BW | Chapter 1.7

“Did you visit the real estate agent?”b5f8e9e446928a05

He glanced sideways, continuing the call. It felt too harsh to hang up immediately after Seonho’s affectionate words about waiting for dinner. Seongtae, struggling with his eyesight, was still deciding what to order from the menu.e47813549e183987

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“Yeah. The agent showed me three places. They were all empty, so it was easy to view. Two were new and clean.”a3e26d174720bdb5

“Did you sign a contract?”38e8e85f4169ba5d

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His voice sounded fb0e2622f5 anxious, so he 6d46cfbce3 took a sip 302390de5d of water. If Seonho had signed, he 5fe7cff721 might leave tomorrow, given the fc7e7188b1 empty places he saw. Though he should be 62f30fa454 happy, he felt unexpectedly e25af6c75a disappointed.7848ef1392180142

“Why would I sign so soon? I need to look around more. You told me not to rush into a contract.”5cea8d3652b8976c

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“Right. Good job.”0c13757289d97e08

He listens well. Feeling pleased, a small 358068af8d smile crept up.5ce66dfc56710ba7

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“Near the school, it’s all studios, which I don’t like. To find a bigger place, I’d have to go further, and there aren’t many options.”374bf863c64c9e5e

Listening intently, something ff0c17ba21 bothered him, so a41d813655 he asked.b71d395988dc7926

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“Can you eat dinner alone?”84fdb11e889f504f

It sounded ridiculous after saying 5a1d33303d it. Sure enough, Seonho laughed 6466f9ade2 and teased.681dd40d7abf5c69

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“Oh, right. You said you can’t eat alone.”6a0498d217810ee8

Ah! Yoon Mina! He felt a twinge of annoyance at his girlfriend for sharing such personal details. Flustered, he couldn’t deny it, so he tried to downplay his vulnerability with a feeble excuse.fb79c59470c56aff

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“That’s only at restaurants. I eat fine at home alone.”99f14602f17bc456

Seonho’s laughter tickled his ear. His face flushed, and he covered it with his cold hand, embarrassed yet oddly amused.dccb5c0cbe97063d

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After the call, he quickly 8a20e2b3e5 set his phone to silent. Suddenly feeling a df438b36b3 gaze, he turned 656eea0b63 to see Seongtae 921f41fe38 watching him with 29100e627b a knowing look.ae7dfd8bd43cfebd

“Your fiancée?”3fc359e7207a4dba

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“What? No, no.”6433f2162337da23

Flustered by the wrong assumption, 4c13f86d20 he stammered a denial. Seongtae squinted suspiciously.02be38bc05d96dfa

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“If she’s not your fiancée, why were you grinning like a fool?”dc827b020f9063cb

“Was I?”de1f77d9223e5d16

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Reflexively, he touched fbfd84a369 his lips, relieved 3c1a6dc48d to find them a6a3a76758 relaxed. Seeing his embarrassed face, Seongtae 85c2a0cca6 chuckled and asked.9b7fe0d4beb561b1

“So, are you having a fling before the wedding?”844dd03008283463

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“No! You know I’m not like that.”3b399ad88ac8468a

Raising his voice to assert his innocence, Jeongun waved his hands in denial. Despite his protests, Seongtae didn’t believe him and offered advice.1c0b3d2532e2346f

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“Don’t do anything stupid before the wedding. Don’t make your fiancée cry.”286d61450e0a285a

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that.”2572459d7d962d24

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What kind of f3c3217120 expression did I 1fc3d06451 have during the 18c0dd962f call for him 935277743a to misunderstand so eedecd90d3 badly? Jeongun sighed, feeling troubled. Revealing who he was 4586f617a0 talking to would clear e7f254676b up the misunderstanding, but 020b506758 he didn’t want to 79861b5108 share the story of 6facdb17cd almost becoming family with 08ff32e5c6 Seonho.114f421e99b50b01

