DRD Chapter 1.2

Standing side by f61255394c side, Han-young realized 2ce47b26db Shin Jae-yi was 3cd3342847 much taller than 6ff4e732aa he’d thought. Despite his delicate face, 530dcef771 his body was sharp a6c8c9b219 and fierce. His graceful movements could 57ed3f9b12 easily mislead people, but 66a2a29fb1 his frame stood out 7f0bd270dd more than anyone’s. Being this close 3a5942dfed to him felt… 98f9b7decd intimidating. Maybe it was c9ab6660e7 his aura—he gave bf28951865 off a kind 36704ecd52 of overwhelming presence.9550298988e9d5f5

Just when the silence between cb5793a750 them was starting to feel 6fb23baca1 heavy, Jae-yi looked down at 7d99983868 him. A gust of wind 1c9606aeca blew, ruffling his hair. The sight was 94164cc00a so surreal, for 9615158f0f a moment, Han-young 2ee376e07b forgot all about ea104f4d06 Choi Jung-woo.3d1e34e4322a2974

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“Why do you keep staring?”69f9000e269a07b0

“You’re tall…”4b843108c7fbb5a7

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The words slipped out, dazed. Jae-yi’s expression turned unreadable.3c1d8fe1c34bd9b4

“Not because I’m good-looking?”73af797055f761e6

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“You are good-looking.”a65f945300dd54b7

“Mm. You’re pretty too.”2fbf90bb05f63c68

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Jae-yi murmured, eyes 97cb2fe2b7 crinkling with a 312bd89eeb hint of a 67ca6c2b7c smile. Because of the 3ffdb51445 cigarette, his words 91fc327844 came out slightly 340239cd95 muffled.bf16f33d81245573

“What’s with that face?”69c4fd29502ad3c7

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Han-young couldn’t hide his expression. Of all people, hearing he 0cc57d85b7 was pretty from Shin Jae-yi… b1394b7070 made him feel weirdly unsettled.07267157170f3c6b

“It just feels strange… hearing that from you, sunbae.”92a12d22e8e25276

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“What’s so strange about it? It’s a compliment. Just take it.”aaf699fc3f03384b

Shin Jae-yi muttered indifferently, averting cebe19908c his gaze. Even as he stared straight 152fb2a0be ahead, chewing on the cigarette f34c771e0e filter with a bored expression, 43a118a8f6 he still looked refined.2b0d0982369cc38e

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“Why aren’t you smoking?”7a30f509e15df6b4

“Did you break up?”e4d14bf3e777153c

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He answered his question aca3f04833 with a question of d0b3e58508 his own—one that took 8438abe6fd things in an unwelcome cf40a305c8 direction.8d67def32f4822ca

“I don’t understand what you mean…”9286a5573a8a9677

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Han-young forced a smile, 1f697babf4 trying to suppress the 9421491a42 twitch that threatened to 13a007e204 betray his discomfort.534f3412eaefc5b2

“Your boyfriend was even playing knight in shining armor. Oh—unless you’ve got a girlfriend ccdf477e16 and a boyfriend?”34c0deff16f94f59

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Jae-yi tilted his chin toward 0f7383e8b1 the bar as he added c42867e285 the remark. Han-young’s expression froze. He tried to 892d841730 hide it, but e1786a239b his failure was 767e155914 obvious—and Jae-yi caught 46e70c9922 it right away.b15bd163ad16f498

“Jung-woo’s a bit inconsiderate, huh? Having his lover right 4d7a092d20 there and all.”62c753cfe01c96da

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Jae-yi chuckled lightly, his voice 5c9c735ba1 like music as he whispered.1e68f0c16603142c

Han-young felt his heart lurch bc9548b6ae at the comment, biting the 884f5777b9 inside of his cheek. Before he could b79d4f1ff4 even be angry b17ca873b9 about what Jae-yi 569216a978 had said about ebbc381aec Choi Jung-woo, he 7f4b7a6bd1 was already caught a0855ceee6 up in wondering fe4e876545 why Jae-yi was bf93cab203 saying these things c0c90fef34 at all.7b3a7019d8bd227e

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Was he bringing 4e28a3c541 up the fact dfabfba41e that he was a5848d1ba0 seeing a man c8279a115f just to mock dafe022629 him? To judge him? To point fingers?4f0384ce2e7ed799

But if that 8e7b312d74 was the case…ab209d3517b5e29b

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“……”9184c87c5cbf4c71

There was no afa69cd7a5 malice in his e80a77a22c light laughter or fa4bdd8e42 his voice—if anything, 60d3da6267 there was a a2bda535db trace of warmth. Or maybe Han-young just wanted 7081a999c9 to believe that and was f9e64b28cc deluding himself.f2ac907343774a77

