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Younghoon rubbed the side of his neck as his other hand tapped his pen against the table. He was in the middle of writing an essay for one his majors. The question given to them was personal, something Younghoon did not want to remind himself of.
With the rapid advancement of technology, memory manipulation has been made possible. At the current stage of memory manipulation, it is only possible to erase a person’s presence in one’s life. Do you have anyone in your past you want to erase? If yes, who is it and why? If no, why not?
Younghoon could have easily avoided getting personal with his answer but he hated lying when it came to papers that required personal reflections. That was the kind of person he was and that was why he fell in love with Younghoon.
“Would he?” Younghoon muttered under his breath,” Would he erase me?”
Reflecting on the additional question he asked himself, his chest ached. If Younghoon said that he did not miss his presence, he would be lying. Younghoon stretched his arms before settling his pen on the table. Maybe he needed a breather.
He pushed himself away from the table before standing up. He raised his head and glanced at the frame at the corner of his table. Was he ready to remove the tape he stuck there? Was he ready to see the face of the man he loved?
Younghoon sighed. He knew it was difficult to move on from a separation. He knew it was impossible to cover up the mark his love left on his life but did Younghoon want to erase that mark?
“Oh, hey, hey, Hoon!”
Younghoon was surprised by the sudden hug he received from a familiar person. He turned his head and saw Changmin grinning at him. Changmin was his childhood friend, someone he shared his whole life with. Changmin knew everything about Younghoon except…
“Hey! You’re not saying a word to your best friend?” Changmin raised an eyebrow as he wrapped his arm around Younghoon’s,” I know university life has been difficult but I’m always here if you want to rant.”
Not telling Changmin anything ate at Younghoon’s conscience. It was unfair. Younghoon knew it, but he did not expect that he would seriously fall in love with that man. He thought it was a fling, that it was nothing.
Younghoon hated that he misjudged his situation with him.
“Hyunjae,” a brunette man offered his hand. Younghoon was slightly surprised. He was busy with his readings for his major that he did not notice anyone approaching him. Younghoon furrowed his eyebrows and stared at this stranger he assumed was named Hyunjae.
“Hm? Aren’t you going to tell me your name?” He playfully said as he sat across Younghoon,” I told you mine.”
“This isn’t a barter trade,” Younghoon rolled his eyes before he looked at the printed material in front of him again,” Why should I tell you my name when you’re a stranger?”
“I told you my name so I am not a stranger,” Hyunjae smirked, putting his hand on Younghoon’s readings,” I am Hyunjae. And you are?”
“This is a study café, not a bar,” Younghoon pulled the paper away from Hyunjae,” Why do you want my name so bad?”
“Because you’re my type,” Hyunjae said straightforwardly which surprised Younghoon. With how red Younghoon’s face was, Hyunjae was obviously entertained.
“Not enough of a reason,” Younghoon quickly stuffed his readings into his bag,” If you don’t have anything valuable to tell me, I’ll leave.”
“Aw,” Hyunjae pouted,” I want to get to know you, Mr. Liberal Arts.”
“How did you know I’m under that college?” Younghoon narrowed his eyes. Hyunjae pointed out several things that made him infer that way. First, Younghoon’s reading was worth more than 5 pages, Hyunjae assumed, considering how thick it was. Aside from that, it seemed to be a reading about Chinese philosophy, something a hard science major or a fine arts major wouldn’t really read. Next, as someone who frequented the café, Hyunjae overheard from Younghoon, whenever he brought his friends to study with him, that they hated their economics professor and their literature assignments were too much for sophomores.
“And oh yeah, we’re from the same level because of that,” Hyunjae grinned for a moment before he continued. He pointed out the thick book Younghoon had in his bag which was a history book. Of course, history was a general subject taken by everyone in the university, but the book Younghoon had was not something a beginner would read for a minor subject.
“Okay. Stop,” Younghoon said,” I have no time for this. I have to—”
“Anyways, I’m Hyunjae,” Hyunjae offered his hand again,” I’m a sophomore, forensic science major.”
“I guess that’s how you have good deduction skills,” Younghoon muttered.
“So I guessed right?” Hyunjae chuckled,” At least tell me your name.”
“If you’re so good at deductions and you have been observing me these past few days, then you can guess what my name is.”
