The time had already reached noon when Seung-ho and Hyo-bin arrived at the house. 

Seung-ho was putting the groceries he had bought on the way into the refrigerator while Hyo-bin was watching the ocean through the window. He imagined living in a house like this, where his mother had never died and his father had never become an alcoholic gambler. 

Then he realized he could not even picture that life and felt sorry for himself for a second.

"Are you hungry?" Seung-ho asked.

"No," Hyo-bin said. "I already had breakfast at Soo-bin's."

"Ya," Seung-ho said while he was opening the bags on the counter. "Why is Soo-bin treating you so well?"

"What do you mean?" Hyo-bin asked. "Cause we're good friends."

"Ji-woong and I are good friends too," Seung-ho said. "But he doesn't get involved in my shit or spend a fortune on me every chance he gets."

"Like you need it. When are we gonna start working?" Hyo-bin asked.

Seung-ho had prepared some snacks and had made a drink from passion fruit extract.

"Now," he said, starting to walk with the tray in his hands. "Come on, we're going upstairs."

—

It was a long day. The sun moved across the sky outside, but inside, papers, pens, and laptops were scattered on the table. 

Two glasses of passion fruit juice sat between them. Hyo-bin drank his slowly. Seung-ho watched him sip it. 

"I'll do the section on mental health pressure," Hyo-bin said.

Seung-ho was looking at the screen when he turned his head toward him.

"Good idea. You have enough issues for the whole presentation."

Hyo-bin stared at the notes on his paper while the room stayed completely quiet. He really did not want to start another fight.

Seung-ho sighed and turned back to his laptop.

"Did Soo-bin wash that sweatshirt with his tears? It smells like him," he said.

"Shut up and read the article. He's twice the man you are," said Hyo-bin. 

He didn't look at Seung-ho, forcing himself to ignore the smirk that threatened to form on the other's face.

—

Hyo-bin was starting to get tired. He stretched his arms and stood up from his chair. Then walked across the room and threw his body onto the couch by the wall.

He covered his eyes with his hand.

"I think my head's gonna start hurting," he said.

Seung-ho stood up from the desk and walked out of the room. He did not say anything.

When he came back a moment later, he was carrying a painkiller and a glass of water in his hands.

"Drink this," he said. "If you fall asleep on that couch, I'm throwing you out the window."

Hyo-bin opened his eyes and looked at Seung-ho standing right over him. He sat up on the cushions to take the water and the pill.

"I'd rather sleep on the street than fall asleep in the same place as you," he said.

Seung-ho saw him smirk, but he did not react at all.

It felt like they were not looking for an excuse to fight for the first time in years.

—

Evening had almost arrived while they were still working. Seung-ho turned on the desk lamp, and the warm yellow light hit the papers while the sky outside turned dark blue.

"I think it's gonna finish today," Hyo-bin said.

"I don't think so," Seung-ho said. "And even if it finishes, you're staying here tonight. We can't drive back to Seoul after this hour."

"Bullshit. I'll go back the moment it finishes," Hyo-bin said. "Let's work. I wanna finish fast."

—

Two hours later, they were still arguing over paragraphs and slides.

"I need you to read this paragraph out loud," Seung-ho said, tapping the screen.

"I'm not your personal assistant. Read it yourself," Hyo-bin said, leaning back in his chair and looking away.

"Tsk…" Seung-ho said and shook his head, leaning back in his own chair.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked.

"Of course I'm hungry, but I wanna finish this and go back," Hyo-bin said. "We have very little work left if you haven't noticed."

Seung-ho looked at him. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then stayed quiet.

"What?" Hyo-bin asked.

"Nothing. You keep going," Seung-ho said. "I'm gonna prepare something to eat."

"No," Hyo-bin said. "I really gotta go. My father is alone at home."

"Your father isn't a child. He can live by himself," Seung-ho said, standing up from the desk.

"You think so?" Hyo-bin asked. "If he hasn't passed out from drinking—"

"Hyo-bin!" Seung-ho yelled, cutting him off. "Please, let's eat together. Okay?"

"Why're you yelling, asshole?" Hyo-bin asked.

"Because I don't wanna drive at this hour. And we don't have practice tomorrow. You can stay here."

"Yeah, we don't have practice, thanks to you!" Hyo-bin yelled.

"If you wanna swim, there's a pool," Seung-ho said.

Hyo-bin tilted his head to the side like a dog, acting like he did not understand a word he said. 

"What pool?"

Seung-ho grinned. 

"Come with me." 

"Where are you going?" Hyo-bin asked, but it was useless.

After they went downstairs, Seung-ho opened the wooden door by the wall. A dark hallway stretched in front of them. 

Seung-ho found the switch and turned the light on. Then he led Hyo-bin down the steep stairs.

"Be careful, don't fall," he said.

Hyo-bin followed him, trying not to slip. He didn't know whether to look at the steps or think about Seung-ho holding his hand. 

He had already smelled the chlorine in the air.

After they walked down the narrow stairs and reached the huge pool under the house, Hyo-bin let go of Seung-ho's hand. 

He walked toward the shining water. 

He was mesmerized. It was smooth, totally quiet, completely clean, and huge.

"What the fuck…" he muttered.

When he turned around, Seung-ho was smirking at him. Hyo-bin looked at his face, and they grinned at the same time for the first time in years.

Seung-ho only said one thing.

"Wanna race?"