By Zephyria As if it were a habit, Lee Do-hyeon opened his eyes early in the morning, immediately took a shower, and went to the kitchen to make coffee. He sat at the table, fully enjoying the aroma of the dark roast coffee, and checked his phone as usual. He kept looking at his phone, afraid of missing a call from Ryu Jeong, but as if to mock Lee Do-hyeon, the only names displayed on his phone were those of Chief Yoon and the secretarial staff.
Frankly, finding out Ryu Jeong’s contact information would have been a piece of cake. Nevertheless, the main reason he decided to wait patiently for a call was that he didn’t want to make Ryu Jeong feel uneasy. If he called first with a number he hadn’t been given, Ryu Jeong might get scared and run away. He wanted to call Chief Yoon right away and demand Ryu Jeong’s contact information, but he mustered his patience and held back.
Lee Do-hyeon sighed in disappointment and checked the schedule that Chief Yoon had sent him the day before. He had scrolled about halfway down the tablet screen when the phone he had placed next to him vibrated briefly. He had received a message.
“…What is this?”
Lee Do-hyeon checked his phone casually, and a surprised murmur escaped his lips. It was because of the content of the message that had just arrived.
CEO. Hello. This is Ryu Jeong.
Lee Do-hyeon slammed the tablet he was looking at and immediately focused on his phone. Then, he read the single message over and over again. It was amazing how the cautious and kind tone he had when speaking face-to-face could change so stiffly. It was written like a Korean textbook, with a period at the end of every sentence, and the stiff tone made him feel like it wasn’t like Ryu Jeong at all. He felt that way even more because he wasn’t looking at his face.
It felt foreign, yet it was also a message that made sense when he thought of Ryu Jeong writing the address. Unlike other kids his age who lived with their phones glued to their hands, Ryu Jeong moved his hands awkwardly, as if he hadn’t been exposed to new technology for very long. Come to think of it, Ryu Jeong had never looked at his phone in front of him.
Lee Do-hyeon looked at the screen with warm eyes and moved his finger to save Ryu Jeong’s number. Normally, he would have saved it with the other person’s full name, but for some reason, he didn’t want to.
Is it because his name is only one syllable? Lee Do-hyeon tapped the screen with his well-groomed nails, pondering, and then moved his finger as if he had made up his mind.
Jeongie
Phone 010-XXXX-XXXX
If he added his surname like the other people saved in his phone, it would look like a common name because it was a single-syllable name. If that was the case, he thought it would be better to just save his name without his surname, so he decided to save it as Jeongie.
Lee Do-hyeon was about to reply, but he didn’t write a message and immediately pressed the call button. It was because it was a morning when even moving his fingers was a hassle, so he used that as an excuse for his actions.
Hello, hello?
“You answered right away.”
Ryu Jeong’s voice was heard after about two rings. Lee Do-hyeon’s eyes widened slightly because he didn’t expect him to answer so quickly. An awkward voice came from the other end of the line.
Ah, yes… I was looking at my phone the whole time.
“The whole time? Why? Were you waiting for a reply?”
N-no, that’s not it…
He was disappointed that he said no. Couldn’t he at least say that he was waiting? He felt childish, but he didn’t show his disappointment and waited quietly for him to continue, and Ryu Jeong hesitated before telling the truth.
I’m slow at typing text messages…
“…Ah, so you were writing that because you had more to say?”
Yes…
He couldn’t help but laugh when he thought of Ryu Jeong concentrating on writing a message with a frown on his face.
Ryu Jeong’s fingers were slender and white, unlike those of someone who worked every day. If you turned his hand over, there were patches of eczema here and there, but overall, it was a pretty hand. When he thought of the night when that hand carefully embraced and caressed him, his lower abdomen throbbed. Lee Do-hyeon, relieved that Ryu Jeong wasn’t in front of him, asked in a nonchalant voice.
“What were you writing? Do you need a labor attorney?”
No. I just wanted to tell you that it was resolved…
“Ah, so you had a good talk with that CEO.”
Yes… Fortunately, nothing happened. The police officers found that there was no one there when they passed by…
“But you left the store without saying anything. Didn’t you get scolded?”
A little… but it’s my fault, so it’s okay. I didn’t get scolded much.
He wanted to tell him that the Heat cycle wasn’t anyone’s fault, but Ryu Jeong would definitely insist that it was his fault. Lee Do-hyeon smiled bitterly and comforted Ryu Jeong in a tone that was different from his expression.
“That’s a relief. I was worried because you seemed so worried. I’m really glad.”
Yes…
He seemed to be smiling as he answered. It wasn’t clear, but there was definitely a smile in his voice. It seemed that what he said about the matter being resolved was not a lie. He felt better just because he was smiling.
“So what are you doing now? Are you off work?”
Lee Do-hyeon turned his head to check the wall clock. It was still early, not even 7 a.m. He vaguely remembered hearing what time he worked when he worked the night shift before, but he couldn’t remember exactly. When he thought about how he had just gone to find him and waited endlessly, he now thought it was reckless.
