“Ugh…!”
“I’m tired.”
“Oh, I see….”
Cha Jae-woo had gone berserk. There was no other way to describe his state. Either that or he had decided to drive Lim Haeyul crazy.
“Um, this is… ticklish….”
“Why did you wake up so early?”
“Huh? Early… you think?”
It was almost 11 a.m.—hardly an early hour.
“You went to bed late last night.”
“Oh….”
He must have heard everything.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lim Haeyul just nodded. Meanwhile, Cha Jae-woo’s chin rested on his shoulder, his arm naturally wrapping around his waist.
Am I going crazy? The thought crossed his mind again, but it didn’t seem to be the case. It felt like the situation was unfolding naturally, like water flowing down a stream.
We need to talk!
We need to define our relationship clearly!
Lim Haeyul had thought so, but a considerable amount of time had passed without them discussing it. In fact, before he knew it, the distance between Cha Jae-woo and him had closed rapidly.
Suddenly kissing, hugging, leaning on each other. And his tone of voice had become so affectionate that Lim Haeyul could barely remember how Cha Jae-woo used to speak to him before.
And his expressions. They were so soft and relaxed, it was clear he was determined to make Lim Haeyul’s heart flutter.
“Um, you’re too close, ah!”
This was no joke; Lim Haeyul felt like he might actually die of a heart attack.
He shuddered at the vivid sensation of Cha Jae-woo’s lips on his nape and quickly pulled away. Cha Jae-woo didn’t try to hold him back. He had no such intention, but Lim Haeyul felt paralyzed, as if he were being forced to stay.
But he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t bring himself to refuse! Or rather, he didn’t want to refuse, so what could he do?
“I-I have to go to school now!”
Eventually, after indulging in Cha Jae-woo’s embrace for a while, Lim Haeyul hurriedly escaped. Since he had been studying in the library throughout the exam period, it didn’t matter that today was Sunday.
The exams would end tomorrow. Everyone else had finished last week and started their vacation, but he was still in this state. The professor had probably intended for them to focus on this one subject over the weekend since all other exams were done, but unfortunately, everyone in the class was already in vacation mode.
Lim Haeyul wished he could do the same, but his old habit of prioritizing his grades wouldn’t let him. He didn’t necessarily have to change, but with more free time now, there was no need to spend the weekend cooped up in the library. It was just…
‘It’s all because of Cha Jae-woo.’
As soon as he rushed back to his room, Lim Haeyul headed straight to the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face, scrubbing vigorously until his already dry cheeks stung.
But if he didn’t do this, the heat rising within him wouldn’t subside. …He had been like this since earlier, and Cha Jae-woo must have seen it all up close.
“Ha….”
Just thinking about it made him blush. Not just this, but everything. Lately, Lim Haeyul couldn’t keep up with Cha Jae-woo’s behavior.
Of course, it was only natural. Everything Cha Jae-woo was doing to him was something couples would do. But Cha Jae-woo and he weren’t dating. So, of course, he couldn’t keep up!
Maybe Cha Jae-woo thought they were already dating? If it was clear that Cha Jae-woo liked him, maybe he thought they started dating from the day they kissed?
Honestly, it was becoming difficult for Lim Haeyul to doubt Cha Jae-woo’s feelings. After all, if Cha Jae-woo was sticking around without even guiding, it could only mean that he had feelings for him, right?
“…….”
Thinking about it made his lips pout. He didn’t want to start a relationship without a proper conversation, like sneaking over a wall.
He didn’t even want to check his own feelings anymore. Did it matter if it was a side effect or not? He couldn’t know for sure anyway. Shouldn’t he just focus on the fact that he liked Cha Jae-woo right now?
He thought it wasn’t right to consider a relationship based on feelings that might be a side effect. But Cha Jae-woo didn’t seem to mind at all, so maybe it was okay? It wasn’t like he was hiding the side effect from him.
If it did happen, it would be his first relationship, so normally he wouldn’t want to rush into it like this. But his feelings were too strong, and he just wanted to go along with what Cha Jae-woo wanted.
And right now, Cha Jae-woo had nowhere to turn. He must be lonely. Maybe he could fill that void for him…
‘So are we dating or not?!’
His thoughts circled back to the beginning. That was the problem. He wished their relationship could be clearly defined.
‘Maybe I should bring it up.’
If Cha Jae-woo was acting this way because he thought they were already in a relationship, Lim Haeyul needed to express his thoughts as soon as possible. He wanted to at least start with a clear declaration of intent.
