After replying that he would come see him once he finished what he was doing, Seonwoo hung up on Ha Seungbin for the time being. His head was a complete mess, and the frustration of being unable to do anything about it made him drop his forehead onto the table. The dull thud startled Hyeonchae, who reached out toward him in a fluster.
“Senior...”
Without even noticing the pain in his forehead, Seonwoo's thoughts drifted back to the vague answer Eun Hyeonchae had once given him. A moment later, he raised his head, a deep furrow carved between his brows.
“Eun Hyeonchae. Did you know the Schuphur camp location had been changed?”
“If I knew, what happens? And if I didn't, what happens then?”
“What do you mean, what happens? If you didn't know, then we'd figure out how to deal with this together. If you did know... I'd probably be disappointed.”
Hyeonchae's gaze wavered as he frowned faintly. He hesitated for a long while, lips moving without making a sound, before finally asking something so deflating it almost made Seonwoo lose all his momentum.
“How disappointed would you be?”
“You do realize that's basically an admission, right?”
“...Would you be angry enough that even I would think it's justified?”
“Is that really what's important right now?”
“Yes. It is.”
Seeing him nod with such an anxious expression made Seonwoo let out a helpless laugh.
There was no way he could stay angry at Eun Hyeonchae.
Realizing that all over again, Seonwoo slowly shook his head.
“I'm not angry. I won't be.”
“...And you won't secretly hate me either.”
“I said I got it. So what is it? If you lie, your sentence gets increased.”
“I... heard my sister, Eun Uyeon, talking. Someone from Myeonghyeon asked her to open a building that hasn't even officially opened yet. She said she didn't want to. I didn't want to tell you because I thought you'd worry a lot... and because I thought you'd only end up talking about Choi Iwon.”
Hyeonchae sat there like a criminal waiting for his verdict, eyebrows lowered. Watching him, Seonwoo suddenly realized something didn't add up.
“Wait. That's it? You just overheard them talking? That's all?”
“One more thing...”
“What?”
“If I'd said I didn't want them to, maybe they wouldn't have given it to them. But then they'd wonder why... and they'd find out that I, with you... that I li...”
Sneaking glances at Seonwoo while nervously fidgeting with his fingers without pause, Hyeonchae's face turned so red it looked ready to burst.
“I just... didn't want anyone to be interested in you, Senior.”
The quiet confession escaped him like air leaking from a balloon.
Something tickled inside Seonwoo's chest.
Running his tongue over his lips, he barely managed to suppress the smile threatening to appear before gently placing a hand on Hyeonchae's head.
“So what you're saying is... you didn't actually do anything wrong.”
“...Right.”
“Then that's all that matters.”
Was he serious?
Hyeonchae slowly raised his eyes and carefully searched Seonwoo's face. Whatever he found in the gaze looking back at him made a satisfied smile spread across his lips.
Looking down at him, Seonwoo thought that perhaps he was finally beginning to understand Eun Hyeonchae a little.
Whether he was upset or happy. Hurt or pleased.
As Seonwoo gently stroked his soft hair, Hyeonchae pretended not to notice and quietly leaned closer against him.
Just then, another impatient message arrived from Ha Seungbin urging him to hurry.
“Is it Ha Seungbin?”
“Yeah. He's telling me to get over there already.”
“...You can just ignore him.”
Seonwoo quietly looked at Hyeonchae, who was practically leaning into his embrace.
A face that would stand out no matter where he was.
Maybe before it wouldn't have mattered, but if Iwon and the others from school really came to Mighty Town, they'd definitely find it strange if Hyeonchae was hanging around the ski resort for no reason. Hyeonchae belonged there too.
“Yes. I'll let them know today that I'll be attending.”
* * *
Seungbin had been lazily sprawled across the hotel lobby when he spotted Seonwoo walking over with Hyeonchae following behind him. He jumped to his feet immediately.
Apparently he hadn't expected Hyeonchae to be there, because he looked momentarily dumbfounded.
“What the hell, Eun Hyeonchae. You were here too?”
“Yeah. I came down a little earlier.”
“Since when? I was free starting last week too. You should've called me! Damn it, you guys are unbelievable. This is exactly what this is. Alumni connections! Throwing your weight around because you all go to the same school. Is this how miserable life is for someone who only graduated high school?”
“We only graduated high school too.”
“Did you? Whatever. Eun Hyeonchae, I'm disappointed in you. Seriously disappointed.”
“Okay.”
His indifferent voice, utterly unconcerned, was the complete opposite of the boy who had been anxiously begging Seonwoo not to be disappointed in him only moments ago.
Whenever Seonwoo saw such a gap, it always amazed him.
Does he really like me that much?
