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.