By Zephyria 
Eun-ha, who had been looking at Kim Tae-yeong approaching with a Wine bag, tried to compose himself.
“What’s up. When did you come to Korea, Hyung.”
“I came yesterday, but I didn’t tell you on purpose to surprise you. I was wondering if we could have a drink together after a long time……”
“……”
“Who’s this?”
Tae-yeong’s gaze shifted to the side. Eun-ha took a step diagonally as if to block the interest and replied.
“A younger acquaintance.”
“…Younger acquaintance?”
His eyes seemed to say, since when did you have a younger acquaintance. Eun-ha calmly smoothed over the situation.
“Yeah. So, I don’t think I can drink today. I’ll contact you later. Thanks for this.”
I’m really sorry, but please leave, reading the room. Quickly. Please. Out of Yeon-jun’s sight, Eun-ha sent Tae-yeong an intense glare. Fortunately, Tae-yeong read the unusual energy well, and even with a face full of curiosity, he willingly led the conversation as Eun-ha wanted. They exchanged a few more superficial greetings before he turned around. With a promise to contact him later.
That was how the brief encounter, which felt like the eve of a storm, ended. The elevator they boarded in a state of exhaustion that felt like all the blood had drained from their bodies was terribly quiet. So quiet that you could hear the sound of them swallowing dry saliva.
“……Who is he?”
Yeon-jun said after a while. His voice was completely choked up. It was the tone of voice asking who ‘another’ person was.
The existence of Tae-yeong, who was once a sex partner, flashed through his mind. Eun-ha glossed over it, fearing that telling the truth would be an unbearable ordeal for Yeon-jun.
“……Just, an Hyung I know? Like a friend……”
“Is that person just a friend too?”
“……”
“Aha……”
It was an exclamation containing many meanings. Yeon-jun, whom he checked out of the corner of his eye, had eyes that were slowly losing their light. If he had simply seemed twisted when he met the twins, now it was like…… he felt a little closer to detachment and enlightenment.
Why did all these things have to happen at the same time? As he clicked his tongue at the unfortunate series of events, the elevator doors opened on the 8th floor. Yeon-jun stepped out into the hallway first, and Eun-ha, who followed behind, walked slowly and stared at the neat back of his head.
In fact, when you think about it, there was no need to be so embarrassed. It’s not like he’s done anything wrong, and it’s not like he’s in any kind of relationship with him…….
But he knew that Yeon-jun was thinking exactly the same thing inside. That he’s not really in any kind of relationship, so he’s not in a position to say anything.
Perhaps that’s why he’s so concerned. If he crossed the line, he could have pushed him away and felt comfortable, but he’s the kind of person who tries not to do that until the end.
‘Can you tell me what being kind is?’
Ridiculously, he’s the kind of person who even says he wants to be kinder.
“……Good night, Hyung.”
Even after going through all this, he’s the kind of person who only wishes me a peaceful night.
He faced him in front of the door. Eun-ha thought with a sense of bewilderment as he watched Yeon-jun, whose eyes had lost almost all their light and had become cloudy, forcing a dry smile and fidgeting with his wrist. He wished that you would act a little more selfishly towards me. That you would pour out the complicated feelings that have arisen inside you to me. That this kind of…… this way of acting, doesn’t seem very good.
And he wished that he wouldn’t say good night, actually.
The things he wanted to forbid kept increasing one by one. It was a really bad phenomenon. Eun-ha tried to empty his thoughts and shook off the warmth that filled his wrist.
Eun-ha received a call from Gu Hae-bin in the middle of the night the very next day. He told him to take his Baek Yeon-jun because he was drunk and passed out.
Eun-ha, who had been sprawled on the sofa, quickly grabbed his cell phone. He couldn’t help but be shocked.
“Who’s what to whom…… No. The two of them drank together?”
Gu Hae-bin admitted it without hesitation. He said that his Yeon-jun seemed very upset because of him, so he went out to meet him and kidnapped him. He couldn’t be more dumbfounded. He wondered when the two of them had become so close, he wondered what was wrong with Gu Hae-bin’s personality that he had made him drink until he passed out, and finally, he felt like he wanted to protest, saying that he didn’t know why he was being asked to clean it up.
“…If you took him, you can take him back.”
I drank too.
“Then take a taxi…….”
Haa. Eun-ha, who sighed in the middle of speaking, bit his lower lip. Even though he knew that Gu Hae-bin had set a trap for him, he still couldn’t ignore it. There had been such a mess just yesterday, so of course, Yeon-jun had drunk because of him. Yesterday, the sight of him looking upset with a face that seemed to have a lot to say, but only festering inside, made him feel bad again. How could he pretend not to know?
Gu Hae-bin must have been aiming for that. Trying to encourage the relationship in some way. He thought he kept doing unnecessary things. What kind of mismatched Cupid role is that…… But he felt a little ridiculous at himself for finally getting up.
“Where is he.”
My store. Branch number 1. Come quickly.
Eun-ha immediately prepared to go out. He threw on some clothes and grabbed his car keys. Gu Hae-bin’s Pub, which he knew well, had its signs turned off, whether it was closed or not.
Eun-ha looked around and touched the entrance door. After confirming that it was unlocked, he entered the interior, and a wide interior with dim lighting came into view. Soft music was playing. Gu Hae-bin, who was sitting half-lying on a sofa in a corner of the empty hall, found Eun-ha and put his cell phone down on the table.
“You’re here?”
“Where is he.”
‘He.’ Gu Hae-bin chuckled at that. Eun-ha didn’t care. He was going to take Yeon-jun back right away.
Following the direction he gestured with his chin, he saw a figure slumped over the bar table beyond the corner. As he got closer, he could smell the strong scent of alcohol. Even when he touched his shoulder and called out to him a little, there was no response. Eun-ha looked back at Gu Hae-bin with dissatisfaction, not knowing how much he had drunk.
“No, why did you make him drink so much?”
“Did I feed him? He drank it himself.”
“You should have cut him off when you saw his condition. He’s not good at drinking.”
“Then why are you upsetting him. He was about to die, really.”
“……”
“How badly did you treat him.”
“What do you mean, treat him badly.”
“And I know his age, but… is it physically okay to call him ‘he’?”
Following his gaze, Eun-ha looked down at Yeon-jun’s back lying down again. After swallowing a sigh, he told him to get up and help him move him, and Gu Hae-bin got up from his seat and strode over.
Moving a tall, adult man who couldn’t control his body was by no means easy. After barely pushing Yeon-jun into the passenger seat with support from both sides, Eun-ha closed the door and turned back to Gu Hae-bin unhappily instead of getting into the car right away. He felt like he had to say something.