The black, deep-set eyes reflected the light of the standing lamp, taking on a faint orange hue.
“I like you.”
Han Jun’s voice struck Yi-hyeon’s eardrums more clearly than ever before. There was no way. That couldn’t be true. Why would Han Jun—? Trembling faintly in Han Jun’s arms, Yi-hyeon stared up at him as if he couldn’t believe it, his lips parting before pressing tightly into a straight line again.
He couldn’t let out a single word. His mind had gone completely blank—what he was supposed to say, what he was supposed to ask, none of it came to him. All he could think was that if this were a dream, he wished he’d never wake up.
The lips that had casually spoken such heart-fluttering words slowly drew closer.
Yi-hyeon’s emotions, already pushed past their limit, couldn’t wait out even that brief instant. He moved first, pressing firmly into the soft, pliant lips.
***
Lying with his head pillowed on Han Jun’s arm, listening to the rain, Yi-hyeon lifted his head slightly and looked at his face.
“I can’t believe it. Can I ask when you started liking me?”
He was asking a question so blissful he’d never even imagined it in his dreams—right there by Han Jun’s side. His heart fluttered, pounding wildly. Yi-hyeon thought he must have used up all the luck he’d ever have today.
“I just… realized at some point that I liked you.”
Han Jun gently stroked Yi-hyeon’s hair, soft like a puppy’s fur, then buried his face into it as if intoxicated by the faint peach scent.
“Your hair always smells like something I miss.”
Yi-hyeon’s hair always smelled like peaches. No matter how much he washed it, he could never get rid of the peach scent that seeped through the shampoo fragrance. If he had to guess, it was probably Louis’s scent from when he’d shared half-baths with Han Jun. Whether it was their souls or their bodies that had merged, Louis’s traces still remained with Han Jun—and maybe that scent lingered along with them.
“Han Jun.”
“Yeah?”
“I don’t have the courage yet, but soon… there’s something I really want to say to you.”
“I can wait my whole life until you feel like it. So don’t feel pressured—say it when you want to. Ah, but if it’s something like you like someone else or don’t want to date me, then don’t say that even if you die.”
Han Jun pulled Yi-hyeon into his arms. Having never once imagined that he and Han Jun would ever be like this, Yi-hyeon felt as if the moment itself were unreal. At Han Jun’s words—that he’d wait for him—Yi-hyeon nodded slightly.
“Yeah. I’ll… try to be brave.”
“There’s something I’m curious about too.”
“What is it?”
“Don’t you like me?”
Yi-hyeon’s heart pounded faster and faster, his face flushing red. He’d never thought he’d end up confessing like this, and now that the stage had been set for him, he felt inexplicably shy.
But now that he knew how Han Jun felt, Yi-hyeon thought there was no reason left to hide anymore. He was about to open his mouth, intending to calmly confess his feelings—when a familiar scent mingled with the rain made his brow crease as his sense of smell sharpened.
“Isn’t ‘you don’t like me’ more hurtful than you think? Was that really a question worth making that face over?”
Han Jun asked, having noticed Yi-hyeon’s expression stiffen.
“That’s not it. Someone’s coming this way.”
“This is Grandpa’s private property. No one can come in. Who would—?”
It was a scent Yi-hyeon knew well.
“I think it’s Chief Kim.”
“That man? Why would he be here at this hour…?”
Han Jun, visibly flustered, suddenly jumped up and drew the curtains shut. Then, telling Yi-hyeon to stay in the room just in case, he turned to leave—only for Yi-hyeon to grab his hand.
“Wait.”
He focused his sense of smell once more.
“There’s one more person.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. It’s a scent I’ve never smelled before… but it feels like a man…”
“Stay here. I’ll go down and check.”
“It’s dangerous. Let’s go together.”
“You said Chief Kim’s with him too. That guy—his way of talking’s kind of annoying, but he’s not someone who’d hurt me. He owes my mom a lot.”
