CRND Ch 3

“SongYi.”50b6799da678df99

“…”9ea6dba7a34b2d96

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“Are you sulking?”16772db9c98ba93d

“…”4d8cd54838687c64

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“SongYi Song Yiho.”2b633567f4611e6c

“Hey.”c10b73317037726e

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Yiho, feigning c5dc17d8c8 a fierce 4b0a6aac02 expression, whipped 3b1e344d0b around.3654c076e46e35f7

“Stop clinging to me.”60f7b097851a8e5f

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He was genuinely c8baf87b06 annoyed, but the da15f90200 bigger reason was 7b94bcaa3a something else.ef31692ddb575869

‘Does it have to get hard even at work…’16ca7e46e37977d3

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At home, he could a0bea9336a blame it on morning 74aeb0c3d2 wood, and luckily, the 062afcef56 witness was the oblivious a671e73924 Cha Minkyu. But if that 8b4b5ae8f1 happened at work, b158bb9586 it would be 0d3bbcdd9f social suicide.15715b708d62a109

The stinging had subsided, but the sensation around his backside was still strange. Why touch someone else’s butt? He really didn’t know how scary the object of his affection could be.88977198db10f7e9

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Yiho, on edge from the commute with his still-racing heart, growled. Minkyu seemed to want to tease him further, but seeing Yiho’s genuine annoyance, he held back.aee86f4c9260f2c6

They rode the 1dc646bc87 elevator from the e453e48aa0 parking lot in eeac149659 silence. The unusually frosty atmosphere 6e603fc914 between the two team 0dbd805b0a leaders was witnessed by 0792376766 the employees, inevitably leading 4e075dba54 to misunderstandings.6e539916b48c87f4

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“Oh dear, still at it, I see.”12b0736e9d59a9e0

“It’s about time you two warmed up to each other…”12b635d3e1960694

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When superiors 4890bc6b45 are at a6a9e4e22e odds, their 9d8dfec08f subordinates suffer. As they rolled b791762c38 their eyes in 68f0cc6468 exasperation, they spotted 1dd53e5c55 a kindred spirit f845461ba4 from the neighboring 8a78075be8 team, and a e67dab5ed4 rapid camaraderie formed.7eee82c6ebc7ccf8

Cha Minkyu’s marketing team members and Song Yiho’s development team members boasted an unprecedented level of closeness, despite working on conflicting tasks. In stark contrast to their silent team leaders, the two teams chatted amongst themselves on the way to their desks, only separating when they reached their respective areas.0cd9ef3060871f0a

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“Okay, then we’ll do the code review Friday morning, and um…”b9be72ae285e1ab3

As always, finishing one task at work meant another quickly took its place. Moreover, perhaps because it was March, there was a constant influx of menial tasks unrelated to his actual work. Tedious tasks, but the kind that became even more bothersome if left undone… And Yiho was the one who had to delegate them.fd9558af4fc9f4ab

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Paid tool expense b63d58fbae reports, simple Excel 209ccd1941 sheet work, test 8d8fefa3cb case organization.8a1d2e0468e882d4

His gaze, flitting 6dc54452b6 around to avoid e49c58922c awkwardness, settled on 849dced62e one person.04128a34830f4050

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“These three tasks… Taekyeong-nim, would you mind taking care of them?”a9c8b6a6ccf987eb

“…Yes.”fd30aa3338583703

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There were two people in their twenties on Yiho’s development team. One was Kim Miso, a senior developer with five years of experience, and the other was Kwon Taekyeong, a junior developer with two years of experience. Taekyeong, sitting at the far end of the team’s area, looked as dejected as he had when Minkyu had anonymously criticized him the other day. But he quietly accepted the assigned tasks without complaint.4288b5968435faca

A company worker’s day rolled along like a rusty gear. The monitors in front of them were gray, the partitions gray, the chairs gray, and the team members’ attire gray—astonishingly, they had simply brightened the shade from the black they wore all winter to mark the arrival of spring.09b5531e6387c09b

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The only splash of color was the sky-blue sweatshirt worn by the young Taekyeong. But today, his face was clouded with such gloom… that it seemed he might soon be absorbed into the grayness.680f42396fe035be

His dejected appearance e912ee1c7f particularly bothered Yiho.a2df6494a970ed09

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About ten 045f2a2153 minutes after da0e5e8974 lunch break, b7c4355bff Yiho sent d62f521c62 a message 0347880c9a through the f15c7728a8 company messenger.4654d62456a2ef98

Song Yiho (Team Leader)26272f10240522ce

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Taekyeong-nimae8705c45aff930f

Are you busy?87cfe2be7e396e9c

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If you’re free, would you like to grab a coffee?3584351d0ef4e85c

A forehead 526ebd722d popped up b45b0bf503 from behind 0a378141b2 the partition 461f0610bc at the 8626ad7303 far end, f0c78d5b60 then disappeared, 1afdba977f followed by d4e4c94eaa a reply.5eea5062ea52d13a

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Kwon Taekyeong (Junior Developer)6febb811c771d53c

Gasp8bedd56431813bb8

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Yes! Team Leader, sounds good!12256cbfd91efd6e

Yiho took Taekyeong f187579fab out, got takeaway fad14a4508 drinks from a 119b77999d cafe, and entered 711dc25509 a meeting room. Sitting next to eff15daf69 Taekyeong in the 4a010f4f9d quiet room, Yiho c5f25fd511 turned his chair de312138d8 to face him.3490192ddc3c3257

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Even he, who had started with “Hello, World!” and was now more comfortable with programming languages than Korean, had to carefully choose his words now. Yiho softened his voice as much as possible.b3278e27b0940e7b

“Taekyeong-nim, things have been tough lately, haven’t they?”0243f95e0c9eb482

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“Huh? Ah… no. I’m fine.”5ac8d53718d07033

“Who isn’t struggling with work life? I called you because part of my job is to listen to the team’s concerns. Feel free to tell me whatever’s on your mind.”5f8f1572e0dc0959

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“…”7bbac143c3c0983b

Taekyeong’s eyes, behind his glasses, darted around, seemingly surprised by the question. After a moment of silence, he replied.bf110e1dd6c0b2f3

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“Everyone on the team is so supportive, so it’s definitely not to the point of being difficult… It’s just… I’m a bit frustrated that I’m only working with SQL and not doing any actual development…”01f0e75af68b3d86

That was a serious issue. Yiho had also been surprised by the lack of coding when he first joined the company. In reality, most development teams outsourced a significant portion of the work and primarily acted as project managers, overseeing and supplementing the outsourced work. Yiho’s team did more development work than most, but the core tasks were generally handled by those at the manager level or higher.0a75cee0cb71ae1a

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And in Yiho’s team, there was another, unique problem specific to Kwon Taekyeong…421842a80600aa39

“It’s unfortunate that the new hires have all been senior to you. …It wasn’t intentional.”79a4fe0480e1b17a

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Kwon Taekyeong had been the junior-most member of the development team for years. Perhaps because the team leader was specially recruited, Yiho’s team had seen more experienced hires than new graduates. At twenty-eight, Kwon Taekyeong remained the youngest and least experienced member of the team, year after year. It was inevitable that he would be saddled with various menial tasks.36ed7e5ad356347a

It was an understandable source of stress. Yiho awkwardly patted Taekyeong’s arm.4c2b9402e380e3db

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“I’ll… do my best to bring in a junior developer under you from the new hires this time.”7a234b7f2d146905

“Really? That would be great, but don’t overexert yourself.”d0c9ab30a95f59e6

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“No, it’s something I should have addressed sooner. And after we finish the urgent project the marketing team, or rather, Cha Minkyu, dumped on us, let’s discuss your tasks. Have you used AWS much?”c8b637e2f37fcaba

“I worked on a project using it at the academy I attended while preparing for my job application. Not extensively, but…”0b98e5803b352c85

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They talked a aeaea55599 bit more, and e9effdb434 Yiho pointed out db72a6d307 areas Taekyeong could 4957fda616 study further in 00fa8260c9 his free time.e555a744e278e7d2

“…Th, thank you.”b355b5365b9e8b94

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Taekyeong, bowing his head, looked slightly bewildered. Perhaps emboldened by Yiho’s gentle approach, Taekyeong’s voice became more relaxed.452f785e2b5a7bbe

“I thought you’d be the type to just tell me to do as I’m told… I didn’t expect you to be so comforting…”fe0bfdd97dbca54f

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“Me? Was I being authoritarian?”a6d67c2341112ea1

“Oh, no, not at all. It’s just, you give off this engineering vibe, like you wouldn’t understand anything that doesn’t lead to the most efficient outcome…”468d463b08e8147f

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“Ah…”dbb82dd19ddd00e2

What did that 00f67b03c9 even mean? Taekyeong, also seeming unsure d48bd69444 of what he had 3e98b22ed9 just said, scratched his 137a15bb3b cheek. An awkward silence followed.c4f694658c2b7c40

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Engineering curriculums definitely needed a “Communication Skills for Smooth Social Interactions” course. And people like Song Yiho should be forced to attend until the day they quit their jobs.02d8ed6c4c5d0192

