Reading the textbook, Won felt a gaze practically piercing his cheek and finally spoke up.

“Little peach, what should we eat for lunch?”

“Are you going to eat with me? Really? I thought hyung would eat with his friends. Is it really okay to eat with me?”

“I asked one simple question, and exactly how many sentences come back at me?”

At the muttered disbelief, Dohwa shut his mouth tight.

Won smiled mischievously at the reaction and gently tickled Dohwa’s cheek as he added to his thought.

“I don’t actually have many friends. If I had to pick one, maybe Chaei? But she’s… no, wait, is she dating someone right now? Anyway, she’s currently busy meeting another guy, so she definitely doesn’t have the leisure time to play with me.”

“So that’s why you’re eating with me? Because you have no girls around to play with? Hyung, isn’t that a bit much? Did you honestly think I’d be happy to eat with you just because you seek me out when you’re desperate and alone?”

“Yeah.”

“…Well, that’s true. But still, how can you just say it like that? Even if it’s a total lie, wouldn’t it be so much better to say, ‘I’m eating with you because I genuinely like you’?”

“I’m eating with you because I like you, Dohwa. Will you eat with me?”

“Hmph! Yes!”

The sound of his snort was loud, and his answer was even louder. The shout was more than enough to make the other people in the room momentarily glance back at Won and Dohwa.

Won naturally offered a gentle smile toward those looking back, as if silently asking what had happened, while Dohwa played completely innocent as if he hadn’t just shouted a single word.

Only after the others finally looked away did Won mutter softly.

“Wow. Ye Dohwa, your voice is seriously loud.”

“That’s only because you got me worked up, Hyung.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“It’s not that you did something wrong! I’m just telling you that I spoke that loudly because you got me worked up. I’m not normally the type of person who just, like, rambles on and gets worked up so easily.” 

As if he wasn’t even the slightest bit out of breath, Dohwa continued to chatter away. Listening quietly while rubbing his chin, Won tilted his head in thought.

“…I think you are?”

“I just told you I’m not! You purposely make me all excited and then try to say I’m always just like that! I feel so incredibly wronged right now that I feel like I’m actually going to cry. Do you really want to see a grown boy cry?”

“See. I told you that you are.”

At the sly tone in his voice, Dohwa’s entire face flushed pink. Not stopping there, his pale neck and ears also burned red.

Watching that with highly amused eyes, Won turned his gaze forward.

Even amidst this chaotic display, the professor was continuing the lecture as if he were residing in a completely different world. 

True to his strong reputation as a professor who couldn’t care less about his students’ attitudes or attendance records, and who firmly didn’t believe in the concept of student harmony—hence his absolute refusal to ever assign group projects.

“He already skipped past this part.”

Muttering to himself, Won lazily turned a page.

As he stared blankly at the stark black-and-white paper that Dohwa’s hands hadn’t touched yet, a light pink ballpoint pen subtly crept over from the side. 

Even at this little hand slowly creeping out from the side, Won simply chuckled and didn’t attempt to stop him. Instead, he openly pushed the textbook toward Dohwa, as if silently telling him to do exactly as he pleased.

Dohwa grumbled quietly to himself while drawing round little peaches all over Won’s textbook. The number of doodles increased so rapidly that anyone watching would easily think the peaches were somehow self-replicating.

Having willingly handed over his entire textbook to Dohwa, Won simply let the professor’s explanations drift into his ears. 

In truth, because of something he had experienced during his childhood, Won absolutely loathed it when anyone laid a hand on his books.

But strangely enough, it felt entirely okay when Dohwa did it.

Orphan. Liar. Son of a bitch. Devil. Is it because the doodles aren’t those kinds of words?

Because the plump peaches Dohwa drew were so lovely and sweet that it was almost embarrassing to try and compare them to those hateful words.

Won shifted only his eyes to glance down at the completely harmless peach drawings.

“My peach, do you like actual peaches?”

“I like them, but I’m allergic to peach fuzz.”

“I guess it would be a bit funny if a Peach actively ate a peach anyway. But then you can’t easily peel and eat them by yourself.”

“It’s fine if I wear gloves. Honestly, it’s just way more convenient to ask someone else to peel it for me… But my parents were always so busy, so there were a lot of times when there was no one around to peel it. Even so, I felt too bad to ask the housekeeper lady to do it every single time.” 

Dohwa chattered on while happily doodling more peaches. They were personal details Won hadn’t even asked about, but he listened quietly anyway.

Then, he suddenly realized how strange he was acting. Sitting here so peacefully, just listening to a guy chatter endlessly about nothing important.

In fact, if it were literally any other guy, he wouldn’t have even bothered to sit next to them in the first place.

