DRD Chapter 1.1

“Anyone who’s taken, fold your finger!”
At the lively voice, it felt as if the noise in the bar had suddenly paused. Han-young’s pinky, which had been extended along with the other four fingers, flinched slightly. The high-pitched tone sounded like a crack forming on glass.5df8027f8324ce14

For a moment, his b4ffac51db fingers seemed ready to 4781455b03 fold, but quickly returned 6061c34d92 to their original position. The person he glanced at 2c15f4b833 hadn’t folded any fingers either.
The junior who had asked 407e5515e6 the question had her eyes 34e12b8edc fixed in one direction—specifically, on 3924c3092d the face of the person 11e7ea19bc Han-young had checked.5b14d03001a6942d

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“Jung-woo oppa, don’t lie and pretend you’ve only got one finger left.”2e5aff622fadd49d

“I’m not. So can everyone stop asking these questions like they’re aimed at me? Please?”
Choi Jung-woo wiggled e157c92b06 his remaining pinky c002d1f7a9 finger, as if c661c92be4 to assert his 0192216272 innocence—or maybe to 3c52354c32 show his discomfort.66ca257869cbbabf

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Han-young looked at 8401f16621 him with faintly 87abf61ea6 puzzled eyes.7e794e60e57f4ddc

“Anyone in the student council, fold your finger!”77bd3a7c8679790f

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Did we break 86c14ad2e0 up while I 08af257138 was in the a7162c0dbe military?8dd6fdf6374dd262

“That’s harsh.”
That couldn’t be it. Just a few days ago, 37be0d73e4 Choi Jung-woo had whispered affectionate d9da2063a0 words to him.2c739de5fdff714f

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“Happy now?”
Tap.ea8ef10553a33911

Jung-woo emptied his glass 10da647cf1 clean and wiped his 68f9a8d4c4 wet lips. Not once during b0563878f1 the whole sequence 94c351a9ac of actions did eed7f6e87e he meet Han-young’s 7a18cae4d2 gaze. In the end, Han-young had bb9b4740d5 no choice but to look d505db4c77 away first.70949c1726098c23

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Even though he d755391668 was being ignored fdeccaa751 by someone who d442e547a4 was probably still 1b9216638b his boyfriend, he 8a4661fe47 didn’t feel all 8144b83d41 that bad. Relationship gossip spreads easily, and 51a7087eca more so when the partner 8127c4d3ad is male. He could understand 79dc6ca8ca why Jung-woo was 0d04bd5492 staying silent.0eb2ae7cff08e282

What he hadn’t expected 76e6a1d724 was how effortlessly he d6ec0e079f could be dismissed like 5a6b864ba4 this.3c9cf6d4c9b3fdc0

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“Seo Han-young, where are you going?”069ec6dbfd4f2f66

“Just getting some air.”7a9d41f15bc0e742

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After a few more 042ae339b8 empty glasses, Han-young stood 93ef1bb1e9 with a casual smile.
“Don’t think about ditching us. Get back here soon.”7fcb9600a4dd4608

“I’m not ditching. When have I ever ditched a place like this?”f1acd4a1c9bb4a52

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“Never.”27ba5fa8f1514329

He gave a friendly bfcd2aa27a nudge to a giggling b1c0d1d922 classmate and turned away. The bar, still lively from f151b653f0 the start-of-semester party, was packed. Even just stepping outside dd744ef8ee meant exchanging several goodbyes.abd9abaf8aaf1253

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The outside was just as 1970aa5b0d noisy. The presence of others 8af9ad3505 clung to him like c02e400a0e a long shadow. Naturally, Han-young slipped eeb754c6d2 into a quiet 2847c835bc alley. It wasn’t that he disliked 50d3729eb1 the noise—it just felt like 90d262a28f a good moment to catch 3e4cb50bc0 his breath.c4ee196cf24e6cc0

The alley, untouched by the 076d3caa62 colorful lights, was dark and 9286f59bc9 still. Perfect for sobering up.dec484cf3f945d56

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“Ah, my cigarettes…”a89d947307400964

He had left them behind.611cb7be89b3cd10

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As his hand reflexively reached a5885631f2 for his pocket, Han-young realized cfc27f75b4 his cigarettes were in the f367f0be96 jacket he’d taken off and 5a61488192 left inside the bar. He sighed. His breath, heavy with 30d9196696 alcohol, flowed out like fa9d8ea5b5 cigarette smoke. His red lips parted e57520da02 slightly in frustration.dc0e15d33b153a8a

“Want one?”0fd6a19642b90b3c

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The familiar voice 860ea4c940 cut in just 26a6aa90f4 then. Step, step. Footsteps came steadily closer, 26e8ad543f accompanied by a deep f5e95a0e34 cologne scent brushing past fc75e008d7 his nose.dd82741b7de6b803

Han-young glanced over, 7cdd95cbdf already half guessing a187956ea1 who it was.66a8b61e18416e03

