By Zephyria On the day of the blind date, Yumin waited with bated breath for the appointment time. Two hours before leaving, he performed a ritual cleansing and took out the clothes he had saved and cherished for today. A black shirt with a smooth sheen, a jet-black jacket, and pants so dark they looked like ink were today’s items.
To finish, he put on black socks and black canvas shoes, and left the dormitory early.
The street of Sinsadong was crowded. Yumin weaved through the throng of people and picked up his reserved ticket from the kiosk.
「Couple Theater – 2-Person Couple Sofa Seat」
The ticket that read this was lovely.
Twenty minutes before the appointment time, Yumin went to the concession stand and ordered popcorn and cola.
“One large caramel popcorn and one large cola, please. And two straws.”
The employee immediately handed over the drinks and the popcorn tub.
This, too, was part of his scheme. He had ordered only one popcorn so that their hands might brush inside the tub.
As Yumin waited with a pleased smile, he heard a stir from somewhere.
Yumin instinctively knew Tae-jun had arrived. The fact that the cinema had become so noisy meant Tae-jun, with his movie-star-level looks, had appeared.
As expected. From afar, Tae-jun was walking over, his visual appeal particularly noble today. A cream-colored knit and neat slacks further accentuated his superior physique.
Muscles pumped without being overdone, long limbs, yet a body overflowing with masculinity. Endless legs… His face was as if the devil and an angel had collaborated to sculpt it, blending decadence and elegance.
Sigh. He’s so handsome. Yumin melted away.
“You were already here.”
“Uh, yeah. Tae-jun! Come on over.”
Tae-jun approached Yumin.
“I already got the tickets, so we can just go in.”
“Okay.”
The two found the screening room and went up one floor. Yumin presented the ticket to the usher.
“Where are our seats?”
“Uh… the sofa seats in the very back row.”
“Then they’re couple seats…?”
“Yeah. There weren’t many seats left, so I couldn’t help but book this.”
Yumin made a flimsy excuse. However, the screening room was completely empty.
Tae-jun hummed, lightly scanning Yumin. Yumin, feigning innocence, found the prime spot among the couple seats—the sofa seats in the very last row—and sat down. Between the couple’s sofas, there was no armrest, let alone any obstruction. It was a design perfect for couples to lean on each other and watch comfortably.
Yumin settled into his seat, placed the cola on the drink holder in front, and inserted two straws. He then placed the popcorn tub on his lap.
“So, why did you pick this movie?”
“Ah, Hyeon-seok and Juwan recommended it.”
“Hyeon-seok and Juwan, you mean…”
“Yeah. Our classmates. They’re also taking
“Ah, I see who you mean.”
Tae-jun attended some lectures with his classmates and others alone. He rarely participated in Class 1’s lunch gatherings or impromptu drinking sessions. Yumin wouldn’t have been able to pursue Tae-jun if it weren’t for
Yumin suppressed the laughter that kept trying to escape and looked at the screen. Soon, the screening room darkened, and the movie began.
The story started calmly. A man and a woman met, quickly fell in love, and had a wedding. They soon had a child and lived happily.
Although he knew the spoiler about a sudden sad twist in the latter half, the beginning was presented in a mild fashion, so Yumin could watch the movie without tension.
Yumin turned his eyes to look at Tae-jun. He seemed engrossed in the movie, arms crossed, staring straight ahead. His expression was indifferent.
He must be wanting popcorn soon, right?
Yumin gently slipped his hand into the popcorn tub. Without taking his hand out, he waited inside. But ten minutes passed, then twenty, and nothing happened. No matter how long he waited, Tae-jun didn’t reach into the popcorn tub.
Yumin deliberately shook the tub lightly, making a rustling sound. But Tae-jun didn’t budge, showing no reaction.
Another thirty minutes passed. Yumin’s hand was still inside the tub. For Yumin, who had been waiting for their hands to accidentally brush, this situation was extremely awkward.
But there was no other way. If he didn’t wait patiently, how could he brush hands with Tae-jun? Yumin waited steadfastly, even as his wrist grew numb and his elbow ached.
Meanwhile, Tae-jun saw through Yumin’s scheme quite clearly. How could he not notice Yumin’s hand rustling inside the tub when he wasn’t even eating popcorn?
It was obvious that if he put his hand in the popcorn tub, he’d be caught immediately. So, even if he wanted popcorn, he didn’t want to reach for it. Tae-jun had experienced countless advances in his life. He had never bothered to count them, nor had a reason to, but according to his friends, about a hundred people had confessed to Tae-jun.
However, this was the first time someone had approached so clumsily, with their intentions so transparent, like Yumin.
Usually, women acted coy or tried to lure him by speaking indirectly about their feelings. Those considered masters of romance often used metaphorical methods.
Since 70% of the women who flocked to Tae-jun were older, they approached him with particular sophistication.
Even women his age didn’t rush in blindly. They knew Tae-jun would cut them off instantly if they did, so they played it safe and plotted.
