* * *

It was May, the season when everything blooms, and discussions about the upcoming festival were buzzing around Daehan University.

People gossiped about which celebrity might be coming and what each department was planning.

But for Dalsu, the lively atmosphere was nearly unbearable.

“Why is the festival still a week away? I’m so done with assignments… I just want to let loose and not think about anything.”

Dalsu shoved his textbooks and printouts aside and slumped over his desk, squashing his cheek against it.

Sitting across from him, Eungyeol gave him a look of genuine concern.

“Aren’t you retaking this course because you failed it in your second year?”

“The professor’s so boring, and it’s at nine in the morning with a ton of assignments. Not getting an F is the real surprise here.”

“So, you’re planning to fail it again? Come on, get up and work.”

While Eungyeol shook Dalsu’s shoulders to nudge him back to his assignments, Jihoon joined them after finishing his philosophy class.

Eungyeol greeted him as he walked over.

“Hey, Seo Jihoon. You’re done early?”

“Seems like the professor cut class short because of the festival. Got a surprise three-hour break.”

Dalsu, sprawled out like a corpse on the desk, suddenly perked up as if he’d downed a revival potion.

“Hey, Jihoon, got free time? Want to hit up the PC cafe?”

“PC cafe? Dalsu, have you even started on that 3D assignment?”

Dalsu had hoped Jihoon would join him for some fun, but his hopes were dashed by a scolding instead.

He slumped back onto the desk, grumbling.

“Boring people. I wish Jeon Yeongheon were here instead of you guys.”

“Well, that’s why Jeon Yeongheon has a GPA of 1.7.”

“Seo Jihoon… who knew you were secretly so diligent?”

As Jihoon turned on his laptop, Dalsu realized that if things kept going this way, he’d end up doing assignments with these model students.

Reluctantly, he pulled out his ultimate trick, though he hadn’t wanted to resort to it.

Grabbing Jihoon’s arm, he pleaded.

“Please, come on! Let’s go play a game!”

Clinging to Jihoon, Dalsu put on a childish pout that was unlikely to work.

Jihoon’s face twisted in disgust.

“Are you out of your mind? Let go of me.”

“None of you are getting any assignments done. Who does work on such a beautiful day? We should be having fun!”

As Eungyeol watched the scene with an awkward smile, Jihoon shoved Dalsu’s head away and threw a comment at Eungyeol, who looked on with a detached expression.

“Eungyeol, instead of just laughing, help me deal with him.”

“To be honest, with all this festival buzz, it’s hard to focus. Maybe we should take a day off?”

Eungyeol started to put his printouts into his bag, causing Dalsu’s eyes to fill with excitement.

“Eungyeol…! I knew I could count on you!”

“Jihoon, come on, you too.”

Jihoon glanced at his laptop, which had just powered up.

Yeah… it’s just one day.

He shut the screen, with Dalsu’s obnoxious, gleeful expression nudging his decision.

“Fine, but let go of me, Kim Dalsu. And stop making that face.”

“Awesome!”

With his wish granted, Dalsu, who had been latched onto Jihoon, finally let go with a triumphant cheer.

ꔚ

The three of them tidied up the scattered notes and papers on the desk and left for their usual PC cafe nearby.

On the way there, Dalsu couldn’t stop chatting.

“So, are you guys doing anything with your clubs for the festival?”

“I’m just in a job-prep club, so…” said Eungyeol, waving off any involvement.

Dalsu’s next target was Jihoon.

“What about you, Jihoon?”

Although Jihoon was in a basketball club, he hadn’t participated in club activities for a while due to his job at Yeongdeok’s shop.

“Not sure. They mentioned something about a game.”

By the time they reached the PC cafe, Dalsu’s non-stop chatter had kept them fully entertained.

They purchased game time and settled into open seats.

As he powered up his computer, Dalsu turned to the others.

“What game should we play? ROR? Luxery Watch? Sonrolant? BiPex?”

