CG | Chapter 1.2

The recently oiled, gleaming hardwood floor was well-maintained, with not a single splinter. Conscious of Lane’s dislike for wearing shoes indoors, he took off his sneakers and hung them on his left index and middle fingers. Holding the dangling large canvas shoes, Sean looked around.

The living room, kitchen, and reception room were empty. Lane’s parents were currently traveling in Europe, so Lane was the only one in the house.

“Lane?”

He called quietly, but there was no response. After checking the empty first floor, he headed for the stairs in the center. His footsteps on the wool carpet gradually quickened. If he wasn’t on the first floor, there was only one place he could be.

Reaching the second floor, he saw furniture made of dark walnut and bookshelves lining the entire hallway. The second floor, entirely Lane’s space, was filled with books for him. There were no televisions or game consoles, only analog items.

Following the argyle-patterned carpet to the end of the hallway, he finally sensed a presence. Seeing a half-open door, a bright smile appeared on Sean’s face. His golden eyebrows, drawn as if painted, rose happily, and his vivid green eyes began to sparkle.

Quietly approaching the room, Sean peeked inside. As expected, his friend was examining collected plants, with a book spread out on the wide wooden desk. A shadow stretched long, following the back turned against the window.

Planning to surprise him, Sean tiptoed silently. Lane, deeply focused, showed no sign of turning around. With a mischievous boyish expression, Sean approached and stood behind Lane. Just as he carefully reached out to grab his shoulder.

His wrist was caught with a snap.

Following the turned body, Lane’s profile came into view. A smooth cheek and a sharp nose, as if neatly carved with a painting knife, appeared, meeting eyes behind glasses. Blue eyes, like ground amethyst and sapphire, captured Sean.

“How did you know?”

The attempt to surprise him was foiled. With a question close to a sigh, Lane turned his body completely. Lane’s left hand, which had caught Sean’s right arm, remained on his wrist. Lane, staring intently at Sean, calmly spoke.

“Instinct.”

With those words, the dissatisfaction from not responding to his text quickly faded. At the trivial reply, Sean’s eyes happily curved.

“Really? You thought about me that much, Lane?”

He felt incredibly good. When he woke up at Robert’s condo, he felt a bit strange, but Lane’s words made any future rumors irrelevant. Excited, Sean shook his captured arm, and Lane released his wrist. The arm, suddenly free, swayed emptily in the air.

“I saw you walking through the window.”

Lane corrected him matter-of-factly, as if scolding Sean for getting excited on his own. Sean, deflated, grumbled and returned his arm to its place.

“I thought you were waiting for me after getting my text.”

Lane shrugged. Then a quiet silence settled between them. In the now quiet room, Sean watched Lane intently. A fleeting thought crossed his mind.

He’s handsome today too.

The black wavy hair, casting shadows over his blue eyes behind silver-rimmed glasses, swayed gently in the breeze. The scent of flowers wafted through the slightly open window. Lane’s room always had this fresh fragrance. It was unusual for a guy.

With bangs messily covering his face and a hunched posture, most people didn’t know Lane’s true appearance, but a closer look would reveal how beautiful he was.

Lane seemed like a youth from mythology. Like Adonis, whom Aphrodite loved, his quiet and calm aura made him feel like someone no one could possess. From the long, deer-like neck to the mole under his right eye, everything about him was mysterious.

It felt like his eyes were being cleansed. Since childhood, Sean had particularly liked Lane’s face, and even to this day, he never grew tired or indifferent to it. At one point, he even wondered if he might be gay.

Of course, the conclusion was that he definitely wasn’t.

Imagining kissing Lane was impossible. While he wanted to kiss the cute girls who followed him around, he felt nothing towards Lane. He even felt a sense of repulsion, so he dismissed the thought.

“You would have come even if I didn’t reply.”

Lane’s calm voice broke the silence. Pulled from his wandering thoughts, Sean felt a pang of guilt and averted his gaze.

“That’s true, but I was waiting for a reply.”

“You texted too late. Not everyone is awake at 2 a.m.”

“Did I?”

He vaguely remembered reaching for his phone after helping Rose, exhausted from drinking and partying. As he chuckled awkwardly, Lane brushed past him and left the room. Left alone, Sean quickly followed Lane.

“Sorry. Are you mad, honey?”

Even with the playful nickname, Lane didn’t react. Others would cringe or retort, but Lane always ignored such jokes. It wasn’t just with Sean. Lane was equally indifferent to everyone, and most found it difficult to stay by his side for long.

But Sean could remain Lane’s friend for so long because he wasn’t discouraged by such indifference.

“Our Lane is so cold-hearted.”

Trailing behind him, Sean caught up and wrapped his arms around Lane’s shoulders, clinging like a piggyback ride. Lane let out a small laugh. Though he remained silent, the fact that he left Sean hanging suggested he wasn’t really upset. They continued like that until they reached the stairs, where Sean clung closely as they descended.

“Where are we going now?”

“The kitchen.”

“Haven’t you had breakfast?”

Lane shook his head. Still looking ahead, he answered slowly.

“I need to go grocery shopping today, so there’s not much at home. I can make an omelet at best.”

