That feeling you had for Kkongddeok-i—that’s what unconditional affection really is.
He was dying to tell Bae Jung-yoon, practically biting his tongue to keep from blurting it out. But he held it in. Somehow, bringing something like that up just felt absurd coming from him.
Go Hoon didn’t confirm or deny anything. He just gave a little shrug. A few minutes later, the juniors trickled back to their seats.
“Wow, Sunbae! Purple Day looks amazing. Seriously!”
Everyone started fussing about who sang well, who looked good. The table buzzed with excitement. Watching them chatter away, Go Hoon let out a faint chuckle.
It felt like he’d enjoyed the night enough. The drinks were just right. Satisfied, he stood up first.
“Oh? Sunbae, you’re leaving already?”
One of the juniors looked up at him with a slightly disappointed expression. Go Hoon awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.
“I’ve got a report due tonight.”
“Then I should probably head out too.”
Bae Jung-yoon stood up like he’d been waiting for that cue.
“Ah… Jung-yoon sunbae, you’re going too?”
“Yeah. I promised to drive Hoon home tonight.”
With goodbyes from the juniors trailing behind them, the two made their way out of the rowdy pub. They didn’t forget to wave at Jo Seong-il, who was too focused on flipping jeon to even notice.
Outside, the mood around the stage had shifted. A ballad singer had taken the mic—emotive vocals and a soft, melancholic melody drifted through the night air. The crowd swayed slowly, shoulder to shoulder, lost in the music.
“Since we’re already out… want to stay for the fireworks?”
Bae Jung-yoon made the suggestion out of nowhere. Go Hoon instinctively checked the time on his phone. The fireworks were scheduled to start at 9:50.
“Still about thirty minutes left.”
He hesitated, but Bae Jung-yoon suddenly grabbed his arm.
“Come on. Follow me.”
***
They passed through a carefully landscaped garden and entered the Business Admin building. It was late enough that the place was nearly empty. With everyone out enjoying the festival, the halls were silent and still.
Moving as if he knew the place by heart, Bae Jung-yoon led Go Hoon down the dark corridor. They headed up to the fourth floor, where a pair of double doors stood in their way.
The heavy doors looked tightly shut—Go Hoon wasn’t sure they’d even open. But with one pull, they gave way easily. No creak, no resistance—well-oiled hinges, apparently. Beyond the doors, the room was even darker than the hallway.
The air was stale and slightly musty, but cool. It was a large hall, usually used for seminars and conferences with outside guests.
“Why here?”
Go Hoon glanced around at the pitch-black room. In response, Bae Jung-yoon silently ran his hand along the wall. A click echoed as he flipped a switch, and slowly, the blinds on both sides of the hall began to rise.
Soft exterior light spilled in through the widening windows. Go Hoon followed as Bae Jung-yoon made his way toward the left side of the hall. The blinds had hidden it, but the windows were massive.
“This is a secret fireworks-viewing spot—best on campus.”
Bae Jung-yoon’s voice had a playful lilt to it. Go Hoon stepped closer to the window.
Just as he said, it offered a perfect view. The elevation and wide-open sightline made it ideal for watching the fireworks. It was positioned directly opposite the festival grounds.
A little distance from the action, yes—but that only helped. It muted the noise completely. The quiet, serene atmosphere of the room contrasted starkly with the lively scene outside. Go Hoon found himself liking it more than he expected.
“How’d you even find this place?”
It wasn’t the kind of room you’d stumble into unless there was an event. How did he know it was such a perfect viewing spot?
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Go Hoon turned around—only to see Bae Jung-yoon already perched on a table. He gave a quiet hum, his throat vibrating with the sound, wearing a faintly unreadable expression.
Go Hoon decided not to press. From the look on his face, he clearly didn’t want to answer. So instead, he silently turned back toward the window.
Beyond the garden, the crowds were still milling about. The contrast between the chaotic noise out there and the calm stillness in here brought him a strange sense of peace. He let himself fully soak in the quiet, secluded atmosphere.
Leaning against the window frame, he stared outside. After a while, he heard a soft rustle—Bae Jung-yoon had moved to lean against the opposite wall.
Go Hoon didn’t look his way. Bae Jung-yoon also seemed to be quietly watching the view. Time passed in silence.
“Doesn’t it feel weird, watching everything from this far away?”
The unexpected voice broke the stillness, naturally drawing Go Hoon’s gaze. Their eyes met—those deep black pupils staring right at him. Go Hoon blinked slowly, then asked,
“What do you mean?”
