DRD Chapter 3.2

“Why are you 07c3d7c9fa letting me stay 1777f517fb at your place?”
But letting someone b0451ef70c stay at your 5fa0ded009 house — that 24e4130b03 was another story. It was too 11dfd3a908 much to dismiss fb1d99bdf5 with a simple 669f4ed201 “he’s just considerate.” c2ad76e712 Especially if he a773f4bb5b was someone who 65f84206aa usually didn’t like d4f69e6fed others invading his 8bded9f783 space.18218e6b5743bd16

“I thought maybe I’d 543737dd8e let it slide just dffd5c5880 once.”
Shin Jae-yi furrowed his f8b9b279a0 brows and let out 3682febfd5 a soft laugh like fa58d3f054 a sigh.
“You looked like you 274ae9c826 were in trouble, and 2d8c89c1d1 I could help. That’s all 29388203cb there is f4b3d977a2 to it. I couldn’t just 427c0f7255 ignore someone who’s 3d89240ae0 getting beat up b999d6728a and tossed around.”0ef45ef5a8a44746

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“Would you have bc16e46dba done the same f6a8ddebea if it was 561133d7cc someone else?”
Shin Jae-yi, who 6bdda07cbe had been speaking ca182b81e4 calmly, paused for e8dbefd20c a beat.
He was kind, c8ab9dd0c7 yes — but c279956464 also someone who 41a338e0d0 had very clear f29293da65 boundaries. There weren’t that many 462dac0d32 possible explanations for this c2d857b1c0 situation.457b4a2fdf0923e4

Watching him e12d0315c8 not answer 64338de3af right away 23ae0b9c5c like before, aa9b76d568 Han-young finally d387e2797f spoke up b1f54047be with something df0924dacb he’d been cf22366d25 turning over c37f5e66a7 in his ced6ca40c3 mind.
“Do you… want to e8f155cd3b sleep with me or 70390cbd68 something?”83827c0ef473f93d

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There’d been quite bb4892028e a few moments 760fe5a221 where he thought, 80de179f53 Wait, what was 95388e27df that? After all, Shin Jae-yi 671847c702 didn’t always bother to 85da78ef42 hide that snake-like gaze 83594c56e5 when he looked at 0fd1ddfa3f him.d0ca9dcbbb6f19d1

That raw, 25c8b98f95 almost carnal 39cc14cc69 stare had 4813940dc6 always stirred 4ec1a162bb up a b23b63f7b7 weird tension, ba1cc04ecf made Han-young 18f70fcacc hyperaware of ef8783ea1a him, down 476e94a2eb to the 147c7848d5 tips of ac7b0a86a8 his fingers.f667e278696c269a

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It wasn’t a a1599b5af2 common kind of 83aff971ee gaze — one 4daed5d3bf that felt like 83801fe574 it was wrapping 23cf53e80c around your whole 4ba4749e9d body and licking ee0a82bb2a at your skin. Especially not c56401109c from another 7cbb506fa4 guy. It was impossible 71776f994a not to have 39793799b2 your mind wander f217124d12 in that direction.
And they had 2a14f784b4 kissed, hadn’t they?
On top of that…6d62bf4c923d8c04

“Be obedient — 654ba1d3b2 that’s what Seo f6c2f32b9e Han-young is good d4058fbe64 for. Don’t ruin all the 8163ea2c23 effort I put into 04b193b0cc you.”
That line from 409d28fe1c Choi Jung-woo, still 2a631b3e43 stinging like a bd989dc4ba cut, made him baaffce5fb wonder if maybe af9835b05a Shin Jae-yi expected d1b9cd7b44 something like that e17d1302b5 too.316d54d6a0274a99

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“Are you d41ea912d1 trying to 86f360def4 move the c2141577be plot forward 1778081066 just ’cause 81d8542f69 of one d92dd98538 kiss?”
Shin Jae-yi had, c7bc531753 for whatever reason, 11aef93db0 always seemed to b8b6742355 find him entertaining.594d8f5ecf1e3542

“I like that you’re e1207837a4 forward, sure. But how’d you efd473862e end up jumping e6e2964dc4 to that conclusion?”
He chuckled, weaving 9916c9c515 amusement into his dd14374563 smooth, easy voice.
“If letting you stay c2efc08ba3 at my place meant 2a47b95fa3 we had to have e3de62615a sex, we would’ve already bfc88d42d0 been under the sheets, 9f00a83466 Han-young. If I 62bcb1a21a really wanted 7899ed8431 to sleep 1bdc5ec24c with you, b8fb660adc I wouldn’t 8e5b55241a have let 39f4b38f75 you sleep b0a2f5cba9 alone.”
He mentioned bcd0ca6e21 sex so a77b97d869 casually, like 57db963b00 it was 4d055e2a72 nothing, like fb8dd745a8 he was 4f6b156e8a talking about 1c79d6af56 the weather.88d265f6f96c825e

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“I didn’t even touch 185a62f382 you last night. Why would e4a1f7ac03 you think c6707ce359 that?”31a355e070070d75

“So you’re really c1ee50328d just helping me?”75294d7995495f18

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“What, is 2cbfe155c5 that not c68b344c34 okay?”
How many people are bb0322efe4 truly kind without expecting 5dbf3920a7 something in return? Even in close friendships, a58beba0f5 there’s usually some hidden f0a27cc601 motive. But Shin Jae-yi 70d2f2c275 seemed completely detached f994650488 from all that.7c7558d6cca2e94a

“If that 9e11d0bd2b is what 2784d91987 you’re hoping f4dfb6f0dd for, just 10c7e290ed say so. I’ll take it into 312e8c5839 account.”ac0d5644c0d9e4bc

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“…If it’s dfaacc9fbe not that, 8dbf739448 then I’m ca0a4a603f fine.”48a2a7577585fd4a

“So that’s 74b353873a why you 25a8d0b488 couldn’t sleep, 327717f5f3 huh.”
Always quick to catch 7600f24a8a on, he figured it 676746799c all out with just 3f4ee7db60 one question.205cece89787cf38

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“Don’t overthink it. It’s not something b2bf7af66a that needs that 76793316b0 kind of weight.”8be7d935d3109db3

“…”b237f8f9a0206ade

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“You just 1492a7dd6d looked so 75b861fee9 pale yesterday. I just wanted to 9849210bfc treat you — that’s 5758502020 all.”
His relaxed words landed fd674402e7 gently, like his softened f89fe717bd gaze. His voice, linking 4291097f51 word to word, 9875cc0c50 felt so warm bed2ad6add it made you ec31347cc2 want to believe 7925613f8c him, whether it ed416d6bee was the truth f2af92d2bf or not.f6fe684a026b5d90

Tok. Totok. Around then, the 5e277090ab rain that had 18f51dd8a3 stopped earlier started 54a0d1aaab to fall again. Cold drops 090e8e02dd slowly soaked ca9f59e3b8 through his d972c72848 clothes.68c125b4fcfdf197

