My legs, drained from lack of sleep, gave out easily. Just as I was about to smash my chin into the ground, I squeezed my eyes shut.
I never thought I’d end up falling over at this age. I guess today was a day I should’ve taken it easy.
Resigning myself to fate, I gave up on everything. But strangely, no pain came crashing in.
Instead, I felt my body suspended in midair, as if someone had caught me.
“…What?”
When I lowered my head, I saw a large hand wrapped around my waist. While I had my eyes tightly shut, bracing myself to see blood first thing in the morning, someone had firmly supported me.
“Sorry, I went too far with the joke. You’re not hurt, right?”
“Min Siheon?”
The face in front of me was the sub-top who had been tormenting me since last night. Min Siheon. It hadn’t even been four hours since I’d resolved not to get entangled with the novel characters. Flustered, I could only blink repeatedly.
I was momentarily startled by the handsome face right in front of me, but soon I became aware of the stares from other students heading to class.
Two fully grown men tangled up like this at the uphill path of the campus entrance—of course it would draw attention. I would’ve stared too.
Only then did I become conscious of Min Siheon’s hand holding my waist. Embarrassed, I brushed his hand away, saying it was fine. A sharp smack rang out.
Min Siheon rubbed the hand I’d struck as if it hurt. Looking closely, it did seem a little red. I must’ve hit him properly.
I almost stepped closer out of guilt, but then halted. I realized I’d gotten swept up again.
I had resolved not to go soft on him anymore, so I had to stick to that now.
Swallowing the apology that almost slipped out by habit, I adjusted my bag and said,
“Thanks for catching me. But I almost fell because of you.”
At my words, Min Siheon, who had been standing there blankly, let out a faint scoff.
Wondering if something was wrong, I glanced at him. He approached, still rubbing the hand I’d brushed away. With an unconcerned expression, he bumped his shoulder lightly against mine and gave me a gentle smile.
Min Siheon naturally placed his hand on my shoulder as we began to walk. Judging by the slight curl of his lips, he was definitely about to tease me again.
“I’ll be careful next time. By the way, you look exhausted. Couldn’t sleep?”
As I followed along in a daze, I noticed his gaze land beneath my eyes.
Even though I’d thought it wasn’t noticeable when I washed my face this morning, it seemed I couldn’t escape his sharp eyes.
“Yeah, I had something to do.”
With our bodies pressed close, I shook off his arm and put some distance between us. I stepped back about half a step so he couldn’t stick to me again.
Min Siheon’s expression stiffened as he looked at the arm I’d pushed away. Well, he was fairly popular—it probably wasn’t something he was used to, being rejected like that.
He wasn’t a three-year-old, so I gave him a detached look that clearly meant, don’t cling so much. Maybe it looked awkward coming from me, because his complexion darkened slightly.
But only for a moment. Soon, Min Siheon adjusted himself and moved to follow me anyway. Why hadn’t I used this method sooner? I was starting to resent my past self.
“What kept you up all night?”
“…There are things you wouldn’t understand.”
“Can’t you tell me?”
“You’re seriously curious about everything.”
From beneath his long lashes, his bright eyes looked at me with a hint of pitiful sadness. Maybe he found this version of me unfamiliar—his gaze even seemed a little hurt.
He dropped the smiling expression and pretended to look wounded, but that too was one of his patented tactics.
I remembered how I used to get swept up every time. Thanks to that, I managed to keep my face perfectly expressionless.
How long had this suffocating back-and-forth lasted? We eventually arrived at the fork in the road where the lecture building and the cafeteria split.
Knowing he had a morning class too, I turned my body, intending to send him off first.
But he beat me to it before I could even open my mouth.
“Jungwoo, didn’t you have a morning class?”
“I do, but the professor comes in late, so it’s fine. I’m going to stop by the café first. You go ahead. We’re taking different classes anyway.”
“…I’ll go too.”
“What about your class? Won’t you be late?”
“It’s fine.”
After I’d gone through the trouble of making an excuse to separate from him, Min Siheon insisted on accompanying me anyway.
He was acting unusually clingy today, like a leech, and I tilted my head in confusion.
But I’d already used up all my decent tactics, so I had no more excuses left. I had no right to stop him from going to the café. In the end, I just let it be and turned toward the café.
“Do whatever you want. It’s your GPA, not mine.”
I could feel him sticking close behind me. The lack of response made it obvious he wasn’t in a good mood. Even so, he stubbornly followed along. Looking at him, he really was something else.
After entering the café, just as I was about to order, Min Siheon stepped in front of the counter and held out his card to the cashier.
“Hey.”
“Let me at least buy this.”
“You’re seriously weird.”
“Two iced Americanos, to go, please.”
Before I could say another word, Min Siheon finished paying and ordering in one smooth motion. I raised an eyebrow, not understanding, and he once again pretended to look pitiful and leaned his body against my shoulder.
Still dazed, I found myself getting swept along by his behavior. We ended up sitting side by side in nearby seats, waiting for our drinks.
“…You.”
“What, did I get the order wrong? When it’s hot, you drink iced, and when it’s cold, you drink hot. Want me to change it?”
“No. It’s right, but….”
Min Siheon snatched my bag and placed it on the chair beside him. Looking at my bag, which had unintentionally become a hostage, I felt exasperated.
I was just about to check the class time after seeing how long the waiting number was when Min Siheon, who had been silent since ordering, spoke.
“…I don’t like it.”
It didn’t seem like he was talking to me, but at the chill in his voice, I unconsciously turned to look at him.
