EDEN — Chapter 4 (Part 3)

“Isn’t it inconvenient since your eye level changes?”

“I didn’t mind.”

Most guys used height sliders to get taller, but he used it the opposite way. A real oddball.

Still, talking about the game made him feel like, yes, this was Raham, the same as always. The tension in his shoulders eased without him realizing it, and he faced forward.

“Let’s go. I’m hungry.”

Only then did the car begin to move. It drove quietly with only the low hum of the engine. Stopped at a traffic light, I-eon took the chance to take out his phone.

“Can I play some music?”

Nothing lightened the mood like music. As I-eon turned on Bluetooth to connect to the car speaker, Raham answered quietly.

“No.”

“……”

His hand froze. Honestly, he’d only asked out of politeness, he was sure the answer would be yes. Who liked awkward silence between people meeting for the first time in real life?

Unable to hide his confusion, I-eon looked at him.

“Why not?”

“If you listen to music, you’ll relax.”

“…?”

Oh. This bastard likes that I’m nervous? I-eon glared at him in disbelief, but Raham only chuckled. Of course he did. Truly a man with a terrible personality. Grumbling to himself, I-eon shoved the phone back into his pocket.

Once the chatterbox I-eon stopped talking, the car grew painfully quiet. The car hadn’t left the city yet and got caught at another light. With nothing else to do, I-eon stared straight ahead, until he felt a gaze and turned. His eyes met Raham’s immediately.

“What.”

Raham’s gaze slid slowly down I-eon’s body. Not exactly decent, but I-eon didn’t pick up on it.

“You look even cuter now that you’re smaller.”

“……”

To be precise, he hadn’t gotten smaller, Raham had gotten bigger. When the height difference was more than ten centimeters, the taller person naturally saw the other as small. And Raham didn’t even have a typical East Asian build… But I-eon, who had never once been described as cute or small in his life, narrowed his eyes. Come to think of it, hadn’t Raham said he was cute before too? Did he have a broken sense of aesthetics despite his face?

“I’m not small. And why do you keep calling me cute? Are you mocking me?”

“I said it because you’re cute.”

“Stop that.”

“Why?”

Because it’s embarrassing, you jerk. Knowing that full well, he still asked. Rather than deal with it, I-eon turned his head toward the window. His profile looked a bit sulky. Raham’s eyes lingered on him for a moment.

The place they arrived at was a high-end Korean traditional restaurant. It had a spacious garden and private rooms separated by sliding doors. Even without seeing the menu, the price range was obvious. He let Raham order while he looked around at the elegant interior, the paintings on the wall, and the garden outside the large window. He would be paying as promised, but today would definitely hurt his wallet.

“This place looks expensive. You picked this on purpose.”

Raham looked clueless at first, then realized what he meant and laughed softly.

“Don’t worry.”

He wasn’t exactly worried, but still… I-eon drank the water Raham poured and studied him. His face was familiar from the game, that aloof, self-contained aura. But in the calm black clothes and composed movements, I-eon saw a maturity he hadn’t noticed before. His eyes lowered as he poured water looked deep, and his lashes were thick.

…Wait.

A sudden bad feeling froze I-eon. After hesitating, he asked carefully,

“Hey… how old are you?”

Raham took a sip of water and answered casually.

“Twenty-six.”

“…….”

A bad feeling never misses. Seeing I-eon’s face subtly stiffen as if he didn’t believe him, Raham took his ID card out of his wallet and handed it over. I-eon accepted it reflexively and checked it, and the photo was handsome too, no, that wasn’t the point. He really was two years older.

I-eon was still a college student, where even one year difference separates seniors and juniors. But… all the ways he’d addressed Raham until now flashed through his mind. “Hey, you crazy bastard,” “you scammer,” and countless other rude phrases. Since their speech never changed through any normal process and had simply shifted at some point, he had never really thought about Raham’s age. He just looked like someone around his own age.

After letting his shaken eyes wander left and right, I-eon admitted quietly.

“I’m twenty-four.”

“Yeah.”

He hadn’t expected a reaction like, “How dare someone younger talk to me like that,” but Raham was even more nonreactive than expected. His calm face didn’t look remotely interested in the topic. But even if Raham didn’t care, I-eon felt guilty on his own, fidgeting with his hands. His lips parted slowly.

