Ex 2

The table froze with the unexpected appearance of the male lead. His tanned, hazel eyes were fixed only on Eunyoo. After a brief moment of silence, he slightly curved the corners of his eyes, giving off a strange aura. Though his large build didn’t quite match it, the smile had a surprisingly charming quality—but Eunyoo felt a chill as if she had seen a ghost.

 

“My brother told me to come get some drinks from here.”

 

Jaeha briefly explained his reason for being there and gestured toward Hyunseok with his chin. Hyunseok looked proud. He probably wanted to introduce a well-known figure from school to his juniors in the department, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. All eyes were on Jaeha now, and unintentionally, Eunyoo ended up in the spotlight too. What had been a casual drinking session suddenly turned into a stage performance. Reflexively, Eunyoo pulled her hat down lower to hide her face.

 

“Ah… yes, I’ll pour you a drink.”

 

Sticking to her role as an extra, Eunyoo hurriedly grabbed a bottle. Jaeha tilted his glass, and she poured. Everyone at the table held their breath, watching the scene unfold.

 

Had he heard? It wasn’t exactly an insult, but no one likes being talked about behind their back. However, contrary to her worries, Jaeha said nothing until his glass was full. She began to hope maybe he hadn’t heard after all—only for a low voice to cut through.

 

“So, in my next life, I’ll be a math prodigy?”

 

He calmly crushed her hope. Her heart began to race. Eunyoo looked up stiffly at the tall figure. With the light behind him casting his face in shadow, he looked almost villainous—like someone from a movie. Was he mocking her? If he was offended, should she apologize? A storm of inner conflict clashed within her, filling her head with noise. As she opened and closed her mouth, unable to find the right words, he took a sip of beer and added,

 

“Nice.”

 

It was a single word, impossible to tell whether it referred to the next life or the taste of beer. With a soft curve of his lips around the rim of the glass, he turned away nonchalantly. Then he went to another table and accepted more drinks.

 

Once the main character left, the gazes that had gathered around him also dispersed. Only then did a sigh escape her lips, and her body finally relaxed. It was the first time since dealing with a professor that she had felt this tense around someone. Not just her—the entire atmosphere of the club had been tightened and released by that man’s presence. Just like how stories revolve around the main character, the world seemed to revolve around Seo Jaeha.

 

He was definitely the type she didn’t want to get involved with.

 

By the time it was past 11 PM, the bar had become even more lively, with everyone fully drunk. Around that time, Eunyoo began to prepare to leave. While H University’s dorms didn’t have a curfew and were relatively free, she knew she had to stop drinking if she wanted to feel okay tomorrow. As she put on her outerwear and said her goodbyes, a wave of protest came from her tipsy friends.

 

“Han Eunyoo! How could you leave first? So cold!”

 

“Why are you leaving nowww? Stay and have fun a bit longer!”

 

“What are you, Cinderella? This is why goody-two-shoes are no fun…!”

 

Eunyoo shook her head and slowly backed away. She’d already spent more time than planned and had drunk more than she should have. Ruining the entire next day just because of a night out wasn’t worth it.

 

“I’ve got a 9 AM class tomorrow. I told you, my course registration this semester was a disaster. I’m dying too, you know.”

 

When Eunyoo pretended to cry one last time, her friends reluctantly waved her off. Normally, they’d all be too busy chatting to notice, but now their attention was strangely drawn to the door. Eunyoo gave a bright smile and waved goodbye to a few juniors and seniors she made eye contact with, then left the bar.

 

The night had grown colder, and the wind was fierce. Eunyoo pulled her coat tighter around her and exhaled a breath tinged with alcohol. The buzz, unnoticed while sitting, hit her now, leaving her slightly dizzy. She stared absentmindedly at her long shadow under the yellow streetlights, trying to steady her wavering vision. That’s when it happened.

 

“You’re leaving already?”

 

A voice suddenly called out from the dark alley. It was low, smooth, and impossible to forget—Seo Jaeha’s. The weight of it stuck to her eardrums. Eunyoo turned stiffly toward the sound, as if she’d run into a tiger.

 

Sure enough, Jaeha was leaning against a wall, staring at her. Maybe he was drunk—his eyelids drooped lazily, and a cigarette burned between his long fingers. The smell of smoke, carried by the wind, made her instinctively frown. She resisted the urge to pinch her nose and cursed him silently in her head.

 

‘Why is this guy out here? He was in the middle of some drinking game…’

 

Jaeha had been making rounds, greeting people like he was on a fan service tour, and had been sitting at the most crowded table—center stage, so to speak. It was both the most visible and the hardest place to leave. Now she could guess who those people looking at the door had been waiting for.

 

“Yeah, I have a first-period class tomorrow…”

 

Since a senior had spoken to her, she couldn’t ignore him. She gave a short reply and bowed politely. Having done her duty as a junior, Eunyoo turned to leave. All she wanted now was to get back, take a hot shower, and sleep.

