Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Cha Yeowoon grumbled as Tae Myeongha playfully ruffled his hair. Despite having his hair ruffled and his head pushed down, he only resisted verbally. He didn’t mind it.

“You’re keen, Cha Yeowoon.”

“What…I’ll treat them well when I have someone I like.”

“I think so.”

“I’ll treat them really well.”

“Yeah. Make sure you do.”

Anyhow, it seemed Tae Myeongha wasn’t taking this seriously.

The nonchalant face was annoying.

And the inviting lips. The plump lower lip that formed a pretty curve, and the tongue, whether out of habit or not, that would stick out to moisten his lips.

Cha Yeowoon wondered what it would feel like to kiss Tae Myeongha. He was tempted to go ask Tak Junho.

“But what if the person you like doesn’t like you back?”

Cha Yeowoon’s lips moved on their own. He thought to himself while hearing what he had just said. Yeah, what then?

“If possible, don’t like people like that.”

Tae Myeongha’s response was more serious than Cha Yeowoon expected.

His face had the color of sadness that he knew well.

Did Tae Myeongha know?

That he seemed very lonely sometimes.

Regardless of the solid flesh or distinct features, at times like that, he seemed like someone who would soon disappear.

Fragile and beautiful.

“But it’s not always up to me.”

“That’s true.”

Tae Myeongha smiled with a hint of irony. Cha Yeowoon quickly averted his gaze and returned to his workbook.

As the heat rushed to his face, moisture formed in his eyes. The letters in the workbook kept blurring, prompting him to rub his eyes.

He couldn’t concentrate at all. Even as he tried to listen to the problems Tae Myeongha was explaining, his gaze kept drifting back to his lips.

“You ran well today, so let’s take a day off from studying?”

In front of Cha Yeowoon, who had barely reached half of his goal, Tae Myeongha remarked that there were days like this. Cha Yeowoon couldn’t concentrate even as Tae Myeongha went home.

He had thought he would scold him, but he was surprisingly kind. His senior was really strange.

After exchanging goodbyes, he returned home feeling exhausted. When he sat down again and opened his workbook, the content seemed somewhat clearer than before.

He stood up after scribbling the reaction formula next to the description of ammonia synthesis. Different thoughts had come to him with each line.

For example, Tae Myeongha’s ideal type.

“Cute, diligent, what else?”

Cute. Let’s move on.

Diligent. It seemed like he had that to some extent. As a student athlete, it was difficult to be lazy.

Kind. Difficult. Still, it was an area that could be worked on with effort.

His smile.

He found a hand mirror in his drawer. It was a plastic hand mirror with a broken corner that had belonged to his grandmother.

Covering the broken part with his palm, he lifted the corners of his lips. The muscles around his mouth, straining as he forced a smile, trembled slightly.

What was he doing? He put the mirror down again and stored it. He sighed deeply.

“Ah.”

His fingertip stung, and when he looked, there was a small drop of blood on his index finger.

Instinctively, he put his bleeding finger in his mouth and pressed the wound with his tongue. It stung. He closed his eyes tightly.

It hurt.

* * *

“You got hit?”

“I got hit once. Just once.”

Bang!

Before I could finish my sentence, a white, frail hand slapped the table. The Americano in the cup rippled and the ice clinked.

“Where?! That bastard. We should sue the shit out of them.”

Ahn Sia glared at me. I wondered which part of her was like her big brother. One thing was for certain, their personalities weren’t alike at all.

“It’s just a light graze. Don’t worry, I got my payback.”

The culprit had paid me back with their lips.

“Why are people picking a fight with someone who’s minding their own business? Are they a thug? A gangster? Seriously, what’s wrong with people?”

Ahn Sia didn’t stop there and threw some fierce curses. Despite all the commotion, the cafe staff didn’t come in.

It turned out that the cafe was run by a friend of hers. As a result, we were able to secure a separate, partitioned seating area away from the other customers.

“Big brother, is there something you want?”

Ahn Sia, who had been fiddling with her straw and had just calmed down, asked casually.

“Out of the blue. Why?”

“I’m really thankful. I want to buy you something.”

Was I a mercenary? Receiving money and valuables for siding with Ahn Gyeonghun? Rather, it was Ahn Gyeonghun who had sided with me.

“You’re so close to your big brother. It’s okay. It’s weird to receive something for this.”

From what I had observed and judging by their reactions, it seemed like there had been various conflicts involving Ahn Gyeonghun. I could understand why they were being so unusual toward me. It seemed they were worried and wanted to protect me. People naturally become sharper as they experience hardships.

“Then shall I buy you a meal? Something expensive. Beef?”

“That’s fine, or do you happen to know of any other part-time jobs?”

Although I didn’t have night study, I still had to attend school, and with the part-time studio work on weekends, I was worried about my options. Ahn Sia sat down anxiously next to me after hearing my request.

“Do you need money for something?”

“I don’t have any specific plans, but money is always needed.”

I desperately wanted the savings accounts I had saved up when I was 29. Nothing was more reassuring than a steady paycheck.

“I’m worried about my grandmother too.”

Well, my grandmother was my grandmother, and Cha Yeowoon’s college life would also be a concern. Although there was a possibility that he would be attending college on a full scholarship, once he started commuting, it would cost as much as going to high school. There was also the uncertainty about whether he would continue with track and field.

