7MoH 3.8

20. Senior year

He woke up without an alarm. In fact, he hadn’t really fallen asleep properly.

Jeong-in hugged the snowball plush that lay beside him. The soft, fluffy fur he hadn’t touched in a long time wrapped between his fingers.

He blinked his dry eyes several times. His mind was still a bit hazy.

Returning home the day before school started. It was an absurd, truly crazy schedule. But it was an unavoidable choice if he wanted to fill the internship period for two full months.

For the past two months, Jeong-in had worked as an intern analyzing data at Korea University’s Biomedical Big Data Research Lab. He was supposed to have arrived yesterday afternoon, but due to issues with his flight, he had to transit through Dallas and arrived late at night.

His mother had told him to take the day off from school, but he couldn’t miss the first day of the semester.

And there was another reason why he had to go to school. He wanted to see Chase as soon as possible.

“Jeong-in! Are you awake?”

When Suzy’s voice echoed from downstairs, Jeong-in was already fully prepared for school.

The moment he opened the door, a rich and sweet aroma wafted through.

“Finally, your first day as a senior.”

Suzy greeted Jeong-in with a warm smile. She placed a freshly made waffle on his plate, topped it with various berries and syrup, and finished by drawing a smile with spray cream.

“Waffle to celebrate the first day of the semester.”

“Looks delicious.”

Jeong-in naturally sat down and picked up his fork and knife. Suzy looked at him with concern.

“Won’t you be sleepy at school? Want some coffee?”

“It’s fine.”

Anyway, the first few days of the semester were usually just spent distributing books and schedules and arranging seating.

“The first day is just orientation anyway.”

Jeong-in spoke as if it were no big deal and took a big bite of the waffle. The crispy exterior and moist interior crumbled in his mouth with various textures. The sweet syrup blended with the tangy taste of berries.

“Delicious.”

Suzy glanced at Jeong-in and cautiously asked.

“Are you and Chase… still together?”

“Mom.”

In response to Jeong-in’s firm, almost scolding tone, Suzy reacted defensively.

“I’m just curious.”

Jeong-in answered calmly while cutting his waffle.

“If it was going to end just because we were apart for two months, we wouldn’t have started at all.”

Suzy silently looked at Jeong-in before quietly closing her mouth. A bitter smile appeared on her face. It was an expression that suggested she had done all she could.

Wouldn’t the two-month gap have been scary for Jeong-in too? No, as the person involved, Jeong-in must have been even more fearful and anxious.

Nevertheless, Suzy had to try something. But in the end, parents always lost to their determined children.

Suzy spoke in a resigned voice.

“You’ve always been like that since you were little. You handled everything on your own. Like those robot vacuum cleaners these days that clean and even wash their own mops.”

Jeong-in let out a chuckle.

“Comparing me to a vacuum cleaner, of all things.”

Suzy laughed back. It was a sign of surrender.

Jeong-in rose from his seat and hugged Suzy tightly. Suzy patted her son’s back and said,

“Prescott or whatever. If that family gives you a hard time, I won’t just sit by.”

“What would you do?”

“…Transfer my loan to America Bank, of course.”

Jeong-in burst into bright laughter.

* * *

The parking lot of Wincrest High School was shrouded in a hazy morning fog. Due to the area’s proximity to the coast, there were often days with such dense marine fog.

On the bench in front of the parking lot, a group of large figures had gathered. Players wearing varsity jackets with a harmonious blend of red and white were discussing what had happened during summer training camp.

As usual, Max Schneider was the most talkative.

“What was Coach McCarthy’s car again? A Toyota pickup truck?”

“Why? Planning to put holes in the tires?”

Wincrest High School’s off-season football head coach James McCarthy is a former college football player who was once a promising prospect, but his NFL career was derailed due to injury. After ending his playing career, he began building his coaching experience.

He is a coach with solid coaching experience and a network of scouts, but he has earned criticism for his authoritarian style, often pushing players hard with rough language during training.

During this summer camp, he set the team’s goal as ‘less stupid plays’ and conducted rigorous training.

Thanks to that training, Chase’s body improved over two months. It also helped that he dedicated himself to working out since he had nothing else to do while his lover was away in a distant place.

“You know what he said last time? He told me if I’m going to throw a ball like a baseball, I should go to the Dodgers.”

“Let’s sprinkle laxatives on Coach McCarthy’s donuts instead of sprinkles.”

Amid the rough jokes and complaints, Chase didn’t join the conversation. His gaze was fixed across the parking lot, toward the drop-off zone where parents were dropping off their children.

“Press? Are you listening?”

“…No.”

Alex, who had been following Chase’s gaze, smiled knowingly.

