Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 117

Summer Night’s Dream (2)

“Hey, Cheon Sejoo, you’re going to apply to Korea University’s Medical School, right?”

“How many times have I told you, Ha Yeoreum.”

“What major are you planning to study? Are you going all the way to become a specialist?”

“Why are you so impatient?”

“Oh, come on~ these things need to be planned early. Besides, I have a strong feeling I’ll have to compete with you later.”

Constantly questioned by Ha Yeoreum, Cheon Sejoo put down his pen. It was the last class of self-study period, and the teacher had left, so everyone was engrossed in their studies. With less than 5 minutes left, Ha Yeoreum couldn’t focus and was lost in dreams of medical school, starting to tease Cheon Sejoo.

“Plastic surgery? Dermatology? You have the perfect face for a plastic surgeon. Patients will probably be like, ‘Doctor, you’ve had surgery too, right?’ and you’ll laugh, ‘Haha! No, this face isn’t the product of a scalpel~’ something like that, right?”

Yeoreum mimicked Cheon Sejoo’s mannerisms and burst out laughing, making the whole class laugh along. Amidst the laughter echoing through the classroom, Cheon Sejoo also let out a helpless chuckle, then rested his chin on his hand on the desk.

In fact, he had long planned his life. According to Hyein, after passing the national certification exam, he intended to specialize in cardiothoracic surgery.

Cardiothoracic surgery is one of the most difficult and demanding specialties, so very few medical students choose it; it’s considered the most “avoided” department. If he went into that, he definitely wouldn’t have to compete with Yeoreum. Cardiothoracic surgery always lacked doctors.

If he said he intended to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, Yeoreum would surely ask if he was crazy. But other people’s opinions didn’t matter. Cheon Sejoo wanted to become a responsible doctor, helping those in need, just as Hyein wished.

“I plan to…”

But just as he was about to say he would go into cardiothoracic surgery, something unclear suddenly blocked his throat. His stomach suddenly cramped, and a strange sensation returned. He didn’t know if he was sick, but he had been experiencing this frequently lately. Cheon Sejoo narrowed his eyes, ultimately unable to say a word, only pursing his lips again. He shrugged and smiled faintly.

“I don’t know. But if it’s the same department as you, I might yield once.”

“Really? Big brother, I’ll serve you meticulously.”

Ha Yeoreum wanted to show off a bit, so he suddenly stood up from his seat, spreading his arms like a gangster. Cheon Sejoo let out a weary laugh just as the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Cheon Sejoo quickly tidied his desk and announced loudly:

“Guys, the teacher said there’s no end-of-day activity today, so you can just go home.”

But as soon as he said it, questions popped into his head: “What about cleaning?” “What about evening self-study?”

Cleaning and self-study? Oh, right, those things did exist. Cheon Sejoo frowned and looked around the classroom, but most students had already left as if the cleaning had nothing to do with them.

Is it my turn today? Am I on duty with Ha Yeoreum? While he was wondering, Ha Yeoreum next to him mumbled as she packed her bag, seemingly not on duty either, her hurried actions clear.

“Ugh, cram school is such a pain. I wish I could study on my own like you.”

“…Ha Yeoreum, but who will clean?”

Did he have to do it alone? Cheon Sejoo asked hesitantly. Ha Yeoreum, who was on her phone, frowned and replied:

“The janitor cleans. Why, do you want to volunteer at school?”

“No…”

The janitor? Now that she mentioned it, he seemed to remember hearing that the school had someone in charge of cleaning, but was it his school? Cheon Sejoo tilted his head and picked up his bag.

What about evening self-study then? But there was no one left in the classroom. When he looked out the window, the school gate was packed with cars and cram school buses picking up students. A strange sight.

So the school didn’t have evening self-study. His confused mind had mixed it up with what he saw on TV. Evening self-study, what nonsense… Cheon Sejoo let out a belated, disbelieving laugh.

This school wasn’t the kind that did things only old people did.

“Why are you laughing like that? Have you finally gone crazy?”

