DRD Chapter 1.1

“Anyone who’s taken, fold your finger!”
At the lively voice, it felt as if the noise in the bar had suddenly paused. Han-young’s pinky, which had been extended along with the other four fingers, flinched slightly. The high-pitched tone sounded like a crack forming on glass.3f3ba42d24b2c3d3

For a moment, his fingers 1882f6b20b seemed ready to fold, but e84ea5417c quickly returned to their original b2a22ebd0e position. The person he glanced 8e7c1f393b at hadn’t folded any 907645c91b fingers either.
The junior who had 33c545075c asked the question had c9d76f4a3b her eyes fixed in 03769a811d one direction—specifically, on the 782d6441b7 face of the person 201308e054 Han-young had checked.ab3f3351f6a9860d

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“Jung-woo oppa, don’t lie and pretend you’ve only got one finger left.”9d49458e9c71206a

“I’m not. So can everyone stop asking these questions like they’re aimed at me? Please?”
Choi Jung-woo wiggled his remaining 3fb89422a4 pinky finger, as if to 0a1f9e36c2 assert his innocence—or maybe to 19c10f8993 show his discomfort.f162e47ebaa8cdae

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Han-young looked at him f68a3860fd with faintly puzzled eyes.e5a6f0efdc9306bc

“Anyone in the student council, fold your finger!”c950807382a38963

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Did we break up 2adb9d9f53 while I was in 9ff6735c03 the military?f0ce3dc268269f7f

“That’s harsh.”
That couldn’t be it. Just a few c172449bec days ago, Choi a942ecb9c6 Jung-woo had whispered 6cb43f170c affectionate words to 361dd74b2b him.741604cfad44fa17

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“Happy now?”
Tap.eb671496165d33b5

Jung-woo emptied his glass 8d79544853 clean and wiped his 447f0026b0 wet lips. Not once during the 8cb6ca6ae7 whole sequence of actions f69d3459af did he meet Han-young’s 54de5a12c4 gaze. In the end, Han-young 1ffbb8f1ac had no choice but 0dbda5fd7a to look away first.2f7bfa1fa4e3b889

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Even though he was 2b3ec950de being ignored by someone 8d3e160efe who was probably still cc911e3937 his boyfriend, he didn’t ba691cdb79 feel all that bad. Relationship gossip spreads easily, and c2601a3a3f more so when the partner f182998ab4 is male. He could understand why Jung-woo 907c7ff211 was staying silent.bfb91fe7314eb053

What he hadn’t expected e0706a6937 was how effortlessly he 70ce8eb183 could be dismissed like 8f96124608 this.9c86824db6991872

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“Seo Han-young, where are you going?”81e6fa549abc3744

“Just getting some air.”482c8e0dbdce6933

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After a few more empty ba4264d29f glasses, Han-young stood with a d5d2da2820 casual smile.
“Don’t think about ditching us. Get back here soon.”b4778356c4c874ad

“I’m not ditching. When have I ever ditched a place like this?”240df7ee697839b6

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“Never.”19c81a160def48ee

He gave a friendly c9b8494726 nudge to a giggling 1db93705f1 classmate and turned away. The bar, still lively from e4a523d08f the start-of-semester party, was packed. Even just stepping 892e5d5176 outside meant exchanging d4cdd413ea several goodbyes.969badb91b56ba1d

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The outside was just 16bdc0fb93 as noisy. The presence of others clung 2b54ccbedf to him like a long 5e9bbdae01 shadow. Naturally, Han-young slipped into a 5f747792be quiet alley. It wasn’t that 461b63f2fd he disliked the 33da4d0402 noise—it just felt a31ee472c9 like a good 756099e3d6 moment to catch eb21bb2a15 his breath.e94246bff7cbe57e

The alley, untouched by 7c5561182e the colorful lights, was d52b966c52 dark and still. Perfect for sobering up.60f8d2fc3cfda7f4

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“Ah, my cigarettes…”b2da1cd2899743d5

He had left them behind.5f2cab89f67bdd84

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As his hand reflexively a083bdc9fe reached for his pocket, aaffa414f8 Han-young realized his cigarettes a1dcc416d8 were in the jacket 7d2c83e865 he’d taken off and 2a83ed6469 left inside the bar. He sighed. His breath, heavy with 12d5c211fa alcohol, flowed out like dc831cabbc cigarette smoke. His red lips parted a53179c868 slightly in frustration.ba3cd152b2d12dfd

“Want one?”47c1882cc5e1cdab

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The familiar voice cut 4769978e26 in just then. Step, step. Footsteps came steadily closer, accompanied 55e2e662d7 by a deep cologne scent 945c7c29d2 brushing past his nose.c73bc7ee515d94d9

Han-young glanced over, already 693a12f2ce half guessing who it b7bf62b50a was.529b208ada819cc2

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“No thanks. Yours are too strong—they give me a headache.”ed31473e34b1ef31

