CRND Ch 3

“SongYi.”01745e13be220ee8

“…”b6101f12f6d9117d

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“Are you sulking?”5bc875357ea56341

“…”3d65ad8d8839e9aa

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“SongYi Song Yiho.”1425eb4b7724a45c

“Hey.”69cc6b7bdd19504b

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Yiho, feigning d7ab5e6685 a fierce 0d2ff23385 expression, whipped 4ba53c9675 around.4e69980631baea84

“Stop clinging to me.”e4656c20f1ba75ac

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He was a53c0bb091 genuinely annoyed, d34f5809ed but the badcb090b4 bigger reason 2663582a58 was something d42b4e169b else.e405cb097cf90937

‘Does it have to get hard even at work…’838da88ec6725f40

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At home, he 3f9614fae2 could blame it 51c750168c on morning wood, 71baaeb0bf and luckily, the 6bf459cd4d witness was the 1d5d9158d8 oblivious Cha Minkyu. But if 885ebce4a8 that happened eb435e9b25 at work, 0295ed2888 it would e3352cb733 be social 6d99df6594 suicide.e7eb8f8500fe9064

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.b9ddc2133c6657ef

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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.db242b4c943cd300

They rode the acba079ab1 elevator from the 36d8f8a347 parking lot in 576b1e865f silence. The unusually frosty 54d4ba81f7 atmosphere between the b6e4ccb05e two team leaders 9e7dcde45a was witnessed by fd0bf90b51 the employees, inevitably 366fdfbf13 leading to misunderstandings.99c50d699cda6c39

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“Oh dear, still at it, I see.”3e09f148bfa5919b

“It’s about time you two warmed up to each other…”af8fb93c103a684a

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When superiors are at 054f0ea168 odds, their subordinates suffer. As they rolled 2b0a1a89bf their eyes in f6a3e233db exasperation, they spotted 81c149a339 a kindred spirit 39211cb4ab from the neighboring e72e6b0330 team, and a b479c46e9f rapid camaraderie formed.b925de600ea82193

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.ca6051e0e6ab8da2

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“Okay, then we’ll do the code review Friday morning, and um…”7018f0e78ce6e97e

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.c71e4be1c299d3a1

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Paid tool 4d5c1831cf expense reports, 34c0e7a6bc simple Excel f0b64742fe sheet work, d27788b0ce test case 86ad81d6f6 organization.aee9e2d5e5a35731

His gaze, flitting around 46ef182f0a to avoid awkwardness, settled 746b698f17 on one person.ea5d585b1115b86a

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“These three tasks… Taekyeong-nim, would you mind taking care of them?”f9d6df202b2377d3

“…Yes.”e561a2a6e7911587

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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.16ae253a7fbdd8db

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.ea77c11519653a53

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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.ac2e632a3be12f5c

His dejected 5c96402272 appearance particularly b37e27fac9 bothered Yiho.9b885918fefeef8a

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About ten minutes d3fcac57f3 after lunch break, f07c765eba Yiho sent a 2420e619d8 message through the c1120f735a company messenger.4f529f866ec12ed6

Song Yiho (Team Leader)5ba2b5582438fd68

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Taekyeong-nimcb90e2bb24204bde

Are you busy?48cff4a348f202e1

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If you’re free, would you like to grab a coffee?2f0c350ae94855e7

A forehead popped up 0e19565c17 from behind the partition 3b249ad957 at the far end, a8f3e97f10 then disappeared, followed by d5db1a45d0 a reply.cc4ce671e4edf6da

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Kwon Taekyeong 37f8f89f52 (Junior Developer)d9bf63bffd4b1681

Gasp60a4cfe3c104fc68

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Yes! Team Leader, sounds 29f829548d good!f9f3cbb0cd41fb45

Yiho took ecb9d710cb Taekyeong out, a5a003fab2 got takeaway 0a8efe8a4f drinks from 828e8bd0cd a cafe, c7e3571063 and entered 4863c2939e a meeting 22446d9204 room. Sitting next f3b75fb6d3 to Taekyeong 3a3ee5fcbd in the 20a1646a3b quiet room, e73374ebf4 Yiho turned 3548718ea1 his chair d0e31c6458 to face 07ac34e8be him.2fa0029111d9e676

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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.77b7fcbd6d335904

“Taekyeong-nim, things have been tough lately, haven’t they?”f472ac01146eee98

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“Huh? Ah… no. I’m fine.”651b0c309e23ac52

“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.”f90083a2f4bcc2d7

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“…”b95d9724553a0224

Taekyeong’s eyes, behind his glasses, darted around, seemingly surprised by the question. After a moment of silence, he replied.13d6f9776d953eac

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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…”d595e9f7f28e8189

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.3b1d4d54ef9f18ec

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And in Yiho’s team, there was another, unique problem specific to Kwon Taekyeong…76c9dcd31c17c2e4

“It’s unfortunate that the new hires have all been senior to you. …It wasn’t intentional.”6d0e43dd0225223a

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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.1ec45eccf5625bda

It was an understandable source of stress. Yiho awkwardly patted Taekyeong’s arm.a48c2379f867fe2a

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“I’ll… do my best to bring in a junior developer under you from the new hires this time.”4bb07399b4f1e53a

“Really? That would be great, but don’t overexert yourself.”faabf830cd97adbb

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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?”a28ca8a37b4f18cc

“I worked on a project using it at the academy I attended while preparing for my job application. Not extensively, but…”728f2af14c0972f5

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They talked a bit 16a04a2ec4 more, and Yiho pointed 4b11f10613 out areas Taekyeong could 24a7e15850 study further in his 9c8eb90ddc free time.fdde660a606cabfa

“…Th, thank you.”081adf7b4fb6abd1

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Taekyeong, bowing his head, looked slightly bewildered. Perhaps emboldened by Yiho’s gentle approach, Taekyeong’s voice became more relaxed.8a315be568b436d1

“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…”c1da3774c947e31f

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“Me? Was I being authoritarian?”5f8dfde01b37a16a

“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…”f8a809baf65d54d2

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“Ah…”ff0c9a5aae319efb

What did that 4b01cd955f even mean? Taekyeong, also seeming 98562c6517 unsure of what c829233d95 he had just 95632e38ed said, scratched his afa0f512d4 cheek. An awkward silence 53eb55a6ec followed.1b2a505be01aa4cd

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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.282d1c408e0e5b35

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.9622ca509e7b90cc

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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.f04ad8bc083f4589

