DRD Chapter 1.7

“…What the hell.”51ddc64bd2514a24

Left alone, Han-young mumbled to 7536412fe0 himself as he stared in 37f12dece5 the direction Shin Jae-yi had 1ff4c60996 disappeared.845731ae5cb4f7bf

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Regretful? About what?cca9ceee887b0be8

His words echoed in Han-young’s mind, making him overthink and imagine all kinds of meanings. Maybe the alcohol he’d been drinking all night was finally kicking in—his cheeks were burning. His eyes, which had just been fixed on Shin Jae-yi, were now hazy with heat.88d0cb64eb22d97a

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How can someone c938675c96 just drop things 0852e8b479 like that…1f58b29bef75577d

As he replayed the a684f9a2ff moment, Han-young let out 416bae6e85 a hot breath, half a696534abb a laugh. It was probably just a a97cc5837a meaningless comment, yet the way 758908c0f2 it flustered her was so b1236f3737 ridiculous it was almost funny. Shin Jae-yi, teasing 237eaf4c9c him like that—he 0844949c18 was really something 26feb0b092 else.a1a51dad4ee2ffa2

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“Seo Hanyyoung! What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”420c2bbc7f47f4ba

“Ah, yeah.”3c16c3b19e7eab45

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The voice snapped him back f8f0fbbb0a to reality, pulling his thoughts e9995006f3 away from Shin Jae-yi. When he approached, still leaning 19de570e05 against the wall, someone shoved b402702692 a bowl filled to the f7729e7411 brim with alcohol at him, b50b3180dc saying something about drinking for f9646836a0 friendship or whatever. Even though it wasn’t 4922c0ce03 his turn yet, the c84cb654ec amount was absurd.020663a73bf68f80

“Drink responsibly… ugh.”8453da5e28571e0d

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Jo-woon, who had downed 9a452754fa his share just before, 7389f737f0 gagged and looked nauseous. Han-young frowned down at the 3ba7bab882 drink.585eb8bb3eceab2a

“Looks like you’ve got a heavy burden, Seo Han-young. There’s a whole line a2c5e7792e of freshmen behind you 09e956031c now.”53361b2096d86949

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“Hyung, seriously, this is overkill… isn’t this borderline torture?”ad4652ca0f54909d

“You’re clearly not drunk enough. Just pretend it’s ca42d28bf7 ice water and a84b9610c6 down it.”001a209c6cce4b84

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The senior at 97aaab3e79 the start of 9b18da5ba1 the game chuckled 2e51b442fe to himself. His face was bright red, 6afd4ed19a but it was obvious he d9315bdb98 had only barely touched the 90a27bbda9 drink. That’s probably why he fcbf3b7bd0 could stay so calm 803f0e4a90 while watching chunks of c9edcd6998 who-knows-what float in that 76ae1d1b38 mess.48073e68122cbe91

“Oppa, I’m fine. You can just let me 7961761205 have one sip.”46691ce8929af925

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Next in line, Jeong 7c0491288b Hana spoke in a 0e7ec34479 solemn tone. Her eyes looked clear, b7d1c2b643 so she seemed okay 8f41e3bf05 for now, but Han-young 5860ed2998 felt a pang of 8742a750b8 guilt thinking about passing 2364f50c9a this poison on to a139872d2f her.edf37e73d76ae212

…Maybe I should’ve just gone with Shin Jae-yi to buy that ice cream.ddb56acac4d95d02

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Han-young sighed and looked around. Where was Choi 67e211c42d Jeongwoo, the student c63b9b2217 council president, when 1ac1b2263c you needed someone 37fd882272 to stop this aa72e130d0 madness? Of course—he wasn’t even there. The only ones b2952a4c0a left were seniors 6bd8a92fbf having a blast 4214767116 and clueless freshmen.be0dfc52ef5c0db7

