The moment the professor dismissed class, Jae-ha quickly packed his bag and stood. Checking his phone, he saw no new messages. Guess class wasn’t over yet on the other side.
[Me]
I’m done with class.
[Ju Hae-hyun]
Wait for me.
[Me]
Where are you? I’ll come to you.
The reply came back instantly, as if Hae-hyun had been staring at his phone all along. So fast—like a robot. Shaking his head at the uncanny response speed, Jae-ha stepped outside. The weather was brilliantly clear.
For some reason, Hae-hyun hadn’t given him an exact classroom number, only telling him to come to the front of the Arts Building 2. It wasn’t far from Humanities 3, where Jae-ha had just been, so he arrived quickly.
Arts Building 2 was right next to the gym—a building unfamiliar to a Business major like Jae-ha. He took in its unusual architecture before heading inside.
The moment he entered, a strange smell pricked his nose. Something like chemicals… or maybe damp water? Most of the students shuffling around looked exhausted, arms full with heavy projects. One person was even sprawled out in the middle of the hallway. Was this performance art? The atmosphere was completely different from the Humanities and Business buildings he was used to, and as he glanced around curiously, someone called out from afar.
“Oh, Seo Jae-ha hyung?”
Besides Ju Hae-hyun, someone else knew him here? Surprised, Jae-ha turned and spotted a familiar face.
“Ah… you’re Hae-hyun’s friend, right?”
It was Gyeong-jin, the guy he’d seen with Hae-hyun at lunch earlier.
“Wow, hyung, you have class here too? What are the odds?”
Eyes bright, Gyeong-jin ran over, looking genuinely pleased. Jae-ha smiled back.
“Hey. Not really, I’m just waiting for Hae-hyun.”
“Oh! He went to the bathroom. No wonder he bolted so fast.”
“You guys were in the same class?”
“Yeah, same department. But the bastard didn’t even look at me when class ended, just ran off. Guess it was to meet you, hyung.”
So Bio majors really are this chatty, huh…? Gyeong-jin could talk almost as much as Hae-hyun. As he kept rattling off complaints about him, he suddenly thrust his phone at Jae-ha.
“He distracted me earlier, but this is perfect. Let’s follow each other.”
Persistent. This time, Jae-ha didn’t resist and pulled out his phone. After all, he was Hae-hyun’s friend. Since Jae-ha was already trying to get closer to Hae-hyun, it wouldn’t hurt to stay on good terms with his circle.
Gyeong-jin’s account wasn’t as popular as Hae-hyun’s, but he still had more followers than following. Judging by the long bio, he clearly put effort into curating it. Just as Jae-ha finished following him back and was about to say something, a voice cut in.
“Sunbae.”
The sharp call was followed by quick, heavy footsteps. Hae-hyun appeared, sweeping Gyeong-jin up and down with open irritation.
“What are you doing here?”
“You ditched me, so I came out first, idiot.”
The tone struck Jae-ha as harsh, but Gyeong-jin, apparently used to it, answered without a flinch. Hae-hyun ignored him and shoved at Jae-ha’s back.
“Sunbae, let’s go.”
“Hey, don’t push.”
When Jae-ha snapped, Hae-hyun switched tactics, grabbing his arm instead. With surprising strength, he practically dragged him toward the entrance. Behind them, Gyeong-jin waved brightly.
“See you next time, hyung!”
“Why would you meet him again?”
Even then, Hae-hyun didn’t forget to growl, glaring daggers at Gyeong-jin before tugging Jae-ha outside.
Once they were out on the street, he finally turned his irritation on Jae-ha.
“I told you to wait in front of the Arts Building. Why’d you go inside? You ended up running into that weirdo.”
Weirdo… did he mean Gyeong-jin? Strange way to talk about a friend.
“I go here too, you know. I can walk into the Arts Building if I want.”
At that logic, Hae-hyun clamped his mouth shut, sulking. But then his expression suddenly shifted.
