Chapter 3

“I can’t breathe!” Haru gasped, his voice half-laughing, half-panicking as Tae Min tightened his arms around him.

“Where were you?” Tae Min demanded, still holding him like he might vanish again. “Why did you suddenly disappear?”

“I said I can’t breathe!”

Tae Min finally loosened his grip—but only slightly.

“You scared me,” he muttered. “You were gone at the pool. I thought—”

“You thought what?” Haru challenged.

“That you left.”

Haru stared at him.

“Didn’t you say you wanted me to leave?”

The words struck harder than Tae Min expected.

Silence settled between them.

“What happened to your new playmate?” Haru asked, his tone carefully casual.

Tae Min looked away. “I got rid of her.”

“Why? I thought you liked playing with her more than me.”

“I made the wrong choice,” Tae Min admitted quietly. “I regretted replacing you the moment you walked out.”

Haru blinked.

“Did you really look for me?” he asked. “Did you go to my house?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t lie about that.”

For a moment, Haru’s expression softened.

Then he suddenly realized something.

“Wait… why are we still hugging?”

Tae Min paused.

He hadn’t even noticed.

“Let’s stay like this,” Tae Min said quietly. “I missed you.”

Haru’s heart skipped unexpectedly.

“Are you sure? We can eat later.”

“Just a little longer.”

There was something different in Tae Min’s voice.

Something fragile.

After a moment, Tae Min spoke again.

“I want to ask you something.”

“Of course.”

Tae Min swallowed.

His heart was beating so loudly he was sure Haru could hear it.

“What am I to you?”

Haru tilted his head.

“What do you think of me?”

The question hung heavily in the air.

Haru didn’t hesitate.

“You’re like my brother. And my best friend.”

He smiled warmly.

Tae Min felt something inside him crack slightly.

“Ah… thanks.”

Haru studied his expression.

“What about you? What do you think of me?”

Tae Min’s fingers tightened slightly on Haru’s sleeve.

“I… can’t answer that.”

“What? It’s an easy question.”

“I just can’t. Not right now.”

Haru laughed lightly.

“It’s fine. I already know.”

Tae Min’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean?”

“You treat me the same way I treat you. You’re protective because I’m like your brother too, right?”

Tae Min forced a small smile.

“Yeah. That’s it.”

But it wasn’t.

And that scared him.

Dinner and Quiet Observations

They went out to eat.

Tae Min brought the food he bought earlier, but Haru insisted on eating Tae Ha’s cooking first.

“Eat well, especially you, Tae Min,” Tae Ha said with a knowing smile.

“Whatever,” Tae Min muttered.

Haru nudged him under the table.

“Be thankful.”

Tae Min glanced at Haru—and smiled properly.

“Of course. Thank you, Mom.”

They ate while watching television.

Haru laughed loudly at the comedy scenes.

Bright. Unfiltered laughter.

Tae Min didn’t pay attention to the screen.

He watched Haru instead.

This is enough, he thought.

As long as he’s smiling like this.

Haru noticed the staring.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re weird.”

“Eat your food.”

But Tae Min couldn’t stop thinking about the earlier question.

Brother.

The word felt too small.

The VR Incident

Later, they played racing games.

Haru celebrated loudly when he won.

Tae Min pretended to be annoyed, but he was smiling the entire time.

Then they switched to VR.

“Zombie apocalypse?” Tae Min suggested.

Haru hesitated. “Easy mode.”

“Sure.”

Tae Min secretly selected hard mode.

He wanted to see Haru react.

At first, Haru was confident.

“This is too easy!”

But soon the zombies came in waves.

Too many.

Too fast.

“Why are they all coming at once?!” Haru shouted.

Tae Min laughed.

“I told you it wouldn’t be easy.”

“No! Stop it! Stop the game!”

“It has to finish first,” Tae Min lied, still amused.

But then—

He noticed water dripping.

Haru was crying.

Real tears.

