Just A Friend

#61

No, that’s not right. He wouldn’t have recognized me just by my voice. Unlike me, Kang Jihan must have met countless people over the past year. Moreover, my reflection in the building’s glass only showed a glimpse of my lower face. The alley was quite dark too, so he couldn’t have recognized me.

‘And if he had known it was me…’

He wouldn’t have let me go like that.

Nam Seonwoo looked back again. The street, enveloped in darkness, was empty. That stillness seemed to ask Seonwoo a question. Why was he so sure Kang Jihan would chase after him?

It had been a brief romance with a terrible ending. Even if Kang Jihan had liked him, a year had already passed. During that time, Kang Jihan might have lived a normal college life and relegated Nam Seonwoo to the back pages of his memory.

And that’s what Seonwoo had hoped for, too.

“…”

Nam Seonwoo stood up, dusting off his pants. Knowing Kang Jihan’s personality, he’d probably just think of Seonwoo as a weirdo and let it go. A weirdo who threw a lighter and ran away out of fear.

The lighter did look a bit expensive, but there was no way Kang Jihan would go looking for a weirdo just to get compensated for it.

‘Still…’

It seemed like he’d have to permanently seal away the hoodie and cap he wore today in his closet.

* * *

The next day, Nam Seonwoo was armed in black from head to toe. The large hoodie, cap, and shabby sweatpants were the same, but with one addition: a mask.

The all-black outfit including the mask looked quite suspicious, but that was better. No one would approach someone who looked suspicious.

Today, he had one general education class and one major class. That meant there was a chance of meeting both Kang Jihan and Choi Youngjae, so he had to be extra careful. Although the alley was dark yesterday, so Choi Youngjae probably didn’t see him, it was better to be safe than sorry.

The morning general education class was “Modern Society and Communication,” nicknamed “ModSoCom,” and was one of the popular courses for lower-year students. He remembered it had quite a few participation assignments, which was a bit troublesome, but the lecture content was easy enough to follow.

Usually, in these large lecture halls, the corner seats were more popular. Nam Seonwoo took a seat in the front-center, which seemed the least popular. He put his bag on the seat next to him, and as expected, no one approached.

He felt a bit tired, probably from tossing and turning last night. He had brought coffee and was about to enjoy some quiet time alone when…

“Hey, Seonwoo!”

“…”

A booming voice echoed through the large lecture hall. Kim Minhwan, who belatedly covered his mouth, hunched his shoulders, but the echo seemed to linger. He hurriedly approached and lowered his voice.

“You’re taking this professor’s class too?!”

Then, quite naturally, he moved Nam Seonwoo’s backpack and sat in the adjacent seat. Dazedly receiving his bag back, Nam Seonwoo placed it on the opposite side and nodded. It was puzzling how Minhwan recognized him even with the mask on.

Kim Minhwan excitedly chattered about the things discussed at yesterday’s drinking party. From the way he talked, it seemed he didn’t know that Nam Seonwoo had left midway and never returned. He must have a low alcohol tolerance.

As Minhwan rambled on, he started looking for a place to eat hangover soup. It looked like he was about to suggest going for a meal together, so Nam Seonwoo pointed to the back of the lecture hall and said,

“Aren’t those your friends over there?”

The implication was for Minhwan to go sit with them. However, Minhwan just opened his eyes wide, as if not understanding.

“You’re my friend too!”

Not even aware that his friend had disappeared from yesterday’s drinking party, the guy said quite boldly.

“Besides, they can have fun without me, but you can’t. Especially in a general education class where departments are mixed and there are so many people, it must be tough for you. By the way, is this coffee?”

As if it were the most natural thing, he took a sip of someone else’s coffee. Seeing this guy who acted so familiar despite only having met yesterday, Nam Seonwoo swallowed a sigh. His ability to make friends was truly remarkable.

‘Well, he’s a nice kid, but…’

However, allowing someone to sit next to you and letting them drink from your coffee were two different matters.

“What’s your blood type?”

“…Wow, Seonwoo, I didn’t know you cared about that kind of thing?”

In Nam Seonwoo’s book, there were only two cases where he could share food: if it was Kang Jihan, or if they had the same B blood type.

Sensing that Seonwoo might snatch the coffee back if their blood types were different, Kim Minhwan replied with a tense expression.

“It’s, it’s okay. I’m type O.”

“Oh, really? Then it’s fine.”

O type is an exception. As Seonwoo nodded and took out his writing materials, a sigh of relief came from beside him.

But the lecture hall seemed to have gotten a bit quieter compared to earlier. Wondering if the professor had come in, he looked towards the front door, but a man dressed too young to be a professor was walking in.

