“When I was sleeping in the nurse’s office, you tried to kiss me but stopped.”
It was true that when you’re too surprised, no words come out. Chaehun drew in his breath at the feeling of being hit in the head.
It was not long after summer vacation of their third year ended. Seunggeon, who had been saying his condition wasn’t good since morning, eventually went to the nurse’s office after second period ended.
He’d been worried from the start when the guy who didn’t even catch things like colds was acting weak. When he didn’t return even after lunch period was almost over, he went to the nurse’s office just in case.
He could recall that moment as if it were yesterday. The nurse’s office, which was always bustling during lunch, was quiet that day. The school nurse said she’d go to the teachers’ office for a moment and left. As the warning bell rang and students left the nurse’s office one by one, Chaehun was left alone with Seunggeon.
Even though Chaehun thought he should also return to the classroom before being late, he couldn’t take his eyes off Seunggeon.
He stared at Seunggeon, who was deeply asleep with his eyes closed, as if entranced. The sound of rain in the strange stillness, and even the scent of wet trees mixed with the distinctive smell of medicine in the nurse’s office—it was all a perfect moment.
The moment he thought his facial features were pretty, he found himself about to kiss his cheek. While he deliberated for a split second about whether to just do it, he came to his senses at the commotion from the hallway and stopped.
He held back the urge to ask how he knew. Apparently, Seunggeon had been awake at that time. He’d agonized alone that he wouldn’t confess, that he’d end his one-sided love by himself. But that had been a useless struggle.
Ah, how embarrassing.
Chaehun felt his face flush hot. Even at this age, having his past feelings discovered was an uncomfortable thing.
He thought it was fortunate the alley was dark, then decided to just be shameless. It was already something from ten years ago. Rather, Seunggeon was the stranger one for bringing up that incident at this moment.
At times like this, the best thing was to just act casual.
“So?”
“Want to sleep with me?”
Chaehun thought something was wrong with his ears. “Want to sleep with me,” he says. Perhaps it wasn’t “sleep” but “go”—maybe he was asking if he wanted to go somewhere. In this situation, it would make sense to suggest drinking separately. No, he wanted to believe that.
“Where do you want to go?”
“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear.”
“What?”
“Let’s have sex.”
This time he heard it clearly. His first love, whom he met after about ten years, was suddenly asking to have sex. It didn’t seem like he was joking, which made it even more bewildering. Honestly, mentioning that he liked him back then and asking to sleep together was rude.
“It’s true I liked you, but that was ten years ago.”
“It was a long time ago.”
“Right.”
He indirectly said that he didn’t like him anymore. It was already ten years ago. There was no lingering attachment. He only wanted to ask why he did that.
Chaehun thought Seunggeon would back off. But instead, he took a step closer. The appropriate distance became too close.
“Then what about me now?”
“…?!”
“Do you dislike it?”
Chaehun felt his brain turning stiffly like it was rusted. There was no mistaking Seunggeon’s intention when he asked what about him now. Not smiling and speaking stiffly was even characteristic of Seunggeon.
What about him?
In terms of appearance, he was definitely his type. Seunggeon was a handsome man who suited the description of looking like a sculpture. He was tall and had an excellent physique.
Chaehun was the type to carefully choose his romantic partners. And he didn’t do one-night stands. Since there were many crazy bastards in the world, he was cautious in advance.
Normally, he wouldn’t have been swayed just because a high school classmate and crush he met after ten years was making a move. But alcohol was the problem. The sparkling, distant memories also played a part. Most of all, he liked the fact that that arrogant bastard was approaching him first.
“To think that what you say after meeting me in ten years is ‘let’s have sex.’ You’re not teasing me, are you?”
Instead of nodding, Chaehun asked provocatively. Seunggeon, who looked surprised for a moment, answered seriously.
“I’m not joking. I’m not testing you either. I like you.”
“As if you know what kind of person I am.”
“So do you dislike it?”
Seunggeon’s voice asking if he disliked it rang out clearly. Chaehun quietly looked at Seunggeon and then smiled. Seunggeon’s figure standing against the backdrop of the night’s darkness and orange streetlights seemed like an extension of ten years ago.
