The Probability of Becoming a Couple with Your Beloved

“…Maybe then?”

Wonhyeok nodded, feeling an inexplicable interest, albeit small.

“T-then, please sit here!”

Hangeom pointed to the couch in the club room, deciding to skip the next lecture. When Wonhyeok sat on the old leather couch, there was a creaking sound of worn-out parts inside.

This noise again made Hangeom realize the reality of what was happening. This wasn’t a dream or an illusion. He was really sitting in the same room with Wonhyeok, the idol of the English department and his beloved senior.

His heart was beating unevenly. He never thought he would experience what idol fans describe when they accidentally meet their idols on the street and can’t do anything due to excitement.

“You’re a sophomore, right?”

“What? Ah, yes! That’s right.”

His voice, resembling soft, calm waves, was very pleasant to the ear.

“How old are you? Ah, maybe it’s rude to ask so suddenly.”

“Not at all!”

“Hm?”

“Ah, that… I’m 21 years old.”

“By the way, I didn’t ask your name, did I?”

His heart was ready to jump out of his chest. The senior was interested in him. Maybe he had accumulated some merits in his past life? Or, like those lucky ones who had ancestors appear in their dreams and tell them winning lottery numbers, had he also received a blessing from his ancestors?

“My name is Kang Hangeom.”

“Ah, Hangeom.”

Boom-

“Hm?”

At one word from Wonhyeok, Hangeom flinched like a fool. Because of this, the old table also shook.

“S-sorry.”

“Aren’t you curious about my name?”

Wonhyeok pointed at himself and smiled softly.

“Ah, I know. Senior Do Wonhyeok.”

“Yes, you knew.”

Wonhyeok rested his chin on his hand and looked Hangeom up and down, who still had his head bowed low.

“Then how old am I?”

“Isn’t it 23? As far as I know, you’re 2 years older than me…”

Wonhyeok had entered university a year late, after retaking the exams. Hangeom knew this from overhearing a conversation between juniors.

“Correct.”

Ah, of course. He couldn’t be wrong. He could talk about Wonhyeok with his eyes closed.

“You’re well-informed. Although it seems we’re talking for the first time today.”

“…You’re the idol of the English department. You’re very famous.”

Hangeom’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He was overjoyed at the opportunity to talk with Wonhyeok and sit in the same room with him, but these feelings couldn’t be shown under any circumstances. A junior’s fan love from the same department – he was somewhat aware that it could cause unpleasant feelings.

“Has this nickname spread even among your year? How embarrassing.”

“W-why?”

“Idol, really. If someone else hears, they’ll scold me. What kind of idol am I.”

“B-but senior is so handsome.”

Hangeom slowly raised his head. His small white face, which had been looking only at the worn floor all this time, was now turned directly to Wonhyeok.

“You’re tall, you’re more handsome than many idols. You study well and have a good character. If you look at it that way, you’re even better than idols. I wish you wouldn’t think badly of yourself.”

“Hm…”

Hangeom’s voice was very serious. As if he was warning not to talk about it lightly. The smile gradually disappeared from Wonhyeok’s face, and his gaze changed, as if he was studying the being in front of him. A certain interest flashed in his eyes.

“Ah, sorry. I meant that no one in our department thinks that way…”

“Okay.”

There were a few seconds of silence. When Hangeom was about to speak on another topic, suddenly…

“Hangeom! Where’s the person who wanted to join?!”

The door burst open, and Bae Seokwoo, with a red face, almost ran inside. He looked at Hangeom, still breathing heavily, apparently having run all the way here.

“H-here he is. This is a senior from our department…”

“Hello, I’m Do Wonhyeok from the English department.”

Wonhyeok, whom Hangeom pointed to, stood up and smiled softly. Bae Seokwoo’s eyes widened. Surely such a reaction would be from any person. When you meet someone with such an amazing appearance that it seems they belong to a different race, at first your thoughts just stop.

“Ah, yes. I’m Bae Seokwoo, the president of this club. Creative Writing department.”

But, as befits a president, he quickly composed himself and responded to the greeting.

“By the way, Hangeom, you were panicking that you had no friends to bring…”

“What? Ah, I didn’t bring the senior.”

It seems Bae Seokwoo misunderstood that they were from the same department.

“I’m glad I have a junior from the same department. So I’d like to join the club right away, if possible?”

“Really?! Of course, we’re happy! Then, please fill this out first.”

Bae Seokwoo busily searched for the membership application form and a pen. Hangeom was absentmindedly watching this scene when he suddenly felt a gaze on him and looked up.

Wonhyeok was looking directly at Hangeom and smiling.

Hangeom averted his gaze and took a deep breath. Meanwhile, Wonhyeok’s joining procedure was successfully completed, and Bae Seokwoo was telling him about the club’s activities.

“By the way, thank you very much. Actually, if we hadn’t recruited the required number of new members this time, we would have been in big trouble. Who would have thought that a junior would come to us as a new member…”

“It’s nothing special. Ah, speak to me informally.”

“R-really?”

Bae Seokwoo had entered university later than usual and was 3 years older than Wonhyeok.

“By the way, Hangeom, shall we have a party today to welcome the new member?”

