7MoH 2.13

What Jeong-in wanted was a calm, uneventful life. Furthermore, he wanted Chase to remain the Prince of the school prom, whom he had admired, envied, and even hated, without any stigma or blemish.

Jeong-in spoke calmly, but his feelings were complex. Perhaps this decision itself came from a weakness of heart, just like his physical weakness.

He wanted to draw the line himself. Because Chase would never draw it first.

“You and I don’t match. You know that.”

The blue eyes that had been playfully shining until just moments ago gradually lost their vitality, and Chase’s face transformed to look like an abandoned child. Though guilt stabbed at his heart, Jeong-in forced a smile as he spoke.

“I heard they’re selecting a junior prom king separately this year? I hope you become the junior prom king.”

Chase’s lips moved slightly as if trying to say something, but no words came out. Instead, he took a deep breath and turned his head. His face looked like he was suppressing something.

Creeak.

The chair scraped against the floor as he stood up. Jeong-in didn’t miss the slight trembling of his hands.

“Fine.”

Chase finally spoke heavily. His voice was low and calm, but the hidden hurt and anger were unmistakable.

“If that’s what you want, let’s do that.”

Jeong-in lowered his head and pressed his lips tightly together. He couldn’t take back the decision he had made.

“I really am stupid.”

Chase’s dejected voice echoed in the quiet space.

“I thought you and I were building something together. I guess it was all my imagination.”

Jeong-in didn’t answer. No, he couldn’t. His mind felt empty, and no words came to him.

Perhaps a part of him wanted Chase to see through all his true feelings and firmly hold onto him as he backed away. But that was an incredibly selfish wish. In the end, he could only keep his head down and his mouth shut.

“Right. We are too different.”

At the edge of Jeong-in’s vision, he could see Chase’s hand. The veins on the back of his hand were visibly protruding as he clenched his fist tightly.

“I’m sorry for bothering you all this time.”

Chase turned away.

Only then did Jeong-in raise his head to watch his retreating figure walking toward the door. He was someone Jeong-in had admired and wanted but lacked the courage to claim. Could there be a bigger coward than himself? A wave of self-loathing washed over him.

With a loud bang, the door closed, severing the connection between them.

Only then did Jeong-in fully realize that he had cut off even the last remaining possibility with his own hands. He covered his face with both hands as tears he had been holding back finally poured out.

With the realization that the sparkling moments befitting youth were now over, he took several deep breaths, trying to reassure himself. This is for the best. Yet, a part of his chest still felt painfully constricted.

It was a long while before Jeong-in finally left the bed.

As he opened the infirmary door to step out, a cool breeze swept over him. Jeong-in took a deep breath, his shoulders rising sharply. Then, with an overwhelmingly melancholy heart, he silently walked toward the faded world he originally inhabited.

***

Chase burst out of the infirmary and walked quickly down the hallway. His thoughts were jumbled, and his heart felt numb.

What was the problem this time? What was so complicated? Why did Jeong-in overthink everything?

He had never encountered someone so difficult. Just when Chase thought he had caught him, Jeong-in would run away; just when they seemed closer, he would hide. But what Chase found most incomprehensible was his own inability to give up on Jeong-in, despite it being obvious that his presence was burdensome to him. Now even that was over.

He couldn’t remember how the remaining class periods passed. What he heard or who he talked with was all a blur.

When he went to the parking lot after classes ended, Vivian was waiting, leaning against his car.

“Move.”

“Let’s talk.”

“About what.”

“I’ll publicly acknowledge our breakup in front of everyone if you just go to prom with me.”

Chase exhaled harshly, as if he had reached his limit. The muscles around his jaw visibly tensed.

“I’m not in the mood, so move.”

Vivian grabbed Chase’s sleeve as he tried to walk past her.

“The Teen Vogue photo team has agreed to come. I’ve already received my dress. They want to publish a photo spread featuring real high school students against the backdrop of an actual prom.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Chase’s voice was already saturated with fatigue.

“Please. Just go to prom with me. I’ll tell people we fought and broke up after prom.”

“I said no.”

“…I’ll even say you broke up with me.”

Chase looked at Vivian with contempt in his eyes. Though she had selfish and materialistic traits, she had never been this pathetic before. Today she seemed different. But he had no emotional capacity left to understand her circumstances. His tone came out irritated without him even realizing it.

