By Zephyria 
Haon sat on the living room sofa with a very awkward expression, glancing back at the kitchen every three seconds. In the kitchen, the man was clearing the dinner table alone.
Haon had begged to at least do the dishes, but the man firmly pressed the remote control into his hand. Telling him that resting without moving an inch was part of the request, he placed a cushion on Haon’s lap before walking away.
Unable to bring himself to refuse the homeowner’s firm request, Haon ended up pretending to watch TV while stealing glances at the man. He had been worried because there were so many dishes, but surprisingly, the man finished tidying up in an instant.
“Haon, do you want something to drink?”
In-ho, having placed the last plate in the dishwasher, asked as he opened the refrigerator. He pulled out a can of beer and a bottle of sparkling water in a blue bottle and showed them to Haon. Seeing that Haon didn’t look particularly pleased with either, he pulled out orange juice as well.
“Anything is fine.”
Despite saying that, his expression was the brightest when he looked at the orange juice. In-ho gave an “okay” sign and grabbed a can of beer for himself and the orange juice for Haon.
“Have you decided what to watch?”
In-ho had told him to pick a movie he wanted to see, but as expected, Haon’s face showed he hadn’t decided. The home screen In-ho had left on was still displayed.
Sitting at a moderate distance from Haon, In-ho handed him the orange juice and asked what genre he liked.
“Drama? Action? Comedy? Romance?”
He listed the genres as they came to mind, watching Haon’s expression, but nothing seemed to particularly appeal to him.
“I just like everything.”
Which meant there was nothing in particular he wanted to see. In-ho took a sip of beer and changed the question.
“Then do you prefer a bright atmosphere or a dark one?”
After taking a sip of the orange juice, Haon pursed his lips and hummed, thinking it over. Seeing that the answer didn’t come easily, it seemed he wasn’t someone who watched movies often. Even when asked what his favorite movie was, he had said nothing particular came to mind. In-ho figured it would be fine to just pick from the famous ones then.
“Uh… something bright.”
Something bright. Then there were plenty of options.
In-ho nodded and reached his hand out toward Haon. He was asking for the remote.
However, Haon seemed to misunderstand; he suddenly began rubbing the rim of the orange juice he was drinking. In-ho watched him silently, wondering what he was doing, only to grit his teeth when Haon held out the orange juice and said, “Please have some.”
“It’s delicious.”
“…Is it?”
He must have thought In-ho asked for it because he was curious about the taste.
“Yes, it’s the most delicious juice I’ve ever had.”
Stifling a laugh, In-ho merely pretended to drink by putting the rim of the can to his lips. All juices probably taste similar. It was hard to hold back a laugh at Haon’s genuinely impressed reaction. The more he looked at him, the cuter he was, and In-ho couldn’t help but smile.
“It is tasty.”
“Right?”
Haon smiled brightly as he took the juice back. He looked like someone who wouldn’t smile often, but his expressions were surprisingly bright. Compared to his small voice and the way he often shrank back, he seemed to smile a lot.
Haon drank from the can that In-ho’s lips had touched without wiping it. Even though he had wiped the rim before giving it to him. Watching this silently, In-ho playfully shook the beer can and asked.
“Do you want to try mine too?”
He asked, expecting a refusal. Although Haon was twenty-one, for some reason, he didn’t seem like the type to drink. He had an image of someone who would avoid not just alcohol, but even coffee.
“…….”
Contrary to expectations, however, Haon looked at the beer can with a face full of curiosity. As In-ho lightly shook the can, Haon’s deep brown eyes moved back and forth following it.
“Should I get you a new one?”
Since he seemed more interested than expected, In-ho tried to bring him a fresh can.
“No, just a sip….”
Before he could, Haon leaned in toward In-ho, stretching out his head along with his hand. Seeing this, In-ho pushed the can toward Haon’s lips, thinking he wanted to be fed.
But seeing Haon’s flustered reaction, that wasn’t it. Hesitating, Haon reached out awkwardly, barely touching the can, and opened his lips. In-ho placed the rim of the can against those parted lips.
Gulp. The sound of the cool liquid sliding down Haon’s small mouth and passing through his throat echoed vividly. Whether it suited his taste or not, Haon took two sips.
“Is it good?”
In-ho withdrew the can and looked into Haon’s face. His eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if it wasn’t great after all.
“…It’s refreshing.”
