Well, Zeno had now upgraded his Anger to Rage.
He didn’t feel anything remotely different about himself. Or maybe it was just the post-tournament hunger. There was some food at the venue, but it all seemed too refined for his taste.
Either way, his social battery had been depleted long before he had stepped out of the arena.
Fortunately, he only needed to climb up the hundreds of stairs before he could finally rest.
Doha stretched his arms and let out a happy sigh. “I miss Maxie so much. We should have brought her.”
“She would have killed someone inside,” Zeno deadpanned.
Minji giggled, then darted ahead. “I’m gonna take a shower!”
“Me too!” Doha shouted, jogging after her.
Zeno watched them go, but then stopped, lingering behind as the others passed. His gaze shifted to Eli, who was a few steps away, adjusting the strap of his bag.
“Eli,” Zeno called.
Eli turned slowly. His face tensed and he narrowed his eyes.”Yeah?”
Zeno rummaged through his duffel bag and pulled out a box, holding it out toward him.
“What’s this?” Eli asked.
“A laptop,” Zeno replied flatly.
Eli scoffed. “Yeah, no kidding. You got it from Daebak, right?”
Zeno nodded. “I need to dispose of it. Take it.”
Eli frowned. “Dispose? Why?”
“Because your laptop sucks,” Zeno said without a hint of irony. “Just take it. I’m not going to use it anyway.”
Eli hesitated, then slowly took it from him. It was heavier than he expected. “Is it really okay?”
Zeno shrugged. “It’s yours now.”
There was an awkward pause between them. Eli turned the box in his hands. He wanted to say thank you, but it felt too formal for the moment. Instead, Zeno broke the silence first.
“Are you with Minji now?”
Eli stiffened. “What?”
“You and Minji,” Zeno said with one eyebrow raised. “You’re together, right?”
Eli’s eyes widened, and his cheeks reddened. “W-what are you talking about?” he stammered.
Zeno merely stared at him.
“You crazy bastard. How did you even know in the first place?”
Zeno shrugged. “You just feel these things. You teased her too much.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” he muttered.
“It does,” Zeno said. “You two will go well together.”
Eli stared at him, surprised. “So… you don’t like her at all?”
Zeno looked off into the empty lot. A breeze pushed his hair back slightly.
“No,” he said softly. “I don’t.”
Eli bit his lip, hiding the smile that threatened to appear on his lips. “Right.”
“Take care of her well, Eli.”
Zeno turned and walked away without waiting for a response, the heels of his shoes echoing softly against the concrete.
Eli stood there with the laptop in his arms, watching his friend retreat into the night like a shadow.
Then, Zeno proceeded to his room. Maxie wasn’t there. She was probably getting smothered by Doha in his unit.
With that, he sat on his bed and wondered.
Minji was pretty. She was cute, too. Her laugh made people want to smile, and she could brighten a room just by walking in.
But Zeno knew something about himself that none of them really understood.
Whatever he was feeling—whatever little glimpse of warmth she stirred in him—it never reached the part of him that mattered.
Because eventually, like everything else in his life…
He would have to leave, too.
And Zeno never let himself grow attached to things he would have to walk away from.
***
Flashback
It was late—far too late for a twenty-year-old to still be flipping through textbooks under the weak glow of a desk lamp. But there he was, hunched over a borrowed workbook, his eyes skimming body parts that were far too detailed. His hand ached from taking notes. His legs had fallen asleep from sitting on the floor for too long.
Behind him, a quiet breath stirred the stillness of the room.
“Joonhyun,” came a soft voice.
He turned.
She stood in the doorway in an oversized shirt, her hair still damp from a quick shower. She looked tired—more than tired, actually—but there was something soft about her expression that made him set down his pen immediately.
“You should rest,” she whispered.
He smiled a little. “You should, too.”
Haeun.
His wife.
He looked past her toward the small crib by the window.
The baby—their baby—was fast asleep. Bundled tightly in the only blanket they owned that didn’t smell like the laundry soap they’d been diluting to make last longer.
“I was trying to catch up on anatomy,” Joonhyun murmured. “The prof said I might be able to test into the advanced placement exam. If I pass, I could shave off a semester.”
Haeun crossed the room and sat beside him, legs folded under her. “You’re going to ace it. You always do.”
“I need to,” he said, looking down at his notes. “We don’t have time to waste.”
The room was small—no bigger than a storage closet in some apartments. The wallpaper peeled near the corners. They shared a mattress on the floor, their clothes stacked in plastic bins instead of drawers. The kitchenette had one pan, two mismatched bowls, and one chipped mug. The baby formula cost more than their weekly groceries combined.
But Haeun never complained.
And neither did he.
Instead, they sat there, side by side, watching the slow rise and fall of their son’s chest as he slept peacefully.
“He’s going to grow up just fine,” Joonhyun said suddenly.
Haeun turned to him. “What?”
“Our little boy,” he continued. “He’s going to be okay.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder.
“He’s going to eat well. We’ll figure it out. I’ll finish school faster, you’ll get that part-time job you applied for—maybe we’ll move to a slightly bigger place.”
“With a real table?” she said, half-laughing.
He chuckled. “Yeah. With a real table. And a kettle that doesn’t short-circuit.”
She smiled, eyes already growing glassy.
“He’ll go to school one day,” Joonhyun continued. “And we’ll cry because he looks so grown up in that little uniform.”
Haeun bit her lip. “Will he be smart?”
Joonhyun looked at her then, eyes soft. “Of course. He’s got your brain.”
“You’re the smart one between the two of us,” she chuckled, throwing her head back.
Joonhyun watched her with a fond look. She had such a beautiful smile.
“Then, he’s got your heart,” he muttered, causing her smile to brighten up even more.
They stayed like that for a while, the silence wrapping around them in gentle waves.
Then, finally, Joonhyun whispered, “I love you.”
Haeun didn’t say anything at first. She just looked at him. Maybe she sensed it—maybe she felt the same heaviness in his voice that hinted at something else. Something he didn’t want to say out loud.
But she kissed his cheek, and with her breath against his skin, she finally said.
“I love you, too.”
And him, for the first time in a long, long time, felt terrified.
Because for once in his life…
He really didn’t want to leave.
But he still knew—
He would have to.