EAR Ch 29

Since his nape was grabbed, he couldn’t move his head, nor could he step backward. This time for sure, like a person who left his fate to the guillotine, Jaemin gave up everything and squeezed his eyes shut tight. Still, feeling nervous couldn’t be helped, so cold sweat thinly seeped onto his clenched fists, and his lips and eyelashes were still trembling faintly.

“This time I’m hitting on five. One… two…”

The countdown began. Whether Seungpyo enjoyed watching the scared Jaemin, he counted the numbers more sluggishly than at first. As much as the slowed speed, the fear and hatred felt by Jaemin surged twofold. Jaemin squeezed his eyes shut tighter.

“Three… four… five!”

…But this time too, only the sound of a finger snapping was made, and pain as if his head would crack open was not felt.

‘I didn’t dodge…? Did it miss? If it missed by any chance, it’s Oh Seungpyo’s mistake, so I should tell him to count it as getting hit once.’

Jaemin opened his eyes hesitantly while bringing up various possibilities.

The first thing to enter his field of vision was naturally Seungpyo’s face. Playfulness filled his handsome face, and holding his lips tightly shut as if suppressing a laugh, the moment his eyes met Jaemin’s, only then did he burst into a booming laugh, bwahaha.

“You’re really funny! If you were gonna be scared to this extent, what were you trusting to place a bet so confidently?”

“…”

“You’re literally shaking, shaking, shaking, so I can’t hit you because I feel sorry for you, man. It feels like I became the bad guy.”

Seungpyo was zealous in teasing Jaemin, putting on a pitiful expression and even imitating trembling heavily. The complexion of Jaemin, which had been slightly flushed with tension, gradually turned cold.

…It couldn’t be helped right now. Since a lot of high school life still remained, the day to kill that guy before graduation would come too, wouldn’t it? Now that winter break was also coming to an end, the day to squash those three characters of Oh Seungpyo right below his own name once again on the 2nd year’s first exam rank bulletin board was not far off. Grinding his teeth, he retorted.

“You are a bad guy. Then are you nice?”

Oh Seungpyo barely managed to compose his chuckling laughter and straightened his disheveled body. If he had hit him properly without useless fooling around, it was a time when he would have already finished getting hit all ten times. Becoming anxious, Jaemin looked at his watch and said bluntly.

“Don’t fool around and do it quickly. I told you I have to go to academy.”

“Then don’t shake.”

“If you hate seeing it, then close your eyes and hit, then.”

“For someone trembling, your mouth is alive so you act really tough, huh.”

Seungpyo rolled his finger roundly again and brought it to Jaemin’s forehead. Perhaps because spite and anger preceded fear, Jaemin’s trembling had settled down calmly. Jaemin glared at Seungpyo fixedly without even closing his eyes. Seungpyo instructed once more with a tragic, solemn expression.

“Then I’m going right away this time.”

“Got it.”

“One, two, three.”

A fast counting. And finally Seungpyo’s finger flew over and hit Jaemin’s forehead.

At the texture of the fingertip touching raw skin, Jaemin flinched his shoulders slightly, but he didn’t scream, nor did he cry.

That was only natural. Seungpyo’s finger had merely touched Jaemin’s forehead as if tapping it tap. That was all. Feeling doubtful, Jaemin knitted the space between his brows slightly. Does this count as hitting once too?

“…What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, Seungpyo dropped his shoulders abruptly and wore a bitter smile.

“Forget it, kid. I’ll let you off with this. Let’s act like there was no such bet.”

“…”

“If you get hit ten times properly by me, do you think your forehead would remain intact? Then what, would your parents stay still? Right now I’m playing along because you threatened to send me to the School Violence Committee, but if I get tangled up in a bet you placed and get investigated for school violence, it’s a wasted effort.”

Jaemin was just staring blankly at Seungpyo, who was packing his bag while spouting sophistry-like words. Words to retort to the sudden change in attitude didn’t come to mind.

