Before heading to school, I deposited the money I received yesterday into my bank account, leaving out only the amount for rent and a bit of pocket money. Since I didn't have a safe like rich people do, I figured putting it in the bank was the safest bet rather than keeping cash on hand.

While at the bank, it occurred to me to check my transaction history. I realized the reason the payment at the hotel hadn't gone through yesterday was because of a phone bill I had completely forgotten about. I had almost been left sucking my thumb, and I couldn't help but feel relieved that I now had money.

I also paid my rent a few days earlier than usual. Since I had been lucky if I didn't fall behind in the past, the landlord's eyes widened in surprise. He looked like he genuinely wanted to ask if I'd won the lottery, which made me burst out laughing.

Admittedly, without the physical cash, I didn't get the thrill of seeing the money like I did yesterday, but my mind felt much lighter. My footsteps followed suit.

With my petty worries gone, I felt like the lecture content was sinking in better than usual. It seemed true that a relaxed mind can only exist when backed by financial stability.

After the morning classes, I headed to the school cafeteria for lunch. Usually, I skipped it unless I was starving, but I felt there was no need to do that anymore. I couldn't afford to eat everything I wanted, but this small amount of leeway felt like a breath of fresh air.

"Hyung?"

Just as I nearly reached the cafeteria, a familiar voice called out. Reflexively turning toward the sound, I saw Jeong Haejun with a group of his classmates.

"Are you going to have lunch?"

"Uh, yeah."

Flustered by the crowd of juniors I wasn't comfortable with, I stammered.

"At the cafeteria?"

"Yeah."

"The menu today isn't great. Do you want to go out with us?"

"No, my next class is tight, so I'm just going to eat quickly and head out."

I voiced my refusal rapidly, as if I had a motor in my mouth, to the oblivious Jeong Haejun.

"Is that so? I understand. Enjoy your meal."

Just as I was having the pathetic worry that I might end up buying lunch for juniors whose faces I barely knew, thankfully, Jeong Haejun led his group away first. I was grateful that he left, despite having put me in a spot with his tactless question. I wish he'd always been like this.

From behind, I heard one of Jeong Haejun's classmates ask if I was close with him. I hurried into the cafeteria before I could hear Jeong Haejun's response.

As Jeong Haejun had said, there was nothing particularly appealing on the menu. I chose udon, which was a safe bet, but the line was incredibly long.

Just as I finally received my udon and was about to sit in an empty seat, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Pulling it out as I sat, I saw a call from Jeong Haejun. I answered with a slight frown.

"What is it?"

-Hyung, are you eating?

"I'm about to."

-So you haven't started yet, right?

"...I'm eating."

I changed my words, struck by a bad feeling.

-A moment ago, you said you were 'about to' eat.

"I misspoke—!"

Knock, knock.

In the middle of my excuse, I jumped at the sound coming from the glass window right next to me. Looking outside, I saw Jeong Haejun, phone pressed to one ear, looking at me and knocking on the cafeteria window. I had no idea why the guy who just left with his classmates was here.

"Why are you here?"

-To eat with you, Hyung.

"Why?"

-Because I want to.

As Jeong Haejun brazenly spat out those cringeworthy words, his gaze shifted to my bowl of udon.

-You haven't even touched it, so why lie? The noodles are going to get soggy and taste bad. Come out.

"I have class..."

-If we take the car, you can make it in time.

"..."

-Hurry up.

As my hesitation lingered, Jeong Haejun's voice grew impatient. In the end, I threw away the untouched udon and headed toward him.

"Why did you come back? What about your classmates?"

"I told them I wasn't hungry."

"Why?"

"I told you, I wanted to eat with you."

I couldn't understand why he wanted to eat with me, but the conversation with Jeong Haejun kept circling back to the same point like a repeat sign in music. Giving up on the war of attrition, I leaned back deeply into the car seat. Having hitched a ride a few times, Jeong Haejun's car felt comfortable.

"What did you do with the money?"

"The tutoring fee?"

"Yes."

"I just paid rent and put the rest in the bank."

"You're a good boy."

"What's 'good' about that?"

