They ended up spending more time at the arcade than expected. Seo Eunho let out a sigh, feeling a stiffness in the back of his neck. Somehow, he felt more tired than when he was working. It wasn’t particularly strange.
“Are you sulking?”
“Who’s sulking?”
“You seem like you’re sulking.”
Seo Eunho hadn’t known that Tae Shinwoo was this talkative. And even more so, he didn’t know he was the type to constantly spout bullshit that would turn someone’s insides upside down.
How could he not be tired after having Tae Shinwoo by his side all day? Seo Eunho let out an obvious sigh. Without a shred of exaggeration, he felt like he’d sighed dozens of times today alone.
“If I knew you’d sulk like this, I would’ve let you win.”
The way he emphasized the word “sulk” couldn’t just be his imagination. Seo Eunho pressed his lips firmly together without answering.
He could say his pride was hurt or that he was irritated. There were plenty of words to choose from, but the very fact that Shinwoo deliberately chose the word “sulking” showed his clear intention to get under his skin.
Unfortunately for him, Seo Eunho had absolutely no intention of playing along with Tae Shinwoo’s thoughts. He wasn’t sulking, his pride wasn’t hurt, and he wasn’t irritated in the first place. He was just a bit tired.
“If you lose, you lose. What’s the big…”
“Really?”
“Are you that happy about winning?”
“Yeah. I’m pleased.”
Tae Shinwoo grinned, lifting the corners of his mouth. Looking at that face made his blood boil.
Fine, whatever. Honestly, he was irritated. They’d tried every game in the arcade and he hadn’t won a single one properly. Meanwhile, Tae Shinwoo just kept smiling annoyingly—how could he not be irritated?
“Of course you’d be pleased.”
Seo Eunho quickly escaped the arcade, spitting out the words irritably. His retreating figure showed a stubbornness that suggested he’d never set foot in an arcade again, but Seo Eunho himself firmly believed he was acting nonchalant.
But how could he not win even once? It was his first time playing games. But Tae Shinwoo was the same. So how could he lose everything so overwhelmingly?
Is this bastard actually lying? Of course, he couldn’t imagine Tae Shinwoo sitting alone at an arcade playing games, but…
Seo Eunho clicked his tongue and stopped that train of thought. Either way, the result was one thing. He hadn’t won even once. There was no point in dwelling on a result that wouldn’t change.
“I’m hungry.”
As soon as he cleanly accepted the result that had been needlessly stirring up his irritation, his stomach rumbled at an absurdly quick pace.
Having completely dismissed thoughts about the games in that short time, Seo Eunho started walking with long strides while looking around. Following obediently behind him, Tae Shinwoo asked.
“Is there something you want to eat?”
Just like at lunch, Tae Shinwoo naturally tried to find a restaurant. It was obvious even without looking that it would be a restaurant that felt extravagant to Seo Eunho.
Seo Eunho waved his hand to stop Tae Shinwoo. Then, before the guy could find anything, he pointed directly at an orange-red food stall. He’d already decided where to go the moment he said he was hungry.
“I want to eat noodles.”
“…Noodles?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tae Shinwoo’s expression turned sour. Of course, Seo Eunho didn’t care. It wasn’t because he still held a grudge about the games.
It was a place he’d wanted to go to for a while now. He’d been eyeing this food stall for so long without ever going in—he couldn’t miss this opportunity now that it was right in front of him.
So, Seo Eunho had worked a part-time job in this area before. Back then, he’d passed by the arcade where they’d just killed time and this nearby food stall countless times.
He hadn’t been particularly interested in the arcade. He hated spending money on useless things. But strangely, this food stall made him hesitate.
So he agonized over it every day. The noodles people were sitting and eating looked so appetizing. It was especially agonizing because by the time his part-time job ended, he was at his hungriest.
But Seo Eunho had always just gone straight home. When he needed to save every penny, even a single bowl of noodles was nothing short of a luxury for Seo Eunho.
“Yeah.”
In that sense, today was an opportunity. A golden opportunity to resolve the resentment of having passed by without eating it time and time again.
Well, if Tae Shinwoo absolutely wanted to eat something specific or had somewhere he wanted to go, he was willing to go along with that, but since that didn’t seem to be the case, it didn’t matter even more.
“It looks like a bar.”
Rationalizing it was easy, and his steps naturally quickened. Tae Shinwoo seemed reluctant though.
But if he didn’t want to go in, he should just say so. Making up a flimsy excuse that wouldn’t work was kind of funny. Seo Eunho briefly laughed at that before answering firmly.
“No, it’s obviously a restaurant.”
Actually, Tae Shinwoo’s expression was similar to when he first suggested going to the arcade. That’s why Seo Eunho acted recklessly.
It wasn’t that he wanted to completely ignore his opinion. He thought if Shinwoo really didn’t want to, he’d say so.
There was no reason for Tae Shinwoo to be dragged along by his hand doing things he didn’t want to do. He had every right to refuse firmly.
“Auntie, two bowls of noodles please.”
“I’m not eating.”
Just like now. Seo Eunho answered lightly as if he’d been waiting for it.
“They’re both mine. If you want to eat, order separately.”
As if at a loss for words, no answer came back from Tae Shinwoo, who’d been running his mouth so well all along.
It wasn’t even that funny, but strangely, laughter kept trying to escape past his lips.
