He had a dream. In the dream, Tae-seong appeared. A mix of unspent anger and relief flooded over him at the same time. He thought he had shouted something, but couldn’t quite remember what. The sound of Tae-seong’s voice, responding with a stiff expression, also felt vague.

He grabbed him by the collar and pulled him roughly into an embrace. The sight of Tae-seong, crying and furious, with tears falling from his eyes, drove Woo-young crazy. In the empty room, Woo-young let himself spiral. At that intense moment, he suddenly woke up.

Snap. Woo-young’s eyes shot open. Like someone startled, his pupils rolled around, and the familiar ceiling came into view. He was in his own room. The Tae-seong from the dream, smiling gently, and him, looking at him… It was all a dream.

Hah. Woo-young quickly sat up in bed and fumbled under the covers.

“Ah, damn it…”

He squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a frustrated breath. His face, pale and drained, was clouded with disappointment. What he had hoped was just a dream turned out to be reality. There had been a time, long ago, when Tae-seong appeared in his dream. It was when he was still young, just starting to understand things about attraction—only once. It was before he fully realized his own emotions.

But now, the situation was different. Woo-young was eighteen, on the verge of graduating high school, and no longer a child who couldn’t control his feelings. He wasn’t just imagining him now… it had gone beyond that. His mind had clearly snapped.

Woo-young twisted his face in frustration.

“Ah! Damn it!”

“Aiyo, why are you cursing first thing in the morning?”

“Ugh!”

A sharp slap landed on his back, causing Woo-young to jerk away in surprise. His grandmother had silently approached and was glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

“Get up and wash up! Are you going to school or not?”

“Ouch… I’m not late, Grandma.”

“The clock kept ringing, you fool!”

“Ugh… No, I actually set it an hour early on purpose, so it’s fine.”

“Fine, huh? Get your act together and wash up.”

He couldn’t bring himself to get up and squirmed under the covers.

“Oh, by the way, Hojun called earlier. He said there’s an assessment or something today?”

His grandmother opened the window in his room and turned her head.

“Oh. It’s nothing. Hyung said he’ll be there for the practical exam, so I’m just going to check it out.”

Lee Hojun was a man who ran a small gym nearby. He had been very close to Woo-young’s grandmother since childhood, often visiting her pharmacy.

Because of this, Woo-young often went to his gym, working out for free and getting coaching. Hojun always said he could come anytime, but since Woo-young wasn’t paying for it, he didn’t want to overstay his welcome and only went occasionally.

“Work hard and come back. It’ll all pay off in the end. You’re almost done with high school, so don’t slack off. Now go wash up. I’ve got breakfast ready for you.”

“Okay, okay, I got it…”

Without lifting the blanket, Woo-young waited for his grandmother to leave before slowly dragging himself out of bed. The moment his eyes opened, he couldn’t stop the long sigh that escaped him. Every time the wetness of the sheets made him uncomfortable, an overwhelming sense of self-loathing crept in.

After finishing his shower, Woo-young looked at the clock. Thanks to setting his alarm an hour earlier than usual, as planned, he had some extra time. After eating breakfast and changing into a clean school uniform, he picked up his phone. He sent Tae-seong a message saying he would leave first today and then turned off the screen. Of course, he didn’t read the reply that came back.

The walk to school, alone for the first time in a while, felt oddly deserted. Walking by himself, it seemed like the road was showing him his life without Tae-seong. It felt empty and hollow. The thought made a bitter taste rise to the tip of his tongue.

He found the hidden key in the doorframe and opened the classroom door. He cracked the window open and sat down at his desk, opening his textbook. The words he was staring at blurred in front of him. He couldn’t absorb any of the content. The moment he sat down, his mind was again filled with thoughts of Tae-seong.

How much time had passed? The sound of the door creaking opened. When he turned his gaze, there stood Tae-seong. Unlike usual, a couple of buttons on his uniform shirt were undone, making him look a little disheveled. He seemed to be out of breath, like he had run here.

Tae-seong walked over to him with a slightly furrowed brow, his expression clearly agitated.

“Hey, you’re here.”

Woo-young tilted his head slightly, briefly making eye contact, and then buried his face in his textbook again. The lingering frustration from the previous night and the chaotic dream had shaken him.

“Why did you go alone?”

Tae-seong stopped right in front of Woo-young, taking long strides. He snapped in an irritated tone, flipping through the pages of his textbook without looking at him.