"You could have bought at least one thing you've always wanted."

"How can a day-fly like me survive if I spend it all just because I made a bit of money once?"

I considered snapping at him for talking nonsense, but I stopped, fearing it would look like an inferiority complex. Fortunately, Jeong Haejun didn't argue and simply nodded.

The place Jeong Haejun drove me to was some udon shop. When I looked at him with a gaze that questioned why he'd stopped me from eating at the cafeteria and dragged me out in a car just for this, he gave an answer—whether sincere or not—that "it seemed like Hyung wanted to eat udon."

"Sincerely?"

"Yes, is that not true?"

"...It is."

"The udon here is really delicious, and you can get noodle refills."

Udon is udon, no matter how good it is, I thought, contradicting him internally as I followed him into the shop.

"Usually, there's a line, but we're lucky today."

Once seated, Jeong Haejun handled the ordering. Since it was a single-menu place, there wasn't much to choose from.

"When is your next class?"

Jeong Haejun asked as he set the chopsticks down.

"1 o'clock."

It was actually 2, but remembering how I'd avoided his lunch invitation earlier by claiming I didn't have much time, I lied.

"You have 45 minutes left, then?"

Jeong Haejun said after checking the time.

"...Really?"

I pretended not to know the current time.

"Yes."

"It's just udon, so we'll finish quickly."

"It looks like we'll really just eat and leave."

"What else is there to do besides eating?"

I left out the part about "between us," and Jeong Haejun replied, "I was thinking of getting coffee." Right then, the ordered udon arrived.

Steam rose from the broth in the wooden bowls. Unusually, the broth and noodles were served separately. Seeing Jeong Haejun skillfully transfer the noodles into the broth, I followed suit. The portion of noodles looked quite large at a glance, so I intentionally put in only half.

Once the noodles were sufficiently soaked in the broth, I took a bite without any expectation, only to be shocked. It was a taste that made me forget every other udon I'd ever had. There was a subtle hint of mint in the broth, but rather than being distracting, it felt incredibly refreshing. And it was rich. Moreover, the noodles were incredibly chewy.

"They're hand-pulled, so they're chewier than other places."

Reading the shocked expression on my face, Jeong Haejun explained. I looked up at him, moving only my eyes.

"It's delicious, right?"

"Yeah, it is."

I answered, cutting through a chewy noodle with a sense of reluctance.

"I'm glad. Eat a lot."

Adding that he wouldn't disturb my eating anymore, Jeong Haejun began his own meal.

Contrary to my initial thought that the portion was large, I finished all the noodles and asked for a refill. Jeong Haejun laughed and asked if it was really that good. Whether he was arrogant or not, delicious was delicious, so I answered honestly, and Jeong Haejun gave a pleased smile, telling me to eat as much as I wanted.

Eventually, having cleared the refilled noodles as well, I stood up and headed to the counter before Jeong Haejun. Because of yesterday and the fact that I got a lucrative tutoring job thanks to him, I wanted to pay this time. Besides, with this menu, it wasn't a huge burden.

"You're paying, Hyung?"

"Yeah."

"You don't have to."

"I tried to pay yesterday but couldn't. I intended to buy once."

"Alright, then."

Perhaps reading my determination to pay this time, Jeong Haejun stepped back, letting me do as I pleased.

"It's already 1 o'clock," Jeong Haejun said as we left the shop.

"You don't have a 1 o'clock class, do you?"

"I do."

"You do, and yet you're this relaxed? Not even rushing."

Since Jeong Haejun said it with a face that showed he already knew, I didn't even have the will to make an excuse.

"Let's go get coffee."

Before I could answer yes or no, I found myself moving, my arm draped over by Jeong Haejun. He led me into a cafe not far from the udon shop. Having ended up at the cafe with him, I ordered an iced americano and sat by the window.

"You heard from Choi Jeongseo, right?"

"About what?"

"That you don't need to work that hard at tutoring."

"Ah, yeah."

"Just do as he says. His aunt doesn't really know anyway."

"But if she sees the mock exam scores or something..."

"We can just forge the report cards."

"..."

"Your questions are so naive, it's cute."