“I’m back.”Mu‐heun announced as he set a bag down on the table. It looked so heavy—its contents enormous. Until that moment, Seung‑joo had been frozen stiff, covering his face with one hand and bowing his head in embarrassment.“Ah, hyung, please…”Mu‐heun flashed a mischievous smile. “Did I really startle you?”Seung‑joo’s shoulders shook as he let out a deep, exasperated sigh, prompting Mu‐heun to gently pat his back. “I live for teasing you, Seung‑joo.”Though their appearances were completely different, there was an inexplicable resemblance—especially in the fleeting expression that crossed his face when he smiled. Just as Mu‑ryeong had mentioned earlier, he was tall enough to rival Hwan‑young, and despite the summer heat, he wore a long‑sleeved t-shirt. When his head tilted to the side, a tattoo tracing from behind his ear down to the nape of his neck became visible.“Mu‐heun, why are you so late?”“I ran into a few things on the way. By the way, is this a friend of Mu‑ryeong and Seung‑joo?”At that, Mu‐heun’s gaze drifted toward Hwan‑young. For a brief moment—much like when he met his mother’s eyes—a wave of tension washed over him. He carefully scanned Hwan‑young from head to toe, then marveled in a sincere tone, “Our youngest sure knows how to pick a handsome friend.”There was no particularly notable reaction in return; our youngest merely offered a sheepish, almost plaintive look—as if silently asking, “When will you ever grow up?”“Name?”“…Ki Hwan‑young.”“I’m Mu‐heun.”That was all. Mu‐heun soon excused himself with a “Just eat up” as he went back inside. When he reemerged, dressed more casually, he found himself having to spend a good while cuddling an overly excited Seolgi, who hadn’t even managed to sit at the table. It looked as though this wasn’t the first time he’d had to soothe the little rascal with a gentle “Shh, settle down now.”“Shall I grill it?”“Oh, you expect me to have the one who’s just been working come and do that? Sit down and eat—and pour some drinks for the kids, will you?”Mu‐heun sat beside Seung‑joo, while across from them, Mu‑ryeong and Hwan‑young took their seats. Seolgi had nestled himself against Mu‐heun, resting his chin on his thigh. As Hwan‑young gazed fondly at the little dog, Mu‑ryeong casually remarked, “Let’s finish eating and then go for a walk with Seolgi.”I wondered why he spoke so softly—but apparently, Seolgi just couldn’t settle down whenever he heard the word “walk.” Almost absentmindedly, Hwan‑young began to nod, then suddenly asked, “Then, when do I go home?”“Aren’t you supposed to stay over?”That retort came from Mu‑ryeong, causing Seung‑joo, who had been sipping his drink, to let out a wry chuckle, “That’s not like you, Ki Hwan‑young…”Although Mu‑ryeong had suggested that if it got late, he should spend the night, Hwan‑young had no intention of doing so. After all, since he always walked, whether the buses stopped or not was no issue.“Just stay over—tomorrow’s the weekend anyway.”“Mu‑ryeong, you really shouldn’t make your friend feel burdened.”Mu‐heun said in a mock stern tone. His voice was soft, yet Mu‑ryeong’s eyes rolled in exasperation. Then he added, “Their place is a two‑hour walk from here…”“You can just wear hyung’s pajamas.”“Two hours? Even I would stay over if it were two hours.”“Wait—Hwan‑young, it takes two hours to get to your place? Stay over here and head home when it’s light out tomorrow. It’s dangerous.”Silence followed for a moment, and in no time, everyone reached a unanimous decision. Hwan‑young was about to protest when he caught his mother’s eye—she was just setting down a platter of perfectly grilled meat.“Mom will drive you home tomorrow. Okay?”There was simply no room for refusal. In the end, Hwan‑young nodded, a bewildered expression on his face, inwardly thinking that he really didn’t need to mention he’d be staying over.“Then be sure to call your parents ahead of time and let them know you’re staying; they’d worry otherwise.”“No… they won’t worry,” he mumbled, averting his gaze. His mother didn’t press further—she simply regarded him tenderly before breaking into a warm smile.“Alright, our Seolgi will be thrilled to see so many people.”The oblivious Seolgi stuck his tongue out from beneath the table and looked up at Hwan‑young. That sight made Hwan‑young smile, and he absentmindedly reached his hand toward the little dog. Seolgi, who had clung to Mu‐heun until then, wagged his tail and scurried over eagerly.“Seung‑joo, you should stay over too.”“Why should I? I’m not even two hours away like that guy.”“Because it’s been a while since you hung out with hyung—stay over!”“Not like I’m Kim Mu‑ryeong or something…”The sound of Mu‐heun and Seung‑joo chatting floated over, intermingled with the ticklish noise of licking. Seolgi, having lapped at a hand quite thoroughly, placed his front paw on Hwan‑young’s thigh. His gaze, fixed upward, still bore an uncanny resemblance to Kim Mu‑ryeong’s.“Don’t give Seolgi any meat.”Mu‑ryeong said this as he began wrapping and eating the meat with precision—astonishing to watch how that tiny mouth managed to fit so much, chewing and swallowing methodically. Meanwhile, Seolgi continued to gaze up at Hwan‑young with bright, sparkling eyes.“…He’s looking so pitiful.”“He’s acting that way because he thinks you’ll give him some. Even if we keep looking at him like that, we won’t give in. Seolgi, come here—hyung’s got a treat for you.”His imploring look was almost too much to bear. Fortunately, Seolgi quickly clutched the dog chew Mu‑ryeong had given him and settled beside the table. Only then did Hwan‑young feel comfortable enough to start using his chopsticks.“Seung‑joo, make sure you eat plenty too.”“No… I already eat a lot.”