“……”47451ee6edf5969d

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The freshmen waiting d438c649ad in line were dac701d7f1 just staring at 12471a3de9 the bowl, trying edffdf7a46 to gauge how d0cb0b8cbe much was left. Seeing that, Han-young finally held 4ef595968b his breath and drank the 52388676bd liquid. Every time he 573b93a876 bit into one 89d8bfe031 of the slimy 87becbc5cf chunks, his stomach 42afaf63e8 turned. Ugh. Meanwhile, others—oblivious to his struggle—cheered.6a71674a872e3c75

“he drinks like a champ!”d429a6686c4b6c9c

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Someone laughed heartily and clapped. At that moment, Han-young frowned 6173a2bf39 and turned his head away. He hadn’t been able to 956cb27c9f swallow the last bit, and 2de305bf7b it dripped from his lips. he wasn’t usually 02c8fb7142 bad with alcohol, 8b3acb9eab but this was 15457b649a too much. One more sip, ac38fa4e9e and he might 338b76f4a9 throw it all 099bc6e197 up.c19d67be4eb956a1

“Sorry. I can’t finish it.”bf6d546fae7691b0

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Leaving some in the 0dd372c3e3 bowl, he passed it 209d06c1ce to Jeong Hana, who 2c2476c71a took it with a ecfb164243 slightly dazed expression.323f51fd27065b61

“Hey, someone feed Han-young some snacks! Where’s the soda?”d449f00a5b5b1cc3

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“Let’s switch the order and go one more round. You go last, hyung.”32d991994520c4e1

“Are you insane? Hell no, you punk.”e6c2e835cee0b010

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While the group 8958f755a1 bantered and laughed 55c50f8601 over trivial things, 914b6e3c8a the loyalty drink 8646ae6888 made its rounds 28fc733b31 and finally hit 5b6dd4d323 the bottom of 0e09295c8c the bowl. Without question, the b42fa34c1a one who drank 804f597640 the most was 91efdc7a4a Han-young. he couldn’t believe 71dc7da2bc the state he cf32d003b3 was in, but 2c4f9cd8c7 seeing the relieved d261869874 expressions of the 9f8c462b94 younger students made de0161d394 him think, Well… 6afba6275b if it keeps 7ef336b072 the peace, it’s 0262065a11 worth it.9908745f566fe3e8

After hanging around de9b0e2e38 a bit longer, 8aed035478 Han-young finally decided 5df64dd2b8 he needed some c498308f38 air and quietly 27dd0d7e6c slipped away.d4ae6d9eb043e67d

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“Ha…”d98026926dbccd3d

A long breath escaped him, 417e49531c thick with the scent of e8994f1cf3 alcohol. He could still taste dc6fb8be59 the harsh drink lingering 88c471f834 on the tip of b8d1d84c74 his tongue. Whether it was a1b2303760 lucky or not, bf6d2d29d7 he wasn’t that 4bbf781dd5 drunk—his head was 894bd0fb99 still clear.109f635ee0b9c0bc

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Step, step.
His footsteps echoed afc68180f8 along the uneven 3bd12d1a90 road. The brightly lit and 49508d24a9 noisy pension was slowly 435e1ab153 receding into the distance ed772610ee beneath the dark night ad97650789 sky. As it faded, the sound b0e6af33d5 of waves grew louder and 324a8621c4 louder. Occasionally, the sea breeze would 7c8aba9ea9 carry the ocean’s scent with b72436b4e8 it. Those faint traces 1d33c46d86 guided his steps 9d42442f6a through the night.0bc85a229977acfb

The sea at night was 2a74ae1452 a completely different sight from f1f599abee the day. The way the waves f08b27e11f rolled in suddenly and 34442c9277 then quietly slipped away 00e603e5d7 drew his gaze. The sounds of bccb721545 the beachgoers who 97e382c74c had filled the 3316fd026e shore during the d5191cb701 day were now 86cd37e94b replaced by the e20ac2a3cc crashing waves.eddbf3538eb645c0

