It was tiring to walk with his hands clasped behind his back, looking only at the floor, because Chahyun rang up everything he glanced at or touched even for a moment, but more than that, he was hungry. Chahyun continued with words that brightened Yiyoung’s expression.
“Let’s go eat. I’ll yield the lunch menu selection to Bae Yiyoung-ssi.”
Since he was in a state where he wanted to chew even his fingers, Yiyoung deliberated on the nearest restaurant.
Actually, he wanted to go to the food court and order various menu items, but somehow it seemed like Chahyun would be uncomfortable. So he was about to suggest going to the family restaurant he’d seen on the upper floor when, for some reason, he saw Chahyun frowning while staring into the distance. Without much thought, Yiyoung turned his head following Chahyun’s gaze.
In an instant, a remarkably beautiful woman captured Yiyoung’s attention at once.
He wasn’t sure what Chahyun was looking at, but in Yiyoung’s eyes, he could only see her. Regardless of sexual orientation, she was a beauty that anyone would find hard to look away from. Around her as she leisurely browsed the stores with her arms crossed, people who stopped in their tracks and stood mesmerized sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
He’d only ever seen Chahyun create such a scene until now.
That beauty turned her head this way and showed a delighted expression. Her gaze was fixed on Chahyun, who was just as impressive as she was. Yiyoung reflexively looked up at Chahyun and thought:
‘Do they know each other?’
Whatever their relationship, the woman seemed like the type who would suit Chahyun very well.
Sure enough, the woman approached with confident strides despite wearing high-heeled shoes. Up close, she was tall enough that Yiyoung had to lift his gaze slightly. The woman greeted Chahyun.
“Executive Director Moon Chahyun, we keep running into each other here and there?”
“Excessively so.”
Chahyun answered coldly enough to feel slightly discordant. Then a man who seemed to be the woman’s companion also acknowledged Chahyun.
“Chahyun-ah, actually, what I was trying to say the other day……”
Hearing the way he addressed Chahyun, it seemed they were friends. Compared to when looking at the woman, Chahyun glanced at the man with an indifferent rather than cold gaze. The woman pointed alternately at the man and herself with her finger and said refreshingly:
“We’re dating these days.”
Chahyun let out an astonished “Huh” sound with an incredulous expression.
Soon his attitude that had been cold toward the woman softened, and he answered in a refined tone that even sounded sympathetic:
“Good luck.”
“Who’s the person with you?”
The woman asked, making friendly eye contact with Yiyoung. Somehow, Yiyoung flinched at her expression that seemed like one a high school homeroom teacher would make when first greeting a transfer student standing next to their parent.
In any case, he couldn’t introduce himself as Chahyun’s boyfriend. Previously, Chahyun had said it didn’t matter if it became known that his lover was a man, but it was obvious there’d be nothing good about it. Moreover, Yiyoung was a poor composer. That Moon Chahyun, of all people, was gay and dating someone worse than ordinary was an interesting piece of gossip even to Yiyoung’s ears.
Yiyoung chose a safe answer:
“I’m Bae Yiyoung. I’m Chahyun’s friend.”
“I’m Baek Woohee.”
Baek Woohee extended her right hand toward Yiyoung. With a bewildered expression, Yiyoung responded to the handshake. Without realizing it, he glanced at Chahyun.
For some reason, Chahyun was glaring at Yiyoung with an indifferent gaze. Tilting his head in confusion as he finished the handshake, Baek Woohee spoke in a lively and likable tone:
“I’m sorry. Actually, you look younger than us, so I thought you were Executive Director Moon’s junior or cousin. Of course, I also didn’t think Executive Director Moon would have friends.”
Baek Woohee said, glancing mischievously at Chahyun. Chahyun rolled his eyes toward the department store ceiling as if she was absurd for daring to joke about him.
Somehow, the two seemed to have similar personalities. Yiyoung felt inexplicably unsettled.
“It’s okay. I hear that a lot.”
“How do you know Executive Director Moon?”
Words to make up didn’t come to mind right away. It was because Yiyoung and Chahyun had lived such different lives that they wouldn’t even have a point of contact. His life was beyond Yiyoung’s imagination.
