When Kang Ikwon poured water into the glass he’d been using and handed it to me, Givenchy moved with a slightly surprised face.
“I guess they forgot to set up a new cup, I’ll mention it.”
“It’s fine, we can share my glass so it’s no problem.”
Kang Ikwon stopped Givenchy from reaching for the intercom. Givenchy silently withdrew his hand, but his expression was contorted as if to say what a variety of things. When I downed the water in one gulp and set the glass down, thwack—the sound of the water glass hitting the marble table was louder than I expected and drew attention. As I licked the water droplets on my lips and met each gaze one by one, they subtly averted their eyes. Those gazes, filled with silent reproach and embarrassment, turned directly to Kang Ikwon.
Right, this atmosphere.
Unlike me, Kang Ikwon was utterly calm, as if he didn’t notice any of those signs.
“You must have been thirsty.”
“I’m just feeling a bit heated inside.”
“Then cold water—”
He sat in his usual elegant and upright posture, filled the glass with round ice, then poured water only halfway and handed it to me.
“Drinking water too quickly can give you indigestion, so drink slowly.”
But my chest already feels stuffy like I have indigestion. I ignored Kang Ikwon’s considerate care, like floating willow leaves on a water ladle, and swallowed even the ice. Crunch—the ice shattered under my molars.
“Do I need to introduce myself separately?”
As I swallowed the shattered remains down my hot throat and deliberately emphasized introduce myself, Kang Ikwon shook his head.
“There’s no need. I told them, so everyone already knows. Right?”
“…Uh… well, yeah.”
Not Park Seoyun or Moon Jaeyoung, who had seen me at least once, but Givenchy answered half-heartedly. I don’t know you though? When I raised my eyebrow, he started blatantly scrutinizing me like looking at some strange creature from another world. Well, anyone looking at Kang Ikwon, who’s refined and upright like a greenhouse flower, might find me quite fresh and ill-mannered. Birds of a feather flock together, right? However.
I deliberately chewed the ice loudly. Their personalities don’t seem to be like that though.
“You already talked about me?”
“Of course I did.”
Kang Ikwon gently wiped the corner of my mouth. The cold moisture transferred to Kang Ikwon’s fingers, and then again to the tip of his tongue.
“What did you say?”
“That you’re my lover.”
Kang Ikwon answered as if asking the obvious.
The shocked gazes that had been focused on him since he wiped and licked the water on my lips became even more contorted. What was clearly contained in them was criticism calling him a shameless bastard.
“Are you offended?”
“By what?”
“That I said that on my own.”
Oblivious Kang Ikwon didn’t notice those gazes and looked at me worriedly. He only seemed anxious that I might run away startled by his unilateral lover declaration. Pitifully, Kang Ikwon clearly didn’t know what was happening to him. The fact that he was becoming an icon of shameless infidelity and receiving even my share of hostility. An almost universal tenderness I didn’t even know I had welled up poignantly. I took Kang Ikwon’s hand and glared at the three men over his shoulder.
“I’m fine with it, but it doesn’t seem like everyone else thinks so.”
“Really?”
Kang Ikwon looked around carefully.
“I definitely explained it clearly.”
His voice was frustratingly kind.
Park Seoyun sighed and offered an unconvincing excuse as if to smooth over the atmosphere.
“It’s just… these guys are seeing Cha Gyujin for the first time, so they’re a bit surprised.”
Then he added one more unnecessary line.
“They’re all close with Jiho too.”
When I looked at him quietly, Park Seoyun calmly met my gaze. Unlike his good-natured face and gentle attitude, he was pressing the name Jiho like a buzzer, sending me a clear silent signal. At the somewhat challenging tone contained in it, Kang Ikwon narrowed his brow in displeasure.
“Why are you bringing up that name?”
“Is there a need to hide it?”
“There is.”
Kang Ikwon calmly cut off Park Seoyun’s words.
“Because it makes me feel dirty.”
At that moment, I unconsciously squeezed Kang Ikwon’s hand tightly as if cheering him on. So he did know. He knew about that silent criticism directed at him but pretended to be calm in front of me. That’s why he didn’t bring me today—worried my feelings would be hurt. However, Park Seoyun continued undeterred.
“Our feelings aren’t very pleasant either. That’s more on you…”
“Then,”
Kang Ikwon played with my hand, then raised it while still holding it and kissed my knuckles ostentatiously.
