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So Yeon had been married once. It hadn’t lasted very long, but it had lasted long enough for her to know what love looked like. Sometimes love looked loud and dramatic. Other times, it looked like her son sitting on the couch like he’d just been informed the world was ending because Woo Jin told him to stop hovering while he fixed the kitchen sink.
“He sounded annoyed,” Gun Woo said for what was probably the fifth time in ten minutes.
She hummed absentmindedly, folding laundry. “Mm.”
“He told me he could do it himself.”
“Mm.”
“He didn’t even look at me when he said it.”
That made her pause for a second. Gun Woo sounded genuinely distressed about it. She glanced over. Her son was slumped against the couch cushions, arms crossed tightly over his chest, brows furrowed, overthinking the conversation in the kitchen. It was a little bit pathetic.
“He’s not angry at you,” she said.
Gun Woo sighed heavily, staring at the ceiling. “You don’t know that.”
“I do know that.”
“How?”
She resisted the urge to laugh. How should she explain to her son that Woo Jin wasn’t angry at him, because Woo Jin looked at Gun Woo like he’d personally hung the moon in the sky? And Woo Jin followed her son around the house with his eyes without even realizing he was doing it.
And because Gun Woo smiled at Woo Jin differently than he smiled at everyone else. And because the two of them shared a room in a house with more empty bedrooms than necessary, which she personally found ridiculous.
“It saves space,” Gun Woo had told her once.
As if they were living in a cramped apartment rather than a house. She had nearly laughed in his face. At first, she thought maybe she was assuming things. Woo Jin had started showing up so naturally that she couldn’t even pinpoint when exactly he became part of their lives. One day, he was just there. Quiet and awkward and hovering near Gun Woo like a stray cat pretending it didn’t want affection. Then suddenly he was eating dinner with them. Then he started helping with groceries. Then one day, he accidentally called her “Mom” and looked horrified afterward, while Gun Woo nearly burst into tears from happiness.
She had wisely chosen not to mention it. But now she was certain. No one looked at each other like that unless they were in love.
“You’re overthinking,” she told her son.
Gun Woo sat up abruptly. “What if he thinks I’m annoying?”
She stared at him.
“Gun Woo,” she said carefully, “that man willingly does whatever you ask.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
It meant everything, actually. Before she could say that, Woo Jin suddenly leaned his head out from the kitchen.
“Gun Woo.”
That was all he said. Gun Woo moved so fast she almost got concerned. One second, he was sulking on the couch. Next, he was already on his feet, heading toward the kitchen like his body reacted to Woo Jin automatically. If she stood up that quickly, she’d probably collapse from dizziness.
“What?” Gun Woo asked immediately, all traces of misery gone from his face.
Woo Jin gestured at him to come. “The wrench.”
“Oh.”
Gun Woo nodded seriously. “Right. Yeah. Okay.”
Then he disappeared into the kitchen. She listened to the muffled sound of their voices for a moment before smiling faintly to herself and returning to folding laundry. These boys are ridiculous.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gwang Mu liked being nosy. Not in a malicious way, of course. He simply enjoyed observing people. Human behavior was fascinating when you paid enough attention, and he considered himself exceptionally good at reading others. In fact, he was usually right. Painfully correct, according to Gang Yong, who once accused him of treating people like puzzle pieces instead of human beings.
Gwang Mu personally thought that was unfair. If anything, he was providing an important public service. Which was exactly why he knew there was something suspicious going on between Gun Woo and Woo Jin. Well, listen, he’d had friends before. Plenty of them to be exact, but Friends did not act the way those two act with each other.
Sure, it made sense that Gun Woo and Woo Jin were close. After everything they’d been through together, it would’ve been stranger if they weren’t attached at the hip. But Gun Woo didn’t behave like someone who was simply ‘close’ to Woo Jin. Gun Woo behaved like a man whose emotional stability depended entirely on Woo Jin existing within a five-meter radius.
The man constantly trailed after Woo Jin. If Woo Jin stood up, Gun Woo’s eyes followed him automatically. If Woo Jin disappeared for too long, Gun Woo started looking restless. It was ridiculous. But somehow, neither of them seemed aware of it. Especially Gun Woo.
