Alpha Trauma Novel - Chapter 21. Cherry Blossom Rain (5)

From that day on, Wooyeon immersed himself solely in studying for exams. He minimized contact with Dohyun as much as possible, consciously shaking off any distracting thoughts. On Friday, they had overlapping classes, but Dohyun didn’t particularly speak to him either.

That’s how a week passed, and the campus was dyed in spring hues. Cherry blossoms in full bloom caught his eye, and at his feet, blades of grass brushed against him with every step. The weather was mild enough to wear just a hoodie and shorts without feeling cold. Yet, as if to spite the blooming season, rain was forecast for the afternoon.

“Noona, I’m here.”

Wooyeon visited the club room exactly a week later. It wasn’t by his own will; it was to decide on the location for their study session later that afternoon. When they first planned the study group, they had promised at least once a week, so he couldn’t miss this.

“Oh, class is over?”

Garam was in the club room. Dohyun wasn’t visible, and instead, a few other club members were there. Wooyeon, flustered by the bustling interior, offered an awkward greeting and stepped inside. For some reason, hamburgers were piled high on the table.

“Did you have lunch? Want a hamburger?”

“Oh, yeah. Have one. We have bulgogi and shrimp.”

“You can have two.”

“Not three, though.”

The hamburgers, wrapped in thin paper, were slightly squashed and even lukewarm. Wooyeon politely thanked them and inspected the wrapper. They said no to three, but there were a total of four placed in front of him.

“Where’s Sunkyu?”

“He said he’d be back from the department office soon.”

The yellowish one was bulgogi, and the white one was shrimp, but neither appealed to him. If he had to choose, based on his experience eating them in America, the latter might be better than the former. Even if a shrimp burger tasted bad, at least the patty wouldn’t smell.

“Have some fries too. Want some cola?”

“No, I’m okay.”

Wooyeon shook his head and unwrapped the burger. As he fussed about, preparing to eat, Garam gave a satisfied smile. It was as if just watching him eat made her full. (Of course, Garam had already eaten two hamburgers.)

“But why all the hamburgers?”

“Oh, that, Kim Dohyun…”

No sooner had she opened her mouth than the club room door burst open. Garam pointed to the open door, muttering, ‘He’ll never be a gentleman.’

“Sometimes he buys them for the kids when they whine. To wish them luck on exams.”

“Did the delivery already come?”

Dohyun was dressed in black slacks and a beige trench coat. The thin coat hem was long enough to reach below his knees, and when Wooyeon’s gaze inadvertently fell, his round ankle bones peeked out. Wooyeon secretly admired Dohyun’s appearance, utterly captivated.

“Oppa!”

“Hyung! I missed you!”

He had never seen anyone look so good in a trench coat. Was this what a catalog from a famous brand looked like? Because of his height and straight build, only the best qualities of the clothing were highlighted.

“Your intentions are too obvious, you guys.”

Dohyun smiled softly and closed the club room door. Even his strides as he approached with large steps were unbelievably cool. This wasn’t why he was trying to forget Dohyun. Wooyeon, forcing his gaze away, took a big bite of the hamburger.

“Only when he buys food…”

As expected, the sauce-soaked hamburger was not to Wooyeon’s taste. The bun was soggy, the lettuce wilted, and even the shrimp patty tasted bland. He swallowed what was in his mouth with difficulty but couldn’t bring himself to attempt another bite.

So Wooyeon glared at the hamburger, not realizing Dohyun had stopped speaking. The one he ate with Daniel definitely wasn’t this bad. Was it the brand, or was it that it had gotten cold? Either way, it was cruel.

“Oppa, what’s wrong?”

At that, Wooyeon inadvertently lifted his head. Their eyes met fleetingly, but Dohyun quickly looked at someone else. Then, with that familiar kind expression, he waved his hand.

“It’s nothing.”

Something surged up from inside him. There was no “long time no see,” no “hello.” Dohyun merely walked around the sofa and took a seat farthest from Wooyeon.

“Hey, did class end already? I should’ve taken that professor’s class too. He only lectures for an hour every time.”

“Isn’t the professor just slacking off?”

“Is that so?”

For some reason, he felt suffocated. It felt nauseous, and a little constricted. His appetite vanished, but Wooyeon continued to eat the hamburger with his head bowed low. It still tasted awful, so he chewed it two or three times and swallowed it whole.

“What’s the point of finishing early? They say we’ll have to make it all up later anyway.”

“Ugh, what’s that? Glad I didn’t take it.”

He could feel the hamburger piling up in his stomach. His throat felt narrow, as if he couldn’t swallow properly. One bite, then another. Only after he had eaten everything in his hand did Wooyeon abruptly stand up.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go first.”

The wrapper crumpled in his hand. Garam looked at the trash Wooyeon put down with surprised eyes. He had been weakly fidgeting, but he ate it all up in the blink of an eye.

“Leaving already?”

