After looking Seonwoo up and down for a while, Yoonjo opened his mouth.
“Hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“But we can’t go.”
At the sudden words, Seonwoo stared at Yoonjo, wondering what he had just heard. Yoonjo himself didn’t even notice that Seonwoo was looking at him with a strange gaze as if gauging something.
As if thinking very serious thoughts, Yoonjo’s eyes narrowed and his mouth naturally popped out. It looked like an ugly pufferfish, and his face was completely scrunched up. In his hand, he was holding the plastic wrapper of an almost-finished ice cream.
“Because hyung is too amazing. When I was really pretending not to know, I would have thrown away my conscience and asked you to go with me, but it won’t work. You’re fucking cool, hyung.”
“How about speaking nicely, Yoonjo.”
“Hyung, you’re really cool.”
Yoonjo, who responded as if grumbling, circled around Seonwoo and said.
“How are you going to hide this height? Can you cut it in half? It would be nice if you cut it and gave it to me. Even if we put the height aside, what about your face? I saw celebrities, and even though they wear masks and hats and make a fuss, they all get caught. What was it, D**patch? Those guys really have good eyes, so even if they just pass by and go ‘Huh? That person is suspicious!’ and show even the slightest sign, they shove cameras in their faces.”
“It’s been a long time since I was active…. I don’t think anyone will recognize me.”
“What are you talking about!”
At the scream-like sound that seemed to burst from deep in his core, Seonwoo twisted his lips. He was making a desperate effort to hold back his laughter. Because Yoonjo’s endlessly serious expression looked as petty as a truly angry pufferfish.
“Hyung is! Huh? Just a fucking cool actor, cool even now, and the best anyway! I hit rock bottom in language scores so I can’t express anything more than this…. Anyway, you really look like a gisaeng’s brother that anyone would look back at once!”
At the end, the pronunciation slipped and made a strange sound, but Yoonjo was more serious than anyone.
“Gisaeng’s brother?”
When Seonwoo tilted his head slightly as if puzzled and asked, Yoonjo nodded his head vigorously.
“They say that on SNS. They say when you see a really handsome and pretty man, you call them like a gisaeng’s brother. That it’s a compliment….”
Aren’t those kinds of words usually insults? Seonwoo thought that kids’ way of talking these days was sometimes hard to follow and raised one eyebrow smoothly.
Yoonjo, thinking he was asking for an answer, fumbled out his phone and showed him a screen.
Like a gisaeng’s brother = handsome, basic outfit. White horse-riding prince style.
“Right?”
“……”
He felt dizzy about where to start correcting Yoonjo’s words. Instead of answering, he turned off the phone screen and kindly put it in his pocket.
“Let’s walk. Let’s take a walk and then go play together.”
“Suddenly?”
As if not noticing the strange atmosphere from just before, or perhaps having already forgotten it, Yoonjo bounced along following behind Seonwoo.
“Where are we going?”
Normally, he should be annoyed by questions that came without rest like this, but strangely, Yoonjo was an exception. When he slightly turned his head, his eyes met Yoonjo’s.
Yoonjo’s eyes curved beautifully. The aegyo-sal under his eyes rose roundly and the mischievous mole stood out. At the same time, a large mouth cave formed at the corners of his mouth and pleasant laughter spread.
It was still bright, but the sunlight was sparsely tinged with red. As the wind blew, the light beating through the tree leaves gently covered Yoonjo’s face.
On his nicely and moderately tanned straight forehead, black hair was swaying. The curly hair swayed gently, harmonizing with his unadorned smile, reminiscent of a black retriever.
Seonwoo, who was examining Yoonjo carefully, smiled languidly, curving his eyes.
“A good place.”
That was all of Seonwoo’s explanation.
***
Something cold suddenly touched his shoulder. Before he could even say “Uh,” heavy rain poured down.
At the shower that wasn’t even in the weather forecast, the two people hurriedly entered a nearby abandoned barn. It was as gloomy as if a ghost would appear, but Yoonjo and Seonwoo were calm as if they felt no particular sentiment.
Yoonjo, who had been wringing out his already soaked shirt several times, seemed to think it wouldn’t work and stripped it off, then wrung it out tightly like wringing laundry. When the fabric twisted, the water it had fully absorbed dripped down.
When Yoonjo moved his arms, his shoulder blades moved. At the same time, along with his smooth skin, his fully developed trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles wriggled. Simultaneously, his spinal muscles that curved inward entered Seonwoo’s eyes as if being engraved.
Seonwoo, who reached out his hand without realizing it, touched the middle of Yoonjo’s sunken back. Tap, his fingertip touched the skin and Yoonjo slightly turned his head, then focused on wringing out his clothes again.
“Cool, right? See? This is farmer power, I’m telling you.”
The sound of rain gradually intensified. The raindrops drumming on the leaves and wetting the ground damply covered the gray sky. Now Yoonjo vigorously shook out the wrung clothes. Pang, pang-! A refreshing sound was heard and the remaining moisture seemed to drip off.
His healthily tanned skin was dampily wet. A water droplet that had formed around the nape of his neck slowly fell along his sunken spine. Before long, the moisture that had settled on Seonwoo’s fingertip smeared along his nail. When he slightly lifted his fingertip, a faint mark remained in that spot.