“Um, is there anything else you’d like to say, now that you’ve had a chance to think?”f010749a112b80a0

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“Uh… yes. Yiho-nim, this might be presumptuous, but there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you.”80b21fca7b72dcca

What, what is it? What could it 9c770e278c be that required d24ffd9431 such a preface? Yiho nodded gravely.e52227f150061726

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“Go ahead… tell me…”0e7ad2e9d2692868

If it’s about transferring departments or quitting, please don’t…201f54dbda1ed9c2

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“I think you drink too much coffee. You know, it’s good to be healthy.”36389755b377bf2e

Oh?224f27d26f893af5

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That was… cute. He wasn’t sure how to react.fbb79cba74577002

“Uh, huh… Wouldn’t the team celebrate if their boss got sick? Taekyeong-nim, you have a sweet side.”3be228fce1c67b53

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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.”cb8819dbe51492e6

…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…?”ef5c7c2012e36303

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Yiho, slightly bewildered, left 12fd3f46b5 the meeting room with 46b1e72981 Taekyeong, who was now 988d1b9859 beaming. Taekyeong, his mood 6931b64f41 significantly improved, stayed 4ec216e222 unusually close to 79d8683beb Yiho as they c8025cd618 walked back, practically 80ad883414 glued to his 01f4b80232 back.58f6ea06ab9c59c8

It didn’t feel disrespectful, but rather like a physical manifestation of the affection Taekyeong had expressed in the meeting room.5123e5937645ad20

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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.5e6a53d577077eb4

‘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…’bdbaa18867af9087

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Returning to 7c926bc7b5 his desk, 7136d073d1 lost in 4cb04f7ae6 thought, Yiho 6b10686220 found an a13c9d0b39 unusual splash 18572e4750 of color 6af1ae01fa amidst the 64c602e1c5 gray cubicles, 960632e74f like a 2d968ab81d blade of 7b15ad2278 grass sprouting 164a47247a through concrete.01c1999171b48c1d

“…?”31e8b7a8af71a29d

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It was f9ede0c0c2 a lime-green 325a37eefb cafe drink, 4232f76796 the kind 0259419c7a Yiho would aefcc3afa1 never order 1b16d56c2b for himself.49b17b4a35dbb627

“Someone seems to have left this. Is this anyone’s?”4cb6eeffc4729d4a

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Yiho held 35fc0fd44f up the 2e72d53f0e plastic cup, c204ef2e79 its surface 8b5ebb4259 covered in 3cac2c7d94 condensation. The team e30890d4a9 members looked 8c286c20e1 at him 965c1b5e9c and shook 54805e9afe their heads.9921598e7c8dedc4

He examined the cup b94adc6a79 and found the name a7658bfbd5 on the sticker.46470395a531efaf

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charming ggyu Choco 1a5af9096a Green Tea Latte7bce6a49adac7c79

Charming…?d5fe46124c037761

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He turned to see b6391b89d5 Charming Ggyu, or rather, 0c6354ff65 Cha Minkyu, sipping an 5584a1ef76 iced Americano.bc2342ca35dbfb2e

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?291ab2e66e8b1c7b

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“…Is this really no one’s?”e1a3d28190bd99bc

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.e656c73d7ba595e4

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And there was 54cb70c37b a message waiting 2668974b7a for him.92dc8a9ea827861c

Cha Minkyud6a997e1cecbbba8

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SongYi SongYi89ea3209b99ee63c

1:17 PM365a66618ea52ed2

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(Anxious emoticon)397222e8658f93d1

Cha Minkyu card-raiding 387276ad65 coffee time, how c097d80fb9 about it?36046fd17c9d0dcf

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1:18 PM61a45f5586dc2412

(Urgent) Team Leader Song 9f86c1c80e Yiho, please review this 6b2690c54e matter promptly.2a612303262b317f

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1:25 PM9a0e9e4c8de83094

Where did you go?e28603155fe4a909

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1:41 PM6f303992b72dcc1f

Why aren’t you coming?8aea06d9d33ccf0a

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1:41 PM99edf0e3c72df0b6

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.1c760f4456419cbc

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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.e23e4b6c85fff62e

Seeing Yiho continue 270cb8fca6 to drink, Minkyu ceb43ef61a turned towards him. Yiho, wincing at the 429e2ed9ac cloying sweetness, continued to 0549686b91 sip through the straw e8c686c067 without breaking eye contact.f8a2918527f1a726

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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.52e8bbe8e85f80dc

But for 916735d5e2 some reason, b3128787e3 contrary to 881112aeae his expectations, 2e9adc7be2 Minkyu still ca83900d7a seemed annoyed.aa669276f70e9a5e

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“Oh, by the way, Yiho-nim. Chaeyeon-nim from the planning team stopped by.”67d522a6f37e9b0b

“Why?”73b0dd32d09df404

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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.”9780b9317a7628f2

Deputy Manager Yoon b599263fe4 held up a 5498236851 small assortment of 48d2baf7f3 rice cakes. A square white b8e5ccb0e4 rice cake with a7969a55bf a heart drawn 2c225f17fd on it, three 55916e32cb honey rice cakes, 27082fa58c and two steamed 334718e201 rice cakes.579a6caa41572c41

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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.d34a2046dfc47160

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.b3b55c3962d4e566

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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.”ccf3ec9721c9bbf9

“Aha, sure. Go ahead. You must be really close if you’re childhood friends. That’s nice.”9962d0e71c447ddb

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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.”93802dfd62e9f35d

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.c37645bd26d7d6e5

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“What’s with him…”9281061e75818241

“Oh, Yiho-nim! You’re back. Here’s your rice cake.”149a9751af0ea429

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Manager Kim walked straight from Minkyu’s desk to Yiho’s. Yiho accepted the rice cakes with both hands.450f5e45d63f5d94

“Thank you…”4232152b1a0830a5

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He quickly e4f4fbdde4 placed them 0853ebee54 on his 4666b55058 desk, lest 29d3c761b5 the price 5d24044011 estimation reappear. Manager Kim lingered for b68f08a897 a moment before speaking.6707650d1350cef4

“About the coding class in the company lecture list… you’re the instructor, right?”4eac47af9aefa090

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“Yes.”c1697dd288a72ab2

“Can I sign up through you?”fd86fddc2b8b2fa1

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“No… I think there will be a separate announcement with registration details later.”3766a544a211b8cf

Yiho was 444bac15bc the instructor, 90c642b37e not the e91d3a5445 organizer. If they asked him b41599e5c6 to handle that too, 3747526704 he might just lie 4fd669015f down in the hallway.6f75cb29185b6bad

