Sweet Shot

#8

As soon as Tae-rim turned away, Ha-min felt regretful. If only he could stay a little longer…. While silently making this impossible request and staring foolishly at his back, Tae-rim suddenly turned around again. With a face that seemed to have just remembered something, he asked:

“By the way, why didn’t you reply?”

Ha-min blinked in confusion at the unexpected question. Then, in a flash, he remembered.

“I sent you a message saying I missed you, didn’t I?”

At Tae-rim’s words, spoken with a gentle smile, Ha-min’s face instantly turned red. He had tried not to react, but he crumbled immediately. Heat rushed to his face as if blood was flooding in. Even though it was clearly just a teasing remark, his reaction came out honestly.

“Ah…”

Ha-min foolishly lost his words. He wanted to say he was going to reply, but he was too surprised when Tae-rim came in. But he was also so happy. Various jumbled sentences tangled in his mind. In that brief moment, the bell chimed again, and the convenience store door opened. A woman with long wavy hair wearing a trench coat entered. She had good proportions and the kind of looks that would make anyone turn their head if they passed her on the street. Her face, with barely any makeup, was very clean, and her features were striking. The kind of person who, when standing next to Tae-rim, would make people say they were a match made in heaven…

“What on earth are you doing, not coming out?”

The woman asked Tae-rim in a slightly irritated tone. Tae-rim briefly had an “oops” expression on his face. It was as if he had forgotten for a moment.

“You said you were going to buy cigarettes, why are you taking so long?”

The weather is cold too, she grumbled, shivering. Tae-rim quickly erased his forgetful expression and skillfully placed his hand on the woman’s waist.

“I ran into a dongsaeng I know. Let’s go now.”

“A dongsaeng you know? Who?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Who is it? If it’s someone you know, introduce us.”

“We’re busy, aren’t we?”

Tae-rim lightly dismissed her request with a smile. Then he slightly turned his head and nodded at Ha-min, who was standing blankly at the counter. It was a gesture indicating he was leaving.

“Take care.”

He left a brief greeting and disappeared with the woman. The movement of his hand around her waist was too skillful, and he was too experienced in soothing the irritated woman. He didn’t even bother to make excuses or explanations. At the same time, Ha-min recalled the condom case Tae-rim had bought. He had just thought it was embarrassing, but he didn’t realize Tae-rim had purchased it to use right away.

He just felt like a fool. A fool who had briefly visited heaven and hell in a short time.

**

It was a day when spring weather was gradually returning. The cold snaps had disappeared, and it wasn’t chilly even at dawn. As he spent days no different from usual, Ha-min was gradually adapting to school life. Although he was overwhelmed with attending classes and stressed by the increasing assignments, he was enjoying it. However, the amount of assignments was enormous, and the peak among them was group projects.

“I heard you’re ranked first in popularity among the female classmates these days, oppa.”

It was a casual remark Chae-rin made while scrolling through her phone with an indifferent face, as they were enjoying the quiet cafe atmosphere. Ha-min, who was drinking water, turned his head with a face that looked like he might choke.

“…Me?”

It was a meeting for a group project. The group members were assigned randomly by the professor, and fortunately, one of them was Chae-rin. Although Ha-min didn’t talk with Chae-rin as much as with Woo-kyung or Eun-soo, it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, she was the one he felt most at ease with when they were alone.

This Chae-rin casually brought up an uncomfortable topic.

“Overwhelmingly first place. There are a lot of girls aiming for you, aren’t there any contacting you?”

For a moment, Ha-min wondered if she was psychic.

Her words were true. After every lecture, many students would ask for his number. Finding it difficult to refuse, he would give it, and then they would contact him at all hours. So much that his old smartphone was overheating.

“Well… there are some…”

“If you’re thinking about dating, want me to introduce you to someone decent?”

“Huh?”

“They’re going crazy asking me to introduce them since I hang out with you.”

Chae-rin looked like she was dying of annoyance. Ha-min felt embarrassed. Dating? It sounded like someone else’s business just hearing about it. Coming from an all-boys school and having been overweight in the past, he hadn’t even dreamed of dating. Moreover, he had never liked anyone. Except for one person. And that feeling had just seemed to be buried, but lately, it was showing tremendous vigor again.

“I’m not interested.”

“Why? It’s a waste of your looks.”

“…There’s someone I like.”

Someone I can never tell about.

“Oh, is it going well?”

Chae-rin showed interest for the first time. Ha-min shook his head with an awkward smile.

“Just… I like them alone.”

“One-sided love?”

“Yeah.”

Chae-rin made a face that didn’t understand.

“Are you perhaps in love with someone who has a partner?”

