LMO 128

“Yes. It changes.”

“…What changes?”

Do Yun-hyeok smiled faintly and pulled me into a tight hug. As I was held in his embrace, his heartbeat clearly pounded against my ears. Thump-thump-thump. Despite his calm voice, his heart was beating as fast as if it were on fire. It mixed with my own heartbeat, and soon it was impossible to distinguish whose heart was whose.

“You always act with sincerity…”

“…….”

“So you’re accepting and saying that you love me with that same sincerity.”

“…….”

“I’m really lucky.”

I held my breath, fully feeling Do Yun-hyeok’s warmth. The indistinguishable heartbeats echoed in my ears. I slowly raised my hand and hugged him back. Do Yun-hyeok held me so tightly it felt suffocating.

He was truly lucky.

A strange internet novel.

If that absurd and fantastical event hadn’t happened to me, could I have ever cherished someone like this in my life? Could I have longed for something so desperately? Could I have thought that I could love someone, a man?

I didn’t think so.

So Do Yun-hyeok was indeed a damn lucky bastard.

Do Yun-hyeok whispered,

“Goodnight. Dream of me.”

His warm voice, directed into my ear, made my heart pound to the point where my veins tingled. I buried my face in his chest and closed my eyes.

I really… like Do Yun-hyeok.

Once I admitted it, I felt a sense of relief and smiled. I whispered back,

“You too.”

❖ ❖ ❖

We naturally became a couple. But perhaps because we already saw each other often, or perhaps because it was my first relationship and I didn’t know much, nothing dramatically changed.

The only change was that Do Yun-hyeok’s physical affection became a little more natural and frequent. I wondered if this was what dating was like. But since I didn’t dislike it, I’ve started initiating hugs myself lately.

Today, it was exam period, so Do Yun-hyeok and I decided to go to the library. The weather was sunny. I used to think that sunny days were the best for studying, but lately, after spending so much time with Do Yun-hyeok, I felt a sudden urge to go out.

But the important thing was the exam. I gathered my thoughts and waited for Do Yun-hyeok. Standing by the library clock tower with my backpack on, I felt like I had gone back to high school.

Come to think of it, the library was where Do Yun-hyeok and I had our first date, wasn’t it? I got lost in memories for a moment.

Back then, I had no idea I would come to like Do Yun-hyeok this much… But even then, I enjoyed being with him, I was curious about him, and I felt fond of him. Perhaps that was also liking him?

“Hae-jun!”

“You’re here?”

I heard Do Yun-hyeok calling me from afar. He was, as usual, early for our meeting. I greeted him with a bright smile. Do Yun-hyeok, seeing my backpack, chuckled.

“I knew you’d come with your school bag.”

“How did you know?”

“You like school bags.”

“They’re convenient.”

“They suit you.”

Do Yun-hyeok smiled broadly. Seeing that smile made my heart flutter and filled me with satisfaction, so I cleared my throat unnecessarily to change the subject.

“Ah, right.”

Do Yun-hyeok rummaged in his pocket and pulled something out, handing it to me.

“Take this first.”

“Uh… this.”

It was a mobile phone charm that Do Yun-hyeok had given me as a gift in the novel. It wasn’t exactly the same as back then, but the color and shape were very similar. Round beads dangled from it. Do Yun-hyeok smiled proudly. And like a child seeking praise, he boasted,

“There aren’t many places that sell these these days, so I made it myself.”

“You made it? Again?”

“Yeah. The first time is hard, but the second time isn’t.”

“Why did you make it….”

Thinking of him painstakingly making this with his large hands, I couldn’t help but smile. I carefully held the mobile phone charm in my hand. Hearing my question, Do Yun-hyeok smiled as if he had been waiting.

“Because I was resentful.”

“What are you resentful about?”

“So you don’t forget that I pursued you… that I liked you first.”

Do Yun-hyeok acted playfully with a sly expression. He was cute, but my competitive spirit wouldn’t let me off the hook. My desire not to lose kicked in, and I shamelessly retorted,

“Then I’m the one who’s resentful.”

“About what?”

“That I didn’t like you sooner.”

“…….”

I waited for Do Yun-hyeok’s reply, but he said nothing. Looking at the mobile phone charm in my hand, I suddenly looked up to check on Do Yun-hyeok. He had his hand over his mouth and had turned his head, his ears flushed bright red. Seeing that, I forgot my own playful demeanor and my face also turned bright red.

When Do Yun-hyeok was sly, I could retort, but when he got shy, I became even more embarrassed. I tried to cool the heat on my face and changed the subject.

“Hey, but these days, phones don’t have places to hang these.”

“Then… we can hang it on a key.”

“I don’t really have a key…”

He hadn’t thought that far, it seemed, and Do Yun-hyeok paused. Then he awkwardly ran a hand through his hair.

“…This world lacks romance.”

“Indeed, romance is in internet novels.”

I looked at Do Yun-hyeok and smiled. Our day together was already enjoyable. With Do Yun-hyeok, every day was filled with anticipation.

Please

I had a very long, old dream.

It was the story of Seong Hae-jun from the novel. The incident where my parents divorced and I was forcibly separated from Seong Hae-min, the constant friction with my overprotective mother, and how she eventually gave up custody and left Seong Hae-min and me…

After waking up, I was in a daze for a long time.

I realized what this dream meant only after I suddenly recalled what Do Yun-hyeok had told me. Do Yun-hyeok had said that he, in the novel, only had memories as a character in the novel.

I instinctively knew. This dream was my memory, yet not my memory.

It was the memory of a time when my real self was suppressed within the novel, just like Do Yun-hyeok and the others. But as my real self awakened, these were things I had forgotten as if they never happened…

I felt a strange sensation. My head felt fuzzy and odd. I felt sad, yet indifferent; I couldn’t even define my own emotions.

Perhaps it was a dream brought on by the people I had recently met. I gazed at the mobile phone charm attached to the zipper of my laptop pouch, organizing the recent events. The round beads shimmered, reflecting the sunlight.

In the end, I met all the main characters from the novel. Lee Beom, Jeon Jae-hyung, Ban Pyo-ran, Kim Yi-dam, and even Yeon Su-hwan. Surprisingly, the people from the novel were all real people.

The way I met Ban Pyo-ran was particularly funny. As time passed, Ban Pyo-ran naturally recalled the novel, saw Min Si-hu on television, and contacted him through his SNS.

Even Yeon Su-hwan, who had caused me so much trouble, I recently encountered in the real world. In the university library’s study hall, where I went to fill my free periods. We ran into each other by chance, and after a brief conversation by the vending machines, Yeon Su-hwan said he was preparing for the bar exam and that he was just complicated about the fact that he was that kind of character.

“To be honest, just looking at your face makes me feel uneasy.”

“Ah, yes…”

“I want to separate the novel from reality and just forget about it. Since you seem to have confirmed everything you needed to, let’s pretend we don’t know each other now.”

For me, who didn’t have many good memories of him, it wasn’t a bad thing. After all, it was all from the novel, so as long as he didn’t hold grudges against me or Do Yun-hyeok, it didn’t matter. They weren’t all the same as in the novel.

The KakaoTalk group chat with the Four Heavenly Kings, Ban Pyo-ran, and Kim Yi-dam was buzzing with activity from Saturday morning. It was a friendship that surpassed the novel.

How could all the main characters exist in reality? But then again, the fact that I myself became a character in a novel was already nonsensical.

Ban Seo-yi too… she must be in reality, right?

While I had met everyone else in reality, I still hadn’t met Ban Seo-yi. I remembered her words, blaming herself for everything. Do Yun-hyeok had also said that it seemed like everything happened because of Ban Seo-yi.

But in that place, Ban Seo-yi was the first friend I had opened up to. Although she was confused at times, in the end, she helped us more diligently than anyone else…

I looked down at my mobile phone. My face was reflected in the large, black screen. It was a leap in technological advancement compared to the mobile phone I used in the novel. The time difference with that world suddenly hit me.

-Sorry.

I couldn’t forget Ban Seo-yi’s face, mouthing an apology to me while we waited for Seong Hae-min’s surgery results in front of the operating room.

She must be somewhere, right? I’ll meet her someday, won’t I?

I need to become famous… so they can recognize me.

I reaffirmed a silent resolution. Just like Ban Pyo-ran contacted Min Si-hu and they met. If it was fate, we would definitely meet again.

Lost in thought, I sat there blankly when my younger sister burst into the room without knocking.

“Seong Hae-jun!”

“What?”

Thinking of Ban Seo-yi had made me a little down, so I answered calmly. My sister tilted her head.

“You’ve… become a bit nicer?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I must have changed a lot.

I thought about it, and I was always sharp and irritable with my younger sister too. The days when I struggled desperately to prove myself now felt like a distant past. Now that such struggles were no longer necessary, many things looked different.

“Anyway, help me out.”

“What is it first thing in the morning?”

“Help me move some boxes. I have boxes in my room, right? Move them to Dad’s car~!”

Perhaps wanting to block any possibility of me refusing, my sister left the room abruptly after finishing her sentence. She needed help with heavy lifting, and I had no reason to refuse. I shook off my complicated thoughts and got up.

As soon as I opened my sister’s door, I saw the boxes on the floor. Her room, where she had been living in the dormitory for a long time, was neatly organized without any signs of use. As I lifted the box my sister mentioned, something rolled onto the floor with a thud.

“What is it? Did it fall from here?”

I picked up the book that had fallen on the floor, its back facing up. Wondering what kind of book she had packed, I flipped it over to check the title.

Leopard Against the World

“Huh…”

I blinked several times, but I wasn’t mistaken. I put down the box I was holding and, as if entranced, opened the book.

Ban Pyo-ran, Lee Beom. Min Si-hu, Jeon Jae-hyung, Seong Hae-min… Familiar and welcome names appeared just as they were.

But the content had changed. Everything else was the same, except for the parts involving Ban Seo-yi.

Ban Pyo-ran and Ban Seo-yi were like sisters, friends since childhood, and they were always a reliable pair, helping and supporting each other. There were no villains in the novel. No one died. There were only high school students trying their best to live their lives.

Flipping through the pages, a memo note where my sister had exchanged messages with a friend was tucked into the very last page.

“Seo-yi, I really like her.”Me too T_T”

“Let’s definitely go to the same university.””I’m going to work really hard T_T”

The novel ended as the main characters went on to attend university. Ban Seo-yi was among them. The final conclusion hinted at their future, which would continue beyond the end of the pages.

Suddenly, I remembered Ban Seo-yi crying out. Wanting to stop being the villainess in the novel, but unable to escape no matter how hard she tried…

Feeling like I might cry for some reason, I quickly closed the book.

Just then, my mobile phone, which had received a notification, lit up. It was Do Yun-hyeok.

I have to go meet him. And I have to tell him what I saw. I missed him terribly.

< Please, leave me out of it. I beg you. Main Story Complete >

_@Q

LMO Side Story 1

The Seoyeon High Four Heavenly Kings, Meeting Them Again

“So… you’re high school students?”

I stared at Lee Beom, sitting opposite me, his eyes wide.

Min Si-hu, sitting next to Lee Beom, looked at us triumphantly, as if to say, “See? I told you so.” Lee Beom, looking bewildered as to why we were surprised, nodded reluctantly.

“Yes.”

“19 years old?”

“Yes.”

“Really? I mean, of course it’s real, but…”

“Do I really not look my age? People often mistake me for being older…”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

I waved my hand, dismissing Lee Beom’s explanation, which was tinged with annoyance.

Lee Beom being a high school student was unbelievable, even seeing it with my own eyes. I quickly exchanged glances with Seong Hae-min. Seong Hae-min’s face also showed a look of perplexity. Only Min Si-hu sat there, looking proud and imposing at this table.

To explain the circumstances of this awkward reunion, we have to go back a few days.

❖ ❖ ❖

It was an ordinary summer afternoon.

I was spending time at a cafe with Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min. Sitting across from each other at the long table, we were each looking through our own tasks. It was so hot outside that our usual meeting place was indoors with strong air conditioning.

Although we were attending the same university, our departments were different, so we didn’t see each other much even during the semester. Now that it was vacation, we seemed to be seeing each other more often. This summer break, Do Yun-hyeok was away on an extended family trip, leaving him with plenty of free time, so I could go out whenever Min Si-hu or Seong Hae-min called.

As we saw each other often and grew closer, we had become a tighter-knit group in reality than we were in the novel.

“What if…”

While we had drinks placed before us and were looking down at our respective tasks, Min Si-hu suddenly spoke up. He hesitated, tapping his finger on the table.

“What if you met Lee Beom, and he couldn’t speak Korean? What would you do?”

“…”

“…”

There he went again.

Seong Hae-min and I, accustomed to his nonsensical questions, indifferently continued with our own tasks. Seong Hae-min was writing an email to his professor, and I was browsing through a thesis on my tablet.

“What would you do-!”

When there was no answer for a long time, Min Si-hu, refusing to give up, whined. Seong Hae-min, stopping his hand from writing the email, let out a sigh and smiled faintly, as if pacifying a baby, to calm Min Si-hu.

“Si-hu, please say something that makes sense.”

“Why doesn’t it make sense?”

“Because it’s impossible, it doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s a hypothetical, like a game, right? What if it could happen?”

The ‘what if’ game was Min Si-hu’s favorite. Although called a game, it was closer to a thought experiment. The method was simple: pose a question starting with ‘what if’ and let the imagination run wild.

The problem was that neither I nor Seong Hae-min, the subjects of Min Si-hu’s games, were interested in such hypothetical play.

“What would you do? You run into Lee Beom somewhere on a trip. You greet him, and Lee Beom doesn’t know Korean.”

“You’d talk in English.”

Finally, Seong Hae-min shook his head and provided an answer.

“Oh, are you confident in your English?”

“It’s not about confidence. It’s necessary, so I’d use it.”

Seeing things like this, Seong Hae-min was more accommodating to Min Si-hu than I was. The years they had spent together since middle school were not insignificant.

“But. What if Lee Beom doesn’t know English?”

“Do you have to think that far?”

Min Si-hu tilted his chin, as if asking if this was his first time playing a ‘what if’ game. Seong Hae-min clicked his tongue.

“What would I do? I’d find out what language it is and use a translator.”

“But what if there’s no time to use a translator?”

“…Why on earth?”

“You’re traveling with a guide. What if the guide walks away while you’re using the translator? They leave without you.”

“Is this a game or an argument…?”

Seong Hae-min sighed deeply at Min Si-hu’s extreme example. Seeing Seong Hae-min shake his head, Min Si-hu turned to me.

“Hae-jun, what about you? What would you do?”

“I wouldn’t go on a package tour.”

“Huh?”

Min Si-hu, hearing my answer, wore a momentarily stunned expression. Seong Hae-min’s cheeks twitched.

“Why a package tour all of a sudden?”

“I’d want to travel independently.”

“What are you talking about?”

Min Si-hu, looking bewildered, turned to Seong Hae-min as if seeking help. Seong Hae-min, trying to suppress his laughter, just shrugged. Unable to get help, Min Si-hu asked me again.

“Why did a package tour come up?”

“I refuted your premise. The guide wouldn’t have a reason to rush me.”

“No, that…”

Min Si-hu, who had been using his hands and feet to explain, finally gave up and let his arms drop. Seong Hae-min, unable to hold back his laughter any longer, burst into a loud guffaw. Min Si-hu touched his forehead with a serious expression.

“Is it my fault for trying to have a conversation with people who can’t imagine anything?”

“It’s not that we can’t imagine. It’s that you’re saying such absurd things, so Hae-jun responded that way. Try to make a more realistic assumption.”

“It’s not a realistic game in the first place, Seong Hae-min-“

“Still, it should be something that’s at least somewhat possible.”

“Compared to getting possessed by a novel, this is completely possible, isn’t it?”

Min Si-hu threw a straw wrapper as if complaining. The trash, which seemed to be flying towards Seong Hae-min, lost its momentum midway and fell onto the table with a soft thud, posing no threat.

“Is this a pout?”

“Ah, damn it!”

Leaning back against the chair, I watched the two of them bicker. It was like a sitcom.

I stirred my drink with the straw. The ice clinking against the glass made a playful sound. The smooth brown drink swirled and mixed with the snow-white milk. Watching the two in front of me, I took a sip of my drink.

The cool, sweet, yet slightly bitter and smooth drink filled my mouth. A cold latte was indeed perfect for summer. Although the cold air conditioning kept the heat at bay, the outside, which was scorching in the summer, was being hit by fierce sunlight.

Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu.

In the novel, the two of them met after joining the Iljinhoe, but in reality, they had been close friends since elementary school.

They graduated from the same middle school, and Min Si-hu went to an arts high school, while Seong Hae-min went to a general humanities high school. However, their friendship continued even while attending different schools. They eventually went to the same university, so their relationship spanned at least six years by count.

They were as comfortable with each other as they were with their own bodies. Perhaps there was a reason why they seemed to get along so well in the novel.

“Si-hu, go get me a napkin.”

“Why are you naturally ordering me around?”

“I’ll buy you cake.”

“Seong Hae-min, do I look like an easy guy who’s swayed by cake?”

“If you don’t want it, then don’t.”

“I’m going right now.”

Min Si-hu hopping up and Seong Hae-min accepting it like a caregiver – it was the usual combination.

If it were as familiar to me as usual, Lee Beom, who would greet me with a gruff, “You’re here,” and Jeon Jae-hyung, who would be fast asleep, should have been added…

The events in the novel sometimes felt like a distant past, but at other times, they felt as vivid as yesterday. Even while hanging out boisterously with Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min, Lee Beom or Jeon Jae-hyung would suddenly come to mind.

“Hae-jun, do you want anything?”

“I’m good. I’m having dinner later, so…”

“Seong Hae-jun always says that, but he ends up eating the most.”

Seong Hae-min, waving his hand at Min Si-hu, who was giving him a suspicious look, told him to buy whatever he wanted and turned back to his laptop to finish the email he was sending earlier.

But that was short-lived. Unable to resist Min Si-hu’s excited calls from the counter, Seong Hae-min eventually got up from his seat.

Watching the back of the guy who was supposed to run an errand for Min Si-hu but ended up going along, I took a sip of my drink.

“Ugh.”

Then, feeling the bland taste, I checked my glass. I didn’t know when I had drunk so much; the glass was now almost empty. I licked my lips and pushed the glass away.

As two people stood up, the surroundings became quiet. I temporarily put down the tablet I was holding tightly and took a breath, looking out the window.

The sun was long because it was summer. Outside, it was bright and sunny, making it impossible to gauge the time.

I absently watched people passing by, wiping away the water droplets on the glass with my finger.

‘Ah.’

Then, I suddenly realized I was rudely scrutinizing the faces of the passersby and slowly turned my gaze away.

The melted ice, now round, formed a thin layer of water on the latte, which was becoming transparent. I stirred it with my straw, quickly mixing it. The glass containing the latte now looked like murky water.

Staring intently at passing people was a habit I had developed without realizing it.

I hadn’t known I had this obsessive habit until a few days ago when my mother asked why I was looking around so much. I realized I had developed a bad habit of staring intently at every person who passed by.

At the same time, I also figured out the reason for this habit.

I was searching, hoping against hope.

Hoping that I might run into them by chance, just like I had met Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu…

LMO Side Story 2

‘Perhaps, maybe, by any chance.’

I was fully aware that running into these guys, or meeting Do Yun-hyeok, went beyond the assumptions of the ‘what if’ game. Min Si-hu had called me unimaginative, but I was already living with impossible fantasies every day.

Even though I thought I might meet them someday, but it would be difficult for now, I couldn’t stop searching for them.

While I was rubbing my temples and resting for a moment, Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu returned with cake. Even though I said it was okay, Seong Hae-min had brought a fork for my share.

If they were offering, I wouldn’t refuse. Even though they bought two pieces of cake, it was gone in an instant, with three lanky guys sharing pieces smaller than my palm, leaving the plates clean.

“Seong Hae-jun, you said you wouldn’t eat, but! I knew this would happen!”

“You should have eaten it right away when it was there. Ah, it’s sweet.”

Min Si-hu, who had been playing around with his fork so much in that short time that he barely ate any cake, grumbled. Seong Hae-min, wiping his mouth with the napkin Min Si-hu had brought, smirked teasingly. The ends of Min Si-hu’s eyebrows shot up.

Min Si-hu proudly claimed that he didn’t act cute or speak with a lisp, but his occasional habit of speaking in the third person (which he consistently attributed to his girlfriend’s influence) and his affectionate personality were the same in the novel and in reality. He just didn’t realize it himself.

Still, seeing him whine like that without being annoying, I thought he definitely had the personality to succeed as an entertainer. Seong Hae-min and I just smiled and shook our heads.

“Then now, what if…”

“Again?”

“Yeah. What if Lee Beom…”

And after that, Min Si-hu’s ‘what if’ game, which refused to yield, continued.

❖ ❖ ❖

It seemed like an ordinary daily life continued. Until I received an unexpected message from Min Si-hu.

There was nothing special about my first university vacation. I wasn’t taking any summer courses, nor was I involved in any clubs or study groups. Do Yun-hyeok, whom I thought we might hang out with, was away on a family trip…

So, I mostly met Seong Hae-min or Min Si-hu, or studied English, which I felt I lacked last semester.

And recently, to supplement my allowance, I had started giving online tutoring, introduced by a university senior as a great part-time job.

“Let’s try problem number 32 again.”

[Yes.]

As the student on the other side of the monitor calmly worked on the problem, I took a sip of water to catch my breath. Suddenly, like a hack, a stream of notification windows began to pop up in the corner of my laptop.

“Min Si-hu: Yo”

“Min Si-hu: Yooo”

“Min Si-hu: Lol”

“Min Si-hu: What the heck”

“Min Si-hu: Is this real?”

I thought it was Min Si-hu. Only he would text like this, making a fuss. It was his usual pattern to draw attention by calling someone urgently about something trivial.

As I was about to dismiss the KakaoTalk notifications with a blank expression, I saw:

“Seong Hae-min: What is it?”

“Seong Hae-min: Stop the fuss.”

“Min Si-hu: No, seriously.”

“Min Si-hu: Don’t be surprised when you hear it!!!”

“Min Si-hu: I saw Lee Beom!!!”

“Seong Hae-min: Lol”

As I quickly scanned the rapidly scrolling messages, I couldn’t help but smirk at Seong Hae-min’s firm, immediate reply. I desperately tried to suppress my smile by tightening my lips.

Fortunately, the student on the other side of the monitor didn’t seem to see me. The diligent student was still holding their head, focused on the problem I had asked them to solve again.

I tilted the laptop screen back slightly, setting it up so the keyboard and my hands weren’t visible on camera, and opened the chat window.

“Me: Here we go again.”

“Me: Habitual offender lol”

“Seong Hae-min: You boy who cried wolf.”

“Seong Hae-min: Do you think we’ll fall for it?”

“Min Si-hu: No.”

“Min Si-hu: Ha.”

“Min Si-hu: Shit!!!”

In the past, I might have doubted for a moment, thinking, ‘Could it really be true…?’ upon hearing Min Si-hu’s exasperated words. But now, even such a reaction didn’t faze me. The character of Lee Beom had become a meme among us.

Min Si-hu already had a colorful history. He had not only fixated on Lee Beom and conducted his ‘what if’ games solely with him, but recently, he had even used the excuse of seeing Lee Beom to get our attention when we were just hanging out and not replying quickly enough. He had figured out that if he talked about Lee Beom, we, who usually took things calmly, would perk up our ears. It became a keyword that, even knowing it was a trick, we fell for, and he seemed to have gotten quite addicted to it.

“Min Si-hu: He looks so much like him.”

“Min Si-hu: No, it’s the real Lee Beom, seriously.”

So, was it Lee Beom himself, or just someone who looked like Lee Beom? It was impossible to tell from his rambling. Seong Hae-min, judging it to be another attention-seeking ploy, clicked his tongue.

“Seong Hae-min: Stop fishing.”

“Min Si-hu: I swear on everything.”

Swearing on everything, his effort was truly commendable. If it were Min Si-hu, he wouldn’t stop here and would likely embellish it further. I pondered what to say to turn it back on him. My fingers, poised over the keyboard, twitched involuntarily.

I pretended to play along with Min Si-hu and asked,

“Me: Where did you see him? lol”

“Min Si-hu: Seriously.”

“Min Si-hu: I’m busy right now.”

“Min Si-hu: I’ll tell you later.”

“Me: ?”Seong Hae-min: —” But as soon as I asked, Min Si-hu vanished, leaving only the message that he was busy. I had intended to find fault and corner him, but his timing was uncanny. Left alone by Min Si-hu, who had slithered away like a slippery eel, only Seong Hae-min and I were left spamming question marks.

“Seong Hae-min: Ha.”

“Seong Hae-min: I was fooled again.”

[Teacher, I’ve finished it all.]

“Ah, so what was the answer?”

But I wasn’t in a position to be casually chatting on KakaoTalk either. At the student’s words that they had finished the problem, I quickly closed the KakaoTalk I was looking at and resumed the lesson.

I felt indignant towards Min Si-hu. How could he have sensed my timing for turning the tables and disappeared at that very moment?

Then again, we were fools for falling for Min Si-hu’s tricks even knowing this would happen. However, at this moment, ‘Lee Beom’ was an undeniable cheat code that captured our attention.

Still, his excuse about being busy didn’t seem like a lie to get out of the situation, because after the tutoring session ended, the ‘1’ in the chat room hadn’t disappeared. Or perhaps he was still in hiding. Min Si-hu showed no signs of reappearing.

And Min Si-hu finally reappeared in the chat room late at night.

“Min Si-hu: Everyone, pay attention.”

“Min Si-hu: Hyung has something to say.”

“Min Si-hu: This is a major announcement.”

“Seong Hae-min: lol”

“Seong Hae-min: Don’t tell me you saw Lee Beom again?”

“Min Si-hu: I really did lol;”

“Seong Hae-min: Argh.”

“Min Si-hu: ? ”

“Min Si-hu: What’s with the ‘argh’?”

“Min Si-hu: I’m serious;”

While I was washing up and getting ready for bed, a flood of KakaoTalk messages had piled up. Wondering what was going on, I frowned and checked the chat room, only to find Min Si-hu stirring up trouble again. I clicked my tongue. He still hadn’t stopped playing pranks!

“Me: Si-hu, just one round.”

“Min Si-hu: But a shocking fact.”

“Min Si-hu: Lee Beom is a high school student;;”

“Seong Hae-min: lol”

“Me: lol”

Here we go again. Lying in bed, I looked at my mobile phone and let out a small, wry laugh. Even though no one was watching, I covered my mouth with my hand to hide my smile. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks; Min Si-hu’s schemes seemed endless.

“Seong Hae-min: Is it another ‘what if’ game? So persistent.”

“Me: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

“Seong Hae-min: A high school student?”

“Seong Hae-min: If he’s a high school student, I’ll tutor him haha.”

“Me: College admissions consultant lolllll”

“Min Si-hu: I’m really telling the truth!!!”

Seong Hae-min and I took turns teasing Min Si-hu when suddenly, a ringing sound announced an incoming voice call on my screen. Unable to bear it any longer because we weren’t falling for it, Min Si-hu had called. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Thinking his persistence was touching, I accepted the call with a magnanimous gesture. Instantly, Min Si-hu’s booming voice filled the air.

[Why don’t you believe me!]

“Your ears are going to burst.” Seong Hae-min, who had lowered his voice because it was late, chided him. But he couldn’t dampen Min Si-hu’s volume, which was like a foghorn.

[Ah!!! I’m telling the truth!!!]

“Right. Of course you are.”

[This time it’s real!]

“Where did you see him?” I asked indifferently to Min Si-hu, who kept emphasizing his sincerity. Min Si-hu lowered his voice, like a shaman revealing secrets.

[You guys will be really surprised.]

[There’s nothing more to be surprised about.]

[No? You definitely will be surprised?]

“So where is it.”

[The school I went for mentoring!]

“Mentoring? What school?”

[The high school I went for mentoring! Isn’t it unbelievable?]

[…….]

“…….”

After Min Si-hu’s exclamation, a brief silence followed on the call. I held my breath without realizing it. And I recalled the words I had just heard.

‘Mentoring?’

I was about to scoff, but for some reason, my lips wouldn’t move. The location was strangely detailed and realistic to dismiss Min Si-hu as just a fraud.

LMO Side Story 3

Seong Hae-min spoke first. His voice sounded like he wanted to dismiss it as a joke.

[It sounds like you’re acting.]

[What are you talking about!]

Just by his voice, I could picture Min Si-hu tearing out all his hair.

[If it were a lie, would I be bothering you guys this late at night? I’d rather call Yoon-hee one more time!]

“Where exactly is the school you went for mentoring?”

[XX High School! Do you know about the mentoring program the university admissions office runs every summer in the provinces? It’s a program where they travel to high schools nationwide and do residential mentoring!]

As soon as I heard the name of the high school, I immediately searched for it on the internet. It was indeed a real high school. I opened its Wikipedia page and scrolled up and down repeatedly. I raised my trembling hand and touched my philtrum.

After a moment’s pause, I asked again, unable to believe it.

