PA 6

“By the way, you’re going to this MT, right?”

“It’s this Friday, isn’t it? I couldn’t even go to the freshman orientation, so I’m planning to go this time.”

The two of them talked, losing all track of time. Just then, a cafe part-timer approached them and, with a careful smile, told them that they would be closing soon.

“It’s already eleven o’clock. Junhyuk, you didn’t miss the last bus, did you?”

“I drove here.”

“Oh, really? You have a car too?”

“I’m driving my father’s. You’re going to your dorm, right? I’ll give you a ride.”

Junhyuk said, making a plausible excuse. Yejun waved his hands, saying he would walk, but Junhyuk personally opened the passenger door and had Yejun get in the car.

“Enter the address in the navigation system.”

“Ah… you don’t have to give me a ride.”

Yejun entered the address in the navigation system and sat up straight. It was at that moment. Junhyuk stretched out one arm and came closer to Yejun. Yejun’s heart pounded for a moment at the sight of Junhyuk, who was suddenly so close their faces could touch. The intensely nervous Yejun’s gaze shifted to the window, and in that interval, Junhyuk pulled the seatbelt all the way across.

“You have to wear your seatbelt.”

“Ah… thanks.”

Yejun felt a sense of relief for some reason, and at the same time, became so embarrassed his face turned bright red.

☂︎

Friday came faster than expected. After finishing his major classes, Yejun walked toward the economics department building, opening his bag to check if he had packed everything he needed.

A change of clothes, underwear, a charger….

“Ah, a toothbrush!”

Yejun realized he was missing something only when he was almost at the economics department building. Yejun looked at his watch to check the time.

“There are still thirty minutes left, so.”

“What are you muttering to yourself about?”

Just then, Junhyuk came up from behind, put an arm on Yejun’s shoulder, and spoke with a grin. Yejun, who found it a bother to go buy a toothbrush, zipped up his bag and replied in a slightly disgruntled voice.

“I didn’t bring a toothbrush, so I was about to quickly go to the convenience store in front of the school.”

“There’s a snack bar in the west wing of our building.”

“Really?”

“I’ll go buy it.”

“Ah, no! I can go get it….”

Junhyuk rushed off toward the west wing of the economics department building without giving Yejun a chance to stop him. Minhwan, who had been watching the two with interest from the side, took advantage of Junhyuk’s absence to approach Yejun.

“Hey, where is he running off to like that?”

“Oh, hello.”

“You’re that famous Lee Yejun from the Theater and Film department, right? I’m Kim Minhwan, a third-year in the economics department.”

“Ah… yes. I am Lee Yejun… but I’m not famous.”

Minhwan looked at Yejun, who replied with a gentle smile, with a curious gaze.

“Cha Junhyuk, where the hell did that bastard run off to? Leaving you all alone.”

“Ah… I didn’t bring a toothbrush. He said he’d go buy one for me.”

“…Wh-what did you say?”

“He said he’s going to buy a toothbrush….”

“He is?”

Minhwan was utterly dumbfounded by the fact that Junhyuk had gone to buy a toothbrush for someone else. He absolutely could not believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. He stood next to Yejun and waited for Junhyuk to return.

Using that as an excuse, Minhwan observed Yejun carefully. His transparent, snow-white skin, so fair you could believe he had vitiligo, looked as soft as fine snow piled up overnight and as smooth as porcelain. Moreover, his delicate, slim body strongly stimulated a protective instinct.

“You’re not very photogenic.”

“Y-yes?”

“You look much better in person.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Yejun, standing still with a blank face, somehow seemed indifferent to others, and also looked cold in a way. Perhaps because of that, there was a part of him that was unapproachable, as if a barrier had been erected around him.

However, when he smiled faintly like he was now, Yejun looked as pure and clear as a young child. Moreover, he had the power to instantly disarm the other person.

“Is this why Cha Junhyuk is volunteering to be his gofer?”

“Ah… it’s not like that.”

It was at that moment. At the sight of Junhyuk glaring at him from a distance with fierce eyes, Minhwan had no choice but to quickly take a step back from Yejun’s side. When he saw that Junhyuk was truly holding a toothbrush in his hand, Minhwan was completely flabbergasted.

“Toothbrush.”

“Thanks.”

Yejun took the new toothbrush from Junhyuk and put it in his bag.

“Yejun!”

“Ah, Wonyoung.”

Wonyoung was running toward Yejun from a distance, bringing along their classmates from the Theater and Film department. They surrounded Yejun in a circle and began to chatter excitedly.