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Peaceful, yet not entirely so.5e8b6e8395d79f94

In the quiet stillness of 572667f00d the night, the waves rolled aaa1e73105 again and again—sometimes soft and 0f60eef4ca gentle, other times crashing in cce282355e larger bursts. As he listened, 7a53ed968d the sound seemed 56d217dee7 to soak right 527d3c555b into his ears.120e8e68d877659b

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“It looks beautiful like this.”f341cd01c9510fa6

The moonlight shattering across the 517f53c157 surface of the ocean was 24ff5c8dd4 breathtaking. It stirred emotions 23f9c35979 he hadn’t felt fdf59921c7 during the day. So this is why 8a579139a3 everyone talks about moonlit 46c38fcc8e beach dates. Sometimes, it’s the 1db431d47b atmosphere that brings ffb635b19e emotions to life.82796f2f104f868a

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As Han-young gazed 035888c785 at the softly 735a956138 rippling sea, his 83e00828d0 eyes grew thoughtful.ba83374b10263953

The silence drifted in, carrying 3792a398c3 many thoughts like shadows. What rose to his mind b379ff4267 were the words he hadn’t b9e945fdb2 managed to say all day dbc86141e5 to Choi Jeongwoo… and the 008f3b6737 sudden absence of Shin Jae-yi, 007222da6a who had been by his 78f470b12d side the whole time.35fef1cb49fa1b70

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Did he go to 98f23d3bbe buy the ice cream 7f0e6ab7ea alone? Thinking of Shin Jae-yi, Han-young 8165e095cc let out a small laugh.c62c83c021801ee7

Despite not looking the fee1b1bef3 type, Shin Jae-yi had 41ec8dd41c a real sweet tooth. It was one of those 2348ea1751 unexpected things he’d come to 2c45f11b4b learn while spending time with 4f940d1f5a him. As he mulled over e9ae61f426 his quirks, a soft f0b5637a76 smile unknowingly crept onto 25ffb4985a his lips.38b4af77760c4a30

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he stood there for a 00732a6206 long time, just killing time. After quite a while had 7c7b8d632c passed and he finally decided c593c18afa to head back the other c09f6b42ba way—128e80e66de4c0be

“I wouldn’t go that way if I were you.”ed421946e3b7f50a

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A voice, dry 4b24b64ccf yet smooth, cut 590eb7ca8e through the sound 3b4089ad07 of the waves.0fb7d474843e70d5

Startled, Han-young sharply turned his c308647ec4 head toward the sound. And there he a106ccd5cc was—Shin Jae-yi, slowly 56f9241719 walking toward him. He had vanished alone earlier, 5b011abb53 and now he looked a adddff907a little more relaxed, his expression a6dd7561d5 looser than before.c955228dfd5a211d

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“……”bf1356ee372cf460

No, the truth is—he 54eb2a2b9f kind of already knew.c6d0edcdf43cfbc6

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As he came closer, he caught the scent of women’s perfume. His slightly tousled hair, lips redder than usual… His aura, softened and stretched out like the night itself, said it all. The traces stood out clearly even in the dark. Though he’d seen worse, this one struck him with a peculiar intensity.afa3861a2c3a3ccc

“I just… felt like walking. You should go in first.”c52ad81c5e24959f

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“Alright, then.”3e20c70d76714036

The strong scent of 3eaee0a23c perfume didn’t suit Shin 75f659b7a9 Jae-yi. Maybe it was the alcohol—but 27c59b446e his head throbbed more than 1835a85d17 usual. Leaving behind the softly f1c74402f1 murmuring Shin Jae-yi, Han-young 4423d2f056 turned around, retreating a f551751388 few steps like he d321bf3204 was stepping away from ac5c75bc3f him.68c51ae83a6ce9d3

