change even in a deserted city. He was the kind of guy who wouldn¡¯t deviate a single step from his plan. He was as different as night was from day to Jaeyoung, who was proud of his own spontaneous and free-spirited personality. However, the characteristics he would have ignored if he were the same as he had been in the past, started to override the absurdity of it all and began to look charming instead. Sangwoo¡¯s curt way of speaking, having to answer every question, working hard when being presented with a task, and his poor pronunciation in Chinese, in spite of not making a single spelling or grammar mistake, all increasingly began to seem cute. Moreover, his appearance always sparked Jaeyoung¡¯s curiosity. White skin covered in black clothes containing a strict and by-the-book personality beneath. Was Sangwoo like an adorable deer from a Disney movie that had developed into something enigmatic? ¡®It¡¯s like a dark and mysterious herbivore in a cyberpunk setting, who feels nothing strange even though it is the sole survivor on Earth after a post-apocalyptic nuclear war.¡¯ In a way, it was natural for Jaeyoung, who was sensitive to visuals, to be attracted to hidden and mysterious things, especially those who were like a book you couldn¡¯t judge by its cover. Chapter 7.2 He wished that it had just stopped there. Jaeyoung began to feel a sense of crisis. It was desirable for a sunbae to regard their hoobae as cute, but to what degree was it acceptable? For example, it wasn¡¯t an issue for him to laugh at how cute it was that Sangwoo had scribbled on his face. However, what if he felt the urge to bite the nape of his neck from behind? Having thought about it for a long time, he wanted to remove the cap that seemed glued to the top of his head. But the moment he saw his bare face, rather than satisfying his curiosity, he thirsted for him even more. If he could only remove that jacket as well. If he could only remove that t-shirt as well. If he could only remove those shoes and those socks as well. How wide would those shoulders be? What shape would his toes be? Did he have a lot of body hair? What color were his nipples? ¡®You were right, Sangwoo. I¡¯m trash.¡¯ When he thought about the things he wouldn¡¯t say out loud even if he had a gun pointed to his head, he felt that it was really fortunate that Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any superpowers. How many times would he have dialed his favorite 112 if he had been able to get a glimpse into Jaeyoung¡¯s mind? The worse Jaeyoung¡¯s state of mind got, the harder he worked to not let it show on the outside. It was easy, as he had often been acting as a good sunbae. He could just change the way he talked making sure to soften his tone and laugh often. Then, people would think that Jaeyoung was kind. Sangwoo was no exception either, but he seemed to have gotten confused sometime between the red padded jacket and the green coat era. Meanwhile, without having a reason for it, he had been mean to the female student who was hanging out with Sangwoo. This had seemed childish even to him. ¡®Your makeup is heavier than the last time I saw you.¡¯ In the morning drama ¡°My Sister-in-Law,¡± a striking line had been said with a vicious expression, and Jaeyoung had found it to be crazy. He had simultaneously thought: ¡®Why are you pretending to be so close to him, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡¯ It was fine for a six year old to behave like that. When Jihye was still a snot-nosed little brat, Jaeyoung was already a high school student with a beard. He was already going crazy over the smallest and least significant things. It had been around that time when he wondered if what he felt were feelings of love. Chu Sangwoo was a really weird guy, but Jaeyoung had a habit of being attracted to things that piqued his curiosity. However, there were too many problems. First of all, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t really have that much time left. He had reapplied for grad school. He had already applied for that school once, and reading between the lines of the email he got from the person in charge, he believed that he would be admitted again as long as nothing major occurred. A more serious issue was that Sangwoo was a male student. During his trip to Europe a few years ago, Jaeyeong had gotten caught up in the moment and slept with a tiny and cute-looking guy , but that didn¡¯t mean he had ever decided to date a man. He could if he wanted to, but he had a hard time imagining it when his opponent was Chu Sangwoo. Especially when he was a guy who thought going to the movies with another man meant that the world was going to end. In conclusion, it was impossible to think either this way or that way when it came to that guy. On the contrary, however, that was the reason Jaeyoung was able to behave the way he wanted to. He relied on the confidence he had from never crossing the ¡®line.¡¯ He used his image as a sunbae with a good personality as a shield and kept poking at Sangwoo even though it was obvious that he disliked him. Time quickly flew by. He had just thought of messing with Sangwoo for a few days, but surprisingly enough, two entire weeks had been filled with lots of fun stuff. Even if it hadn¡¯t been to the degree he had planned, he had nonetheless managed to get close to Sangwoo. As much as he had eagerly waited for the course correction period to end, Jaeyoung had gradually grown disappointed, regretting that this time was coming to an end. That¡¯s probably why he worked so hard on the Chinese skit. He had never before worked so hard on an assignment for a required general education liberal arts class. He had prepared costumes and props for the different scenarios, done translations, and worked on the documents. He had even given Sangwoo advice on how to pronounce things correctly. He had set more than ten alarms in case he wouldn¡¯t be able to wake up. He had packed a bunch of props and headed to school. Chapter 7.3 The moment he saw Sangwoo change his clothes from behind, he had realized that he was doomed. When nobody was around and was watching, he observed him walking down the hallway with perfect posture. Jaeyoung¡¯s heart fluttered. He was dressed in a worn out-looking collared navy shirt , black slacks cuffed at the ankles, and that black ball cap that should be burned. Just by looking at the description, there was nothing to be excited about, but it really did make his heart flutter. Jaeyoung felt embarrassed envisioning himself as the main character of a romantic movie despite wearing a bald wig with pigtails. Things had blown up after they had successfully finished their skit, so he had thought that Sangwoo would have opened up to him a little bit. He wanted to be near him, so he had asked him to go watch a movie only to be brutally rejected. As Sangwoo had guessed, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t have any intention of harassing or hurting him. He just wanted to watch Sangwoo¡¯s profile in the darkness of a movie theater, imagining his emotionless expression as he looked at the screen. He honestly thought that Sangwoo would allow that much, which is why he had confidently asked him to watch a movie with him. But, how much had he really invested in this? Why would guys go watch a movie together?, he had asked. Being near each other is exhausting. His words made sense. Even if he¡¯d often wanted to hit Sangwoo for being so rude, he had never heard him say anything wrong. Jaeyoung had laughed off being repeatedly rejected, but he just couldn¡¯t do so at that time. He made such a big effort, but he still hadn¡¯t been able to convince him. He had just flipped out instead. Jaeyoung had started arguing with him on the spot thereby ruining the carefully-constructed facade of a good sunbae. He was so good at acting that anyone who met him would regard him as an angel but merely whispering in front of Chu Sangwoo wasn¡¯t easy for him. He went back home and mulled it over. He had two pleasing thoughts that were confronting each other. On the one hand, he thought ¡®fucker, he said that he hates it that much, so I need to back off.¡¯ On the other hand, he also thought ¡®still, I want to end our acquaintance on good terms.¡¯ In the battle between the devil and the angel, the devil ultimately won. ¡®Still, ending it this way isn¡¯t the case.¡¯ It was a devil who hid his dark desires to see Chu Sangwoo¡¯s face just once more. The following day, right before the ¡®Embedded Systems¡¯ class, Jaeyoung had imagined himself walking away from Sangwoo¡¯s classroom with his typical swagger, seemingly aloof and just shrugging things off as if they didn¡¯t matter.He thought that he could build his confidence by imagining something like that, even if he was actually nervous inside. However, no matter how long he waited, Sangwoo didn¡¯t show up for class. That bastard Chu Sangwoo was probably the most obsessed student with attending classes at Hanguk University. Sangwoo not attending class was beyond his wildest expectations, which is why he felt such intense betrayal when he actually didn¡¯t appear. Did he hate the idea to that extent? It wasn¡¯t as if he meant for them to hold hands. He just wanted them to watch a movie together. Jaeyoung, whose pride had been crushed, ran all the way to Sangwoo¡¯s place and acted nastily and cursed at him. Ultimately, Jaeyoung hadn¡¯t been able to be a good sunbae to Chu Sangwoo. This was just like that first face-to-face encounter, when he had told Sangwoo that they shouldn¡¯t ever run into each other again. Browbeating him had been the only way to hide his disappointment and hurt pride. He stopped trying to be a good sunbae and completely gave up on Sangwoo. Since then, Jaeyoung hadn¡¯t taken a single step onto campus apart from on Wednesdays, when he went to the ¡®Hanguk University Student Personality Education¡¯ class, which were words he didn¡¯t even want to say. Even on the days he had class, he avoided the routes Sangwoo usually took. Two Wednesdays passed between drinking all night, playing pool, bowling, going to clubs, gaming, and taking female friends he had casual relationships with to the movies. He looked at the selfies the two of them had taken together for about 15 times, but he thought that at the rate he was going, he could probably get rid of the uncomfortable feelings associated with Sangwoo. He just had to keep going. If only Sangwoo hadn¡¯t reappeared at the restaurant where he works. ¡®That crazy bastard!¡¯ Chapter 7.4 Jaeyoung had clearly warned Sangwoo not to appear before him again, but he had completely ignored him. At first, Jaeyoung had gotten so angry and irritated that his head was about to explode, but he had calmed down after standing and leaning his back against the wall in the kitchen of the restaurant for five minutes. If he had thought about it more calmly, Chu Sangwoo was highly unlikely to be having any thoughts about this whatsoever.. The reason is because he was the type of person to quickly delete unnecessary data, and he probably didn¡¯t even remember that Jaeyoung worked at the restaurant. No matter who looked at them, Sangwoo and Jihye looked like young and fresh students who went there on a date. They would probably hold hands next time they came. And the time after that, they would probably become intimate. And the time after that, they would probably hand out their wedding invitations. And then they would be welcoming their own little bundle of joy. Even if he didn¡¯t watch them unfold himself, he could still imagine these scenes playing out in a drama. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t do anything he shouldn¡¯t and just avoided their table. He told the manager that he would take a short break and went to smoke outside the building. He got a call from a friend at that time, but he wasn¡¯t able to process what he was saying, so he just absentmindedly answered the phone. He smoked a lot of cigarettes that day. That¡¯s when he discovered that Sangwoo had followed him there. He wore a grim expression and there was an overall air of someone looking for a fight. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae.¡± Had Chu Sangwoo ever called him that? Jaeyoung slowly turned his head. ¡°Tell them that you¡¯re busy and hang up. I have something important to tell you.¡± It was said with such fierce confidence as if he had no choice but to answer with: ¡®Yes! I understand!¡¯ Stressed out by Sangwoo¡¯s fierce determination, Jaeyoung told his friend he would call him back and ended the call. He didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of what Chu Sangwoo was going to say. Was he trying to extort him for some kind of compensation for mental damage? He would probably do something like that. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I came to talk to you, hyung.¡± ¡°¡­what did you say?¡± Jaeyoung thought that he had misheard him for a moment. ¡®I only have noona.¡¯ ¡®We don¡¯t have a bastard bully in our family.¡¯ ¡®And please stop adding family members to others.¡¯ Sangwoo¡¯s previous remarks went through his mind. ¡°Let¡¯s create a game together. I need a skilled designer,¡± he calmly said. If he said it that way, Jaeyoung would roll up his sleeves and answer ¡®ok, good!¡¯ with a ¡®let¡¯s try our best!¡¯ sort of reply. Jaeyoung was all the more dumbfounded, because judging by the look in his eyes, Sangwoo didn¡¯t seem to be expecting to be rejected at all. Chu Sangwoo didn¡¯t seem to understand what went on with two people who had fought. It looked as if he had no idea how difficult it was to make up for the emotions of feeling wronged. ¡°I¡¯ll make it so that you¡¯ll get funds for studying abroad. It¡¯s also an opportunity to create a strong portfolio. I¡¯ll support any concept and design you want to try, so just leave it to me. I¡¯m really confident that I can do well.¡± It sounded like something a salesman for electric blankets would say. His frustration grew. ¡°Hold on.¡± Jaeyoung raised his hand to prevent Sangwoo from getting ahead of himself. There was something he wanted to point out. For some reason, he clenched his fists and stared at Sangwoo who was boldly standing before him, just like a male cartoon character. ¡°What¡­did you say earlier?¡± ¡°I said that I need a skilled designer.¡± ¡°What did you call me?¡± ¡°Sunbae?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say hyung? Did I hear you wrong?¡± Sangwoo closed his mouth. A black brim cast a shadow over his eyes, partially covering his face. ¡°It was a slip of the tongue.¡± There was silence. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t understand the situation at all. The person who had persistently stuck to calling him sunbae at the end of every sentence, had called him hyung. The person who had run away with a disgusted look on his face was urging him to work with him. Chapter 7.5 ¡°But can¡¯t I do that? Everyone calls you that.¡± Sangwoo looked at him with defiant eyes as he raised his head again. Jaeyoung threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped it with his foot while pretending he was fine, but his palms were sweaty and his heart was pounding. ¡°No. You can¡¯t.¡± ¡®My heart can¡¯t handle it, you bastard.¡¯ ¡°Got it.¡± An awkward silence followed. Sangwoo pouted while staring at the wall. If he seemed cute to him even in a situation like this, it really wasn¡¯t normal. Jaeyoung fixed his gaze on the ground and reconsidered why Sangwoo might have come to find him again. ¡®I guess he needs me.¡¯ He envisioned Chu Sangwoo to be like a teacher or better yet, a computer with a highly-efficient processing system. Using this analogy, Sangwoo could easily ignore superfluous data, like having a huge fight with someone and collaborate with them all for the sake of successfully running his program to completion. So on that level, you could say that Sangwoo doesn¡¯t hold any grudges. However, Jaeyoung, who was only human, didn¡¯t have the confidence that he could create a game with Chu Sangwoo. His pride had been so hurt it was as if his very flesh had been wounded and infected so that it started to seethe with maggots. It didn¡¯t matter how much Sangwoo had corrected his way of speaking to him. It didn¡¯t matter that he had acted as if he had no part in avoiding and ignoring Jaeyoung, because Jaeyoung had already been dealt a fatal blow. In addition to not ¡®crossing the line¡¯ with Sangwoo over these past two weeks, Jaeyoung had kept his emotions and sometimes guilty and dirty desires in check. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t want to prolong such a thing. That¡¯s why he needed to reject his offer, but¡­ ¡°Are you confident that you can finish it within this semester?¡± It was the first time Chu Sangwoo had asked for a favor. For that reason, Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t immediately refuse him. Had he already forgotten about being humiliated by Sangwoo every time? What a pathetic reason for him to accept, just because Sangwoo had come to find him first. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t understand himself. On the other hand, however, it was extremely touching that a robot who only knew how to slap someone¡¯s cheek, came to talk to him one day. Thinking about it, Jaeyoung thought that he deserved to be nominated for the next Nobel Peace Prize. ¡°I know that you¡¯re planning to study abroad. Just give me four months until vacation. I¡¯ll finish it no matter what.¡± ¡°That development period is too short, though. You have to study at the same time as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reduce the amount of hard coding and actively use game engines. I only take a few classes anyway.¡± Where did the direct driving force, shamelessness, and dependence come from? Sangwoo didn¡¯t seem to have any worries whatsoever. He spoke in a way as if determined to attempt the impossible, while still pointing out the hard truth that things still wouldn¡¯t be easy. Jaeyoung seemed to have already fallen for that tactless proposal. He thought about his duty as a sunbae, guilt, greed for his portfolio, and his anticipation of working with a skilled developer. He didn¡¯t need all of that, he just needed a reason to keep seeing Chu Sangwoo. ¡°O¡­kay. Got it.¡± Jaeyoung regretted it as soon as he uttered his acceptance. He had done something without any countermeasure. Sangwoo nodded as he had been waiting for those words. He couldn¡¯t see it properly, but it even seemed like he smiled a little. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch, hyung.¡± The confident expression on his face and his tone of voice made him seem like the protagonist of a movie. Jaeyoung only looked at his figure from the back while standing as still as a statue. He kept getting goosebumps on his arms. It was really hard to believe. He was lucky that it was dark, because he felt terrified of how Sangwoo would¡¯ve reacted in broad daylight. Something stuck out from beneath his black apron, so even if someone were similar to a machine with AI, they would understand what that meant. ¡®Hearing Chu Sangwoo calling me ¡®hyung¡¯ is something I got twisted, right?¡¯ Everything turned blue in front of his eyes. ¡®I¡¯m going crazy. Fu¡­ck.¡¯ He felt as though his computer had frozen, displaying the dreaded blue screen of death, while he was in the middle of working on a design. Jang Jaeyoung ¨C broken. Chapter 8.1 When he opened the door to the conference room, Chu Sangwoo was waiting inside. He was wearing a baggy navy shirt and dark jeans. Jaeyoung deliberately sat as far away from him as possible and stared at his cap so he wouldn¡¯t have to look him in the eye. ¡°You¡¯re not late today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just 12 minutes late.¡± A sneer formed at the corner of Sangwoo¡¯s mouth. Jaeyoung merely showed an uncomfortable smile without answering. Even if he had quickly agreed to the ridiculous proposal, he still had a lot of worries. Was it really fine to meet Chu Sangwoo in this state? Where was this relationship headed? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just quit now? That was what had made him late even though he had arrived at school an hour before their meeting. ¡°I prepared it for you sunbae. Please help yourself.¡± Right. Sangwoo had done something out of character: he had bought snacks and drinks which he had prepared and laid out on the desk, but the items were unusual somehow. Rice beverages, yam cookies, honey-flavored twist snacks, honey cookies¡­ ¡®60th birthday party?¡¯1 Jaeyoung put a yam cookie in his mouth out of courtesy. ¡°Thanks.¡± As Jaeyoung chewed on the hard cookie, Sangwoo wore a chilly expression, as if he were a stranger. Jaeyoung felt a bit flustered. Was he really the same person who had wiggled his tail and begged him to create a game together? It seemed as if his eyes had been sparkling and his voice much softer the previous day, but had he been mistaken? ¡°If you want to work with me, please pay attention to two things.¡± Sangwoo had gone straight to the main point without warning. ¡°First of all, I can¡¯t stand not keeping deadlines. The same goes for being late to meetings.¡± ¡°¡­ yeah.¡± ¡°Secondly, I won¡¯t accept things that are done half-heartedly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t do these two things, please quit now.¡± It became increasingly difficult for Jaeyoung to control his facial expressions. In his mind, he knew that Chu Sangwoo had only come all the way to find him at work because he needed a ¡®skilled designer,¡¯ but his heart still hadn¡¯t accepted that. To Jaeyoung, Sangwoo was not just a ¡®skilled developer.¡¯ Where on earth had the atmosphere from the previous day gone, one which had been so unique, that it had even aroused his sexual desire? ¡°No objections then.¡± Sangwoo had made his own conclusion and grabbed a sheet of A4 paper from his folder. Jaeyoung, who accepted the paper handed to him, became speechless. He thought he had just been bluffing when he said they were going to create a great game within four months. Even if Sangwoo were to go to the ends of the Earth, student-designers could only do so much. Therefore, it was nearly impossible to develop a game in such a short amount of time with just two people. However, this nutjob had been sincere. Sangwoo¡¯s flow chart made it clear he had carefully considered the entire process, from the ¡®planning stage¡¯ to post-development ¡®quality assurance¡¯ (QA). ¡°Isn¡¯t that too much? Especially your schedule?¡± The development itself wasn¡¯t easy, nevermind the planning and design stages. The production time was already short, and he was planning on releasing the game on iOS and Android simultaneously. The last month would be especially severe. He would work on linking the game to a server, do network testing, security testing, performance testing, and device-specific optimization. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t know much about development, but just by looking at the terms, it seemed daunting, but Sangwoo spoke as if it were nothing. ¡°I have plenty of time. Are there any issues with the graphics schedule?¡± Jaeyoung frowned. He hadn¡¯t finalized the design yet so there were many blanks to be filled in, but the first drafts of the characters, items, and map designs could be set in a day. Did he think that a designer was some type of vending machine, able to release three design drafts in a day? ¡°There seem to be no complaints so far¡­¡± Sangwoo had once again drawn his own conclusion. He sat right down with his arms crossed and made eye-contact with Jaeyoung. Sangwoo really looked like a machine at that moment, so Jaeyoung was secretly surprised. ¡°The income balance is 8:2. Eight for me and two for sunbae.¡± They were discussing profits, and Jaeyoung didn¡¯t even care. This project was just an excuse to see Chu Sangwoo again even if he wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d see it through to the end. However, he still had his pride and wanted to keep his chin up. This is why he felt the need to interject at this point and not sit back meekly allowing things to slide. ¡°You¡¯re a corrupt businessman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m giving you a lot with this, too. It¡¯s already completely planned, so what is so difficult about drawing a few lines? You can just work during the time you follow me around and bother me.¡± ¡°This bastard is appearing again.¡± Footnotes ???? or Hwangap is a traditional Korean way of celebrating one¡¯s 60th birthday. Usually there is a huge party with family members, with a lot of different meals and snacks. The snacks Sangwoo brought are typically enjoyed by the elderly and are often served during a 60th birthday party. Chapter 8.2 Whether or not he was intentionally trying to do it, Sangwoo was provoking Jaeyoung by treating him as a troublemaker. Jaeyoung had no thoughts of losing. He crossed his arms and leaned back on the chair. ¡°We haven¡¯t even begun yet, though? We don¡¯t know when it¡¯s gonna turn around, so what kind of income balance are you talking about? If it¡¯s that kind of plan, I don¡¯t have any desire to create a design.¡± He had spoken quite harshly, but Sangwoo answered without blinking an eye. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°Fix the plan, dude. Don¡¯t ask me.¡± ¡°What would you suggest we do, sunbae?¡± ¡°I would change it all. How would we proceed with this?¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯ll be difficult to change the whole plan here, so please revise it by the next meeting. Since you¡¯re participating in the project now, I¡¯ll divide things equally for a 5:5 income balance.¡± ¡°What?¡± He had fallen into a trap. In the confusion of the moment, Jaeyoung was now put in charge of planning. He opened his mouth, but Sangwoo didn¡¯t give him a chance to talk. He presented Jaeyoung with a document that summarized the early concepts of the game. He had seen it before. ¡°You said it was really boring in the past, right? Fix it so it will be fun. If you haven¡¯t done it by the next meeting, I¡¯ll just go with this. Send the material to the email address written there by midnight the day before.¡± Jaeyoung gave a wry smile after checking the schedule. The next meeting was tomorrow. So midnight the day before the meeting meant seven hours from now. ¡°¡­. Are you a thug?¡± ¡°Because I have a tight schedule, I can¡¯t spend much time planning,¡± Sangwoo spoke coldly and then organized the documents and put them in his backpack. This really was a Chu Sangwoo kind of meeting. He got up without even making eye contact. Jaeyoung had assumed it would be different from his imagination, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this businesslike. He thought that the special atmosphere from the previous day would remain. ¡°Already leaving?¡± Jaeyoung casually asked. ¡°There¡¯s a situation that makes me unable to stay for long.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± Sangwoo had never avoided answering in such a vague manner before. Even though Jaeyoung was sharp, he still couldn¡¯t figure out why he had left in such a hurry. He soon heard the door of the conference room open. ¡®Yeah. It¡¯s better that we finished than continuing to talk about work.¡¯ Jaeyoung muttered to himself inside, but still felt disappointed. ¡°Oh, one more thing¡­¡± He could hear Sangwoo¡¯s words in his head. The eyes that were heavily shadowed because of the ball cap, looked down at Jaeyoung. ¡°Please refrain from unnecessary physical contact in the future. It makes me feel very uncomfortable.¡± It wasn¡¯t as if he said it because he knew something. However Jaeyoung nonetheless felt a prick of conscience for no reason, as he felt like his secret desires had been exposed. On the other hand, his face was burning with pride. ¡°Be especially careful with patting the top of the head, restraining the wrists, and whispering.¡± ¡°Go figure.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll see you at the next meeting.¡± ¡°Just say tomorrow. It seems as if there are a few days left when you say ¡®next meeting.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s up to me.¡± Sangwoo left him with those parting words. Chu Sangwoo had simply just swept out of the conference room. There, Jaeyoung sat surrounded by snacks, with a beaten expression on his face. ¡®What¡­ is this?¡¯ He had no interest in developing mobile games. There wasn¡¯t even anything urgent enough for him to subject himself to such a hard deadline. He had been seduced into accepting the absurd offer solely by the sound of ¡®hyung.¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t a cute hoobae that had turned up at the meeting, but a devil bastard who was crazy about work. ¡®I really don¡¯t fucking feel like it.¡¯ Jaeyoung was late for his dinner appointment because he was busy cleaning up the snacks that Sangwoo had prepared for him. ?W[2] ¡°The two of you in four months? And during the semester at that?¡± His friend frowned and lost his concentration. He looked away from the table and accidentally used his arm to hit the ball instead of the cue. Missing the ball completely and having it roll away didn¡¯t even bother him. ¡°Is it completely impossible?¡± ¡°It depends on the quality. If you use an engine well, you can even build something like Galaga in a day.¡±3 ¡°For now, I know he¡¯s good at coding. He seems to expect tens of millions of won in profit.¡± ¡°Ey, that¡¯s not possible. You¡¯ve been tricked.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Jaeyoung laughed off his friend¡¯s words and grabbed the cue. He lowered his body and put the cue between his fingers and moved it back and forth, but he heard a message notification from his pocket and lost his concentration. Two more notifications in a row arrived. Jaeyoung momentarily put the cue down and checked his cell phone. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Unsaved: There are 5 minutes to the deadline. 23:55 Unsaved: I still haven¡¯t received an email so I¡¯m sending a reminder. 23:55 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ He wore an annoyed expression as he returned his cell phone to his pocket. When he saw the messages, he remembered the face that seemed to show a neutral expression, as if nothing had happened between them. ¡®You being you, I¡¯m sure it was nothing.¡¯ Jaeyoung squeezed the cue more tightly than necessary. He chose his stance. The white ball rotated as it was struck hard and pushed the red ball across the table. It went right into the pocket. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Footnotes: Chapter 8.3 ¡°Wow¡­ showing off tricks?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a skill, bastard.¡± It was his friend¡¯s turn again. Just like last time, his pose was casual. While striking the ball he asked: ¡°You said that it¡¯s a hoobae in our department, right? What¡¯s their name?¡± ¡°Chu Sangwoo.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Well, in our grade, just knowing kids who entered this semester is weird.¡± ¡°There is only a two year difference between our grades. You probably know of them¡­ A freshman during the MT in junior year. Heavy drinker, but didn¡¯t accept the drinks you gave them. ¡± ¡°Ah, the nut job? Come to mention it, now I remember. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fucking great at game development. But can that bastard even work on a team project?¡± ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡¯ Jaeyoung hit the ball without answering. A hoobae that has no concept of being a team player and a senior who gets an erection after just hearing the word ¡®hyung.¡¯ We really do make a fine pair, he thought. He hit the ball roughly again this time, but it moved in a complex trajectory and disappeared into a pocket. As his friend had once told him he was quite a lucky guy. ¡°You¡¯re no joke today.¡± His cell phone rang the moment he was going to respond. Jaeyoung frowned and grabbed the noisy device from out of his pocket. It was another unsaved number. It was obvious that he was pressuring him since it was now midnight. Jaeyoung simply declined the call. They concentrated on playing pool for some time without saying a word. His friend caught up to him quite a bit, but no matter what, it seemed like Jaeyoung would win the game with ease. It wasn¡¯t long before he got another call. Jaeyoung assumed that it was Chu Sangwoo again, but this time it came from a landline phone number. Jaeyoung answered the phone, because there was no way there would be a landline in the studio. Another reason was because Jaeyoung¡¯s maternal grandfather didn¡¯t use cell phones and would sometimes call from places like hotels. ¡°Hello?¡± ¨C It¡¯s Chu Sangwoo. ¡°¡­¡± ¨C It¡¯s midnight, but I didn¡¯t get an email, so I¡¯m calling you. Is there a reason for you not to have met the deadline? A dry voice hit his ear. Jaeyoung was being indecisive in telling him that he just doesn¡¯t want to work on the project any more and wants to quit, just because his opponent was Chu Sangwoo. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a little busy.¡± ¨C Sunbae. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¨C I hear the sound of a pool ball rolling. There wasn¡¯t any sign of criticism in his calm voice, but Jaeyoung had nothing to say. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I get it done by tomorrow.¡± ¨C Please stick to the deadline next time. When Sangwoo went silent, Jaeyoung could hear a crying baby in the background. It seemed like he went to borrow the phone from his next-door neighbor. That persistent bastard. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up.¡± ¨C Yes. Jaeyong sighed while putting his cell phone away in his pocket. It was a situation where he didn¡¯t want to work on something, but couldn¡¯t quit either. He had lost his will to play games. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for this. I¡¯m heading out first.¡± ¡°Oh, what? How boring.¡± Jaeyoung left his annoyed friend and headed home. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ istartedtoworkonwhatyouleftbehind. 02:47 Han Soo Young: How is it?? 02:47 areyoujoking? 02:48 Han Soo Young: hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha 02:49 Han Soo Young: hahahahahaha 02:49 tryexplainingwhyyouchoosethattypeofdraft 02:53 Han Soo Young: Did I do that from the beginning?? The developer is really stubborn. He kept asking me to fix it so I just did what he told me to^^; you¡¯re just gonna have to properly adjust it, so consider it a good experience. 02:49 screwyou 02:55 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ He was at a loss on how to fix the draft of ¡®Yachae Man.¡¯ Jaeyoung felt deep anger while doing this and that at night. Jaeyoung found himself in an impossible situation. Besides beginning to regard his relationship with Chu Sangwoo as a romantic one, he was also stressed out from taking over a project that was difficult to fix. ¡®Fuck, this isn¡¯t it.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t have bothered to commit to a project he didn¡¯t actually intend to complete and certainly couldn¡¯t stand to have his name associated with the mess he was leaving behind. However, it wasn¡¯t right to just be given a few hours to come up with a new concept. Moreover, he didn¡¯t have the motivation to do so. Why should he do his best for someone who didn¡¯t give a shit about him? Chu Sangwoo. He sighed again just thinking about him. He was somehow hooked on an inhumane dude who thought that he could come up with a design in a day if he was asked to. ¡®I don¡¯t want to see him, but I miss him.¡¯ Jaeyoung¡¯s position was in that sense vague. The pen twirled wildly at his fingertips. He didn¡¯t feel like it at all, but he couldn¡¯t just turn up to the meeting empty-handed. Jaeyoung opened the cap of his pen. ?W Chapter 8.4 ¡°I expected a lot because you said you¡¯re original, but I¡¯m disappointed.¡± It was something he had been prepared to hear, but the words were too strong. Jaeyoung got annoyed, but folded his arms and slouched on the chair as if he were unaffected. ¡°The title and the plan remain the same, and you only modified the character. Does this art style fit our concept?¡± Sangwoo put three sheets of papers with characters drawn on them on the desk. It was difficult to call them pretty fingers, since the bones were very prominent. Jaeyoung nevertheless felt a desire to put his hands in his mouth and rub the bones with his tongue. Those same fingers now slightly pulled down the ball cap and were then returned to their former place beneath the desk. ¡°I told you that it is for children. Young parents are potential customers, but if they¡¯re in their right mind, they wouldn¡¯t let their children play this type of game.¡± Jaeyoung recovered his senses and stared into Sangwoo¡¯s eyes that were partially-covered by the ball cap. ¡°Which part?¡± The mouth, which was closed and in a straight line, was shaped in a way that displayed dissatisfaction. Sangwoo¡¯s finger reappeared and pointed to the first character. It must not have been long since he had cut his nails because they were very short. The white half-moon pattern looked clear. ¡°This eggplant character: it looks like a thug with a bad kidney. It¡¯s not a horror game.¡± Sangwoo put the paper aside and pointed to the second character. ¡°Is this a lettuce or a celery? I can¡¯t tell at all. It¡¯s an educational game, so you can¡¯t make it like this.¡± It was the third character¡¯s turn to be criticized and rejected. ¡°Logically, it isn¡¯t right for sprouting potatoes to walk around on their buds. The visual is frightening. Is this really the best way for them to move?¡±1 Jaeyoung forced a smile, because he was speechless. He thought that Sangwoo didn¡¯t have an eye for these things, since he had passed on the plan without coming up with any solutions of his own, but Sangwoo had his own standards. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t laugh it off since it made sense. Jaeyoung stared blankly at the sketch. In the case of the eggplant, there was a grotesque feeling that reflected his own personal tastes. The potato was fine, but he didn¡¯t know how to deal with its legs. This is why he had forced it to sprout, in spite of thinking it was a bit strange while drawing them. The lettuce was the result of having scribbled enough to fill three pages. However, he had something to say. ¡°What did you expect in a day, you devilish bastard.¡± It was seven minutes of work in total, so it wasn¡¯t actually a full day. Even though he had spent less than an hour on it, Jaeyoung still banged the table as he said this. Putting employees to work on an unreasonable schedule was further evidence the employer didn¡¯t know the field well. However, Sangwoo replied without shame. ¡°I don¡¯t expect things from just anyone. It¡¯s because it¡¯s sunbae that I¡¯m this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those words hurt even more. He¡¯d rather be criticized and fight back, but he lost his nerve after hearing such a thing. What is this? The tightening of the heart Jaeyoung felt was an unpleasant sensation. No matter how much he would emphasize that it wasn¡¯t the result of doing his best, Chu Sangwoo wouldn¡¯t listen. ¡°I¡¯ll go with the original plan.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then do you have an alternative at least?¡± Sangwoo¡¯s sharp but emotionless eyes turned to Jaeyoung. The cap¡¯s brim partially covered them. Jaeyoung was thankful for that cap today. ¡°I¡¯ll redo the planning. From the very beginning.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as I get it done by the next meeting. When¡­ it¡¯s on Monday.¡± Jaeyoung frowned. What kind of person sets up a meeting every day? Now that he was looking closely at the schedule, he saw that there was a meeting each day except for the weekend, which was when Sangwoo worked part-time. He said he had a tight schedule, so he had thought he¡¯d turn it around quickly and focus on email-related work. To him, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t seem reliable enough not to be personally checked up on every day. Jaeyoung¡¯s gaze turned toward Sangwoo¡¯s firm lips. Would that mouth refrain from grunting at him and instead say nice things if he brought him work that was to his satisfaction? ¡®I¡¯ll be in touch, hyung.¡¯ The unexpected voice was much more tenderly altered than it had been in reality. He had only heard gentle sounds from Sangwoo once thus far. And in that short moment, Jaeyoung had been completely KO¡¯d. Jaeyoung shook his head to shake off that dangerous memory. ¡°If you¡¯re set on that, I¡¯ll give you the weekend.¡± Sangwoo made it seem as if he were doing him a favor by giving him a few more days. ¡°Email the material by midnight on Sunday¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t send it, so don¡¯t try to pressure me by calling.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not how I work. There are times when I can¡¯t get anything done and will wait until a few hours before the deadline to finish it.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s eyes narrowed. He didn¡¯t seem to like those words. ¡°It¡¯s like a bomb that¡¯s about to explode.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t handle that much of a difference in working styles, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re not qualified to be a leader? Even if I work this way, I¡¯ve never missed the deadline for an important project.¡± ¡°How important is this project?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That depends on what you do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a very vague answer.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Footnotes Chapter 8.5 ?W Sangwoo arranged the documents with a calm expression. It meant that the meeting ended early today as well. Sangwoo put his belongings into his backpack and meticulously zipped it up. With the backpack on his shoulder, he walked to the door without even looking at Jaeyoung. He turned his head when the door was open halfway. ¡°See you at the next meeting.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving already, again?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t want to tell me the reason?¡± ¡°You¡¯re well aware.¡± Thud. The door closed again. After Sangwoo left, Jaeyoung stared intensely at the empty seat. Two people that were as different as night and day would be working together. There was no way it could be done. They were bound to be in conflict every step of the way, and they would easily get exhausted from having different opinions. Chu Sangwoo would whine in a businesslike manner and push him away even if he even acted a little bit too familiar. . Jaeyoung didn¡¯t know things would turn out this way. Even with his own diabolical mind, he had walked right into Sangwoo¡¯s trap, digging his own grave himself. Would he stick with him even if he heard that it was sad and disappointing? Quitting was the best opinion in every respect, but his pride didn¡¯t allow him to quit at this point. ¡®Just wait and see.¡¯ In his imagination, Sangwoo¡¯s eyes were already sparkling at the character that Jaeyoung had designed. His hands were clasped together and his mouth was open in surprise. ¡®You¡¯re the best, Jaeyoung hyung!¡¯ Unlike the original, a dramatized voice was resonant in his ears. Jaeyoung bitterly smiled and folded the rejected draft in half. By the look of it, he had been given the incentive to bury himself in work. ?W However, a draft that would satisfy his brutal employer wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. He couldn¡¯t even concentrate when he sat down at his desk to work because he got so angry when he thought of that sour face. Chu Sangwoo, who thought that drawing a few lines resulted in a complete drawing would probably say ¡®I¡¯m disappointed that you can¡¯t even do this. I¡¯ll go with the original plan.¡¯ Jaeyoung came up with some new characters on Friday, and then scrapped them and went drinking with some hyungs he knew. The first round was soju and Korean BBQ near campus. On the second round, they moved to a bar in Yeonseok-dong, and on the third round, they went clubbing.1 After going around and drinking a few bottles of beer, he didn¡¯t even have the strength to hold a pen. Half of Saturday was over because of his hangover. He ate hangover soup in the evening and watched two movies after barely getting himself together.2 He slept soundly and grabbed his pen again on Sunday after waking up late. He got inspired and scribbled just in time, and the drawing came out pretty well. It was an androgynous character with red curly hair that was holding a laser gun in both hands. Evolutionary Weapon Survival Adventure Action with a dystopian steampunk background setting. In the same spot, Jaeyoung sketched another scene in which a character parachutes down against the backdrop of an exploding building. He then also drew a version where it evolves into having wings and one where it evolves into a jaguar. The quality was embarrassing in comparison to Han Soo Young¡¯s Carrot Man. It didn¡¯t matter how buttoned-up Chu Sangwoo was. There was no way he could scrap this. He wrote down a suitable concept and storyline on a Post-it and attached it to a piece of paper. Preparation for the meeting: complete. Jaeyoung went out to grab dinner feeling completely satisfied. That was because a classmate from high school had invited him to the opening of his webfoot octopus restaurant. After he finished eating, he went to a small concert hall to watch live indie artists. ?W ¡°It¡¯s a plan that is suitable for a PC game project.¡± ¡®Ugh.¡¯ The result had been another rejection. Sangwoo rummaged through his folder and handed over a document. ¡°It¡¯s a ranking analysis of the top 100 games in the app store. Sixty eight percent are simple mini-games like arcade, action, and puzzle games. Eleven percent account for RPGs, but there are all from large corporations. The plan sunbae proposed can¡¯t be implemented into a mobile environment in 2-4 months by two people.¡± ¡°You said you¡¯d support any concept I want to try.¡± ¡°There has to be a limit, though.¡± With an expressionless face, Sangwoo put aside the draft that Jaeyoung had submitted. Jaeyoung was quite shocked, because he didn¡¯t know he¡¯d be rejected so quickly. He sat in a daze for a while. ¡°You¡¯ve never tried working on a mobile game before, so I understand. I¡¯d like you to stop wasting time like this now and focus on the original plan.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Footnotes Chapter 8.6 ¡°What is it this time?¡± Sangwoo was getting irritated. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t believe how he had found himself in this position. Sangwoo was the one who had pushed ahead with an unreasonable schedule, so why was he the one at fault? He couldn¡¯t stand it because it was like he was made out to be an inexperienced designer without skills. Jaeyoung jumped up and grabbed the table with both hands. ¡°I won¡¯t say much.¡± Sangwoo slowly looked up at him from his seated position. ¡°Give me one more day.¡± It was a formal request because he was going to push for it with or without his permission. However, Sangwoo discreetly avoided his eyes and sighed. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡®Oh, I thought he¡¯d reject me immediately.¡¯ Was Chu Sangwoo such a pushover? When Jaeyoung stared at him, Sangwoo coughed and organized the documents. Jaeyoung peeked at his profile, his angular fingers, and his bony wrist, and walked towards the door. As he was about to leave the conference room, he heard Sangwoo¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s hard to work with you, sunbae.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡± He didn¡¯t even need to ask when the next meeting was. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was a little after 5 p.m. Jaeyoung had originally planned on going clubbing after grabbing dinner with his friend, but he immediately headed to the practice room instead. The hoobae next to him looked surprised when he appeared. That was because Jaeyoung had applied to use the practice room, but rarely had been using it recently since he didn¡¯t have any work to do. He sat down and turned on his old unused PC and snapped his fingers. ¡°Hyung, what¡¯s up?¡± ¡°I have some work to do. Where¡¯s Choi Yuna?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She was here earlier.¡± Jaeyoung looked up game rankings in the applications market while he was waiting for his computer to reboot. There was no way there could be a game for children among such provocative games. Above all, the concepts wore unsuitable clothing. Jaeyoung opened the documentation program and wrote the title as soon as the desktop turned on. ¡®Pro ject pro posal¡¯ That¡¯s what would happen if he liked the format that much. Jaeyoung had simply not thought the format was important, but it wasn¡¯t like he had failed to take notice of it. Page 1. Market research and popular game analysis Page 2. Proposal for a change of genre Page 3. Proposal for changing the title Page 4. Concept & plot Page 5. Drafts for the background, characters, weapons, mobile character His fingers moved rapidly. His gaze¡¯s attention was on his cell phone and the monitor. While his analysis was conducted in one corner of his mind, the new project was being carried out in the other corner. And in that gloomy spot, he howled over his crushed pride. Jaeyoung finished analyzing the market in no time at all and defined ¡®side scrolling shooting game¡¯ as a new genre. It was described as a retro game with platform jump actions, and the new title was left blank. Perhaps it was because he was angry, but he came up with good ideas. He pictured a huge farm where meteorites had fallen, contaminated by cosmic debris. The only thing that could suppress mutant animals that had turned into bizarre shapes, were mutated vegetables the meteorites had strengthened and enhanced. The plot was about a scientist who was bent on winning the Nobel Prize in Biology, so they approached the center of the farm to conduct research. After pulling out any paper he could get his hands on, Jaeyoung drew something depicting a mad scientist wielding a lethal carrot as his weapon. Upon really digging into this project, Jaeyoung was able to tap into his creativity and let the ideas flow. Once the floodgates were open. he drew one setting after another:radishes as blunt weapons, corn as rifles, seeds as bullets, pumpkins as dynamite, potatoes as grenades, lettuce as booby traps. Scribble. The pen was moving frantically. Jaeyoung was so immersed in it, that he hadn¡¯t noticed he was getting a call. Sungjin, who sat next to him, shook his shoulder and informed him that someone was calling him. ¡°It¡¯s probably Choi Yuna. Answer it, and tell her I can¡¯t go.¡± Jaeyoung replied without looking at him. ¡°Ok! Ah, hello? Noona. It¡¯s Sungjin. Jaeyoung says he can¡¯t go. Don¡¯t you know? He¡¯s working really hard on something. I don¡¯t know what it is. No, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s insane yet. Hyung. She wants to talk to you.¡± ¡°Tell her I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°Yes. Noona, Jaeyoung hyung says he isn¡¯t going. I don¡¯t really know either. Curse at him yourself, please. Yes. I don¡¯t really know either. Really, noona. I¡¯m hanging up¡­ Bye. Yes.¡± Sungjin held the phone out after the call. ¡°Yuna noona says she¡¯s going to kill you, hyung.¡± Jaeyoung accepted his phone and looked through the market for similar concepts. Right. There couldn¡¯t be another project that was this original. He returned to sketching with a confident look on his face. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so fucking cool. What is this?¡± Sungjin, who was stretching his head over Jaeyoung¡¯s shoulder, exclaimed. ¡°My study abroad fund.¡± Jaeyoung smirked after saying that. What was this? It was because he felt funny about breaking his promise and being immersed in it. Chu Sangwoo, who had pulled a prospective graduate who was frigid out of laziness, was a great guy. Jaeyoung was really confident this time. He was confident that it would make compliments pour out of that annoying mouth. He clenched the pen with his teeth. ?W Chapter 8.7 Jaeyoung was fully prepared. In addition to the first draft he had drawn with all his might, he had prepared two drafts of a scarecrow, added three more less detailed ones, and had already printed the project proposal. The pages were numbered and neatly stapled. Although Chu Sangwoo wouldn¡¯t notice even if he were to die and be resurrected, he had even carefully paid attention to the clothes he was wearing. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± It was difficult to bear the moment Sangwoo reviewed the project proposal. If he only knew what the head beneath the cap was thinking! He was expressionless, but his cheekbones seemed to have risen a little. Jaeyoung purposely leaned back on his chair and made a haughty expression, as he didn¡¯t want Sangwoo to notice his innermost, anxious thoughts. ¡°Sunbae, are you good at English as well?¡± Looking at the suggestion for the title, it seemed that way. Jaeyoung hadn¡¯t intended to finish the project anyway, but really didn¡¯t think ¡®Yachae Man¡¯ was a good one, so he named it ¡°Veggie Venturer.¡± He thought it¡¯d be good to shorten it to ¡°Veven¡± or ¡°VV.¡± ¡°I know as much as I need to get by.¡± ¡°You¡¯re unexpectedly good at many things.¡± ¡°You also know two languages.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Since I speak Korean and Chinese.¡± ¡°I meant Korean and computer language. You¡¯re a native speaker of both.¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t get Jaeyoung¡¯s joke and simply had a blank expression on his face for a while, but he later narrowed his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t say such ignorant things. There are many kinds of programming languages. If you count them like that, then I know six languages.¡± His gaze turned back towards the project proposal. He went over the first page without commenting much. He didn¡¯t comment while going over the next page. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t miss the miniscule nod of his head. His heart trembled more than when the results of the contest he¡¯d been waiting half a year for, were announced. It wasn¡¯t long before Sangwoo, who had been going over the draft, changed his expression. A very slight smile appeared on his lips. The moment his fierce-looking eyes narrowed and the corners lifted, was rather dramatic. ¡°The character looks like you, sunbae.¡± ¡°¡­ which part?¡± ¡°There is a part.¡± The first draft proposal ¨C mad scientist. The second one ¨C horror bone. The third one ¨C two moronic characters. Whichever it was, he wasn¡¯t happy to hear that he looked like any of them. Sangwoo confused Jaeyoung and put down the project proposal. Jaeyoung, who made eye contact with him, saw another fresh look on his face. There was excitement in the slightly widened eyes. ¡°Good job.¡± The moment of recognition that he had been waiting for was surprisingly simple and easy. It had merely been a simple phrase, but Jaeyoung felt a sense of pride rapidly rising in his chest just because it had come from this inhumane and strict developer. Sangwoo, who quickly went back to having a blank expression on his face, looked at Jaeyoung. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go with the third character.¡± ¡°What?¡± He was so touched that he broke down. Jaeyoung quickly flipped to the page after picking up the project proposal document. The character that he had created by putting in time and effort, was the first one. It was a mad scientist with round glasses, messy, silver hair, and large hands and feet. His muscles were subtly hinted at through the torn lab coat, and it had all been drawn meticulously for an hour. After turning two pages, he found the draft of the third character. He had drawn it in five minutes to fill up the pages. An insincere male and female pair. Apart from not wearing a cap, the male character looked just like Sangwoo, as he had been the model for it. White skin, eyes with a brusque and forbidding manner, and baggy clothes on a skinny body. ¡°This one. It¡¯s sunbae, right?¡± Sangwoo said while pointing at the female character. Jaeyoung frowned. It was hard to judge whether or not it was a joke just by looking at the expression on his face. ¡®Is he messing with me?¡¯ Not a single part of the character with orange bobbed hair and eyes that took up half the face obviously resembled Jaeyoung. ¡°I prefer the first character draft, though.¡± ¡°I like the third one more.¡± Jaeyoung shook his head. Though a confused man, he was a pretty well-spoken designer. He had become that way after he catered to clients who simultaneously preferred simple and considerably decorative designs or monotonous and colorful ones. He spent two minutes explaining how well the first draft suited the project and thus was the best option. Sangwoo listened to the very end and then said one thing. ¡°I hear you, but I¡¯m going with the third one.¡± ¡°True, a scientist is more appropriately assigned for going on an adventure than a young man and woman.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. But I¡¯m going with the third one.¡± ¡°Why the hell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a comprehensive judgment.¡± Sangwoo uncharacteristically tried to move past it. It was obvious that he was hooked on the two morons. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go with the first one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± No matter how hard he tried to persuade him, he was adamant in his decision. ¡°Fine, do it.¡± Jaeyoung gave up after several attempts. He was going to achieve this goal and quit the project anyway. Sangwoo carefully put the proposal plan into the folder and turned his body back to face Jaeyoung. Chapter 8.8 ¡°When digitizing the characters, please consider the animations and divide them by parts. You have the original file so please adjust the size and send it to me in png format. I¡¯ll send you an email after organizing the guidelines. I¡¯ll send you the specifications and size table as well, so make sure you comply with it and as for the title¡­¡± Jaeyoung was absentmindedly sitting with his chin cupped in his hand. The sound faded away as he looked at those constantly moving lips. Just like bird or animal calls, he couldn¡¯t understand them at all. Then, Sangwoo stopped talking. Jaeyoung finally came to his senses. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re in bad shape since you worked very hard on this. Thank you for your hard work. Make sure to read and pay attention to the email I¡¯m sending you today.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Thank you for your hard work. He had never heard Sangwoo say something so conventional.1 Was it worth it just to hear those words? Up to this point, Jaeyoung had thought that Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any social skills, but after experiencing things himself, this didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Perhaps he only never used empty words. ¡°and¡­ come and take a look at this.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I¡¯ll explain. You did a good job, so I¡¯ll pat you on the head.¡± Before he knew it, Sangwoo, who stood on both feet, hesitated and stretched out his arm. Jaeyoung blankly stared at the fingers as they were approaching. The hand got close to Jaeyoung¡¯s bangs and quickly disappeared after patting the top of his head once, twice, three times in a mechanical manner. Jaeyoung closed his eyes without realizing it. It was the first time anyone had done that to him since he was very young. It made him blush. The moment he covered his mouth with his palm, he heard the sound of a door closing. Jaeyoung took a breath after making sure that no one else was in the conference room. ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± ?W Once he left the conference room, Jaeyoung felt as if he had been possessed by a fox. Those were two hits in a row. After being dragged out by the collar after hearing the sound of ¡®hyung,¡¯ he was knocked down by an attack named ¡®patting the head.¡¯ His skin was itchy, and it felt as if he were going to sneeze. The wide sky enveloped him when he left the library. It was unbelievably bright and cyan-colored. His body was tired, but his heart was pounding and a smile had formed on his lips. The blue screen had turned into turquoise in the clear sky. Jaeyoung erased the idea of quitting the project from his mind. While he was acting like a fool who was allergic to pollen, he sharpened his sixth sense like a detective. The reason being a slight sense of something being out of place. Even if he had complimented him, he didn¡¯t know if he had to do it in a way that suited him the least. Considering Chu Sangwoo¡¯s thought circuit, it wasn¡¯t like it was entirely incomprehensible. A possible explanation was that when Jaeyoung had patted his head a few times, it must have been input as ¡®that person must enjoy such things,¡¯ so he had returned an output using this assumption. Jaeyoung was somewhat bothered by a hunch he had, something feeling out of place. As it was one-sided, he felt anxious over the serenity of having no pressure whatsoever and simultaneously an unbearable excitement. It was a complicated emotion. Yuna and Sungjin were in the practice room. As Jaeyoung had stood Yuna up the previous day, she had run wildly towards him as soon as she saw him. Jaeyoung listened to her irritation with one ear and let it out the other. ¡°And the vibe was crazy at night. I even got my CD autographed afterwards.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you had a good time.¡± ¡°You were the only one who didn¡¯t show up. What the hell were you doing by not being there?¡± ¡°I had work to do. I still have it now. Don¡¯t talk to me right now.¡± Yuna stared at Jaeyoung as if he were an alien who had spoken in a Chu Sangwoo-like manner. It was only when he saw Sungjin, who was next to him, put his monitor into a box, that he noticed something. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the army, hyung.¡± ¡°What?¡± It turned out that he had confessed to the girl he liked and lost his will to live after being rejected, so he had taken a leave of absence from school and was going to join the army this month.2 Yuna, who had been worried about Jaeyoung, began to comfort him with a somber expression on her face. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t remain calm, so he decided to treat them to dinner. Sungjin whimpered while beginning to explain how he was feeling, but Jaeyoung turned his computer on after listening for about five minutes. ¡®Somehow it feels like Chu Sangwoo.¡¯ Since when has he been such a work-oriented person? He wasn¡¯t sure. He felt as if he had fallen for Sangwoo¡¯s tricks, but he couldn¡¯t help himself from continuing to do so. After Jaeyoung scanned the sketches and transferred them to his computer, he started to digitize them by using a design software package. Footnotes: Chapter 8.9 ¡°I think I should head home. Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± Yuna asked. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost 12 am.¡± Jaeyoung blinked his dry eyes and looked at his wristwatch. When did it get so late? Had he left school, fed Sungjin, and returned to school by around 7 pm? After that, he worked almost nonstop. He felt tired as he stretched out. Yuna showed interest in his work. ¡°You¡¯ve been working so hard lately? What is it? If it¡¯s something good, let me know.¡± ¡®How can I explain?¡­¡¯ Jaeyoung thought about it for a while and answered in the simplest way he could. ¡°Mobile game.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really into it. It seems like it¡¯s a lot of fun?¡± He nodded, since he couldn¡¯t say he did it because he wanted the developer¡¯s praise. The moment he thought that he should head home after grabbing a cup of coffee, he received a message. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Employer: It¡¯s five minutes before midnight. I¡¯m sending you a reminder since I haven¡¯t received an email yet. 11:55 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ It was as if he had copied and pasted the most recent message since the content was the same, but Jaeyoung was already bewitched by Chu Sangwoo, so he was excited to see even such businesslike content. This time, he had worked hard and had a pile of materials to send. He opened the mailbox and stopped after attaching the image. He suddenly had an ulterior motive, so instead of sending the email, he leaned back and crossed his arms. He looked at his cell phone for three minutes while shaking his legs. As soon as it turned 12 a.m. on the dot, his phone rang. Jaeyoung waited for six seconds before answering the phone. He set the volume as low as possible and¡­ ¡°Yeah, Sangwoo.¡± ¨C ¡­ yes? ¡°Why did you call?¡± ¨C Uh¡­ deadline, 12 o¡¯clock¡­ it¡¯s midnight, but I haven¡¯t received an email so¡­ I called. ¡°Hyung forgot. Thank you for calling. I¡¯ll send it right away. ¨C ¡­¡­¡­. ¡°Did you have dinner?¡± ¨C Yes. ¡°What did you eat?¡± ¨C Food at the school cafeteria. Why? ¡°What was the menu?¡± ¨C Cooked millet, soybean paste soup, kimchi, sausage with stirred vegetables, fried anchovies, and yogurt. Why are you asking? ¡°Cause I wanted to hear your voice.¡± ¨C ¡­¡­¡­.. ¡°I like to hear people¡¯s voices, you know.¡± ¨C You have a strange hobby. I¡¯m hanging up. It was cut off before he could answer. Jaeyoung tilted his head. The result of his experiment was negative. If Sangwoo was interested in him, he wouldn¡¯t have responded like that and quickly ended the call. ¡®As expected, it was a delusion.¡¯ If so, he¡¯d rather be relieved. Yuna was murmuring from behind. ¡°Crazy, what was that just now?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What did you do to your voice and tone? I¡¯m gonna throw up.¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± Knowing Sangwoo, he was probably fully aware of his own state. A symptom of love: a state where there were no obligations but free thrills instead. He enjoyed this period the most in a relationship. If his feelings developed even further at this point, the situation would become complicated, dirty, and perhaps dangerous, but as long as he maintained this ¡®line,¡¯ there was no need to worry. Jaeyoung was this confident because he¡¯d never once lost himself in his emotions. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m furiously wiping a fruit that I won¡¯t even get to taste.¡¯ Jaeyoung bitterly smiled at the images filling up the folder. If Chu Sangwoo hadn¡¯t played tricks on his junior, he wouldn¡¯t have been dragged around helplessly like this. He opened the mailbox and attached the file he had worked hard on. Email sent. Task completed. ?W ¡°I checked the file you sent. It¡¯s fine overall, but I have a few things to point out.¡± The Chu Sangwoo he saw the next day looked like a robot whose parts had still been unoiled. Without even making eye contact with Jaeyoung, he opened the file he had received the previous day on his laptop. Sangwoo zoomed in on the picture and pointed at the corner with his finger. ¡°Do you see the broken pixel? Fix it, please.¡± ¡°Does it look like that on the phone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if you gather small details together to make it complete. Please pay attention.¡± Next, two images of weapons were displayed alternately. ¡°This part should be like a color code, but it¡¯s different. Fix it, please.¡± He had the eyes of a hawk. It was a completely unimportant detail, but he wasn¡¯t wrong, so he didn¡¯t have anything to say. After pointing out a few more things in that same manner, Sangwoo sorted the folders by filename. Chapter 8.10 ¡°And when I sent you the image in the guidelines, I definitely wrote down for you to label it like this: the type, underscore, detailed type, underscore, and two digits, right?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t use an underscore here, and you just used one digit on all of them. Put a zero in the front. And don¡¯t mix cases. Only use lowercase letters. Why is someone who has used the web like this?¡± That was all he cared about. It didn¡¯t make sense that there wouldn¡¯t be any mistakes when dozens of files had been created in one go within a tight deadline. Even more so considering that he normally had the habit of naming files things like ¡®Final_final11reallyfinalfinal_1_1. ai.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re a bastard who wouldn¡¯t bleed even if stabbed.¡± Sangwoo ignored Jaeyoung¡¯s comment and put his laptop in his bag. Wouldn¡¯t there be anything like ¡®good job¡¯ today? Jaeyoung waited internally, but the cold wind only howled furiously. Even if he worked himself to death, he wouldn¡¯t hear any praise. Ultimately, Chu Sangwoo¡¯s interest in him had just been a delusion created by hope. Jaeyoung casually called Sangwoo when he stood up after pushing in his seat. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How are your studies going these days?¡± Since he had nothing to say, a question had popped out of his mouth about his aunt¡¯s husband or water. Sangwoo¡¯s eyes met Jaeyoung with an expression asking why he was asking such a thing. ¡°I¡¯m studying. I came after doing it today as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Superman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in good condition these days, so my studies are going well.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s good that I dropped out of class. Be grateful, bastard.¡± It was his turn to look rotten and tell him to stop spitting out bullshit. That had been the case in the pattern so far. However, Sangwoo rolled his eyes and stared at a corner of the ceiling. ¡°No. That¡¯s not exactly the case.¡± ¡°Then what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wa¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to talk about it. Is that phrase trending?¡± It was now time to leave the conference room. Soon, Sangwoo actually stepped towards the door. Jaeyoung reached out to grab his arm, then recalled that Sangwoo hated physical contact, so he rotated his own wrist and grabbed a backpack strap instead. ¡°Don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve lost weight?¡± ¡°No. Let go of this.¡± Time gained by saying something useless: one second. He would probably be gone within three seconds. Jaeyoung came up with a brilliant idea while racking his brain. ¡°I have a lot of things to correct. There was a part that I didn¡¯t quite understand¡­ why don¡¯t you personally take a look at it and let me know?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even get that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to confirm everything. You have never gone to an art college, have you? Take a look at my workspace and have a cup of tea or something. You said you¡¯re done studying anyway.¡± ¡°¡­. Sunbae¡¯s studio?¡± It was hard to understand what he was thinking by just listening to his voice. He couldn¡¯t even see the guy¡¯s face because of his cap. Jaeyoung slightly pulled the strap of his bag. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You don¡¯t have anything else to do anyway.¡± ¡°I have a lot to do, though.¡± Sangwoo resolutely said and crossed his arms. ¡°But I do need to check sunbae¡¯s work environment, because I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good environment. There¡¯s a lot of work, so it¡¯s better for both of us to maximize efficiency.¡± ¡°Right. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Jaeyoung, who was slouching on the desk, jumped up. Sangwoo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°My mind isn¡¯t prep¡­¡± ¡°What kind of guy needs to prepare his mind? It¡¯s just a quick visit. Just follow me.¡± Jaeyoung moved forward while pulling Sangwoo¡¯s backpack strap. While they were leaving the library, Sangwoo followed without saying a word. The weather was sunny and cool in early April. It was Jaeyoung¡¯s favorite kind of weather. He was walking and whistling and whenever Sangwoo got too far away from him, he pulled the strap once. They eventually arrived in front of the art college. ¡°It¡¯s a studio for four. You have to apply to use it once a semester.¡± ¡°Then, are there other people as well?¡± ¡°There are two of us, but one is going to the army. One person is doing their job, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Is it a senior of mine?¡± ¡°You¡¯re in the same grade, but they¡¯re the same age as me. Greet them yourself.¡± Two years older, but in the same grade. Sangwoo looked troubled. Usually when it was like that, he could just tell them to call him noona, but that was impossible for Chu Sangwoo. Jaeyoung opened the door to the practice room. ¡°It¡¯s here. Go in.¡± Chapter 8.11 Sangwoo hesitated walking into the space that was occupied by four large desks. Jaeyoung had never felt uncomfortable there, but somehow he felt ashamed now. The walls filled with posters looked messy that day, and there were all kinds of boxes, crumpled papers, snack bags, broken speakers, a curling iron, a calf massager, and mismatched slippers on the floor. The heavy metal music that Yuna was playing sounded particularly loud. She was head banging with her eyes closed. Her deep-yellow bobbed hair shook wildly in the air. ¡®¡­ Come to think of it, you don¡¯t really go well together.¡¯ ¡°Hey, Choi Yuna. Look at this.¡± ¡°What?¡± She answered without looking back. And, Jaeyoung saw that Sangwoo looked as if he had met a ghost or something. There was no way he liked what he saw. Why was she wearing a red leather jacket and a choker around her neck today of all days? ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. Sit here.¡± After pointing at Sungjin¡¯s seat, Sangwoo hung his backpack on the chair in a bitter way. As he did that, Yuna, who was looking back, shouted. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°A hoobae I¡¯m doing the project with. Keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Woooooow, that game you¡¯ve been working on lately? What¡¯s your name? Are you in our department?¡± ¡°Chu Sangwoo. Comp Sci. Don¡¯t mind the look on his face. This is his greeting face.¡± ¡°The name is fucking funny. It¡¯s like Chu Sangchu.¡±1 Yuna clapped her hands while laughing. Jaeyoung was scared that Sangwoo would leave, but he was just sitting with a rigid look on his face. Jaeyoung handed him a packaged snack that happened to be on Sungjin¡¯s desk. ¡°Make yourself comfortable.¡± ¡°How can I be comfortable when you are uncomfortable?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± When Jaeyoung tried to turn his computer on, Sangwoo raised his hand to block him. ¡°Throw away the trash first.¡± It was only then that he noticed snack crumbs, cans of Coke, empty cigarette packs, and a bunch of tissues on the desk. Jaeyoung returned after taking care of the trash as Sangwoo had ordered him to. Even the stuff on the floor had to be dealt with, so he roughly pushed them into a corner. ¡°Take care of the socks.¡± As soon as he had sat down, another order had dropped. Jaeyoung grabbed the socks that stuck out behind the monitor and stuffed them into his bag. ¡°Ventilate.¡± It was bothersome, but he opened the window. ¡°Organize your books,¡± Sangwoo said after trying to organize the books without success. ¡°Now turn on your PC.¡± Jaeyoung stared at the ceiling while it was starting up. ¡°Clean up your desktop before you start working, please.¡± ¡°Do you even care about stuff like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to look at it from the sidelines. Hurry up.¡± Although he was slightly irritated, Jaeyoung either deleted unnecessary files or moved them to separate folders. ¡°Try to regularly clean up your desktop.¡± ¡°This is my area, dude. This is an invasion of space and my private business.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really funny to hear that coming from sunbae and not someone else.¡± ¡°You even know how to make jokes.¡± A smile spread across Jaeyoung¡¯s lips. This was the perfect time to do a headlock or mess with his hair, but those things were just forbidden in Sangwoo¡¯s case. Sangwoo was looking at the ceiling with his arms folded and with an expression that looked like he still didn¡¯t like it. At one point, he turned his chair and looked at Yuna¡¯s back. ¡°Excuse me. You¡¯re not alone, and it¡¯s really loud.¡± Yuna¡¯s eyes opened wide and were shifting between Sangwoo and Jaeyoung. ¡°There are good headphones over there. Use those.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Yuna didn¡¯t lose her temper, but her mouth was open as if frustrated. Jaeyoung got up from his seat, grabbed the headphones on Yuna¡¯s desk and forced them over her head. When the jack was plugged into the computer, the sound of the violent music disappeared. Sangwoo looked much more at ease. ¡°Open the software now.¡± It was time to show off his skills. Jaeyoung, who returned to his seat, spread his hands out once, then placed his left hand on the keyboard and his right hand on the mouse. ¡°Begin.