“You bite, huh?”
“I poison.”
Ji-Ho leaned closer, lips close enough to brush Haneul’s temple. “You still owe me for crashing on my couch, by the way. You scared off my fling that night.”
Haneul grinned. “Well… I should be forgiven. I’m prettier than she was, anyway.”
Seungho didn’t drink.
His jaw was clenched hard enough to shatter the glass in his hand.
He wanted to drag Haneul off the dancefloor.
Wanted to pull that sheer top over his head, pin him against the bar, and make the whole room forget they’d ever seen him.
He didn’t.
He stayed. He watched. He burned.
??????
After-party. Rooftop bar. Seoul like a sea of stars beneath them.
Ji-Ho leaned in when he laughed, bold, stupid, hot. Haneul didn’t flinch. Didn’t lean away either. His skin shimmered with sweat and streetlight. The wind caught the ends of his braid and made some of the tokens clink against each other.
Yul lit another cigarette beside him, flicking ash into a champagne flute.
He cleared his throat. "Just… don’t come tantruming to me later if your boyfriend up there gets pissed tonight for obvious reasons."
Haneul barked, exasperated. “He is not my boyfriend!!”
Yul smirked. “Sure. And this isn't the fourth time you’ve checked if he’s still watching."
Haneul opened his mouth to argue—then closed it. Took a long sip of whatever sweet poison the bartender had handed him. Looked away. Fast.
??????
They walked home in silence.
Side by side, but not touching.
The city had cooled a little, but the air still clung to their shirts. Somewhere near Dongdaemun, a vendor’s cart had caught fire—just paper napkins, maybe some grease. Small, manageable. Already out by the time they passed.
But Haneul stopped.
Froze.
Not a flinch or a scream. Just—complete stillness. Like prey that had spotted a trap. Like memory frozen in muscle.
The dying orange glow painted his skin like a bruise.
Seungho didn’t say anything, but he stepped closer.
Placed a hand—warm, slow, not urgent—on Haneul’s shoulder.
And waited until Haneul started walking again.
Haneul Didn’t say thank you.
