Whelve : The Art Of Burying | Mingyu

chapter 8

Playlist

—CO2 by Prateek Kuhad
—Show Me How by Men I Trust
—Easy On Me by Adele
—Here With Me by D4vd
—Sweet by Cigarettes After Sex

29.03.24

"Dino!" Wonwoo barged into his room, catching him off guard from his game. Dino, annoyed at the disturbance, muttered under his breath, "What the fuck is wrong with everyone here?" He quickly adjusted his beanie as Wonwoo approached his bed. 

"Dino, I need your help," Wonwoo said urgently.

"Since when did you start calling me Dino?" Dino said

"Does that even matter?"

"I mean yes?" Wonwoo ignored him and proceeded "You were right"
Dino contently nodded I'm always right  he said to himself.

"You were right about Aera, I like her."

"Damn," Dino exclaimed.

Wonwoo nodded eagerly. "Took you long enough," Dino chuckled.

"What should I do now?" Wonwoo asked.

Dino made a disgusted face. "Aren't you like five years older than me, if I take your age the same as Aera and my brother?"

Wonwoo nodded solemnly. "Then you should know better!" Dino shouted, annoyed at the interruption as he went back to playing on his phone. Wonwoo swiftly took his phone away, causing Dino to protest, "Nooo!"

"Don't you have any tips on how to win over a girl?" Wonwoo persisted.

"Man I was about to ask one out until God thought cancer would be a better company so I am not sure," he said,

"Though my brother had a good game, you can ask him, he had like 2 different girls every week" he continued.

"So your brother was a playboy?" Wonwoo asked, his curiosity tinged with a hint of disbelief.

"No sir, he was a certified hoe," Dino replied, a grin spreading across his face. Wonwoo raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain his composure, but inwardly, he couldn't help but question why would Aera fall for such a guy then.

"You should tell her, you know," Dino said, leaning back on his bed.

Wonwoo glanced at him sceptically. "No, I don't think so. She doesn't look at me like that."

"How do you know?" Dino asked. Wonwoo shrugged "I just assumed."

"You would never know until she tells you herself, and the best way of knowing that is confessing," Dino advised.

Wonwoo pondered for a moment. "I'll think about it," he replied, lost in his thoughts.

Dino shifted gears. "Do you wanna play a match?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Wonwoo's smile faded as he reminisced. "I used to love gaming before med school," he said wistfully. His parents, immigrants facing their struggles, had pinned their hopes on him, pushing him towards a future that felt predetermined. As he grew older, responsibilities weighed heavily on his shoulders. Suddenly, his identity was confined to his studies.

Gaming, friends—everything that brought him joy—was deemed a distraction, a luxury he couldn't afford. One mark less meant one bruise more.

The college he thought would be an escape from his home, was just the same, and somehow the physical bruises from his house inked the mental bruises of college more. There was no respite for him, not even after he achieved his dream of becoming a doctor.