Chapter 48: An Invisible Shift

“Hyung!”

Chaewoo turned around, his mouth falling open in surprise.

“Choi Jaeyeol?”

Choi Jaeyeol, who worked at the same store, was standing there.

Chaewoo quickly erased what he had been typing in the chat and shoved his phone into his pocket.

“I was passing by and thought it was you. Are you coming to work later?”

“I have to. It’s been a while since I saw you at school.”

“Lately I’ve been going straight home right after lectures. Where are you heading, Hyung?”

“I’m going home…, ah, right. I was actually planning to contact you. What are you doing tomorrow evening?”

If he went to Cheongju tomorrow and came back, there was a high possibility he wouldn’t make it to his evening part-time job.

He had to ask the manager for understanding or find a substitute in advance, so he thought it would be better to ask Choi Jaeyeol since he had run into him.

“I have plans to drink with a friend.”

“I’m sorry, but could you cover my shift? Just for tomorrow.”

Contrary to Chaewoo’s apologetic face, Choi Jaeyeol shrugged without even thinking.

“Tomorrow? Since it’s a drinking plan, I can postpone it, but is something going on?”

“A schedule suddenly came up due to a department event.”

“Ah. Then tell the manager in advance, Hyung.”

“So it’s a yes?”

“Yes. In return, swap with me once when I’m in a pinch later.”

“I will, thank you.”

Chaewoo nodded, looking relieved.

“Where were you heading?”

“I’m going to a meeting for a team project. Ah, I might be late at this rate.”

“Then hurry up and go.”

“I should. See you later, Hyung!”

Choi Jaeyeol waved his hand and quickly distanced himself, just as he had when he appeared.

Chaewoo adjusted his cross-body bag hanging on his shoulder.

He felt like his steps, which had been heavy until a moment ago, had lightened up slightly.

It was a relief that he found a substitute right away.

Fortunately, it was possible because his shift tomorrow didn’t overlap with Choi Jaeyeol’s.

Chaewoo quickly opened his chat app and sent a message to the manager.

****

The next day.

The four met in front of the school and loaded the items the professor had requested and the props Jeong Taehyun had borrowed into Euigeon’s car.

Having placed the last piece of gear into the trunk with sleepy eyes, Chaewoo opened the back door to get into the car.

Or rather, he tried to open it.

Click.

When the door remained locked and wouldn’t open, Chaewoo looked toward Euigeon at the front of the car.

“The door is locked here.”

“Senior Seol, you should ride in the passenger seat. So I won’t be bored on the way.”

Euigeon, leaning against the car at an angle, replied while sipping his coffee.

Unlike his usual casual attire, today he wore a white shirt, dark grey slacks, and a thin trench coat over them.

Standing in front of the car in that outfit, he looked like a mature adult, quite different from his usual image, which felt unfamiliar.

Just then, Kim Yunso and Jeong Taehyun, who said they were stopping by the restroom, were approaching from behind.

Chaewoo went and sat in the front seat without a word of complaint.

He didn’t want to bicker with him from the morning.

“Euigeon, should I drive if you’re tired?”

Jeong Taehyun asked as he climbed into the back seat.

Seeing the door that had been locked earlier open perfectly now, Chaewoo glared at Euigeon.

“Let’s go. It’s not even far.”

“I’d feel burdened driving your car too, but I just said it because I felt bad since you’re not even taking gas money.”

“Beom Euigeon isn’t taking gas money? I brought cash separately to give to him.”

Sitting in the back seat as well, Yunso asked in surprise, pulling herself forward.

“Senior, he just doesn’t accept cash because he finds it troublesome.”

“Even a bank transfer…”

“He says that’s troublesome too. Leave him be.”

“Ah, it’s nice, but my conscience is pricking me. By the way, are we heading straight to Cheongju?”

“No. We’re going to pick up the ordered lunchboxes first.”

“You said Chaewoo was booking it yesterday, right? Where did you do it?”

“At C Dessert in Sinsa-dong…”

As soon as Chaewoo answered, Kim Yunso and Jeong Taehyun’s expressions stiffened.

“Isn’t that place incredibly expensive?”

