UPLB Ch 9

Could a person fall for someone they do not even know properly? Furthermore, a person who even had an affair with Yeongnan, who had been his girlfriend.

It had become a habit for Yang Juwon to go on Choi Sungbin’s social media.

Since he did not upload photos himself, Juwon only scanned through the list of tagged photos. As there were many people around him who were confident in their looks, there were also many photos uploaded to social media. Even if Juwon did not check for a few days, a couple of photos would have piled up.

The twenty-year-old Choi Sungbin shone. He was smiling, and he was also sitting with an expressionless face. He drove a car, and he also brightened up a corner of a stylish restaurant.

On a bench in front of the College of Social Sciences building, Yang Juwon chewed on his fingernails as he read through his social media feed. As the weekend passed, another photo had been uploaded. It was by a woman with close to 70,000 followers.

At a private resort, wearing a swimsuit that was close to being nude, she had tagged Choi Sungbin. The message contained things that one would only write to a lover, such as, “I really wanted to come here, thank you for bringing me.” In response to a question asking if she had gotten a boyfriend, she did leave a reply saying she came with a “friend[s],” but no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like just the two of them had come.

There were many people who tagged Choi Sungbin, but there were no traces left by him. He did not even leave a common reply or press ‘like’. Did he just create an ID and not use it? Could it be possible that he does not use it? Anyone would want to use it if they lived receiving this kind of attention.

Yang Juwon returned to the list to check another photo. Just then, a pop-up window appeared at the top of the screen. It was not a very welcome face.

Juwon, it’s me, Yeongnan.

I changed my phone. You’re the only one whose number I remember.

Even though he had only seen the preview, he felt his breath catch in his throat for a moment. It had been about a month since Yeongnan went to her parents’ house. Except for the first day she went, there had not been a single call. It was a sorry thing to feel, but he was a little more at ease because of it. All of his nerves were already focused on Choi Sungbin.

And on the other hand, he was seized by a heavy sense of guilt. I have no relationship whatsoever with Choi Sungbin. We have never even had a proper conversation, yet just for the reason that my heart is drawn to him, I felt like I was committing a sin against her.

Since he had seen the message, he had to send a reply. He slowly tapped the keypad.

Yeah. Are you doing well?

I feel a lot better since I came down to my parents’ house. lol

I don’t even think about him much anymore.

I feel sorry for making my mom and dad worry for no reason.ㅠㅠ My parents raised me with so much love just because I’m their daughter.

Come down sometime. Let’s eat something delicious! My mom and dad said they miss Juwon too. How about this weekend?

He had only asked if she was doing well, but all sorts of information poured out. Yang Juwon read the message with a blank expression. She was trying not to show it, but it seemed she was still having a hard time. She was not this kind of person, but she was forcing herself to act bright.

What is Choi Sungbin to me.

What in the world is Choi Sungbin to me…….

Yang Juwon let out a heavy sigh.

Okay, I’ll go this weekend.

He sent the reply, clutching his uncomfortable heart. While waiting for a message back, he closed the social media app. He would not have even used it if it were not for Choi Sungbin anyway.

Coupled with Yeongnan’s message, a strange feeling arose, and in the end, he deleted the application. I should just live without paying attention. I’m probably getting more conscious of it because I keep checking.

He had been going in and out of the app several times, wondering if he might accept his follow request, but had it not just made him more obsessed?

Out of frustration, he lifted his head to receive the sunlight. Because it would make him feel a bit better. Though not as much as Yeongnan, he too was being tormented by an unexplainable feeling.

He was being swayed by a man who he did not even know knew him or not. He would often feel as if his windpipe was being blocked and he was being dragged along.

This is the worst. This was the worst kind of feeling.

And when he lowered his gaze again.

“……”

He is here today, too. Choi Sungbin is. Today, he was alone.

When he was alone, he would sit on the bench in front of the building. Whether it was to get some air, or to get some sunlight, or perhaps to get some outside air.

He sat quietly on the bench, looking somewhere on campus. Not listening to music, not even looking at his phone, just blankly.

When the man slowly closed and opened his eyes, even though late spring was passing and early summer was approaching, all the colors vanished. It became monochrome, as if it had turned into autumn.

If you were next to Choi Sungbin, anyone would become monochrome. No matter how dazzling a person was, no matter how unique a person was, they would be buried by his color.

‘I think I’ve become strange.’

Yang Juwon bit his lip gently. Now that he had confirmed his presence, he was once again giving him a look as if he were being sucked in. He felt that he had become strange. Perhaps he had already become strange. He kept, kept on chasing after Choi Sungbin.

Both Yeongnan, who was once his lover, and himself. Both of them were looking at one man. It was natural for Yeongnan since she was a heterosexual, but I was different. Did I like men, was I gay? Without even such common worries, I was falling for him helplessly.

“This is the worst.”

Yang Juwon muttered to himself and got up. He turned his back to Choi Sungbin and took a step away. Hurriedly, he quickened his pace without a destination and left the spot. He wanted to avoid it. He wanted to stop looking.

📝

Was the one fortunate thing the fact that he was not dating anyone? On the entire way to Yeongnan’s neighborhood, Yang Juwon thought of Choi Sungbin. He got on the express bus and, for two hours, closed his eyes and thought of him. It might have been more so because he was on his way to see Yeongnan.

He decided to bury the guilt he felt for harboring feelings for the man who had made Yeongnan suffer. It was not as if I had had contact like Yeongnan did; it was just a feeling. Had not Yeongnan been in a relationship with Choi Sungbin even while she was dating me? A feeling is just a feeling.

A feeling is just a feeling……. Still, I will probably not be able to reveal it.

Yang Juwon strained his closed eyes, frowning. No matter how much he thought about it, it was not easy. It was not easy to extinguish a feeling once it had flared up.

“Juwon!”

Yeongnan was out at the terminal. It was a terminal without many people, so only Yeongnan’s voice echoed in the air. Juwon simply raised and lowered his hand slightly as a greeting.

He approached her. As the distance narrowed, Yang Juwon flinched. He had not known from afar, but as he got closer, he could see what had changed.

“Yeongnan, you…….”

“Ah, I went on a bit of a diet. And…… um.”

“Your eyes look a little different.”

“Yeah……. Just. My dad’s friend said he’d do it for cheap.”

She had been talking nonstop about getting plastic surgery before they broke up, and it turns out she finally got double eyelid surgery. He had heard many people get their eyes done, but it was a world unknown to Yang Juwon, who had no interest in primping his appearance. So he could not praise her by saying it looked good, nor could he ask why she did it. He just said “Yeah,” just like the reaction she had shown.