“I woke up early. I sent you a message.”

Woo-young tried to maintain a casual expression, acting like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Why didn’t you pick up my call?”

Tae-seong’s voice was full of frustration. Since yesterday, Woo-young hadn’t been answering his calls, and this morning he had told him he was leaving early. It was understandable that Tae-seong was irritated, but Woo-young didn’t act out of petty revenge. He simply didn’t think anything good would come out of a conversation in this mood. Honestly, he didn’t want to look at him right now.

“I forgot to turn the volume back up.”

“Then why did you ignore my messages?”

“I was at the PC bang. I was too busy playing games to notice.”

“You could have answered after you were done.”

“Ah, I forgot because I was eating tteokbokki.”

“Damn, you’re really making me feel bad.”

The sharp tone in Tae-seong’s voice made Woo-young stop scribbling with his pencil. He unknowingly stiffened his gaze.

Feel bad? Who should be feeling bad here?

It was clear that Tae-seong had no idea how Woo-young felt and was acting upset over something trivial. He probably thought the issue of not going to the PC bang together wasn’t a big deal. But the real reason Woo-young was upset wasn’t just that he didn’t go with him. It wasn’t even because it had been a while since they had planned something together.

What hurt him more was the feeling that he had been pushed to the bottom of Tae-seong’s priorities. As soon as he thought about it, a lump of frustration rose in his throat.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes hardening with intensity. Woo-young’s long eyes glinted sharply. He wanted to shout at Tae-seong, asking what he had done since yesterday to meet someone else and break their plans. But he knew he couldn’t say that. It was crossing the line.

“There are a lot of things that make me feel bad.”

Woo-young finally managed to suppress the surge of emotion, his lips twisting into a forced half-smile. It was a statement directed at both Tae-seong and himself.

“Woo-young.”

Tae-seong pulled out the chair from the desk in front of Woo-young and sat down with a thud. He folded his arms on the desk and stared directly at Woo-young. That gaze… it annoyed him. He didn’t want to look at him.

“You’ve been making me really upset since yesterday.”

“…”

“Right?”

Tae-seong’s gentle tone only made Woo-young’s feelings twist further.

Upset? If he let things like this upset him, his heart would have already rotted away. He hadn’t eaten much this morning, barely having any appetite, and yet the heaviness in his chest wouldn’t go away.

With the silence, Woo-young’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Then why didn’t you just come here?”

The words slipped out before he could stop them, and Tae-seong’s gaze subtly changed. His grip on the pencil in his hand tightened. His face, which had failed to keep a neutral expression, became more rigid.

Shit, that was a mistake. He shouldn’t have brought it up.

The words Tae-seong would say in return were obvious. He would list off who he met, what they talked about, what they did, and why he didn’t come. Woo-young didn’t want to hear that. The thought of imagining Tae-seong with someone else and listening to the details made him sick. But after a brief moment of silence, an unexpected response came.

“Then why didn’t you come?”

Woo-young froze for a moment, his lips pressing together. Tae-seong didn’t speak any further. He simply sat there, his arms folded, staring at Woo-young as his gaze dropped to the textbook in front of him. And so, another long silence stretched on.

The silence felt heavy, pressing down on him. The tiny words on the page blurred in front of his eyes. Did I? No, I didn’t. I did. No, I didn’t. Scanning the meaningless sentences, Woo-young finally closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

“It’s suffocating.”

He put the pencil down and looked up. As his gaze met Tae-seong’s dark, unblinking eyes, Tae-seong’s lips curved into a soft, smooth smile.

“It’s hard to look me in the eye, huh?”

Tae-seong’s long fingers flicked at Woo-young’s pencil.

“Why aren’t you looking at my face? You said my eyes were pretty.”

“…”

“You’re ignoring my calls, not replying to my messages. You won’t even look at me. Is that it? Are you sick of seeing me now?”

His voice was sly, like he was coaxing someone, and a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over Woo-young. The sharpness in his words, as if he was trying to flip the situation around in an instant, made a sense of injustice rise up in him.

“Fuck, don’t talk like that.”

He spat the words out and clenched his jaw tightly. That damn fox. This asshole didn’t even know what he was doing, walking around all smug, with no clue about the mess he was causing. What a bad, awful person.

The muscles in Woo-young’s sharp jawline tightened. He slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Taeseong.

