# Chapter 139
Fortunately, they arrived at Ritz Ville just barely before traffic congestion began. Ban Hajun and Gye Minho were waiting outside unit 501 with their hands full, and Tae Igyeol, who had hoped for time alone with Mo Eunje, frowned and openly refused them entry. Since Tae Igyeol seemed genuinely ready to turn them away—which was actually what Mo Eunje had expected—Mo Eunje, out of a sense of loyalty, reluctantly sprayed the two with sanitizer and let them in.
And fifteen minutes later, everyone was stunned by Tae Igyeol’s shamelessness that defied common sense. Tae Igyeol had always tended to care only about things that interested him and treat everyone else like background characters, not paying them any attention. But no one had anticipated it would be to this extent until they saw it with their own eyes.
“Hajun. I heard a bit from you, but I don’t know what I’m looking at right now…”
“I’m dying trying to adapt to this too. Excuse me, could you please change your position somehow…?”
Ban Hajun and Gye Minho frowned with sour expressions. It was understandable, as Tae Igyeol was tightly embracing Mo Eunje from behind like they were one body, while Mo Eunje sat happily taking out gifts one by one from the opened suitcase in the living room. To top it off, Tae Igyeol had even placed his chin on Mo Eunje’s shoulder.
“Whatever position others take. If you don’t like it, get out.”
At Tae Igyeol’s shameless remark that abandoned all conscience and propriety, Ban Hajun and Gye Minho’s faces soured even more. They had reason to be upset, not receiving proper hospitality despite bringing meat and alcohol. No, honestly, Mo Eunje had told them not to come, but they came anyway and were now suffering as they witnessed this unpleasant scene, which gave Mo Eunje a sense of satisfaction. Just for today, Mo Eunje internally supported Tae Igyeol’s shattered humanity while happily examining the gifts one by one.
The suitcase was filled with miscellaneous items that Tae Igyeol would never have bought in Korea. From uniquely designed soju-beer glasses, to a fluorescent lime-green tumbler that surely had some distinctive features though it looked ordinary to the eye, to a chaotic T-shirt painted with a dazzling mix of primary colors, to neon orange sweatpants that seemed blinding just to look at, a bright blue short-sleeved T-shirt, a lemon-colored windbreaker, soccer shoes that lit up like children’s sneakers, and various other colorful gifts that made Mo Eunje happy.
“Are these gifts or trash? Is there really not a single gift for us?”
“You should be grateful just to be allowed inside this house right now.”
Ban Hajun, tired of waiting with a dumbfounded expression, asked incredulously, but no polite answer could be expected from the ruffian who had truly tried to turn away friends who had been waiting outside the house with their hands full. Normally, Mo Eunje would have mediated, but right now he was using his mouth only to smile broadly.
“Hey, honestly, I came to interfere, not to watch this show. If you’ve done enough, let’s grill the meat. It’s getting dark outside so it should be less hot now.”
At Ban Hajun’s suggestion, Mo Eunje thought it was time to regain some sense of reality. Even regular couples being affectionate would be unpleasant to watch, and this level of display was surely adequate torture for the interlopers who had disrupted their private time.
“Did you buy a lot of meat? I’m really going to eat a ton.”
When Mo Eunje got up, deep disappointment was evident on Tae Igyeol’s face. Still, he looked gentle as he tidied up the messily spread suitcase without complaints.
While Tae Igyeol organized the suitcase and showered, Mo Eunje prepared the barbecue with Ban Hajun and Gye Minho. Preparing a barbecue on the rooftop terrace, from gathering all the necessary items to cleaning up afterward, required a lot of effort, but perhaps because it had been a while, the once-tedious preparations now felt enjoyable, and he found himself humming a tune. No, actually, it might be the excitement of his changed relationship with Tae Igyeol that was naturally bringing out the humming.
“You two… decided to date?”
As Mo Eunje was gathering glasses, utensils, small plates, tongs, and scissors in the kitchen, Gye Minho approached him from the side and quietly asked in a very small voice.
“What have you been looking at all this time? You’ve seen them stuck together acting all crazy, and you’re still asking that question?”
Though it was a very quiet voice, it must have been heard all the way to the refrigerator, as Ban Hajun, who was taking out alcohol, responded instead. Mo Eunje grinned and shrugged as if to say, think what you want. Then Gye Minho, who had been hemming and hawing, somewhat difficultly opened his mouth.
“Um… congratulations. This is something to congratulate, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Are you two going to hang out just by yourselves now? Not with us anymore?”
“What kind of childish talk is that? Nothing’s going to change. When you date your girlfriend, we’ll have our dates, and when the four of us hang out, we’ll all hang out together.”
“No thanks. Now I don’t want to hang out with you guys. What did my eyes do to deserve this?”
Ban Hajun grumbled as he carried out the alcohol. With his eyes obviously smiling while his mouth complained, his words didn’t sound sincere. Mo Eunje could feel with every cell in his body that Ban Hajun was as happy as if it were his own affair.
“Now that you’re dating, I hope you don’t fight and stay together happily for a long time. I’ll be cheering for you.”
Unlike Ban Hajun, who congratulated with irony, Gye Minho conveyed his sincere feelings with a serious face. Perhaps because of this, Mo Eunje suddenly felt a deeper sense of responsibility. While there were reasons he had to push Tae Igyeol away before, now there were reasons they shouldn’t break up. Mo Eunje pledged to cherish and value Tae Igyeol dearly, as if he were born into this world to love him, and to enjoy happiness together.
&
When Tae Igyeol came out after showering, the barbecue preparations outside were already complete. He had already sent a message to his grandmother saying he had arrived safely at the airport, and looking at the time, she was probably awake now. As he watched Mo Eunje through the living room’s glass wall, laughing about something with the others, he called his grandmother for a video chat.