“Hy.…”

Raham, who had simply been watching him, suddenly looked entertained. I-eon shut his mouth tight. The guy who acted like a block of wood was now showing interest, which made it impossible to finish the word. Calling someone “hyung” shouldn’t be hard at all, yet because they’d started off on the wrong foot, his mouth wouldn’t cooperate.

After enjoying I-eon’s flustered state for long enough, Raham finally helped him out.

“It’s just a two-year difference. Just call me by my name.”

“…….”

How was he supposed to do that in this land of etiquette? And besides, that name didn’t sit naturally on his tongue…

Kwon Do-Jin. He tried saying the real name once in his head when, slide!, the door opened roughly. Startled by the sudden noise, I-eon’s shoulders jerked.

“Is this our room~?”

A man in a navy suit entered with a drawling tone. He looked like he was in his early thirties and dramatically threw open the door before pretending to be startled himself.

“Oh my! I must’ve opened the wrong…!”

At that moment, his eyes met I-eon’s. The man, who had been grinning widely, froze in place.

What the…? I-eon frowned at the not-normal reaction, when the man suddenly shouted with wide eyes,

“Hey! You should’ve said it was a guy! Then that car…”

A hand shot out from beside him and covered the man’s mouth. Another man wearing glasses and a suit held the intruder back with difficulty and bowed deeply.

“We apologize, young master.”

Then both disappeared like the wind. Raham, who had been staring only at I-eon the whole time regardless of the commotion, finally turned, shut the door, and returned. Everything had happened so fast that it felt like he hallucinated it.

“What was that? Who was that guy?”

“My cousin.”

“What? Your cousin? But why was he… like that…”

Why burst in and talk nonsense before leaving? Afraid he’d sound rude, I-eon trailed off, but Raham didn’t seem to care. Likely, someone who stays home gaming all the time suddenly saying he’s going out to meet someone made them curious, maybe even hopeful. Judging by that grin, they probably assumed he was meeting a girl.

“…Why did he come?”

“Guess he had nothing to do.”

“…….”

That was cold.

“Maybe he was worried you’d meet someone weird?”

“Who knows.”

He acted like he’d forgotten the guy already despite seeing him just moments ago. Feeling oddly sorry for the intruder, I-eon let out a faint laugh.

“Well… your cousin must care about you like a real younger brother.”

Since Raham sounded cold, he instinctively ended up defending the cousin. Raham rested his chin on his hand and said casually,

“Want me to do that for you too?”

“…?”

“A big-brother-like figure.”

For me? No thanks, someone like you is the last kind of “big brother” I’d ever want. Swallowing the words, I-eon changed the topic to something he should’ve argued about yesterday.

“Anyway, why aren’t you agreeing to the divorce?”

“Is divorce that easy for you?”

He even drooped his eyebrows and pretended to act hurt. I-eon nearly exploded. There he goes again, talking nonsense.

“It was supposed to be temporary because we needed it. Wasn’t it?”

“It was.”

“Then why are you changing your mind now?”

“Once I did it, I didn’t want to split.”

“…Ha…”

“And we also have kids together.”

“What?”

Anyone overhearing that would get the wrong idea, but even I-eon had no clue what he was talking about. He answered every question, but the conversation didn’t progress at all. Seeing I-eon confused, Raham smiled faintly and clarified.

“Beom-i.”

No sooner had he spoken than there was a loud thud and a clatter outside. Footsteps pattered away as if someone had run off.

What the. Who’s making a scene now? I-eon’s eyes drifted toward the door for a moment. It was an odd amount of noise for such a refined, quiet restaurant, but Raham ignored it completely and continued.

“And Beomi’s a tiger, wasn’t he.”

“…….”

Threatening him with a cat, how cheap. I-eon pressed his lips together. The pet had already been created, and there was no way to undo that, but pretending it never happened wouldn’t work either. Unlike someone who used his mouth however he pleased and changed his words at convenience, I-eon had a functioning conscience.

Half resigned, I-eon let out a sigh. It was just a VR marriage, after all; it wasn’t like he felt some burning need to break this marriage immediately. In the end, the one with stronger willpower had the advantage in this game.

“Fine, then at least explain things to the guild members.”

“Hm?”