“Even if the three of us split it, that place is a bit…”

“I’m planning to pay.”

Chaewoo answered exactly as Euigeon had instructed.

Because he wasn’t actually the one buying, his voice was limp.

However, no one found it suspicious.

Glancing subtly toward Euigeon, he was staring straight ahead, focusing on driving.

“Wow, it seems Senior Chaewoo’s parents took him back in after all.”

“Took me back in?”

Chaewoo turned his head to the back seat to look at Jeong Taehyun.

At that, Jeong Taehyun recited the false rumors circulating in the department with a bright face.

“This story is quite famous. They say you insisted you wouldn’t do music during your junior year, fought with your parents, and were kicked out practically empty-handed…”

“Who says that?”

“Everyone probably knows. They said you had your car taken away and were kicked out of your house then. Well, surely your parents wouldn’t completely turn away from you when you’re going to get lessons from the professor, right?”

Having his car taken away and being kicked out of the house was true, but it wasn’t his parents’ doing.

He roughly knew the rumors were distorted, but the scope was much further off than expected.

Deciding not to correct it out of petty pride, Chaewoo shut his mouth.

The conversation that had flowed naturally died down for a moment.

Chaewoo stared out the window with slightly dazed eyes.

Because it was before rush hour, the road was empty.

The car moved forward without obstruction.

At this rate, they would probably arrive in Cheongju a bit earlier.

“Ah, right. I brought this.”

Kim Yunso, who had been listening to music through an earphone in one ear, rummaged through her bag.

After a rustling sound, a bite-sized baked bread came out from inside.

“Why did you pack bread?”

“Because I didn’t eat breakfast. Anyone want to try? Chaewoo, eat some too.”

Chaewoo took the individually wrapped bread in a clear bag and examined it.

To anyone, it looked homemade rather than store-bought.

Was it during his sophomore year?

He recalled her mentioning in passing that her partner at the time forced feminine hobbies like cooking or baking on her.

‘Surely she isn’t still seeing him?’

While taking out and eating the bread, which had burnt spots here and there, he felt quite uneasy.

He had heard she often fought back then too, as her personality was far from such things.

“How is it? It’s good, right?”

“You don’t usually make things like this. It’s totally ‘not great’ (byeol-lo).”

Chaewoo turned back to look at Yunso, who sat diagonally behind him.

Only after seeing Yunso’s expression stiffen did he belatedly realize his mistake.

‘Was I too harsh?’

He had said it out of concern that she might have forced herself to do something she disliked.

“Hey, my grandmother baked this during baking class at the nursing home.”

“Cough!”

Jeong Taehyun’s choking sound was heard loudly.

Because it was an unexpected answer, Chaewoo was also flustered and froze.

“Wow.”

Euigeon, holding the steering wheel, let out an exclamation.

“…….”

“…….”

It was a heavily sunken atmosphere.

Of all things, to think her grandmother had personally baked it at the nursing home.

Conversely, Chaewoo imagined someone calling something his father had made with all his heart at the nursing hospital ‘totally bad.’

Just thinking about it was so unpleasant that he wanted to go and argue immediately.

Not knowing how on earth to apologize, Chaewoo carefully chose his words for a few seconds.

‘Senior, Senior.’

Just then, Jeong Taehyun, who was coughing, leaned close to Chaewoo and whispered.

And he whispered to the frozen Chaewoo as if it were a grand solution.

‘Totally bad. Like a star (byeol) in my heart.’

‘What is this bastard talking about?’

When Chaewoo looked at Jeong Taehyun as if telling him to stop talking nonsense, the junior nodded with a confident expression, telling him to go ahead.

He resolved to just apologize and was about to open his mouth, but upon seeing Kim Yunso’s stiff face, his spirits sank and he muttered before he knew it.

“Like… a star in my heart.”

“…….”

“…….”

Instead of warming up, the air grew even colder.

‘Ah, I’m doomed.’

Chaewoo apologized, not knowing what to do.

“That was nonsense just now. I’m sorry, Yun…”

“Pfft!”

“Ah, Seol Chaewoo. You’re driving me crazy.”

