By Zephyria 
Most of the people in the bar seemed to share Haon’s sentiment, as they began murmuring and glancing alternately at Cha Jeong-won and Cha Seo-jun.
Haon waved a hand lightly toward Cha Seo-jun and muttered under his breath, too quiet to be heard.
“How did this happen?”
＊ ＊ ＊
“Senior Cha Jeong-won!”
The freshmen’s reaction to Cha Jeong-won was fervent.
When a freshman sitting in the front row shot to his feet, others beside him began standing up as if catching the momentum.
“He really came!”
“No way. He’s even more handsome in person.”
They looked like people who had just seen a real celebrity.
The term “welcome party” felt almost meaningless, as the atmosphere turned more like a Cha Jeong-won fan meeting. When someone cheered from the far end, laughter erupted from all around.
Riding that turbulent energy, Kim Hyun-gyu stepped forward.
As if knowing it was his moment to take charge, he raised both hands high and calmed the excited freshmen.
“Alright, alright. Quiet, everyone.”
As the murmuring gradually subsided, he finally turned a bright smile toward Cha Jeong-won and Cha Seo-jun.
“I knew you’d come. Hey, Seo-jun.”
“Bringing him along was a real pain.”
Cha Seo-jun replied from the side, tilting his head slightly.
His tone was grumbling, but his expression was smiling, so it didn’t feel unpleasant to hear. The slightly upturned corners of his mouth and the downturned corners of his eyes created an oddly fitting contrast.
Though he claimed to be tired, he gave off the vibe that he’d blend right in with the crowd.
Cha Seo-jun’s gaze drifted naturally to the side. He very subtly gestured with his chin toward Cha Jeong-won standing beside him.
Thanks to that, both their similarities and differences became apparent.
They shared the same straight, well-defined nose bridge and sharp facial features, but their auras were different.
If Cha Jeong-won was a finely honed blade, Cha Seo-jun seemed like that same blade wrapped once in silk. The outline was similar, but the added softness made his face less intimidating.
“Good job.”
Kim Hyun-gyu patted Cha Seo-jun’s shoulder, then looked at Cha Jeong-won.
His eyes were brimming with anticipation.
“Come sit over here with us.”
The spot Kim Hyun-gyu indicated with his chin was right in the middle of the pub.
Sitting there would essentially make one the star of today’s welcome party.
Even before anyone sat down, the atmosphere was already charged, as if another cheer was about to erupt. It felt like a balloon about to pop.
Cha Jeong-won’s gaze briefly swept over the spot. Just him looking in that direction drew expectant breaths from that area.
However, Cha Jeong-won very naturally turned his shoulder.
It was a signal that he was going elsewhere. A silent refusal was clear.
“Huh?”
It was as if the air hissed out of the taut balloon.
Kim Hyun-gyu’s expression stiffened for a moment before he quickly recovered his smile. Then, he smoothly took control of the atmosphere again.
Meanwhile, Cha Jeong-won leisurely made his way through the crowd.
Haon, who had been following Cha Jeong-won’s path with his eyes, very slowly set down the glass in his hand.
With each of Jeong-won’s steps, a new tension built. It was clearly a deflated rubber balloon moments ago, but now it felt like that rubber was being stretched taut again.
‘Ah, no way.’
It really was ‘no way.’ There was no reason for him to come over here in this spacious pub.
Moreover, his table was quite far from where the freshmen were sitting. He had deliberately chosen a corner seat.
‘He’ll probably just sit at another table.’
Haon pointlessly picked up his glass again, then set it down. Beer foam slid down the side.
He tried to look elsewhere, but his attention remained fixed on Cha Jeong-won.
Then, realizing Cha Jeong-won was actually heading this way, he froze.
Thud.
The sound of a glass being set on the table.
Cha Jeong-won sat down across from Haon.
Without any particular gesture, as if he had planned to sit here from the start.
“There are plenty of seats…”
Haon muttered very quietly. It was an unexpectedly honest remark, even to himself.
“Didn’t catch that. Say it louder.”
As Cha Jeong-won raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at him, Haon hurriedly lifted his glass.
“Nothing.”
He turned his head, pretending to drink his beer.
‘You said you weren’t coming.’
This was the person who had flatly stated he wouldn’t come.
He seemed to have been dragged here because of Cha Seo-jun, but even if he had to come, he could have sat somewhere else.
Of all places, here.
Of all seats, across from me.
For various reasons, it felt awkward.
Haon’s gaze instinctively turned toward the instigator who had brought Cha Jeong-won here.
Perhaps Cha Seo-jun had been watching Haon the whole time, because their eyes met in mid-air.
‘Cha Seo-jun, you…’
Under Haon’s sharp glare, Cha Seo-jun paused, then waved cheerfully.
Even after not seeing him for so long, he hadn’t changed—still using that large, imposing frame to act cute.
Interpreting Haon’s look in his own way, Cha Seo-jun started to approach. Haon glared at him as if to stop him.
