By Zephyria 
After the topic of the after-party came up, the meeting wrapped up quickly.
“Should we check if there’s space at the pojangmacha nearby?”
The atmosphere, which had cooled off for a moment, heated up again with enthusiastic suggestions.
“I’m fine with the spot in front of the convenience store too.”
“Hey, that’s for after the first round.”
Amidst it all, Haon checked his watch once.
“I’ll work a bit more and then come. You guys go ahead.”
He said this first to Cha Jeong-won and then gave a casual wave to the other members.
“Alright. Join us when you’re done.”
“I’ll send the location.”
I thought that was that, but an unexpected comment came from another corner.
“You three go ahead first.”
Cha Jeong-won said this without closing his laptop.
“What about you, sunbae?”
“I have some things left to do.”
The team members exchanged glances.
They seemed disappointed but gave reactions suggesting they could wait.
“Then come quickly.”
The three team members hurriedly left the cafe.
The bell above the door rang again, and as the sound faded, the shop quickly grew quiet.
Haon picked up fallen tissues and tidied the area before standing up. He was planning to do the dishes now, but he was caught by the person still sitting at the table.
“Do you have a lot of assignments left?”
Cha Jeong-won placed his hands on the keyboard without lifting his gaze.
“A moderate amount.”
“Really? What’s ‘moderate’?”
After some hesitation, Cha Jeong-won answered.
“Around the time you finish.”
At those words, Haon felt his heart thump without realizing it.
“Sunbae, you’re being especially… no, you keep doing this ever since you came to the cafe.”
Haon stammered and then quickly pushed his chair in.
Those casually thrown remarks since earlier were exactly like…
‘They sound like something you’d say to a lover.’
Our relationship is already over. Yet he was speaking as if it wasn’t.
When I saw him on Monday, he was cold, but today he’s not like that again.
I just couldn’t understand what was going on inside Cha Jeong-won’s mind.
“Well then, work hard. I’ll work hard too.”
Not knowing what he was saying, Haon quickly spat out the words and hurried inside. Even while putting on the rubber gloves, his mind was completely filled with the things Cha Jeong-won had said.
“People really say things that can easily be misunderstood without a care.”
Haon suppressed his trembling heart. It was right not to give or receive any room for confusion since we’re nothing to each other now.
“What if I get swayed and cling to him without looking back? If that happens, he won’t be able to say anything to me because of what he did.”
While vigorously wiping cups on Cha Jeong-won’s behalf, he tried to wash away his own troubled feelings.
Then, he glanced back. Only Cha Jeong-won’s back was visible, not his face.
Was he disappointed?
Without realizing it, as Haon scanned the surroundings, he spotted Cha Jeong-won’s reflection in the mirror placed like a decoration on the table. While doing the dishes, he could see Cha Jeong-won’s face.
The cafe music had transitioned to quiet jazz, and the streetlight glow slowly seeped in from outside the window.
This situation felt too good.
Haon unnecessarily tightened his grip on the sponge.
In the cafe where only the two of them remained, it was a distance where, while each doing their own thing, they couldn’t help but be aware of each other’s presence. He was sinking deeper into it than during the team meeting.
While putting down a cup, he unconsciously raised his head.
Cha Jeong-won, who had been looking at his laptop, was now looking at me. Because of that, our eyes met exactly in the mirror.
Haon instantly smiled without meaning to.
It seemed no other words were necessary.
Although he turned his gaze back to the screen, the lingering feeling of his gaze remained.
Haon focused on the dishes again. Because he kept glancing over, worried their eyes might meet again, his hands naturally slowed down.
Cha Jeong-won’s face, focused on his laptop while occasionally sipping coffee, was so captivating just to look at.
To think I spent time with an Alpha like that. I still couldn’t believe it.
Actually, it came to mind every time I lay down to sleep.
The pheromones I smelled then, the gaze looking at me. And that warm, broad chest.
‘Ah, his forearms were nice too. Were the backs of his hands nice? I think his toes were pretty too.’
I wanted to capture each detail in my eyes and in my mind, just as much time as I had to look at them closely.
Staring blankly at him, Haon unconsciously pressed the faucet handle.
“Ah.”
