token of love

05 Kim Tae-hyung (1) _ Aji Writer

김태형 [20]

["I like you, friend or whatever."]

Even after I got home and lay down in bed, Kim Taehyung's words wouldn't leave my head. You're my biggest enemy.

That day and that incident, which connected the thread of bad relationship between us that cannot be forgotten even after several years have passed.

When I close my eyes, I vaguely remember what happened that day.

My high school days were the first thing that came to mind, the sight of students dressed neatly in uniforms and playing in small groups on the playground. I was no different.

신여주 [18]

"taehyoung kim!"

김태형 [18]

"Oh~ the latecomer goddess~"

신여주 [18]

"Hey...! I told you to wait..."

김태형 [18]

"Are you telling me to be late too? That's not right~"

신여주 [18]

"You ungrateful brat... You really ran like crazy."

김태형 [18]

"Do you want to go to the store for that? I'll buy it."

신여주 [18]

"Oh, really?"

신여주 [18]

"Okay, let's go!"

Kim Taehyung and I were so close that rumors spread that we were dating beyond just being good friends at school. Of course, we weren't dating.

It was just that Kim Taehyung had a crush on me, it wasn't a relationship.

김태형 [18]

"There was a club meeting today. Are you in the band?"

신여주 [18]

"Yeah, right~"

김태형 [18]

"Is the music that good?"

신여주 [18]

"You like art too."

신여주 [18]

"To be exact, I compose the most, but if I were to major in it, I think it would be easier to learn an instrument."

신여주 [18]

"Where are you going with your degree?"

김태형 [18]

"Would I have applied for the Art Appreciation Club for nothing?"

김태형 [18]

"I'm going to go to a prestigious university and major in art therapy."

김태형 [18]

"To be exact... Areum University."

신여주 [18]

"I'm going there too, why are you joking around with me again?"

김태형 [18]

"If it's good."

신여주 [18]

"Study hard, you're going to a prestigious university."

김태형 [18]

"You hurry up and eat your sandwich, you idiot. I know you skipped breakfast."

신여주 [18]

"That's right, it's delicious. Thank you."

I decided to go to the prestigious university I am currently attending and even decided on a major.

김태형 [18]

"I'm going to wash the mop. It's my turn to clean today."

신여주 [18]

"Shall I go with you?"

김태형 [18]

"No, you're on duty next week, and it'll be hard if you help me this week too."

신여주 [18]

"But... the kid on duty with you doesn't do anything."

김태형 [18]

"It's okay, but eat that sandwich before the teacher comes."

신여주 [18]

"huh..."

If you think about it, even though Kim Taehyung has a bratty personality now, back then he had a nerdy vibe, wore glasses, and was relatively gentle.

Because of that damn Kim Taehyung personality, there were a lot of girls who intentionally approached the popular guy Kim Taehyung, who everyone knew about except for the person in question.

신여주 [18]

"...Park Jeong-woo."

The most representative example is Park Jeong-woo. He was a kid who played around a bit, but he was a kid who studied a lot and took good care of himself, so the teachers liked him.

He was a kid who only bothered Kim Taehyung because he was jealous of his popularity and didn't bother other kids.

This week, I'm on cleaning duty with Kim Taehyung, but since I don't lift a finger, the kind and gentle Kim Taehyung ends up doing all the cleaning duties.

박정우 [18]

"Hello_ Are you a newbie?"

I promised myself not to fall for that wolf trick until he approached me.

신여주 [18]

"Oh, yeah."

박정우 [18]

"I've heard a lot about you. By the way, you're really pretty."

박정우 [18]

"Kim Taehyung... was worth keeping an eye on."

신여주 [18]

"what?"

박정우 [18]

"Oh, no_hehe"

박정우 [18]

"By the way, what about Kim Taehyung? You two are always together."

박정우 [18]

"Did you even fight?"

I gave up trying to speak politely to Park Jeong-woo's arrogant tone, as if he wanted Kim Tae-hyung and I to fight.

신여주 [18]

"Why are you speaking so twistedly?"

신여주 [18]

"Kim Taehyung and I aren't even dating, so why do I have to be stuck with him 24 hours a day?"

박정우 [18]

"Why are you acting so twisted?"

박정우 [18]

"I thought you were gentle because you resembled Kim Taehyung, but I guess that's not the case?"

신여주 [18]

"If you keep talking like that, why don't you help Kim Taehyung with his cleaning duties?"

신여주 [18]

"Do you think that if you're popular with your teachers, you don't have to do such dirty work?"

박정우 [18]

"A chore? Isn't that what you're thinking?"

신여주 [18]

"Watch what you say, and if you're here to flirt with me, listen up."

신여주 [18]

"I hate people like you who feel inferior to others and even look down on them."

박정우 [18]

"I really like you, you're the first person who's ever said that to me."

