“Yuwon has really gone nuts. Instead of coming back home, you are on the verge of divorce, isn’t it?”
“Shut up.”
“Well, on second thought, it kinda seems normal.”
“What does?”
Kim Junjae, leaning forward at Hyun Gyujin’s desk, tilted his head to the side.
“No, normally this makes sense, doesn’t it? You guys are the weird ones.”
“So what’s weird about us?”
“Everything is weird. Always going to school together, going home together, even going to the snack bar with him, sitting together at the infirmary when one of you is sick, and always eating together.”
“And what’s weird about that?”
“Isn’t that strange? And the weirdest thing is, when the academy’s over, you go to pick him up.”
Even if Kim Junjae and Choi Haeyeong are excluded, all the friends he’s known so far have called him and Yuwon exceptional and unusual. Hyun Gyujin never paid much attention to those comments. There was no need to listen to them. He simply thought they were just teasing him and Yuwon.
“What’s so weird about that? You know those perverts love to mess with Yuwon. He almost got caught at the academy too. You know all that, isn’t it natural? Won’t you do the same if it’s Choi Haeyeong?”
“I won’t. It’s worrying, you know. Asking if he’s okay is fine, but how come you’re always picking him up and dropping him off at the same time every time? I couldn’t even do that with a lover.”
Hyun Gyujin was quite shocked by the statement that he couldn’t even do that with a lover. It was something he had always wanted to do with Yuwon, so naturally, so desperately, but to think that it looked strange to others…
“Isn’t it just an unnecessary comment? Does that really seem weird?”
“Hey, it’s simple. If the perverts are messing with someone, should you really take them home and make them sleep over?”
“Are you crazy? I’ll just call the police.”
“Oh, come on. That reaction feels so real.”
Hyun Gyujin was even more shocked by his previous response. He had never thought about it, but apparently, his actions towards Yuwon were something special. It was something he did willingly because he liked it so much, so naturally, but apparently, it was something that only worked with Jung Yuwon.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“P atbeuta sbe akb kfgf jmaejiis vjalcu ktfc P olgra wfa sbe ijra sfjg. P fnfc atbeuta sbe kfgf vjwc ujs, yea P uefrr cba…. Ct, P gfjiis jubclhfv bnfg la jibcf.”
Is it even possible to want to protect and take care of a friend? Hyun Gyujin fell into deep thought as he recalled the new perspective on me and Yuwon’s relationship. Kim Junjae’s voice droning on in the background was no longer audible.
“Lfs, pera bcf wbgf atlcu.”
“Qtja?”
“Gb sbe fnfg olcv Jtbl Ljfsfbcu meaf?”
“Snfc lo P vlv, oemx. Gb sbe olcv wf meaf?”
“Get lost.”
“Same here, you crazy bastard.”
Ah, Jung Yuwon is so damn cute. I keep wanting to tease him because he’s cute, pinch his cheeks, and just be with him. Ah, what’s going on? Do I like Jung Yuwon…?
Lost in the thought that Yuwon might like him back, he suddenly snapped out of it. Running his fingers through his hair, he stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder in a careless manner.
It seemed that to reach a moment of clear resolution, he first needed to figure out his complicated thoughts.
***
After the final bell rang, Yuwon glanced briefly at Hyun Gyujin. Now he seemed accustomed to spending just the right amount of time with him, not asking where he was going, just nodding along. While Yuwon felt relieved about it, he also felt a tinge of bitterness that there seemed to be a ‘distance’ between them.
Despite trying to maintain a safe distance, and actually achieving the desired outcome, it was incredibly baffling for him to feel a sense of bitterness, but he couldn’t help but confront these strange emotions.
When would this feeling be sorted out… He wanted to be able to see Hyun Gyujin with ease again, just like before. Then they could go eat tteokbokki together, have bubble tea after school, and even enjoy tutoring sessions with tasty food together.
Feeling the loss of these simple things in their everyday life was disheartening.
“Hey, Yuwon. I heard you were openly cheating?”
Yuwon lifted his head at the sudden voice and met eyes with Choi Haeyeong, who was leaning forward on the desk.
“Why did you two divorce?”
“…It’s not like that.”
“What do you mean? Everyone knows you are cheating on him.”
