LA0S | Chapter 23

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

“Yeah, it’s a bother.”

Lee Jinha, who had awkwardly started to speak, paused as Kim Chayoung cut in. He belatedly registered what Kim Chayoung had said. Huh? He looked at Kim Chayoung with wide eyes.

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“What?”

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

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

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

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

Even if he had to refuse, wasn’t Kim Chayoung the type to do it gently? This was the first time he had seen him openly say something was a bother.

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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.

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

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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.”

“I guess I was being a bit sensitive.”

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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.

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

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“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.”

With a stiff smile, Shin Yoona and her friends left.

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“Hey, what was that?”

“What? I just told the truth.”

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He answered calmly, as if nothing was wrong.

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

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

“That’s because…”

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Caught off guard by the unexpected counter, Lee Jinha was at a loss for words. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no answer came.

“Do you think I’m the same as them?”

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He squeezed out a response.

“Are you saying I’m special?”

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Kim Chayoung stroked his chin. How did he interpret that as being special? I was at a loss for words at his conclusion.

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

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“Be rude to you?”

“Whatever it is.”

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

Lee Jinha twirled his thumb around his temple. Kim Chayoung just smiled instead of answering.

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He was a strange guy.

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

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Giving up on understanding him, Lee Jinha focused on finishing his meal.

Kim Chayoung’s messages didn’t stop that day. He kept calling me out, insisting he would keep his promise—the next day and the day after that.

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At first, I was half reluctant to eat with him and half glad to fill my stomach. But now, since we often just ate and parted ways, I found myself more willing to go along.

Kim Chayoung (Contest Illustration)
Library in 10 minutes (12:03 PM)

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After checking the message, Lee Jinha packed his bag and stood up.

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

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“What nonsense?”

Lee Jinha asked back, looking at Yoon Sejin, who was holding onto his bag strap. Yoon Sejin squinted his eyes and mimicked adjusting non-existent glasses with his middle finger.

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“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.”

“I’m just going to eat.”

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

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

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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.

“Annoying.”

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

Yoon Sejin widened his eyes and pointed at himself.

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“No, not you. The guy I eat with.”

“If he’s annoying, why eat with him?”

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

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

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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.

ꕥ

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“Hello. You remember me, right?”

It was right after a liberal arts class ended. Someone blocked my way. The person who came to see me was so short I had to look down. Once I recognized her face, I nodded lightly.

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“Hello.”

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

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I already knew that before she mentioned it. More than that, I was curious why Shin Yoona had come to see me. How did she know I was taking this class?

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

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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.

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

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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.

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When I nodded silently, Shin Yoona let out a shallow breath. Seeing her clutch her chest, she seemed quite nervous.

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

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As expected, it was a question about Kim Chayoung, but the content was unexpected. Both Yoon Sejin and now Shin Yoona were asking the same question. Though their targets were different.

“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.”

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

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

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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.

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

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

She knew that too? I figured Kim Chayoung might have mentioned it, so I let it slide.

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“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.”

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

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

“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…”

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“I think you should find out yourself.”

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?

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

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

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I nodded slightly in farewell and was about to pass her when she stopped me.

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

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ꕥ

There are days when you feel especially tired and drained, even when following your usual routine. Today was one of those days for Lee Jinha.

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Working at the pub, he dealt with troublesome customers four or five times a month—at least once a week.

People who seemed fine at first would grow rowdy after drinking, raising their voices and acting all high and mighty. The more people they came with, the louder they got. Troublesome customers who fought among themselves were actually easier to handle. But if they started picking fights with other tables, it became exhausting.

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Getting hit a few times while trying to break up fights was nothing—it was a relief if it ended with just a few punches.

Today, there were three such groups. A man returning from the restroom bumped into a neighboring table, and like a spark to a fuse, a fight broke out. Even those who had initially tried to stop it soon joined in.

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With curses and fists flying, calming the situation turned into a sweaty ordeal. Just as one fight ended, another would break out elsewhere.

So far, the number of people who had properly apologized could be counted on one hand.

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“Sigh, I’m exhausted.”

As soon as he got home, he collapsed. His basement room showed no signs of late spring warmth. He lay with one cheek pressed to the cold floor, not moving for a while. He wanted to just lie there and sleep, but he had a mountain of things to do.

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He staggered up, took a shower, and sat at his desk to check the calendar. May was filled with things to do.

“Already.”

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

He thought about buying a scratch-off lottery ticket, but the thought that he could buy a triangle kimbap with that money always stopped him.

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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.