By Zephyria “Is it always like this?”
“Like what?”
At Shin Yoon’s sudden question, Jae-eon blinked.
“Are all guys from Seoul this forward?”
Shin Yoon added quietly.
“Shin Yoon-ssi, Yun-i-ssi~ So friendly and approachable~ It’s creepy.”
“……Hmm.”
Jae-eon, his cheeks stuffed full of sweet potato, stared intently at Shin Yoon. His head tilted just a little. An expression asking, ‘Is that so?’ Faced with that placid face, Shin Yoon was the first to tire.
“What, are you doing this on purpose?”
“……?”
“Ma, whatever. Forget it.”
‘I’ll just get frustrated dealing with you.’ Shin Yoon waved his hand and cut off the conversation.
Right then.
Suddenly, Shin Yoon’s gaze stopped on Jae-eon’s lips. A tiny piece of sweet potato crumb had caught his eye.
‘Ah, that’s really irritating. What a child.’
He’d felt it before, but Jae-eon strangely reminded him of twins. Of course, he was the one being taken care of, but anyway.
‘He’s starting to resemble Yun-i, and I can’t even ignore him.’
Unconsciously, he reached out his hand.
Just as he was about to wipe it off…….
Swish-!
A sharp sound cutting through the air, and a pointed piece of metal split the space between them.
A paper-thin gap. If it had been just a little faster, the back of Shin Yoon’s hand would have been pierced.
Shin Yoon stopped his movement and slowly raised his head to look at the other person.
The last time he saw him, he was a little kid with a blurry impression…… What was it again? A brat whose only memory was of him hitting the shit out of me.
Hmm, a word similar to seal…… Seo-myeong, was it?
“Quite the greeting.”
“Sorry. It’s my growth spurt.”
Annoying brat.
No, Ahn Seo-myeong glanced at Shin Yoon’s hand and added one more word.
“I thought it was meat.”
Meat? Fine wrinkles formed on Shin Yoon’s forehead. Even so, he struggled to maintain a calm smile instead of a disgusted expression. An adult’s composure? Something like that.
“If you’re greedy for food, it’s no good.”
“Rotten meat that no one would eat.”
An invisible power struggle crackled and sparked between them.
“Was your name Na-in, or Ki-myeong…… Ah, seal?”
“It’s Seo-myeong.”
“Ah, is that right?”
“It’s fine. You’re getting on in years, you must be forgetful.”
“Wow, I’m not that old yet.”
“I didn’t know. Your exterior is so mature.”
“Meat shop? That’s a nasty way to put it. Ma, but I’m still baby-faced, you know.”
“Did you keep some flatterers by your side?”
“But why are your words so short? You still show signs of not having experienced social life. How are you going to be loved like that?”
“Well……. Yes, thank you for the advice. I don’t want to live like you, ahjussi. I’ll carve it into my bones.”
Dragon and tiger.
Dog and monkey.
Water and oil.
Truly, they were natural enemies.
“Hai-go……. Tch.”
Shin Yoon clicked his tongue briefly and poked the completely cooled sweet potato with his finger.
Then, ignoring Ahn Seo-myeong, he turned his head and looked at Jae-eon.
“What’s with him, you.”
He quietly raised his pinky finger and wiggled it. When Jae-eon didn’t understand, Shin Yoon sighed and spoke.
“Are you dating?”
Jae-eon choked on his spit. Keuk, keuk! His face flushed bright red from the violent coughing. Ahn Seo-myeong, startled, hurriedly patted his back and handed him some dongchimi broth. Hyung, drink this. Uung…… Khol-lok! It was like a sitcom.
“Aigoo, all sorts of things.”
“Watch your language.”
At Shin Yoon’s incredulous tone, Ahn Seo-myeong growled lowly.
“Do you know what you and I, Judy, have in common?”
“You proudly boast about sexual harassment? Wow, criminals really have a different mindset from the start.”
Ahn Seo-myeong’s eyes flashed as if to say, ‘Do you want to get hit again?’ Annoyed by that audacity, even Shin Yoon, who was about to stop, twitched the corner of his mouth and provoked him further.
“Have you ever even been close to Judy?”
“Is that any of your business?”
“I’m worried, worried~ If you keep going like that, you might just die from pity sex?”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking why you’re worried about it.”