“I have something to do for a group project.”

It was half a lie, but the words came out naturally. He was about to turn his back but stopped, scrunching his face in a troubled expression.

“That, the study room…”

“I already booked it.”

A gentle voice cut Wooyeon off. Wooyeon looked at him, but this time, it was Dohyun who didn’t meet his gaze.

“There are still seats available at the cafe in front of school. Come to the main gate after class.”

“…”

Wooyeon clasped his fingertips together and lowered his eyes. An inexplicable feeling of stuffiness kept choking his throat. He bowed slowly and moved towards the exit.

“Then, I’ll see you later.”

He heard the club members saying goodbye behind him. See you next time, be careful, or take another hamburger. He didn’t look back, but he knew Dohyun’s voice wasn’t among them.

Paradoxically, the emotion Wooyeon felt was disappointment. Disappointment that he pretended not to know him, disappointment that he never met his gaze, disappointment that all of this was the same as last Friday.

Actually, there was no reason to be disappointed. Wooyeon was the one who first pretended not to know him, ignored him, and even avoided his presence. Strictly speaking, it was Dohyun, not Wooyeon, who should have been upset.

“Today, as we discussed last time, please gather in your groups and discuss what leadership is…”

‘It’s a complete role reversal.’

To avoid someone because you don’t want to like them, and then to feel depressed when they avoid you. Moreover, Dohyun didn’t even truly avoid him. At most, the number of times he spoke had decreased, and their gazes had briefly averted. Even that was understandable, considering Wooyeon’s previous actions.

“You have 30 minutes.”

As soon as the professor finished speaking, the students stood up. Wooyeon sighed weakly, watching them seek out their group members. To make matters worse, he saw Kang Junseong approaching from afar.

“Seriously, it’s such a pain, making us do presentations.”

Junseong naturally sat down next to Wooyeon. The other three group members also sat around Wooyeon. Wooyeon felt a faint Alpha pheromone and widened the distance between himself and Junseong slightly.

“What topic should we do?”

In the last meeting, Junseong took on the role of group leader. No one else stepped up, and surprisingly, he showed enthusiasm. Wooyeon, disheartened by being in the same group as Junseong, didn’t object to anything they did.

“Do we get bonus points if we present this in a foreign language?”

Junseong said that, turning to Wooyeon. When Wooyeon glanced at him, Junseong shyly ran a hand through the back of his hair. Wooyeon moved his chair sideways and spoke, looking at the other group members.

“I’ll do the presentation. Another senior said that the professor gives good grades for foreign language presentations, even if they’re not perfect.”

“Oh, really? Then Wooyeon, you present…”

He felt nauseous. His stomach churned as if he was about to vomit at the mention of “Wooyeonie.” He wished the other three were more proactive, but they kept their mouths shut, just listening to Junseong.

“Let’s briefly outline it first. Wooyeon, can I use your pen?”

Junseong pulled out a ballpoint pen before Wooyeon could answer. Wooyeon flinched and recoiled as Junseong subtly leaned closer. This guy wasn’t usually so friendly, but he kept trying to close the distance, acting familiar.

“For the script, we can just use a translator…”

“You don’t need to use a translator.”

Wooyeon replied indifferently, pressing down on his solar plexus. Perhaps due to stress, his stomach twisted violently. Junseong’s eyes widened, and he scrutinized Wooyeon.

“What’s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?”

For a moment, he was speechless. Junseong’s gaze was filled with concern. Wooyeon, without realizing it, asked back in a bewildered voice.

“Are you worrying about me right now?”

Junseong blinked. His blank stare at Wooyeon looked utterly foolish. Soon, he frowned, an embarrassed expression on his face.

“No… you just look like you’re in pain.”

In the past, insults would have immediately spewed from that mouth. He might have ridiculed Wooyeon, saying he was sick because he ate so much. And he certainly wouldn’t have asked with such an awkward expression, ‘Can’t I worry?’

“…Just finish the outline.”

Wooyeon pressed his solar plexus and swallowed dryly. His stomach pricked painfully, as if being poked with needles. Junseong seemed annoyed but changed the subject without another word.

They decided to present the qualities a leader should possess. However, between the shell-mouthed group members and Junseong, who grumbled, “They’re not mute or anything…,” Wooyeon instinctively realized this group project was doomed. It was a miracle they managed to draft an outline at all.

“Hey, though.”

While Wooyeon organized the presentation, Junseong casually opened his mouth. Wooyeon didn’t answer, but he continued undeterred.

“Is the name Seon Wooyeon common?”

Snap. The tip of his mechanical pencil broke. Wooyeon pressed the end of the pencil, pretending it was nothing, and rewrote “definition of leadership” in English. Junseong was observing Wooyeon’s profile, resting his chin on his hand.

“I know a kid named Seon Wooyeon.”

“…”

“The surname Seon is really rare, and the name Wooyeon doesn’t seem common either.”