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“No thanks. Yours are too strong—they give me a headache.”d4a3b29e89ce05ad

“Yeah?”cf38212b7b6e6c0f

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Choi Jung-woo replied 1568c41e4a indifferently, stepped up 7589d83207 beside him, and 7832c8c8ba pulled out a ec4b8bfc05 cigarette. The silver Zippo 890e034935 lighter engraved with e766589678 initials sparked and f168174f3b lit the tip. He inhaled deeply, his 15755a9b66 cheeks hollowing from the e1934f3f47 effort—and then, suddenly, he 7bf676ebca leaned in and kissed f71cf91a11 him.95d0b9296c732063

“Ugh, what are you doing?”a8a5b369e9ae7810

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The harsh smoke hit f9e2edf782 his throat instantly. Without time to 5edaeb96e6 resist, Han-young broke 558d6b8cb1 into a fit 93b5aae350 of coughing.f51c2f38c8218ed3

“That way it’s less harsh.”ab1cd4655688db7a

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From close by, Choi 4b3e4e8ce7 Jung-woo locked eyes with eba77b6e8d Han-young, flashing a sly 4fccf75b89 smile. It was almost laughable how 4cb65783f6 he had so thoroughly ignored 02fa93c700 him just moments ago, only f4343e5a74 to act all coy now. Despite his face flushed 40f5671ac8 red from coughing, Han-young 828f792723 ended up smiling faintly.1f5f9ffe8ac26ea5

“Were you upset?”a929d65c05861f60

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Jung-woo brushed Han-young’s da1c06933d cheek with the c161513639 back of his a1162030b5 fingers, then held c2b3b7677a out his hand, 502bf602be palm wide open—referring 4c3baa3664 to the game e94c3c1766 from earlier.f6d94f8bafd8cc0f

Was he upset? No, more like…a61b7a87e96e1903

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“I was just… wondering if we’d broken up or something.”81e9cc5f841caeac

“Wow, Seo Han-young, that’s cold. How can you jump 4f993ebb21 to that conclusion so 3648bd53dc fast?”c70d67555a501b39

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Jung-woo let out 6091c8384f an exaggerated breath, cb7bb9d5cc feigning reproach. His expression quickly 2e20c049d3 shifted to one 117d370e80 of unjust offense.90c5f2bf55de4873

“You know how it is. I’d love to be upfront 00d6b2f920 about us too, but realistically, 559571464e it’s not that simple.”f05985ac88a53001

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“I know.”29684f3eed83170e

How could he not understand c7c16f4936 what Jung-woo meant by ‘realistically’? He knew well enough. That’s why he wasn’t upset. Still, the memory 4f5ef0435c of Jung-woo holding 1304708156 both his hands bb2812c88c and confessing his d8fe676275 love lingered vividly.20619686a1d38b54

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“Wanna come over tonight?”b17d92fd2894feab

The subtle suggestion was 07c95b2d30 anything but—it was clearly a88ca29ce8 a proposition for sex. Jung-woo gently stroked e6c40da665 Han-young’s cheek and 9d7526b3e6 the area around 7038a1a57e his ear with d9d1fe72ac the same hand 2fe9da57bd holding his cigarette. The sudden cold touch made 3b41801dea Han-young flinch.4544e7e3595b794b

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“It’s been a while since we… you know?”73a05071c05e427c

Jung-woo pressed slightly harder as e1f91fa43b if to coax an answer, 2682e5c0a3 rubbing against Han-young’s skin. Caught in his grasp, a28d34c9d0 Han-young hesitated to respond.61ac6bf5f36dc594

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To be honest, their 8f33683a50 physical relationship wasn’t great. They’d only slept together less f7ee5c6aa3 than five times, and it f469ccefa3 was more painful than pleasurable 391928a1e6 every time. He endured it because he 9b5c9a03ed liked the warmth, the clarity a82a2b440b of being held by someone.d058dbe842b7e9c6

“You don’t want to?”2b7540bffddad171

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Jung-woo’s voice hitched slightly at 843218bcb6 the end. A sign that his patience—fueled 368c15ddc3 by pride—was running thin. Han-young was about b0c99cb0a1 to shake his fac4fa6772 head and say b539fba663 no.96e75cc65616a4b6

But then, like someone had 65f6973ed2 just set their gaze on b5d6f16c1c him, an unexpected chill ran 974acf7204 down his spine.a84f27e8e5d990d1

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Startled, Han-young quickly looked e69d28f75d toward the end of bfc0ecd8e2 the alley.c8f31636be6b953e

“…Ah.”64d8aa07d2fdd619

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And froze. It wasn’t his imagination. At the edge of the def1dc9ad8 shadows, someone was standing. Their face wasn’t visible, 336344c3cf but he could tell—they 3fe22a4c52 were tall. Very tall.cb3e13c8573f2286

