The Outsider Omega Wants to Be Alone! Chapter 4

Lee Yuseong glanced furtively at the boss, who was poking at his dried pollack soup and rice with his spoon. The man who had given a first impression of a well-groomed, stylish fellow now looked like a withered dried pollack himself.

Feeling his gaze, the boss looked over at Lee Yuseong. He placed the thickest, meatiest grilled short rib patty onto Lee Yuseong’s rice.

“Eat a lot.”

There is a saying Lee Yuseong of the Lee clan has heard his whole life.

From time immemorial, a person who takes care of your food is a good person.

“Thank you.”

Lee Yuseong ate well. He really ate well. Even though his stomach was churning and he had no idea which bastard had rolled around with him the night before, his appetite had fully returned. Given that, the boss who gave him a meaty grilled short rib patty could be nothing but a good person.

‘It’s probably not the boss.’

But being a good person didn’t guarantee he wouldn’t have a one-night stand.

“…Haa.”

At the sigh that escaped him unknowingly, three pairs of eyes focused on him. Kim Wooju asked with drooping eyebrows.

“Are you not feeling well anywhere? Should I get you some water?”

Startled, Lee Yuseong quickly shook his head.

“Ah, no. It’s just that the alcohol hasn’t quite worn off yet…”

“See. That’s why I said not to make him drink too much.”

Choi Jigu clicked his tongue and chided the boss.

“Did I try to make him drink a lot? The kid doesn’t look it, but he devours four servings of meat all by himself. It’s a shame to only eat the sides. Right?”

‘It’s not a shame.’

Unable to bring himself to answer, he just scooped up a large spoonful of rice. Immediately afterward, Yuseong’s eyes rounded. The rice, as if freshly cooked, was extremely delicious. It was appropriately chewy and had a sweetness that coiled pleasantly on the tongue.

Though he was dumbfounded at himself for not just swallowing rice but practically having a gourmet moment, Lee Yuseong, as if entranced, also took a spoonful of the dried pollack soup. The taste coolly punched through from his throat, clearing his insides.

Finally, as he bit a large grilled short rib patty in half, the savory meat juices spread richly through his mouth. It felt like the short rib patty was dancing on his tongue.

‘This place makes good food.’

It was the first home-cooked meal made by someone else that he had eaten since coming to Seoul after getting into university. And it was a fantastically delicious one at that.

“The new hire last time also ran away because of the alcohol.”

“Jigu is right. Boss, you need to exercise self-control.”

Amidst the three people noisily exchanging jokes and conversation before he knew it, Lee Yuseong silently focused on his meal.

It was when he was on his fourth fist-sized grilled short rib patty.

“Right? Yuseong! You’re not going to quit, are you?”

The boss leaned his head forward and asked loudly. Startled, Lee Yuseong almost spat out the short rib patty that was in his mouth entirely onto his plate.

“Ukh. Huk.”

“You startled him, hyung! Hey. Drink some water. Here.”

Choi Jigu poured cold water into his cup.

The boss blinked his pretty, calf-like eyes and said pitifully.

“You’re not going to quit. We decided to work hard together, didn’t we.”

Those eyes seemed to be saying, you just ate four grilled short rib patties. It was that burdensome. He absolutely felt he couldn’t refuse.

“…Okay.”

Lee Yuseong had no choice but to nod.

∞ ∞ ∞

Lee Yuseong carefully entered the lecture hall.

Wednesday. The day with the mandatory major class for first years, starting from first period.

Before the part-time job staff dinner, he had always arrived at the lecture hall early for that class.

As long as lectures weren’t back-to-back, he would arrive almost first, taking the seat on the far right of the fifth row—not too noticeable, not too far away. It was a spot where the slides were easy to see, the professor’s voice could be heard well, and his eyes wouldn’t meet the professor’s.

However, Lee Yuseong had changed his mind.

Pulling his zip-up hoodie over a black cap that already covered half his face, he scanned the inside of the lecture hall.

