By Zephyria 
Once Jae-min finished speaking, he seemed genuinely embarrassed; unable to even meet Seung-pyo’s eyes, he let out a low groan and hung his head deep.
Seung-pyo didn’t answer immediately, and the living room, which had been filled with chatter, fell silent. The silence was broken by Seung-pyo’s question, tinged with a hint of bewilderment.
“Friends?”
“…….”
He couldn’t tell what he meant. Seung-pyo tilted his head, unable to understand right away.
He had come all this way just to suggest they be friends? Did that mean he really wanted to completely revert their relationship to a time when he didn’t know what kissing was? Was the talk about wanting a reset not a trick to deceive him, but his sincere feeling?
“Why? I feel like we passed the ‘friend’ stage even before we made that bet for finals.”
Feeling that he alone had misjudged the distance between them, Seung-pyo muttered dissatisfiedly, then shut his mouth as something he had forgotten came to mind. His expression quickly became awkward and hesitant; he leaned his cheek in next to Jae-min’s face, which had remained bowed and showed no sign of looking up.
“Is it because I told the other kids you weren’t even my friend? I explained the reason right then. And you told me not to worry about it.”
“It has nothing to do with that.”
“Yes, it does. You were upset.”
“I told you, I wasn’t.”
Jae-min lifted his head. The eyes he had been avoiding finally met.
“…At the time, I didn’t even know you liked me, and I was the one who said first that we were nothing to each other.”
“Right. You said it first.”
Seung-pyo agreed as if he were the aggrieved party, but Jae-min still looked gloomy. Just a moment ago, they had been hugging each other and having fun looking at a bizarre chart of positions.
He had only asked because he was curious; he had no intention of dampening the mood. Seung-pyo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and rambled on with trivial words.
“And now we’ve decided to date.”
They had decided to date. It was an obvious fact, but as he declared it aloud, Seung-pyo’s face also flushed slightly. He gave a short cough before continuing.
“Since we’ve leveled-up beyond being friends, don’t worry about what I said back then.”
“It’s not that.”
Noticing that Jae-min had something to say, Seung-pyo shut his mouth. The act of playing coy in front of their classmates, specifically pointing out that Jae-min wasn’t even his friend, was an embarrassing memory for Seung-pyo as well. He wanted to just gloss over it, but Jae-min’s expression was quite serious. Eventually, Seung-pyo adjusted his posture to sit up properly.
“What is it you want to say?”
Despite appearing to have something on his mind, Jae-min couldn’t bring himself to speak immediately, as if he were terribly shy. Back when his secret was revealed, he hadn’t changed his expression at all and had even threatened him; at the time, Seung-pyo had thought he was just a thick-skinned, brazen fellow. There are many sides to a person that you don’t know until you get close to them.
Thinking that, Seung-pyo felt like he might understand a bit of what Ryu Jae-min wanted to say. He pulled on the hand of the inexplicably intimidated Jae-min. As he wrapped an arm around his shoulder, Jae-min let out a small sigh and finally began to answer haltingly.
“Kissing is great, and sex… doing that is great too, but….”
“Yeah.”
“Honestly, we weren’t really that close. For a long time.”
He wanted to say they were, but contrary to his heart, an immediate denial didn’t come. A silence followed, proving that Jae-min was right.
Seung-pyo swallowed hard and continued to listen intently. Jae-min hesitated as if choosing his words, then slowly and carefully continued.
“Do you remember the day we first played betting basketball in our first year?”
“Of course. How could I forget that?”
“That was the first time I felt like I was actually becoming friends with you….”
Jae-min’s voice trailed off, and he frowned slightly before rubbing his face with both hands.
“This is so embarrassing. It’s not like we’re playing the Truth Game on a school trip; what am I even doing?”
“Why? Ryu Jae-min, keep talking.”
“I’m done talking. I just wanted to be a bit closer to you. But like you said, since we’re closer than friends now, we don’t have to be ‘friends’.”
It was a short story, but it took a long time to pour out. Jae-min’s face was now redder than before, and he looked drained, like someone who had suffered total exhaustion.
