* * *

Eventually, he began to reflect on all the time they’d spent together, and a thought occurred to him: was he the only person who had genuinely reached out to Yeongdeok in his life?

Was that why someone as unremarkable as him still lingered in his life?

“Back then, I was too shocked to say it, but… it wasn’t because I disliked you that I rejected you.”

That was something that had happened over six months ago, during a time when the seasons had changed twice.

To Yeongdeok, it sounded like a strange confession.

“I’m not interested in you anymore. Surely, by now, you’ve moved on.”

“Ha… You were avoiding me so obsessively that I thought maybe…”

Eungyeol laughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed for suspecting that maybe Yeongdeok still had feelings for him.

Yet, one word of his had stuck with Yeongdeok.

“Obsessive?”

“You were clearly hyper-aware of me. Or am I wrong?”

Yeongdeok blinked, bewildered.

It was true he had consciously avoided Eungyeol… but did he really appear obsessive?

Then, unexpectedly, Eungyeol took his hands and held them together.

“Yeongdeok.”

His voice was weighted with sincerity.

Although Yeongdeok could’ve easily shaken off his hands, he found himself unable to do so in the moment.

“I just… want you to live well, like everyone else, enjoying all the ordinary things.”

“And what does that mean, all of a sudden?”

Eungyeol’s eyes grew misty.

Yeongdeok couldn’t understand why he had that look on his face.

As he pondered, a familiar voice echoed from down the stairwell.

“You need a burn ointment and ice pack?”

Curious, Yeongdeok turned toward the stairs and saw a familiar figure walking up.

“Yes, yes, I’ll check and…”

The person, who’d been focused on his phone call, froze upon spotting Yeongdeok and Eungyeol holding hands.

-Hey, Seo Jihoon? Why did you stop mid-sentence?

Jihoon’s gaze fell to their clasped hands. Although his phone conversation continued on the other end, the voice felt like distant noise.

-Hey? Seo Jihoon?

In that moment, Jihoon felt as if his thoughts short-circuited, a creeping unease gnawing at him as he tried to maintain his composure and ended the call as nonchalantly as possible.

“Hyung, you’re still here?”

“Didn’t you say you were busy? What are you doing here?”

“A friend of mine burned his hand a bit, so I came to grab some ointment.”

Jihoon forced a smile, but the trembling at the corners of his mouth caused him to close his lips in a straight line.

Even when he tried to smile on purpose, he couldn’t find it in himself to do so.

“What were you two doing?”

At that question, Eungyeol quickly let go of Yeongdeok’s hand, as if he’d been caught doing something forbidden.

The friction made his palm, already full of scraped wounds, sting painfully, and he winced.

“Hey, so my injury isn’t as important as this? That’s harsh.”

“Just noticed it now. And how did you even get hurt like that?”

As Jihoon’s expression began to sour, Yeongdeok, sensing that Jihoon might get the wrong idea, spoke calmly.

“He fell by himself.”

“That’s right. Yeongdeok even escorted me to the infirmary.”

“So, hyung, you stayed here this whole time because of him?”

“If you put it that way, I suppose so.”

“I see.”

After hearing the explanation, Jihoon entered the infirmary without saying anything more.

Eungyeol watched Jihoon’s disappearing figure with unease, convinced that Jihoon had misunderstood.

He wanted to chase after him and explain, but first, he decided to thank Yeongdeok and promise to repay the favor.

“Yeongdeok, thank you for helping me today. If it’s alright, maybe I can repay you later…”

“That’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

As Yeongdeok declined, he checked his phone, realizing more time had passed than he thought.

He turned to leave for his shop, and Eungyeol politely bid him farewell.

Yeongdeok nodded in acknowledgment.

Walking down the long hallway without looking back, Yeongdeok suddenly heard the infirmary door open behind him.

He turned to see Eungyeol slip through the door Jihoon had just entered moments ago.

The dictionary definition of a childhood friend is someone you played with as a child.

For those two, that means they’ve spent a lot of time together.

As the infirmary door closed behind Jihoon and Eungyeol, Yeongdeok felt a strange tug in his chest.

Was it the spicy food he’d eaten earlier?