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“Aha, I’ve always wanted to try a coding class. I’ll definitely sign up. Enjoy the rice cakes.”25daab97f37cc341

“Yes, thank you.”aab05af54848f0ba

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After Manager Kim 279d6247c6 left, Yiho put 6c1a66e4df the rice cakes d1ea255a97 in his desk 0fae5a8afe drawer. He turned eb250256a7 towards a 47572dfc7c lingering gaze b6f67913b8 to find 58fce16e7f Minkyu raising 9bd1341559 an eyebrow 827af7ec41 at him. Why? What? He mouthed the words, 56092ba9a0 but Minkyu just turned 232edc31f5 away, aggressively sipping his 463201d75f Americano.8b286b8bd1603248

He was definitely sulking, wasn’t he? But why?a7e4277c1ccc9def

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Just as he was a9488f7f86 blinking in confusion, a ba05f7a9d8 message popped up.382297c550dac35d

Choi Ari (Deputy Manager)79ef03e5ede3e6b1

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Team Leader Song Yiho, hello. This is Choi Ari from HR. I’d like to speak with you…8af60ef77e7c7a05

“Oh…”fa9cd16949264990

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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.a18cdf33ca909274

“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…”563337801bed4c61

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“!”ba7a5598f0ba5346

Confetti rained down and fireworks exploded in Yiho’s mind.ee016cb30620be29

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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.e9cf5c3b9783160f

Deputy Manager Choi af9e9deb26 from HR handed 493e6d4d08 Yiho a document. It contained information 56b66e1e4f about his new 8d138aecb2 team member. A 27-year-old male. Oh, even younger than 65f426b979 Taekyeong.f88750bbe74e27c1

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“You’re alumni, do you know him?”82b7402cbc96e65d

“Ah, yes. But we’re not acquainted. The age gap is too big…”a3d0204f80f1b43a

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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.424fa6568c21dc0f

There was no reason 2f5704624b to refuse the offered 7c30fb9870 opportunity.63e796739efd34d6

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“Then… just a moment.”e4538809b73cdee3

“Sure.”d0b9805ec12f17d9

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Yiho stepped into c44876df6d the hallway and 9d2d22f9f4 looked up the 6bd3b5b376 number of a c27055659f senior from his 858664a35a lab days. He was 22bf8ef976 still at 759a8d1832 the university, 60b4ca7b1d preparing for 83a2978fe9 a professorship. The call connected quickly.343fc1f49686a3f6

— Hello? Song Yiho, what’s up?af0aff661e87ac89

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His voice was as stale as the lab’s air. He seemed to be doing well.486e20e101063bd2

“Hyung, I have a question. Do you know Song Junseo? Class of XX.”6babfb7abcf14bce

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— Song Junseo…? I’ve heard the name. Hold on, let me ask around.2c0bfc3ddb7ce3c8

A flurry of voices 6576f47ef4 followed. Two or three 8a676a4fac were familiar, the ed14f3b34c rest unfamiliar.51c16841132b8eee

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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.e7febad888587564

— Ah, him? Yeah, I’ve met him. He’s quite skilled. He’s been bragging about his various contributions since his freshman year.5c7a9f81456045e9

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“Oh…”19b4d679f4ef2655

— 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.a00f467895b4267e

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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.3a9098119d7fb536

“Anyway, I understand. Thanks for letting me know.”281347132bf6a28e

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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?0e02f9b26a188528

“Yes, I have to. See you then.”72136f3749a2c040

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Yiho hung up, his d3aef2cd73 mind grappling with the 1f479ccf21 sudden dilemma. If the response 390d0cc367 from the lab c994084299 had been more 3eca64e347 positive, it would 449e9d7706 have been easier 2225262003 to reach a d0cf372d28 decision.351380fa72f121ef

“Team Leader Song, what have you decided?”a1be849eb674a446

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But he’d just boasted to Taekyeong a few hours ago…5ee0c7490efd84ff

“Yes. Please assign him to our team.”b0aee74e3c737604

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“Alright.”709416d78752c16f

Back at 23c3013a60 his desk, 0288e62905 Yiho was 5cf421178b met with 1445c4edc0 the expectant 55c2412ee9 gazes of 62f465602f his seven 73b7df79b9 team members. Taekyeong, seemingly aware c16ec91edf of what had 577851d545 transpired, looked at c58c165a84 Yiho with clasped 9befd3370a hands and a 830dc1dca4 hopeful expression. Yiho nodded before even 0f783a545f sitting down.ccfca4e4c5f0c781

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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.”273e2ddfcc41f8b2

Yiho saw it then. Kwon Taekyeong pumping his fists like a soccer player who’d just scored the winning goal.800fe9dc44243f2b

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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.”e1f3806172a505a9

“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.”730c40dad924bcce

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Even the usually quiet 253574aaf9 Deputy Manager Lee chimed 01585b0897 in, adjusting his glasses.e97f1d1401e28078

The relatively bd8dc64149 gloomy development f5c25d0846 team was 16975c3243 more cheerful 813629cd12 than the 28e530b2c1 marketing team b6aaee2f68 next door 2b51b050db for the 30b7652355 first time 1ec0f4d820 in a 9105f74564 long while.e735baccaa70eff9

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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.c37b11cb80fb065e

💼c72400b20fbc8a51

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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.42dda352e47a1eba

Time was of the d449f4447b essence. Yiho quickly pulled out aa398bdbd6 his phone and typed cb8cf56604 a message.425b75d7e528523b

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Come home slowl56c416e97254726c

6:37 PM09931ff24a6b2c3b

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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.7e0c41adce7c87fb

“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?”4eb83faea43dbbe6

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Ah… as expected.365ceefdea1d2f18

“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?”025287e6484852a6

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“Why are you cleaning my apartment? Just… leave it. I’m managing fine.”c587b44cd7fedc89

“Managing fine? You’re not even married, and your apartment reeks of bachelorhood.”7e99c7bb07410894

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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.2c399721cf1e8a00

“The only clean place in this house is the inside of your refrigerator.”846f11acdb7dff30

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“Dust doesn’t accumulate there…”4487fbdebcebe750

“Which means you haven’t cooked anything!”66c545436e3e270b

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“…”d2dd6826ef10045c

What was the point of graduating with a PhD and getting promoted if he was still a child in his mother’s eyes?0f9cef2b2d69590b

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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.d56e93ac340d58f4

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…e173b9372f49c0a9

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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.798fceb153846da4

