First Date (2)
“No. I’m really dirty. You’ll ruin your nice clothes.”
Jeongbae tried to return the clothes with a serious expression, but Jaehyuk stubbornly slipped his arms through and even zipped it up. Jeongbae’s ears turned bright red.
“I really smell. Don’t touch me.”
Jeongbae tried to pull away first, but Jaehyuk firmly grabbed both lapels and pulled Jeongbae toward him.
“It’s fine. I like this kind of smell.”
“What?”
“The smell of sweat.”
The people around them couldn’t close their mouths as they stared. The women who’d been trying to pick him up earlier, the companions who’d been whispering, the couple just passing by—everyone stopped in their tracks. Their eyes felt like they’d go beyond stinging and freeze over.
Meanwhile, Jaehyuk was going crazy with happiness.
‘Wow… so fucking cute. I want to lay him down just like this in his dirty state and fuck him.’
Kang Jeongbae was like a disobedient puppy that had come back after going on a walk by itself. Gray dust all over his body, his neck and forehead with hair stuck to them from sweat, the glimpse of his slender waist and straight shoulder silhouette visible through the gaps in his work clothes.
Jaehyuk wiped away a small smudge on his nose with the back of his hand.
“Um… where should we go to order food?”
His slightly upturned eye corners looked around nervously even though no one was listening.
‘Order what? The moment we’re alone, you’ll be my meal.’
It was a tempting proposal, but Jaehyuk just wet his lips slightly and pulled his hand. Was this how the wolf waiting for Little Red Riding Hood felt?
“I made a restaurant reservation. Let’s have meat.”
“Mm, okay. Actually, I got paid well today.”
Jeongbae smiled brightly. His sparse teeth were so cute that Jaehyuk pulled him into a tight embrace.
“Hey, that’s… embarrassing.”
Jaehyuk firmly held the hand that was trying to gently push him away.
“Let’s go, it’s close to here.”
“Six servings of special cuts and tenderloin, please. For the meal, both the stew and cold noodles.”
“Yes.”
The meat sizzled as it cooked on the hot charcoal. A high-end Korean beef restaurant without even price tags displayed. The grill was so clean it shone, and the staff was the type to rush over at just a glance—a high-class restaurant. He could clearly see through Jeongbae’s slightly worried expression.
“This is a cheap place. The 50,000 won I gave you last time is enough.”
“I’ve worked a lot of charcoal grill part-time jobs… places like this are expensive.”
Tsk, so quick to notice. It was a high-end restaurant where one serving cost over 100,000 won. But he had an excuse prepared knowing this would happen.
“My father is a regular here, so we can put it on tab. Right?”
The employee grilling the meat smiled slightly.
“The lawyer comes often. I’ll put it on the books.”
Jeongbae’s hand stopped in midair while holding chopsticks. His eyes wavered very briefly.
“Lawyer…?”
Jaehyuk answered casually while pouring water into a cup.
“My father.”
“Mm.”
Jeongbae just nodded as if he’d expected it. Jaehyuk quickly placed the first piece that was cooked on Jeongbae’s plate.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Jeongbae, who gave a calm greeting, took a bite of meat. Seeing him diligently chewing on the side dishes and rice as if he was quite hungry, Jaehyuk felt full even without eating.
‘Hah… I’m going crazy with arousal.’
Jeongbae put down his chopsticks and grabbed his water cup. A hand trembling lightly. Jaehyuk watched that movement and closed his lips very slowly. It was clear he’d come after doing hard work. Jaehyuk, who’d been quietly using chopsticks while looking only at Jeongbae’s face, opened his mouth without realizing it.
“You keep thinking you’re different from me—”
Jeongbae’s head snapped up.
“I think we’re on the same side.”
“…What are you talking about?”
A cautious question. Jaehyuk placed several well-cooked pieces of meat on Jeongbae’s plate while meeting his eyes directly.
“You work your ass off at everything. I like that kind of thing.”
“……”
“Where would you have time to rest? Right?”
“……”
“I prided myself on living diligently too, but not as much as you.”
Jaehyuk felt embarrassed somewhere inside but said it to the end. Jeongbae almost dropped his chopsticks. His head naturally lowered. Because those words hit him too raw. Until now, no one had ever praised him like this. His face burned hot with embarrassment.
“It’s not like that.”
Jeongbae muttered quietly.
“I’m just struggling desperately.”
Yeah, and he was dying of how cute that desperate struggling was. Even the humility was perfect. Looking over the mud puppy in front of him thoroughly with his eyes, Jaehyuk smiled inwardly.
“Kang Jeongbae.”
Jeongbae raised his head and then lowered it again. Those narrowed shoulders, the habit of avoiding eye contact, the tense neckline. Every single thing grated on Jaehyuk’s nerves. The more he avoided, the more he ran away, the more he wanted to catch him.
“Don’t be so humble.”
Jaehyuk lifted his water cup and slowly drank. After putting the cup down, he added in a very low voice.
“That’s even more insanely stimulating to me.”
Jeongbae stopped the hand holding his chopsticks.
A flinch.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’m going crazy with arousal…”
Jeongbae froze and only the sound of meat cooking continued. Jeongbae couldn’t even look at Jaehyuk directly, just stiffened his jaw slightly and swallowed.
