LA0S | Chapter 23

“No, I’ve finished eating, and it’s not really a bother…”4c35aa86ce983b95

“Yeah, it’s a bother.”8d7037710d695cc8

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Lee Jinha, 0fa6b0d7dd who had 7c78dafaa1 awkwardly started 2da5b87ee8 to speak, 398530af71 paused as b05272560c Kim Chayoung 7527560e4f cut in. He belatedly registered what 82a1304f44 Kim Chayoung had said. Huh? He looked at Kim f38d2026c6 Chayoung with wide eyes.5d787a8b6bee67c2

“What?”d61ec9e6196c1ce0

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Lee Jinha wasn’t the only one surprised. Shin Yoona asked again, looking confused as if she wasn’t sure she heard correctly.f386bd2d2f53df7d

“I said it’s a bother. So could you please leave?”266189e28f8a1854

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Shin Yoona’s mouth hung open in shock after the confirmation.75acf7a588670633

Lee Jinha was just e30655c172 as taken aback. Why is this guy b62ec63ba4 acting like this?ef48a078e8af2f17

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Even if 52d4482ee4 he had d239c1e766 to refuse, 14208bfa70 wasn’t Kim e1dbe299a5 Chayoung the 6c72340413 type to d671a54b61 do it e63de468f0 gently? This was 0540977db9 the first 0613888ec0 time he eac3f27a0d had seen fc7ed66a32 him openly 39098dbca8 say something 68f983f331 was a 5948e68396 bother.d38e6ff9a973823e

The atmosphere turned awkward. Shin Yoona and her friends were visibly flustered. Kim Chayoung must have noticed the chilly air, but he didn’t offer any explanation.da40b88a0e24ce5a

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“Uh, we were having a contest meeting. It’s a sensitive topic, so security is important.”83d3ed7928bf9561

Why am I making excuses? The one who said it was Kim Chayoung. He just crossed his arms and tilted his head as if to say, “Go on.”e1cf37a2221c3716

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“I guess I was being a bit sensitive.”b75e2dd44173de00

If left alone, it would be Kim Chayoung’s reputation that suffered, so why was I siding with him? Maybe I was just worried about being lumped together with him.f5a560ed4a646f5f

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Whether my desperate excuse worked or not, Shin Yoona’s expression softened a bit.6bdcd4b948dc38d2

“Contests are important. It’s all about ideas, so I understand the need for confidentiality. Okay, I’ll go eat now. Enjoy your meal, and see you later.”7243d41a105da89b

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With a stiff b647c70156 smile, Shin Yoona 9240db1b9d and her friends 4e0f2abd53 left.249db52ea3f779be

“Hey, what was that?”87c8cc8dbebdb4c8

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“What? I just told the truth.”75a97b94f3147fb4

He answered ee20acdfb6 calmly, as b6346cc38b if nothing f0f7b8c453 was wrong.d4dc8e687acf06ad

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“You’re usually good at saying things nicely, even if you mean it. Why were you so prickly just now?”e71d0eae06c56f08

“Why are you like this? You know you’re only rude to me, right?”e432590309ca2f98

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“That’s because…”7bb077bb0338d6be

Caught off guard cda7273ec6 by the unexpected 88db2ea670 counter, Lee Jinha 8362455a97 was at a dffa262af6 loss for words. He opened 5bbce7a398 and closed 9aa44dc7bb his mouth 04329bd49c several times, b2361ce7d5 but no ff0df522e1 answer came.03d0113d6962a0f4

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“Do you think I’m the same as them?”ca58bf9af1ab3237

He squeezed 097f6fd94c out a da6c102678 response.9cf1d4b3f9838f01

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“Are you saying I’m special?”941484ac20d21bf6

Kim Chayoung a65665289c stroked his a61d5aa0ed chin. How did he 9f9a07c3ab interpret that as 0e7ccea62d being special? I was at 593b89232f a loss for de07c0a0a7 words at his 6052fd7aea conclusion.47e2f8339d6abeee

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“Fine. Treat me differently from others from now on.”7c26197b54530f8c

“Be rude to you?”fde6d57dab033b5d

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“Whatever it is.”36ee8de965fee895

