# Chapter 24
“Hyung, do you like games? I’m really bad at games.”
“You’re bad at games but you have all this?”
Yeomin and Jiho were sitting side by side in front of a large TV.
Despite Yeomin’s earlier contemplation in the bathroom about “going to Lee Taeyang’s place or the sauna,” he was now enjoying everything this house had to offer.
In the morning, he’d slept in the massage chair for 30 minutes, then eaten premium fruits for dessert, watched a war movie, and now he was playing games.
“I bought them thinking you might like them.”
“You bought all this because of me?”
From soccer games, shooting games, racing games, to VR games and various board games—all sorts of things filled the storage space.
“I don’t know much about games. Since I didn’t know what you’d like, I just bought everything.”
“You have such a creative way of throwing money around.”
“I’m glad you’re complimenting me.”
Thanks for taking my non-compliment as a compliment.
“Isn’t it nice playing games with me?”
Jiho winked. Yeomin reluctantly nodded.
‘Yes~ I like that I don’t have to look at your face when I’m focused on the game.’
In truth, Yeomin was quite excited. Yes, I’m the monster created by capitalism!
Just this morning, he’d been thinking about leaving, yet here he was, thrilled over a mere game. What a simple human.
“What kind of games do you like best, hyung?”
“Soccer games. I’m terrible at actual soccer, but I’m pretty good at the games.”
“Then shall we play soccer games?”
“You said you’re bad at games. It’s not fun playing with someone who’s bad.”
“I’ll practice. You can teach me, right?”
“Why bother? It’s troublesome.”
He didn’t want to go through the effort of teaching. Yeomin deliberately played hard to get.
He tossed some chocolate cereal into his mouth, then glanced at Jiho who was earnestly trying to learn the tutorial beside him.
‘Is this guy originally gay? Is that why he targeted me from the start? Am I his type of guy? But what kind of guy am I…?’
He didn’t seem like the type who’d be popular with men. Yeomin was just thinking to himself.
Though he thought Jiho would be too focused on the game to notice, Jiho’s instincts were uncannily sharp.
“Why have you been looking at me like that? Do you have questions about me?”
This aspect of you is also quite uncomfortable for me.
“I feel like you don’t know certain things about me, so I was thinking of telling you.”
“I don’t know about you, hyung?”
“Yes.”
“Pfft.”
Jiho burst into laughter. To Yeomin, it sounded exactly like mockery.
‘Did I just tell a joke? I didn’t say anything funny.’
Whether Yeomin was displeased or not, Jiho, still laughing, provoked him.
“What kind of person are you, hyung? According to you, I don’t know well, so tell me.”
Suddenly, I don’t want to tell you. But for some reason, that response made him feel defiant.
Yeomin continued with the game tutorial and spoke matter-of-factly.
“I like soccer games, but I hate soccer. As you know, I don’t have any food preferences. Constitutionally, I don’t get minor illnesses, and I like sweet drinks.”
“I see.”
“I don’t particularly like studying, don’t really have a dream, oh, and I don’t have money.”
“I knew that.”
Still annoying. Yeomin glared at Jiho and continued.
“I like action movies. I hate rain, but I like snow. Oh, and—”
Yeomin looked straight at Jiho and emphasized:
“I really like women.”
He deliberately emphasized “women.” It was an attempt to shut down any dreams Jiho might have had if he was gay, establishing that they had different orientations.
Instead of getting serious as expected, Jiho simply nodded in agreement.
Then, with a smile, he asked back:
“Are you sure? That you like women?”
Are you doubting me now?
“Of course I’m sure!”
“When was your last relationship? No, wait. Have you ever dated a woman?”
This is ridiculous.
“Are you looking down on me now?”
Yeomin flared up.
Do you think I can’t date because I don’t have money? Well, it’s true that I haven’t dated…
There was no “last relationship,” and his last crush was as a 20-year-old freshman.
Does one-sided love even count as dating?
“I’m not looking down on you, I’m just curious. When did you last date? What kind of woman was she?”
“…”
“What? Was it so long ago you can’t even remember?”
The persistent questioning was clearly meant to mock him.
Yeomin exercised his right to remain silent.
“That’s private, man.”
“Lying. How can you be sure that you like women, hyung?”
“…I don’t want to play anymore.”
“Or have you ever been excited by someone? Like, have you imagined things and done it by yourself?”
“Hey!”
Yeomin glared fiercely at Jiho, who was grinning while saying whatever he wanted.
Then he threw the game controller he was holding onto the sofa.
But Jiho seemed to find Yeomin’s reaction amusing.
“Yes, hyung.”
His obedient response was even more infuriating.
Yeomin warned him:
“I told you not to cross the line.”
“I have no intention of crossing it.”
‘You’re full of crap. Would someone who doesn’t cross the line kiss my forehead while I’m sleeping?’
Yeomin felt like the spot where Jiho’s lips had touched was burning up.
How much he had scrubbed it that morning. Thanks to that, his forehead had turned red.