It felt like he’d become a different person today. He definitely didn’t have a hobby of making someone flustered or embarrassed. To think he found it amusing seeing Tae Shinwoo at a loss for words.
Everything seemed fun. Was he wanting revenge after being on the receiving end so much? Not exactly, but even so, he felt like it didn’t really matter.
Having to spend time with Tae Shinwoo had felt uncomfortable at first. But in the end, maybe because he’d spent the time doing as he pleased, he felt indifferent about it. Even losing at games constantly really didn’t bother him at all.
The noodles arrived on the table before long. Seo Eunho immediately pulled both bowls in front of himself. Tae Shinwoo seemed intent on watching him eat, sitting with his legs crossed.
Whatever. Seo Eunho didn’t care and demolished the noodles in an instant. Whether it was because he’d held back for so long or because it was objectively delicious, he didn’t know. Either way, it took less than five minutes for the bowl that had been full of broth to become completely empty.
“Is someone chasing you?”
The moment the second bowl hit the table, Tae Shinwoo narrowed his eyes and asked. The guy had watched him for those five minutes without changing his posture even once. Watching someone else eat noodles couldn’t be interesting, and while thinking what a weird bastard he was, his lips slowly curved upward, perhaps because his full stomach made him satisfied.
“It’s delicious though.”
In contrast, Tae Shinwoo’s expression twisted. It was a face that said, is that really delicious?
“It’s delicious.”
Seo Eunho deliberately said it again. Because it was food he’d wanted to eat for so long, he briefly felt the desire to convince the other person.
Well, even that faded quickly. Seo Eunho shrugged his shoulders and immediately got up from his seat. Tae Shinwoo, who stood up following him, naturally went to pay.
It was natural even though he hadn’t eaten a single chopstick-ful. What kind of sucker was he?
Putting that shitty thought aside, Seo Eunho exited the food stall first.
As it entered dinner time, the streets gradually started to fill with people looking to grab a drink. Still, it seemed a bit early to be completely drunk. Seo Eunho briefly clicked his tongue at seeing someone who couldn’t even control their body already, then quickly turned his gaze to Tae Shinwoo, who had followed him out.
Fucking handsome. Maybe because he wasn’t thinking about anything, that thought absurdly came first.
“…”
Actually, Seo Eunho had felt the gazes following them all day. He himself usually received a lot of attention when walking around on the street and thought he’d become quite used to it, but being with Tae Shinwoo, the attention had increased several times over to the point where his face felt hot.
Well, it made sense. Even among the countless guys who wouldn’t remember Seo Eunho despite being in the same class for a whole year, Tae Shinwoo was someone he remembered immediately upon seeing him once.
Even so, what was a bit curious was that despite gazes following them all day long, Tae Shinwoo had acted completely nonchalant as if he didn’t feel anything at all.
Was it because he was used to this situation? Seo Eunho, who’d been thinking unnecessarily long thoughts, tousled his hair. He’s someone else. What does it matter?
“I’m going home now.”
The moment Tae Shinwoo’s gaze, which had been quickly scanning the chaotic street, landed on him, Seo Eunho announced it. Tae Shinwoo narrowed his eyes, as if finding it absurd that he was going straight home as soon as they finished dinner.
But there was nothing more to do, and hadn’t they spent quite a long time together by now? Seo Eunho added more words, trying to ignore the conscience that was slowly raising its head at the thought that Tae Shinwoo hadn’t gained anything all day.
“We ate lunch and even dinner, so we were together for quite a while.”
“…You really do whatever you want.”
Was it too much?
Seo Eunho scratched his cheek, pondering. Still, he’d done his best in his own way. Even if he’d acted selfishly later, didn’t he do what Tae Shinwoo wanted at first?
Actually, he seemed to have enjoyed it more toward the end than at the beginning.
He wasn’t really sure though. Since he’d never spent time so aimlessly before, he didn’t even know what it meant to have fun. As his confidence gradually dropped, his gaze moved to the ground along with it.
Thanks to that, the brief silence that bloomed was quickly broken by the unexpected yet quite firm words that came from Seo Eunho’s mouth.
“No refunds.”
From the start, Tae Shinwoo had said he’d give him money in exchange for spending time with him. And today, Seo Eunho had spent his time on Tae Shinwoo. So it didn’t violate the contract terms at all.
“Just so you know, I’m saying this. Simple change of heart, no refunds.”
Even so, he did feel somewhat uncomfortable about it, so Seo Eunho made a point of it. It was getting ahead before bringing it up first.
He didn’t care if Tae Shinwoo saw him as a scoundrel. No wait, he already saw him that way, right.
“Who’s asking for their money back?”
The lengthening idle thoughts were cut off sharply by Tae Shinwoo’s voice. The way he spoke as if absurd showed not the slightest intention of getting a refund.
If that was the case, then there was nothing left for him to worry about.
“Even if you ask, I won’t give it back. Now go. I’m tired.”
“I’m sure you’re tired.”
“Yeah, I’m tired.”
Seo Eunho waved his hand half-heartedly. Then, regardless of what kind of face Tae Shinwoo was making at him, he turned around without caring. There was no proper greeting between them.
Well.
Take care, goodbye, get home safely.
Any of those greetings would be too cringeworthy for the two of them to exchange. Seo Eunho imagined Tae Shinwoo waving his hand at him and shuddered, shaking himself. Behind him like that, Tae Shinwoo’s gaze followed after him closely.
