Chapter 59

Haon, feeling dazed and sluggish, struggled to pull himself together. He trembled slightly and melted in Cha Yugeon’s arms.

However, when Cha Yugeon’s hands began to pull off his uniform jacket, he snapped back to reality.

“Ha, hmp, wait. Wait…!”

Using all his strength, Haon pushed Cha Yugeon away and took a deep breath, his face flushed. Cha Yugeon, also breathing heavily, looked at Haon.

Their eyes locked intensely.

“I-I don’t think this is right.”

Haon stammered, trying to hide his red cheeks by lowering his head.

“Sorry.”

Cha Yugeon’s apology startled Haon, making him look up quickly. There was no need for Cha Yugeon to apologize. Haon had enjoyed it too, and he was satisfied with their kiss.

“No, don’t apologize. I… I didn’t hate it…”

“…You didn’t hate it?”

“Yeah… But not now.”

“Then, next time?”

“…Yeah, next time.”

Though he didn’t know when that next time would be, Haon needed to buy some time. In reality, asking for more time implied he was open to taking the next step with Cha Yugeon eventually.

While Haon mocked his own contradictory feelings, he also comforted himself, believing this was the best he could do.

“I-I’ll go now.”

After stuttering out a few words, Haon quickly left Cha Yugeon’s room.

* * *

A few days later.

“Fuck…”

Haon started the morning with a sharp curse. It wasn’t that he wanted to become someone who cursed first thing in the morning.

He had a reason for it.

As soon as he woke up, he took a refreshing shower. Washing his face, brushing his teeth, and happily lathering shampoo in his hair all went smoothly.

But suddenly, the shower’s water stream turned into a trickle and then stopped completely.

His hair was still full of unwashed shampoo—what a ridiculous situation.

Thinking it might be a problem with the showerhead, he tried the sink, but no water came out. He checked the kitchen sink, but the result was the same. He regretted not reporting the unstable shower to the management earlier, but it was too late for that now.

Haon sighed heavily, feeling frustrated with the unexpected misfortune.

“…Guess I have no choice.”

Haon roughly wiped off the foam with a towel and began to put on his clothes. He decided to head to Cha Yugeon’s nearby room instead of going to the communal shower in the training room. It would be too much hassle to go there with shampoo still in his hair.

However, even after ringing the doorbell several times, Cha Yugeon didn’t answer, probably still asleep. Haon considered giving up and going to the communal shower but then had a sudden idea and quickly returned to his apartment.

“Feels like I’m becoming a thief, and it doesn’t feel good.”

Haon muttered to himself. He was about to enter someone else’s place without permission. At the moment when he was about to head to the communal shower with shampoo in his hair, he remembered that his balcony connected to Cha Yugeon’s.

He discovered this unintentionally on the first day he moved in—he could enter Cha Yugeon’s apartment just by opening the door. Of course, if Cha Yugeon had locked the door, he would have no choice but to go to the communal shower, but it was worth checking if the door was open.

“Please… let it be open.”

As if responding to Haon’s desperate wish, the door handle clicked open.

Haon carefully opened the firmly closed door.

“Cha Yugeon, are you asleep?”

Despite intruding without permission, Haon still had a shred of conscience left. He wanted to seek permission after entering. However, there was no response, making Haon’s intention pointless.

“Did he go out…?”

He could check if Cha Yugeon was home by opening all the closed doors, but he didn’t want to barge into someone’s place and open doors without permission.

“I’ll just wash up quickly and leave.”

After contemplating for a moment, Haon decided to wash quickly and leave. He hurried to the bathroom, turned on the shower with a mix of worry and anticipation, and was relieved when water gushed out.

“Yes!”

Had there been no water, his effort would have been in vain, but fortunately, the water flowed well. Haon joyfully stripped off his clothes and stepped under the shower.

Under the waterfall-like stream, he thoroughly rinsed the shampoo from his hair, humming in satisfaction. After rinsing off the foam, Haon found some conditioner on the bathroom shelf and applied it thoroughly.

“Oh, it smells nice. Why didn’t I smell this on Cha Yugeon?”

Haon was pleasantly surprised by the fragrant conditioner. He then generously squeezed body wash onto a shower pouf. The fragrant scent filled the bathroom, and Haon, satisfied with the pleasant aroma, checked the product name.

He considered buying it once his current body wash ran out.

After covering his naked body with thick foam and rinsing off completely, Haon felt refreshed. Finally, he found body lotion on the bathroom shelf and generously applied it all over. His shower was complete after he rubbed in the lotion.

Just as the lotion absorbed into his skin and he was about to put on his clothes, the bathroom door suddenly swung open.

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence enveloped them. Haon, who had been shamelessly showering in someone else’s house, suddenly froze. But so did Cha Yugeon.

Their eyes locked in a fierce battle of glances.

Haon felt Cha Yugeon’s gaze move from his face to his upper body, then down to his lower body.

Only then did Haon’s face turn a burning red.

“Is this a dream?”

After a long pause, Cha Yugeon finally spoke. He seemed just as confused as Haon. But whatever Cha Yugeon was thinking didn’t matter to Haon. Standing there naked in front of Cha Yugeon, he was more concerned about escaping the situation.

“It’s not a dream, so close the door!”

Haon shouted sharply, feeling like his face might explode from embarrassment. Whether Cha Yugeon understood Haon’s feelings or not, he just stood there. Haon couldn’t rely on the dazed Cha Yugeon to do anything, so he had to move himself.

In a desperate rush, Haon tried to put on his clothes. But he was so flustered that he couldn’t even dress properly. He couldn’t tell the front from the back, and his hands kept fumbling.

“W-what? Why are you coming closer?!”

While Haon struggled with his clothes, Cha Yugeon took big strides towards him.

Haon looked at him in shock, eyes wide as Cha Yugeon approached.

“Is this really not a dream?”

“No, it’s not!”

Haon practically screamed his response, wishing Cha Yugeon would just leave now that he knew it wasn’t a dream. But Cha Yugeon only got closer. Haon backed away, but Cha Yugeon kept advancing. When Haon could retreat no further, he swallowed hard.

‘He’s lost it. This guy’s completely lost it.’

Indeed, Cha Yugeon’s eyes looked crazed. Haon thought he understood why and that scared him even more. He feared this lunatic might suggest they go all the way.

“Cha Yugeon, step back. I’m telling you, this isn’t a dream, it’s reality. So don’t even think about using this as an excuse to do anything… Ugh!”

Cha Yugeon reached out and touched Haon’s body. Haon let out a short scream.

The hand that landed on his shoulder slowly slid down.

The leisurely touch that traversed his entire upper body made Haon unable to stifle his breath.

The soft sigh that escaped his lips was so unlike him that it startled Haon.

“What are you doing?!”

“So, it’s not a dream.”

“I told you it’s not!”

Haon crouched, his face red. He couldn’t believe how many times he had to say it wasn’t a dream. He felt a surge of anger mixed with hope that now Cha Yugeon knew it was real, he might finally leave the bathroom.

“Park Haon.”

“Why… no, just get out already!”

“Since it’s not a dream, I want to do it.”

“What kind of logic is that? Do what? That makes no sense… mmph.”

Haon tried to argue, but Cha Yugeon’s lips covered his, cutting off his words.