Chapter 1: A Glimpse

Today, Min-woo’s nagging was longer than usual. The lecture hadn’t even started yet, and Min-hyeon was already exhausted by the endless stream of scolding. Seizing the moment when Min-woo paused to change lanes, Min-hyeon quickly changed the subject.

“Hyung, by the way, Heon-jae said he’s coming to visit after my lecture today.”

“Doesn’t he have class?”

“He only has class four days a week. He said today’s his day off.”

“I’ll come pick you up around when your class ends. Just take Heon-jae home and hang out there.”

“Come on, how can I do that? It’s his first time visiting our school—I should at least show him around campus.”

“Fine, I’ll pick you up by six. Play until then.”

“Okay.”

Min-hyeon pouted but didn’t press further.

“Maybe I should’ve just gone to the same college as Heon-jae.”

“Then you should’ve studied harder, shouldn’t you?”

“I feel like I could do really well if I tried now. Hyung, what if I take a leave of absence and retake the entrance exam?”

“I told you, no leave of absence. Stop thinking about useless things and focus on your classes.”

He’d subtly brought up the topic of taking a leave, but as expected, it fell on deaf ears. Seeing Min-hyeon visibly sulk, Min-woo softened his tone slightly.

“Call me when you meet Heon-jae later. If you move somewhere else, leave a message before you leave and after you arrive.”

“Got it.”

“If you’re too busy having fun to answer your phone, you’re in trouble.”

“I got it, got it. Let’s stop at verse one. Do you think I’m still in kindergarten or something?”

Min-hyeon waved his hand dismissively, looking annoyed, and Min-woo’s expression stiffened. Just then, Min-woo’s car pulled to a stop in front of the main gate.

“I’m off!”

Before Min-woo could start round two of his nagging, Min-hyeon quickly grabbed his bag and bolted out of the car. A few steps away, a familiar honk stopped him. Min-hyeon waved a hand vaguely without turning around. Then this time, his name was called.

“Choi Min-hyeon!”

Slowly turning around, Min-woo was holding up Min-hyeon’s phone, waving it at him.

“Oh haha. I left it behind when I got out.”

“How can you not understand why I nag you when you’re like this? Take care of your phone. Don’t drop it and leave it places.”

“Okay, okay.”

Flashing an awkward smile at Min-woo, who sighed demonstratively, Min-hyeon strode into the lecture building at a brisk pace.

As soon as he entered the building, Min-hyeon naturally scanned his surroundings, searching for someone’s figure.

‘He’s not here yet, I guess.’

Min-hyeon’s shoulders slumped. What a shame. Today was especially disappointing since they didn’t have any overlapping lectures anyway. Even if he were here, Min-hyeon would probably just end up watching him from afar without ever saying a word, but still—disappointment was disappointment.

I guess today just isn’t my day. He adjusted his slipping bag and started climbing the stairs, his steps heavy.

As the lecture start time approached, the scattered empty seats began to fill up one by one. Spotting familiar classmates entering the classroom, Min-hyeon quickly buried his face on his desk before their eyes could meet. Awkward greetings, conversations that fizzled out after a few exchanges—all of it made him uncomfortable.

Because of his slightly unusual family situation, he couldn’t freely join his classmates for late-night drinks or go on MT trips like everyone else, so even months after enrolling, he still felt distant from his peers.

If at least his major studies were interesting, that would make things a bit better, but most of the classes Min-hyeon had signed up for were theory-heavy instead of hands-on, making them all boring and difficult.

‘I really want to take a leave of absence.’

Min-hyeon swallowed a sigh. He felt a twinge of resentment toward his brother, who absolutely refused to let him take a leave—as if there was anyone in this day and age who graduated without ever taking one.

He already felt like taking a leave every chance he got, and meeting Heon-jae yesterday only made that desire grow stronger. But as always, Min-hyeon wouldn’t be able to convince his stubborn brother.

It wasn’t until just before the lecture was about to start that Min-hyeon straightened up.

Among all the tedious theory classes, the absolute worst was this one—”Understanding Photographic Aesthetics.” Just thinking about fighting off the drowsiness while desperately trying not to fall asleep made him tired already.

It was his own fault for eagerly sitting in the front row on the first day, not knowing it was a fixed seating arrangement, but every single class he regretted not sitting a row or two further back.

He was pulling out pre-printed PPT slides and stationery onto his desk when he suddenly felt a shift in the air around him. Min-hyeon looked up. Jun-ho was walking in through the front door of the lecture hall.