You’re the one who broke the promise first. You pushed me aside for that girl. If you had done the right thing, this wouldn’t have happened. Fuck, you made me upset…

He chewed on those feelings of anger, grinding them in his mind. The words he was holding back could come back like a boomerang, sharp and painful. Not even looking at Tae-seong, Woo-young lowered his gaze again. He pressed his palm to his burning eyes and bit his lip, not wanting to say anything.

“Still, can you at least contact me? Woo-young.”

Tae-seong’s voice echoed through the quiet classroom. His long fingers tapped slowly on Woo-young’s desk. They were the same fingers Woo-young had always liked.

“Do you want me to hear about you from Nam Gi-hyeok?”

“…”

“God, you’re really pissing me off.”

With the tone that sounded like he was grinding his teeth, Woo-young slowly lifted his gaze. Unlike the harsh tone, Tae-seong’s face had a hint of a smile, though his dark eyes burned with an intense heat. Woo-young immediately understood what Tae-seong was feeling.

It was a hollow smile, a mask. It meant Tae-seong was upset, deeply troubled.

“I feel like shit every time you don’t reply.”

As Woo-young met those restless eyes, a strange feeling began to stir within him.

“I almost went to your house in the middle of the night, but I held myself back. I even went 30 minutes early this morning, but damn, you left before me?”

Tae-seong was angry now. The layers of resentment began to melt, just a little. It was such an absurd situation.

“Woo-young, are you doing this on purpose to make me mad?”

“…”

“Right?”

Woo-young furrowed his brows slightly for no reason. Without saying anything, he stared at Tae-seong’s angry eyes. Despite his clearly tired face, Tae-seong’s skin remained pale and smooth, flawless. Even with an angry face, he was still just… beautiful.

Woo-young’s eyes slowly traced Tae-seong’s features before his gaze dropped. A dry, hollow laugh escaped him.

“Why are you laughing?”

Tae-seong’s eyes narrowed slightly at the sudden laugh.

“…Did you not sleep last night?”

Tae-seong didn’t answer. But Woo-young didn’t need an answer to know.

“Forget it. I was just really out of it and tired yesterday, I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I’ll contact you properly from now on, so go study.”

Woo-young shook his head and picked up his pencil again.

There was nothing he could do. They said the one who liked the other more always loses. As someone with Tae-seong as an opponent, Woo-young had never thought he could win. He knew now that he couldn’t escape his inevitable fate of defeat.

“Hurry up. You were out late yesterday, so you’ve got a lot to do today.”

Woo-young jokingly tapped Tae-seong’s arm. It was foolish. He couldn’t stay mad at him, especially with Tae-seong’s face in front of him. How could he stay angry?

Tae-seong, who had been silent after Woo-young’s easy apology, slowly opened his mouth.

“Why bother looking at the textbook? You’ll hear it in class anyway.”

“Yeah, I’m not like you, someone with a high IQ. I’m just a dumbass.”

As Woo-young flipped the page of his textbook and answered carelessly, Tae-seong gave him a hard stare. The silence was thick, and Tae-seong’s gaze seemed to penetrate him, searching to the very bottom of his soul. Woo-young had become used to this.

“Dumbass.”

Suddenly, Tae-seong’s face appeared right above Woo-young’s textbook, making Woo-young’s eyes widen.

“Stop reading that damn Korean history and look at my face instead.”

“…”

“I’m still not done being angry, so you better calm me down more.”

Tae-seong, whose cheek was pressed against the desk, smiled a sly, satisfied smile. Woo-young, who was looking down at him, gave him a perplexed look. Despite his large frame, Taeseong looked almost childlike as he pouted and acted like he needed comforting.

“…What the hell.”

“Ah, hurry up.”

With a slight chuckle, Woo-young closed his book in defeat. Tae-seong, following suit, also let the corners of his lips curl up.

The classroom was noisy as the kids talked about the girl who had appeared with Tae-seong yesterday. Woo-young had expected this much.

As soon as the bell for break rang, Woo-young buried his face in his arms, pretending to sleep. He didn’t want to hear it, and he didn’t even want to pretend to be listening. But, instinctively, he kept his ears perked up. He was curious about what kind of girl she was.

However, contrary to his expectations, he heard nothing by the end of the third period. It was because Tae-seong had given no clear answers. Every time the kids asked him questions, he either ignored them or cursed and changed the subject.

