Not My Type
I ended up getting dragged to the meeting spot by Ju-hee after all. I’d agreed to come because I wanted to see a new side of Jung-woo too… but now I feel like I’m committing some kind of crime.
No matter what, what I’m about to do is basically tricking him.
“Chae-yeon, it’s been a while, huh?”
“Hello, Senior.”
“I heard you’re dating these days. Is that why it’s so hard to see your face?”
Since it was a club with a pretty even gender ratio—basically the golden ratio—everyone welcomed me warmly. The seniors and classmates greeted me with the same enthusiasm as I sat down at the table.
“Alright, it’s been forever since we’ve all gotten together, so let’s have some fun!!”
The club dinner kicked off with the clinking of glasses.
The sensation of alcohol sliding down my throat and straight into my stomach. It had been way too long.
I realized I hadn’t really drunk much back when I was in school either, because I was always texting Jung-woo. The feeling felt strangely new.
“Ah, it’s been ages since I’ve had a drink.”
“Chae-yeon’s saying it’s been a while since she drank?!”
“I don’t walk around drunk every single day, you know.”
“It’s weird hearing that from the girl who never turned down a drink invitation.”
At this rate, my old school image was starting to come under suspicion. Had I really drunk that much? Sure, I enjoyed it and drank a lot, but it wasn’t anything to be shocked about.
“Chae-yeon’s totally changed since she started dating.”
“Love really does change a person. You don’t drink with your boyfriend?”
“Ah, my boyfriend can’t drink because of his health.”
“Was that the guy with you at the festival your boyfriend?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wait, you’ve seen Chae-yeon’s boyfriend?”
“I saw him by chance. He was really good-looking.”
If people around him were saying things like that, even Jung-woo might start to believe it, but he still got embarrassed whenever someone called him handsome. Maybe back in high school it was debatable, but now that he’d lost so much weight, he was undeniably attractive. I thought so too, so I nodded vigorously in agreement with the senior.
“Chae-yeon, let’s take a picture right now and send it.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah!!”
“What kind of picture? Are you sending it to your boyfriend?”
“Ah, yes.”
While Ju-hee was explaining the real purpose of this gathering to one of the close female seniors, I snapped a photo of the table loaded with snacks and drinks. This should be enough, right?
“Nope. That looks boring.”
“Then how should I take it?”
“You have to make sure a guy’s hand shows up in the shot.”
Ju-hee snatched my phone and took another picture. Unlike mine, this one clearly caught the hand of the male senior sitting diagonally across from me.
Under Ju-hee’s supervision, I sent the photo along with the message and waited for a reply.
—Viiiibrations!!
“Oh, he replied.”
“What did he say?”
“That’s what he said.”
“A guy’s hand is clearly visible and he replies like that? Did he not see the guy’s hand?”
It was way too clear in the bottom right corner of the photo to claim he hadn’t seen it. Even with Jung-woo’s bad eyesight, he should’ve noticed something like that.
Instead of getting jealous, he sent a sad little rabbit emoji. If anything, it felt like he was actually happy I was out having a good time.
“Does your boyfriend not get jealous?”
“Uh… I guess not.”
“That’s no fun.”
“What’s not fun? What exactly were you hoping for?”
“Normally at times like this, the guy gets jealous, calls you, that kind of thing!!”
With that kind of mindset, I had no idea how Ju-hee had managed to date anyone at all. Even though I loved teasing Jung-woo, I would never go that far. That kind of prank definitely crossed a line.
“What? You’re ending the conversation here? Why is he trying to give you space?”
“That’s enough, right? I’m not doing this anymore.”
“Unnie, Chae-yeon’s boyfriend is so boring.”
“Why? It’s nice. It just means he trusts Chae-yeon that much.”
“Still, shouldn’t he get at least a little jealous in a situation like this?”
“That’s not necessarily a good thing. Trust is the foundation of any relationship.”
Just like the close senior said, Jung-woo and I trusted each other. Because we trusted each other, we didn’t dig too deep into what the other was doing while we were apart. I had wanted to see a jealous Jung-woo… but this side of him wasn’t bad either. Actually, I liked it!!
“Chae-yeon, have some snacks.”
“Ah, thank you!!”
“How long have you been dating your boyfriend?”
“It’s been about three months now.”
“Really? Then your 100-day anniversary is coming up soon. Have you prepared anything for it?”