With each step he took, it felt as though a radiant light was being scattered through the dull classroom.

His face, paler than the white dress shirt he wore, made his finely shaped lips stand out even more. The shadows cast beneath his long lashes made his double-lidded eyes appear even deeper.

How could a person look like that? Min-hyeon marveled.

The quiet classroom instantly grew noisy. Jun-ho casually acknowledged the people who approached him—greeting him or striking up conversation—and sat down right behind Min-hyeon. Every nerve in Min-hyeon’s body was focused on him.

“Hyung, you said you had that exam archive we talked about last time, right? Could you please give it to me?”

“We’re going to drink makgeolli at six today—oppa, do you want to come too?”

The people who had followed him to his seat each tried eagerly to chat with Jun-ho. He turned them down in a gentle but firm voice.

“The professor will be here soon. We should get ready for class.”

“Ah, right.”

“Yeah. Oppa, study hard.”

“Okay, you too.”

Once the commotion around him settled, Min-hyeon grew inexplicably tense. He’d been so focused on that direction that he felt like he could even hear Jun-ho breathing.

A moment later, the sound of the professor entering snapped Min-hyeon back to his senses, and he shook his head. Get a grip. His heart pounded as if he’d been caught doing something wrong.

Min-hyeon sat up even straighter for no reason, staring intently at the professor. His gaze was fixed on the professor, but part of his awareness remained aimed toward the seat behind him.

“They often say beauty and devilry are one and the same. There is an American photographer who received high praise from critics and many artists, but also found himself at the center of controversy due to his unconventional photographs that broke social norms. A provocative American artist who rose to prominence by putting male nudity, masochism, queer culture, and more at the forefront. Who is that person? Well…”

As the professor paused to flip to the next PPT slide, Jun-ho murmured in a low voice.

“Maplesoft.”

And almost simultaneously, the professor spoke.

“Maplesoft.”

Instead of the professor’s raspy voice, Jun-ho’s low, resonant voice pierced Min-hyeon’s eardrums. It felt as if Jun-ho had leaned in close to his ear and whispered—the fine hairs on his earlobes stood on end.

Min-hyeon unconsciously touched his own ear and shrugged his shoulders slightly. For some reason, his chest felt itchy… Before he knew it, the professor’s voice had faded entirely into the distance.

An hour passed in a blur, and the professor ended the lecture. The clatter of chairs being pushed back echoed throughout the classroom. People were already beginning to gather around Min-hyeon’s seat behind him.

Min-hyeon slowly packed up the things spread across his desk. He hoped Jun-ho would leave the classroom before him. He wanted to at least catch a proper glimpse of his back. But as if it had been waiting for just that moment, Min-woo’s call came through, urging Min-hyeon’s hands to hurry. He scrambled out of the classroom.

The call that had been disconnected once came ringing back immediately. Why? It had never happened before, but suddenly he felt the urge to just let the call go.

Instead of answering, Min-hyeon paused in the hallway, staring down at Min-woo’s name displayed large on the screen. The phone, vibrating with a low hum, finally stopped trembling. A message from Min-woo appeared on the now-dark screen.

Min-woo hyung
Is something wrong? Why aren’t you answering?
12:57

No sooner had Min-hyeon read the message than Min-woo called again. This time, Min-hyeon answered without hesitation.

“Yeah, hyung.”

— Why weren’t you answering? What’s going on? Where are you? Aren’t you at school?

The barrage of questions came without giving him a chance to answer, and Min-hyeon let out a wry smile.

“Where else would I be? I’m at school.”

— Then why didn’t you answer your phone?

“The professor let us out a little late.”

— It’s been over five minutes since class ended and you didn’t answer—I was worried.

“It’s only five minutes. Things can happen in five minutes.”

— If something’s going to happen, it can happen in one minute, not five.

“I know. I’ll be careful.”

— Anyway, I’m on my way to your school now, so wait for me.

“What about the store?”

— Is the store really the issue right now when you weren’t answering your phone?

“…”

— I’ll call when I get there, so come out right away.

“Okay.”

Min-hyeon sighed. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand Min-woo’s concern, but sometimes it felt like too much.

Just then, someone brushed lightly past Min-hyeon’s shoulder as he stood in the middle of the hallway.

“Oh! I’m sor—”

He looked up mid-apology and saw a familiar face. It was Jun-ho. Without even glancing at Min-hyeon, Jun-ho walked right past him. His demeanor was indifferent to the point of coldness. Min-hyeon could only stare blankly at Jun-ho’s retreating back as he grew more distant.

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