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As he stood frozen 832985f110 in this unfamiliar situation, 8e956b1882 unsure how to react, f2710d1c76 Jae-yi remained silent, his 7c5d293add gaze wandering idly.b4d8e4c9a38dd112

“Um, sunbae… what you saw earlier—”1c456ebc2009ce5c

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“What did I see?”263dbbd2917b5815

“Back in the alley… didn’t you see?”e55ff435cfaa5a3d

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“Hmm. Not sure.”28d62c9105bd5e2e

Despite the tangled mess of 741115f966 thoughts in his head, Han-young 791682ee45 managed to respond with surprising a611da2cc0 calm. Jae-yi’s reaction, in turn, was 0b4ca5aacd vague—he played dumb with startling f8ac022855 ease. It was enough to make ed29f4bb41 Han-young wonder if Jae-yi had 175fd3a69e genuinely seen nothing, just fishing 3e909b4139 for a reaction.27375070207d85a5

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While Han-young blinked, caught 375645b363 off guard, Jae-yi looked 1714b022c8 at him again—direct and 8175357d80 unrestrained. His gaze was cool 23a1801459 and calculating, like he 1aac38b696 was measuring something. That piercing look 3d9f930003 pressed down on cad71bf227 him like a 2b85a91d4c weight, and it 81b320de2d was hard to 8bb55b5656 escape it.cca610d71dfd96d9

As the nerves under his 2b36187df2 skin bristled under the ambiguous 90aac00f98 scrutiny, Jae-yi finally spoke.df553cdcdce04889

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“You should be more careful.”15502cda419205e7

“……”2e3e61e8182e3fa5

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“You shouldn’t be so quick to answer people like that.”3f058b0022105f19

Jae-yi averted his gaze 860fa03bcc again, speaking in the 1cbb410687 tone one might use 849e2b66e6 with a child.4d103d66c83eaf04

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Only then did Han-young 58f1667aef let out the breath ec747063f9 he hadn’t realized he ce08ad2b61 was holding. As silence fell af93853d7f between them again, a1a6345c73 he tried to 6ce5ad27f4 make sense of 8ad56aaf3e Jae-yi’s words.44da43d533eeace2

Did that mean 48cb809b52 it was okay cfbd371065 to answer him?
Was he trying to say 280eefc0d7 he’d keep the secret…?0c1422c259a8bc4a

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Shin Jae-yi, who had 5764643b37 been staring blankly ahead, 9b2bdedeb9 finally made a sound 2fd26c8a29 after several minutes—his previously 274d298bd6 impeccable posture breaking for 0bf70f2cb1 the first time in 381732466f a way that was 21201ed456 almost awe-inspiring.f61be64daa2e6f18

“Got a light?”ca2d7ac0b59ee401

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As he leaned ca1a0a38eb forward, the distance 364111c60b between them closed 99d2a876f3 instantly. Their eyes met d4eb0e193c at close range. A faint trace of a b74db1d181 smile lingered in Jae-yi’s clear 8fb06f5409 gaze.c1fac9f041b8b3d8

He held the ed3f9e9ff8 cigarette between his bea41c1c7a lips without lighting 766a43c93f it, as if bb4a55070f waiting to see 03a4370150 how the other 6b210a9d2f person would react.304ba84eb925cdb8

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“……”96d6d88cb0f6f655

Should I… light 8cf0cd03df it for him 97cc350beb myself?1b3d3c013042f869

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Trapped in his 8e269eb650 gaze and hesitation, c07569ce0c Han-young eventually handed 885b3f8816 over the lighter. Jae-yi glanced down at the 5d3663fdad tacky yellow lighter and let c713913cb1 out a silent chuckle as ae2b519028 he reached for it. His large hand ebb38d9d70 brushed Han-young’s fingers 034b625f94 lightly as he 116df3fd58 took it—just a d42cc8b5b2 touch, but it 71833a08a8 was enough to 0dbb01c1bd send a tingling 3166adfed4 spark along Han-young’s b9a876ba9c skin, like a 57326d8ee0 flicker of fire 03e5375888 striking where they f561c07257 met.c29dccec5c839797

Click. Click.
The cheap plastic lighter f9f22b2844 didn’t spark right away. Still, Jae-yi handled it f9fd3cfbe4 like it was something 08f496958d precious. He tilted his head 443af67f70 slightly down, his eyes 8ee1924a26 cast low as he 2dde513f33 lit the end of 4ef4132782 his cigarette.1bbec344210b0ee2

