PS | Chapter 2.6

The reason Jehyuk was practicing skinship with Sihoo wasn’t because he wanted to date anyone—it was to appear “normal.” He didn’t want to be labeled as a weirdo or an oddball again when he entered a pro team. He had already experienced that kind of alienation once, and it wasn’t happening again. To prevent it, he needed to fix the reputation that had spread around his department.

How to do that? He had no idea. But one way or another, it had to be done.

Leaning back in his chair, stretching his legs out, Jehyuk naturally thought of Sihoo.

After their lunch together last week, Sihoo had been busy with team projects, and whenever Sihoo was free, Jehyuk had been stuck in training. It had been eight days since they last saw each other.

And for all eight of those days, Jehyuk kept recalling that moment at noon.

The clear blue sky, the gentle breeze carrying the scent of spring, and the cherry blossoms fluttering all around. The fresh scent of Sihoo as he got close, the way his long eyelashes flickered just within reach.

But most of all, he kept remembering Sihoo’s lips.

It had lasted no more than a fraction of a second, just the briefest of moments. But the sensation of it lingered, like something soft and warm had been pressed over his lips and left there.

If one could turn something soft and fragrant into pure sensation, it would be Sihoo’s lips.

And the worst part? The more he remembered it, the better it felt. Before he knew it, he found himself constantly recalling the feeling. And with that came unnecessary thoughts.

Like—what did the other people who kissed Sihoo feel?

It was such a perverted thought that Jehyuk scolded himself every time it crossed his mind.

Like right now.

Sitting in the lecture hall, lost in thought, thinking about kissing Sihoo again.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Frustrated, Jehyuk crumpled up a perfectly innocent page from his notebook. In the process, his mechanical pencil slipped from his desk, rolling onto the floor before stopping between the rows of seats.

He reached out to grab it, but before he could, a slender, pale hand picked it up first.

“Here you go, sunbae.”

At the word sunbae, Jehyuk instinctively withdrew his hand and straightened his posture. When he looked up, he saw a guy he had never seen before.

Average height—probably not even 175cm. His body wasn’t muscular like an athlete’s, but his frame was well-proportioned. His legs and bone structure, in particular, looked delicate and well-shaped.

Whoever he was, he definitely wasn’t from the soccer team. He didn’t seem like a Physical Education major either. He was way too slender and frail for that.

His face was just as delicate as his body.

Pale porcelain-white skin, lips that were unusually pink for a guy. They had a soft, peachy tint, even though he clearly wasn’t wearing any makeup. His large, double-lidded eyes were just the right size, and his long eyelashes reminded Jehyuk of Sihoo. His light brown hair gave him a slightly mixed-race appearance.

His features were so striking that people would definitely turn around for a second glance when he walked by.

“Who are you?”

Since the other person’s identity wasn’t clear, Jehyuk opted for formal speech. There were times when returning seniors would purposely call younger students “sunbae” as a joke, so he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. This guy didn’t seem like he was from the same department, but it was too soon to make assumptions.

His stiff tone seemed to catch the other guy off guard. He let out a small “Ah!” in surprise, then quickly regained his composure.

“I’m Han Bada. First-year in the Business Administration department. I’m taking this elective with you, Jehyuk sunbae.” A bright smile spread across the guy’s face.

Listening to the introduction, Jehyuk couldn’t find a single connection between them. Instead, more questions popped up—how did this guy know his name?

“I’m younger than you. You don’t have to speak formally to me.” Bada continued in a friendly tone.

Jehyuk hesitated but decided to respond anyway. The quicker he humored the guy, the quicker he could get rid of him. Class would start in ten minutes.

“How do you know me?”

“I heard it when they called attendance.”

Right. The attendance sheet.

Jehyuk frowned slightly, then smoothed his expression. There wasn’t anything strange about that explanation, but for some reason, it still felt off. Something about a complete stranger watching him didn’t sit well.

“I see. So what do you want?”

Bada handed him the mechanical pencil first.

Jehyuk took it.

“Thanks.”

“No problem. I was just passing by.”

“So that’s it?”

“Oh, no. Actually, I wanted to ask you something, so I worked up the courage to talk to you.”

Even with Jehyuk’s blunt tone, Bada kept grinning effortlessly.

Jehyuk could feel someone watching them—Im Kangmin, a fellow Physical Education student sitting beside him. Kangmin was on the volleyball team.

The two of them didn’t talk much, but since they were the only Physical Education majors in this class, they always ended up sitting together. Well, technically, it was because Kangmin hated sitting alone, so he always came over.

Jehyuk, aware of Kangmin’s gaze, decided to adjust his tone a little. He wasn’t sure what Bada wanted, but he knew people from his department talked about him behind his back, and he didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire.

Not too long ago, Ijun had made a passing remark that still lingered in his mind. Something about Jehyuk pushing people away.

“Alright, go ahead.” His tone softened slightly.

Bada’s smile turned even brighter, the kind that made people want to smile along with him.

It was a captivating face. Beautiful, in a way that truly suited the word.

“Thank you. Um…”

“Yeah?”

