He Is That Guy

Strangely, the instant that line popped up, I could feel—right through the monitor—that Yu Chae was seriously at a loss.
He didn’t answer for a long time. I was getting embarrassed too, so I spoke first.
[Party] Jeo Jolryeoyo: I didn’t mean like, “let’s meet up” or anything

[Party] Jeo Jolryeoyo: I figured just a number would be fine
[Party] Jeo Jolryeoyo: Is it uncomfortable?
[Party] Yu Chae: No, it’s not that it’s uncomfortable

[Party] Yu Chae: It’s just that I kind of
[Party] Yu Chae: don’t really like that stuff
Isn’t that literally being uncomfortable?

[Party] Yu Chae: I’m sorry
[Party] Yu Chae: Can you give me some time?
[Party] Jeo Jolryeoyo: Time for what?
[Party] Yu Chae: Time to think about whether I should give you my number

“Huh…”
Frozen by the answer I didn’t expect, I forced my hands to move.
[Party] Jeo Jolryeoyo: lol

[Party] Jeo Jolryeoyo: Do what you want
“What do what you want, my ass… fuck. That was embarrassing.”
“Huh?”

I knocked back a shot of soju in one go, grimacing. Across from me, Kim Daeseok blinked, baffled.
“What was embarrassing?”
“Something happened.”

When I answered, feeling pretty sour, he gave me a pitying look and refilled my empty glass.
“Hey, chin up… It happens to everyone sometimes.”
“What?”

“You got turned down by that noona Eun Haeseong offered to introduce, right? You don’t have to say it; I can tell. I’m quick, aren’t I?”
Oh. Right. He did offer an intro. Before the semester started, I forgot because of Yu Chae; after it started, I forgot because of meetups and work.
“I didn’t text her.”

“You didn’t? Why? From the photo she was crazy pretty!”
“I was busy.”
I held out my glass. Even while looking dumbfounded, Daeseok clinked with me. Friends are nice.
“Ugh, it’s kind of cold outside.”

“You went out in short sleeves. You think it’s summer?”
After another round, the classmates who’d stepped out for a smoke trickled back in. Dragging Eun Haeseong—who was in that pack—into the seat beside him, Daeseok opened his mouth.
“Hey, Haeseong. Yu Ji—this bastard—didn’t text the noona you offered.”

“Huh? Seriously? Why. Not his type?”
“No, he was busy. Kim Daeseok, don’t run your mouth.”
“It’s a waste, that’s all.”

What’s the big deal about swapping numbers. It’s not like texting means you’re instantly dating or getting married.
That not-a-big-deal thing—Yu Chae, that shithead—wouldn’t do for me. Still pisses me off thinking about it.
Eun Haeseong filled an empty beer glass to the brim, shrugged, and said lightly,

“She’s got a good personality too. Try texting her later? Or did you find someone else?”
“Wait! Holy—Yu Ji-han, when you said you were embarrassed… don’t tell me you hit on some other girl and got rejected?”
“You think I’m you?”

“ tsk. True. Like you need us worrying about your love life. You’ll manage just fine.”
“That’s also true…”
I looked at the two of them, both jumping to weird conclusions, with deep disappointment. A group from another table drifted over.

“Sunbae, can we join here?”
“Yeah! Sure!”
Seeing they were first-years, Daeseok brightened and hurried to clear the mountain of glasses and bottles to make space.

Two girls sat on either side of me and, meeting my eyes, dipped their heads shyly. I’d seen them a few times already in the packed drinking rounds these past days.
“Let’s cheers, cheers~!”
“Cheers~!”

With the girls joining, Daeseok got even more cheerful, and we kept clinking glasses to match him.
I threw back soju like water and shoved thoughts of Yu Chae out of my head fast.
Past ten and nearing eleven, our department meetup was finally winding down.

Everyone but a few who stayed to settle the bill poured out of the place. The cool autumn night air hit my skin.
I tugged my coat up over my shoulders—it had been hanging loose—and the juniors who’d drunk at my table clustered around with their phones.
“Um, Yu Ji-han sunbae. Can we get your number?”

“Me too.”
The way their baby faces peeked up while they carefully held out their phones made them look like a bunch of chicks.
It was kind of cute, so I snorted a laugh and took the phones.

“Text me your names later, one by one.”
Even if only one side saves the contact, the messenger auto-updates, but since we’re in the same department, it’s better if I save them too. They nodded hard at my words.
After swapping numbers, five new entries got added to my call log.

“It’s this easy…”
I scrolled through the now-crowded call log, sighed, and shoved the phone into my coat.
Suddenly everything felt meaningless. The attention from people who liked me, the game I lived and breathed—it was all boring.

