Projection Novel (Completed) - Chapter 91

“Cheon Sejoo, the side dish is also delicious. Have you tried this?”

“Yeah, is it good?”

“It’s so good, really, really good.”

“Eat a lot, piggy.”

“Yeah, you eat a lot too.”

Sejin was so engrossed in enjoying the food that he didn’t realize he had just been called a “piggy.” Like the beef meal the other day, the meal didn’t end quickly. It wasn’t until he had cleaned out two bowls of soft tofu jjambbong, plus the tofu, tofu soup, soybean paste stew, and four bowls of rice, that Sejin put down his spoon.

“Piggy, want to buy that to take home?”

While waiting to pay, Cheon Sejoo gestured towards the refrigerator, where the pickled chili in soybean paste, which had been served as a side dish earlier, was sold. Without thinking, Sejin immediately nodded.

When they looked around, they saw posters advertising it all over the walls. Perhaps from the moment he took the first bite, Sejin had decided he absolutely had to buy it to take home.

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Bowing with Sejin and stepping outside, they both realized the once crowded restaurant was now much emptier. Because they had slept late and then leisurely gone out, it was now three-thirty in the afternoon.

“What do you want to eat now, piggy?”

On the way to the parking lot, Cheon Sejoo asked. Only then did Sejin suddenly realize he was being called a pig, and he frowned.

“Who’s a pig?”

“The one who just ate four bowls of rice.”

“…It’s normal for an adult man to eat that much.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll call you oppa?”

“……”

At Cheon Sejoo’s teasing, who had only eaten one bowl, Sejin’s eyes sharpened. He narrowed his eyes, staring at Cheon Sejoo. Cheon Sejoo burst out laughing and jumped onto Sejin’s back. Watching Cheon Sejoo childishly giggle and rub against his nape, Sejin could only sigh helplessly.

Look at that face. Sejin, are you scared?

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

“You were the one who said I wasn’t a man first?”

“I just said it casually…!”

The two bickered as they returned to the car, leaving the parking lot to go to the gelato shop, which Sejin had been mentioning repeatedly for the past few days, the authentic Sundubu Gelato shop. Although they had also eaten gelato yesterday after eating beef, Sejin kept saying this place was the most famous, so it would definitely be better.

“Do we have to queue here too?”

And just as rumored, there were people waiting as soon as they arrived. It seemed to truly be the best restaurant in the area. After putting their names on the waiting list, the two parked their car nearby and walked around. The shop was right by the river that connected Gangneung city to the sea. The riverside promenade was beautifully made, perfect for a stroll while waiting.

“Wow…”

As the two walked, chatting softly, a few girls walking in the opposite direction widened their eyes in surprise and exclaimed.

See? See? the girls’ voices echoed behind them. Cheon Sejoo frowned and chuckled softly, reaching down to pull Sejin’s hat deeper. Sejin, as if unwilling to be blamed, also pulled Cheon Sejoo’s hat deeper.

“You have to cover your handsome face, Sejin.”

“Only now…”

Normally, he never said he was handsome, only when teasing. Sejin shook his head, pushing Cheon Sejoo’s hand away with a pout.

Cheon Sejoo giggled like a child and snatched Sejin’s hat, revealing his flattened black hair. A large hand gently placed itself on Cheon Sejoo’s head, then ruffled it. Done, Sejin put the hat back on him.

When it was their turn and they returned to the shop, there were quite a few empty seats, perhaps everyone had visited after lunch and had now left. Cheon Sejoo found a table under a large umbrella set up on the lawn, where there were pretty wooden tables and chairs. He brought five flavors of gelato that Sejin had chosen, along with coffee and tiramisu.

“It’s really delicious, Cheon Sejoo.”

Sejin swallowed hard, tasting the gelato with a serious expression. And then his eyes widened, and once again, he exclaimed “so delicious,” he didn’t know how many times that day.

“Is that so?” When Cheon Sejoo smiled, opening his mouth expectantly, Sejin paused for a moment, then scooped a spoonful of vanilla gelato with his spoon and put it into Cheon Sejoo’s mouth.

