by Geli Cake
'I ended up coming in…'
The inside was still a mess. Unpacked belongings were piled up in boxes in the corners, and the floor was covered in dust from the demolished partition walls that used to divide the shop space.
Despite that, the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, and I involuntarily sniffed.
"Huh? Why is the guest here… Mmm! Mmmmph!"
"...?"
What was that?
I thought I heard someone talking behind me, but when I turned around, there was no one there. I frowned, not having seen the feet disappearing around the corner.
'Strange, I definitely heard something.'
I tilted my head, then turned back. The woman who had greeted me earlier came out from the kitchen and handed me a bag.
"Take this and eat. I baked it myself."
She said with a smile. The bread inside the bag was incredibly warm.
"Wow, thanks! I'll enjoy it."
"You used to like… I mean, I'm glad you like it."
"You can speak casually to me."
"…Oh my, oh my! I couldn't possibly."
"...?"
I wondered why she was so startled by my suggestion, but I figured she just didn't want to get too close to me.
'That's understandable.'
A certain degree of distance was necessary between neighbors.
Anyway, I received a gift and returned with bread in hand. As soon as I stepped outside, the system window blocked my view.
[You feel a gaze watching you from somewhere.]
'What's going on? Is it malfunctioning?'
It was getting annoying how it kept popping up at random times. I swiped the window away and opened the door.
"I'm back!"
"So?"
"There wasn't a girl my age there. Maybe she was out?"
"Don't be too disappointed. You'll have another chance to meet her."
"...?"
So, I wasn't even thinking about it, why were they getting so worked up…?
I closed the door with my back as the bread I had received was snatched away by the others. I didn't notice the gaze watching the closing door from above.
─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
Following Chahyun all the way here was a completely impulsive act. He had thrown all reason aside the moment he kicked Chahyun out.
"...."
Haylan spent the entire day watching Chahyun's daily life from the window. He watched him wake up, get dragged out by someone while reading, feed a stray cat, and talk with people. He took in every single one of Chahyun's expressions.
At midnight, he would transform. One night, Haylan masturbated while thinking of Chahyun in that state. It felt awkward and unfamiliar since he had no experience, but he chased the pleasure, moving his hand, recalling what Chahyun had done.
Everything was new to him. He had prided himself on knowing everything about the world, yet he knew nothing about the things most people experienced. Haylan's world had been too narrow.
'Damn it.'
He was afraid someone would see him like this. Was this what they called a stalker? He had been curious about the myriad emotions and thought processes described in books, but if he had known it would lead to this self-loathing, he wouldn't have envied them.
Haylan sighed, realizing he had become one of the types of humans he thought he would never understand.
'I can't sleep.'
The light in the opposite building was off. He had a feeling he wouldn't be able to fall asleep until morning, when Chahyun would wake up and start moving around.
And why was he so hungry on top of everything else? It seemed to be a side effect of his body growing.
"...."
"...."
Haylan went downstairs to look for something to eat and encountered the servants chatting in the kitchen. Unlike the previous house, where the servants' quarters were completely separate, their living spaces overlapped here.
His hair color, appearance, everything was different. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if they would scream "robber!" But their reaction was unexpected.
"Is that… Young Master?"
"Good heavens…"
They stared at Haylan, their mouths agape.
Only Haylan, Chahyun, and the head butler knew about his nighttime secret. However, the servants recognized Haylan immediately, even though they hadn't heard anything from Joe.
"Looking at you like this, you really look just like your mother."
"You really do!"
How could they not recognize him? They nodded in unison, recalling the portraits hanging in Haylan's family home.
The portraits were all that remained of his parents, as photography hadn't existed centuries ago. Looking at the unrealistically beautiful portraits of the couple, they would joke about the painter exaggerating.
'Is that so?'
Haylan recalled his reflection in the mirror and shook his head briefly.
'I don't look like her.'
He wasn't sure. He remembered his mother having a kinder expression…
"You do resemble her. It's surprising."
Actually, it was a faded memory, to the point where he could barely recall their faces.
"I'll return to my normal form when the sun rises."
"I see. It's like magic! By the way, why are you up at this hour?"
"I'm hungry."
They stared at Haylan, who naturally pulled out a chair and sat down, with looks of wonder. They found the strikingly handsome man, who looked like he had stepped out of a painting, unfamiliar, a stark contrast to his usual small and cute appearance.
"It really is our Young Master."
But they quickly realized that Haylan's nature hadn't changed at all. He added six cubes of sugar in his warm milk tea which was no different from his usual behavior. Their Young Master was still there, inside that handsome shell. Even his habit of fidgeting with his fingers before a meal and his discomfort with being stared at were the same.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
He looked embarrassed. They chuckled in response. Haylan no longer felt so distant to them.
The head butler explained Haylan's gradual growth as a spell cast by Chahyun. Some believed it, but others didn't. Even Chahyun himself didn't seem to know the reason.
No one questioned whether it was truly magic anymore. At least, no one could deny that Haylan had changed because of Chahyun.
"Oh, speaking of which, the drink you're having now… the guest brought it as a gift!"
"...He did?"
Haylan's eyes wavered slightly.
See? Something definitely happened between them.
The servants exchanged glances. They had been discussing the possible discord between Haylan and Chahyun before Haylan came downstairs.
"He came to say hello. I almost called him 'guest' out of habit."
"...How did he look?"
"He seemed to be doing well."
He tried to appear indifferent, but he was clearly shaken by the mention of Chahyun.
"Did you two have a fight?"
"Hey, Yur!"
"Are you crazy?"
"How can you ask him that directly…?"
They all gasped at Yur's blunt question. But Haylan, who had been staring into his glass, made an even more surprising statement.
"No, I like him."
"...."
"...."
Oh my…
Meilin exclaimed softly.
'What kind of "like" is that?'
They would have asked under normal circumstances, but Haylan's expression left no room for confusion, so no one asked.
His lavender eyes were deep. The gaze within them wavered. The quiet, sullen boy had, at some point, acquired the eyes of a man in love.
"Does the guest know?"
"…I was rejected."
He turned his head away, his face dejected.
He had confessed and was already rejected? When did this even happen? Did the guest know about this side of the Young Master?
The servants murmured amongst themselves. It was true that Haylan had started opening up to the guest. And their relationship had ended abruptly.
What had happened without them knowing?
"That's why I sent him away. Chahyun can't be with me."
"That's ridiculous! You know how much the guest cares about you."
Even if it wasn't in the same way… She swallowed the rest of her words, feeling like it would only worsen the situation.
"…I'll hurt him."
The milk tea, which had been steaming hot when he first poured it, had become lukewarm.
"I'm afraid of that."
"You're awfully bold to have followed him all the way here, for someone who's afraid."
Yur muttered fearlessly. This time, no one stopped her. It was proof that everyone shared the same thought, even if they didn't say it out loud.
"I won't see him. I don't intend to. I'll just… stay here."
"So you're hiding."
"What else can I do?"
The frightened boy seemed to overlap with the handsome man's appearance.
Haylan's defense mechanisms were strong. Just like always, the moment he felt fear, he tried to hide.
Suppressing his desires was a habit. He had more things he couldn't have than things he could. For Haylan, his very existence was a source of guilt. It was just the defense mechanisms, etched by time, spilling out.
It was a bit difficult to say anything since they weren't unaware of his circumstances. He'd only grown older in years, but when it came to dealing with people, he was more awkward than anyone else present.