By Zephyria 
===
“I think you’re like those counselors on divorce shows. You should try it. You’d be great at it.”
“Why go on a show when I have a legendary client right in front of me?”
Cha Se-jin, who had ordered a bottle of a liquor he liked, added ice to his glass, and Do Hae-jun filled it for him. Three glasses clinked with a clear sound before parting. After taking a few gulps of the liquor as if it were water, Cha Se-jin picked up a piece of baked Camembert cheese and popped it into his mouth. The cheese and the nuts topped on it blended together, spreading a savory richness throughout his mouth.
“If it’s a divorce, then it’s a divorce.”
“Wow, as expected… the level of his impulsiveness is on another scale.”
“I don’t get it. Why is everyone so serious? What’s so big about marriage? Besides, it’s an arranged marriage. We’re doing it because it’s necessary, so why worry? If I have to do it anyway, I’ll just do it.”
“Hey, but since you’re doing it anyway…!”
Do Hae-jun stopped Kang Seo-hoo, who was about to start explaining again, by handing him a slice of the ordered Margherita pizza. After humming in thought for a moment, Do Hae-jun spoke.
“The date is already set, so what’s the point in saying that? He’ll figure it out.”
“Ah, damn. Right, it’s not even my life. Whatever, whatever. Just drink.”
Giving up on his lecture, Kang Seo-hoo emptied his glass in one go and looked at Cha Se-jin, who still wore a composed expression.
“Where are you going for the honeymoon?”
“I can’t go now because it’s during the semester. I’ll go later.”
“Ah, right. That makes sense. Isn’t this the busiest time?”
“Yeah. That’s why he says he’s studying at school today.”
“Ah, I wish I could just take my exams and study. My father told me to take charge of launching the new product in the second half of next year. I mean, is that even possible?”
As the topic naturally shifted to work, various stories flowed. Though he couldn’t be called diligent, Cha Se-jin—whose brain worked exceptionally well whenever he actually applied it, making him an intermittent asset to the company—couldn’t resist talking about work.
Of course, most of it was nonsense, like whether it was truly necessary to clock in every morning, or if it wouldn’t be more reasonable to just leave as soon as the work was done, regardless of whether it was morning or whenever. However, listening to the endless stream of various incidents, accidents, and scandals happening at Kang Seo-hoo and Do Hae-jun’s companies, time flew by.
He could have easily drunk more if asked, but feeling that it might affect him until tomorrow morning, Cha Se-jin drained his final glass and set it down. Feeling a vibration, he pulled out his phone.
[Seo Eun-won: I’ve just stepped out to go home.]
Remembering that he had told Eun-won to message him when he left, Cha Se-jin imagined Eun-won carefully typing each letter, and it felt as if the scent of sweetened milk wafted past his nose. He had never been like this before, but perhaps because he had been smelling sweet scents every day lately because of Eun-won, he strangely craved something sweet.
He had never understood Kang Seo-hoo and Do Hae-jun, who always ordered sweet desserts claiming they craved sweets after drinking, but today, for some reason, he understood.
[Did the driver arrive?]
As soon as he sent the reply, the number in front of the message disappeared quickly, as if the other person had been staring at the phone.
[Seo Eun-won: It’s too late, so I’m just going to take a taxi.]
“Taxi?”
Checking that it was nearly midnight, Cha Se-jin stood up and picked up the suit jacket he had taken off. At the sudden movement, Kang Seo-hoo and Do Hae-jun, who were eating vanilla desserts, looked up.
“I’m heading out. I’ll pay the bill, so drink and eat more before you leave.”
“What’s with the sudden rush? What happened?”
“The kid is taking a taxi at this hour. I’m going.”
Kang Seo-hoo stared blankly at Cha Se-jin’s retreating back as he hurriedly made a phone call. Leaning back into his chair, Kang Seo-hoo made a clicking sound with his tongue.
“Maybe they’ll actually live happily ever after?”
“Who knows. That guy’s gone crazy.”
Shaking their heads, the two leaned forward again and picked up their dessert spoons.
* * *
Leaving the room, Cha Se-jin called Eun-won immediately and asked urgently as soon as the call connected.
“Where are you? Did you take a taxi?”
-Uh, not yet. I forgot something, so I went back inside.
“Then just wait there for… about 20 minutes. There won’t be any traffic, so I’ll be there soon.”
-No, I can go by myself. It’s okay.
“Even if you take a taxi, Darling, I’m still going there.”
-…It’s so late… I feel bad… You must be tired…
“I’m already out anyway. Don’t come out; wait inside. Send me the name of the building.”
-Okay…
As soon as the call ended, the name of the building arrived via message. Checking the location of the driver he had contacted in anticipation of returning home after drinking, Cha Se-jin went down and climbed into the car waiting right in front of him.
