Seojun took a step closer. He kept his shoulders loose, but his gaze stayed fixed. The encounter seemed unexpected, but he was fully present now. A grin broke across his face as his eyes met Yeonjun's.

"Han Yeonjun? Hi," he said. His voice carried a cheerful weight, as if the sight had genuinely brightened his mood.

Yeonjun tilted his head in acknowledgment. He crossed his arms loosely over his chest. "Hi," he said.

Standing face to face now, Yeonjun noticed the details up close. The other boy still carried that same easy weight from the other day, but the hard lines around his eyes were gone.

How does he even know my name? 

They had never been introduced as far as he could remember.

A pause stretched between them. Neither of them moved. They stood in that strange space between strangers and an unnamable familiarity.

Yeonjun broke the silence first. 

"I just came to have a couple of drinks."

Seojun smiled. 

"I'm meeting my friend Song Ji-hu. He's in the painting department. I think you know him."

The corners of Yeonjun's mouth lifted. 

"Yeah. You could say we met in an unusual way."

"There might not be anyone left on campus Ji-hu doesn't know. His social skills always surprise me," Seojun said. He kept smiling for a second, and then his face softened.

"How have you been since that day?"

Yeonjun looked away. "I'm better," he said.

"I'm glad," Seojun said. He reached out and gave the other's arm a light pat.

This is the first time I've touched you, he thought. 

Yeonjun stepped back slightly at the sudden contact. Maybe it's just the alcohol. He scanned the room. 

"I'm gonna sit at the bar," he said.

"Mind if I join you for a while?"

Yeonjun studied him for a moment. I never should have come, he thought but he kept his face neutral. "Sure," he said.

They walked over to the bar. The bartender kept moving as he talked, and he reached for the bottles right away. 

"What can I get you guys?"

"White Russian."

"Black Russian."

They both turned their heads and stared at each other. Silence stretched over the counter.

The bartender grinned. 

"Coming right up." 

Seojun raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh. "It's like we're falling right into the opposites-attract cliché."

Yeonjun stayed quiet, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

I swear I'd kill someone just to make him laugh at something I said. Really laugh, Seojun thought. It felt like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.

—

They sat in silence for a while. The place was busy, and Seojun greeted a few people from school from across the room. It was obvious the guy was well-liked. 

Yeonjun realized right away that his companion was actually pretty popular. He did not really know him at all. He only recognized that punk look with all those piercings and the heavy attitude. This was only the second time they had crossed paths, and it was the very first time they were actually speaking.

Still, Yeonjun retreated behind his phone. He wanted to avoid any real interaction.

Then a message arrived. It was Ji-a, and she wanted him to come home. He stared at the screen. His thumbs hovered over the keyboard.

Seojun already knew who the text was from, even if he could not read the words. Curiosity ate at him. He noticed that Yeonjun was staring at the glowing screen without typing a response. He wanted to speak up but kept his mouth shut. Still, the heavy quiet stretched on too long.

"Did you make up with your girlfriend?" he asked.

"No," Yeonjun said. "Not that I care anyway."

"If you don't care, then don't reply to that message. Deal with it later. By the way, I'm Kim Seojun."

"Han Yeonjun."

Seojun squeezed the other boy's hand as he thought, That's the second time I've touched you. 

The bartender returned with their drinks, and Seojun raised his glass.

"Well then, here's to your breakup."

The corners of Yeonjun's eyes crinkled. He lifted his own drink. "To the breakup," he said. They clinked the glasses together and took a sip.

The quiet between them settled easily.

By then, the room had grown crowded. The volume of the music had gone up. Voices overlapped and created a dull roar in the background while laughter echoed through the air. The atmosphere pulsed with energy.

If it weren't so loud in here, he might actually hear my heartbeat, Seojun thought.

Then his phone rang. It was Ji-hu. Seojun covered one ear with his hand and answered with a laugh.

"Where the hell are you, asshole?"

"Hyuuuung, I'm not coming tonight. I fell while playing basketball. Everything hurts. You're on your own, sorry."

"I'm not sorry. See you tomorrow. By the way, I'm not alone."

"Wait, who are you with?"

Seojun hung up. He leaned back against his stool while he kept the phone in his hand.

Ji-hu is my person. But for some reason, even with him not coming… I don't feel alone tonight, he thought. Then he turned to Yeonjun with a wide grin. It looked like he had just heard the best news ever.

"Ji-hu's not coming, so we can hang out."

He raised his glass again and looked over.

"So you go for White Russians, huh? Classy choice. Is that your go-to, or just a random pick?"

"It was the first thing that came to mind," Yeonjun said. Maybe I shouldn't have come here. His energy is too much for me tonight, he thought.

Then Seojun spoke and broke his train of thought.

"You know, this drink was invented in 1949 by a Belgian bartender for an American ambassador. Then in the '60s, someone added cream and called it a White Russian. The only thing Russian about it is the vodka."

"Are you this knowledgeable about everything?"

"Ya, you wouldn't believe the things I know."

He's actually kind of interesting, Yeonjun thought and leaned in a little so his voice could carry over the noise.

"What's your major?"

"Painting."

Yeonjun lifted his head a little and held his gaze. A spark of genuine interest lit up his eyes at the mention of the major. 

When Seojun looked back at Yeonjun, an intense ache bloomed in his chest. 

Boy, you're so, so cute.

—

Their conversation grew heavier as the night went on. 

The loud music and the busy crowd faded into the background. They barely noticed the people who danced and swayed under the dim lights. They talked a bit about school and art. Yeonjun threw his head back and chuckled as he told the story of meeting Ji-hu.

Seojun confessed his initial reaction to seeing the architecture student that first day. He admitted he recognized the familiar weight of that argument with Ji-a, because he had been through a similar fight before.

Later, they found a drunk student abandoned by his friends. They worked together and guided the guy into a taxi. They did not say much, but their steps fell perfectly in sync. Then they went back inside, ordered another round, and talked some more.

The bar eventually closed, and they stepped outside. 

Yeonjun looked up at the bright full moon. He turned his head to say goodbye, but he stopped when he saw his companion's eyes already fixed on him.

Seojun was standing a few steps away. His hands stayed tucked deep into the pockets of his dark jeans. He wore a fitted black top under a light charcoal trench coat, and the fabric caught the gentle breeze. The tall frame and worn black high-top sneakers gave off a casual yet intentional look. He tilted his head back slightly so his long bangs fell over his eyes. A slim steel bar pierced his eyebrow. Several silver rings lined his ears, and a dangling chain rested on the left while a single stud sat on the right. A small steel hoop in his nose completed the entire image.

The painting student looked undeniably handsome. The moment felt almost cinematic. And yet, Seojun could not pull his attention away from the breathtaking boy standing in front of him.

He watched Yeonjun with a steady, intense gaze. He's so pretty, he thought as he kept his eyes locked on his face.

"Ya, wanna keep drinking?" he asked.

Yeonjun had no intention of going back to the hotel. He wanted to stay right there a little longer. The presence of this punk made the heavy night feel lighter, and he could finally breathe freely. Solitude never helped him anyway. He had survived the whole week without a panic attack, and that fact alone felt like a quiet miracle. The messy incident with Ji-a earlier proved that tonight was definitely not the night to be alone.

"Yeah," he answered right away. He sounded exactly like he had been waiting for the question. "So… where are we going?"

"There's a quiet bar near my place," Seojun said. A wide grin broke across his face.

"Then let's find a cab. I'm not driving anymore tonight," Yeonjun said.

They started walking toward the main street to flag down a taxi.

And for the two of them, the night was just beginning.