What’s lacking in a guy who looks like you, oppa? Chae-rin asked with a face that couldn’t understand.

“Um… I think so.”

What’s with that vague answer? It’s either yes or no. Chae-rin was about to probe further without realizing it, but then she closed her mouth. His face, deep in thought, looked quite dark. She couldn’t ask anymore, perhaps because it was the first time she had seen such an expression on someone who usually just smiled foolishly or looked blank. Well, prying into someone else’s love life is also meddling. Chae-rin ended her questioning and sipped her drink. Then she checked the time on her phone.

“Anyway, they’re disgustingly late.”

There were four members in total. Ha-min, Chae-rin, and two male classmates from their department. It was already 20 minutes past the agreed meeting time. Just then, the cafe door swung open.

“Sorry, sorry.”

The two latecomers entered leisurely. Chae-rin’s face twisted at their relaxed entrance, but she only clicked her tongue.

It had been a struggle to get everyone together. It took a long time from when the group was assigned to setting up this meeting. Ha-min realized for the first time how difficult it was to get everyone to meet together.

“You’re super late, you guys.”

“Ah, sorry-“

Their apology seemed insincere, delivered with a glib attitude. Chae-rin clearly didn’t like it, but not wanting to make a fuss, she held back and went straight to the main point.

“You saw the resource distribution, right? First, you…”

“Hey, hey, wait, we just got here, let’s take it slow.”

One of them waved his hand, apparently displeased with Chae-rin jumping right into the topic.

“Let’s order some drinks first.”

The two of them put down their bags and headed straight to the counter. It took 10 minutes for them to decide what to drink, chatting about what they should get, and then receive their drinks.

“Now that you’ve taken care of everything, can we start?”

Chae-rin spoke, enunciating each syllable, as the guys returned to their seats, leisurely sipping their drinks. But seemingly uninterested in her words, one of them looked at Ha-min, pointing at him with a surprised expression.

“Oh. You’re the one who’s close to that senior Lee Tae-rim, right?”

He acted as if he knew some rumor. Ha-min barely knew this classmate’s face.

Ha-min’s usually clear face hardened noticeably, apparently not liking how Tae-rim’s name was casually mentioned. But he suppressed it and answered quietly.

“We just know each other.”

He deflected, worried that if they were publicly known as close, it might somehow damage Tae-rim’s image. In fact, he wasn’t even sure if they were close… Tae-rim was just too nice to him.

Sometimes he would send KakaoTalk messages like “Have you eaten?^^” and even send gift certificates. Ha-min liked the messages he sent, but the financial aspect made him very uncomfortable. It was just Ha-min’s nature.

“Didn’t you say you’re also close with that guy in the band? Right, Kang Chae? That handsome, rich guy.”

Despite being 30 minutes late, he was just chattering about what he wanted to talk about. It seemed both Tae-rim and Tae-in were quite famous at the school.

“You’ve got good connections. Can’t you invite them to our gathering next time?”

The boy’s name was Cha Jun-seong, and his tone at the end of each sentence was arrogant. Even his posture, slurping his drink and shaking his leg, was annoying. Moreover, it seemed his only interest was in this, not the project at all.

“…Why would we invite Tae-in to our meeting? I think we should start deciding on the topic now.”

Ha-min tried to change the subject as naturally as possible. Chae-rin seemed to be getting increasingly annoyed, letting out a frustrated sigh. But either unable to read the situation or not caring, Cha Jun-seong continued.

“Don’t be stingy-. This is when you’re supposed to use your connections. I heard he’s rich too, if we ask him to buy us a drink…”

“Hey, did you fucking come here to play?”

Chae-rin finally exploded. As if she couldn’t hold back anymore, she started swearing as soon as she opened her mouth. Ha-min let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead, looking troubled.

It had been happening for a while now. Ha-min, who had become quite famous in the department for his good looks, started to incur jealousy from male classmates. Moreover, due to rumors about him being close to Tae-rim and Tae-in, there were also those trying to get some benefit from him. Cha Jun-seong in front of him was a typical example of such a group.

“Ah… Can’t we even talk? I heard the girls in our department are acting like this guy’s spokesperson these days?”

Cha Jun-seong smirked and nudged his friend’s arm, seeking agreement. His friend mumbled an noncommittal response, looking uncomfortable.

“If you’re going to talk nonsense, just get lost.”

Chae-rin waved her hand as if even listening was a waste of time. Ha-min patted Chae-rin’s shoulder lightly, telling her not to get angry. As if to say calm down a bit. That’s when Cha Jun-seong let out an unpleasant laugh and spat out:

“What kind of girl talks so crudely?”

“What?”

“You might get in big trouble one day talking like that.”