CDCN Chapter 11

“Here, drink and work.”

Yang-hwi, who came in with a lollipop in his mouth, hands over an energy drink. It seems he stopped by the convenience store since he was a bit late.

“Thanks.”

Jin-geon smiles brightly, crinkling the corners of his eyes. Normally, Yang-hwi would’ve flinched at his smile, but instead, he responds with a casual “Yeah” and nods before sitting down.

It looks like he calmed himself down while getting some fresh air. Jin-geon didn’t smile on purpose to gauge Yang-hwi’s reaction, but seeing him so composed was honestly a bit dull.

Still, he didn’t want to deliberately release pheromones. He wasn’t interested in seeing reactions triggered by them.

He’d already had enough of that nonsense at the family gathering earlier today.

At this moment, the corner of Jin-geon’s lips curled slightly.

“…Did you already revise all of this?”

Yang-hwi, who must’ve checked the PPT, asked in a stunned voice. Jin-geon, calmly schooling his expression, turned to face him.

“It was already perfectly done, but I noticed a few things that stood out, so I tweaked them a bit. Check it over, and if it’s good, we can go with it.”

“Uh, yeah, sure.”

The slightly widened eyes weren’t filled with admiration but rather a hint of being overwhelmed. Seeing such an unguarded reaction made Jin-geon chuckle. It lifted his mood a little.

As Yang-hwi scrolled through the slides, he muttered under his breath, “Tough guy.” Despite his reluctant expression, he flipped through to the last slide and turned his head. Clearing his throat with a “Hmph,” Yang-hwi spoke.

“This should work as is. I mean, thanks to you, it feels like we’re done. What about you?”

“I’m done too.”

“So, we just have to present it, and we’re completely finished?”

Yang-hwi grinned widely. For some reason, his expression seemed relieved, as if he was glad he wouldn’t have to deal with Jin-geon’s face anymore.

Jin-geon knew Yang-hwi felt uncomfortable around him. That’s why he’d been considerate, keeping his pheromones in check… But unlike Jin-geon, who felt a mix of relief and reluctance, Yang-hwi seemed purely relieved. That sparked a slight mischievous urge in him.

Jin-geon extended his hand, gently curling the corners of his lips.

“Good job.”

“…You worked harder.”

After a brief hesitation, Yang-hwi clasped his hand. Surprisingly, his skin felt soft. When Jin-geon wrapped his hand around Yang-hwi’s, Yang-hwi gripped back. Feeling the strength in his grip, Jin-geon playfully let out a small “Ow.” Startled, Yang-hwi quickly let go, looking even more flustered.

“Ugh! Does it still hurt? C-could it be broken?”

Yang-hwi fidgeted nervously. If Yang-hwi were a beastman, his ears would probably be drooping. Imagining that scene, Jin-geon bit back a laugh, twisting his lips.

“It just stung for a moment.”

How much could a human’s grip really hurt? Jin-geon said he was fine, but he slightly furrowed his brow.

“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

“It’s not even swollen. It’ll be fine by tomorrow.”

“…I’m really sorry.”

Yang-hwi lowered his eyes, nibbling his lip. Jin-geon gave a small smile and deliberately grabbed Yang-hwi’s wrist.

“I’m fine… but if you feel that bad, how about treating me to a meal later?”

“H-huh? A meal?”

“Yeah. Or if you prefer drinks, that’s fine too.”

At the mention of drinks, Yang-hwi shook his head lightly and answered quickly.

“No, a meal. I’ll treat you to a meal.”

“Then let’s eat after the presentation. Is next Saturday okay?”

Jin-geon locked in the plan before Yang-hwi could say anything else. Yang-hwi paused to think for a moment, then nodded lightly. When Jin-geon let go of his wrist, Yang-hwi hurriedly started packing his things.

“Since we’re done, let’s head out. It’s gotten pretty late.”

Checking the time on his wrist, it was already well past midnight. After a busy day starting from the morning, he should’ve been exhausted, but strangely, he wasn’t tired at all. Jin-geon glanced at the tousled head of hair.

Is it because he was with Yang-hwi? The time passed without a hint of boredom.

“Ready to go?”

Meeting Yang-hwi’s calm gaze again, Jin-geon smiled lightly.

Yeah, it’s definitely not boring.

“Alright, let’s go.”

* * *

Cha Jin-geon’s group presentation was flawless. His precise diction delivered information clearly, and the content was excellent. Like a seasoned lecturer, he kept the audience engaged with sharp focus. He answered the professor’s final question perfectly and earned rare praise from the professor for the first time.

Yang-hwi, standing on the stage with him, smiled proudly as he watched Jin-geon’s back.

“With that, Group 7 concludes its presentation.”