“Mom, what about dinner?”44492550aa0bd9c4

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“I ate a late lunch.”c581a27381b29424

“Still, you must be hungry after cleaning and running around. Let’s eat out.”cb09b5bc85639953

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“Oh, you just got home, why go out again? It’s fine. Don’t bother.”d131dee17fa73d9a

“Then let’s order in. What do you want to eat?”b0b7c54f3a1ff59e

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“Order some chicken, something you like.”7d4c9691c681119d

“Not what I like, what you like.”6a71a3d3b2250f03

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“Then order jjajangmyeon. Jjajangmyeon.”80578bd75a60f1c3

“Okay.”dcf037455f151228

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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.8f5b914656d9a977

Yiho sat his b7cdf11503 mother on the b447fcf409 sofa, handed her 32a4316e2d the remote, and ce66629418 told her to 6b790df087 rest. But when he db623fd227 came out after d755a191aa a quick shower 81aee2f083 and change of 99f07103e8 clothes, his mother 9cedc0c61a was wiping the ba6fd29c49 top of the 7eec54bd36 TV with a e3358920d5 wet wipe. Fortunately, the 1410e2aad5 food arrived d56ba35aa2 before she 42c0f73035 could discover 4561ff1aa8 the state 865a7a26b2 of the 0c5859229c rest of 66c90edfa1 his apartment.7b21dae2a06aa72a

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“Why did you order so much for just the two of us?”9077677261787059

“Ah.”429e2bdb0abbd9fd

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Out of habit, Yiho 6833a3300a had ordered their usual 76c5ccbdb6 set. Jjajangmyeon, jjampong, fried rice, 1da5612d0a and sweet and sour 1b2d83508a pork, enough for him 4479f8929b and the big-eater Cha 32d055fd05 Minkyu.76bfe049f8424a71

“…This place is good.”6262d9ae47fdbd78

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“Oh, Yiho, I know you’ll eat anything, just like your father.”04212bf7bb57f79b

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.ae082688f362bbbf

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“Huh? This is really good!”1023f10b8c3b8c14

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.5618bdb7b02ffb55

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“Yiho.”9dab251ee863735f

“Yes.”0e02f45143ce5e8e

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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.”c018bd329df4bed3

“…”67a9a950c4c2a534

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He knew what was coming. This was the reason he’d sent the preemptive message to Minkyu.d43e0e973d12b232

“It’s been a few years since your father passed, and I’m lonely. I want to see a new member of the family.”515423b645c668e0

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“…I understand.”55e8d7c01753d819

“When are you free? There are so many people at church who want to be introduced to you.”477e1727dda56a18

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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.”a0c01e95ff282ff4

But there was nothing 84daf72d3b he could do.95f74887b8f6c35f

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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.96f9cfdf11040bd2

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.cc4a51a91e0ff510

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‘Putting a decimal into an integer variable causes an error, Mom…’7a868a3407a8dbee

Yiho silently 68f2c5013c nibbled on d647fd44fe the edge 7158b57fbd of a 13749ed031 fried dumpling.0dfd0d9de22c8e7d

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“Oh, just look at the picture. She plays the violin at church, and she’s very respectful to her elders.”2360a14e87c48955

“No, I’m really not interested…”be95bc88c097e813

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“Just take a look. Just one look.”ec046b1cfd238d0a

He was wondering how eef5b16aab to dissuade his mother 7cb82e054a from opening her phone 8563cd3d54 case and flipping through 67b6c16dd8 her photo album when d06e6a1a8b he heard the door 23f1a35b60 code beeping.7f882cf4bca4d664

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“Who’s here at this hour? What, do you have someone hidden here?”fe306bca0385ffa6

“Uh…”11ce54fdd059b9b2

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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…c0967e4a61d7129c

“Mother, your daughter-in-law is here!”eec9fa6e858c8945

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Minkyu burst through the a222944649 door. He was still 971f84d5c3 in his suit, 5a128deb3c seemingly straight from 916840ae4d work. He approached the 71622c1dcf two of them, ff2b1a2570 grinning like a 0644899a07 door-to-door salesman.ec2b941610a296d5

“Yiho said you were here, so I came to say hello. Are you eating?”7ea01b79459d49c8

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“Yes, come in. Our messy son’s wife.”830f829f2c6c00d9

His mother took Minkyu’s “daughter-in-law” comment as a joke between close friends. Which was undoubtedly Minkyu’s intention.8977346b3a6fb656

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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.”12e87ec0a6529927

“I thought the refrigerator looked suspiciously clean. You have a friend living right across the hall, and you embarrass the neighborhood!”75debb68fbf20478

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“Ouch.”8d9cf4fc43f0190e

Yiho’s back was mercilessly pummeled. He was too flustered by Minkyu’s joke to defend himself.79a71136405fa06c

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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.”418263827d801cea

“Mom, he just got off work, he must be tired…”6d7b4b716acb8a55

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“Sure, I’d love to. Thank you. Ah, you ordered from there? This place is a hidden gem, Mother.”030fa98612ef74ce

“I know, it’s really delicious.”4fd98d0bed8018b6

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“If it has your approval, Mother, then I can trust this place from now on.”f645c3f71aec7ed8

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.a69612fac442ff59

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What, why is he smiling like that? It’s making my heart race and giving me indigestion.761000fe71446f46

“Minkyu, don’t you have any thoughts about marriage?”8fb07b63214c599b

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And then, his mother 91769ca99e turned her attention from c91d840359 Yiho to Minkyu.6a2dfc0f57b0ba27

“Mother, can you get married alone?”ce353ea259437063

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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.0ee7217fd85b7db1

“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…”6cf3c2e3f342ded6

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“Mom, stop. Stop it.”f1da00cad29ebe0d

Yiho intervened before his mother could shove her phone at Minkyu. Minkyu, casually eating fried rice in his suit, silently studied Yiho’s expression.e27270123f5e46e8

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“Why are you stopping her from setting Minkyu up, not you?”74b9b8a8cd7bcc8e

“…Minkyu’s grandparents are Buddhist.”e8d4c29cac3cb941

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“Oh, really? That could be a problem… This family is devoutly Christian…”c03b11bca8a8b877

Fortunately, his mother conceded. Minkyu’s lips curled into a faint smile as he watched Yiho.f04d391148bca407

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“Yiho.”6c85b17e5ff2ebf3

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.87e9b45f74c20321

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“Uh… why?”2755021c995f0ea6

Minkyu’s dimples deepened.6002e5a301255f92

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“Isn’t it fun that we live right across from each other?”cff0ec6f03ecaf33

