GBAS 41

It was none other than Baek Jooin who appeared before his eyes.

“I wasn’t sure it was you, what a relief.”

He almost screamed. To give an idea of how surprised he was, it felt as though his heart had plummeted all the way down to his feet.

Hyunwoo clutched his chest, which still felt like it was tingling, and rubbed it gently.

Even in the midst of that, he praised himself for showing the presence of mind to trail off his sentence. It was a relief that he hadn’t finished his words, and that Jooin didn’t seem to have heard what he said.

‘Of all the people to mistake…!’

If he had let his guard down for just a moment, he would have been utterly embarrassed.

Hyunwoo’s mind was in turmoil, but Jooin’s expression was exceptionally peaceful. Hyunwoo bowed his head to Jooin, who was looking up at him as if asking what was wrong, and spoke haltingly.

“Uh, when did you get here?”

“Just now.”

“Y-you should make some noise when you walk around.”

“I did.”

“…Ah.”

Right. He did. He really did.

Since Hyunwoo and Jooin were standing in the widest aisle near the counter, everyone who passed by glanced at the two of them. Jooin, understanding that they were being given hints, nudged the dazed Hyunwoo and asked.

“Where’s our table?”

“Ah, the table. It’s, it’s over there.”

Hyunwoo pointed to the window seat where he had been sitting. After confirming the table with something piled high on it, Jooin grabbed Hyunwoo’s arm and strode forward.

As Hyunwoo walked behind Jooin, his gaze fell on Jooin’s back. He hadn’t seen it often, but every time he did, Jooin carried his guitar case like a turtle shell, and its absence now felt very awkward.

Jooin had said he couldn’t eat because he had to go straight to the practice room after their meeting, so Hyunwoo’s suspicion grew deeper and deeper.

It was then.

“This is the one, right?”

Jooin asked, looking back at Hyunwoo with a flick of his eyebrows.

“……”

Ah, you surprised me.

Hyunwoo’s eyes, hidden under his cap, widened.

He had known Jooin for two years, but during that time, they had only met in person twice. Moreover, today was the first time they were meeting one-on-one.

Most of their interactions took place inside the game, and recently, he had seen Jooin more through videos, so to Hyunwoo, Jooin felt less like a real person and more like a character from a digital world.

The game’s customization for Jooin also contributed to Hyunwoo feeling this way. The face, which was about an 80-20 mix of the real Baek Jooin and the game’s default preset, had a softer impression but was also somewhat plain.

Seeing his distinct features up close, the feeling was new. Hyunwoo eagerly scanned the face presented right before him without any barrier, feeling a sense of gladness.

The pale skin that looked like it should be soft, the prominent brow bone, and the sculpted nose were strangely harmonious. His lifeless lips actually created an understated mood, and his black hair, tied back messily with strands falling out, seemed like an accessory.

Somehow, Baek Jooin was handsome down to his chin, even his ears.

As he was inwardly marveling, the round yet sharp eyes under the jet-black eyebrows stared intently at the person in front of them. Jooin’s eyes twitched as if bothered by the gaze roaming over his face, and he asked again.

“I asked if this is it.”

Snapping back to his senses, Hyunwoo nodded, and Jooin immediately turned around and took a seat on the sofa across from him.

Crossing his legs, Jooin gestured with his chin towards the pile of snacks and paper slips in a corner of the table.

“You said you just got here.”

Damn it. I forgot to hide them.

His expression crumpling, Hyunwoo flung open the bag he had placed on the empty seat, grabbed a handful of the items, and threw them inside.

Jooin watched the flustered Hyunwoo tidying up with an intrigued look. He read a few words written on a Post-it note that had flown towards him and let out a chuckle.

“You’re popular, huh?”

At Jooin’s indifferent remark, Hyunwoo’s movements came to a halt. It was probably a thoughtless comment, but for some reason, a part of him felt a surge of emotion. It was something like a feeling of disappointment.

Hyunwoo slowly raised his head. Meeting Jooin’s eyes with a downcast look, Hyunwoo pouted his lips and replied.

“What’s the point of being popular?”

After clearing away the last piece of paper that had flown towards Jooin, Hyunwoo set his bag down on the chair next to him and straightened his posture.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence flowed between them.

If only they had their drinks, their mouths wouldn’t be so idle, but the pager he had received with the receipt showed no sign of buzzing. As he was just glancing at Jooin’s face, his own hair came into view. Ah, this is it.