“I know, actually,” Hyunjae had this playful look on his face which slightly annoyed Younghoon,” But I want to have your permission before I say it.”
“Did not expect you’ll want that when you already intruded other parts of my life.”
“I just guessed your college, Mr. Handsome,” Hyunjae chuckled,” Come on. Just your name. I won’t leave you alone until you tell me.”
“Younghoon,” Younghoon sighed,” Happy?”
“Hmm,” Hyunjae hummed as a small smile formed on his lips,” Very.”
“Earth to Hoon?” Changmin snapped his fingers,” Do you want to go with Chanhee? He’s asking us if we want to go to the arcade, as we did back in high school.”
“Chanhee’s here?” Younghoon asked,” I thought he was too busy with his pre-med?”
“I know, right? But I guess he needed a breather,” Changmin answered.
‘He’s not the only one,’ Younghoon thought.
“So what is it, Mr. Kim?” Changmin asked,” I have Chanhee on hold.”
“Tell him we’ll come. I want to relax before we go back to our reqs.”
“Okie dokie then,” Changmin made an ‘okay’ sign before going back to his phone. After a few minutes, he told Younghoon which arcade they were going to. All Younghoon could do was nod with a smile on his face, as if that arcade did not bring back any memories of Hyunjae.
“You shouldn’t work too hard,” Hyunjae groaned as he wiped the blood off Younghoon’s nose,” See? You’ve been getting more and more nosebleeds, Younghoon.”
“Why are you even here? Just because I let you stay for one night does not mean you can barge in here any time you want,” Younghoon said as he grabbed the tissue away from Hyunjae’s hand and wiped the blood off himself. Hyunjae shrugged before he jumped into Younghoon’s bed.
“Your place is very homey, I guess?” Hyunjae answered,” I mean my place isn’t half as bad but I like being with you.”
“Jae, I thought we’re clear on having this… as something not serious?” Younghoon clarified.
“Oh—We are, we are. Trust me,” Hyunjae laughed,” But it’s the truth. You’re a nice person to be around, Hoon.”
“You are too, Jae,” Younghoon ruffled Hyunjae’s hair,” I’ve never had this much fun before.”
“And we’ll have more fun in the future.”
“Who are you thinking about?” Chanhee asked Younghoon when Changmin finally left the two alone,” I know you’re hiding something from Changmin.”
Younghoon knew that Chanhee was not as dense as Changmin when it came to his secrets. Chanhee was good at reading people, too good if Younghoon was honest and he hated that. Chanhee almost knew about Hyunjae but he chose not to pry about Younghoon’s past love. Younghoon never figured out why Chanhee stopped bothering him about it.
“How did you know it was a person?” Younghoon said, waving slightly when Changmin turned to them from the arcade’s counter.
“A gut feeling,” Chanhee looked up to his friend,” Is it who I think it is?”
“You don’t even know who it is,” Younghoon answered. Chanhee chuckled.
“I found the letters,” he said,” I did not read all of them but…”
“How did you find them?”
“Remember when I sent my package to your place? And I needed to pick it up?” Chanhee was smiling at Changmin who was approaching the pair,” You aren’t good at hiding private things.”
Younghoon wanted to confront Chanhee about what he found but it was too late when he heard Changmin jiggle the tokens he had in his hands.
“We’ll talk about this later, Hee,” Younghoon said in a low voice. Chanhee only replied with a sly smile, as if he knew more than Younghoon wanted to.
“Happy one month of us being together?” Hyunjae laughed,” One month of friendship huh.”
“If you call having sex and making out friendship then you can call it that,” Younghoon said as he brushed Hyunjae’s hair with his hand,” I love being with you, Jae.”
“Hoon…”
Younghoon knew what that tone meant. They already established that their relationship could not be anything more than friends. Even if both of them could see potential in their bond, it was something they could not invest in. It was dangerous, per se, especially that they have only known each other for a month.
“Is it really better this way, Hyunjae?” Younghoon mumbled,” I mean, the only change really would be our label… We do what other couples do anyway.”
“Younghoon,” Hyunjae held Younghoon’s cheek,” We can’t, okay?”
“Why?”
Hyunjae answered Younghoon’s question with a sad smile. Younghoon’s chest ached.
“Let’s learn to be contented, okay?”
“Finally, we shook off Changmin,” Chanhee groaned,” We’re lucky his sister suddenly called or we couldn’t get some alone time.”
