“What the hell? Why are you so late!”
As I stepped into the dorm room, still dazed and lost in thought, Baek Beom—who was sprawled on the sofa watching TV—snapped at me with a scowl.
“…Ah, sorry.”
“Do you even know what time it is?! You said you’d Guide me, but you didn’t show!”
He grumbled, clearly irritated, but his words barely registered. My head was still spinning from what had happened with Kang Biso.
Kang Biso… confessed to me…
I froze mid-step.
A single, intrusive thought flashed through my mind.
What happens if I say yes?
If I agree to date him, does that make us a couple? Me and Kang Biso?
I had no clue what that would actually look like, but the thought alone made my heart flutter. That date we went on earlier—it wouldn’t be a one-time thing anymore. It would just be… normal. My face heated up on its own.
But what if I say no? Would that be the end of whatever this is between us?
Would he stop coming to the center just to see me, even as a Villain? Would he stop calling me Hyung in that sweet, clingy voice? Would all those cute, stubborn little gestures vanish too?
The possibilities tangled together in my mind like a never-ending loop, making my chest feel heavier by the second.
…What the hell am I supposed to do? What do I even say…
“Hey, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick or something?”
“…Huh? What?”
I flinched when Baek Beom suddenly appeared right in front of me, peering into my face like I was some strange specimen. I hadn’t even noticed him get up. I quickly shook my head.
“No. Nothing happened. I’m fine.”
I shoved him away and turned my head, avoiding his gaze.
My thoughts were already in chaos—I didn’t need Baek Beom adding to it. But he wasn’t letting up. His brow furrowed even more as he studied me.
“No way… there’s definitely something going on.”
“I said it’s nothing.”
Maybe my overly strong denial only made him more suspicious, because he kept eyeing me with that look.
“Yeah, right. If it was really nothing, your face wouldn’t be that red.”
“What? My face is red?”
“Super red. Are you sure you’re not sick—hey! Where are you going?!”
I bolted into the bathroom and looked into the mirror above the sink.
…What the hell. What’s wrong with my face?
My cheeks were so flushed that even I had to do a double take. No wonder Baek Beom had been acting weird.
If I looked like this… was I like this when I was talking to Kang Biso too? This face…
It screamed, someone just confessed to me.
As that thought sank in, the embarrassment hit full force. My face somehow turned even redder. I quickly splashed my face with cold water. Again and again, until the color finally started to fade and I looked somewhat normal again.
“Hey, are you okay?”
When I stepped out, Baek Beom was waiting by the door, leaning against the wall.
Crap…
How long had he been standing there?
Was he worried about me… or just desperate to get his Guiding?
Either way, I didn’t have the energy to deal with it. Not when I hadn’t even realized how red my face was. I was clearly exhausted.
“…Sorry, but I’m too tired. I’m gonna sleep early. I’ll do the Guiding tomorrow.”
“What? Hey! That’s not fair!”
Baek Beom immediately started whining, but I didn’t stick around to hear it. I went straight into my room and locked the door behind me.
“Hey! Open up! Hey!”
Please, just leave me alone. My head’s already a mess from everything with Kang Biso.
Baek Beom kept yelling through the door for a while, but when I didn’t respond, he eventually gave up. I let out a long sigh, turned off the light, and flopped onto the bed.
My heart was still pounding. Kang Biso’s words wouldn’t stop replaying in my head.
“I love you. I don’t want to be just like brothers anymore. Please… be my boyfriend.”
“…”
“I’m not asking you to answer right away. Just… think about it. Seriously. Then let me know.”
God, I’m going crazy.
I’d known Kang Biso had feelings for me, but… love?
The confession had come out of nowhere, and I had no idea how to respond. I couldn’t even sort out my own emotions, and now I had to give an answer that could change everything between us.
I didn’t want things to change.
I liked how things were now—talking, laughing, hanging out like it was the most natural thing in the world… and maybe… maybe…
The memory of Kang Biso’s face from earlier suddenly surfaced.
When I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, he just looked at me—quietly, patiently—his eyes filled with warmth. Then he smiled, so brightly it deepened the dimples on both cheeks.
Just thinking about that expression made my heart thud painfully in my chest.
…God, I’m seriously losing it.
There was no way I was getting any sleep tonight.
***
In the end, I didn’t sleep a wink. By the time morning came, I could feel the weight of it in my bones, and the dark circles under my eyes were practically dragging on the floor.
“…I’m exhausted.”
All I wanted was to collapse back into bed and knock out for a few more hours. But I had work. And more than that, my head was still a tangled mess of thoughts I couldn’t shake.
With a body that felt like lead, I dragged myself to the dining hall. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but at this point, eating breakfast was muscle memory. Just another part of the routine. I moved without thinking, found a seat, and sat down in the middle of the usual morning bustle.
“Sunbae!”
“…Kim Yong-ha?”