Woo Jin at least occasionally looked confused by Gun Woo’s behavior. Gun Woo, meanwhile, moved through life with the self-awareness of an extremely affectionate golden retriever. Perfect timing, really, because the office door suddenly opened.
“Where’s Woo Jin?”
Ah. Speak of the devil. He looked up slowly from his paperwork. Gun Woo stood in the doorway, shoulders tense, scanning the room as if Woo Jin might suddenly materialize from thin air if he looked hard enough.
“I don’t know,” he lied easily. He actually knew where Woo Jin was. He’d sent him on an errand twenty minutes ago. But unfortunately for everyone involved, he enjoyed testing theories. Gun Woo’s face immediately fell. He quietly walked further into the office before dropping onto the couch with the heaviest sigh Mr. Moon had ever heard from a man who was a professional athlete.
It was deeply pathetic. He stared at gun woo for a moment.
“…I sent him to pick something up for me,” he finally admitted.
Gun Woo looked up immediately.
“Really?”
The relief in his voice was so genuine that Mr. Moon almost laughed.
“Yes, really.”
Gun Woo visibly relaxed against the couch cushions, which he found very interesting. A few minutes later, the office door opened again.
“Hyung, they didn’t have the—”
Woo Jin stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Gun Woo sitting there.
“Oh. Gun Woo.”
Gun Woo straightened so fast it was honestly concerning.
“Hyung,” he said immediately, already standing up and walking toward him.
He had seen Gun Woo smile before. He smiled easily with others, but the way he smiled at Woo Jin was always different. As if seeing Woo Jin physically brightened him from the inside out.
“What are you doing here?” Woo Jin asked, laughing lightly.
“I finished helping Mom, so I came to check on you.”
Woo Jin snorted.
“Am I a child?”
“A little,” Gun Woo replied without hesitation.
Woo Jin rolled his eyes, but there was no real annoyance behind it. Mr. Moon narrowed his eyes slightly. Wait a minute!. What hoodie was Woo Jin wearing?
“That’s yours, isn’t it?” he asked suddenly, pointing at the oversized hoodie hanging off Woo Jin’s shoulders.
Both of them looked over. Then, to his immense satisfaction, Gun Woo’s entire face lit up.
“Yeah,” Gun Woo said immediately. “His had holes in it, so I gave him mine.”
Woo Jin looked faintly embarrassed.
“It was cold.”
He stared at them. Then, at Gun Woo, who still looked absurdly pleased about Woo Jin wearing his clothes.
“…You look really happy that he’s wearing your hoodie.”
Gun Woo stared at Woo Jin. Then smiled even wider.
“Do I?”
Oh, they were doomed.
—--------------------------------------------------------------
Woo Jin didn’t remember when exactly he realized Gun Woo liked him. Not just as a friend, nor in the vague, confusing way people sometimes crossed emotional lines without meaning to. Gun Woo liked him in a way that made Woo Jin’s chest feel strangely tight whenever he thought about it too long.
The problem was that Gun Woo himself didn’t seem aware of it, and that was the truly dangerous part. Because if Gun Woo had confessed or acted nervously or even looked embarrassed about his feelings, Woo Jin could’ve dealt with it normally.
Instead, Gun Woo loved him with the terrifying confidence of someone who thought his behavior was completely reasonable. Which meant Woo Jin was losing his mind alone.
At first, he thought maybe he was imagining things. Gun Woo was affectionate by nature. He’s extremely loyal and intensely sincere. And after everything they’d survived together, closeness made sense. However, it would be stupid for him to pretend their friendship was strictly platonic.
Normal friends probably didn’t stare at each other the way Gun Woo stared at him. Normal friends definitely didn’t react to separation like emotional support dogs being denied access to their owner, or maybe they react that way, and he is the one who doesn’t have many friends, so he can’t tell the difference between friendship and a relationship.