Something suddenly came to mind. Ten years ago, when Seunggeon asked if he liked him, did he do that because he knew what happened in the nurse’s office? He became curious why Seunggeon did that back then, but that too was from ten years ago.
Back then, he couldn’t say anything and ran away, and his first love ended clumsily and emptily. This time, he had already made the confession he couldn’t make ten years ago, so there was nothing to regret.
The scale of his wavering heart tilted further toward acceptance. Having sex once with his crush from ten years ago wouldn’t end the world. He didn’t want to miss this opportunity since it wouldn’t come again. The pleasantly warm buzz encouraged his courage.
Seunggeon’s black eyes were looking at him. At the sight of him waiting for an answer, he felt a parching thirst in his throat.
He might regret it. No, he would regret it. But such days happened in life.
“Okay.”
Chaehun answered with a smile.
* * *
Sitting on the comfortable leather seat, Chaehun looked around the interior of the vehicle once with a dazed feeling. A driver was operating an expensive sedan.
After saying okay to Seunggeon, Chaehun looked for a nearby motel. However, Seunggeon said his house was close, told him to wait a moment, and then called someone on his mobile phone.
Following where he said to go, they went out to the main road, and not long after, a limousine with a driver appeared. When he asked in surprise if he had a driver, Seunggeon only said there were circumstances.
Chaehun looked at the handsome face sitting next to him. Accepting Seunggeon’s proposal wasn’t simply because he was his type. It was because he was drunk, became bold, he was also his first love, and most of all, he felt desire. It was also because it seemed like if not now, he would never meet Seunggeon again.
There were many things he wanted to ask Seunggeon. Why he didn’t contact him, if he knew the identity of the kidnapper, how badly he was hurt. But right now, he was curious about what Seunggeon did for a living.
Among his peers, he had seen people riding expensive cars, but having a driver was a first.
In fact, while living in society, he had met several con artists who only looked shiny on the outside. Especially the younger they were, the more severe it was. However, it didn’t seem like Seunggeon, who was the grandson of Taehwa Group’s chairman, would be a con artist.
Chaehun recalled that despite being a high school student, Seunggeon lived alone in a luxury villa because of family circumstances. Back then, many of Seunggeon’s belongings were expensive. It was the same now. Not only the coat, but the watch on his wrist and even his shoes looked very nice.
Of course, since his maternal grandfather was a chaebol chairman, it seemed like he had a lot of money. Still, he wondered if even a third-generation chaebol went around with a driver.
Are you rich?
He swallowed the blatant question that rose to his throat. Asking a rich person if they were rich seemed too materialistic. Although the buzz still remained, he could judge that he shouldn’t ask such a question.
Chaehun rolled his head for a moment. He needed a safe question.
“Seunggeon-ah. I have something to ask.”
“What?”
“Someone said they saw you in America. A few years ago. Have you been in America until now?”
When he said he had something to ask, Seunggeon turned his gaze and readily nodded.
“I went to America for rehabilitation treatment. My mother was there. I attended university there and worked there too.”
It was the first time he heard about Seunggeon’s family. What he said about living alone because of circumstances came to mind again. Taehwa Group was famous, but family history wasn’t known in detail. Chaehun also didn’t know much.
While searching to find out this and that about Seunggeon, he discovered that his parents were divorced. There was no need to mention what Seunggeon didn’t specifically talk about.
Rather, there was a different word that caught Chaehun’s attention.
“Was it serious enough to need rehabilitation treatment?”
“Treatment for manifesters is more advanced in America. What about you? You don’t seem to be a police officer?”
Because the question suddenly came back, Chaehun was slightly flustered. His entrance exam failure was Chaehun’s sore spot. It was good that he found out Seunggeon went to America for rehabilitation treatment, but it was embarrassing to say at this age that he bombed the college entrance exam. Still, he couldn’t find another excuse.
“Well… I bombed the college entrance exam. I didn’t retake it. Now I work at Taehwa Hospital. In the General Affairs Department. Oh, right. I saw you at the hospital yesterday, didn’t I? At the VIP ward.”
“Right.”
