DPLO Chapter 14

The last game was to gather in groups according to the number called out by the host, something about the purpose being harmony. They said the final two people remaining would get coffee coupons, but I didn’t care about that. The only thing I was hyper focused on was who Kang Euihyun would reach for.

“Six!” 

As soon as the host shouted the number, Kang Euihyun grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward him. He pushed others aside to form a group of six, never letting me go.

No matter how the number changed, Kang Euihyun kept me by his side. Even in a situation where four people had to gather and I was the last to join, he managed to kick out someone who was already in the group to ensure I survived. His warmth never left my wrist.

“Now, it’s time for the finals.” 

The host’s voice echoed through the microphone. The remaining people were me, Kang Euihyun, and a male senior from the second year whose name I didn’t know.

“You all know the number I’m about to call. Everyone, shout it together!” 

“Two!” 

The crowd shouted the number in unison. Without hesitation, Kang Euihyun pulled me into a sudden embrace. He turned his back completely to the senior, hugging me so tightly that not even a finger could be squeezed into the space between us.

A sensation hit me that I might actually faint. The scent of the perfume I had gifted him washed over me, feeling almost suffocating. I wanted to stay buried forever in the firm sensation of his chest against my cheek and his forearm tightening around my waist. It didn’t matter that people were looking at us strangely. Wrapped in Kang Euihyun’s arms, the gaze of others and the noise they made were all shut out.

“I’ll count to ten. If no one can break in by then, students Kang Euihyun and Yoo Chaewon are the winners.” 

The second year senior grabbed Kang Euihyun’s shoulder. However, the man, whose torso was as rigid as a stone, didn’t budge an inch. Desperate, the senior circled around and ruthlessly yanked my arm.

“Ah.” 

As I groaned and frowned, Kang Euihyun released his hold on me and slapped the senior’s hand away. For the senior, who had been waiting for any opening, that was the chance. The moment a gap opened between us, he slid right into the middle and clung tightly, not to me, but to Kang Euihyun. I was pushed back by the sheer force of the senior’s backside and landed flat on my butt on the floor.

“End!” 

People burst into laughter at the sudden reversal. Feeling hollow, I looked up blankly at Kang Euihyun. His eyes, looking down at me, were also filled with emptiness. The second year senior was raising both fists in the air, basking in the cheers of the crowd.

“Your arm?” 

Kang Euihyun approached me and stroked the arm that had been roughly pulled. I felt a tingling sensation wherever his palm touched. He was merely rubbing it gently over my clothes, yet I couldn’t control the way my facial muscles relaxed on their own.

On top of that, receiving his attention in front of so many people filled me with pride. Everyone with eyes must have seen it. No matter how much they dismissed my one sided crush, there were times like this when it was actually answered.

That is why I always cling to him.The man who usually pretended not to notice my feelings would occasionally show me a kindness that crossed the line. A kindness so excessive that even other people would think it was too much. Knowing that only left me hungrier, and I chased after him all the more blindly. That was the dynamic that defined the relationship between Kang Euihyun and me.

“Take it.” 

Kang Euihyun handed me the ten thousand won coffee coupon given by the host. The express train carrying my unrequited love gained more fuel and departed vigorously.

After settling me in a safe spot, Kang Euihyun approached the second year senior. His face, as he grabbed one of the senior’s shoulders and said something to him, was as gentle and kind as ever. However, the expression of the senior, who had been beaming with the joy of winning a coffee coupon, gradually began to sour.

“Ack!” 

Then, the senior doubled over, clutching the shoulder Kang Euihyun was holding. People’s attention immediately shifted toward them, but Kang Euihyun calmly straightened the senior back up. His hand, patting the shoulder again, remained perfectly affectionate.

Even when we drank after all the games were over, my spot was next to Kang Euihyun. I thought I should distance myself now to carry out my resolve, but once I was tucked against his side, I couldn’t bring myself to leave. It would be nice if someone else joined us, not someone with impure intentions like Seo Minji.

“Is there a woman here you like, or is there not!” 