Seungpyo slung his bag over his shoulder, then turned his gaze to Jaemin, who was still standing fixed in one place. When was he giggling while laughing, he was putting on a sheepish expression as if he had never done so. He opened his mouth after hesitating unlike himself, like a person about to bring up difficult words.

“Hey, and.”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. You told me to apologize.”

“…”

“I just, back then because you said stuff like you’d show me notes or lose the exam for me, I got pissed off so I did that. I had no intention of threatening you with something like that, nor did I have any intention of executing it. Since I didn’t give you forehead flicks, you let it slide once too.”

It was a story even harder to retort to. Jaemin was still only blinking his eyes without expression like a mute who ate honey.

The person who put forward the condition to make an apology if he lost in the bet was himself. Having received the wanted apology, even though it resulted in a success, for some reason, rather than being happy, his face turned hot and flushed like when he felt embarrassed.

Jaemin likewise hesitated, then swallowed hard once and answered.

“But you, my photo… no, but you said there was a photo you saved. That’s…”

“There isn’t.”

“…Huh?”

“It was just words to scare you, and there wasn’t one from the beginning. …I didn’t refrain on purpose, but while getting into a keyboard war with perverts, my account suddenly exploded so I didn’t even have time for that.”

While Jaemin stared blankly at Seungpyo at the unexpected words, Seungpyo walked with large strides, turned off the classroom lights, and gestured outside the door.

“Come out quickly. You said you have to go to academy too.”

That was true. Whatever the circumstances were, academy class time does not wait for students. Jaemin hurriedly stepped out of the classroom. The two walked side by side down the hallway without a word, and in silence, they walked down the stairs silently.

Whether because evening was approaching or because the weather was about to change, the sky, which had been brightly clear, was hazy in a light gray color. Clouds were heavily cast, but when actually lifting one’s head to look up, it was weather that was dazzling. Reaching the 1st floor entrance, Seungpyo didn’t even look back at Jaemin and only peeked and looked up at the sky, bringing up words first this time too.

“When you said let’s make a bet, honestly it was kind of funny. Because a guy who hasn’t even played basketball before seemed to look at it real easy.”

“…”

“But you worked damn hard and did well. I’m the one who seems to have thought too easily.”

“…About what?”

“Just everything.”

Oh Seungpyo, who only laid out enigmatic words, stepped out first. Jaemin didn’t follow him and stood still in front of the entrance.

Seungpyo, who was striding ahead with his long legs, suddenly turned around with a swish and shouted toward Jaemin.

“Be sure to bring my phone tomorrow!”

For some reason, deep in his throat became heavy, making it difficult to open his mouth easily. Jaemin only nodded his head, then answered a beat late.

“Got it!”

Having heard the answer, Seungpyo turned his body again and began running.

Without departing right away, Jaemin, who was looking down only at his feet, crossed the playground only after kicking a small pebble rolling around the entrance for no reason with a thump. Perhaps because it was winter with short days, compared to when they played the match, the day had set quite a bit.

📚

Having barely avoided being late for academy by a narrow margin, Jaemin finished class and arrived home past 9 PM at night. Still, since it was break, compared to during the semester, his return home time was on the earlier side.

Perhaps because he had drained his strength playing a basketball match with the kids during the day and even used up his remaining energy squabbling with Oh Seungpyo, today he was exceptionally tired. However, perhaps because the matter that had remained as a burden on his heart for a few days was finally ended cleanly, he felt better than usual.

Humming a song under his breath faintly, Jaemin entered the house and was greeted by the housekeeper at the entrance. The helper seemed to be just about to leave work, in the middle of putting on her shoes.

“Ah, Jaemin student…”

“I’m home. You’re here until late today?”

Jaemin, who greeted her pleasantly, soon read a sense of incongruity from her expression. Full of anxiety as if some worry had arisen.

“Is something wrong?”

At that moment, a voice calling Jaemin was heard from inside the living room.

“If Jaemin is here, come in here quickly.”