Students were swarming. As befitting a March class for freshmen, they were clustered in groups of three to five, chatting, sharing snacks, and looking very busy.

‘Good.’

Two minutes until class started. It was time when anyone who was going to come had arrived.

Lee Yuseong’s goal was the corner seat in the very back row. A seat where the slides were hard to see, where the professor’s voice would pierce the eardrums thunderously because it was right under the speaker. To make matters worse, there was even a trash can right behind it, making it the absolute worst seat, to the point that sitting in the front row would be better.

No normal person wouldn’t avoid that seat. Fully prepared, Lee Yuseong took a determined step.

“What are you doing?”

His hood was yanked off. By the time Lee Yuseong reflexively raised both hands to grab his hood, it was already too late.

His cap was pulled off.

“It’s time for the professor to come.”

A cool scent touching the tip of his nose. A cool smile, and even teeth. Wrinkles on the bridge of his nose.

“Choi Jigu.”

The guy he’d tried hard to avoid appeared right before his eyes. Choi Jigu, who had glanced at the end of the hallway, urged him.

“Hey, he’s coming. Let’s go in, go in.”

Before he could even feel wronged or embarrassed, his back was pushed. There was no time to ask for his hat back. Declaring his intention to sit in the very back row was also impossible.

“No, my hat…”

Before he could finish his sentence, greetings flew at them from all directions. It was attention and a welcome that Lee Yuseong had never felt once in his entire life.

“Choi Jigu, you’re here?”

“Wanna play basketball after this today?”

“Did you check what I sent you on chat yesterday?”

Of course, the attention and welcome were poured onto Choi Jigu, not Lee Yuseong. However, because he had appeared together with Choi Jigu, many gazes landed on Lee Yuseong.

If people’s thoughts could be visualized as speech bubbles like in a cartoon, the same content would be floating above everyone’s heads.

‘Was there someone like that in our department?’

Freshman orientation? Didn’t go.

Freshman welcome party? Didn’t go.

MT? Of course, he wasn’t going to go.

A place where you have to awkwardly introduce yourself, forcibly ask each other’s names, and try hard to get close with a bunch of strangers! There was no way Lee Yuseong wanted to go. So he didn’t go to a single one.

There was only one thing Lee Yuseong wished for. To graduate quietly, maintaining decent grades, living as if he was there but not really there.

“Who’s this? Our department?”

Thanks to Choi Jigu, Lee Yuseong’s only wish was shattered.

“He’s our classmate. Lee Yuseong.”

Thanks to Choi Jigu kindly introducing him, everyone let out an ‘Ooh’ of admiration in unison.

Humans in their early twenties are innocent and cruel. University freshmen especially so. They were ready to accept anything, welcome it, and get closer.

“Why haven’t I seen him? Didn’t you come to the freshmen welcome party?”

“I didn’t see him at orientation either.”

What should he answer? Did he even have to answer in the first place? As he dithered, not knowing how to handle the randomly flying questions, someone said.

“The professor’s here.”

Just like that, he ended up sitting next to Choi Jigu.

It was the exact center of the third row from the front.

The most dangerous seat, where eye contact with the professor was most likely and the risk of being asked a question was highest.

“Sorry, but can we share the printout? I didn’t have time to print it.”

Choi Jigu pressed his shoulder close and whispered, lowering his voice.

“…”

He was dumbfounded.

But sharing books and printouts with friends was a virtuous act learned since childhood wise living class, so Lee Yuseong didn’t be petty. He pushed the printout over, and Choi Jigu smiled and said.

“Thanks.”

“…Can I have my hat back now?”

“Ah, right.”

He held out his hand, but the hat was plopped onto his head. Lee Yuseong quietly looked down at his empty hand before withdrawing it. He had no energy left to react, as all his strength had been drained just moments ago.

But he seemed to understand one thing—that Choi Jigu was an extremely willful guy.

∞ ∞ ∞

Throughout the entire lecture, Lee Yuseong suffered from anxiety and pain.