Sweet Shot

#33

“Ha-min.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Tae-rim, who had been quiet, finally called Ha-min’s name. Ha-min quickly looked up at Tae-rim. He looked at him happily, without realizing it, at hearing his name called for the first time that day.

“Pull up your clothes.”

Ah… At these unexpected words, Ha-min’s face turned bright red as he pulled up his clothes. Ah. He felt even more embarrassed because he hadn’t expected such a stiff response.

“The clothes are big… Sorry. It looks weird, doesn’t it?”

As Ha-min hastily adjusted his clothes and smiled awkwardly, Tae-rim smiled back. Despite his smiling face, his voice was firm.

“Yes, it’s weird.”

“Ah… okay.”

“I can see your nipples.”

Tae-rim’s gaze, with his chin resting on his hand, fell on Ha-min’s chest area. Ha-min’s face instantly became hot. He was so embarrassed by the unexpected comment that he felt dizzy. Under Tae-rim’s piercing gaze, Ha-min hurriedly covered his chest area with his arms. But Tae-rim’s persistent gaze followed to the end.

“Who made you wear those clothes?”

The persistent gaze and gentle question came across.

“Just… my classmates…”

Is it that strange? Does it look bad? Ha-min wanted to change clothes immediately. As he mumbled in a deflated voice, Tae-rim asked again.

“Which classmate?”

It was a persistent question, as persistent as his gaze. Ha-min answered obediently with a dumb expression.

“Eun-soo… that friend from earlier.”

“Don’t be friends with her anymore.”

He said this with a gentle smile. At the voice that was playful yet not entirely so, Ha-min opened his eyes stupidly. Huh?

“Huh? …Why?”

Ha-min stuttered, flustered by the sudden statement. The eyes that would normally look at him gently, as if soothing him, were mercilessly unwavering today. His unusually dry eyes fixed on Ha-min, and a calm resonance was heard.

“What kind of friend would make you wear such trashy clothes.”

**

The festival night was long. The noisy sounds didn’t diminish, and the crowd only grew larger, never smaller. While everyone was loudly chattering and having fun, Ha-min alone couldn’t enjoy it. Sitting there like a lonely acorn amidst it all, Ha-min’s expression wasn’t very good.

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend?”

When a couple of green bottles had been emptied, Hee-jae asked. It took Ha-min a moment to realize the question was directed at him. The friendly tone of the question felt unfamiliar.

“Well…”

Ha-min trailed off, not having any particular excuse. It was the question he heard most often these days, but he never had a proper answer.

Tae-rim had bought all the drinks at the pub but wasn’t drinking himself. Only Ha-min, Hee-jae, and Sa-hyun were exchanging drinks. Although it was uncomfortable due to the awkward situation, Ha-min forced himself to accept and drink the offered alcohol. It felt like he had to drink, or the atmosphere would be worse. Not only Tae-rim but Hee-jae also didn’t look to be in a good mood. The air between them wasn’t good. It had been that way since they arrived.

Ha-min secretly glanced at the silent Tae-rim. Did he dislike the clothes that much? Ha-min fidgeted with the clothes he still hadn’t changed out of. He had thought Tae-rim would say he looked pretty in anything. Not because Ha-min wanted to look pretty, but because that was how kind Tae-rim was. He thought Tae-rim would say that out of courtesy, like his classmates, like Eun-soo and the others did. But his expectation was completely off. Well, it wouldn’t suit me anyway. Ha-min smiled bitterly, knowing this.

“Is it because the kid is naive?”

Ha-min’s attention returned at the sound of chuckling. He smiled sheepishly at the mockery uttered without malice.

“I guess so.”

He could easily laugh off a joke from someone five years older. And it wasn’t wrong either.

“You look decent enough…”

Hee-jae rested her chin on her hand and stared intently at Ha-min’s face.

“Want me to introduce you to someone?”

Hee-jae asked casually. It was casual but proactive. Ha-min automatically raised his hand to refuse but then lowered it again.

Suddenly, he remembered his promise to Tae-rim that he would try. The promise to date women and try. He remembered how he had stubbornly refused with those words.

“…”

Ha-min couldn’t answer. He felt awkward refusing in front of Tae-rim, but he didn’t feel like accepting either. Seeing Ha-min’s lack of response, Hee-jae chuckled amusedly.

“Seems like you’re not against it.”

She seemed to have guessed from his hesitation. Ha-min just smiled awkwardly instead of answering. He couldn’t say he disliked it, nor could he say he liked it.

“I know a lot of people. If you want, contact noona.”