“No, it’s just funny.”

“What? What’s funny?”

“Well… it’s just…”

“Just what!”

He tried to evade, but Ha Yeoreum persisted, so Cheon Sejoo glanced down at the math book still on his desk and blurted out:

“…Calculus?”

“You really are crazy…”

Not entirely right, but not wrong either. Lately, his memory had been jumbled; his mind was indeed not normal anymore.

Was this “senioritis,” even more dangerous than altitude sickness? Cheon Sejoo left the classroom, walking and seriously worrying about his brain health.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, go home safely.”

He parted ways with Ha Yeoreum at the school gate. Immediately after, Cheon Sejoo turned and headed towards Sejin’s house.

A week had passed since he first saw that beautiful face. Although he had visited both weekdays and weekends, Cheon Sejoo hadn’t seen Sejin again since that day.

He had tried leaving snacks and even banana milk, but like a clever cat, the other person didn’t fall for the trap a second time.

So now Cheon Sejoo considered it a game of who would win, and sat right in front of the house to study. Though his bottom ached, he still hoped to see that beautiful face smile one day.

On his way to Sejin’s house, standing in front of the convenience store where he usually bought snacks, he suddenly saw a stall selling egg bread. Beside the rotating tray of egg bread, peanut bread was also being baked, making his eyes light up.

Cheon Sejoo stood in front of the stall, smelled them, and debated which was more appealing, finally walking towards the peanut bread.

“Hello, ma’am. Can I get a thousand won’s worth of peanut bread?”

As he spoke, he flashed a crescent-eyed smile. Faced with the politeness of a handsome student, the proprietress beamed and nodded.

“Oh, of course. Seven for a thousand won, but I’ll give you eight.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I really like peanut bread.”

“Really? Then eight isn’t enough. Here, I’ll give you more.”

Cheon Sejoo smiled brightly, paid, and received a bag of peanut bread—not eight, but ten—then bowed to her.

“I’ll stop by again if I see you next time. Have a good business, ma’am.”

The proprietress burst into laughter at his polite smile. He accepted her farewell and quickly walked away.

He had arrived. In front of the familiar old door, Cheon Sejoo called out to Sejin inside.

“Sejin, I’m here.”

A friendly greeting as if visiting a friend’s house. Although there was still no response, knowing the other person was listening, Cheon Sejoo continued to speak naturally.

“Today I bought peanut bread, want to eat some together? I was called to the dean’s office and scolded, so I didn’t even have time for lunch.”

A lie. He had eaten very well for lunch. But to lure Sejin out, Cheon Sejoo fabricated the story without batting an eye. His soft voice, like a wolf extending a paw covered in white flour, sounded harmless.

“The freshly baked peanut bread is super crispy and delicious. If you don’t come out today, I’ll eat it all by myself. I’m practically starving.”

Saying that, he deliberately made a rustling sound opening the bag, took out a still-warm peanut bread, and waved it in the air. Hoping the sweet aroma would seep through the old door.

However, he waited and waited, but there was no reaction as expected. Cheon Sejoo was slightly disappointed, leaned his head against the cold concrete wall, and bit into the bread in his hand.

Crunch. The crispy crust shattered in his mouth, and a gentle sweetness spread. At that very moment, a shadow appeared under the door crack, and without warning, the door swung open again without the sound of a lock.

A small, pale face appeared. Beautiful, heart-stopping eyes were looking at Cheon Sejoo.

“…Hi.”

Cheon Sejoo, still with bread in his mouth, hastily greeted, his pronunciation somewhat muffled.

Sejin just silently looked at him with an indifferent face. His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his lips were downturned, making his cheeks puff out and look a little sad.

He had never heard that he couldn’t speak, so he must have deliberately not responded. Though a bit rude, it was incredibly cute. A smile spilled from his lips, and Sejin immediately asked.

“Do you want to eat together?”

Fearing that he would close the door right in front of him, Cheon Sejoo quickly held out the bag of peanut bread in front of Sejin. However, Sejin glared at him and then turned back into the house. The door was left wide open.