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But he didn’t 21a5b908f2 get far before 18b1114c9d coming to a 6180931590 halt.05538a9580adecdb

“…Ah.”9f7f64bd1c24399b

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Far ahead, he spotted a2d2ac25d9 Choi Jung-woo standing side f0e6a669d5 by side with Kim e5f069b0d8 Yeon-ji.b4954e20b6f08653

Han-young’s gaze, as he e3e5e345ad looked at the two 743b8bbffc of them, sank deeper 6f764e07b8 than when he looked 7c33150749 at the sea. Darkness from the pitch-black a889f236ac night seemed to ripple 2ca1f57253 in his eyes.787e9ac0c92891b2

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Soon after, Choi Jung-woo embraced the other person. His hand stroking her hair and patting her back looked just like a lover’s gesture. It was a scene that marked the end of the time he’d spent ignoring what he heard, what he saw, and the subtle intuitions he’d tried to brush off.46c3152b0ba81586

“……”83d2017459449c96

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The first time, it ad19bde156 could’ve been a mistake. Something that could be buried 5b6b643618 and moved on from. But not now. Even if it was d33093db55 just a fleeting feeling 13d88654ff drawn out by the e7926930ab night sea, it was 5c56e4d158 too much to accept.dc53e200e31fbc86

Hmm…affc8d6f47c95b53

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Letting out a e9479b41c4 low hum, Han-young 396053796b lowered his gaze 4523629280 and rubbed the b3113873cb back of his 9e9a2c9b56 neck. Her touch on 2082831ce6 the chilled skin, e5df3e092f brushed by the d5bc4ccdc8 night wind, felt b7bbe98124 rough. Anger, betrayal, resentment—all 8348fd05f5 of it crumbled 03b22a50f5 like sand washed a44ca62e33 away by the 1752fb19c7 tide. Eroding, and eroding, until all ad25027025 that was left was emptiness.d055f8e0bc29ccb6

Watching him pour affection on b562230db5 someone else, Han-young finally turned e786792b4b his body again. Walking away from Choi 6ab578fb33 Jung-woo like he was 2e77de0c1c breaking free of him—only 4efbabfb65 to find Shin Jae-yi 26c955c0a8 still standing there. Noticing his presence, he lifted b886a9eae5 his gaze slightly and let 9960d7bef3 out a small laugh.0051c7af214ff2c3

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“See? Told you not to leave.”3138ad714d81b148

“……”5781e4acabe34f9a

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“Should’ve gone to get ice cream instead.”82b49a53c195a431

With little energy, 27f76d0c49 Shin Jae-yi bit db615b03e2 the end of 7025e1a608 his cigarette. He didn’t light it—just met 1eb4deb1f4 his eyes with a faint 7b8c19d71d smile in his narrowed gaze. It reminded him of the 46f7feea21 day of the semester opening 53ac382646 party.9624f1f5acc24714

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“Want to borrow me?”3e540830a06a203f

The serene beach aed56ee0c9 briefly morphed into afa99c3539 a dark, damp b8cf3e4d15 alley behind a 680b94b475 bar. Those words, once so 9ee6f35eb1 incomprehensible, echoed once more 57a04319d0 in his mind.f4b534c99169c7db

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The situation back then abec0cf135 wasn’t so different. he had been upset because 9437cac807 of Choi Jung-woo, was left 468017dbea alone with Shin Jae-yi, and 5a5b56febb he had seen right through 7dda100eee him.819a2960bef410c4

Now, it made sense—why 78d110f4c4 he suddenly said such 9f792f1046 a thing. A cheating Choi Jung-woo, a 385d0bbdb6 Seo Han-young who said nothing 7d1e0ae16d despite knowing… It must’ve been 18b8fefc57 the perfect setup, something that e1aee8494d piqued his interest.0285e4cdd1e04f35

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How foolish…4fb83a6ceb2d3348