It was disappointing, but in a way, it was a relief. After hearing it once, he wouldn’t be able to forget. The thought of obsessing over a girl he didn’t even know was enough to make him sick. He had no intention of doing such a pathetic thing.

“Woo-young.”

When he turned his head, his right cheek was poked by Tae-seong’s long finger. He could see Tae-seong’s hand extended toward him.

“Don’t.”

Woo-young frowned with half-closed eyes at the childish prank. Tae-seong, resting his chin on the desk, was looking at him with a playful smile. It annoyed him. There had been nothing better than being paired up with Tae-seong, but today, having him next to him felt uncomfortable.

“Stop sleeping. I’m bored.”

“No.”

When Woo-young snapped back, Tae-seong’s thick lips entered his peripheral vision.

“Why? Didn’t you sleep either?”

Tae-seong slightly lowered his head as he leaned closer. The proximity made Woo-young instinctively lower his gaze. Every time Tae-seong looked at him with that sharp, clear gaze, Woo-young hated it. It felt like everything was being seen through, like he was about to be exposed completely.

Annoyed, Woo-young sat up and tried to distract himself by glancing elsewhere. Just as he did, he saw Lee Soo-hwa, the class president, walking over with a stack of printouts.

“Soo-hwa. Where are you going?”

He called out in a low voice, reaching out to grab his wrist. Soo-hwa, surprised by the sudden touch, flinched.

“…I’m going to the faculty office.”

“Let’s go together.”

Woo-young stood up and pushed his desk aside. He didn’t let go of Soo-hwa’s wrist, still holding it tightly.

“Huh? To the faculty office?”

“Yeah. I miss Seung-hyun.”

Soo-hwa nodded, his face full of confusion at the unexpected statement. Woo-young pulled him along and started walking, feeling the weight of Tae-seong’s gaze following him, even though he didn’t look back.

“Tae-seong, you wanna come with us?”

Woo-young placed his arm casually over Soo-hwa’s shoulder as he turned to look at Tae-seong. Tae-seong, resting his chin on his arms, shook his head. Woo-young quickened his pace.

Lunch hour in the hallway, filled with lanky boys, was always chaotic. Woo-young pulled Soo-hwa’s shoulder away from the running and shouting kids.

“Hey, stop walking with your head down. You won’t even pick up a single coin like that.”

Soo-hwa flinched and looked up at the scolding.

“No… It’s just a habit…”

From observing him for a year, Woo-young knew Soo-hwa had a tendency to stumble around and bump into things. Probably because of his small stature, Woo-young had often stepped in to protect him when someone had picked a fight in the hallway.

“Fix it. Don’t end up getting shoved around and crying again.”

“…Mm…”

“Straighten your shoulders too, or you’ll end up shrinking. Huh? You’re gonna end up stunted like that.”

Woo-young clicked his tongue as he straightened Soo-hwa’s shoulders with both hands. He had always been frail and sickly, looking even skinnier than before, though he had grown a bit taller since they first met. No matter how much taller he got, he still looked fragile.

Soo-hwa seemed lost in thought for a moment, then started muttering something as if he had something to say.

“Well, I….”

“Yeah?”

“I’m… I’m now at the average height for Korean men… I grew taller than last year.”

Soo-hwa subtly straightened his back and glanced at Woo-young with a somewhat proud expression. Woo-young couldn’t help but laugh at the unexpected statement.

“Crazy, what’s the average height?”

“…One seventy-three…”

“Whoa.” Woo-young widened his eyes and smiled. “That’s really tall for the average height.”

“….”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve grown a lot, huh? Keep growing tall, okay?”

Woo-young’s eyes squinted playfully as he ruffled Soo-hwa’s hair with a grin. Soo-hwa, seeing Woo-young’s smirk, also let out a small laugh.

“Teacher, I brought the questionnaires.”

“Oh, thanks. You collected them all, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Good work, class president. Where’s Woo-young?”

As Woo-young was taking the printouts from their homeroom teacher, Jeong Seung-hyun, he gave Woo-young a subtle nod. Seung-hyun, who had been appointed as the teacher at a young age, was meticulous and passionate about everything he did. Because of that, Woo-young liked him quite a bit.

“I came to give the teacher a massage since you’re working so hard.”

“Really? Let’s see if you’ve got the skills.”

