Im Hangyeol raised his head abruptly and looked somewhat hurt.
‘After all, I’m not Lee Jaeyoon.’
“So, if that’s what you’re hoping for, I’m sorry but…”
“It’s fine.”
“…”
“You don’t have to say anymore. I understand what you mean perfectly.”
“I see…”
A heavy silence fell between them. Jaeyoon put his bag, which had been on the chair, over his shoulder.
“It’s getting late, you should head back to the dormitory soon.”
As Jaeyoon was passing by Im Hangyeol, he felt a hand grab his arm, and he turned to look at him.
“Still, keep teaching me how to study.”
“…Alright.”
After briefly looking at the hand that fell limply, Jaeyoon moved on. Once outside the library, a long sigh escaped his lips. Somehow his heart felt heavy. But he couldn’t give Im Hangyeol what he wanted. Just like he couldn’t answer the apology directed at Lee Jaeyoon back then.
“The Lee Jaeyoon you’re looking for doesn’t exist anymore.”
***
Jung Jinhoo, who had been smiling brightly after spotting Jaeyoon walking toward him, instantly darkened his expression when he got a closer look at his face. Taking large strides toward Jaeyoon, Jung Jinhoo cupped both of his cheeks with his hands as Jaeyoon smiled at him.
“Sunbae?”
“You said there wasn’t any problem…”
“What?”
“Why does your expression look so bad…”
“Sunbae??”
Jaeyoon blinked in confusion at Jung Jinhoo, who was muttering to himself with a serious face.
“Sunbae!”
Jaeyoon placed his hands on Jung Jinhoo’s cheeks. Jung Jinhoo finally came to his senses at the gentle tapping on his cheeks. He gave an embarrassed smile to the blue eyes staring intently at him.
“Sorry…”
“Did my expression look that dark?”
“Yes…”
Jaeyoon chuckled at the gloomy response.
“It’s nothing serious.”
“…”
Jung Jinhoo’s expression sank. With furrowed brows and a sullen look, he seemed to be pouting.
“We agreed to discuss things together…”
‘Oh, he’s showing his sulky side for the first time!’
Looking slightly worried after saying this, Jung Jinhoo carefully gauged Jaeyoon’s reaction. Finding him indescribably adorable, Jaeyoon unconsciously gave him a quick kiss on the lips. The golden eyes widened and blinked rapidly. Jaeyoon smiled with his eyes narrowed.
“Shall we continue this when we get to the dormitory?”
Jung Jinhoo’s lips moved slightly. As he seemed to be choosing his words, Jaeyoon moved closer and whispered softly in his ear.
“Very passionately~”
In the end, Jung Jinhoo surrendered with a blushing face.
***
When Jaeyoon stopped his steps on the second floor while climbing the dormitory stairs, Jung Jinhoo turned around with a puzzled expression.
“Jaeyoon?”
“Sunbae, is it okay if I go back to my room now…”
Jung Jinhoo’s eyebrows drooped. Facing those moist eyes looking at him, Jaeyoon bit his lip hard.
“Won’t it be uncomfortable for you?”
“Was it uncomfortable for you?”
“No, that’s not it… You need to prepare for the competition, and you’re also a senior in high school, so I was wondering if my presence might be distracting…”
“I’m more distracted when you’re not by my side.”
Jaeyoon felt his face grow hot under that intense gaze.
“Th-then I’ll just grab a few clothes.”
“Okay!”
Jaeyoon smiled indulgently at Jung Jinhoo’s pretty smile, with his large eyes narrowed into crescents.
“Want me to come with you?”
“I’ll be up right away~”
“Alright, hurry back.”
Though it might seem like they were far apart to others, their rooms were actually only five minutes away from each other. Just one floor up and they could see each other immediately. If Lee Heejun had seen this scene between them, he would have frowned deeply, but fortunately, he wasn’t here right now.
“A few t-shirts and pajamas…”
While mentally organizing what to pack, Jaeyoon furrowed his brows at a shopping bag hanging on the door handle in front of his room. What’s this? The string handles tied with a red ribbon looked unmistakably like a gift.
‘Who could it be from…?’
Currently, Jaeyoon was staying in Jung Jinhoo’s room. This meant whoever had left the gift hanging on Jaeyoon’s door probably didn’t know that fact.
‘So it’s not sunbae, and Heejun and Hajun sunbae are also ruled out. I don’t think the class president would give something like this…?’
Jaeyoon stared at the snow-white shopping bag. The logo written in silver was a brand Jaeyoon recognized. With an uneasy feeling, he looked inside and found what appeared to be a letter placed on top.
“…”
Carefully opening the envelope, Jaeyoon frowned deeply.
