Rion quietly slipped out of the room. Just outside, he saw Yu-won organizing boxes in the small attached storage room.
“Probably best to start with the easiest thing. Something like slinging an arm over his shoulder—you could do that with anyone, really.”
“What’re you doing? Want some help?”
Rion casually placed a hand on Yu-won’s shoulder. It still felt a little awkward, but he figured if they slowly closed the distance between them like this, they’d eventually get closer. He acted nonchalant, trying not to make it obvious.
But the moment Yu-won felt Rion’s hand on his shoulder, he flinched and immediately knocked it away. Rion awkwardly rubbed his stinging hand, caught off guard by Yu-won’s sharp reaction.
“Uh…”
Come to think of it, hadn’t something like this happened inside a Gate shortly after they first met?
Rion gave an awkward smile as he looked at Yu-won.
“Was I being too dense?”
“…It’s not that. You just startled me. Showing up behind me like that.”
The difference this time, though, was that Yu-won at least pretended not to mind.
Sure, it stung a bit—getting shut down so blatantly when they were supposed to be living together to build a better relationship. It was a little upsetting, even if just emotionally. But to be fair, Rion had come up from behind out of nowhere, and Yu-won had bothered to offer an explanation. So Rion didn’t feel angry like he might’ve in the past.
Yu-won was trying in his own way too.
“Right, right. I was just wondering what you were up to.”
“Just organizing a bit.”
Maybe Rion was getting used to this side of Yu-won. In the past, he would’ve snapped instead of awkwardly smiling.
“Guess dying and coming back really does change you a little. We’re both making progress, in our own ways. Let’s think positive.”
“What’s this? A family photo?”
“Oh, yeah. Huh, why is that here? My parents must’ve snuck it in. It’s an old one—I barely remember taking it.”
Wanting to steer the conversation away from the awkward moment, Rion glanced around and spotted a framed photo tucked into a corner of the storage room.
Thinking it’d help lighten the mood, he picked it up and made a bit of a fuss over it.
“Whoa, how many years ago is this?”
“Probably… five? We took a new one a couple years ago, so I haven’t seen this one in a while.”
Thankfully, Yu-won didn’t leave Rion hanging and responded sincerely. He even took the photo back from Rion. In the picture, Yu-won looked completely different from how he did now.
“Damn, this was five years ago? You must’ve had a crazy growth spurt in high school.”
“Yeah. I was pretty small until middle school.”
“Is this your older brother? Damn, he’s good-looking too. You guys don’t really look alike, but he’s got that handsome-in-a-different-way vibe. What does he do? Is it rude to ask?”
“He’s a cop.”
Rion’s eyes lit up at the word.
“Seriously? I was actually planning to go into law enforcement before I joined the Center. That’s awesome.”
“That suits you. That’s a life-saving job too, in its own way.”
“Right? It’s badass. You’ve gotta introduce me sometime. But…”
Rion’s eyes drifted back from Yu-won’s brother in the photo to the younger Yu-won standing beside him. Something about that face triggered déjà vu.
“Hmm. You were good-looking even as a kid…”
“Random much?”
“No, it’s just… this face feels like something you wouldn’t forget after seeing it once. So maybe I’m misremembering, but it really feels familiar.”
Rion narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the younger version of Yu-won. He could’ve sworn he’d seen that face before. It was blurry in his memory, but there was no way he wouldn’t remember a face like that.
“Probably just your imagination. Did you finish unpacking your room?”
“Huh? Oh, I just need to bring my jackets tomorrow and then I’m done.”
“Then let’s stop and eat dinner. Any cravings?”
Yu-won, having tucked the photo away elsewhere, left Rion without anything to stare at. Rion smacked his lips and got up. He really had felt like he’d seen it somewhere. Maybe it was just a feeling.
“Can’t think of anything in particular, but since we just moved in… how about some black bean noodles? Unless you’re not into that kind of thing?”
“Nah, it’s fine. I eat pretty much anything.”
But Rion soon forgot all about the photo as he followed Yu-won out into the living room.
“I thought shoulder-slings would be easy, but I guess not. Maybe he just doesn’t like physical contact at all? Kinda seems that way… Damn. This isn’t good.”
“Black bean or spicy seafood?”
“What about you?”
“Hmm… I’m good with either, but I am craving something spicy… No, wait, moving day does call for black bean noodles… Ugh, let me think—”
“Let’s just order both. I don’t mind either way.”
“Yeah? What’s this place again… Right, officetel. Room 901… Got it. Do you have a go-to spot you usually order from?”
