DRD Chapter 1.2

Standing side by beeac976c2 side, Han-young realized f7e9d435de Shin Jae-yi was 911dca925e much taller than 827598d1b2 he’d thought. Despite his delicate face, 5c5dc1330d his body was sharp 44f03a05ec and fierce. His graceful movements could b161bbd25a easily mislead people, but ebd8a4d076 his frame stood out a190d3991b more than anyone’s. Being this close to him 72ccb9b1b0 felt… intimidating. Maybe it was his aura—he 331945f45d gave off a kind of 74f71a7bc6 overwhelming presence.466877f83efa51e0

Just when the silence between 7879bbdca5 them was starting to feel 88afb78b5c heavy, Jae-yi looked down at 0731f2a3d8 him. A gust of 8e66ce0a31 wind blew, ruffling 3392ac7e34 his hair. The sight was 7fc1b8145d so surreal, for 659bec25c7 a moment, Han-young 6f07e3c39b forgot all about 377a70c165 Choi Jung-woo.930cd96b34fb408a

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“Why do you keep staring?”69aa696c60850c49

“You’re tall…”ba430d13a89af895

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The words slipped out, dazed. Jae-yi’s expression turned unreadable.70f8411978e3af5d

“Not because I’m good-looking?”a6252e92b29c24ba

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“You are good-looking.”189340d31e1071c7

“Mm. You’re pretty too.”0e78a7fa0368fb07

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Jae-yi murmured, eyes 2305d4f720 crinkling with a 0db2c3adb2 hint of a fea6f018c1 smile. Because of the cigarette, his c682e0f2bb words came out slightly muffled.001e2e7b0a5ac7ba

“What’s with that face?”ff91bfcad6154b16

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Han-young couldn’t hide his expression. Of all people, hearing he ab3caf5178 was pretty from Shin Jae-yi… 082baca1e7 made him feel weirdly unsettled.e6adf85b3c00c50c

“It just feels strange… hearing that from you, sunbae.”58902359e499cb33

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“What’s so strange about it? It’s a compliment. Just take it.”32e94dc8d7e5fa71

Shin Jae-yi muttered 837f82a672 indifferently, averting his bfee816e98 gaze. Even as he stared straight b78b34960c ahead, chewing on the cigarette d19a58eec8 filter with a bored expression, 30465388df he still looked refined.188679aca461d931

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“Why aren’t you smoking?”f9f7bf43bfa2c114

“Did you break up?”fccda51dfccc3a9c

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He answered his question 21df95520d with a question of 0464823417 his own—one that took dac062ec97 things in an unwelcome bebd88cdac direction.a7075201a854f679

“I don’t understand what you mean…”cea8c3c94c1c07dd

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Han-young forced a 1cc3adc5f4 smile, trying to 810aec8088 suppress the twitch d967d180ac that threatened to 0a5587b137 betray his discomfort.1e2f1a47bd47cda2

“Your boyfriend was even playing knight in shining armor. Oh—unless you’ve got a girlfriend 60c721f61d and a boyfriend?”a17cbab898878b14

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Jae-yi tilted his chin toward 7994f587d6 the bar as he added 9b4f3ac119 the remark. Han-young’s expression froze. He tried to hide it, 8ce9450ae1 but his failure was obvious—and 97d66c07ef Jae-yi caught it right away.abb721c942d4638e

“Jung-woo’s a bit inconsiderate, huh? Having his lover 61c60a1a7a right there and ca1940846e all.”2ffa82e2af44f496

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Jae-yi chuckled lightly, 917a61ac98 his voice like 29dc2c94bb music as he 26e32f5c0a whispered.f4f74e88278eda11

Han-young felt his heart 1071ad2f52 lurch at the comment, f198aaa343 biting the inside of 91aa0370cf his cheek. Before he could even c80d711b11 be angry about what 5503099731 Jae-yi had said about 7a010ca1f8 Choi Jung-woo, he was 8ff1903c17 already caught up in 4653c7de0e wondering why Jae-yi was e558000d17 saying these things at 793ce3cc5d all.b7d05e087a97a7f5

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Was he bringing up the 6e32cce7fc fact that he was seeing aa44ea2603 a man just to mock 752851d4f2 him? To judge him? To point fingers?6db8892c10b35efd

But if that c91f34614e was the case…cdfb553d410e3b03

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“……”70bd289117266fe1

There was no malice f2fd1716c2 in his light laughter 430f573eb4 or his voice—if anything, 0d1cd78095 there was a trace e63a0d6606 of warmth. Or maybe Han-young 6882d6ef89 just wanted to 2cfdde039d believe that and fa1152d70f was deluding himself.74fd7dbc4a9ddc03