“…Really?”

[Yes!]

“You just saw someone who looks like him and are making a fuss, right?”

[I’m going crazy!]

I asked, as if I knew his inner thoughts, with a face full of suspicion, and Min Si-hu jumped.

[I thought about whether I was mistaken about ten times myself. But no matter how I look at it, it’s him. It’s really Lee Beom! I’m sure.]

“Lee Beom is really a high school student?”

[Yes!!! I’m telling you.]

Min Si-hu shrieked, as if he had been waiting for someone else to confirm that Lee Beom was a high school student.

My head throbbed. Not because of his outburst, but purely because of the content of his words.

I was more flustered than by Min Si-hu’s ‘what if’ game, where he made wild assumptions. The ‘what if’ game felt more realistic in comparison.

‘Lee Beom is a high school student?’

It was beyond imagination. Of course, in the novel, not only Lee Beom but everyone was a high school student, and it had only been about half a year since we, too, shed the label of high school student and became adults…

Still, it was a shock. At this rate, it wouldn’t be strange if his name in the novel was different from his current name.

Should I be glad that at least his face is the same? But if even that were different, wouldn’t he be a different person altogether?

What kind of world is that?

I was confused. How could a person with the same name as in the novel exist in this world…

‘Ah, forget it. That’s settled for now.’

My mind got tangled up in an instant. I stopped myself from delving into complex, never-ending questions. This wasn’t the time to cling to such dead-end inquiries. It was time to hear about the Lee Beom that Min Si-hu had met.

Without letting go of my suspicion until the very end, I confirmed again.

“Are you sure it’s really Lee Beom?”

[Ah, I told you it is-!]

“How can you be so sure?”

[You can just tell by looking!]

Min Si-hu explained that he had gone to a high school for the admissions office program and, while casually scanning the student list, was surprised to find the name Lee Beom.

He hadn’t thought it was Lee Beom from the start. Still, since Lee Beom wasn’t a common name, he thought it was worth checking out later, but he didn’t have to go far. During the mentor introduction session on the stage, he spotted him among the large group of students.

He was sure as soon as he saw him. ‘That’s Lee Beom,’ he thought.

“…….”

[…….]

As Min Si-hu continued speaking, our reactions gradually faded. I no longer had the will to doubt. I repeatedly ran my hand through my hair.

“What about Lee Beom? Did he recognize you?”

Min Si-hu sighed deeply through the mobile phone.

[No. He seems to know nothing.]

“Is there a possibility he recognized you but is pretending not to know?”

[I don’t think so. Actually, we talked a bit earlier and exchanged numbers.]

“…….”

Seong Hae-min had become quiet at some point. Min Si-hu seemed to realize this belatedly and called out to Seong Hae-min.

[Seong Hae-min. Are you listening?]

[Yeah.]

[Say something.]

[Okay.]

[…….]

[…….]

[Is he really a high school student?]

[Are you still doubting me!]

To Min Si-hu, who was shouting “It’s real, it’s really real!”, Seong Hae-min calmly asked. Though I couldn’t see his face on the call, I imagined him wearing a smile like a resigned kindergarten teacher if he were in front of me.

[Fortunately, it seems Lee Beom can speak Korean.]

[Huh?]

“Pfft.”

I burst out laughing at the unexpected joke. This comedy duo was having a banter session even in this situation.

[I’m serious right now!]

[Okay. I understand it’s not a ‘what if’ game.]

[Hey! Even I wouldn’t joke about something like this!]

[A joke?]

[…I did joke! I did! Why did I do that!]

“Puhah.”

[I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. Anyway, it’s real this time.]

Min Si-hu, who had been stammering due to Seong Hae-min’s untimely joke, quickly agreed and apologized.

At this point, Seong Hae-min’s skill seemed remarkable. He had thoroughly reprimanded that prankster with just one joke; it wasn’t for nothing that they were old friends.

[But it doesn’t change anything that Lee Beom is a high school student. Ah.]

Min Si-hu, who seemed to be scratching his head, exclaimed as if he had realized something.

[Ah! It does make managing titles difficult!]

[Huh?]

“Huh?”

Suddenly, titles? Seong Hae-min and I both showed confusion, thinking ‘What’s the problem?’, and Min Si-hu began to explain seriously.

[In the novel, we were all the same age. But seeing him in reality, there’s an age difference. We’re Hyung, so we can just call him Lee Beom. Then what should Lee Beom call us?]

“What else? He’ll call you Min Si-hu.”

To me, who is actually called by my name by my younger sister, it was a trivial question. Without even considering it, I answered, and Min Si-hu jumped.

[Isn’t this a complete collapse of Confucian culture?]

“Haa…”

I sighed and shook my head. Seong Hae-min laughed as if he couldn’t breathe.

[Min Si-hu is such a boomer.]

“You really want to be called Hyung.”

[No, put yourself in my shoes! This kid is calling me Teacher right now-!]

“Being called Teacher sounds creepy.”

[Me too.]

We listened to Min Si-hu’s complaints with one ear and let them out the other. Min Si-hu huffed, full of indignation.

The shock of Min Si-hu meeting Lee Beom and Lee Beom being a high school student was brief; it had now become amusing. The situation even felt funny.

[But did you talk about the novel with Lee Beom?]

[No. He seemed completely clueless, so I haven’t yet. Still, I have to mentor him for three days and two nights during the camp, so it would be weird if I suddenly brought that up, right?]

“That’s true.”

It was certainly a difficult situation. I nodded.

If I had brought it up rashly, and if Lee Beom didn’t remember it throughout the mentoring period, Min Si-hu would be in trouble. He might be treated as a suspicious person who was hitting on a student he just met.

[Hmm, but I’m a little worried too.]

[About what?]

Seong Hae-min, showing a moment of thought, brought up a new topic in a perplexed voice.

[Is it really a good thing for him to recall his memories from the novel?]

[Huh?]

“Huh?”

[For Lee Beom.]

“I hadn’t thought of that…”

Come to think of it, I had to nod.

He was a high school student, especially a student facing college entrance exams, a time when he should be focusing on his studies.

Thinking about it, I wouldn’t like it if I were in the position of a student preparing for exams. I wouldn’t want to deal with such things right now, so I would have asked him to leave.

Everyone fell silent at Seong Hae-min’s sudden question. Only sporadic background noises, whose source was unknown, continued to be heard.

For a moment, Min Si-hu’s breathing seemed loud, and then, with a rustling sound, he moved away again. I could hear muffled voices like, ‘Ah, yes, Head of Department Teacher. Yes! See you later?’ as he spoke with someone from the faculty. Then, as if he were moving away with his mobile phone, only the clattering of objects filled the audio for a long time.

[But.]

Min Si-hu suddenly asked.

[Seong Hae-min, weren’t you planning to find our members again?]

‘Our members, he says…’

I couldn’t laugh in this situation, so I clenched my lips tightly.

In fact, among us, Min Si-hu might be the most sincere about the novel.

I also wanted to meet the characters from the novel again. Sharing the same time and having someone to share it with afterward was more important than I thought, as I learned through Do Yun-hyeok.

So, without much thought, I just thought we had to find them, and I assumed Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min felt the same.

Seong Hae-min hesitated to answer.

[Well… what I mean is, there’s no need to force them to recall.]

[Force them to recall? We’re not forcibly injecting memories, are we? Is it not okay to just meet? Do you want Lee Beom to remain strangers forever?]

“Calm down.”

For some reason, Min Si-hu, who had become agitated, was pressing Seong Hae-min, and at the same time, a voice called from a distance, ‘Si-hu Teacher, they’re having a meeting now-!’ and it came through the microphone. As if he quickly covered the microphone, the sound became muffled and distorted, like talking underwater.

[For now… I understand.]

Min Si-hu, who had returned, quickly finished his greetings and hung up first.

[Let’s talk again later. I have to go in now. Bye!]

[Go safely.]

Min Si-hu’s exciting news about meeting Lee Beom ended ambiguously like that. After exchanging brief goodbyes with Seong Hae-min, who was left alone, I tidied up my things.

I put down the mobile phone after the call ended, sighed, and placed my hand on my forehead.

LMO Side Story 4

“Haa…”

Staring at the ceiling, I calmly gathered my thoughts.

‘It might be better not to regain memories.’

From the moment I suddenly woke up in the novel world to the final moment I was abruptly brought back, my memories had been continuous. Therefore, I had no knowledge of the situation of suddenly recalling memories.

Upon careful consideration, it might not be entirely a good thing. Although I moved freely according to my will even in the novel, the others were roles that had to move according to their settings, so they might find it uncomfortable and incomprehensible that they acted a certain way in the novel.

Moreover, there must have been painful experiences…

‘It’s a tricky problem.’

I closed my eyes tightly and then opened them.

In fact, even for me, the memories weren’t entirely good. The image of Seong Hae-min covering me in blood was still vivid.

I keenly realized what trauma was. There were times I resented it, wishing I had forgotten everything.

Feeling suddenly suffocated, I let out a long breath.

“Hoo…”

Why did I think that finding them in reality would be the solution?

Even I had a harder time after first meeting Seong Hae-min. I was deeply shocked that Seong Hae-min didn’t recognize me and lived a very messy life for a while. I thought I had gone mad. That was until I met Do Yun-hyeok again.

‘Is Seong Hae-min waiting until after the college entrance exams to meet Lee Beom out of consideration? If not…’

He might think it’s better to remain strangers.

It could be an event where I’m satisfied with confirming that a person named Lee Beom exists in reality and then move on cleanly. Like a supporting male lead who is satisfied after confirming the happiness and well-being of the female protagonist and then turns away.

Is Seong Hae-min hoping for that?

Just then, a KakaoTalk notification popped up cheerfully on my phone screen, which had been black. It was a message from Do Yun-hyeok asking if I was asleep. I wanted to reply, but I didn’t have the strength to move a finger.

As I lay there, the alarm window that had flashed on the black screen slowly faded away as if melting. Drowsiness began to creep in.

‘Ah… I don’t know.’

My drowsy thoughts gradually ceased.

I’ll think about this problem later… or I’ll leave it to Seong Hae-min.

I got up sluggishly, turned off the light in the room, and tried to sleep. But even before I fell asleep, Seong Hae-min’s words echoed in my mind like an echo.

Is that really a good thing for Lee Beom?

❖ ❖ ❖

A few days later, I met Min Si-hu after he returned to Seoul from the residential mentoring program.

Min Si-hu’s face was glowing like a peeled egg, as if he had been well-cared for. Min Si-hu himself said it was because the mentoring program he had prepared for so intensely had ended without any issues.

“Oh, right. I’m meeting Lee Beom.”

“What?”

Min Si-hu let the words slip out. The topic hadn’t surfaced since they hung up the phone that day until Min Si-hu returned to Seoul, but Seong Hae-min stared silently at Min Si-hu, who had abruptly brought up the main point. Receiving the obvious gaze, Min Si-hu waved his hands as if he were someone whose feet were tingling.

“For the record, I didn’t suggest meeting. I didn’t say much to him over there either!”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Weren’t you cursing me with your eyes?”

“No.”

“Really?”

Min Si-hu, now meek again, speared a piece of cake with his fork and began his explanation.

“Anyway, I didn’t propose it. I got contacted by Lee Beom asking if I could give him some college admissions counseling.”

He explained that Lee Beom, a high school senior, would be coming to Seoul soon and wanted to get admissions counseling from Min Si-hu, and also wanted to meet him for other reasons. After finishing his explanation, Min Si-hu tilted his head and asked,

“Want to go together?”

Before I knew it, I found myself glancing at Seong Hae-min.

Seong Hae-min was scratching his brow, his face etched with worry. He sighed, relaxing his body, and mumbled,

“It’s not that I don’t want to meet Lee Beom.”

“Then?”

“……”

Seong Hae-min fell silent at the pure question. Min Si-hu’s eyes widened in confusion, tilting his head.

“What’s up?”

I sat in the middle, pretending not to know, crumpling a tissue and staying quiet.

I was terrible in this kind of atmosphere. I didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t think I’d be helpful by butting in. I just watched the two of them, who had been friends for a long time, from the corner of my eye.

“You want to meet Lee Beom?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re acting like this?”

“It’s just that now doesn’t seem like a good time. Even if we meet after the college entrance exams…”

“Lee Beom wants to meet now?”

“He wanted to see you. We’re strangers.”

“He’s asking for college admissions counseling? I came here for college practicals! I know nothing about liberal arts admissions! I have nothing to say for counseling! Can’t I bring people I need for counseling?”

“……”

It looked like a vein was about to pop on Seong Hae-min’s forehead. He was cursing with his face. It was understandable, seeing Min Si-hu’s constant prodding. Seong Hae-min took a sip of his drink to calm himself.

“Why would Lee Beom ask someone like you, who knows nothing, for counseling?”

“Well.”

Min Si-hu pointed to his own face with his thumb and exclaimed confidently.

“Because I’m a respectable figure!”

“……”

“……”

“Just kidding. I don’t know about that either. Maybe he’s just curious about a celebrity he only saw on TV? A lot of people wanted to get my number because they were curious about that.”

I brushed aside Min Si-hu’s words, which were still full of self-praise even at a time like this.

The reason Min Si-hu suddenly asked for admissions counseling…

‘Could it be?’

I carefully interjected and asked,

“Did he ask to meet because something reminded him of us?”

“Is that so?”

“Like, subconsciously, he felt familiar with you.”

“Hmm… I didn’t really get that vibe.”

Min Si-hu tilted his head as if from a novel.

Seong Hae-min rubbed his chin. His eyes showed that meeting Lee Beom wasn’t going to be smooth. As I, judging that we should refuse this meeting, was about to decline Min Si-hu’s suggestion, Min Si-hu called out to Seong Hae-min.

“So, we shouldn’t go this time…”

“Seong Hae-min.”

“Why.”

Min Si-hu, who had been tapping the table, turned serious and asked,

“Are you scared?”

I looked at Min Si-hu with disbelief.

Is he provoking me with ‘Are you chicken?’ right now?

But Seong Hae-min, who I expected to brush it off casually as usual, didn’t reply. I thought he was just ignoring it, but looking at his face, that wasn’t the case. I expected him to scoff and dismiss it, but his eyes were trembling.

“……”

In this situation, silence was no different from affirmation.

‘Huh?’

My mouth went dry in surprise. Min Si-hu let out a hollow laugh and leaned back in his chair. I always thought their genre was sitcom, but was it actually a suspense drama with a twist? What’s happening all of a sudden?

“Actually…”

Seong Hae-min’s sincere words cut through the air softly.

“He might regret remembering us.”

Although it was a setting from a novel, Seong Hae-min was closer to Lee Beom than anyone. In the novel’s world, Lee Beom joined the delinquents to help his friend Seong Hae-min. In the original work, they even had a friendship that didn’t break even when they liked the same person simultaneously.

However, the character relationships in the novel were just given values as settings.

Just as the real Seong Hae-min was different from the novel’s Seong Hae-min, the real Lee Beom would undoubtedly be different from the novel’s Lee Beom. Since I and Min Si-hu already had connections with Seong Hae-min in reality, we could continue our relationships as they were, but it was uncertain for other characters. We knew nothing about what kind of person the real Lee Beom was.

‘I see…’

Seong Hae-min was afraid of that. That’s why, despite wanting to meet him again until now, he was backing out when the opportunity to meet him was right in front of him.

“Did you regret it?”

“I…”

Seong Hae-min’s gaze, which flickered to me as he spoke, made my eyes widen. Seong Hae-min slowly shook his head.

“No. I didn’t.”

“Then? You don’t trust Lee Beom?”

“Yes.”

“……”

“Reality is different from novels. It’s uncertain.”

Seong Hae-min mumbled as if making an excuse and turned his head. Min Si-hu scratched his head and let out a deep sigh. But since it seemed like a difficult emotion for Seong Hae-min himself, I couldn’t say anything.

Min Si-hu clasped his hands behind his neck and looked at the ceiling with a clueless expression. His eyebrows, raised like a cartoon character begging, drooped at the ends.

“I enjoyed the novel world, so I wanted to play together again as friends. But if that’s how you feel, I can’t help it.”

Min Si-hu wrinkled his nose and fell into thought. The one who had been tapping his foot said,

“Then let’s think of it as a ‘What if’ game.”

“Huh?”

A question mark appeared above my head at the sudden suggestion. Min Si-hu remained steadfast.

“Yes, a ‘What if’ game. What if we met Lee Beom? But he didn’t know anything and asked to meet us, and he doesn’t remember us. What would you do then?”

“I’d have a normal conversation and leave.”

“We’d form a new relationship.”

Seong Hae-min and I answered respectively. Min Si-hu then posed the second question.

“Then, what if Lee Beom remembered something and asked to meet us? What if he remembers meeting us? And what if he really likes and is happy about remembering?”

“It’s not the right time? I’d push him to put it aside and focus on preparing for the college entrance exams.”

Min Si-hu shot me a sharp look at my harsh answer.

LMO Side Story 5

“Seong Hae-min, what about you?”

“If Lee Beom welcomes us… I’d like that. It’s the most ideal, isn’t it? To be like we used to be, to keep in touch.”

“Then, finally. What if Lee Beom regrets remembering us?”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“We have to make sure he doesn’t regret it.”

At Min Si-hu’s final question, Seong Hae-min and I answered almost simultaneously. My clear voice overlapped with his hesitant one. We looked at each other. Seong Hae-min’s dilated pupils were filled with surprise.

Suddenly, I felt this situation was very familiar.

I was the one who said I was scared and wanted to stop, running away. The one who declared he would make sure there were no regrets was Do Yun-hyeok.

‘Ah. I just said something like Do Yun-hyeok…’

Without realizing it, it had permeated deep into my life. My heart pounded with an emotion unfitting for the situation.

“Make sure he doesn’t regret it…”

Seong Hae-min’s lips moved.

‘Was this how Do Yun-hyeok felt when he looked at me?’

As I met his gaze, which seemed to have heard something unexpected, I wanted to reach out to Seong Hae-min this time. Just as I had learned from Do Yun-hyeok. And just as it had been a great comfort to me.

I suddenly missed Do Yun-hyeok terribly. Right now.

What would change if we didn’t see each other for a few weeks? We’d still call and text. What did it matter if I didn’t see his face for a bit? I thought it would be nothing. That’s why when Do Yun-hyeok kept asking if I was okay and apologizing right before he left for his trip, I wondered if it was really that big of a deal.

I had been overconfident.

No, I hadn’t properly grasped it.

The profound influence Do Yun-hyeok had on me, my feelings for Do Yun-hyeok.

Min Si-hu, who had been watching us intently, smiled slightly with his eyes. He looked pleased. Min Si-hu gently persuaded Seong Hae-min.

“But I barely know anything about liberal arts admissions, so we really need your technical expertise.”

“……”

“Isn’t it okay to meet him once?”

“……”

“We have to see him once.”

Seong Hae-min, who seemed to hesitate for a long time while looking at me, finally nodded slowly. Min Si-hu seized the moment and sealed the deal.

“Then, we’re going together!”

In the end, we decided to accompany them to meet Lee Beom.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Hello.”

[What did you do today?]

A low, soft voice flowed through the phone speaker. Just a phone call, but the fatigue from meeting Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min earlier that day seemed to melt away instantly.

“Thinking of you.”

Normally, I would have recounted my day chronologically, like waking up at a certain time and eating… but today, a mischievous streak came over me, and I answered teasingly.

But it wasn’t an exaggeration or flattery. I had truly felt anew today how Do Yun-hyeok permeated every corner of my life and thoughts.

[Me too.]

“You too? Thinking of yourself?”

[No. I was thinking of Seong Hae-jun.]

“Ahem.”

I tried to brush it off with a sly tone, but Do Yun-hyeok pointed it out directly without a hint of shame. I coughed loudly and pretended not to hear.

I wanted to see him embarrassed, but I was the one feeling shy. I couldn’t win against him.

It had already been over two weeks since we last met because of Do Yun-hyeok’s family trip. Although I received photos he sent every day, seeing him in pictures was different from meeting him in person.

He had said it was a big trip, planned long ago for when he became an adult, but the time apart felt agonizingly long. I even felt annoyed at Do Yun-hyeok, smiling brightly through the phone screen, and playfully hit him. My finger just hurt against the hard screen.

Adjusting the phone to my ear, I sat at my desk and took out the desk calendar. I roughly estimated the time until the marked date. It was still more than a week before Do Yun-hyeok would return.

While looking at the schedule on the calendar, I told Do Yun-hyeok about the conversation we had earlier that day and the news that I would be meeting Lee Beom soon with Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min.

“…So that’s how I ended up meeting Lee Beom.”

[I see.]

“Yeah.”

I fiddled with the worn corner of the calendar. Hesitating whether to say it or not, I opened my mouth.

“I learned a lot from you.”

[……]

“Thank you.”

My tongue felt stiff from the embarrassing words, but thankfully, I managed to finish speaking.

After parting ways with Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu, I thought about it the whole time. What would my life be like without Do Yun-hyeok?

Although I wasn’t fond of Min Si-hu’s “What if” games, after realizing anew how profoundly Do Yun-hyeok had influenced my life, I began to reflect seriously.

What if he hadn’t recognized me?

What if there was no one to tell me that my feelings for you weren’t crazy?

What if Do Yun-hyeok, who acknowledged my true feelings regardless of whether the novel world was real or not, wasn’t there…

I didn’t need to imagine for long. My future was dark. The “What if” scenarios couldn’t continue. The fact that Do Yun-hyeok remembered me, sought me out, and gave me comfort was a clearly established fact.

I was incredibly fortunate and grateful for that. I clenched my fist against my pounding heart.

[…I miss you.]

Do Yun-hyeok whispered.

‘Me too.’

I wanted to answer like that, but the two-syllable word got stuck in my throat and wouldn’t come out. Do Yun-hyeok continued to whisper slowly.

I miss you, I really miss you… After dozens of whispers, close to confessions, I finally managed to respond.

“I… cough, I miss you too.”

[Haha.]

Do Yun-hyeok didn’t miss even the single word I mumbled like I was talking to myself. I heard him laugh softly through the phone. My heart fluttered.

At this rate, I might explode from embarrassment. To cool myself down, I coughed and asked a random question to change the subject.

“Hmm. Anyway, Do Yun-hyeok.”

[Yes, Hae-jun.]

“Have you… ever thought it would be better if you didn’t remember what happened in the novel?”

[Never.]

The answer came back instantly, as if the question was absurd.

[Never.]

“……”

[Not for a single moment.]

The answer was repeated and further emphasized. Hearing his low, firm conviction made my fingertips tingle. I rubbed my thumb and index finger together like a hamster grinding its teeth. The back of my neck felt hot.

Sensing that Do Yun-hyeok was loading up another embarrassing line, I blurted out, trying to give him no room to speak,

“Um, well, there were bad memories too, right? Like…”

[Even so, it doesn’t compare to you.]

It was a definitive statement, like cutting through with a knife. With such a firm response, I had nothing more to say. Because he answered so immediately, it felt like the situation had become one where I brought it up wanting to hear the childish phrase that I was his favorite.

That wasn’t my intention at all. I felt awkward. Do Yun-hyeok seemed to feel the same, as I heard him stifle a laugh through the phone. I coughed and quickly clarified,

“Ahem, I asked because of what Seong Hae-min said. I had no other intentions.”

[Yes. I’m sure.]

“……”

I felt a surge of emotion at his teasing tone, as if he knew everything but was letting it slide, but I realized I had spoken in a way that could be misunderstood, so I shut my mouth. Explaining further here would only make me seem more suspicious.

“Hmm. It’s hot. I’m going to move seats.”

After clearing my throat and shifting my posture, I suddenly felt the room was stuffy and hot, so I got up.

I opened the window wide and went out into the living room. To avoid waking my parents, who were sleeping in their room, I quietly opened the balcony door and stepped outside.

The sky was dark. Only faint lights, perhaps from satellites or stars, twinkled, otherwise, it was quiet and still. The bright streetlights on the ground faintly illuminated the sky.

I looked up at the night sky. Above the stars adorning the dark sky, their faces appeared. Seong Hae-min, Min Si-hu, Lee Beom, Jeon Jae-hyung…

I rambled to the person on the phone in a calm, settled voice.

“But surely, Lee Beom and the others might not want to remember the novel.”

That was the blind spot. Until they remembered the novel, they wouldn’t know if they wanted to remember it or not.

Do Yun-hyeok, who had been listening quietly to my rambling, spoke.

[So what.]

“Huh?”

[It’s like you said now.]

His kind and firm voice crossed the speaker.

[Either way, we have to make the best of it. Whether Lee Beom remembers or not, whether he likes that memory or not…]

“……”

Every piece of advice that passed by was imbued with the essence of Do Yun-hyeok.

Is that why you didn’t allow even a moment’s delay and searched for me? If I asked that, Do Yun-hyeok would answer yes again.

I readjusted the hot phone. The phone charm, clumsily attached to the corner of the phone case, jingled like a landscape.

The voice from the past, saying he would make me like him even at the cost of his life, clearly came to mind.

“Yes, that’s right…”

I mumbled.

A slightly humid but cool breeze brushed past my hot earlobes. Even though it was summer, it wasn’t a heatwave yet, so the nights were cool. It was perfect weather to stand in the breeze.

“There are still many people I haven’t met, so I can’t keep doing this every time.”

LMO Side Story 6

If we weren’t going to bury the novel as if it never happened, there was no reason to hesitate. Even if we met Lee Beom, there were still many people we hadn’t seen. Jeon Jae-hyung, Ban Pyo-ran, Ban Seo-yi.

We couldn’t constantly worry and agonize over whether they would welcome or reject the memories of the novel.

Do Yun-hyeok chuckled softly.

[I guess I won’t be bored.]

“I guess so.”

A soft laugh escaped me, and my tension loosened. It was strange. Why did Do Yun-hyeok’s words make me feel so at ease?

‘Is this the original?’

My worries felt trivial, and I felt a sense of freedom. Gratitude and a fluttering heart for Do Yun-hyeok rushed in like the wind, filling the space where tension had been.

[Seong Hae-min must have a lot on his mind too.]

“He’s always been a worrier.”

[Still, he wouldn’t be worried because he didn’t want to regain his memories.]

“How did you know?”

[Of course, that’s why. Because he met you.]

“Ah, dammit.”

[Hahaha.]

My fingers curled up at the sudden, unblinking remark. Do Yun-hyeok burst into laughter at my disgusted reaction. I knew I’d been tricked again.

Do Yun-hyeok would throw out cheesy lines without a hint of embarrassment. How many times had I fallen for it today alone! No matter how often I heard it, I couldn’t build up immunity. It felt like he deliberately said more cringe-worthy things because my flustered reactions amused him.

“What would you do?”

[Me?]

“Have you ever wanted to meet a friend from a novel again? Ban Seo-yi….”

[Hmm, of course, I’m curious.]

“What if Ban Seo-yi doesn’t remember you at all?”

[Well…….]

I could hear Do Yun-hyeok pondering for a long time over the mobile phone. Gazing up at the night sky, I also drifted into thoughts of Ban Seo-yi.

The encounter where Do Yun-hyeok confessed to me in the middle of the street, saving me; the texts we exchanged while laughing at the Four Heavenly Kings’ boasts; our secret meeting at the amusement park; and the moment I watched a bleeding Do Yun-hyeok, feeling helpless as he was subdued, only for him to appear like a hero, spraying a fire extinguisher from behind the building…….

Do Yun-hyeok’s answer, which he finally managed to give, was surprisingly lukewarm.

[I don’t think I’ll be able to meet Ban Seo-yi, so it’s hard to imagine.]

“…Why?”

I wasn’t really asking out of curiosity. Even as I asked, I knew the answer. Do Yun-hyeok also knew that I asked despite knowing.

Ban Seo-yi didn’t know about the existence of the ‘real world.’ That alone was enough of a clue. Ban Seo-yi was a character within the novel, endlessly repeating its narrative.

Late at night, only the steady sound of breathing filled the silence. My heart, which had been beating sadly, gradually slowed.

I… missed Do Yun-hyeok.

If we had been facing each other, we would have surely hugged when this conversation came up.

Being unable to see him before my eyes, only hearing his breathing, was lonelier than I had imagined.

[It’s dawn in Korea. It’s late today, so….]

“Yeah….”

Do Yun-hyeok changed the subject. Without needing him to say it, I felt his emotions and silently agreed.

Perhaps it was because we had spent so much time together during the semester. Today, Do Yun-hyeok’s absence felt particularly profound. We had indeed been too inseparable….

Still, I felt too shy to say I missed him, so I grumbled, telling him to send more travel photos, pretending to be petulant. He was already sending them every single day, but I was just being childish.

[Next time, let’s definitely go on a trip together.]

“Okay.”

Do Yun-hyeok smiled faintly and promised a future meeting. I quickly shortlisted a few travel destinations in my head, estimated the budget, and replied that I understood.

After ending the call, I tiptoed back into my room, closed the open window, and tidied up my sleeping area. Before turning off the light and lying down, I picked up the desk calendar again and checked the date.

I gently picked up the calendar and touched the marked day with my lips before pulling away.