After logging into his account, Jihoon’s eyes drifted to the Luxery Watch logo.

He thought of Yeongdeok for a moment.

Luxery Watch wasn’t as popular as games like ROR, but maybe it was because Yeongdeok loved it that Jihoon felt an urge to play it today.

“Let’s play Luxery Watch?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. Let’s do it.”

“Works for me.”

All three agreed and logged into Luxery Watch.

As soon as he entered the game, Dalsu checked his friends list.

“Looks like Yeongdeok hyung isn’t on today. I would’ve invited him to join if he were.”

Jihoon peeked over the partition and saw that Dalsu’s friend list included someone with the username “Yeongdeok Chicken.”

He was stunned that Kim Dalsu had added Cha Yeongdeok as a friend.

“You’re friends with Cha Yeongdeok?”

“Yeah, from when we played together once.”

‘I haven’t even added him yet….’

Though it was more because he hadn’t had the chance, Jihoon couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

“Weren’t you in that game, too, Eungyeol?”

At Dalsu’s question, Eungyeol nodded.

“Yeah. Yeongdeok… he’s surprisingly good.”

Remembering how badly he had lost to Yeongdeok, Eungyeol muttered in a daze.

“You sent him a friend request too?”

“Nah. I tried, but he never accepted.”

Eungyeol chuckled awkwardly.

“Why would you…?” Jihoon wondered why Eungyeol had even tried to friend him.

Didn’t he find Yeongdeok intimidating?

An odd ache tugged at Jihoon’s chest.

“Should I message him on Kakao? Last time he joined when I reached out first.”

Jihoon thought that anyone else would be intimidated by Yeongdeok’s cold demeanor and blunt speech, but not Dalsu, who immediately texted him without hesitation.

[Kim Dalsu: Hyung! Want to game with us?]

“You’re pretty persistent with him, huh?” Jihoon muttered pointedly, creating an awkward silence among the trio.

Jihoon wondered if he’d been too sharp, but Dalsu’s silence seemed to stem from something else.

“Seo Jihoon, I thought you didn’t even respect him, always calling him ‘Cha Yeongdeok’ and ‘that guy’ instead of ‘hyung’… yet you actually use it?”

Dalsu’s eyes narrowed as he gave Jihoon a mischievous smile.

“…Shut up, you punk.”

Though Jihoon was only acknowledging a man five years older as “hyung,” he suddenly felt self-conscious and pushed down on Dalsu’s head to cover his embarrassment.

Eungyeol blinked, watching Jihoon’s reaction, and quietly murmured, “Ah,” as if realizing something.

“Oh, he replied. ‘I’m on a different level from you punks. Buzz off.’ Definitely sounds like him.”

Dalsu let out a hearty laugh.

Eungyeol, who had been listening, nudged Jihoon in the side.

“Seo Jihoon, why don’t you ask Yeongdeok?”

“What? Why me?”

“Just… if you ask, the answer might be different, you know?”

Jihoon felt a vague sense of unease, irritated by Eungyeol’s insistence that he ask Yeongdeok again.

For him, Eungyeol was a person he was far more sensitive to than even Seonwoo.

“Yeah, you’re the closest to Yeongdeok hyung among us. Just bring it up.”

“…No.”

“Why not? The more, the merrier.”

Jihoon thought there’d be no change in Yeongdeok’s answer, even if he asked himself. And besides…

For a moment, Eungyeol’s face flashed in Jihoon’s brown eyes before vanishing.

He had no desire to create any opportunity for Eungyeol and Yeongdeok to connect.

“Let’s just do it ourselves.”

“What? Aww…”

“Cut the crap with that useless cutesy act.”

“Too bad. Yeongdeok’s pretty good at games.”

Eungyeol chuckled, his smile slightly unsteady.

Jihoon wanted to ask him why—what exactly he found so disappointing—but he didn’t get the chance.

Dalsu had already hit the “start” button, making a loud fuss about winning.

* * *