Before Seung-hyun could finish his sentence, Woo-young had already positioned himself behind him. With strong palms, he began to knead Seung-hyun’s neck and shoulders, using expert movements that showed how familiar he was with the process. Woo-young had done this kind of thing often enough by now that it came naturally.

“Ah, that feels great. Kwon Woo-young, where did you learn this?”

“I just have a knack for it. My grandma always asks me to do it for her.”

“Is that so? Your grandma must really appreciate it. You’re a very thoughtful grandchild.”

Seung-hyun smiled warmly, but then suddenly started rummaging through a drawer.

“Let’s see… Here, have some of these.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Woo-young smiled broadly as he received four candy pieces from Seung-hyun’s palm. After a quick salute, he left the teacher’s office.

He stopped halfway down the hallway, raising Soo-hwa’s arm as if to make a toast.

“To Lee Soo-hwa, who now has the average height of a Korean man, eat more and grow above average!”

As he said this, he dropped two pieces of candy onto Soo-hwa’s palm.

“…Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Woo-young unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly. He held onto the last candy, fiddling with the wrapper as Soo-hwa raised his gaze.

“…Do you like candy?”

“Me? Nah.”

Woo-young nonchalantly nodded at the subtle question. Soo-hwa seemed a bit lost in thought, perhaps because the answer wasn’t what he expected.

“The weather’s nice. It’d be great to play a game of soccer.”

Woo-young casually draped his arm over Soo-hwa’s shoulder and gazed out the window down the hallway. A light breeze blew in through the window, brushing past his nose. Inside the classroom, he had been stuck in the mire of Tae-seong’s problems all day. Now, finally, he could breathe a little easier.

“Yeah… It’s nice.”

Soo-hwa followed Woo-young’s gaze and looked out the window. The breeze that drifted in made his glossy brown hair flutter in the wind. Woo-young, glancing at him, tilted his head.

“Now that I think about it, have you ever played soccer? Damn, aren’t you worried you’ll end up in the ER after running the first half?”

He spoke to himself and then burst out laughing. It wasn’t even that funny, but Soo-hwa’s lips naturally curved upward at the sound of Woo-young’s low chuckle.

“No, it’s not like that…”

“It’s not? Have you ever run a full lap around the field?”

At Woo-young’s question, Soo-hwa fell into thought, his expression serious, as if a thought bubble was about to appear next to his temple.

“Yeah. A long time ago… at the elementary school’s fall sports day?”

“Elementary school?”

“Yeah.”

“Aha. Did you not run at your first birthday party, though?”

“…”

“Damn, that’s it. Let’s pick a day this weekend and run around Unil Park. It’s huge, so it won’t be boring. All that flopping around you do is just lack of exercise, man. I’ll train you Spartan-style.”

Soo-hwa widened his eyes in surprise at Woo-young’s sudden suggestion.

“Park?”

“Yeah, near your house.”

Woo-young pointed out the window with a calm face. He was someone who believed that physical fitness was just as important as studying.

“Yeah, sounds good… I like walking too.”

Seeing Soo-hwa smile broadly, Woo-young shook his head with a small, exasperated laugh.

“Crazy. What do you mean walking? I said we’re gonna run. What’s that thing you’re always wearing on your head?”

Suddenly, Woo-young reached out and pulled a leaf off Soo-hwa’s hair. Soo-hwa flinched slightly, then stared at Woo-young’s hand as he did so.

“Woo-young.”

At the sudden voice, Woo-young turned his head. At the end of his gaze, Tae-seong was standing there. With his jet-black hair and sharp eyes, he looked both striking and composed. His broad shoulders and perfect proportions could have easily made him a model for a school uniform.

Even just passing by, his handsome face made Woo-young exhale in frustration. No wonder the girls couldn’t leave him alone.

“Yeah. Tae-seong, give me your hand.”

Despite his inner thoughts, Woo-young acted as if nothing was wrong and gestured toward Tae-seong with a casual expression. Tae-seong, hands in his pockets, walked over slowly. Woo-young motioned with his fingers, and without saying much, Tae-seong opened his palm. Woo-young placed a single candy on his hand. It was a green grape-flavored candy from their homeroom teacher.

“Eat it.”

“Did the teacher give this to you?”

“Yeah.”

Tae-seong liked snacks like candies or chocolates. And their homeroom teacher would give him candy whenever he did something the teacher liked. Whenever Woo-young was bored, he would find a reason to go to the teacher’s office to get praised.