“This flavor smells like you.”

“Am I that sweet?”

Ignoring the flirtatious joke and the smiling eyes, Sejin brought his nose closer to the vanilla gelato spoon, taking a deep breath. Cheon Sejoo looked at him with an amused expression and reached out his hand. At that moment, Sejin gently rubbed his nose against the spot where Cheon Sejoo had sprayed perfume, then looked up and smiled brightly like a flower.

“Hmm, it’s really sweet.”

“Then… I want you to suck me too.”

“…”

Cheon Sejoo’s suggestive teasing knew no bounds. For a moment, as if everyone around them had heard the remark, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. Sejin’s face flushed, and he glared at Cheon Sejoo. But that reaction seemed to please Cheon Sejoo even more; he turned away, giggling, then scooped a piece of tiramisu from his plate.

It was said that tofu was mixed into mascarpone cheese, but the taste was not strange at all and was very harmonious. However, knowing that his palate wasn’t very refined, Cheon Sejoo scooped another piece of tiramisu and offered it to Sejin.

“Do you like tofu?”

“Not at all. It’s delicious. Truly very delicious.”

“…Really?”
Perhaps of all the words Kwon Sejin had ever spoken to him, “delicious” outnumbered even “I love you.” Cheon Sejoo frowned at the thought, feeling a little sulky, then pushed the tiramisu plate towards Sejin.
“Eat it all, you pig.”
Even though his voice held a hint of annoyance, Sejin paid no mind, simply overjoyed at the prospect of more food, continuously scooping and chewing. Honestly… looking at him like this, it was no different from when he was 18.
Cheon Sejoo involuntarily recalled a younger Sejin, sitting relaxed in a chair, propping his chin on his hand. Long fingers gently traced the line of his jaw. His gaze settled on Sejin, who was engrossed in his gelato.
Even nearing 30, Sejin hadn’t changed much from when he was just twenty. His pretty, adorable face, eyes that would instantly redden at the slightest tease… still exactly the same as that year.
“Only I can help you there, kid. Do you want porridge or beef rib soup?”
“Beef rib soup. But it has to have noodles…”
They met at 18 in the Shinsha Capital hallway. Back then, despite being furious and hostile towards him, thinking he had stolen Kim Hyun Kyung from him, Sejin still weakly requested a bowl of beef rib soup with noodles, his face full of sorrow. At that moment, Cheon Sejoo was both surprised and amused.
It had been a long time, but the memory remained vivid in him. Recalling it, Cheon Sejoo couldn’t help but chuckle, a wide smile spreading across his face.
“…What’s wrong?”
Unsure what he misunderstood about that smile, Sejin blinked at him. His clear, glass-like eyes rippled slightly. He seemed to be thinking: Am I eating like a pig…?
“Sejin.”
“Hmm?”
“When did you start liking me?”
“…”
An unexpected question made Sejin’s cheeks flush. Thinking back, they had never talked about this. In the past, when he was dating exes, he would often playfully recount first impressions or reasons for starting to date. But with Sejin, because past events were always linked to pain, he had never tried to ask.
Now, many years had passed. Both were mature enough not to be swept up in fleeting emotions from the past. Perhaps now was the right time to bring up those things.
“…Are you suddenly curious about that?”
“Yeah. Suddenly wanted to know. Since when.”
Bringing up the past seemed to make Sejin a little embarrassed. He averted his gaze as before, scooped a large spoonful of mango gelato into his mouth. His fair face began to blush, then his cheeks and the corners of his eyes gradually reddened. What was he thinking? Cheon Sejoo looked at him, a slight smirk on his lips.
“When I first saw you, I thought, ‘Wow, he’s handsome.'”
“But you hated me at first, didn’t you?”
“…Not hated. Just… cautious.”
“Right, cautious.”
Cheon Sejoo chuckled softly, and Sejin, flustered, reached up to touch his cheek and continued.
“Every time I looked at you, I thought you looked like a movie star. I didn’t understand why you weren’t an actor but were doing those kinds of jobs.”
“You think I’m wasting my talent?”
“…”
There was no need to say that he understood the circumstances that forced him to do those things, or that he knew nothing back then; though unsaid, both understood.
Cheon Sejoo merely curved the corners of his eyes slightly, as if he had just heard something very amusing.