It was hard not to notice the way Gun Woo acts around him. Gun Woo always sat beside him, even when there were other seats available. Gun Woo kept reaching for him constantly. A hand on his shoulder. Fingers brushing his wrist, pulling him closer in crowded spaces without even thinking about it. And if Woo Jin got hurt, Gun Woo looked more worried than Woo Jin himself.
And worst of all, Gun Woo looked the happiest around him. Not in a polite way, but in a genuine and devastatingly soft way, as if Woo Jin’s existence alone improved his entire day.
Woo Jin remembered when he’d fallen asleep accidentally on the couch after work, exhausted enough that his body gave out before his brain did. When he woke up, a blanket had been carefully draped over him. Gun Woo was sitting on the floor nearby, leaning against the couch with his phone in hand.
“You should’ve gone to bed,” Woo Jin mumbled sleepily.
Gun Woo looked over immediately. His expression softened so quickly that it hurt to look at it.
“You looked comfortable, so I didn’t want to wake you up,” Gun Woo said, fingers reaching out and pushing a few strands of Woo Jin’s hair aside.
Woo Jin remembered staring at him for several seconds too long before looking away quickly, his heartbeat suddenly uneven. Because that was the issue, really. Gun Woo did things that felt intimate without treating them like intimacy. He’d press food into Woo Jin’s hands absentmindedly because he forgot to eat. He’d wait for Woo Jin outside work even in terrible weather.
Sometimes he’d look at Woo Jin with so much open affection that it made Woo Jin nervous. And then five minutes later, Gun Woo would say something completely oblivious that destroyed all certainty. It was maddening. Woo Jin genuinely didn’t know if Gun Woo understood his own feelings. Which meant he had no idea what he was supposed to do with his own.
The worst part was that other people had started noticing. Gun Woo’s mom watched them with knowing eyes that sometimes made Woo Jin avoid eye contact during dinner. Mr. Moon was even worse. That man observed them as if they were his laboratory experiment.
Once, after Gun Woo got irritated because Woo Jin accepted a drink from someone else first, Mr. Moon stared at him for a long moment before asking:
“So, has he confessed yet?”
Woo Jin had nearly choked to death.
“No one is confessing anything,” he had said immediately.
Mr. Moon didn’t believe him.
“Mm.”
Woo Jin hated that sound. Because the thing was, he didn't know what he wanted the answer to be.
Actually, that was a lie, because he knew exactly what he wanted. He was just afraid of getting rejected, cause what if Gun Woo was just being friendly and he was the one who had a massive crush on him.
—----------------------------------------------------
Gun Woo genuinely did not understand why everyone acted weird about him and Woo Jin sharing a room. The house literally had more than enough space for everyone, but sharing a room with Woo Jin was easier. Apparently, according to Mr. Moon, this was ‘suspicious,’ and Gun Woo still didn’t understand why.
“You share a bunk bed,” Mr. Moon had said slowly one afternoon, sounding deeply concerned for reasons Gun Woo couldn’t comprehend.
“…Yes?”
“You are both grown men.”
Gun Woo tilted his head.
“What has that got to do with this?”
Mr. Moon had stared at him for a very long time after that. Honestly, people became dramatic over strange things. It wasn’t like Gun Woo thought about it much anyway. He just slept better knowing Woo Jin was nearby. And that was normal. Probably?
Sometimes he woke up in the middle of the night and heard Woo Jin breathing softly from the lower bunk, and felt deeply satisfied afterward. And that just meant Woo Jin was important to him. Important enough that he automatically searched for him first in crowded places. Important enough that bad days became tolerable the moment Woo Jin smiled at him. Important enough that Gun Woo occasionally experienced sudden irritation whenever other people got too comfortable around him.
What he didn’t like was how relaxed Woo Jin became sometimes around other people. Obviously, Woo Jin was allowed to have friends. It’s just that Gun Woo liked being the person Woo Jin relied on most. That was normal too, right?