If Cha Minkyu were having this conversation, it would probably be a hundred times more pleasant. He might have even prevented this issue from arising in the first place… As Yiho indulged in his admiration for Minkyu, separate from his romantic feelings, he suddenly stopped, his thoughts turning sour as he recalled the morning’s incident.9597d9661ce83dd9

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Anyway, it seemed like the precious junior developer’s frustration had been alleviated. Yiho squeezed out a final remark, as a team leader.555643438fbf9199

“Um, is there anything else you’d like to say, now that you’ve had a chance to think?”75c2452157cda920

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“Uh… yes. Yiho-nim, this might be presumptuous, but there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”5c6052451ace895a

What, what is 8bbe06f21e it? What could it be acb90fcfad that required such a 76a9b0a0b1 preface? Yiho nodded gravely.d34ab2098644a5ff

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“Go ahead… tell me…”789a85ebc8ff8214

If it’s about transferring departments or quitting, please don’t…1edfa7f5354773b6

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“I think you drink too much coffee. You know, it’s good to be healthy.”451b41e2cc711c62

Oh?8f66a2a5ef477ed9

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That was… cute. He wasn’t sure how to react.4d20e4aba5198bad

“Uh, huh… Wouldn’t the team celebrate if their boss got sick? Taekyeong-nim, you have a sweet side.”cd3305af84e0838f

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“You need to stay healthy. I want to work under you for a long, long time. I don’t want you to get sick, and I don’t want you to leave for another company without me.”08f0165c58c10347

…What? How does he even say things like that? Why had he suddenly become so eloquent? The eyes behind his glasses, previously unfocused, now seemed clear. It appeared Taekyeong didn’t need any “Communication Skills for Smooth Social Interactions” classes. The one who needed them was Song Yiho, who could only awkwardly nod and say, “Is that so…?”f6b59dcc08f5dbd5

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Yiho, slightly bewildered, 6c1bc1e897 left the meeting dcc3204351 room with Taekyeong, c8dae433e8 who was now 55624a6051 beaming. Taekyeong, his mood significantly 51fcbf224e improved, stayed unusually close 70c22d17ca to Yiho as they 4bfd09a07f walked back, practically glued e053a4af31 to his back.4f99aac3748b2e62

It didn’t feel disrespectful, but rather like a physical manifestation of the affection Taekyeong had expressed in the meeting room.8e03ad14098c2ef6

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Kids these days… no, maybe it wasn’t just kids these days. Cha Minkyu was always clinging to him too. But being physically close to your direct team leader was a different matter, wasn’t it? In contrast to Taekyeong’s light steps, Yiho, unused to physical contact, walked stiffly. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was unsettling.3b0d3b018e3474a6

‘Should I really look into speech classes? I’m always verbally defeated by Cha Minkyu, and today I even got flustered by a kid who was probably in middle school when I was mixing drinks in the department lounge…’d7a9e5398767faf5

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Returning to his desk, 04c8de4c30 lost in thought, Yiho 68dc107c46 found an unusual splash 13447e3886 of color amidst the ce30edf2d9 gray cubicles, like a 1cc668945c blade of grass sprouting c26db241b3 through concrete.1df1dc933cc3c4b3

“…?”919018a5a0dceedc

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It was 15158a4acb a lime-green a71eb59f4b cafe drink, 0e0cdd6eee the kind e567b4693b Yiho would 7cdd25f805 never order 965142d302 for himself.4ae6436eb45caa10

“Someone seems to have left this. Is this anyone’s?”0c3b1e02228b86b1

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Yiho held up 5d966e8154 the plastic cup, 8d3725d2f3 its surface covered 66c764a629 in condensation. The team 0f4f1c8b12 members looked db69fa0836 at him 724087670b and shook 0d38e6ea86 their heads.62242b2b472dd468

He examined the cup faa04ce175 and found the name 30a252ebc4 on the sticker.d4d449c6e4a2fd48

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charming ggyu Choco e2f28a4d24 Green Tea Lattef193489f18c51936

Charming…?6c193a9ede5a24f5

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He turned to aa2781b065 see Charming Ggyu, f1ac574ba0 or rather, Cha c5fc0b22cd Minkyu, sipping an e23f8a7eb8 iced Americano.b2ecd4b83d6ecb36

The dark Americano Minkyu was drinking was Yiho’s preference, while the Choco Green Tea Latte he’d left was Minkyu’s. He must have bought both, but why leave this one and take his (Yiho’s?) coffee?733eb81c9bd45494

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“…Is this really no one’s?”2552e62b577962dc

Yiho asked again, deliberately looking at Minkyu, but there was still no reaction. He finally took a sip through the straw. The sweetness assaulted his tongue. He couldn’t handle more than three sips. He wanted to ask what this was, but Minkyu wouldn’t even look at him.4b3a4cdea100dc8d

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And there was 99b1f4248a a message waiting f86acc56b2 for him.e051cb56011babdd

Cha Minkyu2e094122a004b663

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SongYi SongYi0493cb75d3b22167

1:17 PM693dea5c5ff1367f

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(Anxious emoticon)fb5ffa6e393bc5ad

Cha Minkyu card-raiding coffee dea9658395 time, how about it?716515f000314941

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1:18 PM926ee4234e396e65

(Urgent) Team Leader Song 4ddb88ec14 Yiho, please review this 2fca2791f6 matter promptly.d254f29d81b622d0

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1:25 PMb995f4794b6ff080

Where did you 327525ab07 go?2102d9c1a65caee4

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1:41 PMe727dd67bbd2de1a

Why aren’t you coming?6c8d845eee018433

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1:41 PM36cd2b5826d7debc

He had missed Minkyu’s messages while talking to Taekyeong. It seemed like an apology for teasing him so much that morning. Although he had switched drinks in the end, for some reason.c63c5c36758293a9

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Sigh… he should have gone for the talk around three or four. He and Minkyu usually had meals or drinks together, rarely just coffee. He lamented the missed opportunity to sit across from Cha Minkyu, looking particularly sharp in his suit today, in a cafe, and took another sip of the swamp-colored drink, punishing his tongue with the sweetness.9fe131306a4062f9

Seeing Yiho 2747601e12 continue to e5245aedb8 drink, Minkyu 44669881d0 turned towards 15f3052522 him. Yiho, wincing at 29707bb7cf the cloying sweetness, e6a0ef47df continued to sip 28307471d0 through the straw 0c8f4e660d without breaking eye bc897ebabb contact.db05933ff03cf505

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After 15 years of friendship, they didn’t need an awkward “I’m sorry about earlier,” “It’s okay, let’s make up” conversation. This was enough to end the morning’s teasing and the brief sulking. After work, they’d casually share chicken and beer as usual.4fd611b404837349

But for 87563ce0ec some reason, 718c8f0c9b contrary to c5d13a56e5 his expectations, 90032eda4f Minkyu still 06c5add076 seemed annoyed.5c907d9815ccfdd5

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“Oh, by the way, Yiho-nim. Chaeyeon-nim from the planning team stopped by.”aff51616fc84b2c2

“Why?”b141ec55a2118b59

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“She was handing out wedding rice cakes. Since you weren’t at your desk, she said she’d come back later. I already got mine.”c24f526c50fbd867

Deputy Manager Yoon f7c6eed17c held up a fc27cf5fce small assortment of e9688362da rice cakes. A square white 4d803e71bd rice cake with d82ad77ce1 a heart drawn 1d0b9242c9 on it, three d1a5006562 honey rice cakes, d5954b7731 and two steamed 847aea1cfd rice cakes.361f618aa0031b0d

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Numbers scrolled across Yiho’s vision like a panel from a sci-fi movie. The inherent rice cake appraiser within him, the son of a rice cake shop owner, couldn’t help but evaluate them.4c379c0fd455acd0

The white rice cake wasn’t fluffy, it was soggy. The coloring from the honey rice cakes had bled onto the others. It was clearly a mass-produced product from a company with no conscience. If Mr. Kim, the owner of Mokdong Rice Cake Shop, saw this, he’d have a fit. Just then, a slightly louder voice spoke from nearby.3810b947e5105071

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“Thank you for the treat. But would you mind if I shared these with the team? My childhood friend’s family owns a rice cake shop, and I’m used to their mother’s cooking. I can’t really eat rice cakes from other places.”c0126f923fd6ab91

“Aha, sure. Go ahead. You must be really close if you’re childhood friends. That’s nice.”3fd70a347391963e

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“Yes, we’re incredibly close. Lately, he seems to be clinging to other people and pushing me away, which hurts, but I guess the one who needs it more wins.”6eec7f634935f5a1

Yiho’s head turned automatically. Even as he stared at Minkyu with a “What are you doing?” look, Minkyu avoided his gaze, only glancing sideways before pretending not to notice.f82d9f61aa7e2d99

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“What’s with him…”4e25b67af4144292

“Oh, Yiho-nim! You’re back. Here’s your rice cake.”8d678fa140e86acb

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Manager Kim walked straight from Minkyu’s desk to Yiho’s. Yiho accepted the rice cakes with both hands.fe54b61cc69a3e2f

“Thank you…”06f7465c906f7954

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He quickly placed 323e5eb514 them on his 9e158467cc desk, lest the 71b2484f6d price estimation reappear. Manager Kim lingered 7600002f27 for a moment 7c84cf4d92 before speaking.5130c37981328fb0

