“First, this is the lounge, and below are the employees’ offices. One floor down, you’ll find the reception area, employee conference room, and the association president’s office.”
Since a transparent elevator was installed on three sides, and the area around it was also surrounded by glass walls, Seo Baek-han’s gestures made it easy to roughly guess where he was pointing.
“But is the lounge only used for events like today?”
“Exactly. I think it’ll become a place for regular members to socialize. We plan to keep it open for members to drop by whenever they want, as long as they have their membership card.”
With that, Seo Baek-han subtly leaned his upper body toward Joo Tae-hyun.
“What do you think? It’d be perfect for plotting something subversive.”
…Perhaps he’s so nonchalant about saying things like this so close because he sees me as a not-so-close kid. Joo Tae-hyun didn’t respond and sipped his juice.
Seo Baek-han didn’t seem to expect a response. He leaned the arm holding the champagne glass precariously on the railing and rested his chin on his other hand. Miraculously, an angle was achieved where the alcohol wouldn’t spill.
Just his breathing in place caused the milky liquid to repeatedly surge and recede to the slender glass’s opening. Watching it made me feel parched with anxiety.
Whether he knew Joo Tae-hyun was staring intently at him or not, Seo Baek-han was preoccupied with observing the busy lower floor where things were being carried.
At first, I thought he was checking the office situation, but Seo Baek-han was unusually lost in thought. It was an act that suited the word “contemplation” very well, so Joo Tae-hyun kept a reasonable distance from him and watched the diligently moving elevator.
…This isn’t bad either, I guess.
When I was first with Seo Baek-han, the conversation never stopped, but quietly staying by his side like this seems nice too.
“…His Highness Second Prince says we shouldn’t involve politics or factions in the Haechi, but I still can’t quite manage that.”
After a long silence, Seo Baek-han opened his mouth. His voice was as frayed at the end as it had been on the phone yesterday.
“Well, Hyung is only human; it’s okay to dislike someone.”
“Well, it’s not so much that I like or dislike anyone in particular… It seems I inevitably think mainly about gifted people. My situation and interests lead me to that.”
“I shouldn’t have such a narrow view,” Seo Baek-han said, taking a sip of his drink. Bubbles gurgled up from the bottom of the glass each time his Adam’s apple moved significantly. Joo Tae-hyun briefly glanced at the small, insignificant bubbles before fixing his gaze back on the edge of the railing, lest he make eye contact with Seo Baek-han.
Although Joo Tae-hyun had no friends, he knew this was the moment to say something to him. It felt like he could blur the boundary of this invisible line between Seo Baek-han and himself, even just a little. Unfortunately, thanks to my shattered social skills, no suitable sentence came to mind.
I don’t have the knack for meeting someone after a long time and speaking comfortably as if the intervening years were nothing. I don’t know how to act as naturally as Seo Baek-han is doing now, as if we parted yesterday and met again today.
Having the knack for naturally continuing a conversation with anyone, anytime, anywhere, conversely means that just because the conversation went smoothly that day doesn’t mean the other person will develop feelings for you, right?
Rather, if I could give him the answer he secretly desires when only silence flows like this, we could get much closer.
Joo Tae-hyun was desperate to reach Seo Baek-han, wanting to be with him even just a little… Yes, wanting to become real friends, he fidgeted anxiously. Like a swan swimming gracefully, only his face looked calm, while his feet were frantically paddling out of sight.
Maybe, perhaps… Seo Baek-han might not be assigning any meaning to me at all, so that might be it. As much as the champagne glass he’s holding now, as much as the office supplies his eyes are on, as much as something decorating the building forest, I’m so unimpressive that he might not even remember where he met me for a moment. Conversely, to Seo Baek-han, I’m too much…
“Hey! Seo Baek-han!”
The sound of someone calling his name quite loudly, enough to momentarily drown out the noise filling the venue, made Seo Baek-han and Joo Tae-hyun turn their heads simultaneously.
“Oh, Choi Yeon-jun.”
“…Hello.”
“Oh? Oh, hello! You’re Tae-hyun, right? Wow, you’ve grown a lot!”
It was Choi Yeon-jun, Seo Baek-han’s friend, whom I’d exchanged greetings with a few times in passing.
I heard that Choi Yeon-jun is inheriting mother-of-pearl lacquerware craftsmanship, and both his paternal and maternal families are among the best in the field of antique art. I think his dream was to be designated as an intangible cultural asset before he turned fifty.
Choi Yeon-jun’s personality and interests were the complete opposite of Seo Baek-han’s, so it was surprising that he stuck with him, but in some ways, he suited Seo Baek-han very well.
“Someone was looking for you?”
“Ah, why? Tell them to go see His Highness Second Prince.”
“Really? Even Seyeon-ssi?”
I could suddenly feel strength entering Seo Baek-han’s body, which had been somewhat languid until just now. Seyeon-ssi… Seyeon? Who’s that? Joo Tae-hyun had never heard the name before.
“I heard the flight was delayed.”
“Yeah, but things worked out somehow.”
“Hmm.”
“What’s with that reaction? Aren’t you going to go see them?”
Seo Baek-han ran a hand over his forehead and then held out his hand toward Joo Tae-hyun. What, is he going to hold my hand? Startled, I looked at him, and he gestured with his chin as if asking for the empty juice glass.
Ah. Ahh… He meant to go inside.
Joo Tae-hyun, who had only been blinking, unable to grasp Seo Baek-han’s intention, finally held out the juice glass he was holding.
“You thought I was asking to hold your hand just now, didn’t you.”
“…No, I didn’t.”
Seo Baek-han skillfully held the champagne glass and juice glass in one hand and then casually pulled Joo Tae-hyun’s shoulder with his other hand. Like a paper doll, I fluttered into his arms and collapsed powerlessly, and a peach scent, much richer than I remembered, wafted over me.
“Seriously, your family raised you too preciously.”
Joo Tae-hyun was somewhat dazed and then belatedly blinked, his earlobes reddening.
Why is this person really doing this? The school emphasized so much that even gifted people should be careful about physical contact, but did he forget because he graduated from school as easily as drinking a bowl of rice in water?
“Ah, maybe it’s because I’m tired. I feel like I’m already getting drunk.”
“Are you crazy? From a few sips of champagne?”
“Choi Yeon-jun, I’ve only slept for thirty minutes in the last two days.”
As if he were Seo Baek-han’s favorite doll, Joo Tae-hyun sniffed timidly, nestled in his arms. Did he change his suppressant? The Pheromone doesn’t smell as strong as before, but the sensation felt through the skin is much more intense.
…Ah.
Joo Tae-hyun was another beat late in recalling Sex Education for Gifted High School Students, which he had also read in the car.