DRD Chapter 3.2

“Why are you a437a20cbe letting me stay 6243941ff4 at your place?”
But letting someone stay 752f985667 at your house — a0bff1df39 that was another story. It was c3bd010a36 too much 526cdede31 to dismiss 0f3e2bdf35 with a 74fcc8db21 simple “he’s 46c001bbb5 just considerate.” 620d1b2b3d Especially if 3aa423bb42 he was 90b9aae4ff someone who cfcbd5e848 usually didn’t f0ed41a7ad like others 356080cc2c invading his 6f8b6f68ea space.b9a7d781c4cdd307

“I thought maybe I’d 5370a4ff07 let it slide just 0b2a79ad5a once.”
Shin Jae-yi furrowed 851ac3a211 his brows and c42ab63ce7 let out a 6ea1a558ce soft laugh like 575555bbd2 a sigh.
“You looked a67bdcc4ab like you 1ae8c680e3 were in d007a178d9 trouble, and ca85d280e1 I could 91fb61f372 help. That’s all there is b5a963a2ac to it. I couldn’t just ignore beb609d3c6 someone who’s getting beat a03acde12c up and tossed around.”99fee05cc7398b80

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“Would you have done 2246bb18a6 the same if it 2955b0b50b was someone else?”
Shin Jae-yi, who 332e4032c1 had been speaking 164dc833e1 calmly, paused for b9589802f5 a beat.
He was f25c6ef0a5 kind, yes 30392ddd31 — but 97674cbc3d also someone 86bb433717 who had f98f2a23c2 very clear 6916160a68 boundaries. There weren’t e86a5f77fa that many 4aad79cf7e possible explanations dcd57b675f for this 3f3a847a72 situation.e488306c879c0bad

Watching him 20481566a5 not answer 702ec19a33 right away 4a7493b454 like before, 5dcfb34050 Han-young finally 6be63d3d6b spoke up 426bea69ff with something 8fc81db89b he’d been 77479ea35b turning over f316fee187 in his 4380445dc1 mind.
“Do you… want to 1f2a1812dc sleep with me or 010e471423 something?”dbae86342fddf991

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There’d been quite a 2a3d506baa few moments where he 1da6bcf19d thought, Wait, what was 705f1092c1 that? After all, Shin 4afc3a685f Jae-yi didn’t always 3413d16ace bother to hide 1bc1252902 that snake-like gaze 629b506488 when he looked a83555adb1 at him.33870d4bf15adb11

That raw, almost carnal 203e8953de stare had always stirred d677ccc1ce up a weird tension, d4b8ef8743 made Han-young hyperaware of f7cf508bb7 him, down to the 8fdb78ff2c tips of his fingers.45099ff92024bb33

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It wasn’t ec3133d0ea a common 5a32afb4cf kind of 51b5d1d925 gaze — 2134d8197c one that b9ce86bf37 felt like c3d87ffef4 it was f9615b247e wrapping around 2e1e7fe64d your whole b731c3ed19 body and b72bb7c118 licking at f9d2583b84 your skin. Especially not from 88f7b76fac another guy. It was 6540cd2976 impossible not 631c871d88 to have 062cf5b895 your mind c5cc812f83 wander in e250415ae7 that direction.
And they bad6db8284 had kissed, ad7d710fae hadn’t they?
On top of that…c32a256032ba0746

“Be obedient fc7415b7ea — that’s 70722d9e21 what Seo b7b06152e8 Han-young is f7bcf86450 good for. Don’t ruin all the a6dee96a9d effort I put into 45c871b49a you.”
That line f1aa13eed9 from Choi 52cab55259 Jung-woo, still 52a802e7c2 stinging like 2ed4677c94 a cut, 643a9e97d8 made him 9f99472576 wonder if 7423fabca2 maybe Shin 5c076b2d33 Jae-yi expected 367619949e something like 84e4ea0415 that too.54cdfad7f7230b33

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“Are you d0d71a3937 trying to 81c819f767 move the 40f311eef1 plot forward 04b701bb79 just ’cause 52cd987e5b of one db10a74183 kiss?”
Shin Jae-yi had, 2395fb4642 for whatever reason, 4a8d1c7015 always seemed to e79d1373fe find him entertaining.3024fd5be8e991a5

“I like c1a95c3155 that you’re 2ee63987c1 forward, sure. But how’d you cf589d50ee end up jumping 4157042a2b to that conclusion?”
He chuckled, weaving 210f191e0f amusement into his 3bd98f92dc smooth, easy voice.
“If letting you stay 8227fd0444 at my place meant 26856c0029 we had to have 6951da69d0 sex, we would’ve already 30614a37ae been under the sheets, 1cf538cc23 Han-young. If I really wanted 2263a51c8e to sleep with you, bb6cf9555d I wouldn’t have let 8514d10d6e you sleep alone.”
He mentioned sex so 8013d4af59 casually, like it was 0b047fb856 nothing, like he was bb7dc50012 talking about the weather.acf2b118fe8b723c

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“I didn’t 228f808c43 even touch fd3bbea541 you last c3db0f05fc night. Why would you think 25e38227b1 that?”6596235d84ae0e56

“So you’re really 92151ffae2 just helping me?”ca82c50732d0147d

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“What, is 3c55bad875 that not b257f015b2 okay?”
How many 56f7e65d5d people are 574228d1ec truly kind 039343e1be without expecting 7d9a942452 something in 8f359ee183 return? Even in df599a1510 close friendships, af5bc5ec67 there’s usually 2804628f6e some hidden ef1de3a7cd motive. But Shin Jae-yi seemed d71d46abd3 completely detached from all 4beb87d6a0 that.3178aa9c9c53b4ef

“If that is 920c3e1882 what you’re hoping 13b61c959a for, just say 4996eac6f7 so. I’ll take it cbcff3e53c into account.”ead9e86a0f0af7fd

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“…If it’s not 25e0c2f326 that, then I’m 28386607f1 fine.”f3db36a4441c0485

“So that’s b466f0c97a why you c045ebb700 couldn’t sleep, 590d691731 huh.”
Always quick to catch 1d3ce6aa10 on, he figured it 5727e6a08b all out with just f4199389e1 one question.f9aa3fa5cdd56dea

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“Don’t overthink it. It’s not 4ba73999f8 something that 4290b7711a needs that d709747b13 kind of 9b3e1211bf weight.”be48c62f4d75a374

“…”90dd3f37f9c4e65a

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“You just looked 3593091eb1 so pale yesterday. I just wanted to e8e62510e0 treat you — that’s c1a461c2ed all.”
His relaxed ea6486a7d9 words landed 5b532a8743 gently, like e726041118 his softened f02bf23c28 gaze. His voice, linking word cc00bf8dd1 to word, felt so 924eeb3bef warm it made you 1eea733baf want to believe him, a6d9cc862e whether it was the beb574a7ef truth or not.9e1a82c7f70bbdb3

Tok. Totok. Around then, the 8b7fc4cc93 rain that had e4f0d7b140 stopped earlier started e50bd215fb to fall again. Cold drops 31c2e95cc3 slowly soaked 4d6855e998 through his 75f335261b clothes.60827c419a61ccca

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“It’s raining. Come here.”
Shin Jae-yi gave d7e46ce3d0 the overcast sky a00ae165ac a lazy glance 2da3cfbd85 and nodded.74c00c98f9677f51