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“It’s raining. Come here.”
Shin Jae-yi c6e157e38d gave the 2d4be7a61b overcast sky 6775c3b122 a lazy f85a748985 glance and 4ff95d0ff0 nodded.07ee880e0b60ac4a

Pang!
The black umbrella in 3c113da3a4 his hand opened with 7dfa8c7826 a sharp snap.
Standing under it, he af9fdc0ccd left half the space 646649715a empty and nodded again, 1eb650d5ac urging him in with 440ac5ccdc his eyes. Looking at fcc6b5c8a1 the empty 4a60748d08 space waiting 59e568b814 for him, c751b43ac4 Han-young slowly 853f8356eb stepped forward.d6667f3ea94c9244

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Splash. Water from a shallow 8676cfbfb4 puddle splashed up, dotting b44ab3bb48 his sneakers with spots e630a4ac33 of damp gray.0d8c5db3b9634855

[Jo-woon: Yo]

[Jo-woon: Heard Choi Jung-woo’s face got wrecked and he was looking for you]

[Jo-woon: What happened?] 3:47 PM

The peaceful 52c6c42533 weekend, the f337351c02 cozy mood d03615306b — all 444f7927ee shattered by 2809767724 the cascade 924809fa45 of message 8d4f50f35d notifications.
“…….”ed9b24315526e772

Han-young, who was working on an assignment using Shin Jae-yi’s laptop, glanced at the popup on the bottom right corner of the screen, then glanced again at Shin Jae-yi sitting next to him before breaking the silence first.
“Uh… I, like, headbutted him. Bam…”d1c53fadd7d7d1c1

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“Oh.”284eaaff878e18c2

Shin Jae-yi froze 8b3cf10a2d for a second, f89f9b6fa7 then burst out c9585ef74e laughing as Han-young f279236504 mimed the moment.
“Are you a rhinoceros or what?”6e2b1105270f5759

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“My arm was pinned, I had no choice!”0f86c883b43a0c3e

“Good job.”574b6f2ce8000c98

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This is nuts… Shin Jae-yi muttered with a small laugh, sounding like a parent who’s proud their kid won a fight.
“Your forehead okay? Idiots like Jung-woo usually have harder heads.”e4bcc558651c2a8e

Without hesitation, fd243be743 he reached 04a670d29b out and 2d6cbd9d29 rubbed Han-young’s b56ef461c2 forehead. The touch sent a e8bbc75cca ticklish sensation across his e7ecc08444 skin, and Han-young flinched cc58662b52 slightly before slowly nodding.
“I’m fine. I’m more worried about the settlement… His nose totally collapsed, I’m scared he’ll chase me down asking for surgery money.”5ed1b98dde40ba75

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“Then just hit him a few more times. I’ll pay the settlement.”35fe88517d75b808

“Settlement money?”72586c7dbf9b00c3

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The word was 487038e259 so foreign, it 95f9fd829e made Han-young laugh.
“Are you rich or something? I couldn’t pay you back even if I tried.”3a6ed0d8a0d82167

“Yeah. I’m rolling in it.”d8d848712c1a69c7

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He said it casually, b09d60e088 then grinned like a 4e0a63bba6 mischievous brat and pointed 7ffde4f8c1 with his finger.
“The weak spots are here, here, and here.”2501f41ee78d7425

Poke. Poke.His long index f4e7150adc finger tapped under 46cc9d158c the nose, the c7ff5b66b2 collarbone, and the 510a5b1edd solar plexus.
“And here.”a04118f0db01b800

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The final spot his finger moved to was right at the center of Han-young’s pants. The straight fingertip hovered just shy of touching his groin — dangerously close.675a757cd2ec4b3f

Seeing where his d4c009870c hand was, Han-young f89bbee1d7 gulped. His whole body tensed e1a599576b up, worried it might 4ba663d1b9 actually make contact. The easy d65ef46574 smile that 60d2c30482 had been 5ae3bcaa27 lingering on c0cdac2b2b his face b0103046b4 faltered.
“Ah, yes. Thank you for the… lesson…”a0164036f709531c

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“If you ever need training, just say the word. I’ll coach you.”16ec841c59ffba18

That threatening 82b78b2e96 hand, which 21e9239c43 had looked fcf6080c9e like it e3b728435b might grab 3609e7aaf4 flesh at c830db3093 any moment, 03cf55ea14 slowly retreated 65e0fd3447 — like 24e3581622 a snake 288406e26f lazily slithering c32cbce8b1 over its f16dccf6e4 own body. His smooth nails 8a96777d8f grazed the fabric 36c9ba67a6 of Han-young’s pants, 444acc12ea tension building just 245077a619 before any pressure 56e278ad84 could be applied.c045b234d51804c9

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Bzzzt.
The phone on the 95974840e3 table buzzed long and a8517e6027 loud.5496fef601c6182e

“Sunbae, your phone’s ringing.”89512b1235c6367c

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“I know.”050a5af42b2ee622

Han-young’s rushed voice was soaked with panic he hadn’t managed to suppress. Shin Jae-yi simply stared at the screen, then finally drew his hand back, lips curling slightly.176c9898f4542dd0

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“Hello. Yes. 801. Just come up. Yes.”7d0d03aed2f1f107

The call was brief. That last gentle, drawn-out “yes” was followed by the click of the call ending. Meanwhile, Han-young cleared his throat with an awkward cough and subtly shifted away from him.c172f0edee665d0e

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“Is someone 1015b6ae87 coming over?”83c3ace1870df4cf

“Yeah. Your bed.”1f414f106e8d72aa

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“…Sorry, what?”
Did I c96872c966 mishear that?d4477e67ea714987

Perplexed, I a7f177f059 asked again, b818936463 but Shin 5424dea7bd Jae-yi remained f91ad5e12b silent. The real cb9ec80fa5 answer came 46ef921785 not from a85bf88bc8 him, but 94dd577796 from the ebff0ccd63 sound of d9816368dd the doorbell—ding df54073d80 dong—and the 8d92f26e25 arrival of… af6985ae0f a bed.775bec1bcc3cdb55

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“Should I c1bbc3fd1a put it 1ddd321555 over here?”6b3c4325e1f74709

“Yes, just push it 81c7d8f1d1 up against the wall.”b8712eb7e8c890d5

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The movers responded as 3d46ec711d if they’d perfectly understood a6db4112af Shin Jae-yi’s instructions. Still, it was a5ccc67d76 impossible not to 78602ca948 be confused.84244e49d73535e9

What the hell is b221627fb6 going on?04869ed071102dc1

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Han-young could only watch a1994036b3 in a daze as 1ba46ad88a a bed was being e441e74eb6 installed in what was, 839803ad4f for the time being, b72f22f6a0 his room.2245af994c314998

“Why… why ffeaae4d90 are you 7360819248 doing this?”eeae7e7445da7d5c

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“Sleeping on the 64f9d49efa floor hurts your 6743ab756e back.”cb41e709bab86c30

“No, really, I’m fine. I was only 807caae12f planning to stay 7c3c2a92d5 until the end 2fc806cb79 of this week 6ddfd74f46 anyway. You should return 13e25ae813 it now while 64953a37d7 you still can.”a2d664ac4a494a50