I missed Do Yun-hyeok.

❖ ❖ ❖

As soon as the cafe door opened, three pairs of eyes darted towards the entrance. The person who entered this time was a common university student with a haggard face, carrying a laptop. Seeing that it wasn’t Lee Beom, their eyes quickly returned to their original positions.

Soft music played inside the spacious and comfortable franchise cafe. At other tables, people were engrossed in their own tasks, enveloped by the music. However, the atmosphere at our table was anything but that.

Sitting blankly, we nervously flinched every time the cafe door opened, our eyes scanning the person entering.

Just as we were about to relax, the heavy cafe door opened again, and I sensed someone entering. My eyes shot over again.

Despite repeatedly being disappointed, I felt tense. I clenched my fists and narrowed my eyes.

A familiar silhouette was entering the cafe.

‘He’s here…!’

Min Si-hu mouthed something, but I recognized him before I could hear his reaction. Min Si-hu’s words weren’t an exaggeration when he said he could spot Lee Beom from afar, even when standing on a stage looking down at a hall full of students. It was a strange experience, like being drawn by a magnet, my gaze pulled towards him.

Lee Beom, clutching the strap of his messenger bag, entered the cafe, looking around. Min Si-hu waved enthusiastically. Spotting us, Lee Beom nodded slightly in greeting.

“Beom-ah!”

“Hello, Teacher.”

“You found us well. Should I have come to pick you up?”

“No. I found it quickly.”

Lee Beom, when he spoke, had a much more ordinary demeanor than I had imagined. Was it because he politely called us ‘Teacher’ and used formal language? However, unlike Min Si-hu, who was boisterous from our first meeting, Lee Beom was calm, making him seem similar to his reserved and taciturn portrayal in the novel.

Just as Min Si-hu had said, he didn’t remember us at all. It wasn’t something to be upset about. Perhaps I had developed a tolerance from Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu’s previous experiences.

“These are the teachers who said they’d come today. You remember, right? Friends who took the liberal arts entrance exams are coming to help.”

Min Si-hu, taking on an awkward teacher-like role, made me roll my eyes.

“Hello.”

“Hello.”

After greeting Min Si-hu, Lee Beom then bowed to me and Seong Hae-min, who were sitting opposite him. Seong Hae-min politely returned the greeting in formal speech.

“Please speak casually.”

“No, no. It’s fine. I’m more comfortable with formal speech.”

Seong Hae-min’s gentle smile was unreadable; was he setting boundaries or being considerate? He seemed stiff with tension. I, too, felt awkward, as if I had a mouthful of honey.

“Uh, hi.”

“Hello.”

After exchanging greetings, Lee Beom sat down quietly next to Min Si-hu. We couldn’t take our eyes off him as he took off his bag and placed it on the floor.

“So… you’re a high school student?”

I swallowed and asked. Min Si-hu, sitting beside him, looked triumphant. I didn’t know why Min Si-hu’s shoulders puffed up when Lee Beom was the one asked.

“Yes.”

“19 years old?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

Lee Beom looked puzzled. I stammered, feeling like a thief caught red-handed.

“No, um, of course, it’s real, but…”

“…Do I not look my age to that extent? Many people tend to see me as older than I actually am.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

I waved my hand apologetically, feeling bad for making him seem like an old man when he was young. I just couldn’t believe Lee Beom was a high school student, even seeing him with my own eyes!

Lee Beom’s appearance was far from looking old. His eyes, nose, mouth, and cheeks were youthful, and to us, who only remembered his stoic face, his expression with a sheepish smile was unfamiliar and surprisingly young.

“First, shall we order drinks? The teacher will treat you. Hard-working students preparing for exams deserve to be treated!”

Min Si-hu, sensing the mood, changed the subject and led Lee Beom to the counter.

Seong Hae-min and I, left at the table, finally breathed a sigh of relief. We looked at each other and whispered.

“His face is definitely Lee Beom.”

“Yes, though his personality is a bit different.”

“To speak so politely with that face. It’s creepy.”

“He doesn’t remember us….”

Seong Hae-min murmured. I nodded in agreement. Lee Beom’s pure and bright eyes showed no ulterior motives.

There was no reason for him to pretend not to remember, nor did he seem to be acting. Just as Min Si-hu had said, he seemed to have no memory of the novel at all. Lee Beom was an ordinary and calm student.

“It’s probably for the best.”

Considering he was a student preparing for exams, it was better for him not to remember.

“For the best….”

Seong Hae-min nodded bitterly.

“Yes, it’s for the best.”

“If he remembered the novel, would his personality go back to being broken?”

“He was taciturn, but was he broken?”

“Don’t you remember? When we went to the karaoke room.”

“Karaoke room? Ah.”

“Why, back then, to Ban Pyo-ran…”

We quickly shut up as we sensed them returning, having been whispering. We straightened our bodies and smiled awkwardly.

LMO Side Story 7

After Min Si-hu, acting as a mentor, bought Lee Beom drinks, we officially began our academic consultation. If Lee Beom hadn’t recognized Min Si-hu and remembered the novel, his purpose for wanting to meet Min Si-hu would be…

“Haha… So, um. How is your studying going?”

“With the Suneung just 100 days away, I find myself easily distracted.”

“That’s a common time for that.”

“Right. I was like that too.”

The consultation proceeded very constructively. We calmly continued with just study advice.

Lee Beom apparently had no particular interest in academics until his second year of high school. He only took a few essay classes out of politeness. He played games and hung out normally, but he decided to buckle down when he entered his third year of high school.

“I know it’s already late to start, but….”

A sense of unease could be felt on Lee Beom’s face as he trailed off.

“No. It doesn’t matter whether it’s late at this point.”

Seong Hae-min shook his head firmly.

“Don’t look back at the time that has passed. What matters is how much you can do from now on.”

Seong Hae-min calmly reassured the anxious Lee Beom.

He explained that no matter how much the college entrance landscape changed each year, the most stable path was ultimately through regular admissions. Since he couldn’t change his GPA now, nor could he control the difficulty of the Suneung, all a student preparing for exams could do was their best right now.

‘He’s so eloquent.’

Unexpectedly, Seong Hae-min was the one giving the best advice among us.

“Do you have a target university?”

“Ah, no. Just the highest school I can get into…”

“What are your grades like? Your scores from the March, June, and July mock exams, and even private mock exams, are fine.”

“Ah, first, for Korean language…”

“……”

The one we expected to be quietest was now talking the most, leaving Min Si-hu and me to just watch.

Putting aside the fact that we were having a realistic college entrance consultation with Lee Beom, whom I knew from the novel, I actually didn’t have much to say. Not only was I bad at offering comfort, but our preparation paths for college were completely different.

I was admitted to university by meticulously preparing my extracurricular activities record and personal statement from the moment I entered high school, so I had little expertise to offer on questions focused on regular admissions. Especially since personal statements are being abolished from university admissions starting this year!

Min Si-hu was in a similar situation. Although his department was switching to full regular admissions from the next academic year, he had gotten in through a practical skills exam, so he didn’t seem to know much about admissions through the Suneung.

‘What are they doing?’

Min Si-hu leaned back slightly and gestured with his finger towards Seong Hae-min and Lee Beom, who were engrossed in conversation, mouthing silently. I just shrugged.

“Realistically, is a Grade 1 possible?”

“Well, I’d need to know your weak points to say. Honestly, I think realistic mind control is more important than setting unrealistic goals right now. It’s a short time, but maintaining a state of concentrated effort for over a hundred days every day is incredibly difficult. Thinking you can use 100% of your energy every day is actually closer to an illusion. Not only is it impossible, but even if you managed it, it could still depend on luck on the day of the Suneung.”

“Yes, that’s true……”

“Then shall we go over each subject? How are you studying Korean?”

Seong Hae-min gave Lee Beom detailed and friendly advice for each subject. Min Si-hu and I quietly rolled our eyes.

Lee Beom nodded seriously. It seemed that Lee Beom, who had been studying moderately until now, felt overwhelmed by facing the Suneung alone. College admissions were a battle against the admission system, but also a battle against oneself.

“Looking at the increase in your scores from the March, June, and July mock exams overall, you seem to have a solid foundation. So, it’s good to maintain your feel by consistently solving problems.”

‘How did he prepare so well?’

Seong Hae-min was like a college admissions strategy expert. I had also prepared for the Suneung to some extent, but Seong Hae-min explained it so well that there was no room for me to step in. I just added a few words from the side.

“Right, maintaining feel. It’s important.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Lee Beom mentioned that grammar was difficult. If grammar is your weak point, it’s actually an area where you have more room to improve your grade. It’s an area that’s advantageous for raising scores in a short period, so don’t worry too much.”

“Do you recommend any workbooks?”

“Ah, workbooks. The quality of the problems is also important. For Korean language, first…”

Hearing Min Si-hu’s question, Seong Hae-min, as if he had been waiting, started listing workbooks. Lee Beom waited patiently and politely. I stared intently at Lee Beom, who was focused on Seong Hae-min, my face flushing slightly.

Beneath his gently blinking eyelids, his lustrous, jet-black pupils stood out. His eyes, like inlaid marbles, sparkled with calmness.

Perhaps it was because he was asking for advice on something we had already gone through, but even though he was only a year younger, did he feel this young?

‘If you were to be precise, his appearance is more mature than in the novel…….’

Come to think of it, everyone’s appearance was more mature than in the novel. Though, there wasn’t a huge difference.

Now that they were older than the novel’s setting, it was natural. Come to think of it, I became curious about what they looked like in high school, which I hadn’t seen.

“Um, excuse me.”

Lee Beom, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke. Startled, I exchanged glances with Min Si-hu, who was sitting opposite me. Could it be?

‘Could it be, he’s remembered something about the novel?’

Lee Beom looked directly at me and opened his mouth.

“Is there something on my face?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been staring for a while…”

I must have shown it too much. Flustered by the unexpected remark, I quickly composed myself and blurted out nonsense.

“Ah, no! It’s just! Your face! It’s really handsome!”

“Ah, thank you.”

Perhaps it was a compliment he’d heard often, Lee Beom nodded habitually.

“You’re even more handsome, Teacher.”

“Oh? Th-thank you.”

The compliment, returned to me so naturally as if we were exchanging favors, made my lips twitch. Min Si-hu, sitting opposite, his face bright red, struggled to suppress his laughter, finding my flustered state apparently hilarious.

I noticed the tips of Lee Beom’s ears turning reddish. Being sandwiched between three unfamiliar university student mentors, he seemed unable to easily relax. And then I stared at him, which must have been quite embarrassing.

‘But, come to think of it…….’

Looking at Lee Beom, who had bowed his head, a memory buried deep within me surfaced.

-It’s because of you.

-My heart is broken.

His reddened ears, his eyebrows twitching as he grumbled shyly and averted his gaze.

‘Lee Beom… In the novel, he confessed he liked me, didn’t he?’

I had completely forgotten!

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

Come to think of it, wasn’t I the one who should stop Lee Beom from remembering the novel?

I steadied my wavering gaze. No, he might have thought differently about his novel self and his real self, like Min Si-hu.

Thinking that his confession in the novel would still hold true was just my overinflated ego.

“H-haha.”

Trying my best to think positively, I maintained an awkward smile.

Seong Hae-min, who had been watching us with a peculiar expression, pushed a memo pad with a list of practice books towards Lee Beom and spoke. The click of the pen cap closing was crisp.

“But you’re really handsome. I thought you were an idol.”

“Thank you.”

“You must be popular at school.”

“Ah, no.”

“Really? That’s surprising.”

Seong Hae-min, after exchanging retorts with Lee Beom, smiled faintly like a machine.

“You mentioned earlier that you decided to study hard when you became a third-year student.”

“Yes.”

“Is there a specific reason why you started studying diligently? Was it just because you felt the reality of being a third-year student? Did things like the college entrance exam or your future career start to feel important?”

As if he had expected the question, Lee Beom scratched the back of his head sheepishly. His slightly furrowed brow showed a rare hint of shyness.

“It’s a bit difficult to explain, but one day, the thought just suddenly struck me.”

“Suddenly one day?”

“Yes. Um…”

Lee Beom stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment. Three pairs of eyes turned towards his pensive face.

“Like, a divine possession?”

“Divine possession?”

“Yes. There wasn’t any particular trigger. But suddenly, I felt an intense sense of urgency. Like, ‘Ah, no matter what, I have to get good grades and go to a good university.’… That kind of feeling?”

“……”

“……”

Silence enveloped the table.

Perhaps feeling that what he said sounded like nonsense, Lee Beom laughed, tidying his disheveled hair.

LMO Side Story 8

We exchanged glances in silence.

If an ordinary person had said that, we would have dismissed it as them getting serious, but it was different when Lee Beom said it.

‘The first day of the new semester.’

For us, the first day of school was not an ordinary day.

That was the day I returned to reality, and the day Do Yun-hyeok began to keenly feel a strange sense of loss. It was also the day Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min, recalling memories from the novel, looked back and thought, ‘Come to think of it, that was strange.’

Therefore, Lee Beom’s sudden decision to study hard might have been influenced by the novel’s world. What manifested as déjà vu for us might have appeared in a different form for Lee Beom…

As we remained silent, Lee Beom added a sheepish explanation.

“I guess I just had that thought suddenly because it was the first day of the new semester. Many people asked me why I suddenly became serious, and when I said the thought just struck me, everyone said it was about time I got my act together.”

“It’s beneficial to get serious before it’s too late.”

“R-right. It’s a good time to start studying.”

“Exactly, even friends who were straying start studying then. Anyway… do you have any other questions? Did we cover everything?”

Min Si-hu chuckled playfully, smoothing over the potentially awkward atmosphere. I nodded in agreement. Seong Hae-min quickly lowered his gaze, trying to hide his flustered expression.

We had a few more conversations with Lee Beom. After Seong Hae-min finished his remaining advice on study methods, the atmosphere naturally shifted towards parting.

Lee Beom, who had been listening intently to Seong Hae-min’s advice, couldn’t hide his disappointment that the meeting was ending.

“Um… if it’s not too much trouble, can I keep in touch even after the college entrance exams are over?”

“Of course! You can contact us anytime.”

Min Si-hu, ever the good-natured one, nodded at Lee Beom’s words. There was no time to exchange glances.

Seeing Min Si-hu so excited, Seong Hae-min sighed, resigned. Judging by his demeanor, Seong Hae-min had intended to maintain a certain distance, but it was too late to say no.

“Thank you.”

Lee Beom’s face brightened after receiving confirmation, and he smiled radiantly. That unfamiliar expression was quite fascinating.

And so, we returned to our respective homes without much further conversation. It was an anticlimactic and hollow farewell.

Since Lee Beom hadn’t seemed to recall anything about the novel until the end, our worries about ‘what if Lee Beom called us because he knew about the novel?’ or ‘what if he hated us after remembering the novel?’ turned out to be unfounded.

‘Will there ever be a day when Lee Beom remembers the novel?’

Even if he didn’t remember today, it was possible that he might if we continued to meet.

Whether that would be good for Lee Beom or not, we couldn’t tell.

Still, since he seemed to think positively of us in reality, it seemed Seong Hae-min’s worries wouldn’t come to pass. He didn’t seem like the type to cut ties or reject someone just because they remembered things from the novel.

Of course, whether that would be good for me, I still didn’t know.

‘Feelings from the novel don’t necessarily carry over to reality… so it should be fine?’

Even if Lee Beom liked me in the novel, this was reality, not a novel. Lee Beom, starting with his personality, was different from his novel counterpart in many ways.

There was no need to worry about things that weren’t certain to happen.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Hae-jun!”

My heart pounded powerfully at the sight of a familiar face after so long. Do Yun-hyeok greeted me with a wide smile. The trip seemed to have suited him well; Do Yun-hyeok, slightly tanned, looked even more dashing.

Do Yun-hyeok and I shared a warm embrace. Even with just a brief touch, I felt an astonishing sense of relaxation in mind and body.

I tried to let go after a short hug, but Do Yun-hyeok tightened his grip on my arms before releasing me. I playfully tapped his arm.

Perhaps it was because we hadn’t been apart for this long since I returned to reality, but I was overjoyed to see his face again. We went to a cafe first and settled in. There was so much to talk about after not seeing each other for so long.

Do Yun-hyeok, who had been on a family trip abroad, brought out a pile of gifts he had bought for me. From snacks to souvenirs and practical household items.

It was too much to unpack one by one right there. I decided to open them later at home and carefully set the gifts aside.

“How was your trip?”

I couldn’t help but ask about his trip, seeing his face after so long. I hadn’t had any significant overseas travel experience myself. My situation was different from Do Yun-hyeok’s, who had apparently gone on family trips quite frequently.

“I wished I could have gone with you.”

“No, about the trip. Was there anything fun or delicious?”

“I thought of you no matter what I saw.”

‘He’s teasing me again with his sweet talk,’ I thought, chuckling as I looked at Do Yun-hyeok, but his expression was surprisingly serious.

“I wanted to show you the beautiful scenery, I wondered what your review would be after seeing a performance, and when I ate something delicious, I wanted to bring it back for you to eat. I could buy you snacks, but I couldn’t bring back an entire meal.”

“That’s disrespectful to the person you went with.”

“That’s why I felt so sorry. But what could I do when the thoughts came to me uncontrollably?”

Do Yun-hyeok held his clasped hands near his mouth, wearing a seemingly serious expression. It was hard to tell where the joke ended and the sincerity began. Knowing Do Yun-hyeok, it could all be sincere…

“We can just go on a trip together then.”

I replied casually, subtly avoiding his gaze. To shake off my embarrassment, I mentally ran through the estimates for the travel destinations I had thought of during our last call.

“But if we’re going on a trip, we need to plan in advance. First, where are we going? Which continent, region, or country? Which city will we stay in? What will be the main focus, for example, civilization and culture, or relaxation in nature? How long will the trip be? These things need to be decided.”

I took out the tablet PC I always carried. I opened the memo app and started listing the potential travel destinations I had already thought of right after our last phone call.

For common destinations, there were neighboring countries like Japan, Taiwan, and China, then Southeast Asia, Oceania, and further afield, Europe, North America, or island resorts like the Maldives, Guam, or Hawaii…

“The required budget varies depending on the location and duration, and even the details change the budget, so to secure the finances…”

I lowered my voice when I belatedly realized Do Yun-hyeok was staring intently at me as I spoke passionately.

Do Yun-hyeok was watching me with a pleased smile. It was like a parent watching their child perform in a talent show, feeling proud.

“…Why?”

I asked hesitantly, feeling inexplicably shy. Do Yun-hyeok smiled faintly.

“This is why I like you.”

“Suddenly?”

“No. Always.”

“……”

He was an expert at leaving me speechless.

“By the way.”

Do Yun-hyeok subtly pushed aside the checklist I was writing on and leaned his face closer. His smiling, handsome face was uncomfortably close. I pushed his shoulder and leaned back.

“How did your meeting with Lee Beom go?”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, I had only said I would tell him what happened with Do Yun-hyeok and hadn’t actually told him yet.

“He didn’t remember anything. Nothing particularly unusual happened, but there was a strange detail. Lee Beom wasn’t interested in studying before, but he said he suddenly decided he needed to study when he became a third-year. That’s normal so far, right? But he specifically mentioned that the day he had that thought was the first day of the new semester.”

“The first day of the new semester, you say…”

“Yeah. He doesn’t know it yet, but it seems related to the time I returned to reality. The expression Lee Beom used was funny, what was it again?”

I pondered Lee Beom’s words.

“Right, divine possession.”

“Divine possession?”

“Yeah. People don’t usually describe suddenly deciding to study with such intensity.”

“Does that mean he’ll remember everything soon?”

“But there were no other signs besides that.”

“Hmm… What will happen if Lee Beom remembers?”

Do Yun-hyeok muttered to himself, rubbing his chin.

“He’s not going to confess to you again, is he?”

“What? Did I tell you Lee Beom confessed to me?”

“So he did.”

“Ah, no. No, no.”

As I jumped up, Do Yun-hyeok shook his head, saying it was obvious. I had fallen right into his leading question. I frantically waved my hands to deny it.

“Lee Beom didn’t formally confess, I just noticed it because it was so obvious.”

“You noticed it?”

“Is there a problem?”

“If it was that obvious, it was practically a confession.”

“Ah, damn it!”

I punched Do Yun-hyeok’s forearm in anger as he teased me. I hit him hard enough until he clutched his arm, not pretending to be hurt.

“I don’t know exactly what the real Lee Beom is like, but I don’t think he’d confess, would he?”

I said, shaking my arm. Do Yun-hyeok, rubbing where he was hit, looked at me with a questioning expression.

“Min Si-hu also didn’t understand why he confessed to me in the novel.”

Min Si-hu had even asked me to consider his novel self as a different person from his real self. And indeed, he seemed different in reality. Do Yun-hyeok and Seong Hae-min, while somewhat similar to their novel counterparts, also had distinct differences.

But Do Yun-hyeok shook his head.

LMO Side Story 9

“I think you’re overlooking something. Even in the novel, your real self wasn’t completely gone.”

“Ah… I remember you mentioning that before.”

That’s what Do Yun-hyeok told me when we first met. He said that in the novel, his real memories and self were submerged in his subconscious, overlaid by the character’s memories. That’s why he felt an inexplicable sense of frustration at the time. He also said that feeling disappeared when he saw me.

“You remember something I said in passing.”

“Of course. What you said…”

Snap.

I stopped talking abruptly, having spoken without thinking.

“What was that? You remember everything I say?”

“Just move on.”

“You’re not denying it.”

Do Yun-hyeok smiled with the look of a predator who had found its prey. He was skilled at changing the subject. I suppressed my surging embarrassment and shook my head, trying to appear nonchalant.

“Just continue what you were saying. Is it related to what you said back then?”

“Yes.”

Do Yun-hyeok’s explanation was as follows:

While the degree might vary from person to person, those who felt a sense of liberation, like a heavy veil being lifted, upon meeting me, would have fundamentally felt favorably towards me, and simultaneously, their suppressed real personalities would have surfaced.

Therefore, it couldn’t be definitively concluded that those confessions were solely products of the novel, disconnected from reality.

I blinked.

‘Was I… a person with a magnetic charm?’

It was utterly absurd.

“But still, can’t it be considered a state of weakened mind and body? Not being in a clear state of mind, so the feelings were from the novel… In any case, there’s also Min Si-hu’s situation.”

I babbled, trying to refute him somehow.

“Min Si-hu said he had a long-term girlfriend.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Or maybe he mistook kindness for romantic feelings.”

I rolled my eyes. At the time, Min Si-hu had said he wanted to make me laugh. It could be seen as something friends would say. However, if interpreted retrospectively, the possibilities were endless.

“If we go by that logic, weren’t you also mistaken?”

Do Yun-hyeok’s face instantly stiffened. I flinched even after saying it.

Was it not a joking matter? Of course, it wasn’t a joke. I was genuinely curious. How could Do Yun-hyeok be so sure of his feelings from that time until now?

Do Yun-hyeok, who was sitting next to me, leaned forward. He subtly pressed his lower body against mine. His lowered eyelids were fringed with dense lashes. His eyes, cast in shadow, looked down at me.

“Did I not give you enough certainty?”

The air suddenly grew dense.

His thick thighs pressed intimately against mine. I could feel his firm flesh through the thin fabric. Do Yun-hyeok lightly rubbed my thigh.

‘What’s with this atmosphere!’

Horrified, I pushed his arm back into place and slapped his thigh to snap him out of it. Fortunately, Do Yun-hyeok was wearing cotton pants, so it didn’t make a loud sound.

I lowered my voice and whispered a reprimand.

“We’re outside!”

Do Yun-hyeok pouted.

“I thought you were trying to seduce me.”

“How is this seduction?”

“You provoked me first.”

Do Yun-hyeok smirked and winked, as if he had established dominance. Even then, he possessed a dangerously attractive appearance. I quietly turned my head away.

Do Yun-hyeok, resting his chin on his hand, reached out and tidied my hair, murmuring,

“I guess I’ll just have to prove it physically.”

‘What a disgrace, hearing such a remark in broad daylight.’

On this respectable afternoon, people at other tables had no idea we were having this conversation.

I cooled the heat rising to my face and looked around unnecessarily. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to us. I cleared my throat, feeling self-conscious.

“Anyway. It’s possible it was just a feeling from the novel. That’s what Seong Hae-min was afraid of, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. Then it’s a relief.”

Do Yun-hyeok leaned back comfortably against the chair. He then looked out the window for a moment, and a thought seemed to strike him, making him suddenly grin.

“It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“Why?”

“Because Hae-jun, you like me.”

I was momentarily speechless.

‘How can he be so confident…?’

But I had no words to refute him. I only moved my lips.

“I just hope Lee Beom doesn’t end up being a nuisance.”

That was something I agreed with.

However, if Do Yun-hyeok was right and Lee Beom’s personality in reality had some influence from the novel, he wouldn’t be the type to carelessly make others uncomfortable. Although I didn’t know Lee Beom that well yet.

Still, hearing Do Yun-hyeok’s words helped me decide on my approach towards Lee Beom.

If Lee Beom confesses…

‘I’ll think about it then.’

Because, as Do Yun-hyeok said, my answer was already decided as a rejection.

While it was necessary to be somewhat prepared, my reaction was already set. Therefore, I just hoped that Lee Beom wouldn’t waste his emotions unnecessarily, and that our relationships with others wouldn’t get strangely tangled in the process.

“Well, Hae-jun, you’ll handle it well.”

Do Yun-hyeok grinned and tapped the back of my hand. His large hand almost covered mine. My hand felt warm, and a strange sense of shyness washed over me, but I didn’t pull my hand away. My heart fluttered.

I must really like Do Yun-hyeok a lot, to feel this happy flutter from such a small gesture.

“…Yes.”

And I only managed a curt reply. Ticklish words hovered near my throat before scattering. I wasn’t good with words, after all. But seeing that expression, as if he knew exactly what I wanted to say, made me feel like it was okay.

Do Yun-hyeok said he was a lucky person, but wasn’t I the truly lucky one?

I flipped my hand over and lightly intertwined my fingers with his. Do Yun-hyeok’s eyes widened, then he smiled brightly and firmly clasped my hand.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Me: (PPR Type A Mock Exam Question 1_Lee Beom (Correction Complete).pdf)”

“Me: (PPR Type A Mock Exam Question 1_Sample Answer.pdf)”

“Me: Here are the corrected version and the sample answer.”

“Me: It would be good to check both and re-examine the logic development.”

“Lee Beom: Yes, thank you!”

I was proud of Lee Beom for diligently following through without complaint.

Currently, we were spending our time giving Lee Beom academic advice. Since Lee Beom lived in a different region, we couldn’t see each other often, but this wasn’t the past where we had to cram messages into 80 bytes on a feature phone. In an era where we could contact each other freely at any time, physical distance wasn’t a major issue.

I heard Seong Hae-min was also checking Lee Beom’s study plan and explaining problems, and I was also offering help with my experience in essay writing and interviews.

We hadn’t applied for university admissions yet, but after discussing university plans with Lee Beom, we concluded that applying through the essay-based admission track for some universities would be a good idea.

Of course, it wasn’t a track that could be mastered in a short period, but he said he had at least studied essay writing to some extent. He had even received advice from his teacher in his third year of high school to seriously study essay writing, so it seemed promising.

I was glad I hadn’t thrown away the files from when I studied essay writing, thinking they might be useful someday. The materials were still shining even after I finished my own university applications.

“Lee Beom: I’ll definitely get into a good university and treat you to a meal.”

“Me: If you get in, we’ll treat you ㅋㅋ”

“Me: You’re working hard, so you’ll get good results.”

“Me: Fighting!”

“Lee Beom: No, I should treat you.”

“Lee Beom: I really want to treat you.”

“Hmm…?”

Still, when Lee Beom spoke like that, I couldn’t help but get goosebumps.

Even though they were ordinary words, they felt like they had hidden meanings, as if I had become overly self-conscious. I shook my head.

‘No, I shouldn’t overthink it.’

I replied appropriately and put down my mobile phone.

Lee Beom still showed no signs of remembering the novel. Of course, as Do Yun-hyeok said, he might suddenly remember one day…

‘Even if he doesn’t remember in the future, wouldn’t this kind of relationship be okay too?’

It wasn’t just because of my own burden. It wasn’t because I was afraid he would remember Lee Beom’s confession and make things awkward.

Just like in the novel, from what I’d seen so far, Lee Beom was a pretty good guy in reality too. Even without the common experience from the novel, he was undoubtedly someone good to befriend anew. Though I didn’t know the intentions of Lee Beom, Seong Hae-min, or Min Si-hu.

Whichever way it went, I hoped it would be in a direction that wouldn’t make Seong Hae-min, who was Lee Beom’s closest friend in the novel, feel disappointed, and I let out a light sigh.

LMO Side Story 10

The alarm was loud. Without even checking the time, I jumped up, got ready to go out, and quickly left the house.

From the morning, I headed to a PC bang near the university.

Today was course registration day. A crucial day that would determine the success of the next semester!

I could have done it at a PC bang near my house, but since I planned to have lunch and hang out with Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu afterward, I was hurrying to get there.