“Kwon Sejin, I didn’t know you were such a pretty boy chaser.”
“…It’s not why I like you! It’s just… that’s what I saw.”
“Then was there a specific moment that made you truly ‘like’ me?”
A specific moment.
Sejin savored the gelato melting in his mouth, quietly searching his memories. If he had to talk about the moment he truly felt moved by Cheon Sejoo… His mind suddenly conjured Cheon Sejoo’s dazzlingly bright smile.
It was winter, when his mother was in Ihwagak and he was still in school, not long after meeting Cheon Sejoo. It was a time when he only knew to expect things from him, then be disappointed and angry. That day, because he fought with someone whose name he no longer remembered, Sejin was asked to provide a guardian. And Cheon Sejoo, who had infuriated him that very morning, appeared, ready to protect him.
Cheon Sejoo’s back, which had shielded him from the cold wind, the warmth radiating from his body when he was carried on his back, the faint scent emanating from him. Everything remained intact in his memory. Even his face when he turned back, smiling brightly and praising him for being good after putting him in the passenger seat…
“You…”
“Yes.”
“….”
But when he tried to speak, he felt unbearably shy. For some reason, just mentioning that moment, he would tease him like, “Your face says you like me, huh~.” Sejin clamped his mouth shut, thinking for a long time before finally organizing his thoughts.
“The day you came to my school, to be my guardian.”
“Ah.”
“From that day… I thought, besides my mother, if possible, I wanted someone like you to protect me forever.”
“In the end, you wanted an older brother, right?”
“…Is that so?”
He didn’t realize it, but thinking about it, it did seem true. Now that he thought about it, it seemed that from that moment, he started to get annoyed by Cheon Sejoo’s frequent absences from home. Even though he didn’t want to admit those feelings, he tried to act annoyed and cold, but in reality, Sejin had admired and longed for Cheon Sejoo since then.
He only realized that admiration could turn into desire when he brought Kang Doyoon home…
“…You’re really annoying.”
“Huh? What’s with that all of a sudden?”
“Really hate you.”
“What?!”
Cheon Sejoo shouted in astonishment. Sejin scrunched his face, staring at him, and finally let out the hurt he had suppressed for so long.
“You live too loosely.”
“Why are you suddenly talking about that?”
“I was at home and you brought someone else back…”
“No, no, baby, that’s… I just did it by accident when I was half-asleep.”
“You think mistakes are random? Mistakes come from daily habits! You live so loosely that’s why you act chaotic in a daze!”
“You call that chaotic? Do you even know what chaotic means?”
“People like you are chaotic!”
Sejin yelled sulkily, and Cheon Sejoo, rarely flustered, suddenly looked blank, his lips pressed together. Objectively, he was indeed at fault that day. Even if he was in a semi-conscious state, with a minor living in the house, he shouldn’t have acted that way.
But it was in the past, what could be done now. Moreover…
“Anyway, you learned a lot from me, didn’t you?”
Cheon Sejoo once thought the reason Sejin dreamed of pinning him down was because of that memory. Men, by nature, always desire penetration. Perhaps by seeing that scene between him and Doyoon, Sejin gradually recognized him as an object of desire.
At Cheon Sejoo’s words with a suggestive smile, Sejin’s face crumpled. He gritted his teeth, glaring at him with a “I have so much more to say” look, then pouted and stood up.
“Hate you.”
A cute yet annoying phrase rang out.
“Haha…” Cheon Sejoo laughed like a child. Those around them, who had been glancing, now openly turned their heads to stare at him. Feeling their gaze, Sejin, annoyed, grabbed the hat from the table and forcefully put it on Cheon Sejoo’s head, then walked away.
“Where are you going? Leaving me behind?”
“To the restroom.”
Sejin curtly replied to his laughing question and strode away. His hands were sticky with gelato, so he planned to wash them clean and then come back to finish the remaining tiramisu.
“Oh?”
After washing his hands, Sejin glanced at the display cabinet, looking for something else to eat, when he unexpectedly met a familiar face.
“Kwon Sejin!”
The voice calling his name sounded strangely familiar. When he looked up in confusion, in front of him was the girl he had met right outside his house a few days ago. She was standing among the cafe staff, wearing a tofu-shaped hair clip and an apron.