Pang!
The black 53d7d1f6f5 umbrella in 9aa584f6e8 his hand a4ea1dfb0f opened with e83e85bc92 a sharp 33c00ea822 snap.
Standing under it, he df6f8970e3 left half the space fb7071ee23 empty and nodded again, a9fc5bbbc2 urging him in with 3eeb84a536 his eyes. Looking at the empty fdb790431e space waiting for him, 65cd21b7b3 Han-young slowly stepped forward.f00e612692358334

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Splash. Water from a shallow 57c8e75fb7 puddle splashed up, dotting 5fe017c23f his sneakers with spots 32c6218254 of damp gray.62833b694e4bee4c

[Jo-woon: Yo]

[Jo-woon: Heard Choi Jung-woo’s face got wrecked and he was looking for you]

[Jo-woon: What happened?] 3:47 PM

The peaceful weekend, the 68b70b9980 cozy mood — all 8f5e2b536c shattered by the cascade dc0f67f10d of message notifications.
“…….”aafcfddf1c75433d

Han-young, who was working on an assignment using Shin Jae-yi’s laptop, glanced at the popup on the bottom right corner of the screen, then glanced again at Shin Jae-yi sitting next to him before breaking the silence first.
“Uh… I, like, headbutted him. Bam…”0bf421bda03daf2b

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“Oh.”8f4a3c405170681a

Shin Jae-yi froze a09289b05e for a second, b6fdde7da4 then burst out 587b274a90 laughing as Han-young 9801529d5c mimed the moment.
“Are you a rhinoceros or what?”a4ebaddea92c38b7

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“My arm was pinned, I had no choice!”e73d9f2885585799

“Good job.”7af862da85b99a1b

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This is nuts… Shin Jae-yi muttered with a small laugh, sounding like a parent who’s proud their kid won a fight.
“Your forehead okay? Idiots like Jung-woo usually have harder heads.”9ad2f5187c78286d

Without hesitation, he 0bbbd1c18d reached out and a0fd9faa10 rubbed Han-young’s forehead. The touch sent a fc1d9c6f4a ticklish sensation across his 34f7cc83ab skin, and Han-young flinched 5b0d475a20 slightly before slowly nodding.
“I’m fine. I’m more worried about the settlement… His nose totally collapsed, I’m scared he’ll chase me down asking for surgery money.”5d994a5b46a0a714

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“Then just hit him a few more times. I’ll pay the settlement.”8d41446dd937b779

“Settlement money?”eb33e83a83cd23dd

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The word was 11c84adbd6 so foreign, it f56541515a made Han-young laugh.
“Are you rich or something? I couldn’t pay you back even if I tried.”929f3f031d56d3dc

“Yeah. I’m rolling in it.”2f0cc24cf12eaf98

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He said 31c8124b7c it casually, 883ab66449 then grinned 2a9c58197d like a 11ce984697 mischievous brat f794e3e094 and pointed 6174863178 with his 655c415e01 finger.
“The weak spots are here, here, and here.”880b6a7755eb51a3

Poke. Poke.His long index finger a55c10d81c tapped under the nose, e25fcc6edd the collarbone, and the 1ff9103c3d solar plexus.
“And here.”c34715cb73060d9d

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The final spot his finger moved to was right at the center of Han-young’s pants. The straight fingertip hovered just shy of touching his groin — dangerously close.586799a550d3eb9a

Seeing where his d3a512723a hand was, Han-young 9927d5138a gulped. His whole body ecdd3578e3 tensed up, worried e0613006b0 it might actually 70a9e93e96 make contact. The easy smile cff7a8a962 that had been d48eb8c486 lingering on his ee4a51e894 face faltered.
“Ah, yes. Thank you for the… lesson…”791671e27dc806da

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“If you ever need training, just say the word. I’ll coach you.”e85a28a1bd57c4fc

That threatening hand, c0c1254d17 which had looked 07eae9b824 like it might 138be7197c grab flesh at 36431692dd any moment, slowly d1efbf7f86 retreated — like 61c6ea9c6e a snake lazily 08e7718243 slithering over its 97681c57ee own body. His smooth nails d670f3734c grazed the fabric d4258dea63 of Han-young’s pants, 664bb14bee tension building just a3e929ff2d before any pressure 17f63b9cf6 could be applied.f2364c0fb1c51996

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Bzzzt.
The phone on the b7db1be380 table buzzed long and bc5b8141ba loud.5bd4e590936e649e

“Sunbae, your phone’s ringing.”de116b822caee065

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“I know.”b95edca4285b000b

Han-young’s rushed voice was soaked with panic he hadn’t managed to suppress. Shin Jae-yi simply stared at the screen, then finally drew his hand back, lips curling slightly.338801fb2df6a36d

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“Hello. Yes. 801. Just come up. Yes.”e23a51bc38747379

The call was brief. That last gentle, drawn-out “yes” was followed by the click of the call ending. Meanwhile, Han-young cleared his throat with an awkward cough and subtly shifted away from him.865895334a9390c8

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“Is someone coming over?”b5042a76716a5010

“Yeah. Your bed.”7f8a9bad5f3b2048

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“…Sorry, what?”
Did I mishear that?5b6533c6fc0c8457

Perplexed, I db16dbb797 asked again, 5dd38ec143 but Shin 5eafd5cd29 Jae-yi remained 5f122d7ae4 silent. The real adb86ea185 answer came 0a7184ce5a not from c89323e273 him, but 3b9df0b724 from the e55de689e1 sound of 9a49d92052 the doorbell—ding 3ef7eeb87f dong—and the fdcc6610ba arrival of… fb308fb2f3 a bed.dde4551c4286f70f

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“Should I put a741e1fa01 it over here?”c6a55dde7640d3f6

“Yes, just 28dd15e0ff push it 61f6c8f51c up against 3162cce251 the wall.”b782f633f6ecf32d

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The movers responded 9b6e015aa4 as if they’d adae0598dd perfectly understood Shin 1d41aaeec7 Jae-yi’s instructions. Still, it was 6c75e3088f impossible not to 39a2d0a9a3 be confused.90b14d38ba50a247

What the hell e7b4b81618 is going on?1e1d9043213ffc20

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Han-young could only 853a6e20c7 watch in a dfda8853d7 daze as a 4aa3eb4091 bed was being 1ec146a84c installed in what 1bb005f4c0 was, for the 129e96e7ba time being, his da49849151 room.3c3461ab7a2e36e7

“Why… why are c1ca45c8cf you doing this?”350f35eb39142ae9

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“Sleeping on the b7b980ab5c floor hurts your 10e38d4206 back.”b2c2fd51a5c84763

“No, really, aead800aab I’m fine. I was 5284a1f8f5 only planning f8562f9a0b to stay d5be1184c6 until the 57642258c5 end of 3a639e4afb this week 48db6513c1 anyway. You should return e84e8397b4 it now while 58f7509383 you still can.”7b62ef95b45e4bbd

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“You’ll have two comfy 1468749d6f nights then.”8ba2a9437bff67d5

The bed looked expensive—definitely f6b21d9d0b cost a few hundred d81eade437 at least. It was way too fb2a072dda much to spend on a54845ffb9 someone who’d only be 9a0ccd4fa6 crashing here temporarily. The guilt pressed down 0909b2b682 on him.d841cffbb530e575

