Side Story 1.3

For a while, Dowook simply stared at Junhee. His face was a mix of playfulness and unease as he gazed at her for a long time. Then, he leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly before pulling away.  

‘Don’t trust me.’

She thought she heard him say that.  

‘Let’s go.’ 

But it was fleeting. Dowook stood up and moved away.  

Despite his earlier insistence that he couldn’t go home, Dowook escorted Junhee back to her apartment.  

It was a modest villa near the school, chosen by her father after much deliberation. The rent and deposit were reasonable, it had double security systems, and most of the tenants were college students in the area, according to the realtor.  

As always, Dowook walked Junhee to her apartment door before turning to leave. While he was closing the door and reminding her to lock it properly, Junhee spoke.  

‘Do you want to stay over?’  

Her words were slurred, likely from the alcohol.  

‘It’s too late to go back.’

Dowook still stood outside the door, holding the doorknob. Junhee leaned her head against the shoe cabinet, staring at him.  

Whether it was the alcohol or something else, a mischievous desire to trouble Dowook arose. She wanted to tease him. She felt tired and wanted to sleep deeply, but she also wanted to spend more time with him.  

Dowook smirked.  

‘You’re playing with me.’

‘Can’t I?’  

Dowook chuckled again, as if incredulous, but he didn’t say no.  

‘For your own sake, don’t drink. You’re terrible at holding your liquor.’  

‘I’m not weak. I can drink as much as you—’

She didn’t finish her sentence. Dowook stepped into the apartment, grabbed her face, and kissed her.  

It was a deep, urgent kiss that left her breathless, filled with a sudden surge of heat. As Junhee instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, Dowook pushed her away.  

‘I’m not doing this.’  

His face was twisted in frustration.  

‘Not doing it.’

He muttered.  

It sounded like he was speaking both to her and to himself.  

I don’t want to do this in this state.  

She thought she heard him say something like that.  

The rest was a blur. When she woke up, it was morning. She was in her bed, and he was gone.  

As always, he must have left on his own. But Junhee felt like dying from the overwhelming shame that hit her afterward.  

What did I say to Choi Dowook?  

Groaning in agony, she curled into a ball, clutching her head as she recalled their time at the bar. A strange warmth crept up her bare legs.  

That incident was three days ago. Junhee hung her head low, her thoughts boiling over again. Suddenly, her phone, glowing on her lap, caught her attention.  

[When are you done?]  

It was a text from Dowook. Checking her phone, she saw two missed calls from him as well.  

[It’s past midnight.]

Junhee subtly glanced around to gauge the atmosphere before tapping on her keypad. She was just about to reply that she’d be done soon.  

“Your name’s Junhee, right? Junhee, are there any clubs you’re interested in?”  

A senior, a returning student, sitting across from her, struck up a conversation.  

Clubs? Would I even have time for something like that?  

Although she had recently started a tutoring job, it wasn’t enough to cover her living expenses. She didn’t want to ask her father and grandmother, who were struggling to pay off a guarantor’s debt, for more allowance. So, she’d need to find another part-time job soon.  

But there was no need to explain all that.  

“I’m still looking into it.”  

“If you find a club you’re interested in, let me know. I can tell you what the vibe is like and what kind of people are in it.”  

“Oh, thank you. And also, thanks for stepping in earlier.”  

The man smiled, showing his teeth, as if surprised she remembered.  

Junhee had heard he was a senior who had returned to school after some time. During a drinking game where Junhee kept losing and had to drink penalty shots, he had taken her glass and drank it for her. He had boldly declared, ‘From now on, I’m her black knight.’ This led to some playful students trying to pair her with him.  

It wasn’t a declaration she wanted, but she appreciated the help nonetheless.  

“You really aren’t good at drinking games. You’re a freshman, right? You’ll probably play a lot of drinking games for a while. How are you going to manage?”  

This time, another senior sitting next to him joined in. With the two seniors asking her questions, Junhee couldn’t check her phone.  

Where was she from? What was her MBTI? Where was her apartment? What were her hobbies?  

As they chatted, time flew by, and they even exchanged phone numbers.  

When she finally got a chance to check her phone again, there were several more texts from him.  