Yeongnan’s overall vibe had changed. Her body, which had been of average build, was now bone-thin, and her medium-length hair was now long, but with only the ends curled in a circle, making it look almost like curly hair. She also had makeup on, and she even had flashy circle lenses in her eyes.

At Yeongnan’s words that she had parked the car out front, the two of them walked together. Yang Juwon caressed his own cheek. He glanced at Yeongnan out of the corner of his eye.

“It looks like you lost a lot of weight.”

“Yeah. I dieted. How do I look?”

“Huh?”

“What do you think?”

“Um……, you’re pretty. Why?”

“Just because.”

Yeongnan smiled without a word. Yang Juwon looked at her one more time, then shifted his gaze to the terminal exit. Should he accept this as a good change, or not? He tilted his head and then raised it.

📝

So that was not it. Yang Juwon wanted to leave the uncomfortable situation, but he could not get up because he had decided to stay the night.

When he was eating with Yeongnan, her parents, and her younger brother, Yeongnan had not shown any particular behavior. When he saw her eating tofu instead of rice, and even that was only half a block, he wondered why Yeongnan was like that, but since even her parents did not complain, there was nothing he could say.

Yeongnan’s parents continued their awkward praise of him. No matter how you think about it, a simple man like Juwon is the best, Juwon is not seeing anyone yet, right? If it’s okay, why don’t you two keep seeing each other.

It reached a point where even Yeongnan’s younger brother told them to stop. He chided them, asking why they were being so transparent.

“I’m sorry.”

Once they entered her room, Yeongnan apologized. Yang Juwon shook his head without a word. It did not matter. He had expected this to some extent.

“Wanna go out for a drink? Not a lot, just a little.”

The reason he readily nodded at those words was because this house was uncomfortable. He was supposed to sleep with her younger brother. He had heard about the younger brother from time to time when he was dating Yeongnan, but this was the first time they were actually meeting.

Even if they were the same gender, sharing a room with a stranger was uncomfortable. Yang Juwon was a man of few words, and he was not the type of person who could be friendly to his ex-girlfriend’s younger brother.

Since he had no intention of drinking a lot, he bought a four-pack of beer from the convenience store in front of the house and came out. The only snack was a bag of chips. He had never gotten drunk on beer, so this amount was something he could lightly drink by himself.

But Yeongnan was not like that. And he had no intention of getting her dead drunk.

Yang Juwon matched his pace to hers. When Yeongnan put the can to her lips, he did the same, and when she stopped drinking and put it down, he put his down too.

Around the time they had just finished one can, Yeongnan opened her mouth.

“Juwon.”

Yang Juwon did not let an answer out of his mouth. Instead, he just stared at Yeongnan.

“You’ve seen Sungbin at school, right? You said you knew his face. How is he, does he seem to be doing well?”

Yang Juwon rolled his eyes. It was hard to read what kind of answer she was hoping for. He fiddled with the can. With his finger, he wiped away the condensation that had formed on the surface. A beat later, he met Yeongnan’s eyes.

“I don’t know. We’re not close.”

“Right……. But maybe.”

Yeongnan touched her phone for a moment. A woman’s face filled the phone screen. It was a face that nine out of ten people would call pretty.

Yang Juwon felt his heart drop with a thud. He knew her too. She often tagged Choi Sungbin. She was also the person he went to the resort with. Recently, she had been meeting Choi Sungbin often. It was clear they were not dating, but it was certain they were closer than other people.

“If you compare me and this person now, who is more…….”

Yeongnan wanted a comparison.

At the sentence that followed, Yang Juwon felt his mind go completely blank. He knew who it was. Both Yeongnan and he did. But Yang Juwon had to pretend he did not know.

“Who is this?”

“Just. Someone I know. Just. Tell me, please?”

Something went down the wrong pipe and his throat clogged up. Ahem! Yang Juwon let out a short, dry cough.

“I don’t know much about things like this. Who’s prettier, and things like that.”

“You can tell just by looking. Please? Just look at the overall impression.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t be like that.”

“Really…….”

“Are you really going to be like that?”

What came back was an agitated voice. Yang Juwon clenched his jaw. He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He had to maintain his composure, at least. Yeongnan belatedly apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

Yang Juwon ended up asking.

“Who is this person.”

“……It seems like she’s been hanging out with Sungbin lately.”

“How did you know that?”

“I saw it on Instagram.”

“Weren’t you off Instagram?”

“……How do you know that?”

Oops. Yang Juwon clamped his mouth shut again. Because it was gone. He just gave a short reply instead.

Yeongnan clasped her hands and fiddled with them before opening a can. Without a moment for him to match her, she chugged the beer and slammed the can down.

“I made a new one. I was mutuals with Sungbin, but it was a bit… to look at. So.”

Yeongnan was in the same boat as him. She was secretly watching Choi Sungbin from behind the scenes.

By the way, Yang Juwon’s heart was pounding. He had also sent him a follow request, what if Yeongnan happened to see it by mistake. Then she would definitely think it was strange.

What’s more, I was not even in a mutual follow relationship with Choi Sungbin. I had sent a follow request, but he had not accepted it. Seeing that he was mutuals with Yeongnan, it seemed he was not completely inactive.

Then it just meant……, I had been ignored. Unconsciously, his clenched fist twitched.

Yeongnan, fiddling with her phone, made a suggestion.

“Should we follow each other again, us? It’s not like you and Sungbin will ever meet anyway. Are you active on Instagram these days? You didn’t use it when you were dating me.”

“Just. I tried it out once.”

“What was your account again? I’ll follow you.”

“……Yeah.”

Yang Juwon answered calmly and picked up his phone. He hurriedly went into the application he had reinstalled the day after deleting it. Then he quickly unfollowed Choi Sungbin, whom he had been following.

Looking at it now, his account was a mess. An awkwardly taken profile picture and posts. As expected, Yeongnan let out a “haha” laugh.

“You know you’re really bad at taking selfies, right? Your pose is good right now, should I take a picture for you?”

“No, why…….”

“Is there someone you’re interested in these days? You’re trying to be active on Instagram.”

“There’s no one like that.”

He did not want to say that he had been curating his social media in the hopes that Choi Sungbin would see it, in the hopes that he might remember him. He would not be able to, anyway.

Click—. Yeongnan’s phone made a short sound.

“Did you take a picture?”