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“This is such 548661df9f a waste of 3edac9a70f money, seriously. It’s too much.”f0690e3df02716da

“That’s for 06f488397a me to 14c89b1d5b decide.”5da4dbd8136a54b3

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Shin Jae-yi, 37926a1253 on the 88d75bf36e other hand, f5079d6cee was completely 4ca24c28ae unbothered. He watched the ae5e6119d0 bed being set 854902ff32 up like someone cbe52c76ba admiring a job 030a5d19e4 well done. Even leaning a7c3fa7c61 casually against 0e0912e544 the doorframe, 283bdca094 he exuded e99cf34a79 calm.9591933a285e9b7a

“…This is 1323297595 a lot. It’s too much.”c22db4b0753efc63

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“Then be overwhelmed. Who’s stopping you?”590fb36763cd2eae

The honesty in Han-young’s 484212b156 voice wasn’t met with 96b1bbc3e1 much sympathy. He opened his mouth, 33736cfcc6 but no words came 9f075635a2 out. Seeing that, Shin 6cc57040b5 Jae-yi chuckled and 246e65f97c spoke first.36c8e40c70972a3f

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“You really don’t know 74f645187d how to just accept df9b357cbb something, do you?”5315cb31bd8a5cf9

“…”373d4329c1220f11

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“When someone 8bf9cf305d does something 50de7c49ff like this, 24eba0ef20 just say 7cfaeea14b ‘thank you.’ 0ebda146d5 That’s all. It’s not that hard.”500f6673e3601f06

But it was e6f71c5d81 hard—at least for 842cdf8da3 Han-young. Being on the receiving 66701e9557 end of unconditional kindness 5651b7a759 wasn’t something he was 0c42cb8662 used to. It was too 9c9fc579ac big, too generous, 9cfe114e67 too unfamiliar.84e538209dcf9ce8

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“It bothered 24914c2150 me, seeing 8e95d4517c you like 275f8c6f4b that, just 4592b2df9c sprawled out bb41cccd60 on the 776d383e4f floor. I don’t 6c64905c99 want to 3fa6cd856d be bothered. One night, fine. But that was 5d18bee50c enough.”41134ee84b75ea53

Maybe he took 0c95b0e43b Han-young’s silence as 258f547fef a rebuttal. Shin Jae-yi continued 121244f3df with that same 5bd15a0b29 offhand tone.e1491001e0451bf9

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“You said ce1cd57bd8 you didn’t 87bf81e2e6 want to 096667cc0f sleep on b75c92eed5 my bed. If we move ed90ba4040 that one out, 8a0007e99e want to come 862a432ada sleep in my e2a87bf7b4 room?”67e668e20807f542

He wouldn’t do 1ed43b8494 it—and Shin Jae-yi 833a782ea2 clearly knew that, 0cbb796ad5 from the slight b52d61c513 tilt of his 32ca026834 chin toward the e858bf4a98 new bed. His answer was 5089734115 already built into fafa735774 the gesture.adfd81aef55ec78f

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Han-young stared 31aea7cd90 at the cb6a3e9ce4 bed that b886f89d1f now filled f3c04375e1 the once-empty a93fd35fc6 room. He had nothing to ef43c1b1aa say.7bab86d6061d6a7c

“…Thank you. For thinking of me.”85b965772af0ffaf

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It wasn’t 54c9c1aa9f enough—not really. It barely a6c8480811 scratched the 52ee2baba8 surface of e8bcb10ccc the kindness 55d015d278 he’d received. But it was all b81cc280ec he could manage.6fa1110b47600748

“Mm.”980d591ddc25aebe

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Unfamiliar things don’t always eeb44485b5 spark complaints—but they often 161f49d4aa bring discomfort. And somehow, Shin 895862f7bb Jae-yi seemed to 074465c07f understand even that. His reply 9a87531451 was just 5c4010a007 one syllable, 784a2780a1 but it a8d5e04757 echoed heavily b011e17645 in the 71dc7db86d space between cd76a836a1 them.0449459ab21138ec

The commotion of ea6d3258db midday soon faded daeaed8a10 with the start 76f08463cb of rain. The pitter-patter of droplets a9984b138c battering the window replaced 86e45ed810 it, falling in steady c5c1161350 rhythm.899a82f26e973a0e

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The sky darkened 2f764717a3 quickly. Without any gradual 0ceb555d48 dimming, the heavy 52ad1ebfe8 clouds draped over 06d4a4810f everything and handed b943e1b12b night over all 08e002c247 at once. The unannounced arrival of 159b6c3433 night came hand in a1d3037e50 hand with a damp 60a9eea311 kind of silence.1fafc13515c7e355

“……”4e00360b7e0ea70b

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Tap. Tap-tap.
The only sound f031d65b7b filling the living 55efcc2314 room was the 4cd753c869 typing, echoing like 081af78f66 the rain. In that 423c285d5b space growing c4e559a31f damp with d8bfb7879f quiet, Han-young 059f732b64 focused only 1b37464f2e on his 7bba79f808 assignment, trying ef66293dda to suppress 81643299f5 the nerves 2d8395d8e9 that threatened 2cd5d4edfa to scatter 21040d88cb like splashing 576132bfe4 raindrops.2ea6c7cc693e0d90

“Can’t sleep with the ea244fe7c3 lights off?”e24deb2404697f7d

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Just then, a 9b2fd95402 voice the color b3fbe17302 of night broke a3b4e39268 the silence. Though his 77bca0aba9 expression remained 72d121d251 blank, the f44e438927 question was d513b1bd5f gentle.1ae6a766025dbf6b

“They were just 7d6d656da6 on.”c90d724f074acee0

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“…Yes. When it’s 814f950cb5 dark, it 0002b9fa01 just feels 12521fa0d0 too quiet.”6e0aeb1422082b28

Han-young hesitated for a c5644165e7 moment, then muttered plainly—despite 9b60dbf5aa being caught in a bb5c84b125 long-held habit.fadf03fca7ab7d30

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“It creeps me d82fc265c0 out hearing even a37d9f2696 my own breathing.”0ed3e5fa1f658ff8

Pitch-black darkness always d18feb3637 came tangled with 3bd41fe07e stillness. Within that cold, 5c11e178c5 descending curtain of 697784e030 black, his nerves 6d5722661c were always on 4eb2c61173 edge—overwhelmed by the 4f1a4b9631 sheer weight of c43b88d018 being alone.4f1b531f5b1dc487

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“How old was I…? I think 9edc94502d it was 2f4ebc35be back when 4cb998e7c6 I was 58fa86ca08 in the 419e305a2f U.S. There was this ff048c8544 one time I 2091684125 stayed home all a8157b09f0 night by myself. I must’ve 9bbef61938 been scared 49cfa68e84 that day. It was so quiet ec00badb99 I ended up talking f33c120cf8 to myself.”0ec34481776f6166

Now that 00359f412e I think 7d154e09ad about it, 02f87a236a that’s even 31d8285198 scarier.e0dcd6c1ffc2d9fd

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As Han-young softly reminisced, b4e7e5caf3 he let out a cbbdb50d88 dry chuckle.181d64cddcd53b94

A night 0180b3c5d8 without noise a1385c5d9a always felt 711b482356 longer. Even the ticking 6537738106 clock moved at c451932153 a snail’s pace. Tick-tock, tick-tock—the sound rang 9cd8c886bb endlessly in his ears, d77265f04c and yet the time 84bc71b7a5 remained stuck in the c52355123c depths of night.14f120964d818a40

