Seo Jae-ha, still absentmindedly scrolling through his phone, finally looked up.
“No, we didn’t. My mom got rid of it.”
His mother, Kim Mu-yeon, had grown up in a single-parent household. Her father had left when she was a child, so she had no memory of him. The only family she had was her mother, who, before passing away, had made her promise not to bother with ancestral rites. Instead, they simply visited her grave on anniversaries.
Because of that, holidays at Jae-ha’s house were always quiet. During the five-day Chuseok break, he usually just stopped by for the weekend before heading back to his apartment. His family had been alarmed when they noticed his injuries, but after he explained he’d hurt himself while changing a lightbulb, they only scolded him lightly to be more careful and gave him a smack on the back.
Hae-hyun’s household, on the other hand, seemed to go all out with ancestral rites. He’d spent four out of the five holiday days at his parents’ house. Considering they were probably the most devout ghost-believers around, it wasn’t surprising.
Thanks to that, Jae-ha was able to sleep alone in his apartment for the first time in a while.
At first, he hadn’t thought much of it. After all, it had been less than two months since Hae-hyun had moved in. For someone like Jae-ha, who’d been living alone for years, that wasn’t long at all.
He’d even thought it might be nice. With the clingy “puppy” gone, he could stretch out however he wanted without anyone getting in his way. It was the kind of space and freedom he hadn’t felt in ages.
And yet… it didn’t feel refreshing at all.
“Ha….”
He sighed again. Keeping his distance was the right thing to do—common sense, really. So why did he feel like this? At this point, he honestly wondered if he’d lost his mind. Since when had he become someone who couldn’t control his emotions? He wasn’t a child anymore…. With a half-hearted tug, he pulled his bag toward him and got to his feet.
“I’m heading out.”
“Huh? Hyung, already?”
“Stay a little longer. What’s the rush?”
When he made to leave without hesitation, people tried to stop him. But he didn’t slow down, just waved his hand dismissively. Once they realized he really meant it, they finally let him go with goodbyes.
Outside, the sunlight was so bright it almost burned. He strolled across the neatly trimmed campus lawn, and the good weather seemed to lighten his mood a little.
But the truth was, he had no real plan. Lately, nothing held his interest. He’d think, Maybe I should do something to pass the time, but the moment he tried, it all felt dull and pointless. It reminded him of how he’d felt before taking his leave of absence. Only now, with Mu-yeon watching him closely, he couldn’t even think about doing that again.
Guess I’ll just go home.
That was always where his thoughts ended up. He was tapping his phone idly when it suddenly lit up, buzzing and blaring with a ringtone. Staring at the name “Ju Hae-hyun,” Jae-ha let out a short sigh before answering.
“What.”
— Sunbae. Where are you?
These days, Hae-hyun acted like an overprotective mom.
Ever since the ghost incident, Hae-hyun had insisted on going to and from school with him and stuck by his side even during breaks. If he couldn’t, he’d call to check where Jae-ha was. Especially if Jae-ha lingered outside, he’d nag endlessly until he went home. Even Jae-ha, stubborn to the bone, had eventually raised the white flag.
It was similar to when they’d first grown close and were practically glued together, but now it felt different. Jae-ha knew Hae-hyun was just worried about him getting hurt again, but that didn’t make it easier on his side.
His feelings were stuck in limbo, awkward and unresolved. Worse, the person in question had no intention of giving him space, so there was no chance of cooling off. And yet, he couldn’t just fall freely for someone who already had a girlfriend. He was cornered with no way out.
No wonder he’d been in a funk all this time. From the moment he woke up until the moment he fell asleep, he was always with Hae-hyun, and his mood never shifted. Even the sighs that kept escaping him were probably because of that. Naturally, his reply came out flat.
“School.”
— Why are you still at school? Classes are over.
Of course he’d say that. Jae-ha often stayed later depending on his schedule, so this fussing was really over the top.
“I had something to do.”
— What kind of thing?
In reality, nothing. After eating lunch with Hae-hyun, he’d just hung out in the department lounge chatting before leaving.
“Just stuff.”
— …Sunbae, you’ve been so cold lately.
