Campus Log - Chapter 43 - ntfrme23

A flawless face passed by the shaded window. Eun-seok paused for a moment and examined his features reflected in the glass. Gently touching his casually styled bangs, he closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again.

Despite his scattered feelings, his unchanged beauty was captured in the window.

He looked into the mirror as often as he checked his phone, which received all kinds of messages at all hours. It was his habit to meticulously check if his face was puffy, if his lips were smooth without chapping, if a single eyebrow hair was sticking out awkwardly, but recently the frequency had especially increased.

“Oppa, hello.”

A group of freshmen greeted Eun-seok as he resumed walking. Each face was full of smiles, and the gazes fixed on his features sparkled. There was even a girl hurriedly applying tinted lip balm.

While someone else remained indifferent…

“Hi.”

A bright peal of laughter burst out at Eun-seok’s kind greeting.

“Have you all had lunch?”

“Yes! And you, oppa?”

“We went to that new pasta place in front of the school!”

“Oh, really?”

Sensing they wanted to continue the conversation, Eun-seok didn’t wait around leisurely as he usually would, and instead turned toward the business school building.

He wasn’t in the mood to be any friendlier than this.

The composure that had run dry since early morning showed no signs of being replenished. He was just habitually smiling and putting on a kind voice.

If he didn’t feel like tuition money was going to waste, he’d probably be resting his eyes in an air-conditioned car by now. In his first year, whenever something bothered him, he’d pack his bag and go for a drive. With his wallet thinner now, it seemed he’d matured out of necessity.

Even after finishing lunch, the cheap sweetness of the strawberry yogurt shake he’d had early morning lingered thickly on his oral mucosa. They must’ve added so much syrup that the tip of his tongue stung right after drinking it, and because of that, he couldn’t even taste his meal.

That’s why the corner of Eun-seok’s mouth felt dry and unpleasant right now.

As he neared the entrance of the business school building, a group led by Park Tae-hyun came into view from the opposite side. They were probably coming back from having a smoke at the designated area.

Back when they hung out together, Park Tae-hyun would avoid going at this time, saying he hated the smell of smoke clinging to him.

Back then, he’d always walk a few steps apart from them, but these days, there was no need for that.

Unlike the freshmen who had beamed brightly at the sight of Eun-seok moments ago, Park Tae-hyun’s expression crumpled harshly. The way his brow was heavily furrowed would make anyone think he’d stepped in something foul on the street.

The others’ eyes darted busily between Eun-seok and Park Tae-hyun. Now that their primary benefactor had left the group, it was obvious who was leading them. Eager to gauge the newly appointed leader’s mood, they didn’t even acknowledge Eun-seok.

Perhaps because they’d stolen and drunk the beverage meant for Hong Sang-hee earlier, there was no bitter taste in his mouth. Or maybe, still feeling down from this morning’s incident, he simply had no energy left to care about friends who’d cut ties with him.

As he entered the Financial Accounting classroom, Eun-seok exchanged greetings with familiar faces.

“Oh, hi. Hello, hyung.”

Whatever they said behind his back, people were still outwardly friendly. He pretended not to notice the occasional flickers of pity or smug laughter passing over their faces.

Right after the rumors spread, he’d briefly considered picking new, decent people from among them, but quickly gave up. Regardless of what he did, there would be stares—so he figured going it alone, coolly, might not be so bad.

Of course, it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

At the edge of Eun-seok’s vision, he spotted Kim Do-wan, wearing a cap pulled low, sitting in a corner. The man who’d caused a scene while drunk seemed to know his punishment, hiding quietly like a shadow.

Eun-seok had been about to head further back, but changed his mind and sat down one seat away from Kim Do-wan. The man’s shoulder twitched. A sharp glare shot precisely at Eun-seok from beneath the cap brim.

Kim Do-wan’s upper lip curled. From the shape of it, he was mouthing silent curses. Eun-seok, paying no attention to him, opened his bag.

As he was about to take out his tablet, he spotted the crumpled green t-shirt inside. Eun-seok quickly pulled out the shirt and shook it out in the air. The scent of the soft fabric softener Hong Sang-hee used brushed past his nose.

Eun-seok paused mid-fold and gently grasped the hem of the shirt. With his nerves constantly frayed and his insides feeling hollow, he needed something to hold onto.

The panda plushie had a better texture, but the shirt with its unfamiliar scent wasn’t bad as a stress ball either. The thought that the person who borrowed it had laundered it herself soothed the prickly spikes in his mind a little.

“If you have something to say, say it.”

Just then, a gruff voice intruded on his thoughts from beside him. Kim Do-wan was scowling fiercely at Eun-seok.

“You didn’t sit next to me to just keep quiet.”

“I didn’t particularly have that in mind.”

“Then why are you sitting here?”

Good question. Why *had* he chosen the seat next to Kim Do-wan? Eun-seok pondered this, gently stroking the soft fabric with his thumb.

“You’re here to cause trouble about Hong Sang-hee.”

Eun-seok’s gaze, devoid of warmth, lingered on Kim Do-wan’s face. He’s even telling me the reason for my own actions, which I hadn’t realized myself—

the other person had pointed it out for him.