Chapter 20: Call Me Hyung

Shin Joowon quietly watched Yooha, who was carefully dipping his bread in olive oil and chewing soundlessly.

Perhaps because his mouth was small, his cheeks puffed out quickly even though the pieces he tore off weren’t that large.

He looked just like a squirrel stuffing its mouth full of various seeds.

At a glance, it might seem like he was enjoying the food, but Shin Joowon could tell.

He noticed that Jin Yooha’s expression wasn’t particularly bright.

Just like the time his pupils shook over two chocolate frappuccinos, his face was currently clouded with worry.

Joowon wondered what kind of nerve he had to come all the way here promising to buy lunch when his complexion darkened over a mere 80,000 won.

Shin Joowon suppressed a laugh that threatened to burst out and observed Yooha more closely as he chewed the bread mechanically.

An amusing thought occurred to him: if he had taken Yooha to the fine dining establishments he actually frequented and told him to pay, the boy might have foamed at the mouth and fainted on the spot.

Just imagining Jin Yooha—his already pale face turning ghostly white as he looked at him with trembling, earthquake-stricken eyes—sent a thrill of pleasure through Joowon’s entire body.

Deciding to turn this pleasant imagination into reality soon, Shin Joowon spoke again.

“Do you have no classes in the afternoon?”

“…No, I don’t have any classes. Today is a work day, starting from two o’clock…”

“Work?”

“Yes… I work at the library.”

Upon hearing the answer, Shin Joowon recalled the time he had seen Yooha and Min Gihwan together at the library.

At the time, he thought they had just bumped into each other while borrowing books, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

Having obtained the information that he could find Jin Yooha if he went to the library, Shin Joowon nodded once and picked up the remaining bread.

“That must be tiring. Even if it’s on campus, it’s still work.”

“It’s less tiring than other part-time jobs, though. I like that it’s quiet…”

“Have you done many other part-time jobs?”

“Uh… I’ve worked at a meat restaurant, a convenience store, and I’ve even handed out flyers. Right now… I’m only doing the library work-study and tutoring.”

“You even do tutoring?”

“Yes… only on weekends.”

It seemed Jin Yooha had lived a fairly harsh reality that didn’t quite match his delicate face.

While Joowon didn’t know anything about the lives of the poor and didn’t particularly care to know, he felt he had to acknowledge that the cheap wallet wasn’t a “concept.”

Of course, that didn’t mean Jin Yooha’s schemes were forgiven.

While they talked, the salad, pasta, and steak arrived, filling the table.

It couldn’t compare to the fine dining or hotel restaurants he usually frequented, but the food looked decent and smelled delicious.

Shin Joowon intentionally pushed the food closer to Yooha.

It was a thoroughly calculated act of kindness.

“Hurry and eat.”

“Yes… thank you for the meal…”

Once again, they shared a conversation that felt somewhat off, but Yooha didn’t notice at all, just like before.

He simply bowed his head toward Shin Joowon and began to toss the salad evenly with the large tongs.

Once the dressing was well-distributed, Yooha held the tongs awkwardly, debating whether or not he should serve Joowon’s plate first.

“Don’t mind me and eat comfortably. That way, I can eat comfortably too.”

“…Yes.”

“Try this too. It looks delicious.”

Shin Joowon showed a kind smile as he moved the steak plate directly in front of Yooha.

Yooha decided he should eat the food heartily so that Shin Joowon, who kept looking out for him and being considerate, wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

Picking up his fork, Yooha scanned the appetizing steak.

He had eaten the hamburger steaks served as side dishes in the school cafeteria, but it was his first time seeing a thick beef steak like this in person.

Since he likely wouldn’t have the chance to eat something like this again, he thought of it as the first and last luxury of his life and decided to enjoy it as much as possible.

He dipped a piece of meat, already cut into bite-sized pieces, into the sauce and put it in his mouth.

The tender meat, without a single tough part, slid down his throat before he even chewed it much.

‘It’s delicious….’

So this is what it means for something to melt in your mouth.

Yooha’s face took on a slightly flushed glow, finding it fascinating to personally experience such a common idiom.

After refreshing his palate with the salad, he took some pasta onto his plate and tasted it.

The rosé pasta he had last time was good, but the oil pasta Shin Joowon ordered tasted even better.

Shin Joowon chewed his steak while observing Yooha, who had finally relaxed and started eating properly.

He couldn’t even swallow the chocolate frappuccino properly, yet he was chewing the food here thoroughly without any sign of picking at it.

Seeing him go as far as rolling up his sleeves halfway as if signaling a serious commitment to the meal almost made Joowon let out a dry laugh.

“Is it good?”

“Yes….”

Shin Joowon, intentionally making his lips curve into a deeper arc, lowered his gaze to Yooha’s hands.

More specifically, he took in the prominent wrist bone.

Now that he thought about it, when he was checking the pheromones, that wrist had fit perfectly in his grip.