“At least our youngest needs to eat.”“You can’t even begin comparing to Kim Mu‑ryeong…”I wondered who could possibly finish all that meat, yet not only Mu‑ryeong but even Mu‑heun had an astonishing appetite. Given his build, Hwan‑young proved to be no less of a gourmand. He polished off three bowls of the hearty rice his mother had ladled out, and later they all even cooked up a pot of ramen together.“No wonder you felt like buying so much today.”From midway through the meal, Mu‑heun—who had taken over grilling in place of their mother—glanced around at everyone with a look of complete satisfaction. It seemed the only one still hoping that Seung‑joo would eat a bit more, though Seung‑joo had clearly already overindulged. In a tone of quiet awe, he remarked to the ever steady‑paced Mu‑ryeong,“Kim Mu‑ryeong never ceases to amaze me.”Hwan‑young silently agreed. Despite Mu‑ryeong’s seemingly underdeveloped stature, he managed to eat far more than one would expect. He wasn’t especially tall, nor was he chubby, yet his appetite was simply astounding.“Where does all that food even go?”“Maybe his basal metabolic rate is just off the charts?”Mu‑ryeong gulped as he shifted his head. His neck was so slender that Hwan‑young could almost grasp it with one hand—yet it was remarkable how his Adam’s apple still jutted out in that unmistakably masculine way.Hwan‑young stared blankly at that detail before finally diverting his gaze. Even after finishing his meal, he realized he could simply stay here; he didn’t have to walk two hours back to that quiet neighborhood. The late realization choked his throat with its weight.***Hwan‑young had never once spent the night anywhere other than his own home. He naturally skipped school trips and retreats, and he didn’t have any friends with whom he could bunk over. Ever since he turned fourteen, he had always stayed at home—aside from school, he’d never been anywhere else.“You can sleep on the floor if you want?”“It’s fine.”No wonder being in someone else’s space felt so awkward. Though Mu‑ryeong had come to his own house twice before, it was the first time Hwan‑young had stepped into another’s space.After finishing the meat, they took Seolgi out for a walk before heading home. Seung‑joo bid farewell with a “See you on Monday” and left without a backward glance, while Hwan‑young—the only one left—borrowed some clothes from Mu‑heun and took a shower. Since Seolgi’s fur had clung all over his school uniform, his mother had promised to wash it thoroughly and set it aside for him tomorrow.It felt as though a gentle tide had rolled in, soaking him completely before receding. He had planned only to dip his feet, yet before he knew it, the water had engulfed him up to his hair. Strangely enough, the sensation wasn’t unpleasant at all, so Hwan‑young simply allowed himself to drift along with it.“I don’t use a bed… There is one in the empty room, but it isn’t set up yet.”Mu‑ryeong’s room contained no bed—only a desk, a wardrobe, and bookshelves that lined every wall. It might have felt barren, but once he spread out a blanket, it turned unexpectedly cozy. Still, the sight of two pillows neatly placed side by side left him with an odd feeling.“...Where does Seolgi sleep?”“Seolgi? He usually sleeps with me, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) but today—since hyung is here—he’ll sleep with him. Seolgi loves hyung the most.”It was an awkward question, but Mu‑ryeong answered it earnestly. Then, wriggling under the blanket, he patted the space beside him.“Don’t just stand there—sit down. You’re so tall that if you keep standing, your presence is overwhelming.”“...”Hwan‑young awkwardly scooted over to sit beside Mu‑ryeong. Once he settled with his legs neatly folded, Mu‑ryeong asked in a tone mixed with laughter,“Why are you so tense?”“...I’m not tense.”“You’re sitting so stiffly.”Mu‑ryeong then sat cross-legged right next to him, and only then did Hwan‑young, with an awkward cough, try to relax his shoulders. Suddenly, something that had puzzled him all day surfaced.“Don’t you live with your father?”He had been secretly curious—everyone said he resembled his father. He thought that as Mu‑ryeong grew older, he might finally learn more about him.“Uh...”But perhaps it was just his imagination; Mu‑ryeong smiled sheepishly, his dimpled smile a little different than usual. After a brief glance downward, he scrunched his nose and said,“My dad passed away when I was ten.”It was said in such a nonchalant tone that it only made Hwan‑young’s heart feel heavier.“...”Hwan‑young recalled a conversation they’d had once—when he’d asked if Mu‑ryeong lived alone and received the simple answer that his parents had died. Having grown up without them from such a young age, it was a fact Mu‑ryeong had accepted as normal. Perhaps, back then, Mu‑ryeong had been just as speechless as he was now.“It’s okay. That was a long time ago.”Mu‑ryeong grinned broadly and gave Hwan‑young’s leg a gentle tap—a habitual touch that, for some reason, made him flinch. Then, as if eager to change the subject, Mu‑ryeong shrugged his shoulders and said,“Besides that, there’s something we need to talk about.”Hwan‑young nodded silently. After all, he had come to Mu‑ryeong’s house precisely to have that conversation—to help his younger brother feel at ease after the rainy season, and more importantly, because there was something he needed to tell Mu‑ryeong.“These days...”Hwan‑young hesitated for a moment, trailing off before continuing.Ever since that day when he’d nearly given up on everything—after Mu‑ryeong rescued him on the rooftop—one truth had remained unchanged.“Hwan‑hee never comes to see me.”

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