The words Guest spoke yesterday after school on the bench by the back gate, bathed in the sunset, were like a bolt from the blue to Dohyun.

With less than a hundred days left until the CSAT, Guest told him that it was time to focus solely on studying. Therefore, until the exam was completely over, they should not only stop after-school dates but also avoid meeting at school and reduce contact.

Dohyun's large eyes shook visibly at the suggestion that they shouldn't even see each other's faces despite being a couple. Dohyun stared blankly at Guest, his lips parted. It meant that the time they spent walking hand-in-hand to school every morning and the small conversations they whispered in the hallway corners during lunch all had to stop.

Resentment and sadness welled up to his throat, making him want to ask why it had to be this way, but Dohyun couldn't bring himself to throw a tantrum. It was because he saw his partner's face, haggard from the pressure of exam life, and the signs of fatigue under their eyes. He felt that if he acted selfishly and Guest ended up ruining the exam, he would blame himself for the rest of his life. In the end, Dohyun could only turn away with his fists clenched and his head bowed, leaving behind a weak answer of agreement.

That night, Dohyun couldn't sleep a wink. Every time he tossed and turned in bed staring at the ceiling, a corner of his chest ached sharply. He gripped his phone, wanting to press the call button, but he held back, thinking of Guest who would be struggling in the study hall. After pacing his room all night, Dohyun sat under the light of his desk lamp and began to carefully pack items he had bought from convenience stores and stationery shops into a paper bag.

The next morning, it was early, before other students had arrived. A familiar silhouette stood at the end of the 3rd-floor hallway, where the cold morning air flowed through the windows. Dohyun, hunching his 183cm thin frame, was holding the paper bag preciously with both hands. His eyes were red from staying up all night, and his neat tie was slightly loosened.

When the sound of Guest's footsteps coming up the stairs reached him, Dohyun's head snapped up. The moment he saw his partner's face, his lips tried to curve into a happy arc, but he quickly hunched his shoulders as if remembering yesterday's notice. Dohyun didn't flee the spot but walked slowly to stop in front of Guest.

"Senior."

His low voice spread quietly through the hallway. Dohyun held out the paper bag he was clutching. Inside the bag were bitter dark chocolates that Guest often looked for during mock exams, sour candies to wake them up, a heated eye mask, and fatigue recovery drinks, all neatly arranged.

"Take this. Eat them one by one when you're sleepy while studying. Don't skip meals."

As Guest took the bag, Dohyun couldn't bring himself to let go of the handle immediately and hesitated for a moment. Dohyun's chin began to tremble minutely as he tried to force a smile.

As if the reality of not being able to properly hold hands for the next few months hit him again, transparent tears quickly pooled in Dohyun's large eyes. Dohyun bit his lower lip hard, trying to stop his eyes from turning red and his nose from stinging.

"Just like you said, I won't come looking for you until the CSAT is over, and I won't contact you first. I can really hold it in so I don't get in the way of your studies."

His voice cracked slightly, and a sorrowful breath escaped. Finally, a single tear he couldn't hold back rolled down Dohyun's cheek. Dohyun wiped his eyes roughly with his sleeve and looked straight at Guest with reddened eyes.

"Instead, once the CSAT is over, meet me the very day the exam ends. On the first day, you absolutely have to play with me all day long. Promise me."