Siyoung Said She Isn't Dating You
"Siyoung said she isn't dating you."
At my question, Yu Siyoung's expression stiffened for a moment.
"...Come on, no way, sunbae~"
Just like that, she was smiling again, as if the look had never crossed her face, and she went on.
"Hyeonsu's always had those sharp eyes, and he's really shy around people he doesn't know... Don't you think you might've misread him?"
"You think so?"
"Yeah. And Hyeonsu liking me? That's ridiculous. We've been nothing but friends since we were little kids."
"Hmm..."
Wasn't this a textbook childhood-friends cliché? No matter how I turned it over, it didn't make sense that he wouldn't be into a childhood friend this pretty.
...Well. If he isn't, he isn't.
We'd only just met. No reason to get worked up over every little thing.
"Then I guess that's a relief."
"A relief? What is?"
"...That he doesn't hate me. If that's the case, I mean."
"Oh~"
At my answer, Yu Siyoung laughed through her nose.
"I thought you meant something else was a relief."
"Something else like what?"
"It's nothing, sunbae~ Anyway, the food was great. Coffee's on me— huh?"
On our way out, she glanced at her phone, and her face went rigid in an instant.
"...Um, sunbae. I'm sorry."
"Hm?"
"Something urgent just came up... I'll buy you that coffee next time."
"...Yeah? Alright. See you later."
"Okay, sunbae. Sorry~"
With that, Yu Siyoung bolted out of the place.
"...What the hell happened to put a face like that on her? Looked like she'd bitten into shit."
"Jang Hyeonsu, have you lost your mind?"
Behind Hongmungwan, on the Seonggyo University campus. In a strip of shade almost no one passed through, Yu Siyoung shoved her phone in Jang Hyeonsu's face and let loose.
"Are you in your right mind? How could you send a message like that? What were you going to do if somebody else saw it?"
"You're the one who did wrong."
"...What?"
"You ditched me so you could try to reel in that handsome sunbae, and the two of you went off to eat alone...!"
At Jang Hyeonsu's pleading, Yu Siyoung let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha. Reel him in? I told you I was just getting a meal with a senior I'm close with."
"Even so, you should've taken me with you! Dumping your boyfriend to go eat one-on-one is—!"
"One meal with a senior I'm friends with, and that's worth getting this mad?"
"Even if I bend over backwards and say that's fine, you should've asked me first! I'm your boyfriend—"
Yu Siyoung snorted, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"And that justifies a message saying you'll kill yourself? What, did I go to a motel with him or something?"
"Th-that's not what I—!"
"Hyeonsu. Starting a month ago, you kept saying you'd just drop dead if I didn't date you, and I only went along with it because I had no choice. If you keep pulling this..."
"Dating is still dating! You said yes!"
"..."
"So you can't do that. And your clothes, even...!"
Jang Hyeonsu's eyes dropped to the black sleeveless top, cut so low that half of Yu Siyoung's chest was on display.
"What's wrong with my clothes?"
"You wore that to seduce that sunbae, didn't you?"
"...You perverted piece of shit. Is that the only way you know how to think?"
"I-I didn't mean it like—"
"Didn't mean it, my ass. That's exactly what you meant. And now you're even getting on me for what I wear?"
"Th-that's not— okay. I'm sorry for what I just—"
"And you."
"...Yeah?"
"Hyeok-sunbae didn't do a single thing to you. Why are you treating him like that?"
At Siyoung's question, Jang Hyeonsu looked away, like something had struck a nerve.
"...What did I even do."
"He's a senior and you didn't even say hello. You were staring at him like he was your mortal enemy. You don't act like that with the other sunbaes."
"You're that interested in him?"
"Huh?"
"Or did he tell you? That I was glaring at him? Now you're even talking shit about your boyfriend behind his back?"
At Jang Hyeonsu's outburst, Yu Siyoung let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Haa... Hyeonsu, I'm tired. Seriously. That's paranoia."
"You keep making me anxious—"
"Hyeonsu, I'm not making you anxious. You're anxious because you've decided you're not on my level."
"..."
"Use that time to work on yourself. Look at Hyeok-sunbae. He's in great shape, and he's good at his studies too."
"...So what, you're going to date him instead? The one who's actually on your level, and not me?"
"You gonna keep talking like that?"
"..."
Yu Siyoung's words shut Jang Hyeonsu's mouth for him.
"Anyway, apologize to Hyeok-sunbae. This one's on you."
"...And if I don't want to?"
"Is that all the man you are? Did I misjudge you that badly?"
At that, Jang Hyeonsu heaved a deep sigh.
"...Fine. I'll apologize."
"Hey, what's going on?"
"What."
After Yu Siyoung left, Jung Horang—who'd only just finished eating—grabbed my shoulder and asked.
"You already ate, so shouldn't the two of you at least go get coffee? Why'd you split right away?"
"...Dunno. She said something urgent came up."
"Urgent? Ha. How urgent does it have to be to walk out on someone you like—"
"Like, my ass. We just met yesterday."
"Hey, who do you think you're talking to. I've been in the talking stage with girls over ten times—"
"And every one of them fell apart."
"That's because of my face. No, seriously, every girl I get close to, the second I confess, it's 'I don't see you as a man.' That's all I ever get."
"..."
To be fair, Jung Horang isn't exactly handsome. He looks like one of those lecherous middle-aged guys who show up all the time in Japanese porn.
"You are kinda ugly."
