Swallowed - Chapter 34

Seeing the message from Jaeha about playing basketball, Seyoung made her way to the court. When she arrived, she immediately spotted him, and a soft smile spread across her face. Jaeha, playing with his friends, seemed to shine in the sunlight, whether from the reflection of his sweat or because she was simply infatuated with him. It felt like no one else existed—her eyes were filled only with him.

Back in high school, he hadn’t stood out this much, even when playing basketball. Though he had always been handsome, his build had been more similar to his peers. Now, however, with a physique comparable to a professional basketball player, his presence was unmistakable.

And he’s definitely the best on the court.

The ball frequently found its way to Jaeha. He was quick to receive passes, and just as adept at stealing the ball from opponents. His movements were smooth and efficient, almost like magic, and every time his arm reached out, the basketball seemed to fall right into his hand.

As Seyoung watched, Jaeha swiftly grabbed a rebound and executed a powerful dunk. The hoop shook violently, and applause erupted from all around the court.

“Game over!” called one of the players from the opposing team, disappointment clear in his voice. From the looks of it, Jaeha’s team had won.

“I’ve got to be on your team next time, man. You’re too good,” Min-jun, one of the players, said with a wink, offering to buy lunch as a reward for the victory. As Jaeha lifted his shirt to wipe his sweat, he glanced around, clearly looking for someone.

Seyoung’s smile brightened when she realized he was searching for her. When their eyes met, Jaeha’s face lit up, and he ran over to her, his smile wide.

“Sunbae!” he called out excitedly, about to pull her into a hug, but hesitated when he remembered he was drenched in sweat. Stopping just a step away, he looked at her sheepishly, unsure of what to do.

Seyoung, smiling, gave him a thumbs-up. “You were amazing. Still just as good as ever,” she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. Her praise made his grin even wider. His shirt, open enough to reveal part of his chest, caught her attention. That’s when she noticed faint scratches on his skin, likely from her during their last encounter. Startled, she quickly reached out to fix his shirt.

“What’s wrong?” Jaeha asked, confused by her sudden reaction.

Unable to explain, Seyoung simply shook her head. Realizing what she’d seen, Jaeha peeked down at his shirt, then chuckled softly when he saw the faint marks. They were leftover from Sunday, not deep, but clear enough that Seyoung had noticed.

“Hello, sunbae!” Yong-woo called out cheerfully, approaching the pair. He already knew Seyoung from hanging out with Jaeha, and behind him, the rest of the first-year group, sweaty from the game, trailed behind.

Feeling that she should offer something, Seyoung glanced around, remembering that there was a vending machine nearby.

“What’s up?” Jaeha asked, noticing her distraction.

Seyoung pulled out her phone and typed, 「I was thinking of buying drinks for everyone. Isn’t there a vending machine around here?」

“Whoa, thank you, sunbae! That’d be awesome!” Yong-woo exclaimed, loud enough that it made Seyoung laugh. She hadn’t even found the vending machine yet, but it seemed like she’d have to follow through.

「I can buy them at the convenience store by the student union if there’s no vending machine,」 she typed.

Yong-woo, catching the hint, nudged Jaeha’s arm with a meaningful look. Before Jaeha could explain, Seyoung’s eyes widened, realizing what was going on. Jaeha, smiling awkwardly, prepared to explain the situation, knowing what her likely reaction would be.

「It’s nice to get to know people from International Language, but since you won, who’s buying?」 Seyoung asked with a teasing glance, knowing full well what was coming next.

As expected, Jaeha’s expression turned a bit conflicted as he glanced over his shoulder. Min-jun, who had been watching them, walked over with a broad smile.

“Hello, I’m Kang Min-jun, second year in International Language… Oh! Han Seyoung sunbae!” Min-jun’s face lit up with recognition as he greeted her enthusiastically. Seyoung blinked in confusion, wondering why he knew her name. She’d seen him around campus, but they hadn’t interacted enough for him to greet her so familiarly. Meanwhile, Jaeha’s gaze sharpened slightly, sensing the shift.

“Ah, sorry! I’ve just heard so much about you. It’s like when you see a celebrity on TV every day and you can’t help but feel like you know them,” Min-jun explained, his grin sincere.

Seyoung didn’t know how to respond, feeling uncertain. It was likely that the rumors he’d heard weren’t all positive, yet his attitude was so cheerful as if he had never heard anything bad about her. She couldn’t quite place his seemingly genuine friendliness.

“We’ve never officially met since we’re in different years. Nice to meet you, sunbae! I hope we can get along!” Min-jun said brightly as if there was some kind of future partnership between them. Seyoung’s expression grew more puzzled, until Jaeha casually added, “He’s hoping for some help with old exams.”

Finally understanding, Seyoung nodded, her expression clearing up.

“Since I lost, I’m treating these guys to lunch,” Min-jun said with a playful smirk. “Join us, sunbae! I’ll get you the set meal, just for you.”

