For the first time that day—

He felt genuinely curious.

Who was that man?

And why was Lee Yun so afraid of him?

Before Han Tae could stop him or ask a single question—

 Lee Yun was already running.

His breathing was heavy and uneven as he rushed through the dark streets without looking back even once.

Cold sweat covered his face.

His trembling hands could barely stay steady.

While running, one of his slippers slipped off onto the road—

But Lee Yun didn’t stop to pick it up.

He kept running barefoot across the cold pavement like something terrifying was chasing him.

Then suddenly—

BAM!

Lee Yun harshly bumped into a man walking down the street.

“Ah… shibal,” the man cursed angrily.

The impact caused Lee Yun to lose balance and fall hard onto the road.

His palm scraped against the rough ground, leaving a small wound that immediately started bleeding.

But Lee Yun didn’t care.

He quickly stood up despite the pain and continued running again.

Faster.

As if stopping for even one second would destroy him.

After several minutes, Lee Yun finally reached his grandmother’s old house.

His shaking hands struggled to unlock the door.

The moment he entered inside, he immediately shut the door behind him and leaned against it while breathing heavily.

The house was silent.

Too silent.

Lee Yun slowly walked toward the sink and splashed cold water onto his face.

But his body still felt freezing cold.

His hands trembled uncontrollably.

Even his legs felt weak.

The fear from earlier still clung tightly to him.

Exhausted, Lee Yun slowly walked toward his bed without even changing clothes.

He collapsed onto it weakly, curling slightly into himself.

The room remained dark and empty.

Just like always.

Eventually, exhaustion slowly pulled him into sleep.

That night—

Lee Yun dreamed of his grandmother for the first time in a long while.

Warm sunlight filtered through the trees of a quiet mountain trail.

His grandmother sat beside him with the same gentle smile he missed so much.

“Everything’s okay, Yun-ah,” she said softly.

Her warm hand gently brushed through his hair.

Just like when he was younger.

Lee Yun quietly rested his head on her lap.

For the first time in a very long time—

He felt safe.

And slowly, peacefully—

The dream faded into darkness.

Morning sunlight slowly entered through the old window curtains.

Lee Yun’s eyes slowly opened.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling quietly.

The warmth from the dream still felt real.

So real that his exhausted mind forgot everything for a moment.

“Grandma…?”

His voice sounded sleepy and soft.

Lee Yun slowly sat up from the bed and looked around the house.

Silence.

Still half-asleep, he stood up and quietly walked through the small house.

“Grandma?”

He looked toward the kitchen first.

Then near the old dining table.

For a few brief minutes, he searched for her as if she were truly there.

As if nothing had changed.

As if she was still alive.

But slowly—

Reality returned.

The silent house.

The empty rooms.

The untouched chair she used to sit in.

Lee Yun stopped walking.

His eyes quietly lowered.

“…Right,” he murmured softly.

“She died.”

The words sounded strangely calm coming from him.

No tears came out.

No breakdown.

Instead, a quiet warmth slowly settled inside his chest.

Last night’s dream no longer felt painful.

It felt comforting.

Lee Yun slowly looked toward the morning sunlight entering through the window.

Then a small thought crossed his mind.

Maybe…

Even after death—

His grandmother was still watching over him from somewhere above.

Still protecting him.

Still comforting him whenever he was scared.

For the first time in a long while—

Lee Yun smiled very faintly.

The next morning, after getting ready for college, Lee Yun quietly left the house.

The dream from last night still lingered in his mind, leaving behind a strange sense of calmness.

As he entered through the gates of Hanguk University, he noticed someone standing near the pathway.

Han Tae.

At the same moment, Han Tae also noticed him.

For a second, Lee Yun thought Han Tae would simply ignore him like always.

But unexpectedly—

Han Tae lazily lifted one hand and waved.

“Hi.”

The simple greeting caught Lee Yun slightly off guard.

Still, after a small pause, Lee Yun quietly waved back.

Neither of them spoke afterward.

They simply walked toward the main building separately.

A few minutes later, Lee Yun entered his classroom and stopped near the doorway.

His eyes widened slightly.

Han Tae was there too.

Same class.

The moment Han Tae noticed him, he casually pulled out the chair beside him with one foot.

“Sit.”

Lee Yun silently stared for a second before quietly taking the seat beside him.

The classroom slowly filled with students talking loudly before the professor arrived.

Most conversations were harmless at first—talking about clubs, professors, and campus rumors.

But among the chatter—

A different conversation suddenly started spreading through the room.

“Did you hear? There’s apparently a gay student in our department.”

“Seriously?”

“Eww… disgusting.”

“How can a man like another man?”

“That’s actually so weird.”

“Yuck.”

The words spread across the classroom carelessly.

Some students laughed.

Some looked uncomfortable.

Others joined the gossip without thinking twice.

Lee Yun quietly listened to every word.

At first, he stayed expressionless.

But slowly—

Something changed.

His fingers started trembling beneath the desk.

His breathing became uneven.

The noise around him suddenly felt louder and louder inside his head.

“Disgusting.”

“Yuck.”

“How can a man love another man?”

The voices repeated endlessly in his mind.

Han Tae slowly noticed something was wrong.

Lee Yun’s face had become pale.

His body visibly trembled.

Then suddenly—

THUD.

Lee Yun's body suddenly gave out beneath him.

He collapsed onto the classroom floor.

The entire class instantly fell silent.

Even Han Tae froze.