OMLM | Chapter 18

Cha Hyuk and Yebon both turned their heads at the same time. Standing in front of them was none other than Lee Seunggu, holding a lunchbox and staring blankly.

Rather than looking at Yebon, he kept sneaking glances at Cha Hyuk, who sat next to him.

Cha Hyuk gave Seunggu a once-over with a neutral expression and then casually pointed at him with his finger.

“Friend?”

“Oh, hello! I’m Yebon’s friend, Lee Seunggu!” Before Yebon could answer, Seunggu bowed so low his head nearly touched the ground.

What is he, some underling greeting a boss? Yebon awkwardly nodded, feeling secondhand embarrassment. He thought to himself that this moment was bound to happen sooner or later. Considering he’d been hanging out with Cha Hyuk every Wednesday, it was surprising it hadn’t happened already.

“I’m Cha Hyuk. Nice to meet you.”

“A-Ah, likewise! Nice to meet you!”

When Cha Hyuk extended his hand, Seunggu nervously wiped his palm on his shirt before grabbing it with both hands and bowing deeply again.

Watching this scene, Cha Hyuk squinted in amusement and looked at Yebon with a faint smile, as if to ask, What’s with this guy? Yebon could only shake his head in a mix of resignation and disbelief.

“There’s no need to be this tense,” Cha Hyuk said, chuckling, as he patted Seunggu on his hunched back.

Seunggu, now wide-eyed, looked like he was meeting a deity. He nodded fervently, his face lighting up.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you for so long, Hyung! I was so jealous of Yebon for taking the same class as you. I wanted to join, but I couldn’t, and it was such a shame!”

“Is that so?”

Seunggu still hadn’t let go of Cha Hyuk’s hand, holding it tightly with both of his own, as though about to drop to his knees.

Wasn’t he the one who called Cha Hyuk scary before? Yebon rolled his eyes and glared at their joined hands in exasperation.

Meanwhile, Cha Hyuk didn’t seem to mind being held hostage like this. He kept his faint smile, completely unbothered.

“People say you’re unexpectedly polite when spoken to. Some even mentioned you greet them sometimes.”

More than polite, he’s overly accommodating, thought Yebon bitterly. And this was coming from someone who spoke to him informally from day one—though that situation had been far from normal.

Yebon couldn’t pinpoint why, but watching Seunggu act like this—and seeing Cha Hyuk go along with it—made him feel irritated.

“Hyung, can I say hi if we meet again?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Only then did Seunggu finally let go of Cha Hyuk’s hand, beaming. After thanking him several times, he took a step back as if he was finally about to leave.

“Well then, enjoy your lunch!”

…What is this? Am I some underling too? Yebon frowned slightly at Seunggu’s overly dramatic farewell, only to accidentally meet his gaze.

Seunggu’s eyes sparkled as he tilted his head, his expression screaming, Didn’t you say you weren’t close? Why’d you lie? Feeling cornered, Yebon quickly turned his head away.

Thankfully, Seunggu didn’t linger and walked off. However, Yebon could already foresee his phone blowing up with messages later.

“Your friend is lively,” Cha Hyuk remarked, his gaze following Seunggu’s retreating figure. “But what were you about to say?”

Yebon hesitated, then avoided his eyes. Maybe for Cha Hyuk, romance wasn’t just about Yebon himself but everything here—Yebon, Seunggu wanting to talk to him, even the modest little lunchbox.

“…Nothing important.”

Fortunately, Cha Hyuk didn’t press the matter.

“Hah, today I ran into Cha Hyuk hyung while rushing to class. And get this—he smiled and waved at me! What the hell, Kang Yebon, you lied about not being close!”

After class ended, Seunggu clung to Yebon’s shoulder, whining.

Yebon wore an ambiguous expression—not exactly amused, but not irritated either—and silently kept walking.

Curious, Kim Junghyun, who was walking next to them, asked, “Cha Hyuk hyung? Who’s that?”

“Oh, you know! Last semester, Do Minhyeon said there was a scary-looking guy who joined his department. That guy.”

“…You mean the gangster?”

“Well, we don’t actually know if he’s a gangster.”

Junghyun frowned, his face scrunching up as he nodded slowly. Then, he grabbed Yebon’s shoulder. The height difference between them made the gesture look ridiculous.

“How’d you get close to someone like that? Did you get caught up in something? Don’t tell me you borrowed money from a loan shark?”

Yebon glanced at Junghyun’s hand on his shoulder and sighed faintly, exasperation leaking into his expression.

“No, nothing like that. We just take the same class and got to know each other.”

He swatted Junghyun’s hand away, then nudged Seunggu aside as well.

It wasn’t surprising they were asking, but the whole situation annoyed him. Was it because Seunggu had managed to get close to Cha Hyuk, or was it because Junghyun was now pestering him too? Maybe it was both.