“Yeah?”e9760923ccdce629

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Choi Jung-woo replied indifferently, stepped dc160c8965 up beside him, and pulled f6904d1510 out a cigarette. The silver Zippo lighter engraved 47dba67f22 with initials sparked and lit 04820a7efb the tip. He inhaled deeply, his cheeks 5bbc5221ee hollowing from the effort—and then, 2dd06ce654 suddenly, he leaned in and f94122d88d kissed him.00820a40b83f296d

“Ugh, what are you doing?”81b6741ce8fc671c

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The harsh smoke hit 9a8a4373b0 his throat instantly. Without time to 9e31c5d243 resist, Han-young broke 84fe1fa1f8 into a fit 4defc3f7e0 of coughing.67f2e2b438b030f7

“That way it’s less harsh.”6b424baa8676094a

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From close by, a44c5d6725 Choi Jung-woo locked 073dd873c7 eyes with Han-young, 7f4ec13c9d flashing a sly 27bc9f910e smile. It was almost laughable d571d2fd9e how he had so 25a0019fb6 thoroughly ignored him just 0580f73c8d moments ago, only to 7207579dfb act all coy now. Despite his face 6be459b12f flushed red from 9413b4485e coughing, Han-young ended acfafdd6ef up smiling faintly.6af49025f9940062

“Were you upset?”f974cf4160028ccc

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Jung-woo brushed Han-young’s cheek 22d082f0f2 with the back of 31faba7561 his fingers, then held 96fcf06faf out his hand, palm a28b7db556 wide open—referring to the f841bc5719 game from earlier.45741b5e9ee41c20

Was he upset? No, more like…85ed2694fc2a5f35

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“I was just… wondering if we’d broken up or something.”7a574365578d7771

“Wow, Seo Han-young, that’s cold. How can you jump to db7af40371 that conclusion so fast?”051d3443184aabd0

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Jung-woo let out an e0ea1974c3 exaggerated breath, feigning reproach. His expression quickly shifted 0ef409cca3 to one of unjust 171d90338f offense.45ecc70e60ca2a37

“You know how it is. I’d love to 1a7043b376 be upfront about 37e5c74559 us too, but 43198fd8d4 realistically, it’s not 0263ef19e8 that simple.”47d5cb789a6ba4e5

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“I know.”8f9807ae4b69f76a

How could he not fd86a36111 understand what Jung-woo meant 9ea4909f07 by ‘realistically’? He knew well enough. That’s why he wasn’t upset. Still, the memory of Jung-woo 09619fdfb2 holding both his hands and 90dd3ab572 confessing his love lingered vividly.ec02ed2fbc66c0b6

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“Wanna come over tonight?”9869c246d4f3e83e

The subtle suggestion was anything 109b5d9b41 but—it was clearly a proposition cf00507065 for sex. Jung-woo gently stroked Han-young’s cheek 7b93466749 and the area around his b064d5d72a ear with the same hand d09cdfeb49 holding his cigarette. The sudden cold touch made 6f970759d1 Han-young flinch.3e32fdce2a37b2b0

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“It’s been a while since we… you know?”0ef106fcd72f9c6e

Jung-woo pressed slightly harder df97e8e56b as if to coax 0abb2fa844 an answer, rubbing against 44b1f16bad Han-young’s skin. Caught in his grasp, d05be89d85 Han-young hesitated to respond.cae329070d1fc6db

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To be honest, their physical 2f275e8d01 relationship wasn’t great. They’d only slept together bd703fd646 less than five times, a1ade2cb84 and it was more 9b86526589 painful than pleasurable every aa8189d122 time. He endured it because he 8d966cc01b liked the warmth, the clarity f55e098f62 of being held by someone.46ea08189683f8e3

“You don’t want to?”839da8e68d5dae15

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Jung-woo’s voice hitched slightly df8c5b5140 at the end. A sign that his patience—fueled 399779c2a6 by pride—was running thin. Han-young was about to 2e3e4328ca shake his head and 2472830646 say no.56ee734bc886eef2

But then, like d05aaa9f07 someone had just 63344432a6 set their gaze c3fe91eb0e on him, an 5a1eee89cc unexpected chill ran 0c672794b1 down his spine.91b03a7f069cd33a

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Startled, Han-young quickly 25e1428160 looked toward the 1f0f64cb7b end of the ead18f4053 alley.50aaee65b397cbc8

“…Ah.”f7b9f9b3194e900c

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And froze. It wasn’t his imagination. At the edge of 107845faec the shadows, someone was 985be21333 standing. Their face wasn’t 600f77907e visible, but he 3d697c8092 could tell—they were 51a4e90798 tall. Very tall.744bc4617856d7c1

