By Zephyria 
Saturday. Unlike yesterday, when he slept in, Jae-gyeom woke up early as usual. He devoted himself to his studies immediately after breakfast, and by the time he snapped back to reality, it was already close to noon.
“Jae-gyeom, Tae-hee! Let’s have lunch!”
Today’s lunch menu was bibim-guksu.
Bowls of noodles were placed at every seat on the dining table. However, at one particular spot, there was a large silver basin instead of an ordinary bowl. Inside the basin was a mountain of noodles that looked to be at least three servings. Yoon Tae-hee paused for a moment upon seeing it.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Jae-gyeom sat down in front of the basin with an expressionless face. At that sight, Yoon Tae-hee bit his lip, but eventually, unable to hold back his laughter, he lowered his head and chuckled.
“What.”
“It’s nothing….”
“What. Tell me.”
“How did you know that was your seat?”
“Jeong-ju always gives me mine in a basin when we eat noodles.”
Just then, Jeong-ju spoke with a serious face.
“Tae-hee, are there too many noodles? If you think you’ll have leftovers, just move them over to Jae-gyeom’s bowl. Jae-gyeom eats noodles infinitely.”
“Hey. What do you mean leftovers? Noodles don’t keep you full for long, so you’re supposed to eat a ton. Eat up until you’re filled to the brim.”
He already knew Jae-gyeom ate a lot, but it was surprising every time he saw it. It was fascinating that he had such a slim build despite eating so well.
“I will eat well.”
“Enjoy your meal.”
Yoon Tae-hee laughed for a while before picking up his chopsticks. The noodles, mixed with well-ripened kimchi, looked delicious. As Yoon Tae-hee lowered his head to eat, his hair slid down and covered his face.
Seeing this, Jeong-ju remarked,
“Tae-hee, you need to get a haircut.”
“I agree. I should visit the hair salon when I have some time.”
“Does your hair usually grow fast?”
Yoon Tae-hee spoke as he swept his hair back along his parting.
“No, but I feel like it’s growing exceptionally fast since coming here.”
At those words, Jeong-ju spoke with a mischievous expression.
“Oh, you must have had a lot of dirty thoughts since coming here?”
Suddenly, Jeong-ju shut his mouth.
Oops….
As if cold water had been thrown over them, the table fell silent in an instant.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Yoon Tae-hee, who had been lifting a mouthful of noodles, stopped his chopsticks and looked at Jeong-ju, and Jae-gyeom also froze mid-bite. Even Yu Nam-saeng, who had been munching away with sauce smeared all over his mouth, stared at Jeong-ju.
A look of dismay flashed across Jeong-ju’s face.
It was just a cliché, obvious, old-fashioned joke thrown out without much thought between men. However, only after the words left his mouth did he realize he had picked the wrong person to joke with. Jeong-ju hurriedly tried to fix the situation.
“Ah… um, what was it? You know how some people say your hair grows faster if you wash it with dog shampoo? I wonder if that’s true? Hahaha. Anyway, the noodles are a bit soggy today. Jae-gyeom, do you… do you want more noodles?”
It was obvious to anyone that Jeong-ju was extremely flustered.
“Is that so? I don’t know. Maybe it is.”
At that moment, Yoon Tae-hee brushed off the joke nonchalantly.
However, Jae-gyeom felt a sense of vertigo watching Jeong-ju ramble to change the subject. It was because he realized that Jeong-ju actually knew about the relationship between him and Yoon Tae-hee. He hadn’t known because Jeong-ju hadn’t shown any signs until now, but this made it certain.
By the way, what does having dirty thoughts have to do with hair growing fast…?
Curiosity surged, but Jae-gyeom pretended to be indifferent and focused on his noodles. The meal ended amidst an awkward atmosphere.
After lunch, Yoon Tae-hee changed his clothes and prepared to go out. Seeing this, Jae-gyeom asked.
“Where are you going?”
“To get a haircut, and then I’m planning to stop by the gym for a workout.”
Despite his busy life as an exorcist, Yoon Tae-hee had exercised consistently for several years, though he had taken a break for a while after leaving Seoul to come here. He had started again recently; while not as intense as before, he visited the gym from time to time. It started after hearing from Jeong-ju and Jae-gyeom that he seemed to have lost some weight.
While most people tend to gain weight if they don’t exercise, Yoon Tae-hee, who was naturally lean, had to exercise consciously and periodically to maintain his physique. Perhaps aware of this himself, whenever he heard that he looked like he’d lost weight, he would make time to work out even if he didn’t have any.
“You went to work out with Jeong-ju last time. Is Jeong-ju not going today?”
Yoon Tae-hee nodded at Jae-gyeom’s question.
“Yeah. I’m going alone today.”
Occasionally, when their schedules aligned, Yoon Tae-hee and Jeong-ju would go to the gym together. Jeong-ju, who cared about self-management even during his hiatus, was an excellent workout mate. However, Jeong-ju happened to have a video meeting scheduled with the production company in the afternoon, so it seemed he would have to work out alone today without a partner.
Yoon Tae-hee packed a change of clothes and his gear into his gym bag. Jae-gyeom, who had been watching blankly, suddenly spoke up.
“Then should I go with you?”
Yoon Tae-hee paused while packing and looked at Jae-gyeom.
“You want to?”
“If you’re okay with it. I don’t really have anything to do anyway. I’m done with today’s studying. You’ll be bored alone, too. I can watch you get your hair cut, and if I can, I’ll work out with you.”
Yoon Tae-hee beamed.
“Sure, then let’s go together.”
It was a good thing for Yoon Tae-hee if Jae-gyeom accompanied him.
The two left the house side by side. They decided to go to the hair salon first in the car driven by Yoon Tae-hee. Both the salon and the gym were located downtown, requiring about a 30-minute drive from here.
Getting into the passenger seat, Jae-gyeom took off his shoes and put his feet up on the dashboard. As he wiggled his feet in white socks, Yoon Tae-hee smiled and started the engine. Yoon Tae-hee seemed to be in a very good mood.
“Where is the gym?”
“Near the hair salon. Next to the big mart we went to last time.”
“Really? Are there many people?”
“It’s a weekday afternoon, so I don’t think there will be many.”
The two shared an ordinary conversation while holding hands. They shared their thoughts on the songs playing on the radio and talked about pedestrians they saw outside the window while waiting for the signal.
Then, during a brief lull in the conversation.
“…But you know.”
Jae-gyeom, who had been looking out the window, suddenly spoke.
“What does having dirty thoughts have to do with hair growing?”
Yoon Tae-hee was silent for a while. Whether it was just his imagination or not, the volume of the radio suddenly felt lower. Jae-gyeom waited quietly for Yoon Tae-hee’s answer. After a moment, Yoon Tae-hee spoke, lightly rubbing Jae-gyeom’s interlaced hand with his thumb.
“There’s an urban legend that says your hair grows faster if you have a lot of dirty thoughts.”
“Really? That’s interesting.”
Jae-gyeom nodded as if it were no big deal.
“…….”
“…….”
Following those words, silence filled the car.
Not knowing if it was just his imagination, Jae-gyeom felt a strange awkwardness and pretended to be preoccupied by rubbing his bangs.
In truth, there was something he wanted to ask.
So, do you have dirty thoughts often?