PP Chapter 26

The wind chime he had bought on a trip to celebrate becoming an adult made a clear sound as the door opened.

Light pink hair was visible beneath the hood he had pulled down low.

He had tried it once out of curiosity. Since Won, who happened to be on leave at the time, liked it and said, “Our Peach has really become a peach!” it was a hair color he had maintained ever since.

Honestly, it hurt so much every time he bleached it that tears would prick his eyes. But thinking of Won’s smiling face made it feel like nothing.

Still, he hated having to touch up the roots so often.

Cursing the time that periodically rolled around to do it again, Dohwa slipped his hand inside the hood and brushed back his hair.

He was currently living in an apartment a few minutes’ walk from the university.

His parents had offered to buy him a car, but Dohwa refused because he didn’t want to create a legend of driving the wrong way down the road.

In response, his parents told him not to commute from far away and bought him an apartment near campus instead.

Walking along the familiar path, Dohwa yawned languidly.

His mouth opened so wide that Won would have teased him by jokingly poking a finger in and out of it if he had been there to see.

Perhaps it was because he played too many games, but his eyesight had worsened compared to before.

Dohwa let out a sigh at his strangely blurred vision and fumbled through the pocket of his hoodie. He then pulled out a pair of glasses and slipped them on.

Because he handled them carelessly, the lenses were dirty, but he just wiped them roughly with his sleeve.

Before long, as he passed through the main gates, people with familiar faces began to talk to him one by one.

“Is that Dohwa?”

“Why does it feel like it’s been so long? Show your face in the club room.”

“Good morning!”

“Dohwa, do you have time tonight? We decided to meet up… do you want to come too?”

Dohwa, who had been answering all those greetings with a slight nod or a shake of his head, headed toward the lecture hall.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and grabbed him.

Just as Dohwa was about to frown at being suddenly stopped, a familiar voice rang out.

“Yetto, Senior Lee Joon was looking for you. What did you do?”

Ye-tto (예또): A mashup nickname blending Dohwa’s surname, Ye (예), and ttorai (또라이), a Korean slang word meaning crazy person, lunatic, or psycho.

It was Sohyun.

Sohyun, who had entered Hankuk University with Dohwa, was closer to the people in the Western Painting department than Dohwa was, despite being in a different major.

Dohwa narrowed his eyes and turned his head to face Sohyun at those words.

“‘Senior Lee Joon’?”

Sohyun gave a faint smile at the response that clearly meant, ‘Who is that?’

If interpreted, his smile meant something like, ‘I knew this guy would do this again.’

Dropping his smile, Sohyun leaned in close to Dohwa’s ear and spoke in a hushed voice so others wouldn’t hear.

“That senior, you know. The psycho who doesn’t graduate and goes around harassing freshmen.”

“There’s more than one or two people like that.”

“That’s… true. Come to think of it, this guy is a genius. Anyway, that senior was looking for you with a very fierce face. Be careful.”

At the warning, Dohwa merely shrugged with an indifferent expression.

It meant he hadn’t done anything.

But shortly after, Dohwa flinched at a memory that suddenly surfaced.

Horrified, Sohyun noticed that reaction and knew something had indeed happened.

“What! What did you do? What did you do?!”

“That person named Lee Joon you mentioned. Is he fat, ugly, and does he have an incredibly loud voice?”

“No, it’s not just one or two people like that… wait, no, that’s not it, he is, but. So what did you do, Dohwa… please, can’t you just tell me?”

Dohwa stopped walking at the desperate, clinging tone in his voice.

Because he was much taller than Sohyun, it naturally created a situation where he was looking down at him.

In that stance, Dohwa searched his memory to verify if what he recalled was correct, and then spoke slowly.

“That bastard was talking shit about Won hyung at the pub, so I might have said a few things to him.”

Sohyun grew tense. He knew that despite having a face so pretty it was a pleasure to look at, Dohwa’s way of speaking could be surprisingly foul.

“What did you say?”

