Sweet Shot

#13

The urge to see him hit Ha-min like a bolt of lightning. The desire to at least hear his voice, even if he couldn’t see him, was welling up like a spring. Before he knew it, the phone was already ringing. He felt pathetic for using alcohol as an excuse to make a call, but such thoughts didn’t matter now.

“Hello.”

Ah, his heart fluttered at the low voice coming through the phone. Just hearing his voice made him so happy. Ha-min smiled to himself as he spoke.

“…Hyung, it’s me, Ha-min.”

His voice was slurred and tinged with laughter due to the alcohol. The other person chuckled softly at Ha-min’s articulate introduction of himself.

“Yes, Ha-min.”

At the gentle voice calling his name, Ha-min’s smiling eyes became wistful. It felt like thousands of emotions were stirring in his chest. Hyung didn’t know, but he was alone in this.

“Ha-min?”

Another gentle call came through the silence without a response. Ha-min tightly gripped his phone, feeling his mood sink. Then he quietly spoke.

“Hyung, I… I’ve been drinking…”

“Mm.”

You told me to call you last time, so… so…

The words wouldn’t come out. He had called on impulse, but now he couldn’t speak. He was silent like a mute who had eaten honey, unable to say anything for a while, but there was no urging from the other end.

“…”

“…”

The silence, as if waiting for his next words, made his chest tighten. He missed hyung. From this morning, no, from a few days ago, no, every day. He wanted to see him every day, hear his voice every day, such impulsive words were choking his throat. That’s when it happened.

“Honey, who is it?”

A voice that wasn’t hyung’s came through the phone. He could guess who the voice belonged to. At this late hour, there was only one person who could call Tae-rim “honey”. His girlfriend.

At that voice, all his drunkenness and impulse disappeared as if he had been doused with cold water. As his mood suddenly plummeted, he finally realized his actions. He bit his lip hard, realizing he had almost done something terrible under the influence of alcohol. You crazy bastard… Song Ha-min, you crazy bastard.

Ha-min unconsciously pressed the end call button. He pressed end while clutching his startled chest as if he had committed a crime. He didn’t even think about how Tae-rim might be surprised by the sudden disconnection, he just felt he had to stop this madness immediately.

Brrrr.

As soon as the call ended, another call came in. Tae-rim hyung. The saved name floated on the screen. Ha-min gripped the phone tightly, almost crushing it, as he looked down at that name. He curled up, burying the vibrating phone against his chest.

He didn’t know what he was doing now. He had no idea how to control this indescribable, messed-up feeling.

**

The sunken mood didn’t improve easily.

He still had a hangover, and remembering what he had done while drunk kept his mood from recovering quickly.

The next day, Eun-soo caught Ha-min as he came to school looking weak and asked. Did Cha Jun-seong pick a fight with you, oppa? If he did, she asked as if ready to give him a good beating. Did that bastard force you to drink? She bombarded him with questions, eyes full of suspicion, but Ha-min shook his head.

Even if that were the case, he had no intention of tattling to Eun-soo. And when he met Cha Jun-seong in the classroom, Jun-seong made eye contact with Ha-min and whispered with his group. The atmosphere wasn’t good, but Ha-min tried to ignore it. This much was nothing.

“Honestly, if it wasn’t for Cha Jun-seong, there’s no reason for you to drink like that, oppa.”

Eun-soo looked like she still couldn’t understand no matter how much she thought about it.

“That bastard seems to have been holding a grudge against you lately. Before you came, he thought he was the best-looking guy in the department.”

“……”

“It’s not like we’re playing gang in college, it’s so childish.”

After the lecture ended, everyone bustled out of the classroom. Even as they were leaving with their bags slung over their shoulders, Eun-soo continued grumbling, clearly displeased.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry.”

“Sigh… Why do I always worry when I look at you, oppa?”

Eun-soo said exaggeratedly, waving her hands. Ha-min was about to laugh softly at her playful words when-

“What are you talking about?”

A gentle, ear-catching baritone voice came from behind Eun-soo and Ha-min. Both Ha-min and Eun-soo turned around with surprised faces.

“Hyung…?”

“Oh…! Ah, hello!”

Eun-soo greeted with a flustered face at the sight of Tae-rim in front of them, while Ha-min called him softly. Tae-rim looked at them calmly, despite their surprise, and smiled gently.

“Hello.”

After a light greeting, Tae-rim raised his hand and grabbed the back of Ha-min’s neck. He rubbed his fingers on the exposed nape. Ha-min’s neck stiffened at the strange sensation, and Tae-rim calmly looked at Eun-soo.