Tae Min froze.

He quickly removed the headset.

“Why are you crying?”

“I told you to stop!” Haru shouted. “Why didn’t you listen?!”

“I thought you were joking…”

“Don’t touch me! I hate you!”

Those words hurt far more than Tae Min expected.

Haru turned away.

“I’m sleeping.”

He lay down on the couch, facing the wall.

Tae Min stood there, guilt washing over him.

He hadn’t meant to hurt him.

He just wanted to tease him.

Why did everything he did lately end up pushing Haru away?

Popcorn and Distance

Tae Min stepped out and grabbed the popcorn his mother had prepared.

When he returned, Haru appeared to be asleep.

He started a movie quietly.

A romantic comedy.

He didn’t even know why he picked it.

He lay on his bed, eating popcorn slowly.

After a few minutes, Haru stood up and lay beside the bed instead.

“What are you doing?” Tae Min asked.

“I decided not to sleep.”

“Popcorn?”

“Of course.”

They shared the bowl.

Small fingers brushing occasionally.

Neither commented.

“It’s a romance movie,” Tae Min said.

“It’s fine.”

They laughed again.

The earlier tension slowly melted.

After a while, Haru yawned.

“Can I sleep on your bed?”

“Yes.”

They lay side by side.

Haru faced away at first.

“Wake me at 10:30,” he mumbled.

“Okay.”

Within minutes, Haru was asleep.

Tae Min watched him quietly.

The movie played softly in the background.

Then a kissing scene appeared.

Tae Min instinctively looked down.

His heart felt strange.

He glanced back at Haru—

And noticed crumbs on his lips.

Without thinking, he grabbed tissues.

He leaned closer.

Carefully wiping Haru’s lips.

Slowly.

Gently.

Haru stirred.

“What are you doing?”

“I was wiping your lips. They were dirty.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

Haru blinked sleepily.

“What time is it?”

“10:25.”

“I’ll sleep now. Don’t wake me.”

Tae Min hesitated.

“Aren’t you angry I wiped your lips without asking?”

Haru smiled faintly.

“Why would I be angry if it’s someone I like?”

Tae Min’s heart stopped.

“What did you say?”

But Haru was already drifting.

Within seconds—

Soft breathing.

Asleep.

Tae Min stared at him.

“Did he mean that?”

He replayed it in his mind.

Someone I like.

Did Haru mean—

No.

Probably just as a friend.

Probably.

Right?

Tae Min lay back slowly.

But sleep didn’t come.

Instead, his thoughts spiraled.

Brother.

That’s what Haru said.

But Tae Min knew the truth now.

He didn’t feel like Haru was his brother.

He felt—

Possessive.

Jealous.

Protective.

Happy.

Terrified.

All at once.

He turned slightly toward Haru.

Haru had shifted in his sleep.

Their foreheads almost touching.

Tae Min could feel his breath.

“Why do you make it so hard?” Tae Min whispered softly.

He carefully brushed Haru’s hair away from his eyes.

“Don’t call me your brother.”

The words escaped before he could stop them.

Because if Haru was his brother—

Then why did his heart race like this?

Why did jealousy burn when someone else took Haru’s attention?

Why did the thought of leaving him make his chest feel tight?

Tae Min closed his eyes.

But one thought remained.

What if I’m not what he thinks I am?

Outside the Door

Tae Ha stood quietly in the hallway.

She had come to give them more popcorn.

But she paused when she heard silence.

She cracked the door slightly.

Saw them lying together.

Too close.

Too comfortable.

Her expression softened.

But behind her gentle smile, worry flickered.

Because in her pocket—

Her phone vibrated again.

Another message from her husband.

The tickets are confirmed.

Two weeks.

Two weeks before everything changed.

She closed the door softly.

Inside, Tae Min finally drifted to sleep.

His hand resting lightly near Haru’s.

Neither of them knowing—

That soon,

They would be forced to answer

The question Tae Min couldn’t.