BHB 38

“You scared me, fuck.”

“It’s an instinctive defensive posture.”

“Bullshit. You’re the worst at fighting.”

“Ah shit! Stop saying that!”

As Yeowon was chuckling mockingly, Taegang’s phone vibrated. Taegang, who had been quietly watching Han Yeowon resting his chin and smiling innocently, rummaged through his uniform pants pocket at the persistent vibration.

“What’s this? Who is it today?”

Jin Youngchae, sitting across, asked teasingly. Han Yeowon also glanced at the phone as if stealing a look. The screen showed an unsaved number.

“Who is it, who is it?”

Usually, people contacting Taegang were either older guys trying to persuade him to drink or romantic interests. Since dating Lim Chaeyeon as his first girlfriend at fifteen, Taegang hadn’t had any significant relationships, but he was always surrounded by potential romantic interests. He wasn’t particularly girl-crazy, but people around him wouldn’t leave him alone. With Lim Chaeyeon too, there were briefly such rumors, but they were quickly followed by widespread rumors of their breakup.

“Could it be that college noona we drank with last time?”

They were all guys who got excited at the mention of women. As Kim Myungjoo asked with sparkling eyes, Taegang casually flipped his phone over.

“Don’t know.”

“It must be. That noona was touching you a lot last time.”

“Did you get her number?”

As Jin Youngchae and Kim Myungjoo asked alternately, Taegang instead asked Han Yeowon sitting next to him.

“Curious?”

Others answered the question, not Han Yeowon.

“Fuck, of course.”

“Introduce me to that noona’s friends. I’ll lie about my age.”

As Jin Youngchae and Kim Myungjoo alternately responded, Han Yeowon pondered for a moment before opening his mouth.

“But I think I prefer same-age over older women.”

At those words, Taegang silently sneered as if he hadn’t expected much anyway. Han Yeowon didn’t care much about who Taegang met or contacted. A self-deprecating smile, as if he had known this would happen, was drowned out by Kim Myungjoo’s excited voice.

“Anyway― You innocent bastard. Hey, you can’t meet noonas like that except at this age. Dating someone in their 20s when you’re a teenager is fucking different from dating someone in their 30s when you’re in your 20s, you know?”

Kim Myungjoo was a lifelong single with only theoretical knowledge. He might talk big here, but in front of women, he’d stutter like a broken doll, looking pathetic to anyone watching. Yeowon threw a deflated laugh at Kim Myungjoo, who was talking so passionately his neck veins were bulging.

“This kid’s all talk.”

“Hey, fuck! I told you not to say that!”

Kim Myungjoo, his face turning red, jumped up angrily and put Yeowon in a headlock. Although Yeowon could easily overpower him, he just laughed and played along. It was an ordinary day in the life of typical seventeen-year-olds. But Taegang was still going through the puberty that had started when he was fifteen. Whenever he looked at Han Yeowon, he was secretly staggering with fluctuating emotions. Those feelings weren’t subsiding, they were only intensifying.

**

The next day, as soon as he arrived at school, Taegang spotted Han Yeowon surrounded by kids, excitedly showing off his newly bought game console. Now, wherever he went, his gaze was drawn to Han Yeowon. Naturally, like a dog seeking its owner.

As Taegang appeared, the group watching briefly greeted him, and Taegang just nodded lightly, glancing at Han Yeowon who didn’t even notice his arrival. Taegang sat lazily in the hard chair, pretending to be distracted while quietly observing Han Yeowon. Whether in sports or games, Han Yeowon was skilled at everything, always winning in various competitions and achieving the highest scores in games. Though he lacked persistence, his competitive spirit was strong, so once he got into something, he couldn’t snap out of it.

“Hey, Tae. What are you doing after school today?”

Kim Myungjoo, sitting in front, tapped Taegang’s arm and asked, causing Taegang’s gaze to shift.

“Why?”

“Those noonas we hung out with want to meet again.”

“Who?”

Taegang frowned and asked back.

“Ah―, don’t you remember the noonas we met last week? We hung out at the karaoke, remember? They said they’d hang out again if you come. Let’s go, let’s go. Huh?”

Kim Myungjoo, his hands adorned with silver bracelets, grabbed Taegang’s arm and pleaded childishly. Whenever there was such a gathering, some of the guys who were crazy about women would always drag along Taegang or Han Yeowon. Everyone in the group acknowledged that those two had looks that appealed well to women.

“No.”

Taegang was originally going to refuse, but the answer came from elsewhere. Kim Myungjoo turned his head, looking quizzically at the source of the sound. His gaze fell on Han Yeowon, who was still engrossed in his game.

“I was asking Tae, wasn’t I?”

