By Zephyria 
“Did you come to see me?”
“No. I came with a friend.”
“A friend…?”
“Park Hyun-ji. You know her, right? She came to your birthday party last time.”
“Ah.”
“She was in the same department as you.”
To be exact, she was in the same department, and she graduated four years ago. Yeon-jun blinked as if he didn’t expect that. Then, he looked around at the chaotic surroundings and made a slightly sullen face. When Eun-ha raised his eyebrows, asking why, he muttered softly as if complaining.
“There are too many eyes here.”
Which meant he was very disappointed. What? Eun-ha snorted and leaned against the wall.
“Is your assignment almost done?”
“Yes. Two are almost finished, and only one is left. I think I can roughly finish that one by today, too.”
“Okay. You seem to be working hard.”
“…Ah. I don’t look so good right now.”
As if belatedly realizing his appearance, Yeon-jun took a step back. He fluttered the paper he was holding in his hand and completely covered his lower face. Eun-ha had to suppress a hollow laugh, seeing how excessively dazzling his face looked above the bridge of his nose. Was he being humble, or was he just not self-aware?
Then, suddenly, his thoughts branched out in a different direction. Come to think of it… Isn’t this the first time I’ve seen him like this?
Eun-ha had been coming here almost every day for the past few days, under the guise of taking a walk, but every time, he only encountered Yeon-jun looking as neat as usual.
Which meant that he had been painstakingly tidying himself up before meeting me. Just to see me for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Eun-ha was making a slightly subtle expression. Someone who appeared from around the corner of the hallway looked this way with a knowing look and approached with hurried steps.
“Hey…! Baek Yeon-jun.”
Yeon-jun turned his head toward the woman who suddenly appeared and grabbed his arm. In that instant, the woman’s gaze briefly reached Eun-ha, who was sitting on the chair. After sending a brief curious look, she then raised her gaze back to Yeon-jun.
“Young-min Unni keeps looking for you.”
“ Sunbae is?”
“Yeah. No, Kim Young-min Sunbae….”
Young-min. The name of the man the Assistant Instructor had called to see with Park Hyun-ji earlier. A member of the group that showed animosity toward Yeon-jun.
Considering that he had shown particularly clear emotions within that group, and based on the scene unfolding before his eyes, it was possible to grasp that Young-min was the person involved in that series of events related to Yeon-jun.
While Eun-ha was pretending not to be interested in the woman, who was making a serious expression for some reason, the woman grabbed Yeon-jun’s sleeve as if she had something to say quietly and dragged him to the other side of the hallway. Yeon-jun took awkward steps and glanced at Eun-ha. His eyes were slightly hardened. As if he was annoyed that his short time had been interrupted.
He’s really transparent… Eun-ha lowered the corners of his lips and deliberately crossed his arms and turned his gaze away. It was a signal for him to go and talk. Eun-ha surreptitiously glanced at Yeon-jun, who had reached the other side of the hallway with his classmate, and focused on his hearing. Because of the distance, he could hardly hear what they were saying, but thanks to the woman who raised her voice as if she was upset about something, even while whispering quietly, he could vaguely pick up a few keywords.
Anyway, be careful, as much as possible, scary… It was information that was impossible to put together, even though he had succeeded in eavesdropping.
Soon, Eun-ha immediately asked Yeon-jun, who had finished talking and returned.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You always say it’s nothing….”
It was hard to pry when the person involved said it was nothing. Yeon-jun, whose eyes widened slightly at the grumbling that came out without him realizing it, had a slight smile in his eyes. “Anyway, Hyung. Lunch-,” he said casually, at that moment.
The door of the department office, which had been slightly ajar, opened. Park Hyun-ji and Young-min followed the Assistant Instructor as if he was seeing them off. A fairly warm atmosphere emanated from them. And that was when. A strange sense of incongruity suddenly struck.
It was clear that those in the hallway, waiting for their turn or just passing by, were somehow aware of something and were conscious of it. What they were concerned about was clearly Young-min and Yeon-jun being in the same space.
Soon, Young-min’s gaze, who was smiling slightly at Park Hyun-ji with a friendly attitude, inadvertently reached the place where Eun-ha was. More precisely, to the person in front of Eun-ha.
As soon as that happened, his expression hardened maliciously, and Young-min’s group, standing at a distant point, had been glaring this way for a while. Eun-ha clicked his tongue inwardly.