It might be something I could ignore, considering it would happen after I was gone, but I couldn’t help but be concerned.

Ahn Sia, who had been lost in thought, suddenly pointed at me.

“Big brother, how about doing some modeling?”

“Me? Do you think I can?”

“Well, we often use photos where the faces aren’t visible anyway. You’re tall and have a nice body shape. We don’t stock men’s clothing right now, but we might start another site soon. Or I can introduce you to some business owners. They’re looking for models.”

“Okay. But modeling is usually for people like you.”

“No, big brother, you’re actually quite suitable. It’s less physically demanding than moving equipment, and the pay is much better.”

“…How much?”

“It varies depending on the employer, but at least double what big brother is currently making.”

“Even for a minor with no experience?”

“I can cover for the minor part. They don’t expect much experience from online shopping mall models.”

Was that so? Just thinking about standing in front of a camera and posing felt awkward, but double the pay was quite tempting.

“By the way, did you do well on your midterm?”

“We started today.”

“Why are you here, then?”

Since midterm ended for our school today, the school schedule was naturally shorter. That was why I had arranged for us to meet without worries. Ahn Sia had said she understood, so I had thought her midterm date was also the same.

“I don’t usually study for exams.”

“Are you bragging?”

“If you consistently review and prepare regularly, you won’t need to study separately for exams, you know?”

“Those are confident words. Are your grades as good as you say?”

“That’s a secret.”

Ahn Sia wrinkled her nose playfully. Well, she was already a professional model featured in famous brand advertisements and running her own business, so was there a need to talk about grades?

“And big brother. My big brother said big brother was good at studying.”

“Not really. I’m just average. Why isn’t Yeowoon here yet?”

I didn’t want to stir up trouble in my sensitive 3rd year of high school, so I had aimed for a reasonable score on the midterm. It wasn’t like I was seriously pursuing college based on my grades. I didn’t even know if I would have to take the college entrance exam.

“Is he lost? Try calling him.”

“I was just about to. Oh, by the way, there’s something I need to warn you about before you meet him.”

“What is it? Do I need to wear sunglasses to avoid being blinded by his good looks?”

“Is that so?”

“Yeowoon is famous for his looks, isn’t he? He even went viral on the internet once because of that. Or is it something else?”

“Well, he’s good-looking, but he can be a bit rude at first. But once you get to know him, he’s cute.”

I introduced Cha Yeowoon honestly. He was less rude these days, but I thought that was just toward me. I couldn’t sell a defective product to a child that was a fan.

[ Entering Love Supremacy Zone. ]

Speak of the devil and here he was.

“Am I cute?”

Cha Yeowoon, a very handsome man who was a bit rude but cute once you get to know him, sat down next to me.

“I’m late because of grading.”

Cha Yeowoon had appeared wearing a white t-shirt instead of a school uniform, and yet he looked exceptionally handsome without any particular effort. Was it because of the tired look from taking the exams? Or perhaps it was because his hair had grown a bit messy recently? The white t-shirt seemed to act like a spotlight.

“Heung.”

Ahn Sia made a strange noise and covered her mouth.

“So handsome.”

Cha Yeowoon’s bright eyes seemed to sparkle even more up close.

“Please don’t say such things in front of people. Just think it in your head.”

“Did you hear that? I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean ‘did we hear that’? Cha Yeowoon, this is Ahn Sia. Gyeonghun’s little sister. She’s your fan I had mentioned.”

“Hello. Athlete Cha Yeowoon. I’ve been a fan for a long time.”

Ahn Sia shyly extended her hand. When offered a handshake, it was natural to receive it graciously, but Cha Yeowoon wasn’t a gracious guy.

“Hello.”

Cha Yeowoon said dryly as he sat down. Ahn Sia wiggled her hand in the air, making me feel awkward.

I couldn’t help but hold her hand. As we humorously shook hands, Cha Yeowoon frowned, wondering what we were doing.

“Say hello. She’s your fan, so don’t be rude.”

Cha Yeowoon pushed away my hand that had been holding Ahn Sia. Then, he held her hand firmly and shook it slowly.

“Yes. Is this okay?”

What was with the rude attitude?

Why was he acting this way? Did he fail the exam? I had been very certain that he had become less rude, but maybe I had judged too soon.

“I heard you were close to big brother Myeongha, so I asked to meet you.”

“Yes.”

“We went to the same competition in middle school.”

“I went to many competitions back then.”

“You were the fastest there. I’ve been a fan since then.”

“Yes. I was fast.”

Ahn Sia, with a polite smile, rolled her eyes towards me. It was a rescue signal.

“You’re the same age, can’t you two talk casually? Get along. Sia is in a running club too.”

“I run marathons as a hobby. I’m planning to learn how to ride a bike to compete in a triathlon.”

“…”

“A triathlon? That’s no joke. Do you swim as well?”

“Big brother, if I go into the sea, I’ll become a mermaid. I’m like Aquaman.”

“Wow. I want to visit the sea. You work out a lot. Do you happen to surf?”

“Actually, I’m going to take surfing lessons this summer with my friends…”

“Are you two close?”