Sorim Grapes is Wronged

03.

Even though we’ve become this rich, Da-bin always buys me a cake, cookie, or bread whenever she meets me.

From the beginning, she always wanted to repay me whenever I bought something, even though it was natural for an adult seven years older to pay. At first, I found it uncomfortable. Suffering from extreme distrust in humans, I felt like there was some ulterior motive behind such behavior. However, I soon realized it was just Da-bin’s personality.

Until early this year, I still had some wariness towards Da-bin. I knew Ju Da-bin was a good person, but I’m a “human-hater” who would doubt even if Jesus were to return… Because Jin is the only human I trust… I was convinced that Da-bin couldn’t be entirely good either. However, when I saw her sincerely congratulating us without any jealousy after learning we had won the lottery’s first prize, I decided to change my mind about her.

That doesn’t mean I understand Da-bin. I still don’t, and probably never will.

How can she not feel jealous? How can she not envy us? How can she buy cake for someone who won the lottery’s first prize instead of asking them to buy it for her? I have many questions, but I just eat what she offers.

While I, an unemployed person with nothing to do, was relaxed, my brother and Da-bin ate hurriedly because they had a lecture soon. After quickly emptying their plates, they looked at the time and sighed.

“I don’t know why time flies so fast. We have to go now. What are you going to do, hyung?”

“I’ll finish the cake and go home.”

“What will you do at home?”

“Just lie down. What else would I do?”

“…”

My brother frowned, seemingly displeased with my nonchalant answer.

“If you have nothing to do, maybe I should make you do my assignments…”

“Even if you tell me to, would I do them?”

“I need to make you do something somehow. Somehow…”

Is he thinking of tying me up and forcing me to sit at the desk? Jin may be bigger than me, but I’m a construction worker who’s worked at sites for over 10 years. It won’t be easy. Just as I was tensing my muscles, Da-bin chimed in with sparkling eyes.

“Oppa, you know there’s a duck family living in the lake here, right? I heard from our seniors that the ducklings are incredibly cute and fluffy, but I haven’t seen them in person yet. If you have time, could you please take a picture for me?”

“Ducks?”

“Yes, I heard that a mother duck recently had six ducklings. They say it’s super cute to see these tiny ducklings, not even the size of a fist, waddling after their mother.”

“Alright. If I see them, I’ll take a picture and post it in the group chat.”

“Thank you so much, oppa!”

“It’s nothing. Now hurry up. You’ll be late for your lecture.”

Jin and Da-bin quickly returned their empty dishes to the counter and rushed out of the café.

I could have cleared the empty plates.

Watching the backs of my brother and his girlfriend as they ran off, I cut a small piece of cheesecake and ate it. After eating a few pieces, I started to feel a bit sick of it, so I ended up returning half of it uneaten.

I left the café, still holding my unfinished coffee. It felt a bit cold when I went out the day before yesterday, but today was fully spring weather.

3:12 PM.

It still doesn’t feel real that I’m leisurely strolling around a university campus at a time when I should be working hard. I still can’t quite grasp that I never have to work again. I’m not happy, just awkward.

This spring will eventually fade. Those flowers will eventually wither.

The campus is so large that buses operate within it, and it takes about 30 minutes to walk slowly from the café to the lake. After throwing away my finished coffee, I looked around and found the building I was aiming for.

I think that building is called Mugunghwa Hall. Behind Mugunghwa Hall is the only smoking area on this vast campus. It was hard to find because it’s in a secluded space behind the building.

The smoking area had a structure where the inside was visible, and four large students were huddled in front of the only vending machine. I entered, taking out my cigarette pack.

Creak.

The students glanced at me as I entered. Ignoring their gazes, I lit my cigarette. They kept stealing glances at me while talking among themselves.

“Ah, I’ve told them so many times to fix this cash slot that keeps breaking, but our school’s facility managers just don’t do their job.”

“Maybe they’re not fixing it so they can pocket the money?”

“How much could they possibly make from that?”

“We just lost a thousand won. If just ten people like us come here in a day, that’s ten thousand won. That’s 300,000 won a month. Not a bad business.”

“Shit, this is so annoying.”

I took a drag from my cigarette.

I’ve used that vending machine a few times too, and while the card works fine, every time I inserted cash, the drink wouldn’t come out. In the past, I would have called the manager right away, but knowing how to fix it, I just solved it myself. Or I’d think, “I just lost a thousand won,” and go buy a more expensive drink at the café. Money is indeed nice. Even when you get angry, you curse at least once less.