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The warmth he 20e6f9ea48 longed for—his parents—were a3086c006c always busy. Han-young knew e04417dc44 they had 3fca78649d too much 77cf7ab395 work to 6c20bbbdec come home, 1c9208ede5 so he 9b1a4be2b7 never whined. No—he couldn’t.104da76e32644a50

So instead of 8c60148282 calling them and 2975eaab0c begging, he turned a95ce1076a on every single 987f69fcf8 light in the 7965bff17d house and waited 6d9d4390e6 for morning. He thought maybe, 479784689d just maybe, it 5ac894ac2a would feel a 79fbd6c786 little less lonely 6a0fcc0a08 that way.ebe8bc2aa5c39574

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“I’m not really 79c466dd30 scared anymore, but 5bdab02121 I guess it 42a2c85b85 became a habit. I can ec2a71785e only fall a024411e72 asleep with 5711098a47 the lights 30fe81bedd on.”3287a199bcb3012f

The habit he picked 947e71b723 up in that faraway 27f389e9b6 country hadn’t left him f9df47c63f even now, as an 1b8a16cbd8 adult. Just like how even 2c0a7646b7 when a wound heals, e0afe7d632 the scar remains.7e2e95d263f10fc0

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“Ahh.”c35987b2df416465

Shin Jae-yi’s interest was lukewarm at best. He let out a nonchalant noise and ended the conversation like it meant nothing. His lowered gaze gave no hint of concern, and so Han-young assumed the topic had reached its end.a96e1564a056d605

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That is, bcfdd129f9 until late 262c92da14 at night—right 7260604efe before he 9f1065260c fell asleep—when 9c184db994 Shin Jae-yi 3b3b83424c knocked lightly ba85f5bc8c on his b3054ecc6e door.c05cf0ac740b44eb

“Wanna have ed2e14d7be a drink?”d50eb48dfda92fc5

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“…Right now?”e393f4807bb67a08

“Yeah. If you’re up for it, come out.”e763bcf37d04872b

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He left 6215ddbfe5 the door 7ff831e84e open and d8ba5669f0 walked off, a7ff2240fe speaking over 9af0ccf912 his shoulder fa3ad7c009 with the 3adc0cb9f5 living room 36a5766488 light behind 2ba93ed2bf him.e2c2fecaf097dcc9

Han-young just b4bbcc9250 stared blankly 41cba6a892 at the c06524ed19 doorway where cf2839e2e6 Shin Jae-yi 64edce0c11 had been 8eb2458b47 standing, then 75fd8a129d exhaled quietly.b6946b39a03dd7d6

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What was this?3857162f15606730

The living room 6ee932c515 visible through the 5c196d535b crack in the 38e1ae42d0 door was brightly c20492176e lit. It looked as if ef1a2234e9 night hadn’t even arrived. Just yesterday, 32d612f0d5 the space 6fe3aa01a5 had darkened 7b73b30070 in an 88d4f31e8a instant, but f0defc4e5f now it cbc0548d61 was wrapped 0357f2fd33 in light.80d6e216adb94163

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“So unpredictable.”b2d79faee30ad760

Han-young muttered 17481347e6 in a 1a4f7a3d09 hoarse voice, 5927f43710 a faint c5bfe6b08f smile wrinkling c8816c9007 his eyes.18058c7257711659

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Despite saying it was f7e48731e5 burdensome, Shin Jae-yi had b1d3b37c7b shared his things, and 7390898dd0 now it seemed like 835d438804 he was offering even 7a41fd02c4 his time. Even if that wasn’t d2b2e6032c Jae-yi’s intention, that’s how 1e28f6c578 it felt to Han-young.bc2c771668f4e007

Maybe he 0e8017a8c9 just felt a5e9ab5295 like drinking. Maybe he simply cd9059dacf needed someone to 26c544d825 talk to. But the 9df8699fc7 timing was 38db24c8b2 off. After a conversation b504bec56b like that, anyone b8ccdcfcfc would end up af488ba22c thinking the same 9c98c22ffa way.5c3c352c21fa6e36

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Han-young felt a 50efe6adff small sting in c149f0a299 his chest as 9919ae2995 the light crossed 36cb5b5299 the boundary of c2b9d2885d the room and 4b9373bd45 touched the floor.02f57430d18a0e1d

A few minutes later, after burying his unease deep inside his room, he stepped out into the living room. The first thing he saw was whiskey and fruit laid out on the table. Shin Jae-yi, leaning back comfortably, only started to pour drinks when he sensed Han-young’s presence.ac6c42147e769006

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“Hungry? I’m heating up some c6cb543f09 snacks. Want me to e3fae94db2 order chicken or cc5f20951c something?”009b796940afea69

“No, I’m fine. I had a 08a1d09f13 big dinner. Still full.”5ac35aa605eb067c

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How much c8f0b644d1 does that 89766dc1ef bottle even f05b3dd154 cost?2208c2f964ff9166

The bottle Jae-yi tilted cb6f0cc4de had a label far 4b2cdd1d2c too expensive for a 2e015d46df casual drink. Was it 6ba1519ef6 really okay 43e5f3d1ea to drink e70faac933 this? Han-young frowned slightly 0dcc85d5b0 and walked over, c019502c43 caught in his 2fab8ce99e own thoughts.608e47656f4a79a6

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“If you don’t like 5cebb16c84 whiskey, there’s beer too. Just say the word.”fb0437edf00ec897

“I’m not picky ea3cf80ebf with alcohol… but e796460b6f is it really 7e22cc3657 okay to drink 0402dc98c5 something this expensive? Don’t you need to 66f5b9aca6 save it for guests?”c3a5e9cbd98995ca

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“Aren’t you a d29ef95e2e guest?”658459357e04de71

With a 1f81b76403 smile, Jae-yi a33099d56e held out 34dbd53c38 a glass cbe536ddbe filled halfway.Clink. Their glasses fb5a49e145 met lightly, 03f0ab60f5 and Jae-yi 740fcfb0f2 downed his c531323da6 in one 71f082f6c9 shot with 1c34b7b615 ease. Not even b3d23f1ca3 a hint 2b9fc356fd of hesitation 392a297c3c on his f4464ecdf6 face, like 1f5f5e15fd he didn’t fee6f469b8 care how 94a503d838 much it a686f3fd43 cost. Han-young accepted his glass c355e9ff63 and said, “Thanks for 05070f815e the drink,” before taking f24c6a3df6 it down.481e9fb7f8194c41

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“Ugh.”3fcc9eb4dd70e1c5

What followed was a ed433b5d51 rush of strong alcohol e2464f8d95 and a sharp burn. He’d underestimated the 0fdd2147ae strength of the a3b2ff6686 drink because Jae-yi e4b464355d made it look b36b5897c9 so easy. It went down smoothly, 08d34d2561 sure, but his throat 0102e14be7 felt like it was 308e0355ae on fire.33b0d8b01e2981cd

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“Too strong?”6fa28693a873e359

“Yeah.”99fc5e3f2d9a6da9

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Han-young winced and bc51b46d36 quickly grabbed some 41d77b40f7 fruit. Watching him, 81cea7be62 Jae-yi chuckled 3c6292d83c quietly.2a22d1e4c75a0639