Since it was a large department, we couldn’t all sit in one circle to drink and were instead split into several groups, and an interesting conversation drifted over from the neighboring group. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one who thought so, as people who noticed the truth game suddenly went quiet and turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.

“What? Why did it suddenly get so quiet?” A bewildered Baek Jungyung looked around. I wondered why they were speeding things up when the night wasn’t yet deep enough for a truth game, but the liquor bottles in front of him provided the answer.

“Hey, hurry up and say it. Is there a woman here you’re interested in, or not?” Baek Jungyung’s gaze flickered toward me briefly before moving to Kang Euihyun. It was immediately after that he hesitantly spoke. 

“…There is.” 

The people responded to his courageous truth with loud cheers. A few people who had guessed who that woman was glanced at me. So what if they looked? Even if Baek Jungyung saw me differently than other female classmates, there was absolutely no possibility that it could affect me. I was more interested in an unopened bag of chips than in Baek Jungyung, who leaked his feelings so clumsily.

Kang Euihyun also stared at me like the others, but the difference was that the corners of his mouth were relaxed, as if he were satisfied with something. Why is he smiling? Before I could ask him, the phone I had placed on the floor buzzed. Since the screen was facing up, the affiliation and name of the caller were clearly visible to the people sitting nearby. 

[Math Dept. Han Jio] 

There were plenty of excuses not to answer. However, I reminded myself of the resolution I had made. If I wanted to seriously consider meeting Han Jio, I had to make the effort to speak with him even on a weekend night during the trip.

“Hello?” 

I stood up as I answered the phone. I saw Seo Minji lift her glass and stand up from across the way as if she had been waiting, but I pretended not to notice. I also pretended not to see Kang Euihyun’s eyes following me.

-Have you had dinner?

“Yes. How about you, Oppa?” 

-I just came outside my house to eat with some friends.

 Outside, with summer fast approaching, it was just as crowded as it was indoors. Cats wandered around without a hint of caution, scavenging leftovers wherever they could find them. Judging by the lively noise drifting through the air, another group must have rented one of the nearby pensions as well.

-I’m going to have chicken and beer. There’s a national team soccer match in a bit, so I’m going to watch that.

At first, there were so many footsteps crossing the gravel path that I couldn’t distinguish the familiar sound. But soon, I discovered a silhouette overlapping with my shadow. When I looked up, Kang Euihyun’s neat features entered my field of vision.

-It’s about the time people drink a lot; will you be okay?

Han Jio’s voice failed to settle in my eardrums and scattered along the night breeze. Without even making a sound, I stared up at Kang Euihyun, who was standing silently.

-Is there at least plenty of snacks to go with the drinks?

Kang Euihyun’s hand reached toward me. He carefully tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The sensation of his fingertips brushing against my hair sent a shiver down my scalp.

-Chaewon? Are you listening?

“Ah, yes. A cat walked by, so I was just watching it for a second.” 

A flimsy excuse rushed out. Even so, it must have been a funny story to Han Jio, as a chuckling laugh came through the speaker. It surely leaked out of the receiver and was heard by Kang Euihyun as well. 

“There are plenty of snacks, and I’ll only drink a moderate amount. The atmosphere isn’t one where people force you to drink.”

My chest repeatedly swelled and tightened. Whether it was pride or embarrassment, an indefinable emotion surged through me as I spoke to another man in front of Kang Euihyun. My cheeks flushed warm and my throat tightened, yet I neither took my eyes off Kang Euihyun nor ended the call.

-Is the pension okay? It must be uncomfortable sleeping with other people. “It’s just for one night.” 

Kang Euihyun was still holding the end of my hair. I couldn’t feel any actual force, but for some reason, I felt as if he had a grip on me.

Perhaps because he was backlit by the streetlight, deep shadows fell across the man’s face. His gaze, descending in a straight line through the darkness, was steady and unwavering. Without taking a single deep breath, he simply rubbed the strand of hair caught between his thumb and index finger. Having known him for over a decade, I could easily tell: Kang Euihyun was simply waiting for my phone call to end.