As expected, he seemed to be a student, not a professor, as the man approached the desks. Assuming he would go to the back seats, Seonwoo was rummaging through his bag when the man stopped in front of the desk.

“…?”

The way he was turning his body towards them suggested he wanted to sit here. Nam Seonwoo glanced back. The rows right behind them were completely empty. He turned back to the man, but he just stood there silently.

He could feel the gaze piercing through his cap brim. Even without looking at the man’s face, he could guess the meaning of that gaze. It was a silent pressure asking if he could sit in the adjacent seat.

‘Oh, come on…’

With so many empty seats, he really wanted to squeeze in here? While grumbling internally, he moved the bag he had placed on the desk, and the man promptly sat down in the seat next to him.

His build seemed larger than it looked, as their shoulders touched. So when Seonwoo leaned his upper body slightly towards Kim Minhwan, he bumped shoulders with him instead.

…These guys should conscientiously pay for two seats when using public transportation. Nam Seonwoo gritted his teeth and hunched his body. He even had to hold his backpack in his arms as there was nowhere to hang it.

It wasn’t like the morning subway, yet they had to sit this cramped. He thought about moving seats, but couldn’t because of the two large figures blocking both sides. Nam Seonwoo was the type who would give up going to the bathroom on a plane if the person in the aisle seat was sleeping.

As he shifted uncomfortably, the desk shook, causing the coffee cup to tilt dramatically.

“Oh…!”

As he helplessly watched the coffee about to fall, a hand suddenly appeared and caught the cup. The plastic cup in the large hand wasn’t even slightly crumpled.

Impressed by the quick reflexes of the man next to him, Nam Seonwoo belatedly reached out with both hands.

“Thank y…”

But instead of handing over the coffee, the man just kept rolling it in his hand. After slowly turning the transparent container with ice floating in it, he stared intently at the lid.

Seonwoo thought to himself, is he going to ask what kind of coffee it is? But the man said nothing and just put the coffee down. Not in Seonwoo’s outstretched hand, but on the desk.

…Well, he did catch it, so Seonwoo felt he should thank him anyway. As he lowered his awkward hand and just nodded slightly, the man pulled the coffee towards himself.

‘What is this guy trying to do?’

It definitely seemed like he was picking a fight, so Seonwoo decided to think for a moment. Judging by his body, he definitely wasn’t Choi Youngjae. Then was he one of the guys who was with Youngjae? …No, that couldn’t be right. If so, Kim Minhwan would have greeted him.

He couldn’t understand what was going on. So he decided to think positively. Maybe he moved the coffee to the corner so it wouldn’t spill. With that thought, he reached for the coffee, but the man once again moved it far away.

“…”

“…”

Is he trying to fight now?

This wasn’t some Turkish ice cream show, and doing this to a stranger was clearly picking a fight. Moreover, it seemed like he was showing off his long arms, which was also annoying. Just as Seonwoo thought he should take a look at the guy’s face, Kim Minhwan suddenly put his arm around Seonwoo’s shoulders.

“Haha, my friend says thank you. You saw him nod like this earlier, right? He’s just a bit shy!”

When he said “like this,” he made Seonwoo bow his head arbitrarily. But more than that, it was suffocating. The arm around his shoulders felt more like a headlock, and the boulder-like forearm was practically a weapon. When Seonwoo hit the rock-hard forearm repeatedly, Kim Minhwan finally said “Oh” and lowered his hand to Seonwoo’s shoulder. Then he pulled Seonwoo’s upper body close and whispered so only Seonwoo could hear.

“I did well, right? But isn’t it uncomfortable having someone sit next to you?”

He seemed to have misunderstood Seonwoo’s silent stiffness as social anxiety kicking in. Seeing the face that expected praise, Seonwoo couldn’t bring himself to spit on it, so instead of correcting the situation, he just nodded vaguely.

“I knew it. Want me to switch seats with you?”

“It’s fine.”

“Why? You said it was uncomfortable!”

As they were whispering closely, the professor entered. Kim Minhwan, who had released Seonwoo’s upper body, suddenly gave a thumbs up. The gesture suggesting to trust only him didn’t look reliable at all, but Seonwoo couldn’t help but smile a bit. Kim Minhwan seemed to read the smile behind the mask and smiled back.

“Sorry for being late. Let’s start the lecture.”

It was when Seonwoo turned his head following the professor’s voice. A piercing gaze stuck to his face, penetrating through the mask. It wasn’t a gaze with some intention like when he asked to make room earlier, but a blatant, scrutinizing stare.