“Come on in.”Ye‑jun glanced at the two, who were standing as still as statues, and let out a wistful smile. Since he had told them not to make any noise, they were so tense that not even a breath was heard. As soon as Ye‑jun granted his permission, Hwan‑young and Mu‑ryeong carefully removed their shoes and stepped inside.“…….”Until then, Danchu was clinging closely to Ye‑jun’s leg. Its eyes—soft and light green like turquoise—slowly fixed on Hwan‑young. Unlike Seolgi, its gaze was calm, as if time itself had slowed.“Usually, when other people come, it hides away…”At that moment, Danchu slowly ambled over to them. Ye‑jun watched with a rather surprised look as the cat, with its leisurely gait, approached and gently rubbed its face against Hwan‑young’s school uniform pants.“……You guys don’t seem scared at all.”“…….”It clearly brushed against their heads as it passed by, yet there was not even the slightest weight to it—as if it were nothing more than a wisp of air. It seemed either to be acting affectionately or merely behaving as though its legs happened to be in its way.With its tail gently swaying, Danchu then moved toward Mu‑ryeong and began playfully pawing at his ankle.“Wow, what is that…?”Ye‑jun let out a soft, almost resigned laugh. Danchu had laid its back against Mu‑ryeong’s foot, and its wriggling, squirming motion did nothing to suggest it was being cautious around him.“……Do cats always act this way when they’re on guard?”Yet, Mu‑ryeong blinked blankly, puzzled—as if silently asking, “Am I supposed to stay completely still?” It must have been his first encounter with a cat behaving so openly. Amusingly, upon hearing this, even Hwan‑young momentarily thought, “Is that so?”“No… it just likes you. Seems it has taken a liking to you.”Ye‑jun looked down at his own cat with eyes that betrayed a hint of wounded betrayal. Now, Danchu was meowing “nyaa” as it attempted to engage Mu‑ryeong. In that brief moment, patches of orange fur began to stick to his gray uniform pants.“You’re so adorable…”The voice was as sweet and dreamy as if spoken in a slumber. The expression that accompanied those words made Hwan‑young wonder who could possibly be as cute as that. Of course, as soon as the thought occurred, he found himself involuntarily shaking his head.“But this one is making a strange noise.”Just as Mu‑ryeong had noted, Danchu—flailing its front paws—began to emit a low, rumbling sound reminiscent of a motorcycle starting up. Hwan‑young, too, grew alarmed, his expression turning grave, while once again Ye‑jun chuckled with a look of mock betrayal.“That’s the sound it makes when it’s happy.”It seems our Danchu really likes you… The softly spoken remark was almost like a soliloquy. There was an inexplicable note of resignation in it, and Hwan‑young couldn’t help but ask in a bewildered tone,“Is that really how it expresses happiness?”Without Ye‑jun’s explanation, that peculiar sound might have sounded almost pathological. It was just as when Seolgi would wheeze and puff in my arms—no matter how you look at it, animal expressions remain a mystery. After all, everyone shows affection in their own way; perhaps this little difference is nothing to worry about.“May I pet Danchu?”“Yeah, but if you’re not careful, it might bite… no, I mean, you won’t bite, right?”After setting down their bags and washing their hands, they gathered in the living room. While Seolgi usually trailed behind whenever someone moved, Danchu, by contrast, sat quietly on the sofa. The way it sat elegantly, simply shifting its gaze from side to side, somehow reminded one of a silent CCTV.“That thing is really odd today.”Ye‑jun remarked that the normally sociable Danchu looked completely unfamiliar. Apparently, it doesn’t usually act so affectionately toward strangers—when his friends visited before, it would huddle in its room, barely showing even a tuft of fur.“Is it happy…?”Danchu took turns settling on Mu‑ryeong’s lap and Hwan‑young’s lap before finally choosing a spot beside Ye‑jun. After oscillating between shock and a sense of betrayal for a while, Ye‑jun finally managed to offer Danchu a gentle scratch on its forehead with a somewhat calmer expression. Hwan‑young, noticing that both his and Mu‑ryeong’s pants were now covered in fur, was reminded that animals shed quite a bit.That evening, they had Chinese food ordered by Ye‑jun. Hwan‑young and Mu‑ryeong ate jajangmyeon, while Ye‑jun was the only one who chose jjambbong. They also ordered a huge portion of tangsuyuk which, despite its generous size, disappeared almost in the blink of an eye.“You really do eat a lot.”Ye‑jun, watching Mu‑ryeong’s hearty appetite for the first time, smiled broadly as he observed him. Even though Hwan‑young’s larger frame might justify his own appetite, it was astonishing that a small student like Mu‑ryeong could eat so much. Even Seung‑joo, who had known him all his life, was occasionally amazed—so what did Ye‑jun think?“I’ve always eaten a lot.”Hwan‑young, watching Mu‑ryeong’s radiant smile, once again felt that familiar, ticklish sensation in his chest. His contented grin and the slight squint of his eyes made his lips curl up in a teasing manner. He even ended up gulping down water to fill his stomach, despite having eaten well.