“They say we’re using a private pension house today. It was built early this year, so it’s brand new, and the facilities are supposed to be amazing.”

“Really?”

“I wonder if there’s a swimming pool too?”

“Apparently, they’re going to fill it with warm water, so we can play for at least four or five hours.”

“Awesome.”

Yejun felt like his head was spinning with so many people talking at once. But perhaps because it was his first MT, he couldn’t hide his excitement.

“It’s time. Let’s get on the bus.”

While people were talking, Wonyoung, who had finished taking attendance, gave the word, and people began to get on the bus one by one. Yejun had boarded the bus with his department classmates and was hesitating about where to sit.

“Take the window seat.”

Junhyuk, who had appeared out of nowhere, sat Yejun down in the window seat as if trapping him there, and spoke with a gentle smile.

“You don’t mind going with me, right?”

“O-of course.”

Yejun nodded his head vigorously and gave Junhyuk a bright smile.

☂︎

Yejun had a habit of always sleeping whenever he was in a car. Some claimed it was a type of motion sickness. Yejun couldn’t find any evidence to refute that claim and decided to think of his habit of falling asleep in cars as motion sickness.

And so, Yejun had fallen into a deep sleep on the bus again today. At first, he seemed to have only dozed off, leaning his head slightly against Junhyuk’s broad shoulder.

Screech.

The car in front made a sudden stop, causing the bus driver to also brake abruptly, and everyone in the bus lurched forward. Startled by this, Yejun also woke up and looked around. Then, his eyes met Junhyuk’s.

“Uh….”

Only then did Yejun realize he had been sleeping practically held in Junhyuk’s arms. He felt he had been too much of a nuisance to Junhyuk, and his face burned hot.

“Sorry, was it very uncomfortable because of me?”

“I was sleeping too, so I didn’t notice.”

“Ah… really?”

“We’re almost there. Let’s get ready to get off.”

Just as Junhyuk said, the bus was driving down a bumpy country road.

“Wow… it’s so green and lush.”

Yejun, who was seeing a green landscape for the first time in a very long time, smiled happily and looked at Junhyuk. Junhyuk ruffled Yejun’s hair and shifted his gaze to the window with him.

A short while later, the bus slowly came to a stop, and all the students got off. A beautiful building, like a villa that might be found in the quiet countryside of medieval Europe, came into their view, and everyone let out cries of admiration.

“Wow… this is the most luxurious MT accommodation ever.”

“I know, right?”

Minhwan, after confirming that everyone was off the bus, jumped onto a flat rock and shouted in a loud voice.

“First floor for the guys, second floor for the girls.”

“Okay!”

“Everyone, put your luggage down and come out to the yard. Let’s grill some meat first.”

“Okay!”

Yejun looked around, taking in the surroundings. In the center of the spacious front yard covered with green grass, three tarps were installed in a row to block the strong sunlight, and under them, folding tables were lined up. Opposite them was a large swimming pool being filled with warm water.

“Wow… Yejun, there’s a real swimming pool here too.”

“Right… the pool is really big too. I think it’ll be fine for all of us to go in and play.”

“But this place really looks like a villa. No matter how you look at it, it’s not a pension house, is it?”

As Yejun’s department classmates gathered around him while he looked around, admiring the place together, Minhwan approached them and spoke in a low whisper.

“This is actually the villa of someone I know.”

“Really?”

“When I said the school was going on an MT this time, he gladly let us borrow it.”

“He must be really rich.”

Wonyoung said, looking at Minhwan with a surprised expression. Yejun nodded his head and went inside the villa. Just then, Junhyuk placed his bag down next to Yejun’s and asked.

“Do you like it here?”

“What does it matter if I like it or not? But it is really nice. I’ve never seen a house like this.”

“Really?”

Junhyuk smiled with a somehow proud look on his face.

“Yejun, I’ll go out first. Come out soon.”

“Okay.”

Junhyuk threw the denim jacket he was wearing onto the bed and went outside. Yejun, left alone in the room, changed into a white round-neck T-shirt and beige cotton shorts to be more comfortable. Then, he slipped on a pair of slippers that were lying haphazardly at the entrance and went out to the yard.

It was at that moment. Yejun’s classmates swarmed him. Yejun dodged them and ran around nimbly, but it was no use. They lifted Yejun up in a flash and started running.

“Ah! You guys! I said I’m not going in the water!”

“What do you mean you’re not?”

“Hey, hey!”

They had already thrown Yejun into the swimming pool, which was full of warm water. Yejun’s body sank completely under the water before bobbing back up. Yejun struggled and righted himself, then rubbed his soaked face frantically with both hands.