“What’s got you so startled? You look like you just got caught doing something shady.”
He’d come right up beside him, and yet Go Hoon hadn’t noticed a thing. He must’ve been seriously zoned out, focused on the scene outside.
“You’re the one who snuck up on me without a sound.”
Feeling awkward, Go Hoon deflected the blame. Bae Jung-yoon turned his head away, silently gazing out the window. After a brief pause, he casually tossed out a question.
“You interested?”
“In what?”
“The festival.”
As he answered, Bae Jung-yoon turned his eyes back to him. Go Hoon found himself parting his lips instinctively. Truth be told, he was interested, but admitting it outright felt a little embarrassing.
“I was just… it was so noisy outside, I thought I’d take a quick look.”
Playing it off like it was no big deal, Go Hoon nodded toward the library.
“Wait here for a sec. I’ll go grab my bag.”
With that, he slipped past Bae Jung-yoon and headed inside. But instead of waiting outside like he’d been told, Bae Jung-yoon quietly followed him in.
Go Hoon glanced back at him, then quickly turned away and started gathering his stuff.
As soon as they stepped out of the library, the sound of raucous laughter reached them from nearby. He ignored the noise and started heading straight toward the outdoor parking lot—until someone suddenly grabbed his arm. He turned to see Bae Jung-yoon.
“What?”
He looked over but got no reply. Instead, Bae Jung-yoon pulled him in closer. Though confused, Go Hoon let himself be led.
As they made their way into the heart of the festival, the crowd thickened until it was packed shoulder to shoulder. Everyone looked like they were dressed to impress, hoping to meet someone new.
Some people even threw glances their way. Ignoring the subtle stares, Go Hoon quietly followed as Bae Jung-yoon continued to pull him along.
They stopped in front of a large bar tent. Inside the canopy, a familiar face came into view.
“Oh? Bae Jung-yoon! Go Hoon!”
Jo Seong-il, looking completely worn out, lit up the moment he saw them and waved enthusiastically with both hands.
The inside of the tent was packed and deafeningly loud. Talking required practically shouting to be heard.
“Looks like business is booming.”
“Booming too much. I’m seriously dying here. My arms and legs don’t just feel broken—they feel like they’ve completely melted away.”
Clearly waiting for someone to vent to, Jo Seong-il launched into a stream of complaints. Bae Jung-yoon listened with a smile while Go Hoon glanced over at him from the side.
Go Hoon subtly tried to slip his arm out of Jung-yoon’s grip, but that only earned him a glance. Even Seong-il, who had been complaining non-stop, shifted his gaze to Hoon. Then, narrowing his eyes, he looked back and forth between the two of them.
“You two have been hanging out a lot lately, huh?”
That’s when it really hit him—just how much closer he and Bae Jung-yoon had gotten in such a short time. Not that he’d meant for it to happen. It felt like only yesterday Seong-il had asked if they even knew each other.
“Turns out me and Hoon actually get along pretty well.”
Yeah right, Go Hoon thought. What a load of crap. Can’t believe he says that with a straight face. He scoffed inwardly as Seong-il gave him a sly grin and nudged Jung-yoon in the arm.
“Well, whatever. Just keep looking after that bastard, alright? Someone’s gotta drag Go Hoon out into the world. Otherwise, he just stays holed up like a hibernating bear.”
Go Hoon thought it was the kind of thing you probably shouldn’t say with the person standing right there—but he didn’t bother responding. He just stood silently, like a prop in the background, pretending not to hear a thing.
After a short chat with Seong-il, Bae Jung-yoon ordered a few things from the menu and led Go Hoon to the only empty seat left.
Go Hoon pulled out a plastic chair and sat down, glancing around. He saw lots of people sharing tables, drinking together. The atmosphere was thick with a mix of awkwardness and excitement—plenty of groups looked like they’d just met.
Technically, they weren’t allowed to sell alcohol here. All the soju and beer on the tables must’ve come from nearby convenience stores, brought in by the guests themselves.
Go Hoon’s eyes lingered on a green bottle as he unconsciously licked his lips.
Everyone else was drinking, which only made him crave it more—but he didn’t feel like pushing through the crowd just to go out and buy some. Drinking in front of Bae Jung-yoon didn’t sound all that appealing either. Especially after that recent incident where he’d gotten drunk alone and nearly humiliated himself at home.
“Oh? Jung-yoon sunbae, hi!”
Just then, a new voice interrupted, calling out a familiar name. When Go Hoon turned his head, he saw four unfamiliar faces—two women and two men—each carrying plastic bags stuffed with alcohol. Clearly, they were here to join the party too.