Therefore, Tae-jun found Yumin, who was screaming with his whole body, “Look at me. Hurry up and hold my hand!” utterly pathetic. It was enough to make him snort.
What a ridiculous guy. Should I tease him a little?
A mischievous thought sprouted within Tae-jun. He wanted to gently torment Yumin by pretending to eat popcorn.
He very carefully put his hand into the popcorn tub. But what was this? As soon as he inserted a finger, Yumin’s hand shot out like a hawk’s talon. It then instantly snatched Tae-jun’s finger and gripped it tightly.
A few seconds passed with Yumin holding Tae-jun’s finger. Yumin then realized his mistake.
This wasn’t it. He was supposed to subtly intertwine fingers, not grab one finger tightly. What was he doing?
Yumin chuckled sheepishly and released Tae-jun’s finger. Tae-jun turned his head and smirked.
Could he be any more pathetic? Did you wait an hour just to grab a finger? That’s a bit much, this guy. Do you like me that much? Go Yumin. What do you know about me to be acting like this?
Tae-jun felt a slight sense of disillusionment. Yet, ironically, the situation was amusing. Apart from Yumin being annoying, he was never bored when he was with him. It was the same now. Yumin was a hundred times more entertaining than a movie that squeezed tears out of the audience with predictable clichés.
He no longer focused on the movie. Pretending to watch, he observed Yumin’s reactions.
Meanwhile, after his popcorn scheme failed, Yumin felt awkward and just watched the movie.
As the movie progressed to the latter half, the story became tear-jerking. A wife who deliberately divorced for the sake of her beloved child and husband. Hiding her terminal illness, she spoke harsh words to her ex-husband.
“I never loved you!”
The actress’s emotional performance as she lied was superb. As the scene where the actress faced death alone unfolded, Yumin felt a sting in his nose. He wanted to cry out, Sob sob, but to maintain his masculine dignity, he clenched his fists and glared. Then, without realizing it, he sniffled.
Tae-jun watched Yumin, who trembled on his own, then sniffled, and then resumed a solemn expression. What on earth was going on in that small head? It was intriguing because he couldn’t guess at all.
When the movie ended, the lights in the screening room came on. Yumin, worried about his sniffling being discovered, wiped his nose with his sleeve and said,
“Ah, time flew by.”
“Let’s go now.”
“Yeah, we can go to the restaurant I booked. It’s close by.”
The T-bone steak restaurant Yumin had booked was less than a ten-minute walk from the theater. The two walked a short distance and arrived in front of the restaurant. The European-style sign glowed softly, creating a pleasant ambiance.
“This is the restaurant I told you about.”
“Thanks for going to the trouble of making a reservation.”
“No trouble at all. I should do this much.”
When Yumin went in and gave his name, the server led the two to a table with a nice view. It was a spot where the night view of Sinsadong was clearly visible through the window.
As the server strongly recommended, Yumin ordered the T-bone steak. He persistently asked Tae-jun if he wanted anything else, ordering side dishes, drinks, and dessert in advance while they waited for the food to arrive.
The steak arrived quickly. It looked appetizing with thick slices of meat attached to a large bone.
“Wow. The visual is amazing.”
“Give it here. I’ll cut it.”
Tae-jun reached for the plate. Yumin quickly snatched the plate away and placed it in front of himself.
“No. I’ll cut it for you. You just sit there.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to do it.”
Yumin trimmed the steak with a knife and fork. His knife skills were somewhat clumsy, but his sincerity towards the meat was evident. He meticulously scraped off every last piece of meat from the bone.
“Go Yumin. You must really like meat.”
“Yeah. I really do.”
Yumin’s appetite was stimulated, but feeding Tae-jun came first. He transferred the well-cut pieces to Tae-jun’s side plate.
In fact, this was a manner he had recently learned from Juwan. His last meal with him had been very helpful.
“Thanks. You eat too.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The portion of meat was generous, so Yumin ate heartily. The steak, with its good texture and rich flavor, was excellent, but eating it with Tae-jun’s face as a side dish made the taste even better.
Yumin quickly finished the meat. Tae-jun ate neatly, without any fuss, and silently. As a result, the two finished their food not long after.
The server cleared the table and said they would set up dessert and tea. Yumin regretted how quickly time had passed. Tae-jun seemed to be urging him to get to the main point.
“We’re done eating, so we should work on the assignment. Let’s do it while having dessert.”
It felt like he was emphasizing that they had met solely for the team assignment report, which made Yumin slightly upset. Even though it was he who had distorted the original purpose, while Tae-jun was fulfilling his duty as a student.
“Uh… okay. Let’s start with a light discussion. This assignment is to observe and compare each other’s views on marriage and sex, and write an essay, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Actually, I prepared a questionnaire on my tablet. Can I ask you questions while looking at it?”
Yumin took out his tablet from his bag.
Tae-jun was surprised by how thoroughly he had prepared. Yumin seemed more serious about the assignment than he had expected.
“Alright. Um… but, you know.”
“Yeah?”
“Before we talk about the assignment, there’s something I want to ask.”