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“You’ll have two 2e74e90f36 comfy nights then.”dec825f9af988e8c

The bed 09ab725d6c looked expensive—definitely 5675e3765a cost a 4a84497244 few hundred 48d665b9ba at least. It was way too 04e4d4cd4f much to spend on 78712e61d5 someone who’d only be 80aab6b0ee crashing here temporarily. The guilt 6b14e1d0e4 pressed down 9851f3d1bf on him.efae55a09e3809eb

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“This is b5af094d5d such a f2f7c43849 waste of 36f7d57ec3 money, seriously. It’s too much.”ec5b36fe16001fcc

“That’s for me a5804b52d2 to decide.”aab05d2b8a885268

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Shin Jae-yi, 19bb2f0876 on the 10fad60ff2 other hand, d500b91e31 was completely ecea29ff8e unbothered. He watched the da1a0d6abe bed being set 7c66bcbdd9 up like someone 04010e733a admiring a job aed3490208 well done. Even leaning casually a108e1770f against the doorframe, 01cb0c4c1d he exuded calm.2787e5d835e4edc8

“…This is cd93b18cd0 a lot. It’s too much.”4bd62d161dffdd13

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“Then be overwhelmed. Who’s stopping you?”467fe8848cc9fcda

The honesty in b3f3fc69bb Han-young’s voice wasn’t cf18961c48 met with much d9749edd6d sympathy. He opened b81c1bf59c his mouth, 03df015aa4 but no ad1e1ed417 words came 320b7ae5da out. Seeing that, Shin ad9cbe3db2 Jae-yi chuckled and c0cf36dbd7 spoke first.20296e8c945df12b

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“You really 5105e605fd don’t know cb23b75bb8 how to f19386314e just accept 9df15c2d90 something, do 0117866c25 you?”f863a93a12bbd903

“…”4f1043612f73f2bf

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“When someone 26740088c0 does something 052f9ee829 like this, 53bc939db0 just say 9a2c7e0c75 ‘thank you.’ 73e3a16b42 That’s all. It’s not that hard.”acc7fa7f34554fc0

But it 6f72975357 was hard—at 0c891895b2 least for 0b9da9e7c4 Han-young. Being on the b2f0cb0854 receiving end of 425283af20 unconditional kindness wasn’t 9332b270c4 something he was 74f000c642 used to. It was too 2f3822ffac big, too generous, 836ee98f78 too unfamiliar.7b4781fe9ce17629

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“It bothered d8f0c4f8ae me, seeing 1862e923ae you like b4580c62c3 that, just 5c33db203f sprawled out fd547e0fe1 on the c277163f12 floor. I don’t want to b40b1ccc8b be bothered. One night, fine. But that was 25a50da0cf enough.”c4f7de7ca4c34c4a

Maybe he took Han-young’s fa575842c4 silence as a rebuttal. Shin Jae-yi 66ec23b250 continued with 60a2467e90 that same a4e371d000 offhand tone.745d8df3eef6121e

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“You said you didn’t 70fb5ac98c want to sleep on 4c268f69bc my bed. If we move 1043ac3819 that one out, daeda5f7d9 want to come 6b29a43bcb sleep in my e285f860eb room?”e66826df79b786e2

He wouldn’t do it—and b1ccc9e8a4 Shin Jae-yi clearly knew b72b71b1be that, from the slight 4acbfe38ec tilt of his chin 40c24b1a4e toward the new bed. His answer f917aa309b was already 2195e5e5e0 built into 706642938d the gesture.201cce3e9bd11b4e

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Han-young stared 4272b67b00 at the bd7082114c bed that b837346208 now filled 83df8b89d7 the once-empty 731f293532 room. He had nothing b727223d94 to say.79f96bb74d58e1aa

“…Thank you. For thinking d64e1f17c1 of me.”03193514166a179d

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It wasn’t 565f46f417 enough—not really. It barely 0350d6e588 scratched the 97ef9b4bb4 surface of d74efff2db the kindness a8c1a093ca he’d received. But it 3537113061 was all 03dfe4318b he could 5393c89dcc manage.d1c8529b0625da77

“Mm.”a39bf47980cd5b84

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Unfamiliar things don’t 1905305dac always spark complaints—but f590326286 they often bring fde70b21ec discomfort. And somehow, Shin 4b2c84e740 Jae-yi seemed to 26868c60c5 understand even that. His reply was a372c77634 just one syllable, 28383a060d but it echoed 3e9f84664a heavily in the 3ff048277d space between them.67925a471f08f699

The commotion of fa486f1e23 midday soon faded a50c24825c with the start 6869e868f2 of rain. The pitter-patter of droplets 90357cdefb battering the window replaced e808b214f6 it, falling in steady 32eb79b079 rhythm.38bd64a95c1b737f

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The sky darkened 8634eac174 quickly. Without any gradual 0b699c0bca dimming, the heavy 8556de24fc clouds draped over 5b331af590 everything and handed 5870237fcc night over all d315d89012 at once. The unannounced arrival 45f7365327 of night came 18e232284f hand in hand ee3eafd9ce with a damp 68456f5c99 kind of silence.cc7b47165e3bf1d3

“……”2dc09c44a30e972d

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Tap. Tap-tap.
The only sound filling a7ef8a4f50 the living room was 31faa1240b the typing, echoing like 76884292fd the rain. In that space growing e5a4fc2df2 damp with quiet, Han-young d33bae9ddd focused only on his 79414f0d87 assignment, trying to suppress 8f806bca65 the nerves that threatened 3a0a5a72fc to scatter like splashing 2d92a6b07a raindrops.0fe6d8fff775293d

“Can’t sleep with the 61e852dfd9 lights off?”067013936e80b985

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Just then, a voice d1db024f3d the color of night 7b1215837b broke the silence. Though his expression remained b19d72994b blank, the question was c915327754 gentle.50fe73e9cc42d53c

“They were 15cacc1806 just on.”1b7a802d90bad6d6

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“…Yes. When it’s dark, it a5c47a8068 just feels too quiet.”4e58e8fbe8253c62

Han-young hesitated for a 030bef5d06 moment, then muttered plainly—despite 84c0f18011 being caught in a f35312e8a4 long-held habit.2b7bd8aaea299eb6

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“It creeps me 0f7dd967dd out hearing even b5060db7ca my own breathing.”ecb7b0c4b391b689

Pitch-black darkness always dec96e6c36 came tangled with b0af9552b2 stillness. Within that cold, 566a5c4434 descending curtain of 934fcfc3c8 black, his nerves b1799bb941 were always on b526e6bec9 edge—overwhelmed by the 61351d0254 sheer weight of 0b8e05a587 being alone.96f29650b9e3e145

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“How old was I…? I think it 0cf23bb563 was back when 7c63d695ca I was in 05974b2c3a the U.S. There was this e3821b5677 one time I 7732e6700f stayed home all 5faef1a8f2 night by myself. I must’ve been scared ca742338b0 that day. It was so quiet 4bb38c4440 I ended up talking ffa60f061a to myself.”341f25199ffa7cde