¡± Sangwoo said that and then turned to a neatly opened book on the desk that had been cleared off at some point. Jaeyoung thought that Sangwoo would interfere with each task and tell him what to do, but Sangwoo literally kept his word about merely supervising. Thanks to that, Jaeyoung was able to work without feeling burdened. Sangwoo was so quiet, that he wasn¡¯t even sure he was sitting next to him. Click, click. There was only the sound of mouse clicks and typing on the keyboard. Apart from Yuna humming the chorus at times, there was no interruption at all. His hands sweated a little, and his heart was pounding a little faster than usual. Jaeyoung also made a map on top of everything else, because he was in a good mood. Footnotes: 1. As you may remember from volume one, Chu Sangwoo¡¯s name rhymes with Chu Sangchu, which means Chu Lettuce. Chapter 8.12 He casually looked to his right when he thought quite a lot of time had passed. With his elbows on the desk, Sangwoo was not looking at the major subject textbooks, but at Jaeyoung¡¯s monitor instead. A straight, long neck drew his attention. The long-sleeved black t-shirt was slightly stretched out around the neck. In the gap between the shirt and his body, a mole on the white skin stood out. His one wish would be to take off those useless clothes and sink his teeth into his shoulders. Those were thoughts he could only think to himself. ¡®Ah¡­ It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ After Jaeyoung imagined Sangwoo¡¯s bare shoulders with the red marks he¡¯d left on them, he forced himself to look at the monitor. If he didn¡¯t look away, it would be as if he were deliberately booking an appearance on the following day¡¯s news. [Breaking news] A hoobae bitten in the shoulder by his college sunbae now in court ¡®It was really painful. I¡¯ve taken the rabies test, but the results haven¡¯t been released yet, and I have no intention of dropping the charges. I hope he gets a heavy sentence.¡¯ He seemed to be hearing the voices from the interview in his head. Sangwoo turned his head and made eye contact when the mouse cursor had stopped moving for a long time. Because he felt pricked by his conscience, Jaeyoung was the first to speak. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°I was thinking that I found a good designer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your attitude in life is the worst, but¡­ I can¡¯t complain in terms of your skills,¡± Sangwoo said with a casual expression. Sometimes he struck like this. Even though it was something he usually heard, it sounded different since he was the one saying it. So, the speed of the work increased. Was the difference due to a clean desk, a quiet environment, fresh air, and a person who was studying sitting next to him? Even though he was just working as usual, Jaeyoung felt as if he had gone on a picnic. On the first day, Sangwoo stayed calm and left exactly after an hour. He couldn¡¯t hold on to him since he had suddenly gone away. However, from the second day on, he appeared in a devilish mode, as if he were determined. After grabbing dinner first, he brought his laptop, organized the resources Jaeyoung had made, and began to put them in the framework he had built. Jaeyoung took a bit of a break as he was continuing with the map after finishing the characters, weapons, and the effect, but was punished whenever he did. ¡®If you want to work with me, you have to keep up with the pace.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s no different from being a pro. Can you do it with a mindset like that?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t shake your legs.¡¯ ¡®Get up and sit down properly.¡¯ ¡®You even yawn after seeing the amount of work done?¡¯ ¡®I gave you time to think, didn¡¯t I? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you wouldn¡¯t be doing it back then?¡¯ Except for Jaeyoung¡¯s designing skills, Sangwoo didn¡¯t seem to like anything else. After having tolerated it for three days, Jaeyoung reached the point of snorting to whatever he heard. ¡®Of course, Boss Chu. I have to do it exactly. As. You. Wish.¡¯ ¡®Oh Lord, who am I to talk back, being a mere servant.¡® ¡®I don¡¯t even need to hold a knife for me to be no different than a thug to you.¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s see, the number of the Ministry of Labor¡­¡¯ ¡®If this tower is broken tomorrow, one will think that it¡¯s because of you.¡¯ ¡®So this is the Aoji coal mine!¡¯ A clash was inevitable. It was because there was too much work, and Sangwoo wanted to proceed according to the schedule. He didn¡¯t seem to believe it even if he said he would do it all at once. If they started arguing, Yuna would get annoyed and put her headphones on. However, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t regret bringing Sangwoo to the studio. He was actually delighted, even if he grumbled on the surface. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a 15-minute break.¡± Jaeyoung stretched as if he were throwing a computer mouse. It was Monday when he met Sangwoo again after the weekend. There had been a basketball game and a drinking party during the weekend. After the basketball game, he was cursed at after saying he was too busy to go to the drinking party, and then they teased that he was Cinderella, because he left this party early. Even after he corrected all the parts that had been pointed out and completed five great maps, Chu Sangwoo looked unhappy when he merely said he would take a 15-minute break. ¡°Ok.¡± After the deal, he waited exactly 15 minutes and was then told to work on it again. As soon as Jaeyoung got permission, he put Yuna¡¯s clothes previously piled up on a cot, onto the floor on the other side of the studio and then lay down. Sangwoo was typing while sitting with perfect posture and looking at a monitor filled with letters. He had now gotten rather used to him sitting in the studio late into the evening. Chapter 8.13 ¡°You should rest as well.¡± ¡°I have a lot to do.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that? I¡¯m just telling you to rest.¡± ¡°How can I rest when I have so much to do?¡± ¡°If you keep talking to me, take a break since you won¡¯t be able to concentrate anyway.¡± ¡°In the 1850s, when the trees were so contaminated that they darkened, the population of white pepper moths decreased and black pepper moths flourished.¡± ¡°¡­ what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Life has an instinct to adapt to external threats.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m a pollutant, and you¡¯re a pitiful moth? Try changing the color of your wings. I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t root for me with your words, but keeping your mouth shut is the most helpful way for me.¡± Chu Sangwoo was like a vending machine that only dispensed precise words. Jaeyoung picked up his cell phone while escaping from the argument he¡¯d already lost. He replied to some messages and played music videos of bands he liked. When he was with Yuna or Sungjin, he always played his music aloud, but ever since Sangwoo had come, he hadn¡¯t. Even Yuna had attacked several times at first, but after losing heroically and repeatedly, she sighed and put on her headphones when Sangwoo came in. There was no such thing today since she left early today, though. A dreamy synthesizer, pounding drum beats, a low-pitched bass, a heart-throbbing electric guitar, and languid vocals. While Jaeyoung was immersed in the music with his eyes closed, he was partly waiting for the sound of ¡°turn the music off.¡± When he opened his eyes, Sangwoo was still working with his back upright. ¡°You seem to like this.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not great.¡± ¡°This band¡¯s name is Psy¡­¡± ¡°Psychedel. I know.¡± ¡°The title is Ma¡­¡± ¡°Magnetic Field. Fifth Album. Electricity. The 8th track. I know, so please be quiet.¡± Jaeyoung was so shocked he dropped his phone. His favorite artist wasn¡¯t very popular in Korea. Nevermind the name of the song, he couldn¡¯t believe that he even knew the album and the track number. He said they weren¡¯t good, but seeing as he knew all the details, he must be an avid listener of theirs. While he was puzzled, the playlist moved on to the next song. This time, it was a fairly unknown domestic indie band. ¡°It¡¯s Napalsoo¡¯s second album, Bullshit. 12th track. I¡¯m going to fire the manager and devour the company.¡± Jaeyoung blankly stared at the black ball cap for an entire minute. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that Chu Sangwoo has the same taste as me.¡¯ It was hard to believe. Jaeyoung felt nervous as he played the next track. ¡°Cho Chiwon Band¡¯s first album, Red and Black. Track seven. Red Giant.¡± ¡°Wt¡­ Hey. Your tastes are very similar to mine. I got goosebumps.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it at all, so don¡¯t even say things like that.¡± He wasn¡¯t fooled by such an offense. If he even knew the track number, how often had he been listening to it? Jaeyoung felt so excited that he kept playing track after track. There wasn¡¯t anything Sangwoo hadn¡¯t heard. Whether it was an overseas or a domestic artist, whichever genre it was, he knew it all. This was way more accurate than an app.. Jaeyoung accidently touched a strange spot while flipping through the tracks, so it started playing a hit song that had been on the top charts for 10 weeks. So far, he had said the name of the title within 10 seconds of the music being played, but this time he was quiet. ¡°You don¡¯t know this one?¡± ¡°How would I know that one?¡± These days, if you didn¡¯t know this song, they would call you a spy.1 This was very strange. Jaeyoung once more felt a sense of incompatibility while falling into confusion. ¡°Sunbae, I¡¯m stuck in the reinforced grenade. Please take another look at the corn after you¡¯ve fixed it. And it has been 15 minutes. Come back to your seat.¡± ¡®I oughta!¡¯ Jaeyoung endured for about five seconds and then stood up. As he forced himself to sit in the chair, Sangwoo glanced at him and then returned his eyes to his laptop. ¡®He¡¯s cute but not cute at all.¡¯ Jaeyoung reached out to pinch his cheeks, but belatedly recalled that it was a taboo. Sangwoo was already staring at Jaeyoung¡¯s hand with a frown. Jaeyoung repositioned his hands and clapped them in the air. ¡°Oh? A mosquito here¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s April, so what mosquito?¡± ¡°There was one here.¡± ¡°Look at your palm to see if you caught it.¡± ¡°Oh? I missed it.¡± Sangwoo began typing again with an unconvinced look. He looked omnipotent as he stared at the monitor filled with a completely unrecognizable language. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t do anything for a while as he sat with his hands on his chin looking dazedly at Sangwoo. Footnote: 1. The term ¡®spy¡¯ may refer to North Korean spies in South Korea. Being outsiders and rather busy with other matters, spies wouldn¡¯t be listening to the latest music. Chapter 8.14 ¡°Why do you make games?¡± He suddenly asked such a question and then thought it had come too late. It was a question he should have raised from the beginning. Why was Chu Sangwoo trying to make a game? A guy who didn¡¯t understand anything related to content. He was only good at developing, and he seemed to have no sense of graphics or sound. Besides, he was a guy whose character made it hard to collaborate with others, and the game was a product where he needed help from a designer or a planner, which he didn¡¯t enjoy. ¡°Because I like it.¡± The sudden answer shocked Jaeyoung a little. Since he had a strong impression of him being a weirdo, he thought he wouldn¡¯t have hobbies or anything he liked. ¡°There¡¯s a game company I want to join. When I was 15, I played a game from that company for the first time, and it was so much fun that I pulled an all-nighter for the first time. My dream changed then. I want to make games like that with my own hands, so I¡¯m studying English and games outside of school.¡± Sangwoo saw Jaeyoung¡¯s expression and said: ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t ask, did you?¡± and looked at his screen again. Jaeyoung smiled while shaking his head. ¡°No. You seemed so cool just now for some reason. So what was that game?¡± ¡°Starcraft 1.¡± Never play Starcraft 1 with Chu Sangwoo in a PC room. Jaeyoung made a mental note. ¡°What was your dream before you wanted to become a game developer?¡± ¡°A forklift driver.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He learned several things today. Chu Sangwoo wasn¡¯t just an android who was obsessed with homework, but he actually enjoyed music and had dreams. It was the first time he saw Sangwoo¡¯s eyes filled with ambition. ¡°I¡¯m planning on joining the company in the second half of next year after capitalizing on the success of Veggie Venturer.¡± ¡°You told me about building a portfolio. It was ultimately your portfolio you were talking about, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a win-win situation?¡± He was already treating the game the two of them had just begun to make on a crazy, tight schedule, as a success. Despite that, why was he looking at it with confidence rather than madness? Chu Sangwoo¡¯s dream: it wouldn¡¯t be easy, but Jaeyoung didn¡¯t think it would be impossible either. Taking pride in your work is commendable and pushes you forward to get something done. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I pat your head? In a minute?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t reply for a long time. It felt strange that he wasn¡¯t immediately refused. Jaeyoung waited long enough, but there was no response. ¡°And don¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t hate it that much. As long as you tell me in advance,¡± Sangwoo said while scratching his neck. It was a lot softer in comparison to the first time. Jaeyoung suppressed his desire to reach out and remove the black cap right away. ¡°Do you need to prepare your mind for it?¡± ¡°I do. I hate anything I¡¯m not prepared for.¡± ¡°What if your grandmother suddenly calls you while you¡¯re in class and tells you that she¡¯s outside your place cause she misses you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look at my phone during class. And both my grandmothers have passed away.¡± ¡°Sorry. Then, let¡¯s change the example¡­ What if you cooked ramyun, but there¡¯s no flavoring powder?¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t happen, since I would¡¯ve started by checking if all the ingredients of the recipe were there.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re good at making ramyun, then.¡± ¡°How could one not be able to make ramyun? Anyone can do it as long as they have two hands and enough intelligence to read a recipe.¡± ¡°No. There are still so many people that make it tasteless¡­ Ah, it¡¯s time.¡± Jaeyoung reached out his hand without hesitation and stroked Sangwoo¡¯s hat. The act that had been accomplished through additional steps was just as satisfying. He wanted them to put their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, but he could only do this today. ¡°I¡¯ll support you, so that you can reach your dreams.¡± The words that seemed like whispers didn¡¯t come out smoothly. Perhaps it was because there was too much sincerity in them, but even his voice cracked a little. ¡°I became motivated to do a good job.¡± Sangwoo sat still and blinked as if hadn¡¯t heard a word. Two seconds later, he shook his head to remove Jaeyoung¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Sangwoo suddenly closed his laptop and quickly packed his stuff. It had been three minutes since Jaeyoung had only been looking at his profile. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d show him the front of his face. Looking at the clock, it was still only 9:30 p.m. ¡®Yesterday, he left at 10p.m. though¡­¡¯ Chapter 8.15 Sangwoo, who had put all of his belongings in his backpack, suddenly stood up and walked away. He acted as if there weren¡¯t anyone else in the room. Sangwoo stopped in front of the door. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. See you at the next meeting,¡± he said while looking at the door. ¡®That guy¡¯s next meeting. Just say that it¡¯s tomorrow.¡¯ ¡°Yeah¡­ Bye,¡± Jaeyoung murmured behind Sangwoo¡¯s head. After a while, there was the sound of banging on the iron door. Jaeyoung swept his face with his palm and glanced at the ceiling. Should he have done that again? Did he really have to do that to a person who wasn¡¯t good with physical affection? Despite that, Chu Sangwoo¡¯s response was a bit too weird to explain it as discomfort. ¡°I need a cigarette.¡± An inexplicable sense of incompatibility controlled Jaeyoung¡¯s mind. He felt the need to observe Sangwoo more thoroughly. ?W Case Diary (1) Tuesday, April 8, the fifth day of coming to the study room Study Room Entrance Time 6:31p.m. / Study Room Exit Time 10:00 p.m. *Excerpts of main scenes: Choi Yuna vs Chu Sangwoo ¡°Hey, Chu Sangchu.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change someone else¡¯s name just as you wish.¡± ¡°Why do you tell me off when I play music but not when Jaeyoung does it?¡± Yuna made a fierce first strike. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae plays for an average of nine minutes during breaks, so I¡¯m enduring it to ensure he gets a break. It¡¯s different from operating the music player for 24 hours. Mute it on your way home as well. I feel bad for the headphones.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chu Sangwoo, shield against opponent by lynching. Choi Yuna. KO defeat. *Notable point: Volunteer Attorney, nickname (referring to real name) *Findings: No huge abnormality (2) Wednesday, April 9, sixth day of coming to the study room Study Room Entrance Time 6:31p.m. / Study Room Exit Time 10:00 p.m. *Excerpts of main scenes: Chu Sangwoo¡¯s angriest moment ¡°I can just neglect it like this and then throw it out of the monitor window.¡± ¡°I think you need to get treated for anger management, sunbae.¡± Sangwoo couldn¡¯t take a joke. ¡°When was the time when you got the angriest in your life? Just tell me three things.¡± Jaeyoung noticed that the break was over, so he deliberately came up with a topic, since he knew that Sangwoo always answered when asked something. Sure enough, he was lost in thought while looking at the ceiling. ¡°Uhm¡­ When you asked me to watch a movie, sunbae.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that that was the most upsetting time in your life?¡± Has he never had a crisis in his life? Or was it that shocking to be asked to go watch a movie? ¡°Yes. The second time was¡­ the moment I washed my face in the bathroom during the first class of Embedded Systems this semester. What the. That would be ranked second place after the first one. Jaeyoung was silent at the thought of having dug his own grave. ¡°The third time was in 6th grade in elementary school, during the Pi memorization competition.¡± ¡°Why? Because you couldn¡¯t get first place?¡± ¡°I won first place, though.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°I hated myself for only memorizing 622 digits. After that, I made an effort to memorize up to 1024 digits, but I stopped trying to memorize more since it felt like a waste of time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re beyond reason, seriously.¡± *Notable point: Reconfirming that he had been imprinted as a negative memory on his target *Findings: No huge abnormality (3) Thursday, April 10, seventh day of coming to the study room Study Room Entrance Time 6:31p.m. / Study Room Exit Time 8:25 p.m. *Excerpts of main scenes: Platinum and Diamond It was the time when the characters, items, map, and even the world UI were finished. There were still many UI pages left to complete, but it was natural to want to rest after finishing the main parts feeling fatigue and a sense of accomplishment. Jaeyoung threw a tantrum over whether it was fine or not. ¡°Let¡¯s go look into the data.¡± ¡°Try telling me in detail.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s experience the impact and action of successful games from other game companies, analyze their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss them. While being artistically inspiring and considered a public success, it¡¯s a plus if it can build a strong bond between workers while relieving stress.¡± Sangwoo sat there for a long time as if he didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°You¡¯re saying we should play games?¡± ¡®Bastard. You¡¯ve become quick on picking things up.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s just do it for two hours. I¡¯ll catch up on everything tomorrow. Promise.¡± ¡°Can I trust that?¡± ¡°Of course. Can¡¯t you trust me?¡± His persistent persuasion had led Sangwoo to believe that data research was needed, but¡­ in reality, Jaeyoung had an ulterior motive. He was familiar with the role as a carrier since he was better at most games than the average person. People always wanted to be on Jaeyoung¡¯s team, and he went around with somewhat of a burden on his shoulders. In other words, showing his gaming skills was a trick to win the respect of Chu Sangwoo, which he couldn¡¯t gain through his skateboard. Chapter 8.16 They went to the PC room where Sangwoo worked part-time. The manager happily gave Sangwoo a free drink, saying that it was his first time there as a customer. ¡°What do you want to play?¡± ¡°Whichever one you want, sunbae. I know how to play all the online games that have been released.¡± ¡°Something I play a lot these days¡­ BG? OW? LoL? What are you best at?¡±1 ¡°I do ok at Battleground and Overwatch. I¡¯m not that good at League of Legends. It¡¯s been a long time since I played it, too.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s play that one.¡± It was a joke, but Sangwoo just calmly said ¡°Okay¡± and double-clicked on the game icon. Jaeyoung used a colorful combination and chose an assassin character that does heavy damage. Sangwoo, on the other hand, chose an ugly utility tank.2 While waiting for the game to start, Sangwoo meticulously checked the skill sets and team build of new characters on the game information site. Jaeyoung, who was reading a webtoon, was shocked when the game loading window appeared. ¡®You said you weren¡¯t good at it, but Diamond rank?¡¯ It meant that he ranked within the top 1-2% last season. Jaeyoung broke out into a cold sweat. His bad premonition was reflected in the game like that. Unlike Jaeyoung, who relied on his animalistic sense and physicality, Sangwoo was the type to win by thoroughly calculating the enemy¡¯s movement and skills. ¡°Can¡¯t you calculate the skill damage?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you calculate the opponent¡¯s spell cooldown?¡±3 ¡°If I said I¡¯m going to the pit, you have to take damage and take out the enemy¡¯s telekinesis.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of the game, so why does the CS look like that?¡±4 ¡°If it¡¯s not lethal, try buying some.¡± He criticized Jaeyoung in a very calm voice for two hours straight without getting angry once. The superplay, which Jaeyoung normally used to perform, strangely ended as a futile attempt in front of Sangwoo, and surviving through his intuition, made him seem like a novice who didn¡¯t calculate. Ultimately, it had a similar atmosphere to being in the study room: the reward of taking a break by playing games didn¡¯t change the mood at all. Jaeyoung made a mental note. From now on, don¡¯t fight Chu Sangwoo in , , , and . ¡®Shit. We¡¯re gonna have to play Kartrider or something.¡¯ *Notable point: Game Genius Chu Sangwoo *Findings: No huge abnormality (4) Friday, April 11, eighth day of coming to the study room Study Room Entrance Time 6:31p.m. / Study Room Exit Time 10:02 p.m. *Excerpts of main scenes: Mw Mw5 It was about half past nine. Jaeyoung, who had completed the status, inventory, and even the skills page, was exhausted. He laid on the cot for 15 minutes and dozed off for a while. ¡°Sunbae, it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± He woke up to Sangwoo¡¯s voice, but since he was sleepy, he purposely didn¡¯t open his eyes. Jaeyoung was so drowsy that he couldn¡¯t say goodbye to Sangwoo. Shortly after that, he heard the sound of packing by the desk. ¡°Wake up. You¡¯re supposed to finish the roulette and title today.¡± A stiff but somehow pleasant voice was heard from a distance. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± he asked. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Sunbae, are you asleep?¡± Same question, but the voice had gotten slightly closer. ¡°Are you really¡­ sleeping?¡± The voice came from a very close distance. What was it? Was he going to doodle on his face again? Jaeyoung pretended to be asleep. His eyes were closed, since he was trying to surprise Sangwoo by suddenly getting up. ¡°You¡¯re really sleeping, aren¡¯t you, hyung?¡± Hyung. Jaeyoung, who originally was going to joke around with that word, couldn¡¯t get up. There was silence, paralysis, slowness, a pause in time, and confusion. All conditions of abnormality seemed to have happened. As his view darkened, he could feel Sangwoo crouching over him while looking closely at him. ¡°For real, right?¡± He heard the voice right in front of him, feeling the hot breath hit his eyelids. Sangwoo¡¯s fingertips brushed past his forehead. Soon, his fingers fiddled with his hair. What kind of situation was this? Jaeyoung was out of breath, but he calmly showed his acting skills by keeping his eyes closed. The time that was difficult to bear continued. Jaeyoung decided to move by pretending to turn, because he thought his face would cramp if he tried to endure for much longer. Then a soft ¡®something¡¯ touched his lips. He had to hold back from opening his eyes. Jaeyoung maintained his composure with superhuman power. Soon that ¡®something¡¯ separated from his lips. When he opened his eyes, Chu Sangwoo¡¯s back was disappearing through the door. *Notable point: ewlkfnsnfdmnrjpfw fuckwhoishetryingtokill *Findings: ¡ùSigns of obvious abnormalities found¡ù ?W Footnotes: Chapter 8.17 ¡°Is there anything you want to eat?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okonomiyaki, assorted fish cake, and two bottles of soju, please.¡± When Jaeyoung folded the menu and extended it, the employee took it and disappeared behind the folding screen. It was Saturday night in a quiet corner of a Japanese tavern where they could talk without interruption. Jaeyoung had kidnapped Sangwoo, who was on his way home after his part-time job. He had been unable to get any work done because of something that had happened the previous day. If he hadn¡¯t been confused while sleeping, it meant that Chu Sangwoo had secretly kissed him and run away. It didn¡¯t make any sense at all. Chu Sangwoo wasn¡¯t the sort of person to deviate from convention or custom. It might be assumed that he could be asexual but not actually gay. Anyway, he just indifferently looked at Jaeyoung who was looking blankly at him. Rather than believing them to be the eyes of a person in love, it would be more reasonable to say that he had been imagining things. ¡°Why do you want to drink all of a sudden?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been working together for over two weeks. It¡¯s time for a get-together.¡± ¡°Well¡­ sure.¡± For the last time, a long silence persisted. Jaeyoung no longer had the confidence to pretend as if nothing had happened, even with Sangwoo sitting in front of him. Whether he had intended to or not, Sangwoo had attacked him so much the past two weeks, that his walls were torn down and the moat had been filled. He needed to confirm what exactly was the final destination of this sense of incompatibility. That¡¯s why he arranged this kind of meeting. The type of electronic music that Jaeyoung liked, quietly sounded through the speaker. Sangwoo was looking at the ceiling. Jaeyoung rubbed his neck for a few seconds before consciously turning his head. After waiting for a while, the server appeared with soju and simple side dishes. Sangwoo, who seemed like he¡¯d never been to a drinking party, naturally shook the bottle and opened the lid. With slight nervousness, Jaeyoung accepted a drink that Sangwoo had poured. It was the standard procedure for pouring alcohol: pour with the right hand and support the wrist with the left hand and to cover the brand with the palm while holding the shot glass. These were perfect manners that even kept the idle talk going at drinking parties. ¡°Who taught you that?¡± ¡°My mother. She taught me as soon as I became an adult, telling me that my reputation could be damaged if I didn¡¯t know how to.¡± It was Jaeyoung¡¯s turn. Sangwoo raised his glass and supported his wrist with his other hand. He was wondering what they were doing, with the relationship between a college hyung and his junior, but nothing came out of his lips. That¡¯s because he now knew the nature of being satisfied just as long as he followed the rules. The clear liquid filled the soju glass. The glasses touched and they emptied them at the same time. Jaeyoung ate some boiled peas and looked at Sangwoo, who was sitting with a casual look on his face. Jaeyoung had nothing to say, so he filled the two glasses instead, and once again the alcohol went down his throat. ¡°You can handle alcohol well, I see.¡± ¡±My acetaldehyde decomposition enzymes are on the active side.¡± ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t even let alcohol touch your lips.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°At the MT for freshmen, you insisted that you didn¡¯t want to drink.¡± Sangwoo filled Jaeyoung¡¯s cup while looking curious. Jaeyoung received the bottle of alcohol and filled his empty cup while saying: ¡°I was there as well.¡± ¡°Oh, a tiring thing happened then. Did you see it all?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m the one who removed your cell phone battery.¡± ¡°I tried to report that bastard for theft, but I stopped since I couldn¡¯t identify him.¡± Jaeyoung smirked and munched on some peas. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t stopped you back then, you probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to get out of the situation.¡± ¡°Is it that you want to hear, a thanks at this point?¡± ¡®Bastard, you¡¯re still the same as ever.¡¯ When he first met Sangwoo, he would¡¯ve gotten angry hearing something like that, but he didn¡¯t anymore. ¡°Are you an idiot? You¡¯re supposed to be a coding genius. Ah, is it that you don¡¯t know human psychology because you¡¯re a machine?¡± When he said the same thing he had said before, a smile spread across Sangwoo¡¯s face. The partly visible eyes disappeared into the curved eyelids. ¡®¡­he¡¯s so fucking cute.¡¯ Jaeyoung swallowed his alcohol with his eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s not just then, I¡¯ve seen you a lot after that.¡± ¡°When did you see me again?¡± ¡°I took the same class a few years ago.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yup. There¡¯s a time when you tried to take my money in front of the store¡­ And there was a time when I tried to interview you at the school festival, but failed.¡± Sangwoo emptied his glass with a look that displayed that it was all something he¡¯d heard for the first time. Just then, the server brought o Chapter 8.18 ¡°I¡¯ve known you for some time. You didn¡¯t recognize me for a long time, and you weren¡¯t even able to memorize my name, though.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You called me Kim Youngjae. Just thinking about it again is making me speechless.¡± Jaeyong took a skewer and bit into the fish cake. Sangwoo stayed still for a while and did the same thing. For a while, they ate food, emptied bottles, and ordered more without making conversation. ¡°There was a senior in the army named Kim Youngjae who was as annoying as you, sunbae. That¡¯s probably why I got confused.¡± Sangwoo dug up the painful memory as if it were nothing. However, thanks to that, Jaeyoung was able to move on to a topic he was curious about. ¡°Where did you do your military service?¡± ¡°Goyang. I was in the artillery.¡± ¡°Oh, the Cheonma Artillery Brigade. I heard that it¡¯s really tough over there?¡± ¡°I was fine, though.¡± Jaeyoung vaguely guessed that Sangwoo was a concerned soldier who couldn¡¯t adapt to the military. So it was surprising that he only talked about the military as if it were nothing. ¡°How was military life for you? Was that Kim. Young. Jae.-person the only one who bothered you?¡± ¡°That bastard. He transferred to a different unit as a private, and I spent my days in comfort ever since then.¡± ¡°Why was he transferred?¡± ¡°He kept bothering me, and I kept it in when he wouldn¡¯t let me rest, but he kept hitting me on the head. I wrote it down and put it in the wish box, but it didn¡¯t get resolved, so I spoke to the squadron leader. However, it still didn¡¯t get resolved, so I reported it to the military police.¡± ¡®Scary bastard.¡¯ ¡°Didn¡¯t you fight with the others?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t talk at all unless I had to. The army is a place like that, as you know.¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t have any difficulties?¡± ¡°It was okay. I even studied a lot in my spare time. I received rewards in the army for shooting full shots, showing combat power measurement excellence, being in special forces, being an exemplary soldier, and being a squad leader. My father says I¡¯m cut out for the army.¡± ¡®This crazy¡­¡¯ Well, Sangwoo seemed to be able to endure physical distress. Jaeyoung, on the contrary, had a hard time in the military. From waking up early in the morning to unnecessarily cleaning guns, taking cold showers, restricted hairstyles, clothing rules, confinement, food that tasted like dog food, individual battles, marching, keeping night watch, and guard duty. It was all hellish work, and he hated everything about it. The solution to this hell couldn¡¯t be to revert to a rotten old culture of strict rules and traditions with only physical things like those. Nevertheless, he still had to pretend as if it were nothing and scare the other kids by yelling at them. ¡°I was a training camp assistant.¡± [T/N: Training camp: the first month] ¡°Uhm¡­ you¡¯re not in a position to educate others about their mental state though, sunbae?¡± ¡°I agree. I got chosen since I was over 180cm.¡± ¡°The new recruits thought it was funny, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I was famous for being the assistant who was a venomous snake with a bad temper, you bastard.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only person who thinks so little of me.¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t say much for a while. ¡°You¡¯re not that insignificant.¡± Silence followed. The two emptied their glasses without saying a word. After they repeatedly did quick one-shots, it seemed like they had already emptied four bottles. Jaeyoung blinked in a tipsy state. Sangwoo slightly bent his head to the side after picking up his drink and then poured it into his mouth. It was an orderly appearance as ever. ¡®Why is he sexy¡­?¡¯ ¡®Get your act together. He¡¯s a guy.¡¯ No matter how many times he shouted it inside, rubbed his eyes and checked again, it was still the same. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his lips looked unusually red. Jaeyoung¡¯s rapt gaze worked its way down Sangwoo¡¯s neck and scanned his checkered shirt. When Sangwoo used his strength to open a new bottle, his sleeves were rolled up, which exposed the muscles in his forearm. When he twisted his unusually white wrist, the blue veins popped out. ¡®I¡¯m gonna get a nosebleed at this rate, shit.¡¯ When he swept his face with his palm, the heat, which wasn¡¯t just from the alcohol, transmitted through his skin. ¡°Suggested game¡­ Informal Talking Time.¡± Jaeyoung looked up at Sangwoo¡¯s mumbling. The latter was pointing at the wall. Jaeyoung turned his head back and looked at the poster on the wall. There was an organized list of suggested games for drinking parties, which included explanations of the King Game, Finger Folding Game, Image Game, and Yaja game. Jaeyoung slowly turned back and made eye contact with Sangwoo which unusually enough were sparkling with excitement. ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How much have you been keeping in?¡± Sangwoo stared at him without answering. There wasn¡¯t anything he didn¡¯t know how to do, so Jaeyoung readily accepted his offer. As soon as the words ¡°let¡¯s give it a shot,¡± were said, Sangwoo called his name. ¡°Jang Jaeyoung.¡± It even seemed as if he could see some spite in his eyes, yet why was his heart so stirred up? Jaeyoung pulled his chair close to the table and put his hands together in order to match his level. Yes, hyung. Did you call me?¡± Chapter 8.19 Sangwoo hesitated and then coughed a few times. He then looked at Jaeyoung again and said: ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t take my comments as a joke.¡± ¡°What do you mean, joke? I¡¯m carefully paying attention to everything you say.¡± ¡°Then why do you keep making the same mistakes?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful, hyung.¡± ¡°Did the space bar on your keyboard break? Why does a guy who¡¯s even good at English keep making typos? It¡¯s not rocket science. Let¡¯s make an effort, yeah?¡± ¡®Bringing work even to a drinking party , you disgustingly persistent bastard.¡¯ Jaeyoung picked up a fish cake skewer and pushed it into Sangwoo¡¯s mouth. ¡°Eat this, hyung.¡±1 Sangwoo diligently chewed the fish cake and swallowed it. ¡°And¡­ you keep sneakily trying to hand work over to me, but you¡¯re behind on work because you didn¡¯t follow your schedule.¡± ¡°It can be that way once you¡¯ve started working on something. Give me a break, please. I¡¯ll take responsibility, and I¡¯ll do it all later.¡± ¡°Are you just saying it?¡± ¡°No. I even came after having worked on it today.¡± That was a lie. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t do anything today because he had been focused on Sangwoo. However, it was true he was confident that could do it all at once. ¡°You wanted to scold me so you said that we should play the Informal Talk Game.2 Our Sangwoo hyung said that.¡±3 Sangwoo frowned. Jaeyoung immediately scooped up some okonomiyaki with a spoon and shoved it into Sangwoo¡¯s mouth. He looked fine at first glance, but seeing him this way made him look drunk as well. His eyes were slightly closed, and he obediently kept receiving and eating the appetizers he was given, so he looked far from his usual machine-like appearance. ¡°I wanted to hear you speak formally to me, that¡¯s why. You unmannerly bastard.¡± ¡°Ah. Did you know, hyung? Take a shot.¡± Jaeyoung picked up Sangwoo¡¯s shot glass and put it on his lips. Sangwoo drank it well. He swallowed everything in his mouth and pointed his finger at Jaeyoung. ¡°Hey, Jang Jaeyoung.¡± ¡°Yes. Go ahead, speak.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a nut job¡­ you know that, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯m well aware.¡± Sangwoo snorted and leaned back with his arms crossed. ¡°CR. A. ZY bastard. Just scribbles on someone else¡¯s face like that.¡± ¡°Of course. I should be killed. How dare I do that to Your Highness Hyung-nim?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stock up on beverages¡­ That¡¯s a snack bar. It¡¯s like Heo Saeng Jeon, you know?¡±4 ¡°Of course. It¡¯s something that should be reported to the Consumer Rights Association. I¡¯m reflecting on myself.¡± ¡°This trash-like¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m human trash that can¡¯t even be recycled right away. Do you want me to kneel down or something?¡± Sangwoo, who was leaning against the chair, suddenly raised his upper body. He laid his arms on the table, and his chin on his arm. The plate with okonomiyaki on it was pushed aside by his elbow. If Jaeyoung hadn¡¯t caught it quickly, it would¡¯ve fallen to the ground. Jaeyoung was also sitting close to the table, so their faces were very close to each other. The brim of the cap was about to touch Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead. He lowered his body and put his chin on his arm like Sangwoo. His heart beat faster when the eyes that had been covered by the brim were revealed. Every time Sangwoo blinked, his thick eyelashes went up and down. His lips slowly moved. ¡°You¡­ If you were ugly, there wouldn¡¯t even be an answer.¡± ¡°Scum like me should just go and die if they can¡¯t even be born with a handsome face.¡± ¡°So you do know.¡± The eyes that were slightly unfocused because of the alcohol, tore Jaeyoung¡¯s face apart. It seemed his gaze would heat up wherever it landed. Sangwoo¡¯s gaze, which stayed focused on his forehead, turned in the direction of his nose, then passed over his ears, neck, and chin, before falling to his lips. Sangwoo¡¯s eyes narrowed. His lips slightly moved, which didn¡¯t escape Jaeyoung¡¯s notice. ¡°You¡¯re going to burn a hole in my face, Sangwoo hyung.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s eyes narrowed even further and seemed almost closed at this point. He raised the bottle of soju to fill Jaeyoung¡¯s glass while avoiding making eye-contact. Jaeyoung accepted the glass, emptied it in one go and said: ¡°Am I good-looking?¡± Sangwoo pretended not to have heard and filled Jaeyoung¡¯s glass again. Instead of answering Jaeyoung, he didn¡¯t hesitate to finish the shot he got in return in one go. ¡°Am I.. good-looking, hyung?¡± Jaeyoung spoke slowly while looking straight into Sangwoo¡¯s black eyes. His small eyes didn¡¯t feel as sharp as they usually did. ¡®What do you think of me? If I¡¯m correct, you¡¯re into me.¡¯ Sangwoo quietly answered shortly after. ¡°Yes.¡± Jaeyoung slowly blinked. The tingling sensation that was rooted in his chest had come to dominate his entire body at some point. His goal of appraising the risks of this relationship had faded. Jaeyoung drank quite a bit of alcohol. Perhaps that was the reason he only had one thought on his mind. He raised himself by putting his hands on the table. His body was slightly trembling, but he kept his balance. He pushed the table that was in between them to the side and took a step closer to Sangwoo. Sangwoo turned his head and looked up, so he was able to get a good look at his face. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can I take it off?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was Jaeyoung¡¯s red face simply due to the alcohol? The sense of feeling out of place made the answer an undeniable ¡°no.¡± Footnote: 1. Jaeyoung said this in formal (respectful) language, the way a junior would to a senior. 2. The Informal Talk Game is played so that formalities are dropped and players speak using informal language, even if they are of lower rank, younger, etc. 3. Jaeyoung refers to Sangwoo as ¡°our Sangwoo.¡± When you refer to someone as our in this way, our is used as a possessive adjective. It is usually used when referring to your spouse or close family member. You can find more info here. 4. The story of Heo Saeng Jeon was mentioned in Volume One. Chapter 8.20 ¡°What were you thinking about? I¡¯m talking about the cap.¡± He lifted the black ball cap without permission. His heart was filled with pleasure after seeing Sangwoo¡¯s frustrated expression. He wasn¡¯t even a protagonist cartoon character who turned unrecognizable if he only removed his glasses, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. He was just a guy with flat hair. His mind was shouting that, but Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t listening to it. The contrast between the jet-black eyes and his white skin just looked strong. A tidy, yet messy appearance. His eyes were no longer indifferent. The filter-covered Chu Sangwoo, which could¡¯ve been distorted by alcohol and emotion, was nothing short of an incubus who had arisen from his lewd fantasies. ¡°You¡¯re not getting angry today?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s voice was huskier than usual. These days, there wasn¡¯t anything he could freely control when Sangwoo was in front of him. Whether it was his voice, his facial expression, his dick, or anything. ¡°Let go of it.¡± His eyes raised sharply, and his hand touched his bangs as if he were embarrassed. ¡®You have that kind of look on your face, so there¡¯s no way I can just give you back your cap.¡¯ ¡°I said, give it back.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do if I say I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°I told you to give it back.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re getting angry again.¡± ¡°This bastard doesn¡¯t even know what a prank is!¡± Sangwoo suddenly got up. He was neither tall nor short, instead he was of average height, which was nice to look at. Jaeyoung enjoyed the fact that Sangwoo being that way meant he had to look up to make eye-contact with him, while he himself could see his face while looking down at an angle. Jaeyoung¡¯s chest rose and fell with exhilarated breaths. He waited for Sangwoo to reach out for his cap, and when that moment came, he grabbed his wrist tightly and pulled it. He looked at the confused-looking pupils that were one span away from him. Sangwoo stared at the floor, avoiding his eyes. ¡°Fuck.¡± It was the first time he heard Sangwoo curse. His voice was as low as Jaeyoung¡¯s¡­ ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it to you, hyung.¡± Sangwoo put power into his gaze, as if he wouldn¡¯t lose and then stared at Jaeyoung. Jaeyoung calmly took a breath. It was hard to restrain himself from touching him. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jaeyoung slowly raised his right hand. The final destination was Sangwoo¡¯s cheek. His thumb gently stroked his cheekbone. He could feel Sangwoo shaking beneath his skin. ¡°I¡¯m warning you¡­ don¡¯t call me hyung.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If you call me that one more time¡­¡± ¡°Hyung.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s grip tightened. Sangwoo didn¡¯t avoid his eyes this time. ¡°You¡¯re so fucking handsome.¡± Jaeyoung bit his lip because it felt as if his heart were dropping. His hand moved like a snake in search of the neck that he was always looking at. Covering the nape of the neck that was flushed and hot, he pulled him a bit towards himself and stopped just before their foreheads hit each other. A kindled face was right in front of him. Without a single trace of shame, his gaze was in Jaeyoung¡¯s direction. His reasoning mind that told him to block Jaeyoung was too weak. Fortunately, though, he didn¡¯t forget who his opponent was. ¡°Warning. I¡¯m going to kiss you in a minute.¡± It was the final rule which he hadn¡¯t forgotten. It was the formal manner which was far apart from his innermost feelings. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna run away, leave now.¡± He was out of breath. Every time he exhaled, the sound that escaped his mouth was more and more like a moan. The flesh that touched him felt hot. Their surroundings seemed to be on fire. The eyes that were staring at Jaeyoung blinked. Jaeyoung saw the appearance of a lost soul, yet Sangwoo gripped Jaeyoung¡¯s chest with unrelenting hands. He roughly grasped the piece of clothing and pulled it towards him. ¡®There are still 48 seconds left, though.¡¯ Sangwoo¡¯s eyes slowly closed and his lips touched Jaeyoung¡¯s the same way they had done the previous day. Bang. The fuse snapped. Jaeyoung pulled Sangwoo towards him by twisting himself around his neck while tilting his head to the side and devouring his lips. His tongue popped into his mouth, which surprised him while causing him to also respond in the same manner. He couldn¡¯t see or hear anything from that moment on. However, only the sensations of their lips on top of each other, tongues intertwining, and their mixed breaths seemed vivid. The hot sensation wasn¡¯t pure at all. It was barbaric and rough, and it was unexpectedly painful as the intense thirst wasn¡¯t quenched quickly enough. The heat just extended to his hands. The kiss, which was far from romantic, was chaotic and didn¡¯t follow the expected narrative¡­ That¡¯s because every part of it was a climax. Perhaps that was why he quickly dropped it when it was over. Sangwoo, who wiped his lips with his sleeves, was panting. Jaeyoung leaned his back against the wall to catch his breath. ¡®Fuck, he almost got eaten.¡¯ He truly believed his heart was going to stop. Chapter 9.1 <101> ¡®Let¡¯s make a game together. I need a skilled designer.¡¯ ¡®Ok¡­ay. Got it.¡¯ The mission was a success. Sangwoo had killed two birds with one stone. He found the most talented designer at school, and he simultaneously got Jaeyoung back in his life. It was the best development he could think of. If it went as expected, he would now be able to resume game production again while also controlling his odd behavior. It was a somewhat valid prognosis, as the small problems that had arisen when Jaeyoung was gone, gradually disappeared when he began to see him regularly. He went back to being able to concentrate in class again and study at a pleasant library for hours. Sangwoo studied until 4 p.m. and spent all his other time developing the game. The sole reason for his energy to be replenished until the morning was an upcoming meeting in the afternoon. Sangwoo always woke up in a bit of a good mood. Then, as the meeting approached, his mood gradually worsened, and when there was about half an hour left, he felt so bad that his hands would sweat and his heart pound. He put a lot of effort into the first meeting. He researched the latest information and meticulously printed out the necessary data. He bought a bunch of snacks at the snack shop and ripped them open. However, Jaeyoung¡¯s attitude had been disappointing. Even though him being late for 12 minutes or so was a mere habit, his expression and tone had been very curt. Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t as friendly or clingy as before, but he showed an uncooperative attitude toward the project. No matter how many times he refreshed the inbox page at the appointed midnight deadline, the draft proposal still didn¡¯t arrive. The following day, the art concept that Jaeyoung had drawn had obviously been done without consideration, adding to his disappointment. ¡®I¡¯ll do it again and come back.¡¯ Still, Sangwoo wasn¡¯t able to refuse Jaeyoung¡¯s request. The entire day was a sad affair, and it was time to quickly proceed, but he gave him the weekend just because he had made eye contact with him and asked for more time. Agenda: Veggie Venturer However, Jaeyoung had brought something great to the Tuesday meeting: a vertical scrolling shooting game based on jump action. The material wasn¡¯t unfamiliar, yet it was unique, and the art was nearly completed, as if it were something that had already been released. Also, all the elements were reasonably described in the document. Sangwoo loved Jaeyoung¡¯s proposal. A character from one of the three proposals had caught Sangwoo¡¯s eyes. It was one with impressive hair and a pretty face. He thought that if Jaeyoung was made into a character, it would look precisely like that. Jaeyoung seemed to like another one, but Sangwoo insisted that people would like it if such a pretty and cute character were in the game. The plan had been sorted out, so things went by in a flash. Even if Jaeyoung cared about only specific things, his skills were impeccable. The problem occurred somewhere outside of the project. ¡®You¡¯ve never seen an art school, have you? Go check where I work and have a cup of tea.¡¯ The problem was entering that dirty den. A simple, five-minute meeting that went by without any issues was enough. And Jaeyoung¡¯s studio? He had just followed him out of useless curiosity. Although he had been expecting the absolute worst, Sangwoo had opened the door and seen the most horrifying place in the world. The room was a mess. There seemed to be more stuff in place than not, however, most of the clutter was of unknown objects. In one corner, a person with naturally furrowed brows wore a dog collar around her neck and shook her head to the loud music. He felt like crumpling up the entire room and throwing it in the trash. How on earth could someone get work done in such a madhouse? There was a good-for-nothing and attention-seeking lazy psycho/sadist/trash/swindler/bully/thug with a shifting dual personality who, on top of that, was messy. The only parts he liked were his skills in design and illustration. If only he hadn¡¯t been broken, he wouldn¡¯t even associate with this kind of bastard. Sangwoo had muttered inwardly and helped him clean up. After roughly organizing the place, the studio became more tolerable. It was only then that he saw the poster on the wall. Since it was something he¡¯d often seen, it stood out as if other things were black and white and only Jaeyoung¡¯s work was the only thing in full-color. By this time, Sangwoo had studied Jaeyoung, so he could even recount which year the posters had been produced. The glasses hung on the tip of his nose, and when he yawned with hazy eyes and began to work, he became a different person. Both hands controlling different keys seemed to move in the most efficient way. His eyes, which usually contributed in making various facial expressions, were like a supervisor who sharply monitored the process and the results. The unsmiling lips were serious and stopped moving. It was only then that Sangwoo felt that he had come to the studio of an expert. No matter how he looked at it, he thought that five minutes for the meeting was too short. As a result, the five minutes increased to an hour and an hour increased to three and a half hours. Even if he was aware of the danger of how it may cause his body to have an abnormal reaction every time they got close, even though he got dizzy from the constant state of messiness and chaos despite cleaning up, even though he constantly quarreled with Jaeyoung, and even though there was a really strange woman who often was in one place, Sangwoo gradually came to not want to leave the studio. During the two weeks of them collaborating, new information had piled up into the database. He learned about the part where Jaeyoung has a twin brother, the part where was close to his maternal grandfather, the part where he not only speaks Korean, Chinese, and English, but also Cantonese and French, the part where he doesn¡¯t like to play in the water, the part where the desktop wallpaper of female celebrities often changes, the part where he prefers mangas over books and movies over mangas, the part where he can stand anything except for tasteless food, the part where he prefers dogs over cats, the part where he was crazy about the cyberpunk theme, and the part where he was bad at gaming. Chapter 9.2 Casually sitting in the vacant seat of a person who had gone to the army, Sangwoo was always exposed to Jaeyoung. His brain gobbled up and stored information about him, and his ears remembered his voice and played it back before he went to sleep. He peeked at his face, glanced at him, looked at him face-to-face, stared at him, made eye contact with him, and kept stealing glances at him every day, so much so, that he thought he could draw him with his eyes closed despite having no artistic skills. Just as he slowly became addicted to heavy metal, Jaeyoung was gradually adding color to Sangwoo. He should¡¯ve quit around then. It was the 16th day since he began to work with Jaeyoung. Sangwoo couldn¡¯t forget the Friday when things went completely wrong. On that day, Sangwoo finished small tasks on the project, such as compensation at every stage, level-up statistics, HP and damage, and the design of the difficulty levels, while Jaeyoung finished important UIs. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t even get up for hours, and after he was done with the final product, he went to the wobbly bed and collapsed on to it. If it was like any other day, he would lie down, tell silly jokes, and turn on music while looking at his phone, but on that day, he must have been tired or something, because he lay down on his side and closed his eyes. Fifteen minutes later, he looked back to call him, but Jaeyoung was still sleeping like the dead. Since he said he¡¯d only shut his eyes for 15 minutes, he should have woken him up, but why would he do that? Sangwoo went back to his work as if he hadn¡¯t checked his watch. Then it became 10 p.m., which was the time to return home. ¡®It¡¯s time for me to go.¡¯ There had been no answer. It was clear that Jaeyoung was completely asleep. Sangwoo was wearing his backpack, so he had to leave, but then approached the bed for mysterious reasons. ¡®Sunbae, are you asleep? Are you really¡­ sleeping?¡¯ He changed his lines to make sure that Jaeyoung was completely asleep. At the same time, his feet took him closer to him step-by-step. He approached his face and calmly looked down at him. He couldn¡¯t see his eyes well, since his bangs were slightly tangled. Sangwoo slowly leaned over and crouched down. As Jaeyoung¡¯s face got closer, a slightly unpleasant pounding increased. The feeling of his heart squeezing resembled motion sickness somehow. Sangwoo unwrapped his fist, which tightened at some point, and sneakily hovered his fingertips over his hair. ¡®He¡¯s so pretty¡¯, he had thought. It was simple, incomparable appreciation. Even if he sat there with his butt on the floor all day, he wouldn¡¯t get enough of it. He wanted it. He wanted to touch the eyelids and the tip of his nose. And the lips too. Sangwoo¡¯s gaze remained on Jaeyoung¡¯s slightly open lips. While quietly watching him, Sangwoo realized his mistake. It wasn¡¯t something he wanted to touch. He was impatient to do something else. It was an act he could never do if Jaeyoung had been awake. It was a small opportunity available only at that moment. It was completely a crime that no one would know of if only he kept his own mouth shut. Sangwoo carried out what he never would¡¯ve done if he had been in a normal state. He approached the sleeping Jaeyoung¡¯s face and pressed his lips with his own lips and then he ran away. He only walked a few steps, then he collapsed in the hallway by the studio with his back against the wall. His reason, conscience, self-control, judgment, and humanity, which he had maintained for 25 years without any issues, seemed to have collectively collapsed. ¡®It¡¯s fine. No one will know.¡¯ Sangwoo headed home while reciting lines that seemed to belong to the main character of a crime novel. He deceived himself by pretending that nothing had happened, and closed his eyes while ignoring his pounding heart. However, the trial didn¡¯t end there. The following day, as his mind was falling apart, Sangwoo¡¯s body collapsed, and he fell to his knees. ¡®Oh, you¡¯re here? Let¡¯s go somewhere.¡¯ He should¡¯ve realized something was wrong, when his heart dropped upon seeing his smiling eyes and his relaxed face in front of the PC room. Sangwoo always lived with regrets these days. It was clear that there had arisen a serious problem with his judgment. Printf(¡°No. I¡¯m really busy and I don¡¯t want to see you, sunbae. Goodbye.¡±)1 ¡®Yes. Where?¡¯ The result of that was a huge incident when they went drinking. He picked up his cap, calmly walked around the folding screen to settle the bill, paid half the amount and left, ran home at full speed, and when he arrived at home, he went under the covers after brushing his teeth, washing his face, and getting changed. However, the mistake didn¡¯t disappear. With a rough kick, his blanket rose to the ceiling and fell onto his face. Sangwoo trembled in the dark. ¡®Am I a slave to lust?¡¯ ¡®Do I really have to graduate from this school?¡¯ ¡®Is there any meaning to keep on living this life?¡¯ He suffered from numerous yes/no questions until dawn that day. A strong sexual desire for a subject becomes expressed in adolescence. Sangwoo remembered a gentle pounding of his heart when he had brushed against girls who smelled good on the bus. When he was in high school, there was a teacher he had secretly found pretty, and he had even had a formal relationship with someone of the opposite sex when he had become an adult. However, he had never before been this overwhelmed by lust (to the point of sexually harassing someone who was sleeping or to the point of losing reason in another person¡¯s workplace). Besides, Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t a woman. If one was a man, he would have encountered a number of males in middle school, high school, in engineering college, and in the military, but Sangwoo had never once experienced a similar case to this. It was an abnormal phenomenon beyond consideration. Just as his father and mother had gotten married and his aunt and uncle had gotten married, Sangwoo had naturally thought that one day he would join hands with a woman, kiss her, and get married. However, at some point, that bastard, who was like an error, had suddenly taken a step and taken possession of him. Footnotes: Chapter 10.1 <110> He was on his way home from his part-time job on Sunday. Sangwoo had been in a terrible mood all day because of what had happened the previous day. He was tired, irritated, and exhausted at every trudging step. He entered the alley in front of his building, feeling desperate to lie down on his bed. There was a person sitting in front of his building. Wearing gray training pants, a bright yellow jumper with a hood on his head while chewing gum, looking like an arcade fixture. The bubble swelled and popped in his mouth. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had put his lips on that thug twice. Sangwoo walked towards the entrance with a quick pace, not in the mood to talk at all. Just before he entered, Jaeyoung, who had been sitting there motionless, turned his body and raised his legs on the doorstep. As he tried to lift his leg over, he grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s jeans by the back pocket and pulled them hard. Sangwoo was dragged back while staggering. ¡®It¡¯s sexual molestation.¡¯ He wanted to say that his hand touched his hip, but unfortunately, Sangwoo didn¡¯t have the right to say it out loud. ¡°Where are you just going? Are you nuts?¡± Jaeyoung jumped up and blocked the door. He showed a kind of attitude and mood where it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if he tried to take his money. Sangwoo calmly looked at the crack. He thought that he could break through if he decided to, but he would probably be caught while entering the password for the door lock. ¡°How can a person be so unfair? If you bump lips with someone twice, you have to explain, don¡¯t you? What¡¯s the difference between you and a molester?¡± ¡°¡­¡± How many times had he checked that he was sleeping? How on earth could he know? Sangwoo hesitated and then started speaking with difficulty. ¡°As for the first time¡­ I have nothing to say. I was in the wrong. I¡¯m sorry. As for the second time, both were to blame so please pretend it didn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Both were to blame?¡± ¡°First, sunbae touched the face¡­ and said something strange. Anyway, it was a mistake made after drinking. I¡¯m usually not a reckless person. I was very drunk.¡± Jaeyoung only stared at Sangwoo. He had a bright expression while smiling, but when he was expressionless, he looked insensitive. Sangwoo felt uncomfortable while looking at his cold eyes. ¡°Do I also have to apologize?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯d be good if we apologize to each other and prevent a recurrence.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s mouth was twisted. His lips were smiling, but his eyes were still cold. ¡°What to do? I¡¯m not sorry one bit. And I can¡¯t guarantee that I won¡¯t do it again.¡± He had gotten an unexpected response back. Sangwoo had thought that the other party of course would want to dismiss the incident as a mistake. He hesitated for a bit and then spat it out. ¡°Why the hell are you like this? What did you do so right that you so shamelessly¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a mistake so why do you want to just let it slide? You felt the same as me.¡± ¡°Who felt what? It¡¯s merely abnormal lust.¡± Jaeyoung rolled his eyes as if had heard something unexpected. ¡°Abnormal¡­ lust?¡± ¡°The complex biomechanics of humans evolved into the form of sexual feelings in order to create a second generation. I think it¡¯s an inefficient method, but it¡¯s accurate that humans have survived and flourished through mating and complicated pregnancy processes. Lust between genders is just a meaningless illusion that doesn¡¯t contribute to the mechanism of survival and evolution whatsoever.¡± Jaeyoung loudly kept blowing and popping the gum. It was difficult to understand what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. ¡°What do you want me to do? Did I come here to take a biology class?¡± He picked his ear, then cocked his head to one side. He must have not heard the explanation. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say useless things. Just answer this. Did it rise yesterday or not?¡± ¡°Rise? What rose?¡± ¡°What do you think? Your external reproductive system, mister.¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t expect to be asked such a private question. However, he also thought it wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t answer. Sexual impulses are human instincts. It was expressed to the wrong opponent, but it wasn¡¯t anything to be ashamed of in itself. ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny my sexual desire. I often get an erection when I¡¯m with you, sunbae.¡± ¡°¡­Look at your choice of words.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference, though? There¡¯s a zero percent chance that your Y chromosome will change to an X, sunbae.¡± ¡°Volt and volt, +pole and +pole, N pole and N pole. It¡¯s an impossible thing,¡± Sangwoo sighed and continued. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s been a while since something like this has happened. It¡¯ll be a temporary condition, so it¡¯ll be okay later. But I can¡¯t control what went wrong now. Perhaps I need a little time. Cause I¡¯m always stuck to you, sunbae. Still, I don¡¯t want to give up on Veggie Venturer.¡± Jaeyoung snorted loudly. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t want to see me and you want to keep using my design?¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s fine even if we work on it remotely, I want to do it to the end. So please just don¡¯t quit. I¡¯m begging you.¡± Chapter 10.2 Jaeyoung put his hand in the hood and swept his hair back. With a dumbfounded expression, he turned his head around and came one step closer. Sangwoo stepped back that much. ¡°Looking at you closely, you have a really weird head structure. Haven¡¯t you considered the fact that I¡¯m uncomfortable?¡± ¡°You¡¯re uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Are you really thinking of making a game in this situation? Why do you only think of yourself, you mannerless bastard? You should ask me where I stand on this.¡± ¡°Where do you stand on this?¡± His expression crumbled as if he was offended. The pace of the opponent¡¯s approach had accelerated, so the steps backwards also became that rapid. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose to piss me off, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know, really.¡± Jaeyoung finally stopped walking. He bent his head back, touched it with his hands and deeply sighed. ¡°How can I stop when we¡¯ve come so far? You want to put yourself in front of me and make a game? It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± ¡°Control the lust, and through rational¡­¡± ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m a man.¡± Sangwoo said that, feeling like a fool. Jaeyoung smirked. In the meantime, Sangwoo thought it was good to see that, while he simultaneously felt frustrated. ¡°I don¡¯t care about evolution and chromosomes. Unlike you, I don¡¯t decide on who I am or what I¡¯m going to do tomorrow. What I¡¯m saying is that what¡¯s in the present is the most important thing. Jaeyoung took another step closer while pointing to his chest with his hand. His shoulders looked exceptionally broad with his back against the streetlight. Sangwoo felt scared. ¡°Whether it¡¯s abnormal sexual desire or whatever, I¡¯m attracted. But, since you¡¯re a man, I came here in consideration of you, since you¡¯re a wackoo who freaks out if rules are even remotely broken, not because I¡¯m a decent gentleman. But how about you? Don¡¯t you know that you aren¡¯t alone in this?¡± Before he knew it, his back was against the wall. His mind went blank at the horrifying thought that his retreat was blocked. Several combat techniques for larger opponents crossed his mind. ¡®When did he get so close?¡¯ While Sangwoo was panicking, Jaeoyung came even closer. The distance between their lips was only about two spans. At this rate, he was afraid that there would be a repeat of what had happened the previous day. ¡°You were the one who turned on the switch. So don¡¯t tell me to give up. Who do you think you are, that you can¡­¡± ¡®Now¡¯s the time!¡¯ Sangwoo elbowed Jaeyoung¡¯s waist with force and ran away. ¡°Hey! You crazy bastard! A person is talking here! Aren¡¯t you gonna come here?¡± Yelling was heard from behind, but he ran at full speed toward the building. However, the distance was too short to increase the pace. Sangwoo was caught by Jaeyoung at the back of his neck in front of the dirty glass door. Literally. Jaeyoung tried to do a headlock on Sangwooand twist one of his arms back. Sangwoo strained himself while trying to escape by shaking his head and putting force into his arm to prevent it from moving back. He hit Jaeyoung¡¯s stomach with the opposite elbow. Jaeyoung blocked Sangwoo¡¯s elbow with his arms that was doing the headlock. They wrestled with each other for a while. ¡°Let go!¡± When Sangwoo stepped on his leg to make him fall, Jaeyoung used the difference in their build to embrace Sangwoo completely. So, the two fell over as one body. Jaeyoung fell on his back and groaned in pain. Sangwoo slapped his chin in order to immediately get up, but Jaeyoung swung his legs over Sangwoo¡¯s waist. ¡®Fuck, if only I had a stick.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like the difference in their physique was that big, and because of that, they couldn¡¯t use their strengths in turns. When Sangwoo returned to his senses he found himself lying on the asphalt with his head on the ground. And someone had gotten on top of him. Jaeyoung held each of Sangwoo¡¯s wrists with both of his hands while tightly pressing Sangwoo¡¯s thighs with his lower body. Sangwoo had forgotten that they were wrestling until a moment ago and had closed his eyes tightly. ¡°What are you up to?¡± ¡°Who told you to run away like that while talking about important things?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s grip tightened. The person on top was in an advantageous position. As he was lying flat down, it was impossible to topple him no matter how much strength he used. ¡°Are you ready to talk now?¡± ¡°Talk about what? I have nothing to say?¡± ¡°Hey, open your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said open your eyes. If you don¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± Sangwoo opened his eyes wide. Perhaps it was because of the extent to which their bodies were joined or how his face seemed to be too close, but his heart was beating like crazy. Even if he didn¡¯t want him to notice, his chest rose and fell too quickly. Sangwoo thought of the lyrics to the national anthem. Without knowing what he was thinking, Jaeyoung began to speak in earnest. ¡°Listen up. I told you I don¡¯t care even if you¡¯re a man. Choose between these two things. Either you can try to begin something with me or you give up on the game and never see me again. There¡¯s no middle ground.¡± Chapter 10.3 ¡°Start what?¡± ¡°What could it be?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s cheeks were colored by the street lights. The orange-colored eyes looked exceptionally bright. There were too many difficult parts of his words to interpret correctly. He could assume the reason for his anger and what he wanted them to do, but he needed to make sure. ¡°So, sunbae, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to keep doing stuff like that¡­ with me¡­ ¡° The words that came out of his mouth were much more vague than he thought and his voice was cracked. ¡°Stuff like that?¡± ¡°Even if I¡¯m a man, to relieve sexual desire. There will be holding of hands, kissing, and having sex. You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to act like we are a straight couple that is dating.¡± ¡°Act like dating? What are you¡­¡± As Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead wrinkled, the hand on Sangwoo¡¯s wrist tightened. As he approached him with his head down, a shadow was cast around Sangwoo¡¯s eyes. ¡°Let me just ask you one thing. What do you think dating is?¡± ¡°A straight couple meeting on the premise of marriage. It¡¯s like a trial version of a formal program.¡± ¡°Ah, so it doesn¡¯t work between men?¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling that a question?¡± Suddenly, both hands, which had been caught, were freed. Jaeyoung separated himself from Sangwoo and sat down on the ground with a flustered expression. The skin, which was soaked in streetlight, was glistening orange. He muttered. ¡°Wait for me to think. If you run away, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Jaeyoung threw his gum into the trash can and grabbed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Soon, the tip of the cigarette shone red in the dark, and smoke rose from his lips into the sky. The air in Jaeyoung¡¯s cheeks swelled and was emptied repeatedly. Sangwoo got up and sat hugging his knees a bit away from him. Jaeyoung kept silent until he finished his cigarette. He stubbed the butt out with his shoe and rubbed his face with his palms as if he were washing his face. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure because he didn¡¯t check his watch, but it seemed like a long time had passed. At the end of the wait, Sangwoo made eye contact with Jaeyoung. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s better to be clear. If that¡¯s all you can comprehend, let¡¯s call it lust,¡± he cynically muttered and nodded. It was a signal to come closer. Sangwoo was a bit nervous as Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t smiling one bit. ¡°Come here now before I get even more mad.¡± Sangwoo approached him little by little by crawling on his knees. Jaeyoung kept moving his fingers with a dry gaze. Forward, forward, forward. Then, it became the distance of sitting face-to-face with a desk between them. Sangwoo stopped there. ¡°What?¡± In an instant, Jaeyoung crawled forward. So he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape, he held Sangwoo¡¯s hand on the ground and clasped his fingers. Sangwoo hardened like a rock. ¡°Hold hands with me.¡± His opposite hand got closer and held Sangwoo¡¯s cheek. His thumb slowly swept through his lips. ¡°We¡¯ve already kissed.¡± Sangwoo slightly moved back while trembling, but Jaeyoung wrapped his hand around his neck and pulled him back into his arms. His whispering voice gave him goosebumps on his arms. ¡°Then all we have left to do is to have sex. Correct?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead pushed Sangwoo¡¯s cap away. Thump. He heard something fall behind him. It was hard to tell what was on his mind with those pale eyes. Whether he was being sarcastic or if he was seriously suggesting it. Most of all, he couldn¡¯t concentrate because his heartbeat was too loud, and because his skin failed to regulate his body temperature. ¡°I have two questions,¡± Sangwoo spat out after managing to grab a string of reason. Jaeyoung made a gesture with his chin as if was saying, try. ¡°First, sex isn¡¯t possible between men. Then in what way would the sexual desire¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°What? Where¡­ How?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t know, stay still. Cause I¡¯ll take care of it then.¡± ¡°Why are you so confident? You have even tri..¡± ¡°I¡¯ve tried. Next question.¡± Jaeyoung, whose eyes were pierced on Sangwoo, turned his head while scratching his neck. Sangwoo didn¡¯t get any answer except for that he was an experienced person, but decided to do independent research on that and moved on to the next question. ¡°Secondly, what¡¯s good about having such an abnormal type of relationship?¡± ¡°Think of yourself as a Qing merchant,¡± Jaeyoung answered in a low voice. Then he whispered while adding more strength into the hand that was still gripping him: ¡°There¡¯s an enemy camp out there. If we leave it like this, they¡¯ll surround the castle, shoot arrows, cut off the water supply, and make all kinds of fuss. Now, there are two methods.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s index finger flicked up. ¡°One, ignore it and wait until it disappears.¡± Sangwoo was silent. He already got the gist of what he was trying to say. Jaeyoung¡¯s middle finger slowly stretched out. ¡°Two, go out and kick those bastards¡¯ asses. Which one is to your liking?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When there¡¯s a problem, the fastest way to eliminate the cause is by getting to the core. I think you¡¯d be that kind of person.