“Look at me.”
Seung-pyo took Jae-min’s cheeks and turned his face toward him. Jae-min didn’t explicitly avoid him, but he couldn’t meet his eyes and instead looked off to the side.
Seung-pyo looked at Jae-min in silence. Even while facing the now-quiet boy, the scene from a moment ago kept flickering in his mind. The image of Ryu Jae-min lying beneath him, making erotic sounds, his expression crumbling as if he were about to cry at any moment.
He had seen similar expressions several times already, but the face he encountered while having actual sex felt incomparably different from before. Every moment he gazed at the expression that shifted slightly, letting out different sounds depending on how he moved, he felt the fact that their bodies were connected as one being carved deeply into his bones.
What Oh Seung-pyo wanted to do right now was simple. He wanted to put his boyfriend—who made his lower half grow hot just by looking at him—into a prone position. He wanted to pull up the t-shirt he was wearing to the nape of his neck, pull down the loose-waisted shorts that were a bit too big, press himself tightly against his back, and start by smelling the scent emanating from his heated body. Since they had only recently finished their first act, that place would be softened, making it easier to join than the first time.
“Let’s go play games.”
However, completely different words popped out of Seung-pyo’s mouth. Jae-min’s eyes widened as if he had heard something absurd.
“Games? Suddenly?”
“You said you wanted to go play games after exams. You said you wanted to play that shooting game again.”
“…I’m fine with that, but what about you? You clearly said twelve hours….”
“We can just do it again after we get back.”
He said it casually, but if they went out to play games now and returned, two or three hours would vanish in the blink of an eye. The grumpy Seung-pyo chuckled and continued.
“I’ll give it to you in installments.”
“…….”
“We can date and be friends too, why not? From now on, if anyone asks who my best friend is, I’ll say it’s Ryu Jae-min. You do the same with my name.”
“Your other friends will be upset.”
“They’ll just have to deal with it. They’ll make other friends later anyway.”
Jae-min smiled faintly. What else should he do? Seung-pyo, who had been fidgeting on his own, placed his hands on both of Jae-min’s cheeks. Noticing the intent to kiss, Jae-min slowly closed his eyes, and as expected, Seung-pyo leaned his face in close.
A mwah sound echoed. However, the soft sensation he expected on his lips missed the mark and landed on his forehead. As Jae-min blinked, Seung-pyo explained bashfully.
“I heard a kiss on the forehead is a kiss of friendship.”
“…Who said that?”
“I saw it somewhere.”
It was a piece of trivia he had picked up while diligently searching for ‘how to kiss well’ because he didn’t want it to be discovered that he was a complete novice who had never even kissed. It might have been something he made up without any basis, but the truth didn’t matter in these matters anyway. Jae-min’s smile, which had been somewhat buried in shyness, grew brighter.
“I’ve seen that too.”
Not one to just take things, Jae-min also abruptly brought his face close and gave Seung-pyo a mwah on the forehead. At that, Seung-pyo’s expression stiffened.
“Don’t you do that.”
“Why?”
“If you do it too, I won’t be able to leave the house.”
Seung-pyo took Jae-min’s hand and rested it right on his groin. After a momentary look of surprise, Jae-min soon smiled as if it were nothing.
“I’m fine with playing games later and just doing more of what we were doing.”
“No. I put a lot of effort into saying we’re going out.”
He was certain that once they started rolling around, today’s outing would end right there, games be damned. Oh Seung-pyo stood up solemnly and firmly, as if making a decision for the sake of the nation.
“Get ready to go. Put your clothes on.”
“Okay.”
Jae-min also got up from the sofa and hurriedly began to change. After tidying the dining table and brushing their teeth, the two honor students gave up their small ambition of spending a long, sticky day and headed out for an outing befitting high school students.
“We’re doing it again when we get back.”
“Who said we wouldn’t? You’re the one who said let’s go.”
Before opening the front door, they didn’t forget to kiss a few more times while pretending to grumble.