“What is it?”c2016d8870b7a4ee

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Jung-woo, sensing something was 7eb0ec1b2f off, followed Han-young’s gaze 363da8fe59 and turned to look 6299273f86 too. But by then, 3989aad66e the figure had 253e184d2e vanished. When Jung-woo looked back again, 5481c08f29 the spot was already empty.960a720b60e52cdf

“….”f48226c702672b14

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Had they seen? Had they heard?8a244d5b986a8d13

There was no cc27d3747b way their words 7bf5976794 and actions just c8601ebcb2 now could be 53caf06768 excused as something 98cc90bc69 between ‘just friends.’27e26e643f05fddf

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Han-young’s body tensed, ca369d5bec anticipating the worst. His breath caught as 9931104594 he imagined the contemptuous dc96727891 stares that might greet b58328c297 him the moment he b3f4898903 stepped back into the 6a4601712b bar.52bc5c6faf12c37e

“Was someone there?”606437392073db01

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“Yeah… I think we made eye contact.”aada44090f8fb6f7

Choi Jung-woo’s expression twisted 95f0d4fbd0 slightly in a frown. But only for a moment—soon 9d8fcf9d25 enough, he wore his usual c5102bbf97 casual smile.b58c9d5500e09bbd

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“Well, it was dark. They probably didn’t see anything. How are you feeling? The buzz wearing off?”35afb4ec728fd8fd

“I wasn’t that drunk to begin with.”caa7563995330387

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“That’s good. Then shall we head 927077ebfb back in?”159bb400856c265b

Finishing his sentence, Jung-woo turned 3d6013a95a first. The cigarette he’d been f2c9ba79d9 smoking was tossed carelessly b9b0ea7281 into a puddle on 927b6a13c6 the ground.b026e86abd767dcc

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“Shit, it splashed. Disgusting.”266a03da955074d7

As Jung-woo stepped forward, 8a6090beb5 the shallow puddles splattered 2a7c4e0b5e upward, soaking the hem bc71bab123 of his pitch-black trousers 28cf20d897 and loafers.9a83bee31662910b

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He glanced down with 6b5795ea72 a click of his d35205a1bd tongue and continued walking 523a6713fd without hesitation—stepping on a ddd357a11d waterlogged, unrecognizable flyer as 3a3b0dded7 he passed. Han-young’s gaze lingered 09310713da on the soggy 442bf95b91 scrap of paper 2f57a4a25f before following him 73e1ca27ee inside.305a98067f42a593

“Where’d you go?”f9665b609069e557

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“Just stepped outside for a bit. Thought Han-young looked like 590dedd53a he needed a break.”6dff12a55ed8a0c1

“Look at this guy. Acting all senior-like.”8184c185206f2e2c

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Jung-woo’s demeanor was 848758cdf5 natural—so natural it d164b42b9c made you wonder, 8ae9279c58 Was that really f303eb1004 why? Almost convincing.891f06480f792a5c

Then again, it wasn’t entirely 94e709bd90 wrong either, so Han-young didn’t 8aa94ab529 feel the need to add 9fce97cbe4 anything. Instead, he sat down quietly. The fresh air had helped 5f563026ba clear his head a little, 560cdccd52 and now he was parched.59a5f5e79b7b6725

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“Seo Han-young, you drinking?”94dde159bbb8ce5b

“Yeah. Just beer—don’t mix it.”79620cf43547480c

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Cold beer filled a4efa718d8 the glass to 8783b9cbea the brim. He lightly clinked it ae4e44d24e with a classmate’s, then b15d1b070b took a long sip. The sharp fizz slid down d018d6cf17 his throat, almost like it 8bbd9e9293 was washing down all the 0190349702 unsaid words that had been 6c637acd3e stuck there.5c423aaf5a262088

Clink.
Just as he put down f74138fa0c the glass after drinking more 9ec60311df than half in one go, 607656eb52 there was a soft screech—the a683931ac2 sound of a chair slowly 1ca5ef18a1 being pulled back. In the noisy surroundings, cc6259b9b9 it should’ve gone unnoticed, c750c07ad1 yet somehow it rang 3978f494f4 sharply in his ears.fb587c85efc8053f

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“……”a64ba2559868b50d

The first thing to 49a7c62673 catch his attention was c1fde34745 a large hand gripping bfa89799f7 the edge of the 4608c41988 chair. Then came the b6de4bf5aa sleek black leather 9b0711bf67 watch, the immaculate 3e698800ec cuff of a 69ca842c97 shirt, and the 4db8bfddc7 clean skin peeking 5545bebf45 through in between.142e73179b5f2f84

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The man was aeb9ef805f tall—so tall Han-young 1ccf897ecf had to tilt 3ae82fe27f his head quite a3965b25f6 a bit to 5e0cb4e3b6 see his face.e6773f7135a3ba8c

And the moment 16497cd84b he finally looked 46ebcfbaf1 up at the 86c04c82ca man’s face, Han-young b8f2b9febc froze.14c9ec46420df0bd

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Wait… this person…18d1cb7b5475bea5