“No matter how much I say it, they don’t believe me. You tell them properly.”

It wasn’t that they truly didn’t believe him, more like they were pretending not to. Still, if Raham said it, at least they wouldn’t blatantly tease him. Up until he logged out last night, they’d kept dragging out the marriage jokes. Even though the marriage was between the both of them, they ignored the guild master and targeted I-eon alone. Thanks to that, Raham, who suffered no impact, nodded.

When they’d finished their version of a compromise, the staff came in with the first dishes of the course meal. A small bowl of porridge and simple side dishes arrived first. I-eon scooped up a spoonful of porridge without much thought and let out a sound of admiration.

“This is good.”

The diced abalone retained the perfect amount of chewiness, making it the best abalone porridge he’d ever had. The small bowl was emptied in just a few spoonfuls. Even the kimchi, which he usually ate by habit, was so good he kept reaching for it. His earlier irritation melted away, replaced with anticipation for the next dish.

The courses came steadily without pause, gujeolpan, jeon, namul, seafood and meat dishes. After beef tartare, abalone, and wild pine mushrooms, I-eon was in a deeply satisfied state. He usually cooked just to fill his stomach or reheated instant food, so eating finely prepared Korean cuisine felt cleansing to his mouth and stomach.

He lifted his head with a happy expression, then flinched. At some point, Raham had been watching him steadily. If he asked, What are you staring at, the guy would definitely say something stupid again… He looked away, but Raham quietly slid his own dish toward him.

“Try this too.”

Not “Want some?” or “Eat,” but “Try it,” in the tone of someone watching a rare animal feed. Crossing his arms and leaning back, I-eon refused.

“I’m waiting for the next dish. You eat it.”

“Eat that and try this too.”

“…….”

He’d eaten all these dishes before; it wasn’t like he needed to try anything. Honestly, he did want more because it was delicious, but seeing that expectant face made him dislike giving in. He took a sip of slightly bitter tea, deciding to ignore him. If he persisted in silence, Raham would stop soon enough.

“All right. I’ll feed you.”

“…?”

Raham stood up, plate and chopsticks in hand. I-eon watched him circle the table toward him and nearly panicked.

“Hey, don’t come here.”

He already looked threatening normally, but someone that large looming over him was too much. As I-eon instinctively tried to stand, Raham gently took hold of his jaw. Setting down the dish, he picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and pressed I-eon’s lower lip lightly with his thumb.

“Here. Ah.”

“…….”

The guy often said deranged things, but based on looks alone he had an intimidating, cold impression, enough to make someone hesitate to even talk to him. Maybe his relaxed eyes made him look milder than he was, but his features were inherently sharp. I-eon had already pushed him away mentally, but Raham bent down and stared at him so closely that he froze and opened his mouth before realizing it. Food entered, and he chewed automatically, barely aware of what he was eating.

Raham watched his slow chewing with an oddly serious expression before scanning the table. Seeing him look like he’d feed him again, I-eon snapped out of it and grabbed his wrist. When Raham saw his shaken eyes, he thankfully backed off.

“Don’t want to eat?”

It wasn’t a matter of wanting or not wanting. Flushing with embarrassment over falling for it, I-eon forced down the food and snapped sharply.

“Why are you coming over here with chopsticks?”

“Because you looked like you wanted to eat.”

He wasn’t oblivious, he just interpreted everything however he pleased. I-eon scowled and pushed Raham away.

“Go back to your seat.”

He didn’t budge when pushed, but he returned to his seat on his own, ending the incident.

“Ha…”

What kind of guy was this? He didn’t even know where to start explaining that when someone you’re not that close to suddenly approaches and tries to feed you, it’s surprising. As he agonized unnecessarily, the remaining dishes were served, and finally dessert arrived, colorful sweets, candied fruit, and a clean-tasting tea.

I-eon sipped the warm tea and let go of all pointless concerns. That was just the kind of person Raham was. Nothing to be done about it.

Surprisingly, the candied fruit served as dessert suited his taste well. Just by looking at it, he couldn’t tell whether it was ginseng or bellflower root or something else, but its sweet bitterness was addictive. He kept eating them one by one until he emptied the plate, then drank his tea. And once again, a dish slid toward him. Raham, who had spent more time watching I-eon’s face than his own plate today, propped his chin on his hand just like earlier and admired him. At this point, I-eon couldn’t help asking.