“Thanks.”

Tae-seong took the candy and carefully peeled the wrapper with his long fingers. His well-formed lips lifted slightly into a smile. Woo-young stared at the round green candy disappearing into his mouth, a smile so captivating that he blinked slowly, mesmerized.

As he watched silently, Woo-young gently placed his hand on Tae-seong’s shoulder. He raised his chin slightly, and slowly pressed his lips to Tae-seong’s. A sweet fragrance filled the air, making Woo-young’s fingertips tingle.

“Tae-seong—! Woo-young—! Soo-hwa—!”

A shout from behind, accompanied by the heavy thud of footsteps, startled Woo-young. He jolted, his shoulders trembling.

“What are you doing standing there? Ah, give me some candy too!”

Woo-young blinked slowly, his mind still tangled in the strange, unreasonable thoughts he’d had. As he came back to his senses, a cold chill ran down his spine.

Tae-seong’s unblinking gaze was on him. Feeling as though he might lose himself again if he wasn’t careful, Woo-young quickly started walking away.

He had hoped to clear his head, but once again, he found himself beside Tae-seong. As much as he enjoyed how deeply Tae-seong had become part of his everyday life, there was no escaping him.

Seeing someone eating candy in the hallway and having those kinds of perverse thoughts… He wasn’t in his right mind.

However, Tae-seong didn’t seem to realize the inner turmoil he was causing, continuing to tease Woo-young. Whether it was fiddling with his pen during notes or gently tugging on the hem of his school shirt, those little things made Woo-young’s face heat up. So, he responded more harshly than usual, pretending not to care about what Tae-seong was doing.

After barely surviving the fourth period, Woo-young stuck close to Su-hwa, talking aimlessly just to avoid Tae-seong. Soo-hwa was the perfect distraction. Even if Soo-hwa was reciting multiplication tables, he would still listen with a serious face.

As Woo-young picked at his food in the cafeteria, he glanced over at Tae-seong, who had sat next to him, and sighed. Thoughts of the previous night’s dream and the mystery girl of Tae-seong’s flooded his mind, leaving him confused.

He felt everything: frustration, anger, excitement, happiness, and then depression again. His heart was racing in every direction, and he couldn’t concentrate all day. Even the words in class weren’t registering.

Damn… What the hell is this? Obsession with jealousy, now imagining things. What a mess. He had no appetite now. As he muttered under his breath, a clear voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Tae-seong.”

Dozens of eyes turned toward the source of the voice as the lunch trays were being cleared.

“Wow…”

Someone exclaimed. Slowly lifting his gaze, Woo-young saw a unfamiliar girl standing in front of them. With long, flowing hair, pale and smooth skin, and an elegant presence, she seemed to be the girl from yesterday’s rumors. Woo-young’s expression stiffened instantly.

Having finished his meal, Tae-seong, who had been lounging in his chair, lifted his head. Woo-young’s gaze followed automatically to Tae-seong’s face. Without any change in expression, Tae-seong pushed back his chair and stood up. His reaction was faster than usual.

“Hey, clean up.”

Tae-seong gave Kim Jin-seong a light tap on the shoulder and gestured toward his tray. Still fixated on the girl, Kim Jin-seong nodded absentmindedly.

The eyes that had been fixed on Tae-seong now turned toward the girl. And as their gazes met, Woo-young’s heart froze. Lee Seo-yul. After confirming her name tag, Woo-young looked up again to find her smiling sweetly at him. She was beautiful, with a smile like the warmth of spring. The warmth of her smile made Woo-young’s heart grow cold.

As the two handsome figures stood up and left, the atmosphere in the cafeteria shifted. Woo-young clenched his glass of cold water. The meal that had barely gone down seemed stuck in his throat, and no amount of cold water could calm the heat inside.

He didn’t even know how the rest of the lunch hour passed. His eyes were fixed on the clock on the classroom wall. His group returned to the classroom, but Tae-seong hadn’t come back yet.

“Hey, Woo-young. What’s up with you today?”

Kim Ki-hyuk, sitting across from him, asked, his face curious after seeing Woo-young’s gloomy expression. Woo-young lifted his head with a frown.

“What?”

Kim Ki-hyuk studied Woo-young’s face with a serious expression.

“You’re spaced out. Your eyes are….”

