PM CHAPTER 7.2

On Monday morning, Do-won made a whole spectacle at his front door. For over ten minutes, he peered through the small peephole, pressed his ear against the door, and listened intently for any sounds from outside.

Finally, he heard the door across the hall open.

“……”

He swallowed hard.

Step, step.

After a few short footsteps, the elevator chimed, signaling its arrival. Then, as it carried someone down, silence returned.

Whew.

Only then did Do-won straighten up and let out a deep breath. If he left in about… five minutes, he should be able to avoid running into him. Feeling slightly relieved, he adjusted the strap of his bag and checked his appearance in the mirror hanging on the wall.

Avoiding Han I-rok wasn’t easy. The truth was, people’s daily routines weren’t all that different. They woke up in the morning, ate when they were hungry, went out for walks when the weather was nice, did their grocery shopping and took out the trash at regular intervals, and went to bed at night. Do-won and I-rok were no exception.

On top of that, they were neighbors living on the same floor in the same building, attended the same school, and were even part of the same ambassador program. It was inevitable that they would run into each other frequently. Completely avoiding him was impossible, but Do-won still wanted to try.

That’s why he didn’t step outside at all on Sunday. His embarrassment-fueled hangover had lasted longer than expected, and he had no real reason to leave the house anyway.

That afternoon, an email arrived from Han I-rok. It contained the script for their upcoming presentation. For some reason, even just opening the email felt nerve-wracking. His mouse cursor hovered over it for a long time before he finally clicked.

The message was short and to the point, containing nothing but the necessary details—so typical of Han I-rok. Do-won didn’t bother replying.

The file I-rok had sent was flawless, leaving nothing to correct. …Or at least, that’s the excuse I’m going with. Realistically, he should have at least responded with a “Looks good” or “No changes needed.” But by the time he considered replying, too much time had already passed. Hours had slipped by as he debated whether to respond, and now it felt awkward to send a message so late. So, he just shut his laptop and flopped onto his bed. Before he knew it, he had dozed off.

Spending an entire day holed up at home was no problem for him.

And today, as you can see, he was going to great lengths just to avoid going to school with I-rok.

“…Do I really need to go this far?”

The words slipped out in self-mockery.

It was completely inefficient. Had he just left at his usual time, he could have arrived at school early, taken it easy, or even reviewed some material. But instead, he was stuck in this ridiculous situation, feeling like Han I-rok had single-handedly derailed his entire third year of university.

But then again…

Our first class today is together.

If he kept his distance for a little while, he’d get over it soon enough. That’s just how things worked. He was the only one obsessing over this, thinking it was some kind of personal disaster, but in the grand scheme of things, it probably wasn’t a big deal at all.

Convincing himself of that, Do-won finally opened the door.

The quiet morning air was unexpectedly chilly as he stepped out of the building.

As soon as Do-won entered the lecture hall, his eyes, unfortunately, met Han Irok’s.

Sitting somewhere in the middle, I-rok had his cap pulled low over his face, resting his chin on one hand.

He acknowledged Do-won with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

But Do-won quickly averted his gaze, pretending not to notice, and hurried to a seat far away from him. He then busied himself rummaging through his bag.

Ah. That was a mistake.

He should have just casually acknowledged him. Avoiding him so obviously would only make him look like someone running away because they got caught liking the other person. That kind of embarrassing misunderstanding was the last thing he wanted.

Do-won hesitated before glancing at I-rok again.

Their eyes met immediately, as if I-rok had been watching him the whole time. Awkwardly, Do-won raised a hand in greeting.

It felt like his joints creaked from the stiffness of the movement.

I-rok let out a small scoff, dropped his arm from his chin, and then turned away.

Do-won, now sweating, pretended to be engrossed in pulling a book out of his bag—as if nothing had happened, as if everything was just a coincidence.

They ran into each other multiple times at school after that. Not long ago, Do-won used to call out I-rok’s name loudly just to tease and embarrass him. But now, things were different.

