BW | Chapter 1.7

“Did you visit the real estate agent?”b5338e945fdabba2

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.e7f7b4708e877bfe

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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.”1c96783e98b0d878

“Did you sign a contract?”f531703a37bd9ba5

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His voice sounded a35149c5e5 anxious, so he 775069cf66 took a sip 95ba560c8e of water. If Seonho had 2968c26190 signed, he might 49f56867f1 leave tomorrow, given fea800d363 the empty places 7053fdb539 he saw. Though he should bd0059a406 be happy, he f181744648 felt unexpectedly disappointed.dd5e4bc884304c86

“Why would I sign so soon? I need to look around more. You told me not to rush into a contract.”066d7729c3bd9544

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“Right. Good job.”9f6985f83e4e9934

He listens well. Feeling pleased, a 031e5abf09 small smile crept 81c58dcc47 up.9b22a14c26063423

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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.”8c0ba7703154c943

Listening intently, something 5bbd7baf57 bothered him, so 48577402df he asked.84ad99806c58f7c7

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“Can you eat dinner alone?”d2687e8cc688f147

It sounded ridiculous after 374357cbd2 saying it. Sure enough, Seonho laughed and 7335cce3c4 teased.1ebf35291fc56486

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“Oh, right. You said you can’t eat alone.”f0b2d889704647c4

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.cc657db84519842a

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“That’s only at restaurants. I eat fine at home alone.”e4a0eb88a88422e3

Seonho’s laughter tickled his ear. His face flushed, and he covered it with his cold hand, embarrassed yet oddly amused.6471f112c82c285e

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After the call, he 8c05ed8f0f quickly set his phone bce58b9673 to silent. Suddenly feeling a gaze, he 9c6083fa63 turned to see Seongtae watching 5f43ddeb35 him with a knowing look.d56dd5da04838766

“Your fiancée?”531833b97a1f152e

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“What? No, no.”19c3615c54b1a50a

Flustered by the wrong assumption, e3a9a11fcc he stammered a denial. Seongtae squinted suspiciously.938888332bba3904

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“If she’s not your fiancée, why were you grinning like a fool?”010eeadf4edb954f

“Was I?”062cdd3da1ce5fed

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Reflexively, he touched f291aa4411 his lips, relieved b5e0cc6de6 to find them b843bfb7da relaxed. Seeing his embarrassed face, b3ab5cedba Seongtae chuckled and asked.bffc25d1ed09288d

“So, are you having a fling before the wedding?”de57b29204e9796b

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“No! You know I’m not like that.”e44895075df0eb7a

Raising his voice to assert his innocence, Jeongun waved his hands in denial. Despite his protests, Seongtae didn’t believe him and offered advice.be00af7274ed71a0

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“Don’t do anything stupid before the wedding. Don’t make your fiancée cry.”1c40a18151243b20

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that.”c947cfb23aa3c3ef

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What kind of expression did 380dc40a65 I have during the call efd33cd5a9 for him to misunderstand so 1ee9c0d7b9 badly? Jeongun sighed, feeling troubled. Revealing who he was talking 96812b9398 to would clear up the bf2ca8406d misunderstanding, but he didn’t want 536a9b98d0 to share the story of 45b0301a7a almost becoming family with Seonho.00a778773b956c6e

Just then, the client 0d1e47d79a entered, naturally ending the 9c2bfebe23 conversation. They quickly stood to greet 49db2fc687 the older man. Since they were 4b69df44f5 having sashimi, the 4b5b95b236 accompanying drink was c51b0aacff soju. Soju didn’t sit well with ca639a514d Jeongun, so by the time 0ca78143dc they finished, he was tipsy 68a37bf15c and disoriented.8075ced63f81c85e

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On the way home with 1723aa5736 a designated driver, he fiddled ba1d323061 with his phone. He considered calling Yoon 986c4ba52c Mina but put it b7cd53b8d7 back in his jacket 9771f1d7cd pocket. He didn’t want to 43f0c07bc5 hear his own drunken 7963de6595 ramblings.c7a04610bb58f85e

Returning home after 02a6b9861a a long day 7d83b850bf didn’t feel satisfying 84ef40f129 but rather empty. It felt like 9e76c414bd he was wasting a5e63d9548 his short life 1b772f16c0 tied to money. Everyone lived like 41b7c566b6 this, but there ff8f63ca36 was nothing enjoyable deb36a8c7f about the hectic e0ca0ae250 day.d2028b9428e48596

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He wanted to talk d4c7a49068 to someone but didn’t 508f6e0e71 feel like chatting with 9731293d26 the driver he’d just faa040021e met. Staring at the b5e7006228 blurry window, he f6995dcacc muttered, “Oh, right.”3ad3e25d3af92091

