Chapter 8

Yoon-woo, who had lunch with Hye-rim, felt like having ten bowls of porridge.

It was difficult because I was nervous since I was talking to Hye-rim, but the biggest problem was… … .

‘I feel like my stomach is going to explode… ….’

Yoon-woo, who has been accustomed to eating only to relieve his hunger since he was a child, has never had his stomach filled so excessively.

He would rather go to the bathroom and pour it out, but there were no signs that he should go to the washroom and his stomach was just heavy.

Is this how a boa snake that swallowed the elephant feels in The Little Prince?

He spent most of his modern business school hours sleeping, but he wasn’t as refreshed as usual because of indigestion.

If so, it might be better to go to the gym after the class.

I usually go to the library to review, but now my priority is to digest it somehow.

It was when Yoon-woo was thinking like that.

“Where is Yoon-woo going now?”

‘Please stop… … Stop asking… ….’

It was Yoon-woo, who was already exhausted by Hye-rim’s assault of the questions for about two hours.

“I want to go to the gym.”

“Do you usually go at this hour?”

“It’s not like that, but today… … I’m so full, so I’m trying to digest it.”

“Hey, did you eat that much?”

Rather, Hye-rim ate twice as much as Yoon-woo and she doesn’t know why she’s fine.

“Well, shall I also come? I will! I’ll quickly change my clothes and come with you!”

“Huh? I’m just going to workout to burn some calories and leave as soon as I feel better… ….”

“Don’t do that, let’s do the weight training together. You say you practice alone while watching Wetube? I’ve been doing this for years. I’ll guide you!”

“uh… … It will take a lot of time… ….”

“It’s not even 3:30 now, but there will be no one in the gym, so you can do it peacefully. Oh, you worry you won’t have enough time to study? Don’t worry too much. Do you know what Tabata workout is? If you do that, in 4 minutes… ….”

“… … .”

Hye-rim continued to be like this today, too. Aside from direct refusals like, ‘I don’t want you to follow me because I don’t like you’, she cuts off all possible refusals from Yoon-woo.

Ultimately, rejection is impossible.

I should’ve just said I was going to the library. However, Yoon-woo was basically not good at lying without a special reason.

Still, Hye-rim is a heavy weightlifter. Do you mean that I will have to show an ugly side of me struggling with a weak body which cannot lift a weight similar to Hye-rim?

How pathetic would I look? Looking back, didn’t she say that her makeup was removed easily and she sweated a lot, so it would be embarrassing for her to workout when someone was conscious of her?

After all, that word must have been a trap to check whether I had r*ped her body with my gaze.

In the midst of such thoughts, Hye-rim left saying that she was going to change her clothes.

She even came to the point where she told me not to start first. I had to give up.

Aside from the question of how ugly Yoon-woo’s exercise looks to Hye-rim, Hye-rim was a very good sports teacher.

Important points that could not be easily understood just by watching the Wetube and following, for example, the shape of the hand holding the barbell or the area to focus power depending on the type of exercise should be different. She explained in an easy-to-understand manner by demonstrating what should be kept and what should be done.

Actually, after hearing Hye-rim’s explanation, he was able to deadlift with a higher weight than usual more stably.

Yes, it was 110lbs, a 5lbs increase. Seeing that, Hye-rim praised him, saying that he was amazing, and applauded him.

Actually, he doesn’t know why Hye-rim is like that.

This is because Yoon-woo had seen Hye-rim lift 100lbs before.

Do you have these low expectations for me?

The mood he felt in Hye-rim was like her mother’s applause and compliments when her child succeeded in raising her son for the first time.

Although she did not know that Yoon-woo wasn’t a baby who grew up with such applause.

Lastly, the Tabata squat, which I learned from Hye-rim, was an intense exercise that continued for 4 minutes by continuously squatting as fast as possible for 20 seconds, resting for 10 seconds, and repeating the squats for another 20 seconds.

He could see how Hye-rim’s strong and beautiful lower body was made.