“Yeah. Look at this. You came out well. You really look so much more handsome when someone else takes your picture. If you want to use this as your picture, go ahead. I’ll send it to you.”

He had not even answered, but the phone on his side vibrated shortly. Yang Juwon stared blankly at the photo Yeongnan had sent. What were the two of them doing? He suddenly wanted to go home. It seemed much better to be at home, with the lights off, secretly looking at Choi Sungbin’s social media.

“You know—.”

Drunk, Yeongnan began to speak with a slurred, drawn-out pronunciation. Yang Juwon, who had been sitting with his back straight, tilted his head and met her eyes.

“Actually, I liked Sungbin so much, you know? To the point where nothing, nothing else mattered. Whatever he was doing.”

“Why are you like this.”

“Just. I felt like everything would be okay. For real. I think it would be the same even now. Even if I went back. I think I’d cling to him. I’ve even begged him to come to my house in the middle of the night.”

“Did he come?”

“There were times he’d ignore my messages and not answer my calls. But sometimes, he came. He doesn’t even drink. So if he’s not digging himself into a hole, he’ll come. It’s just that he digs himself into a hole often.”

“A hole?”

“Yeah. I often couldn’t get in touch with him. He came the next day, but……, I wondered if he was just at home digging a hole by himself. You can just feel it when you talk to him. That he’s a kid with a lot of scars. He tries not to show it……. But the really scary thing is, the moment you realize that, you’ve already fallen for him. You just know you’ll fall with him, but it doesn’t matter.”

Yang Juwon gave a bitter smile. The scars Yeongnan had seen, the hole she had wanted to enter with him, Yang Juwon had never even seen them. But he had already fallen for him. He did not even know the reason he fell for him. Was it just because of his face?

Or was it because of his kindness? Had I, too, read his loneliness? I do not even know the reason. At some point, I was chasing him. Continuously. Endlessly.

Even in this situation, facing Yeongnan, Yang Juwon wanted to read Choi Sungbin’s darkness more than he worried about Yeongnan.

The more drunk Yeongnan got, the more she talked about Choi Sungbin. How profound a love she and Choi Sungbin had shared, how hard it was after she broke up with him, how despite her parents’ worries, she wanted to go back up to Seoul and see him just one more time.

Yang Juwon just listened to her story in silence. He was even envious that she could show and reveal it like this.

“Actually, I contacted Sungbin.”

When Yeongnan suggested they drink a little more, he had bought a couple more small cans, and she brought up something unexpected. She said that she had changed her phone and number and contacted Sungbin. Yang Juwon was a little surprised at that. It would be hard to forget, but he had not thought she would contact him even after going down to her parents’ house.

Yeongnan smiled bitterly and held out her phone. Yang Juwon’s expression hardened as he read down the messages. There was not a single reply. It was all messages she had sent. The times were all different too. 2 a.m., 4 a.m., sometimes 1 a.m.

Sungbin, I miss you.

Sungbin, it’s me, Yeongnan. Call me when you have time.

Don’t you miss me?

Come and get me.

I love you.

I’m sorry for saying I love you.

Let me see your face just once.

Should I go to Seoul right now? Let’s meet at our usual spot.

Choi Sungbin had not sent a single reply, but he had read all the messages. How could he not reply even after seeing them so blatantly. What a cold and heartless person he must be.

“……Why are you showing this to me?”

“He didn’t send a single reply even to this. He’s really cruel. But you know what. It’s going to be okay now. Me, and him too.”

“Why?”

“He’s going to the military next semester. He told me in advance, so I knew. He said he’d apply anywhere, as an addition, and just go. That it’s better to go when he’s a little younger. So. Yeah, it’ll be okay.”

In a short moment, Yang Juwon’s mind raced. Was Choi Sungbin making an excuse, or not. Many guys went after their first semester at the earliest, or after finishing their first year at the latest. It was a natural thing, and even he himself had gone, but it felt strange that Choi Sungbin was going.

It would take a little over a year and a half, and if he took a leave of absence, it would probably take two years.

It was a period of time that he himself had also spent, but for some reason, it felt long.

Could I try talking to him one more time before then? I know it’s an impossible thing.

📝

Why of all things did I have to remember that day right now?

Yang Juwon stretched his philtrum and covered the penis with his upper lip. His jaw ached, but he had no choice but to endure it. He spread his tongue wide and rubbed it under the glans.

Unable to breathe through his mouth, he flared his nostrils. At the hand that covered his head, he raised his gaze. Choi Sungbin, leaning against the bathroom wall, stroked his head with an indifferent gesture. His eyes, flushed with excitement but nothing more, looked down at him impassively.

“Umm…….”

Yang Juwon squeezed his eyes shut and moved his head back and forth. He opened his throat and took it in deeper. The glans pressed against the hole that had a limit, then moved away. The hand that had covered his head slowly came down and cupped his cheek. He slowly opened his closed eyes.

A thumb with neatly trimmed nails traced the corner of his eye. Tears that had welled up from the strain spread around his eyes. It was not enough to stream down.

“I’m going to cum.”

Choi Sungbin murmured in a lower voice than usual. His breathing was heavy. His breaths were tangled here and there. Yang Juwon pulled his head back. He rolled his tongue, following the shape of the glans he was barely holding onto. Choi Sungbin had told him to do so. To roll his tongue in a circle and to gather his lips and suck forcefully. If he wanted to move his head, to curl his lips over his teeth and let saliva flow so the flat surface of his teeth would not touch.

He obediently followed his words. He curled his lips over his teeth. He pushed his head forward and opened his mouth wider. He opened his throat and accepted the tip once again. When he choked out a gasp, short of breath, Choi Sungbin wrapped a hand around the back of his head so he could not escape.

The swollen blood vessel poked around inside his mouth. No matter how much he sucked, he could not get used to it. It felt like his jaw would dislocate. His head naturally pulled back, but the hand gripping him pushed his head in deeper.

His breath escaped with difficulty. Haaah, as soon as he swallowed a breath, semen surged and dug into his throat with a gurgle.

“Gack!”

He let out a scream-like gasp and fell backward. The semen he had not been able to swallow stretched out in a long string. Each time he gasped for breath, his chest heaved up and down.

Ah……, Yang Juwon, still sitting collapsed on the floor, lifted his head.

“Clean me up.”

Choi Sungbin once again brought his penis to his mouth. Semen and saliva were messily tangled together. He knew what he had to do.

