* * *
‘Oh, so he actually saved my number?’
For a moment, Haebom wondered if he had underestimated Wonho.
But that wasn’t the point right now.
As he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check, Wonho let out a quiet sigh.
Haebom saw that there was only one missed call and let out a small, amused chuckle.
So Wonho had called just once, and when he didn’t pick up, he came all the way here to find him.
“Get up.”
“Huh?”
“I said get up. We have to go.”
Wonho didn’t even bother explaining why he had called—he just ordered Haebom to get moving.
Haebom, watching him barge in, shoot a dramatic scene, and now demand that he follow, was at a loss.
But in the end, he stood up from his chair.
After briefly bidding farewell to Jin Seyoung, he trailed after Wonho, who was already heading out of the lab.
Of course, Haebom made sure to bow to the other researchers as well before leaving.
Once outside, Yoonseo was nowhere to be seen.
He had thought she might be waiting, but that wasn’t the case.
Wonho didn’t seem to care that she had left and simply strode forward with his long legs.
Haebom, shorter in comparison, had to move quickly to keep up.
“…Huh?”
Normally, anyone would check at least once to see if the person following them was actually keeping pace.
But Wonho didn’t glance back a single time.
As Haebom continued trailing after him, he realized the path was oddly familiar.
Had he really gotten used to this place after just a week?
But that wasn’t important right now.
The place Wonho was leading him to was somewhere he would’ve ended up at later in the evening anyway.
In other words, it was the house Haebom had been staying in—the house that belonged to Wonho.
“Wait, why are we here…? Hey, that’s low. You’re just gonna go in like that?”
Haebom had called out just before Wonho entered the house, but before he could finish his sentence, the man had already opened the door and disappeared inside.
Haebom stared at the entrance in disbelief.
The door wasn’t fully closed.
That probably meant he was supposed to go in.
It was annoying that Wonho hadn’t even bothered to explain why he was looking for him, but at the same time, Haebom was grateful to be pulled out of that awkward situation back at the lab.
If Wonho hadn’t shown up, who knew what kind of drama would’ve unfolded between him and Yoonseo?
Just thinking about her expression made him feel like she would have accused him of stealing her lover.
Well, technically, Wonho was the cause of all this.
But that didn’t mean he was at fault.
Letting out a sigh, Haebom pushed the half-open door wide and stepped inside.
“…Huh?”
Haebom immediately stepped back out and looked around.
The well-kept garden, the front door—it was all exactly as he had seen this morning.
But the inside…
The inside was different.
“…What are you doing?”
Wonho, who had already gone in, frowned as he saw Haebom hovering at the entrance.
Haebom blinked at him in confusion.
“Is this really your house? I think we walked into the wrong place.”
“…Quit talking nonsense and close the door. Get in.”
Did… did Wonho just sigh?
Or was that his imagination?
Still perplexed, Haebom nodded and stepped back inside, making sure to properly shut the door this time.
He had a good reason for reacting this way.
This morning, the only furniture in the living room had been the small sky-blue two-seater sofa he had bought himself.
There was a table, but it was a foldable one that was only set up during meals.
Aside from that, the space had been completely empty.
Now, though, there was a large, luxurious sofa big enough to seat four people comfortably, an expensive-looking table, and even a stylish rug beneath it all.
Mounted on the wall opposite the couch was a massive TV.
This morning, the place had looked like someone had just moved out.
Now, it looked like someone had not only moved in but fully furnished and tidied up the space.
Sure, everything was still brand new, so it didn’t feel lived-in yet.
But that wasn’t the issue.
“Wow… When did you get all this stuff? Why didn’t you do it sooner? Huh? Wait, where’s my sofa…?”
Haebom had been admiring the transformation when he suddenly realized something—the sky-blue couch he had been using was gone.
Looking around, he could already tell that it wouldn’t have fit the new aesthetic.
Still, getting rid of it entirely seemed a bit much.
He shot Wonho a resentful look.
It wasn’t expensive, but Haebom had picked it out carefully.
It stung to have it just disappear like that.
“So? Did you call me here just to show off? Like, ‘Hey, look at my new furniture’?”
“…Shut up and follow me.”
Was that really it…?
More than anything, he was just sulking over the fact that the sofa was gone, and that irritation had made him pick a fight for no reason.
Pouting slightly, Haebom trailed after Wonho.
Wonho opened one of the two doors on the first floor.
The other was the bathroom, which meant this was the room he had told Haebom to use.
Not that Haebom had ever actually used it—he had practically been living in the living room.
Since the sofa was the only place he could lie down, it was inevitable.
Originally, the room Wonho entered had been completely empty.
But now, just like the living room, it had been furnished.
A bed big enough for Haebom to roll around in, a wardrobe, and even Haebom’s beloved sofa were all there.
The room was larger than Haebom’s old studio apartment, and with the sofa included, it even felt like a one-room apartment with a separate kitchen.
“I just arranged things roughly. If there’s anything you don’t like, tell me right away.”
Seeing Haebom’s surprise at the sudden change, Wonho felt his shoulders instinctively puff up in pride.
But he quickly pushed the feeling down.
He had only done this because he didn’t want the small, irritating guide constantly loitering in the living room—nothing more.
There was no other reason.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
This was simply the best solution to prevent a repeat of what had happened last time.
And okay, maybe he could’ve just thrown in any furniture, but he had ended up carefully picking each piece.
Even matching the colors to Haebom’s precious sofa…
But that was just because it was easy to do.
That’s all. It wasn’t some special consideration or anything.
He kept making excuses to himself, even though he was the only one listening.
“I don’t dislike it… It’s amazing. Thanks, Wonho.”
Haebom responded immediately, his smile bright and unfiltered, making no attempt to hide the way his lips curved up.
Wonho, facing Haebom’s clear, cheerful grin, quickly turned his head away.
He wondered if he was being too materialistic, but then again, so what?
He now had the bed he’d planned to buy next month with his paycheck, a wardrobe, and even his sofa. If that made him a little materialistic, so be it.
The irritation he had felt earlier had completely vanished.
In truth, he had been frustrated and resentful after being stalked for a whole week, forced into drinking, and ultimately ending up in that mess.
Sure, it was Haebom who had caused the “accident,” but that wasn’t important right now.
Right now, Wonho’s annoyingly smug face was practically glowing.
* * *