“Go to Hankuk University.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cha Se-jin, who had set the jacket he didn’t wear but carried beside him, loosened his tie out of frustration. He then opened the pocket in the back seat and popped two small mint candies into his mouth. Since he had already drunk, he couldn’t completely eliminate the smell of alcohol, but this was the bare minimum he had to do when going to see a pretty boy.
Closing his eyes and enjoying the encroaching lethargy just enough to avoid falling asleep until they arrived, Cha Se-jin explained the building name and location to the driver, who asked where to go on campus. Since it was the building where Eun-won’s department room was located, the route was clear in his mind.
When the car stopped in front of the building, Cha Se-jin got out and called Eun-won. Upon hearing that he had arrived, Eun-won soon emerged from the building. Just seeing Eun-won coming out, dressed neatly as always with his bag on his shoulder, made him feel strangely excited, perhaps because of the alcohol.
With a smirk, Cha Se-jin reached out to the approaching Eun-won and took the bag off his shoulder. He hadn’t even taken off his clothes, just a bag that weighed down his shoulder, but that alone kept making him feel good.
“What are you studying so hard for?”
“I had an assignment… and it got a bit late. I originally planned to leave around ten-thirty…”
“Why didn’t you call the driver? You should call him if it’s late.”
“I forgot to tell him in advance… I thought he might be resting now…”
Smiling at Eun-won, who spoke such kind words with such a kind face, Cha Se-jin stroked his hair. If anyone else had said this, he would have thought they were a pathetic type who only loses out by being too considerate of others, but hearing it from Eun-won, he thought that a truly kind person could be like that.
“Good boy.”
Rubbing Eun-won’s soft cheeks even though it was past midnight, Cha Se-jin helped Eun-won into the back seat first. Then he climbed in beside him and closed the door.
“I smell like alcohol, don’t I?”
“A little… but…”
Hearing Cha Se-jin’s words, Eun-won nodded. It wasn’t strong, but there was a faint scent of alcohol in the car. However, it wasn’t a smell that made him frown or feel unpleasant. It was distinctly different from the smell of drunkards he had encountered countless times while working at the convenience store.
“…It’s not a bad smell.”
“Really?”
“…Yes…”
“Then that’s a relief.”
Until now, the smell of alcohol Eun-won knew was a sour, sharp scent that made his stomach churn. Combined with various body odors, it had given him headaches, and though he shouldn’t have, he had even felt nauseous.
But the smell of alcohol coming from Cha Se-jin now… felt like something that shouldn’t be described as just the smell of alcohol. It was like the scent of dark chocolate infused with liquor, both bitter and sweet, and it made him… want to smell it from even closer.
Moreover, Cha Se-jin, after drinking, had a slightly different aura than usual. He felt strangely more subdued. They say a person’s true nature comes out when they’re drunk… Facing Cha Se-jin’s atmosphere, which felt heavier as if soaked in water, and for some reason, damp… and languid, made him feel shy. He had been only slightly shy before getting into the car, but sitting side by side in the quiet back seat, it had surpassed the level of ‘slightly.’
“……”
“……”
Only the low hum of the engine filled the silent car. As Eun-won lowered the hand that had been holding his bag to straighten his posture, he was startled when he felt something warm, rather than cool leather, brush against him the moment he touched the seat, and he quickly pulled his hand away.
Looking down at where the warmth had brushed, he saw Cha Se-jin’s hand resting there. Even though he had only lightly touched the side of the hand and immediately pulled away, the spot where Cha Se-jin had touched felt flushed. His heart beat wildly and erratically, and his breath escaped in a disordered rhythm.
Then, as if following him, a warmth close to heat wrapped around his hand. His hand was guided down onto the cool leather, and Cha Se-jin’s hand covered it. Eun-won stopped breathing for a moment.
“……”
“……”
It wasn’t a tight grip, nor was it forcing him to stay. It was simply a level of pressure that would allow him to pull away whenever he wished, covering his hand.
His heart beat so fast and hard that it almost hurt. Without escaping the hot weight resting on his hand, Eun-won fixed his gaze on the window. Strangely, so very strangely… he didn’t feel the need to pull his hand away.
Perhaps because of the alcohol, Cha Se-jin’s hand felt hotter than usual. He had felt his warmth before when he touched his face, his neck, or wrapped an arm around his shoulder, but this felt slightly higher than that usual temperature.
It was a pleasant heat. Enough to start from his hand, travel up his arm, and warm his heart.
And that pounding, that disordered breath, and that warmth that warmed his heart and overflowed to make his whole body melt, did not break until they arrived home.
Not for a single moment.