“Why do you keep staring like that.”

He used to space out often back in the game, but today his eyes were bright and alert. Still watching him, Raham opened his mouth.

“It’s fascinating.”

“What is.”

“That someone can look cute while eating.”

“…….”

I-eon’s face stiffened like someone who’d swallowed something bitter. At this point, he wasn’t sure if it was a joke or the guy’s actual feelings.

“Do you really think I’m… c-cute?”

It was embarrassingly hard to say out loud. I-eon trailed off, but Raham answered without hesitation, smiling with his eyes.

“Yeah.”

Which only made I-eon more confused. He probably meant it the way one finds a younger sibling cute… right? But why was he looking at him like that when they were only two years apart.

For now, food was blameless, so he kept eating. Since the guy across from him barely touched his own dishes, I-eon polished off the soft, fluffy hangwa too and finished with tea. Then Raham stood up. I-eon followed him out the door, but halfway down the hall, Raham stopped and turned back.

“I-eon.”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard, I-eon answered a beat late. It was definitely his name, but hearing it suddenly felt strangely unfamiliar.

“I left my car keys. Can you grab them for me?”

“Oh, sure.”

Answering without thinking, I-eon returned to the private room and checked the table. The keys weren’t anywhere visible, so he lifted the few remaining dishes, but they weren’t there either. He searched under the table and chairs just in case, but nothing.

Maybe they dropped outside? Since it was an expensive car, the thought made him frown. Just then, someone tapped lightly on the sliding door. It was Raham. He held something up and smiled.

“Sorry. It was in my pocket.”

“Ah… I thought you’d lost it.”

Still, it was a relief. Shaking off his worry, I-eon headed outside. He reached for his wallet to pay, but Raham placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the exit.

“I paid.”

“What?”

It wasn’t a joke, none of the staff were stopping them. I-eon’s face immediately twisted.

“What? I said I’m the one paying.”

“Do something else for me.”

Taking his hand off I-eon’s shoulder, Raham walked straight toward the parking lot without looking back. I-eon had no choice but to follow. He got into the car and asked,

“What ‘something else’?”

“Hmm…”

Judging from the look on his face, he hadn’t even thought of anything yet. With the engine idling, Raham finally glanced over.

“You like drinking?”

“Not really.”

His friends always said he lived a dull life because of it. But because his father’s drinking habits had been awful, I-eon had grown sick of alcohol long before adulthood. He drank occasionally for the atmosphere, but that was it.

“But it’s fine. If you like it, we can go.”

“I don’t drink.”

“…At all?”

“Yeah.”

“For your health?”

“It’s a waste of time.”

…Meaning he’d rather spend that time gaming. I-eon found himself impressed all over again.

“There’s nothing to do then. Next time I’ll buy dinner, so let’s just go home.”

“Okay.”

As the car started moving, I-eon didn’t bother asking if he could play music again. Instead, he looked out the window. The rising temperature made people look more irritable by the minute, and he felt lucky to be in a cool car.

They passed a quiet road, crossed a bridge, and merged onto a main street when I-eon suddenly realized they were heading in the wrong direction. The car was going the exact opposite way from his house.

“Where are we going?”

“Home.”

“My house isn’t…”

…No way. He looked at the driver. Raham’s face was perfectly calm.

“I meant each of us goes to our own home.”

“Oh. Didn’t know.”

Not even a hint of fluster in his voice. He definitely understood earlier and was pretending otherwise. If that wasn’t the case, he would’ve changed lanes by now, but the car kept going straight.

“You’re not turning the car around?”

“You got something to do today?”

“Something to do? W-well, no.”

Raham turned his head slightly while driving and smirked.

“Then instead of buying dinner, keep me company.”

“…You do whatever you want.”

He could’ve said something earlier instead of deciding everything by himself. Sighing in exasperation, I-eon slumped into the seat.

Dragged along, he soon arrived at a standalone three-story house in a neighborhood so expensive it was the kind of place people only dream of someday living in. When Raham said, “We’re here,” the fence alone was so long that I-eon wondered if they’d come to the wrong place.

The car passed the front gate and entered a spacious garage. There were five cars parked under the roof, each of them so high-end that drivers on the road would instinctively move aside. In comparison, the one they had ridden in earlier had been the “modest-looking” one.

