BHB 20

Yeowon hurriedly pulled out his phone from his coat pocket and urged,

“I need to get your number before you run away again.”

“What good will knowing my number do?”

“So I can treat you to a meal.”

“Is it right for a junior to treat their senior?”

“Then you can pay.”

When Yeowon forcefully handed him the phone, Baek Seungha reluctantly took it and entered his number. Yeowon pressed the call button and made sure Baek Seungha’s phone rang.

“Don’t disappear again.”

“…Come on. I won’t do that anymore.”

“Let’s meet properly next time, hyung.”

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

“I really missed you, hyung.”

“…”

“I had a lot of resentment, but seeing you again, I’m so happy I forgot it all.”

Yeowon playfully hit Baek Seungha’s arm with a grin. Baek Seungha’s face briefly froze as if lost in thought, but he made an effort to smile. Then he changed the subject:

“Why are you drinking in broad daylight?”

Baek Seungha glanced at the open beer cans on the table and asked casually, causing Yeowon’s face to stiffen slightly. It wasn’t easy to control his expression as he was reminded of what he had momentarily forgotten.

“Ah… It’s nothing. Just had some frustrating stuff happen.”

“Drinking during the day will only make you feel worse.”

“Is that so?”

“What, did you fight with your girlfriend?”

“Huh? No, I don’t have a girlfriend right now.”

“Then… Taegang?”

Yeowon’s eyes widened at Baek Seungha’s accurate guess.

“…H-how did you know?”

Baek Seungha let out a deflated laugh at Yeowon’s obvious reaction.

“Looks like you two are still the same.”

Although Yeowon knew the senior must remember his friendship with Taegang, he still couldn’t hide his surprise at how quickly Baek Seungha figured it out.

“Wow― You’re like a psychic, hyung.”

“What psychic? It was always like this in the past. Whenever you were upset, it was always because of Taegang.”

“Come on, when did I ever do that?”

“You’d always fight with him and then come to me to complain.”

“…Did I?”

“Are you still that close?”

Although Baek Seungha’s voice sounded casual, his gaze was slightly different. There was a noticeable flicker in the corner of his eyes. But Yeowon, unable to read the look, nodded reluctantly. They were still close, even if they were fighting badly at the moment.

“Yeah, I guess. We’re still annoyingly stuck together.”

“…Still the same, I see.”

“But I’m starting to wonder if we’ve been too close…”

Yeowon muttered lowly, as if the image of Taegang aggressively kissing him was flashing before his eyes. He was still troubled, unable to understand the reason for Taegang’s actions.

“Anyway, forget about that bastard. Let’s meet properly next time, hyung.”

“…Sure. Contact me.”

“Just don’t ignore me when I do.”

“I said I got it.”

As Baek Seungha headed towards his motorcycle, seemingly ready to leave, Yeowon followed him, waving his hand. “See you next time,” he emphasized again, and Baek Seungha nodded as he started the engine. As the loud engine noise echoed on the road and Yeowon was about to turn away, Baek Seungha called out:

“Han Yeowon.”

Pausing as he was about to put on his helmet, Baek Seungha called softly. Yeowon turned back to face the still handsome Baek Seungha.

“I missed you too.”

Despite his words, his tone was indifferent, but there was no trace of playfulness – it seemed sincere. For a moment, Yeowon was reminded of the younger Baek Seungha from their school days, who often called out “Han Yeowon” with a smile. Perhaps that’s why he felt a tickle in his chest. Yeowon stood there for a while, silently watching Baek Seungha’s retreating figure, unable to respond.

The reunion with an old acquaintance wasn’t bad at all.

**

‘Hey, are you close with that Baek Seungha?’

Kim Myungjoo asked as he sat down next to Yeowon, who was indifferently playing a game on his phone in the classroom. Yeowon’s eyebrow raised at the sudden question.

‘Hey, why are you calling a senior just “Baek Seungha”? You should say “Baek Seungha sunbae-nim”.’

‘Are you crazy? What are you on about? You’re the one who disrespects seniors the most.’

‘That senior is a real senior.’

When Yeowon spoke with wide eyes, Myungjoo clicked his tongue in disgust.

‘Come on, that guy’s reputation is so dirty.’

‘He saved me yesterday when I got into trouble with kids from another school at the PC bang.’

‘Really? Is that why Sang-gu came in with a busted face this morning?’

‘Yeah. If it wasn’t for that senior, we would’ve been outnumbered and dead.’

Yesterday, while they were all gaming at the PC bang, they got into a fight with guys from another school who complained about the noise. They were outnumbered five to about fifteen, and it would have been hopeless, but that senior happened to be there.

‘But why was that senior suddenly…’

‘No, I’m telling you, Baek Seungha, I mean, that senior was getting beat up in the teachers’ office.’

‘What?’

‘They got a call from a teacher at another school. They said that senior beat up some kids from their school.’

‘Ah, shit. Because of yesterday?’

