“Are you crazy?”
Startled, Kyungwoo pushed him away with his arm. The elevator CCTV was very much on his mind.
“It’ll be erased soon anyway. As long as you don’t make a scene and draw attention.”
Shamelessly, Seo Jaeha stood in the blind spot right under the CCTV and groped around Kyungwoo’s back and waist area. Should he be grateful that his hand didn’t go down to his ass? He wanted to throw a punch, but fearing that hotel security guards might really burst in if he did, Kyungwoo just glared at the descending numbers with his teeth clenched tight.
*Ding.*
Basement level 3.
The plan to get off at basement level 1 couldn’t even be attempted, caught up in Seo Jaeha’s schemes.
“Stay here. I parked it nearby so I’ll bring it.”
Cutting through the stuffy underground air, Seo Jaeha pulled out his car and stopped it in front of Kyungwoo, who was standing in front of the elevator.
“Get in quick. Let’s go. I’m hungry.”
The elevator hadn’t kept moving and had stayed in place. He could just ignore that bastard and turn around, but strangely, Kyungwoo got into the seat next to Jaeha.
The food was refined and tasted good. It didn’t clash, yet wasn’t too bland either, and the combination of meat, fish, and various julienned vegetables and greens whetted the appetite.
Kyungwoo moved his spoon and chopsticks diligently while looking like he was eating food waste. It seemed he was displeased that the restaurant Seo Jaeha of all people recommended tasted good when it should have tasted bad. Childish bastard. Jaeha laughed inwardly.
“Is it good?”
“So-so.”
For someone saying “so-so,” did he have to pick out and try every side dish? Moreover, Kyungwoo had eaten almost all the boiled pork and LA galbi. The steamed sea bream too. Jaeha moved his chopsticks mainly toward the greens.
“You’re even prettier when you eat well.”
Kyungwoo, who had just put meat pancake in his mouth, scrunched up his face like he’d eaten shit. As if wanting to snap back, after hastily chewing and swallowing the meat in his mouth, he put his brass chopsticks down on the table with a clack.
“Seo Jaeha. Just because we slept together once, you’re acting really cocky.”
“You do it too.”
“What?”
“If you feel that shitty, you tell me I’m pretty too.”
“This bastard, really…”
Just as his voice was rising, as if on cue, an employee slightly opened the door.
“Is the food to your liking?”
“Yes.”
“Shall I bring more of the empty dishes?”
At those words, Jaeha looked at the culprit who had emptied the bowls. Kyungwoo, who had been acting like he was about to storm out right then, completely deflated and silently pointed to a couple of empty bowls.
“The steamed sea bream and LA galbi. Do you need anything else?”
Jaeha, who had picked up the last remaining meat pancake and placed it on the plate in front of Kyungwoo, said ‘This too, please.’ and handed the empty plate to the employee.
After the employee refilled the side dishes and they were alone again, Kyungwoo glared at Jaeha with a cold expression. It was an expression of forcibly holding back anger because he wanted to get mad but didn’t want to make a scene. Anyway, he was unnecessarily polite.
“How was it?”
“What?”
He could feel faint irritation in the curt counter-question. Even that made Jaeha smile.
“Me. I’m asking how I was earlier.”
The chopsticks that had just picked up a piece of radish water kimchi to bring to his mouth slipped, and the white radish dropped with a thud near the edge of the front plate. Because of that, a few small droplets splattered in all directions.
“Fuck.”
Kyungwoo wiped the broth that had splattered on his tie with a tissue. After putting the wet tissue down on the table with a thud, he stood up from his seat.
“Thanks for the meal. Seo Jaeha.”
“The food? Or me?”
When he threw out an unreasonable move, his sleek body jerked as if convulsing.
“Crazy.”
He could feel contempt in the gaze glaring at Jaeha. Yet the amusement showed no signs of subsiding.
“How was I earlier? Was I pretty?”
His opponent’s face, which had been flushing red and blue, now turned pale. Since he’d had his fill at this point, Jaeha also put down his chopsticks and rinsed his mouth with lotus tea.
“After giving hints this much, you’d say I’m pretty just to get rid of the annoyance.”
“You want to hear that kind of thing?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve really lost it.”
Jaeha stood up from his seat with a deliberately disappointed expression. A Korean restaurant was an appropriate place to spend a long time leisurely enjoying drinks and dessert together, and was perfect for continuing a good atmosphere after leaving the hotel. But with such a cold-blooded person who didn’t match his tempo at all, he couldn’t do anything.
“I’ve never failed to receive a compliment, so I was whining out of disappointment, but if you hate it that much, forget it.”
Should he warm up the atmosphere first before going to a hotel from now on? It was a matter to seriously consider. Jaeha left the room before Kyungwoo, who was standing awkwardly.
“The dessert hasn’t come out yet though.”
“I don’t have time, so I’ll have it next time. Oh, ma’am.”
“Yes?”
“How am I today, am I pretty?”
At those words, the middle-aged employee burst out laughing. As if worried that laughing loudly would disturb other customers, the employee covered her mouth with her hand and nodded while her shoulders shook.
“Of course. Prosecutor Seo has always been pretty. Enough to want you as a son-in-law if I had a daughter.”
“Then that’s enough. You’re beautiful too, ma’am.”
“Oh my.”
While saying that, the employee gave an eye greeting to Kyungwoo, who had frozen just as he was leaving the room.
“Was the meal to your liking?”
“Yes. The meal was fine.”
The bastard’s attitude saying that was nothing but lukewarm.