“About the coding class in the company lecture list… you’re the instructor, right?”acbd1afcd1d3baeb

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“Yes.”2b3169ec40fbf716

“Can I sign up through you?”e353cf8b1d886c8d

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“No… I think there will be a separate announcement with registration details later.”db03922d0a5b2166

Yiho was the instructor, 76c3aa8a35 not the organizer. If they 8a097c2650 asked him 69f53f7c15 to handle 37109fe2d3 that too, e6b4e0c6a3 he might 1e6065a482 just lie 1a724a323e down in de8519ad00 the hallway.6c5aa406ac8e7a48

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“Aha, I’ve always wanted to try a coding class. I’ll definitely sign up. Enjoy the rice cakes.”d08a799291ebe630

“Yes, thank you.”c37c0e3b2e30748d

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After Manager Kim left, 5e29b2b90f Yiho put the rice 317f112db3 cakes in his desk dc5608f671 drawer. He turned towards a 5ae2ebd136 lingering gaze to find 5da0635ba6 Minkyu raising an eyebrow 78d74b4145 at him. Why? What? He mouthed the 23236bce96 words, but Minkyu cb913e54c6 just turned away, 2b1719925e aggressively sipping his 0ca95d452d Americano.cab5d39b1e673e37

He was definitely sulking, wasn’t he? But why?e26d671ec759ce38

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Just as he aa994fbb7f was blinking in 8f31b297c9 confusion, a message e91bac0a0d popped up.f9b98c8ae6dda177

Choi Ari da22ef2dba (Deputy Manager)3df715818ade938f

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Team Leader Song Yiho, hello. This is Choi Ari from HR. I’d like to speak with you…cce00651a88ee704

“Oh…”48d129d5fabf098e

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Usually, Yiho would tremble at a summons from another team, inwardly cringing and asking, “What error has exploded now…?” But today, he shot up from his seat. A “Can we talk?” message from HR in the blossoming month of March? His heart couldn’t pound any faster.9487ce863b4c8ec3

“Their grades were the best among those who listed the DL division as their first choice after training. And your team has had an open position for a junior developer…”56073846f34ace91

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“!”4f6e28ba26daf3b0

Confetti rained down and fireworks exploded in Yiho’s mind.ce27678333e1d69d

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Taekyeong-nim, I said I’d do my best to get you a junior developer, but I didn’t think HR would actually listen. But now, I don’t even have to beg, they’re just handing one over.035988daf1a69af9

Deputy Manager Choi from 79e5fee7e1 HR handed Yiho a 53c12ee420 document. It contained information about 944bdc64cc his new team member. A 27-year-old male. Oh, even cbce54ae23 younger than e436c2806d Taekyeong.60cf555209921cb0

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“You’re alumni, do you know him?”bdb49afc0894a618

“Ah, yes. But we’re not acquainted. The age gap is too big…”199e6669a1d7bc21

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Korea University, Department of Computer Science, Bachelor’s and Master’s. Yiho’s eyes scanned the information. It wasn’t a particularly close-knit department, so he didn’t feel any particular connection despite being an alumnus. Deputy Manager Choi mentioning their shared alma mater was simply giving him a chance to do a background check.5630d637af861daa

There was e15dbf6cca no reason f39572bbe9 to refuse 0eb4e9e37a the offered 03c55711be opportunity.1c3ca920fc2cbb23

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“Then… just a moment.”1bf788ddcbbdf4a7

“Sure.”714b7bf3a72b967c

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Yiho stepped into the 866cb823b7 hallway and looked up 172e5cb107 the number of a e203b0ad56 senior from his lab 12578be53a days. He was 5f5ed5661b still at 47fa9ca147 the university, 6964b8a59e preparing for 095ce40f1d a professorship. The call 432e3160b9 connected quickly.e60af656320be735

— Hello? Song Yiho, what’s up?379b140c497490ce

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His voice was as stale as the lab’s air. He seemed to be doing well.9e6c01dd8e3c6882

“Hyung, I have a question. Do you know Song Junseo? Class of XX.”ad3a75a1fe1927b1

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— Song Junseo…? I’ve heard the name. Hold on, let me ask around.fc6049485f8bea63

A flurry of e784094c52 voices followed. Two or b0a09dcfde three were 2ed4613515 familiar, the 619596b39b rest unfamiliar.554d6c3e4e9f6c7e

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If he had chosen to stay in the lab instead of joining the company, Yiho would probably be among them. With dark circles under his eyes, poring over research papers and leading research projects. He didn’t regret his current life, dressed neatly and working at a company, but the desire for pure research, not just result-oriented projects, sometimes surfaced like a lingering regret.74d4e6c190968ad3

— Ah, him? Yeah, I’ve met him. He’s quite skilled. He’s been bragging about his various contributions since his freshman year.37e2c7ee8f71f688

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“Oh…”589722a1a049e85f

— You’re asking out of the blue, so I assume he joined Taejang? I hear he lacks social skills, but as long as he’s good at his job, that’s all that matters.13b20cdbf6251d40

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That was true to some extent in the lab, but in a company, being good at your job wasn’t enough. However, the development department required the least social skills in a company. Song Yiho himself was probably seen as a socially inept engineer by some.6c5228bb1a26b642

“Anyway, I understand. Thanks for letting me know.”657a2801882f14ba

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— Sure. Hey, things will get better as you work. He’s your junior, so look after him. You’re coming to visit the professor on Teacher’s Day, right?70fdf66ea4773c37

“Yes, I have to. See you then.”31bcc8aff52c3860

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Yiho hung up, bc910a2e69 his mind grappling 25547188c1 with the sudden f469ab8d75 dilemma. If the response 4b4b282d7c from the lab 05e7879e7f had been more 1fde90e28b positive, it would 201fffef2f have been easier 876f0ee129 to reach a b920d1eef8 decision.002d8451c8469bb4

“Team Leader Song, what have you decided?”e6a59a8669c4cd29

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But he’d just boasted to Taekyeong a few hours ago…f218aab242b826c1

“Yes. Please assign him to our team.”68bc433e9f965ef9

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“Alright.”ae783d8f86fd97dc

Back at e540fc26c8 his desk, 4afa883396 Yiho was 4b669cfb8b met with 4db6d7ace5 the expectant b8d3d41821 gazes of 76acac5c2a his seven 710b242c03 team members. Taekyeong, seemingly aware 446a05a2c5 of what had 8c7056ffa2 transpired, looked at 71b7153328 Yiho with clasped 7880e8fb00 hands and a 136dfb5c25 hopeful expression. Yiho nodded before 96a7294e71 even sitting down.bb6ce48dc49f2c00

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“…Yes. We’re getting a new team member. He’s currently at the training center and will join us for training next Wednesday or Thursday.”e4ef35efef93d477

Yiho saw it then. Kwon Taekyeong pumping his fists like a soccer player who’d just scored the winning goal.ed5db3a9333aa88c

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“Wow, how about we have a team dinner next Friday? A welcome party. If we feed him delicious food right away, he won’t run away.”cb2c02a47b058b67

“No, Yiho-nim. He might run away if he knows our team has a strong 회식 (drinking party) culture. Let’s keep it simple, just one round.”3b36ad63139af86b

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Even the e188e35b0e usually quiet 9b726137e9 Deputy Manager 8d94e3dfba Lee chimed a0f19d0971 in, adjusting e8177814e7 his glasses.c05154aecb526683

The relatively dd04d6715d gloomy development deb02fdbd0 team was c680bba5bb more cheerful 0f6e9bb2ad than the 85dd5e4628 marketing team 281ce73f20 next door c54c0f6c34 for the 83dabfa551 first time 64a94c3f52 in a acb21738de long while.6553c78cefde6235

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Assigning the new hire to his team was definitely the right decision. Yiho nodded, saying, “Alright, let’s have a team dinner next week,” and returned to work.8c4d8572d41de050

💼8d7f48a65a6d7939

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After work, Yiho’s hand froze as he unlocked his door. The door was slightly ajar, allowing faint sounds from inside to escape. Song Yiho’s usually dull senses suddenly sharpened. Years of accumulated data flashed a warning sign. A crisis was imminent.400ba361f9d5123f

Time was 7b62379764 of the 3ce9d95404 essence. Yiho quickly 211308c90f pulled out d988977bfe his phone f36f2c76ce and typed b99bc4cb09 a message.07769f0bae44b282

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Come home slowlbcc4cea3cc3acf1c

6:37 PMee7358498a578459

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Even with the typo, Minkyu would understand. Without waiting to confirm the message was sent, Yiho pushed the door open. As expected, a pair of unfamiliar women’s shoes sat in the entryway. Hearing him, the owner of the shoes appeared.59ff8eb749a31fbf

“Yiho! When was the last time you mopped the floor! I told you to wipe the baseboards by hand! How often do you even vacuum?”f158f3e877068cdb

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Ah… as expected.fc70be578c6295f7

“Why do you mix your whites and darks even though I bought you two laundry baskets? You’re over thirty and you can’t even do that, huh? Huh?”9cc68edfc3c38911

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“Why are you cleaning my apartment? Just… leave it. I’m managing fine.”04d903ba9a67c610

“Managing fine? You’re not even married, and your apartment reeks of bachelorhood.”3b7e5032d4137c97