“…Are all of these yours?”

“Yeah.”

Said with a straight face, as if there was nothing strange about that. It made reality slip a little. The cars were lined up like they’d come straight from a photoshoot, and they barely showed any signs of use.

So this is what another world feels like… He was oddly relieved, not even jealous. I-eon let out a weak laugh and joked,

“You don’t even go outside, so why do you have so many cars?”

“My cousin said I should try having a hobby other than gaming, so I bought them.”

“Ah…”

So he did listen to his cousin sometimes. And that explained the insane amount of money he spent in-game too… If this was his main hobby, then spending tens of millions wouldn’t faze him.

Understanding his spending habits made I-eon laugh helplessly. Raham smiled too.

“Want one?”

“…What?”

He wondered if he misheard, but Raham’s face was dead serious.

“Are you crazy?”

“You don’t like cars?”

“That’s not the…”

It was the same as earlier. Being forced to explain something that should go without saying made his mind freeze up. Raking a hand through his hair, I-eon ended up pushing Raham toward the house instead.

“Forget it. Come on.”

Thankfully, he followed without argument. They walked through the garden, and as the front door came into view, a new worry hit I-eon.

“Are your parents not home?”

“Yeah.”

Running into someone else’s parents in this situation would have been unbelievably awkward. Then again, it was only just past lunchtime, so they’d normally be at work.

Relieved, I-eon followed Raham inside. Past the entryway, which was spacious enough to have its own hallway, a living room appeared. Despite having plenty of decorative pieces, the space felt clean simply because of its size. I-eon admired the expansive windows that let in incredible natural light.

“Want something to drink?”

“Yeah, anything.”

“Want a snack too?”

“Sure.”

He had eaten a full lunch, but the long drive made him just hungry enough. As Raham headed toward the kitchen, I-eon asked from behind him,

“Can I look around the house?”

“Yeah.”

With permission granted, he wandered freely around the first floor. He didn’t bother opening any closed doors, but there were enough art pieces, at an almost gallery-level quality, that just looking around was interesting. Raham said he didn’t drink, yet the large wine cellar was fully stocked.

Worried he might knock something over and end up with his life in debt, I-eon moved carefully. His steps stopped at the foot of the staircase leading to the second floor. On the tall wall above the stairs hung a large framed photo. A young couple and a boy who looked like he was in lower elementary school. A family portrait of three.

I-eon let out a small laugh. The kid’s face, which was handsome in a distant, detached way, still had that same air even now. When he raised his gaze, he saw the beautiful woman whose features clearly explained where Raham’s looks came from.

“……?”

But strangely, the face of this complete stranger, Kwon Do-Jin’s mother, felt familiar. Frowning, I-eon rubbed his chin and dug through his memories. Then his eyes widened. He remembered. After hesitating a moment, he pulled out his phone and searched her name. Old articles popped up one after another.

An actress who died in a car accident 16 years ago. Her husband, K-Bio CEO Kwon something, also died in the crash. And right there under the search bar was the photo of the woman in the frame. It was an old incident, but she had been such a major figure of her time that even I-eon knew her name and face.

Frozen in place, overwhelmed, I-eon skimmed through a few of the articles. Then he searched Raham’s real name. Strangely, there was no information at all. Despite being the only child of two well-known people, he seemed to have never been exposed to the media. I-eon felt relieved at that much, but then their earlier conversation suddenly replayed in his mind. When they walked in…

‘Are your parents not home?’

‘Yeah.’

“…….”

I-eon quietly let out a breath and pressed a hand to his forehead. Of course that wasn’t what he meant by the question, and Raham would know that… but answering “Yeah” without hesitation, in exactly that tone, was something else. Then again, from his perspective, he probably didn’t want to make a big deal of it. I-eon should’ve just kept his mouth shut from the start.

“What are you doing?”

“Ugh.”

Startled by the voice that came from behind without a sound, I-eon spun around. Raham, Kwon Do-Jin, was standing right behind him, looking down at him.

Do-Jin looked at the stiffened I-eon and then at the framed photo, as if realizing the reason. In his usual, flat tone, he said,

“They’re my parents. They died in an accident.”

“Oh…”

“Come on. Let’s eat snacks.”