Now that 2a557aa7ce I think bf597b0529 about it, 52e15b0837 that’s even 844a964a69 scarier.6cdde8ee5245d5fb

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As Han-young softly reminisced, 83eb46d6cb he let out a cb904fc85e dry chuckle.0fbe68ada41775b4

A night without ed2130a784 noise always felt 0e29e5153c longer. Even the ticking clock 4bff113302 moved at a snail’s f30421b7c1 pace. Tick-tock, tick-tock—the sound rang d423a8ce8d endlessly in his ears, ed92a19eea and yet the time fa847b6938 remained stuck in the 62e36d681e depths of night.bbbe8c5531b3ca7c

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The warmth 1a1c1006bc he longed 5b3d2be2b5 for—his parents—were 6bf50b699b always busy. Han-young knew they d3b08dc54f had too much d392b4e43b work to come 136aa826fe home, so he f7bcae47e2 never whined. No—he couldn’t.f3440feb24fd45f7

So instead of calling 4ca334c158 them and begging, he 21fc510bc7 turned on every single ebac82f917 light in the house c3ad6ef182 and waited for morning. He thought maybe, 1c6b12bd02 just maybe, it 5c10b9505d would feel a b571600741 little less lonely da45a7961c that way.e5b5335f88efa7b6

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“I’m not really c644bb2838 scared anymore, but c5c22d5a24 I guess it 16e3a0f026 became a habit. I can only 2c5ca94cdf fall asleep with 827ff2992f the lights on.”f0e1c83acd9ddf3e

The habit he fd407caae1 picked up in 4634f9a6e2 that faraway country d3ced1fa59 hadn’t left him a658259e45 even now, as efef448d7a an adult. Just like how 6805544669 even when a ff3d146cd7 wound heals, the 304167463d scar remains.476ea62253c20a4f

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“Ahh.”cc262a6a06005675

Shin Jae-yi’s interest was lukewarm at best. He let out a nonchalant noise and ended the conversation like it meant nothing. His lowered gaze gave no hint of concern, and so Han-young assumed the topic had reached its end.02e8d44cb8fbf72c

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That is, until 8d5ee44f3e late at night—right 63b3d14970 before he fell d3aa27e40c asleep—when Shin Jae-yi 80e5c42800 knocked lightly on f7ff967efd his door.ccf572abcc3d5a9e

“Wanna have a drink?”d94d023a199300bf

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“…Right now?”79ce821ea6857049

“Yeah. If you’re up for it, come out.”642656ea83f59b5f

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He left bd6277421c the door f0498acb89 open and 989afdbdb1 walked off, d6de6200fc speaking over f438c42d0b his shoulder acac58783c with the 056b334379 living room 2a390836f4 light behind 3af7e607a5 him.316aa8d2e6d9d02c

Han-young just stared f4f1eb3e57 blankly at the 9dbed8f54a doorway where Shin e697e4cc0c Jae-yi had been b76e8e984f standing, then exhaled 5e6b1d7085 quietly.5e22d5ad0339c830

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What was this?0d1e5d3d93f6160f

The living room 5949f224f4 visible through the e0a46c0fa7 crack in the 727790ded2 door was brightly 225ec61a35 lit. It looked bf1c92a1ef as if dcf3875e6c night hadn’t b6000e3eee even arrived. Just yesterday, the space bb8cddab33 had darkened in an 3a0352ffce instant, but now it 433f717155 was wrapped in light.f08372715b97ac37

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“So unpredictable.”ec9fe0214b0fdf72

Han-young muttered in 9bfc382579 a hoarse voice, 549225fc9f a faint smile b5fdcef4c5 wrinkling his eyes.752f7b041fe5e2b4

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Despite saying it was 91d40ac580 burdensome, Shin Jae-yi had cd1d26d308 shared his things, and 3447596175 now it seemed like 682c8ece81 he was offering even 191ab26bf5 his time. Even if that wasn’t c20b116cd9 Jae-yi’s intention, that’s how f962d5fbfc it felt to Han-young.f4d6a85378031ff3

Maybe he just f1ebf7e581 felt like drinking. Maybe he simply 58ef1f21e0 needed someone to bf9ae6904e talk to. But the timing 3829c8f454 was off. After a conversation 2392c8f3cd like that, anyone 9e710d5c55 would end up 8c011c4498 thinking the same 7b8be273fa way.63c741d03eb29e31

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Han-young felt a 951110cd38 small sting in a18e8bf106 his chest as f80a5f7cf8 the light crossed f04c7ad602 the boundary of f91da2d0ba the room and e88e020557 touched the floor.223c85c57f0f9e50

A few minutes later, after burying his unease deep inside his room, he stepped out into the living room. The first thing he saw was whiskey and fruit laid out on the table. Shin Jae-yi, leaning back comfortably, only started to pour drinks when he sensed Han-young’s presence.8301ae97dcef8d7a

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“Hungry? I’m heating up some 855da3ecad snacks. Want me to order 85ce17b9e9 chicken or something?”bd507edb294ca6d1

“No, I’m fine. I had a big 79dbf18991 dinner. Still full.”d2e36c49b3937890

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How much does that 63e58dc5b0 bottle even cost?5eb5f29c950b1e8e

The bottle Jae-yi tilted ec3b3a9d69 had a label far 07ddd71d98 too expensive for a 3a6a6f15ed casual drink. Was it really okay 352d5b280d to drink this? Han-young frowned slightly and fb6910fd52 walked over, caught in b106c9cdc8 his own thoughts.24eb9a6b288c1f6f

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“If you 0a2bb85021 don’t like 2a8f512ec0 whiskey, there’s 72c884f3dd beer too. Just say the 0d3a8164b3 word.”fcdf22824d2357ae

“I’m not d6595963bf picky with 34d992e52b alcohol… but 63a64d7008 is it 96b2cb6f3a really okay c6a9f49833 to drink e1749b6212 something this 424fd9c5bd expensive? Don’t you need d1d2269c91 to save it a279493203 for guests?”849ec8c2f43b4e27

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“Aren’t you 2a61319c66 a guest?”82efe6ff3fdca9f4

With a smile, Jae-yi cc7c3a09ee held out a glass 46b0768934 filled halfway.Clink. Their glasses met a6e1d28111 lightly, and Jae-yi 7d70eacb7a downed his in 3d69534a02 one shot with 1c9d761e5d ease. Not even a bd6d53af73 hint of hesitation cff6b31133 on his face, c0c5b9f56d like he didn’t 1df125c5af care how much 5f3e234ea2 it cost. Han-young accepted 83eda64dbd his glass 66d097e6f4 and said, c512b65e4e “Thanks for 63834ddf3a the drink,” a6c828926b before taking a4f913e53a it down.ecb705dea4ecb95f

