Chapter 8 Part 1

Chapter 7.

“What are you doing after class?”

To Chaeheon’s bland question, Lee Jun gave an equally bland answer.

“Going to my next class.”

“I know that.”

The classes were back-to-back, starting in the morning, so even after they finished, it was still early.

“Going home.”

“Going home early?”

“Yeah.”

“You won’t join any clubs, will you?”

“Yeah.”

At the unremarkable answer, Chaeheon slightly furrowed his brow. He truly hadn’t changed at all.

“Were you planning to go alone until graduation?”

“Yeah.”

In response to the entirely uninviting conversation, Chaeheon looked at Lee Jun’s head and reached out a hand. He had only been looking at Lee Jun’s back, but finally seized the opportunity. The hair that tangled in his fingers was soft. Chaeheon, whose mood quickly lightened, accepted Lee Jun’s answer.

“It’s fine to make one or two friends. I’m not saying you need to bother with a whole group, but you can get help when you need it.”

He had managed well at school without such help until now. Except for the occasional sudden class cancellation, there was no real need to make friends. However, there was no need to say any of that, so he remained silent.

Chaeheon, having taken Lee Jun’s silence as an answer, rested his chin on one hand.

“You’re still not going to eat at school, are you?”

“I can eat at home.”

“Nothing’s changed from before.”

Instead of answering, Lee Jun closed his book and rummaged through his bag. The conversation he was having with Chaeheon now made him uncomfortable.

“Let’s continue this after class.”

At Chaeheon’s words, after seeing the professor enter, Lee Jun barely managed to suppress a sigh.

As soon as the second lecture finished, Lee Jun stood up from his seat. From the moment they moved classrooms until the start of the next class, Chaeheon stayed by Lee Jun’s side. Occasionally, he would talk to him, and if Lee Jun’s answer wasn’t to his liking, he’d bring up yesterday’s events. His persistence went beyond annoying; it was irritating.

Lee Jun bit his lip tightly and glanced at Chaeheon.

‘He wasn’t like this before.’

He had a very cool and easygoing demeanor, and if someone showed they didn’t like him, he’d simply say, ‘Alright, farewell.’ He only started treating Lee Jun well after they became lovers; before that, he was gruff.

‘And yesterday…’

Because of the shadow on his face, it felt like he had seen a completely different Chaeheon.

Lee Jun shook his head, cutting off his thoughts. Anyway, the guy who acted like he wouldn’t hold onto someone who disliked him was subtly clinging. When Lee Jun looked at Chaeheon with a strange expression, he responded affably.

“Why?”

It was an extraordinarily gentle expression, as if they had returned to their old relationship.

Lee Jun ultimately couldn’t define Chaeheon at all throughout the class.

‘An unpredictable person.’

He roughly defined him that way and fixed his gaze on the professor. The end of class was approaching. Lee Jun intended to go straight home after class.

“I said, let’s eat together.”

However, as if reading Lee Jun’s mind, Chaeheon grumbled discontentedly. It was a kind of threat, asking him to cooperate a little, but Lee Jun pretended not to hear.

“Did you hide a honey pot at home or something?”

At Chaeheon’s words, muttered as if dumbfounded, Lee Jun almost inadvertently answered yes. At home, there was a honey pot that would endlessly melt Lee Jun’s heart.

“See you next time.”

As soon as the professor descended from the podium and left the classroom, Lee Jun sprang up and exited the classroom.

He increased his pace to get away from Chaeheon, without looking back. Would he be safe if he left the campus at this speed?

But it seemed he had relaxed too soon. Before he could exit the building, Chaeheon grabbed his arm and pulled him into an empty classroom; that said it all.

Bang, as the door slammed shut, Chaeheon pushed Lee Jun against the wall and tilted his head. The unlit classroom was on the inner side of the building, so it had no windows. What little light seeped in through the vertically narrow window in the door was blocked by Chaeheon, offering no help at all.

“This goes against yesterday’s promise.”

“I didn’t push you away.”

Lee Jun had kept his promise. So he had nothing to be inferior about to Chaeheon.

“How could that be… Ha.”

Chaeheon ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. Even though Lee Jun could feel his irritated emotions as he looked elsewhere, he said nothing.

“If I had known this, I should have pushed all the way…”

He mumbled as if the cost of stepping back from asking to be lovers was bitter.

Just like yesterday, he was trapped between the wall and Chaeheon. Lee Jun turned his head, fearing Chaeheon might try to negotiate terms again in this spot. Because of this, he didn’t notice Chaeheon’s eyes staring intently at his exposed neck.

Chaeheon thoroughly examined Lee Jun’s white neck, then brought his lips close. He felt as if he could feel Lee Jun’s pheromones just by lowering his head, but frustratingly, there was nothing. Would it hurt to just relax a little?

“Let’s stop talking about yesterday…”

Lee Jun lifted his head to clarify the situation, then flinched when his lips almost brushed Chaeheon’s. He hadn’t even noticed when he had come this close.

“What are you doing?”

Lee Jun squinted and pushed him away.

“I wasn’t trying to kiss you. If I’m going to feel this unfairly accused, I might as well have touched you.”

Lee Jun and Chaeheon continued their unseen battle of wills. What broke it was Chaeheon’s softened whisper.

“I’m hungry, Senior.”

Lee Jun silently bit back a curse. This was why he didn’t want to associate with Chaeheon again. He was afraid he, who was especially soft on Chaeheon, would be helplessly swayed.

Although he had attended university for a long time, he had only been to the cafeteria a few times. Even when he had classes all day, he had developed a habit of eating a light meal and then going home to eat. When he was dating Chaeheon, they ate out even more. It almost seemed like they spent more time locking eyes and kissing during meals…

Lee Jun, forcibly pulling himself away from the memories of that time, looked at the self-order kiosk.

“Still choosing?”

Chaeheon, who had been waiting behind him, came and stood beside Lee Jun.

“The line is getting longer and longer.”