“Sunbae, isn’t your account private?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“Then I can’t see anything.”
“Right.”
Hae-hyun immediately sulked, his face twisted in protest.
“What’s up with that? Follow me too.”
“Alright.”
Jae-ha followed him without fuss, and they were mutuals in no time. Hae-hyun started poking around his new friend’s account, but his expression soon hardened.
“What’s this?”
“Huh?”
He shoved the screen toward him. It was Jae-ha’s following list. Jae-ha had no idea what he was getting at. After a quick glance, he replied flatly.
“My friends?”
“No, not that. Why’s he there?”
Hae-hyun’s finger landed squarely on one profile—Kang Gyeong-jin’s. Ah. Now it made sense.
“It just kind of happened.”
As expected, Gyeong-jin, who had accidentally become an SNS friend, turned out to be ridiculously earnest. He didn’t post anything carelessly and had even liked and commented on Jae-ha’s latest upload. The comment read, “That’s way too harsh on the dog ㅠㅠ.”
“Why would you follow him back?”
Hae-hyun’s face clearly said he didn’t like it one bit. Come to think of it, when they’d first met Gyeong-jin, he’d thrown a fit about not calling him hyung. Was he… jealous? Amused, Jae-ha felt a playful urge.
“He’s your friend. What’s the problem? I even follow people I meet while drinking.”
“You meet people while drinking?”
His expression was one of pure scandal, like a Confucian scholar confronted with corruption. The unexpected angle of surprise made Jae-ha falter.
“Sometimes? You know, people come over and ask to join you.”
Joining tables wasn’t that strange. A bit of alcohol made people bolder, more social. When out drinking with friends, it was almost guaranteed someone would suggest it at least once.
The bigger the group, the better. From experience, a large table meant a lighter mood and livelier fun. There were always interesting people too. That’s why Jae-ha usually said yes when asked. He’d turn down second-round invitations, though—those carried obvious implications.
“So you just sit together and drink?”
“Uh… when the vibe’s good?”
“What vibe?”
His tone could’ve killed any vibe on the spot.
This conversation wasn’t going anywhere helpful. Sensing danger, Jae-ha tilted his head closer. Under the streetlight, Hae-hyun’s sharp gaze looked especially fierce.
“Should I stop?”
“……”
“If you don’t like it, I won’t do it.”
He smiled softly. It was meant to soothe, but he meant it too. He was enjoying this whole in-between stage with Hae-hyun, and the more time they spent together, the more he liked him. There was no need to weigh the scales.
After a long silence, Hae-hyun finally spoke in a sulky voice.
“When you drink, sunbae, you have to call me.”
“Huh?”
“You have to. Drink with me.”
He said it firmly, as if trying to make him swear it. Such a kid. Jae-ha swallowed his smile and nodded.
“Got it.”
“And I want to take a picture too.”
That came out of nowhere. Before Jae-ha could react, Hae-hyun had already raised his phone camera. The black lens aimed straight at him.
“Here? Won’t it come out too dark?”
“The streetlights are bright enough.”
His voice left no room for doubt—he was determined to take that picture.
Seriously? I took mine when I looked decent, and he’s gonna snap me now, all sweaty and messy…
He wanted to look better in the photos that would end up saved in his crush’s gallery. Still, he obediently faced the camera. The way Hae-hyun fussed with angles, carefully framing the shot, was too cute to resist. Then—click.
“Can I post it?”
“Sure, I don’t care.”
Hae-hyun studied the screen, and soon a notification popped up. Glancing at his feed, Jae-ha burst out laughing.
The dim background, the faint glow of the streetlamp outlining his face—it came out far better than he expected. But beneath the tagged photo, the caption read:
[He’s scary. Don’t talk to him.]
“Hey, you trying to make me look like a pariah?”
“You’ll be fine with fewer friends, Sunbae. You’ve got too many anyway.”
“There’s no such thing.”
The sharp reply was quickly followed by laughter. Their words, which sounded like they’d turn into bickering, softened, soured again, then broke into laughter. They walked side by side, talking nonstop until they reached home.
By the time he’d washed up, it was nearly midnight. Lately, the days seemed to fly by faster than usual. Shaking water from his hair, Jae-ha sank onto the sofa.
He wasn’t that sleepy. Maybe he’d watch a drama before bed. As he sprawled lazily, a vibration came from the side table—it was Hae-hyun’s phone.
The phone buzzed two or three times in quick succession before going silent. Probably a DM. He glanced at the bathroom door—water still running. Hae-hyun would be out soon enough.
Then the phone buzzed again, this time with a ringtone. At this hour? Curious, Jae-ha leaned over to check. Instead of a name, the screen showed only:
1
“…What the hell?”
Did he really save someone as just a number? Who the hell was that? While Jae-ha frowned at the screen, the water shut off.
But Hae-hyun didn’t come out right away, busy drying and dressing. The call ended, only to start again almost immediately. Whoever it was, they were determined to get through.
Urgent? The persistence carried weight. Feeling a little pressured, Jae-ha called out.
“Hey, your phone’s ringing.”
“My phone?”
The door clicked open as his voice echoed back. Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, Hae-hyun went straight to him. Jae-ha held out the phone.
“Yeah. Who’s ‘1’?”
Hae-hyun flinched. His startled eyes swept over Jae-ha, then he snatched the phone.
“Hold on. …Yeah.”
Answering quickly, he strode into the bedroom. That much secrecy practically begged suspicion.
Why’s he acting shady? Narrowing his eyes, Jae-ha stared at the closed door.
From the sofa, the distance was just far enough that the muffled voice inside was indistinct. For a moment, he considered eavesdropping, but quickly dismissed it. He wasn’t some creep. Listening in on someone else’s call wasn’t his style.
He must have a reason to keep it private. After all, Jae-ha hadn’t bared every part of his life to him either. So he grabbed his own phone again, browsing for a drama. Nothing caught his interest. Somehow, he just couldn’t be bothered.
Click. The bedroom door opened again. Hae-hyun stepped out—dressed for going out.
“Where are you going?”
Not just a jacket over loungewear—his T-shirt, his pants, even his socks were neat. He was fully dressed, definitely not for a quick convenience store run.
At this hour? Dressed like that?
“Oh, I’m just stepping out for a bit,” he said with a sheepish tone.
“When will you be back?”
“Uh, probably late. Go ahead and sleep first.”
“Who are you meeting?”
It was a casual enough question, but Hae-hyun faltered with an awkward look.
“Ah… yeah. Someone I know.”
Seriously? That obvious?
The more he talked, the shadier it sounded. Jae-ha wanted to press, but Hae-hyun rushed out, apologizing, saying it was urgent. The door shut behind him with a clunk.
Jae-ha frowned. Even if it wasn’t about shady Ju Hae-hyun, something felt off.
No way he’d be hiding something trivial like drinks with friends. And at this hour, dressed up, saying he’d be out late and only back at dawn…
“……”
There weren’t many reasons for that, were there?
