“Fuck off, asshole.”
If this kept up, they were bound to wind up in another painfully awkward situation first thing in the morning. Go Hoon moved quickly, peeling the arm from around his waist and slipping out of Bae Jung-yoon’s hold.
When he turned around, scowling, he saw Jung-yoon grinning at him mischievously. Though he was clearly still hard under the covers, sprawled across the bed like that, he looked more like a lazy, satisfied beast.
“What? Trying to crawl back in?”
As Jung-yoon lifted the edge of the blanket and curled his lips into a smirk, his expression was unbearably smug. Without responding, Go Hoon turned on his heel and stormed off toward the bathroom.
This wasn’t it. If things kept going like this, his mental health was going to take serious damage. He had to talk to Bae Jung-yoon. Today, for sure.
After eating alone in the cafeteria, he settled into a seat in the lounge on the first floor.
But how was he supposed to bring it up? Why was it so damn hard to just say he wanted to go home? It was ridiculous.
“Yo, Go Hoon.”
While he was frowning at his phone, lost in thought, Jo Seong-il suddenly popped into the empty seat across from him. Go Hoon, caught completely off guard, nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Shit—fuck, you scared the hell out of me, asshole…!”
He lowered his voice but still cursed, and Seong-il gave a sheepish grin as he offered a half-assed apology.
“Sorry. Wasn’t on purpose.”
Go Hoon glared at him and rubbed at his chest, trying to calm his racing heart. As he did, Seong-il rested his chin on his hand, clearly watching for the right moment to say something.
“What?”
Go Hoon asked curtly, suspicious. Seong-il leaned forward.
“You free this Friday?”
“Friday? Why?”
“Come to the MT (Membership Training, a university retreat) with me.”
Seong-il rested his hands under his chin in a fake flower pose, eyes sparkling in the most unsettling way. Go Hoon’s face twisted in annoyance.
“What the hell are you talking about, an MT all of a sudden?”
“Dude, come on. I’m the class rep—I have to go, but none of the other classmates are coming.”
Of course they weren’t. MTs were for freshmen. Not that Go Hoon had ever enjoyed that privilege himself—he’d been too busy working part-time even in his first year.
His class year was now officially considered ancient history. If he tagged along, he’d just end up sulking in a corner, drinking alone in silence. Again.
“No thanks. Sounds like a pain.”
“Aww, Go Hooon. Hoonaaah. It’s a two-night, three-day MT. How am I supposed to survive that alone without a single friend?”
Seong-il laid it on thick, piling on the fake cutesy voice. It was obvious he was trying to gross Go Hoon into submission. Go Hoon looked away, feeling like his eyeballs were rotting.
Group activities were the worst. It’d just be endless drinking, and lately, he didn’t have the stamina for that crap.
Seriously, who even got excited about a two-night MT in this day and age?
“You’re always shamelessly clinging to underclassmen. What are you even worried about?”
“Aww, Hoonaaang. What’s the fun in just hanging out with a bunch of kids? I need at least one classmate, right? Come on, Hoonie, be a bro just this once.”
Seong-il’s cringe-inducing baby voice was driving him to the brink, and Go Hoon was seconds away from flipping him off.
“What exactly does Hoon need to help you with?”
A low voice interrupted. The chair beside him screeched back, and Bae Jung-yoon slid in next to Go Hoon like it was his rightful place.
Seong-il’s eyes lit up like a predator spotting prey.
“Bae Jung-yoon, you come too.”
“Go where?”
“The MT.”
As soon as he heard that, Jung-yoon’s interest vanished. Instantly.
“Oh, the MT. When was that again?”
He asked as a formality, but he clearly had no intention of going. Go Hoon could sense it with complete certainty.
“This Friday. Two nights, three days.”
“Hmm… not sure. I might be busy.”
See? Knew it. He’s not going. Feeling vindicated, Go Hoon smirked to himself. But Seong-il wasn’t ready to let go.
“Why? You got something planned that day?”
“Might be a family event.”
A family event? He hadn’t mentioned anything about that this morning. Go Hoon glanced at him, and Jung-yoon met his gaze, slinging one arm over the back of Go Hoon’s chair.
Instantly, tension ran down Go Hoon’s spine. His back straightened before he realized it. No matter how much he tried to ignore the guy’s little gestures, his senses always picked up on him first.
“Oh come on, seriously. You guys, please. Have some mercy and save this poor soul.”
Jo Seong-il, sitting across from him, let out a dramatic groan. Only then did Bae Jung-yoon finally look away from Go Hoon.
And just like that, an idea popped into Go Hoon’s head.
Maybe he could use the MT as an excuse to leave Jung-yoon’s place. He’d have a reason to pack, and after the trip, instead of returning to the officetel, he could just head home. Simple.
Yeah. This might actually be the perfect chance.
It was a little absurd that going home required this level of scheming, but still, he felt a genuine sense of relief just having found a workable plan.
“I’ll go.”
As soon as he’d sorted it out in his head, Go Hoon said it out loud.
“Wait, seriously?”
