Chapter 7: After the Spill.

“Ah— I’m so, so sorry. I was in a hurry and didn’t look where I was going….”

“…….”

“A-ah… if you give me your clothes and shoes, I’ll have them cleaned right away—”

Yooha, who had been stumbling over his words in a visibly tense voice, snapped his head up when he suddenly heard a short laugh above him.

Shin Joowon brushed at the coat soaked with melted frappuccino as he spoke, one corner of his lips tilted upward in a faintly amused smile.

“So you’re telling me to strip right here? What exactly am I supposed to wear or walk out in?”

“Ah— no, that’s not what I meant… I’ll pay for the cleaning, I’m really sorry….”

There was still a trace of gentle amusement on Shin Joowon’s face, but Yooha had already gone pale as he hurriedly opened his bag.

The cheap leather card wallet he had been using since middle school trembled in his hands as if he were holding something priceless and rare. He rummaged through it frantically, checking again and again, but there wasn’t a single bill inside. He had given everything to Wootae as allowance over the weekend.

Biting his lip repeatedly, Yooha couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

He thought he should at least ask for an account number, but Shin Joowon started laughing again, shoulders shaking lightly, and the words died in Yooha’s mouth.

It was strange—this should have been an unpleasant situation, yet Shin Joowon was laughing openly.

And when Yooha looked up again, Shin Joowon’s face was so bright that Yooha forgot what he had been about to say.

He smiled so radiantly it almost felt as if white petals were fluttering through the air around him.

“It’s fine. It’s not like you did it on purpose to mess with me.”

Shin Joowon reached out and gripped Yooha’s shoulder once.

The strength of his hand nearly made Yooha let out a sound, and he frowned as he pressed his lips together, prompting Shin Joowon’s smile to widen even further.

Yooha stared at him blankly, swallowing hard.

“I can only charge you for cleaning if it’s actually salvageable. Don’t you think?”

“Ah….”

Shin Joowon removed his hand from Yooha’s shoulder and tilted his head lightly, his tone upbeat as if urging an answer. Yooha hesitated, unable to grasp the intent behind his words.

There was no hint of irritation in his voice, and his face was smiling, yet it felt as though something sharp were lodged beneath it all, pricking at Yooha’s chest and making it hard to respond.

Shin Joowon, meanwhile, continued speaking as if nothing were amiss.

“The shoes are a bit of a shame. They weren’t easy to get. Ah—but I’m not saying you need to pay for them, so don’t worry.”

Despite telling him not to worry, Shin Joowon emphasized each word deliberately.

Yooha’s gaze drifted down to the shoes instead.

The white sneakers with vivid blue accents were soaked in brown liquid, but Yooha managed to recognize the brand logo. It was the same one on the sneakers Wootae wore.

Yooha tried to commit their appearance to memory. High-top sneakers reaching the ankle, white laces, a logo on the side—with a small crystal embedded at the tip as a detail.

Wootae cared far more about fashion than he did, so maybe he’d know where to find them.

“Professor, good afternoon.”

Just as Yooha came to that conclusion, Shin Joowon suddenly greeted someone.

Startled, Yooha turned around to see the professor who taught his class approaching down the hallway. The professor’s eyes widened when he took in the scene.

“What happened to your clothes? And what’s all this on the floor?”

“Oh, this student ran into me without looking and spilled his drink. I’m not sure what he was in such a hurry for, but… go on, hurry to class. I’ll take care of this.”

Smiling easily, Shin Joowon explained the situation to the professor before gesturing toward Yooha.

When Yooha stood awkwardly between them, unsure what to do, Shin Joowon grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him outward, nodding as if to tell him to go.

The grip loosened quickly, but Yooha still glanced back at him. Shin Joowon wasn’t even looking his way anymore, smiling kindly at the professor.

“Have you been well, Professor? You look even better than before.”

“Haha, I’m always the same. I heard you took a leave to travel—did it broaden your horizons a bit? The chairman is still doing well, I assume?”

