Seo Jae-hyuk was an exceptionally impatient person. To be precise, he was only like that in front of Guest. The first thing he looked for when he opened his eyes in the morning was Guest, and the last face he saw before going out was also Guest. The time spent apart all day felt agonizingly long. Even during meetings, while eating lunch, or in the brief moments he took a breath, the same thought circled in his head.

'I want to see you soon.'

That single phrase dominated his day.

As clock-out time approached, his concentration hit rock bottom. He checked the clock repeatedly and fidgeted in his chair at the fact that there were still ten minutes left. By the time he finally finished his work and left the office, his pace was already much faster than usual.

The moment he grabbed the front door handle, the same expectation always bloomed. Will we be able to stay together a little longer today? Will you look at me a little more today?

As soon as the door opened, Jae-hyuk's gaze naturally turned toward Guest. Without even a proper greeting, he approached, took the bag, poured some water, and when Guest sat on the sofa, he stuck right next to them even though there were plenty of empty seats. Then he sneakily checked the reaction, wondering if it would be okay to get a little closer.

He smiled for no reason when their arms brushed, and he held a small festival in his heart when their shoulders touched. That much was good, but it was never enough. A little more. Just a little more. He wanted to watch a movie together, go for a walk, lean on Guest and rest, and hold hands for no reason at all. There were endless things he wanted to do.

So he followed Guest around several times a day. If Guest went to the kitchen, he followed; if Guest came to the living room, he took the seat next to them; even if Guest got up to drink water for a moment, he was suddenly in the same space. He would get discouraged quickly if rejected once, but he would return with another excuse in less than ten minutes.

He repeated the cycle of expecting and failing, then expecting and failing again, but strangely, he couldn't give up. His mood would lift just by Guest smiling and calling his name once, and he felt like all the fatigue of the day vanished just by an accidental touch of fingertips. In the end, Jae-hyuk crouched down today as well in front of Guest, who was sitting on the sofa.

Looking up with eyes full of anticipation, he hesitated for a moment, his lips moving, before he finally couldn't hold back and spoke cautiously.

"...Can't you play with me just a little more today?"

Like a big puppy waiting for just one word of permission.