MUL - Chapter 49

As always, I came to school with one of the three and entered the lecture hall familiarly, having been escorted right to the door.

Normally, they would have followed me all the way to my seat, but lately, for some reason, they all seemed vaguely sulky, as if offended by something. For a day or two, I didn't think much of it...

But as three days turned into four, and then over a week, it started to bother me. I was already in a state that could be described as a nervous breakdown… and they were only adding to it, making the strings of my nerves even thinner.

I wished I had some kind of hint, but it seemed as if they had all made a pact, wanting me to figure it out on my own. I thought I was pretty quick on the uptake, but…

I think I was barely listening to the lecture. My eyes were fixed on the professor’s mouth as he moved within a very small radius at the front of the class, but my mind was lost in other thoughts.

The professor seemed to dislike my gaze, as he kept rubbing his lips as if something was on them as time went on. I just didn't have anywhere else to look. It was a little awkward.

“Hoo…”

“Hyung?”

I don’t know when Park Chanmin and I got so close… but without my knowledge, he had seeped into my life like a gentle rain soaking into clothes. Park Chanmin naturally sat next to me, seemingly comfortable even in the front row.

“Want to work on the assignment together? The next class got canceled.”

“Huh? Ah… yeah.”

I was cleaning up my desk, but I stopped my busy hands at the news of a canceled class. To be honest, I was so tired I just wanted to hole up somewhere and lie down.

“Let’s do it with my friends.”

“…Huh?”

“They’ve been going crazy ever since they found out I’ve been hanging out with you lately.”

What is he talking about…? Park Chanmin said something I couldn’t understand. Who on earth was going crazy?

At the curiosity that spread across my face, Park Chanmin gave a gentle smile and nodded his head, “Ah.”

“My friends. They’re dying of curiosity.”

“…What?”

“There were quite a few people who wanted to be friends with you before you took a leave of absence, but you were always so quiet. You didn’t seem interested in getting close to people.”

“Ah… was that so.”

“Everyone was surprised to see you hanging out with the sunbaes after the semester started.”

Was it that surprising? I was a little puzzled. Why were they surprised?

“Why?”

“Because they’re famous, the three of them are so well-known.”

“And?”

I put my laptop in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. At my action, Park Chanmin also packed his bag and started walking, his mouth moving nonstop. I listened to him quietly, nodding my head.

So, according to Park Chanmin, it seemed to be quite an issue that I, the cougher who seemed to have no connection to the three popular guys, was hanging out with them. As a bonus, I also found out that the three of them and a girl named Park Min-ah, known as the goddess of the Communication Design department, had been stuck together like magnets for the entire previous semester.

Walking alongside the surprisingly chatty guy, I entered the cafe in front of the school, already exhausted from just that short walk. I think I was even more tired because of Park Chanmin, who had been chattering nonstop.

Eventually, I was only half-listening, just nodding my head. I didn’t even have the energy to reply. At responses like “Really?” or “I see,” one might have the sense to shut up, but Park Chanmin didn’t.

After ordering drinks, I followed behind Park Chanmin as he, of all things, headed up to the second floor. It was a bit noisier than the first floor. Loud and uncomfortable.

I walked slowly, following Park Chanmin as he approached a long table, acknowledging someone.

There were three people gathered at the table.

“Hello, oppa!”

“Hello!”

Perhaps they were all easy-going, as they all greeted me without hesitation.

I glanced over the unfamiliar faces and greeted them back, “Hello.” At the sound of my voice, one of the girls, whose eyes had widened in surprise, burst into giggles.

“It’s my first time hearing your voice, oppa!”

Covering her mouth as she laughed, she seemed fascinated by my voice, her eyes sparkling as she stared at me every time I opened my mouth.

The table we were sitting at became even noisier than before. They all said they knew my name and reeled off their own. I had very little faith in my memory, but I nodded and repeated each name once.

But as expected, the only name that stuck in my memory was that of the girl who had been looking at me with sparkling eyes. Like her cute appearance, her name was also cute.

The girl, who introduced herself as ‘Jin Nari’, reminded me of a forsythia, just like her name. Perhaps it was because she was wearing a yellow sweater, but she looked like a forsythia, and also like a baby duck.

Jin Nari kept talking to me, weak as I was. To me, who had just opened my laptop and was doing nothing but sitting still.

“Oppa, are you sick?”

It seemed I now looked sick even when I was just sitting still. At the small, careful question, I briefly debated whether to answer honestly before shaking my head.

“No, I’m just… a little dazed.”