Of course, every day was thrilling enough to make his heart ache. He wasn’t sure if “fun” was the right word, though.8da53555ddce39e7

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“Yeah…”8faf7278d571ef7f

“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.”55fec5c3898c0ef5

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“Oh… well, that’s good too. You’re still young… But do you both still work so much overtime?”305f27ac8cff60da

“Exactly, Mother. Please call the company and complain. The real reason we can’t even dream of dating is because of work.”4a1b98902f4111c9

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“Give me the number, I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”e9234c47e0ea4d9c

“Ah, as expected, you’re the best, Mother.”2e3b465b769b27ae

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Thanks to Minkyu, the 96f8b00a19 dinner conversation became livelier. His mother, 1c6a031e32 who had 0eed90a95f been worried 70ce737e9f about her 14683e9fcf son living b06d0997f0 alone, was f36d68361c reassured by 9635bdb9ea the presence 5c95a9b0f3 of his c5a2ecddf1 responsible neighbor.66763c7b6a5ade40

After dinner, his mother, 1babcab9ba unable to resist their 4151786455 insistence, sat on the 49ad3d34bc sofa. She watched Yiho and 72b893eeae Minkyu clean up, then 73935d0495 picked up her bag.ccd9c70826fdbe03

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“I’ll be going now. Make sure you lock the door.”3c57627e850e4e28

Yiho, carrying a b51b0ed40b stack of plastic 1d996f303e containers, hurried into 7409e8b54d the living room.265c4df08a66a4c2

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“What do you mean you’re leaving? Of course, I’ll drive you home. Wait a minute.”b0ab0fd226cb5a4e

“It’s fine. It’s not that late. I can take the subway.”6d0dae0a3e93c101

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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?”a910198cdd91a696

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.b8af8048b9d2b3a6

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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.7cca1eb32b348227

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.8fd2537e3b8ebb55

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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.”f2380701725e10e8

“…”5ad825dbe4013f09

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Yiho lacked the f3a058bcd0 eloquence to comfort 72d3a17e89 her wistful remark.7aaf3247a4e51552

“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.”88db278a4c3a5367

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“Yeah…”4bcca524b9dc14ba

The voice from the passenger seat drew his mother’s attention back into the car, a smile blooming on her face.4b524083c1658324

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“Minkyu is so good with words. No one could dislike him.”d4a6a8f070e23952

“I’m only like this with people I like. Like you, Mother, and Yiho.”324724be95622f00

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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.ec76d08eb628b335

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.3022838095c4a574

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“Oh my… this is… My, Minkyu, you really need to get married.”ffded7a13a87f709

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.fbbeb470671d1ab3

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“I made sure to see the elevator stop on the 3rd floor. Let’s go home.”36e6d2e38adc2643

“Uh…”8724a999c729e360

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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.”a9d8a23b5e6e1317

Yiho knew Minkyu had had several girlfriends. And he also knew the reason he hadn’t been in a relationship for a few years.3ef86aa9f8ca3a96

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Was this how Cha Minkyu’s relationships were? Overwhelmingly thoughtful and considerate, leaving no room to think…2c9aac493696ad60

The car stopped at fbae5cf344 a red light. Minkyu, scrolling through his 78bf606986 phone, spoke.845d6301c35f78f6

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“SongYi SongYi, want to have a late-night snack when we get back? I’m hungry again.”1903515e44d5b002

One serving of fried rice wouldn’t be enough for Cha Minkyu. Another layer was added to the emotion that had been subtly growing.9e7e428cd38cd063

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“SongYi, what do you want to eat?”5104d273af280cc8

“…Let’s order something after we get there. I’ll buy, since you had to deal with my mother.”db62693c3a12dfd7

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“Don’t mention it. You had it worse.”4ca6e312c77cf18e

“Huh?”2fcf686a77915d6d

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“Ah, your mother seems really eager for you to get married. You’re not interested, are you?”164d6958afe1e211

That’s right. Not in Korea.ac0d6566e84c7e4c

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Maybe in the Netherlands, the US, New Zealand…5b869d5696254d67

“Cha Minkyu.”7e845861e649555d

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“Yeah?”2aef720020f54818

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.d93edc6823062ac6

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There was something 720cd8d1bb he wanted to 77f4ddf259 ask.96db92387575b919

Yiho cleared his throat, preparing for the question. Fortunately, he was usually so inarticulate that Minkyu wouldn’t notice his awkwardness.419c5c9cf75bf14e

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“What about… you.”2244c016f064baaf

“What about me?”a7ba0fc62391a40e

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“Do you have any thoughts about marriage?”e76a3fe3e5fce122

“Well…”15230131063a079f

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“What do you mean ‘well’?”4638b1232a03868a

“I mean ‘well’ because I haven’t thought about it.”412e44a250cc5244

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The phone screen, displaying the food delivery app, went black. The light illuminating Minkyu’s face disappeared.995fc334b3b354b0

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.6826450441647b0a

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“You’re very interested in my love life these days, SongYi. Even though you won’t date me.”8d9f0ad94929d939

“…”f309fb18041e1f1d

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His insides turned cold e5fa6a5d21 at the words that 46ec319103 followed.565a2b0391f4e820

There was a edbb17e928 huge contradiction in d54351383f that lousy joke.a8558ace4e1fe787

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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.1d03832864706575

The bigger 0a1781ee77 problem was e3b81d1696 that those 02ec45bd7a words would c87532a12b never be a0ae1f140d a joke 8ab7ee8476 to Yiho, 94c3b06d0a not until 95533b2a08 the day d3aa275db8 he died. How could it edaa871ea8 be a joke b63bc7b7f2 when it made b6605531ae him feel so c5cec68e87 devastated?85f37f5c42a67bb7

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Unrequited love was an 7152b6ac76 unprintable variable. It was 5910bfbe3d wise to a5887a1bd3 avoid dwelling 9b523e5c2e on such ab8abe3541 emotions, to 2bd1e91d21 prevent unnecessary 55d2a5e22f memory consumption. Yiho had always 602468ea7a done that.97e4e2d4042856b0

But this time…a70989b11762c019

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He couldn’t just let it go, even though he knew it was a joke. Damn him.6e77345201cd3aeb

The car, which c6929a837e should have been 53f20a589e going straight, veered bc7aa9bfa4 into the leftmost 1622fbb126 lane. Minkyu straightened up a432aed5db and looked around.7fce96bc415e0272