* * *
Since it was the weekend, the game center was more crowded than usual. Seung-pyo asked Jae-min, who had stopped near the entrance as if slightly overwhelmed.
“If you don’t like it, do you want to go somewhere else?”
“No.”
“Want me to give you my clothes to cover your face?”
Seung-pyo brought up the past teasingly. Last early spring, Jae-min, who had come to a game center for the first time in his life, had been anxious that someone might see him and eventually played with Seung-pyo’s school blazer draped over his head.
“I’m fine.”
It wasn’t something to be proud of, having been so restless as if visiting a game center were some grand act of delinquency. Jae-min replied curtly.
However, this time, Seung-pyo’s gaze was not reassuring. It would have been better to fuel his worry by asking what would happen if someone saw him and telling him to cover his face, rather than teasing him habitually about whether he’d cover it again. Today was different from the first time he came to the game center. Back then, they were both in drab school uniforms, but today, Jae-min was dressed in clothes that looked like candy wrappers.
Was there any need to push a candy-bar-like Ryu Jae-min into a crowded place? He had been short-sighted. He should have made him wear something like a zip-up hoodie at home. Since he was a guy so handsome that even most celebrities couldn’t compete, if he walked in like this, he would surely capture everyone’s attention.
“Hey, wait a second.”
Stopping Jae-min just as he was about to enter the center, Seung-pyo quickly unbuttoned the navy shirt he was wearing. He unrolled the sleeves he had pushed up to his elbows and, leaving only the short-sleeved t-shirt he wore as an inner layer, handed the removed shirt to Jae-min.
“Throw this on.”
“Why? I told you I’m fine.”
“The AC is strong here, so you’ll be cold if you go in like that.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t get cold.”
“I don’t really get cold either….”
While muttering as if he didn’t understand, Jae-min nonetheless put on the shirt. The bright mint color was hidden by the loose, dark navy shirt. Seung-pyo was reasonably satisfied and took a step into the game center. The noisy sounds made his ears ring.
“Someone’s playing that.”
The shooting game they had played together the first time was occupied by other people. Seung-pyo looked around the center and led Jae-min by the wrist.
“Let’s do something else first. It’ll open up eventually.”
“Hey, my hand….”
“It’s fine. No one cares.”
Seung-pyo whispered in his ear.
“Friends usually hold hands like this without thinking much of it. It’s weirder if you’re conscious of it.”
“What? Do you go around doing this with other kids too?”
Jae-min suddenly became sharp in an unexpected place, adding in a threateningly low voice.
“Don’t do that.”
“Ah, obviously I only do it with my best friend. Like you.”
At that answer, Jae-min softened slightly, but he didn’t seem entirely convinced.
Come to think of it, Ryu Jae-min had originally been a fierce fellow; he had only been intimidated recently because he had done something wrong. What should he do with a guy who has a bad personality and is also prone to jealousy? I’m going to be completely whipped. This is bad. While grumbling internally, Seung-pyo smirked with satisfaction.
“There are definitely a lot of people since it’s the weekend. Want to try this while we wait?”
All the large immersive machines, like shooting or racing games, were taken, so they had to wait until a spot opened up. Where Seung-pyo stopped was in front of a fighting game machine where characters fought one-on-one. Since Jae-min had never played any of these games, he showed interest regardless of the type.
“Looks fun. But it looks hard.”
“It is hard because it’s difficult to use techniques if you don’t know them. But it’s fun in its own way even when you just spin the stick blindly. I’ll teach you.”
“I’ll watch first, so you try it.”
At that, Seung-pyo shrugged as if it were time to show off his skills, sat in the chair with an arrogant expression, and inserted a coin into the slot.
Along with the phrase announcing that a new challenger had started the game, a character selection screen with dozens of options unfolded on the screen. Jae-min’s head spun at the fast and flashy game screen.
“You pick two from here.”
“Which character do you use?”
“I mainly use Hwoarang and rotate my subs… a lot of people avoid him because the combos are hard, but still, if you’re Korean, it’s gotta be Hwoarang.”
