Like a Married Couple
“If it’s not even a crush, then what is it?”
Letting Myeong-tae’s words slide past him, Beom-ju sank into thought for a moment. With Lee Ji-eum, it wasn’t the kind of relationship where those signals between a man and a woman passed back and forth. He’d overheard her private thoughts through Duduple, and she was a pretty girl who reminded him of Ggomi and tugged at his attention. That was as far as it went.
“Just fluffy and looking light… None of your business.”
“What the hell, Beom-ju. Then you wanna get set up with a girl? She’s in the dance department—quasi-celebrity-level gorgeous.”
Raising one eyebrow and staring straight at him, Myeong-tae held out his phone. A photo of some woman from an SNS feed appeared. Beom-ju’s already cold gaze turned even colder.
“Put that away.”
“Whoa, okay.”
Myeong-tae hastily stashed the phone and pulled out his major textbook. In the quiet that followed, other students crowded over and began scribbling on the cast.
They weren’t even high schoolers—what was so fun about doodling on a cast?
Whether the kids scribbled on the cast or not, Kwon Beom-ju stayed lost in thought. About the nursing care he’d demanded from Lee Ji-eum.
He’d told her to nurse him however it first came to mind, but recalling her small frame straining and struggling that morning, something like pity brushed through him.
Anyway…. Human Kwon Beom-ju. What good was a soft heart like this?
That said, he had no intention of telling her to stop the nursing. Thinking of the wistful expression she’d worn in the car earlier—anyone could see she’d been lost in memories of her unrequited love—that was why.
Ma Seung-jo, was it. That bastard…. For reasons he couldn’t name, the guy instinctively rubbed him the wrong way.
If she’d said she’d keep liking him until she died, he’d leave her to it, but she’d clearly said with her own mouth that she wanted to forget him. The more he got to know Ji-eum, the more escaping that bastard looked hopelessly distant….
Well… maybe I should help her out a bit?
Beom-ju snorted and turned the page.
“Hah—too, huff, late!”
“I can taste blood in my throat, huff huff.”
The professor’s lecture had run long, so they were already way past the agreed time. Ji-eum and Na-hee ran as if their lives depended on it, gasping for air.
“There—that’s him!”
In front of the new building cafeteria stood Kwon Beom-ju with the hood of his hoodie pulled up.
“Oh, you’re right! What do we do. He’s punctual like a ghost.”
Regret hit her. Why had she ever said the late person would buy the meal? Kwon Beom-ju tapped his wristwatch with the index finger of his casted arm and scowled hard.
“The professor, huff huff, let us out late….”
Standing in front of the man, Ji-eum planted both hands on her knees and dragged in ragged breaths.
“It’s true. We ran straight here without resting the second it ended….”
Na-hee explained in a voice that kept catching and choking. Feeling a warm rush of gratitude toward her friend, Ji-eum slowly straightened and introduced her.
“This is the friend I told you about—Park Na-hee.”
“Hello.”
“You’re the same age, right? Talk casually.”
“Huh. Okay.”
“Anyway, so you two outsiders are a set, huh?”
Deliberately stressing the word “outsiders,” Kwon Beom-ju tried to cross his arms, then paused as if the casted arm hurt. In the end he settled for a slanted one-armed fold with his left and looked back and forth between Ji-eum and Na-hee.
“A set? We’re not outsiders….”
Ji-eum shook her head, but Na-hee, who had linked arms even tighter with her, nodded. True to form when meeting someone new, her voice came out brighter and higher than usual.
“Yep. Think of Ji-eum and me as a hamburger and fries.”
Is that so? Looking like he’d just heard something amusing, Kwon Beom-ju laughed heartily and pointed at himself with his index finger.
“Then I’m the cola?”
“Uh, uh?”
“Ah…?”
The atmosphere chilled in an instant.
“That joke’s a little dirty….”
Ji-eum and Na-hee were strict about that sort of thing.
“…You two are colder than you look? I like it. Let’s go in and eat.”
The cafeteria bustled with people. A long line of students who’d come for lunch stretched into view.
The two of them looked around and then stood beside the kiosk Kwon Beom-ju had claimed. When they tried to help, Beom-ju waved them off with his left hand.
“It’s fine. I’ll do it. Just tell me what you want.”
Thick fingers jabbed the kiosk buttons.
The three of them chose the “Today’s Set Meal.” The moment Kwon Beom-ju reached to hit the pay button, Ji-eum quickly held out the card she’d already prepared.