“…”

“You look like you wrote the test paper in a rush.”

At the unexpected remark, Woo-young narrowed his eyes.

“Bullshit. Are you talking about me?”

“What’s going on? Why are you like this? Is there something up? Kim Yoo-hee? Lee Ji-hye?”

Nam Ki-hyuk grinned and teased him. Woo-young pressed his lips tightly together, scowling.

Here we go again. That guy with his women, women, women. Women!

It was fucking annoying. Whether it was a woman or a man, if it wasn’t about Go Tae-seong, he wouldn’t care if a truckload was thrown at him. Why did he have to like someone he couldn’t even talk to, dreaming of all these dirty thoughts and being consumed with pathetic jealousy? He only found himself disgusting.

The situation was so frustrating that he could hardly take it anymore. Involuntarily, he slammed his fist on the desk with a loud thud.

“Fuck!”

“Whoa! You scared me!”

“Ugh… fuck…”

The sharpener, which had been neatly placed, tumbled and rolled off the desk. Woo-young, with his head down, leaned his elbow on the desk and ran his hand through his hair. Dark energy seemed to radiate from him. Anyone could tell he was in pain.

“What’s going on, really? Why are you like this?”

Nam Ki-hyuk, suddenly serious, glanced at Woo-young, who sighed deeply.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

With a screech, he pushed his chair back and stood up. It felt like heat was radiating from his whole body. A little sunlight and a glass of water would probably help. He rubbed his face with his palm and was about to open the door to the classroom when—thud—he bumped into someone. It was Go Tae-seong.

“Woo-young, where are you going?”

Woo-young’s lips tightened into a hard line. Before their eyes even met, he lowered his gaze to avoid it. What the hell had Tae-seong been doing all this time? It irritated him.

“Going to the bathroom.”

“Let’s go together.”

“No, just stay.”

Without thinking, Woo-young grabbed Tae-seong’s arm to stop him. Today, he didn’t want to get any more tangled up with him. He didn’t even feel like pretending to act casual. Looking into those dark eyes, he knew all his emotions would be exposed.

Tae-seong paused, his steps faltering at Woo-young’s touch. He didn’t say anything.

“Ha…”

When Woo-young arrived in the back yard, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back. The scorching sunlight felt almost painful. Even though he was staring at the bright sky, he felt even more suffocated instead of relieved. He was a mess from this infatuation, struggling with confusion and misery.

“Woo-young, are you okay? Is something wrong?”

A small voice broke his thoughts. He squinted one eye open. It was Lee Soo-hwa, holding a small bundle of something. Relieved it wasn’t Tae-seong, Woo-young let out a sigh.

“What?”

“Hmm… Well, I saw you lying down earlier… I thought you might be sick…”

Lee Soo-hwa, with a worried expression, looked up at Woo-young.

“Are you really sick…?”

Woo-young dropped his head, feeling miserable. He had feelings for a guy. He had even dreamed about him this morning. On top of that, he was feeling angry and jealous seeing him with a girl. At this point, he wished he could just be sick somewhere in his body.

“Yeah. I’m sick. Fuck…”

“…”

“Really fucking sick, you know.”

Woo-young groaned and pressed his palm against his eyes. Soo-hwa, startled, lightly tugged at his school shirt.

“Hey, where does it hurt? If you’re sick, you should go to the hospital.”

Woo-young sighed again in frustration.

“Ugh, fuck…”

If going to a hospital would help, he would have gone a long time ago. This damn illness wasn’t something any hospital could fix. Just thinking about it made his head throb.

“Woo-young, if you tell the teacher you’re sick, they’ll let you leave…”

“…”

“Or, do you want me to ask for you…?”

Woo-young finally looked up. Lee Soo-hwa was staring at him seriously, his brows furrowed.

“Maybe… if you’re scared to go to the hospital, do you want to come to my house? We have a doctor there who’s really kind and not scary…”

“…”

“And he gives shots that don’t hurt… and it works really well…”

He trailed off nervously, and Woo-young, taken aback by his unusual expression, sighed softly.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you worried that I might be sick?”

Soo-hwa hesitated, looking flustered, then slowly nodded.

“Yeah… I guess…”

His pale face was filled with worry. Seeing that face made Woo-young feel like trash for the careless words he had blurted out, no matter what Lee Su-hwa thought.

Yeah, what would you know…?