The game began with a supplementary explanation that Jae-min could barely understand halfway. Jae-min stared blankly at the screen. From the refreshing hitting sounds to the flashing effects, the flamboyant style of fighting—impossible in reality—seemed to relieve stress just by watching.
He knew nothing about the game, but he could tell that Oh Seung-pyo was very good. Seung-pyo’s hand movements were precise and without waste, and the opponent was beaten continuously by the character he controlled until they lost.
The person sitting at the opposite machine stood up abruptly and checked this side. It was just a match in a game, and checking the opponent’s face wouldn’t change the outcome, but human psychology was funny. When Seung-pyo looked back at him, he soon plopped back down in his seat.
“You try it.”
Seung-pyo gave up his seat. As soon as Jae-min awkwardly sat in the chair, a new round began without a break. There was no way he could properly play a game he had never even watched, but Jae-min imitated Seung-pyo, moving the stick here and there and pressing buttons randomly. Naturally, he couldn’t put on a fight as flashy as Seung-pyo’s, but he enjoyed the rhythmic feeling of the hits.
It was then. After watching from behind for a while, Seung-pyo suddenly leaned over Jae-min. Seung-pyo’s hand lightly overlapped the hand holding the stick and buttons, and his warm, firm chest touched the back of Jae-min’s head.
At the smooth and stealthy touch of body heat, Jae-min’s heart began to beat rapidly. He felt as if his body, sitting in front of the game machine, was floating in the air.
Flustered, Jae-min quickly scanned the surroundings. Contrary to his fears, there were quite a few people clinging close to the game machines to watch or give advice. Among them, Seung-pyo and Jae-min didn’t seem to stand out that much. Seung-pyo also moved while enveloping Jae-min’s hand as if it were nothing.
“Like this, diagonally. See? He dodges.”
“Yeah.”
“When an opening appears, counterattack immediately.”
Although Jae-min was the one sitting in front of the machine, it had effectively become a game controlled by Seung-pyo. The game character, who had been moving sluggishly and throwing only clumsy punches and kicks, suddenly began to unilaterally crush the opponent, showing off flashy techniques.
K.O! As large capital letters were stamped on the screen, a sigh of lament was heard from across the machine. The two looked at each other and giggled.
“That one’s empty. Shall we move now?”
Having secured a clean victory, the two moved. They played a round of the shooting game Jae-min wanted, a rhythm game where they hit drums, and a car racing game.
After trying out every game machine that had an empty seat—including the claw machine and basketball game—the two, who finally wanted to rest, crawled into a coin karaoke room as they had done before. As soon as they sat side-by-side on the narrow bench, Seung-pyo hugged Jae-min tightly.
“You’re good at the drums.”
“The fighting game was the hardest.”
“You have to practice for that. No one is good at it from the start. Still, for a first-timer, you did well.”
Instead of thinking about singing, they chatted for a while before Seung-pyo picked up the microphone first.
“Want me to sing for you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“You’re tone-deaf.”
Jae-min laughed, teasing him openly. Being clumsy at singing and dancing was the only weakness of the versatile Oh Seung-pyo. But today, he just felt good even while being teased. Seung-pyo handed over the microphone.
“Then you sing for me. You’re good at singing.”
“But I don’t know many songs that are suitable for karaoke yet…. I’ll memorize some and sing for you later.”
“You’re really going to sing for me?”
Seung-pyo picked up the remote and selected songs he didn’t even know, just following his whim. Loud accompaniment filled the narrow booth. The singing was just an excuse; the two just looked into each other’s eyes, then laughed softly and pressed their lips together.
It hadn’t been long since they left the house, but the touching lips felt much sweeter, as if they were devouring each other for the first time in a very long while. Come to think of it, this narrow, dark booth was the place where the two had first kissed.
Looking back, the clumsy first kiss had remained a bittersweet regret for Seung-pyo. Today’s sex hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d hoped, but at least he had prepared diligently. Still, he couldn’t change the fact that he’d had his first kiss impulsively in a cramped coin karaoke room at an arcade. If there was any consolation, it was that the location was unconventional.