“Hey, introduce me too. Why’d you only introduce Seunggu? Let me have a strong hyung in my corner too!”

Forcing himself to remain composed, Yebon glanced at Junghyun with a forced smile. “Seunggu didn’t meet him through me. It was just coincidence. Sorry.”

“Then just introduce me properly. I’m curious about this gangster too.”

Yebon couldn’t stop his face from twisting in frustration. Cha Hyuk wasn’t some spectacle for them to gawk at.

Junghyun had always been tactless, but today, keeping calm felt almost impossible.

When Yebon’s irritation became visible, Junghyun’s face hardened.

“Why the hell are you making that face? What, did I say something wrong? All I asked was for an introduction. What’s with the attitude? Oh, now that you’re friends with a gangster, you think you’re above us?”

“Hey, come on,” Seunggu cut in, stepping between them and patting Junghyun’s back in an attempt to diffuse the tension.

Yebon wanted nothing more than to kick Junghyun in the shins, but knowing they’d still have to see each other regularly, he decided to hold back.

Logically, he knew staying calm was the right choice. Emotionally, he wanted to punch Junghyun.

Glancing at Seunggu, who looked unsure of what to do, Yebon took a deep breath and forced a calm expression.

“I’ve been a little sensitive lately. Sorry, Junghyun.”

“See? Yebon apologized,” Seunggu said quickly. “And Junghyun, if you want to get close to him, just talk to him yourself like I did.”

Junghyun glared at Seunggu, who shot back a playful, “What, man?”

Junghyun grumbled under his breath, clicked his tongue, and stomped off ahead of them. He had to make it clear he was upset.

Watching Junghyun’s retreating figure, Yebon’s eyes turned cold.

“Sorry, man. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“It’s not your fault,” Yebon replied, softening his expression. Seunggu seemed relieved, though a thought suddenly struck him. He swung his bag around to the front.

“Oh, right! Woochan hyung asked me to give you this.”

Hearing Jung Woochan’s name made Yebon’s brow furrow. What now?

Seunggu pulled out a fancy envelope from his bag and handed it to Yebon. The gaudy design almost seemed to radiate a sinister aura.

“Hyung said you wouldn’t answer his calls and asked me to give it to you. He kept saying how sorry he was and asked me to tell you.”

“What is this?”

“A wedding invitation. It’s this Saturday. It’s at a church. He said if you can come, to come with me.”

The invitation trembled in Yebon’s hand before he crushed it in his grip.

“…A church?” he muttered, ripping the envelope open roughly. The stiff, gold-trimmed card gleamed in the sunlight.

After checking the venue, Yebon felt a small sense of relief. It wasn’t his church; it was a larger one further away.

If it had been my church, the gossip would’ve already spread like wildfire.

Still, the fact that Woochan had maneuvered things to ensure this message got to him made Yebon feel both irritated and defeated.

“Unbelievable.”

“What happened between you two? I’ve never seen you this angry before.”

“…It’s nothing,” Yebon muttered, forcing a weak smile. “I can’t go, though. Sorry.”

Seunggu hesitated but didn’t press further. “Alright. Just… don’t keep it all bottled up, okay? You can talk to me.”

At that moment, Junghyun shouted from up ahead.

“Hey! What are you guys doing back there? It’s freezing! Hurry up!”

Yebon frowned, grateful

Junghyun was far enough away not to notice.

“Ugh, that loudmouth. Let’s just go before he starts complaining again,” Seunggu muttered.

“Sorry, but I think I’ll just head home today,” Yebon said, stopping in his tracks.

“Huh?” Seunggu turned back, confused.

Normally, Yebon would have gone with them, but having Junghyun around today was too much. Junghyun’s constant nitpicking was grating, and Yebon had already hit his limit.

“If I go, I’m pretty sure Junghyun and I will actually fight. Sorry. Can you cover for me with him?”

Seunggu immediately understood, nodding. “Don’t worry, I’ll smooth it over.”

With that, Seunggu jogged off to catch up with Junghyun. Yebon watched them for a moment before turning in the opposite direction. The wedding invitation was still clutched in his hand.

“Damn that bastard. Why can’t he just leave things alone?”

He shredded the invitation and tossed it into a nearby trash can. Some of the pieces were caught by the wind and scattered before he could grab them.

“Great. Even this is annoying.”

Frustrated, he stared at the fluttering scraps of paper. The day was already ruined, and now even the weather seemed to mock him.

Kicking at a random pebble, he pulled out his phone. Without thinking, his fingers hovered over Cha Hyuk’s number. But then he hesitated.

No. This isn’t right. Calling him now would just be selfish.

Sighing, he shoved the phone back into his pocket and tightened his jacket around himself against the cold wind.

As he walked aimlessly past the front of the business department building, a familiar voice called out.

“Kang Yebon!”

Startled, Yebon spun around to see Cha Hyuk striding toward him, his pace quick and purposeful.