“Don’t you have any pride?”

“…I’m already at rock bottom. I don’t have such luxuries.”

“Rich family, plenty of followers. How is that rock bottom?”

“…”

Vivian, who never lost in verbal sparring, fell silent. Her tightly clenched hands trembled slightly with shame and self-loathing. But Chase couldn’t know. He didn’t even care.

Chase looked at Vivian with cold eyes. Vivian lowered her gaze while trying to maintain a dignified expression. Her twisted pride was supporting her for the last time.

“Take any of your followers with you.”

“It has to be you. I already told Teen Vogue.”

“Who decided that? Get out of my way.”

“Chase.”

Chase tilted his head back in frustration and let out a deep sigh.

In that moment, suddenly, from deep within his chest, an intense emotion he had never experienced before boiled up. Something similar to anger, resembling resentment, that base emotion. He wanted to get revenge on Jeong-in for discarding him so easily.

He wanted to show Jeong-in. That he too could do without him. That he was fine.

“Fine, now move.”

“You said fine?”

Vivian asked in disbelief.

“I’ll go. Happy? Now move.”

Vivian stepped away from the car with a dubious expression. Seizing the moment, Chase got into the driver’s seat and hastily started the engine. As the car took off with a roar, Vivian jumped back in surprise.

Leaving school at high speed, he headed straight home. It was a rough and sharp drive.

As soon as he arrived, he went to the guest house and collapsed onto the sofa. Then he covered his eyes with the back of his hand and lay still as if dead.

His mind was in turmoil, and he couldn’t distinguish whether what he was feeling was resentment, anger, or longing.

“Young master, the head of the household is here now. He’s asking if you would join him for dinner.”

The sudden voice made Chase slowly open his eyes. The owner of the calm voice was Clive Pembroke, who had been working for the Prescott family long before Chase and his sister Sophia were born. He was the estate manager, or what would have been called a “butler” in the past.

He did the work a butler would do and wore the clothes a butler would wear. Moreover, he always called Chase “Young master.”

Not only the servant title that would only fit well a few centuries ago, but also the culture and old fashioned values of that era remained intact in this house. And that was also why his sister, Sophia Adeline Prescott, hated this house terribly.

On his 16th birthday, Chase received a fountain pen that was said to be very rare. In contrast, Sophia received a diamond tennis bracelet.

The roles the family expected of each were clear. Chase was raised as the heir to the family, while they wanted Sophia to remain an elegant member of high society. However, Sophia was too smart to accept the family traditions at face value.

She decided to overturn the family history of consistently producing Harvard graduates. She studied intensely without anyone’s help and attended Yale, known as Harvard’s biggest rival.

“Young master?”

“Make up an excuse for me.”

“I will inform them that you are suffering from high fever and vomiting symptoms.”

Chase couldn’t help but smile at Clive’s composure, having experienced this situation numerous times.

“That sounds good.”

“Oh, and did you want me to schedule an appointment with the college consultant?”

Chase’s expression hardened.

Since Jeong-in hadn’t yet decided on summer volunteer work or extracurricular experiences, Chase had planned to set up a consultation with an advisor who provided premium information about college admissions.

Since they were aiming for the same field, he wanted to go wherever Jeong-in went. Medical volunteering would be good, or they could intern at a research institute. But the person he wanted to share all that with didn’t want him.

“…That won’t be necessary anymore.”

After Clive left, Chase paced around the guest house, unable to calm his troubled mind, and eventually took his car out late at night.

His car was drawn to the front of Jeong-in’s house.

Close to midnight, all the lights on the first floor were off, and only the window of Jeong-in’s room on the second floor held a faint light. Perhaps he was reading a book with just a small lamp on.

The entire house was barely half the size of the guest house where Chase lived alone. The ceiling was low, and there were places where the wooden floor creaked when someone as large as him walked around.

But inside that house was something that the grand Prescott mansion lacked. Warmth and affection. A place that seemed far from sophisticated but, once approached, felt warm and inviting.

Drip, drip.

Suddenly raindrops began to fall. It was rare for Bellacove in the dry months of April and May. They had been saying there would be a drought and not to water the lawns, but now it seemed as if even the weather was mocking him. Chase quickly closed the hood of his car, but his shoulders and hair were already soaked.