Does that mean I should come in? His face was also cat-like, and the way he expressed his intentions without speaking, only through actions, was exactly like a cat. Ah, why was he so cute? Cheon Sejoo chuckled and stood up. He gathered his schoolbag and the books on the floor, dusted himself off, and stepped into Sejin’s house.

Cheon Sejoo’s height exceeded 1m80, so the ceiling at the entrance of this semi-basement room forced him to bend over until he had taken off his shoes. He struggled inside and looked around.

The entrance area was adjacent to a very small living room and kitchen. To the right was a double-basin sink, a small old refrigerator; to the left was a worn sofa placed under the tiny living room window, and a huge analog TV.

Inside, there was another room, a large wardrobe occupying almost half the space. There was no bed on the floor, only a thick comforter spread out. That was all there was in this house. There was no study desk or bookshelf for Sejin.

The walls were yellowed, yet the house was clean. It was clear that even though the furniture was old, it was very well-maintained and cleaned, probably thanks to Sejin’s parents’ neat personality.

Sejin was sitting on that old sofa. He hugged a pillow, his indifferent eyes staring at the turned-off TV as if protecting himself. His lips were tightly pursed, slightly pouting. Cheon Sejoo looked at that face, and the thought of gently poking his cheek suddenly crossed his mind, then without hesitation, he sat down next to him.

It seemed Sejin didn’t expect him to sit next to him and startled, turning his head. Crystal-like eyes sparkled right in front of him. Their gazes met. Transparent pupils seemed to draw him in.

Oh no, he was really in trouble. Cheon Sejoo immediately realized the change in his heart, but still tried to smile as if nothing was wrong.

“I should have bought you peanut bread a long time ago.”

When he smiled and said that, Sejin pursed his lips tighter and turned his face away. His pale cheeks were slightly flushed; he must have been embarrassed to be won over by just a piece of peanut bread.

But for Cheon Seon-joo, the smell of peanut bread was also irresistibly sweet; just smelling it made his mouth water. So it wasn’t hard to understand why Sejin finally opened the door after more than a week of holding out.

He chuckled, opened the paper bag he was clutching, held it out to Sejin, and told him to “eat,” but Sejin only glanced at the bag and remained silent.

So cold. Cheon Sejoo tried to suppress a laugh, gently shook the bag, but he still didn’t move.

The door was open now; he was probably too shy to accept it. His stomach began to itch unbearably. Cheon Sejoo smiled, reached out and took Sejin’s cool wrist, placing the bag of bread in his palm.

“Eat.”

“…”

Only when it was put directly into his mouth did Sejin begin to eat the peanut bread. Cheon Sejoo leaned back against the sofa, leisurely watching him.

That pretty face was truly small, seemingly able to be covered by just one hand. In profile, the outer corners of his eyes were slightly upturned as usual, but because his eyelashes drooped, he looked gentler than when viewed straight on. There was also a hint of sensitivity.

Looking at that face made him want to tease him, to see those sharp eyes wrinkle in confusion.

But… no. He had just entered the house. He couldn’t be kicked out immediately like that. He tried to restrain himself, but his lips were unbearably itchy. He wanted to say something that would make Sejin react.

Finally unable to control the mischief rising within him, Cheon Sejoo opened his mouth.

“But you’re really… cute.”

“…..”

The response was icy. Sejin, who was chewing bread, stopped, his eyes seeming to ask, “Are you crazy?” and looked over. But even that, Cheon Sejoo found cute.

That gaze made his heart pound.

“It’s a compliment.”

Cheon Sejoo said, maintaining eye contact with Sejin. It was unclear what in his natural demeanor made Sejin sigh, then turn his face away without responding. Cheon Sejoo chuckled, rested his chin on the armrest of the sofa, and asked:

“Is it good?”

Sejin nodded without hesitation, proving the bread was indeed delicious.

