AP CH 7 (First Snow)

After receiving what felt like a reluctant permission, Eun Hyeon-chae grew even bolder with his “stalking” and class-auditing pursuits. Seeing his strangely confident posture, Seon-woo often found an unconscious smile tugging at his lips.

Hyeon-chae surely had his own classes to attend, yet somehow he seemed to appear almost every time Seon-woo did. Did he live on campus or something? Seon-woo couldn’t help but wonder.

Of course, the world didn’t always cater to Eun Hyeon-chae’s plans.

“The student sitting over there, who are you? I don’t believe I saw you in my previous classes. Did you miss the earlier sessions?”

“…I’m Eun Hyeon-chae.”

“Hmm? I don’t see your name on the roster.”

“I couldn’t register for this course.…But I’m interested in it.”

Emboldened by a few successful attempts, Eun Hyeon-chae played the “interest” card once again. However, this time, it didn’t work.

“Due to the nature of this class, only registered students are allowed. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I’d be grateful if you could leave.”

At the professor’s firm tone, Hyeon-chae nodded, gathered his things, and stood to go. Pausing at the door, he looked back with a pitiful expression, as if silently asking for help. But Seon-woo, who’d been observing with his chin propped up, only smirked and waved goodbye.

Since Hyeon-chae was constantly popping up whenever he wasn’t in one of his own classes, Seon-woo had gradually pieced together his schedule without even trying. For instance, like now.

Seon-woo raised an eyebrow at the sight of Hyeon-chae, flushed and breathing hard. Pulling out the chair beside him, Hyeon-chae took a seat and dipped his head.

“…Hello.”

Seon-woo could have pretended not to notice his greeting, but he deliberately asked.

“Did you run here?”

“…”

“What time was your last class?”

By now, he’d figured out that Hyeon-chae clammed up whenever things weren’t in his favor. Smiling at the quiet rise and fall of Hyeon-chae’s chest, Seon-woo slid his Pocari Sweat across the table. Hyeon-chae’s gaze followed the can as it moved toward him.

“Drink it.”

“…Thank you.”

He couldn’t quite look away from Hyeon-chae’s hands, gently fidgeting as they held the can.

                                 ****

Maybe it was because of his newly acquired “shadow,” but recently, Seon-woo hadn’t felt the usual boredom that often drove him to bars for one-night flings. The moment he found himself with a bit of free time, however, the familiar silence crept back in, and Seon-woo headed straight for Liberty.

When Seon-woo arrived at Liberty, he pulled out a cigarette in the alley beside the entrance but paused, glancing upward. There was a new CCTV camera mounted nearby, clearly a recent addition. He wondered if something big had happened here in his absence, enough for Liberty to install extra security measures.

Lighting his cigarette, he took a deep drag, and it struck him that this was the place where he had first met Eun Hyeon-chae. A faint smile crossed his lips at the memory. He was idly exhaling smoke when he heard some chatter nearby.

“No, I’m telling you, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is! And if it really is, then…! Oh.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Seon-woo saw two men staring at him through the haze of smoke. When he raised an eyebrow and nodded a greeting, they gave an awkward smile, nodded back, and quickly disappeared inside.

Probably just came out for a smoke.

Seon-woo wasn’t particularly bothered by others around him, but there were people who’d avoid smoking if someone else was already in the space. Deciding to make room, he brushed himself off and headed inside.

“Seon-woo! It’s been ages. Have you been busy?”

“Yeah, a bit. What about you, noona?”

“Oh, you know, same as usual. Want your usual drink?”

“No. Just something light—anything’s fine.”

When Seon-woo shook his head, Se-jin chuckled, pulling out some ice.

“Ooh, are you planning to drink with someone tonight?”

“Not really. By the way, did something happen around here?”

“What do you mean? Nothing special happened.”

“There’s a new CCTV camera by the entrance.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed. Isn’t it always been there?”

“It’s new. Wasn’t there before. It’s pointed right at the alley.”

“Hmm. Maybe the building owner put it up? All the buildings on this block belong to one person, anyway. Might as well add some security, right? Here you go.”

When Se-jin said this, Seon-woo shrugged and let it go, accepting his drink.

Sitting at the bar, he exchanged a bit of light conversation with her. Before he could finish his first drink, a woman approached, and they moved together to a quieter, cozier corner of the bar.

“Do you come here often, Seon-woo?…..Huh? What’s that smile about? That’s totally the kind of smile a regular would give! What the hell, I didn’t even know that.”

“I’ve been coming less often recently. It’s been a while since my last visit. Though now I think I know why I felt like coming tonight.”

“Yeah, right. That line totally gives you away as a smooth talker.”

The woman across from him was engaged in their conversation, but then her gaze shifted past Seon-woo’s shoulder. The gentle smile tugging at her lips grew slightly tense.

Whoever had caught her attention must have been someone worth noticing. It was such an unusual occurrence that a strange sense of competitiveness bubbled up within him. Intrigued, Seon-woo turned to see what—or who—had stolen her gaze.

And then he locked eyes with a man wearing the most pitiful expression Seon-woo had ever seen.