Honestly, Gun Woo didn’t think he was difficult to understand. He cared about people deeply, especially the people he loved. And Woo Jin was one of those people he cared about deeply. Of course, Gun Woo wanted to stay near him. He noticed tiny things about Woo Jin that nobody else did. Like the way Woo Jin rubbed at his wrist whenever he was stressed, or how he quietly skipped meals if nobody reminded him to eat, or how his voice softened whenever he was sleepy.
Those were just things Gun Woo knew, because he knew Woo Jin better than anyone else. Which was obviously normal behaviour among friends. It’s not possible to be good friends without knowing a few things about them. Just like the way Gang Yong knew Mr Moon was about to say something sarcastic and stopped him. Speaking of which, he was sure those two were hiding something. Since when did they get so close?. Who knows, maybe Gang Yong borrowed money from Mr Moon, and that’s why they’ve gotten so close.
Well, that aside, the only genuinely confusing thing was how strange Woo Jin acted sometimes in response to completely harmless affection. Like when Gun Woo leaned against him casually, and Woo Jin suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence. Or when Gun Woo handed him his jacket, and Woo Jin stared at him for a few minutes, then collected the jacket.
Recently, though, he had started noticing something else. Sometimes he needed reassurance from Woo Jin in a way that felt almost embarrassing. Not verbally. He didn’t need long conversations or dramatic confessions. He just needed… Something. A glance. A smile. Woo Jin calling for him first. Little things, things enough to quiet whatever restless feeling settled in his chest whenever Woo Jin became distant. Gun Woo hated that feeling.
A few days ago, Woo Jin had been unusually busy all afternoon. And by evening, Gun Woo felt oddly unsettled about it. So eventually he wandered into Woo Jin’s room under the excuse of looking for his charger. Woo Jin looked up immediately from his desk.
“There you are,” he said absentmindedly.
And just like that, the horrible restless feeling instantly disappeared. Gun Woo relaxed so fast it was embarrassing. Woo Jin stared at him.
“…Were you looking for me?”
“No,” Gun Woo lied immediately.
Woo Jin stared at him for a second before snorting softly.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Gun Woo walked over quietly before dropping onto Woo Jin’s bed without permission. Woo Jin didn’t complain; he never did. He just shifted automatically to make room for him. A feeling of calmness washed over him. Gun Woo stretched out beside him, resting his head against Woo Jin’s shoulder without thinking much about it. Woo Jin froze briefly before sighing.
“Tired?”
“A little.”
“Mm.”
Gun Woo closed his eyes. After a few seconds, Woo Jin nudged him lightly with his shoulder.
“I’m not going anywhere, you know.”
Gun Woo frowned slightly without opening his eyes. He hadn’t realized it was that obvious.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gwang Mu would like it officially documented somewhere that none of this was his fault. The office light had been flickering for three days. And apparently, everyone in the building had collectively decided to ignore it until the bulb started making noises overhead. Which was how he found himself holding a ladder while Woo Jin attempted to replace the lightbulb.
“This feels unsafe,” Mr. Moon informed him.
Woo Jin glanced down briefly.
“You say that about everything.”
“Yes, because I enjoy surviving.”
Woo Jin chuckled softly before turning back toward the ceiling. Gwang Mu liked Woo Jin. The kid was polite and responsible, but unfortunately, he also shared one brain cell with Gun Woo whenever that man was involved.
“Almost done,” Woo Jin muttered.
And then the ladder made a deeply upsetting cracking sound. He didn’t have enough time to think:
Hm. That seems bad.
Before the entire situation collapsed. The ladder tilted sideways. Woo Jin cursed. He attempted to steady it, but failed immediately. And suddenly, both of them were on the floor in what he considered an extremely humiliating manner.
For a few seconds, neither of them moved. Then Woo Jin groaned quietly.
“Oh, we’re alive,” he said.
“Unfortunately,” Woo Jin replied.
He looked over. Woo Jin was sitting up slowly, wincing slightly as he grabbed his arm. That looks painful.
Gwang Mu himself had scraped his shoulder and bruised his hip badly enough that Gang Yong was absolutely going to lecture him later for being reckless. Compared to this fall, the lecture might hurt worse.
