Main Male Lead Disqualified

“Dong-hyuk said he thought you’d gone nuts at cram school yesterday.”

Jeong-hwan, deep in thought, was standing in front of a vending machine, pressing buttons without even putting money in. Hyunwoo walked over and spoke to Jeong-hwan after spotting him like that. Jeong-hwan looked at him with tired eyes.

“Yeah. He’s probably right, I am going nuts.”

Jeong-hwan’s face looked worn out, as if he hadn’t slept a wink. He stopped pressing the vending machine buttons and leaned back against it.

“How many extra hours did you stay after class? Did something happen yesterday or what?”

“I just studied harder, that’s all.”

“I seeee~”

Jeong-hwan tried to ignore hyunwoo’s behaviour of constantly looking at him, pretending not to know anything, but eventually, he gave in and said it.

“This is your fault.”

“What is?”

“Haah…”

Jeong-hwan sighed, pressing his palm to his forehead at Hyunwoo’s irritatingly smug expression.

“What kind of idea did you put in his head?”

“It was nothing. I just told him you’re super ticklish, that’s all.”

“I’m asking why you told him that lie.”

“Oh? It’s not true? I thought it was. Maybe I got it wrong. Sorry.”

The tangled situation caused by Hyunwoo’s simple prank was giving Jeong-hwan a headache.

“Anyway, don’t mess around like that again.”

“Did something happen?”

Hyunwoo had thought, at most, that Hanbin had sneak-attacked Jeong-hwan with some tickling and flustered him a little. But Jeong-hwan’s reaction made him wonder if more had gone down.

“No. Nothing.”

The fact that Jeong-hwan, of all people, was lying only deepened Hyunwoo’s suspicion. Now he was sure. He slung an arm over Jeong-hwan’s shoulder.

“Jeong-hwan, I consider all possibilities, you know?”

Jeong-hwan brushed Hyunwoo’s arm off like it was a nuisance.

“What are you on about now?”

“Lately, you only get weird around one person.”

“Me? I’ve always been weird. Didn’t you know?”

“Sure, but you’re even weirder around Hanbin.”

As soon as Hanbin’s name came out of Hyunwoo’s mouth, Jeong-hwan hesitated. The brief pause made it feel like his thoughts had been exposed, so he lost his temper for no reason.

“You’re saying I like Song Hanbin or something?”

“If that’s what you think I meant, why don’t you answer it?”

Jeong-hwan looked flustered at Hyunwoo’s persistent questioning. Determined to deny it as long as he could, he started pushing back.

“Say something that makes sense. Do I look like someone who’d fall for a guy?”

“I don’t know about guys. But Hanbin? Maybe.

At Hyunwoo’s casually thrown line, Jeong-hwan’s eyebrow twitched.

“Honestly, he’s not gross like some other guys, and when you really look at the way he acts, he’s kind of cute. I’m not saying he’s feminine, but if someone’s cute, does gender even matter?”

Hyunwoo noticed a subtle change in Jeong-hwan’s reactions and said something deliberately provocative.

“…Do you like Song Hanbin too?”

Jeong-hwan felt twice as conflicted now. A love triangle between close friends over the same person? That was something out of one of Hanbin’s romance comics.

“See? Man, this just keeps getting better!”

Hyunwoo laughed out loud at Jeong-hwan’s serious expression. That laughter made Jeong-hwan realize he had let too much of his emotions slip and immediately regretted it.

“Wait, no, I misspoke. I meant ‘you’, not ‘you too’.”

“Got it, got it. I’ll root for you.”

He tried to cover it up belatedly, but Sung Hyunwoo was a sharp guy. Thinking it was already too late to deny it, Jung-hwan ended up admitting it in the end.

“I’m already losing my mind here, don’t mess with me.”

Jeong-hwan had never even considered the idea of liking someone. And yet not only did he like someone, it was a guy. Something had to be seriously wrong with him.

“If you figured it out, you could’ve just kept it to yourself. You’re not gonna help me anyway.”

“Wait. Don’t tell me you want me to help you get with him?”

“…”

Jeong-hwan didn’t respond, which was an answer in itself.

“Yo, hold up. Does the school snack bar sell popcorn? This is way too entertaining.”

Hyunwoo looked thrilled, like this drama unfolding in real time was the best thing that had happened all week. Jeong-hwan stopped Hyunwoo, who was about to head to the school store and asked warily.

“Do you like him too? Is that why you’re warning me?”

Hyunwoo clicked his tongue and spoke to Jeong-hwan, who was needlessly cautious.

“You’re at that stage where everyone in the world seems gay to you, huh.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Anyway, I see Hanbin like a little cousin. Or a puppy. So relax, I’m not in competition.”

Only then did Jeong-hwan let go of his arm, though still looking suspicious. Hyunwoo handed him a stick of gum like a peace offering. Jeong-hwan looked at it, then just shoved it into his pocket.

“He looked cute to me, sure. That’s why I kept thinking it might not be ‘liking’ yet.”