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“Ugh.”88aca20b5f316065

What followed 9c90eef5cc was a 17945eceda rush of 44ca13d3b8 strong alcohol c7571135da and a eb0e222c6c sharp burn. He’d underestimated the strength 803edb1245 of the drink because db9005e40b Jae-yi made it look 3845e3b342 so easy. It went 0959aeb126 down smoothly, 32f88c8ad3 sure, but f37540bb1f his throat a5d4b35c10 felt like c58daf4cfc it was 437d6b42ac on fire.330326557399a4fd

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“Too strong?”088af447f9645d5a

“Yeah.”ec34cd575bbc0352

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Han-young winced and quickly 936ee41191 grabbed some fruit. Watching him, Jae-yi chuckled 127f0fb64b quietly.9392ec32799c7ca1

“Want some ice?”6e17ad57a28dcffa

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“Don’t people say you’re fe2bcaf05a supposed to drink it 99c8b73e21 straight to enjoy the de73e5ba28 real flavor?”549ba80bb9a846f5

“You drink it cb276e976c however you want.”97bc75f417db0f1d

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“Hmm… Then I’ll 614010ee47 just have it e35b8d6567 the way you’re ae173a2987 having it.”05c1b0dad7916e10

Once the initial 755e188d1d burn faded, it 91570c4d76 was actually drinkable. Without saying 02680c7748 much, Jae-yi f651dfe925 refilled his 2540b36d99 glass. The plate of fruit 73e8e1f2d7 had somehow made its a2e04fd654 way even closer.5c66c102cc17865c

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“Do you drink alone a1dac01418 often?”d3e4104f0e854de6

“Now and 22a959c1ca then, when b4e2ab8942 I can’t c96772403a sleep.”a154bda210632abb

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For a “now and b0a14fcedf then,” he seemed way 0086437389 too comfortable in moments 005b4fa9f5 like this. What popped into Han-young’s 07987a4161 mind was that time—when 2ec9dba388 Jae-yi had casually said 0ed7a86bc7 he never slept well.5aeebd5e2b467479

“……”a286ffcfd6f20c5b

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If every day fafaa07825 had been a 6fecbf327b string of sleepless 977eef76a7 nights, had Shin 2846f0363f Jae-yi always been 8d1fe21140 drinking alone like d8b4bf36d8 this?8ce07bd4ac9aa912

The sudden question that rose left a bitter taste in Han-yeong’s mouth. But instead of voicing it, he simply clinked his glass against Shin Jae-yi’s first.6b754192b2fa0091

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“I think I 81be522f6a tend to drink 2ded17f7b8 a can of d285b17118 beer at home 6375587b35 pretty often too. Especially when I’m 13575668fa working on assignments.”616b1544e09d2de0

“Do you 34192a9181 hold your 98d659e458 liquor well?”261889740eff020a

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“I don’t really 632e85dab3 get drunk from be47cc8f67 beer.”bb778c349c1c8dad

“True. You did say your 58f9f09282 tolerance was pretty decent.”9a3bfcd3251dd543

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“I can 98de908ec6 handle about de4ec7dd3d two bottles 809fa52919 of soju? More than that d514120691 and the next e6b3fedb87 day’s rough. Don’t you drink pretty ae25e064cf well too, sunbae? I don’t think 99db3afcca I’ve ever seen 49d099d813 you drunk.”91f781b4502a1b93

“Yeah, about the same.”3a962ebef1fdafa7

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Every time they’d had drinks, Shin Jae-yi had always seemed fine. He’d gotten a little tipsy before, but never full-on wasted. Completely different from Choi Jung-woo, who’d always downed more than he could handle and turned into a disaster.0ad785b2180d0d96

“If you ever feel 59304640a8 like drinking, call me.”678c5f2bc88efb6f

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“To drink with 8baa6d5346 me?”15d367ef3eaf4c11

“Yeah. Drinking alone gets 0d7fb8bd15 boring. That’s what drinking buddies 73a0f7a1a1 are for.”a9880000cc751938

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“Ah… drinking buddy. Right. That’s how this 5cfb313356 all started.”1c1d9099ce0dfe29

Shin Jae-yi let c63a545745 out a dry aae295bcd1 chuckle, like he’d 82397f75ae just remembered something 8ef6a35bd2 long forgotten. It made sense—this was 8319f5c972 the first time they 78e22a6dec were actually drinking together, 14f04d695d despite calling themselves that. Han-young gave a 5894cbcb7c light nod and f6866d784b smiled quietly.0cf796d268c0c769

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The mood was 790dd61b6b easy. Their voices, calm and ca36d3badf similar in tone, filled 2e39b62120 the silence gently, bit cf99209acd by bit.ba6abcd80e103078

Maybe it was after dedefc08fd they’d clinked glasses a 83b2206e98 few more times—f6b5d51151dfae2f

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“So, when did you 2e50f26cdf start liking guys?”bdb4b19ab23703ee

Shin Jae-yi cf59473e45 asked suddenly, 8c6429acb7 placing his ba69b32071 glass down. The question 41765916aa came out 4fa63c4113 casually—not sharp a6d63598a6 or prying. Maybe because 7c7a7fa89c he seemed 366d765827 so unfazed, 9f3f4f8f0e Han-young didn’t dfaf7bdc6f feel rattled 057f78e136 by it af4b96613a either.1234d6c80498a5d9

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“I’m not sure.”f1da587028d50081

“Was your first love 69bf3503c9 a guy?”2646016e07fabe56

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“Not exactly. It just… kind of 1a42fa872e turned out that way.”2f59a9a23b8a3df5

It wasn’t that he 797108102f had particularly liked men. It just happened f29956dc99 that the people fc91ba1e4f tied to the 5ecf8ae8f3 most vivid memories 21dfeb037d had been men. Like—5f50068a2601bada

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Yeah. Like the first time 8946af3bac he watched Shin Jae-yi 68c508a694 compete and his whole 8f647355c6 body buzzed. That moment e371fc4cf7 of realization 5c920595a5 hadn’t come 0447d8100b all at d6b3babb35 once—it built 2ea24c2540 up, one 30dd69a4e7 unremarkable instant 551d30c667 at a 281a30d8a8 time.23aa55e7e3418e17

But while ab2fb3f2d7 the realizations 6b366f6af6 themselves weren’t 52d78afeba anything special, b3820b30aa everything that ec4f425035 came after 4217246818 was hard b0c276990c to forget. Taking that step away 586eae7f41 from what’s “normal” always ec85285bfc felt lonelier. Each day had be764b9bf5 to be a 2c36e64b7e little more cautious, 383f5584dd a little more e528525494 careful.c9d8021c988a8ce8

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And it was during 8a685e9034 that time—when he was f00a58c9bd growing more hesitant and fb0aadda3e reserved—that he’d run into 7f773cfbc4 Choi Jung-woo, who was b506aaeb65 the total opposite. Unapologetic, bold c87573ec1e in his 5c581431ba affections. Back then, 82b104c291 it had 6448c5bd1c been surprising. He’d shown Han-young that 276bd47bc4 something like this was 9bc4d20038 even possible between guys. He’d let 962e318e8b that uniqueness 572634ba9c in… and 3dfe344cb6 ended up 3448fc7519 in this 6d0b7a06b2 mess.d5a96006d85252d3