Whenever he spotted I-rok from a distance, he would subtly take a different route. If avoiding him wasn’t an option, he would make his greetings short and disappear as if he were in a hurry. Once, he even pretended to be on a phone call just to walk past without acknowledging him.

He could only hope that I-rok hadn’t noticed how unnatural it all was.

But there was one place he couldn’t avoid him—the Hanul ambassador meetings.

Enough time had passed since that day, when he had blurted out something about I-rok being “sexy” in a drunken slip of the tongue. Do-won tried to push aside his lingering embarrassment as he entered the clubroom.

Sure enough, I-rok was sitting in his usual spot.

“Uh… hey.”

Uh? What was that? Was he trying to issue a promissory uhm? A bank draft uhm? The ridiculousness of his own greeting made him want to sink into the floor.

Meanwhile, I-rok remained completely composed, as if nothing had ever happened.

Of course. I-rok had been just as unshaken even when he had mistakenly assumed Do-won had a crush on him and coldly rejected him first. It was always Do-won who got caught up in these emotional whirlwinds.

The unfairness of it all was infuriating.

Do-won avoided making eye contact with I-rok as much as possible while greeting the other members cheerfully.

I-rok had said he would only help out with the ambassador program for six months—March to August. That meant by the second semester, Do-won wouldn’t have to see him because of this anymore.

I just need to hold out until then…

He threw his bag into a cabinet and pulled out a dress shirt, slipping it on over his T-shirt. After putting on the uniform piece by piece, all that remained was the tie.

What should he do about this?

With the tie still in his hands, he shut the cabinet door and stole a glance toward I-rok.

It looked like I-rok was getting up.

Is he going to do it for me again?

Should I say something? Or not?

If he suddenly claimed that he knew how to tie a tie now, it might seem ridiculous after all this time.

But letting I-rok help him again…

That damn sexy face of his would be too distracting.

Damn it. That word again.

“Hyung, should I do it for you?”

While Do-won was lost in thought, Yoo Seong-min, the captain of the 19th group, spoke to him.

“Huh?”

“Hyung, you don’t know how to tie a tie, right? I-rok hyung always does it for you. I’ll do it!”

Before Do-won could react, Seong-min had already taken the tie and swiftly looped it around Do-won’s neck.

It was unexpected, but it felt awkward to reject someone who was offering help out of goodwill. So, Do-won had no choice but to stay still and accept Seongmin’s assistance. Meanwhile, he glanced at Han I-rok.

“…….”

I-rok, who had been approaching, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His posture was rigid, and he squinted slightly, as if something was bothering him.

…Why did it feel like he was being watched?

“Ah, tying it for someone else feels different from doing it for myself…”

Seong-min fumbled a bit but eventually managed to make a proper knot and tightened it slightly. Do-won thanked him and gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

At that moment, I-rok suddenly clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Shall we head out now?”

Hearing this, the waiting members stretched and got up. Seong-min also took the lead, shouting, “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Do-won hurriedly grabbed his jacket and put it on. People were starting to leave one by one, and he felt rushed. Just then, I-rok, walking at a leisurely pace, stepped in front of him.

“…Hold on.”

Then, for some reason, he reached out and adjusted Do-won’s slightly crooked tie.

“Oh, uh… Seong-min did it for me.”

Do-won muttered, feeling awkward since I-rok had obviously seen everything.

“Yeah.”

I-rok responded with his usual short, indifferent tone. His voice was emotionless, but for some reason, his fingers lingered a little too long at Do-won’s collar.

——————————

The following week, Do-won was once again called for ambassador duties.

Since moving closer to campus, morning events weren’t as difficult to manage. He even had enough time to eat breakfast.

After buttoning up his shirt neatly, he once again found himself hesitating with the tie in his hands.

This damn tie. He had set up a weird image for himself at the start, and now he was trapped by it.

Just then, his phone rang. Do-won absentmindedly draped the tie around his neck and answered the call.

“Yes, hello?”

— “Baek Do-won.”

A low voice spoke his name with precise pronunciation.

For a moment, Do-won felt like his ears were on fire. Startled, he pulled the phone away from his face and checked the screen.

The caller was Han I-rok.