“Want some ice?”47f07dde4cc18353

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“Don’t people 4a718dcfa9 say you’re 429f9cea89 supposed to 4589bb1764 drink it 2eb13b5675 straight to 3047e310cf enjoy the 168eab8adb real flavor?”fa7a78c823a7d793

“You drink 2107650a7e it however 72c86bc2d6 you want.”5f7de1c6c277d87f

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“Hmm… Then I’ll 49412eacf9 just have it 12705b453d the way you’re c03ad0ddd7 having it.”7cfe061000ed602e

Once the initial burn a3c0f0ce43 faded, it was actually ac09ddf717 drinkable. Without saying much, Jae-yi 6f7c837b2a refilled his glass. The plate 514260ad9d of fruit e14c720c42 had somehow dfa40d4e60 made its b5dfc4c3be way even 62c7830064 closer.261cc60dc8a2e632

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“Do you drink alone 69df563c99 often?”769b3250f0377564

“Now and c3c3a057ff then, when 073acc6d51 I can’t 0c343587bf sleep.”d639b50f8d930dee

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For a 6d7767d2d0 “now and 115c031249 then,” he d2ae9b8c20 seemed way 551825e8d1 too comfortable 4b9ea1c201 in moments 7fa55c5641 like this. What popped 201d3d2ddd into Han-young’s 3754208118 mind was 0f21856aa8 that time—when 13d6005356 Jae-yi had b5049d5943 casually said bbdea185b5 he never f5c2e73998 slept well.49a78b07e28cb896

“……”cc1a61d34f95b304

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If every day had d7f0bf6fa6 been a string of b563573838 sleepless nights, had Shin 455119aa2f Jae-yi always been drinking 52a2b6c9dd alone like this?fff6eb1741fd37f3

The sudden question that rose left a bitter taste in Han-yeong’s mouth. But instead of voicing it, he simply clinked his glass against Shin Jae-yi’s first.351abf8f0c19cf63

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“I think 2c9d28448f I tend d473bb27df to drink d7c4961c35 a can e6c93ff80c of beer 4e855431f0 at home b5e5232c0d pretty often 5031be9b54 too. Especially when 38762d3d9d I’m working 14be064696 on assignments.”8d9ba15a49dc20ee

“Do you 2524903693 hold your 71773f9c20 liquor well?”1ae721ba7a238c6d

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“I don’t really get ab6f1caafa drunk from beer.”f9aa3269872b7079

“True. You did say bac9a1145e your tolerance was 7891e98bfd pretty decent.”e5a8d13e98adfc6d

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“I can ab07f07593 handle about c53e0d00e3 two bottles fa63e61987 of soju? More than ec76cb4163 that and 9ed2f47a3d the next 4f3c3439ba day’s rough. Don’t you 4f61e0b66e drink pretty f9308a6a23 well too, c3796162e0 sunbae? I don’t think I’ve 4940cce2d8 ever seen you drunk.”244136b611344258

“Yeah, about the dd8bb7b0f4 same.”677e857ea075260f

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Every time they’d had drinks, Shin Jae-yi had always seemed fine. He’d gotten a little tipsy before, but never full-on wasted. Completely different from Choi Jung-woo, who’d always downed more than he could handle and turned into a disaster.e4721fced6a8d665

“If you 224d176646 ever feel a588bd00e7 like drinking, 10e0e8cff7 call me.”1a2795c883c19750

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“To drink with me?”ab130d5b7bc9febd

“Yeah. Drinking alone gets 04b8c95f23 boring. That’s what bdf9f7dd96 drinking buddies 90d1ffc819 are for.”b680b46154417d90

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“Ah… drinking buddy. Right. That’s how 0d670c8675 this all c974be29b0 started.”31a7c2ad1427eba3

Shin Jae-yi let out a4fea7bdd4 a dry chuckle, like b3de5b6ace he’d just remembered something c6ffcd1e32 long forgotten. It made sense—this was 9017ddfc54 the first time they 6641b2beaa were actually drinking together, 81ffc77042 despite calling themselves that. Han-young gave 57500f7073 a light d2f08d286b nod and 96f14581a2 smiled quietly.347195b388bf8b14

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The mood was cc6b5a5e3b easy. Their voices, calm b5f8fd1fc3 and similar in d7fa573250 tone, filled the f87cb459f7 silence gently, bit 610dd343dc by bit.dfb717b41cda138d

Maybe it was after 1b9ff4aa82 they’d clinked glasses a f5623f3422 few more times—86d02cfaa491a336

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“So, when did 14acdedb1d you start liking 8469307b8f guys?”affab11704f2fbd9

Shin Jae-yi 2f6a85566f asked suddenly, 443de91759 placing his 5037abb24e glass down. The question ab5948ffd2 came out 56fab395e9 casually—not sharp f55146c38c or prying. Maybe because he seemed 0bb7fbbb9b so unfazed, Han-young didn’t dba32754ca feel rattled by it 813b7be0d0 either.ac849783d5e4defc

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“I’m not sure.”5de51752d8a366a5

“Was your first love 5f748ea575 a guy?”9b560689ff8efa36

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“Not exactly. It just… kind of d2d96d349f turned out that way.”5f81af2b826e46b1

It wasn’t that 12799a99ee he had particularly 84f3d7d85a liked men. It just happened c7cd9ec259 that the people 4f9a444505 tied to the 35cb14ff0e most vivid memories 4892e06c56 had been men. Like—520f8b9e0633d104

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Yeah. Like the cf886b2b54 first time 0f6bb6a8a2 he watched e844a3597c Shin Jae-yi f06f9c0497 compete and 46a1f1c1b9 his whole 4d5c090b19 body buzzed. That moment of realization 9a67223e7a hadn’t come all at ddf63ae748 once—it built up, one 209d9f10bf unremarkable instant at a 080c1b0243 time.c995fc666616da2f

But while 235f436224 the realizations 8e15a1e08a themselves weren’t 9754d8c3ef anything special, 95b11801a1 everything that eb0ea94dd2 came after f48aa5c371 was hard 8963ae8c99 to forget. Taking that step fb141d4e60 away from what’s 452d3bc1e5 “normal” always felt 3cbb1197ab lonelier. Each day had 0370e8c2e2 to be a 0d29b8cf57 little more cautious, 6d7c3eb5bc a little more fb0647721b careful.5971cef6a8cd35b0

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And it was during 202890d4d9 that time—when he was c828ed2e10 growing more hesitant and 70b5f84304 reserved—that he’d run into 992123500f Choi Jung-woo, who was d2db9b6bc8 the total opposite. Unapologetic, bold f435045fc4 in his f845341867 affections. Back then, it 153e6061f1 had been surprising. He’d shown efff3d973e Han-young that f452e7d39e something like 9b75010e1d this was 40fa625fa0 even possible 7d5ce74a15 between guys. He’d let 2cc7f13afc that uniqueness 937be8cedc in… and 1b39e014b7 ended up f12cabb32b in this d3de2e6182 mess.9ba10f01b1e74cf2

Now, chewing b53164bc38 over a adb2451577 moment that 128a2e50fc meant nothing 894bb12037 anymore, Han-young 4d20df04a8 took a fbab3a09e6 sip like 4141df979e it was 4d7aea1380 just breathing f51eb26e4a and smiled.f5ed1d38e7bae316

