Chapter 6: Sunlight and Shadows

For some reason, there was no one on the wisteria bench in front of the Humanities Building. After alternating glances between the front bench, about half exposed to the scorching sun, and the back bench, perfectly shaded, Min-hyeon hesitated for a moment before perching just the edge of his bottom on the front bench. The heat radiating from the sun-baked bench made his face scrunch up involuntarily.

‘The weather is insane, seriously. It’s only early May, and if it’s already this hot, won’t we be completely cooked by summer?’

He felt thick drops of sweat trickling down his spine. It was hot. Min-hyeon looked behind him. The shaded back bench, with not a single ray of sunlight touching it, looked incredibly tempting. But from that spot, he wouldn’t be able to see people approaching. Still, it would be cool. Definitely cool.

‘No matter how cool it is, I can’t.’

Feeling that lingering on it would only make him more regretful, Min-hyeon turned back around.

He’d said he’d meet Jun-ho after the fifth period ended, so he’d have to wait at least another twenty minutes. Even knowing that, he couldn’t explain why he’d left the cool classroom early instead of staying a little longer.

Even though he knew it wasn’t time for Jun-ho to arrive yet, Min-hyeon craned his neck and peered every time he saw a human silhouette in the distance. The looks from passersby, seeing him sit in the blazing sun while leaving the shaded bench empty, made him feel strangely embarrassed. Min-hyeon pretended to check messages, scrolling the messenger window up and down meaninglessly.

At the very top of his sparse chat list was, as always, his conversation with Min-woo.

11:21
I might be a little late today because of the group project. I’ll keep checking my phone, so don’t worry too much.

Min-woo hyung
Come home early. Before sunset. It’s dangerous to be out at night.
11:21

11:37
It’s not like this is the era when Seoul was a tiger’s den—what’s dangerous about being out at night these days?

Min-woo hyung
Finish by 7. I’ll come pick you up.
11:38

11:46
Isn’t 7 o’clock a bit too harsh, humanly speaking?

Min-woo hyung
Then stay as long as you want.
11:58

11:58
Oh! Really?

Min-woo hyung
I’ll be there waiting from 7 onward.
11:59

After that, Min-hyeon hadn’t replied, so the conversation had ended there. But having said that, whether Min-hyeon answered or not, Min-woo would definitely come to school by 7. Min-hyeon pouted.

“Anyway, he always does everything his own way.”

Thinking back to Min-woo, who had looked like he’d been through hell just from being out of contact for three hours, Min-hyeon couldn’t push back any harder.

‘Do all other families act like this too?’

Even considering that his situation was unique, he couldn’t help feeling it was a bit much. Min-hyeon replayed his conversation with Min-woo from yesterday.

[You weren’t answering. Even location tracking wasn’t working. That exhibition—no matter how long it took, it couldn’t have gone over two hours, but you kept not answering. And you weren’t even inside the exhibition hall. Do you think I wouldn’t go crazy?]

[You actually came inside the exhibition hall? How did you even know where it was?]

[Why wouldn’t I? The last location ping was the Arts Center, and there was only one photo exhibition there.]

Apparently, the reason Min-woo had been able to find the cafe where Min-hyeon was was thanks to the card payment alert text. The payment notifications were set to go to Min-woo, the original card owner, so Min-hyeon had even forgotten such a thing existed.

He’d never imagined that Min-woo could figure out where he was just from one card payment alert. Realizing that every single move he made was in the palm of Min-woo’s hand made his chest feel tight.

Min-hyeon thumped his constricted chest with his fist, then fanned himself with his hand, wondering if it was just the heat making it worse. It didn’t help much. He shook his head for no reason, then took a deep breath—deep enough to make his shoulders rise and fall.

Then, realizing how fussy he was being all alone, he let out a hollow laugh.

‘It should be ending around now, right?’

Min-hyeon checked the time. But surprisingly, there were still fifteen minutes left until the end of the fifth period. Time was flowing much more slowly than he perceived.

Having already endured five minutes that felt like twenty, the remaining fifteen—or maybe even more—felt impossibly long.

‘I can’t do this.’

Min-hyeon sent Heon-jae a message asking what he was up to. Fortunately, he must not have been in class, because Heon-jae called back immediately. Min-hyeon had never found Heon-jae’s voice unwelcome, but today it was especially welcome.

Complaints about boring classes and overflowing assignments, the best value menu at the student cafeteria, talk about items in a new game he’d started.

As always when talking to Heon-jae, Min-hyeon rambled on about this and that, and before he knew it, the conversation had drifted to yesterday’s incident with Min-woo.

— So? Nothing really happened to hyung-nim, right?

