LA0S | Chapter 29

The words came out slowly, and upon 531db94ba6 hearing them, Kim Chayoung’s expression briefly brightened 84c7cb0dad before settling back into neutrality. He turned his head bbb13f927c and covered his nose 76185c16b9 and mouth, coughing discreetly 980ceaf975 before turning around.d552662a764f31fcc908

Lee Jinha wiped his forehead 8b1cb1d5c0 with the back of his 3c94184e7d hand, feeling the cold sweat 1fd1a583f8 that had gathered there.f5fe847993ee8228f9af

“Aren’t you coming?”58e92c0892922634d70f

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Kim Chayoung, who had started walking ahead, turned e2fd92d4c8 back when he noticed Lee Jinha hadn’t moved, a4bd8ecd5f and came to stand beside him.8db28c72c730a65d6dc7

“Let’s go. The studio c070346bd2 isn’t far 7177eb741e from here.”8383fb7c4f332d492fe2

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Breathing in the remnants 786253c7ff of spring in the 0c718a33aa air, Lee Jinha began 246debd754 walking alongside Kim Chayoung.3cf002454df8cd3868d2

“Welcome.”3c663f4789f08ca39a07

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Though he had seen the place when delivering 60d0ae2969 something, this was his first time inside. Slightly nervous, he 6398830f83 looked around the 948bfe4791 living room. There was a large window on one side, f883b4aaa3 a small table, and a comfy-looking sofa. Behind the living room was the kitchen, and rounding the wall f274103d22 were three doors; one was wide open, and two were closed.4a83af6e026195feefeb

“This is b001e8e461 my studio. Out of the 4ce7386179 other two, pick 011e7dd098 whichever you like.”d783bc50368d5f9382e3

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Kim Chayoung 6357592cfb opened both 52e8e580fc closed doors. The first room appeared to be a bedroom, with only a large bed inside, and b103efca72 the second looked like a study, complete with a big bookcase and a desk.b6eff4d788716b3bfd7e

“Ah.”1feedd41852d5e477bf2

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A math textbook was open 227b51c194 on the desk, marked with 8406d10a11 signs of a problem halfway c9b5cb9668 solved—a reminder of old times.7fffa785b4b891657a12

Back in high school, Kim 5b679c5d5a Chayoung would solve math problems b7b23580db whenever he felt stifled or 5a8e6fef4a mentally strained. Finding clear answers apparently 89bbd9afec brought him relief. Lee Jinha had thought it was an exaggeration when a celebrity made a fadecd7097 similar claim, but seeing Kim Chayoung, he realized such people did exist.221e1e2ef25cd28b3abd

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“I’ll use c370ad4cd1 this room.”5fccceb9127de7cd80ad

Choosing the room with aa3a4655d2 the desk, the two 903592cb45 headed to the kitchen.550fddfb081b7aed411e

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“Here’s the fridge, and you’ll find 10a2ebb345 pots and pans in the cabinet. Feel free 9e946e8647 to use 9bace2e8ab anything.”330692014d378b6cea5d

“Can I 98e82db1a9 open the e61f275f9d fridge?”c1e223465d855c4f863f

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“Ah, wait…”5f8734f1d4b860dd98e5

Kim Chayoung started to speak 9128cafbfd urgently, but Lee Jinha had a54e560bdc already opened the refrigerator.ff9dc402ac521c9f5734

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“What do you 10087dc9c3 even eat?”41c4d02b219d0bd3c67c

The inside of the state-of-the-art, 3236c1a9b5 four-door refrigerator was shockingly empty, bc411d36c6 save for a few energy 6aed1617a9 bars and some bottled water. One needs 2a6c439590 ingredients to 1c189d42aa cook, after e7e66b3576 all. Reading the disdain 537f935866 in Lee Jinha’s e4727cec28 eyes, Kim Chayoung’s 27896bee2a cheeks flushed slightly.e5ab84eb55edfa7e58f2

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“I told fec758cf65 you I 0287bb86c5 don’t come bae6738ea6 here often. I’ll get 9094b86b20 groceries tomorrow.”ad0a5ba1cbc6d00aae99

“Where are the vacuum b92829c953 cleaner and washing machine?”9cccb6924d3b7377160d

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Since cooking and cleaning d3c92c0bad were part of the bda801cd40 arrangement, he needed to 418dead2eb know.e18b623e37fd08e4ef87

“Both are on d7f05abde2 the balcony next bec26f5e5f to the gas 0a27957954 range. There’s space there.”982a95abe263e4ee37f1