– “Yes, Igyeol.”
“Did you sleep well? I’ve arrived home and just finished showering.”
– “After sending off my pretty boy, Grandma slept very deeply too.”
“You must have worried a lot about me during this time, right? I’m sorry for causing you concern, Grandmother.”
– “You don’t need to feel that way. You boys had the hardest time emotionally.”
Tae Igyeol knew his grandmother’s concern had been deep because he hadn’t been sleeping properly. Although she hadn’t shown it for fear of stressing her grandson, her daily suggestions to go for walks or shopping were actions taken with the intention of making his body tired enough to sleep soundly. When that didn’t particularly help, she quietly made teas that aid sleep, warmed milk, and even recommended half-body baths. When all of these failed, she had pitied him, hesitating several times about whether to call Mo Eunje.
“You heard about the summer vacation schedule, right? I’ll go with Eunje then.”
– “Did you meet Eunje well?”
“Yes. Eunje came to pick me up at the airport, so I got home comfortably.”
– “My pretty boy, you look so happy. Your face has brightened in just a day.”
“…Yeah. I’m really happy, Grandmother. But I want to be alone with Eunje, and I’m so angry that our friends came over.”
At Tae Igyeol’s whiny words, his grandmother burst into hearty laughter. To prove he was serious, Tae Igyeol switched the phone camera to show the guys making a ruckus outside the window. Due to the distance, they probably wouldn’t be visible to his grandmother’s eyes.
“Can you see? I tried to kick them out, but Eunje said let’s eat meat together, so I let them stay.”
– “Good. Today, eat a lot of meat, don’t think about anything, and sleep soundly and comfortably with Eunje. When a person can’t sleep, their life falls apart.”
That was so true. During his time at his grandmother’s house, he hadn’t had a single day with a clear mind and had been dazed the entire time. He frequently lost track of conversations, and his grandmother even drove herself when they went out to eat rather than entrusting him with the wheel. Thinking back now, he had only caused worry during his stay at his grandmother’s house. His grandmother had warmly embraced all his misdeeds for two weeks without a single word of criticism or nagging.
“Grandmother, thank you. I’m truly fortunate to have you in my life.”
– “I’m fortunate to have my pretty boy, my cutie, and my darling.”
All of his grandmother’s unique nicknames for Tae Igyeol, Mo Eunje, and Tae Iden made an appearance. While his parents and even his grandfather called them by their names, his grandmother still refused to abandon the nicknames, saying they had stuck with her.
– “Isn’t it dinner time in Korea? My children must be hungry. Hurry and eat, then rest. We need to eat breakfast too.”
“Yes, Grandmother. Enjoy your meal and take care of your health. I’ll visit you next month.”
He ended the call with his grandmother’s kind and benevolent smile. Mo Eunje was waving his hands wildly from outside, as if telling him to come out quickly. He wondered how every single movement could be so bright and lovable.
Ban Hajun was placing the grill grate, seemingly having finished lighting the fire. Tae Igyeol needed to go out before that guy, who always burned the meat whenever he grilled it, could get his hands on the tools.
Standing at the boundary between dream and reality, Tae Igyeol slapped his own cheek to feel the sensation. The vivid pain he felt indicated it wasn’t a dream. He had done the same thing several times on the plane, ignoring the gazes of others, and it had hurt then too. So that meant the development of his relationship with Mo Eunje from friends to lovers had really happened in reality.
Seeing what he was doing, the three guys outside froze, fixing their gazes on him without moving. They were not illusions. He was really dating Mo Eunje, and Ban Hajun and Gye Minho, whom he hadn’t invited, had brought meat and alcohol to have a barbecue.
Realizing he was living fully in the present, having achieved a love he had kept for over 10 years, Tae Igyeol suddenly burst into laughter. This was the first time he had felt this happy, as if he had gained the whole world. He could see the frozen guys whispering something among themselves. To the guys outside, he probably looked crazy, but he couldn’t stop the laughter that had erupted. Tae Igyeol couldn’t stop his joyful laughter until Mo Eunje came in with a frightened face.
“You… What’s wrong?”
“I had a video call with Grandmother.”
“…But why did you slap your cheek? Why are you slapping yourself and laughing? It’s scary.”
“It just didn’t feel real. I haven’t been able to sleep for a while. So I wanted to know for sure if this was a dream or reality.”
Compassion settled in Mo Eunje’s eyes. The shrewd Tae Igyeol didn’t miss the opportunity he spotted. He lightly pressed his lips against Mo Eunje’s, then pulled away. Their eyes met at close range, and Mo Eunje smiled brightly. Shocked faces were visible through the glass wall, but ignoring them, he lightly kissed him again, just a peck.
“Eunje. Shall we kick those bastards out?”
“You, you crazy…!”
Mo Eunje’s face, ears, and neck turned bright red as he belatedly noticed the gazes from outside the window. Simply touching lips was far from satisfying, so Tae Igyeol seriously contemplated whether to expel those guys even now.
Meanwhile, Ban Hajun and Gye Minho, who had finished preparing the barbecue and were waiting for the pair of cockroaches to come out while looking into the living room through the glass window, were serious in their own way.
“Gye Minho, bring a gun. So I can shoot those bastards.”
“Eunje was just sitting there, so only shoot Igyeol.”
“I think I must have been a traitorous piece of garbage who sold out my country in my past life. Fuck, there’s no other explanation for why I have to witness this with my own eyes.”
“I want to gouge my eyes out too. Now I totally understand why Mo Eunje used to say that regardless of gender, other people’s romances are all disgusting. I hate those two.”
“I fucking hate them too. Hurry up and bring a gun. Sitting still or not, I’m going to shoot them both.”
The friendship of four men built over six years faced a crisis in an instant.
