I slept deeply. I think I felt something slippery, like a snake, crawling over my legs in the middle of the night, but it wasn't enough to fully wake me up.

When I finally regained full consciousness and slowly opened my eyes, sunlight was pouring in through the large window that hadn't been curtained. Checking the phone by my bedside, it was just past 8 o'clock.

It was quite early for a Sunday, but perhaps because of the sunlight, I didn't feel like going back to sleep. As I slid out from under the covers, my legs felt sticky, recalling that strange sensation from while I was asleep. Moreover, perhaps because I had just woken up, my center felt heavy.

It had been quite a while since I'd had a morning erection, so it felt a bit awkward. However, it wasn't particularly strange. I massaged my legs, which felt dry and crusty as if something had dried onto them, and headed to the bathroom.

It had truly been a long time since I last masturbated. Watching the viscous fluid disappear down the drain, I finished my shower, got dressed, and stepped out of the room.

I ran straight into Jeong Haejun. He was wearing only pants. His hair was wet, suggesting he had also just showered.

"Hyung, you're up?"

"Yeah."

"You woke up early."

"I didn't close the curtains, so my eyes just opened on their own."

"I was about to have a quick breakfast; do you want some too?"

"Sure, what are you eating?"

"Toast and fried eggs. Sit there, it's almost done."

Jeong Haejun spoke as he cracked another egg. I asked if there was anything I could help with, but he gave a blunt reply that it was already finished and I'd only be in the way. Hiding my embarrassment, I sat at the dining table as he told me to.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, the bed was really comfortable."

"There's a place that sells hotel beds; I bought it from that site."

"Did you get in late yesterday?"

"Not that late. Around 12?"

"Then instead of eating this, shouldn't you be having a hangover cure?"

"A hangover cure?"

Jeong Haejun tilted his head in confusion as he set the plate of toast and fried eggs on the table.

"Usually, when people meet friends, they drink a lot."

"I didn't say I met friends."

"You didn't meet a friend?"

"No."

"You said it was a gathering, so I thought you were meeting friends."

"I wasn't."

"Ah, I see."

He didn't need to be so stern about it, but after firmly denying it, Jeong Haejun pushed the plate toward me and told me to eat.

"Thanks for the food."

"You're welcome."

"By the way, Hyung, what are you doing today?"

"Me? Nothing in particular."

"Then let's go shopping later this afternoon."

"Shopping?"

"You threw away all your clothes; you don't even have anything to wear to school starting Monday, so we have to buy some."

When I raised an eyebrow and asked why on earth we were shopping, Jeong Haejun gave a slight shrug and said he had mentioned it yesterday.

"Hey, it's fine. I'll just handle the clothes myse—"

"Just accept it while I'm offering to buy them."

His expression was kind, but his tone was coercive. Out of a sense of human conscience, I declined, but thinking that there was no need to keep refusing out of politeness to someone who had plenty of money and wanted to spend it, I agreed.

After finishing the meal, Jeong Haejun stopped me from clearing the dishes.

"The cleaning lady is coming this afternoon anyway."

"Still, this is simple."

"Just leave it and come here."

I didn't understand why a cleaning lady was needed when there was hardly anything to clean, but I approached Jeong Haejun regardless.

"This."

Jeong Haejun held out a white card.

"The entrance key card for the building I mentioned yesterday. You can go to the management office on a weekday when you have time to register your vein pattern. Just tell me when you're free."

"You'll go with me?"

"Of course."

"I'll just handle that on my own."

"...Alright, then."

Jeong Haejun answered a beat late, sounding slightly reluctant, and sat on the sofa. I considered going back to my room but sat next to him for a moment. Jeong Haejun flipped through channels, seemingly unable to find anything he wanted to watch, and eventually tossed the remote onto the table.

"There's really nothing to watch on Sundays, right?"

"TV programs are always like that."

"Do you like watching TV, Hyung?"

"No, we didn't even have a TV at my house."

"Then shall we just talk? This is boring."

I was slightly surprised by the word "talk" coming from Jeong Haejun, but I agreed without showing it. As soon as the words left my mouth, Jeong Haejun turned off the TV.

Jeong Haejun shifted his body from facing forward to look at me. Just as I was starting to feel strange under his scanning gaze, he posed a question.

"I guess you don't have much body hair, Hyung?"

"...Me?"

It was an abrupt question. I pointed to myself and asked back, and Jeong Haejun nodded and spoke.

"Yes. There are no beard shadows, and your arms... I can barely see any body hair."

As he said, I did have less body hair compared to the average adult male. For the arms and legs that others could easily see, I could pass it off as naturally having little hair, but in reality, the private areas that are not easily seen by others were completely hairless. It was a physical secret I couldn't tell anyone.

"...I'm a bit like that."

"Maybe that's why your skin looks so white and smooth."

Jeong Haejun said this while scanning my arm, which was fully exposed in my short-sleeved t-shirt. It was only a gaze, but it felt as if he were touching me. Moreover, his tone sounded somewhat awkward, as if he had already touched me before.

"Do you tend to sleep deeply?"

"Once I fall asleep, I'm a heavy sleeper. Why?"