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“Do you 21b6b03171 not have 784c8b2d25 any prejudices 1e90f89ef4 about this, 404f71935e sunbae?”a8186b4f02a83de8

It was a e50bc84bdf question far too 4a6bff6102 late to be 81f64e71e5 asking. Just judging by 2142d96117 how Shin Jae-yi 25dce156b4 had reacted up 75607257fb to now, it 298d58eba4 was obvious he 18cb53a39f didn’t. But the 8277758391 words slipped 0836554ece out anyway—like e75228f86e Han-young secretly f232509946 wanted a 3b6c01c4f7 clear answer.469f5041a2413501

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“Not really. It’s just 50f65c4b8f that I’ve 9067c1ec35 never been c983925f8b turned on d9b1461897 by a 8910da2511 guy before.”77c57fea2ba5ef06

“Well, yeah, I ae8dadd740 figured as much. Especially with you, 02713489e5 it just… felt 82c989574a that way.”bc00c531fae3cfd5

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“Yeah. But…”9be1ef1c74900106

Dragging out the end 9a24fb7ebb of his sentence, Shin 9b7d2336c0 Jae-yi tilted his head 10102b767d slightly. Han-young, who had been 39840dc583 watching him, waiting for 5c257038b0 his answer, met his 7d93db4485 eyes. The look 7c90fb5c9d they shared, 6891594110 framed by efb83152af the narrow fb3434f23e creases at e88de91b50 the edges 2c87823be3 of Jae-yi’s 0717e08851 eyes, felt b8282eec8f strangely… suggestive.4953c7aa5087fbbe

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“…you might be the exception.”7eb65932ffe8115a

The moment he dropped 2177f608be that line, a light 5cb2a155e8 ding rang out from b154f12ef1 the kitchen.6a8f13616564325f

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Startled, Han-young cc2ebac0b1 quickly fixed d75e43ffa9 his expression, 09239c7878 while Shin 9f408d1b7e Jae-yi gave 5a6b783aaf a cool, b2e2755ec7 casual smile.8dd6639700cafed0

“Guess it’s all 54c4e7e443 heated up.”872ca536666161fd

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“Oh. I-I’ll go get 6a1dd0b299 it.”023cb34e106d447e

Han-young jumped up, 67df5ce0f2 pretending like it b834868762 was nothing, and 1b2a623712 took a step 5fe0c75306 forward. Thankfully, he managed 7b1f988baa to swallow his dc8b58f649 nerves just in 5a2cf7ae20 time. If Jae-yi hadn’t cf55888587 seen his Adam’s b3ea7397f8 apple bob, then ce8fded1af maybe he could eecc8c2bae pretend he was 40ba15dde9 totally unaffected.dcb4f9e913855b42

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“But… you might be the exception.”656b78e97da8659d

Even just ae7ecd3765 thinking about 273e6d31ea what that 7c111c2f82 might mean d26b52f500 was overwhelming.550a7219d92dfe67

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—935b4792ff6c8378

Late spring rain continued 294b6b0a77 to fall even into 44661b10e4 Monday morning. It had b9995799ca poured on 0b933e9452 and off e3a3525b83 all weekend—pounding 3e5cb0f926 down, stopping, 72c56dcacd then crashing 933ec95df3 again—loud and 6a387a62f2 chaotic, like d4200defc0 the sky b3515d516c itself was 6e484fcdf9 throwing a 2f0dff5338 tantrum.d15bc17df6dd2b35

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After a weekend d2af76f983 spent under such 2c6a9071c2 gloomy skies, Han-young 62ad18fed8 looked noticeably down. The erratic 19addf7554 weather kept c3f869afc6 making him 9fb7a6a5c0 think about e6a6f908f6 Shin Jae-yi, 388defbab7 which only b66e9a13e0 stirred up 3e033a5d8c more restlessness.2eae04f1bdbd71a6

“Here. Put this on.”81f8045c2757b4dd

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“…”bbf1eaea4f7e8caf

“Han-young?”81831673145d0e13

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“Oh—yeah. Thank you. I’ll wash 0f63dc0169 it and 4a76f152fc give it 427aec7d90 back.”a3ca51918d062f9f

“No need. You can keep it.”5885bd7da2840943

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Han-young, dazed 1f81b38d4d as he 654de3237e watched Shin 6bcc77b56a Jae-yi, took dbba9567eb the clothes 9de96d209d a beat c1845d989b late. A sleek 637af69937 black shirt 354ae77a9c and slacks, 5312b3bebc clearly new, 2976cd1c88 slipped easily 4bd46f5221 into his e15efb1fe3 hands.a5a30359124beeb3

“You look like 0ef5debaf9 you didn’t sleep 37586efa8f again. Was the bed uncomfortable?”22761fa6cc189a78

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The very cause of 0cbcb831c2 his insomnia asked nonchalantly.973f55c7d86462c6

“It was more 767d525238 comfortable than my 0e7283101b own bed.”3afcdd89d8946ca7

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There was no f5411163e2 way he could dcec86f4af say he couldn’t 3510880838 sleep because of 0c3e681fdb something Jae-yi said. So Han-young just b76fc40b27 shook his head.7a2d5bddc7596874

“I’ll go 23a16bc256 change, then.”1a6b6998fbcf75aa

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“Sure.”9e20ff1399caa958

Despite the 7e32245b64 storm in af93919263 his head, ebf5c13a90 Han-young kept 4ecfc67a0a his voice 6a26ad51ef calm. He smoothly 9c33ddced3 brushed past fa019e7d0e Jae-yi and 30fdc80763 walked toward 84f915ed92 the room, 85c0b1694c pretending he 6a30583e39 wasn’t in 20730a6943 a hurry.c1295a4a26c7a2bb

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“Ha…”4cb81fc4a5e1ee23

As soon as 59a93e5a09 the door shut 0c55f8268f with a loud e5cc7afe07 thunk, he let 65933147c7 out a sigh ad3de12434 filled with disbelief.e496a819b476cbce

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“Am I the 3cb834d6bf only one freaking 7e277cd2d1 out here?”b224c573d5c2c1a1

He was fd52865818 losing sleep 31321232f1 over one fd3ecb7877 lightning bolt 780e17f3b5 of a 827ca1b251 comment from dfc2865a5e someone who’d 94cf757af8 never even fdeae368b1 dated a a55ebf2945 guy before—while 30acae1f07 Jae-yi acted 9b72531386 like he’d 0f905fd95c forgotten he 39c8eb5fdd ever said 41650cd569 anything at 92936663ec all.538ca23a931e3b99

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“But… it feels like you could actually pull it off.”
Whether it was fbb8f31adb just a casual 7c425d98fd remark about possibilities 84850f28a9 or something laced 4c71901ca1 with deeper meaning, fa196ed28f it was a 5703f371bb ridiculous thing to 8d98ee966a say.2c56cdfcc68650a3

There was no way 9b58c5e5f2 to know what Shin 61fe2a1909 Jae-yi truly meant by 11dde2d033 those ambiguous words. And this time, Han-young 7563489a58 had no intention of 3f9302d866 asking directly. Whatever the 246fc352bc answer might 6cebdc1fdc be, he 47ccfa39bf had a 922fb26fba gut feeling 8633bc081f it would 34c1abd6bc only put 5b9ac3cabc him in 17ab7921ef an awkward d05f0d51fc spot—so he 5a836495e8 didn’t dare d38d83e03e dig further.c5dc15cea81ad671