“Why did you touch my things, Hee?” Younghoon almost growled,” You know I—”
“A year ago, I thought it was odd,” Chanhee cut him off,” You kept writing things in your notebook. You were never a creative writer so I knew it wasn’t a random idea for a new plot like Changmin would. No, you’re Younghoon. I knew it was something different so I asked you.”
“…and I told you that it was nothing,” Younghoon continued,” You could’ve left it at that—”
“I couldn’t,” Chanhee cut him off again,” I know it was not my place to meddle but I did. I was so worried about you, Younghoon, but I knew you wouldn’t say anything, especially when—”
“Chanhee,” Younghoon sternly said his name,” It’s my private life. I don’t have to tell you everything.”
“You were sinking yourself in darkness, cutting us off!” Chanhee almost screamed but he somehow calmed himself down,” I saw the scars, Hoon. I know about everything. I noticed it.. but I did not say a word because I figured you can deal with it on your own.”
“Why tell me all this now then?”
“It’s back,” Chanhee answered, sounding rather tired.
“What’s back?”
Chanhee sighed before he held Younghoon’s confused face.
“Your eyes… They’re empty again,” he replied,” Sure, I don’t know what the fuck happened to you months ago and I never really asked but… Hoon, you can’t hide this from me.”
“Impossible,” Younghoon pulled his face away from Chanhee,” My eyes aren’t… You’re just delusional, Chanhee. I’m just tired with university. You know how hectic life can be as a junior, don’t you?”
“Oh god, Younghoon,” Chanhee rolled his eyes,” Maybe you can hide this from Changmin but not me. I saw those letters, stupid. I know you are still crazy about that—”
“Shut up,” Younghoon almost growled,” You know what, Hee? I think it’s better if we cut the conversation here.”
“So you can sulk on your own again? So you can hurt yourself again?” Chanhee shook his head,” I’m done with just watching you wallow yourself in whatever happened. I’m here, Hoon. Changmin’s here too. I thought we’re friends? Why don’t you trust us about that fucking fling you had? Or is fling the right word for it?”
“Shut up, Chanhee!” Younghoon finally screamed,” I don’t need this. I told you this is nothing. I can deal with this myself.”
“Suit yourself,” Chanhee shrugged, obviously annoyed by how Younghoon was reacting,” I won’t stop figuring out what happened. Anyway, be careful. We don’t want Changmin to find out about this after all.”
“You won’t dare.”
“I wouldn’t,” Chanhee turned his back on Younghoon,” But sooner or later, he’ll notice what is happening, Hoon. You can’t hide a scar that big from your best friend.”
“Hoon,” Hyunjae hummed his lover’s name,” Hoon, I am having feelings I shouldn’t…”
“Jae…” Younghoon caressed Hyunjae’s face,” What are those feelings?”
“It’s only been a few weeks,” Hyunjae answered as he looked down,” It seems a bit quick.”
“What are those feelings, Jae?” Younghoon repeated his question with a gentle voice,” You’re leaving me in the dark here.”
“Younghoon,” Hyunjae gulped,” I think I’m falling in love with you.”
After that argument with Younghoon, he did not know what to do. He regretted blowing up at Chanhee like that. Even though Younghoon had the right to keep Hyunjae a secret from him and Changmin, it still felt wrong. Chanhee and Changmin had been the most honest with him. It only made sense that he was the same to them, but there was something about Hyunjae that stopped Younghoon from telling them.
Younghoon locked the door behind him as soon as he arrived in his room. He sighed.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have been that harsh with Hee,” he whispered to himself,” I mean, the man’s just worried about me. I know he doesn’t mean anything bad…”
Younghoon approached his bookshelves and skimmed through the books he had on display. There were some books that he borrowed from their university’s library, some which he bought from various places, and some gifts from his friends. His hands stopped when he read the title of a particular book Hyunjae left behind.
Forensic Analysis and DNA in Criminal Investigations: Including Cold Cases Solved
Younghoon was not sure how Hyunjae forgot about this book, considering that it was for his major, but he let it be. He trailed the spine of the book with his finger before he removed it from the shelf. He opened the book and smiled at the notes written in pencil on the pages. It was obvious that Hyunjae was sincerely interested in his major.