Cheon Sejoo also nodded, told him to eat a lot, then reached out and gently placed his hand on Sejin’s hair. Sejin shook his head, batting his hand away. The trembling movement, like an animal shaking itself off, made Cheon Sejoo burst into laughter again. Sejin glared at him with annoyed eyes.

About three minutes later, Sejin spoke. He stared at the crumpled peanut bread bag, then glanced at Cheon Sejoo and asked:

“Not eating?”

It was a blunt question. He seemed unaware that Cheon Sejoo was a high school senior.

Then he hesitantly offered the bag to him, but there was only one piece of bread left in the bag. Perhaps he was so engrossed in eating that he forgot the owner of the bag had only eaten one piece.

That naivety was also so cute that Cheon Sejoo almost burst out laughing. He was about to shake his head and refuse, saying “you eat it,” but the urge to tease him further arose, making him take the last piece of bread out of the bag.

“…”

Sejin then pursed his lips and swallowed hard. His pink tongue gently licked his pretty pink lips…

A strange, dry feeling spread from deep within. Cheon Sejoo brought the pastry close to his mouth, then caught a fleeting look of disappointment on Sejin’s face. So he put the pastry directly between the boy’s lips.

“You eat it.”

Sejin’s eyes widened in surprise, but he opened his mouth and took the pastry. The light brown pastry slid between his soft lips, and his cheeks puffed out as Sejin began to chew. Seeing this, Cheon Sejoo got up from his seat.

“I’ll come again tomorrow.”

He smiled brightly as he said goodbye, ruffled Sejin’s hair before the boy could swat his hand away, and then left the room. Sejin was left alone, frowning at the spot where he had just disappeared.

Recently, Kwon Yongbeom had beaten Sejin and his mother, then left. Fearing he would return, Sejin pretended to go to school but actually stayed around the house.

There were still some dishes his mother had prepared in the refrigerator, but since his mother thought he ate lunch at school, Sejin didn’t dare touch them. So he virtually starved all day.

That’s why he couldn’t keep ignoring the snacks Cheon Sejoo brought. Because he was hungry, simply hungry, not because he liked him, or because he was handsome.

Thinking this, Sejin glanced at the clock. It was almost time for that person to arrive.

“Sejin.”

Not long after, a pleasant voice rang out from outside the door. Even though he knew the door wasn’t locked, Cheon Sejoo always stood outside and called his name.

“Sejin,” that way of calling made one’s heart itch. The sweet voice of someone past puberty was completely different from his own voice. Sejin secretly thought he also wanted a voice like his, then opened the door.

“Hello.”

And then that handsome face, like a movie star, greeted him like a child.

“Hello”? What two boys greet each other so gently? He really is a strange person.

Sejin felt a strange discomfort in his stomach, looking at him without saying anything. Cheon Sejoo propped his rain-soaked umbrella against the wall; it was a transparent umbrella that cost three thousand won sold at the convenience store.

The stairs were also drenched, the thick humidity in the semi-basement room, and the sound of falling rain suggested that it was raining quite heavily.

“May I come in?”

He bent down to enter so as not to hit his head on the ceiling, holding a white paper bag in his hand.

Cheon Sejoo always brought food. Nothing fancy, just snacks, pastries, milk, nothing that could be called a meal, but Sejin still liked it. In a situation where he had to deny himself everything because he didn’t want to spend the money his mother earned, having someone else spend money on him was something he couldn’t hate.

“Today it’s egg tarts.”

Only after stepping through the doorway and into the living room did Cheon Sejoo hand the bag of pastries to Sejin. Sejin took it, silently looking down at what was in his hand. Inside the bag was a single oval egg tart.

Thinking back, except for times when he bought peanut pastries, he always brought only one item for Sejin to eat. From his appearance, he looked like a rich young master, but perhaps he wasn’t.

In fact, looking closely at his clothes, shoes, and even his bag, there were signs of wear. Anyway, it wasn’t something he should worry about.

“Ah, it’s really better to be at home. It’s freezing outside.”

