By Zephyria 
Seohae’s Bar was the same as ever.
It hadn’t changed much since Song Hyun-soo first visited it with Yoon Joo-ho. So, every time he went down the narrow stairs to the basement, Song Hyun-soo would smile silently, recalling the feelings he had back then.
The day Yoon Joo-ho asked me to go for a second round, just the two of us.
The excitement of being invited into Yoon Joo-ho’s secret world.
He follows Yoon Joo-ho as he opens the thick iron door to the basement.
The grandeur of the massive Gin Tower, modeled after Singapore’s famous Atlas Bar, was still impressive every time he saw it.
Seohae was wiping the moisture off the glasses at his Bar inside.
“Hyung, we’re here.”
“Oh, Hyun-soo, welcome! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
In the meantime, Seohae had started calling him Hyun-soo comfortably instead of ‘Hyun-soo ssi.’
“How have you been?”
“I’m always the same.”
“You’re always dynamically the same, I’m sure.”
It was Yoon Joo-ho’s way of greeting him. Seohae glared at Yoon Joo-ho, who was sitting on the stool, and offered Song Hyun-soo a seat as well.
“What do you two do at home all day?”
“We’re learning this and that, so we’re secretly busy.”
“You two are doing so well that you don’t even show your faces at the Bar anymore?”
“Haha… it’s not that…”
Yoon Joo-ho pulled down Song Hyun-soo’s arm as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“You don’t have to make excuses. Did you commit a crime?”
Seohae looked at Yoon Joo-ho, unable to close his mouth. His face was speechless.
“Who the hell are you? Hyun-soo, who are you dating? No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem like Yoon Joo-ho.”
“Why don’t you just take our orders?”
When Yoon Joo-ho impatiently tapped on the Bar and urged him, Seohae nodded.
“You are Yoon Joo-ho.”
“He’ll have a Kiss of Fire, and I’ll have a Cuba Libre. Hold the rum.”
“What do you mean, a Cuba Libre without rum? That’s just cola with lime.”
“I drove here. I don’t want to call a designated driver.”
Song Hyun-soo, who had been listening to the two of them, chimed in.
“Sunbae, I just want to drink whiskey.”
“Have something with a low alcohol content.”
“But still…”
“Listen to me. It’ll be hard to fly long distance with a hangover.”
“I can hold my liquor. You know that.”
“You’re going to have your picture taken at the airport, so you have to look pretty.”
“Okay… I understand, then.”
When Song Hyun-soo faced forward with a look of understanding, Seohae had a look of utter disbelief. His face was distorted as if he had witnessed some hideous scene.
Why is he doing that? I don’t think we’ve done anything couple-like right now…
Seohae, staring at Song Hyun-soo’s uncomprehending face, shook his head, pressing his temples, and began to make cocktails.
Seohae, who first gave the customers macadamia nuts and water, rubbed the rim of the glass for the Kiss of Fire with a lemon and glanced over here.
“I guess married life is a lot of fun?”
“If you know, don’t call us out.”
Yoon Joo-ho answered bluntly, crushing the shell of a macadamia nut in his hand and pouring it into his mouth.
“It’s been almost half a year, and it’s still fun?”
“I heard it’s still a honeymoon until you have a baby?”
“Are you two showing off in front of me that you’ll be on your honeymoon forever?”
“Yeah.”
“If it weren’t for the sales, you’d really be banned from entering.”
Seohae wiped his hands on a dry cloth, reached out, and gently lifted Song Hyun-soo’s chin. Then, he looked around and clicked his tongue.
“You can tell he’s tired.”
“……”
“How much must he have suffered from that guy’s lust day and night.”
Yoon Joo-ho, who was chewing on macadamia nuts, slapped Seohae’s wrist away. It was a sign not to touch him.
Instantly, Seohae’s eyes sparkled. He had found an interesting toy.
“Hyun-soo, did I tell you?”
“About what?”
“When I heard you were living at our house, that guy barged in and made a scene.”
Yoon Joo-ho frowned.
“Are you going to keep bringing that up for the rest of your life?”
“Yoon Joo-ho, without any pride, chased after the man who left him and whined to that man’s roommate. Of course, it’s a laughing matter.”
“Who’s whining?”
“He can’t say anything to Hyun-soo himself, so he just acts up to innocent me… that’s what whining is.”
Yoon Joo-ho turned to Song Hyun-soo, who was next to him, and said.
“You know why I don’t like coming here, right?”
Then, he put one or two macadamia nuts into Song Hyun-soo’s mouth, who was laughing as if he was amused.
“I’m sorry about that, Hyung.”