First, Hyunwoo cleared his throat, ahem, to buy some time. Then, he pulled down the strands of hair peeking out from under his cap to make them more visible. Casually, as if it were nothing, but beneath it lay a calculated attempt to draw Jooin’s attention.

But Jooin was engrossed in looking around at the large plants that filled the cafe.

…Might as well take it off.

Letting out a small sigh inwardly, Hyunwoo finally took off his cap and placed it beside him. He then ran a hand through his hair, shaking it out. It was to fix his hair, which had been pressed down for a long time.

Only then did Jooin’s head, which had been looking elsewhere, turn towards Hyunwoo. Noticing Hyunwoo’s hair, Jooin raised his eyebrows slightly.

“Oh.”

A small exclamation escaped him. Hyunwoo inwardly cheered and tried hard to suppress the smile that was about to bloom. Then, in a calm voice, he asked.

“…Why?”

“You did your hair?”

Jooin leaned his upper body forward slightly, as if to get a closer look at Hyunwoo’s hair.

“Yeah, it’s been a little while.”

Hyunwoo answered nonchalantly, but it was actually a lie.

He had rushed to the hair salon as soon as they set a date for their meeting and, ignoring the worried protests of the hairstylist, had poured bleach onto his hair. The result was the very hairstyle Jooin had praised in the game. It was a style far from his own taste, but after the treatment was done, it didn’t look half bad.

“It’s pretty. It suits you.”

“Really?”

As Jooin nodded, Hyunwoo’s cheeks puffed up.

Hmph. Baek Jooin will never know. How many times I washed my hair from last night until today to get rid of the harsh chemical smell.

Basking in a sense of pride, Hyunwoo stretched his neck out, waiting for more recognition, but contrary to his expectations, Jooin didn’t add another word and immediately changed the subject to the main point.

“So what was it you wanted to talk about?”

“Why?”

Jooin made a dumbfounded expression at Hyunwoo’s question, which came without even a breath’s pause.

He had asked because Hyunwoo, who had called him out saying he had something to talk about, hadn’t opened his mouth. But now he was being asked why he was asking. It was a way of thinking that was hard to understand, as if he were always two steps ahead.

“Well, didn’t you say you had something to talk about?”

“I do, I do, but.”

Hyunwoo trailed off, avoiding his gaze. As his hesitation dragged on, Jooin leaned back against the backrest and quietly watched the fidgeting Hyunwoo.

Jooin crossed his arms and tapped his forearm with his index finger. It was a silent signal, as if telling him to hurry up and talk.

At this, Hyunwoo, who was glancing around like a puppy hiding a misdeed, finally managed to speak.

“Are you just going to leave after hearing what I have to say?”

A hint of disappointment could be felt in his voice, making Jooin tilt his head.

He hadn’t really thought about his schedule after their conversation ended. Still, since they met for a reason, he thought they should resolve that first. What on earth did he want?

In the midst of the subtle war of nerves, the pager buzzed. Hyunwoo shot up from his seat as if a lifeline had been thrown to him and hastily left the spot.

‘Good grief.’

Hyunwoo soon returned with two drinks and quickly handed over the coffee, trying to escape the atmosphere. Jooin stirred the straw in his cup and took a sip, then another, of the cold coffee.

“You don’t have your guitar today?”

This couldn’t be the only reason he called him here.

At Hyunwoo’s question, Jooin removed his lips from the straw, nodded, and answered.

“Yeah. Practice got canceled.”

“Aah.”

After the exclamation that was something of a reply but not quite, silence fell again.

“……”

Jooin glanced at Hyunwoo, whose mouth was clamped shut as if glued, and chewed on his straw.

‘I should have dealt with it decisively back then.’

He seemed to have something to say, but seeing as he couldn’t get a single word out, Jooin had a strong feeling that if he left it like this, they would be at a stalemate for hours without any progress.

Taking a large gulp of coffee, Jooin gently set the glass down on the table and opened his mouth.

“Did you call me because you’re curious about what happened that day? To continue the conversation we were having in the dungeon?”

Jooin gestured to the people filling the surrounding area and continued.

“It’s a bit difficult to talk about that here.”

There are too many ears listening, so wouldn’t it be hard? As he hinted at this, Hyunwoo’s face instantly flushed red.