By Zephyria 
Gа-ram rested hеr сhin on the tаble, staring аt thе twо еmрtу seats. Реrhаps due tо the alcоhol, hеr vision wаs hazу, as if соvеred in fog. Shе rubbed hеr eyelids а couplе of times, but her fоcus didn’t еаsily return.
“They’ll mаke up, right?”
Seоn-kуu аskеd hеr casuаlly. Не had alsо drunk а fair amount, but he wаs the mоst sоber amоng thе сlub mеmbеrs. Ga-rаm’s hеad sliрped slightly as she spоke slowlу.
“Well… prоbably.”
It had bеen аbout two hоurs sinсe the drinking sеssion, held undеr the рrеteхt оf summer brеаk, had bеgun. In thе рub where Dо-hуun and Wоо-уеon had slipped away, the remaining members were in the middle of drinking games. Normally, Ga-ram would have joined in, but for some reason, she didn’t feel like it today and opted out.
“If he’d followed him out while drunk, it would’ve been a hundred percent.”
“True…”
Seon-kyu nodded, sipping the somaek in his beer glass. Since he seemed somewhat relieved, Ga-ram intentionally gave a playful, toothy grin.
“You must have been really worried?”
“Of course I was. Weren’t you worried, Noona?”
“Me? Well… I was concerned. If things go south between them, Woo-yeon will probably leave the club.”
The fact that the two had fought was known to all the club members, including Ga-ram. The freshman that the great Kim Do-hyun kept tucked under his arm—the Omega who made a man who rejected everyone who hit on him declare, ‘We’re dating.’ Woo-yeon’s attitude, which had been like a puppy following Do-hyun around, changed overnight; it was impossible not to notice.
“But I wasn’t that worried. You know Kim Do-hyun is the type to get things done if he sets his mind to it.”
Ga-ram had been certain from the moment they entered their cold war that Do-hyun would resolve the situation somehow. She hadn’t known him for that long, but having spent about two years with Kim Do-hyun, she knew he was more than capable of it.
Though she never dreamed he would be so helplessly swayed.
“Woo-yeon is impressive too. Making that Kim Do-hyun struggle like that.”
“Wow, I think Do-hyun Hyung is the impressive one. Seeing him take the same first-year major classes, I wondered just how much he must like him to go that far.”
Ga-ram didn’t answer, but she agreed. She had felt how much Do-hyun liked Woo-yeon long ago.
It started a few months ago, the day she first saw Woo-yeon.
‘Everything he’s wearing is luxury brand.’
Naturally interested in clothes and fashion, Ga-ram had unconsciously scanned Woo-yeon’s outfit from top to bottom the moment she saw him. The clothes Woo-yeon was wearing at the time were from luxury brands Ga-ram knew well. From the light gray puffer jacket to the thick sweater, sneakers, and even the jeans.
At least the cost of a studio apartment deposit, if not more.
‘Did he come in on a silver spoon?’
Ga-ram had a prejudice against kids from wealthy families. While she had softened a bit after spending time with Do-hyun, her first impression of Woo-yeon wasn’t particularly pleasant. She had even thought to herself that she shouldn’t get involved with him.
However, that thought lasted only a fleeting moment. The instant Woo-yeon turned his head toward Ga-ram, her feeling of dislike shifted instantly toward liking.
‘…Oppa, what’s his name?’
Every single one of his features was a strike. To Ga-ram, who liked small and fair-skinned boys, Woo-yeon was the embodiment of her dream ideal.
Of course, that didn’t mean she intended to try anything with him.
‘I heard from the Teaching Assistant Oppa that his name is pretty, too.’
Ga-ram simply wanted to get Woo-yeon to join the club. She thought that for a Hubae like that, she could buy him Tteokbokki every single day, so she brought it up to Do-hyun. Naturally, she didn’t expect Do-hyun to have such a dramatic reaction upon hearing his name.
‘His name is Woo-yeon, Seon Woo-yeon.’
‘….’
Do-hyun immediately ran in the direction Woo-yeon had disappeared. Watching his back, which clearly told a story, Ga-ram realized instinctively, ‘Ah, no chance this time.’ Despite claiming she had no ulterior motives, it was a rather cunning observation.
“I guess they knew each other before.”
“Now that you mention it, he did call him Teacher back then, right?”
Just what kind of relationship did they have to sway ‘the’ Kim Do-hyun like that? Based on her not-so-bad intuition, there was only one possibility. The tutoring student Do-hyun had mentioned previously was none other than Woo-yeon.
“…Then isn’t he a total thief?”
Ga-ram had frequently witnessed people hitting on Do-hyun. Getting his number on the street, or meeting through a festival. While he was like an iron wall at school, she knew he had dated freely elsewhere.
That was why she was a bit surprised when he showed interest in Woo-yeon. It was true she had suspected if this bastard was finally playing with a clueless freshman. While it seemed there was something between them, she didn’t want to lose a Hubae she liked to some clumsy romance.
‘Why are you hitting on Woo-yeon?’
To be honest, the sorrow of having several Omegas stolen by Do-hyun over the years played a part. As if by some cruel twist of fate, most of the people Ga-ram was interested in ended up liking Do-hyun.
Even so, her desire for Woo-yeon’s well-being was genuine.
‘If you aren’t serious about him, stop. I want to see Woo-yeon for a long time.’