He leaned his temple against the back of his hand on the steering wheel, looking at Jeong-in’s window. The soft light that had been glowing went out at some point. While he was here like an idiot unable to do anything, it seemed Jeong-in was reading books and sleeping well. That thought made Chase feel even more pathetic.

Chase endlessly gazed at the small window that appeared blurry through the raindrops running down his car window. Even after the rain stopped, his car remained in place for a long time.

Only the clearly visible rectangular dry patch on the driveway in front of Jeong-in’s house quietly testified to Chase’s anguish.

***

The morning of prom day dawned.

Many schools operated as a half-day when prom fell on a Friday, with classes only in the morning. However, Wincrest dismissed students after attendance and homeroom period to give them ample time to prepare.

Of course, not all students could return home. Student council members busy with prom preparations headed to the auditorium where the party would be held. And there was another group who didn’t go home, coincidentally, the members of the Mathlete Society who were competing in a math competition on the same day.

For them, having the competition and prom on the same day was an exceptionally good thing. It gave them a confident answer to the question, “Why aren’t you going to prom?”

Since he needed to manage his condition, Jeong-in took Suzy’s car to school again today. As he was getting out at the drop-off zone, he saw Justin getting out of a car a few vehicles ahead.

Justin had dressed up to impress a potential future girlfriend he might meet from another school’s math team. His hair glistened in the morning sunlight, probably from gel. Below that, he wore the same shirt with the club logo and beige cotton pants as Jeong-in.

“Jay!”

Knowing about what had happened with Chase in the infirmary yesterday, Justin waved and greeted him with an even brighter expression than usual. Feeling his concern, Jeong-in forced a smile. But a corner of his heart was still complex.

He kept worrying about possibly running into Chase, but it didn’t happen. It was probably for the best, seeing him coldly brush past would have been painful.

After homeroom ended with the teacher reminding them of prom etiquette, Jeong-in packed his bag and headed to the club room.

They reviewed expected problems one last time and conducted several rehearsals as if in the actual competition. The team members were enthusiastically preparing amid an atmosphere mixed with tension and excitement.

Eventually, the school bus carrying the uniformed Mathlete Society members departed for the University of California, Irvine campus.

Unlike his companions who were excited as if going on a field trip, Jeong-in rested his arm on the window frame and stared outside with an expressionless face. The exceptionally clear blue sky and passing street scenes felt strangely distant.

The campus they arrived at was full of typical university vigor. Students gathered in small groups chatting on the sprawling lawns, and the footsteps of those coming and going to classrooms were busy. The Mathlete Society members looked at such scenery with curiosity as they made their way to Roland Hall, where today’s competition would be held.

Inside the venue, another team’s match was already in progress.

A large screen at the front displayed real-time scores and problems, and the participants were deeply focused on the problems from their seats.

As expected, the audience seats were sparsely populated. Most of those filling the seats were family members and relatives of the participants.

“Oh, that team has two female members? I’m jealous…”

Justin remarked, pointing at the competing team’s players.

“We’ve got hope for next year. Everyone saw what Jay looks like without glasses, right? We might get flooded with female members.”

“You think so?”

Normally, Jeong-in would have burst out laughing at the exchange between Rajesh and Justin. But all he could manage was a forced smile.

“Kids, if we make it to the finals, we’ll face the winner of these two teams. You know that, right?”

Their faculty advisor, Amy Williams, spoke, unable to hide her nervousness which matched that of the students.

Let’s focus.

Jeong-in took a quiet deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions rising within him.

He needed to concentrate on the competition. A good result would greatly help with his long-awaited Harvard admission.

As he was gathering his thoughts and heading toward the waiting room, Jeong-in’s gaze stopped on a tall blonde man passing through the hallway. For an instant, his heart sank. Instinctively, he stopped walking and turned his head to look at him.

But he soon realized it wasn’t Chase. Chase was slightly taller than that person and had much broader shoulders.

After staring blankly at the stranger’s back, Jeong-in lowered his head and let out a small sigh.

It’s serious. Now, even when he’s walking down the street, he’ll stop whenever he sees a tall, blonde man.

“Jay? What’s wrong?”