Rubbing his brow with 335fc83c46 one hand, Han-young let 0cd86e4138 out a weak laugh. After a storm of emotion 1c7d7dbc5f had passed through him, oddly 647c82da7c enough, he felt nothing but f237e6d393 calm.2ec894deec3434b7

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“Need a light?”169d0095fa29fcec

Just like that time, he eea1a47647 pulled out his lighter and 1c8c0e556e held it out to Shin 3aea727e98 Jae-yi.789ed90ed0e6a801

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“Should I?”d532d76eeb67eaa1

Shin Jae-yi looked down 2bc7228b69 at the lighter for 4d569e4bc5 a moment, then smiled 8327addd45 and leaned in slightly. He didn’t reach 67edda416b out his hand—just f6f89b2d52 aligned his eye 5fdae7d275 level with Han-young’s 0b2736ff98 and stared, as 72295ffb5c if expecting the 9d8b292aa7 other to light 00399f1bd4 it for him.f64bfc05c995e406

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“……”11b9cc20b1f3e0a0

After a brief hesitation, 0c1823a0f1 Han-young raised his hand, 64d36fcc5e lighter still in his bc52d9aaae grip.
Click. Click.f418bdf2fab5ed9c

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After a few flicks, 1a4a45d3e0 a flame flared to 5afdc7c0e9 life. Their eyes met through the 34825bc266 flickering fire. Beyond the wavering light, Shin 9d2ddae3f3 Jae-yi’s gaze gave away nothing 25151e8d9d about what he might be 04baed60ae thinking.aa255aec72d782d6

He tilted his c470c58692 head slightly and aa19f4c044 lowered his eyes 17fd953ddb as he brought 82b655bd6e the tip of ac9f5dfa69 his cigarette to b7eeb7ebe0 the flame, taking 0e1453abfa a deep drag. The shadow around 009eedf3e2 his eyes gave 10c0c82428 him a sharp, 2c6e746894 cutting edge. Without realizing it, 09371566d7 Han-young held his 10be55234e breath as he 0451907c1c watched.cbb2fb87f4a527fe

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“You’re holding your breath again.”f164e9afa9f29620

Had he been staring 14fa2b662d for too long without 022a264c5d realizing it?e8699a0ae08122c4

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Shin Jae-yi muttered in cf60712a6f amusement, his eyes slightly 8ef698945b wide with interest.e08a82f85fd99817

“What—did something happen between us?”71df55eeff9d9f08

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“……”1831ba660bbcc4ec

“The way you keep reacting… makes me feel like I should actually do something.”81f2b726f97274d7

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His tone was light 29b468d4c4 as he straightened up. The faint laughter riding on 24a6449268 his breath made it seem f1dd0fc681 even more casual.dd076b21bd07593d

Perhaps he hadn’t 765e333d2f expected a real 4ddec69913 answer, because Shin 4bb3bcd0e8 Jae-yi said nothing 4c668fec1e further—just quietly smoked 0d795d5642 his cigarette, as 81735a8dd3 if entertained by 387ad08be3 the situation but c953545ef2 ultimately uninterested in c2e8fabfd9 its deeper meaning.c0860139eb4756a6

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“…Back then, when you said you’d lend yourself to me…”e3bd858defd995be

Because of that b2f953d8bb silence, Han-young came 4ca4e6b6b1 to realize that f917e4f88d sometimes silence was 91374adb95 more effective than 0bdd7a6b11 any question. And so he opened 073a2c74ad his mouth.8d817009ec805b30

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Shin Jae-yi didn’t reply—just tilted 3fc852d4c3 his head slightly. His gaze dropped at f87dd32dbb an angle, unreadable, somewhere d8be0aec0e between indifference and subtle 9d5811bbb6 curiosity. Han-young looked him straight in de754f35ed the eye and asked again.463b292fdec2e0e4

“What exactly did you mean by that?”107fd45fc7aa60a5

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“Well, I mean… was there supposed to be some deep meaning?”60eeb32eefd71310