The bone had been jutting out then, too.

After briefly thinking that he was quite thin for someone who ate so well, Shin Joowon gave a small nod of understanding to himself.

On top of commuting from far away, if he was doing part-time jobs as well, he would be using up everything he ate as energy, leaving nothing for his body to retain.

“Eat a lot. You can order more if it’s not enough.”

“Ah… yes. You should eat too, Sunbae…”

Shin Joowon spoke generously, as if he were the one paying.

Startled by the thought that he might have been eating too mindlessly, Yooha quickly pushed the plate toward Shin Joowon.

He hurriedly grabbed a tissue and dabbed his lips, then drank the lemonade he had stirred with a straw.

Just as he was thinking he should chew his food more and eat slowly from now on—

“But Yooha.”

“…Yes?”

“How much longer are you going to call me Sunbae-nim?”

Shin Joowon tilted his head slightly and gave a soft, smiling gaze as he threw out the question.

To Yooha, calling Shin Joowon “Sunbae-nim” was only natural, so he just stared at him blankly.

Looking at Yooha, who couldn’t find a proper answer, Shin Joowon spoke again.

“Just call me Hyung comfortably.”

“…Hyung?”

“Yeah. Joowon-hyung.”

Speaking in a voice so soft it would make anyone lower their guard, Shin Joowon nodded once as if encouraging him to repeat it.

Yooha, his eyes rolling slowly, lowered his gaze and answered haltingly.

“Joowon… hyung….”

Joowon-hyung, Joowon-hyung….

The voice he had uttered himself echoed in his ears.

Even though he always heard the word “Hyung” from Woo Tae, calling someone else “Hyung” felt so awkward that even his fingertips felt ticklish.

When he looked up again, Shin Joowon was smiling brightly, as if praising him for doing well.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

A violent throb could be felt throughout his body, and heat rushed to his neck and face in an instant.

Feeling strange from the excessive pounding, Yooha hurriedly looked down.

It was out of fear that Shin Joowon might hear his heartbeat.

‘We’re planning to get close from now on.’

Upsetting the expectation that it might have been a joke or an empty remark, Shin Joowon was approaching him with giant strides as if to prove those words were sincere—and Yooha didn’t hate it.

No, he was so overwhelmingly grateful that he felt at a loss for how to express this feeling.

Shin Joowon is such a good person.

He’s kind, considerate, and even sweet.

But surely, he didn’t only show this side of himself to him.

Yooha constantly reminded himself, as if struggling not to harbor useless expectations.

He told himself that Shin Joowon wasn’t showing this side especially to him.

It was just because he was a naturally kind and warm person.

Fortunately, the resignation and giving up he had practiced for a long time helped Yooha regain his composure and find his reason quickly.

“Yooha, it’s a bit lacking, isn’t it? Should I order more? Want some pizza?”

“Huh? Yes, ye-es…….”

Yooha, who had been lost in his own thoughts for a moment, answered Shin Joowon’s question reflexively.

Before Yooha could say anything more to the beaming Shin Joowon, the latter immediately pressed the call bell and ordered an additional “Best” wood-fired pizza.

Later, when Yooha saw the price of the pizza, his mind went blank.

The food he had been eating so diligently until moments ago suddenly felt like a boulder crushing his stomach.

Only after somehow finishing the pizza that came later did the two stand up.

With trembling hands, Yooha picked up the receipt and checked the price once more.

80,000 won for the steak set plus 20,000 won for the pizza.

Upon reaching the conclusion that the total was 100,000 won, the blood completely drained from Yooha’s face.

How much was in his checking account again…?

Things were already tight this month because he had spent a lot on books, and now he was suddenly faced with spending the large sum of 100,000 won all at once.

Just as the blood was disappearing even from his parched lips, the receipt was suddenly snatched from his hand.

Before he knew it, the receipt was held in Shin Joowon’s hand.

“Let’s go.”

Tipping his head toward the exit, Shin Joowon walked ahead.

By the time Yooha followed a step behind, Shin Joowon had already finished the payment.

Yooha couldn’t hide his bewilderment as he watched Shin Joowon take his card back after the transaction.

Because he had clearly said he would buy lunch today.

Shin Joowon suppressed a laugh internally as he watched Yooha, whose large eyes were darting around, unable to hide his distress.

“Seniors aren’t supposed to be treated by juniors. It was enough that you bought it once before; why would you buy it again?”

“But… I feel like I keep… being indebted to Sunbae-nim… no, Hyung….”

The face that clearly showed distress and bewilderment was still pale.

The expression of being sorry and ashamed for being indebted looked so sincere for a moment that Shin Joowon had no choice but to close his eyes tightly and open them again before looking at Yooha, as if shaking off an afterimage.

It was strange.

In Jin Yooha’s expression and eyes, there wasn’t even a trace of that subtle unnaturalness commonly found in the hypocritical people he had seen enough of to be sickened by.