“Don’t show it.”
Those words finally shut Park Seoyun’s mouth. But his disapproving expression remained. I suddenly became certain that the owner of the reproachful voice I heard when entering was Park Seoyun.
‘You’re completely deceiving him…’
Right, cheating. That is deception. I have nothing to say. But still…
Sitting in the helplessly awkward silence, I suddenly felt sad. I’d only thought about myself being treated like a plague carrier, never dreaming that Kang Ikwon would be ostracized as the one who brought the plague. What’s so bad about Kang Ikwon except for his rock-bottom taste in men? How long had Kang Ikwon endured alone in this bed-of-nails atmosphere, pushing forward and persuading? What an idiot. There was no need at all to be recognized by those people.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Kang Ikwon, sitting close enough to crush my thigh, looked at my quieted face. Meeting those eyes filled with infinite trust and affection made the gazes fixed on Kang Ikwon feel relatively colder.
Suddenly, I thought that his insistence on having his friends recognize our relationship might have been consideration to reassure me, who was shaken by the existence of a lover. Feeling choked up at that thought, I stared intently at him, and Kang Ikwon misunderstood something—his eyes darkened like in bed. That’s not it. I’m not seducing you right now, I’m strengthening our comrade consciousness… Ah, whatever.
“Cha Gyujin, how have you been… lately?”
Just as we were forming our own world, Givenchy carefully spoke to me. In a bad mood, I asked curtly.
“Specifically what?”
“Just,”
Givenchy hesitated, glanced at Kang Ikwon sideways, then trailed off.
“Whether you’re happy, if there’s anything difficult…”
What nonsense is this guy spouting now? At the wistful question like a greeting sent to past memories, I didn’t hide my incredulous expression. Givenchy gave a half-hearted smile and looked at me, and maybe it was just my imagination, but he seemed to be reading my reaction.
“Can’t you tell from my happy face? You look good, Cha Gyujin.”
Moon Jaeyoung poked Givenchy’s side cheekily and spoke affectionately.
“I’ll cheer for you two!”
“You don’t need to.”
“Ah, that’s disappointing. I’ve really known him for a long time.”
“Long-time friends don’t last forever.”
No matter how many times he poked, Moon Jaeyoung giggled at my attitude that wouldn’t budge.
“What should we do, we’ve already made a bad impression. It seems like we’ll see each other often, how inconvenient.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t see each other often enough to be inconvenient.”
Kang Ikwon gently but firmly denied Moon Jaeyoung’s exaggerated lament. Actually, if I had to become friends with him, I would have reconsidered my relationship with Kang Ikwon.
Park Seoyun sighed and called quietly.
“Cha Gyujin.”
He looked at me intently, then with a thoughtful face as if nothing had happened, handed me a tablet.
“Did you eat before coming?”
I glanced at it—it was a touch menu. I shook my head and pushed it away.
“I’m fine.”
“It’s not as good as Gisong, but the food here is quite high quality. If a meal is too much, there are light appetizers and desserts, and the bar snacks are decent too.”
“No…”
“If it’s awkward to eat alone, we’ll order too.”
While I was bewildered by the suddenly friendly attitude change, Givenchy amiably recommended this is good and that’s not so great from the side, and Moon Jaeyoung joined in saying wouldn’t it be better to choose drinks first? Then this place instantly became Snow White’s forest surrounded by four dwarfs. The problem was that I was the princess.
“Do you like alcohol?”
“Just…”
“What do you usually drink?”
“…I’m not really in the mood to drink.”
I shook my head while flipping through a menu where each beer costs thirty thousand won with separate tax. I’d already gotten docile in the face of the overwhelming kind offensive I couldn’t refuse since earlier. Regardless, sweet words and questions kept pouring out tormentingly.
“Are you bad at drinking?”
“Not that… I just get drunk pretty quickly, so I don’t drink much in uncomfortable situations.”
“You restrain yourself.”
“When I’m drunk, I tend to spill things a lot.”
I didn’t bother explaining that “things” meant my mental faculties.
“I see. So you’re not strong with alcohol after all.”
Park Seoyun, who hadn’t wavered even at my blatant expression about an uncomfortable situation, suddenly glared at an innocent Kang Ikwon for no reason. Then he pulled the liquor bottle he’d intercepted when Kang Ikwon first tried to grab it defensively close to his body. When our eyes met.