¡± Chapter 10.4 Sangwoo silently nodded. When he was a corporal, a bee that had gotten into the unit had caused trouble, and he remembered his experience of wearing CBR protective gear and going to the beehive himself. Jaeyoung tapped his finger near his heart. ¡°That¡¯s the only way of putting your lust to rest. Don¡¯t avoid it and don¡¯t even ignore it. Just see it through to the end with me. Try to feel what it is that you are feeling to your heart¡¯s content. And then the feelings that are torturing you might disappear.¡± ¡®He¡¯s convincing. And we¡¯d also be able to continue the project.¡¯ If it was according to Sangwoo¡¯s principles, refusing such a thing would be correct. Even on the Internet, the dominating opinion was that ¡°sex partners,¡± who meet to relieve sexual desire, is an unethical form of relationship. No matter how overcome by sexual urges one is, they should be defeated as a civilized human, but hearing Jaeyoung¡¯s argument, it unexpectedly made sense. Above all, sweat was rising from his hand. He felt greedy, wanting to continue seeing, touching, lips touching, and doing more. Ignoring it didn¡¯t seem like it would make it disappear easily. Was it true? If he wanted to deal with his sexual desire, wouldn¡¯t he have to compromise? Unfortunately, there were insufficient clues to make a judgment because it was something that had never concerned him before. ¡°For now, let go of this.¡± Sangwoo managed to push Jaeyoung away. He moved away when pulled out his hand and scooted his butt back. Even if it was a suggestion, Sangwoo wasn¡¯t the type to make important decisions on the spur of the moment. He picked up his cap and then said, ¡°Give me time to review the proposal.¡± ¡°Okay. How much time?¡± ¡°Two weeks.¡± ¡°Two weeks? You know I don¡¯t have that much time, right?¡± ¡°I know. My midterms are next week, so if you look at the schedule, no meeting is scheduled for two weeks. In the meantime, I¡¯ll consider your suggestion, sunbae. You can proceed with the graphic work as scheduled, and please compress the work and upload it to the FTP by Friday, April 26th.¡± ¡°Stingy bastard.¡± After finishing what he had to say, Sangwoo got up from his seat. The hand that Jaeyoung had clutched was still numb. He walked past Jaeyoung, but he called his name. ¡°Chu Sangwoo.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why are you being so difficult?¡± ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to say. See you at the next meeting.¡± ¡°The meeting is absurd.¡± Sangwoo walked toward the door feeling the adrenaline running through his blood vessels. return 0; The exam period wasn¡¯t any different than usual for Sangwoo. Since he had reviewed the contents of his classes every day, he just increased the amount he studied a little bit during the exam period. He had to work harder this semester, because he had barely listened during class in the beginning. Fortunately there was nothing too difficult, so he was able to catch up little by little after the second week when Jaeyoung had dropped out from all his classes. Perhaps it was because they didn¡¯t have any meetings, but he had so much spare time now, that he only had to work on transferring the resources he had completed to the engine. On Wednesday, Ryu Jihye suggested studying together on the weekend. Sangwoo, who considered ¡®Theory of Popular Culture and Culture¡¯ a weak point, agreed and looked forward to her help. As it was exam period, on the Saturday he didn¡¯t have his part-time job, he met up with her at a designated caf¨¦. Time flew as they checked how much they understood by explaining the theories and supplementing the weaker parts. The exam week passed chaotically. Although most of the exams were in written form, there were oral exams such as in Chinese, and there were subjects in which he got homework in lieu of an exam. There wasn¡¯t any subject where a problem was very difficult. Even when he had taken seven or eight subjects, he had always been the top student of his department, so what was difficult about five subjects? ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a bit difficult?¡± Jihye said as she came out after finishing the ¡®Theory of Popular Culture and Culture¡¯ exam. ¡°Especially question 15. Isn¡¯t it too useless that we have to know everything, even the origin of the theory on a city-wide basis in order to solve the problem? I think he made it so that we would be wrong.¡± ¡°I found question 22 difficult.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Was it the descriptive type where postmodernism was criticized when Adorno¡¯s view came to be? When we checked last time, you accurately knew about the two ideas, so why was it difficult?¡± They meticulously reviewed the exam questions while eating at the restaurant. Like any student who studied hard, Jihye was very greedy about the results. ¡°From what I hear, I think you did way better than me, oppa. Except for the possibility of losing points on question 22, you didn¡¯t seem to get anything wrong?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? After listening to my explanations, you¡¯re the only one who did well? That¡¯s too much, really.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t intentionally fail the problems of the test just because I got your help.¡± Chapter 10.5 Jihye pouted. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t understand the disappointment of getting a lower score than someone who understood the subject less than them. Sangwoo made a huge decision to tell her something that would be pleasant for her to hear since it was, as they said, a time where humans were animals of emotions. ¡°I¡¯m naturally good at memorization. I didn¡¯t understand this subject well, but your explanations ended up helping me a lot.¡± ¡°Really? Are you for real?¡± Sangwoo ignored her and kept eating. After they finished eating, he left to get coffee at the snack shop, but Jihye followed him as usual. She took the canned coffee, paid for it, and then said: ¡°Oppa. I helped you do well on the test and I even got you coffee, so shouldn¡¯t you do me a favor?¡± ¡°Was that a trap?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Since you owe me, do me a favor.¡± Jihye smiled brightly while saying scary things. He tried to imagine what favor she would want, but he could only come up with things like treating her to a meal or carrying her stuff. ¡°What is it? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°What are you going to do at the festival?¡± Sangwoo frowned slightly at the unexpected question. The word ¡®festival¡¯ didn¡¯t bring about the slightest amount of positive feelings. Sangwoo had never participated in any festival activities, and since classes were usually cancelled during the festival, he spent his time productively looking for things he could do for a week. ¡°I have to work.¡± ¡°Oh, so you do have something you¡¯re doing. I helped you a lot though, so can¡¯t you take a day off?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say Monday. Hang out with me on the day of the festival.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to enjoy the festival, but I don¡¯t have any friends.¡± ¡°Why do you need friends?¡± ¡°Stop, oppa. Because I asked for a favor. Just agree, please.¡± It wasn¡¯t a situation he could refuse. It was true that Jihye had helped, and because he had uselessly said good things, he was about to become a two-faced person if he didn¡¯t accept this request. When Sangwoo grumpily agreed, Jihye laughed and asked that they meet in front of the main gate at 11 a.m. return 0; The exams were all done. The results were as expected, and there wasn¡¯t any other surprise except that he did better than expected on the cultural theory exam. Sangwoo ate, got coffee, and walked along the trail. He walked fast. He was much more excited than usual. During his two busy weeks, one thing was missing in his life. He had made weird mistakes and lost concentration because he didn¡¯t have it in the past. However this time, he was able to endure it, since he had set a date for when they¡¯d meet again. He also had the ¡®Jang Jaeyoung¡¯ folder on his desktop. ¡®Don¡¯t avoid it and don¡¯t even ignore it. Just see it through to the end with me. Try to feel what it is that you are feeling to your heart¡¯s content. And then the feelings that are torturing you might disappear.¡¯ The not-so-short exam period was an opportunity to experiment with two methods of dealing with the problem. If the emotions Sangwoo was experiencing were temporary confusion, they would disappear during the two weeks. If they remained by the end of the exams, the cause would need to be eliminated by confrontation. Sangwoo had a tendency to avoid uncertainty, but he had no choice this time because the issue was grave this time. All he could do was to wait and see in a state of uncertainty. The exam period with the experiment was over. Sangwoo thoroughly separated reason from emotion and observed his everyday state. The result was clear. When the enemy outside the castle was left unattended, they were called to come inside even more fervently. Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s face, Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s voice, Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s hand gestures, Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s expressions, Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s way of speaking, and Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s smell. With something different every day, he missed everything about Jaeyoung. Even the things he originally didn¡¯t like. He looked at his photos and videos every day and listened to his playlist before he went to sleep, but like before, his thirst wasn¡¯t quenched. The more lust he left unattended, the more it confirmed his inclination of things worsening and polluting his mental world. As one of the options had become invalidated, only one other remained. Two days were left before their appointed presentation day, but Sangwoo had already made his decision. In the work studio, where he was mindlessly heading to convey this decision, there was a design student who, though two years older than Sangwoo, had been admitted in the same year. ¡°Jang Jaeyoung isn¡¯t here.¡± The student looked like a poacher because she was wearing a fur coat. She turned down the volume of the music while looking at Sangwoo. Wires were randomly tangled around the speakers. It was hard to look at the keyboard, mouse, tablet, phone charger, external hard drive, monitor, two USB-jacks, and four-piece multitap outlet all wired together. ¡°Speakers these days have wires that are too short,¡± mumbled the poacher handling the speakers which had soon fallen over. Sangwoo learned that if he became too flustered, it would render him speechless. He sat in an empty seat and waited for a bit. His eyes naturally turned towards Jaeyoung¡¯s seat. He collected the trash and put away cigarette packs, lip balm, umbrella covers, earphones, and the zippo lighter in the drawer. Chapter 10.6 When he opened the drawer, he saw a familiar cover. He had been using that design for years, so he couldn¡¯t help but recognize it. It was a note that Jaeyoung had stolen 2,000 won from Sangwoo. That day, Sangwoo had ripped the picture that Jaeyoung had drawn. That was during the first week of the semester, so at some point, six weeks had already passed. It had been the time when Jang Jaeyoung had followed Sangwoo around like a stalker and tormented him. Sangwoo opened the notebook while feeling a strange longing. There were quite a few sketches on the note that needed to be thrown away. There were some sketches of cars and guns, and apart from those, everything else was of people. They were all wearing black ball caps. The skin around their eyes were torn and the dark circles came all the way down to the cheeks. Only the eyes were large and the body was as skinny as a tree branch. They had been drawn as double-figures. After flipping through a few more pages, he found a series. ¡®When did he draw this?¡¯ In the four-cut cartoon, Sangwoo, who had been cut off at the waist, had died in agony, turned into dust after swelling up, and bursting like a balloon. His cap had been taken away as well. It was a grotesque setting, and Sangwoo giggled at it as it was drawn in a comical way. On the last page, unlike Jaeyoung¡¯s usual style of drawing, the profile of a man wearing a cap was realistically drawn like a photograph. ¡®Is this supposed to be me?¡¯ He had drawn the person so good-looking to the degree that you¡¯d even believe it was an idol singer. The eyelashes were densely packed, the nose was straight, and the mouth had a crescent shape and looked soft. The neck was especially pronounced with the help of lighting and shade. The tendon that extends all the way to the shoulder was bulging, and there was even a mole on the neckline. Sangwoo looked down at his shoulder and for the first time discovered that there was a mole there. ¡°Hey. Does Jang Jaeyoung know you¡¯re here? Don¡¯t just sit there. Try calling him,¡± said the poacher from behind. Sangwoo put the notebook back in the drawer and closed it. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything planned today, so I don¡¯t mind waiting.¡± ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t come? I¡¯m asking since I¡¯m uncomfortable. Do you want me to do it for you?¡± ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± The poacher made a deflating sound with her mouth and picked up her cell phone. Shortly after, she made a call. He heard a loud ring tone since the speaker was on. Ring¡­ ring¡­ ring¡­ The ring tone was heard once, twice, thrice, piling up and adding to the tension. Ring¡­ ring¡­ ring¡­ Jaeyoung didn¡¯t answer the call. The same was true even after two more times. The poacher cursed while exclaiming ¡°Let¡¯s see who wins,¡± but the result was the same even after calling a few more times. ¡°I think he isn¡¯t picking up on purpose since it¡¯s too bothersome. Hey, you try calling.¡± Sangwoo obediently complied with her request. When he called Jaeyoung and handed over his cell phone, the poacher turned the speaker on again. Ring¡­ ring¡­ ring¡­ ring¡­ ring¡­ ring¡­ ¨C Hello? ¡±What¡¯s wrong with you? Why aren¡¯t you answering my calls!¡± ¨C Are you with Sangwoo? The poacher raised her darkly made up eyes. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¨C At home. I asked if you¡¯re with Chu Sangwoo. ¡°He came to the studio and he isn¡¯t leaving. He¡¯s just sitting here doing nothing wearing a sour look on his face! Come and take him away cause I¡¯m really uncomfortable. Drive here immediately.¡± A low sigh was heard through the speakerphone. ¨C Got it. That was the last thing he said before hanging up. ¡°Anyway, it seems like it¡¯s easier for me to deal with this bastard. He didn¡¯t answer the phone when I called, so he intentionally didn¡¯t pick up.¡± The poacher returned his cell phone after a long time of fuming. Sangwoo grabbed the device and put it back in his backpack and took out a book. ¡°He¡­..y. Chu Sangchu.¡± ¡°Please accurately memorize other people¡¯s names.¡± He must have told her that ten times by now. Sangwoo tried to recall the poacher¡¯s name, but he didn¡¯t have any information stored. Then, he saw a golden necklace on her neck that read Yoona Choi. ¡°Do you want me to call you Choi Yoo-choi?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll call you that from now on. Choi Yoo-choi.¡± ¡°¡­¡± From the look on her face, Sangwoo made her uncomfortable. Well, he didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be a good look since all he remembered was arguing with her when he came to this place. One didn¡¯t need to have a good relationship with such a stubborn human anyway. ¡°Did you guys fight? Something¡­ You haven¡¯t been around lately and Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s state has also been odd.¡± ¡°Please get rid of your need for meaningless conversations. You can pretend I¡¯m not here and keep doing your work. Choi Yoo-choi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious. You fought, right? Why did you fight?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t fight. And it¡¯s none of your business, Choi Yoo-choi.¡± Chapter 10.7 Sangwoo shut up because nothing good would come from explaining that two males, one sunbae and one hoobae, had kissed each other after drinking and were undecided on the direction of their future relationship. Yuna¡¯s desk suddenly caught his eye. He couldn¡¯t stand the mess the entangled cords created, because they definitely represented his state of being. Sangwoo got up and headed towards her desk. The area around her eyes were made up so they looked like panda eyes. These eyes then looked up at Sangwoo. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to do any work anyway, take a break.¡± She got up because of the hand gesture telling her to leave. Sangwoo used the mouse and the keyboard to save 12 open programs and turned off the computer. He also turned off the speakers and the monitor, and he looked for the button resembling claws to shut it down. He even turned off the large machine under the desk whose purpose he couldn¡¯t figure out. After that, he sorted out the cords. The cord to the external hard drive was wrapped uniformly and placed into the case, and the chargers to the claw machine, tablet, and the cell phone, were rolled up and placed in the drawer. The mouse, keyboard, and speakers were unplugged and put aside, and the tangled monitor and PC power cords were sorted and plugged back in. The four outlet power strip was placed behind the monitor. The remaining machines were arranged so that the wires wouldn¡¯t get tangled. In this way, the desk became tidy. Sangwoo looked satisfied as he tied up the wires on the desk with a yellow rubber band. The speaker wires weren¡¯t actually short, only appearing to be so, because it was as if they had been misused by a slob. Humans significantly mishandle machines. ¡°You should appear on TV in a show like Master of Living or something.¡±1 ¡°Keep it like this from now on. Since you put everything you¡¯re not using on the desk, it becomes messy.¡± ¡°I use everything, though.¡± ¡°Then keep living that way.¡± The door opened while they were talking to each other. Jaeyoung walked in and kicked the door shut. He was wearing black pants and a white sweatshirt with a baseball team logo on the chest. He walked past Sangwoo and sat down. ¡°Oh, the lustful man¡¯s here?¡± Yuna burst into laughter at Jaeyoung¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°Why is he a lustful man?¡± ¡°Ask the person directly,¡± Jaeyoung answered indifferently while looking at his cell phone. Sangwoo stared at him, but Jaeyoung just looked at the screen without saying a word. His profile showed a cold expression. Yuna laughed awkwardly. ¡°Hey¡­ Why are you guys fighting? Hurry up and make up.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t fight. It¡¯s something weirder than that,¡± Jaeyoung said while crossing his legs. He looked at his nails. ¡°Why did you come here? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re going to ask for some other work, but I didn¡¯t work on a single thing. What, do you want me to walk with my hands up?¡± ¡°No. You said you¡¯d review your proposal and present it the day after tomorrow, sunbae.¡± ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I came today to ask you to do it in advance.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s gaze became sharp. He peeked at Yuna¡¯s back and asked her: ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to smoke?¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me to leave? Are you kicking me out?¡± ¡°Just for ten minutes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny. Did you reserve the entire studio?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s command was unfair and Yuna seemed to be fiercely protesting against it. However, she grabbed her phone and wallet, making it obvious that she disliked it. ¡°You two, don¡¯t make the vibe of the studio weird. Take responsibility and really reconcile. I¡¯ll just be out for 10 minutes. Really.¡± She angrily walked backwards. When she opened the door and left, there were just the two of them left. For a while, there was only silence. Jaeyoung, who had been fiddling with his phone, had at some point put it in his pocket and was looking at Sangwoo. The eyes behind the glasses were not playful in the least and they didn¡¯t even blink. A chemical reaction occurred in Sangwoo¡¯s body because it was the first time he saw him in two weeks. ¡°Sunbae¡¯s proposal, I¡¯ll accept it. I decided that it was reasonable. And you get a lot of extra points for being an experienced person. Let¡¯s start next Monday.¡± Sangwoo calmly told Jaeyoung of his decision. 100% lust. Pure sexual desire without any other purpose. Sangwoo was about to go hunting for unneeded urges that disturbed him by using a harpoon like a barbarian who had never encountered civilization. Jaeyoung was listening with a blank expression, and then said: ¡°Please clarify exactly what my proposal was.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about allowing each other to do what normally is done in a relationship.¡± ¡°For the purpose of relieving sexual desire?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about¡­sex partners, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Fuck, what a load of shit.¡± It was hard for Sangwoo to understand Jaeyoung¡¯s reaction. He was the one who first had made an offer with ethical issues and then acted like Sangwoo had done something wrong. Footnote: 1. A short Korean show that airs everyday where they introduce ¡°those who have devoted their lives to one specialty and become a master through hard work, passion, and perseverance.¡± Chapter 10.8 ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect you to accept it. I don¡¯t know what to say. Okay. Let¡¯s¡­do it.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll give you a call then.¡± Sangwoo finished what he had to say and tried to get up from his seat, but Jaeyoung¡¯s voice caught him. ¡°Wait.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t move and he looked at Sangwoo with an expression that was no different from earlier. ¡°Why is it from Monday on and not from today? Is it because you have to get mentally prepared?¡± he asked in a dry voice. ¡°Yes, and I have to study.¡± ¡°Study what?¡± ¡°Do I really have to tell you?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s mouth opened. His expression strangely changed. ¡°Oh, I get what you mean. Then Monday¡­ Straight to a motel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how I understood it.¡± Jaeyoung cheeks swelled and he sighed towards the ceiling. Pooh. There was a loud noise. He swept down his face with his palm and then said: ¡°Gotcha. Is there nothing for today? We haven¡¯t met in two weeks, so you must have a lot of pent up sexual frustration.¡± ¡°What can I do right at this moment? I haven¡¯t prepared for anything.¡± ¡°You know what else you can do.¡± Jaeyung had a habit of saying things in roundabout ways. So whenever they talked, Sangwoo had to go over things again. However, this time, it was easy. ¡°I did it last Saturday at the bar, though.¡± ¡°Doing it again won¡¯t kill you.¡± ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯ Sangwoo stretched out his legs and hung the tip of his shoes on the wheels of the chair. As soon as he pulled it, Jaeyoung slid closer. Jaeyoung¡¯s chair was slightly pushed back a bit after their chairs collided. Sangwoo reached out his hands, held the chair in place, and then raised his head. Jaeyoung, who was right in front of him, opened his eyes wide. Sangwoo could vividly feel the fluttering urge in his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m going to kiss you, sunbae, but¡­ do you want me to lock the door before that?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Sangwoo got up and pressed the lock on the round handle. When he turned around, Jaeyoung had soundlessly come to stand before him. ¡°Holy shit!¡±**** Jaeyoung¡¯s hands quickly wrapped around both his cheeks. His lips covered his mouth, so he wasn¡¯t able to talk anymore. Sangwoo closed his eyes and felt dizzy. Jaeyoung¡¯s lips gave off a scent of vanilla. He didn¡¯t know what kind of ingredient his saliva contained that made it tasted sweet. There was a huge storm which paralyzed his mind. It scattered heavy rain and thunder, making it impossible for him to come to his senses. The inside of Jaeyoung¡¯s mouth was provoked by the uncontrollable passion of Sangwoo¡¯s tongue. His head was filled with thoughts of wanting to conquer and eat up the guy who always made him feel strange. He felt hot and dizzy, and it was hard to tell whether it was a good or a bad thing. Sangwoo pushed Jaeyoung¡¯s chest away when he felt suffocated and couldn¡¯t endure it any longer. He roughly exhaled as if he was running, and he wiped the saliva off his mouth with the back of his hand. ¡°You, why are you so rough when you don¡¯t look like it?¡± Jaeyoung whispered with a slight frown. The low and husky voice further stimulated Sangwoo¡¯s sexual desire. He shouldn¡¯t have done that. It only got worse and it wasn¡¯t relieved one bit. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know how to relieve the urge that was boiling and overflowing, so he took a breath. ¡®Just endure it until Monday, and it¡¯ll be solved.¡¯ His serious eyes pierced Sangwoo¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m confused as to whether you¡¯re an idiot or a genius.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Sangwoo returned to his seat and hung the backpack on his shoulders. He quickly rushed out of the studio, because he felt like he would commit a crime if he stayed any longer. return 0; As Sangwoo had expected, the festival was full of substandard events. Flags were fluttering in the wind, there were colorful tents, oddly dressed people, shouting, and loud music everywhere. It was a place with a collection of everything that was a disturbance to one¡¯s eyes and ears. ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t it really cool?¡± Sangwoo normally thought Jihye was a student with good common sense and flexible thinking, but she was strange today. Her eyes were glistening and everything she ate and saw was delicious and looked cool. Sangwoo met Jihye at 11:00 and watched a magic performer that dazzled both audiences who could violate the laws of physics. At 12:02, he endured the fraudulent act of drawing cards at a tarot card caf¨¦, and they then had sandwiches. At 12:42, he missed his earplugs while watching the band department¡¯s ear ripping performance, and from 1:13 p.m, he read unclean books while drinking beverages at the manhwa department¡¯s caf¨¦. When Jihye exited at 3:43 p.m., her eyes were swollen because she had cried while reading manhwa. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Aran was going to die. What do they mean leukemia! It¡¯s so sad, really. Moreover, Hwi-hyeol and Bae are siblings?¡­ The plot twist gives you goosebumps.¡± Chapter 10.9 ¡°Why are you crying when they aren¡¯t even real people?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s sad. What did you read, oppa?¡± ¡°Sunhee and Jaeyoung.¡± ¡°Is that one fun?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± He¡¯d never encountered such a boring plot in his entire life. He just mindlessly kept flipping the pages to see the name that repeatedly appeared. They left the manhwa caf¨¦ and walked around campus for a while. Meanwhile, Jihye said that she kept a photo diary which she updates every day because she easily forgets her daily tasks. That is why she insisted on needing a picture of her companion. She stopped for a moment and had them take a selfie together. Then, Sangwoo¡¯s feet stopped in front of a poster on the wall. Hosted by the Classic Games Club! Arcade game competition Even if he had subconsciously reacted to the word ¡®game,¡¯ he simply couldn¡¯t let go of it. Skimming through the poster, he found that there was a now discounted gaming console among the prizes. It was an item he had tried to get in the past, but had failed to. ¡°Wow! Oppa, do you want to go and do this? There¡¯s a mechanical keyboard among the prizes. I was going to buy one in the past.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It was an event that met both their needs. It was a fruitful challenge that was incomparable to the moronic activities they had done up until that point. Sangwoo and Jihye headed to the front of the engineering college with one mind. There was already a large crowd there. There were four events: Tetris, Bubble Bubble, Tekken, and Metal Slug. They began to discuss strategies before filling out the application. ¡°Is this the one you want, oppa? SuperFormicon CX.¡± ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the prize for winning Tetris.¡± ¡°Leave Tet to me.¡± Jihye swept her long hair in a mysterious way and smiled confidently . She said that when she was young, she played ¡°some¡± online Tetris and became ¡°the best¡± in elementary school, and even went to the ¡°God¡± level, where she even beat adults. This wasn¡¯t very reliable, but Sangwoo left it to Jihye since he wasn¡¯t very good at Tetris. ¡°The keyboard is the winning prize for Tekken. I¡¯ve never tried it before, though. Do you know how to play it, oppa?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do this one.¡± Tekken Switch. Even though it had been a while, he used to play it quite a bit in arcades, so he knew how it works. Since it was a fighting game and the mechanism was simple, he was going to choose a character on the Internet and memorize the combinations in advance. It was a small competition, so he thought there would be a chance of winning just by trying hard enough. Sangwoo and Jihye looked at each other and made their decision. ¡°We¡¯ll win the prizes and exchange them with each other!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± They submitted their applications and waited for a while. About 50 people had gathered, but the Tekken corner was the most crowded one. All were men, and apart from Jihye, there was only one other girl there. After squatting down on the stairs and waiting, a seat on the Tetris side cleared first. Jihye got up and rolled her neck around ready for battle. ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll get the gaming console,¡± she told Sangwoo in a confident manner. The sound of her shoes hitting the floor could be heard as she walked over to a low chair and sat down. Tetris wasn¡¯t a fighting game, but a game where they counted the scores. Since Jihye chose the ¡°hardest¡± difficulty level, over half of the screen was filled with obstructions as soon as the game started, and the speed of the descending blocks was very fast. Against the backdrop of addictive music, Sangwoo watched Jihye¡¯s hand movements as if he were possessed. Her blocks fell into the correct places without any hesitation. Perfect hand-eye coordination, judgment, and control. Jihye¡¯s control didn¡¯t allow useless moves, and even her left and right rotating movements were kept completely to a minimum. Whenever a long rectangular block dissolved four rows on densely stacked walls, Sangwoo felt a deep pleasure in his heart. ¡°Look. What did I tell you?¡± After sitting for 14 minutes, Jihye gave up on the game when the speed of the blocks came down in a blur. You didn¡¯t even have to check to know that she won first place. There was a 100,000 point difference between her and the person who came in second, so she was likely to win the gaming console if nothing else happened. ¡°Good job!¡± Sangwoo nodded and praised her. She reached out for a high five, and he was happy to do it. Then, Jihye sat down next to Sangwoo with a smile on her face that displayed her pride. Both cheeks were red because of the excitement the game had brought her. While waiting, Sangwoo familiarized himself with the combos by looking up two Tekken characters on the Internet. After waiting for a bit longer, it was finally his turn. ¡°Oppa, do well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Chapter 10.10 Sangwoo headed to the Tekken corner. It was like an actual fighting match but with two arcade gaming consoles facing each other instead. There were many spectators, and unlike in other corners, there were two commentators. ¡°Yes, next player. Who could it be? Let¡¯s check the application form¡­ Oh my. Another computer science major student.¡± ¡°Are computer engineering students gathering here?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, we¡¯re also computer engineers?¡± The male student sitting across from Sangwoo looked older and had a good physique. He was wearing a baseball cap and a checkered shirt. ¡°Contestant, I see you chose Ed! He was just released today, right? I can¡¯t believe you choose the rarest, most unskilled character.1 Did your fingers slip?¡± ¡°Ed and Tristan¡­. How delicate. If there¡¯s a commonality, it would be that they are combination characters.2 If he can¡¯t do the commando, they¡¯ll be quite useless, right? Oh, oh, it¡¯s starting.¡± It took 10 seconds to figure out their techniques. Seeing how they were dealing with each other, it showed how much they understood the game. Sangwoo crushed five people, and his opponent, who was sitting there, made a lot of useless moves and reacted slowly. ¡°Ah, ah! Low parry! Ed! Ed! Let¡¯s crush the defender¡¯s combo and kick it properly! A clean wave! Oh, oh, he¡¯s going to make BnB out of him!¡±3 ¡°That was reaaaaaally clean playing! Were there any other participants who showed this much experience today? I bet 500 won that we¡¯re looking at the son of an arcade owner!¡±4 It had been too easy. When Sangwoo¡¯s opponent stepped back while awkwardly scratching the back of his head, the next contestant arrived. He also wore a cap and he looked really young. Sangwoo chose the same character and started playing the game. ¡°Ed and Tristan again? Are you trying to say that you don¡¯t even need new fighting power against an insect like that?¡± ¡°It could be that he only knows how to play two characters. Oh-ho! Look! He¡¯s fuzzy guarding.¡± ¡°He got caught, he got caught. Wow¡­ Challenging contestant, you¡¯re flustered, aren¡¯t you? Un-li-mi-ted-com-booooooooooooooooooos! You¡¯ll be dismembered at this rate. It¡¯s quite magnificent.¡± The next game was easy as well. Sangwoo waved at Jihye, who was nearby, cheering for him. The next opponent and the one after that were also easily defeated. All of them were sloppy people who didn¡¯t even know how to properly use combos and just recklessly pressed the buttons. Sangwoo beat 14 people in a row. ¡°I think the Tekken King was born today. At this rate, there won¡¯t be a problem winning. Well, he just needs to endure for another 10 minutes. There is one contestant left. Will our Ed-Tristan student be able to defend his throne?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the final contestant. Is he from the cosplay club? His costume is unique, right? Oh-oh, looking at the application form, I realized that he¡¯s not even an engineering student.¡± Sangwoo got curious and peeked at his opponent. The person sitting across from him was wearing a red vest, a decorative white shirt, black suit pants and shoes, and a high necked cape on his back. He was wearing a goblin mask over his costume that seemed to be from medieval Europe. ¡®What a strange guy.¡¯ Sangwoo chose the same characters again without much thought. ¡°Sangchu oppa, fighting!¡± Sangwoo raised his fist at Jihye¡¯s support. However, at that moment, the opponent dashed forward and suddenly stopped. Since he quickly pulled an evading move, his character wasn¡¯t thrown into the air, but his HP was severely reduced. ¡®It¡¯s not an easy opponent.¡¯ ¡°Wooooooooooooooooow! That was a razor-sharp attack. It seems like the opponent is good at using Rossi?¡± ¡°Rossi, you¡¯re so good at this? Will this defending student be able to stop a new unskilled character like Ed? ¡­ I look forward to seeing this.¡± The opposing character moved and jabbed without a break. It looked like the minor movements were distracting or that he was keeping at such a short distance where he wouldn¡¯t get caught in the trap. His skill in measuring distance was rather careful and animalistic. ¡°He was about to kick the wall with his entire leg just now, right? The defending student clearly saw it.¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, his hands got twisted while he was crawling through the challenger¡¯s wind tunnel. It was his chance to knock out his opponent in one blow, though¡­¡± ¡°He made a mistake, but his fingers are still quick. Top, top, bottom, oh, how elusive. It¡¯s hard to predict the pattern.¡± He couldn¡¯t try doing a combo because of the severe checks. Sangwoo changed his character in consideration of his opponent, who had a complex play style. A character that could send the enemy flying through the air in one shot walked into the screen. Sangwoo measured the angle to hit his opponent. ¡°Tristaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan pulls a Wind God Fist as soon as he enters! 4rp, 4rp, 4rp, he does it again, and again, oh, how persistent. A hit, he¡¯s doing a double upper now!¡± ¡°Ae-ri-al-com-bo! Spinning Demon! Wind God Fist, Hell Sweep. How many on earth did he do? The combos won¡¯t end! What grade is he in? Could you be a hoobae of mine?¡± Footnotes: Chapter 10.11 ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just gonna call him hyung. The Rossi student let go of his hands. You¡¯re going nuts right now, aren¡¯t you? Wow! It¡¯s a KO!¡± When he killed one of his opponent¡¯s characters, his prospective character retreated. Sangwoo was careful for a while, then hit his opponent with a jab spam combo. ¡°O-oh! Challenging student, grinding your teeth, huh? What could this be as soon as the game starts?¡± ¡°He pulled a proper BnB in the fake stage. It¡¯s unclear who¡¯s gonna win.¡± As the punching continued, Sangwoo¡¯s character made the opponent collapse by reducing 30% of his HP.1 The remaining character was pulled forward. It had now become a real battle with no place to hide. ¡°Challenger, it isn¡¯t easy. He¡¯s good at psychological warfare.¡± ¡°It feels like our defending student is macro hacking. There¡¯s no space to fight back! As a result, it seems like he¡¯s going to get his 15th win!¡± They exchanged several minor attacks. The opponent tried to do a left upper combo, but Sangwoo wasn¡¯t having it, and blocked him. Sangwoo¡¯s attempt at withdrawing was blocked in the same manner. It was a thrilling match. When he felt edgy by being so focused, he got annoyed at his opponent shaking his legs. The knee that had been peeking out from behind the arcade gaming console had been somewhat familiar. Sangwoo almost flew into the air while staring at the knee. He suddenly broke into cold sweat. It was a leg that he had seen a lot. It¡¯s trembling shape was oddly familiar, where could it have been? ¡°I guess you¡¯ve finished studying?¡± Then, he heard a low voice. He got goosebumps all over his back. Sangwoo avoided the enemy¡¯s reach by pushing his character into the corner of the screen, extended his neck, and looked across at him. His opponent wore a bizarre mask, but he could tell that they had made eye contact. ¡°You¡¯re done with everything, and you¡¯re out having fun, right?¡± ¡°Jang¡­ Jaeyoung? Here¡­ what are you do¡­¡± Sangwoo returned to the screen and grabbed the controller, but he had already lost his composure. ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re going around playing games.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s Ed helplessly collapsed as Jaeyoung¡¯s Lilith released the double long wave attack. ¡°Our Sangwoo.¡± It was a fatal kick that bothered his bottom parts. It was too late to avoid. ¡°You seem to be very confident in your technique.¡± Ed¡¯s HP was reduced to less than half because of the mid-to-high dire kick. ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡± He collapsed at Lilith¡¯s Deathly Arrow. The commentators were shouting something in excited voices, but Sangwoo couldn¡¯t hear them. return 0; ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. Take it.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t deserve to take it.¡± Sangwoo walked slowly while hanging his head. Jihye was carrying the SuperformiconCX in her arms, but Sangwoo¡¯s hands were empty. They had promised to each win a prize and then exchange them, but as he had failed miserably, he didn¡¯t have the face to hold his head high. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really¡­When would I even use this old kind of gaming console? I don¡¯t even know how to use it.¡± ¡°Sell it online. I taught you how to sell used goods.¡± ¡°Then should I sell it to you, oppa?¡± Sangwoo¡¯s head sprung up. As expected, Jihye! He quickly concocted a simulation of the most optimal method in his head. ¡°Post it on the ¡®Used Kingdom¡¯ forum this evening.2 Then I¡¯ll find your posting and contact you. Don¡¯t sell it to someone else, and make sure to¡­¡± Sangwoo said in an excited voice. ¡°Oppa¡­ are you an idiot?¡± Jihye was giggling while clinging to Sangwoo¡¯s shoulders. Sangwoo tried to avoid her by slightly moving to the side, but the girl¡¯s hand grabbed him. After laughing for a while, Jihye placed the shopping bag with the gaming console in Sangwoo¡¯s hands. ¡°Hey. What kind of transaction will be made?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about money for the value of the console. Treat me to dinner tonight.¡± ¡°This costs over 100,000 won.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like the conditions of this transaction, hand it back.¡± Jihye held out her hand with a stern face and Sangwoo¡¯s worries disappeared. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Freeloader3: i¡¯llescortyouhomeat10pmtomorrowevening ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. When he thought of the message he had received the previous day, his heart was pounding while he felt something akin to motion sickness. He was supposed to have parted with Jihye and been home to get his mind prepared by now, but¡­ the confident attitude that Sangwoo had on Friday when he met Jaeyoung had disappeared since he had theoretically mastered the process of sexual intercourse between men. ¡®I can¡¯t do this.¡¯ I was going to apologize to Jaeyoung and retract my decision anyway, Sangwoo answered while hugging the gaming console. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go get dinner.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jihye seemed to be entertained, covering her mouth while laughing to herself. Footnote: 1. HP stands for hit points, which is a numerical representation of a character¡¯s health in this case. 2. Used Kingdom is a fictional used goods website, kinda like eBay. Chapter 10.12 It had gotten dark at some point. Jihye led them through the path by the College of Humanities, where light bulbs in different colors lit up the street. The colorful ribbons disturbed his eyes. There were crowded street stalls hosted by various clubs, such as an acapella singing booth, an aquarium restaurant, a puppy caf¨¦, and a board game caf¨¦. ¡°Ah! Let¡¯s go there! There!¡± Jihye, who had been walking in silence, jumped in excitement while pointing to a stall where there was a line with an unusually large crowd. The Ghost Bar sign had a spooky vibe to it, and at the entrance to the tent, a grim reaper and a maiden ghost were scaring people passing by. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the seats are fully occupied. Even if you put your name on the waiting list, you¡¯ll have to wait for an hour and a half,¡± the girl dressed as a goblin repeatedly said while bowing. ¡°Oh¡­ it looks fun, but it seems we can¡¯t go.¡± Jihye looked disappointed. Sangwoo wasn¡¯t interested in ghosts, but since he owed Jihye, he didn¡¯t want to stand around doing nothing. The weight of the gaming console in the shopping bag was like a sense of obligation to fulfill her wishes. Sangwoo asked Jihye to wait and squeezed into the tent through the crowd. The cave-like dark interior was decorated with a number of bizarre decorations, and all ten tables were occupied with guests. There was a zombie, a wizard, a shaman, an angel and a demon, a vampire, and Frankenstein. The staff had thoughtfully dressed up to serve and entertain the customers. Among them, Sangwoo felt a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu while looking at the back of the vampire who was standing cross-legged. ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ The final challenger who beat him at the arcade gaming competition had also been dressed like that. At that moment, the vampire turned around and their eyes met like magnets. ¡°¡­¡± Sangwoo stepped back as if he had been hit on the head, and he bumped into the goblin. The rehearsed line popped out of her mouth like an answering machine. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but there are no available seats right now.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll leave,¡± Sangwoo quickly responded and turned around. He then heard the vampire¡¯s voice behind his back. ¡°Can you create another seat?¡± ¡°There¡¯s really no room to place another table on, sunbae-nim!¡± ¡°Just send away the customers who are done eating.¡± Sangwoo rushed out of the tent. When he explained to Jihye that they had to find someplace else since there wasn¡¯t any space, she nodded with a sullen look. As soon as he was about to walk away, the goblin ran out of the tent. ¡°Cap-wearing student? A seat just emptied, so you can come in! Hurry.¡± ¡°No. I saw that there definitely aren¡¯t any seats just now. We¡¯ll leave.¡± ¡°Come when you hear something pleasant.¡± The voice that came from behind the mask was chilly, so Sangwoo stopped walking without realizing it. While he was hesitating, Frankenstein and the zombie, who were as big as baseball players, appeared from the tent and obstinately grabbed both of his arms. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Let go of me. Are you gangsters?¡± While Sangwoo was in a physical fight with the male students, Jihye was conversing with the goblin. ¡°Oppa, they said that seats just cleared up inside. How fortunate!¡± She entered the tent with a grin, and Sangwoo turned into a duck egg on the Nakdong River.3 Sangwoo had nearly shaken Frankenstein¡¯s hand off when a zombie pushed his back from behind. These men were so strong that he had no time to fight back when he was dragged into the tent. ¡°Welcome.¡± He then faced the vampire, who was welcoming them, with a grim expression. His bangs had been pushed back with wax in order to reveal his forehead, and black makeup had been applied around his eyes, and white powder on his skin. It was bizarre how wonderful it looked despite having a bizarre appearance with dark red paint around the mouth looking just like blood. He definitely stood out among the staff dressed in odd costumes. In that moment as well, several students were hanging around him while waiting to take pictures together. ¡°Hello, Jaeyoung oppa!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we met, Jihye. I¡¯ll have to give you plenty of service.¡±4 ¡°Wow! Really? Thank you! Your makeup and outfit go really well together, oppa. The best! You totally look like Count Dracula, and you look cool!¡± ¡°A date¡­ with Sangwoo?¡± ¡°No, what do you mean, a date?! Hahahaha! Just¡­ Sangchu oppa owes me something, so he decided to treat me to a meal.¡± ¡°Okay. Have fun,¡± the vampire said and went somewhere. Sangwoo didn¡¯t eat anything, but he felt like throwing up. ¡°They really decorated it well. As expected, the theater club uses quality¡­ It¡¯s great.¡± On the other hand, Jihye took a picture while looking around at the bats and pumpkin decorations on the ceiling as if she were in a good mood. ¡°I actually¡­¡± Jihye lowered her voice as she put away her cell phone. ¡°If I had known that this was hosted by the theater department, I wouldn¡¯t have come.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She checked so there weren¡¯t any people around them and then whispered. ¡°I thought that Jaeyoung oppa didn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just¡­ a feeling.¡± ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be any reason for that, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. After today, I feel better since I think I was mistaken. I¡¯ve been feeling a bit uncomfortable all along.¡± Sangwoo closed his mouth with an expression that he didn¡¯t understand. Footnote: 3. Turning into a duck egg on the Nakdong River ??? ??? ??? ??? is a Korean expression which basically means that one is doing nothing. The online translation for this is ¡°he was hanging, able to do neither.¡± 4. ??? Service in Korean is giving/receiving freebies at food establishments etc. Chapter 10.13 Jihye suddenly leaned her upper body over the table and said as if sharing a secret:¡°¡­ And, oppa¡­¡± Sangwoo naturally leaned forward to hear her voice. ¡°I have something to tell you today.¡± The candle flame that was reflected in her eyes was shimmering. Sangwoo looked closely at Jihye¡¯s face for the very first time. He hadn¡¯t been aware until this point, but she had a small dimple on her cheek. ¡°Wing-ardium levio-oosa!¡± At that moment, a male student dressed as a wizard ran towards them and pushed a menu between the two, and cut off their eye contact. Sangwoo corrected his posture and looked at the menu. Gruesome Rolled Omelet, Thousand-Year-Old Rice with Fish Roe, Spooky Fish Cake Stew. The prices were on the expensive side, but it was nothing in comparison to the gaming console from Jihye. ¡°Order everything you want to try. As long as it¡¯s below 130,000 won.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After much consideration, Jihye ordered a ¡®Rotten Deep Fried Udon,¡¯ and Sangwoo ordered a ¡®Crazy Kimchi Stew¡¯ and ¡®Spider-web Made Rice.¡¯ Once the wizard left, Sangwoo made eye contact with Jihye who was sitting with a somewhat dissatisfied look on her face. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to tell me something?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ No. I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Then there was silence. Sangwoo was sitting still, but he was focused on all the sounds in the tent coming from behind him. There was no way of preventing himself from doing that since he was curious about what Jang Jaeyoung was doing, who he was talking to, and what he was talking about. He heard his voice coming from all over the place. He laughed and probably joked with strangers, and he also took orders from tables and served them. Sangwoo¡¯s heart was pounding, beating a little faster. ¡°Ah, oppa! Do you want me to tell you a funny story?¡± ¡°Huh? Sure¡­ Go ahead.¡± ¡°So you know. A tuna kimbap and cheese kimbap were walking down the street when they met a pickled radish. However¡­¡± ¡°Grrrrrrrrr¡­¡± ¡°OMFG!¡± As the sudden appearance of Frankenstein with a nail stuck to his head had startled her, Jihye seemed to have flown 30 cm up into the air. Jihye looked angry, but she couldn¡¯t say anything as the concept of the ghost bar was to play jokes on the customers. ¡°The staff are a bit mischievous and annoying.¡± ¡°We came because you wanted to.¡± ¡°I know. I can¡¯t say anything¡­¡± Then their conversation was cut off again. Jihye only wiggled her fingers for a while and then asked a question. ¡°Oppa, I¡¯ve been wondering since earlier¡­ Do you have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then if you get a decent chance to¡­ do you have any thoughts of seeing someone?¡± Sangwoo tried to respond that he didn¡¯t have such intentions since he was busy with his studies, but the devil ran up to them and put a curse on them with loud gestures (it seemed to have been made up on the spot) and disappeared. ¡°What are you saying?¡± Sangwoo muttered to the disappearing back. Jihye had been silent for quite a while. ¡°Should we leave after finishing our meals?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s so loud here that we can¡¯t talk.¡± At first, Sangwoo only thought she was sensitive, but as time went by, he understood her words. Oddly enough, whenever Jihye tried to say something, a dish would be served, and if a conversation would start, a member of the theater club would without fail leave after interrupting them. It may have been a coincidence, but it was clear that it wasn¡¯t a suitable place to talk. Either way, Sangwoo¡¯s concern was entirely focused on another person. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t actually come near them once, so Sangwoo didn¡¯t even get a chance to take a closer look at his costume and makeup, not even when he gladly took pictures as he went to other tables. ¡®Is it because we¡¯re sex partners?¡¯ He had decided that he wasn¡¯t going to be one anymore, though. Sangwoo sighed and leaned his back against the chair. The more he envisioned having sex with Jaeyoung, the darker it became. Sangwoo simply didn¡¯t have any courage to insert his penis into that guy¡¯s rectum. Also, he wasn¡¯t sure he could handle seeing Jaeyoung in the same kind of agony he saw the people suffering from in the audiovisual material he saw. Jaeyoung kept his word by truly giving them a lot of services. He had already given them three bottles of soju, dried side dishes, and a rolled omelet, none of which they had ordered. Even Jihye, who wanted to leave as soon as possible greedily picked up her chopsticks in front of free food and alcohol. ¡°Oppa, you drink well, I see.¡± Even if Jihye was drinking as well, most of the soju went into Sangwoo¡¯s mouth. Perhaps it was because of the severity of the stress he had suffered over the weekend, but he wanted to get drunk. His state of mind was like a compiler with 100 lines of bright red error code. Chapter 10.14 There had been an unknown disappointment, fear that was difficult to define, sexual rejection, vague anxiety, lust that wouldn¡¯t disappear, and even a sense of defeat after losing the game and failing to get the keyboard. It was a mixed soup with an assortment of negative and ambiguous emotions. If he could just forget everything after drinking, he would help himself to it. ¡°Krrrrr¡­ Alcohol and snacks have arrived. Krrr¡­¡±* [T/N: ??] ¡°Again? Thank you so much. Aren¡¯t you giving us too much?¡± ¡°Creak. Foolish people¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m gonna drop it. Hand me the butter for the corn. I¡¯ll hold it.¡± Jihye had been wary of Frankenstein at first, but since she got used to him later on, she didn¡¯t get surprised at whatever prank he would pull. They sat in silence for some time while enjoying free snacks and a bottle of soju. At some point, Jihye¡¯s face had even turned red from the alcohol. She hummed through her nose and swayed her upper body. Then, she burst out in laughter. Sangwoo slowly blinked. His eyelids were heavy. He was drunk. ¡°Oppa¡­ Remember how I told you I had something to tell you today?¡± ¡°Yeah? Go ahead.¡± Jihye shook her head. She fixed the strands of her hair with her hands and then pulled her chair close to the table. Then, with a very serious face, she said, ¡°I think I¡¯m a bit drunk so¡­ rather than saying something wrong, I¡¯m gonna tell you next time.¡± ¡°When is next time?¡± ¡°There will be another opportunity. Please remember that we read manhwas, played games, drank, and had a lot of fun together, okay?¡± Jihye smiled while extending her palm. It was too much like the high-five they had done when they won the gaming console. Sangwoo giggled and raised his right hand as he remembered that time. It was the moment when their palms were to have met and made a slapping noise when¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He had definitely put as much strength into his hand as he could, but he didn¡¯t know why his palm wasn¡¯t touching Jihye¡¯s hand, but the vampire¡¯s instead. He tightly held onto Sangwoo¡¯s fingers so that he couldn¡¯t escape from his strong grip. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s closing time, guys,¡± Jaeyoung said while throwing Sangwoo¡¯s hand onto his knee. Jihye still had her palm up and made an expression reflecting how absurd she found the situation. Jaeyoung smiled in her direction. ¡°It¡¯s quite late. Did you call home?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no curfew at our house and it¡¯s a free vibe there, so it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Still, you have to go back quickly, since your parents are probably worried. I don¡¯t know where you live, but the last train hasn¡¯t left yet.¡± It was a pointless conversation. Sangwoo couldn¡¯t overcome his sleepiness and closed his eyes. Strangely enough, his confused feelings had dispersed, and all he could think of was how good it made him feel to hear Jaryoung¡¯s voice right above him. That wouldn¡¯t solve anything, though. Since he drank too much alcohol, he was just being drunk. ¡°Thank you so much for your concern. I¡¯ll do that.¡± Silence followed for a moment after Jihye¡¯s response. Soon, she continued to talk. ¡°Sangchu oppa¡­ Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Sangwoo. I¡¯ll bring him home.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How could I send him home alone when it¡¯s so dark outside? Something could happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Jihye, be careful on your way home.¡± He seemed to have dozed off for a bit. Blinking. When he barely opened his eyes, he could see Jihye¡¯s back disappearing through the tent. He had to go home, but he didn¡¯t have any strength. Inside the tent, people looked busy cleaning up the tableware and the tables. Jaeyoung was looking elsewhere and saying something. He glanced at Sangwoo. When they made eye contact, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t control his facial muscles so he smiled broadly. ¡®Ah¡­ I probably looked like an idiot.¡¯ Sangwoo turned his head away with a bitter expression. Heart-burdening palpitations and terrible anxiety coexisted in his chest. Then, a large palm approached and covered his eyes, making his vision dark. His mouth automatically opened as his heart was trembling. ¡°Hyungjin, you know where my car is, right?¡± ¡°Yes, hyung.¡± ¡°Take him and let him sleep in the passenger seat.¡± ¡°Yes! Give me the keys, please. What about you, hyung? Aren¡¯t you going in?¡± ¡°Where can I go looking like this? I¡¯m gonna change and remove my makeup first.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Oh, by the way, you worked really hard today. Thanks to you, hyung, the sales are no joke. It was legendary. I heard you were busy, but thank you so much for doing us a favor.¡± ¡°No worries. I had a lot of fun as well.¡± ¡°You were only supposed to help for a bit when it opened, though. It¡¯s touching how you stayed until the end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a few hours anyway.¡± When Jaeyoung¡¯s hand left, light penetrated through his eyelids. When he opened his eyes, he saw the silhouette of the vampire moving away. ¡°Hey?¡± Someone roughly shook Sangwoo¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Get up. Jaeyoung hyung told us to go to the car.¡± Frankenstein ignorantly grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s arm. Chapter 11.1 MAGENTA Jaeyoung, who had meticulously washed his face, raised his head. In the mirror, a man with water dripping from his jaw was staring at him with a complicated look on his face. He stroked his face with his palm and wiped the water off with a towel. After that, his feelings which had been running amok all day, settled a little. There had been feelings of minor expectation, shock, anger, shame, jealousy, and in the end, was it confusion? It was hard to feel so many intense, colorful emotions in just one day. ¡°Fuck¡­ What am I doing?¡± He bitterly muttered and picked up the shopping bag with his costume. When he exited the humanities college, a hot breeze hit his cheeks. He was fully aware that Chu Sangwoo didn¡¯t regard him as an object of love. The seat next to him was only open to ¡°normal¡± opponents, and he himself was merely the object of his ¡°abnormal lust.¡± It was a relationship where only Chu Sangwoo¡¯s body was involved. He thought that it was better than nothing, despite having a strange impression of an X-rated Teletubbies character. Due to Jaeyoung¡¯s nature, one easily bored with everything, his interest would cool down once he slept with Sangwoo. Anyway, he rejected the idea of it developing into something messy by trying to date. However, Jaeyoung lost control when he was walking around campus in his vampire costume and holding a sign, because he saw a certain guy and a girl taking selfies in front of a flowering tree. ¡®Sex with me but a relationship with Ryu Jihye?¡¯ He had called him hyung and persuaded him to develop a game together, he had sat next to him in the work studio and made his heart gently tremble, he had patted his head, and he had suddenly kissed him, kissed him hard. He did this despite being out of his mind telling him they couldn¡¯t date, but he still turned around and had a festival date with Ryu Jihye? ¡®Who does this bastard think he is by cursing me out for being trash?¡¯ His anger expanded and his heart started pounding hard. If Jaeyoung, having someone attend classes in lieu of himself was considered enough to fill a one liter standard plastic bag of garbage, then Chu Sangwoo¡¯s behavior alone was like a sewage treatment plant. By the time he had come to his senses, Jaeyoung had already taken one of his hoobae¡¯s masks to chase and annoy them. When he was on his way back after winning the mechanical keyboard, Jaeyoung was confused. Come to think of it, there wasn¡¯t a single reason for him to be mad. What if their relationship hadn¡¯t been defined as sex partners only? He needed to calm down about whether or not Chu Sangwoo was a garbage incinerator. While thinking that, he returned to his cool and collected self. Either way, tonight was the night. They would have sex with no strings attached, get rid of lust, and it would be the end. Have sex with no strings attached. Get rid of lust. The end. He was repeating that to himself, but the moment Sangwoo entered the tent, he collapsed. He remained there until the end of the event. He was only supposed to help out when it opened, but he had forced them to make seats available for them, so that they would stay, and he kept giving them service so they couldn¡¯t leave. The girl and the guy sitting face-to-face with each other looked good together. It was a blunt and straightforward guy and a very cute girl. It was an indifferent, but sincere guy, and a positive and amiable girl. He felt upset despite seeing that Sangwoo wasn¡¯t in the least interested in Ryu Jihye. ¡®The complex biological mechanisms of humans have evolved into a form of sexual intercourse between different genders in order to create a second generation. I think it¡¯s an inefficient method, but it¡¯s accurate that mankind has survived and flourished through paired and complex pregnancy processes.¡¯ It was because he thought that if he didn¡¯t intervene, Chu Sangwoo would feel sexual affection to the opposite gender, pair up with them, and flow into a predictable development free from any obstructions. Ryu Jihye seemed determined to get to that ending. Whenever Jaeyoung saw her, her makeup had become heavier, her clothes more colorful, and today, she wore a green dress that was ruched around her waist, patent leather shoes, and a headband with rhinestones on it. ¡®Are you Dorothy? Walking around like that?¡¯1 Even if it was excessive, she looked youthful and pretty. Jaeyoung hated Sangwoo looking at her. So that¡¯s why he was doing all of that¡­ ¡®Sung Hyuk, you didn¡¯t give table three a menu.¡¯ ¡®Oh! I¡¯ll go hand them one right away!¡¯ ¡®Hyungjin, the people at table three look bored.¡¯ ¡®Mijin, give table three some service.¡¯ ¡®Yes! I¡¯ll go there at once.¡¯ ¡®Seohyun, table three¡­¡¯ ¡®Yeeees, I¡¯ll head over right now!¡¯ ¡®Hyungjin.¡¯ ¡®Yes, going there right away!¡¯ Eventually, even if he didn¡¯t say anything, his hoobaes brought them drinks and snacks on their own. It was pathetic. It was as messy as bangs tangled by wax. Footnote: 1. Here, Jaeyoung refers to the main character of the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale. https://oz.fandom.com/wiki/The_Wizard_of_Oz_(1939) Chapter 11.2 Jaeyoung returned to the tent and packed up his belongings. He took some group photos and headed to the car after saying goodbye to his hoobaes. ¡®Why am I acting like something¡¯s disappointed me?¡¯ He stood in front of the parking lot and smoked three cigarettes in a row. Who the hell was Chu Sangwoo anyway? He had followed that bastard around and harassed him, ripped his own laptop apart in order to get a favor from him, become a slave and worked day and night, kept track of him like a stalker, and even gone out to entertainment events he had no interest in. ¡®I was doomed from the day I left my house wearing a red padded jacket, a red jersey, a red beanie, and red underwear. It¡¯s a fucking mess.¡¯ What¡¯s disappointing? Everything was disappointing. Back then, it was disappointing that Chu Sangwoo didn¡¯t know about his existence or his name. After a while, it was disappointing how that guy didn¡¯t get how cool he was. Now, it was disappointing that he didn¡¯t regard him as a romantic partner. He put the cigarette out. When he looked up at the black sky, he sighed involuntarily. He couldn¡¯t come up with an answer even if he were to ruminate forever over what he was so obsessed with when they weren¡¯t even in a position to be dating, and why he was wasting his energy. Jaeyoung put aside the half-stubbed out cigarette butt and opened the car door. As soon as he pushed himself into the car, he was mortally wounded. ¡°¡­¡± Sangwoo was sleeping with his head lying against the door. Because of that, Jaeyoung¡¯s weakness (to be honest, it would have been the case even if it weren¡¯t for this), that guy¡¯s long white neck, was exposed to the front of his field of view. His fist was clenched and he was out of breath. He had an idea in his head that Sangwoo could sue him if he were caught, but he still closed his eyes and chose to breathe. That¡¯s because no matter how urgent it was, he wasn¡¯t a barbaric beast who would attack a drunk and sleeping kid. ¡®Let¡¯s get it together.¡¯ When he opened his eyes again, he had calmed down a bit. Jaeyoung took a deep breath and looked at Sangwoo again. He extended his hand and thought of an excuse. ¡®I¡¯m just going to fasten his seatbelt. I don¡¯t have an ulterior motive.¡¯ He approached Sangwoo, extended his arms, grabbed the seatbelt, and pulled it all the way down. Sangwoo¡¯s hand was right next to the red button. His fingernails were cut short, as if he had just trimmed them the day before, and his bones were prominent. Click. He fastened the seatbelt and raised his upper body turning his head on purpose. The slightly open mouth was 10cm away. Since when had the smell of alcohol been so erotic? He got dizzy. He licked the white neck with his eyes and returned to his seat very slowly. He had gotten exhausted from fastening a seatbelt. Jaeyoung took a deep breath and started the engine. As soon as he had gotten seated, he hadn¡¯t known how to calm down the state of his goods that were ready to go. He suspected he was wearing a spring on his groin these fucking days. It seemed like all objects in the world were either male or female, so he always felt as if he had reverted back to his middle school days when he had first opened his eyes to sex. He stepped on the accelerator without looking to his right. He didn¡¯t know what was going to happen, so he headed towards Sangwoo¡¯s house, which was nearby. He randomly parked his car in front of the studio building that had no parking spots and turned off the engine. ¡°Chu Sangwoo, get up.¡± ¡®It¡¯s time to have sex, you trashy bastard.¡¯ He skipped the last part. He sat still for a few seconds while calming down and then loosened his seatbelt in a calm state. He took a deep breath and turned to his side. ¡°¡­¡± That neck was once again the problem. Jaeyoung squinted and shook Sangwoo¡¯s shoulders, but he didn¡¯t wake up. ¡°The belt¡­ I¡¯ll unfasten it.¡± He muttered as his conscience was pricked, but for no reason, because his opponent couldn¡¯t even hear him. He then wrapped his right arm around his back. His left hand extended all the way to grab the door handle. He needlessly pushed his chest forward. His nose was about to touch Sangwoo¡¯s cheek. In the darkness, his luminous skin looked pale under the moonlight. Things were just as if they were in a black-and-white movie with everything being monochromatic. Jaeyoung removed his cap and threw it onto the back seat, because he had the urge to see Sangwoo¡¯s face. The contrasting picture made his heart pound. From the shapes of the shadows his nose, eyelashes, and lips created, to the dark pattern of the window projected onto his cheeks, everything made Sangwoo the main character. Jaeyoung felt guilty as he smacked his lips, because his sleeping face looked a lot more innocent than when he had his eyes open. Chapter 11.3 ¡®What should I do with this guy?¡¯ It was a strange desire. Sangwoo had nothing in common with the people Jaeyoung had been entangled with in the past. There was not a single part of him that was attractive, and while he was quiet, he was also very stubborn. He may be an expert in several fields, but he was an imbecile when it came to dating. Jaeyoung, who had tried dating as much as he could, didn¡¯t follow his opponent around, because he didn¡¯t like him. There are so many people in the world, so he had thought that he wouldn¡¯t need to hang on to the passion that would flare up on a cool day anyway. However, why couldn¡¯t he do that with Chu Sangwoo? Just be cool, indifferent, and not clingy? At that point, Sangwoo opened his eyes. He blinked a few times as if he were sleepy and then opened his eyes to the size of a 500-won coin. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Jaeyoung quickly said. It was obvious that he wouldn¡¯t be believed if he said such a thing right before the typical and expected kiss. Sangwoo¡¯s chest rose and fell. Jaeyoung raised his hands as if he were a criminal caught trying to rob a bank and confirming he was unarmed. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. Stay calm.¡± He then slowly lowered his right arm. ¡°Look. I was just going to do this.¡± When he pushed the red button, the seatbelt that was wrapped around Sangwoo¡¯s chest loosened and retracted. Sangwoo breathed heavily with lowered eyes. Jaeyoung had to return to his seat, but he was unable to move. ¡°I¡­ have¡­ something¡­ to¡­ tell¡­ you¡­¡± The air in the car felt as hot as a sauna. No, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling. The windows were filled with steam. The inhalations and exhalations were hot and heavy. ¡°What I want to tell you¡­ ah, fuck¡­¡± ¡®Oh, he¡¯s the type to curse when he¡¯s drunk.¡¯ It was the second time he had seen him curse. Sangwoo groaned while frowning. He covered his eyes with his palm and stayed that way for a while. Shortly after, the eyes that reappeared, looked exhausted. ¡°So, what I¡¯m trying to say. Ah¡­ It¡¯s really driving me nuts.¡± ¡®You¡¯re so sexy, you fucker.¡¯ It had been a while since he had regarded him as innocent. Now, all he had to do was breathe in order for it to be an erotic movie. It was hard to hold off when it was continuously alternating between an R-rated and a G-rated scene. Jaeyoung swallowed only saliva. ¡°I¡­ I, I¡¯m¡­ Me. After studying¡­¡± ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯m not the slightest interested in what you¡¯re saying.¡¯ The only thing Jaeyoung did was observe Sangwoo¡¯s moving lips: the shape of the two lips closing after parting. ¡°The legal way¡­ (blah blah blah)¡­ paying (blah blah blah)¡­ download¡­¡± ¡®What the hell is he talking about?¡¯ ¡°Really¡­ (blah blah blah)¡­ violence (blah blah blah)¡­ office¡­¡± Finally, the audio was cut off. Only the lips were moving, but he couldn¡¯t hear any sound. The moment he turned deaf by lust, Jaeyoung lost his reason and pounced on Sangwoo. ¡°Ah!¡± It sounded like something between a scream and a moan. Jaeyoung¡¯s lips swallowed Sangwoo¡¯s voice. Sangwoo¡¯s tongue, which had hesitated for a second, soon charged forward. He had been thinking it was like a vacuum cleaner for a while now. He had merely not known how to play hard to get, so why did he become this impatient? He was pulled away exactly like that. Jaeyoung wrapped himself around Sangwoo¡¯s tongue and sucked it. Roughly. Even more roughly, he sucked his lips like someone who was running out of time. Sangwoo¡¯s fingers dug into the back of Jaeyoung¡¯s head and grabbed his hair. He wrapped his other arm around Jaeyoung¡¯s back and pulled him towards himself. These days, it was Jaeyoung who was dragged around. His left knee swung over Sangwoo¡¯s thigh. He moved the center of his weight to the passenger seat and sat with his butt on Sangwoo¡¯s lap. They kissed as he leaned over him. ¡°Gasp. Gasp¡­¡± Sangwoo pushed Jaeyoung¡¯s face away and vomited. Jaeyoung was gasping in the same way. Was he a beast or a human? He felt ashamed for a moment, but he was relieved when he saw a pair of eyes looking at him. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t feel any need to refrain as carnal desire was brightly written in Sangwoo¡¯s eyes. Even just watching was a waste of time. Before they could even catch their breath, their lips stuck together once again. He felt like biting them off and devouring them. He wanted to leave a mark on his skin and engrave his name on it. Sexual desire? Romantic feelings? He didn¡¯t feel the need to distinguish between them. Chapter 11.4 Jaeyoung put his left hand under the seat while riding on Sangwoo¡¯s thighs. When he pulled the lever, the backrest tilted back. Sangwoo¡¯s body shook and a shriek was heard. Shirt and hair were strewn all over the backrest. Sangwoo merely looked surprised, but it looked like he was intentionally seducing him from the mere fact that he was lying down under his legs. Even falling down lasted just a moment. Then, Jaeyoung tilted his upper body and stuck his chest close to Sangwoo. His twisted, almost scared expression was swept away with his palm. It looked like he was trying to draw a curve from Sangwoo¡¯s shoulder to his neck with his finger. At last, Jaeyoung¡¯s wish had come true when he rose up and bit the back of the neck in front of him. Force came into the hand Sangwoo was using to grasp onto his shoulder. ¡°Are you nuts?¡± Without answering, he rubbed his lips on the same spot. The prominent spot on the white skin looked like the center of a bullseye. He could feel Sangwoo¡¯s body retreating. He repeatedly and gently stimulated it with his tongue, then he sank his teeth in and bit him again, and licked that spot. Why was it this sweet when it was just human skin? ¡®What¡¯s so special about you?¡¯ He licked all the way from his neck to his chin. He reached his chin and kissed it a few times, and when he reached his ear, he swept the small valley with his tongue. When he bit his earlobe, a low moan escaped from Sangwoo¡¯s mouth. Jaeyoung kissed Sangwoo¡¯s lips for a long time, and wrapped the waist hidden beneath a navy blue shirt with a snake-like right hand. He knew it would feel this way. There wasn¡¯t any fat, but it wasn¡¯t scrawny either. It was slim but elastic. Jaeyoung felt entranced while sweeping across his back with both hands. His impatient hand went over his flat stomach and headed toward his chest. It touched a small bump while passing by on its way back to his neck. When he removed his lips from him, Sangwoo breathed, showing a look of torment. Without giving him the advice to breathe through his nose, Jaeyoung unbuttoned his shirt. He wasn¡¯t bad with his hands, but why were they so clumsy? The shirt had too many buttons. He almost managed to unbutton it on his third attempt, but he couldn¡¯t control his own strength, so he tore off the remaining few. Several white buttons bounced on the seat and disappeared into the dark. He thought that he would be scolded, but Sangwoo didn¡¯t mind at all. He grabbed Jaeyoung¡¯s wrist and then said, ¡°Sunbae¡­ Did you not hear what I said?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very drunk so¡­ I don¡¯t have good judgment. So, what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the issue. I can see your chest.¡± The one who had been drinking was Sangwoo, but it felt like he was the one who was drunk. Jaeyoung felt his head spin, but he put his lips on the bare skin. He sucked a lot of hot skin into his mouth and played around the hollow collarbone with his tongue. Sangwoo¡¯s thighs were shaking and the hand that was holding onto his arm was tense. The hand that was trying to push him away gripped and restrained him as it caressed him. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah, My words, why¡­ are you ignoring them?¡± It seemed like he had lost his ability to speak. He hadn¡¯t been able to understand his words at all since Sangwoo had regained consciousness earlier. Sangwoo kept trying to push Jaeyoung away, but he was weaker than usual, maybe because he had been drinking or maybe because he was excited. ¡°Why do you need words? You also talk with your body.