Ah, no… I have about an hour left before I get off work.
“Jeongie must be tired. But you don’t seem busy if you’re talking on the phone like this.”
It gets a little quieter once it gets busy and then slows down. I’m okay…
The other side of the line became strangely quiet, as if he had gone somewhere. If there was any place to go inside the convenience store, it would be the space where Ryu Jeong had collapsed due to the Heat cycle. It seemed to double as a rest area, but when he thought about it, the hygiene in that place, which was no different from a storage warehouse, was terrible. It wasn’t a place for people to rest, and it wasn’t a suitable space for storing inventory, which was its original purpose.
Lee Do-hyeon didn’t like the fact that Ryu Jeong went in and out of such a place without a second thought, but the cautious question that followed made him feel better as if nothing had happened.
Are you okay, CEO? It’s so early… I was worried it might be rude…
He didn’t know who was worrying about whom. Lee Do-hyeon got up from his seat and leaned back on the living room sofa. He tilted his head back comfortably and looked up at the ceiling. As he looked at the pure white wallpaper, he couldn’t help but think of Ryu Jeong’s white face.
“I always wake up early anyway. Shouldn’t you be looking after yourself more than me?”
Why me…?
“You seem to sleep a lot in the morning.”
Huh? Me…?
“You couldn’t get your act together and were sleeping in the morning? I cleaned up the mess in the room while you were sleeping, and I wiped off all the semen on your body… Ah, come to think of it, what did you do with what was left inside? You didn’t take out what you shot at the end and just went around like that. I just remembered that as I was talking. I’m sorry. I should have taken care of that. I scraped out what I shot in the morning…”
T-that’s…
Ryu Jeong gasped for breath in between as Lee Do-hyeon poured out words without giving him a chance to interrupt. He couldn’t listen anymore and cut him off in a loud voice. His voice, which trailed off as if he was flustered, sounded very embarrassed. Lee Do-hyeon was smiling mischievously, but he didn’t show it and asked persistently how he did it.
“It’s said that it hurts if you keep it in there for too long.”
-I, I took it out…
His voice was very small, as if he was embarrassed.
“Ah, really? That’s a relief. Good job.”
He took it out on his own. If he asked him how he took it out, he might cry. Lee Do-hyeon decided to refrain from doing so, thinking that it was fun to tease him. He couldn’t let him cry when he hadn’t even gotten off work yet. More than anything, he didn’t want to leave him crying where he couldn’t see him. Even if he was listening to his voice while talking on the phone now.
“Did you take the pill?”
Yes… right after I got home.
“That’s good too. They say there might be side effects, but you don’t seem to have any signs of that?”
Not yet… I don’t think so.
“There shouldn’t be any in the future. If you feel like something’s wrong with your body, don’t suffer alone and tell me right away. Got it?”
…Yes…
He felt bad that he had momentarily lost his judgment and made Ryu Jeong feel uneasy. He would have felt a little better if Ryu Jeong had blamed him. Knowing that Ryu Jeong would think it was his fault and never change his mind, Lee Do-hyeon repeatedly told him to tell him. Even then, he wasn’t relieved and vowed to meet Ryu Jeong often to check on his condition.
A-and, the meat and fruit you sent…
“Ah, that. That’s right. I forgot about it. Did you enjoy it? I didn’t know what to do because you weren’t home, but I left it there.”
Just as he thought the atmosphere had become awkward for some reason, Ryu Jeong brought up another topic. Lee Do-hyeon, who had forgotten that he had given him meat and fruit because he was focused on Ryu Jeong right in front of him, quickly straightened his head, which he had been tilting back.
Yes… I enjoyed it. Thank you, CEO, although it’s late.
“Tell me if you need more. I’ll buy you more.”
Ah, no. There’s too much for me to eat alone, so I couldn’t eat it all and put it in the refrigerator.
“You can eat something else after you eat that.”
Thank you for your kind words…
It seemed like Ryu Jeong would be bowing his head in gratitude. Lee Do-hyeon frowned slightly and tilted his head.
Was the word “thank you” always such an unpleasant word? He didn’t like the feeling that there was an invisible superior-subordinate relationship. It was natural and familiar for a superior-subordinate relationship to exist, with himself being the “superior,” but he didn’t like the idea of there being a hierarchy in his relationship with Ryu Jeong.
Lee Do-hyeon tapped the sofa with the hand that wasn’t holding the phone. Just listening to his voice made him feel anxious. He glanced at the wall clock again. He had to postpone his schedule to get there in time for Ryu Jeong’s quitting time, but he had already postponed it once, so it didn’t seem like he could. More than anything, he had to talk to Chief Yoon about that damn Capital or whatever it was. Should he promise to do it next time?
“Then when should we see each other? When are you free, Jeongie?”
He asked, thinking that he should make an appointment in advance if he couldn’t see him right away, but Ryu Jeong looked embarrassed and asked back, “Huh?” Lee Do-hyeon quickly sensed that Ryu Jeong was uncomfortable with him.