[Congratulations on your discharge from the hospital.]
-Doyoon sunbae
The letter was ruthlessly crumpled in Jaeyoon’s hand. He threw the crumpled letter back into the shopping bag as if disposing of trash, then dusted off his hands as if they had been soiled.
‘No matter how many warnings, he just doesn’t listen.’
As Jaeyoon was sighing and opening his door, a voice from beside him made him freeze.
“I put some effort into writing that, you know. How cold.”
Jaeyoon turned his head with a disgruntled expression. Seeing Han Doyoon’s arrogant smile, stress washed over him like a wave.
‘The best response to someone like this is to ignore them.’
As Jaeyoon entered his room and tried to quickly close the door, a large hand firmly gripped the doorframe.
“You’ll get hurt.”
“Then let go.”
“I don’t want to.”
“If I end up hurting you, it’ll be troublesome for you, won’t it?”
“If I call it an accident, what’s the worst that could happen? A warning?”
“You’d have to stay by my side nursing me until my hand heals completely. Are you okay with that?”
Jaeyoon released the doorknob without any hesitation.
‘Let’s not talk about such horrible things.’
Han Doyoon strode into the room without asking for Jaeyoon’s permission.
“Dust has accumulated.”
After brushing his hand over the desk, Han Doyoon turned his gaze to the bed. Even on the neatly made bed with no wrinkles, four weeks’ worth of neglected dust was visible. Han Doyoon’s eyes narrowed.
“Didn’t you get discharged yesterday?”
“…So what?”
Han Doyoon turned his head and curled his lips as he looked at Jaeyoon, who was frowning with his chin raised as if to say ‘what’s the problem?’
“We need to air out the room and do a thorough cleaning.”
I’ll take care of it myself. So would you please leave quickly? Jaeyoon suppressed the thoughts that seemed about to burst out. While waiting for Han Doyoon to leave his room as soon as possible, Jaeyoon was startled by the words that came out of his mouth.
“If that’s difficult, would you like to stay at my house?”
“What?!”
What did I just hear? Han Doyoon approached the shocked and frozen Jaeyoon one step at a time.
“As you know, we have spare rooms to spare, and there’s a caretaker, so you won’t have to worry about dust accumulating like this.”
“No, I’m fine.”
Jaeyoon frowned and backed away as Han Doyoon gradually closed the distance.
“Don’t be shy. I’ll make sure you get three meals a day with what you like.”
“It’s not being shy, it’s a refusal.”
“A room like this isn’t hygienic, you know?”
“Would you please leave now, before I start regretting that I didn’t just break your finger instead?”
There wasn’t much room to retreat in the small room, and his back soon hit the wall. As Han Doyoon stepped right in front of him, Jaeyoon sighed heavily.
“Could you really stop? Do you enjoy doing this to someone who clearly doesn’t want it?”
“If you don’t like it now, I just need to make you like it again.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Just like how you never thought you’d come to like someone other than me before, who knows if you’ll return to me this time too?”
But it wasn’t me who liked you, it was Lee Jaeyoon… Jaeyoon blinked his blue eyes slowly, then opened his mouth with a sigh.
“That won’t happen.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because it’s different.”
“Different?”
Han Doyoon smiled at the corner of his mouth as if he didn’t understand what Jaeyoon was saying. In response, Jaeyoon slowly brushed his hair up and said:
“Because I’m not Lee Jaeyoon who liked the student council president.”
“Didn’t you say feelings can’t be controlled at will?”
“…”
“Then you can’t definitively say you won’t come to like me again, can you?”
“Pretty, cute, with a good personality, and on top of all that, 9 years younger than me…”
‘Younger…’
Faced with this sudden reality, Jaeyoon briefly closed his eyes tightly and opened them again. I had forgotten about that, damn it. Though he had long abandoned things like conscience, he couldn’t help but look away uncomfortably.
“Nine years younger than me?”
Please don’t emphasize it again. It’s making my abandoned conscience ache. Jaeyoon clenched his teeth and tried to regain his composure.
“Skilled…”
Han Doyoon frowned. At his expression that seemed to ask what he meant, Jaeyoon gently avoided his gaze.
‘Just let it go, you bastard.’
“Ahem! Anyway, with someone like that around, how could I possibly like the student council president?”
“I’m also pretty, cute, with a good personality, and on top of all that…”
Han Doyoon’s finger gently tickled the back of Jaeyoon’s hand before moving to his wrist. Jaeyoon’s brows wrinkled at the irritating touch. After quietly looking down at the wary Jaeyoon, Han Doyoon slowly bent down and whispered in his ear.
“I’m skilled too.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