“I can tell just by looking. You’re waiting for your lover, aren’t you?”

“Lover? Jay’s back from Korea?”

That’s when it happened. Chase, who had been sitting on the bench, suddenly stood up.

The moment a red Camry entered the drop-off zone, his body reacted instinctively. He ran without hesitation, as if running to catch a pass on the field.

The passenger door opened, and the first thing he noticed was the jet-black hair.

Chase, who had stopped across the street, locked eyes with Jeong-in as he got out of the car. It felt as if time had stopped.

Jeong-in, whom he had only been able to see on a small phone screen until yesterday, was now in front of his eyes. Within reach.

Chase stood dazed, unable to move as he stared at Jeong-in. Meanwhile, Jeong-in walked over and stood right in front of Chase.

“I’m back, Chase.”

He couldn’t hold back anymore. Chase grabbed Jeong-in’s hand and pulled him close. Jeong-in’s body sank into Chase’s large embrace. Warm body temperature, familiar scent. It had been two months.

Max whistled. “Get a room!” Brian’s jeering voice was also heard.

Jeong-in smiled softly as he placed his hand on Chase’s back. He no longer cared about other people’s stares. Nothing mattered now except the person in front of him.

As soon as they broke the embrace, Chase looked at Jeong-in quietly. It was the face he was seeing again after two months.

While staring intently at Jeong-in’s face, which was both familiar yet somehow different, the first thing he said was,

“Jeong-in, where are your glasses?”

Jeong-in wasn’t wearing glasses today. Chase examined the edges of Jeong-in’s eyes, looking for traces of contact lenses.

“Are you wearing contacts?”

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.”

Chase pondered those words for a moment.

“Huh?”

“I got laser eye surgery. Surprised?”

Chase’s expression momentarily became bewildered, then quickly changed to dismay.

Jeong-in’s expression, who had expected congratulations, also changed ambiguously.

“Aren’t you happy? I can see well now…”

“Uh… I am happy. I’m happy. Yes, I’m very happy…”

But contrary to his words, his face clearly showed disappointment. Getting laser eye surgery meant that Jeong-in would now always show his face without glasses.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Chase couldn’t hide his displeasure.

Is it always winter there? Somehow Jeong-in seemed to have gotten paler. White skin, jet-black hair and eyes, and red lips. The contrast of colors was so intense that his face was impossible to ignore even if one tried not to look.

Before, there were at least those unflattering glasses that neutralized it, but now it was exposed defenselessly.

What was even more distressing was the fact that Jeong-in would never wear glasses again.

“It’s really convenient. Actually, I’m still not used to it, so I find myself fumbling for my glasses on the nightstand when I wake up.”

“Haha… Well, that’s great.”

Chase glanced around without Jeong-in noticing, giving intense looks to those who were staring more than necessary.

As they walked toward the entrance, Chase gently took Jeong-in’s hand. Jeong-in flinched momentarily but soon relaxed and let it be. This too was something they had agreed upon. No longer hiding their existence from anyone.

A new school year brings many changes.

New lockers are assigned, lunch periods change. And there are special benefits given only to seniors. Things like ‘Senior Ditch Day,’ when students can skip classes together for special activities or trips, or exclusive lounges that only seniors can use.

Besides that, there were more reasons to look forward to the new school year.

This year, Chase and Jeong-in would be taking AP Microeconomics together during the first period on A-days. It was a class recognized as a humanities/social science credit in college, and since Harvard particularly values a balanced curriculum that isn’t skewed toward a specific field, choosing this subject was a good decision in many ways.

Right after that comes AP Linear Algebra. A class that he and Justin take together.

It seemed like he would come to like the odd-numbered A-days this time as well.

“Shall we go?”

As soon as they entered the hallway, everyone’s gazes poured in at once. Without glasses to hide behind, Jeong-in felt even more awkward and embarrassed.

Being the center of attention was almost routine for Chase, but not for Jeong-in.

It felt strange. Each time someone’s gaze brushed past, it felt like invisible feather tips tickling his skin. His throat went dry, and somehow he didn’t know what to do with himself.

But he couldn’t say it felt entirely bad. He could somewhat understand why some people craved this kind of attention.

“Hey, Press. Hey, Lim.”

When someone greeted them like that in passing, Jeong-in felt a thrill of pleasure.

Jeong-in, who had always been like an invisible man who existed but couldn’t be seen, was now in the middle of people’s attention. Everything around him felt blurry and unreal.

“Hi, you’re Jay Lim, right? We were in the same class in freshman year.”

“Jay, that shirt is pretty. Where did you buy it?”

“I heard you visited Korea? I really like Korean idol singers.”

As they walked toward the classroom with Chase, several girls approached them. Someone even complimented the checkered shirt that he wore all the time.

