Ding-dong-dang~ Ding-dong-dang~
While Seojun was stealing glances at Soohyun’s face, cheerful music suddenly started playing. Seojun looked around to find the source of the sound, and Soohyun fumbled for his phone, turned off the alarm, and slowly lifted his eyelids.
“Mmm…”
Seojun froze in place, unable to take his eyes off Soohyun’s face. Soohyun blinked, trying to confirm who the person in front of him was. Was it because he’d been in a deep sleep? He couldn’t distinguish whether this was reality or a dream.
“Choi Seojun…?”
Frozen in place, Seojun stared at Soohyun’s slowly moving eyelids. As his languid eyes found their place, Soohyun did his best to hide his fatigue and offered a greeting.
“It’s been a while… seeing you.”
Seojun thought he was also happy to see him. He couldn’t take his eyes off Soohyun as he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair and dry-washed his face, trying to wake himself up.
“You must have been tired. Well… I…”
“I feel much better after resting a bit.”
He hated seeing that beautiful, unguarded face from just moments ago harden again. He wished he would look at him with those drowsy eyes a little longer.
“Lee Soohyun… no, Soohyun-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“I’m also happy to see you. Because it’s been a while.”
Looking at Seojun in his neat suit, Soohyun thought of Chaeho. Remembering the young guy who fidgeted in front of him on his first day of work saying the suit felt awkward, a smile naturally formed. At the pleasant curve that appeared on his refined lips, blood rushed to Seojun’s cheeks and ears.
‘Choi Seojun. What’s wrong with you? You’re not even a kid.’
Why was it that whenever he stood before this person named Lee Soohyun, instead of the skillful appearance of actor Choi Seojun, only clumsy and foolish aspects came out? Couldn’t he act more naturally? They were just employer and employee. He’d even slept with him, so why…?
“Choi Seojun-ssi. If it’s not too rude…”
Soohyun hesitated for a moment before carefully parting his lips. Seojun gathered his gaze, waiting for the low voice that would flow from those parted lips. Looking at those dry, pale pink lips, an impulse arose to lick them moist.
‘You’re crazy, Choi Seojun!’
“I haven’t had lunch yet… I’ll work extra for the meal time, so please understand…”
“Of course! It’s fine! It’s already this late… hurry and eat!”
“Thank you.”
Seojun impulsively grabbed the arm of Soohyun as he turned his back to leave. Caught by the hand suddenly grabbing from behind, Soohyun turned his head. Seojun’s mind raced until he thought of a good plan and smiled brightly.
“You don’t need to work more. Just grant me one request.”
At the word “request,” Soohyun’s complexion darkened a bit. Certain that he was going to mention pheromone care, Soohyun resigned himself to another difficult journey home today. But the words that came from his mouth were different from Soohyun’s expectations.
“This weekend… I mean Saturday. I’ll invite you. Would you like to have dinner at my place?”
“…Pardon?”
Seojun was surprised by the words that had jumped out of his mouth without going through his brain. He wanted to ask himself what on earth he was babbling about. Suddenly? In this situation? Why on earth? Questions that even Seojun couldn’t answer lined up.
“Well. Just because. I’m grate… ful? Ah! And I… what… ah, well…!”
“Understood.”
“…Pardon?”
“Saturday is tomorrow. What time should I come?”
Seojun asked again as if he couldn’t believe Soohyun’s answer without complaint. But he just looked at Seojun’s face with his usual expression.
“So around 7 o’clock? Let’s have dinner together…”
“…Understood.”
Soohyun bowed his head toward Seojun and came out to the kitchen to open his lunchbox lid. The white rice topped with a half-cooked fried egg, egg-battered sausage slices, stir-fried anchovies, and stir-fried kimchi—though the lunchbox had cooled, it looked delicious. Following Soohyun from behind, Seojun confirmed the lunchbox side dishes and swallowed his saliva audibly, and Soohyun turned his head toward Seojun.
“It’s an old-fashioned lunchbox. I’ve only seen them sold at restaurants, this is the first time I’ve seen one homemade…”
“Is that so.”
It was also a menu he’d prepared for Chaeho who had begged him to pack a lunchbox. For him who had even sent a photo asking for a lunchbox like this, Soohyun packed his own lunchbox similarly while making his.
