By Zephyria 
Haon, who had been drinking beer, froze in that position.
He had just felt something sweet. But he was confused whether it was the beer that was sweet, or the words Cha Jeong-won had just spoken.
Suddenly, the tipsiness hit him hard.
They had shared a kiss at the hotel, and their breaths had mingled many times since. Sitting side by side on the same sofa in the same house with that person felt somehow unreal.
‘This is crazy. Am I getting way ahead of myself?’
Haon made an effort to maintain a nonchalant expression.
“Senior.”
He called Cha Jeong-won as he placed the beer can on the table.
Even though he had just been drinking beer, his lips felt strangely dry.
“I… where are you going to sleep?”
Only after he spoke did he realize this was quite a bold question.
Would he end up sleeping in the same room as Cha Jeong-won like last time, or was there another option?
That made it even more peculiar.
Cha Jeong-won’s gaze brushed near Haon’s nape.
“Follow me.”
Cha Jeong-won stood up first. Haon had to follow without even a moment to ponder what the gaze he had just felt meant.
Haon followed Cha Jeong-won across the hallway towards the entrance.
Soon, the texture of the rug underfoot changed. The living room had a soft rug, while the hallway was laid with a slightly firmer-feeling rug.
Doors lined both sides of the hallway.
Haon looked at the doors he hadn’t properly seen in the morning. His steps naturally slowed.
“Wow…”
An exclamation escaped first.
I should have been obsessed with the sweet room, not here.
I had a powerhouse right next to me, why had I forgotten?
That’s how extraordinary Cha Jeong-won’s house was.
Especially the wall Haon was looking at.
The grain pattern drawn as if flowing on the hallway wall continued seamlessly onto the door panels without breaking. It looked like waves, or like traces left by the wind.
But the key point here was that the direction and thickness of the grain were different for each door.
“This… did you do this?”
When Haon asked, Cha Jeong-won understood immediately what he meant without even turning around.
“It’s a motif taken from my maternal grandfather’s paintings.”
He stopped in front of one door and placed his hand not on the handle, but on the grain.
“My grandfather painted on canvas, but I preferred drawing on the floor.”
His palm moved slowly along the wood grain.
Looking at Cha Jeong-won, Haon recalled the original story’s content.
His maternal grandmother and mother hounded him about talismans and fate, while his father found their obsession displeasing. While his father tried to dissuade the two women, his maternal grandfather took no one’s side and simply stayed by the young Cha Jeong-won’s side.
When family failed to bring him peace and happiness, his grandfather was the only person with whom he could catch his breath.
“I made a promise back then. That I would build a wonderful house using my grandfather’s paintings. This is one part of that.”
Only then did Haon think he understood why Cha Jeong-won had chosen this major.
“It’s amazing.”
It was worthy of admiration.
But Cha Jeong-won shook his head.
“What’s amazing about not being able to arrange a single retrospective exhibition?”
The furrow between his brows showed it was quite a headache.
A retrospective exhibition… he must mean his maternal grandfather.
And that it couldn’t be held due to various complicated circumstances.
“Why? Does your grandfather appear in your dreams because you haven’t held the exhibition?”
At Haon’s joke, Cha Jeong-won smiled weakly.
“I wish he would visit me, even if just in dreams.”
From the fact that he could only see him in dreams, Haon could glimpse his feelings once more.
“It’ll work out.”
Haon’s words flowed out calmly.
Perhaps because of that, Cha Jeong-won couldn’t easily reply.
At his silence, Haon playfully shrugged his shoulders.
“You have me, who’s practically a lucky mascot.”
Before, he couldn’t even bring up the topic of luck in front of Cha Jeong-won, but now he was unfiltered.
‘Things are different now.’
It’s fine if Cha Jeong-won’s lover is the lucky mascot.
“Sometimes you seem really impressive.”
Is that a compliment?
“What part seems impressive?”
Haon asked as he trailed closely behind Cha Jeong-won.
But he wouldn’t get an answer. Cha Jeong-won stopped in front of a certain room.
“This room.”
He opened the door and gestured for Haon to enter with his eyes.
It was quite a spacious room.