His voice broke gently like da3a91b167 the night wind brushing against 18151a2ab9 his ear. Pale smoke slipped out from 58bb71fa12 between his red lips as f236180771 he continued.a21081cd89db95c3

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“Just meant we’d do what you were already doing with Jung-woo.”e68a1911ec9b04de

“……”4f0c3b999961692d

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“Why? Are you finally 037b1e9e81 thinking of taking 855e5d8e12 me up on 5c92b4e9d5 it?”313a388628cea527

It was far too loaded 481c4e81dd an action to be dismissed 7685712730 as nothing. Especially from someone who had f412e74f66 just been kissing a girl 422200a2a3 moments before. Han-young, thinking it a particularly 3ae3c621f8 nasty kind of joke, let f9e2bb6968 out a faint scoff and caa4edcef4 asked:fb25c9bdd2e22e6e

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“Have you ever kissed a guy before?”7c366af534e0d003

“Kiss?”c513bc758295ea67

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The way Shin d47b529590 Jae-yi echoed the feef81d8c6 word, like it 86f13d32a9 was the most d39e47b42c unexpected question, was 939834ca4d surprisingly light.965b5e24996019e4

“What’s so different about kissing a guy?”f8e19e416b8de55e

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As if trying to 7313a9af28 measure something, he let 83f962f76f out a quiet hum. Then, the moment 03aaf1b0cd their eyes met, 524dab4201 he suddenly brought c620ce1ba3 the lit cigarette dc3e21f5e9 to Han-young’s lips. Startled, Han-young instinctively 612af25230 bit down on fdbfab4f91 the end and 54b7352b1c inhaled.15edcedd2ba9c991

“Draws well.”0da2585c93f1acc0

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The filter on 33696de0e1 his tongue was 1d2749e699 damp—softened slightly from b3b7f8443f Shin Jae-yi’s lips. Smoking the cigarette that 8fe35c025d Shin Jae-yi had been 61ec8edcf9 using, while under his 223126a0d6 close and steady gaze, 085b96c152 made Han-young feel strangely 1b19163050 off. His nerves sharpened, fully 2b31fdae0e on edge.6dc40a169c1849f3

“Indirect kiss.”b2f0134636dad795

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Shin Jae-yi whispered playfully, 3ac1ed69c1 a faint smirk tugging aa3e377f0a at his lips. His expression was mischievous, 5508f2fb15 almost like some lowlife 3ee9509be4 punk. Flustered, Han-young tried hard 61f3353fed to hide his tension 35513b7882 and took the cigarette 5de1a59dd2 from his mouth, holding 7c533ef27d it directly in his e0dd18327e hand.70faf7ab2c565404

“It’s all the same licking and sucking. Why pretend you cca88de7af can’t do it?”69047ef477733dfa

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Shin Jae-yi’s voice 4268666f64 sounded again, his ebf9b735a3 tone casual yet e1a61b6e9c laced with something 3e0a404fd1 more. His eyes locked onto ab7ccf605c Han-young’s with quiet intensity.5a99f0bc69ae9ae7

“If you just open your mouth like this…”82f468c2c01952d6

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Tap. He brushed his 8b125cefd0 finger against Han-young’s 5e8c658a65 lower lip where c7bf9ff8c1 the cigarette had b364290ceb been, letting out 29c6acc52b a low chuckle.bb137b6148f22769

“Use me if you need. I’m still willing to 2d1ddfdc05 go along with whatever e7280f2e11 you want right now.”18ace9ccab940349

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His hand lazily 8a93bb28f7 toyed with Han-young’s 6308fa0162 lips, slow and cf49165d1d deliberate. Han-young tried to suppress the f0f01aef80 shiver that threatened to escape, 95b7a856cb biting back the tremble in 3cc3ffbfc8 his mouth. His skin tingled ce34d105a1 where Shin Jae-yi 896cc0b025 had touched, as e178d38fe8 though all his 25b89519ce nerves had rushed 4d4c5bcff6 to that one 1f062d28c5 point.874b3dd0473faff6