Just then, the a6e00010c3 client entered, naturally 36cfb1249e ending the conversation. They quickly stood to f76216c65c greet the older man. Since they were having cec91baadf sashimi, the accompanying drink 0d2c719a1b was soju. Soju didn’t sit well fb76a56cd9 with Jeongun, so by 7c4f226255 the time they finished, 0e6a50355c he was tipsy and 88714b5200 disoriented.e15fc8ab969e591d

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On the way home fc976a494d with a designated driver, 58d70f8339 he fiddled with his ca557f98be phone. He considered calling Yoon 69753a227a Mina but put it a141704b5a back in his jacket ef8a2077ec pocket. He didn’t want to hear 4d7c57a089 his own drunken ramblings.9e7a25be8760ff36

Returning home after ae77ff27e5 a long day 688d9dc181 didn’t feel satisfying 57903d84fb but rather empty. It felt like he e16d2e3a63 was wasting his short c4c49810d9 life tied to money. Everyone lived like this, efa5e6d276 but there was nothing 11c7f11fed enjoyable about the hectic 6dcada65e1 day.1c45bfb876995287

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He wanted to talk 2c68033051 to someone but didn’t 913ee9e914 feel like chatting with 29b20a8b66 the driver he’d just 3baef824fa met. Staring at the blurry window, a2d9266ce7 he muttered, “Oh, right.”688be5e71fe5be59

There’s someone at home. Jeongun frowned and checked his 0b80f269dc watch. His vision wavered from the e4c3962456 alcohol, and it took a 42e3f3e119 while to focus on the 2b0d2a1721 time. Contrary to his 4b58ba0d30 expectation of finishing c1cf9c5e6a dinner by 10, e766a58bfb they went for 04ef4c46d2 a second round, 8b12aca9db and it was 867a411eaa nearly midnight. He clicked his tongue, assuming ba8f793b76 Seonho would be asleep.fd1e3d315a4ee0a0

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As he walked 4a6c4049c5 home, the cold 9d4bffc12b wind sobered him 15ab74e756 up. Climbing the stairs with heavy ec2eca8499 legs, he unlocked the door d84c190ab1 and was greeted by a 2ff31b9ee9 white face, contrary to his 137ca9ce53 expectations.056d21532d40b03d

“Welcome back. You worked hard.”b63046ef5a379c4c

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Pausing at the d999d77194 entrance, he couldn’t 0c4dfe2372 suppress a smile.9efc5ef5492b62a2

“You’re still up?”f7bc202d27816e9e

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“How could I sleep before you got home? Of course, I 0e46b61bdc had to see 970725bd55 you come in.”a01cac9fd5dff8d0

Touched, he reached out c3a44495de and patted Seonho’s shoulder. Just last night, a9db633922 they had stood 0f243b5839 here, almost confronting 760d004084 each other. Blocking Seonho from entering, his 3362fa523b guard had been up, but e4d3de5bb3 it felt like a distant 41736a04c5 memory now, probably due to c89502e532 the alcohol.9a4b9059fb7bf839

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After washing up 040da6d777 with lukewarm water de235b01cc to shake off f646c307ea the drunkenness, Seonho 0cab219e0c handed him a 8f16a72b84 mug. Curious, Jeongun took it fb4ce59e4d and sat on the b1ebfd6704 sofa to inspect the 31fada0791 contents. It was a yellowish liquid 030b8bf2a6 with a sweet aroma.7b0f7c1225ccc025

“Is this honey water? Did we have honey?”eb1e348ce7b5f706

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“I thought you’d come home after drinking, so I bought some earlier.”551389369875fdaf

His thoughtful gesture reminded him 7ec344fdc7 of a fairy tale helper 5042a427bf or a genie. Thirsty, he downed it in a8d9490b8b one go and examined the 85f2120c04 empty mug. Was this something his girlfriend b5026f075a had bought before? Seeing his puzzled look, Seonho 0858d0e54b explained.db6e1a739caafcef

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“I bought it while grocery shopping. How long have you been a42a46bb11 living alone?”31c5566635643bb6