With the atmosphere in the department like this, how can he say it’s nothing?
“Then I’ll contact you separately.”
“…Ah. Yes. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. I’m more grateful. You said any time is fine?”
“Yes. It’s the end of the semester now, so any time is really fine.”
Park Hyun-ji showed a very soft expression toward Young-min, who was managing his expression flexibly and answering politely. While Park Hyun-ji and Young-min, who seemed to be quite capable and friendly graduates, were exchanging greetings, some of the students waiting for their turn glanced around and then quietly approached the Assistant Instructor and asked. Assistant Instructor, about the assignment I submitted yesterday… The Assistant Instructor’s answer echoed through the hallway.
Thus, it seemed that the Assistant Instructor and Park Hyun-ji were the only ones who did not feel any sense of problem in this strange space. And perhaps Yeon-jun, who didn’t care at all despite being the person involved, could be added to that.
Park Hyun-ji soon turned to Eun-ha, who was calmly observing the situation. As soon as that happened, he discovered Yeon-jun next to Eun-ha and paused.
Then, with wide eyes, he approached with a bewildered curiosity.
“Oh… we’ve met before, right?”
Yeon-jun first looked down at Eun-ha at the conversation attempt directed at him. As if inadvertently looking for a guardian. He blinked a couple of times and then turned his gaze to Park Hyun-ji.
“Yes.”
“Right. What is it, Western Painting?”
“That’s right.”
“Wow-. What a coincidence.”
Park Hyun-ji approached, looking much more pleased. The group of Young-min moving away toward the opposite side of the hallway came into view over his shoulder. It was when Eun-ha was briefly casting an unpleasant gaze at them.
“I knew that you knew Lee Eun-ha, but I didn’t know we’d meet like this.”
“Hyung told you about me?”
“Hyung? Are you two really close?”
“Yes.”
“Oh-.”
Eun-ha looked up at Yeon-jun at the simple affirmation. He felt a little amused by the unwavering answer, but when he thought about it, it didn’t seem like he was saying anything particularly wrong, so he had nothing to say.
Close… that’s about right. He was the person Eun-ha shared the most time with these days.
It was during that silence. Park Hyun-ji began to bring up light questions on the topic of the same department.
Eun-ha had to moisten his lips awkwardly, looking back and forth between Park Hyun-ji, who seemed somehow happy, and Yeon-jun, who was accepting the conversation obediently without any hesitation. He was reminded of the characteristics of his friends, who were all friendly, anew.
Eun-ha parted ways with Yeon-jun in front of the department office, where he had business to attend to.
On the way to the school research building, following Park Hyun-ji’s remaining schedule, Eun-ha had to endure a barrage of questions from Park Hyun-ji. The content of the questions mostly consisted of inquiries about Yeon-jun’s existence. He was experiencing a friend who was full of interest. Suddenly, one aspect of him came to mind.
But, what kind of interest is it made of? Eun-ha tilted his head suspiciously and asked.
“Why? Are you interested?”
“Is that even a question?”
“…Isn’t he too young for that?”
Park Hyun-ji was someone who consistently continued to date, even in the midst of his busy schedule. There was one consistent pattern in his dating pattern, which was that the other person was younger than him.
However, Park Hyun-ji stiffened his expression as if he understood what he had heard, and then simply laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
“What are you talking about? He’s the grandson of the painter Baek Seung-taek. That’s why I’m interested.”
Ah. That kind of meaning. Eun-ha awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He felt strangely embarrassed at himself for jumping to conclusions.
“And, hey. Even if I like younger guys, twenty is too much.”
“……”
An explanation followed that even if he was a romance-obsessed guy, he still had a conscience. It was a statement that made Eun-ha even more speechless.
“And in the first place, even if I’m interested, the other person wouldn’t even look at me. There are kids his age all over the university, why would he do that.”
“……”
“I guess. It must be the best time. Really the best time in the world.”
“……”
Eun-ha had to constantly lose his words. It sounded like bones were breaking somewhere.
Park Hyun-ji, who unintentionally hit Eun-ha with facts, leisurely held his hands behind his back. He walks briskly with large strides.
“Being like this reminds me of when I was a college student.”
Park Hyun-ji, who recalled memories for a while like a lament, saying that it was so good back then and that he wanted to go back, suddenly looked at Eun-ha as if returning to the main point at some point.
“Anyway, how did you get so close to him?”