Cheon Sejoo’s voice was tinged with a slight laugh, while Sejin held the warm egg tart and curled up on the sofa.

As always, he intended to eat it all, but today he kept being distracted by the person sitting next to him.

Normally, he would have pulled out his reference books long ago, but today he seemed slow. Was it because of the rain? On days like this, perhaps he also wanted to rest instead of studying.

Sejin fiddled with the single egg tart, glancing over. Strangely, the fingertips of the large hand resting on his thigh seemed slightly red. Thinking back, that handsome face seemed a little redder than usual earlier…

Was he sick? Or did he get wet in the rain? Sejin hesitated for a moment, then gently turned his head to the side. He was leaning against the sofa, eyes closed. Sejin felt more at ease, so he comfortably observed him.

His shirt and vest were slightly wet, his pale face was flushed, and even his earlobes were red. Unlike usual, his tie was not tightly fastened today, and the first button of his shirt underneath was undone. Through it, a patch of white skin could be seen… strangely disheveled.

Sejin pursed his lips, looking at him once more. Even at a glance, this face was perfect, but looking closely at such a close distance, he was even more speechless.

A coldly beautiful face, without a single flaw. His features were wonderfully harmonious, retaining the fresh charm characteristic of youth, making him sometimes seem like an adult, sometimes like a child. When he silently closed his lips, he looked like a complete adult, but when he looked at Sejin and smiled, he resembled an innocent young man.

His appearance drew everyone’s eyes, and Sejin was no exception. Every time he came to the house, Sejin secretly watched him through the mirror on the wall or the turned-off TV screen. It was always like that from the moment he appeared saying “Hello” until he disappeared.

“If you keep staring, my face will wear out, Sejin.”

Though still with his eyes closed, Cheon Sejoo seemed to have sensed Sejin’s longing gaze. His voice, mixed with laughter, startled Sejin as if caught red-handed, and he immediately turned his head away with an indifferent expression.

But soon after, that reddish nape made him so uncomfortable that he couldn’t help but glance again. Sejin hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth to ask:

“…Aren’t you eating the egg tart?”

Even though Sejin was a man of few words, he still knew how to use polite language with those who were kind to him. Initially, because he spoke informally first, Sejin also responded informally. But after learning he was a 12th-grade student, he always used polite language.

Hearing that question, Cheon Sejoo opened his eyes. His eyelashes slowly lifted, revealing his dark eyes. Those usually quiet eyes brightened when they met Sejin’s gaze. He replied with eyes as clear as stars:

“Yeah, I don’t feel like eating.”

His eyes curved, looking very happy. Was it a habit? For some reason, whenever he smiled with his eyes like that, Sejin felt annoyed.

Despite receiving an answer, Sejin felt inexplicably annoyed and abruptly turned his face away, seeing the turned-off TV screen reflecting him, the young man still smiling. He raised his hand, lazily stroking his hair, then suddenly turned to Sejin and said:

“But… you only open your mouth when you ask if I want to eat something, don’t you?”

“…”

Sejin’s face turned crimson at those words. Was it really true? Thinking back, it seemed he had only ever asked questions related to sharing food…

But Sejin truly didn’t know what to say to senior Cheon Sejoo. He had never had friends since childhood and completely lacked social skills, so he wasn’t the type who could joke around or engage in casual conversation.

“Don’t you want to know anything about me?”

Suddenly he asked in the quiet space. Among the two, it was fortunate that one was extroverted. Anyway, Sejin was a little flustered.

Since the peanut pastry incident, even though he often came to the house, he never said anything else. He simply brought food, sometimes called him cute, or quietly smiled to himself while studying, then left when Sejin finished eating, as if he were a volunteer taking care of meals for an old man living alone.

He thought that after eating the egg tart today, he would leave, but unexpectedly, he asked such a strange question. “Don’t you want to know anything?” Sejin was pondering when he heard him continue to whisper.

“For example, what grade I’m in…”

“…..”

He already knew what grade he was in. He had seen the words printed on the reference book he read.

“Or how tall I am…”