The foam clinging to a cup placed at the bottom of the sink splashed into his eyes.
While Haon panicked, tightly closing both eyes and waving his hands, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Look up.”
And on top of that, a cautious touch reaching his chin.
The cafe lights flickered.
Haon was flustered by the sudden turn of events.
Cha Jeong-won was looking at his face. The moment he realized that, his heart lurched.
“I’m fine. It’s just water splashing…”
“There’s foam too. Stay still.”
Cha Jeong-won lightly blocked Haon’s hands trying to push him away. Then he changed the direction of the water stream and turned it on. The sound of water poured out refreshingly, as if trying to hide the sound of his heartbeat.
Cha Jeong-won’s wet hand carefully brushed past the area around Haon’s eyes. After repeating this a few times, Cha Jeong-won spoke.
“Tell me if your eyes sting.”
“Mmm…”
The embarrassment was short-lived. When it felt a bit better, Haon slowly opened his eyes.
He met Cha Jeong-won’s gaze looking at him.
It felt like the distinct black-and-white pupils trapped within Cha Jeong-won’s sharp eyes were being engraved in his mind.
“They’re not bloodshot, but tell me if they sting.”
“Ah… no. I’m fine.”
As Haon smiled and shook his head, the touch that had naturally been on his chin fell away. Since he hadn’t shaken it off on purpose, he felt a bit disappointed, but Haon tried to shake off the awkwardness of the moment by making a joke.
“Why are you being so gentle today of all days? You’re such a kind sunbae.”
“You’re the one who acts wildly anytime, anywhere.”
Haon felt a surge of emotion.
So that’s how you’re going to be?
“Earlier, I saw your bangs were wet. It’s not like you got caught in the rain. Did you wash your face because something splashed on you, similar to me?”
He looked at the clumped bangs that still seemed to have moisture. Thank goodness water droplets weren’t falling from those strands.
Otherwise, it would have been even more suggestive.
“My case is different from yours.”
Cha Jeong-won drew a clear line.
“How sinister.”
At Haon’s words, Cha Jeong-won swallowed a small, empty breath.
“You said only I’m the flustered one, and not you, sunbae. And you won’t even tell me why they got wet.”
Without realizing it, Haon retorted to Cha Jeong-won.
He meant for him to just be honest; surely he wasn’t going to keep pretending not to know.
“It’s not something you’d know just by looking carefully.”
Cha Jeong-won shook his head.
“So it’s not that I’m extremely flustered, but that you have to look closely to see I’m a flustered person?”
“Must be a misunderstanding.”
“It’s an undeniable truth.”
A strange tension-filled standoff was continuing. Cha Jeong-won took a step back. It seemed like an attitude of returning to his spot now that he knew Haon was okay.
The area behind the counter was narrow to begin with. It was only natural that he should feel relieved and glad Cha Jeong-won was leaving, but Haon felt inexplicably empty.
Haon quickly finished the dishes.
Then he stood in front of the POS machine without an order and placed an order for one drink. After paying with his own card, he made it diligently and approached Cha Jeong-won.
Coincidentally, he was finishing the remaining latte.
The way his Adam’s apple moved up and down consecutively made him look like someone filming a beverage commercial.
A drink that should be consumed cutely also seemed strangely sensual.
“…Sweet.”
Jeong-won said softly after swallowing a sip.
Perhaps it was his mood, but his voice sounded slightly deeper than usual.
“That’s why I brought you one of these to drink something refreshing.”
Haon placed a cool ade next to him.
“You showed interest in me, so I’m showing interest in you.”
He thought it was only natural to reciprocate to this extent, since he ordered the same thing he drinks and even bought something for himself to drink.
But Cha Jeong-won had an expression that seemed incomprehensible. Without realizing it, Haon began to explain.
“Don’t say you’re drinking the same thing as me; order what you like, sunbae. And this is just me giving back as much as you gave, so we’re sharing fairly.”
He didn’t want to only receive from him one-sidedly.
But it seemed Cha Jeong-won’s thoughts were different.
“The reason I ordered what you drink is because I thought it would be the most delicious, and you buying this has made it unfair.”
“Huh?”
“It’s tilted as much as banana milk.”
He leaned his body toward Haon.
62 – NOT 62