By Zephyria 
===
Forgetting that he even needed to shower, Cha Se-jin sat on the bed bench and scanned the sentence written on the paper once more. He began to interpret the words one by one as he pleased.
Because I’m exactly your type? Fuck, is there anyone whose type this face isn’t? He’s just spouting obvious shit as if it’s something special. Next.
I wanted to talk to you every time you came by? Every time… every time… That means they go there often, so maybe a cafe? A restaurant? They work at a place like that? Fuck, who would even want to go there if it’s this uncomfortable?
I want to get close, so please contact me? Who the hell are they to tell me to contact them or not. Don’t they know this is a form of violence? Giving their number and telling someone to call when the other person didn’t even ask. Truly insane.
Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand the situation. With a face like that, how could one live quietly? It was a face that anyone would inevitably fall for and try to hit on the moment they saw it. Though, since no one in the world would be a match for Eun-won in a head-to-head face-off like he was, it was all a futile effort.
“…….”
But why didn’t he throw it away and keep it instead? Why did he fold it neatly and put it in his pocket without even crumpling it?
Did he have the intention of getting close? Did he think it might be okay to at least try contacting them?
After thinking seriously, Cha Se-jin soon shook his head. No, Eun-won wasn’t that type. Unless he had just shoved it in his pocket because it felt awkward to throw it away right in front of the person and then simply forgot it was there, he wasn’t the style to privately contact someone who gave him their number like this.
Considering whether to just crumple it and toss it, Cha Se-jin simply folded the paper back the way it had been and placed it on the console. Regardless, the owner of this paper was Eun-won, so it was only right that Eun-won be the one to deal with it.
Feeling the damp, sweat-soaked shirt clinging uncomfortably to his body, Cha Se-jin took it off and was about to enter the bathroom when he glanced back at the console for no particular reason. The paper, shining with a distinct sense of incongruity atop the white marble, bothered him. It felt like an object that simply didn’t belong there.
Shaking his head, Cha Se-jin turned and headed for the bathroom. Even as he walked, the name and number of Sun Woo-hyuk, the words about being his type, and the desire to get close kept flashing through his mind.
Since they mentioned it was a place they visited often, the note was likely from somewhere inside the university. He felt that, although he hadn’t known, things like this probably happened frequently. Of course, even if they did, Eun-won wouldn’t accept them, but the thought of Eun-won facing the affection and lust of others didn’t sit well with him.
Not even remembering how he had showered, Cha Se-jin came out, dried his hair with lukewarm air, and threw himself onto the bed where he had roughly spread the duvet this morning. Perhaps because he had exercised for so long without sleep, he finally felt the fatigue setting in.
Checking the time—just past nine—Cha Se-jin picked up his phone. He became curious about the trivial things. Whether he had stayed out late playing, if it was fun, what time he went to bed, and what he planned to do today.
Of course, he knew there was no benefit to prying too much, so he wouldn’t ask so persistently, but he still missed Eun-won. Especially since their phone call yesterday had been the last interaction.
However, knowing that nine in the morning was quite early for someone who had gone out to play, he decided to delay contacting him. If Eun-won had gone to bed late, he would still be sleeping. Setting the phone aside, Cha Se-jin picked up the small remote and pressed a button. The open curtains slowly closed, plunging the room into darkness like night.
Did I always have this little to do at home? With a sigh, Cha Se-jin closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, it was slightly past noon. After enjoying three sweet hours of sleep, Cha Se-jin stretched his limbs and then relaxed, lounging lazily. The moment he woke up, he thought of Eun-won. Thinking he might be awake by now, he felt the urge to call.
Checking the time and picking up his phone again, Cha Se-jin glanced at the messages from his friends telling him to come out, then dialed Eun-won. After about five rings without an answer, he assumed Eun-won was still asleep and was about to hang up when the connection sound changed.
-Sang-mu-nim…….
Hearing the voice, it sounded like he had just woken up. The voice, slightly lower than usual, drawn out and thick with sleep, was so cute that it made him smile.
“I waited on purpose so I wouldn’t wake you, but I ended up waking you after all. Sorry.”
-It’s okay…. My alarm went off five minutes ago, so I was awake….
“You were awake, but you couldn’t actually get up?”
-Yeees….
“What time did you go to bed?”
-A little… after five….
His voice grew smaller. He was answering, but it sounded like he might fall back asleep at any moment. When Cha Se-jin stopped talking for a while, Eun-won’s side indeed became quiet. The call hadn’t disconnected; he could only hear the steady sound of breathing, and no words followed.
“Are you sleeping?”
Smiling at the lack of response, Cha Se-jin quietly listened to Eun-won’s breathing in the darkness. It was peaceful. The heart that had been stirred by various ripples became calm.
The sound of Eun-won’s breathing, transmitted through the mechanical noise, was so terribly close and clear that it created the illusion that the warmth of Eun-won lying right next to him was touching his skin.
Cha Se-jin closed his eyes and synced his pulse to the flow of that quiet breathing. For some reason, the question his Hyung had asked dropped into his calmed heart, creating ripples.
‘How long are you going to stay by my side?’
‘What if you suddenly decide you only want to stay until today?’
Hyung always spoke of the future. A later time that no one could know. He was saying that since it’s unknown, one shouldn’t make reckless promises in the present.
He knew that the future is always opaque and that the human heart is like an unsolvable puzzle. That is why, no matter what answer one gives, the answer eventually changes as time passes. The answer today, the answer tomorrow, the answer a month later, and the answer a year later are all different.
The actions, attitude, and words he showed toward Eun-won were not for an unknown future. They were solely for the present, for this flowing moment. Because worrying about and calculating an unpredictable distant future while weighing the tranquility of the present was too draining.