He didn’t mind if the next one was conventional. Once he turned twenty, he would take Ryu Jae-min to the most expensive, finest room in a magnificent hotel. Since Jae-min was a far more refined young master from a wealthy family, he might have already visited such hotels with his parents, but a trip for just the two of them would be different from a family vacation, so it didn’t matter.
As he sensed that he would gradually come to know every inch of the Ryu Jae-min before him, Seung-pyo finally fully understood Jae-min’s earlier words about wanting to become friends. The arms Seung-pyo had wrapped around Jae-min suddenly tightened. Jae-min, whose lips were being bitten, let out a low, small moan and obediently surrendered his body to Seung-pyo.
When Seung-pyo finally stopped kissing him, he asked with ragged breath.
“Do you feel like we’ve gotten closer now?”
“…Yeah, more than before.”
Jae-min smiled awkwardly, just as he had when he first mentioned wanting to be friends.
Ryu Jae-min had wanted to know more about him.
The belated realization of those words spread through his chest like spores, blooming into small flowers once again. Seung-pyo loosened his grip. He held Jae-min in his arms as carefully as one would handle a bouquet of wild flowers and kissed him more softly than before. Jae-min’s lips trembled slightly as he let out a sweet moan that sounded as if he were melting.
The fact that the space they were currently occupying was a narrow, dark karaoke booth had long been forgotten by both of them.
* * *
It had been around lunchtime when they entered the game center, but before they knew it, evening had arrived. It was only natural, as they had tried every single game and spent quite a long time idling in the coin karaoke room.
Having capped off their outing with a lengthy kiss, the two exited the building with a hazy, languid atmosphere, unlike high schoolers who had just finished gaming. After walking a few paces, Seung-pyo asked.
“What time do you have to be home?”
Though he had boasted that he’d stick by Jae-min’s side for at least twelve hours, that was merely Oh Seung-pyo’s wish; Jae-min likely had a set curfew. At this practical question, Jae-min hesitated for a moment before answering.
“I have to be back by 7.”
“7? There’s not much time left. You’ll have to go without eating dinner.”
“Yeah, they told me to have dinner at home.”
“Hmm.”
It was a shame, but the time to part was drawing near. They were still high schoolers living in their parents’ homes, and they couldn’t place a promise with a friend above a guardian’s instructions. Time was too tight to go back home and have sex one more time, as they had initially resolved.
Instead of wasting time traveling back and forth, they chose to spend their remaining time nearby. Luckily, there was exactly one secluded window seat left in a crowded weekend cafe. Since the seats required them to sit side-by-side, they spoke in low whispers.
“Where should we meet next time?”
“Is your Hyung going away again next week?”
“I’m not sure yet. I don’t think he’ll be home much during the break, though.”
There was the variable of the Hyung at Seung-pyo’s house, and Jae-min’s house, with its strict family atmosphere, wasn’t a place one could enter and exit comfortably. They had been lucky to have their first experience, but since every first is merely a beginning, the two fell into deep thought about the next time.
Above all, summer break was approaching. During the break, students often changed academies for special lecture courses, and since everyone’s schedules varied, the daily routine of naturally crossing paths at school and the academy could be disrupted. If Jae-min skipped supplementary classes like he did last winter break, they might have to settle for meeting sparingly, like prison visits, for over a month.
Seung-pyo’s expression grew serious as he weighed the possibility of facing a situation he didn’t even want to think about.
“Are you going to skip summer supplementary classes?”
“Huh? I don’t know yet. The school hates it when people skip, so I’ll try to take them if possible.”
“You skipped the winter ones at the very end.”
“…Something came up at home then.”
Jae-min answered shortly and sipped his iced americano through the straw. Seung-pyo lifted his cup as well.
“We should think ahead about what to do during the break.”
“Still, I think my mother likes you. Usually, she doesn’t give permission or she dislikes it when I say I’m going to a friend’s house, but today she even gave me a gift to take to you.”
Jae-min looked excited, as if he were the one who had received the praise. Seung-pyo let out a snort and acted smug.