His smooth-talking left no room for refusal, and his demeanor gave off the vibe of a natural leader—perhaps even the class representative, Seyoung thought.

Before responding, Seyoung glanced at Jaeha, noticing a slight downturn in his expression. Was he just exhausted from the intense basketball game, or was there something else bothering him? She wanted to take him home quickly so he could shower and rest, but looking around, it seemed difficult to slip away. She was aware that Jaeha had been somewhat isolated recently, hanging out mostly with her and avoiding social gatherings. He hadn’t even signed up for the class retreat (MT) and rarely ate with his peers. That wasn’t good for him.

“You’re coming with us, right?” Min-jun asked again, cheerfully insistent.

Seyoung nodded to show her agreement. Min-jun’s face lit up with satisfaction as he turned to tell his friends, ensuring there was no chance for her to back out.

The first-years, including Yong-woo, were equally excited. Watching them, Seyoung thought it might be nice to buy some snacks for everyone during the meal and glanced over at Jaeha. He seemed surprised, as though he hadn’t expected her to agree. In response, Seyoung offered him a deliberate, encouraging smile.

「Grab your bag. I’ll be waiting.」

Though Jaeha looked like he had plenty to say, he didn’t speak, seemingly aware of the eyes of his peers on him. Instead, he turned to leave, his broad back radiating a sense of quiet frustration that Seyoung could almost feel. She sighed internally, understanding why he might be irritated.

She wanted him to be well integrated into campus life, especially after she left for her exchange program. Though Jaeha was the type of person who would naturally attract others wherever he went, she didn’t want him to seem like the guy who only knew his girlfriend.

As he changed out of his shirt and into a sweater, a few impressed murmurs came from the onlookers, admiring his well-built physique. Seyoung noticed the scratches on his chest, the ones she had tried to hide earlier, and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. Despite her attempts to help him cover them, he seemed indifferent to the marks, as if he didn’t mind them at all.

On their way to the student union, Seyoung excused herself to go to the convenience store. Jaeha insisted on accompanying her, saying there was no way she could carry everything by herself.

「What do you want? Pick out some drinks and snacks for everyone.」

“Why did you agree to eat with them?” Jaeha asked, his tone uncharacteristically sharp. “You don’t usually like this kind of thing.”

「What do you mean, I don’t like it?」 Seyoung replied, though she understood what he meant and chose to feign ignorance. She casually selected cold drinks from the fridge, only for Jaeha to take them from her, insisting on carrying them himself.

「It’s not a bad thing. We’ll see these guys every day, after all.」

But Jaeha didn’t seem satisfied with her answer, his expression still slightly stormy. Without explaining further, Seyoung bought a variety of snacks and headed to the checkout.

“This isn’t about Min-jun, right?” he suddenly blurted.

Startled by the unexpected mention of Min-jun’s name, Seyoung blinked, trying to understand what he meant. Realization dawned on her, and she couldn’t suppress a laugh.

Was he jealous? Did he really think that someone like Min-jun could catch her eye when she had someone like Jaeha? Seyoung found it amusing—Jaeha didn’t seem to realize just how attractive and captivating he was.

「I don’t even know who that is.」

“Sunbae…” Jaeha’s voice betrayed his unease at her evasive response, but Seyoung could barely keep from laughing.

When they returned to the group with the snacks, the first-years were ecstatic, thanking Seyoung profusely. Yong-woo even joked about how lucky they were to have a friend like her, making her smile. Without Jaeha, she likely wouldn’t have had a chance to interact with these underclassmen, let alone share a meal with them.

During lunch, the conversation turned to the upcoming sports event. When Jaeha asked what sport Seyoung had participated in during her first year, she mimicked swinging a tennis racket. Jaeha let out a short “Ah,” realizing he’d forgotten that their high school had tennis lessons as part of the PE curriculum in their second year.

“Were you any good?”

Seyoung gave a wry smile and shook her head. While she’d learned how to hit the ball in high school, she wasn’t skilled at actual gameplay. A month of practice for the university tournament wasn’t nearly enough to make her proficient, though she had managed to pass the preliminaries through luck.

“Let’s play tennis together sometime,” Jaeha suggested. “My cousin used to be a player, and she still goes to the club where I learned. We could go there.”

Seyoung’s eyes lit up in surprise. She hadn’t touched a racket since the tournament two years ago, but the idea of playing with Jaeha intrigued her. Leaning in close to whisper, she said, “That sounds fun. You can teach me.”

Her unexpected whisper sent a shiver down Jaeha’s spine. The soft melody of her voice and her warm breath against his ear were incredibly seductive, though the situation was far from private. He stole a quick glance at her, suddenly seeing her in a new, alluring light.

The atmosphere between them felt intimate and sweet until it was shattered by a sharp, mocking voice.

“Wait—she’s not mute?” The biting comment cut through the air, ruining the moment entirely. Jaeha turned with a fierce glare in the direction of the voice. A woman with long, straight black hair stood nearby, her expression exaggerated in false shock.