“Let’s go, pretty boy.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“You two get along well.”
The employee followed to see them off, chuckling. Kyungwoo continued to have a sour expression. When Jaeha paid and went out, he was standing in front of the car glaring at Jaeha like some resentful ghost.
“Son of a bitch. There’s a limit to how much I’ll let slide.”
As soon as they got in the car, Kyungwoo growled. However, Jaeha paid no mind and pressed the start button while saying, ‘Seatbelt.’
Instead of returning to downtown, he headed toward the outskirts. It wasn’t late yet, so there was time to drive.
“Are you originally like that?”
When Jaeha started talking, a cold gaze turned toward him.
“Are you originally so dry even after sleeping together?”
“…What if I am?”
“I thought it was because you didn’t like me. If not, then it’s fine.”
In fact, he hadn’t had high expectations. Still, Jaeha felt slightly down because he’d forced himself to act cute hoping the relationship would continue well, but he was rejected too much. In all the people he’d dated until now, it was the first time he’d bent himself this much. Since he clearly recognized that he was the one who begged to sleep together, he’d tried while putting aside his pride somewhat. Anyway, that bastard was a lost cause.
Since he wasn’t going to turn away forever, he’d set out on a drive with the intention of at least doing the basics, and Kyungwoo wasn’t against that either, as he said nothing.
Looking out at the brilliant lights of the distant city center, he maintained silence the entire time going around the mountain and coming down, then quietly opened his mouth around the time they entered the motorway that followed along the riverside.
“So what do you do?”
“What?”
“I mean. What do you do after sleeping together?”
Jaeha, who had been watching the front, glanced to the side. Jung Kyungwoo had been looking out the window the whole time. His face, lit by streetlights, reflected in the side mirror. A bit of apology showed through his expressionless face.
“Usually after sleeping together first, we eat and drive, or if we’re not tired, we watch a late-night movie. Sometimes we find a cafe with a good atmosphere and head to the outskirts.”
“Today is the eat-and-drive course.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s completely like a date.”
He was inwardly startled. It was a word he didn’t particularly want to bring up.
“Even if you call them a partner, it’s heartless to just bang and move on. It’s something we do to feel good anyway.”
“Isn’t that side more efficient?”
“Then go to an establishment. You have lots of money, so you could even have an exclusive one.”
At the word “establishment,” his opponent looked Jaeha over with unpleasant eyes. His inner thoughts were clear: what kind of dirty bastard is this?
“I’m the one who feels bad being treated like an establishment guy, so don’t look at me like that?”
“I wasn’t thinking of treating you that way. We’re eating and driving anyway.”
“This is me doing things for you. And don’t try to show off that you paid for the hotel. It’s a really trashy thing to do.”
Kyungwoo closed the mouth he had opened, as if he really had been about to bring that up. Really, this was the first time for such a son of a bitch client.
“How did you date to have such bad manners? Are you handsome and rich so women stick to you on their own? So you don’t have to care about manners or anything?”
Only silence returned.
“You kept still earlier too. At least give feedback—if it’s good, say it’s good, if it’s bad, say it’s bad. What is this? No, forget it. We’re not lovers, so why am I even saying this?”
Jaeha, whose anger had risen on its own, rolled the window down a bit to cool his temper. Strong wind rushed in, filling the car with loud wind sounds. His hair whipped around wildly as well. Would it be better to roll the window up and turn on music?
As soon as he completely blocked the incoming wind, a low voice rang out.
“It wasn’t bad, so-so.”
“Hm?”
Kyungwoo, who had stubbornly kept his head turned toward the window, paused for a moment then threw his gaze toward Jaeha.
“At the hotel earlier. I’m saying it was okay. Seo Jaeha.”
“You sure say it quick.”
While responding curtly, Jaeha felt something that had been rising up settle down smoothly. He had been about to turn on loud club music to completely block conversation, but quietly withdrew his hand. The hand holding the steering wheel felt proud.
“Where? How?”
“Don’t bother pressing for details.”
“I need to know so I can pay more attention next time.”
He subtly made “next time” a foregone conclusion. Not only had they not gone all the way, but from experiencing Jung Kyungwoo as a person even slightly, rather than satisfying his desire, his thirst had only intensified. That was why he desperately wanted to continue things well somehow.
Fortunately, Kyungwoo answered indifferently instead of pointing that part out.
“Try various things on your own. If I don’t like it, I’ll clearly say I don’t like it, so don’t whine about being hurt again during a meal. I thought you weren’t the Seo Jaeha I knew. Do you do that with other people too?”
“Even if the method differs, they somehow show satisfaction. If they don’t, it’s kind of… I wonder if they disliked it but pretended to like it for no reason.”
“If you feel good yourself, why would there be a reason to care about the other person too?”
“You’re really a son of a bitch. Did you do that to all the women you’ve dated? Are both your cheeks doing well?”
This time Jaeha looked Kyungwoo up and down like he was the world’s biggest bastard.
“No.”
“Even if we can’t be lovers, let’s keep bedroom manners.”
“You’re being fucking annoying. After sleeping together, eat, drive, occasionally watch late-night movies, go to cafes with good atmosphere far away. When sleeping, show if it’s good that it’s good and if it’s bad that it’s bad, and if you felt good, praise them by saying they’re pretty. I got it, so stop nagging.”
“I’ll look forward to it from now on.”
Having heard the answer he wanted, Jaeha tried hard to suppress the satisfied smile that was rising and maintained an expressionless face and composure.
