Chapter 32: Like an Unavoidable Rain

Although it was a day without morning lectures, Yooha had arrived at school early in the morning for an assignment and was diligently crossing the campus.

After arriving at the library’s computer room and taking a corner seat, he began to sketch out the rough framework of his report by looking up theses and searching the internet without a moment to catch his breath.

It was when he was typing hard on the keyboard, having resolved to focus as much as possible before eating lunch.

Feeling something vibrating in his pocket, he checked it in a hurry and saw that a message had arrived.

[Shin Joowon: Yooha, what time do you finish work today?]

Yooha, checking the notification window, swallowed hard and bit his lip.

Although he had been perfectly fine just a moment ago, his heart was now beating so fast that the pulse could be felt at his fingertips.

Consciously taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, Yooha sent a reply.

[I finish at eight today.]

For some reason, he couldn’t let go of his phone and held it tightly with both hands, and before long, a new message popped up on the screen.

[Shin Joowon: Okay ^^]

Checking the concise message, Yooha rolled his eyes in frustration.

‘How should I reply?’

‘Is it okay if I don’t?’

‘Still, if I don’t reply at all, it might look like I’m ignoring him….’

While he was worrying, his phone vibrated shortly once more.

[Shin Joowon: Make sure to eat a good lunch ^^]

It was a message that created the illusion of Joowon speaking to him in a sweet voice right beside him.

A corner deep inside his chest, beyond his reach, tickled unbearably.

Yooha curled and uncurled his toes with force repeatedly, and then sent a reply.

[Yes, you have a delicious lunch too, Hyung.]

From the moment he pressed the send button until the number next to the message disappeared, Yooha stared only at the screen with a trembling heart.

Although no reply came back, Yooha, feeling rather at ease, put his phone into his jumper pocket.

He placed his hands on the keyboard again.

However, his mind felt completely blank, and he couldn’t remember at all what he had been about to type.

Although the letters on the monitor were definitely typed by him, looking at them again, they seemed entirely unfamiliar.

Wondering if it was because he was tired, he pressed his palms against his eyelids and stretched.

“…….”

Opening his eyes again to stare at the monitor, Yooha flinched and startled.

It was because Shin Joowon’s face was floating all over the screen.

Although he shook his head and blinked several times, the afterimage of Shin Joowon did not vanish so easily.

‘Now, you’re going to hang out with me again, right?’

With that bright smile and gentle voice.

Even though he knew he had to focus on his assignment right now, once it came to mind, his heart wouldn’t settle at all because of Shin Joowon, who kept persistently digging and wedging his way into his thoughts.

Yooha unknowingly stroked the back of his hand, recalling the warmth that had melted his ice-cold hand yesterday.

‘It’s not your fault, so you don’t need to feel sorry to me.’

Did Shin Joowon know?

Just how much comfort that single sentence had brought him.

It felt like he was receiving comfort and compensation not only for the incident that day, but for all the times he had blamed himself, so he had almost burst into a sudden fit of tears.

Because he had held it in with all his might, he was glad he hadn’t shown a pathetic appearance in front of Shin Joowon.

Instead, he had ended up sobbing while chewing over those words before falling asleep, drawing Woo Tae’s worry.

‘Everyone just talks however they want anyway. As long as it’s not true and I’m confident, it’s fine. I’ve never cared about things like that.’

Shin Joowon seemed infinitely soft, yet he was a person whose own convictions and center were firm and solid.

Was that why he could be kind to everyone and confident everywhere?

Unlike himself, who was used to stepping back because he always lacked confidence, Shin Joowon was a person who could courageously step forward.

Although he had already known Joowon was a cool person, he realized it once more through yesterday’s incident.

At the same time, Yooha also realized how foolish he had been.

Just how absurd his judgment had been, and how meaningless his actions to distance himself from him had been.

Although Shin Joowon said he didn’t need to feel sorry, Yooha couldn’t easily shake off that feeling.

On the other hand, he was curious.

Why did Shin Joowon say he wanted to get along well with him, ask him to hang out, and even contact him first?

No matter how much he thought about it, he was not a good match for Shin Joowon, so why did Joowon keep pouring in continuously like an unavoidable sudden shower?

Even after chewing it over repeatedly, no answer came.

Perhaps Shin Joowon was a person with a lot of pity.

The kind of person who couldn’t just pass by a pitiful person, and looked at a loner with eyes of sympathy.

If so, it was understandable.

Since it wasn’t as if there had never been anyone who approached him and reached out a hand as if symphatizing with him being alone.

Even if that were the case, it didn’t matter.

He knew best himself that he was in no position to put up his pride against someone’s pity and sympathy.

“…….”

Even if it was pity or sympathy, it would be fine if he could get a little closer to Shin Joowon.