“It’s because I acted very polite when I greeted her last time.”
“She said you’re sociable, which is good. My parents complain that I’m not sociable and that I’m arrogant.”
“I guess they don’t know their son well. That’s Ryu Jae-min’s charm.”
Seung-pyo whispered with a grin. Caught off guard by the sudden compliment, Jae-min could only gape, unable to find the words to respond.
However, Seung-pyo didn’t wait for an answer and soon returned to the original topic. After acting so sly just a moment ago, his expression became slightly discouraged.
“But your mother doesn’t really know me yet. She might dislike me once she knows more.”
“Why? You’re good at studying, good at sports, popular with the kids… even the teachers all like you.”
“That’s usually how it is at first… but my dad is rarely home because he’s on a ship, and many people find it uncomfortable when they find out I live alone with my Hyung. Even in middle school, some parents liked me at first when they heard I was ranked first in the whole school, but later they’d subtly tell their kids not to play with me. I understand. They probably worry that kids living together might do something bad in secret. Plus, middle school is even younger than now. Many of my friends couldn’t even use their phones as they pleased.”
“Isn’t it amazing that you maintain your grades and manage your own life while living with your Hyung? Why do they jump to conclusions without even knowing you?”
When Jae-min raised his voice in indignation, the hesitant Seung-pyo let out a soft laugh, his face relaxing. He leaned his face toward Jae-min’s shoulder and giggled.
“Seeing you get angry while taking my side… you really are my boyfriend.”
“I mean, it’s true.”
As if trying to calm himself, Jae-min gulped down a few sips of coffee and muttered in a subdued tone.
“Even with parents around, you can do plenty of things you’re told not to. The adults just don’t know.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Seung-pyo’s tone became cheerful again. He brought his lips close to Jae-min’s ear and whispered.
“If your mother knew you were coming over to have sex with me, she would have absolutely forbidden it.”
Seung-pyo expected Jae-min to be embarrassed by his words, but instead, he grinned. At the playful expression that Ryu Jae-min rarely showed, Seung-pyo was momentarily dazed, his gaze stolen by that profile.
“True. She was completely fooled by us today.”
With this, I guess the adults have every right to be suspicious of the time we spend alone. Even as he thought this, Seung-pyo couldn’t stop his heart from racing. He draped his arm over Jae-min’s shoulder and leaned his face closer. Heat began to swirl in his whispering voice.
“When can we do it again?”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“Did you like it too?”
A slight flush finally appeared on Jae-min’s face. However, he didn’t avoid the answer. He replied in a voice so small it was barely audible to Seung-pyo, with extreme care.
“I liked it.”
“I saw while looking up materials that the more you have sex, the better it gets.”
He saw Jae-min’s Adam’s apple bob slightly. It was a satisfying reaction—to think that just hearing the word ‘sex’ made his mouth water. The feeling of skepticism he’d felt toward himself, for thinking about kissing every time he locked eyes with Ryu Jae-min, was now a thing of the past. The days of living as a lonely Pavlov’s dog were also nearing an end.
Unable to even kiss, let alone have sex, just sitting side-by-side made him feel increasingly anxious. Without anyone starting first, they fell silent and began to tentatively fiddle with each other’s fingertips. They occasionally glanced around to check the atmosphere, but no one seemed idle enough to care about two boys playing quietly in a corner seat.
Though only their fingertips were touching, a thrill ran down the back of his neck, just like when they kissed. He had been drinking coffee continuously because he was thirsty, but now only ice remained, and the straw only made a gurgling sound. Seung-pyo fell silent, biting his lip as he thought about how Jae-min’s face looked increasingly erotic.
Just then, Jae-min’s phone vibrated. Coming back to his senses, Seung-pyo checked the clock. It was already well past 6. After checking the message, Jae-min whispered.
“Next time, if you tell me when the house is empty, I’ll make up an excuse to come over.”
Seung-pyo nodded. In his heart, he wanted to throw a tantrum and tell him not to go, but he exerted patience at Jae-min’s promise for next time.
