By Zephyria 
“He’s kind, and damn, he’s gorgeous too. …He’s such an innocent lamb that I bet if anyone just coaxed him with the promise of something tasty, he’d follow them anywhere.”
Thump. Yong-hee stomped his foot violently.
“He’s not some neighborhood white lamb!”
The bottom of the boat shook heavily, and a small fish nearby flopped around. In a fit of temper, Yong-hee slapped the side of the fish with his foot.
“Fuck, I can’t even sleep at night. I wish someone would just knock me unconscious with a blow to the head.”
Splat! The unfortunate fish was shoved back into the live well. Yong-hee didn’t spare it a second glance. His eyes, burning with passion, remained nailed to Eun-myeong.
“…But what’s the point of falling asleep? He fucking appears in my dreams too.”
Yong-hee rambled on, his voice sounding almost possessed.
“Oh, yeah….”
Eun-myeong nodded quickly in response. As usual, the morning glow shimmered in his moist eyes.
And within those eyes, Yong-hee’s reflection was clearly mirrored. At that sight, Yong-hee’s heart throbbed. …Lee Eun-myeong, you were always spacing out. You acted like you’d fly away if someone just blew on you like a dandelion seed.
Because of that, Yong-hee had been driven nearly crazy by the frustration of something that felt within reach, yet remained elusive.
He was someone who had never even had a serious stomach ache in his life. Yet, because of Lee Eun-myeong, he had suffered such a dry, aching heartache. It had been several nights since he’d uploaded teary selfies to Side World in the dead of night, seriously.
[-r sometimes§
Sheds..＃
Tears….☆★]
Of course, the comments below were nothing but nonsense.
[Why the fuck are you acting out in the middle of the night, you idiot]
[Come to the PC cafe]
[This bastard’s having a post-nut clarity moment lol]
His friends were quick to mock him, but for Yong-hee, it was 100% pure sincerity. However, in reality, even Lee Eun-myeong was busy treating him like a transparent human being every time.
But why is he so focused on me right now? This is the first time in his life he’s felt such emotion. The hair on the back of Yong-hee’s neck stood up, and he felt like his lower abdomen was about to burst.
…Is this what they call sexual tension?
“I’ve got no fucking appetite, and when I play games, I space out like an idiot and get cursed at by my friends.”
Mm-hm, Eun-myeong met his eyes. Those quiet and innocent eyes. Yong-hee licked his parched lower lip.
“If there’s no reply, I spend the whole day just staring at my cell phone.”
Eun-myeong nodded, saying he fully understood the feeling. His gentle face, buried deep inside his padded jacket, crumpled like a piece of tissue.
“You really understand how I feel, Hyung?”
“Yeah, I know what it’s like.”
Eun-myeong replied vaguely. How could he not know? Several times a day, his heart would boil over, only to cool down instantly as if doused in ice water.
He had even picked up a spoon and put it back down several times, despite having a lavish feast of delicacies right in front of him.
He was too embarrassed to tell others, but since Eun-myeong had almost no memories of living in abundance, he had a strong desire for delicious food.
In the past, he would have just shoved it into his mouth and chewed, but now he just stared down at it like someone performing a ritual. He hadn’t known that staring at an unclaimed spoon could be such a lonely and pitiful thing.
“It feels like going between a cold bath and a hot bath several times a day. It’s so lonely and miserable.”
Eun-myeong murmured faintly. The man would rush in like a storm and then vanish, leaving behind a lingering scent like water mist. Not knowing when he would return, Eun-myeong had to simply wait for him.
And if he dared to ask when he was coming, the man would get incredibly temperamental….
It was too bitter to swallow whole, yet too sweet to spit out; Eun-myeong was helplessly swayed by these emotions.
With the heart of a poor fisherman who must lead a broken boat into the surging sea even when a gale warning is issued, Eun-myeong bore the weight of his desperate longing.
“…Lee Eun-myeong really knows how I feel.”
Yong-hee’s monologue landed on Eun-myeong’s smooth forehead. Then, suddenly, his arm was grabbed. The plump, cheap down jacket deflated under the grip.
“Huh?”
Eun-myeong slowly looked up. A face that looked somehow determined was above him.
“I won’t be curious about what relationship you had with that old fart. Only people with outdated mindsets cling to the past.”
Yong-hee continued to appeal how modern he was, and therefore, what an open-minded and attractive partner he would be.
Eun-myeong had been listening attentively to Yong-hee’s words, but by this point, his head began to tilt slowly to the side.
Why is he telling me this…? It’s almost like he’s confessing to someone he likes. Eun-myeong shuddered at the thought that suddenly popped into his head. Goosebumps broke out on the nape of his neck, hidden deep within the jacket.
…No, there’s no way.
How could Yong-hee like me? Why would someone so sparkling like him like someone shabby like me?
However, as lips parted as if making a decision, Eun-myeong froze, feeling as if he had been struck on the back of the head.
