DD Chapter 1.3

It didn’t take long to get to campus. By then, his still-damp hair had dried completely. The gentle spring breeze wrapped around him pleasantly.

The campus in the early morning was both relaxed and bustling. Some students still clung to their drowsiness, while others rushed about, scrambling to find their lecture rooms.

“You just got here? Want a toast?”

An old friend, neither drowsy nor in a rush, greeted him with a wave. The junior standing beside him also gave a bright, polite bow.

“Yeah. I’ll have ham and cheese.”

“Hi, oppa!”

Han-young gave the junior a brief greeting and sat down on a bench next to the cafeteria. The junior quickly came back with a toast and took the seat across from him. Maybe it was because he was a freshman, but even just eating toast, he looked full of energy.

“You didn’t get Jo-woon a drink? Want some coffee?”

“I’m fine without it!”

“You’ll choke on it.”

“I’ll just eat slowly. My stomach’s strong—I’ve never even had indigestion.”

The junior took a big bite of his toast, swallowed, and giggled.

“You’ve never seen Seo Han-young before, right? Jung Hana, this guy’s a real monster. he completely wrecked Yong-joo hyung at the department party.”

Jo-woon had appeared at some point and took a seat beside them, holding out a toast. Jung Hana, despite her reaction of obvious distaste, was already devouring her own toast. She didn’t even look embarrassed. Her bright energy, so fitting for spring, seemed to lift the mood around her.

Han-young let out a small chuckle and took the toast with a wordless thanks. He unwrapped it. Freshly made, the toast looked incredibly appetizing.

“Ah, one sec! I’ve got a call!”

Jung Hana, who had finished her toast in the blink of an eye, stood up with her phone, which had been ringing loudly. As Han-young absentmindedly watched her toss the balled-up wrapper into the trash while chatting on the phone, Jo-woon kicked his shoe off with a thud.

“Got trouble at home or something?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your face looks like hell. Like you rolled around in the dirt.”

He mimed wiping his face, then added bluntly,

“You’re eating a toast I personally blessed you with, and you’re doing it with that shitty face. You fight with Choi Jungwoo or something?”

Flinch. Han-young’s eyelids twitched involuntarily at the question. Jo-woon was the only person who knew he was dating Choi Jungwoo.

“So you did fight. Or well—knowing you, it probably didn’t even turn into a proper fight. You dumbass.”

“That’s harsh, Jo-woon…”

“Your face is harsher.”

Unbothered, Jo-woon muttered while chewing his toast. He was a friend Han-young had first met back when they were kids in the U.S. Jo-woon had moved there before him and was already settled when they met, becoming a good friend.

For two boys meeting in a foreign country, it had only taken thirty minutes to become close.

They’d spent years as inseparable friends, but lost touch when they returned to Korea. Then they reunited after entering university.

“Seo Han-young?”

“Jo-woon?”

The awkwardness of meeting after years vanished quickly. Surprised and glad at the coincidence, they had a drink together, and soon things were just like the old days.

“Break up already, or at least fix your damn face.”

“You don’t even know what happened. Why are you telling me to break up?”

“What do you mean, what happened? It’s Choi Jungwoo—what else could it be?”

He hadn’t meant for Jo-woon to find out about the relationship, but once he did, he had consistently disliked Jungwoo from the start. Even though he acted respectful as a fellow upperclassman in their major, there was a clear distaste. At first, Han-young thought it might be because they were in a same-sex relationship, but Jo-woon’s attitude toward him had never changed.

“Your boyfriend.”
Thud. Jo-woon jerked his chin, tossing his crumpled wrapper down like trash.

…Trash?

Han-young, slow to catch on, let out a hollow laugh.
“Hey, still…”

“Shut up, you affection-starved idiot.”

Apparently toast wasn’t enough—Jo-woon was biting off his words too. As Han-young sat there stunned, at a loss for words, Jung Hana returned from her phone call. Just as Jo-woon had warned, he had no choice but to shut up.

