Despite luring him with talk of an empty house, Tae Shinwoo frequented the place where Seo Eunho was staying shamelessly.
In the morning, he’d come at the crack of dawn to wake him up saying they should go to school, and after school he’d drag him along insisting they had to eat together, have dinner, kill time at the house for a long while like that, and only then return to his own place.
It would have been fortunate if he at least pretended not to know him at school, but from some point on, Tae Shinwoo spoke to him without reserve.
Thanks to that, Seo Eunho’s days were recently filled with Tae Shinwoo.
Moreover, Seo Eunho was somehow becoming ‘the guy who made Tae Shinwoo get his act together’ among the teachers. Unlike before, he came to school on time and didn’t even sleep during class.
Of course, he wasn’t concentrating on class, but still, it could look like he’d gotten his act together. It was annoying that they unanimously praised him saying it was thanks to Tae Shinwoo, but this wasn’t entirely wrong either.
As a result, Seo Eunho was receiving the most favorable gazes from people in his life. It was so uncomfortable he could die.
“Seo Eunho.”
That bastard Tae Shinwoo probably knew his inner thoughts. He was definitely enjoying it.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t make him wait at the central staircase where both students and teachers were bustling about every dismissal time.
Coming late every time was definitely intentional too. He was planning to advertise to the whole neighborhood that he was waiting for Tae Shinwoo. If not, there was no reason to show his face only when there wasn’t a single person left walking the hallways.
“Can’t you hear me?”
“I heard you.”
“Then why aren’t you answering?”
“Answering every single time wasn’t in the contract terms.”
“How petty.”
“Why? Should I do ‘Yes, boss’ every time I see you?”
“Mm… That’d be nice though?”
What’s so nice about that? At the calm answer, Seo Eunho grimaced in disgust. Right, now that he thought about it, looking for reasons in what this crazy bastard does was wrong from the start.
Seo Eunho clicked his tongue while still looking at the band stuck on Tae Shinwoo’s forehead. The band had been stuck on his forehead like a medal since the very day after he’d slammed the guy’s head.
“What?”
At the obvious gaze, Tae Shinwoo asked with a smile. Without answering, Seo Eunho turned around sharply and started walking briskly. Maybe because of that damn band, Seo Eunho got angry just looking at Tae Shinwoo’s face. Today was the same.
He strangely just laughed it off. It wasn’t much, but from what he’d observed so far, if Tae Shinwoo got hit, he was the type to pay it back double and then some.
He should have noticed when such a guy just left grinning and giggling. Seo Eunho glanced at Tae Shinwoo’s forehead again, then irritably tousled his hair. He was irritated but it was also absurd, so he even laughed.
‘What’s that on your forehead?’
‘This? It’s like this because you headbutted me.’
‘No. I did do that, but why are you so brazenly walking around showing it off?’
So, the very next day after Seo Eunho came to stay at Tae Shinwoo’s place, Tae Shinwoo entered the house by pressing the password from the crack of dawn. He’d been sleeping deeply for the first time in a while, and the aftermath from the previous day still remained, so he was extremely irritated the moment he saw Tae Shinwoo, but that quickly subsided. Because of absurdity.
Seo Eunho learned for the first time then that absurd feelings could overcome anger.
‘It’s the first time I’ve had a scar on my face, so it’s fascinating.’
It would have been the same for anyone, not just him. If they’d seen Tae Shinwoo appear with his forehead completely exposed rather than hiding the bluish bruise on his pale skin from being headbutted mercilessly the day before.
Especially Seo Eunho, who was the party responsible for creating that bruise, even more so.
‘I got in trouble at home.’
‘Hah…’
‘I’m not supposed to go around getting hit, you know.’
There are exceptions, but generally parents don’t like their children going around getting beaten up. It was bullshit talking about something obvious as if it were a special story.
Seo Eunho was about to say he should have at least shown some effort to cover it up but stopped. Because when he actually saw Tae Shinwoo’s forehead bruised deep blue, a bit of guilt washed over him. At that time, anyway.
Thinking about it now, he seemed to have planned it. So that he’d have no choice but to gloss over the previous day’s events.
Seo Eunho had regretted until now not being able to pour out a tirade telling the guy not to fuck around that day.
Precisely from the moment the guy who’d been constantly going around with his forehead exposed started putting a band on his forehead.
So, it had already been long enough for the bruise to disappear, yet he was still going around conspicuously claiming to be injured—that’s why it was unfair.
Should he tell him to stop and take off the band?
Seo Eunho, who’d been moving his lips at the thought, soon shook his head. Because even mentioning the injury again felt no different from playing along with the guy’s antics.