“Let’s go now. She says to come home and not be late.”
“Yeah, okay.”
By the time they left, the sun that had been high in the sky had dipped low, and the evening light was gentle. Walking beside Jae-min toward the bus stop, Seung-pyo said.
“I’ll walk you home.”
“Why bother? You’ll just have to walk back alone anyway.”
“Because I want to be with you longer.”
At that, Jae-min didn’t try to stop him further. They eventually took the bus together, but it was crowded, making it difficult to have any significant conversation.
The two simply stood side-by-side, looking out the window. As they watched the passing scenery, they would giggle and exchange a few words whenever a large dog on a walk or a funny store sign caught their eye.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the apartment complex, Jae-min and Seung-pyo finally bid a short farewell. The desire to not part was desperate, but since it was a place where many people passed through, there was no way to kiss or anything of the sort. They fiddled with each other’s hands for a moment before slowly saying goodbye.
“See you Monday.”
“Yeah, get home safe.”
Jae-min walked away, then turned around once to wave. Seung-pyo waved back vigorously. He would see him at school if he just endured one day, but perhaps because there were so many things they hadn’t done, he felt a lingering regret.
Returning home, Seung-pyo put the scented candle, which he hadn’t even lit, into the nightstand drawer. It was obvious his Hyung would tease him, asking why he bought such a thing, if it were spotted. He intended to definitely bring it out the next time Ryu Jae-min visited.
As he flopped onto his bed, the image of Ryu Jae-min panting here just a few hours ago was etched into his mind and refused to leave. It felt as if Jae-min’s scent still lingered on the blanket. Seung-pyo rolled around clutching the blanket before grabbing his phone.
I wish Sunday just didn’t exist so I could go to school faster
Unable to overcome the longing, he sent a message, but a reply didn’t come immediately. He had been told repeatedly that it was difficult to check the phone often at home, so he wasn’t upset.
He had thought Ryu Jae-min was cute back when he was pretending to like him, but now that he had truly opened his heart, he was incomparably cuter than before.
Ryu Jae-min was over 180 centimeters tall and had a solid build. Not only that, he was a guy with a mental fortitude that was out of the ordinary, having dealt with perverts who posted erotic photos on SNS without hesitation and threw all sorts of dirty talk.
But what filled Seung-pyo’s head now was only the image of Jae-min hesitating and reading his expression, wanting to be forgiven, or Jae-min moaning and whimpering with a face full of tears. He couldn’t help but feel the illusion that Jae-min would melt away like actual ice cream if he just kneaded him recklessly. If someone were to look into Seung-pyo’s head right now, they would be horrified, saying Ryu Jae-min isn’t that kind of person, but so what if that’s how he felt?
…He really wanted to make him melt away and lick him up.
He thought there would be no more hardships once they confirmed their feelings for each other and started dating, but he was mistaken. Not being able to see him freely when he wanted to, and not being able to do everything he wanted to do, made it feel even harder.
* * *
The Monday classroom was as distracted as usual with noise and pranks. However, the noise created by others didn’t even properly register in Seung-pyo’s ears.
As soon as he entered the classroom, Seung-pyo tossed his bag aside and approached Jae-min’s seat. Jae-min had arrived earlier than Seung-pyo and, as always, was preparing for class in his seat.
They hadn’t promised, but the moment he opened his eyes this morning, he had a feeling. That Ryu Jae-min would be at school earlier than anyone else, waiting for him. He had wanted to come early too and meet Ryu Jae-min before the other kids arrived, but because he had tossed and turned all night and only fallen asleep at dawn, he had actually overslept more than usual.
“Ryu Jae-min, let’s talk for a second.”
At Seung-pyo’s words, a few of the noisy students shut their mouths and looked at the two. The eyes of the friends who always gathered around Seung-pyo’s seat to chatter grew wide.
Jae-min also looked up at Seung-pyo with a momentarily bewildered expression, but he soon nodded and stood up. Somewhat worried gazes were cast upon the two unofficial rivals as they left the classroom together without a word.
“Hey, Oh Seung-pyo.”