As I smoked my cigarette, listening to the harsh swear words being thrown around like “fucking,” “idiot,” “crazy bastard,” and so on, I suddenly felt a gaze on me.

“…”

One of the big guys who wasn’t joining in the noisy conversation of his friends was looking at me with his mouth slightly open, but when our eyes met, he quietly lowered his gaze. His short hair revealed a cool forehead. A few strands of hair sticking out in front, thick eyebrows, and distinct features perfectly matched the classic handsome look. His face was so strikingly handsome that I thought he might be from the theater department, but his tanned skin color and large build strongly suggested he was a physical education student.

He kept his eyes lowered for a moment, then slowly raised his eyelids again.

“…!”

And when our eyes met again, he startled and turned his head away.

What’s that about?

“…”

I stared at him intently, but he really didn’t look back at me again, so I turned my eyes away too. Until I finished smoking, these rough students kept surrounding the vending machine, poking it or kicking it like thugs trying to intimidate passersby.

I ignored them and leisurely finished my cigarette, stubbing it out, when suddenly one of the group shouted, “Ah!”

“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim, wow shit. I thought I’d seen you somewhere. Aren’t you Ha Jin’s hyung?”

I looked up at the mention of a name I couldn’t ignore. A guy with dyed blonde hair was looking at me with round eyes.

“I saw you once at the housewarming party. Don’t you remember me? You bought us chicken and beer then.”

“Ah.”

I don’t know who this guy is, but I do remember buying chicken and beer for friends Ha Jin brought home.

“Yeah. Hello.”

“Hello. What a coincidence to see you here. Are you here to meet Ha Jin?”

“Yeah, have you eaten?”

“I have. Oh, if I hadn’t, would you have bought me a meal?”

“I should treat my brother’s friend if I run into them.”

“I should have said I hadn’t eaten. What a shame. Hehe.”

The dyed-hair guy laughed like a child. The big guys around him looked at me with curious eyes. Except for that classic handsome guy from earlier.

I was about to leave, but… I couldn’t ignore my brother’s friend after meeting him like this. It’s a matter of my brother’s reputation.

I threw away my cigarette butt and approached the vending machine.

“Step aside for a moment.”

“Huh? Hyung-nim, if you want a drink, this is broken.”

“I know. How could I not know after all that fuss you made? You were surrounding the vending machine like thugs bullying a kid.”

“Come on, hyung-nim. That’s quite an expression.”

The huge guys, who seemed to be almost 20cm taller than me, blinked as they looked down at me. Their faces all looked rough. Except for the quiet classic handsome guy who wasn’t smoking or participating in harassing the vending machine, they all looked like thugs.

As I moved, they made way for me while going “Oh.” The blonde who claimed to be my brother’s friend waved his hand.

“It’s completely dead now. I know you’re rich, hyung-nim, but this is really just throwing money away. If you want to throw money away, throw it at me instead.”

“How much did you put in?”

“A thousand won. This isn’t the first time. What kind of top university in Korea is this? I regret coming here.”

While listening to this arrogant statement that others might consider rubbing salt in the wound, I quietly examined the vending machine up and down. The lights were on normally.

“Did a drink come down even one slot?”

“No, nothing came down at all.”

It seems the spring isn’t catching. I felt around the upper part of the vending machine’s side and then slammed one part with my palm. Then I kicked the lower part of the opposite side with my left foot. The big guys watched me with round eyes. And soon their eyes widened.

With a clunk, a sports drink fell down.

“Whoa, what, what? How did you do that?”

“That’s so cool. It didn’t move when we hit it, how did you do it?”

“Hyung-nim, hyung-nim. Please tell us how to do it.”

“You just need to hit the right spot with the right force, but don’t you guys do it. You might completely break it instead.”

I took out the drink and handed it to the blonde guy. He received the can and made a fuss.

“That’s so amazing. It’s like you used superpowers. It’s almost too precious to drink, I think I’ll buy another one to drink and keep this one.”

“There’s no hope if it gets stuck again, so just drink that one. And next time if the vending machine breaks, don’t hit it, call the manager. The number is posted up there. Actually, it’s better if you call now. If we leave it like this, the next person will get stuck too, so put up a note saying it’s broken.”

“If hyung tells us how to do it, we can help the next person get their drink out too.”

“Hitting it will make it break more.”

“But you hit it, hyung.”

“That’s because it’s me. Don’t even try it yourselves. And don’t tell the manager that I messed with this.”

“Ah, hyung-nim, you don’t look it, but you nag a lot. We won’t tell. We absolutely won’t tell.”