“Kim…”
He forgot her name again. He only got out her surname before closing his mouth. The girl narrowed her eyes and smiled as if to say, “You’re too much,” then reintroduced herself.
“Kim Joohyung!”
“What is this, is it really a coincidence? Did you come here to eat gelato?”
“Um… and you? Working here?”
Although he wasn’t good at talking to explain that he was out with his boyfriend, Sejin was polite enough to ask someone he had met in Seoul if she was working here. At his question, Joohyung smiled brightly and nodded.
“Yeah, I live here. I moved back in middle school. Last time, I was just out with friends. But seriously, this is crazy! Meeting you that day was strange enough, now again? We must be fated.”
“Just a coincidence.”
Hearing the word “fated,” Sejin immediately replied definitively. Joohyung burst out laughing.
“Hey! I have a boyfriend, okay? Don’t misunderstand. I meant fate between people.”
“…I didn’t misunderstand.”
Actually, he did misunderstand, so Sejin looked away in embarrassment and mumbled. Joohyung smiled kindly and nodded, then her eyes darted around the garden, catching sight of Cheon Sejoo sitting under a large umbrella, and she exclaimed in surprise.
“Oh? It’s him from that day! Are you two out together? Hey, does he have a girlfriend yet? My friend keeps pestering me to ask.”
The last question was almost a whisper. Sejin glanced at Cheon Sejoo and nodded slightly. In college, he had been asked that question three thousand times by friends, seniors, and juniors. Though a little annoyed, he was used to it, so he just nodded vaguely. Joohyung then chuckled, put on a mysterious face, and exaggeratedly asked:
“Aha! So that person is you?”
At the unexpected question, Sejin stared blankly, blinking silently. Seeing this, Joohyung quickly waved her hand.
“Sorry, I was just joking.”
Her expression was as if she was apologizing if she had offended him, but Sejin didn’t feel that way at all; he nodded quickly.
“That’s right. It’s me.”
Surprisingly, this was the first time anyone had asked him if he and Cheon Sejoo were a couple. It was strange; no one had ever thought they were a pair. Partly because society wasn’t open yet, but it was also strange that no one suspected anything.
Sometimes he wondered if he and Cheon Sejoo didn’t look good together. But… whether it was a joke or an intuitive, roundabout question, he felt happy anyway. This girl was smart. Sejin smiled brightly and asked again.
“He and I… do we look good together?”
“…Wow, this is crazy,”
Joohyung seemed surprised that he asked seriously and was even about to answer, her mouth agape, eyes wide, looking back and forth between Sejin in front of her and Cheon Sejoo, who was looking over with a fiery gaze. She exclaimed “This is crazy” one more time, then gestured to pull him into a quiet corner of the gelato counter. Sejin scurried after her. Joohyung chuckled, muttering incomprehensible things like “I have to tell the group everything!” then whispered.
“That question? Of course, you two are super compatible!!”
Even “super compatible”? Sejin felt even happier. His cheeks flushed. Seeing this, Joohyung smiled foolishly and whispered with sparkling eyes.
“I really want to hear how you two met… but I’m on shift. Sigh… Anyway, Kwon Sejin, you really have high standards. Handsome guys should date handsome guys, that’s the truth of life. Perfect!”
“Thank you. I hope you meet a handsome guy too.”
“Yeah, I guess there’s no hope left, but thanks.”
Joohyung giggled. Sejin suddenly remembered Ha Yeoreum. He wondered if Cheon Sejoo felt this happy every time he met her, a feeling of both relief and excitement. Just having one more person know about the secret relationship between him and Cheon Sejoo made him feel as if the whole world had acknowledged them. Although it wasn’t strictly necessary to be acknowledged, at least… it felt great.
“Joohyung-ssi, please watch the counter!”
“Ah, yes! Just a moment!”
Just then, the staff member on duty called Joohyung. She immediately replied, then placed a cup of gelato right in front of him, a large cup that could hold up to 300g.
“I’ll contact you later, let’s have a drink together next time. Have you eaten gelato yet? I’ll buy it for you, choose a flavor.”
“I ate a lot earlier. It’s okay.”