Justin’s gaze followed where Jeong-in was staring. Upon spotting the blonde man, he immediately understood the situation.

Taking a step closer, Justin gently patted Jeong-in’s shoulder.

“…Are you okay?”

Jeong-in nodded. Then he looked down at his wristwatch. The hour hand was approaching 7 o’clock. The time when prom starts.

“It’s about to begin.”

Sinclair and Prescott. How stunning would they look today? How well would they match? Like a prince and princess from an old Disney movie, just like at the spring dance.

Even though he believed this was the right decision, he couldn’t shake the sense of loss. And all of it was self inflicted.

“I’m really pathetic.”

Jeong-in muttered as if talking to himself. Justin, watching him quietly, maintained a heavy silence. It was a moment where no comfort or advice could be easily offered.

“I wish I could go back to before I knew him, to when I thought he was just a dumb jock.”

“…Forget about the laws of physics. Someday, someone will prove the multiverse theory and find the bubbles of space-time. Let’s just hang in there until then and go back to the past.”

Justin comforted Jeong-in in his characteristically unique way.

Just then, a staff member called out,

“Wincrest High School, you’ll be entering in 10 minutes.”

Focus. Jeong-in told himself once again. For this moment, he had to forget about Chase, Vivian, and the prom that was about to start. The most important thing right now was the competition in front of him.

* * *

Chase stood in the center of his dressing room. Though he hadn’t even started his professional life yet, his dressing room displayed suits arranged by color and season, tailored to his growing body.

After brief contemplation, he pulled out a gray suit with a subtle sheen. The fabric’s weave showed its luxury each time it caught the light.

As he put on a pristinely white dress shirt, he thought that its cool touch on his neckline, clean scent, and ascetic appearance somehow resembled Jeong-in. Even in this moment, he was thinking about Jeong-in, he was hopeless.

Standing before the mirror, he buttoned the shirt one by one with natural movements. Then he put on the suit jacket. The perfectly fitted shoulders accentuated his large frame.

After dressing, he fixed his hair. His naturally flowing golden hair looked stylish even where it stuck out, as if deliberately arranged that way.

After finishing preparations and entering the main house’s corridor, Clive greeted him. As always, his manner was calm and respectful.

“You look beautiful, young master.”

“Whatever.”

Chase passed by him coldly but then abruptly stopped. As if something was weighing on his mind, he turned back with a short sigh and returned to face Clive.

“I’m sorry for being irritable lately. The truth is, I got rejected yesterday.”

Clive’s expression momentarily hardened at Chase’s confession.

In his life, Chase had never seen Clive with such an expression. Even when he deliberately broke expensive porcelain as a child to provoke a reaction, Clive had simply cleaned up the broken pieces with an expressionless face.

“Wow, so you can make that face too.”

“I apologize. Have a good evening, Young master.”

Chase waved lightly at the butler who had instantly returned to his usual demeanor, then walked out of the house.

A servant had brought the car to the front door just as he came out. Chase got into the driver’s seat and started the car smoothly.

Late afternoon. His gleaming car, reflecting the deep sunset, left Crestview Drive and entered Bellevue Boulevard.

His smoothly advancing car stopped at a traffic light. On the right side of the large intersection stood the Prescott Bank building with a massive advertisement on its facade.

[Your trusted partner in designing your future, Prescott Bank & Trust]

Chase felt a bitter feeling as he absent mindedly looked at the slogan on the advertisement.

That’s the kind of relationship he had wanted with Jeong-in. He had thought beyond the moment to the distant future. Not simply a feeling like a flame that burns intensely and then extinguishes, but a partnership where they designed each other’s lives and moved forward together.

Honk—

Chase quickly started the car at the sound of a horn from behind. Soon the school came into view. In this familiar scenery, he suddenly recalled Jeong-in looking up at the wide open sky from the passenger seat.

Black eyes that seemed to have brought the night sky, skin so transparent that it felt mysterious, a profile drawing delicate lines.

But Jeong-in wasn’t just these things. Chase wasn’t attracted merely to that superficial beauty.

“You know what? In a thousand years, the North Star will no longer point exactly north.”

Jeong-in was special. He was different from all the shallow people Chase knew, no matter how he looked at him. He couldn’t be easily confined to any mold, nor defined by simple emotions.

