Jihoon studied his reflection in the mirror, buttoning up his crisp white shirt with steady hands. His dark brown eyes, slightly dull from fatigue, met his own gaze as he sighed.
"Okay, let's just get this done with."
He stifled a yawn, the weight of exhaustion settling over him. A restless night had left him groggy, and the faint shadows under his eyes were proof of it. He smoothed down the fabric of his shirt and adjusted the cuffs before turning away to pack his things for the presentation.
He busied himself with gathering his supplies, and scanning the room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.
Then, the soft patter of tiny footsteps reached his ears. He turned, only to be met with the sight of his younger brother, Haneul, standing before him, holding up a navy-blue tie with an expectant expression.
Jihoon smiled and crouched down, taking the tie from his younger brother. He looped it around Haneul's small collar, adjusting it carefully before tightening it into a clean knot. With a few more gentle tugs, he smoothed it out against the boy's chest.
"Done," Jihoon said, tapping Haneul's shoulder lightly. "Now, where are your shoes? Pack your bag so I can drop you off."
Haneul nodded enthusiastically and scampered off to fetch his things.
"Don't run, you'll trip and fall," Jihoon called after him, though he wasn't sure if the child even heard him. Shaking his head with a small smile, he continued getting ready.
- - -
After dropping Haneul off at school, Jihoon arrived at the university and stepped into the lecture hall with an air of quiet determination. He headed straight for his usual seat in the middle row, where he could see clearly without being in the spotlight. As he settled in, he pulled out his laptop and scanned over his work one last time.
While scrolling through the slides, he noticed shadows looming over him. Blinking up, he found a small group of students gathered around his desk.
They were his teammates for the group presentation.
"Oh my God, Jihoon! I heard Kijun dumped all the work on you. Is that true?"
One of the girls leaned in, her voice laced with both concern and irritation.
Jihoon hesitated for a second before offering a polite smile.
"It wasn't a big deal. Everything's done now."
"What?!" Another girl folded her arms with an exasperated huff. "He made our Jihoon do everything?! I can't believe this. That was supposed to be his job! I swear, that guy--ugh. But don't worry, Noona's gonna give that bastard a piece of her mind."
"No, no, really… it's fine," Jihoon said quickly, waving his hands in a placating gesture. The last thing he wanted was unnecessary drama, especially when everything had already been settled.
"You must have had a hard time. I would've helped if I had known."
"It's okay…really," Jihoon reassured them, keeping his tone light. "But thank you for worrying about me." He smiled, trying to ease their frustration.
Across the hall, Kijun sat slouched in his seat, watching the scene unfold with a sour expression. His friends beside him weren't much better.
"Damn, there they go again, flocking around that loser," Kijun scoffed, drumming his fingers against his desk in annoyance.
"I mean, girls do like pretty boys," one of his friends remarked casually.
Kijun shot him a glare, his expression darkening. "Where the hell do you get that idea? He's just a pathetic, broke loser."
The guy shrugged. "Chill out, I'm just saying what I think."
But internally, he was holding back what he really wanted to say. 'What's the point of being rich whenyou'vegot sucha nastypersonality?'
He kept his mouth shut, unwilling to deal with Kijun's temper.
The murmurs in the lecture hall quieted down as soon as the professor walked in, signaling the start of class.
Nervous energy spread through the room as students braced themselves for their turn to present.
Despite his initial nerves, Jihoon's presentation went smoothly. His team was one of the first to go, meaning they were done for the day while some of the other groups were pushed to a later date. With that weight off his shoulders, Jihoon finally allowed himself to relax.
The day passed quickly, and by evening, he was behind the counter at the cafe, serving customers with practiced efficiency.
"Jihoon, your phone keeps buzzing," Minhee called out as she emerged from the back, balancing a tray of drinks.
Jihoon blinked in surprise. "Ah… is that so? Thanks for letting me know."
He glanced toward the staff room, realizing he must've forgotten to put his phone on silent. Still, he continued working, knowing he couldn't step away just yet. It was nearly time for the shift change anyway.
After finishing his last few tasks, Jihoon finally made his way back to the staff area, where he could hear his ringtone still buzzing inside his locker. Fishing out his phone, he glanced at the caller ID.
Senior Kijun?
He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the screen. He had expected the call to be from someone else, so this was a surprise.
Answering the call, Jihoon barely had a chance to speak before Kijun's irritated voice cut through.
"Yah, Jihoon! Why the hell weren't you answering your phone?"
Jihoon sighed. "I was working."
"Whatever. Come to SeoraeBBQ right now. Everyone's here."
"Where-"
"Ughh! I'll send the location. Just get your ass over here."
In the background, Jihoon could hear other voices coming from the speaker.
"Jihoon-ah, just come already!" one of the girls called out.
"Yeah, we need you here. It's no fun without you!"
"Even if Kijun is a useless bastard, don't try to ditch us, okay?
Kijun's annoyed groan cut through the chatter. "Shut up, will you? Stop acting like a bunch of kids."
"I- ...."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Before Jihoon could respond, the call ended abruptly. He stared at his phone for a moment before shaking his head.
SeoraeBBQ,huh?
Even though he didn't really feel like going, he supposed he could drop by for a few minutes before heading home. It was a celebration, after all.
With that thought, he grabbed his bag and made his way to the restaurant.