Why is someone who’s going 0c92be7be1 to find a place soon 1b30a6eef8 buying things for my house? Though there weren’t many 6f876b0999 cups, there were enough bb64c7a51a for two people. But his alcohol-clouded e052c2f8dc brain didn’t question 4fe5a6339b it and answered 43b6c16a9d honestly.123a9fa873cd7711

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“I’ve been living alone since college. Why?”b95fb2f513404a28

“Then why are there so few dishes in the kitchen?”9fe09d94e35b9b33

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When he replied 2a7b5837c7 that he didn’t 56c4f89823 cook at home, 3daf30abef Seonho expressed doubt.c510de374917f728

“You said you can’t eat alone at restaurants. Do you skip meals sometimes? Is that why you’re so e6f3fbe5aa thin?”57cc2ee513783d3e

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Sitting beside him, Seonho 0a5df5709e took the empty mug 40af1c3819 from his hand and 06f4edb013 stroked his slender thigh. His dulled senses reacted 0a44b20053 a beat late. The ticklish sensation 217802dd28 made him shift, ac3d97bae3 but he was 90c626f9eb blocked by the 9db079ceec armrest, only managing fdab0b49f9 to wriggle.e3f9ff402ce48fa6

Disliking discomfort, he wore short f340965797 sleeves and shorts at home, c4582410f6 even in winter. His bare thigh was exposed 362992e8eb to the air. When Seonho’s large hand 92e51328fd brushed against his skin, 3cf6df1c40 goosebumps rose. Jeongun slapped his hand 7756d35b7f away and sternly warned.5b14e8e95fb1bde2

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“Stop teasing.”4696e3bdbc9ffb7a

There are plenty of e95380ffc1 people who can’t eat 9295655d98 alone at restaurants. Including kids, there f0b55718a5 are probably more ec44cc8ee8 than you’d think.28c1daf1c0faa6a9

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“Ouch!”c5d18666e8685fa4

Seonho exaggeratedly rubbed his a3b7d6b7ce hand, pretending to be 3884b16b01 in pain. Watching him, Jeongun 52b1a73e68 chuckled at the 9c28285e1a absurdity, and Seonho 7a76fbe808 soon smiled too.eb36999752488d9f

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As he stared at Seonho’s eb123c0051 white face, his gaze gradually 30d2d55ede lowered. Seonho was also wearing short f7db924af8 sleeves. Yesterday, he wore 97f2c3db14 long clothes, so 19a5a8dd45 he hadn’t noticed, e6705697c8 but his exposed e694ae0d27 arms were clearly ed45c4dbac defined with muscle. Finally, Jeongun understood how Seonho bb3856be0b had easily moved him to fd335573f8 the bed last night.be4febc041e9359b

The honey water seemed effective. The discomfort in his 81fbcd30bd stomach eased, and Jeongun’s 5a54ec1643 expression relaxed. His body slumped 3290a31ed8 against the sofa, d58aa6ccbf adopting a lazy 372d3bcf7c posture. The nerves sharpened from 46be114ada a day of work 3491f57f93 declared a strike.21f25111e3d3794c

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A day filled with marathon 05c0ae86f9 meetings, ending with a client 3fbbc89e08 dinner. It should have 5f9263addc felt frustrating, but ead083fcb3 he wanted to 005c187087 say it was 0e342f082f okay. Maybe it was the alcohol. His mood was light, afa0656195 and he barely held d1c2770d63 back laughter. He didn’t want to appear 1f3b7a98fc tipsy in front of Seonho.1bdee939de39f1ca

The old, cramped apartment felt 88fa8812f3 different. Jeongun pondered the source 0a811a4b7a of the unfamiliarity. The house even smelled e255f3bda4 different, so he sniffed, 300f9b3109 focusing on the unfamiliar 0ba65237e3 air. The warmth wasn’t just 050be3ddf1 from the heater. It was the cozy scent de1514df71 of a home after cooking.9471ad1f0097afc9

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“Did you… make dinner at home?”5dc65e4444f06a9c