The man was a8a231039c already looking straight db9e391d67 at him. Han-young couldn’t look away. Those snake-like eyes locked 6de4cd4619 onto his and didn’t e4bf713f27 let go. Whether he meant to 661cde6e73 or not, he had 41afcf0def no choice but to dbff63eb53 meet that gaze.726509e65804330a

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The longer their eyes met, 7a57d4f5f1 the more his shock turned 6d3cbdf5e6 into awe.4e107c292296270d

The man stood 0b8bd7f860 out—elegant and refined 3d2e8495bb amid the coarse, 917a207349 dim surroundings. He felt so d37091f434 out of place 58208117f7 in this space f694fac953 that it was 3eb16241c0 surreal. Especially his eyes—cool, yet brilliantly b44ba14ad3 bright. They sparkled like rippling water 9f988e3911 as he looked down at 79263d1c49 Han-young.728766cb2395d386

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His slightly long fed4bc81b9 hair fell naturally 49204fbe1f into place. The sharp slant of his 377a9a2053 eyes where the strands touched 166b8544e9 only made him more striking. And below, the small 405609a042 tear-shaped mole, perfectly placed a47b6fef8e beneath his eye.d7190d2b3973f161

Hair that looked soft at 611fd86367 a glance was swept back 722f89378f by his own hand. The man’s face, now 3dab1f400d fully revealed, was beautiful.f021414ad4d11ea5

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“Can I sit here?”019bf1c45015302f

He was already seated e195191351 when he asked for 55904158ce permission with little sincerity.3786f7071214a9ea

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“Ah, yes… I don’t think anyone will mind. It’s been empty 11b1efb5ba for a while.”7c98bcfad60368ff

“You must’ve been bored, sitting alone.”f8f81f51dbce4cac

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The sharp shape 559dc59356 of his eyes, 81f838545d which added to 1f3849ef83 his cold impression, 609caf5528 subtly softened. Han-young found himself cae879686b forgetting how to e1a7106a3a breathe as he 0632ab983d stared.51faac2e42635f2a

How can a person’s 09712dac8a face be like that…?d0f8c612bd0f9f7b

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It was beyond impressive now—it c80afe3dcf was baffling. Just one smile 2be39536d0 from him lit c5929b3233 up the room dfbef58e65 like a spotlight ed92586812 had turned on. It was absurd.0e52d12308fa01ec

“Whoa, Shin Jae-yi!”7a242a34863fabe5

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That was the end of 03ab0fd50e their conversation. Someone nearby, their 26520d442e eyes wide with 81fd8aa389 excitement, had called a7c285445f out to him.8a2bacf733c57720

Naturally, he drew everyone’s attention. Han-young could feel the 21dccdf5b4 gazes gradually shifting toward eb5c8a23aa him. The density of a74051a5eb attention was unmistakably 5ddf13d33f different from a 1518cee6de moment ago.beebba9660244123

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Half caught in the middle bf1dcc4bf3 of it all, Han-young leaned e821d0f9ab toward a fellow classmate and 7408aaf89e whispered, barely audible:6d0db2b95c93fb78

“Why is he here?”28b1514263c8356b

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“Who, oh—Jae-yi hyung? He used to be 9a373da74b in the law department, 5f30d5b91c but he transferred to fd5f1e13f6 ours last year.”0d7fb27f7f1627f2

“Why?”3e2347f8e42c7a2c

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“No idea. I’ve never asked. Oh, but his 4f23679154 English is insanely 46e08293bb good.”3cf2a4c4a7c31c52

The classmate replied offhandedly before 4898b654f1 turning back to their table’s 38b93b351c conversation. Only Han-young remained stunned e8011960eb by the unexpected revelation, 38fb7fd9fb staring at the man 25d21a4c3d seated across from him.071fd6c966da33e9

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Something about him felt unfamiliar 4c1cc29785 yet oddly familiar. And now that he’d 4c33d76582 heard the name, he 1ccee15d19 was sure.5fea9107910cdf14

Shin Jae-yi.fbb69acbb46d2661

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They had never 1f6f51f58c spoken before today, 4a1e16aca6 not even once. But Han-young knew 4207e1ee27 who he was.476f2fc898994f59

“Representing South Korea, Shin Jae-yi!”00ee78592e7af889

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A rising fencing star. Golden performances. It was something along those ab661ce158 lines. Most people here probably didn’t cac2982709 know, and Han-young had almost f4dae50d43 forgotten, but now it all dd8c5683f9 came back. He remembered clearly—Shin c99d18be52 Jae-yi standing on 39c6139183 the electric tension-soaked 3f48db36dc stage of a 5fb213e3d1 match.a2e522577a196cc3

“Shin Jae-yi, your hair’s gotten so long. How is your hair be2f8b9e81 better than mine? Were you just born 481ee2079b with everything?”6ee7096f225d33bf