Tae-jun rested his chin on the table and stared intently at Yumin. It was the first time Tae-jun had shown curiosity towards him, so Yumin was surprised.
“Huh? What… what is it?”
“Do you like cats?”
Yumin was taken aback by the sudden question. Why was the topic of cats coming up here?
“Cats… Cats are… hmm…”
Those cats are pathetic. Stupid and lazy… They only know how to act cute on human laps, not brave like our wildcats.
Yumin had had a poor impression of cats since childhood.
Just as he was about to say, I guess cats aren’t great,
“Your profile picture is a cat, so I was wondering.”
Ah!
Yumin suddenly remembered his messenger profile picture. It was a photo taken as a memento before he left his hometown.
He had set it as his profile picture boldly, thinking that to others, it would just look like an ordinary animal photo, and no one would suspect it was his true form.
“C-cats… Uh, yes. That’s right. Haha.”
“Actually, that cat looks like one I saw a few days ago, so I wanted to confirm.”
“Huh?!”
Sweat trickled down Yumin’s spine. He remembered that Tae-jun had seen that cat. It was because he had been caught by Tae-jun in that state.
What should I do? What excuse can I make?
Yumin’s throat felt dry, and his gaze wavered.
“Its markings and its plump tail were exactly the same. Is it a cat you own?”
“No! No, it’s not.”
“Then?”
“Uh… well! I saw it on the street while passing by. Uh, yeah. I took a picture on the street.”
Yumin feigned innocence. He wanted to emphasize as much as possible that he was not acquainted with that cat.
“I see. Then it must be a stray cat without an owner. If I see it again, I’ll definitely catch it.”
“Why? Are you going to keep it?”
“No. I live alone, so I’m not confident I can raise it well. If I bring it home without a plan, it might get lonely, so I want to foster it temporarily and then find a good home for adoption. But before that, there’s something urgent.”
“What’s urgent?”
“Neutering.”
“What?!”
Yumin’s already large eyes widened twofold.
“N-neutering… You mean you’re going to remove it? Make it unable to fulfill its role as a male?”
“Yeah. Neutering is good for stray cats. It was a male, you see? Neutering a male not only prevents reproduction but also prevents testicular cancer and accidental incidents.”
“……”
Clang. Yumin dropped his spoon onto the plate.
“If you leave it alone, it might fight with other males during its Heat Cycle, or people might harm it because of its meowing. So, when I catch it this time, I’ll definitely take it to the animal hospital and just—”
“St-stop.”
Yumin, pale, waved his hand. His head felt dizzy, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
He wants to neuter me, that’s absurd. I came all the way from the remote mountains to get you pregnant…!
While Tae-jun’s concern for the safety and health of stray cats was admirable, Yumin felt a chill run down his spine.
I need to be careful. I must protect myself thoroughly.
“Let’s stop talking about cats. Let’s talk about something else.”
Yumin subtly shifted the topic to hobbies.
“I like taking baths, no, swimming. What about you, Tae-jun?”
“I like swimming too. I was on the swim team until middle school.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I even received a scout offer to come to the sports high school, but there was strong opposition from those around me. I still go for free swims whenever I have time.”
“You must have been really good at swimming. That’s amazing.”
With a common topic, a slightly more intimate atmosphere began to form. Yumin decided it was time to steer the conversation towards the main topic of marriage views.
“So, Tae-jun, when you get married later, do you want to do hobbies with your spouse? Like going to the swimming pool together…?”
“With my spouse? No. I’m not going to get married.”
Tae-jun took a sip of his tea and answered nonchalantly. Yumin couldn’t believe his ears.
He’s not going to get married?
“What… what are you talking about…?”
Yumin’s voice trembled.
“Ah, I’m a non-marriage advocate.”
“N-non-marriage advocate…?!”
“Yeah. I have absolutely no intention of getting married.”
A ringing sound echoed in Yumin’s ears. At the same time, he felt like he was being sucked into a distant black hole. His ideal type, sent from heaven, disliked marriage. Despair washed over him, wondering if his ancestors had abandoned him.
Yumin didn’t know where to begin. His brain felt empty, and he blurted out anything.
“H-how can you say that?! That’s too much.”
“Too much? It’s my personal values, so what’s too much about it? I think marriage is a constraint. I’ve always thought there’s no need for me to be bound by such an outdated institution, and that I should absolutely never get married.”
“Then why did you sign up for Marriage and Sex!”
Tae-jun looked at Yumin as if he were a strange person when Yumin suddenly raised his voice.
“Go Yumin, you’re speaking strangely. If you take a class on bacteria and viruses, do you get sick? No. Just because you take advanced accounting doesn’t mean everyone becomes an accounting master.”
The truth of his words left Yumin speechless. However, Yumin couldn’t back down so easily. Creating offspring with Tae-jun was possible even without marriage.
Reaching that thought, Yumin swallowed hard and asked,
“Let me ask just one thing. Tae-jun, you’re a non-marriage advocate, but you don’t hate sex, right?”