Different Dreams in the Same Bed (24)
“Let’s eat together.”
The large frame scratched his head and laughed. His ears were red as if embarrassed. Before the kiss incident last time, Kim Sejin used to come find him often to eat together. The time when they’d eat kimchi stew or rice soup together and walk to the orphanage where they grew up.
Had he missed it? Or had he felt empty? Kim Sejin, who had completely ignored his calls. At the fact that he had come to find him like before, strangely Dogyeom’s heart swelled in one corner.
“Bullshit. Do you have money?”
But unlike his feelings, his words came out curtly.
“Yeah, I got paid yesterday.”
His gentle eyes curved round again.
“Then let’s go eat budae jjigae.”
“Okay, before that, can we stop by where I work for a moment?”
“Then just stop by on the way, why purposely….”
“I was worried we might miss each other.”
His words trailed off. Sejin fidgeted with his hands in his pockets. He seemed embarrassed to call by phone. Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since they talked on the phone.
“You worry about all sorts of things.”
He spoke as if tossing it out, but his steps were already heading toward Sejin. Dogyeom moved to the inside of the path first, and Sejin stuck close beside him as they walked the narrow sidewalk. It was exactly like before, but strangely different. Dogyeom spoke nonchalantly.
“If we’re eating budae jjigae, one bottle of soju is basic.”
“I’m not driving today.”
“Then two bottles.”
Sejin laughed softly. At that laughter, one side of Dogyeom’s chest tingled again. It felt like an empty space was being filled. Sejin was acting as if nothing had happened. The relationship before the kiss. They were back exactly to that time. Dogyeom stroked his chest inwardly.
‘Sejin came back.’
That foolish bear was walking silently beside him as usual. He glanced at the gentle and affectionate profile. His steps naturally lightened.
***
“Who are you?”
“What?”
“What’s your relationship with Sejin hyung?”
Dogyeom was genuinely flustered. His fighting spirit was lost to the point where his nickname “Mad Dog” was meaningless. In front of him, a mountain-sized, scary-looking alpha in a blue dobok was glaring at him. Around his age, maybe barely twenty.
‘What is he talking about?’
Before going to eat, they had stopped briefly at the judo gym where Sejin attended. In the gym swarming with only alphas, attention was drawn to omega Lee Dogyeom who clearly didn’t belong. Dogyeom wanted to plug his nose.
‘Ugh, alpha smell….’
Sejin went into the office to talk with the head instructor for a moment, leaving Dogyeom awkwardly alone. Somehow the gazes looking at him weren’t exactly kind. Dogyeom felt a bit strange. Usually alphas couldn’t help themselves when they saw him, but Dogyeom’s brilliant beauty wasn’t exerting any power. His pride was secretly hurt.
‘What, why are they glaring?’
This wasn’t interest, it was wariness.
‘What, what, why?’
When he met eyes with a prickly expression, the most vicious-looking one among them walked over with heavy steps and suddenly picked a fight.
“What’s our relationship? What are you going to do knowing that, you idiot?”
Dogyeom, having come to his senses, sneered and snapped back. He was surprised by the question, not intimidated by the person. But the blue dobok man didn’t back down.
“You two aren’t like, lovers or anything, right?”
Dogyeom flinched. His earlier momentum was so fierce that words naturally came out stammering.
“Who… who’s lovers with who? I have eyes too.”
“Then that’s fine.”
The large guy turned his body sharply and went back to his original group.
‘What…. It’s like that alpha bastard is interested in Sejin….’
Thinking that, Dogyeom started. Come to think of it, he’d heard there were cases of alphas liking alphas. He himself liked Jeongbae, who was the same omega, didn’t he? Though of course he would never dare think such impious thoughts….
‘Ugh, disgusting. Those big guys together….’
Dogyeom inwardly grimaced. Imagining Kim Sejin tangled up with a guy like that made him feel sick. It was visually shocking but on the other hand….
‘Would Kim Sejin be the bottom….’
It was a naturally arising question. His gentle and affectionate smile, his shy and cautious behavior. His polite and sincere appearance.
‘No, rather….’
Suddenly that night came to mind again. His cool face with expression erased and the boldness of slamming the opponent down just like that. An appearance completely different from usual. Like a beast.
‘Either way, what do I care?’
Dogyeom went “hmph” and snorted. Because that guy made a weird confession, he alone was having strange thoughts for no reason.
“Head instructor, then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When Sejin bowed in greeting and came out, as if waiting, the group of alpha bears who had been exercising swarmed over. One put his arm around his shoulders, one pressed firmly on his arm muscles. Seeing them naturally touching each other and acting friendly, Dogyeom’s face scrunched up.
“Stop touching him.”
Dogyeom’s hand sharply knocked away the arm of the large guy draped over Sejin’s shoulder. It was that blue dobok from earlier. His fierce face turned red not with anger but with embarrassment. Dogyeom’s face scrunched up. This was unmistakable.
“Don’t you know it’s sexual harassment to just touch people?”
“……”
“Dogyeom, what are you talking about? They’re friends I do judo with.”
Sejin tried to stop him, but Dogyeom didn’t back down.
“What kind of friends are like this? They’re all black-hearted inside….”
He turned his body sharply and came out first. He felt the bear hurriedly following behind. Only then did Dogyeom feel a bit better.
