By Zephyria 
Seon-kyu fеlt thаt the atmоspherе in thе сlub rооm hаd been subtlе lаtеly. Thе same number оf pеoрle gаtherеd аt thе same timе for thе same purрose, but the сurrent had shifted а while аgо. To be preсise, it centеrеd аrоund оne small fеllow whо wаs alwaуs grumрy.
That was Wоo-уеon, onе оf Sеоn-kуu’s clаssmаtes. Вecause of his small fаce аnd delicаte featurеs, he hаd drawn the аttеntion of his рeers sinсe еnrоllment. Sеоn-kyu himsеlf hаdn’t beеn аblе to takе his еyеs оff him fоr а long time when he first saw Woo-yeon.
He hadn’t lived for that long, but it was the first time he had seen someone so exquisitely beautiful. The round forehead, the small and sharp nose, the slender jawline, and the reddish lips—everything felt unrealistic.
Because he sat alone with a face like that, Seon-kyu wouldn’t have dared to act acquainted with him at a drinking party if he had been even slightly less brazen.
Fortunately, however, Seon-kyu was a man with incredible sociability. Half alcohol, half hero complex. Thanks to approaching him with a thick skin, he was able to become the closest person among the classmates to Woo-yeon. Well, he didn’t know if Woo-yeon felt the same way, but he was at least closer than anyone else.
Two months passed like that. A short time if you think about it, long if you don’t. They took the same lectures, went on a Membership Training trip, and had study sessions at Woo-yeon’s house (a place that was surprising even thinking about it again). In that time, the Woo-yeon that Seon-kyu had figured out was, well, a rather complex fellow to define in a single word.
The problem was that, starting from last week, this Woo-yeon began to show symptoms that were far too conspicuous.
“…….”
A sparkling gaze stared at the clock hanging on the wall. Every time his eyelids blinked slowly, his thin double eyelids became deeply pronounced. He probably didn’t realize it himself, but his clear cheeks had been flushed for a while now.
Seon-kyu knew why he was acting this way. If you see the same face for a week, you can’t help but notice even if you want to ignore it. Naturally, he also knew exactly what words would get a reaction out of Woo-yeon.
“Do-hyun Hyung will be here soon.”
“……!”
Woo-yeon’s shoulders jerked. Seon-kyu secretly swallowed a laugh at the sight of him looking like a startled rabbit. Looking at him, he seemed like a fox, but his actions were as clumsy as a bear.
“I… guess so. He’ll be here soon.”
Woo-yeon let out a fake cough. He covered the side of his face with his hand, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his ears had turned bright red. His nape, heated as if it would burn if touched, showed exactly what he was feeling.
‘Ah, this guy likes Do-hyun Hyung.’
He had realized that fact quite a while ago. The day after Woo-yeon skipped a study session, claiming he had indigestion from eating a hamburger. When he met him in a major lecture, Woo-yeon was somehow radiating a soft atmosphere.
His usually sharp impression was so gentle that day that the guys who usually just watched from afar actually approached him to say hello.
‘Did something good happen?’
Until he asked that, Seon-kyu didn’t know why he was making such a face. He just thought he was in a good mood, or something good had happened, or maybe he saw a cute cat in the morning.
‘No, nothing like that.’
Woo-yeon answered nonchalantly while pressing his cheeks. And he quickly returned to his usual composed face. After putting on his round glasses, he focused on the lecture to the point where he couldn’t be disturbed, so Seon-kyu just brushed it off as nothing.
The time Woo-yeon showed a truly strange reaction was after the lecture, when they headed to the club room. Around that time, Woo-yeon had been pathologically avoiding the club room, but on that day, he followed Seon-kyu obediently.
And when he encountered Do-hyun in the club room, Seon-kyu realized it.
‘……Hello.’
To anyone, it was the face of someone in love. His eyes were moist and the area around his cheeks was stained red. His wildly shaking gaze was directed toward Do-hyun, yet he couldn’t look at him straight. It was just a bit pitiful that Do-hyun didn’t show any reaction.
Actually, it wasn’t that there had been no signs from the start. Woo-yeon had said Do-hyun was pretentious, but unconsciously, he followed and chased him. While he rarely showed emotional changes in front of others, he would be particularly shaken by a single word from Do-hyun.
Whether it was a new beginning or a belated realization. He thought there must have been a catalyst. Otherwise, Woo-yeon’s reaction wouldn’t have changed overnight.
The latter was likely more probable than the former.
A month passed from then. Seon-kyu noticed the subtle current flowing between the two. Woo-yeon didn’t seem to know, but Do-hyun’s gaze was gradually becoming similar to Woo-yeon’s.
They say only the people in the relationship are the last to know; Seon-kyu was ready to not be surprised at all even if they started dating right now.
‘I was actually surprised to hear he got rejected.’
Far from being rejected, in Seon-kyu’s view, their romantic front was as smooth as could be. His sensitive and oblivious classmate seemed to be misunderstanding something, but he thought Do-hyun would lead the way somehow.
In fact, last week when he heard he had been rejected, didn’t Do-hyun call him ‘Yeon-ah’ in a voice so sweet it made the observer’s heart flutter?
So, this reaction now.
‘Are they finally dating?’
If so, it was something worth celebrating. While he, the first-year class representative, had been away from the club room for a week due to student council work, there must have been progress in their relationship.