“What do you mean?”
— Is something wrong? Why are you so busy?
His voice carried a touch of childish whining. See? Every time I try to be curt, he pulls this. Jae-ha had already caved to it more than once. Feeling cornered again, he changed the subject.
“What about you? Class is over, isn’t it?”
— A friend asked me to help with training, so I’m at the gym. I’ll probably be back before dinner.
“Yeah?”
— What do you want for dinner? I’ll bring it.
Hearing his warm tone, Jae-ha could practically picture Hae-hyun’s eager expression—like a puppy wagging his tail. Without realizing it, his own tone softened.
“Just bring whatever you feel like eating.”
— Then can I get tteokbokki?
“You like tteokbokki?”
He hadn’t gotten that impression before. Curious, he asked, and Hae-hyun let out a sheepish laugh.
— Remember that place we ate at after basketball? It was so good.
“Was it?”
— Yeah. Honestly, I never liked tteokbokki before, but after eating it with you, I started to like it.
Don’t just throw around the word “like.” Annoying brat. Even as he grumbled inwardly, he kept listening.
“Why didn’t you like it before?”
— Last time I ate it, my sister yelled at me, said I only ate the rice cakes and told me I could only eat fish cakes from then on. So whenever we ordered, I only got fish cakes. But I like the rice cakes better.
His voice still carried traces of resentment, as if the memory had scarred him. Why does he have to be this cute? He could tone it down just a little. Swallowing back a laugh, Jae-ha said,
“When you eat with me, you can have all the rice cakes you want. I’ll take the fish cakes.”
— Really? Sunbae, you’re seriously like a different species compared to my sister. I wish she were as nice as you.
“I’m sure she’s nice outside….”
Replying reasonably, Jae-ha looked ahead and suddenly noticed the main gate. Distracted by the call, he’d walked completely in the opposite direction of his apartment.
This is exactly what happens whenever I talk to this guy. Shifting the blame shamelessly in his head, he was just about to turn back when he spotted a woman near the gate.
Even from a distance, she stood out—tall, slim, and dressed in clothes that revealed her figure without reservation. Stylish, yes, but her air was too mature, almost out of place for a university campus. And it wasn’t just him who noticed; passing students were sneaking glances at her as they walked by.
Holding a phone to her ear as if in a call, she suddenly lowered it in irritation, then strode through the gate.
Maybe because her path lined up with his, their eyes met.
— Sunbae?
When Jae-ha stayed quiet, Hae-hyun’s voice came through the phone, puzzled.
“Yeah, yeah.”
— What’s wrong? You got so quiet I thought the call dropped.
Before he could answer, the woman started walking again—this time, clearly making her way toward him.
“…What the?”
— What?
While he muttered absently, the woman stopped right in front of him.
“Excuse me.”
Normally, people wouldn’t approach someone in the middle of a phone call. But somehow, for this striking beauty who’d appeared out of nowhere, ignoring social norms seemed to suit her perfectly. Reluctantly, Jae-ha answered.
“Yes?”
— Yes?
“Could we talk for a moment?”
Her eyes curved gently as she smiled, her voice smooth and soft. Either a cult recruiter or she’s hitting on me. Jae-ha looked at her briefly. Her expression, certain he’d agree, was almost dazzling.
— Sunbae? Is someone there with you?
“Sorry. Someone just came up to me. I’ll see you at home.”
— Huh?
Hae-hyun’s voice cracked with surprise, but Jae-ha ignored it and hung up. It wasn’t like it was an important conversation anyway.
“You didn’t have to hang up just for that.”
As the call ended, the woman spoke slowly, her relaxed gaze sweeping over him.
“Don’t you have something you wanted to say?”
“Well, I was just wondering if you were a student here….”
He was clearly dressed like a student, carrying a backpack, walking across campus—and she asked that? Instead of pointing it out, he just shrugged lightly.
“Yeah, I am.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.”
“I’m twenty-nine.”
And…?
“Uh… I see.”
“They say these days a four-year age gap doesn’t even matter for compatibility. Right?”
So it was a pick-up. Jae-ha instantly confirmed her intent and hesitated. What now?