Yang Juwon, clutching his stinging throat, stuck out his tongue. He rubbed his tongue upward from the root. He licked meticulously, then took the glans deep into his mouth before pulling back. He rubbed the urethral opening with his tongue. The body odor spreading in his mouth made his head spin.

It was purely a clean-up.

Choi Sungbin bent his upper body and pulled out a roll of toilet paper. Yang Juwon took the toilet paper and wiped the penis he had been licking until now. It was a familiar procedure by now.

“Get up.”

Yang Juwon pushed himself up, bracing his hand on the stall door. As he slightly raised his gaze, Choi Sungbin tilted his chin up.

“Show me.”

In the face of the pressure, Yang Juwon grabbed the buckle of his pants. One moment he was insulting him by calling him a pervert, and the next he was telling him to show his lower half. Was it a relief that he was not making him masturbate like last time?

As he pulled down the belt loop, the sound of Choi Sungbin snorting poured over the top of his head. He said his underwear was tacky. The faded boxer shorts were bulging up. Because the fit was loose, his erect penis lifted the bottom of the underwear.

Yang Juwon pulled down the boxer shorts. At the tip of his erect penis, transparent pre-cum had not just formed but stretched out, soaking the underwear. Unconsciously, he followed the man’s gaze.

Choi Sungbin watched the erect penis silently, then met his eyes.

“Are you going to masturbate?”

“No. I just have to hold it in for a bit.”

“Fine. Then.”

Choi Sungbin, who had at some point neatly fastened his pants buckle, picked up the bag he had hung on the door. As if he had finished his business and had no more reason to be there, he went outside. The sound of water running from beyond the partition was heard for a while, then he walked away with heavy steps, closed the door, and left.

Only then did Yang Juwon’s tension release. He glanced at the bag he had placed on the floor for a moment, then leaned his body against the wall.

“……”

He stood with an expressionless face, but his hand wrapped around his penis. He had said he could hold it in, but it seemed it would be difficult if he did not masturbate. He shook it quickly, not for the sake of enjoying the excitement, but purely to ejaculate. Breaths escaped intermittently, but he endured by biting his lip.

The excitement that had already pooled quickly boiled over. Yang Juwon, knitting his brow, moved his hand. The speed of his hand moving back and forth picked up. He bent at the waist and hunched his shoulders.

“Keuheup…….”

He tried to hold his breath, but a sound ended up leaking out. Strength filled his forearm. Blood rushed fiercely from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. Without even a moment to grab toilet paper, he spewed semen onto his palm.

“Haaaah…….”

He had almost spilled it onto the floor. He tore off toilet paper and wiped away the semen that had seeped between his fingers. He was planning to go out and wash his hands anyway, so it was more like a quick wipe.

He calmed his breathing a few more times. He crumpled the toilet paper in his fist and flushed it down the toilet. Swiiish—, the toilet paper was sucked in with the sound.

It feels like I’m constantly becoming a pervert. I wasn’t like this originally. Haven’t I always lived a simple life, sexually? Now, if I go out, wash my hands, and just rinse my mouth, everything will be resolved. Then I could attend class with an unfazed expression. No one would know that just five minutes ago, I was sucking a penis.

Ah. One person knows. Besides Choi Sungbin.

Yang Juwon slung the bag he had left on the floor over his front. He had to rinse his mouth with the mouthwash inside.

Coming outside, he flinched to a stop.

“……”

Choi Sungbin was leaning slantwise against the bathroom door. He, who had been fiddling with his fingernails, let out a breath.

Yang Juwon’s mouth went completely dry. Since when had he been there? I thought he had definitely left. Did he pretend to leave on purpose? Did he hear everything? In his anxiety, his mouth, which tasted of something fishy, moved.

Even though their eyes met, he pretended not to see and approached the sink. He rummaged through his bag and took out a bottle of mouthwash large enough to fill his hand. He washed his hands and immediately rinsed his mouth. Puffing out his cheeks, he glanced at the mirror. Through the mirror, he met the indifferent eyes that were watching him.

“Did you masturbate?”

Choi Sungbin, who seemed like he would not say anything, spoke first. Why was he asking something so obvious when he heard everything?

Yang Juwon put a lock on his mouth. Because he was probably asking even though he knew everything. Instead, he spit out the mouthwash he had been holding in his mouth. He rinsed his mouth with running water.

“You said you’d hold it in, but you did it.”

“……”

“Should I watch you next time?”

He just rolled his eyes and met the eyes of the man in the mirror. The water continued to pour. On the outside, it was a clean sink bowl, but due to the poorly managed drain, water was pooling.

“Come over here.”

Only then did Yang Juwon turn off the water. With nothing to wipe the water from his hands, he approached him, letting it drip. Choi Sungbin took a handkerchief out of his bag.

“What are you doing.”

Was he telling him to hold out his hand? Yang Juwon obediently held out his hand.

Choi Sungbin personally wiped the water from his hand. The gesture, gentle yet unhesitating, resembled his personality. He carries a handkerchief, too. Well, it made sense if it was Choi Sungbin. Indifferently wiping wet hands on his clothes would not suit him.

He is pretty…….

This was the first time he had seen him this up close since the day they had tumbled on the hotel bed.

A face that could draw people’s gazes and make them gather around.

Skin that looked a bit pale but was clear and transparent, deep-set eyes……, and full lips that suited him well. It was a face that seemed to have a story, one that stimulated a lustful desire to accept everything about him.

I want to kiss you.

He recalled the night from a few days ago. The night they had kissed and caressed in a way that was close to sex.

Yang Juwon quickly lowered his eyes, then turned a subtle gaze back toward him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Choi Sungbin, who had been quietly wiping his hands, said with a smile on his face. He, who had been looking down, tilted his head and looked up. Even though they were facing each other, it felt like he had been caught staring, so Yang Juwon quickly shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

Haha, Choi Sungbin laughed softly. Because he was someone with extreme mood swings, Yang Juwon did not reply. He could be laughing like this and then suddenly get annoyed.

“Do you want to kiss?”

“……”

“You keep staring at my lips.”

The corners of his eyes curved prettily as they met. Yang Juwon could not answer. Yes, or no, the words did not come out easily. If he said yes, he did not know what Choi Sungbin would say, and if he said no, it would be a lie.

“Should I do it for you?”

“……”

“I let you suck my cock, a kiss is nothing.”

At the unexpected development, Yang Juwon flinched. Did holding hands seem like nothing to him now, so he could kiss him while sober? Or did it not matter because they had done it once? He hunched his shoulders, but he could not avoid the approaching head.

Did I rinse my mouth well? I should have brought my toothbrush set. I forgot and didn’t pack it.