“W-What?”

— “Are you ready? You should leave soon, or you’ll be late.”

I-rok, who almost never called him, had suddenly rung him up, only to ask… if he was ready?

If he was calling, it had to be because there was an urgent problem with the schedule or something serious had happened to the project.

But no. It was just this.

Still dazed, Do-won responded slowly.

“Oh, uh… I was just about to head out. I’m putting on my uniform now.”

— “Alright. I’m outside. Bring your tie.”

…Shit.

Do-won cursed internally.

“No, it’s fine. I was just going to try tying it myself.”

— “Don’t mess it up trying to do it alone.”

Didn’t he send him a video tutorial once, telling him to learn how to do it by himself?

Before Do-won could argue, there was a knock at his front door.

His head snapped toward the sound.

Sure enough, Han I-rok was standing outside.

With a deep sigh, Do-won ended the call.

Throwing his bag over one shoulder and grabbing the tie he had draped around his neck, Do-won strode out of his apartment.

When he opened the door, Han I-rok was waiting outside, standing stiffly with perfect posture—neither leaning on anything nor shifting his weight. Under the steady gaze directed at him, Do-won mumbled in a small voice, “Hey.”

Without a word, I-rok simply took the tie from his hand.

“Uh… hey. I was gonna do it myself this time. I watched some YouTube tutorials.”

“…….”

I-rok completely ignored Do-won’s words and lifted his collar without hesitation. The cold touch made Do-won flinch slightly, but I-rok didn’t seem to notice as he swiftly looped the tie around his neck. Only when he was tightening the knot did he finally speak.

“Too tight?”

“…It’s fine.”

“Here, make sure the button doesn’t come undone.”

Even though he tied it the same way every time, he still asked the same question. Afterward, he smoothed Do-won’s collar and even checked his jacket. It wasn’t until I-rok reached to fix a loose button on his shoulder that Do-won beat him to it.

As expected, they naturally ended up walking to school together.

But why had I-rok gone out of his way to tie Do-won’s tie at his doorstep instead of waiting until they got to school? He had even called him—something he never did. It was probably meaningless, but Do-won still found himself overthinking it. He couldn’t come to a conclusion, though.

“Oh.”

His thoughts were interrupted when he spotted a convenience store up ahead.

“I need to stop by real quick.”

As soon as he abruptly halted, I-rok, who was walking a step ahead, also stopped in his tracks.

“I’ll just pop in for a second, so you go ahead.”

“…….”

Assuming I-rok would just leave, Do-won pushed the door open and went inside. But I-rok ignored him again and followed him in.

“I said go ahead.”

“I need to buy something too.”

With a slight raise and drop of his eyebrow, he dismissed the remark.

…Right. If he had something to buy, there was no stopping him.

The problem was that Do-won himself didn’t actually need anything. He had just wanted an excuse to avoid walking to school together.

With no other choice, he headed to the counter and ordered a pack of cigarettes. As he was paying, I-rok moved closer behind him, reaching for a lollipop from the basket near the register and placing it beside Dowon’s items.

Startled by how close I-rok suddenly was, Do-won unconsciously stepped to the side.

He didn’t even realize he had been staring at I-rok while he paid until the transaction was finished. Only then did he snap back to reality, fumbling his way out of the convenience store. Even to himself, he looked ridiculous.

“You’ve been busy lately.”

Following behind him, I-rok spoke up while Do-won was rubbing his own head in frustration.

“Huh?”

“I said, you’ve been busy.”

“…Have I?”

Damn. This guy was sharp. He must’ve noticed Do-won was avoiding him.

Well, they hadn’t seen each other much since the last Hanul gathering. But what was Do-won supposed to do when I-rok kept messing with him, touching his neck and all that?

“Haven’t seen you around much.”

“Well… it’s not like we’re supposed to see each other all the time.”

“…….”

I-rok didn’t respond.

Wasn’t he the one who said they shouldn’t get involved?

And now he was sulking because Do-won was avoiding him?

Turns out, Han I-rok was more of a moody guy than he let on.

“Finals are coming up. I’ve been busy studying.”