Even on the subway, I re-checked the status of my course registration shopping cart. Although I had mixed in some less popular major courses as part of my strategy, seeing that some courses in my cart had failed meant that getting all my target courses wouldn’t be easy.

Of course, I had prepared second and third plans, but succeeding with the first plan was the cleanest.

Because… it was a timetable I had meticulously devised over several days, like playing Tetris, to match my free periods with Do Yun-hyeok’s!

It involved matching Do Yun-hyeok’s schedule as much as possible, fulfilling graduation requirements, considering travel time between buildings, checking course reviews and syllabi, and finally selecting courses I wanted to take!

Therefore, if even one of these courses failed, I might have to give up on several plans I had made with Do Yun-hyeok for the next semester.

‘I absolutely must secure them!’

“You’re here!”

With firm resolve, I arrived at the PC bang to find Min Si-hu, who had already secured seats, waving at me. Min Si-hu boasted about how hard he worked to secure a prime spot for course registration, as recommended by seniors. I sat down next to Min Si-hu and Seong Hae-min.

Min Si-hu, feeling hungry, had ordered a variety of noisy food items since morning. He said he couldn’t resist PC bang food even though we were having lunch later.

Munching on his french fries, Min Si-hu grumbled.

“Why is course registration always in the morning?”

“Old seniors used to do it at 7 AM, so this is pretty mild.”

“7 PM?”

“No. 7 AM.”

“7 AM? That’s insane. Seriously? Who does that?”

“The department office assistant Hyung.”

“That’s shocking, really.”

Min Si-hu exclaimed in disbelief at Seong Hae-min’s words, shaking his head. He didn’t forget to stuff five french fries into his surprised mouth.

I opened a small site in the corner of the screen to check the server time and set it up for quick course registration. Then, I accessed the course registration site and logged in.

As I watched the clock tick closer to the exact hour, I finally started to feel nervous.

“Please, let’s succeed completely…”

“Let’s definitely succeed.”

“Yeah.”

“It would be great if our overlapping courses go through.”

“Me too.”

Seong Hae-min and I nodded at each other. This semester’s timetable included courses we planned to take together. They were quite popular courses, and whether we could succeed was uncertain, but we had also decided on courses to take with Seong Hae-min in our second plan, so there was a fallback.

I re-checked the list of courses I had put in my course registration shopping cart. I had already decided on the order of application based on competition rates and popularity. As I reviewed the course list, I realized that the second semester would start again soon.

“Hey, hey, get ready, get ready! 1 minute left!”

At Min Si-hu’s boisterous shout, I hovered my mouse over the course registration button. I had already entered the anti-bot verification text. Now, all I had to do was click the button the moment the server time hit the exact hour. My tense fingers turned as cold as ice.

The server time quietly counted down. The minute spent waiting rigidly felt like an hour.

“10 seconds left!”

I counted down from ten in my head.

3, 2, 1. Simultaneously with the loud server time alarms ringing out across the PC bang, I clicked the mouse.

“Ah, shit!”

“So many people in the waiting queue.”

“Crazy! My computer froze!”

Groans and cries echoed from various places, even from nearby, but I had no time to pay attention. As soon as the completion pop-up appeared and the screen returned to the shopping cart, I registered for the next course without delay.

My eyes darted back and forth nervously. I moved the mouse and typed on the keyboard like a machine. Click, clack. The sound of mouse clicks overflowed from all directions.

“Hoo…”

After finishing course registration, only two minutes had passed since the start time.

“Is it right that I, a major student, can’t take major courses?! Why doesn’t our department consider major students?”

“You’re out of luck. Just pick up any remaining major courses.”

“Hey, I succeeded in getting 3 days a week!”

“How on earth did you plan your timetable? Let me see.”

“Even if you succeed, it’s a problem. You have a 7-hour gap.”

“You’re just a madman.”

“What does it matter how it is, if I can go to school only three days a week!”

“I’m screwed… The gap period failed…”

“Me? I got all-clear-!”

Only then did the sounds of joy and despair intermingle from various places. People who finished course registration alone and quietly, without forming groups, began to leave. Against their backdrop, I re-checked my completed timetable.

A free Monday, followed by a slightly tight Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, like a checkerboard. And a late Friday morning class. It was a success exactly as planned in my first option.

“Haa…!”

Only after confirming it clearly could I let out a sigh of relief. I quickly sent my completed timetable to Do Yun-hyeok.

“Me: (Photo)”

“Me: Heh heh.”

“Did you succeed?”

Seong Hae-min peered at my monitor and asked. I showed him a thumbs-up instead of answering. Seong Hae-min had also succeeded safely, and we high-fived loudly.

Overlapping courses with Seong Hae-min! He was also a diligent student, so having a reliable ally in case of emergency was reassuring.

And behind Seong Hae-min, Min Si-hu was tearing his hair out.

“Damn it, me! How could I miss a major course-!”

“You’ll have to write a draft.”

“This is driving me crazy!”

The person who had boasted about the prime spot for course registration ended up failing it. Seong Hae-min and I watched Min Si-hu fail his second and third plans consecutively in real-time, sighing with pity.

While Min Si-hu frantically searched for alternative courses after completely messing up his course registration, I chatted with Seong Hae-min. Neither of us played games much, so during our brief free time, we only watched YouTube.

The conversation, which started with overlapping courses, moved on to what we did after classes, and eventually shifted to Lee Beom.

“Lately, I’ve been helping Lee Beom with his questions about two days a week, and I think I’ll continue that until the college entrance exam.”

“You’re amazing, and he’s amazing too. I’m helping him with essays.”

“How’s the essay side? If it’s too much, tell him to focus on the college entrance exam.”

“But he shows potential, so it feels like a waste to give up. If he can meet the minimum requirements, he can apply to places with higher admission rates than his college entrance exam scores.”

“Right. Since he’s diligent, he’ll improve quickly.”

“Yeah. He comes prepared very diligently. I was going to stop if I saw him just going through the motions.”

“He was always a diligent kid.”

Seong Hae-min lowered his gaze. I closed my mouth. ‘Always.’ Even if he pretended not to, Seong Hae-min seemed to miss his friendship with Lee Beom from the novel.

“Actually, a little while ago…”

Seong Hae-min leaned back against the PC bang chair. The springy chair tilted back as if it would fall, then stopped.

“I made a slip of the tongue.”

Seong Hae-min continued calmly. While helping Lee Beom with questions via Zoom, he remembered their study days in the novel world and blurted out, “Back then, at Seoyeon High…”

He realized his mistake right after speaking, but Lee Beom just stared blankly, showing no sign of remembering anything.

“It’s too early to say for sure, but I think he might never remember.”

“……”

“But I guess it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s a memory only we share.”

Bitterness tinged Seong Hae-min’s voice. Yet, it also sounded somewhat relieved.

“Because… he’s the same person.”

“……”

“Even if there are differences from back then.”

I nodded silently.

After all, I was feeling the same thing.

As the time I spent with Seong Hae-min, Min Si-hu, and Do Yun-hyeok grew longer, unlike at first when the differences from the novel felt more pronounced, now I was noticing the similarities first. I realized that their personalities in the novel were influenced by their real-life personalities. The same applied to Lee Beom.

Either way, if Seong Hae-min was satisfied, I was happy.

“What are you guys talking about?”

“Oh, just…”

Min Si-hu, having finished his course registration, poked his pale face in. Seong Hae-min shook his head. Min Si-hu pulled us over, asking us to look at his timetable.

“Is this… your completed timetable? What are you planning to do during this time?”

“You’re going to have a tough time next semester.”

“It’s temporary, temporary!”

Min Si-hu waved his hand dismissively.

Min Si-hu’s timetable, which he claimed to have completed after great effort, was in a dire state.

From the jumbled courses every day to the vast gap periods between the first and seventh classes…

Instead of teasing, Seong Hae-min and I let out gasps of pity.

Min Si-hu, looking crestfallen at our reactions, grumbled that he had to fix it to look more presentable by aiming for canceled seats during the correction period, and tore at his hair.

LMO Side Story 11

After finishing course registration, we played a few games and then left the PC bang. Min Si-hu was the best gamer among us, likely because he loved games the most and had the most playtime.

When we left the PC bang, the sun was already high in the sky.

“Since course registration went badly and I’m feeling unsettled, let’s get some hearty gukbap.”

“On this hot day?”

“Then how about cold noodles?”

Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu went back and forth choosing lunch menus. Seeing Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu bickering even in the hot weather made me chuckle.

I made a makeshift shade with my hand and looked up at the hot summer sun. The dazzling sunlight of August, which I hadn’t seen before leaving the novel, poured down.

I looked forward to the next semester.

❖ ❖ ❖

The second semester arrived in an instant, and the busy life began again.

Thanks to matching my timetable roughly with Do Yun-hyeok’s, we could see each other more regularly than in the first semester when we met whenever our schedules aligned.

Indeed, the frequency of contact with Lee Beom decreased compared to the vacation.

In the second semester, Lee Beom had completed his university applications and was focusing on studying for the college entrance exam, so other than occasional essay feedback, there was no reason to talk. Since he lived far away and was hard to see in person, I occasionally sent him gifticons as encouragement. I hoped it wouldn’t interfere with his studies.

Min Si-hu became even harder to see than during the vacation. Even during the vacation, he went for practice all day, and I heard he was intensely rehearsing for an upcoming regular performance by the school orchestra.

Seong Hae-min was also busy with his work-study scholarship activities and numerous tutoring sessions. However, since we had one class together, we saw each other twice a week and had lunch together.

I also became busy with classes, assignments, and a newly started academic society, but every day was enjoyable.

During this time, I also became close with my classmates who joined the same academic society. Fortunately, all my classmates were good people, and we quickly grew closer.

I spent time with Do Yun-hyeok, going out or doing our own things at cafes.

Everything flowed smoothly, as if oiled.

As we spent the second semester like this, we encountered Jeon Jae-hyung in an unexpected place.

❖ ❖ ❖

‘Is this what private schools are like?’

It was a typical festival scene, but it felt unfamiliar to me. I was trying my best to restrain myself from looking around constantly, out of consideration for appearances.

Today, I came to visit the festival at Do Yun-hyeok’s university. My own school was known for its boring festivals, and I regretted not being able to enjoy things in the first semester due to my exhausting lifestyle. So, when I heard that Do Yun-hyeok’s university festival was on a day I had a free period, I decided to go for a date.

The stage performance featuring celebrities was scheduled for the evening, so we planned to explore and have fun during the day before the crowds grew. Even during the day, there were plenty of things to enjoy.

In the distance, the plaza was bustling with preparations for the daytime stage, and the road was lined with food trucks. Along the inner streets, various clubs were operating booths.

“Free cotton candy!”

“Play darts and win prizes-!”

We walked through the noisy booth street, holding takoyaki in one hand. We got free drinks and cotton candy intermittently, and at one club booth, we skillfully played balloon darts and received a bag of candy as a prize.

It was a shame that I didn’t feel a sense of belonging since it wasn’t my school, but it was still fun to look around, as expected of a festival.

“Whoa. I have to ride that.”

In a corner of the plaza, a large bouncy castle was in operation. I quickly finished my remaining takoyaki and went to ride the bouncy castle.

Riding something like a bouncy castle at this age was quite fun. Even though I generally preferred static indoor environments, my love for amusement rides hadn’t disappeared.

“The picture turned out really well.”

“…This one?”

“Yeah. I really like it.”

Do Yun-hyeok, who had captured the moment I tumbled down hilariously, burst into laughter. It was a shockingly ridiculous photo, but seeing him like it so much, calling it the photo of the year, I completely forgot about telling him to delete it. Instead, I forcibly put Do Yun-hyeok on the air bounce and took a funny picture of him.

We spent time playing like that, and it was still a leisurely afternoon. I heard music starting to drift from the plaza, and before I knew it, the daytime stage had fully kicked off.

[Alright—! Let’s begin the second game!]

The MC, holding the microphone, shouted with booming clarity. A crowd had gathered on stage for some game event. People were scattered everywhere, enjoying the stage after buying food and laying out mats.

Tired from playing, we also thought about taking a break and watching, so we wandered around looking for a suitable place to sit. We tried to find shade, but it wasn’t easy.

Even though it was September, it was so hot during the day that the ice cream in our hands would melt into a mess. Everyone who arrived earlier had already claimed their spots.

Still, we were lucky enough to find a relatively quiet spot. Sitting down, Do Yun-hyeok and I hastily devoured our ice cream, which was on the verge of becoming a drink.

“What game are they playing?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it like a speed quiz?”

Lounging in the shade, Do Yun-hyeok and I chatted idly. It was around the time we were considering moving indoors if we weren’t planning to watch the celebrity performance in the evening.

[Now, let’s hear from the participating students—!]

While blankly staring at the big screen, feeling the gentle breeze, my eyes widened.

“Huh?”

That person…

‘Isn’t that Jeon Jae-hyung?’

The handsome man on the big screen bowed his head. Even from afar, he was the tallest among the contestants on stage.

If he had been holding a plush toy, he would have been exactly as I remembered Jeon Jae-hyung.

[Hello. I am Jeon Ji-han from the Department of Mathematics Education.]

[Yes, and with Ji-han! We’ve heard everyone’s introductions!]

“…Did I see wrong?”

I rubbed my eyes. The screen, which had been zoomed in on the man’s face, had now switched to show the entire stage. The man’s face was not clearly visible among the group.

Beside me, Do Yun-hyeok stroked his chin.

“…He looks like Jeon Jae-hyung?”

“I didn’t see wrong, did I?”

“No.”

We blinked, waiting for the big screen to show the man’s face again.

By the time the sweet taste of ice cream in my mouth disappeared, the man from before filled the screen again.

His languid eyes, his seemingly sweet, dark brown pupils. There was no room to doubt that I hadn’t seen wrong.

“It really is Jeon Jae-hyung,” Do Yun-hyeok muttered, confirming it.

[I will choose number 3.]

[Number 3! You won’t regret it, Ji-han?]

[Yes.]

As expected, I hadn’t seen wrong, nor had I heard wrong. I looked at Do Yun-hyeok. He was looking at me. As if I had been waiting, I opened my mouth.

“…His name isn’t Jeon Jae-hyung.”

Do Yun-hyeok shrugged. Then he gestured with his chin towards the stage. The person standing there undeniably looked like Jeon Jae-hyung.

‘Right, there were people of different ages, so what’s the big deal if the name is different!’

Jeon Jae-hyung was having a lively back-and-forth with the MC. Every word Jeon Jae-hyung spoke elicited bursts of laughter from the audience. I watched the stage, dumbfounded.

“He speaks really fluently.”

“Wasn’t he supposed to be taciturn?”

“Taciturn isn’t even enough to describe it.”

Do Yun-hyeok probably hadn’t had many interactions with Jeon Jae-hyung, so he wouldn’t know what kind of speaking style he used there.

But I remembered it clearly. The way he suddenly shoved a plush toy at me, said something I didn’t understand, and then left!

His reticence was so profound that anyone questioning him would give up. His slow speech, so slow that I had to finish his sentences for him. The gaps between words and the context, compressed into something like a coded message.

However, the current Jeon Jae-hyung was neither as reticent as in the novel, nor was his speech slow, nor was the logical distance between his words far.

His smooth conversation, accompanied by a bright smile, was so unfamiliar. He looked so accustomed to public speaking that I would believe him if he said he had been a student council president somewhere.

[Ah, I’m actually in charge of the first-year homeroom in the Department of Mathematics Education…]

[No wonder you speak so well. I felt threatened as an MC.]

Was it really true!

I watched the stage, unable to contain my shock. It was more shocking than seeing Min Si-hu not speak with a lisp, or hearing that Lee Beom was a year younger.

Not long after, Jeon Jae-hyung, having answered all the quiz questions correctly, won a prize. As the game ended, the MC tidied up the stage.

Do Yun-hyeok called me.

“Hae-jun. Shall we go?”

The contestants who had finished the game were coming down from the stage. There was no time to hesitate. I jumped up from my seat.

“Let’s go!”

I ran diligently, not wanting to lose sight of the people dispersing with their friends after coming down from the stage.

I didn’t usually prefer impulsive actions, but I didn’t want to miss this moment. Without even thinking about what I would say if I met Jeon Jae-hyung, I moved forward.

Should I say hello? It would be like meeting him for the first time, wouldn’t it? Should I get his number?

‘Whatever, anything!’

LMO Side Story 12

As I entered the distance where Jeon Jae-hyung’s face was clearly visible, I slowly reduced my pace. My heart, which had been pounding from running, fearing I might miss him, thudded. I swallowed dryly. As I got closer, my mind went blank.

Just as my steps, which had been heading directly towards Jeon Jae-hyung, began to circle to buy time, I heard a sound.

“Hmm?”

My eyes met Jeon Jae-hyung’s, who was talking with a friend while holding his prize. Startled, I tried to look away, but Jeon Jae-hyung made a sound of surprise.

Jeon Jae-hyung slowly raised a finger and pointed at me. Because of that, I froze in place.

“Why?”

Jeon Jae-hyung’s friend, standing beside him, looked at me, following Jeon Jae-hyung’s gaze. My cheek felt a sting.

‘Does he… remember?’

My heart raced. I stared at Jeon Jae-hyung, forgetting to even blink.

A moment later, Jeon Jae-hyung released his statue-like stiffness and walked towards me with steady steps. As he approached, he soon smiled faintly. It was the same smile I remembered.

His first words to me were this:

“You can call me by either name, whichever is more comfortable.”

❖ ❖ ❖

“What? You met Jeon Jae-hyung too?”

Clang!

Min Si-hu shouted in exasperation. Simultaneously, the sound of tableware hitting the floor was loud. The attention of the people eating in the student cafeteria turned to the source of the noise.

“Calm down, calm down.”

Blushing with embarrassment, I tried to calm Min Si-hu. Normally, Seong Hae-min would have taken charge of such a situation, but today, even that calm Seong Hae-min had dropped his spoon, so I had no choice but to try and calm him.

“But!”

Min Si-hu, holding chopsticks upside down in each hand, bit his lip and exclaimed softly. His face was trying to suppress his excitement.

“The Four Heavenly Kings are finally… again…!”

“You really like calling them the Four Heavenly Kings.”

Seong Hae-min, having regained his composure, picked up the spoon he had dropped and placed it on his tray, shaking his head. Min Si-hu cleared his throat.

“Ahem. We call them that for convenience.”

“Right, right.”

“Anyway, I thought it was impossible, but to have met both of them…”

Min Si-hu trailed off. It was something no one had expected, and he seemed amazed that it had happened. I felt the same way.

“I was really surprised when I saw Jeon Jae-hyung.”

“That’s how I felt when I saw Lee Beom!”

“Then imagine how I felt when I saw you guys.”

“Indeed.”

Min Si-hu, now calm, nodded his head. Seong Hae-min chuckled and asked what Jeon Jae-hyung was like. I answered seriously.

“His first impression was that he… speaks…”

“Speaks?”

“Well.”

Jeon Jae-hyung, who started by saying I could call him by whichever name I preferred, displayed the same skillful eloquence he had on stage. He explained that he had changed his name in middle school due to lineage issues, so his previous name, Jeon Jae-hyung, was familiar, and some friends still called him by it.

Jeon Jae-hyung asked if I had also met Lee Beom, Seong Hae-min, and Min Si-hu, and inquired about the others. We talked for a long time about that. Even when he heard that Lee Beom didn’t remember the events from the novel, Jeon Jae-hyung accepted it, saying it was possible.

He was surprisingly calm, without any of the confusion that I or the others had experienced. I wondered if he had remembered earlier, and asked, but that wasn’t the case either. He said it only came back to him after seeing my face, yet how could he maintain such composure? It was truly astonishing.

“He seems as indifferent as ever.”

Seong Hae-min chuckled and shrugged his shoulders after hearing the story.

“Though his eloquence is different.”

“I’m curious! I want to see him!”

Min Si-hu’s eyes sparkled. Indeed, Jeon Jae-hyung was different from his novel counterpart, yet also similar.

Though I didn’t mention it, his sharp observation skills were exactly the same.

‘Were you with Do Yun-hyeok?’

I was so creeped out when he suddenly looked around and asked that.

Following Jeon Jae-hyung’s gaze, I looked back and saw Do Yun-hyeok waiting at a distance. Thanks to that, I became the only one among the Four Heavenly Kings members to have exchanged greetings with Do Yun-hyeok, but such things should be kept a secret…

In the novel, perhaps due to his speech pattern, he seemed slow-witted, so I hadn’t realized how sharp he was, but now it was the opposite. His perceptiveness was clearly evident.

With sharp observation skills, quick wit, and eloquent speech, he seemed destined to hold a key position as soon as he joined a company.

“Lee Beom is busy with the college entrance exams, but let’s at least try to arrange a gathering among ourselves!”

Min Si-hu suggested, jumping up. We nodded. I was inwardly curious about what kind of gathering it would be if we all met.

However, arranging a meeting for all of us proved quite difficult. It was different from my vague assumption that meeting each of the Four Heavenly Kings individually would somehow lead to returning to ‘the past’ or something similar. Each of us was busy with our own schedules, making it quite hard to find a time when all four of us were free.

‘Well… I guess this is natural.’

In fact, even Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu, who attended the same university, were hard to see often. It was a completely different situation from high school, where we spent 12 hours a day on campus. Seong Hae-min would have been difficult to see if we didn’t have any classes together. We would only talk via messenger.

Of course, Do Yun-hyeok, who came to see me frequently despite attending a different university, was an exception.

After that, a surprisingly ordinary and simple daily life continued for a while. I felt a bit amazed and excited about having met all the Four Heavenly Kings, but without arranging separate meetings, there were no dramatic changes.

‘He’s changed a lot too.’

Thinking back to the immense mental shock I experienced when I first encountered Seong Hae-min and Min Si-hu, I realized how much both I and the situation had changed.

Of course, back then, I didn’t care if my memories were fake, as long as I knew Seong Hae-min was alive…

Looking back, Do Yun-hyeok was always at the starting point of the changes. Without Do Yun-hyeok, I wouldn’t be who I am now.

Would there ever be a day when I tell them about Do Yun-hyeok? I suddenly wondered.

❖ ❖ ❖

It was a few weeks later when Jeon Jae-hyung, Min Si-hu, Seong Hae-min, and I all gathered in one place.

“You’re here!”

“Sorry. I’m a bit late. It’s my first time here, so I got a little lost.”

“No, there’s still plenty of time. The bus to school is a bit complicated. Should we have met at the station and come together?”

“No, I was trying to secure seats, so don’t worry. I should have come earlier, I’m the one who’s sorry.”

I warmly greeted Jeon Jae-hyung as he descended the spectator stairs.

He was quite dashing, dressed neatly and holding a bouquet. I still couldn’t get used to him laughing and chatting.

“Seong Hae-min! Long time no see.”

Upon spotting Seong Hae-min, Jeon Jae-hyung rushed over and embraced him in a warm hug. Seong Hae-min, caught in the greeting, had his hands flailing in the air before he patted Jeon Jae-hyung’s back with a bright smile.

Even though it was their first meeting in reality, the scene, filled with such intimacy, felt strangely poignant.

“I’m looking forward to it. I wanted to say hello to Si-hu after arriving early.”

“We can do that after it’s over.”

The reason we could all gather today was thanks to Min Si-hu. Today was the regular concert day for Min Si-hu’s orchestra club. It was the day Min Si-hu proudly showcased the results of his intense practice from before the break, throughout the break, and into the beginning of the semester.

As the performance time approached, the spacious cultural hall filled with people. Latecomers looked around for seats. I was glad we had come early to secure seats. Following Min Si-hu’s prior instructions, we took seats in the left section, offering a good view of him on stage.

Under the orange lighting, I could hear the murmurs of people anticipating the performance. We also waited with excitement for the concert.

Just before the house lights dimmed, I handed Jeon Jae-hyung the concert program and reminded him of when Min Si-hu would take the stage.

Soon, the house lights went out, and silence fell. As the curtain rose, bright lights illuminated the stage.

The performance was a success. Although they were amateurs, I could imagine how rigorously the orchestra members had practiced during the break. It was a moving performance that even piqued my interest, despite my lack of knowledge in classical music.

“He’s not just good at singing.”

Jeon Jae-hyung, who remained seated, lost in the afterglow until everyone else stood up, left a single comment after the performance concluded. It was an undeniable statement.

“I got goosebumps during the violin solo in the middle of the piece.”

“And right after that, the clarinet and bassoon…”

As we discussed which parts we liked, we also left the auditorium. Then, we headed towards the performer waiting room to meet Min Si-hu.

The waiting room was bustling with people who had come to see their friends perform. The sound of camera shutters and the exchange of bouquets filled the air.

“There are so many people.”

“I know. Everyone must have come here after the performance. Should I call Si-hu and ask him to meet us outside?”

“Isn’t that Si-hu over there?”

“…It is.”

“That saves us the trouble.”

I had been worried about finding Min Si-hu in such a place and was about to call him, but there was no need at all. This was because a crowd had gathered in a circle around Min Si-hu.

Even though people were starting to leave the building as we came out late, only Min Si-hu’s vicinity was packed.

LMO Side Story 13

“Haha. Well, my friends are here… I’ll be going now!”

Min Si-hu, spotting us, quickly gathered his belongings and slipped away from the people chattering around him.

Even as he said he was leaving, some people showed signs of following him, so we had to leave the concert hall first, without even time to offer congratulations.

Min Si-hu only managed to take a breath once we were outside the building and reached a quiet spot. He looked more tired from dealing with people than from performing on stage. He patted his back and turned to us.

“So, we should go for an after-party, right? Calling a taxi would be the best, wouldn’t it?”

“I’ll call one.”

Seong Hae-min calmly turned on his mobile phone. Min Si-hu, holding his instrument and various bouquets, was already tired, and waiting for a bus to go out would have been too exhausting. The taxis lined up at the school had also already picked up passengers.

“The school is on a mountain, so dispatching takes a while.”

After Seong Hae-min called for a taxi, only the four of us stood alone on the roadside, illuminated by the scattered streetlights as brightly as daylight. Once the situation settled, a sudden silence descended.

I wondered why it was so quiet, and surprisingly, it was because Min Si-hu was shy.

Min Si-hu fidgeted. It was baffling to see him act this way when he had seemed so eager to meet Jeon Jae-hyung and play house.

Jeon Jae-hyung smiled faintly and extended his arm first. He handed Min Si-hu the bouquet he had prepared.

Min Si-hu looked at the bouquet in front of him once, then at Jeon Jae-hyung, alternating his gaze. Jeon Jae-hyung was slightly taller.

“You worked hard. The stage was great.”

Min Si-hu, who was about to accept the bouquet and say thank you, paused. Then, looking at Jeon Jae-hyung again, he smiled brightly. His smile, like one greeting a long-lost friend, had completely erased his momentary shyness.

“Thanks! It’s really good to see you again like this. Truly.”

“I’m even happier to see you. Now that I think about it, I even remember seeing you on television.”

“Oh! Finally, someone who recognizes my true worth has appeared!”

Min Si-hu, on the verge of being buried alive by bouquets, greeted me enthusiastically and jumped up. Other bouquets he was holding tumbled to the floor. Fortunately, the bouquet Jeon Jae-hyung had given him remained clutched tightly in his hand.

We each took a few bouquets. Too many flowers just became a burden.

“Ah, right, photos! We have to take photos! I almost forgot!”

Min Si-hu pulled out his mobile phone from his chest and gestured for us to hurry and pose. We ended up holding our bouquets and gathering around Min Si-hu.

While waiting for the taxi, we took some awkward photos under the streetlamp.

“Okay, one, two, three!”

“I think it’s blurry?”

“Again, again!”

“Hae-jun’s face is disappearing, hey.”

The shutter sound was unusually slow due to the night shooting. Even a slight shake of the hand would result in a blurry photo, like smudged paint on a canvas, and our faces, directly hit by the streetlamp, came out ghostly white. Despite taking photos multiple times, we couldn’t help but laugh.

Jeon Jae-hyung was still easily scared. With his large frame, he screamed, pale-faced, asking if it was a ghost photo, and my cheeks ached from laughing so hard.

As we laughed and chatted, the taxi arrived quickly. Min Si-hu, sitting in the passenger seat, waved his mobile phone at us sitting side-by-side in the back.

“Shall I pick a good one and upload it to Insta?”

“Sure. Upload a thousand, ten thousand.”

“Upload the one where I look funny.”

“Jae-hyung, you have peculiar taste. Well, I guess it’s better than a photo with a ghost…”

“Aargh! Stop talking about it!”

Min Si-hu teased Jeon Jae-hyung as he happily picked out photos. We all scrolled through the pictures uploaded to our group chat. I quickly flipped through them too.

Even though we had taken them with great amusement, the photo with only the four of us felt somewhat incomplete.

‘Still, Lee Beom’s absence is noticeable.’

Suddenly, I had that realization.

For some reason, I felt a mix of relief and sadness. It felt like we were all thinking the same thing, though no one said it.

Using the others’ laughter as a backdrop, I looked out the dark car window, dotted with streetlights. Trees and bus stops swallowed by darkness flashed by rapidly.