He gestured and walked toward the living room. Following him, I-eon quietly apologized to his back.

“Sorry.”

“……?”

He turned, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“Your parents.”

Not understanding why he should be apologized to, Do-Jin thought for a moment and then let out a soft “Ah,” followed by a small smile.

“It was so long ago I barely even remember.”

“Still.”

“Well… you can feel sorry if you want.”

He muttered this under his breath and handed I-eon a glass. It was orange juice with ice. A wooden tray was on the living room table, carrying a cup of coffee and bowls of cheese, crackers, chocolates, snacks that looked more like they belonged beside wine than casually piled on a tray. Do-Jin was about to sit on the sofa, then suddenly asked,

“Want to watch a movie?”

“A movie? Well… sure.”

Carrying the tray, Do-Jin passed the family photo and went upstairs. As I-eon followed, he looked over the view of the first floor from the stairs. The room at the far end of the hallway was a small home theater with blackout curtains, a projector screen, and a sofa big enough for several adults to lie down on. After seating I-eon on the sofa, Do-Jin turned on the projector and computer and asked,

“What do you want to watch?”

“I barely watch new movies. Just put on some action film.”

“Okay.”

While he searched, I-eon tried the snacks. The dense, sharp-flavored cheese didn’t quite suit his taste, but after cleansing his palate with juice he strangely found himself reaching for more.

Do-Jin quickly picked a movie, started it, and turned off the lights. Thanks to the blackout curtains, the room was dark enough to feel like a real theater. As Do-Jin sat beside him, I-eon said,

“With a setup like this, you must watch movies all the time.”

“This is my first time using it.”

“…What? Why?”

“I’m not interested in movies.”

With a dedicated room like this and how naturally he handled the setup, I-eon thought it had to be one of his hobbies. But apparently not.

“Then why suggest it?”

“For you.”

…Should he be grateful for the consideration?

Glancing briefly at the opening scene on the screen, I-eon asked again,

“Then you won’t even enjoy it.”

Do-Jin stretched his legs out and leaned against the sofa, smiling at him.

“Watching your face will be fun.”

“……?”

Isn’t that usually something people say when they mean someone is funny-looking…? Wondering if he was serious, I-eon glanced at him. The flickering light from the movie carved shadows onto Do-Jin’s face, highlighting the impossibly balanced features and sharp lines. With a face like that, he could probably make anything look amusing. Accepting it quickly, he focused on the screen. He’d watch quietly since Do-Jin played it for him.

It was a hero film stuffed with love, emotion, family bonds, even humanitarian themes. The scenes came relentlessly. Even though he hadn’t watched a movie in a long time, the huge screen and theater-level sound made it easy to get absorbed; I-eon found himself laughing, touched, laughing again as the story unfolded. It was well-made and gripping, so the nearly three hours flew by.

Only after the final scene faded and the end credits rolled did he surface from his focus. Exhaling deeply, he turned his head with a faint, satisfied smile. He meant to ask, “It was good, right?”

Do-Jin met his gaze. His eyes gleamed faintly in the dim light. But his face didn’t look like someone who had just watched a movie. The heavy, sinking stare felt like it was reaching deep inside I-eon.

“……”

“……”

Why… why is he looking at me like that…? I-eon froze instinctively at the strange intensity. While he sat there, the screen finally went black. The whole room went dark. In that moment, Do-Jin moved. At the sound of clothing brushing, I-eon flinched back, grabbing the sofa. Then, click, light flooded the room.

Turning the lights on with the remote, Do-Jin smiled mildly, the earlier expression nowhere to be found.

“I-eon. Do you want to sleep over?”

“……”

A survival instinct he didn’t know he had started shrieking. Still stiff, he shook his head quickly. Do-Jin stepped closer, leaning over the sofa with one hand on the backrest.

“You said you didn’t have anything to do.”

Why did he say that earlier…? No regret could change the past. Not even knowing why he wanted to avoid him so badly, I-eon scrambled for excuses. Before he could form something coherent, his mouth moved first.

“The air conditioner… I left it on, so I need to go home.”

“……?”