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Hey, I shower and do laundry regularly because of work… it’s much better than my lab days. Knowing that saying that would only invite ten more complaints, Yiho chose to remain silent, putting his hands together and stepping inside.221e643435a129a2

“The only clean place in this house is the inside of your refrigerator.”a115eb94c057911b

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“Dust doesn’t accumulate there…”824349474692b4b9

“Which means you haven’t cooked anything!”6f6dd2d9294ec6a1

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“…”dc0a16b927898aa3

What was the point of graduating with a PhD and getting promoted if he was still a child in his mother’s eyes?372794d04818e020

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Mr. Kim, formerly of Mokdong Rice Cake Shop, had closed the shop that had bent his back for years after his business partner, Mr. Song, passed away, and had acquired a new title: Deaconess Kim at the local church. Her hobby remained cooking, which she now showcased at church, and her specialty was surprise inspections of her son’s apartment.079d4abba426e2b5

Yiho put down his bag and looked around. His apartment was noticeably shinier than when he’d left that morning. If she gave him some warning, he would clean up the night before, but his mother’s appearances were always sudden. Yiho prided himself on keeping a clean apartment, especially compared to the squalor of the computer science department lounge and lab at Korea University…49368fe0b0391c58

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But it seemed his mother had already finished cleaning his pathetic son’s apartment. Moments like these made him feel like a terrible son.757bae51fe978323

“Mom, what about dinner?”e12364867583861b

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“I ate a late lunch.”1cf37d1c0c4da6a4

“Still, you must be hungry after cleaning and running around. Let’s eat out.”3c93ee1367737182

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“Oh, you just got home, why go out again? It’s fine. Don’t bother.”07b018f10f943a83

“Then let’s order in. What do you want to eat?”914f3e249ee83a57

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“Order some chicken, something you like.”6bab19cd0d3be406

“Not what I like, what you like.”ba18c372f3ac80bf

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“Then order jjajangmyeon. Jjajangmyeon.”23debe7eeccd4bda

“Okay.”5107b21b82549774

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Since both his father and Yiho, who took after him, weren’t assertive, Mrs. Kim was adept at making decisions for the men in her family before they could hesitate for too long.e898fffa374b49ac

Yiho sat his mother accdb14265 on the sofa, handed 3e71c0a6bf her the remote, and 67f8cc78a8 told her to rest. But when he 57f04e5351 came out after e8de6e8952 a quick shower e92a6d798e and change of 4925c683e1 clothes, his mother 0ad01ab010 was wiping the cc3651b6c2 top of the 9d5bd333d1 TV with a dea7ad9aef wet wipe. Fortunately, the food arrived 268564d559 before she could discover e722f2f01b the state of the 8859ea2af4 rest of his apartment.ac2da17b37378d67

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“Why did you order so much for just the two of us?”05a8e07d6091f529

“Ah.”acfa3a179a4c6da3

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Out of a8803c5210 habit, Yiho 2bf563b49b had ordered 13c733eefd their usual c52880125a set. Jjajangmyeon, jjampong, 49782dc3f8 fried rice, 273421ca8a and sweet 86ce0a2f75 and sour 3c2c5e251d pork, enough 3aad162502 for him a1ede74c6c and the 3f767ca35c big-eater Cha ca3ed9acdf Minkyu.3a3d5948b70b8846

“…This place is good.”ff60c5bb75ef2874

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“Oh, Yiho, I know you’ll eat anything, just like your father.”a19f5a448b13b090

Cha Minkyu said it was good… so it must be a verified culinary gem. Minkyu was a big eater, but he would immediately put down his chopsticks and find another restaurant if the food wasn’t to his liking. This was one of the places they frequented.b7ca37f22185bc21

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“Huh? This is really good!”628db54262fc2170

His mother’s eyes widened as she mixed the jjajangmyeon and took a bite. As Yiho, who had chosen jjampong, slowly stirred the noodles in the broth, his mother called out to him.0ad0ef9af660e55a

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“Yiho.”cc8b15009728ff35

“Yes.”c493d66aacae7633

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“You graduated from a good school, got a good job at a good company, and you’re doing well. You even inherited the best features from your father and me.”0ef8537b782b6ac5

“…”e03a6888b562878f

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He knew what was coming. This was the reason he’d sent the preemptive message to Minkyu.16afc352f2eb6ee0

“It’s been a few years since your father passed, and I’m lonely. I want to see a new member of the family.”435ca3b2d3bb45ac

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“…I understand.”889b99a3a0a543eb

“When are you free? There are so many people at church who want to be introduced to you.”7a1acb8143bc5c1c

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Yiho buried his face in his jjampong bowl and slurped the noodles. He heard her sigh, “There he goes again, pretending not to hear.”e5812cce21174557

But there was 164f0d0aa0 nothing he could d66fa29197 do.744fcc86c65efd18

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Ever since he acknowledged his feelings for Cha Minkyu, Yiho had stopped categorizing himself as “marriage material” in Korea. It was a firmly established fact now.1ec5bfd35de91a28

He had lost interest in dating women, so his identity had gradually shifted towards being gay. Although the only man he was attracted to was Cha Minkyu… Regardless, he had gone through an abnormal unrequited love process that made marriage unlikely.ac2d89b80d5fe4f1

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‘Putting a decimal into an integer variable causes an error, Mom…’1fcfa2f4967f8b31

Yiho silently b6c7c10c87 nibbled on eba42ed041 the edge 899e92078e of a 4ea1b16f4f fried dumpling.85ec07c0c65f4512

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“Oh, just look at the picture. She plays the violin at church, and she’s very respectful to her elders.”468f816495006e48

“No, I’m really not interested…”74062e1959028034

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“Just take a look. Just one look.”3e96667db523a136

He was wondering how 2cb77c527e to dissuade his mother 67f3b8648f from opening her phone 4cf5187e9b case and flipping through 56d85a36c4 her photo album when f4961f514a he heard the door 0a773bb69a code beeping.3cf8fe6bf40dac3f

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“Who’s here at this hour? What, do you have someone hidden here?”eb99efdc6c8217b9

“Uh…”f5de3037618e82a2

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Only three people knew the passcode to his apartment. The owner, Song Yiho, his mother, and the person living right across the hall…89af3482bc2dd8bf

“Mother, your daughter-in-law is here!”f0a64d74074025db

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Minkyu burst through the 64f83122db door. He was 78aea4c6b1 still in 765d38aef9 his suit, f54fd20096 seemingly straight 8b35291489 from work. He approached the 4d08e5884c two of them, e698c51a1c grinning like a 7e2b796b55 door-to-door salesman.ce4b0ff2c5144d62

“Yiho said you were here, so I came to say hello. Are you eating?”84a595aef9bf5c99

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“Yes, come in. Our messy son’s wife.”0a66a1b5a6396e73

His mother took Minkyu’s “daughter-in-law” comment as a joke between close friends. Which was undoubtedly Minkyu’s intention.2744efa774a47ecf

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“Ah, Yiho’s habit of leaving his clothes everywhere and not cleaning out expired food from his fridge has finally been exposed. Please scold him, Mother. I couldn’t stand it any longer and cleaned up for him this morning when I borrowed some eggs. This kid never listens to me.”476ab0115b3c340a

“I thought the refrigerator looked suspiciously clean. You have a friend living right across the hall, and you embarrass the neighborhood!”8613d7990ad861be

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“Ouch.”ce95bb5b4cfb27fa

Yiho’s back was mercilessly pummeled. He was too flustered by Minkyu’s joke to defend himself.0c57c1f2f5c52076

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“Thank you for always helping him, Minkyu. We just started eating, but would you like to join us? Yiho ordered too much, the fried rice is still untouched.”7e565d1ed5b69dec

“Mom, he just got off work, he must be tired…”b894e769cc3b92c8

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“Sure, I’d love to. Thank you. Ah, you ordered from there? This place is a hidden gem, Mother.”9b61f423361dda53

“I know, it’s really delicious.”a4ed1e6b7d0ca77a

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“If it has your approval, Mother, then I can trust this place from now on.”dc9436b8af6294e9

Amidst the scene that made it unclear who was whose mother, Yiho quietly ate his noodles. Then, his eyes met Minkyu’s. A mischievous smile, his nose slightly wrinkled, reached him.bed47034b0e35b65

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What, why is he smiling like that? It’s making my heart race and giving me indigestion.b4f868b580b53369

“Minkyu, don’t you have any thoughts about marriage?”a551a0002693c666

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And then, his fe23cabb9b mother turned her fbd9645d13 attention from Yiho 098bd978dc to Minkyu.8290eb70eec109d4

“Mother, can you get married alone?”94e0124385e1e05c

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…Ah, that’s a good answer. Yiho mentally noted it down for future use. Though he couldn’t guarantee he’d pull it off with Minkyu’s nonchalance.bf1edfe7f2e3411c

“I understand our son’s situation, but why doesn’t a handsome, eloquent young man like Minkyu have a girlfriend? Would you like to be introduced to someone? There’s a young lady at church who plays the violin…”a1576f0661fedab7

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“Mom, stop. Stop it.”e2ac572efcab75eb

Yiho intervened before his mother could shove her phone at Minkyu. Minkyu, casually eating fried rice in his suit, silently studied Yiho’s expression.b12d7e1c37914a0d