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s mouth had at some point come down to Sangwoo¡¯s chest. One part was teased with his tongue, the other was harassed by his hand. Seeing as he grabbed and pulled his hair, he took it as if the feeling were pleasant. Whenever he teased him with his tongue, Sangwoo¡¯s body quivered. Jaeyoung tightly embraced his back as if to prevent him from escaping. There was a lot of sweat rolling down his spine. At some point, even Jaeyoung¡¯s clothes had rolled up to his neck from Sangwoo¡¯s actions. Jaeyoung removed his sweater and the t-shirt he was wearing underneath it in one go and threw them onto the back seat. While he did that, his glasses came off. Sangwoo was lying down while looking at him with slightly blurry vision. His blazing stare seemed to caress Jaeyoung¡¯s body. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It felt funny that he answered him, calling his name like he always did, especially with his chest bare and his face filled with lust. Jaeyoung¡¯s gaze moved towards Sangwoo¡¯s groin, which was standing up as if it were going to pierce through his jeans. Jaeyoung thought he would be an interesting person to undress. Black and monotonous clothes, a fair and tidy person, and¡­ ¡°Who knew there was such a black wolf in you?¡± ¡°What? Per¡­verted fucker.¡± Jaeyoung reached out to loosen and then unbuckle his belt. Chapter 11.5 ¡°Wait a second.¡± Sangwoo held Jaeyoung¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Why, I¡¯m busy here,¡± Jaeyoung replied with an annoyed voice. ¡°I¡­ Have something important to tell you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°You keep making me unable to, though.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s upper body hunched down again. He busily moved his hands, covering the noisy mouth with his own lips. He unzipped Sangwoo¡¯s pants and impatiently pulled them down. His eyes were closed, but with the touch of his hands, he could feel that he was wearing cotton boxer shorts. When Jaeyoung probed through the center, which he had never touched until this point, Sangwoo bit Jaeyoung¡¯s lips hard. The sweet face, the dreamy pair of eyes, the trembling voice, and the rough kisses he hadn¡¯t experienced up until this point became clear to him. Like Jaeyoung¡¯s member inside his pants, Sangwoo¡¯s was also hard and aching, as if demanding to poke somewhere. He had no mind to caress it softly. When he grabbed onto the already wet fabric, Sangwoo¡¯s body stiffened and he let out a groan. ¡°How did this happen, Sangwoo?¡± ¡°Topical stimulation¡­ (blah blah blah)¡­ on the corpus cavernosum of the penis¡­ (blah blah blah)¡­ the increased blood flow¡­¡± Regardless of whether he listened or not, he made a noise as he sat down. Sangwoo hadn¡¯t tried to resist him much so far, but when Jaeyoung tried to target his package, he desperately began to struggle to protect his groin. Jaeyoung had to kick, push, and remove his hand. ¡°Uh¡­ you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by ¡®can¡¯t¡¯?¡± ¡®If I could do what I wanted, I¡¯d want to turn you upside down and ram into you. But I¡¯m being considerate to you since you could get hurt in this small car.¡¯ Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s wrist and looked into his eyes. His half-opened, drowsy eyes shot a look that told him it was painful. So Jaeyoung, who was watching him, was also in pain. ¡®Fuck, been holding it in for too long.¡¯ It had been a long time since he had gotten a stomachache from just sending a signal to release it, yet not touch it. Jaeyoung unbuckled and pulled down his pants. The briefs that were closely attached to his body were in a bad condition. How much fluid had leaked to drench the front so much? He pulled down both of their underwear in one go and then stuck to Sangwoo. Their lower bodies as well as their upper bodies were attached to each other, and the two pillars were held by one hand. Sangwoo flinched and gripped Jaeyoung¡¯s hand. ¡°If it¡¯s that, then I¡¯ll go home and¡­ take care of it by myself.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s an opportunity to do it while looking at my face?¡± ¡°Anyway, I always¡­ do it that way.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to te¡­ Ah, Oh!¡± Jaeyoung began to press up and down by forcibly gripping the two poles that couldn¡¯t be held in one hand. He wanted to do it while watching his face, but he collapsed because of the strong stimulation. Jaeyoung gasped with his forehead against the back of the seat. ¡°U-uh, fu¡­ck¡­¡± He buried his face in the nape of Sangwoo¡¯s neck and began to move his hands again. Even if his sight was blocked by him closing his eyes, his senses remained alert. The rough breath hitting his ears, the impatient fingers digging into his back, the olfactory-stimulating scent with the smell of sweat, and the hot skin that touched his body, made him excited all the way to the top of his head. ¡°Ah, ah¡­ Sang¡­woo.¡± The hand motions gradually became rougher and faster. He knew himself and his own body well. However, he had never tried stimulating two at the same time. ¡°Chu Sangwoo, uh¡­ what are¡­ you doing?¡± It didn¡¯t matter. His length had become sensitive enough to respond to even the clumsiest of hands. Their respective dicks rubbed up against each other and leaked so much liquid that his hands became all wet. Jaeyoung¡¯s arm had slowly begun to hurt, but he increased his pace nonetheless. ¡°What are we¡­ doing right now?¡± Sangwoo was quiet, shaking his hips as he complained. Jaeyoung wanted to hear his voice. So he kept talking to him. ¡°Ah¡­ Uh.¡± He couldn¡¯t win against the pleasure that was dominating his head, so he pressed himself completely against Sangwoo. His fingers became increasingly nimble. One of Sangwoo¡¯s arms wrapped tightly around Jaeyoung¡¯s neck in a stranglehold. The other hand descended to cover Jaeyoung¡¯s neck, adding force. Jaeyoung turned his head and rubbed his lips on Sangwoo¡¯s neck. ¡°Who¡­ am I?¡± Drunk by the stimulation that caused his mind to blank, he barely managed to raise his upper body and put his chin on Sangwoo¡¯s chest. Sangwoo had lines forming on his chin from closing his mouth so tightly. He took one free hand and forced open the closed mouth. Chapter 11.6 ¡°Sigh! Ha, ha¡­¡± As soon as he did that, an erotic moan burst out. Jaeyoung took advantage of his confused state and put his finger in between his lips so that Sangwoo could bite it. ¡°Ah, ah¡­ Ughh, huh¡­¡± Sangwoo¡¯s voice was mixed with moisture, as if becoming tearful. If it was this much now¡­ ¡°You¡­ Uh, when you start playing the main game¡­ you cry.¡± Jaeyoung began to move his hands even faster. The single fact that Chu Sangwoo, who was on the verge of tears, was lying underneath him, made him quickly reach his peak. In his ecstatic sense, he didn¡¯t even feel the pain of Sangwoo biting his finger. ¡°Sang¡­woo. Who am I?¡± ¡°Shut¡­ up.¡± ¡°Why¡­ do you talk like that? Huh¡­ Who am¡­ I?¡± ¡°Ah, sch¡­ Jang Jaeyoung, fuck¡­ Hyung.¡± As soon as the perfect auditory stimulation had been added, his grip tightened and he squeezed his eyes shut. The moment the train with the broken engine ran downhill and floated in the air, Jaeyoung felt like he was in a weightless state. The senses that had accumulated like crazy exploded with a bang and the darkness behind his eyelids became embroidered red with the color of carnal desire. Sangwoo, who was biting Jaeyoung¡¯s finger to the point where it seemed like it would break, shook his shoulders and groaned. The two pillars enclosed within one tight grasping hand released the results. Jaeyoung fell over Sangwoo¡¯s body and gasped. The dizzying feeling was as vivid as the high he felt after his first orgasm as he held his ejaculating cock. He felt numb all over. ¡°Aaah¡­ aaah, aaah¡­¡± The pleasure that made his hair stand on end slowly dissipated and a pleasant drowsiness came over him. His hand was still covered with semen, when he tried to hug Sangwoo¡¯s quivering shoulders. ¡°I had no idea you were such a¡­ pervert.¡± ¡°¡­ look who¡¯s talking.¡± He barely lifted his body and stroked Sangwoo¡¯s cheeks with his dirty hands. He wiped the tears off the corners of his eyes with the back of his hands. He pulled his forehead toward himself and grazed his lips on it. The brief lull had passed. The two had their chests against each other while breathing heavily, but nothing had been solved. The pressure he felt against his lower abdomen informed him that Sangwoo, like himself, hadn¡¯t been able to relieve his sexual desire. The cramped car felt stuffy. When he raised his upper body, their skinship ended, leaving only a sticky feeling. Sangwoo covered his face with his arms and closed his eyes as if he had done something bad. ¡°I can¡¯t since it¡¯s filthy,¡± Jaeyoung said while pulling his underwear up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At your place¡­ I need to take a shower with you.¡± Sangwoo remained silent for a while, with his eyes covered still. ¡°Do you mean that we¡¯re going to go inside and have sex?¡± He had become rather quick-witted these days. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± He had felt a bit strange since earlier. He understood that there was a sense of rejection, but it didn¡¯t seem to be just that. However, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t have time to be considerate of Sangwoo then, because he was ambitious. It was the same now. His immature cock was in the same state as before, even after discharging once. ¡°First¡­ get off me. I have something to tell you, but I can¡¯t do it like this.¡± He said so with his clothes undone, his hair covered in sweat, his cheeks covered in semen, and his manhood standing upright. Jaeyoung, who was staring down at Sangwoo, noisily returned to the driver¡¯s seat. He adjusted his pants and opened the console and stuffed the condom he had prepared for today into his pocket. He hadn¡¯t put it on, because he thought he¡¯d take it off again anyway. In the brief moment he had taken his eyes off him, Sangwoo had gotten out of the car and had begun to walk quickly toward the building. Why did it look like he was escaping? Jaeyoung rushed out of the car and chased him down. Running away was like slapping him in the face. That¡¯s because Sangwoo was flying up the stairs in his unbuttoned shirt, skipping two steps at a time. Jaeyoung caught up to Sangwoo on the third floor after a short chase. He recklessly hugged his back from behind, turning him around. ¡°Why are you running away?¡± The stairs to his dark apartment and the lights of the street lamps passed through the window and reflected onto Sangwoo¡¯s eyes. His eyes, which were void of emotion at first, soon harbored hatred and irritation, but after a vague sense of camaraderie, they now contained something hot. However, beyond that, Jaeyoung saw embarrassment. Why? Why did he look so bothered the moment he wore a cap even if he was enjoying things to his heart¡¯s content? There was something he had wanted to tell him. It seemed like he had ignored him too much. However, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t want to hear anything. He put force into the arm that was wrapped around Sangwoo¡¯s waist. Chapter 11.7 ¡®There¡¯s a better method, so why do you need to talk?¡¯ He was prepared to fully express the feelings that were pumping through his veins, infesting his heart, running all through his body. He hugged Sangwoo¡¯s upper body and pulled him towards himself, closed his eyes, and buried his lips into his nape. His hands swept down his firm back and his lips slipped over his shoulders. Sangwoo¡¯s body was as hot as a person suffering from fever. Jaeyoung¡¯s fingers moved from his back to his waist. As his fingers climbed up his side, he felt each rib one at a time, and tickled his armpit. Then, as he made his way down his sleeve, he moved down the muscles of the lean arm, found his hand, and interlocked it with his own. As soon as he opened his eyes, his chest was pushed back by a strong force. After being forced two steps back, his back touched the cold wall. The brute, who was very near him, frowned because he was bothered. ¡°You keep¡­ stopping me from talking.¡± The distance between their lips was less than a handspan. In addition to the smell of alcohol, it was clear that Sangwoo was emitting pheromones that enticed Jaeyoung. There was no explanation for his excitement otherwise. ¡°Why¡­ you keep seducing me, putting me in a tough spot.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s forehead touched Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead. Jaeyoung¡¯s vision darkened as Sangwoo covered his eyes with his palm. His heart pounded so hard, it was as if it were going to explode. Soon, Sangwoo¡¯s lips grazed his neck. Perhaps it was because he felt the pressure to act in the same way, but he bit his neck like Jaeyoung had. The hot tongue tickled his ribs. Despite his clumsy caressing, Jaeyoung became confused. The quiet staircase in the building was filled with just sounds of licking. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t hold back for long, and he tightly held Sangwoo in his arms. He pushed him up the stairs and found less than a pyeong1 of flat ground and pushed him against the wall. Sangwoo grabbed Jaeyoung¡¯s wrist then and pushed him into a corner. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡± Without a word, Sangwoo began to lick from the spot he had stopped at earlier. He restrained Jaeyong¡¯s hands behind his back, perhaps because he was afraid he would escape. Jaeyoung let Sangwoo do as he wished, but it was hard for him to remain still. His body kept moving, because he wanted to completely strip Sangwoo, lay him down, and become one with him, so he was about to turn around. His hair was prickling from him imagining how tight he would be inside, how active he would be, and what kind of groans he would let him hear. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first.¡± Jaeyoung had suddenly begun to climb the stairs with long strides while groping Sangwoo¡¯s ass and pulling him by the wrist. Why did the time it took to open the door lock feel like it had lasted for so long? Jaeyoung was thinking that he couldn¡¯t stand it. He might have been more delayed because he touched Sangwoo¡¯s chest and bit his ear from behind. Sangwoo opened the door only after getting the password wrong three times. As soon as Jaeyoung entered the dark space, he wrapped around Sangwoo¡¯s body and pushed him back. He found the bed through the silhouette, pushed him down, and immediately climbed on top. He was trying to kiss him, but Sangwoo dodged to the side to avoid him and pushed Jaeyoung away. ¡°I need¡­ time to prepare.¡± Jaeyoung ignored his words, grabbed his chin, made him look at him, and gave him a kiss. Sangwoo struggled to push Jaeyoung¡¯s face away. ¡°I said I need time to prepare¡­ Ah, sunbae¡­ Please, just¡­¡± Jaeyoung unbuckled Sangwoo¡¯s pants and pulled them down. That¡¯s when Sangwoo sat up and shouted angrily, ¡°Please! Stop and give me some time to prepare.¡± While being surprised by this unexpected development, Jaeyoung heard the door being forcefully slammed shut. He turned around and stared at the door he believed was the entrance to the bathroom. Dumbstruck, he stood up and approached the door. Knock knock. He knocked and put his ear on the door, but he couldn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Just a minute, just give me a minute.¡± He then heard the sound of water. It didn¡¯t sound like a shower, but more like washing his face in the sink. Jaeyoung absentmindedly sat down on the floor while leaning against the wall for a while. When his overwhelming excitement subsided a bit, he stood up with the idea of getting a drink of water or something, so he fumbled over the wall to find the light switch. With the light on in the apartment, he saw that the bedroom and kitchen were separate structures. It was as clean as a new house and it had little furniture, so it felt empty. Footnote: Chapter 11.8 There was nothing in the room except a bed, two desks, a bookshelf, a clothing rack, and a small drawer. There was a gas stove, shelves, and a small refrigerator in the kitchen. The refrigerator he opened had seven canned coffees, a few eggs, a box of milk, and two bottles of water. He grabbed a bottle of water, drinking it as he went back into the bedroom. There wasn¡¯t any suitable place to sit so he sat his butt on the bed. The white sheet was neatly covered with an indigo-colored comforter as if it had been angled that way. ¡®He sleeps here every day.¡¯ He felt blood rushing to that place again. Jaeyoung turned his gaze to another place. In the bookshelf, there was only a large programming book and no ordinary novels. It was the most boring bookshelf he had ever seen. A coat and a jacket were hung at the top of the two-tier clothing rack and pants at the bottom. All in all, there were six tops and two pairs of pants. All the clothing items were familiar to him, and there was nothing he was seeing for the first time. He had a feeling that there was some sort of rule to the dress code seeing as there seemed to be a fixed order. There were two desks. One seemed to be used just for studying, as it only had a desk lamp on it, and the other, much larger office desk, had a huge monitor setup on it. He could tell at a glance that the UHD dual TV monitor, which was over 40 inches, was covered with a transparent case, and was made with high-end parts. There was an expensive brand of a mechanical keyboard, a gaming mouse, and a speaker. ¡®I see he does 300.¡¯ The set of monitors on that desk looked more expensive than the rest of the things in the apartment combined. Jaeyoung silently laughed, thinking that the gap between the clothing rack and the computer was truly very Sangwoo. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae.¡± Then, the moment he heard his voice, he bounced up like a spring and ran to the front of the bathroom. ¡°Yeah, what? Are you ok? Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I sobered up a bit,¡± Sangwoo calmly said. Why did he have an ominous feeling? It couldn¡¯t be that he¡¯d reject him when they¡¯d come this far. Jaeyoung clenched his fists with anxiety. He waited for a bit, then he heard a voice behind the door. ¡°I was going to try my best, but¡­. But¡­ I even studied a lot, but¡­. I have no confidence at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please leave.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jaeyoung immediately became crestfallen and hung his head. He understood the burden of having a relationship with a man. In addition, he knew it would be much more severe due to Chu Sangwoo¡¯s nature. However, until just a moment ago, he had just been baffled to see him come out like that after sticking to him and after enjoying everything they had done together. After thinking and stopping what he was going to say several times, Jaeyoung opened his mouth. ¡°Was I the one who opened the door and came inside? It was a mutual agreement.¡± His voice sounded cold even to himself. The response came after a moment of hesitation. ¡°I thought you¡¯d get angry. But, I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do it like they do it in the videos. That¡¯s all.¡± Sangwoo conclusively notified him that his expectations had turned into a piece of tissue. Jaeyoung¡¯s breath got rougher. His heart, which seemed to have been bursting with pleasure up until just a moment ago, was now burning with red hot anger. ¡°Are you saying that you won¡¯t see me at all anymore? Even with the game and everything?¡± ¡° Yes. I must have been crazy. Please leave.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you crazy?¡± He was angry all the way to the top of his head, so he screamed at him. Even though Sangwoo was doing well, he screwed over Jaeyoung like this every once in a while. Whenever that happened, Jaeyoung had never been swayed by it. ¡°Why are you so inconsiderate?¡± ¡°I told you to leave.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hide and then come out, you fucking bastard. If you¡¯re going to say something like that, look me in the eyes and tell me directly.¡± He didn¡¯t respond. What the hell was Chu Sangwoo¡¯s problem? As soon as he would forget, something would always revert back and appear, and this was the worst of all of them. Jaeyoung cursed at the door. He felt shabby because he seemed like a guy who was sulky because he couldn¡¯t have sex, but he was too beside himself to save face. He didn¡¯t feel any better after letting it all out. Sangwoo remained silent for a while. Then there was a banging sound of a fist pounding on the door. ¡°It¡¯s easy for you, sunbae, isn¡¯t it? Since it¡¯s fine as long as you stay still!¡± Chapter 11.9 ¡°What does that mean? I can¡¯t go on like this so convince me. Or I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± ¡°If you leave? You¡¯ll just distract me again, cloud my judgment by kissing me¡­ and touch me¡­!¡± ¡°If your judgment gets clouded, then stay that way for a while. Don¡¯t try to pull yourself together!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Nothing is working out because of you, sunbae!¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you getting what I¡¯m saying?!¡± Jaeyoung yelled out, while hitting the back of his head on the door. Then he slipped down. Perhaps it was foolish to do anything with this guy. He kept walking on the familiar path and didn¡¯t take a single step towards a strange one. He was a coward who only did things he was used to. ¡°Live that way for the rest of your life. Just do what you always do, wear what you always wear, eat what you always eat, and don¡¯t even stray one bit from your perfect plans.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lived well that way, until you intervened, sunbae.¡± This time as well, he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, and everything was Jaeyoung¡¯s fault. Jaeyoung¡¯s head was pounding. His head hurt even more since it was true that he had been intervening in his life and confused him. However, it wasn¡¯t that much of a one-sided relationship. If Jaeyoung had ruined Sangwoo¡¯s daily life, the opposite was also true. Jaeyoung paying attention to Sangwoo, his time and effort in producing the game and being influenced by him, had interfered with his daily life as well. That bastard couldn¡¯t perceive the fact that it was mutual at all, though. All he saw was a perpetrator and a victim. All he wanted was to consider his own daily life. Jaeyoung couldn¡¯t stand this because it made him feel bad. ¡°Come out so we can talk, you asshole.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Come out while I¡¯m being nice.¡± ¡°Just get out of here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t provoke me. If you don¡¯t come out in 10 seconds, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Bad bastard, if you as much as¡­¡± ¡°If I as much as, what? Do you think I won¡¯t be able to break down the door?¡± ¡°Try it. We¡¯ll see if you¡¯ll be this confident at the police station.¡± No matter how he looked at it, it was as if Chu Sangwoo had been placed on this Earth to enrage him. Jaeyoung looked around the room with an irritated glance and said, ¡°the computer looks expensive.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t check the computer!¡± Sangwoo quickly responded. ¡°10.¡± ¡°Ah¡­. I already refused to, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Eight. It¡¯s already too late. You should¡¯ve told me before I came inside.¡± ¡°My judgment was clouded. I drank a lot since you kept giving me free drinks, sunbae.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hear you. Seven.¡± ¡°No one can force unwanted sex.¡± ¡°Five. Just come outside for now. I¡¯m going to talk to the one that¡¯s in your underwear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already retreating now, you know.¡± ¡°Three seconds left.¡± ¡°Ah, really¡­ I want to kill you.¡± Despite what he was saying, he was still a naive guy. The door flew open before the time was up. Jaeyoung, who had been dodging it in advance, sat against the wall and looked up at Sangwoo, whose face had turned red from rage. Three buttons from the top were barely fastened, but no others below them were, so the shirt was fluttering. He looked funny, but with a serious face he said, ¡°I¡¯m being serious. I¡¯m so stressed out because of you, sunbae, that I might get in big trouble if this keeps going.¡± ¡®What the hell is wrong with this bastard?¡¯ Jaeyoung looked into his eyes and didn¡¯t move for a while. He was taken aback since he, after cold-heartedly pushing him away, had been so bold by coming to the restaurant and telling him he had something to tell him. The same was true when he calmly declared that he¡¯d agree to become sex partners. That¡¯s why he thought that he clearly would experience the same thing again. He was the type who tended to push ahead as long as you convinced him. So why did he suddenly behave this way? ¡°Explain it properly. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a person as well. I¡¯m not an NPC.¡±1 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It means that it is something that isn¡¯t very simple to explain.¡± Sangwoo, who had been staring at the floor with an agonized look, raised his gaze while saying that. ¡°Sim¡­ple?¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t it? You tried to instantly do it as if you were exiting a website. Do you think human relationships are that simple?¡± ¡°Everything is easy for you, sunbae, isn¡¯t it?! So adept, as if it were nothing¡­While not knowing what kind of state I¡¯m in, you fucking thug.¡± Footnote: 1 In a game, an NPC is a non-player character. Chapter 11.10 ¡°Then properly tell me what kind of state you¡¯re in. Because I¡¯ve only seen you die of enjoyment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to tell you for a while, but my mind kept blanking and I started feeling weird¡­¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t that enough? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I told you not to speak so carelessly!¡± Sangwoo screamed. Jaeyoung flinched as he slightly took a step back. His force was so strong that he thought he would hit someone at this rate. The staring game continued for a while. Sangwoo looked really angry. The look in his lifted gaze was so sharp, that if it were to actually touch him, it would pierce right through him. How long had they been doing that? Sangwoo¡¯s expression gradually became distorted as his dark eyes filled up with moisture. He had a bad feeling. ¡°Sangwoo?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s legs moved on their own as they raised themselves. When they were at eye level, he could definitely see tears in his eyes. Trembling facial muscles. His lip-biting. Jaeyoung unconsciously reached for his cheek, but was obviously blocked. ¡°Are you¡­ crying?¡± Sangwoo calmly stared at Jaeyoung and then turned away. As soon as Jaeyoung grabbed his arm, he aggressively shook it off and made him take a step back. He was about to enter the bathroom again, so he rushed in and put his hand between the door gap. When Sangwoo failed to shut the door, he escaped to a corner of the narrow bathroom. He covered his face with his palm and hit his forehead against the wall. It wasn¡¯t just to the point that he was a little teary-eyed. Tears were pouring down his cheeks. ¡®Ah¡­ that¡¯s cheating.¡¯ Jaeyoung immediately lost his fighting spirit. The thorns that filled his heart for the purpose of defending himself were torn off. The sharp words he was going to attack Sangwoo with snapped and weakened. Wasn¡¯t it too much to cry while arguing? In a terrible mood, Jaeyoung left Sangwoo alone for a while. In the quiet space, only uneven breathing rang out loudly. How much time had passed since he turned on the water and washed his face? ¡°Have you calmed down a bit?¡± Fortunately, Sangwoo¡¯s pugnacity seemed to have been dampened as well. He walked past Jaeyoung and headed to bed, wrapped himself in the blanket from his neck to ankle, put his back against the corner of the bed, and squatted down. It was a defensive posture with only his eyes exposed and blankets wrapped around him like a cocoon. While clicking his tongue, Jaeyoung pulled some pieces of tissue from the desk and placed it by Sangwoo¡¯s feet. He sat as far away from him as possible, at the end of the bed. Time passed like that. Sangwoo suddenly began to speak. ¡°You don¡¯t know, sunbae.¡± ¡°No matter how hard I try to solve it by myself, I can¡¯t¡­ It just keeps standing up, making me lose my mind.¡± Jaeyoung decided to listen to Sangwoo rather than interrupting him with words such as ¡®me too.¡¯ ¡°All I think about is mating. I¡¯m not really living these days. You might think it¡¯s easy, sunbae, but for me¡­¡± In detail, Sangwoo explained how difficult it was for him, and how damaged he was by Jaeyoung. It was a bit frightening when he said he¡¯d rather get chemically castrated, but Jaeyoung didn¡¯t interrupt, and just quietly listened. However, the more he listened, rather than sympathizing with his situation, the more he was filled with doubt. He didn¡¯t know what to say. If he told him that it was normal, or human instinct, and that others generally went through such hardships, would he believe him? Jaeyoung carefully chose what he was going to say. Chu Sangwoo tended to accept others¡¯ words selectively and technically, so he had to pay special attention to his speech. ¡°Are you perhaps¡­ pitying me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are you making a fuss? Like an elementary school student that has never had an erection before.¡± Fail. At this point, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t have enough time to skip the nonsense. Sangwoo sniffled. His hand escaped from under the blanket and picked up a tissue. His neck reemerged and he blew his nose. ¡°Until now, I¡¯ve been living while controlling my sexual desire. This means that I¡¯ve never felt uncomfortable even while I¡¯ve felt sexual impulses. This is all because you¡¯re weird, sunbae.¡± ¡°I¡¯m weird?¡± ¡°You look so sexy¡­ If I put all my thoughts into action while looking at you sunbae, I¡¯d have to be imprisoned for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. What faults have you done, sunbae? Being pretty isn¡¯t a crime. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a lewd piece of trash. Why did you have to make me this way, why? Everything¡¯s ruined. It¡¯s because of you, sunbae.¡± Chapter 11.11 ¡®Are you trying to seduce me or are you reproaching me?¡¯ After doing this and that, he went back and forth as usual. Jaeyoung belatedly got the gist of what Sangwoo was trying to say. In other words, what to others was known as a waning ¡®desire,¡¯ only caused a strong reaction in him. It was exciting enough material to make a movie out of, but it was just used as a boorish confession. What were all the erotic movie directors doing not recruiting Chu Sangwoo? ¡°So try it once with me. You don¡¯t know what it¡¯ll be like.¡± It was the last-ditch effort of a desperate man who had failed to abandon his wild instincts. The kid was sniffling in front of him and he was trying to touch him in any way he could. Sangwoo shook his head with a tired face. ¡°How could I do such a thing to you, sunbae? No matter how horny I am, I can¡¯t do something that harmful¡­ I really can¡¯t. Moreover¡­ in the defecating organ¡­ I don¡¯t have the confidence to insert it there. You seem to have high expectations. I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He was a self-centered guy no matter how he looked at it. He didn¡¯t even consider the fact that his partner was a man, and he was 100% sure he would be the one to put it in since he was a guy. A sigh escaped on its own. Chu Sangwoo. The lack of social awareness and sympathy were so extreme that it couldn¡¯t be explained by mere words. He was one of a kind. Had he lived a rigid life for 25 years without establishing deep human relationships with people around him? ¡®It¡¯s tiring, so tiring.¡¯ The emotional exhaustion Jaeyoung felt was too great to try to sleep with him once. He didn¡¯t know how many times he had ridden a roller coaster because of that guy. ¡®Fuck, it¡¯s an unprofitable business.¡¯ Jaeyoung covered his eyes with his palm and sat down for a long time. ¡°First of all, I understand what you¡¯re saying. Let¡¯s sleep and talk tomorrow since neither one of us are in their right state of mind right now. You also need to sober up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to respond?¡± Jaeyoung, who looked back while thinking ¡®this bastard¡¯s getting angry again,¡¯ stopped talking. Sangwoo had fallen asleep while leaning his head against the wall. ¡°You piece of shit!¡± His sleeping face looked so innocent that his anger flared up even more. He clenched his fist, but there was nowhere to swing it, so Jaeyoung just turned his head away. He was sitting hunched over and was lost in thought. It was gradually approaching the time to decide what to do in the future. If he thought they would break up after this slump, it would be better to end the game now. He had already worked like a slave and created a large framework, but the prototype would soon increase his workload. ¡°Fuck¡­ what¡¯s so complicated?¡± If you¡¯re attracted, proceed. If you¡¯re not, stop. Simple rules had broken down. Work, sexual desire, and dating represented the vertices of a triangle now tormenting him. Perhaps quitting this was the wisest choice, as Sangwoo had said. Jaeyoung got up with a sigh and briefly washed his hands and his face in the bathroom. When he came out, he noticed the most significant presence in the place: the computer. ¡®No! You can¡¯t check the computer.¡± If someone tells you not to, it¡¯s natural to want to do it even more. Before he left Sangwoo¡¯s place, Jaeyoung approached the transparent case and pressed the power button. Even if he only wore black clothes, the LED light strip emitted rainbow colors from the top of the monitor. The computer seemed to be fully specced-out, seeing as it started up in an instant. Since it was a personal computer that he used by himself, he hadn¡¯t set up a password, and the black-and-white background wallpaper of a grid pattern immediately appeared. A chessboard seemed to be spread out on a wide dual screen. There were only three icons. My Computer, Recycle Bin, and¡­ ¡®Huh?¡¯ Jaeyoung moved his head close to the screen because he thought he had seen it wrong, but there was a folder that clearly said ¡®Jang Jaeyoung.¡¯ He had no idea what the hell could be in it. Was it a folder that stored his weaknesses? Was it a collection of documents in preparation for a lawsuit? Jaeyoung double-clicked on the folder with anxiety. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The folder was full of pictures of Jaeyoung. Dozens of photos and more than ten videos had been saved. There were even pictures from high school that he didn¡¯t remember taking to recent uploads on his social media. They were arranged according to the year and date of the picture, location, and source. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you use me to get off, you fucking perv.¡± The ¡®Other¡¯ folder was even more spectacular. Jaeyoung¡¯s favorite things, styles, athletes, and hobbies had been carefully organized into a document. The fact that the latest update of the YouTube playlist was ¡®today¡¯ meant that he had checked it in the morning. It was an absurd situation, like a scene from a sitcom, but from the bottom of his heart, a temperature between hot and warm was gradually spreading. His heart was pounding, and it was tingling from beneath his skin. A smirking laughter escaped. ¡®Chu Sangwoo¡­ are you sure this is just a simple desire?¡¯ He exited the Jang Jaeyoung folder and explored Sangwoo¡¯s computer more. Like a person who wants to be a game producer, he had all the recently released games laid out. Not just online games, but also bundle games that were making headlines. While opening this and that, the mouse cursor got to the download folder. He suddenly remembered that Sangwoo had told him in the car that he had paid for a video that he would study. Like he had said, there were five video files downloaded two days ago in the folder. Jaeyoung frowned at the title. ¡®Object, fetish, and dildo are fine, but¡­ incest, gang bang, torture, bondage?¡¯ He double-clicked and played the videos one after another. In the first video, there was a scene where two men in lab coats were conducting an experiment on a blind-folded and naked man. The video started by dripping candle wax onto the thing and stimulating it with a vibrator, and ultimately ended by causing him severe body damage. The second video started with a scene of a huge object being inserted into a very thin little person as soon as it turned on. It would¡¯ve been fine if it had stopped there, but later, the other party had become so tortured that he was unable to open his eyes and blood finally appeared. The third video was of gang rape. The fourth was on gang bangs. The fifth one was so extremely violent that he didn¡¯t have words for it. The characters in the video were screaming in agony (although it was obvious that they were acting). ¡®So that¡¯s how it was.¡¯ It was more than obvious what Sangwoo, who had faith in manuals, thought after watching the material in the five videos. Considering his personality, he must have downloaded the TOP 5 videos, and they must have been on a site that only did hardcore. Jaeyoung sat still for five minutes. Sangwoo insisted on telling him he had something to say, that he had to prepare, and that he really couldn¡¯t go through with it, even though it looked like he wanted things to make sense now. His thoughts had been sorted out when he found out about the whole truth of why he was refused. Each person had their own pace. If you try to sail too fast, the ship could capsize. He thought that he sort of knew what to do now, and that it wasn¡¯t all too late. Jaeyoung deleted all the videos and got up from his seat. He approached the bed and the sleeping Sangwoo. He thought that he was sleeping in spite of being uncomfortable, so he loosened the meticulously wound blanket around his body and laid it out on the bed. After covering him with the blanket, he squatted in front of him and looked down at his face. When he was awake, he was brusque or fiercely defiant, but his sleeping face couldn¡¯t be any more peaceful than this. ¡°Hey, psycho.¡± He didn¡¯t get a response. ¡°I enjoyed your wasting time shoveling nonsense today,¡± Jaeyoung continued regardless. ¡°I gave up thinking about giving up, just know that.¡± It was strange that something so insane only looked pretty to him. ¡°What we did today¡­¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s hand caressed Sangwoo¡¯s cheek. His thumb slipped over the cheekbone. ¡°We¡¯re gonna do it later, so remember the feeling well.¡± Jaeyoung was going to be cool and leave like that, but he couldn¡¯t stand it and kissed his forehead. Even after that, he wasn¡¯t able to let go of his lingering feelings, and he whispered in Sangwoo¡¯s ear before he got up. ¡°Dream about me today, no matter what.¡± T/N: Some of you may notice that this chapter is twice as long as usual and that¡¯s because we¡¯ve decided to increase the chapter length. We¡¯ve received your feedback on how you rather have longer chapters and a slower release schedule, so the chapters will be 2x longer than before, but we will only release once a week. Chapter 12.1 Chapter 5 ¨C < 111 > Memory. Sangwoo was frequently puzzled by his memory. When all similar-looking boys were gathered in middle school and in high school, he had given up trying to distinguish them at all, and it may have been impossible to get through a regular military life if everyone didn¡¯t have their names embroidered on their uniforms. The first time he recalls having difficulties with his memory dates back to when he was seven years old. Sangwoo, who had gone to his relative¡¯s house for Chinese New Year, had made his five-year old cousin cry while playing together. ¡®Don¡¯t make fun of my mom¡¯s name, you bad¡­ bad boy!¡¯ ¡®I wasn¡¯t making fun of it, though.¡¯ His cousin had run to his parents in tears and tattled that Sangwoo had insulted his aunt. He had said his aunt¡¯s name meant ¡®to dance¡¯ in front of the adults, who had asked to hear the entire story, and it was the first time Sangwoo had seen his father angry. His father had apologized to Sangwoo on their way home, saying that he was sorry for being scary, but complained that he shouldn¡¯t change and make fun of people¡¯s names. When Sangwoo told him that he didn¡¯t intend to tease his aunt, that he had just talked about her name, his older sister mocked him for being an idiot for not even knowing their aunt¡¯s name. When she had asked what the names of their relatives, from their grandmother to their cousins, were one by one, Sangwoo had sincerely answered, but out of 21, he had gotten 18 answers wrong. His father had sighed while his mother had stayed silent, and then said that she wanted to check Sangwoo¡¯s IQ. Sangwoo had gone to a large general hospital with his parents the following week. A doctor in a white gown had told Sangwoo that he didn¡¯t need to be scared, and that they should play various fun games. Contrary to her words, however, she had forced him to draw more than five pictures and continued to ask him useless questions. ¡®Wooooooow, this is really fun, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®No. I want to go home.¡¯ Lastly, he had played a game where he had to memorize numbers and solve figure problems on a sheet of paper. That was the only part that he enjoyed. He later found out that the activities in fact were 13 in-depth tests, including a memory assessment test, MMPI, a psychiatric diagnosis test, an intelligence test, and a social relationship ability test.1 When Sangwoo was 13 and had a quarrel over a similar incident at school, he had gotten called a ¡®moronic bastard,¡¯ so his mother had shown him the assessment documents and explained the results.2 ¡®There were no findings of your frontal lobe being damaged, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡¯ ¡®The suspected symptom of prosopagnosia (face blindness) is due to a lack of relationship attachment, and they say it¡¯s selective memory loss, not a problem with his cognitive intelligence. I didn¡¯t tell you about it because I was afraid you¡¯d get cocky, but the memory assessment came up with an ultra-high result, in the genius range.¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, did I?¡¯ ¡®Of course not. Normally, the human brain disposes of unnecessary information. Your brain has a slightly different priority than other brains, so it works more efficiently.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a relief that I¡¯m not a moronic bastard.¡¯ ¡®¡­ That¡¯s not the type of word to use for it. And the doctor said she was worried because your emotions are extremely stable, but I don¡¯t know what the problem is with that. Apart from that, you have moderate OCD, so take that into consideration.¡¯ ¡®Is it really detrimental?¡¯ ¡®No. It¡¯s not really a disability, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about. I have the same symptoms, but aren¡¯t I living well without discomfort?¡¯ Selective memory loss. The technique of erasing useless memories and only leaving what¡¯s necessary. It was definitely an ability he needed at this moment, but strangely, his brain didn¡¯t work as usual. The memory of the precious day was horrifyingly vivid. Even if he had been mentally and physically weak after drinking alcohol, the time after he got into Jaeyoung¡¯s car remained as clear as a video shot with a high-definition camera. It wasn¡¯t just seeing and hearing it. It was also the smell, the touch, the tastes. He could recall every part of it, what Jaeyoung¡¯s skin had tasted like, how much he had tensed his shoulders, and how hot it had been in the car. The smell of oil on his sweaty forehead, the feeling of how his heart had dropped when the seat fell backwards, the sound of short breaths, the rough moans that leaked out of Jaeyoung¡¯s mouth, the sweet whispers in his ears, Jaeyoung¡¯s spitting on the ground with an frustrated look on his face, and all the words that poured out. Apart from the moment right before and after he came by Jaeyoung¡¯s hand, Sangwoo remembered everything else in too much detail. ¡®Mom, I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ Sangwoo got out of bed while muttering weakly. While he had mindlessly laid idle, it had become time for lunch. After taking a shower, he grabbed instant rice and curry from the shelf and cooked them. He finished washing the dishes and sat down in front of the computer. Now that the project had collapsed, it had become meaningless to work on it until he found another designer. Despite that, however, he didn¡¯t feel like gaming at all. Sangwoo, who was just sitting still without turning the computer on, saw that the desktop light was blinking. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± He had a habit of turning off the computer when he wasn¡¯t using it in order to save electricity, so the computer couldn¡¯t have been left on for more than an hour. When he moved the mouse, the screen brightened. Sangwoo opened a few folders with games in them and the download folder, and he discovered that the audiovisual material had disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± His hands got busy. He wanted to double-check that he hadn¡¯t deleted them by mistake, but they weren¡¯t in the trash folder either. When he checked the access details in the log, there was a record of them being deleted at 00:55:21 a.m. ¡°Jang Jaeyoung!¡± Sangwoo gave out a horrible shriek while violently tugging his hair. It didn¡¯t matter since the videos were going to be deleted anyway, but there was no way he hadn¡¯t seen that folder that was visibly on the desktop. What did he think when he saw all the information that Sangwoo had found on the web and archived? Sangwoo couldn¡¯t get over his shame, so he permanently deleted the entire Jang Jaeyoung folder. His hands were shaking and his face was burning. Since he lived honorably, he had lived a life without disgrace. Except that recently, all feelings were unfamiliar to him. Sangwoo felt as lonely as if he were drifting in the middle of the vast ocean. ¡®Sangwoo? Are you¡­ crying?¡¯ Just yesterday he had teared up because of what had happened. It was a memory that he wanted to delete like he could with a folder. The last time Sangwoo had cried was during CBR training. The time before that was when he had caught a mosquito with his sister¡¯s magazine and that monster then had gotten revenge since he had stained it. She had bought buldalk and lied to him that it wasn¡¯t spicy at all, so he had put it all in his mouth and eaten it, then shed physiological tears.3 Sangwoo had always thought that people cried too easily. For example, on the last day of a retreat, the children had gathered and were holding candles, and they had artificially stimulated the mood by playing calm music. Among the people who were crying like a faucet, it was Sangwoo who had always had vacant eyes. ¡®Hey dude, why are you the only one not crying?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not sad.¡¯ Even when he watched movies that were called sad, he hadn¡¯t felt anything. No matter how tragic it was, it was still just the narrative of a character in the movie, so it didn¡¯t affect Sangwoo. To him, crying was only an action that appeared when foreign substances entered his eyeballs, but this time he had learned something. He cried when things were unfair and his frustrated heart became extremely severe. No matter how hard he tried, it didn¡¯t stop and it kept pouring down. Sangwoo, who had been sitting for a while, wanted to cry again. He didn¡¯t know that his ability to handle stress was this low. His life was a mess without anything going the way he wanted it to. He had thought that the most difficult time was when Jang Jaeyoung was wearing the red-padded jacket, but when he regarded what had happened recently, he thought that those days had been rather peaceful. Sangwoo, who was in a much more tormented state right now than then, was confident that he could laugh at such harassment now. Because, without overcoming his lust, how could he think of an inappropriate relationship with someone? Also, because, he thought of releasing that sexual desire in a most violent way. It must be written on something, he thought. In other words, after trying to do something that he shouldn¡¯t do, he suffered from the hardships of life as he tried to bite off more than he could chew. The ill-fated relationship that had started because of a group project had to end here. Although a small error might have developed into an error that dominated the entire program, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t catch the semantic error that was called Jang Jaeyoung, no matter how hard he tried. It was better and fortunate enough to just quit here. Before it got even worse, before it hurt even more. If he were removed from his life, his state would be at its worst, but he believed that it was in return from making all the wrong decisions. ¡°I want to go home.¡± For the first time in his life, Sangwoo strongly felt homesick. It was a fortress where everything went as planned by his mother and where everything had its place, where no threat could harm him. Perhaps the idea of being independent and living well by himself was conceited. Returning was the logical thing to do, because as he got to know the world here, it turned out to be full of raging waves, and in his trial, the pirate ship that brought about the cannons had wrecked Sangwoo¡¯s ship. Sangwoo slowly collapsed as he pushed away the keyboard. Just before the wreck, a ridiculous thought came to mind in his distressed state. Footnotes: Chapter 12.2 ¡®Him dressed up as a pirate¡­ I¡¯d like to see it.¡¯ Seeing as his endorphins were spreading in that situation made him an official lunatic. He had to go and see the doctor again to check if there was anything wrong with his brain. Sangwoo opened the Internet browser by moving the idle mouse. He visited Jaeyoung¡¯s social media that he had bookmarked, but the latest post was still the photo he had taken with Sangwoo during their Chinese skit. After a few clicks and searches, photos posted by strangers appeared. Search, click, click, screenshot. Search, click, screenshot. Click, search, screenshot. Click, search, screenshot. #HangukUniversityFestival #FestivalContest #GhostBar #HangukUniversityTheaterClub A pale-faced smiling vampire, a frowning vampire, a vampire with a scary look on his face, a vampire holding a snack tray in one hand and three bottles of soju in the other. Jaeyoung being the only one with a twinkle in his eye in the group photo after they all had removed their makeup. He wanted to see more, but he could only find eight pictures. Sangwoo turned on a data recovery program and did a rollback on the Jang Jaeyoung folder, and he modified the titles of the newly saved images according to the format. ¡®I can¡¯t erase them, for now. Not yet. Just for the time being.¡¯ That day was too long. Sangwoo took a long nap in order to deal with his extreme stress. Then, he cleaned every inch of the apartment and ate a simple dinner. After gaming a few rounds and pulling off all the keycaps of his keyboard and cleaning off the dust and other dirt, he still had time, so he took a shower after doing five sets of calisthenics, including push-ups. It was only midnight when he finished getting ready for bed. At exactly 12 a.m., he normally reserved a seat at the library and checked his mail. Since there weren¡¯t any classes until Wednesday, he didn¡¯t have to go to school, so he skipped reserving a seat and just checked his email, but there wasn¡¯t anything noteworthy. There was a newsletter from a gaming company he subscribed to and a weekly English grammar lecture email among others. When he had opened them, read them all, and organized them according to their categories, he received an email. 0430 Work Material Sender | Jae. J 4/30 Work details 1) Revised requested parts 2) Added weapon objects 3) Lv7-10 maps 4) Infinite mode resource 5) Ladder ranking UI Large Attachment: 0430.zip Sangwoo left the email open and only stared at it for three minutes. What was he supposed to do? It was as if nothing had happened after the fuss he made. Moreover, even though Sangwoo had asked Jaeyoung several times, he had emailed him the work by midnight before. He had always uploaded files to the FTP or handed them over through external hard drives right before their meetings. Sangwoo, who had downloaded the attachment and checked it, was shocked. There were no typos and there weren¡¯t any titles that didn¡¯t follow the guidelines. ¡°You can do it perfectly.¡± He had even gotten a lot done during the day. His day had been adjusted according to the schedule in the planner allowing him to catch up on work , and about 50% of the delayed tasks had been completed. At the same time, there wasn¡¯t any sign of it being a sloppy job. He carefully checked it, but he couldn¡¯t find a single mistake. Sangwoo was a little excited after sorting the file list by the titles, but at some point, he closed the window. ¡®I know he¡¯s good at designing, but what does he mean by this?¡¯ He checked his phone just in case, but there weren¡¯t any new messages. Sangwoo fell into extreme confusion. return 0; He had a similar routine the following day. No matter how much time you spend studying programming, it still isn¡¯t enough, and even if you study ahead, you aren¡¯t that motivated. ¡®It¡¯s fine if I let go for just a day.¡¯ Midterms were over and there weren¡¯t any classes. Moreover, he had had a shocking experience, so he deserved some rest. Just like a sluggard, like a grasshopper, like a sloth, like Jang Jaeyoung. However, it was surprisingly difficult. Time didn¡¯t go by when he didn¡¯t play games or take a nap. Sangwoo had no idea how to fool around. At his mother¡¯s house, there were quite a few toys to spend time playing with, but when he started living alone in order to study, he naturally didn¡¯t bring any of them with him. He walked around in the small room looking for anything to do. He spent time dusting off clean furniture, cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, and restocking the shelves for no reason at all. Even if he pretended to be fine, the tension of walking on thin ice dominated his emotions. It was fine at dawn, but as midnight approached, he got worse and worse. Sangwoo felt nervous, so he analyzed Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s behavior and came up with several theories. i) Jang Jaeyoung intended to continue an inappropriate relationship. ii) Jang Jaeyoung had given up on having an inappropriate relationship, but he wanted to continue producing the game. iii) He had simply sent him a file of his previous work. From a sensible point of view, the second theory was the most convincing one, but it contradicted their previous conversation. That guy had always acted beyond Sangwoo¡¯s expectations, so it wasn¡¯t easy to guess what was on his mind. ¡®Today, I¡¯ll find out how it¡¯ll turn out, I guess.¡¯ Sangwoo refreshed his mailbox while waiting for midnight. Five minutes before midnight, he went around the room after finishing getting ready for bed, and sat down by the computer. That¡¯s when his cellphone on the desk lit up. Sangwoo grabbed the device and brought it right before his eyes. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Freeloader3: 5minutesuntildeadline 23:55 Freeloader3: Prototypedevelopment-Remind 23:55 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ He stared at the message with a dumbfounded expression. He didn¡¯t know that the day when Jaeyoung pressed him for the deadline would arrive. ¡®What the hell is he up to?¡¯ Even if Jang Jaeyoung was strange, this was too strange. To Sangwoo, it was like a challenge that couldn¡¯t be overcome no matter how hard he tried. While thinking like that, it turned into midnight. In the newly refreshed inbox, there was an email just like the previous day. The sender was ¡®Jae. J,¡¯ and the title had all the content that was on the day¡¯s schedule and the delayed work. Sangwoo¡¯s gaze, that had been on clicking on the email, headed toward the cell phone screen that brightly lit up. There was an incoming phone call. As soon as he realized who the caller was, his hand reached out to answer the call. His body did this involuntarily before he even figured out whether taking the call was appropriate or not. Sangwoo opened his eyes wide and held the phone for a while. It would also be strange for the receiver to not greet the caller or hang up without saying a word. Sangwoo slowly brought the device to his ear. ¨C Hello. Surprised by the sudden greeting, he almost dropped his cellphone. He grabbed his phone and barely made a noise after opening and closing his mouth several times. ¡°What is it?¡± ¨C The deadline hit, but you didn¡¯t contact me. ¡°I made a prototype. It¡¯s simply that there wasn¡¯t a meeting, so I couldn¡¯t demonstrate it.¡± ¨C Good job. I thought that you wouldn¡¯t do it. ¡°I¡¯m not the sunbae.¡± He stopped talking after that. Sangwoo wondered what kind of expression Jaeyoung wore, who like himself, would be gripping his phone, what kind of sounds he would make beyond a few utterances, what kind of position he was in, whether he was in a pajamas, if he was wearing his glasses, and so on. Sangwoo was questioning himself for having these thoughts. ¨C How have you been for the past two days? ¡°There¡¯s no reason I haven¡¯t been doing well.¡± ¨C How come? It¡¯s possible that you haven¡¯t been well, isn¡¯t it? ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well, though.¡± ¨C Great. The conversation ended again. Meaningless words, words, words. They were pointlessly wasting radio waves. However, it wasn¡¯t time to chat leisurely. There was an issue that needed to be solved between them. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae.¡± He called on his opponent, but there was no response. ¡°Why did you send the file? I thought you gave up on because of what happened the day before yesterday.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t respond for a long time. He wondered if it had been such a difficult question, but that guy cleared his throat. Sangwoo clutched onto his phone with sweaty palms. ¨C You said you¡¯d get me funds for studying abroad. As expected, he got an unexpected answer in return. Jaeyoung seemed like a cloud that he couldn¡¯t grasp, so Sangwoo got a bit agitated as this seemed like snow that melted upon reaching out to touch it. ¡°I want to, of course. But you said that it¡¯s uncomfortable working with me, sunbae, and that it¡¯s impossible to separate sexual desire from work.¡± ¨C What? When did I go that far? ¡°Listen. I told you that I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re a man. Choose between two things. Whether you want to begin something with me and produce the game or whatever, or give up on it all and never meet again. There¡¯s no middle.¡¯ Is how you worded it, sunbae.¡± ¨C Are you nuts? Why did you memorize that? ¡°I remember everything related to you, sunbae.¡± The longest silence until now devoured the radio waves. Waiting was extremely difficult. Sangwoo didn¡¯t want to put effort into pointless work as his least favorite proverb was ¡°It¡¯s like pouring water in a sieve.¡± He was going to look for someone else if Jaeyoung told him for sure that he was going to withdraw from the game production. ¨C I have no intention of giving up. Chapter 12.3 After a long while, Jaeyoung spoke slowly. Strength poured into the hand that was holding the cell phone. Sangwoo was already holding the device tightly to his ear, but his grip got even tighter. ¨C I¡¯m planning to continue with as well. ¡®With Veven as well,¡¯ he said. He was even using the postpositional article oddly. ¨C There are three big reasons, but the first one is that I¡¯ve already done so much work, so it would be unfortunate to fold now. And I think the resulting product will be pretty decent as well. ¡°I agree.¡± ¨C Secondly, you said that you want to create a good portfolio. So I want to help until the end. Those words rattled his heart like a loose drawer. Whether or not he knew if it made Sangwoo¡¯s heart feel that way, Jaeyoung said those words as if they were nothing. ¨C And the third reason is¡­ He then paused. ¨C I want to tell you this in person. ¡°Ok, then.¡± ¨C How about you? Are you going to continue? ¡°I definitely thought that you were going to quit. If you say that you¡¯re going to do it until the end, then there¡¯s no reason for me not to, sunbae.¡± ¨C Ok, then sleep well and¡­ The final part of Jaeyoung¡¯s words were slow. ¨C See you tomorrow at the meeting. Sangwoo didn¡¯t get the chance to say anything as the call had stopped. Twenty one minutes of call time. It was the first time he had ever talked to someone for that long. Sangwoo¡¯s cheeks were about as hot as the temperature of an LCD. He turned off the lights and approached his bed like a zombie and collapsed. return 0; ¡°Long time no see, Chu Lettuce.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a week since we last saw each other.¡± ¡°You used to come by everyday before.¡± Sangwoo entered the work studio while listening to Yuna¡¯s meaningless words. Jaeyoung, who was sitting down on a chair with his back to him, pretended not to notice even when Sangwoo entered. Sangwoo put his backpack on an empty seat next to him and sat down on a chair. ¡°I¡¯m here, sunbae.¡± It was only then that Jaeyoung used his feet to turn his chair around. He was wearing a hoodie, but the face that he saw for the first time in a while looked tired. It was hard to pinpoint what the exact problem was, but he didn¡¯t seem to be in a good state. ¡°Are you ill?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been pulling all-nighters here for two days straight. A great workaholic has appeared.¡± Yuna spoke as if she were Jaeyoung¡¯s spokesperson or something. Sangwoo felt his face turn red and he covered his eyes with his palms. ¡®Idiot, who told you to work all night?¡¯ Jaeyoung was great at avoiding things by taking short cuts, so Sangwoo didn¡¯t understand what was wrong with him all of a sudden. Sangwoo grabbed his cellphone while feeling slightly upset. ¡°I¡¯ve implemented the status of the title and the character, a portion of the world map and farm level one. The damage balance still needs to be adjusted, so take that into consideration.¡± He ran the file he had transferred to his phone in advance and handed it over to Jaeyoung. He then sat down and looked at the ceiling. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s happening? Is it an app test? I want to see it as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a prototype.¡± ¡°I really look forward to it.¡± During Jaeyoung¡¯s demonstration, Yuna looked back while chatting. ¡°Oh, oh, oh, that¡¯s cool. Huh? Uh¡­ Something¡¯s not connecting well. Oh¡­ Mm, I see. HAHAHA! What is that? Why is he walking like that? It¡¯s so stupid¡­¡± Unlike Yuna, who poured out malicious comments, Jaeyoung just operated the game with his long fingers as he stared at the screen with an exhausted expression. Sangwoo, who didn¡¯t have any thoughts at first, started to feel a bit anxious as his expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Since this is still a demo, it¡¯s a bit sloppy, right?¡± ¡°You still can¡¯t just make it do whatever you want at first.¡± One of Sangwoo¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Right¡­ This was too much, it¡¯s not even a torpedo. Still, the game itself looks fun.¡± Yuna went back to her seat, picked up her headphones, and shortly after that, Jaeyoung swept his eyes with his palm as he put down Sangwoo¡¯s phone. ¡°Chu Sangwoo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I told you the first day we met. Not everything will work.¡± For some reason, Sangwoo nodded while feeling nervous. At last, Jaeyoung made eye contact with him for the first time that day. It was an ambiguous gaze that didn¡¯t tell him anything about what was on his mind. He quietly looked at Sangwoo and lowered his eyes as if he were tired. ¡°The title, it¡¯s too slow.¡± ¡°How long is it? As agreed, it should be 1.8 seconds¡­¡± ¡°Correction. It looks too slow. Adjust it so it looks more speedy. Transparency changes are also slow when switching screens.¡± ¡°The same thing with that¡­¡± ¡°Correction. It looks slow, so speed it up. The basic way the character moves looks awkward. You heard what Yuna said, right? The way that the grenade flies is really weird. And it would be great to add an afterimage to the effect when the crystal appears¡­ I¡¯ll discuss this again later.¡± Sangwoo took mental notes of everything Jaeyoung said. However, he was confused since he didn¡¯t tell him exactly what to do. Jaeyoung pointed out and added a few more things. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that you¡¯re a simple developer, but if you want to get a title as a producer, you can¡¯t do it senselessly.¡± It was a direct hit. What was worse was that they were words that pierced through the feelings of discomfort that he had already pointed out. Jaeyoung often jokingly said that he was too cheesy or that he lacked imagination, but when they were working together, it was always Jaeyoung who was being scolded. It was the first time he experienced the opposite situation. He didn¡¯t like it, but Sangwoo had nothing to say. ¡°Don¡¯t make that face, and don¡¯t forget to collaborate with me.¡± ¡°What kind of expression was I making?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Like the face of the top student in the entire school getting 79 points? Turn on your engine or something. I¡¯ll let you know what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± Sangwoo turned his laptop on without responding. He couldn¡¯t adapt as the vibe was different from usual. Perhaps it was because he had stayed up all night, but Jaeyoung didn¡¯t grumble as usual, and he didn¡¯t have any playfulness on his face. Until this point, it had been like a wild horse that needed to be coaxed, whipped and dragged somehow, but today he felt like a legit partner for some reason. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to handle this part though, sunbae.¡± ¡°I looked it up a bit earlier. The GUI is pretty good. It¡¯s fine as long as you teach me the parts I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s look at the title first.¡± Jaeyoung entered Sangwoo¡¯s territory. While sitting appropriately on the chair close to him, he didn¡¯t make any unnecessary contact and just looked at the monitor. Still, Sangwoo felt a nervousness similar to when he would stare at him or stroke his head. ¡°How many seconds should we make it then?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not change the time, but make it slightly larger and then smaller at the correct size.¡± ¡°About what size¡­ Is 110% okay?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about getting the numbers right, but check how it feels yourself.¡± The moment he was caught off-guard, Jaeyoung¡¯s hand covered the back of Sangwoo¡¯s hand, which was holding the mouse. Jaeyoung was looking at the monitor so seriously that Sangwoo missed the timing to withdraw his hand. ¡®Oh¡­ Oh, oh?¡¯ While in a hurry, Jaeyoung grabbed the back of his hand and moved the mouse. He moved the mouse with an indifferent expression in order to change the timeline and adjust the size of the image. ¡°How do you preview it?¡± Sangwoo was so distracted by those words that he withdrew his hand and pressed the shortcut key. The result of Jaeyoung¡¯s touch appeared in a new window. The time was exactly the same as before, but it looked much more dynamic by just using a little bit more effect. Sangwoo stared at the monitor. ¡°Chu Sangwoo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a competitive relationship. Don¡¯t forget to collaborate. When it comes to graphics, do you think I know better or you do?¡± ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Then who should be the leader?¡± ¡°Sun¡­bae.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t speak for a while. When Sangwoo turned his head around, he made obvious eye contact with him. ¡°Choi Yuna!¡± Jaeyoung suddenly screamed loudly. Yuna was just working with her head moving to the beat as before. Jaeyoung, who confirmed that she wasn¡¯t listening, lowered his voice and continued. ¡°Human relationships are not done alone. Can you decide on your own what the two of us agreed on and cancel it?¡± The topic had suddenly changed. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t seem to pay any interest in the monitor anymore. Sangwoo met his persistent gaze. ¡°No.¡± ¡°You were wrong, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t accept quitting. I¡¯ll explain the reason now, so listen carefully.¡± Jaeyoung said while neither avoiding his eyes nor blinking. ¡°If you¡¯re next to me, you struggle because of your sexual desire, right? You don¡¯t seem to know this, but normal people get closer to each other in those cases in order to relieve that desire. They say it¡¯s a proven method. What we¡¯ve done is barely something to define failure. That was too hasty of a conclusion.¡± ¡°I made an effort as well.¡± ¡°It seems the decisive reason you asked me to stop was because of the video. Your research was too insufficient.¡± ¡°It was in¡­sufficient?¡± Chapter 12.4 ¡°Yeah. Why are you accounting for like three¡­ eight people when it refers to the two of us? Where are there people who have a wooden horse vibrator at home? If you went along with that, you would have to visit the hospital every time. Be honest. You downloaded the bundle on the top chart, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­ I thought that the material that had a high download count would be genuinely instructive to that degree.¡± ¡°The porn industry is built on people¡¯s fantasies. I can¡¯t believe you overlooked that. I don¡¯t know how that would be different from boomers who believe you become a killer if you play a lot of FPS games.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too harsh?¡± ¡°You got it all wrong from the beginning, though. You and I are the only ones in our relationship and there is no one else who can join. And I don¡¯t want to get hit and I don¡¯t want to hit you either. That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m telling you that you were mistaken. Do you get it?¡± Sangwoo, who was listening to the words that unexpectedly made sense, had nothing to say. As Jaeyoung said, even if he had researched a field he didn¡¯t know that well, it seemed that he had failed to consider the nature of that field. Even so¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s say that the material I viewed is severely distorted. Still, I didn¡¯t just study through the videos. In most of the texts that I read, the penis was inserted into the rectum¡­¡± ¡°Stop with the biology lecture.¡± Jaeyoung shouted ¡°Choi Yuna!¡± one more time to confirm that she was immersed in her music. He then leaned down a bit and whispered. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If we agree on having sex, then my job.. in your¡­fuck¡­. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to do that. Please remember that there are two people involved. If one person puts it in, the other person doesn¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Really? It isn¡¯t something that is mutually done?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like getting punished. If you don¡¯t want to put it in, just do the opposite. Well¡­. I¡¯ve heard that one can feel great pleasure after receiving. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough to relieve sexual desire?¡± ¡°What do you mean that you¡¯ve heard that? You told me that you tried it yourself.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s expression subtly changed. He stared at Sangwoo. ¡°How could it be? Try using your imagination.¡± Sangwoo quickly racked his brain. Jang Jaeyoung had clearly told him that he had slept with a man. Intercourse between men had a pleasure mechanism that was connected to the prostate. Jaeyoung said that he hadn¡¯t experienced it. There were two conclusions. He didn¡¯t feel it because of a lack of skills, or if that wasn¡¯t the case, then¡­ ¡°Oh¡­ Then, is it perhaps sunbae¡­¡± Sangwoo¡¯s left thumb and finger naturally curved into the shape of a coin. His right index finger penetrated the circular space. Jaeyoung smirked at Sangwoo¡¯s motion. He had to have got it correct seeing as he didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Then¡­ me?¡± Sangwoo vacantly stared at the okay sign on his left hand. Since he had never imagined it, his thoughts stopped. ¡°Think about that later, and¡­like hitting me like the video¡­ anyway, we don¡¯t have to use equipment. I also definitely won¡¯t use violence against you. I promise.¡± Jaeyoung rapidly finished speaking and sighed with a ¡°phew.¡± ¡°And from now on, I¡¯ll suggest an alternative, so listen carefully.¡± ¡°An alternative?¡± Jaeyoung nodded and sat down again. He rested his elbows on his somewhat open knees, and he put his hands together and interlocked them. The position made it look like the cover of an adventure action game. ¡°I haven¡¯t changed a bit. I still want to hold hands with you, kiss you, and have sex with you.¡± Jaeyoung casually said as if he was telling him that he wanted to eat pizza and chicken and naengmyeon1.¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot more complicated thoughts than I do, so I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It means that we should go slowly. I won¡¯t force you at all. I won¡¯t do anything unless you¡¯re willing to offer it.¡± ¡°Really? If we try and I tell you that I don¡¯t want to, can you stop in the middle of it?¡± ¡°What could I do if you don¡¯t want to? Do you think I¡¯ll force you?¡± Sangwoo nodded. He was always in a nervous state when he met Jaeyoung. What nonsense would he say, what unexpected actions would he take, how swayed would he be? However, it was different today. ¡®It¡¯s not a competitive relationship. Don¡¯t forget to collaborate with me.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what kind of change had occurred since three days ago when he had been so angry that they had stopped. Jaeyoung had displayed a very emotional attitude that day. Today, he used concrete language that was easy to understand, doing so in a relaxed state. Jaeyoung, who had been still for a while, got up from his seat to stretch. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it as that and I¡¯ll rest my eyes for a bit. You¡¯re welcome to work here and before you leave.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re planning on kissing me, wake me up and do it.¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± He walked past Sangwoo with a smile. Sangwoo watched Jaeyoung¡¯s back lying down on the cot, as he closed the blinds on the window of the work studio and turned off the lights. When Yuna then removed her headphones, Sangwoo became nervous. return 0; The project, which he thought had been scrapped, had arisen and proceeded more smoothly than ever. After finishing up some of the basic resources, Jaeyoung began to engage himself in the animation part. At first it was difficult for Sangwoo to adjust himself to qualitative vocabulary such as ¡®a little, more, too much, enough,¡¯ but he got the hang of it after some trial and error. For example, if he heard the words ¡®a little bigger,¡¯ he increased the scale to 109%, and if he heard ¡®it¡¯s too small,¡¯ would increase it to 134% etc., creating a mental manual. After that, he did adjustments after listening to detailed feedback from Jaeyoung. On Friday, Sangwoo entered the work studio at 6:31 p.m. and got coached by the designer and worked on all the parts that needed to be revised. The basic motion of the characters had all been modified and the animation of weapon usage had been changed. Yuna looked at it and said that one of the characters resembled Sangwoo. She also said that another character resembled Jaeyoung even more, but she wasn¡¯t sure of that either. Sangwoo thought that for a designer, the girl had a dull eye. At 9:03 p.m. the three of them ordered chicken and wasted time chatting, so they weren¡¯t able to work after that. As he left the work studio at 10 p.m., Sangwoo realized that Jaeyoung hadn¡¯t touched him once with the exception of when he had touched the back of his hand while handing over a chicken leg. They didn¡¯t schedule a meeting for the weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday, Jaeyoung called him at 10.01 p.m. when he was on his way home after his part-time job. On Saturday, he asked about the game¡¯s learning capacity , and on Sunday, he asked about how the images differed on different devices. Sangwoo replied in detail because he felt proud that Jaeyoung cared about the optimization. On both days, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t hang up immediately. ¡®By the way, where were you born?