The Probability of Becoming a Couple with Your Beloved

Fortunately, thanks to his quick walking, Hangeom managed to arrive on time for the general education class. As expected from a required course necessary for obtaining a diploma, the lecture was boring. Hangeom, replaying the recent conversation with Wonhyeok in his head, hoped that he wouldn’t feel excessive guilt.

He hoped that their recently formed close relationship wouldn’t be destroyed because of this. Perhaps thanks to these worries and concerns, the two-hour lecture flew by unnoticed.

After the class ended, Hangeom immediately left the building. With thoughts about what to cook for dinner, he headed towards the bus stop.

“Huh?”

He noticed someone cheerfully waving at him. Looking closer in surprise, he saw unexpected people. It was Kim Seonu, Kang Yubin, and Wonhyeok.

The one who noticed Hangeom and waved was none other than Kang Yubin.

“Right, it’s you! The sophomore who asked us where Wonhyeok was!”

“Ah, hello.”

Hangeom awkwardly bowed. For a moment, his gaze met Wonhyeok’s. He was confused seeing a fleeting impassive expression on his face, but immediately Wonhyeok smiled softly, as if nothing had happened.

“How was the general education class?”

“Good.”

“By the way, how do you two know Hangeom?”

“Huh? Didn’t we tell you? Well, remember, last Friday when you were sick and didn’t come.”

At Kim Seonu’s words, Hangeom and Wonhyeok flinched simultaneously.

“Then he was looking for you, said he needed to return something. So you went to Wonhyeok’s house?”

“What?”

Hangeom’s voice trembled slightly at the sudden question.

“You were asking then as if you were going to go to his house yourself.”

Hangeom swallowed. He was sweating as if caught at the scene of a crime. Although, if you think about it, he didn’t do anything wrong. Perhaps that’s why they say a person shouldn’t live with a guilty conscience.

“Yes, he came. But I had a severe flu, so I just took the things and sent him back immediately.”

Couldn’t infect him with the flu, Wonhyeok explained cleverly, and the two quickly understood.

“By the way, Do Wonhyeok, do you have such a close junior in your department?”

Kang Yubin playfully nudged him in the side and asked. Hearing the words “close junior,” Hangeom embarrassedly rubbed his neck, feeling happy.

“Ah! Since we’ve met like this, why don’t we take Hangeom along?”

“Oh, good idea!”

Hangeom couldn’t keep up with the lively conversation of the two and was just observing when Kang Yubin suddenly grabbed his hand.

“Junior, do you have plans for the evening?”

“What? N-no.”

“Then come drink with us.”

Drink? Hangeom’s eyes widened. Is this the gathering with seniors he had only heard about?

“Yubin, maybe Hangeom will feel uncomfortable if we suddenly invite him like this?”

“Ah… You think so?”

Wonhyeok seemed to ask caringly, but in fact, Hangeom was now in a state of huge anticipation. Although he didn’t particularly like alcohol, if Wonhyeok would be there, everything changed. Moreover, the people going with them were the two with whom Wonhyeok communicated best in the department.

“I… I don’t mind.”

Hangeom secretly glanced at Wonhyeok.

“I w-want to go.”

Although it wasn’t anything special, his voice pronouncing these words shyly sounded a bit excited. Wonhyeok absentmindedly looked at him for a while, then nodded.

“Okay. If you don’t mind.”

So the group of one junior and three seniors headed to a bar not far from the university district. Since it was an establishment known among local students for large portions of snacks and low prices, it was full of students inside.

“Ah, so you became friends because you’re in the same club?”

In front of the four people who occupied a suitable place and placed an order, a table was set with alcohol and snacks. And, of course, the attention in the conversation was directed at Hangeom, who was a new face in this company.

“Yes, that’s right.”

So in the eyes of other people, Wonhyeok and I look close. Hangeom, who didn’t let even small things slip past his ears, smiled widely and took a sip of the beer standing in front of him.

“By the way, Do Wonhyeok, you disappointed us. We invited you to join our club so many times, but you didn’t come.”

“It’s a big club. There are too many members.”

“Do you know how all the club members asked us to bring you?”

It seems Wonhyeok was a well-known figure in large clubs as well. After all, among the daily updated hot posts on the university forum, at least one was always about Wonhyeok. Questions like “Who is this handsome guy from the English department?” or “Today I saw a guy at the university who looked like a celebrity, does anyone know who it is?” constantly appeared.

Hangeom involuntarily felt respect and stared at Wonhyeok sitting next to him. When Wonhyeok, feeling the gaze, turned his head, and their eyes met, Hangeom quickly looked away.

Fearing that his actions might have seemed awkward, he intentionally gulped down the alcohol standing in front of him.

“Hangeom, is he popular in your class too?”

“Stop it, Kim Seonu.”

“Yes. He’s popular. The senior has a very good character, many want to be friends with him.”

Hangeom giggled.

“He really has a character like a Bodhisattva. I’ve never seen Do Wonhyeok even speak indecently.”

“Speak…”

At this moment, Hangeom quietly mumbled. The mention of swearing reminded him. On the day when Wonhyeok was in rut, his behavior was a bit different from usual. His voice was much gloomier, and he didn’t smile. Of course, the situation wasn’t conducive to smiling, but he definitely swore.

Wonhyeok’s sharp gaze fell on Hangeom, who had tilted his head.