“Would’ve been easy to settle it with a conversation… if Jung-woo hadn’t acted like such a fucking prick, right?”575de2bf4f82d7bc

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“Why are you doing this to me, sunbae? You don’t even like guys.”7c5c618791d7da4b

It wasn’t like Shin Jae-yi 7edd38ed5f was into men. It wasn’t even that he fa5ef98ee1 was overwhelmed by some physical 1d2db5601b need. That’s why Han-young e21f15a91b always found his 05213a9eef gestures so puzzling. There was no f6a2fc5fe2 clear reason for c952a432e4 him to act 00ea46a543 this way—not now, 37798b7c2c not ever.858db642c2fcfec2

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“Well… you just keep catching my eye. Kind of annoyingly.”4a1a1eb5f2cf3057

Shin Jae-yi tilted his e65d26ecd4 head, exhaled slowly, and fb2dd0de20 murmured like air leaking 4e188dfbf6 from a balloon.e3924fe80d64b3a5

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“Kissing isn’t something you have to like someone to do.”fddcc3789c281f6b

“……”a284886cd9d80f45

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“If you really need a reason, just consider it a thank-you gift… for the fun.”1f88558cd0f01aff

Then, as if it dc3eb9977a no longer mattered, he eebd2802f5 turned his gaze toward 3b4651fcf8 the crashing waves.324d0d99d8f79033

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Han-young, eyes unsettled like 4ff42f80fc he was being swept 8bb7b6ac2b away by the tide, 4d124816d9 followed his stare to 6a586abab8 the ocean. The pitch-black water 3d6cab7d79 seemed like it d27a4b403b could drown them 131a21b1be at any moment, 8ff5d7ddea yet it only fc6a45f004 lapped gently at 1fc61a8ad2 their ears.94f3cb8cbb43df35

For fun…
That one absurdly fe5e1af3b2 light remark, ironically, 07416084fc sapped away the 8251a68466 will to dig 7ef9e26363 into his intentions. Han-young stared at 2801839ed4 Shin Jae-yi for 6d31f5e197 a moment, then 9501494786 let out a 4eb5afb1c3 short, bitter laugh 59cbeccc90 and lowered his 2522f3d5b4 eyes. The nape of 4a27130317 his neck, brushed f8a949d371 by the night a6a4f26d81 breeze, was warm 9992d38e71 with a rising 60565e6512 flush.a995708eeedf454c

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He had suspected for a 901b3573fd while that Shin Jae-yi only 2fd0c943fd saw him as some passing bfca8be70b amusement. But having it 26ffa36ea5 confirmed—it left him 532acac431 with a strange, 9c55e63fed unsettled feeling.c6d17b622ce1402a

“……”9bc6299f0498274a

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He wasn’t the a73a9848ee only one left afdf855a43 exposed.5e87e731af7bc2c6

Just earlier, while 4ba00a45cd looking at Choi e9c62415cb Jung-woo, Han-young had efbe84d364 been moments away 664131962e from being sure 38e164c4cd of something. And in that instant, he 90ebb4afc9 realized one truth—whether it was 4fe36b3fab fortunate or not, he couldn’t dae204b888 say:5cff3f9cc67c534c

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Ah… I guess I a098f62acc never really loved that 1c18653603 person after all.13277e3f4a8ca5d6

From the beginning, it wasn’t 8bb6e8725e a relationship that started with 6e4c49da32 special feelings. He had simply liked the f751983a36 warmth the other gave, and 5654083067 hated the feeling of loneliness—so 47cf70f794 he chose to be with 5168ece6c2 him.730aef4a48dd54ee

