Then, apparently liking the question he'd just been asked, Hyeonchae repeated it to himself.
"If it's something you say, Senior, I'll do it. Anything."
"...Ha."
Yeah, right.
You conveniently ignored me every single time I told you to go home.
Letting out a dry laugh, Seonwoo turned his head away.
If he kept looking into those beautiful eyes, he really might end up enchanted.
Thanks to Hyeonchae's reckless stunt, they'd already made it halfway down the slope.
The rest of the run was still fairly steep.
"Let's take it slow from here. You don't have to maintain parallel turns. Just get down safely, okay?"
"Yes... But, Senior."
Something about Hyeonchae's voice made Seonwoo uneasy.
Turning around, he saw Hyeonchae frowning slightly while examining one of his skis held upright.
"This feels strange. I think something's broken."
"Let me see."
Taking the ski from him, Seonwoo inspected it.
Hyeonchae was right.
The binding had shifted slightly and was sticking up.
He punched it with his fist, grabbed it with both hands, and shook it, but it clearly wasn't going to hold the boot in place.
Biting his lip, he sighed.
"It's completely broken."
"...I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for? Even if anyone should apologize, it'd be me."
His gaze swept from the emergency patrol number posted on the safety net to the long distance remaining to the base.
Then it naturally settled on Hyeonchae.
After thinking for a moment, Seonwoo seemed to reach a decision.
Still holding the ski, he crouched down.
"Let's try putting the ski on first."
Hyeonchae placed his boot onto the ski while Seonwoo held it steady.
After pressing down several times, the boot clicked in...
...but only barely.
The binding wouldn't actually lock it in place.
One turn and it would probably pop right back off.
"There are three options. You choose."
Hyeonchae looked at him attentively.
"First, we call ski patrol and let them take us down. This is the first time I've only had equipment break, so I don't know if they'll use a snowmobile or put you on a rescue sled."
"A rescue sled?"
"Yeah. Second, we carry the skis down on foot. Of course, I'll walk with you."
"And the third?"
"I hold onto you, and we ski down together."
"I'll choose that one."
Without the slightest hesitation.
Even though it meant skiing down with broken equipment.
Unable to help himself, Seonwoo burst into laughter.
Standing directly in front of Hyeonchae, he spread his skis in a reverse V-shape.
Then he gathered both pairs of poles, holding two in each hand.
Once Hyeonchae took hold of the handles Seonwoo offered him, Seonwoo looked him in the eye.
"Make an A-shape with your skis. We'll go down slowly without making any turns. Slow enough that even if your boot comes off, it'll be fine. Don't worry."
"But then you'll be skiing backward..."
"I do this all the time when teaching beginners. It'll be fine. Just don't grip the poles too tightly."
Hyeonchae nodded nervously.
Once he was in position, Seonwoo slowly started guiding them down the slope while maintaining eye contact.
The slow pace and stable posture quickly eased Hyeonchae's expression.
Several passing skiers even stopped to ask why beginner lessons were being held there.
Once they heard the equipment had broken, they actually skied ahead and cleared a path for them.
Although Seonwoo constantly checked their surroundings, skiing backward while reading the snow using only the tails of his skis demanded enormous concentration.
Nearly all his attention remained fixed on the unseen space behind him.
Even so, worried Hyeonchae might become anxious, he kept talking without pause.
"Skiing's fun, isn't it? After learning from me, a lot of people can't enjoy lessons with anyone else. You're in trouble now."
"We're almost there. You're doing great."
"What do you want for dinner?"
He immediately tensed his legs to stop himself from sliding while widening his grip on the poles.
"Hyeonchae, watch out! Ice!"
"Ah...!"
A split second later, Hyeonchae hit the ice and slid straight toward him.
Seonwoo instantly released the poles and caught the body hurtling into him.
The combined weight of both of them sent even Seonwoo sliding quite a distance.
"Senior!"
"It's okay. I've got you."
Only after forcing every ounce of strength into his thighs did the skis finally come to a stop.
Still wrapped in Seonwoo's arms, Hyeonchae suddenly buried his face against Seonwoo's shoulder.
"What's wrong? Did that scare you?"
"..."
"You just wanted an excuse to hug me because you slipped, didn't you? Who indulges their ulterior motives on this sacred slope?"
"...I was scared."
"...Not because I got hurt."
"I was afraid I'd hurt you, Senior."
Hearing a beginner sincerely say he was more worried about injuring his instructor than himself made Seonwoo laugh out loud.
The snowfield stretched beneath a brilliant blue sky.
The air was so crisp and cold it almost made his eyes sting.
The snowy world around him.
And Eun Hyeonchae in his arms.
For the first time in a long while...
Seonwoo felt completely, genuinely happy.
* * *
At Seorin's snack bar, Seonwoo naturally started to order two bottles of Pocari Sweat.
Then he suddenly stopped and turned around.