He took Woo Jin to a nearby clinic and had his injuries treated and his arm bandaged. They were all at the office when the office door suddenly slammed open.
“Hyung—”
Gun Woo froze seeing Woo Jin. He had never seen someone’s face lose color so quickly. His eyes landed immediately on Woo Jin’s bandaged arm. Then the scrape near his cheek. Then the slight limp when Woo Jin stood up.
Oh, this is incredible. Gwang Mu was fighting the urge to laugh.
“What happened to you?” Gun Woo demanded, already moving toward Woo Jin with frightening speed.
Woo Jin smiled at him.
“The ladder broke.”
Gun Woo looked genuinely distressed. The man looked moments away from crying. Gwang Mu shook his head in amusement. It was honestly pathetic how whipped Gun Woo was for Woo Jin.
“It’s fine,” Woo Jin said quickly. “It’s not serious.”
“You’re limping.”
“A little.”
“A little?”
“It doesn’t hurt that much.”
Gun Woo looked very unconvinced. He watched all this silently for a moment before raising his own injured arm.
“…I’m hurt too, by the way.”
Gun Woo glanced at him briefly.
“Oh.”
Mr. Moon gasped in pretend annoyance.
“That’s all I get? I could’ve died.”
“You’re talking too much, so I’m sure you’re okay,” Gun Woo replied immediately, eyes already back on Woo Jin.
This kid. Beside him, Gang Yong smacked the back of his head lightly.
“Ow.”
“Leave the boy alone,” Gang Yong said flatly.
“I am injured too,” Mr. Moon repeated.
“I told you to get someone to fix the lights, but you decided to do it yourself.”
He obviously ignored him; replying would only lead to a four-hour lecture on how he’s too reckless. Meanwhile, Gun Woo was still hovering around Woo Jin with the energy of an extremely anxious guard dog.
“Does your arm hurt?”
“No.”
“You hesitated.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
Woo Jin sighed. He could actually see the exhaustion settling into his posture. Gun Woo was about five seconds away from carrying Woo Jin home against his will.
“It’s really okay,” Woo Jin said more softly this time.
Gun Woo’s expression tightened slightly, looking at Woo Jin intensely. That desperate need for reassurance he always got whenever Woo Jin was hurt, upset, or distant. Like he needed verbal confirmation that Woo Jin was still okay, or he physically couldn’t relax.
Honestly, it was kind of emotional to witness, but also deeply embarrassing for everyone involved except Gun Woo himself. As they started leaving the office, Gwang Mu noticed Woo Jin limping slightly again. Immediately, Gun Woo slowed his pace. He adjusted his pace until they were walking side by side comfortably. Woo Jin didn’t even seem to notice. Gun Woo absolutely did, because every few seconds, his eyes flickered toward Woo Jin quietly, checking.
Gwang Mu looked at Gang Yong. Gang Yong looked exhausted already.
“You see this, right?” Mr. Moon whispered.
“Why do you love bothering those boys constantly?”
“'Cause it’s entertaining.”
Gang Yong rubbed at his forehead tiredly.
“They’re going to figure it out eventually.”
He watched Gun Woo gently reach for Woo Jin’s sleeve to steady him near the stairs. Woo Jin allowed it automatically, while Gun Woo visibly relaxed afterward. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at them. “…It might take several years.”
—-----------------------------------------------------------------
Woo Jin regretted getting injured, not because the injury itself was particularly painful. The sprained ankle was annoying, and his bandaged arm hurt whenever he moved too much, but overall it wasn’t serious. The real problem was Gun Woo. More specifically, how Gun Woo decided that Woo Jin was apparently incapable of functioning independently anymore.
“Give me that.”
Woo Jin tightened his grip on the glass of water.
“…It’s just a glass of water.”
“You shouldn’t strain your arm.”
“This arm is fine. Only my right arm is bandaged.”
Gun Woo ignored him completely before taking the glass anyway and placing it gently on the table in front of him as if Woo Jin was a fragile elderly man, who was one strong breeze away from collapsing.
Woo Jin stared at him. Gun Woo stared back calmly.
“You’re overreacting.”