“But Ha-min’s friend…”

At Tae-rim’s call, seemingly not knowing Eun-soo’s name, Eun-soo opened her eyes wide instead of answering.

“What do you mean?”

“Pardon?”

“What worries are you talking about?”

Tae-rim asked back as if he didn’t understand. At the same time, the hand that was familiarly holding the back of Ha-min’s neck gently caressed his skin. It was a sudden attack. Both his sudden appearance and the sudden touch. Ha-min’s sunken mood lifted for a moment. At the same time, his gaze was captured by Tae-rim’s handsome profile. His mere presence was shaking Ha-min. While Ha-min’s sight was stolen by Tae-rim’s face for a moment, Eun-soo opened her mouth, seemingly flustered.

“Yes…? Ah, he drank yesterday…”

Even Eun-soo, who was usually sharp and decisive, seemed quite surprised by Tae-rim’s sudden appearance. Even she, nicknamed the “connection-rich,” stumbled over her words as if overwhelmed by the approach of someone she couldn’t get close to.

“Hello, sunbae-nim!”

Just then, someone from the group pouring out of the classroom like a wave recognized Tae-rim and greeted him politely, bowing deeply. The loud voice was enough to make passing students glance over. Of course, there were a few students who recognized and greeted Tae-rim, but none as noticeably as this.

“Hello. But who are you?”

He asked, adding to his usual “hello.” His tone suggested he couldn’t help but ask due to the overly polite greeting.

“Ah, I’m Cha Jun-seong, Ha-min’s classmate!”

The protagonist was none other than Cha Jun-seong, and Eun-soo, listening from the side, let out a breath as if exasperated. She glanced at him with a look that found his attention-seeking behavior absurd.

“Ah… with Ha-min.”

Tae-rim’s hand moved from the nape of Ha-min’s neck to his shoulder. He mumbled quietly while kneading Ha-min’s shoulder.

“Are you close?”

Tae-rim had asked Ha-min, but the shameless Cha Jun-seong, who had butted in, answered politely.

“Well, yes. We do group projects together, drink together. Sometimes he even confides in me, right?”

Cha Jun-seong grinned and sought agreement from Ha-min. Despite the rather absurd scene, Ha-min’s attention was focused not on Cha Jun-seong in front of him, but on Tae-rim standing right next to him.

How long has he been here? Did he wait until the class ended… for me?

“Didn’t you force oppa to drink when he can’t handle alcohol well?”

It was Eun-soo who threw a jab at Cha Jun-seong, who was rambling on trying to impress Tae-rim. Her face showed how annoyed she was by Cha Jun-seong’s change in attitude. She couldn’t help but feel irritated by him saying such things when he hadn’t even looked at Ha-min when he was stumbling around drunk yesterday. At Eun-soo’s casually thrown words, Tae-rim, who had been making a small “hmm” sound, asked.

“Did you?”

Of course, this time too, Tae-rim was asking Ha-min. Before Ha-min could answer, the tactless Cha Jun-seong butted in again.

“Hey, what are you saying? I didn’t force anything. We just drank while chatting…”

“I asked Ha-min.”

It was Tae-rim who cut off that noisy voice. The smile that had been on his lips throughout was now gone. Feeling the atmosphere suddenly turn cold, Ha-min rolled his eyes nervously. He could see persistence in Tae-rim’s gaze seeking an answer from him.

“Ah…”

Ha-min looked at Cha Jun-seong visible behind Tae-rim’s gaze. His face was all scrunched up at the unexpected turn of the conversation. A face clearly showing malice. Putting him in a difficult position in this situation would only lead to trouble later. Moreover, he didn’t want to involve hyung in such matters, so Ha-min nodded slightly to Eun-soo as if telling her to stop, and then spoke.

“I just got drunk while drinking.”

“……”

“It’s nothing, hyung.”

He grabbed Tae-rim’s collar and spoke softly. He disliked the uncomfortable atmosphere, and he disliked it even more when Tae-rim was mixed up in it. He feared his own unlucky and ominous energy might infect Tae-rim.

“…I see.”

“…”

“Still, if anyone treats you like shit, let me know.”

A gentle smile appeared on his lips again. It was rough language that didn’t match his soft voice, but he seemed unperturbed. Rather, it was the people around who seemed flustered. Ignoring the gazes of those around him, he pulled up the corners of his mouth refreshingly and pulled Ha-min’s shoulder towards him. At that moment, he whispered in Ha-min’s ear loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I’ll teach them a lesson.”

Ha-min flinched at his words, which had an edge to them despite his smile. And it wasn’t just Ha-min. Even Cha Jun-seong, who had been speaking confidently, could no longer smile glibly and just swallowed dryly.