Jin-geon bowed, and the room erupted in applause. He responded with a light smile. His demeanor almost suggested it was expected, but because it was Jin-geon, it didn’t seem arrogant. Even if he had acted smug, the presentation was so perfect that everyone would’ve let it slide.

Yang-hwi admitted to himself that he couldn’t have achieved this level alone. Because Jin-geon was part of it, the quality soared, and he felt certain they’d get an A+.

“Man! Did you see the professor’s reaction? Our A+ is in the bag!”

However, Yang-hwi couldn’t stand this human acting so presumptuous. As soon as the professor left, Kim Ju-min put his arm around his shoulder, acting friendly. Yang Hwi swallowed his annoyance and turned his body.

“Yeah, an A+ seems likely, which is great, but what about you, Hyung?”

“W-what about me?”

Kim Ju-min stammered, clearly caught off guard.

It wasn’t just Park Jin-mi, the freshman who was always late and eventually dropped the class. Kim Ju-min… every time there was a group meeting, a string of funerals for distant acquaintances’ families conveniently popped up. He never attended a single meeting and contributed nothing to the project, yet Yang-hwi didn’t remove his name from the group.

Still, Yang-hwi had no intention of letting it slide smoothly.

He spoke a bit louder, letting his voice carry through the classroom, feigning sympathy.

“I figured you wouldn’t be in the best mood lately. I heard five—no, over six—people you know passed away. It broke my heart too. I can’t imagine how tough it must be for you, Hyung. At least it’s nice to know this project brought you a bit of good news.”

Yang-hwi flashed a subtle smile, and Kim Ju-min’s face turned beet red. Though said indirectly, anyone could tell it was a pointed jab.

From now on, no one would want to work with Kim Ju-min, the guy whose “acquaintances” always seemed to have funerals during group projects, the walking icon of bad luck.

With his own messages in the group chat as evidence, Kim Ju-min couldn’t argue back. He swallowed a curse, glared with bloodshot eyes, spat out a cliché “You’ll see,” and stormed out of the classroom.

As he did, he bumped shoulders with Min Ki-hyeok, who was walking in. Kim Ju-min almost cursed again but recognized Min Ki-hyeok and, biting his lip, bolted away.

Min Ki-hyeok approached, frowning.

“What’s with that guy?”

“Probably rushing to the bathroom.”

“…Oh. Makes sense.”

He seemed to buy it, likely picturing Kim Ju-min’s flushed face.

“Is the meeting done?”

“Nah. Lee Se-jin’s obsessed with something and insisted on holding an extra meeting today, even though it wasn’t planned.”

Min Ki-hyeok scrunched his face, clearly annoyed. Yang-hwi had a hunch about what got Lee Se-jin so worked up. While watching the audience during the presentation, he noticed Lee Se-jin had the strongest reaction—negative, not positive.

It seemed like Lee Se-jin was hoping that Cha Jin-geon would make even just one mistake. His face had crumpled halfway when the professor praised Jin-geon. It felt like he was burning to deliver an even more perfect presentation than Jin-geon.

Yang-hwi chuckled and lightly patted Min Ki-hyeok’s shoulder.

“Good luck.”

“The confidence of someone who’s already done, huh?”

“Something like that.”

Yang-hwi deliberately curled his lips into a smug smirk, and Min Ki-hyeok raised an eyebrow. But that was the extent of his reaction.

Finding it boring, Yang-hwi finished packing his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Min Ki-hyeok followed behind.

“By the way, isn’t your group doing an after-party or something? Other groups were heading out for lunch.”

“As you can see, none of the group members are left.”

Cha Jin-geon had left with Professor Kim Nam-hye after class, and Yang-hwi had driven Kim Ju-min out.

“Not even later with Cha Jin-geon?”

“…We will.”

It wasn’t exactly an after-party, but since he’d already made plans to meet Jin-geon, they could combine the two.

“Just the two of you?”

Min Ki-hyeok’s slightly uneasy tone made Yang-hwi stop in his tracks. Something about his vibe felt off. Yang-hwi narrowed his eyes.

“…You seem awfully concerned about me meeting Jin-geon alone. As expected, you’re interested, aren’t you?”

“W-what are you talking about?”

Yang-hwi’s teasing remark made Min Ki-hyeok suspiciously stumble over his words.

Is this heading toward the original storyline again?

“Interested in what? Cha Jin-geon, obviously. You into him?”

“…Go Yang-hwi. Seriously.”

Ki-hyeok, who’d been opening and closing his mouth, let out a deep sigh and looked at Yang-hwi with pity. Yang-hwi cleared his throat awkwardly under that gaze.

“If you’re not, why do you care so much about me meeting Jin-geon alone?”

“…That guy’s… kinda dangerous.”