OTC Chapter 22

Staring directly at Lee Dohyun’s chilling smile, Haeda let out a scornful laugh. 

“Fabricated, my ass…. Hyung, don’t play the victim for no reason. Eunkyo doesn’t know about that incident, so if you dare breathe a word of it, I’ll destroy you. You know I’m crazy.”

Haeda tapped the table with his index and middle fingers, his fist clenched. 

Dohyun, after taking a sip of coffee, theatrically raised both eyebrows. “Now I’m scared, Haeda. You even know how to threaten me. But what are you going to do? I’m not afraid of anything like that anymore. Why do you think I’m sitting here, Haeda?”

“Are you crazy… Hyung, are you on drugs? You’re always out of your mind, but you seem especially unhinged today.”

“Don’t get so worked up. It’s a hot day. I’m not planning on making a move right now anyway. Our Eunkyo is sensitive, so she’d be shocked to see me. I know. We haven’t contacted each other for three years. But….”

Lee Dohyun opened the cigarette pack on the table, pulled out a cigarette, and tilted his head.

“We never broke up, Haeda.”

“This, fucking…!”

Kim Haeda slammed his hand on the table with a loud voice, drawing sharp stares from those around them. The cafe buzzed with murmurs at the sight of Kim Haeda’s uncharacteristic outburst; most of them were regular customers.

“The coffee’s good. You chose the right business.” Dohyun picked up his car keys and wallet and stood. A light sneer played on his unlit face. “See you around. Take good care of Eunkyo. I’ll be back soon.”

Unable to even scoff, Haeda clenched his fists, turned away, and pushed through the concentrated stares. 

“After you disappeared like that, Eunkyo almost died. I barely managed to save her after her heart was shattered. So…. Don’t you dare stir things up. I might actually kill you.”

Dohyun smiled enigmatically, nodded, and walked out of the cafe. Standing in front of the luxury sports car parked outside, he lit his cigarette and seemed lost in thought.

Lee Dohyun wasn’t someone who needed much explanation. The image projected by his polished appearance was that of a reliable, proper, and attractive man who had achieved success through his own efforts.

It didn’t matter how dark his inner self was, or that in reality, he was a more cruel and arrogant person than anyone else. Even without being draped in millions of won worth of luxury goods, everything he wore looked expensive.

But as they say, birds of a feather flock together. 

Haeda scoffed coldly and cleared the table.

In the end, Lee Dohyun and Haeda were the same. And Lee Jaeheon, too. Not only were they the same, but they were all fixated on the same woman.

In the past, Lee Dohyun had been the victor. For the past few years, Haeda had been. But now….

“So, it’s Lee Jaeheon now, huh?”

At Haeda’s murmur, Seontae, who had been watching cautiously, approached him and took the cups. “Boss, I think I can handle things on my own today. Why don’t you take a break?”

“No, it’s okay, Seontae. I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“He’s the one who ruined the mood. You wouldn’t have acted that way for no reason.”

Touched by Seontae’s perceptiveness and attempt to take his side, Haeda patted his head, took out a cigarette, and went outside.

Lee Dohyun had left, and the basement was quiet.

Since deciding to maintain his friendship with Jung Eunkyo, Haeda hadn’t wavered, no matter what. What mattered to him wasn’t a heart-pounding love, but cherishing the object of his affection and keeping her close, for a long time.

That’s what Kim Haeda called friendship.

Exhaling a plume of smoke, he irritably swept his hair back. Then, a short vibration from his phone in his pocket startled him. His jaw and earlobes tightened as he checked the name of the person who sent the message.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

“It’s hot.” 

Fanning herself, she climbed the hill. In front of the main gate near the Jindalrae Hall, where the Department of Korean Literature was located, a famous line from the poet Kim Sowol was engraved on a huge rock, displaying its majesty.

It had been a while since she’d visited her alma mater, but it was a place so familiar that the layout of the campus was vivid in her mind even with her eyes closed. 

Eunkyo looked around with a curious expression, oblivious to the exertion. As befitted a university with history and tradition, giant old trees cast shadows along every path, and students with backpacks gathered here and there, chatting.

It seemed they were in the midst of festival preparations, as trucks carrying banners and people who looked like student council members bustled about.

Right, this university held its festival later than others in the area. That’s why even more people came, giving it a thumbs-up for being the grand finale of the university festival season.

Yesterday, Eunkyo had sent an apologetic message to the man Kim Haeda had tried to set her up with. He had graciously accepted her apology, saying, “It’s a little disappointing, but I understand. Have a good day.”

She hadn’t started dating Lee Jaeheon.

Even though they had crossed many lines, the walls around her heart hadn’t crumbled.

Lee Jaeheon was young.

He would probably be just a passing summer shower. In this sweltering summer, the monsoon rains, initially welcome, would eventually retreat only after being deemed a nuisance.

That kind of relationship. 

One filled with mere superficial attraction and fleeting interest. A relationship with no future to look forward to. So, she decided to put away the new shoes for a while, until this rain stopped. Because she didn’t want this welcome rain, right now, to ruin the perfectly fitting shoes she’d carefully chosen and cherished.

Eunkyo entered Jindalrae Hall and went straight to Professor Seo Kyungwoo’s office. After passing classrooms, lecture halls, and club rooms, and after turning several corners, she entered an area with unusually clean air.

The atmosphere was distinctly different from the areas where students spent their time, and she started to feel a bit nervous.