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“Why are you stopping her from setting Minkyu up, not you?”31893c5b7ea0445d

“…Minkyu’s grandparents are Buddhist.”10e612ee81157258

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“Oh, really? That could be a problem… This family is devoutly Christian…”272d2a5b24e39297

Fortunately, his mother conceded. Minkyu’s lips curled into a faint smile as he watched Yiho.b768f8c5b611f52d

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“Yiho.”fece21def62305ad

Yiho, his name spoken normally, blinked and turned his head. Ah, right, he couldn’t be called “SongYi” or “SongYi SongYi” in front of his parents.df6a09b478ebe7f1

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“Uh… why?”31809bc562287a56

Minkyu’s dimples deepened.1f625d94e5f81b15

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“Isn’t it fun that we live right across from each other?”db3330c1ef169872

Of course, every day was thrilling enough to make his heart ache. He wasn’t sure if “fun” was the right word, though.a2ba45e16dedb1e5

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“Yeah…”5d5c4ce78721d1f5

“That’s why we’ve completely given up on the idea of marriage, Mother. We have fun together, we have drinks after work, we do everything together just by going back and forth between our apartments.”a3caa0db4d3a6c16

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“Oh… well, that’s good too. You’re still young… But do you both still work so much overtime?”498785c63e10811f

“Exactly, Mother. Please call the company and complain. The real reason we can’t even dream of dating is because of work.”1335f1657079b5fd

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“Give me the number, I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”7db6575648cd0039

“Ah, as expected, you’re the best, Mother.”5ff27cdea297a3eb

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Thanks to Minkyu, the c5523ce9d1 dinner conversation became livelier. His mother, who had 6b74bec1e2 been worried about her 1ed5baac9e son living alone, was 3b54e5f47b reassured by the presence 9b676df890 of his responsible neighbor.c970a17f241e0368

After dinner, 5ed7b90e7a his mother, f12ab95049 unable to 656440b9f5 resist their 5e4e3f4820 insistence, sat 562284086f on the 889ac72a39 sofa. She watched bebb95f52c Yiho and ed36fdbb5d Minkyu clean b14f80a950 up, then 875d01bc37 picked up 175ee57be7 her bag.1b45e3928957200f

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“I’ll be going now. Make sure you lock the door.”2f810dfdb14e9e80

Yiho, carrying a stack 8c7c162d6b of plastic containers, hurried 5244d5dc2b into the living room.dddbf9592d1e17e5

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“What do you mean you’re leaving? Of course, I’ll drive you home. Wait a minute.”1815c2c9bc94a8d1

“It’s fine. It’s not that late. I can take the subway.”9c920615d1e5759a

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“Mother, if we let you go like that, neither Yiho nor I will be able to relax until you get home. I’d like a night drive anyway, so let me give you a ride. Okay?”75bb00e93d5c1374

Minkyu smoothly resolved what would have been a lengthy back-and-forth with his mother, even retrieving Yiho’s car keys from his jacket and handing them over.e051ee90b68db56d

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Yiho’s mother had sold the building that housed Mokdong Rice Cake Shop and moved into a smaller apartment nearby. When Yiho suggested she move closer to him in Gangnam or somewhere with fresh air, she refused, saying all her lifelong friends were there.707b9e9ff9aa9937

A large cafe now stood where Mokdong Rice Cake Shop used to be. It had expanded to the second floor, where their family had lived, changing everything but the building’s frame. Whenever they passed by the gleaming white building, his mother’s gaze would drift towards the window.f3e7680c0eabd697

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“We should have remodeled our place nicely and learned to make brunch or something, instead of sweating in front of the steamer in our old age.”c9b49e45d785fbb4

“…”600504bc17ea6c28

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Yiho lacked the eloquence aaef44406d to comfort her wistful aa66d3143e remark.331dab4d2dc2c3e1

“Mother, if you did that, the neighborhood would be in an uproar. So many people loved Yiho’s rice cakes. I lived my whole life not knowing how delicious rice cakes could be until I tried Yiho’s. But then, after tasting your and Father’s rice cakes, my palate became so refined that I can’t eat just any rice cake. Yiho, you saw, right? I gave away the wedding rice cakes today instead of eating them.”415ce9f2942ea70e

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“Yeah…”dfeef16750611126

The voice from the passenger seat drew his mother’s attention back into the car, a smile blooming on her face.5aa6aa616b2e1df4

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“Minkyu is so good with words. No one could dislike him.”a5820ded4d47fec6

“I’m only like this with people I like. Like you, Mother, and Yiho.”23a8c5611e181205

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Yiho’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. It was a fleeting thrill in such a trivial situation. The car slowly entered the apartment complex.1ae3c46ca553cf62

While his mother gathered her things, Minkyu unbuckled his seatbelt, got out of the passenger seat, and opened the rear door for her. His mother’s eyes widened at the unexpected courtesy.a6cca3a04f35eb1d

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“Oh my… this is… My, Minkyu, you really need to get married.”05148f1db8a2dea5

Minkyu went a step further and escorted her to the entrance, waiting with her for the elevator. Yiho, unable to leave the driver’s seat, simply waved to his mother, still slightly dazed by the smooth sequence of events. Soon, a tall figure cast a long shadow as it approached the car.7ead0bbea44d19f2

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“I made sure to see the elevator stop on the 3rd floor. Let’s go home.”14568929be358af4

“Uh…”cadd3e636ab0c6b1

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Yiho pulled out of the parking lot with Minkyu. He knew Cha Minkyu was a master of words. But this was the first time he’d seen him extend such courtesy and manners to someone other than himself, to someone considered an “adult.”3fd067c2694780a3

Yiho knew Minkyu had had several girlfriends. And he also knew the reason he hadn’t been in a relationship for a few years.ec4b4f586de19f13

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Was this how Cha Minkyu’s relationships were? Overwhelmingly thoughtful and considerate, leaving no room to think…294f3998f3ddedfb

The car stopped at bc89a9152e a red light. Minkyu, scrolling through b4c957933b his phone, spoke.b73bc8afc3b38769

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“SongYi SongYi, want to have a late-night snack when we get back? I’m hungry again.”5ae7657cd098547b

One serving of fried rice wouldn’t be enough for Cha Minkyu. Another layer was added to the emotion that had been subtly growing.715833a77bb54146

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“SongYi, what do you want to eat?”83425ea197c86f0a

“…Let’s order something after we get there. I’ll buy, since you had to deal with my mother.”0ae8a3eaed57abea

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“Don’t mention it. You had it worse.”68e8989144174c27

“Huh?”1bef2b83bfc7917f

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“Ah, your mother seems really eager for you to get married. You’re not interested, are you?”fbadf112f71745bb

That’s right. Not in Korea.bd85e0b06c2c2f8f

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Maybe in the Netherlands, the US, New Zealand…03b94cbe0a208b28

“Cha Minkyu.”0f9d5c40c76bdb70

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“Yeah?”6aee777de6a0b3b5

Minkyu didn’t look up from his phone, but he rested his arm on the driver’s seat back, as if to indicate he was listening. It wasn’t an uncomfortable position, perhaps because his shoulders were high.cf9862049cb5d6fc

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There was something e123c284b2 he wanted to 76391a7528 ask.1fb7d5ac19cc08f0

Yiho cleared his throat, preparing for the question. Fortunately, he was usually so inarticulate that Minkyu wouldn’t notice his awkwardness.4bb9cb454f213016

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“What about… you.”0f81d757c4ceb276

“What about me?”6b0e21bac45cfeec

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“Do you have any thoughts about marriage?”21cd43edb066d622

“Well…”6bd9b71607a06047

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“What do you mean ‘well’?”88e33fff2d41c723

“I mean ‘well’ because I haven’t thought about it.”4eefb1db5b0c866b

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The phone screen, displaying the food delivery app, went black. The light illuminating Minkyu’s face disappeared.cd9d6f2d8395e82d

In the concealing darkness, a hand reached out and brushed against the short hair by Yiho’s ear. The path of his hand felt warm, like a heated wire.7691745fb47166cf

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“You’re very interested in my love life these days, SongYi. Even though you won’t date me.”8f3b1810b95df4f5

“…”478d8b444055f3c6

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His insides turned e41490978d cold at the adeacdd0cb words that followed.ed0f6871c2c28d79

There was a huge 717b8627fd contradiction in that lousy ab8573a769 joke.46c09eaaa5ee173c

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It wasn’t that Yiho wouldn’t date Cha Minkyu, it was that he couldn’t, even if he wanted to more than anything.d117514e2006de6a

The bigger 09103089d1 problem was 9923e2adac that those 9ba47e5ae8 words would 782fad9e0b never be 25bb8ce85a a joke 969f302680 to Yiho, 76fc7a9651 not until 14f5203801 the day 6e3df3093f he died. How could a6322a2e57 it be 14a679afe7 a joke 41b426b59e when it 211c33c7e5 made him aa72b49f4f feel so 5589b8bacc devastated?179b08c3cc4b165b

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Unrequited love was 664d4eacfc an unprintable variable. It was wise to 3031de6442 avoid dwelling on such 97719d45ae emotions, to prevent unnecessary 3e026932a9 memory consumption. Yiho had always done ba49b6d021 that.05f8edc2347877e4