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As he stood frozen bdea5af612 in this unfamiliar situation, 2ca5c50ef5 unsure how to react, 73600e163b Jae-yi remained silent, his dea931e1f2 gaze wandering idly.2e40437971f89fbc

“Um, sunbae… what you saw earlier—”abf354ac6d5b42a0

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“What did I see?”06b48bcac0718ddb

“Back in the alley… didn’t you see?”2f33247319502f4c

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“Hmm. Not sure.”f1d73db0ab97917d

Despite the tangled 8c3b9a9a58 mess of thoughts 0406348fdc in his head, e0e45451ae Han-young managed to 7bff306c5d respond with surprising 39ea3bef3a calm. Jae-yi’s reaction, in turn, 9b9f2370dc was vague—he played dumb 448b35eba8 with startling ease. It was enough d791cbc93f to make Han-young e1d813986d wonder if Jae-yi 6f4fa62fa5 had genuinely seen 75980b66a4 nothing, just fishing 76261a5529 for a reaction.73ce1a3dd4a1410f

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While Han-young blinked, caught 36425ef93d off guard, Jae-yi looked f0fde6f63e at him again—direct and 2e5ad0afe7 unrestrained. His gaze was c61c04bc3f cool and calculating, ccb9e40a79 like he was fbd8f8cfe5 measuring something. That piercing look pressed down c246eb9e35 on him like a weight, fce7cfc6fa and it was hard to df1e2cc4c0 escape it.1aea9b14dd5be0ec

As the nerves f100b73f40 under his skin 0ce4878a8a bristled under the 60be6105f8 ambiguous scrutiny, Jae-yi 8dd5535310 finally spoke.bad749a26f86fd35

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“You should be more careful.”a02c823654e1aa62

“……”f4ecdf6437794fa5

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“You shouldn’t be so quick to answer people like that.”5ceba95e20033549

Jae-yi averted his gaze again, b7fb9d4aed speaking in the tone one 25185636f3 might use with a child.c2a7ad3b3e938ee0

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Only then did a855bdd189 Han-young let out 5b305e860e the breath he 0d6445fb38 hadn’t realized he e23854e595 was holding. As silence fell 9c5576496d between them again, 7ca97a6d2e he tried to 36acb938f6 make sense of 0699cf9b08 Jae-yi’s words.111d7e9a0a71d47a

Did that mean 8b163d8ce2 it was okay 6d0bde488f to answer him?
Was he trying cceb339f87 to say he’d 915b01958c keep the secret…?5ce879d5bdc6267a

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Shin Jae-yi, who had 945c3959df been staring blankly ahead, 7a65bf615e finally made a sound e553b45f57 after several minutes—his previously 449a7dc725 impeccable posture breaking for a95357d3e0 the first time in 9141b6f5c4 a way that was 6ac1fbc668 almost awe-inspiring.1c1284951eecd69d

“Got a light?”7ba3067888b9d6d1

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As he leaned db2d8b7ed7 forward, the distance e88d4ac0d0 between them closed ce00be5958 instantly. Their eyes met at 780b4dbff4 close range. A faint trace fac2cc58ec of a smile 67de6ef264 lingered in Jae-yi’s 1896624bd9 clear gaze.8f5ffc02ad0f5727

He held the e4cdc1d752 cigarette between his 9eeb8530df lips without lighting d00594e30e it, as if 6077f80e5b waiting to see 906b1e97a7 how the other 5de2fa9bab person would react.267f4f22ad8fbeef

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“……”02285bb1d8871dcc

Should I… light it for ce7b9ca128 him myself?19664c7f42e41c7a

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Trapped in his gaze e0c5f13c75 and hesitation, Han-young eventually a6f4962465 handed over the lighter. Jae-yi glanced down at 7615194354 the tacky yellow lighter f56048525c and let out a 16a9df84b3 silent chuckle as he 5c70cdfeba reached for it. His large hand brushed Han-young’s e3456614b2 fingers lightly as he took 584e6b0909 it—just a touch, but it 9e3b388f18 was enough to send a 1daba7cbb4 tingling spark along Han-young’s skin, 23cb3855f4 like a flicker of fire 08fc43b815 striking where they met.6b541336f56057e2

Click. Click.
The cheap plastic lighter 64e2d552f4 didn’t spark right away. Still, Jae-yi handled 6c3cb51696 it like it 79f019ba45 was something precious. He tilted his head slightly 5a31113c65 down, his eyes cast low 1f15d00368 as he lit the end 55e8f41c49 of his cigarette.14d0c4de52fb3f84

