He Is That Guy

Chae Yu-jeong asking me for a chance to win me over was, in the end, just a process to check whether I could do men too.
Honestly, the moment I hesitated and accepted that kind of proposal, I was no longer a perfect heterosexual. If it weren’t for that dream, I would’ve shut him down on the spot.
I regretted it late, but the water was already spilled. Regret or not, once I’d accepted, I had to take responsibility for it.
That didn’t mean I planned to do anything grand. He only asked for “a chance to win me over,” so I intended to give exactly that—just a chance.
Whether I’d actually feel like dating him—a man—or whether it would end as simple physical curiosity, even I couldn’t be sure.
“Honestly, the odds of failure are high…”
You can’t exclude physical contact if you’re dating someone, and I’ve only ever reacted to women. No matter how close he is to my ideal type, hard is hard.
…Of course, I did get pretty turned on by that image from the dream with him under me, but there was no guarantee it would translate to reality. And it made no sense to “check” by asking him to lie down for me.
Anyway, he was the one who proposed first, and he was the one who said any conditions were fine. The rest was on him.
[Chae Yu-jeong: Hyung hyung]
[Chae Yu-jeong: What are you doing this weekend?]
After that talk, I dragged him to dinner, and by the time I fed him he’d completely bounced back. Maybe because “hyung gave me a chance to win him over,” his messages got even more proactive than before.
That part was fine. The problem was…
[Yu Ji-han: nn]
[Yu Ji-han: can’t]
[Chae Yu-jeong: Why..?]
[Yu Ji-han: busy]
[Yu Ji-han: got projects and studying]
…my schedule. From the projects still on my plate to finals starting next week, there was no time to meet anyone and do anything.
This was the second week in a row I’d been pulling nightly studio sessions on campus. Once the projects ended, the late nights would end too—but then I’d have to hit the library for exam prep.
[Chae Yu-jeong: When do your exams end?]
[Yu Ji-han: next Fri]
[Chae Yu-jeong: ㅠ.ㅠ]
[Chae Yu-jeong: Then we can’t meet until then?]
[Yu Ji-han: likely]
He read them quickly, but no reply came. I frowned at my phone, waiting, and only then did a delayed answer pop up.
[Chae Yu-jeong: Got it...]
His disappointment bled right through the text. For some reason it reminded me of a retriever sulking because it didn’t get its walk.
“I’ve seen this before.”
Back then it was Yu Chae, not Chae Yu-jeong. Looking at it this way, the two really are alike. No wonder I got them mixed up.
When I first met up one-on-one with Chae and went to the PC bang, I had no intention of getting this close to him. Now the guy I used to be so close with, Yu Chae, had gone radio silent in an instant, and I was getting a confession from Chae. Ridiculous.
[Yu Ji-han: Just wait a bit]
[Yu Ji-han: I gave you a chance too]
[Chae Yu-jeong: Yeah..]
[Chae Yu-jeong: I’ll try to put up with it ㅠ]
[Yu Ji-han: Amazing how you can say the obvious like such a jerk]
[Chae Yu-jeong: The one who likes more loses, right ㅠ]
I snorted at his deliberately jokey texts, and Eun Haeseong walked up, tapped my shoulder, and said,
“What’s so funny? Let’s hit the print shop. I’m done.”
“Yeah.”
Gathering my project, I stood and sent him one last message.
[Yu Ji-han: I’m off to work on my project now]
[Yu Ji-han: Enjoy your dinner]
“Let’s go.”
I pocketed my phone and was about to leave the department room when, from the next seat where he had a blueprint spread out, eyes glued to his phone, Kim Daeseok suddenly jerked his head up.
“You two heading to the print shop now?”
“Yeah. Why, you need something?”
“No. Not that… is it going to take long?”

“Thirty minutes?”
His out-of-character probing made me narrow my eyes. He grinned.
“Okay. Make it quick.”
“What, you freak. Don’t be creepy.”
“Why the swearing, sir? I’m scared.”
That lunatic… I clicked my tongue and left with a baffled-looking Eun Haeseong.
The print shop was in the basement of the next building, so it was a ten-minute walk. We were crossing the darkened campus when Eun called me.
“Yu Ji-han.”
“What.”
“Are you not dating these days?”
I turned at the out-of-nowhere question. Freshly bleached yesterday, his hair was now blond; he genuinely looked curious.
“Why? I’m drowning in work. How would I date right now.”
“Everyone I meet keeps asking if you have a girlfriend. It’s stressing me out.”
“How many people are asking that it’s stressing you…”
“At the club they ask what that friend you brought last time is up to lately, and on Stargram they DM me about you. It’s insane, seriously.”
Serious as ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ he sounded, it was pretty funny. I only smiled and didn’t answer, so he pushed again.
“So? Once exams end, are you going to start dating right away? With Yoon Solji?”
Solji—that first-year junior who asked us to grab dinner? So her last name’s Yoon.
“If I get some breathing room and there’s someone suitable, sure. But not a junior from our department.”
Why would I bother with a campus couple. I answered flatly, and he shrugged.
