I Think The Genre Has Changed - Chapter 120: Transformation

 During the seventh ringtone, the call remained unanswered. Sihyun, who was accustomed to quick responses from Seowoo, tilted his head and realized it was already late at night. He decided to end the call.

Contemplating whether to call again tomorrow, he hesitated and then opened the messenger window. After pressing the keys firmly, Sihyun sent a text message, feeling a mix of relief and complicated emotions. He took a stroll around the neighborhood, trapped in his thoughts, before finally entering his house.

“Pff, pff!”

Now, as if a habit, he embraced the flying Pia that came towards him, took off his outerwear, and lay down on the bed. The conversation with Down played in his mind like a radio. He had confessed the truth, and Down had acknowledged it.

Unable to believe it even after experiencing it firsthand, he absentmindedly petted Pia for comfort. The sensation of fur tickling his skin was vivid. Sihyun interpreted Pia’s affection as a simple request to sleep without overthinking, so he chuckled and got up from the bed, turned off the lights, and lay down.

Yes, there was no need to complicate things again.

The advice he received from Kang Sihyun echoed in his mind like a lecture, and he comfortably lay on the bed, thinking about only the heaviest truth he had confessed and the most challenging reality he had accepted.

***

The buzzing sound of the vibrating phone in his hand subsided after a short while. The eyes that looked down at the phone, now motionless as if in a lie, were calm and did not match the vibrant colors.

Seowoo, sitting on the bed, silently examined Sihyun’s name that appeared as a missed call on the absent call list. After a while, he checked the text message that had arrived.

[Why do you want to partner with me?]

The succinct question in the one-line message was somewhat unexpected. Seowoo recalled the conversation he had with Hamin just a few hours ago.

Hamin had suddenly conveyed a message to wait at home, and after some time had passed, he arrived at his own house. The unexpected part was the reason he gave when Seowoo asked about today’s events.

“I applied to be partners with Kang Sihyun.”

“…What?”

Surprised, Seowoo asked again, and Hamin looked at him with an expression that questioned why it was such a surprising matter. For Seowoo, Hamin’s impulsive action was truly puzzling.

“How did that happen?”

“I wanted to.”

“Haven’t you fought with Sihyun?”

“We reconciled.”

The nonchalant words irked Seowoo. It seemed like the day they went to the beach, the day he had an encounter, smoothly resurfaced. He hadn’t expected Hamin to come out like this. Not anyone else, but Hamin.

“Because of Hahyeok hyung?”

“At first, yes.”

“…That doesn’t sound like it now.”

“Why?”

“It sounds like it’s not about that anymore.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“I think I’m interested in him.”

It was a statement as explosive as a bomb. Despite the casual delivery, the content contained within made Seowoo’s eyes narrow in suspicion.

“What did Sihyun say in response?”

“He told me to think about it.”

With a thud, Hamin sat at the table and, without further explanation, stared intensely at Seowoo with vivid purple eyes. Uncomfortable with the gaze, Seowoo raised his eyebrow and asked why Hamin was telling him this. Hamin either didn’t finish what he wanted to say or had finished his business, as he headed towards the front door.

“Are you just fascinated by Sihyun, like you were with Mrs. Kang?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do I have to explain it in a more disgusting way? You stick to him like glue, and now even your way of talking is becoming similar to Sihyun’s.”

With a disdainful tone, Hamin left the house. Left alone in the silent house, Seowoo had been lost in thought in the dark room from then until now. Seowoo, who stared at the text message sent by Sihyun, slowly scrolled the phone screen with his long fingers.

At first, it was just intriguing. Humans are naturally curious beings, and people are often drawn to those who behave differently from others. It was true that Seowoo found Sihyun interesting for being different from the usual human norms.

He wanted to keep him close for the pleasure of observing. Sihyun’s appearance was sensitive and prickly like a cat, and Seowoo liked the calmness in his voice. Despite his seemingly indifferent behavior, Sihyun showed minimal reaction to things, making it intriguing. However, when Seowoo saw Sihyun gradually setting boundaries, he felt a sense of challenge.

While spending a day quietly beside him, he didn’t like Sihyun actively distancing himself from him. If Sihyun was wary because he seemed mysterious, Seowoo thought he could make him comfortable by acting tender and gentle. However, seeing Sihyun drawing lines, he felt a slight resentment.

Seowoo had thought it would be easy to have Sihyun stick by his side if he adjusted a bit. Contrary to his expectations, Sihyun began to draw clearer boundaries, and Seowoo started to feel a challenge.

