Chapter 10: The Unveiling of a Secret Past

“What do you mean, ‘together’? Are you two planning to disappear again?”

Jo Gi-tae challenged them, his tone dripping with dissatisfaction. Normally, such a forceful demand to stay and drink would have been dreadful, but now, his words were surprisingly welcome. ‘Of course, I have to go alone.’

In-tae hadn’t even had a chance to reply when Jung Ban-ri chimed in.

“Hmm… If possible, I’ll finish quickly and come back.”

“Though it won’t be easy.”

“No, it’s fine if I go alone—”

His firm refusal was abruptly cut short.

“If you insist… would you like to come with me, Hyung?”

He immediately shifted the conversation to Jo Gi-tae. Surprised by the unexpected offer, Jo Gi-tae brightened, wrapping an arm around In-tae’s shoulder.

“Me too? What, should I go pat In-tae on the back or something?”

“‘That’ will be my job, so Hyung can just watch.”

“No, thank you all, but I’m fine.”

In-tae quickly interjected, shaking his head. He had no intention of dragging these two along to the showers. His only recourse was to escape this gathering as swiftly as possible.

“I’m just going to… go to my room and lie down.”

He spoke, awkwardly attempting to stand.

“Stay here. What if you get sicker?”

A larger hand pushed Jo Gi-tae’s away, gripping In-tae’s shoulder. His body was suddenly pulled, his vision spinning ninety degrees. His head came to rest on something firm yet soft.

It was Jung Ban-ri’s thigh.

“Whoa, what the hell, that’s too much…”

“Ugh, gross.”

All eyes from their peers were now fixed on them. It was an overly cringeworthy act for a twenty-year-old man to perform on a friend. In-tae was equally flustered. ‘What on earth is wrong with this guy today?’

“Hey, that’s enough!”

He tried to sit up immediately, but his body wouldn’t budge. The hand pressing on his shoulder was so firm, it made him wonder if it truly belonged to a drunkard.

“Just stay still, In-tae. What if you get hurt more?”

Awkwardly, he met the gazes pouring down on him, his eyes eventually locking with Ye-eun’s. Perhaps his gaze was drawn to her because, among all the incredulous stares, hers was the most benevolent.

“Ban-ri is truly so sweet,” Ye-eun murmured softly. Her eyes flickered toward Ban-ri before returning to In-tae, as Jung Ban-ri’s gaze remained intently fixed on him.

He looked utterly absorbed, as if the surrounding chatter was completely lost on him.

Consequently, it seemed In-tae would be the one to respond to Ye-eun’s compliment towards Ban-ri.

‘Jung Ban-ri is sweet…’

In-tae met her eyes, which seemed tinged with envy, feeling a pang of awkwardness.

He felt as though he had told a lie without uttering a single word. He was about to retort with a sarcastic ‘This bastard, sweet?’ and perhaps feign a gag, when a shadow fell across his eyes.

Jung Ban-ri’s hand had slipped from his shoulder, tracing up his neck to cover his eyes. His long thumb rested on In-tae’s temple, gently stroking his skin.

“It’s not like that,” Jung Ban-ri uttered in a shy voice, as if the compliment was undeserved. Despite his pretense, it seemed he had indeed been listening to Ye-eun’s words.

And what followed from him was…

“It’s just… because it’s In-tae.”

It was a peculiar answer. A brief silence settled among the people, naturally followed by a torrent of questions.

“What is it, you two? What’s your relationship?”

“Yeah, I’ve been curious too. What are you?”

“Oh, I talked about school with In-tae the other day. Are you perhaps middle and high school classmates?”

“Classmates? Jung Ban-ri, you’re obviously from Jeonghan Middle and High School, so is In-tae from there too?”

It was nothing short of a makeshift press conference. In-tae felt a slight tension at the questions probing their past. He was about to stammer out ‘just classmates,’ but Jung Ban-ri beat him to it once again.

“More like… a rather special relationship.”

Jung Ban-ri replied, a hint of a smile in his voice. People subsequently burst into laughter, as if they had heard an incredibly amusing joke.

From behind the hand covering his eyes, In-tae vividly pictured Jung Ban-ri’s face. ‘That bastard must be wearing that mischievous grin again—the one that makes everyone laugh along.’

“Oh, so you two are this funny when you’re drunk? It’s a real shame we didn’t know until now.”

“Exactly, always skipping out on drinking. From now on, we should drink together more often.”

“I wonder if that’ll be possible, with our In-tae being such an alcohol lightweight.”

This time, their tone was tinged with genuine regret. Every time Jung Ban-ri spoke, others added two or three more comments.

‘They’re having a grand time, aren’t they? Leaving me in this state…’

Though indignation simmered within him, In-tae eventually let out a small chuckle. Seeing Jung Ban-ri blend in so naturally with everyone, he couldn’t help but feel relieved, knowing that Ban-ri would thrive even without him.

Jung Ban-ri had always seemed like someone from another world. This was true even during his middle and high school years, when he was surrounded by peers from similar backgrounds.

Of course, his incomparably formidable family background and extraordinary good looks were the primary reasons, but his unique shy demeanor and impeccable manners also played a significant role.

Yet, Jung Ban-ri didn’t act like an arrogant prince. Before anyone who knew his true identity—such as family, his butler, or other servants—and everyone except In-tae, he always feigned a kind and thoughtful demeanor.

He was adept at greeting everyone casually and initiating conversations with personal remarks and compliments that fully considered the other person’s situation and characteristics.

