Chapter 34

Ju-woon felt the heat creeping up his neck wait, was he blushing? Why? His thoughts barely had time to settle before Min-ho leaned in again, closing the space between them, his eyes lidded with something dangerous, something hungry.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Shit.

Min-ho groaned in frustration, exhaling heavily as he pulled back just slightly. "Can't you ignore it?"

Ju-woon wanted to. He really, really did. But the second he glanced at the screen, his stomach dropped.

Caller- Mother

A chill ran down his spine. Why was she calling him at this time? His finger hovered over the decline button, but he knew that would only make things worse later. With a reluctant sigh, he accepted the call.

"Hey, Mom...?"

Silence. Just the sound of her breathing. The kind of pause that felt intentional. Ju-woon swallowed hard, waiting.

Finally, her cold, detached voice filled the line. "Hello, Ju-woon… Um, how are you doing?"

That was never a real question. His grip on the phone tightened. "Just get to the point."

Another sigh. "Listen, Ju-woon, I'm sure you remember that dinner I told you about, am I right?"

His jaw clenched. "Mm. What about it?"

"Well… have you thought about it? It's coming up soon."

Ju-woon pressed his lips together, debating his answer. He could buy himself more time by saying he'd think about it. But that would only invite more calls. He could say yes… Hell no. He could refuse outright, but—no.

"I don't know yet."

A beat of silence. He could practically hear the disapproval radiating from the other end. "Alright… Bye, Ju-woon."

Click.

She hung up before he could respond.

Ju-woon let out a slow, deep breath, staring down at the floor. His stomach twisted. The tension coiled in his chest, suffocating.

"I—I'm going to sleep," he muttered, standing abruptly.

He barely got a step away before Min-ho grabbed his wrist, his grip firm but not forceful. "Ju-woon, wait—who was that?"

Ju-woon hesitated. He had almost forgotten Min-ho was even there. His fingers twitched, itching to pull away, but Min-ho wasn't letting go.

"Just my m-m-mom..." why was he so hesitant to call her that..

Min-ho's eyebrows raised. "Is there more to it?"

Ju-woon didn't want to get into this. Not now. Not after everything that had just happened between them. "Listen… There's a lot that just happened. Not tonight, okay?"

For once, Min-ho didn't push. He didn't tease him. He just watched Ju-woon for a moment, then smiled—one of those rare, genuine smiles that made Ju-woon's chest feel unsteady.

"Alright," Min-ho said easily. "Then let's just go to bed. A lot's happened. We need some rest."

Ju-woon blinked, caught off guard. No snarky comment? No annoying persistence? It was… weirdly nice. Comfortable.

Too comfortable.

Ju-woon swallowed hard. It felt too easy, too natural—like this was something he could actually get used to. He wasn't sure if that scared him or comforted him.

Without another word, they both got into bed. The moment Ju-woon lay down, he realized just how tipsy he still was, his body feeling heavier than usual against the mattress.

Just as he thought Min-ho was finally shutting up for the night, he heard a sudden burst of energy from the other side of the bed.

"First night with you as my boyfriend!"

Ju-woon barely had time to react before Min-ho ran over to him like a middle school girl and then kissed him on the cheek.

"What the hell—" Ju-woon groaned, but a laugh slipped out despite himself.

Min-ho grinned, clearly pleased with himself, before crawling under the covers. Without hesitation, he grabbed Ju-woon by the waist and pulled him closer, tucking him against his chest. No words, no teasing—just warmth.

Ju-woon lay still for a moment, staring into the dimly lit room. He should be annoyed. He should push Min-ho away. But instead, he found himself slowly relaxing against him.

This… felt right. Too right.

Like it was fate.

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