Ch.131131. Consolation Party

A romance without scales is hard to find in reality.

Having all the same conditions doesn’t make a couple destined for each other.

Yet if two people are too different, maintaining that relationship isn’t easy either.

In that context, I thought Taeho and Hyejung’s compatibility was about 50%.

Taeho was attentive and quick-witted, but not the sturdy, dependable type.

Meanwhile, Hyejung was delicate and somewhat affected in her manner.

In Taeho’s eyes, Hyejung might have been an 80 or 90 out of 100, if not perfect. But in Hyejung’s eyes, well…

If better options existed, she might have had no reason to choose Taeho as a romantic prospect.

Especially since he was just a student who had returned to college after military service.

Hana suddenly felt sorry for herself, having feelings for Suhyeok, who hadn’t completed his military service yet.

Ah…

That’s something to be envious of…

“T-Taeho… what should we tell him? Shouldn’t we say something?”

Suhyeok, sitting beside her, was fidgeting as if it were his own problem.

“Well… maybe buy him some drinks and help him end things?”

“Tell him to give up?”

“What else can we do? She’s going to the movies with another guy. Should we chase after them and tell him not to give up?”

If they were alone in an empty house, she might encourage him to try harder, but with someone else already in the picture, his chances seemed too slim.

“Oh my… poor Taeho…”

Suhyeok ran both hands through his hair.

She felt a slight twinge of guilt.

There was fear that the coaching they’d given might have backfired.

“Ugh. I can’t tell him.”

“Should I do it then?”

“That’s too cruel!”

“But he hasn’t confessed yet. If he backs off now, nothing serious will happen.”

In relationships, a confession is a crucial turning point.

Even in that ambiguous space between friendship and romance, without a confession, there’s still potential for either remaining friends or developing into something more.

It meant they could still go back to being ordinary classmates.

One complicated romantic entanglement in their 23rd cohort was enough.

Hana just hoped that when Taeho heard the news, he wouldn’t lose his mind and would just move on well.

“You don’t think we said something wrong that caused this, do you?”

“Hey, Lee Suhyeok. If it weren’t for us, he wouldn’t have even gotten that far in the conversation.”

“You think so…?”

“Taeho’s a nice kid, but he really has no clue about these things.”

Hana started getting oddly irritated at Suhyeok, who seemed genuinely heartbroken over Taeho’s situation.

Come to think of it, this is ridiculous.

This guy should worry about his own situation first.

How can he be so generous to others when he’s stringing along both Juyeon and me without a care?

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“Focus on your own problems.”

“Huh?”

His face showed complete bewilderment.

It was incredibly infuriating.

“Is this really the time for you to be concerned about someone else’s love life?”

“D-don’t you feel sorry for Taeho?”

“No, that’s not what I mean!”

Hana smacked her forehead as if dizzy with frustration.

“Sigh…”

-Bzzzz

Hana’s phone vibrated.

[Noona. I just got a reply… sigh… does this mean I got rejected?]

What followed was a screenshot.

[I already have plans for that one ㅠ]

To the two who knew the situation, this was a polite rejection.

[Should I ask to see something else?]

[Ah, but can I ask if she’s going with a friend? Would that seem too obsessive?]

[Wait, it’s not a guy, is it?]

Imagining Taeho eagerly typing away, still hopeful, brought tears to Suhyeok’s eyes.

“Drinks! Let’s get drinks! Hana!”

“…Today?”

“When else should we tell him?”

“I don’t know.”

Suhyeok wanted to free Taeho from this painful delusion as soon as possible.

“I’ll just tell him today.”

The former unrequited love specialist, Lee Suhyeok.

He was prepared to offer his junior all the comfort he could.

“Sigh… Fine. So we’re drinking later?”

“If Taeho can make it?”

Suhyeok called Taeho.

[Hello.]

[Yes, hyung.]

[Taeho.]

[Yes?]

Suhyeok’s voice was unusually solemn for an everyday call.

[Come to Hansung Pocha by 7 o’clock.]

[Uh… I’m not busy, but why? Did something happen?]

[Just come when I tell you to.]

An uncharacteristically authoritative tone from Suhyeok.

Taeho tensed up at this unusual behavior and agreed.

What could it be?

Seeing Suhyeok talk like that makes me think I did something wrong.

But then again, he’s calling me to a bar, so maybe not.

Taeho scratched his head as he put down his phone.

Is it about Hyejung?

He’d have to go and find out.

* * *

“Hello, hyung.”

Inside the bar.

Taeho easily spotted Suhyeok’s group.