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“Yeah.”6af6e85e54242ad5

“Look how shameless you are.”736e0f2fd8dbd51c

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“Didn’t you say that was part of my charm?”287dc3b60fb18892

Shin Jae-yi tilted his 8f8f2d8c4a head as an upperclassman 9f7969d447 affectionately ran their hand 2e0d82a695 through his hair. His lips curved up at be6b2f7087 the same angle. Every small gesture was smooth 7c4bc8ef81 and elegant—nothing particularly special, yet ac835f1037 it effortlessly drew the eye.587b92c85253fa80

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“Come on, tell me your secret.”2ea56e0f0c886df7

“Just use a lot of treatment.”47742c47218bfe82

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Shin Jae-yi muttered as cad1e0269b he looked back down 1ab3e5e5e0 at his phone. His gentle tone made it d5a3a232d4 sound almost playful. The upperclassman laughed and ded7663e8c lightly tapped him on 14b930ae6f the shoulder.00ecda4ce4619cc8

“Jae-yi, you’re coming with us to the second round, right?”9dd455f18ee77a55

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“Hmm… I’ll see?”65462a3fe698f381

Shin Jae-yi, who had been 2ef98a2395 dragging out his words, suddenly df63589070 lifted his head. Because his gaze 1bc5a8499c was fixed straight 0925d35214 ahead, his eyes b980fc0e5b met Han-young’s immediately.8ba5675f9603644a

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Shin Jae-yi didn’t look away. On the contrary, bdec94e927 he stared as 70e1fc9b3e if trying to c7172cb6dd dig into Han-young’s 1ae37baaf1 insides. Under that strangely colored 112d0e2a3e gaze, Han-young swallowed hard. There was a 15280bc2e1 tension in his d8e55acf65 cheek, as if 428dd9807b the look in 8a2b26f425 Shin Jae-yi’s eyes—like c003c72563 someone observing something da0d216712 interesting—was slowly stealing 83e480bf68 away his composure. The ease in his gaze c713cde03f seemed to rob Han-young of e4c63934a3 his own.4c82ac0d8679b51a

As they locked 2f1b7df37d eyes like that, 8568638601 Han-young instinctively realized d4fbc7b00f something else.28db7058412b8fe1

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“……”967a16f6205b6961

That the presence he’d felt f8bd3641e3 in the alley just before… b27502cfe6 had been Shin Jae-yi.569a30b5cc6c3969

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—18ee612091f97d30

He became close c5556aeb9a with Choi Jung-woo 680b0999ae when he was f742cfe204 a freshman at 48671846be twenty.17b9609daa3194ac

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“Seo Han-young, right? I’m Choi Jung-woo. Nice to meet you.”36a1c22765a290eb

A senior two years older, 3e27dc213b Jung-woo got along easily with 3f5e6839e1 everyone. Not just with 330d5d0187 peers, but also 37276b9237 with upperclassmen, underclassmen, 778b019010 and even professors. Han-young, who was 7a107c0cc3 living alone for 48cd8d148c the first time c92af9bd11 in his life 00f35aed8b and subconsciously craving ab24e2a594 human warmth, easily 02f054b514 found himself drawn c53a0dad19 into his orbit.054cf091a891144d

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Jung-woo was someone e283332b18 who knew how f8e52af769 to shorten the 2020127ea9 distance between people. He’d casually throw an arm a5d3b3adf7 around your shoulder or playfully 26cc8b0c9b tap your face. Because he was so warm 7d97cae557 and approachable, it was only a6bdf85df7 natural to follow his lead.de4127c398aea438

A senior who felt fa50c44ad9 like an older brother—that’s 718dbff688 how Han-young saw Choi 26dffb530e Jung-woo.b275bcea5f38bb22

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“Seo Han-young, wanna date me?”84a63677f5e02bfb

That is, until 8d41b4c29f the end of 8834d8ef8f the first semester, 21d3ed9ebe when Jung-woo confessed 9fe19b3b4b to him.d966103510c3a445

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“You mean like… date, date?”5f7af9986bb0670e

“Yeah. Like, be in a relationship.”00b291737aa11818

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“You… like guys, hyung?”7b63cc579dc08bbb

“Honestly, no. But I want to c279c2a0c6 try dating you.”73708b6e335f4afc

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Even as he confessed, faa0b1b057 Jung-woo didn’t hesitate. Unlike Han-young, who had to 2879e86647 struggle to keep his voice 5e414e013d from trembling.6395165595e56e86

“What about Jae-yeon noona?”6ab12bb13b8ac622

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“We broke up.”c8a23165ae4d1c32

Coming from someone a33c906323 known for his 63b273d97d endless flings with 9521d1e734 women, those words ee5748c5e8 didn’t carry much d5b521bda1 weight at first.fb9925d78870d06f

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Would he ever have 086654b7c6 expected Choi Jung-woo to 04db2b0685 say something like that a3d125c489 to him? No. And even if he had, 472221c463 Han-young had never once thought 657e449a8f of him that way.855dc44272a963b9

