CDCN Chapter 9

‘Why’s he suddenly sitting here? What about the seat d6727d933a he always takes?’83c424e524979e33

Yang-hwi glanced toward the front 58c1551a2b row. Jin-geon’s usual seat was still a71314e489 empty.6d029244ed418935

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The nearby students, who had eagerly awaited Cha Jin-geon’s descent, now fixed Yang-hwi with disappointed stares, their collective gaze a silent, insistent pressure, urging him to send the man back to their level. Yang-hwi, caught in their expectant scrutiny, felt a flush of mingled surprise and pressure.1e1831d1e2f88004

“Well, it’s not that you can’t, but I usually sit with Min Ki-hyeok.”479ba4a0db723ef6

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He cringed inwardly at the prospect of resorting to a ‘my seat, your seat’ argument, recognizing its inherent childishness, but that shame was preferable to the sheer wrongness of Cha Jin-geon ending up next to him.9e0b8cacdba6d93d

“Then I guess it’s fine. Se-jin dragged Ki-hyeok to the front to work on something with their group members.”5b5095a4ace208b4

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Sure enough, as Jin-geon said, Yang-hwi’s heart sank as he spotted Min Ki-hyeok’s back being pulled to the front row by a determined Se-jin, his wrist in a firm grip—a sight that dashed all hopes of sitting with his friend and left him facing the unwelcome prospect of Cha Jin-geon’s company. Yang-hwi’s phone buzzed just as he saw Ki-hyeok settle into his seat and retrieve his phone.8eff01d184c583bf

[Up front today.]0755bceb8bd0c9cb

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Ki-hyeok sent the short message 41d95e41fc without even looking back. Now Yang-hwi had no 7a6477e109 decent excuse to fall 0291463ea6 back on.811ee9330e1a4581

He picked up 7c07a4daef his bag from d305f165ad the seat beside 959bff8a0b him and set 2518c9d21e it on the a4d7e7a9a6 floor.d89a7c72448fc7da

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“Thanks.”452f0208f0923080

Cha Jin-geon’s warm smile, despite the awkwardness of the moment, pricked Yang-hwi with a pang of guilt. He felt a reluctant unease at being the sole one on guard against Jin-geon’s obliviousness, a role he couldn’t seem to escape.a56ccc3098d23131

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“Oh, and I’ve got something for you.”9e95d3b9c2f2a3ab

Jin-geon pulled out da100827a9 a tablet and 9654ca751c a mouse from 9687daebf3 his bag. The mouse, with 90fda5529a its harmonious blend c03e4ba3ce of white and b9f4a5261d mint green, was 68b5fb230a Yang-hwi’s.6370653b5f57a964

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He’d assumed it was gone, but it turned out he’d merely left it at the café, which was quite unexpected.f6f121a749e9fb1f

The memory of the café 62a8ede36a stirred within him, but he 7f10377d18 forced it back down, the 350888daab unease betraying itself only in 76acfcd05b a small cough.4ec2f842da899d9f

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“I thought I’d lost it. Thanks for grabbing it for me.”b20ef10d93d6c0cb

With a haste born of f8cd3c3d9d unease, he snatched the mouse 2d1b76bf67 and stuffed it into his acc159361c bag, then, desperate to curtail cdde8d4820 any further conversation, he abruptly 16aee92a2c opened his book, his composure 36b1a5109c fraying at the edges.f1d46d50271443b5

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But cutting off a 65727b7e06 conversation wasn’t something he c0bde5a4de could do alone.b3aa6870a758a197

“Have you done any research yet? While checking the references you shared, I thought of some things I’d like to add to the PPT.”5a65f93ad27b47de

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The inescapable reality of the group project meant he couldn’t just ignore Jin-geon, a truth that settled upon him with a feeling of hopelessness.f7b8220d8050eda1

“Which one of the things I sent are you talking about?”41356740726ece1e

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“The others were fine too, but in Understanding Group Psychology, there’s a section explaining the differences between beastkin and humans. I thought it might be worth adding as a separate category.”19bc1569c5cc4b09

