OMLM | Chapter 17

As I entered the house, sure enough, Mom was sitting in the living room.

“I’m home.”

“Kang Yebon!” Mom shot up from her seat and quickly approached me. Her face looked so serious that I found myself startled instead.

She scanned my body from head to toe, and once she confirmed I was unharmed, she exhaled a long sigh of relief.

“I heard you fought with Woochan!”

Did Jung Woochan tell her first? I frowned slightly. He knew exactly how Mom lived with her constant worry for me.

“Why did you two fight? You’ve never fought before. You really just stayed late to study with a friend today, right?”

Mom’s face, overflowing with worry and a tinge of anxiety, made me pause before I could dismiss it as nothing.

Even if I brushed it off as no big deal now, there would surely be more moments where I’d have to face both Mom and Jung Woochan together. Unless Jung Woochan leaves Seoul, it’s inevitable.

Every time that happened, Mom would fret over me like this—suffocatingly, and I’d feel guilty again.

“Expressing anger doesn’t always mean killing the other person, suppressing it, or running away.”

Looking at the hands clutching the hem of my clothes, I gently removed her frail, slightly wrinkled hands and offered a faint smile.

“Yeah, I did fight with Jung Woochan.”

“What? Why? Is my son okay? Didn’t I tell you to tell me immediately if you’re struggling or have any concerns?”

“Mom, I’m fine. A friend stood up for me. And, Mom…”

I’m not like that. So, you don’t need to be so afraid. Mom’s eyelids trembled slightly.

“Good night,” I said calmly before heading to my room. My heart beat slowly.

Finally, finally! The last exam was over.

Even though it was a general education class, the questions were ridiculously hard and numerous. Despite being open-book, I barely spent five minutes looking at the textbook.

When the professor collected the exam papers and left, several students still lingering in the room let out exasperated sighs.

I exhaled a tired breath along with them.

“Did you do well?” Cha Hyuk, who had been seated a bit away due to the exam, approached me.

As I sluggishly packed my bag, I shook my head. A faint laugh escaped me.

“I don’t even remember what I wrote. How about you, hyung?”

“Well, so-so. Time was tight, though.”

“Right? Honestly, even major subjects are less brutal than this.” Mumbling my complaints, I noticed Cha Hyuk smiling faintly as he looked down at me.

Unlike him, my face probably looked like a wreck, with dark circles practically etched under my eyes.

As we descended the stairs, I checked the time. Since the exam only took 40 minutes, it was naturally earlier than usual.

“Hyung, you’re eating with me today too, right? But since it’s early… Did you have breakfast? Should we eat a bit later?”

“You look tired. Wouldn’t it be better to head home early?”

As he reached out to gently touch the dark circles under my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh at his touch. Sure, I was tired, but…

“I still need to eat.”

“Then let’s eat right away. I didn’t have breakfast either.”

What should we eat? I mumbled as I fiddled with the back of my neck.

I pondered over what to eat—something tasty yet not overly common, not too exotic either—when my attention was caught by the vibrant autumn scenery.

The campus had already been painted in shades of amber. Just weeks ago, it was filled with lush greenery, but now, there were a few fallen leaves scattered on the ground.

“It’s autumn.”

I suddenly stopped and stared at one spot, prompting Cha Hyuk to stop too and follow my gaze.

The tall trees, planted at regular intervals, had crimson tips. The wind seemed to blow only at the treetops, causing the leaves to sway gently, making a soft sound only noticeable if you paid close attention.

“Do you like autumn?”

“No, not really.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too red.” Cha Hyuk glanced at me. My pale-colored eyes were still reflecting the crimson hues.

“What about you, hyung?”

“I used to hate it as a kid.”

“Why?”

“Because the leaves would fall soon.”

It was only then that I averted my gaze from the captivating autumn foliage. His dark eyes, void of color, were quietly watching me.

I let out a weak laugh.

“Both of us had odd reasons for disliking it, huh? Why don’t you hate autumn anymore?”

“Now, even when the leaves fall, it feels warm.”

I blinked a few times, puzzled. Don’t leaves fall before it gets cold? Why would it feel warm? Could it be…

“…Because of global warming?”

“…Wow.”

Cha Hyuk, who had been maintaining a calm expression, couldn’t hold back his laughter.

His reaction to my unexpected guess erased the distant memory that had briefly surfaced in his mind.

“Global warming… Seriously…”

“Then what is it? Why does it feel warm even when the leaves fall? Do you use them as kindling? Really, why?”

He didn’t answer but instead kept laughing, his shoulders shaking. I grabbed his jacket and shook it, urging him to respond. I was genuinely curious.

Cha Hyuk wiped the faint tears from his eyes and rested his hand on the top of my head, his gaze softened with humor.

“Well, there’s a lot of firewood, and roasted sweet potatoes taste amazing. Should I make some for you next time?”

His voice, full of laughter, felt oddly comforting.

Sometimes, I felt there was a narrow, deep chasm between me and Cha Hyuk. But in this moment, it felt like I had tentatively stepped across it.

When I didn’t respond, lost in a small but strange emotion, Cha Hyuk tilted his head teasingly.

“Are you sulking again?”

“No, I’m not! I was just thinking about why! Don’t lie and just tell me already, seriously.”

He chuckled and started walking again, while I grabbed his sleeve and trailed behind.

Whining and grumbling, I tried to pull answers from him, but he only teased me more with a mischievous smile.