Seonwoo, who slowly raised his fingertip upward along the prominent spine, lightly placed his finger on Yoonjo’s plumply risen trapezius. Then he suddenly realized that Yoonjo wasn’t even breathing.
From his neck to his back area, it was dyed bright red, looking just like a birthday balloon. Seonwoo quickly bent his finger with a short “Ah” sound.
“There was a water droplet falling.”
“……”
Strength naturally entered the hand holding the wet clothes. Yoonjo turned his body to look at Seonwoo while holding his breath tightly. His face and body were already dyed red without distinction. It looked like a young child had haphazardly splashed paint.
“Rather than here….”
Heat gathered around Yoonjo’s eyes. Yoonjo, holding his wet clothes tightly while half-covering his face, said quietly.
“My front is cooler than my back. If you want to look, look here.”
Crazy. His head must have gone mad. Why was he saying this? Between men with everything they should have, he couldn’t understand at all why he was saying this while trembling as if embarrassed. Yoonjo firmly tensed his stomach and turned his head to the side. His left chest was covered with wet clothes.
Hup-.
While holding his breath, he felt Seonwoo’s hand gradually approaching. Yoonjo tightly closed his eyes and waited for the touch to come. The moment when the straight, long fingers would touch his skin felt too long. It was extremely slow, as if someone had grabbed Yoonjo’s time and forcibly stretched it out and thrown it away. Please, rather touch me quickly. It was around the time that thought occurred.
Along with a clear slap sound, a stinging pain touched his stomach area. The strange atmosphere shattered in an instant, so Yoonjo opened his eyes wide. His already black pupils looked even more glistening.
“You’ll catch a cold. Put your clothes on.”
“But….”
Yoonjo, who firmly pressed his palm against the stomach where Seonwoo’s touch had reached, lightly exhaled and needlessly wrung the damply wet clothes again, then hesitated.
Because his pants were thoroughly soaked, the feeling was clearer than ever. Yoonjo looked at Seonwoo without realizing it. When their eyes met, Seonwoo showed a puzzled expression.
Hoping his gaze wouldn’t go downward, Yoonjo slowly, as naturally as possible, turned his body. He felt Seonwoo’s gaze piercing his back. Hoping Seonwoo wouldn’t know about this situation, Yoonjo shook out his wet clothes.
“A cold… that kind of thing, I’ll just catch it if I catch it.”
Yoonjo, who spoke while breathing deeply as if flowing, slightly lowered his head. Thank goodness. It seemed to have gotten a bit better. A sigh of relief flowed from Yoonjo’s mouth knowingly or unknowingly.
Yoonjo, who was debating whether to put on the wet clothes or not, eventually put them back on. This was rather better than showing his front fully to Seonwoo. Even in the midst of this, Yoonjo furiously rolled his head thinking he should say something. The white cotton shirt that clung clammily to his skin felt strangely uncomfortable. Yoonjo, who brushed his goosebump-covered arms with his palms as if shaking off moisture, spoke as if grumbling.
“And wearing completely soaked clothes like hyung is how you catch a cold more easily, you know? Hyung doesn’t know anything.”
“I’ve never had such minor ailments. Isn’t Yoonjo the one who should worry more than me? They say even dogs don’t catch summer colds….”
Even at the teasing tone, Yoonjo snorted. It was because he had never caught a cold in summer even once.
“What cold? If I catch one, I’ll be a dog, whatever. Hyung should be careful. Ah, should I wring out your clothes? Take them off.”
“It’s okay. It seems like it’ll stop soon, so I’ll endure it.”
“Hyung, if you really catch a cold like that, it’ll be a big problem….”
At Yoonjo’s words, Seonwoo raised his hand. Stroking Yoonjo’s wet hair as if roughly shaking it off, he added with a smile.
“Yoonjo should be careful.”
“This is my front yard, you know? What cold? I guarantee I won’t catch anything similar.”
Grumbling, Yoonjo needlessly pushed the floor with his toes. His whole body was still hot as if the heat hadn’t completely cooled.
At that moment, along with a flash of light from the sky, a loud roaring sound shook heaven and earth. Yoonjo sat down in place as if the strength had left his legs.
The sky that flashed several more times became docile before long. Only the occasional rumbling sound was heard intermittently. Nevertheless, Yoonjo didn’t get up from his seat. Looking pitiful with his eyes closed while firmly covering his ears with his palms. It might have been because of his youthful face.
Seonwoo sat beside such Yoonjo and patted his back. When Seonwoo’s hand touched his body that had cooled from the rainwater, warmth began to spread and Yoonjo’s heart gradually settled. Strangely, his heart beat faster, so Yoonjo curled his body up more.
“Were you very startled?”
“My… heart…. My heart hurts….”
“That happens when you’re too startled. Let’s stay here a little longer and go down when the rain stops somewhat. It’s okay, Yoonjo.”
Though it was an indifferent tone, it was strangely warm. Yoonjo sat beside Seonwoo, curled up his body, and tightly closed his eyes. Pat, pat. Each time the hand touched his body, his heart also pounded greatly.
It really seemed to be time to die. Seeing how his heart was beating like crazy just because Seonwoo was patting his back.