“I’m sorry,” Younghoon muttered as a tear formed,” If only we can go back, right? But we can’t.”
“Help me review!” Hyunjae said as he waved his printouts. It was about a month and two weeks since Hyunjae asked Younghoon his name in the café and they could not be separated. It had been a month and two weeks and Younghoon had never mentioned Hyunjae to his friends. Maybe because he was waiting for something to happen between them.
Maybe he was hoping for Hyunjae to agree to have something more serious than what they were having.
“Review by yourself,” Younghoon groaned, hiding under the references he borrowed from the library,” I have to write an at least 5-page paper.”
“You can do that later!” Hyunjae whined,” Come on!”
“Don’t you have… like friends in your major?”
Hyunjae, for a second, frowned but before Younghoon could say anything, the former wrapped his arms around Younghoon. The liberal arts major closed his eyes and knew Hyunjae did not want to talk about it. He won’t force Hyunjae to tell him about something that only brought him sadness. He cared about him a lot at this point that it was fine by Younghoon to be patient, for once.
“How about I finish this paragraph then I’ll quiz you about that?” Younghoon offered. Hyunjae hummed, resting his head on Younghoon’s.
“Deal.”
“Huh?”
A slip of paper dropped from the book and nestled itself between Younghoon’s feet. Younghoon crouched down and looked at the paper which seemed to have been left there by Hyunjae months ago.
Open me :)
Younghoon chuckled when he saw Hyunjae’s handwriting. It brought back a wave of memories, memories that Younghoon buried a long time ago. He wasn’t sure if he should open the paper or leave it in the book again. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to be reminded of Hyunjae, to let himself be enveloped by the past they had.
“I saw those letters.”
Chanhee’s words echoed in Younghoon’s mind. Maybe it was a stupid assumption that no one would notice the binder full of letters in his bookshelves. He pulled the binder out of the shelf after returning Hyunjae’s reference book. He looked at the cover of the binder. It was a plain semi-transparent cover, nothing flashy if he was honest. It looked like one of the notebooks he used for his notes.
Younghoon sat down on his bed and put the binder on his lap while the piece of paper he found was dropped beside him. Thoughts were racing in his head at that moment, whether he was ready to face Hyunjae in his memories, whether he was ready to let him go completely, whether he was ready to erase him from his present.
Do you have anyone in your past you want to erase?
Younghoon mouthed the question to himself as he grazed his hand over the binder.
“I don’t want to,” he muttered,” I don’t want to erase you…”
But these feelings conflicted with what was logically good for Younghoon. Sure, at one point, Hyunjae was the sunshine in Younghoon’s everyday life but after their separation, it seemed like Hyunjae was the gloom that haunted Younghoon’s heart. He was contemplating whether he should open the binder and read whatever he wrote for Hyunjae before letting it all go.
But could he let everything go while he remembered everything?
He was not sure if he could answer that question, after all that he went through. He did not want to forget what they went through, how Hyunjae made him feel during the time they were together.
“It was a mistake, Younghoon.”
“What is?” Younghoon was confused by the words from Hyunjae’s mouth,” Are you okay, Hyunjae?”
Hyunjae was obviously shaken. His pupils were trembling and he had drops of sweat all over his face. Hyunjae held Younghoon’s wrist.
“Let’s end this,” Hyunjae said,” I shouldn’t be feeling this way.”
“Hyunjae,” Younghoon’s voice sounded firm,” What’s happening to you? Why are you like this?”
“You don’t need to know,” Hyunjae handed him a note,” Read this when you’re alone. Don’t talk to me again.”
“Hyunjae, this is too sudden—”
“I know,” Hyunjae sighed,” But it was a mistake on my part. I shouldn’t have approached you on that day.”
“I feel so confused right now, Hyunjae. Tell me-- Explain to me what’s happening.”
“I’m sorry,” Hyunjae bit his lower lip,” I want to keep you safe. I did not expect things would escalate like this. I thought this will be something casual but Younghoon…”
“I don’t get what’s wrong then?”
“I can’t explain,” Hyunjae looked down,” I’m sorry I can’t be honest but this is where we end it, Younghoon.”
“Hyunjae—”
“It’s better this way,” Hyunjae sounded like he was starting to cry,” I need to go. I knew this was a wrong decision. If something happened to you… If something bad… Oh lord, I’ll blame myself.”