I looked up to see Kim Yong-ha walking over with a tray, smiling as he sat down across from me.
“I saw you from the entrance and came straight in. We were supposed to eat together today, remember?”
Ah. Right. That was today. I’d been so distracted, I’d completely forgotten.
“…Sorry. I spaced.”
“That’s okay. We’re here now, so it worked out. How about we eat together tomorrow too?”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
He grinned, clearly pleased, and picked up his spoon.
From there, the conversation dropped off. Once we started eating, we both went quiet. Even Kim Yong-ha, who was usually all smiles, focused silently on his food, his face expressionless.
“…Um, Sunbae.”
He finally broke the silence, voice hesitant. I looked up. He was watching me carefully, a worried look in his eyes.
“Did something… happen?”
“…To me?”
“Yeah. You look really pale. And tired.”
Do I really look that bad?
His concern felt genuine. I forced a shrug, trying to brush it off.
“It’s nothing. I just didn’t sleep well.”
“Still…”
“…Thanks for worrying. I really am okay.”
Even after I said that, he kept staring at me like he didn’t believe it. Then, after a long pause, he spoke again—this time a little more seriously.
“…You’re really okay, right?”
“Yeah. Really—”
“If anyone’s been bothering you or making things difficult… please tell me. I’ll help.”
His sudden offer threw me off. The way he said it—so deliberate—it was like he already knew something.
And somehow, it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Why phrase it like that? Like he’s sure someone’s causing me trouble?
The unease crawled up my spine, but I decided I was just being paranoid.
“…Thanks. I appreciate the concern.”
My answer seemed to satisfy him, and just like that, he switched back to his usual cheerful self, chatting about this and that. We ate at a leisurely pace, and before long, our trays were empty.
He looked down at his tray, then glanced up at me with hesitation.
“I’m heading out… Do you want to go together?”
“…No. I’ve got somewhere to stop by first. You go on ahead.”
I paused before turning him down.
There was no way he was heading to the center alone. Just like yesterday, he’d be surrounded by a swarm of Espers—and among them would be Kim Hyun-joong.
I really didn’t want to waste energy dealing with him first thing in the morning.
Kim Yong-ha hesitated, visibly disappointed. He looked like he wanted to insist but then sighed as if realizing it was pointless and slowly got to his feet.
“I guess it would be awkward, huh…? I’ll head out, then. The Espers are waiting.”
“…See you later.”
“Oh, Sunbae—if you’re free around lunchtime, do you want to eat at the center together?”
Part of me wanted to say no, to insist on eating alone. But the look in his eyes made it hard to reject him outright.
Besides, I didn’t have anything else scheduled.
“…Sure. That’s fine.”
“Really? Awesome! Then I’ll see you later!”
His face lit up like a child who just got his way. Grinning, he grabbed his tray and walked off.
I watched his back for a moment before slowly getting up myself.
***
Outside the dorms, Kim Yong-ha let out a sigh as he spotted the Espers waiting for him. Their presence was suffocating, crowding around him like he was some precious artifact.
Kim Hyun-joong approached and studied his face before cautiously asking,
“…Is something wrong? You don’t look well.”
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Kim Yong-ha brushed past him with barely a glance. He could hear the Espers whispering behind him, but none of it mattered right now.
“I love you. I don’t want to be like brothers anymore. Please… be my boyfriend.”
The words he’d overheard last night played in his head like a broken record, and he clenched his fists until his knuckles went white.
He’d barely held himself together during breakfast. The entire time, he’d wanted to interrogate Hwang Seol-bin, to demand answers, but he’d forced himself to stay calm.
God, this is so fucking frustrating.
Last night, he’d been pacing near the dorms, hoping some fresh air might help. That’s when he saw Seol-bin near the entrance. But he wasn’t alone.
Some guy was talking to him.
The atmosphere felt tense—intimate. Something was off. Instinctively, Kim Yong-ha stepped back, hiding himself as he listened in.
And that’s when he heard it.
That voice—so full of emotion. That confession.
It wasn’t even directed at him, but it felt like the floor dropped out beneath him. His chest tightened, his breath caught.
Please… just say no.
That’s all he could think. But Seol-bin hadn’t said anything. He didn’t agree—but he didn’t reject it either. The whole conversation had ended in a vague promise to “think about it.”
The worst kind of non-answer.
Even now, one thought kept circling in his mind:
What if he says yes?
If he didn’t have feelings for the guy, he would’ve turned him down on the spot. But he didn’t.
And that alone was enough to make the fear take root—deep and consuming.
I’m not letting him go.
He bit down hard on his lower lip. The taste of blood filled his mouth, but he didn’t feel a thing.
Before it’s too late… I have to make him mine.
His eyes sharpened, burning with resolve.
He wouldn’t sit back and watch someone else steal Hwang Seol-bin away.
He’d win him over—no matter what it took.