Only then did Yooha realize that Shin Joowon had been looking out for him. Not taking the cleaning fee, offering to clean up himself, even sensing that Yooha was in a rush and helping him escape the situation.

Despite having stared rudely and failed to apologize properly at their first meeting, Shin Joowon had treated him with remarkable generosity.

An indescribable feeling welled up in Yooha’s chest, aching and throbbing all at once.

The strange sensation he always felt when receiving excessive kindness from others crept up his throat, leaving it sore.

“The chairman is doing just fine. When I said I was returning to school, he asked me to pass along his regards to you…”

Turning down this kindness now would truly be rude.

Yooha bowed repeatedly to Shin Joowon and the professor, resolving to repay him somehow—if not now, then by creating an opportunity.

By then, Yooha had long since faded from the two men’s attention, though he didn’t realize it.

Forgetting entirely about his own stained clothes and shoes, Yooha hurried toward the lecture hall.

He collapsed into the first empty seat he saw, overwhelmed by exhaustion, and closed his eyes. His long breath blended into the warm air filling the classroom.

“…….”

The wrist Shin Joowon had grabbed still burned and throbbed.

As if it had been scorched into the exact shape of his hand.

****

“Hyung! You didn’t eat dinner, right?”

By the time Yooha got home, both his body and mind were on the verge of collapse.

Wootae called out loudly from the living room, but Yooha couldn’t manage a response and went straight into his room.

Still wearing his bag, Yooha flopped onto the floor and let out a sigh as he closed his eyes.

He had promised himself to eat three meals a day, but right now, nothing felt like it would go down his throat. That was how exhausted he was.

“Hyung, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Wootae peeked in through the door, worried by the lack of response.

Yooha confirmed Wootae standing beside him and muttered weakly.

“No… I’m just tired….”

“Even if you’re tired, you still have to eat! Mom told me to make sure you eat when you get home.”

Wootae firmly helped Yooha sit up, took off his bag, and unzipped the padded jacket pulled all the way up to his chin.

When the zipper came apart with a soft click, Wootae tilted his head upon noticing strange stains on the hem of Yooha’s clothes and the tops of his socks.

“Hyung, what’s on your clothes? And your socks—what happened?”

“Ah….”

“Chocolate?”

After even sniffing it, Wootae scolded him, asking what on earth he’d been doing at school.

Yooha thought he’d wiped everything off during breaks, but it seemed he’d missed a few spots.

The socks were beyond saving, but at least his clothes and shoes were black, so the stains weren’t too obvious. If he’d been wearing white, he would’ve spent the entire day walking around visibly stained.

“Go change your clothes and come out. I’ll get dinner ready.”

Lost in thought, Yooha watched as Wootae hummed and left the room without a care.

He had no appetite, but he couldn’t refuse kindness offered so sincerely. At least a few bites—if Aunt heard he hadn’t eaten, she would definitely worry.

Summoning what little strength he had left, Yooha got up, took off his jacket, changed into more comfortable pants, and stepped out.

After the clatter of dishes, a generous spread was already laid out on the table. Wootae placed freshly reheated grilled ribs at the center and sat Yooha down.

“Hyung, eat a lot.”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

He’d planned to eat only a few bites, but the portion of rice Wootae served was generous, and the ribs piled on the plate were substantial.

Yooha took a spoonful of rice, then a bite of ribs, chewing far more slowly than usual.

He glanced at Wootae across from him, who was fiddling with his phone.

“Wootae.”

“Hm?”

There was something he’d been meaning to ask, and since Wootae hadn’t left yet, Yooha decided to bring it up now.

Recalling the frightening incident from earlier, he spoke carefully.

“You know the sneakers you wear. That brand… there’s a pair I need to buy.”

The image of the sneakers stained with chocolate frappuccino flashed vividly before his eyes.

Shin Joowon had told him not to worry, that he didn’t need to pay—but Yooha had already decided he would buy him a new pair.

The fact that they’d been hard to get bothered him, but maybe with enough effort, he could find them.

And if it was too difficult alone, he could give Wootae some allowance and ask for help after all, Wootae had a knack for secondhand deals.