* * *
Jeongseo blinked at the house Hayan was pointing to, only realizing after a moment.
“Wait, your house?”
He had never even imagined visiting Hayan’s home before.
At Jeongseo’s surprise, Hayan hesitated briefly before nodding.
“Hurry up and decide before I change my mind.”
“I-I’ll go!”
Jeongseo, already excited, didn’t hesitate.
Yoontae, reluctantly, just sighed and went along with it.
With umbrellas in hand, the three of them walked toward Hayan’s house, stopping in front of a modest home nestled among rows of detached houses.
“Oh, my younger siblings are home. Just ignore them.”
Hayan had younger siblings?!
Jeongseo had always been curious about Hayan’s family, and now his heart pounded with anticipation.
As they stepped inside, Hayan called out,
“I’m home.”
A loud thudding sound followed, and through the crack of an inner door, white hair peeked out.
“Hyung! You’re home early today!”
A small boy with a missing front tooth clung to Hayan’s clothes.
Hayan, unfazed, simply patted his head while kicking off his shoes.
His little brother had a round face, fluffier hair than Hayan’s, and big black eyes that sparkled like tiny stars.
“This is our youngest, Haiseong.”
Hayan, Haiseong—just as their faces resembled each other, so did their names.
Jeongseo clapped a hand over his mouth.
This level of cuteness should be illegal.
Noticing Jeongseo’s stare, Haiseong finally registered the presence of strangers and tilted his head.
“Who’s th— HIK—!”
The moment Pyo Yoontae stepped in, still dripping wet, Haiseong’s expression twisted in terror.
He instantly buried his face in Hayan’s shirt.
Yoontae, visibly annoyed, kept shaking out his wet clothes, but the dampness refused to disappear.
“Stay in your room and behave, alright? Where’s Haiyoon?”
Ignoring his little brother’s fear, Hayan lifted him and plopped him onto the living room sofa.
Finally stepping inside, Jeongseo cautiously looked around.
Still peeking out, Haiseong whispered while glancing at Jeongseo and Yoontae.
“Hyung’s in her room!”
“Tch. He won’t even come out when I’m home.”
Grumbling, Hayan didn’t seem too bothered and instead walked off, returning with towels.
“Here, dry off first. I’ll find some clothes…”
His gaze swept over Yoontae, and only then did he realize just how much bigger the guy was.
Maybe it was because Jeongseo, who was smaller than both of them, was standing beside him… but Yoontae looked even bigger than usual.
“You wait here. Jeongseo, just sit.”
Still unsure what to do, Jeongseo obediently sat on the sofa at Hayan’s command.
Meanwhile, Haiseong kept sneaking glances at him, shifting his feet restlessly.
He looked about third grade, maybe? Jeongseo leaned forward with a smile.
“Haiseong, right? How old are you?”
Haiseong fidgeted, clearly wanting to answer, but hesitated.
His round cheeks twitched as if struggling to hold back words.
Jeongseo found it unbearably cute.
As the youngest in his family and village, he rarely had the chance to interact with kids.
Sensing Jeongseo’s gaze, Haiseong’s cheeks turned red, and after a moment, he shyly lifted both hands, fingers spread wide.
For a second, Jeongseo wasn’t sure what it meant.
Then Hayan, now carrying an armful of clothes, spoke dryly.
“Haiseong, use your words.”
At his older brother’s firm tone, Haiseong pouted, then whispered in the smallest voice,
“…Ten years old…”
At that moment, the completely soaked Pyo Yoontae ceased to exist in Jeongseo’s world.
By the time Yoontae finished showering and changed into the spare clothes, Jeongseo and Haiseong were already deep in conversation, the little boy excitedly gesturing with his hands.
Drying his hair with a towel, Yoontae muttered,
“What about my uniform? Should I wash it? Do you have a dryer?”
Hayan stared at the school uniform temporarily stuffed into a plastic bag.
Pyo Yoontae hesitated for a moment before handing it over to him.
Hayan briefly considered just dropping it to the floor in annoyance at how Yoontae shoved it at him like an order, without so much as a word of thanks.
But arguing felt like too much of a hassle, so he snatched it up instead.
“The hairdryer’s in the drawer next to the sofa. Do whatever you want with it.”
Hayan disappeared toward the veranda near the kitchen.
Meanwhile, as Pyo Yoontae dried his damp hair with a towel and approached Seo Jeongseo, a shadow passed over Haiseong’s face.
The boy, who had been chattering away with his missing front tooth on full display, suddenly shut his mouth.
Shrinking his shoulders, Haiseong looked up at Yoontae with wide eyes. Yoontae, expressionless, tilted his chin slightly.
“Move, kid.”
Haiseong’s eyes grew rounder, and he bolted to his room in a hurry. Jeongseo watched him go, a little regretful, when Yoontae suddenly thrust the hairdryer toward him, blocking his view.
Startled, Jeongseo flinched and leaned back, looking up at Yoontae in confusion.
Pouting slightly, Yoontae tilted his head to the side. His damp black hair, sticking to his eyelids, shifted out of place.
“Dry my hair.”
It wasn’t a hard request, but Jeongseo had no idea why he was being asked to do it.
Still, he accepted the hairdryer.
It was already plugged in, the cord stretching out across the floor.
The moment Yoontae sat on the ground in front of him, his black head was positioned just right.