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He took a deep e177afe2f8 drag, then exhaled the f75db43e8b smoke slowly to the 6bbc7fa2e1 side. Even when he switched 29fe129c08 the cigarette to his e56a354a1e other hand, he chose 61229b9627 the one farthest from 961fb68096 Han-young, not the side c930d72aee closer—even though they were 89f1233bec both smokers standing next fb15f42573 to each other.e3ed8e2e6c880251

Watching him, Han-young suddenly 1c07db992f saw an image of e74d65d31d Choi Jung-woo overlaying Jae-yi. His mind drifted back to 675cc3881b when Jung-woo had come here, c5188acec8 replaying what he’d done. But strangely, that only c943ea2e31 made Han-young stare at f3058f5a0c Shin Jae-yi again.a1313294f702a0bb

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Maybe it was around 1d01e4212f that moment—when Jae-yi tilted 7cac6390ed his head slightly, and 6195b7a715 their eyes met again.2b307fb55b22f10a

“Han-young.”5b93b9b847ea3c7a

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The soft way he said 6b0955738d his name seemed to echo 01a932a1a4 in the air. And in that 08b1c8c0c6 moment, Han-young thought 5343b9ad3c to himself how 000788a9d6 oddly ticklish it 83d6856f5e felt to hear 60b3ea0047 his name spoken c44700b524 in that voice.76374ba6d96d2ab7

“Should I lend myself to you?”751d101ce8890a54

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Through the thin 99838c6143 veil of cigarette 1721d9fdd6 smoke, Jae-yi’s red 4a248bdbf1 lips curved into d34b6c61b7 a slow smile.6f1110677131fe94

He didn’t say anything bcc0f3258e else, just kept quietly 7597c2224c smoking, as if waiting dcbfb3367e for an answer. Han-young blinked slowly, 67a5cc14e2 struggling to process 1c68f75e7c the situation.b66e2b9b1dafd2fa

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So… you know my name.
That was the 120522f831 only useless realization 00bec27b44 that floated up 9fa61f51cb in his mind.202d63b3fe5f4536

“…I don’t really understand what you mean by that.”2763a1f7be336100

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“Exactly what I said.”7aa63482d0fb1965

Jae-yi exhaled a long stream ee2bfc1f36 of smoke as he spoke.666f3da5d8438e00

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“I’m offering to lend myself to you. What you do with 48647b346d something you borrow is 22687e56ae up to you.”d9423e965edcbfdf

He referred to himself as a3ecb9bd3c an object with such ease, d1e5fd7d9a so naturally that it didn’t a9f23deadc even leave room to feel a7243d6309 uncomfortable.6e48fb26cdd95184

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“Whether you take me right here or leave with me now—either way, wouldn’t it feel less like a waste?”4c72a72036c835d9

He flicked the dcce9c38a1 ash from his c2fca48689 cigarette and jerked 9bb24015d2 his chin toward 6417dc5057 the bar. His laugh that followed e9f5bdaa18 was low and vulgar.e4a00c29640c157f

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Ah… Choi Jung-woo…f9ed8ec331f6b239

It was only then 0a3af6850d that Han-young finally understood 6085e8fd90 what Shin Jae-yi had a50cdc9284 meant. His lips parted slightly, but 3964e2d15f he was still thrown off—unsure 1cb4913ec1 of Jae-yi’s true intentions.c473b4e5bfae45da

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To say something like that to someone who just mentioned they were seeing a guy…
What did he 89a89d096c think that would ef95c8a6f2 sound like?a771092651cdbce6

“Do you like men, sunbae?”c2caa037355ad61c

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“Do I look like I do?”df27d43944028712

The light counterquestion, c5d10f19a1 almost amused, was a05f9fafac more of a 8b103de43a definite answer than a2500c9679 anything else.966c36dc57c08a46

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“Then why are you saying things like that?”86add38bc1fc3755

“Is that really important?”d6bd025a13f3f2b9

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After Han-young fired off 4d5d7d76ee the string of questions 2b6c3ab2b2 and gave a small 2471d3c7fa nod, Shin Jae-yi’s eyes 7ec9f26112 narrowed into slits.bcc8b8b3417a6f38

“Hm…”0ffcc958609c7eb1

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“……”32d78b5409987ab9

“In return for borrowing your lighter?”f4f9251862467987

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He lifted the cigarette 8ddbafb344 in his hand and 1171f21cfc grinned. The explanation was far da733498ab from enough to make b70470a1d9 sense of the situation. And perhaps sensing Han-young’s displeasure, 556e377e42 he let out a quiet 6972c349d5 breath of laughter.f08cf49c025fdd38

“Reasons are easy to come up with. You looked troubled, 66a3d4a90b I happened to 47cdec2498 be bored. And maybe… I just 2cefa66023 don’t like how this 6f68cbfc43 situation feels.”df9618446b8ff167