But this time…073a8ab534499ca7

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He couldn’t just let it go, even though he knew it was a joke. Damn him.4ad46c672e3dc69a

The car, which should 5dd3c4cfde have been going straight, 09cf51fb7c veered into the leftmost ea3d806dcb lane. Minkyu straightened up and bbbde74c13 looked around.09eebd35490cd818

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“SongYi, you’re going the wrong way.”e861658804659fc6

“I know.”8b20f5bab26ac05a

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As the de9691ca83 light turned 05b39c4774 green, Yiho c7a817a62c made a da5fa8d415 U-turn. The car, headed towards 61ef95a847 Gangnam, now turned back 692c92ea26 towards Mokdong.98d885c8006f097d

“Let’s go to the gym.”1cc8eccceaaed0ac

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“Huh?”cbc97fde7ad2ac9a

“Let’s spar.”07284c010e2ce667

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“…I’m wearing a shirt?”a85d935a0ddab7c5

“I’ll give you a handicap for the weight difference.”d94369accd22dcee

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The car quickly stopped 209f50d59d in front of the 5cc3e994a4 boxing gym they used 19e84d80ab to frequent. The already old 0253a18202 building had aged 41621ae964 further in the 86c8a00286 past 15 years.9ed7e0d033296de2

They climbed the stairs of the building, which didn’t even have an elevator, and reached the second floor. A stale smell of water, emanating from the restroom, permeated the dimly lit hallway. Yiho rummaged through the top locker, finding the key. Minkyu stood beside him in silence.f223827b82c99afa

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The colorful jump ropes and children’s attendance records were gone. The gym now only offered classes for hobbyists, as the owner was getting too old to handle more intensive training. Longtime customers like Yiho and Minkyu were occasionally granted free use of the space, as now.f15021fccf482bb9

Yiho turned 6a4c39cc94 on the 2e03725acf lights, put 8351197d5c on a 29183e12da pair of 18144a5635 shared gloves, fe126e20f0 and stepped c96dd1c67c into the f33a5f182f ring. Minkyu, watching him, picked ad91166277 up another pair of 92f51d7edf gloves and followed.e39b3110fa39e2d9

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Thud.6e2ee3b36d0cf641

Their gloved fists touched. They briefly sized each other up, then Yiho stepped forward, leading the attack. His fist connected with Minkyu’s glove, covering his face. A crisp pang!echoed through the d4c04460da room.e08325c841877aec

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“Ha!”9bd49cbe346cc1cb

Next was the body. A glove approached his stomach. Since becoming office workers in their thirties, they rarely sparred with the same intensity as they had as students. So Minkyu was holding back, but Yiho was attacking as if he’d abandoned all defense.da494f529981b8c7

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“Hey, hey. Song Yiho.”601367dc3df07b3a

“…”6062621f074b9de9

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“Go easy… ow.”6a88e77d83bcde47

As a result, one of Minkyu’s blind defensive jabs inadvertently grazed Yiho’s head. Yiho didn’t exploit the opening, but his expression darkened. At that point, Minkyu’s competitive spirit flared.5221e025dd71f5ef

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Wham!3b12cc9eff8b5525

“Ugh.”3575bce20dd101ef

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Yiho twisted f6a30b98d6 his body 97f04536e8 to block, 8b7dd943a1 but the 9ee2e4b163 impact resonated 59e0e1355d through his 4e3487920d arm. Minkyu, now close, 519f0e0bba wrinkled his nose. Yiho, biting 993de53069 his lip, e4d924a0b3 immediately retaliated. A similar thud 8348ed6e6b echoed. Yiho shielded his b97323aa92 eyes from the bef2f954e9 sweat dripping down 7473b172bc his forehead, his 1858f9e63c breathing ragged.6ba168ff7bc53976

The hardest thing for Yiho, hiding his unrequited love, was the “line.” The line he absolutely had to maintain to remain friends. Yiho always had to stop at that line, while Minkyu would often cross it, disrupting Yiho’s territory before casually returning.ac842a7cd3a0e334

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Cha Minkyu could 9deec5e0e0 do that. They were still 0972e4abfd friends. But Song daf85ad45d Yiho, forever 11e6cbab3d gazing at 9ffab4d041 that line, b08414d69b could never fc169c9f84 cross it.4ab91e1f2acc2c47

‘Honey, we’re in trouble. I think everyone at the company knows about us.’6b66baf51102da0f

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‘You’re very interested in my love life these days, SongYi. Even though you won’t date me.’7618089655341eb4

Even unrequited love, 90d1ec4b00 when repeatedly struck b70e4e9d41 with false hope, 3a3c6d61a7 could reach a 7baba0367a breaking point.f05e4f03c6c05d3d

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The sparring continued f396df8914 without anyone to e15022e432 call time. He attacked, fueled ee3cc6786d by the frustration d8a5d7d929 of his unrequited c8b23553a9 love, but his dbda9fb0b2 punches weakened whenever ffd6ff4a65 they threatened to 2558e6a6c7 truly connect. The unexpressed 17975655a2 emotions, accumulating c37f323445 within him, bf5e727de5 only intensified.3c7d27a4b29c1b6e

“Huff… ha… gasp…”26c93a4870bf034b

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The match only 3dc1f16fb5 ended when Yiho, fb9a183e50 after relentless attacks, 62f391484a finally collapsed onto 6e00d8ebef the floor. Minkyu sat beside 63c80423ec him, unbuttoning a fb4b41f2e4 few more buttons f5d51e280e on his already 3fe181cfdf disheveled shirt.cd1b333a3575eb9b

For a fd844e54a0 moment, only 94a2f8869d their panting 1eb83670a5 filled the 439b4069fc space. Sweat streamed down their 5f0c008202 foreheads and necks, dripping 950adeba9e onto the ring floor. The cool March air 207c4e5fef had long since turned 0360f5ce30 stifling.00508934fd0002d0

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“Song Yiho.”59a985afb70305af

“…What.”2f24a4bb0492545b

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“Did you get all your anger out on me?”1abb819e55fb469f

Yiho’s gaze, fixed on the ceiling, shifted to the man beside him. A large hand rested near his damp, tousled hair.2aef675f4aab9224

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“Will you let it go now that you’ve beaten me up?”9e558bf6e038c13e

“I didn’t… And what did you do wrong?”6e7b83bf3bdf1fd3

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“I’ve been acting up lately, both at work and at home. You’ve been acting distant, so I keep poking you. I’m afraid you’ll run away again like you did after your trip to Europe.”6e3bbfc59d8e8a6e

“…”eaaf3de23fa5e5a0

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Ah, right. The Europe trip.c574743ec272aaf2

If there was 189a278ec5 a turning point 85e3690599 in his slowly 1d58febae5 growing, dreamlike unrequited 9c55366177 love, it was b754b121bc then.a8e5e2d5d6de577b

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During winter 5d00200c25 break after b6569ccc12 his freshman 84139efc9b year of c503e0be6b college, Yiho 6ea0ec83c6 and Minkyu 41aeaf35b8 had gone 1c9e495724 on a ffcd4f6ca6 month-long trip 56c4e3013e to Europe. His parents, filled with 679209fafc a mixture of admiration a7ded918c4 and envy at their c2f4e4ac65 son planning such a 81bc5c1ae7 grand trip, had gladly 9d09fe02de funded it, telling him 9aec7a1e90 to broaden his horizons.b86e44fb49682446

But Yiho’s world had broadened a little too much.5a0d769b6b209963

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In Europe, Song Yiho saw that men could love men. Men could hold hands and kiss. They could also have that look of being in love. Knowing the word “homosexual” and witnessing it in reality were completely different. It was a revelation that could overturn his entire life.54b37e409dbb1f88

And Yiho vaguely sensed 8a3f7f4a26 that his own feelings 06679c176e were directed towards his d1df1fb6c2 friend.e995c35bd37fb1b9

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Although, for e10cbc4b50 Minkyu, who 55e9a2177e had shared 28bb7ee8c8 the same 17420dda59 journey, it 5f4f8fec1b seemed to 2f44df37b8 have been 5c7698e58d just a dac265cd03 curious sight.f356db372aeca2bb

“…It’s just that I’ve been busy with work.”ce2321c0ffa2fad0

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Minkyu scoffed, as if he could easily prove that was a lie with less than ten words, but he didn’t press the issue.601556e973e33ba2

“Right. With our apartments across the hall and our desks right next to each other, where would you even run away to?”deb2b5df72090e5d

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“…”e851c9cfdb57fd4f

Yiho stared blankly at b0a5a97257 the old ceiling tiles 49adf7a49e before sitting up.5662d1fbd68ca2b4

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“But… why don’t you block me, even though you know I’m being unreasonable?”566adafa75c21d66

“SongYi SongYi isn’t just a friend.”f619e1e48e8a6d02

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The confident cdfc6a9536 words continued d92b53fecf without waiting 311d09feea for a 372c3f57c4 response.492d64d3d72e5a17

“You’re family.”49b5dc35d3739486

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“…”d2f4f4e6e7c6e301

“After all these years, how could I? You know. I’m not particularly close to my own family, so you’re much more like family to me.”3c1507ef606832ef