He was someone with a depth that couldn’t be reached by mere curiosity or momentary desire. And Chase was willing to dive into those deep waters.

Screech—

His car came to a rough stop at the roadside. Just ahead, cars were lined up waiting to enter the school parking lot.

Chase was at a crossroads.

One of the things the Prescott family valued was intuitive decision making. They had built their family through finance and investment, and knew better than anyone what consequences a small decision could bring.

In a moment of hesitation, opportunity disappears. And once lost, an opportunity might lead to dramatic growth in someone else’s hands. The Prescott family had experienced countless times how painful it was to watch that happen.

Chase was no exception. He too had Prescott blood flowing in his veins, undeniably a Prescott.

There was no time to hesitate. He made a choice to avoid regret. Quickly and decisively.

Shortly after, his car started with a roar again, rapidly accelerating, leaving the school behind and speeding off in a completely different direction.

* * *

Jeong-in checked his phone one last time before going on stage. A message from his mother was displayed on the screen.

Mom: [Sorry I can’t come to cheer you on. No matter what the result is, my Jeong-in is the best!]

Jeong-in looked at the screen quietly and took a slow deep breath.

Suzy would have gone to her shop early in the morning to serve young customers excited about prom preparations, and then handle the backlog of appointments scheduled for the afternoon.

There were countless customers who would immediately switch to another salon if she took a day off for personal reasons. That’s why Suzy rarely canceled appointments. Thanks to her diligence, her regular customers were steadily increasing.

“Wincrest High School, you’re up!”

At the staff’s announcement, Jeong-in quickly put his phone in his bag and prepared to enter with his teammates.

As he stepped onto the stage, all he could see were the glittering lights and the host waiting with a benevolent smile. On the opposite side, the Pacific Heights team had already taken their places.

The moment he saw them, he felt himself shrinking back without realizing it. The other members seemed to feel the same way, as they all had stiff expressions.

Pacific Heights was a private high school known for its expensive tuition. While the Mathlete Society members wore matching team t-shirts and cotton pants, the Pacific Heights team wore stylish uniforms complete with ties.

Natural confidence and composure. The difference was evident from their attitude.

“Now, the first round!”

The host’s voice echoed as the competition began.

The first round involved solving problems one by one in turns. Therefore, which player went first was also a strategically important factor. Coincidentally, the leaders of both teams faced each other in the first problem.

“You can do it! Rajesh!”

Receiving encouragement from the members, Rajesh stepped forward.

The first problem was about trigonometric functions. With the host’s signal, both teams quickly began solving.

Rajesh struggled, taking time to derive the answer. In contrast, the brown-haired female leader of the Pacific Heights team wrote down her answer in less than 30 seconds and raised her hand high.

“Correct!”

Pacific Heights took the first point. A chilling tension spread among the Mathlete Society members.

The second problem, which Justin faced, was a complex number modulus calculation. Justin wrote the answer with surprising speed. He quickly raised his hand, but it was after the Pacific Heights side had already submitted their answer.

Amidst the spreading atmosphere of despair, it was Jeong-in’s turn next.

“Next contestant, please come forward.”

The opponent Jeong-in had hoped to avoid walked forward. It was the participant from the Pacific Heights team who appeared most full of confidence.

Jeong-in’s hands grew cold. He recalled all the lax moments, and his confidence plummeted sharply. In contrast, his opponent even greeted him kindly as they faced each other.

“Hi, let’s do our best.”

“Yeah,” he replied, his voice trembling pathetically. His vision kept blurring, so Jeong-in took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and put them back on. His hands were shaking, and cold sweat began to form on his forehead.

What if I can’t even start solving the problem? Irrational thoughts captured Jeong-in. Along with them, his breathing became slightly labored as if his lungs were constricting. His heart seemed to be beating right in front of his eardrums.

At that moment, a gentle murmur began to rise from the audience section. Jeong-in reflexively turned his head. And in that instant, though brief, his breath stopped.

The sparsely filled audience seats were somehow now packed with people. Most were female spectators. And in the center of the front row sat a man who captured Jeong-in’s gaze.

His brilliant golden hair gleamed vividly under the lights.

Below it, those familiar blue eyes that resembled the clear sea were fully focused on Jeong-in.

<To be continued>