“Eat more. The boss said friends can eat as much as they want. Do you remember that sports festival back then? You gave me ice cream then. I was really touched at that time. So next time I meet you, I must buy you ice cream in return.”
“…Me?”
Did that really happen? He didn’t remember anything. Unsure, Sejin tilted his head slightly. Just then, the shop door opened and customers entered. Since the counter was empty, Joohyung had to quickly return there. Unable to resist Joohyung’s urging, Sejin chose three gelato flavors he hadn’t tried before, took the cup, and returned to his seat.
Cheon Sejoo looked up at Sejin with a grumpy face. Realizing he was jealous again, Sejin felt a slight joy inside, the corners of his lips twitching as he sat down. As soon as he sat, Cheon Sejoo spoke in a sulky voice like a child demanding his share:
“I want to eat.”
“But you don’t even like gelato.”
“Are you upset that someone else ate it?”
“You’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“Jealous? How old do you think I am to be so childish?”
“You are jealous.”
When Sejin looked directly into Cheon Sejoo’s feigned nonchalant face and replied, he smirked, glaring at Sejin, clearly unhappy. Seeing Sejin happily chatting with some girl he didn’t know, while usually he only lingered between home and the hospital, his mood immediately turned irritable.
This made Sejin truly gloat. Cheon Sejoo snorted in disbelief, then sighed, propping his chin on the table. He looked at Sejin with a serious expression and said:
“It’s not jealousy, it’s just worry. I think the news that you’re a pig has spread across the country. Everyone knows you’ll fall into a trap if you’re lured with food.”
“…It’s not like that. When I was little, I gave her ice cream, so this time I’m just receiving it back…”
Sejin’s face puffed up as he explained the situation, but Cheon Sejoo’s expression only grew more twisted. He frowned and replied in an almost sarcastic tone:
“If Kwon Sejin is willing to share ice cream, he must really like that person, huh?”
Like? No, that’s not it. Although he didn’t clearly remember the circumstances under which he gave Joohyung ice cream, it certainly wasn’t because he liked her. Before he liked Cheon Sejoo, Sejin didn’t understand that kind of emotion at all.
“No, it’s not.”
“Then you gave her ice cream? You?”
“…What about me! What’s wrong with giving ice cream! It’s not a big deal!”
“You even secretly ate my share, and now you’re giving it to someone else?”
The moment Cheon Sejoo brought up the old story, Sejin’s face flushed red like the strawberry flavor in the gelato cup. Speaking of that, it was absolutely not secretly eating. It was his share of ice cream bought from the shop, but Cheon Sejoo had left it untouched for months. While cleaning the refrigerator, Sejin discovered it. Although it was kept in the freezer, he couldn’t let Cheon Sejoo eat something that old. Even in frozen conditions, bacteria could still grow.
But it was a waste to throw it away; it still looked perfectly fine on the outside. So he, a person twelve years younger and healthier, ate it all. He never expected Cheon Sejoo to catch him right at that moment and treat him like a thief for a whole week.
“It’s because you didn’t eat it that I cleaned it up!”
“Yeah, cleaned it into a pig’s belly?”
Cheon Sejoo reached out, gently stroking Sejin’s upper abdomen through his clothes. He didn’t know if it was just a feeling, but his stomach seemed to protrude slightly. Sejin pouted, pushed his hand away, and scooped spoonfuls of gelato into his mouth. But then he secretly glanced over, seeing Cheon Sejoo looking at him with an almost expressionless face. It wasn’t jealousy, but almost genuine anger.
Cheon Sejoo was always like this. He himself kept in touch with various people, old friends and colleagues alike, yet as soon as Sejin had any contact with a girl or a guy, he would immediately get so jealous that he became furious. Of course, that didn’t bother Sejin. Although Cheon Sejoo’s temper wasn’t very pleasant, the possessiveness he showed made Sejin incredibly happy.
But sometimes he also felt a little wronged. Like now, when he felt as if he was the one at fault.
“I really don’t remember anything.”
Looking at Cheon Sejoo’s expression, Sejin mumbled softly, speaking as if denying his responsibility for having given Kim Joohyung ice cream. Cheon Sejoo snorted a laugh.