“You fell off a ladder.”
“And, I’m fine.”
It has been like this since yesterday. Gun Woo hovered constantly now. If Woo Jin stood up, Gun Woo looked alarmed. If Woo Jin reached for something, Gun Woo got there first. At one point, Woo Jin had spent nearly thirty minutes searching for his phone before realizing Gun Woo had quietly taken it to charge for him.
It was ridiculous. It was even worse because Woo Jin couldn’t fully bring himself to be annoyed. After all, Gun Woo looked so genuinely worried about him.
“Sit down carefully,” Gun Woo said as Woo Jin moved toward the couch.
Woo Jin stopped walking. Slowly, he turned his head.
“…Carefully?”
“You’re limping.”
“I have been walking for years, Gun Woo. I know how to sit.”
Gun Woo still hovered nearby like he expected Woo Jin to somehow miss the couch entirely and collapse onto the floor. It was a miracle he hadn’t started carrying him around yet. Although Woo Jin was beginning to suspect Gun Woo wanted to.
Earlier that morning, Woo Jin had paused near the stairs because his ankle hurt more than expected. Gun Woo had immediately stepped closer and stared at him with terrifying focus.
“What?”
“I can carry you if you want.”
Woo Jin had nearly choked to death.
“And why would I allow you to carry me?”
“'Cause you’re injured.”
“It’s a sprain.”
“You’re limping.”
“That tends to happen when your ankle hurts.”
Gun Woo still looked worried and unconvinced. For one deeply horrifying moment, Woo Jin genuinely thought he was about to get picked up against his will. Thankfully, his mom had walked into the hallway before Gun Woo could act on whatever insane thought process was occurring in his head.
Now, Woo Jin was starting to think that it only delayed the inevitable. Because Gun Woo kept looking at him strangely whenever he moved. He looked so worried whenever Woo Jin moved around, as if seeing Woo Jin injured physically hurt him somehow.
It made Woo Jin’s chest feel tight in an annoying way. Especially because Gun Woo didn’t seem aware he was doing it. That was always the problem. If Gun Woo consciously acted affectionately, Woo Jin could prepare himself emotionally. Instead, Gun Woo just loved people naturally. And Woo Jin was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of most of it.
“Does your arm hurt right now?” Gun Woo asked suddenly.
Woo Jin sighed.
“A little.”
Gun Woo’s expression immediately shifted.
“It’s fine,” Woo Jin said quickly.
Gun Woo frowned.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it’s true.”
“You winced earlier.”
Woo Jin stared at him.
“How are you even noticing that?”
Gun Woo looked confused by the question.
“You always do this thing with your eyebrows when you’re in pain.”
“…What?”
Gun Woo demonstrated vaguely with his own face.
“Like this.”
Woo Jin looked away immediately, trying to fight the urge to laugh. Normal people did not memorize each other’s expressions of pain. And yet Gun Woo said things like that so casually and sincerely. Woo Jin pressed a hand against his face tiredly. Across from him, Gun Woo instantly looked concerned again.
“Does your head hurt too?”
Oh my god.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------
So Yeon loved her son dearly. She truly did, but sometimes he behaves in ways that make her question whether he had been a dog in a previous life. And today was one of those days.
“Gun Woo,” she said carefully, watching him wipe down the same table for what was probably the sixth? Or the seventh time in fifteen minutes, “you’re frightening the customers.”
“I’m not frightening anyone.”
A customer near the window immediately looked away when Gun Woo glanced over. She sighed, shaking her head. Normally, Gun Woo was wonderful at the café. He was extremely friendly and constantly smiling. Customers adored him a lot.
Unfortunately, Woo Jin had left this morning with Mr. Moon for a short work trip, and now Gun Woo was stomping around the café. It had only been a few hours. And they were supposed to be gone for just one day. And yet somehow her son looked simultaneously heartbroken and offended at the same time. She felt slightly bad for him.
“You’re wiping holes into the tables,” she informed him.
Gun Woo frowned down at the cloth in his hands.
“I’m cleaning.”
“Sure, if you say so.”