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His words were 42c63a4b05 light—so light—but not 4f63deda22 entirely weightless. They filled the air with 7b8ace6677 an oddly rich tone.6deda1fac10ac546

“Is that good enough for you?”c1cd07b89f80d783

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Shin Jae-yi asked as he 73cc358a3a took another drag from the 696a07e292 now-short cigarette. His gaze, lowered 274dc3f750 as he spoke, 33a0a42764 had lost its 0d2b573264 earlier sharpness and ed9a665380 settled into something 84e32484c7 more languid. He, who had 85ebe22aea seemed disinterested inside d47c3521c3 the bar, now f2d15558bc looked visibly entertained—as 4be5ebfaa8 if he were 0eb1b98987 a spectator enjoying d2f2b50769 some little play.47be298d9bae9c8e

Either way, the one 1496b8702b who had to respond 678cb47d57 now was Han-young.b9105ee746f62474

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But Jae-yi didn’t press him 9275561212 for an answer. He simply let 2e8f09f5b0 his gaze linger.6d5778415b6374f1

Han-young stared back at f88895a00a him, but then found 79031c472e it oddly difficult to 791ec1a62e keep his eyes locked b557df88c5 with his. Instead, he fixed his 8a42d775fe gaze on the small 3c6b05a092 tear-shaped mole under Jae-yi’s 5cdef3a188 left eye.41681246a0e7f18e

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“……”810edf8acbd74eb3

That small black mark b559dc7ccf was the only blemish 9841a92672 on an otherwise flawless 1998b2be44 face. It looked, in a way, fff5faa85b like a tiny star. Even that mark, which caught 27068f0245 his unfocused gaze, resembled a d615341507 star. He couldn’t help but d78bc4b4da think it was… quite 43c88e978d beautiful.06ee9a1c14e32ed7

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After today, whenever Han-young 7fd97a18ea thought of Shin Jae-yi, a8775e8085 he was sure to 20cdb2bc8b picture that mole—like a 61de87af0a star—etched under his eye. The image was that striking. It was almost 2ba5eecf92 absurd that he 2b7f80b73d had only just 862564cf7c now noticed it.2841bdb292538f1d

“……”c0663edc070de4d8

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Yeah. This was the extent of 394ce7c365 their relationship. They knew absolutely nothing about adbff772af each other. So shallow, it couldn’t 10dd1e9f69 even be called a 68de633452 “relationship” in any real 2acd139654 sense.2e0b750c33f47bbb

And in a dynamic like 6173df1a00 this, could a conversation like f64bb7f2ff the one they were having 29ccc2b63d even make sense?385015c2e93fb945

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“I’m a little embarrassed I might’ve looked pathetic in front of you, but really, you don’t need to help me.”fce211337e8aeafc

Not at all. Nothing could ever truly form 0faa735d02 between the two of them.e70e957d6260844a

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With that conclusion, Han-young gave c5618db38c a faint, deliberately nonchalant smile 2e54cf7f39 and scratched the back of 87115e9bd1 his neck. The skin beneath his palm 76a73108d8 felt lukewarm. The faint embarrassment had de2b23985a warmed his skin. No matter how d81172fe75 good your temperament, 412a3c0352 it was hard ca5a5982d1 to feel pleased d3f0662b39 about looking foolish 014922bb79 in front of 269c056d51 someone you’d only 2879d81d0d just met.8a49e01d944deb38

“We can handle our own matters. It’s something that can 93816b6722 be resolved with just 3cac47e3fa a conversation.”1f374e1b1ee7b150

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Shin Jae-yi effortlessly covered ecac456907 rudeness with politeness, wielding 57f62e0c09 it with ease. His intrigued goodwill dc02bea410 felt more like 55d53f68c8 a handout than 14ef66290a genuine concern.dbc3cd3fe2f6d8c2

“Even if that weren’t the case, I’m not the type to meddle in other people’s messes.”44cc65aeb27c78c2

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“You’re kind.”61ad2ff7d62df2c0

A flicker of intense emotion, 573fc84ada born from having a sore a98acc4371 spot exposed, slipped into Han-young’s 8d0966ff3f voice at the end. Shin Jae-yi noticed, 5a10db45c0 yet remained perfectly 55cfbd8bad composed. He simply let 66f5fd07c8 out a deflated 279b14e213 laugh and murmured 9ecc4b123a the word. He was so casual about 9b7bf61fe4 it, it made Han-young feel 0f6087a5ff silly for getting prickly in 850e9b9604 the first place.01c8db3fe4596b7f

