Alpha Trauma [Novel] - Chapter 21

After that day, Wooyeon devoted himself solely to studying for exams. He minimized contact with Dohyun and consciously dismissed distracting thoughts. Although they had overlapping classes on Fridays, Dohyun didn’t initiate any conversation with him.
So, a week passed, and the campus was immersed in spring. Delicate cherry blossoms adorned the view, and at every step, the ground was covered with tender grass leaves. The weather was such that even wearing just a hoodie and shorts didn’t make you feel cold at all. However, as if to mark the blossoming season, news of rain reached them in the afternoon.
“Hey, I’m here, Noona.”
Wooyeon visited the club room after exactly one week. It wasn’t voluntary; it was to decide the location for the afternoon study session. Since they had promised to meet at least once a week while planning the study group, he couldn’t miss it.
“Oh, are classes over?”
Garam was in the club room. Dohyun wasn’t visible, but some other club members were present. In the bustling atmosphere, Wooyeon, who felt awkward, greeted them and entered the room. For some reason, there was a stack of hamburgers on the table.
“Have you had lunch? Want a hamburger?”
“Oh, sure. I’ll have one. Is there bulgogi and shrimp?”
“You can have two.”
“Not three.”
The hamburgers, wrapped in thin paper, were slightly squished and lukewarm. Wooyeon politely expressed his thanks and carefully unwrapped the packaging. Although she said he couldn’t have three, there were four burgers in front of him.
“What about Seongyu?”
“He went to the department office for a moment.”
One side was bulgogi, and the other was shrimp, but neither was appealing to him. If he had to choose based on his experience in the United States, perhaps the latter was better. Even if the shrimp burger didn’t taste good, at least the patty wouldn’t have a strong smell.
“Want some fries? How about a cola?”
“No, thanks. I’m good.”
Wooyeon shook his head and unwrapped the burger. While he was preparing to eat, Garam looked pleased. Her face seemed to say that just looking at food made her full. (Of course, Garam had already eaten two burgers.)
“But what kind of hamburger is this?”
“Oh, that’s something Kim Dohyun…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the club room door creaked open menacingly. Garam pointed towards the open door, saying, “Looks like trouble is coming.”
“Sometimes, if the kids nag me, I buy them. Wish me luck on the exams.”
“Has the delivery already arrived?”
Dohyun was wearing black slacks and a beige trench coat. The thin coat’s hem reached below his knees, and as his gaze inadvertently dropped, his round kneecaps were visible. Wooyeon secretly admired Dohyun’s appearance, losing himself in those thoughts.
“Oppa!”
“Hyung! I missed you!”
It was the first time Wooyeon had seen someone who wore a trench coat so well. Would a famous fashion brand’s catalog look like this? Thanks to his tall stature and straight frame, the advantages of the clothes were prominently displayed.
“It’s obvious, you two.”
Dohyun laughed softly and closed the club room door. Even his confident strides towards them were impressive. This wasn’t the way to forget about Dohyun. Wooyeon, who had deliberately averted his gaze, took a big bite of the hamburger.
“Only when you buy the food…”
As expected, the sauce-soaked burger wasn’t to Wooyeon’s liking. The bread was soggy, the lettuce was wilted, and even the shrimp patty lacked flavor. He reluctantly swallowed the bite he took but couldn’t muster the courage to attempt another.
So, without realizing that Dohyun had stopped talking, Wooyeon stared at the burger. Surely, it wasn’t this bad when he ate it with Daniel. Whether it was the brand’s fault or if it was because it all had gone cold. either way, it was really harsh.
“Why are you like this, Oppa?”
At Garam’s words, Wooyeon absentmindedly raised his head. Briefly, his gaze met Dohyun’s, but Dohyun quickly looked at someone else. Then, with a polite and friendly face, he nodded his head.
“It’s nothing.”
A surge of emotion rose within him. There were no words like ‘long time no see,’ and no greetings like ‘hello.’ Dohyun simply took a seat farthest away from Wooyeon on the sofa.
“Hey, is class already over? I should have taken that professor’s class too. He only teaches for an hour every time.”
“Is the professor taking it easy on you?”
“Maybe.”
For some reason, it felt stifling. It seemed like he was shaking inside and being pressed a bit. Although his appetite had dropped, Wooyeon lowered his head and continued eating the hamburger. It didn’t taste good, but he managed to chew a few times and gulp it down.
“If it ends early, what do you do? They say we’ll have to make up for everything later.”
“Well, that was a good call not to listen.”
It felt like the burgers were piling up in his stomach. His throat seemed to narrow, making it challenging to swallow properly. One bite, and then another. Only after finishing everything in his hand did Wooyeon
abruptly stand up.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll go ahead.”
The wrapping paper crumpled in his hand. Garam, with surprised eyes, watched as Wooyeon dropped it in
the trash. Without saying a word, she nibbled on the remaining hamburger, as if she had lost interest.
“Are you leaving already?”
“I have something to do because of a group project.”
It was partly a lie, but the words came out casually. Instead of turning away, Wooyeon awkwardly frowned.