After getting out of the taxi, we boisterously headed to the restaurant district to catch up. Jeon Jae-hyung, in particular, had a lot to talk about.

My plan to just have a simple drink and head home was in vain, and we ended up staying out until dawn.

But I had no regrets. It was fun. I didn’t want to go back to that time… but perhaps it had been overly idealized, and now I even missed the time spent in the novel.

After that day, Jeon Jae-hyung was added as a member to our group chat.

It would have been nice if Lee Beom were there too, but since he had no memories, it was impossible for now, even if he weren’t a student preparing for the college entrance exams.

Min Si-hu’s major performance was over, and the semester progressed according to the academic calendar.

After taking midterms, I studied and went on dates with Do Yun-hyeok in my free time, and we hung out. I did assignments, prepared for club and academic society events, attended seminars, and sometimes, when we had time, the four of us would get together for drinks. Jeon Jae-hyung, attending a different university, naturally integrated into our lives as we lived our busy individual days.

As the weather grew colder and winter felt closer.

Finally, Lee Beom, who had finished his college entrance exams, contacted us.

❖ ❖ ❖

At least in South Korea, the college entrance exam was a national event. Almost all government ministries were mobilized to ensure its smooth progress, exam writers were confined, and flight operations were controlled on the day. News channels were filled with nothing but talk about the exams.

So, there was no way we could have forgotten about the exams. Seong Hae-min had high school seniors taking the exams among his tutoring students. We sent Lee Beom an encouraging message and waited for news from him.

And then, we saw Lee Beom for the first time in a long while.

“Beom-ah!”

“Hello.”

Lee Beom had come up to Seoul for an upcoming essay exam, and since he was here, we decided to meet to chat and help him prepare for the exam. Jeon Jae-hyung opted out, saying it might be too much pressure for Lee Beom, and suggested meeting him separately later, so the group was the same as the last time we met.

Min Si-hu patted Lee Beom’s shoulder encouragingly.

“You must have had a hard time getting here. Are you staying at Auntie’s place?”

“Yes. I’m on my way after dropping off my luggage.”

Even after seeing him after so long, Lee Beom was the same. Calm and obedient. He looked a bit sharper, perhaps because he had lost weight from studying so hard, but his jet-black eyes, gleaming like obsidian, were the same as ever.

Once we settled into the cafe and our drinks were placed before us, Min Si-hu finally spoke, with some difficulty.

“So… I guess I have to ask now, right?”

It was a cruel question to ask a student who had just finished their exams yesterday, but it was the most necessary question at the moment.

“How were the exams?”

Articles were flooding in about how difficult the exam was this year. Seong Hae-min had heard many rumors from the academy district. Contrary to the recent trend of easier exams, the sudden increase in difficulty led to widespread criticism that the difficulty level had failed, making it an unprecedentedly brutal exam.

We swallowed hard, waiting for Lee Beom’s answer. I let go of both my anticipation and my worry.

“Based on my self-scoring…”

Lee Beom paused. Whether he did well or poorly, his expression gave no clue.

Just as I thought, ‘This is just like in the novel,’ Lee Beom smiled faintly.

“It’s similar to the September mock exam.”

“What?”

We couldn’t help but be surprised.

Because Lee Beom had said he achieved his best score on the September mock exam! I remembered it clearly, as it was the basis for our encouragement until the actual exam.

But to achieve a similar score on an exam that was much more difficult than the September mock exam meant…

In other words, a huge success on the college entrance exams.

“Hey! Congratulations!”

Min Si-hu, unable to contain his joy, jumped up from his seat. Applause naturally followed.

Everyone rejoiced as if it were their own achievement. Lee Beom sheepishly waved his hand.

“It’s thanks to you Hyungs.”

We tried to calm our excitement. Of course, it was only a self-score, so we didn’t know the real results yet, but if it turned out this way, it would be an incredible success.

In fact, the college entrance exam system wasn’t solely determined by effort or skill. Luck played a much larger role than people imagined in the exam results.

Therefore, Lee Beom was someone who had worked incredibly hard and was also incredibly lucky.

Since there were a few days before his essay exam, we decided to rest today and help him with his essay preparation starting tomorrow. Lee Beom mentioned he had also enrolled in an essay academy, so our role would be to provide additional guidance and mental support.

We chatted casually, intending to relax. We talked about Lee Beom’s journey to improve his grades, how the department head’s treatment changed when his scores suddenly rose, how he received help from us during tough mental periods, and what happened on the day of the exam…

“Seriously, there are all sorts of villains.”

“……”

“……”

“Um, but…”

As the conversation flowed, there was a brief lull.

Lee Beom, glancing around, asked me tentatively.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Huh?”

A chill ran down my spine. His dark eyes were fixed on me, leaving no room for doubt.

‘Is this… the right time for this kind of conversation?’

The thought, ‘No way,’ flashed through my mind.

‘No, no.’

As they say, ‘What you fear may come to pass,’ so I didn’t want to start thinking with ‘What if,’ but I couldn’t pretend not to see what was so obvious.

‘But he has no memories…?’

While I was flustered, Min Si-hu answered for me.

“Hae-jun has a girlfriend. Yes.”

“What?”

LMO Side Story 14

How does he know?

Startled, I looked at Min Si-hu. He merely yawned indifferently. He looked at me as if he couldn’t understand my reaction.

“What’s with that reaction?”

“…How do you know?”

“What? Was that something you were hiding?”

“……”

I was taken aback, as I had only referred to Do Yun-hyeok as a friend and tried not to show any other signs.

I might not be good at acting, but I thought I could manage not to show anything, but was that not the case?

‘Could he even know that the other person is Do Yun-hyeok?’

My hands and feet, suddenly tense, turned cold in an instant.

I forced an awkward smile and fiddled with my fingers under the table. I suddenly felt like I was sitting on thorns. Min Si-hu clicked his tongue like an elder disapproving of a young man he didn’t like.

“I talk about my boyfriend often, but this guy hides his so well-! We haven’t even seen him! He doesn’t say anything!”

Ironically, Min Si-hu’s confident assertion allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness. He doesn’t know the other person is a guy, or that it’s Do Yun-hyeok!

I made a suitable excuse.

“It’s not like I’m hiding him… It’s work between him and me, so I didn’t feel the need to mention it.”

“Maybe it’s because we’ve been together for a long time? I feel more comfortable if I make it public.”

“It’s just a difference in personality.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie. Even if the other person were a girl and not Do Yun-hyeok, I probably wouldn’t have told everyone. Of course, if it weren’t Do Yun-hyeok, it’s debatable whether I would have even had a relationship in the first place…

“But why did you suddenly ask about a girlfriend?” Seong Hae-min asked.

Lee Beom scratched the back of his head with a smile.

“I was wondering if it’s true that you get a girlfriend when you go to college.”

“What? This guy has zero self-awareness-!” Min Si-hu clicked his tongue. Objectively speaking, Lee Beom wasn’t the type to worry about or ask about relationships based on his looks, so it was a funny situation.

I laughed along with the others, but cold sweat trickled down my back.

‘Is this déjà vu?’

Someone who confessed they wanted to make me laugh, then clumsily covered it up by saying it was a joke, flashed through my mind…

“If you try, you can get one.”

“But there are some who try and still don’t succeed, and there are some who don’t even need to try in the first place.”

Min Si-hu, unaware of my thoughts, was expounding on his own theory of relationships. With a serious expression, he rested his elbow on the table and exclaimed with gusto.

“Beom-ah, you!”

“Yes?”

“Are a free pass recipient.”

“That’s true.” Seong Hae-min nodded. Generally speaking, it was true, if you considered looks the biggest asset in relationships. At least, that wasn’t the case for me.

“But your own will is the most important. For me, relationships are not really…”

This time, it was Seong Hae-min’s theory on relationships.

Throughout the conversation, I chimed in appropriately and laughed. Lee Beom didn’t bring up anything further, so we smoothly moved on to other topics. I could feel Lee Beom’s gaze occasionally glancing at me over my highly sensitive skin, but I pretended not to notice.

A sensible person wouldn’t make a bold confession after hearing I had a girlfriend, so pretending not to know was the best path for both of us.

My guess that Lee Beom wasn’t the type to deliberately make things uncomfortable for the group was correct. We hung out a bit longer, had dinner, and parted ways. I didn’t want to break this comfortable distance, and perhaps Lee Beom felt the same.

On the bus ride home, I rested my head against the window.

Winter was drawing near, and it was chilly at night. As my forehead touched the cold glass, I felt my mind calm down.

‘Has the possibility of Lee Beom regaining his memories from the novel increased?’

Whether it was the subconscious influence of his novel experiences or simply because I was a charming person and Lee Beom was falling for me again, I couldn’t tell, so I let it go.

‘Will I ever be able to tell others about my relationship with Do Yun-hyeok?’

I considered various possibilities and then stopped. This wasn’t something that could be planned; it was just speculation.

In any case, the first thing was to see if Lee Beom got into college.

❖ ❖ ❖

Around the end of the year, as we prepared for final exams while waiting for Lee Beom’s college acceptance news, Min Si-hu informed us he would be appearing on a new TV program.

On a public broadcasting channel, no less!

We had heard about the offer before, but he had signed the contract and was apparently about to start filming. The gap until broadcast wasn’t too long, so we’d be able to see it soon.

Min Si-hu had received quite a few love calls after gaining popularity from his music show appearances post-exams, and it seemed he had finally decided to appear.

Given his popularity, it had long surpassed what an ordinary person could experience. I had even benefited significantly from searching for information about Min Si-hu online.

So, I was a little scared to see how much further this already popular guy would rise. Would he continue to succeed as a singer?

Even to a stranger, Min Si-hu was the type of person who would succeed as an entertainer.

He was handsome, sang well, composed well, spoke well, was charming, and even had the academic background that people often gave extra points for. Objectively, he was a person with excellent capabilities.

However, Min Si-hu himself seemed to have many concerns, even though he welcomed his current popularity. He had always thought he wanted to write more songs than sing them, but it turned out he was also suited to singing on stage. He seemed to have a perfectionist streak, wanting to do one thing properly.

He was a capable person with many dreams, so it seemed he wanted to do many things.

“This is a bit burdensome.”

“It’s the fate of someone with a star friend.”

In any case, as articles about Min Si-hu’s new program began to appear, his SNS followers also increased rapidly. Even when I first saw his account, the number wasn’t small, but it had grown much larger since then.

The problem was that the number of followers, which shouldn’t have concerned me, was affecting my life.

Occasionally, when photos of me with him were uploaded to his Instagram stories, my middle and high school friends who followed his account would contact me in a friendly manner. I sent polite replies a few times, but as the number of requests grew, it started to become bothersome.

Moreover, it wasn’t just people who knew me who were looking for me. I heard that Min Si-hu’s account also received frequent messages asking for the account of the person he took photos with, requesting tags so they could follow them, and I almost fainted.

‘It’s a good thing I don’t have an SNS account.’

If I were told to live a life with a large number of SNS followers, I would choose to faint instead. The thought of strangers looking into my daily life! It felt like being spied on.

“Anyway, block those DMs for a while.”

“I’m starting to feel the need to do that too.”

“Just close them.”

“But there are a lot of funny ones too.”

“You’re addicted to SNS.”

“It’s slightly different. Call it an addiction to attention.”

“There isn’t much difference.”

“Oh, wait a second.”

In any case, after hearing that people were asking about me, I nagged Min Si-hu to close his direct messages whenever I had the chance.

Min Si-hu, who had opened his DM window to show me some funny content, let out a surprised sound.

“You won’t fool me, you rascal.”

“Look.”

He scoffed, asking if I thought he’d fall for it. Min Si-hu suddenly thrust his mobile phone in front of my face. I involuntarily read the message on the bright screen.

“…Huh?”

And then I looked at Min Si-hu, bewildered.

Min Si-hu grinned, as if to say, ‘See?’

「Sir」

「Do you happen to know Leopard Against the World?」

❖ ❖ ❖

The cold wind whipped past my cheeks. The time to wrap up the busy year was approaching again.

Looking back, this year had been full of events. Starting college life, starting a relationship, meeting all the Four Heavenly Kings…

The news of my college acceptance felt like a distant past, yet it was only a year ago, which was hard to believe. Of course, if you count the half-year I spent dragged into the novel’s world, it would extend to a year and a half!

I adjusted the scarf Do Yun-hyeok had given me. The chill seeping through my clothes was significant. They said global warming was causing abnormal temperatures, and a cold snap had already hit.

It was amazing that we had made plans to meet in this weather.

“I’m even more nervous because it’s cold.”

It seemed I wasn’t the only one. Min Si-hu, who was dressed even warmer than I was, also shivered. They say everyone is equal before the cold, but it was amusing to see someone so tall and broad-shouldered hunched over.

I checked the time again. It was almost time to meet the person who had sent us the message that had caused all the trouble.

“Do you perhaps know Leopard Against the World?”

It was a mysterious direct message that had suddenly arrived on Min Si-hu’s social media account one day.

Actually, it was obvious who had sent the message. Although there wasn’t a single photo of themselves uploaded to the account, making it impossible to confirm, one could easily deduce it by reading the combination of English letters in the ID aloud.

‘Ban Pyo-ran.’

Today was for confirmation.

To see if this person was indeed the Ban Pyo-ran we knew!

LMO Side Story 15

“I’m really curious. What kind of person are they in real life?”

“Probably similar.”

“Oh, right. Kim Yi-dam is coming too. Did I tell you?”

“Yeah. I heard that before.”

Kim Yi-dam. Because I only paid attention to the main characters as much as necessary and treated everyone else with indifference, I wasn’t particularly close to him, but he was someone who had been with me even at the last hospital. I was curious if his boisterous, manly personality was still the same.

“But then, did Ban Pyo-ran meet Kim Yi-dam?”

“Maybe they already knew each other in real life, like you and Hae-min.”

“Ah! Right, they were friends.”

Only Min Si-hu and I came to today’s meeting. While Lee Beom was excluded because he had no memories, Seong Hae-min couldn’t come because he had the flu, and Jeon Jae-hyung hadn’t finished his final exams yet, so Min Si-hu and I, who had time, came.

Min Si-hu could have met them alone, but…

“Huh? Why?”

Min Si-hu tilted his head. I shook my head, saying it was nothing.

Seeing him act like that, I couldn’t help but come along, as I didn’t fully trust the guy who was so identical to his portrayal in the novel.

“Over there!”

Just as I was about to check the time again, a familiar voice called out to me. I looked up and saw the person who had called me.

“Whoa, Seong Hae-jun, you’re so flashy, I recognized you from far away. It’s so good to see you here!”

“…Ban Pyo-ran?”

“Gasp! You don’t know me?”

“No, I do…”

“Hello.”

The person standing behind him spoke softly. Flustered, I looked back and forth between their faces.

The one smiling brightly was Ban Pyo-ran, and the one standing behind him was Kim Yi-dam.

They looked exactly like the faces in my memory, yet their auras were completely different, making them hard to recognize. Ban Pyo-ran had a more hearty, manly impression than a pure one, while Kim Yi-dam, who had seemed like a rowdy tomboy, now had a pure, sunny image.

Their features were the same as before, but was the difference due to their speech, expressions, or aura…?

Ban Pyo-ran, seeing my eyes darting around, gave a knowing look.

“You thought I was Yi-dam, didn’t you?”

“No, it’s just, the aura…”

“I recognized you guys right away, this is a bit disappointing—!”

As I fumbled, flustered by Ban Pyo-ran’s teasing, Min Si-hu, who was beside me, suddenly chimed in.

“Why aren’t you saying hello to me? I’m disappointed too?”

“Si-hu, of course, it’s great to see you too!”

Min Si-hu and Ban Pyo-ran were in perfect sync, just like in the novel. Behind them, Kim Yi-dam watched them with keen interest, covering his mouth and smiling. I just scratched the back of my head.

‘…Is this possible?’

Then again, thinking about it, everyone had some differences from the novel. Ban Pyo-ran was just too unexpected, which caught me off guard. I was surprised because she wasn’t the calm, pure romance heroine I knew, but someone who looked like she could skillfully secure dozens of massive projects for a corporation. However, her playful nature was still there.

We moved to a warm indoor location and continued our conversation.

Ban Pyo-ran said there wasn’t a specific trigger; she naturally recalled the events from the novel.

At first, like me, she thought it might just be her delusion…

“Then I found Yi-dam!”

Ban Pyo-ran confidently put an arm around Kim Yi-dam’s shoulder. Kim Yi-dam smiled shyly.

“So, you two weren’t originally acquainted?”

“No! But I asked to be friends first, so we became friends.”

“And not long after that, I remembered too.”

Kim Yi-dam shyly scratched his cheek. Ban Pyo-ran, looking like she could die of cuteness, pulled the arm around his shoulder closer and hugged him. Although they were similar in build, Kim Yi-dam seemed to be completely enveloped in the hug.

“I was so happy to meet Yi-dam! Of course, I was happy that those events weren’t just my dream, but I was even happier to meet a friend like Yi-dam in real life!”

“Ah…”

Hearing that, I understood. Ban Pyo-ran, whom I thought had completely opposite personality traits, was still the same, whether in the novel or in reality.

Ban Pyo-ran was that kind of person. Someone who could find a pearl in any ocean. I had forgotten that.

After becoming friends with Kim Yi-dam again, Ban Pyo-ran had considered looking for us but gave up because it seemed too far-fetched. She thought of it as a regrettable but good experience, but then she found Min Si-hu on the internet and, excited, contacted him immediately.

Ban Pyo-ran’s joy and nervousness upon finding Min Si-hu were conveyed vividly. Ban Pyo-ran wanted to meet all the characters from the novel again.

“It’s too bad only we got to see each other. Let’s all get together for a meal soon!”

“Great!”

Ban Pyo-ran, who wanted to arrange a gathering for everyone, immediately took charge with bulldozer-like momentum, creating a group chat.

Unlike Min Si-hu, who just talked, she had the drive to act, which pulled me in further. And with Kim Yi-dam, who nodded along happily without any intention of stopping them, joining in, it became even harder to resist.

When Ban Pyo-ran exclaimed with a clenched fist, Min Si-hu agreed, and Kim Yi-dam clapped his hands with a bright smile.

‘One Min Si-hu is already overwhelming!’

It was a sitcom, if ever there was one.

“That was really shocking, you know.”

“Me too. But looking back now, it might be better than I thought?”

“Right, right.”

The three of them chatted so harmoniously that my ears felt like they were bleeding just from sitting there. I felt drained and just sipped my drink.

Still, I couldn’t say watching them wasn’t fun. In fact, it was quite enjoyable.

Even though they could have lived their lives as strangers in reality, did their past friendship act as a bond?

As Ban Pyo-ran said, they had met friends they might not have otherwise met. I didn’t know what that world was, but everyone seemed to have taken good memories from that time.

The feeling of connections continuing was strange.

❖ ❖ ❖

A few days later, we heard the news of Lee Beom’s university acceptance. We congratulated Lee Beom on the happy news.

Interestingly, the person most delighted wasn’t me or Seong Hae-min, who had helped Lee Beom with his college entrance exams, but Ban Pyo-ran. Even though she hadn’t met Lee Beom yet, upon hearing the news, she jumped up and exclaimed that they should all get together for dinner to celebrate.

Despite our concerns that it might be uncomfortable for Lee Beom, who had no memories, to meet them as they were strangers, Ban Pyo-ran was confident.

Her first reason was that Lee Beom would have to make new friends at university anyway, so why not meet new people? Her second reason was that it would be unfair later if we all had fun together, leaving him out just because he didn’t have memories. He wasn’t an outcast!

While we couldn’t entirely refute her points, her strong stance made us concede.

However, the most important factor was ultimately Lee Beom’s decision. Given Ban Pyo-ran’s insistent argument, we decided to ask Lee Beom about it.

But before we could contact Lee Beom, he contacted us first.

“Lee Beom: Hyung”

“Lee Beom: I have something to ask.”

His tone was quite serious. I thought he must have a concern about something, so I planned to offer him advice and then suggest Ban Pyo-ran’s idea.

Suddenly, Lee Beom asked.

“Lee Beom: Have we met somewhere before?”

The question was completely unexpected and from a different category, so I was momentarily taken aback.

Isn’t this a classic pickup line…?

Not knowing how to answer, I stammered and sent a reply that clearly showed my confusion.

“Me: Suddenly?”

There was a long pause from Lee Beom. I stared anxiously at the chat window, then flipped my mobile phone down, and just as I was about to put it away, a reply came.

“Lee Beom: No, I’m sorry. I think I had a dream that was too realistic.”

“Lee Beom: I think I mistook it.”

A dream?

Something felt off.

“Me: What is it? Tell me.”

After persistent questioning, I learned that Lee Beom had also recalled memories from the novel.

His dream featured me, Seong Hae-min, Min Si-hu… and another person whose name was vague. Lee Beom’s words that we were called the Four Heavenly Kings and were all friends left no room for doubt.

His question about whether we had met before wasn’t a pickup line, but an attempt to verify if the memory he had suddenly gained was real or just a delusion.

And now, Lee Beom was mistaking it for a strange dream rather than his memory.

“Lee Beom: No.”

“Lee Beom: It sounds even more absurd now that I’ve said it;;;”

I didn’t know how to explain it, but…

This could actually be an opportunity. I quickly sent a message.

“Me: No.”

“Me: It might be confusing,”

“Me: But”

“Me: That’s not a dream.”

“Me: Perhaps”

“Me: Would you like to meet the others?”

❖ ❖ ❖

“Hi!”

“Hi—.”

“Hello.”

January, the start of a new year.

The gathering Ban Pyo-ran had been so eager for finally took place. It included the guys called the Four Heavenly Kings in the novel, plus me, Ban Pyo-ran, and Kim Yi-dam. They were people who often hung out together even in the novel.

By then, we had all become acquainted through group chats and messenger apps, so even though it was our first time meeting all together, there wasn’t the awkwardness that twists your gut. There was a slight sense of sizing each other up, though.

“Please speak casually.”

“Ah, I’m so used to using formal speech.”

Lee Beom chuckled sheepishly.

Trying to find a day when everyone could gather meant December quickly passed, and the new year arrived. It turned into a New Year’s party.

LMO Side Story 16

“But if I don’t use formal speech, it gets a bit confusing.”

“Confusing?”

“Yeah. It’s like… I get mixed up. I guess you could say my sense of self gets weird. I’ll try my best, though.”

“Then just do what’s comfortable for you.”

“No. If I want to get closer to you Hyungs, informal speech is better.”

Even though he had memories from the novel, they were people he was meeting for the first time. Lee Beom was surprisingly calm. Contrary to Min Si-hu’s insistent worries about honorifics being an issue due to age, Lee Beom still insisted on using the “Hyung” honorific.

Lee Beom clearly separated the person he was in the novel from the person he was now. He said the same thing as Min Si-hu, who had asked us to forget his past embarrassing moments. Lee Beom’s behavior hadn’t changed much from when he had no memories, making him feel very much like the same person as in the novel.

For me, this might have been a good thing. Having known Lee Beom for a while when he had no memories, it was more comfortable for me if he acted the same as before.

Although it was a little concerning, he was a reliable guy who handled himself well.

“Meeting Pyo-ran was the funniest!”

“How did you meet?”

“They suddenly sent the novel title via DM!”

“Ahhh…”

“Thinking back, I should have teased them by asking, ‘What is that? Is it a proverb?'”

“If you had, I would have blocked you right away, Si-hu!”

“Huh? Why would you block me!”

“It’s embarrassing if it’s from a stranger.”

The ordered food arrived, and the sizzling sound of grilling meat began. As our stomachs filled, the atmosphere became more lively.

As we reminisced about the past, the mood escalated, and soon it was a boisterous affair. Lee Beom was also visibly excited and naturally blended in. Still, he seemed to be watching us, and our eyes met frequently.

While listening to them chatter, I quietly accepted the meat Seong Hae-min was grilling. The funny stories made me chuckle involuntarily.

Now that we had all met in person, I became even more curious about Ban Seo-yi.

‘Ban Seo-yi…’

I definitely remembered her sharp eyes, but her face was now blurry.

Do Yun-hyeok had said it seemed impossible to meet again, and I thought so too, but the more I thought it was impossible, the more I wanted to meet her.

“But then, did everyone read that novel?”

At Seong Hae-min’s question, the table, which had been enthusiastically eating meat, fell silent. Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

“Wow… that’s really fate!”

Kim Yi-dam clapped his hands gleefully. It was certainly a strange coincidence.

“But the novel title itself is hilarious!”

“What’s strange is how there are people in reality with the same faces and names as the characters.”

“Ji-han Hyung, you’re different.”

“Ah, right. I am different, aren’t I?”

“Honestly, if there was someone with a different name, I thought it would be Pyo-ran, not Jae-hyung.”

“Ban Pyo-ran isn’t a common name, after all.”

“Did you even expect there to be someone with a different name?”

Amidst the chatter, Ban Pyo-ran paused, about to put a meat wrap in her mouth. Then, she slowly raised her hand.

“Ah, that’s actually…”

And she dropped a bombshell.

“It’s because my cousin wrote the novel.”

“Whaaaat?!”

“What?”

“Huh?”

The reaction was explosive. I also jumped up in surprise and looked at Ban Pyo-ran.

“Then, could it be that Ban Seo-yi…”

“Yeah, I guess so?”

As I murmured involuntarily, Ban Pyo-ran, who had been chewing a mouthful of wrap, quickly waved her hand. After hastily swallowing the wrap, she coughed as if she was choking and gulped down a drink.

“The person who helped back then. Was it Ban Seo-yi? Isn’t she your cousin?”

“No, no! My cousin isn’t Ban Seo-yi.”

Putting down her glass, Ban Pyo-ran denied our question and began to explain.

The internet novel, which I had merely found on my younger sister’s external hard drive, turned out to be a once-popular hit. It was a novel that had circulated throughout the internet world as a recommended introductory work for internet novels.

The person who wrote that book, which was even published in physical form, was Ban Pyo-ran’s cousin!

And during the process of naming the characters, Ban Pyo-ran’s cousin searched various places, like the popular mini-hompys of the time, and came up with the names. Although she probably didn’t search for us specifically, that’s how it happened.

She even searched for extras who only made a brief appearance, but ‘Ban Seo-yi’ was the only name she created.

She couldn’t use a real person’s name for a villain who was meant to receive all sorts of curses.

“Ban Seo-yi sounds like a more plausible name than Ban Pyo-ran.”

“Right. If you want a name that doesn’t exist in the world, it should be something like Kim Nyeh-hyeng, shouldn’t it?”

“Anyway, that’s how it is!”

Clearing her throat, Ban Pyo-ran put down her empty drink glass. Kim Yi-dam pushed a new cola towards Ban Pyo-ran. I subtly handed her a bottle opener.

After taking another drink, Ban Pyo-ran put down her glass with a refreshing sound, like a pirate downing a strong drink.

“As far as I remember, my cousin wasn’t in that world. She’d probably love it if she went into the novel world. She’s still writing novels. What was it these days, possession stories? Right, possession stories are trending, so she desperately wants to enter a novel, even as an extra, to meet a Northern Duke.”

“Yeah, there are a lot of those in webtoons these days too.”

“She’s still writing novels? That’s even more impressive.”

“It’s become her profession.”

“Yeah. There’s quite a big age gap between us, more than 10 years. She even helped name me when I was born. My uncle’s family is very close to ours, we’re practically like one family.”

Jeon Jae-hyung nodded, finally understanding after hearing the explanation.

“So that’s why. I thought it was too far-fetched for people with the same names to exist in the world.”

Seong Hae-min shook his head.

“What’s creepier to me is that they’re all around the same age.”

“If they read the novel, it makes sense for them to be around the same age.”

“But isn’t it much earlier than our generation? The novel is set in 2005.”

“It’s not like many people read it these days either.”

“I read it when I was preschool age.”

“You too, Hyung? Me too.”

“I was in elementary school…”

“Huh?”

Listening quietly to the scattered conversation, I suddenly looked up. My eyes met Lee Beom’s, who was looking at me with dark eyes.

A question mark appeared above my head as I quietly picked at my meat.

So, not everyone read it recently?

“…I read it recently?”

“What? How on earth did you end up reading it?”

“While organizing my younger sister’s hard drive…”

“Pfft!”

Min Si-hu burst out laughing, then clamped his mouth shut when he caught my gaze.

It turned out I was the only one who had read the novel recently. Min Si-hu had stumbled upon it while Googling in middle school and read part of it, while Jeon Jae-hyung had accidentally read it on his older sister’s electronic dictionary in elementary school.

Min Si-hu reached out and cut off Jeon Jae-hyung.

“Wait, you have an older sister?”

“Yeah.”

“And a younger brother?”

“No.”

“So, in the novel, you were family with someone who was a complete stranger?”

“Actually, not a stranger… thinking back, he was my cousin.”

“Even a cousin? Did he have memories?”

“No. I asked him, and he just thought I was crazy.”

“What? Why is it different for us?”

“How should I know?”

