SWNOVELXO #020
#020
I looked at Sun Woo with a face full of guilt. He couldn’t possibly know I had a wet dream about him, right? It doesn’t make sense, but from Sun Woo’s eyes, it seemed like it.
Sun Woo’s icy gaze turned towards me and my breath caught in my throat.
Sun Woo didn’t say anything, but I was getting severely scolded by those eyes.
With a wall behind me and Sun Woo firmly blocking the front, I just waited for him to let me go. I was exactly like a rabbit in front of a tiger. It would be nice if he could generously let me run into the bushes…
Sun Woo’s gaze that had been obsessively staring at me from earlier was burdensome, so I lowered my head and looked down to see my shiny leather shoes in contrast to Sun Woo’s dull and wrinkled shoes. Sun Woo and poverty. They were incompatible words.
“Sun Woo? Fancy meeting you here?”
I barely managed to speak, breaking the silence.
As expected, it had no effect and only heavy silence pressed down on me. I looked up at him with the courage I mustered, but he still had a murderous air, so I lowered my eyes again. Befitting of a protagonist, his presence was no joke.
“Ha Jin.”
A languid voice. Why does this bastard Sun Woo have a sexy voice even in this situation?
“Yeah?”
A strange atmosphere that wouldn’t be weird to suddenly start kissing hovered between him and me.
Being reminded of yesterday’s events by his voice calling me, I felt my ears turning red. I was barely calming the heat that was slowly rising to my face when Sun Woo arrogantly lifted my chin with one outstretched finger.
‘You crazy body! Why are you getting excited by this!’
Wondering what it was expecting, every cell in my body was going wild. If this atmosphere continued, it was 100% a kiss, and my mouth had already gone dry with thirst. My throat bobbed unconsciously. I feared Sun Woo’s gaze on me would expose all my feelings, so my body stiffened with tension. But the words that came out of Sun Woo’s mouth were only as cold as ice.
“Don’t get tangled up with me.”
“What? Oh…”
Never mind a kiss, I would be lucky not to get punched in this atmosphere.
Leaving me like that, Sun Woo exited the restroom.
Only after he left did the tension dissipate and the strength that had filled my body drained away.
“That was one hell of a threatening warning.”
I was a little sad that Sun Woo told me not to get involved with him. Even though he was worried I would drink and personally drove me…why is he telling me not to do that?
The protagonist who says he’ll do everything himself.
‘Whatever, do it all yourself then.’
The shopping didn’t take very long, and I was dropped off in front of my house with the clothes we bought.
Why is everyone, both my mother and Sun Woo, treating me like this? How miserable.
Sniffling once, I went into the house.
* * *
‘Ah… professor…’
I didn’t understand why the professor was directly assigning our team project members. Don’t students usually autonomously form teams with people they want to work with? This was a first in my college life. Plus, why does the business administration department have so many team projects? I had managed to avoid Sun Woo for everything else, but because our advising professor pushed me into the strongest 4-person team, I had no choice.
Well, I know he’s looking out for me but… anyone could see this team was formed in order of grades from 1st to 4th.
“Wow, Ha Jin oppa. Just trust me. I’ll do everything for you.”
Mi-eun from the department… well, you did seem smart.
“Oh, Ha Jin. Our top student!”
Beom-jun. You’re a bit unexpected.
“…”
Sun Woo, sorry.
The assignment was to research the impact of SNS on the economy by teams and give a presentation on it. The problem was it wasn’t just an assignment that reflected 10% of our grade… the presentation itself was the final exam. Then we have no choice but to unite with Sun Woo and work hard.
I was already feeling bleak about the road ahead.
“Let’s have Ha Jin do the presentation.”
Mi-eun was already assigning roles to each person, displaying her unique leadership.
“Why is Ha Jin presenting?”
“His face is trustworthy. Even if Ha Jin said he made soybean paste with red beans, I would believe it wholeheartedly.”
“Wow, Mi-eun? Isn’t that a bit obsessive of you?”
“What the. Beom-jun, you know it too from the lectures. External aspects are also an important factor.”
“I didn’t know you would apply it like this.”
“Putting what I learned into practice.”
At Mi-eun’s resolute words saying “Present!”, I looked at Sun Woo.
“Wouldn’t Sun Woo be better than me?”
“How is he better? You’re the same. Sun Woo is too perfect so he lacks humanity.”
“Hey! Then where is our Ha Jin lacking?”
“Beom-jun, don’t unnecessarily defend Ha Jin. How could our Ha Jin be lacking anywhere? It’s just that our Ha Jin has more persuasive power. He gives off a feeling that makes you want to shower him with affection, you know?”
“…Wow, our department’s top student has gone completely crazy.”
Clicking his tongue, Beom-jun moved his chair away from Mi-eun. I was just grateful for a role where I didn’t have to do anything with Sun Woo. After discussing for a long time after that and deciding what each person would research, we were finally able to leave.
As I was walking down the hallway after leaving the classroom, Mi-eun called out and stopped me.
“Ha Jin.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you on bad terms with Sun Woo?”
“…Why?”
“It’s obvious you two are trying your hardest not to look at each other and talk. Anyone with a bit of interest could tell, you know? Did something happen?”