Maybe it was a reminder that spicy flavors should be enjoyed in moderation.

Blaming it on the long-digested skewers, Yeongdeok headed downstairs.

ꔚ

Maybe because of the festival at Daehan University, the shop was unusually busy today.

With Jihoon unavailable to help, it had been a hectic day, but in the end, Yeongdeok managed to close the shop smoothly.

After closing and parking his truck, he noticed a familiar figure crouched by the recycling bins.

At first glance, he could’ve been mistaken for a thug waiting to shake someone down.

As soon as Yeongdeok completed a perfect parking job and got out of the truck, Jihoon jumped up and approached him, looking like an eager puppy greeting its returning owner.

“Hyung.”

Yeongdeok raised an eyebrow at the sight, curious.

“What’s this? Were you waiting for me?”

“Who else would I wait for?”

“How long have you been here?”

“You close the shop around the same time every night. It wasn’t long. Anyway…”

Jihoon reached out and wrapped his hand around Yeongdeok’s wrist.

“Let’s hang out for a bit.”

“At this hour?”

“Yes, that’s exactly why.”

With a small smile, Jihoon gently pulled him along, and, as if enchanted, Yeongdeok followed.

Not long after, they arrived at the rooftop of a building.

Though he knew the building had a rooftop, it was a place he’d never had reason to visit before.

“Are you planning to push me off? Bold of you.”

“As if. Ta-da!”

Jihoon pulled out a set of colorful sparklers.

Even with them right in front of him, Yeongdeok tilted his head, unable to understand the intent.

“What’s this?”

“During the festival earlier, they had fireworks at the concert. Made me think of you.”

Fireworks and Yeongdeok seemed as unrelated as apples and umbrellas.

As he tried to figure out Jihoon’s thought process, Jihoon lit the end of a thin sparkler, the tiny flames fluttering like dandelion seeds.

He held it out to Yeongdeok.

“Here.”

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“Just hold it. It’s pretty, right?”

The soft crackling of the sparkler reached Yeongdeok’s ears.

Though small, the sparks filled his gaze with a certain beauty.

“Looks dangerous.”

“As long as you’re careful, it’s fine.”

Jihoon wiggled the sparkler in his direction.

Although he found it to be a risky object, Yeongdeok accepted it nonetheless.

“You… always doing useless things.”

“You say that, but you’re smiling.”

He hadn’t realized he was smiling.

His focus had been entirely on the sparkler in his hand.

“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this.”

“Really? Don’t you usually play with these at the beach?”

“I’ve never been to the beach as a kid.”

The sparkles reflected in Yeongdeok’s eyes.

Maybe it was the glow on his otherwise cold face, but Jihoon thought he looked a bit melancholic.

“Then let’s go to the beach together sometime. Summer’s coming soon.”

“….”

“Why are you leaving me hanging? Are you embarrassed?”

Seo Jihoon and the beach…

As he envisioned the scene, a warm sandy shore and a radiant ocean under a clear sky filled his mind.

Beside him, Jihoon under the bright sunlight, smiling warmly.

Imagining such a friendly smile felt odd, so Yeongdeok shifted the topic.

“With the shop, I probably won’t be able to.”

“Just find someone to cover for a day. You’ve done it before.”

As they spoke, the sparkler dimmed and eventually burned out, leaving only a faint gray smoke.

“Should we head back down? You’ve had a hard time running the shop alone.”

“I always handle it alone when you’re not around. It’s nothing new.”

“I know. Good job, good job.”

Jihoon patted his head as if to praise him, but to Yeongdeok, it felt more like teasing, leaving him annoyed.

“…Are you looking down on me?”

Seeing Yeongdeok’s frosty expression, Jihoon tried to soothe him, saying that he’d never mean that, as they descended from the rooftop.

Jihoon paused in front of his apartment door, unlocking it and turning the handle before speaking to Yeongdeok.

“Good night, Cha Yeongdeok.”

“Alright.”

With that final goodbye, Jihoon slipped through the door.

Even after the door to the apartment next door closed, Yeongdeok stood in the hallway, staring vacantly at it, lingering for an unusual thirty seconds before finally entering his own place.

* * *