It was the same when they arrived at the classroom. Jeong-in received additional questions about whether he had dyed his hair black, which university he was applying to, and which neighborhood he lived in.

People suddenly wanted to know about Jeong-in. They wanted to know what made Chase like him, what was so special about him that he could displace even the mighty Vivian Sinclair and establish himself.

Jeong-in answered all these questions with an ambiguous smile.

He would have to get used to all the attention following him now. That was the inevitable price of being Chase Prescott’s partner.

The senior year had begun for the two of them, now Wincrest’s official couple.

* * *

It was a day when training ended particularly late. Chase showered immediately, left school, and headed straight to Jeong-in’s house. Just seeing Jeong-in’s lit window made his heart race.

He recalled the familiar route: climbing the tree, getting onto the roof, and entering through the window. It had been a while, and the branch he usually stepped on had broken, so he had to climb up using a higher branch, but that wasn’t a problem.

Just as he hooked one leg over a branch to climb the tree, headlights from a car entering the driveway illuminated the path. Chase’s pupils contracted. The car that appeared was none other than Suzy’s red Camry.

The engine turned off, and he heard Suzy close the car door and get out. Chase, hanging from the tree branch, held his breath and froze. Inside, he was repeatedly chanting, ‘Please just walk past. Just walk past.’

At that moment, he heard something, perhaps a squirrel or a chipmunk, scurrying across.

With a gasp, his hands momentarily lost strength. The branch he was holding slipped away, and Chase fell onto the bushes below. In his awkward posture, he once again held his breath.

Soon, he heard footsteps approaching the house.

The footsteps passing by the bushes where Chase was hiding stopped before reaching the front door. Chase even held his breath for a moment.

“Chase.”

Suzy’s voice rang out, but the bushes remained quiet as a mouse.

“I know you’re there. Get up.”

Chase slowly rose, brushing off the twigs, and tried to wave with a casual smile, attempting to appear nonchalant.

“Haha… hello…”

Suzy sighed as if resigned, then broke into a small laugh as if finding the situation amusing.

“I’m making Korean-style chicken. Want to join us?”

Chase’s eyes lit up as he exclaimed, “Yes!”

With an extra pair of hands, making chicken became much easier. One person coated the chicken with batter, another fried it in oil, and the third divided the finished chicken and rolled it evenly in a pan with sauce.

The chicken they made this time had no clumps of hard batter, and the sauce wasn’t burnt or lumpy anywhere.

The three of them sat on the living room sofa, eating chicken and watching Netflix together.

When the male protagonist in the drama was contemplating a promotion opportunity given by the chairman, Jeong-in and Suzy were on the same wavelength.

“Ugh, he shouldn’t just accept that.”

“Right. People will just say he got the job through connections.”

Meanwhile, Chase, who had been piling up chicken bones on his plate, looked puzzled.

“Why not? It’s a good opportunity. Aren’t you being too defensive?”

Jeong-in immediately criticized him.

“Ugh, you privileged white male, how would you understand?”

Suzy chimed in, adding fuel to the fire.

“Exactly. Like some alpha male who’s never experienced discrimination.”

Chase clutched his chest with an exaggerated expression of being hurt.

“Hey, I have feelings too, you know.”

But Jeong-in and Suzy paid no attention to Chase, instead facing each other and giggling. The hierarchy in this house was clear. The privileged white male alpha was definitely at the bottom of the pecking order here.

The savory aroma of chicken and light laughter lingered over the sofa.

After watching a drama episode in the warm atmosphere, Chase placed the used dishes in the sink as if it were his own home. In fact, this was something he never did at his actual house.

Jeong-in tugged lightly at Chase’s sleeve and said to Suzy,

“We’re going to hang out in my room.”

Suzy narrowed her eyes playfully, then offered with a smile,

“Keep the door open.”

“Mom!”

Jeong-in’s cheeks flushed red, and Chase followed him out, struggling to hold back laughter.

Jeong-in let Chase enter his room first, then followed and closed the door. The moment he turned around, Chase pounced on him with a kiss.

“Mmph…”

Jeong-in stumbled backward until his back hit the door, thud. Chase slipped his hand between Jeong-in’s back and the door, caressing it frantically.

“Mmm… Chase!”

Jeong-in pushed against Chase’s chest. Chase obediently backed away, but still wore a hungry expression.

Jeong-in shook his head and clicked his tongue.

“This is exactly why adults tell us to keep the door open.”

“Even staying up all night wouldn’t be enough to make up for lost time.”

Chase wrapped his arm around Jeong-in’s waist again and lowered his head to capture Jeong-in’s lips. While maintaining the kiss, he guided Jeong-in toward the bed. Soon, the back of Jeong-in’s knees touched the mattress.