‘I’m not sure… but odds are, it looks that way.’

‘Ah, fuck.’

Yeowon stood up abruptly, cursing under his breath. Myungjoo grabbed Yeowon’s arm as he looked ready to dash out.

‘Hey, where are you going?’

‘Where else? The teachers’ office.’

‘Are you crazy? You want to get beaten up too?’

‘That senior got in trouble trying to help us, don’t you get it? Besides, he didn’t even beat those guys. He just calmly sent them away.’

‘Anyway, just stay put! Don’t be stupid.’

‘Let go.’

‘The teachers are just messing with him for no reason anyway.’

‘What?’

As Yeowon scowled as if to say “what are you talking about,” Myungjoo whispered quietly.

‘You know how the teachers don’t like that senior, right? It’s well-known.’

‘What are you saying?’

‘Why do you think his reputation is so bad? Whenever anything happens, they always go after Baek Seungha, I mean, that senior, like they’re hunting mice.’

‘So what are you trying to say?’

‘That senior is kind of… poor, you know.’

Myungjoo whispered very softly, looking around to make sure no one else could hear. As soon as he heard this, Yeowon frowned and smacked the back of Myungjoo’s head.

‘Hey, how can you call someone poor like that, you bastard.’

‘Ow…! Why are you hitting me?’

‘Watch your mouth.’

Yeowon stormed out of the classroom, fuming. He didn’t know where he got the courage, but he headed straight for the teachers’ office. Most people knew that the senior’s family situation wasn’t good and that he worked several part-time jobs. But not everyone knew that he was working so hard to support his younger siblings. Only Yeowon knew that the senior often missed lunch to catch up on sleep in the gym storage room due to lack of sleep. He hated that such a person was simply labeled as “poor,” and it felt unfair that teachers discriminated against him for that reason.

‘Han Yeowon.’

As Yeowon was hurriedly going down the stairs on the first floor of the teachers’ office, he ran into Lee Taegang coming up in the opposite direction.

‘Where are you going?’

Sensing that something was off about Yeowon, Lee Taegang furrowed his brows and asked.

‘You don’t need to know.’

Yeowon replied curtly as he was in a hurry, but he couldn’t easily pass by.

‘I asked where you’re going.’

As Lee Taegang grabbed his arm to stop him from passing, Yeowon let out an exasperated sigh. It was irritating enough being held up when he was busy, but the pain in his arm from his grip added to his anger.

‘Teachers’ office. Happy now? Let go.’

Though Yeowon didn’t know exactly what he’d do once he got there, he felt he had to go. He didn’t think it was right for that senior to be scolded unfairly.

‘Why the teachers’ office?’

‘Ah, come on, I said let go!’

‘I asked you why.’

Faced with Lee Taegang’s persistent questioning, Yeowon furrowed his brow as much as he could.

‘Why are you being like this?’

Moreover, when Lee Taegang blocked his way with force like this, it naturally made him angry. His blood was already boiling, and Lee Taegang was adding fuel to the fire. He knew better than anyone that he couldn’t overpower him physically.

‘I said let go.’

He glared at him fiercely as a warning, but Lee Taegang paid no heed. Just as he was wondering why he was being so stubborn today, he caught sight of Baek Seungha coming out of the teachers’ office. Without realizing it, Yeowon shook off Lee Taegang’s hand with all his might and ran towards him.

‘Sunbae, are you okay?!’

Seeing Baek Seungha’s face swollen and bruised on one side, Yeowon’s face contorted with anger. As he was about to storm into the teachers’ office, this time it was Baek Seungha who stopped him.

‘Stop.’

Seeing Yeowon unable to hide his agitation, Baek Seungha calmly shook his head.

‘Don’t do it.’

‘But senior, you didn’t do anything wrong. Why were you hit?’

‘Sometimes a senior can take a hit in place of a junior.’

‘That’s not right. We were the ones who got into the fight, we were the ones who threw punches.’

‘Why are you getting so fired up? It’s fine, so let it go.’

‘And is it okay for a teacher to hit a student like that? Damn, the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems.’

‘Hey, Han Yeowon. Don’t overreact.’

‘You too, senior. Do you think shielding me like this is good for me? Why are you living your life taking losses that don’t suit you?’

‘Because there are people for whom it’s okay to take a loss.’

Contrary to his appearance, his solid and soft demeanor made Han Yeowon even angrier, and he fumed. Seeing Yeowon so agitated, Baek Seungha just smiled faintly. Then, looking down at him calmly, he added:

‘Because I care about you.’

‘…’

‘So I’m not really feeling wronged.’

‘Got it?’ 

At his straightforward smile and concluding words, Yeowon was momentarily at a loss for words. A surge of emotion welled up to his throat. He didn’t realize it then, but thinking back now, he might have been a bit moved. It was the first time someone older than him had stood up for him, and the first time he had felt a sense of support from someone other than Lee Taegang.