Love for Love's Sake - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
I only said anything because I was worried that Cha Yeowoon might ask me to meet him tomorrow without Ahn Gyeonghun. It wasn’t like I was scolding him, but I didn’t realize he was so obsessed with the kiss.
As I carried the trash bag down the outdoor stairs, a makeshift garbage sorting bin installed between the buildings could be seen.
Paper, Plastic, General. Cha Yeowoon, who was standing next to me as I sorted the trash one by one, suddenly asked.
“Do you like Tak Junho?”
Thud.
The trash bag slipped from my loose grip and hit the metal trash can.
Cha Yeowoon had an unpredictable side to him. What on earth did he think of my tastes?
“Why would I like him? He’s older than you too, yet you keep calling him by his name.”
“You’re talking like an old man again. I always call senior ‘senior.'”
“What do you mean you always call me senior? You green sprout.”
“Senior, do you kiss people you don’t even like?”
The question was amusing, but his intense expression and tone kept me from laughing. I didn’t think one wrong kiss could lead to such troubles.
“Yesterday was just an accident. Tak Junho or whatever, my priority now is your midterm results.”
Of course. I needed him to move to 10th.
It was unclear whether the mission meant the entire school or just his class, but I hoped it was the entire school. Despite me having worked part-time as an instructor, I didn’t know how much I could help him improve in just two weeks, considering he also had to spend his time training.
“You care about my grades now?”
“I want to tell you that grades don’t matter and that you only need to grow up healthy, but grades are still necessary for college admission. The ultimate goal is a scholarship.”
“You’re saying I should give up being admitted into college on an athletic scholarship?”
Geez. Considering Cha Yeowoon’s recent struggles in his track performance, I thought he would have been sensitive.
However, he didn’t seem particularly upset. He showed more indifference compared to when he was prying into the kiss.
“No. Why would I give up when you haven’t?”
“Then why are you making such a fuss and making me study?”
“I told you. When you want to quit running, call me. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“I haven’t called senior to say I’m quitting.”
“You have to be prepared. You never know when things will change. We need to have safety nets in place so even if things go south, you won’t fall terribly.”
Cha Yeowoon might be stubborn about pursuing track and field until he fell, but he had said he wanted to quit at one point. So this was even more important. I watched as he tilted his head slightly.
“So, did you study hard too, senior?”
“Yes.”
I wish I had realized earlier. Even just by the age 18 would have been perfect.
“We’ll study on weekends too?”
In that case, I’ll have to schedule around my studio part-time job ahead of time. For now, it was a day job, but with the promise that I could come out every weekend.
“I’ll also start working part-time this weekend.”
“What kind of job is it?”
I asked hastily, without thinking.
It would be a big problem if it was a physically demanding job and Cha Yeowoon injured himself. He smiled as if he had noticed my thought.
“Senior makes me study, but he’s also worried about my part-time job.”
“Is it obvious?”
“It’s at the church.”
“You go to church?”
I couldn’t imagine Cha Yeowoon quietly praying with his hands folded in church. Wasn’t he an atheist?
“My grandmother used to go there.”
Cha Yeowoon answered calmly.
“If you’re having financial difficulties at home, the church provides a living allowance or scholarships. My part-time job will be to help out at the church. In return I’ll receive support for living expenses.”
Well, in that case, I didn’t need to worry. The church wouldn’t make him work to the point of getting injured.
“Senior, you didn’t know my grandmother.”
Before I could fully relax, Cha Yeowoon ambushed me. I stopped stiffly as soon as we climbed to the rooftop.
“Uh? Huh? What? W-Well…”
What was with the stammering? If I was going to play it off, do it until the end. I even felt like banging my head against something.
“My grandmother used to tell everyone close to her to go to church no matter what.”
“…Sorry.”
I broke out in a cold sweat. The breeze that was blowing wasn’t refreshing at all. Was forfeiting favorability inevitable?
Unlike me, who was standing at attention, Cha Yeowoon was indifferent.
“It’s fine. Anyway, I didn’t believe everything senior said from the beginning when you said you were worried about me because of my grandmother.”
“…Really?”
“Is it logical for someone to come take care of a person’s grandson just because of the grandmother they had encountered at the market?”
Cha Yeowoon said nonchalantly as he leaned on the rooftop ledge.
“I was curious if my grandmother had saved your life or helped you with a debt. But it’s funny that you would do all this for me just because of that.”
“…”
“I’m just curious why senior is doing this much for me.”
“That’s…”
“I know. Senior keeps saying that things could happen without any particular reason.”
Cha Yeowoon continued without taking a breath.
“Still, I can’t help but worry. Why are you doing this?”
“Because you remind me of myself.”
An answer slipped out abruptly. As was often the case, answers that jump out before you could think were often very embarrassingly true.
Cha Yeowoon smiled bitterly.
“We’re not alike, senior.”
“This child, are you trying to hurt my feelings?”
His clean denial made me leak an awkward laughter. It was rude, but it was embarrassing for me to put myself in the shoes of a character from a romance novel.