* * *

At Hayan’s sudden action, Jeongseo stared at his face, which was right in front of him.

The faint breath tickled the bridge of his nose.

Hayan, who had been silently observing Jeongseo, leaned back as if nothing had happened and asked, “How did you feel just now?”

How did he feel?

Jeongseo tilted his head, unable to find a reason for Hayan’s words and actions, and answered, “I was just surprised because your face suddenly came so close!”

“Is that all?”

What else was he supposed to feel?

Jeongseo thought back to the moment and couldn’t think of anything beyond the sudden shock of Hayan’s face being so near.

If he had to pinpoint something, it would be the confused curiosity about why Hayan had acted that way.

Hayan, who swept his eyes over Jeongseo’s face, leaned against the bus stop post.

“If that’s all you feel, then we’re just friends.”

“Huh?”

Hayan thought that, sooner or later, Jeongseo would notice his own feelings, so there was no need to say anything strange.

“If you feel something different, then it means we’re not just friends or there’s a chance we could become something more.”

“Something different…?”

Jeongseo wanted to ask what kind of thoughts he should have, but the bus arrived just then.

“Oh, the bus is here. Thanks for waiting with me! I’ll see you.”

Hayan waved instead of replying.

As Jeongseo stepped onto the bus, still bewildered, Hayan spoke from behind.

“Now imagine it wasn’t me, but Pyo Yoontae who did that.”

Beep. Jeongseo tapped his transit card, and the bus doors closed.

He walked to an empty seat and sat down, his head slightly lowered, realizing the back of his neck was turning red.

‘Yoontae, coming that close…?’

Pressing a hand over his chest, Jeongseo realized that his heartbeat was racing as if he’d been running.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

After returning home, taking Seobok for a walk, and getting ready for bed, it was already past 11 PM.

Jeongseo changed into a short-sleeved pajama shirt and shorts set and sat cross-legged on the floor of the living room.

The stars were unusually bright, perhaps due to the clear weather.

As he listened to the chirping of insects filling the yard and gazed at the sky, Seobok settled down beneath the living room deck with a rustling sound.

When Jeongseo waved the treat he had prepared earlier, Seobok’s round eyes sparkled and his tail wagged energetically.

“Seobok, stand up, spin once, and raise your right paw!”

Seobok, who had been sitting, jumped up, spun around, and placed his right paw on the deck.

Smiling at the obedient response, Jeongseo praised him and gave him the treat, which Seobok eagerly accepted.

It was clear that Seobok was getting smarter by the day.

Although Seobok often ignored his older brother’s commands, he understood Jeongseo’s so well that Jeongseo would sometimes have him run simple errands, like fetching a broom.

“Seobok, you’re so smart.”

Patting his head while offering another treat, Seobok wagged his tail so vigorously it nearly swept the floor, looking up at Jeongseo with a content expression.

After playing with Seobok for a while, Jeongseo remembered something that had been on his mind and picked up his phone.

[Now imagine it wasn’t me, but Pyo Yoontae who did that.]

The thought of Yoontae’s face coming so close made his head feel like it was about to burst.

He felt he might be so shocked he couldn’t breathe, unsure of how to react, and might just end up covering Yoontae’s face with his hand.

[If you feel something different, then it means we’re not just friends or there’s a chance we could become something more.]

Something different.

The difference between when Hayan approached and when Yoontae did was clear.

The statement about the potential for another kind of relationship was vague, but Jeongseo wasn’t so oblivious that he didn’t understand what it implied—it clearly meant a romantic relationship.

But… Yoontae was a friend. And he even had a first love that was someone else.

Pondering this, Jeongseo searched the internet for ‘love and friendship.’

A flood of songs, dramas, and movies appeared.

He read through some lyrics but didn’t find anything relatable.

His gaze, however, caught on a title from another site.

[It’s not easy to distinguish between friendship and love.]

The page he opened was filled with what seemed to be a long monologue or diary entry.

After reading a few lines, Jeongseo felt as if he was invading someone’s privacy and clicked out.