What mattered to Cha Se-jin was not thinking about the “until when” period his Hyung mentioned, but the peaceful sound of breathing currently reaching his ear. The fact that, at this very moment, Eun-won was fallen into a deep sleep within his world—that immovable truth gave Cha Se-jin a deeper and thicker sense of relief than any guarantee or prediction.
Ultimately, isn’t the future just the result of these wonderful moments continuing densely, just like now? He felt certain that tomorrow, built upon the good emotions of this moment, would resemble today. That was why Cha Se-jin wasn’t worried. Because Eun-won’s heart couldn’t possibly be different from his own.
Keeping the phone to his ear, Cha Se-jin leaned his head deeply back into the pillow.
“Sleep well, Eun-won.”
He hoped that Eun-won’s present, facing a sweet sleep, would be filled with the same comfort he was feeling. Cha Se-jin slowly let his own breath flow into the void of the quiet breathing Eun-won left behind and closed his eyes. It was, finally, a true rest.
* * *
Eun-won, who had fallen back into a deep sleep for about two more hours, woke up and sat up in surprise, realizing the call had remained connected for over two hours. Holding the warm phone, he softly asked, “Hello…?” and Cha Se-jin’s voice responded.
-Now you sound truly awake. Did you sleep well?
“…I’m sorry. I fell asleep without realizing it.”
-It’s okay. I fell asleep listening to you sleep, and I just woke up a bit ago.
“…The sound of me sleeping? Did I… make weird noises while sleeping?”
Did I talk in my sleep? Or maybe… did I snore? What if I made a mistake because I drank… what if that happened? That shouldn’t happen…
-No, just the sound of you breathing. Hearing that made me sleepy too.
Only after hearing Cha Se-jin’s answer did the worried Eun-won breathe a sigh of relief.
“Why… didn’t you hang up?”
-It’s not polite for me to hang up first.
He could hear the sound of blankets moving over the phone. It seemed Cha Se-jin was still in bed as well.
Honestly, until he fell asleep, he had been thinking about Cha Se-jin—specifically, whether Cha Se-jin had acted this kindly when he slept with other people—so he thought it might be a bit awkward to talk to him, but it was better than expected. It might change if they saw each other’s faces, but for now, it wasn’t difficult to deal with Cha Se-jin.
And while it was a bit embarrassing that he had listened to his sleeping breath… the thought that they had fallen asleep together without hanging up made his heart flutter, as if they had actually slept together.
-Do you think the three Beta brothers are awake?
“I don’t hear any noise outside, so I think they’re still asleep.”
-Don’t wait for them; if you’re hungry, order room service. Want me to order it for you?
“No. I’ll do it.”
-Okay. Make sure you eat. Oh, are you coming today? Or do you want to play for one more day?
“Um…. I’m not sure yet. I woke up much later than I thought…. I’ll ask the kids what they want to do when they wake up… and then I’ll tell you.”
-Okay, just text or call me anytime. Ah, I should eat lunch too. You eat lunch too, even if you’re alone.
After replying that he would and that he’d contact him later, Eun-won waited a moment and hung up first. The phone, which had been connected to Cha Se-jin for so long, was no longer just warm; it was hot. Fiddling with the phone for no reason, Eun-won buried his face in the bed and lay back down. He felt as if he had shared a very long conversation with Cha Se-jin. A very tender conversation.
Eun-won’s heart leaned helplessly once again toward Cha Se-jin’s kindness. It suddenly occurred to him that, like the call that lasted over two hours, Cha Se-jin probably wouldn’t be the one to cut him off first. He hoped it wasn’t a vain hope.
* * *
[I think I can go home around 10 after having dinner with my friends]
Cha Se-jin, who had been lying diagonally on the living room sofa on the second floor of the main house, watching a famous OTT series with Cha Se-na with an indifferent expression, sat up abruptly the moment Eun-won’s message arrived. Startled by the sudden movement, Cha Se-na pushed Cha Se-jin’s arm.
“Ah, what the, Oppa! You scared me!”
“Ah, be quiet. Who told you to be scared?”
“Oppa, go home.”
“I’m not staying even if you tell me to, you pig.”
Feeling a few pieces of caramel popcorn fly at his back, Cha Se-jin, completely unfazed, went downstairs and left the main house. It was only just past five, meaning there were still four hours left until he would leave to pick up Eun-won, but the thought of going to get him made it impossible to just lie there and watch TV.
[I’ll be there by 10]
After replying lightly, Cha Se-jin went to the annex, showered again, and checked his face. No matter when, at what moment, or from what angle, it was a face without a single flaw, but since it had been a while since he’d seen him, he wanted to go out in peak condition.
Wearing a robe, Cha Se-jin dried his hair and headed straight for the dressing room. After examining his well-organized clothes one by one, he chose a knit that looked comfortable, as if he had just stepped out of the house, but was sophisticated enough to stand out anywhere, and laid out matching pants on the bed. Then, he chose a perfume that suited the look and that Eun-won would like, and sprayed it on the clothes.
By the time he finished picking his clothes, styled his hair so his bangs fell naturally, and had dinner with his parents, it was eight o’clock. Since it was a weekend night, there wouldn’t be much traffic, so it would only take 30 minutes to get to the hotel, but he didn’t want to stay at home.
He would arrive a bit after eight-thirty…. Even knowing he would have to wait for about an hour and a half, he felt he had to leave right now. Rather than spending time at home that wouldn’t be used anyway, it was better to go and wait. Grabbing his car keys, Cha Se-jin left the room with the lightest step he had taken all day.