“Yeah.”
“Be prepared.”
Jang Juwon spoke quite solemnly. Baek Iseon, who didn’t yet understand the meaning of those words, unnecessarily widened his eyes at his foot going numb.
“Because I’m not letting you go today.”
A small laugh leaked out through the gap the two had created. And that gap gradually narrowed until it disappeared without a trace. As Jang Juwon kissed Baek Iseon, he thought. That he hoped this happiness would last forever this time. But even if it didn’t turn out that way, he would be okay now.
**<Epilogue>**
“So, you rejected the interview again?”
“……Yeah.”
Baek Iseon, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, answered while shaking out his still damp hair. Jang Juwon looked at him with a slightly displeased expression. Between Baek Iseon’s light brown hair, deep black roots occasionally revealed their color. It was time to dye his hair.
“Why?”
“……Just because.”
“Just because?”
“……Yeah.”
Yeah. At that concise answer, Jang Juwon frowned. Baek Iseon was a person who suited the word “just because” less than anyone else.
“There’s no way someone like hyung wouldn’t get a job ‘just because.'”
On the surface, he gave off a somewhat lighthearted atmosphere, as if he lived far removed from any life plans, but Jang Juwon knew that he was more thorough and calculating than anyone. After all, he himself was living proof of that.
That Baek Iseon saying “just because”? It was definitely an excuse to hide something. Jang Juwon crossed his arms, stood crookedly, and glared at him.
“You’d better talk.”
“……”
“Hyung?”
“……”
“Baek Iseon?”
Baek Iseon, who never missed a chance to talk back anywhere, was hesitating. Jang Juwon felt anxious watching him. This was already the third rejection.
A month ago, Baek Iseon graduated. While congratulatory feelings came first, he couldn’t help but also feel anxious. He was different from Ahn Jaeon, but past experiences weren’t something that could be easily shaken off all at once.
However, that didn’t mean he had ever hoped for a situation like the present one. While others had already been submitting résumés here and there long ago, Baek Iseon wasn’t doing anything.
He had assumed Baek Iseon would handle things well on his own and hadn’t paid it much mind. But it had already been over a month since graduation. He was even rejecting all the interview offers he received. Of course, even if he lived as a jobless bum rolling around in a corner of his room, Jang Juwon would still like him, but there was no way Baek Iseon would want that kind of life. So it wasn’t unreasonable that he was starting to worry.
“Well…… I’m handling it myself.”
“Didn’t you say that last week too?”
“Jang Juwon, come here.”
“Don’t try to gloss over it like this again!”
Jang Juwon pushed away Baek Iseon, who was trying to pull him into an embrace naturally.
“Nagging……”
Rejected by Jang Juwon, Baek Iseon grumbled and flopped down on the bed, letting out a big sigh. His well-trained chest muscles swelled up fully before sinking down.
“You won’t tell me anything, so I feel hurt…… So……”
“What?”
Suddenly Baek Iseon made a loud noise and bolted upright. His large hands cupped Jang Juwon’s cheeks. Jang Juwon slightly lifted his downcast eyes to look at Baek Iseon, then dropped them back to the floor with a thud. And he pressed down on his twitching mouth corners, trying hard to hold it in. It worked. By now, Jang Juwon had figured out what Baek Iseon was weak to.
“Hyung……”
“……”
“I feel hurt……”
Jang Juwon gently placed his hand on Baek Iseon’s bare chest. Now, one final finishing blow and he would be completely disarmed.
“I want to know about hyung…… Everything.”
“Fuck……”
Jang Juwon felt his heartbeat growing increasingly intense beneath his palm. Baek Iseon turned his head slightly and began to slowly approach. At that moment, Jang Juwon turned his face away sharply. A flustered look was evident on Baek Iseon’s face.
“I’m not really in the mood.”
“……If I tell you, will you let me kiss you?”
“Yeah.”
As if nothing had happened, the gloomy look completely cleared from Jang Juwon’s face. Baek Iseon realized he had no choice but to open his mouth, even knowing he’d been tricked. He would probably only lose to Jang Juwon from now on. There was no way to win against him. When did he become so cunning anyway? In any case, he knew far too well how to handle him.
“Actually, haah…… I was going to tell you once it was decided for sure.”
Baek Iseon sighed and ran his hands through his hair. And he finally confessed.
“I’m preparing to work.”
“Work?”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t tell me?!”
“That’s right. I’m thinking of doing it properly from now on.”
Baek Iseon smiled faintly and pulled Jang Juwon into his arms. This time Jang Juwon didn’t push him away either. Finally holding his lover in his arms, Baek Iseon smiled with satisfaction. As always, he had sent his emotions up and down.
“You said you’d quit after graduating.”
“……I was going to. But……”
Baek Iseon muttered quietly while looking down at his lover who was staring up at him with sparkling eyes. It was because of this, but the person in question had a face that knew nothing.
“There’s someone who’s disappointed.”
“The author?”
“No, you.”
He answered, anticipating the bright smile that would soon appear on Jang Juwon’s face. However, Jang Juwon didn’t smile. Anyway, what was urgent for Baek Iseon was something else. The kiss he couldn’t do earlier was the most urgent matter for him right now.
“Can I kiss you now?”
“……Wait.”
“Why, again.”
As his most urgent matter kept being blocked, Baek Iseon asked with slight irritation.
“……Because of me?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Ah……”
Jang Juwon’s eyes were shaking here and there, unable to focus. Only then did Baek Iseon realize he had to postpone the priority of kissing. Damn it.
“Because of me……”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Of course not!”
Baek Iseon’s eyes widened. Actually, he was a little, no, very flustered. He thought Jang Juwon would obviously like it. He doesn’t like it? Of course he doesn’t? He couldn’t understand.
“Why don’t you like it?”
“I don’t like that it’s because of me.”
“What? Jang Juwon. I don’t understand right now……”
“It’s hyung’s life! Making such an important decision because of me. I never wanted something like that. I wish hyung would do what he wants to do without worrying about someone like me.”
“Not to worry about you, how can you say something like that?”
“That’s not what I mean……!”
Jang Juwon pressed his forehead. He definitely had something he wanted to say, but he was frustrated because he couldn’t think of an appropriate way to express it. And the one feeling frustrated wasn’t just Jang Juwon.
“If that’s not what you mean?”
“Haah…… You might regret it later.”
“I won’t regret it.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No. As long as you stay by my side, then I won’t regret it.”
“Hyung……”
“Jang Juwon…… Don’t talk like you’re going to leave.”
“You know that’s not what I’m saying.”
“I……”
Just then, Jang Juwon’s phone alarm rang out noisily. Baek Iseon closed his mouth.
“……I’ll go to the study session and come back.”
Jang Juwon said while turning off his phone alarm. It was already time to go to the study session. Jang Juwon, who would soon become a fourth-year student, was participating in several study groups quite like a proper college student. Especially the study session he was about to attend was one for sharing job-hunting information. And this was something even Baek Iseon couldn’t help him with. He had never prepared for job hunting at all.
