— "I’m the one inviting you, so I should pay."
— "Ah... I see. Thanks."
It was a kind of consideration Heemin hadn’t even thought of. It wasn’t just his build that made him seem mature beyond his years. Now, he was beginning to understand why everyone liked him so much.
They walked to the very back of the bus and took the second-to-last seat. Heemin set his bag down and reached out to close the slightly open window. The warmth of Iheon’s leg pressed against his own, and the clean scent of soap brushing past his nose only heightened the awkwardness.
It had been a long ti since Heemin had spent ti alone with soone outside of his family. He had no idea what to say. Staring absently out at the bleak cityscape, he was caught off guard when Iheon spoke again.
— "Do you like hamburgers or pizza more?"
— "Huh?"
— "Which one do you prefer?"
— "Pizza?"
Not long ago, his eldest sister’s boyfriend had visited their ho. Trying to make a good impression on the family, he had brought a huge bag of expensive handmade burgers. The whole situation had been so awkward that Heemin had barely been able to eat, and in the end, he’d suffered from indigestion.
It had been days before his stomach fully recovered. Now, even just hearing the word hamburger made his gut churn, and the thought of that sour, greasy sll made him nauseous.
Compared to that, pizza was a rare treat—sothing he could only eat a few tis a year because of the price. Without hesitation, he picked pizza. Iheon, who had been watching him intently, nodded and muttered:
— "Sa."
— "Oh, really?"
— "Yeah. Pizza over burgers, any day. You’ve got good taste."
At first, Heemin had been confused about why he was asking, but now it seed like Iheon had just been trying to start a conversation. With a shared topic, the awkwardness between them lted away, like snow dissolving under spring rain.
Cha Iheon wasn’t soone who talked a lot. But there was sothing weighty in every word he spoke—sothing that made people want to listen.
After that, their conversation flowed naturally, carrying them all the way to their destination. For the first ti, they talked like ordinary friends.
— "Wow. You live here?"
Iheon’s ho was in a luxury high-rise on the main boulevard. The mont they stepped through the entrance, Heemin’s jaw nearly dropped. The building was newly constructed and had an exterior so unique that it set it apart from standard apartnt complexes.
It was a world away from the cramped semi-basent unit Heemin lived in with his family.
Past the security checkpoint, they took the elevator up. When Iheon pressed the button for the top floor, Heemin expected the ride to take forever, but to his surprise, the doors slid open at the 50th floor in no ti.
— "Excuse for intruding."
— "No one’s ho. Just co in."
Heemin stepped inside hesitantly, slipping off his shoes. The sleek, modern interior and the breathtaking view from the floor-to-ceiling windows filled his vision.
— "Your house is amazing."
The pristine white floors and walls, bold-colored furniture, neatly placed potted plants, and a massive grand piano nestled in a corner of the spacious living room—it was all too surreal.
Everything about it was fascinating. He didn’t even feel envy—just pure amazent.
Looking around in awe, Heemin suddenly had a thought. His expression turned serious as he voiced his concern.
— "But if you trip, it’s gonna hurt a lot."
The floors weren’t covered in vinyl or carpet—they were solid marble. If he ever had to run away from his sisters and tripped here, his head would crack open for sure. The ntal image was terrifying.
Hearing that, Iheon let out an amused chuckle.
— "What do you want to order?"
He handed Heemin his phone. The screen displayed the DoXno Pizza website.
— "I... don’t have any money."
Ordering pizza ant spending at least ₩10,000. That might not be much for soone who lived in a place like this, but for Heemin, it was his entire allowance for ten days.
— "I’ll pay."
— "No, you don’t have to. You already paid for the bus."
— "Just pick one."
— "...Still—"
— "I only called you over because I had no one to eat with. Eating alone is lonely. And you looked hungry."
Heemin had assud Iheon just wanted to borrow his notes. But now, hearing this unexpected reason, he blinked up at him in surprise.
Everyone wanted to be around this guy. It didn’t make sense that he had no one to eat with.
Tilting his head in confusion, he suddenly rembered sothing—earlier, when Iheon had asked if he went to an academy.
Oh. It’s because all his friends are at their cram schools.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Most kids spent their evenings attending private lessons for English or math. Even if they wanted to hang out, they simply didn’t have the ti.
— "You don’t go to an academy?"
— "?"
— "Yeah."
— "I quit. Today."
Iheon answered lightly. It seed like he wanted to celebrate his newfound freedom by taking it easy for once.
Looking over the nu, Heemin carefully chose the cheapest option.