After sitting Jeong-in on the bed, Chase gently pressed his weight forward, pushing Jeong-in back. Just before lying down completely, Jeong-in propped himself up on his elbow while pushing Chase’s shoulder with his other hand. Summer camp must have been quite intense; his shoulder seemed even firmer than before.

No matter which way Jeong-in turned his head, Chase followed in pursuit, pressing their lips together. Jeong-in rolled over and lay flat on the bed. The jet lag was supposed to hit worst on the third day, but his eyelids were already feeling heavy.

Needing something to shield himself, Jeong-in grabbed his snowball plushie and hugged it.

“Let’s just sleep.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Chase shot up. Then, as if entranced, he moved his hands toward his waist.

“Finally…”

“Huh?”

His blue eyes became dreamily unfocused.

“I’m ready.”

Chase, as if hypnotized, pulled the end of his belt from its loop and moved his hand to the buckle.

“I’ll be really good to you. I’ll be gentle, it won’t hurt…”

“What are you talking about?”

Jeong-in buried his face in the pillow and burst into laughter.

“I’m not adjusted to the time difference yet. I was literally saying I’m sleepy.”

“Oh… how cruel.”

Chase collapsed onto the bed as if he’d fainted.

He remembered Max Schneider at school asking with a mischievous face,

“Hey! Switch hitter! What base have you gotten to?”

‘Switch hitter’ refers to a baseball player who can bat from both sides, but in slang, it also means bisexual. And asking what base someone has gotten to is a way of using baseball metaphors to describe how far someone has gone physically in a relationship.

Each base represents a stage in the relationship: first base is kissing, second base is intimate touching of the upper body, third base extends to the lower body, and a home run means intercourse.

Chase had gotten angry at Max’s explicit question, telling him not to treat his relationship as entertainment.

But he couldn’t deny that deep down, he desperately wanted to reach at least second base.

“Chase, we talked about this before. We’re still…”

“Yeah, I know. Too young…”

Chase’s voice reverberated as he buried his face in the blanket. After sulking under the covers for a while, he suddenly jerked his head up and said,

“My birthday is September 12th.”

“I know. So what?”

Jeong-in asked indifferently.

Every student at Wincrest surely knew how extravagant his previous birthday parties had been.

But Chase’s eyes sparkled, suggesting that wasn’t what he meant.

“I become an adult next month!”

In America, some students legally become adults during their senior year, depending on their birth month.

U.S. public schools generally use September 1st as the cutoff date for grade assignment. Those born between September 1st and August 31st of the following year are grouped in the same grade.

This means that those born on September 1st are the first among seniors to become legal adults.

“When I become an adult, you won’t have to protect me anymore.”

Jeong-in replied with an awkward, apologetic smile,

“My birthday is in June, you know.”

“Ah, right… such a baby.”

Chase sighed and buried his face in the blanket again.

Rolling around on the bed, Chase picked up Snowball and carefully brought the plush toy’s face to his ear, as if it were whispering something to him.

“Yeah. What’s that? Ah… being an only child is boring?”

Jeong-in burst out laughing. Chase held his finger to his lips with a serious “Shh” expression, as if asking not to interrupt their conversation, and continued his playful act.

“I’m sorry. I’d like to give you a sibling, but… the other dad is being stubborn.”

Jeong-in laughed incredulously and shook Chase’s prone back.

“Time to go. I want to shower and sleep. I’m tired.”

“So cold,” Chase grumbled as he put Snowball down and slowly got up from the bed. He naturally planted a quick kiss on Jeong-in’s cheek and casually headed toward the window.

“Chase. That’s not the way out.”

“Ah…”

He belatedly realized that today he had proudly entered through the front door with Suzy.

Jeong-in burst into laughter at his thief-like habits, and Chase scratched his head sheepishly as he went downstairs.

Suzy was just dimming the living room lights, preparing to go to bed.

“I should get going now.”

Suzy turned her head and gave Chase a puzzled look when she saw him coming down alone.

“Where’s Jeong-in?”

“He’s going to sleep. I think he’s really tired.”

“Alright, get home safely.”

Suzy smiled as she saw him off. Chase was about to head for the front door when he suddenly stopped, hesitated for a moment, then turned back toward Suzy. He carefully opened his mouth.

“Um, Mrs. Lim.”

“Oh my, Lim isn’t my surname. In Korea, women don’t take their husband’s last name.”

Chase couldn’t hide his momentary confusion. Suzy smiled gently, finding his reaction cute, and added,

“It’s okay. Call me whatever makes you comfortable.”