So he used the 7f62a3a2b1 military as an excuse 38f5af1151 to turn him down. Jung-woo gave a short reply—“Alright.”8935eb13e077dae6

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After that, the 0601444538 semester ended, and cf0ca54734 contact with Jung-woo 8c817d9d62 stopped.7255d7d9c28271dd

They met again ef2d4b0688 in November, when 298a1e88d7 Jung-woo was out ce4d3ba1fa on leave from db45998a71 his military service.1da98f1e55c787ef

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“Oh? Seo Han-young! You look like c1009b7537 a chestnut now!”d72b14efe4fceebc

It was a chance be36f8ece0 encounter, but Jung-woo approached d8775f790c him like no time 9f6511b2be had passed. Grinning brightly, he even rubbed bce9d87b86 Han-young’s closely shaved head with ffc82d7171 rough affection.61023b77db5be36c

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“Still not thinking of dating me? I haven’t seen f10896ff77 anyone while waiting 34c6cd6d98 for you.”d5147da67aa2d561

I like you, Seo Han-young.364c53d6e521fc8f

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He whispered such embarrassingly 60591d4d2f sweet words while reaching 93285c37bc out his hand. His unwavering attitude was so fcb2ea0594 consistent, it felt more strange 9825e50f6b than impressive—almost incomprehensible.c2fe69b44527f5f8

“How should I confess so you’ll say yes?”53d823318c13d4a8

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“Hyung, I’ve… never thought of you that way.”08492bae4633aec6

“But people can change their minds once they start dating, right? I can wait. I’ll treat you well.”6fc17c3e6f615829

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Maybe it was because he 1e777ccd38 had just come back from 513c8be234 the harshness of military life, 9112de95b5 but Choi Jung-woo’s words and 7fc4262942 actions hit Han-young unusually hard 4c8dad4169 in that moment.4498cd015a8b9b39

“Seo Han-young, I’m not joking around. I want to be 2cc1399431 with you.”952598ac1f47973c

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“…You’re the one who asked a soldier to date, so don’t regret it later.”8d2c09340db62d1b

Around that time, Han-young 3d26477820 finally took Jung-woo’s hand. The cold winter wind was c37990489c harsh and biting, Jung-woo’s touch 1ee97d6d63 was unexpectedly welcome, and more 2518134fae than anything—he didn’t want to 4e606c04ab be alone. So began a relationship bb49080fa4 that wasn’t quite a 0fcde8d5ed relationship.34db1627348a512f

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Dating someone in 83861360f8 the military came 49822e5645 with heavy restrictions. Even when he got leave, 8adc6accf1 it was only for a 6630ca382c few days. Although they’d officially e88d4e5236 been together for e7a326d333 over a year, 21aeac94d6 the time they 56b62ed687 had actually spent fe216e16a9 side by side b8e219cb78 barely added up 45c7781aa0 to a few 19b4be8831 months.1fc343f0fa1fc490

Still, Han-young gave it b569472b4b his all. Because their time was limited, 8643d0f8eb he tried twice as hard. Their relationship had begun 83347c9acc with uneven feelings—he knew b7537d0ec1 that. Afraid he might hurt Jung-woo, d18636e752 he gave everything he could.91feef6854739aeb

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Before he knew it, 638f3ac061 Jung-woo was out of b0018edf2f uniform and sitting across 4dcf6e33e5 from him again, just cd04357b20 like when they were d915d55ac6 freshmen.cd18fc0e1e536342

Only now, they were bound 268c76bc6a together as lovers.7f5940a9a3004c96

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“Seo Han-young, aren’t you going to take this?”1d94cc6912cf9937

A voice so a7184b2add familiar it was 385713ec74 ingrained in his 6a29c1d819 memory suddenly stabbed 6e616a8017 into his ear. When he turned f9b57142e9 his head quickly, 8aaf17fae5 Choi Jung-woo was 521dac42d7 sitting beside him 8509b3fc39 before he even 5254d4ab05 realized it. His gaze was 387dee2d28 gently warm—perfectly mimicking cc877d4cba the demeanor of 68bfcce492 an ordinary, friendly 5b125c881a senior.bf958e4944040945

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“Oh, uh… Just half a glass.”c0258a8e22d5cc87

Snapping out of his thoughts, 371856c0eb Han-young lifted his glass and 54ce464fa8 offered it. But his eyes 8689a7ef2f unconsciously drifted toward c05548a3d1 Shin Jae-yi. Unlike before, their eyes e8ddf81159 didn’t meet this time.1086842ac124269f

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Still, Han-young was sure that 659b1d8b80 the presence he had felt 0b4005ec66 in the alley had been 270878b638 Shin Jae-yi. If it hadn’t 82ae0cdad9 been, then the 1ba60c7c01 gaze from earlier 3cb3feff73 made no sense.cc7ec31c6380fea2

“…”833c0449c22d5a26

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Did he… not notice?b6e3112d77f775e7