“You’re Sihoo sunbae’s friend, right?” As Bada asked, a faint blush spread across his cheeks.

Jehyuk froze for a moment.

The redness dusting his cheeks, the slight tremor in his voice—Jehyuk deliberately ignored those details and instead focused on the real question.

How does he know Sihoo?

Could he be one of those stalker types?

The fact that this guy knew Jehyuk was friends with Sihoo felt suspicious. They weren’t even in the same department…

Ah.

Something felt oddly familiar.

Bada had introduced himself as a Business major.

There was no way a Business student wouldn’t know Yoon Sihoo. He was popular and a senior in the department. That explained it.

“Yeah, I am.” Unknowingly, Jehyuk’s guard went up, and his tone became stiff again.

With his usual expressionless face and sharp features, he was already prone to being misunderstood. And now, with his voice turning cold, Bada looked a little intimidated.

That’s when Kangmin decided to butt in.

“Damn, man. You look like you’re about to kill someone.” Jehyuk shot him a sharp glare.

Kangmin had never interfered like this before—he only ever talked when they needed to borrow each other’s stationery.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you, sunbae.” Bada, sensing the tension, quickly cut in.

Kangmin, completely ignoring Jehyuk’s glare, just kept rambling.

“Dude, this is just his face. Right, Ji Jehyuk?” Strangely, Kangmin’s expression as he looked at Bada was brighter than usual.

It didn’t take long for Jehyuk to figure out why Kangmin had inserted himself into the conversation.

Even with minimal dating experience, he could read the signs. Maybe it was because he had spent his whole life being hyper-aware of people’s moods.

“Yeah, I’m Sihoo’s friend. Why?” Swallowing his discomfort, Jehyuk acknowledged it.

Bada’s face instantly lit up.

And at that moment, Jehyuk already knew what was coming next. Either a request to be introduced, or something along those lines.

“I heard you two were really close. So I was wondering… if you could give me Sihoo sunbae’s number?”

Then, with a playful grin, he added: “In exchange, I’ll buy you coffee!”

…His guess was right.

But the audacity of the request was more than he expected.

It took a lot of guts to ask a complete stranger for someone else’s number. So, he didn’t have the nerve to ask Sihoo directly?

Jehyuk didn’t like this. Sihoo dealt with this kind of thing all the time, and Jehyuk was sick of it.

His face hardened.

“Why the hell would I give you his number?”

“If you’re curious, ask him yourself—just like you did with me.” He shot back, his tone sharp.

He might’ve sounded a little too serious—maybe even more than necessary.

“Hey, hey, why are you talking so harshly? It’s just a phone number, no big deal.”

“This has nothing to do with you.”

At Ji Jehyuk’s razor-sharp retort, Im Kangmin narrowed his eyes, his expression turning pretty nasty. It looked like things could actually escalate into a fight. It wasn’t uncommon for people in the Physical Education department to be hot-tempered, so minor conflicts like this happened often. Still, Jehyuk didn’t want to get tangled up with Kangmin right before class. He let out a weary sigh, and Han Bada cut in.

“I know, I really do. But sunbae just won’t give me his number. I even asked him directly, and he turned me down twice. No one else seems to know Yoon Sihoo sunbae’s number either. Aside from the class rep and the professor, literally no one.”

Bada looked desperate.

“There’s something I really need to tell him, but I haven’t even had the chance to run into him. So, I know it’s shameless of me to ask like this, but… I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Please don’t fight because of me. I’m really sorry.”

At Bada’s words, Kangmin suddenly lost interest. His face said it all—Ugh, stepped on shit today. He made a point of turning his head with a disgruntled scoff and started fiddling with his phone. Then, he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Crazy bastard,” before throwing out a few more curses.

Jehyuk rubbed his temples, already irritated just thinking about whatever messages Kangmin might be sending.

He’d been deliberately avoiding unnecessary conflict, and now, out of nowhere, he was getting labeled as a lunatic over something involving Sihoo. It dragged him right back to the past—those days when people didn’t even try to hide their insults behind his back.

Back when he was younger and dumber, maybe he would’ve thrown a punch without a second thought. But now? He couldn’t afford to. At the same time, he didn’t have the kind of smooth-talking charm that could win people over either.

Jehyuk was strong, but he was also weak. No matter how talented someone was, if they couldn’t fit into the group, they wouldn’t even get the chance to prove themselves.

Getting blacklisted in the department meant the end of an athlete’s career.

Talent came first, but connections mattered just as much. The ones with the biggest networks could ruin someone’s reputation in a heartbeat—coaches, senior players, they all had influence. And Kangmin, even though he was on the volleyball team, had plenty of friends in the soccer team too.

His breath caught in his throat, like a giant hand was squeezing his neck, its grip tightening. It felt just like that moment—when he’d been shoved against a wall, crushed under his uncle’s hand.

He’d thought that once he got to college, all that suffocating social hierarchy crap would finally be over. But the reality was different.

A voice whispered in his head.

Don’t make enemies for no reason. Just play along for today and ignore them later. Sihoo will understand.

“I’ll get going then. Sorry.”

Bada bowed apologetically and turned to leave.