By Zephyria 
Cha Jeong-won let out a breath as short as a sigh. Then he looked back and forth between Cha Seo-jun, whose hand was held by Haon, and Haon’s face.
“Are you going to keep holding on?”
“Uh…”
He hadn’t planned to, but he missed the timing for when to let go.
Cha Seo-jun chimed in excitedly from the side.
“Of course. You should keep holding on.”
In fact, the moment Haon tried to loosen his grip, Cha Seo-jun instead tightly grabbed his hand back.
Park Min-jae awkwardly backed away in a fluster.
“I, I’ll go ahead.”
Once Park Min-jae disappeared, only the three of them remained in the hallway.
Cha Seo-jun still hadn’t let go of the hand, and Cha Jeong-won was frowning, looking only at Haon.
What excuse should he make now to get out of this situation?
As Haon was pondering, Lee So-yul approached from over there.
Seeing the three of them together again, he paused for a moment, then quickly walked towards Cha Jeong-won.
“Jeong-won, there’s somewhere we need to go together.”
Cha Jeong-won looked at Haon one more time, then turned away. That indifference was even more maddening. Haon clicked his tongue inwardly.
As Lee So-yul and Cha Jeong-won moved away, Haon lowered their interlocked hands.
“Haon hyung, I also…”
As Cha Seo-jun tried to grab his hand again, Haon raised his palm to stop him from coming closer.
“Wait a second. I just remembered something I forgot.”
Cha Seo-jun pouted his lips but reluctantly stepped back.
After detaching Cha Seo-jun, Haon looked around for Cha Jeong-won.
‘Where did he go.’
He should follow them…
＊ ＊ ＊
Lee So-yul and Cha Jeong-won waited for the elevator.
“We could take the stairs, but I thought it might be good to see what it’s like when we get off the elevator.”
Right after he said that, the elevator doors opened.
Cha Jeong-won looked at the elevator for a moment, then slowly moved his feet.
The two entered the elevator side by side. Just as Lee So-yul pressed the button, hurried footsteps were heard.
“Hold on, please.”
As the closing doors reopened, Haon’s face appeared.
Lee So-yul’s shoulders seemed to drop ever so slightly.
“Is it okay if I ride with you?”
Haon spoke with an apologetic expression. Lee So-yul was smiling, but it was a slightly stiffer smile than before.
As Haon nudged his foot forward, the doors opened again.
He glanced at the two, then casually stepped inside.
Thanks to Cha Jeong-won moving aside, he ended up standing between the two of them.
“I’m also going to the 2nd floor.”
As the doors closed, a brief silence flowed.
‘The energy from both sides is so different.’
One shoulder felt cold enough to make him hunch it slightly.
He didn’t need to figure out which side it was.
Since he was the one who had intruded, there was nothing he could do.
Haon listened to Cha Jeong-won’s breathing.
It was ever so slightly shallower than usual. A sound so small others wouldn’t notice, but to Haon, it was strangely clear.
It was the moment the elevator was about to ascend smoothly.
With a thud, his body lifted ever so slightly, then stopped.
It felt exactly like it was stuck in the middle.
The number indicator flickered as if shaking once.
“What’s this?”
Lee So-yul looked around, seemingly surprised.
Lee So-yul looked at the instruction sticker on the wall, the emergency button, and the call button in turn. Then, almost reflexively, he turned to look at Cha Jeong-won.
“Jeong-won, hold on for a bit.”
That remark, taking care of Cha Jeong-won, sounded somewhat awkward to Haon.
“This shouldn’t happen, it’s strange.”
Lee So-yul’s hand left his tablet and moved slightly towards Cha Jeong-won.
It was a considerate-looking adjustment of distance.
Moreover, it was a distance that showed no consideration at all for Haon, stuck in the middle.
Regardless, Haon’s attention was focused on Cha Jeong-won. The elevator, not content with just stopping, began flickering as if the lights would soon go out.
‘Don’t tell me this too?’
Was this something that happened because of Cha Jeong-won’s misfortune?
Even so, an elevator of all things?
Remembering how he had struggled in enclosed spaces, worry arose on its own.
And he realized.
‘The car accident.’
He admitted it wasn’t without its effects, but he wasn’t actually afraid of driving.
Perhaps it was this enclosed space that made it harder for him.
Cha Jeong-won said nothing. Instead, his jaw was slightly stiff. His gaze looked at the number indicator on the wall, then fixed straight ahead.
Haon quickly made a judgment.
