* * *

In all of Pyo Yoontae’s wildest imaginations, the idea of “monk” had never once crossed his mind.

It seemed completely unrelated, leaving him baffled as to why such a profession had even come up.

“A monk… is that really what you wanted to be?”

When thinking of monks, the typical image involved a shaved head and a temple.

While Seo Jeongseo would probably still look cute even with a shaved head, entering a temple would generally mean severing ties with the secular world—marriage included.

Just imagining Jeongseo as a monk made Yoontae’s vision blur for a moment.

“No way… Jeongseo, anything but that. You can do anything else, but not this.”

Gripping Jeongseo’s shoulders, Yoontae shook his head in utter disbelief.

Jeongseo, seeing such an expression for the first time, wondered if Yoontae genuinely disliked the idea of monks that much.

“I don’t actually want to become a monk! I just wrote it down because I didn’t know what else to put.”

“A monk…?”

“Yeah, it just came to mind because my grandmother used to visit temples a lot when I was little. The teacher said we could write anything.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

Finally reassured, Yoontae let go of Jeongseo’s shoulders.

“So, you really don’t have any dreams for the future, Jeongseo?”

“Hmm… what about you, Yoontae? Do you have something you want to do?”

Yoontae propped his chin on his hand and continued to gaze at Jeongseo intently.

Whether it was a desire or a life goal, Yoontae had been certain about what he wanted most since childhood.

“To find my partner and live happily with them, just the two of us, until the day we die.”

That wasn’t the kind of answer Jeongseo had been expecting, but the unwavering gaze fixed on him made him feel as if he were being devoured.

Flustered, Jeongseo lowered his head slightly.

Yoontae hadn’t specified who this “partner” was, but Jeongseo already knew all too well whom Yoontae was referring to.

Although it was Yoontae who had uttered the embarrassing words, it was Jeongseo who turned redder.

Seeing Jeongseo grow increasingly bashful, Yoontae’s mischievous streak began to surface.

Sliding his elbows along the desk to lean closer, Yoontae lowered himself to meet Jeongseo’s gaze directly.

“I think having one child would be nice too. What do you think, Jeongseo?”

Yoontae smirked slyly and tapped Jeongseo’s knee, causing him to instinctively cover it with his hands as goosebumps prickled his skin.

“I don’t know! That’s not even what we’re talking about right now! It has nothing to do with what you want to do!”

“How does it not? I’ll go to school and work for the sake of making this dream a reality.”

Yoontae was satisfied with the privileged family he was born into.

There was no reason for him to foolishly sever ties with his family while building his own.

As long as he played the role of a capable son, his family wouldn’t interfere much.

Having already found his “partner,” Yoontae quickly mapped out the rest of his future in his mind.

Meanwhile, Jeongseo, exasperated, shoved Yoontae’s face away with his palm.

“Okay, okay, I get it! Now back off!”

The small hands pushing against him were endearing, and Yoontae pretended to resist before finally leaning back as if conceding defeat.

“You don’t have to go to college if you don’t want to, Jeongseo. Just take your time and think it through. Something might come to you later.”

“Later…”

Jeongseo suddenly recalled something Hayan had once said to him.

‘Senior year flies by, and you won’t get another chance. Don’t make a choice you’ll regret.’

“But wouldn’t it be too late if I waited too long?”

“There’s no such thing as ‘too late’ for you, Jeongseo.”

‘Because I’m here.’

Anyone else might think Yoontae was being overly self-assured, but coming from a third-generation chaebol and the school’s top student, the words felt truthful.

Somehow, Jeongseo’s anxious heart seemed to calm.

Feeling reassured, Jeongseo nodded with renewed determination.

“Alright, I’ll think about it as quickly as I can. Thanks!”

With the first mock exams scheduled for late March, Jeongseo figured he had plenty of time.

Or so he thought.

Two days before the exams, he found himself staring in despair at a blank counseling form.

“I don’t know!”

Jeongseo tossed the form aside and flopped onto the floor in frustration.

Startled by the outburst, Seobok, who had been napping after a walk, hurried over and sniffed at Jeongseo’s fallen form before pacing around him.

Rolling over to face the dog, Jeongseo found himself at eye level with Seobok.

Despite researching various universities and majors, nothing had sparked a genuine interest.