Ga-ram was naturally affectionate, and Woo-yeon was a boy who constantly drew her eye. He lacked the arrogance typical of wealthy kids and sometimes had a naive side like a child. It would have been stranger not to worry about such a boy.
‘…He says my smile looks fake.’
When she first heard those words, Ga-ram wondered what kind of nonsense he was talking about. But the moment he spoke next, she felt as if she had been hit on the back of the head.
‘I’m going to see how long he thinks that.’
The content of the words wasn’t what mattered. The expression he wore while saying them was what mattered. With the corners of his eyes gently lowered and a faint smile on his face, it was enough to make even Ga-ram—who had not a shred of ulterior motive—heart flutter.
‘Hey, you…’
She had intervened thinking it was mere curiosity. Those were words spoken as someone who loved the club, as a Seonbae who cherished her Hubae, and as a friend who was worried about him. But what if Do-hyun was truly sincere?
‘If I keep doing this… he’ll eventually realize that I like him too.’
It was from then on. Ga-ram began to observe the relationship between Do-hyun and Woo-yeon from a distance. Instead of stepping forward to help like Seon-kyu, she simply watched from the sidelines.
Looking back, there were many hints that he liked Woo-yeon. He always snagged the seat next to Woo-yeon at drinking parties, and whenever Woo-yeon ate something, his expression softened with a look of infinite adoration.
“Well… he definitely met his match.”
Woo-yeon probably still didn’t know. That Do-hyun frowned whenever Woo-yeon called Ga-ram Noona, or that at the cafe they visited for their study group, he had been staring out the glass window, unable to even sit down, like a puppy that needed to pee.
The fact that a guy who hated bothersome things helped him with course registration, stayed up all night guarding the living room during the Membership Training, and refrained from smoking when he was with Woo-yeon—all of it was an extension of those feelings.
“Now that I see it, this bastard only did the study group because of Woo-yeon.”
Kim Do-hyun was quite clever; he volunteered first, but the moment the two started dating, the talk of studying vanished. It seemed the study group was merely a forced excuse to meet Woo-yeon from the start.
“Sigh, I’m going to go smoke.”
Ga-ram stood up, rummaging through her pockets. She asked Seon-kyu if he wanted to come along, but he shook his head, saying he was feeling the alcohol. He really didn’t know the world—how honey-sweet a cigarette tastes when you’re tipsy.
However, perhaps her timing was off, as the smoking room was quite crowded. Ga-ram hesitated for a moment and then turned her steps outside the pub. Her own cigarette was fine, but she had no intention of inhaling other people’s smoke.
It was still a season where the night air was cool. A humid breeze blew outside, as if foreshadowing the coming rainy season. Ga-ram put a freshly taken cigarette in her mouth and took a deep breath while looking up at the sky. As expected, cigarettes should be smoked in an open space. Just as she thought that, she heard the murmur of voices from somewhere.
“It’s about time you dyed your hair.”
“I’m actually thinking about it. I’m wondering if I should just cover it with black…”
Though she had drunk quite a bit, it wasn’t hard to recognize the owners of the voices. One was Kim Do-hyun, the other was Seon Woo-yeon. These two are peacefully talking about hair dye. Ga-ram let out a short scoff and put the lighter back into the cigarette pack.
“Should we go on a trip when break starts?”
“Where to?”
“I don’t know, somewhere domestic would be fine. I can just take my car.”
Did they make up? That thought occurred to her. Seeing them cozily planning a trip, it was clear they had reconciled. Well, of course, how much time had passed? It was about time Woo-yeon forgave Do-hyun. While she felt relieved, she also felt a slight sense of emptiness.
“I have a license too.”
“You probably can’t use that in this country.”
“…Why?”
Hearing the somewhat aggrieved voice, Ga-ram chuckled. She had intended to approach and say something, but the atmosphere was so good that it felt awkward to interrupt. Then again, if she just smoked while pretending not to know them, the smell would likely drift over there. Her drunken brain was processing thoughts far too slowly.
“Right, your pheromones are all over my shirt.”
“Really? I washed it all.”
“Yeah, I know. I think they just rubbed off.”
Then followed words full of infatuation, about how it made him feel strange, or how he felt it was too precious to wear again.
She didn’t know about the rest, but Ga-ram agreed on one thing: Woo-yeon’s pheromones were wonderful. Not only was he a dominant type, but his fresh and sweet scent was unrivaled compared to other Omegas.
“They say the rainy season starts next week.”
“…I guess so. It is about that time.”
Ga-ram, with the cigarette still in her mouth, tied her hair up high. Her long hair reached down to her shoulder blades. She really should just cut this hair off; she had grown it out of laziness, and it had already gotten this long.
“Woo-yeon.”
“Yes?”
“Woo-yeon.”
“….”
“Yeon-ah.”
“…Why do you keep calling me?”
“Just because I like it.”
‘Kim Do-hyun has completely lost it.’
Having tied her hair neatly, Ga-ram turned away without lingering.
In the two years she had spent with Do-hyun, she had never seen him look so head-over-heels. If she smoked here, it would definitely ruin her appetite.
‘I’ll go inside and smoke.’
Well, it wasn’t a bad feeling. Even though she hadn’t specifically helped, she felt a strange sense of pride. It would be perfect to quickly tell Seon-kyu the news and then smoke in the smoking room.
“Ah… I want to date someone.”
The words escaped her lips unconsciously. Ga-ram let out a lament and trudged back into the pub. The sky was high, and her heart was restless. The unlit cigarette filter tasted exceptionally bitter today.