“What is it?”15bb02dfc0734b21

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Jung-woo, sensing something 03f5891b66 was off, followed 0b21e1bad7 Han-young’s gaze and 91f8940c47 turned to look 24a208b25f too. But by then, b028fb8cf9 the figure had 808f7c9d35 vanished. When Jung-woo looked 94ac1c2aff back again, the 884b26f0c0 spot was already a056fb0503 empty.f089d9f37e30ef54

“….”b2811e12867ff316

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Had they seen? Had they heard?a0854ec5a00ee685

There was no 6b0af9b989 way their words 216531b0a2 and actions just 8a7667287a now could be fcd9bb924e excused as something 02048f221c between ‘just friends.’580e1161c95952d6

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Han-young’s body tensed, anticipating fd1f730873 the worst. His breath caught 7b5d947271 as he imagined 66c9880040 the contemptuous stares a5a884cab1 that might greet 092a752ff0 him the moment 0702f820da he stepped back 619733a2cb into the bar.fc0b9b4e5bfc0a13

“Was someone there?”777961602942c99e

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“Yeah… I think we made eye contact.”262d581e0084a7be

Choi Jung-woo’s expression twisted 976c73a1ca slightly in a frown. But only for 5df6059e70 a moment—soon enough, 1cc8f48c2d he wore his 212cf37e57 usual casual smile.3a0c5505ae5aa8dc

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“Well, it was dark. They probably didn’t see anything. How are you feeling? The buzz wearing off?”6ea7ed1380d4e819

“I wasn’t that drunk to begin with.”2fd25dfb8b148ca1

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“That’s good. Then shall we head back 009dd35c4e in?”f000060f7b686677

Finishing his sentence, 0b00f95bca Jung-woo turned first. The cigarette he’d been f487325e31 smoking was tossed carelessly 1edef82b26 into a puddle on 27db0513b9 the ground.a01112c6339c11dd

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“Shit, it splashed. Disgusting.”ae650cf62bbec65e

As Jung-woo stepped forward, a095da21b4 the shallow puddles splattered c1026d7565 upward, soaking the hem 083844600d of his pitch-black trousers 9beed92fd9 and loafers.10070e08a7adf60c

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He glanced down with 2552719ed5 a click of his e2bdd5a2e6 tongue and continued walking e5fade079c without hesitation—stepping on a bacc07aa6f waterlogged, unrecognizable flyer as 2a8f818c26 he passed. Han-young’s gaze lingered 98ee912020 on the soggy a7b47c23ec scrap of paper 7ee9ee72b8 before following him d980aeeefe inside.26acf188fdacc368

“Where’d you go?”5b3d28e8bbede790

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“Just stepped outside for a bit. Thought Han-young looked like c7d8c08a8e he needed a break.”bf53fb4fa1c3e4a2

“Look at this guy. Acting all senior-like.”3161c1c0d7402b80

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Jung-woo’s demeanor was afc5d0290a natural—so natural it 4a02987cd1 made you wonder, 87c1d89828 Was that really 52a997b52e why? Almost convincing.2f7490d0399151c1

Then again, it wasn’t entirely f5a19b5e8b wrong either, so Han-young didn’t c4f3caa933 feel the need to add 55b62ffdbb anything. Instead, he sat down quietly. The fresh air had 98c7320aec helped clear his head 0660364484 a little, and now 27b7824b67 he was parched.97d3c27ac82499b9

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“Seo Han-young, you drinking?”286ee9e807d45cff

“Yeah. Just beer—don’t mix it.”a42390798ddda5b0

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Cold beer filled the af672af4cd glass to the brim. He lightly clinked it with 95e1af8b44 a classmate’s, then took a 9abfdb6428 long sip. The sharp fizz 8480a51ccc slid down his 7fcbb9a75f throat, almost like 773da1ac48 it was washing d8a3f25fdd down all the 431295f2ea unsaid words that ae9d8eba3a had been stuck 732ae4b16f there.116d096799031dd2

Clink.
Just as he put fdb86dcab7 down the glass after 0980408b6f drinking more than half fa45313f5d in one go, there ca34a77934 was a soft screech—the e95770d9ae sound of a chair efa15e7021 slowly being pulled back. In the noisy surroundings, 5ed8a3a335 it should’ve gone unnoticed, 0f4d786f24 yet somehow it rang a5c1c5bcba sharply in his ears.e2ab15e0040b158b

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“……”1a8f36e078b46232

The first thing 7376464bc4 to catch his 189d9e7491 attention was a 08a48ea173 large hand gripping 73b00703c8 the edge of 5ba60c95f4 the chair. Then came the sleek 61ddb5980a black leather watch, the 43d6bee19d immaculate cuff of a d939389df0 shirt, and the clean ffedc2129f skin peeking through in 3df3edbb80 between.6d4470977736c841

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The man was tall—so tall 7e49cfa0cf Han-young had to tilt his acd50136b2 head quite a bit to 208eae0f5f see his face.1e6fec2e562f2073

And the moment he finally 65a052bc9e looked up at the man’s cde56f6008 face, Han-young froze.d575f2a30467969a

