Chapter 15: The Maid’s Dress

Right. To be honest, I was an outsider during my college days. I only went back and forth between school and home, and even when Chae Yeryeong dragged me to the club room, I’d just quietly doze off in the corner or work on my backlog of assignments.

Part of it was because I worked nights and had no energy during the day—but the truth is, I pathologically hated group settings. Especially when I was entangled with Chae Yeryeong.

I’m not the type who naturally gives others a good impression. I can’t crack jokes well, I don’t keep up with trends, and I’m quite shy, so I can’t easily strike up conversations. So whenever I was part of a group, I always felt like I was just wandering around the edges—and I came to genuinely hate it.

But unlike me, Chae Yeryeong was good at telling funny jokes, fairly sensitive to trends, and not shy at all—he could talk to anyone without hesitation, so he loved being part of groups and hanging out in packs. With his insane looks to back it up, he was always the center of any group.

His circles were always the most glamorous ones. I was close to Chae Yeryeong, but I didn’t have the confidence to get close to the people around him, so whenever a group formed, I’d slip away. But this bastard, as if we were sworn enemies in a past life, insisted on dragging me into every group he joined.

Since childhood, he’d been my only constant friend—I couldn’t bring myself to curse him out or refuse him harshly. So I always let him drag me into group settings I’d rather die than participate in.

But because of my unsociable nature, even the people who initially treated me well because of Chae Yeryeong gradually drifted away. Whether he meant it as a kindness or not, I only ended up feeling even more intensely isolated.

Once, overwhelmed by that isolation, I got angry at Chae Yeryeong and told him I didn’t want to do this anymore—to stop meddling. That’s when he said: “I’m doing this for you. Stop blaming others and try harder, Jinho.” After hearing that, I just gave up on convincing him.

Of course, it’s not like I didn’t try in my own way.

Since I couldn’t afford to watch TV or browse the internet leisurely, I asked my coworkers about trends and tried to learn them. I even prepared a few funny jokes.

But I just couldn’t get over my shyness. Whenever I tried to talk to people, I’d stutter or the words would just circle in my mouth. By the time I’d finally adapted enough to speak to someone, they’d already labeled me as boring and arrogant—someone they didn’t want to get close to.

Even when I was in the same space, unless someone happened to be talking to the person next to me while I was there, or unless I had to ask something essential, I never had a proper conversation. A reaction machine that only added laughter when others laughed—a person without presence. That was exactly what I was.

But still, no matter how you look at it, the ski club wasn’t a large group—there were only seven of us. Surely I’d exchanged at least a few words! I’d definitely spoken to Min Seonwoo before and established some familiarity.

“Actually, this isn’t our first time, sunbae-nim.”

I scratched between my brows to hide my irritation and spoke awkwardly. At my words, Min Seonwoo’s eyes widened slightly.

“Huh? Ah! Are you a school alumnus? A university junior?”

Wow, he really doesn’t remember anything, does he.

“No, um, khm! Not the same major… Same club.”

I figured even if he didn’t remember me as a university junior, saying this probably wouldn’t make him remember either—but I said it anyway. And sure enough, Min Seonwoo showed a troubled expression, clearly not remembering.

“Club? …Uh…”

Even if he couldn’t recall at first glance, after this much explanation, shouldn’t he at least have a vague memory? Whether it’s Min Seonwoo or Choi Taehyuk—with their supposedly great memories, if they can’t remember this much, it’s practically intentional deletion, right? Ah, f*cking irritating.

I held my head and briefly wondered whether I should just let it go, or use the secret weapon that had made people who’d forgotten me remember—the one I’d used before. Hah… If they remembered after hearing it, I’d probably be even more annoyed…

“…Yeryeong’s friend.”

“…Ah! Long time no see. Have you been well?”

Wow, so I really was just “entity number 1 attached to Chae Yeryeong’s side.” I nearly scowled at his expression of belated recognition, but barely held it together and managed to lift the corners of my mouth.

“Haha—. Me? I’ve been fine.”

“Wow—. What a coincidence.”

Coincidence, my ass—I came here knowing full well—but I couldn’t exactly say that, so I just scratched my head with a smile on my face.

“Yeah, I was surprised too, just now…!”

Realizing we’d been talking in the doorway for too long, I carefully closed the door and tried to step closer to Min Seonwoo—but like an idiot, I tripped over my own feet and fell.

“Oh dear, are you okay?”

“Ugh… That hurts…”

What an idiot. I must have been more nervous than I realized—my feet got tangled and I fell loudly, smacking my chin on the floor. I hate pain more than anything… I can endure everything else, but I genuinely hate pain. I must have bitten my tongue too—I could taste blood in my mouth.