“Well, it’s clear then. You must have liked her, that’s why you gave it to her. Just like you gave me the last piece of meat back then.”
“…Ah, I told you it’s not like that! I only have you, you know that!”
“I know, or are you just forgetting?”
“It’s not like that!”
“I think it is.”
Cheon Sejoo chuckled, his eyes cold. Knowing the meaning behind that smile, Sejin suddenly stiffened, his face twisting.
“Are you… thinking I suggested going to Gangneung to meet her again?”
Sejin was the one who brought up Gangneung first. Perhaps Cheon Sejoo had misunderstood something, which was why he asked that, making Sejin shake his head in a panic.
“No, I didn’t know she lived here. I thought she lived in Seoul.”
“What a coincidence.”
“It really is just a coincidence. Besides, she even said you and I are a good match… It’s not what you think!”
“…”
At that moment, Cheon Sejoo didn’t understand what he was saying and asked again. Perhaps this was the chance. Sejin gently met his eyes, then secretly reached his hand under the table, gently grasping Cheon Sejoo’s knee and recounted the story with Joohyung.
“She asked if I had a boyfriend, and I said yes. Then she asked if that person was you, and I said yes. So she said we were a good match. She said ‘super compatible…'”
“…My pretty one, you told her I’m your boyfriend?”
As soon as he heard that, Cheon Sejoo’s mood immediately improved, the corners of his lips curling into a smile as he asked again. Sejin blushed and nodded. Thinking about it, it made him happy; it meant that others also clearly saw them as a couple. Like two people truly in love. Like the most perfect couple in the world.
“Yeah. I told her you’re my boyfriend. So she said handsome guys should indeed date handsome guys.”
Seeing Sejin refer to himself as “handsome guy,” Cheon Sejoo burst out laughing in disbelief. Unlike before, his expression was now much softer. Sejin gently pulled Cheon Sejoo’s hand, which was lazily resting beside him, and while fiddling with his fingertips, asked:
“Are you not angry anymore?”
“I was never angry.”
“Liar.”
“Do I have to say I’m jealous for you to believe me?”
“Yes.”
Cheon Sejoo’s personality wasn’t gentle, but Sejin’s stubbornness was no less. Seeing him nod resolutely as if he had to hear that phrase at all costs, Cheon Sejoo narrowed his eyes. Then, before long, he chuckled softly, pulling Sejin’s hand towards him. He gently scratched the palm of Sejin’s hand, which was now resting on his thigh, with his fingertips.
“Basically, you always have that kind of face.”
Saying that, Cheon Sejoo’s face stiffened, expressionless. Me? Sejin frowned in disbelief, but he ignored the reaction and continued.
“Only when you’re in front of me do you look like that.”
Cheon Sejoo pouted, blinking at Sejin. …What’s the difference? Whether Sejin understood or not, Cheon Sejoo’s explanation continued.
“And when you’re in front of girls, it’s like this.”
Cheon Sejoo flashed a bright smile. No way, Sejin immediately retorted.
“Don’t joke.”
“It’s true.”
“No. I never smile like that. I only smile when I’m in front of you.”
“You smile at girls at the hospital too.”
“When! You’re lying. Are you teasing me, because you’re jealous, right?”
“You don’t believe my words. Then do you believe ‘I love you’?”
“…I believe that. But not the facial expression thing. I’m not like that.”
Seeing Sejin reply decisively as if cutting him off, Cheon Sejoo shrugged as if to say, “believe what you want.” Sejin, full of annoyance, pressed his lips together, then hesitated for a moment, and when he saw him tidying up as if preparing to return to the campsite, he spoke up.
“And you always grin at girls, don’t you?”
“So I should make them cry?”
“Even if you don’t smile, girls won’t cry. They might even think you’re cooler.”
“Do you really think I’m cool?”
“….”
If anyone else asked, “Am I cool?” they would surely be considered narcissistic, but when Cheon Sejoo asked, it didn’t feel that way at all; it sounded like stating an obvious fact, like asking, “Did the sun rise today?” Because he didn’t want to answer, Sejin pretended not to hear and avoided his gaze.
Cheon Sejoo smiled as he watched Sejin fold the camping chair, pick up the tray, and turn to walk into the cafe building. Joohyung, who was watching the counter, saw him and greeted him cheerfully.
“Hello! We’ve met once, haven’t we? I’m Sejin’s classmate.”
“Ah. Nice to meet you. You’re Joohyung, right? Sejin mentioned you. You live in Gangneung, don’t you?”