¡¯ Why on earth was he asking him such a thing? When he replied that he was born in Daejeon, he asked him where he grew up and which school he went to, and when he responded that he grew up in Gokmun District in Daejeon until he was 19, and that he had gone to Gokmun Middle School and Gokmun High School. He asked him about his shoe size and his eyesight. When he respectively answered 270 and 1.0 in both eyes, he also expressed his distress over sometimes wearing size 270 and 275, and even that his eyesight was 0.7, so both putting on and taking off his glasses made things blurry. After they hung up, they surprisingly talked for 29 minutes and 34 minutes respectively. They didn¡¯t exactly talk about just one thing, but it was still amazing that so much time had been wasted. On the first Monday of May, Sangwoo went to his classes and studied in the library. After dinner, he went to the work studio and ran into Yuna, who opened the door at that moment. It seemed like she had been wearing furry clothes not long ago, but she was wearing a sleeveless shirt now. ¡°Oh. Hi, Chu Lettuce.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m planning on grabbing dinner and then going to have fun. Wanna join?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sangwoo passed her and entered the work studio. It was hot enough inside for him to understand why Yuna was dressed as if it were in the middle of summer. Sangwoo took off his jacket, hung it on a chair, and headed to the window. When he fully opened the window, lukewarm air hit his body. Without realizing, the weather had gotten quite hot. The door suddenly opened. After Sangwoo turned his head and looked back, he made eye contact with Jaeyoung, who arrived carrying a white plastic bag. He was wearing a navy blue baseball cap on his head. The bright jeans with ripped knees disrupted his view. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why is it so hot today?¡± Jaeyoung entered while swinging his arms and put the plastic bag down on the desk. Sangwoo looked outside again. ¡°It¡¯s May, but it feels like the middle of summer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because reckless usage of fossil fuels accelerates the greenhouse effect.¡± ¡°Did you eat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Behind him, there was a rustling sound of a plastic bag. Sangwoo glanced down at the bright view of the school despite it being evening, and then returned to his seat. Jaeyoung was mixing the contents inside a paper bowl. Sangwoo didn¡¯t even ask, but Jaeyoung let him know that it was rice with fish roe. When he pulled the Styrofoam container from the plastic bag and removed the rubber band, six large dumplings appeared. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 12.5 ¡°Why are you alone?¡± ¡°Choi Yu Choi went out to have fun.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s just the two of us. Good,¡± he said while moving the plastic spoon toward his mouth. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know how to respond so he turned his head away. It felt like casually-spoken words had just hit him. He got thirsty all of a sudden. Sangwoo took his laptop out of his backpack, put it on the desk, and stared intensely at the black screen. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± Why did he become so nervous when he just called his name as always? ¡°Yes,¡± Sangwoo barely answered. ¡°Eat some dumplings. I stood in line at a popular place to buy them.¡± It was an order and not a suggestion. As he looked sideways, he saw that Jaeyoung was picking up a large dumpling with his chopsticks. The end had been dipped in soy sauce. ¡°Put it down. I¡¯ll eat it myself.¡± ¡°Hurry, my arm hurts.¡± The dumpling was right before his face, so Sangwoo didn¡¯t have a choice but to open his mouth. When he took a big bite, Jaeyoung pulled the dumpling back and dipped it in soy sauce to finish the other half. ¡°That¡¯s what I was eating.¡± ¡°Why do you care about such a thing between people who¡¯ve even kissed?¡± Everything he said today strangely affected him. Moreover, it was difficult to refute the logic that their saliva had already been exchanged in the past, so there was no need to be concerned about a bacterial infection. ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Jaeyoung put the remaining pieces into Sangwoo¡¯s mouth as if he were unaffected. Sangwoo chewed hard on the dumplings, with his mouth full. Perhaps it was because he was eating too intensely or because the dumplings were hot, but his surroundings felt hot. ¡°Why is it so hot today?¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Jaeyoung put his chopsticks down and then took off his cap and put it on the desk. He grabbed the bottom hem with both hands and pulled off his black sweatshirt. As the white t-shirt underneath rolled up his stomach, Sangwoo forgot how to breathe. He messed around all day, yet he had firm abs. Jaeyoung threw his clothes on the cot and put his cap back on. It wasn¡¯t even the first time seeing this, but his bare arms drew his attention. Sangwoo¡¯s gaze carefully swept over the muscles and tendons in Jaeyoung¡¯s arms. Parts of the tattoos that started from his shoulders were covered by his sleeves. Even if he didn¡¯t want to remember what that arm did to him in the car, he couldn¡¯t help himself. Jaeyoung suddenly spun his head around and made eye contact with him. Sangwoo was so surprised that he reached out to grab the mouse that he hadn¡¯t even pulled out while he was waiting for the monitor to turn on. ¡°It¡¯s the first time you¡¯re seeing this, I see.¡± Jaeyoung showed a weird tattoo by pulling his sleeve up to his shoulder. ¡°I saw it last time.¡± ¡°When? Oh¡­¡± There was a moment of silence. Sangwoo grabbed a water bottle out of his backpack and gulped it down. When he finished it all and wiped some of the water spilling down his mouth with the back of his hand, Jaeyoung said, ¡°I guess you saw it when you and I were having a good time in the car.¡± It was stupid of him to have gulped down all the water, otherwise he would¡¯ve spit it all out. Jaeyoung muttered, ¡°It was really nice that day.¡± Sangwoo strongly felt the need to change the subject. ¡°Why did you get a tattoo?¡± ¡°Why? Do I seem like a thug?¡± ¡°A bit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a signature I designed a few years ago. I just think of it as a picture.¡± ¡°Why did you draw a picture on your skin?¡± ¡°Cause I wanted to?¡± Jaeyoung just ate for a while. Sangwoo sat in a chair and observed Jaeyoung¡¯s engraved signature on his arm. He thought that only gang members got tattoos, but maybe it was because that guy had one that it didn¡¯t look too bad. At a closer look, it seemed like a bird, and like a letter from an unknown country, and like a falling meteor, and like a burning flame. Sangwoo felt that its shape resembled Jaeyoung in that it couldn¡¯t be identified. ¡°You¡¯re staring at it a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s my first time seeing such a thing.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s that amazing, I¡¯ll draw something on your arm as well.¡± Sangwoo frowned. At first, he felt like rejecting it, but then he immediately felt curiosity over something unfamiliar. How would it feel to have a picture on his arm like that? While Sangwoo was worrying, Jaeyoung finished his rice bowl with fish roe and crumpled the paper bowl. He turned the computer on and said, ¡°What¡¯s your favorite shape?¡± Sangwoo blankly stared at Jaeyoung¡¯s profile, lost in thought. When Jaeyoung felt that gaze, he shamelessly said, ¡°Something other than me. It¡¯s not pretty to get a tattoo of a human face.¡± ¡°Are you nuts?¡± If he didn¡¯t play around, it seemed like thorns were coming out of his mouth. Sangwoo bravely looked for a way to get rid of the disgraceful misunderstanding. He didn¡¯t contemplate for long. He only had a few objects that he liked enough for them to be drawn on his arm. ¡°Please draw a forklift.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jaeyoung turned on the monitor and opened the Internet browser to search for images. Sangwoo stuck close to him and interjected. ¡°Not a crawler, but wheels.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a crawler?¡± ¡°That thing right there. It¡¯s a Caterpillar tractor. Find the one with wheels instead of the belt-powered one. Wheels. Wheels.¡± Jaeyoung kept clicking on the wrong picture. Sangwoo started feeling frustrated because he couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°The bucket in that one is too small. No, I said the bucket is too small.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the nicest-looking one, though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like it has to become ?? before it can move a bit. Really¡­ You don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°Stop being hard on me and just look for it yourself.¡± When Jaeyoung passed over the mouse, Sangwoo found his favorite model and displayed it on the screen as if he had been waiting all along. Jaeyoung remained still and looked at the monitor for a minute, then opened the drawer and took out some markers. Unlike stationary sold on the market, these were wide. ¡°Where do you want it?¡± he said while still looking at the monitor. Sangwoo thought about a location that wouldn¡¯t be exposed and interfere with his regular life if anything went wrong. He extended his arm. ¡°Lift up your elbow.¡± Jaeyoung turned his chair around, grabbed a marker and got closer to him. He grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s wrist, unbuttoned the sleeve cuff, and rolled up the sleeve to his shoulder. He put his left arm against Sangwoo¡¯s arm and wrapped his palm around the relatively soft skin under his armpit. Perhaps it was because it was a hot day, but that part also felt hot. It felt ticklish as if there were bugs crawling on his skin so he wanted to scratch it. Sangwoo was uncomfortable, but he didn¡¯t have a choice but to remain still since he had already given his permission. ¡°Should I begin?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Jaeyoung removed the marker cap with his teeth while making eye contact with him. It wasn¡¯t even a big deal, but that gaze just looked captivating. Jaeyoung put the marker cap on the desk with the hand that was holding the marker, pushed his chair aside, and came right before Sangwoo¡¯s face. After fixing the inside of Sangwoo¡¯s arm in place, he began drawing with the large marker. Glide. The tip of the marker became slippery against his skin. Straight, straight, straight, and curving. Strong pressure. Tilting downward. The thickness of the line changed every time he changed his grip. Also, whenever Jaeyoung tilted his head, the angle of his face also changed. There were times when he could see the angle of his nose when his cap went down, and there were times when he could see the two completely immersed eyes. Since Jaeyoung was concentrating on drawing, Sangwoo was able to freely steal glances at him. An opportunity like this didn¡¯t come by often. ¡°Did you use this marker to draw on my face during the first class of ¡®Embedded Systems¡¯ as well?¡± The line Jaeyoung was drawing broke as he flinched. ¡°¡­I should have,¡± he said while drawing together the uneven line. ¡°Why are you asking that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would come off easily. I had a hard time trying to erase it that day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m drawing so earnestly, so it shouldn¡¯t come off easily.¡± Jaeyoung then drew the wheel in silence. Because of his rough nature, he thought that he would draw anything that just resembled a circle, but he moved the marker upward to represent the saw-toothed tire tread in detail. He started to feel increasingly weird. It wasn¡¯t just anybody, but it was Jang Jaeyoung who was drawing his favorite shape on his skin, so he couldn¡¯t help but to feel that way. Just Jang Jaeyoung alone was overwhelming, but his heart couldn¡¯t work as it should if it was Jang Jaeyoung+Forklift. If he had drunk a lot and had his judgment become clouded, then he might have ignored the norm and attacked him. Sangwoo quietly enjoyed the combined feelings of joy and nervousness, and discomfort and sexual desire. When he felt it for the first time, he didn¡¯t know what to do, but now since he had been experiencing this for quite a while, it didn¡¯t seem too foreign. Apart from the sound of the marker, the picture was drawn in complete silence. Jaeyoung began by drawing the main body, followed by the attached rotating parts, and lastly the operational gears. Sangwoo felt excited by the appearance of the heavy equipment gradually forming on his arm. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re like a wizard.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s mouth formed into a line. He wanted to see his eyes, but the brim of the cap was covering them. Sangwoo began to dislike baseball caps and even Major League Baseball teams. ¡°Take off your cap, please.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you.¡± Chapter 12.6 Smirk. Jaeyoung¡¯s shoulders shook and the bucket he was outlining was destroyed. Sangwoo screamed on the inside. Shortly afterward, he began to draw beneath the part that had been messed up, when the marker had abruptly flipped from the pointed tip to the wide edge. ¡°No, can¡¯t do. I have to see you suffer as well.¡± Jaeyoung said after a long while. ¡®What does he mean by that?¡¯ Sangwoo stared at the ceiling with a pouting mouth. ¡°If it¡¯s troublesome, then just say it is so.¡± Jaeyoung simply smiled and kept drawing without responding. return 0; The following day, Sangwoo was having a peaceful time for the first time in a long time. There had been a conflict with the designer due to differing opinions on parts concerning paid content, but it hadn¡¯t been an emotional dispute. At 8:43 p.m., Yuna said she was planning on pulling an all-nighter and that she was going to order pizza, so she asked what kind of pizzas they wanted to eat. Despite not offering to pay for it, Jaeyoung said that he wouldn¡¯t eat if it wasn¡¯t from a specific chain. Yuna cursed at the price, but ordered pizza from that place anyway. ¡°Hello? In three minutes? Yes, yes. Yes! The pizza is here. Chu Lettuce, go and get it from the first floor,¡± Yuna said after receiving the call from the pizza delivery guy. Sangwoo glanced at the credit card she handed him. ¡°Why am I the one going?¡± ¡°Cause you¡¯re the baby here.¡± ¡°Where is there a baby here?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not be so tiresome. The youngest one is supposed to do stuff like this.¡± ¡°Being young doesn¡¯t make it less difficult or mean that time is less valuable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing that again. Just go and come back, please!¡± The height of an irrational way of thinking is that one has to boil ramen and get water because one is younger. He remembered the repulsive face of his sister who had called for him, saying it was an emergency, just to ask him to turn off the lights. Before Sangwoo decided to play a match against Yuna, Jaeyoung walked between them. ¡°Where are you going now?¡± ¡°Smoke.¡± ¡°Then you go get the pizza. Here, this is the card.¡± However, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t stop, and he walked to the door. He left while saying just one thing. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it, so don¡¯t ask Sangwoo to do those things from now one.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yuna asked as if she found it absurd, but Jaeyoung had already disappeared. Yuna spewed profane language. She wondered what was so bad about going down three flights of stairs and was furious that Jaeyoung had made her look like trash in order to keep his image. ¡°Hey. It seems like he¡¯s pretending to be nice since he¡¯s working with you. Don¡¯t be fooled, okay?¡± ¡°I know since I¡¯ve also been fooled a lot.¡± ¡°Sangwoo, Sangwoo, wooow¡­. Fuck, what¡¯s wrong with him? No matter who looks at it, towards you, he¡¯s conside¡­¡± Yuna, who was in the middle of talking, shut her mouth. Her unhappy face changed into an incomprehensible one. She stayed quiet for a long time. ¡°I¡¯m going to smoke as well.¡± Then she left the work studio. Whatever, Sangwoo saved his work and cleaned the desk. He collected trash from Jaeyoung¡¯s desk and threw it away, and he went to the bathroom to wash his hands, but Jaeyoung and Yuna hadn¡¯t returned even then. They said it would arrive in three minutes, but 13 minutes had passed. After absentmindedly sitting and waiting for another two minutes, the door opened. Yuna entered first and sat down in her chair. Jaeyoung carried a large pizza box and Coke and placed it on Sangwoo¡¯s desk. He opened the box and handed Sangwoo a slice of pizza. Sangwoo was wondering about his unnecessary kindness, but he accepted the slice and took a bite out of the crust. The pizza was lukewarm. Jaeyoung pulled another slice out, but this time, he brought it directly towards Sangwoo¡¯s mouth. Yuna grabbed a chair and approached their desk. ¡°Aren¡¯t you giving me anything?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have hands? Or feet?¡± ¡°Forget I said anything ¡­¡± She roughly grabbed a slice of the pizza, folded it in half, and pushed it into her mouth. It was quiet for a while as everyone was busy eating. Then, when they¡¯d had two or three pieces each, Yuna suddenly spoke to Sangwoo. ¡°Hey, give me your number.¡± The screen sticking out from that direction was cracked like a spider web, and a distracting fluorescent orange jelly case was wrapped around the device. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just because? I have a feeling I¡¯ll see you around the work studio a lot in the future as well. There might even be a reason I need to get in touch with you.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think there is.¡¯ Sangwoo unlocked the phone and entered his number despite thinking about something else. Yuna then called him for about five seconds and turned it off. ¡°Save my number as well. Chu¡­ Lettuce. Done!¡± ¡°Please save it under my real name.¡± Yuna ignored his words. Sangwoo opened a page to save her number. His hands stopped writing after ¡®Visual Design Department Choi Yu.¡¯ He was certain that the next syllable couldn¡¯t be ¡®Choi,¡¯ but he got confused since he always called her that. ¡°Na,¡±Jaeyoung, who was watching the screen together with him from his side, hinted at. As soon as he pressed the save button, his phone disappeared. Jaeyoung had taken it and was typing numbers. It was his own number. He squinted at the name that appeared on the screen. ¡°When was Freeloader ever a freeloader? Since you¡¯ve won, there is no reason to keep lording things over me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like changing it once I¡¯ve saved it. I don¡¯t really use my phone unless it¡¯s to search for things when I¡¯m out.¡± ¡°Is there a 1 and a 2 as well?¡±1 ¡°They were deleted a long time ago.¡± When Jaeyoung clicked on his phone book, a list that only contained a few people appeared. Sangwoo didn¡¯t understand why he would want to look at someone else¡¯s phone book, but he let it be since it didn¡¯t harm him in any way. Gokmun High Kim Won Jong Gokmun High Kim Chung Ho Gokmun High Im Se Won ¡°Are they friends from your neighborhood?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you close?¡± ¡°We sometimes meet to drink or to play games.¡± Department of Mechanical Engineering Park Sung Joong Department of Mechanical Engineering Lim Minho Dorka PC Room Manager Freeloader3 Department of French Language and Literature Ryu Jihye ¡°Was this guy Park Sung Joong your senior?¡± ¡°Uhm.¡± ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t know who it is? I¡¯ll delete it?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Who is Lim Minho? Can I delete him, as well?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a person I bought a graphic card from last semester, but it could also be someone else. Please delete it.¡± Jaeyoung took it upon himself to organize Sangwoo¡¯s phone book as if he had nothing else to do. The problem, however, was that his methods were too harsh. He didn¡¯t mind deleting people he hadn¡¯t contacted for over three months, but even in cases where it wasn¡¯t like that, he still insisted on deleting them. For example, he thoughtlessly tried to delete someone like Ryu Jihye, who was currently taking classes with him and whose number he likely needed until the end of the semester. Jaeyoung returned his cell phone to Sangwoo after getting the promise that he wouldn¡¯t rashly delete the data. The list that had been scrolling downwards suddenly stopped. ¡°Who is he, this bastard?¡± Jaeyoung said while frowning. When he peeked at the screen, he saw the name ¡®Jonghan ?.¡¯ No matter who was saved with such a strange name, Sangwoo was a bit offended by the sudden ¡°bastard.¡± So he extended his hand. ¡°Stop this and give it to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking who it is.¡± ¡°Give it back. I know that you¡¯re wasting time because you don¡¯t want to work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m asking who it is.¡± Jaeyoung suddenly made a serious face and raised his voice. Sangwoo folded his arms and glared at him. Psycho bastard. He acted nice for a few days, and then he revealed his true nature. As expected, he thought that Jang Jaeyoung should receive treatment for his anger management disorder. ¡°Hey,¡± he said with a disrespectful look and voice. ¡°I asked you, didn¡¯t I? Twice at least.¡± ¡°The name in Chinese is the character is Chu, 55 years old. Occupation, poet. Is it enough?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s face, which alternately looked at Sangwoo and the screen, was suddenly overtaken with a look of absurdity. After having gaped blankly, he suddenly burst into laughter. He fully frowned and covered his eyes with his palms. ¡°Who on earth saves their father¡¯s name like this?¡± When Sangwoo first bought a cell phone, he saved his father by his real name ¡®Chu Jonghan.¡¯ However, the day he had discovered it, his father drank a lot, came back, gathered the entire family, and cried while saying that he didn¡¯t get an ounce of affection in the household.2 This was the result of the agreement they had made after he repeatedly got requests for a correction of the name. ¡°If you put a heart just anywhere, there could be a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not anywhere. If my father didn¡¯t exist, I wouldn¡¯t even have been born.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense,¡± Yuna suddenly shouted and left the work studio. After the door slammed shut, Jaeyoung finished scanning the phone book. The hand that was swiping down the screen stopped once again. ¡°Is Ms. Chu Sanghee your older sister?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you put a heart?¡± ¡°Why should I? Siblings are enemies from their birth.¡± Thinking about his sister, Sangwoo suddenly got angry. It would be better to break his finger rather than to put a heart after her name. ¡°Is your sister pretty? If she looks like you, I bet she¡¯s pretty.¡± ¡°She¡¯s really ugly, though.¡± ¡°Do you have a picture?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t store pictures of monsters.¡± Jaeyoung looks through the phone book without saying a word. The last part was ¡®Hwang Geumrye.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s your mother, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no heart here either.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t ask for one.¡± Jaeyoung nodded and closed the contacts list. When Sangwoo reached out to get his phone back, Jaeyoung was already looking at his photo album. In it, there were several pictures of whiteboards and a folder. Footnotes: For those that wish to read up more on this term, here are some links: https://seoulistic.com/korean-culture/a-special-kind-of-korean-love-jeong-%EC%A0%95/ https://blogs.transparent.com/korean/what-is-jeong/ Chapter 12.7 ¡°Is this folder perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Give it to me!¡± Sangwoo rushed towards Jaeyoung before he was able to touch the folder. It wouldn¡¯t make a huge difference if he saw the mobile version since he had gotten caught saving the stuff on his computer anyway, but he didn¡¯t want to provide him with an opportunity to tease him right before his own eyes. ¡°Oh? What is this perv doing?¡­¡± Jaeyoung pulled his hand back. Sangwoo was desperate to reclaim his phone, so he thoughtlessly grabbed his arm and pulled it. As a result, their chests touched as if he were hugging him. ¡°Where¡­ are you touching?¡± Sangwoo had been stiff for a while and then realized that he had touched Jaeyoung¡¯s inner thigh. Even though he quickly removed his hand, a smile spread across those shameless lips. Jaeyoung¡¯s tongue appeared and slowly swept his lips and disappeared. Sangwoo was too weak against that kind of temptation. This time as well, instinct slowly conquered his mind. It had been nine days since they last kissed. Would those lips smell like vanilla today as well? Work studio, bar, work studio, Jaeyoung¡¯s car. Four pieces of data related to kissing went through his mind. Even though he had said he¡¯d wait, Jang Jaeyoung was a person who was eager to sleep with Sangwoo at least once. Even if it was time to hug his waist, he just made eye contact with him and remained modest. It was as if he knew of Sangwoo¡¯s desire to pull his hair and kiss him violently. It was as tormenting as if an invisible hand were squeezing his heart. However, Sangwoo was a member of a highly developed civilization. At one point, he was shaken by the desire for flesh and dipped his toe into barbarism, but horribly failed and was filled to the brim with desire (. To cultured people, sexual impulses were merely objects to be controlled. Wouldn¡¯t it be no different from a beast if one were dragged by instinct? Sangwoo tightly shut his mouth and stretched his arms to recapture his phone, which was dangling in the air. As he immediately turned around to protect the dignity of civilized people, he heard someone faintly whispering to himself. ¡°What a shame.¡± He didn¡¯t have any strength to remain in the work studio anymore. Sangwoo unplugged his laptop and roughly threw it into his backpack without cleaning up. ¡°Your patience is no joke.¡± ¡°This is what I¡¯m usually like.¡± ¡°Worthlessly so.¡± ¡°Is it a compliment, or a curse?¡± ¡°A curse.¡± He ignored the words. It was time to leave. return 0; As the graphic completeness of increased, the picture Jaeyoung had drawn on his arm became increasingly blurred. Even though he hadn¡¯t soaped his left arm on purpose, two days later, the detailed drawing had disappeared. Unlike the fading marks, the tension in the work studio gradually increased. He thought that he would be able to concentrate on work as he had told him that he would wait and that he would do whatever he wanted, but it seemed like that had been too na?ve of him. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t force anything, as he had promised, but Sangwoo was quietly stimulated. As a result, an uncomfortable situation arose about once a day. Sangwoo was also at fault there. ¡®Your lips are chapped. Do you want to apply lip balm?¡¯ Although he knew that it was a natural thing for keratin cells to fall off skin, Sangwoo couldn¡¯t say the fact out loud. ¡®Yes. I definitely need it.¡¯ When he came to his senses, Jaeyoung had rolled up his chair close enough to the point where their knees touched. He had an opportunity to come to his senses until that point. He could¡¯ve asked for lip balm and applied it himself, but irrational expectations stopped Sangwoo. While sitting still, Jaeyoung opened the lid of a white stick-type product and held it like a pen. He usually didn¡¯t apply any lip balm at all. His left hand touched his chin naturally, as if it had to. That way, he positioned Sangwoo¡¯s face and slowly brought the lip balm to his lips while making direct eye contact. There were moments when Jang Jaeyoung¡¯s face felt particularly sexy. It was the same when he had asked him to go to the movies together and when he had unbuckled the seatbelt in the car. On that day as well, he had felt that Jaeyoung was like a threatening person with a sharp weapon rather than a beauty product. Questions like whether the lip balm touching the lips was correct, then why it moved so slowly and so softly, why his heart was racing wildly, and why it was so hot inside the work studio filled his mind. ¡®Why are you closing your eyes?¡¯ Jaeyoung left those words filled with laughter in his voice and went back to his seat. Sangwoo immediately escaped to the bathroom and washed his face with cold water. Before he tried to apply it himself, he wanted to erase the subtle scent of vanilla left from his lips that he already knew from experience, but he also wanted to keep treasuring it. Due to such contradictory feelings, he wasn¡¯t able to go back to the work studio for a while. The following day, Sangwoo entered the work studio, anxious that something would happen again. He scanned Jaeyoung¡¯s desk to see if there would be unexpected objects such as dumplings or lip balm, but apart from trash and Coke cans as usual, there was nothing else there. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Jaeyoung was frowning while looking at the monitor. ¡°You¡¯re here? Did you get dinner?¡± ¡°I ate.¡± The simple conversation ended. Jaeyoung was unusually quiet that day. After finishing the prototype demonstration, he said there was something he didn¡¯t like and that the UI needed to be fixed. Perhaps he was being like that because that wasn¡¯t going well? With an unhappy expression, he just moved the mouse. Sangwoo grabbed his laptop and his mouse and set it up on an empty seat and while it was booting up, he looked at the ceiling. If it was as usual, Jaeyoung would¡¯ve had to joke around two or three times in order for the usual schedule to quietly proceed. Sangwoo switched on the game engine and began by looking at the part he had worked on the previous day. He had been working hard for a few days and nearly finished the processing of image output and movement. After resolving the object, he was thinking of turning to server and performance maintenance. It had probably been five minutes since he started when Sangwoo¡¯s gaze headed towards the seat next to him. Whenever he would look at the monitor again, his head would automatically turn back. It had to be because people were so inconsistent. He had fed him dumplings, wasted an hour drawing on his arm, personally applied lip balm to him, and even called him on weekends to bother him with useless words, so why was he acting like this today? ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do anything today?¡± Such a question suddenly popped up. The profile, whose gaze had been fixed on the monitor, became playful. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like he wanted him to catch that. While feeling a strange satisfaction, even Sangwoo¡¯s mouth wriggled with him. Tapping the desk with his fingertips, Jaeyoung replied, ¡°Truthful version or the strategic version, which one do you want to hear?¡± ¡°The truthful version.¡± ¡°I have a hunch today, so I¡¯m going to wait and see.¡± It wasn¡¯t an answer in response to Sangwoo¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t the first time Jaeyoung spouted nonsense, so Sangwoo let it be. ¡°Whatever, just tell me the strategic version.¡± Jaeyoung, who was holding his breath and laughter, suddenly erased his expression and looked at Sangwoo. The process of his playful expression disappearing was a lot more amazing than the magic show he saw at the school festival. Jaeyoung sighed slightly and touched Sangwoo¡¯s forehead with his fingertip. ¡°The work I have to fix isn¡¯t going the way I want it to. I feel wronged so I think I have to go on a walk with you or something.¡± ¡®That crazy bastard.¡¯ Did he think that he would obediently go on a walk with him just because he said so when there was so much to do? Sangwoo turned his focus back to his laptop. A laugh burst out since he was dumbfounded. Just because of the mere reason that Jaeyoung had spoken to him for a minute, he felt clear and refreshed. ¡°I¡¯m going to concentrate so don¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­,¡± Jaeyoung said. With a serious face, he just tidied up the mouse and the keyboard and acted as if Sangwoo wasn¡¯t in the room. Feeling slightly nervous, his work speed took off. The peripheral view on his left side caught sight of Jaeyoung¡¯s right hand. He was bothered by the sound of the keyboard clicking and the occasional coughing, but the light palpitations increased his concentration. There was such an advantage with closely working side by side with Jaeyoung. In fact, it was the only positive thing he provided Sangwoo with. As always, time went by quickly in the work studio. After working for two hours, he drank water, talked about useless things with Jaeyoung, checked the work Jaeyoung had finished, worked for another hour, and after he went and returned from the bathroom, it was time to go home. ¡°You really didn¡¯t disturb me today. You didn¡¯t even joke around and held it together very well,¡± Sangwoo said while organizing his laptop and his mouse. Thanks to that, he had gotten a considerable amount of work done in graphics, development, and workload. Next to him, Jaeyoung stretched and checked the clock on the wall. ¡°It¡¯s 10 p.m. You¡¯re about to leave, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the time I should leave, so I should go.¡± Sangwoo put his laptop in his backpack and zipped it up. As soon as he was about to put it on his back, Jaeyoung called at him. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± When he just turned his head back, Jaeyoung was stretching out the pushed down part of the sneakers he had been wearing. It looked like he was about to go outside, but where would he be going? ¡°What?¡± ¡°Truth, strategy?¡± ¡°The truth.¡± ¡°I told you earlier that I had a hunch. Do you want to hear the strategic version as well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with that matter now.¡± Sangwoo left the work studio. Soon, the door opened and Jaeyoung followed him. He couldn¡¯t tell whether he liked it or not. Chapter 12.8 It was about 1.8km between school and home, and it took about eight minutes by bicycle. The average human walking speed was 4km/h, so it would take 27 minutes on foot. ¡°Don¡¯t you watch EPL or NBA?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t watch any sports leagues. I don¡¯t watch sports itself.¡± Even while knowing things like that, Sangwoo was walking slowly while pushing his bicycle. It was one of the most inefficient actions he had ever done in his life, but he didn¡¯t have a choice since he had already told Jaeyoung that he would do so. ¡°It¡¯s cool how you don¡¯t have any interest in that. You seem to have a body that works out a bit, though.¡± ¡°Watching and doing are different. I have to have basic physical strength since I have to sit by a desk for long periods of time.¡± It was amazing that the feeling of it being fine didn¡¯t disappear despite talking about useless things. Sangwoo walked through the streets that he usually biked past every day, counting the signs he¡¯d never seen and how many streetlights there were. The lukewarm night air was humid. However, even the sweaty sensation he felt under the straps of his backpack didn¡¯t ruin his mood. ¡°I like both. Do you want to play basketball together next time?¡± ¡°Not during work hours.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t say anything for a while. Sangwoo glanced at the expressionless profile and turned his gaze forward again. The streets where the streetlights illuminated were all orange. Even if he had a goal of arriving home, he felt regret that the remaining distance was decreasing. ¡°We¡¯ve already arrived.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve arrived because it was time to.¡± Looking at the clock, it had taken 22 minutes longer than his expected 27 minutes. It meant that they had been walking a lot slower than the average speed of walking. Jaeyoung stopped in the alley where they could see the building. Sangwoo¡¯s steps also slowed down. He dragged his bike to the bike stand, parked it in its designated spot, and locked it. Even if he was doing it as slowly as he possibly could, he finished quickly. It was time to enter the building, but Sangwoo looked back. Jaeyoung, who hadn¡¯t left yet, was looking at him with both hands in his pockets. He wasn¡¯t even whispering racy things in his ears, nor was he pretending to sleep with his eyes closed. He was just staying still, so why? Perhaps it was a ruse from the streetlights. Sangwoo even forgot about the fact that they had been stuck together all day and he felt the need to see Jaeyoung up close. When he was with him, he often felt an unpleasant feeling in his chest. Neither the sensation of his heart beating faster than its normal speed nor the feeling of the blood circulating faster in his blood vessels were pleasant. At that moment, Sangwoo felt more uneasy than ever. ¡®Your patience is no joke.¡¯ Chu Sangwoo was a thoroughly brainy human being. His world had been ruled by a control tower called reason for 25 years. However, the power of carnal desire, which usually was controlled by his stomach, rose in rebellion recently, and no matter how persecuted it was, rather than being rooted out, it was a headache as it grew stronger every day. Sangwoo lost his mind as his gaze went over Jaeyoung¡¯s silhouette: a handsomely tall guy engulfed in orange light. It was a look that he couldn¡¯t get enough of no matter how long he stared. It was someone who made him feel extremely thirsty because of the simple fact that he was standing too far away. Even though it was an irrational appreciation, he couldn¡¯t ignore it. He was out of control. Recently, he had been struggling to resist Jaeyoung¡¯s elusive temptation, but to no avail. The arousal he thought he had defeated was accumulating, and the moment he crossed the threshold, his feet moved on their own without a way to withstand the feeling of not being able to endure the distance between them. Sangwoo slowly walked and approached Jaeyoung. He was trying to come up with an excuse in his mind, but no matter how much he thought about it, there was just one answer. The flag of impulses had occupied the walls of Sangwoo¡¯s mental fortress, telling him that he couldn¡¯t resist anymore and that he¡¯d rather become a savage. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae¡­I¡­¡± Sangwoo stopped in front of Jaeyoung. He was only staring at Sangwoo, without moving one inch. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve really been wanting to do since a few days ago.¡± The serious eyes without any mischief in them whatsoever made Sangwoo nervous. As soon as Sangwoo opened his mouth to add more, Jaeyoung said, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°May I?¡± ¡°Yeah, as much as you want.¡± Sangwoo nodded and took a step closer to Jaeyoung. Since he had gotten permission to, he didn¡¯t need to hesitate. This time, he personally and willingly approached Jaeyoung with a sober mind. He looked into the brown eyes where pretty lights were reflected, extending both his arms to Jaeyoung¡¯s cheeks. The moment he lifted his heels while pulling the face towards him, Jaeyoung stepped back and hid in the shade in the alley. Blocking Sangwoo¡¯s lips with his finger as Sangwoo tried to pounce on him, he said, ¡°Softly, this time. While enjoying each bit. Can you do it?¡± Sangwoo immediately wanted to remove his finger, but Jaeyoung¡¯s attitude was so serious that he just nodded. Jaeyoung¡¯s finger slowly fell off his lips. Following the guidance, Sangwoo pushed Jaeyoung towards the dark wall. On tiptoes again, he swallowed that guy¡¯s lips. The brim of his cap touched Jaeyoung¡¯s forehead and fell behind him. Sangwoo readily inhaled the vanilla scent of the lip balm, the smell of cigarettes, the scent of Jang Jaeyoung. He felt the hand on his back stop moving when he stuck his tongue out. ¡®Oh, right. Softly.¡¯ He tightly closed his eyes, but he didn¡¯t know what to do. That¡¯s because he¡¯d never been so anxious to kiss someone before. ¡°You have to breathe through your nose.¡± The moment he followed the second guideline, which had sounded like a small thing, Jaeyoung gently surged in. His lips covered Sangwoo¡¯s, which were already slippery with saliva, and rubbed them. He slightly licked them with his tongue and slowly sucked at them with only his upper lip against his mouth. He hoped that he was going to do something else soon. Sangwoo was extremely insatiable so he pulled Jaeyoung¡¯s neck towards him. Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo¡¯s waist and tickled the inside of his lips by using the tip of his tongue. Gently, slowly, softly, he was melting Sangwoo. His tongue entered between his teeth. Sangwoo tried to be careful, but it wasn¡¯t going well. The tip of the two tongues met and soon became entangled. Jaeyoung entwined Sangwoo¡¯s tongue while simultaneously stroking his ear with his hand. As he gently stroked his earlobes, his shoulders automatically withdrew. After grazing his temple, he widely supported Sangwoo¡¯s head. He then whispered, ¡°breathe.¡± When Sangwoo exhaled his forgotten breath through his nose, he turned his head, which allowed deeper access, licking the root of his tongue. ¡®Softly, this time. While enjoying each bit.¡¯ The senses he had used while eating or similar until this point were awaked in a different way. The dizzying pleasure occupied his head, tightly embracing Jaeyoung¡¯s neck. Closer. Closer. Even closer. Deeper. Jaeyoung was gently pulled over towards him. ¡®Softly.¡¯ Jaeyoung¡¯s tongue swept through his teeth and disappeared. It made Sangwoo insatiable. Jaeyoung bit his lip slightly with his teeth. The moan he had been holding back by sheer force escaped his mouth. Jaeyoung¡¯s palm stayed on Sangwoo¡¯s cheek. He turned his head 90 degrees and rubbed his lips against the opposite side. ¡°Haah, haah¡­¡± This time, he was out of breath not because he couldn¡¯t breathe, but because of the excitement. He had no choice but to be the one to push him away first. Jaeyoung¡¯s lips slowly fell off his own. ¡°I told you my gut feeling is very accurate. I should start telling fortunes.¡± He had no way of telling whether the reason his face turned red even in the dark was due to the lighting or to the excitement. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°I told you that it isn¡¯t a competition.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that I lost to you, sunbae, but to lust.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t lust a part of you?¡± It was not the right time for a debate. That¡¯s because it was difficult for him to even stand up after the mesmerizing kiss. The desire to feel greater pleasure and the desire to escape clashed. He was afraid of something stronger. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Since his cap had been squished behind Jaeyoung¡¯s waist, it was crooked when he put it on his head. ¡°Sleep tight, Sangwoo.¡± ¡°¡­ You too, sunbae.¡± Before Sangwoo got greedier, he hurriedly headed back towards the building. return 0; ¡°Hello?¡± ¨C Did you get home safe? ¡°It takes 30 seconds, so why wouldn¡¯t I? Why did you call?¡± ¨C Because I wanted to hear your voice. ¡°Oh yeah, you said you like to hear people¡¯s voices.¡± ¨C No. I called because I wanted to hear your voice. ¡°¡­¡± ¨C ¡­ ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¨C Yeah? ¡°Why are you so skilled?¡± ¨C ¡­ ¡°Have you practiced a lot?¡± ¨C ¡­ who knows? ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, should we hang up?¡± ¨C No. Tell me about your day. ¡°Today. I had my ¡®Popular Culture & Cultural Theory¡¯ class. I don¡¯t understand Orientalism that well, but a person that takes that same class explained things well, so¡­¡± ¨C Jihye? ¡°Yes. Then I had lunch¡­ Ox Bone Soup, Seasoned Snail Noodles, Stir-fried Seaweed Stems, Yoghurt, Gakk¡­.¡± ¨C Did the two of you eat together? ¡°Yes. And a walk¡­¡± ¨C With Jihye? ¡°Yes. Oh, and I might be a bit later on Friday than usual. I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¨C Why? ¡°I have to grab dinner with someone.¡± ¨C Why? ¡°Someone told me that they have something to tell me.¡± ¨C Sangwoo. ¡°Yes?¡± ¨C What are we doing these days? ¡°Producing a game.¡± ¨C Apart from that. ¡°Sunbae¡­. Is waiting for me.¡± ¨C For what? ¡°Do I have to say it out loud?¡± ¨C Mm. ¡°Sex.¡± ¨C Why do you think I want to do that with you? ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s up to you, sunbae.¡± ¨C Got it. Can you give me Jihye¡¯s number? ¡°Why?¡± ¨C Because I haven¡¯t greeted her in a while. ¡°I can¡¯t give our personal information. I¡¯ll ask her in person on Friday, and if she¡¯s okay with it, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¨C Okay, I¡¯m hanging up. See you at our next meeting. Click. ¡°See you tomorrow, hyung.¡± Chapter 13.01 Chapter 1 ¨C La dame du mercredi Annotation page 1) Lady of Wednesday A 21-year-old female college student who likes French Romanticism Literature. Unlike the essence of the image such literature gives off, Ryu Jihye was a realist. Even though she enjoyed consuming Victor Hugo or Flaubert, dating in that manner was actually a turn-off. Each time she had failed in her three relationships, rather than feeling sad, she looked at the characteristics of her future relationship subjects that should be filtered out. Someone who doesn¡¯t boast too much, doesn¡¯t spend too much time on their looks, doesn¡¯t have too many friends, doesn¡¯t use a lot of flowery language, isn¡¯t overly confident about their appearance, doesn¡¯t wear tight t-shirts, doesn¡¯t smoke, isn¡¯t unintelligent, doesn¡¯t drink too much, or doesn¡¯t lie a lot, etc. Considering such aspects, Chu Sangwoo would be the perfect boyfriend. To Jihye, he was a stainless spot with no bad characteristics. Even if he wasn¡¯t her usual type, the more she saw him, the better he seemed. However, her first impression of him hadn¡¯t been very good. Three months prior, Jihye had been a bit greedy and wanted to put her stuff in the locker in advance. She had struggled while packing her boxes with books that she wouldn¡¯t even read. The passerby she met at the time was Chu Sangwoo. Their first encounter had been neither fateful nor romantic. Didn¡¯t people usually feel bad when they saw a person grunting and groaning a lot while carrying heavy stuff? Jihye thought he was quite merciless after she had to latch onto him while he just walked past her after witnessing her box fall down on the ground with stuff pouring out everywhere. ¡®Where are you going?¡¯ The first thing she heard coming out from that mouth was as curt as the flat expression on his lips. He had been wearing a black padded-jacket, a black hat, and straight-cut jeans that made it seem like he didn¡¯t care about the fit. She thought that his personality was as gloomy as his style. It was just that he had been the only one around to help her. ¡®It seems to exceed 30kg. Even professional couriers would charge extra at this weight.¡¯ Why did she get hooked on those words? Perhaps it was a mindless suggestion to just treat him to a meal, but in Jihye¡¯s ears, she could only hear the coy question of why she was carrying such a heavy thing alone. Everything has changed since then. His brusque face seemed full of responsibility, and his appearance, which she had considered ordinary, seemed warm to her. She had asked about his name and which subject he was majoring in. He had looked annoyed, but still responded to everything. She didn¡¯t know why, but when he had taken off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves when they were half-way to the library, he had looked really cool. Despite the beads of sweat on his forehead and the moderately muscular arms, she kept glancing at him. However, Ryu Jihye wasn¡¯t a romantic. She didn¡¯t fall in love with Chu Sangwoo at first sight. That guy steadily got better. At first, he was a bit of a weird person. Then, he was a unique person, a decent person, a good person, a sincere person. When she had decided not to let go, it was already mid-semester. The problem was that her opponent didn¡¯t have any interest in her whatsoever. When they spoke, it wasn¡¯t that their personalities didn¡¯t match, but Sangwoo rarely made eye-contact with Jihye. No, even when he was with Jihye, he didn¡¯t look at her. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m not pretty?¡¯ She tried wearing clothes that guys liked and she went on the Internet to learn how to change her makeup, but it didn¡¯t have any effect at all. Sangwoo still wasn¡¯t interested in Jihye at all. But Jihye didn¡¯t give up. She thought that if she kept trying, her sincerity would be shown one day. In fact, they walked around the festival together, which showed signs of improvement in their relationship. But then, an unexpected disturbance got in her way. Jang Jaeyoung. Until a few months ago, he had just been a cool sunbae who felt like a celebrity. Like a celebrity actor that was a good friend. A handsome guy who turned people around him into squids1. A tall and stylish waiter at an Italian restaurant. A theater star who sells out tickets by mere rumors of him appearing in a performance. She didn¡¯t think she¡¯d become acquainted with such an unreal person, but thanks to Chu Sangwoo, she got to know him. She was very excited when they ate at the cafeteria and she got to know him. Who doesn¡¯t like eating with a handsome sunbae? But he wasn¡¯t just a great sunbae. ¡®You seem to be quite close to our Sangwoo, even calling him nicknames.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry about Sangwoo. I¡¯ll bring him home.¡¯ The first time they met at the school cafeteria, she just thought that his personality was a bit weird, but then moved on. However, he had been even more outspoken at the ghost bar during the school festival. His level of cockiness easily exceeded his level of tactlessness. If Jihye¡¯s gut was correct, then that had been a warning to his rival. ¡°Do you like Sangwoo?¡± Jang Jaeyoung had asked her without greeting her, at a private meeting between the two that would make her friends envious of her if they had heard about it. He had asked within a second after her sitting down. Jihye had looked at the other person¡¯s face while feeling things were absurd, but his eyes hadn¡¯t revealed anything. As if bored, he was biting into his straw and drinking something that looked like an Americano. He was wearing a black T-shirt with creepily drawn eyes on it, and he had several studded earrings on, and even a tattoo on his arm. Even as Jihye felt frightened, a sense of determination had awakened. So she responded with ¡°Yes,¡± more resolutely. Jaeyoung had stared at Jihye with a blank expression. ¡°If you and Sangwoo fell into the water, and there was just one life jacket. What would you do?¡± Jihye¡¯s face crumbled at the first rude question. She thought that it might be a Nonsense Quiz, but she couldn¡¯t think of a witty response. She responded to an irrational question in a sensible way. ¡°I¡¯d have to use it to begin with.¡± Jihye was accumulating good feelings for Sangwoo, but it was still just one-sided. Moreover, it was the 21st century, and Romeo and Juliet had committed suicide together. ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t Chu Sangwoo drown?¡± Her opponent asked ridiculous questions and properly threw the answering Jihye into the trash can. After being dumbfounded, Jihye finally responded. ¡°Then should I die?¡± ¡°What you¡¯re saying is that you don¡¯t like him enough that you wouldn¡¯t be able to live on if he died. Then you might as well give up.¡± ¡°Why is that the conclusion?¡± Jihye felt dizzy by the unpredictable flow. In a fit of rage, she responded, ¡°Then if it were you, oppa, would you give the vest to Sangwoo and fall into the water?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like playing in the water, so I don¡¯t go to places like that with Sangwoo. Sangwoo feels the same way.¡± Jihye lost her ability to speak and just blinked. He was an older senior student, a school celebrity, and above all, a person closer to Chu Sangwoo than herself. Jihye had been pushed by her opponent in many ways, but she didn¡¯t want to be dragged around in such an absurd manner. She clenched her fist and fought back. ¡°Do you perhaps like Sangwoo, oppa?¡± Jang Jaeyoung was a man, and so was Chu Sangwoo. It might be a sensitive topic, so she tried not to ask him directly. However, he kept threatening her, so she couldn¡¯t remain calm. ¡°Yeah.¡± But the question was too easily answered. Jihye looked around without realizing it. There were few people at the school caf¨¦ at 3 p.m. on a Thursday. They had been sitting down in a corner on purpose. Jaeyoung drank through his straw, and then said, ¡°You have to say that I like him enough to risk you going around and making a fuss about it.¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 13.02 Here it was again, the other person¡¯s way of turning someone into trash. Jihye was the quiet type, and she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to make herself miserable by going around and spreading rumors such as she had been poorly treated by an oppa that liked the same oppa she did. ¡°It looks like I have a good personality, right?¡± Jaeyoung sarcastically asked. Jihye frowned and shook her head. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Correct. I have a bad temper. If things don¡¯t go my way, I¡¯m good at getting nasty like that.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind people talking about me.¡± Jaeyoung pulled his chair forward and sat close to the table. His calm gaze changed. ¡°I won¡¯t let go if you avoid Sangwoo even one bit.¡± Jihye was scared by the gaze that stared at her as if a screw were missing or as if he could destroy anything. She had been frozen for a while before she came to her senses. ¡®I have to pull myself together! I haven¡¯t done anything wrong!¡¯ Was it wrong to want to date an oppa who was taking the same class as her? She didn¡¯t know if those two were dating, but Chu Sangwoo hadn¡¯t given off any vibes like that at all. So the way she was being treated now was too unjust. Jihye tapped her cheeks with her hands and pulled herself together. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it a secret, so don¡¯t speak in such a scary way¡± Calm down the wild beast who was in a hurry. ¡°And I had no idea. If the two of you are dating, then I should obviously give up.¡± He was hit with a counter punch. It didn¡¯t escape Jihye¡¯s notice that the other person¡¯s eyes were slightly narrowed. If they were dating, they could implicitly just convey a message through Sangwoo not to flirt with him, and she guessed that they wouldn¡¯t bother to separately call her out to have to talk. Jihye concluded that they didn¡¯t have any kind of relationship. ¡°No matter what, I think the reason you¡¯re irritated is because you¡¯re too smart.¡± Jaeyoung said while smiling, but it didn¡¯t sound like a compliment at all. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Jihye made a humorless laugh. She wiped the sweat on her palms on her jeans and sat up straight so that she wouldn¡¯t look like a pushover. After a moment of silence, Jaeyoung spoke. ¡°We¡¯re not dating. It¡¯s a one-sided crush.¡± It was something unfavorable to himself, but he said it with a casual attitude. Jaeyoung looked up and they made eye contact. ¡°But, what difference does it make?¡± Obviously, that changed everything. If they were together, Jihye would become a nasty obstacle, but if Jang Jaeyoung was crushing on him like she was, then she became an equal competitor. ¡°If we¡¯re in the same boat, oppa, then I have no reason to give up, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Jihye stopped talking. No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t tell what part she was mistaken about. Jaeyoung drank his soda and she saw his nails. When he lowered his eyes, his face looked as beautiful as one of those on photo shoots in feature magazines. Jihye wondered how a person with this type of character could have such a fine shell. ¡°You don¡¯t think you and I are fighting over Sangwoo, are you? Ey, no way.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re not?¡± Jihye couldn¡¯t think of another plot. If he wasn¡¯t trying to separate himself from her, why did he bother to cross the line and ask for her number? Jaeyoung leaned back against the chair and slightly smiled. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you. You¡¯re not a threat to me at all.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Between Sangwoo and me, you¡¯re not even an obstacle. The obstacle in this relationship is Chu Sangwoo himself, and nothing else.¡± Jihye looked at the changing expression in his eyes that went from arrogant to playful, to sharp, while waiting for his next words. ¡°You¡¯re planning on confessing to him while grabbing dinner, aren¡¯t you? Let¡¯s date. Let¡¯s say that you said that. Can¡¯t you guess the response?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. This semester, I haven¡¯t scheduled time for dating since I¡¯m concentrating on studying for my major and producing a game.¡± Jaeyoung said with a sullen look after slightly lifting his chin. It was a perfect impersonation of stiff speech. Jihye almost burst into laughter even though it wasn¡¯t a moment like that. ¡°He might just answer in a simple way. ¡®I have no time to waste for things like that.¡¯¡± Jaeyoung, who had finished his method acting of Chu Sangwoo, returned to his normal form. Even if Jihye had had fun for a moment, she was brought back to the position of dealing with Jaeyoung. There was no way for her to feel good. The line he had chosen was so plausible, it seemed as if he had taken it out of Chu Sangwoo¡¯s head, so even if she hadn¡¯t confessed yet, she felt as if she had been dumped. She had been prepared to be dumped anyway. She didn¡¯t even expect them to be able to date this time. Nevertheless, she was planning on confessing to Chu Sangwoo in order to imprint herself on him. After doing so, she thought that there might be a chance if she kept building good impressions of herself step by step. Even if it wasn¡¯t this semester, then one day. That was Jihye¡¯s strategy. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying. But if I¡¯m not a threat, then why did you call me?¡± Jihye couldn¡¯t control her expressions anymore. She could stare at her sunbae, with whom was six years apart from, with a blank expression, but she couldn¡¯t afford to pretend to be kind. Jaeyoung vacantly stared at Jihye, and then answered. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m annoyed.¡± Those words weren¡¯t too serious. She strongly felt like Jaeyoung didn¡¯t view her as an equal opponent, so Jihye took a big hit. ¡°I¡¯ve been very sensitive lately, so I get upset when I think about Sangwoo taking classes, talking, eating, and going on walks with other people, in places where I don¡¯t see him.¡± She got a headache. It reminded her of a movie about a mother-in-law who was obsessed with her son, and she also remembered the story of a morbidly jealous husband who stopped all the relationships his wife had. She had definitely heard that he was a cool guy. Yet, seeing this, she had no idea how such words had come out. ¡°A confession in such a situation? Even if I know it¡¯s pointless, I don¡¯t like it. What I¡¯m saying is you saying such words to Sangwoo, Sangwoo listening to such words, I don¡¯t like it, Jihye. You get what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Jaeyoung softly said. She thought that she understood what he was saying, but it didn¡¯t really make sense. If he was so confident, why would he be so jealous of her, who didn¡¯t even have a sliver of hope of continuing with Chu Sangwoo? Moreover, Jihye thought it was strange for a person who was chosen by the most pretty and well-off unnis at school to date, to ignore them in order to have a crush on the indifferent Chu Sangwoo. ¡®What the hell is wrong with him?¡¯ She sensed something else after reflecting on the petty and ridiculous words Jaeyoung had poured out. Even while devoted to her major in Literature, it had been Jihye who never understood Jullien¡¯s attraction towards Raynal or Quasimodo¡¯s desperation for Esmeralda. She had never felt such passion before, so she thought it was just a thing found in novels. However, after dining and going on walks with Chu Sangwoo and hearing him growl, she could feel the heat. ¡®I guess he really loves him¡­¡¯ She felt lost. Not only that, but¡­ ¡®I hate that bas¡­ no, that person that I don¡¯t know what to do.¡¯ ¡®That¡­ Jang¡­ Jaeyoung sunbae. He seems to have a girlfriend.¡¯ ¡®If you agree, then see you at ¡®Olive Tree¡¯ by six.¡¯ She quickly racked through her brain to figure out the situation she was facing. Why hadn¡¯t she figured it out earlier? No matter what way it was through, whether it was under the mask of a gaming console or begging her to explain cultural theory to him, Chu Sangwoo was the one who took initiative, and it was all related to Jang Jaeyoung. ¡®It might not be a one-sided crush.¡¯ Chapter 13.03 Jihye¡¯s combat power was rapidly declining. Everything made sense according to that hypothesis. If Chu Sangwoo leaned that way, then it would explain why he hadn¡¯t as much as looked at Jihye. Perhaps the two were already in a romantic relationship. Jaeyoung may have even lied about being considerate of Sangwoo. Jihye swept her face with her hand. She was on the verge of defeat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have neither the time nor the liberty, nor am I even in the mood to be here while you sit over there and worry. I¡¯ll say my piece and leave,¡± Jaeyoung quickly said at one point. Jihye nodded and fixed her hair. She adjusted her posture and looked at her opponent once again. He was as expressionless as he had been when she had seen him upon entering the caf¨¦. ¡°Chu Sangwoo, he¡¯s one that makes one greedy. I, too, understand. He¡¯s smart, cute, abides by the law, and has a cute neck. He¡¯ll even make a lot of money once he graduates. ¡®Wow¡­ Really, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡¯ Jihye narrowed her eyes again, but Jaeyoung continued his businesslike speech regardless. ¡°What right do I have to force you to give up? Whether you keep hanging around Sangwoo like you do now, or if you make a clean break, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Jihye feigned a smile. She was confused about what he was doing, with him telling her to distance herself from Chu Sangwoo as soon as possible, which was the same as him forcing her to do so, yet telling her that it was up to her. Jaeyoung laughed and continued. ¡°But, if you keep hanging around him, you have to be prepared to compete against me. Unlike you, I¡¯m an obstacle that will drive a person to the point of exhaustion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I look forward to seeing how bad it will be.¡± ¡®I knew it.¡¯ Jihye, who had already lost her combat power, sarcastically laughed. When she had entered the caf¨¦, she had thought that she would be the one to get up first after clearly revealing her feelings, but when she came to her senses, she had been torn apart and was worn out. Stifling her breath, Jihye finally said, ¡°are you threatening me?¡± ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t I tell you that it was a threat to begin with?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear such a thing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it for the threat, and I¡¯m going to conciliate with you now.¡± Jaeyoung grabbed and pushed forward a briefcase from the seat next to him. With a suspicious look on her face, Jihye accepted a heavy envelope. ¡®It can¡¯t possibly be money?¡¯ The ridiculous idea crossed her mind, but when she opened it, it contained letter-sized documents. Each page contained photos of people and brief personal information about them. Jihye frowned while going over the list. The son of a congressman, a vocalist, a medical student, a law student, a music student, an amateur baseball player, a robotics developer, a voice actor, a prospective employee of a large foreign company¡­ She went over each profile of the guys that looked as if they were meticulous about their appearance without a single hair being out of place. ¡°I didn¡¯t know your type, so I picked a bit of everything. Everyone can be introduced to you. There¡¯s no limit. If you don¡¯t like anyone, I¡¯ll find you new ones.¡± ¡°How many on earth are there here?¡± ¡°50 people.¡± ¡°Eric Smithson? What the?¡­¡± There were even foreigners of Swedish nationality. ¡°He speaks Korean very well. He might even be better than you.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?¡± Jihye couldn¡¯t help but laugh as the situation was so absurd. She saw a familiar face as she went over the last page with a faint feeling of desperation. Park Hyungjin, 21, 180cm. Majoring in philosophy at Hanguk University. Current president of the theater department. Aspiring actor. Very responsible and loyal. Caring type when in a relationship. ¡°Is this person that Frankenstein guy?¡± ¡°He wore a lot of makeup that day, but you still remember him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but to remember him, can I? You sent him to our table so many times, oppa!¡± ¡°He did it on his own later on. He seemed to be interested in you.¡± Jihye was speechless and puffed her cheeks up. She thought that it was ridiculous for this face to be the same age as her, but she was drawn to the words ¡®majoring in philosophy.¡¯ ¡°Is the first contestant Hyungjin then?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Jihye placed the thick pile of blind-date documents into the envelope and put it in her bag. She straightened herself, sat up, and looked at Jaeyoung. He looked intimidating with his threats and conciliations, but she still didn¡¯t want to look like a pushover. ¡°For now, I understand. I¡¯ll consider giving up on my feelings.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. Giving up is not because of your threat or your conciliatory bribe, oppa. I haven¡¯t lost my reason enough to be as shameless as you, oppa. I just don¡¯t want to get involved in a relationship that seems to be underway already.¡± Jaeyoung laughed without saying a word. She could hear the line ¡®either way.¡¯ After hesitating, Jihye asked, ¡°we can still be friends though, right?¡± ¡°No. What have you been listening to so far?¡± The response was an immediate one. Jihye slightly felt like she had been wronged, so she raised her voice. ¡°How come? He¡¯s not interested in me anyway! He always treats me like a vending machine that explains cultural theory whenever a button is pressed. If something is incorrectly explained, I¡¯m seen as a broken machine and get told that I have to study twice as hard!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he always like that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just liking him rationally. When I¡¯m with Sangchu oppa, it¡¯s nice and I have fun. I¡¯m saying that I¡¯d like to be friends with him.¡± ¡°You being like that is why I don¡¯t like it.¡± Jaeyoung folded his arms and put on a brazen look. ¡°Are you his younger sister?1 What do you mean by oppa, when you don¡¯t even share a single drop of blood. And how dare you give your heavenly sunbae a vegetable nickname?¡±2 ¡°Sangchu oppa said it¡¯s fine if I call him that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Then what should I call him?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t address him. If you absolutely have to address him, then call him Mr. Chu. Ey, Mr. Chu! Like this.¡± A combined laugh and sigh escaped. Jaeyoung himself was laughing as if he was dumbfounded, so she couldn¡¯t tell if it was a joke or if he was being serious. ¡®What kind of situation is this, really?¡¯ Jihye felt both wronged and happy, so she felt confused. ¡°Oh, really¡­ Sangchu o¡­ No, does Mr. Ch, Chu, know that sunbae is this kind of person?¡± ¡°Who knows? I think he thinks of me as an angel that¡¯s great at design.¡± ¡°I feel bad for Chu sunbae.¡± ¡°If you know how hard I¡¯m trying, then you would say such things.¡± While muttering such words, Jaeyoung grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and checked the time. He rose from his seat while Jihye stared at him. ¡°I have to go. I¡¯ll give you a call when I want to be introduced.¡±3 ¡°Gotcha.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t call me. Sangwoo might misunderstand.¡± ¡°So what?!¡± Jihye cried out. ¡°Does it seem like a joke? It¡¯s not.¡± Jaeyoung left her with those words. Jihye remained in her seat for a while, staring at the seat he had left from in a whirlwind. Realizing that she had mindlessly been sitting there, a dejected laugh escaped her. ¡®That¡¯s how it turned out.¡¯ She lost the game without any chance of winning. She had made a wise choice. Even if she comforted herself, she couldn¡¯t help but to feel regret. She thought that the effort she had put in so far had been a waste, that it was comical, why she always did things half-heartedly, and what it would feel to love like they did in movies or books. Thoughts. Thoughts. Thoughts. She had followed her head and not her heart this time as well. Jihye didn¡¯t hate herself for being like that. It was the 21st century, not the era when Romeo and Juliet commit suicide together. ¡°I guess it means I should study.¡± She got up with a shrug. Even if it wasn¡¯t much, at least she¡¯d do better on the next final exam than Chu Sangwoo who¡¯d be busy dating. Her pride didn¡¯t allow her to forget that she had gotten eight points less than him on the midterm, despite studying the way she did. Jihye pushed the coffee shop door, stepped outside, and saw the unusually blue sky. ¡°The weather is annoyingly good!¡± The fourth romantic relationship of romanticist Jihye had ended before it even started. New characteristics to filter out in future romantic relationships ¨C ¡®No good-looking guys hanging around them.¡¯ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 14.01 Chapter 2 ¨C <1000> ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­ Ryu Jihye, Department of French Language and Literature: Sunbae, something urgent came up, so I have to cancel our appointment. I¡¯m sorry. 22:37 Got it. 23:49 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­ Sangwoo sent a reply and put the cell phone down. There had been two changes to the cancellation of his Friday evening appointment. First, he was able to get to the work studio on time. The other change was¡­ ¡°I have to get rid of them, though.¡± He blankly stared at the movie tickets that were on the desk. They were goods worth 10,000 won.1 The tickets that Jaeyoung had slipped under his door two months ago expired this Sunday. Even if he had been drunk when he lost the gaming console Jihye had given him, he didn¡¯t think it was enough to just buy her a bowl of udon after receiving something worth 130,000 won, so he had planned on giving her the tickets.2 However, their appointment had been canceled, so his plan had been ruined. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to sell them.¡¯ However, considering the events and connections he had on Friday, there were only two people he could sell tickets to ¨C Choi Yuna and Jang Jaeyoung. Moreover, between the two, it was better to sell what he had received from Jaeyoung (moreover after fighting over it) to Yuna than to sell it back to him. What Jaeyoung had said to him at the time, came to Sangwoo¡¯s mind as if he had searched a database with the word ¡®movie.¡¯ ¡®Do you wanna go watch a movie?¡¯ ¡®Huh? I ask you to go watch it together. I was going to give you a ticket to go watch it by yourself.¡¯ ¡®Go watch a movie with me.¡¯ ¡®Hey, you asshole. Was asking you to go to the movies with me awful enough for you to skip class?¡¯ ¡®What kind of ancient mindset is that? I can watch movies just fine with men. I even went yesterday.¡¯ It was a memory from the day when Jaeyoung had come to the PC Room with a laptop that lacked a RAM-card, the day he had felt sexually attracted to him for the first time, and the day he cursed at him in front of his door. ¡°You seem to like movies.¡± In retrospect, he had sung along with movie soundtracks. That was the moment he came up with a way of disposing of the movie tickets without selling them. After contemplating it for a bit, Sangwoo decided to push for a second option. At midnight, he checked his emails and opened the folder with the work that Jaeyoung had sent him. He gave feedback on a few things that he didn¡¯t like, sent a reply, and shut his computer down. He turned off the lights, went under his duvet, and closed his eyes. return 0; ¡°The person who sits there, where did they go?¡± Jaeyoung, who had just greeted Sangwoo using his eyes, as he was in the middle of working, spun his chair around at the question. The T-shirt with a hexahedron inside a cube with another hexahedron inside looked interesting. Then, there was a look on his face that expressed that there was something he was unhappy with. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re asking me without even greeting me?¡± ¡°You looked busy, so I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°If I look busy, then why would you ask useless questions?¡± ¡°I apologize. Please keep working.¡± Sangwoo felt a little frustrated after being attacked out of the blue, but he thought Jaeyoung had made a reasonable point, so he dropped his guard. When he set up his laptop and his mouse and sat down, Jaeyoung asked, ¡°What do you want with Yuna?¡± ¡°I had some business with her, but since she¡¯s away, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°With kind of business?¡± ¡°I was going to sell something.¡± ¡°Sell it to me.¡± Sangwoo frowned and made eye contact with him. Jaeyoung tended to be persistent and get the answer he wanted to hear whenever the mood was like this. He decided it would be better to spill it rather than waste time. ¡°The movie tickets you slipped under my door. They expire this weekend.¡± Jaeyoung made a twisted smile. That was the reason he didn¡¯t want to say anything to begin with. It was uncomfortable for both of them. Sangwoo told Jaeyoung before the latter would fail to control his emotions and curse at him or get annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna buy it, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re asking?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Do you want to watch a movie?¡± Jaeyoung furrowed his eyebrows. He looked as if he didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°Never mind if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Sangwoo said and turned towards his computer. He could hear the wheels of his chair moving. ¡°The two of us?¡± Sangwoo nodded silently. He could feel the other person¡¯s eyes staring at his profile, so heat was building up on his cheeks. Jaeyoung kept doing that for quite a while, then he blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t it disgusting between men?¡± Sangwoo glared at the monitor. At the time, he had sincerely thought so, and his mindset hadn¡¯t changed since then. However, he didn¡¯t have any justification to say that anymore. ¡°I¡¯ve done worse than that now, so.¡± ¡°Since you shat already, it doesn¡¯t matter if you fart now?¡± ¡°Really, that metaphor¡­ Like I said, if you don¡¯t want to, forget it. I¡¯ll put it up on ¡®Used Kingdom.¡¯3 Jaeyoung became quiet. Sangwoo logged in to a used goods website, wrote a title for the post, then the other said, ¡°Reserve tickets for Jeongryun-dong. I¡¯ll pick you up in front of the PC room at 10 tomorrow.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s fingers stopped while entering the price. They were merely words of a time and a place, but his heart was pounding as if it had heard something infuriating. ¡®It¡¯s not a big deal.¡¯ Choi Yuna wasn¡¯t in the work studio, so as a second option, he decided to give it to Jaeyoung. He had recently drawn a picture on his arm, even given him a bite of a dumpling, and he must have made a profit of around 10,000 won. He shut down the tab which displayed the used goods website, and the main page of a multiplex appeared in the new tab. Sangwoo¡¯s finger diligently clicked on the mouse. It was something he was doing for the first time since November four years ago when he had a girlfriend. ¡°Choose. 1st: The Revival of Superman. 2nd: The Spies¡¯ Younger Sister. 3rd: Pyupyu and Kyukyu. 4th: Hot Hot Hot.¡± ¡°4th one, Hot Hot Hot.¡± ¡°Did you choose it because you know what it is?¡± Sangwoo stared at the bright red poster and then turned his head towards Jaeyoung as if he were pathetic. He had returned to his seat at some point, and he shrugged his shoulders with an innocent expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It sounds like an erotic movie, so sounds good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reserve tickets for The Revival of Superman. It¡¯s the top selling one.¡± ¡°Yes. Do you as you wish, my lord. What would your servant know?¡± He selected the time, the amount, the seats, and then he paid. Sangwoo rapidly proceeded with the reservation and then quickly spoke. ¡°I reserved seats for The Revival of Superman. Jeongryun-dong International Cinema. 