A week had passed.

Jaeyel sat in his apartment, fingers hovering over his laptop keyboard, but the words on the screen blurred together. His work was right in front of him, waiting to be finished, yet his mind refused to focus.

Instead, it kept circling back to him.

With a frustrated groan, Jaeyel suddenly threw his head back against the couch.

“What the hell is wrong with me?!” he shouted to no one in particular.

Because Bo, the very source of his frustration, had completely vanished.

After dropping that ridiculous, flustering confession, Bo had left and hadn’t shown up since. Not a single sign of him. No call, no text—not that they had exchanged numbers in the first place.

Jaeyel had deleted the dating app the moment he left Seoul, fueled by frustration and the overwhelming urge to erase every trace of that night. Now, he had zero ways of reaching Bo.

But even if he did… why would he?

It wasn’t like he needed to contact the guy.

He wasn’t the one who left after saying something like that.

He wasn’t the one making things confusing.

Jaeyel groaned again, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face into a pillow.

This was stupid. He wasn’t waiting for Bo.

Definitely not.

With a final huff, he pulled the pillow over his head, hoping to suffocate the thoughts away.

---

The next day. Late afternoon.

Jaeyel was not going to his parents’ house to check if Bo was there.

Absolutely not.

He was going to get some kimchi. That was all.

As he walked, he repeated it in his head like a mantra.

I’m here for the kimchi. Nothing else.

When he arrived, his mother spotted him immediately and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been coming by often these days.”

Jaeyel forced a casual laugh. “What? No, I haven’t.”

His mother gave him a look. “You usually just go straight to the shop or come when you’re too lazy to cook. But now…” She eyed him suspiciously.

Jaeyel stiffened.

Damn it.

“It’s nothing,” he lied, glancing around like he was definitely not looking for someone. “I just… wanted to take home some kimchi.”

His mother squinted at him before crossing her arms. “I just gave you a whole jar the other day. Did you finish it already?”

Jaeyel froze.

Shit. Think, think.

“Uh—yeah! My friends took some. They really liked it,” he blurted out, fully aware that he had not shared a single bite with anyone.

His mother’s face immediately lit up. “Really?! My kimchi? They liked it?”

Jaeyel nodded enthusiastically, feeling a little guilty for lying. But at least it made her happy.

She clapped her hands. “Wait here. I’ll get you more!”

Before Jaeyel could protest, she rushed off.

---

Moments later, Jaeyel found himself struggling down the street with not one, but two heavy jars of kimchi in his arms.

“Why did I say that?” he groaned, shifting the weight as he trudged along. “Now I’m going home like a loser with a lifetime supply of kimchi.”

He sighed, glancing up at the sky as he tried to clear his thoughts.

But, of course, they drifted back to him.

Bo.

After saying he was interested, he just vanished—like it had meant nothing.

Jaeyel let out a frustrated huff. This was exactly why he shouldn’t have let his guard down.

It had been a while since he last dated, and maybe—just maybe—that was why he was feeling like this.

Maybe it wasn’t about Bo at all.

Yeah. That had to be it.

He shook his head, firming his resolve.

I’m not thinking about him anymore.

It’s done.

Over.

Moving on.

He was very determined.

But.

…

---

Why the hell was Bo suddenly standing in front of his apartment?

Jaeyel came to an abrupt stop, eyes widening as he took in the sight before him.

Bo.

Standing there.

In front of his apartment.

Like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Meanwhile, Jaeyel stood frozen on the sidewalk, arms straining under the ridiculous weight of two massive kimchi jars, looking without a doubt—completely ridiculous.

As if sensing his stare, Bo turned his head, eyes landing on him. He blinked once, then casually walked over, hands in his pockets, a small, amused smile playing on his lips.

“Oh,” he greeted, voice smooth and utterly unbothered. “Where did you go?”

Jaeyel just gawked at him.

A week.

A whole week of nothing—no sign, no message, no explanation.

And now, here he was, standing in front of his apartment, asking where he went like they casually saw each other every day.

Bo tilted his head, noticing the way Jaeyel just stood there in stunned silence. His gaze drifted down to the heavy jars in his arms.

“That looks heavy,” Bo remarked, stepping forward as if to take it from him.

And that was when Jaeyel snapped.

With a sharp turn on his heel, he stormed past Bo, heading straight for his apartment building without so much as a word.

Bo blinked, momentarily thrown off, before quickly moving to catch up. “Hey—wait. What’s wrong?”

Jaeyel didn’t answer.

Bo easily kept up with his pace, frowning. “Is it because I showed up unannounced?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Your parents mentioned that you live around here—not the exact address, but people in town seem to know you, so I asked around. I’m sorry if that upset you…”

Jaeyel clenched his jaw. Of course. His parents were probably thrilled at the idea of him having a “handsome friend from Seoul” and had no problem casually mentioning where he lived.

Even as they stepped into the elevator, Bo kept talking, trying to gauge what was wrong, but Jaeyel only stared ahead, looking visibly pissed.

When they reached his apartment, Jaeyel wasted no time unlocking the door, eager to just shut himself inside.

But before he could step in, Bo’s hand landed on his wrist, stopping him.

Jaeyel turned, eyes flashing.

Bo’s expression softened as he searched his face. “What’s wrong?”

Jaeyel inhaled sharply. His grip on the jars tightened before he finally let it out.

“You disappear for a week after saying that ridiculous thing,” he snapped, eyes burning with frustration. “Then you just show up out of nowhere in front of my apartment like nothing happened?!”

Bo stilled.

Then, suddenly—slowly—a smile spread across his lips.

A knowing, mischievous, utterly smug smile.

“So…” he said, voice laced with amusement. “You’ve been thinking about what I said this whole time?”

Jaeyel’s stomach flipped. His face instantly burned.

“Shut up!” He lifted his foot and kicked Bo hard in the shin.

Bo let out a pained grunt, staggering back slightly. “That’s the second time—”

Jaeyel didn’t let him finish.

With a sharp glare, he shoved his door open and slammed it shut.

Right in Bo’s stupid, smiling face.