Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 18: I’ll Let You Stay

“Wait...!”

Tap, tap—hurried footsteps rang out behind him, and then someone grabbed Ha Giyeon’s arm. The sudden grip startled him, and he spun around in surprise.

The one who grabbed his arm was none other than—

“...Let’s go.”

—Son Suhyeon.

Panting as if he’d run hard, Suhyeon looked directly at the stunned Giyeon and spoke.

“I’ll let you stay. So let’s go.”

“...Really?”

He didn’t know why the guy who had just turned him down came back—but the relief of simply having somewhere to sleep came first. Suhyeon, avoiding the sparkle in Giyeon’s eyes, spoke again.

“For just one night... it’s fine. Let’s go.”

“Th-thank you so much!”

Seeing Giyeon beam like he’d just received the biggest gift in the world, Suhyeon turned and began walking ahead. Giyeon quickly moved to follow.

The dark night streets, the cold night air—it was all just like before his regression. But if there was one thing that was different, it was this: on this street, Ha Giyeon was no longer alone. That tiny difference warmed his chest.

A small kindness.

For Ha Giyeon, it was worth more than money.

He looked at Suhyeon’s shoulders, broader and sturdier than his own, and picked up his pace. Suhyeon had long legs and walked quickly, so Giyeon hurried to keep up.

“...”

“...?”

And then, Suhyeon’s pace slowed. Maybe it was just his imagination, but his strides had shortened, allowing Giyeon to walk at his usual pace without rushing.

Aside from my brothers... this is the first time I’ve followed someone’s back like this.

In his memories, he was always chasing after the backs of his older brothers as they ran ahead. It was the same now—he was following behind—but unlike back then, there was no anxiety, no fear that he would be abandoned.

Because Suhyeon felt like someone who would stop and wait for him.

***

Son Suhyeon admitted it.

He was acting strangely. Impulsively—completely unlike himself.

And the reason? Ha Giyeon. Everything had started with that string of coincidences.

It had begun with a school uniform. Then the cafeteria, the part-time job, the secondhand phone deal. The way they kept crossing paths—it was almost suspicious. And then, after the phone sale, he’d just wanted to grab a late bite at a convenience store... only to see Giyeon again. Standing there with a heavy backpack, staring at the lunchboxes.

Didn’t he say he was going home?

He looked even more tired than usual, dark circles shadowing beneath his eyes, his movements sluggish. Anyone would’ve said he looked exhausted.

Sure, he had been busy with work, but this was different. He looked drained.

If he’s home, why isn’t he resting? Why’s he here?

Suhyeon wasn’t the type to care about others. He was barely surviving himself. What good would it do to get interested in someone else’s misfortune? He kept his head down, kept his walls up. That included Ha Giyeon. Or... it should have.

“It's late... aren’t you going home?”

Strangely, every time he stood in front of Giyeon, the words just slipped out.

“Well... the door’s locked...”

“You don’t have a key?”

If he lost his key, couldn’t he just ask his parents to open the door? Or go to a relative’s house? Or a friend’s? Of course, maybe there were other circumstances making that impossible.

Still, Suhyeon felt something off about the way Giyeon answered. His eyes avoided Suhyeon’s, and there was something about it that seemed like a lie—but also didn’t. It was an impossible feeling to explain. He almost pressed further without thinking.

Luckily, the microwave beeped and cut off the moment. As they ate, Suhyeon kept stealing glances at Giyeon’s reflection in the glass.

He had the unmistakable face of a young student. Even with the dark circles and fatigue, he looked like a kid focused on his studies. But beneath the surface, he was nothing like that. His mannerisms and speech were overly polite and mature for his age. He had the kind of face that looked like it should smile easily, but unless he was serving a customer, it was constantly weary.

Maybe that’s why Suhyeon kept noticing him. Why he kept talking to him.

“Do you usually eat at the convenience store this late?”

The unexpected question made Suhyeon instinctively look away.

“...I usually get off work around this time. And it’s just easier to eat here.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

He spoke like someone who’d done it many times before. Without meaning to, Suhyeon’s thoughts started unraveling.

That smile when he hugged the worn uniform he’d exchanged. How naturally he worked his part-time shifts. The satisfied look after selling the used phone. And now, here he was again—late at night, still unable to go home.

There was no way Ha Giyeon’s home life was normal. Maybe he was just jumping to conclusions, or maybe the repeated coincidences made it seem that way. But everything Giyeon did was giving him more and more certainty.

“You can just speak casually with me. Since we’ll keep working together, it might be more comfortable...”