When Yoon-woo stumbled along the way, Hye-rim laughed and said, “It’s your first time, so don’t overdo it, and do it thinking that you can only keep at most 8 squats per set.”

She said that any exercise, not just squats, would be effective if it was done with this cycle.

She said the burpee test and Tabata exercise can also be done together.

It was a valuable lesson for Yoon-woo, who values time-effectiveness.

“How’s it going? Are you hungry?”

Yoon-woo, who finished taking a shower before Hye-rim, was waiting for Hye-rim at the entrance of the gym because Hye-rim asked him not to go first.

“Huh? Not really. I feel better than before, but I’m still full.”

I was really full.

“Hey, Yoon-woo, you really can’t eat? I was going to go eat dinner if you said you were hungry. There’s a delicious udon place nearby.”

Yoon-woo felt like he knew why Hye-rim still had fat even though she was working out so hard.

Of course, it didn’t look bad on her. Anyway, I was glad to hear that she listened to the fact that I was honestly full.

“Where is Yoon-woo going now?”

“I’m just going to go to my room now.”

“Which way is your room?”

“That’s right next to the hospital on the left.”

“Isn’t Yoon-woo in the Economics department? One from the Economics department usually lives in the back gate of the college of economics? Why do you live so far away?”

“It was cheap there.”

“Oh my… I see.”

Yoon-woo never thought Hye-rim was such a talkative person.

It was in the morning when she asked me to drop honorifics, but after talking about himself due to her continuous questions, she knew where I lived now.

Are team members supposed to be this close? I don’t think so…….

I couldn’t understand what Hye-rim was thinking about by approaching me.

The only person whom Yoon-woo allowed to hear his voice was Bunny.

By the way, I talked to Hye-rim for almost 3 hours today.

In the beginning, I made assumptions in my head about Hye-rim’s intentions, but on one hand, I was tired of talking, and on the other hand, I was giving up on my thoughts because it was hard to digest my food.

“I thought Yoon-woo would live in the back gate, so I was going to eat and go together. I shouldn’t have kept you waiting. I’m sorry, Yoon-woo.….”

“No, I haven’t been out for long either. And you helped me a lot. I could lift the weight better than usual.”

“Really? I’m glad then.”

“Yes, thank you. Then…….”

“Yes, bye! It was fun thanks to you!”

Yoon-woo went back home, thinking it was fortunate that his room was in the opposite direction.

Bunny used to talk a lot, but Bunny often talked about her daily life alone, so Yoon-woo could listen comfortably by adding a few chants, such as “Oh really?” and “really.”

However, for Hye-rim, he was tired because most of the things she talked about were questions that asked him to answer.

There was no need to try to understand why Hye-rim was being friendly to Yoon-woo.

Are you sure you’re being friendly? If you think about it coldly, the two of us are doing the group project together, so we just had lunch together.

That’s what any college student does.

The strangest thing was that she suddenly followed him to the gym…….

I guess she was just bored. How would a sparrow know the mind of a phoenix?

How can an outsider know how an insider feels?

As she said, she doesn’t want to show her face with makeup removed and sweaty body when she works out. But, if she came to exercise with me, it would mean she wouldn’t even care about my gaze.

Anyway, when you meet someone like Hye-rim, there’ll be no problem if you pay attention to two things.

First, don’t mistake the other person for having feelings for you.

Second, don’t like the other person.

That’s for your own safety.

A bug named Yoon-woo who lived in a shady and narrow wall cannot be invaded by anyone in his personal space.

None of the people Yoon-woo had loved, loved Yoon-woo.

Yoon-woo’s precious and careful heart was always just trash to the other person.

So, his heart was always crushed and rolled around in the trash.

When I was in the lower grade of elementary school, Yoon-woo carefully made carnations with coloured paper at school, but my parents didn’t wear them.

I thought I made it well because my teacher complimented me on it, and I made it while thinking about my parents who would be happy after seeing it.….

The carnation was classified as regular waste in a day and placed in a standard garbage bag.