While looking at Choi Haeyeong seriously speaking as if Yuwon had cheated, Kim Junjae burst into laughter, prompting Choi Haeyeong to laugh loudly too. It was so noisy that even students passing by the classroom looked inside.
“But seriously, why are you avoiding Gyujin these days?”
Yuwon’s heart pounded at the direct question. It was true that he was avoiding him, but hearing it from someone else filled him with fear and immense guilt.
“It’s not that I’m avoiding… These days, there’s just a lot of homework…”
“Hyun Gyujin looks seriously pissed these days.”
With each word from Choi Haeyeong, Yuwon’s heart continued to race. Yuwon finally managed to put his stationery into his bag and zip it closed.
“I have to go pick him up, but he’s not showing up these days.”
“…Not playing games?”
“No, not playing.”
“…Then what is he doing?”
“How would we know something you don’t? Probably just sitting at home, sulking.”
Come to think of it, Yuwon didn’t know what Hyun Gyujin had been up to lately. He naturally assumed that Kim Junjae and Choi Haeyeong would be playing games or having fun with him, but apparently not, which worried him.
“Anyway, because of you, Blanky, Gyujin is not doing well these days, so do something about it. He’s been acting crazy just talking about you.”
“……”
“He only trusts you! Please come back home!”
Watching Choi Haeyeong and Kim Junjae clapping their hands as if in prayer, Yuwon grabbed his bag and left the classroom. Hyun Gyujin, whom he thought would be with them, was nowhere to be seen in the classroom.
“……”
Is he really not asking where I’m going these days or who I’m with because he’s genuinely angry about it? If so, why didn’t he say anything about it with his personality…
Yuwon sighed deeply as he made his way towards the familiar academy area. Throughout the week, he had been studying alone in the academy’s self-study room until just before class, eating only a piece of bread for dinner. And when classes ended, he went home alone.
The fact that he liked Hyun Gyujin lingered in his mind. Except for that one thing, they had shared everything with each other until now. Especially bad habits or attitudes that could strain their relationship, they had talked about them right away and fixed them, maintaining a good relationship so far.
Of course, most of the time, he was the one talking about Hyun Gyujin’s attitude, but there were also times when Hyun Gyujin talked to him about it. Hyun Gyujin had advised him not to keep emotions bottled up and to talk about them as soon as possible to find a solution together. He even said that expressing when you’re not feeling well doesn’t inconvenience the other person but actually makes them feel more comfortable. But now, since he had kept his mouth shut, Hyun Gyujin hadn’t said anything to him either. Is this what he wanted?
“……”
What could Hyun Gyujin be doing right now? Yuwon felt curious and somewhat worried.
Taking out his phone and entering the chat with Hyun Gyujin, Yuwon was about to send a message when he caught sight of the most recent messages.
[Gyujin: I’ll take a nap before tutoring starts]
[Gyujin: Eat dinner on your own]
It felt increasingly frustrating as it seemed to be getting further and further away from what I had initiated. Yuwon sighed again and walked towards the academy.
Had dinner? At home? Want to go for bubble tea later?
He typed a few words, erased them, and ultimately sent nothing.
***
Physical education class was the most boring time for Yuwon. Especially on days like today when they were learning something dynamic. Even though he wasn’t feeling particularly unwell and had improved a lot compared to before, ever since he lost consciousness during a class in the beginning of the semester, Yuwon had to sit on the sidelines during PE classes, watching the other kids move around. The PE teacher was very lenient, letting him join in for warm-up exercises, but he was afraid that participating actively in class might cause trouble.
Especially knowing that Yuwon’s mom was that famous actress Lee Haein made it even more so. It was because she knew very well that if anything happened to a celebrity’s child, she would receive attention.
Even though he wore the smallest size of boys’ gym clothes, Yuwon pulled up the loose zipper of his gym uniform all the way to his neck and stretched his sleeves to cover his hands. Perhaps because he was standing still in the shady stands without moving, the wind felt particularly chilly.
“……”
Even though there were many people scattered around the field due to classes from other grades being held, Yuwon’s gaze was fixed on only one person, Hyun Gyujin. His gaze naturally shifted in that direction without him even trying. While it was true that Hyun Gyujin’s tall stature made him stand out, well… that wasn’t the whole reason, definitely.
It’s so refreshing to see that we get to see the seme’s perspective on the situation. Like what he is thinking or what he is feeling, really I’m greatful for that! ♥