Gun Woo muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like: “He should’ve let me come too.”
She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling. Because that was another thing. Gun Woo hadn’t even tried pretending to be okay when he found out Woo Jin was leaving with Mr. Moon.
“Why do you need Woo Jin specifically?” he’d asked immediately.
Mr. Moon, apparently committed to causing problems until the day he died, had replied: “Because I like him more.”
Gun Woo had looked genuinely betrayed. She’s still surprised that Mr Moon didn’t give in to Gun Woo’s plea to let him come too. Now, hours later, Gun Woo was still visibly sulking. A group of regular customers entered the café, paused when they noticed Gun Woo’s expression, then quietly chose seats farther away from him.
She watched this happen in real time.
“See?” she said.
Gun Woo looked confused.
“What?”
“You’re scaring people.”
“I smiled at them.”
“Yes, you did. Like a ghost,” she said.
Gun Woo sighed heavily. There it was again, that unnecessary and dramatic sadness thing Gun Woo did whenever Woo Jin left. If Woo Jin doesn’t come back by tomorrow, Gun Woo might start staring out of windows during rainstorms.
She had just opened her mouth to tell him to take a break when the café door opened again. And suddenly, Gun Woo froze. She watched the exact moments the lights turned back on inside him. His entire face changed instantly.
“Hyung?”
Woo Jin paused near the entrance, clearly surprised.
“Oh. You’re here too.”
Gun Woo was already moving toward him before the sentence finished. She watched several nearby customers visibly relax once Gun Woo smiled again.
“You came back early,” Gun Woo said immediately.
Only after speaking did he seem to process the situation.
“…Wait. Why are you back already?”
Woo Jin looked tired.
“Mr. Moon cancelled the trip because he forgot some documents he needed.”
Gun Woo, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered by this revelation because Woo Jin was standing in front of him again, and apparently, that was all his brain required to regain stability.
“You should’ve called me,” Gun Woo said.
Woo Jin stared at him.
“It’s only been four hours.”
Gun Woo ignored the statement. She watched Woo Jin’s expression soften almost immediately afterward. The look her son gave Woo Jin made her feel like she was intruding on something strangely private despite standing in the middle of her own café.
“I’m so tired,” Woo Jin said quietly.
Gun Woo nodded once. Then, without hesitation, he reached over and took Woo Jin’s bag from his shoulder, and Woo Jin let him. She smiled faintly to herself before returning to the counter. It was funny watching how her son's mood changed as Woo Jin came.
A few hours ago, Gun Woo looked totally dejected, but now he was practically glowing while handing Woo Jin a drink and hovering beside him. She should start paying Woo Jin for how effectively he managed her son’s moods.
—------------------------------------------------------------------
Gun Woo did not appreciate Mr. Moon interfering in his personal life. Mostly because Mr. Moon interfered like a man throwing bricks through windows. Aggressively and without warning, and with deeply concerning confidence about his own opinions.
“There’s something I’m curious about,” Mr. Moon said casually one afternoon, “Does Woo Jin go on dates?”
Gun Woo looked up from his phone.
“…what?”
Mr. Moon narrowed his eyes slightly, grinning at him.
“Have you ever thought about what kind of person he’d like?”
Gun Woo frowned. He hadn’t really thought about that. Woo Jin was private about things like that. Besides, imagining Woo Jin dating someone felt strangely….Unpleasant. He ignored that feeling immediately.
Mr. Moon leaned back in his chair lazily.
“I think Woo Jin would have a lot of options.”
Gun Woo’s expression tightened slightly.
“Why?”
“Well, he’s handsome. Reliable. responsible.” Mr. Moon counted on his fingers. “Emotionally repressed like someone I know. And very marketable.”
“Marketable?”
“You know what I mean.”
Gun Woo did not like this conversation at all. Unfortunately, Mr. Moon continued speaking.
“Imagine him bringing someone home one day.”