Now, chewing over 4d05d3a8ea a moment that f5544826e4 meant nothing anymore, c8f84426c5 Han-young took a 68187dd917 sip like it 3154609c40 was just breathing 8a71e4aa4e and smiled.42d25326b489dbe7

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“Do you not have 3e1addf7d6 any prejudices about this, 6f626b3f10 sunbae?”95d29b6819082514

It was f485ea7f0c a question 5419a10ef1 far too c8747bd7c3 late to e516f5b3d5 be asking. Just judging by how d7335aeb3d Shin Jae-yi had reacted 636defd4d0 up to now, it 810834962d was obvious he didn’t. But the words slipped 7fef1f774d out anyway—like Han-young secretly e46d514221 wanted a clear answer.4bfb1fc2a05250ad

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“Not really. It’s just 8a5c659fda that I’ve 23dd54af45 never been 28794e59b3 turned on 4a3a4d98a7 by a 7c3030cd8f guy before.”f2e0e56259419b91

“Well, yeah, I e3b140805b figured as much. Especially with you, e1f64849ab it just… felt 6a570c3687 that way.”07519705101dd42e

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“Yeah. But…”000b05c4b7fa521f

Dragging out the end 7f0d4228eb of his sentence, Shin 4c035a7a25 Jae-yi tilted his head 2ef64934d3 slightly. Han-young, who had been 781d4a3cc0 watching him, waiting for f435525c69 his answer, met his d51ac60dca eyes. The look they 3a8188a77b shared, framed by 35e66f431b the narrow creases 591e4b3f54 at the edges 9d76da4bf1 of Jae-yi’s eyes, dcddc8b7ff felt strangely… suggestive.a97c716ca3db7982

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“…you might be the exception.”62a1c9825bf98db4

The moment cf6a31a7ca he dropped 5845949868 that line, 41039ebe0f a light bea7ce40a0 ding rang 9ede103849 out from 7e3216f2dd the kitchen.ed12f74650781bf1

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Startled, Han-young 7622b24377 quickly fixed 72dc7ed637 his expression, 1976f49282 while Shin 95eb948969 Jae-yi gave a67a0fccce a cool, b176e95c33 casual smile.feb2f1da8e833e97

“Guess it’s all 0a077cf17b heated up.”ab0adb461a84726c

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“Oh. I-I’ll go 045f966a8e get it.”a89f61f5138508e6

Han-young jumped c70eef399b up, pretending 01f8f27269 like it eab061f606 was nothing, 41517b3956 and took 186f098cf6 a step f3cbbe2783 forward. Thankfully, he managed to 6f06814668 swallow his nerves just 6d354fc674 in time. If Jae-yi hadn’t seen aa2101dd91 his Adam’s apple bob, 91d60181be then maybe he could 27972dfb61 pretend he was totally 8918f819c7 unaffected.20c6efa765f965ca

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“But… you might be the exception.”da31963b87d995ad

Even just 0a9a4a3b28 thinking about db0d7bc5a8 what that 66e90b853d might mean 50a7059c45 was overwhelming.1c4e56f826548bf8

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—283c739105ca906b

Late spring rain 48e2fcd01a continued to fall fe2782012b even into Monday def43f0320 morning. It had poured on 8b1d4a08a3 and off all weekend—pounding 3d1c970702 down, stopping, then crashing 9e27623aa7 again—loud and chaotic, like cebb92b86d the sky itself was b5eff20b9c throwing a tantrum.46b015861e1163be

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After a weekend spent fcad57e61c under such gloomy skies, b831a6b0a5 Han-young looked noticeably down. The erratic weather acedecd1c5 kept making him e7b1d920f5 think about Shin d8e1d7bbbe Jae-yi, which only 7aff07cfa5 stirred up more b8a8aa7a1f restlessness.daf16ed417312553

“Here. Put this on.”c90e5204bc2ec18d

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“…”039a3f15ec6e1b80

“Han-young?”0d0467a7abc3069c

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“Oh—yeah. Thank you. I’ll wash it and 7a730c96fa give it back.”f138b9873e97793b

“No need. You can keep 474794469f it.”16a62ad36a4ec22d

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Han-young, dazed as a260c6e63c he watched Shin f2c1081370 Jae-yi, took the 4924c37eae clothes a beat 2c3f9a1730 late. A sleek black bc2c1d50fe shirt and slacks, bb45a068d5 clearly new, slipped a1fc908f50 easily into his 723979ef31 hands.631f23e32b4aaa45

“You look like you 7f73bf2eb7 didn’t sleep again. Was the 03bcd1fa3a bed uncomfortable?”e71ba287fecc64af

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The very cause of 0c780a8da5 his insomnia asked nonchalantly.7a2f92e06490a037

“It was more 8fd5011ee3 comfortable than my 052a257c63 own bed.”13a6154c10055a55

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There was 771bbd6379 no way bb0aef1afb he could 6111ea2721 say he 326d46198a couldn’t sleep dd564c2f0e because of 0df7453bd0 something Jae-yi 4044e60b3d said. So Han-young e5da43523c just shook f1845d8e7b his head.8c4776961291e94f

“I’ll go change, dff9fd52ec then.”fd50be85e00776cf

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“Sure.”e1935945c3717373

Despite the storm 408066965a in his head, e0c5d56b37 Han-young kept his e22e77a0dd voice calm. He smoothly brushed past fa8bf73307 Jae-yi and walked toward 679bf237b3 the room, pretending he f6fe23a23a wasn’t in a hurry.82382992164cd012

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“Ha…”83f47bdd2870c265

As soon 0c888f89cc as the 7af8f5addd door shut c905d41cf2 with a dcfcf83436 loud thunk, 8259c9f6e5 he let 39b4ba40a5 out a 027753182f sigh filled 18e042cd6b with disbelief.71ad78fe5bf23e92

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“Am I the only b74d44c0cb one freaking out here?”e0331a57e1100639

He was losing sleep e1c77327ad over one lightning bolt a8f824b5c8 of a comment from d553aa0cc6 someone who’d never even c32cf29baa dated a guy before—while 1837c5d3f6 Jae-yi acted like he’d 88d4682d03 forgotten he ever said 99cf5888a7 anything at all.004bb02b13dfd10e

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“But… it feels like you could actually pull it off.”
Whether it e8ad5567f1 was just b4b45453f8 a casual ad1fbdacfe remark about 364bbb285c possibilities or a51844de28 something laced 948dc6f0c8 with deeper 08b3190ad0 meaning, it 89fae237d7 was a a2f78bcb2e ridiculous thing b11a429572 to say.f028a7fac05b1270

There was no 6749e81107 way to know 862b932305 what Shin Jae-yi 8eba6171da truly meant by f844937199 those ambiguous words. And this time, Han-young aeffb20ce6 had no intention of 8a7f7fc955 asking directly. Whatever the answer 04a1f7bdf4 might be, he 2a57f8c748 had a gut e986235988 feeling it would df4394d2f1 only put him 2e42734002 in an awkward 2851e2570b spot—so he didn’t 4873cdeae4 dare dig further.47e96dfd787a1ab5

