Chapter 6: Opportunity

On day 2 of playing Love in the Moonlight in private mode, I decided to slip into the business school building at Korea University early in the morning.

The “Achievement and Society” elective was held twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

On Wednesdays, running into Lee Rayun would happen naturally, but with my limited playtime, I couldn’t waste even one day.

I don’t wait for chances to come to me.

Making opportunities happen, no matter what, is the Yeon Wooju way.

I had Rayun’s number, so contacting him that way was an option.

But we weren’t friends to begin with, and if someone you barely know texts you out of nowhere with no real reason, even I would find it a bit burdensome.

Besides, people are wary these days.

He might even think I was recruiting for some cult.

To create a more natural encounter, I waited at the café on the first floor of the business school building.

Anyone with classes there would inevitably pass through, so it was the optimal spot.

I pulled out a major textbook to look the part and kept an eye on everyone passing by.

“Rayun doesn’t happen to have no classes at the business school today, does he?”

But hours passed, and Rayun didn’t show.

My focus started slipping, and a knot of unease slowly tightened in my chest.

Did I barge over without even knowing when his class was?

Maybe I should have just sent a casual text.

I ended up overdoing it.

At best, it was reckless.

At worst, it was just stupid.

“Oh crap, the midterm scope isn’t open-book either. Is this for real? Professor, why are you doing this to me?”

“Smart and hardworking professors really are the worst. Not all of us are as passionate about business as you are, you know~.”

“Still, it’s better than reusing the same lectures for years and shortchanging us, considering how much we pay in tuition.”

“Hey, don’t say stuff like that carelessly. You’ll end up catching the ‘Have you considered grad school?’ trick.”

Around noon, just as a lecture must have ended, a group of students poured out of the hallway.

One person stood out immediately, a full head taller than the rest, drawing my gaze.

Softly flowing light brown hair, a pale pastel shirt, denim jeans with a nice fit, and a favorability meter shining coolly above his head.

It was Lee Rayun.

“Wow, he can pull off a shirt that color with a face like that.”

I forgot that I needed to approach Lee Rayun.

I scrambled up from my seat and blurted out an admiring gasp.

Just then, my eyes met Lee Rayun’s across the crowd.

Even though we were a long way apart, it felt like some kind of miracle.

“…!”

Lee Rayun’s eyes rounded in mild surprise.

A warm, pleased look spread slowly across his fair, delicate face.

He came toward me, his long legs moving with easy strides.

“Wooju sunbae!”

The fresh-faced young man greeted me brightly as he approached.

Seeing him smile so openly, the tension I hadn’t realized I was holding melted away on its own.

I smiled back at him.

“Oh, Rayun, hi?”

“We meet again. What brings you to the business school building?”

It was probably just a casual question, but my guilty conscience made me flinch.

I ducked my head and glanced down at the table, where my major textbooks lay scattered messily.

“Oh, I heard the mint choco latte here is good, so I wanted to try it.”

I made up an answer to cover my planned approach.

Following my gaze, Rayun looked at the mint chocolate latte heaped with whipped cream and let out a soft laugh.

His cheeks dimpled, and the light, airy sound spread through the air.

“Is that so? I didn’t know. I’ll have to try it sometime too.”

“You don’t look like you’d like sweet drinks, Rayun.”

“How did you know? Actually, I only drink iced Americano.”

“Oh, I can tell just by looking.”

‘No way you could keep that tall, slender figure if you ate all that whipped cream.’

I kept that thought to myself and nodded.

Simply meeting Lee Rayun safe and sound already put my mind at ease.

Luckily, the atmosphere today was warm and friendly too.

“I’ve been sitting here too long, so I’m hungry. Did you eat lunch, Rayun?”

“No, I just finished class, so not yet.”

“Oh, really? Since we bumped into each other, want to grab a quick bite at the cafeteria?”

“Sure, I’d love to. Let’s go together, sunbae.”

Today’s mission was a success!

Everything was going according to plan.

While we ate lunch, I needed to figure out what kind of person Lee Rayun really was, to use as intel for the game walkthrough.

I arrived at the student union cafeteria with Rayun.

The whole Korea University campus was unfamiliar to me, not just this place, so I looked around awkwardly.

“Wooju sunbae, what do you want to eat?”

“Uh, I don’t know. What’s good here?”

The cafeteria was crowded, right at lunchtime.

The bustling atmosphere made my appetite pick up.

I took the menu very seriously, wondering what I should order.

“Rayun, what are you having?”

“I’ll have the avocado pollack roe mayo rice bowl.”

“Hmm… then I’ll get the curry pork cutlet udon.”

I figured Rayun would know which menu was the tastiest, but anything that sounded healthy from the name didn’t appeal to me.

In the end, I ordered something thick and rich.

“Alright, wait a moment.”

Rayun nodded slightly and took out a stylish leather wallet.

When he headed for the counter naturally, I tilted my head.

Wasn’t I, the senior, supposed to pay for today?

“Hey, Rayun, are you going to pay?”

“Well… because sunbae came to the business school?”

“That makes no sense. Put it away. I’m paying today.”

Rayun hesitated for a moment and gave a reason.

But it seemed closer to a habitual action than anything else.

I waved my hand to stop him.

Thankfully, the money I got as a monthly allowance in the game was much more than a real part-time job wage.

I could afford this much.

“Haha, okay then.”