“I think I said, ‘Senior, did you just call Won-hyung a whore? In my opinion, I think everyone here would like that “whore” Won hyung more than they like you. At least Won hyung is handsome, kind, doesn’t speak carelessly, and doesn’t badmouth people behind their backs. And aren’t you ashamed to be so arrogant and insult someone who isn’t even here? You seem old enough to know better. Am I wrong? Besides, they say people only see what they are. Seeing as you immediately call someone a whore, perhaps you are also… Ah, but you’re too, hmm… actually, just pretend you didn’t hear that.’ I think that’s what I said… I’m not entirely sure.”

With every word Dohwa spoke, Sohyun’s hands instinctively folded together in a polite plea.

It was as if he had a blade instead of a tongue in his mouth; every single word choice was extraordinary.

Clutching his hands and seeking a god he didn’t even believe in, Sohyun asked with a desperate look on his face.

“Please tell me you said it in a more softened way than you remember.”

“Ah, well, should I tell you that?”

“…No. Forget it.”

With a smile of total resignation, Sohyun wiped his face.

He tried to relieve himself with the thought that Dohwa hadn’t done anything wrong.

Wait, if he spoke that harshly, wasn’t it also Dohwa’s fault?

No, but the problem was that the other guy had called someone a whore first…

Still, because he was his friend, Sohyun looked at Dohwa without any intention of criticizing him too harshly.

Dohwa was scowling, twisting his beautiful face into a menacing expression as he muttered about how annoying it was to even think about it again.

“Ah, I’m pissed.”

“Whoa, you can’t just charge in again just because you’re pissed.”

“Do you think I’m some kind of dog? That I’ll just charge in whenever I’m angry?”

“Isn’t that kind of true…”

After muttering timidly for a moment, Sohyun came face-to-face with Dohwa’s deadpan expression. He forced a bright smile and gave him a big thumbs up.

“Just kidding, just kidding. It’s a joke, you know? A joke! Where else could you find someone as kind as our Yetto?”

“I’m not kind, though.”

“If I praise you, you bitch; if I don’t, you still bitch.”

“I wouldn’t bitch if you didn’t.”

“Aw, damn it!”

Irritated, Sohyun tried to kick him. Of course, Dohwa nimbly dodged before that filthy foot could even touch him.

Avoiding it usually just made him more annoying. Pouting, Sohyun tapped Dohwa on the shoulder and spoke once more.

“Anyway, seriously, be careful. There’s a reason everyone avoids him and calls him filthy. The rumors about that guy are really bad.”

“I know that much. Judging by the way he talks, there’s no way the rumors could be good.”

Dohwa muttered that if the rumors were actually good, then something would be seriously wrong, and swung his bag over his shoulder.

“I get it, so go to your class. I should head out too.”

“Hey, friend. Don’t you think you missed a sentence?”

“What?”

“Does my friend perhaps not know of the existence of the words ‘Thank you’?”

“Ah, thanks?”

His face looked utterly unthankful. Sohyun, bewildered by receiving gratitude that felt practically forced out of him, pouted his lips.

“I feel like I just forced a bow out of you, but thanks for saying it anyway. I’m leaving, so seriously, be careful. That senior is really… the rumors are bad. He’s a low-life. And you know how those kinds of guys always hang out together, right?”

“I know. I get it, so go.”

Dohwa waved him off dismissively and yawned, covering his mouth with his other hand.

Sohyun smacked his lips at the sight of him looking far too relaxed for someone who claimed they understood the danger.

“Fine! You’re not a kid, you’ll handle it. I’m going! Contact me if anything happens!”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Could you call me Dad instead?”

“Go.”

“Okay!”

Knowing that pressing any further would only annoy Dohwa, Sohyun obediently retreated.

He disappeared while bowing repeatedly and walking backward, a sight that looked quite ridiculous.

Letting out an unconscious laugh, Dohwa lightly stretched his stiff neck and entered the class.

But as soon as he stepped inside, he ran right into the man Sohyun had mentioned.

Lee Joon, who was perched on the desk shouting curses loudly, locked eyes with Dohwa.