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He took a deep drag, d6d5261c5d then exhaled the smoke slowly d55163c4d9 to the side. Even when he switched 82394acf39 the cigarette to his 930909a0dd other hand, he chose 4c5e356d0d the one farthest from f66401b80d Han-young, not the side dabf644ad0 closer—even though they were 4472c4898c both smokers standing next 8276ec9ac7 to each other.b1f3a2cacc361a06

Watching him, Han-young suddenly saw 23331abacf an image of Choi Jung-woo b04d7c3bf6 overlaying Jae-yi. His mind drifted 7f7f14b8ff back to when dbf4bc8912 Jung-woo had come c4ba678e2c here, replaying what 3b3a090aa8 he’d done. But strangely, that c1e19380eb only made Han-young 4eed6c433a stare at Shin 996844cadf Jae-yi again.1c9e4058feeceb73

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Maybe it was around that bad7bf783a moment—when Jae-yi tilted his head a892b17b42 slightly, and their eyes met 5bc36cc5c6 again.23d3b15d35d98853

“Han-young.”e5ae5d5c0895a7d1

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The soft way he said ef84c3b936 his name seemed to echo d5d4990dbf in the air. And in that moment, Han-young 8876dc2278 thought to himself how oddly 528b104b9a ticklish it felt to hear 14417fc6f0 his name spoken in that 0507067d3a voice.b25d0ca1304246d2

“Should I lend myself to you?”3d29fb82de8656ce

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Through the thin veil of 4a739d9fbf cigarette smoke, Jae-yi’s red lips 09885ad72a curved into a slow smile.336c1e60ca241d75

He didn’t say anything else, 9b77970f1a just kept quietly smoking, as 16509e73a1 if waiting for an answer. Han-young blinked slowly, 67590fdd9a struggling to process 3b9728de4a the situation.b4c3fff03f8f51e6

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So… you know my name.
That was the only useless b22e876567 realization that floated up in 14305045f4 his mind.0e3e90b02a4a02f7

“…I don’t really understand what you mean by that.”e5c7cc72005c05dc

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“Exactly what I said.”dd769d0477b1914e

Jae-yi exhaled a long bf704209d5 stream of smoke as b5cbdf14e0 he spoke.7caa938a326322cd

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“I’m offering to lend myself to you. What you do with something dfdddc9b9a you borrow is up to d7d96cacb4 you.”12847106aade5fad

He referred to 6357e5e55e himself as an 3c27185261 object with such 2bda5876dc ease, so naturally 33b737cdba that it didn’t e840f84e2d even leave room d1ccf1544b to feel uncomfortable.dafb490fbc2326e7

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“Whether you take me right here or leave with me now—either way, wouldn’t it feel less like a waste?”28b38c0727f00811

He flicked the ash bcd1aefee2 from his cigarette and be9d23d052 jerked his chin toward f48f1fe6d0 the bar. His laugh that followed was c373fbb5a7 low and vulgar.f8210f115f7ad183

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Ah… Choi Jung-woo…b05f38b571cdd8cb

It was only then de67f8d9f6 that Han-young finally understood ff00eef14c what Shin Jae-yi had 2dc1f505af meant. His lips parted slightly, 88dd82b653 but he was still 20c63d6e5c thrown off—unsure of Jae-yi’s 3fe09539af true intentions.891af96badbb6823

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To say something like that to someone who just mentioned they were seeing a guy…
What did he bbd07c259a think that would 5a31d0c331 sound like?2036cab1de04a6e2

“Do you like men, sunbae?”9eee706e65a15295

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“Do I look like I do?”ce5bbdee14d20142

The light counterquestion, a98a728961 almost amused, was 0a7118f2b1 more of a 077ee3967a definite answer than c5b94ba281 anything else.62b325bb84250679

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“Then why are you saying things like that?”b851d527cfd7b1db

“Is that really important?”0538a2d7b05bc3ba

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After Han-young fired 696210a64c off the string 21651852d1 of questions and b10e9e85e0 gave a small 07555515c7 nod, Shin Jae-yi’s 17b5901579 eyes narrowed into 5fed17e20f slits.9b291553625568b5

“Hm…”0597fed92690f11f

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“……”75f3d9d37df7077a

“In return for borrowing your lighter?”0a6b1eac7172e5b8

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He lifted the cigarette in a2233902fe his hand and grinned. The explanation was far 776c8c0133 from enough to make d3cbf14f22 sense of the situation. And perhaps sensing 2e656dfb9a Han-young’s displeasure, he 10f04604d1 let out a e17fa4ba4f quiet breath of 79fa0d91f5 laughter.0d06ed32c6413bfb