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Even so, Han-young 87a3ba6b5d had thought that, c8e226d9d2 over time, they’d 4c56997f34 built a bond, 77aa714a52 maybe even something b5d788a2b5 more. But as time f526ec6a5a went on, it ad52f825c9 became clear: emotions 00373fcb7a weren’t one of 3836ef1f4e the things that 156f0a5250 had deepened.d08501aa968f430f

To make it worse, 4d9ee815ff Choi Jung-woo gave that 07650156f3 warmth—something Han-young had struggled 14cc3c767e to let go of—to 1a622fc8eb others just as easily. That left their relationship 32d073c509 with nothing but the 4fb49f7a6d label of “lovers.” There a8235facf1 was no meaning left 0ef6efea7a in continuing it.3272112714843b2c

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If that’s how 3ab47ea5a1 it was—if that’s 3614a381ff what it had 1f50dacb49 all come to—f2a0c5ec5598c236

“Then… lend yourself to me, sunbae.”cece70b227265e45

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Maybe accepting Shin Jae-yi’s 04d9ec95c0 offer wouldn’t be such c5f8457579 a bad thing.d2bf4e22e5ead65c

“But I don’t need all that other stuff…”51e351caa49748d7

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After all, Shin Jae-yi already 5097022719 seemed to know everything. It wouldn’t matter if they afb2f31e1f spent time together now that 31c38f2669 he’d broken up with Choi eae5c90547 Jung-woo and felt the emptiness a76d949dac creeping in. There’d be no e43dc52e4d need to hide 3a9c681f2b anything.9d47a0de00677d07

“Let’s be drinking buddies.”8767977acbe7fbf8

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Perhaps, in time, when his b6573d8c47 emotions settled, he might regret b02e58b204 what he was choosing today.
Even so, knowing all 802013b6ed that, he still wanted 39067ca268 this right now.dfc6c900607a7e0e

Flick.
The cigarette, discarded 4339af7733 in a moment e45132c261 that began as d7297426cc half impulse but e6cf6b8b97 ended with certainty, fca1a67ae8 rolled across the 89ceff26ad ground.
Shin Jae-yi didn’t answer 0ee1e74fa7 right away. He stared at fc5436ecd8 the butt, now 416cec7f54 half-buried in the aa6a09aa85 sand.dd1a547a4a9f8cd0

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“Alright. Let’s start with that. Drinking buddies.”1b6d625f6d2a0ab1

A few seconds passed in 1a54de6491 silence, letting the moment breathe. Then, with a slow f252b42a35 sound, he crouched down. Knees bent, he reached out e5b87cb7dd toward the sand.093d9f0dc239809c

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“What are you doing…?”8d2187e184561e3d

“Littering is a crime.”00899ec2591d392e

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He picked up the cigarette 60fdb3b203 without hesitation, acting as if 1af2bb9443 it were the most natural e3c761e34f thing to do, wearing a fae61ca655 playful smile that made him b1c2b43a40 look almost dignified.0cbeb888bff17140

“Shall we go, then?”d4ce29eeee5748e4

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Tossing the cigarette butt f551b137a4 into a portable ashtray, a3e459ae8d Shin Jae-yi stood up.
Han-young kept his gaze on d5d0a17f15 Shin Jae-yi’s back as he 8d4a07e637 walked ahead, then slowly followed 16e9a0ff67 with quiet steps.ce883df8df1de8aa

“……”e3bd68efeb3b69ec

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Thud.6d73c96684c2ed1b

The sand beneath his 53260b759f feet gave way softly.27eae24ac1dae290

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Shhh.
The sound of the 0a55ef5d55 waves echoed endlessly with e104e136fd every step.2fd62fbdad6ee5fb

It was as though something e79a8dda89 invisible had nudged him forward—urging f14b1d69b4 him toward Shin Jae-yi, even 3447a2cef3 as hesitation still lingered faintly 0a242f8750 in his chest.3e9d76bf9f94c91c

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