“If you start dating, you have to tell me immediately. I’m posting it on my Stargram the second you do.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Post or not, I didn’t care. I don’t bother with SNS anyway.
The word “dating” inevitably pulled up Chae’s face. If I ignored him and started dating a woman, how would he react?
Last time, when his feelings got exposed, he was on the verge of tears… Would he bawl for real then? Cheeks and eyes all red.
“…Kind of nice?”
I had no idea why picturing him crying made me feel good. Even I couldn’t explain it; it made me sigh.
On the way back down the hall from the print shop to the department room, he called.
Not a text—a call. He must have had a reason. I sent Eun ahead and answered in the hall.
—Hello? Hyung?
“Yeah, it’s me. Why.”
Playing it off, I heard him give a short, startled cough on the other end.
—Are you busy right now?
“I can talk for a bit. What’s up?”
If someone calls out of the blue and asks if you’re busy, you get curious even if you’re not into them. He hesitated, then said,
—So, hyung.
“Say it.”
—Could you come out to the building entrance right now?
“What?”
Blindsided, I asked back, and he explained, tense.
—You’re working on projects late at school, so I wanted to help somehow… I bought some drinks and snacks. I’m waiting now, so I was wondering if you could come down.
“Woah…”
I pulled the phone from my ear and checked the time. 8:46 p.m. He bought food and came to campus at this hour?
It was cold tonight too. Imagining him shivering alone at the entrance made me weirdly anxious.
“Wait there. I’m coming right now.”
—Okay, hyung.
I hung up, headed for the stairs—then doubled back into the department room, dug my scarf out of my bag, and sprinted to the first floor.
“Hyung!”
Through the hall, out the glass doors—he spotted me nearby and rushed over.
“How did you know where I was?”
Up to now we’d only ever met at the front gate. Campus is huge and full of buildings; finding me shouldn’t have been easy.
He glanced at me like he was gauging my mood, then said,
“I asked someone else.”
“Who’s ‘someone else’?”
“…Your friend.”
You asked my friend?
“Don’t tell me—Kim Daeseok?”
“Yeees.”
“You two exchanged numbers?”
“Yeees.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh. He offered me a bag stuffed full of something.
“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I bought anything that seemed good. Bread, chips, snacks… drinks and coffee too.”
I took it without thinking—it was pretty big and heavy.
Peeking inside, I saw breads and drinks with a logo I didn’t recognize. Even without asking, it was obvious this wasn’t convenience-store stuff.
I looked up from the bag. His eyes were shining with expectant light, catching mine.
The unexpected gift stirred up a mix of feelings. It felt like when he’d grabbed me and begged for just one chance.
Why care about me this much—do you really like me that much—and if you get nothing back from me, then what are you going to do… My head tangled, but through it all what I felt clearly was simple gratitude.
“Thanks.”
So I said it plainly.
“I’m happy you took care of me like this.”
At the sincerity, he looked startled, then his eyes curved and he smiled bright.
“I was worried it might feel like too much… Thank God.”
“Next time, at least text before you come. You’re making me feel bad.”
“Okay. You said there are a lot of friends and juniors in your room. Take it up and share. The coffee with the red sticker is the most expensive—make sure you drink that one.”
Even setting aside the most expensive coffee for me made me smile.
“Bend down a bit.”
“Huh?”
He obediently leaned his upper body toward me, and I wrapped the scarf around his neck. The light beige scarf suited him ridiculously well.
“I’ll give you that. Wear it. It’s cold.”
“Y-you’ll give it to me? I brought the car, I’m fine…”
“So you don’t want it?”
“No, no!”
He touched the scarf around his neck, disbelieving, and then his cheeks flushed. His voice came out thick with happiness.
“I’ll wear it… I really like it. Thank you.”
Didn’t think he’d like it this much. Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d given him anything. Good thing I grabbed the scarf.
“Hyung, you’re busy, right? I’ll get going.”
“Yeah. Drive safe.”
“Okay, I’ll text you.”
Beaming, he wiggled his fingers in a little wave and turned away. I waited until he was out of sight and headed back to the department room, where Kim Daeseok greeted me.
“Wow, damn! That bag is huge. Yu-jeong was here, right?”
“Yeah.”
I set the bag on the desk, and the project-zombies staggered over to peek in one by one.
“Take what you want and eat.”
I pulled out my coffee—the one he’d marked for me—and handed the rest around. Everyone thanked me and dug in, and I yanked on Kim Daeseok’s hair when he shamelessly grabbed the biggest bread.
“Ow ow ow! What the hell!”
“That’s my line. If the kid says he’s bringing stuff like this, you should stop him. Why are you egging him on? You made him come out here late at night when it’s dangerous?”
“Kid, my ass—he’s huge and only a year younger. And he’d already bought it and was on his way to campus; I only told him which building.”
“Oh, wasn’t this from you, senior?”
A junior who’d overheard us asked. In the tired, hungry grind, everyone seemed curious who’d supplied the snacks; eyes turned to me.
“A kid I kn—no.”
I’d been about to say a kid I knew bought it, but I changed my answer.
“A close friend brought it as a gift to cheer us on.”