Ah… He hadn’t meant to fall asleep.
Haon was sulking over something as trivial as dozing off while watching a movie with another guy. It was the kind of thing Tae-hwi would’ve laughed off with a scoff if he’d heard about it.
But Haon was dead serious. Every time he remembered himself nodding off while sitting next to the guy on the sofa, it felt like another sandbag was tied to his chest.
The first time the guy had asked him to watch a movie, he hadn’t been able to because he’d ended up throwing up everything he had inside him. So Haon had figured he’d never bring it up again.
“Should we watch a movie after we eat?”
But the endlessly understanding guy had led him back into the living room, just like before, even handing him a delicious glass of orange juice. When he turned off the living room lights, it almost felt like they were really in a theater.
That’s why Haon had been so excited last night. Watching a movie sounded nice, but what made it even better was that he had asked to watch it together. It meant a lot that someone would still want to spend time with someone like him—awkward, boring, and bad with words.
But the excitement didn’t last long. And that was entirely the movie’s fault.
The guy had picked a fast-paced Hollywood action film. It had been a box office hit in Korea, holding the number one spot in ticket reservations for weeks. But for Haon, the pacing was just too much.
First off, the subtitles sped by way too fast. The action scenes were so intense that it was hard to keep up with the visuals. He kept missing important lines and quickly lost track of what was going on. The cinematography was flashy, but since he had no idea why anyone was fighting, his focus began to slip.
On top of that, he’d just stuffed himself full, and the post-meal drowsiness hit hard. His eyelids grew heavy, and eventually, he nodded off. He tried sipping the orange juice and forcing his eyes open to stay awake, but by the movie’s halfway point, the yawns started creeping out again.
Haon covered his mouth and tried to yawn as discreetly as possible so the guy wouldn’t notice. On screen, the characters were locked in a heated debate that made zero sense. His eyes were too tired to keep up with the subtitles, so he gave up and just watched the flashy visuals. That only made him more bored.
‘He’s actually enjoying this?’
Haon suddenly got curious and subtly glanced to the side.
And right then, their eyes met.
“Not your thing, huh?”
The guy whispered with a soft smile, like they were really sitting in a movie theater.
“No, it’s fun!”
Haon quickly whispered back, lowering his voice to match. He clearly said it was fun, but the guy still pressed the stop button and said they could watch it another time.
“We can keep going…”
“I’ve seen enough!”
The guy smiled as he spoke, his body turned toward Haon, not the TV.
Haon didn’t even notice that. All he felt was guilt. He figured the guy probably wouldn’t ask to watch a movie together again. That thought left him feeling a little sad.
“Haa…”
Haon’s sigh, as he recalled the events of the previous night, grew even heavier.
***
After finishing work, Haon took a taxi home. He had taken the bus on the way to work, but by the time he got off, all the last buses had stopped running, so he had no choice.
The guy had offered to give him a ride again today, but Haon firmly refused. Perhaps sensing Haon’s discomfort, the man backed off without insisting—thankfully.
“…Huh?”
Haon had reached into his pocket to check the time on his phone, but paused mid-motion. Something else had come out along with the phone.
It turned out to be Tae-hwi’s cologne. As soon as he brought the small travel bottle to his nose, he caught the distinct scent that always clung to Tae-hwi hyung. The man had tried to spray him with it again after work, and when Haon refused, he must’ve secretly slipped it into his pocket instead. Not that he had any real reason to use it.
‘Do your best. If this actually works out, don’t forget I was your number one supporter.’
Tae-hwi’s voice, echoing in his mind from earlier when he’d been cheering him on nonstop to make it work with “that guy,” made Haon let out a quiet sigh. Make it work, huh. Unless he was reborn, there was no way that would ever happen.
He stared at the tiny bottle for a moment, then shoved it deep into his pocket. He figured he’d return it next week. Resting his head against the window, he sighed again. When he rode in the man’s car, even just looking out the window had been entertaining—but right now, he was just exhausted.
When the clock neared 3 a.m., he pulled out the keycard that he kept in his wallet, next to his ID. Thanks to the card the guy had given him, he didn’t have to bother memorizing the front door passcode.
He opened the door as quietly as possible and tiptoed down the hall, minimizing his footsteps. He made a conscious effort to move like a thief in the night, trying not to disturb the landlord sleeping upstairs.
“You’re back?”
But the man wasn’t in his bedroom—he was sitting on the living room sofa. He must’ve been watching TV, because he set the remote down and walked toward Haon.