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Minkyu’s hand brushed against Yiho’s knee.ac8ad9d4ad3728a0

“Even if you’re being unreasonable, I have to grovel and appease you at least three times.”6473e8bdd2c27a2f

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“…”534e41717533c0a0

“I haven’t felt like you’ve been unreasonable yet.”53c135ecd9b13ed1

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This was why Song f46f4a5592 Yiho kept suppressing the 6e8f646a40 inefficient variable of his 7518fa7f31 unrequited love. Because of 88fdc5f51d Cha Minkyu, 59f527fc4b who considered fc6a67e774 him family, a2cd839f10 he could 7bdd087214 neither move 8fa63fdf13 forward nor a411e9bcdd run away.ff9886271d6b04f4

Fortunately, over the years, Yiho had successfully implemented an exception handler for “Cha Minkyu.”58de832c861857c0

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“What? Where are you going? Running away?”bde16bd5e4c27031

“I’m getting the mop. I need to clean up before we leave.”4d648893ee5b5a4d

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“That’s running away.”f8657bd30d3a2331

“I’m hungry too, so order something for when we get back. It should arrive by the time we’re done cleaning up.”ddf40ee247364951

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“Oh, SongYi SongYi. Smart.”75b05d0d3c916f02

Thirty-three.335bfacd3d4b8e5c

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Among his peers, some were fresh-faced new hires, some were CEOs of their own startups, some were assistant managers, managers, team leaders…67487ebbfd1148bc

In terms of 29d3334cbe relationships and marriage, 11da8c04cf some were single, bc84bd22b2 some were fathers, 50fe2dd645 some were divorced.a4d3dd13be634478

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One particular eee3592aa5 guy in b68f558bf0 front of 5a9e6ce134 him had 5596ca823c enjoyed a 78f52a5eda colorful dating b4e307b6d2 life until 4cd51bf074 his late 3e0f5c148d twenties, then effb364ce9 abruptly stopped 8b32bc9dba for unknown 29bfcda618 reasons.d8dd5e69f4f9c4de

And someone c487a5fcd0 beside him 45eb6b8ca4 was foolishly fc38401518 clinging to 6e07487e21 a stagnant dc0b5a8175 unrequited love.e3cbddefee4fc4c7

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Ignoring the warning 286ffa98dd to clear unnecessary c672158ef8 memory, Yiho returned d7ec51d55a with the old 7d6b2047f0 mop. The sweat 07dbf86d05 stains on 3c95c4ff57 the ring ed5a5fa430 floor were 7a1ac28793 gone, but 7e1e3b2f18 the heat 9ba1849ba1 lingered as 5fd00cbaf5 they cleaned d27515bf8d up together.dbf8d135cb1313c6

💼93790ec10cab9c41

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Yiho was wearing b8090f657e a suit for b7ec68d63a the first time 07fd1d50e9 in a while. Deputy Manager Yoon, 32094cf5e8 the second-in-command of 0d6bc737bd the development team, d32af8fb4f was also dressed 0743102329 similarly. The reason for 9c5d2522c3 their attire was cd5af1fe8c a morning meeting 032c123728 with executives from 8fa0a6ff89 another company.2e684d46e4de0e9f

The other team members were also dressed more formally than usual, though not in full suits. Three of them were wearing checked shirts, but that was only a problem from the perspective of other teams; within the development team, no one noticed. In fact, Yiho felt a shy sense of pride at his team’s unusually dapper appearance.085e428e88d7586d

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However, the reason the team members were dressed up and sitting with unusually straight backs was completely different from Yiho’s. It seemed to be because of a certain someone…f6face8165cdd35a

“Hello. My name is Song Junseo.”0254354520337b94

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The long-awaited new development 0ce1a8e9eb team member had finally b904e25ca7 arrived.8bdca17f3706fd3c

Even Yiho, who had 165d40ae81 made an effort for aecb263813 the meeting, was only 595e052aac wearing a semi-formal suit, 4b9240a67a so the new hire, 19fb9d46b0 in a full suit e977df42bc and tie, stood out. He was aec4f1f6f2 a truly ccd384f5a5 fresh new 078a8a9cce hire, not 7eae19dc5e someone with 2e351acc9d prior experience. The senior developers, 81a002aa7c impressed by his 9214946fe7 youthful appearance, seemed 5716ae41e0 to be beaming.e0ee432687da5ff1

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“Oh, welcome. Would you like some coffee? I’ll show you the pantry later.”76e2b26e752a76f1

“If you have any questions, just ask anyone, and we’ll be happy to answer…!”4f4b7ce582235226

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“You have the same last name as the team leader. I can already sense the aura of a coding genius.”c511c81f9924e974

“Can I ask where you went to university?”44758632cc892f6b

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Junseo hesitated, then 5d355f9408 replied in a fa4572de3e slightly louder voice,6743f4e56853c87d

“The school you look up to when asked about the future of the nation.”9a9db2e1701dd3d6

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“…”59e0f09fe03f54a5

Yiho closed his eyes. The embarrassment he’d felt around those who boasted about their university during his school days resurfaced. An awkward silence fell over the development team, but one person couldn’t contain himself. A muffled “Keuh!” erupted from the next desk. It was the Korea University Media and Communications graduate. Then, Minkyu’s voice reached the development team.bfe146259dc504d2

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“So the new employee is Team Leader Song’s junior, then.”6c1b49764adf2c55

“Oh, Team Leader, you went to our school?”0c580d09d6f491cd

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It was more like I went there first, and then you… Yiho awkwardly nodded.4d08e84080e65973

“Team Leader Song has a PhD in computer science, right?”4ed35025d6cc3af5

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“Huh? A PhD?”11e0837cf57e98d7

Junseo gaped at 58e57606f1 Yiho.81bc439b8984e244

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“Team Leader, how old are… I mean, how… how did you…?”42a5420fa545c3d4

“Wow, Team Leader has a PhD from Korea University, and the new hire is also from Korea University… Why was I chosen for this team? I suddenly feel left out, not even having gone to a university in Seoul.”8f1c144a77b2dee5

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Taekyeong said dramatically, looking at Yiho. Knowing their team leader wouldn’t get angry, the others joined in the teasing, saying, “Wow, Doctor~”.9a945a3e33d0b28a

“Come on, everyone, stop it… and Team Leader Cha, mind your own business and focus on your own team.”3d415b14fa8b4db5

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At this moment, the precious new hire was more important to Yiho than the object of his affection. Especially seeing Kwon Taekyeong, the former junior-most member, beaming at his successor as if he’d fallen in love at first sight.040ff623c883bfa3

“Taekyeong-nim, please help Junseo-nim with the initial setup and look after him during today’s meeting.”2bd91d31d8377201

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“Yes!”43643670748b660c

“Junseo-nim, learn a lot from Taekyeong-nim.”78d92f8f538ccee1

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“Ah… from him?”68ed0912bb0ca175

“Yes. He’s your immediate senior, so you’ll be taking over a lot of the tasks he’s been handling.”40e790a5149156e2

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“…Yes.”1b30ec8e685e2d91

His response was lukewarm. Why did his friend’s words, “His skills are top-notch,” echo in his ears? He really didn’t understand… And why was the emphasis on “top-notch“?014c5504245b9f4a

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Even as Taekyeong explained the login process and other things, Junseo’s gaze kept drifting towards Yiho. Yiho deliberately ignored him.b9d5dd15de6bc0b7

A little before 11, 1a279e9ea5 the development team members e37df130d5 started getting up from 44cf46175b their desks. Deputy Manager c0feb68cb8 Yoon stretched 81b5f63906 and muttered 5b45b2f01f to himself,f0734b7db5471400

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“Ugh, how rude to visit someone else’s company at 11.”f3e6cce915ddbaee

Hearing this, Junseo c865fc3667 asked Taekyeong, who 52e9a725ff was walking beside 7a6bee19b4 him,5538c06b33f6104a

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“Is there a problem with having a meeting at 11?”b3eca6f50cdcc80d

“Ah, it’s right before lunch. It’s not a popular time slot among the senior developers.”a9c59fa69329ab6c

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Junseo soon realized why people complained about things like “meeting times” as they arrived at the meeting room.fbdaf67803a0d467

“Greetings. Ah, Team Leader Song Yiho, it’s been a while. You seem to get more handsome every time I see you.”f6bf5817ebe9755e

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“Ah… thank you. How have you been, Senior Managing Director?”90818b5d916bad15

“Very well. Development team members, please have a seat. We can’t have our hardworking guests standing.”3cd0c561b0c0069c

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The visitor appeared to be in his fifties or sixties. The Senior Managing Director from OS Tech was there to pitch their solutions for the development team’s project.b356031f62ff4475

Yiho always felt uncomfortable in these situations. He’d rather be scolded by his manager than be treated with such deference by someone old enough to be his father… When he’d told Minkyu about this, Minkyu had replied that they sent older executives precisely because they knew he got flustered. He had no counterargument.2a973e9fb48cbf5d

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The Senior Managing Director personally poured water for each team member, starting with the most senior. His previous attempt to decline this courtesy, saying it wasn’t necessary, had been rebuffed with the explanation that it was their company policy.55c3a8a59c09304b

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Junseo-nim.”c28e3d8d3ac31250