10:35 p.m. Salon 5, L13 and L14.¡± ¡°Thanks for informing me, Siri.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s how Sangwoo not only just kissed a man, but also went to the movies with one. return 0; When he finished his part-time job on Saturday, Sangwoo informed the manager of his plan of only working until May, considering his schedules for the game production and the final exams. The manager seemed regretful, so he poked him about why he was so busy that he ended up being delayed for 10 minutes. To make up for it, Sangwoo took the stairs after asking him to finish work 10 minutes earlier next time. Jaeyoung¡¯s car was parked on the road when he appeared outside. It was a hatchback with a stripe design on it. The white boxy car, which looked just like a refrigerator, had red mirrors and a red rooftop. The owner of the car was leaning against it while looking at his phone. Jaeyoung was wearing light gray pants and a white shirt that Sangwoo was seeing for the first time. He couldn¡¯t see his earrings or his glasses, and he was wearing a watch and a leather bracelet on his wrist, because his rolled up sleeves made them visible. It was hard to tell what exactly it was, but his hair seemed somehow different from usual. Sangwoo, who had stopped and just stood there for a bit, started walking again. ¡®How do I look?¡¯ For the first time in his life, his own clothes bothered him. Sangwoo¡¯s gaze slowly went over his black sneakers, old, worn-out jeans, and his navy blue shirt. His walking pace slowed a bit, and then accelerated again. ¡®I¡¯m just meeting Jaeyoung, so why do I have to care?¡¯ Sangwoo approached the front of the car in a slightly bad mood. Jaeyoung raised his head and smiled at Sangwoo. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our first date. I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say weird things and just get in the car.¡± Jaeyoung ignored Sangwoo¡¯s words and fully opened the passenger door. Sangwoo hesitated for a second when he urged him to get in. It was the first time he had ridden in the car since That Day. ¡°Your glasses?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t wear them.¡± ¡°Then should I drive?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I have a Class 1 Driver¡¯s License.¡±4 ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± He quickly walked to the driver¡¯s seat, opened the door, and sat down. Sangwoo glared at him and saw the digital watch displaying 10:12 p.m. The movie started at 35 minutes past 10, and it would take at least 10 minutes to get to Jeongryun-dong. If they kept delaying here, they¡¯d be late. He didn¡¯t have any choice but to close the door by the passenger seat. When Jaeyoung fastened the seatbelt, he slightly supported his arm on Sangwoo¡¯s headrest and turned the steering wheel while looking back. He was merely reversing the car, but Sangwoo¡¯s gaze moved towards Jaeyoung¡¯s collarbones, which were revealed underneath the shirt with two undone buttons. There was a vein popping out from his neck that stretched from his jawline. Sangwoo felt dizzy as he absentmindedly studied Jaeyoung¡¯s profile. Then, he made eye contact with him as he changed gears again. ¡°When you don¡¯t even notice the real tricks,¡± Jaeyoung murmured while staring straight ahead again. They were words he couldn¡¯t grasp no matter how many times he went over them. Sangwoo still felt anxious. ¡°You¡¯re worried that I won¡¯t be able to drive well since I¡¯m not wearing glasses, aren¡¯t you?¡± He spoke as if he had entered and left Sangwoo¡¯s mind, so Sangwoo nodded. ¡°What¡¯s my eyesight?¡± ¡°Slightly shortsighted at 0.7 with astigmatism.¡± ¡°I can see all signs well at that point.¡± ¡°You have insurance, right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to pay for any repairs.¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 14.02 unedited ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear your glasses?¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t respond for quite a while. Then he got stuck at a stop signal and made eye contact with Sangwoo while they were waiting. ¡°You have to know that for great things to happen, small sacrifices must be made.¡± ¡°Why is that phrase brought up in this situation?¡± Jaeyoung just told him that he didn¡¯t need to know and kept driving. Sangwoo didn¡¯t disturb the guy who was already in an anxious state of mind. Jaeyoung stopped the car at a remote paid parking lot, not the one belonging to the multiplex. He didn¡¯t properly respond when Sangwoo asked why. There were 11 minutes left until the movie started, so they half-ran, half-walked to the movie theater. Jaeyoung made Sangwoo angry as he dragged his feet in order to buy popcorn when they arrived. He hadn¡¯t thought that the process of going to the movies with him would be greatly satisfying, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this hectic. He felt like he got a glimpse of how Jaeyoung usually went about his day, why he couldn¡¯t keep deadlines, and why he often was late to meetings. ¡°You may enter salon five for The Revival of Superman.¡± Sangwoo showed the digital tickets he had loaded on his phone in advance to an employee, so he was guided inside. Even as three minutes had passed since the movie began, Jaeyoung still walked slowly. ¡°We¡¯re late. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°They show ads for 10 minutes.¡± ¡°It definitely says that it starts at 35 past, but it¡¯s 38 past right now.¡± Jaeyoung handed Sangwoo the popcorn bucket and then stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Sangwoo had a lot of complaints, but he didn¡¯t have any choice but to chew and swallow what had been put in his mouth. He was planning on expressing his thoughts once he finished eating it, but Jaeyoung covered his mouth in the same manner. Meanwhile, they appeared in front of the salon. ¡°It¡¯s L13 and L14.¡± ¡°These are good seats.¡± Jaeyoung glanced at the seating chart and entered the dark theater. There weren¡¯t many people as it was the tail end of the movie¡¯s screening period and quite late. Their row of seats were empty, with the exception of an elderly couple in the corner. As Jaeyoung had said, ads were in full swing on the screen. After sitting down, Sangwoo turned off his cell phone, placed it in his pocket and leaned back, so he felt better. He slowly blinked his eyes as if to expel all the recent chaos from his mind. He felt thirsty suddenly, and Jaeyoung offered him soda as if he had read his mind. He thought that he was going to drink it by himself, so he had only brought one straw. Sangwoo opened his mouth to complain, but then closed it again. ¡®Why would you care about such things? Between two people who¡¯ve even kissed.¡¯ That¡¯s because he already knew how he would respond. Without a word, he slurped the tangy drink. When he handed Jaeyoung the cup back, the guy bit the straw. The dark drink was rapidly pulled up the transparent straw. As he did that, Sangwoo wondered why he stared at people¡¯s faces that intensively. The lighting that changed in the dark space lit up on the side of Jaeyoung¡¯s face. Dark, then bright; his face changed accordingly. The shadow that his nose made on his cheek narrowed and widened repeatedly. Even though Sangwoo had just drunk, his mouth was dry. The surface of his eyes tinged because he hadn¡¯t blinked. Who was the winner of this long staring contest? It was probably Jaeyoung. That¡¯s because when the screen darkened and all the lights dimmed, Sangwoo closed his eyes and then kissed him. Even if he got startled along with their surroundings Let¡¯s say that he had thought that he was asleep the first time, and that they had been drunk the second time, and that the other times had been gently agreed on. This time, however, he had acted with permission at a person who clearly was awake. Since he had covered his eyes with his hand, he had missed the beginning parts of the movie. ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ Sangwoo didn¡¯t like such things. He shot a glance at the man who had seduced him, but he was just looking at the screen with an indifferent expression. The hand was casually placed on the joint armrest as if it were natural, and wickedly bobbed up and down like a spider. Sangwoo forced himself to sit properly and look straight ahead. Fortunately, the plot was so simple that it didn¡¯t prevent him from understanding it even if he had missed the beginning. An alien who can fly at lightning speed, has skin that can withstand any physical damage, and whose energy source is filled up by sunlight, has emerged. The plot was of a super-alien with x-ray vision, who can fight off the enemy¡¯s plan to exploit his weakness. Sangwoo was tormented in two ways. One was due to there being many incomprehensible parts of the movie, and the other was that Jaeyoung kept moving his hands. His fingers, illuminated in the dark, didn¡¯t know how to remain still. He tapped the armrest with his fingertips, stretched them out as if he were playing, and even flipped his hand so his palm was facing upwards sometimes. Maybe it was because Sangwoo had deliberately not looked at Jaeyoung¡¯s hand for the past two and a half hours, but it seemed like the latter¡¯s facial expression hadn¡¯t changed. Jaeyoung seemed to be a mentally disturbed person. After the movie, they walked out of the theater in silence. As they came out of the elevator, warm air hit their arm. The night sky was black and the streets were gray. It was already past one in the morning and the previously crowded main road in Jeoungryun-dong was empty. ¡°What did you think about the movie?¡± Jaeyoung, who had not said a word in nine minutes, asked. He looked relaxed with his right hand in his pocket. ¡°Should Superman be classified as an animal or a plant?¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°He gets his energy from the air and the sunlight. Even if his body structure is as complex as a human¡¯s, wouldn¡¯t it be right to classify him as a plant rather than an animal if he lives in a similar way to things that survive via photosynthesis?¡± ¡°Uh¡­. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s a line about shaving in the middle of the story. How did they cut off his body hair? Not a single strand was burnt off in the middle of the supernova explosion. A regular iron razor wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± ¡°It was sad that kryptonite was his weakness.¡± That had been the only scene that Sangwoo had been immersed in. It was a scene where Superman, who was invincible, collapsed on a piece of stone brought from his home planet. It wasn¡¯t until the green stone was brought close to his skin, which hadn¡¯t been affected by radiation from uranium, that he became weak like a normal human. Sangwoo felt a sense of crisis as if he were the one being affected. ¡°The Deus EX Machina, well.¡± ¡°Well what?¡± ¡°In short, it¡¯s a cheat key. It isn¡¯t interesting if it¡¯s too powerful, so they always use kryptonite to corner Superman. But then it doesn¡¯t mean much since the crisis is easily resolved.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Superheroes are usually like that. The important thing is that Superman is very handsome, strong, on our side, and that he¡¯s wearing tights.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s left hand moved in a complex orbit in the air. He clutched the hem of the chest area on his shirt and pulled at it a couple of times as if it were hot. Sangwoo stared blankly at his profile, which looked more scholarly today. ¡°Sunbae. I didn¡¯t know, but you¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°What the hell do you think of me?¡± Human scum, thug, psycho, sadist, trash. So much had changed since before that he really didn¡¯t know at this point. When he took his eyes off Jaeyoung and looked straight ahead, he saw tall trees planted in an orderly fashion on both sides of the street. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°This is Jyeongryun Park.¡± ¡°Why did we walk this way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shortcut.¡± Sangwoo frowned. If it was a shortcut, why hadn¡¯t they walked this way earlier? Then they wouldn¡¯t have been late. He was pondering this when Jaeyoung tapped the brim of his cap. He looked to his side and made eye contact with him. The moon was shining brightly behind the dark-brown strands of his hair. ¡°So was it interesting or not?¡± ¡°Interesting?¡± ¡°Yeah. Shouldn¡¯t you say what you think of a movie if you¡¯ve seen one?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know. It was a weird movie.¡± Sangwoo was curious about what Jaeyoung thought about it, so he added, ¡°What about you, sunbae?¡± Jaeyoung, who was looking ahead while walking, turned his head and looked at him. He responded while making eye contact. ¡°I thought it was fun.¡± ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t watch the movie because I was watching your face.¡± Sangwoo was speechless. Also, for some reason, even his feet stopped moving. Jaeyoung kept walking and Sangwoo remained still in the same spot and stared at his back. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. While trying to calm his heart, where discomfort and pleasure were pouring out simultaneously, Jaeyoung¡¯s back gradually receded into the distance. Sangwoo found a contradiction in his words, so he began to move again. He quickly walked and managed to stand next to him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I didn¡¯t watch the movie. It was fun. One of the two is a lie.¡± ¡°Both are true.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t watch the movie, then how can you say it was fun?¡± ¡°Please use your imagination, old man.¡± As soon as he heard the carefree answer, he came to a realization. Sangwoo had attacked him for no reason at all, but he hadn¡¯t been able to gain anything from that. Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any choice but to walk behind him with his head down after that. Chapter 14.1 Chapter 2 ¨C <1000> ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­ Ryu Jihye, Department of French Language and Literature: Sunbae, something urgent came up, so I have to cancel our appointment. I¡¯m sorry. 22:37 Got it. 23:49 ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­ Sangwoo sent a reply and put the cell phone down. There had been two changes to the cancellation of his Friday evening appointment. First, he was able to get to the work studio on time. The other change was¡­ ¡°I have to get rid of them, though.¡± He blankly stared at the movie tickets that were on the desk. They were goods worth 10,000 won.1 The tickets that Jaeyoung had slipped under his door two months ago expired this Sunday. Even if he had been drunk when he lost the gaming console Jihye had given him, he didn¡¯t think it was enough to just buy her a bowl of udon after receiving something worth 130,000 won, so he had planned on giving her the tickets.2 However, their appointment had been canceled, so his plan had been ruined. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to sell them.¡¯ However, considering the events and connections he had on Friday, there were only two people he could sell tickets to ¨C Choi Yuna and Jang Jaeyoung. Moreover, between the two, it was better to sell what he had received from Jaeyoung (moreover after fighting over it) to Yuna than to sell it back to him. What Jaeyoung had said to him at the time, came to Sangwoo¡¯s mind as if he had searched a database with the word ¡®movie.¡¯ ¡®Do you wanna go watch a movie?¡¯ ¡®Huh? I ask you to go watch it together. I was going to give you a ticket to go watch it by yourself.¡¯ ¡®Go watch a movie with me.¡¯ ¡®Hey, you asshole. Was asking you to go to the movies with me awful enough for you to skip class?¡¯ ¡®What kind of ancient mindset is that? I can watch movies just fine with men. I even went yesterday.¡¯ It was a memory from the day when Jaeyoung had come to the PC Room with a laptop that lacked a RAM-card, the day he had felt sexually attracted to him for the first time, and the day he cursed at him in front of his door. ¡°You seem to like movies.¡± In retrospect, he had sung along with movie soundtracks. That was the moment he came up with a way of disposing of the movie tickets without selling them. After contemplating it for a bit, Sangwoo decided to push for a second option. At midnight, he checked his emails and opened the folder with the work that Jaeyoung had sent him. He gave feedback on a few things that he didn¡¯t like, sent a reply, and shut his computer down. He turned off the lights, went under his duvet, and closed his eyes. return 0; ¡°The person who sits there, where did they go?¡± Jaeyoung, who had just greeted Sangwoo using his eyes, as he was in the middle of working, spun his chair around at the question. The T-shirt with a hexahedron inside a cube with another hexahedron inside looked interesting. Then, there was a look on his face that expressed that there was something he was unhappy with. ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re asking me without even greeting me?¡± ¡°You looked busy, so I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°If I look busy, then why would you ask useless questions?¡± ¡°I apologize. Please keep working.¡± Sangwoo felt a little frustrated after being attacked out of the blue, but he thought Jaeyoung had made a reasonable point, so he dropped his guard. When he set up his laptop and his mouse and sat down, Jaeyoung asked, ¡°What do you want with Yuna?¡± ¡°I had some business with her, but since she¡¯s away, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°With kind of business?¡± ¡°I was going to sell something.¡± ¡°Sell it to me.¡± Sangwoo frowned and made eye contact with him. Jaeyoung tended to be persistent and get the answer he wanted to hear whenever the mood was like this. He decided it would be better to spill it rather than waste time. ¡°The movie tickets you slipped under my door. They expire this weekend.¡± Jaeyoung made a twisted smile. That was the reason he didn¡¯t want to say anything to begin with. It was uncomfortable for both of them. Sangwoo told Jaeyoung before the latter would fail to control his emotions and curse at him or get annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna buy it, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re asking?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Do you want to watch a movie?¡± Jaeyoung furrowed his eyebrows. He looked as if he didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡°Never mind if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Sangwoo said and turned towards his computer. He could hear the wheels of his chair moving. ¡°The two of us?¡± Sangwoo nodded silently. He could feel the other person¡¯s eyes staring at his profile, so heat was building up on his cheeks. Jaeyoung kept doing that for quite a while, then he blurted out, ¡°Isn¡¯t it disgusting between men?¡± Sangwoo glared at the monitor. At the time, he had sincerely thought so, and his mindset hadn¡¯t changed since then. However, he didn¡¯t have any justification to say that anymore. ¡°I¡¯ve done worse than that now, so.¡± ¡°Since you shat already, it doesn¡¯t matter if you fart now?¡± ¡°Really, that metaphor¡­ Like I said, if you don¡¯t want to, forget it. I¡¯ll put it up on ¡®Used Kingdom.¡¯3 Jaeyoung became quiet. Sangwoo logged in to a used goods website, wrote a title for the post, then the other said, ¡°Reserve tickets for Jeongryun-dong. I¡¯ll pick you up in front of the PC room at 10 tomorrow.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s fingers stopped while entering the price. They were merely words of a time and a place, but his heart was pounding as if it had heard something infuriating. ¡®It¡¯s not a big deal.¡¯ Choi Yuna wasn¡¯t in the work studio, so as a second option, he decided to give it to Jaeyoung. He had recently drawn a picture on his arm, even given him a bite of a dumpling, and he must have made a profit of around 10,000 won. He shut down the tab which displayed the used goods website, and the main page of a multiplex appeared in the new tab. Sangwoo¡¯s finger diligently clicked on the mouse. It was something he was doing for the first time since November four years ago when he had a girlfriend. ¡°Choose. 1st: The Revival of Superman. 2nd: The Spies¡¯ Younger Sister. 3rd: Pyupyu and Kyukyu. 4th: Hot Hot Hot.¡± ¡°4th one, Hot Hot Hot.¡± ¡°Did you choose it because you know what it is?¡± Sangwoo stared at the bright red poster and then turned his head towards Jaeyoung as if he were pathetic. He had returned to his seat at some point, and he shrugged his shoulders with an innocent expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It sounds like an erotic movie, so sounds good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll reserve tickets for The Revival of Superman. It¡¯s the top selling one.¡± ¡°Yes. Do you as you wish, my lord. What would your servant know?¡± He selected the time, the amount, the seats, and then he paid. Sangwoo rapidly proceeded with the reservation and then quickly spoke. ¡°I reserved seats for The Revival of Superman. Jeongryun-dong International Cinema. 10:35 p.m. Salon 5, L13 and L14.¡± ¡°Thanks for informing me, Siri.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s how Sangwoo not only just kissed a man, but also went to the movies with one. return 0; When he finished his part-time job on Saturday, Sangwoo informed the manager of his plan of only working until May, considering his schedules for the game production and the final exams. The manager seemed regretful, so he poked him about why he was so busy that he ended up being delayed for 10 minutes. To make up for it, Sangwoo took the stairs after asking him to finish work 10 minutes earlier next time. Jaeyoung¡¯s car was parked on the road when he appeared outside. It was a hatchback with a stripe design on it. The white boxy car, which looked just like a refrigerator, had red mirrors and a red rooftop. The owner of the car was leaning against it while looking at his phone. Jaeyoung was wearing light gray pants and a white shirt that Sangwoo was seeing for the first time. He couldn¡¯t see his earrings or his glasses, and he was wearing a watch and a leather bracelet on his wrist, because his rolled up sleeves made them visible. It was hard to tell what exactly it was, but his hair seemed somehow different from usual. Sangwoo, who had stopped and just stood there for a bit, started walking again. ¡®How do I look?¡¯ For the first time in his life, his own clothes bothered him. Sangwoo¡¯s gaze slowly went over his black sneakers, old, worn-out jeans, and his navy blue shirt. His walking pace slowed a bit, and then accelerated again. ¡®I¡¯m just meeting Jaeyoung, so why do I have to care?¡¯ Sangwoo approached the front of the car in a slightly bad mood. Jaeyoung raised his head and smiled at Sangwoo. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our first date. I¡¯m excited.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say weird things and just get in the car.¡± Jaeyoung ignored Sangwoo¡¯s words and fully opened the passenger door. Sangwoo hesitated for a second when he urged him to get in. It was the first time he had ridden in the car since That Day. ¡°Your glasses?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t wear them.¡± ¡°Then should I drive?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°I have a Class 1 Driver¡¯s License.¡±4 ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± He quickly walked to the driver¡¯s seat, opened the door, and sat down. Sangwoo glared at him and saw the digital watch displaying 10:12 p.m. The movie started at 35 minutes past 10, and it would take at least 10 minutes to get to Jeongryun-dong. If they kept delaying here, they¡¯d be late. He didn¡¯t have any choice but to close the door by the passenger seat. When Jaeyoung fastened the seatbelt, he slightly supported his arm on Sangwoo¡¯s headrest and turned the steering wheel while looking back. He was merely reversing the car, but Sangwoo¡¯s gaze moved towards Jaeyoung¡¯s collarbones, which were revealed underneath the shirt with two undone buttons. There was a vein popping out from his neck that stretched from his jawline. Sangwoo felt dizzy as he absentmindedly studied Jaeyoung¡¯s profile. Then, he made eye contact with him as he changed gears again. ¡°When you don¡¯t even notice the real tricks,¡± Jaeyoung murmured while staring straight ahead again. They were words he couldn¡¯t grasp no matter how many times he went over them. Sangwoo still felt anxious. ¡°You¡¯re worried that I won¡¯t be able to drive well since I¡¯m not wearing glasses, aren¡¯t you?¡± He spoke as if he had entered and left Sangwoo¡¯s mind, so Sangwoo nodded. ¡°What¡¯s my eyesight?¡± ¡°Slightly shortsighted at 0.7 with astigmatism.¡± ¡°I can see all signs well at that point.¡± ¡°You have insurance, right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to pay for any repairs.¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 14.2 ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wear your glasses?¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t respond for quite a while. Then he got stuck at a stop signal and made eye contact with Sangwoo while they were waiting. ¡°You have to know that for great things to happen, small sacrifices must be made.¡± ¡°Why is that phrase brought up in this situation?¡± Jaeyoung just told him that he didn¡¯t need to know and kept driving. Sangwoo didn¡¯t disturb the guy who was already in an anxious state of mind. Jaeyoung stopped the car at a remote paid parking lot, not the one belonging to the multiplex. He didn¡¯t properly respond when Sangwoo asked why. There were 11 minutes left until the movie started, so they half-ran, half-walked to the movie theater. Jaeyoung made Sangwoo angry as he dragged his feet in order to buy popcorn when they arrived. He hadn¡¯t thought that the process of going to the movies with him would be greatly satisfying, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this hectic. He felt like he got a glimpse of how Jaeyoung usually went about his day, why he couldn¡¯t keep deadlines, and why he often was late to meetings. ¡°You may enter salon five for The Revival of Superman.¡± Sangwoo showed the digital tickets he had loaded on his phone in advance to an employee, so he was guided inside. Even as three minutes had passed since the movie began, Jaeyoung still walked slowly. ¡°We¡¯re late. Let¡¯s hurry.¡± ¡°They show ads for 10 minutes.¡± ¡°It definitely says that it starts at 35 past, but it¡¯s 38 past right now.¡± Jaeyoung handed Sangwoo the popcorn bucket and then stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Sangwoo had a lot of complaints, but he didn¡¯t have any choice but to chew and swallow what had been put in his mouth. He was planning on expressing his thoughts once he finished eating it, but Jaeyoung covered his mouth in the same manner. Meanwhile, they appeared in front of the salon. ¡°It¡¯s L13 and L14.¡± ¡°These are good seats.¡± Jaeyoung glanced at the seating chart and entered the dark theater. There weren¡¯t many people as it was the tail end of the movie¡¯s screening period and quite late. Their row of seats were empty, with the exception of an elderly couple in the corner. As Jaeyoung had said, ads were in full swing on the screen. After sitting down, Sangwoo turned off his cell phone, placed it in his pocket and leaned back, so he felt better. He slowly blinked his eyes as if to expel all the recent chaos from his mind. He felt thirsty suddenly, and Jaeyoung offered him soda as if he had read his mind. He thought that he was going to drink it by himself, so he had only brought one straw. Sangwoo opened his mouth to complain, but then closed it again. ¡®Why would you care about such things? Between two people who¡¯ve even kissed.¡¯ That¡¯s because he already knew how he would respond. Without a word, he slurped the tangy drink. When he handed Jaeyoung the cup back, the guy bit the straw. The dark drink was rapidly pulled up the transparent straw. As he did that, Sangwoo wondered why he stared at people¡¯s faces that intensively. The lighting that changed in the dark space lit up on the side of Jaeyoung¡¯s face. Dark, then bright; his face changed accordingly. The shadow that his nose made on his cheek narrowed and widened repeatedly. Even though Sangwoo had just drunk, his mouth was dry. The surface of his eyes tinged because he hadn¡¯t blinked. Who was the winner of this long staring contest? It was probably Jaeyoung. That¡¯s because when the screen darkened and all the lights dimmed, Sangwoo closed his eyes and then kissed him. Even if he got startled along with their surroundings Let¡¯s say that he had thought that he was asleep the first time, and that they had been drunk the second time, and that the other times had been gently agreed on. This time, however, he had acted with permission at a person who clearly was awake. Since he had covered his eyes with his hand, he had missed the beginning parts of the movie. ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ Sangwoo didn¡¯t like such things. He shot a glance at the man who had seduced him, but he was just looking at the screen with an indifferent expression. The hand was casually placed on the joint armrest as if it were natural, and wickedly bobbed up and down like a spider. Sangwoo forced himself to sit properly and look straight ahead. Fortunately, the plot was so simple that it didn¡¯t prevent him from understanding it even if he had missed the beginning. An alien who can fly at lightning speed, has skin that can withstand any physical damage, and whose energy source is filled up by sunlight, has emerged. The plot was of a super-alien with x-ray vision, who can fight off the enemy¡¯s plan to exploit his weakness. Sangwoo was tormented in two ways. One was due to there being many incomprehensible parts of the movie, and the other was that Jaeyoung kept moving his hands. His fingers, illuminated in the dark, didn¡¯t know how to remain still. He tapped the armrest with his fingertips, stretched them out as if he were playing, and even flipped his hand so his palm was facing upwards sometimes. Maybe it was because Sangwoo had deliberately not looked at Jaeyoung¡¯s hand for the past two and a half hours, but it seemed like the latter¡¯s facial expression hadn¡¯t changed. Jaeyoung seemed to be a mentally disturbed person. After the movie, they walked out of the theater in silence. As they came out of the elevator, warm air hit their arm. The night sky was black and the streets were gray. It was already past one in the morning and the previously crowded main road in Jeoungryun-dong was empty. ¡°What did you think about the movie?¡± Jaeyoung, who had not said a word in nine minutes, asked. He looked relaxed with his right hand in his pocket. ¡°Should Superman be classified as an animal or a plant?¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°He gets his energy from the air and the sunlight. Even if his body structure is as complex as a human¡¯s, wouldn¡¯t it be right to classify him as a plant rather than an animal if he lives in a similar way to things that survive via photosynthesis?¡± ¡°Uh¡­. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s a line about shaving in the middle of the story. How did they cut off his body hair? Not a single strand was burnt off in the middle of the supernova explosion. A regular iron razor wouldn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± ¡°It was sad that kryptonite was his weakness.¡± That had been the only scene that Sangwoo had been immersed in. It was a scene where Superman, who was invincible, collapsed on a piece of stone brought from his home planet. It wasn¡¯t until the green stone was brought close to his skin, which hadn¡¯t been affected by radiation from uranium, that he became weak like a normal human. Sangwoo felt a sense of crisis as if he were the one being affected. ¡°The Deus EX Machina, well.¡± ¡°Well what?¡± ¡°In short, it¡¯s a cheat key. It isn¡¯t interesting if it¡¯s too powerful, so they always use kryptonite to corner Superman. But then it doesn¡¯t mean much since the crisis is easily resolved.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Superheroes are usually like that. The important thing is that Superman is very handsome, strong, on our side, and that he¡¯s wearing tights.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s left hand moved in a complex orbit in the air. He clutched the hem of the chest area on his shirt and pulled at it a couple of times as if it were hot. Sangwoo stared blankly at his profile, which looked more scholarly today. ¡°Sunbae. I didn¡¯t know, but you¡¯re smart.¡± ¡°What the hell do you think of me?¡± Human scum, thug, psycho, sadist, trash. So much had changed since before that he really didn¡¯t know at this point. When he took his eyes off Jaeyoung and looked straight ahead, he saw tall trees planted in an orderly fashion on both sides of the street. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°This is Jyeongryun Park.¡± ¡°Why did we walk this way?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shortcut.¡± Sangwoo frowned. If it was a shortcut, why hadn¡¯t they walked this way earlier? Then they wouldn¡¯t have been late. He was pondering this when Jaeyoung tapped the brim of his cap. He looked to his side and made eye contact with him. The moon was shining brightly behind the dark-brown strands of his hair. ¡°So was it interesting or not?¡± ¡°Interesting?¡± ¡°Yeah. Shouldn¡¯t you say what you think of a movie if you¡¯ve seen one?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know. It was a weird movie.¡± Sangwoo was curious about what Jaeyoung thought about it, so he added, ¡°What about you, sunbae?¡± Jaeyoung, who was looking ahead while walking, turned his head and looked at him. He responded while making eye contact. ¡°I thought it was fun.¡± ¡°Which part?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t watch the movie because I was watching your face.¡± Sangwoo was speechless. Also, for some reason, even his feet stopped moving. Jaeyoung kept walking and Sangwoo remained still in the same spot and stared at his back. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. While trying to calm his heart, where discomfort and pleasure were pouring out simultaneously, Jaeyoung¡¯s back gradually receded into the distance. Sangwoo found a contradiction in his words, so he began to move again. He quickly walked and managed to stand next to him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. I didn¡¯t watch the movie. It was fun. One of the two is a lie.¡± ¡°Both are true.¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t watch the movie, then how can you say it was fun?¡± ¡°Please use your imagination, old man.¡± As soon as he heard the carefree answer, he came to a realization. Sangwoo had attacked him for no reason at all, but he hadn¡¯t been able to gain anything from that. Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any choice but to walk behind him with his head down after that. Chapter 14.3 At the end of the park, the wall continued. Since it was quite a famous spot in Seoul for going on dates, even Sangwoo had been there on a date with his ex-girlfriend. He recalled being annoyed because there were a lot of people there at the time. Perhaps it was because he didn¡¯t spot a single rat now that his heart was just filled with excitement. They simply walked in silence for a while. Sangwoo was looking ahead, but Jaeyoung¡¯s left hand was always lurking at the edge of his peripheral vision. He used his right hand to scratch his nose, to touch the back of his head, and he even put it in his pocket, but his left hand always stayed in the same spot. The hand, which had been moving capriciously since the movie, was still there after a minute had passed, after two minutes, and even after three minutes had passed, which bothered Sangwoo. Sangwoo suddenly checked the time and discovered that it was nearly 2 a.m. ¡®You said it was a shortcut.¡¯ Even if it was two hours past his usual bedtime, his mind was clearly awake. His nerves were also more on edge than ever. From the right, Sangwoo was prepared not to miss any stimuli. He sensed the sound of Jaeyoung¡¯s breaths, the traces of his hands swaying, the change in his steps, and the wrinkles shaped and smoothened on his pants. ¡°Jaeyoung sunbae.¡± ¡°What?¡± No matter what, it was a bit awkward to ask if they could hold hands. Sangwoo was at a loss for words. ¡°How long until we reach the parking lot?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Waves seemed to sway in his chest. The caged beast was howling. Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any choice but to extend his hand while tightly closing his eyes, as this beast quickly urged him to grab his hand, or something might happen. His fingertips brushed against Jaeyoung¡¯s naturally swaying palm. Even though he didn¡¯t do anything, before he knew it, their hands were clasped together. Sangwoo quietly breathed. Their hands slowly moved back and forth as if they were swaying in the wind. A numb sensation began to spread throughout his body from their area of contact. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it. The beast living in Sangwoo¡¯s stomach got to hold his hand, but then went crazy for more. Sangwoo told the beast no, and begged it to save face, but it didn¡¯t listen. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just. It¡¯s nothing, really.¡± He had endured such anguish on the way to the parking lot. His palms were sweating. It was to the degree that if he wrung them like a mop, water would cascade down. He wondered how he had lived like a normal person for 25 years without such strong desires. He didn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°You¡¯re funny. You usually don¡¯t hold your tongue. What¡¯s up today?¡± That was when he looked up at Jaeyoung¡¯s playful face. As soon as he saw the face, which he had been avoiding throughout the walk, he got lightheaded. Passion to the degree of making him dizzy was seething in his chest. Sangwoo responded by detangling their hand-to-hand connection, which had a bad effect on him. ¡°I¡¯m a bit weird today. Saying that people get excited at the movie theater. You didn¡¯t drug the Coke, did you?¡± ¡°I thought that you lacked creativity until now, but it seems I¡¯ll have to reconsider.¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t know how to stop the steep upward trend of the graph. At some point during his intense internal conflict, they had arrived in front of the car. When they went to the cinema, the 10-minute distance was a 33-minute walk. With a brazen look on his face, Jaeyoung said, ¡°we¡¯re already here.¡± Sangwoo¡¯s mind was full of other thoughts, so he didn¡¯t argue against his words. ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°Yeah, tell me.¡± However, it truly wasn¡¯t easy. This was a really stupid thing to do. Sangwoo pushed himself and pulled out the words that had been lying on his lips as if pulling out weeds. ¡°What¡¯s it like to sleep with a guy?¡± ¡°I think of it as similar to a relationship between a guy and a girl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a person being attracted to another person, so what¡¯s the difference?¡± ¡°Sunbae.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t annoyingly pry as usual. Without a word, he pulled out his car keys and unlocked it. On their way home, the atmosphere was suffocating. Jaeyoung neither played around, nor did he say anything silly, but he simply drove while looking straight ahead. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know what expressions he was making, because he couldn¡¯t bear to look at his face. The car moved nicely along the empty road, but Sangwoo¡¯s chest was stuffy as if it were blocked. He couldn¡¯t figure out whether he wished for them to arrive quickly or for time to go by slowly so that they wouldn¡¯t arrive. Regardless of Sangwoo¡¯s wishes, the car, which had been going at a constant speed, arrived in front of the apartment complex. Jaeyoung parked the car properly and turned off the engine. Then, for what felt like a very long time, there was silence. ¡°Are you going to live here?¡± There was no laughter in his sarcastic voice. It wasn¡¯t the kind of mood where one would laugh. Sangwoo¡¯s expression was also stiff. ¡°I can¡¯t get out right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have something to do?¡± Sangwoo was well aware that he wouldn¡¯t be able to calm down if he didn¡¯t do it. When he looked to his left, a pair of eyes met his, as if they had been waiting. Jaeyoung turned his body and put his elbow on the back of Sangwoo¡¯s seat. ¡°Try it.¡± Sangwoo indifferently looked into his eyes, but his chest was beating as if being struck by a bat. As he had seen before, Sangwoo grabbed the console with his knee and flipped his other leg over to the driver¡¯s seat. As he placed his butt on Jaeyoung¡¯s lap and held his shoulders with both hands, the latter opened his eyes wide with his head firmly pushed against the headrest. ¡°You told me to try it. Why are you so surprised?¡± Sangwoo raised his right hand and stroked his cheek, closing his eyes and approaching him. ¡®Calmly.¡¯ Unlike his noisy and chaotic insides, his lips softly touched Jaeyoung¡¯s. ¡®Slowly.¡¯ As he had learned, he put his opponent¡¯s upper lip in his mouth and rolled it. He felt the soft flesh between his lips and stroked his neck with his hand. ¡®Softly.¡¯ Jaeyoung, who hadn¡¯t reacted at all for a while, responded. Sangwoo sucked his lip in and then released it. Then, he met Jaeyoung¡¯s tongue. ¡®Breathe through your nose.¡¯ He turned his head so their lips would meet more effectively and stimulated the root of Jaeyoung¡¯s tongue. Jaeyoung groaned while they got entangled. His hand went underneath his T-shirt. The heat made their skin hot where they touched, and the upward curve became steep. Jaeyoung caressed Sangwoo¡¯s waist and back for a while, then he threw his cap off and grabbed his hair. With his fingertips, Sangwoo explored Jaeyoung¡¯s ears, eyelids, and nose, which he usually only looked at, to his heart¡¯s content. The bangs, which he thought had changed shape, were stiff from something that had been applied to them. Sangwoo messed up the hairstyle that Jaeyoung must have smoothed with his palms. The opportunity to touch him so freely was rare. His excitement only gradually grew stronger without showing any signs of abating. Sangwoo felt both pleasure and pain. How many times did they kiss while changing the angle? Jaeyoung pushed his face away. Sangwoo, who thought that they had to do this forever, felt a bit disappointed, but looked into his eyes. It was the first time he saw his face so red. ¡°Did you¡­ practice?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As he glanced at his watch, they¡¯d been going for nine minutes. The practice had worked. Jaeyoung frowned as he gasped for air. ¡°How? With¡­ whom?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do it with a person, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, then.¡± With his hair a mess, he looked at Sangwoo. Sangwoo could easily sense the same kind of urges in his eyes. From the start, Jaeyoung had never hidden his sexual desire. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m going home.¡± Sangwoo brought his hand to the doorknob to take care of the uncomfortable situation of sitting on someone else¡¯s lap. That moment, Jaeyoung pulled Sangwoo¡¯s shoulder and held his upper body in his arms. He rubbed his lips against his forehead. ¡°Just stay a while longer. I¡¯m too excited to calm down.¡± Jaeyoung hugged Sangwoo with all his might. It was so tight it was difficult for him to breathe. Sangwoo calmly closed his eyes and faced the sexual desire that was swirling inside. It had always been like this. He was just swayed by raging impulses, and he had only properly taken care of them once. ¡°Hyung.¡± Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any intention of saying anything. They weren¡¯t words of reason. Carnal desire, which had always failed to reach its climax, was behind the steering wheel. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t respond. He just took a rough breath and exhaled. Sangwoo¡¯s mouth opened again. ¡°I want to do it. With hyung.¡± It was silent. Sangwoo was surprisingly calm at that moment. His heart was rapidly beating, but it had been like that since the moment he had seen Jaeyoung lean against the car. He had a clear goal and he knew what the most effective solution was. ¡°Will you agree?¡± His voice wasn¡¯t trembling and his mind was clear. The grip on Sangwoo¡¯s shoulders got stronger. After waiting for a bit, Jaeyoung replied in a sweet voice. ¡°Shall we head inside?¡± ¡°I need time to get ready.¡± ¡°How much time?¡± ¡°One hour.¡± Jaeyoung raised his left arm and looked at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ll be there at 3:32 a.m.¡± ¡°Yes. See you later.¡± Sangwoo said, and left the car. return 0; Chapter 14.4 Vi10-13 minutes 07.02.2021 Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Jang Jaeyoung knocked on the door as the minute hand passed from 32 past to 33 past. Even Sangwoo was surprised by how the accuracy didn¡¯t even deviate by one second. Sangwoo stared at the door for a while, then took a deep breath and approached it. When he extended his fingers from a distance and opened the door lock, there was a mechanical sound followed by the release of the latch. The door immediately burst open and Jaeyoung entered. The force was so strong that Sangwoo unintentionally ended up backing away. Before the door had even shut, Jaeyoung¡¯s shoes had been cast aside, and the condom he was clutching onto with his hand had been strewn on the floor as well. He put the bottle of wine (an unbreakable kind) in his right hand down on the shoe rack and immediately sprang at Sangwoo. Sangwoo, who had spent an hour calming his sexual desire to the minimum through mind control and similar methods, was more nervous than excited. Even if he had fully prepared mentally, he felt afraid of Jaeyoung, who was tightly wrapping around his chest and hugging his waist. He hadn¡¯t cared that much prior to this, but at the moment, he was aware of Jaeyoung being both taller and bigger than himself. Jaeyoung pushed Sangwoo against the wall, and also pressed his lips against every part of him: his lips, his cheeks, his nose, his forehead, his chin. As Jaeyoung seemed to be in a very precarious state, Sangwoo became just as uneasy. At least he smelled the scent of fresh toothpaste from his mouth, which made him feel a bit of relief. Jaeyoung¡¯s lips, which were biting into his lower lip, moved down to his chin and slipped down his neck. Sangwoo automatically cowered when he heard the sound of the licking tongue. The hands, which at some point had gone beneath his clothes and were fumbling around his back, pulled Sangwoo¡¯s waist, tightly connecting their lower bodies. The moment when Sangwoo felt something too hard to be skin against his groin, he completely hardened. He was well-acquainted with the universal manner of foreplay and he had simulated it several times. He wasn¡¯t lacking in theoretical studies either, but he was so nervous and frightened that he couldn¡¯t move a single finger. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You really have tried it¡­ with a guy¡­ right?¡± Jaeyoung licked Sangwoo¡¯s neck without answering. Immediately after removing his lips for a second, the T-shirt that at some point rolled up to his chest, came off. While Sangwoo was feeling frustrated, Jaeyoung now blocked his lips. Earlier, he had done it for nine minutes, but it didn¡¯t seem to have been enough. It was about time he got used to kissing him, but he was even confused about where to place his hands in this situation. Throughout the kiss, Sangwoo was thinking that Jaeyoung was pushing his body forward bit by bit. He thought he had taken a step or two backwards, but before he knew it, the bed was behind him. Jaeyoung, who definitely had his eyes closed, naturally knocked Sangwoo down as if it were a judo technique. His stiff body became horizontal and his head hit the pillow, making the white ceiling visible. ¡®The time has come.¡¯ His body stiffened with anxiety. He wanted to stop his sex drive and everything. He felt disgraceful in taking his top off under the bright incandescent light, but the inconvenience of withdrawing his decision was too great. ¡®It¡¯ll be over after enduring for about ten minutes, I guess.¡¯ Sangwoo told himself such things and closed his eyes tightly. Then, he could no longer feel the touch that had been groping around his body. Slightly looking up, he met Jaeyoung¡¯s gaze. Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes were slightly dazed as the day when they had been drinking. ¡°Why are you so calm? It¡¯s different from before.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s because I¡¯m nervous.¡± ¡°Are you done preparing?¡± ¡°Now you ask.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not in my right state of mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ready. I¡¯ve cleaned every inch of my body, so don¡¯t worry. I also cut my nails, and¡­¡± Jaeyoung tightly covered Sangwoo¡¯s mouth with his palm.¡± ¡°Shush. You don¡¯t explain such things.¡± ¡°Ommff mmmmfff.¡± ¡°I got it, so be quiet now.¡± Lips filled the missing space beneath his hand. The only thought that came to his mind was fear. The sound of the silence breaking, Jaeyoung¡¯s expression with his eyes closed and his furrowed forehead, his hands stroking his waist and neck, and the weight of his thighs pressed against him, all made Sangwoo nervous. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind right now?¡± Jaeyoung said after briefly removing his lips from him. Sangwoo gulped. How should he respond? His mind was filled with jumbling thoughts, with the process and the pleasure mechanisms of sexual intercourse, tips he had read on the Internet, safety rules, and disease prevention. ¡°Several thing¡­s.¡± ¡°Forget about theories. This is reality.¡± Jaeyoung said and kissed him again. His hand, which continuously had been touching his ears, moved down his neck, his collarbones, and his neck. His thumb pressed down on the useless bump, which he didn¡¯t understand the reason for it being attached to a man¡¯s body, and began to gently touch it. He rolled it around as if he were pinching it and rubbed it in circles again. His tongue left Sangwoo¡¯s lips and held the opposite side of his chest instead. He sucked it into his mouth and bit the nipple with his teeth. ¡°Ah¡­.¡± A strange groan escaped Sangwoo¡¯s throat. Sangwoo quickly covered his mouth with his palm, but Jaeyoung grabbed his wrist and pulled it down again. For a long time, he worked his tongue against his chest, persistently harassing it. Sangwoo¡¯s hips were rising and falling and his toes were curling because of that. Sangwoo grabbed Jaeyoung¡¯s head and pulled him closer to his body. As he did that, Jaeyoung bit the bump on his chest as if he had gotten permission to do so. Sangwoo clenched his teeth and held back a groan. ¡®I feel overwhelmed.¡¯ Amidst being befuddled, he felt thirsty. As his sexual pleasure increased and the ticklish feeling amplified, his frustration grew. ¡®Quickly¡­ I wish you¡¯d do something about it.¡¯ They had kissed and touched each other before. The reason he wanted to see Jaeyoung today was to raise this scratchy feeling to the top and completely relieve it. ¡°Stop.¡± Jaeoyung¡¯s lips had moved all the way down to his stomach at some point. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know when he felt a breeze down below. Jaeyoung touched and licked everywhere else, but he didn¡¯t touch the swollen genitalia which was about to burst. He got annoyed as he thought that he was teasing him on purpose. He had clearly told him to stop and ordered him to move on to the next step, but he wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Stop¡­ I¡¯m telling you to stop now.¡± Instead of answering, Jaeyoung strongly bit his side, causing Sangwoo to scream out without realizing it himself. He sprung up feeling slightly angry. Jaeyoung looked surprised. ¡°Take it off.¡± Sangwoo roughly pulled Jaeyoung¡¯s shirt up without even unbuttoning it. A well-defined body appeared, making it difficult to breathe. Jaeyoung crumpled his clothes up, threw them far away, and looked at Sangwoo. He wasn¡¯t doing anything, but he was out of breath. Jaeyoung¡¯s lean chest was also rising and falling rapidly. He was clearly a man, and he also seemed to have wider shoulders than Sangwoo himself, so why did he feel turned on at that appearance? If this was his type, how come nothing had happened when he was among men during middle and high school, and during military service? While Sangwoo asked himself so many questions, Jaeyoung sprung up. He stalked off to the wall, turned off the lights and turned around. The dawn became dark from the disappearance of the artificial light. Only the faint light from the window shone down on them. Sangwoo gulped air in his excitement. While Jaeyoung was walking, he picked up a condom and lube from the floor, removed his pants and threw them somewhere random. Then, he crawled up to the bed in his underwear. The man engulfed in darkness slowly blinked. His lips slightly fluttered, followed by the softest kind of kiss. The moment his eyes closed on their own, Jaeyoung wrapped his arms around Sangwoo¡¯s back and pushed him back. He laid him fully down on the bed and lightly held Sangwoo¡¯s genitals, which were ready for intercourse. Playfully smiling, he whispered in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°why has it become like this?¡± ¡°The cavernous bo¡­.¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Be quiet.¡± Jaeyoung pulled down his underwear and tore open the condom wrapping. Sangwoo intentionally didn¡¯t watch him put it on. Since he knew where it was about to enter, he thought that it would be better for his sanity not to confirm it with his bare eyes. ¡°Are you sure you put it on properly? And not turned inside out?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did you take out the air and the end?¡± ¡°If it bothers you so much, then do it yourself.¡± Jaeyoung ripped open another condom packet and put it on his finger. Watching him squeeze gel on top of it made Sangwoo¡¯s mouth dry up. He bit his lips and folded his legs tightly. Without any warning, Jaeyoung lowered Sangwoo¡¯s underwear with one hand and placed it on his body. Then, seeing as he kissed him, it seemed like he meant to distract him so that he wouldn¡¯t pay attention to his lower parts. While kissing frantically, a finger squeezed into his body. It being a violent foreign matter, he couldn¡¯t feel anything else apart from that. Jaeyoung continued to invade Sangwoo¡¯s mouth with his tongue while simultaneously squeezing more gel onto the finger and moving it around. Sangwoo took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around his neck. He was going to believe since he had said that he¡¯d tried it before. If he wasn¡¯t an experienced person, he wouldn¡¯t fully have trusted him with such a dangerous task. ¡°Sangwoo,¡± Jaeyoung whispered. His finger was still busily moving. Sangwoo was too nervous to respond. ¡°Are you going to be this calm later as well?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to see when the time comes.¡± After the stupid question and answer, the foreign material got a lot harsher. It didn¡¯t seem like a finger at all. Jaeyoung slowly moved his hand back and forth. Sangwoo frowned and tightly gripped onto his arm. Update: Hi @Semantic Error! There¡¯s been quite a bit of inquiry about the status of the novel, so I will give a brief update. When will the next update be on the website? I¡¯ve talked to the translation team, and we¡¯ll receive an update either the last week of this month or the first week of next month (after the novel is removed from Patreon). Thank you for your understanding! Have a wonderful day/evening! Chapter 14.5 Vi9-12 minutes 07.02.2021 ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Keep going. I¡¯m good at handling pain.¡± It felt like the finger was used to stretch inside. As the muscles stretched, the discomfort got worse. ¡°I¡¯m not saying it hurts,¡± Jaeyoung softy said, unlike a person who had put their finger in another person¡¯s anus. ¡°I know the principle of feeling pleasure through the stimulation of the prostate. Since it¡¯s also used in urology treatment.¡± After making sticky sounds for a while, he turned his finger and pressed down somewhere. It felt strange for a moment. Then, Jaeyoung¡¯s finger was removed and a blunt thing touched his ass. Even if it was something that he had anticipated, he still got goosebumps down his spine. In his mind, Sangwoo tried to push Jaeyoung¡¯s chest away from him, but instead, he put his upper body closer to him. ¡°Wait. Let me check the diameter.¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t use such words in a situation like this.¡± ¡°The rectum isn¡¯t elastic at all. If you make a mistake¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care not to hurt you.¡± Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t smiling one bit. Sangwoo could tell that he was as nervous as he was himself. His hands were sweaty with anxiety. He seriously pondered whether or not it would be better to stop at this point, but a thick object incomparable to a finger opened the entrance. Even if Sangwoo closed his mouth tight and put up with it, he was screaming inside. Jaeyoung, who had slightly entered him, frowned and exited again. He squeezed the lube at random and then pushed back in, making Sangwoo absorb the cold gel within himself. Sangwoo clenched his teeth in order to prevent making any noise. He really put up with the pain well. However, it naturally wasn¡¯t easy since it was something he was experiencing for the first time. Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s hand and interlocked their fingers. He moved slowly while looking at where they connected, and then collapsed forward. He touched Sangwoo¡¯s ear and kissed him much more roughly than he usually did. Sangwoo held his breath with his mouth open and remained still. His mind went blank and his heart was pounding. His nerves were on edge. It seemed to go deeper and deeper, but he couldn¡¯t tell where it would end. Jaeyoung bit Sangwoo¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wh¡­.at?¡± Jaeyoung took a deep breath and put the words together very slowly. ¡°Please. Relax. It¡¯s going to tear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on, calm down and¡­ try to think about something you like, in order to relax. Something like a forklift.¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit is that?¡± Sangwoo fiercely replied. His voice came out hoarse, as if to convey his anxiety. Jang Jaeyoung seemed to be able to joke freely, but Sangwoo couldn¡¯t. It was something that had started with his own permission, but all he felt now was that he¡¯d gone nuts. Jaeyoung slightly raised his head and made eye-contact with Sangwoo. His face was distorted, so Sangwoo felt frustrated. ¡°What¡¯s up with that look?¡± ¡°It hurts like hell.¡± ¡°What? Reasonably speaking, who would hurt more?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m saying that it hurts.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Sangwoo felt like crying. ¡°Just get over with it quickly.¡± ¡°No, fuck¡­ See for yourself. What¡¯s the point of just going a quarter way in, not going all the way?¡± Sangwoo shook his head. He really didn¡¯t want to look at it. Theoretically, he¡¯d heard that it hurts to be the one to receive, but he had no idea why it would be the opposite. Something didn¡¯t seem to be quite right. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any pleasure at all. Take it out,¡± Sangwoo said as he pushed Jaeyoung¡¯s shoulder. Jaeyoung frantically shook his head and embraced Sangwoo¡¯s neck. Clinging onto him, he responded, ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Take it out while I¡¯m being nice.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Do you want to try reciting Pi digits? Yeah, I¡¯ll withdraw as soon as you can recite it to 100 decimal places.¡± ¡°¡­ You think I can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t he a lunatic?¡¯ Sangwoo feigned a smile, but Jaeyoung¡¯s expression was serious. Sangwoo didn¡¯t know why he had to recite Pi digits because he was in the position of sticking his dick into someone else¡¯s behind, but he opened his mouth because he thought Jang Jaeyoung wouldn¡¯t give up if he didn¡¯t. ¡°Fine. 3,1415926¡­¡± If it were 100 digits, he¡¯d be able to pass it within two minutes. He felt a bit relieved at the thought that this madness would be over as long as he endured it for a little longer. Sangwoo closed his eyes and recited the numbers that came to his mind. ¡°535897¡­ Umph, Ahhh!¡± However, Jaeyoung, who had been still, suddenly squeezed through a narrow gap. When Sangwoo stopped talking, he stopped moving as well. ¡°No, nothing¡¯s wrong. Continue,¡± Jaeyoung said with an innocent look when Sangwoo glared at him. ¡°932¡­38¡­ Ah, ah¡­¡± ¡°Please go on.¡± ¡°46¡­ Nggghh¡­ Wait. Stop¡­¡± ¡°Sangwoo, did you forget? You know a thousand digits.¡± ¡°1,024 digits¡­ Aaaaah!¡± He couldn¡¯t help screaming. When he let his guard down a little, Jaeyoung pushed his length in. This time, he didn¡¯t just slightly push in. Something that exceeded the maximum allowable dimensions came into contact with his tight, stretched skin. Flesh pushed way over the limit into his tightest part. Sangwoo tightly closed his eyes in tears. ¡°Hurts. It hurts.¡± He punched him on the shoulder, but Jaeyoung didn¡¯t care and moved his pelvis to insert his penis. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fine. Check if it¡¯s bleeding. Hurry.¡± Jaeyoung sighed and looked down when urged to do so because Sangwoo didn¡¯t have any courage to check it himself. Then he shook his head violently and rested his forehead against Sangwoo¡¯s neck. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel right. Let¡¯s stop and do something else.¡± ¡°Aish.. Wait a second, please.¡±1 Jaeyoung raised his eyes and squeezed gel onto the place where they were connected. He slipped off-center a little, then reentered lubed up. It was a strong thrust that shook his body. Sangwoo tightly gripped Jaeyoung¡¯s shoulders and endured the shock. To allow this kind of thing to happen, he was definitely absolutely insane. Something nonsensical was filling his gut. Sangwoo clenched his teeth to avoid letting out a groan. Jaeyoung raised his upper body by using his palm. He looked down at Sangwoo and slowly began to move his pelvis. He was biting his lips with a distorted expression. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t feeling any pleasure either. As expected, there was no way men could become intimate. ¡®I hope it ends soon.¡¯ Now, there was only one thing Sangwoo wanted. If he got him even a little bit aroused, wouldn¡¯t he come quickly? Sangwoo wrapped his palm around Jaeyoung¡¯s cheeks and pulled them towards himself while feeling that he was grasping at straws. When he kissed his lips, he stopped moving and leaned on Sangwoo¡¯s chest. Heavy breaths entered and exited his mouth and his chest showed his heavy panting. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing it? Is it because it hurts?¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he slightly raised his head and looked at Sangwoo with a relaxed gaze. Sangwoo forgot how to breathe for a second. Even if there wasn¡¯t the pleasure that he had anticipated, his heart raced when he faced a naked Jaeyoung. Sangwoo groped his sweaty thighs as he was catching his breath. Jaeyoung trembled as he moved all the way to the small of his back with his fingertips. Sangwoo put his lips close to his ear, and wrapped around the back of his neck. Then, in a low voice, he whispered, ¡°Hyung, you said you wanted to have sex with me. Hurry up.¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. He suddenly completely leaned against Sangwoo. While Sangwoo blinked without knowing it, he removed himself in a temperamental manner. ¡°Aish, why are you suddenly doing things you normally don¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jaeyoung removed the condom, tied it up by making a knot and threw it somewhere. He had achieved his goal. However, despite having ejaculated, he was still fully erect. Sangwoo belatedly checked the size of it and felt embarrassed at the fact that that had entered him. As Jaeyoung tried to pick up a new condom, Sangwoo crawled forward on his hands and knees and grabbed his arm. ¡°Not this, do something similar to last time.¡± ¡°Why? I don¡¯t want to. I couldn¡¯t even do it properly.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with not being able to do it properly. It¡¯s fine if you do something you¡¯re better at.¡± ¡°Who can¡¯t do it properly!¡± Jaeyoung shouted with an angry face. A small sigh followed. ¡°You¡¯re too tight¡­ It¡¯s because it¡¯s too erotic.¡± ¡°Think about it. There¡¯s no way narrow things can stretch, and there¡¯s also no way that erotic things can turn non-erotic.¡± Jaeyoung chuckled and looked at Sangwoo. He seemed to have regained some of his usual composure. ¡°But since I¡¯ve come once, I can pay attention to other places.¡± Jaeyoung ripped the condom open without any time for Sangwoo to stop him. He grabbed the tip and put it on quickly, then put his face close to Sangwoo. ¡°Give me just one more chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just five minutes.¡± It was time to immediately refuse, but Jaeyoung¡¯s expression was too serious. Sangwoo fell for that desperate gaze. ¡°¡­Then just five minutes.¡± Anyway, he didn¡¯t think it would be a lot different if he had to endure what had failed for another five minutes. Sangwoo didn¡¯t like it that way, but he lay down again while feeling that he should let him do it again. When he heard the squeeze of the tube, Jaeyoung covered his body again. However, this time, he flipped over Sangwoo¡¯s body. He gently moved under the force of the push and found himself lying on his stomach. ¡°¡­Sunbae?¡± _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 14.6 Sangwoo looked back while feeling a sense of foreboding. Instead of answering, Jaeyoung slowly inserted himself from behind. Sangwoo clenched his teeth again and began to count down from 300. Perhaps it was because it was the second time, but it wasn¡¯t as painful and unpleasant as the first time. Actually, it felt rather fine if it went all the way in, so Sangwoo waited for that moment. However, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t put it all the way in. Jaeyoung placed his chest against Sangwoo¡¯s back and slowly moved his length. Unlike earlier, when he¡¯d randomly rammed into him, it seemed like he was writing on and scratching the walls. After pondering on this position and organ composition of the two of them lying down like animals, Sangwoo soon realized his intention. It was when he had counted to 224. It was the moment when he was thinking that he had gotten quite used to the piston, gotten comfortable, and had counted numbers. Sangwoo, who supported himself on the bed with his palm, unconsciously groaned. ¡°Ah¡­¡± It was because the blunt end touched a certain spot. Sangwoo shut his mouth and kept counting down. 220¡­ 219¡­ 218¡­ ¡°Ughmph..¡± ¡°Sangwoo, are you counting well?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at 215. Don¡¯t worry, ughhh¡­¡± Jaeyoung hugged his waist tightly and hit even harder. It was the same spot again. The sheets crumpled up as force automatically went into his hand. He thought it had been a coincidence, but he poked at the same spot once more. ¡°I¡¯m halfway in now, so why are you like that? Should we stop?¡± Sangwoo couldn¡¯t respond. Whenever he tried to answer, he felt strange so he clenched his teeth. Before, it had felt like he had been slowly searching around, but now, Jaeyoung began to dig persistently. Then, a kind of deep, slow, and steady pleasure came to him, different from stimulating the genitals directly. It was the first time he¡¯d ever felt anything like that. ¡°Aahhh¡­ Ah, ah¡­¡± The slight sensation came periodically. Even though he bit his lips to avoid groaning, whenever he was relieved that he had exited, he pushed straight back inside which made him continue to open his mouth. ¡°Wait a minute¡­. Wait, ugghmph¡­¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sl¡­ slowly¡­ No, faster¡­¡± Sangwoo himself thought that he didn¡¯t know what he was saying. He closed his eyes tightly and just tried not to be swept away by new pleasures. On the other hand, did he want to lose his mind to those sensations? He didn¡¯t know which one of them was real. Jaeyoung leaned his chin on Sangwoo¡¯s shoulder and brought their bodies closer together. The hand that was feeling up his chest and neck went up to his cheek and then grabbed his hair. Then, the path that was making his back sway became more and more obvious. He found and pressed on a point that made Sangwoo¡¯s arm tremble like an air raid after successfully locking on coordinates, and the circular motions gradually accelerated. ¡°Uh, uuuuh, ugggh¡­ Ah!¡± Sangwoo held tightly onto his arms. However, no matter how hard he tried to keep his mouth shut, he couldn¡¯t stop the groans that burst out from inside. Before he could even withstand the wave of a sensation, another wave came. Sangwoo began to become helplessly swept away. The tempo grew faster and faster. He thought that it was once every second, but at some point, he couldn¡¯t count anymore. ¡°Ah, ah, aah!¡± A strange voice that normally never was heard escaped him. The sound of breaths hitting his ear grew rougher. Then, Jaeyoung bit his earlobe while ramming himself hard all the way in. Sangwoo shrieked as it felt like he had been punched in the stomach. The arm that had been holding up well quivered and collapsed. Even if he would¡¯ve wanted to, it was impossible to get up by using his palm. Sangwoo lost the strength to support himself and gasped while his cheeks and shoulders were pressed against bed. Then, Jaeyoung¡¯s weight fell onto him. He tightly hugged Sangwoo from behind and whispered in his ear. ¡°Why¡­ are you like that? Should I stop?¡± Sangwoo shook his head as he lay on his stomach, facing the bed. It made his body feel strange, and it felt like he was going to burst into tears because of the pain, but he didn¡¯t want it to stop. More. More. Faster. Harder. He screamed on the inside while his teeth were clenched. Jaeyoung suddenly stopped moving. Sangwoo, who¡¯d become accustomed to the cycle of consecutive pleasures, looked back in a moment of anger. Jaeyoung slipped out and pushed Sangwoo¡¯s body to the side so that he¡¯d lie down on his back. He quickly got close, lowered himself, and put Sangwoo¡¯s legs on his shoulders. As he spread his hand between his ass, the heat inside him surged again. Jaeyoung groaned and dove down and bit Sangwoo¡¯s lips. Sangwoo tightly held onto Jaeyoung¡¯s arms. He tightly closed his eyes and endured the discomfort of the hardness digging into his insides for the third time. This time, Jaeyoung was rough from the start. He penetrated all the way to the base at once and kept pumping so that flesh met flesh and made wet, slapping noises. His lower body violently moved and regular stimulation began once again. Sweat dripped from Jaeyoung¡¯s nose. His serious face made him look angry. ¡°Ah, Ah, Uggh¡­ Uhhh. Fuck. Wait¡­¡± Sangwoo clung to Jaeyoung¡¯s neck because he didn¡¯t know what to do. Jaeyoung¡¯s palm pressed against his cheek and his impatient finger entered his mouth. Sangwoo bit the finger in order to avoid being lost in the feelings that were on the boundary between pain and pleasure. The arousing storm he encountered for the first time soaked his body and his back rose and fell on its own. The louder the sound of friction between the flesh became, the more he wanted. Sangwoo felt frustrated and led Jaeyoung¡¯s hand to his dick. He grabbed it and quickly moved up and down to relieve the tingling, intense heat that continued to rise. The strangely heated cock quivered from even the smallest stimulation. He thought that he could feel the greatest pleasure if he just touched it a little bit more. However, Jaeyoung¡¯s hand, which had been working quickly, suddenly squeezed Sangwoo¡¯s hand and interlaced their fingers. Since he did that with his other hand as well, he couldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Let go. Uh.. Let go!¡± Sangwoo writhed his upper body, but Jaeyoung pressed against him with his own body and overpowered him. He silently looked at Sangwoo and moved his hips. He decided to attack the same spot again, and every time he hit it, his eyes sparkled. Carnal desire, which was rebelling against everything, flew wildly. Sangwoo struggled to make an immediate appeal. ¡°Fuck, I told you to let go of this!¡± ¡°Haa. Haa. Why are you so ill-mannered? If you keep cursing¡­ I¡¯ll stop.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t let him touch himself so he didn¡¯t have any choice but to move his hips instead. He couldn¡¯t stop it when it came in through the back so he took the initiative to meet him at the same pace. Raw groans cut through the air as their flesh met, causing ripples. The sounds of slapping filled the small room. Rough breathing like that of a marathon runner burst out of his lungs. Sangwoo held Jaeyoung¡¯s hand so hard that it seemed like it was going to break, and he bit into his shoulder. ¡°No, fuck¡­ I¡¯m going nuts,¡± Jaeyoung whispered between groans and their breaths. He had told him not to swear, yet he was doing it himself. He lowered his upper body and kissed Sangwoo¡¯s neck. ¡°Gasp. Gasp¡­¡± ¡°Sangwoo, gasp. How many years does one have to spend in prison for driving a person insane?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ Huuggh¡­ Ugggh¡­ Gasp!¡± ¡°Oh? This bastard. I¡¯m asking¡­ how much is the fine for making someone go crazy?¡± Jaeyoung¡¯s groans broke into his ears. He let go of Sangwoo¡¯s wrist and squeezed the dick that was trickling liquid. Sangwoo screamed with his mouth wide open, completely forgetting his thoughts of refraining from it. It didn¡¯t sound like his own voice. It couldn¡¯t have been him. He couldn¡¯t have been dizzy enough to accept a man¡¯s private parts. However, Sangwoo didn¡¯t care. The only important thing was that the overall arousal came to an end. ¡°What¡­ are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°Chu Sangwoo, I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re insanely sexy.¡± The moment Jaeyoung whispered in his ear while putting his dick all the way in, Sangwoo climaxed. He saw the end of the arousal. As he closed his eyes, the substance that had been seething like lava inside him was released. Through the darkness of his vision, flames of color flashed. Even though his eyes were closed, he was dizzy from the bright light. Sangwoo had never felt anything like it before. ¡°Haaa, haaa.¡± Despite Jaeyoung making a strange noise as he left his body, he couldn¡¯t afford to feel any shame. That¡¯s how full he was of pleasure. Jaeyoung seemed to have poured out the paint of carnal desire into him from head to toe. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have felt such deep satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s very swollen.¡± The voice seemed to reverberate in the distance. A dull feeling lingered in his fingertips. Sangwoo looked at his sweaty and thick fingers with disbelief. Reason slowly returned to him. He thought the clock showing 04:58 was broken. Unlike himself, Jaeyoung¡¯s cock, which was still interested, seemed blurry. Then, he had the problematic feeling of his body being filthy. However, he felt so drowsy that he couldn¡¯t even lift a finger. He didn¡¯t want to do anything in this state. ¡°You¡¯re sleepy, right? Let¡¯s just change the sheets and then sleep.¡± Sangwoo blinked. In the dark, Jaeyoung was holding a sheet that was folded into a square. Instead of getting up, Sangwoo spread his arms over it. Jaeyoung soon approached him and crouched down. Sangwoo closed his eyes as he hugged Jaeyoung¡¯s neck. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Sangwoo¡¯s bedtime doesn¡¯t go past 1 a.m. It was an actual miracle that he had stayed up until five. He thought he was already asleep when Jaeyoung said, ¡°Are you asleep, you perv?¡± Chapter 15.1 Chapter 3 ¨C Yellow It had been a long time since he last felt someone sticking close to his side as he opened his eyes. Moreover, it was weird that it was a man and that it was Chu Sangwoo. Jaeyoung leaned back on his arm and laid flat on his back and carefully observed the sleeping man next to him. Whether it was the nose or the eyebrows, his features were definitely strong. When his eyes were open, they felt sharp and intelligent. At the same time, the sleek neckline and white skin that continued down from his chin made him seem boyish. Jaeyoung really liked the contrasting features on this face. The sun was shining through the window. The light particles seemed to dance on the black hair and eyebrows. It was such a romantic place that morning. The moment he rolled over to lean over and hug him, Sangwoo opened his eyes. His eyelids, which were dazed and blinking with sleepiness, opened, and his head quickly turned around. Jaeyoung made eye contact with him with the most confident smile. