“Um… It’s not like I was having any strange thoughts. You know, I was just thinking that people who don’t know us well might misunderstand.”
Sol hesitated, flustered. Tae-oh followed Sol’s finger and looked in the direction he was pointing. His eyes landed on the camera set up to record their practice session for the survival program. Without realizing it, Tae-oh let out a small, deflated laugh.
'Am I really not in a good state today?' Tae-oh thought, feeling twisted inside. He wanted to ask, 'What strange thoughts? What misunderstanding?' Shaking his head as if to shake off the thoughts rising in his mind, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Yeong-ho hyung turned it off earlier when we went for our individual lesson.”
Since Deuk-yong and Ji-ho had returned to the dorm early for once, and Tae-oh had gone to the hospital, half the members were absent. As a result, Yeong-ho and Chae Min-ju had decided to end the filming early. It wasn’t something they had planned, but unintentionally, Tae-oh felt like they had become a bit more meticulous. Hearing Tae-oh’s words, Sol narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the camera. Confirming that no light was on, as Tae-oh had said, Sol let out a relieved sigh.
Watching Sol’s relieved expression, Tae-oh felt the urge to playfully tease him, but he held back to avoid going too far. It seemed like his already not-so-warm personality wasn’t improving—if anything, it was getting worse.
“That’s a relief.”
“What is?”
“Huh? Yeong-ho hyung always tells us to be careful. No matter what our intentions are, it could come off badly on broadcast…”
It was something they heard every morning from Yeong-ho, to the point where it felt like their ears would get callouses from his nagging. At Sol’s words, Tae-oh nodded slowly, and glared in the direction of the camera. He knew exactly what Sol was trying to say. If the recording had been on, it would have been the perfect scene to stir up drama.
“I’m fine with it… I just didn’t want you to get unnecessary criticism because of me…”
Sol stammered, cautiously gauging Tae-oh’s reaction. Although he had become better at speaking his mind compared to before, he still had a habit of checking people’s reactions, especially when he felt unsure or cautious. In such situations, he would trail off his sentences and glance sideways. Tae-oh stared directly at Sol. He knew that Sol would get flustered and quickly avert his gaze if he looked at him so openly, but he kept his eyes fixed on him.
There was a time when Tae-oh found this behavior frustrating, but as time passed, his frustration turned more into pity, and he naturally started paying more attention to Sol. And then, before he knew it, it felt like he had developed a strange fondness for it. Now, he found himself swallowing a laugh and thinking, 'What can you do?' That’s exactly how he felt at this moment. Tae-oh took a deep breath and corrected Sol’s words for him.
“…Why would you be fine with it? I was the one who hugged you first, so that’s something I should say. I was the one who suddenly pulled you into a hug. It’s not unnecessary criticism.”
“The more you say it, the weirder it sounds.”
“If you were uncomfortable, I’ll apologize as many times as I need to.”
At Tae-oh’s words, Sol groaned and clutched his head. An apology? Tae-oh’s hug had been sudden and surprising, but if anything, Sol had been comforted by it. Sol racked his brain, struggling to find the right words. How could he explain these feelings? Ji-ho always teased Tae-oh for being bad with words, but in truth, Sol was even worse. After a long moment of hesitation, Sol finally managed to speak.
“No… I mean… it’s just… don’t apologize. I liked it. It feels weird to say it out loud, but… I was feeling off all day today. But I felt comforted. Thanks to you, I feel a little better.”
Ever since meeting Eun-gyeom, Sol’s mind had been a tangled mess, making it impossible to focus on anything. But the moment Tae-oh hugged him, though it was surprising, all those complicated thoughts vanished in an instant. His mind became as blank as a pristine sheet of paper. And what filled that empty space wasn’t the incomprehensible reality or Eun-gyeom, who resembled Ju-hwan, but the living, breathing, warm human being in front of him—Yoon Tae-oh. Until the quest notification window interrupted, Sol’s thoughts and senses were completely consumed by “Yoon Tae-oh.”
Freed from all his worries, doubts, and overthinking, Sol’s heart and mind focused entirely on Tae-oh. His breathing, the scent of his skin, his ears reddened and warm, his firm, almost rigid shoulders, and his broad back that seemed to reflect his calm demeanor. Sol’s cheeks flushed as he became completely captivated by everything about Tae-oh. For a moment, he was able to forget everything.
Even though he had carefully chosen his words, once they left his mouth, they sounded like something even an elementary school student could have said better. Embarrassed by his rambling, Sol let out an awkward laugh. Deuk-yong and Ji-ho had told him that when faced with a difficult or unfavorable situation, he should just smile. They said everything would work out if he did.
“Tae-oh, I think it’d be good if you felt the same way.”