“Are you really going to keep saying such things right in front of him?”

“Okay, okay. Are you embarrassed? Let’s drink.”

Wonhyeok glanced at Hangeom, who hurriedly raised his glass when Seonu proposed a toast.

Usually, Hangeom was shy and didn’t get along well with people, so Wonhyeok worried that he might not fit into the company and feel awkward. But, disproving these concerns, the party was quite fun. First of all, the two seniors, except Wonhyeok, maintained the atmosphere well.

Unnoticeably, the party gained momentum, and empty bottles began to accumulate under the table. In front of Hangeom, who initially only sipped beer, now stood a glass of soju.

“Come on, Hangeom, one more glass.”

Kim Seonu, with slightly slurred speech, filled Hangeom’s glass with soju to the brim. He had already almost unconsciously raised the glass when a hand suddenly appeared from the side.

“Stop drinking. A little more, and you’ll get drunk.”

Wonhyeok smiled softly and made Hangeom lower the glass.

“Hey, when a senior pours, you need to drink it all.”

Kim Seonu, who was chatting with Kang Yubin, somehow noticed that Hangeom’s glass was still full. Confused Hangeom, not knowing what to do, tipped the soju down his throat.

“…”

Hangeom grimaced and wiped his mouth. Wonhyeok sitting next to him saw this very well. He saw how Hangeom’s snow-white earlobes and neck turned red. Maybe because he has such white skin, even in the dim lighting of the bar, it was noticeable how much he blushed.

“By the way, Hangeom, doesn’t your bangs bother you?”

“Right. Let me see. It seems if we remove it, it will be more comfortable.”

When Kim Seonu reached out to lift Hangeom’s bangs, Wonhyeok sharply swatted his hand away, as if shooing away an insect.

For a moment, a cold silence hung around the table. Even Hangeom, whose eyes had started to close from the alcohol, opened them wide.

“…He’ll be uncomfortable. You only met today.”

“Ah… Really? Sorry, Hangeom.”

Kim Seonu laughed and scratched the back of his head. Hangeom wanted to say it was okay, but Wonhyeok suddenly took his bag and abruptly stood up.

“It seems Hangeom is very drunk, I’ll take him home and come back.”

“Uh, senior…”

“What are you doing? Stand up.”

Hangeom stood up with a confused face. He still had the strength to stay. Of course, he had already slightly exceeded his limit and was approaching the edge, but he still wanted to stay. However, a slight pressure emanated from Wonhyeok’s smiling face.

“T-then I’ll go first.”

Saying goodbye to the two people, saying they should eat together sometime, Hangeom went out following Wonhyeok.

“Senior, I can go by myself. If you give me my bag…”

“Which direction is your house?”

“Ah, I myself…”

Ha, Wonhyeok sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair.

“Hangeom, how can I let a drunk junior go alone? I’ll walk you home.”

He definitely sighed. Hangeom involuntarily clenched his fists. It seems Wonhyeok got angry.

But why? Hangeom kept thinking about this while explaining the direction to his house. The only reason that came to his mind why Wonhyeok might be displeased was one.

‘Maybe he wanted to drink with his classmates, and I tactlessly joined in?’

It seems this was correct. Moreover, he drank everything that was poured for him, and as a result, Wonhyeok had to walk him home, because of which he couldn’t properly enjoy time with his classmates and only wasted time. Although he wanted to say that he could go by himself, and that Wonhyeok should quickly return and have fun with his classmates, somehow it seemed that now was not the time to say such things to Wonhyeok.

Hangeom’s rental apartment was about a 10-minute walk from the university district. In terms of location, it wasn’t that far, but there was a hill on the way, and it was in a secluded place, so the journey took quite a long time.

The two slowly entered a dark alley. Cats were tearing open bags on a pile of garbage collected in various places in the alley. A street lamp, as if burning its last light before the end of its service life, was flashing brightly. The alley, painted in an orange color, created an atmosphere often seen in crime films.

There was no conversation between them while walking. Except for that moment when Hangeom asked to carry his bag himself.

Now, if you turn around the last alley, the studio apartment where Hangeom lives will appear.

“S-senior.”

Before entering the alley, near an old street lamp, Hangeom stopped.

“Are you angry?”

“What? Why should I be angry?”

“Um… I’m sorry for tactlessly joining your company.”

Wonhyeok’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Actually, I wanted to make friends with other seniors too.”

“…Why do you need that?”

“Because they’re the seniors you communicate best with.”

Hangeom raised his head. In his eyes, visible through his hair, there wasn’t a drop of lie.

“And I wanted to drink with you. At the club’s welcome party, we sat separately…”

The flickering light of the lamp illuminated Hangeom, shyly pronouncing these words. Although his voice was quiet, due to the surrounding silence, his slightly trembling voice clearly reached Wonhyeok’s ears.

“Anyway, I was probably too happy at the thought that I could drink together with your friends and with you. I’m sorry. My apartment is right there ahead, so I can go from here by myself. Then, see you. Thank you for walking me home.”

Hangeom bowed low until the last moment and ran towards the building with slightly quickened steps. Not noticing that Wonhyeok’s gaze was still following his back, he ran to the entrance of the apartment and briefly caught his breath.

Now he was going to enter to wash up and go to sleep, and headed towards the entrance with a bit of a quick step, when suddenly some figure jumped out in front of him.

“Hangeom, long time no see?”