As someone who had no concept of electricity bills or household burdens, Do-Jin clearly didn’t understand what the air conditioner had to do with leaving, but he didn’t push further. His face softened slightly, as though he found I-eon pitiful. The expression looked like a hunter releasing a frightened rabbit with a silent “I’ll let you go this once.” Even I-eon, unaware of his true intentions, felt uneasy.

“I’ll drive you.”

“I can just take a taxi…”

“You want to get away from me that fast?”

“……”

He only ever threw fastballs…

In the end, they got into the car together. It was only five in the afternoon, but the sky looked ready to rain. I-eon sat stiffly, feeling like the air itself was suffocating him.

They didn’t speak at all until the car reached familiar roads and then the destination. One of them seemed oddly cheerful; the other pretended to be calm but couldn’t steady his eyes. As soon as the car stopped, I-eon got out quickly. Only after stepping out of Do-Jin’s space did he breathe easier. Holding the door, he bowed slightly.

“Thanks for today. Get home safe.”

Do-Jin leaned forward with both arms on the steering wheel, watching him hurry away. Still, seeing I-eon manage a polite farewell made the corner of his mouth curl. The smile, colored by intent, felt uncanny.

“Next time, sleep over.”

“……”

I-eon shut the door quickly and almost sprinted away. His ears were bright red. Thud, beep, he rushed up the stairs much faster than when he’d left. The moment the door lock clicked shut behind him, he finally felt safe. Not like Do-Jin would eat him alive, but that unnerving smile had felt like staring at a demon waiting to snatch him up. Looking back, maybe Do-Jin walking around expressionless was his way of protecting the sanity of others.

Ha… Leaning against the door, I-eon sighed and took off his shoes. Through the small veranda window, he saw Do-Jin’s car pulling away. The heavy black sedan slipped out of the narrow alley with practiced ease. The smooth, confident movement was just like its owner. Still thinking about that, I-eon flopped onto his bed.

Looking back on all of Raham, no, Kwon Do-Jin’s, behavior today, something definitely felt off, but he still couldn’t be certain there was real intent behind it. Do-Jin was simply impossible to read. And what could he even say? Complain that the man’s persistent stare bothered him? If he brought it up, Do-Jin would probably just ask why he shouldn’t look, driving him insane…

“I don’t know…”

Thinking alone wouldn’t solve anything. Shaking off his thoughts, I-eon got up abruptly. Moving his body would at least clear his head.

He cleaned busily, tidied the room, did laundry, fluffed the blankets, took out the trash, and even cleaned the bathroom while showering. Since the room was small and he didn’t own much, the already-clean space practically sparkled.

With no one watching, he threw on just a T-shirt and underwear and sprawled out on the bed. Moving around more than usual had left him tired. He scrolled through his phone aimlessly for about half an hour, until a sudden vibration broke the silence. For a moment he panicked, thinking it was Kwon Do-Jin, but relaxed when he saw the caller ID.

“Oh, noona.”

[What are you doing?]

“Just hanging out.”

He answered without thinking and immediately regretted not saying he’d been cleaning. As expected, the scolding came through the phone.

[Aren’t you playing around too much just because you’re on leave from school?]

“Oh, come on. I worked hard until last month.”

[Then study or get a certification or something.]

He had already saved next year’s tuition and was even tutoring once a week, but it wasn’t enough to pass his sister’s standards. I-eon let her realistic, relentless advice flow in one ear and out the other while he waited patiently. After a sigh, she finally got to the real point.

[I set my wedding date.]

“When?”

[End of May next year.]

Since it was late July now, there was still plenty of time.

“Did you tell Mom?”

[I’ll tell her when I get home later.]

“How’s hyung?”

[Good. Same as always. Oh, and Intae said the three of us should grab dinner soon.]

“Yeah. Tell him to match hyung’s schedule.”

They chatted a bit more about small things before wrapping up. And as always, right before hanging up, she said, “Do you need spending money? Should I send you some?” Honestly, why ask for an allowance while saving for a wedding?

“It’s fine. I said I have money.”

[Okay.]

Click, the call ended. But soon after, a text arrived with a deposit notification.

His sister, Jung I-soo, four years older than him, hadn’t moved out yet. She lived with their mother in Gyeonggi-do so she could save money until marriage. Since she wasn’t paying rent, she insisted he take allowances from time to time and always sent them even when he refused.

Honestly… I-eon let out a small laugh and turned off the phone screen.