“So, I suddenly remembered while talking with my friend—over the weekend, I saw senior Shin Jae-yi! I think he has a girlfriend? He was with this woman who totally looked like a celebrity!”

“Would’ve been weird if he didn’t have one. Girls go crazy for that guy. And he’s got a good personality too. Always buys food.”

Jo-woon responded without even thinking. Han-young silently blinked in agreement. With that face, of course he’d be seeing someone. And it wasn’t just girls—he had the kind of looks that drove everyone crazy.

So that really was just a joke, huh.

Thinking back to what happened in that dark alley, Han-young let out a breathless chuckle. He stuffed the rest of his toast into his mouth, recalling how Shin Jae-yi had been both rude and strangely kind. A pocket of sugar burst on his tongue at the last bite, flooding his mouth with sweetness.

They moved from talking about Shin Jae-yi to spreading all sorts of department gossip, and time flew by. Soon, it was nearly time for class, and they cleaned up and headed toward the lecture room.

“You here?”
Jung Hana took a seat in the front row, Jo-woon went to the very back, and Han-young found a spot somewhere in the middle after greeting his classmates. Around then, his phone buzzed briefly in his pocket. He already had a feeling about it. It wasn’t a guess—it was more like a certainty. This would be from Choi Jungwoo.

[Jungwoo hyung: Let’s meet after English class]
[Jungwoo hyung: I’ll come pick you up] — 9:56 AM

“……”

Just as he thought. A short, direct message from Choi Jungwoo. Han-young stared at the screen, wondering if he should reply with something—anything at all.

“Looks like you two made up.”

A soft voice slipped unexpectedly into his ear.

“Ah—!”
Startled, he whipped around—and found Shin Jae-yi smiling calmly at him.

“Hi.”
He sat down beside him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Han-young blinked, caught off guard.

“Doesn’t it hurt your eyes? That bright look—hurts mine just watching it.”

“…You saw that?”

“…You saw everything?”

“I saw it all.”

His tone was shameless—far too confident for someone who had just peeked at someone else’s phone. Swept up in that bold energy, Han-young merely let his phone screen go dark and put it down. In the end, he didn’t send a reply to Choi Jungwoo.

As soon as Shin Jae-yi sat near him, several gazes turned their way. Despite the greetings he received from others, he made a point of sitting here—next to a junior he’d only shared a cigarette with once, and wasn’t even close to.

“You’re sitting here?”

“Yeah. Is That okay?”

He asked for permission, but belatedly and half-heartedly. It was more of a declaration than a request.

Han-young slowly nodded. There was no assigned seating anyway, so he had no reason to object. All he could do was guess: maybe Shin Jae-yi was just that sociable, or maybe—for some unknown reason—he had some interest in him.

Seeing Shin Jae-yi properly under bright light made him seem even more unreal. It was like discovering a person could really look like that. All he wore was a plain white T-shirt under a black denim jacket, yet he looked effortlessly stylish. It was clear now why everyone seemed so desperate to sneak glances at him.

“What?”
Their eyes met by chance, and Shin Jae-yi asked with a smile still on his face.
“Nothing, just…”

Trailing off, Han-young’s gaze lingered on the corners of his eyes and lips. It was fascinating how a cold-looking face could soften in an instant with just a smile.

“Worried because of me?”
He jerked his chin toward the phone lying facedown. Han-young stared at him silently before shaking his head.
“No. You’re not going to say anything anyway.”

It had been three days since the Friday orientation. If anything had been said and rumors had started, they would’ve already spread by now. Besides, Shin Jae-yi had even jokingly offered himself as a fake boyfriend. Whatever kind of person he was, he didn’t seem like someone who’d speak carelessly in this kind of situation.

“Ah…”
Shin Jae-yi let out a low hum, then chuckled like air escaping a balloon.
“After hearing something like that, I couldn’t say a word even if I wanted to.”

“……”

“With instincts like yours, I don’t get why you’re still seeing Choi Jungwoo.”
He murmured it just loud enough for only Han-young to hear, then casually turned his attention elsewhere. Han-young didn’t respond. Instead, he turned his gaze as well—deliberately ignoring the way he kept becoming aware of the right side of his body where Shin Jae-yi sat.

