LA0S | Chapter 34

The two of them stared at each other for a moment.

Did he really hate hearing “mind your own business” that much? To the point where a full-on curse would’ve been preferable? I have no idea what he’s thinking.

Ding-dong. The doorbell rang.

“Looks like the chicken’s here. I’ll get it.”

Right on cue, the delivery arrived. With his hands stuffed in his pockets, Kim Chayoung strolled lazily toward the front door.

The late-night snack that started with fried chicken ended with instant noodles. Not just any noodles, either—two packs of soup ramen and two packs of jjajang ramen. I hadn’t planned on eating with Kim Chayoung, but the smell—especially that irresistible MSG aroma—was impossible to resist. That was basically cheating.

In the end, I had no choice but to pick up my chopsticks. By the time the two of us had demolished two whole chickens and four packs of ramen, we finally felt human again. It was just past midnight.

“There’s something to drink in the fridge.”

Kim Chayoung came out of his workspace carrying a tumbler and poured himself some coffee. Clatter, clatter—the sound of solid ice cubes knocking against the stainless steel echoed in the room.

“Isn’t coffee at this hour overkill?”

“If I don’t, I’ll pass out immediately. I have to hit my target volume by tonight.”

“Oh, right. You slept well, didn’t you?”

Unlike me—who struggled to fall asleep and woke up at the slightest noise—Kim Chayoung could sleep anywhere, anytime, the moment his head touched something. Back when we were prepping for exams, waking him up after he dozed off at his desk was practically my job. If tapping his cheek or shaking his shoulder didn’t work, I’d resort to slipping an ice cube inside his uniform.

Anyone overhearing this might get the wrong idea, but it was actually Kim Chayoung who had begged me to do it, despite my reluctance. Eventually, though, the whole thing got twisted, then twisted again, and again—until the rumor spread that Lee Jinha bullied Kim Chayoung and poured cold water on him on snowy days. Not that we cared. We both had a reputation for being surrounded by all sorts of rumors, anyway. If anything, Chayoung found it hilarious.

Still, for someone like me—who would stay up all night if even the smallest thing nagged at me—being able to sleep as soundly as Chayoung was something to envy.

“I barely made the deadline for my midterm project. Most of our major is hands-on work, so it takes forever.”

“Seriously, why did you suddenly decide to go to an art school?”

“Probably for the same reason you went into creative writing.”

He muttered the words under his breath before finishing off the rest of his tumbler. After refilling it with Americano, he got up, ready to get back to work. His hand was already on the doorknob when he turned back to me.

“I’m working on line art. Want to watch?”

“I have assignments. I need to submit a writing piece for my elective by tomorrow.”

“The one you’re taking with Youngmin-hyung?”

“Yeah. Shin Youngmin-sunbae has practically dropped out of the class, though.”

Ever since he joined that professor’s project, Youngmin had been barely showing up. No matter how good his assignments were, his grade was going to be a mess at this rate.

“Hyung’s project meetings probably overlap with the class. Plus, as long as he gets at least a D, he’s fine.”

That made sense. Not that I cared. I nodded absentmindedly and headed to my room.

One by one, I put away the things I’d brought from the shop—my charger, my notebook—and opened up a box full of clothes. I’ll wash these tomorrow. I closed the box again and shoved it to the side of the room before sitting down at my desk.

The math workbook I’d been using until yesterday was now neatly slotted into the bookshelf. Did I clean my desk? I tilted my head in confusion and reached into my bag for my pencil and notebook.

“Whew. One down.”

Stretching my arms, I felt the stiffness in my neck and shoulders from staying in the same position too long.

I checked my phone. It was 2:30 AM. Nearly two hours had passed already. Maybe I should get some water. I grabbed my empty cup and stood up.

Kim Chayoung’s workspace was across from mine, though not directly opposite—it was set a bit farther inside. From where I was, I could see that his door was closed. Still working? Or did he go home? Either way, it wasn’t my concern.

With my cup in hand, I headed to the living room where the water dispenser was. That’s when I noticed a figure sprawled across the couch.

He was lying on his side, so I couldn’t see his face, but there was no mistaking who it was.

Why the hell is he sleeping out here when he has a perfectly fine workspace?

Hunched over, arms tucked awkwardly under himself, Kim Chayoung had completely crashed. Scattered around him were his tablet and notebooks, overlapping like fallen leaves. One of them was a copy of the synopsis I had drawn.

“Hey. Go sleep in your room.”

I nudged him with my foot. No reaction.

Deciding to leave him be, I went to fill my cup with cold water. Once it was full, I turned back toward my room—but after taking a few steps, I hesitated.

His words from earlier echoed in my head. I have to hit my target volume by tonight.

After a brief pause, I sighed and returned to the living room.

This time, I gave his shoulder another nudge with my foot.

With a soft thud, Kim Chayoung flopped over onto his stomach.

Oh. Did I kick too hard?