“What’s wrong, suddenly? They’re people I spar with every day and work out with.”
“……”
“And between alphas, what….”
Lee Dogyeom turned around sharply with fierce eyes.
“Between alphas? Do you need to get fucked by another alpha to come to your senses?”
Without realizing it, a sharp voice came out. Sejin’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect Dogyeom to say this much.
“Anyone can see they have ulterior motives.”
Sejin scratched the bridge of his nose with his hand as if troubled.
“He’s just a close junior. It’s not like that….”
“What do you mean it’s not!”
When he yelled loudly, a large hand patted his head soothingly.
“I’m not that weak.”
“……”
“When I spar, I win them all.”
Sejin laughed awkwardly, but Dogyeom knew it wasn’t a lie. Sejin didn’t know exaggeration or boasting. If he said so, that’s just how it was. That strange confidence. Dogyeom deliberately shut his mouth tight.
“……”
“…What’s wrong? It’s like you’re jealous.”
As soon as Sejin spoke, he flinched. The hand placed on his head stiffened. An awkward atmosphere wrapped around the two.
‘Ugh, idiot.’
Dogyeom deliberately knocked Sejin’s hand away hard and walked ahead.
“I’m hungry.”
“Okay. Let’s hurry.”
Sejin quickly followed beside him. Dogyeom turned his head to the opposite side to hide his flushed cheeks. His heart was strangely pounding.
“Auntie, we’re here.”
Sejin familiarly opened the door and entered the shop.
“Oh my, it’s been a while for you two. Sit down quickly. Three servings, right?”
The owner auntie in a red apron quickly ran out. Dogyeom added.
“One more bowl of rice too.”
“Okay, okay. You’re so thin but how do you eat so much?”
As Auntie turned around to prepare the budae jjigae pot and side dishes, the two quietly sat in empty seats.
The inside of the shop was full of the smell of bean sprouts and fresh vegetables. Stew bubbled here and there. The interior was almost full.
“Don’t stop me today. I’m going to eat until my stomach bursts.”
At Dogyeom’s declaration of war, the corners of Sejin’s mouth quietly rose. He quietly placed water and utensils in front of him. It was exactly his usual appearance of always being considerate.
“Auntie, one bottle of soju too please.”
The budae jjigae pot was placed down and blue flames flickered. Sejin silently filled Dogyeom’s glass and filled his own glass too. His large hand picked up the glass and poured it into his mouth. A face briefly without a smile. He was always grinning in front of him so he didn’t know, but Kim Sejin without expression seemed like a completely different person. He learned that fact for the first time now.
‘What is he thinking….’
Perhaps noticing that Dogyeom was staring, the bear fumbled over his own face with his large hand.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No.”
“Then, why.”
Dogyeom frowned.
“Drinking alone with a person in front of you. So unlucky.”
Sejin grinned. Dogyeom silently filled Sejin’s glass. The glasses lightly clinked. The soju going down on an empty stomach was bitter and stinging, making Dogyeom’s face scrunch up slightly. As usual, the two were quiet.
It was always like that. A comfortable relationship even without much talk. When the stew started boiling, Sejin carefully scooped up plenty of sausages and ramen noodles that Dogyeom liked and placed them in front of him. Dogyeom naturally took a spoonful of rice and began eating voraciously.
Sejin watched that sight for a moment with a round smiling face before belatedly picking up his spoon. One bowl of rice disappeared in a few spoonfuls. Twenty years old. An age to chew even stones.
“What have you been up to?”
When his stomach was somewhat full and they had just opened the second bottle of soju, Dogyeom spoke. Cheeks slightly reddened from rising intoxication. A curt voice. He still had lingering resentment toward Sejin who had ignored his calls thousands of times and went dark. How many years had they lived together, yet he ignored him like that. At the pretty face staring blankly, Sejin just smiled round and round.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Just, working, same as always.”
It wasn’t the truth. For about a month, Sejin hadn’t eaten or slept properly. He was miserable, lonely, and struggling to the point of tears. His body wore down in its own way, his heart wore down and twisted in its own way. Even on the way to meet Dogyeom today after receiving Jaehyuk’s call, almost semi-forced, he didn’t know how many times he hesitated.
“Where are you staying?”
“Mm, just at a hyung I know.”
Dogyeom raised his eye corners as if finding it outrageous.
“Are you at Jeongbae hyung’s place?”
“Of course, would I just leave that rattlesnake bastard alone?”
“Jaehyuk hyung isn’t that bad a person.”
“Oh? Look at this. Taking the rattlesnake’s side.”
Dogyeom’s eye corners rose. Sejin just chuckled. It was the usual Lee Dogyeom.
“Well, since it turned out like this, let’s move out and live together.”
Dogyeom brought up the main point he’d wanted to say from earlier. After becoming adults, the two had received a one-year grace period until independence. But somehow they both ended up leaving, and he had anyway become an existence that was a nuisance to Jeongbae hyung now…. Though he didn’t want to admit it, it seemed like it was time to leave Pyeonghwa Apartments.
“Together?”
Sejin quietly lowered his eyes. It was an expression lost in thought. The smile around his mouth was erased.
“Of course. That way we save on rent.”
“……”
Sejin emptied his glass without saying anything.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“……”
“Hey, Kim Sejin.”
“I don’t think that would work.”