Soon after, the professor arrived and the lecture began. The class was incredibly boring. The professor read off the slides in a voice that sounded like it had been dipped in sleeping pills.

Even so, Shin Jae-yi sat upright and paid attention without breaking posture once.
Maybe it’s because he used to work out?

Han-young glanced sideways at him and straightened his own back, almost in response. For some reason, maybe because Shin Jae-yi was sitting beside him, even his breathing felt overly conscious.

After two hours of this, by the end of the lecture, his head was spinning.

“Alright, that’s all for today. See you next time.”

The moment the lecture ended, Han-young’s body slumped. A small yawn even slipped out. In contrast, Shin Jae-yi remained just as he had at the beginning—simply looking down at his phone. Only a faint trace of boredom lingered around his lowered eyes.

Maybe it was because Han-young had been watching him quietly for a while, but a question suddenly crossed his mind. Shin Jae-yi had transferred last year—so didn’t that mean he didn’t need to take this class? It was a required course for second-years, after all.

“But didn’t you already take this class last year? It’s a second-year required course.”

“Yeah. I got an F.”

“…How did that happen?”

The question popped out before he realized. Shin Jae-yi laughed out loud, carefree. Unlike him, Han-young felt flustered. If he had made it into law school, he clearly wasn’t bad at studying.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do it properly this time.”

After saying that, Shin Jae-yi suddenly turned his head.
“I’ve got the exam files for this class. Want them?”

Rather than being grateful, Han-young found himself filled with questions.
He had the exam files but still got an F? How…? Unless he had intentionally skipped class, that seemed hard to believe. And besides, why was he offering them to me…?

“Why?”

“You always need a reason, don’t you?”

Shin Jae-yi smirked and casually held out his phone.
“To get your number.”

His tone was light, unreadable. As if it really meant nothing more than that. After a moment of hesitation, Han-young accepted the phone—realizing he didn’t really have a reason to refuse.

He entered his number and handed the phone back. Shin Jae-yi brought it to his ear. A moment later, Han-young’s phone buzzed with a long vibration. An unfamiliar eleven-digit number lit up on the screen.

“Your number came through, sunbae. You can hang up now.”

Even after Han-young said that, Shin Jae-yi didn’t end the call. Instead, he stood up and gave a little nod toward the phone that was still ringing. Picking up on the silent cue, Han-young answered and lifted it to his ear.

Only then did Shin Jae-yi curve his lips into a smile and speak.
“This is my number. Save it.”

This is my number. Save it.

The rich baritone rang out both above his head and directly in his ear. The voice, breaking like a whisper, sent a chill down Han-young’s spine. Watching him end the call without hesitation, Han-young slowly moved his lips in response.

“And stop calling me ‘sunbae.’ Seriously, what is that? Next time we meet, let’s drop the formalities a bit.”

With that gentle rebuke, Shin Jae-yi turned and walked off. Just like that time in the alley—he disappeared in an instant.

[010-XXXX-XXXX
Incoming call, 0 minutes 4 seconds]

Han-young absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck and stared down at the trace the other had left behind.

Just 4 seconds.

“Why does something so small linger like this?”
The unexpected moment refused to leave his mind, stirring his thoughts into a mess.
The unfamiliar number soon turned into five familiar characters: Shin Jae-yi sunbae. Even after saving the number, Han-young still felt dazed. Just a few years ago, he would never have imagined something like this happening.

“He doesn’t look it, but he’s surprisingly easygoing.”
From what Jo-woon had said, Shin Jae-yi seemed like the type to treat his juniors to meals pretty often. Maybe offering the exam files was in the same vein. It was just that Han-young had a guilty conscience, so he’d jumped to suspicion.

With a sheepish laugh, Han-young rewrote his perception of Shin Jae-yi and stepped forward. He left the lecture hall, but didn’t get far before he had to stop. Choi Jung-woo was approaching, having been sitting on a hallway desk.