Cheon Sejoo returned the tray and extended his hand to shake Joohyung’s. Sejin watched the scene, his face completely scrunched up. He had told him not to smile, yet now he was smiling gently, even stroking Joohyung’s hand.

“Do you live nearby? We’ll be staying here until tomorrow. If you’re free tonight, would you like to have dinner together? It’s my first time meeting Sejin’s friend, so it feels strange.”

“Hahaha! Sejin… he really is shy. I’m working the night shift today, so it’ll be a bit late, but if it’s not too much trouble, I’d love to go!”

Cheon Sejoo had already made dinner plans with Joohyung without even asking Sejin’s opinion. What was this? Sejin stared at Cheon Sejoo with wide eyes, like someone who had caught their lover cheating, but he remained nonchalant under that gaze, then told Joohyung that he would pick her up in front of the shop later.

Sejin, still reeling, could only watch his retreating back as he left the shop first. Then he greeted Joohyung and followed suit.

Cheon Sejoo was walking towards the car parked far away. When he got into the driver’s seat, Sejin naturally climbed into the passenger seat.

“How come you get to smile at people and make plans on your own, but I’m not even allowed to smile?”

“Who did I smile at?”

“You clearly smiled earlier!”

“I just wanted to have dinner to see if I could get some childhood photos of you. These days, I’ve been making commemorative albums by school year. Joohyung probably has some, right?”

What was that? So it was for that? Even though his question was answered, Sejin still didn’t feel comfortable. Compared to him, who was always awkward and clumsy around strangers, Cheon Sejoo was so friendly it was like he was flirting. And then he said Sejin was the one who…

“You’re the one who always smiles in front of others. I really don’t smile.”

“Still don’t believe me?”

Sejin absolutely didn’t believe it. There was no way he smiled at girls, never had.

“It’s not that I don’t believe it. It’s the truth.”

Cheon Sejoo stared intently at Sejin as he answered so decisively. Is that so? A silent question echoed like a phantom sound, accompanied by a strange, unsettling gaze. Immediately after, Cheon Sejoo started the car and called someone.

—Yes, Captain.

“Busy?”

—No, I’m eating pizza with Haewoong. What’s up? Is there something you need me to do?

It was hacker Yoon Cheolju, who worked both in the processing team and the strategic planning department. Even though the planning department was off, it seemed he was still struggling in the processing team.

Tsk, Cheon Sejoo clicked his tongue lightly, but instead of letting him rest, he interrupted his meal to ask for a favor.

“Sorry to bother you. It’s nothing big, just need you to extract some CCTV footage. From an hour ago until now.”

—Yes. Send me the address.