Haon replied, licking his lips with a puckered expression. Unable to contain his laughter at that reaction, In-ho covered his mouth with the beer can.
“Have you had alcohol before?”
It was clear this was his first time. Seeing Haon try to wash away the bitter taste with orange juice, In-ho couldn’t stop laughing.
“I haven’t had much.”
So he had tried it.
“With whom?”
Before he knew it, In-ho’s body was turned toward Haon instead of the TV. He had seen movies to the point of boredom, so he wasn’t interested in them anyway. He had only suggested watching one because he wanted to spend time with Haon.
“With my grandmother and an older brother.”
“Ah, you have a brother?”
“Not a biological brother, just a close older friend.”
Muttering that he was three years older than him, Haon sipped his juice again. He must have really liked it, as he checked the name of the juice several times.
“Since when have you lived alone?”
In-ho wanted to know more about Haon. What kind of person he was, what he did, and why he ended up living alone in that shabby goshiwon—he wanted to know it all.
“Uh… it’s been about a year and a half since I came up to Seoul.”
“Did you live with your family until then?”
Haon, looking back and forth between the orange juice and In-ho, gave a faint nod. Since he kept glancing at the TV as if asking why they weren’t watching a movie, In-ho pressed the remote absentmindedly, pretending to search for one.
“Then why did you come to Seoul?”
Seeing him work all week, it didn’t seem like he was attending school. His family seemed to be far away, so why did he come to a place where he had no connections alone?
“Because my mother lives here.”
Continuing his words slowly while drinking the juice, Haon turned his gaze toward the TV. While staring at Haon, In-ho didn’t ask for further details. Instead, he lightly tapped Haon’s wrist just as he was about to scratch his cheek again. Not with his hand, but with the beer can.
“Don’t scratch.”
Haon rubbed the wrist where the cold beer can had touched and looked back at In-ho.
“I noticed you scratch often. You’ll damage your skin.”
It had been bothering him for a while that he scratched his cheeks frequently. He had thin skin that looked like it would bruise and scar easily, so he hoped he would stop.
“…….”
No reaction came from Haon, who just stared back blankly. Maybe he was being too intrusive. In-ho studied Haon’s vacant face and set the beer on the table. He gripped the remote properly and tried to find a movie Haon might enjoy.
“I’m only going to live here for a year and a half and then I’ll go back.”
Before that, Haon continued the conversation. A smile bloomed on his lips as he added that he would return to where he originally lived. For some reason, he looked happy.
“Please come visit sometime.”
“Really?”
A bright smile also bloomed on In-ho’s lips as he asked back. He wondered if Haon’s guard toward him had lowered enough to invite him to his hometown.
“I’ll make all the meals and snacks for you then.”
Seeing him speak while clenching his fist, he seemed sincere. In-ho actually intended to go. Even if Haon’s hometown was in a distant foreign country across the sea, he could go anytime. Now that it had come up, he wanted to go right now.
“The air is great and the villagers are all nice. There are lots of delicious things too.”
Then why not just stay in such a great place. In-ho, who had been listening happily to Haon’s words, swallowed his response and leaned his head against the back of the sofa.
He wanted to ask why he came to the cramped city of Seoul to live a precarious life, but he held back. He was also curious about where Haon’s mother was and what she was doing, but again, he kept his words to himself.
“Lots of stars come out at night, and shooting stars fall often.”
“It’s hard to see stars in Seoul.”
“Yes, but even if you don’t look at the sky, there’s a lot to see at night.”
Suddenly becoming talkative, Haon leaned toward In-ho, saying he had been surprised by the night view of the room.
“There isn’t much to do in the countryside once night falls. But you sleep well. And—”
As he talked about his hometown, his cheeks began to flush slightly while he chattered away. Listening to that small voice, In-ho glanced at the beer can for a moment and rested his chin in his palm.
“You can stay as long as you want.”
After bragging about the countryside to his heart’s content, Haon gave a proud smile and said something pleasant to hear. Staring intently at Haon, In-ho quickly repeated the last part.
“Then you stay as long as you want too, Haon.”
The eyes of the excitedly chatting Haon widened. When told to stay here until he went back to his hometown, his flushed face moved busily from side to side.
“No, that’s a bit….”
Just then, Haon suddenly made a gasp and covered his mouth. His eyes, instantly clouded with embarrassment, shook violently.
Haon jumped up and ran to the room with both hands covering his mouth. In-ho, his smile gone, immediately followed right behind him.