I felt tears streaming before I could stop them, but the pain was too intense to hold back. Still, I had to preserve some dignity—so I bit my lip and lowered my head. Then a large, pale hand slipped under my chin.

Following the gentle upward pressure, I raised my eyes—and right in front of me, soft brown eyes were waiting.

“Did you hurt yourself badly? Open your mouth a little.”

“I’m fine—”

“Oh my, you’re bleeding. Stick out your tongue.”

“No, really, I’m fine—”

“Go on.”

Choi Taehyuk and Min Seonwoo must both listen to me through their assholes. If I say I’m fine, then I’m fine—why do they have to pry like this and embarrass me?

I really didn’t want to show it, but his expression was so firm that I slowly stuck out my tongue. How pathetic must I look right now? Tears streaming down, face red with embarrassment, an ugly grown man sticking out his tongue. I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.

“A—! Ah-hayo!”

I ended up yelling because the bastard suddenly pressed down on my tongue. I’d been nice enough to show him, and he attacks the wound—what a terrifying guy.

“I was checking if the bleeding was coming from there. Hold on, I’ll get some medicine.”

Min Seonwoo glanced at the diluted blood on his hand and offered an apology. I quickly closed my mouth and quietly turned my face away from his view.

Ugh, it hurts even more now. While Min Seonwoo had left to get medicine, I stuck out my tongue and gently felt it with my finger. Quite a bit of blood came out. I was feeling dejected at my own clumsiness when I sensed Min Seonwoo’s presence behind me. I heard a clattering sound—he must have brought a first-aid kit. Soon, a large hand gripped my chin and turned my head. And shoved a white bottle in front of my face. Wait, is that…

“No! No! Get that away, now!”

This bastard, where the hell is he trying to put antiseptic? Is he crazy?! Who pours antiseptic on a mouth wound!

I quickly scrambled backward to put distance between us. In his left hand, he was gripping a small white bottle, looking puzzled. I have no intention of applying anything that multiplies pain regardless of wound type—I pointed at him furiously and shouted at him to put it down. I told him you don’t put that on mouth wounds, and he nodded and put the bottle back in the box.

After rummaging through the first-aid kit again, he went “Ah!” and picked up a brown bottle.

“This one says it’s for mouth wounds.”

“Tu—, turn it around. What’s the name? What’s the medicine called?”

“Hold on.”

I stared intently as he slightly opened his hand and spun the bottle to show the label. He looked up and smiled brightly.

“Albothyl.”

f*ck, is this bastard Satan? Seeing my twisted expression, Min Seonwoo casually asked.

“Looks like you hate pain?”

“Uh…”

“Ah, it must be hard to talk. Hold on.”

While I was too stunned to speak, the bastard walked toward me with a bright smile, holding the Albothyl—he was the devil himself.

I desperately stopped him and explained—through frantic gestures—that this medicine wasn’t for bite wounds either, and to look again. Fortunately, the next medicine he brought was Oramedy, so I cautiously crept back to his side.

Despite my insistence that I’d apply it myself, the bastard insisted on doing it himself, telling me to just stick out my tongue. I stuck it out, filled with anxiety—he held a handkerchief against it until the bleeding stopped, then applied the medicine. The stinging didn’t let up the whole time, so my face remained a tearful mess.

“You really hate pain, don’t you?”

He asked again, his face tinged with amusement as he applied the medicine. I’d started speaking in fragments without realizing it, but since Min Seonwoo was older anyway, I didn’t mind much.

“Ih-huhng ou-ah-hung ou-ih oo-ee-uh-yo.” (It’s not that I hate it that much.)

“Hmm—. I suppose there are people who like pain too.”

I wasn’t sure if he’d understand, but surprisingly, he grasped it perfectly. He must be good at reading context. Still—”people who like pain”…

“Theht’s juhst mahsochism.” (That’s just masochism.)

“Hahaha— I suppose so.”

He understood that and responded? I was genuinely impressed by Min Seonwoo’s extraordinary interpretive skills.

At my look of admiration, he shrugged like it was nothing. That gesture you’d see in an American movie suited him so well—he must have studied abroad somewhere.

After exchanging a few more sentences in alien language, I got up. I came here to work—I couldn’t keep slacking off.

“Where are you going?”

He asked, probably finding it strange that I suddenly stood up in the middle of conversation.

I was going to head to the next room. Call me if you need anything. That’s what I meant, but it came out like alien language again. Fortunately, he seemed to understand, nodding and sitting back down in the chair he’d been in earlier.

“Ah! There’s a proper uniform in the waiting room. Go change into that.”

I nodded and stepped into the waiting room—and indeed, there was a set of clothes hanging on a hanger.

“……”

A female maid uniform.

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