A wide bed stood in the middle, with built-in wardrobes along the wall. Even a table and chairs were well-provided.
“The guest room is really big.”
At that, Cha Jeong-won’s shoulders seemed to stiffen ever so slightly.
“By any chance…”
Haon looked around the room once before speaking nonchalantly.
“Do you have a separate studio too?”
He brought it up like a joke, but of course he said it knowing there was one.
‘I need to check everywhere the box might be.’
Cha Jeong-won blinked once before speaking with a completely matter-of-fact expression.
“I do.”
Without the slightest hesitation.
“Next door.”
As he pointed toward the front door while speaking, Haon barely suppressed a scream.
“You don’t mean the house next door, do you?”
In the original story, it was just called a studio, with no explanation that it was the next house.
Besides, they said there were only two houses on the 9th floor…
“That’s right.”
At Cha Jeong-won’s casual reply, Haon forcibly swallowed back a groan that threatened to escape and responded blandly.
“It must be convenient having it right next door.”
Even though he said that, his inner thoughts were different.
‘Golden spoon, definitely a golden spoon.’
Cha Jeong-won silently stared down at Haon.
“If you have something to say, say it. No need to hold back.”
Haon scratched his head for no reason.
“I’m jealous.”
Under Cha Jeong-won’s steady gaze, Haon had no choice but to open his mouth.
“I’ve always wanted my own space. I have many siblings, so from childhood until now, I’ve never had an area that was just mine.”
Calling it an ‘area’ was an attempt to lighten the mood.
“I’m quite greedy, you see. I clung desperately to art, refusing to let go. I really wanted to create my own space someday.”
That’s why he came to the interior architecture design department.
Since Cha Jeong-won had shared his story, Haon had also shared his own in return. It was also a way of thanking him for giving him a room.
“So… thank you.”
Cha Jeong-won listened quietly before nodding his head.
“I’ve changed my mind. Come with me.”
“Huh? Are you taking back what you just gave me?”
Haon tilted his head as if he didn’t understand at all.
We were having a good moment just now!
“You’re not the type to cancel even a relationship you just started, right? Huh? This is causing a major trust issue…”
Even if the room was taken away, his position as boyfriend couldn’t be snatched.
Ignoring him, Cha Jeong-won grabbed the doorknob of the room opposite. And opened it wide as if to show off.
The room was empty.
To be precise, there was a single bed attached to the wall, but that was it. It was practically completely empty.
“What is this place?”
“Your room.”
So he wasn’t taking back what he gave, but trying to give him a different room.
But…
Looking back and forth between the two rooms, Haon couldn’t hide his disappointment. This is too lopsided, isn’t it?
But what could he do? If the homeowner says so, he has to follow. He was trudging along with powerless steps when…
“Decorate it however you like.”
The unbelievable words struck his back. Haon paused before slowly turning to look at Cha Jeong-won.
“Uh… what did I just hear?”
Even as he asked, he still couldn’t believe it.
“Honestly. I came barging in prepared to get scolded.”
“Should I scold you now?”
“You know. Even though we’re dating or whatever, I’m being shameless.”
“You’re brazen, but you’ve grasped the situation correctly.”
Haon closed his mouth for a moment. Look at him responding while knowing exactly what I’m trying to say.
“Anyway, giving a good room to someone like me… even though you took it back, giving me space to decorate freely…”
“…giving you?”
“I’m a bit touched.”
Even now, his heart felt overwhelmed because Cha Jeong-won was responding to each of his words.
An unstoppable smile spread across Haon’s face as he looked around the room again. Then, at some point, the smile faded.
“But, I’m fine.”
A brief silence flowed. Cha Jeong-won spoke in a slightly slow voice.
“Why? Were you just saying you were touched with your mouth while your head thought otherwise?”
“That’s not it…”
Haon shook his head vigorously. Being touched was real, truly real.
“It’s not like I’ll be here for long anyway.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Cha Jeong-won narrowed his eyes slightly in thought before disappearing from Haon’s sight.
He wondered where he had suddenly gone, but didn’t follow.
What if Cha Jeong-won went to the front door and naturally opened it to send him out?
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Cha Jeong-won returned with a thick catalog in his hand.