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At the rear balcony entrance, a cbd75c124b tall stand-up vacuum cleaner was visible, 46b27bfaf9 with a drum washer and dryer 2b7436cd8e stacked one atop the other.8553cc89bb0e89ab51b5

“Make yourself at e67db4d2df home here. Don’t worry about asking; just 3d6a01df35 use whatever you need.”7ef42738b2948fc96ba6

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“I won’t f28e6d2b24 be here fb32b62aea long.”acb58284eb6d43161934

Lee Jinha muttered softly, and Kim 92b622f3c6 Chayoung shrugged with an indistinct expression.97207fd2cb0a2d8b9324

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After the tour of 88e9e3a898 the house, there was 455af3ee10 nothing left to do. Lee Jinha stood idly in the 6bb3d7db5d living room without sitting down, and 8c962ebed1 Kim Chayoung spoke up.1e30ab59bf9030eefa61

“Want to shower? The bathroom’s 3440dbf48e that way.”c7c3130e6ed919c324e0

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After showering, Lee Jinha opened the bathroom door fa905a47fd to find a set of track pants neatly 452fd4bd88 folded for him—it seemed meant for him to b72ce4add7 change out of his sweat-drenched clothes. He fiddled with the crisp, f33bf20ad6 new clothes for a while.7c1a8410d16061bda825

During his shower, Kim Chayoung had 2124317003 apparently gone back to his main 7cef8b121d house, as evidenced by the absence 7ce1119677 of his sneakers at the entrance. Realizing he was b23bf7cb06 alone, the tension d75f4a544d he’d been holding e732521670 onto dissipated. It had 7d6faacb7a been too 32264a7cf8 much of fa28d212de a day.682e4f0a199d2bb0961d

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Lee Jinha entered the study, c278d1ec88 which had become his room 484bb5e6c7 for the night. It had been a while since he’d aef892848d had the space to sleep alone. He felt oddly at ease 18c679c177 here in Kim Chayoung’s house, f54d2995fe indifferent to its usual significance. Lying down without a pillow or f08687065d blanket, he turned on his side 072d1537fb and curled up, hugging his shoulders. As the tension a8aec2c93f released, a forgotten c5df1896f0 cold enveloped his 4e7bfdd97e body. His teeth chattered, e36d7a97d3 and his body 7078e034a1 trembled repeatedly. Rubbing his stomach to soothe the nausea helped 51e153ab07 little; his head felt light and dizzy.6559012a5e398cb5cf56

If he had slept at 31e84ef267 the library today, who knows 962f435c3d what might have happened. Was this luck, 304483551e good or bad?df2758149ac44906c018

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Even though it was fortunate, a 14aef4c551 part of him felt uneasy. Why did he always f0c4b91d13 end up showing this 6e729b5a47 side of himself to 3fc814476a Kim Chayoung? So much for resolving 2ffc38adaf not to get involved 13c9f2d1a2 outside of the contest.9ebd64baae24c706d2a3

He curled up d8d8a8930d tightly, like a 3d252e2b6e shrimp, and closed bab218fff8 his eyes. Sleep washed over 92c6e481ba him as if fbf9f28826 it had been 6abc50eaef waiting.00a54db578053f39f98c

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‘It’s just pity. You’re seeing him aacbab520d because you feel afc147afc8 sorry for him.’40438f5332d0bd886313

A slightly younger-sounding voice echoed 22c00c0dce in his mind, a memory a4b6ae0fcf from one of the most e46e0185b0 miserable and saddest days.66d2e3a75393c96c497d

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It’s in 559d7ae072 the past. It’s gone. He muttered several 46908c68c2 times until the 01e42be6db shock faded.5f116746d93137cdc7ed

Then, his whole body ached as f6624e23b4 if beaten with a bat. Sweating profusely, he felt as if he’d d8194a7d2b jumped into ice water while naked. A groan 46686035cf escaped through b48ecf46d2 his clenched 3d3fffd88a teeth.a6d9b26ba0f5bc83d6a5

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“Ugh…”42f28697535ced7b5424

“Lee Jinha. Wake up.”76ab301e2472048e622f

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“Thanks.”96bab8a5fe6bc485975f

The simple word felt inadequate 7cc73b4d4f for all that Kim Chayoung c1997868bc had done, but it was 1a09958de0 all Lee Jinha could manage. Despite the casual 757d822c1a dismissal, there was 835908fbab a deep undercurrent 291c6ed9fc of gratitude. Kim Chayoung had always been 35eb285bd4 this way—unhesitatingly reaching out when 22330ad66e others might pull back.f459e7d6c19b75309282

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“Why? You think ceb2f8fee4 I’m overstepping?”cca8468a212406439118