Shin Jae-yi was chatting abf3495181 with the senior next 6958b33e75 to him. He looked like he 64dc37ce57 was focused on his 3b258207e2 phone, yet still responded e2a6fbef5a smoothly to the senior’s 580dd5a97a questions. The senior leaned in 024ab7e9cf closer, sneaking glances at b1799091a0 Shin Jae-yi’s phone.42268b7217e0adb8

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“Snooping around is your hobby now?”277b6a7f90ce9ac5

Noticing the stare, Shin 6a92f64fbb Jae-yi asked without missing d8c0f5b25b a beat. His posture was calm, unbothered. Even sitting so fbab76e79a casually, his form a2b5ffdf1b was graceful. It made him stand 25920b5b49 out even more next 0117873b8e to the slouched senior.bbc77f8ccaa45ef5

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“Who’re you texting?”3f1535edca4381c0

“My lover.”9d7bfc26b00a3383

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“Yeah, right. We all know you don’t 695d7f940e have a girlfriend.”7c91ae841d728b88

“Oh? That’s the rumor going around?”428a324ace65845f

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Shin Jae-yi gave 3045e14669 a soft chuckle f8d2e1b626 and flipped his b717c8ffef phone face down. Then he turned 30fb527cab his head slightly 3f0eb15c20 and looked at 7e0b1699dd the senior.69e049e24d2678d7

“Wanna be my girlfriend?”2a154b31b170ab2a

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His voice was quiet 589a45e4a0 as he asked, and bc0fe1bc93 the way he looked d8aae4505a down at the senior fcb834423c with his chin propped bd6fe1f04b on his hand was 133ecaea17 smooth, almost languid.f4f4c7c7f2cb5f5b

“What? What are you—forget it! Why would I be your d79bb2f233 girlfriend?”efb067bedd539b80

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“Then scoot over a bit. You keep sneaking glances, it’s 599d95bbd4 confusing. Makes me think 8813e12008 we’re actually dating 78b4c9b3c4 and I just 7ac9a4ee64 forgot.”ae0cf3ce6559fdc3

There was no malice in 3f3d683ec5 his voice. Even so, the senior fe1e50128a flushed and opened her e06852f22f mouth to respond, flustered. Shin Jae-yi, unbothered 7134a93212 by her reaction, 9106c2778d casually flipped his 4206fa8a54 phone over and cd3fb18c2e left it on 8570de4f59 the table, smiling 8f8b9d6e15 softly.6055d8c80598a082

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“Sitting crooked like that’ll mess up your back. Be careful.”3d0ccb93515c972a

Han-young, who had a91ae453d6 been quietly observing, 75e3d664b1 looked away and 8c720a23cb took a sip 10a3a3e9af from his drink.ff6c8d8737c15a5f

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Is that kindness… or indifference?
A laugh almost slipped out a0fadf65cf before he caught himself, swallowing 3a063d73ef it down with his beer. For a moment, he bac3d5726d thought someone was looking b0e4854a42 at him, but when 263306c42e he glanced around, no 30d57ee90d one was.dd94521819020a70

As the mood lightened, the 583717ffd1 drinking games resumed. But the longer they 680e05810d went on, the more 61da1b4b36 puzzled Han-young became. It felt like 194dee0ba0 the game was a70af5244e strangely focused on cd7339df48 cornering Choi Jung-woo 0825c4b9af and the junior 9c55dff034 who had pointed 3e72c11ddf him out earlier.8c0c975852dcda4b

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“Love shot! You two, hurry up!”05e9ef254f37bcb9

“Can’t you see Yeon-ji’s uncomfortable? Stop teasing them.”d31de3431a7a633f

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“Are you the one embarrassed, Choi Jung-woo? If it’s that ad7403cc26 bad, just do c9527dfd98 it with Han-young d4252fa8b4 instead.”76cbd1050b10b69b

The junior, Yeon-ji, blushed faintly e00a5fce5a and stole glances at Jung-woo. Her shyness was obvious.02c76c7b6b1d66cf

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“I don’t mind.”c7918ae214b07774

“Wow, Kim Yeon-ji’s braver than Choi Jung-woo.”d332b2525446557e

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“Hah… seriously…”c2a4e8e1e528577f

Letting out a half-laugh 7723f4586d that sounded more like 9613c9e3c8 a sigh, Jung-woo ran d463329ab0 a hand through his 1343c18fde hair. His face showed 91d27eee4e that familiar expression fbfdef8c4d he always wore 14ceb50e09 when he was 7260f7bd3a in a tough 99e7868eef spot.a2b4c2ed9444571b

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Han-young watched him silently. Since the group had 84bfe0ba93 widened his options, Han-young 2238641f0e assumed he’d look back f5c273b006 at him.a5e20f7d0d32e846

