"Harder, more, harder... ha, hngh...!"
Inside the small rectangular frame, naked bodies swayed. A large hand struck a plump buttock with force. The soft flesh swelled red. I quickly skimmed through the figures in the video before promptly shutting off the screen. The cacophony of moans that had filled the room came to an abrupt halt. When I swung my arm carelessly, the earphone cord tangled. I gritted my teeth and yanked the earphones from my ears.
Then, Go Yohan’s blunt voice rang out.
"I'm disappointed in you."
I turned my head. At some point, Go Yohan had half-reclined on his bed. His body was sprawled, sinking into the blanket, but his expression remained animated. I ignored his words. Moving the mouse, I buried the video file deep, deep, deep into my drive and changed the name. Something light, something simple—English Lecture.avi—a classic trick.
"The best you can come up with is sneaking porn into your computer? Jun, I’m seriously disappointed."
"Be disappointed. Did I ever say you couldn’t be?"
"You really think my family would fall for such a shallow trick?"
"No?"
Of course not. Even I wouldn't. I looked at Go Yohan with the same kind of unimpressed expression he was giving me.
"If it were you, would you fall for it?"
"Isn't that obvious? No way in hell. Especially not my family."
"Then why are you even asking?"
"I'm asking why you're doing this in the first place."
"Idiot. It's not about fooling anyone. It's about preparing to fool them."
I pointed at the English Lecture file—the one that was originally titled The Seductress Who Screws Two Men at Once. At my words, Go Yohan pursed his lips. He grumbled to himself before pulling the blanket over his head.
Before I knew it, Go Yohan was gone, swallowed entirely by a pile of blankets. Hmph. His childish snort made the top of the blanket twitch. I spun my chair around and stared at the blanket that rose and fell slightly, then muttered,
"People in this world prefer perverts over gays. And a threesome isn't even that perverse."
"So, you're going to make me a pervert instead?"
"Yeah. That’s better than being gay, isn’t it?"
"No. I hate it."
"What now? Do you have a better way to lie? Are you seriously just going to walk up to your father with no proof and say, 'I'm not gay'? Doesn’t that sound even dumber? You have to plant some doubt first, make him hesitate before he forms his own conclusions. Or do you have some brilliant idea? If you do, tell me."
"..."
The mountain of blankets remained silent. He had no counterargument.
"So, should I turn off the computer now?"
Of course, this wasn't just for Go Yohan’s sake. While copying the prepared video, I checked every single video stored on the computer. If Yohan’s words were true, then there should be nothing here. Thankfully, there wasn’t. I clicked the close button, pretending like nothing had happened.
"Yeah, turn it off."
Go Yohan kicked the bed, making the mattress shake and the blankets ripple.
Shaking my head, I turned my chair back around. A few clicks, and with a loud whir, the computer shut down. With the hard drive now silent, the room was as quiet as the night.
"..."
He accepted it so easily that I felt a little guilty. Maybe calling him a pervert was too much. But a threesome was a relatively safe option, or so I thought. Maybe it wasn’t from Go Yohan’s perspective. I glanced at the now quiet Go Yohan.
"Hey. Yohan."
No response. I scratched my brow.
If he was just grumbling, that would’ve been fine. But covering his face and hiding under the blanket, only letting out faint sighs—it made him seem strangely pitiful, and that weighed on me. I forced my stiff joints to move and cautiously reached out, grabbing the blanket covering his head.
"Are you mad?"
The moment I tried to lift the blanket out of concern, he reacted instantly—like a ghost.
A large hand from inside yanked the blanket down hard. Damn. His reaction made my lips involuntarily jut out.
"So childish."
"I'm not being childish."
A muffled voice, buried in the blanket, answered my scolding. My lips, which had been pursed in annoyance, curled inward. His silence had been more concerning. This was at least something.
I felt oddly pleased. But not wanting him to notice, I lowered my voice deliberately.
"If you’re not being childish, then what?"
"Think about it."