Pyo Yoontae had his sights set on Korea University, but following him there was out of reach given Jeongseo’s academic standing.

“Why didn’t I study harder…”

He kneaded Seobok’s face with his hands.

Though he voiced regret, deep down, Jeongseo didn’t truly feel bad about his choices.

Even if given another chance, he wouldn’t change a thing.

In his second year, he had managed to study only because of a promise to his brother and Yoontae’s constant support.

But at his core, Jeongseo lacked a compelling reason to pursue academics with fervor.

Now, however, the atmosphere had changed.

Conversations about majors and future aspirations filled his surroundings, unsettling Jeongseo’s usual optimism of “things will work out somehow.”

The pressure to submit the counseling form by the next day left him groaning in frustration.

It was as confusing as when he realized he was Yoontae’s first love and debated whether to bring it up.

At this point, he almost wished someone would just tell him, “Do this!”

As he wallowed, his phone, precariously perched at the edge of the wooden floor, buzzed.

Jumping up to check, he saw it was his older brother.

Seo Kanghyun had recently started his medical internship and couldn’t visit often.

He had graduated from the prestigious Seoul Medical University.

Given their infrequent contact, Jeongseo eagerly answered the call.

“Hello—”

“Jeongseo!”

“Hyung!”

“How’ve you been? I really want to visit, but my schedule’s so packed. I don’t even have much time to talk now. I’m sorry…”

Hearing the exhaustion in Kanghyun’s voice, Jeongseo’s expression softened with worry.

Even their mom said she barely saw him anymore.

“It’s okay! You’re super busy. I’m doing great!”

“That’s good to hear. So, what were you up to?”

Jeongseo glanced at the counseling form.

“Just working on my university counseling form. It’s due tomorrow.”

“University… That’s right. You’re already a senior. Time really flies…”

Kanghyun’s voice, faint and nostalgic, felt as though he might disappear altogether.

Realizing how tired his brother must be, Jeongseo decided to cut the call short for his sake.

“Yeah, it really does. But Hyung, you sound exhausted. Let’s talk later when you have more time…”

“No! It’s fine, I’m completely fine. So let’s talk a little longer, okay?”

At the sudden insistence, Jeongseo hesitated, puzzled, but eventually agreed.

“Is there a school or major you want to go to?”

“Hmm… I’m not sure yet. Why did you decide to become a doctor, though?”

Until now, he had never been curious about why his older brother, Kanghyun, chose to attend Seoul Shapeshifter Medical University.

But as he started to ponder his own future, the question suddenly came to mind.

Kanghyun remained silent for a moment, as if deep in thought, before answering.

“Well, when you were little, you got sick a lot. Every time that happened, I wanted to help you get better, but I didn’t know how. It was so frustrating.”

Jeongseo had always been a small-framed shapeshifter, so when he was a child, he had been tiny.

Seeing his little body wracked with fever through sleepless nights had been heartbreaking.

From that time on, Kanghyun had resolved to become someone who could help his younger brother whenever he was unwell, which naturally led him to Seoul Shapeshifter Medical University.

“So, I was going to become a specialist in shapeshifter medicine. But now you’re so healthy that you don’t need me anymore. It’s a good thing, though.”

After hearing everything Kanghyun had to say, Jeongseo opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again.

He had never imagined this was the reason.

He knew his brother cherished him deeply, but the fact that Kanghyun had wanted to become a doctor for his sake made his heart swell with emotion.

“…Thank you, hyung!”

“For what? If anything, I should be thanking you. Thanks to you, I found something I wanted to do. Anyway, don’t overthink things too much. Even the smallest reason can be a good starting point for something meaningful.”

A small reason… Jeongseo repeated the words silently to himself.

Not long after, Kanghyun hurriedly ended the call, saying he needed to go.

---

March arrived, and with it, the first mock exams.

It was Jeongseo’s turn for a consultation.

As he sat in the counseling room after school, he couldn’t help but feel nervous when he noticed the counselor’s expression as they reviewed his counseling sheet.

“Hm… with these grades, I think getting into this school might be a bit difficult.”

On the desk in front of them lay the counseling sheet.

Regardless of the rank of his choices, every slot listed the same university: the one closest to Korea University.

* * *