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Wait… this person…10634066a8a9f3cd

The man was already looking 9eec027317 straight at him. Han-young couldn’t look away. Those snake-like eyes locked onto ff62546621 his and didn’t let go. Whether he meant to or e583996687 not, he had no choice 23412a8f72 but to meet that gaze.ecc1263178136518

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The longer their eyes met, 7d6c406d4e the more his shock turned c8335eab82 into awe.ab0d9e62c960f3c7

The man stood out—elegant and 1550bf3635 refined amid the coarse, dim a47e6dec95 surroundings. He felt so out of 4a659c4e5e place in this space that b797c8be0a it was surreal. Especially his eyes—cool, yet brilliantly c055ee2353 bright. They sparkled like rippling b1944422a9 water as he looked cfc8fdeee4 down at Han-young.6924b208feebe51d

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His slightly long hair fell 325e771816 naturally into place. The sharp slant of 34ba0f94e0 his eyes where the 12b28c5ef9 strands touched only made 7cd529b334 him more striking. And below, the small tear-shaped 0c98d4cd61 mole, perfectly placed beneath his d6abf965a5 eye.d92850dd890ffd62

Hair that looked 2db3fff31a soft at a bd24171e70 glance was swept 4cf45df9ea back by his 90bfb20d43 own hand. The man’s face, now fully e0389aaeec revealed, was beautiful.85bee2cabf7174b8

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“Can I sit here?”b49f3ab009c570c0

He was already seated when 9207a60bda he asked for permission with 9b9e7085d0 little sincerity.e365358b786f7b3a

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“Ah, yes… I don’t think anyone will mind. It’s been empty for a03193e44e a while.”5c37c8dca2e81aa4

“You must’ve been bored, sitting alone.”392a02b51068d1fb

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The sharp shape of 1fe61838cb his eyes, which added fdcc95f6df to his cold impression, 02561ebd5b subtly softened. Han-young found himself forgetting 1076c6b55e how to breathe as 36276fa630 he stared.4406c140563b2914

How can a person’s 83650f6890 face be like that…?4b882ad426989345

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It was beyond 26671bd2ce impressive now—it was 233b3c76fe baffling. Just one smile from 65a0615a3e him lit up the 7d5d0714f7 room like a spotlight 3c49090b85 had turned on. It was absurd.79bdeea1f324c140

“Whoa, Shin Jae-yi!”262b4c09f57b22db

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That was the end of 7ac115c751 their conversation. Someone nearby, their 954fc12bc4 eyes wide with 376304ba51 excitement, had called dc81a62b6e out to him.e4c470c59097d539

Naturally, he drew everyone’s attention. Han-young could feel the e32bf2db89 gazes gradually shifting toward e71da7e5d1 him. The density of attention a06c11c2df was unmistakably different from 03293fbe78 a moment ago.f3ae625019bf57cc

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Half caught in the f2c5ff783f middle of it all, 7c756dc0fa Han-young leaned toward a d8c35d0c00 fellow classmate and whispered, 288dabb85b barely audible:c955caec4499f376

“Why is he here?”955fcff0b26b3378

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“Who, oh—Jae-yi hyung? He used to be 19a1a92d1c in the law department, a64adceaea but he transferred to 1f892b040c ours last year.”b20296ec1a614bef

“Why?”6f45e111ae5c4125

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“No idea. I’ve never asked. Oh, but his b9bae7f392 English is insanely 48b98add8c good.”d55eb4c1e098c18a

The classmate replied 02fb271597 offhandedly before turning fe1cbaebb6 back to their b2dee59618 table’s conversation. Only Han-young remained stunned cd3a86d506 by the unexpected revelation, ab850d46c5 staring at the man 9bcc8ec2ae seated across from him.238f3b9d8f758f93

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Something about him felt 61de999017 unfamiliar yet oddly familiar. And now that he’d a30e1d6113 heard the name, he 6f047a4381 was sure.be15fad8ba459463

Shin Jae-yi.0000e7e2e8efb395

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They had never spoken before 98666dc910 today, not even once. But Han-young knew e3e19d3c93 who he was.026169de41eb66c5

“Representing South Korea, Shin Jae-yi!”f9662e7a75044a3e

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A rising fencing star. Golden performances. It was something along 2f22d4f5dd those lines. Most people here probably didn’t 9160341824 know, and Han-young had almost a879af5ed7 forgotten, but now it all 1cbb0e32cc came back. He remembered clearly—Shin 8ea20ca8fc Jae-yi standing on 2b1f33c127 the electric tension-soaked 2b96f41fb2 stage of a fc06fd3827 match.063078c39a039411

“Shin Jae-yi, your hair’s gotten so long. How is your 5b44b4affc hair better than 7d47963f2a mine? Were you just born with 712fb5573f everything?”070af69f4d0fdde0