Unlike the startled Lee Jinha, Kim Chayoung didn’t budge an inch. No reaction at all—wasn’t that a little too serious? Suddenly, the memory of yesterday flashed through his mind. Chayoung had been sick with body aches.

What if he passed it on to me?

Just the thought made him uneasy.

“Hey, Kim Chayoung. Open your eyes.”

Jinha crouched down, flipping Chayoung onto his back and patting his cheek. The guy always ran hot, so he couldn’t tell if this was just his normal body temperature or if he had a fever.

“Wake up.”

Slap. A crisp sound rang out. Chayoung’s eyelids twitched, a wrinkle forming between his brows.

“Mmh…”

A faint groan slipped through his lips. His round eyelids trembled slightly before slowly parting.

“You said you had to finish your work tonight. Are you done?”

“Wow… Look who it is…”

His voice was thick with drowsiness. Those normally sharp eyes were clouded, still unfocused from sleep. When their gazes met, Chayoung lazily curved his eyes into a drowsy smile.

“Am I dreaming? Well, if it’s not a dream, you wouldn’t be here, would you?”

Mumbling to himself, Chayoung suddenly reached out.

His strong arm wrapped around Jinha’s neck and yanked him forward.

Off guard, Jinha lost his balance and tipped forward. Before he could react, he was pulled right into Chayoung’s embrace. It all happened in an instant—too fast for him to stop.

A wave of heat pressed against him. His warmth was almost overwhelming.

What the hell is this…

Jinha twisted his shoulders, trying to pull away, but it was no use. How was this half-asleep guy so damn strong?

“Are you insane?”

“Mm.”

Chayoung hummed in response, tightening his arms around Jinha.

“I missed you.”

The words were murmured softly, just beside his ear. The husky timbre of his voice, tinged with sleep, sent a shiver up Jinha’s spine.

They were pressed so close he could practically hear his heartbeat pounding. His own lips pressed together in restraint.

Splash—!

“—!”

Chayoung’s half-lidded, sleepy eyes snapped wide open in an instant.

“Are you awake now?” Jinha asked, standing up.

“…Huh? Wait, where am I? Is it raining outside?”

Chayoung, still confused, blinked up at him in a daze. Considering he’d been dead asleep just moments ago before getting doused in water, the disoriented reaction was understandable.

“This is home. And no, it’s not raining. You just didn’t seem to be in your right mind, so I helped you wake up.”

Jinha shook his now-empty cup as he answered, one by one.

Chayoung blinked, then wiped his face with the back of his hand. Feeling the wetness, he let out a breath of disbelief before chuckling.

“…You seriously poured water on me?”

“Be grateful it wasn’t ice.”

“Oh yeah, thanks a million,” Chayoung muttered, twisting his lips in a smirk.

He ran a hand through his hair, slicking back the strands that had stuck to his forehead like seaweed. As his fingers swept upward, his sharp, even forehead was revealed. When he blinked, water droplets clung to his long lashes before falling with a soft plop.

It wasn’t just his upper lashes either—his unusually long lower lashes were damp too, glistening slightly.

Jinha’s gaze instinctively followed the droplets down before snapping back up to his face.

It seemed like more water had spilled than he’d intended. Chayoung’s entire face and shirt were drenched.

Since the guy always complained about the heat, he’d stripped off his outerwear the moment he got home, leaving him in just a thin short-sleeved tee. Now soaked through with cold water, the fabric clung to his body, leaving every contour of his physique clearly outlined.

Jinha’s eyes trailed downward.

When was the last time I saw Chayoung shirtless?

Probably the summer of their third year in high school.

Back then, both of them had been buried in studying—whether it was aiming for Segye University or Hanguk University, they had no time for distractions. Chayoung had always ranked in the single digits academically, and Jinha, despite his quiet nature, was occasionally met with surprised remarks like, “You’re way smarter than you look.”

Jinha never knew whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.

For what it was worth, Chayoung had grinned and assured him, “Of course, it’s a compliment.”—though Jinha never quite trusted him on that.

Officially, the only time they ever got any real exercise was during their once-a-week P.E. class.

Back then, when they changed into their sports uniforms, Jinha had sneaked a few sidelong glances. Even at 18, Chayoung’s physique was already well-defined.

And that was before Jinha had fully recognized his feelings.

Now, four years later, his body was even more refined.

Gone was the slight boyishness of youth. His frame was broader, his muscles more solid, exuding both strength and a languid ease.

His shoulders, already broad back then, were now even more defined, sloping down at a perfect angle. His chest wasn’t overly built, but his ribcage was wide enough to make his physique stand out.

Beneath the wet fabric, the subtle definition of his abs peeked through.

Maybe it was the contrast—his pale skin making the contours of his body even more striking. It was the kind of physique that drew attention, regardless of gender.

Jinha, unable to look any longer, abruptly turned and walked straight into the bathroom.