[Ignoring me?]  

[You’re ignoring me.]  

[Must be tasty, huh.]  

Imagining Dowook’s face twisted in annoyance made her chuckle. She began typing back.  

I’ll be out soon.  

She wanted to finish the text quickly, but her fingers felt oddly sluggish. The letters on the phone screen seemed blurry.  

Just as she managed to send the text, there was a commotion at the entrance of the bar. The eyes of everyone at the table turned toward the noise.  

It was a group of tall men. One of them waved enthusiastically at their table, another held up a bag, saying he’d brought ice cream, and yet another wiped sweat from his forehead while spinning a basketball on his finger.  

Among them was Choi Dowook, who looked up from his phone.  

He was the tallest of the group, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.  

Even without his towering height, he would have stood out. His striking appearance was enough to make anyone turn their head and look again.  

That’s Choi Dowook. Hey, that’s Choi Dowook. The one from the business school I mentioned earlier.  

Now that I think about it, I heard he’s close with Senior Kwak. Aren’t they in the basketball club together? Looks like they stopped by after playing nearby. Wow, his looks are insane.  

The murmurs of the crowd reached her faintly. Junhee could only sit frozen, staring blankly at Dowook.  

Dowook briefly scanned the room before his eyes landed on Junhee’s stiff expression. Suddenly, he let out a short laugh.  

‘Scaredy-cat.’

It seemed like that’s what he mouthed.  

But before she could confirm, the seniors at her table enthusiastically welcomed Dowook, blocking her view. Even her classmates seemed eager to talk to him, looking for an opportunity.  

However, Dowook’s gaze remained fixed on Junhee. Tilting his head slightly, his intent gaze bore into her.  

Can I come over to where you are?  

That’s what his eyes seemed to ask.  

But Junhee pretended not to understand, turning her head away. Dowook’s presence was too overwhelming, and she wanted to keep her distance for now. She didn’t want to get caught up in the commotion surrounding him.  

She heard a faint chuckle, likely from him. When she glanced back, their eyes met again, without fail.  

“Is it okay for students from other departments to crash our department’s gathering like this? It’s ruining the vibe.”  

“Exactly. Isn’t the class president supposed to handle this? Look at him over there, grinning like an idiot. And look at the girls—they’re all practically drooling.”  

The returning student seniors grumbled in disapproval.  

“The class president is friends with those basketball guys, isn’t he? Can’t they hang out a bit? Besides, they brought us ice cream, and everyone seems happy about it. Right, Junhee?”  

The senior handing out the ice cream brought by the basketball club members was Song Ji-won. She was a year ahead of Junhee but the same age. They had gotten closer after sitting next to each other in a major class.  

“Do you like that Choi Dowook guy or something? You’re oddly defensive of him, Ji-won. Want me to ask for his number for you?”  

“Oh, come on. No thanks. Just eat your ice cream and sober up. Junhee, what flavor do you like?”  

“I’m fine. My stomach feels a bit off.”  

“Ah, your face is so red. You drank a lot earlier, didn’t you? You’re not good with alcohol, are you? If you’re struggling, let me know. I’ll go out with you.”  

“Thanks.”  

When Junhee smiled and responded, Ji-won made a playful face.  

“Ugh, seriously. Pretty girls stay pretty even when they’re drunk. Your face is all red, but you’re still so gorgeous. No wonder they’re calling you the goddess of the English department’s freshman class.”  

“That’s not true. Stop teasing me.”  

“I’m not teasing—it’s true. Didn’t a campus magazine even contact you to be on the cover? I bet you’re the first freshman they’ve ever approached so quickly.”  

“I told you, it’s not like that….”  

As Ji-won giggled and teased her, she suddenly leaned in to whisper.  

“Be careful around the seniors sitting in front of you. They don’t have the best reputation. If you want, you can move to my table. I’ll save you a seat—”  

Just as Ji-won was quietly whispering, Junhee tilted her head slightly. That’s when her eyes met Choi Dowook’s, who was sitting three or four tables away.  

Dowook was still surrounded by people. Holding an unlit cigarette between his lips, he was openly staring at Junhee.