Ahn Seo-myeong and Shin Yoon faced off tensely, looking ready to tear into each other at any moment. But the one who actually reacted to the word ‘pity’ was someone else.
Ki Jae-eon.
He had even put down the dongchimi bowl he was diligently drinking from and was looking at Ahn Seo-myeong with a complicated gaze.
Pity.
His lips moved silently, opening and closing.
“Hyung?”
“……Uh?”
“What’s wrong with you since earlier?”
“Wh, what is?”
Ahn Seo-myeong shook his wet hair and walked over to Jae-eon’s side. The closer he got, the more tension seemed to enter Jae-eon’s body. His shoulders rose, his back straightened. It was a sight that clearly proclaimed, ‘I’m nervous.’
“……?”
Ahn Seo-myeong tilted his head and scanned the surroundings. Inside the barracks used by two people to a unit, there were naturally only the two of them.
Meaning, there was no particular target to be wary of.
Then why was he so tense?
‘We’ve been sharing it all along. Nothing’s particularly changed.’
His sunken gaze intently scanned Jae-eon’s face. It was filled with the determination to uncover a secret.
It must have been a gaze hard to ignore, yet despite that, Jae-eon ultimately pretended not to know.
‘He won’t even make eye contact with me…….’
Come to think of it, it had been like that since after dinner, after all the day’s tasks were finished.
Even when spoken to, he was hesitant.
He even dodged me.
Well, he probably thinks he hid it well, but how could that be.
‘It was all obvious.’
Ahn Seo-myeong secretly twisted the corner of his mouth.
Unfortunately for him, Ki Jae-eon was in the palm of his hand. If it came down to a psychological battle, it meant he would win every time.
‘If he won’t tell me, I’ll have to make him tell me.’
There were plenty of ways to do that.
“I’ll go out and ask to change rooms.”
As Ahn Seo-myeong sighed and got up, Jae-eon hurriedly grabbed the hem of his clothes.
“……!”
White fingers held on desperately and wouldn’t let go.
“Suddenly, wh, where are you going?”
“Outside.”
“Why…… why?”
As if he had been waiting for that exact moment, Ahn Seo-myeong put strength into his acting.
“Because Hyung seems uncomfortable around me.”
“M, me?”
“Yes.”
“Th! That’s not it.”
Is it not? Ahn Seo-myeong suppressed his inner feelings that were turning prickly and continued.
“It’s okay. We can’t always get along, right? I must have committed some great discourtesy towards you, Hyung. How could it be your fault?”
Ahn Seo-myeong deliberately let his voice droop.
“It’s my fault for not noticing right away. As a way to reflect, I’ll go out and cultivate my spirit. If I stand out getting snowed on all night, even the most foolish person should realize something.”
As soon as the disgusting comment ended, Jae-eon’s hand clenched the hem of his clothes even tighter.
“Ah, no! I’m not uncomfortable at all…….”
“You’re lying.”
“Ly…! I’m not lying! It’s just, really…… that…… just….”
Jae-eon flinched and hung his head low.
It seemed he wanted to speak but found it difficult; the sound of his words crumbling ambiguously on his tongue was audible.
Normally, he would have coaxed and placated him by now…… but today was different.
‘As if I’d let there be secrets between us.’
Ahn Seo-myeong stared intently at Jae-eon as if to say, ‘Hurry up and tell the truth.’
Then his face gradually flushed red like an apple. “Just.” Each time he repeated that one word, his pupils shook as if searching for an escape, and his lips squirmed as if being coy.
No, is he really older?
Ahn Seo-myeong unconsciously swallowed his saliva.
‘……So fucking cute.’
His previously sensitive heart had, without him realizing, softened. This goes beyond simplicity to a level of having no brain.
Ah, of course, only when it comes to Ki Jae-eon.
‘Anyway, I fell for the aegyo attack, that’s what I’m saying.’
Ahn Seo-myeong went, Ahem, cleared his throat once, and then brushed off the hem of his clothes that Jae-eon was holding.
“I get it. Just, what is it?”
“…….”
“Hyung, if you don’t tell me, I won’t know. I’ll try my best to understand. I promise.”
Did that kindness give him courage?
Jae-eon opened his lips with a voice trembling unsteadily.
“How do…… how do you escape pity?”