Jeon Jae-hyung shrugged. Lee Beom, adding more meat to the grill, said as if it were no big deal,

“Hae-min Hyung and Hae-jun Hyung were twins, too.”

“Come to think of it…”

While everyone was engrossed in the conversation, I quickly snatched the last piece of perilla leaf. Seong Hae-min expertly placed a piece of well-cooked meat and some grilled garlic on it for me.

Min Si-hu, who had been staring intently at Seong Hae-min and me, pointed out something that everyone had probably wondered about but never dared to ask.

“Don’t you two look nothing alike?”

“We’re not related by blood in the first place.”

I replied with a hint of bitterness as I chewed the perilla leaf wrap. Why is he stating the obvious? Min Si-hu shook his head.

“No, it’s just that in that world, I really thought you two were identical. That’s what’s strange.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Just by looking at your appearances, you were total twins. Why did you think that?”

Testimonies poured in from all sides. I just kept moving my jaw.

Thinking about it, in that world, people recognized me because I looked like Seong Hae-min and even picked fights with me. I also looked in the mirror and thought I resembled Seong Hae-min.

Was there some kind of perception-altering effect?

Then again, the fact that I entered the novel in the first place was absurd, so even if there were some additional effects, it wouldn’t be surprising.

In essence, that world was no different from a role-playing game.

“It was a strange world.”

“The novel was just a novel, I guess.”

As everyone nodded in agreement, Min Si-hu, who had been standing with his arms crossed, looking serious, spoke up again.

“I have a serious question.”

“What is it now?”

“How could something like this have happened?”

His face was unusually grave. He even rested his chin on his fingers, looking so serious that it didn’t seem like a fleeting thought.

It was a question I had pondered myself from time to time… but that wasn’t what was important right now. While Min Si-hu was lost in thought, I stole a piece of meat from in front of him, then another.

Min Si-hu had no idea his meat was disappearing, lost in his own thoughts. He seemed to be spinning elaborate theories bordering on conspiracy.

As Min Si-hu, who had been the most vocal, fell silent, Ban Pyo-ran clapped his hands in front of Min Si-hu’s face like a slate, telling him to snap out of it. Min Si-hu jumped, startled, and looked up.

“Why are you suddenly looking for the ‘how’? If you get stuck there, how do you explain that we all experienced the novel together? Give up on reason and logic!”

Jeon Jae-hyung, who was also stealing Min Si-hu’s meat like me, nodded while chewing.

“Right. If you put it that way, the fact that we’re all gathered here doesn’t make sense either.”

LMO Side Story 17

“For your information, my older sister is just a normal writer. She’s not some mastermind or behind-the-scenes manipulator.”

Min Si-hu easily accepted the chiding reply, saying, “Is that so?”

“And honestly!”

Ban Pyo-ran, his face still serious, lightly slapped the table. The drinks in the glasses sloshed. His eyes blazed with an unusual intensity.

Ban Pyo-ran exclaimed,

“There’s something more unbelievable than all of us existing in reality!”

“What is it?”

“That you’re all actually good-looking!”

“Huh?”

“It’s unbelievable that South Korea could have this kind of talent pool! That’s why being possessed by the novel makes more sense!”

At Ban Pyo-ran’s sudden outburst, his fists clenched, I swallowed a cough and pursed my lips.

I almost choked trying to hold back my laughter.

He seemed so serious that I felt I couldn’t laugh.

But it was funny because there was a point to it. Even someone who didn’t care much about looks could see that everyone here was handsome.

“I’ve never really thought of myself as good-looking.”

“Me neither, really.”

“What!”

Ban Pyo-ran, enraged by Seong Hae-min’s and Jeon Jae-hyung’s humble remarks, retorted indignantly. He pleaded with them not to say such absurd things. He even grabbed Kim Yi-dam to get his agreement.

It was unbelievable that this meal, without a drop of alcohol, had such high energy. If this continued, the sitcoms broadcast by the TV stations would be in trouble.

Finally, unable to hold back, Ban Pyo-ran shouted,

“Lee Beom, you’re an adult now, right?”

“Yeah.”

“This won’t do. We have to start drinking!”

Even though we were starting to feel full, once the alcohol started flowing, it went down smoothly.

“Cheers!”

“Hey, your glass is empty!”

“Cheers!”

“Ah! We should have ordered this sooner!”

With the combination of Ban Pyo-ran and Min Si-hu going wild, and Jeon Jae-hyung quietly making his presence known, “Cheers!” continued endlessly.

Are they really okay drinking like that…?

But there was no time to think about it. We were swept up in the whirlwind of those human-shaped locomotives, while Seong Hae-min, without encouraging them, calmly laughed and enjoyed himself.

What was surprising was that Lee Beom was quietly drinking well. Although Lee Beom kept glancing around, he was fine even with these people drinking at a crazy pace beside him.

“Beom, how can you drink so well?”

To my casual question, Lee Beom just smiled wordlessly and scratched his ear.

Not understanding the meaning behind it, I looked at Seong Hae-min, who patted my shoulder.

“He said he played around until he was in his third year of high school.”

“Ah.”

Right. I had forgotten because he was so calm. Unlike me, who took my first sip of alcohol at twenty, Lee Beom was someone who had grown up strong!

Still…

No matter how he spent his time before, the Lee Beom I knew was someone who studied hard and eventually succeeded in college entrance exams, wasn’t he?

Although I was pacing myself, I was starting to feel tipsy. The proof was the silly grin plastered on my face.

Everything felt funny and enjoyable. So, I did things I wouldn’t normally do.

I patted Lee Beom’s back enthusiastically.

“That’s right, it’s commendable that you studied!”

Even though I didn’t hit him that hard, Lee Beom flinched and stiffened.

Unable to contain my excitement, I headed straight for the group who were talking boisterously. Kim Yi-dam, who was also grinning foolishly like me, saw me and made a gap, which I squeezed into.

“Hey, hey. I have a question too.”

“What is it! Hae-jun, what is it! Ask away!”

Everyone’s faces were flushed with heat. I asked excitedly,

“Can the time spent in the novel be included in our current age, or not?”

“Huh?”

“Hey now.”

It was something I was genuinely curious about, but everyone waved their hands. Even Ban Pyo-ran, whose face was flushed but showed no change in complexion despite downing so much alcohol, exclaimed indignantly with a red face.

“Hae-jun, do you want to age that much?”

“Yeah. Suddenly becoming an old man.”

They all answered so curtly that I was bewildered. Now, it was the others who were bewildered.

“This is new.”

“Does it mean people with their own consciousness are different?”

The explanation from the murmuring group was this:

Their memories of the novel world were not the same as mine. They didn’t have them from the moment the novel began, but rather from their early childhood, albeit faintly.

At this completely foreign concept, I sat there stunned, as if I’d been hit on the head with a tray.

Was I the only outsider…?

“To explain it for Hae-jun, it’s kind of like this! It’s something I experienced, but it’s not really my experience, yet I was so immersed that it felt like my past… it’s vague.”

“Oh, that’s exactly it.”

“I thought it might be difficult for some people to recall because of the forced immersion.”

“Ah, that’s why Hae-min struggled.”

I had been looking down, but I slowly raised my head at Min Si-hu’s words. With a clear sound like glass chiming, Min Si-hu, who had been mixing soju and beer, shrugged.

“He was severely injured. Honestly, it’s understandable even if Seong Hae-min doesn’t remember anything.”

Min Si-hu’s words caused the already subdued tension to drop sharply.

While some of them said their novel memories were vague, for me, they weren’t just memories I could dismiss as mere novel events. It was six months I had experienced with a clear head.

And Seong Hae-min getting injured…

It was because of me.

Pretending to drink, I tilted my head back and glanced at Seong Hae-min. Seong Hae-min himself was calmly downing his soju-beer mix.

“That’s wrong. I’m just glad I met Hae-jun.”

“How touching, you kid!”

At Seong Hae-min’s calm words, Min Si-hu put an arm around his shoulder as if to give him a headlock. Instead of forcefully pushing him away, Seong Hae-min skillfully handed Min Si-hu a soju-beer glass, making him let go.

Min Si-hu, who happily took the glass, repeatedly shouted cheers. Ban Pyo-ran, caught up in the mood, clinked glasses with him. I also ended up shouting cheers along with them.

“But are the other characters real too?”

“They might be.”

“More people probably don’t remember, like our cousin?”

“Ah, that’s a shame.”

“Why?”

“I regret not being able to say thank you to Do Yun-hyeok at the end!”

“Gulp!”

“Oh my, are you okay?”

At Ban Pyo-ran’s regretful voice, I choked on the soju I was sipping. Ban Pyo-ran patted my back with a worried expression.

I lowered my head to the floor for a moment, calming my pounding heart. I never imagined that someone among us would want to see Do Yun-hyeok.

Thanks to that, I fell into a secret dilemma.

Do Yun-hyeok… should I introduce him?

Jeon Jae-hyung, who I thought would speak up saying he had met him, was quietly but intensely downing alcohol. Since I didn’t bring it up first, he kept his secret, just like in the novel.

As we exchanged all sorts of conversations, over twenty bottles of soju piled up.

While they were drinking themselves silly, I had only managed about one bottle out of all of them, but I was overwhelmed.

The countless toasts. The countless bottles of soju.

As everyone got thoroughly drunk, the table became calmer compared to earlier.

Kim Yi-dam had already passed out and was dozing off, while Lee Beom and Seong Hae-min were the only ones consistently clinking glasses.

Given how much Min Si-hu, Jeon Jae-hyung, and Ban Pyo-ran had drunk, if they were still sober, there must have been something wrong with the store’s alcohol.

“Sob…”

Just as I thought the gathering might be wrapping up, Min Si-hu, whose face was flushed and clearly showing his intoxication, suddenly got teary-eyed and started wiping his tears.

The dazed gazes of everyone turned to Min Si-hu. Ban Pyo-ran, who seemed to have been drunk, clamped his mouth shut like a clam to hold back his laughter.

His drunk behavior is crying!

Everyone held their breath, watching the sniffling Min Si-hu.

Unaware, Min Si-hu, who was blowing his nose alone, shouted,

“I’m… so glad!”

“Glad about what, suddenly?”

“Because in reality, I have a great relationship with my mom!”

Wiping his tears, Min Si-hu clenched his fist and shouted,

“I’m going to tell her I love her when I get home today!”

Everyone struggled to hold back their laughter, their faces turning red. Ban Pyo-ran was even holding his breath. And exactly three seconds later, everyone burst into loud laughter again.

With his slurred speech and muddled pronunciation, such a resolution!

Min Si-hu, oblivious to everyone laughing at him, was reiterating his vow.

If you think about it, Min Si-hu was the most sincere about the novel.

Shaken by Min Si-hu’s drunk antics, we didn’t break up but went straight to a second and then a third round. Whether this was a hangover cure with alcohol or not, by the third round, we were actually becoming more sober.

After wandering from place to place, we finally ended up at a karaoke room.

“Running through the blue sky- sob…!”

We had come to see Min Si-hu’s singing skills, but Min Si-hu couldn’t shake his crying habit and was sobbing face down. We unceremoniously pushed the bothersome Min Si-hu aside and enjoyed the karaoke room to our hearts’ content.

Just like in the novel, Jeon Jae-hyung and Lee Beom were also skilled singers. Ban Pyo-ran, who was enjoying the karaoke more passionately than anyone, said something as he listened to Lee Beom sing.

“But honestly, you’re so charming when you sing.”

At the sudden remark, all eyes turned to the two of them.

Could it be… romantic feelings developed in reality too?

It seemed I wasn’t the only one thinking that, as Lee Beom’s expression turned strange at this confession, or whatever it was.

LMO Side Story 18

Seeing Lee Beom flustered, Ban Pyo-ran burst out laughing, holding his stomach. His demeanor showed not a shred of romantic feeling. After laughing heartily, Ban Pyo-ran didn’t let people’s imaginations run wild.

“Ah, I don’t mean it’s like that now! I meant in the novel! I misspoke.”

Then, he turned sharply to me and pointed. Sensing immediate danger, my mind, sobered by the alcohol, snapped back.

“Hae-jun, you… you were still trying to set me and Lee Beom up!”

I vehemently denied it.

“No! That’s wrong!”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I distinctly remember denying it back then, right? It never happened in the first place, and I have a girlfriend now!”

Hearing my desperate denial, Ban Pyo-ran nodded.

“Ah. It was my misunderstanding.”

“Yes!”

“I see.”

“Yes.”

I thought Ban Pyo-ran had sobered up quite a bit, but he was nowhere near sober. I had missed that the flashing lights were making his eyes look a bit wild.

In the meantime, Jeon Jae-hyung grabbed the microphone. Ban Pyo-ran, who had calmed down and was sitting next to me listening to Jeon Jae-hyung sing, called me. His voice was low enough that others couldn’t hear.

“But Hae-jun.”

“Yeah.”

“Why were you trying to pair me and Lee Beom up?”

“Ah.”

I hesitated to answer.

I can’t possibly tell them I set them up so they’d live happily ever after, and I could sneak away to study.

I made up a plausible excuse.

“Just… well… because you were the protagonists. To make you happy…?”

It wasn’t entirely untrue.

Ban Pyo-ran and Lee Beom were the protagonists. If they fell in love, I figured that I and the others would naturally find our own paths to happiness. I thought that was the novel’s destiny.

Ban Pyo-ran smiled wryly at my answer and leaned in to whisper,

“Now that you say it was a novel, I understand why you did it.”

Ban Pyo-ran paused, as if out of breath. The colorful mirror ball cast a kaleidoscope of colors on his face.

“You don’t necessarily need a male protagonist.”

“Huh?”

“To find happiness.”

Not quickly grasping the meaning, I responded with a clumsy reaction, and Ban Pyo-ran waved his hand in the air as if wondering how to explain it, then ran his hand through his hair.

“Ah. I don’t know if I can explain it well because I’m drunk, but anyway.”

“……”

“There might be a male protagonist on the path to happiness I choose.”

“……”

“But he’s not the only path to happiness I can have.”

“……”

“So, you don’t need to feel sorry about the past, and don’t worry about it. That’s all! End!”

Ban Pyo-ran grinned and ran back to sing. I stared blankly at Ban Pyo-ran, who was energetically moving despite having poured so much alcohol into his stomach.

In the novel, I had been so fixated on the fact that it was a novel that I thought Ban Pyo-ran would inevitably fall in love with Lee Beom.

So, I agonized countless times whether I was ruining Ban Pyo-ran’s happiness…

When I understood what Ban Pyo-ran meant, I also smiled.

It was just…

Thank you.

Ban Pyo-ran had a considerate personality, always thinking ahead. Of course, that personality sometimes led him to make huge misjudgments.

Perhaps I was the one most trapped in the novel.

Seong Hae-min would act this way because he’s this kind of person, Min Si-hu would act that way because he’s that kind of person, Ban Pyo-ran would love Lee Beom…

But it wasn’t like that. They were all real people, and they had things they wanted to do. I knew less about them than I thought.

Ban Seo-yi too… it would have been nice if she were here.

With a bittersweet feeling, I watched the guys jumping around in the karaoke room.

Having thoroughly made the most of our karaoke service time, we finally dispersed, shuffling our feet.

Jeon Jae-hyung, whose direction was the same, left with Kim Yi-dam and Ban Pyo-ran to see them home, while Min Si-hu hastily hailed a taxi because his girlfriend, who was furious, called.

Seong Hae-min, Lee Beom, and I, the remaining ones, ambled towards the bus stop.

It was the dead of winter, and even though it was time for the first bus, the sky was still dark. The three of us walked side-by-side down the predawn street, where the drunks had mostly disappeared.

Seong Hae-min asked Lee Beom,

“How was it?”

“It was good. Oh, but Hae-jun Hyung…”

“Yeah?”

Lee Beom, who had been smiling faintly, hesitated for a moment before looking at me cautiously. His jet-black eyes, shiny like marbles, were fixed on me.

I tightened the scarf Do Yun-hyeok had bought me and raised my eyebrows.

“Are you acquainted with Do Yun-hyeok? In real life?”

“Huh? Uh?”

How did he know? My pupils, unable to hide the truth from the surprise question, darted around. Lee Beom, his cheeks red from the cold, added as if to make an excuse,

“I happened to see a call come in on your mobile phone earlier. Sorry. But the name sounded familiar.”

“Ah…”

I didn’t want to lie to them. And I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t seen it…

After a moment’s thought, I gathered my courage and said,

“I’ll introduce you next time. I didn’t call him today because he’s not someone I usually hang out with.”

Perhaps the day would come when I would introduce him…

Seong Hae-min’s eyes met mine. Seong Hae-min smiled casually.

I didn’t know if I would be ready to tell them everything then, but I hoped I would be.

“It’ll be fun, even with Do Yun-hyeok.”

White puffs of breath escaped Seong Hae-min’s lips. I smiled back at him.

A cheerful announcement chimed that the bus would arrive in one minute.

The new year had just begun.

One Day, My Heart Broke

One day, Lee Beom woke up as usual and found tears welling up in his eyes.

‘That’s strange. Did I have a sad dream?’

He had never cried in his sleep before, or rather, he had rarely cried at all, so for Lee Beom, it was simply a curious event. A strange and rare occurrence. That was all.

And precisely from that day on, though the exact reason was unknown, the thought of needing to study hard began to dominate his mind. It was almost an obsession. An obsession to reach a world he didn’t know.

Lee Beom himself didn’t know the reason. His friends asked him why he had suddenly changed, but Lee Beom didn’t know the reason either, so he couldn’t give a proper answer. He just thought it was because he was a senior in high school.

His teachers and parents, seeing Lee Beom studying so diligently as if he had become a different person, were delighted, thinking he had reformed and matured.

That’s why he applied for and participated in the intensive mentor-mentee program run by Seoul National University students. There, Lee Beom met a Sunbae named Min Si-hu. And through Min Si-hu’s introduction, he met other university student mentors.

At their first meeting at the cafe… Lee Beom felt an inexplicable pain in his chest in front of the table where three people were sitting. A tingling, like an electric current, flowed from the pit of his stomach to the palms of his hands. As the connected nerves ached delicately, he clenched and unclenched his fists, shaking his hands several times. Was his heart broken from so much tension?

Even then, Lee Beom didn’t know why he was acting that way. He only vaguely speculated that it was due to admiration and envy for those who had succeeded in college entrance exams.

And so he studied with all his might, as if he were an astronaut aiming for the stars. When his friends, who used to hang out with him, asked why he was studying so hard, he replied, “Because I want to live in the same world as those Sunbaes.”

Driven by an intense obsession he couldn’t explain, he pushed himself, and as a result, he succeeded in his university entrance exams. A university he couldn’t have imagined in his second year of high school. But even after being accepted into university, the thirst remained.

Then one day, he had a dream. Familiar faces appeared in the dream. The kind Hyungs who had helped him with his college entrance. But strangely, he was their friend, they spent time together, had fun, forged friendships, and then…

“It has nothing to do with you.”

“It’s important to me. Studying, grades, things like that… you wouldn’t understand.”

“Still, we live in the same world.”

Waking up, Lee Beom was only confused.

A flood of memories rushed in like the tide…

Only then did Lee Beom realize the origin of his emotions. Why he had studied like a madman. Why his heart ached so terribly whenever he saw Seong Hae-jun.

He was desperately regretful and disappointed that he had only just remembered this crucial fact. He should have remembered sooner.

He was also ashamed of his actions in the dream. His cheesy lines, his confessions that were close to declarations of love, and the implicit rejection he received.

He even felt resentful that everyone else already knew each other and shared their pasts, excluding him. But perhaps it was fortunate that he remembered now. He was so grateful and cherished the people who had helped him in every way. He wanted to be with them forever.

But then…

“I’ll introduce you next time. I didn’t call him today because he’s not someone I usually hang out with.”

Lee Beom wasn’t slow-witted. He paid attention to his crush’s every move, enjoying reading their expressions and tone of voice.

So, suppressing the tears that threatened to spill, he lifted his head towards the sky. The January dawn, before the sun had risen, was too dark. And to remain their friend, he repeated to himself several times in his heart.

In the next life, may I recognize you first…

One Day, My Heart Broke, End….

LMO Side Story (2) 1

Making the Quiet Nerd Mine

There was something I had been curious about for a long time.

‘Do people in the world really like sex that much?’

Normally, I wouldn’t care if others liked sex or not, but sometimes I genuinely wondered. Like when I saw vulgar posts on anonymous university communities, or when I felt awkward hearing hushed conversations from the next table at a bar.

It had been like this since high school, when boys in the dorm would giggle about the two syllables of ‘sex’ like children laughing about poop and farts. Each time, I felt like a lone dog in a pack, sitting there bewildered. Of course, I had desires too, but I had never taken much interest in sexual activity outside of regular classes.

This bewilderment, which I couldn’t ask anyone about, swirled inside me without finding a resolution.

And the reason I started seriously contemplating this again was none other than my current boyfriend.

‘Since we’re dating…’

I guess we’ll have sex too?

Even though Do Yun-hyeok was comfortable and intimate, it wasn’t that there was no sexual tension when we were alone.

When a strange atmosphere arose, I would feel awkward, my fingers would twitch, and my legs would cross. Sometimes, out of excessive nervousness, I would break out in a cold sweat down my back.

But seeing Do Yun-hyeok’s calm expression made me feel unfairly like I was the only one conscious of it.

So, I gritted my teeth and pretended not to notice, but the real problem was that I had absolutely no idea how to act.

Do Yun-hyeok and I had already kissed, and sometimes, when the mood was right, we would hug or bring our lips to his ears or neck, but we had never gone further.

While I could attribute my cluelessness to my lack of interest in sex until now…

Was Do Yun-hyeok the same as me? Was he just playing along? Or was he genuinely indifferent and I was just fantasizing about a lewd atmosphere and getting anxious? I couldn’t tell.

Once, I tried to imagine us hugging and rolling around on the bed in preparation for contact with Do Yun-hyeok. Just rolling, nothing more.

Since it was an experience I hadn’t had, the imagination wasn’t very concrete, but I didn’t dislike it. In fact, I liked it.

But having sex?

That was a whole different dimension.

‘First of all… how is it done?’

A worry I had never considered before arose, making me quite uneasy.

Of course, I knew about sex between men and women. I wasn’t claiming to be a natural monument who didn’t know the word ‘sex.’

But I knew nothing about sex between men.

‘Under what kind of atmosphere, how should I act, and what should be the outcome?’

I knew that gay men had anal sex, as the boys often used derogatory terms, so I had picked up on it. But that was the extent of my knowledge.

To be honest, before meeting Do Yun-hyeok, I had little desire for relationships and disliked physical contact with others. That’s why the boys in high school called me a virgin or a saint.

I didn’t think it was a big problem. I figured things would work out somehow.

The fact that I could now kiss Do Yun-hyeok without any issue was surprising enough, proving that human saliva wasn’t necessarily dirty.

So, I wished Do Yun-hyeok would make the first move.

Schools don’t teach you the process and procedures of sex, so how do people figure it out on their own? Do they just bump into each other and learn?

Is people’s sexual curiosity really that strong? I mean, mine is too.

In any case, being in a state of ignorance and awkwardness didn’t suit me. Whatever it was, I had to figure it out in advance.

I started searching for information over several days. Being extremely careful not to leave any trace in my internet search history.

“Hmm…”

After reading a few sex columns, I turned it off, unable to overcome my boredom.

‘Do they only think about that stuff in their brains?’

That was the question that arose most strongly.

Set the mood, touch, and then have sex? It didn’t make sense.

Given my past behavior, I suspected that if I remained still, Do Yun-hyeok would also remain still, so I couldn’t figure out what I should do.

‘It’s strange for a couple to live like virgins their whole lives…’

Feeling like a robot, I just sighed. This time, I decided to search more specifically for gay sexual relations.

The search results yielded a lot of explicit information.

Top, bottom, enema, prostate…

Well, it made sense that just inserting something for no reason wouldn’t work. Since it wasn’t a reproductive organ, preparation would be necessary, and there must be a purpose for doing it.

Frowning, I rubbed my forehead as I absorbed the information frantically.

“Haa…”

I felt like my brain was rotting from looking at this stuff so much lately.

To think I was studying this because there was nothing else to study. You never know what life will bring.

But no matter how I looked at it, Do Yun-hyeok didn’t seem like the type to be on the bottom.

‘Then, I…’

My thoughts paused for a moment.

‘What should I call this?’

Only vulgar expressions came to mind.

‘So… should I let him…?’

But the psychological barrier was too high.

After all, I was a person raised as a man. The scenario of applying Do Yun-hyeok and myself to the roles of penetrating and being penetrated wasn’t easy to imagine.

‘Will I even get hard…?’

“Ah, screw it. I don’t know.”

I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I shook my head, cutting off the thoughts. I decided to wash up and get some sleep instead.

Wanting to wash up quickly and feel refreshed, I turned the showerhead on high and stood under the water.

As I rubbed my body with the shower ball, as usual, without thinking, I suddenly realized that the sound echoing in the bathroom was somewhat similar to the squelching sounds from the videos I had recently watched.

In fact, it was natural. Showering involved being naked, and to wash, I had to rub my bare skin.

The problem was that once the highly stimulating videos I had seen recently came to mind, everything else started to bother me.

My brain has really rotted!

‘I’m not some high school student seeing porn for the first time…’

Sighing at my pathetic state, I listlessly ran a hand over my face. The warm water from the showerhead flowed slickly down my skin.

‘No, am I still at that age?’

I had heard countless times that it was an age of strong sexual desire. It’s just that I hadn’t lived that way until now.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I had masturbated. I wasn’t particularly active in that regard anyway, so I didn’t do it often…

Hesitantly, I wiped the soap off my body and lightly grasped my penis.

Holding it in my hand after so long felt unfamiliar. I slowly began to stroke it. Blood rushed to the erectile tissue. It gradually hardened, increasing in size.

I moved my hand up and down the soft skin. Closing my eyes tightly, I focused stimulation on the glans. It didn’t take long to reach climax.

“Hngg… Hng!”

As the sensation of climax peaked, Do Yun-hyeok’s face flashed behind my closed eyelids like a burst of stars. I opened my eyes wide at the moment of ejaculation.

I was panting. Thick white fluid dripped into my palm, which had blocked it.

‘…I didn’t imagine this while jerking off, did I?’

My heart pounded, feeling like I had used Do Yun-hyeok as a side dish without permission. Slowly catching my breath, I pressed down on my excited chest. I felt a sense of guilt, so I quickly wiped my hand.

My cheeks were hot. Even without looking in the mirror, I knew my face was flushed. The lingering heat didn’t seem like it would subside easily. Warm water continued to pour from the showerhead.

After a moment of conflict, I reached between my buttocks.

‘Why am I even doing this?’

However, my bewilderment about myself didn’t stop my actions.

‘It’s better to be safe than sorry…’

Based on the empirical principle that I should try it at least once beforehand, I moved my hand forward, but my fingers trembled with the unfamiliar action.

The warm water helped to ease some of the tension in my body, but it didn’t make the action I was about to perform any easier.

“Hoo…”

Taking a deep breath, I touched my finger. With my warm, wet hand, I gently massaged the tightly clenched area.

LMO Side Story (2) 2

“Hmm.”

I didn’t feel much.

It was just the sensation of my finger touching my anus between my buttocks, literally that feeling.

“Is this not it?”

I leaned against the wall with one hand, frowning, and focused my attention on my fingertip. Recalling the memory, I tried my best to imitate it. The position, with my arm bent behind me, was uncomfortable.

“Ugh…?”

After fumbling for a few more minutes, I finally gave up. The most I managed was to spread it slightly and insert a finger or two.

Of course, I stopped because I was scared, but the bigger reason was that it felt very uncomfortable.

In the videos, they seemed to get hard doing this, but the moment something entered, I felt like I was wilting, unable to recover, let alone get hard. The foreign sensation was intense, and it seemed to be due to psychological resistance to the unfamiliar act.

‘This is really not good. What should I do?’

Could this even lead to a sexual situation?

I didn’t understand. Leaning my forehead against the smooth tile, I let out a long sigh. A strong sense of post-nut clarity washed over me.

What were those people in the videos doing? They seemed to be writhing in pleasure. Was it all acting? Just like the moans in regular porn were said to be fake, it seemed no different just because the genders were the same.

Of course, it wasn’t set in stone that Do Yun-hyeok would be the one penetrating, and in the actual event, I might be the one penetrating. But I didn’t want to assign a role to Do Yun-hyeok that I found unpleasant.

“Hmm…”

I stood under the water for a while, then ran a hand through my hair. The warm steam covering my body rose in wisps.

‘Well… it’ll work out somehow?’

This was a problem that required conversation with my boyfriend, not me struggling alone. However, the topic was still too embarrassing for me to bring up so directly.

After a moment of thought, I shook my head, dismissing the thought. Annoyed, I roughly dried my body with a towel.

It was funny and absurd that I was having such lewd fantasies on my own.

‘Yeah, it’ll work out somehow!’

Let’s just pretend we don’t know, like we always have. I’ll stop these perverted thoughts here and go to sleep with a clean mind, Darling.

