* * *
“Hey, hey Seo Jihoon, what’s wrong with you?”
Dalsu called out, and Jihoon, barely managing to close his gaping mouth, rubbed his eyes repeatedly.
“Am I seeing things? Cha Yeongdeok, of all people, is shaking hands so casually…”
“What are you talking about? You act strange sometimes too.”
Finishing his handshake with Yeongdeok, Haemin caught Jihoon’s eye and smiled faintly, as if he had overheard their conversation.
“Already losing energy at your age, huh?”
“What?”
Jihoon frowned in confusion, and Haemin waved it off, telling him not to take it so seriously.
“It’s just a joke. Don’t get worked up.”
“Alright, let’s all stop bickering and head inside. The others should be here soon.”
Dalsu led the group into the café.
While Haemin glanced around at the partitioned seating areas, he asked Dalsu, “Why a café? A bar would’ve been better.”
“Ah, Yeongdeok hyung said he was busy in the evening. Same with Seo Jihoon.”
“Really? Well, whatever.”
Dalsu and Haemin sat down at the far end of a long table, leaving one of the outer seats open.
Jihoon pulled out a chair for Yeongdeok, pushing him inside.
Thrown off balance, Yeongdeok plopped down in the seat.
“Don’t push me around, Seo Jihoon.”
“Sit inside.”
“Why should I sit inside?”
“Because if we need something, the person sitting on the outside has to move, and you won’t budge.”
Yeongdeok found Jihoon’s certainty irritatingly arrogant.
Just then, he noticed Haemin staring at him from the left.
No matter how much he wanted to ignore it, the intense gaze was impossible to overlook, so he reluctantly turned his head.
“What are you staring at? Don’t you know it’s rude to stare at someone’s face so openly?”
“Just… I think I understand why Kim Dalsu said he felt a connection with you.”
Haemin’s lips curled into a long, teasing smile.
From behind him, Dalsu popped his head over Haemin’s shoulder and eagerly agreed.
“Right? You get what I meant now, right?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Haemin’s eyes gleamed with an odd light as he looked at Yeongdeok, but Yeongdeok didn’t really care what Haemin thought of him.
What bothered him was something else entirely.
“I don’t recall ever giving you permission to call me hyung.”
“Kim Dalsu calls you hyung, doesn’t he? Let me call you that too.”
“I never gave him permission to call me hyung either.”
“What the heck? You’re so picky.”
The sly smile that claimed it was too much reminded Yeongdeok of someone.
It felt as if Baek Seonwoo, albeit with a different appearance, was sitting right beside him, and that made him very uncomfortable.
“Sorry! I was a bit late because of the traffic.”
Just then, the meeting attendees arrived. They rushed in and quickly took their seats across from him.
“No, it’s fine. Was it hard for you to get here?”
At the arrival of the meeting participants, Dalsu, who had been acting like a boisterous kid just moments ago, suddenly lowered his voice and tried to set a serious tone.
He laughed awkwardly, flashing his perfectly aligned teeth.
“What the hell’s up with that guy, Kim Dalsu?”
“Since everyone’s here, should we place our orders?”
Haemin handed over the menu that had been propped up on one side of the table.
Jihoon spoke to the people sitting in front of him.
“Once you’ve chosen your menu, I’ll place the order all at once.”
“You! You’re sitting on the outside on purpose to score points!”
Dalsu pointed at Jihoon, calling him a smooth operator.
Naturally, Jihoon snapped back, asking what kind of nonsense that was.
“If I’ve got nothing else to show off, at least my manners should be good.”
Amidst this, Haemin teased Jihoon with a grin.
The slight yet thick animosity in his lighthearted tone made Jihoon’s face stiffen.
“Hey, what did you just say?”
“Nothing? Ah. I’ll have a caramel macchiato.”
“I’ll take an iced Americano!”
Jihoon gathered the selected orders and went to place them.
While he was briefly away, the meeting attendees whispered among themselves.
“He’s quite mannerly.”
“His language is a bit rough though.”
But despite that, they found it cute, giggling together.
Watching them, a cold glint briefly flickered in Haemin’s eyes.
Soon, Jihoon returned with the drinks, placing them in front of their respective owners.
Yeongdeok stirred his strawberry latte with a straw to mix it well.
At that moment, Jihoon leaned in and whispered in his ear.
“Cha Yeongdeok, do you secretly like sweet stuff?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Last time, at Bogem Cafe, you ordered a chocolate latte, didn’t you?”