Perhaps due to the alcohol, she acted friendly and suddenly took Ha-min’s phone to input her number. Before Ha-min could feel uncomfortable, she had entered her number and called herself. Faced with this sudden exchange of numbers, Ha-min carefully looked at Tae-rim. He kept feeling conscious of him. The fact that he wasn’t drinking, that he was saying so little.

Then Tae-rim suddenly spoke.

“Who do you know?”

Tae-rim’s languid gaze turned to Hee-jae across from him. Hee-jae frowned at the sudden question.

“Would you know if I told you?”

“I might.”

“That’s funny. As if you would.”

Hee-jae just scoffed, knowing full well Tae-rim’s tendency to be uninterested in people around him.

“You even forget the names of friends you hang out with every day.”

Tae-rim chuckled, seemingly having no excuse. Hee-jae’s face twisted even more at Tae-rim’s unapologetic attitude.

“Thanks for remembering my name. Of course, you probably don’t know anything else. Not my birthday, not our anniversary.”

Ha-min was the one who felt uncomfortable at her smiling yet sarcastic words. He could feel that their relationship wasn’t good.

Sa-hyun was the one who laughed at those words. He burst into a hearty laugh and looked at Hee-jae with disbelieving eyes.

“Do you expect such things from him?”

His face looked as if her words were truly ridiculous.

“No, I know what he’s like. But the other day, he was at the department store choosing a birthday gift for him?”

“Ha.”

Tae-rim let out a short sigh at Hee-jae’s words, which sounded like tattling. His face started to show slight discomfort.

Ha-min tensed up without realizing it. It was because Hee-jae suddenly pointed at him. Hee-jae stared at Ha-min, who had instantly frozen. Her eyes, loosened from the alcohol, narrowed slightly. Then, with her chin resting on her hand, she continued to ask.

“Did you save his life or something?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked if you saved Lee Tae-rim’s life or something.”

Ha-min touched his neck area with an uncomfortable expression at the somewhat aggressive tone. He didn’t know how to answer such an out-of-the-blue question. Just as he was about to apologize reflexively, thinking he might have done something wrong, the sound of a chair scraping was heard. Tae-rim, who had been sitting next to him, stood up abruptly.

“You’re drunk.”

Tae-rim looked down at Hee-jae with an expressionless face. Hee-jae, meeting his gaze, sneered and spoke.

“I’m not drunk.”

“Then why do you keep talking nonsense…”

Tae-rim rubbed his forehead with an annoyed expression. At his indifferent attitude, Hee-jae stood up with an upset face.

“I want to leave.”

Her voice was clearly irritated. Ha-min stood up too, unable to stop her and looking anxiously at Tae-rim. There was no particular change in Tae-rim’s expression. Instead, he asked in a calm voice.

“Should I take you home?”

He spoke in a tone that suggested he didn’t care either way, not even trying to stop her. At this perfunctory question, Hee-jae made a face as if it was ridiculous.

She grabbed her handbag from the side as if snatching it, and ordered Sa-hyun, who was sitting as if used to such situations.

“Kim Sa-hyun, take me home.”

It was a deliberate emphasis on the name. She spoke as if for Tae-rim to hear, then turned away without hesitation. Sa-hyun, called instead, seemed all too familiar with this uncomfortable atmosphere. Without showing any sign of being flustered, he let out a short sigh and stood up. Before Sa-hyun could fully rise, Hee-jae had already turned and left. Watching her suddenly retreating figure, Ha-min, flustered, managed to say, “Ah, goodbye. Take care.”

With his hands in his pockets, Sa-hyun looked at Tae-rim with a willing expression.

“Should I take her home?”

Sa-hyun asked Tae-rim again, as if seeking permission. Tae-rim chuckled at the question.

“Do as you please.”

It was a casual answer given without any attachment. “Alright then,” Sa-hyun replied nonchalantly and followed after her. Ha-min was the most bewildered in this situation. He couldn’t fit into the tense atmosphere and felt the most awkward. All he could roughly understand was that things weren’t good between Tae-rim and his girlfriend.

Ha-min hesitantly and carefully opened his mouth.

“Maybe you should go after…”

“Ha-min.”

Before Ha-min could finish his sentence, a gentle call was heard. Ha-min blinked his eyes.

“Huh?”

Surprised by the sudden call, he looked up to see Tae-rim smiling gently for the first time in a while.

“Your phone.”

Confused by the smiling request, Ha-min fumbled to find his phone, muttering “Huh?” He searched his back pocket, then suddenly his gaze went to the table. He hurriedly picked up the phone and placed it on Tae-rim’s palm. Tae-rim pressed the phone screen indifferently.

“Unlock the pattern.”

He briefly instructed, holding out the locked screen. Ha-min nodded and unlocked the pattern without saying a word. Why? It was before he could even feel suspicious.