❖ ❖ ❖

I left the house with a nervous heart. I had woken up early and bustled around to prepare, leaving me with dark circles under my eyes. Worried about my complexion, I patted my cheeks.

No matter how much I had practiced beforehand, it was unavoidable that I kept checking things I didn’t normally do.

Especially on an important day like today, even more so.

“Do Yun-hyeok!”

“You’re here.”

I ended up arriving a little later than usual. Of course, it was still earlier than the agreed-upon time. Do Yun-hyeok greeted me with a wide smile.

As I hurried over, I suddenly remembered and checked the item in my hand.

The paper bag, which I had been fidgeting with and checking the condition of the entire subway ride, was neatly creased. This was thanks to carrying it carefully so it wouldn’t get crumpled.

Perhaps because it was obvious how much effort had gone into its preparation, Do Yun-hyeok didn’t even ask what I was holding and just smiled. His knowing attitude was a little teasing.

“Let’s go.”

I followed him, hugging the paper bag awkwardly to my chest.

It was a weekend morning, nearing noon.

Meeting at the subway station, we headed leisurely towards the park.

Today, we were coming to the Han River for Do Yun-hyeok’s birthday outing. Actually, his birthday was a few days later, but since it was difficult to take a full day off on a weekday, we scheduled it for the early weekend.

The weather was mild, perfect for a leisurely rest, and the park was quite crowded. After looking around a bit, we luckily found a spot on a shaded patch of grass, spread out our picnic blanket, and unpacked our things.

“For lunch…”

As soon as Do Yun-hyeok opened his mouth, I put down the paper bag and took out the lunchbox inside. It was the very reason I had been fidgeting and checking its condition so anxiously.

Recognizing the lunchbox, Do Yun-hyeok smiled in a crescent shape, as if he knew everything. I wasn’t expecting him to be surprised by such a predictable preparation, so I immediately opened the lid to dispel any awkwardness of receiving undeserved praise.

“Oh…”

Do Yun-hyeok whistled. Immediately, a rich and sweet aroma tickled my nose.

The sandwiches, which I had woken up before dawn to prepare, were bathed in faint sunlight. As expected, the lighting was flattering; they looked much more presentable under the sun than they had in the kitchen.

I wasn’t someone who diligently celebrated anniversaries (I also hadn’t had anyone to celebrate with until now), but I felt bad always being on the receiving end, so for this birthday, I wanted to do something Do Yun-hyeok would like.

When I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, he thought for a moment and then smiled brightly, saying he wanted to go on a picnic in the park, which is why we were here.

A picnic. For me, who didn’t enjoy outings, it was an unfamiliar word. So, while looking up what was needed for a picnic, I remembered the meal Do Yun-hyeok had made for me once, which had left a very good impression. That’s why I decided to prepare it together.

I also… wanted to ‘do’ something for Do Yun-hyeok. A picnic lunchbox was predictable, but. If I received something, it was only right to give something back.

“Oh, avocado salmon sandwiches.”

After examining the contents, Do Yun-hyeok identified the ingredients at a glance and exclaimed.

He crawled over on his knees and suddenly leaned in, pressing close to me. My cheeks flushed, and I slowly leaned back. It felt too close for two men to be so close outdoors.

“Because you like salmon.”

“Did you make them yourself?”

He asked, even though he clearly saw how clumsy they looked after I made them. His sly smile was irritating.

“Yeah. But I can’t guarantee the taste.”

“Huh? They’re delicious?”

“What! When did you try them?”

“Ah— this makes us seem like a married couple.”

At his cheeky remark, I punched his thigh to hide my embarrassment. Then, checking his expression, I hesitantly asked,

“…Are they really good? Truly?”

I had lost count of how many failed sandwiches I had eaten to make this one today. The prototypes I made for practice all went into my stomach, and the ones that turned out reasonably well I gave to my parents.

At first, my mother thought my cooking was cute and convenient, but later she got tired of it and complained, asking what possessed me to eat only sandwiches every day.

Still, I thought I had managed to make something presentable, but the real thing was different from practice.

I had meticulously prepared and cut the sandwich ingredients the day before, but on the big morning, my mother suggested adding a side dish, and I messed up the cooking time calculation, burning the bread a bit.

Panicked by the ruined schedule, I fumbled around and ended up spilling more salt than usual… After that, it was a continuous cycle of chaos and despair.

To fall apart on the day after doing so well in practice!

My mother said this was well-made, but I wasn’t satisfied. In practice, I would have discarded it and made a new one. But to make it to the appointment on time, I had no choice but to bring the failed ones along.

Do Yun-hyeok closed his eyes, chewed, savored the taste, and murmured.

“Crisp, toasted bread…”

“……”

“The grainy mustard has a sharp bite, the mayonnaise is smooth. The lettuce is crunchy. The cheese and tomato are delicious too. The onions have had their sharpness removed, so they’re crunchy and sweet. And the salmon and avocado…”

Do Yun-hyeok nodded, listing the ingredients one by one. Even though I had put in some effort, it was a clumsy sandwich compared to the meal Do Yun-hyeok made for me last time, but seeing him eat it so deliciously put me at ease.

And… I was a little happy.

I cleared my throat awkwardly and took out my own sandwich. Do Yun-hyeok, after taking a sip of the milk I brought, smiled faintly.

He had a clumsy milk mustache around his lips. I took out a tissue and placed it on his lips like an amulet.

Do Yun-hyeok exaggeratedly pouted as if asking me to wipe it. I pulled my hand away in disgust. He grabbed my wrist as it fell and kissed my lips as if to suck on my fingertips.

“Hey!”

I cried out softly, quickly withdrew my hand, and looked around. Fortunately, no one was looking this way.

In the meantime, Do Yun-hyeok was shamelessly finishing his sandwich. He was truly incorrigible.

Having devoured one sandwich, Do Yun-hyeok took out a fresh one from the lunchbox and said,

“Even just one bite, and I can tell how you prepared it.”

“Are you using mind-reading? How can you tell?”

There was nothing more gratifying than having my efforts recognized. My heart pounded.

But I didn’t want to show how happy I was, so I grumbled and looked away. My ears felt hot. Do Yun-hyeok just smiled brightly.

LMO Side Story (2) 3

After finishing several more sandwiches, other simple dishes, and the dessert Do Yun-hyeok brought, my stomach was full. I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat much, having eaten dozens of sandwiches during practice, but it was surprisingly edible.

Perhaps it was because Do Yun-hyeok ate it so deliciously. Eating it with him, feeling the gentle breeze, gave it a new flavor.

We spent the whole day lounging on the park lawn, spread out on our blanket, sunbathing. It was my first picnic, and it was quite nice. I enjoyed chatting about the pattern on the blanket he brought, staring blankly at the buildings across the river, and watching families enjoying their outings.

Since the weather was so pleasant, I even dozed off for a nap in the middle.

We had seemed to fall asleep while rolling around together, but when I groggily woke up, Do Yun-hyeok was sitting beside me. His sleepy eyelids blinked slowly. His eyelashes, swaying like reeds in the wind, made my eyelids itch.

He was watching children playing ball in the distance, smiling contentedly.

Suddenly, I realized that the sun had moved, and the tree’s shade had receded significantly. And I also realized that Do Yun-hyeok was blocking the direct sunlight so it wouldn’t be too hot.

‘……’

My chest felt warm. Perhaps it was because I had been in the sun for so long.

I liked seeing him like that, so I pretended to be asleep and closed my eyes, only to fall back asleep.

When I woke up again later, the tree’s shade was cast over us.

Shaking off our laziness, we played a board game that Do Yun-hyeok had brought. I played fiercely, determined not to lose, even smashing Do Yun-hyeok’s hand with mine, but he just laughed heartily like a saint, as if he were delighted.

We sat and talked until the sun began to set, fidgeting around, and only after dusk did we get up and clear the blanket.

“Let’s go. I’ll make dinner.”

We headed to Do Yun-hyeok’s studio apartment.

‘I guess today…’

On the crowded subway, I stole glances at Do Yun-hyeok and swallowed dryly.

Actually, I wasn’t unaware of what ordinary couples did on dates in their apartments. Do Yun-hyeok and I seemed to be the exception.

In fact, no matter how long I wanted to spend with him, I always rushed home at night, saying I needed to sleep in a comfortable place…

‘Today… ha, will it happen?’

Even though it was just a thought in my head, I fumbled with my words out of shyness.

Normally, I couldn’t sleep in unfamiliar places, so I always went home to sleep, but this time it was his birthday…

Also, I had visited his studio apartment often, especially recently when I came over to eat whenever I had nothing else to do, so it had become a comfortable space.

Because of that, I suddenly felt like we could spend the night together.

Of course, it wasn’t a casual thought. I had finally mustered the courage. I had even looked things up and prepared on my own not long ago.

Secretly, I sent a message to my mother saying I was going to sleep over at a friend’s house. My mother replied with a joke, saying she thought my son had no friends, so she was glad to know he did.

When Do Yun-hyeok asked what I was texting, I casually shook my head, saying it was nothing, and then asked impulsively,

“Can I stay over tonight?”

“…Of course, anytime.”

He seemed quite surprised, and his answer, with a hoarse voice, came after a considerable delay. I could feel his agitation, so I tried to maintain a poker face and turned my head.

The rattling subway car was heading towards Do Yun-hyeok’s studio apartment.

“Excuse me—”

As I opened the door and stepped inside, the entryway light flickered on. Stepping into the familiar space, I felt a little more relaxed. As expected, a comfortable place was the best.

I had been quiet the entire subway ride. Even Do Yun-hyeok, who usually talked a lot, was silent. The crowded subway felt unusually quiet, with only the rumbling sound like thunder echoing loudly.

Perhaps it was because I had been so nervous on the way, but I felt much better once I entered Do Yun-hyeok’s apartment.

‘It’ll work out somehow!’

Gathering optimism, I pushed aside my nervousness. I felt less burdened thinking that Do Yun-hyeok wouldn’t harm me.

“Your Monstera is really growing well.”

After washing my hands and tidying my clothes, I looked around Do Yun-hyeok’s apartment. Do Yun-hyeok, who was standing in the kitchen trimming ingredients from the refrigerator, wiped his hands on a paper towel and chuckled.

Unlike me, who lived with my parents, Do Yun-hyeok lived alone in an officetel near the university. Since he had a long commute, I was very envious of his living alone.

Moreover, he lived in a pretty nice building. Even though it was a studio with a separate area, it was large enough to divide the kitchen, living room, and bedroom, and the soundproofing and security were better than most apartments.

Do Yun-hyeok was good at studying, good at cooking, and I wondered what he couldn’t do, yet he lived in a well-furnished home. His interior design was so neat and exemplary that it seemed like it should be submitted to a YouTube channel about studio apartment tours. I thought I’d like to decorate my future home like this, though that was still a distant prospect.

He soon presented a magnificent meal, emitting a spicy and fragrant aroma, and set the table.

The shrimp, sizzling in boiling oil, were plump and firm. Do Yun-hyeok, rummaging through a bread bag, arranged baguettes beautifully. The table was set, looking so good it could be sold.

“Ah, I have a bottle of wine I received as a gift, want to drink it together?”

“Sure.”

Do Yun-hyeok opened the cupboard and brought out a bottle of wine. As the indoor lights were dimmed to only accent lighting, the atmosphere became more intimate. It was as good as any restaurant.

We sat opposite each other, raising our glasses. The clinking of the glasses was as clear as birdsong.

“Cheers.”

“Ah, this is really delicious.”

With the food, which was perfect as an appetizer, and the pasta Do Yun-hyeok had boiled additionally, the drinks flowed easily. I kept exclaiming in admiration as I ate. My stomach warmed up with the delicious food and drinks.

“The group project this time…”

“That professor is really strange.”

“Even professors should do group projects.”

As we talked about various things and drank merrily, I was already feeling pleasantly tipsy.

As the alcohol started to take effect, my guard loosened. I didn’t mind. Do Yun-hyeok was always a trustworthy person to me. That’s why I liked him.

If there was one thing I learned after becoming a university student, it was that my alcohol tolerance wasn’t high. It was about average.

He always talked about reason and intellect, making it seem like he could down a bottle of baijiu and still discuss his thesis. In reality, after about a bottle of soju, I felt cheerful and couldn’t stop smiling.

The only consolation was that my drunken behavior wasn’t unsightly.

“…Hee. Haha.”

After finishing the meal, watching Do Yun-hyeok clear the table, I couldn’t help but smile for no particular reason. My heart pounded, and I felt exhilarated.

I tried to sit as gracefully as possible, but I couldn’t stop my cheeks from lifting.

Do Yun-hyeok finished tidying up and sat beside me. Then he leaned towards me abruptly. A warm presence enveloped me.

His gaze, lowered leisurely, met mine directly. In his eyes, I saw my own face smiling gently, looking so happy.

It was then that I thought the color of his eyes, reflecting me, seemed to deepen slightly.

Do Yun-hyeok reached out and rubbed my slightly parted lower lip.

“You… always have your lips parted like this when you’re drunk.”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s funny.”

Laughing foolishly, I also raised my hand and fumbled with my parted lips.

As Do Yun-hyeok said, my soft lips were parted like a baby’s. My fingernail made a clicking sound against my teeth.

As if to imitate my fumbling, Do Yun-hyeok slyly inserted his thumb between my lips and slowly rubbed the moist inside.

I burst into laughter, feeling a ticklish sensation like when I put fluffy rice in my mouth.

“Ah, it tickles.”

“It tickles?”

“Yeah.”

Do Yun-hyeok slowly withdrew his hand. Watching his hand move away, I tightened my lips with all my might.

I thought I had closed them tightly, but Do Yun-hyeok, watching me, let out a suppressed chuckle.

He reached out again, took my cheeks in his hands, and toyed with my lips with his thumb. His neat fingers supported my chin as if caressing it.

“You have to keep them closed. They keep opening.”

“Really?”

“Try closing them again.”

“Okay.”

I obediently relaxed my body and did as he said. I thought I had closed them well, but Do Yun-hyeok pressed my lips, asking why they kept opening.

Why aren’t they closing?

As I wondered, Do Yun-hyeok, who acted as if he would hold my constantly opening lips together, leaned in suddenly.

LMO Side Story (2) 4

“Huh?”

As I stared blankly at his handsome face, barely thinking about how close he had gotten, Do Yun-hyeok, with a slight downward glance, pressed his lips to mine as usual.

Looking at his straight, neatly grown eyelashes, I lowered my own eyelids.

Naturally, I parted my lips and accepted his soft, warm tongue.

‘I haven’t brushed my teeth…’

My thoughts were hazy. But that didn’t matter. The sensation of his warm, soft lips quickly became wet and sticky.

Each time he sucked on my lips, I instinctively clung to Do Yun-hyeok’s arm, as if begging him not to stop. Otherwise, I felt like I might float away in ecstasy.

Slurp, slurp, soft, sticky sounds filled my ears.

It wasn’t as if we hadn’t kissed before, but each time, I was enveloped in a dizzying sensation, like flying on an airplane. I used to think it was a cliché and childish description from romance manga, but I had no other way to explain it.

As he tried to pull away, I instinctively leaned forward, chasing his lips. I felt the curve of our joined lips bend into a semicircle.

Do Yun-hyeok’s lips parted completely, and an involuntary sigh of regret escaped me.

“Ah…”

“Want more?”

His voice was laced with a playful tone. It was a confidence born from knowing I would shake my head.

Normally, I would have ended it there, but perhaps because I was unusually drunk after a long time, my control over the rising pleasure became hazy. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his lips, so desperate was I for the receding warmth.

After a moment’s hesitation, instead of answering, I leaned in and pressed my lips back to his. I couldn’t tell where such boldness came from. Do Yun-hyeok’s eyes widened in surprise at my uncharacteristic, daring move.

But I had no time to spare for his expression. Suppressing our quickening breaths, we became engrossed in the sensation of our tongues tangling sensually.

So focused were we on the dance of our tongues, swirling and mingling within each other’s mouths, that we didn’t notice the saliva that trickled down my chin.

Unlike his usual self, Do Yun-hyeok didn’t push me away as I became more active. Instead of trying to pull away as he had moments before, he cupped my chin, deepening the angle of our kiss.

I panted like a dog under the relentless, aggressive friction that left no room to breathe. It wasn’t just me who was different from usual.

“Hng…”

Then, his tongue swept across the roof of my mouth. A dizzying sensation made a groan escape me involuntarily. My thoughts didn’t linger.

My drunken mind was a fog. His hands, which had been loosely around my waist, began to caress my hip bones. My heart fluttered with a ticklish rhythm, and I placed my hand over the back of his as it roamed my waist.

“Haa…”

“Hoo…”

Do Yun-hyeok, his hand caught by mine, slowly pulled his lips away. He looked at me with a languid gaze, his eyes cast downwards.

It was as I was catching my breath, staring blankly at his handsome face.

“Tonight…”

His cheeks were flushed red too.

“You’re staying over?”

My mouth felt dry. I pressed my trembling lips together and nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Did you call them? Your parents will worry if you stay out.”

“……”

“Hm?”

“…I actually did, earlier.”

I answered quickly, barely moving my lips.

Perhaps it was unexpected, but Do Yun-hyeok visibly faltered.

“…When?”

“…On the subway.”

“……”

Do Yun-hyeok pressed his lips together. I felt an urge to snap back, uncharacteristically, at his attempt to suppress a smile that seemed to be twitching at the corner of his mouth.

“Why are you laughing? Do I amuse you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Do Yun-hyeok quickly explained, lowering his eyelids. The calm, neat blush was unfamiliar. My heart pounded at this unfamiliar sight, one I never saw him display.

“I liked that you reached out first.”

“Wh-what?”

My face flushed red at his unexpected words.

So Do Yun-hyeok had wanted to do things too! And he had just gone along with me because I hadn’t shown it. I wasn’t the only one with a dirty mind.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

Do Yun-hyeok asked again. His low, gentle voice warmed my ears like a candle flame.

“Wh-what?”

“…We can go all the way?”

“Oh? Uh.”

My answer was flustered, but it wasn’t a response I spat out without thinking.

If anything, I wanted to ask him. Did he not intend to go all the way?

Though I didn’t know much, I wasn’t entirely innocent and clueless.

‘Right, I should be the one to take the lead!’

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but my heart felt bold.

Realizing I needed to be more proactive, I wrapped my arms around Do Yun-hyeok’s neck. His body stiffened. For someone who had apparently been holding back his desires, his reaction was surprisingly shy.

A thought arose: couldn’t I be even bolder?

I leaned my upper body to the side. Do Yun-hyeok’s neck muscles were taut with tension.

“Haa…”

Do Yun-hyeok pulled me closer, his hands gripping the back of my head. His hot breath tickled my ear. His hands slowly moved downwards. The touch of his fingers on my thigh jolted me awake.

‘Am I… doing this right?’

My mouth felt parched. I could almost visualize the touch of Do Yun-hyeok’s fingertips through the fabric. It felt like a brand was being seared onto every point of contact.

In the dry atmosphere, my groin was already beginning to swell.

“You’re hard…”

Do Yun-hyeok whispered, as if discovering a surprising fact. My ears, already hot, turned a deeper shade of red. Reflexively, I pushed him away, creating distance.

Looking back at him, I wasn’t in a position to find him strange.

“…You too.”

My voice came out muffled with embarrassment. Do Yun-hyeok was silent for a moment.

Glancing sideways, I saw that he, who I expected to be shamelessly forward as usual, was simply blushing with his lips pressed shut. Instead of finding it amusing, I felt my own heat rise. I could feel it spreading, burning all the way up my neck.

Still, it wasn’t just me who was nervously tense.

Confirming that fact, a strange courage surged within me again. I reached out boldly once more.

But my hand flailed in the air, and my body lurched forward. I had intended to return the favor as he had done to me, but I had underestimated just how drunk I was.

My body, failing to judge distance or maintain balance, tumbled forward. I crashed my face, as if into his groin.

“Ah!”

“Ugh…”

…Shit.

My ears perked up at the low sound that slipped out.

Did Do Yun-hyeok just swear under his breath…?

I turned my head sideways, looking up at him. But Do Yun-hyeok had his head tilted back in a sigh, so I couldn’t see his expression from my angle looking up from below.

His trembling hand gripped my shoulder and pushed me back. Ah, I realized.

Only then did I recognize the awkwardness of my position and scramble to sit up. But then my eyes caught on the bulge in his pants.

“Huh…?”

My thoughts momentarily froze. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Forgetting to even sit up properly, I stared blankly between his legs. Anyone would be surprised.

‘That… it’s so big?’

My mouth wouldn’t close. I had never seen Do Yun-hyeok’s penis directly before, but I had a general idea of its size from a previous occasion when I had to estimate it. Even so, the silhouette I saw now was beyond my imagination.

As I remained there, forgetting my drunken posture, within breathing distance, the hand gripping my upper arm trembled and quickly helped me sit up fully.

Do Yun-hyeok brushed his hand over his crotch, as if to say ‘don’t look,’ but he couldn’t hide how much tighter the front of his pants had become.

Do Yun-hyeok, covering his mouth, looked at me anxiously. His eyes, usually filled with a sly, relaxed smile, were flushed red today.

“……”

“……”

Against the backdrop of the sensually escalating tension, my lips twitched. My drunken facial muscles let out a puff of air, forming a smile.

It was because seeing the usually straightforward guy blush felt strangely cute.

Then, as if he couldn’t be the only one experiencing this, Do Yun-hyeok pressed down on the front of my pants.

“Hng…!”

The direct stimulation elicited an immediate reaction. I reflexively grabbed his arm.

And my short gasp became a signal.

As if by agreement, we fumbled to pull down each other’s pants. My heart pounded with each fumbled attempt, growing more urgent. It felt like we were doing something illicit.

Swallowing dryly, I pulled down the last damp layer of underwear, and his enormous penis, with its angry outline, sprang out like a released spring.

“……”

“……”

‘Crazy…’

I swallowed a curse at the unrealistically formidable size.

A thick, red mass, as thick as a child’s forearm, throbbed against my wrist like a living creature. It stood almost vertically, so hard it seemed about to burst.

LMO Side Story (2) 5

I had no idea what to do, so I just stared blankly at his member. This time, Do Yun-hyeok didn’t stop me. Thanks to him, I could stare in awe to my heart’s content.

The tip of his penis was already glistening, wet.

“Ah!”

But the situation didn’t remain static. Do Yun-hyeok, who had rolled up my shirt, had already emerged and cupped my penis. My body flinched, caught in such a sensitive spot.

Do Yun-hyeok squeezed and released his grip on my penis, moving his hand up and down. My penis tip began to glisten with beads of pre-cum. My body, struggling to process the onslaught of stimulation, weakened.

He caught me as I sagged forward helplessly, while with his other hand, he persistently rubbed only my glans. The sensation of him stroking my testicles sent a shiver down my spine.

Under the almost torturous touch, a sharp sensation of impending climax surged.

“J-just a moment! If you do this, I, I…!”

Gritting my teeth to hold back my climax, I repeatedly slapped his back like a naughty imp.

Despite my wild hitting, he didn’t seem to feel any pain, his expression unchanged. Instead, hearing my desperate cry, his hand slowed.

Just as I thought I could catch my breath, he pressed his lower body against mine, bringing my penis into close contact with his beastly one.

“Ah!”

“Hng…”

Our wet, hard shafts met. Encased in his large hands, our two penises were pressed together with each stroke, making squelching sounds.

Do Yun-hyeok, making a sound like a predator growling, moved his hands up and down.

“Ah, ugh!”

My vision flickered, and stars burst before my eyes. The stimulation was too intense for me, someone who rarely masturbated.

I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing my moans. I couldn’t bear the feeling of our glans grinding together as if kissing. I tried to pull my hips back, but it was impossible while held in Do Yun-hyeok’s arms. In the end, all I could do was cling to Do Yun-hyeok’s shoulder and stifle my moans.

The sensation of my penis being mashed and jumbled by another’s touch was so foreign it drove me mad. Tears welled up involuntarily and traced paths down my closed eyelids. Unlike his rough touch, Do Yun-hyeok licked the salt from my eyes like a mother animal grooming her young, then kissed me ravenously. I clung to him, panting and gasping for breath. My hips bucked.

Before I knew it, I was straddling Do Yun-hyeok’s thighs.

It felt like striking flint, sparks flying continuously. After persistent and relentless friction, we climaxed simultaneously.

Because our mouths were locked, the sounds of our orgasms were swallowed whole into our throats.

“Mmph…!”

As soon as I ejaculated, I bit down hard on his lips. A rough, metallic taste filled my mouth.

White fluid splashed onto my partially unbuttoned clothes. The thick, viscous liquid emitted a potent scent.

I didn’t have the strength to fully undress and clean up. Gasping for breath, I leaned against Do Yun-hyeok. His hard body also trembled with the aftershocks of his climax.

I closed my eyes for a moment, regulating my ragged breaths.

Do Yun-hyeok’s hand, which had been stroking my now-softening penis, carefully wiping away the last traces of fluid, slowly withdrew.

My head was spinning. My heart felt like it had risen to my ears and was beating like a drum. Sweet sleep immediately beckoned. I felt like I could fall asleep right here.

Do Yun-hyeok, taking a tissue from the nearby box to wipe his hands, wrapped his arm around my waist.

“Hae-jun.”

“Mmm…”

Not even realizing how dark his voice was as he called me, I rubbed my forehead against his neck.

His gentle hand stroked my lower back as if soothing a child, then slowly moved downwards towards my buttocks.

‘Huh?’

My body, drowsy from post-climax fatigue and alcohol, sensed the unfamiliar touch and my hairs stood on end. This was an area no one had touched since I became able to wash myself as a child, except for the occasional injection.

“Wh-what are you…”

I started to ask what he was doing, but a lightning-fast realization struck my brain.

‘Right, gay people have anal sex too!’

My eyes flew open.

The lingering effects of the alcohol and sleep, the languid afterglow of my climax, all vanished in an instant.

Do Yun-hyeok’s voice from earlier seemed to echo in my ears.

‘We can go all the way?’

I had nodded as if it were obvious, but thinking back, I had simply assumed he meant climaxing without any doubt.

It hadn’t been that long since I’d looked up anal sex, but how engrossed had I been in penile friction that I had completely forgotten about it!

“Hae-jun.”

“Uh, yeah?”

Do Yun-hyeok leaned closer, whispering in my ear. I couldn’t tell if the frantic pounding was my heart or his.

With our faces pressed close, he brushed the hair from my forehead and gazed intently at me.

Though he was trying his best to appear calm, his face, showing clear signs of immense restraint, met my gaze. The wound on his lip from my bite was red.

“……”

“……”

As he simply watched me, his fingers twitched. My entire body felt hot, as if I were on a heated floor.

Every sensation felt amplified. The sound of my hair rustling between Do Yun-hyeok’s fingers seemed unusually loud. The sound of me swallowing dryly was like thunder.

“Should we… stop here for today?”

His words were completely at odds with the expression he wore. I was speechless.

To be honest, I did have a small part of me that wanted to stop here. The unknown experience was frightening and worrying.

But his face was the problem.

His eyes were hazy and panting like a beast, yet he asked me with an almost fiercely restrained expression.

Seeing that, I felt my own eyes go wild.

My throat was parched. My mouth was dry.

This was bad. As if my earlier climax had faded into distant memory, my penis began to half-erect just from his lingering gaze.

Whenever I heard the expression “standing just by looking,” I always thought the world was full of crazy people! And I was one of those crazy people.

Reflexively, I shifted my hips back slightly. Then, as if to explain, I took his hand.

“But, um…”

“Hm?”

Do Yun-hyeok blinked anxiously. It seemed like an unconscious action. I parted my lips.

The words, “I don’t know if anal sex is possible,” simply wouldn’t come out.

I debated whether to say I had tried it before and it hadn’t worked, or that I hadn’t been aroused and it wasn’t good, but in the end, I shook my head, whispering.

“No. It’s not.”

My heart pounded as if it would shatter my bones.

I couldn’t tell if this was excitement or fear. It was probably both.

I clutched Do Yun-hyeok’s clothes tightly and declared, trying to appear resolute.

“L-let’s really, do it…”

My head was spinning from extreme tension, and I had no idea what state of mind I was in.

We moved to the bed. Do Yun-hyeok slowly laid me down and climbed on top of me.

Looking up from below, his ribcage alone was overwhelming. His solid body blocked my vision, pressing down on me heavily.

I wasn’t exactly short or particularly small myself, so being pressed down by someone wasn’t a familiar situation. I fidgeted with my hands in my unfamiliarity.

Honestly, I was scared, but what was scarier was the feeling that I would accept anything Do Yun-hyeok did to me.

It was the feeling that Do Yun-hyeok could do anything, and it would be okay.

That it would be okay even if I broke somewhere.

Things that the ‘me’ I knew would never tolerate were being accepted without hesitation…

‘Ah.’

The moment I recognized that feeling, I realized.

Ah.

‘I… like Do Yun-hyeok…’

I liked him far more than I thought.

This sudden and unfamiliar realization struck me like lightning.

Suddenly, I couldn’t bring myself to look directly at Do Yun-hyeok’s face. I quickly lowered my head. Otherwise, I felt I would lose the pretense of calmness I was barely maintaining.