“No. Not really.”
“Hmm, is that so? I purposely arranged it so you two wouldn’t overlap much during the team project since I thought you were on bad terms. Then should I just not care and mix you two together?”
“No. Wait.”
When I hurriedly stopped her, Mi-eun laughed as if she had expected it.
“You two seemed close until midterms. Last time at the department gathering too, Sun Woo said he wouldn’t come but as soon as he heard you were coming and drinking, he immediately showed up, so I thought you were close. Did you fight in the meantime?”
Eh, that’s probably not it. There’s no way Sun Woo would come just because I was mentioned.
“Well…”
“You’re not kids, what are you fighting about? Won’t you make up?”
“It was my one-sided fault. There’s nothing to make up over.”
“You’re both in your youth? I got it. Still, try to work it out. Almost all our department’s classes overlap, you know. How long are you going to stay uncomfortable like this?”
Mi-eun told me not to worry about the team project and gave me a small consolation before leaving. Of course I want to make up too. But when the other person is expressing their dislike with their whole body like that, I can’t forcibly approach him either. Doing that would be another form of violence.
“But what did I do that narrow-minded bastard Sun Woo hates me so much for?”
Ah… right. It’s understandable that he hates me. He probably thinks the guy who said he wants to taste men is approaching him with ulterior motives. Yup, I get it.
‘Ha Jin, you empty-headed bastard.’
* * *
“Damn it. Ha Jin’s evil spirit. I need to perform an exorcism or something.”
Waking up with a strange feeling, fortunately it was before I made a mess. I barely calmed myself and looked at the clock to see it was a little past 4am. Seeing the still dark outside, I was discouraged. It seemed difficult to fall back asleep in this state.
I decided to go for a light jog around the neighborhood to cool off my heat. The neighborhood with only the street lamps on was simply quiet. I had to expend energy like this for the day to flow somewhat peacefully.
“That crazy bastard. It’s not even sexual frustration.”
Just how much did he flaunt his lower half for it to be this bad?
I ran with all my energy and felt thirsty, so I went into a nearby convenience store.
“Hello.”
I gave a brief greeting at the ringing bell and headed straight for the beverage corner. I picked up a bottled water and habitually grabbed a chocolate milk too. Only when I reached the counter did I realize I had brought not only water but chocolate milk as well. I don’t go to convenience stores often, so I guess buying it for Sun Woo every time I went became a habit.
I placed the water and chocolate milk on the counter, thinking ‘The employee must be tired from working the early morning shift’ as they silently scanned the barcodes, and raised my head. Wow… it’s Sun Woo.
“Ack! Sun Woo?”
I was so startled I thought my heart would jump out of my mouth. At my call, Sun Woo snatched the card from me, processed the payment, and handed it back to me.
The situation made it seem like I had purposely come here to find him, making me feel strange. I had just ran wherever my feet took me. Moreover, this convenience store was a bit far from the neighborhood I live in.
‘Crap. Is he misunderstanding? That I came all the way to where he works?’
With that thought, I suddenly opened my mouth.
“I just woke up early and happened to come while jogging. I absolutely did not come knowing you work here…”
After saying it, the excuse sounded shabby. On top of that, Sun Woo seemed to have decided not to pay attention to whatever I said and picked up a book on the side without responding. I hurriedly grabbed the water and chocolate milk and tried to leave, but turned back again. Placing the chocolate milk on the counter, I spoke to Sun Woo who didn’t take his eyes off the book.
“Sun Woo, I bought this thinking of you. I guess buying this whenever I see it became a habit. I bought it for you, so I’ll leave it here.”
I ran out, afraid Sun Woo might throw the milk at me. And I sprinted towards home at full speed without looking back.
Thanks to using all my energy, I felt tired as soon as I got home. I immediately laid on the bed and closed my eyes as if collapsing. And in a light sleep, I dreamt of endlessly running away from Sun Woo who kept throwing chocolate milk. I definitely slept but… somehow I feel more tired than before sleeping.
[The Lives of the Golden Spoons]
Ha Jin’s Banned List 7. No phone apps besides default ones
└ What? Even banking apps?
└└ The male lead doesn’t use banking apps
└└└ Lol then does he do phone banking by pressing the numbers?
└└└└ Nope, the secretaries handle everything. The male lead only has cards
└ Katalk has already taken over Korea, you know?
└└ Only text messages. Chatting on Katalk is punishable by death
└└└ Even my grandma has Katalk lol
└└└ Lol can he keep checking Katalk profile pictures and zoom in?
└└└└ No Katalk! Our Ha Jin doesn’t even look at his phone lol
└ I want to see Ha Jin’s Katalk profile picture be a foreign car’s steering wheel with a watch visible and his status message [Fighting today too]
└└ Ha Jin is a chaebol, how the hell would he do that? Lol
└└ Ha Jin buying a drink with a gift certificate he got from that, so cuuute lol
└└└ Miserable
└└└└ Lol not punishable by death but miserable lol definitely save Ha Jin!
└ No game apps either? Sending friend invite messages because he has no hearts
└└ Lol nope. Even if allowed, he can only send hearts to Su but absolutely never allowed to request help himself.
└└└ No Katalk! Yuck.