“Well. How did we become friends……”
Yiyoung dragged out his words to buy time. His head naturally bowed as he racked his brain. As he fidgeted with his fingers nervously, Chahyun interjected in an utterly indifferent voice:
“I chased after him day and night asking him to date me.”
Gasp, Yiyoung was so surprised he took a big breath and froze.
Cautiously raising his eyes, surprisingly, Baek Woohee only glanced at Chahyun with an intrigued look and smiled brightly toward Yiyoung.
“You must be a very charming friend.”
“Not a friend—a lover.”
Chahyun corrected in a monotonous tone that was even indifferent.
This time Baek Woohee also widened her eyes in surprise. The man standing a step back behind her also dropped his jaw. As his heart sank, Yiyoung felt Chahyun grasp his hand. Chahyun announced to the two:
“We’re on a date too, so we’ll be going now.”
“Um, Chahyun-ssi. Wait a moment.”
Flustered, Yiyoung struggled to pull his hand free from Chahyun’s grasp. Then Chahyun intertwined their fingers completely and pulled Yiyoung close to his body as he turned around.
From behind, he could hear Baek Woohee speaking to the man in a surprised tone:
“Executive Director Moon is more romantic than he looks?”
Somehow, it was a statement reminiscent of Ki Taeseong’s complaint, “Are you filming a drama?”
Yiyoung covered his burning face with his palm. Even so, he obediently let himself be dragged along by Chahyun, who tucked their interlocked hands under his arm and strode forward. Though he couldn’t raise his head to confirm, he could feel people’s curious gazes in the somewhat buzzing atmosphere around them.
He was so embarrassed. At the same time, he was also happy.
In any case, his face was so hot that his mind was completely scattered when Chahyun suddenly stopped walking. Taking a quick look, they were in front of a short corridor that led to the infirmary, nursing room, and such. Thinking something, Chahyun lightly turned Yiyoung’s body to face him and backed him into a corner of the unpopulated corridor.
Pushed by Chahyun’s stride, Yiyoung hopped backward involuntarily until his back touched a corner against the wall. Having created a position where only his back would be visible even if someone glanced over, Chahyun cupped Yiyoung’s chin with both hands and tilted his head up.
Looking down at Yiyoung with gently curved eyes, Chahyun said in a low voice:
“Bae Yiyoung-ssi, do you know you’re incredibly red right now?”
It seemed so. Thinking he’d get even redder if he kept facing Chahyun, Yiyoung squeezed his eyes shut. Chahyun brought his lips close to Yiyoung’s ear and whispered teasingly:
“But Yiyoung-ah, are we friends?”
Yiyoung stomped his feet as his ears tickled from Chahyun’s sweet voice. In his fluster, he turned his head this way and that to avoid Chahyun’s face drawing closer.
“What. Don’t suddenly use casual speech.”
“Why? Yiyoung-ssi called me ‘Chahyun-i’ first.”
“That’s because……”
Before he could continue, Chahyun rubbed his closed eyelids with his thumb.
Sensing it meant he wanted him to look at him, Yiyoung cautiously opened his eyes. Contrary to the voice that had held gentle playfulness, his gaze was quite disappointed.
Even as his heart felt like it would burst, Yiyoung tilted his head in confusion. Chahyun moved his gaze, which looked sulky enough to seem dejected, from Yiyoung’s eyes to his lips. The thumb that had been rubbing his lips moved up to his cheek.
“Does Bae Yiyoung-ssi kiss his friends?”
“Ah.”
At Chahyun suddenly pressing their lips together, Yiyoung let out a low moan.
Even though he thought they shouldn’t do this in a place where Chahyun’s acquaintances were and where employees who recognized his face could see, Yiyoung didn’t feel like refusing at all, so he parted his lips. A hot, soft tongue came through the gap between his teeth. The sensation of the tender mucous membrane inside his mouth being licked here and there was thrillingly bewildering.
Yiyoung tightly embraced Chahyun’s neck and lifted his heels. Even his waist grew taut from the thrill of kissing in a completely inappropriate place. Swept up in an irresistible impulse, a strange thought suddenly occurred to Yiyoung:
‘Dating is really worth it.’
It was the first time he’d felt so fluttered that he completely forgot all other thoughts. Even including the relationship he’d had with Chahyun before losing his memory.