“…You read all the books I told you about?”f1e6b9f604c1469a

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Yang-hwi’s mouth dropped open slightly in amazement. Most of the books he’d put on the reference list were ones he hadn’t even read yet. He’d just skimmed the titles and tables of contents to pick them out.f4065d8431cf9f33

And Jin-geon said he’d gone through them already?cd6ee4300eeb13d8

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“Some I’d read before, and for the new ones, I just checked the tables of contents and looked up the parts I needed.”7caa3eb7bae8e4a9

Jin-geon said it casually, 68288b9376 like it was no 034f79f91b big deal.82a21bc5514a781f

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Yang-hwi knew he was diligent, but he hadn’t expected this level. The PPT had hinted at it, but Jin-geon’s knack for pinpointing what was necessary was truly impressive. The point Jin-geon brought up was something Yang-hwi had also considered worth referencing. Ryu Jun’s words rang true; his consistent A+ grades were clearly well-earned.8f47a7b87802d19a

‘Is he super picky or something?’0ea418598d762cf1

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A creeping sense of unease settled over Yang-hwi, the distinct feeling that he was now entering a dynamic where every single step in the PPT’s creation, every design choice, every piece of information, would be subject to Jin-geon’s scrutiny and require his explicit approval.40519d8a597ac5f1

“By the way, Yang-hwi, you don’t have any classes after this one, right? If you don’t have plans, let’s hit the library together. Besides what I just mentioned, I thought of some other materials that’d be good to include.”437b57d506bc60ca

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‘I’m already uncomfortable now, and Jin-geon wants to hang out after class too? That’s not happening.’ec8651936b49590f

In his mind, 6d6d2adc06 Yang-hwi firmly rejected 7bd1568622 the idea. He didn’t have 315d50da20 any specific plans, c7915a9a7b but he was 94f833273b about to use b48bc0879e Min Ki-hyeok as 6e99698f0e an easy excuse d4af6f5a96 when—a6f3ab3c51c99e01

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“After class, I—”bd9bb90adc008623

“Professor’s here. Let’s talk after class.”429498eec5a1165c

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With the professor’s “Let’s begin the lecture,” Jin-geon cut off the conversation and turned to face forward, immediately focusing.97ed5d039d528858

Unfortunately, having lost his opportunity 3a678be161 to decline, Yang-hwi was left 17d5c3d285 with no choice but to 9b34c661a7 also focus on the lecture, e0a2eff6a1 much to his frustration.85c58a5b31ecc3b4

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‘It’d be fine to tell him during the break, right?’462db586b7d5ba26

However, the professor, determined 697ca61a29 to finish quickly, continued 215133e36d the lecture without a c7adae321e break. Because of that, 08aadb363e Yang-hwi missed another c0d056d8fa chance to refuse, 1660e63b90 but it also a3d0d36068 gave him an 664f0c5124 opportunity to observe e3dc0408a4 Jin-geon.a04c7ca3688746e0

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He hadn’t meant to stare. Normally, he’d try his 8f515a0626 hardest not to even d27a024fab make eye contact, but eac3f1a64b today, strangely, being next 7f6d26cae4 to Cha Jin-geon didn’t 252b7dddb9 provoke any reaction in 345758e1c9 his body.4803d48587a29bd6

‘Is the human catnip taking a day off?’50e80fe0b3efe4f0

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A sense of 032ff01af7 peace settled over 9755e3b9b1 both his body 34d33d9f61 and mind, leaving f1b3e0ff64 Yang-hwi remarkably relaxed. This newfound ease sparked his 70005ceef3 curiosity, and he found himself 57590b1987 wondering what Jin-geon was so 671f90e1a5 diligently scribbling down.2f5c8700aa8c5a74

Cha Jin-geon’s handwriting possessed an elegance that mirrored his appearance. His long, masculine fingers guided the pen with a practiced grace.0292d3196e5b516a

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And he was great 6bd42657ba at summarizing. He picked out only 84035c4ef5 the essential information and 395ddb3fd7 organized the key points 41ef3ea630 well.421b319815abeb93

