Choi Joo-won.
The moment Go Hoon recognized him, his face twisted instinctively.
“What the hell. Why are those bastards together?”
The curse slipped out on its own. And honestly, who could blame him? Why the hell was Choi Joo-won showing up now, of all times? What was he even doing hanging around this campus?
Whether it was lucky or not, just as Bae Jung-yoon had said, Choi Joo-won was alive and kicking. The last time Go Hoon had seen him, his face had been wrecked beyond recognition. But now, it was back to that smooth, smug look from the first time they’d met.
Just the sight of him made Go Hoon’s fist clench tight. He didn’t need anything more—just one punch would be enough. Regardless of the beating Choi Joo-won had taken from Bae Jung-yoon, Go Hoon still had his own unfinished business with the guy.
But now wasn’t the time to call out to Bae Jung-yoon, and before he knew it, he’d ended up standing there like some creep spying on their meeting. He told himself he should leave before they noticed him, but his legs wouldn’t move—as if frozen in place.
Just then, Jung-yoon pulled out his phone and raised it to his ear, as if calling someone.
At the same moment, Go Hoon’s own phone began to vibrate.
He glanced at the screen—and of course, it was from Bae Jung-yoon.
“Hello.”
Go Hoon kept his eyes fixed on Jung-yoon as he answered.
– Hoon-ah.
The voice that slipped into his ear was as calm and composed as the back of the man in front of him. Completely ordinary. Just like always.
“What.”
The word came out blunt and cold. There was silence on the other end. What the hell—why wasn’t he saying anything?
“I said, why’d you call me, Bae Jung-yoon.”
Go Hoon pressed again, and finally, a response came.
– I’ve got plans this afternoon. I called to tell you to go home first today.
Funny. That was exactly what Go Hoon had just been thinking. As he internally rolled his eyes, Bae Jung-yoon continued.
– Didn’t your last class get canceled?
Of course. He’d suspected it, and sure enough, it was true. But how did he know? There were a million things Go Hoon wanted to ask—but he kept his mouth shut.
– There’s food in the fridge, so make sure you eat lunch, okay?
Even as he said it, Jung-yoon just kept talking. In Go Hoon’s line of sight, the two of them were still standing there together. After a moment’s hesitation, Go Hoon asked casually,
“Who’re you meeting?”
– Just someone I know.
The answer came instantly, without the slightest pause. No hesitation. As if meeting Choi Joo-won wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
Go Hoon watched the two of them quietly for a moment before replying,
“Alright. What time will you be back?”
– I’ll be home before three.
“Got it. Hope your meeting goes well.”
And that was it. The call ended.
Without ever noticing Go Hoon, Bae Jung-yoon turned and walked off with Choi Joo-won. The two of them moved in sync, side by side, heading off somewhere together. Go Hoon stared after their retreating backs.
What exactly was going on between them? He couldn’t make sense of it. Why had Choi Joo-won come to find Bae Jung-yoon? And why had Bae Jung-yoon agreed to meet him?
Nothing added up. Watching them stand there together, Go Hoon felt a strange discomfort settle over him. A dull, throbbing pressure squeezed at one corner of his chest.
What were they going to do? Grab lunch together? Or… were they going to have sex?
Now that he thought about it, hadn’t Bae Jung-yoon mentioned that it had been a while since he’d slept with anyone?
The thought made Go Hoon’s brows furrow on their own.
But not long after, his face relaxed. Whether Bae Jung-yoon had lunch or sex with Choi Joo-won—what did it matter? It had absolutely nothing to do with him.
He shoved the strange, murky emotions welling up in his chest to the farthest corner of his mind.
Anyway, he was hungry. He should eat first. His stomach suddenly felt painfully empty. With that final thought, Go Hoon reached for his phone.
He texted Jo Seong-il, asking if he wanted to grab something at the cafeteria. Turns out Seong-il was planning to eat something quick anyway, so he agreed right away. They decided to meet at the cafeteria, and Go Hoon turned and walked off.
Once there, he sat in silence, quietly shoveling food into his mouth. Across from him, Jo Seong-il cast a sideways glance and let out a low hum. He leaned to the side, propping his head up with one hand.
“What?”
“What do you mean, ‘what’?”
“Something bothering you? You’ve had a weird vibe since earlier.”
Something bothering him? No. Not really.
If anything, thanks to the canceled lecture, he’d gotten out of class early. There was nothing to feel bad about. Sure, he’d just seen Bae Jung-yoon with Choi Joo-won—but that wasn’t a big deal. There hadn’t been anything else worth mentioning.
So then why? Why did he look like he was in a bad mood?
Even as he tried to convince himself there was no reason to feel off, it still felt like something was stuck—tight and heavy in his chest.
For the first time in his life, Go Hoon felt something unfamiliar.
A sudden wave of dread crept in.
It wasn’t just discomfort—it was an omen. A very bad one. It felt like something irreversible had already begun, or worse, was well underway—something he had never experienced before. And somehow, it was happening to him.