"Think about what?"
Just as I asked, long fingers poked out from beneath the blanket. Before I could react, Go Yohan threw the blanket off.
The fabric fluttered, releasing his scent into the air. A soft yet heavy smell.
I quickly turned my head to hide my reaction. Because of that, I didn’t get to see his expression when he said,
"Imagine you and me in bed. And then there’s some girl wedged in between us. Wouldn’t that feel fucking disgusting?"
At that moment, my excitement crashed into the floor.
What? A relationship? With who? Who with who? And why the hell is your example you and me?!
I glared at him in pure disbelief. He was staring up at me from under the blanket with a face full of complaints—before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Look at your face. Holy shit."
He laughed so hard I could see his sharp canine tooth for the first time in a while.
"Jun, seriously, stop falling for my jokes. You’re hilarious. I’m dying here."
Go Yohan openly mocked me. I pressed my fingers against the bridge of my nose and muttered,
"Are you screwing with me?"
"I'm not the eldest son, I'm the second-born."
"Oh, for fuck’s sake."
I was so dumbfounded by the lame joke that I forgot to be mad. Instead, I let out a breath of disbelief, running a hand through my hair before plopping onto the mattress. This is ridiculous.
Seeing me laugh, Go Yohan bit his lower lip, then slowly crawled closer. He nudged his head against my thigh—just a light tap.
Then he looked up at me, and his glittering eyes seemed to say:
"Can I rest my head here?"
Without waiting for permission, he subtly lifted his head.
My thigh trembled slightly. I hesitated, hesitated again. Should I let it slide? Should I just let this one go?
But then, as I wavered, I saw his dark hair tangled in the white blanket from static electricity.
"..."
If I let this happen even once—there’s no way I’ll be able to stop it from happening again.
I knew it from experience—having once harbored a pathetic crush on Han Junwoo. The image of myself foolishly rushing to that hotel was a nightmare I never wanted to relive. I moved my leg. Go Yohan’s head, which had been trying to settle onto my thigh, suddenly lost its destination and hit the mattress instead.
"Ouch."
Go Yohan winced slightly and looked at me with a face full of resentment.
"That hurt."
"Hurt? You barely tapped the mattress."
"My heart hurts. My heart."
He pouted, whining, then lifted his head again and lightly tapped the crown of it against my thigh. I placed a hand on his head, stopping his childish antics.
"Who told you to put your head on my leg without permission?"
"You’re really heartless."
Go Yohan, who had been grinning shamelessly, suddenly stopped smiling and turned his head away with a snap. Great. He’s sulking again. Damn it, Go Yohan. He knew this always made me feel guilty.
"You’re just too shameless."
I turned my head, refusing to look at the back of his head. I shut my mouth tight, afraid that if I spoke now, something reckless would slip out. Something like, Fine. Just do it. Or, Are you sulking? Don’t be mad. That small back of his made those words bubble up inside me, ready to spill out.
Instead, I sat there and stared at my phone screen, which wasn’t even on. The screen had been cracked ever since Go Yohan threw it not long ago. For no reason, I turned it on, checked the time, searched for messages that hadn’t arrived, and even scrolled through profile pictures I wasn’t curious about. The letters beneath the fractured glass were jagged.
I considered replacing it, but the thought didn’t really sit well with me.
Why?
When I thought about it, the answer was obvious.
Because Go Yohan had touched it.
"..."
Even now, my love was still so childish. Even after Han Junwoo, it hadn’t changed.
Maybe I was always just a childish person. Or maybe it was because I’d never learned what love was supposed to be, so I kept making these stupid, juvenile mistakes. I didn’t have enough experience to understand it yet. But one thing was clear—right now, Kang Jun had no intention of letting go. And yet, at the same time, he hesitated to hold on.
My entire focus was on Go Yohan. Just like now, when I instantly reacted to his voice.
"It’s my father."
Go Yohan spoke. I twitched like someone having a seizure, reacting to his every move. My attention was entirely fixated on his broad back.