Don’t come. People are already paying too much attention here because of Cha Jeong-won. Don’t you come over too.
But Cha Seo-jun smiled even wider.
So much so that even Kim Hyun-gyu, who had been talking to him, turned to look at Haon. Then, as if acknowledging something, he nodded and patted Cha Seo-jun’s shoulder.
‘What are you guys doing behind my back?’
Cha Seo-jun naturally picked up three beer bottles and a basket of chicken from a nearby table and walked over to Haon.
Why are you taking stuff from someone else’s table?
While Haon watched with troubled eyes, Cha Seo-jun smoothly sat down next to Cha Jeong-won.
While the table was typically a four-seater meant for two people on each side, the two large men sitting crowded together naturally made it look cramped.
“Feels like a wall across the table.”
Haon was muttering quietly to himself when Cha Seo-jun replied in a bright voice.
“Why did you leave the café so quickly earlier?”
“…Ah. So it was you Kim Hyun-gyu was talking about.”
Only now did Haon realize his mistake.
When Kim Hyun-gyu had told Haon that a familiar face would appear, Haon thought he was joking about Cha Jeong-won.
That reunion had been so shocking he hadn’t had room to think otherwise, and he hadn’t imagined Cha Seo-jun would choose the same major at the same university.
“You should’ve told me first then…”
“Go sit somewhere else.”
Before Cha Seo-jun could retort to Haon’s whiny complaint, Cha Jeong-won cut into the conversation.
Haon looked back and forth between Cha Seo-jun and Cha Jeong-won, while Cha Jeong-won shot a displeased look at Cha Seo-jun.
And Cha Seo-jun had been watching only Haon since he came over.
“It’s not a reserved seat. I want to sit here. Don’t mind me, just have your beer.”
Cha Seo-jun deftly changed the subject.
Haon narrowed his eyes and glared at Cha Seo-jun.
“Still the same.”
He still didn’t back down, smiling all the while.
When they met as a teaching assistant and student at the academy, Haon had spent a lot of time talking to Cha Seo-jun for the same reason. Compared to others, Cha Seo-jun at least listened well to Haon.
Thinking back, it seemed Cha Seo-jun had once mentioned he would come to the same university. He had boasted about it, and it looked like he really did get in.
‘Come to think of it, I think he also asked what I’d do for him if he came to the same school.’
Even his eventual success in getting admitted seemed to prove Cha Seo-jun’s stubbornness.
And it was quite something how that stubbornness worked on Cha Jeong-won.
Because Haon had thought someone as prickly as Cha Jeong-won wouldn’t put up with a guy like Cha Seo-jun.
“Enough.”
Cha Jeong-won refused briefly and picked up a water bottle.
Ah, so he’s not putting up with it.
Well, Cha Jeong-won is a strong character too.
As Cha Jeong-won poured water into a cup and drank, the pub fell very quiet for a moment. Everyone was pretending not to, but they were focused on Cha Jeong-won.
Haon also pretended to drink while watching Cha Jeong-won.
Each time he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably. The nape of his neck revealed under the light and the lines extending downward kept catching Haon’s eye.
He tried to avert his gaze, but if he let his guard down even a little, his head would turn back.
Each time, he had to pretend nothing was wrong and take a sip of his drink.
‘Like a commercial.’
Haon muttered that to himself.
To attract everyone’s attention just by drinking a glass of water—it seemed innate.
As Cha Jeong-won’s clear intention not to drink alcohol became apparent, even the people at the next table stopped trying to talk to him.
Laughter and chatter continued around them, but this small table felt like it was in a different place.
“Oh, right, Senior Yoon Haon. The class I took today was Basic Space Studio—did you know the professor mentioned you?”
Haon, who had been drinking his beer, turned to look at Cha Seo-jun.
“The professor said Senior Haon is really talented and praised you. He said you should try entering competitions, right?”
Haon shook his head slightly.
He had received that contact during the break.
“I haven’t said yes yet. I’m thinking about it because it might overlap with my graduation project.”
But to have told that to a freshman who just started university… Haon blushed, feeling embarrassed.
“Maybe if you have time, could you just once…”
“Why were you alone earlier?”
Cha Jeong-won cut off Cha Seo-jun’s words and interjected.
“Since I was going to drink anyway, whether alone or with someone doesn’t matter.”
Haon shrugged as if it were no big deal.
“And it’s a welcome party. I don’t need to be welcomed.”
As soon as he spat it out, the words felt a bit harsh.
“I thought you weren’t coming, Senior. Seems like everyone was surprised you showed up.”
Haon rolled his glass as if to change the subject. He mixed in a laugh to ease the awkwardness.
He also mixed in a subtle jab, wondering why he came after saying he wouldn’t. Did he catch it?
“You said you weren’t coming. What brings you all the way here?”
He had only meant to think it, but the words slipped out before he knew it.
It was a dangerous sign.