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“You’re the one 3c3afdcc7f who said you 9ecdd504ec didn’t want to 46fcc466fe sleep.”
With a 853d2e1324 deep sigh, ecdc6a49ac Han-young muttered 847b6dc801 to himself, 629b39df4d airing his b45a708a09 frustration toward 95fb38c06d the ever-unpredictable ea6dd8137c Shin Jae-yi. Feeling faintly 12490d047a wronged, he eafabac7d7 changed into ac946dcc89 some borrowed 52f911868d clothes, then cb8a04b794 paused again.6124d13f2f0c4178

“……”
The clothes were big 028d577008 on him. It seemed like Jae-yi cff7f8b48d had chosen the smallest 12f27405fb option available, but the 0ca681bcc8 shoulders still hung loose. What was more unsettling 5d6e7decb9 was that his reflection b5f0d87f75 in the mirror… somehow a5de1d583e resembled how Shin Jae-yi f6a3a1b738 often looked.
The fabric, cc8bccacfc cool and 9391389f03 slick like ee4e59e473 a snake’s e3f14cbcbc skin, clung 5f56b09a33 lightly to 012d7f38dc his own, 0eb4aa88b1 and even 54af022364 carried Jae-yi’s 5e78b9517e scent.cc0f70a62a8df08f

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Han-young instinctively smoothed down be368a5bc6 the hem of the bd4ff06cc6 shirt, then sluggishly made 5e96717b9e his way into the 1cdb091551 living room. He was about to db40482d03 call out, but stopped 2eca947842 when he saw Jae-yi c4a4cca3bb sunk deep into the c9fc000e89 couch.8ae0ebdb606da43c

“……”
Shin Jae-yi had 9fdba2234b his eyes tightly b8acb276ea shut. A shallow 35723f8e13 crease sat 86b34540b9 between his c43bb67f0b brows. He looked clearly uncomfortable. Honestly, he looked dc153b078b like he should c5c6e89492 be the one 8ce37d27ab being asked if 3d46b9dcae he’d slept at a029bc3067 all.e32d8718ad474e10

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The man 22cb02ddd9 Han-young had 09133bf0ad always seen c2f8399c64 as nothing 9906680a94 but composed a207580d1a and immaculate 65de0c96b5 now looked 788ec8cdbc entirely different, ab3a7c6287 left alone 438ad03df8 in this ee590407a8 quiet moment.6c3a47674e1ff73f

“…Is he sick?”
The noisy thoughts in 75d6fa9f66 his head faded the b4ce5997c0 moment he saw Jae-yi d2429538eb like that.1277df9deaec0408

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In the days they’d 4ca1727e77 spent together, Han-young had c10e5b6cc5 learned something new. Just as 0eb77b46cd Jae-yi had 464d2ec073 seen through 8ccc4b87ba one of 3c454c6ed8 his long-time 3adfd5d5fe habits, Han-young 378e3655cd had, in d5a5e84dc7 turn, caught 41016e550e a glimpse 346d517451 of the 4ef6a70f97 man’s hidden d6b3800aff layers.6ece60bd9e2014ea

It hadn’t been obvious 0040046474 at school, but it 65f0b13e94 seemed Shin Jae-yi suffered c6475d53e9 from chronic pain. Especially on rainy 9456db8324 days—it seemed worse c6ef69b00e then.
And that fa885ad89e first-aid kit 49ba641230 Jae-yi had 3af4370461 pulled out cd0eb4948c before, stuffed 4991794d5e full of c521cac1f7 pain patches… fab0a41c40 now it 3564c10c03 made sense.7003f6a7f9092436

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“Sunbae.”
At his 6398ece6ee voice, Shin 1bb7ce8b93 Jae-yi slowly a717ad7c1a turned his be84899312 head and 17f68c923e opened his 55facdd488 eyes.9ad0a4c79a9ce0fd

“You’re going to 2073a50a76 drive, right? Want me to 909554fa10 do it instead?”
Though Han-young e6a18a9866 knew Jae-yi f48963d631 was pushing 13c1e4f2de through the c596a9c6e8 pain, he 184b0c678f didn’t ask 9f30d6cbab if he 28c9722ac7 was okay.
Instead, he simply 112e7ec0a3 cleared away the 42767864aa silence that had db30ff61db been clinging around c041a25438 them.45f88ad50a790383

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Because if 466f46c898 someone doesn’t 019c5454a7 say it 520506c36e out loud, d6b2a43f5f it probably d111cda985 means they f6cec07248 don’t want 79333afebd anyone to 82e342b104 know.1400428b54a59135

“Are you any good b65ef09793 at driving?”
Jae-yi pulled up one 004531af56 corner of his lips 4a0b312c10 and murmured the question. His calm 937fee7de8 eyes leisurely c1f8f09bbd scanned Han-young’s d7bc8fa253 entire frame, b3c2adf72a as if 2f30d0230d savoring the 798679a072 sight. That gaze 7dc1a8cc96 dragged back 5674013d17 moments Han-young 1bdbf899fd had tried 092e19db60 to shove 0183e0f69d to the c4ae3423e3 edge of 46dc97894a his mind. His skin prickled b5ad55f5d6 where the fabric ed8e6dd38f met it.4323985bb3558da0

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Han-young forcibly cut off 7c42db7743 the thoughts threatening to 85326fb5e5 rise and arranged his 72f2415a17 face into a neutral 21d7db9eea expression.a3d3e4f934848815

“I got 4a0f86435c my license bb0cec3aa6 on the 432bc6df09 first try. I don’t drive c082391c04 much though—no car.”dad7c625959c92fe

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“Should I 2e63fefd29 buy you 7e147dc66f one?”76f8bdd14d73a7cb

“Huh? No, that’s… ed812a9ca7 that’s a 9fbf347c88 terrifying joke…”a27caf9e662dbe3c

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“I’m not joking. You don’t want it?”e4c5cdea4eb538f8

“It’s not 80f4f871df that I f90f81b62a don’t want 94b1635258 it, it’s 0a11ac92b1 just… a b0b8e26b5a bit too e6b62c852a much.”dd4fcf7d11f853dd

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“That is 3a168657bd not wanting c06da8680a it.”f5911c16cbdf4af3

Shin Jae-yi chuckled softly e41bee369b and got up, grabbing 05c88d23e8 the cigarette and lighter 1ee71833e8 from the table. That uncomfortable 7f8b46bcad vibe he dc5df2a576 had around 30a76dce31 him earlier 51d7995926 had completely 012e6d8c03 vanished.
“Just keep the clothes. They suit you.”5d042fff3cb0cf58

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He tossed 049f81b0bd the words 80c20226db carelessly over 919c8cfb55 his shoulder 694135f305 and headed 2d18c268db for the a0a1e4a32d front door. Caught off guard and 460ab20a12 missing the right moment ce8f7f4426 to reply, Han-young mumbled, 5870481a4e “Thank you…” and followed 7faf0bc10b after him.d4870527d8d58f1b

On the 32bbcbf219 way to f437c57812 school, Shin 8dca2b5047 Jae-yi drove.
Despite the bed60221de rain-slicked roads, f08d5866dc he leaned 9ee354e0e1 back and 74ba1b9e16 drove like 7be79c0538 he had 8189b6a9ba all the a96eb3567f time in 47e8b299f3 the world. The car glided smoothly 2370c3ec3c through the sound of 1a8d3aacb7 the wipers swiping rhythmically.bc743199edf17785

