It was the day after midterms ended.
Maybe because the exams were over, the class group chat had been noisy since morning.
Later tonightLet’s go over it ㄱㄱ
Exams are over, so we should drink.
Everyone’s coming.
I looked down at the group chat, and suddenly thought of Wonbin.
The type who, once exams are over, would probably just go back and forth between home and the library.
After a moment’s hesitation, I opened a private chat.
Exams are over, right?
Yes.
Are you free tonight? The class is having a get-together, want to come too?
This time, the reply was a little late.
...
Would it be okay if I went...?
I couldn’t help laughing.
Why?
I...Not yet...
I don’t really have anyone I’m close with.
I was worried I’d just be a bother.Just looking at the screen made me feel bad for him.
So
you should come.I’ll be there too.
I’ll introduce you to everyone.
I’ll stay right by your side, so don’t worry.
There was no reply for a long while.Then a careful message arrived.
...
Then
I’ll go.
*In front of the bar.
We got there ten minutes before the meeting time, but Wonbin was already there.
A hoodie and jeans.
He was looking around, glancing this way and that.
"You got here early."
"...Noona."
"Nervous?"
"...A little."
"A little?"
"...A lot."
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
"No one’s going to eat you today."
"...I know that."
"...?"
"...There are a lot of people I don’t know."
He looked seriously nervous.
"Let’s go."
I opened the door first.
"Guys."
One by one, my friends looked up.
"You’re here."
"Oh, Park Wonbin."
Wonbin bowed right away.
"...Hello."
"Hi."
"Sit down."
I’d deliberately left the seat next to me empty.
"Sit here."
"...Okay."
As soon as Wonbin sat down beside me, his face looked a little more relaxed.
Seeing that made me feel oddly proud.
'You’ve improved a lot.'
If this had been before, he probably wouldn’t even have come to a place like this.
*
The first thirty minutes went exactly as expected.
When my friends talked to him, he gave short answers.
When they laughed, he laughed along.
And he drank his first drink slowly.
"Wonbin."
Minseok raised his glass.
"We haven’t properly introduced ourselves yet, have we?"
"...No."
"Relax."
"...Okay."
"..."
"..."
And that was that.
A brief silence fell, then everyone burst out laughing.
"He’s seriously cute."
"You nervous?"
Wonbin nodded, only his ears bright red.
"Yes."
That one answer loosened the mood.
"Hey, I like how honest he is."
"Seriously."
"He’s better than I thought."
My friends started talking to Wonbin more naturally, one by one.
I felt strangely pleased.
*
After two or three drinks, I got a little more hyped too.
"Minseok."
"What."
"Some side dishes this way."
"Get them yourself."
"How stingy."
Just as I was reaching out, Minseok laughed and slid the plate toward me.
"Thanks."
"Buy me meat."
"Nope."
We bickered and laughed and chatted like usual.
Wonbin was quietly watching us.
'Are those two always that close?'
Minseok kept joking around with Yeoju.
Poking her shoulder.
Clinking beer glasses.
Laughing together.
It was nothing special.
And yet it was strange.
My eyes kept drifting there.
Every time Minseok laughed.
Every time Yeoju laughed.
It was somehow getting on my nerves.
'Why are they that close?'
'Were they always that close?'
I took another sip of beer for no reason.
*
After the get-together ended, we came out of the bar.
One by one, my friends went to catch taxis.
I walked over to Wonbin.
"How was it today?"
"...It was fun."
"Right?"
"More than I expected."
"See? The guys are fine, right?"
"...Yeah."
After walking in silence for a bit, Wonbin opened his mouth.
"...Noona."
"Hmm?"
"...Minseok sunbae and..."
"Yeah?"
"...Are you close?"
I answered without really thinking.
"Yeah."
"We’re in the same year."
"We’ve been attached at the hip since freshman year."
"...Ah."
Wonbin didn’t ask anything else.
But somehow.
One side of my chest felt tight.
*
[Wonbin’s POV]
After getting home.
Even lying in bed, the same scene kept replaying in my head.
The way Minseok sunbae had laughed.
The way noona had laughed along.
The way the two of them had joked around so naturally.
'Why.'
Wonbin stared at the ceiling.
'Why do I keep thinking about this?'
They were just close upper and lower classmates.
They said they’d been close since freshman year.
That was normal.
So why.
Did I feel so bad for no reason?
After tossing and turning for a long while, Wonbin pressed a hand to his forehead.
"...No way."
In an instant, everything clicked.
Why I’d felt weird whenever noona was with another guy.
Why I’d felt strange just hearing about other guys.
Why my eyes kept following noona whenever she laughed.
"...I."
The small murmur scattered through the room.
"...I like noona."
*
There was no way around it.
