Seonwoo, who went out to the garden following Dain, silently stared at the grass being stepped on beneath his feet. The sogginess of the grass lawn wetly soaked due to winter made his mood low.
“What should I move?”
However, Seonwoo soon painted a kind smile on his face. Because he knew that the woman before his eyes wasn’t the target to express the emotions he was currently feeling.
His mood had been bad since Haeyoung readily told him to go ahead. No, actually, from before Dain spoke to him, from when Yoon Haeyoung went on a date with another woman. Or before that… from when he heard he was appearing on this ridiculous program.
Not a single moment was okay. Except for the moments when his gaze was directed at him.
For a moment he felt twisted inside, but Seonwoo still didn’t erase the smile on his lips. Since the atmosphere was consistently soft, Dain gathered courage and opened her mouth.
“Actually, it’s not that I really had something to move and called you, but there’s something I want to ask.”
Perhaps it was words she’d prepared, because once her mouth opened, the words that poured out were smooth. Even though words different from the purpose of coming out together flowed, his expression didn’t change.
He had expected that there would be another intention. And who it was related to as well. If that weren’t the case, there would have been no reason to obediently fall for an obviously transparent ploy.
“We… don’t have much time left. Even on the last remaining date, you can’t necessarily be with the person you want to be with.”
Seonwoo, who was mulling over the word “we” that she spat out, nodded silently.
“So actually, I want to get to know Haeyoung better, so I’m trying to make a separate appointment. But since there’s little time left, I don’t want to waste time.”
“…You want to get to know Haeyoung better?”
At the question uttered slowly, Dain nodded with an embarrassed face.
“Yeah.”
There was no hesitation in the answer that came out right away. He thought she’d be entirely passive due to her shy personality, but it seemed that wasn’t quite the case.
The gaze that had been lingering on Dain’s face turned toward the glass window of the dining room for a moment. The face looking this way was clearly imprinted in his vision even from a distance.
Why are you making me hear such words? The resentment that crossed for a moment soon faded away emptily. Because Haeyoung, noticing their eyes had met, momentarily raised his hand awkwardly. At that sight, a weak smile hung on Seonwoo’s lips.
“Since Seonwoo oppa said you were close with Haeyoung from before, I thought you might know.”
The gaze looking back at Dain again sank a little. Not noticing the subtle change, she chewed her lips briefly before opening her mouth.
“Things like his ideal type.”
There was subtle expectation tinged in her voice.
“Ideal type?”
He muttered to himself while quietly looking down at Dain’s face.
The smile slowly hung on his lips was unnatural, but there was no way the person in front of him would know such a thing. The only one who knows this would be Yoon Haeyoung. Before, now, and in the future. Even though he was certain, the strange displeasure seemed to urge him to spit out everything in his stomach.
“Haeyoung’s ideal type…”
Words like ‘wouldn’t it be better to ask him directly’ circled in his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them. Because just imagining going in front of him and talking about ideal types or whatever made his head throb.
Realizing that all his nerves were on edge, he rather lost strength. There was a time when he thought he had an even-tempered personality anywhere. Until before meeting Yoon Haeyoung.
His gaze again glanced toward Haeyoung beyond the glass window. The face leaning against the table with his gaze lowered to his feet. He wanted to immediately run in front of him and lock him in his arms where no one could see.
Ideal type.
Seonwoo had never asked him what his ideal type was. Because he already knew who he liked without asking, he didn’t even feel the need to.
“…He likes older people.”
At the voice that dropped belatedly, visible agitation arose on Dain’s face. It was clearly an answer she hadn’t hoped for. Knowing that, Cha Seonwoo smiled kindly and folded his fingers.
“Tall, with big hands too…”
“Height…”
Looking at the expression already disturbed, he slowly rolled his eyes.
“What else is there?”
The tilted head turned toward beyond the glass window again. He could see Haeyoung, who had been leaning against the table, slowly pacing around the dining room.
Haeyoung-ah, what did you like about me?
The question he couldn’t ask directly piled up quietly inside. The fingers that couldn’t be folded rolled inward at once. Seonwoo sent a worried gaze toward Dain, who was looking up at him.
“Your expression doesn’t look good, are you okay?”
“…Ah, no, I’m fine.”
“If I made a mistake…”
Dain was startled at those words and waved her hands. To her saying there was no mistake and rather thanking him for telling her, Seonwoo smiled as if relieved.
“An ideal type is just an ideal type.”
At the tone telling her not to worry about it, Dain, who had been hesitating briefly, also nodded.
Though not perfectly, she seemed to have organized her thoughts quickly, and a clear light circulated in her eyes that had been shaking. He could read the inside of her head thinking of things she could do without giving up. Seonwoo raised his hand to fix above his eyes before lowering it.
