NOVEL NEXT chapter 7
7 – Reunion (2)
“A date?”
I wondered if I misheard.
Neither Nana nor Jin-ho had been discharged from the military for that long.
Anyway, if you ask what that means, it meant that we were returning students.
“Yeah, dude.”
“Who would put fossils like us on a date?”
Being called returning students was like being an ammonite in college.
We were just fossils ourselves and had to discreetly withdraw from various events, being avoided by everyone.
I couldn’t help but feel suspicious about Jin-ho’s words.
“Don’t treat us the same. Geonyul.”
“What’s so different about you?”
“Even in the military, I kept in touch with the kids from school. And there’s someone I know in the student council.”
“But…”
“He said they’re planning a date as part of our department’s opening celebration, and if you don’t have a girlfriend, he told me to give it a try. So, this hyung might be able to sneak you in.”
“How many people are there?”
“Probably 4 on 4? I’m not exactly sure. We have to ask.”
Jinho’s social skills were honestly admirable.
How can he go to the military and still maintain human relationships?
I was very different from him. I couldn’t even meet my friends properly because I was so concerned about Hae-yeon.
“Are you going too?”
“Of course. No, I’m bringing you along to what I’m doing. It’s more comfortable if we have someone we both know.”
Well, it wouldn’t be easy for Jinho to go somewhere where he didn’t know anyone, no matter how good he was at making friends.
If Jinho came with me, I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable either.
“You missed out on university events and gatherings because of your crappy car.”
“Yes, that’s true. But what’s wrong with my car? Even though it’s bad, it’s still a car.”
“You’re pitiful too, Geon-yul. If that’s the case, why don’t you just have fun? What kind of life is this without enjoying yourself in your first and second years of college because of your crappy car?”
Jinho wasn’t wrong about what he said.
Hae-yeon was sensitive to such things, so she kept me from going to gatherings or drinking parties whenever possible.
That’s why I still had a strong desire to try events or parties.
I’ve never enjoyed them properly before.
“… But you’re dressed well and look good. Will I be okay?”
There were some parts that I was honestly worried about.
Jinho had good fashion sense and social skills, and he looked good.
And I didn’t want to admit it, but he was pretty handsome.
He had a masculine physique and impression, so there were probably some girls who liked him.
I felt like I had to step up if there was an age barrier.
“What are you afraid of before you even start? You’re good enough. Even if you have different preferences, if you match the style, you’ll hit it off, right?”
“Is that so?”
“If you can’t trust yourself, trust my eyes. Have I not seen one or two guys? He even had a girlfriend, so he had good senses, and he didn’t dress like a loser. He even spoke nicely. That alone should make him likable.”
When Jinho, who had met and interacted with many people, said that, I gained some confidence.
I felt like I could do something too.
“And anyway, most of the gatherings don’t last long. Since they’re all stuck in the military, don’t you want to see some girls too?”
“If I say no, it would be a lie.”
“Just think of it as a change of mood and have fun. Don’t think too hard.”
As I listened, Jinho’s persuasive words somehow began to resonate with me.
Yeah, maybe I’m overthinking it alone.
Even if it wasn’t his intention, Jinho might be trying to change my mood.
“Kid, judging by your expression, you want to do it, right?”
“Well, I do want to try.”
“…That’s what you’re saying?”
Noticing my interesting gaze, Jinho smirked and asked.
Feeling like I had revealed too much, I awkwardly downed my glass in embarrassment.
Jinho poured soju into his glass and handed it to me.
“Well, here’s to our friend who’s going to make a fresh start after dumping the garbage!”
“Hey, tone it down a bit. Seriously.”
As our glasses clinked, a refreshing sound echoed through the table.
And a few days later, I received a text that said to expect a blind date set up by Jinho.
*
A clean bar near the university with an atmosphere and interior suitable for intellectual discussions.
It smelled like a place where couples come to take pictures, pretending to be in love.
“Alright, should we make a toast? Together? Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
With Jinho leading the way, the sound of clinking glasses filled the table.
Indeed, he knows how to set the mood.
As I watched Jinho clink glasses and down his drink, I silently admired him.
After the initial awkward introduction phase passed,
Starting with Jinho, the atmosphere gradually relaxed.
Now that alcohol kicked in, the previously unfamiliar men and women began to converse naturally.
“Oh, really? That’s fascinating. Our majors and teaching styles are completely different.”
“That’s true. It must be because we have debate-style classes…”
As I heard the conversations around me, I also started to unwind.
Part of it was due to the alcohol that cleared my mind a bit.
The group seemed to split naturally into two pairs.