“Nope.”
“Then I’m picking a place with good reviews.”
Rion tapped away on his phone, a bit worried inside.
Between the matching rate issue and that look on Yu-won’s face the other day, he really wanted to make a good impression—but things had already started to get awkward on day one.
Other people don’t even blink at an arm around the shoulder… I get that everyone’s different, but still… Damn it. Whatever. We’ve got three months together. Something’s gotta give eventually, right?
Not wanting to show how uncomfortable he felt, Rion ordered dinner while keeping up a casual front.
“Just picked the place with the most reviews, okay?”
“Should I… pay?”
“Seriously? You really gonna try and pay again? Give me a break. I’ve got some pride, you know. Getting treated to food by you? That’s the last line of defense for my ego, so let me keep that, at least.”
Rion gave Yu-won a friendly pat on the shoulder, playing it off with a bright grin. Thankfully, Yu-won didn’t pull away or push him off this time.
“Yeah. This is fine. We’ll get there, little by little.”
“Smells good already. Hope it gets here fast.”
Rion laughed as he said it. Can’t expect some dramatic transformation on day one, after all.
“Man… without Gate work, the days feel so slow.”
Stretching his arms wide, Rion wandered around Yu-won’s apartment. Their first day living together was off to an oddly uneventful but peaceful start.
***
“You two had a fight yesterday, didn’t you?”
“We didn’t fight.”
“Seriously? I’m having a hard time believing that.”
“Ugh, I’m telling you, we didn’t! I’ve been holding back a lot, okay? I’ve chilled out a lot.”
“You? You and holding back in the same sentence? I don’t know, Rion.”
“I swear I will end you.”
“See? That’s what I’m talking about.”
Jin-ha, having found the perfect opportunity, kept teasing Rion without mercy. It was the seventh day of their cohabitation.
“So, you’ve seriously gone a whole week without fighting?”
“Well… okay, maybe once.”
“Oh? That’s actually less than I expected. What happened?”
“Eh… calling it a fight is kind of a stretch. I was watching him work out and almost bumped into him with my injured leg. I mean, it happens. But then he snapped and asked why I was hovering around like that, and I kinda… snapped back.”
Rion recalled the one day Yu-won had raised his voice during their cohabitation. Tempted by all the shiny workout equipment, he’d been hovering too close while Yu-won was exercising and nearly slammed his bad leg.
“Pfft! That’s so you. And also so him. Why were you even loitering around there? Is your leg okay?”
“Yeah, I didn’t get hurt. I know it wasn’t a big deal when I look back on it, but it’s hard to stop yourself when you get that sudden flash of anger, you know?”
Rion grumbled. Looking back, it really had been nothing. But with his temperament, he couldn’t always control his reactions.
Not that Yu-won was any better—he had a tendency to get snappy over every little thing.
“Seriously, chill out a bit. Still, now that you’ve lived together for a week, don’t you kinda get the hang of things?”
“The hang of what?”
“Like… what Yu-won might be thinking. Or how you should act around him. Stuff like that.”
Jin-ha looked at Rion with a hint of hopeful curiosity. Admittedly, it was probably a dangerous topic to bring up around either of them, but watching their painfully slow-burn dynamic unfold was a source of entertainment during Jin-ha’s shifts at the Center.
But even the juiciest drama gets old if nothing ever happens—viewers, after all, crave progress. And Jin-ha was definitely ready for a new development.
“How to act around him, huh… Hmm…”
Rion frowned, deep in thought. In the past, he would’ve immediately snapped, “Why the hell should I care!?” So just the fact that he was thinking it over was a kind of progress in itself.
“Honestly? I still have no clue.”
“Why not?”
“He’s just… hard to read. Honestly, it almost feels like it was easier when we were always fighting.”
Rion ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Back then, they’d argue, he’d storm off and vent to fellow Espers about what a pain in the ass Yu-won was, and that would be the end of it. But now that he was starting to care, the thoughts never stopped.
“Haven’t you noticed anything surprising about him?”
“Something unexpected? …Yeah, I guess I kinda have.”
Rion thought about the Yu-won he’d seen at home. He’d expected the same cold, excessively meticulous guy he saw at work. But once they started living together, Yu-won revealed a very different side.
“Come on, tell me. I’m curious.”
“Hmm… let’s see…”
Rion pictured Yu-won’s face—annoying as ever, yet somehow, lately, more approachable.
“So, the thing that surprised me is…”
That face was now something Rion could recall without hesitation. And with it, he began to talk.