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Sangwoo widely opened his eyes and rolled them. He seemed to be realizing what had happened the previous day. The movement of supporting his forehead with one hand was sensual. Rather than the movement itself, it had to be because it revealed his naked body. ¡°Yes.¡± Sangwoo handled the incoming question, then turned around and got up.. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± He limped while groaning in discomfort. ¡®Did I overdo it?¡¯ As always, Jaeyoung¡¯s everyday life hadn¡¯t gone as planned the previous day. Originally, he had tried to play the main game in a relaxed way, by pouring wine and heating up the mood, while waiting for Sangwoo to make the first move and melt him from top to toe. He had tried to give Sangwoo the impression that having sex with him would be very satisfying by being soft and having a perfect technique. During the 10 minutes he had waited in front of the door, he was imagining all kinds of things, so it had been hard to even endure the promised time as his body was getting out of control. He had been trying to melt his ice-cold opponent in such a hot state, but had gotten in trouble for caressing him. As soon as he put it in, he removed it since he said he hadn¡¯t felt anything. He had pushed it in, but he didn¡¯t know why it was so difficult to come to his senses. Was it because his partner received it from the back for the first time? Or was it because his ¡®diameter was exceptionally small?¡¯ Jaeyoung had really struggled in the difficult situation where he was so overstimulated that it was hard to even move. As a result, in the end, there was both arousal and mistakes, so he acted unintentionally rough. Sangwoo went into the bathroom without a word, so Jaeyoung was left alone. Lying back on the pillow, he re-lived each sensation he¡¯d felt the previous day and got aroused again. He had heard that humankind¡¯s mating season lasts 24 hours a day. Jaeyoung lay down for a while without doing anything, then got out of bed and opened the window. He then wandered around the chaotic room and cleared the traces of the previous day. He picked up his clothes and gathered the trash and threw it away. He put the sheets clumped into a corner in the washing machine and swept the room with a broom. He neither enjoyed cleaning nor was he good at it, but if he didn¡¯t, Sangwoo wouldn¡¯t have to do it, so he didn¡¯t have a choice. Sangwoo came out when Jaeyoung was drinking cold water after cleaning up. Different from when he had gone into the bathroom in his underwear, he now wore both a shirt and pants and his hair was wet. It had taken him a while to come out of the shower, so Jaeyoung made a joke. ¡°You jerked off, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He had just said something randomly, but it seemed to be accurate. Sangwoo was standing with an uneasy expression on his face. He put water into a cup and gulped it down in one go. A wary gaze fell on Jaeyoung¡¯s face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°I have to, of course.¡± Checking the time, he noticed it was almost noon. ¡°What about lunch?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get myself something.¡± There was only a three-minute curry in the cupboard, though. Even if he wanted to treat him to a meal, he thought that he¡¯d be rejected for reasons such as ¡®I want to be alone.¡¯ Sangwoo frowned as he tried to sit on a chair and sat on his own legs instead. When Jaeyoung asked if he was okay, he motioned for him to quickly leave. Strategically, he knew it was time to retreat, but Jaeyoung found it hard to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to your part-time job today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine if I go after resting.¡± ¡°Where are you going in that state? Where¡¯s your phone?¡± He looked like he was asking why. Jaeyoung looked around the room and searched Sangwoo¡¯s backpack and took out his cell phone. Sangwoo took another sip of water and laid his head down on his desk without being curious about Jaeyoung¡¯s behavior. Jaeyoung saw his state and called the manager of the PC room saved in the contact list. ¨C Student Sangwoo, is something going on? ¡°Hi, boss. I¡¯m Sangwoo¡¯s close hyung. The kid is not feeling well today, so I was thinking of coming in instead.¡± ¨C Huh, is it very bad? ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s in a condition to go outside at all.¡± ¨C Have you worked in a PC room before? Jaeyoung responded that if he meant part-time, he had the experience, but only at a restaurant. The manager told him to come in 30 minutes early and asked him to send Sangwoo his regards. After hanging up, Sangwoo was staring at him. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t have to do that, though.¡± ¡°Rest at home.¡± ¡°You have to clean a lot, though. You need to know how to clean up the store, cook the food, and even how to take payments with cards.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Sangwoo sighed with an expression which he couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he didn¡¯t believe him or if he was regretful. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll send you the daily wage when I get paid.¡± Jaeyoung, who didn¡¯t expect to hear such a normal greeting, blinked. However, it didn¡¯t mean that he would miss the opportunity either. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the money. Do something else instead.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please change my name by tomorrow,¡± Jaeyoung said while placing the cell phone he was carrying into Sangwoo¡¯s hand. To be honest, when he looked through the contact list, he saw that his number was still saved as ¡®Freeloader3.¡¯ Sangwoo replied with an expression of it being a trivial matter. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Condition. Include special characters.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are banned words as well. Visual, design, CD, department, Jang, sunbae. You can¡¯t include those.¡± Sangwoo kept his expression of ¡®I don¡¯t know what you mean¡¯ for a while, and then returned to his indifferent expression. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Rest, then.¡± Jaeyoung patted his head and headed for the door. ¡®Why am I this caring?¡¯ He thought while going down the stairs. Fundamentally, even though he was able to pretend to be friendly, Jaeyoung was a selfish human being. Wherever he went, he tended to show basic good manners, but he hated being bothered and he wasn¡¯t weak-willed. So why did he feel so sorry when he saw him from behind, sitting askew and resting on his desk. The car started moving, but it didn¡¯t drive in the direction of his house. He bought kimchi stew, soft tofu stew with two bowls of rice at the most delicious restaurant in the neighborhood, and he bought an ointment for sensitive and swollen skin at the pharmacy. When he was paying for the drinks, sitting cushion, snacks, eggs, meat, veggies and fruits he had bought to his heart¡¯s content at the mart, he found that he was carrying two large plastic bags in his hands. Finally, he had bought this and that at the bakery and headed back to Sangwoo¡¯s place. The door he had knocked on for a long time opened. Jaeyoung passed Sangwoo, who unlike usual was slightly bent over, and put down five bags on the floor. ¡°Eat this now and heat that up for dinner.¡± He took out the stew and moved it to the desk. He placed the cushion on a chair and put two bottles of juice and yogurt, the meals, and the fruits in the refrigerator. ¡°Eat the rest when you¡¯re hungry.¡± The snack box, snacks, and bags of bread were left on the floor, and he took the ointment out of a small bag and put it in Sangwoo¡¯s hand. ¡°Apply this if it hurts.¡± Sangwoo frowned as if he didn¡¯t understand. This time, Jaeyoung really went all the way to the door with the intention to exit, but then helplessly turned around. He kicked off the shoe that was dangling on his toes and went back into the apartment to hug the guy¡¯s shoulders. Sangwoo didn¡¯t resist and meekly hugged him. ¡°Yesterday was nice,¡± Jaeyoung whispered. Even if he was pretending like it was nothing, his head was filled with images of Sangwoo¡¯s face, which were colored with pleasure. After a while, Sangwoo replied. ¡°You¡¯re lying. You didn¡¯t ejaculate.¡± ¡°I did once, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± Although it had been done by coaxing and calming his opponent and all sorts of things, it had truly been great in the later half. He was just sad that the timing had been slightly off. ¡°Don¡¯t think of practicing weird things and just get some rest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Thinking that it¡¯d be dangerous to stick together for longer, Jaeyoung quickly backed off. Sangwoo didn¡¯t stop him. As he trudged down the stairs and exited the building, a dazzling blue sky greeted him. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t immediately get in the car, but stood next to the bicycle rack while smoking under the sunlight. ¡®Did I achieve my goal?¡¯ Chapter 15.11 Sangwoo had to hold Jaeyoung back from taking the joke seriously. The latter was disqualified as a human being, but on the other hand, he didn¡¯t have the strength to lift a finger, so he wanted to get some sleep. ¡°Good night,¡± Sangwoo said. Sangwoo parted Jaeyoung¡¯s bangs with his fingers and kissed his forehead. A big smile formed on Jaeyoung¡¯s face. These days, the guy he was seeing tended to copy everything he saw and experienced. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± He answered in a half-asleep voice. If he told him what was on his mind right now, he¡¯d probably run away in just his underwear. Jaeyoung silently crouched down, looking up at and embracing Sangwoo, who was lying flat on his back in an attempt to sleep. ?W His head hurt when he woke up in the morning. Jaeyoung slowly blinked while looking up at the dim ceiling. When he turned and lay down on the side, Sangwoo, who was looking at him, with his arms and his chin on the bed, made eye contact with him. ¡®Yeah, I slept here.¡¯ Taking a glance at the clock on the wall, it was a little past 11 am. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°I was tired so I slept soundly without feeling how narrow it is,¡± Sangwoo replied. ¡°Are you in pain today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s uncomfortable, but it isn¡¯t to the extent that it¡¯s difficult to move.¡± Seeing as he felt queasy and had a headache, he wasn¡¯t really in a position to be worrying about others. He hadn¡¯t drank much, but he had mixed a lot of things, and it felt like he had been working out all night. It seems like he had grimaced without realizing as Sangwoo, who was looking at his face, asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have a headache.¡± ¡°Then go home and rest.¡± He was trying to kick him out of his space. But, he didn¡¯t want them to part just yet. Jaeyoung pondered for a while and came up with an excuse. ¡°Go get me lunch.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°It was very good yesterday. Then you have to repay me, right? You definitely came running towards me yesterday, saying hyung, it¡¯s tight inside¡­¡± Sangwoo quickly sprung out of bed and extended his arm to cover his mouth with his hand. Jaeyoung thought it was time so he pulled him towards him in an embrace and teased him. ¡°Look at this, acting this way in the morning. Asking them to do things after feeding them. Don¡¯t you know why the master gives the servant rice?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± Sangwoo slipped out of his arms while frowning. He slightly fell off the bed, looked elsewhere and said, ¡°Got it. Yesterday¡­ It¡¯s true that it was¡­ fine¡­ so I¡¯ll buy you a meal.¡± Jaeyoung smiled and headed for the bathroom. After washing up, he was going to put some clothes on, but he had thrown out his T-shirt and he couldn¡¯t find his pants. ¡°Where did you hide my pants?¡± ¡°I was going to wash them for you and return it.¡± ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s the difference between you and the woodcutter who stole the fairy¡¯s clothes?¡±1 ¡°Even when it¡¯s a good deed, you just have to say something. What¡¯s the difference between someone who saves you from the water and then asks to be compensated for it?¡± He responded pretty well. Jaeyoung approached the hanging rack and looked for new clothes to wear. It was as familiar as if they were his own clothes since he always saw them. Jaeyoung, who was looking at the achromatic hanger, discovered a serious issue. There wasn¡¯t a single piece of clothing that suited Sangwoo. Sangwoo came up next to him as he was scratching his clothes with his finger. With a pretty earnest look, he said, ¡°If I lend you something this time, you have to bring it back. Yes? Promise me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Jaeyoung answered half-heartedly and grabbed a navy-blue shirt and black cotton pants. He glanced at the tags and saw that the pants were a size 32 and the shirt a size 105. It was obvious why someone who clearly was a size medium was wearing such big clothing. ¡°Do you not have a white t-shirt?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t purchase white clothing since it¡¯s vulnerable to pollution.¡± ¡®You¡¯d be so damn pretty if you wore it, though.¡¯ He muttered in his head while putting a foot through the pants. Wearing neat, straight pants made him feel like a nerd. The shirt that was loose on Sangwoo fit perfectly on Jaeyoung¡¯s shoulders. Jaeyoung unbuttoned the sleeves and folded them up a few times. It didn¡¯t look too bad after he put the hem inside the pants like with a suit. Sangwoo¡¯s mouth was slightly open as he was observing Jaeyoung. The latter knew it was a style he liked. Sangwoo often showed such a blank expression whenever Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t wearing his glasses and when he looked even a little bit formal or tidied up. ¡°Stop looking. You¡¯re going to pierce through me.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because they don¡¯t look like my clothes.¡± ¡°You seem to like it. Do you wanna do it once before leaving?¡± As he approached him and came up close while putting his hand on his waist, Sangwoo blushed and got annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time! I have to hurry and eat and go to work.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be done as soon as I put it in. I¡¯m confident.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. What¡¯s the point of doing that?¡± When he placed their shoulders against each other and whispered in his ear, Sangwoo shoved him hard and ran away to the front door. When they exited the apartment, the sun was shining brightly in the middle of the sky. It was sunny and hot just like summer. They walked side by side onto the big road and caught a taxi. Jaeyoung prompted Sangwoo to sit in the back seat and sat down right next to him. He told the driver the destination and leaned back against the seat while fiddling with Sangwoo¡¯s fingers. Sangwoo didn¡¯t shake off his fingers, but just looked straight ahead without saying a word. They went to a Vietnamese ph? restaurant that Jaeyoung often went to eat. Jaeyoung got ph? with beef and Sangwoo ordered fried rice. He felt better after drinking hot soup. ¡°Ah, I can finally live a little.¡± Jaeyoung leaned back on the chair and vacantly stared at the yellow ceiling. He then turned his gaze to the person sitting in front of him. The basically signature ball cap, engineering student¡¯s checkered shirt, and dark jeans that made one curious about the year of that model. He looked at the person wearing the clothes that went far beyond the obstacle of fashion coordination. He was working hard to eat with his gaze cast down. With his lips tightly closed, he chewed in a tightly-controlled way, sending the rice from his left cheek to his right and from his right cheek to his left. It was just the sight of him eating, but he didn¡¯t know his gaze would fall. If he even just spilled a little, he would touch his cheeks under the pretext of wiping them off. However, he didn¡¯t think that would happen since he was such a meticulous person. Just then, Sangwoo raised his head slightly and looked into Jaeyoung¡¯s eyes. ¡°What?¡± After saying a word, Jaeyoung dipped a spoon into Sangwoo¡¯s bowl and took a bite. He thought he didn¡¯t like the taste since he had been eating without any expression, but when he chewed on the spicy fried rice with chicken, he found that it was quite nice to eat. ¡°How does it taste?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Tastes like a lot of spices.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you¡¯d eat it again.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Sangwoo ambiguously said and started eating again. Jaeyoung left him be and quickly finished his noodles. He had a good plan. He had to hurry to implement it before Sangwoo left for work. After they finished eating, they silently got up. Jaeyoung watched Sangwoo take out a card from a black leather wallet with discolored corners to pay. His wallet, clothes, cap, watch, sneakers, everything was clean, but he looked old. But seeing his high-end computer and accessories, it didn¡¯t seem like he was poor, but frugal. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go somewhere together real quick.¡± In front of the restaurant, Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo¡¯s arm before he left. Sangwoo turned around and made eye contact with him. He wore an expression that seemed like he would reject it either way, so he should just tell him what he wanted. Jaeyoung, who had been going around with him for months while struggling to force him, casually said, ¡°You threw out my clothes yesterday.¡± ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Then I need more clothes, right?¡± ¡°At some point, sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some right now and I need you to follow me to decide if they suit me.¡± His calm expression was suddenly distorted. Jaeyoung, who had expected something like that, smiled and added, ¡°If I accidentally buy something strange and lose money, it¡¯s on you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really choplogic2.¡± Sangwoo stared at Jaeyoung with an annoyed look and opened his eyes wide as if he had thought of something. He paused for a moment and then spat out, ¡°I understand. If we¡¯re going, hurry up.¡± He didn¡¯t know it would be this easy. Jaeyoung walked toward the nearby department store while feeling surprised about this unexpected luck. Sangwoo looked triumphant. It was the first time he had seen him with a smug expression, so Jaeyoung was excited. ¡°It¡¯s really funny whenever I meet you, sunbae,¡± Sangwoo said as they crossed the crosswalk. ¡°How come?¡± ¡°You can just ask me to buy them. Why do you say this in such a roundabout way?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely something I¡¯ve said. Did you think I¡¯d wash my mouth?¡± He couldn¡¯t control his expression. Jaeyoung quietly laughed while covering his mouth with his fist. ¡°Follow me, I¡¯ll buy you something nice.¡± He had to slightly run in order to catch up with Sangwoo who was striding ahead of him. It was the weekend, so the department store was crowded. Sangwoo, who seemed to be labeled as a student by anyone¡¯s eyes, looked different from the backdrop of the colorful store with cosmetics and perfumes on display. They took the escalator and got off on the third floor which had sports equipment and a casual corner. Jaeyoung looked around a few places and dragged Sangwoo into a jeans store. Before he heard him nag at him for why he threw t-shirts away and looked at pants, he quickly scanned the interior to see if there was anything that looked okay. He mainly looked on the side with bright clothing. Sangwoo looked displeased when he grabbed nearly-white gray jeans. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 15.12 ¡°How¡¯s this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ripped at the knees.¡± ¡°I guess.¡± It wasn¡¯t even noticeable, but like a ghost, Sangwoo still found this and it got on his nerves. Jaeyoung completely gave up on the pants and looked at something else. However, whatever he showed him, he found a flaw with it. The shape of the pocket was weird, it had to be uncomfortable since it had two buckles, the zipper was too stiff, etc. ¡°Hey, this one¡¯s alright, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That one¡¯s fine.¡± As soon as Jaeyoung was about to pay for a pair of plain ankle-length beige-colored pants and a pair of tight black jeans hanging on his arms, he saw an eye-catching outfit. It was a pair of slim light-blue jeans that were nearly sky-blue in color. He eyeballed its size and quickly inspected it all over. There was just one buckle and there weren¡¯t any tears. If he folded the pants horizontally so that his ankles slightly showed¡­the mere thought nearly gave him a nosebleed. Jaeyoung went into the fitting room with great excitement and came out wearing the pants. ¡°Sangwoo! Sangwoo! Look. Isn¡¯t this pretty?¡± Sangwoo, who had been looking elsewhere with crossed arms, approached him. His gaze carefully examined Jaeyoung¡¯s lower body. ¡°The color is too bright, but¡­ It looks good since you¡¯re wearing it, sunbae. But it¡¯s a bit small so buy a bigger size.¡± That was unexpected approval. Jaeyoung grinned and changed his clothes again. He stood in front of the cash register with three pairs of pants. He pushed Sangwoo¡¯s arm, who had already taken out his card, to the side, and handed his own credit card to the clerk. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Go buy something more expensive.¡± Sangwoo wore an unfathomable expression but didn¡¯t have any time to waste. Jaeyoung grabbed his arm and headed towards another store. After walking around without success, they arrived at a store that sold quality T-shirts. T-shirts of various designs hung on hanging racks, walls, and mannequins. Jaeyoung grabbed Sangwoo by the shoulders and turned him towards a hanging rack, despite Sangwoo¡¯s apparent lack of interest. ¡°Please look if there¡¯s anything decent as well.¡± ¡°Whatever you wear is fine, sunbae.¡± That¡¯s not what he¡¯d meant. Jaeyoung patted Sangwoo¡¯s cap and looked over at T-shirts on the hanging rack. A bright red T-shirt, a cute T-shirt with a pocket on the chest, a modest T-shirt with buttons, a T-shirt that reminded one of yellow chiclets. Sangwoo criticized Jaeyoung for grabbing them. ¡°The pattern is poor.¡± ¡°The sleeves are odd.¡± ¡°It¡¯s short.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too thick.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too thin.¡± He was far more demanding and uncooperative than he¡¯d thought. Jaeyoung didn¡¯t have any choice but to give up and grab some white T-shirts. He put away things that were too thin or thick or had fancy prints or had holes, which left him with a V-necked one. Jaeyoung squinted at the T-shirt. It was a fresh design, one made out of thick material, that revealed the collarbone with a black line around the neck. ¡®Isn¡¯t this an outfit made for Chu Sangwoo?¡¯ Jaeyoung put the T-shirt against Sangwoo¡¯s body, then picked up a green and a burgundy colored one with the same design and immediately paid for it. Sangwoo, who missed the timing to pay again, left the store and complained. ¡°If you were going to do this, then why did you bring me along?¡± ¡°As a porter,¡± Jaeyoung replied and handed the shopping bags to Sangwoo. Sangwoo looked displeased, but quietly followed him while carrying the bags. When he checked the time on his cell phone, he felt rushed. Jaeyoung went into a large casual brand store and looked around the men¡¯s underwear section. ¡°Welcome! Who¡¯s going to wear it?¡± A male clerk greeted them cheerfully. When Sangwoo pointed to Jaeyoung with his finger, the clerk took out various styles and said there was something that would suit the customer perfectly. ¡°What are you looking for?¡± ¡°It has to be something pretty.¡± ¡°Then please check this one out. These days, they¡¯re the trendiest boxers among young people. They¡¯re made of microfiber and fit well over the butt. There¡¯s something special about the band as well. Please touch the material. This underwear will make you feel sexy¡­ I think it would fit you perfectly.¡± Jaeyoung discovered that Sangwoo, who had put some distance between them at some point, and was acting differently, hadn¡¯t run away, and pulled out the boxers the clerk was handing him. The quality seemed good and there wasn¡¯t anything that stood out except for the brand name written on the band. The material seemed smooth and thus comfortable. Jaeyoung touched the part that supported the penis, the front pouch, and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s big there, so won¡¯t this be too small?¡± The clerk looked at him like he was a madman and recommended a size L. When he paid for a set of five in each color and threw it at Sangwoo, the latter put the box in the shopping bag. ¡°Why did you buy underwear? You¡¯ve taken two of mine, so you have plenty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to me.¡± There wasn¡¯t really much time left now. As soon as he tried to return home feeling regretful, Jaeyoung got tied up at a baseball clothing store. The wall was filled with ball caps, so he couldn¡¯t just walk past it. Jaeyoung dragged Sangwoo, who was looking at his watch, and stood in front of cap heaven. ¡°Whichever one you like, hurry.¡± ¡°You have a lot of hats, why buy more?¡± What was he expecting from him? Jaeyoung looked at the shelves himself. The one with the big logo of the baseball team was excluded. The one with the unique shape was excluded. The one where the color stood out too much was excluded. The black one because he also wore that type was excluded. All were excluded. Then, there were only a few left. ¡®This is the one.¡¯ Jaeyoung grabbed the white snapback that was at the very top and inspected it. The baseball team¡¯s initials were embroidered, but it was also white, so it wasn¡¯t noticeable if one didn¡¯t look too closely. It was neither thin nor too thick, and had a pretty shape. ¡°How¡¯s this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He hadn¡¯t hesitated when choosing the clothing since he was confident he knew Sangwoo¡¯s body size well, but it was difficult to estimate this without putting the hat on. Jaeyoung quickly removed the black ball cap and replaced it with the white one before Sangwoo could refuse him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Jaeyoung stared awkwardly at Sangwoo. The color of the hat had merely changed, but he felt like his aura had brightened. He thought it looked a bit big, but that he just could adjust the snap. ¡®It suits him well. Cute.¡¯ Jaeyoung held back his desire to embrace Sangwoo on the spot and just removed the cap again. He quickly paid for it and stuffed it into one of the shopping bags. Sangwoo kept glancing at his watch with an anxious expression. ¡°We¡¯re done. Let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°You must have a lot of money, seeing that you can get so many clothes you don¡¯t need all at once.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all necessary, though.¡± Sangwoo blatantly sneered. It was funny for a guy like him who wore seven T-shirts and three pairs of pants in rotation. There was only about half an hour left until the part-time job started. They hurried down the escalator to the first floor. Jaeyoung thought that Sangwoo would say he was late and leave, but he merely checked the bus app on his phone and didn¡¯t say much. ¡°My legs hurt a lot, please get me a taxi.¡± ¡°Would a person with leg pain buy clothes for an hour and a half?¡± Jaeyoung forced a cough while pulling a pitiful look. After bending over, he coughed for a long time, and when he got up again, Sangwoo was squinting. ¡°It¡¯s your legs that hurt, not your lungs.¡± ¡°Cough. Cough! Cough¡­ Cough!¡± ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Got it. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Sangwoo stood in front of the road, grabbed a taxi, and motioned for Jaeyoung to hop in. Then, he looked like he was about to leave, so Jaeyoung pulled his arm into the taxi. When Jaeyoung quickly shut the door and said something about the subway station near the internet caf¨¦, the taxi started rolling. As Jaeyoung lifted Sangwoo up, who was sprawled out on his seat, the latter began to fume. ¡°Jeez¡­ Why are you so stubborn today? You keep not being straightforward either,¡± Sangwoo said. ¡°What have I done?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re usually like this, but it¡¯s over the top today.¡± There was nothing else he could do, was there? Once one thought they didn¡¯t have much time left, they would feel rushed. Jaeyoung leaned back on his seat while feeling bitter. He suddenly felt suffocated when he saw the shopping bags filled with clothes. This wasn¡¯t enough. Jaeyoung wanted to give Sangwoo more. ¡°Sangwoo.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± He turned his head away from him, who was fiddling with his wrist with a calm expression. Jaeyoung wanted to dress him in a trench coat during fall, a padded jacket during winter, and a cardigan during spring. He wanted to buy sneakers in different brands, colors, and for different uses, and put them on his tadpole-like toes. He wanted to take him to a hair salon and see him with different hairstyles. Since he had rice noodles today, he wanted them to eat jjamppong1 next time, and a meal with 10 side-dishes the time after that, and then burrito and enchilada, and then Beijing duck, curry, budaejjigae2, and monkfish stew together. Just the thought of it made him feel stifled. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Footnotes: Chapter 15.13 ¡°Still, today was amazing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the weekend and there are a lot of people who are crazy about clothes. It surprised me.¡± Jaeyoung smiled and patted Sangwoo¡¯s head. He stayed still, then raised his hand above his head and grabbed Jaeyoung¡¯s hand, pulling it down. He was naturally relieved, and the guilt from yesterday was washed away. Jaeyoung looked out the window with a casual expression, but his heart was pounding hard on his chest. If they weren¡¯t in a taxi, he would¡¯ve laid him back and kissed him already. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been trying a lot of new things with my seniors. It didn¡¯t take this long to buy clothes with my mother.¡± ¡°Do you like it or hate it?¡± ¡°There are pros and cons. If I might say so¡­ oh, we¡¯re here. You can drop me off here.¡± As the taxi arrived near the PC room, Jaeyoung didn¡¯t think there was anything good about it. Sangwoo opened his wallet, took out 10,000 won, and handed it to the taxi driver. ¡°Please take this and bring this man to his house,¡± he said, then handed Jaeyoung two 10,000 won bills, ¡°It¡¯s for the t-shirt. Bye.¡± As always, he was a meticulous guy. Jaeyoung took the money and stuffed it in his pocket, then handed all the shopping bags in Sangwoo¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s all yours. take it,¡± he said. ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°I bought it for you to wear.¡± Sangwoo hesitated with a frown, the taxi door still left open. He stared at the shopping bag for a while without getting off, then looked at Jaeyoung with a serious face. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t have this, so I¡¯ll refund it.¡± Raising an incredulous brow, Jaeyoung said, ¡°You sound like you have a lot to spare.¡± Taking a bundle of receipts from his pocket, Jaeyoung tore it in half, and pushed Sangwoo outside with the shopping bag. ¡°It¡¯s the price I¡¯m willing to pay for you. Now get some rest.¡± Then he closed the door in front of Sangwoo, whose face looked absurd. After giving his address, the taxi started again. Looking out the window, he saw a broken robot-like silhouette move away. Jaeyoung peered over the window until he was as small as a little finger, then corrected his sitting position and leaned his head against the backrest. The awkwardness and worry he felt last night had faded before he knew it. ?W Mom: Your uncle passed away. 11:32 Mom: The funeral is on the 23rd. Can you come down by tonight? Let¡¯s have a meal together. 11:33 The simple message made Jaeyoung feel bad. It was like the annual family reunion in October had been moved up. His uncle was a troublesome person both when he was alive and now dead. Jaeyoung was displeased at the thought of having to see his blood relatives, but he replied that he understood. After he finished eating and washed up, he took off all his piercings and changed his clothes. It was two in the afternoon when he came out of the house in a black suit, shades, clothes to wear for three days, and other essentials. He started the car and called Sangwoo, but he didn¡¯t answer. He always did put his cell phone on silent and rarely answered on time. Planning to visit the province for 3 days ¨C Funeral 14:02 Jaeyoung decided to just send a message and left. When he arrived after a three and a half hour drive, he smelled the sea through his slightly open windows. It was still before dinnertime. He was now in a city that wasn¡¯t romantic at all despite being adjacent to the sea. Going to a place where factory chimneys densely filled the coastline made him frustrated, a heavy feeling weighing him down. After checking in at the hotel his mother booked, he left his luggage and headed to her room. It¡¯s been 7 months since he last saw her at the family gathering last year. When he knocked, there were light footsteps and the door opened. A well-dressed child peeked through the door and opened it wide with a nervous expression. ¡°Hello, Jaeyoung hyung!¡± ¡°Hi.¡± Jaeyoung walked past the boy who bowed his head and entered the room. He was Jang, his mother was Shin, and her child was Baek. Jaeyoung felt distant as much as their alien surnames. His mother was sitting at her dressing table in a black mermaid dress with sheer shoulders. Black was all she needed, and the rest of her accessories and makeup were like a bride. Jaeyoung laughed inwardly at the thought that he was confused whether they were going to mourn in a funeral or celebrate in a party. ¡°Young, are you here?¡± She looked in her mirror, examining herself, and belatedly turned toward Jaeyoung. She looked so young and beautiful that it was unbelievable she¡¯d be turning fifty next year. As Jaeyoung approached, she inspected his face and clothes, then pulled his shoulders and patted his back with the palm of her hand a few times. ¡°My son is getting more and more handsome.¡± ¡°What about uncle?¡± ¡°Stroke, heart attack. He had quite a temperament. I knew it would go like that.¡± Jaeyoung nodded and stood a little away from his mother¡¯s reach. Then, his father and another younger brother rushed over and hugged his mother. She wrapped her arms around the boy¡¯s shoulders and looked at herself in the mirror again. ¡°What about your graduation? How did it go?¡± his mother glanced at him. ¡°Like I said then.¡± ¡°Are you sure this time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Seriously, why is that? It seems that Joohyuk has already entered the army, but how condescending will my sister be? After graduation this time, are you going to study at the same school?¡± ¡°Yeah, uhuh¡­.¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t get scolded by Grandpa.¡± She examined her hair, which she¡¯d set perfectly, then checked her child¡¯s face. She wiped the corner of his mouth and then turned her eyes to Jaeyoung. ¡°Young, you know there will be another ruckus now that your uncle is dead, right? You, too, earn his trust by acting cute to your grandfather this time. You won¡¯t know what will happen.¡± Jaeyoung didn¡¯t answer and gave her a sardonic smile. His uncle, who was the eldest, was the successor of his maternal grandfather¡¯s business, and the one whose inheritance would go to the most. Now that he was dead, his siblings and other relatives would be scrambling for his share. ¡°Don¡¯t you have enough pocket money?¡± his mother asked him. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Hong contact you? Are they in Korea?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He checked his cell phone, but he didn¡¯t hear from Jang Jaehong. He did notice Sangwoo¡¯s reply, ¡®Okay¡¯, and then put his phone back in his pocket. ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything more to say, then I¡¯ll go,¡± he said, his boredom starting to kick in. ¡°Okay. Go to the hospital and pay your respects. The dinner is seven o¡¯clock, so don¡¯t be late.¡± Jaeyoung turned his back and left the room. ¡°Goodbye Jaeyoung hyung!¡± a young voice screamed and pierced the back of his head. Jaeyoung wasn¡¯t late for dinner. He lived with a certain perception about places, but this place was an exception. The world¡¯s most lowly people gathered in a hall where crystal lights from the high white ceiling cast soft light and classical music was playing. They sat around the table without a single word said to each other. When the old man entered, they all jumped and ran to him. ¡°Father, how are you?¡± ¡°I missed you, Grandpa.¡± ¡°My father seems to be getting younger every day.¡± Jaeyoung sat in his place and watched his mother¡¯s son being embraced by the old man. His maternal grandfather was a handsome gentleman. His charcoal gray custom suit, which wrapped around his strong body as sharp as a knife, and the black handmade shoes shone. Fine cufflinks gleamed beneath the watch that displayed his wealth, and on his fourth finger was the wedding ring that his grandmother would never miss, even after her death. His graying hair was swept back undisturbed, it wasn¡¯t easy to be this cool when you¡¯re over the age of seventy. He sat down and looked around the large dining table. The man loved to gather their large family. Looking around the table where no one was absent save a few with valid reasons (except for his eldest aunt, his mother¡¯s husband on a business trip, and two other cousins), his keen eyes widened mischievously when he caught sight of Jaeyoung. ¡°Is the puppy here?¡± Jaeyoung smiled at him and reached for him with his hand outstretched. As he got closer, his nose caught a whiff of heavy perfume and strong tobacco that hadn¡¯t changed since he was young. Unlike his mother¡¯s hug, his grandfather¡¯s hug was warm and strong. At that moment, it was as if Jaeyoung was transported back to his boyhood. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m here,¡± he finally replied after several seconds of silence. ¡°I missed you,¡± said the man who wasn¡¯t shy to express his feelings. ¡°I did too,¡± Jaeyoung replied sincerely. The man was the only person he liked. If it hadn¡¯t been for his grandfather, Jaeyoung would¡¯ve never been in this situation. As he returned to his seat, a jealous stare pierced his face. Appetizers were served and courtesies were exchanged. Things like what happened during their prime years, and the company¡¯s loss of a great talent, were words he wouldn¡¯t have thought of by himself. But when the main dish came out, no one mentioned the deceased. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 15.14 the greedy man, who had a fiery personality and didn¡¯t want to talk at all, was actually everyone¡¯s enemy. even jae young¡¯s grandfather didn¡¯t like him. soon, the child promotion unfolded. this kid is this amazing. his three children presented their sons and daughters, watching carefully to see who would fall off the ladder. among them, jae young¡¯s mother was the most eager. ¡°he¡¯s very smart, see, he looks like grandfather. i entered him in a gifted class this time, and he even ranked first in class.¡± ¡°well, yes. what¡¯s the baby¡¯s name again?¡± ¡°it¡¯s seung min. you¡¯re so mean. it¡¯s about time you remembered, right?¡± grandfather, who emphasized family and loyalty, believed in the patriarchy. therefore, he treated his daughters as outsiders, and wasn¡¯t interested in blood ties other than shin. ¡°young, when are you going to study abroad?¡± the only exception was jae young, the son of his youngest daughter who was divorced. grandfather cherished jae young from an early age because he inherited a lot of his looks. as his mother remarried and it became difficult for jae young, he raised him as his own family with affection. ¡°in july,¡± jae young replied. ¡°not much time left. what should i do if i miss my boy when he goes to america?¡± several uncomfortable coughs were heard here and there as grandfather openly showed his affection. then, compliments that didn¡¯t contain sincerity poured in ¨C that they really wanted to see jae young, that he couldn¡¯t wait until graduation, and that jae young would do well wherever he went. however, the mood changed when the grandfather left for a while. ¡°what do you do these days?¡± his aunt asked, crossing her legs. husband, doctor. daughter, doctor. son-in-law will be tested. they were all vain and arrogant. his cousin, who was wrapped in luxury goods from head to toe, added, ¡°i thought you said you were a senior last year.¡± ¡°i have something to finish, so i¡¯m taking another semester.¡± his mother¡¯s face twisted as she had insisted that they kept it a secret. jae young was good at lying, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to do so. ¡°so, you¡¯re still a student? our joohyuk entered the training center already,¡± his uncle said, clicking his tongue. it wasn¡¯t a remarkable attack. jae young had been accustomed to this, so it didn¡¯t bother him anymore. ¡°joohyuk must be still in school if he went to the army.¡± ¡°oh, look at him. who goes straight to the army these days?¡± his maternal aunt insisted. her son was also not free from the issue of military exemption. jae young smiled and replied. ¡°i think there are more people in their 20s who get tuberculosis. grandfather was worried a lot about how eun song would work because he already had lung disease at that age.¡± the table turned quiet. his aunt and maternal aunt couldn¡¯t get back at him because their ¡®conservative¡¯ grandfather would be upset that his grandchildren wouldn¡¯t serve in the army by expedient means. ¡°jae young, what¡¯s that? do you still draw cartoons on the wall?¡± this time, his maternal uncle came in. alcoholism and bad temper. instead of working in the business, he was now making a living at the mobile phone agency set up by his grandfather. jae young turned to him and asked, ¡°are you talking about graffiti? it¡¯s a hobby that i often do.¡± ¡°when you graduate, you draw pictures and get paid, right? try drawing my face. you¡¯ll need some pocket money.¡± he took out a pen from his pocket and threw it in front of jae young. without even blinking, jae young replied, ¡°uncle, try selling your phone to me, too. it¡¯s time to change, and i¡¯ll decide whether to buy or not.¡± his cousins grabbed their father¡¯s arm and stopped him when his uncle swore and called him a rude brat. her aunt commented that it was because he was mixed with jang. his mother¡¯s face turned pale in anger, but she was pushed back in all aspects, age, wealth, social status, and she had little to say in rare gatherings such as this. as grandfather returned, jae young¡¯s uncle, who was huffing, smiled broadly and revealed his golden teeth. jae young felt insignificant, so he put down his spoon and laughed. when he was young, he had trouble with what to do when he saw those snobs, and although annoying, now they were just a tad bearable. ¡°father, let¡¯s go play together sometime. i went to australia last month, and i saw a good golf course.¡± ¡°hahaha. australia is good.¡± the reason why jae young kept attending family gatherings was only because of his grandfather. he was a self-made businessman with high self-esteem and strong leadership. wearing a suit wherever he went, he was a stylish man and a romanticist who vowed not to remarry or date since losing his wife five years ago. however, grandfather always emphasized that they should always protect their family. when jae young was disciplined for beating a senior in middle school, was caught as he brought his girlfriend home in high school, his grandfather just laughed it off saying a boy could do that. even when he ran away from home for more than a month, rebelling against his grandfather, he let it be, saying it was a good time to secretly learn how to smoke and drink. even when he went to the design department instead of taking the management course his grandfather wanted, jae young¡¯s decision was respected. however, jae young was slapped for the first time in his life on the day he promised to cut ties with the family. he was kicked out of the house on the day he didn¡¯t attend the family event at will, and was beaten with a golf club on the day he called his uncle an asshole in the face. his grandfather was the most caring and scariest man jae young knew. jae young learned freedom and obedience from him at the same time. he didn¡¯t have the confidence not to show up in fear of his grandfather, so he had no choice but to keep a good face since he was 20 years old. he returned to his room exhausted after the family gathering and immediately fell on the bed. whenever there was a meeting like this, he was usually exhausted, but today, it felt more unbearable. he knew exactly why. after barely removing his lens and lying down on his stomach for a while, he put his hand in his pocket and checked his phone which he¡¯d turned to silent. he got a lot of calls from useless places. however, there was no contact where it was necessary. ¡°i miss you so much.¡± maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯ve seen each other almost every day. not seeing him for a day and he already had withdrawal. there has been nothing much, but he couldn¡¯t stand it because he was curious what he was doing, whether he¡¯d taken classes, and whether he had a good meal. jae young called sang woo after staring at the four letters of his last message. toot¡­ toot¡­ toot¡­ toot¡­ toot¡­ toot¡­ ¡®take it, please.¡¯ the stupid phone didn¡¯t let him hear the voice he wanted until the end. so jae young called again. toot¡­ toot¡­ toot¡­ toot¡­ ¡®what the hell are you doing?¡¯ jae young was annoyed. no, it was desperation rather than irritation. he didn¡¯t know why, but he needed to hear that voice right away. he hung up and dialed back before the mechanical sound connected to voicemail. ¨C hello, honey? it was already on the seventh or eighth attempt that the call was answered. jae young closed his eyes and heaved a long sigh. ¨C what is it? why? ¡®it¡¯s effective,¡¯ jae young told himself. the irritation and tiredness he felt just now washed away as soon as he heard sang woo¡¯s voice. ¨C is it because of the funeral? ¡°never mind.¡± ¨C you said you were going to a funeral. the condolences were long overdue. he was supposed to help out at the mortuary, but that was still tomorrow or the day after that. if it stayed like this, sang woo wouldn¡¯t say a thing and hang up, so he didn¡¯t want to, but he forced himself to talk. ¡°where are you?¡± ¨C the house. ¡°what were you doing?¡± ¨C well¡­ this and that. playing games¡­ well¡­ i brushed my teeth. ¡°before that?¡± ¨C i coded it in the lab. ¡°alone?¡± ¨C yes. his answer was too short. jae young wanted to hear his voice longer. ¡°why did you go to the practice room when i wasn¡¯t there?¡± ¨C i¡¯m used to working there. ¡°¡­¡± ¨C ¡­ jae young thought he hated silence just for today. ¡°sang woo.¡± ¨C yes. ¡°sang woo.¡± ¨C why? ¡°sang woo.¡± ¨C i guess you¡¯ve become crazy at last. jae young burst into laughter. however, he didn¡¯t hate the man who didn¡¯t have any sense to think he was crazy, let alone feel strange after hearing his drooping voice. he couldn¡¯t hate him at all these days. jae young smiled and decided to joke around as usual. ¡°what are you wearing now?¡± Chapter 15.15 ¨C my pajamas. ¡°i¡¯m so excited to imagine you playing games in your pajamas.¡± ¨C then do it. ¡°you do it. in a sexy voice.¡± ¨C how? ¡°if you moan while playing with your hands, i think i can leave here.¡± sang woo didn¡¯t say anything for a while. a look of bewilderment was on his eyes. ¨C i don¡¯t want to talk about it. ¡°why?¡± ¨C ¡­i just did it, so nothing is coming out. jae young, who didn¡¯t expect it at all, couldn¡¯t help but burst out laughing. forgetting his fatigue after laughing for a long time, sang woo told him off that it wasn¡¯t proper to laugh at a physiological phenomenon. ¡°did you do it while looking at my picture?¡± ¨C what are you asking? ¡°i¡¯m jealous, damn it. which was it?¡± ¨C stop teasing me. ¡°i¡¯m serious. what picture did you look at?¡± ¨C ¡­ ¡°hurry.¡± ¨C several¡­ jang, i¡¯m going to flip it and¡­ i don¡¯t really remember. i¡¯m so embarrassed. can i hang up? ¡°no way.¡± jae young had sang woo explain what he did today, and he kept his eyes closed and listened while he was talking without hesitation. he wished there was a program that read books with his voice. then he¡¯d listen to it every night and become well-informed. wasn¡¯t it because he only heard the voice and didn¡¯t understand the content at all? jae young buried himself under the blanket without even changing his clothes. ¨C are you listening? ¡°yes.¡± ¨C did you know that our call is over 50 minutes? ¡°no.¡± ¨C recently, the phone time has been increasing. according to this pattern, there is a high probability of more than three hours after five episodes. ¡°then¡­ it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t¡­ what?¡± ¨C wouldn¡¯t it be better to meet instead? ¡°¡­that¡¯s right.¡± ¨C are you sleeping? ¡°ah¡­you.¡± ¨C i think you¡¯re sleepy, just hang up and rest. ¡°don¡¯t hang up. keep¡­ let me hear your voice.¡± ¨C why? ¡°keep¡­. oh, my¡­inside.¡± ¨C i¡¯m hanging up. sang woo said so but he didn¡¯t hang up the phone. it seemed that he accepted jae young¡¯s nonsense and whining, even when he grumbled to himself. he fell asleep on the way without turning the lights off, so he couldn¡¯t remember anything after. ?w the next day, jae young was busy receiving condolence money from morning to evening. even though the mortuary was set up far from seoul, mourners continued to arrive. he was his nephew, and he was glad that the man he hated had died and he¡¯d never see him again. such labor was always welcome. in the evening, the family ate in a miserable mood. when grandfather called him and talked for about half an hour, the sky already turned dark. it was then that he got a call from jang jae hong. ¨C where are you? i¡¯m almost at the hotel. ¡°are you coming?¡± ¨C i had nothing to do. ¡°aren¡¯t you going to offer your condolences first?¡± ¨C i¡¯m going now. i¡¯ll see grandfather first thing tomorrow, and it¡¯ll be less hassle if i go with you and mother. jae young thought it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. relatives hated him and kept him in check, but compared to jae hong, he was a nobleman. they openly ignored jae hong, who grew up with his father, and didn¡¯t even think of him as a family member. ¨C you¡¯re in front of the hotel, right? i can see you now. shortly after hanging up the phone, the taxi halted in front of jae young, and his twin brother got off. ¡®i feel bad whenever i see you,¡¯ he thought to himself, puffing cigarette smoke. the two of them were the same height, appearance, and voice. when he was young, he couldn¡¯t stand the fact that there was someone else just like him, so they fought a lot. however, they only resembled on the outside, while on the inside there was a huge difference. everything else was different ¨C personality, hobby, fashion sense, speech, and facial expression. ¡°long time no see, jang jae young.¡± jae hong walked toward him, speaking stiffly. wearing a basic black suit and tie that fit his body, he had a serious and strict impression. his hair, which was fixed by combing it on both sides based on the parting, was too greasy for jae young¡¯s taste, and his accessories and shoes that he claimed to be classics looked old-fashioned if jae young would be honest. who would even wear that in their 20s? ¡°did everything go well?¡± jae hong stood by and asked. jae young replied, releasing another batch of cigarette smoke to the other side of him, ¡°it¡¯s always a mess here.¡± ¡°who got the position on the board? aren¡¯t you going back?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t care about shit.¡± after studying in europe, his twin brother who started working in the financial world was ambitious and interested in social success. so, even though he was despised, he always showed up brazenly at family gatherings. jae young added with a frown, ¡°why did you come here? it¡¯s pathetic.¡± ¡°i¡¯m on vacation. i have the time, and i need to know what¡¯s going on,¡± he replied as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. they were so different, and only looked the same on the outside. after a long pause in conversation, jae hong broke the silence. ¡°how¡¯s everything with you? you must have graduated,¡± he said. ¡°it¡¯s nothing¡­ i haven¡¯t graduated yet. i really have nothing to say to you,¡± jae young replied curtly. they weren¡¯t that close. the two of them lived in the same house until they were 12, but they didn¡¯t play with each other because of their different personalities. when jae young scribbled on the wall, jae hong read a book. even if he learned the same foreign language, jae young showed a talent for speaking while jae hong read well. if jae young led a fight in the alley, jae hong was a steady model student. even though he had a secret. ¡°where do you sleep? if the room is spacious, let me sleep in.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be ridiculous and get a room.¡± ¡°it¡¯s nice to sleep together after a long time.¡± jae young threw his finished cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his soles, feeling that it wasn¡¯t even worth swearing. after seeing his expression, jae hong added. ¡°it¡¯s a joke, a joke.¡± then his phone rang in jae young¡¯s pocket. he¡¯d been working so far, but he took out the device irritably, wondering who it was calling him. suddenly, his face turned blank when he looked at the screen. baby is calling! in an unconscious response, his hand pressed the answer button and glued the device close to his ear. he almost called him by his name, but stopped in his tracks. jae hong was watching carefully from the side. ¨C hyung. he hurriedly lowered the volume thinking it was exceptionally too loud. his eyes met with jae hong¡¯s. jae young strode past him and headed to the back of the building. checking that no one was around, he put his phone back to his ear. ¡°oh, why?¡± palpitating. he just got a phone call, but his heart was racing. ¨C i found an important bug and tested it today¡­ sang woo bragged about his achievements in a slightly excited voice. blah blah blah, incomprehensible stories poured through his ears, but jae young didn¡¯t interfere. ¨C the performance has improved a lot. if you come the day after tomorrow, i¡¯ll download it on my phone and show you its progress. ¡°really? good job.¡± ¨C yes. honestly, i¡¯m running out of time, so i¡¯m not sure i can finish infinite mode and other features. i¡¯m worried about that. ¡°you can take it out and release it.¡± ¨C i want to finish everything. ¡°let¡¯s think about it together the day after tomorrow.¡± jae young closed his eyes and leaned against the wall. he was sorry for sang woo, but he wasn¡¯t interested in the game at all now. he just wanted to hear his voice. jae young was too tired, sharp, and cynical. ¨C it¡¯s actually an excuse. sang woo, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spat out. ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¨C you can test it yourself and talk later, but i¡¯m just calling to inform you. ¡°¡­¡± his heart, which had been frozen hard because he was surrounded by people he didn¡¯t like, melted. sang woo had a talent for shaking people¡¯s hearts without even an ulterior motive. maybe jae young came all the way here because of that. ¨C are you listening? ¡°yes.¡± what would his grandfather say if he knew he was dating a guy? he suddenly thought. would an ashtray come flying or would they try and lock him in a mental hospital? maybe he¡¯ll laugh it off and tell him to quit after playing around for some time. keep the line. line. their bloodline. ¨C i¡¯m sorry to call you when you are busy. sang woo was good at apologizing even though he did nothing wrong. jae young wondered if he was the one who held his head brazenly because he didn¡¯t want to express ¡®regret¡¯ in the pc room. ¡°no, i¡¯m not busy.¡± ¨C ¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¨C what did you think after calling yesterday¡­? sang woo asked a little slowly. ¨C so, i wanted to tell you not to be so sad. that¡¯s my business. did he think he was sad because he came to a funeral? his thoughts were one-dimensional, too. it¡¯s completely wrong, but cho sang woo¡¯s worries were rare. jae young replied, feeling a smile spreading on his face. ¡°it¡¯s because i¡¯m stressed. it¡¯s okay because it happens all the time.¡± ¨C who¡¯s bothering you? ¡°yes.¡± ¨C who is it? ¡°what would you do if you knew?¡± his smile grew wider. it was only the second day since he left seoul. but jae young missed sang woo very much. Chapter 15.16 ¨C i know, right? i was being presumptuous. i¡¯m hanging up. ¡°wait a minute.¡± jae young grabbed his phone with both hands and put it close to his ears. ¡°just a little more, let me hear your voice.¡± he needed the strength to endure another day without sang woo. jae young raised the call reception to the highest level, fearing he¡¯d miss even the slightest sound. the sound of breathing in and out was quite audible. ¡°i asked to hear your voice, why are you silent?¡± ¨C i have nothing to say. ¡°anything is fine. tell me whatever¡¯s in your mind.¡± sang woo fell silent for a long time. then what he said afterwards made jae young forget how to breathe. ¨C jang jae young. his name echoing in his voice was ecstasy to his ear. ¨C since you¡¯re not here, the practice room is so silent and time passes by at an agonizing pace. ¡°¡­¡± ¨C i miss you. the murmur sounded faint as if passing by. jae young wondered if he heard it right, since his mind went blank for a moment there. as soon as he was about to ask again, sang woo added quickly. ¨C i¡¯m out of words. i¡¯m hanging up. and the phone immediately hung up. jae young stared at the black screen motionless for a long time. he just made a phone call, but he was out of breath as if he ran a long-distance marathon. an unfamiliar tingling spread and his heart tightened painfully. it was unpleasant as it was brilliant, and most of all, it was a strong emotion. jae young clasped his phone with his back and head against the wall. he was at the bottom of the stairs, but did he come up another level? ¡®i play in moderation. it can¡¯t be.¡¯ when was the right time to call it moderation? he¡¯d already fallen so much and it¡¯s all messed up. the line that he shouldn¡¯t cross? he doesn¡¯t even know where. maybe he¡¯d already gone too far. his fists turned into a tight ball. cho sang woo¡¯s attack even knocked down jae young¡¯s lethargy and cynicism. so, in the end, his head cleared. in the first place, jae young wasn¡¯t born with the temperament to consider and pay attention to every detail. he took a rough step. as soon as he turned from the wall, he almost bumped into jea hong, but he passed him and barely ran to the hotel entrance. ¡°who are you¡­?¡± jae hong¡¯s voice was full of laughter. when he turned sharply, he saw a smirk on his face. jae young walked faster and jae hong followed suit. ¡°yes, baby, the voice was quite thick. it surprised me that it was so boyish, or¡­ was it a boy?¡± ¡°get lost.¡± ¡°are you seeing a guy?¡± with his mouth wide open with delight, jae young ignored him. he just walked, ignoring all the questions asked ¨C how old he was and what he looked like. ¡°as i live my life, the day has come that i can sympathize with you. the puppy jang jae young, it¡¯s not like grandfather would approve of it.¡± ¡°what do you want to say?¡± ¡°i caught your weakness, didn¡¯t i?¡± ¡°go and mess around with someone else.¡± without the time to lie and make excuses, jae young stood in front of the elevator and pressed the button. in haste, he pressed the button that had already been lit twice or three times. ¡°but¡­ where are you going?¡± ¡°seoul.¡± jae young answered briefly and then pressed the floor number as he got into the elevator that just arrived. jae hong followed and asked with a serious face as he rode along. ¡°are you serious?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°no, with him, are you serious?¡± serious? what was it? even though he had a lot of dating experience, jae young thought he wouldn¡¯t know. he was simpler than ever. he only had one reason for going back. sang woo said he missed him. he didn¡¯t say that he needed jae young¡¯s body. that was it. ¡°tomorrow is your birthday.¡± it was obvious something would happen if he didn¡¯t say a word. in order to prevent troublesome things, jae young lived by keeping in ¡®line¡¯, but now there was nothing to see. as he got to the 8th floor, jae young said to jae hong, ¡°let me ask you a favor.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°i¡¯ve kept your secret all this time.¡± ¡°so what?¡± ¡°at least once you should help me. make up a story that something urgent came along and cover it up on your own.¡± ¡°do you think that¡¯ll work? why don¡¯t we just stay one more day and go,¡± jae hong suggested. ¡°no way.¡± he wanted to see cho sang woo. it¡¯s not that he was begging him to work, he didn¡¯t say he wanted to sleep with him, he said that he missed him. jae hong frowned and said, ¡°i don¡¯t have the confidence that they¡¯ll even see me. there¡¯s no way grandfather would listen to me¡­¡± ¡°then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± jae young entered the room using the card key. he kicked the suitcase down and picked up the clothes that were scattered all over the place. jae hong folded his arms and clicked his tongue at the sight. ¡°okay, calm down.¡± jae-young ignored him and continued to pack. jae hong, with a frown and crossed arms, squatted in front of the suitcase at one point. he poked through the untidy clothes and took out a suit and shirt that jae young brought for an extra. immediately recognizing his plan, jae young stopped. jae hong opened his suit and looked around. ¡°it¡¯s not my style, but i can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°are you confident?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t even imagine.¡± when jae hong was sick and absent from school when they were young, jae young pretended to be him and played tricks on his teacher. he didn¡¯t think jae hong was good at acting, but no one knew he¡¯d come in the first place. no one will notice if he¡¯d fool around grandfather. ¡°hey, jang jae hong.¡± when he called him quietly, jae hong clicked his tongue and pretended otherwise. ¡°if you¡¯re thanking me, that¡¯s enough. i¡¯m not doing it for free, so pay me back later.¡± ¡°put it on.¡± ¡°give me shoes and perfume too, because grandfather is sensitive.¡± jae young exchanged shoes with him, threw perfume, and locked his suitcase. and he left the hotel without looking back. he stepped on the accelerator to go as fast as possible. maybe a few speeding bills would come, but jae young was out of his mind and couldn¡¯t care less. he arrived in seoul less than three hours ago, running nonstop without even resting. when he got off in front of sang woo¡¯s studio building, his whole body was stiff. before entering, he checked his reflection on the glass door. jang jae hong¡¯s oxford brogue in black suit. it was a look that sang woo would like, but he thought he might smell like sweat from working all day. jae young couldn¡¯t get in right away and hung around in front of the studio. so far, he¡¯d been taking his own way regardless of the other person¡¯s reaction. he laughed it off when he was constantly rejected, but he wasn¡¯t in the mood today. he¡¯d run a long way since he said he missed him, but he was afraid he¡¯d be cold. he was afraid he misheard sang woo or he¡¯d get rejected because he was tired. anxiety lingered at the bottom of his heart. he seemed to have lost his confidence in his weakened state. ¡®should i just go back?¡¯ he was desperate for the idea of cigarettes, but he stopped thinking that he, a non-smoker, might hate it when he was wearing his pajamas and had washed perfectly and was clean by now. jae young raised his head and stared at the window where the curtains were carefully drawn. what was he doing there? unlike him, was he in a stable state and thinking about games without any worries or conflicts? jae young unlocked his cell phone and checked the message he didn¡¯t get to read because he was driving. it was a call from a useless place. then a new message arrived. baby: i¡¯ve been thinking about it and i think i should give up infinite mode, ladder rankings, or oracle quests. it will take 2 weeks to review the store, so we have to start the beta test on june 3rd as scheduled. 23:04 baby: i know you¡¯re busy. you don¡¯t have to reply, so just keep that in mind. 23:04 he read it several times over the business message, but one more came over with a time difference. baby: and good night. you need to get enough sleep to relieve your stress during the day. 23:07 ¡°putting people up and down.¡± he didn¡¯t know why tears flowed at that moment. jae young put his cell phone in his pocket and opened the glass door. he ran up the stairs two at a time, arrived on the fourth floor, and caught his breath in front of sang woo¡¯s door. if it was the door, all he could remember was to knock hard. he slowly raised his hand and knocked three times. he waited in a tense state for so long. the door opened, and a bright light shone on the dark steps. when he opened his eyes again, sang woo was in front of him. his jaw had dropped and his eyes were wide with shock. ¡°why¡­.¡± jae young slowly came into the front door and closed it. sang woo stood at a distance, and the two of them looked each other in the eye for a while. Chapter 15.17 ¡®you seem to like me a lot.¡¯ he could tell by his face. it was a moment when he understood the worry that his lust was only getting worse. if he hits the ceiling, he¡¯s supposed to fall. if it went all the way, it should cool down, but why is it getting darker as the days go by? thinking that he had no idea, jae young took off his expensive shoes. he approached sang woo one step, two steps closer. with his eyes wide open and cheeks flushed, sang woo looked up at jae young without breaking eye contact. ¡°i didn¡¯t know you were coming.¡± ¡°so, don¡¯t you like it?¡± jae young wrapped his arms around sang woo¡¯s neck and pulled him toward him. when he put his chin on his shoulder and leaned on it, the negative emotions that had swirled in his heart before slowly escaped him. his eyes closed on their own, and a long and heavy breath escaped between his lips. there was no such thing as an uneasy hobby. why should he waste his time being anxious when he could spend it in joy? but the more he got to know him, the more passionate he became, the more anxiety grew. it was a bad feeling. ¡°i feel good.¡± no, jae young always felt good when he was with sang woo. it¡¯s never been like that before he fell out of control. he rubbed his face against his neck, his arms tightly wrapped around his back. sang woo, who always treated him like a baby, was warm and spacious. ¡°hyung, you¡¯re very strange today.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°it¡¯s my first time i¡¯ve seen you in these clothes, and your smell.¡± ¡°so, you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± ¡°that¡¯s all right then.¡± ¡°and¡­. what happened at the funeral?¡± jae young thought he was pretty good at impersonating people now. when he hugged sang woo without saying anything, he tapped him on the shoulder awkwardly. ¡°who was the person who bullied you?¡± ¡°aunts, uncles, uncles, aunts, cousins. they go and scold me.¡± ¡°stupid,¡± sang woo sighed, ¡°did you get depressed because your relative harassed you?¡± ¡°you have to console me. would you have come here to be scolded?¡± ¡°you want me to console you with my body, right?¡± he asked. ¡°what a rotten mindset. that¡¯s not it. say it kindly.¡± warm consolation. he whined even though he knew that cho sang woo didn¡¯t have such an ability. actually, it didn¡¯t matter. at this moment, leaning on sang woo and immersed in his body scent, jae young didn¡¯t need anything more at all. sang woo remained silent for some time. it was a precious silence for jae young. he said that he felt as if he could fall asleep standing up because he was so tired. ¡°in nature, strong individuals act alone. for example, the black mamba secretes deadly poison from the day it hatches from the egg, so there¡¯s no need to protect it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°there are two main reasons why other animals don¡¯t live in groups. herbivores have weak individual strength, so they flock together to defend themselves against the predators, and carnivores form groups to hunt with cooperation.¡± jae young took a lecture on zoology that came out of nowhere. sang woo talked extensively about a few other examples, such as an antelope, a monkey, and a hyena. ¡°which side are you, hyung?¡± he suddenly asked. ¡°well.¡± even if he tried to answer seriously, it couldn¡¯t have worked. it¡¯s absurd to put the animal and human world on the same line. moreover, it was impossible to understand the situation of his family, which wouldn¡¯t be strange if sang woo, who had grown up in an ordinary family, appeared in a crazy drama. ¡°if you¡¯re a marsupial, you won¡¯t know, but if you¡¯re an adult, you¡¯ll have to go through your own path. if you¡¯re weak, one way to survive is to lean on the herd. but if the herd adversely affects the individual¡­¡± sang woo, who¡¯d been talking dryly, paused for a moment. ¡°it¡¯s okay if you get out. hyung, are you confident you can survive without your family?¡± the idea was that if there was a problem, you had to eliminate the cause. it was because he didn¡¯t know jae young¡¯s situation, but he wasn¡¯t wrong either. however, ordinary people considered this idea cold. ¡°do your parents know that you feel this way too?¡± ¡°sure. it¡¯s been five years since i left home.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you disappointed?¡± ¡°the bond between family members is shared with phone calls every month and a visit every six months. and i plan to repay the money my parents spent raising me in nine years.¡± ¡°¡­what a good son.¡± it was clear that sang woo grew up in a harmonious family, no matter what he said. from a father who¡¯d beg for a heart to be added to his name, a mother who personally taught him how to drink in fear that her tactless son will lose money somewhere, and an older sister who complained like an ordinary brother and sister. maybe that¡¯s why he has less emotional ups and downs, not caring about other people¡¯s perception of him, and has high self-esteem. jae young felt jealous and love at the same time for the man he was dating. ¡°hyung is so contradictory. why can¡¯t you skip the stressful funeral and miss an important class?¡± ¡°if i don¡¯t go, it¡¯ll be a mess.¡± ¡°it¡¯s called making a fuss. your relatives are just people. no one can force hyung to act otherwise.¡± ¡°you¡¯re all right.¡± jae young was smiling before he knew it. it was strange to be comforted by such extreme solutions. his firm conclusion blew away his stress. ¡°that¡¯s a bit exaggerated. i¡¯ve never been hit.¡± jae young hugged sang woo tightly when he muttered and added, ¡°do i look stupid?¡± ¡°a little. everyone has a weakness, so i understand. even superman has kryptonite.¡± ¡°i know. even a perfect man like me should have a weakness.¡± jae young thought it was a good metaphor. his only weakness was that he couldn¡¯t do as he pleases while living freely. the family line that his maternal grandfather gave him over a long period made jae young weak. how was it different from superman, who stuttered with kryptonite? there was something he was curious about. ¡°what is your kryptonite?¡± he asked sang woo. ¡°i don¡¯t have that.¡± sang woo answered without hesitation. jae young agreed without much doubt. ¡°good for you, superman without weakness.¡± lack of social skills, lack of sense, lack of empathy. but for a tough black mamba, that may not be a flaw. even if he couldn¡¯t get along with others, he can act on his own. ¡®that¡¯s how you¡¯ve lived your life.¡¯ sang woo slapped jae young on the back twice and said, ¡°okay, it¡¯s over.¡± that was all the consolation he could give. ¡°do you want me to kiss you now?¡± he asked. ¡°yes.¡± sang woo¡¯s fingers wrapped around jae young¡¯s cheeks. jae young raised his chin and closed his eyes, but sang woo raised his face to his eye level and stayed still for a long time. sang woo¡¯s fingers tickled jae young¡¯s forehead and touched his eyebrows. he gently brushed down the bridge of his nose, his cheeks, and finally came down to his lips. ¡°they are strange people. why are they harassing such a handsome relative?¡± the moment he laughed, something else touched jae young¡¯s lips. his lower lip was pulled into his mouth, sang woo¡¯s soft tongue smacking over it. sang woo alternately kept jae young¡¯s lips in his mouth and sucked them, then came inside with his mouth wide open. ¡®he¡¯s doing really well now.¡¯ jae young made him practice a lot, but he became a player before he knew it. jae young forgot how tired he was and was dragged as sang woo pulled him. feeling like chocolate was melting in his mouth, he let him tease his tongue sweetly. tongues tangled together; jae young¡¯s mind went blank. everywhere sang woo¡¯s lips and tongue touched, his senses awoke. it was a giddy kiss that stopped his train of thoughts. after his lips fell naturally, jae young hugged sang woo again and whispered in his ear. ¡°can i sleep here?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡®isn¡¯t he answering too quickly?¡¯ ¡°then give me your pajamas. i¡¯ll go wash up and come back.¡± ¡°no. you can¡¯t change.¡± sang woo quickly grabbed jae young¡¯s arm and dragged him to bed. his face was flushed with anticipation and his eyes were ablaze. jae young fell on the bed as he led him, but was reluctant. sang woo, who got on the bed as well, sat down, embraced him, and turned to his side to lie down. ¡°sang woo.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°let¡¯s just cuddle and sleep like mom and dad today.¡± he wanted to apologize after the words came spilling out his mouth. ¡°we are both men, so of course we can¡¯t get married, but it was just a figure of speech. if you¡¯re offended, i¡¯ll be the mother. you are the father.¡± sang woo just looked at his eyes without saying a word. jae young leaned closer to him and inserted his legs between his thighs. it felt pleasantly warm as their hearts touched each other. as if jae young¡¯s heart was about to explode, his intense emotions subsided and he felt a hazy and warm feeling that caught the corners of his mouth. the calm waves that drove away hatred and anxiety calmed his mind. jae young thought it was a good thing to visit sang woo. Chapter 15.18 sang woo, who was lying still as he lent him warmth, suddenly asked, ¡°are you sure we shouldn¡¯t do anything?¡± when jae young didn¡¯t answer, he wiggled his head out and made eye contact. ¡°if we are mom and dad, shouldn¡¯t we have a baby?¡± jae young pushed his head down again and hugged him tighter. ¡°i want to stay like this,¡± he murmured. ¡®please, come on, cho sang woo. i¡¯m not here to have sex with you. i¡¯m here to see your face.¡¯ no matter how much he shouted inside, sang woo didn¡¯t recognize what he didn¡¯t communicate. sang woo pushed jae young¡¯s chest, creating distance, and bowed his head and looked down. jae young lied on the other side, covering his eyes with his palm, but it was already too late. ¡°the sexual urge is out of control now. you know how it feels.¡± ¡°¡­¡± this was the moment he hated living as a man. jae young didn¡¯t really want to have sex, but he couldn¡¯t help his body reacting from the moment he kissed, or saw sang woo. sang woo clung tightly and hugged his back, whispering in his ear as if he understood everything. ¡°it¡¯s my first time seeing hyung in a suit, so i really wanted to do it like this. but i respect your judgment if you don¡¯t want to lose yourself.¡± his words that gave up was the most dizzying temptation, igniting jae young¡¯s sexual desire. immediately, he felt blood rushing through his veins. ¡°cho sang woo.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°where¡¯s the condom?¡± ¡°you said you wouldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°i thought i wouldn¡¯t. but you leave me no choice.¡± ¡°thinking of forcibly having sex with someone when you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± ¡°bring it quickly before i put it in.