* * *
As soon as his exams were over, Lim Haeyul headed straight home. The campus was deserted since most students had already started their vacation the previous week. Thanks to this, no one batted an eye as he rushed out of the school.
Today, he was determined to have a serious talk. Now that he had made up his mind, he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Cha Jae-woo would be at home. Lately, he hadn’t shown any interest in going out. He used the excuse of being tired from various issues to avoid even going to the Gate. The Association hadn’t called him either. With the sudden influx of new Espers, there was no need to bother Cha Jae-woo.
On top of that, the attention he had been getting exploded after this incident, making Cha Jae-woo even more reluctant to go out. It must be annoying. Wherever he went, reporters followed, and even strangers who used to ignore him started acting friendly.
Even the driver would take a roundabout route when leaving or returning to Cha Jae-woo’s house to prevent anyone from finding out where he lived.
Anyway, Lim Haeyul planned to speak his mind as soon as he saw Cha Jae-woo. If he hesitated, he might forget what he wanted to say and just go along with whatever Cha Jae-woo wanted. He needed to take the initiative.
“I’m home─ whoa!”
“You’re back early.”
But his grand plan was derailed before it even started. He knew Cha Jae-woo would be home, but he didn’t expect him to be right by the front door. And he certainly didn’t expect Cha Jae-woo to pull him into a hug as soon as he walked in.
His face flushed, and his body stiffened. This was out of his control; it was Cha Jae-woo who was strangely comfortable with hugging someone so casually.
He pushed Cha Jae-woo away, a bit too late.
“W-wait a minute!”
Cha Jae-woo wasn’t holding him tightly, so he easily stepped back. But Cha Jae-woo looked puzzled, as if he had no idea why he was being pushed away. His innocent expression made Lim Haeyul feel a bit exasperated.
‘Why is he so comfortable with this?’
He still thought they weren’t officially together, but Cha Jae-woo was acting like they were already a couple. Had he always been like this in his past relationships?
If that was the case, Lim Haeyul couldn’t just go along with it. This was his first time, so Cha Jae-woo needed to respect his pace. At least, that’s what he thought.
“I-I have something to say.”
Trying to calm his surprised heart, he spoke as resolutely as he could. Cha Jae-woo raised an eyebrow but then nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“……Here?”
His resolve crumbled instantly. Cha Jae-woo was too calm, and the setting was all wrong. If they were going to define their relationship, shouldn’t they be somewhere more… romantic?
“Then?”
Cha Jae-woo asked, clearly having no idea what he was about to say.
He was at a loss for words. He couldn’t just blurt out, “The front door isn’t exactly the most romantic place to start a relationship, you know.” Essentially, he was about to ask Cha Jae-woo to start dating him.
……Wow, dating.
The thought suddenly felt surreal. Him, dating Cha Jae-woo? Was this really happening? Was Cha Jae-woo on the same page?
He had thought about it countless times, but now that the moment was here, he felt confused again. Maybe he shouldn’t have given himself so much time to think…
His initial confidence vanished, replaced by a wave of anxiety. Should he just pretend nothing happened? He was actually considering it.
“Should we go upstairs?”
Cha Jae-woo asked. His gentle tone helped ease some of the anxiety.
I started to nod but then stopped. Oh, whatever. I knew I’d be flooded with thoughts even during the short walk up the stairs, so I had an impulse to just get it over with right there. Besides, we were home anyway, so what did it matter where we talked?
“Never mind….”
Even though I had changed my mind so abruptly, Cha Jae-woo didn’t seem to mind at all.
He nodded, his expression so gentle. How did Cha Jae-woo end up like this? He must be totally smitten with me. A surge of courage welled up inside me.
“Um, we, we…!”
“Yeah?”
“We…….”
My lips were dry, and it was hard to look Cha Jae-woo in the eye, but I forced myself to keep my gaze steady.
“S-since when were we… a couple?”
……Oh no, that’s not what I meant to say.
The eyelids I had been struggling to keep open suddenly felt heavy. I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip hard. The fragmented question echoed in my mind like a mocking whisper. Since when were we a couple? Really? What was I even saying?!
Embarrassment washed over me. It wasn’t the first time I’d messed up like this, but today felt especially bad. And making it even worse was Cha Jae-woo’s laughter that filled the silence.
Oh my god, oh my god! This is so humiliating!