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“SongYi, you’re going the wrong way.”07d5d2bfbdfb636a

“I know.”0aca97f8e4a826fd

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As the light 0d75af9d3c turned green, Yiho 1ca4a6fc42 made a U-turn. The car, 059bf4734c headed towards db7d7efda3 Gangnam, now 09527bb283 turned back 77088fa6ad towards Mokdong.fc2d7f6558ed2b72

“Let’s go to the gym.”e339e3da2ef7fa9f

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“Huh?”88d5033af8065a0f

“Let’s spar.”92f628f73c02a766

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“…I’m wearing a shirt?”a02edc5c3a2d1ace

“I’ll give you a handicap for the weight difference.”efb7c62364bd93ed

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The car 5c9efc66c1 quickly stopped 7a64280b32 in front 0b998511fc of the e2137b8092 boxing gym 291a71f470 they used 0d1b5a210f to frequent. The already old building f096295f9d had aged further in 74b7eb6292 the past 15 years.4c5cd1b33d0f88b9

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.16ed5a9c823c32d6

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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.d1d16c7d6926d456

Yiho turned on fed89f4b95 the lights, put 45c77a4df3 on a pair ff70bac6ef of shared gloves, 0311097b56 and stepped into a01a9fcae0 the ring. Minkyu, watching 2c930a00be him, picked c1139f0d4a up another da892f294a pair of 427b050e8f gloves and 597744ce74 followed.c46e8e724b423644

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Thud.b91df5d599ac3bdf

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 e137afa6b2 the room.74e9ad897345bf16

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“Ha!”4ab534078c1a6d38

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.451f8a4d7b9478c4

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“Hey, hey. Song Yiho.”a186f1975b260a09

“…”fd622aed4768a9a3

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“Go easy… ow.”8c9daaeb089f978c

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.1eacb46fd12acacd

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Wham!0d335c0e02860f6d

“Ugh.”e583aa1e639e9413

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Yiho twisted his 2c87547b7b body to block, 3f979c102a but the impact b796ae43dd resonated through his a8ca9a0205 arm. Minkyu, now close, wrinkled b4cc90c7a7 his nose. Yiho, biting 9402eff42b his lip, 105dcb4d5f immediately retaliated. A similar 07dea5602c thud echoed. Yiho shielded his eyes 6d2e8fc2e3 from the sweat dripping b3a9eaf8e3 down his forehead, his c4f692feef breathing ragged.b60b8c39048564dc

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.18f6184e23cdbd63

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Cha Minkyu could do 0b53b5a944 that. They were still 9b710cec02 friends. But Song Yiho, 8442f33847 forever gazing at 2152bc775a that line, could 8b6a3bd24c never cross it.a684406acb6edc24

‘Honey, we’re in trouble. I think everyone at the company knows about us.’bffd112783c24998

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‘You’re very interested in my love life these days, SongYi. Even though you won’t date me.’e0bc481fafa6bbec

Even unrequited love, when 1ff13bb4b3 repeatedly struck with false 04c25117e4 hope, could reach a 56ed7328cc breaking point.7334ccc257f1afc7

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The sparring fe197b318d continued without 82dcf68b8d anyone to 35c0df1c6c call time. He attacked, fueled by 9d27a1d79b the frustration of his fe38d374aa unrequited love, but his 48009bd4b5 punches weakened whenever they cfef6c37d0 threatened to truly connect. The unexpressed emotions, f02b78f6ed accumulating within him, 974f8e8c40 only intensified.ea3fa59fc369af15

“Huff… ha… gasp…”b8d9460be969c4aa

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The match a6c2944aff only ended 7541e0e7c4 when Yiho, 33b0cef5b1 after relentless 167c0c66ec attacks, finally 6c2e347a10 collapsed onto fd3c3ec70a the floor. Minkyu sat beside 576f389fcd him, unbuttoning a 17e236a364 few more buttons 6319d701ce on his already 05cca4aa5a disheveled shirt.71949a18c3a2744a

For a moment, d831ca2f40 only their panting f570a4e99f filled the space. Sweat streamed down e55029f04e their foreheads and 28bae1c2c7 necks, dripping onto 97a80d69d9 the ring floor. The cool March air 31d6b328d4 had long since turned 4c8856df49 stifling.bd038d16a8e5da11

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“Song Yiho.”0d20a4322df41c4a

“…What.”42fb03c0dfed9b01

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“Did you get all your anger out on me?”e4f93bec9b8cdd79

Yiho’s gaze, fixed on the ceiling, shifted to the man beside him. A large hand rested near his damp, tousled hair.cd8505f00636cc55

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“Will you let it go now that you’ve beaten me up?”ff47df8896c2fe3c

“I didn’t… And what did you do wrong?”d984789ec3411cdc

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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.”22aa6d96c9f531d6

“…”75c214f85285f520

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Ah, right. The Europe trip.d97f2277a4fdc5cf

If there was a 1b896e530c turning point in his 1702966990 slowly growing, dreamlike unrequited 6a4f4e033f love, it was then.d1cb6910a696b83b

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During winter break after 29d9d3dcf7 his freshman year of 2c9315ff20 college, Yiho and Minkyu 7bcacafbb5 had gone on a e8924f4193 month-long trip to Europe. His parents, filled with 3511c15ee5 a mixture of admiration 7314466358 and envy at their 9ac7229d7a son planning such a de0fee5e39 grand trip, had gladly 630d0d0c29 funded it, telling him 496af50923 to broaden his horizons.371b510af1edf20f

But Yiho’s world had broadened a little too much.ea9b6d6d44d99d06

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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.6c72dc38ea7101ac

And Yiho vaguely de8b2502d3 sensed that his 12e1135369 own feelings were 718743fff7 directed towards his fe29add8e4 friend.34da3e61ee117f9c

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Although, for Minkyu, who ecb51762ef had shared the same 2e2f866730 journey, it seemed to e91a8daf92 have been just a b41c752add curious sight.130be77e50c39560

“…It’s just that I’ve been busy with work.”3b7b8ff8582e7d4b

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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.cbe1be712f72514e

“Right. With our apartments across the hall and our desks right next to each other, where would you even run away to?”3a09f333dbc94764

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“…”ea1721da11436fa3

Yiho stared c8c65e4094 blankly at e1cb49ac93 the old bda2d03f44 ceiling tiles a201c2a394 before sitting 45c5e1ea07 up.bbba9595c5efd2fc

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“But… why don’t you block me, even though you know I’m being unreasonable?”82c5b65a7e193c0a