“…Jaehyuk.”
It was a voice so low it was almost inaudible. But Jaehyuk froze completely. It was the first time. Hearing his name in Kang Jeongbae’s voice.
‘Does Kang Jeongbae even know?’
Jaehyuk smiled bitterly. What a momentous occasion that only he knew about.
“Don’t… say things like that carelessly.”
The admonishing tone that followed. I want to see something like aegyo or whining instead of that… Like throwing a tantrum. Jaehyuk had idle thoughts as he very slowly put down his water cup.
“It’s not careless.”
The sound of the glass cup touching the wooden table rang out strangely loud. Jeongbae flinched and trembled his shoulders at that sound too.
“You don’t know how much you drive people crazy.”
“Someone like me, what could I…”
“That ‘someone like me’ phrase drives me crazy from the start. It’s my type.”
With Jaehyuk’s last words, silence descended on the table. The meal was neat and delicious. Seeing Jeongbae cleanly empty his bowls of rice and cold noodles made him feel proud while one side of his chest throbbed.
That throbbing turned into an ache the moment Jeongbae insisted he would pay and held out crumpled cash covered in dust.
‘Go ahead and try it to the end, Kang Jeongbae. I’m curious how far I’ll fall too.’
Hiding his true feelings, Jaehyuk expressionlessly put his arm around the shoulders of the apologetic mud puppy Kang Jeongbae. His lover seemed to be quick to notice things but soft-hearted. He was planning to make him owe so much he couldn’t run away…
‘At this rate, you won’t get far.’
“Should we have a cup of coffee?”
Jaehyuk recalled the cafe he’d gone to with Isol. He wanted to feed Jeongbae that place’s signature drink. Wouldn’t he like something sweet?
“Mm, I’ll buy the cafe.”
Jaehyuk thoroughly ruffled Jeongbae’s hair that had become disheveled and tangled with sweat. His mood was hitting its peak.
***
The cafe with high ceilings was grand and splendid. The open garden view outside the window was pretty. Jeongbae, who’d been thinking of a franchise cafe at best, couldn’t even lean back in his dirty clothes and just perched with the edge of his butt barely on the sofa.
In contrast, Jaehyuk leisurely leaned back and calmly gulped down his coffee. The movement of his Adam’s apple visible with each swallow was strangely distinct. The strange combination of a model-like alpha’s appearance and a construction worker mud potato drew attention their way once again.
Jaehyuk ordered an iced Americano for himself, then forced Jeongbae to drink the signature beverage. It was a drink with jam and cream topped with cocoa powder. Jeongbae carefully held the cup with both hands.
“Drink it.”
Jaehyuk spoke like giving an order.
“Why? Doesn’t suit your taste?”
“No.”
Jeongbae hurriedly shook his head.
“This is my first time drinking something like this. It’s sweet and… delicious.”
When he took another sip, cream stuck slightly to the corner of his mouth. A click sound came from in front. Jaehyuk was repeatedly pressing his phone camera.
“Hold up that drink. So it comes out well together.”
He even directly specified the pose and made a satisfied expression.
“So this is the fun of it.”
Watching Jaehyuk babble words he couldn’t understand, Jeongbae sighed inwardly.
The drink cost as much as one bowl of rice soup from ‘Macheon Granny’s Pork Rice Soup.’ Jeongbae scratched the edge of the cup with his thin fingers. His fingernails caked with dust and grime made him newly embarrassed, and his fingertips shrank.
‘Can I… even be drinking something like this?’
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Jaehyuk said lightly.
“It suits you.”
Jeongbae looked up bewildered.
“What does…?”
“Sweet things.”
Jaehyuk pointed with his chin at the cup sprinkled with cocoa powder.
“You look pretty drinking it.”
His tone was indifferent but his eyes were not at all. Jeongbae’s face heated up as he held the cup with both hands and gulped it down like drinking scorched rice water.
“Pretty, what…”
He muttered quietly and avoided eye contact.
“I… feel a bit awkward coming to places like this.”
“It’s not awkward—”
Jaehyuk leaned his body slightly toward Jeongbae.
“You’re just nervous by yourself.”
Jeongbae flinched.
“…Not quite nervous…”
“That’s cute too, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
Jaehyuk cut off Jeongbae’s worries in one stroke. Jeongbae was at a loss for words and gulped down his drink again. Then Jaehyuk reached out and lightly traced Jeongbae’s cheek with his fingertips.
“Here.”
He whispered quietly and sucked the finger that had lightly wiped away the spot where cream had stuck. Jeongbae’s breath caught for a moment and he whipped his head around.
“Ah… that’s dirty. I can just wipe that myself!”
A loud voice came out without him realizing it. Then the surrounding gazes all rushed over.
Jeongbae tried to say more but ended up just taking another sip of his drink. At that moment, the corners of Jaehyuk’s mouth rose very faintly but definitely.
“People always stare like that when they’re with me. Get used to it.”
“Always?”
Watching Jeongbae question back, Jaehyuk grinned.
“Yeah, everyone has eyes to see at least. I’m handsome, aren’t I?”
“Ah…”
The sound of a woman at the table across coughing and spitting out her drink came. It was an annoying sound, but Jeongbae couldn’t refute it. At Jaehyuk’s confident smile, a snicker escaped him without realizing it.
