By Zephyria 
“Oh! Hubaеs!”
Тhe timing was surрrisingly impессаblе. Аt the loud vоiсе that eсhoed through thе pub, Wоo-уeоn instinctivеlу grаbbed Do-hуun’s cоllar. Peеking out to the sidе, he saw a mаn as lаrgе as a bear.
“Hа, it’s been a whilе, еvеrуоne!”
“Seоnbaе, it’s bеen a lоng timе!”
“Hyung, I can’t fоrget thе drinking gаmes I plауеd with уоu.”
“Right, right. I cаmе beсause I knew you’d feеl that waу.”
He wаs similar in height to Dо-hyun, but his build lоoked nеаrly twicе as largе. It wasn’t thаt hе was fаt; hе simplу hаd a mаssivе frаme. Desрitе that, his еуеs wеre soft and kind, so he didn’t project a scary image relative to his size.
“Park Seong-jae, I told you you’re too loud.”
Behind him was a woman with a petite frame. Her hair was short, barely reaching her shoulders, and her expressionless face gave off a cold impression. Seeing Ga-ram sticking close to her, Woo-yeon could tell immediately that she was ‘Min-jeong Noona.’
‘They’re both Betas.’
His shoulders, which had been stiff with tension, relaxed. He would have disliked them if they were Alphas, and he felt he would have been unnecessarily conscious of them if they were Omegas, but fortunately, both were Betas. The two, who had been bickering (or rather, she was unilaterally scolding him), noticed Do-hyun and approached them cheerfully.
“Hey, Kim Do-hyun! How dare you not even come out to greet your Seonbae, you little youngest…”
The man stopped his hearty laugh and widened his eyes. His eyes, with pretty double eyelids, slowly shifted toward Woo-yeon. Woo-yeon stared blankly, gauging the situation, and snapped back to his senses when the woman also looked at him.
“…….”
At some point, he had been holding onto Do-hyun’s clothes. He awkwardly let go, but crumpled fingerprints had already been left on the stiff fabric of the shirt. Unable to smooth the clothes out, yet unable to ignore it, Woo-yeon apologized awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, the marks…”
“It’s fine.”
Do-hyun answered nonchalantly and stood up. He then approached the man and familiarly grabbed his arm.
“Hyung, how do you look like you’ve gained more weight? Didn’t you say you lost some while studying?”
“…Hey, I lost over 5kg.”
The man retorted, instantly flustered. Do-hyun told him it was just a joke and guided him to sit among the group. The problem was that the woman, who had been standing with an indifferent look, let out a short scoff.
“Thief.”
It was a small voice, but it rang clearly in Woo-yeon’s ears. Do-hyun must have heard it too, but he pretended not to as he made space for them. The woman curled the corner of her lips into a smirk and tapped Do-hyun’s arm.
“You’re trying hard. I’ll find a seat myself, so you sit down too.”
Saying that, she took a seat opposite Woo-yeon. Ga-ram quickly pushed Seon-kyu aside to sit next to the woman. Do-hyun briefly brushed the back of his head before returning to the seat next to Woo-yeon.
As soon as they sat down, the man started gathering people for a drinking game. Do-hyun called a staff member to get glasses and small plates, and the woman asked Do-hyun in a flat voice.
“How many freshmen are there this year?”
“Four. There were many applicants, but none of them could write English titles properly.”
“Was there a Les Misérables this year too?”
“That happens every year.”
Woo-yeon thought it was very strange to hear a ‘Teacher who uses formal language.’ On the day they first reunited, she had used formal language with him as well, but it didn’t feel like this back then. Now, it felt as if… she was truly the youngest, perhaps.
“Unni… have you been doing well?”
“I have. Did you do well on your midterms?”
“…Let’s agree not to ask about things like that.”
Ga-ram tucked her hair behind her ear in a very demure manner. Seeing her look like a well-bred lady, Seon-kyu’s mouth hung open. Do-hyun, seemingly used to this side of Ga-ram, placed soju and beer in front of the woman.
At that, the woman raised one eyebrow with an expressionless face.
“Did you call me just to mix somaek for you?”
“Why else would I have called you? Seong-jae Hyung is enough for the bill.”
“Does Park Seong-jae know that?”
“He’ll probably find out around tomorrow morning.”
The woman winked as if she found it amusing. Even though he was openly saying he intended to leach off the man, she didn’t seem to have any intention of telling him.
“Well… Park Seong-jae will handle that on his own.”
Holding the soju bottle, the woman began to skillfully mix the somaek. She poured the soju, then the beer, and tapped it with chopsticks to create foam. The way she controlled the pace to prevent it from overflowing showed she had done this many times.
Then, the woman pushed the perfectly mixed somaek toward Woo-yeon.
“You look young. What’s your name?”
“…….”
Woo-yeon, who had been watching them, flinched. He hadn’t expected her to speak to him. Just as he was about to take the drink she offered, Do-hyun suddenly reached out his hand.
“He’s Seon Woo-yeon. Not a single-syllable name, but Woo-yeon of the Seon clan.”
After answering, Do-hyun put the glass to his lips. Then, just as he had during the Membership Training, he gulped down the contents. The woman said, ‘That’s not yours,’ but he didn’t care at all.
“As expected, the somaek Noona mixes is the best.”
His beaming smile was utterly sly. The woman seemed to feel the same, clicking her tongue shortly and saying he had grown up a lot. Soon, holding the soju bottle again, she glanced at Woo-yeon.
“Aren’t you a freshman?”
“Yes.”
“You look very young.”