— "Then... this one."
— "Alright. I’ll order it."
Iheon retrieved his phone and tapped the screen a few tis to finalize the order. His movents were practiced, almost routine—it was clear he frequently ordered delivery.
From the hallway, Heemin had noticed a frad family photo. It only had three people: Iheon, and what appeared to be his parents.
There were plenty of tis when Heemin wished he were an only child, especially when his sisters tead up to scold him. But no matter how much they annoyed him, whenever he was ho alone, the silence was unbearable. He would end up sitting by the door, waiting for them to co back.
Maybe that was why Iheon had brought him over, despite them never having spoken before. The more people surrounded you, the more profound the loneliness when they were gone.
— "Want to play a ga while we wait?"
Iheon retrieved a gaming console from his room and hooked it up to the TV. It was one of those expensive models often considered a toy for adults.
— "I’ve never played one of these before."
— "I’ll teach you how."
Handing Heemin a controller, he patiently guided him through the buttons, explaining how each one worked.
Maybe it was because he was the class president, but Iheon didn’t get frustrated even when Heemin struggled. He simply waited for him to get used to the controls, offering quiet encouragent.
He had his stubborn monts, but he was a genuinely good guy.
One round of a soccer ga, and ti flew by like an arrow. The awkwardness was completely gone.
By the ti the pizza arrived, Heemin wasn’t even eating the one he had picked out—Iheon had ordered a fancier one loaded with toppings. They ate together, chatting like old friends.
— "Why do you always go to the library during lunch?"
Iheon suddenly asked after finishing the last slice on his plate.
— "Huh? How do you know I go there every day?"
— "I saw you once. I was there to borrow a book."
— "Oh."
Heemin was probably the only student in the entire school who spent lunch in the library. Most kids were either outside playing basketball or soccer, or in the classroom chatting.
If soone like Cha Iheon had gone to the library, people would have noticed imdiately.
He must have been so absorbed in his book that he hadn’t noticed Iheon at all. Resisting the urge to ask what he had borrowed, Heemin answered honestly.
— "If I stay in the classroom, the sll of food makes too hungry."
— "You don’t eat lunch?"
— "My mom’s busy with work, so I don’t want to ask her to pack a lunch. And buying lunch every day is too expensive."
At first, he had considered bringing just rice and kimchi. But that would an washing the containers every day, which his sharp-eyed sisters would definitely notice. They’d ask him why he was suddenly bringing lunch, and the conversation would eventually reach their mom, adding another burden to her plate.
So, in the end, he had chosen to go hungry.
— "Want to ask my aunt to pack an extra lunch for you?"
Iheon leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
— "There are only a few days left before the cafeteria reopens. It’s fine."
— "It’s not fine. It’s noisy."
— "...Oh. Sorry."
His blunt statent montarily left Heemin at a loss for words. He cleared his throat and set down his unfinished pizza slice. Without a word, Iheon handed him a cup of cola.
— "My aunt always makes too much food. It’s better to eat it than let it go to waste. From now on, have lunch with ."
A gentle smile accompanied his words.
The curve of his lips, the soft crinkle at the edges of his eyes—the kindness in his gaze was unmistakable.
Taking a sip of the soda, Heemin felt the crisp carbonation cool his dry throat.
— "Thanks... for thinking about ."
It had been a long ti since soone had shown him kindness like this.
Whether it was out of duty as class president or simply because of leftover food, he didn’t know. Either way, he was now indebted to him.
He’s actually a much better guy than I thought.
Heemin decided then and there—he would do his best to maintain a good friendship with Cha Iheon.
He downed the rest of his cola in one go.
— "So, do you live with your aunt?"
— "Ah. ...Ms. Ahn, actually. She works for our family."
For so reason, when he said her surna, his voice faded, as if soone had pressed the mute button.
— "You eat well. Have so more."
Iheon placed another slice of pizza onto Heemin’s plate, this one drenched in hot sauce and garlic dipping sauce.
— "You should eat too."
— "Yeah."
Maybe it was because he had been starving for so long, but the taste of this pizza left a deep impression—one he’d never forget.
If soone ever asked him what his favorite food was, he’d answer without hesitation: Pizza.
* * *
Ding-dong.
A sudden doorbell chi jolted him awake.
His eyes opened to a room filled with glass, marble, and steel—a sleek, lifeless space devoid of warmth.
This was nothing like the cozy ho of his childhood friend.
This was the world of Crimson Veil.
This was Cha Iheon, the cri lord’s house.
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