Harmonious Love

The Harmony of Yin and Yang Is Not as It Seems PART1(2)

Momentarily dazed, Tae Young-won burst into laughter.

“That’s right. Isn’t it?”

Although he often smiled, it had been a long time since his eyes had crinkled so much from laughing out loud.

“Well, I guess that’s true, but…”

Somehow, every time he heard about that junior, Tae Young-won felt curious. Honestly, he found it fascinating how someone could be like that, and on the other hand, he thought it was impressive.

“…What was his name again?”

“Mo Yeon, I think? It was two syllables… Anyway, if you ever see him later, don’t get involved with him at all. He’s really unpleasant.”

The balcony of the cafe on the third floor of the student union building had a clear view of the campus. At that moment, Tae Young-won’s gaze caught a shadow. Today again, at the same time, a pair of glasses exuding a gloomy atmosphere was walking by.

“That’s an unusual name.”

Though Tae Young-won didn’t know the glasses’ name, he had a strong feeling that it was the same person as the rude junior from earlier. In fact, he had already had a somewhat similar experience. But for Tae Young-won, the first encounter in the department room was more interesting and amusing than unpleasant.

“These kids these days, really…”

“…”

Listening to his classmate’s grumbling, Tae Young-won’s expression slightly furrowed as he quietly watched Mo Yeon.

Mo Yeon, who had been walking slowly like a turtle, suddenly startled as if he had encountered something, and a moment later, he turned around and started running.

The strange thing was, there was nothing in front of Mo Yeon.

“…What’s that about?”

Slightly surprised, he thought.

Really, he seems like such a… weird kid.

Everything he did, everything about him was unusual, but honestly, what seemed most peculiar to Tae Young-won was how he didn’t care about others’ gazes at all.

I envy that. Just that one thing.

His classmate was still heated up beside him, but Tae Young-won didn’t see it as particularly bad. Perhaps because he knew he couldn’t act that way himself.

After that, the loner wasn’t seen for a while. He was busy, and since he hadn’t looked for him, it’s fair to say he didn’t catch his eye.

While living having completely forgotten about him, Tae Young-won encountered a similar presence again during a general education class the next semester.

Seeing him give out pens and paper, Tae Young-won didn’t connect this loner with the previous one. He just thought that all these types of kids must dress similarly.

He was so uninterested in others that his memory of the loner he had briefly found interesting couldn’t last more than a semester.

However, he found those glasses intriguing every time he saw them. But when he caught a glimpse of the face hidden behind them up close, it seemed quite…

‘It’s a shame to hide it.’

He scribbled on a piece of paper.

[Thanks, junior^^ But aren’t those glasses heavy?]

Honestly, he was just curious about the face and was trying to flirt. But can’t one just be curious? Even if it’s another guy, at least about the face.

“…Huh?”

The moment he tilted his head casually, the face that had been facing him turned away abruptly.

So the answer to his scribble was ‘read and ignored’. Was it possible to read and ignore someone right to their face?

He’s really prickly.

At this unsurprisingly disappointing behavior, a smile unknowingly spread across his face.

He had tried to strike up a conversation because he was somewhat glad to see him, but he didn’t even answer. The intrigue he had felt before was exactly as expected.

Tae Young-won had been ignored to his face both times he tried to talk to the loner.

At that time, Mo Yeon was Tae Young-won’s small joy for a semester. However, it didn’t continue into the next semester.

In the second semester of the same year, Tae Young-won took a leave of absence.

***

After completing his planned internship and returning to school, Tae Young-won intended to attend school with peace of mind until graduation.

He just needed to do as he had always done. He was used to living while revealing only the minimum of his true self.

The reason he drew lines with people around him wasn’t particularly special.

University is an excessively small place where rumors spread quickly.

Since childhood, he had lived constantly hearing compulsive warnings to be careful of his conduct due to the strict family atmosphere, and moreover, Tae Young-won knew that he himself was someone prone to being caught up in gossip.

There was no point in becoming the subject of others’ gossip; it would only lead to troublesome situations, which was what Tae Young-won found most annoying in the world.

If someone who approached him with physical interest tried to progress beyond that, he would no longer be physically attracted to them at that moment.

That was also why he didn’t bother dating women at school. He got bored too easily to date someone publicly for long, and relationships that started for physical reasons were easier to form and end, which he liked. He wanted to fundamentally block any factors that could affect his social life over unnecessary matters.

However, while he thought he couldn’t become insensitive, something was different after returning to school. It was the same even when he changed partners, and strangely, while his libido remained the same, the pleasure wasn’t as good as before.

He had become so numb to pleasure that he even considered practicing celibacy.

“Excuse me, Sunbae Young-won!”

His indifferent gaze softened. Turning his head, he saw a familiar face.

“You’re not busy right now, are you?”

“No, it’s fine. What’s up?”

It was a female junior he had been introduced to at a recent drinking party. He remembered feeling more at ease with her because she had a boyfriend.

“This… my friend over there asked me to give this to you…”

After handing over a neatly folded paper, the junior pointed with her chin towards the terrace entrance and whispered softly.

“She’s from the Dance department and really popular. She says it’s her first time giving her number to someone like this. If you’re interested, please contact this number.”

“Ah, thank you.”

He smiled gently as he took the note from the junior. He placed it on the table and then turned his head back towards the terrace outside.

The junior, who hadn’t left yet, seemed to hesitate as if confused, but he didn’t pay attention.

Just yesterday, he had heard from his classmates that he had become colder recently. In truth, he was the same, but because he had become a bit more perfunctory in dealing with them, he was hearing such things.

The thought of needing to change partners who had recently started crossing the line, the thought that even this was bothersome, the thought of wanting to throw away all the tedious pretenses.

All these thoughts were floating around in his head. In the midst of this, he spotted a familiar shadow.

Or rather, should he say a human who was like a shadow?

“…That kid existed, didn’t he.”

Recalling the presence he had completely forgotten, he raised an eyebrow.

Less than a week after returning to school, he had rediscovered the junior who was rude to everyone. He had been the only thing that piqued his interest at school before his leave of absence.

And Mo Yeon, who had consistently been known as a loner since his freshman year, was still shockingly uninterested in him. It was a bit disappointing, but that was the most interesting thing about the loner, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Hello, aren’t those glasses heavy?”

So Tae Young-won kept talking to the loner who had no interest in him, even borrowing pens or paper he didn’t need.

Apart from finding amusement in unfamiliar situations and existences, he honestly felt a bit miffed as this state continued for too long. Later, he even showed subtle spite towards the junior who didn’t remember him by intentionally not returning the pen.

“Excuse me…”

“Yes?”

Mo Yeon seemed to have spoken to him to ask for his pen back.

He grinned. Behind the glasses was a face that might reveal fair skin if removed. Of course, he intended to return the pen, but Tae Young-won waited for Mo Yeon to speak.

“Never mind.”

But Mo Yeon just left. For someone who didn’t hold back his words, it was an unexpected response.

As he watched Mo Yeon’s retreating figure, he noticed that the back of his neck, exposed by the loose t-shirt he was wearing that day, looked thin enough to grasp with one hand. At that moment, Tae Young-won suddenly realized his own wicked desire.

He thought it might be okay to reveal his true self in front of this strange junior.

Mo Yeon was a bit different from the typical school people who would gossip about him.

Even though nothing more would come of it anyway.

Nevertheless, Tae Young-won felt a subtle comfort in that fact itself.