By Zephyria 
It was true that they hadn’t spent more than a full day apart since they started seeing each other. Now that he thought about it, that was the case. He knew they were always glued to each other, but to that extent… Eun-ha, inwardly surprised by this newfound realization, eventually responded with a lukewarm tone.
“And here I thought you told me to have a great trip.”
“I meant that sincerely.”
A vague clarification followed—that one thing was one thing, and this was another. He spoke in a neat, composed manner, as if explaining something perfectly logical. Eun-ha had no idea what “another” meant in this context. It was so absurd that the corners of his mouth slowly began to soften. As they continued to drift through mindless chatter, they finally reached their destination. The clean exterior of the villa, located in an open area with mountains in the back, came into view. Was the last time he visited here when he was twenty…?
He looked around the scenery, recalling the memory vaguely. After parking briefly in the empty space in front of the villa’s garage, he stepped out. It was just past noon. While he frowned at the immediate rush of heat and intense sunlight, Yeon-jun stepped closer until they were facing each other. He used his hand to create a shade over Eun-ha’s eyes. There was a time when Eun-ha couldn’t adapt to these small gestures and felt uncomfortable, but now he had grown accustomed to them. As he realized these weren’t conscious actions performed out of a forced desire to be considerate, he was able to gradually relax. For this guy, this was just a habit. It was no different from breathing.
Eun-ha opened his eyes comfortably without a word, and Yeon-jun asked:
“Are you sure it’s okay if I don’t come pick you up tomorrow?”
Eun-ha wrinkled his nose. This topic had been a point of contention for a few days. If Yeon-jun dropped him off and went back, he would be left here alone, yet Yeon-jun insisted on coming back to pick him up on the day of departure.
Of course, Eun-ha had adamantly refused. He told him he could just hitch a ride with any of his friends. So why keep asking?
“What on earth do you think of me…”
He muttered as if it were absurd. Of course it would be fine; it would be far less fine for someone to drive back and forth just to pick him up. Am I a child… No, you’re the child…
Besides, what if his friends witnessed such a scene? How could he possibly explain it? He would just look incredibly suspicious.
Since everyone said they would arrive after 3 PM, he didn’t need to worry right now. Eun-ha looked up over the wall, which was silent as if proving its emptiness, and wasted some time standing there. Yeon-jun, seemingly reluctant to leave, held onto one of his wrists for a long while, saying something and delaying his departure.
“See you tomorrow, Hyung.”
“Yeah. Get home safe.”
“Contact me if anything happens.”
Eun-ha nodded to the man who had finally made up his mind to leave. After the lingering Yeon-jun departed, Eun-ha began to walk. He watched the car fade into the distance, moving slowly only after it disappeared from sight.
And then, shortly after, he had to doubt his own eyes. A shock, the kind often described as one’s heart dropping, hit him instantly.
It was because he locked eyes directly with a man standing next to a large tree, beside the main gate, quite a distance from the garage.
The blood drained from Eun-ha’s face as he discovered the silhouette, who looked as if he had been waiting quietly before revealing himself. Kim Seon-woo, who had seen God-knows-how-much of the interaction, tilted his head and approached with a nonchalant greeting.
* * *
“I was on my way back from a run and missed my timing to jump in.”
“….”
“Did you eat lunch?”
“…No. Only breakfast.”
“What do you want to eat? I’m hungry. Looks like there’s plenty of food here.”
“What about the others?”
“They’re late, so they’ll probably just eat on their own.”
The inside of the villa was filled with a pleasant, cool chill. Eun-ha nodded, his gaze fixed on the floor. It was definitely cool. It had become cool. Yet his head, which had heated up like a flashing hazard light, refused to cool down. His entire body was plagued by anxiety, as if he were sitting on a bed of needles. He felt as though he were breaking out in a cold sweat.
Kim Seon-woo replied with an “Okay” and headed into the bathroom, saying he’d take a shower first. Not long after, he came out and walked briskly toward the kitchen area. Eun-ha, who had been sitting on the sofa in a daze like someone suffering from heatstroke, finally managed to lift his head cautiously and steal a glance at his friend.
There were no particular anomalies. He was always like that. Indifferent and accepting in all matters. A stoic personality that just went with the flow. A guy his friends collectively described as being like a rock. A so-called “I see” type of human.
And he was a famous exercise fanatic. The type who felt refreshed and relieved stress through working out—a type Eun-ha couldn’t understand.
Right now, it was especially incomprehensible. How could someone, in the middle of midsummer, come all the way to a villa at the foot of a mountain for a vacation and then go running around the neighborhood alone? And why did it have to be at this specific time?
Why was he in that spot?
Why. Why. How on earth…
Thoughts swirled chaotically. Despite this, he acted normally on the outside. He followed Kim Seon-woo in preparing the meal, sat at the table… they decided to keep dinner simple with instant rice and barbecue sausages.
“Who is he?”
The question came after they had eaten a few spoonfuls amidst a strangely awkward silence. The question was asked casually, as if it were just a part of everyday conversation. Eun-ha froze, then, understanding a beat late, he barely managed to provide an answer.
“…A younger guy I know.”
“Ah. A younger guy you know.”
“He said he had some business nearby, so he just… dropped me off.”
“Aha.”
“….”
His insides burned black at the extremely ordinary, seemingly unimpressed short response. He couldn’t gauge what was going on in the other’s head.
What is he thinking to himself? How should I explain this? How much did he see? If I were Kim Seon-woo, how would I interpret the scene he witnessed…?
No matter how hard he tried, it could only be interpreted as a romantic relationship. What kind of “younger guy he knows” drives an older acquaintance all the way to this remote location? Creating a shade over his eyes with his hand, whining while holding his wrist because he didn’t want to leave… Should he consider it a blessing that the maximum skinship was just the wrist?
His vision grew bleak. It felt as if he were chewing sand instead of rice. Still, he had to endure. There was no need to provide more elements that would make him look suspicious. He was trying his best to continue the meal composedly when it happened.
In the naturally returned silence, Kim Seon-woo suddenly spoke.
“Lee Eun-ha.”
As if the subtle silence was bothering him.
“Yeah.”
“I’m new to this kind of thing too, so I don’t know how to put this.”
“….”
The hand moving the chopsticks stopped abruptly. His breath instinctively grew thin. It was an opening that made it impossible not to be nervous.
He remained frozen, unable to breathe, before finally parting his lips.
“…Yeah.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve known.”
“…What?”
“That you don’t like women.”
A blunt, explicit confession struck him suddenly, without any mental preparation. The shock was like a physical blow, leaving Eun-ha dazed as his gaze wandered aimlessly. What did he just say…
“What…”
“….”
“…S-since when?”
And he regretted it immediately. He should have denied it, asking what on earth he was talking about. By asking this, he had essentially admitted it.
“Since high school?”
“….”