A day that was both dull and childish, while being by his side, was not enjoyable because Sihyun persistently kept his distance.

Seowoo had considered adapting more to him, believing that if Sihyun saw him differently, he would behave more favorably. If Sihyun saw him as just a strange guy because of his older brother, Seowoo attempted to present himself as kind and gentle. However, when Sihyun did not respond as expected, he intentionally stirred things up more.

Stubbornness that would only result in deductions was calmly suppressed as he accompanied Sihyun. Observing the two embracing each other while rescuing Ban Haru, he felt uncomfortable. So, with a mocking tone, he asked if there was a past that could stir up sympathy, whether he had a taste for sympathy. The impromptu questions may have seemed difficult even to him, but it was not a futile action without any results. Sihyun denied any connection to Ban Haru and even declared that he didn’t dislike Seowoo.

Seowoo had vaguely guessed that Sihyun’s attitude towards him had become a bit more amiable. Hearing directly from Sihyun’s mouth that he didn’t dislike him felt different. It felt like finally taming a wild cat.

The expression that seemed to say it was absurd was unexpectedly cute. Before, Seowoo found it amusing when Sihyun’s eye smile showed displeasure, but now it felt cute as if a cat was playfully showing affection. Without bothering to think about why it looked cute, Seowoo let him do strange things on the way back from the research lab.

His fingers tapped the phone screen lightly. Seowoo, who reflected on his past with just one text message from Sihyun, confirmed his own traces, closed his eyes, and then opened them.

How did it come to this?

Adjusting himself so much for others, not for the sake of peaceful human relationships, but solely for one person, was an unprecedented event. Feeling interested in someone for such a long time, enduring unpleasant feelings, was also a first.

It was the first time he had not gotten drunk by writing numbers, and the first time he had devoted himself so much to someone. Why was Sihyun the only one in all of his firsts? Thinking about it, Seowoo remembered Sihyun, who could draw even the smallest details of his lashes.

It wasn’t just because he looked pretty when he looked at him.

The desire for exclusivity, as mentioned, was not because Sihyun already had many people like Haru and Hamin around him. Seowoo knew it wasn’t merely due to excessive possessiveness.

It felt good to have him around, and seeing him smile was delightful, making Seowoo want to touch him when he was close. Chalking it up to sexual frustration and dissatisfaction wouldn’t be entirely accurate, considering it was limited to Sihyun alone.

Seowoo, who had been contemplating the reasons for a long time, quietly exhaled. Contemplating emotions he had never thought about before could be exhausting. Seowoo, who silently mulled over what Hamin had said, began composing a reply.

Slowly tapping the keys, he sent a message. The platinum eyes confirming it suddenly softened.

[If you become my partner, will you pay attention to me?]

[Because I thought you hated me.]

[But since that’s not the case, I’ll look forward to the new semester.]

“I might run away again if you go further.”

It was clear that Sihyun was contemplating who to choose as a partner between Seowoo and Hamin. With Hamin and himself in the picture, Seowoo was undoubtedly pondering about it. Sending the message while considering Sihyun’s personality, Seowoo took a deep breath.

He wanted to keep him around, hoped that Sihyun would only look at him, and wished that all of Sihyun’s emotions were related to him. If these emotions could be called affection. If that were possible,

Seowoo liked Sihyun.

After reaching a conclusion, a humming sound flowed out. Seowoo felt a pleasant feeling as he checked the calendar. It was the first time he eagerly anticipated the remaining time until the new semester.

***

With a gentle touch, the figure in the robe knocked down the white chess piece being held. Playing chess alone in a vast and dark space, he turned his head towards the sound of something breaking.

A three-eyed creature was visible in the gradually splitting space. The prison that trapped an ancient prisoner seemed to be shaking precariously, as if about to collapse.

“…Will it last for about 5 more months?”

Perhaps it could be shorter than that.

A heavy murmur settled in the space. He looked towards the chess piece in human form that he had placed a moment ago. The prison, holding the black-haired, blue-eyed chess piece, shook as he touched it with his hands.

“If you die, there will be no hope.”

Turning away with the harsh truth, he raised himself from the chair. As he turned, the black robe fluttered elegantly.

“I guess I need to go meet the boy.”

With the grim statement, the figure disappeared. In the space left behind, the three-eyed creature continued knocking on the prison, and the sound echoed.