“You’re busy on weekdays, so how about the weekend?”
I don’t know yet… It’s different every weekend…
“Ah, you might have to go to work?”
Yes…
“Then should we see each other for a bit tonight? I’ll go after you get off work.”
Tonight… tonight?
“Yes.”
Ryu Jeong didn’t answer. Hearing his hesitant breathing, Lee Do-hyeon realized for a moment that he had made a mistake. He realized that he had only been thinking about himself and had rushed in without even knowing Ryu Jeong’s situation.
“Ah, no. I was too pushy. You must be tired.”
No…
He didn’t say he was okay. Lee Do-hyeon tapped the leather sofa with the hand that wasn’t holding the phone. Ryu Jeong, whom he had seen so far, was the type of person who couldn’t easily refuse someone’s request or suggestion. Even when it was difficult to grant a request, he always said he was okay, and in the end, he would grant everything, a very kind and foolish personality.
This time, however, Ryu Jeong was not saying he was okay and was openly rejecting his offer. Lee Do-hyeon tried to read Ryu Jeong’s mind without saying a word. Was something wrong? He thought about asking, but he knew that he would just say he was okay to such a question.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand Ryu Jeong at all. Lee Do-hyeon had also come to realize that he wouldn’t have enough time to sleep if he had to bear the murderous interest rate. But he also knew that no matter how hard he worked, he wouldn’t be able to pay off his debt. For some reason, he felt annoyed that those loan sharks were getting in the way of what he wanted to do right now.
“Then if you don’t have work on the weekend, can you hang out with me?”
Hang out…?
“Yes. We can eat delicious food, and go get your favorite hot chocolate. Ah, you can finish touring the neighborhood that you didn’t get to see. We can walk together.”
Ah…
Unlike before, he didn’t readily say yes. He didn’t show that he was tired and did everything he was told to do, but he wasn’t saying he would, and he wasn’t refusing, and he was hesitating to answer, so…
Could his mind have changed? He didn’t assert his rights once and acted like he would leave right away if he was told to, but now he might have decided to stay. If that was the case, Lee Do-hyeon should applaud him rather than resent him. He should pat him on the butt and tell him he did a good job. But if that was the reason, Ryu Jeong would have been so sorry to him. Not showing hostility. That’s what Ryu Jeong, whom he knew, would have done.
Then what was the reason for Ryu Jeong’s sudden change in attitude? There was only one thing that could be called a turning point in their relationship.
“……”
Sex. In fact, he and Ryu Jeong were nothing. If he had to make one up, it would be the relationship between a part-time worker and a customer who met at a convenience store? It was as if they had no acquaintance, so it was inevitable that he would feel awkward about seeing his face after having sex with someone he could consider a stranger. Ryu Jeong was younger, so he must have felt even more uncomfortable.
When he thought this far, Lee Do-hyeon noticed something strange.
“……”
Then why am I okay?
Lee Do-hyeon frowned slightly and couldn’t find an answer to the question he asked himself, and he opened his mouth as if he was drawn to it.
“Then when are we going to see each other?”
His voice was unusually tinged with disappointment, but he couldn’t control it.
“Don’t you want to see me, Jeongie?”
He heard Ryu Jeong gasp. He was probably thinking hard with that little head of his. What does this mean? What does it mean? Is it okay to think like this? What if he laughs at me for being delusional…?
He could picture Ryu Jeong, who was struggling with a lot of worries and concerns in his mind. He would be rolling his big eyes and not knowing what to do. He was afraid to confirm whether what he thought was right, so he would be watching his every move until he said something first.
Lee Do-hyeon let out a light sigh through his nose and smiled, stretching the corners of his lips as if Ryu Jeong was in front of him.
“No, it’s okay. You must be tired, so I was only thinking about myself. Don’t worry about it.”
But Ryu Jeong was bound to keep worrying about it. As he expected, Ryu Jeong, who had been sighing ambiguously, hesitated and opened his mouth.
Then… can I check on the weekend and tell you later?
“Of course. I’ll adjust to your schedule, so you don’t have to feel too sorry for me.”
Yes… I’m sorry, CEO…
After Ryu Jeong answered, silence fell. In fact, Lee Do-hyeon didn’t mind the silence, but it seemed that Ryu Jeong did.
Um, CEO. A customer is here now…
“Okay. Then I should hang up.”
Yes… I’ll call you later.
“Don’t forget.”
…Yes. I will…
Lee Do-hyeon took the phone he had been holding to his ear after Ryu Jeong finished speaking. He just stared at the screen without saying a word. The call time kept increasing, but there was no sign of the call ending.
He’s too nice. Lee Do-hyeon, who hung up first, tilted his head back again. He sighed as he looked up at the plain white ceiling.
“Haa……”
Whenever he saw something white, he thought of Ryu Jeong. Lee Do-hyeon glared at Ryu Jeong, who was flickering on the ceiling, and then closed his eyes tightly. He had a vague, no, a clear feeling. It seemed that Ryu Jeong wasn’t the only one who had a change of heart after sex, that kind of feeling.