However, he never extended his warmth beyond that. For instance, he would never arrange private meetings with specific individuals or engage in deep, personal conversations.

This was likely because he inherently felt no need for such closeness, and becoming overly familiar might risk revealing his true identity, making caution the safer path.

Given that Jung Ban-ri was now broaching personal topics, it was only natural that their peers reacted so fervently, as if they had been waiting for this very moment.

“I’ve always thought your name, Ban-ri, was quite unique. Does it have a special meaning?”

“Oh, right, me too. I was curious. It sounds like an island nation’s name. But you couldn’t be an overseas Korean—”

“Come on, Gi-tae Hyung. Don’t you know who Ban-ri’s parents are?”

“Oh, of course I know. It’s just that his name is so distinctive.”

“I thought it was pure Korean or something. Is it not?”

A presence was felt, and Ye-eun’s lively voice drew closer.

“It’s similar. Ye-eun truly is clever.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, really. But what does it mean then? No, wait, don’t tell me. Let me guess.”

Half-moon? Name of the wind? To be upright…?

Starting with Ye-eun, a barrage of guesses poured forth. ‘Nope. Nope.’ In-tae scored them internally. All were incorrect.

“Yoon In-tae, are you asleep? If you’re listening, give us a hint.”

Ye-eun whispered, lightly tapping his arm. Far from sleeping, In-tae had been listening intently to every word. Just as he was about to speak…

“Sparkling and pretty child.”

The answer flowed from Ban-ri’s lips.

“Whoa.”

“Really?”

“Well, I mean, it does suit you, but…”

“…is what In-tae said,” Ban-ri finished, a playful smile on his face. A faint tremor reached In-tae. The bewildered onlookers, once again, followed his lead and laughed.

“Wow, Yoon In-tae. You’ve been charming people since you were a kid. But you should pick your targets, male or female.”

“He’s definitely a lookist. A worshipper of appearances.”

‘When on earth is that bastard talking about…?’

“So, what’s the real meaning then?”

“…Upright and beneficial.”

“Oh…”

“Wow, that really suits him.”

“Amazing. It’s a perfect fit.”

“Not really,” Jung Ban-ri promptly denied. ‘Yes, as any person should deny it,’ In-tae thought. Considering what he had done to In-tae in the showers, ‘upright and beneficial’ was utter nonsense.

Even if everyone believed he lived up to his name, In-tae alone knew the true face beneath that perfect facade.

In-tae snorted derisively against Jung Ban-ri’s palm, which still half-covered his face. The hand, which he expected to recoil in disgust, instead drew even closer to his eyes.

He had no choice but to close them. He could feel sleep slowly creeping in. It had truly been an exhausting day, both mentally and physically. Just as he was about to drift off…

“But, when exactly did you two become friends?”

The sudden question jolted him awake. ‘This is a bit problematic.’

Jung Ban-ri’s childhood was now on the chopping block. This was precisely why In-tae had always hidden his closeness with Jung Ban-ri.

If it became known that they had been friends since before middle school, the conversation would naturally veer towards Jung Ban-ri’s ‘childhood.’

‘He should’ve kept his mouth shut about himself,’ In-tae thought. Normally, that guy would have expertly controlled the conversation to prevent such topics from arising, yet today he was making frequent blunders.

‘So, even that perfect monster can be undone by alcohol.’

In-tae quickly spoke.

“Hee-yeon Nuna?”

He could roughly guess the questioner. Judging by the voice and the informal speech, it was likely Song Hee-yeon, the eldest. Her voice also resembled the one he’d heard earlier, lamenting and searching for the ‘traitors.’

“Oh, you’re awake? Was my voice too loud?”

“No, I wasn’t asleep. I just felt like I heard my name being mentioned from somewhere.”

He tried to sit up, but once again, the monster’s hand tightened its grip. ‘He’s definitely not in his right mind. And one should never deal with a drunkard.’ In-tae began to speak, remaining in his current position.

“When did I first meet him? I can’t quite remember. It was so long ago, when we were really young.

He’s truly been doctor material since birth, you know? That’s why he can give knee pillows when you’re sick like this… We met when we were too young to know any better, so that’s how it is.

Everyone gets nostalgic when they’re drunk, right?”

He provided a suitable explanation for Jung Ban-ri’s childhood, which people were curious about, and for the peculiar actions he was currently performing. And then…

“By the way, isn’t everyone going to sleep? If you don’t want to end up bedridden like me, I think it’s time to start heading to bed.”

He tried to subtly create an atmosphere for everyone to disperse. A few people, as if on cue, promptly flopped onto the floor.

“You’re right, I’m really tired.”

“What? Already sleeping?”

“Gi-tae Hyung, it’s three in the morning…”

“Only three in the morning?”

Amidst the commotion, a low voice sharply cut through the air.

“When you were eight.”

His head was gently pulled up. The gap between the index and middle fingers covering his eyes widened ever so slightly. The small opening could frame only one person. The sparkling, handsome man looked down at him and spoke.

“Don’t you remember?”

‘……’

“We first met back then.”

“…Oh. Was it?”

“Whoa, awesome. You’re total childhood friends then.”

Jo Gi-tae blurted out, picking up the conversation. His ability to reignite the conversational flame was truly befitting a guardian of drinking parties.

“Uh… yeah, that’s right. Roughly, a… ”

‘…a ball-sucking kind of relationship, perhaps? Though, of course, it was entirely one-sided…’