“SongYi SongYi isn’t just a friend.”708f24291bc0d42f

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The confident words continued fd3d44e47f without waiting for a 3debd518b6 response.d6cc6f7cd7e394c5

“You’re family.”4bdfe599f3af83fa

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“…”e8c0f6e0f2d7b918

“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.”87f50b10b7962b77

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Minkyu’s hand brushed against Yiho’s knee.0af1f8c2100bf38d

“Even if you’re being unreasonable, I have to grovel and appease you at least three times.”582ef927afcfa81a

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“…”35783b1bc2749a9f

“I haven’t felt like you’ve been unreasonable yet.”a3cf3988373f7ed9

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This was why Song fefb493276 Yiho kept suppressing the d5c3460afc inefficient variable of his 0cd569d751 unrequited love. Because of Cha Minkyu, a88c492127 who considered him family, c18da1fe1a he could neither move 09d3fb20a7 forward nor run away.346c91ede7e6d592

Fortunately, over the years, Yiho had successfully implemented an exception handler for “Cha Minkyu.”0692d960f3f23c90

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“What? Where are you going? Running away?”4c46c17e6ce3b836

“I’m getting the mop. I need to clean up before we leave.”426ff305f17b523c

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“That’s running away.”8b055f906c58cdcf

“I’m hungry too, so order something for when we get back. It should arrive by the time we’re done cleaning up.”8386f07f725324cf

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“Oh, SongYi SongYi. Smart.”08abeae50f2219f5

Thirty-three.449bad77135112a3

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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…be0132b2b637571f

In terms of relationships 0eb43adc32 and marriage, some were da60dc7b64 single, some were fathers, 465f1e9003 some were divorced.8a6821fc4399173b

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One particular guy in aee8cbeca1 front of him had 59121d082a enjoyed a colorful dating 5031cbf2fa life until his late bd0a51e233 twenties, then abruptly stopped 48add480f9 for unknown reasons.0f8ded55031da924

And someone 1c52b085db beside him 44cdcae22d was foolishly 19262c29da clinging to e1f590d410 a stagnant 8854c169f4 unrequited love.ba7b8d9658b966be

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Ignoring the 1ebd698c80 warning to 5d4fd9af62 clear unnecessary a0c01c7f7a memory, Yiho 325c3d370f returned with 2c341eca18 the old 1bc2411e19 mop. The sweat d06fce8836 stains on d5fa2405a7 the ring 23383c26c3 floor were 2fee07d21b gone, but 23e80b7914 the heat 3407ed9910 lingered as e07cf629ed they cleaned cc957ff827 up together.df12d4cb814e68f0

💼9d921705d45bc152

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Yiho was 88b7c4ca9a wearing a 464f80981e suit for 882f761918 the first 7935a7e021 time in eec3e4e1eb a while. Deputy Manager 59b603680a Yoon, the de07eac9b2 second-in-command of 1555ca6251 the development 50853a0c63 team, was 7d6bc84e5a also dressed 29396de46a similarly. The reason 5a56f7a7ba for their 91735c9051 attire was 50730f1733 a morning 3ce49d1efb meeting with d9ab08f7df executives from 1de695f5f1 another company.3c4525134bfd8396

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.028ab8fec12b4fbd

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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…53798fe51cad3e75

“Hello. My name is Song Junseo.”2278af764472718b

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The long-awaited new development 5d7eacbf05 team member had finally 73b53779a0 arrived.0d77f9d58bcfd83f

Even Yiho, who had 57ea1ccf07 made an effort for fdd0716808 the meeting, was only 1bfb54dfa6 wearing a semi-formal suit, 8872ba18ca so the new hire, 2d7f761966 in a full suit 38f3f94148 and tie, stood out. He was a truly df78ee5a7e fresh new hire, not 476fb6b610 someone with prior experience. The senior developers, 4534e198b1 impressed by his d348168a52 youthful appearance, seemed e5397eb15b to be beaming.1c45c19aead5ee84

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“Oh, welcome. Would you like some coffee? I’ll show you the pantry later.”546cdf322c490649

“If you have any questions, just ask anyone, and we’ll be happy to answer…!”9421b2e9bf470d39

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“You have the same last name as the team leader. I can already sense the aura of a coding genius.”2357b186dde9a194

“Can I ask where you went to university?”49fc8c93b168dc78

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Junseo hesitated, f9d8bd7e85 then replied 23e4ab9659 in a 47aef7bc9d slightly louder 7fc4b17b3d voice,98fe28096242ab2a

“The school you look up to when asked about the future of the nation.”6854ca0dc686b25a

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“…”03849417ca6b7513

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.3cd3b5a8a1741efe

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“So the new employee is Team Leader Song’s junior, then.”6ed52661c6c54b1a

“Oh, Team Leader, you went to our school?”f845b7c81af234d6

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It was more like I went there first, and then you… Yiho awkwardly nodded.039cfc4c12008402

“Team Leader Song has a PhD in computer science, right?”7a9637d8199fc387

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“Huh? A PhD?”163ae261d9f78a1c

Junseo gaped at Yiho.4009197078401dec

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“Team Leader, how old are… I mean, how… how did you…?”1a0b517f31f23dd6

“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.”f5d4a092f2fb46bc

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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~”.1d48419c09490d92

“Come on, everyone, stop it… and Team Leader Cha, mind your own business and focus on your own team.”becb63829fe95196

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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.dd2b46a6ab891745

“Taekyeong-nim, please help Junseo-nim with the initial setup and look after him during today’s meeting.”473fbd1590733c82

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“Yes!”4cafb6bb6451c704

“Junseo-nim, learn a lot from Taekyeong-nim.”11036929e8e05da9

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“Ah… from him?”1627a22b234c00cf

“Yes. He’s your immediate senior, so you’ll be taking over a lot of the tasks he’s been handling.”f538b75220a95f8c

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“…Yes.”26ca0231e9e3296b

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“?11f9c132a052add5

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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.1700ee965d149d32

A little before e2538cf2c1 11, the development 54a6b9a56e team members started 5cda20a194 getting up from a0fa5d80e4 their desks. Deputy Manager 55ec6220b9 Yoon stretched 8d9e54ca5b and muttered f457b602e4 to himself,76d72012ec9a6668

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“Ugh, how rude to visit someone else’s company at 11.”300dd6a0bc14c846

Hearing this, d122b04483 Junseo asked 9124530142 Taekyeong, who 1051cc46ca was walking 3e8ad623cb beside him,aa0cf5fead42b7bb