One student hesitated before calling out to Seung-pyo. Seung-pyo looked back and gave a warning.
“We have something to talk about between ourselves. Don’t follow us.”
At the cold response telling the third party to stay out, the student who had taken the lead couldn’t step forward any further. Only after the two exited through the back door did the chatter resume, and the gathered students, munching on snacks spread across a desk, each offered their own comment.
“Still, shouldn’t we follow them?”
“He used to care a bit about how others saw him, but now he’s openly savage as soon as he gets to school.”
“They won’t actually fight, right? Both of them must care a lot about their student records.”
“True. The first semester is almost over, so they probably have something to settle.”
Among the close students, everyone knew that Seung-pyo had been grinding his teeth in inferiority toward Jae-min since their first year. Quite a few students had been present back when he had coldly said they weren’t close and weren’t friends.
Because the prideful Oh Seung-pyo didn’t speak, they didn’t know the detailed inner workings, but everyone had guessed through intuition that a fairly hostile current had risen and fallen between the two repeatedly throughout the semester.
The time has finally come. The students emptied their snack bags with solemn expressions. They wanted to secretly follow and see what they were talking about or if they were fighting, but they decided not to take that risk, fearing that if they were caught by Seung-pyo, the arrow aimed at Ryu Jae-min might turn toward them.
The two, who had no way of knowing the gossip of the students left in the classroom, naturally slipped into the resource room, and as soon as they closed the door, they began to unfold their own private world. Seung-pyo abruptly held out an object he had brought.
“A gift celebrating our 2nd day of dating.”
“What? Who celebrates 2 days?”
“Oh Seung-pyo.”
What Seung-pyo handed to Jae-min was coffee milk. It was a familiar brand sold not just at the school store, but at convenience stores and marts everywhere. Jae-min smiled and took it.
“Did you buy this on your way here?”
“Yeah, I thought of you. You said you drink chocolate milk when you want coffee but can’t? Drink it later when you get sleepy during class.”
After speaking, Seung-pyo smiled awkwardly and stepped closer to Jae-min. Smooch. The collision of lips was instantaneous. The two hugged and bit and released each other’s lips before sitting on a chair located in a corner of the resource room.
The kiss, like a morning greeting, continued for quite a while, but they couldn’t kiss to their heart’s content. Time was limited before class started, and there were many things they needed to discuss.
“I have good news. My Hyung is getting a part-time job during the break.”
“A part-time job? What kind?”
“He said he originally wanted to work at an amusement park, but that requires moving into a dormitory if you’re hired, so that would’ve been amazing. But Dad said no. He said it’s not right for me to be home alone for the whole break.”
Seung-pyo sighed as if he had almost had something great.
“It would’ve been the best if Hyung went to the dorm… but because of Dad.”
“He probably does that because he worries about you.”
“I know that. But it seems he’ll still get a part-time job. Then the house will be empty a lot, right? Let’s hang out at my place often, timing it right. Even if we can’t clear a whole day like Saturday, we can drop by for a bit after academy or school.”
Let’s hang out at my place often. On the surface, it sounded innocent, but both of them knew the meaning hidden within all too well. Glances plotting a naughty prank were exchanged along with giggling laughter.
When they returned to the classroom, the gazes of the classmates pierced them from all directions. In an atmosphere where everyone was curious about what had happened but didn’t dare ask, one of Seung-pyo’s close friends stood up and approached them.
“Are you guys okay? Nothing happened, right?”
Seung-pyo nodded and answered cheerfully, without any sign of hesitation.
“Yeah, we’re planning to get along from now on.”
“Right, that’s better. What’s the point of staying prickly with each other? Good for you.”
The friend who approached them smiled as if genuinely glad and patted Seung-pyo on the shoulder. The other kids, who had been stealing glances, pulled their heads away as if they had never been interested. Everyone went back to their conversations and joking around, and the classroom atmosphere returned to normal. Seung-pyo and Jae-min exchanged looks and shared a secret smile.
It was the first time he had ever looked forward to summer break this much.