In the end, chaos erupted. Two hours later, Baek Iseon buried his face on the table and closed his eyes just like that. The condition of the other employees wasn’t great either. Lee Juhee, unable to walk straight herself, grabbed Woo Jeongsuk, who was half out of it and wobbling around, saying she had to take him home, and crawled out onto the street. Jang Juwon followed Lee Juhee out, worried.
“Noona, are you okay?”
“Mmm, I’m fiiine~ Taxi…… taxi……”
As Lee Juhee waved her arm toward the road, a taxi that somehow noticed stopped in front of her. She opened the back seat door and kicked Woo Jeongsuk with her foot, shoving him into the taxi.
“Huff, huff…… Woo Jeongsuk is so fucking heavy…… Juwon-ah, I’m leaving first……”
“Contact me if anything happens.”
“Yeah…… You take Iseon-ssi home…… You’re his school sunbae! Lucky you. Uhehe.”
Jang Juwon opened the passenger seat door so Lee Juhee could get in. She managed to stumble into the passenger seat, and through the car window, she waved her limp hand at Jang Juwon with great excitement. Soon the taxi departed and the two disappeared from view. Jang Juwon walked back into the restaurant, thinking about the biggest headache he would soon have to face.
Naturally, Baek Iseon was still alone at the table, his consciousness having left the building. Shin Jisu, whom he’d been counting on, was nowhere to be seen since some point. Baek Huiseon wasn’t there either. It wasn’t surprising. So in the end, only the two of them remained.
“Haa……”
Jang Juwon let out a deep sigh. He already felt tested by the hardships and adversity that lay ahead. If he’d known this would happen, he would have stopped Baek Iseon from drinking. Jang Juwon realized he didn’t even know how much Baek Iseon could drink. Looking at the number of glass bottles scattered on the table, he could only guess that while worse than himself, he probably wasn’t weak. Despite being stuck to him all that time, he knew nothing about him. Not even his alcohol tolerance. His throat felt bitter even though he hadn’t drunk anything.
Jang Juwon went back to his seat and plopped down next to Baek Iseon. His sleeping face appeared briefly between his thick forearms.
He wanted to touch him. His hand rose impulsively. Fortunately, he came to his senses before his hand reached his cheek. Jang Juwon moved his hand to his shoulder instead and shook it roughly.
“Sunbae, wake up. You need to go home.”
“Mm……”
“Sunbae! Baek Iseon! Ya!”
“……”
Even when he shouted into his ear, there was no movement. What should he do now? It was frustrating that there was no response even when calling his name. Wait, no response. Suddenly, a thought crossed Jang Juwon’s mind that this might be an opportunity. An opportunity to say the things he’d wanted to say but couldn’t. Jang Juwon whispered what he’d wanted to say most into Baek Iseon’s ear.
“You’re…… so fucking annoying.”
“……Mm.”
“You know that? That you’re really a son of a bitch?”
“Mmm……”
“Pfft.”
It felt so refreshing. He never thought a moment would come when he could tell him directly that he was annoying. Jang Juwon’s face brightened. He wanted to do just a little, just a little more.
“You’re irritating. Yeah, Baek Iseon, you’re so fucking irritating.”
“……”
“I’m so irritated because of you.”
“……”
“Why do you keep stirring me up?”
“……”
“Why do you keep making me think about you? Why do you keep making me want to see you?”
“……”
“Ah, what is this. Why, why am I like this.”
Jang Juwon raised his hand and wiped away the flowing tears. It started as a joke but before he knew it, his true feelings had burst out. He hurriedly wiped away tears afraid someone might see, when suddenly Baek Iseon’s body flinched. Did he hear the insults? Jang Juwon’s heart started pounding. Should he run? No, but how could he leave a completely drunk person…… While he couldn’t decide either way, Baek Iseon slowly raised his body and blinked his half-closed eyes slowly, meeting Jang Juwon’s gaze.
“What. Are you crying?”
He asked in a voice not yet sober. Jang Juwon pressed his lips tightly together and only blinked his teary eyes.
“Don’t cry, okay?”
Baek Iseon raised his hand and pressed his fingers against Jang Juwon’s reddened eyes. The remaining moisture quickly evaporated from his body heat. If he felt that the touch after so long was warm, he’d be hopeless trash. Even so, he couldn’t refuse. Without realizing it, Jang Juwon rubbed his cheek against his hand. Baek Iseon’s hand paused for a moment, then carefully caressed his cheek.