Since then, Yoon-woo threw the carnations he made himself at school into the trash can on his way home, collected pocket money, bought pretty harmonized carnations sold at the store and gave them to his parents.

My parents went to work with them on their chest.

It was Yoon-woo’s fault.

He didn’t think of the other person at all. I expect my parents to carry around worthless garbage just because it’s a carnation that their son carefully made at school.

Yoon-woo realized early on.

Just because your heart is precious to you, you shouldn’t think of it as valuable to the other person.

So, it is wise for Yoon-woo to throw his feelings into the trash can first before the other person throws that into the trash can with an unpleasant face.

So, he also crushed his heart and threw it into the trash can before he liked Cho Hye-rim, a fourth grader in elementary school.

However, Lee Yoon-woo, a fourth grader, who has yet to completely let go of his expectations for life, has not been able to keep his mind off of her.

It was so painful for someone he liked to see him as an object of pity.

I should have kept my mouth shut and stayed still. I couldn’t control my anger.

Still, I can’t believe she was crying at the mention of “dating.”….

Was she that disgusted when I confessed my feelings although in anger but still….

It is better not to have feelings from the beginning, than to be sad to see your feelings being crushed and treated as trash.

It’s better not to hand over anything.

And I will die in three years anyway.

I also met Bunny who said she would die with me.

Still, it’s a good ending for Lee Yoon-woo, who will not be alone at the end of his life.

[Tofu, what are you doing?]

As I calmed down and was studying at home, I got a message from Bunny to chat with her.

It was 8 o’clock, earlier than usual.

“I was just reading a book. Are you up early?”

[Yes! What happened to Tofu today?]

“Why?”

[Just. For some reason…your mood seems a little different?]

I couldn’t figure out how Bunny noticed my slight mood swings.

In fact, I was confident that I was fluttering in the corner of my heart when I saw Hye-rim sweating all day long and chatting with her.

Yoon-woo is also a human being, so he cannot fundamentally stop his heart from sprouting love.

However, when such a bud sprouted, he used all the bad memories of the past as herbicides, killing the bud of expectations.

But just as herbicides don’t kill grasses, the memories that come back all night slandering and criticizing all aspects of human Lee Yoon-woo were more.

The memory of Cho Hye-rim in fourth grade is especially painful.

Tonight, Lee Yoon-woo will be trampled by everyone in the class again and again in front of Cho Hye-rim, a sniffling girl.

“Well…… everything’s fine, but…….”

But it was then.

The alarm sounds of “Tick tock!” rang loudly in Yoon-woo’s room.

At home, the alarm was set up loudly to answer Bunny’s call, which made it noisy because the alarm rang continuously.

-Yoon-woo~

-What are you doing on Saturday night?

-(emoticon)

The emoticon’s cat looked at him with anticipation. It was a message from Hye-rim.

[Who is it? Did you just get a call?]

Bunny must have heard the ringtone. It’s natural to hear the loud sound in the small room.

“Someone who works with me on a group assignment, she asked what I’m gonna do on Saturday evening.”

[Woman?]

“Yes.”

[Does she have feelings for you, Tofu?]

“I don’t think so.”

[If not, why would she ask about the weekend schedule?]

“Well…… to review the assignment together? No… she doesn’t like the part I did? Hmm……, maybe, there is a part that she finds difficult to solve.”

[I don’t think so……. Please reply to her.]

Bunny’s tone seemed a little cold like when she talked about her father, he was very scared of Bunny’s icy voice. And since then, Yoon-woo has been nervous even if Bunny lowers her voice a little bit.

-Saturday evening? There’s nothing special.

When Yoon-woo sent a KakaoTalk message, Hye-rim replied right away.

-Then you know what?

-We’re going to take classes and study together for a semester.

-Why don’t we grab a beer to get closer?

-Oh! Before that, I wish we could work out together like today.

-(emoticon)

The emoticon was a cat dancing in the field with a sparrow.

[What?]

Bunny could hear the alarm, so she asked Yoon-woo when she heard the message sound.