 

Jaeha, watching her turn away so easily, bit down on his cigarette and stared. Then, he stepped forward, lightly tapping her sneaker, and called out again.

 

“Hey.”

 

The sudden voice made Eunyoo flinch. The bar was in a quieter alley off the main street, so it was still and empty around them. There was no excuse to pretend she hadn’t heard. It felt like running into a delinquent in a shady alley. She had no choice but to stop and turn back.

 

“…Yes?”

 

“Come here for a sec.”

 

He snapped the neck of his cigarette and flicked it into a nearby ashtray, then casually gestured with his fingers. His blunt speech and lack of explanation—maybe it was the American influence? Ordering people around seemed natural to him. Eunyoo suddenly worried if he was going to try and extort money next.

 

“W-Why…?”

 

“I’ve got something to talk to you about. Just come closer first.”

 

Could it be that he was bothered by her earlier comment about the “next life”? If he had any business with her, that was probably it. With her guard fully up, Eunyoo fiddled with the phone in her pocket as she cautiously approached him. If anything went wrong, she was ready to call Hyunseok for help.

 

Eunyoo stopped just inside the reach of the streetlight’s glow. Beyond this point was an unofficial smoking area—dark and secluded, with a dangerous air to it.

 

“Come closer.”

 

“Mm… Just talk from there. I have good hearing.”

 

“If you won’t, then I’ll come to you.”

 

Jaeha pushed himself off the wall and staggered forward. His large frame moved toward her endlessly, as if it might crush her. The warmth radiating from his chest made her face feel hot. A sweet smell of alcohol mixed with the acrid scent of cigarettes hit her nose. Just standing in front of him felt detrimental to her health.

 

“There’s… something I want to check.”

 

The slow, slurred way he spoke made it obvious how drunk he was. Eunyoo sighed in silent patience, waiting for whatever nonsense might come next.

 

“If you wear your hat pulled that low, you probably can’t see well. Why do you wear it like that?”

 

It was a useless question—exactly the kind a drunk person would ask. Eunyoo replied flatly.

 

“Because I didn’t wash my hair.”

 

“Really? That’s weird.”

 

He took a deep breath and added,

 

“You smell nice though.”

 

Just as she had caught the scent of alcohol on him, he seemed to be picking up some kind of scent from her. Feeling uncomfortable, Eunyoo took a step back, but he stepped forward again, keeping the distance the same.

 

“You wear clothes that don’t even fit you… You’re really strange.”

 

She wanted to throw that line right back at him. Grabbing someone she barely knew out of pure curiosity—what a terrible drunk habit. Having stayed passive the whole time, Eunyoo straightened her shoulders. There was no reason to cower in front of someone who wasn’t even sober.

 

“Excuse me, but what exactly is your business with me?”

 

“Oh, right. Business.”

 

As if only just remembering, he lazily nodded downward. When she looked down, one of his feet tilted slightly to draw attention. A faint footprint was smudged on his white sneaker.

 

“You stepped on my shoe earlier and got it dirty.”

 

“…I did?”

 

Eunyoo pointed to herself, furrowing her brows. She had no memory of stepping on anyone’s foot. Then he added more detail.

 

“Yeah. When you were stumbling to the bathroom earlier.”

 

She suddenly recalled nearly tripping over something on her way to the bathroom. Was it a chair leg… or someone’s foot? She was a bit tipsy earlier, so she might not have noticed. Besides, there was no reason for him to lie while talking to a junior he’d just met today.

 

“These are brand new, you know.”

 

“…”

 

“I’m pretty fond of them.”

 

Eunyoo stared at his white sneakers. A brand logo she didn’t recognize adorned the side. They looked expensive, even to her untrained eye. Her confident posture deflated once more.

 

“Sorry. I’ll pay for the cleaning…”

 

Eunyoo fumbled through her nearly empty pockets, glancing nervously. She worried he might demand a new pair instead. Then, he stepped back and said,

 

“No need for money between club seniors and juniors.”

 

Was he the type to value loyalty? That was a relief. Eunyoo’s slouched shoulders began to lift.

 

“Really? Thank—”

 

“But I’m going to mess with you just as much.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Hyunseok hyung said he’s never seen you without your hat.”

 

His low murmur barely registered before a large hand grabbed her hat’s brim and lifted it off. Eunyoo’s head was suddenly bare. Startled, she looked up instinctively. Through the raised hat, intense eyes met hers. His pale face filled her vision, his striking features etching themselves into her mind like a vivid stamp. Frozen like she’d met Medusa’s gaze, Eunyoo couldn’t even breathe.

 

His hazel eyes, sharp and steady despite his supposed drunkenness, locked onto her and wavered faintly, as if the alcohol was finally hitting him.

 

“So I wasn’t seeing things….”

 

“…”

 

His cryptic words sent Eunyoo’s eyes trembling. Then, with a warm breath, he added,

 

“You’re ridiculously beautiful.”

 

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