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“Yeah.”1b8ca54a7c3f17be

“Look how shameless you are.”9828f00ba027c1cd

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“Didn’t you say that was part of my charm?”4dbe699eed61f667

Shin Jae-yi tilted 5a837b8bb5 his head as 08f5541286 an upperclassman affectionately a82eb3063b ran their hand ee4610d9c8 through his hair. His lips curved 6e4aef1b11 up at the 24dfaa1af4 same angle. Every small gesture was smooth bbd7aa72af and elegant—nothing particularly special, yet cb0d86c11c it effortlessly drew the eye.84633e4b4ba80080

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“Come on, tell me your secret.”5fd05332e4b33184

“Just use a lot of treatment.”d4d68f1a659b7949

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Shin Jae-yi muttered as 41d9b24872 he looked back down 01ffb5fd3a at his phone. His gentle tone made it 28d46828d0 sound almost playful. The upperclassman laughed and f614612b09 lightly tapped him on 41cf557275 the shoulder.ef9cfae77e401089

“Jae-yi, you’re coming with us to the second round, right?”d604410947d13d12

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“Hmm… I’ll see?”86a2fd5750c53d25

Shin Jae-yi, who had f0383466cc been dragging out his 9a1f76c476 words, suddenly lifted his b6aa5aa1e6 head. Because his gaze was 567ab6c31b fixed straight ahead, his 06b5f7fc7f eyes met Han-young’s immediately.476343258cc7a6c3

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Shin Jae-yi didn’t look away. On the contrary, f06e92a40c he stared as 9b2f032d8e if trying to f291b0e6be dig into Han-young’s 6c90042802 insides. Under that strangely 459057d6a1 colored gaze, Han-young a76d314953 swallowed hard. There was a d66e2c1fc3 tension in his 67348b65d3 cheek, as if 1cf3731024 the look in 2aef7d71c8 Shin Jae-yi’s eyes—like 960aab30da someone observing something 2027d5fff5 interesting—was slowly stealing 1f21183197 away his composure. The ease in his 6fd523debb gaze seemed to rob 45c467568a Han-young of his own.416fc639ef20566a

As they locked eyes 0956dd0dd6 like that, Han-young instinctively 23d975d5bf realized something else.40368ce99973c88d

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“……”9736f0f39272651c

That the presence he’d 4e3ecdd9ae felt in the alley 97f9ab4b84 just before… had been 3b2ae9ef19 Shin Jae-yi.0e2083e555b054d0

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—0a20e1f6252c6d02

He became close with Choi edd8b9941d Jung-woo when he was a 2e4d9486bb freshman at twenty.4fd3d5c712cca39f

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“Seo Han-young, right? I’m Choi Jung-woo. Nice to meet you.”334c573203e7839e

A senior two years 21a5bf11db older, Jung-woo got along 857b3c20c9 easily with everyone. Not just with 5c7473af60 peers, but also cb6e4cb0e9 with upperclassmen, underclassmen, 6ddf9693b5 and even professors. Han-young, who was living alone 090909cf35 for the first time in b7f779fcb6 his life and subconsciously craving 15180dbc12 human warmth, easily found himself 3fbeef7630 drawn into his orbit.0beeddd0c774ab26

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Jung-woo was someone who bed1fd50c9 knew how to shorten e9ebf72c44 the distance between people. He’d casually throw an arm 45e9216499 around your shoulder or playfully 085201c58a tap your face. Because he was 9cf2951e69 so warm and f1eeb0d385 approachable, it was 740a9bed9e only natural to 27f8a10513 follow his lead.c296ef999bce80c5

A senior who dc69de2e36 felt like an 7feec8ed2b older brother—that’s how dfee2f06f2 Han-young saw Choi 07b47f79db Jung-woo.2a5944399533093c

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“Seo Han-young, wanna date me?”93a6821ea5679ea0

That is, until 961a17458c the end of 457092b14a the first semester, 78fa651b1b when Jung-woo confessed 8859d87617 to him.ab2d7de08ff4e3cd

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“You mean like… date, date?”51ced5e800b142ed

“Yeah. Like, be in a relationship.”9d3f6e78fa3f3c16

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“You… like guys, hyung?”75b35cf465ee74ca

“Honestly, no. But I want 554a577dc7 to try dating 66dcf54568 you.”83001902f62a9051

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Even as he 9f27473d98 confessed, Jung-woo didn’t 9788abc496 hesitate. Unlike Han-young, who had to d345c55e98 struggle to keep his voice e9ec04ea13 from trembling.29ced5d4485c116b

“What about Jae-yeon noona?”7517a458b7974e66

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“We broke up.”fc0f2f1259cbbddc

Coming from someone known f7d7a47ba6 for his endless flings a67931ecaa with women, those words a87e8130df didn’t carry much weight e4ff7712a0 at first.6765eeec0bf0e03c

