By Zephyria 
“I wonder. Relationships are things that can change unpredictably. Right now, the element connecting you and me is the stability of the Corruption Level, but as you said, whether such a day comes or not, no one knows what else might be added. Anything could be added.”
“…….”
“Couldn’t it be that we become more firmly grounded by other things, to the point where we don’t even think about something like the stability of the Corruption Level?”
“Like what, for example?”
“Hmm, perhaps we become like a pseudo-father and son?”
“That’s a bit…….”
It wasn’t like they were in the Joseon Dynasty; what kind of father is only twelve years older? At the reluctant response, Jeil Heon burst into a clear laugh.
Still, the definition he provided was very pleasing. A relationship where anything could be added. How about this for a first step? Isn’t it a universal rule that everyone loves it when a younger lover changes how they address them?
“J-Jeil Heon Hyung.”
Screeeech!
It was a friendly change in address delivered with heartfelt fluttering, but the car came to a sudden, noisy halt with a screech of tires. Horns began blaring behind them and curses started flying, but Jeil Heon stared at Yoo Jiha with a look of utter bewilderment. For a man who rarely showed strong emotion, to see him make such a face of sheer disgust.
“……I’m begging you, please don’t call me Hyung.”
“Why, why?”
“My conscience hurts.”
Yoo Jiha’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“My youngest sibling was even younger than me. Then shouldn’t I be able to call you Hyung too?”
“You… you’re different. Look at the age gap between us.”
“How big of a gap is it really between you and me? When I started elementary school, you were barely at the age to enter college. No, you didn’t even go to college.”
“I just hit puberty a bit early. Therefore, you could be considered my child’s generation.”
“…….”
While Yoo Jiha was left speechless by this miraculous logic, Jeil Heon set the sedan in motion.
He had failed at being called Hyung, but that wasn’t the only thing that could be added to their relationship. Yoo Jiha wanted to dye the connection between them in his own color.
Even if he was currently sporting a score of 0 confessions and 2.5 rejections.
Actually, wasn’t the premise of this score wrong from the start? Jeil Heon claimed to have no interest in younger people, colleagues, or men, but wouldn’t the answer be different if it were Yoo Jiha—who is younger, a colleague, and a man?
The testimony of a Hubae and superior with a taste for the dramatic:
〈I heard you doted on that kid? It’s suspicious that a man who’s obsessed with anomalies and has no interest in humans is being so nice.〉
The testimony of a team member:
〈It does feel like he takes special care of him. Like last time at the opera house, he immediately protected him because an anomaly appeared and it seemed dangerous.〉
〈They have a special relationship. If it weren’t for Jiha-ssi, he would have been quarantined in the lab or died already. I’d carry Jiha-ssi on my back too.〉
There was plenty of possibility for the score to change.
Everyone called it a special relationship. A special relationship.
He rolled around, hugging his pillow to hide the smirk creeping up his lips. Just thinking of that word made his heart throb with the excitement of that day. Though it hadn’t started by his own will, he loved the fact that he was the only one who held meaning for the man.
For that reason, Yoo Jiha called his name over and over. He hoped that he, too, would become a special meaning to him, and that they would both be dyed in the same excitement.
Reality is not fiction.
He didn’t even dream of a reaction like, Actually, I liked you too, after confessing. What could he expect from a man who, until recently, had been talking about him being four years old…
“…….”
No, thinking about it again, isn’t four years too much?! We even kissed! He even used his tongue! Why use the tongue! The tongue!
Recalling it made him feel wronged again, so Yoo Jiha started shadowboxing the air. But he couldn’t really complain. Since he was the one who had pounced first to steal the lips and used his tongue…
Anyway, his goal was modest. It was okay if he wasn’t accepted immediately. Just clearly conveying his feelings. That alone would be the first step in building a new relationship.
If it were Jeil Heon, he would probably smile awkwardly and ask for time to think. And that thinking time would be filled with the charm of a younger man. He didn’t know what that charm point was, but anyway.
‘But how do I actually confess?’
Yoo Jiha hugged his pillow again and began to groan. The only confession event he had experienced in his life was once in elementary school.
〈Hey, you’re the cutest in our school. Be my boyfriend starting today.〉
It was the boldness of a fearless soul that he couldn’t refuse, but he couldn’t possibly use a nine-year-old’s romance as a reference. For the record, that romance ended in fifteen days when an even cuter boy transferred in.
Since you’re the most handsome in the Management Bureau, please be my boyfriend starting today… No, that won’t work. While tearing at his pillow in contemplation, Yoo Jiha decided to seek high-level wisdom from the sanctuary of learning built by predecessors: romance dramas and movies.
Team member:
“Jiha-ssi. Do you want to grab dinner together after work today? It’s been a while.”
“Gasp, I’m sorry. I have prior plans.”
Friend:
[Off work? The guys are gathered, you should come out too]
[Overtime ㅠㅠ]
Enemy—no, Noona:
[Are you going home this week? If you are, I’ll give you a ride after work on Friday]
[I love my company so much I’m going to work on the weekend too]
[Crazy bastard]
Rejecting all meetings, Yoo Jiha remained secluded even after work and on holidays. He devoured everything from rom-coms to emotional melodramas at double speed, day and night. In the end, he reached a conclusion.
‘I have no money…….’
