5
## Chapter 5. The Gift Given by God (5)
The others stared dumbfoundedly at Yoon Hyun-sung as he walked away from the group.
They did not even have time to stop him.
No, perhaps Jang Gook-young and Kim Se-hyung had never intended to stop him in the first place.
Then all of this had been for nothing.
Jeon Se-hee and Han So-yeon stared wide-eyed at Hyun-sung as he disappeared, then let out long sighs.
Of course. If it had been that easy, he wouldn't have been Yoon Hyun-sung.
Even so, they could not openly show their disappointment.
The seniors had probably already figured out why they had followed them, but openly displaying their disappointment would be humiliating for them as women.
However, there was no way the wolves who had even served in the military could fail to notice.
“The main character has left, but his bodyguards are still here. What are you going to do?”
At Kim Se-hyung's question, Jeon Se-hee's face turned red.
She was conflicted.
She had been the one who initiated everything, but if she shamelessly retreated now, there was a good chance it would cause trouble later.
Even so, she was not exactly eager to stay.
“What are you going to eat?”
“Let's go eat whatever you girls want.”
What a cunning wolf.
If he had asked first, she could have made an excuse and escaped, but Jang Gook-young smiled and gazed at her meaningfully.
Then there was only one last resort.
“It's our first time having you seniors treat us, so let's eat something nice. There's an Italian restaurant that recently opened near the school. I heard their steaks are good.”
“We don't have money. Are you girls paying?”
“Oh, come on. Didn't you say you were going to buy your pretty juniors a meal?”
“When did we say that?”
“You said it earlier.”
“Don't get cheeky. We're going to eat ramen. Come with us if you want, or just leave.”
“Oh, come on, senior. That's too much. Can't we have pork cutlets instead of ramen?”
Jeon Se-hee, who had pretended to be a materialistic girl, backed down a little, perhaps because she felt guilty.
Then Kim Se-hyung, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward.
“Fine, let's eat pork cutlets. Considering your pitiful situation of having to eat with us instead of the person you actually came for, I'll treat you.”
“Thank you.”
“But I'll give you some important information. Then you won't feel like it was a waste to eat with us today.”
“What is it?”
“You girls are in the Classical Guitar Club too, right?”
“We don't really go regularly, but we drop by sometimes.”
“Then this really is important information.”
They had joined the Classical Guitar Club at the end of last year.
The quick-witted female students from the Department of Business Administration had heard information from their seniors and joined the Classical Guitar Club in advance. There were eight of them.
Perhaps it had been out of desperate curiosity.
Or maybe it was for fun.
Or perhaps it was simply a prank.
After hearing Kim Se-hyung's words, Jeon Se-hee and Han So-yeon looked at each other.
Seeing the sly smiles on Kim Se-hyung and Jang Gook-young's faces, they realized that there was definitely something behind this.
That was why Han So-yeon slipped her arm around Kim Se-hyung's arm and acted sweetly.
“Let's go. We're going to eat pork cutlets!”
---
The time spent in the military had passed as slowly as a tortoise, but the time after returning to university flew by like a bullet.
Since this was his first MT, he felt a little excited.
They said that the highlights of university life were blind dates and MTs, but until now, he had never experienced either of those pleasures.
It was late at night.
Since they were leaving early the next morning, Yoon Hyun-sung was packing his things when he realized that he could not find his shorts. He left his room.
His mother had surely washed them and put them somewhere.
He crossed the living room and headed toward his parents' bedroom.
It was late, so the living room was shrouded in darkness, but Hyun-sung did not bother turning on the lights as he headed toward the bedroom.
Then he heard his parents talking inside.
He had not intended to eavesdrop, but when he heard his father and mother's voices filled with sighs, he could not move.
“Ask your sister for help. Ask her to help us just one more time.”
“My sister seems to be having a hard time too because her husband's business isn't doing well. Besides, even a flea has a face to save. How can I ask her for help again?”
“Then what about President Jung?”
“He's a mess too. We're both in the same situation, barely getting any customers.”
“Didn't you say President Jung's family was well-off?”
“We've already borrowed fifty million won from him. We haven't even been able to repay that... I don't think that's an option anymore.”
“We have a lot of expenses for the children next month. On top of that, we don't even have money for the bank interest.”
“I'll somehow manage to come up with it.”
“I think I should start working.”
“Don't. Then who will take care of the children? You need to hold the family together at home...”
Their conversation was filled with sighs.
In a situation like this, looking for his shorts seemed impossible, so Yoon Hyun-sung quietly returned to his room and collapsed onto the bed.
A happy family.
Until now, he had lived happily in a warm family, but apparently his parents had not been living the same way.
The selfish desire to be the only one who was happy and free.
His behavior, living without considering the people around him, suddenly seemed foolish. Even after closing his eyes, he could not fall asleep.
He woke up early the next morning.
The bus from the university was scheduled to leave at eight in the morning, so he had to hurry.
His mother was already in the kitchen, holding a knife and preparing something.
After washing up, he heard his mother's voice.
“Come eat before you go.”
“I don't need to eat. I'll just have a glass of milk.”
“Mom woke up early and made kimbap. Eat some, and take a lunchbox with you so you can eat with your friends.”
“I'm not going on an elementary school picnic. Why did you make kimbap? Mom, you're really something.”
He grumbled as he sat at the table.
The kimbap was beautiful and neatly made, filled with all of his mother's care and effort.