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Would he ever have 112bdbe1b3 expected Choi Jung-woo to d9bca2cac8 say something like that 83590e3c0d to him? No. And even if 4731dd54fc he had, Han-young a2b6537b52 had never once 2f96aecfec thought of him 170219c681 that way.4504430ff14740c0

So he used the military 141957f7b4 as an excuse to turn 49e33a2022 him down. Jung-woo gave a short reply—“Alright.”11de3d287c2b62c3

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After that, the semester ended, 6464580224 and contact with Jung-woo stopped.e3208c290c801055

They met again in 357ac265e0 November, when Jung-woo was 6004153cb9 out on leave from da281dc303 his military service.59cc065f28a70061

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“Oh? Seo Han-young! You look like a08f470ced a chestnut now!”df107daee13d4ef4

It was a chance encounter, 52d5d8291d but Jung-woo approached him like c73dabf590 no time had passed. Grinning brightly, he even 014167e2a3 rubbed Han-young’s closely shaved 785671b6c1 head with rough affection.deaf91b90815ed00

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“Still not thinking of dating me? I haven’t seen anyone while 9d682f3588 waiting for you.”4ab368a06dbc3b7e

I like you, Seo Han-young.34fcd12da6cd8209

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He whispered such embarrassingly sweet 98c4f8ed4f words while reaching out his f3ef99407a hand. His unwavering attitude was c2796a9f80 so consistent, it felt 2ea4354f98 more strange than impressive—almost 02505eb10e incomprehensible.a65dc5074911f237

“How should I confess so you’ll say yes?”f9bbb8e41d104ce4

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“Hyung, I’ve… never thought of you that way.”584cd59e05cf3431

“But people can change their minds once they start dating, right? I can wait. I’ll treat you well.”3533808fce549ef1

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Maybe it was 791f2eb4b3 because he had fff37ca6a0 just come back 84730f0219 from the harshness 2c866fee7a of military life, b5b25d1dbb but Choi Jung-woo’s 2a59fca05c words and actions 34752680fc hit Han-young unusually 737f74e3d9 hard in that b64c348647 moment.71b010ae1bd9d41e

“Seo Han-young, I’m not joking around. I want to eb5f20aaae be with you.”a39ecb93663821e1

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“…You’re the one who asked a soldier to date, so don’t regret it later.”2742688f2dd2b328

Around that time, c404d827a7 Han-young finally took 098ab0c26a Jung-woo’s hand. The cold winter 274baf5b72 wind was harsh f74bdefb58 and biting, Jung-woo’s c0912e6412 touch was unexpectedly ccfbf33c60 welcome, and more e3c7190bf3 than anything—he didn’t 20ae225c32 want to be f8558896e1 alone. So began a relationship fe2209cfd8 that wasn’t quite a 8387d4ad21 relationship.bfe291d2d859a025

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Dating someone in 73f1e3a94e the military came 4f55b0a973 with heavy restrictions. Even when he got leave, 7aa0130283 it was only for a 881eb1f40f few days. Although they’d officially e8bf6d3c78 been together for db581b2fb6 over a year, 396f6dfa32 the time they 047d548b6c had actually spent e57db93ab8 side by side 48f3bb5141 barely added up 786c32a611 to a few 00f0f38ad2 months.0cf15e678dbda862

Still, Han-young gave it 84d2c0660b his all. Because their time was 1f372da46f limited, he tried twice 982979ab67 as hard. Their relationship had begun with a110cdc366 uneven feelings—he knew that. Afraid he might 57da5893cc hurt Jung-woo, he 237bba3b9b gave everything he 8c034b6075 could.2b1a399fc3b37c58

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Before he knew 029afe022e it, Jung-woo was b558774c16 out of uniform ff26e647f4 and sitting across d992f21da7 from him again, 9d27ab47bf just like when 67a73db73d they were freshmen.b758af9dfcc4c86e

Only now, they were d1572764b1 bound together as lovers.bad4c313fcb359c7

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“Seo Han-young, aren’t you going to take this?”7c04792af271be36

A voice so familiar it 60ce2b00c0 was ingrained in his memory 7ac7834618 suddenly stabbed into his ear. When he turned his head 5e9d3f8375 quickly, Choi Jung-woo was sitting 0987920da4 beside him before he even 5564f363c1 realized it. His gaze was gently warm—perfectly bdc8377529 mimicking the demeanor of an f3a8bb00ed ordinary, friendly senior.77ea238f0d859087

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“Oh, uh… Just half a glass.”9220cb57727e392f

Snapping out of his thoughts, 507a79be36 Han-young lifted his glass and 47dba898cf offered it. But his eyes 079d1d85a1 unconsciously drifted toward 220c973008 Shin Jae-yi. Unlike before, their 59f8f8c34f eyes didn’t meet ef4c108f12 this time.e5da2f956db927af