Not giving him attention was the best policy. Then he’d find it boring, and then he’d stop the antics.
“Why are you walking so fast? Are you that hungry?”
Behind him as he turned around without a word, Tae Shinwoo asked. Instead of answering, Seo Eunho returned a question.
“Are you coming over again today?”
It was a voice dripping with annoyance. Of course, Tae Shinwoo didn’t care. It was a question with a predetermined answer from the start.
The distance had suddenly narrowed. The path wasn’t even narrow, so why was he walking so close? It felt uncomfortably awkward all of a sudden.
This is why everyone whispered with both his and Tae Shinwoo’s names on their lips.
“Don’t come so close.”
“Why?”
“It’s hot.”
Honestly, thanks to Tae Shinwoo, Seo Eunho’s life had improved tremendously. But was it human nature to want two things when you get one? Lately, every little thing bothered Seo Eunho.
“I’m not hot.”
Among them, what occupied the biggest portion was the distance with Tae Shinwoo. It wasn’t simply a physical concept. Seo Eunho was uncomfortable with Tae Shinwoo boldly stepping into his boundary.
“Back off, a bit.”
“What if I don’t?”
But Tae Shinwoo didn’t take his discomfort all that seriously. The more he pushed away, the more Tae Shinwoo rather narrowed the distance even closer. On purpose.
Contrary little bastard.
The more he knew him, the weirder he was. Whatever little image he’d had of him so far was all a fraud.
“Are you going to headbutt me again?”
What’s so proud about getting hit once that he’s smiling? At this point, maybe he enjoys getting hit?
The idle thought felt plausible for a moment. He genuinely felt wronged hearing that he’d gotten his act together lately by hanging around with such a crazy bastard.
“No.”
His gaze sweeping Tae Shinwoo up and down was dissatisfied.
“I’m going to kill you.”
However, even after threatening him, Tae Shinwoo just laughed briefly as if he’d heard a joke.
Seo Eunho chose to just ignore the guy. Even so, where he was headed was Tae Shinwoo’s place, and the guy’s destination was the same, so it was a meaningless act.
***
Sunlight poured in through the window. Fully enjoying the leisureliness of the weekend, Seo Eunho lay languidly on the bed. His eyes repeatedly closed and opened slowly.
Should I sleep a bit more?
Just as he was thinking that, the intercom rang. His continually closing eyes opened, and Seo Eunho raised his body from the bed like a zombie.
In the meantime, Tae Shinwoo, who’d been sitting on the sofa, opened the front door and received the jajangmyeon they’d ordered about 30 minutes ago. Seo Eunho glanced at him and immediately headed to the dining table.
Two bowls of jajangmyeon, tangsuyuk, and drinks were placed on the table. The two silently peeled off the plastic from the jajangmyeon bowls.
“…Ah.”
The silence broke when Seo Eunho, who’d finished removing the plastic, started mixing his jajangmyeon. Tae Shinwoo gazed at Seo Eunho with puzzled eyes as he suddenly sighed and frowned without any warning. It was because he looked extremely displeased about something.
“What’s wrong?”
Seo Eunho’s expression showed no sign of smoothing out. Actually, this wasn’t the first or second time he suddenly expressed dissatisfaction, so Tae Shinwoo wasn’t particularly surprised.
It was usually for really pointless reasons.
“Because it’s too natural.”
And as expected, this time was the same. It couldn’t be anything but a very trivial complaint.
What’s so significant about that? Tae Shinwoo said while mixing his jajangmyeon.
“Your father’s still there.”
“Disgustingly sticking around for a long time.”
There was no faster way to quell Seo Eunho’s complaint than this. Seo Eunho frowned deeply but didn’t whine any more about the situation of the two of them eating jajangmyeon.
Jajangmyeon rolled up on chopsticks was generously pushed into Seo Eunho’s mouth. In the midst of that, his face was still crumpled like a sheet of paper.
It had been almost a month since he started staying at Tae Shinwoo’s place. During that time, Seo Eunho hadn’t gone to his own house even once. Without needing to go check, it was thanks to Tae Shinwoo confirming like this every time whether his father was still there or not.
More precisely, it was the person the guy ordered around who checked.
Seo Eunho recalled the face of the man he’d unintentionally run into a few times. He looked like someone you’d definitely want to pretend not to see if you met on the street, but Tae Shinwoo used such a person well.
Well, it’s none of my business. But anyway, what wind blew this time that he keeps staying at home?
At this rate, he’d become completely comfortable as if Tae Shinwoo’s place was his own home. Tae Shinwoo would say it was pointless, but Seo Eunho was genuinely worried. It seemed that day wasn’t very far off.