Thanks to the looks and personality he'd been born with, people liking him without him making any effort had always been normal.
If anything, it had been easy.
But it had never developed into anything more.
Maybe because of the unrequited love he'd carried since childhood, there had always been an invisible line even he hadn't realized existed. Most people never crossed it before eventually drifting away.
The same had been true for casual flings and even the few brief relationships he'd had.
He'd assumed Eun Hyeonchae would be no different.
But now he realized what he'd grown used to wasn't affection.
It was merely favorable feelings.
Eun Hyeonchae wasn't easy.
That was why everything felt awkward.
The affection Hyeonchae directed toward him...
And his own reactions when receiving it.
The person I like is supposed to be Choi Iwon.
Then why does seeing Eun Hyeonchae make me happy?
Why can't I refuse him?
Why do I end up accepting everything?
Is this... normal?
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Hyeonchae turned around.
“...Senior?”
The instant Seonwoo's reflection finally settled inside those eyes, life returned to Hyeonchae's previously expressionless face.
His eyes sparkled.
Every emotion spilled across his features without restraint.
Seonwoo genuinely wondered.
Does he really like me that much?
After not seeing each other for such a long time, Seonwoo and Seungbin headed to the hotel lounge, where they enjoyed a light meal while catching up on everything they hadn't had the chance to talk about before.
With Seungbin being as talkative as ever, the conversation never stopped, and Seonwoo found himself laughing over and over again.
The stories Seungbin told about studying abroad were outrageous enough to keep anyone entertained.
Oddly enough, though, it was the occasional stories about Eun Hyeonchae mixed into them that Seonwoo found even more interesting.
Reluctant to end things after finally meeting again, Ha Seungbin stubbornly insisted on a second round, so the three of them moved to Hyeonchae's villa.
There was a lot of expensive liquor there.
The wine cellar and liquor display that Hyeonchae's family had stocked in advance contained an even better selection than the hotel lounge they'd just left.
Grabbing the display cabinet and rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Seungbin asked with an excited grin,
“Seriously? I can drink anything? Really? You're not messing with me? Hyeonchae's brother isn't going to drag me away afterward, right? Ah... should I drink this? Or not?”
“If you're not going to drink it, then don't.”
“I'll drink it! Of course I'm drinking it!!”
When Hyeonchae started closing the cabinet, Seungbin hurriedly snatched out a bottle.
While Seungbin went to find glasses, Seonwoo opened the snacks they'd bought from the convenience store. Hyeonchae quietly slipped down beside him, and Seonwoo glanced over.
“You have an older brother too?”
“Yeah.”
“I figured you were the youngest, but I thought you were the youngest of three.”
“There are five of us. Two older sisters. Two older brothers.”
Seonwoo's eyes widened in surprise.
The youngest of five siblings.
That explained the subtle youngest-child traits Hyeonchae occasionally showed.
Do they all look like Eun Hyeonchae?
Eun Uyeon looked so much like him.
Imagining five Hyeonchaes made his eyes hurt from the sheer brilliance of it.
Without realizing it, he squinted.
Hyeonchae casually asked,
“What about you, Senior?”
“One older brother. You already knew that, didn't you?”
You investigated me, after all.
The unspoken accusation hung in the air.
Pretending to be innocent, Hyeonchae quietly looked away.
Fortunately, before he had to come up with an excuse, Ha Seungbin returned carrying the glasses.
Of all the bottles he could have chosen, Seungbin had picked one with an exceptionally high alcohol content.
Unlike Hyeonchae, who hadn't poured himself a single drink, and Seonwoo, who set his glass down after only a little while, Seungbin kept insisting they had no idea how rare this liquor was and tried to drink every drop he could.
“Eun Hyeonchae. You're really not drinking? Huh?”
“I'm tired.”
“Naaam Seonwooo! I'm counting on you. This is reeaaally rare liquor.”
“I told you it isn't my taste.”
“Fine. Then I'll drink it all. Every last drop. Don't come crying later because I won't give you any.”
He boldly declared his intentions...
And collapsed halfway through his second glass on the rocks.
“I knew this would happen.”
Clicking his tongue, Seonwoo looked at Hyeonchae.
“I guess we should just let him sleep here.”
“I figured this would happen before we even came.”
Hyeonchae stood up and hoisted Seungbin onto his back.
Judging by the slight frown on his face, the weight of the drunken man hanging limply over him wasn't light.
Seonwoo offered to carry him instead, but Hyeonchae simply shook his head and silently carried Ha Seungbin all the way to the bedroom.
After roughly cleaning up the table, Seonwoo put a cigarette between his lips and headed toward the courtyard.
As expected, he immediately heard hurried footsteps following right behind him.