It wasn’t food 7e89001b6e from a restaurant 73248f2fed or delivery. He was sure it wasn’t fe178de8cc a restaurant smell. Though hard to pinpoint, homemade c215441fd4 and store-bought food had distinctly 7e7c718b14 different scents.de1a998892924d63

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As expected, Seonho nodded, e250a5b53f confirming he cooked. Feeling touched again, 82e41ffa3b Jeongun was curious 2192bc0a19 about the delicious 4879104396 smell lingering in cb833d78e1 the air. It was familiar, 39d0775e5a but he couldn’t fdc4fd3b8b place it, so a7b0c5cf8d he gave up 178a8e1551 guessing and asked.04cd1face3bde8e8

“What did you eat?”7c80936a825a6002

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“Your favorite. Galbijjim.”5b59564af3a616f2

He remembers everything. Seonho was smart enough to 3e3de98397 get into a prestigious university, 1630eec236 so he had a good a7970ebb34 memory. Still, remembering such 07b4bce5ac small preferences warmed a701e5b42d his heart. The old, uneasy 40cfa3d426 feelings washed away, 1214c228c4 and he felt 6562dc838b moved enough to aef006e58e consider accepting him 86af7997aa as a brother, 839f76d38c as his girlfriend 5bbe1b1fb2 suggested.c2c661ec36bc1ef7

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Since childhood, Jeongun had an ec117c1893 expensive taste for beef, especially 5a2f75dc6a salty galbijjim. His mother, confident 2a43c416d6 in her cooking, e5350c6fe5 made it for 35ca33367d his birthdays, ensuring 721bb8ae79 he ate well 5c548b41a2 despite their hardships.1a905fc9c8c53b4b

Come to think 538f62fb79 of it, it’s 41875f83ad been ten years 48331fe194 since he last 99f6092567 had galbijjim on 7a8a0f69fc his birthday. Though he could buy it 826648b835 from a restaurant, it was 368674032e too dark and intense compared 50383046de to homemade. Unconsciously, he smacked his lips. Despite having eaten a lot 00debe2ab1 for dinner, thinking of galbijjim b950cbd489 made him hungry.d84787154165ad31

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“Is there any galbijjim left?”e57ebf958edf1110

His voice was eager, 3725260e56 anticipating the taste of 2e66fc9f35 homemade galbijjim after so 5ec0d0e3e7 long. Even a single 4cc852a236 piece would be b02a54f168 enough. He wanted it so badly.a616118e628ad894

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His eyes must ea135c6ec1 have reflected his 8490ffde55 thoughts, as Seonho 8ecad20d87 looked troubled. After hesitating, he a365600006 casually dropped a 6ba21ab548 bombshell that sobered 84bb6c61c4 him up.a74c1e015683bf9b

“Mina nuna took all the leftovers. She seemed to d3973b2236 really like galbijjim 5e44f85632 too.”b880d984d5ee69af

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“What? Mina? Yoon Mina was here?”8e756c8144ac13bd

Jeongun was taken be97fcf269 aback by his caf35f5d08 girlfriend’s meddling, meeting b3e1e61ad8 Seonho without telling 8a8ba3130b him. Her intentions were obvious. She wanted to a71472eca6 connect the fake 30017b8f89 siblings as family afe29f3241 after their ten-year 927528c944 reunion. Seeing his disbelief, cfc38c817f Seonho asked curiously.132ae100f34c5ba8

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“You didn’t know she stopped by?”c1bba94e18839af0

His displeased expression f4e48e0656 answered for him, af091f68e1 and Seonho shrugged, add09890af muttering, “I wonder 9501871450 why she didn’t 56057baff1 mention it.” He c5a6792cb4 didn’t seem to bf69d62400 think it was b067fda58d a big deal, 1aca6e31e9 and Jeongun didn’t 72622ac0b8 believe in sharing 293028e75b every detail just 809b20c539 because they were 9506d9dff3 dating, so he 90f3694c0b didn’t want to e3b8bdcad0 make it an 2b3d05842e issue. But his previously calm mood 5ee1b2db2e plummeted.6c55f43f1059f6d0