Suddenly, Jeong Taehyun held his stomach and laughed so loud the car shook.

Now that he looked, Kim Yunso also had tears welling in her eyes.

“…Was it a joke?”

“Would it be for real then?”

“You said your grandmother made it.”

“That’s true, but it’s such a failure that even family won’t eat it. Sorry, Chaewoo. I also thought it tasted terrible.”

“No, Senior Chaewoo! Anyone can see this is a failure.”

Jeong Taehyun roared with laughter, pointing at the burnt black parts.

Only then did Chaewoo realize he had been tricked and felt relieved.

At the same time, a sense of injustice surged.

He didn’t know whether to consider this a relief or get angry.

Regardless, the two sitting in the back were laughing, looking at each other, holding and releasing the bread, making a fuss as if about to collapse.

“Did you see? He said ‘a star in my heart’ so seriously.”

A faint smile also hung on Euigeon’s lips, who had been silent until now.

“Senior Seol is quite naive.”

“Totally, totally.”

“He’s had a naive side since he was a freshman. Oh, but I dropped crumbs because I was laughing so hard at Chaewoo-saurus. What should I do? Since it’s failed bread, it’s sticky.”

Kim Yunso looked around, seeing the crumbs scattered on her clothes.

Although dumbfounded, Chaewoo took out wet wipes from the glove compartment and handed them to Yunso.

“Wipe it with this.”

“Okey, thanks.”

“Eh, how did you know the wet wipes were in there?”

Suddenly, Jeong Taehyun, who was in the back, poked his head forward and asked.

At that, Chaewoo’s hand froze.

“True. Isn’t this your first time in Beom Euigeon’s car? It was very natural.”

Yunso, who was quietly accepting the wet wipes, also questioned him while wiping the breadcrumbs and sticky syrup off her clothes.

Although it was nothing more than light banter rather than a serious interrogation, Chaewoo, who had a guilty conscience, felt his heart beating rapidly.

To avoid showing his nervousness as much as possible, Chaewoo slowly closed the glove compartment.

“Just… don’t people usually put wet wipes in here?”

“My dad just places them haphazardly in the back seat.”

“No, they don’t? Everyone I know stores them in the glove compartment.”

“It seems Senior Seol has ridden in other people’s cars a lot. Or maybe you’ve wiped a lot of things.”

‘You, shut your mouth.’

Chaewoo mouthed the words to Euigeon beside him.

Fortunately, he didn’t blabber any more strange words.

The two sitting in the back also grew quiet, seemingly losing interest soon.

Still, his resentment hadn’t cleared, so he shoved the failed piece he was eating, which came from the nursing home, into Euigeon’s mouth.

“Still, since Yunso packed it, you have a bite too.”

“Ah.”

As soon as he tasted it, Euigeon’s face stiffened.

Regardless, Chaewoo shoved the remaining bread all the way in.

“Hey, Beom Euigeon. What’s with that expression? I’m a bit hurt.”

Contrary to her words, Kim Yunso giggled, observing his expression reflected in the mirror.

“Unfortunately, your grandmother has no talent for baking, Senior.”

Euigeon, who had managed to swallow everything Chaewoo shoved in, gave his final review.

A look of discomfort was clear on his face, which had been unperturbed until now.

And he glanced at the water he had bought at the convenience store beforehand.

“Senior Seol, get me some water.”

Chaewoo opened the bottled water sitting in the cup holder and held it out to Euigeon.

The hands they reached out collided briefly, Euigeon’s and Chaewoo’s.

Even though it was a common contact, Chaewoo almost dropped the water bottle.

“Hmm?”

Euigeon glanced sideways as he drank water, as if asking what was wrong.

“…Nothing.”

Startled by his own behavior, Chaewoo leaned his body tightly against the seat.

Was it just his imagination, or was it because of what Euigeon had said yesterday?

Even though it was a face he saw every day, it was definitely unfamiliar.

Enough to keep him constantly conscious of him.

However, what that was remained difficult to explain.

Trying to wipe the nervous look off his face, Chaewoo glanced at Euigeon’s indifferent profile.

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