Her knife work was precise, making every slice perfectly even and neat.
“Wow, it's delicious. As expected, Mom's cooking is the best.”
“Hoho, of course.”
“Can't you be a little modest?”
“I'm a woman who has nothing to do with modesty. Chew properly. If you eat too quickly because you're in a hurry, you'll get indigestion. Here's some water.”
His mother brought him a glass of water and sat across from him.
Then she watched her son eat kimbap for a while before quietly speaking.
“How did I ever give birth to such a son? No matter how many times I look at you, you're so handsome. You're absolutely gorgeous.”
“Why are you making me embarrassed this early in the morning?”
“I'm just so touched. Every time I look at you, you're too handsome.”
“But, Mom. Dad seems worried about the restaurant. Is something wrong?”
“Don't worry about that. Just enjoy your MT. Adults will take care of adult matters.”
“It's difficult, isn't it?”
“It's not difficult.”
“I'm sorry I can't help.”
“What nonsense. You've already finished eating. Aren't you going to have more?”
“I'm late.”
As he left the house and pulled his cap deeply over his head, he noticed his mother's expression subtly stiffen.
He knew how she felt.
Every time she saw her son wearing his cap so deeply even though he had done nothing wrong, his mother must have been deeply hurt inside.
Even so, she never said anything.
Ever since what had happened during his high school years, his mother had desperately tried not to touch the emotional wound her son had suffered.
---
At the university's meeting plaza, members of the Classical Guitar Club were gathered around the bus waiting to depart.
There were more people participating in the MT than usual.
There were especially many female students. Even considering the nature of the Classical Guitar Club, far more people had come than expected.
They had only shared a meal once.
Perhaps because he had provided them with such important information, Jeon Se-hee and Han So-yeon were standing beside Kim Se-hyung as they waited for departure.
They were pretty good juniors, after all.
Considering how they had even brought him an iced Americano early in the morning as tribute, providing information had certainly paid off.
“Se-hee, why did you come to the MT?”
“You know why you're asking.”
“You came because you wanted to get a proper look at Hyun-sung's face, right?”
“Of course.”
“What are you going to do if you see him?”
“I don't intend to do anything. The senior girls kept talking about him as if he were some legend, so I just wanted to see for myself.”
“So it's just curiosity.”
“Yes.”
“But once you see him, you'll change your mind.”
“Senior, is Hyun-sung really as handsome as the rumors say?”
“I could explain it to you a hundred times, but it wouldn't matter. You have to see him yourself to understand.”
“Now I'm even more excited.”
“You really don't have any other thoughts? What if you like him and make a move?”
“There are five other girls from the College of Business here besides us. They didn't come with any intentions, and neither did we. Senior, men aren't something you can live off by eating their faces. The heart comes first. No matter how handsome someone is, if your heart doesn't move, there's no point.”
“Our junior is clever.”
Jang Gook-young chuckled at Jeon Se-hee's answer.
Then he looked toward the female students who were eagerly waiting for someone and shook his head.
Her words sounded good. Rational, reasonable, and very wise as a standard for choosing a man.
But it wouldn't work that way.
Even I, as a man, nearly fainted the first time I saw that guy.
He had not been able to properly see Yoon Hyun-sung's face until after they had become close friends following his admission.
It was insane. There were countless handsome men in the world, but Hyun-sung possessed an appearance that seemed to belong to another world.
The club president, Jeon Jong-taek, began counting the members.
With only ten minutes left until departure, they needed to check which members were still missing.
After calling out the names and checking the list, he found that three people had yet to arrive, one of whom was Yoon Hyun-sung.
“Senior, Hyun-sung is running late.”
“He got off the bus. They said he's running over right now, so he'll be here soon.”
“Ah, okay. Got it.”
Jeon Jong-taek looked relieved after hearing Jang Gook-young's answer.
Meanwhile, the female students nearby began staring eagerly toward the school's main gate.
Then they saw a man running through the gate.
However, the female students looked disappointed and turned their eyes away.
That man wasn't Yoon Hyun-sung.
Almost every student at the university knew that he always wore his cap pulled deeply over his head.
The man, who had initially appeared only as a tiny figure in the distance, gradually approached the bus.
Then Jang Gook-young and Kim Se-hyung looked surprised and raised their hands before running toward him.
“Are you crazy?”
“Sorry I'm late. The traffic was especially bad today.”
“Why did you take off your cap?”
“I took it off for a moment because I was running. Wait, let me report to Jong-taek first.”
As Jang Gook-young and Kim Se-hyung returned with the man, everyone's attention focused on them.
The three of them gradually approached.
The people looking at the man walking in the middle were filled with astonishment.
There was such a thing as saying someone was dazzling.
People sometimes said that movie stars or celebrities seemed to have a halo around them when seen in person, but a genuine, faint halo seemed to be shining behind this man's face.
Especially Jeon Se-hee and Han So-yeon, who unconsciously clasped their hands together and could not take their eyes off him. They were so shocked that their mouths had even fallen open.
But that was all.
Yoon Hyun-sung quickly pulled his cap back down, making it difficult to see his face again.
“What am I looking at? Is that really Senior Hyun-sung?”
“Don't talk to me. I can't think straight. My God, is that even a human face?”
“Now I understand why the senior girls were like that.”
“That isn't just handsome.”
“Then what is it?”
“I don't know. Anyway, the word ‘handsome’ doesn't seem enough.”