Chapter 3 Part 1

‘Studying abroad?’

His lover’s wide-eyed gaze was so endearing that he pulled him closer for a kiss. Then, with their lips still touching, he whispered.

‘Let’s go together.’

‘…What are you talking about? How can I go with you?’

Lee Jun shook his head, saying it was nonsense. As the breath that touched him with each word disappeared, Chaeheon followed, covering his lips again.

‘Senior, your grades are good, so you can transfer and study abroad. Just say you’ll go, and I’ll arrange everything.’

From the moment studying abroad was decided, he planned to go with Lee Jun. Smiling at Lee Jun’s struggles to “stay apart for a bit,” he handed him the documents he’d placed on the side table.

‘Take a look.’

Unable to ignore his phone’s continuous vibration, Chaeheon let him go and stood up. He picked up his coat and walked towards the front door, glancing at Lee Jun. With Lee Jun’s warm smile, waving for him to answer the phone, Chaeheon signaled he’d be right back and left.

As soon as he stepped outside, Chaeheon exhaled the breath he’d been holding. He only wanted to show his lover an endlessly gentle side, but sometimes there were people who interfered like this. Fearing Lee Jun might hear his annoyed voice, he went all the way down the stairs.

As soon as he put the phone to his ear, the caller skipped greetings and got straight to the point.

[I heard from Father. Are you going with your lover?]

He wanted to be back in Lee Jun’s arms.

‘Yeah. I’m not going alone.’

[Why would you study abroad with a lover? Someone who’s gone if you break up…]

It was a good thing he came outside to talk. Otherwise, he would have shown Lee Jun an unsightly side of himself.

‘I’ll handle it.’

Confirming it was a useless call, he hung up without hesitation and turned back. He needed to go back to his waiting lover, soothe him, and persuade him again, so he softened his hardened expression.

‘Lee Jun…’

He called his name and entered, but no one was in the room. Not anywhere in his house.

As if telling him their future was nothing but a dream. Being dumped after suggesting they study abroad together… A rather painful memory.

Chaeheon looked at the back of Lee Jun, who was sitting in front. His naturally flowing brown hair suited his round head well. A man with soft features who looked good smiling. Indeed, Lee Jun had been a lover who smiled often.

Lee Jun didn’t even look at him, seemingly unaware of his gaze. Is he really planning to pretend not to know me? Chaeheon’s brows furrowed and relaxed.

“Oh? Isn’t that Lee Jun, Senior?”

Chaeheon’s eyes shifted to Lee Jeong-yun, who mentioned Lee Jun. Han Mi-jin, sitting next to her, nodded at Lee Jeong-yun’s words.

“You’re right.”

“Right? Sangcheol Oppa said he’d probably be coming back this semester, and it’s true. Since he’s a senior, if he doesn’t take another leave, he’ll graduate with us.”

Lee Jeong-yun elaborated on everything she knew, as if she’d heard it from the teaching assistant. Chaeheon stared intently at Lee Jeong-yun. Feeling his gaze, Lee Jeong-yun looked back.

“Why?”

“Are you close?”

“With Lee Jun, Senior? I want to be close to him.”

Lee Jeong-yun sighed and shook her head, her recently dyed brown hair following suit. A lipstick commercial claiming there are no two identical colors under the sky came to mind. It was the same brown, but Lee Jun’s hair looked much softer and prettier.

“But why are you so interested?”

“Is it wrong to be interested?”

Lee Jeong-yun mumbled, looking at Lee Jun.

“He’s handsome, but he also has a certain vibe. Like a really soft latte?”

At Lee Jeong-yun’s fondness, Chaeheon let out a silent growl. See, I told you everyone would want to get close to him.

As he held back what he wanted to say to his former lover, Lee Jeong-yun pouted.

“But in reality, he’s an iced Americano. Not sweet at all, and cold.”

“I want an Americano.”

Han Mi-jin mumbled next to her that she wanted that Americano, and Lee Jeong-yun added, “Me too.”

“Anyway, this year is the last chance, but it won’t be easy, right?”

Lee Jeong-yun mumbled as she took out a book.

‘Last chance.’

Chaeheon’s gaze turned to Lee Jun.

Meeting Chaeheon was by chance, but there was an unsettling feeling. Surely their classes wouldn’t overlap again, would they? That unease grew when he met Chaeheon in the next class.

‘I can’t ask to see his schedule.’

Thinking of his own weekly schedule, a sigh escaped him. It was uncomfortable that he might often run into Chaeheon, even though they had broken up.

‘Don’t think about it.’

It’s more comfortable not to care. What good would it do to think about it more here?

As the class began, Lee Jun picked up his ballpoint pen and checked the paragraphs the professor was reading. The book was thick, and the professor was full of enthusiasm. There was no early dismissal just because it was the first class.

Lee Jun tried to listen intently, alternating between the professor and the book. If only it weren’t for the constant gaze he felt.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Lee Jun tilted his head and chewed on his lips. They were at the end of the same row, so even if he tried not to look, Chaeheon kept coming into his line of sight, a position where they could meet eyes with just a slight turn of his head. Lee Jun pressed the tip of his pen to his lips and rolled his eyes to the side.

Unlike his own lighter eyes, Chaeheon’s were dark. His straight brows and high nose bridge gave his face dimension. His lips, pressed into a straight line, conveyed a stubborn personality. It was a face he had seen and touched every day, beyond just a close look. There was no way it could be awkward.

Chaeheon’s lips curved gently. At his somewhat amused expression, Lee Jun turned his head back towards the professor.

“Wow, hyung.”

Kim Gyeong-hun called out to Chaeheon.

“You just made eye contact with Lee Jun, Senior, again, didn’t you?”

Chaeheon’s eyebrow raised slightly at Kim Gyeong-hun’s surprised remark. It was true he had made eye contact with Lee Jun, just as he said. It would have been nice to maintain eye contact a little longer… Chaeheon licked his lips, as if regretting it.

“He seems to be bothered because you keep looking. It’s the first time I’ve seen that senior keep turning his head somewhere other than the professor.”

Kim Gyeong-hun looked at him with admiration, but to Chaeheon, it was something to scoff at. Kim Gyeong-hun’s meddling didn’t stop there.

“Do you know? No one has ever seen that senior eat lunch here.”

Chaeheon tilted his head. Did Lee Jun not eat cafeteria food when they were together?

“Ah…”