Bae Jung-yoon’s gaze shifted back out the window. He stood there silently for a moment, then spoke softly.
“From up here, you can’t tell if they’re happy or angry. They all just blend together. Just one big mass.”
Go Hoon looked down at the moving figures. He was right. From this distance, you couldn’t make out any individual expressions. They just looked like one big, slow ripple. So quiet it felt like a scream without sound.
“Honestly… I feel like I’m always here. Even when I walk into that crowd.”
A low voice stirred against his eardrum.
Go Hoon turned his gaze—and found himself staring into Bae Jung-yoon’s deep, pitch-black eyes, fixed on him with unwavering focus. They held a quiet weight, calmer and more grounded than usual.
And then—boom, boom! A sharp burst split the air as fireworks exploded overhead in vivid colors.
In an instant, Go Hoon forgot whatever conversation they’d been having. Spellbound, his attention shifted to the window.
They weren’t close enough to feel the full force of the blasts, but that distance made the fireworks even clearer. He could see each one unfold in perfect shape.
Brilliant sparks like gold dust scattered across the pitch-dark sky, cascading in slow, glimmering arcs. As the lights dazzled his senses, a shadow stretched beside him.
Go Hoon glanced to the side.
Bae Jung-yoon had drawn up beside him, almost close enough to touch.
“Want to hear a secret?”
His lips curled slightly as he leaned in, the expression on his face filled with mischief. Those jet-black eyes sparkled with something sly and unspoken.
“I kissed my ex-girlfriend here.”
He said it without flinching, as if frozen in time, still wearing that faint smile.
Go Hoon couldn’t tear his eyes away from his face.
It might’ve sounded strange, saying this about another guy, but in that moment, one word crossed Go Hoon’s mind: beautiful.
More than the fireworks outside, it was the face in front of him that captivated him—more dazzling, more arresting.
Whatever Bae Jung-yoon had just said barely registered. All Go Hoon could focus on were the eyes staring straight into him.
Boom—!
Another firework burst, bathing them in red, blue, and green.
The lights flickered unpredictably, casting shifting colors across his face. Go Hoon stared into those eyes as they flared bright, then faded back into shadow, again and again.
Somewhere deep within, he felt something echo—like a silent detonation in his chest.
It was intense, overwhelming. Something powerful and unfamiliar.
He didn’t know what it was, couldn’t name it.
Before he could figure it out, Bae Jung-yoon stepped in even closer.
“Like this.”
The words came low and quiet, brushing past his skin.
A large hand cupped the back of Go Hoon’s neck. That pale face moved in, closing the space between them.
Warm breath ghosted over his lips as the distance vanished.
Go Hoon froze.
He couldn’t move. Not just because Bae Jung-yoon had grabbed him, but because, even if he could’ve moved, he didn’t.
He should’ve—should’ve pulled away, should’ve done something. But in that moment, nothing came.
As if some part of him didn’t want to avoid it.
People are shaped by the atmosphere around them. Maybe that was why—why he couldn’t bring himself to push Bae Jung-yoon away.
Their lips hovered, barely apart. Those black eyes stayed locked on him, steady and unflinching. His breath tickled Go Hoon’s skin.
The warm pressure at his nape triggered a vivid, involuntary response—every nerve recalling the heat of his touch, the electric tension curling downward through his body.
Go Hoon stood there, holding his breath.
Time crawled by, thick and unrelenting.
Then suddenly—Bae Jung-yoon chuckled under his breath.
“You stay that still, it’s like I could do anything I want to you.”
Go Hoon, frozen just moments ago, felt heat rush up to the top of his head.
Only then did he realize—this had all been deliberate. Bae Jung-yoon had done it just to see how he’d react.
Furious, Go Hoon swung his fist and drove it hard into Bae Jung-yoon’s shoulder.
Bae Jung-yoon staggered back a step, but he didn’t stop smiling.
“You think this is funny?”
Go Hoon growled in a low, irritated voice.
“Yeah. Watching your reactions is the best.”
He didn’t sound the least bit sorry.
Go Hoon’s brows furrowed. Fucking idiot. What the hell.
He should’ve pushed him away immediately. Why had he just stood there like a fool?
It was too late now to undo it.
Outside, the fireworks kept coming—boom, boom, filling the air with light and sound.
Go Hoon kept his eyes glued to them, forcing every burst into his memory.
He could still feel Bae Jung-yoon’s eyes on him, intense and unrelenting, but he refused to look away.
Honestly, he was glad it was dark.
If it weren’t, Bae Jung-yoon would’ve seen the way his ears and the back of his neck had flushed bright red.