"Ha? You little fucker, you don't get to say that."
"Why? I'm at least average—"
"You're not average, you're good-looking, so you don't get to say it. Don't you have a shred of pity?"
At Jung Horang's words, I checked my reflection in the glass.
A hundred and eighty-eight centimeters. Eighty-eight kilograms. Forty-eight kilos of skeletal muscle, eight percent body fat. Two years of MMA, more than three of boxing, and some taekwondo on top of that, but...
"...Well, I'm not that good-looking."
"Ha. There he goes, fishing again."
"Hmm. Am I? I mean, if I got hit on for my number that often, maybe—"
"E-excuse me!"
Right then, some girl I didn't know tapped me on the back and spoke up.
"?"
"Y-you're really my type, so... could I maybe get your number..."
"Ah, fuck."
"...Huh?"
"I don't believe in Sancheonji, so get lost. For real. How many times is this already."
"I-it's not Sancheonji..."
"Yeah, sure it isn't. Hey, Horang. Let's go."
"..."
After the sudden Sancheonji pitch, we got off that street in a hurry.
"Ugh, when are they tearing down that shitty church? Why are there so many Sancheonji freaks. I already hated it the second they slapped that building up right next to campus."
"...God really is fair, huh."
"What god?"
God, out of nowhere. Don't tell me Jung Horang was a Sancheonji believer too.
"He gave a guy like you everything else, but he didn't give you any social skills."
"Huh? You calling me a loner?"
"Whatever. When's your next class?"
"Me? I don't have another one."
"...ARAM?"
"Let's go."
So we took the sacred post-meal route and headed into a PC bang.
"Ah, fuck! What is Amumu doing!"
"Is that guy actually braindead? Something wrong with his index, middle, and ring fingers? Why isn't he hitting his ult? Is tapping R once that hard?"
We were spraying every curse we had, venting academic stress—we weren't studying—to our hearts' content, when someone called over.
"Hey, Hyeok."
"Hm? Oh, sunbae! Hello!"
The screen had gone gray, and Kang Seongho—one of my few acquaintances—was talking to me. I'm class of '22. He's class of '20.
"You close with that kid? Hyeonsu, or whatever his name is?"
"...Hyeonsu? What Hyeonsu?"
"Jang Hyeonsu. The one who's close with Yu Siyoung."
"...Why? What's up with him?"
"He asked me if I knew where you were."
"...Hm?"
I got a bad feeling. Why was that bastard looking for me?
"I told him you were probably here, and sure enough."
"Why's he looking for me?"
"No idea. Says he's waiting downstairs. Told me to call you if you were inside."
For a second, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Ha. Is that kid even a junior? Who does he think he is, ordering a senior around?"
"Right? Maybe 'cause he hasn't done his military service. World's just upside down. Anyway, I passed it along."
"Yes, sunbae. I'll head out in a bit."
"...?"
At my answer, Seongho-sunbae raised a brow like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"Gotta finish this game first. If it's urgent, he can come find me himself, right?"
"Ha. Crazy bastard. But you've kinda got a point."
We played out the rest of the ARAM match, and then Jung Horang turned to me.
"So we calling it here?"
"Nah. One-win quit. Watch some YouTube for a sec. I'll be right back."
"Okie. Tell me if you're gonna be late~"
"Yeah."
I stepped outside, and the guy who'd been next to Yu Siyoung earlier was standing there.
...But why is he so short?
Delicate face and all, he'd get further going to Thailand and getting his dick cut off, or just walking around in drag. Like someone built like that was ever going to the army.
"Hello."
"Yeah."
Honestly, I wasn't feeling very hello. Who did he think he was, having a senior summoned.
"You're a bit late. It's been a while since I asked them to call you."
"I was in a game, so I finished the match first. Why? Is it urgent?"
"Fuck, why does Siyoung go for a game-addict piece of shit like..."
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
Hmm. The muttering, the whole act—bottom of the barrel. Face was pretty, though. The Marines would suit him perfectly.
"So why'd you call me?"
"...I called you to apologize."
"Apologize?"
This did not look like the attitude of someone apologizing. Anyway.
"For glaring at you this morning like I wanted to kill you. I came to apologize for that."
"...Oh, that? Siyoung said your eyes just look like that."
"Siyoung said that?"
"Yeah."
"Fuck, so she did tell him..."
"Hey. What are you muttering about? If you've got something to say, say it straight."
At that, Jang Hyeonsu thought for a moment, then opened his mouth.
"...Don't hit on Siyoung."
"Hm?"
What the hell was this?
"Hit on her? Me?"
I had gone through her Instagram story first. After that, though, she was the one who came to me. Wasn't she the one hitting on me?
"I've never hit on her."
"...Then just don't approach her."
"...Ha."
Setting aside who had hit on whom, the more I listened, the more absurd it got.
"Why would I."
Flat. Deadpan.
"You two aren't even dating. Give me one reason I'd have to listen to you."
At my question, Jang Hyeonsu hesitated, then nodded.
"You're right."
"Huh?"
"We are dating."
I hadn't expected that. My eyes snapped wide open.
"What?"
"So don't go near Siyoung. You're not the kind of trash who'd steal someone else's girlfriend, right, sunbae?"
"..."
...This bastard. Yeah, this isn't going to work.
"Siyoung said she isn't dating you."
"What?"
"I asked her too. She said she isn't dating you."
Childhood friends or not. Liking her or not. Now he was straight-up lying and pretending to be her boyfriend?