He blinked once. Twice. Then stopped walking and tugged Jae-ha back. His eyes darted around like he was checking something. It was unusual enough that Jae-ha frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Sunbae, you just came from class, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why….”
His words trailed off mid-sentence. Why stop there? Noticing Jae-ha’s suspicion, Hae-hyun quickly shook his head, forcing a casual look.
“It’s nothing. Must’ve been my mistake.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah.”
Suspicious as hell, but Jae-ha let it slide. After all, this was the same guy who had pulled him out of the water before. Somewhere deep down, he trusted that nothing dangerous would come from him.
If it was something important, he’d say it eventually. If not, then it really wasn’t a big deal. That thought vanished the moment Hae-hyun clung to his back, whining about wanting waffles. Smiling wryly, Jae-ha indulged the overgrown puppy’s antics as they walked on.
***
“Whoa, why does Jae-ha look so good today?”
Cheong-hee’s eyes went wide the moment he opened the department lounge door and spotted him. Before Jae-ha could even reply, voices erupted around the room.
“Right? He looks insane.”
“Ha, I swear people say the same thing every time someone new walks in.”
“Jae-ha oppa totally dressed to impress today.”
The lounge was always packed, so even just a few comments quickly turned into a noisy chorus. With a straw between his lips, Jae-ha grinned playfully.
“Do I look decent?”
The teasing question earned a round of dramatic gasps. Guess fixing his hair had been worth it.
“What’s the occasion? Club tonight?”
“No way, it’s a date, isn’t it?”
Dozens of curious eyes turned his way, but Jae-ha only gave a sly little laugh instead of answering. When it came to “some”—that delicate stage between friendship and dating—it was way more fun to keep quiet.
Lately, he’d been spending more and more time in front of his closet. In the past, he’d just thrown on something decent. Now he was coordinating accessories too—bags, bracelets, even shoes. Not because he desperately wanted Hae-hyun to notice, but because it just made things more exciting. Still, when he styled his hair with wax today, even he had to admit he might’ve gotten a little carried away.
Since that first lunch together, Hae-hyun had been messaging him every day right before noon.
The pattern was always the same. Where are you, sunbae? Let’s eat together. Sometimes he half-jokingly threatened him, as if skipping lunch together were against the law. Other times he lured him with claims of knowing great restaurants.
But when they actually sat down to eat, the conversations weren’t anything special—just light chatter about their days, personal tidbits, topics bouncing around at random. Sometimes it was even the same conversation Jae-ha had already had with classmates earlier that morning.
Yet with Hae-hyun, even the same subjects felt fun. Talking to him made everything more entertaining. Jae-ha found himself watching his reactions, paying attention to the smallest gestures. He teased him on purpose just to see him grumble—it was cute. Sometimes Hae-hyun really did seem like a puppy wagging its tail nonstop.
Yeah. Even Jae-ha was surprised by how much he was enjoying this almost-relationship.
“Anyone not eaten yet? I’m about to order.”
“I already ate.”
“Not me. Order with me.”
“Didn’t you just finish class too, Jae-ha?”
“Ah, I’ve got lunch plans.”
Normally by now, he’d already be out at a restaurant with Hae-hyun. But today he was running late. Shaking his head, Jae-ha checked his phone. A new message had come in.
[Ju Hae-hyun]
Just a little longer.
[Ju Hae-hyun]
Ugh, coach won’t stop talking.
Below it was a sticker of a puppy plopping down and wailing. Stifling a laugh, Jae-ha typed back.
[Me]
Take your time.
[Me]
I’ll be in the lounge.
He had no more classes for the day—his last one had just ended. With an empty schedule, waiting a bit longer wasn’t a problem. Hae-hyun’s afternoon class had been canceled too, so once his meeting with the coach was over, he’d be free. It was just dragging on longer than expected….
“Who’s it with? A fling?”
That nosy voice piped up again. This guy never missed a chance to tease. Before Jae-ha could answer, someone else cut in.
“Oh, I think I know. You’re eating with that PE guy, right?”