“This crazy…”

“Do you know him?”

Startled by the curse Seon-woo unconsciously let slip, the other person looked at him with wide eyes.

If making him appear as trash to ruin his popularity was the goal, then congratulations. Eun Hyeon-chae was succeeding spectacularly. 

Grinding his teeth, Seon-woo forced a look of reluctant apology onto his face and stood up.

“I think you should get up, but I feel bad about it—I’m sorry.”

Hurrying out of Liberty, Seon-woo dragged Eun Hyeon-chae along until they found a nearby 24-hour café. Once inside, he pushed the other into a seat and crossed his arms, glaring at him from across the table.

“Explain yourself.”

“…”

Hyeon-chae remained silent, his gaze fixed stubbornly on the cup in front of him. His face bore a wounded expression, but the defiance glinting in his eyes and the stubbornness clinging to the corners of his lips gave him away. It was obvious he felt not an ounce of guilt for his actions.

“You said you weren’t some random Alpha and that you’d be a proper hoobae.”

Seon-woo let out a dry chuckle at the absurdity of the situation and tapped his fingers against the table.

“A hoobae is a hoobae only on campus. You need to respect your sunbae’s personal life. From now on, I don’t want to see you showing up at Liberty again in the future.”

At his words, Hyeon-chae, who had been keeping his gaze lowered the entire time, finally lifted his head. Despite the clear line Seon-woo had drawn, there wasn’t the slightest hint of offense on his face. In fact, he looked faintly pleased.

Frowning at the incomprehensible reaction, Seon-woo watched as Hyeon-chae spoke.

“It’s a place anyone can come.”

“That’s true, but that’s not why you came, is it?”

“You could’ve ignored me, but you didn’t.”

It wasn’t just about what had happened tonight. Hyeon-chae’s comment carried a weight that left Seon-woo momentarily speechless. His mouth opened, then closed again as he struggled to respond.

It was only after a long pause that Seon-woo found his voice.

“What on earth makes you so confident?”

“You always look at me like that, sunbae.”

“…How exactly do I look at you?”

Droplets of condensation from the cup trailed down Hyeon-chae’s fingers. Seon-woo’s gaze involuntarily lingered on his slightly trembling, plump lips, which were pressed into a tight line as though carefully choosing his words.

Finally, Hyeon-chae met his eyes and said softly, “Like you find me so irresistibly beautiful, it’s killing you.”

                                *****

Running his hands through his hair, Seon-woo stared intently at his reflection in the mirror. His sharp features were framed by jet-black brows, and his thin double eyelids emphasized his striking gaze.

It wasn’t exactly the kind of face anyone would call gentle… So what on earth made Eun Hyeon-chae think that? The more Seon-woo scrutinized himself, the less sense it made.

Nothing had changed since that night. He hadn’t managed to push Eun Hyeon-chae away after all. Hyeon-chae still followed him to every class, and the red light of the newly installed CCTV still blinked steadily outside Liberty’s entrance.

Sometimes, he wondered. If Eun Hyeon-chae were to confess or cross a line, perhaps it would all come to a conclusion. But Hyeon-chae, cunning as ever, exploited every gap, every moment of hesitation, burrowing into Seon-woo’s softest spots and making full use of his indecisiveness.

It wasn’t normal for Hyeon-chae to practically live at the university, following him day and night. But then again, Seon-woo wasn’t normal either for tolerating it.

Maybe it was because Hyeon-chae’s appearance so perfectly matched his type. Or perhaps it was because he liked how those bright eyes were fixed solely on him. Whatever the reason, he decided not to dwell on it too deeply. If he wasn’t going to refuse, there was no point dissecting why.

As soon as he finished fixing his hair and grabbed his jacket, Lee-won called. He said he was already out front, so Seon-woo headed downstairs. Outside the officetel, a car was parked. Seon-woo instinctively reached for the passenger-side door, only to realize his mistake when he locked eyes with Hee-jun, who looked at him in surprise.

Quickly collecting himself, Seon-woo smiled and greeted him.

“Hee-jun, hey. It’s been a while.”

“Seon-woo hyung! Thanks again for last time.”

“How many times are you going to thank me? Is that all you have to say when you see me?”

“No, I just—”

“Get in. We’re going to be late.”

At Lee-won’s prompting, Seon-woo shut the passenger door and climbed into the back seat. Watching the two of them sitting side by side in the front, he absentmindedly touched his lips.

It was Lee-won’s first time bringing a significant other to a family event. He’d briefly forgotten.

That wasn’t his seat anymore.

Even knowing that, it didn’t feel great. Lost in thought, Seon-woo stared out the window until his phone buzzed with a message from Eun Hyeon-chae.

[I won’t be on campus tomorrow. I have something to take care of.]

Hyeon-chae occasionally sent messages like this, but Seon-woo had never once replied.

This time was no different. He locked the screen, thinking absently, Guess I’ll be bored tomorrow.

…Nevertheless, if he’d known things would turn out like this, he might’ve at least asked why he couldn’t come.”

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