He remembered the way Hanbin peeked over a comic book and watched him. Then he recalled Hanbin smiling at him from a distance. Jeong-hwan shut his eyes tightly.

“But I figured it out yesterday. Thanks to that damn lie you told him.”

He opened his eyes and looked at Hyunwoo with a mixture of blame and regret. Hyunwoo just shrugged as if to say “not my fault.”

“To sum it up… I think I really do like him.”

Jeong-hwan said with red ears. Hyunwoo frowned as if he couldn’t stand seeing Jeong-hwan like that.

“Sorry, but you saying that so seriously just made me wanna puke a little.”

“Deal with it. You asked.”

Jeong-hwan, now embarrassed, pretended to punch Hyunwoo in the stomach. Hyunwoo dramatically fell over like he’d been hit, groaning exaggeratedly. When Jeong-hwan didn’t even acknowledge it, he got up laughing.

“Do you think it is strange?”

Jeong-hwan scratched the back of his head and asked:

“How do you think he would react if a guy said he liked him?”

Hyunwoo decided it was time to stop joking. It was the first time his best friend had come to him for relationship advice this seriously.

“Well… it’s not common. So he probably never even considered that a guy might like him. Especially since we’re surrounded by dudes who are just bitter because they can’t get girlfriends.”

Hyunwoo crossed his arms and nodded like some kind of romance consultant.

“And it’s not just anyone,it’s you who likes Song Hanbin. No one’s gonna believe that. Not even Hanbin.”

It was because he was Sung Hyunwoo that he noticed Jeong-hwan’s feelings. Unless someone had observed Jeong-hwan for a long time, they wouldn’t realize he looked at Hanbin that way, unless he outright bumped lips with him, that is.

“What would happen if he found out I was serious?”

“You mean if there is a chance?”

“I’m just asking.”

Hearing Jeong-hwan’s words, which sounded like he was *grasping at straws, Hyunwoo felt a pang of pity. He couldn’t help but think how amazing love must be, and how it could make someone like Jeong-hwan, who always acted so cool and composed, end up like this.

[t/n: “지푸라기라도 잡고 있는 듯한” is a Korean idiom meaning “grasping at straws,” indicating desperation or clinging to any small hope.]

“Since you’re really asking, I’ll answer. Just try not to get hurt, okay?”

“So you’re about to hurt me.”

“There’s a chance.”

That wasn’t what Jeong-hwan had expected. His eyes widened a little. Hyunwoo lifts his index finger and continues to speak .

“But it’s probably just the first decimal place, so I’m wondering if that number even means anything.”

“You seriously can’t even lie to make me feel better?”

“You’re the one who hates sweet talk. Why are you asking for it now?”

Hyunwoo couldn’t hide his laughter, every single one of Jeong-hwan’s reactions related to Hanbin was so fresh and amusing. But because Jeong-hwan’s expression looked genuinely despairing, Hyunwoo held back, worried that if he laughed any more, Jeong-hwan might actually get angry.

“And hey, if all he does is politely turn you down, consider yourself lucky. If it were Hanbin, he might be so flustered he’d start avoiding you completely.”

Jeong-hwan pictured Hanbin, unable to say no properly, just whispering “sorry” and ghosting him. Yeah, that sounded about right.

“Well, I wasn’t planning to confess anyway, so that’s good.”

“Your face says otherwise.”

“Cut the commentary.”

He definitely liked Hanbin. But he had no plans to confess, let alone date. Still, it stung a little that the contradiction bothered him.

“But you’re really not weirded out by me catching on?”

“Would you scold me for something like this?”

Hyunwoo looked genuinely grateful Jeong-hwan had trusted him. But instead of thanking him properly, he just started teasing again.

“Honestly, I feel bad for Hanbin. I want to lecture you for 4 night and 5 days straight.”

“So you were gonna say something.”

Jeong-hwan paused and then said seriously.

“Still, don’t tell him.”

Hyunwoo answered immediately, as if it were obvious.

“I won’t. It’s been a while since something this fun came up, so shouldn’t I just sit quietly in the front row and watch?”

Jeong-hwan looked at him with sleepy eyes, clearly unimpressed. Hyunwoo patted him on the shoulder.

“Put your all into winning him over. I know you’ve never done that before in your life.”

“If I push too hard, he’ll run away.”

“Then build it up slowly. Wait for the right moment. Even if it’s a 0.1% chance, it’s still a chance.”

Jeong-hwan grimaced at the reminder that Hyunwoo had meant a literal 0.1%, not even 0.9.

“Can’t tell if you’re cheering me on or telling me to give up.”

“If even you of all people can fall in love like this, who knows? Maybe Hanbin could too.”

That was the empty reassurance Jeong-hwan had wanted. But he shook his head.

“Nah. I’ll just make sure I don’t let it slip. Better safe than sorry.”

He vowed to himself that he would be careful not to let his feelings leak out. He had no idea that Hanbin wouldn’t be cooperating with that plan at all.