“A party? Then I’ll ask in the club’s group chat.”

Bae Seokwoo carefully asked Wonhyeok if today was convenient for him.

“It works for me.”

Wonhyeok readily agreed, nodding his head. His gaze was directed at Hangeom, who was tapping on his phone screen.

∞ ∞ ∞

Apparently happy that the club had avoided closure, Bae Seokwoo enthusiastically planned the party, and by a strange coincidence, none of the club members had other plans. Considering that usually, the most difficult thing was to coordinate dates for a party, this was like a sign from heaven that today was the day to celebrate.

“Alright, in our club there are no formal introductions for new members! Let’s just relax, eat and drink!”

As soon as Bae Seokwoo finished speaking, multiple glasses collided in the air. The venue for the party was a chicken restaurant near the university campus.

In the season of the start of school, restaurants around the university always became lively. This restaurant was known for its low prices and delicious food, so it was always full in the evenings, but fortunately, Bae Seokwoo had called earlier in the day and made a reservation.

“Kang Hangeom. Is that senior sitting there really the one who came with you?”

Woojin, having downed his beer in one go, asked Hangeom, who was sitting next to him eating chips served as appetizers.

“Who?”

“Who, who. That senior over there who’s glowing. They say he’s from your department.”

“Ah, Senior Do Wonhyeok?”

Hangeom smiled widely.

“I didn’t bring him.”

“Then why did he join our club?”

“Maybe because he’s interested in reading?”

“He doesn’t look like someone who likes to read at all.”

Woojin shook his head, tearing apart a chicken leg with a fork.

“Baek Woojin, what does it matter? The important thing is that such a handsome guy joined our club.”

Hyuna was right. It didn’t matter whether he liked to read or not, and what the reason for joining the club was. Even now, Hangeom couldn’t control his wildly beating heart.

Being in a chicken restaurant with the senior. Being in the same space, eating chicken together. He was trying his best not to constantly look in his direction. But it was impossible to completely control subconscious glances.

Hangeom secretly turned his head. Wonhyeok was sitting among Bae Seokwoo and other seniors, smiling and talking. It was amazing and impressive how easily and skillfully he communicated with people he had met for the first time today.

At that moment, Wonhyeok happened to turn his head in Hangeom’s direction. Surprised, Hangeom quickly turned away and downed the beer in front of him in one gulp.

“Hey-hey, why are you suddenly going all out?”

Surprised, Baek Woojin looked at Hangeom strangely from head to toe.

The atmosphere gradually heated up. Perhaps due to the presence of a new face, the club members were more excited than usual, and the number of bottles on the table gradually increased as time passed.

As expected, soon one after another people began to fall on the table. Even those who were still conscious were drunk and muttering nonsense.

‘Ugh… I don’t feel good…’

Hangeom, who had been drinking quickly to hide his joy at the possibility of meeting Wonhyeok in the same club, was also in such a state. Usually, he didn’t drink much as he had low alcohol tolerance, but today he drank as much as he could, so this result was quite expected.

Hangeom slowly stood up to go to the bathroom. As he was leaving the table, he suddenly noticed that Wonhyeok’s seat was empty. Judging by the fact that his bag was still there, maybe he had gone out for some fresh air?

Hangeom decided to relieve himself first and asked the employee sitting at the cash register and looking at their phone where the bathroom was. Following the instructions to go out and turn right into the alley, he went outside, where he was met by a cool spring breeze with a slight hint of stuffiness.

“Right alley…”

Hangeom, swaying, repeated the employee’s words. But due to intoxication, his legs, not obeying reason, headed not to the right, but to the left into the alley.

As he was about to enter the alley…

Bam-!

Suddenly there was a dull sound that hit his ears.

“Ugh, damn…”

This was followed by a curse. Hangeom, who had been walking unsteadily with half-closed eyes until then, opened his eyes wide and stopped in place.

Bam-!

Once again, a dull sound was heard. This was clearly the sound of someone beating someone. Hangeom’s Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbed. He clenched his hands and, hiding behind the alley wall, carefully peeked out.

In the depths of the alley, where the streetlight only partially penetrated, a tall figure of a man was visible. Something was lying on the ground at his feet, and Hangeom immediately understood that it was a person.

At this moment, the standing person squatted down and began to search the one lying down. Hangeom’s hands trembled. Was this the robbery he had only heard about in the news?

When the sitting person found and pulled out the other’s wallet, Hangeom was sure. This was a crime scene that needed to be reported immediately. He carefully took out his phone.

“Alright, let’s see, name Kwak Hyunwoo…”

At this moment, a familiar voice was heard. Hangeom’s hand, dialing 112, froze. He slowly raised his head and continued to look at the back of the person searching through someone else’s wallet.

Now that he looked closely, this figure was too familiar to Hangeom.

‘Could it be…’

And then, either from shock or due to alcohol, Hangeom’s legs gave way, and he fell forward.

“Ugh…”

Barely feeling the pain in his knees from hitting the ground, Hangeom swallowed. Feeling a gaze on him, he involuntarily looked up.

“…”

And indeed. Do Wonhyeok, holding someone else’s wallet, was staring intently at the fallen Hangeom.