“Then does Haeyoung happen to like anything?”
“Well…”
Yoon Haeyoung likes me. He closed his mouth in the middle of smiling slightly. Every time he swallowed words he couldn’t say out loud, it felt like his heart was being chipped away.
“I don’t really remember that.”
It was an obvious lie. What he liked came to mind as if it were imprinted even without trying to recall it. Liking what Haeyoung liked following him was a habit. And the sight of him cherishing the things he liked was Seonwoo’s favorite scene.
That’s why he didn’t want to say it. When it came to Yoon Haeyoung, he didn’t want to hand over even a handful to anyone. Especially if they were someone showing interest in him.
“Ah, I see…”
A regretful voice flowed from Dain’s mouth. However, it wasn’t a sign of completely giving up hope. Discovering her lips moving as if about to ask him something again, Seonwoo pointed in the direction where the house was with his hand and spoke.
“It seems the other people will be looking for us.”
At those words, Dain, who had forgotten they were supposed to watch a movie, made a face as if realizing.
“Should we go in now? Oppa, um, if I made things difficult for you, I’m sorry.”
“That couldn’t be.”
Seonwoo shook his head with a smiling face and soothed her worries. Following him naturally turning his steps, Dain also hastened her steps. As they retraced the path they’d come out to the garden and got closer to the glass door leading to the dining room, the face of the person inside came into view more clearly.
Yoon Haeyoung, who had been waiting for him all this time, wore an awkward smile as if frowning when their eyes met. Even his best smile was awkward beyond measure. It was clear he knew it himself too. So he must be blaming himself again.
It was an emotional expenditure with no reason to do so. Seonwoo cut off the worry by calling Haeyoung soothingly. Making him flustered was an easy thing. Since coming here, he easily made a troubled face just from him calling his name.
“Haeyoung-ah.”
How should I make you choose me again? How could you give up on me?
“I waited to go up together.”
“Yeah, good job.”
The excuse he prepared was simple and thus very like Yoon Haeyoung.
The fact that he was making such a nonchalant face while unable to take his eyes off him and Dain being together. When he praised him saying good job and raised his hand to run through his hair, the fact that even while glaring slightly, blood instantly rushed to the tips of his ears making them red. Thinking that all of it was a reaction he showed only to him made him laugh even while his head was throbbing.
“Dain-ah, what about the thing you said you were moving?”
…Ha. At the question heard at that moment, Seonwoo swallowed a hollow laugh inwardly.
Though he wasn’t the unperceptive type, throwing such a mischievous question wasn’t like Yoon Haeyoung. He could see the gaze slipping down toward Dain’s two empty hands. Though he was also pleased to see the gaze revealing he was more impatient than usual, even that boiled his insides at the fact that it was directed at someone else.
“Let’s move it tomorrow. I’ll help you.”
Watching Dain become flustered, the sight of him immediately picking up his words with a smile without hesitation was just as he knew him.
When he squinted his eyes while laughing playfully, Dain also soon caught on that it was a joke. With a reddened face, she raised her hand and pushed Haeyoung’s shoulder without hurting him. Then his giggling face had become much lighter.
“Everyone must be waiting. Let’s go up.”
At Haeyoung’s words, the three people belatedly took steps. While climbing the stairs, Seonwoo placed his hand on his shoulder. With each step up, every time his fingertips and nape brushed, he could feel Haeyoung’s shoulder becoming stiff.
“I’ll stop by my room before going. Go ahead first, Dain-ah.”
“Okay, see you later!”
Haeyoung, who came up to the second floor and stood in front of the hallway, spoke toward Dain. She readily nodded and turned her back to enter the common area. As soon as that figure left his sight, Haeyoung slightly turned his head to look up at Seonwoo.
Haeyoung, who was watching him with a face clearly showing absurdity, let out a sigh.
“What’s the problem this time?”
Haeyoung raised his finger to lightly tap his cheek. At the touch on his face, Seonwoo finally realized that the smile that had been on his lips like a habit was somewhat stiff.
What’s the problem?
Seonwoo grabbed the fingertips that came up on his cheek. He could see Haeyoung’s brow slightly furrowing, but he didn’t let go of the hand he was holding. Haeyoung, who finally gave up, headed to the room with his hand held.
Seonwoo, who had been following behind, stood behind Haeyoung, who stopped in front of the door. The nape that was originally white without a single scar was particularly flushed. Even without touching it, Cha Seonwoo knew what texture it would be if he brushed down that nape, what temperature, and what expression Haeyoung would make. Even knowing, the fact that he couldn’t reach made his vision blur hazily at every turn.
However, Haeyoung, who had no way of knowing what the person standing behind him was thinking, turned the doorknob without hesitation.