Gun Woo felt irritation spike immediately. Why would Woo Jin bring someone home? That was weird. The thought became worse the longer it sat in his head. Someone holding Woo Jin. Talking to him too closely. Making him laugh. Sleeping beside him instead—
Gun Woo sat up abruptly. Mr. Moon’s eyes sharpened instantly. Oh no.
“Oh,” Mr. Moon said softly.
Gun Woo barely heard him. Because suddenly everything felt horrifyingly obvious. The constant need to stay near Woo Jin. Gun Woo automatically searched for him first in every room. How relieved he felt every single time Woo Jin chose him back. How unbearable the idea of Woo Jin loving someone else suddenly felt.
Gun Woo stared blankly at the wall.
“…Oh.”
Mr. Moon looked deeply delighted.
“Oh,” he repeated.
Gun Woo slowly turned toward him.
“This is bad.”
Gun Woo pressed both hands over his face. This was bad because now that he knew, he couldn’t unknow it. Everything made sense now in the most humiliating way possible. Oh god. He was in love with Woo Jin.
“How long have you known?” Gun Woo asked weakly.
Mr. Moon looked thoughtful.
“Approximately longer than you.”
Gun Woo groaned loudly before leaning back against the couch cushions and staring at the ceiling in despair. Because now there was another problem.
“What exactly was I supposed to do about this?”
Mr. Moon looked offended by the question.
“Confess, obviously.”
Gun Woo immediately sat up.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“You practically share custody of each other already.”
Gun Woo looked horrified.
“I can’t just confess.”
“Why not?”
Because what if Woo Jin didn’t feel the same? No, that wasn’t actually the scariest part. The scariest part was the possibility that Woo Jin did. Because then all of this would become real in a way Gun Woo wasn’t emotionally prepared for.
Mr. Moon stared at him knowingly.
“You’re panicking.”
“I’m thinking.”
“You look like you're panicking.”
Gun Woo ignored him. Unfortunately, the universe also seemed committed to ruining his life because the office door suddenly opened. And Woo Jin walked in. Gun Woo’s heartbeat immediately betrayed him.
Oh, this is terrible.
Now that he understood his feelings, every single thing Woo Jin did felt catastrophic somehow.
“Why do you look like that? Are you okay?” Woo Jin asked immediately.
Mr. Moon burst into laughter. Gun Woo stood up too quickly.
“I need to talk to you.”
Woo Jin was clearly surprised.
“…Now?”
“Yes.”
Mr. Moon looked seconds away from passing out from happiness. A few minutes later, he and Woo Jin stood awkwardly outside near the back stairs. Gun Woo suddenly understood why people hated confessions so much. His heart was beating so loudly it felt ridiculous. Woo Jin looked increasingly concerned.
“Gun Woo,” he said slowly, “did something happen?”
“No.”
“Then why do you look so nervous?”
Gun Woo stared at him helplessly. This was going terribly. Woo Jin waited quietly. Gun Woo swallowed hard.
“I think,” he started carefully, running his hands through his hair, “I think I’m in love with you.”
Silence stretched between them. Woo Jin stared at him. Gun Woo immediately wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.
“That sounded more confident in my head,” he admitted weakly.
Woo Jin still said nothing. Oh no. Oh god.
Mr. Moon was going to have to help him fake his death.
“I know this is sudden,” Gun Woo continued nervously, “but apparently everyone else already knew except me, which feels unfair, honestly—”
“Gun Woo.”
Gun Woo stopped talking immediately.
“You just realized this?”
Gun Woo frowned slightly.
“…Yes?”
Woo Jin closed his eyes. Then burst out laughing, not in a mocking way. Gun Woo became alarmed instantly.
“Why are you laughing?”
Woo Jin covered his face briefly before looking back at him with a mix of disbelief and fondness.
“You are unbelievably stupid,” Woo Jin said softly.
Gun Woo blinked in surprise.
“…That’s kind of mean.”
And then, very gently, Woo Jin stepped closer and rested his forehead against Gun Woo’s shoulder. Gun Woo stopped breathing.
“I was starting to go insane from how oblivious you were,” Woo Jin admitted quietly.
Gun Woo stared at him. Then slowly wrapped his arms around him automatically.