Since the festival starts tomorrow, the world must look completely pink to Woo-yeon.
“Looks like Kim Do-hyun is here.”
Ga-ram, who was rolling around on the cot, spoke up. He wondered how she knew, but then he heard her mutter, “I told him to buy some drinks.” It seemed Do-hyun had almost arrived at the timing she contacted him.
At the same time, click, the club room door opened.
“Hey! Can’t you go back and buy the drinks?”
“Uh, no.”
Do-hyun, who answered indifferently, looked stylish as always today. He wore a cardigan over a thin cotton T-shirt and perfectly fitted pants. Seon-kyu had similar clothes, but no matter how he wore them, that kind of vibe never came out.
“Hyung, you’re here!”
At the loud greeting, Do-hyun smiled kindly. His neat and straight smile was heart-fluttering even to the disinterested Seon-kyu. But what about Woo-yeon, who had already been waiting for him for a long time?
“……You’re here.”
A voice that barely crawled out managed to greet him. Seon-kyu shook his head, realizing that his ears were still red. No tact at all. How could he be like an elementary school student who likes his homeroom teacher? He had expected it, but Woo-yeon had absolutely no talent for hiding his emotions.
“Seon-kyu is in the club room today?”
Do-hyun responded in a flat tone and took a seat opposite them. Seon-kyu unconsciously flinched his shoulders at the gaze looking at the two people sitting side by side. Woo-yeon had simply sat next to him as always, but it seemed that kind Seonbae was mindful of that fact.
“Since the festival is tomorrow, I was told I had to help prepare for the club festival, so I just came.”
“Isn’t the student council busy?”
“It is, but… they don’t really make the first-years do much. And Yeonggojeon is more fun than that.”
“Is it okay for the class rep to say such things?”
Even while talking to Do-hyun, Seon-kyu was very conscious of Woo-yeon sitting next to him. He had been restless like a puppy waiting for its owner until a moment ago, but as soon as Do-hyun entered, he became quiet. Although his cheeks were stained red, he didn’t seem to have any intention of speaking.
Do-hyun spoke to such a Woo-yeon first.
“Woo-yeon.”
“Ye-yes?”
Woo-yeon flinched noticeably and straightened his back. It was a reaction so intense that Ga-ram, rolling on the cot, watched with interest. Do-hyun tapped the seat next to him and pulled out his phone.
“Come here, I’ll show you the headbands we’ll use for the festival.”
To anyone, it was a transparent move. If he just wanted to show the headbands, handing over the phone would have been enough; the intention of calling him to the seat next to him was transparent.
“Headbands?”
However, it seemed that transparent intention was invisible to Woo-yeon. Moving quickly to Do-hyun’s side, Woo-yeon looked into the phone with eyes full of curiosity. Then, he made a stunned expression, as if his cheeks had never been red.
“……Is it a rabbit?”
The slight frown between his brows told that he genuinely disliked it. Do-hyun tilted his head and spoke softly.
“Yeah, a rabbit. There’s a cat too.”
Their faces became closer than a hand’s span. Woo-yeon, who stopped breathing in an instant, rolled his eyes. His shoulders were stiff, looking completely tense even at a glance.
“Everyone… in the club has to wear this, right?”
Asking this, Woo-yeon stood up awkwardly. Then, as if afraid Do-hyun would grab him, he quickly returned to Seon-kyu’s side. Seon-kyu looked bewildered, but Woo-yeon just fiddled with his earlobe out of habit.
“……Everyone in the club will wear it.”
Was it just his imagination, or did the voice answering that sound low and sunken? No, rather than imagination, even the kind face had a slight crack in it. Seon-kyu signaled Ga-ram with a confused expression.
‘What is this situation?’
If he had gone there, he should have stayed sitting there; he couldn’t understand the reason for returning. Moreover, he even lowered his head, ignoring Do-hyun’s gaze. He wasn’t sure, but the fact that Ga-ram seemed accustomed to this situation was also strange.
“Sigh.”
Ga-ram shrugged and raised herself from the cot. Fumbling through her pocket to take out a cigarette, she signaled Seon-kyu with her eyes.
“Hey, Seon-kyu. Let’s go smoke. Kim Do-hyun, you’re not smoking, right?”
“You know me well.”
It was a signal to follow her out, both to give them space and to explain the situation.
Just as Seon-kyu was about to stand up, Woo-yeon stood up before him.
“M-me too!”
Woo-yeon stood up from the sofa in a way that was unnaturally obvious to anyone. Do-hyun’s gaze slowly followed Woo-yeon. Feeling the gaze directed at him, Woo-yeon frowned with an embarrassed face.
“Not smoking… I’ll go buy drinks.”
It was a very awkward situation. They had tried to leave the two of them alone, but Woo-yeon was trying to follow out without knowing. No, his flustered appearance almost looked like he was trying to avoid Do-hyun.
“……I’ll go out first.”
Saying that, Woo-yeon left the club room faster than anyone.
Among the three people left behind, Ga-ram was the first to speak.
“What did you do to him?”
“…….”
Do-hyun smiled without a word, but that smile felt like a warning not to ask further. Seon-kyu kept his mouth shut, suppressing the question, ‘Is it right that Woo-yeon is avoiding Hyung?’
Whatever had happened, the atmosphere in the club room was too strange.