“Hyunjae,” Younghoon held Hyunjae’s arms,” Tell me. What’s happening? Why are you being like this?”
“You don’t need to know,” the latter looked down,” Just… Please… We should not be together. We are a mistake.”
Younghoon sighed. The questions in his mind were left unanswered. Even with the note left behind, he had no clue what Hyunjae meant. Younghoon held the note in his hands again as he closed his eyes. He memorized each word of the remnant Hyunjae left behind:
Younghoon, you are the best thing that ever happened to me, but I do not want to be the cause of your pain in the future. It is better that we end this before we go too far. I should not be loved, especially by a man like you. Treat me as a passerby in your life, as I was months ago. Treat me as the no one I should have always been. I love you when I should not have. Now, I’ll correct my mistakes. Goodbye. I wish you happiness.
‘Happiness? How can I without you?’ was the first thought Younghoon had when he read the note, but after months of not seeing Hyunjae, it seemed that he was able to reclaim what happiness was before his arrival. Younghoon’s trigger was only the question. He did not technically forget about Hyunjae. It was that he did not have too much time to think about him. He avoided self-reflections like a plague. His journal faced pages filled with academic activities and not his own feelings. He became distant with his friends, only keeping Changmin and Chanhee close, during these difficult months.
What did Younghoon think at that moment?
He was still curious and hurt. He blamed himself for Hyunjae’s disappearance in his life. After all, Younghoon chased after Hyunjae after their separation. He called the latter’s phone number to no avail. He went to the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology and checked the classes there to find Hyunjae. Nobody knew what happened to his former fling.
Nobody could answer his questions.
After all the effort, Younghoon learned that he should just give up, that Hyunjae might have left Younghoon because he was tired of him, that he just did not have the courage to tell Younghoon the truth. Younghoon found tranquility in that reasoning. At least, there was clarity. He, out of all people, hated when things were not clear to him. Finding someone to blame, even if it was himself, made him calmer. Unfortunately, accompanying that clarity was the guilt he felt.
What could have Younghoon done to prevent Hyunjae from leaving?
Nothing.
Younghoon hid the note in the binder and placed it on his desk. He was aware that every thought he was having was caused by the paper he was supposed to write. Hence, as his way to end his suffering (momentarily), he sat by his desk and opened his laptop. He tried to come up with an answer, an honest one. It was difficult to reopen a wound and try to control the bleeding it had, but if he wanted closure (even if he did not want one, he knew he needed one), he had to face the music. Hyunjae was not by his side, whatever the reason was.
Even if he did come up with a reason, he knew that nothing could bring back the times he spent with Hyunjae. Even if he did know why Hyunjae left him, the truth remains: Hyunjae left him.
Do you have anyone in your past you want to erase? If yes, who is it and why?
‘No,’ Younghoon thought. Even though his memories with Hyunjae hurt him so, he never wanted to forget that a person named ‘Hyunjae’ was present in his life. He did not want to erase the traces of his laughter, smiles, kisses, hugs, everything. Hyunjae was far too important, more important than Younghoon’s own mental health. When he realized that he already decided on an answer, he started with his paper. As if possessed by a spirit, he continued writing and writing.
I do not have anyone whom I want to erase. Every person in my life is important, in their own ways. Even though the departure of some scarred me, even though I am haunted by their absence, I will still choose to keep them in my memory…
Younghoon closed the laptop as soon as he finished around two pages of his reflection. He pushed himself away from the desk and looked out the window. It was already dark outside. He was not surprised. After all, he spent most of his day with Changmin and Chanhee, then he finished one of his assignments, which took around an hour or so to write. He had the urge to go out again, walk around the park nearby his dorm, and think by himself.
And that was what he did. He did not have morning classes the next day so he wanted to take the opportunity to cool his head. The room he was in was still filled with Hyunjae’s traces. He could not last a day in that room without being reminded of the love whom he let slip through his fingers.
The cool air in the park was exactly what Younghoon needed. During nights, like this one, Hyunjae used to crash at Younghoon’s place and spend the night there. He reasoned that it was because he wanted Younghoon to warm his night up because the bed at home was too cold for comfort. Younghoon hugged himself, remembering Hyunjae whispering sweet nothings to him while they were on his bed.