Regardless of the method, he needed money to make a plausible confession, but his meager bank account, which had been emptied after giving his first paycheck to his parents, screamed in agony. Just in case, he searched for fancy restaurants with views of the Seoul nightscape, only to swallow tears upon checking the price ranges.
Of course, if he said he wanted to have dinner at a restaurant, Jeil Heon would readily make a reservation, but wouldn’t it be a bit weird to confess at a restaurant paid for by the other person’s money? Even without dating experience, Yoo Jiha knew that.
After a brief moment of frustration, Yoo Jiha soon recovered his will. If he lacked money, he had to overcome it with sincerity.
“Ahjussi, what are you doing on Saturday? Do you have plans?”
“I’m meeting my second and youngest siblings at lunchtime.”
“Are you having dinner with your siblings too?”
“I’ll have dinner with our Jiha, of course.”
As if he knew exactly why he was asking about his plans, Jeil Heon smiled warmly while making eye contact. ……It was truly strange; he always gave the answer Jiha wanted to hear.
Feeling a fresh surge of heart-fluttering, the D-day was set. Finally, Saturday arrived. As soon as he saw Jeil Heon off, he dashed to the subway station. In his heart, he wanted to cook the meal himself, but the only thing Yoo Jiha could cook was ramen.
He bought a steak for takeout from a restaurant as expensive and delicious as his card would allow, and stopped by a flower shop. The bouquet, which he had spent a long time pestering the florist about via text, was complete. It was an elegant bouquet where cream-colored roses surrounding the center highlighted the deep blue of mini delphiniums. The language of mini delphiniums is I will make you happy. Simulating the confession scene gave him goosebumps. So cool.
As he returned and was setting the food, a passing ghost slid its face through the wall. In the past, he would have screamed, but now that he was used to it, he only gave a small flinch of the shoulder.
Gong Ran-sa looked around the beautifully decorated table and, for some reason, wore a look of pity.
「In these days, raw beef would likely suit the tastes of my generation. Try not to season it too much.」
“Really?!”
「I heard the butcher shop on the left side of the alley leading up the hill handles high-quality meat. ……Good luck.」
The low, ominous final remark didn’t reach Yoo Jiha’s ears. He hurried to the butcher shop, bought raw beef, and plated it. The setup was barely finished in time, and he proudly took a photo.
Finally, he heard the sound of Jeil Heon parking. Presence followed. The sound of neat, rhythmic footsteps approaching the kitchen, crossing from the garage through the yard, taking off shoes, and stepping up the stone porch.
A man who could move without a single trace of presence to avoid being detected by anomalies always made footsteps when he was near Jiha. The intentional presence, meant to ensure he wouldn’t be startled, was now a source of anticipation.
Listening to the sound of footsteps on the wooden veranda growing louder, Yoo Jiha took a deep breath. The plan was perfect. In a deep mood, eating a fresh combination of steak and raw beef, setting the atmosphere, and then the bouquet that emitted a subtle scent even in the dark……. Huh? Dark? It’s bright.
“……!”
He had forgotten to light candles instead of the electric lights. Yoo Jiha hurriedly pulled out the S.T. Dupont lighter he had secretly taken from Jeil Heon’s room, but the door was already opening. In his panic to turn around, he made matters worse by tripping over his own feet.
“Uwah!”
“You have to be careful.”
Naturally, with Jeil Heon right there, there was no such thing as actually falling. Before Yoo Jiha could hit the floor, he landed right in the man’s arms.
Dusting off his clothes and checking if he was hurt, Jeil Heon looked around with an amused expression.
“Is it perhaps my birthday today? This is a surprise gift, right?”
“T-That’s…….”
“Oh, this raw beef is delicious.”
Jeil Heon, who had already picked up a piece of raw beef with chopsticks to taste, spotted the bouquet hidden behind the chair. It was Yoo Jiha’s failure to account for the man’s tall stature.
“What are the flowers for? Who gave them to you?”
“Uh, uh……. I didn’t receive them…….”
“Did you buy them on purpose? You should have told me sooner that you like flowers. Shall we plant some flower seeds in the yard too?”
Mood my ass. Yoo Jiha was devastated. From the moment he foolishly almost fell, the cool confession had gone down the drain. Since it had come to this, he had no choice but to just go for it.
“T-They’re for you, Ahjussi!”
“Me?”
“I bought them to give to you.”
To the man who received the bouquet with a puzzled but smiling face, Yoo Jiha closed his eyes tight and spoke.
“I-I like you, Ahjussi.”
“Hmm? Thanks. Ahjussi likes our Jiha too.”
“No! Not that kind of like, but as a romantic interest—no, as the same sex? No, not that either! I mean I like you enough that I want to go on dates and be in a relationship with you……!”
He finally said it. It was a messy confession, completely different from the original plan, but the important thing was conveying his heart, wasn’t it? The thumping of his heart sounded in his ears as if it were hitting his ribs.
In other words, the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat. Aside from that, a heavy silence settled around them. Jeil Heon remained silent, without even a sound of breathing.
“…….”
……It was strange. He had expected that even if the man didn’t accept his feelings immediately, he would give a gentle response. His hesitant gaze slowly drifted upward.
And the moment he saw the man’s face looking down at him, Yoo Jiha realized he was fucked.
It wasn’t a look of embarrassment, nor a look of apology. It wasn’t a look of joy or gratitude. What was etched on Jeil Heon’s face was closer to horror.