At Suzy’s gentle words, Chase took a short breath, as if gathering his courage. Then, in his most serious voice, he said,

“I know it was a difficult decision. You won’t regret it.”

Suzy looked at Chase silently for a moment. Then, with a small smile, she nodded.

“…Yes. Take care on your way home.”

It was clearly permission.

With his heart feeling lighter, Chase left Jeong-in’s house and quietly got into his car.

Before starting the engine, he instinctively turned his head to look at Jeong-in’s house once more. At that moment, the light in Jeong-in’s room switched off. He must have been very tired.

That small, modest two-story house.

It was always a comfortable, warm space filled with warmth. And now it seemed like there was a place for him in that house too.

A gentle smile spread across Chase’s face.

* * *

“Alright, everyone. If the price elasticity in the market is greater than 1, what does this mean?”

Jeong-in’s eyes sharpened and his hand shot up at the middle-aged teacher’s question in microeconomics class.

“Mr. Lim?”

“It means that when prices change, the quantity demanded changes by a greater percentage.”

Throughout the class, Jeong-in maintained intense focus. If nothing else, he couldn’t afford to neglect his AP courses.

These grades would be an important academic achievement indicator for college admissions, and some universities might even accept them as official credits.

Though the pressure was high, Jeong-in was prepared to handle it all.

“Yes, that’s correct. Now, everyone, if the price increases, what happens to total revenue?”

Jeong-in’s hand shot up again. The teacher looked around the classroom, as if hoping someone else would answer.

“…No one else? Anyone?”

Jeong-in raised his already raised hand even higher. Chase, sitting diagonally behind Jeong-in, covered his mouth to suppress a laugh.

The teacher sighed deeply and looked back at Jeong-in.

“…Yes, Mr. Lim.”

“When demand is elastic and price increases, total revenue decreases. This is because the quantity demanded decreases by a greater percentage than the price increases.”

“Yes, that’s correct. Again.”

Jeong-in’s white cheeks rounded as he smiled proudly. Chase couldn’t contain his laughter, his shoulders shaking.

Isn’t he just like a squirrel proudly showing off its collected acorns?

Some might call him a lovesick fool, but Chase found even this side of Jeong-in unbearably cute and lovable.

When lunch time came, Chase and Jeong-in naturally headed to the cafeteria. Walking side by side in the hallway had become so routine that it was no longer novel. Now all Wincrest High School students regarded them as an official couple.

No one whispered or was surprised when Chase put his arm around Jeong-in’s shoulder or waist while walking, or when he casually carried Jeong-in’s heavy bag for him.

Jeong-in no longer rejected or avoided Chase’s touches. Though awkward at first, it had now become a natural part of their daily routine.

“Press.”

Justin, carrying his tray, naturally sat next to them. Chase greeted him with a fist bump, but his expression wasn’t particularly cheerful.

He had been feeling uncomfortable lately because he noticed people glancing at Jeong-in as they passed by.

Chase took something he had prepared beforehand from his bag and handed it to Jeong-in.

“What’s this?”

Jeong-in opened the long rectangular case with a puzzled expression. Inside was a pair of horn-rimmed glasses similar to the ones he used to wear.

Chase smiled brightly and said,

“They’re blue light glasses. You went through the trouble of getting corrective surgery, so we can’t let your eyesight get worse again.”

A suppressed “pfft” came from Justin. He seemed to have read Chase’s obvious intentions.

Jeong-in looked up at Chase steadily and said in a measured tone,

“There’s no scientific evidence that blue light glasses actually protect eyesight. Research findings on whether they have a significant impact on eye health are inconsistent. There are anecdotes about reducing eye fatigue, but it could be largely a psychological effect.”

“…”

Chase looked momentarily stunned by the unexpected response.

Jeong-in fiddled with the luxurious leather-finished glasses case and added,

“But since this is from you… and ophthalmologists’ opinions on blue light are still divided. I’ll wear them when I need to look at my laptop screen for a long time. Thank you.”

Justin, who had been holding in his laughter with puffed cheeks, patted Chase’s shoulder.

“Hang in there, buddy.”

Chase let out a wry laugh, his carefully crafted plan thwarted.

“Oh, Press! I asked for the Cove Café barista’s number yesterday, just like you suggested.”

However, Justin had already become quite close with Chase. He was now even starting to receive dating advice from him.

Jeong-in was a little worried. Chase wasn’t exactly qualified to give relationship advice. After all, had he ever needed any strategy to begin with? Just making eye contact and flashing a slight smile was enough for him.

“I asked for her number politely, using the exact lines you wrote for me.”

Meanwhile, Justin felt empowered, as if he’d gained a powerful ally. He thought this was much better than the days when nerds would rack their brains together.

“How did it go?”