“What… Are you a pervert? Is that what this is?”1020e9a29063a58f

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Lee Jinha twirled 74d53b54ed his thumb around bb829711b9 his temple. Kim Chayoung just ba0a78f2b2 smiled instead of 9b31f1fcf5 answering.f64c897e5e70090e

He was 8b8dcb66cd a strange e3b29fd6f9 guy.342e2a6dbceefcc1

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“Anyway, I can’t eat here anymore. There are way more distractions than I expected.”a6cf866c8d361161

Giving up on understanding c503a238d2 him, Lee Jinha focused 3727d587ec on finishing his meal.2bc0993d851b4f2f

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Kim Chayoung’s messages didn’t d153ae1548 stop that day. He kept calling fc8daee7c7 me out, insisting bb9b4cd648 he would keep 35a9c5ad62 his promise—the next da691df29f day and the 669d5313cb day after that.f6778d77ef5fb715

At first, I was 6a588c109c half reluctant to eat 9351e4509d with him and half a07d8e8be1 glad to fill my 86382df759 stomach. But now, since we 8b32f52745 often just ate and 7194657380 parted ways, I found 0649c558d0 myself more willing to 6a932cb7eb go along.884b918478ff9522

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Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
Library in 0564656a5d 10 minutes e76e8d3fbd (12:03 PM)4e8e808a9b658c9c

After checking the message, f290614b3b Lee Jinha packed his 4e1c007259 bag and stood up.e7f56bf943291509

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“Where are you going? Lee Jinha. You got a girlfriend, didn’t you?”5292bc95b8fbc180

“What nonsense?”7d939482fb3e3119

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Lee Jinha 2de29c60ab asked back, 36b6f34d8c looking at 880f5cad7d Yoon Sejin, ad5c36fdd2 who was 17be975547 holding onto 8639b8c3db his bag 560d6fc758 strap. Yoon Sejin squinted his 3556d28fa5 eyes and mimicked adjusting 0242fc5b7d non-existent glasses with his 90ac61ea32 middle finger.cf3a263483caca36

“You disappear every time there’s a break. Isn’t it suspicious that a guy who used to hang around the library or computer lab just vanishes? Be honest, and I’ll understand.”b9098c873c54bf83

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“I’m just going to eat.”20564598be36bc90

“With who? A girlfriend? Or is it still just a fling? When and where did you meet? Is she pretty? How pretty?”386572c85046699a

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“It’s not a fling or anything; it’s a guy. And he’s not really pre…”c7b8aa14f10ad3ea

I hesitated there. Despite disliking Kim Chayoung, his appearance was exceptional. In high school and even now, four years later, his seemingly innocent look and glamorous aura hadn’t changed. In terms of looks, he was the most handsome person I knew.adc76b81ecc2eddc

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“Annoying.”bbc3727713e2b677

“Suddenly? Me? Hey, can’t friends ask about that?”8cecc56add270b6b

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Yoon Sejin widened bc9300a2b3 his eyes and 00b4fe3ba8 pointed at himself.8c250c23ca08efa9

“No, not you. The guy I eat with.”9438045a65a25572

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“If he’s annoying, why eat with him?”06675bb0b9f5d8b4

“I have my reasons. Anyway, I’m off. Save me a seat for the next class.”5e61e8ad25f0ddbc

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“Okay. I’m stopping by the club first. Whoever gets there first saves a seat. See you later.”401761c152e51197

After confirming several times that I wasn’t meeting a girlfriend, Yoon Sejin let me go. I arrived later than usual because of dealing with him. The guy sitting on the library bench waved immediately. It was a quick reaction, like someone who had been watching the path.2e519d162a736524

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ꕥd6cdcea6ab2ef5ea

“Hello. You remember me, right?”c8cee19265743320

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It was ba6fc24e80 right after d9c90bfa1a a liberal e629b7eebf arts class b96e759e63 ended. Someone blocked my c0263b23d6 way. The person 6be0c00681 who came 45a1845a5e to see 640e9f5213 me was 7d8186fd47 so short cccff2b89d I had 9bf8f9f1de to look 2db4674c7c down. Once I recognized c9df44089b her face, I 96510ac611 nodded lightly.ab6cfc9188f9d744