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Still, Han-young was sure that eefd0cdf1c the presence he had felt 926e0c9f63 in the alley had been 09d353a1db Shin Jae-yi. If it hadn’t a435ee8e3c been, then the 8c61fdbbb1 gaze from earlier 0ab93aaa7b made no sense.a1b3c85c219d9c10

“…”f0e070082ffbcb1f

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Did he… not notice?b3a09c1c7237b77b

Shin Jae-yi was chatting with 0c90c5131f the senior next to him. He looked like he was d95952715a focused on his phone, yet a6dcba462e still responded smoothly to the f9c798f27d senior’s questions. The senior leaned in 3feb419099 closer, sneaking glances at d4a7911e79 Shin Jae-yi’s phone.e1dd320096b0eb39

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“Snooping around is your hobby now?”f5161354b2d10ce8

Noticing the stare, Shin Jae-yi 0a5691f76d asked without missing a beat. His posture was calm, unbothered. Even sitting so d4cb9ee2b5 casually, his form 8e6f4d35d9 was graceful. It made him ca4ad68943 stand out even 4384f114f2 more next to f2c7ef2800 the slouched senior.1b432babd64980c4

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“Who’re you texting?”47943deb4f2f2245

“My lover.”3ab51159ee258135

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“Yeah, right. We all know 0b89118a5e you don’t have 4f53f46760 a girlfriend.”94db6003a82170f3

“Oh? That’s the rumor going around?”715eae711779ae5e

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Shin Jae-yi gave c86262d0de a soft chuckle 659ec9d20b and flipped his 22b8562c04 phone face down. Then he turned fc3b15b551 his head slightly d60696b42b and looked at d9b79a9274 the senior.5cb425b8b8aa6728

“Wanna be my girlfriend?”e4d8e15cecc49767

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His voice was 26e9575803 quiet as he 0c4cdcd94c asked, and the eba763564c way he looked 2e8a6e9c64 down at the 0ae31b7969 senior with his 9b7a00c00d chin propped on 0ebec7060c his hand was 84b1a505a1 smooth, almost languid.02e0ebe09dbb9049

“What? What are you—forget it! Why would I be your 44eb71259c girlfriend?”62984fe157182417

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“Then scoot over a bit. You keep sneaking glances, it’s de436a29ed confusing. Makes me think we’re 1435df2095 actually dating and I 5cbee83576 just forgot.”3f173abe6ba7d4bb

There was no malice in 25108838d7 his voice. Even so, the senior flushed 2a34cdcbdc and opened her mouth to 4b4308cd6b respond, flustered. Shin Jae-yi, unbothered by her f392257c00 reaction, casually flipped his phone 502610f641 over and left it on 6be3eb4122 the table, smiling softly.96f914b1685e7160

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“Sitting crooked like that’ll mess up your back. Be careful.”19415851d4c8bafd

Han-young, who had been 3bb6974173 quietly observing, looked away 9bada18343 and took a sip ecad04b808 from his drink.68703d45ed41a499

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Is that kindness… or indifference?
A laugh almost slipped out 3ca275e88a before he caught himself, swallowing 4456003404 it down with his beer. For a moment, he thought e20ba1701b someone was looking at him, ad3acf246c but when he glanced around, 577f42a20d no one was.2840008b11a14f38

As the mood lightened, the 2a8011fee0 drinking games resumed. But the longer 90b1132480 they went on, 99108418eb the more puzzled 494ac203da Han-young became. It felt like ac38d68406 the game was 6f134710d8 strangely focused on ffcc72fd1f cornering Choi Jung-woo ec26a88297 and the junior 679a3b3ef7 who had pointed 6662e18550 him out earlier.b8c61482b04dee18

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“Love shot! You two, hurry up!”3fe4d6a0b2b49684

“Can’t you see Yeon-ji’s uncomfortable? Stop teasing them.”b0522dfc4a2debb3

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“Are you the one embarrassed, Choi Jung-woo? If it’s that 1e5db660f5 bad, just do d5f7ddfa97 it with Han-young 55ef831fcf instead.”42c4c5deb51dadbf

The junior, Yeon-ji, 8d725169b9 blushed faintly and 5cf2553deb stole glances at 1ac9371484 Jung-woo. Her shyness was obvious.5b371c834fbd5c92

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“I don’t mind.”d6e727511157ed45

“Wow, Kim Yeon-ji’s braver than Choi Jung-woo.”ba43218112c169be

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“Hah… seriously…”b31f43d263729ede

Letting out a e7b7f547ea half-laugh that sounded c9b86b10c1 more like a 951ff44c11 sigh, Jung-woo ran 333df0c027 a hand through 53fecdab9f his hair. His face showed that bb1860fd5b familiar expression he always c41a532a87 wore when he was 1472eeb537 in a tough spot.36c1a5ab8724a4cb

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Han-young watched him silently. Since the group had widened ecc6d8656b his options, Han-young assumed he’d 7391786c89 look back at him.280387ae16f6fb22