“There’s no denying that I was sacrificed in your love fight.”
Seohae, as a skilled bartender, finished two cocktails almost simultaneously and placed the glasses on the coasters.
“Here’s your Kiss of Fire. And a Cuba Libre without rum.”
Song Hyun-soo looked into the ruby-colored drink in the inverted triangle glass with admiring eyes.
“The Kiss of Fire that Hyung makes is really beautiful.”
“Our Hyun-soo says such pretty things. Unlike someone else.”
Yoon Joo-ho, who was drinking cola mixed with lime juice, suddenly chimed in.
“Why is he ‘our Hyun-soo’? He’s my Hyun-soo.”
“Hyun-soo, doesn’t it really annoy you when he does that?”
Seohae shuddered, but Song Hyun-soo just laughed. It was because he now knew that was how Yoon Joo-ho and Seohae played with each other.
Yoon Joo-ho, who had already emptied half of his drink, put down his glass and urged him as if pressing him.
“You said you had something to give me. Hurry up and give it to me. I have to go after just this.”
“You always have to say things in such a way that makes people lose interest. If you don’t fix that habit, you’ll be abandoned by Hyun-soo again?”
“I’m not like that with him.”
“You’re such a lucky bastard.”
“So what is it? Did you call me here when you had nothing to give me?”
“I liked it better when that guy was dumped by Hyun-soo and was moping around. I really can’t stand him now that he’s so arrogant.”
Seohae grumbled and disappeared behind the curtain inside, then returned with a shopping bag. It was a suspicious-looking black shopping bag with no logos or lettering. Seohae’s expression as he handed it over the Bar was full of anticipation.
“It’s your first trip together. In a way, it’s like a honeymoon. Good luck.”
Song Hyun-soo, who received the shopping bag, took out what was inside. A beautifully wrapped box came out.
“Can I open it?”
“Of course.”
There were several items in the box.
Lingerie, Handcuffs decorated with pink faux fur, a pink Blindfold that could be tied with a ribbon, a long Feathered stick… They were toys that ordinary couples could try out as an event, rather than SM tools that were crude.
“Hyung, this is…”
Song Hyun-soo picked up the Jockstrap, which was sure to reveal his butt. Yoon Joo-ho, who had been watching with a nonchalant distance as if it were someone else’s business, grinned and approached, showing interest.
“If you push something like this on your honeymoon, you’ll get a honeymoon divorce.”
“You guys are only having a honeymoon in words. What are you talking about, you’ve already done everything.”
Yoon Joo-ho picked up the childish pink Feathered stick and stroked Song Hyun-soo’s chest in a zigzag pattern.
“Do you want to use it right away?”
Song Hyun-soo was disgusted and snatched the stick from his hand and put it back in the box. Yoon Joo-ho shook his broad shoulders and chuckled.
At that moment, Song Hyun-soo’s cell phone, which was placed on the Bar, vibrated. The caller was Jung Ji-in. Song Hyun-soo glanced at Yoon Joo-ho for a moment, but then spoke with confidence.
“It’s Ji-in hyung. I’ll go out and take it.”
Yoon Joo-ho covered Song Hyun-soo’s hand and pressed down on it.
“Just take it here.”
“I’m out of cigarettes too. I’ll go out and take it.”
It’s not because I’m being mindful of you, so don’t worry about it. Song Hyun-soo spoke in a deliberately cheerful tone to convey that meaning. He got up from the stool, glanced at Seohae, and even quickly kissed Yoon Joo-ho on the cheek. As if to prove his heart.
Embarrassed by the direct expression of affection in front of others, Song Hyun-soo fled the scene, and Yoon Joo-ho, left alone, tried to hold back his laughter, putting a lot of strength into his lips, and stirred the drink, which contained no alcohol at all, with a muddler.
“What did I just see?”
“Don’t overreact. Don’t you see this countless times in one night? You’ll see even worse.”
“I’m not talking about Hyun-soo kissing you.”
“……”
“I’m just amazed that Yoon Joo-ho is melting just because his lover gave him a kiss.”
Instead of denying that he had melted, Yoon Joo-ho took out a cigarette and put it in his lips.
Looking in the direction where Song Hyun-soo had already disappeared and was not visible, Seohae said with a relieved tone.
“By the way, Hyun-soo, you look a little better now.”
Yoon Joo-ho, who took his first puff of smoke, moved the cigarette to his finger and frowned.
“Looks better?”
“I heard you had aftereffects after the wrap-up.”
“Ah…”
Yoon Joo-ho took a sip of his drink and muttered as he brought the cigarette to his lips.
“Well, I’m by his side.”