* * *

Nobody dislikes compliments. They say compliments can make even a whale dance.

But Jiho felt suspicious. He hadn’t done anything to deserve praise from that guy.

…Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?

Jiho looked at Yejun with a puzzled face, but Yejun smiled with crescent moon-shaped eyes, looking as beautiful as an angel.

As Jiho gradually let his guard down, mesmerized by Yejun’s captivating smile, Yejun spoke again.

“Meeting pointless people is a waste of time. If you’re going to meet someone, meet someone worthwhile.”

“……”

…Someone worthwhile.

Jiho frowned, looking up at Yejun. He understood what Yejun meant, but it was odd hearing it from someone often called a beautiful lunatic.

Moreover, given the timing, it sounded like Yejun was saying the omega Taeyun wanted to introduce was pointless. Fortunately, Taeyun was too busy with the jiu-jitsu guys to hear, but if he had, he would’ve exploded.

“Hey, do you think I turned it down to get praise from you? And do you think I’m a pet, needing head pats for compliments?”

Jiho spoke with exasperation and swatted Yejun’s hand away from his head.

With a sharp slap, Yejun’s hand was knocked aside, and he winced, saying “Ouch” as if his hand hurt.

The sound of their skin clashing was harsh, and Jiho glanced at Yejun, worried, but Yejun still had a smile on his face. Despite wincing, he looked oddly pleased, like an idiot.

That guy is in such a good mood… No one would be smiling after getting hit like that. Jiho looked at him in disbelief, one eyebrow raised, while Yejun, oblivious, spoke cheerfully.

“Jiho, let’s grab a burger after class. My treat.”

“No, thanks.”

“Oh, you don’t like burgers? How about something else?”

“It’s not that I don’t like burgers. I’ll buy my own.”

Jiho sighed and shook his head. Burgers weren’t expensive, so he could have accepted the offer, but it felt like an extension of praise for turning down the meeting, which made him unwilling to accept.

I didn’t turn down the meeting because of Yejun.

He had nothing to do with it, really…

Jiho repeated this to himself like a mantra, turning his gaze away. Even though Yejun’s beaming face was annoying, he didn’t want to engage and get drawn into another situation.

Ignoring him completely was only possible after the professor walked in.

* * *

“Coco, let’s go for a walk.”

“Woof!”

A few days later, on a lazy weekend, Jiho picked up the leash, and Coco came running with his tail wagging like a propeller.

Coco was usually too hyper to even obey the ‘sit’ command without a treat, but words like ‘treat’ or ‘walk’ he understood perfectly.

Jiho skillfully attached the leash to Coco, grabbed a poop bag, and stepped outside.

With cherry blossoms falling and summer approaching, the weather was getting quite humid. It was now more common to see people in short sleeves than in cardigans or long-sleeved shirts.

Coco’s fluffy fur and bare paws on the hot ground worried Jiho, but Coco seemed fine, running here and there. Despite the heat, Coco was panting with his pink tongue out, but he was lively, walking on the grass, sniffing wildflowers, and chasing butterflies.

Doesn’t he ever get tired? Jiho thought as he let Coco play freely. Then suddenly, Coco flopped onto his back, exposing his belly.

“Ah! So cute!”

Jiho thought Coco was finally tired, but no, he was showing off in front of some young schoolgirls in uniforms.

Walking at similar times often led to familiar faces. The girls squealing over Coco were ones Jiho had seen often recently. Coco loved their attention, frequently rolling over to show his belly for more petting.

“Does he really like it that much…?”

Jiho smiled weakly, watching Coco being pampered by the girls.

It had been a month since Jiho moved here, and everything had become quite natural.

On the first day, he worried he was stepping into a lion’s den, but nothing bad had happened. Although he was sometimes conscious of Yejun, no incidents or unpleasant events occurred.

As time passed, Jiho increasingly felt moving in with Yejun was a good decision. The place was well-lit, spacious, and comfortable, with hot water readily available, making his quality of life much better than when he lived in a rented room.

He also got to enjoy freshly cooked rice and hot side dishes every day. The food was so good that if there had been a restaurant like this near his previous place, he would have eaten there daily.

The only minor complaint was some bugs. They weren’t mosquitoes, but he often found bite marks on his inner thighs after showers.

Yejun said he got them too, and since it didn’t disrupt his daily life or itch much, Jiho didn’t worry about it.

Thanks to Yejun, my quality of life has improved a lot. Lost in thought, Jiho noticed one of the girls petting Coco glancing at him.

When Jiho looked at her, wondering if something was wrong, she blushed and timidly asked him,

“Um… where’s the guy who comes out with you every day?”

The guy who comes out every day? She must me Ahn Yejun. He always came along before.

Why is she suddenly asking about him? Jiho thought but answered honestly.

“Today, I’m out alone.”

“Oh… that’s too bad.”

As Jiho answered nonchalantly, the girl’s expression quickly turned to disappointment. The other girls seemed the same. It turned out they were more interested in Yejun than Coco.

Recalling their interactions, it wasn’t that they were interested in Yejun as a person but rather in his charming looks.

Though Jiho was young, he thought today’s kids were quick to notice appearances. Then he suddenly thought something was odd.

Didn’t Yejun say he was busy at first?

Jiho remembered Yejun claiming he had no time to take care of Coco, which was why Jiho moved in.

Yet, since moving in, even though Jiho walked Coco twice daily, Yejun seldom missed joining them.

That wasn’t the only strange thing. Coco supposedly had separation anxiety, but showed no abnormal behavior.

He sulked when left alone but not enough to be worrisome. Although Jiho wasn’t a dog expert, Coco seemed no different from other dogs.

Taeyun once suggested Coco might howl when left alone, but since living with Yejun, there hadn’t been a single noise complaint.

It could be because the apartment was well-insulated, but still, it felt inconsistent to Jiho.

‘Could it be… Yejun lied to me?’

“Why would he…?”

Jiho muttered to himself, thinking hard.

After considering various reasons, the only one that made sense was that Yejun wanted to help him.

Since moving in, Yejun hadn’t taken anything from him.

Yejun, who never worried about money, must have felt incredibly sorry for Jiho, who had lost his place to stay.

Yejun was often called eccentric by those around him, but he was fundamentally a considerate person.

He was kind-hearted and might have genuinely wanted to help, or perhaps he thought it was a good opportunity to repay the help he had given him when they were younger.

‘But… if he was pitying me, I wanted to refuse.’

“I want to see that guy again.”

“Right? Such a shame.”

Lost in thought, frowning, he overheard the girls chatting while rubbing Coco’s belly.

Jiho looked at the girls and then shifted his gaze to Coco lying flat between them. It certainly didn’t seem like he wanted to live together because of Coco…

Maybe he had another reason for needing him, something other than pity…

‘…I’ll ask Ahn Yejun when he comes.’

With that thought, Jiho tightly wrapped the leash around his hand.

* * *