Seeing his lips drawn into a straight line, an inexplicable chill crept over me. It felt fundamentally different from his usual calm demeanor.
I couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was clearly a big difference. The problem was that I didn’t know what it was.
Did they turn the air conditioner up too high in here? I rubbed my arms, trying to calm the goosebumps.
“Oh, ours is out. Hold on.”
Min Siheon, who had been smiling while watching me rub my arms, stood up to get the coffee.
Before leaving his seat, he looked at me intently…. For some reason, his gaze seemed to say, Don’t even think about going anywhere, and I felt an unnecessary pressure.
Seriously, he had such strange sides to him. He always made me lose even the will to run away like this.
I watched his back as he carried the tray with the coffee. Though he was at least a head taller than most people around him, he had a strangely boyish side.
Through the thin short-sleeved shirt, I could faintly see the shape of firm muscles. Better not provoke him. The monstrous body I’d seen when I visited him flashed through my mind.
Min Siheon had a sturdy build and a great physique that contrasted with his pretty facial features.
I wasn’t exactly small either, but I knew very well I couldn’t compare to him.
Just as I resolved to read the room and slip away pretending I didn’t know anything, a hand suddenly appeared from behind and covered my vision.
“Peekaboo.”
“What?”
Already exhausted from the morning’s ambushes, I grabbed the stranger’s wrist. Similar incidents had happened back-to-back, so I wasn’t even surprised anymore.
One thing was certain—the owner of this hand wasn’t Min Siheon. I’d just seen him carrying a tray straight ahead. Unless there were two of him, this position was impossible.
“Who is it, and what kind of gross thing are you doing first thing in the morning?”
“Gross? That’s harsh. Taeyoon, was I just gross?”
“…Go Heemin?”
At the sound of Min Siheon’s voice from nearby, I flinched and stiffened. Only then did the hand loosen, and I saw Min Siheon standing there with the tray, frowning.
The owner of the wrist I’d been gripping was someone I knew very well.
When I turned around, Go Heemin was leaning over the back of the sofa I was sitting on, practically hugging me as he covered my face.
Kang Taeyoon, who had been standing behind Go Heemin, also didn’t seem particularly pleased with this situation.
His mouth was closed, but I could see his jaw clenched tightly, as if grinding his teeth.
What the hell, man. Why are you taking it out on me? I could only feel wronged under the glares of both Kang Taeyoon and Min Siheon.
Only after shaking off Go Heemin’s wrist was I able to turn my head properly.
“What are you doing? And what brings you here?”
“What brings me here~ I came to grab some coffee. And just happened to spot a familiar face right in front of me?”
As if he didn’t care at all about the arm I’d just shoved away, Go Heemin plopped down in the seat next to me. He let out a carefree, boyish laugh.
“Taeyoon~ You said you’d buy me coffee today, right? I’ll have an iced café latte~”
“Yeah.”
Kang Taeyoon, one hand in his pocket and wearing a reluctant expression, approached the counter.
Min Siheon set the tray down on the table and sat across from us, sweeping his gaze over the two of us.
“Here. Drink.”
“Thanks. I’ll buy next time.”
“Sure.”
One of the takeaway cups was thrust in front of me. The hand setting it down seemed somewhat rough—he clearly wasn’t pleased about something.
Seeing the veins standing out on the back of his hand, I found myself instinctively checking his mood.
Why am I stuck in the middle of this again…. Right now, all I wanted to do was run away.
Unaware of my feelings, Go Heemin looked between Min Siheon and me with a calm expression. He seemed full of energy from the morning, not a trace of fatigue on his face.
“You guys don’t have the same class today, right? Why are you together?”
“That’s what I should be asking…. You’re not in the same class as Kang Taeyoon either.”
“Well, we’re… never mind. Did you two run into each other in front?”
“Yeah. He said he’d buy coffee.”
When I tossed the question back at him, Go Heemin gave an awkward smile as if he had nothing to say.
Figures. Kang Taeyoon probably couldn’t stand seeing Go Heemin alone.
Now that it had nothing to do with me anymore, I quietly took a sip of coffee. The cold drink sliding down my throat seemed to soothe my tired body and mind.
Min Siheon sat with his fingers interlocked and his legs crossed. The way he leaned back slightly made him look extremely uncomfortable.
“Heemin, your morning class—you’re taking it with Min Siheon, right?”
“Yeah, it’s a three-hour back-to-back lecture. Aren’t you taking the same one as Kang Taeyoon?”
“Yeah.”
Coincidentally, the lecture we had to go to was also one taken in pairs. Go Heemin had to head to the lecture hall with Min Siheon.
I almost wanted to clap and congratulate Min Siheon. But since I had no intention of getting involved in their relationship anymore, I maintained a neutral tone and tapped the table lightly.
I shouldn’t be worrying about them. There was one uncomfortable thing for me too. I had to go to class with Kang Taeyoon.
I saw Kang Taeyoon returning with the drinks after finishing the order. After handing Go Heemin his cup, he glanced at the empty seat. Maybe because it was next to Min Siheon, his expression looked distinctly displeased.
“Shouldn’t we be heading in soon?”
“Yeah, you’re right. Hey, Min Siheon, aren’t we late? Professor Park is strict about attendance.”
“Probably.”
“So we are late. I told you to go earlier.”
At Kang Taeyoon’s comment, Go Heemin sprang up from his seat. Min Siheon, on the other hand, looked back here as he moved sluggishly and slowly.
Since it had come to this, I figured I should head to the lecture building with Kang Taeyoon as well. I turned to him with an indifferent expression, just about to speak.