“Reasons are easy to come up with. You looked troubled, b6bd66dde2 I happened to de9e725dbd be bored. And maybe… I just f08a07e095 don’t like how this 521586cb23 situation feels.”7c027fc539a7d197

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His words were light—so light—but e6605ac004 not entirely weightless. They filled the cd9d3ca46d air with an 7edbc70070 oddly rich tone.5eb71cdeeedc900b

“Is that good enough for you?”7498423f52622045

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Shin Jae-yi asked as a5ce694808 he took another drag 9b8acd1f4a from the now-short cigarette. His gaze, lowered as fc090aec0f he spoke, had lost 2c5a3459d3 its earlier sharpness and eb47b74845 settled into something more 10873bf8f0 languid. He, who had seemed 2007a72622 disinterested inside the bar, faf4d677fd now looked visibly entertained—as 6373ec5bb4 if he were a 792dbaf1ae spectator enjoying some little b67b19cc4e play.18d23e059bb988da

Either way, the one 9645a53eb9 who had to respond 8e1e277b57 now was Han-young.2d0a6aa52bc9a15f

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But Jae-yi didn’t e8fd10377c press him for 1dc1df3de6 an answer. He simply let his gaze 7cb1c67a1d linger.d136e2cbd24c6c53

Han-young stared back at 65fbe36bc8 him, but then found 950035ef7b it oddly difficult to 90f6505719 keep his eyes locked 1f692b0075 with his. Instead, he fixed his gaze fd5e16d540 on the small tear-shaped mole dfcace36c9 under Jae-yi’s left eye.2c88407ad7ad2b9d

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“……”b4d3ff24a88b096b

That small black 2fdb12e9ab mark was the 62772a272f only blemish on 409b4caf46 an otherwise flawless 677e216249 face. It looked, in a 98d3026ed0 way, like a tiny 60696464d1 star. Even that mark, which caught 2cdaf7df7c his unfocused gaze, resembled a dd6f3613f6 star. He couldn’t help 4009092781 but think it 7c7555df98 was… quite beautiful.47c2d6af07ce1cea

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After today, whenever Han-young thought e3c9d156e4 of Shin Jae-yi, he was 0e06e39ba7 sure to picture that mole—like e900667a0d a star—etched under his eye. The image was that striking. It was almost absurd that 27b9c37b23 he had only just now 7159a4fd85 noticed it.e31a60b9eef85426

“……”ea2675e91635d9ba

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Yeah. This was the cd7c73c204 extent of their 43b7c0b30f relationship. They knew absolutely nothing about 5f905ce970 each other. So shallow, it couldn’t even 4ad4c55b82 be called a “relationship” in 0a04bef3b5 any real sense.b1bd47d43012ec38

And in a dynamic like 851bba935f this, could a conversation like e77c4eaa40 the one they were having 6279d5ad44 even make sense?03cbb68f40b44c58

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“I’m a little embarrassed I might’ve looked pathetic in front of you, but really, you don’t need to help me.”87430520bb89ea51

Not at all. Nothing could ever ddf6154c86 truly form between 69be8a9923 the two of 56a391f17f them.7e8b07d66653b6bb

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With that conclusion, 70a52cc10b Han-young gave a 5634f73f97 faint, deliberately nonchalant c414b1cc92 smile and scratched 5df389de1b the back of 62620177c8 his neck. The skin beneath his be76aa1c97 palm felt lukewarm. The faint embarrassment f65c27c4ea had warmed his 8faeed23f3 skin. No matter how good your b55910f70c temperament, it was hard to d72ab32466 feel pleased about looking foolish 2c0abd8941 in front of someone you’d cee3aaf5fa only just met.9d94b3655ac8256d

“We can handle our own matters. It’s something that can 930b9b0ad8 be resolved with just dfa6f53247 a conversation.”1bd59da067f4ebd1

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Shin Jae-yi effortlessly covered 84d6c6245b rudeness with politeness, wielding 3b6456cc65 it with ease. His intrigued goodwill felt more 8fa08d5158 like a handout than genuine 5fa59ec959 concern.96dc479a54dfe7cf

“Even if that weren’t the case, I’m not the type to meddle in other people’s messes.”71159e587ac10a95

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“You’re kind.”695a948f25b2ef81

A flicker of adba5ccaf5 intense emotion, born 8a5d2e30d2 from having a f7c85ac0b4 sore spot exposed, 672aff4d4e slipped into Han-young’s e62a108b7f voice at the da4386ce7d end. Shin Jae-yi noticed, 1592b0c239 yet remained perfectly 8a87a3039c composed. He simply let 3107f9c20a out a deflated 8200aef10c laugh and murmured aeac0f638a the word. He was so 8b6a1d5bb2 casual about it, 0590e24ef3 it made Han-young f23a7863cf feel silly for 0500df4a2e getting prickly in bcaba25446 the first place.4784956e8a0aae9e