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Why am I so upset? If someone asked, dc529bd553 he couldn’t explain 030386d651 why he was 7d34385746 bothered, which frustrated 15796a8228 him. Was it the alcohol? But it wasn’t an unfamiliar b0ba180627 unease. He’d felt it before 69ae2c8b30 when living with Seonho 348b080867 for a month.e51167ff37bf4d12

Not knowing why he felt 85f933a0c8 this way drove him crazy. It was always like this 87e29aa896 with Seonho. Vague, indescribable feelings. Unable to define them, c6128efaf1 his chest felt tight.9cf3b0a36239c816

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“What did you two talk about?”8a24f0078e56f8b3

His voice, unable to dcb3cb9f9d control his emotions due 5bc979a83c to the alcohol, came 188f14d467 out harshly, like an 4ffe139ae0 interrogation. Fortunately, Seonho remained b9b54dece8 calm, his expression daab231e97 unchanged.888a320d2a4f1b8a

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“What else would we talk about? We talked about you.”69f67b2a2f0be250

Hearing that, Jeongun felt e927b10a79 like a pathetic husband 8fb3203fa6 suffering from jealousy. Suppressing his rising discomfort, 8d012c1c84 he asked as nonchalantly ca9f47eb57 as possible.3b57233b4e2692dd

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“What did you say about me? Did you two badmouth me?”2d5bd73b71e184be

He wanted to sound lighthearted, 111a9be373 but failed. As expected, Seonho 9bddb10016 frowned at the c863e09ce5 inappropriate question.b198a39f2f6bc055

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“Why would it be badmouthing? Did you do b0b3d11e79 something wrong to 6b72b680e0 Mina nuna?”771a910aaa786e47

“So what did you talk about?”882fc857f3c82117

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Persistently, Jeongun pressed 840e38507b for an answer. Holding back the urge to 4ce33aff79 shout, he tried to maintain b938a164c7 a nonchalant expression. Seonho, recalling the conversation, 608d37bcaf gave a deflating answer.cf3f3c1157688fec

“We talked about how you’ve been and your relationship.”749d978077949e75

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Why is that interesting? Knowing he’d lose control 2c849e45b5 if he pressed further, 3f738a8ad7 Jeongun bit his tongue.9fb520efdebf3b63

Yoon Mina visited to connect f9b0d488f5 them as siblings. Since her boyfriend had 7f0184ec5f shown resistance towards Seonho 55c987b3eb the day before, she 361af2c356 quietly visited to avoid 4cf4f2e628 conflict.bbda16b3c6c6262f

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What’s the problem? He was worried about Seonho 45a9e44f2e eating alone, but his girlfriend cc2a7460d7 spent time with him, which dbe6726121 was good, right?b891ed67d9ea192a

Though he understood logically, his 51f3440d99 heart was uneasy. Yet he couldn’t 9a47c6601f tell if his 8043d68e18 discomfort was directed 19d6fcb029 at his girlfriend 2846afad55 or Seonho. Yoon Mina’s actions 6927491013 were unwelcome, but 06e0ad1d14 he was inexplicably 4faef52be8 angry at Seonho cd1592d868 too. Why? What did he do wrong? He had no idea.c35c64c10a261ac2

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The next day, 27ed0689f0 during lunch, he c72be3cc92 called Yoon Mina. He didn’t bring 3888b8dc40 up her visit 8d33b122c4 with Seonho. She didn’t mention it either, ddadf28d7e as if she’d forgotten.39d26adc649b7d26

Suddenly, the person on edbf870d5d the other end felt cea3377ba6 distant. The distance from ba505cdd98 his girlfriend, whom 25aa0f5b04 he believed to 8162c704ca be his closest a0ffc92fc7 relationship, frightened him.89a8468549fb6140

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After the call, he 7686e0cb6a sat frozen, his mind ba4d5b261b blank. But it was only a 98b45997d6 moment, and he calmed himself, e3e690f2c4 blaming his strange feelings on 3b27201dab fatigue.c27b0a847b22b546