Leg bouncing anxiously, Go Hoon sat with a frown tugging at his face. After stewing in silence for a while, he finally spoke.
“Hey.”
“Hmm?”
“That department blind date you mentioned last week—the one with an open spot.”
“Oh yeah, that one?”
Jo Seong-il responded lazily, his expression showing little expectation.
“There’s still a spot open. Why, you wanna go?”
Go Hoon hesitated. Was this the right move? The doubt tangled in his chest like a knot.
***
As he walked aimlessly down the street, Go Hoon replayed the moment in his head.
Maybe I should’ve just said yes.
He pulled out his phone, regret gnawing at him, but after a moment’s pause, he shook his head.
No. He made the right call.
How could he meet someone with his heart in this mess? And besides, he was technically still bound by a contract with Bae Jung-yoon.
…But then again, so what? Their agreement didn’t say anything about dating or sex.
It’s not like this was about some serious, marriage-bound relationship. It was just a casual get-together, a group thing. There was no reason he couldn’t try it once—chalk it up to life experience.
Maybe that’s exactly why Bae Jung-yoon met with Choi Joo-won. Just fooling around. Passing off what used to press up against him to someone else without a second thought.
Go Hoon quickly shook the thought away.
With this mood, he had no desire to return alone to Bae Jung-yoon’s officetel.
So he turned on his heel and walked.
He hadn’t really planned to go anywhere in particular, but by the time he looked up, he was here.
[Kim Jong-seong Boxing Club.]
He stared up at the dated, blocky lettering of the sign.
It was a small gym run by one of the few acquaintances he actually kept in touch with.
Just like the name on the sign, Kim Jong-seong had once made a name for himself as a pro boxer. A few years ago, he retired and opened this cozy gym.
Apparently, his business sense wasn’t bad. The place seemed to be doing fine. Lately, more people were getting into boxing—for fitness, for self-defense—and the earnings weren’t half bad.
He’d even once nudged Go Hoon about working part-time over the break.
Said something like, “You’d be better at bringing in the female clients than some thug-looking guy. Think about it.”
“Hyung.”
“Oh—Go Hoon!”
At his quiet greeting, the man cleaning up inside looked up and smiled brightly.
Go Hoon took in the clean interior as he stepped closer. It was just past 1 p.m.—an off-hour with no clients around.
“What’s the occasion? You just show up without a word?”
“Just felt like seeing you. Figured I’d check the place out too.”
“Well, you’ve got perfect timing. No one’s here.”
With a light slap on the shoulder, Kim Jong-seong grinned and gestured toward the ring.
“Not much to see, anyway. A quick look around does the trick. So—how about a round for old times’ sake?”
Go Hoon smirked. He figured that was coming and nodded.
After a light warm-up, they geared up—gloves on, headgear secured.
They met in the center of the ring, touched gloves, and the sparring began.
Go Hoon didn’t rush in recklessly. He kept his distance, eyes locked on his opponent’s movements, waiting for the right opening.
Then—he lunged in with a sudden jab.
The dull impact in his fist sent a rush of adrenaline flooding his body.
But the high didn’t last.
In the blink of an eye, everything turned.
A flash of Bae Jung-yoon’s face flickered through his mind, breaking his focus.
That split-second distraction was all it took.
A punch came flying. He barely managed to block in time.
Thud. Thud—!
A barrage of punches rained down.
He staggered back under the pressure, forced into a corner as Kim Jong-seong’s relentless strikes pinned him in.
There wasn’t a single opening to turn things around.
All he could do was grit his teeth and hold his guard.
Then suddenly—the flurry stopped.
“You better keep your head in the game.”
Kim Jong-seong rapped him lightly on the head and stepped back.
Clearly, he’d noticed that Go Hoon’s mind was somewhere else.
They sparred a little longer, but soon Go Hoon’s body gave out.
He dropped to the floor, almost collapsing.
Every inch of him was soaked with sweat, his lungs gasping for air.
Kim Jong-seong took off his gloves and tossed him a bottle of water from a nearby pile.
Go Hoon sat up and took a few gulps of the lukewarm liquid. A trail of it dripped down from his chin, which he wiped away with the back of his hand.
Watching him from the side, Kim Jong-seong grinned and nudged his shoulder.
“Damn. Didn’t realize your skills had gotten this rusty.”
Go Hoon let out a rough laugh at the teasing jab.
“Come on, I’m not a pro.”
He chugged more water.
Only after a long series of gulps did the thirst start to fade, and the fog in his head began to clear.
“Something happen?”
Kim Jong-seong asked casually.
Go Hoon let out a small scoff.
“Out of nowhere?”
“You always show up when something’s bothering you. Figured this was one of those times.”
The hand that had been crumpling the empty bottle froze.
He had never said anything directly.
But clearly—Kim Jong-seong had known all along.