I was also talking to the two girls sitting opposite Jinho and me.
Jinho continued chatting with the girl sitting in front of him, trying to see if they were compatible.
Naturally, I ended up talking to the girl in front of me.
I wasn’t the type of guy who would muster up the courage to initiate a conversation with a girl I wasn’t close to.
“…So, you’re 24, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. I went to the military and returned to school.”
The girl in front of me was 22 years old and her name was Yu Ji-ah.
She had short, tied-up brown hair that wasn’t too thick, and her makeup naturally complemented her appearance.
Ji-ah, who seemed lively and cheerful, had been striking up conversations with me, who was feeling awkward.
“Wow, your skin looks amazing, Jinho. Do girls envy it?”
“Really? You’re fair and pretty too.”
“Oh, that’s just makeup. Anyway, thank you. Where did you get your glasses? They suit you well.”
“There’s a big glasses store near the main gate of our school. I got them there.”
“Oh, I see. Should I get a pair of glasses from there too?”
I wondered if this was Ji-ah’s usual style.
Her constant stream of compliments had been making me feel uncomfortable since earlier.
Most of her compliments were about my appearance, which made me feel perplexed since I wasn’t used to such compliments.
Although I didn’t particularly dislike it, I continued the conversation with Ji-ah.
“Don’t you have poor eyesight?”
“Yes. I’m wearing contact lenses right now. I wear glasses at home and use lenses when I go outside. I was thinking of getting new glasses this time.”
“You spend a lot of time on your phone at night.”
“Well… that’s true. I like playing games, so I’m always staring at the screen. hehehe.”
“Really? What games do you play?”
“I play a variety of games, like Overwatch and League of Legends. Almost everything.”
A girl who plays games, even. Nowadays, it wasn’t that uncommon, but there were still many girls who disliked gaming.
Since our interests aligned, our conversation became even more lengthy.
We laughed and chatted, sharing stories that gamers could relate to.
She easily laughed at my jokes, which made me feel more at ease in talking to her.
“It’s been a while since I had a chat like this with a girl.”
As Ji-a and I chatted about our shared hobby, I couldn’t help but feel increasingly excited without even realizing it.
My previously gloomy mood had vanished, and I felt somewhat refreshed.
It was as if I were experiencing the same fresh sensations I had during the early days of dating Hae-yeon.
Sometimes, her subtle smiles sent my heart racing even more.
I felt like I had made a good decision to come out for a gathering, even if we were to part ways like this.
“…So, would you like to play games with me next time?”
“Oh, sure. That sounds good. Our skill levels are similar, so we can even do some ranked matches.”
As we made plans for a game session that was as uncertain as a dinner appointment, Jin-ho glanced around and proposed to the others.
“Now that we’ve all gotten to know each other a bit, how about we play some drinking games?”
“Oh, that sounds great!”
It seemed like Jin-ho wanted to liven up the atmosphere a bit, as we had been talking only amongst ourselves for a while.
Laughter erupted at the suggestion from the spirited girl.
“Oh, this is exciting! So much fun! More games of death!”
“Shall we play the tofu game next?”
The drinking games proceeded quickly, and being unfamiliar with such gatherings, I kept making mistakes.
The same was true for the fruit game that followed.
“Melon four!”
“Melon. Melon. Melon. Ah.”
They cheered as if I had scored a goal when I missed the beat.
I really suck at this.
Even as I thought that, I closed my eyes tightly and poured myself a shot of soju.
“You’re caught!”
“Fool’s shot! Fool’s shot!”
Jin-ho, perhaps to keep the lively mood going, chimed in with a remark.
“Geon-yul, you seem a bit tipsy when I look at your face. Does anyone want to be his ‘Black Rose’? Black Rose?”
Jin-ho, come on, that’s a bit much.
I thought Jin-ho was pushing it a bit by trying to get me to drink more. After all, if no one volunteered, it would just make things awkward, and I would have to swallow the bitter drink.
Of course, apart from that, it was true that I was feeling a bit tipsy.
“Is anyone there? Oh, poor Geonyul, what should I do?”
The women at the table exchanged glances. Of course it wouldn’t be like that.
The only one who talked a lot was Jia, and the rest of us were just as awkward as we were in the beginning.
I felt like I was losing my mind, so I picked up my glass, but someone put their hand on top of mine to stop me.
It was a soft, small hand.
“…Huh?”
“I’ll drink it. Yul’s, not yours, Oppa.”
She said with a cute smile, and before I knew it, the girl had picked up my drink.
She was the same Jia who had been talking to me just a moment ago.