Why am I thinking about this again? Now’s not the time to dwell on the past. The moment Bae Jung-yoon stepped away was my golden opportunity. If I don’t take it now, there won’t be another chance.
Go Hoon took a deep breath, bracing himself, and met Yoon Seong-gon’s eyes.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Do you have a spare room at your place?”
“…Out of nowhere?”
Seong-gon paused mid-bite, chopsticks frozen in the air, eyes wide as he stared at Go Hoon. Then his gaze flicked to the restaurant entrance before shifting back to him.
“Hyung, aren’t you staying with Jung-yoon hyung right now?”
“I am, but…”
Go Hoon scratched his eyebrow, hesitating, before deciding to share just half the truth.
“It feels wrong mooching off someone else’s place for over two weeks. I was actually going to ask you first, but your Japan trip overlapped with everything, so I had no choice but to go there. Just let me crash at your place for a week—just one week.”
That wasn’t the real reason, of course. But there was no way he could say what actually happened.
How was he supposed to explain, “A few days ago, I got off with Bae Jung-yoon’s hand, and now I can’t even look him in the eye, so I need to get out of there”?
No matter how he spun it, that wasn’t something he could say—to anyone.
So Go Hoon gave a more acceptable excuse. And judging by Seong-gon’s expression, he wasn’t completely unconvinced. He chewed slowly, thinking.
“Well… giving you a room isn’t a problem. But hyung, think about why you’re staying at Jung-yoon hyung’s place to begin with. You know my apartment’s pretty far from here, right? And your leg’s still not better—how are you going to commute? I can’t give you rides.”
Ah. That was a problem.
So focused on getting away from Bae Jung-yoon, he hadn’t considered the logistics. With his leg the way it was, traveling back and forth really wasn’t practical.
If commuting’s the issue…
Go Hoon, lost in thought, slowly lifted his gaze back to Seong-gon.
“…What now? Again? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Ignoring the defensive tone, Go Hoon asked seriously, “Then how about you come stay at my place for a few days?”
“Huh? That tiny, run-down place of yours?”
“What’s wrong with my place, you punk?”
Sure, it wasn’t exactly spacious, but was that really something to be horrified by? That stung a bit.
Seeing Go Hoon’s deadpan expression, Seong-gon immediately backpedaled, laughing nervously.
“No, I mean, living with you, hyung? Sounds great. Real cozy. Love it. Haha.”
Watching him flinch and grovel with those pitiful eyes, Go Hoon eased up.
Honestly, he didn’t feel entirely comfortable making a request like this either.
But what else could he do? There was no one else he could ask.
“Just think of it as saving a life and help me out, just this once. I’ll repay you properly—with this and the bike.”
Speaking more sincerely than usual, Go Hoon seemed to shake Seong-gon a little. He looked conflicted. But after a moment of deep frowning, he slowly shook his head.
“Hyung, I want to help you, I really do. But this just doesn’t feel right.”
“Why not?”
“Your place doesn’t even have an elevator. Wasn’t that part of the reason you left to begin with? Going back there with no backup plan just sounds reckless.”
Once again, Seong-gon made a good point.
The last time he climbed those stairs, he practically saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Go Hoon pressed his lips together without realizing it. Why is this guy being so damn logical today? He didn’t want to admit it, but his panic was clouding his judgment.
While he sat there stewing in silence, trying to think of a Plan C, Seong-gon narrowed his eyes.
“Just asking, but… did you have a fight with Jung-yoon hyung?”
Ugh. A soft groan slipped from Go Hoon’s throat. If we’d fought, I would’ve packed my stuff and walked out already.
“It’s not like that.”
He answered with a sigh, and Seong-gon just looked even more confused.
“Then just stay there. Honestly, from what I saw, Jung-yoon hyung’s taking great care of you. Didn’t seem annoyed at all. I’m gonna be real—I couldn’t take care of you like he does.”
Well, that was true. Taking care of someone, especially when they’re not family, isn’t easy.
Bae Jung-yoon really was the strange one, going above and beyond without a single complaint. That’s the problem. He wants to do too much.
But how the hell was he supposed to explain that to Seong-gon?
“You’ve already stayed this long—just grit your teeth and keep going. One more week or two, what’s the difference?”
Seong-gon clearly didn’t think it was a big deal, trying to ease him into the more convenient option.
But Go Hoon couldn’t agree.
Living with Bae Jung-yoon was genuinely messing with his mental health.
Caught in a loop with no way out, his frustration showed in the tight line of his brow.
Then suddenly, Seong-gon’s expression shifted. He gave a quick nod behind him.
Go Hoon turned to look.
There was Bae Jung-yoon, walking back into the restaurant.
“Eat up, Seong-gon. Gotta eat well if you wanna grow tall.”