Rayun stepped back hesitantly.

After I paid at the counter and returned with a triumphant face, Rayun stared at me.

[♥️4]

At the same time, his affection level rose by 1%.

What, is Rayun secretly an easy guy?

I couldn’t figure out why, but I felt twice as proud that spending 7,500 won had increased his affection.

“So, how did you end up taking that elective?”

“My department seniors recommended it. They said the course load is almost nothing, and as long as you don’t get a bomb teammate for the group project, you can easily get an A.”

“Ah, is that so.”

“I guess the rumor that it’s a sweet elective even reached the art college?”

“No? I just wanted to approach our society’s sexual culture aesthetically from a modernist perspective.”

“Hmm, like that’s true.”

“Right, I was just bluffing.”

We got our meals side by side at the serving counter and sat across from each other to eat.

Even during the meal, the affection level sparkling above Rayun’s head kept lingering in my mind.

How should I put it?

A strange pressure to lead the conversation amusingly…

“Rayun, is the avocado pollack roe mayo rice bowl good?”

Contrary to his picky-looking appearance, Rayun ate heartily even in the bustling student cafeteria.

When I asked a sudden question, Rayun, who had been eating with gusto, nodded and smiled brightly.

I stared at his face.

“Did something get on my lips?” Rayun asked carefully, aware of my gaze.

I half lowered my eyes and shook my head.

‘No, there’s nothing wrong except that your lips are plump and healthy-colored.’

“It’s not that…” I said.

“Then what?” he asked.

“I know you’ve heard this so much you’re probably sick of it, but Rayun, you’re really handsome.”

I wasn’t trying to flatter.

It was an honest observation that naturally slipped out when I saw his face up close.

At that, Rayun set down his spoon and took a short gulp of water from the steel cup.

The water went down his slightly prominent Adam’s apple.

“Ah… thank you.”

He said it a beat late, with a slight smile, but his face was oddly stiff.

‘Did he think it was too obvious a compliment? To me, it was completely sincere, but maybe Rayun had heard it so many times that it left him cold.’

As the meal was almost over, a man with a beanie pulled low suddenly came up to Rayun and greeted him.

He spoke in a friendly tone, but there was no sign of welcome on Rayun’s face.

“Oh, hi.”

“I was looking for you, actually. Rayun, can’t you come out to a group blind date this weekend?”

“I have other plans this weekend.”

“What plans? Both Saturday and Sunday?”

“Probably.”

“Hey, why are you being so stuck-up? You don’t have a girlfriend anyway, so stop it and come. Okay?”

“Well. I don’t plan on making a girlfriend, so showing up at a place like that wouldn’t be polite to the other side.”

“Then that’s even better for us. If you say you’ll come, they’ll all go crazy. Can’t you just show your face for a minute? I’ll treat you generously. Okay?”

“This time seems hard. If you let me know in advance next time, I’ll think about it.”

Was he a classmate?

The man’s brazen attitude, demanding Rayun join a meet-up out of nowhere, was like picking up something he’d left behind.

Even from the side, I found it hard not to frown, but Rayun refused gently with a smile, without changing his expression.

It was the man who soon wore out on his own, his face turning sulky.

The moment the grumbling man fully turned away, Rayun’s expression eased.

The cold, hardened face looked almost indifferent.

“Sorry. When I eat at the student center, things get bothersome like this.”

“No, Rayun. You have nothing to apologize to me for.”

“Next time, let’s go eat somewhere with fewer people.”

Rayun, who had quickly wiped away his displeasure, apologized to me instead.

‘If he were just cold, people wouldn’t even think of approaching him. But because he can’t be harsh, rude people cling to him.’

“Still, you’re a nice kid. If it were me, I’d have snapped at them.”

“Well, whatever. I’ll be the one who’s exhausted later anyway.”

“Someone as good-looking as you, they should be grateful you’re even friends with them.”

“Haha. But thanks for getting angry for me.”

I criticized the person who left, exaggerating my tone on purpose to lift Lee Rayun’s mood.

Maybe my intention got through, because Rayun smiled faintly.

Walking across the campus, ripe with spring, the warm air tickled my fingertips.

A cool breeze carried the fresh smell of grass.

Lee Rayun, beside me, was still a capture target whose affection I needed to raise, but the drowsy air eased my tension for a moment.

While walking down a gentle slope, a voice called out to Lee Rayun.

I turned around.

A couple of male students on the sunny basketball court were waving at him.

“Ah…”

Rayun glanced at the court, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

‘So he likes basketball.’

Maybe because he was walking with me, he was trying not to show it.

It was cute.

“Can I join in too?”

“Oh, you want to play together?”

When I asked casually, Rayun didn’t hide his delight.

He likes it that much, so what’s the hard part?

I walked to the court side by side with him.

“Oh, we’ve got four people. How about a 2:2 mini game?”

Both of Rayun’s business school classmates were sturdy and tall.

They glanced at me next to Rayun, then tilted their chins, suggesting a basketball match.

Maybe they felt some rivalry with Rayun, because their stares were pretty sharp.

“Of course, if you think you’re going to lose, you don’t have to play.”

I was just planning to go through the motions on the side, so this was the most awkward situation possible.

But their low-level provocation seemed to light a fire under Rayun’s competitive spirit.

His lips pressed together, and the line of his jaw went tight.

“How about it, Wooju sunbae? Think you can handle it?”

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