“Here.”

Justin’s expression wasn’t bad. He took out his phone and showed them the saved contact screen.

[See You in 10 Years]

Both Chase and Jeong-in’s expressions turned sympathetic when they saw the screen. Justin, however, wore a broad smile.

“Only 9 years, 11 months, and 27 days to go. Cool, right? When we eventually start dating, let’s go on a double date.”

Chase looked at Justin as if he were absurd. But Jeong-in fell into thought, then slowly nodded.

“Sure. Let’s do that.”

Having ended up dating Chase Prescott himself, nothing seemed impossible in this world anymore.

* * *

Seniors spend August adjusting to the new school year and September finalizing college application preparations. October was the month for completing applications in earnest. They would prepare their supporting documents and submit them to the ‘Common App,’ a platform for uploading college applications.

Jeong-in submitted his academic records, extracurricular activities, two recommendation letters, essays, and his highest SAT score.

Harvard’s application deadline was November 1st, and other schools were similar. Jeong-in finished his applications early, in early October. Now all that remained was waiting for the results.

For the first time, Jeong-in could truly enjoy some leisure. Of course, he still had to attend to his AP classes diligently, but he no longer needed to retake the SAT or worry about essays.

Jeong-in went to cheer at all of Chase’s games. He wore a jersey with Chase’s number “7” prominently displayed and cheered for his performance. After each game, Chase would always come to the stands to find Jeong-in. He said Jeong-in was his lucky charm.

During this time, Chase became an expert at making Korean-style chicken, and Suzy now accepted him almost like another son.

Relaxed and romantic days continued.

“Is Justin’s house like yours?”

At Chase’s question, Jeong-in raised an eyebrow as if to ask what he meant.

“I mean, is it harmonious? What are Justin’s parents like?”

“Hmm… they tend to be a bit overprotective of their son. They might seem a bit gruff at first, but they’re really warm people once you get to know them.”

Today they were going to Justin’s house together for the first time. Rachel had invited Jeong-in, saying she was planning to make the stir-fried pork with chives that he liked, and Justin had asked Chase if he wanted to come along.

Chase didn’t refuse, and Justin seemed excited.

Justin’s house was a much larger two-story wooden home than Jeong-in’s. Chase found it interesting to observe the small vegetable garden planted in front of the house, something not typically seen in American yards.

The door swung open almost immediately after they knocked, and Justin appeared.

“Yo, what’s up! My man, P-dog.”

Whatever he had been doing before, Justin suddenly greeted them like a rapper, bumping shoulders. Chase, taken aback, played along.

“Hey… Wong Money…?”

Hearing the random rap name Chase made up, Jeong-in, who was following behind, couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. Chase turned his head sharply with a serious expression.

“Don’t laugh, Lil J.”

After exchanging rap names, they entered Justin’s house.

Chase’s attention was immediately drawn to the Chinese lanterns and the red and gold decorations on the walls.

“Wow, your house is really cool, Just.”

“I don’t want to hear that kind of praise from someone who lives in a place like Bruce Wayne’s mansion.”

Jeong-in laughed in agreement with Justin’s comment. As Chase looked around the living room, he spotted Grandma Meiling sitting in a rocking chair and quickly greeted her.

“Hello, Mrs. Wong.”

A moment of silence followed. Grandma Meiling was staring at Chase without even blinking. Chase cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to hide his discomfort.

“Uh… Just, is your grandmother okay?”

As soon as Chase had entered, the grandmother had taken her eyes completely off the TV and was just staring at him. For a grandmother who was so absorbed in telenovelas that she even ate her meals in front of the TV, this was unprecedented.

“Grandma! You’re not having a stroke or something, are you? Grandma?”

When Justin hovered in front, his grandmother scolded him in Chinese. From the way she was waving her hands, it seemed she was saying something like “move aside, I can’t see the white guy behind you.”

Hearing the commotion, Rachel emerged from the kitchen. Wiping her wet hands on her apron, she looked at the three people standing in the living room and glanced around as if looking for someone else.

“Justin, didn’t you say Jay’s girlfriend was coming too?”

“Mom, I never said girlfriend. I said lover.”

It seemed to take time for Rachel to understand the situation, as she just blinked for a while. Then finally, as if in disbelief, she opened her mouth.

“No way!”

Chase answered her question with a gentle greeting.

“Hello, Mrs. Wong.”

Too flustered to return the greeting, Rachel asked Jeong-in again as if to confirm.

“Jay, is he really your lover? But this lover is…”

After an awkward silence, Jeong-in and Rachel spoke simultaneously.

“…a boy.”

“…white.”

The point of her surprise was slightly misaligned. Jeong-in’s head tilted in confusion.