His face came closer and closer. He squeezed his eyes shut. He felt a soft breath. The man’s warmth spread in the air.

But their lips did not touch. Yang Juwon, who had been squeezing his eyes shut so tightly that deep wrinkles formed around them, slowly opened them. Choi Sungbin had already pulled back.

“Idiot.”

“Huh……?”

“Why would I kiss you, sunbae.”

His voice was laced with playfulness. Just. He had been toying with him.

Yang Juwon chewed on his lip. It wasn’t just once. If he could have his way, he wanted to spit it out, but his playfully smiling face was better than when he was annoyed and angry, so he just stayed put.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go out and eat. I’m hungry.”

Still, they had now reached a point where they could face each other and eat without feeling repulsed.

His eating habits are cute, but I know Choi Sungbin would hate it, so I purposely do not say it.

Occasionally, his upper lip would pout, and although he did not stuff his mouth with food, his cheeks would puff out. He had an indifferent expression the whole time he ate, as if he had no appetite, but surprisingly, he was not a picky eater. He was not a picky eater, but he had a small appetite. The moment his stomach was a little full, he would put down his spoon. He was different from me, who eats foolishly whenever there is a chance.

Since it was past lunchtime, the campus cafeteria was not crowded. Everyone was sitting sparsely. The two of them sat in a spot with a view of the garden. Yang Juwon, who had been sipping his soup, looked out the window. The bamboo planted beyond the plate glass window made the bleak atmosphere of the campus cafeteria feel charming.

“I’m going to the department store today.”

Choi Sungbin said, mid-meal. His pronunciation was closer to ‘galyuguyeo’ than ‘garyeogoyo.’

To think we have become close enough to say this much. It felt novel all of a sudden. Though it was probably a conversation that continued only because he was in a good mood.

Yang Juwon decided to enjoy the present. Because he did not know when things might go sour again.

“Why?”

“To buy shoes.”

“Shoes?”

“Yes.”

Hmm. Yang Juwon put down the spoon he was holding. He had bought Choi Sungbin meals or coffee before, but he had never given him a separate gift. He imagined Choi Sungbin walking around in shoes he had bought him. He could not show it off anywhere, but it did not seem bad.

Yang Juwon carefully opened his mouth.

“Should I buy them for you?”

Choi Sungbin, who had been staring only at his food, glanced up.

“You, sunbae?”

“Yeah.”

“They say if you buy someone shoes, they’ll leave. Are you telling me to go?”

Yang Juwon quickly waved his hands.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Just. I want to buy you a gift.”

Choi Sungbin covered his mouth with the back of his hand and laughed. Kook kook, at the sound of his laughter, Yang Juwon curled his lip. He thought he had done well to say it.

He looked happy. When he was in a good mood, he was like a soft, fluffy puppy. Cute……. Foolishly, when he was in a good mood, I became happy too. To the point of forgetting everything he did when he was in a bad mood.

The problem was that such times were not frequent…….

Choi Sungbin soon fixed his expression into a sulky one.

“Fine. Buy me shoes.”

📝

Choi Sungbin was in a good mood today. It was a good day for no particular reason. He had slept for about four hours without waking up. For him, who would wake up every one or two hours even when he did sleep, it was a rare occurrence.

He did not think much of it even when Yang Juwon kept his mouth shut, and he did not get annoyed even when he spaced out while sucking. And now, a silly laugh kept leaking out.

Yang Juwon sat on the sofa and looked around. He was deathly pale. Choi Sungbin watched him from a distance.

“The size seems to be okay, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s fine.”

To the seller’s question, Choi Sungbin replied with a smile. Yang Juwon just rolled his eyes here and there, trying to read the situation. Was this his first time in a luxury store? Looking at what he wore, it was entirely possible.

What kind of wallet did he carry? I saw it, but I could not remember it exactly. In the first place, I was not even interested.

I do not necessarily have to get him to buy me shoes. It was definitely not because I was short on money.

I was just being brazen to see how he would react. If he later grabbed me and said he could not buy them, I would just break up with him. The shoes with the huge logo were not to my taste, but I wore them to show him.

Choi Sungbin, with the shoes on, approached Yang Juwon. He, who had been looking around with an anxious air, met his wavering eyes.

“Sunbae, how are they?”

“……They’re pretty.”

His face was deathly pale, but he still said they were pretty. Choi Sungbin barely managed to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out. He spoke to the seller standing with them.

“My boyfriend is buying me shoes.”

“Your boyfriend?”

“Yes, he’s handsome, right?”

The seller laughed awkwardly and said, “Ah,” then quickly smiled brightly.

“Yes, he’s very handsome. You two look good together.”

“Haha. Do we?”

Choi Sungbin smiled even more brightly. Yang Juwon, with a troubled face, awkwardly followed with a laugh before finally bowing his head. He fiddled with his hands.

He rubbed his palms together as if his hands were cold. He pressed the area between his thumb and index finger firmly like someone with indigestion, then eventually clasped them.

The shoes were 1.28 million won. Choi Sungbin glanced at the man standing in front of the counter out of the corner of his eye. His already pale face hardened even more upon hearing the price. I was not the only one who read his expression. The seller, as if this was not the first time seeing such a situation, pretended not to see and smiled at Choi Sungbin. Choi Sungbin curved his eyes to match his.

“What are you doing. Pay for it.”

The stiffened Yang Juwon took his wallet out of his back pocket. It was an old wallet with all its leather worn out. It was a low-end brand that even students these days do not use. Usually, I did not think about what he used, but now it caught my eye.

Did he buy this wallet, which I would not even use if given, himself, or did he receive it as a gift? Judging by his personality, it does not seem like he would have bought it himself. Then did his parents buy it for him for getting into university? I know it was not a lover. Who could he have dated with a personality like that.

“……Please ring this up.”

In the end, Yang Juwon held out his card. It was that debit card he always used. When asked if he wanted to pay in installments, he just said yes. How could one pay in installments with a debit card.

“I’ll process it as a one-time payment.”

The seller who took the card said. I did not bother with loyalty points. It’s not even my money, so why bother.

Yang Juwon signed the receipt. I watched the back of his head as he wrote ‘Yang Juwon’ in neat handwriting at the bottom of the receipt. Choi Sungbin pouted his lips.

You don’t have money. Why are you buying it for me?

I know he would not be living like that if he had money. I knew he struggled because of a few pennies. That unless he was eating with me, he would eat a line of kimbap with a bowl of ramen from a convenience store, and that there were even times he would fill his stomach with just one triangular kimbap.

