By Zephyria 
The air shifted as the shop door opened.
Haon reflexively looked up and froze on the spot.
Lee So-yul and students from the department were entering through the open door. It was the same group he was supposed to go to the museum with today.
Lee So-yul, who entered wearing the same smile Haon had seen in the design lab, stiffened for a brief moment upon spotting Haon and Cha Jeong-won before his expression relaxed.
That fleeting change made Haon even more embarrassed. He had evaded the invitation to join them with the excuse of eating pizza, only to run into them right here at a pork belly restaurant.
‘Ah, seriously…’
Haon belatedly let go of Cha Jeong-won’s hand. He tried to release it casually, but Lee So-yul’s gaze was fixed precisely on his hand.
Unlike the flustered Haon, Cha Jeong-won merely turned his head slightly, not appearing particularly surprised.
He glanced at Lee So-yul as if he’d just spotted a familiar face and flipped the meat on the grill. He shook off his hand where oil had splattered earlier, as if the spot was still faintly warm—more an annoyance than actual pain.
Haon found that nonchalance even more unnerving.
“Oh, hey!”
The others also noticed Haon and Cha Jeong-won, their expressions showing surprise. They seemed just as awkward about the situation.
“You’re here.”
Haon only vaguely lifted the corners of his mouth toward his classmates and juniors. It was an ambiguous response, unclear whether it was a greeting or an excuse.
“Haon.”
Instead of approaching, Lee So-yul stopped and called Haon’s name. Even then, his gaze lingered on Cha Jeong-won beside Haon. The naturalness of that stare made Haon even more uncomfortable.
“If I’d known you were coming here, we could have come together. Mind if we join you?”
His tone was light, but his eyes were waiting for an answer. Haon couldn’t bring himself to say anything. Lee So-yul’s words essentially meant, “Why did you come separately?”
Cha Jeong-won spoke up.
“Sit down.”
His reply was so blunt that even Lee So-yul paused briefly, as if he hadn’t expected such an easy agreement.
Haon seized the moment to swallow a breath.
To be completely honest, he wanted to sit separately, even if it was awkward. But now that Cha Jeong-won had given permission, he couldn’t backtrack without seeming rude.
He didn’t want to appear overly sensitive for no reason.
Well, even if his mind was uneasy, the meat would still be delicious.
Trying to convince himself, Haon waited for the others to come and sit.
“Next to us.”
But then Cha Jeong-won gestured with his chin toward the table beside them.
Both Haon and Lee So-yul froze in that instant.
Even the students who followed Lee So-yul stood awkwardly, gauging the situation.
In a cramped pork belly restaurant with tightly packed tables and chairs, the meaning of that gesture—pointing not to the seat beside them but to the adjacent table—was unmistakably clear.
“We can’t all fit here. And we shouldn’t interrupt your meal.”
At Cha Jeong-won’s words, Haon quickly added, “Y-yeah, that’s right. Perfect timing—the table next to us is free.”
Haon prayed the atmosphere wouldn’t get any weirder while forcing himself to smile as if nothing was wrong.
Lee So-yul wore a somewhat disgruntled expression but soon regained his smile.
“Okay.”
Lee So-yul nodded lightly and settled at the adjacent table with the others. Still, Haon couldn’t relax.
‘Ah, it’s too close.’
The distance to the next table was closer than he’d thought.
If he just glanced over, their eyes would meet instantly. Moreover, Lee So-yul was sitting directly behind Cha Jeong-won—closer to him than Haon was, separated only by a table.
Because of this, their pheromones seemed to naturally mingle. Lee So-yul’s floral-like pheromones subtly seeped into the space already filled with Cha Jeong-won’s heavy, dry aura. It was enough to make them conscious of each other.
Haon’s mouth went completely dry.
No matter how much water he drank, his thirst wouldn’t be quenched. He pressed the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
Meanwhile, the meat continued to cook. The soybean paste stew bubbled as it boiled, and the sound of oil sizzling rose from the grill.
Normally, this sound alone would have made him happy. Pork belly never betrayed expectations. But today, he couldn’t focus on the sound of grilling pork.