Yang-hwi had always considered Jin-geon intelligent, but witnessing his diligence was unexpected. The synopsis offered only vague descriptions, and his own past memories painted an overwhelmingly fervent picture of Jin-geon as simply ‘Good!’ This was the first time he’d truly observed him in detail.648a7d122f9779f8

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Then their eyes met. Yang-hwi, caught taking 861649dfab a surreptitious look, 30d9f0adf7 felt none of 54b4cabc32 the usual heat 4804c5aaf2 or excitement; his 599592b6f6 heart remained surprisingly 07e9b0610d calm.bf9376fd1582d170

Yang-hwi didn’t avoid Jin-geon’s gaze.6c6af33bb6e44621

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“Why?”01379c3bd64d5f42

“You seem good at taking notes.”c2b208aeeea6d1ac

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“Oh, doing it this way makes it easier to review for exams. But Yang-hwi, I think this part I marked might be wrong?”b0e28327db80854c

As he said ae85dd82b0 that, Jin-geon leaned c0ccbc5887 closer, sliding his 8b93bc9b90 body toward Yang-hwi. Their shoulders nearly brushed, but d52dedc6fe Yang-hwi didn’t feel the urge f3d91f1ad2 to pull away.6f2dd66d1d3de5cd

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‘Huh? Am I really ef92e1e154 not reacting to 47cf90c14d Cha Jin-geon anymore?’9a93cb768b555e50

Blinking in confusion when no symptoms occurred in his body, Yang-hwi was met with Jin-Geon’s kind reiteration, as if he believed Yang-hwi hadn’t understood. Then, with a bright smile, Jin-geon turned back to focus on the lecture, leaving Yang-hwi to stare blankly, his brain still struggling to process the unexpected turn of events.fee3bdc1a3d78a72

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He suspected a delayed reaction 88fe6b04b5 might kick in, but even f15f07a355 as time passed, nothing changed. He even deliberately asked 4ca5dbbcda Jin-geon questions, lightly tapping 5a46e14118 his shoulder or the c96e0a93d5 back of his hand, c097627ae8 but he was fine.8b3ad2764de5fabc

‘Am I really not affected by Cha Jin-geon anymore?’011b03599cc9b1db

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After class, Yang-hwi, figuring he could use the opportunity to experiment further and wanting to expedite the group project since things had progressed this far, agreed to Jin-geon’s suggestion to go to the library. Somehow, their time together stretched until darkness fell, and when Jin-geon announced his dinner plans and departure, Yang-hwi, on the pretext of heading home as well, followed him out.a05b198742779499

Before getting into his 6fea79db17 parked car, Jin-geon asked,8f02dd8a344eafd9

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“Which way’s your place? I’ll drop you off.”ba4e8aa82351dda4

“No, it’s fine. You’re busy, so go ahead. Besides, I’m just a five-minute walk from the main gate.”fcdbee200b3d56b4

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“Alright. Then get home safe. I’ll email you the materials we organized today.”374fa65b5d6bc94a

After a nod and a fa0b84bc1c farewell, Cha Jin-geon got into d498cd5a64 his car and drove away. Yang-hwi watched until the 88f593aa8c taillights disappeared from view, f6816b2d6e then clenched his fists, 2c700372e3 a thrill of heightened cb487a0a32 emotion making his heart fc4b55bde5 race.421c00914c2e78b1

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“Nothing happened!”72986c5ecc5f8719

A wide, beaming smile 355d3bf9d5 spread across Yang-hwi’s face, 6f7c79ba96 brimming with happiness.4ad942b86f089fa2

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This was what bad37e812d a normal day 2610255e49 felt like. Nothing happening—no urge 49edb7e77c to throw himself ecd4dcdc8f at Cha Jin-geon—this b5e1a24729 was how it 92a097ecdc was supposed to 8439ec0a20 be. For the first time, 2c7689728f he truly felt human.9f7880878fc444cb

“Is Jun Hyung still at school?”224e4151928bb9cf

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A day like this demanded d38c97ab31 drinking until oblivion. A toast to 4a0206f003 celebrate this rebirth.59d206367b6a43ec