So I became even more curious. Why is he buying it for me? Because I’m his boyfriend?

“Thank you.”

After hearing the explanation about product exchanges and refunds, he received the employee’s farewell. Yang Juwon took the shopping bag. His cheeks were flushed red.

I know he was not flushed because he was happy to have bought it for me. At most, he would have been thinking of sneakers in the 100,000 to 200,000 won range; he would not have imagined a sum over a million won. But the man did not show it. It was noticeable, but that was all.

The two of them left the store in silence. Yang Juwon held out the shopping bag.

“Wear them well. It’s a gift.”

Choi Sungbin did not take the shopping bag. The cuff of the man’s shirt, who was urging him with his hand, was stretched out. He seemed to have no thought of buying new clothes even when they were faded. The clothes he wore were always like this.

Why would a person who struggles for every penny buy this without a word of complaint? Even if he himself was the one who said he would buy it first.

Choi Sungbin still stood his ground. He wanted to ask again.

Why on earth are you buying it for me? Do you buy everything I ask for?

There were plenty of opportunities. In the department store parking lot, inside the store, and even in front of the counter, if I had abandoned my pride, I could have easily said it was a burden. It would have been embarrassing, but I was not someone who cared about such things. I could just pay for it with my own money. I was just curious to see how he would react.

“……”

In the end, he reached out his hand. He took the shopping bag. He should have been happy, but he was not. The words ‘thank you’ did not come out either. For some reason, it felt like I had lost to this man.

I shop often, and I buy things heavier than this if I need them, but today, the shopping bag in my hand felt heavy. It felt like it was laden with the man’s burden and affection, so it was uncomfortable to receive. I thought it would be fun, but it was less so than I expected.

“Dinner is…….”

While waiting for the elevator, Yang Juwon spoke first. Choi Sungbin, who had been repeatedly tilting his head in discomfort, shifted his gaze.

“Can we go to your place to eat? I have some side dishes that were sent to me.”

Is it a given that we eat together too? Choi Sungbin readjusted his grip on the shopping bag.

“Who sent them?”

“My mom. Will it be hard to park there?”

“Is it in an alley?”

“Yeah, but there are other cars parked there, but if it’s inconvenient…….”

“Okay.”

It was time for dinner anyway, and there was no particular reason to refuse.

Ding—. The elevator arrived with a sound. Choi Sungbin took a step first. The man’s gaze poured onto his back. He got on the elevator, leaving him behind. Holding the open button, he finally met the man’s eyes.

“Okay. Hurry up and get in.”

📝

Choi Sungbin silently looked around the house. Yang Juwon’s rented room was a studio apartment made by splitting a detached house into smaller and smaller units. When you opened the front door, it was a hallway directly connected to the outside. Naturally, it was far from secure.

On the first floor alone, there were 5 doors with door locks, and on the second floor, there were 4. The room Yang Juwon lived in was tucked into a corner on the second floor.

The room itself was also extremely small. Should I consider it a relief that it’s not a semi-basement?

In the middle of the yellowish walls, new wallpaper was patched on, but because it looked stained, it actually looked messier. It was a house without even a bed. It was better without one. It was that small.

Although it was on the second floor, it was blocked by the building next to it, so there was almost no light to be found.

He had been to other people’s rented rooms before, but this house was a bit much. No matter how close to the school it was, no matter if it was a studio apartment, and even though he himself preferred studio-type homes, this was……. If he were to spend a night here, he would surely go insane. There must have been a reason why Yang Juwon acted strangely.

Choi Sungbin tried to hide his surprised expression, but he kept looking around the house. It also seemed to be because there was no one to talk to.

As soon as he came home, Yang Juwon was busy. He wondered what there was to do in this small house that he was scurrying around so much, but he too was an ordinary student in his twenties living alone. He probably had not expected a sudden guest.

He went around sweeping the house with a broom and even wiped it once with a dry cloth. There was no vacuum cleaner either. At least he seemed to do his dishes well after eating, as there was no food smell, and the trash was not noticeably offensive.

The house was very old and shabby, but it had a cozy smell. It was a home where someone lived who cleaned diligently, ran the washing machine periodically, and, despite the house’s worn-out state, was good at keeping things organized.

Choi Sungbin sucked in his lower lip. He was just rolling his eyes around when Yang Juwon spoke to him.

“Sorry. The house is small, right?”

“Yes……, well…….”

It is small. Choi Sungbin’s answer trailed off.

Yang Juwon gave a slight, silent smile and brought out a table that had been in the corner. Even this was small. It was a size that would barely fit a man of average build, so it was sure to be small for Yang Juwon, who was taller than average, and for him.

He imagined the man quietly eating and doing his assignments here. Imagining him bent over doing something was not very pleasant.

Do his parents not say anything even after seeing a house like this? If they send him side dishes, they must be on good terms.

Yang Juwon brought a drink from the refrigerator and placed it in front of him. Choi Sungbin reached out and touched the glass bottle. Condensation had formed, but it was not extremely cold.

Well. With a refrigerator like that.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah.”

“Have your parents been to your house?”

Choi Sungbin finally asked Yang Juwon, who was sitting on the floor. Because the house was small, they had no choice but to be close. This much distance was not uncomfortable anymore. Humans were animals susceptible to adaptation.

“It’s the house my parents found for me.”

“Ah.”

“They felt sorry. For not being able to find me a better house.”

Choi Sungbin rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was frustrated and annoyed. In his twisted mind, he even wondered if he bought him the shoes and deliberately brought him here. To say, look at my situation. Do you want to receive expensive shoes from a person like this?

He pulled down the corners of his mouth, then returned to his original expression. It became even more malicious. He wanted to pick a fight for no reason. So he smiled. He curved his eyes and spoke in a softer voice than usual.

“Your parents feel sorry for not being able to find you a good house, but you bought me shoes that cost over a million won? Should I be happy?”

“……”

He knows that just because the tone is nice, it does not mean the words are all nice. Yang Juwon would know too. He eventually bowed his head. At that frustrating sight, Choi Sungbin’s expression finally hardened. No matter how annoying Yang Juwon was, he was not a person so wicked as to skin a flea for its liver.

Choi Sungbin clicked his tongue, tsk, shortly.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah.”

“Give me your phone.”

Yang Juwon pushed his phone over with suspicious eyes. Choi Sungbin handled the phone, which was not even locked, as if it were his own. Since he knew which card he used, he naturally went into the banking app. There was nothing else besides this anyway.