“I suppose so. I’m twenty.”
“You weren’t like that when you were twenty.”
“…Are you insulting me right now?”
Woo-yeon held a soju glass filled with water and shut his mouth poutily. He still liked being next to Do-hyun, but it was uncomfortable that they were talking about him as if he weren’t there. Moreover, this strangely friendly atmosphere was baffling.
“Unni, please mix some somaek for me too.”
“Do you guys think I’m a somaek machine?”
“Ah, I’m curious too…”
“Look at this, now even the freshman.”
The woman quickly became close with Seon-kyu as well. Despite her expressionless face and cold way of speaking, it was surprising that she wasn’t unlikeable. She mixed two glasses of somaek, handed them to Ga-ram and Seon-kyu, and then stared at Woo-yeon with a smirk.
“Want a glass too?”
“Noona.”
Do-hyun called her in a low voice. The woman slowly turned her gaze away and then looked back at Woo-yeon.
“I’m not forcing you, so feel free to say no if you don’t want any. Can you not drink?”
“No.”
Woo-yeon answered immediately without even looking at Do-hyun. He felt Do-hyun looking back at him from the side. When he held out a fresh, unused beer glass, a glint appeared in the woman’s eyes.
“I’ll drink. Please give me some too.”
It was half out of spite. He didn’t particularly want to drink, and he had never tried somaek, but he didn’t want to just stay quiet. The atmosphere that subtly excluded him felt very strange to Woo-yeon as well.
“Just have a taste. Someone is glaring at me, so I can’t mix much.”
The woman chuckled and prepared the somaek as before. The amount was about half of what she had first offered. Woo-yeon took the beer glass and drank it in one gulp, just as Do-hyun had.
“…….”
For a moment, his expression shifted. Unlike Do-hyun, who frowned, Woo-yeon looked into the beer glass with a surprised face. He looked at the empty glass once, then at the woman opposite him, and as he slowly shifted his gaze, the woman asked confidently.
“Tastes good, right?”
Woo-yeon nodded as if possessed. He had tried soju during the Membership Training, but perhaps because it was mixed with beer, it didn’t taste like alcohol at all. The first taste was refreshing and the aftertaste was savory; it was more delicious than any alcohol Woo-yeon had ever had.
“…How did you do that?”
“It’s just the experience of being an office worker.”
The woman winked and took Woo-yeon’s glass back. Then, curling the corners of her lips, she murmured as if to herself.
“This is trouble. The freshman has fallen for somaek.”
“…….”
Do-hyun let out a sigh and stood up. Woo-yeon was so preoccupied with the somaek that he didn’t notice Do-hyun looking at him. With a complicated expression, Do-hyun looked back and forth between Woo-yeon and the woman, then brushed his hair back with one hand.
“I’m going to go smoke a cigarette.”
Woo-yeon only looked toward him after he had turned his back. The sight of him walking away without looking back felt somehow regrettable. Clearing her throat with a hum, the woman spoke softly.
“Ga-ram.”
“Yes, yes?”
With eyes full of mischief, the woman placed a somaek in front of Woo-yeon. A peaceful voice flowed from her lips, which were still curved in a smile.
“Go smoke a cigarette with him.”
* * *
It took exactly 30 minutes. For the title for the woman to change to ‘Noona,’ and for Woo-yeon to open his heart to her.
“So that’s why you messed up the exam?”
“Yes… I really didn’t understand a single thing.”
“That must have been upsetting.”
The woman, who introduced herself as Kim Min-jeong, gave off a strangely comfortable vibe. Even without saying much, she led the conversation, and although she didn’t smile often, Woo-yeon found himself leaning toward her. Perhaps that was why, after drinking about four glasses of the alcohol she gave him, Woo-yeon began to ramble about his own story.
“I just shouldn’t have taken English Phonology.”
“I know, how did a freshman end up taking that?”
“Actually, I did register for the course, but…”
At some point, Min-jeong had sat down next to Woo-yeon. Seon-kyu had long since disappeared to play drinking games, and Woo-yeon made a sad face while sipping the somaek she mixed for him.
“So I decided to just take it, but…”
Min-jeong rested her chin on her hand and nodded. She let out a small laugh as if Woo-yeon’s mumbling was cute. Woo-yeon thought that her expressionless face was somehow similar to the Teacher’s.
“So, did you start liking Do-hyun?”
At some point, the topic of conversation had drifted toward his feelings for Do-hyun. Woo-yeon made a face as if wondering, ‘Did I say something like that?’ and nodded blankly. He didn’t remember, but if he hadn’t said it, there was no way Min-jeong would have noticed.
“But Teacher doesn’t like me…”
“Teacher?”
Just as Min-jeong asked back, a faint pheromone was felt. Woo-yeon slowly raised his head and, seeing Do-hyun approaching from a distance, put his index finger to his lips.
“That’s a secret.”
“What’s a secret?”
The one who asked that wasn’t Min-jeong, but Do-hyun. He had clearly been far away, but in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of him. Woo-yeon blinked slowly and shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
Do-hyun narrowed his eyes. From the eyes to the nose, from the nose to the mouth. After examining Woo-yeon thoroughly, he whipped around to look at Ga-ram. Ga-ram was covering her mouth, her eyes wide as if they were about to pop out.
“…This is driving me crazy.”
Muttering that, he immediately began unbuttoning his shirt. Min-jeong frowned as he took off the shirt, leaving only a cotton T-shirt. Do-hyun placed the shirt over Woo-yeon’s head and spoke to Min-jeong.
“He’s a dominant.”