“Swipe it as a lump sum.”
“Hey. Your joke’s dirty too?”
His eyelids lowered as he looked at the check card she offered, and his brow took on a peculiar expression. The check card she used as a student ID had Ji-eum’s freshman ID photo on it. Kwon Beom-ju held it right in front of his eyes and stared hard.
Twenty-year-old Ji-eum who still hadn’t shed her high-school vibe. She was smiling so brightly—it was the photo she liked. Not long ago Seung-jo had also said she’d been cute back then and sounded regretful.
“What, what are you staring at like that…. I know I looked better then.”
Stop looking at someone else’s photo and just pay already? Ignoring the look in Ji-eum’s eyes, Kwon Beom-ju glanced once at the check card in his hand and once at the Ji-eum standing in front of him.
“Why. You look good now?”
“Huh…?”
Thud. The check card landed back in Ji-eum’s hand.
“Go stand in line.”
“But still….”
“Forget it. What’s a guy supposed to sponge off hamburger and fries.”
“…….”
“It’s nursing fees.”
Yeah…? Thanks. She gave a small nod and was about to head for the serving window when Kwon Beom-ju called her back.
“Hold on. Before you go, take out my wallet for me. Back pocket.”
“Back pocket?”
“Yeah. Hurry. It’s in pretty deep.”
“Ugh, fine…. Just stay still.”
At the chin-jerk that pointed diagonally downward in a hurry, Ji-eum slipped her hand into his bulging back pocket. Along with the smooth leather texture, her fingertips brushed Kwon Beom-ju’s glute and felt the sensation.
Ugh, ugh, aaaah…. I just touched Kwon Beom-ju’s butt.
Even a glancing touch was enough to tell—it was a tightly coiled spring of an ass, hard and firm. She’d thought the area around his pants looked springy when she saw him from behind, but it was solid and heavy too….
“…Ha.”
Now they’d reached the point of knowing what each other’s butts felt like. Feeling a throb start in her head, Ji-eum flipped open Kwon Beom-ju’s bifold wallet. There were way too many cards. The wallet design looked like something a working adult would carry, and from the thickness it was stuffed with cash too. Was this really a college student’s wallet?
Not knowing what he wanted, Ji-eum hesitated a moment before pulling something out at random and handing it over. Then a sudden question struck her.
“But your left hand… isn’t fine?”
Did he really need her to dig out the wallet for him?
“Hmm…. There’s some points thing too.”
Whether he’d heard her or not, Kwon Beom-ju made no reply and pushed the card into the payment terminal with a serious face. After that the three of them finally found seats and sat down.
“Lee Ji-eum, Park Na-hee. Do you two always stick together like that?”
“Ah! We used to, but our department professor keeps calling me aside separately, so we only barely see each other during class.”
“Why does the professor keep calling you. Does that professor call Lee Ji-eum too?”
“No, not that.”
Ji-eum didn’t jump actively into the conversation and just nodded along appropriately. While she was doing that, a huge left palm suddenly entered her field of vision.
Staring blankly at the massive palm that could have covered her entire face, Ji-eum only understood what it meant when she saw the beckoning motion. She quickly placed the spoon and chopsticks she’d brought into that hand.
“Put some side dishes on.”
“…Okay. I’m using your chopsticks?”
Ji-eum piled the side dishes that came with today’s set meal onto the mound of rice on the spoon Kwon Beom-ju thrust out. Once she got going it was fun. It even felt a little like feeding a beast. They had been eating like that for a while when a strange gaze prickled at her.
“…….”
Na-hee was looking back and forth between Beom-ju and Ji-eum with a gentle smile on her face.
“…What?”
At Ji-eum’s question, Na-hee let out a short laugh and spoke with only the shape of her mouth.
You two look so good together, like a married couple….
What the hell!
What, married couple? Are you crazy?
I seriously thought I was watching a dating show….
Yeonpeu? Cut it out.
At Na-hee’s endless fantasies, Ji-eum clenched her right hand into a fist and lightly thumped the table. Beom-ju shot glittering eyes at Ji-eum and Na-hee whispering between themselves and leaving him out.
“What are you two doing?”
“Uh, nothing.”
Married couple—ugh….
Just thinking the word made her feel like she’d get indigestion.
Ji-eum shot Na-hee a fierce look that ordered her to keep her mouth shut, then piled stir-fried cucumber high onto Beom-ju’s spoon again.
Hoo. So from now on she’d have to eat with Kwon Beom-ju every single day?