Contrary to her fears, there was plenty to talk about. This meant the conversation never really stopped. Taehyung had been strangely resolute in rejecting Sooyeon's mentions before, but now that the three of them were together, he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he even displayed his signature sociability, calling her "Sooyeon-ah" at some point. Perhaps that's why Sooyeon would bow her head and click her fingernails whenever she had the chance. While she was undoubtedly embarrassed, Yeoju knew that her behavior stemmed from happiness. Even if it didn't seem like it, she'd been persistently begging him to introduce her to Kim Taehyung, and this meeting had finally come to fruition, so she must have finally felt like she had the world on her hands today.
"You must be busy. Maybe it's because it's just before the midterm, but the amount of homework these days is no joke."
"That's right... I have to start preparing for the practical exam before the assignment, but I'm so lost."
"Practical?"
Taehyung, who had been talking to Sooyeon for a while, turns around. His eyes meet those of Sooyeon, who had been absentmindedly sipping her drink.
"Oh, are you talking about that time you held onto the canvas and drew for days on end?"
"··· Uh huh. Something similar."
"You've worked hard."
Taehyung turned his head back to Sooyeon, as if he had nothing more to say. Jiyeoju coughed slightly, feeling a pang of irritation. Perhaps it was because Taehyung was acting more casual than expected. "I said I didn't like this kind of thing, but I'm doing well." Watching the two walk side by side, Yeoju felt a sense of relief.
/
Naturally, Taehyung couldn't sleep until quite late that day. While it's true that he was tired from the unexpectedly long outing, his difficulty closing his eyes was more likely due to something else. When he got home, he stood in front of his closet, unbuttoning his shirt one by one. He even pretended not to care on KakaoTalk because he hoped Yeoju would pay him some attention, even just once. He wasn't expecting much of a stir. He just... wanted it to be a little annoying. Like the thread in a buttonhole, something that caught his eye, bothered him, and bothered him. Just that much. Taehyung desperately wanted to be included in Yeoju's category, no matter how much.
After changing into comfortable clothes, he lay down on the bed. His mind was in a state of flux. As expected, his homework was piling up, and with exams looming, everyone was probably having a hard time. He buried his face deep in the pillow. "I made plans to study with Jiyeoju this weekend..." Taehyung muttered softly, but a loud vibration spread behind him. Even the table shook, and Taehyung tried to ignore it, but eventually, with a slow movement, he straightened up.
"This guy..."
After a while, he paused for a moment after checking the sender of the KakaoTalk message.
/
At the same time, Ji-eun swirls her glass in her hand. Her beautifully placed eyebrows rise once. The bustle and bustle of the place was undoubtedly a drinking party. To be precise, it was a book club dinner. It's a public reading club, but all they do on any given day is put the book down and slurp and slurp, making it a group that only the most extroverted of individuals could even attempt. There were only about five or six absentees. The excited female students, who had just arrived, seemed to be looking for someone, but soon took their seats with a look of regret. Ji-eun almost felt the same way. If only she had gotten a call.
"But... I didn't know you could read it right away."
He muttered to himself, untangling his tangled hair. As he gazed intently at the spot where the number 1 had disappeared in the increasingly tense atmosphere, his gaze slipped. Startled, Ji-eun slammed down the glass she was holding.
Wow, jackpot.