Unlike how he teased Joo Tae-hyun, Seo Baek-han treated his girlfriend very carefully.
He didn’t casually touch her waist, put his arm around her shoulders, or pull her into his arms. When talking in front of people, he would let go of her hand, but occasionally, avoiding the gazes of others, he would subtly touch the back of her hand and smile briefly.
So, that’s how Seo Baek-han smiles when he likes someone.
It’s strange.
From the start, Seo Baek-han wasn’t even a close friend of his. He was the one who unilaterally felt affection and admired him. Seo Baek-han probably couldn’t imagine that Joo Tae-hyun was following him so earnestly.
So, even knowing that it’s absurd to feel this upset, to even feel a sense of loss seeing Seo Baek-han with his girlfriend… the inside of his chest kept prickling.
He’s someone he never even had to begin with. No, Seo Baek-han is someone for whom the expression “had” isn’t even appropriate.
Even though his throat stung as if he had swallowed glass shards every time he saw Seo Baek-han and his girlfriend, he couldn’t take his eyes off the sight. It was true that Seo Baek-han’s diverse expressions, which Joo Tae-hyun was seeing for the first time and hadn’t expected to see, were honestly pleasing to the eye.
Seo Baek-han, as someone’s boyfriend, makes sure his girlfriend doesn’t have to hold anything other than her phone. He takes care of whatever she needs on the spot. Napkins, wet wipes, water to drink… things like that.
When his girlfriend asks him to take pictures, the tall Seo Baek-han willingly kneels on one knee or bends down as much as possible to find the angle that will make her look the prettiest.
Even when his girlfriend isn’t looking at him, Seo Baek-han often chuckles while looking at her. It’s as if he’s thinking, “What am I going to do with her?” while tilting his chin.
For Joo Tae-hyun, an Alpha kid with only a few things in common and seven years younger, it was the gaze of a fiery adult man that he would probably never receive in his life.
Seo Baek-han clicked his tongue, saying Joo Tae-hyun’s waist was tiny, but his girlfriend’s waist was as slender as a flower stem. If that’s what he meant by “personal preference”…
Joo Tae-hyun, who had been thinking that far, was startled and flinched.
Wait a minute, why am I even worrying about this?
Seo Baek-han is just a Hyung he wants to emulate, and that person is Hyung’s girlfriend. Wouldn’t it be weirder if that Hyung looked at me the way he looks at his girlfriend…?
“Ahem, ahem.”
Choi Yeon-jun, worried about Joo Tae-hyun, whose face was turning pale and then blue on his own, cleared his throat and moved a little closer.
“Um… can I have some alcohol?”
“…Go ahead.”
“Thanks. When else would I get to drink expensive alcohol if not now? My family doesn’t even let me near anything but traditional liquor.”
Just because you drink makgeolli doesn’t mean you’re good at traditional crafts. Adding a pathetic excuse, Choi Yeon-jun picked up a whiskey glass. The color was as dark as poison because he didn’t add any ice.
“But are you close with Seo Baek-han?”
“…Well, rather than close…”
“I thought it was a bit unexpected because he’s not the type to be friendly with kids. He doesn’t even know any young kids to begin with.”
But he did talk about you sometimes, Choi Yeon-jun said, taking a few sips of his drink. Joo Tae-hyun, who had been answering sullenly, unknowingly asked Choi Yeon-jun with a curious tone.
“He talked about me?”
“Yeah. He said it earlier too. He praised you, saying you’re very aloof and have a great expression.”
Joo Tae-hyun raised his hand and awkwardly touched the corners of his lips. Was it… to that extent? He liked my expressionless face so much that he even praised it separately to his closest friend?
“I went to California to see Baek-han once, and I think he said he got a message from you then.”
“…I think he would have found it annoying, knowing Hyung’s personality.”
“Seo Baek-han would have ignored or blocked you if he was really annoyed. Anyway, I thought he was keeping a close eye on you. Since Seo Baek-han is also being called His Highness Second Prince’s political successor, I figured he was starting to think about making people his own.”
The words Choi Yeon-jun added at the end weren’t heard properly because he whispered them too closely. The music flowing from inside the lounge and the sound of people talking were too loud.