“She wants to work out and have a beer together.”

[What? She’s interested in Tofu, isn’t she?]

“I don’t think so.”

[Why not? She is asking to drink with you first]

“I’m not worth it. The world I live in and the world she lives in is different.”

[What are you talking about? Then what kind of world does she live in?]

“It’s like that.”

People all live in different worlds.

Just like the ant world and the human world are completely different. Just because they live on the same ground doesn’t mean that they live in the same world.

[What do you mean… Anyway, so what are you going to do about it, Tofu?]

“I’m going to refuse.”

[Why? You don’t like her? Is she ugly?]

“No, it’s not that kind of a problem……I don’t have money to drink for now.”

[Ah……]

I’m sure I told Hye-rim that I don’t have any living expenses, so I’m going to eat at home, but I guess she didn’t listen to it very seriously.

Or think that the money that goes into drinking is a small amount of money.

Yoon-woo serves a meal at 3,900 won, while a beer sold at a bar costs 4,000 won.

[What if you have money? Are you going to meet her if you have money?]

“No.”

[What’s up with the iron wall, Tofu.…why are you so determined? Do you hate her that much?]

“That’s not it. I was supposed to drink with you on Saturday night. I bought canned beer on my way here. I’m an outsider, so I thought she wouldn’t believe me if I said I had a previous engagement, so I didn’t tell her, but it’s a prior engagement with you anyway. What should I make an excuse for? Please think about me.”

[Wow, Tofu, I’m so touched. But don’t do that.]

“Huh?”

[I’ll give you the money. Go ahead.]

“Huh? Why? I’ve plans with you…….”

[Tofu, you’re always depressed. When I asked you what you ate, you always said, ‘Tuna and a salad, or grilled pork legs and a salad’…. I think Tofu will die first before I die with you.]

“No…… salad and meat, isn’t it healthy food?”

[Who makes a living like that? Tofu, like other college students, you can eat chicken or pork belly and have a beer with them. After that, you can come home and talk to me. You don’t have to stay home always just for a drink with me, do you?]

Bunny’s voice was very sweet. But to get money from Bunny, it felt wrong.

“No, I’ll just say no. I can’t take money from you. When did you get money anyway?”

[Huh? Why wouldn’t I have any money?]

“You always said you’d spend all your money drinking and buying the algae leaves, right? You should eat something delicious with that money. I’m fine.”

[No! I have money, too! Tofu, you’re so mean!]

“You? How……?”

Yoon-woo thought Bunny was trying to give Yoon-woo money from her living allowance.

Judging from the way Bunny talked, she was neither wealthy nor was she working.

[I sold the leaf algae cosmetics items. So, that’s why.]

“Whoa…….”

[Anyway, take it. Hurry up and tell me your bank account.]

“No, but…….”

[Tell me. Immediately]

“But the money between us…….”

[Hey, why don’t you tell me quickly?]

Yoon-woo got scared because Bunny’s voice sounded so scary.

Eventually, I couldn’t refuse Bunny.

Bunny deposited as much as 50,000 won to Yoon-woo. The name of the depositor was “Dokkwi.”

“Bunny…That’s too much. You…….”

[Shut up.]

“Ok.”

[But I can’t let you have drinks with her alone, I’d be jealous otherwise. So why don’t you ask her to bring one of her friends?]

“Huh? How do I say that?”

[It’s still awkward to drink alone, so ask if she has any friends she can invite.]

“Wouldn’t she be offended if I told her in person that drinking alone with her was awkward?”

[Do you want to see her feel bad or do you want to see me feel bad?]

“Okay…… I’ll do as you say.”

Today, kind Bunny and scary Bunny kept going back and forth.

Eventually, I sent Hye-rim a kakaotalk message as Bunny told me to, and fortunately, a positive answer came back.

-Should I? There’s one Unnie who really likes drinking.

-It’s Ji-eun.… That’s right. She majored in economics, too.

-I’ll talk to her. She doesn’t turn down drinking parties anyway.

-See you on Saturday!

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