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“Alright.”333ef7ce13d00b49

With a cheerful bc9ea718a5 response, Shin Jae-yi 6374a28774 dropped his spent 21438650cc cigarette into a 12acec7570 portable ashtray. And just like 1ec6d88ee2 that, the conversation d51c3ba88e ended. He turned away like someone a509a392c7 with no lingering interest in 62fc92a52c the moment.f6662e9e0a926939

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Han-young, who’d been defensively 3cc997bedb on edge out of 1cf73b966e instinct, suddenly felt drained, 9181e84338 dazedly watching him leave.25efb42bff98ef5b

What the hell… Is 9f576a7e55 he just leaving like 74b01bc38c that?
He’d braced himself for 46d11c0020 ridicule or some kind 8cad2fcc21 of veiled threat—anything unpleasant 394117f73b to follow. But Shin Jae-yi’s a5114077eb attitude was so 8912e1b5a9 plain, almost indifferent, 306baf6936 that even Han-young’s 63e3ac2690 emotions seemed to d0e7be41d5 wither away.a0e8d31e55c1cec5

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“Um, but…”a7a4e672e809d55f

The words slipped out unconsciously.9c37bf20cdba6185

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To his surprise, f47039e05d Shin Jae-yi stopped cf6e520ef1 in place. He didn’t fully turn 17cad12f3d around, but twisted slightly 02a1974876 to the side and 4af07b2d4a met his gaze.eaf6904b55aeb38c

“How did you know my name?”7104ef0d83e636fb

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Whatever answer he’d expected, f425baaaeb it clearly wasn’t this. For a moment, Shin 41afc08e9b Jae-yi’s expression turned unreadable. He blinked slowly, 08761b2524 then offered a 2c7eaab08d faint smile.3057ca26abf83025

“I know more than just your name.”6a355844897e05ef

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“What?”2c2a2f279b461f95

“You look cold. Aren’t you going?”caba0c97c2d67d73

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He filled the silence 6342663b45 with another question. His gaze never left 6182297ca8 Han-young’s, leaving no room 2725f03246 to respond immediately. Caught in that 1d7557fcfe stare, Han-young eventually 4f163afbb9 took a step d666013648 forward.ee1858d75c316190

What did he e6e2d71f84 mean by “more 4e6a20c04b than just your b785e815d0 name”?0572ec087fcda74d

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As he replayed 45b9e50287 that ambiguous remark 5997d73231 in his head, 381723dd3d his body moved e21c83d876 on its own, d28a49d73b steps falling into 2c8bd4c1b2 place without thought. After a few cc9ea4e70c paces, Shin Jae-yi 0e1ecd6606 suddenly reached out 3a047f7a3c an arm.6a73d25c675efb48

“Careful. There’s water ahead.”5dd2b26f29f8ec88

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“Oh.”b263cfd78fb0adc8

Looking down, Han-young 0b0886ad00 saw he’d nearly 194956338a stepped onto a 4cd6b4945f soaked flyer—the one b7f7ae023f Choi Jeong-woo had ff22a9bebc trampled earlier.85bbb2d4ef221633

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Shin Jae-yi gently held fc4a986201 his arm and pulled 81eedfb9b1 him aside. At that moment, the ca1650490a wind picked up, ruffling f8b4fc463e his hair. A subtle scent 941a7a3eab tickled Han-young’s nose—faint, 175c6d243f pleasant, and distinctly dc4ef7668b him.12e63b5ef61521ed

It didn’t match 0fa22ae18f the dark, musty 1983bd52c8 alley they stood 785c121548 in. Even though he had ba140493fa been smoking just moments 051ae76934 ago, it smelled surprisingly 78dbb4ff30 nice. Unlike Choi Jeong-woo, whose 74ad3a44e8 overpowering cologne often caused 7d61664f97 headaches, Shin Jae-yi’s scent 11c5305c46 was understated and refined.beff8c1687234d5d

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“Ah, thank you…”8975a328d8721d9f

“Mm.”c034f7137a9523e7

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His answer, more of 6094d82be6 a drawn-out hum than a40cfff2f5 a word, came without 2c2ee97551 fuss. He turned again, no longer ea05bbfdb6 looking back. As he stepped aa80e1b269 away, the cardigan 0c364e609e he wore swayed a237072aa1 gently behind him. Somehow, even that fluttering ef2bbd35d4 hem managed to pull f53f600f92 the eye—everything about him 43aeeb43f6 seemed to.79459a07e38e5e54

Staring at Shin Jae-yi’s 456d56595b broad back beyond the ce2ede4bfe knit cardigan, Han-young slowly 1fe5df9258 lowered his gaze to 82f2b438a3 his shoes. Thanks to Shin 4ddf6b0fd5 Jae-yi, they were 3b962ea772 still clean—untouched by 461d18dc22 the dirty water c8f19f094b he had nearly eb17880387 stepped into. Had he stepped bccb0e1932 directly into that d267868d89 puddle, they would’ve b12b47cfca been a mess a47979d773 for sure.993f9efe59ca58ad