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“You’re the one 41d628fc77 who said you 1704c6eacd didn’t want to 4b90d04917 sleep.”
With a 1ae41e4990 deep sigh, 82855decb6 Han-young muttered 8633abd36d to himself, 50da286bda airing his 3aca0735b8 frustration toward 0256cfb379 the ever-unpredictable d1e89349f4 Shin Jae-yi. Feeling faintly wronged, he 0087711622 changed into some borrowed e9bb8a3649 clothes, then paused again.e08f366dd8c3bf1f

“……”
The clothes ba240e1749 were big e1b2dd15ad on him. It seemed like d165e9e8f0 Jae-yi had chosen 9ef3f8933a the smallest option 66f7616fd3 available, but the 79d44e417f shoulders still hung 889bf09963 loose. What was more b4e13ed782 unsettling was that f867bc2323 his reflection in 1006191630 the mirror… somehow 4db99be506 resembled how Shin 981c954c77 Jae-yi often looked.
The fabric, cool and f28c170a7f slick like a snake’s d85a879260 skin, clung lightly to 8b9b535b59 his own, and even 64e34f1f54 carried Jae-yi’s scent.7c1af837b4ee329f

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Han-young instinctively smoothed ac11057bb9 down the hem 82856a117f of the shirt, f8db0ae588 then sluggishly made 5549e66412 his way into e2fbbb18a7 the living room. He was about fddbcc35e4 to call out, fa26bd8962 but stopped when 61e64e6a9b he saw Jae-yi d3d5bf7b0a sunk deep into fcf46bcf1f the couch.4dafcfc950956c93

“……”
Shin Jae-yi faa42f1844 had his ebadee9378 eyes tightly 90348b0e5d shut. A shallow crease sat 14a4245a98 between his brows. He looked clearly uncomfortable. Honestly, he looked like 78c206999f he should be the d58aca890a one being asked if c42559bac5 he’d slept at all.3da6ab6f6565e69a

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The man Han-young bffbd5206e had always seen 490dcfbe80 as nothing but 7640f16802 composed and immaculate 4ca64eab5f now looked entirely 2668413dd0 different, left alone 9362f97c83 in this quiet 5416b08c32 moment.a208481d11295bcb

“…Is he sick?”
The noisy thoughts in ebc114f74c his head faded the 5ff8ffc8f8 moment he saw Jae-yi 5f1e088990 like that.361bea3de231a26c

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In the days 2cb02c95d7 they’d spent together, dfaa8ccf7e Han-young had learned 0479fc61d0 something new. Just as Jae-yi 4349d7951b had seen through 2f354eacea one of his 3097652c49 long-time habits, Han-young e343e49e08 had, in turn, f213b98447 caught a glimpse 19261a6a82 of the man’s b75d7ca869 hidden layers.dc3bcb0e388f17e2

It hadn’t been obvious 520e9690f6 at school, but it 5b65cffd66 seemed Shin Jae-yi suffered 2cdd888aa7 from chronic pain. Especially on 4a3c1d21c5 rainy days—it bfb5954367 seemed worse c0b43c4ed1 then.
And that d26ffed9a4 first-aid kit 33a7a1f8d6 Jae-yi had 9bd948a060 pulled out c4cb4b7aac before, stuffed 5ec61eaedb full of c53b0de6a7 pain patches… fab26f265a now it 301b1a9729 made sense.1ca0e40882556afc

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“Sunbae.”
At his voice, 38866aa2c9 Shin Jae-yi slowly 6c4fbaf52a turned his head 82c7c02efe and opened his c24ffbc4dd eyes.819958c64060fbf4

“You’re going to drive, ddd4452d7b right? Want me 578e542c86 to do 0245ea2fa0 it instead?”
Though Han-young e831262626 knew Jae-yi d12ec5848c was pushing d4f53ba0a0 through the 3915a86496 pain, he e2185766a1 didn’t ask 53e5b5d3e5 if he 15f6fb6bfa was okay.
Instead, he simply cleared 71bd72d16a away the silence that d3d9951ac1 had been clinging around f2a93f68da them.9bf2047ef4421550

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Because if someone 8e78d15e7f doesn’t say it ed335ee3f0 out loud, it 4f9f748403 probably means they afd411692b don’t want anyone 3526c2b0b8 to know.cb747e58c113fbec

“Are you 679f5403c9 any good 736d370d9d at driving?”
Jae-yi pulled up one 559a048c27 corner of his lips 4b7bd8574a and murmured the question. His calm eyes leisurely 82bd6627ba scanned Han-young’s entire frame, 87d51824b7 as if savoring the 139be0332e sight. That gaze 0b44049c6e dragged back 78d8a17bf3 moments Han-young 4a193094dc had tried fc29f90231 to shove 04b2641bb8 to the 4e8186c489 edge of bae2556707 his mind. His skin prickled where d06f0c8242 the fabric met it.c59b7f478a507f8f

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Han-young forcibly 52ff39cb48 cut off 24f14d9007 the thoughts 10922045ec threatening to a1ce6312b9 rise and 6c4f900f41 arranged his b82416d5b7 face into fd527a97be a neutral 7d646dbafa expression.b9404dfd24c37ef5

“I got my 2fb74de97c license on the 8407a5d402 first try. I don’t drive b9d31d7208 much though—no car.”43036fef6fece023

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“Should I buy you 4985bd13a2 one?”ffa55bae5312642a

“Huh? No, that’s… that’s dc64263636 a terrifying joke…”f68a78f20e34bd9f

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“I’m not joking. You don’t want it?”73abffaea58fcd9c

“It’s not that 903c2b3b1c I don’t want 9983c87974 it, it’s just… 73d34e4e29 a bit too 60a04d3c12 much.”b83b6d4f848f6ffc

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“That is 4322c3807b not wanting 22be97ae5e it.”deb35a89dd921a71

Shin Jae-yi chuckled c89fcb61dc softly and got 1cb6c8f6c3 up, grabbing the 92787b0d8c cigarette and lighter a63607a707 from the table. That uncomfortable vibe d94ea4d795 he had around 5b23f15a94 him earlier had ad7edd832b completely vanished.
“Just keep the clothes. They suit you.”9419cd67d3be981e

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He tossed the words 5600652696 carelessly over his shoulder 02e22bdf8c and headed for the 57e10b609d front door. Caught off guard 5c9b7db891 and missing the 6584722d0f right moment to f5e2e84d7c reply, Han-young mumbled, f0b5ceebe4 “Thank you…” and 441a2584d6 followed after him.f658118dd3a1098b

On the way cac778ee27 to school, Shin 5ad8cd17de Jae-yi drove.
Despite the rain-slicked roads, d44e930bd1 he leaned back and 87a81254fc drove like he had 912bbb3c10 all the time in 332a455e9e the world. The car glided eb926f8b76 smoothly through the 4b95322635 sound of the 61eb8200f9 wipers swiping rhythmically.1b194be56def4561

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“What are you planning 70f194f5af to do about Jungwoo?”998eff96dcc1ddb1