“Uh, about the study room…”
“I’ve already reserved it.”
A calm voice interrupted Wooyeon. Wooyeon looked at him, but this time, Dohyun didn’t return the gaze.
“There’s a cafe in front of the school. Come to the main gate after the lecture ends.”
Wooyeon lowered his eyes, intertwining his fingertips. An inexplicable frustration continued to block his throat. He bobbed his head slowly, greeted the others, and walked towards the exit.
“See you later.”
The sounds of club members bidding farewell were heard from behind. Whether it was a ‘see you later,’ ‘take care,’ or ‘bring another burger next time He didn’t look back, but he could tell that Dohyun’s voice was
missing among them.
***
Paradoxically, the emotion Wooyeon felt was disappointment. It was a disappointment in pretending not to know, a disappointment in not returning the gaze, and all of this was the same as last Friday.
In truth, there was no reason to be disappointed. Not knowing, being ignored, and even avoiding were all
initiated by Wooyeon. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Wooyeon but Dohyun who should feel bad.
“Today, let’s gather the teams we assigned last time and discuss what leadership is….”
‘There’s no need for formalities.’
To dislike someone and then feel down when they avoid you. Moreover, Dohyun couldn’t even fit into the category of avoiding him. At most, the frequency of their conversations decreased, and their gazes slightly diverged. Even that much was understandable, considering Wooyeon’s actions.
“We’ll give you 30 minutes.”
As soon as the professor finished speaking, students rose from their seats. Watching them approach their respective team members, Wooyeon let out a weak sigh. Overlapping troubles, Junseong approaching from a
distance became visible.
“Really annoying, making us do presentations and all that.”
Junseong naturally sat down next to Wooyeon. The other three team members also surrounded Wooyeon. Feeling a faint Alpha pheromone, Wooyeon slightly distanced himself from Junseong.
“What topic should we choose?”
Last time, the team leader position was assigned to Junseong during the meeting. Since no one else volunteered, and surprisingly, he showed enthusiasm, Wooyeon didn’t challenge what they were doing.
“Will we get extra points if we do the presentation in a foreign language?”
Junseong said, looking at Wooyeon. When Wooyeon gave him a questioning look, he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Wooyeon moved his chair aside and spoke to the other team members.
“I’ll handle the presentation. Our senior mentioned that the professor gives good scores for presentations in
foreign languages.”
“Oh, really? Then let Wooyeon do the presentation, and….”
It seemed like there was some tension. Judging by the way their stomachs turned at the mention of ‘Wooyeon.’ While it would have been better if the other three were more proactive, they were all silent, only
listening to Junseong’s words with tightly closed mouths.
“Let’s outline it briefly. Wooyeon, I’ll borrow your pen.”
Junseong pulled out a pen before Wooyeon could respond. Wooyeon instinctively stepped back as Junseong
casually lifted his face. This guy wasn’t usually this friendly, yet he kept narrowing the gap between them.
“I ran the script through a translator…”
“You don’t need to use a translator.”
Wooyeon replied nonchalantly, pressing on his abdomen. Perhaps due to stress, his stomach twisted
violently. Junseong widened his eyes as he scrutinized Wooyeon’s appearance.
“What? Is your stomach hurting?”
For a moment, words failed him. The concern in Junseong’s gaze made Wooyeon feel uneasy. Unknowingly,
Wooyeon mumbled in a bewildered voice.
“Are you worried about me?”
Junseong blinked. His dumbfounded expression as he stared at Wooyeon seemed utterly foolish. Eventually,
he furrowed his brows with a somewhat cool look.
“No… I thought you looked like you were in pain.”
In the past, profanities would have poured out of that mouth immediately. Mocking Wooyeon for claiming it
hurt because he ate too much might not have been out of the question. There wouldn’t have been a moment
where he’d ask, with such an awkward expression, ‘Should I not worry?’
“…Alright, let’s forget it and finish the outline.”
Wooyeon swallowed his dry saliva, still pressing on his abdomen. The feeling, like being pricked with needles
made his stomach itch. Junseong seemed to be in a bad mood, but without saying anything, he changed the
subject.
They decided to do their presentation about the qualities a leader should possess. However, amidst the group members who kept their mouths shut like wax statues, reminiscent of a group of beetles with their mouths closed, and Junseong expressing annoyance with comments like ‘Not even mute…’ in between, Wooyeon instinctively realized that their group project was destined for failure. Somehow, miraculously, he
managed to piece together an outline.
“Hey, by the way.”
While Wooyeon was organizing the presentation content, Junseong subtly opened his mouth. Wooyeon
didn’t respond but Junseong continued without waiting for an answer.
“Is the name Seon Wooyeon common?”
Snap, the tip of the mechanical pencil broke. Nonchalantly, Wooyeon pushed his chair back and turned
away, translating ‘the definition of leadership’ into English. Junseong, with his chin propped up, was observing Wooyeon from the side.
“I know someone named Seon Wooyeon.”
“Even the surname Seon is pretty rare, and the name Wooyeon doesn’t seem that common either.”