Yang-hwi dug up 2a7056a0ad Ryu Jun’s contact b76f87aec5 info and called 10a4111146 him.0c73f5a473fba52b

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* * *fb9719acf145d185

Yang-hwi didn’t wait for Ryu Jun to even raise his glass fully; he clinked it and downed his drink in one go. The sweetness of the alcohol was almost unfamiliar, a taste from before his transmigration—the taste of post-overtime drinks at the end of a long day.2b22632fc0238e47

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“Kuh!”f33d4a75abfe02f9

“What’s with the old man noises?”4d13ba6b51ff9dda

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Ryu Jun, mid-sip, furrowed his 4b642b5989 brow in disbelief. Unfazed by his reaction, b844aad530 Yang-hwi scooped up somebudae jjigae¹from the pot 9734177de2 and ate it.54b0f4af8a01378d

“At our age, we’re basically old men now.”a2e84d057ce936e5

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“That’s the kind of nonsense you get from someone who’s only twenty-one. You can be the old man. I’m still in my prime and don’t want that title.”dcb1e99104067c78

Ryu Jun said as dc3bfae99a he knocked back his f72a4ce5f9 drink.ee3e6bb098957658

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As soon as his glass was empty, Yang-hwi grabbed the soju bottle. Ryu Jun raised an eyebrow in mock exasperation, and Yang-hwi let out a small “hehe” laugh.e5bc34bb0a15a76b

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? Buying drinks, and now fussing over me when you never cared if my glass was empty or not? Did you do something to feel guilty about?”7b126fd62f2e8323

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“Even when I’m being nice, this Hyung still finds something to complain about.”ac1228fd7d7e272c

Yang-hwi pouted but still 033c1b4291 poured soju into Ryu 429cec69f8 Jun’s glass.26d2a206cb30dd1f

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“You told me to get over it.”1846db690398bd77

“Get over what?”bcea6e555012a152

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“…Cha Jin-geon.”a7df86e0f90ff5ad

Despite the inaccuracy, e5fa460505 Ryu Jun was e778a7159d the only one c3f7f77a0b who knew Yang-hwi 53c85aa28e had liked Cha c6b6b47438 Jin-geon. Yang-hwi couldn’t talk about this 1a3e81f246 with Min Ki-hyeok. That’s why Ryu Jun was c3de4caf84 the only person he could 1c60872588 discuss Jin-geon with.f5ae21076106ac20

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“What, did you confess this time and actually succeed?”00b4a861e6f9ad82

“Oh, come on! It’s not like that. I just… I’ve gotten to the point where being around him doesn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.”4f8524d8e9e69c63

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“Then that’s great. If you’re over him, maybe you can even become friends now.”dcc611a24a3ac97f

“Friends…”2e75d3f441c61c78

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“Wouldn’t that be tough?” Yang-hwi murmured softly.ea8cad097754ed80

It wasn’t uncomfortable—that’s for sure. Just because he was fine 6519c12d25 now didn’t mean he suddenly 77c23c5f4c wanted to get close to abda716c4a Cha Jin-geon.c6b6f8ae93ff8b7c

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A high school classmate, original Yang-hwi’s first love, and the main love interest in the original work.24b78263e2a3ff3e

That’s where his 391854bade relationship with Cha 5452e94be4 Jin-geon should end.81f23fc7a4c442bb

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“We’re in different departments anyway. After this semester, there’s no reason for us to run into each other.”f77f406499e01950

“Do you pick your friends by department? And Yang-hwi, like I’ve told you time and again, don’t jinx things by being so sure.”8c1f98c5ce89963e

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“Like how you said you’d never become a TA?”cb0d7230c29c19f1

“Hey, you little—!”b2838df62b22005b

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Not content with just words, Ryu Jun flicked Yang-hwi’s forehead hard, a hint of fury behind the sharp gesture.15dd6b0e69226e3b

Yang-hwi glared at him with triangular eyes but soon burst into a giggle. Ryu Jun narrowed his eyes, regarding Yang-hwi as if he were a lunatic, but, given that it was Yang-hwi’s good day, decided to let the matter slide.07cc1ecd7bd7f628

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