“Still…”
As Han Jun went downstairs to reassure him, the sound of someone punching in the front door passcode echoed through the house.
Glancing around, Yi-hyeon hesitated, then—just in case—pulled a single golf club out of the bag propped against the wall. And if, by any chance, Secretary Kim tried to do something bad to Han Jun—!
Startled by the sound of the front door opening, Yi-hyeon clutched the golf club tightly with both hands.
“I’m the building manager. Hey—who are you?”
“What? You’re telling me to leave in rain pouring down like this? You’re saying it’s right for a son to be kicked out of his own mother’s house?”
The words that came out of the man who suddenly claimed to be the manager were simple: get out of the mansion.
Han Jun, dumbfounded, demanded an explanation, but the manager insisted it was the owner’s order and that he had no choice, refusing to listen further.
“The owner? You’re saying my grandfather sold this place?”
As Han Jun stood there in disbelief, a familiar face appeared in front of him. Holding a black umbrella with leisurely composure was none other than Chief Kim—just as Yi-hyeon had deduced. Han Jun’s stunned expression twisted into irritation this time.
As always, Chief Kim’s brow was slightly furrowed as he looked at Han Jun. Depending on the viewer, it could look like anger born of concern—or irritation at Han Jun’s reckless behavior. It was an ambiguous expression.
Ever since Actress Joo Mi-yeon died, it had always been like that.
“The Chairman didn’t sell the house. He assigned a manager to make sure no outsiders entered.”
“Then why are you here? If anything, aren’t you the biggest outsider?”
“When I heard you’d come here, the Chairman was furious. He contacted me immediately and ordered me to bring you back. Why did you come here without saying a word?”
Listening quietly from upstairs, Yi-hyeon felt that all of this was his fault. If it weren’t for the secret of his body, Han Jun would never have come here in the first place.
His heart felt unbearably heavy.
Spotting Han Jun coming up the stairs, Yi-hyeon—who’d been hiding obediently in the corner—slowly stepped forward. Han Jun couldn’t hide his irritation, even as he apologized for making Yi-hyeon get kicked out into the rainy night because of him.
“If I’d known it’d turn out like this, I should’ve tried asking around at a nearby house or something. I’m sorry—”
“What are you sorry for? It’s because of me. If I didn’t have ears and a tail…”
“What are you talking about? Don’t say something so ridiculous.”
While Han Jun packed their things, Yi-hyeon wrapped both Han Jun’s blanket and his own together and held them to his chest, standing silently in the corner, unable to utter a word out of guilt. Opening the wardrobe, Han Jun took out a soft cardigan and draped it over Yi-hyeon’s shoulders.
“I-I’m okay.”
“Okay? Your lips are blue.”
“I’m really fine.”
“Just put it on. Hurry.”
It smelled like a brand-new product, as if it had never been worn even once. Over that, Actress Joo Mi-yeon’s scent lingered faintly. Hanging in the closet for so long, even a new garment had absorbed her fragrance. Breathing in Mi-yeon’s scent, Yi-hyeon felt an unexpected warmth and comfort—so out of place with the current situation that it made his chest tighten even more.
***
As Han Jun walked toward Chief Kim with his umbrella open, his face openly displayed how uncomfortable he was with the situation. Watching the strange tension as their gazes intertwined, Yi-hyeon shrank back without realizing it.
“You came running the moment Grandpa contacted you. You must be pretty free these days.”
“I’m on leave. I’m not particularly busy.”
Chief Kim’s gaze shifted to Yi-hyeon, who stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do. The way his eyes lingered made Yi-hyeon deeply uncomfortable.
“Where does the student live?”
“Book him a nearby hotel.”
Han Jun cut in. It was a grumble meant to ease the pressure on Yi-hyeon.
“That’s what I was thinking too—since it’s vacation, I figured he came out to relax, so I thought about a hotel or pension. But it’s peak season. There’s nowhere nearby with vacancies. And you’d be uncomfortable at our house. So wouldn’t it be best to head back to Seoul?”