“Hey.”
Bae Jung-yoon greeted them with a soft smile. After exchanging a few cheerful words, the group turned to Go Hoon and greeted him as well, their eyes sparkling with curiosity at the sight of the two of them together.
“Oooh, are you two drinking together?”
“Yeah.”
“Mind if we join you? We’ve been wandering around forever looking for a table.”
The juniors, half-complaining and half-pleading, asked to join. It was perfect timing—sitting there silently with Bae Jung-yoon had started to feel a bit awkward. Go Hoon figured it worked out well and nodded first.
“Have a seat.”
“Wow, thank you!”
No sooner had he given them the go-ahead than they moved with lightning speed. Since it had originally been a four-person table, they quickly fetched a few extra chairs from somewhere and settled in without a hitch.
Before long, the table was stacked with soju bottles and canned beer they’d brought. With more people came more chatter, and the energy around the table grew louder and livelier.
“Wait, are you guys seriously just eating snacks without any drinks?”
“We were only planning to sit for a bit before heading out.”
“Come on, it’s a festival! You’ve gotta enjoy it while you’re here!”
“Exactly—who knows when we’ll get another night like this?”
The juniors chimed in eagerly in response to Bae Jung-yoon’s calm reply. He simply smiled and, taking into account the growing number of people, ordered more food.
“Sunbae, won’t you have a drink?”
One of the juniors, having just popped the cap off a soju bottle, offered it to Bae Jung-yoon. But he declined with an easy smile.
“I brought my car today.”
“Ah, then that’s understandable. What about you, Go Hoon-sunbae?”
Bright eyes turned to him expectantly. Go Hoon hesitated for a moment, then gave a quiet nod.
“I’ll have a glass.”
He couldn’t bring himself to ignore that hopeful look. Just one. No more, no less. It was a festival, after all—he might as well enjoy it a little.
“Wow, I finally get to have a drink with Go Hoon-sunbae!”
Unlike the junior’s excitement, Go Hoon could feel a sharp gaze prickling against his cheek from the side. Bae Jung-yoon didn’t say a word, but his silent warning was loud and clear. Still, Go Hoon chose to ignore it.
“Sunbae! Here’s your drink!”
The junior stood up and cheerfully offered the soju with both hands. Go Hoon gave a soft chuckle and held out a paper cup, and the junior happily poured him a glass with a beaming face.
“Alright, everyone—cheers!”
The buzz in the air was infectious, and Go Hoon found himself caught up in it as he took a slow sip of his drink.
From there, time slipped by quickly. Before long, the sky had turned pitch black. From outside, deep bass echoed—clearly a guest artist had taken the stage.
“Woooooo!!”
Just as the juniors were deep in conversation, a sudden commotion erupted outside.
“What’s going on? Did someone big show up?”
“Purple Day’s here! No way! Let’s go check it out!”
The news spread like wildfire. From the sound of it, a famous girl group had just arrived.
With a loud roar, people who had been drinking began pouring out of the tent to catch a glimpse of the stage.
Their table was no exception. The juniors, faces lit with excitement, turned to them and asked if they wanted to come too—but Go Hoon shook his head. “You guys go ahead,” he said, and they dashed out, promising to be back soon.
In an instant, the area was left scattered with bags and half-finished drinks—just remnants of the crowd that had been there minutes earlier. A familiar song started playing outside, thudding along with the rhythm.
Go Hoon glanced at Bae Jung-yoon sitting beside him. His expression looked unmistakably bored.
“You’re not going out there?”
“Do you want to?”
Instead of answering, Jung-yoon deflected the question with another. It sounded like he was willing to go if Go Hoon said he wanted to. Go Hoon thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“Not really.”
He’d been curious when he heard the guest lineup was stacked, but the idea of fighting through a massive crowd just to glimpse the stage didn’t appeal to him. Even if he went, they’d probably look no bigger than a speck from that distance.
Feeling slightly awkward, he downed the rest of his soju in one go. The cup hit the table with a sharp clack just as another wave of cheers exploded outside, drawing both of their eyes instinctively toward the entrance.
“Isn’t it kind of amazing?”
Bae Jung-yoon suddenly spoke. Go Hoon popped a now-cold piece of rolled omelet into his mouth and replied casually.
“What is?”
“That people can love someone that much. So passionately.”
His deep black eyes, which had been fixed on the entrance, slowly turned and locked onto Go Hoon’s face.
“I don’t think I get it. That kind of unconditional feeling.”