However, he definitely heard the parts about “Seo Baek-han” and “making people his own.” So, Joo Tae-hyun felt as if his body was floating, as if gravity had disappeared.
As if he had never been sulking like a kid who had his toy taken away, he quickly perked up again with a few anecdotes Choi Yeon-jun told him. Right. Earlier…
Really, his condition today was like a roller coaster.
“By the way, Seo Baek-han, that guy… how should I put it, he’s too good at dating.”
“Pardon?”
Choi Yeon-jun, who had suddenly become a babysitter, was diligently staying by Joo Tae-hyun’s side, perhaps because he was happy to be able to drink and get away from annoying people.
“No. Seo Baek-han is secretly fastidious, right? He’s the epitome of self-management. But when it comes to sex, no, dating, he’s secretly reckless.”
“Reckless?”
“You know, like, he doesn’t stop those who leave, and he doesn’t hold onto those who come. Kuuh, why is this so strong?”
“…Isn’t it usually the opposite?”
“Huh? Ah, right. He doesn’t hold onto those who leave, and he doesn’t stop those who come.”
Choi Yeon-jun, who had drunk alcohol on an empty stomach, seemed a little drunk. He finally put away the poison-like glass and picked up a plate of fruit. Joo Tae-hyun was anxious because he felt like he wouldn’t be able to hear Seo Baek-han’s personal stories otherwise, but Choi Yeon-jun was leisurely munching on grapes.
“So? Why is Baek-han Hyung reckless?”
“Huh? Oh, right. I was curious once, so I asked him. I asked him what he would do if a huge scandal broke out. Do you know what that bastard, oh, sorry for cursing, do you know what Seo Baek-han said?”
‘Wouldn’t it be bad if my private life was too clean? I’d rather have rumors that I keep changing women than rumors that I do drugs or gamble. At least when something is revealed to the public, there should be something like, “Ah, that’s just how he is,” so everyone can breathe a little easier. If it’s too clean, everyone will pretend not to and be busy counting down to the moment it gets dirty.’
“And do you know what else he said?”
Choi Yeon-jun, who had finally opened up, put two grapes, skin and all, into his mouth and continued gossiping about his best friend in a slightly flushed voice.
‘And what’s the problem if I haven’t met several people at once, or met a married woman?’
“In my opinion, Seo Baek-han is definitely planning to use the image of changing women often someday.”
It’s not like he’s living his second life, why does he live so fiercely?
“We’re still young. Even with this 〈Haechi〉 founding, Seo Baek-han didn’t need to push himself this hard. But he insisted on stepping up, bringing people in, getting sponsorships, and making a name for himself…”
Choi Yeon-jun clicked his tongue, and Joo Tae-hyun bit his dry lips. Both of them were lost in different thoughts while thinking of the same person.
“…Still, the fact that he brought his girlfriend here means he’s seriously dating her this time, right?”
“I don’t think so? He told Han Se-yeon to her face from the beginning that he has no intention of marrying her. He said she’s just for dating, so don’t even start if she wants more than that.”
“Really? Seriously?”
“Yeah. Ah, of course, he didn’t say it that rudely, he turned it around romantically in his own way. Well, I don’t know everything because Seo Baek-han didn’t tell me all about his dating life… but anyway, I don’t think he’ll ever marry any of the girls he’s dating casually like this.”
“…”
“Look at him earlier, when his girlfriend asked about His Highness Second Prince, he completely ignored the topic. He must have known that she was subtly probing to see if she could meet him or if he could introduce her.”
If so, Seo Baek-han’s current actions were even more incomprehensible. If he has no intention of marrying her anyway, why would he bring the person he’s dating to a place like this? Simply to show off that he has a girlfriend? He didn’t seem like the type to do that. It didn’t seem like he needed to either…
“…Um, Yeon-jun Hyung.”
“Huh? Just a minute. Let me finish this.”
“You can eat comfortably and answer me. …But, what kind of person does Baek-han Hyung like? What kind of person does he usually date?”
“Seo Baek-han? When he’s dating?”
“Yes.”