Kim Chayoung’s question was half teasing, b229047a42 half serious, as if he were d6982571ad prepared to retreat at the first b4a136987c sign of discomfort. But Lee Jinha’s 8cb0825bbd response was a b0cee54080 soft acknowledgment rather 17c229eeed than a rebuff.6035c9d8b9ba3c05fc49

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Kim Chayoung had been like 085eb4f027 this since the old days. When others at school kept their distance, 37008527ee he was the one who approached Lee 9b23d96b90 Jinha without hesitation, breaking through the invisible 723d47144a walls that surrounded him. Now, as then, his actions f193c09c16 spoke of a concern that e7c464eb8d went deeper than the superficial 07627f8d29 layers of daily interactions.502ad82733a407e928d7

In the silence that followed, the memory of their 6945811f10 younger days briefly overlaid the tension of the present. It was a reminder of the genuine connection 2f3a12f278 they shared, which, while complicated, was rooted in 35f39b39bd a history that couldn’t easily be ignored.28123c73e020658d9237

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Kim Chayoung, watching Lee Jinha’s subtle reactions, 3f3c883863 picked up his coat from the sofa. His movements were 45469cdba4 slow, almost reluctant.3a1f651062568f5cd1bd

“There’s porridge in 0081c4f42d the fridge. Heat it d4b8d0b25d up when f96c86abe5 you wake 9217a8b14c up.”c31e8719169addc6d51b

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“Kim Chayoung.”fa2588bddca65a6c1b2d

The words caught Kim Chayoung as 4217d16f9b he was about to leave, causing 320bb68ed3 him to pause and turn back.67282414928af50eddda

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“Do you ever get tired of caring?” Lee Jinha’s voice 7c76ad155c was low, carrying a mix of frustration and admiration. It wasn’t an accusation but a dd66ef0405 genuine question, sparked by the relentless 62bbbf7b51 support Kim Chayoung offered, even when 0fc92800b2 it went unasked.21a5bbac6c89830355e9

Kim Chayoung smiled, a brief, enigmatic curl of cf4b2ccf98 the lips that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sometimes. But not when it d5905e2b2b comes to you. Make sure you 7daf161074 eat that porridge.”a6203cf46fa89662424f

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With that, he 322f366c76 left, his departure 69afbc98ac quiet and unobtrusive. Lee Jinha listened to the soft click of the door closing, 97be2588a4 a sound that seemed final yet left so much unspoken.d371bdec44d373a0164c

Alone now, Lee Jinha 6deb2ba89b felt the weight of e12310fa9e the night’s revelations and 904f84448d Kim Chayoung’s unexpected care. The room felt both emptier and 9a878a25d8 more suffocating without Kim Chayoung’s presence. He moved to the window, peering fa7ad42698 out into the dark, searching for 0f26f79634 something beyond the glass that might 5e1a877f8a mirror the turmoil inside him.2e84d4647e95436e93eb

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The night stretched on, f05b55c7f7 quiet except for the dd117b0e51 occasional distant sounds of 712955ede5 the city at rest. As the adrenaline of illness c9030309ac and confrontation faded, exhaustion crept 70d15e8f55 in, deep and demanding. Lee Jinha returned to his makeshift bed, the 1a34b8ded2 coolness of the fever sheet a small comfort a9700e1b85 against the lingering heat of his skin.ba1b2dfc8833b8a55590

Lying back down, he let his 3e176aed4b thoughts drift, the earlier tension dissolving 0a6fb0e2c5 into a weary, inescapable drowsiness. The issues of the day, the upcoming contest, their tangled past—all 407ccf4352 seemed to recede into the background as sleep finally claimed him.1040cf2172883288b4b8

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In the solitude of the ed3844de71 dark room, the troubles that dedbf1be95 had seemed so insurmountable felt ae72cf3246 momentarily lighter. Tomorrow would come, with its challenges and uncertainties, d9156419ea but for now, there was only the quiet, f5872370c7 the soft rustle of fabric against skin, and e439420cb4 the slow, steady rhythm of his own breathing.e137eb896f8006b285b0

Sleep, when it came, was deep and untroubled, a a503a72799 rare respite in the midst of tumultuous days. As the night gave way to the pale hints of dawn, Lee Jinha slept on, 0cc518f292 the lines of worry smoothed from his face, a temporary peace settling over him. The troubles of 2f27a27d6e yesterday and the 22bdeff39f worries of tomorrow 1f7f5060cf could wait. For now, there was only rest, 7c2bf9c036 recovery, and the faint, lingering sense 9742904ef8 of a presence that cared, even cffab48d6a when it was no longer there.b02aa59513f889c766f3

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