Without knowing the kind of low thoughts Suhyeon had been having, Giyeon said something that innocent. By the time Suhyeon collected himself enough to reply, Giyeon was already cleaning up his tray. So Suhyeon said nothing. He’d been planning to decline anyway.

Speaking casually opened up doors for people to cross lines, ask too-personal questions. Suhyeon preferred keeping boundaries. That was his intent.

From what he’d seen of Giyeon this past month, the kid didn’t seem like the type to ask nosy things. But still, calling each other “hyung” and “dongsaeng” felt off. This current distance was just right.

“Um... sunbae...”

As Suhyeon cleaned his tray, Giyeon still lingered nearby, speaking again.

“If it’s not too much... could you maybe let me stay over? Just for one night.”

What was with him today, saying all these wild things?

The first thought that flashed through Suhyeon’s mind was: Is he trying to cross the line? That instant discomfort rose up like a tide. But then he took in the whole picture—thin hoodie, a backpack stuffed to bursting, a power bank charging beside him. And those red-rimmed eyes, full of anxiousness.

It was clear. Giyeon wasn’t in a good place.

“...That might be difficult.”

But that was his limit.

Suhyeon wasn’t in any position to help or pity others. Living in a crumbling hillside apartment, he didn’t have the means to offer anyone a place to stay. Even if this kid was in a similar situation... he at least had someone. Parents. A home.

“No, it’s fine. I’m really sorry for asking all of a sudden.”

Giyeon gave a small, resigned smile and hurriedly packed up his things before rushing out of the convenience store.

Suhyeon stared after him in surprise.

“I didn’t mean for him to... run off like that...”

It felt like he’d just kicked him out. A strange guilt lingered. Sighing, Suhyeon gathered his things. As he reached for his bag, something on the ground caught his eye.

“...?”

A pair of gloves lay beneath the chair where Giyeon had been sitting.

Cheap, two-thousand-won gloves you’d find at a discount store. Suhyeon picked them up. Gray knit. He remembered seeing Giyeon wear them on the way home from work. He was sure they were his.

I’ll just give them to him at work tomorrow.

The gloves were worn out, covered in pilling, with the thread unraveling at the seams. One fingertip had even burst open. Just cheap gloves—but they stirred something in Suhyeon’s memory.

A holey pair he used to wear while delivering newspapers in the freezing winter.

“...Haah.”

Suhyeon finally admitted it. The reason he kept noticing Ha Giyeon—why his eyes kept following him—was because he reminded him of his younger self.

He slung on his bag, stuffed the gloves into his pocket, and rushed out of the convenience store.

“Did he already leave...?”

He’d run out so fast that Suhyeon feared he was gone—but then he spotted a figure not far away, walking with slumped shoulders and a worn black backpack.

That image screamed: nowhere left to go.

“...”

Suhyeon clutched the gloves tight and sprinted toward Giyeon. Grabbing his arm with a firm grip, he spun him around. The boy’s thin, muscle-less arm fluttered in his grasp, and he turned, eyes wide, cheeks and nose flushed red from the cold.

“Let’s go.”

“...Huh?”

“I’ll let you stay. Just for tonight. Come with me.”

Giyeon’s big eyes shimmered with disbelief. The same person who’d just said no was now holding his arm. He looked stunned.

“Th-thank you so much!”

Suhyeon turned his head, watching that beaming, foolish smile.

What a dumb grin...

He had the rude thought as he started walking. He almost handed over the gloves but shoved them back into his pocket instead.

They’ve got holes anyway... he’ll probably buy new ones.

Hopefully, he would.

Feeling the boy trailing behind him, Suhyeon slowed his steps. Their pace now matched. They’d probably get home later than usual, but it didn’t matter. It was already late. He glanced back at Giyeon.

...How [N O V E L I G H T] will he react?

Would he be shocked at the state of Suhyeon’s rundown home? Would he gossip behind his back? It wasn’t like a month was long enough to really know someone.

But Suhyeon wanted to believe. ƒrēenovelkiss.com

That Ha Giyeon was different. That he was kind. That he was genuine.

***

Tangled power lines, trash scattered across the ground, a stench lingering in the air.

A steep, sloping alley.

Compared to the house he lived in now, this place was beyond comparison.

This looks familiar...

A flickering streetlamp that blinked on and off.

Giyeon glanced around carefully. It wasn’t the filth of the neighborhood that surprised him—it was the eerie sense of familiarity. They climbed cracked concrete stairs and turned a corner, where a rusty green metal gate stood.

Suhyeon stopped.

“This is it.”

Giyeon lifted his head, looked around—and froze.

No wonder it felt familiar. The graffiti on the walls, the shape of the house, even the color of the bricks.

He knew it all.

Because this was the very house he’d lived in before he died and regressed.