At first, delight burst out.
A smile spread across my face like a conditioned reflex. Just like when someone you’ve always wanted to see appears before your eyes. I almost raised my hand without realizing it.
And very fortunately, his gaze passed by. Yet even then, I had a stupid thought.
He doesn’t seem to have spotted me right now, but if I called out “Hyung-nim!” with my voice, he’d find me much faster. For about 0.1 seconds, that thought dominated me. But immediately after, I snapped back to reality.
……Oh, right. I’m in the middle of running away from home, aren’t I?
My expression hardened. The smile vanished in an instant. Only now did I properly grasp what situation I was in.
Besides, wasn’t hyung-nim the person who had torn up that ground even before my dream of living alone could sprout?
Fortunately, hyung-nim had only turned his head this way and didn’t seem to have discovered me yet.
I very quickly lowered my head and covered my forehead with my hand.
To anyone watching, I probably looked like someone fallen into serious anguish. You know, the kind of posture of a college student worrying because they can’t solve their assignment.
Maintaining that statue-like position, I carefully lifted my head after a moment, and peered at hyung-nim’s movements through the gap between my spread fingers.
Because I spread my fingers so narrowly, I could only see hyung-nim’s legs. Hyung-nim was still slowly looking around the spacious cafe. The long legs and perfect suit fit were unmistakably Jeongwoo hyung-nim’s.
It seemed Jeongyeon was right—hyung-nim really had been fired from his company. What other reason would there be for him to come to this cafe in broad daylight like me with nothing to do?
Could it be he came to see a lover…… Nah, that can’t be right, he probably just has some business to take care of.
I suddenly couldn’t contain my curiosity. Should I look a little more? Just sneaking peeks at his legs through the gaps in my fingers felt tantalizing. It should be fine for just a brief moment.
The moment I lowered my hand slightly. Hyung-nim’s gaze was pinned on me like a ghost.
When our eyes met, hyung-nim raised one eyebrow.
And on his perfect lips, very slowly, a mischievous smile spread. Hyung-nim’s smile, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window, was even more captivating.
Finally, hyung-nim, having discovered me, moved his splendid lips.
“Oh, baby?”
“……!”
My heart sank in an instant.
No, to call me ‘baby’ of all things in such a bright public place……!
Hyung-nim’s voice stood out far too much in the quiet cafe. Enough for people to turn around. I felt so embarrassed thinking the customers at the few other tables might have heard.
I tried to cover my face and avoid his gaze again, but it was already too late. Hyung-nim was lightly lifting the corners of his mouth as he slowly moved forward.
There was a strange leisure to his gait. As if he knew there was nowhere for me to run. With each step hyung-nim took closer, his perfect silhouette became clearer.
I heard a staff member’s voice saying my coffee was ready, but hyung-nim’s shadow fell over my table.
Hyung-nim’s silhouette blocking the sunlight felt even larger and more imposing. A familiar pheromone lightly brushed past, followed by the scent of subtle cologne touching my nose.
“Instead of going to school, what are you doing here?”
Hyung-nim’s voice was unexpectedly gentle. He asked not in a scolding tone, but as if genuinely curious. I answered while still covering my face with my hands.
“I, I have no classes today. I thought I’d have a cup of coffee……”
“Coffee?”
Hyung-nim silently looked down at my table. The milkshake with all its ice melted and the chocolate-smeared plate must have caught his eye at once. Of all things, really childlike. For the first time in my life, I resented my sweet tooth.
And there wasn’t just a plate and cup there. The bucket list I hadn’t finished because I’d dozed off……!
“What about you, hyung-nim, wh-what brings you here? Didn’t you go to work?”
I pretended to be calm as I quickly covered the notebook. Hyung-nim was staring at me intently.
“……”
As if catching his breath for a moment, hyung-nim’s head tilted slowly. Without realizing it, I swallowed nervously.
The words that came from hyung-nim’s mouth were unexpected.
“I’m not going to work. Your hyung is unemployed just like Hajin said.”
“Ahh……”
So what I suspected was true after all. I couldn’t help but look at hyung-nim with pitying eyes.
“It’s okay, hyung-nim. There’s definitely a company out there that will hire you.”
The frequent encounters and interference lately must have all been because he had more time after losing his job.