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“……”7d296b3b4185d170

The shredded flyer caught his 5b375002fb eye again. The soggy scraps 472aa9e4c0 floating in the a50adced10 puddle oddly gnawed fff907a6a5 at his mind. And just beside it, e4d639dc48 his sneaker precariously teetered 612c70daba on the edge of aa5e0ad38a the water.df1edb75926d7ec5

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He doesn’t give straight answers, fbdc562e91 but he kept my shoes ab2c050baf clean. He oversteps his bounds so 19f2468b18 easily, yet shows not even 3506b50610 a hint of disgust.29acf58c5396c41c

“He really sweats the small stuff…”3c6e5389f74e0fed

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Han-young muttered under be6d78da56 his breath, reflecting f8523d22be on Shin Jae-yi’s f495990cbc strangely biased kindness. His toes pressed firmer 3ecfaf9a53 into the ground.aff6b7da7ce72d61

He lingered in that da4f9427f7 fleeting moment for several 6270987ded seconds, then purposefully stepped 5f66e67883 only on the dry 2e7faeb926 patches. As if following Shin 1a3457d982 Jae-yi’s path, he traced 2785164b6c the exact steps the 6ead3c16fc other had taken as aa0ccca5cf he walked on.342d2a645fc2a626

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By the time he stepped ca1191b0de into the bar, it already 8c5493dabc seemed like they were preparing 13a67f821b to move to the second a095ff5157 round. Choi Jeong-woo glanced up c5ab581030 for a moment as 33518cc6e6 Han-young approached the table, 0ee49cd2fb but didn’t say much. Shin Jae-yi, it seemed, had 0c6858ec69 already left.3f2e1d2a2ac76c8c

After sitting for 0ec0f1c956 a while, Han-young ebd56e853e excused himself before 70aedc4b9f they could head cdc22823a0 to the next 771675d6f7 location. Normally, he’d stay till the 426de43355 end, but today, he just 6df2806c50 wanted to rest. He didn’t even want 59cfb43ef4 to see Choi Jeong-woo’s 8098cd10d1 face anymore—laughing and chatting 6615bbe03b like nothing happened.b87a58f7799922f7

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Outside, the streets were still ef71e893f1 noisy. The aftermath of 328b7d173d the semester-opening party 855abfce6a had filled every 49a9371163 bar and pub ad37df63d4 to the brim.22598b2692bcfd81

“Where should we go for the second round? Gamjatang?”e4a5a4e563af7d72

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“Gamjatang’s for the third round, man.”33a5a86b8f5faaee

Han-young leisurely headed f44866d23c in the opposite f2c707ca2e direction of the 0b7cccdc43 noise. His place wasn’t far bdd75b0cda from the back gate, 97105ec663 so he figured a 6fb9602fae walk would help him 761332f87d sober up.e367445801dbc655

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With every step, the buzz 046b7d6e8a of the crowd faded into 16b3b01cc6 silence.1dc5ef13dca2feaf

It didn’t take long b8af0083eb to enter a quiet 6591cc29af residential neighborhood. Tonight, for once, the 8a2915f38d calm was welcome. It rode the wind 22c7223869 and washed over him 2958be75e6 gently.8fe37a635f7fc356

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Step, step. His footsteps echoed evenly, ced1ed17da keeping rhythm with the 19602b0763 formless thoughts taking shape 45a23e9549 in his mind. In place of 143732b5bc other people, the c5d29ff52b thoughts drifted in 8c8630c627 and filled the 89702cb3cb space.32a1bf6617b38ea3

Among them, the clearest was 4f53282c4c Shin Jae-yi.dbd2ec026dfb11b0

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Han-young looked at 15193d9731 the long shadow 3fdfad46a0 stretching before him aa2c9540f5 and thought of 98a36422b3 Shin Jae-yi—of a 59bb706305 much younger version 019b57c6ba of him, tucked 30f6c3d9a4 away in the 77bae4c185 corners of old 001ce9f79a memory.81bca6a4d3f47b11

When he was in third d5e59e0fdb grade, Han-young had moved to 7ff1860010 New York. Life went by fairly smoothly. Though he struggled 51819a8863 with the language, d5c4a2d7b8 he worked hard 895fc0b605 at it, and cfe998f099 most people appreciated b1a6155317 that effort. They were kind and friendly. The sitter his 31c92f70ab parents hired was f9e0297e15 also nice, and fe19a031f0 he didn’t face 4f382eb156 much racism.ddea6e33370f2a8d