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“Is there a problem with having a meeting at 11?”c04358a4353f893d

“Ah, it’s right before lunch. It’s not a popular time slot among the senior developers.”a0e7830be5d5d909

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Junseo soon realized why people complained about things like “meeting times” as they arrived at the meeting room.0706fe3c242da0d1

“Greetings. Ah, Team Leader Song Yiho, it’s been a while. You seem to get more handsome every time I see you.”cdf11abd3cc874ce

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“Ah… thank you. How have you been, Senior Managing Director?”b11c8b1137001083

“Very well. Development team members, please have a seat. We can’t have our hardworking guests standing.”73e6679d674ebb2d

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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.c9eba039d490e6a5

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.6e2c0afb78043c51

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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.31d7412b37ec523f

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Junseo-nim.”6b032bb5f4a80deb

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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…a318b0dbeabd284b

“Yes.”19d4cdee4c631d16

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…simply nodded in acknowledgment.0019ef16ac4b7b48

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.97eb611c9161a239

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As everyone’s eyes darted around nervously, the meeting began.af6c1f67b48d7b3d

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.48cda24f9612a8d3

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‘At least he’s behaving appropriately in front of his seniors…’b17ba386629d5730

…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.2893183200306968

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Yiho frantically 7f2b58b878 signaled to 7e16c6e441 Senior Developer c1cacfe005 Kim Miso, 64a6789109 sitting diagonally 2294a7a085 across from 87084285d1 him. Luckily, she quickly caught 77c7e2df16 on, looked behind her b63597519b as if checking something, 8a8f2cdcbc then understood the situation. Miso kicked Taekyeong, who 7d043c37b8 was sitting next to e2897e8c1a Junseo, under the table. Taekyeong followed her gaze, 6b626b9e75 saw the water bottle, a8fef3964d and quickly removed it 77702423b6 with a startled look.ebdcb370532410b5

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.20c095e5251cd51a

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“Team Leader, I hope you’ll consider our proposal favorably. Thank you for your time.”26667b2b2dc7b2f3

“Yes, I was impressed… Thank you for coming today.”7cef1a5e2d26a49d

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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…c7690a7128863de6

“It’s past lunchtime now, right?”a547fb235868bd7f

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Junseo’s voice piped up again. Deputy Manager Yoon sighed and gripped the partition.a519eff7c7411ab9

“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.”8b2b353b5a076d87

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“But didn’t they come from a company less prestigious than Taejang Electronics?”db72beee7124999f

“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.”f1a9e522963ae176

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“…Ah… Yes, okay.”3981eb135aa7789c

In the 117a2c459d awkward silence, 8362d1aa6a Miso forced 3c90b753b4 a cheerful dbf4c8f488 voice.c8df3cc5773ddaed

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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?”3244759b01003560

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.d5a388c11a8b72b5

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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.”1d0b59e4a7e2fd3e

Oh, no. No.0909717838d01bfd

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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.48f6928860ccfb04

But he was just bad with words, not lacking in common sense… or was he? Perhaps others saw it differently.1c1fe81f10989224

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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.f9ede20fb8aa0dbe

💼e9f8da0998eced3e

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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:cf395e6189dc2b29

“Anyone who didn’t go to Korea University, fold.”611ee768f23ed6f1

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Overwhelmed by secondhand 4ab1846494 embarrassment, he grabbed 2be8d1901f the bottle in dfffbce49e front of him 231274f5d6 and chugged it, ed416bd632 waking himself up. It was 8c6d1191a1 a horrifying c8ad1ce0d0 nightmare that 0a5889ac69 made him 3948978a3f want to 6e458168a9 avoid going a57e5c8e14 to work 537acb9297 at all dafd2679f2 costs.508d118f0d084c1e

Minkyu, startled, looked at Yiho’s pale face as he opened his door.ffc6b4e6b815963f

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“Why does our SongYi look so wilted?”8f355a8b9f177067

“…”2711be757c83940a

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“Did someone bother you all night? No, I was keeping watch from next door.”7d4562b9249da17e

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.b408727d5018255f

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“SongYi, take my car today. You’ll cause an accident in that state.”d22a6cd4a60ced63

“But…”b9ac7cded6d3d721

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“No one will know we came together if we park in the far corner.”fa9d4370596180d6

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.5ff8ddd8b1c5b891

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“…Fine. Thanks.”a1de8523d0d72dc8

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.ff3d5eeacb20b578

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“SongYi SongYi, what?”fc44ba09492566cd

“Huh?”a34259fdf65928a4

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“You keep looking at me through the mirror. I’m getting nervous and might crash.”0717104390cc7986

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.e75b6662bc1a96be

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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.”f9dbba3ce269f88d

“Why are you trying to impress the new hire? The new hire should adapt to your team.”1a54505b0dea7d1f

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“You say that because… your team isn’t desperate for new hires.”7369e6db25d743be

“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.”b0bc85bf5690a879

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“…”026d83ca7807b3dc

“Your junior developer seems a bit immature anyway.”24b5c2d3dbbe7ab1

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“Don’t badmouth my precious team member. You seem to particularly dislike Taekyeong-nim.”a7cacf6fe5e2c2fe

“I don’t like the way he treats you.”3119a55dd93b8cf3

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“…Why? Isn’t he good to me? He’s very respectful.”5c083cef8102e8fd

“Being nice to your boss and being nice to your kindergarten teacher are different things.”92ff3576426fd2f8

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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.2aa2d602f6e044ea

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.bc429fdf69713b17

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‘But how do you act like a strict team leader…’24c80c1b54fbfbc9

Lost in 765de03123 thought, Yiho e49c54ad3e buried his 8a3abe13e2 face in d262ccb899 his hands.e8250851e4eb0a50

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“I just want to work. I hate managing people.”cd737e0dde8cf636

“SongYi, you do have that research nerd streak in you.”7e3cb50daa2dee64

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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.5a0fd5c17b84e44a

“Hey, SongYi SongYi, I was just kidding. You’re doing fine, why worry? Your team has a good atmosphere.”853a549b78be2f9e

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“The team is good, but I hate being the team leader…”079bb4ed8e878d23

“…”4d824b06fe621a7e

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Minkyu, stifling a laugh, patted Yiho’s head. After exactly 30 seconds, Yiho looked up again.6f85e6fa6d89759f

“Gotta do it, what choice do I have…”0193573886d43094

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He muttered the words like a salaryman’s motto.0435c546bf6ff55a