Chapter 36

"I want to go, but I'll ask my uncle first."

Chahaya, who had lived in Indonesia, said he had never been on a domestic trip. Even when asked about Indonesia, he would only say, "I lived in the countryside."

"If he says no, can I lend you some?"

"You don't have any money."

Chahaya pulled a chair over to Seo-un's desk.

"Why not? I've saved a lot of money."

Seo-un had been using his father's desk as a bed all morning because he had stayed up late playing games in secret. Even when Chahaya poked him, he just rested his chin on his arms, looking annoyed.

"Really, I'm rich."

Seo-un didn't have much cash because he used the check card his father gave him. Still, the pocket money he received from his parents' friends was enough to cover his PC room expenses.

"Chahaya, I know you're rich. You always buy me good food and pay for the PC room."

Anyone listening would think Chahaya was being bought with money.

Seo-un already knew that some people were gossiping about their relationship. One said Chahaya was shameless, and another said Seo-un was a pushover. But there was one thing they might not know.

His uncle's kimchi-making skills were as good as any master's, and Chahaya, who made fried rice with that kimchi, had the skills to open a restaurant. Those who had tasted Chahaya's kimchi fried rice would surely line up with money in hand.

"I want to eat kimchi fried rice."

"I'll cook it when we get home."

"With an egg on top."

"You said you didn't like our eggs because they were bad."

"No, I like them."

Seo-un felt a bit guilty for his thoughtless comment.

Thanks to his mother's sensitivity to food, he had only eaten organic products since he was young. He always received eggs from a farm that raised chickens free-range, and those eggs had very hard shells. However, the eggs in Chahaya's fridge broke easily with just a slight tap. Moreover, the yolk spread out flat in the pan, lacking elasticity.

The eggs seem a bit off. Maybe they're bad. He tried another egg, but it was the same. Chahaya, who was frying rice next to him, just laughed.

"Hey! How are you going to assign rooms for the math trip?"

Han Don-hee, who had just run over, leaned on Seo-un's desk and pounced from behind.

"Shit, did you run here? It's hot, so get lost."

"I need to wipe my sweat on Cha Seo-un."

"Ah, Han Don-hee, I really hate you."

"Kid, this isn't sweat. It's water from washing my face."

"It's mixed with sweat, isn't it?"

"It's the holy water of Han Don-hee."

Han Don-hee rubbed her wet forehead on Seo-un's shoulder. Seo-un, who had been lying there lazily, pushed her away and sat up.

"Kid, what a temper. They say we're having squid soup today. Are you going to the snack bar?"

The cafeteria was always terrible, but he had no intention of going to the snack bar. Seo-un didn't want to burden Chahaya.

"No, I'll just eat the cafeteria food. What about you, Chahaya?"

He asked Chahaya's opinion, knowing his financial situation, as a form of consideration.

"I like squid soup."

"What? You don't have any preferences."

Chahaya's likes and dislikes were vague. He didn't particularly dislike any food or people. He probably just thought squid soup wasn't bad. Chahaya often used ambiguous language that led people to misunderstand.

The day before, a girl in the class had asked, "Hey, do you like my lip color?" and he had replied, "Yes, it's pretty." The girl's embarrassed, red face was unforgettable. He could have just said it suited her, but he had made her feel awkward. However, he didn't understand why his own mood was bad.

"Oh, right. My mom said to come over to our house. She says she's forgotten what you look like."

Even after washing her face, Han Don-hee was fanning herself with the bottom of her uniform, as if it was still hot.

"If I have time."

Han Don-hee's mother was a famous university vocal professor. The woman, with hair like a lion's mane, always openly praised Seo-un. She often grumbled that she wished she could swap her disgusting son for him. Seo-un had liked her, but that feeling had faded over time.

He couldn't remember why he and Chahaya had gone to Han Don-hee's house on a day off. Perhaps it was because the PC room they often visited was near her house.

His mother was delighted to see Seo-un, and Chahaya was also welcomed. However, she soon frowned when she saw the old shirt Chahaya was wearing. His clothes were always clean, but the wear and tear couldn't be hidden. The smell of poverty, usually hidden by his appearance, was evident in his casual clothes.

She grilled him about where he lived and what his parents did, just like his father. Chahaya always answered honestly with the same smile.

Thinking about how cold she had become made his head throb.

"Chahaya? Is that your real name?"

Seo-un had initially thought his last name was 'Cha' and his first name was 'Haya.' It was an unusual name, and it was hard to pronounce, so he just called him Chahaya.

"Yes, but it's not Korean."

She clicked her tongue at Chahaya's smiling face and didn't speak to him again.

Seo-un wondered why his mother, who was usually friendly, treated Chahaya like that, and even Han Don-hee was embarrassed that day.

"When will you have time?"

"I don't know."

Seo-un, recalling the unpleasant memory, said coldly.

"Cha Seo-un, aren't you really funny? You're not going, right? My mom hates that kid."

Han Don-hee openly pointed at Chahaya. Chahaya was sitting in the same position, texting someone. When Han Don-hee pointed him out, he just looked up with a puzzled expression.

"Does your mom hate me?"

"You should have noticed, right?"