“Just give me one chance.”
What… what kind of chance?
“What do you mean by that? Um, Yong-hee, that….”
Anxious, Eun-myeong glanced toward the captain. Fortunately, he was in a blind spot, and only the sound of humming drifted from the captain’s cabin. When he turned back, Yong-hee was leaning his face toward him.
“Yong-hee, wait, just a second.”
No, why is he doing this? Just as a wave of anxiety hit him and he tried to push Yong-hee away with both palms—
Sway. The boat rocked violently from a surging wave. Yong-hee lost his balance and lurched forward.
“…Gasp!”
And then, his front teeth slammed right into the side of Eun-myeong’s nose!
Startled, Eun-myeong quickly pushed Yong-hee back. Thud! Yong-hee flew backward and landed on his butt, looking up at Eun-myeong.
“Wow, where did that strength come from….”
His eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out. It was a superhuman strength that was completely unlike Eun-myeong.
“…….”
A chilly silence flowed between the two. The sound of seagulls crying could be heard from above.
He was supposed to get some sleep before going to the sashimi restaurant. Eun-myeong had spent all his time walking along the coast.
Though the kiss ended in failure, a reddish scratch remained on Eun-myeong’s fair skin. With his tail drooping and a sullen look, he looked like a puppy with a mosquito bite on its black nose.
The word ‘shock’ pressed down on his head like a foundation stone.
The person Yong-hee liked was me? How could such a thing happen…? Yong-hee is well-built, and though he looks a bit like a delinquent, he has a cute face and is very popular. Why on earth would he like someone like him?
“Sigh.”
His mind became a tangled mess. He already had enough to deal with on his own. It was a case of adding insult to injury.
Yet, if he were to simply ignore Yong-hee’s feelings, he couldn’t do it so lightly now that he knew the feeling of liking someone himself.
Sighing deeply as he walked, Guryongpo Fisheries came into view. Auntie was outside in front of the shop, perhaps throwing away some trash.
“Auntie.”
Clatter. Aunt Jeong-hye tossed a bag into the trash can and dusted off her hands.
“Oh, you’re just coming back from the boat?”
Then, as if remembering something, she pointed over her shoulder with her thumb.
“By the way, Eun-joo stopped by earlier.”
“…Noona did?”
At the mention of his sister, Eun-myeong realized his mistake. He closed his eyes tight, thinking he had messed up.
“She was worried because you weren’t answering your phone. She left relieved after hearing you’re doing well at work.”
So many things had rushed in lately that it was hard to survive each day with a sound mind. Still, he should have told her he lost his cell phone before she started worrying.
“I should call her as soon as I get home today.”
“Right, it’d be good if you called her quickly. That girl really got prettier after she became successful.”
Eun-myeong’s face softened slightly at the praise for his sister, but he flinched at the words that followed and quickly covered his nose with his palm.
“…But Baby, why is your nose like that? Did it crack because you’re sick?”
“No, no…. I bumped into something.”
“Oh dear, how did that happen to such a pretty face….”
Eun-myeong quickly turned around and hurried into the shop. His face, visible beyond his palm, must have been red all the way up to his forehead.
Having boarded the dawn boat for the first time in a while and combined with the work at the sashimi restaurant, his body ached all over. Feeling as if his very soul had been wrecked, he struggled back to the hotel.
And the moment he opened the room door, Eun-myeong shuddered.
“…….”
He expected to be greeted by a desolate atmosphere, but he smelled the man’s pheromones thick in the air. They seemed to surge and climb up Eun-myeong’s ankles like a damp snake, seizing his throat.
The Boss must be here…!
Driven by a sudden surge of happiness, he instinctively tried to approach him, but his feet hesitated.
‘Are you protesting for me to love you or something?’
The man’s low voice echoed in his ears. The voice that had torn apart and mocked his feelings. His heart sank.
He shouldn’t be too dramatic. Eun-myeong’s toes touched the floor again. With what expression am I supposed to look at the Boss now?
He wanted to be by his side, wanted to smell him, and wanted to hug him, but it was hard to look into the man’s eyes.
How desperate his eyes would look as he gazed up at him. What if the man found him annoying and threw him away? His stomach burned with fearful thoughts.
‘…Gulp.’
He swallowed hard. As he slowly stepped inside, the man was standing on the open terrace. He was watching Eun-myeong while smoking a cigarette.
Eun-myeong couldn’t bring himself to get close. He stood as far away as he possibly could.
He had spent the whole day handling fish. What if he smelled of an unpleasant fishiness? If the Boss gagged because of him, he felt he would be so discouraged and sad that there would be no way to recover.
“I’m back.”
Eun-myeong bowed his head cautiously. His voice, barely audible, was a bonus.
“…….”
Naturally, there was no answer. Only a cold silence dominated the space.
He could feel the man staring at him intently. As if he were dissecting him piece by piece, like using a sashimi knife to slice a fish.