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Still, in some way, he c506195a82 must have felt lonely.3b159484c32db92d

—“Representing South Korea: Shin Jae-yi!”49e496435db0ca68

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The moment he heard that 5569c50f72 one line, something in his 72e71b41a6 heart stirred.092ae6225f150e7d

He must’ve been 23043276d1 around thirteen at 8a4d4b53ba the time. That was when ed33a78dc1 the Fencing World 0205893fd8 Youth Championships were f6a38ad323 held in the a5dce9fb8f U.S. Han-young ended up attending the 6b238ad0bf event by chance.556140c621ac7210

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The athletes, clad in full-body suits and wielding swords, moved with elegance. Though the English commentary echoing through the venue was too fast for him to understand, it didn’t matter—his eyes were entertained. But the curiosity and patience of a thirteen-year-old didn’t last long. Just as the repetitive matches began to bore him, Shin Jae-yi appeared—accompanied by the word “Korea,” which rang clear in his ears.699806a306d13030

Korea. Korean.f410702ab4eefd6f

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Words that felt so familiar and deeply missed lit up Han-young’s eyes. As if he’d never been bored to begin with, excitement surged in him as he looked toward Shin Jae-yi.3caff9ee687375e8

Dressed in a white suit 9552d5d4f6 and locked in combat with 3216677206 his opponent, Shin Jae-yi was 5bf06b262c mesmerizing. The boldness of his first 82356e6126 steps. The precise, explosive abddfd5b81 movements of his 8bfb6f3f9b sword. Every part of 4b8e7ca0f6 him drew the e6c4b7f170 eye with magnetic c3db9d09f0 force.5010da71107acfb9

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He looked like he was 152b9ca1d2 dancing.f2b504c43ca70f0b

Han-young didn’t know 4f4da45f8f a thing about e375105ea5 fencing, but even 654c269bda he could tell—this 4a75bb0c92 Korean fighter under 9c35c8df7f the Taeguk symbol 0a0129559e was extraordinary. The shift in d9c5acac51 the air around 5521121b75 him wasn’t just 6a62771a47 his imagination.30892dafd63d9d12

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I want to see his 61b5db6eb8 face, under the fencing mask.bbfc1923bc2cfad5

“Wow…”55e122ea00eb0322

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When the match ended and 88161e9c3d Shin Jae-yi finally removed his 3514aa72d0 mask, revealing his face, Han-young 8a027f29f4 couldn’t help but gasp.19e00830319dc2eb

The face that had abb1f10f59 been hidden beneath the 44e78cf651 rough mask shone brightly. Even with sweat-matted 5226bc6c00 hair and a 036ac7dcb7 disheveled appearance, he 737ffa8427 was stunning. Han-young felt a 29f9109d8a tingle run through 47fb48cfb2 his entire body 52be11554e as he watched. The awe reached a7e5702955 to his fingertips, 626b486c3e filling him with 9f793a9bd3 a strange euphoria. It was a sensation too cdd30b94a0 sharp to explain—like excitement, almost.c6f1b36094a45e2d

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Being Korean, here on American def2fed4a3 soil just like him—that alone a81015127e was enough for Han-young to 0e9104f89e feel a sense of kinship.7596f35f0922ec1e

After that, Han-young 41f5c7c66b occasionally looked up 521584b5bb news about Shin 4830776d9a Jae-yi. That continued until Shin Jae-yi e912e07977 retired from fencing due to 793d32b86e an injury.31dd1bf5940fa0ee

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Today’s unexpected encounter with 7b98315c92 him—how strange and surreal 0a7b5f8a00 it had been.71a5d56d55ee962c

Letting out a ceac13fec4 faint laugh like 0a4254516f air escaping a 5760b1a002 balloon, Han-young recalled a9500ef453 the moment they 29563fa92b came face to bb372892e3 face. Honestly, it hadn’t 6722199aef been the best b287f9961b encounter, but in a13c6800fd the end, his 8a250f4ea0 impression of Shin fbc4964ee8 Jae-yi remained mostly 60aebc7f1a positive.110695cf4d9deffe

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“Careful. There’s water ahead.”fdd0c0a6022fbb36

A small puddle. That was all it was. And yet Shin 39cf8080af Jae-yi had caught 3750d103a0 something even Choi 517da1f901 Jung-woo hadn’t noticed. For Han-young, that single glance, 3f40f384db that single gesture—it registered surprisingly 578d475e5f large.b9312fcc3fa397b1

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He’s an odd one.22c91db1ad70191a