Laughter, the clatter of chopsticks, someone calling for So-yul sunbae.
Haon kept stopping mid-bite, mid-chopstick lift, trying hard to hide how stiff his neck had become.
“Um, what were you saying earlier?”
He decided to focus on conversing with Cha Jeong-won instead. With that thought, he spoke to him.
Cha Jeong-won busily transferred the cooked pork belly to Haon’s plate and replied curtly, “What did I say?”
“You said you’d show me something.”
Whatever it was, he wanted to see it right now. But Cha Jeong-won shook his head slightly.
“After we eat.”
Disappointed by the deflating reply, Haon stabbed the pork belly with his chopsticks and ate it. He ate two or three pieces in one bite while simultaneously feeding Cha Jeong-won bite after bite.
Cha Jeong-won ate silently. The scene looked oddly affectionate yet so natural it felt even more dangerous.
Haon tried not to care how his actions might look from the next table, but he could feel their gaze.
Just as he was feeling uncomfortable in every way, Cha Jeong-won’s hand caught his eye. The spot where the oil had splattered earlier was red and swollen.
Haon nearly cursed inwardly. Why was this person so careless about his own body?
“I’ll step out for a moment.”
“Something urgent?”
Haon shook his head.
“Not urgent. Just right outside.”
Implying he was going to the restroom, he spoke lightly, and Cha Jeong-won didn’t ask further. Haon seized the chance to get up.
His destination wasn’t the restroom but the convenience store right next door.
The cold air hitting his cheeks cleared his head a little. Haon took a deep breath but exhaled softly, worried his pheromones might mix in.
‘An ointment and a bandage should do.’
Under the convenience store’s white fluorescent lights, Haon quickly scanned the shelves. He picked out a burn ointment first, then grabbed a bandage.
“Please ring these up.”
His hands trembled as he took out his wallet, his mind racing. He had to hurry back. He worried Cha Jeong-won might get hurt again if left alone.
Even a trip to the restroom wouldn’t have taken this long. As he opened the door and entered, the smell of grilled meat assaulted him once more.
“I’m back—”
His words trailed off into thin air.
Cha Jeong-won was gone. Only his bag remained.
Haon’s eyes widened as he checked the seat.
The utensils were still there, and the plate was untouched, but the person was missing as if he’d vanished into thin air.
As Haon looked around, a classmate eating pork belly at the next table spoke up.
“Jeong-won sunbae-nim went out.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“Not sure, but maybe he went looking for you?”
Haon scanned the area again and suddenly noticed another empty seat. Lee So-yul was gone too.
“Oh, he said he was stepping out to take a call.”
The classmate kindly informed him just as Haon noticed Lee So-yul’s empty seat.
Why did Lee So-yul have to get up just when Cha Jeong-won left his seat? Haon found himself standing stiffly in place without realizing it.
“Huh? The pork belly’s burning.”
Haon gestured to his classmate and pointed to the pork belly at the edge of the grill. As the classmate approached, Haon quickly sat him down in his own seat.
“Can you sit here for a bit?”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“Watch my bag too, please.”
Haon forced a smile and stepped outside.
“Just in case something happens. That’s why.”
Repeating the excuse that he needed to be with Cha Jeong-won in case he got hurt alone somewhere, Haon diligently looked around.
He knew it was an excuse, of course.
He wanted to confirm if the two were together.
“Not here either.”
After checking the dark, narrow alley behind the building, Haon was about to head back to the street when a familiar sound made him pause.
He spotted someone hidden behind an air conditioner outdoor unit.
It was Cha Jeong-won. And not just Cha Jeong-won—Lee So-yul was there too.
Haon reflexively took a step back but couldn’t bring himself to leave the spot. Part of him wondered if he should intervene, while another part was curious about what they were discussing.
‘I shouldn’t eavesdrop.’
Despite his curiosity, eavesdropping on others’ conversations wasn’t right. Haon scolded himself and forced his unmoving feet to step back.
“Really, you don’t know?”
Just then, Lee So-yul’s voice pierced Haon’s ears. It was a voice dripping with lingering attachment.
Haon held his breath.
“I came to see you, Jeong-won-ah.”
74 – NOT 74