"Yesterday, I stepped into the room for a moment to see if you were sleeping well and I dropped my phone, but you didn't even blink. Even though it made a pretty loud noise. So, my phone ended up like this."

After finishing his sentence, Jeong Haejun took out his phone to show me. The screen was cracked, though I couldn't tell how he'd dropped it.

"I'll have to replace my phone while we go shopping for your clothes later."

"Couldn't you just repair the screen for that?"

"I just want to change it."

The phone Jeong Haejun currently had was quite a recent model, but he didn't seem to find it a waste at all.

"Then let's rest a bit and head out in the afternoon."

"Yeah, okay."

"I'll be in my room, so feel free to watch whatever you want here."

Jeong Haejun took a bottle of water from the fridge and headed toward his room. I watched him enter one of the rooms I hadn't had a chance to look into yesterday. So that's Jeong Haejun's room. Only now did I know exactly where his room was, which I hadn't known yesterday.

After Jeong Haejun completely disappeared into his room, I stood up. Jeong Haejun had likely stepped away to let me be comfortable in the living room, but since there was a TV in my room too, there was no reason to stay in the living room.

I returned to my room, leaned my back against the headboard, and turned on the TV.

"Hyung."

Someone shook my body. I felt a ticklish sensation on my forehead.

"Yiwon-ie hyung, wake up."

I frowned and struggled to open my eyes. Through my open eyes, I saw Jeong Haejun's face. It seemed I had fallen fast asleep while flipping through a few Sunday morning programs.

"You're finally awake."

"Ah."

"I've been waking you for a while; you really are a heavy sleeper."

Feeling the heat rise to my face in embarrassment, I sat up. Jeong Haejun moved his body, which had been pressed close to mine, back to give me space to get up.

"I wonder how you managed to attend every class when you lived alone."

"There aren't many days with morning classes."

"Is that how you planned your timetable?"

"Yeah."

"You seem to know your own weaknesses well, Hyung. You don't act recklessly."

"I'm not the type to lack self-awareness."

"That's good."

Whether it was because he found it amusing that I knew my place, Jeong Haejun's lips curled into a long smile.

"Then wash up and come out. Let's go."

"Got it."

Come to think of it, Jeong Haejun was already fully prepared to go out. I quickly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After a slightly rushed shower, I put back on the clothes I had worn yesterday. It felt a bit unpleasant, but since I hadn't brought a single change of clothes, I had no choice.

When I opened the door and stepped out, Jeong Haejun was sitting on the sofa with his long legs crossed, looking at his phone.

"Are you ready?"

Having sensed me coming out of the room, his gaze shifted from the phone to me.

"Yeah."

Even though I told myself it couldn't be helped since these were the clothes from yesterday, I felt somehow more shabby standing in front of him. It was because he looked even more polished today. He was only wearing a black shirt and beige pants, yet he looked wonderful.

"Let's go."

Jeong Haejun stood up and strode toward the entrance with his long legs.

The department store on Sunday afternoon was crowded with people. After asking if I had any preferred brands, Jeong Haejun accepted my answer that I didn't have any and moved on his own. Since I didn't have much memory of visiting department stores, I had to diligently follow Jeong Haejun to avoid being swept away by the crowd.

Passing by several stores as if he had a specific destination in mind, Jeong Haejun finally entered one shop.

"Welcome. Oh? You've been coming by quite often lately."

As soon as Jeong Haejun entered, the store employee greeted him warmly, recognizing him. It seemed Jeong Haejun was a regular here.

"How were the clothes you bought last time?"

"They were fine. Clean and the material was good."

"That's a relief. This time, what kind of..."

"Today, please help this person find some clothes instead of me."

When Jeong Haejun gestured toward me with his chin, the employee finally looked my way. It seemed they hadn't even realized I existed. At first, a look of slight confusion crossed their face, as if they hadn't thought we were together, but it quickly vanished.

"Ah, what style is your companion looking for?"

However, as someone in the service industry, they quickly composed their expression and approached me.

"Anything comfortable is fine."

"Would you like to sit here? I'll go help your companion with some clothes. Would you like something to drink?"

While asking me, the employee remained mindful of Jeong Haejun. No, although their body was facing me, it was clear their attention was entirely focused on Jeong Haejun. Jeong Haejun replied by waving his hand as if to say it was fine and sat on the sofa provided in one corner of the store, opening a catalog.

"Yes, then please make yourself comfortable."

The employee, who had responded kindly with a smile to Jeong Haejun until the end, turned back to me.

"Would you come this way?"

Unlike when dealing with Jeong Haejun, the tone and expression were relatively businesslike.

"You don't have a specific style in mind, right?"

"No."

"Are you looking for both tops and bottoms?"

"Both, several sets," Jeong Haejun spoke for me from a distance.

"Yes, I understand."

The employee, answering Jeong Haejun, scanned me once and immediately picked out a few pairs of pants.

"How about these? The material doesn't look like it, but they have stretch, so they'll be more comfortable than they look. It's also a style that many young men prefer these days. I think these would look good if you roll them up slightly, and since your skin is fair, this color..."