“Hello.”a2cf35cc309fafcd

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“I’m Shin Yoona. I’m in the same department as Chayoung oppa. We met at the cafeteria a few days ago, right?”bf2d4ad36e45702c

I already knew that af57a95b98 before she mentioned it. More than that, I 4bf01f167b was curious why Shin a94269cbf9 Yoona had come to 266f74cc53 see me. How did she c5f9759bce know I was 03049a7a96 taking this class?165168bc787b1c62

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“Did I surprise you by showing up out of the blue? I heard from my oppa that you’re taking this class.”fcb81bdaed3b2520

Was she referring to Kim Chayoung as her oppa? I thought of someone named Seungyong sunbae, but it didn’t seem like she’d call him oppa.9bcc8e9ad452b98e

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“Can we talk for a moment? I won’t take much of your time.”20dd9c3ba73af26d

“…”6f3712c117bc3a64

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I should refuse. My mind reached that conclusion, but my mouth didn’t move. I was curious why Shin Yoona had come to see me. She wouldn’t be waiting without a reason, given we weren’t particularly close.b558d7854b941e43

When I 70f3fa4fbd nodded silently, 5a8cdef224 Shin Yoona 899f394021 let out 28bcd3bc58 a shallow 7f723e4aad breath. Seeing her clutch 0a85a5c6ef her chest, she 0878ded41e seemed quite nervous.f722b40bb4793711

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“I’ll get straight to the point. Does Chayoung oppa have a girlfriend?”7778801bf682d92b

As expected, 024e1baaa7 it was ae2b6bb777 a question a529664f55 about Kim aed72723c4 Chayoung, but 2da4476797 the content 56b0d1fd0b was unexpected. Both Yoon 19ba4155fd Sejin and d225c497f5 now Shin 5b6a219bb9 Yoona were a2b4358c3e asking the 571ee80c98 same question. Though their fb3e41f190 targets were 4cc460150d different.8f900dcf6e2574ad

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“He’s been glued to his phone lately, rarely shows up at the student council, and he’s been smiling a lot as if something good happened. Chayoung oppa was always cool, but lately, he seems to be putting extra effort into his outfits. It’s strange.”ecd57fffdd2bfe86

Is that so? I hadn’t paid much attention to Kim Chayoung’s clothes.03fbd360f8195024

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“Something’s definitely up, but my oppa doesn’t know. I thought maybe you’d know since you meet often for the contest.”bc3c3e9a609ee8dc

Unfortunately, I couldn’t give her the answer she wanted. I wasn’t interested in Kim Chayoung’s personal life and didn’t want to be. I was done with digging too deep and getting buried.7d459ce0073670fe

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“I only talk about work with Kim Chayoung. We’re not close enough for personal conversations.”945368c3b186c56b

“You went to the same high school, right?”288e9ec5f6d09d5c

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She knew that 49f9d8f1de too? I figured Kim Chayoung 17fbf735d2 might have mentioned it, ed43e6bb17 so I let it 670c090f87 slide.e17c1283be1bfc62

“We lost contact after entering college. It’s been almost four years since we last met, and if it weren’t for the contest, we wouldn’t be in touch.”025b8c07d194ce4b

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“Really? That’s odd. I thought you were really close.”95239c357e29b64c

“No, it’s just business. Once it’s over, we won’t see each other again.”f82cfda74fc0dc0a

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“But you’ll be meeting for a while, right? Could you ask if Chayoung oppa is interested in anyone? I’m curious about his type…”d5a852353ca605ac

“I think you should find out yourself.”50f8fb8df763d934

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I cut her off firmly, unable to listen to more. Asking about Kim Chayoung’s dating style made my head throb. Did I have any headache pills left?c7953ab84ac06bd3

“If there’s nothing else, can I go? I have another class.”c7c2a7debd11e510

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It was true I had another class, and I also didn’t want to talk more about Shin Yoona and Kim Chayoung.d0f599010500e09c

I nodded 361139f8f0 slightly in daafc46817 farewell and cdcbf66884 was about e30ed271dd to pass 7307b3e515 her when 074e84886a she stopped ca8fab0980 me.bbdcd0d30e711dc7

