San stared at Myung-dae, his brows furrowing in sheer annoyance.
"You want me to carry him?"
Myung-dae caught his look and burst into a short, raspy laugh, the red flush on his cheeks standing out in the dim light of the living room.
"Do you think I'm going to haul a seventy-kilo drunk dog across the resort grounds? I'm not the one in our band who actively spends his free time lifting weights."
Without waiting for San's counterargument, Myung-dae leaned down and smoothly scooped the sleeping Ha-neul up into his arms.
"Today was actually fun," Myung-dae muttered casually, adjusting his grip on her.
San paused, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he hoisted the unconscious Student Council President over his own broad shoulder like a heavy sack of flour.
"Did Lee Myung-dae just admit we're friends?"
Myung-dae's laughter died instantly.
He snapped back to his usual deadpan expression—though the heavy crimson blush spreading across his cheeks completely ruined the intimidating effect. He stared at San in absolute, heavy silence, letting the awkwardness marinate in the cold room.
San let out a quiet sigh, chuckling to himself.
Classic Myung-dae.
They stepped out of House No. 19 and navigated the snow-dusted wooden footpaths. Jin-hyun was already far ahead, drunkenly staggering toward the main lodgings with Leo still draped over his back like a oversized backpack. The crisp 3 AM air bit into San's face, helping clear some of the lingering alcoholic fog from his brain as he hauled Jun-seo's dead weight.
When they finally reached the porch of the residential villa assigned to Ha-neul, and opposite it was to Jun-seo, Jin-hyun, and Leo, Myung-dae stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"Swap," Myung-dae grunted, gesturing toward Jun-seo. "Give the... give Jun— give the dog to me."
San blinked, looking at him with a strange, skeptical expression.
"Why?"
Myung-dae scoffed, looking away toward the pine trees.
"It'd look extremely weird if one of the girls woke up right now and saw me carrying Ha-neul into her bedroom."
'He actually cares about this shit?' San had to urgently reevalute Myung-dae.
"But if you do it, you're her host brother. It makes sense. Now hurry up and give me this Golden Retriever."
San raised an eyebrow, handing the limp Student Council President over to Myung-dae while taking Ha-neul into his own arms.
'Golden Retriever?' San thought, suppressing a laugh. 'That is officially the most gentle thing I have ever heard Myung-dae call Jun-seo. Still a dog though.'
"I'll take her to her room," San said softly.
Myung-dae nodded, carrying Jun-seo to the opposite house.
He knew Ha-neul was sharing a ground-floor suite with Kang Min-ah, so finding the correct door took less than thirty seconds. He pushed the bedroom door open with his elbow, stepped over girls' scattered bags, and carefully laid Ha-neul down on her twin bed, pulling the thick duvet over her shoulders.
She didn't even stir.
Stepping back out into the quiet street, San realized he was finished way faster than Myung-dae.
He leaned against the bench, taking in the freezing night air.
Looking out across the central path, San surveyed the neighboring houses.
The villa directly adjacent was where Yoo Chae-rin and her Class 2-A friends were staying. Directly opposite it sat the primary administrative lodge—where the seven adults, including Ms. Choi, Mr. Kim, Mrs. Smith, and... Han Min-gyu were housed.
San smirked to himself under his breath.
'He literally volunteered to stay in the faculty house just to be as close to Chae-rin's villa as humanly possible. What people wouldn't do for love,' San now truly believed the absolute, terrifying depth of Min-gyu's devotion to the Visual Arts wing's top student. Living under the exact same roof as four strict teachers just to attend a retreat near her was a level of romance San couldn't even comprehend.
Three minutes passed.
San shifted his weight, glancing at his watch.
'Where is Myung-dae? What is taking him so long just to drop off Jun-seo on the second floor?'
CREAK.
'Mention the devil.'
The front door finally swung open, and Myung-dae stepped out onto the porch, pulling his hood back over his dark hair.
He paused, noticing San standing by the railing.
"Have you been waiting long?" Myung-dae asked, his voice low. "Sorry. Took me a little extra time to get him into bed properly."
San looked at his face.
Myung-dae had a strange, uncharacteristic look in his eyes—a mix of quiet hesitation and something unreadable that San couldn't quite pin down. San figured it was probably just the exhaustion and the absurd amount of mixed alcohol they had consumed over the last four hours catching up to both of them.
"All good," San said, pushing off the railing and zipping up his jacket. "Let's get back before we freeze out here."
Side-by-side, the two of them walked through the silent, snow-covered resort complex, returning to their own dormitory house No. 3 under the glowing winter stars.