"Your father? What about him?"
"He’s here."
You can hear that?
I doubted him and strained my ears. But all I could hear was the faint ticking of the second hand. The silence was so absolute that it almost felt sorrowful.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
Why did it feel sad?
Maybe because I had once seen the rest of Go Yohan’s family—his father, mother, sister, and brother—all gathered around the dinner table, smiling as they enjoyed a warm meal together.
When I thought about that, his unusually broad back looked painfully small and lonely.
I nearly reached out to stroke his back, lost in that feeling, but quickly pulled my hand away. Instead, I said something—anything—to fill the silence.
"How do you know? I don’t hear anything."
"He always airs out the house when he gets home. He doesn’t like the smell of food lingering before dinner."
Go Yohan’s words cut off abruptly. After a brief pause, his dry lips moved again.
"Then I hear the wind from under my door."
"..."
Go Yohan inhaled shallowly through his nose, then hunched over slightly. His bony shoulders pulled at the thin fabric of his shirt. I stared at the wrinkles forming there, then closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds around me.
Beyond the ticking second hand, a faint sound of wind slipped through the door crack.
It wasn’t just the wind coming in.
His loneliness seeped in with it.
I opened my eyes.
In one swift motion, I swung my legs off the bed. The mattress dipped from my sudden movement, making Go Yohan lift himself halfway up in surprise.
"Jun?"
I didn’t respond. Instead, I grabbed the door and yanked it open, letting the cool air rush in.
Behind me, Go Yohan called my name again, his footsteps hesitating as they followed.
His steps were uncharacteristically small, uncertain.
I ignored his desperate voice. Instead, I turned around and grabbed his sluggish hand.
Without a word, I walked toward the stairs.
"Hey!"
Still, I didn’t answer. I simply pulled him along. Go Yohan stumbled at first, but eventually, he let himself be dragged.
I quickened my pace, practically running down the stairs. The soft slippers slapped against the hard steps in rapid succession.
Then, without hesitation, I strode straight into the dining room.
At the table, two familiar figures sat.
A little girl.
And a middle-aged man with a face eerily similar to Go Yohan’s.
Beside them sat an unfamiliar woman.
Go Yohan’s older brother was nowhere to be seen. He was studying overseas, apparently.
That would make things easier.
The fewer people, the better.
I let go of Go Yohan’s hand. His fingers, stiff and tense, slowly uncurled from mine.
I turned my gaze and met his eyes.
Go Yohan looked utterly lost.
"Don’t worry."
That was the least I could do for him.
I said it with my eyes, looking straight into his frightened ones.
Then, I slowly shifted my gaze away.
Took one last deep breath.
And smiled brightly.
"Good evening."
The people at the dinner table, who had been setting up their meal, turned to look at me.
****
It seemed like my greeting was truly unexpected for them. Well, who else besides family would suddenly pop up in the dining room at this hour? At the very least, Go Yohan—commonly known as the ‘rude little brother’—didn’t seem like the type to bring friends home.
Fortunately, Go Yohan’s father didn’t react badly to my sudden appearance.
"Jun, isn’t it?"
"Yes, it’s been a while. Ah, well... I was just heading to the bathroom when I heard something, and I thought I’d come and say hello since I figured you’d come home."
Go Yohan’s younger sister stared at me blankly before plopping back into her seat. Across from her sat a middle-aged woman, presumably their mother. She had a refined yet sharp appearance. Why did everyone in this household radiate such coldness?
Feigning mild surprise, I greeted her a little awkwardly.
"Uh... hello."
The woman, startled by my sudden entrance, raised a perfectly manicured hand to cover her slightly parted lips. Between her slender fingers, I caught sight of a familiar silver ring. She then glanced at her husband. Go Yohan’s father looked at me with a measured, pleasant expression. At that, Go Yohan’s mother seemed to relax, lowering her hand.
"SE Global’s son."
"Oh my."