Even now. He’d already become too accustomed to spending time with Tae Shinwoo. The problem was that he was adapting terrifyingly fast to Tae Shinwoo acting like a crazy person.
Tae Shinwoo’s frivolous interest would disappear someday, and thinking that he’d have to return to his place, he should be appropriately uncomfortable with the guy so as not to get too used to this life.
But at this rate, he’d forget. That the day would come when he’d have to start earning a living again and clash with his father. When that time came, how much would he miss this moment?
“Tsk.”
Once conscious of it, Seo Eunho cut off the thoughts trying to lengthen endlessly by clicking his tongue and shook his head. He just needed to be aware of it. Why worry already?
“If you’re done eating, give it here.”
While thinking, Seo Eunho, who’d nibbled away and emptied his own bowl, naturally reached his hand toward Tae Shinwoo. Tae Shinwoo raised his eyebrows and retorted.
“I ate one chopstick-ful.”
“You’re not going to eat more anyway.”
“I’m going to eat it though.”
“Don’t be stubborn and hand it over. Why’d you order it when you don’t even really like it?”
However, Tae Shinwoo couldn’t beat Seo Eunho and ended up having his jajangmyeon bowl stolen. Tae Shinwoo’s jajangmyeon, which had been mixed but not disappearing for a while, vanished into Seo Eunho’s mouth in an instant.
Tae Shinwoo leaned back in his chair with a face that showed not a shred of regret. The fact that he had no intention of eating the tangsuyuk either and was just observing his face was also familiar.
Is it fun even seeing it every day? Where exactly does he find that fun? Anyway, is it fortunate? No, but isn’t it a bit strange?
“If I look carefully, you watch me really closely. You know things I haven’t even said. You must be interested, right?”
“Cough!”
Should he be happy or not? Seo Eunho, who’d been missing Tae Shinwoo’s smile while having meaningless thoughts, coughed heavily at his words and his eyebrows twitched. It even seemed like he could hear a voice asking what he was talking about when his mouth hadn’t even budged.
At that, Tae Shinwoo’s mouth corners rose even longer. He liked his reaction. Seo Eunho tried to compose his expression but couldn’t stop the continuous coughing. Glaring at Tae Shinwoo, who kindly handed him water, Seo Eunho sighed.
Being flustered was also a skill when he fell for it every time Tae Shinwoo poked at him whenever there was a chance, finding his flustered state amusing.
Without answering, Seo Eunho finished eating all the food, then quickly cleared the dishes. He judged it was better to move diligently than to sit facing the guy.
Moreover, just recently there was a precedent of being dragged out all of a sudden while being lazy without even washing. Standing with a shabby appearance next to the neat guy was more embarrassing than expected, so for various reasons, Seo Eunho decided to wash up in advance.
“Going to wash?”
“Yeah. I’m going to shower, so if you’re going to brush your teeth, do it now.”
Seo Eunho said as he took off his top, put it in the laundry basket, and headed straight to the bathroom. Then he suddenly became conscious of Tae Shinwoo’s toothbrush next to his own.
Since when did this become so natural? He said it was an empty house. At this level, wasn’t it no different from living here except for not sleeping? The thought felt crooked, but Seo Eunho didn’t deliberately voice it.
Soon Tae Shinwoo followed into the bathroom and picked up his toothbrush. The bathroom was spacious enough that it wasn’t cramped even with two grown men standing in front of the mirror. However, Seo Eunho somehow thought it felt narrow even while brushing his teeth.
Well, it couldn’t be helped. Because he realized that at some point, Tae Shinwoo’s gaze in the mirror had landed on him, precisely on his chest area, and wasn’t moving much.
“…What are you looking at?”
Seo Eunho, who’d been ignoring the obvious gaze for quite a while to the point of tensing his body unnecessarily, finally couldn’t stand it and tossed out a remark. The guy’s gaze was too blatant—pretending not to know would be even stranger.
“Ah.”
Only then did Tae Shinwoo slowly raise his gaze. It was a face where not even a hint of embarrassment could be felt. The moment their eyes met, the guy smiled with his eyes crinkling.
“A mole.”
“What?”
“You have a mole below your nipple.”
The toothbrush that had been moving diligently stopped abruptly for a moment. For an instant, looking at his chest area as the guy said, he could see a mole even he didn’t know existed.
“It’s kind of erotic somehow.”
“You, you fucking—come here.”
The moment he discovered it, heat strangely surged up. Seo Eunho kicked out at Tae Shinwoo, who was laughing as if mocking him.
Regrettably, not a single one of Seo Eunho’s attacks succeeded. His foot that hit the quickly closed door stung, and the laughter heard from outside only made him feel like shit.