Right, that was a roundabout way of saying I had no energy. At Jin Nari’s worried gaze, I gave a small smile and added, “I’m okay.” The moment I did, all eyes turned to me, and a silence fell. Why? Did I make a mistake? I slowly met their unreadable gazes before nudging Park Chanmin with my elbow out of embarrassment.

“Ah, ah… hyung, when you smile— you, you, you have a dimple?”

…What a remarkable discovery. I rubbed my cheek. I’ll have to try smiling in a mirror later. What’s the big deal about a dimple?

“You’re really pretty when you smile, oppa.”

At Jin Nari’s low voice, my gaze, which had been on Park Chanmin, turned to her. The others sitting around the table agreed with her, chiming in with, “Right.” I didn’t have a proper response.

“…I-is… that so…? Th-thanks.”

I’d never heard that before, so I thanked her. Since it seemed like a compliment. Then, I smiled at Jin Nari and mumbled, “You’re prettier,” and her face instantly flushed red.

What the…

“What was that, hyung…”

“Why?”

“My, my heart just skipped a beat.”

Park Chanmin placed a hand on his chest and made a playful face.

“Me too, me too, me too.”

Jin Nari also replied, cupping her reddened cheeks with her small palms. There were plenty of things to make one’s heart skip a beat. I knew a thing or two about that feeling these days…

I shivered for no reason at the thought of the three who were naturally associated with that feeling. Just then, the phone lying on the table vibrated. I flinched at the phone that rang with perfect timing, and then the cough that always accompanied me like a partner burst out.

“Cough, cou—gh! Cough!!”

The hand holding the phone trembled slightly. My back heaved up and down. I quickly covered my mouth and turned my head. The coughing seemed to have sent a rush of heat to my face. The phone vibrating in my hand stopped, then started vibrating again.

As the coughing gradually subsided, I let out a ragged breath and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. I glanced at the phone, and the screen displayed [Housemate 1]. It was Nam Kangwoo. I moved my trembling hand and pressed the call button.

“Yeah.”

— Ha Yeoul, where are you.

“In front of school. At a cafe. Yeah… class got canceled…”

"Yeah, with Chanmin, because I was coughing… yeah—" All eyes were on me as I gave my short, clipped answers. For some reason, my voice got smaller and smaller. It was probably because I was embarrassed. I ended the call with Nam Kangwoo after saying I understood.

“Hyung, you cough really intensely… By the way, who is Housemate 1?”

At Park Chanmin’s question, which was half-joking and half-worried, I hesitated for a moment.

“…Kangwoo.”

“Ah, Nam Kangwoo-sunbaenim.”

Park Chanmin clapped his hands together. “Is he coming?” he added, and I nodded.

“Sorry, I think it’ll be uncomfortable when Kangwoo gets here. I think I should get going first.”

I quickly noticed the atmosphere that had frozen at the mention of Nam Kangwoo’s name and started packing my things. Just then, as if to stop me, Park Chanmin reached out and grabbed my wrist.

“Hyung, don’t be so dense. Everyone’s all excited right now.”

Park Chanmin whispered softly, holding the wrist that had been tidying the table. I stopped my busy hands and looked up. Just as Park Chanmin had said, everyone had a strangely flushed face.

“…It’s not uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. It’s not uncomfortable at all.”

The guy sitting across from me, I can’t remember his name… what was it. Yoo… Yoo… I don’t know. I just met the eyes of the guy with glasses sitting in front of me and nodded. The girl sitting next to Jin Nari took out a mirror from her bag and checked her face. Everyone was moving about restlessly.

I guess Nam Kang-woo is really famous. I finished putting away my writing utensils and took a sip of my now-lukewarm coffee.

“Hyung, is today Nam Kangwoo-sunbaenim’s day to pick you up?”

“…I don’t know.”

“What are you all going to do when you get girlfriends?”

Park Chanmin mumbled as if it were a big deal. The others, at the random comment, asked, “Why? What?” At their question, Park Chanmin stared at me for a moment and then opened his light mouth.

“The three of them take turns dropping Yeoul-hyung off and picking him up.”

“Whoa… what, that’s so sweet…!”

“You guys must be really close.”

At Park Chanmin’s words, the three of them nodded and threw out comments. I didn’t have much to say, so I just smiled awkwardly and said, “I guess so.” They probably didn’t know because they hadn’t experienced it, but it wasn’t sweetness; it was obsession.

I let their conversation wash over me and got lost in other thoughts. Then, at the feeling of a hand gently settling on my shoulder, I suddenly looked up.

“Ha Yeoul.”

At the voice that familiarly landed in my ear, I think I might have smiled faintly. As if proud of my reaction, or perhaps pleased, Nam Kangwoo’s gentle hand began to stroke my hair.​