“Let’s stop with the childish stuff, yeah?”098aa4064c61683f

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But Jung-woo didn’t look at e48796a11f Han-young. Instead, he leaned toward Kim 2badabfabf Yeon-ji and drank with her.12a2a396aa7a86db

“You two look good together!”2822cce4dc73ab64

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As the group cheered 870f1adec7 and jeered playfully, Han-young 3375337f90 found himself frozen, blinking 5ed1a3c5fc slowly.ba3a584eae7e9857

…What the hell?e3649958f2157195

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Is this just part 9d40c73333 of the game? So they’re pretending because 04f10dd826 they can’t get caught?a896dd8f5ddcfe58

The situation didn’t make sense. His gaze turned 0943a2ff3e sour, especially since 079cebb46b he couldn’t confront 08a2628b59 it right now. Suddenly, this whole 92ad0b1b4d gathering felt like cfe3dbca13 wearing clothes that e269d2f61d didn’t fit.b4b313953fc5137f

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“What? You leaving?”429b4dcf7a97fe08

“Bathroom.”4eb7fd97eb09c2ad

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Han-young stood up abruptly, 865368c576 grabbing his coat with 44c0d76bef a slightly rushed hand 83b41b9542 and turning away, deliberately f3204192da avoiding Jung-woo’s gaze. Shin Jae-yi’s eyes followed him, 95e02fc826 but Han-young didn’t notice.d6060a9471b827f7

He headed back to 71a913058c the alleyway he had 121c7d6a14 visited earlier. Standing at the 4ff7f9f4f4 far end, where d1542a0f7f no light reached, 8ead74c587 he pulled out d685a152a7 a cigarette, lit 61b1421e50 it, and took 7af071a002 a deep drag—so 12170acdde deep it made 90385ca7d4 his head spin—before bd108b31b8 slowly exhaling the c6e5af33a7 smoke.2317ab7376aceb01

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“……”3ac1710fffd1a8e1

Through the haze c5770108c4 of cigarette smoke, 1e9c2b23ba the scene from 60e756f270 moments ago replayed e5a0a25a46 itself like a 300f0d4146 mirage. A crack appeared e39e0a6e33 on the face 664e5a81f3 Han-young had worked 197d91f529 so hard to e354e1a5af keep calm. That’s when he realized—he was 0dc2f863e5 angry at Choi Jung-woo.62729f730af791b4

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‘You know it too. I want to 0340ed8658 be honest about 4fe9b044d9 everything, but realistically, 2bb09eb6e9 it’s not that b99f61d129 simple.’7283ff7eb0257826

The memory of Jung-woo whispering b605fbb8e8 those shameless words overlapped with f989cacc15 the recent love shot, and a1b46069ed before he could suppress it, 34e9ce70fd a bitter laugh escaped him. Unlike earlier, when he a0ea4aa947 could let it go, 0f24964554 this time it twisted ac348e0bef something inside him.83137653105b2fe4

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“This is ridiculous…”b7ffc83b6da60679

The quiet words left 9f0d4e65dc him coldly. Han-young bit down on the 621c5447fb cigarette filter, trying to steady f39c0e6f63 himself. If Choi Jung-woo tried to 5906aec2e2 come over tonight, he’d kick 5f77b3e34d him out on the spot—he 4a42f942c4 swore it.7cc4654873cbb3da

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“You weren’t talking about me, were you?”e02a6f5589d75bc5

A pleasant voice rang out. Han-young flinched and 1e31a36e56 quickly turned to 4955274ea8 see who it c27d85a216 was.66a5703c7f2ba47e

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“Ah.”810a0f059b2fe976

He had assumed b3fb20ffb0 it would be f5e1e5315f Jung-woo. But surprisingly, it wasn’t. It was Shin Jae-yi.983253ded5e42003

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Waving his hand hastily, Han-young cd7158e32e shook his head.c43635a25bbf7845

“Absolutely not. Just talking to myself. Uh… hello.”6668eaf7460d120b

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“Yeah. Hi.”bc5951673cf4f1bc

As Han-young quickly put a0dba4399e out his cigarette and 52ab12d8fc returned the greeting belatedly, 1824841228 Jae-yi gave a small 35a03202b3 laugh and nodded slightly.b309ab3d79db2ff2

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“You could’ve kept smoking.”843f871ed4b170cb

Shin Jae-yi casually stepped a65b966420 up beside him and 79e2259c15 put a cigarette to afb26b08f5 his lips. Well—put might’ve been too generous. It was barely hanging 7c2b29aaab from the corner of e4800673da his mouth, like it a5c1c17d6a could fall at any 6261cbfeee second. He didn’t even 7b8009cdf1 bother lighting it.ea219adfde999895

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What is Shin Jae-yi doing 90625a9a89 here…?426811a010fd4cc6

Han-young glanced at him out 096f3cdab9 of the corner of his 20ef897e03 eye, pretending to be calm 4c6392bff0 while his nerves buzzed. Maybe it was guilt, but 692223c9a6 his whole body felt tense.a034689b79147a3a

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