Do-won kicked a nearby pebble and fidgeted with the cigarette pack in his hands, turning it over and over. Should he tell I-rok to go ahead while he stayed behind for a smoke? Or should he just walk with him today? His restless hands betrayed his anxious and unsettled thoughts.

Just as he was about to open the pack, I-rok suddenly poked Do-won’s cheek with a lollipop.

“What the…?”

“……”

Do-won barely managed to catch the candy as it tumbled from his face.

I-rok let out a small chuckle before casually saying, “Go ahead and smoke,” and walking off ahead.

The lollipop in Dowon’s hand was chocolate milk-flavored. Slowly, he lifted his head and watched Irok’s retreating figure. It was just a little poke, but it felt like he had taken a direct uppercut—his mind was spinning.

‘…What kind of guy likes such a cutesy flavor?’

A different thought had flashed through his mind before that one, but he quickly buried it.

A guy like him, so nonchalant, had probably made plenty of girls cry. Good thing it was Do-won—anyone else might’ve misunderstood.

“You showing off your long legs or what?”

Do-won stomped his foot down hard and caught up to I-rok, who was already striding far ahead.

God, he was so annoying. So damn sexy. That frustratingly straight bastard.

Laughing playfully, Do-won slapped Irok’s back before letting his thoughts drift again to how much longer I-rok had left at school.

————————-

[Where are you?]

Lying sprawled out on his bed, Do-won froze when Irok’s message popped up on his screen. He stared at it, unmoving, as if he had momentarily short-circuited.

Holding his phone up with both arms stretched above his head, he winced from the glare of the ceiling light and the growing ache in his arms. But instead of adjusting his position, he furrowed his brows and tried to read between the lines.

Lately—just a guess, but—it was almost like I-rok was trying to get back at him for avoiding him.

Whenever they crossed paths at school, I-rok never just walked past. He always stopped Do-won, asking where he was headed or bringing up assignments or ambassador duties before parting ways.

On the surface, it was nothing special—just normal, everyday conversations between friends.

So why did it feel different?

Do-won had no idea, and the confusion frustrated him.

“…….”

With a groan, he shook his head and rolled onto his side.

Maybe it was just because he had a thing for I-rok.

His thoughts kept spiraling in strange directions.

Not his usual end-of-the-world scenarios—like “what if Earth were to be destroyed in an hour” or “how would I survive a zombie apocalypse?”

No, this was something else entirely, and he had no idea where it would lead.

If I-rok knew what was going through his head, he’d probably laugh at him.

Assigning meaning to every little thing, jumping to conclusions, getting way ahead of himself…

[Where are you?]

[Home.]

After a long pause, Do-won finally sent the shortest, most normal-sounding response he could manage.

[We have a group meeting soon. Don’t be late.]

[Yeah, I was just about to head out.]

[Okay.]

 

Unlike Do-won, who typed lazily and sent messages full of typos without a care, Han I-rok always responded quickly, maintaining perfect spelling and punctuation. And without fail, he was always the one to end their conversations.

At this point, Do-won felt like I-rok was trying to be cute on purpose. Scoffing at himself, he shoved his phone into his pocket and got up from bed. He packed his laptop and files into his bag, getting ready to head to school.

As he moved, his gaze fell on a lone piece of candy sitting in the corner of his desk. Nudging it with his fingertip, he watched as it rolled half a turn and settled even further into the corner. After a brief pause, he picked it up.

Every time he saw it, he thought of I-rok. He remembered those fingers picking out the chocolate milk flavor, that ridiculously handsome mouth saying he didn’t seem like a smoker, and eventually, his thoughts trailed back to what had happened at the beach.

‘Why am I still holding onto this instead of just eating it?’

…The more I-rok acted like there were no barriers between them, the more Do-won felt like he needed to put some distance between them.

His chest tightened, like he was staring at a plummeting stock chart, unsure of when it would hit the bottom.

“…It’s just ‘cause I’m not craving sweets.”

Muttering as if trying to convince himself, he shoved the candy into his desk drawer with a sharp flick of his wrist.