One week until the festival.
The whole school was buzzing with festival preparations.
For several days now, even Myeong Jaehyeon had been spending hectic days busy with club event preparations.
"Jaehyeon, late again today?"
Taesan asked, looking at his laptop in front of his desk.
"Yeah. Probably."
"What time are you coming."
"I don’t know?"
Taesan’s hand stopped for a moment.
"Late again?"
"Why?"
"No."
Myeong Jaehyeon was putting on his bag when he looked over at Taesan.
"You planning to wait?"
"...Who said."
"You."
"I’m not waiting."
"Then that’s a relief."
Myeong Jaehyeon smiled and opened the door.
"I’m heading out."
"Yeah."
The door closed.
Taesan stared at the closed door for a while.
Then he let out a small sigh.
'Wait for what.'
Even so, he checked the clock.
10:00 p.m.
A message had come from Myeong Jaehyeon.
Jaehyeon: Taesan, are you still awake?
Taesan started typing a reply right away, then stopped.
Taesan: Not asleep.
A little while later, a reply came back.
Jaehyeon: I think I’ll be late todayㅠㅠ
Jaehyeon: Go to sleep first!
Taesan stared at the screen.
'Late again.'
For some reason, his mood felt strange.
Then he remembered the day not long ago when Myeong Jaehyeon had come back drunk.
Late at night.
Myeong Jaehyeon, not coming in without a word.
He also remembered how much he had worried that night.
In the end, Taesan sent a message.
Taesan: What time are you coming.
Jaehyeon: Around 12?
Taesan: You coming alone?
There was no reply for a while.
Soon, a message came.
Jaehyeon: Seoyun said she'll give me a ride!
Taesan’s expression hardened.
As expected.
It was Seoyun again.
Taesan: Forget it.
Jaehyeon: What do you mean?
Taesan didn’t reply anymore.
He put his phone down.
But a few seconds later, he picked it up again.
Taesan: I’ll go pick you up.
This time, the reply came immediately.
Jaehyeon: Really?
Jaehyeon: Is that okay?
Taesan: Send me the address.
Myeong Jaehyeon sent the location with a smiling emoji after a long while.
11:50 p.m.
Taesan was standing in front of the school.
'Why did I come all the way here.'
He had definitely thought it was a hassle.
But once he was alone in the room, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Not long after, Myeong Jaehyeon came out of the building.
"Taesan!"
Myeong Jaehyeon ran over happily.
"You really came."
"Looks like it."
"I was going to have Seoyun give me a ride."
"I know."
"Then why did you come?"
Taesan looked at him for a moment.
"Because you were late."
"That’s why?"
"...Yeah."
Myeong Jaehyeon laughed.
"You were worried about me."
"No."
"There you go again."
Myeong Jaehyeon naturally walked right beside Taesan.
"But honestly, I’m happy."
"About what."
"You coming to pick me up."
Taesan didn’t answer.
Myeong Jaehyeon kept smiling beside him.
"We are roommates, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then from now on, if I’m late, come pick me up."
"No."
"Why!"
"Once was enough."
"So stingy."
Taesan snorted a laugh.
On the way back to the dorm.
Myeong Jaehyeon suddenly stopped walking.
"Taesan."
"What."
"Let’s make a promise."
"What promise."
"If either of us is coming back late, we text each other."
Taesan looked at him.
"Why?"
"Last time, I couldn’t contact you, and you worried about me."
"I didn’t."
"You did."
"I didn’t."
"You did though."
Myeong Jaehyeon smiled and held out his pinky finger.
"Anyway, let’s text each other."
Taesan looked at the finger.
"Childish."
"Do it."
"..."
"Hurry up."
In the end, Taesan held out his own pinky and hooked it with Myeong Jaehyeon’s.
"Promise."
Myeong Jaehyeon broke into a bright smile.
"Promise."
Even after they let go, there was strangely a brief silence between them.
Taesan looked down at his fingertips for no reason.
Myeong Jaehyeon looked at his own hand too, then slipped it into his pocket like it was nothing.
After they got back to the room.
Myeong Jaehyeon lay on the bed and checked his phone.
"Ah."
"Why."
Taesan asked.
"Seoyun texted me."
Taesan’s expression stiffened.
"What did she say."
"She said to prepare for the festival together tomorrow."
"...I see."
Myeong Jaehyeon looked at the screen for a moment, then sent a reply.
And then he said to Taesan,
"I’ll come back a little earlier tomorrow."
"Why."
"We made a promise, didn’t we."
Taesan said nothing.
He just smiled very slightly.
"Yeah."
That night.
Taesan realized.
What he wanted wasn’t simply for Myeong Jaehyeon not to be late.
He wanted to know where Myeong Jaehyeon was.
He wanted to know who he was with, too.
And if possible.
He wanted him to contact him first.
He still didn’t know what that meant.
But that feeling was growing clearer and clearer.