박정우 [18]

"And yet, I'm not even dating Kim Taehyung... This is funny."

신여주 [18]

"Shut up, don't talk to me until I graduate."

박정우 [18]

"Listen to me and go."

박정우 [18]

“You should know what Kim Taehyung is up to.”

박정우 [18]

"If you knew, you wouldn't be able to treat me like this."

박정우 [18]

"Rather, it would be something to be called transgression?"

신여주 [18]

"At least better than you, Kim Taehyung."

신여주 [18]

"Because of his sharp personality, he was popular and had no friends, but it was Kim Taehyung who approached me first."

신여주 [18]

"You and I are worlds apart."

박정우 [18]

"Well, what if he was talking to all these women besides you?"

신여주 [18]

"What are you saying now?"

박정우 [18]

"Think about it, why did you hang out with Kim Taehyung and both of you get cursed at?"

박정우 [18]

"Not only have I been seeing this woman and that woman, but now I'm openly seeing you."

박정우 [18]

"How many of those girls have been hurt..."

신여주 [18]

"Kim Taehyung's personality? Don't make me laugh."

박정우 [18]

"Yeah, that damn show-off personality..."

박정우 [18]

"If he was innocent from the beginning, how would he have talked to you?"

박정우 [18]

"I'm doing this because I'm worried about you~ I'm your friend."

신여주 [18]

"...Don't be ridiculous. Since when have we been friends?"

The credibility of Park Jeong-woo's words? There was none. I don't know it now, but back then, I was young and didn't know how to treat people, so Kim Tae-hyung catered to me.

So, I don't trust people easily, and when I hear bad rumors about someone, I suffer from extreme anxiety and cut off all contact, so I don't have any friends.

I'm 20 now and things have improved a lot, but what would I know when I was 18 and had no experience with relationships? That's why I was even more shaken by Park Jeong-woo's words.

박정우 [18]

"Aside from that kid, what about me?"

박정우 [18]

"Honestly, Kim Taehyung is so innocent that he doesn't even have the guts to protect you~"

박정우 [18]

"In that case, wouldn't it be better to have a gangster friend like you said?"

신여주 [18]

"...Park Jeong-woo. What do you want to do with me now?"

김태형 [18]

"Hey, I'm here. Oh, is Jeongwoo here too?"

Kim Taehyung seemed to arrive early today. As soon as he saw Kim Taehyung, Park Jeongwoo, who was sitting across from me in the seat in front of me, stood up and spoke quietly.

박정우 [18]

"Let's have lunch together later. Wait for me after school, Yeoju_ㅎ"

신여주 [18]

"....."

김태형 [18]

"What, what did he say to you?"

신여주 [18]

".......grave,"

김태형 [18]

"Huh? What did you say..."

신여주 [18]

"Don't talk to me, you bastard...!"

김태형 [18]

"Huh? Hey, are you crying...?"

신여주 [18]

"...Get your hands off me."

김태형 [18]

"Hey, heroine? Hey, where are you going, Shin Yeoju!"

I shook off Kim Taehyung's hand, which was trying to wipe my tear-filled eyes, grabbed my bag, and left the classroom. I heard his voice calling me from behind, but I didn't look back once.

김태형 [18]

"Oh, where are you going..."

박정우 [18]

"Are you just talking about your worries?"

김태형 [18]

"You may not want to talk about it."

박정우 [18]

"You still don't know me either"

김태형 [18]

"...what did you say to the heroine?"

박정우 [18]

"You get it now?"

김태형 [18]

"Hey you son of a bitch...!!"

It felt like something inside me was crumbling. What did I do to you, Park Jeong-woo, to protect Shin Yeo-ju, who was tough on the outside but weak on the inside?

After a brief flashback, I opened my eyes. There were still many stories left to tell, but I felt I couldn't recall them any longer, as it would be too painful.

As you can see, I naturally drifted away from Kim Taehyung because of the false rumors about him and Park Jeongwoo who intentionally approached me and shook me up when I had a hard time with interpersonal relationships.

Kim Taehyung probably had his reasons, but I didn't want to hear them. I was scared. And I was sorry. I couldn't face you. After all, I was the one who ignored you first.

I was really surprised when I saw you at the high school reunion before entering college. Did you hear everything Park Jeong-woo said to me in high school? I wondered if you were really the nerdy Kim Tae-hyung.

Of course, you didn't even pretend to notice me, and just looked at me with cold eyes.

Aram University, Art Therapy Department... I'd heard so much about it, and it turned out to be the university and department you'd always wanted to go to. You've worked really hard, haven't you?

Tiring_

민윤기 [25]

_ "Want to meet up for a bit?"

Yeah, I don't want to have any regrets about a relationship that's already over.

김태형 [20]

["Shin Yeo-ju, let's restore our relationship."]

...I won't leave it behind, absolutely not.