For example, there is one person who still haunts me now. It has been months since I last saw that person. The last time I saw him, he was crying. He was scared. I did not know what to do. I did not know what to say. Perhaps, I can admit that it is my sole regret that I did not hold him when he needed me. But if erasing that memory means erasing that person’s presence from my life, I would rather carry this burden that is named after him. He is the only burden I will willingly carry for the rest of my life.
Younghoon looked up to the sky. He could feel that there were tears forming. He missed Hyunjae so much. He internalized this pain and only let it out when he was alone. He felt lonely in his grief. No one was there to comfort him, but the memory of Hyunjae was only his to have. He did not want to drag Chanhee and Changmin into the emotional mess that he was being. Maybe, Younghoon knew, deep inside, that he deserved all this hurt, for making Hyunjae have that kind of expression when they were separated.
Hyunjae was Younghoon’s burden. His blessing and curse.
“Hyunjae… If you were going to leave me like that, you should not have approached me in that café,” Younghoon muttered under his breath,” You should not have given me special attention. I should have kept my guard up around you. We should not have…”
‘However, I regret nothing because it meant I spent my days with you,’ he thought to himself.
Around a week passed since Younghoon submitted his assignment. Fortunately, he was able to distance himself from his memories of Hyunjae. It did take all of his power and creativity to remove himself from his room, a space that was full of his past love, but he managed to do it. It did not mean he moved on once again, but at least it meant that Younghoon felt lighter than he did days before.
“So our professor… He’s our media law prof, right? He treats us like law students! Like hello, sir, I don’t want to be a lawyer. I’m a film student for pete’s sake!” Changmin complained to Younghoon,” When I told Chanhee this, get this, he just hung up on me! I swear, are all med students like this?”
“Maybe he just has exams coming around again,” Younghoon said,” You know they had monthly exams. I think they call it shifting exams? Not sure. Compared to us, his schedule is too uptight.”
“Even so,” Changmin sighed,” I miss spending time with Chanhee. Us three are the power trio after all!”
Younghoon only nodded. His mind was elsewhere as they walked within the campus. They were heading to the university’s library to do their requirements. Changmin needed books related to the Golden Age of Korean Cinema. Younghoon, as usual, needed reference books about several of his coursework. As Younghoon was distracted by his own thoughts and Changmin’s stories, he did not notice the man who was running in the opposite direction.
Thud.
Both Younghoon and the man found themselves on the ground. Scattered on the cemented ground were the books that the man was carrying.
“Are you okay, Younghoon?” Changmin asked as he picked up the books that the stranger dropped,” And you too… Er… stranger person?”
“I’m...” Younghoon rubbed his bottom before realizing the book that was near him.
Practical Homicide Investigation.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry,” the man apologized when Changmin handed him the books,” I did not mean—I was in a hurry. I’m sorry.”
Younghoon grabbed the book and handed it to the stranger. When he looked up, he found himself in a daze with the familiar kind smile.
“Let me help you out,” the man said when he offered his hand. When Younghoon did not answer, the man raised an eyebrow.
“Younghoon, he’s talking to you,” Changmin loudly whispered,” Don’t embarrass yourself like this.”
“Oh—Ah, yeah,” Younghoon took the man’s hand in his and was pulled up. Younghoon knew he could never make a mistake. The man had the same sparkling eyes that Hyunjae had. His hand felt the same. His voice sounded exactly like Hyunjae’s but…
“Do you recognize me?” Younghoon asked,” I’m sorry but you look familiar.”
“Aigoo, that pick-up line sounds so cheesy,” Changmin scoffed which made the man chuckle.
“I doubt. This is the first time I ever met you,” the man answered,” Anyways, I have to go. I can’t afford to be late for my next class.”
“Before you go,” Younghoon knew he could not let the man leave just like that,” can you tell me your name?”
“Huh? Sure,” the man smiled,” I’m Lee Hyunjae, a forensic science major.”
‘So he did,’ was all Younghoon could think,’ He would erase me.’
The realization that this person in front of him was Hyunjae was too heavy that he could not bid the man farewell. Changmin was suspicious but chose to be silent. After all, Younghoon seemed like a silent mess. Hyunjae could and would erase him when Younghoon could not.
It pained him to know that the feelings were not mutual.
“Hoon? Who was that? Do you know him?” Changmin finally asked.
“Just… no one,” Younghoon answered,” A passerby.”