He shouldn’t just stay still like this.
Lee So-yul pressed the call button.
Only a short beep sounded; there was no response. Lee So-yul’s eyebrows moved slightly.
“Jeong-won, this is…”
The moment Lee So-yul turned to Cha Jeong-won again, Haon moved a step faster.
Turning halfway towards Cha Jeong-won, he casually threw out a remark with a face that said it was nothing.
“Sunbae.”
Cha Jeong-won turned his head just a tiny bit.
Haon spoke to him as if it were really nothing.
“I washed my hair; does it smell?”
Lee So-yul, who was about to intervene, stopped. His hand, which was about to rest on Cha Jeong-won’s shoulder, also lost its place in mid-air.
Haon didn’t miss that gap.
He thought it didn’t matter what he said. Right now, it was important to stop Cha Jeong-won’s consciousness from flowing elsewhere.
“Seo-jun said it smelled earlier, so I wondered if it was me.”
“In this situation, your hair smell…”
Cha Jeong-won stopped mid-sentence. It was because he read Haon’s expression.
He realized that while the voice was playful, the eyes held a strangely serious light. He spoke as if sighing.
“…Come here.”
At those words, Cha Jeong-won approached Haon.
Cha Jeong-won’s body heat drew closer. He could feel breath rising from his chest to his throat. The closer he got, the more the air seemed to solidify.
“Stay still.”
Cha Jeong-won’s low voice brushed past his ear. Haon reflexively swallowed his reply.
The moment he opened his mouth, it felt like pheromones would leak out first. Instead, he lowered his head.
The ends of Haon’s hair swayed and grazed Cha Jeong-won’s nape.
Cha Jeong-won also lowered his head, his nose subtly brushing against Haon’s hair.
And he inhaled.
Haon cursed inwardly, hating that his heart reacted first to that short inhalation sound.
Why get flustered even in a situation like this. Of all times, now!
That’s when it happened.
The lights flickered once more, and this time, they went out completely.
It wasn’t complete darkness.
The emergency lights came on very dimly, but for the few seconds before his eyes adjusted, it was almost dark.
The sounds inside the elevator suddenly grew louder.
There was a sign of Lee So-yul steadying his breath. Cha Jeong-won pressed closer to Haon.
Whether Cha Jeong-won’s action of coming closer to him was instinct, seeking stability, or both—Haon had no time to know.
Cha Jeong-won’s arm was encircling Haon. It felt like he might squeeze him any moment, but Haon felt more protected than stifled.
Haon inhaled, then exhaled very cautiously. That breath brushed against Cha Jeong-won’s clothes and neckline.
“Stay still.”
“How many times do I have to tell you to stay still…”
After those words fell, Cha Jeong-won really stuck right up against Haon.
Haon reflexively tried to jerk his shoulder but restrained himself.
Instead, he made his voice lighter, as if joking.
“So? Does it smell or not?”
In the darkness, Cha Jeong-won’s breath stopped for a very brief moment. Then, almost through gritted teeth, he muttered.
“This is driving me crazy.”
That one phrase lightly scratched Haon’s insides. He didn’t know if it was a curse or surrender. Even in the midst of this, Haon almost laughed.
Lee So-yul silently listened to their conversation. But there was nothing he could do.
Afterwards, the ceiling lights came back on. The number indicator also returned to normal.
The elevator began moving again with a ding, as if nothing had happened.
Upon arriving at the 2nd floor, the doors opened.
A bright hallway came into view.
Lee So-yul was the first to exit. His steps were half a beat faster than usual, but his posture remained composed.
“Phew.”
Haon let out a sigh. He had been worried Cha Jeong-won might struggle again, so this was a relief.
Haon’s shoulders felt heavy as he stepped out of the elevator.
Cha Jeong-won lightly rested his chin on Haon’s shoulder.
It was only for a moment, but Haon unconsciously held his breath.
Cha Jeong-won sniffed as if smelling Haon’s hair. Then he muttered softly.
“Your hair smells nice.”
As Haon turned his head slightly, Cha Jeong-won added without even lifting the corner of his mouth.
“You win.”
Even after hearing those words, Haon couldn’t smile right away.
Putting aside showing that he liked it, he had no idea how to handle this situation.
His ear itched from Cha Jeong-won’s breath. Haon rubbed his ear vigorously.
The more he did, instead of subsiding, the itch only grew hotter. Cha Jeong-won’s last murmured words kept swirling inside his ear.
82 – NOT 82