We walked toward the back gate, where he suddenly stopped, prompting me to stop too.

In front of the statue, a tent had been set up. Large letters on the tent read, “Grab a Lunchbox and Ace Your Exams!”

It was a free lunchbox giveaway for exam season. Judging by the time, it was just about lunchtime, so a good number of students were already gathered.

“Are they giving out free lunchboxes?”

“Yeah. It’s your first time seeing this? They do it every semester—ah.”

That’s right, he didn’t attend much during the first semester. Of course, he wouldn’t know.

Seeing him eye the distribution point, I asked, “Do you want one?”

He made a slightly embarrassed expression, uncharacteristic of him.

“A little.”

His brow furrowed just slightly, as if he was shy about admitting it. What, it’s no big deal. Without a second thought, I grabbed his wrist and tugged him toward the tent.

“Then hurry! These go fast!”

He let himself be pulled along by someone much smaller, his large frame yielding without resistance.

Ignoring the curious glances of passersby, I weaved through the small crowd, pulling him with me until we reached the back of the line.

Thanks to his imposing presence, we managed to secure one of the last remaining lunchboxes.

The small, warm lunchbox felt cozy in my hands.

Cha Hyuk glanced at the adorable illustration and note printed on top of the box.

“To all students of Korea University, you’ve worked hard!”

While he silently read the note, I scanned the area for a place to sit.

Finding a quiet bench, I led him there.

“I haven’t had one of these in a while.”

“I see.”

When I opened the box, it contained a small sandwich, kimbap, and some fruit—a modest and simple meal.

I picked up the sandwich first.

“It’s not very filling, huh? I think it was like this when I was a freshman too.”

Chewing on the sandwich, I stared blankly into the distance.

Cha Hyuk also ate his sandwich quietly, looking in the same direction as me.

The sight of a rugged man and a gentle-looking boy sitting together in silence, munching on sandwiches, naturally drew some stares.

Finishing my sandwich, I hesitated before speaking.

“Hyung, I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“But… I feel like it might be a bit rude to ask, and I’ve been curious for a while…”

I glanced at him hesitantly.

“It’s okay. What is it?”

“Well… Did you come to college for a specific reason? I mean, obviously, learning has no age limit, so maybe you don’t need one, but it’s not exactly common, so…”

What a fuss over nothing. Cha Hyuk smiled faintly, as if to calm me down.

“No extraordinary reason. There was this punk who used to ramble on about how amazing campus life was. Didn’t know squat himself, but he’d go on and on. Got me curious.”

“Wow, I didn’t see that coming. So, you got curious enough to take the college entrance exam? But now I’m even more curious—did you get in on your first try?”

He shook his head.

I wasn’t surprised. Given his age, he probably didn’t remember

the high school curriculum clearly. Passing on the first attempt would’ve been practically genius-level.

“Then… did you retake it once?”

Cha Hyuk stared into space, calculating something. His fingers moved slightly as if keeping count. Why does it feel like he’s counting a lot…?

“Nine times.”

“…What?”

I blinked, unable to process the number. Nine? He retook the college entrance exam nine times?

Even retaking it once is grueling enough, but nine times…?

And for what? Considering his reason for attending college, it didn’t seem like he needed to go to a prestigious university or anything.

Nine times, just to get into this school.

Cha Hyuk could’ve excelled at anything he tried. This was astonishing.

Seeing me at a loss for words, he let out a soft laugh.

“That’s not the entire reason, though. This place has things I never had. I figured if I could be here, even for a little while, I’d be part of… this.”

He leaned back against the bench, his eyes lazily scanning our surroundings. His eyelids cast faint shadows over his dark eyes.

What was it that he lacked so much that he was willing to sit for the exam nine times?

Following his gaze, I looked at the same scene: tired faces of students and those laughing as they walked beneath the crimson trees. Just a normal, everyday sight.

When I looked back at him, Cha Hyuk wasn’t smiling anymore.

“To see if I could live an ordinary life.”

An ordinary life. That phrase echoed in my head as I tried to imagine what his life must’ve been like before.

Was his world so harsh and violent that he craved this kind of normalcy?

What had led him to that kind of life in the first place?

I didn’t know enough about his world to even begin guessing. My lips parted as I considered asking why he chose such a life. But instead, I asked something else.

“So, how do you feel about it now?”

I didn’t want to remind him of his past. He was here with me now, living a life similar to mine. That was enough.

He paused briefly before replying.

“The campus romance everyone talks about… I don’t know if it’s not living up to the hype, or if I’m just not fitting in well enough. It’s fine, but it’s not as great as I expected.”

I nodded, agreeing with his sentiment.

“Yeah, college life isn’t as romantic as people make it out to be. Do you regret coming here?”

“Romance…” he murmured softly, as if testing the word.

His eyelids fluttered slightly, and every time my reflection in his dark eyes disappeared and reappeared, something stirred deep inside me.

Suddenly, his rough fingertips grazed the edge of my ear.

“For me, there is romance here.”

His hand lightly brushed my cheek before pulling away. His dark eyes, locked on me, seemed to say that I, Kang Yebon, was his version of romance.

Would someone who was only supposed to hang around for one semester look at me like that? This intense gaze, full of unspoken emotions, made my heartbeat quicken.

My palms grew clammy as I managed to speak.

“Hyung, do you li—”

“Hey, Kang Yebon!”