There’s someone at home. Jeongun frowned and checked his 4a2561fc3f watch. His vision wavered from the bb779b7a8b alcohol, and it took a b6d9130d02 while to focus on the 8fed930e9f time. Contrary to his expectation of 052335d563 finishing dinner by 10, they f9a7c0717f went for a second round, db67d36658 and it was nearly midnight. He clicked his tongue, 97c35d7b30 assuming Seonho would be 41643ef4b4 asleep.7e6b0f16c8bdc4c2

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As he walked 757b45d0e0 home, the cold 7d391a534c wind sobered him 15197ff205 up. Climbing the stairs with heavy d6cccac04d legs, he unlocked the door 46b072293a and was greeted by a ed802ea544 white face, contrary to his 1a78355999 expectations.e541108f53d8c17f

“Welcome back. You worked hard.”c7d52e8f7d5f4fe9

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Pausing at the f8757ecf12 entrance, he couldn’t 1a5c616331 suppress a smile.0217a6cdb2ce0ae4

“You’re still up?”863c6f22ce733a18

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“How could I sleep before you got home? Of course, I c7c7a278c1 had to see 32d425ebd1 you come in.”48a59aafde7c87ed

Touched, he reached fa8b324fa1 out and patted b5fbf42239 Seonho’s shoulder. Just last night, 996d507cee they had stood b32008aba8 here, almost confronting 5603a4719a each other. Blocking Seonho from entering, his aa9da90c07 guard had been up, but 0fae08f292 it felt like a distant 87107a2ce7 memory now, probably due to 31d15132f0 the alcohol.0af1e917757086e9

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After washing up with e4b5ce9375 lukewarm water to shake bce726412c off the drunkenness, Seonho 4d990c9a42 handed him a mug. Curious, Jeongun took it and 311e9ff841 sat on the sofa to ade0810cc3 inspect the contents. It was a yellowish 15c2e093ac liquid with a sweet 1c990405dd aroma.e4088358f6734e51

“Is this honey water? Did we have honey?”3dd6ed40864062c1

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“I thought you’d come home after drinking, so I bought some earlier.”73b37697a1800524

His thoughtful gesture reminded 8b7b3c9849 him of a fairy d54a81ad18 tale helper or a aa070b08ef genie. Thirsty, he downed c1c954f3a2 it in one a32ab56351 go and examined 027be85f8b the empty mug. Was this something his girlfriend 4fc3aefd07 had bought before? Seeing his puzzled look, 8f44cf4260 Seonho explained.9273e842d616b129

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“I bought it while grocery shopping. How long have you been b37a7a9195 living alone?”ff99296ef0d90ee2

Why is someone who’s 37e644c56b going to find a 22f72e28f4 place soon buying things b5a8370285 for my house? Though there weren’t bd1c5cb154 many cups, there 161d5729a0 were enough for fbea17e541 two people. But his alcohol-clouded 69e8a170be brain didn’t question d5f2d61861 it and answered b4db7c8aa6 honestly.f2689da2cfa48a22

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“I’ve been living alone since college. Why?”c3079e5ee30fdf24

“Then why are there so few dishes in the kitchen?”915e108e4e5e1ed1

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When he replied 72c201c2bb that he didn’t 8345438a88 cook at home, 331a01ebac Seonho expressed doubt.d607a470df5db7b8

“You said you can’t eat alone at restaurants. Do you skip meals sometimes? Is that why ce55530d75 you’re so thin?”11b58aacd7d58416

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Sitting beside him, Seonho took 011bc97a95 the empty mug from his 53ff84b688 hand and stroked his slender 2be4aefb95 thigh. His dulled senses reacted a 025900e5d8 beat late. The ticklish sensation made him 54e6c44d2f shift, but he was blocked 8fa355ffb3 by the armrest, only managing 15d6facdd2 to wriggle.ea0ae7242b2e1f93

Disliking discomfort, he 8cc7f53113 wore short sleeves 0c8616c395 and shorts at e97c8fea81 home, even in dabba98334 winter. His bare thigh was exposed deb3aa13fd to the air. When Seonho’s large 0f7aec4c8e hand brushed against 1f5f516998 his skin, goosebumps 37f62c1de6 rose. Jeongun slapped his 4151567e0f hand away and 1c6abaa74f sternly warned.0af35481731110eb

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“Stop teasing.”2ed3605090c43e6f

There are plenty of 72db4f7c7e people who can’t eat e2b18ee7ae alone at restaurants. Including kids, there are d6a1a18d05 probably more than you’d 37830540a9 think.52af5a229bff6139

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“Ouch!”5a6dbe5e83164a94

Seonho exaggeratedly rubbed 745c8e88f7 his hand, pretending e5767a36cb to be in b6ac8dea37 pain. Watching him, Jeongun chuckled 0cf2bd2bd0 at the absurdity, and 973cef86a6 Seonho soon smiled too.428d9d8379c9436c