If they could become friendlier than they were now.

If they could become close like friends, who could greet each other warmly when they met and share small conversations…

“Haa….”

Continuing his thoughts, Yooha shook his head vigorously.

No matter how much Shin Joowon said it was fine and that he didn’t need to feel sorry, it was an unchanging fact that he was of little help to him.

He had to brace his mind before it ran wild on its own.

‘Let’s just quickly do the assignment….’

Now was not the time to be engrossed in useless thoughts.

Yooha, letting out a sigh, lightly patted his cheeks.

His eyes, reading down the thesis displayed on the screen, moved busily.

****

By the time he finished his library work-study, which was his last schedule of the day, it was dark outside.

Perhaps because he had moved a lot of heavy books today, his arms and shoulders were subtly aching.

He felt he should melt his tired body with a hot shower as soon as he arrived home.

‘It would be nice if I could at least sit down on the subway….’

He briefly harbored a small wish, but quickly gave up on it.

Because he had never once been able to sit comfortably when heading home at this hour.

Instead, Yooha adjusted his bag strap and hurried his steps.

To catch the bus to the station, he had to quickly head to the Humanities Building bus stop, which was closest to the library.

As he was passing by the parking lot, a car’s headlights shone upon Yooha.

When he stopped and shielded his eyes with his forearm because of the glare, the white light that had been blocking his view was quickly lifted.

Turning his gaze toward where the light had shot out from, he saw a familiar car parked there.

The black car body, which gleamed with presence even in the darkness, was definitely Shin Joowon’s.

Yooha, snapping to attention, walked toward the car with quick steps.

Since it seemed Shin Joowon had recognized him, he felt he should at least greet him.

As he approached the driver’s seat, Shin Joowon immediately rolled down his window.

“Hello….”

“Hi, Yooha.”

As if he were the only one surprised by the unexpected encounter, Shin Joowon was wearing a kind smile.

Seeing the softly curved eyes, Yooha, whose body heat had risen for no reason, avoided his gaze and bowed once again.

Having offered his greeting, he was about to head toward the bus stop again.

“Why are you standing there? Get in quickly.”

However, Yooha couldn’t turn his body and had to freeze in place.

“…Pardon?”

“I’ll drive you.”

It was because Shin Joowon, who had driven him home yesterday as well, said he would drive him home today too.

Yooha, flustered, waved his hands.

“No, it’s okay…. You drove me yesterday too….”

“I told you I like driving. Can’t you open the door? Should I open it for you?”

“Ah… o-oh, no. I’ll get in…….”

If he didn’t get into the car right away, it seemed Shin Joowon would personally open the car door like a chauffeur.

Spotting him trying to unfasten his seatbelt, Yooha had no choice but to quickly get into the passenger seat.

He tried to catch his breath after putting on his seatbelt, but Yooha’s breathing stopped as he was enchanted by the subtle scent swirling inside the car.

He had definitely felt it once before.

Not the sweet smell of fruit that stimulated the appetite, but a scent that brought to mind a heavy wine matured over a long time.

At that time, the concentration had been thick enough to make him faint, leaving him no room to think of anything else, but now he could also feel the smell of flowers and wet wood mixed with the wine scent.

‘This is truly Shin Joowon’s pheromone….’

His body, heavy and exhausted from fatigue, felt as if it were lightly floating in the air.

Even his dampened mood was slowly and languidly easing.

Unlike before, the pheromones, which carried no sharp edge, eventually seemed to warm his body temperature little by little; Yooha, flustered, tightly clenched his fists and held his breath.

“Did you eat a good lunch?”

Yooha only snapped out of it upon hearing Shin Joowon’s voice.

While he had been briefly intoxicated by the pheromones, the car was already exiting the campus.

If there was a saving grace, it was that the pheromones were slowly thinning because the windows were open.

Yooha, desperately ignoring the heat that made his body shiver, barely managed to answer.

“Yes….”

“What did you eat?”

“…I ate cafeteria food.”

Although Yooha lacked conversational skills, whenever someone asked him a single question, his answer was always sincere and earnest.

Woo Tae had advised him several times to just act toward others the way he did toward him, but perhaps because they weren’t people he had known for a long time like Woo Tae, carrying on a conversation comfortably was difficult.

He was also worried he might make a mistake for no reason.

“You should have eaten something more delicious. Did you eat alone?”

“Yes….”

“Next time, if you have time, let’s eat together.”

Most people had misunderstood that Yooha didn’t want to talk to them and had distanced themselves, but Shin Joowon didn’t do that.

Yooha, feeling grateful for that once again, parted his lips.

However, he couldn’t let any words out.

Because if he rashly opened his mouth before his thoughts were organized, it felt as though his violently beating heart would leap right out of him.

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