As he was erasing the search bar, a related search term caught his eye: ‘Signs that you’re in love.’

Drawn to it, he tapped the link and saw a blog titled ‘10 Signs You’re in Love’ at the top.

Just as he was about to click, he hesitated.

He felt that once he read it, there would be no turning back.

As he scrolled, lost in thought, Seobok suddenly barked, startling him into accidentally brushing the screen with his finger.

“Seobok, you scared me!”

Woof!

It turned out Seobok just wanted another treat.

After a moment’s pause, Jeongseo fetched a chew stick from inside and gave it to Seobok, who lay down under the deck, contentedly gnawing on it.

When Jeongseo turned back to his phone, the blog page was open.

[Spring has arrived, bringing gentle breezes. Spring often evokes thoughts of fresh love and excitement. :>

Today, I’d like to talk about the signs that indicate you’re in love.

(blushing emoji)

Falling in love is like flowers blooming under the spring breeze, filled with special moments. ……(omitted)…….]

The introduction was long, so he scrolled down to the main points.

[1. A racing heart! When expecting contact or a meeting, your heart races, full of joy and excitement. Those fluttering moments make your heart feel filled with happiness.

1. You miss them even after parting. Even as time passes, the longing grows, and when you think of them, your heart pounds!

2. You want to share precious moments with them. The moments spent together feel special, making every shared moment feel meaningful and happy.

3. You want to know more about their preferences. You become more interested in their tastes and favorite things, finding them charming.

……(omitted)……

1. You feel nervous and tense around them. You want to leave a good impression and worry about revealing your true feelings.

2. You imagine a future together. You catch yourself envisioning a future together, feeling happy just thinking about it. Every moment with them feels extraordinary.

3. You sometimes feel childish jealousy. Hearing that they’ve enjoyed time with someone else makes you jealous, and you wish their attention was solely on you!

These are 10 signs that you might be in love.

Love is truly beautiful.

(heart emojis)

Let’s create happy love stories together!]

After finishing the reading, Jeongseo couldn’t take his eyes off the last three items.

He felt a strange tension and an urge to escape that he only experienced in front of him, the thought of a future with Pyo Yoontae, and the oddly unpleasant feelings that arose whenever others showed interest in Pyo Yoontae.

The implication of all these emotions was clear.

This was… love. Jeongseo didn’t just feel friendship towards Pyo Yoontae; he had romantic feelings for him.

Jeongseo’s gaze wavered, drifting into the air.

It felt like something that had been frustrating him all along was finally lifted.

His heart raced, and warmth spread through his body.

But… what should he do if he liked someone?

As soon as Jeongseo realized his feelings, he hit another obstacle.

Pyo Yoontae’s first love was supposed to be him.

Since Jeongseo liked Pyo Yoontae, shouldn’t he be able to tell him that he was the one?

Just as Jeongseo’s thoughts began to lean towards honesty, a memory he had temporarily forgotten surged back powerfully.

“Right, you should have a kid right away.”

“They say people used to get married and have kids by 14. At our age, we could definitely have kids and start a family.”

“Oh.”

Wait a minute, Jeongseo liked Pyo Yoontae, but he wasn’t sure if it was to the extent of wanting to have kids.

He re-centered the wavering balance of his heart that had leaned toward speaking thoughtlessly.

Liking someone was one thing, but actually saying it… felt like something to hold off on.

Since Pyo Yoontae was the kind of person who would follow through if he said he would, there was a high chance he was serious about that statement.

Suddenly overwhelmed by his newly discovered feelings, Jeongseo decided he should just sleep.

His grandmother used to say that overthinking troublesome matters only leads to stress.

So, he entered his room and burrowed into the blankets he had laid out in advance.

Perhaps because they were near the mountains, it got a bit chilly in the evening, making his skin feel cold.

As he fell asleep, a small weasel naturally nestled comfortably under the covers.

After some time had passed, Jeongseo’s phone, which he had left on the floor, began to ring.

[Pyo Yoontae: Jeongseo?] 12:07 AM

* * *