Walking over to Hyeonchae, who was sitting at a table watching the slope, he tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"What should I buy you?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Hyeonchae looked up at him.
"Anything is fine."
"Still, you must have something you like."
At those words, Hyeonchae lowered his eyes and gently bit his lower lip.
His pale eyelashes fluttered every time he blinked, casting faint shadows beneath his eyes.
After fidgeting with his fingers for a while, he finally looked up.
For some reason, he looked happy.
Without realizing it, Seonwoo touched his own lips.
"Then... I'd like hot chocolate."
"...All right. Hot chocolate."
Slowly nodding, Seonwoo turned away.
He had only ordered one Pocari Sweat and one hot chocolate.
Yet the tray also came with churros, fish cake skewers, and a hot dog.
"Why'd you give me so much? We're having dinner soon anyway."
"Two people who can eat ten packs of ramen together pretending they have small appetites... Give me a break. Eat all of it, then go eat dinner too. Last time you spent a hundred thousand won here. Have you lost your mind?"
"I was paying for overtime and night shifts."
"Oh, please. Whatever. Just take it before it gets cold. I've got supplies to organize."
"Need help?"
Seorin ignored him and simply turned her back.
Chuckling helplessly, Seonwoo picked up the tray.
Returning to the table, he set it down and handed one of the skewers to Hyeonchae.
"Seorin said you should eat."
"Are you two close?"
"We are. We've known each other for five years already."
Hyeonchae lowered his eyes.
Without saying a word, he repeatedly stabbed the fish cake with the skewer.
Seeing the obvious little protest, Seonwoo couldn't stop himself from laughing.
He speared one of the round fish cake pieces and held it out toward Hyeonchae.
The lips that had stubbornly remained closed slowly parted.
Hyeonchae quietly accepted the bite.
"She's like a little sister to me. If Seorin knew what you were thinking right now, she'd probably try to kill you."
"Sure. I'll keep your secret."
Smiling, Seonwoo took a drink of his Pocari Sweat.
Hyeonchae silently watched him.
* * *
Senior seemed happier than usual today.
The slight squint in his eyes beneath the dazzling sunlight.
The warm smile that refused to leave the corners of his lips.
The instinctive awareness of everyone around him.
The kindness woven into every movement.
He had always loved him.
But Seonwoo surrounded by snow...
He was someone impossible not to love.
Anyone would feel that way.
Afraid the words I like you would escape the moment he opened his mouth, Hyeonchae quietly pressed a hand over his racing heart.
Then a churro touched his lips.
"Try it. They just made these, so they're amazing. They're on a completely different level from the ones you've had before."
Maybe he'd been staring too much.
"What's wrong?" Senior asked, tilting his head.
That gentle gaze made Hyeonchae's face grow hot.
At this rate, he'd be found out.
Lowering his eyes, he licked the sugar from his lips.
It was unbearably sweet.
* * *
What was so fascinating about watching someone with an expressionless face carefully chew every bite?
Was he deliberately eating prettily just to get fed something else too?
Almost entranced, Seonwoo kept feeding him bite after bite.
Then Hyeonchae suddenly reached out and took the churro from Seonwoo's hand.
"You should eat too, Senior."
Just as Seonwoo had done moments earlier, Hyeonchae held the churro up to his lips.
A helpless laugh escaped him.
He really does learn fast.
Looking into those expectant eyes for a moment, Seonwoo leaned forward.
He bit off the very end of the churro in one bite.
"Ah..."
Apparently Hyeonchae had intended to feed him one bite at a time.
Instead, all that remained in his hand was the empty paper sleeve.
Seonwoo laughed at his crestfallen expression.
Just then, Ha Seungbin called.
"Seonwoo, where are you? I just got here!!"
The energetic voice exploded through the phone the moment he answered.
Seonwoo raised an eyebrow.
Don't tell me he came all the way to campus without even calling first.
Then again...
If it was Ha Seungbin, it wasn't impossible.
Clicking his tongue, Seonwoo replied,
"I'm not home. I'm at the ski resort."
"Exactly! I just got to Mighty Town too! Where are you? Let's meet right now!"
"...Mighty Town?"
Seonwoo froze.
Pulling the phone away from his ear, he looked toward Hyeonchae.
"Hyeonchae. Did you invite Ha Seungbin?"
"No."
Even Hyeonchae shook his head.
That only made it more confusing.
Meanwhile, Seungbin continued talking without stopping.
"If you're busy, we can meet later! I'll go drop off my luggage first. But seriously, if the location changed, you should've told me earlier! I asked my uncle to reserve a place at Inun. If I'd known this was going to happen..."
"What do you mean the location changed?"
"Huh? Didn't you get the message on Monday? Your club's ski camp was changed from Inun to Mighty Town. Weren't you here early because of that?"
"...What?"
Seonwoo blinked blankly at Seungbin's words.