Taeseo stared in disbelief at the three people gathered before him. Seo Darae, whom he didn't even realize was here, the loathsome Kang Inhyeok, and Park Hansu, the one who had caused this whole mess, came into view one after another. They should all be sitting in their seats, listening to the lecture, but the fact that they were facing each other meant they were in the same group.
It's always like this when we have group meetings, Tae Seo thought bitterly. The more I try to avoid getting involved, the more entangled I become. And all because of some clueless idiot's meddling.
Tae Seo's lips twitched. His displeasure was written all over his face, and each person reacted differently. Kang Inhyeok's eyebrows twitched as if he was equally annoyed, while Seo Darae stared blankly at his textbook. Park Hansu, on the other hand, was alternating between looking pleased and flustered, fidgeting nervously.
"Isn't this kind of cliché?"
"What's cliché about it? It's good to be in a group with friends... people you know."
Park Hansu subtly steered the conversation away from the topic.
"That thinking is what's cliché. It's better to meet new people and stuff."
Taeseo crossed his arms and glared at Park Hansu, who had created this situation. This clueless idiot had forced the four of them into a group.
As soon as the instructor announced group assignments mid-class, Park Hansu immediately turned to Taeseo. We're working together, right? Tae Seo nodded without much thought. After all, he didn't know many people here, and Park Hansu's reputation wasn't bad.
That bastard Park Hansu glanced at Kang Inhyeok, then confidently strode forward and announced that he, Seo Darae, Kang Inhyeok, and himself were a group. So that's why he looked at Kang Inhyeok. He doesn't seem to be in contact with Seo Darae, but when asked how he'd gotten him involved, he said he'd contacted Seo Darae by message.
The really funny thing was that Park Hansu had created this whole situation, yet Kang Inhyeok's displeasure and Seo Darae's awkwardness were all directed at Taeseo. It was clear they would have preferred if he just stayed out of it.
Yeah, it's better if I just leave.
Taeseo had no foolish desire to remain stuck between them.
"Take me out of the group."
Just as Taeseo was about to get up and ask the professor to change his group, Park Hansu suddenly grabbed his arm and pressed his face right up to Taeseo's.
"Just a minute, Taeseo, hear me out."
"Hear what?"
Taeseo shook his arm roughly, trying to shake off Park Hansu. He should have refused when this guy first suggested working together. Since this was partly his fault, Taeseo shoved Park Hansu's face away mercilessly, but careful not to hurt him.
"We need all four of us to get a good group project score."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"This is a liberal arts course. Lots of students will be in it, and the professor doesn't even care who's working hard. He says it doesn't matter as long as you submit your assignments. In this situation, why would I work with anyone else when I have you guys, who are guaranteed to get good grades?"
"Yeah, thanks for the selfish self-introduction."
Typical, Taeseo thought as he pushed Park Hansu away even harder. He just wanted to get his assignment done easily and get a good grade, so he formed this group. He didn't care about Taeso discomfort being stuck between Kang Inhyeok and Seo Darae. His selfishness left Taeseo completely speechless.
"Looks like everyone's already done," Kang Inhyeok interjected, his voice laced with displeasure as he watched the struggle. Taeseo quickly glanced around and saw that the groups were indeed being finalized and organized. Park Hansu subtly tugged on Taeseo's arm.
"Let's just sit down for now?"
"No. I'll just switch with someone else. If I bring in someone who's not taking the course, you won't mind, right?"
"Hey, Taeseo..."
Park Hansu's voice grew softer as Taeseo remained stubbornly unyielding. By now, Park Hansu realized he couldn't dissuade him.
Just then...
"Yun Taeseo, why don't you just sit down?" Kang Inhyeok warned Taeseo in a low voice, making no attempt to hide his displeasure. His open hostility drew everyone's attention, especially Taeseo, who struggled to process the situation. Is he telling me to sit down? he wondered, trying to accept the situation.
"Are you talking to me?" Taeseo asked.
"You should have formed your own group from the start. If you're going to throw a tantrum just because you don't like the group after it's already formed, go home and do it there."
"Ha..." Taeseo scoffed in disbelief. Who's the one who should be feeling disgusted and repulsed?... Unable to suppress his seething anger, Taeseo snapped at Kang Inhyeok, "So you're just going to sit there quietly? Don't you hate being in a group with me?"
"It's just a few meetings to work on the assignment. You're making way too big of a deal out of this."
Kang Inhyeok had been relentlessly criticizing Taeseo's attitude, making Park Hansu, who had formed the group, even more anxious.