“I’ll lend you some clothes—change out of your uniforms. Danchu’s fur is all over them.”After the meal, they changed out of their fur-covered uniforms and into the clothes Ye‑jun had lent them. They were just comfortable t‑shirts and sweatpants—small for Hwan‑young and fairly roomy for Mu‑ryeong. Ye‑jun couldn’t help but burst into a soft laugh as he watched Mu‑ryeong fold his pants a couple of times.“Mu‑ryeong, you need to eat even more.”“…….”At the same time, Hwan‑young’s mood took another downturn. It felt as if a deep, dark emotion churned from within him; his head grew cold and his hair seemed to stand on end.“I’m still growing. I ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) might even get as tall as you, hyung.”“All the short kids around me say the same thing.”“Really….”Even as Mu‑ryeong furrowed his brows, he didn’t appear too upset. In fact, his teasing upturn of the lips was almost comically endearing. He always showed that level of friendliness with everyone, yet today, Hwan‑young found it particularly irksome.“Really. Everyone in our family is tall.”Before I knew it, I found myself chiming into their conversation—something I would never normally do. And as if that weren’t enough, I added in a nonchalant tone,“From what I saw last time, hyung, you were really tall too.”“Ah… have you ever seen me, hyung?”Ye‑jun asked casually. Hwan‑young nodded without blinking an eye, and I could feel Mu‑ryeong’s gaze fixed intently on my face.“I ran into you a few times when I visited your house.”This translation is the intellectual property of .To be precise, it was only twice, but he didn’t bother specifying the exact number. Ye‑jun glanced subtly back and forth between Hwan‑young and Mu‑ryeong. Then, echoing the very words Hwan‑young once said to Mu‑ryeong, he remarked,“……You two seem very close.”It wasn’t anything particularly special. Perhaps that was all Ye‑jun had to say. Yet the moment Hwan‑young saw that awkward, frowning look on Ye‑jun’s face, he felt his previously sinking mood lift just a little.“Yes, well… just….”But that feeling was only fleeting. As Hwan‑young was mumbling his response in a vague manner, Mu‑ryeong—wearing a mischievous smile—chimed in,“Hyung, you should come over next time.”It was said in such a light tone, reminiscent of when they’d shared lunchboxes at Hwan‑young’s house. And then, he proudly added,“I have a dog.”It was as if someone had doused him with cold water. No—more precisely, it felt like he’d been smeared with filth. It was like watching a wonderfully pleasant dream shatter all at once.“A dog? I like dogs too. I’ll come see it next time.”“Shall I show you some pictures?”Mu‑ryeong immediately pulled out his phone and began showing off various photos. When he sat down on the floor, Ye‑jun sank down in front of him. In the meantime, a few more pictures had been added to the album, and as soon as it was opened, it was filled with new photos of Seolgi.“This is Seolgi—like the Seolgi from when he was called Baeksulgi.”As Mu‑ryeong proudly showed each picture, he added a brief explanation for every one. With every word he spoke, Hwan‑young found himself feeling increasingly uneasy.Then, suddenly, Mu‑ryeong raised his head and extended his phone toward Hwan‑young, who had been standing all this time.“Look at this too. Isn’t this picture cute?”“…….”The face looking up from below was as gentle as could be. It was as if some magic had been cast over his hazel eyes, instantly melting away all his lingering bad feelings.“It was taken last time when you came to my house for a barbecue.”It was a photo of Seolgi laughing ‘hee’ while being held in someone’s arms. Judging by the tattoo on the neck, it appeared that the person holding Seolgi was Mu‑heun. Hwan‑young softened his expression and replied nonchalantly,“……So cute.”Bad moods aside, Seolgi’s cuteness was undeniable. Hwan‑young sank down next to Mu‑ryeong and leaned toward him. Because the angle of the phone was a bit off, he even grabbed Mu‑ryeong’s hand and rotated it toward his own side.“You two look alike.”Bump! Their heads gently collided. As always, it seemed that even a dog takes after its owner. Otherwise, Seolgi could never resemble Kim Mu‑ryeong so much—those round eyes and that gentle expression made Seolgi the very canine version of Kim Mu‑ryeong.“……You always say I look like you.”Mu‑ryeong replied in that manner, subtly withdrawing his hand. As he moved slightly aside, the faint aura that had been lingering between them seemed to vanish. Regretting that fact, Hwan‑young raised his head—and for some reason, found himself locking eyes directly with Ye‑jun, who had been watching him.“…….”“…….”It was a look full of discontent. Or rather, it was that ‘oh no’ expression—tightly pressed lips and a flicker in the eyes—that clearly did not look happy at all.“……Why are you like that?”Wondering why his hyung was wearing that expression, Hwan‑young slowly asked. Ye‑jun awkwardly curled his lips into a half-smile and, in a low voice, began,“Uh….”His words trailed off, heavy with unsaid meaning. As if choosing his words carefully, he let his gaze wander before, at last, the familiar phrase slipped out between his parting lips:“You two really seem close.”It was the second time he had said those words, but this time the tone felt somewhat different—laden with a sense of emptiness. Ye‑jun let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh and then suddenly leapt up from his seat.“I’ll go lock the door.”

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