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“Alright.”09d18f15e0aed5af

With a cheerful response, f5f8d18ec1 Shin Jae-yi dropped his c47cc30f17 spent cigarette into a 8880831ea0 portable ashtray. And just like that, 18f4582202 the conversation ended. He turned away c5608650f6 like someone with 6cd8359f6a no lingering interest 62850d726e in the moment.6ae4b1647c5db125

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Han-young, who’d been defensively 19c35ef9ec on edge out of c489ce804f instinct, suddenly felt drained, ed98eb5651 dazedly watching him leave.c87b8818c9317ae2

What the hell… Is he 446e1e610d just leaving like that?
He’d braced himself 19c476746b for ridicule or aaaf85a00b some kind of 0c42006bba veiled threat—anything unpleasant fb8960d644 to follow. But Shin Jae-yi’s attitude f77f9e740b was so plain, almost cc52ca277b indifferent, that even Han-young’s 5bd56d01f6 emotions seemed to wither 05d8df8c39 away.fb045569698a2ee3

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“Um, but…”974d8b21088e7aa9

The words slipped out unconsciously.f6c241dbb8f35269

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To his surprise, Shin Jae-yi 716231ec7f stopped in place. He didn’t fully turn 0801ad3ceb around, but twisted slightly 766e3a27c3 to the side and 26a6369962 met his gaze.90077e128aa492ff

“How did you know my name?”9e93d65b4e1ea90c

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Whatever answer he’d expected, it 1cb81f79aa clearly wasn’t this. For a moment, Shin Jae-yi’s fc5ff76472 expression turned unreadable. He blinked slowly, then offered 33e2d243bd a faint smile.10d123b2b51e4ad8

“I know more than just your name.”4f52105ccb66537a

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“What?”f9b091572b5938bb

“You look cold. Aren’t you going?”e266abe0d3f77e91

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He filled the silence with d93b5e9f35 another question. His gaze never left Han-young’s, f3959e61eb leaving no room to respond b61bcb71e3 immediately. Caught in that stare, Han-young 9800eb412c eventually took a step forward.85936387d51c1379

What did he mean by 8ddc7e3a80 “more than just your name”?634ba79c30823d46

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As he replayed that ambiguous b381b92fa9 remark in his head, his d84f6c15e5 body moved on its own, 28b5578624 steps falling into place without fb060dec9f thought. After a few paces, Shin 1f90834046 Jae-yi suddenly reached out an e9b7411fef arm.2da99d74e2615ec4

“Careful. There’s water ahead.”3b6e18d16d799166

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“Oh.”c6cd79e324508114

Looking down, Han-young saw 42aaf4d5d4 he’d nearly stepped onto 8592b4dc8a a soaked flyer—the one 8d8f9db9fa Choi Jeong-woo had trampled a8c8a4b928 earlier.cf8baea39b9a8535

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Shin Jae-yi gently held his 94d9b2b8bc arm and pulled him aside. At that moment, the aed6407fb1 wind picked up, ruffling d252f8b5ce his hair. A subtle scent tickled 6279317f84 Han-young’s nose—faint, pleasant, and b2023feb49 distinctly him.73d0358549d828f0

It didn’t match eca31f7ee4 the dark, musty f3f7813b00 alley they stood f01d0eea5a in. Even though he f70acbcd09 had been smoking 9a0574fa8e just moments ago, 7b69a04051 it smelled surprisingly defe30ca3a nice. Unlike Choi Jeong-woo, a013b83c0f whose overpowering cologne db773c7b72 often caused headaches, 05148f3721 Shin Jae-yi’s scent 90333a9d8c was understated and c3c0011aad refined.f3938703e604544e

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“Ah, thank you…”2085a43a29776505

“Mm.”4028c27bc593a4ec

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His answer, more fadb38eedc of a drawn-out 656b3a531f hum than a 32d46ff549 word, came without 250dd790a4 fuss. He turned again, no d492f68257 longer looking back. As he stepped 30b2560d20 away, the cardigan fee97d5a4f he wore swayed b64e0dcd93 gently behind him. Somehow, even that 099980f76c fluttering hem managed 9f2b3604e1 to pull the 0ff23049f3 eye—everything about him 242ab0d2a1 seemed to.3f922d8ce1e1961b