“Well… enjoy your meal.”
Feeling like he’d been somehow vulgar, Seojun scratched the back of his head and left the kitchen. Soohyun stared at Seojun before starting his meal.
* * *
“Then I’ll be going now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, see you at 7 tomorrow.”
“I’ve made dinner, so please have it.”
Seojun watched Soohyun’s departing back with regret before going into the kitchen to check the dinner menu he’d made. Along with other side dishes, he saw a memo attached to a somewhat generous-sized side dish container that must have been taken from somewhere, and hurriedly opened the lid.
-This is a dinner lunchbox. Enjoy your meal.
“Wow…”
Inside the lid were the same side dishes as Soohyun’s lunchbox that Seojun had swallowed his saliva looking at earlier. Forgetting Soohyun’s message to eat it for dinner, Seojun hastily grabbed chopsticks and started eating the lunchbox.
“…It’s delicious.”
It was common food incomparable to the fancy food he ate outside, but Seojun liked what Soohyun made. Plain but neat, somehow resembling his appearance, Seojun couldn’t erase thoughts about him throughout eating the lunchbox.
“Tomorrow… what have I gotten myself into!”
After putting the instantly emptied lunchbox container in the sink, Seojun busily started searching for something on his phone.
- 3 seconds
The solo outing after a long time made Soohyun nervous. Though he’d unknowingly said yes to Seojun’s invitation, Soohyun still couldn’t understand Seojun’s attitude. First hostile, then grateful. He was unpredictable like a child.
‘Why is hyung going there?’
Chaeho had even raised his voice after hearing that Soohyun was going to have dinner at Seojun’s house. After barely soothing him as he grumbled about wanting to spend the whole weekend with hyung, Soohyun left the house at a little before 6 PM. Though the days were gradually getting hotter, knowing that a cool breeze blew in the evening, Soohyun put on a thin jacket.
“The weather is nice.”
It had been a very long time since he’d gone out like this in the evening. Until just two years ago, Soohyun couldn’t even leave the house. Soohyun decided to think of today’s invitation as a challenge to blend into the world and live. Forgetting all the things that happened before, a challenge for the person named Lee Soohyun to become independent.
“……”
Soohyun hesitated for a moment in front of the bus stop. It was the bus he hadn’t ridden once since experiencing an attack a few months ago after riding it. He waited for the bus to come, believing that one or two stops would be okay.
‘It’s okay. It’ll be okay.’
Repeating to himself that riding a bus was nothing compared to sleeping with Seojun whom he’d met for the first time, he clasped his trembling hands together and boarded the bus. The bus card still had the full amount left from charging it several months ago.
Beep-beep-
At least it was fortunate that the inside of the bus was quiet. Soohyun found a seat in a spot where he could get off quickly and sat down, looking around.
‘It’s okay, Lee Soohyun. It’s just a bus.’
To get to Seojun’s house, he had to go about 10 stops total, but Soohyun’s goal was to endure 5 stops. However, around the third stop, his vision gradually blurred, and as the number of people boarding the bus increased, it became difficult to bear.
‘I can’t do this anymore. Let’s get off.’
Less than 10 minutes after boarding the bus, Soohyun staggered off. Then he sat on a bench, caught his breath, and tried to calm down.
“Haa… haa… still… I rode it quite a bit.”
Soohyun smiled. There was a time when he couldn’t even endure one stop. Now I can ride the bus for about 4 stops. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to wipe the sweat that had formed on his forehead. When he had calmed down a bit, Soohyun gathered the strength remaining in his legs and walked toward Seojun’s house.
* * *
At a little before 7 o’clock, Soohyun was able to arrive at Seojun’s house. The bus had helped save time.
Seojun had spent quite a bit of time choosing his clothes. Thinking it would be strange to dress too flashily, he wore comfortable casual shirt and cotton pants, lightly swept up his hair, and checked his appearance in the mirror.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, hello.”
Soohyun’s appearance was no different from usual, but he looked even neater because he wore a calm-feeling jacket. Seeing the beads of sweat on his forehead, Seojun spoke without thinking.
“Is it very hot outside? But aren’t cars cool these days?”