“But hyung, you keep drawing this line…”
“…”
“It makes me want to cross it once.”
Jiho, who had somehow gotten close, pulled the back of Yeomin’s neck.
Even though he wasn’t off guard, Yeomin was helplessly drawn by that force. He was simply overpowered by Jiho’s intimidation.
In an instant, Yeomin was close enough to Jiho that their foreheads nearly touched. With their heads close, Jiho spoke, close enough that Yeomin could feel his warm breath:
“I hate all foods with onions. I don’t care much for games, and I prefer calm movies. Or detective and mystery genres.”
“…Who asked?”
“I’m telling you so you can remember. You should know the preferences of the person you’re living with.”
Even though he was speaking softly with polite endings, why did it feel so coercive? That’s quite a talent, I think.
Perhaps it was the confidence and overwhelming aura that came from his birth.
Yeomin felt offended that he was overpowered by Jiho’s energy. So he deliberately widened his eyes even more.
Jiho’s fingers traced the back of Yeomin’s neck stickily and added:
“Oh, by the way, I don’t particularly discriminate between men and women.”
“…”
“Whether it’s sex or dating. Both.”
Jiho drove these words, which Yeomin neither wanted to know nor hear, into his ear one by one.
With a tone so vivid and clear it might appear in his dreams.
“You should know this too. I think it would be good for you to know.”
“…”
Even if he ran to the bathroom right now and scrubbed his ears vigorously, these were words he would never forget. Damn it.
* * *
It was the third day of staying at Jiho’s house.
Yeomin was thoroughly enjoying everything in this house. He even worked out in the residents-only fitness center in the morning.
While he had thoughts about leaving this place immediately, every night Yeomin fell asleep on the sofa in this house. And Jiho wasn’t even monitoring him to prevent him from leaving.
During that time, Yeomin had found his favorite pillow, and he was diligently drinking the freshly squeezed juice that appeared in the refrigerator every morning. Jiho never drank it, saying it was a hassle.
If it goes bad, it all gets thrown away… that’s wasteful.
Yeomin looked around the unusually quiet house today.
“How unusual for him to go out without saying anything.”
Jiho had been staying at home so much that Yeomin wondered if he had no friends. It had been uncomfortable with Jiho following him around the house all day, but today, for some reason, Jiho hadn’t been seen since the morning.
Thanks to that, Yeomin was excited. Just for today, he felt a sense of freedom.
As it happened, Yeomin also had plans to go out today. It was the first day of tutoring he had agreed to do during the break.
The tutoring location wasn’t far from here either. Isn’t that convenient? How everything was falling into place so perfectly.
“Come to think of it, I forgot to bring clothes.”
It’s my first day of tutoring, so I should look presentable. The clothes he had hastily brought from home were mostly just training clothes, practically pajamas.
Yeomin hesitated in front of his luggage, then looked towards the dressing room.
‘I don’t want to contact Seol Jiho first, but I have no choice.’
Standing in front of the dressing room door, Yeomin sent a message:
[Can I wear your clothes?]
[Sundoli: Where are you going?]
The reply came immediately. It’s like he’s staring at his phone all day.
Yet when he’s at home, he can’t even remember where he put his phone.
[I’m going to tutoring and don’t have anything to wear]
[I’ll wear them neatly]
[Sundoli: Okay then]
[Sundoli: Should I pick you up when the tutoring ends?]
[No need, I can come back alone]
[Sundoli: Make a lot of money]
[Sundoli: You have to buy me something delicious]
“Is he making fun of me…?”
No matter how much he earned from part-time jobs, it would be just a speck of dust to this guy.
[Anyway thx]
After sending the last reply, Yeomin boldly entered the dressing room.
He’d said it was originally his uncle’s house, but the dressing room was properly equipped with a system closet and showcases.
The section covered with curtains probably contained the uncle’s clothes. The rest of Jiho’s clothes, filling one wall, were of various styles.
It was hard to tell what Seol Jiho’s style was—it looked like an entire boutique had been moved here.
“The most modest one, the most modest one.”
Among the expensive clothes that made his hands tremble, Yeomin chose a shirt and pants that were relatively modest, had no logos, and looked less expensive.
All the pants would be too long for him, so he picked the slacks that looked the shortest. They were probably meant to be ankle-length, but on Yeomin, they were full-length.
“I’m so afraid of getting something on them that I can’t even sit on the subway.”
Yeomin muttered while checking the condition of the clothes, which didn’t even have the tags removed.
Quite a bit of time had passed while he was deliberating. If he delayed any longer, he might be late.
As Yeomin hurriedly left the house, he unconsciously said:
“I’m leaving—”
When had anyone ever seen him off?
Having stuck close to Jiho for a while, he found himself saying such things without realizing.
“Joo Yeomin. Get yourself together.”
After scolding himself, Yeomin hurriedly left the house. As Jiho had said, he needed to hurry if he wanted to earn money and buy something delicious.
Since it was his historic first day of work, he might as well treat himself to a chicken on the way back.