“……”
The words were clumsy, and the smile was so dazzling that it was hard to look directly at him. For a moment, Tae-oh was mesmerized as he stared at Sol. It wasn’t just because Sol was beautiful. Despite his fear, clumsiness, and anxiety, Sol was trying his best to move forward. Of course, the process wasn’t smooth. Sometimes he was so inexperienced that it hurt, and other times he caused misunderstandings. But even when he stepped back to nurse his wounds, he always ended up taking a step forward. That was the Sol of now.
Stepping lightly over the boundary line? That was nonsense. Seeing Sol’s smile, Tae-oh couldn’t help but stride right over that line. If Sol was walking toward him with that slow, hesitant smile, then Tae-oh, who could move faster, should take the step forward to make Sol’s path a little easier. Sol’s face turned as red as an overripe tomato, and he fidgeted with his fingers.
Seeing Sol like that, Tae-oh burst into laughter. His bright, even teeth were on full display as he laughed heartily, his voice clear and resonant. With that laugh, he effortlessly crossed the boundary line and gave Sol his answer.
“I was comforted too. Thank you, Sung Sol.”
Tae-oh wanted to pull Sol into another tight hug. It felt like doing so would allow him to take a bigger step forward—no, to run toward him. The most honest step. Tae-oh moved closer to Sol. He was now close enough to reach out and wrap his arms around Sol’s shoulders, but Sol, still dazed by Tae-oh’s laughter, didn’t even notice the closing distance.
Sol blinked his wide eyes, stunned by Tae-oh’s bright, refreshing smile that felt like a cool breeze. His heart, which he had just managed to calm, began to race again like a galloping horse. Just as Sol thought Tae-oh was getting closer, the practice room door swung open with a loud, jarring noise.
Startled as if they had committed a crime, Tae-oh and Sol both turned to look at the wide-open door. There stood Ga-ram, holding a laptop in one hand.
“A-are you done already? Are we heading back to the dorm?”
Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, Sol felt guilty and stumbled over his words. In response to Sol’s question, Ga-ram gave a short answer before shifting his gaze to Tae-oh. Normally, Ga-ram would have called out “Sol” in a relaxed, cheerful tone and answered softly.
“Yeah. Yoon Tae-oh, when did you get here?”
“Not long ago.”
“You’re early. I thought you weren’t coming today.”
“…I’m just a bit tired.”
Ga-ram glanced at Tae-oh briefly before looking away and shoving his laptop into his bag, which was lying in the corner. As he prepared to head back to the dorm, Ga-ram exchanged words with Tae-oh in a somewhat stiff tone. By now, Tae-oh had also wiped away his bright, cheerful smile and returned to his usual expressionless demeanor.
Sol quietly observed Ga-ram’s mood and began packing his things to follow him. Unlike when they had entered the practice room, Ga-ram seemed to be in a low mood. Wondering if something had gone wrong during his time in the recording studio, Sol cautiously watched Ga-ram’s expression.
Ga-ram, who usually neatly packed his clothes, towels, and laptop, was today roughly shoving his belongings into his bag. Once he slung his bag over his shoulder, he held out his hand to Sol, who was standing there blankly.
“Let’s go, Sol.”
“Oh, right. Let’s turn off the lights. Tae-oh, let’s go.”
Sol hurriedly grabbed his bag and took Ga-ram’s hand. Then, he reached out his hand to Tae-oh, who was standing alone in the practice room, just as Ga-ram had done for him. But Tae-oh didn’t take his hand. He just stood there, silently watching.
“Go ahead. I’ll clean up and follow you soon.”
“Then let’s clean up and go together.”
Seeing Tae-oh gesture for them to go first, Sol scratched his forehead. Something felt off—the atmosphere had clearly changed before and after Ga-ram arrived. Tae-oh, Ga-ram, even the air in the practice room felt different. Tae-oh shook his head slightly. Feeling caught between Tae-oh and Ga-ram, Sol followed Tae-oh’s gaze and looked back at Ga-ram. He was worried about Ga-ram, who seemed to be in a bad mood. Tae-oh seemed to feel the same way, as he was also staring at Ga-ram more than at Sol. As Sol stood there, glancing back and forth between Tae-oh and Ga-ram, Ga-ram gently tugged on Sol’s wrist again.
“Sol, let’s go first.”
“Huh? Oh… okay.”
The usual relaxed and composed Ga-ram was nowhere to be seen. His voice, slipping through his lips, sounded slightly cracked and curt. Concerned by Ga-ram’s unfamiliar demeanor, Sol left Tae-oh behind in the practice room and followed Ga-ram.
On the way back to the dorm, Sol suddenly wondered if it was okay for the two of them to walk back alone like this. After all, both of them had been victims of stalking. Feeling a late surge of worry, Sol glanced around nervously. But when he turned around and saw a familiar figure in the distance, he let go of his concerns.
A little ways behind them, but close enough to catch up in a moment, Tae-oh was quietly following the two. Tae-oh seemed to notice Sol’s gaze and gave a small wave. Only then did Sol feel reassured and turned his attention back to Ga-ram walking beside him.