“I did get too wrapped up in the game.”
The semester had started; I should keep my distance for a while. Go to classes, do assignments, drink a bit—time would fly.
Thinking that, I took a cigarette from my pocket and stuck it in my mouth.

 
****
“Ugh. I’m dying…”

Sprawled on the bed like a corpse, I groaned and rolled onto my right side. Even that made every muscle ache; a moan slipped out on its own.
After drinking with classmates until late into the dawn, I finally opened my eyes—only to find it was already late afternoon. Those damned guys… I hauled my torso up, swaying, as sunset light filtered in through the window.
Bzzzz.

I raked my messy hair back, spacing out, when my phone—tossed in the corner of the bed—buzzed like it wanted attention.
“What.”
It was Kim Daeseok, who, like me, had been pounding drinks until late.

Maybe he wanted to get hangover soup together? I let my legs drop off the bed and bent forward to answer.
“What.”
—You get home okay?

“Would I not?”
—Whoa, someone’s cranky. You that wrecked?
“I’m not going out for hangover soup or anything today, so don’t call.”

—I don’t have the stamina to drag you out either. That’s not why I called.
“Then why.”
—Xenorise asked me for your phone number.

…Xenorise asked for my number? Don’t tell me… was it Yu Chae?
“Who asked?”
—Drink Some Water.

“Oh.”
The moment I heard it, the little castle of hope I’d built washed away like a sandcastle in the tide, replaced by hollow disappointment.
Realizing that, I let out a stunned, empty laugh. What the hell am I doing.

—I said I’d ask you first. It’s fine to give it, right? Feels like something’s up.
“I don’t care. Give it.”
—From where I’m standing, it’s because you haven’t logged in for too long. Hey, when you join a guild, it’s etiquette to pop in even when you’re busy.

“Yeah. Thanks a fucking lot for the tip. I’m hanging up.”
I ended the call without listening to whatever else he was yapping about and headed straight to the bathroom to shock my brain awake.
After a shower in water cold enough to sting down to the bone and a rough towel-dry of my hair, I booted up the computer. I’d turned it on now and then for assignments, but I hadn’t actually logged into the game for almost three weeks.

[Guild] Let’s Play Pattycake: whoa
[Guild] Marinated Crab, Slurp: oh it’s Jeo hi
[Guild] Let’s Play Pattycake: it’s Jeo hihi

[Guild] Haereun: long time no see~
[Guild] DoraHeeImnida: hihi~
[Guild] ManaOing-nam: hi Jeo

[Guild] Staeric: hi
[Guild] Jeo Jolryeoyo: Hello
[Guild] TheHunter: whoa Jeo lolol

[Guild] TheHunter: why’s it been so long lolol
[Guild] Jeo Jolryeoyo: Semester started so I couldn’t play lol
[Guild] TheHunter: ah semester, agreed..

[Guild] TheHunter: I just logged in after a week too T_T;
[Guild] Haereun: semester—agreed
Guild chat greetings rolled in as my screen filled with the event page, login rewards, and notification pop-ups.

I cleared them fast and opened the friends list to check who was on. Both Drink Some Water and Yu Chae were online.
No clue what Yu Chae was «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» doing, but why wasn’t Drink Some Water saying anything? He had a reason to contact me. AFK?
[Yu Chae: hyung]

Leaning back and scratching my forehead, I got a private message from Yu Chae instead of guild chat.
[Jeo Jolryeoyo: hi]
[Jeo Jolryeoyo: long time]

Since the wedding, I hadn’t logged in once, so of course it’d been a while since I’d seen him. I was avoiding the game on purpose anyway.
[Yu Chae: yess..]
[Yu Chae: hyung can you do Discord now?]

[Jeo Jolryeoyo: Discord?]
[Jeo Jolryeoyo: why?]
[Yu Chae: no reason]

[Yu Chae: I just want to hear your voice]
[Yu Chae: it’s been forever since you came on..]
“…”

If you’re that bothered, give me your phone number, asshole. I’ll talk all day.
Pouting despite myself, I opened Discord.
[Jeo Jolryeoyo: yeah on]

The call came in the second I sent the message. I put on my headset and answered; Yu Chae’s voice came through clear.
“Hyung, how have you been?”
“Of course I’ve been fine.”

“You sound a little hoarse.”
“I woke up not long ago.”
Talking to him again after so long felt awkward. Things ended with me getting turned down, too…

After my reply, an awkward silence settled between us. Why did he ask to talk if he had nothing to say?
“…If you’ve got nothing to say, I’m hanging up.”
Startled, he blurted in a rush.

“No, no! Uh, hyung. I…”
“Yeah.”
He hesitated for a good while, then finally forced the words out.

“I… was wrong…”
…What?