Jeongseo turned on the dryer and gently ruffled through Yoontae’s hair.
His smooth strands swayed under the warm air, tickling his fingers.
At first, he had no clue why he was even doing this, but he started to find it strangely enjoyable, carefully running his fingers through Yoontae’s hair to dry it thoroughly.
Yoontae, in turn, closed his eyes, looking completely relaxed.
The way Jeongseo’s fingers moved made Yoontae feel good, and before he knew it, he was purring again.
He hadn’t done this so often before. It used to be embarrassing when the sound slipped out without thinking, but now, he couldn’t be bothered to hold it back.
Just then, Hayan came out of the kitchen after throwing Yoontae’s clothes into the wash and cooking ramen.
The moment he saw them, his face twisted in disgust.
‘These two really have no shame, even in someone else’s house.’
He was sure he preferred being alone at school.
So why, at some point, had he ended up hanging around these two?
He had no clue.
Before he knew it, he’d gotten tangled up with Seo Jeongseo and ended up eating meals every day with this insufferable Pyo Yoontae.
But the thought of distancing himself didn’t sit well with him either, so Hayan just gave up thinking about it.
Holding a large pot, he approached the table in front of the sofa and called out.
“Hey, hey, Yoontae, your damn head’s gonna cook at this rate. Quit it and move those magazines to the center.”
Jeongseo turned off the dryer and climbed off the sofa.
Once the magazines were moved, Hayan set down the hot pot.
Steam billowed up as the rich scent of ramen spread through the room.
The pot was bigger than expected, and seeing how much was inside, Jeongseo felt his mouth water.
“I made a lot, so share some with your siblings, yeah?”
“Oh—yeah, okay!”
After dividing the ramen among the younger siblings, the three of them gathered around, chatting while they ate.
Hayan had intentionally made extra, knowing Jeongseo’s appetite, but seeing him polish off even the broth, he clicked his tongue.
Pyo Yoontae, who had never really paid attention before, finally realized that Jeongseo actually ate quite a lot.
The rain hadn’t let up at all when they left for the bus stop.
It poured down in torrents, drumming against the pavement.
Despite Jeongseo’s refusal, Yoontae insisted on staying until he got on the bus, leaving him no choice but to sit down on the bench at the stop with him.
The loud rain and the damp, chilly air weren’t unpleasant.
Jeongseo took a deep breath and exhaled.
“You said you were aiming for Korea University, right?”
At the sudden question, Yoontae turned his face toward him and answered.
“Yeah. And you said you didn’t care which school as long as it was a physical education department?”
Since he had to prepare for the physical fitness test, there was no hiding his plans from Yoontae.
After all, he had practice twice a week after school.
Jeongseo glanced at Yoontae, then idly tapped the edge of a paving stone with his toe.
Originally, he had planned to keep it a secret until things looked promising and then drop the news with a dramatic “ta-da!”
But his mouth itched to say something, and Yoontae’s face, which had been looking off lately, lingered in his mind.
“Uh… Don’t get your hopes up too much, but listen.”
Yoontae, curious about what he meant by “hopes up,” nodded anyway.
Could it be?
Was he aiming for Korea University?
Is that why he’s been working so hard?
But… objectively speaking, Jeongseo and Korea University?
Even with the best luck, it seemed far-fetched.
Just as Yoontae’s gaze wavered slightly at the thought, Jeongseo spoke again.
“I’m applying to Jeonghan University, the closest school to Korea University. I’m submitting applications for their physical education department and other programs as reach schools. My teacher told me to focus on my grades and study for the entrance exams as much as possible. That’s why I’ve been working so hard! And why I’ve mostly been talking to Hayan lately, too…”
“Jeonghan University…”
Yoontae murmured.
It was much more realistic than Korea University.
And, just like Jeongseo said, it was indeed close to Korea University.
A slow smile tugged at the corner of Yoontae’s lips.
“So basically, you want to be near me, huh?”
“Yeah… Korea University is too much of a stretch for me… But seriously, don’t expect too much! My grades in first year were awful, so I don’t know how things will turn out. The physical fitness test is really tough, too.”
Yoontae reached out and absentmindedly ruffled the back of Jeongseo’s head.
“It’s fine. Even if we end up a little far apart, we can still make time to see each other. I like that you’re thinking about a future with me in it, but I don’t want you to feel tied down.”
Even through the heavy sound of rain, the warmth in his voice didn’t fade.
The pressure Jeongseo hadn’t even realized he’d been feeling suddenly seemed to ease, leaving him with a surprising sense of relief.
He almost regretted not telling Yoontae sooner.
“Besides, I could’ve helped you study too. Why do you keep going to Hayan instead?”
“Because… when I’m with you, I can’t focus. I just want to keep talking and messing around…”
“I wouldn’t distract you if you told me it was serious. I’d teach you properly. So from now on, you should ask—”
“It’s not about you! It’s me! When I’m alone with you, I can’t focus at all. I just keep wanting to talk to you… I’m studying so I can be with you longer, but when I’m actually with you, I can’t study at all…”
Blushing slightly, Jeongseo bit down on his lower lip.
He’d been barely holding it in, but there it was.
Jeongseo wasn’t the most perceptive, yet he had a way of saying things that drove Yoontae insane.
His breathing hitched.
Yoontae stilled, then reached out, cradling the back of Jeongseo’s head.
And he leaned in.
* * *