Long blonde hair and the shaggy long-haired person beside him.

Anyone would recognize them as seniors from the 23rd cohort.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Suhyeok greeted him with a smile.

Hana just nodded slightly to acknowledge his arrival.

“So, what’s this really about? Why did you call me?”

He had expected to meet just Suhyeok.

With Hana there too, Taeho was a bit confused.

“Well… we’ll get to that.”

“Excuse me! One bottle of soju here!”

Hana raised her hand to order drinks.

“I’m buying tonight.”

“You, hyung?”

“Yeah. So don’t hold back, drink up.”

“Are you rich today, oppa?”

Hana leaned against Suhyeok with a smirk.

“You should drink just a little.”

“That’s discrimination!”

“No, Taeho has his reasons.”

“Hey, if we’re going there, what about me?”

‘I’m sweating bullets because you won’t accept my confession!’

Hana pointed accusingly at her own face, as if wronged.

“Anyway. Hmm…”

As the drinks arrived, Suhyeok filled Taeho’s glass to the brim.

“Taeho.”

“Yes.”

“About Hyejung… forget her…!”

“Huh? Why?”

“Remember earlier when you got that text about the movie?”

“Yes.”

“Did you ask who she’s going with?”

By now, Taeho couldn’t help but sense the chill in the air.

“…Who is it?”

“She’s going alone with a male senior from her department.”

“What?!”

Taeho felt like he’d been hit in the back of the head with a blunt object.

“B-but what about me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You got rejected.”

Hana chewed on some squid as she spoke.

“No. Haa… Really? This isn’t a joke?”

The denial stage had begun.

“Yeah. Want to see?”

“Yes!”

Taeho’s face showed disbelief.

Hana opened her private chat and showed it to him.

Learning that Hyejung was already seeing someone, Taeho could only reach for his glass.

“No! No! This can’t be right!”

“What’s not right about it?”

“Then why did she even respond to my messages?!”

“Lee Suhyeok, you explain.”

Suhyeok, who was greatly contributing to the Spirit Peace Committee, began explaining like an insurance agent.

“It was probably to maintain peace and stability in our club.”

“What?”

“Think about it. When someone in the same activity keeps messaging you, it’s realistically difficult to say ‘Go away, you’re annoying.'”

“But was Hyejung really that cold? You both saw our conversations.”

“We did. But honestly…”

Hana let out a deep sigh.

“It didn’t seem like she disliked you, but I got almost no sense that she liked you either.”

Taeho froze like he’d been turned to stone.

“Damn it! That bitch!”

Despite being in front of his seniors, Taeho couldn’t contain his anger.

“She was playing with me!”

“It’s not like she took your money for movies or anything, so why go that far.”

“Argh! I feel so fucking awful.”

Taeho had entered the anger stage.

He drank everything Suhyeok poured him.

“Haaa… fucking bitch… I loved her…”

“Hey, enough with the cursing.”

“I can’t help it, Noona Hana! Seriously, if Suhyeok hyung was hooking up with some random girl, wouldn’t you curse too?”

“Hey, how are those situations the same?”

“What would you do, noona?”

“I’d hunt them down and kill them both. Suhyeok and that woman.”

The drinking session was unintentionally heating up.

Still, with his seniors there, Taeho felt he could pull himself together a bit more easily.

“Uhuhuhu…”

Suhyeok patted the sobbing Taeho’s back.

“It’s okay.”

“Ugh… how am I supposed to face her now?”

“You didn’t confess, so it’s okay.”

Taeho’s consolation session finally ended in the early morning.

“Hyung! You know I love you, right?!”

Taeho, completely drunk, was spouting nonsense.

“I love you too!”

“What?! Hey! Lee Suhyeok! What about me?”

“I love you too! Hana!”

“Kyaa! I love you too! Suhyeok!”

The three walked arm in arm, singing.

Not a single car passed by on the street.

“Taeho! Get home safe.”

“Yes, hyung. Thanks for today.”

Taeho waved to his seniors as they parted.

Only Suhyeok and Hana remained.

“Hey, Lee Suhyeok.”

“Hmm?”

“Say it again. What you said earlier.”

“What?”

“You said you love me.”

“Hey, that was just because Taeho—”

Hana threw herself into Suhyeok’s arms.

“Come on… just once… can’t you say it?”

Hana looked up at Suhyeok with eyes like a cat eyeing a fish.

She held onto him tightly, as if telling him not to leave.

“…I love you, Hana.”

“…Me too.”

Hana burst into bright, childlike laughter.