Seong-il lit up immediately. At the same time, Go Hoon could feel Jung-yoon’s gaze land on him again.
“Didn’t you just say you weren’t going? What changed your mind?”
Seong-il looked thrilled but also eyed him with mild suspicion. And honestly, it was fair—just a few minutes ago, Go Hoon had turned it down flat.
“A friend begged this hard. I’ve gotta show some loyalty as a man.”
With a straight face, Go Hoon wrapped his escape plan in the noble guise of friendship. Seong-il, clearly touched, leaned in like he was going to hug him.
“Damn, that’s my guy. Hoon! Loyalty, baby!”
Go Hoon quickly leaned back to dodge the incoming arms, doing his best to ignore the sharp, lingering stare still pressing into his cheek—Jung-yoon’s.
“Hey, Bae Jung-yoon. What about you? You really can’t make it? C’mon, think it over. Wouldn’t it be way more fun with all three of us?”
Apparently convinced that three was better than two, Seong-il wasn’t giving up. But Go Hoon was sure: no matter how hard he pushed, Jung-yoon wasn’t going.
He’d already said there might be a family event. And besides, Jung-yoon didn’t seem like someone who enjoyed being in crowded, noisy places for long.
There was no way he’d go. Any moment now, he’d say “You guys go have fun,” and that would be that.
Confident, Go Hoon turned to look at him—and their eyes met immediately.
You’re not going, right? His expression clearly said it. But Jung-yoon’s lips curled into a faint smirk.
And that was when Go Hoon felt the first prickle of dread.
“Yeah. I’ll go too.”
…What?
“Huh? Seriously?”
Even Seong-il looked stunned, like he’d asked just in case and hadn’t expected a yes. But Jung-yoon nodded without hesitation.
“I’ll find a way to get out of the family thing.”
“Hell yeah! Bae Jung-yoon, man. You two are the real MVPs! Loyal legends!”
Seong-il looked genuinely moved as he shouted in triumph, but Jung-yoon’s eyes were already back on Go Hoon.
“It’ll be fun. Right, Hoon?”
His cheerful tone, for some reason, grated on Go Hoon’s nerves.
Outwardly, he acted unfazed. Inwardly, he wanted to demand answers. Didn’t you say you had plans? What the hell, man? Why are you changing your mind now, huh?
***
His carefully laid plan had crumbled, but he couldn’t exactly backpedal now. With no other choice, Go Hoon accepted the situation—and before long, the day of the MT arrived.
Since there weren’t enough people to fill an entire chartered bus, some of the MT staff decided to drive their own cars. Go Hoon and Jung-yoon were among them.
They loaded their bags into the trunk and got into the car. Out of habit, Go Hoon clenched and released his right fist a few times. It still felt a little stiff, like it hadn’t fully recovered.
As they pulled out of the parking lot, the sky stretched wide and bright above them. The sun was high and blazing—perfect weather for a trip. Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he’d gone anywhere like this.
The excitement of travel didn’t last long. Sitting in the passenger seat, drowsiness began to creep up on him. Jung-yoon must’ve noticed the way his head kept dipping forward.
“If you’re sleepy, you can nap.”
“I’m not sleeping.”
Go Hoon denied it immediately, forcing his eyes open. Jung-yoon glanced over at him with an amused smile tugging at his lips.
“Sure. You’re not. But you can sleep anyway.”
His voice was calm and easy. After that, he returned his attention to the road.
Go Hoon held out for about thirty minutes, forcing his eyes open until he couldn’t anymore. His head dipped forward—and he jolted awake. Instinctively, he turned his gaze to the window to pretend he hadn’t nodded off.
That’s when he realized something was draped over him. He looked down—and saw that it was Jung-yoon’s pale blue Oxford shirt. So the bastard had known he was asleep all along.
“You’re awake?”
Just as Go Hoon was wondering how to react, Jung-yoon spoke. Clearing his throat awkwardly, Go Hoon folded the shirt and laid it on his lap.
“…Guess I nodded off for a second.”
“You were snoring.”
“Me?”
He turned in alarm, and Jung-yoon—expression dead serious—kept his eyes on the road.
“Yeah.”
Was he serious? Go Hoon eyed him suspiciously, but then Jung-yoon broke into a smile. That smile made it impossible to tell if he was teasing or telling the truth, which only made it more embarrassing.
“Wanna put on some music?”
Jung-yoon’s offer made Go Hoon nod.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
Driving in silence was bound to be boring for both of them. It was a trip, after all—might as well enjoy it. Music would help lighten the mood.
As soon as he gave the green light, a bright, upbeat pop song started playing from the speakers. With the vivid blue sky outside and music in his ears, Go Hoon found himself relaxing.
Without realizing it, he started tapping his fingers to the beat. He didn’t notice the dark eyes that flicked over to him, watching with quiet amusement.
“Doesn’t it kind of feel like we’re going on a trip? Just the two of us?”
Go Hoon turned to look at him. For once, Jung-yoon actually seemed… excited.
Which was weird as hell.