I had no idea why she was referring to me by my parents’ company. Feeling vaguely embarrassed, I glanced at her again and greeted her more formally.
"I’m Kang Jun. My last name is Kang. I go to the same high school and class as Yohan, but I never got the chance to introduce myself properly."
"It’s fine."
Her voice, unlike her face, was soft and delicate, betraying her polished upbringing. The mismatch between her sharp features and gentle tone felt oddly out of place.
I shifted my gaze toward the lavishly set dining table. Everything was arranged so meticulously, so perfectly. Meanwhile, Go Yohan had always been left to scoop his own food straight from the pot. The clattering of dishes from a housekeeper in the kitchen soured my mood.
"Yohan, your family’s side dishes really..."
They looked delicious. That’s what I had meant to say.
But the moment I turned my head, I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Go Yohan’s face was flushed red as he stared at the floor. His embarrassment was written all over his face. The hands that usually moved so arrogantly through the air hovered awkwardly over his lap.
He wiped his hands on his pants.
His dry fingers brushed against his pale lips. Crack. Absentmindedly, Go Yohan started biting his nails.
"..."
I was hopeless. I had been like this with Han Junwoo, and now, here I was again.
I always stood tall, acting strong in the face of my own one-sided feelings, only to turn around and devote myself to a love I knew I could never have.
So, how could I possibly ignore Go Yohan like this?
He acted as if he had been born to provoke my sympathy. It’s fucking annoying.
"Would it be alright if I joined you for dinner?"
The words left my mouth almost reflexively.
This was all Go Yohan’s fault.
Why did he have to look so damn pitiful? Why did he have to shake me like this, making me do things without thinking?
The moment I said it, regret crashed over me. What am I going to do next? How am I supposed to respond now? Fuck.
Desperate for time to think, I pressed a hand lightly against my stomach, pretending to be self-conscious. Then, I lowered my gaze slightly, blinking a few times for added effect.
"My parents aren’t home tonight... Ah, they’re usually out because of work. So, I’d have to eat alone."
"...Go ahead. I don’t see why not."
All the tricks I had honed over the years came to my aid.
Think about it—what kind of parent would outright refuse their son’s friend a meal at the dinner table? Especially in a wealthy family that cared so much about appearances.
And, adults often liked polite, model students. But strangely, they also had a soft spot for a certain kind of reckless, rebellious kid.
I thought of the most ill-mannered yet beloved person I knew.
The face that came to mind was unmistakable.
Go Yohan.
At school, he was rude, impolite, unpredictable, and self-centered, yet he was the one everyone adored. The entire student body admired him, and even the teachers indulged his antics.
Before I fell for him, I could never understand it.
But now, I did.
A free-spirited Go Yohan was charming.
It wasn’t my natural style, but I decided to imitate him.
"Thank you."
I smiled so wide my cheekbones ached and exaggerated a shrug. The rarely used muscles in my face protested.
I raised my hand to massage my aching cheeks, but Go Yohan’s mother must have mistaken it for an affectionate gesture.
"What a sweet boy," she said with a laugh.
I had done it intentionally, but still, gross.
Meanwhile, Go Yohan’s sister, Go Rosah, wrinkled her nose as if she had just witnessed something disgusting before quickly averting her gaze.
She resembled Go Yohan, yet at the same time, she didn’t.
Naturally, I approached the table. My eyes quickly counted the utensils laid out. Three sets.
I turned my head back slightly.
Go Yohan was gnawing at his nails, watching the scene unfold. His pupils darted rapidly before dropping downward. Tap. Tap. As he ground his teeth against his nails, he finally spoke.
"I..."
Go Yohan glanced at me, then at his family.
But his family said nothing.
They simply pulled out another chair.
It wasn’t natural indifference.
Ironically, they were all paying close attention to him.
And to me.
Even without looking directly at us or speaking, the atmosphere made everything clear.
"..."
Wasn’t it obvious?
Even they knew something about this situation felt wrong.