“Tired, huh.”
He greeted Haon with a beaming smile, one so bright it felt like it belonged to 3 p.m., not 3 a.m. Haon, who had been creeping in quietly, blinked in surprise at the man still being awake.
“You’re still up?”
“I usually sleep late.”
The man leaned in slightly, as if to check Haon’s complexion. After working until this hour, the fatigue was clearly written all over Haon’s face.
“Were there a lot of customers today?”
“There were a few more than usual.”
The bar had been relatively quiet, but there’d been a sudden rush of customers all at once—people ducking in to escape the rain. There had been a brief forecast about a nighttime shower, and sure enough, it had rained. Thankfully, by the time Haon clocked out, the ground was just a little damp.
“Bet there were a lot of drunks too?”
The man walked alongside Haon, guiding him toward his room. Since he followed so naturally, Haon continued the conversation without giving it much thought.
“Yeah, there are always a lot.”
It was a bar, after all—there were always drunk customers. Still, it wasn’t too hard to deal with them since the owner would personally kick out any real troublemakers. And when the owner wasn’t around, Hyung-cheol hyung would come out and handle things. Haon and Tae-hwi would just step back and glare daggers at the troublemakers from a safe distance, doing their part in silent protest.
“That must be tough,” the man murmured, coming to a stop right in front of Haon’s bedroom door.
“Go on in and get some rest.”
Only then did Haon realize he’d been walked all the way to his door. Technically, since they were already inside the house, it wasn’t like the guy had gone out of his way or anything… but still.
“How long are you working there?”
The man casually opened the door for him, asking the question as if in passing.
“One more month. Just a month left and I’m done.”
“You’re still working there for a whole month, huh.”
What felt like a short month to Haon clearly sounded long to him. The man’s smile faltered slightly as he continued.
“Isn’t it tough, commuting so far?”
“It’s fine. I just take a taxi and get there comfortably.”
It was tiring, but it would be over soon. While watching the man’s expression, Haon hesitated for a moment before speaking up again.
“I’ll try to come in as quietly as I can.”
“Does the sound of the front door opening reach upstairs?” he asked, looking a bit concerned.
The man tilted his head for a second, then smiled and shook his head.
“Nah, even if it’s loud, it doesn’t matter. I’m just worried about you, Haon-ssi. It’s dangerous coming and going so late at night.”
If that was all it was, that was a relief. As long as the man wasn’t uncomfortable, Haon didn’t mind.
“It’s totally safe since I take a taxi. And all the guys I work with are great, so the job’s actually kind of fun.”
Of course, the foul-mouthed owner was a little intimidating, and Tae-hwi’s relentless barrage of questions could be overwhelming sometimes… but still, Haon genuinely enjoyed the part-time weekend job.
The biggest upside was that there weren’t any creepy customers. If anyone tried to make inappropriate advances toward him or Tae-hwi—both of whom were Omegas—the owner would immediately kick them out. According to Tae-hwi, all of the owner’s daughters were Omegas, so he was especially sensitive about that kind of behavior. Haon was extremely grateful for it.
“But still, if it ever gets too much, quit right away.”
The man smiled as he said it, like he believed weekends were meant for rest. Haon just smiled in return. With his weekday job being so relaxed lately, the weekend work wasn’t nearly as tiring as it might’ve been otherwise. Once the bar job ended, he planned to start looking for the next gig right away, without taking a break.
As he looked at the man, Haon smiled—then glanced inside his room. Can I go in now? His legs were starting to ache, but he couldn’t move because the man was still holding onto the doorknob. It felt like he had more to say.
“……”
‘Or maybe he’s waiting for me to move first.’
Haon stood there awkwardly, the tips of his shoes shifting back and forth by barely a centimeter. The man just kept smiling, showing no sign of leaving. ‘What is he trying to say?’
“Good night.”
After a brief silence, the man finally spoke. Haon looked at him for a moment, then bowed his head a beat late in response.
“Sleep well.”
Click. The sound of the door closing echoed through the apartment, and the familiar stillness returned.
Inho slowly let go of the doorknob and stepped back, one foot at a time.
He ran a hand through the back of his hair, which lay neatly in place even without brushing, then wandered through the living room for a bit. He fiddled with the TV remote, picked up a cushion from the sofa and set it down again, moving with sluggish steps.
Then, after glancing once more at Haon’s closed door, he finally turned around and went back to his own room.
It was already past 3 a.m.