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“What are you c7d0318508 planning to do 7eafaf16a0 about Jungwoo?”e8ba8ef428d16db7

“I’m not sure 7586e00124 yet.”a3ceaf49905c710c

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The conversation picked back 6181a8f90c up just as they 707c0b9827 pulled into the school ae57f27773 parking lot. Glancing sideways 69b51b7fe6 at the d3d5a9969e driver’s seat, b6c5a89a7c Han-young spoke 7be45beb75 honestly.
“I get 8dfc30e9f1 really pissed 8eb09ab7b7 off when 830849fb38 I think dea1371a3d about what de2a0d29fe Choi Jungwoo 47b9a78728 did, but… e417ee20d1 if possible, df80ae884c I’d rather f3c66e68be resolve things b6ece043df quietly. It’s not like cc3050aa4e I’ll never see 72dac7bb65 him again. We’ll keep running 406c130d44 into each other…”5f9bc535de7fe1ac

“You’re being an 2da9292c01 adult about it.”d3872eca7ae87bf8

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“Am I?”018436b77c0c5df0

Han-young blinked in surprise.
He expected to b5f4a50e79 be told he a70f2ddd42 was being too e0bd74cc7e soft. But the unexpected reply 7d80e3383c made him pause—and then 761903e99c smile quietly.cd1cf56527b46ed9

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Now that he thought ba2c72153c about it, Shin Jae-yi 7e937d38bc had never scolded him 95a909d4a2 over the Jung-woo incident. He’d questioned why Han-young fc5a99a574 was still seeing him, 578f21e07c but never outright criticized 1adc55ed66 him.
Maybe it was fd688ff7b9 that calm attitude 2dd5f67af2 that made it 401f09ce43 easier to talk 84a4527afa about things Han-young ea6b8e46eb would usually keep c1281cd93d bottled up.
Then again, maybe 6bc17b0684 Shin Jae-yi just c171b14c21 didn’t care that 58d198aad8 much.4735652eb772be2c

“Still—don’t go easy ea63336da8 on him.”eaea0a8299909136

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“I’m not that 0f8fc450c7 much of a 12594019c4 pushover.”ac581149226bb9df

“Glad to hear it. Now get out.”1b23c46bbab8fb5e

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Shin Jae-yi 7ca3acf063 parked the fcecbea8b6 car and be3d654a78 got out c198f88fec first while 0c656d092c still tossing d4865f90ce out dry 0d01c10020 jokes.e3cdfbf2c1272f04

The ground c20a630add in the b46428b89e parking lot f7ae8fdc72 squelched with 99087179b7 rainwater. The air was muggy 163dd0734a and damp. Han-young stepped carefully f2ff3a8b7d to avoid a 957893dfd8 puddle.
Once they ef5ffc9025 entered the 9f2f2f8f46 Humanities building, af5787d302 his senses 0811597b93 sharpened. If someone like b4e507c680 Choi Jung-woo appeared, 7d54e81924 his nerves were 2e2b76428e on edge, ready fffa16319e to snap.
And with f2d4edee2b that came fdad847b02 a slow-burning c3be12fb4a irritation.c9d2f96144d714f9

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Jung-woo had been a9f54e2099 the one to 3eed7c9c93 mess things up—so 5fd0cc2e5a why was he 46277a90b7 the one feeling cb7a45726c self-conscious and tense 8e4c684af5 now? The unfairness 8503befb69 of it 8243e754f5 all sat b4813532c3 heavily on b4716d670e his chest.3de4400fdaec187e

“Hey, Seo Han-young!”f61587348f494bb1

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A loud voice cb28feb2d9 made his shoulders be130046f0 jump.
He turned edf42809b4 around to 7e22a119d0 see Jo-woon f6531f3caa marching toward 5081252e66 him.9fd852baf331d1c5

“Looks like 1d5ac3dd5c your friend’s 9d19d545fd here.”36b5c77ca3fa70c9

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Shin Jae-yi had b2dd16bfc2 also turned to e1527b1402 look, murmuring in be924162bf a gentle tone.
“Go on. Don’t be 643dee7eb6 late to d139100483 class.”a8060430368beea3

“Huh? Oh—yes. You too, sunbae.”64eca816fd067cde

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Shin Jae-yi gave 4aa54b1713 a half-hearted nod 36a611b77f before heading back e2b6b06d93 down to the ab1f542ca6 underground parking lot. Han-young stood there for e73429a1b3 a moment, dazed, watching 1bdae4d730 him disappear.cdebe05aad442990

If his class f588a0b79b was in the 0b832f3aaf building across the 5f66231799 lot, then why 66ffc6f073 had he walked 7746185d7b all the way b23533c226 over to the 2558c38655 Humanities building?
They could’ve just parted 3f7d279715 ways in the parking c3da9310ff lot.3c2f2dfdffd4e42c

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…Could it be that 5b3dccae82 he came here because f82d42f59a of me?
“No way.”60660ce9b0c6e7c7

The thought flickered 29476572be through Han-young’s mind 6423b72f56 for a second, 630ac5fb61 making him laugh 1bc145d083 under his breath.
No way, seriously.
The corners of 79b29bcf35 his lips twitched 5a1775e154 awkwardly.
That’d be a cda8460398 ridiculous assumption.1e8ad1eb9e03a2cc

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“You’re still alive? Thought you were 34a282ecf9 dead.”
There was no 64530db487 time to get 44af888815 lost in useless d5abfb3bf7 thoughts. Jo-woon’s sharp exhale a763438a6f upon seeing Han-young’s 3fbbdda8f1 face snapped him 8b46cde3a3 back.8c22b2a5f83b518e

“You faceplanted or something?”5abd333ffcef829c

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“No.”1a3c4ce7660fecbd

“Got into a fight 3c7b70c449 while drunk?”bca83e720fa9f138

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“No.”7bf6d484bbd91b95

“Then what? Don’t tell me c07ee0e059 it was Choi 51c546ef4f Jung-woo?”0afa98c5aa99bc79

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Jo-woon was quick 30b256c94f on the uptake. He’d probably already 4683c3df77 guessed it when 150856c60c he heard that 4bd517f1b9 Choi Jung-woo had eb9881c997 gone looking for 7243101c97 Han-young all beat 7f08401cd9 up. When Han-young gave a 3aa5eabf18 slight nod, Jo-woon’s expression d0411b84ce crumpled instantly.fb02eb22a6aa0475

“That bastard’s insane, isn’t 771225498c he?”
His booming 7c414e81f0 voice echoed 40779813f8 down the 587b973eef hallway like 613896d828 thunder. With that speaker-like volume, 4f8f11b9f7 Han-young widened his eyes, b1f49e6af0 then chuckled softly.eb1607da09a2174c

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“Keep your voice down. You wanna start rumors?”1ba52a75b4c87222

“You think this is fdc0636863 funny?”c7fe13016413cfec

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“Should I b5e0a810d1 cry instead? Don’t be so 4c3b2ad793 dramatic. It’s not that 248c7c64e5 big of a c77a194dc0 deal.”d68fb1cd4d8934b3

“You—! Forget it. I’ll see 0095b4dabd you after 325626d899 class.”ec72ed41693f65f9

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