“At times like this, you need to stay strong and not be discouraged.”
“Thanks for the kind words.”
Fortunately, during this exchange, hyung-nim’s eyes, which had been scanning me, seemed to have shed their suspicion somewhat. Instead, hyung-nim was staring at something else.
The cup and plate remaining on the table, and the bag that looked far too heavy for someone who just came out to casually drink coffee, etc., etc…….
Ah, I’m screwed. I belatedly realized that it wasn’t just the bucket list I shouldn’t let hyung-nim see.
In the bag I’d set down, things were sticking out because I’d been looking for my notebook and pen.
When I raised my head, hyung-nim smiled slyly.
Somehow the smile had a strange atmosphere different from usual.
“Let’s say that’s coffee for you, baby.”
Hyung-nim has had one particular trait since long ago. A kind of occupational habit of not letting logical errors pass by.
“Are the pajamas sticking out of your bag a substitute for a blanket?”
“Huk.”
I’m screwed. I immediately turned my head to look at the bag. Of all things, the dinosaur-print t-shirt I often wore comfortably at home was visible through the open bag. How did he recognize it at once?
“Stay there for a moment.”
Hyung-nim turned around and headed to the counter. He was probably going to get the coffee he’d ordered. From that moment, my mind started racing.
What do I do? What’s going to happen to me now?
Do I have to go home like this?
“It’s only been about three hours since I ran away from home……?”
If I go home like this, I’ll never be able to even dream of living alone again.
And more than anything, even now I felt uncomfortable at the thought of being alone with hyung-nim in this situation. It was because every time my eyes met hyung-nim’s, I kept remembering that incident from a few days ago.
I was caught trying to kiss Choi Jihwan, I threw an absurd tantrum saying I was curious about kissing, I kissed him first, and hyung-nim accepted it…… No, beyond just accepting it, it was hyung-nim who kissed me more deeply.
Yet the hyung-nim I just ran into had an unfazed expression. As if nothing had happened at all. I thought he’d be very disappointed and that we’d never be able to interact like before. It seemed that incident held no meaning for hyung-nim.
“……Is that fortunate?”
I don’t know.
From hyung-nim’s reaction, it seemed he probably wasn’t disappointed in me, but I couldn’t quite welcome the fact that our first kiss hadn’t made even a speck of impact on hyung-nim’s heart either.
Hyung-nim, who had approached the counter, seemed to be ordering something additional. And shortly after, he came back with two drinks.
A hot americano for hyung-nim, and lemonade for me.
“It’s all melted. Drink this instead.”
“……”
Sour drinks like lemonade were actually what I found hardest to consume and therefore didn’t like. But hyung-nim thought I liked them.
I don’t quite remember how it started, but it seemed to have solidified that way because I endured and ate the sour candy hyung-nim gave me when I was young. So even now, hyung-nim in his own way brought me what he thought I liked most.
“……Thank you for the food.”
I became slightly sullen, bowed in thanks, then put the straw in my mouth. My throat was already dry since I’d woken up from a brief nap.
The moment I put a sip in my mouth, my eyes squeezed shut involuntarily.
How on earth do people drink this? With the mindset of drinking poison, I held my breath and took a big gulp of the ade.
While I held the straw in my mouth, unable to drink much, hyung-nim was waiting without saying anything. Hyung-nim’s gaze was resting on my lips.
“It’s, it’s so delicious……”
Meanwhile, I’d been concentrating tremendously hard on not staring at hyung-nim’s lips.
Hyung-nim was perfect even now. The sight of him with his jacket removed and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows was strangely sexy. The loosely undone necktie remained as it was. And even the natural action of elegantly lifting the americano cup to take a sip.
All those aspects looked relaxed. It only became more certain that I alone was dying of embarrassment and awkwardness, reminded of what happened a few days ago. When I made eye contact with hyung-nim, I quickly averted my gaze, and because my lips felt tingly, I just kept chewing on the innocent straw.
This is really serious. When I looked at hyung-nim’s face, I remembered the kiss, but when I lowered my eyes, I started getting anxious that my running away from home might become something that never happened.
And that’s when it happened. Hyung-nim’s hand suddenly approached my mouth.
Hyung-nim’s finger pressed down on my lower lip just like that.
“Stop, you’ll hurt your lip.”
