Chapter 38 Part 1

Lee Jun quietly stared at the drink in front of him. He appeared expressionless, as if lost in thought, but he was actually wondering why he had ordered this particular drink.

He had already had coffee earlier and hadn’t intended to buy anything, but there was no excuse to enter the lecture hall separately from Chaeheon. So, he told Chaeheon to go ahead, using the reason that he would stop by the cafe, and bought the drink.

The problem was that since he had an Americano earlier, he ordered a different menu item, but it wasn’t to his taste.

“It tastes like grass blended with milk.”

Thinking that he had just paid more for a drink he didn’t like, it felt bitter, but it also felt wasteful to throw it away.

“Why are you staring at it like that?”

The scent of the person who spoke to him wafted over first. Lee Jun wrinkled his nose at the heavy yet refreshing body scent.

He remembered falling asleep embracing Chaeheon a while ago. He had slept as if holding Hae Sol. A human much larger, firmer, and without a baby’s scent. And later, even after realizing it, he had remained still.

Lee Jun pretended not to remember that day and didn’t mention it, but every now and then, he felt a pang of discomfort, realizing how he truly felt about Chaeheon. In the meantime, Chaeheon sat down next to him and looked at the drink Lee Jun had been staring at.

“It’s not coffee.”

Chaeheon knew why he had ordered a different drink but answered casually, so Lee Jun, having nothing much to say, remained silent. They ended up sitting side by side, looking at the drink, when Chaeheon suddenly picked it up and drank from it. It seemed he wanted to taste it, but the moment the drink entered his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed. Taking the straw away, Chaeheon muttered, looking at the drink with a strange expression.

“What kind of grass did they blend in this?”

Lee Jun let out a soft laugh at the similar sentiment. It was true he didn’t like it, but Chaeheon showed no intention of putting it down. And with each sip, a considerable amount flowed into his mouth.

“It has a peculiar charm.”

After finishing it, Chaeheon’s expression somehow suggested it wasn’t bad, so Lee Jun didn’t bother to question why he had drunk all of his drink. As Chaeheon savored the taste a few more times, Kim Gyeong-hun, who had arrived unnoticed, offered several cans of cola he had taken out, signaling if they wanted one.

“On my way here, I ran into the Department Head (Student), and he said there’s a graduation trip after midterms.”

Chaeheon, who happened to be short on drinks, placed a can in front of Lee Jun and himself. While he was opening and drinking his cola, and thus silent, Kim Gyeong-hun subtly glanced at Lee Jun.

“Senior, you’re going too, right?”

Lee Jun fiddled with his phone without answering. Chaeheon, who was tilting his head back to drink cola, narrowed his eyes at Lee Jun’s expression.

He’s not going.

“Why?”

“What?”

Lee Jun, with a baffled expression, asked back at Chaeheon’s unenthusiastic question. Why “why” all of a sudden?

“Why aren’t you going?”

“I’ve never gone before.”

It was more of a tone of bewilderment as to why he was being asked why he wasn’t going, when he had never attended any MTs or festivals before. Lee Jun turned his head away as if to say, “Don’t say anything more,” so Kim Gyeong-hun scratched his head and returned to his seat. In the meantime, Chaeheon casually pushed the empty can aside and fell into thought.

There had been talk of a graduation trip mentioned casually on the first day of the semester. He had vaguely heard when it would be, but at the time, he didn’t pay much attention to it. Whether he had attended before or not, this time was important. It seemed like a good opportunity to spend time with Lee Jun and travel together.

A mysterious smile played on Chaeheon’s lips as he weighed the pros and cons of going together, like scales in his mind.

“The graduation trip is only once, you know.”

“I have no regrets, so it doesn’t matter if it’s once or twice.”

“Don’t you like spending money?”

At Chaeheon’s direct question, Lee Jun nodded without hesitation.

“It’s a waste.”

It was a tone that implied there wasn’t much benefit to traveling, regardless of whether he had money or not.

“With that money, I could buy several packs of diapers. Going that far just to get a room and drink is all it is; I’d rather buy more clothes for Hae Sol.”

Chaeheon was reminded of the tiny one Lee Jun always carried close to him, like a kangaroo.

“I don’t want to spend money on unnecessary things.”

Furthermore, Lee Jun drew a clear line, saying that Hae Sol would have many more expenses in the future. Chaeheon didn’t pry further. No, he couldn’t.

He had deliberately avoided talking much about the baby, so the moment it was mentioned, he was at a loss for words. He could still vividly picture Lee Jun holding the baby. His mind was in an indescribable tangle, and he still needed time to think.

When Chaeheon fell silent, the conversation awkwardly came to a halt. Lee Jun, noticing his mood, turned his attention to his book while waiting for the professor to arrive.

The atmosphere had naturally changed because the professor entered, but it bothered him as if a thorn had pricked his finger.

As soon as he got home, Lee Jun, who had gone to wash up, toweled his hair. When he inadvertently looked up at the mirror, the movement of the hand holding the towel gradually slowed.

‘I’ll dry it for you.’

Chaeheon approached with a smile and placed the towel over Lee Jun’s head as if covering it. He said he’d dry it, but he was trying to rub it with a towel, not even use a dryer….

‘When will it dry?’

Lee Jun was about to say he would just do it himself, but Chaeheon told him to stay still.

‘I’ll do a good job.’

‘Is this something to say with such solemnity?’

Lee Jun laughed, as if not understanding, but remained still. There were times when he did nothing and just stayed put, so just drying his hair… Besides, Chaeheon’s large hands ran through his hair, pressing down firmly, which felt refreshing. Before he knew it, his tension eased, and his body relaxed. It felt quite good.

Eventually, as the movement of his hands slowed, a low voice came from above his head.

‘Tomorrow, I’m going to see Jeong-min.’

At the name of a friend who wasn’t from the university, Lee Jun simply nodded without speaking. He went to meet his friend periodically, so this time was no different.

‘If we get a chance later, let’s see him together.’

‘You must be very close.’

He knew Chaeheon didn’t want to hide their relationship, but when it came to meeting a friend outside of school, he asked. Although he couldn’t lift his head to look at Chaeheon, the hand beyond the towel, touching his hair, conveyed emotions on its own.