“Unlock it.”

Yang Juwon rolled his eyes, then finally put up his index finger and unlocked the bank’s security. He belatedly asked, “Why?” but he did not answer. Choi Sungbin checked the amount in the bank account.

Once at Yang Juwon. Once at the numbers. And then once again at Yang Juwon. The man’s gaze finally fell.

“This isn’t all the money you have, right?”

“Yeah. It’s not.”

“There were no other banking apps.”

“Uh…….”

“Is this all the money you have? Don’t lie, just tell me.”

It felt like curses were about to spill out to the tip of his throat. You fucking idiot, what the hell are you doing? He barely held back the urge to lash out at him.

Instead of answering, Yang Juwon let out a deep sigh.

“You have less than a million won left.”

“Uh…….”

“Are you an idiot, for real?”

He tossed the phone onto the table with an annoyed gesture. Never mind a million won……, seeing the bank balance of less than 500,000 won made him so frustrated that he wanted to spew all sorts of curses.

Foolish bastard. Idiot bastard. Dimwitted bastard. Choi Sungbin eventually took out his phone. He pressed his fingerprint and went into his banking app. He checked his account number and transferred the money.

“I made it 2 million. Since you’ve bought me meals and stuff all this time.”

“……”

“What are you staring at me like that for?”

He said a word because his blank stare was bothering him, and he quickly shook his head.

“……I wanted to buy you the shoes.”

What he said in a voice that seemed like it would crawl into the ground was a real spectacle. Choi Sungbin eventually let out a snort.

“Sunbae.”

“Yeah.”

“Feel sorry for your parents instead.”

Yang Juwon bit his lip. He stuck out his lips like a duck. Sitting cross-legged, he wiggled his toes.

“Next time, I’ll get a part-time job and buy them for you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Choi Sungbin replied without sincerity. What’s the point when you do not even know if there will be a next time. It seemed like he was all talk.

The rice was instant rice, but the side dishes his mother had supposedly sent were delicious. It felt like a home-cooked meal. It was not heavily seasoned and was neat. That made it even cleaner.

Choi Sungbin, who had never had a proper home-cooked meal, felt strange. Because of that, he kept his mouth shut even more firmly. He did not even give the compliments one might offer out of politeness, and Yang Juwon, not having high expectations, did not ask.

When Yang Juwon was taking out the side dishes, he glanced over and saw that the small refrigerator was packed full. With large side dish containers, and fruit that students living alone would not bother to eat, there was no empty space.

How big must the package have been. He could just live off of triangular kimbap from outside. When he comes home, there’s a whole spread of homemade side dishes.

He wanted to be sarcastic, but he held it in. Fearing it would feel like an inferiority complex, he kept his mouth shut even more firmly.

Choi Sungbin watched Yang Juwon’s back as he did the dishes. Because the house was so small, if you sat leaning against the wall, you could see him directly. It seemed he was originally a neat person. He saw an unexpected side of him. If they had only met outside, he would never have known. Not that there was a reason to know.

He lives in such a troublesome way…….

Choi Sungbin had that thought.

As someone who ate out to avoid the hassle of cleaning up, he could not understand. I guess there are people like that. It was more convenient for people like me to live because there were people like that.

“……”

The butt in front of him kept wiggling. It was not that he was shaking it because he was excited. The sink was low and narrow. Because of that, he kept shifting his hips. But for him, who had to watch that sight from right in front, it was not a very pleasant experience.

Choi Sungbin got up. He walked just a couple of steps and stood pressed right up against his back.

“Men do this too, right?”

It was a joke. He grabbed his waist and pressed his lower body tightly against him. I mean. Just a joke. He thought that since they did everything else, a joke like this would not be a problem. He was planning to tell him to stop moving so much if Yang Juwon flinched and stiffened.

“……”

But it seemed he was the only one who thought it was nothing. He had not expected the usually composed Yang Juwon to be so startled that he would splash him with soapy foam and water.

Chap—, the bomb-like soap foam hit his face and burst. Water dripped and even soaked his shirt. Choi Sungbin was so flustered that he could not say anything and just blinked his eyes. What the…….

“……Whoa, you scared me.”

“What are you doing?”

Choi Sungbin asked in a dumbfounded voice. He was not the only one who was startled, but he was the one who got hit with foam and dishwater. He wiped around his eyes with an annoyed gesture. Water had splashed all over his face and clothes too. The foam was slowly dying down.

“No, I was, I was startled.”

“You splash water on someone because you were startled?”

“No. Uh. Sorry. Wait a minute. Just a minute, let me finish this. Just sit down for a second.”

Yang Juwon, who usually did not get flustered easily, became talkative this time, as he must have been surprised. Choi Sungbin’s mood was getting shittier and shittier. It’s unpleasant to be hit with clean water, but he was hit with water mixed with food scraps.

Ugh, fuck. In the end, he took off the shirt he was wearing.

“Huh?”

Yang Juwon showed a dumbfounded reaction.

“I’m going to wash up. I feel gross.”

Choi Sungbin went to the bathroom and washed his face. In the meantime, the sound of the water running had stopped. He could have done it at home, but he opened the shelf, took out a toothbrush, and brushed his teeth. He thought he would be living with just one toothbrush, but he did have a few saved up.

Perhaps because the house was so old, acting however he wanted did not feel very uncomfortable. Even though it was his first time here, it felt familiar, as if he had come often.

When he came out, the clothes he had taken out were gone. Choi Sungbin silently looked at Yang Juwon, and Yang Juwon pointed to the washing machine installed in the cabinet under the sink.

“I was going to wash it for you.”

“Then what do I wear to go home?”

“It’ll wash quickly. I’ll dry it right away with a hairdryer. Just rest for a bit.”

Nothing is going right. Whenever he was with this man, things always took a strange turn. It meant that their relationship was one where there was nothing to be gained by being together.

As he stood with his arms crossed and a sullen face, Yang Juwon unfolded a neatly folded blanket for him.

The blanket, with a design he would never buy with his own money, looked like something he had brought from his parents’ house, no matter who saw it. A light green duvet cover with a floral pattern sparsely drawn on it, and even that was a faded sky-blue blanket. Meanwhile, the pillow was yellow.

Yang Juwon patted the blanket to smooth it out and said.

“Just rest for a bit. Just for a bit.”

“Are you planning to do something weird?”

“……No.”

“You took advantage of me when I was drunk last time, too.”

“That wasn’t me, it was…….”

“Just for a bit.”