¡± the body that was attached to jae young¡¯s back moved away. soon, the lights went out and sang woo brought the same brand product as last time. jae young tried to hug him by pulling his wrist, but sang woo pushed his chest down. ¡°you look tired today, so i¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°stay still.¡± sang woo sat at the end of the bed and quickly unbuttoned his pajamas. jae young lay down slowly, his face blank with surprise. he gulped as he watched the thin pajamas gently stripped away and showed flesh. while imagining himself tearing his clothes to pieces and rushing to sang woo, he recalled his instruction to stay still. sang woo took off his pajamas, folded them neatly, put them on the floor, and made eye contact with jae young. it was then that he did something unexpected. he pulled down his pants and tore off the condom, then put it in his erect penis. ¡°are you sang woo?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t i tell you to stay still?¡± jae young stiffened with embarrassment. he thought this day might come someday, but he didn¡¯t know it would be today. he had talked enough with sang woo and was willing to give him anything he wanted, but now neither his body nor his mind was ready. ¡®i shouldn¡¯t have brought up about being mom and dad¡­¡¯ he regretfully thought at the back of his mind. sang woo came close and touched jae young¡¯s pants buckle. he grabbed his hand firmly and looked into his eyes. ¡°wait, i¡¯m not ready yet¡­¡± ¡°hyung, you¡¯re really weird today.¡± when sang woo said it with a smile, jae young¡¯s face turned suspicious. taking advantage of his weakened grip, sang woo pulled down his pants and underwear. jae young couldn¡¯t get rid of his tension while he stayed still looking at what sang woo was doing. ¡°did you say we should just lie down and sleep?¡± ¡°if you wait, it will subside.¡± ¡°take a look and tell me about it.¡± sang woo grumbled as he brought a tissue and wiped his slippery penis. he was just touching it with tissue, but jae young felt the illusion of his tongue licking it. as a result, his cock spewed more white liquid fiercely, but sang woo patiently wiped it all off and put a condom on him. ¡°why did you put both of them in?¡± ¡°i used one more because i recalled throwing away my clothes last time. shirts cost more,¡± sang woo explained casually as he took off jae young¡¯s suit. anxiety and doubt immediately turned into excitement and paralyzed his mind, but jae young held back and waited. he was convinced that if he waited a little longer, he¡¯d definitely see something good. sang woo squeezed a generous amount of lubricant over the condom and spread it with his palm. taking a deep breath, he then lifted his lower body. with both hands next to jae young¡¯s shoulder, he inched lower and put his buttocks to his cock¡¯s head. at the small contact, jae young brushed sang woo¡¯s arms as he got excited and thought his soul was about to leave his body. he held sang woo¡¯s white and hot forearm and repeatedly released it, but the stimulus that he desperately waited for didn¡¯t come. ¡°it¡¯s not working,¡± sang woo said with a frown. after a few more attempts, he gave up, and unfortunately sat on jae young¡¯s thigh. sang woo took a deep breath and turned to his side. his profile, glowing in the dark, was as good as the front. he was manly without being rude, and at the same time, had a pretty body. his physique, which had all necessary muscles without eating many calories, resembled his personality and values well. sang woo ripped off a new condom, put it on his finger, and squeezed gel. then he brought his hand down. jae young¡¯s jaw dropped blankly and watched his finger enter his body. it was hard to breathe. a sticky gaze started at his jet-black hair, touched his dark eyebrows, his wrinkled eyes tightly closed, and then scanned his partly opened lips as it passed the bridge of his nose. his collarbone stood out as he lowered his head. his curved neckline and the curve down his back was dizzying, so he swallowed his saliva and clenched his fist repeatedly. the sound of viscous matter passing the narrow hole filled the room. in the intense black-and-white contrast, the two of them didn¡¯t even make eye contact, but at the same time were out of breath. ¡°haa¡­.¡± soon, sang woo let out a groan that was close to a sigh. his right hand moved more and more diligently. the sound of slithering in a slush stuck in jae young¡¯s ear, making his earlobes hot. sang woo¡¯s neck twitched and his black hair swayed. he frowned and tilted his head back. ¡°oh, my¡­¡± cho sang woo was voluntarily opening his butt with his fingers to receive jae young¡¯s penis. it was the most erotic and seductive thing he¡¯d ever seen. sang woo opened his eyes and mumbled, ¡°what are you looking at so hard? you pervert¡­¡± jae young bit his lips. honest by the day, he doesn¡¯t hide his desires at night as well. it¡¯s a consistent behavior, so why were they like two different people? he wasn¡¯t a baby. there¡¯s no such thing as a baby like him. jae young couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he leapt up with a pang in his heart to rush at sang woo. ¡°i told you to stay still.¡± sang woo got annoyed and pushed jae young with his foot. jae young was embarrassed inside and slowly lay back, forgetting that his excitement got to the top of his head. ¡°i¡¯ll do it,¡± sang woo added. he lifted himself up, and looked directly into jae young¡¯s eyes. sweaty chest, pink nipples, belly with abs, neck, arms, legs, everything stimulated jae young gravely. sang woo inhaled, brought his hand behind him, opened his butt, and swallowed the rod that had been waiting for this moment. jae young closed his eyes tightly. ¡°ahhhhhhhhhhh¡­.¡± with the sudden stimulus, a groan poured out loud and clear. jae young felt literally swallowed up. sang woo¡¯s weight, the hand holding his shirt, and his hot skin made his head dizzy. sang woo moved his hips up and down a few times, and then sank deeper. a strong wave of pleasure came like a tsunami, hitting his stomach with the sensation of sucking and wrapping his manhood tightly. ¡°sang woo¡­ ahhh¡­hold on. this is dangerous.¡± sang woo ignored jae young¡¯s words and slipped deeper and tightened his grip. he clenched his teeth and endured not to ejaculate, but he sat down and ate him all up instead. when he opened his eyes as he crumpled the sheets, jae young saw a frowning face. he looked up at sang woo gasping with his hands on his chest. ¡°what¡¯s wrong? are you okay?¡± ¡°it¡¯s because it¡¯s too deep. and¡­¡± it was time to get used to it, but it seemed difficult to accept him because of the position. when jae young flicked his finger, sang woo lowered his upper body. his face, which was up close, was obscene. jae young wrapped his arms around the neck of the man who couldn¡¯t even be called a baby as a joke. while closing his eyes and taking a breath, sang woo whispered in his ear. ¡°hyung¡­ are you too excited? it¡¯s gotten bigger.¡± Chapter 15.19 jae young, who was unexpectedly hit off guard, unintentionally reached his climax to the point he couldn¡¯t see a thing. ¡°oh, my god.¡± ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± he ejaculated once before he even started, but sang woo didn¡¯t notice anything because it wasn¡¯t different from before anyway. however, soon after, white semen leaked through the condom as if it was bursting, wetting his pubic hair. jae young whispered shyly, ¡°i couldn¡¯t control it. it needs to get changed.¡± ¡°i can¡¯t take it out now. is it okay to just continue?¡± as soon as he nodded, sang woo raised his upper body as he touched jae young¡¯s chest. soon, he began to move his hips up and down. even before the exhilaration of his climax subsided, waves of stimulation flooded jae young. sang woo had a hazy look as he closed his eyes halfway, repeatedly entering and exiting at a slow tempo. it squeezed tightly with a squishy sound, then came out as if it had never done so. whenever his waist and pelvis moved as if riding a horse, his penis swayed hard on jae young¡¯s stomach. it was sweet, tantalizing, yet unbelievable sex. jae young¡¯s breath became rougher though he was just staying still. each contact between them aroused him even more. he grabbed his sweaty buttocks and squeezed them, feeling the movement of his muscles. he tickled his wide-open thighs with his fingers and touched the center of his body shamelessly. sang woo¡¯s dark eyes looked down at jae young as if in pain. a drop of sweat from sang woo¡¯s temple dropped at the tip of his chin, and then fell on jae young¡¯s shirt as soon as he brought his butt down. it continued to fall every time his body shook. jae young¡¯s mouth opened on its own and let out a gasping breath and moan. ¡°sunbaenim,¡± sang woo said, biting his lips. ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°like that¡­ don¡¯t look.¡± soon his palms came close to the corner of his eyes. jae young grabbed his wrist and pulled firmly before his vision was completely blocked. sang woo¡¯s upper body collapsed over jae young¡¯s chest. he craned his neck and found sang woo¡¯s lips, and kissed him roughly. ¡°ugh¡­¡± sang woo, who had been moving on his own, trembled and stopped moving for a while. as if they were one body, the tightly meshed sensations made him feel full. jae young hugged him tightly. ¡°can i help you?¡± sang woo blinked without saying a word. tears were forming in his eyes. cho sang woo, acting tough, was actually easily tired in bed. his conflicting qualities were one of the many factors that made him attractive. jae young bent his knees and held sang woo¡¯s buttocks tightly. he only twisted his pelvis slightly, but sang woo shifted his body and leaned his forehead on jae young¡¯s neck. did he know that it drove him crazier today? was this the reward for coming a long way? then jae young would drive for 100 hours. he wrapped one arm around sang woo¡¯s back and lifted his lower body. ¡°oh, my¡­ wait a minute.¡± ¡°does it hurt?¡± sang woo quickly shook his head, wrapping his arms around jae young¡¯s neck. ¡°that¡¯s all right then. shut up.¡± jae young was overcome with violent feelings as he watched sang woo lose his senses. did he say he was a sadist? every time he flinched as he moved his back, he wanted to torment him more. jae young wanted to claim him in that way. he burrowed into the perfect gap and pressed inside. after harassing the same place several times, sang woo put his weight on jae young and hugged him. the ends of his hair, which was glistening with drenched sweat, gave off a smell commonly smelled on a basketball court. he didn¡¯t know the day would come when a man¡¯s sweat would smell so sexy, but that confused him. a strong desire to possess was seething in his mind. with the desire to fill, wet, and paint cho sang woo all over him, jae young held his waist with both hands ¨C and then moved earnestly. it was an opportunity for him to hug sang woo tightly and stir him up to his heart¡¯s content. when he hit it hard, sang woo¡¯s butt lifted and then fell. ¡°ah, ah! sunbaenim¡­¡± without answering, he put one hand to the back of his head. he moved his lower body, gripping his sweaty hair. the act became more and more intense, and sang woo¡¯s body swayed in the air with the sound of flesh colliding with each other. ¡°ugh, hugh, ah¡­ oh, my¡­ slowly¡­¡± fueled by the mixture of pain and pleasure in his voice, his actions grew stronger. the frequency of the slapping sound got shorter and the degree to which sang woo¡¯s body lifted in the air intensified. every time he landed, he picked it up and raised it, and he¡¯d let out a whine with tears flowing from his eyes and drool on his lips. ¡°huck, huck, ha¡­ ugh, ugh¡­ ah!¡± cho sang woo, who wasn¡¯t rich in emotional expression, couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. knowing that he was excited because of him, jae young became more agitated and violent. in turn sang woo became more excited too, and so they went all the way. ¡®why did i only meet you now?¡¯ jae young sensed that emotions hotter than bodily fluids were mixed in the blood pumping from his heart to his whole body. emotions that blinded and paralyzed reason were not the kind that could only be explained by sexual desire. he put his sense of danger aside and immersed in it, willingly drowning himself in the sea of sensations. sang woo was sensitive that day and reacted very delicately to every gesture of jae young. he could see how excited he was, so he didn¡¯t even have to ask for a reaction. his fingernails dug into his back and his teeth bit his shoulder. jae young willingly listened to the eccentricity of a man who couldn¡¯t fake anything. he pressed his hot skin into his arms and kissed his hair and forehead. at the same time, he persistently attacked the same spot with his penis. jae young was a fast learner. so, it was only natural that he would know where sang woo¡¯s sweet spots were. ¡°ah, sang woo¡­¡± ¡°ah¡­ ha, ha, ha, ha, ha¡­¡± jae young saw sang woo cry only once, but he didn¡¯t want to feel that way again. but it was nice to hear him cry in bed. he gently hugged sang woo, who sobbed and burrowed into his arms, and pushed him up with his lower body. the feeling of the two reaching their climax together was ecstatic. a feeling of relief washed over his satisfaction. the desire to engrave the strongest pleasure on the body. that way he will never forget him. jae young expressed his complicated feelings with his body. there was still a long way to go to pour out everything. there was still a lot left to show. ¡°ah, ah! ugh¡­ hey, jae young¡­¡± then, as soon as the inner wall tightened on him, jae young knew that sang woo had ejaculated. when he stopped moving, his body drooped and fully leaned on him with all his weight. sang woo hugged jae young with his eyes closed. this time the shirt was messed up from being pulled too hard. jae young stroked the back of his head and swept his tearful eyes. sweat, tears, and possibly semen were on his trembling fingertips. ¡°ha, ha¡­ sang woo.¡± sang woo didn¡¯t answer, but only breathed. ¡°open your eyes.¡± his weakly closed eyelids flickered, revealing half of his black pupils. as soon as their eyes met, their lips found each other, without a word being said. they shared a long kiss that dragged on with drooling saliva. sang woo broke the kiss, and he closed his eyes and collapsed to the side. ¡°i thought i was going to die.¡± his eyes filled with pleasure blinked leisurely. there was one thing he overlooked. jae young kissed his damp forehead and roughly wiped the sweat from sang woo¡¯s cheeks and chin with the back of his hand. ¡°you can¡¯t die. i¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°i have no strength left. that¡¯s enough for today.¡± ¡°what do you mean stop? it¡¯s just the beginning.¡± jae young pulled himself out and removed the condom that was shiny with semen and gel, and put on a new one. he put down his wet pants and socks that were tangled in his ankles at once, and threw off his shirt that clung to his skin. it was easy thanks to sang woo taking off all the bottom buttons. in the aftermath of the affair, sang woo, who was drooping, hugged him around the waist. ¡°if you seduce me, you should take responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­okay. put it in.¡± jae young, who kept his excitement a while ago, couldn¡¯t afford to be kind. when he opened the gap between his butt and penetrated it at once, sang woo lost his composure and groaned, resembling a scream. the second round began as they closely overlapped like dogs in heat. jae young moved his waist and grabbed sang woo¡¯s hair and pulled it. he buried his face in his head and whispered in his ear. ¡°sang woo.¡± ¡°ugh, why?¡± ¡°now¡­ what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°ah, school, pleasure, oh¡­ legasm, ugh¡­ yes, jae young. humanity¡­ the loss of¡­¡± ¡°not yet¡­ you¡¯re unbelievable.¡± he had a hunch that the night would be long. Chapter 16.1 9. i feel a desire to have sex with someone who has a spouse. ¡®not to that extent. besides, it is illegal.¡¯ 10. i can¡¯t stand a day without sex. ¡®i can stand one day.¡¯ 11. i look for a brothel because i can¡¯t overcome my sexual desire. ¡®that¡¯s impossible. besides, it is illegal.¡¯ 12. i feel a strong urge for perverted sex. ¡®¡­¡¯ it was difficult to say ¡°yes¡± or ¡°no¡± because the standard of ¡°perverted¡± was ambiguous. sang woo was forced to put the decision on hold and read the rest. more than 10 out of 20 questions were said to be sex addiction, and the only perfectly matched question was no. 5 ¡°i feel uncomfortable in my daily life because i often think about sex.¡± ¡®it wasn¡¯t an addiction.¡¯ he suspected mental illness because he thought of it all the time, but no matter how simple the self-tests were, if the results were so clear, it would be wrong. fortunately, sang woo thought so. as he put his cell phone in his backpack and stayed still, what happened the previous day came to mind. while working with his partner in the practice room, somehow, they got caught on fire and returned home early. they tried to break up after similar sex acts in the car, but they played around in front of the house and it escalated into a kiss out of nowhere. in other words, he was almost late for the ¡°embedded system¡± class today because he slept late having sex until dawn without washing up. ¡®you have to state the requirements exactly, sang woo. there¡¯s no object.¡¯ jang jae young was inconsistent and slightly different from time to time. some days he was silent, some days softer, and some days he was rough. it was hard to choose which one was better, but it wasn¡¯t good to be determined and anxious. yesterday, he was so mischievous that he rushed in with a fit of anger and accidentally crushed the glasses sang woo had taken off by the bed with his palm. when he went to sleep at dawn, sang woo found the frames of his glasses had been broken in half. when asked to give the price, he didn¡¯t answer. sang woo sat with his chin on his palm and thought hard. he was thinking of a sensual expression that jae young made last night, but the door suddenly burst open. ¡°huck, huck, i¡¯m sorry! sunbaenim.¡± the male student that appeared was gasping for breath. sang woo belatedly recalled that he was sitting in the conference room and was about to have a task meeting. looking at the clock, he was seven minutes late. he didn¡¯t even notice because he was distracted. ¡°sorry, i¡¯m sorry! i fell while riding my bike, i know it¡¯s an excuse, but i should¡¯ve come earlier¡­¡± it didn¡¯t seem like a lie. the elbow sticking out from under his short-sleeved tee was peeled and had caked blood. ¡°if you¡¯re hurt, go to the clinic first.¡± ¡°what? no¡­ it¡¯s alright.¡± the boy sat across from sang woo and wiped his sweat with the back of his hand. sang woo shifted his attention to the notebook he had opened in advance and grabbed the mechanical pencil. ¡°then let¡¯s start the meeting. the topic of the presentation is the concave algorithm. if you don¡¯t like it, suggest an alternative.¡± ¡°sleep¡­poetry.¡± he frantically took out a crumpled paper and a pen from his bag. in the middle of the paper, he wrote ¡®omok¡¯ in capital letters. ¡°we don¡¯t have much time, so wouldn¡¯t it be too complicated? i thought of an atm¡­¡± ¡°that one¡¯s too simple to get high grades. i¡¯ll go with omok.¡± ¡°¡­yes. okay then.¡± it was a two-person presentation assignment for the mini-project of ¡®algorithm¡¯ class. although the student was there, sang woo didn¡¯t expect anything from him and thought of doing it alone anyway. ¡°you know you get extra points if you implement it as a program, right?¡± ¡°are you going to do it?¡± ¡°isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± ¡°i think it¡¯s going to be difficult¡­ then we¡¯ll have to start with a checkerboard. well, do you have any plans?¡± ¡°you can implement the initial value of the checkerboard as an array and divide the value according to the cell size. and at each turn, check two types of diagonals, horizontal, and vertical. 3¡Á3 processing is a bit complicated, but¡­¡± seeing the boy¡¯s expression, sang woo quickly added, ¡°i¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°what should i do?¡± ¡°after i hand over the program, you organize the process of focusing on dynamic programming. i think you could also mention memoization and recursive functions, and the chart required. i¡¯ll make the program and send it to you by midnight on sunday, so let me know your email address.¡± the boy quickly took notes of sang woo¡¯s suggestions. then, he tore a piece of paper where he wrote down his email address and handed it over with both his hands. ¡°i¡¯m not as good at coding as you are, but i¡¯ll take care of the analysis and presentation.¡± can he trust him? sang woo cast a suspicious glance. if he won¡¯t do it properly, he can do it alone. after writing down his role and the male student¡¯s role in the notebook, there was one role left to be decided. creation of presentation materials. ¡°leave the ppt to me,¡± sang woo said with confidence. he wasn¡¯t good at art, but he knew how to make a good ppt. after writing down the material production under his name, there was nothing left to decide at the meeting. pushing in the pencil lead, he put the pencil in its case and put them in the bag with the notebook. as soon as he stood up, the boy called him. ¡°i¡­ sang woo sunbaenim.¡± ¡°why?¡± he replied with a slight smile, sitting with a firm expression. ¡°thank you for letting it slide today.¡± ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°we were classmates in the ¡®data structures¡¯ class before. at that time, i was 3 minutes late for the meeting, so sunbaenim left and did the assignment separately, do you recall? i got a d and retook the course¡­ of course, i don¡¯t blame you now.¡± ¡®he wasn¡¯t a first-time offender.¡¯ sang woo frowned. it was terrible that there were so many people in the world who understood the concept of jae young¡¯s time. ¡°i thought you¡¯d go away again this time¡­ it surprised me that you were there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°is it because it¡¯s been a few years since then? i think the mood has changed since then.¡± he bowed to sang woo after saying something so difficult to understand. ¡°i¡¯ll work hard with the determination to learn a lot.¡± ¡°uh, okay.¡± sang woo had nothing to say, so he answered roughly and left the meeting room. the hot sun of late may poured over his black hat as he exited the library building. sang woo chewed on the boy¡¯s words and headed to the practice room. it was there three years ago when he took a data structure class. at that time, he was so strict that if his partner was late, he wouldn¡¯t even meet them anymore. ¡®i think the mood has changed since then.¡¯ did that mean the past version of him was gone? then it seemed to be true to some extent. for example, sang woo tolerated his partner if he was late now. if he didn¡¯t establish such a principle, he wouldn¡¯t have met jang jae young. before he knew it, he arrived at the art college that he was accustomed to. he climbed the three flights of stairs, opened the fourth door, and entered. ¡°you¡¯re here, mr. cho,¡± jae young said without taking his eyes off his cell phone. he was playing games as he leaned on a chair with his legs stretched out and his feet on the desk. he was wearing a blue shirt and black slacks, and although he wasn¡¯t wearing a suit, he looked nice in sang woo¡¯s eyes as if he was going to an important event. as he approached while listening to the game¡¯s sound effect, jae young¡¯s arms stretched out and wrapped sang woo¡¯s waist and pulled him in. ¡°what do you think?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a lot more fun than i thought. are you sure we made this?¡± jae young was playing the test version as chuchu, a nomad wearing braids and a fur coat. he tossed grenades to clear out mobs and sprinted ahead, catching slow enemies with a rifle. sang woo looked at it quietly and then spoke. ¡°we need to adjust the grenade damage.¡± ¡°i know. it¡¯s too fake.¡± ¡°the sound effects we used are good.¡± ¡°well done. and i found two bugs. if you install a booby trap and change your weapon without moving, you are forced to log out. check that and the control status window. it doesn¡¯t go sideways.¡± ¡°i know the first one. i¡¯ll check the second one.¡± sang woo tried to return to his seat, but his hand, which was slowly groping his butt, pulled at his waist. sang woo grabbed jae young¡¯s shoulders and raised him up a little so he wouldn¡¯t fall, and before he knew it, his eyes were staring at sang woo. it was a distance where their lips would easily touch. jae young lowered his gaze and looked at sang woo¡¯s lips, then he looked at his eyes again. ¡°hey.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± he whispered very quietly. ¡°we were together until this morning.¡± ¡°who cares.¡± sang woo wanted to say that it was a problem to be swayed by lust even before 24 hours had passed since he ejaculated, but when he came to his senses, he was kissing him again. an irresistible sweetness couldn¡¯t be denied. an event that happened more often than eating these days. jae young, who slipped his hand into sang woo¡¯s t-shirt and was groping, pulled and released the band. he broke the kiss and lowered his gaze. ¡°you¡¯re wearing your new underwear. can i see it?¡± ¡°underwear isn¡¯t something you wear for others to see.¡± ¡°i bought it for me to see.¡± sang woo ignored the nonsense and stepped back as he sat in place. ¡°since hyung took four sets of underwear, i had no choice but to wear new ones. please bring some of your own.¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you wear anything else?¡± ¡°i already have enough clothes, so i don¡¯t feel the need to wear new ones.¡± Chapter 16.2 ¡°next time i go to your house, i¡¯ll throw it all away.¡± he was talking nonsense again. he was setting up the computer and waiting for it to boot when jae young asked. ¡°you¡¯re not going to work tomorrow, are you? it¡¯s the perfect time to go on a three-day trip on friday, saturday, and sunday.¡± wasn¡¯t he also working on the same project? his carefree face made sang woo angry. ¡°how can you play around like that? you¡¯ve been behind schedule lately.¡± sang woo moved his chair and pressed it against the desk, pointing to a diagram pasted on the wall. the time they agreed was two months away. the last month will be filled with development-side tests and platform reviews, so it was practically going to be a busy month catching bugs and implementing features. except for the qa and beta test period, the remaining period was about a week. now that he quit his part-time job, sang woo increased his working hours by subtracting time to study and sleep, but he was anxious. ¡°on top of that, i also have studies in my department. we have tests in three weeks. i have to come up with a presentation over the weekend.¡± ¡°okay. then put off the trip and go somewhere with me today.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you listening? i¡¯m running out of time.¡± ¡°i mean, that¡¯s it.¡± as always, jae young didn¡¯t seem to take sang woo¡¯s words seriously. even if he was picky, sang woo asked calmly because he thought he should know what he was thinking. ¡°where are we going?¡± ¡°the studio i mentioned before. i got some samples and they were okay. do you want to listen to it?¡± ¡°i handed over all authority to you in terms of sound. i¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± jae young studied music pretty hard. he looked around the web and received samples, and seemed to have found them through people he knew offline. the studio was introduced by a friend who said he was in a band. it wasn¡¯t a proven place, as it just got established a year ago, but they said they were talented people. ¡°good morning, boss. yes, that¡¯s right. i like the sample you sent yesterday, so i¡¯d like to visit you in person and talk about it in detail. yes. oh, any time? then i¡¯ll leave now. yes. i¡¯ll be with my business partner. i¡¯ll see you in about 30 minutes.¡± jae young decided on his own that he was taking sang woo and hung up the phone. sang woo had a schedule in mind, but he turned off the laptop without saying a word and organized the lines. in fact, he could¡¯ve sent jae young alone, but he liked how he referred to him, so he decided to tag along. after packing all his things and putting the backpack on his back, jae young clung to him, putting his arm around his shoulder. ¡°come on, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°that¡­ say it again.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°you called me something on the phone.¡± ¡°what was it?¡± ¡°well¡­ it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°what is it? what do you want to hear? honey, honey, is this it?¡± ¡®crazy bastard.¡¯ jae young, who glanced at sang woo¡¯s expression, added that he was only joking. even if it was a joke, how can he say such a thing casually? sang woo quickly went down the stairs with goosebumps on his arms. the studio was in yeonseok-dong. it was said that it was a neighborhood with many entertainment establishments and foreigners, but among them, the studio was in a dark and narrow alley where security was poor. jae young said awkwardly in front of the alley, ¡°everything here is nice, except for the parking.¡± ¡°then why did you bring your car? you can¡¯t even see right now.¡± ¡°it¡¯s fine because i¡¯m wearing lenses. i need a car to drive after eating out with you.¡± ¡°you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to be fooling around.¡± ¡°if we go on a trip, shouldn¡¯t we at least go for a drive together? where¡¯s your conscience?¡± jae young muttered and then called the studio owner. he hung up after a few words, and then parked on the side of the road, as sang woo felt like he heard he was told to just park anywhere. jae young took out a plate with a phone number from the console and got out of the car. sang woo followed him up the iron stairs. ¡°it¡¯s jae young, right?¡± ¡°yes. hello, boss.¡± ¡°hey, seung yong said you were a handsome friend, so it¡¯s true. did you have a hard time finding the place?¡± when the door opened and they entered, a man with a thick beard welcomed jae young with a smile. he was bald and wore a gold necklace around his neck. he shook hands with jae young and turned to sang woo. jae young pointed to sang woo with his thumb and said, ¡°he is our developer.¡± ¡°your little friend is great. welcome.¡± sang woo held the man¡¯s hairy hand and said, ¡°i¡¯m not a young friend, but a business partner.¡± he didn¡¯t mean to be funny, but jae young burst into laughter and the other man smiled. it wasn¡¯t a place that specialized in game music. as if to prove him, there were several posters of hip-hop artists and emotional postcard-style designs on the walls. unlike the shabby exterior of the building, the interior was well finished, so sang woo felt it was a bit trustworthy to say the least. they began talking in a room with three monitors and two synthesizers. the studio owner introduced what he had worked on so far and played some samples of the looped background music. ¡°these days, the game music trend tends to give a bit of variations so that the code doesn¡¯t appear to be repeated. i picked something that would suit the action genre. what do you think?¡± jae young, who was listening quietly, winked at sang woo. sang woo talked about how he felt first. ¡°i like number two. unlike the trend you mentioned, short codes are repeated, but there are a lot of them in classic games. however, i want the tempo to be 1.3 times faster than this.¡± ¡°do what my ¡®business partner¡¯ says. i¡¯d like you to set the atmosphere. as you can see from the plan, our concept is a little spooky.¡± even before jae young was done speaking, the studio owner turned on the music again and manipulated the program. then the speed increased and went down, and it became a completely different music. it sounded grotesque and addictive. jae young laughed with his arms crossed. ¡°you really are something, boss.¡± ¡°okay, that¡¯s a good conversation. then i¡¯ll repeat 8 or 16 bars in this way.¡± while they were talking, the door suddenly burst open and a tall and thin woman came in with three cups on a tray. she put it down in front of them one by one, the coffee steaming hot. the boss leaned his back on the chair with a puzzled look. ¡°why did you suddenly do something you don¡¯t usually do? i don¡¯t ask my staff to do this, so don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± ¡°if customers come, we should treat them. hello, are you the vocalist from leaf project?¡± the woman who was glancing at the boss greeted sang woo and jae young with a smile. sang woo shook his head slightly, and jae young replied with a hello. ¡°this is the action game team i mentioned yesterday. they¡¯re my friends. this is yoon hee, our composer.¡± ¡°oh, that cell phone game!¡± the composer stood holding the tray. there was an uncomfortable silence for a while, and the boss told her to sit down rather than standing like that. then, jae young¡¯s phone rang. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. just a moment¡­¡± he answered the phone and hung up several times. he was scratching the back of his head with an annoyed expression afterwards. ¡°some man got angry and told me to get the car out.¡± ¡°that¡¯s the jerk again. we usually get along well, but he must be in a bad mood today. it¡¯s a bit far, but if you turn right at the intersection, there is a paid parking lot. you can move it there.¡± ¡°continue talking with the boss, sang woo.¡± jae young stood up and grabbed sang woo¡¯s shoulder slightly and left. now it was only sang woo, the studio owner, and the composer left. the composer sat down in jae young¡¯s empty seat and asked the owner. ¡°who was it?¡± ¡°seung yong¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°what does he do? is he a model?¡± ¡°i think he¡¯s a design student? i think that¡¯s what i heard.¡± ¡°a college student?¡± the studio owner dragged the chair in front of the computer and turned on the plan on the screen. ¡°it doesn¡¯t look like a student¡¯s work, does it?¡± ¡°he did this himself?¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s a low-budget indie game.¡± ¡°they are students, but skills are on a professional level.¡± sang woo acted differently, but he was actually listening to the whole conversation. his heart was filled with pride at the praises they gave jae young. it¡¯s none other than himself who chose the designer. because he was a business partner who embodied his imagination. the boss, who was looking through the proposal, sipped his coffee and asked, ¡°sang woo, how many staff do you have?¡± ¡°two.¡± they exchanged surprised glances. sang woo felt like showing off. he wanted to show them that he was working with designer jang jae young who visualized the project, and that he was the developer of . ¡°college students these days are cool. i only drank alcohol when i was young,¡± the boss said as he returned to the table. the composer, who was looking at the monitor as if she were mesmerized, suddenly turned to sang woo. ¡°well¡­ does he have a girlfriend?¡± the boss mumbled, ¡°so that¡¯s why you crawled out.¡± the composer looked at sang woo with her round eyes wide open. oddly enough, an unpleasant feeling rose at the moment, replacing the pleasure he had just felt. sang woo didn¡¯t want to answer anything, but she was waiting. ¡°there isn¡¯t.¡± Chapter 16.3 ¡°really? i thought there would be! why am i dressed so sloppily today? what should i do?¡± ¡°what do you mean? ask him to have a meal.¡± ¡°he¡¯s young! how old are you if you¡¯re the same age as him? twenty¡­ is it six? is it seven? he¡¯s too tender¡­ will i look older if he¡¯s next to me?¡± ¡°why are you like that? shame on you.¡± the boss smiled as if he were having fun, and the composer spoke quickly with her hands on her flushed cheeks. they were making sang woo feel very bad even when they did nothing wrong. sang woo thought he wanted to mute their voices. ¡°sit here, make eye contact, and talk after the meeting. it was love at first sight. who would hate it?¡± ¡°it could be too much. how can you do that?¡± ¡°no, i didn¡¯t know she had such a side. she¡¯s the type who is usually very confident,¡± the boss smiled and spoke to sang woo. so, what do they want him to do? when sang woo opened his mouth to answer sharply, the bell on the studio gate rang. the composer sprang up and spoke quickly to the boss. ¡°i can¡¯t stay because i¡¯m nervous. i¡¯ll leave for now.¡± she ran away from the room. soon after, jae young came in and filled the seat next to sang woo. ¡°what did you talk about?¡± ¡°oh, i asked about the game because i was curious about something.¡± ¡°chu sang woo, did he explain it well?¡± ¡°oh, of course. thanks to him, the problem is solved.¡± ¡®liar.¡¯ while sang woo squinted and glared at the boss, the meeting proceeded again. the music story went on for another 15 minutes, and the deadline, work costs, and licenses were discussed, but sang woo already lost interest. an incomprehensible dark cloud caught sang woo¡¯s sky and sprinkled rain. so, he couldn¡¯t concentrate at all. sang woo tried to recall the composer¡¯s face, but it wasn¡¯t easy. was she pretty? how would jae young react if she asked him out to eat together? would she be able to take the vacant position of jae young¡¯s ¡®lover¡¯? ¡®i¡¯m upset.¡¯ his heart pounded and a feeling of discomfort welled up. jae young poked him with his elbow and asked his opinion about something, but sang woo wasn¡¯t listening, so he had nothing to say. ¡°it¡¯s strange. why are you so quiet?¡± ¡°sang woo, were you always quiet?¡± ¡°don¡¯t mention it. i¡¯m usually very picky, but i guess i like all the conditions of the boss.¡± jae young put his arm around his shoulders and tapped the top of his head with his fingers. sang woo felt strangely annoyed and removed his arm. the two exchanged contracts after confirming the estimate, leaving sang woo alone. jae young signed with his worm-like handwriting and passed the paper and pen to sang woo. sang woo wrote his name under jae young¡¯s name without reading a single word. jae young glanced at sang woo and said, ¡°you can¡¯t flip it later because i¡¯m the only one who decided.¡± surprisingly, sang woo had no interest in the contract at the moment and was focused only on the fact that the meeting was almost done. the boss put a copy of the contract in a paper envelope and handed it to jae young. ¡°the work will be interesting, veggie venturer.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll be satisfied if the quality comes out the same as the sample, but there¡¯s nothing i can ask for if you¡¯ll work harder.¡± ¡°you can look forward to it. are you still working on the game?¡± ¡°the big framework is done, but there are some development issues left. i look forward to your kind cooperation, boss.¡± ¡°yes. call me if there¡¯s any change. take a look.¡± jae young rose from his seat. sang woo looked at the door¡¯s window with anxiety, but he couldn¡¯t see outside well. ¡°what are you doing? wake up.¡± sang woo stood up stiffly and went out through the door that jae young left open. there was no composer in the space with the sofa and table. they needed to get out of here quickly before she came out. sang woo walked forward in a hurry. ¡°she¡¯s not there.¡± jae young pulled sang woo¡¯s shoulder as he was about to open the wrong door handle, in the opposite direction. the boss caught them as they were about to open the studio door and leave. ¡°wait a minute, mr. jae young.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a little personal¡­¡± he smiled awkwardly and fiddled with the back of his head. then, he continued, pointing his finger behind him, ¡°our staff said she liked you. i don¡¯t think you have a girlfriend; won¡¯t you have a meal together? she¡¯s a good friend.¡± ¡®what, it¡¯s not your business.¡¯ sang woo clenched his fist and glared at the boss. he didn¡¯t say anything wrong, but he suddenly became irritated. jae young clearly said that he would have a meal with sang woo. but it was only a verbal promise, so he wondered how binding it would be for him, who was selfish. ¡°tell her i¡¯m sorry. i¡¯m seeing someone.¡± however, jae young answered in a way that was beyond sang woo¡¯s expectation with a calm attitude. his eyes returned to sang woo. ¡°what were you doing earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡± jae young opened the door and pushed sang woo¡¯s back. even while going down the iron stairs, the unpleasant pounding of his heart showed no sign of calming down. sang woo stepped hard on the ground. ¡°look at your expression. don¡¯t you like this studio?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°then what¡¯s the matter? you were very distracted at the end of the meeting.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t know,¡± sang woo said honestly. what on earth did he hate so much? what was he so afraid of? he felt even worse because he thought he only knew vaguely. his mouth opened irritably. ¡°the person you¡¯re dating, is it me?¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you stupid?¡± ¡°is it me?¡± ¡°you¡¯re a funny guy. you don¡¯t have to give time to meet other people or not. let¡¯s eat something first. i didn¡¯t eat yet¡± ¡°i already ate.¡± ¡°eat again.¡± jae young turned and walked fast in front of the crosswalk. sang woo, despite his impulsiveness, followed his lead. there were a lot of people on the main road in the dark. loud music flowed from clothing stores, bars, and restaurants lined up on the street, and signs flashed on top of shopping malls, which in turn made it distracting. ¡°do you like mexican food?¡± ¡°i told you i already ate.¡± jae young seemed to take the answer positively. before he knew it, sang woo was already sitting in a small taco shop on the second floor. the store hardly had room to step on and was run by two foreigners with large eyes and dark skin. they had to wait for more than 10 minutes to order two menu items with strange names. sang woo sat quietly and tried to calm himself down, but it wasn¡¯t easy because of the hectic atmosphere. the small store was so noisy that he had to scream to communicate, and two serving clerks passed by and knocked on the chairs. the water was lukewarm and the table was sticky. sang woo was acting as sensitive as a person who was anxious to find something to complain about. he didn¡¯t like all the odd number of chopsticks in the spoon box, the fact that the tissue wasn¡¯t folded to the corner, or the picture on the wall that was crooked. but what he didn¡¯t like the most was the eyes of other people. the distance between tables was so close that he could easily see what other people were doing. everyone seemed to be looking at jae young. the woman at the next table, the clerk who received orders, and the person who stood up to pay ¨C they were all watching him as if he was out of place. jae young put his chin on his palm and stared at sang woo¡¯s face, whether he didn¡¯t know or pretended not to. when his eyes met his, he spoke. ¡°what are you so dissatisfied with?¡± ¡°there¡¯s no such thing.¡± sang woo quickly lowered his eyes and realized that something was wrong. there was a strong urge to flip the table upside down and climb onto jae young¡¯s lap and kiss him roughly. if there was a folding screen, he wanted to put it around them so no one could see jae young. irrational emotions that were hard to explain wriggled in his stomach. feeling stuffy and thirsty, sang woo gulped down water. ¡°carne asada taco, enchiladas are here.¡± two plates were placed on a narrow table. even though sang woo had had enough of foodl, he picked up the cutlery and stuffed himself. after chewing without having any idea of what he ate, he took a white flour wrapped in colorful ingredients with a fork and took another bite. he broke it with his molars, thinking that the pungent taste was just like jae young. ¡°were you hungry?¡± jae young looked at sang woo with a fork in hand. sang woo didn¡¯t like the gaze, so he cut the flour food rolled up like a gimbap into large pieces, dipped it with a fork, and put it in his mouth. ¡°what?¡± jae young slowly opened his mouth and looked suspicious. sang woo waited until he finished eating, but he just ate and ate. in that way, he had no rest, and he finished the meal for two in thirteen minutes. ¡°let¡¯s get out of here quickly.¡± sang woo was panting a little when he emptied all the plates. when he wiped his mouth with a napkin, a red seasoning came out. ¡°uh¡­. all right.¡± while jae young stood up and paid for the meal, sang woo was already out in the narrow, dark alleys. and when he came into the hallway where there was no one, he pulled his shirt and kissed his lips recklessly. Chapter 16.4 he sucked on his lips and raked the inside of his mouth with his tongue. jae young¡¯s mouth tasted just like him. spicy and red. sang woo rushed to eat jae young, but it was the wrong move. even if he acted violently, his thirst wouldn¡¯t go away. he tried to take his lips off, but this time, jae young didn¡¯t let go. he wrapped his palm around sang woo¡¯s neck, bent his head, and kissed him gently. before he knew it, his neck touched the cold wall and the back of his head was crushed. it was difficult to tell whether the violent pounding of his chest was due to pain or excitement. everything seemed to be mixed up. anger and lust, salty and sweet. it was a mess. sang woo couldn¡¯t remember anything and forgot how to breathe. he had no choice but to wrap his arms around jae young¡¯s neck while giving into him. after the long kiss, jae young whispered, ¡°you¡¯re dissatisfied, right?¡± his cheeks were dyed red and heavy breath escaped his mouth. sang woo was speechless. ¡°i have an anger management disorder.¡± ¡°i¡¯ve never heard you say such nonsense.¡± when he picked up his hat and came out, the sky had already turned darker. the moon, which was split in half from a high place, glowed brightly. jae young seemed to know the complicated alleys as well as his own house. drunk people passed by on the dark streets, and foreigners were seen taking off their shirts or painting their faces. after nearly colliding into the people walking from across the street, jae young walked around with his arms wrapped around sang woo¡¯s shoulders, as if close friends holding each other¡¯s shoulders. they soon arrived at the parking lot. jae young let sang woo get in first and returned after paying the ticket. ¡°give me your account number so i can transfer you half of the food, parking, and studio deposit.¡± ¡°later.¡± ¡°just let me know. it¡¯s too tiring to withdraw cash.¡± jae young pulled out of the parking lot, ignoring sang woo¡¯s words. sang woo looked out the tinted window sullenly. still, he felt a little better after getting in a quiet car after suffering in a hectic place. the trip back was silent, and jae young¡¯s car ran coolly as if representing sang woo¡¯s frustration. jae young connected his cell phone to the speaker and played music but didn¡¯t say anything at all. ¡°psychedel 2nd album pressure, track 7, down tempo.¡± ¡°right.¡± the first song on jae young¡¯s playlist was slow. he didn¡¯t know what instrument it was, but sang woo thought that the low sound that thumped was similar to a heart beating. the slow electronic sound calmed his emotions, which had been on and off all day, and made him feel drowsy. sang woo leaned deeply into his seat, feeling like he was diving. then, jae young turned up the volume. the car was running along the han river before they knew it. the elusive time went slowly along the flowing waters. the fifth song began to play and the car slid over the bridge. sang woo opened the window and let the soft wind hit his cheeks. ¡°yoon si yeol¡¯s 1st album, day and night, track 1, temperature difference.¡± jae young didn¡¯t answer, but sang woo knew. the car slowly stopped after entering the park. when the engine turned off, the music and engine sounds that had become uncomfortable disappeared. from the parking lot of the park, there was a clear view of the river. the main attraction was an arch bridge that shone white with the bottom submerged in the water. like an led bulb, the light shining on the river refracted and danced whenever the medium gently waved. the dwellings on both hills connected by the bridge were emitting orange light and struggled to avoid being swallowed up in the dark night. sang woo had lived in seoul for three years now, but he had never seen the night view of the river in such detail. jae young, who¡¯d been silent the whole time, spoke, ¡°pretty.¡± that was exactly what he said. even without stars in the sky, everything twinkled including the flickering satellites. ¡°that¡¯s true. only that the pupils are enlarged at night and the light looks scattered.¡± ¡°no, i mean you.¡± jae young, who was looking at sang woo with a calm expression, smiled softly. sang woo quickly avoided his gaze. he felt the heat when he lifted his palm and put it to his cheek. didn¡¯t he mean handsome? he often heard it from adults when he went to his relatives¡¯ houses, but he never heard someone compliment him as pretty. ¡°you¡¯re prettier,¡± sang woo muttered to himself. that¡¯s why people around him would look at jae young with their mouth wide open, wanting to talk with him for the first time. sang woo was usually with jae young in the practice room, so he knew little about how he went out and around. until now, he wasn¡¯t bothered about it. ¡®it feels offensive.¡¯ he felt like he opened the door of a room he shouldn¡¯t have entered. he was overwhelmed with worry that the darkness in it poisoned him and he could never go back the way that it used to. thoughts spread like wildfire. how many people followed jae young because they liked him, how many of them did he date, and how many people have come here to the river next to him. a series of questions that didn¡¯t help at all came to mind and bothered sang woo. ¡°now tell me why you were so upset.¡± jae young¡¯s voice broke the silence. ¡°i¡¯m not upset.¡± ¡°i paid for it.¡± ¡°i told you not.¡± ¡°i paid for it.¡± sang woo frowned, feeling strange emotions. generally speaking, up until now, he felt better seeing jae young, but he kept getting angry today. sang woo sat straight again and turned his head to the left. it¡¯s been a long time since he saw jae young¡¯s blank expression. there was no playfulness in his slightly droopy eyes, and his mouth was closed in a tight straight line. he couldn¡¯t figure out what was on his mind. his hand came close to his eyes and turned his brim to set the hat aside. then he pressed the top of his head firmly. jae young stared at him and said, ¡°sang woo.¡± he didn¡¯t answer and stared into his eyes. the good-looking lips heaved a small sigh and whispered. ¡°are you mad that you lost time when you had to work?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°if you have a complaint with me, you have to say it.¡± ¡°there isn¡¯t.¡± when he answered honestly, jae young¡¯s forehead crinkled. his bright eyes carefully examined sang woo¡¯s face as if trying to figure out if he was being truthful with his answer. the volume and heat of his gaze made sang woo feel as if he was touching his cheek. he felt as if his chest was suffocating endlessly. ¡°are you going back to that studio?¡± ¡°no. i was supposed to receive their output by email.¡± ¡°people looked at you at the restaurant.¡± ¡°well, how about it? i don¡¯t wear off just by looking.¡± ¡°hyung, you¡¯re a playboy, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not.¡± ¡°how many people have you dated so far?¡± ¡°five thousand.¡± ¡®i knew it.¡¯ sang woo, who¡¯d been serious all this time, was angered by his mischievous face. avoiding points, talking nonsense, and playing around. it¡¯s been more than three months since he met jang jae young, so he knew his techniques well. jae young laughed silently and pulled sang woo¡¯s shoulder and hugged him. sang woo held his breath without even knowing why he was acting like that. pressing his chin over his forehead, he said, ¡°the robot vacuum cleaner is jealous, and the firmware has improved a lot.¡± ¡®jealousy?¡¯ sang woo rolled his eyes as jae young hugged him. jealousy was such a meaningless word that didn¡¯t apply to the situation, let alone to a rational person like him. ¡°no, nothing like that.¡± ¡°what do you mean no?¡± ¡°i told you it¡¯s not the case.¡± ¡°yes, i see,¡± jae young murmured as he tightened his arm around him. his temperature was too hot for 36.5¡ãc. sang woo couldn¡¯t help but question the heat. what was the advantage of jang jae young dating him over healthy women of marriageable age? he thought about it for a while, but could only think of the same reason. jae young aroused sang woo¡¯s sexual desire and relieved him effectively. maybe sang woo meant the same to him. ¡°jae young hyung.¡± ¡°yes?¡± ¡°why are you dating me?¡± ¡°there are so many reasons. do i have to enumerate everything?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°first of all¡­ you have a pretty neck.¡± his fingertips that stayed behind sang woo¡¯s ears slipped on his neck. ¡°your face is cute, too. you¡¯re cuter when you smile.¡± his hand gently wrapped itself around sang woo¡¯s cheek. ¡°your fair skin and body are my cup of tea¡­¡± ¡°that means you only like me on the outside. i understand.¡± ¡°why are you in such a hurry? it¡¯s just the beginning. i can give you a hundred reasons,¡± jae young muttered and lowered his arm. sang woo wanted to keep his face buried in his shoulder, but jae young¡¯s touch made him fall slowly. he seemed to have something to say. his eyes were twinkling like stars that contrasted the dark night skies. a large palm tugged firmly on the back of his neck, preventing him from looking elsewhere, and a low voice tickled his ears. ¡°i don¡¯t need it all, and i have a really big reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i can¡¯t tell you, because it would be obvious that you¡¯d run away after.¡± sang woo barely opened his mouth because he was too nervous even though he had no reason to. ¡°tell me.¡± Chapter 16.5 he was just talking without doing anything, but his palms were wet with sweat. instead of answering, jae young stared at sang woo. soon, a serious face approached and sang woo shut his eyes tightly, and soft lips touched his forehead. he stayed for a while there, then fell and landed on his left eye. it touched his right eye, and then the tip of his nose. the next was both cheeks, and finally to his lips. contrary to sang woo¡¯s expectation that they¡¯d kiss and undress, jae young pressed his lips together and returned to his place. sang woo opened his eyes again and saw a face that was difficult to comprehend. ¡°why aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± ¡°i answered.¡± ¡°you didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°you fool.¡± it was something he rarely heard in his life, but he¡¯d heard it twice today. his dark eyes carefully examined sang woo¡¯s face as the moon¡¯s shadow settled. ¡°sang woo.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°why do you care about that? i¡¯m stuck with you. you know i¡¯d go fully erect even if you just sit next to me.¡± his already heated body reacted to the obscene words. sang woo tried to find an answer to jae young¡¯s question, even though he felt dizzy. he could tell it was an important issue that shouldn¡¯t be disregarded. the winner who occupied the control tower in this war was the opposite sex. why he was so upset at the studio, why he was so pissed off at the restaurant. sang woo quickly analyzed his behavior, which must¡¯ve been strange, and identified the cause. ¡°people buy insurance against getting sick,¡± he said, then glaring at the gear, he added, ¡°you may find someone you like better than me. then you won¡¯t see me anymore.¡± as he uttered the words, the identity of his displeasure became clear. the anger he felt at the studio and restaurant revived, and his sexual desire slowly died down. ¡°it¡¯s only natural to panic because you¡¯re not prepared for such a situation.¡± jae young only looked at sang woo with a calm face. a moment of silence followed by a dry reply from him. ¡°it makes sense,¡± he admitted easily and came a little closer to sang woo. he put his elbows on the backrest and looked into his eyes. jae young¡¯s face, which was up close, seemed excited¡­ or was he angry? ¡°so, tell me, chu sang woo. what do you want me to do?¡± jae young asked something strange in a slightly cracked voice. sang woo almost replied that it would be nice if he wore a mask when he saw jae young¡¯s eyes shaking. it was fortunate that reason was alive to block the indecent urge to boss him around. his head, which took control again, analyzed the current situation. what can jae young do for him? he was going to leave in two months anyway. regaining his composure, sang woo said with confidence, ¡°just work hard. i¡¯ll take care of the preparations.¡± although contrary to expectations (thinking it would be solved in 1-2 occurrences), his sexual desire was getting worse by the day. there must be a solution to it. if it was difficult to overcome his instinct on his own, he was going to do anything over the holidays, such as going to psychological counseling or addiction treatment, learning abstinence by doing temple stays. it has been 42 days since he kissed jang jae young at a bar and had sex with him. he¡¯d been swayed a lot, but it was only a short period in preparation for a long life ahead. a small error that would be solved in one day. sang woo was a confident developer in debugging. ¡°prepare? what do you mean?¡± then a cold voice pierced his ears. sang woo, who was lost in thought, looked up and made eye contact with jae young who was staring at him. ¡°if you run out of milk, you should change your diet or buy it at the mart. it¡¯s up to you.¡± ¡°oh.¡± jae young snorted coldly. he stared at the ceiling as if he was dumbfounded and looked back at sang woo. ¡°i seemed to have forgotten. that shitty mind.¡± ¡°i beg your pardon?¡± sang woo frowned and raised his body a little after being suddenly cursed. jae young didn¡¯t answer and leaned back on his seat. his eyes stared out the window fiercely. it¡¯s been a while since he¡¯d seen him in this delinquent mode. sang woo stared blankly at jae young as he took out a cigarette and lit it. he knew he was upset, but he didn¡¯t know what he did wrong. ¡°are you angry?¡± instead of answering, jae young opened the window and blew cigarette smoke outside. sang woo muttered while looking at his cold face from the side. ¡°why are you angry at me?¡± ¡°who am i to you?¡± ¡°what kind of question is that?¡± ¡°why are you dating me? no. i think i know, so don¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°don¡¯t be so angry, just tell me if i said something wrong.¡± ¡°you are always right. you don¡¯t say anything wrong.¡± ¡°why are you angry?¡± jae young didn¡¯t answer. he opened the door roughly, went out, and leaned against the railing, smoked, and then came back. there was still no warmth in his gaze when he entered the car after a long time. he stared at the engine without saying a word. and even on the way to sang woo¡¯s house, he didn¡¯t say a single word until he got off with his backpack on. return 0; saturday, may 26 jang jae young, who was infuriated, didn¡¯t even show the tip of his nose. sang woo also set up a ringtone just for him, which he had never done in his life before, just in case he contacted his cell phone. he left the window wide open so that he could notice if he¡¯d come by suddenly, but he gained nothing from it. rather, he tried to concentrate on his assignment and work, dismissing it as a good thing, but it wasn¡¯t easy. his eyes kept returning to the window, and his cold expression flashed in his head and didn¡¯t disappear. ¡®what the hell did i do wrong?¡¯ before going to bed, he tried to plot what happened the previous day, but he couldn¡¯t find the cause of jae young¡¯s anger. sang woo seemed to be angry during the conversation, but he didn¡¯t speak harshly nor provide him with incorrect information. being sharp with him was a thing of the past. these days, he¡¯d been nicer, ignoring things he didn¡¯t like, but why did it go wrong? he fell asleep wondering about such a thing. return 0; may 27th sunday his efficiency was at its worst following saturday. it became a problem because the strings of teasing, joking, talking to, interrupting, sticking to, and flirting with everyday were suddenly cut off. sang woo felt like a test subject for two days. a conditioning experiment to see if a subject who was accustomed to an unconditioned stimulus would react without stimulation, inertia experiments to see if removing variables familiar to the test subject maintained its original state, and withdrawal experiments to explore the side effects. ¡®i miss you.¡¯ the conclusion was one. that jang jae young has infiltrated his life too deeply. he opened jang jae young¡¯s folder a few times and looked at it from beginning to end, but it didn¡¯t work. it was a waste of time doing that. whenever sang woo had mixed thoughts, he worked harder and harder. he couldn¡¯t concentrate well, but he had a lot of free time (09:00-24:00, excluding 3 hours of meals and breaks), sothe workload wasn¡¯t bad. the assignment was finished in the morning and sent to his team member, and in the afternoon, he accomplished the feat of correcting an important error. return 0; monday, may 28 the next day, he studied for only two hours in the library and went to the practice room three hours and forty-six minutes earlier than usual, but no one was there. sang woo waited for several hours while working, and called jae young, but he didn¡¯t answer. as usual, he was in the practice room until 10:00 pm, but the workload was terrible. please explain why you¡¯re angry. 18:36 you don¡¯t want to date me anymore? 19:41 i miss you. can¡¯t we meet today? 21:00 that night, sang woo couldn¡¯t sleep for a long time. emotions and thoughts weren¡¯t separated at all, and everything was confusing. originally, he wasn¡¯t interested in the past or present that couldn¡¯t be changed because it has already passed. sang woo was always interested in the future. ¡®i¡¯m a fool.¡¯ he must¡¯ve forgotten himself because he was with jae young. strangely, nothing has been done about the imminent future. why didn¡¯t he ever assume it properly? the notion that there¡¯d be no one around to relieve his sexual desire, the thought that he was leaving, and the fact that he couldn¡¯t visit and meet him even if it was necessary. in just three days, sang woo¡¯s life was ruined. why didn¡¯t he prepare for such an important thing while filling up the daily necessities well in time for them to run out? ¡®i¡¯m an idiot.¡¯ although belatedly, he calculated how much jae young was needed quantitatively. how often should they meet, how many times a week should they kiss, and how long should they have sex to satisfy their sexual desires. meanwhile, the night went dark, but still sang woo couldn¡¯t fall asleep. then he found out. i) he was seeing jang jae young too often. ii) they¡¯ve kissed over 100 times. ii) they slept together at home four times in 19 days. iv) the cycle of having to see him is getting shorter. and the restrictions reaffirmed. v) that he will leave in july. Chapter 16.6 there was a time limit to attack on the quest to relieve sexual desire, which sang woo thought would end with a single hit. he only thought that the game production period was insufficient, but he didn¡¯t take into consideration that the time to meet him was ending. since he was constantly releasing his sexual desire, he thought complacently that he¡¯d get better in time. it was neither analytical nor rational at all, it was a wish close to the supernatural. sang woo felt a serious fear in the dark. he needed to think of an alternative. but he felt so bad that he couldn¡¯t think of a good idea at all, and he had no choice but to pull the blankets over as he sank deeper while his heart ached as if being squeezed. he needed jae young, but jae young wasn¡¯t there. furthermore, he was due to leave. one day in july, the supply and demand are going to be out of sync, even if they somehow found a way to let go of their anger. sang woo forced his eyes closed, holding a terrible unsolved problem. return 0; tuesday, may 29 five hours of sleep brought back sang woo¡¯s cool. when he woke up, he felt more at ease, and he could distinguish serious problems from relatively minor ones. firstly, he decided to solve the problem that was in front of him. no matter what sang woo did today, he planned to bring jae young out and ask why he was angry. tell me jae young¡¯s address. 9:51 choi yu na, visual design department: i don¡¯t know. 11:23 choi yu na, visual design department: why? what happened??? 11:40 it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know. 12:01 the first attempt failed. sang woo was going to wait in the practice room until 6:30 pm, an implicit meeting time, and if jae young didn¡¯t show up, he¡¯d ask the undergraduate office for his address. if they wouldn¡¯t give him since it was personal information, then he¡¯ll go to the art college and theater department and ask everyone he¡¯d encounter. sang woo burned his fighting spirit and took out some of the clothes jae young bought him. he wore a white hat on his head. in the bathroom mirror, he thought he saw an unfamiliar face, but he couldn¡¯t help it. he has to somehow keep jae young by his side until he finishes preparing, and perhaps make a positive impression by wearing his favorite clothes. the bright blue jeans fit him well for a purchase that he didn¡¯t try on, but they stuck to his body more than his usual clothes, so he was a little worried about riding the bike. the white t-shirt also felt empty because the neck was cut sharply. he was so awkward, but he quickly adjusted. he forgot that he wore new clothes by the time he took two classes, ate, studied in the library for two hours, and headed to the practice room. even that day, jae young¡¯s seat was empty. instead, an unknown person was searching yu na¡¯s drawer. sang woo thought she didn¡¯t seem to be a thief, so he left her alone. if it had been a thief, she would¡¯ve been surprised to see him and ran away. the woman, dressed in a navy suit jacket and pants, turned around and her eyes widened. ¡°oh¡­ what are you doing here today?¡± ¡°who are you?¡± the woman with her black hair tied together made a face. ¡°isn¡¯t that too much, sangchu?¡± sang woo knew only one person with a similar tone and voice, but the woman in front of him didn¡¯t match her appearance. ¡°what are you looking at? am i pretty?¡± the hair color, hair style, and clothes have changed, but above all, she didn¡¯t paint black eyeshadows around her eyes, so she looked like a completely different person. ¡°choi yu na?¡± ¡°does your mouth rip if you call me noona?¡± she stroked sang woo¡¯s forearm like a delinquent, which put an end to sang woo¡¯s question. no one else could¡¯ve done such a stupid thing other than her. sang woo shrugged and said, ¡°please refrain from physical contact. and i have an older sister.¡± ¡°people just call older women noona.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t. i only use them for family members.¡± ¡°that¡¯s funny. you call jang jae young hyung.¡± ¡°¡­¡± yu na made a mischievous face and laughed at sang woo. he trembled and agonized whether he had any reason to refute her counterargument, but there was no such thing. the contradiction was inside him. unfortunately, it was a disgraceful defeat. ¡°do you happen to know? where the person sitting here is?¡± ¡°how do i know where your hyung is hanging out?¡± ¡®i shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡¯ sang woo gritted his teeth and set up the computer. seeing her giggling, yu na seemed to have noticed their inappropriate relationship. was it a good thing that she didn¡¯t mock him, or wasn¡¯t it? he was about to start working on the game program when she started talking to him. Chapter 16.7 ¡°everyone he¡¯s dated has been an adult and sexy in style. you¡¯re¡­ if i were honest, what is this? modest¡­ is this a style? soft and manly and someone who does things not all people do, isn¡¯t that special?¡± ¡®because i¡¯m not hyung¡¯s lover,¡¯ sang woo muttered to himself. but because of that, sang woo was confident of turning his mind around. they were physically connected. sang woo was well aware that jae young would get an erection just by kissing him. he¡¯d seen and learned on the internet, but there were some skills that he hadn¡¯t used yet. but even if he tried to turn him around¡­ ¡°it doesn¡¯t mean anything. it will end anyway.¡± the end was decided from the beginning. he just fell into lust and stupidly didn¡¯t prepare at all. the tip of yu na¡¯s eyebrows drooped down. with a look reminiscent of a sullen dog, she said, ¡°i know that feeling¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°but you still have some time. in the meantime, go date him and don¡¯t let go. that way, you won¡¯t regret it. i ended up in a really bad place in similar situations for hanging on and fighting.¡± yu na sighed as if she were upset. sang woo thought she was a funny person. it wasn¡¯t her business in the first place. ¡°has jang jae young been doing well these days? how is he?¡± ¡°it¡¯s the worst.¡± ¡°you can¡¯t reach him, huh? he doesn¡¯t answer the phone because he¡¯s drinking, gets caught in the wind, he dives underwater when he¡¯s tired over the weekend, and he only comes to you when he needs a quick answer, right?¡± not necessarily, but diving was worse than that. yu na frowned and crossed her arms when she saw sang woo¡¯s expression. ¡°i get all pissed off. you¡¯re ignoring me because everything i said was right. seriously, i just can¡¯t deal with you¡­¡± she grumbled, but then unexpectedly came up with something, ¡°i have a good idea. hold on a second¡­¡± she took off sang woo¡¯s hat and threw it on the desk. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°stay still. noona will take care of it.¡± she searched jae young¡¯s drawer with an air of excitement and pulled out a round tin the size of her palm. she opened it, sniffed it, and brought it to sang woo. ¡°will you put it on my hair?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°oh, i don¡¯t like it. go away.¡± ¡°you said you wanted to look good. then you have to try.¡± ¡°wait a minute.¡± sang woo tried to defend himself, but yu na was so strong. he gave up as soon as she rushed in and waxed his hair. she hummed and smoothed his hair as he sat still in desperation. ¡°your eyebrows are handsome¡± ¡°eyebrows are eyebrows, how can they be handsome?¡± ¡°what are they doing being covered with a hat for hundreds of days¡­?¡± she mumbled to herself and brought a square tin to his seat. with a rattling sound, she pulled out something that looked like a tiny toothbrush from inside and tried to poke his eyes. when sang woo inadvertently avoided her, she placed her hand at the back of his head and pulled his face back. ¡°are you a child? hold still for a minute.¡± ¡°isn¡¯t that a knife?¡± ¡°shh. shut up.¡± the metal touched the tips of his eyebrows. it moved little by little with a rustling sound, and then it touched the opposite eyebrow. yu na had a serious expression as if she was doing something extremely important. sang woo didn¡¯t breathe fearing an accident. ¡°oh¡­ i think i chose the wrong major.¡± yu na took a hand mirror from her square bag and put it in sang woo¡¯s hand, turned around and began to search the box in the corner of the room. watching her take out her clutter, sang woo lifted the mirror and looked in it. ¡®i don¡¯t know what¡¯s changed.¡¯ he looked closely, but couldn¡¯t realize the difference except that his forehead was slightly exposed. while doing so, yu na threw a pair of shoes in his direction. they were brown with no laces. ¡°how many shoes do you wear? see if this would fit you.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°just wear it.¡± sang woo had no choice but to take off his black sneakers, put them neatly under his desk, and insert his foot in the shoe. it was a little off the top, but the size was just right. yu na took out a lip balm from jae young¡¯s drawer and applied it to his lips, nagging him why his lips chapped when it was almost summer. then, she ordered him to stand up. as he stood up feeling like a fool, yu na crossed her arms and looked at him from head to toe. she squatted down and folded the hem of his trousers to expose his ankles a bit. ¡°okay. you¡¯d be perfect with just one accessory¡­¡± then she ran back to her seat, opened the drawer, and came back with various necklaces and rings among countless odds and ends. ¡°i don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°look at this. isn¡¯t it cool?¡± sang woo frowned at the skull-shaped pendant. yu na saw his expression and threw the rest on the desk, leaving only a silver bracelet without decorations. she took his electronic watch off sang woo¡¯s wrist, threw it into his backpack, and hung the bracelet on the spot. then she nodded. ¡°jang jae young, his blood will boil and rise upside down.¡± yu na took her cell phone out of her pocket, with her screen seemingly broken and having no plans to repair it, and took some pictures. click, click. sang woo stood with his arms crossed and looked at her. ¡°i did everything you told me to do. now explain what you¡¯ve done to me.¡± ¡°it¡¯s a strategy¡­ what did you say earlier? anyway, it¡¯s a great strategic policy, sangchu.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°is there a law that people like us should only suffer? you can fight back. from now on, where are you going to kill time? after dinner, go to yeonseok-dong around 8:00 pm. if you go to any bar and drink, i¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± ¡°why should i drink in yeonseok-dong?¡± ¡°because there are many great bars there? do as i say. when jang jae young calls you, drop twice and then pick up and tell him, ¡®i¡¯m here to refresh myself because you weren¡¯t sure about me¡¯. then, i¡¯m going to go find you, make a fuss about where you are. it¡¯s a 99% proven strategy.¡± ¡°what¡¯s the margin of error?¡± ¡°don¡¯t ask me anything weird.¡± sang woo blinked with a puzzled look. if he drank in a certain area, he could see jae young. yu na only talked about the methods and results of her strategy, but didn¡¯t explain how it worked. ¡°if i do that, will hyung come?¡± ¡°it¡¯s 95%.¡± ¡°you said 99% earlier. why did it suddenly go down?¡± yu na looked annoyed. but it was an important issue for sang woo. ¡°what if¡­ what if he doesn¡¯t come because he¡¯s sick of me?¡± yu na¡¯s expression varied over a span of seconds. and this time again, her dramatically changing expression gave him a strange feeling. she had a terrible look of tears, but quickly straightened her face and laughed. ¡°then find a pretty noona or handsome hyung there and ask them to buy you a drink. jang jae young, throw him away.¡± sang woo nodded and sat down. amidst a black screen in power saving mode, he made awkward eye contact with a boy wearing a v-neck t-shirt. yu na had to go and then slapped sang woo on the back. ¡°cheer up, sangchu. dating is a dirty thing.¡± ¡°it¡¯s not dating.¡± ¡°and remember to drop the phone only twice. he¡¯s scary when he¡¯s angry. then, i¡¯ll get going.¡± ¡°thank you for your help. good luck with your interview.¡± yu na smiled and silently left the practice room with a lot of luggage. after the door closed, sang woo took a deep breath and turned on the bus app. ¡°great strategic policy.¡± he drew up a route and checked the plan in his head. work until 18:00. eat in a restaurant. drop by the house, leave his bag, brush his teeth. get on the bus at 19:20, and arrive at yeonseok-dong at 19:56. ignore his calls only twice ¨C answer at the third call. jang jae young didn¡¯t give him any certainty, so here he was to refresh himself. and wait. it wasn¡¯t a very reliable guide, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. when you fall into the water, you have no choice but to grab even just a straw. return 0; the app clearly said it would take 36 minutes, but the arrival was delayed due to traffic with an accident on the street. additionally, he looked at his phone too often today and kept the gps function and map app on, so the battery consumption was more than twice as usual. yu na called him when his anxiety was growing. sang woo picked up right away. ¡°hello.¡± ¨C where are you? are you ready? ¡°i¡¯m still on a bus. i don¡¯t think i can arrive by 8:00 pm. what should i do?¡± ¨C it doesn¡¯t matter because i haven¡¯t contacted him yet. shall we postpone it to 9:00 pm? ¡°yes. i¡¯ll be there by then.¡± ¨C got it! i¡¯m hanging up. ¡°wait a minute.¡± ¨C why? ¡°what¡¯s the probability of success now?¡± ¨C it¡¯s 100%. just remember what i said. ¡°all right. i¡¯ll hang up.¡± sang woo hung up and breathed heavily. there were too many people in the bus and the air was hot. he was standing as he gripped the handle, he stared at the red dot of the slow-moving map app, but this time he got a call from jae young. ¡°¡­¡± the operation hasn¡¯t even started yet, so what is this? did yu na betray him? sang woo held his cell phone tightly and did nothing. the phone call from jae young continued for a long time, and after it was cut off, it immediately rang again. sang woo remained motionless in case he accidentally answered the phone by mistake.