He slowly raised his upper body. The hand touching his cheek was still affectionate. He began to lower his head toward Jang Juwon. His face was getting closer and closer.
“Sunbae, h-here, outside……”
Jang Juwon squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his head back, pressing against his chest. Thud. Suddenly something heavy fell onto his shoulder. Opening his eyes at the unexpected weight, he was sleeping with his head buried in his shoulder.
“Baek Iseooon!!”
Jang Juwon’s desperate voice echoed through the restaurant.
* * *
He managed to take a taxi and arrive in front of his house, but it took every ounce of strength just to walk a few meters. Carrying a man a span taller than himself on his shoulder made him gasp for breath. Honestly, if there hadn’t been an elevator, he would have dumped him on the first floor and gone home. Jang Juwon barely managed to press the elevator’s close button and sat Baek Iseon on the floor. Thanks to that weight, the elevator vibrated slightly.
“Huff, huff…… Baek Iseon, please wake up!”
“……Mm. Ten more minutes……”
Baek Iseon muttered. What the hell did he mean by ten more minutes? Jang Juwon barely suppressed the urge to kick him right then. The elevator arrived at the second floor with a ding and opened its doors. Jang Juwon grabbed Baek Iseon by the scruff of his neck and dragged him out. The elevator door caught on Baek Iseon’s leg and rattled as it tried to close.
And finally, the last obstacle awaited Jang Juwon. It was the front door firmly locked with a door lock. Jang Juwon looked at Baek Iseon, who was crouching on the floor with his eyes closed beautifully. Then he reached out and slapped his cheek a few times. It was impossible to say there wasn’t some pent-up sincerity mixed into those movements.
“Wake up, Baek Iseon! What’s your house password? Huh?”
“……6391.”
“……”
“……And…… star.”
“Right, right.”
“……You have to press it…… The star.”
“I know!”
He was obediently answering when asked. Even giving advice to press the star. Haa, he might as well not have said anything. Then he could have used that as an excuse to abandon him and leave. Unable to help it, Jang Juwon hoisted Baek Iseon onto his shoulder again to stand him up, then honestly entered his house door lock password. Beep, the sound of the door unlocking came. Jang Juwon pulled the door handle hard.
‘How many months has it been……’
It really had been a long time. The scenery, unchanged from before, somehow made Jang Juwon’s heart comfortable. He could see the familiar bed too. Just to the bed. Interference ends there. Jang Juwon decided to go home as soon as he laid Baek Iseon down. Yeah, the bed—probably now rolling around with someone else on it.
“Damn……”
He tried not to be jealous but he couldn’t help being pissed off. Especially since he’d suffered hell today because of that. He should have just abandoned him on the street, whatever happened. The path to the bed felt infinitely far.
Finally arriving at his destination, Jang Juwon threw Baek Iseon onto the bed with all his might. The bed creaked and swayed. Baek Iseon, who ended up face-down on the bed, made a small groan and frowned slightly.
“Phew……”
Jang Juwon sat on the edge of the bed for a moment to catch his breath. As the strength left his tensed muscles, fatigue rushed in rapidly. When he turned his head slightly onto the soft bed, he saw Baek Iseon’s face sleeping obediently.
“……”
A desire began to rise to just lie down next to him like this, pretending not to know. This was probably because of fatigue. Because he hadn’t fully recovered his strength yet because of someone. Wasn’t it a universal habit of modern people to want to lie down anywhere when tired? Jang Juwon carefully laid his exhausted body on the bed.
He could see his chest rising and falling regularly. There was a time when he’d fallen asleep in that embrace.
‘Just one more time……’
His heart, not yet fully sorted, had wicked thoughts. He wanted to be held just once more. He wanted to hear his own name called in his voice.
‘You’re too greedy, Jang Juwon.’
But now that embrace and voice would hold someone else and call someone else’s name. This was why he didn’t want to get close. He felt so pathetic. Jang Juwon decided to stop being pitiful now. He smirked at him who’d given him such trouble this evening and raised his body.
Just as he was about to lift his hips, his body suddenly fell backward again. He felt a strong force at the back of his neck and was helplessly pulled. When Jang Juwon’s back touched the bed, the mattress bounced and the back of his head bounced lightly.
“Uh……?”
Jang Juwon’s surprised eyes widened greatly. Baek Iseon, who had somehow woken up, was looking down at him.
“Don’t go.”