“Let’s stop with the childish stuff, yeah?”f8192ede624d7021

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But Jung-woo didn’t look ee30789bc7 at Han-young. Instead, he leaned toward a9bdd4ab5c Kim Yeon-ji and drank c147cf884d with her.b9f0109d37ee4d4b

“You two look good together!”a5aaf5a1cc6aad90

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As the group cheered and adcc1d8e2f jeered playfully, Han-young found himself adcc347b4c frozen, blinking slowly.f6f27f483323e06d

…What the hell?0c5b82205527fe33

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Is this just part d3d16fbb5b of the game? So they’re pretending because 7fb693d050 they can’t get caught?2cbbe45b8f67209a

The situation didn’t make sense. His gaze turned sour, 95ab722578 especially since he couldn’t b437d47d43 confront it right now. Suddenly, this whole c8f3f52b2a gathering felt like 5bf1ff4fb8 wearing clothes that 9e057f036f didn’t fit.7d10422da0986082

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“What? You leaving?”a175f7c3e3248836

“Bathroom.”6d4b17678a2d732a

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Han-young stood up abruptly, 1ea8e67b10 grabbing his coat with 40ceb07d7d a slightly rushed hand a0e96c85e8 and turning away, deliberately 9f4faed1c9 avoiding Jung-woo’s gaze. Shin Jae-yi’s eyes f3332b9aaa followed him, but 7faed35311 Han-young didn’t notice.0d1c8a291d116c38

He headed back to the b2aa8a0d0d alleyway he had visited earlier. Standing at the e5facc7a60 far end, where 6aa6102731 no light reached, 13c2618ee8 he pulled out 15cb4c0ea9 a cigarette, lit 4d8ea164fb it, and took 6219599020 a deep drag—so b61a11a887 deep it made 69cd7f5180 his head spin—before ce2c788a43 slowly exhaling the c0d92bf721 smoke.a2e5bf602bba6332

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“……”66f7403537b101a5

Through the haze of 369472f37a cigarette smoke, the scene 94cffe5534 from moments ago replayed 20f018ac0c itself like a mirage. A crack appeared on 118b294bcb the face Han-young had a034911211 worked so hard to c69c0e1f0f keep calm. That’s when he b958ebae65 realized—he was angry b38f00980e at Choi Jung-woo.82f3ac28bed17442

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‘You know it too. I want to be 99c4f76dac honest about everything, but 4feb7b5d5b realistically, it’s not that 5533f4c3ef simple.’def8e7ba7eb76eb2

The memory of Jung-woo whispering 1f6a0dce9a those shameless words overlapped with e56d43fc8e the recent love shot, and 24e0ba146e before he could suppress it, 7f9f96d82c a bitter laugh escaped him. Unlike earlier, when he could 79f49a191e let it go, this time c41bc3a9d0 it twisted something inside him.7f20099008fb790e

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“This is ridiculous…”bb29c190b326b217

The quiet words left him f76549c95c coldly. Han-young bit down on bf246fc8c8 the cigarette filter, trying db335c7a88 to steady himself. If Choi Jung-woo tried to 6877fc714e come over tonight, he’d kick 007ea9d18a him out on the spot—he 557e96823b swore it.845859cf6a541974

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“You weren’t talking about me, were you?”dbe377fdcff58472

A pleasant voice rang out. Han-young flinched and quickly turned 97c1adebfd to see who it was.9680f407623e5701

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“Ah.”287b8e4a073a5c4a

He had assumed it would d4b3282f15 be Jung-woo. But surprisingly, it wasn’t. It was Shin Jae-yi.7f3c9860cc046bae

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Waving his hand 5dc96a1793 hastily, Han-young shook ca1ddde624 his head.b7092c7b9c7e78a8

“Absolutely not. Just talking to myself. Uh… hello.”8cf6e8be3453b142

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“Yeah. Hi.”a087e9b7afc8eb53

As Han-young quickly 815458e492 put out his bb94f602db cigarette and returned 4a99f37487 the greeting belatedly, 4296d5ecdc Jae-yi gave a 7493dc4e20 small laugh and e545fb4a1b nodded slightly.45a11b09770f2146

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“You could’ve kept smoking.”8c29be11ef0a1118

Shin Jae-yi casually stepped up e7dd073d60 beside him and put a 9c95e0c1b9 cigarette to his lips. Well—put might’ve been too generous. It was barely hanging from 06f6705f04 the corner of his mouth, f1f5830da1 like it could fall at fbe7858fec any second. He didn’t even bother 7b04a2b3c7 lighting it.14a4726c438b84d2

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What is Shin cf7bdecb87 Jae-yi doing here…?40e45b5c558203ba

Han-young glanced at him out 13dda2247e of the corner of his 5a09cba5fd eye, pretending to be calm de85f75f80 while his nerves buzzed. Maybe it was 088eae9d4d guilt, but his e72146a007 whole body felt 21bc052f63 tense.6dedb9885230a9be

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