Dirty Switch

In the meantime, Haechi had moved its nest from the bustling streets of Jongno to the quieter district of Buam-dong. Thanks to a sudden flood of donations and surprisingly successful revenue projects, they were able to purchase a decent building. The unused floors were leased out, allowing them to rake in additional profit. It was a rare example of a volunteer organization not suffering from financial difficulties.
The association's new home, with a full view of Namsan Tower, was immense. No matter what it was—everything felt grand.
Shared spaces like the conference room and lounge had been expanded, a cafeteria accessible to visitors was added, and even the coffee machines and wall clocks sparkled with newness. Every corner was brimming with comfort and refinement.

And yet, Joo Taehyun found himself occasionally missing the old office in Jongno.
The moment he and Seo Baekhan had leaned against the railing during the founding ceremony, silently gazing out through the glass wall. The quiet murmur when Baekhan, reining himself in, muttered that his perspective was still too narrow. His low, cracking voice steeped in fatigue, and the bubbles from the champagne rising from the very bottom. Every little detail like that.
“Welcome, member.”

“Hello.”
The year-end party was held in the newly opened lounge. With the tables moved to the side and even the hallway opened up, it was certainly packed, but not to the point of feeling cramped.
Most importantly, today's party was to be held primarily for Haechi’s full members. A few key external guests would be invited, but this time, even those who were donation-only members had been excluded.

For someone like Joo Taehyun, who disliked crowds, this was a relief—but it also meant he’d have to survive the entire event on his own. Neither his parents nor his siblings would be by his side tonight.
Granted, ever since he turned seventeen, he’d occasionally attended external events on his own. But those had only required him to show his face and leave. He’d never spent a long evening engaging with this many people. So even before he left the house, Joo Taehyun had felt nervous.
‘You’re really going in that? Isn’t that too plain?’

‘I thought it’d be too much to dress flashy on my own. I prefer something more moderate.’
Once again, his parents had offered a custom-made, luxurious tuxedo—but this time, he politely but firmly refused.
He knew full well that seeing their youngest son speaking his mind and even slipping into formal speech would fill his parents with both pride and a subtle ache. But he couldn’t remain their three-year-old baby forever. Whether he went to Washington or to Pyongyang, the day was coming when he would leave the family home. They all needed to start adjusting to a life without each other.

Taehyun stuffed the name tag and badge he received at the entrance into his pocket and headed for the edge of the lounge. A spot where he could see whoever entered but remain as inconspicuous as possible. It was a place he often retreated to during events.
“Oh, Choi Yeonjun. Long time no see. You’re still hanging on? I’m surprised they haven’t kicked you yet.”
“Shit, if I got kicked out for not meeting standards, Baekhan would literally kill me. I already have to slave over that mother-of-pearl project until year-end...”

“Right, Woojin’s officially in now, huh?”
“Really? He dropped out of grad school?”

“No, just keep this to yourselves. Apparently, he was kicked out.”
Arriving relatively early had its perks—he got to watch everyone else trickle in. It was amusing. If it was someone he knew, he quietly felt happy inside. If it was someone he didn’t care about, he’d just exhale a long sigh through his nose.

Then, after a while—
“Oh, Baekhan-ah.”
At the sound of someone calling Seo Baekhan with warmth, everyone in the lounge instinctively turned toward the entrance.

Even Joo Taehyun, curled up in the corner, peeked out to catch a glimpse. That said it all.
The entire crowd in the lounge, moving in unison—no one had orchestrated it, but all at once, the room fell into silence, utterly focused on one person.
No one knew why.

Now twenty-four, Seo Baekhan entered just as he always did—on time, unannounced, never loud. His handsome face was the same as ever, and nothing about him had changed dramatically.
But somehow, tonight, there was something about him that pulled people’s eyes more than usual.
Was it because he wasn’t in his usual semi-casual outfit, but instead dressed in a sharp, classic suit? It had been a year since he dressed like this—last year’s year-end party, to be exact.

He’d only gone from twenty-three to twenty-four. He’d be twenty-five soon, sure, but he still belonged to the mid-early twenties group.
And yet—unlike the day they’d first met when he wore a traditional overcoat, or the Haechi founding ceremony when he’d worn a form-fitting, elegant suit—tonight’s look was clean, unembellished, and almost rugged. And that simplicity made him look...
Dangerously sensual.

Taehyun knew how embarrassing this sounded, even ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) in his own head. But there was no other way to describe it.
Sensual. Carnal.
In a word, tonight’s Seo Baekhan looked... hot. A lot.

He looked like someone who’d grant you permission to want him—as much as you could, as deeply as you dared.
“Ah, uh... Baekhan... long time no see.”
Apparently, Taehyun wasn’t the only one who felt that strange energy. Everyone who’d been stunned silent now cleared their throats awkwardly and quickly looked away.

“What? Were you guys talking shit about me?”

Baekhan gave a faint smile, wondering why everyone was reacting like that.
“Nah, just... today you’re, uh…”

“Today I’m...?”
“Ah… you look great. Yeah. Really great.”
“What’s with the sudden praise?”

From the corner, Joo Taehyun clenched the edge of his dress coat and silently recited the names of the schools he’d been accepted into.
Whatever happened, he wasn’t going to the East Coast. If he studied abroad, it’d be the West Coast. If he stayed domestic, it had to be Pyongyang University. Wherever he ended up, it would have to be somewhere that gave him a reason to cross paths with Seo Baekhan.
Even if he’d ask for career advice as a formality, no matter what Baekhan said, Taehyun had already decided: he would do everything he could to linger around him.

Just like he’d promised himself when he was younger, Joo Taehyun was doing his very best to love Seo Baekhan.
The affection he’d come to realize only later wasn’t fading in the slightest. He’d thought that if he just poured his heart out, the feelings would eventually wear off—but every time he thought he was moving on, life found a way to bring them together again. And with every encounter, his feelings only grew deeper.
He wanted the real Seo Baekhan—not the one in news headlines or online posts—to shatter his fantasies. But the more they spoke, the more that illusion solidified. That mirage now had form and substance. It had become too solid to break.

As his sister Yoonwoo once put it: at this point, it wasn’t rose-tinted glasses—it was a pair of glasses made of reinforced steel shaped like rose petals.
“Hey, Baekhan.”
“Oh, Haram-noona.”

“Um, you’re not busy right now, are you?”
“Well, I just got here, so... not exactly busy yet. Why?”
“Then... could we talk? I have something I want to tell you…”

Joo Taehyun, who had been quietly listening in on Baekhan’s direction, froze.
Wait. This felt... like a confession.
It wasn’t unusual for someone to call Baekhan aside like that at a year-end party. On average, there were at least three or four people each year. Given how small the Haechi member pool was, that wasn’t a minor number.

But tonight, someone had approached him the moment he walked in. This was a faster move than usual.
“Hmm... sure, if it’s just for a bit.”
Whenever a woman asked to speak to him first, Seo Baekhan would at least give her time. Taehyun didn’t know what he said in private, but Baekhan would never humiliate someone publicly, especially not someone who clearly liked him.

Even though he was obviously going to reject her. If he wasn’t going to accept, why even listen...?
Taehyun hated how Seo Baekhan was kind and polite to everyone. And yet, he also liked that Baekhan didn’t let just anyone truly get close.