As Jihoon gave a sly smile, Yeongdeok thought to himself that this fool only remembered pointless things.
“You remember the most useless things.”
“Why is it useless?”
“Even if you know what I like, it’s of no use to me.”
“Seriously.”
Jihoon clicked his tongue and leaned back.
At that moment, Dalsu suggested to the group at the table.
“Since we don’t know much about each other, how about we do introductions? I’m Kim Dalsu, majoring in Digital Contents at Daehan University! I’m 24 years old.”
With his usual humorous tone, Dalsu finished his introduction, and the turn passed to Haemin next to him.
“I’m Park Haemin, studying Business Administration at Daehan University. I’m also 24.”
“You all attend Daehan University?”
One of the meeting attendees across from them smiled as if intrigued.
Then it was Yeongdeok’s turn.
When it was his turn, the expectant gazes of the meeting attendees all fell on him.
“I’m Cha Yeongdeok. I’m 29 and run a fried chicken restaurant.”
“A fried chicken place?”
“Oh, I know!”
Suddenly, Dalsu jumped up, pointing at Yeongdeok.
Yeongdeok wondered what kind of rude behavior that was.
“Ah, I thought I recognized you! You’re that guy from the famous chicken joint known for being rude but selling cheap, delicious chicken!”
“Rude?”
Yeongdeok’s eyebrows shot up at Dalsu’s words.
Realizing his slip, Dalsu scratched his neck awkwardly.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant… but it’s like I feel a strange sense of closeness to you now.”
Dalsu beamed with familiarity and sat back down, while the meeting attendees sneaked glances at Yeongdeok, murmuring among themselves.
“Chicken place?”
“Rude? What’s that about?”
“I’m Seo Jihoon, 24 years old, majoring in Digital Contents at Daehan University.”
While everyone’s attention was still on Yeongdeok, Jihoon quickly finished his introduction.
After the brief self-introductions, there was a moment of silence at the table, which was awkwardly broken by the attendees starting their own introductions.
Most of them were women in their early to mid-twenties, attending Minkook University.
Once all the introductions were finished, it was followed by a question round.
“What’s everyone’s ideal type?”
It was a typical question asked at meetings like this.
Dalsu raised his glass and answered in a serious tone.
“Someone with a kind heart is my ideal type.”
“That’s a bit too textbook, don’t you think?”
“It’s textbook, but it’s also sincere.”
His serious tone didn’t quite match his sly expression, which made his conversation partner burst into laughter.
“As for me, I like petite and pretty younger girls… but honestly, if they’re attractive to me, the little things don’t matter.”
“Haemin, that’s really rude. So, you’re saying your ideal type is just based on looks?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
His blunt honesty made the woman sitting across from him playfully stick out her tongue.
“Okay then, balance game. Someone drop-dead gorgeous but with a terrible personality or someone average-looking but with a great personality?”
“I’d still pick looks.”
“Wow….”
Once again, his straightforward answer drew jeers from the meeting attendees.
Haemin grinned and then looked over at Yeongdeok with crescent-shaped eyes.
“What about you, Yeongdeok?”
The question was unexpectedly directed at Yeongdeok.
He thought it was a rather pointless question, but he responded while tracing a mental image of Eungyeol in his mind.
“Well….”
Yeongdeok began to recall the traits of Eungyeol, his main target.
To avoid playing into PetitRolang’s whims, he decided to give the opposite answer.
“I like someone tall, with a nasty personality and a rough face.”
“Huh? That sounds like….”
Dalsu muttered as he stared closely at Jihoon’s face.
Jihoon could feel his anger rising from the tip of his head.
“Hey, why are you looking at me?”
“Hm. Nasty personality, rough face. Sounds just like you!”
* * *
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Oh my gosh✋🏻😭
Ahahaha 😂😂
So accurate
let them be end game <<<<</3
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
AOERFUHAWOUERH Im surprised Jihoon didnt immediately combust seeing how Yeongdeok clearly described him LMAO
Thanks for the chapter 😁
Awww this chapter was a standout good chapter! Reading this gave me a huge grin
Theyre cute lol… another great chapter rn
Haemin probably Seonwoos little brother or cousin
Jihoon is probably freaking out right now
The gay panic is real hahahaha
Hahahaha🤣
jihoon I’m cheering for you😂
Aiai meu casal 😻😻
Lindo 😍
omg, it’s really funny 🤣
Jihoonn hahahaha 🤣
oop slay