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As he stared at cb2431b19d Seonho’s white face, his 7e2cc2700f gaze gradually lowered. Seonho was also wearing 20747ab3bb short sleeves. Yesterday, he wore baf3c04a65 long clothes, so e0ef93a05e he hadn’t noticed, 5ffba31931 but his exposed 866349d13a arms were clearly a398dea57a defined with muscle. Finally, Jeongun understood how 52b3401255 Seonho had easily moved bdfe424122 him to the bed 90d259196a last night.4d9d9b7c32db1ef1

The honey water seemed effective. The discomfort in his c49393c461 stomach eased, and Jeongun’s 33a51938b0 expression relaxed. His body slumped against efdada4622 the sofa, adopting a d324fa4d85 lazy posture. The nerves sharpened from aa6d7ff0b1 a day of work 4b82b0c050 declared a strike.d23b1dca6121d606

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A day filled 54da2779d5 with marathon meetings, a663140fee ending with a 580c68a639 client dinner. It should have felt frustrating, 79143bffc3 but he wanted to say 58ee76c16c it was okay. Maybe it was the alcohol. His mood was light, and d77cfbe6f1 he barely held back laughter. He didn’t want to b7574aac7b appear tipsy in front e7711910b7 of Seonho.c6798a1721ba8299

The old, cramped apartment 43d0d03191 felt different. Jeongun pondered the d5199721a9 source of the 1a4baca80a unfamiliarity. The house even smelled different, 099b2e0cef so he sniffed, focusing on c110b08654 the unfamiliar air. The warmth wasn’t just f8340c8475 from the heater. It was the cozy 4380f8fac9 scent of a home 9460d6772a after cooking.cacc519b59f0b03d

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“Did you… make dinner at home?”b0092d78d679ffe7

It wasn’t food f609de74d7 from a restaurant 1a07c4b170 or delivery. He was sure it 2984dd8e77 wasn’t a restaurant smell. Though hard to pinpoint, homemade b1530f0930 and store-bought food had distinctly a257595881 different scents.887f0cc3856e732f

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As expected, Seonho nodded, confirming ae0fd521a0 he cooked. Feeling touched again, Jeongun b0973ebb0c was curious about the cd29969cf9 delicious smell lingering in 47ff08f64b the air. It was familiar, but he 2a52a908ba couldn’t place it, so he 3d4c85be8c gave up guessing and asked.897aa4c1a66294d6

“What did you eat?”fdd15d7e495dfb38

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“Your favorite. Galbijjim.”92ab2d9c8d864cc0

He remembers everything. Seonho was smart enough to d4fce7095f get into a prestigious university, 42e04e435f so he had a good 9c621fcd6a memory. Still, remembering such small preferences 071e266897 warmed his heart. The old, uneasy feelings washed 15203c2d46 away, and he felt moved 1b09c21226 enough to consider accepting him f243d2cf4b as a brother, as his 2f96c96993 girlfriend suggested.4df3e74d9ff82610

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Since childhood, Jeongun 71a852070c had an expensive b1c661378f taste for beef, 9bafb736ba especially salty galbijjim. His mother, confident in her 30a612ac96 cooking, made it for his 1c40a3de0b birthdays, ensuring he ate well e580c523c8 despite their hardships.7ec571f8f2076626

Come to think faae90c14d of it, it’s fbdfd17e69 been ten years a992fcc5a3 since he last 7dae718e5d had galbijjim on 970b80650b his birthday. Though he could buy 8b39d25e64 it from a restaurant, a84b102528 it was too dark 750d630a18 and intense compared to 8e0ba86eb7 homemade. Unconsciously, he smacked his lips. Despite having eaten a lot 4dce026718 for dinner, thinking of galbijjim 2a68580422 made him hungry.899321259abcaa1b

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“Is there any galbijjim left?”471030c9cce22b9a

His voice was b861166706 eager, anticipating the 0ef53ed692 taste of homemade 80bf128de7 galbijjim after so 229b553f94 long. Even a single piece would 2983fa55f2 be enough. He wanted it so badly.5d68854eb57d3bd6

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His eyes must have reflected 2228d2d171 his thoughts, as Seonho looked d8498a84b3 troubled. After hesitating, he casually dropped f06f36d247 a bombshell that sobered him fa9efae3da up.2b3ac4f8a7d702ca

“Mina nuna took all the leftovers. She seemed to really 35579f815e like galbijjim too.”d74710472596fb96

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“What? Mina? Yoon Mina was here?”628ce7f93e4580b1

