Chapter 23 Part 1

Chapter 22.

Lee Jun saw his bag still slung over his shoulder, then glanced at Kim Gyeong-hun beside him before turning his head. He walked to a corner seat, put down his bag, and took out a book. At no point did he show any sign of acknowledging Chaeheon, whose eyes met his.

“That self-proclaimed outsider…”

“Pardon?”

Kim Gyeong-hun asked again, having not heard Chaeheon’s low mumble. Chaeheon then shifted his gaze from Lee Jun to Kim Gyeong-hun.

“I went with Lee Jun, Senior.”

“Lee Jun… Senior?”

Kim Gyeong-hun merely drew out an “Ah…” and offered no other reaction. He remembered being rejected by Lee Jun when he asked him to go to the Freshmen Welcome Party.

“Hyung, you’re really close with Lee Jun, Senior.”

Taking classes together, eating, drinking together.

“Pay attention in class.”

Chaeheon waved vaguely at Kim Gyeong-hun and walked away. Lee Jun looked up at Chaeheon, sensing his approach.

“You said you were going to the restroom, so why aren’t you acknowledging me?”

Was that why you told me to go ahead?

Chaeheon grumbled, sitting down as if sulking.

“It’s not like that.”

Lee Jun spoke in a normal tone, as if Chaeheon’s words no longer fazed him much.

“There’s no need to specifically call me over and ask me to sit next to you.”

“Why not?”

Lee Jun took his eyes off his book and met Chaeheon’s gaze. Chaeheon’s lips were pouting like a child who was upset about being left alone.

“You want me to say, ‘Chaeheon, come here. Let’s sit together’?”

Chaeheon fell into thought without answering, and Lee Jun turned his attention back to his book. It was nice to have slept well after drinking, but he was uncomfortable with the reduced time for reading.

With the thought of securing this scholarship as well, he calmly immersed himself in the book’s contents.

“Call me again.”

Lee Jun merely lifted his eyes, still in the act of reading. Chaeheon, who had been silent until then, suddenly blurted out words that hung in the air, without context.

“Call my name again.”

Chaeheon turned his body completely towards Lee Jun, meeting his eyes.

“Jang Chae-heon?”

“Without the surname.”

“…No.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to do it because you’re asking me to.”

“That’s petty.”

Lee Jun closed his mouth as if he didn’t want to talk anymore. As he forced himself to read, holding the book upright, Chaeheon let out a deep sigh.

“When you were drunk, you called my name just fine.”

“How long are you going to keep bringing that up?”

He couldn’t do that. There was something significant holding him back from casually dating him.

“Chaeheon.”

Lee Jun called his name gently, with care. It was a soft voice that might not be heard if one wasn’t listening intently, but Chaeheon immediately turned. As if the push-and-pull game was finally coming to an end, Chaeheon’s lips curved upward.

When he showed such an expression, Lee Jun knew he had to respond appropriately. Lee Jun rested his chin on his hand, looking at Chaeheon. It was a posture Chaeheon always took when looking at Lee Jun. A posture that only that person could see, as if to say, ‘I’m interested in you.’

Chaeheon leaned on the desk, half-closing his eyes as he looked at Lee Jun, who had lowered himself. To meet Chaeheon’s expectant gaze, which silently urged him to speak since he had called his name, Lee Jun asked in a subtle voice.

“Anything more than that is obsession.”

“Brother, aren’t you done yet?”

“Not yet.”

Lee Jun busily moved his hands, looking at the monitor. He had to put a lot of effort into smoothing out the wrinkles in the carpet under the furniture using Photoshop. If the photos were taken beautifully, he wouldn’t have to worry much beyond the design aspects, but there were many minor details to fix.

“Hae Sol keeps crying.”

At Haein’s urging, Lee Jun moved his mouse faster.

“Just a little more…”

He muttered to himself in a hurry, staring intently at the screen. He knew that once Hae Sol started to fuss, he would keep demanding attention endlessly, but the work he had to send out was also urgent.

“Brother.”

At Haein’s distressed voice, Lee Jun’s hands came to an abrupt stop. He was almost done, but his urgency made his fingertips feel numb. Fearing it would be worse if he sent it without proper completion, Lee Jun put down the mouse and leaned back into his chair.

Lee Jun sighed deeply, resting his hand on his forehead, then turned towards the door and called out.

“Bring Hae Sol here.”

He had intended not to put the child in front of electronic devices if possible, but he couldn’t just leave a child who kept crying and fussing.

Haein, holding Hae Sol, quickly entered the room. He was now an eight-month-old baby. It was the stage where he would crawl, show stranger anxiety, and express himself by crying when he needed someone. Hae Sol, with his round face, round eyes, cute nose, chubby cheeks, and lips all messed up with tears and snot, saw Lee Jun and cried even more pitifully.

“Come here.”

Hae Sol, who had been crying and squirming, reached out his arms at Lee Jun’s voice. With a babbling ‘abubu,’ Hae Sol came into Lee Jun’s arms and rubbed his face against his chest.

“Hae Sol. Shh. Let’s stop crying.”

Even as he felt the front of his shirt getting damp, Lee Jun stroked Hae Sol’s back, comforting him until his crying stopped. As the crying gradually subsided, Lee Jun gently held both of Hae Sol’s cheeks with one hand.

Lee Jun loved this baby very much, as he was the one Lee Jun chose after breaking up with Chaeheon. As soon as Hae Sol stopped crying, Lee Jun stroked one of his cheeks, which was now sucking on his shirt, and talked to him.

“Why were you crying? Did you want to play with Uncle?”

“Woo-woo.”

Hae Sol’s response, as if answering, was so cute that Lee Jun smiled. Gently turning Hae Sol’s head, which was sucking on his shirt, Lee Jun kissed his forehead, cheeks, and tiny nostrils in succession.

Lee Jun just mouthed words, maintaining eye contact with Hae Sol. This was Hae Sol’s favorite game these days. Hae Sol seemed to find it amusing that his lips moved widely even without making a sound, and he giggled, touching Lee Jun’s mouth.

“I’m the one who feeds him and puts him to sleep, so why does he only cling to you, brother?”

Haein clicked her tongue and lightly pinched her son’s cheek, not to hurt him. Just touching the soft yet plump cheek made her annoyance melt away like snow.

Lee Jun ignored Haein’s words, embracing the warmth in his arms.

“Uncle has to work, so you can play quietly, right?”