Do Yun-hyeok shed his clothes and then mine. I moved my body wordlessly, helping him.

Naked, I faced him, unable to find a place to rest my eyes.

Do Yun-hyeok naturally spread my legs and positioned himself between them. I felt a heavy presence in my groin area.

I yielded to the fluid motion, but my legs stiffened in the unfamiliar position.

In my vague expectations, I had believed I could handle it flexibly, but faced with the reality, my body remained rigid like a stiff log.

It was even more so because of the presence of something blunt pressing into my inner thighs.

My belatedly awakened reason seemed to object in my head, saying, ‘This isn’t going to work!’

Thinking about it, Do Yun-hyeok’s penis was too large to fit into a place that wouldn’t even take a fingertip.

But at the same time, I didn’t want to take it back.

My thoughts paused for a moment, caught in conflicting emotions. I froze, forgetting even to breathe.

“Shhh…”

Noticing my extreme tension, Do Yun-hyeok cupped my face like a mother bird and kissed me softly. Like a flurry of snowflakes, a warm sensation poured over my face. The affectionate act breathed excitement into me rather than fear.

After soothing me, Do Yun-hyeok reached out, picked up the lotion from a nearby table, and squeezed a generous amount into his palm. He seemed to intend to use it as a lubricant. A scene from a video I’d watched before flashed in my mind.

His wet hand moved towards my lower body. The lotion, warmed by Do Yun-hyeok’s body heat, thoroughly soaked me down below. His firm fingers gently probed my entrance. I clung to Do Yun-hyeok’s shoulder to endure the strange, wriggling sensation.

LMO Side Story (2) 6

His long fingers repeatedly and intimately massaged my perineum, easing my tension. My toes tingled.

It was as I trembled with a peculiar, ticklish feeling in my chest that his fingertip, pressing against my entrance, softly pushed inside.

And at that moment, Do Yun-hyeok stopped.

It was such a sudden halt that I wished he would make a decision, whether to push the finger, which felt as hard as a wooden stick, further in or pull it out.

“…?”

“…”

Do Yun-hyeok, frozen still, looked down at me without a word. The dim lighting made it hard to read his expression.

Did something go wrong?

My heart lurched.

“…”

Just as I thought…

Fragments of thoughts, lingering in my mind, slowly gathered and formed a single sentence.

‘It’s no wonder… it won’t work with a man, will it?’

My mind went blank after completing the question.

I had certainly felt a physiological fear of anal sex myself, and had even briefly considered that perhaps today wasn’t the day and it would be better to postpone it, but…

However, that fear was nothing compared to the dread this question brought.

‘Can’t… do it?’

Intellectually, I understood that it was a possibility. But facing it in reality, I was suddenly terrified.

That Do Yun-hyeok couldn’t become sexually aroused by me, couldn’t penetrate…

I quickly wrapped my arms around Do Yun-hyeok’s body and pressed my bare chest against him. His body was hot, almost sticky. Yet, my naked body felt cold. The extremities of my body instantly chilled. My fingertips, gripping his back as if trying to dig into his skin and muscles, burned as if scalded. But I couldn’t let go of Do Yun-hyeok.

“You…”

“…”

I couldn’t even form a voice to answer. I managed to gather saliva and wet my throat. My heart pounded.

Do Yun-hyeok lowered his lips close to my ear and whispered, as if asking the most intimate secret.

“Have you ever done it alone?”

“Huh?”

“Here.”

As I blinked and asked again, Do Yun-hyeok tapped his finger.

Do Yun-hyeok’s face was so close that his nose almost touched mine. His furrowed brow, with veins showing, looked incredibly serious, as if he had gathered all his patience.

The hands that had been tightly embracing his back slowly loosened their grip. The soft bedding touched the back of my head.

“…Huh?”

After making another strange sound blankly, my brain finally started working properly.

‘Alone?’

Doing what?

‘…Anal masturbation?’

I had certainly touched myself while showering alone. I couldn’t exactly call it masturbation, but it was true that I had inserted a finger or so…

“Th-that…”

But the words wouldn’t come out. I just trembled my lips.

Overwhelmed by both relief and confusion, I foolishly exposed my flustered state without being able to hide the embarrassing truth. I had no room to shamelessly deny it.

And in this situation, that would be no different from confirming it.

That I practiced and prepared for such acts because I liked Do Yun-hyeok, because I wanted to do such lewd things with him.

As the meaning of my actions dawned on me, my face turned bright red.

At such close proximity that our breaths mingled, admitting that fact made my face burn as if on fire.

I just opened and closed my lips like a goldfish.

No… how did he know right away after just touching it a little?

“Ha, fuck.”

Do Yun-hyeok suddenly muttered a curse and propped himself up on his elbow next to my head, burying his face. I just stared with wide eyes at the hot, heavy weight resting on my collarbone.

Lying beneath Do Yun-hyeok, I nervously wriggled my fingers, when something large and hard pressed against my thigh again.

Do Yun-hyeok let out a sigh and mumbled.

“…Cute…”

“…Hm?”

“Ah, fuck, really…”

Swallowing his curse, Do Yun-hyeok gently pressed his hips downwards.

The weight on me gained force and began to move slowly, as if predicting a back-and-forth motion. Do Yun-hyeok himself didn’t seem to realize he was doing it.

Something very hard brushed against my hip bone. I held my breath like prey facing a predator.

‘But is it okay to be like this?’

Do Yun-hyeok wasn’t just big.

It’s common sense that something so large would be difficult to be extremely hard, but it felt like something harder than bone had just grazed my hip bone.

Even if blood had rushed to make it hard, the origin was clearly soft flesh, yet the rigidity was unbelievable.

I instinctively grabbed Do Yun-hyeok’s arm. It was a reflex action, like a survival instinct.

“No, but…”

“Hm?”

Do Yun-hyeok, his eyes hazy, looked at me. Though I called out to him for survival, it was difficult to speak.

“That… actually, there.”

“…”

“My fi-finger… not even one could go in…”

I mumbled quickly, my face red.

“Will… will it work?”

“Ha…”

After finishing my words in a mumble, I stole a glance at Do Yun-hyeok’s reaction. Do Yun-hyeok pulled me into another hug, sighing deeply like a man burdened by deep thought.

I was held tightly in his strong arms, but I could still breathe. He couldn’t bring himself to crush me, as the muscles in his arms supporting the mattress bulged.

Do Yun-hyeok’s breath, touching my shoulder and neck, was incredibly rough and hot. I rolled my eyes, embarrassed.

“Hae-jun.”

“Uh-huh?”

“I really…”

Do Yun-hyeok gritted his teeth, clearly struggling to hold back. He gave a faint smile and lightly bit and released my earlobe.

“I’ll make it not hurt.”

Do Yun-hyeok was clearly smiling, but for some reason, he looked like someone whose fuse had blown. I swallowed hard.

Do Yun-hyeok squeezed more lotion into his palm and pressed his wet fingers into the closed folds, as if crushing them. My legs kept drawing inward defensively. But with Do Yun-hyeok firmly in the center, it only resulted in me wrapping my legs around his back.

His unhesitating fingers parted my buttocks and dug inside. My jaw tensed. Do Yun-hyeok’s fingers seemed thick too.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

I closed my eyes and nodded. Though he asked kindly, his fingers, lacking any leisure, piston-ed up and down, widening the opening.

A dull pain arose in a place that had never had anything inserted into it. But at the same time, the sensation of my sensitive spot being repeatedly rubbed was strange, and the inner part of my thighs trembled.

It was completely different from when I had tried it alone in the bathroom. Theoretically, it was the same action, but in reality, it was entirely different.

“Tell me if it hurts…”

“Yeah…”

His voice, though trying to hide its urgency, sounded so gentle that my guard began to lower, yet my pounding heart showed no signs of calming down. Looking at his face, which was glazed over but furrowed in concentration, made me feel even more frantic. I felt like my heart was going to break.

I grabbed the pillow next to me and covered my face. Blocking my vision completely put me at ease.

I was curious about Do Yun-hyeok’s expression, but I didn’t have the confidence to show him my own.

I buried my face in the soft pillow and suppressed my moans. My breathing became ragged and broken.

“Wow… it’s opening up.”

“…”

My spread legs twitched. To say something like that to my face! But the intense stimulation made my legs weak and my hips lose strength, leaving me no room to retort.

I was glad I had covered my face with the pillow. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to look at him.

“Hae-jun, try to relax a little, okay?”

As I clutched the pillow tightly, Do Yun-hyeok gently lifted the pillow covering my face and checked my complexion.

His thumb softly traced my lips, which I had been biting hard. The breath I had been holding back escaped. I gasped and cried.

“Ugh. Hnn…”

Do Yun-hyeok kissed me, coaxing me with off-beat moans. His wet, warm lips continued to press down on mine. He licked my lips like a cat.

While he distracted me with slow, pecking kisses, another finger pushed its way into the wet, hot opening. The movement, gently spreading and probing the hole, made my insides feel strange. Do Yun-hyeok fumbled with my inner walls.

It was hard to describe it as anything other than strange.

Amidst the sharp, stinging pain, a floating sensation stirred my chest. It felt like something was pulling my soul upwards. I kept letting out strange sobbing sounds.

“Does it hurt?”

Do Yun-hyeok asked, as I bit my lip in embarrassment and groaned.

“Ugh… No, it’s… it’s strange…”

“Strange?”

“Uh, uh…”

The distinct feeling of something foreign, and a clear rejection of that foreign object. Up to this point, it was definitely the same as before.

But the feeling was different.

The dullness and dryness I felt when I tried it alone. It was completely different from that state of near numbness.

Looking at Do Yun-hyeok gazing down at me with an aroused expression, and remembering his hand moving inside me, I felt like I was about to ejaculate without even being aroused. My blood boiled.

LMO Side Story (2) 7

The fingers that had been clearing a narrow path had now increased to three, and my lower body, which had been doused with almost an entire bottle of lotion, was now not just wet but melting and flowing. Do Yun-hyeok didn’t stop. The sound of flesh sliding against flesh was similar to waves crashing against a cliff.

The strange sensation that had bloomed in my chest gradually became clearer.

“Ugh…”

It was sexual arousal.

Finally, I twisted my upper body and stopped Do Yun-hyeok. As his hands were blocked, Do Yun-hyeok looked at me. Trembling my lips, I spat out the words I had been holding back.

“It’s… it’s enough now.”

My voice, raspy, scraped against the roof of my mouth. My mouth was dry.

“Quickly…”

“Not yet. You’ll get hurt.”

“…I can’t stand it.”

“…”

It looked like blue flames were shooting from his eyes.

I pulled Do Yun-hyeok’s hands that I was holding. He was pulled along obediently.

“Quickly… please?”

“Fuck…”

Calling out to him like a plea, Do Yun-hyeok cursed loudly and immediately pinned me down.

His penis had been engorged for a long time, to a degree that would make anyone watching wince. It was astonishing how he had managed to hold back and work on loosening my hole in this state. His patience was incredible.

Do Yun-hyeok panted, his hot breath misting the air, and aligned the tip of his erect penis with the entrance of the hole he had so diligently prepared. I tried to calm myself and wrapped my legs around Do Yun-hyeok’s waist.

His penis, thick and hard as steel wire, began to slowly penetrate my tender flesh.

“Hngh… Ah, ah…”

It felt like it was tearing… I bit my lip and turned my head sideways, as if shaking it slightly. My stomach trembled. My inner walls spasmed. The place, stretched beyond its limit, throbbed with a sharp, dull pain as if it would rip apart at any moment.

As expected, it wasn’t a size that fit. It was forcefully pushing through the narrow, tender flesh. My inner thighs tensed. Do Yun-hyeok’s obliques, pressed against my inner thighs, were as hot as fire and as hard as iron.

“Kuh…”

The heavy mass of flesh pushed in endlessly. I gasped for breath, struggling to endure the feeling of my cavity being tightly filled. The thick shaft seemed to penetrate so deeply that it felt like it could fill my airway.

Honestly… it was as terrifying as it was thrilling. My heart leaped with fear. Terrified that I was being stretched beyond my limit, I squeezed my eyes shut and clung to Do Yun-hyeok’s neck.

Do Yun-hyeok repeatedly called my name. The veins on his forehead showed how much he was enduring. I answered as if crying.

“Hae-jun… Hae-jun.”

“Hng, uh, yeah…”

“Fuck, you’re too tight…”

“Hoo, hnn…”

“Try to relax.”

“Uh, just… a moment…”

Taking a deep breath, I tried my best to relax.

Only when I could barely feel his lips kissing my cheeks did I manage to loosen the tension in my lower body.

“Hoo…”

Do Yun-hyeok, sweat beading on his forehead, let out a long sigh. It seemed he had managed to insert it to some extent.

“Ha… good.”

He seemed to have muttered it to himself, and he slowly began to move his hips, gently licking my tear-filled eyes. His tongue felt like it would poke my eye. Down below, where we were perfectly joined, it felt like blood would seep out. My heart pounded with fear. I tightly closed my eyelids. My eyes became warm and wet.

“Hngh…”

With slow, wave-like movements, pain surged and receded. I quickly swallowed the moans I wanted to let out, following the rhythm.

“Hngh…”

The shallow thrusting began to draw larger arcs. At the same time, the squelching sounds became louder. I bit my lips hard. As the speed increased, the force of his thrusts grew stronger.

My abdomen seemed to be pierced, bulging and retracting repeatedly. The skin, swelling and shrinking, was too sensual to watch. My pale body trembled. The hands holding Do Yun-hyeok began to lose their grip.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Hng, ugh, no…”

Though it hurt like hell, I shook my head vehemently. It felt like he was beating my inner walls into a pulp. But I didn’t want him to stop.

My chest fluttered.

It clearly only hurt, but yet, the feeling was strange.

I was shaken uncontrollably, my whole body limp. Tears followed the pain, pooling in my eyes. But a peculiar feeling, distinctly different from the pain, dominated my chest.

The fact that Do Yun-hyeok was so sexually aroused by me, that I was too, and that we were tangled together naked, lost in time, devouring each other as if melting… My head spun as if submerged in water.

Even with all the lotion, the sensation of my tight inner walls being pulled along by his large penis and then pushed back was strange. Do Yun-hyeok’s movements became increasingly beast-like. It felt harder to breathe as time went on, so I twisted my body violently, as if having a seizure.

Then, the moment Do Yun-hyeok’s penis brushed against a certain spot inside me, I gasped desperately for air, like someone stabbed with a knife.

“Hah…!”

“Kk…”

Sparks flashed before my eyes, and my toes curled. My body instinctively tried to protect itself, as if under a dangerous attack. My hole contracted powerfully. Do Yun-hyeok bit his lower lip and winced.

Like water droplets falling onto a tissue, the tears that had pooled spread to my eyes. I writhed and squirmed. My body trembled as if terrified. It was natural to act like a small animal trying to escape the paw of a predator.

“Ha…”

“No, ah, no.”

My body trembled. I shook my head frantically.

“So fucking beautiful, really.”

But Do Yun-hyeok didn’t seem to hear. His eyes already glazed over, he thrust his hips again, powerfully, as if crushing me.

“Ah, ah!”

I screamed. My body convulsed like a fish impaled on a spear. Do Yun-hyeok, without any leisure, began to persistently pound on the same spot. He was like a mad dog.

“Ah, fuck, I like it…”

“Hnn, ah! Ah, hng!”

Once the moans started, they were unstoppable. I couldn’t understand how I had managed to hold them back until just before, as moans erupted incessantly. With every thrust Do Yun-hyeok delivered, my breathing became chaotic.

My limbs twisted. Lightning flashed before my eyes. Tears streamed down my face.

“Ha, ng, ng, ah! Ugh!”

Thump, thump, thump. Over that, the sound of testicles rapidly hitting buttocks, a fleshy impact, overlapped. The sounds themselves were so lewd, my mind grew dizzy.

Trying to alleviate the pleasure somehow, I reflexively twisted my waist. But it only intensified the pleasure, rubbing against my sensitive spots with a jolt. My strength gave out, and with pleasure so intense I felt I might come, my tongue lolled out of my mouth.

“Hek, ugh…”

“Hae-jun-ah, ha, fuck… you’re squeezing so tight.”

Do Yun-hyeok cursed under his breath.

“Huk, ugh! St-stop, it’s, it’s reaching my, my solar plexus, ugh…!”

Do Yun-hyeok’s penis pounded deep inside, as if to rummage through my organs. I felt like his penis, thick as an iron club, might come out of my mouth. My eyes rolled back.

With every thrust, my vision turned white. My inner walls contracted powerfully, my mouth slackened open. My navel hollowed, and my chest heaved like a lightning strike. My legs flailed desperately in the air like an overturned insect. I clawed at the blankets, trying to grab onto something. Do Yun-hyeok wrapped my struggling arms around his neck. Instinctively, I pulled him close.

“Kuh, ugh…”

“Heu, huk, kkeuk!”

Thwack. Thwack. With every downward thrust from below, I drooled like a person who had lost their mind. I couldn’t tell if the wet, squelching sounds were coming from below or above.

Tears welled up in my eyes, a physiological response. The world before me melted like thin liquid. I felt like I was going insane from the pleasure that surged without reaching its peak. All I could do was tremble, cry, and desperately shake my head in ecstasy.

“Hek, heuut, ng!”

We had long since lost any semblance of civilized beings. Our bodies were already covered in bodily fluids. Before I knew it, my erect penis, still leaking pre-cum, was rubbed against Do Yun-hyeok’s stomach.

I felt like I would be swept away by the waves of pleasure and drift forever. My heart pounded like a ship wrecked in a storm.

“No, ugh, ah, no…!”

As I pounded on Do Yun-hyeok’s shoulder to break free, he grabbed and pressed me down with the decisive hand of a hunter. His large body pressed down heavily on me. I struggled like a bird caught by its wings, crying. My legs tangled like a snake around his firm, log-like thighs.

He furrowed his brow, panting, and buried his face in my neck. Then, he moved his hips rapidly like a mindless dog.

“Hut, ah! Ng! Ah, ng, de, ah!”

Thrust, thrust. Each time my softened prostate was crushed, my mind exploded like fireworks. The frantic thrusting caused white foam to erupt and splatter messily.

I felt consumed by immense pleasure. It was terrifyingly dreadful, yet thrillingly sweet. My brain felt like it was melting and dripping out.

“Do, Do Yun, Do Yun-hyeok, heok, huk…”

“Hae-jun-ah…”

I clung to Do Yun-hyeok, sobbing. My breath hitched. Do Yun-hyeok called me back in response.

Amidst the frantic rocking, I managed to open my mouth. My chin, sticky with sweat and saliva, trembled.

“I, hak! I, I…”

My words, spoken while crying and being shaken up and down, were disjointed and broken.

But this was something I absolutely had to convey now.

As if declaring surrender, I raised my hands to cover my eyes. Then, steeped in pleasure, I sobbed and gasped like someone who had lost their country.

“I, I really, like, heut, like you, aah!”

Even if he drove me to places I never thought I’d go, even if he messed me up.

No, the more he did, the more I liked Do Yun-hyeok.

The expression he wore when looking at me, the way he spoke to me, and everything he did to me – I liked it all, as long as it was Do Yun-hyeok. I liked him because he was Do Yun-hyeok.

It was a complete defeat, so much so that even I couldn’t believe my own heart.

LMO Side Story (2) 8

“Heuk…!”

The moment I finished speaking, I came.

My hips bucked erratically, and my penis, untouched, twitched on its own, spurting white semen several times like a child peeing. I tightened the muscles in my inner thighs, which trembled like a broken car, and firmly wrapped my legs around Do Yun-hyeok’s waist.

Tears streamed down my shadowed temples. My throbbing heart clenched painfully. Do Yun-hyeok gritted his teeth, veins standing out in his neck. His eyes rolled back.

“…Did you only go from behind just now?”

“Heok, heok…”

“Fuck… Hae-jun-ah.”

“Huk, hu, heu…”

“Do you like me that much?”

My head was fuzzy with the sensation of climax. Do Yun-hyeok’s rough voice pierced my ears, but my brain couldn’t process it. I couldn’t even grasp what was happening to me.

Without a moment to catch my breath, my lower body tingled as if it would burst. Strangely, the fierce penis pressing against my inner walls seemed to grow larger.

“Ha…”

Squish, squish. The obscene sounds continued as the friction slowed. The familiar, dull ache revived. With the heavy pressure, I pulled my hips back, twisting my trembling waist.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A large hand fiercely grabbed my soft buttocks. My fingers dug into my flesh, squeezing my rear. My lips trembled. The lingering sensation of climax, which should have faded, felt like it had grabbed me by the collar again.

“Why do you keep trying to pull away? Huh? I want to be like this forever…”

“Aah…!”

Do Yun-hyeok lowered his hips deeper. My muscles contracted reflexively. I squeezed my eyelids shut, straining. My eyelashes, as well as my palms, were soaked with squeezed-out tears.

Do Yun-hyeok, pinning my pelvis so I couldn’t escape, reverently kissed the hands placed on my eyes.

“Hae-jun-ah.”

“Huk, euung…”

“I like you so much too…”

He gently removed my hands and licked away the wetness from my eyes. My eyelashes were sticky. My eyes were swollen and hard to open. The warm, soft tongue wiped away the saltiness.

Do Yun-hyeok pressed his cheek against mine.

Slosh, slosh. The sounds from below, moving gently as if to soothe, were loud.

“Fuck, why are you so pretty, huh?”

Do Yun-hyeok whispered repeatedly in my ear, then hugged me so tightly his collarbones felt like they would break. The gradually quickening movements of his lower body suddenly became violent. It was the opposite of his tender voice. I struggled and moaned. My legs kicked wildly in the air.

“Haa, ah, ng! Hek…!”

Even though I had just climaxed, arousal surged immediately, and the world spun.

The wet flesh was thrust into me messily, filling the room with squelching sounds. Every time my inner walls convulsed, Do Yun-hyeok’s eyes glazed over. The rough pounding sounds seemed to invade my ears. A mad dog, having lost its reason, was blindly charging at me.

Forgetting my struggles in his arms, I soon found myself intensely responding to him. Each time Do Yun-hyeok’s penis withdrew, I felt an empty void, and my hips moved as if to chase it. With each collision of his groin against my buttocks, like a car crashing, I felt swept away by waves.

As I awkwardly matched his movements, lifting my hips, Do Yun-hyeok, breathing heavily whether he was laughing or angry, bit and sucked my collarbone. I didn’t even feel the pain of my skin being bitten. The overwhelming pleasure that soaked us pulled us in with even greater force.

“Ng, aaang, ng! Heok!”

Perverted moans couldn’t be suppressed. With each forceful thrust, my hips lifted. The wetness rubbed together intensely, making a thick, sloshing sound. White foam dripped out like it was flowing, dirtying my legs too. Each time our joined parts connected and separated, my mind surged and fell repeatedly.

Though I knew the soft bed was behind me, I felt like I was being lifted into the air. Do Yun-hyeok, having lost control, moved violently, and my body, pinned beneath him, was roughly crumpled. My toes curled.

“Ah, ah, ah!”

Screaming at the pleasure of a vertical drop from the sky, I wrapped my arms around Do Yun-hyeok’s neck.

I never wanted to be separated from him. I wanted to remain one with him.

I dug my fingers into Do Yun-hyeok’s body, clinging to him desperately.

“Ha, fuck, I like it…”

“Huu, ah, I’m going, going crazy…!”

My tongue was completely loose. My eyes rolled back, flashing. My thoroughly soiled penis was rubbed wildly against Do Yun-hyeok’s firm stomach. My limbs trembled, unable to overcome the pleasure.

“Kkuek!”

“Huuuk…!”

At the end of the long pleasure, Do Yun-hyeok suddenly pulled me close with a sound like he was scratching his throat. Our bodies pressed together, leaving no space. Even our hearts seemed to beat as one.

The pounding sound echoed as if from a single entity.

‘Ah…’

I want to be with this person forever.

Beyond the physical sensation of bursting, a sense of elevation that seemed to lift my soul burst forth dazzlingly.

A warm, throbbing emotion filled my chest, thick and deep. It felt like my entire being, not just my body, was being filled.

I wished this feeling with Do Yun-hyeok could last forever.

“Aaaah…”

We climaxed simultaneously, holding each other tightly. Something gurgled and poured into my inner walls. The thick liquid didn’t just wet my inner walls; it flowed out in soft clumps. From my penis, thin semen splattered, soaking my stomach and chest. My entire wet body trembled, welcoming the relief I had barely regained.

“Hek, hek…”

“Huu…”

The climax was long and deep. We continued to pant. Even after ejaculating, residual pleasure, like waves, washed over my entire body.

We didn’t release our arms holding each other. My heart pounded as if it would break through the ribcage that confined it.

“I love you, Hae-jun-ah.”

After a long while, Do Yun-hyeok whispered softly.

I wanted to reply, “Me too,” but my strength had reached its limit. Instead of answering, I buried my face in his collarbone.

I was on the verge of collapse. A languid, loose sensation enveloped my body. I felt safe in his firm arms that didn’t let me go. I mumbled, making only sighing sounds, and then fell into a daze, as if passing out.

❖ ❖ ❖

The moment I opened my eyes, I mumbled to myself blankly.

‘This is why…’

Even with the blinds fully drawn, they couldn’t block out the bright, burning daylight. I stared blankly at the shafts of light.

‘This is why people are crazy about sex.’

Last night came back to me hazily. Even though I was completely sober before penetration, it was no different from being drunk. I had lost my mind and clung to him.

‘But…’

My face flushed.

I really, truly liked it, to the point of death.

It was so good it made me wonder if such pleasure was allowed in the world.

It was so intense it felt like it couldn’t be done often… but would I become addicted?

‘Ah, what am I thinking.’

Heat rushed to my face. My eyes felt hot too. I buried my face in the blankets.

Just then, I heard a clattering sound from the distant kitchen. Had Do Yun-hyeok woken up? A warm, soft feeling, like new flesh growing over a wound, spread through me.

I tried to slowly sit up but stumbled and fell.

“Ugh!”

I buried my face in the pillow but couldn’t move. My entire body, having used muscles I hadn’t used before, ached as if it would break. I hugged myself and groaned.

“Hae-jun-ah? Are you awake?”

“Ugh, yeah, uugh…”

I heard the sound of Do Yun-hyeok, who was in the kitchen, rushing towards me. I remained with my face buried in the pillow.

I was too embarrassed to look at his face. It was so mortifying. And my heart pounded. The sound of my heartbeat echoed through the mattress.

“It hurts, I’m sorry…”

Do Yun-hyeok, who had come closer, gently brushed my hair back.

He had been cooking, and he smelled of savory sesame oil. I shook my head back and forth, still buried in the pillow. I was embarrassed that he might notice my heart pounding so hard it shook my body. My physical pain wasn’t important right now.

“I’m sorry, it was my first time, so I couldn’t control myself.”

“…Your first time?”

When I opened my mouth, my voice came out like a rusty hinge. I quickly shut my mouth. I hadn’t expected my voice to sound so strange.

“Uuung.”

“…How?”

“Hmm?”

“……”

He was so good at it, like a madman.

I couldn’t bring myself to say that, so I clamped my mouth shut.

Do Yun-hyeok, thinking I was angry because I was in pain, fidgeted nervously. Without looking at him, I reached out and grabbed his arm.

I felt like I had grabbed his elbow. Do Yun-hyeok, flustered, called my name.

“Hae-jun-ah? What’s wrong.”

Last night, I had been so stiff and wooden, just accepting what Do Yun-hyeok did. But he said it was his first time…? It was my first time too, but could it be this different?

I had underestimated sex. I hadn’t known. I hadn’t known how thrilling it was to desire each other and be the object of each other’s desire. This must be why everyone just threw themselves into it. There was no need to learn it step by step. It was something only lovers could know.

Sharing such hot and thrilling pleasure, almost unbelievable to be permitted to humans, was not only physically but also mentally fulfilling.

It was a process of confirming, with our entire bodies, that we loved each other.

“…I hate losing the most.”

I mumbled into the pillow.

“Huh?”

Do Yun-hyeok asked again, as if he hadn’t heard, but I closed my mouth.

I always hated losing. I didn’t want to lose. Especially to someone talented.

Faced with the determination not to lose, my embarrassment dissipated like smoke.

Thinking back to yesterday, my face grew hot. The moment I opened my eyes, I felt aroused again. Even though it wouldn’t be visible under the covers, I shifted my hips back.

Suppressing my thoughts, I squeezed the hand holding Do Yun-hyeok’s arm. Do Yun-hyeok, who had been pinched for no reason, cried out in pain. Do Yun-hyeok seemed to think he had been too rough last night and looked flustered.

Just then, my empty stomach rumbled. Do Yun-hyeok, who had been comforting me, didn’t miss the sound and started talking about the kimchi octopus porridge he had made and how we should eat it before it got cold. The savory smell emanating from him was the porridge. I laughed, my head still buried in the pillow.

If you receive something, you must give something in return.

When I was with Do Yun-hyeok, I always looked forward to what came next.

< Epilogue Complete >