“Do people still do that stuff even after becoming adults?”
“It depends on the couple, but most people like to celebrate it.”
“I haven’t thought about it yet.”
“I didn’t get a good look at your boyfriend, but he seems like the type who would prepare something.”
Now that I thought about it, we hadn’t done any proper events since we started dating. I had only ever received things Jung-woo prepared. Maybe I should prepare something this time too.
“What do you like about your boyfriend?”
“He takes really good care of me. He’s considerate, and he’s handsome.”
“Oh my, really? How did you two end up dating?”
I ended up telling the close senior everything—from how our relationship started to all our memories together. She listened with a satisfied smile the whole time. Seeing that expression made me feel good too. It was proof that we really were happy together.
As time passed, the atmosphere grew warmer. With alcohol in everyone’s systems, the energy rose, and we spent the night playing all kinds of drinking games.
“Chae-yeon, are you not having fun?”
“What? No, I’m having fun.”
“You just seem different from usual, like you’re not really enjoying it.”
I really was having fun. But… something felt missing. Like there was a hole. Even though I was drinking and playing like I used to love, talking with Jung-woo was way more fun. I laughed more when I was talking to him.
“I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick.”
“I’ll come with you!!”
On the way to the bathroom with Ju-hee, she spotted someone and nudged my shoulder.
“What?”
“Wasn’t that guy who just walked by really handsome?”
I glanced over at the passing guy. He was tall with broad shoulders, but he wasn’t really my type.
“Not my type.”
“Does being in a relationship mean other guys don’t even catch your eye anymore?”
“I guess so. Anyway, I’m heading out first.”
“Huh?! You’re leaving already? Stay longer!”
“Maybe it’s because I haven’t drunk in so long, but I feel dizzy.”
After using the bathroom, I asked everyone for understanding and left. A lot of people expressed disappointment, but it wasn’t enough to make me stay. The first thing I did after leaving the restaurant was, of course—
“Jung-woo!!”
[You’re done already? I thought it’d take longer since you said you were drinking.]
“I left early. It’s been so long since I drank that I got dizzy.”
[Are you okay now?]
“Yeah!! I’m fine.”
[Still, watch where you’re going. Don’t trip or anything.]
“I’m not you, why would I make a mistake like that?”
[I don’t make mistakes like that either?!]
“What are you talking about? You almost fell several times when we were together.”
This was fun.
A few minutes of conversation with Jung-woo was incomparably more entertaining than the hours I’d spent at the drinking party.
“Jung-woo, I sent you a picture earlier, right?”
[Yeah!! You did.]
“What did you think when you saw it?”
[Huh? About what?]
“There was a guy’s hand in the photo.”
[Oh, that? Pfft!!]
I could hear Jung-woo laughing through the phone. From that reaction, it was clear he had seen the hand in the photo. So did that mean he really didn’t get jealous at all?
[Did my Yeoni send that picture because she wanted me to get jealous?]
“N-no, it’s not that… Ju-hee kept asking if I was curious, so I just tried it once.”
[You can’t only meet people of the same gender your whole life. You meet the opposite gender too.]
“You don’t get jealous?”
[Jealous… I do get jealous. But my standard for it is a bit vague.]
“Vague how?”
[I’m the type who thinks it’s fine as long as you don’t cross the line. And that line is drawn pretty wide for me.]
“How wide?”
[Hmm… about the size of a free-range farm?]
A free-range farm level…
Wasn’t that basically the same as saying he didn’t get jealous at all? I’d done something weird just because I wanted to see a new side of him, and now I’d only created a new black history for myself. I shouldn’t have listened to Ju-hee in the first place.
“Don’t people usually get jealous when they’re dating?”
[Because I trust the other person, I don’t really get jealous. And I trust you, Yeoni, so that’s why.]
“Don’t you trust me too much?”
[Then are you going to meet other guys?]
“What are you even saying!! Of course I’m not going to!!”
[See? When you’re this clear about it, why would I need to get jealous? I think that would be the same as doubting you.]
I don’t know why you always make me smile like this.
If you keep acting this way, I won’t be able to stay still.
“Thank you, Jung-woo.”
[Huh? For what?]
“Just… thank you for dating me. And thank you for always caring about me like this.”
[If we’re keeping score, I could thank you all day long.]
“I’m really glad I ended up dating you. I love you, Jung-woo.”
[Look who’s talking. I love you too, Yeoni.]