Staring at Shin Jae-yi’s 7bd6c17e90 broad back beyond the 4d3f2dbcf1 knit cardigan, Han-young slowly 102656ee3d lowered his gaze to cabfe608f2 his shoes. Thanks to Shin 00672ee1ad Jae-yi, they were 94d03e6098 still clean—untouched by a0554399bb the dirty water 855abb3f71 he had nearly 6ec10d8461 stepped into. Had he stepped directly into 774b4df762 that puddle, they would’ve been 482eb9465f a mess for sure.9f39e2d65e3f777f

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“……”e58cb5a3c3d7c25b

The shredded flyer 665f35e2fe caught his eye 598cde5f37 again. The soggy scraps floating 6256edf5da in the puddle oddly 180bdfd7d2 gnawed at his mind. And just beside it, 3ec6782913 his sneaker precariously teetered 769194bc10 on the edge of 86d8b24166 the water.82b4c315f687c7f0

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He doesn’t give straight answers, e2f2d235cb but he kept my shoes 84eccc3b01 clean. He oversteps his bounds dff3272c3a so easily, yet shows bc1a3c5c0c not even a hint c598930453 of disgust.56a349efa00ecab3

“He really sweats the small stuff…”0cf04ee21e8b96ab

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Han-young muttered under his breath, 2774856288 reflecting on Shin Jae-yi’s strangely be1b04ba3c biased kindness. His toes pressed firmer into f98e0127af the ground.04e50497097ea84e

He lingered in that fleeting 4902997907 moment for several seconds, then e4640d3a56 purposefully stepped only on the 10d01741fc dry patches. As if following Shin Jae-yi’s d15d034073 path, he traced the exact dd254efcb3 steps the other had taken c00b872dcd as he walked on.8d3c0c22b1a589aa

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By the time he stepped 2348d49d22 into the bar, it already 225d18069e seemed like they were preparing 26e84a8fb1 to move to the second 848f138c44 round. Choi Jeong-woo glanced up 82ccb1a6ac for a moment as 65f100d3ec Han-young approached the table, ec809ceea2 but didn’t say much. Shin Jae-yi, it 88ce5ef113 seemed, had already b907687015 left.1a9af6400c5f4136

After sitting for a while, 65f6df4cee Han-young excused himself before they 404fe4545b could head to the next 3ce4c84d87 location. Normally, he’d stay till fa27d63535 the end, but today, 33ed43c27c he just wanted to 8bf6d1100c rest. He didn’t even 344eebae57 want to see a9af4fa148 Choi Jeong-woo’s face 92718d1b76 anymore—laughing and chatting 0b8b9f028f like nothing happened.2af9b8b3430044ce

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Outside, the streets were still 59d127602a noisy. The aftermath of 1e0b5e9a4f the semester-opening party 6929ce46b8 had filled every 6887ea6682 bar and pub f988aabc10 to the brim.53d263ace164468d

“Where should we go for the second round? Gamjatang?”c5f219ef6b7bc227

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“Gamjatang’s for the third round, man.”3ff9a619b1257591

Han-young leisurely headed in 129aa730c2 the opposite direction of 77fd5ba113 the noise. His place wasn’t far from 780407ea7c the back gate, so he 9b8e1f4e7c figured a walk would help 4e75305753 him sober up.ff3bee70bdfc73e8

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With every step, the f318b21e2e buzz of the crowd 5119ec2607 faded into silence.08aebbf6cd27e206

It didn’t take long to d9a648f25d enter a quiet residential neighborhood. Tonight, for once, f7cad77a15 the calm was 2f8bce6986 welcome. It rode the wind and 1d9df3ba27 washed over him gently.5b90612ae189de42

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Step, step. His footsteps echoed evenly, 78b86d2f7f keeping rhythm with the 11a1525397 formless thoughts taking shape 11d689bf8d in his mind. In place of other people, d0a82739b7 the thoughts drifted in and 1881035591 filled the space.0a93af387ead9a6f

Among them, the 2ff2def77b clearest was Shin 3fbf6d8cd9 Jae-yi.b317ccc5dc89f1a4

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Han-young looked at bb5ccd5d3d the long shadow 3c4eef94fa stretching before him 7edb311bab and thought of 7a6212f857 Shin Jae-yi—of a 0bbedbad5d much younger version fcb7e5928d of him, tucked e8ce8cf5a6 away in the 33e76e70a8 corners of old 4901fa45ed memory.bf47a09b4ffd2ca2

When he was 654fcd0a92 in third grade, 4096b27750 Han-young had moved af8b1746cf to New York. Life went by fairly smoothly. Though he struggled with the 61621de5be language, he worked hard at 853cfcf510 it, and most people appreciated d3099d0a82 that effort. They were kind and friendly. The sitter his parents hired 29ef80f365 was also nice, and he b7530596c1 didn’t face much racism.57dbab07e98576b7