“Nothing happened. He was just surprised because I suddenly went out of contact for a few hours. You know how our hyung is—always worrying.”

Min-hyeon glossed over Heon-jae’s concerned question. Even though it was just Heon-jae, for some reason he felt reluctant to go into detail.

‘I wonder if even Heon-jae thinks our hyung is a bit… that way.’

He definitely had the urge to subtly probe, without making it obvious. But he didn’t have the confidence to ask without it being awkward, and he felt that whatever answer Heon-jae gave, he probably wouldn’t be satisfied with it anyway.

— Hyung-nim is… a lot, very, extremely slightly a lot that way.

“‘A lot, very, extremely slightly a lot’—what’s that supposed to mean?”

— Take it as you will, take it as you will. Ah! I should go now. I’ll call you later.

“Wait, I’ll—… He already hung up.”

Min-hyeon heard someone calling Heon-jae from the other end, and he hung up in a flash before Min-hyeon could even finish his sentence. Even though he hadn’t ended up confiding anything about Min-woo, talking to Heon-jae seemed to have lightened his mood somewhat.

“Ahhh. It’s hot.”

Wiping his sweat-dampened cheek with his palm after having the phone pressed against it, Min-hyeon stretched and looked around. That was when he made eye contact with Jun-ho.

“You finally noticed me.”

“Eek!”

Min-hyeon let out a strange sound with his arms still stretched out and jumped. He’d been constantly scanning for Jun-ho’s arrival even while talking to Heon-jae. He was certain no one had been coming this way—but somehow, Jun-ho was already sitting next to him.

“Am I that unnoticeable? I was waiting to see when you’d notice me, and I would’ve been a little hurt if you never did.”

Looking at Jun-ho, who feigned a sulky expression with drooping eyebrows, Min-hyeon smiled with an ambiguous, crinkled face.

“You’re not being serious right now, are you?”

“Why?”

“Hyung, you know you’re handsome. You’re not unnoticeable at all—you’re practically radiating presence.”

“Am I that handsome?”

His tone was clearly teasing, but Min-hyeon could answer that question without a moment’s hesitation, anytime, anywhere.

“Yes. You look even more handsome in the sunlight. Is this the natural lighting effect?”

“What?”

Jun-ho let out a loud laugh. Throwing his head back as he laughed, the exposed neck between the undone buttons of his dress shirt became more prominent. Min-hyeon’s eyes were briefly drawn to the Adam’s apple protruding prominently from his white neck.

Unlike his usual languid, almost decadent demeanor, the Jun-ho laughing so openly now was remarkably refreshing.

Min-hyeon found himself blurting out a remark.

“Hyung, if I had to describe you… you don’t really seem human.”

At those words, Jun-ho’s laughter stopped abruptly. Min-hyeon, realizing how absurd his own comment was, pointed at himself in bewilderment.

‘I guess that hyung lives in a different genre from the rest of us.’

Bathed in the dazzling sunlight, his flawless, clear skin looked so pale it seemed almost transparent. He looked like he’d been cut out of a pure romance comic where only pretty, handsome people appear. There was something about Jun-ho—an unrealistic beauty that words couldn’t quite capture.

“No, but it’s true. Some people just sit still and get drenched in sweat, but hyung isn’t sweating at all. Really, hyung is… flawless. You have a handsome face, you’re tall, you have broad shoulders. It would only be fair if you at least had a bit of a belly or a big head. Why are you so selfish, hyung?”

“You’re right. I was too shameless. Wasn’t I?”

The way he asked with a gentle eye-smile was almost infuriating.

“Yes. A lot, very, extremely slightly a lot.”

As he answered, Min-hyeon suddenly understood what Heon-jae’s earlier answer had meant. So this was that feeling.

“I can’t exactly grow a conscience I never had in the first place… And all I can offer you is this—what should I do?”

Jun-ho’s long fingers suddenly covered Min-hyeon’s forehead. The cool touch, brushing away the beads of sweat, made Min-hyeon’s lips part wordlessly.

“How is it? My hands are cool, aren’t they? I have a slightly lower body temperature than most. So I don’t get hot easily either.”

“Yes… Yes. Totally. They’re really cool.”

The answer popped out before he even had time to think. His ears, of course, and even his entire face flushed bright red. With a dazed expression, Min-hyeon nodded fervently, then made a slight grimace.

‘Ugh. My face must look like a burning sweet potato right now.’

Involuntarily humiliated by Jun-ho—who seemed to embarrass others without meaning to—Min-hyeon tried to scoot his bottom backward. Maybe about five centimeters away? Before Min-hyeon’s efforts could bear fruit, Jun-ho wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gently lifted him from the seat.

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