‘But, isn’t Lee Jaeheon at school right now too?’ 

Eunkyo thought, looking around for Professor Seo’s nameplate.

Since getting his stitches removed, she had been meeting Lee Jaeheon almost every day. It couldn’t be helped. He was her neighbor, after all. 

Lee Jaeheon would casually come over to shower in the middle of his work, and they would have sex before he left. The fortunate thing was that they never spent the night together.

Sometimes, she felt the urge to call him back as he left, but Eunkyo calmly suppressed the impulse.

‘This feels strange.’

The thought that he was somewhere on this campus, that he might even be sitting in one of the lecture halls she used to frequent, that they were walking the same paths, breathing in the same summer air, and perhaps even admiring the same things, made her happy.

Chuckling to herself, she stopped in front of Professor Seo Kyungwoo’s office and knocked. The door opened as if he’d been waiting.

“It’s been a while, Jung Eunkyo.”

Professor Seo Kyungwoo, with his snow-white hair and elegantly wrinkled face, greeted her as if he’d stepped straight out of a foreign film.

“Hello, Professor.” 

Eunkyo placed the shopping bag she’d brought on the floor and shook the professor’s hand. “It’s nothing much. I brought this for your health since it’s summer. Keep it in the fridge and have some whenever you think of it.”

“You shouldn’t have. Come on in, have a seat. Do you want something cold?”

“Yes. Water is fine, Professor.”

“It’s hot, isn’t it?” 

Seo Kyungwoo opened the refrigerator with a cheerful face and took out a glass bottle of orange juice, offering it to her.

After receiving the drink and sitting on the sofa, Eunkyo tucked her damp hair behind her ear.

Professor Seo, who had been watching her quietly, burst out laughing. 

“You haven’t changed a bit.”

Flustered, she smiled awkwardly and lowered her head. 

“You haven’t changed either, Professor.”

“You seemed like a baby when you used to come to our house…. I saw your work. It was good.”

This was a first. She was a little confused, wondering if Professor Seo, who usually only wielded the stick without the carrot¹, had this side to him.

“I know everyone’s busy these days, so I won’t take up too much of your time. Anyway, summer break is coming up soon, so you can prepare for the lectures during that time. The classroom is being set up on the 4th floor. These days, young people want to hear about practical experiences from mentors working in the field. The class is already full.”

“Already?”

“Actually, the students requested you. A young, competent writer currently working in the field. Someone who’s had at least one bestseller, a real deal, to teach them.”

A heavy sense of burden settled on her shoulders. Professor Seo, who had always been strict, seemed rather lenient for some reason.

Perhaps it was the difference between how he treated his students and how he treated his colleagues.

Staring at Professor Seo as he rattled on about the lecture, Eunkyo smiled faintly and asked, “Your family is all doing well, right?”

The professor chuckled and nodded. For a fleeting moment, someone else’s image flashed across his face. “Of course they are. My son finished his military service, and my wife will be turning sixty soon.”

“Already? Time flies so fast. Back then… he seemed like he was still in high school.”

“Indeed. He might be telling us he’s getting married soon.”

“You must be happy to have raised him so well. You’re admirable, Professor.”

“Don’t say such embarrassing things. Anyway, I’ll tell you to coordinate your lecture schedule when the semester starts, so be prepared. I have high expectations.”

“I’ll… do my best to prepare.”

Her throat was parched with a heavy sense of responsibility, but she didn’t want to back down now and say she couldn’t do it.

She gave the expected answers to his questions about how she’d been doing, and said she was looking forward to it, even though she wasn’t. Lost somewhere between regret and stubbornness, she finally stood up when she finished her drink.

“I should get going now.”

“Alright, let’s have a meal together next time.”

“Yes, Professor. Thank you for giving me this great opportunity.”

“I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

After politely saying goodbye, Eunkyo opened the office door with mixed feelings. In the cool air of the hallway, she saw a man leaning against the window directly across from the professor’s office.

A wave of happiness brightened her expression.

Lee Jaeheon, with a backpack slung over one shoulder, approached her with a dry chuckle. With his cap pulled down so low, his expression was difficult to read, but he seemed somewhat displeased.

“How…?”

“What are you doing here, sunbae?”

As he approached, he tried to reach for her hand. 

Eunkyo subtly avoided it, clutched her handbag strap, and started walking. 

“I just met with the professor. I’m going to be giving a lecture here.”

His eyes followed her hand which was tightly gripping the handbag strap before returning to look straight ahead.

“Is it that lecture everyone’s going crazy trying to sign up for?”

“I don’t know about that, but it didn’t seem like that big of a deal…”

“You’re busy enough with the cafe, do you even have time for lectures?”

Why is he being so confrontational? 

Shrugging, she said, “It’ll work out somehow,” and left Jindalrae Hall. “What about you? Why are you here?”

“I heard you were here. The female owner of Cafe Haeda entered Jindalrae Hall. Word travels fast.”

She figured it was possible, given that she ran a cafe frequented by students. Still, it felt strange to see Lee Jaeheon at the university.

It was both exciting and nerve-wracking, but Lee Jaeheon still wore a disgruntled expression. So Eunkyo continued down the stairs, her steps even more confident and unhurried.

The campus was even more lively than before. It was as if a festival was about to start as there was excitement in the air.

“It must be the festival….” 

Just as Jaeheon’s hand reached out towards her shoulder after she muttered this to herself…

“Oh? Jaeheon oppa!”