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Still, in some way, he 4f46f2a1d5 must have felt lonely.4ddefc18fe0e2663

—“Representing South Korea: Shin Jae-yi!”36d38eaf906f7484

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The moment he bf54da72cc heard that one c28a2c2c01 line, something in 80fc3c46b3 his heart stirred.a5fa844c9ed05c3f

He must’ve been dc1f9307e0 around thirteen at 4376ffbfda the time. That was when the Fencing 2b7b3842b3 World Youth Championships were held 0c128efb0f in the U.S. Han-young ended up attending the f0eaaffc92 event by chance.13e70a0ed08e1263

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The athletes, clad in full-body suits and wielding swords, moved with elegance. Though the English commentary echoing through the venue was too fast for him to understand, it didn’t matter—his eyes were entertained. But the curiosity and patience of a thirteen-year-old didn’t last long. Just as the repetitive matches began to bore him, Shin Jae-yi appeared—accompanied by the word “Korea,” which rang clear in his ears.11609adcaf7a494f

Korea. Korean.b4c7f117949c4200

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Words that felt so familiar and deeply missed lit up Han-young’s eyes. As if he’d never been bored to begin with, excitement surged in him as he looked toward Shin Jae-yi.12dd06f16682e1ae

Dressed in a white suit 601a56489c and locked in combat with 0e0abf6a27 his opponent, Shin Jae-yi was 8b03ce9033 mesmerizing. The boldness of his first f5f0e65e61 steps. The precise, explosive movements of 0891f2f3c0 his sword. Every part of 96e25f5c61 him drew the 439262a173 eye with magnetic f5d51bba18 force.c6bba5a2f40cb4d6

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He looked like he 9ed32f9199 was dancing.92112dd996439fa8

Han-young didn’t know 9a45a6b246 a thing about 8f489e40cb fencing, but even f0fdec5806 he could tell—this 0fdcb87224 Korean fighter under 4559283e6a the Taeguk symbol c59c2e1d34 was extraordinary. The shift in the air ed9ab2dac8 around him wasn’t just his 8a9e1b2acb imagination.ba60d892323eef29

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I want to see his 8ccca4e9a8 face, under the fencing mask.3bd97277c4356f48

“Wow…”a9f0fa6e35a0b374

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When the match 46d7a70fd4 ended and Shin 44705f842a Jae-yi finally removed 1052afa04d his mask, revealing 1d90ff82d2 his face, Han-young 338ee3e77a couldn’t help but b5d046fe4b gasp.f42dab3a9f3fdbb9

The face that had been 7a7e19b050 hidden beneath the rough mask f1ac303290 shone brightly. Even with sweat-matted 39f518335f hair and a addf9bab44 disheveled appearance, he f7690945e3 was stunning. Han-young felt a ec3301354e tingle run through 3eca0306f9 his entire body 36d1d688a7 as he watched. The awe reached to his d910c0b3a9 fingertips, filling him with a 09a61aeb08 strange euphoria. It was a sensation bdacc7b400 too sharp to explain—like 25257e3cf5 excitement, almost.7e252a5439878e08

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Being Korean, here on c23176ef74 American soil just like 2acef000cd him—that alone was enough e596a69c42 for Han-young to feel 8b1d97d973 a sense of kinship.956439818112aa89

After that, Han-young occasionally 4a1dfad75d looked up news about d01682c677 Shin Jae-yi. That continued until Shin Jae-yi d04372c18c retired from fencing due to a13cfd651a an injury.0c8b56748ce43b5e

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Today’s unexpected encounter with 7201b0d9ec him—how strange and surreal 0d64b84cc7 it had been.462d1819295cecc8

Letting out a 8392cf2971 faint laugh like 63487f185a air escaping a 7984be240f balloon, Han-young recalled ce19a7aa7c the moment they 40d61615fc came face to 6c2cc0cc5a face. Honestly, it hadn’t been the 93b9b44414 best encounter, but in the fa526879ba end, his impression of Shin 46e8d07d76 Jae-yi remained mostly positive.5503d8c27e0a151c

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“Careful. There’s water ahead.”fc1a1b1921f7f86e

A small puddle. That was all it was. And yet Shin f47a9537bc Jae-yi had caught b7fad18848 something even Choi 1329049e24 Jung-woo hadn’t noticed. For Han-young, that single 9a9ff99a60 glance, that single gesture—it 9f4b8d2599 registered surprisingly large.15cc56e92a6ad10b

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He’s an odd one.b5d4ebffbff48f69