“Yeah? You eat more garlic, hyung. Maybe then you’ll turn into a decent human being.”
As if rehearsed, the two suddenly changed the subject, pretending like nothing serious had been said just moments before. While they carried on with their playful back-and-forth, Bae Jung-yoon strolled back to the table at a relaxed pace.
“That call took a while.”
Go Hoon tested the waters as Jung-yoon took the seat beside him. Jung-yoon nodded.
“I meant to keep it short, but it ended up dragging longer than expected.”
What could he possibly have talked about with Kang Soo-yeon for that long? Just as curiosity started to rise, Bae Jung-yoon gave them both a warm smile, glancing between Seong-gon and Go Hoon.
“So? What were you two talking about?”
“Just Seong-gon telling me about his Japan trip.”
Go Hoon jumped in quickly, worried Seong-gon might say something stupid. He immediately shot him a sharp look that clearly said, Don’t even think about it. Catching the cue, Seong-gon gave a slightly stiff laugh and played along.
“Ah… haha, yeah. I was just bragging about how I got hit on by a super pretty girl in Kyoto.”
Of course, the fact that his story had zero credibility was a problem in itself.
***
“I’ll get going now. Thanks for the meal, hyung. That was a seriously satisfying barbecue.”
Yoon Seong-gon gave a deep bow, then boarded the bus with a quick nod to Go Hoon. He found a seat right away, opened the window, and shouted out loudly:
“Hyung! Share the dessert I gave you with Jung-yoon hyung, alright? Don’t be a jerk and eat it all by yourself! Got it?!”
In Bae Jung-yoon’s hand was a gift bag of desserts Seong-gon had brought back from Japan.
“Yeah, yeah, you little punk. Get home safe.”
Go Hoon nodded lazily and waved him off. The bus doors shut, and it rolled away.
After that awkward exchange, Go Hoon never got a chance to speak with Seong-gon alone again—mainly because Bae Jung-yoon hadn’t left his side, not even once.
He watched the bus disappear into the distance. When it finally turned the corner and left his line of sight, he and Jung-yoon left the stop.
The night air was cool, a stark contrast to the heat of the day. They began walking side by side. Despite Go Hoon’s slow, limping pace, Jung-yoon never urged him to hurry, quietly adjusting his stride to match.
“It’s nice out tonight. Way cooler than earlier.”
“Yeah, it is.”
The comment came out almost as a reflex, trying to cut the growing awkwardness. Jung-yoon replied briefly, and then silence fell between them again—an odd, lingering kind of silence that felt too heavy to ignore but too delicate to break.
“Hoon.”
After a long stretch of wordless walking, Bae Jung-yoon finally spoke. Go Hoon kept moving, dragging his injured leg forward as he glanced sideways.
“What.”
“Why were you trying to move into Seong-gon’s place?”
The unexpected question made him flinch. He felt a wave of discomfort but quickly composed himself.
He had a bad feeling. He’d wondered if Seong-gon might say something behind his back, and now that suspicion was confirmed. They must’ve talked while he’d stepped away to use the restroom.
Maybe the guy meant well. Maybe he just wanted to help. But still… that wasn’t a move Go Hoon appreciated.
“Am I that hard to be around?”
Jung-yoon’s voice was perfectly flat, emotionless—and somehow, that made it even more unsettling. There was no way to tell what he was really feeling.
“It’s not like that.”
Go Hoon shot it down immediately.
Although… it wasn’t entirely untrue. There was a kind of tension whenever he was around Jung-yoon. Partly because of the secret he was hiding—and partly because Jung-yoon kept doing unexpected things that threw him off.
Not to mention that deeply embarrassing moment they’d shared. If anything, things had only gotten worse for Go Hoon since that day.
But he couldn’t just say all that. Saying it out loud would make it sound like he was… obsessed with Bae Jung-yoon. And not in a fellow guy kind of way, but…
He froze—his thoughts stopping as abruptly as his footsteps.
No. That’s not it. That’s ridiculous.
“Hoon?”
Jung-yoon called to him with a note of confusion. Shaking off the thoughts, Go Hoon forced his voice to sound casual.
“It’s just… I feel bad, you know? I keep depending on you for everything.”
With that, he started walking again.
Jung-yoon watched him quietly, still looking like he didn’t buy it. But Go Hoon pretended not to notice and picked up his pace, subtly widening the distance between them.
For a while, Jung-yoon followed behind in silence. Then, suddenly, he closed the gap with a few long strides and caught up.
“I don’t mind living with you, Hoon.”
His voice was softer this time—lower, more intimate, almost a whisper.
“No… I actually like it. To be honest, I didn’t even think it was such a bad thing when you got hurt.”
oh yeah. you love it because that makes him depend on you.