“Hey, you little shit. You should be worried about your hyung, too. Are you all grown up now?”

Woo-young pulled the round head into a hug and messed up his hair. Lee Soo-hwa, startled, flinched and shrank his shoulders. Seeing the guy, who was always so obvious about what he was thinking, actually made Woo-young feel a little better.

“Lee Soo-hwa, stop worrying about me and worry about yourself…”

Woo-young, leaning slightly against him, muttered in a low voice, almost like a lament.

“Looking at you… I can already see you getting your ass kicked somewhere. That’s why hyung’s heart is so heavy, you know? Right?”

“…No. I’m not like that…”

“Yeah, you’re not like that… for now. Don’t fucking try to sound cute when you talk.”

Woo-young, imitating him, dragged out his words and gave him a weak flick on the forehead.

“Speak properly. Like a man.”

“…Uh, how…?”

“Aha! You don’t know how to breathe from your diaphragm, huh? Huh? Try it. Put some power into the end of your words. Open your mouth wide!”

Lee Soo-hwa rubbed his head, looking miserable as if he had just encountered a random drill sergeant.

“Ah?”

He opened his small mouth, glancing at Woo-young for guidance. He was already losing hope. Woo-young took a deep breath and spoke loudly.

“‘Ah?’ No, you say Ah!”

“Ah!”

“Again.”

“Ah!”

“Good. Now, just say anything.”

“…”

“Hurry up!”

“I… I’ll buy you something delicious later?!”

At the sudden, enthusiastic voice, Woo-young blinked in surprise.

“What did you say?”

He smiled faintly, his lips curling up. Lee Soo-hwa’s face turned bright red as he quickly lowered his head again.

“No, uh, when you’re sick… they say it’s good to eat something delicious, something you like…”

Woo-young laughed out loud, a bit dumbfounded by his words.

“God… you really can’t stop, can you?”

Even though he was just being playful, Woo-young found it endearing. He had always thought Soo-hwa was cute, but today, it felt like he was doing things so embarrassingly cute that it was almost surprising. Even though they were the same age, there were moments when Soo-hwa felt like a younger brother to him.

“…Sorry.”

“Enough with that sorry bullshit. I have to go to the gym after this.”

“…Mm…”

Soo-hwa mumbled quietly, clutching his bag tightly. Woo-young glanced at him for a moment. He looked a bit down, and Woo-young raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you trying to let it go?”

“…”

“Next time, you’ll buy me something. No backing out. Got it? I eat a lot, you know. So get ready to lose all your pocket money.”

Woo-young nudged his waist with his elbow. Soo-hwa chuckled and nodded in agreement. Woo-young then placed his arm around Soo-hwa’s shoulders and pulled him along.

“Let’s go. You’re supposed to be on cleaning duty, yet you’re slacking off?”

“No… I just thought you didn’t look too good…”

“Hmm, really?”

Chuckling, Woo-young started walking with slow steps, but not long after, he saw a familiar pair of feet at the edge of his vision. He looked up and found Go Tae-seong standing there. Woo-young’s expression, which had been smiling, stiffened slightly.

“You said you were going to the bathroom.”

“…”

“Did you shit outside?”

Go Tae-seong’s dark eyes slowly scanned Woo-young and Lee Soo-hwa. His mocking tone was tinged with a cold smile. Woo-young quickly adjusted his expression, slightly narrowing his eyes.

“What the hell are you talking about? I just stepped outside for some fresh air and bumped into Lee Soo-hwa. What’s the problem?”

Go Tae-seong, who had been looking down at them without moving, smiled casually, as if nothing had happened.

“You two looked so happy together.”

“……”

“What were you talking about that made you so excited?”

Go Tae-seong, who had slowly approached behind Woo-young and Lee Soo-hwa, slipped between them and put his arms around their shoulders in a natural gesture. The sweet scent and heavy weight of his presence made Woo-young’s back stiffen.

“…We didn’t talk about anything special.”

“What’s ‘nothing special’ supposed to mean?”

Go Tae-seong tilted his head slightly and whispered low into Woo-young’s ear.

“Mm? It sounds pretty damn jealous.”

The soft breath made Woo-young’s ear tingle. The awkwardness was unavoidable. Even though he knew it wasn’t intentional, he couldn’t help feeling flustered. His own actions, getting flustered like this, made him feel foolish and pathetic.