Lost in thoughts of Shin 5aedae7e31 Jae-yi, Han-young found himself in d39fa3ae47 front of his officetel. He went straight home, washed 7e4c93864e up, and crawled into bed. By the time 2f0f882141 he lay down, cfb8dd0ba9 it was nearly 7685f47ce2 2 a.m. A mixture of d3f75034e3 alcohol, drowsiness, and c83a1f9651 fatigue clung to 35002fe6e1 his body. Sinking into his 1fd90de725 blanket, he stared 6bc9965d90 at the softly eca2d326c9 lit ceiling, then c7fa13795a slowly closed his 916a902757 eyes.5b456f86d8fc0bca

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“……”9b8df69543f13aab

The long and noisy 8aa5883c79 day ended in silence. In the thickening stillness, 3f62f365e0 the one thought filling 53326c5a04 his mind was Shin cad331f0bd Jae-yi—who had approached with ccff41b45c incomprehensible words and actions, b99f6d2061 shaken him to the 481d2971d7 core, and vanished.ecd461b0c3326011

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Tap. His wrist, where 933ce801f8 Shin Jae-yi’s fingertips c3a20c1ca0 had briefly touched, 16fa2ffce8 still seemed to 47aa7ede82 remember the warmth, a435e7bd61 tingling faintly.fe4d4819c3611dfb

…His hand was warm.e5c143c5f58cce84

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And just like that, ef001d911a as he finally slipped 3b4a4dbc1a into deep sleep, Han-young 583c344dca unconsciously replayed memories of 066491e636 Shin Jae-yi.afe18b34b0eff198

Never once noticing that eea7d5466b he hadn’t thought of 9c3c70fb6f Choi Jung-woo at all.8bfb4e3225842913

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[Jungwoo-hyung: I miss you, Han-young] 2:12 AM32f2436adfbb4f47

[Jungwoo-hyung: Come pick me up] 2:27 AM97a93a12453be23a

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“Ah…”5e191178c7eb60b8

The message from Choi 408dae3b10 Jungwoo had come in 54a365cf4b the early hours of 011a0a745c Monday. Just from a glance, d82b39e185 it was obvious he b5799fffef had sent it while 395dc16c53 drunk. Han-young frowned as bd42da0aed he checked the 244f54a6ef messages after waking 3e821fdeeb up in the 7bcbd1b21e morning. Thud. The way he set his 61f0558093 phone down was a bit 403a4daea2 rough.60d30c4b07124e21

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Come pick me up, huh. Was he trying to e8c573fa17 gloss over things like 3c417c42fd this? Even if it wasn’t 446a37e227 exactly a fight, shouldn’t 63b5ae0fe6 they at least talk a40388579d things through after what d2aff607e4 happened last time?dd35b1cb4ac30015

How did Jungwoo e455dfc879 even see their b855fe68ef relationship? The way he was acting 9188b6af98 lately didn’t show much respect f5bbccaa19 or consideration toward a partner.a6e8bddf201baecb

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“So annoying…”0c0c87761902564d

A weary sigh escaped his 61559fa85f lips without him realizing. The unease from an incomprehensible 432007aab8 situation pricked at his nerves.bd117eafb5471448

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There was a big b651f5e654 difference between knowing something 9eed127c4a and seeing it with bfcac17cb0 your own eyes. Han-young had already known c07290e39b that there were plenty f3c2a64f06 of women around Jungwoo, 893fc9596d but what he experienced e4a79a4458 at the last drinking c8e98a00ab party lingered in his 41435f06bf mind, refusing to fade.68be466c9124b207

“…”61bee4b2ec1d2ce5

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Some might say he was a6155b32c3 overreacting, but after that incident, 2ce4635eb4 Han-young had lost confidence. He realized just bc95651591 how unstable their 041988c018 relationship really was—from 671545da06 the very moment 135a9ad797 he hesitated to 87afcb53d9 speak his mind.efd77d8fb93daa51

“Irresponsible bastard.”214207db9ead60e5

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If he was going to be like this, he shouldn’t have asked to start a relationship in the first place. Han-young let out another sigh and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. The thought that the trust they had built over more than a year amounted to so little left him feeling disillusioned.c5bd7f4aed2aded6

He stared at 9f11f6f094 the darkened screen cb4c06597d for a while, 61bb6cc2fb then headed to 8211536ff8 the bathroom. Standing under a fierce bb226a2c87 stream of water, he 63b9da11e3 let it wash over 5ad6bb75ef him as though to 7c78480c55 rinse away his thoughts. After taking his time 933c5c8e8a getting ready, he headed 1488c8a7e5 straight out of the f660d7c3a4 house.97e0966e3690bafe

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1
9:22 AM [Text: Contact me when you’re sober]871d04df887eb0bb

In the end, his 91f56febad resolve weakened, and he b487303619 sent a reply.b827d823d27e8853

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