Though he wasn’t mad, he seemed slightly displeased, but Sean’s worries were soon resolved. Listening to Lane’s words, Sean’s eyes curved happily. His lips parted naturally.

“There’s nothing better than an omelet for breakfast.”

Despite everything, Lane was a kind person.

Though he was quiet and hard to read, Lane was fundamentally considerate. It was just hard to see because he didn’t easily let people in, but once inside his circle, he was endlessly tolerant and patient. Though Sean had asked if he was mad earlier, Lane had never gotten angry and would speak directly if he was uncomfortable.

They went down to the first floor and headed to the kitchen. Turning left from the central staircase led to the kitchen, while turning right led to a spacious dining room with a large table. Following Lane to the left, they entered a kitchen finished with elegant white brick tiles and cabinets.

Lane walked to the fridge and started taking out ingredients, beginning with eggs. Having visited countless times, Sean was more familiar with this kitchen than his own, so he also found a mixing bowl and whisk from the shelves and drawers for Lane.

Naturally, they stood side by side, creating a scene of cooking together. Though not as skilled as Lane, Sean was also good at cooking. Thanks to parents who were often away, he had learned various recipes from a babysitter since childhood.

Standing next to Lane, who skillfully cracked eggs with one hand and added them to the mixing bowl, Sean prepared the vegetables. Judging by the ingredients, they seemed to be making a Spanish omelet.

“What did you do this week?”

Though Lane also attended Shale University, they were in different departments and activities, making it hard to meet regularly. During summer vacation, college students usually do internships or volunteer work, and Lane had started an internship at a nonprofit environmental organization as soon as the vacation began. So, despite living in the same neighborhood, they hadn’t seen each other all week.

“Just… met people.”

A vague answer fell. It meant nothing special happened, so Sean nodded. Having made the egg mixture, Lane went to get a frying pan and casually asked.

“You?”

“I didn’t do much either. Robert kept calling me, so I feel like I just partied all week. Next time, let’s go together. How about it? We’re old enough to enter bars now.”

Thinking it was a proposal bound to be rejected, Sean threw it out without any expectations, but Lane’s response surprised him.

“Sure.”

“…?”

Unable to believe the reply, Sean turned around abruptly. It wasn’t an answer expected from Lane, who never attended parties, even during his teenage years when he was involved with the opposite sex.

“Did you just say you’d go?”

Too surprised, Sean asked as if interrogating instead of welcoming. Lane, placing the frying pan on the gas stove, nodded with his back turned.

“Your parties are rumored to be fun.”

To assure Sean, who found it hard to believe, Lane explained, confirming the situation was real. Stunned, Sean, like someone receiving an unexpected gift, cheered belatedly with joy.

“Wow, amazing. The day has come when ‘that’ Lane Surf goes to a party. When should we go? I only have weekends free after next week, so how about this coming Friday?”

Afraid Lane might back out, Sean listed specific dates to set a plan. Lane, having drizzled olive oil in the pan, turned and looked at the ingredients Sean was chopping.

“Could you chop the onions? I’ll handle the rest.”

“Sure! Wait. This isn’t important! When are we going?”

As he chopped the purple onion, excited about the prospect of contacting Emily to plan something fun, Sean asked, and Lane crossed his arms. Leaning slightly against the counter, he stared at Sean with an expressionless face, then finally asked.

“Friday is fine. But I want to bring someone. Is that okay?”

“Oh, of course.”

Excitedly responding, Sean soon froze, realizing what Lane had said. Blinking, he asked again, as if confirming.

“You’re bringing someone? Who?”

In the 12 years of knowing Lane, he had never once socialized with anyone other than Sean. While it’s natural for people to form various relationships, Lane, who enjoyed solitude, had led Sean to believe he was his only human connection. Though he knew it was an arrogant thought and childish psychology, it was still surprising.

“A friend I met at the internship. I want to introduce them to you. They’re a year younger than us, have the same major and interests as me. Quiet and cute.”

Lane explained calmly. Hearing him praise someone for the first time in his life, Sean was momentarily speechless, listening like a fool. Hearing praise for the mysterious person made his stomach churn.

…Cute? So you’re saying they’re cute, not a snail?

He felt an indescribable emotion. As he pondered his confused and frustrated feelings, Sean soon regained his composure.

You idiot. If Lane made another friend, you should be happy, not standing there feeling frustrated.

It was a good thing. Though Lane was fine alone, society is a world that revolves around relationships. Sean, who always sincerely wished Lane would only receive love wherever he went, calmed his surprised heart and smiled happily.

“Of course, you can bring them. I’m glad you made a good friend at the internship. Since they’re quiet, I’ll plan something without too many people. What does your friend like?”

“Dion.”

“Huh?”

“Their name is Dion.”

Lane said, then slightly raised the corners of his mouth. The faint smile held a hint of anticipation.

“Oh, really? That’s a cool name.”

Good things are good. Thinking as he usually did, Sean agreed, and Lane nodded.

“Yeah. They’re half-French like me, so we get along well. I’ll contact them since I got your permission.”

“That sounds good.”

“Thanks.”

Lane said softly. Looking into the blue eyes beneath his hair, Sean was momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing the genuine gratitude on his face, a sense of unease rose.

…Is this the aftereffect of the party? I feel strange.