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“Wait. Can I ask one more favor? It’s an easy one this time.”8b8ad4b355d37026

ꕥd8ecc0e12684552d

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There are days when cd36d7d4a6 you feel especially tired ac0c838f8f and drained, even when 4701b11e68 following your usual routine. Today was 2ee5d1d445 one of a5e00c6aca those days d64bb184a0 for Lee 48a3bd763a Jinha.21d3a31e8a65f378

Working at the 77215f69f5 pub, he dealt 78fd309633 with troublesome customers c538b4c98e four or five e63b6e5cc8 times a month—at c7742f6d0f least once a 29b25a2ef2 week.3a76b953f525babb

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People who 28428a5680 seemed fine d5ae3b11d5 at first 7c5502d800 would grow 140b34d31c rowdy after f34ab4bcdb drinking, raising 8447e5b35e their voices 9d7823f77f and acting c1eaefd0e4 all high 5a0ad01714 and mighty. The more 8620572e2a people they 5df78997d4 came with, 5440b5e3f4 the louder ce0badd923 they got. Troublesome customers 9eb06e2083 who fought a525b77b0a among themselves eb218e75f9 were actually ca4be52d53 easier to 31db79f88a handle. But if they 3423f4c7b3 started picking fights 2ee5726a5a with other tables, dd690bd433 it became exhausting.e8b408ea66764d93

Getting hit a few 8ded28efb2 times while trying to 00d30a6d0f break up fights was 6f9034279c nothing—it was a relief a58d8368b5 if it ended with 0470905012 just a few punches.e0322a8bbf093a70

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Today, there were three 5449034757 such groups. A man 174756f241 returning from 9db98c80e2 the restroom bf53f9c7a5 bumped into 30bee597c9 a neighboring 21af80f923 table, and bf9b4a5f86 like a 08a91a86a9 spark to 2367e88a90 a fuse, d4b5364dd4 a fight 8285f19c12 broke out. Even those 4b7e28e2cd who had 4634590bca initially tried 0a437ee77c to stop 2b6158bc25 it soon ecccbbb4f7 joined in.b0b10796326bc66c

With curses 993d8a2189 and fists d6dbc60df4 flying, calming ddf8ea042c the situation 8e8f640ae4 turned into e46f5e97c1 a sweaty f908214750 ordeal. Just as one b8b03797a0 fight ended, another 2d3a1a7f47 would break out 2cf119f2f7 elsewhere.c99347b21374befc

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So far, the b39454991e number of people f97041d2a3 who had properly 29e0c08570 apologized could be 81f29551c5 counted on one 31a7d30dd5 hand.a9e9a368ae9dc4ed

“Sigh, I’m exhausted.”42544ccc29ef313e

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As soon 14c3b427dc as he 4336c96b40 got home, c0cce46e4c he collapsed. His basement room 2a982685c2 showed no signs 23ba5065b2 of late spring fddbfa6cd8 warmth. He lay with 343683a4bc one cheek pressed ae505451a4 to the cold 49c1df6d57 floor, not moving ff47008537 for a while. He wanted d79b42d5a0 to just 258badccee lie there 3f6c8aba1e and sleep, d5c5290bf0 but he 0b018fd668 had a 8ed4c3649d mountain of 0f3b873056 things to 6cf9728ba4 do.ff60b189ea537516

He staggered up, took 3c852d446f a shower, and sat c6b63ec259 at his desk to 7051475eb3 check the calendar. May was 353744a86f filled with 57dc53e7d5 things to a1e0c94335 do.79439f8f013afea0

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“Already.”afe2c010d0f0911e

It was almost time to pay the rent. He hadn’t done much, yet time flew by so quickly.fdf9a73b7f458a34

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He thought about buying c2a49b73f6 a scratch-off lottery ticket, 129530e12e but the thought that e7ad52c9ab he could buy a 0342f33b7a triangle kimbap with that 07baddad0a money always stopped him.56ebbec7c31d8f97

Shaking off the futility, he finally checked his phone and saw Kim Chayoung’s name at the top. He couldn’t take his eyes off the three-letter name.fb1cc350a5000fe5

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