“Seo Han-young.”
Choi Jung-woo had his cap pulled low and looked a little worse for wear. His face, shadowed beneath the brim, looked dry and worn. Seeing him like that, Han-young felt both irritated and worried—wondering if he was unwell.

“Let’s go eat.”

“…Did you sober up yet?”

“Nope. Came out right after waking up.”

“Then let’s go to the soup place. We’ll talk after you eat.”

Han-young wasn’t the type to coldly reject someone who smiled like that, so he let out a sigh and took the lead. Still, he found it ridiculous that he was concerned about whether Jung-woo, clearly still hungover, might be dealing with a headache.

“Knew it—only Seo Han-young would put up with me. You’re too kind.”

“Hands off. We’re at school.”

“There’s no one around, what’s the big deal?”

Choi Jung-woo murmured nonchalantly and slung an arm around Han-young’s shoulders. It was the opposite of his usual overly cautious self. Maybe he was in a good mood—he draped his arm over Han-young’s shoulder and lightly tapped his chest a few times with his fingertips.

When the gesture repeated a second or third time, Han-young flinched.
“….”
He caught a scent—unfamiliar and out of place—from someone who usually wore strong, stubborn cologne.

“Where are you coming from?”

“Me? From home. I told you, I came straight here after waking up.”

“You smell like perfume.”

If he really had just gotten up at home, how would a woman’s perfume have gotten on his clothes?

Han-young’s gaze, fixed on Choi Jung-woo’s fidgeting hands, turned cold.

“Maybe I got it on me while drinking? I didn’t notice—it was a chaotic night. If I’d known you’d care, I would’ve showered before coming out.”

“…Back off a bit. My head hurts.”

“Seo Han-young, are you mad at me?”

When Han-young snapped at him, suddenly tense, Choi Jung-woo leaned in and whispered in a deliberately gentle tone—though his arm remained in place.

“I’m sorry, okay? Honestly, I was just really upset. I wanted to be with you more, to do stuff with you, but it felt like you didn’t. Like I was the only one who liked you. I got emotional and snapped because of the alcohol.”

His not-quite-an-apology continued even after they got in the elevator.
“You know, right? How much I like you. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Then why didn’t you call?”

“Because I was embarrassed. After all the crap I pulled, how was I supposed to reach out? And… when you didn’t call either, I kind of lost confidence.”

Choi Jung-woo losing confidence?
The absurdity of it made Han-young let out a dry laugh.

“So you’re saying I should’ve contacted you first?”

“No, not exactly. It’s just… around that time, I started thinking maybe if you liked me more, you’d have at least called to curse me out or something. I had no confidence, so I got drunk and managed to send just a text.”

He rambled on smoothly, ending with a sheepish smile. That smile made his face look strangely gentle—so much so that for a moment, Han-young wondered, “Was I too harsh?”

“Did you know back then that that girl, Yeon-ji, liked you?”

“To be honest… yeah. How could I not know? But Kim Yeon-ji means nothing to me. People were just messing around, trying to stir things up. There was really nothing between us. You believe me, right?”

Choi Jung-woo tilted his head slightly, catching Han-young’s gaze. He gently stroked Han-young’s cheek, as if touching something precious—his hand full of affection that felt almost tangible.

“Seo Han-young, I don’t get why we’re fighting over something that means nothing.”

That warmth at his fingertips crept easily into Han-young’s softening heart. It made it too easy to swallow his suspicions and keep his mouth shut.

“You’re not the type to hold onto things like this, right? Hmm?”

Even while asking for forgiveness, Choi Jung-woo couldn’t quite let go of his pride. A trace of that stubbornness lingered in the corners of his eyes.

Still, Han-young eventually let out a long sigh and gave a small nod.
“Even if I’m not that kind of person… it still bothered me. It felt awful. So don’t do it again.”

“You know I love you, right?”

Choi Jung-woo whispered the words like honey, then grinned with his teeth showing. The shadow that had loomed over him just moments ago had completely vanished.

In contrast, Han-young remained trapped in the shadow stretching out from Jung-woo as he stepped closer.