Having easily broken the record, Yeowon finally put down the game console as if throwing it and retorted.

“He’s busy today. Right?”

As Yeowon nodded towards Taegang and asked, one of Taegang’s eyebrows twitched. When his indifferent eyes trembled for a moment, Yeowon chuckled.

“You guys know. His family is fucking scary.”

“I know. I don’t even go near his house.”

Jin Youngchae, the next player in the game, answered.

“Every year, they hold a party at that house, you know? Like those home parties you see in movies. With catering services and all the fuss.”

“What? No way.”

“It’s true. Last time, they even had an orchestra.”

“Wow, that’s insane.”

“Is that today? The day your family makes a big fuss?”

Yeowon asked lightly, patting Taegang’s shoulder. Taegang quietly looked at Yeowon, who surprisingly remembered, and nodded briefly.

“That’s right.”

It was accurate. Once a year, they would gather their closest associates and relatives for a get-together under the guise of networking. As Yeowon said, extravagantly indulging in every luxury.

While they might overlook other things, the adults wouldn’t tolerate missing such an occasion. Even his mother, who usually didn’t say a word, had caught him in the morning and earnestly asked him to return home on time. Even though they considered him a child they had given up on, they were pathologically obsessed with others’ views and public opinion, so Taegang would swallow his pride and attend such events.

He could ignore other trivial gatherings, but he couldn’t miss this annual regular meeting. It was an occasion to show off their position and that their family was intact and sound, so it was unthinkable for the second son, still only a high school student, to be absent. Moreover, because Taegang’s behavior had become quite an issue among people around them, it was even more important to show that he was doing well.

“So today, you can’t mess with Taegang.”

“Wow, that’s awesome. Can’t I go too?”

“I’ll just eat the buffet and leave.”

“Do they have things like chocolate fountains too?”

The kids who had no information about the event clung annoyingly to the parts that interested them. Meanwhile, Kim Myungjoo, seemingly disappointed to death, let out a deep sigh without hesitation.

“Ah, those noonas said they were gathering because of Taegang.”

“It’s not like today’s the only day. Just change the date.”

Yeowon lightly advised, seemingly feeling sorry for the visibly disappointed Kim Myungjoo.

“They said they’re going on a trip soon.”

“Then meet them after they come back.”

“They said it’s a Europe trip. They’ll be gone for a few months.”

“Then meet other noonas.”

“Ah shit. If I had looks like you or Taegang… Ah.”

Kim Myungjoo, who had paused mid-sentence, smiled with a sudden realization.

“Hey, Yeowon. Let’s go.”

“What?”

“You come instead. No, someone like you could totally substitute for Taegang.”

“Ah―, I find older women difficult.”

“Their noona friend owns the place, so we can get free drinks too.”

“You’re going to hit on women and you want to freeload?”

“Where would a high school student get money?”

“Ah, I don’t want to. It’s troublesome. I don’t even feel like meeting women right now.”

“Hey, who said you have to meet anyone? I’m the one trying to meet someone. I really want to hit on this noona, you know?? Can’t you do this much for a friend?”

“You only talk about friendship at times like this.”

“Please! Really, please. Huh? Huh? Otherwise, I might have to kidnap Taegang and take him there.”

Kim Myungjoo clung to Yeowon like a child and pleaded. Yeowon glanced at Taegang once and reluctantly nodded. Seeing Yeowon give in, Taegang briefly smiled and erased it, as if he had expected it.

“Okay, now let go of my arm. It hurts, you bastard.”

“Yes! Thank you. Han Yeowon, I’ll be your snack bar shuttle for a week.”

“Know that I’m doing this because of Taegang.”

At the sigh-mixed reply, Jin Youngchae, who had been cursing under his breath for not being able to break Yeowon’s record, suddenly asked.

“Is it such an important event? Doesn’t Taegang usually not care about such things?”

It was a question anyone close to Taegang might ask. Because they had never seen him care about others’ views or his parents’ opinions before.

“Of course it is.”

But this answer too came from Yeowon’s lips, not Taegang’s.

“All the celebrities come, so of course it’s important. Do you know how high-class his parents are? We shouldn’t interfere on a day like today, even if we might on other days.”

Having known him for a long time, Yeowon understood well how important today’s event was. Fearing that Taegang might not show up, his parents had once hired people to bring Taegang back when he tried to go elsewhere. They were professionals that even Yeowon or Taegang, known for their fighting skills, couldn’t handle. Since then, Yeowon would take care of it on that day. He would preemptively act, worried that Taegang might decide not to go again.

“I don’t have to go.”

Taegang quietly replied to Yeowon. At the casual response, Yeowon frowned. His face was filled with irritation, as if he had been worried about exactly that.