Won stared intently at Dohwa, who was happily chatting away, his plump pink lips moving continuously.

The guy was strikingly, miraculously harmless, and that was exactly why it was terrifying.

Whatever the case, being the very first exception to a rule carried a high probability of not ending well.

What, where, and exactly how is he so different?

Won stared blankly at Dohwa, as if staring long enough would eventually yield an answer. Naturally, there was no written answer waiting to be found on Dohwa’s face.

“Right. He’s a peach, not an answer sheet…”

At the words Won muttered to himself with a faint smile, Dohwa paused and tilted his head.

Muttering that it was nothing, Won gently stroked Dohwa’s chin as if softly tickling it.

At the casual attitude that clearly treated him like a young child, Dohwa pouted. The funny part was that he didn’t actually try to avoid the touch.

Laughing lowly, Won leaned over the desk and let out a small, tired yawn. Dohwa, who had been glancing sideways at him, widened his eyes.

“Are you sleepy?”

“Yeah. Why do you think that is?”

“Because you played games all night?”

“Correct.”

Won let out a low hum, basking in the sunlight that filtered through the window on the wall. Staring blankly at Won as he purred like a cat, Dohwa let out a hollow, dumbfounded laugh.

“Who actually plays games all night long the day right before returning to college?”

“Someone sitting directly next to you, Peachy.”

At the words spoken exactly as if teasing a toddler, Dohwa crumpled his pretty face in annoyance.

At the cute reaction that was practically begging to be teased further, Won laughed out loud while covering his mouth.

“What’s so funny? Hyung always laughs whenever he looks at me. Do I really look that funny?”

As he spoke, he seemed to get genuinely a bit serious, and Dohwa carefully touched his own face with a concerned expression.

It was more than a bit absurd to watch him actively checking his own face while asking if he looked funny.

Looking at Dohwa with eyes that clearly asked ‘what kind of kid is this’, Won took a sharp, deep breath.

“I only hang out with pretty guys. I don’t hang out with ridiculous-looking ones.”

“Isn’t saying you only play with pretty guys something you shouldn’t admit so confidently?”

“I’m handsome to begin with. Isn’t that infinitely better than those people who are ugly but try desperately to hang out only with pretty people? Besides, I only care about looks when it comes to men.”

Won let out a bright smile, stating that all women are beautiful.

Dohwa fully knew he was that kind of shallow person, but strangely, he didn’t really like being that way today.

After hearing Won’s words, Dohwa actively pouted with a highly dissatisfied face.

Won poked the soft, protruding lip and giggled.

“Peachy, you’re really… incredibly cute and funny.”

“Is that meant to be an insult or a compliment? Pick one.”

“Why? I want to do both.”

Narrowing his already long eyes, Won whispered closely.

Just like when he had playfully touched the peach, it felt weirdly stinging and ticklish right near his heart.

Dohwa trembled slightly as his fingers involuntarily curled inward, and he shocked himself entirely with the reaction. 

Dohwa widened his eyes like a deeply startled puppy and quickly pulled his body back.

Watching that reaction, Won offered a smooth smile and asked,

“Little peach. Is there anything specific you want to eat for lunch?”

At the sudden question, Dohwa, who had quickly raised his guard due to the entirely unfamiliar sensation, visibly relaxed. Won chuckled internally at the nervous energy that became perfectly docile in an instant.

Reflexively leaning back toward Won, Dohwa mumbled his answer.

“Is literally anything okay? Then I want to eat a peach.”

“You just said you have an allergy.”

“…It’s only on the fuzz, I absolutely love peaches.”

“Do they even sell fresh peaches these days?”

“Technology is so good now that they probably sell them all year round regardless of the season.”

“You want me to buy them for you?”

“Yes!”

“And who exactly is going to peel it?”

“Hyung?”

Won let out a hollow laugh at the words Dohwa spoke with such a clear, innocent face, simply tilting his head in response.

“In all my life, this will be the very first time I’m peeling a peach for a boy.”

“Are you going to buy it for me?”

“What else can I possibly do when a cute kid says he wants to eat one.”

“I’m not a kid.”

While stubbornly mumbling that he wasn’t a kid, Dohwa stayed perfectly quiet, as if he really, truly wanted to eat the peach.

Looking at that sight with eyes that found it quite amusing, Won casually fiddled with Dohwa’s hair out of pure habit.

The light pink hair had just the right texture to be incredibly pleasant to touch. The fine strands wrapped gently and smoothly around his fingers.

“I think this exact thought every time I see it, but I feel like it would literally melt if I put it in my mouth.”

“Wh-what would?”

“Your hair, Peach.”

Won rambled smoothly, stating that the color looked exactly like it would melt softly, leaving only a lingering sweetness if he dared to put it in his mouth.