The laundry was already running, and there was nothing to do. Would he have a heart-to-heart chat with Yang Juwon? I should just stay cooped up in a corner and go back when the laundry is done.

In the end, Choi Sungbin lay down. He watched the spinning laundry, then looked at Yang Juwon. He was looking at him, but when their eyes met, he quickly averted his gaze. But in this small room, where could he run even if he tried to avoid it?

Choi Sungbin turned to face the wall. He closed his eyes. He could feel the gaze, but it was better than meeting his eyes. What should I do to pass the time? I will not be able to sleep anyway.

The low, impassive voice was nevertheless gentle.

“……bin, Choi Sungbin.”

Choi Sungbin did not reply. The calling voice did not feel like a disturbance. He had never felt so peaceful in his life.

His family home, where his father’s women came and went, could not be a place of rest for him. The current house where he had lived alone since just entering high school, despite being a studio-type where the layout could be seen at a glance, was frighteningly quiet.

At first, he always lived with some sound on, whether it was the television, music, or some random rambling video. Now, he had become able to ignore even that solitude.

He does not know what it is to sleep deeply. He could not fall asleep until late in the morning, and when he finally did, he would wake up every one or two hours. He was always on edge. He acted like he was not, but he lived with his guard up.

“……Should I just leave him be.”

The man’s murmur faintly reached him. But Choi Sungbin did not open his eyes. He could not even open them.

Everything in this room helped him sleep soundly. From the cozy smell to the moderate temperature, and even the solitude where no light penetrated. This house, not a place where sunlight would pour in as if spilling from across the river in the morning, was perfect for him.

A small house. A place where you could go everywhere in just a couple of steps. He could hear bustling sounds, but strangely, the noise was not bothersome.

Flicking a switch off, going into the bathroom and running the water for a long time before turning it off. Turning the lights off and on repeatedly, drying his hair with a hairdryer, tapping on his laptop for a bit, and then even that sound died down with the flick of a switch.

Choi Sungbin slept the whole time. Without waking up once. He could hear the man’s breathing up close. At the soft exhales, he frowned in his sleep.

For that perverted man, if once was not hard, would twice be? He showed a sign of discomfort, fearing he would try to kiss him again.

“……”

He did not feel lips. Instead, a finger touched his cheek. Then it gently brushed from side to side.

It was unpleasant. The touch of the back of the fingers caressing him. The gesture of touching him carefully, as if he might break or shatter. It felt bad.

Choi Sungbin was engulfed in a strange emotion. It was different from the caresses meant to draw attention after sex. What is this? Even in his sleep, he wandered through his mind to find an answer, but no answer came. Instead, his mind only became more complicated.

“Sleep well.”

It must be because of the man’s voice.

It was the most gentle voice he had ever used to speak to him.

📝

Choi Sungbin……, ……I’ll contact you.

I’ll put out some cup ramen for now. Get up and eat when you wake up.

He’s still sleeping. What should I do…….

📝

“Choi Sungbin. Stop and get up.”

At the hand shaking him awake, Choi Sungbin opened his eyes irritably. What was the point of shaking him awake when he had barely fallen asleep. Just because he slept a little, was he lording it over him because it was his house?

In the end, he opened his eyes with a frown. Yang Juwon was quietly looking down at him. It was still dark. It felt like he had not even slept for a few hours, so why.

“……Why are you waking me up.”

He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse. He had slept so much that his body had melted. For the first time, he felt that the more you sleep, the more fatigue accumulates. But he wanted to sleep more.

Could he have put sleeping pills in my drink? No. I know Yang Juwon is not the kind of person to do that.

“You didn’t even go to class today.”

“……What are you talking about.”

“Lecture. ……And you didn’t eat a single meal.”

“That’s because.”

Because I fell asleep not long ago. He was about to retort but checked his phone. He checked the date among the piled-up messages.

“You slept for over a day. You have to get up. I thought something had happened.”

He had slept for a full day. It was not that he had slept for a few hours; he had slept for a whole day, and evening had come again. Can a person sleep this much? Choi Sungbin, just blinking his eyes silently, asked back.

“I slept the whole time?”

“You did wake up when I talked to you. And then you went back to sleep…….”

“You should have woken me up.”

“You got angry later when I tried to wake you up.”

“Ah.”

He had no memory. The man’s voice and his bustling around came back to him faintly, but he had not reacted at all. He had ignored it all.

Choi Sungbin managed to sit up. He looked out the window. Beyond the translucent window, only darkness and the dim light seeping in from the adjacent building filled the space.

This is crazy. He shifted his astonished eyes to Yang Juwon. He stealthily avoided his gaze. Seeing that made him flare up again. How unlucky, again.

“Why are you avoiding my eyes? Don’t tell me you did something weird while I was sleeping?”

“I didn’t do anything like that.”

Was touching my cheek and whispering “sleep well” not something weird? I had a restless sleep because of that weird act…… but to say that, I had actually slept way too much. Ahem, he cleared his throat.

“By any chance.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you put sleeping pills in it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“In the food or drink I had last night. If not for that…….”

A person cannot sleep all day like this. Although he said I woke up intermittently, the average person’s sleep time is about 7 hours, so 24 hours was a bit grotesque. Even if I usually suffered from insomnia, I was not the type to sleep it all off at once unless I took medicine. And how could I not have heard Yang Juwon calling to wake me up.

Yang Juwon, catching the tail end of his suspicious words, frowned for the first time in a while.

“No. Just. You kept sleeping. I was surprised too.”

“I see.”

Choi Sungbin closed his eyes gently and turned his head. It felt like his fatigue had actually accumulated. It was okay to skip one class. He usually always maintained a 100 percent attendance rate.

He reached out and picked up his phone. The battery was perfectly charged.

“……”

He checked his messages. There were only messages preparing for last night, and the coming night, but there were no messages at all even though he had missed class. The only people who could be called friends were Hyena and Seokjun, but he could not help it with Seokjun since their classes did not overlap. Come to think of it, Hyena…… I do not know.

He scanned the messages without sincerity and tossed the phone carelessly onto the blanket. Yang Juwon asked.

“What do you want to do for dinner?”

“……I want to sleep more.”

“Eat and then sleep. I bought some soup from a side dish store on the way. There was nothing to eat with the side dishes.”

Choi Sungbin’s gaze went over the man’s shoulder. On the single-burner electric stove was a small pot. The soot-stained stainless steel pot was covered with the marks of time.

He just asked. Without any particular thought.

“Did you bring it from your parents’ house?”