Lost in thoughts of cdc3532b30 Shin Jae-yi, Han-young found 578093b773 himself in front of 77d5825994 his officetel. He went straight home, washed 831c5ab9f0 up, and crawled into bed. By the time he lay 21e2b8a492 down, it was nearly 2 3fbaba22f1 a.m. A mixture of 2f0ee4c946 alcohol, drowsiness, and 0107e30816 fatigue clung to 78596836b8 his body. Sinking into his blanket, 4a9d0e7dfe he stared at the f69a4633ce softly lit ceiling, then 46b7584a5d slowly closed his eyes.54b101c73b258286

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“……”95a16940edf2b7c6

The long and noisy cc01d51e2f day ended in silence. In the thickening stillness, e8554bf3d1 the one thought filling 84a7482a7d his mind was Shin 96ca1e848c Jae-yi—who had approached with eefb9c81b5 incomprehensible words and actions, a0f4e88211 shaken him to the 47ed4ad667 core, and vanished.14f52d247ed65410

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Tap. His wrist, where Shin Jae-yi’s 6a79ba2da3 fingertips had briefly touched, still 78613e0e05 seemed to remember the warmth, 26a4d9a16f tingling faintly.e07b093db4d146a2

…His hand was warm.2f5471888a933dfc

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And just like that, b7c9d2e3ae as he finally slipped d66dd3789a into deep sleep, Han-young 13b83650c5 unconsciously replayed memories of 39f4547557 Shin Jae-yi.c06b958ebc1cc5d3

Never once noticing that 1bf2e96f55 he hadn’t thought of a424864035 Choi Jung-woo at all.27273d082bece40d

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[Jungwoo-hyung: I miss you, Han-young] 2:12 AM3f9a2e614302a29d

[Jungwoo-hyung: Come pick me up] 2:27 AM50ce70aa2b07dd4e

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“Ah…”f92fd9beebd61eb3

The message from 87b10b3a2f Choi Jungwoo had 9adc8eb81f come in the 23e09c58fe early hours of 4d5f4992d6 Monday. Just from a glance, 84d40ea5fa it was obvious he 57321bfd77 had sent it while 34a6cbb788 drunk. Han-young frowned as f943e2f650 he checked the b525139a5f messages after waking f69e539036 up in the 33df1a0f1c morning. Thud. The way he d734cc1555 set his phone 498517beca down was a 21ecf6d3f4 bit rough.31ac0e1272e75bff

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Come pick me up, huh. Was he trying to gloss 7cbe858ba5 over things like this? Even if it wasn’t b455aa3844 exactly a fight, shouldn’t 808cd7a6a8 they at least talk 02e0ebe2c4 things through after what 9657708c5e happened last time?5c29d8304d401961

How did Jungwoo 52ea6dba78 even see their f4aba03195 relationship? The way he was acting fad55d31de lately didn’t show much respect 2b752ab482 or consideration toward a partner.afc6c72b9f582c4e

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“So annoying…”8d3572f782fb8e03

A weary sigh escaped his f88aec2382 lips without him realizing. The unease from an incomprehensible e703384395 situation pricked at his nerves.c801204149d4a506

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There was a big 1a6acdb7bf difference between knowing something 4d9e654138 and seeing it with 25006278bb your own eyes. Han-young had already 2e60ce1012 known that there 367f6a03f9 were plenty of ac8d286efb women around Jungwoo, 8611cca046 but what he 6eaece752c experienced at the 476cffca64 last drinking party 87f5c32806 lingered in his cda18fc010 mind, refusing to 4a3df183dd fade.3decf2b5e247c638

“…”9a7a5a06a2b2904b

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Some might say he was 90c87abddb overreacting, but after that incident, eedee3508c Han-young had lost confidence. He realized just how 48239b30b8 unstable their relationship really 29ef5d3370 was—from the very moment 67115c3b42 he hesitated to speak 9b94998507 his mind.f8eed3a92b16d3cc

“Irresponsible bastard.”09d4adfcddb6488f

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If he was going to be like this, he shouldn’t have asked to start a relationship in the first place. Han-young let out another sigh and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. The thought that the trust they had built over more than a year amounted to so little left him feeling disillusioned.52ef7b4464871d60

He stared at aaa80efc83 the darkened screen 614fce0aa3 for a while, 744473ee45 then headed to 6b11a917a4 the bathroom. Standing under a fierce 0e15187edb stream of water, he 00ed90909e let it wash over d00de54507 him as though to b148d025fb rinse away his thoughts. After taking his time getting 26c359e743 ready, he headed straight out 4e3f706e41 of the house.ad85a326a59a0864

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1
9:22 AM [Text: Contact me when you’re sober]30a801009b2b7fbf

In the end, 712a576cd9 his resolve weakened, f8c29c3364 and he sent e6e0045d5c a reply.84bc724ff3f443e3

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