"They're all fine."

Thinking it would be better to try them on once rather than listen to all the explanations, I said they were fine. It's not like I'd understand everything just by listening. Since the clothes the employee picked were plain and unremarkable styles, they didn't bother me much, and I thought they were suitable for everyday wear.

"Then would you like to try them on?"

"Yes."

"One moment, I'll bring a few matching tops as well."

I nodded and stood there blankly. As the employee moved away, I saw Jeong Haejun sitting on the sofa. While the employee was busy picking clothes from here and there, Jeong Haejun remained sitting in a poised posture.

Having finished the catalog, Jeong Haejun was now looking at his phone, but he looked up, perhaps sensing my gaze. Because of that, our eyes met. Under that languid gaze, I felt a strange fluttering in the pit of my stomach.

As if he knew how I felt, the corners of Jeong Haejun's mouth curled up slightly, just as the employee returned with an armful of clothes and blocked him from view. For some reason, I felt relieved that Jeong Haejun was suddenly hidden from my sight, and the tension in my body relaxed.

"Try these on together."

"Okay."

I took the clothes the employee offered and entered the fitting room as if escaping.

"They suit you well! How do they feel?"

When I came out in the first outfit, the employee spoke to me with surprised eyes, as if it were unexpected.

"They're comfortable and good."

"Your lines and proportions are better than I thought."

I chuckled slightly because the phrase 'better than I thought' was funny, and the employee, thinking I was simply happy with the compliment, excitedly urged me to try on other clothes.

"Hyung, your skin is so fair that those colors suit you well too."

Jeong Haejun, who had appeared beside the employee at some point, added his comment.

"Right? He's a man, but his skin is so good."

While nodding at the employee's words, Jeong Haejun, who didn't take his eyes off me, told me to come out in other clothes as well.

"Are you just going to stand there?"

"Of course."

I was asking if he intended to watch every time I changed and came out, and it seemed Jeong Haejun did. Hiding my embarrassment, I said okay and stepped back into the fitting room.

After that, I had to go in and out of the fitting room until I was exhausted. Every time I came out in an outfit, Jeong Haejun would evaluate it as 'fine' or 'not so great' and pick the clothes for me. Since I viewed clothes as mere tools to wear when going out, regardless of what they were, I had no major complaints about Jeong Haejun choosing them for me.

In the end, we spent nearly two hours in just one store, and when we left, both Jeong Haejun's and my hands were full of shopping bags.

"Now let's go look for even more comfortable clothes—things to wear around the house and basic clothes. We need to buy underwear for Hyung too. Is there anything else? Tell me if there's anything else you need."

"I think just that will be enough for now."

"Alright."

As Jeong Haejun said, we bought underwear and a lot of basic t-shirts and training wear that could be worn comfortably. There were many clothes Jeong Haejun bought without saying a word. Among them were some I didn't like, but I let it slide, thinking he might have bought them for himself.

Perhaps because we had walked so much, my legs, which had started to ache, were now completely tingling. Just as I was feeling exhausted and wanting to go home, I left the department store with Jeong Haejun. The back seat of his car was filled with shopping bags that had been tossed in.

"You're hungry, right?"

"A little."

"Let's eat first and then go look at phones."

"Yeah, do whatever you want."

I was so satisfied just by the fact that I finally got to sit down that I honestly didn't care what we did. By the time we finished eating at a restaurant not far from the department store and stepped out, the sun was already setting.

We headed straight to a phone store. As soon as he entered, Jeong Haejun roughly picked out the latest phone. Then, without listening to things like additional services or discount benefits, he paid the full factory price and left the store.

Watching him from the side, I found it fascinating how he simply executed what he wanted to do without being tied down by trivial benefits, provided he had the money.

"Are we going home now?"

"Is there anything else you want to do?"

"No, I'm tired."

At my answer, Jeong Haejun gave a soft laugh and replied that we should go home.

"You could sell that phone."

"The cracked one?"

"Yeah, that's a recent model too. You could probably sell it for a pretty good price."

"I won't sell it; I'll keep it as a spare."

If it were me, I would have sold it as a used phone immediately to add even a small amount to my living expenses, but Jeong Haejun wasn't in a position to miss out on such things. Honestly, I didn't know why he would insist on keeping a useless object when he could get money for it, but I nodded as if I understood.

"Traffic is a bit heavy."

"It is."

"If you're tired, get some sleep."

"You're the one driving."

"It doesn't matter; I can just listen to music."

Jeong Haejun spoke kindly and actually turned on some music. I looked at Jeong Haejun's profile as he drove. I wondered if he was a good person, but then there were times he didn't seem so; I simply couldn't pin him down.

Perhaps because I felt at ease knowing I didn't absolutely have to stay awake, my eyes grew heavy as I watched Jeong Haejun's profile. I leaned my body more comfortably into the seat. It seemed that spending the whole day with Jeong Haejun, with whom I couldn't say I had a particularly comfortable relationship, had been quite exhausting, as my eyelids soon closed.

Suddenly, I snapped awake, thinking the surroundings were strangely quiet. I was in the car, and the car was not moving.

"Are you awake?"