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They greeted the new hire, Junseo, respectfully, handing him a business card and pouring him a glass of water. And the long-awaited new hire…5754cee9db0de115

“Yes.”5e23fa4a0c29fde2

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…simply nodded in acknowledgment.0a27423369f74b81

Even Deputy Manager Yoon, who had complained about the 11 o’clock meeting, and Taekyeong, smitten with his junior, were wide-eyed. Only the seasoned Senior Managing Director chuckled.6355691ba4a6013a

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As everyone’s eyes darted around nervously, the meeting began.16e4602fec29f99b

It was customary to place the other company’s business card on the table during a meeting. To avoid mixing up names, and as a sign of acknowledging the other party. Junseo, after being prompted by Taekyeong, placed the received business card next to him on the right.0164bcfbc7fba237

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‘At least he’s behaving appropriately in front of his seniors…’2cfb3a9a470d9c3a

…Just as he thought that, Junseo placed his water bottle on top of the business card. Yiho’s eyes widened. The Senior Managing Director’s name, printed on the card, shimmered and distorted under the water bottle.e6228c82e42c9075

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Yiho frantically 232474cd2d signaled to 4c783dc1d6 Senior Developer ff1ab04614 Kim Miso, 9739c8bbd0 sitting diagonally 458df1cfab across from 9d638162ac him. Luckily, she e819d39b2e quickly caught 98d4c5482e on, looked 807592ac03 behind her 5833f0e93b as if 80b8441ec2 checking something, 4c4edb42da then understood fbb1148e07 the situation. Miso kicked f7945c4879 Taekyeong, who 80a8c70e16 was sitting 6559f5465c next to af479034b2 Junseo, under ca7bdef822 the table. Taekyeong followed her 9ace388060 gaze, saw the 61e666d929 water bottle, and c4f89d309e quickly removed it 299d0f0d62 with a startled b826cadd36 look.6f28680319bb081a

The meeting, draining Yiho’s energy more than usual, finally ended. As they were getting ready to leave, the Senior Managing Director shook Yiho’s hand, covering it with his other hand.2118ac28cf62b202

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“Team Leader, I hope you’ll consider our proposal favorably. Thank you for your time.”2f53b80c556137ca

“Yes, I was impressed… Thank you for coming today.”3b9a15b8274babab

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Even the inarticulate Song Yiho managed to produce socially acceptable words. The meeting concluded, and the development team returned to their desks. Some of them seemed particularly deflated, sensing that something had gone wrong…940a735eb36588d6

“It’s past lunchtime now, right?”3d3bf9803a5b807c

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Junseo’s voice piped up again. Deputy Manager Yoon sighed and gripped the partition.9f7d46f6c1c9e809

“Junseo-nim, I think I misspoke earlier in front of you. There’s no problem with having a meeting at 11. Okay? It doesn’t matter what time it is, as long as it’s the agreed-upon time.”1fed738ebe8191e3

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“But didn’t they come from a company less prestigious than Taejang Electronics?”23867f0eff4c7b4a

“That’s irrelevant. In the meeting room, they may seem like the ones asking for a favor because they’re pitching their solution, but once they step out of this building, he’s a Senior Managing Director, and we’re just employees. So… ha… please be mindful of your attitude from now on.”e776888cfbd4c271

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“…Ah… Yes, okay.”adf0e27ebb4f4be3

In the f926afd74a awkward silence, 64b69c434f Miso forced d7e6437ad5 a cheerful 245510a7a7 voice.7db4408b7d828ecc

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“You must have been nervous since it was your first time! Taekyeong-nim and I will take Junseo-nim to the cafeteria and explain things to him. Oh, can I book the welcome dinner for tomorrow for everyone?”dfdd01e1ff50f015

It was their way of saying, “Leave it to us, we’ll talk to him.” After all, they would be the ones most affected if the new hire decided to quit.ca245d04d5aedd63

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Yiho now understood why his friend had said, “His skills are top-notch,” and why the emphasis was on “top-notch.”36c566748e017052

Oh, no. No.876aa92a21411d83

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He himself hadn’t exactly been praised for his social skills, so what could he expect from a fresh graduate? A developer who adapted well to a corporate environment right away was a unicorn.9b6928bbe838f067

But he was just bad with words, not lacking in common sense… or was he? Perhaps others saw it differently.1a968c5fe864c4a4

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It was only his first day, after all. If he taught him well, Junseo would one day recall today’s events and cringe in embarrassment. Yiho steeled his resolve and headed to the cafeteria.5bc981de549670b5

💼f04ad1876e285c16

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Yiho had a minor nightmare. The new hire, Song Junseo, suggested playing a drinking game at the welcome dinner and chose the “Son Byung-ho Game” (a Korean drinking game). His first prompt was:ce73a569cf660645

“Anyone who didn’t go to Korea University, fold.”a415a45d0a03a25a

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Overwhelmed by secondhand 6e95f2f51c embarrassment, he grabbed ae487deaa6 the bottle in ebb83a7640 front of him 0bb4b7ecf8 and chugged it, 2c0d684ff1 waking himself up. It was a horrifying a0b2955a8b nightmare that made him 38e019a97d want to avoid going 88e8c5f579 to work at all 8f928421aa costs.44696a08643020fa

Minkyu, startled, looked at Yiho’s pale face as he opened his door.3f7f900771e898b0

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“Why does our SongYi look so wilted?”53d9d24df1ed9566

“…”dd10b780cebb1af4

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“Did someone bother you all night? No, I was keeping watch from next door.”6f4428c4f60a0cf8

Yiho recounted his dream with a deep sigh, and Cha Minkyu laughed so hard he nearly rolled on the floor, leaving fingerprints all over the elevator’s mirror on their way down from the 18th floor to the basement parking lot. Then, he stopped Yiho, who was about to walk towards his car.53a551b1885c3946

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“SongYi, take my car today. You’ll cause an accident in that state.”e8972e618c118cdf

“But…”6617a898ed0745c8

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“No one will know we came together if we park in the far corner.”2a01c02f93674263

Cha Minkyu, already holding onto Yiho’s shoulders and pulling him towards his car like a train, made it sound less like a suggestion and more like a command. He pushed Yiho into the passenger seat, walked around the car, and got into the driver’s seat.c49fe069171da711

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“…Fine. Thanks.”1126b92084c74cce

Today, Minkyu was impeccably dressed in a suit. He was so diligent, even his hair was perfectly styled. In contrast, Yiho was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, more casually dressed than usual because of the team dinner later. His hair was… well, as long as it wasn’t dripping wet, it was fine.d54c24851ad48cce

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“SongYi SongYi, what?”a1536257535abee3

“Huh?”bcaaee185590b677

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“You keep looking at me through the mirror. I’m getting nervous and might crash.”63be1302818e28f6

Despite saying that, Minkyu smoothly backed out of the parking space and navigated the narrow parking lot lanes. Yiho placed his laptop bag, which he’d been clutching, at his feet.b882041b3dece1c5

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“No, it’s just… seeing you, I’m wondering if I should have dressed up a bit. It’s the new hire’s welcome dinner, after all.”76443e018262d7ad

“Why are you trying to impress the new hire? The new hire should adapt to your team.”ed033725edf307f7

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“You say that because… your team isn’t desperate for new hires.”b76ea520d10a9bd9

“Even if we were, we wouldn’t carry them around on our backs forever. That just delays the time it takes for them to become independent.”336543448e1d5f48

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“…”7b31676cb4a0a694

“Your junior developer seems a bit immature anyway.”e7b6f56bc43f1523

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“Don’t badmouth my precious team member. You seem to particularly dislike Taekyeong-nim.”ac3f9188ac8ebb5e

“I don’t like the way he treats you.”1812736de6b7d39e

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“…Why? Isn’t he good to me? He’s very respectful.”99bcd19a694c16a2

“Being nice to your boss and being nice to your kindergarten teacher are different things.”b439b159ddc26dac

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…Cha Minkyu had a surprisingly discerning side. Or rather, that was probably closer to his true attitude towards work. It was just that he acted like a goofball at home.049c814aedf6e985

Thinking about yesterday’s incident, a stricter team leader might be better than a friendly one. It might also help Taekyeong, his mentor, and the new hire to bond.634eb1e1a824a8c9

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‘But how do you act like a strict team leader…’6ceff67017d6dd21

Lost in thought, Yiho 9c88712ab8 buried his face in 21bd45b9c6 his hands.c9aac2edb7dfbf67

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“I just want to work. I hate managing people.”40e5edf98ede30c8

“SongYi, you do have that research nerd streak in you.”fd16e20c64acb29d

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He had no retort. He wanted to be just SongYi, a lone mushroom living under a remote pine tree in the forest, as Minkyu’s nickname suggested.b106a78d1697d962

“Hey, SongYi SongYi, I was just kidding. You’re doing fine, why worry? Your team has a good atmosphere.”91d01bc00daa3d38

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“The team is good, but I hate being the team leader…”5d5e9e8481874f72

“…”c0bdc133fc495ffd

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Minkyu, stifling a laugh, patted Yiho’s head. After exactly 30 seconds, Yiho looked up again.2e236fd30592d30c

“Gotta do it, what choice do I have…”b9951a6c9b1bffac

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He muttered the words like a salaryman’s motto.e08048f51a111178