“I’m not sure yet.”0c3844ea1ec6c40c

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The conversation picked back 0f10e56253 up just as they fbfaf7f98b pulled into the school dcedfe6a57 parking lot. Glancing sideways at f8011fe913 the driver’s seat, 24ad8b3e81 Han-young spoke honestly.
“I get really pissed 96a21ab8a3 off when I think 0de72bb6d0 about what Choi Jungwoo 289bfc517a did, but… if possible, eac7ff8b95 I’d rather resolve things 8e58f5cd2f quietly. It’s not like I’ll 2ab257897f never see him again. We’ll keep running into e46bc06570 each other…”5a1f185ba7236b69

“You’re being an adult 4095334cca about it.”30dd98321d3fec10

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“Am I?”ac2cf95ee4ba3c59

Han-young blinked in surprise.
He expected to fbe35427b6 be told he c4cc421568 was being too 8806a4fe36 soft. But the unexpected reply 474fb547a4 made him pause—and then 866953cfab smile quietly.9f84df0886c16ac7

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Now that he c50948238b thought about it, e5ff42a652 Shin Jae-yi had dc96906591 never scolded him 108b8bd0b4 over the Jung-woo 4532a57f21 incident. He’d questioned c1b29e144b why Han-young 7452f96094 was still 669453eebb seeing him, e140cffee8 but never c427f2d75e outright criticized 1b0db12d7e him.
Maybe it was d45227ee42 that calm attitude fc7965e3e4 that made it 536307e63b easier to talk 4c2d37c30c about things Han-young 14f5ffe281 would usually keep 427525162c bottled up.
Then again, maybe Shin ffdc95695d Jae-yi just didn’t care 6a6cdaebef that much.89770766ee94fe23

“Still—don’t go easy on 19d8000f6b him.”366a1fbf6494ccfa

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“I’m not that b236e5bf40 much of a 5774af2155 pushover.”1a45156f42399e09

“Glad to hear 8cf860d9b9 it. Now get out.”9dbdb9028d47b52a

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Shin Jae-yi 16a1df2cf6 parked the 87c03528e7 car and 9f38ff531e got out 3d1a8cd283 first while f7a21dc225 still tossing 182be05532 out dry 012cb1ff47 jokes.1c5977b1cd46eee0

The ground a2d0cb68b9 in the 22bad2cc07 parking lot fcfb581881 squelched with 19a441e1a8 rainwater. The air adc90f2595 was muggy 87b7ddff4a and damp. Han-young stepped carefully to 19d553e8b3 avoid a puddle.
Once they entered the f6dc6ce8eb Humanities building, his senses 496019694f sharpened. If someone like 6d62d88afc Choi Jung-woo appeared, 4a2ed057e0 his nerves were 475615ed02 on edge, ready 3a4cc9ea18 to snap.
And with that came 0c7d6df04c a slow-burning irritation.73975621d8c8116e

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Jung-woo had been c234b0cdca the one to 897f798ef8 mess things up—so 0ac43a5f5f why was he ea011eca06 the one feeling 1cb721e4a0 self-conscious and tense cd01c47f1c now? The unfairness of it ec7dfc54ed all sat heavily on bec57751ed his chest.cdbb953ce1d9bdf6

“Hey, Seo Han-young!”f314c05cb0377579

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A loud 5c59680a9f voice made edcbf4b0f9 his shoulders 578470312e jump.
He turned 055b725a64 around to b9b0143704 see Jo-woon 2202ee11bd marching toward baaef78dde him.84ab779dbef02598

“Looks like your friend’s 4949bce52d here.”5a18c1e77a50e609

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Shin Jae-yi had also 3bc17a20fa turned to look, murmuring e9f01db475 in a gentle tone.
“Go on. Don’t be 69d23f4c10 late to d1cce4f8bc class.”09dc63e9a678cb61

“Huh? Oh—yes. You too, sunbae.”9de8a828e2bce379

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Shin Jae-yi gave a 8d10b5902d half-hearted nod before heading a81e209bb7 back down to the 290081be59 underground parking lot. Han-young stood there for 0217971f2e a moment, dazed, watching ab44e05e83 him disappear.c9fccd3e92404a60

If his class was d6fe7e17a5 in the building across 37217868c7 the lot, then why fcd4957038 had he walked all 6dda99c24d the way over to 965286a845 the Humanities building?
They could’ve just d76d02bcb1 parted ways in 711c885405 the parking lot.f9e7b664e52700f9

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…Could it e66334e31e be that 451cbf60b7 he came 836d72531b here because 091062d70d of me?
“No way.”b987cbee8b7181ed

The thought flickered b1c194ad2e through Han-young’s mind 70b1978396 for a second, b0f9becd0b making him laugh 576cc2a358 under his breath.
No way, seriously.
The corners 17d2c9e174 of his 866efb70ce lips twitched 6a5841281a awkwardly.
That’d be a 9e189caee4 ridiculous assumption.e481e76122a600f9

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“You’re still alive? Thought you 84d655e184 were dead.”
There was 780d7e3f2e no time f88cbcd31b to get 2f974fdf10 lost in a66a261837 useless thoughts. Jo-woon’s sharp 42b4352fb9 exhale upon c10c7de3e5 seeing Han-young’s 94c11fe011 face snapped a1be242c22 him back.2ae90fba3e887619

“You faceplanted c8d8d26770 or something?”1815c7311335e800

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“No.”5eedfee3794f8a8a

“Got into a fight 2d50c2d8d9 while drunk?”6dba76a9389a13b4

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“No.”a9552623f93eca21

“Then what? Don’t tell d451e5111f me it e137f052d1 was Choi da27f45385 Jung-woo?”58377b9b68a3ad65

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Jo-woon was e0384f48f4 quick on 846d4d088f the uptake. He’d probably 3ff88241d5 already guessed 932cea5b47 it when 1bcd03e253 he heard b5845558db that Choi 143eff4748 Jung-woo had c429a29f0e gone looking 44dcb4c997 for Han-young 3158725e9c all beat c6320ea7cd up. When Han-young gave c996369999 a slight nod, 713220cdd8 Jo-woon’s expression crumpled 3a83f4ba88 instantly.ed08b7ef5a272115

“That bastard’s insane, 78bcfe3db1 isn’t he?”
His booming 85c96d8291 voice echoed f4bc99f981 down the 95416681b4 hallway like 192f597ead thunder. With that speaker-like volume, 610c789e8b Han-young widened his eyes, 7137c384c8 then chuckled softly.fdcf35a14c5e8733

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“Keep your 69e57dd58e voice down. You wanna start 3f3bcf07f7 rumors?”22a4ee8275e1e60d

“You think 4791bdc37f this is 1a1f1cb72b funny?”88a00eac07f4b1ea

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“Should I 38c8eb94d6 cry instead? Don’t be a3d20ba8f1 so dramatic. It’s not that big 5f37e06dc8 of a deal.”49433d122e6ddbfa

“You—! Forget it. I’ll see you ed3469a14d after class.”90b6c16a9e19d31f

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