"Does someone who hates you give you pocket money to buy clothes?"

"…What? Pocket money?"

Seo-un was surprised.

"Yes, she gave it to me when I went to their house."

"Your mom gave you pocket money?"

"Yes, I used it to pay for the PC room, not to buy clothes."

Chahaya had indeed paid for the PC room for a while. Seo-un was surprised to learn that the source of the pocket money was not his uncle but Han Don-hee's mother.

"Wow… I feel so betrayed."

Han Don-hee kicked Chahaya's desk.

"You said you were good at studying, so I really teased you. My aunt is such a hypocrite."

In a world obsessed with grades, Han Don-hee spat and left through the back door. She actually wasn't good at studying and didn't get the results she wanted despite her efforts.

Seo-un wondered what this unpleasant feeling was.

He had distanced himself from her because he thought Han Don-hee's mother disliked Chahaya. Now, it felt like his consideration had been thrown away like a balled-up piece of paper. But Chahaya had never asked him to do that. He felt betrayed for no reason.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"About getting pocket money from her."

"Cute kid, are you jealous?"

Of whom? Chahaya? Or her?

Chahaya's joke confused him.

Chahaya then looked at his phone and made an "oh" face.

"Let's go on the math trip."

"Your uncle said so?"

"No, I'm working part-time on the weekend."

"What kind of part-time job?"

"Serving at a fish stew restaurant."

Seo-un frowned at the unexpected part-time job.

"Wouldn't a fitting model job pay better?"

Seo-un, though not as good as Chahaya, often received business cards from entertainment agencies. Usually, they were from unknown, suspicious places, but sometimes they were from well-known companies. So, it was natural for him to think of a high-paying part-time job like a fitting model.

"Those jobs require a lot of attention, which is more troublesome. I prefer a regular part-time job."

Last month, a representative from a large entertainment company had persistently followed him, asking for his contact information. Chahaya firmly refused, saying he was tone-deaf, rhythm-deaf, and a bad actor, the worst combination. Seo-un had wanted to suggest that he at least keep the contact information, but knowing Chahaya's personality, he kept quiet. Chahaya wasn't the type to put on an act to impress others.

"You sound so high-minded when you say you'll live your life as you please."

"Come here, it's time to kiss Cha Seo-un."

As Chahaya approached, Seo-un quickly got up and ran to his locker.

"Asshole, your lips are even more swollen because of you."

"Seems like I'm getting better at it."

Chahaya pouted. The girls in the class rolled their eyes, saying, "They're at it again," but there was a hint of amusement in their laughter. Even the girls who were usually short-tempered when Chahaya dated Minji from the next class were included.

Chahaya, you should just be a public resource for the sake of world peace. Since he had no girlfriend, Seo-un no longer needed to be considerate, which made him feel relieved.

After a mental battle, Chahaya successfully grabbed Seo-un's lips, but as always, his touch was gentle.

Softly, softly, Seo-un bit the hand that was playing with him, more roughly.

***

"How did you earn 500,000 won?"

Seo-un, who had fallen back asleep in the morning, woke up after noon. As soon as he woke up, he asked a bewildering question.

"500,000 won?"

Chahaya, who had just finished washing, was drying his hair with a towel.

"At the fish stew restaurant…"

Seo-un, still dazed, sat on the bed. He had always been a heavy sleeper. During the math trip, he would say, "Five more minutes, five more minutes," and end up sleeping for 30 minutes.

"Since no one will wake you up, just sleep more."

"I'll get up."

The strength in Seo-un's eyes faded again. Chahaya smiled and shook his water bottle at Seo-un. The plump, kissable lips took a sip from the bottle. Seo-un, who had drunk the remaining half of the water from yesterday, gradually regained his color, like a wilting plant coming back to life.

"Why fish stew? Do you want to eat it?"

Seo-un looked puzzled. Then, realizing something, he looked at Chahaya.

"No, you worked there, didn't you?"

"Oh, for the math trip?"

500,000 won was the money he earned from working at the fish stew restaurant for two weeks. Since he only worked on weekends, he worked for only four days.

"How did you earn it? The tips must have been similar to your wages. People in your neighborhood spend a lot of money. They gave generous tips."

Chahaya stretched, saying it was no big deal.

"Who gives such generous tips at a fish stew restaurant?"

Looking back, he had received generous tips only one day.

"I met a girl from your apartment complex."

"…At the fish stew restaurant?"

"At that time, her college friends were there and gave a lot of tips."

"You met college students too?"

Seo-un looked annoyed.

"I didn't see them for a few days. Then she left for abroad."

Chahaya smiled up at Seo-un. Their eyes met, and Seo-un's gaze dropped to Chahaya's chest.

Seo-un often did this even before his eyes turned purple. He had a strong desire to say something but didn't. Unlike Seo-un, I usually say what I want, so I found it hard to understand.

Moreover, when I asked what he wanted to say, he usually replied that it was nothing. Seo-un was simple yet complex. He might have a lot on his mind, so I once waited for him to speak when the time was right. What was the result?

It got infinitely distant.

Now, when he sees such ambiguous behavior, he feels a strange urge. He even imagines eating a violet, the same color as his eyes.