"Inhyeok, calm down," Seo Darae said softly, stroking Kang Inhyeok's arm. As if by magic, the sharp tension in his demeanor immediately eased.
Ah, he's really like a dog.
Taeseo stared at them with bewildered eyes. He knew they were close, of course. If he had given Seo Darae the drug at the party, they would have deepened their relationship even further. But knowing this didn't make it any less irritating. Even if he was just an outsider between them, being treated like this couldn't possibly feel good. This is why he tried to avoid getting involved.
"I've committed a mortal sin,"
Park Hansu's mumbling trailed off, and Taeseo slumped back into his seat. He just wanted to switch groups. If no one else cares, fine. Even if you hate seeing my face, I won't back down.
In the awkward silence that followed, Taeseo kicked Park Hansu's desk.
"Park Hansu, what are you doing as the group leader? Just going to sit back and watch?"
"Huh? Oh, right. We should start by dividing up the research tasks. Maybe we can split into pairs to cover overlapping topics?"
"Fine."
"Then we can meet up later to compile everything."
Park Hansu rattled off the words quickly, desperate to end the meeting. Taeseo barely registered his words, his gaze fixed on Seo Darae's hand. It still rested on Kang Inhyeok's arm, showing no sign of moving.
Given Seo Darae's warm and affectionate nature, he might be used to such physical intimacy, or he might be doing it deliberately to show off.
If he was showing off, the target was likely Yun Taeseo—himself.
Surely he won't act like this every time we meet?
He didn't mind their bickering, but it was incredibly unsettling that he still seemed to see him as the Yun Taeseo of the past. Then, a sudden thought about Seo Darae struck him.
He still thinks I like Kang Inhyeok.
All this time, he hadn't intentionally told him that he didn't like Kang Inhyeok. Worse, he drank the champagne Kang Inhyeok gave him at the party.
So that's why.
No wonder he was clinging to Kang Inhyeok so much. After sorting through his thoughts, Taeseo called Seo Darae over as soon as the group meeting ended.
"Seo Darae."
Taeseo stood up and gestured toward the door with his eyes, indicating to Seo Darae, who was watching him, to come outside.
"Let's talk."
Seo Darae glanced at Kang Inhyeok before quietly getting up. He followed Taeseo, who had already started walking out. Kang Inhyeok tried to stop Seo Darae from leaving, but Park Hansu acted faster.
"Hey, wait a minute."
"Let go of me."
"Taeseo wants to talk to Darae."
"So just let him go?"
"Want to come listen too?"
"Park Hansu."
Kang Inhyeok released a threatening pheromone toward Park Hansu, who refused to let go of his arm. Though Park Hansu, being a Beta, couldn't sense the pheromone itself, he could clearly feel the ominous shift in Kang Inhyeok's demeanor.
"Don't you understand why I set up this group?"
"Causing trouble for no reason is your hobby, isn't it?"
"What do you take me for? Taeseo isn't the same as before. I wanted you to see that he's changed too."
If Taeseo were here, he would have scoffed and retorted, "You're being a meddlesome person." But without Taeseo, Kang Inhyuk could only glare at Park Hansu, his discomfort palpable.
"I don't expect us to get along. But I told you to stop being so thorny and aggressive towards Taeseo."
"You know what Yun Taeseo has been up to, and you're still acting like this?"
"Who doesn't? I know he's been bullying kids just because they don't suit his fancy. But so what? Is he inherently evil? No, he's just blinded by love."
Park Hansu, who always hung out with Taeseo, surprisingly knew a lot more than he thought. It made sense—you couldn't hide anything from his sharp eyes. Besides, rumors spread like wildfire at school, and Taeseo hadn't just targeted Seo Darae; he'd ostracized quite a few kids.
But Hansu couldn't bring himself to hate Taeseo completely because he understood his feelings.
"The more you act like this, the harsher Taeseo will be toward Darae."
"So, should I just stand by and watch? Do you think everything will magically get better if I do nothing?"
"Um... I think if you stop messing with Taeseo, he'll change. He's really different now, you know."
Park Hansu tried desperately to change Kang Inhyeok's mind. He believed that if their relationship improved through this group project, Kang Inhyeok could date Seo Darae freely, and Tae Seo would make more friends.
But Kang Inhyeok, who had already suffered so much at Taeseo's hands, refused to believe him.
"You might as well say Yun Taeseo manifested as an omega. That would be more believable."
Kang Inhyeok shook off Park Hansu's arm, scoffing that it was more plausible for Taeseo's phenotype to change than for his rotten personality to improve. As Kang Inhyeok stormed out of the classroom, Park Hansu clicked his tongue at his retreating figure.
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