“Did Suzy approve of this? Did she say it’s okay to date a white person?”

This time Justin interjected.

“Mom, isn’t there something else more concerning than him being white?”

“Well, that too, but a white person…”

Rachel shifted her gaze to Justin and suddenly issued a warning.

“Justin Wong! Let me tell you in advance, you can only date Chinese people! Understand?”

Justin sighed deeply. Many Chinese parents wanted their children to date only within their culture. Unfortunately, Justin’s parents were no exception.

He grumbled resignedly.

“I’ll probably end up living alone forever. It might be faster to build a robot that would marry me.”

Chase patted Justin’s shoulder reassuringly.

The three of them had dinner with Justin’s parents and grandmother. For some reason, his grandmother ate at the dining table instead of in front of the TV, and she kept staring at Chase so intently that he nearly choked on his food several times.

Eventually, Justin rescued Chase by bringing him to his own room.

Chase caught his breath and looked around the room. The closet was filled with blocks and figurine collections that Justin had made himself.

“Oh! What should we do for Halloween this year?”

Justin looked at Jeong-in with eyes full of anticipation. Jeong-in shrugged with a “Well…” while Chase’s expression became a bit awkward.

“Um… Justin, I’m sorry, but I was thinking of doing a couple costume with my first-ever boyfriend.”

Jeong-in stared at Chase as if this was the first he’d heard of it, and Justin’s expression immediately turned glum.

This was exactly what Rajesh had warned Justin about. Becoming the “third wheel.” A third wheel refers to a lone person who ends up squeezed between a couple, the friend who’s alone beside two people on a date.

He hadn’t particularly minded their relationship before, in fact, he had been a fervent supporter, but it felt a bit depressing when he realized he couldn’t do the things he’d always done with Jeong-in anymore.

To change the gloomy atmosphere, Chase quickly threw out a question.

“What costumes have you guys done before?”

Jeong-in pondered, recalling past memories.

“Last year I was Isaac Newton and Justin was an apple. What did we do before that?”

Justin answered promptly.

“Jay, you were Schrödinger’s cat and I was the box.”

“Right. Originally Justin was going to be the cat, but…”

“Who knew the cat costume would come in such a small size.”

Chase touched his forehead. He was disappointed that he hadn’t known these adorable nerds all along. Especially not seeing Jeong-in dressed as a cat, it seemed so unfair that he felt he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.

Justin hesitated before carefully speaking up.

“Well… I know of some good trio costumes… How about BLT…?”

BLT was the name of a classic sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and tomato as its basic ingredients.

“I’ll be bacon. Jay can be tomato and Press can be lettuce… No, that doesn’t work.”

After pondering for a moment, Justin clapped his hands as if another idea had struck him.

“Oh! How about we do Timon and Pumbaa like we used to?”

“Justin!”

Jeong-in blushed and tried to cover Justin’s mouth, but it was too late. Chase’s expression showed interest.

“Timon and Pumbaa?”

“Justin! That was when we were kids!”

Justin gazed into space as if reminiscing about the past.

“About six years ago, it was Jay’s and my first duo costume. The neighbors went crazy saying how well we matched.”

Jeong-in was much smaller then, and Justin was similar in height and build to what he is now. Jeong-in had worn a meerkat costume with a red baseball cap pushed back, and Justin had attached warthog tusks and dressed as Pumbaa. Though amateur, everyone who passed by recognized them instantly.

“We just need to add Simba! Look! Even your hair color matches Simba.”

Justin pointed to Chase’s golden hair. It would certainly suit him well. However, Jeong-in, who didn’t want to be a meerkat again, firmly rejected Justin’s suggestion.

It didn’t seem like they would be able to come to an agreement easily.

* * *

On Halloween day, the school was buzzing from early morning. Superheroes, zombies, characters from movies and TV shows, students filling the hallways wore diverse costumes.

The corridors were decorated with spider webs and paper garlands shaped like pumpkins, and some teachers wore wigs or light makeup.

Classes were only held in the morning, and Halloween events were scheduled for the afternoon in the gym and on the field. Every year, there were traditional activities like costume contests, pumpkin rolling races, and apple bobbing, where participants had to retrieve apples floating in water using only their mouths.

Justin was excited and thrilled. This Halloween, he would be doing a trio costume with the school’s most famous celebrities.

In the end, Chase wore surgical scrubs with a doctor’s coat over them and a stethoscope around his neck. Next to him, Justin also transformed into a male nurse in green scrubs holding a chart. Meanwhile, Jeong-in wore loose patient clothes with slippers. It was a perfect combination.

The problem was that whenever Jeong-in stepped away briefly, other “patients” would swarm in. Just during the short time he went to the bathroom, another fake patient had cornered Chase.