Jeongun was taken aback by e4ce028c2a his girlfriend’s meddling, meeting Seonho f16b3444c0 without telling him. Her intentions were obvious. She wanted to 153dfb453f connect the fake 6abde1a849 siblings as family 8e340f0988 after their ten-year 08f5aec621 reunion. Seeing his disbelief, c9e163ba8a Seonho asked curiously.8356f484ea07b5e3

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“You didn’t know she stopped by?”6aa48adf09e771ed

His displeased expression answered 4824c84e4f for him, and Seonho 35075040ab shrugged, muttering, “I wonder 0290825bea why she didn’t mention 1fb0d0117c it.” He didn’t seem b419949859 to think it was a79a3dddf5 a big deal, and 307249dc64 Jeongun didn’t believe in 4088c5ebe4 sharing every detail just eaeb6b7513 because they were dating, 5ec6755ae2 so he didn’t want 60bf4e6d4c to make it an 45ef7472da issue. But his previously calm mood 7b8dff5050 plummeted.a06f151661f49559

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Why am I so upset? If someone asked, ad486752c1 he couldn’t explain 798270468b why he was dcd0c984b7 bothered, which frustrated f7326a4a02 him. Was it the alcohol? But it wasn’t an 169dc1708e unfamiliar unease. He’d felt it before fa04ab40ea when living with Seonho fb089e7e93 for a month.c6386b396015d6f4

Not knowing why he felt 9809244c14 this way drove him crazy. It was always like this 19d9b6b6fd with Seonho. Vague, indescribable feelings. Unable to define them, his ed759cc462 chest felt tight.f53a1c299ed85277

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“What did you two talk about?”e80c3a32bf587ea6

His voice, unable to 729a4938ad control his emotions due c833eef9f9 to the alcohol, came 4830d59f5b out harshly, like an d574bb3fa7 interrogation. Fortunately, Seonho remained calm, his 1f525726ac expression unchanged.3c88196506084fa6

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“What else would we talk about? We talked about you.”d6efb3cfade9d86d

Hearing that, Jeongun 1ef811b501 felt like a 6d1fa66ae3 pathetic husband suffering b081296eea from jealousy. Suppressing his rising discomfort, 4577c15f6f he asked as nonchalantly 1c418435de as possible.c250ab4a708d1d94

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“What did you say about me? Did you two badmouth me?”f535ab3db722aa3c

He wanted to e74802512f sound lighthearted, but cb8a699eaf failed. As expected, Seonho frowned at c491397afd the inappropriate question.617fff16c2161459

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“Why would it be badmouthing? Did you do something c3930cf011 wrong to Mina nuna?”665822a8250f3974

“So what did you talk about?”91f45fecd9de4e3d

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Persistently, Jeongun pressed for an 2cc0e3e06f answer. Holding back the urge d0b01627a7 to shout, he tried 5ccc1d3263 to maintain a nonchalant 75aaf1cc95 expression. Seonho, recalling the conversation, d15ab5f4f2 gave a deflating answer.e8af9439c867cbaa

“We talked about how you’ve been and your relationship.”b58d851ebf44780e

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Why is that interesting? Knowing he’d lose control 1d0f40d30a if he pressed further, abca558094 Jeongun bit his tongue.021ec45de7058f50

Yoon Mina visited 70caf584bb to connect them 7a3bd27024 as siblings. Since her boyfriend had shown 924237e683 resistance towards Seonho the day 09ae6ca2f0 before, she quietly visited to bfbc135d2c avoid conflict.5fcc202ef3b20d6b

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What’s the problem? He was worried about Seonho ea63631e50 eating alone, but his girlfriend 24fbcbc174 spent time with him, which 43d5231d7c was good, right?9bd6611ac8aed335

Though he understood 398020d65a logically, his heart 30c9d7a789 was uneasy. Yet he couldn’t tell b23c4d9e27 if his discomfort was 1ba778746c directed at his girlfriend d46b46afa1 or Seonho. Yoon Mina’s actions 1530f05615 were unwelcome, but 3d710c475d he was inexplicably 4cc3702aef angry at Seonho c19db3b213 too. Why? What did he do wrong? He had no idea.27ff54875bac40c3

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The next day, 2d1425012a during lunch, he 5ce6a6c72a called Yoon Mina. He didn’t bring up her 2998671577 visit with Seonho. She didn’t mention it b5906efab1 either, as if she’d f3293edc14 forgotten.3fe9d568db2b162a

Suddenly, the person on the fcd0d5a56e other end felt distant. The distance from his girlfriend, 04055f51b4 whom he believed to be 243e5f5a8f his closest relationship, frightened him.947534b4242df65d

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After the call, cb3126c6e8 he sat frozen, 686a0834e4 his mind blank. But it was e51d40e3ec only a moment, a02726c189 and he calmed 2459c7c7cd himself, blaming his 2a8f5fbd70 strange feelings on 840653b67c fatigue.46f402191dd2ac6e