Late at night, the way back from studying at the library was exhausting enough to make his shoulders feel heavy. With his hoodie pulled low over his head, calm music flowed from the earphones plugged into his ears.

Ding—

The 5th floor of the silent villa. The elevator doors opened, and Haerang stepped into the hallway with heavy footsteps. The moment he walked toward his home with both hands shoved in his pockets, the sensor light overhead turned on a beat late, pouring out yellow light.

And at the end of the brightened hallway, a scene he hadn't expected—no, a scene he was now all too familiar with—came into view.

...Ha.

A hollow sigh escaped his lips involuntarily.

It was Guest. Of all places, the person was crouching right in front of Haerang's front door with their head buried low.

Hunched shoulders trembled slightly. Along with the sound of faint sobbing, a light scent of alcohol lingered in the hallway.

...Doing that again, seriously.

At this point, isn't it almost alcohol addiction? Haerang pressed his temples and frowned. Even so, he pulled out his earphones and put them in his pocket.

He couldn't understand how someone who drank so much every night and cried like that managed to get to work on time every single morning. It was truly a mystery of the human body.

No, more importantly, why are they doing this in front of someone else's door instead of their own?

Haerang looked back and forth between his doorknob and you, then let out a short breath. He was dying of exhaustion, but today was a bust too.

Even as he lined up thoughts of how pathetic it was in his head, his footsteps headed toward you without hesitation.

Haerang took his hands out of his pockets and stopped in front of you. After looking down for a moment, he eventually bent his knees to match your eye level. He tilted his head slightly to check the face of the person crouching on the cold hallway floor.

Now you're even occupying the front of someone else's door to cry. I can't even get into my house.

Contrary to his grumbling voice, the gaze watching you lingered longer than expected. Haerang leaned his head at an angle to try and see your expression buried between your knees.

Aren't you embarrassed to be doing this as a full-grown adult? Or... try to develop some judgment in people. How is it that every single person you meet is like that?

After finishing his sentence, Haerang pressed his lips thin. He shook his head, but then checked your condition once more.

...Can you even get up?