“Doctor, I’ve been feeling so lonely and depressed lately. Especially at night.”

A girl dressed as Black Widow, wearing a skin-tight black bodysuit and red wig, was making a sad face in front of Chase. She seemed to be a junior, one year below them.

After going through the effort of dressing as such a strong character, pretending to be weak was quite annoying. Did she think getting the attending doctor’s phone number would cure her depression?

Jeong-in couldn’t hold back and snapped,

“He’s not just any doctor, he’s a surgeon about to enter the operating room. Go see your therapist for that kind of thing.”

The black-suited Avenger member shot Jeong-in a fierce look. Then she turned sharply and walked away with the sound of clicking high heels.

Watching her retreat, Justin shuddered.

“Whew, scary. What was that, a mini-Vivian?”

Chase covered his smiling mouth with his palm. Just now, Jeong-in had clearly been jealous. The pointed tone and sharp gaze, it couldn’t be mistaken.

Chase, not caring about people’s stares, naturally brushed Jeong-in’s hair.

“Well, it seems my patient needs the doctor’s attention.”

“…Don’t treat other patients.”

Jeong-in was becoming more honest as time passed. Justin looked at the two of them with satisfaction, wearing the expression of a successful matchmaker.

“Are you guys trying to film Grey’s Anatomy? If so, I have a good idea.”

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ was a drama set primarily in a hospital.

Justin didn’t give them a chance to protest as he dragged Chase and Jeong-in along. His destination was the school supply closet located on one side of the hallway.

“So. They always hook up in the hospital supply closet. I’ll keep watch for you guys.”

After saying this with a straight face, Justin pushed the two of them into the supply closet.

In the dark supply room, with only faint light filtering through the door crack, Chase spoke in a low voice.

“I really like your friend.”

“Our friend, you mean.”

Chase nodded with a gentle smile.

“Right, our friend.”

Changing to a serious expression, Chase put a stethoscope in his ears. Then, in a low, languid voice, he said,

“So, patient. Where does it hurt?”

Playing along, Jeong-in put on a pained expression and gently placed a hand over his chest.

“Doctor, my heart races whenever you’re near.”

“That would be concerning if it didn’t. Let me listen to your heart.”

Chase slightly lifted the hem of Jeong-in’s patient gown and slipped his hand holding the stethoscope underneath.

As the loose neckline of the patient gown lifted, Jeong-in’s long neck and collarbone were exposed. Chase exhaled deeply, almost like a sigh, and deliberately averted his gaze.

When the cold metal touched his skin, Jeong-in flinched momentarily.

“Shhhh… I’m checking your heart rate, so stay still.”

Those words made his heart race even more. His breathing began to quicken slightly.

Chase pushed the stethoscope in a little deeper.

“Mmm…”

A sensual sound escaped involuntarily at the unfamiliar sensation of metal brushing against skin.

“Your heart is beating too fast. Let me treat you.”

Chase wrapped his arm around Jeong-in’s waist and lowered his head for a kiss. As if he had been waiting for this, Jeong-in wrapped both arms around Chase’s neck, causing Chase to let out a yearning sigh.

Jeong-in’s body tilted backward from Chase’s forceful advance. As his back hit the shelves, the sound of unknown objects falling to the floor could be heard. But neither of them paid any attention.

Just as they were completely immersed in their kiss, forgetting the passage of time, Justin’s urgent voice came from outside the door.

“T-teacher? C-code red! Code red!”

Justin shouted desperately, as if an emergency had occurred in an ER.

The two hastily separated. As soon as the supply closet door swung open, a red dress came into view. Though she wore a short black wig today, the person’s signature red hair was iconic. Justin’s ‘code red’ referred to the arrival of Vivian Sinclair.

Vivian was dressed as Betty Boop. A form-fitting bright red mini dress, downturned drawn eyebrows with emphasized long lashes, deliberately full red lips, bold gold hoop earrings, and her uniquely seductive yet cute vibe. Even the fashion-blind Jeong-in could immediately tell which character she was portraying.

It was said that she had given up cheerleading after her social media followers grew exponentially. She reportedly even had a dedicated agency helping her now.

And once again, the person she wanted to talk to was Jeong-in.

“Let’s talk for a minute, Jay Lim.”

Vivian said, raising her chin haughtily.

For a moment, Chase’s brow furrowed slightly. He immediately stepped forward as if to shield Jeong-in.

“What’s this about?”

“Could the overprotective boyfriend step aside?”

The two, who were once friends, exchanged cold glances with Jeong-in between them. Jeong-in pulled Chase’s arm toward himself as if to say there was no need to be wary.

“Jeong-in…”

“It’s okay.”