Because Yujeong’s face had drawn close, Seongjo thought he would kiss him first.
But unlike his somewhat persistent gaze, Yujeong had a calm expression. He reached out his hand, but instead of cupping Seongjo’s cheek, he lightly grabbed the tip of his nose and twisted it.
“…What are you doing?”
Seongjo asked in a dumbfounded voice. Considering his nose tip even stung a little, it wasn’t just a light pinch—he must have put some force into it.
Yujeong’s face was still expressionless, but Seongjo saw a hint of laughter flash through his eyes.
“I thought you clearly asked me to wait a bit longer.”
Yujeong must have had similar thoughts to Seongjo. And the reason he stopped without kissing must also have come from similar thinking to Seongjo’s.
Because he knew this, he could easily accept it, but it was also true that some disappointment and embarrassment remained.
‘At least I’m glad I didn’t close my eyes.’
If he had firmly believed Yujeong would kiss him and closed his eyes, then the atmosphere really would have become awkward. He answered while thinking that.
“…Right, you’re not the kind of guy who goes straight for the lips?”
He had already guessed that Yujeong was that kind of man. Since that aspect suited Seongjo’s taste, he wasn’t dissatisfied.
If they continued talking any more, the atmosphere would just become strange again. Seongjo tried to dilute this subtle air by moving away from him.
Right then, Yujeong grabbed Seongjo’s wrist and pulled him sharply toward himself.
Not only was it completely unexpected timing, he hadn’t even imagined that Yujeong would do such a thing. Thanks to that, Seongjo, unable to maintain his balance, was pulled straight into Yujeong’s embrace.
Their lips… touched.
It was just that it was his cheek.
“…”
Yujeong didn’t open his mouth.
Seongjo couldn’t utter a single word either. Because he didn’t know what kind of reaction to show. For a moment, it felt like his head had gone numb.
A kiss on the cheek. It was a cute expression of affection that only elementary school children or younger would do. But why was it that he couldn’t just laugh it off as cute? The cheek where Yujeong’s lips had touched felt like it was burning hot.
But he also didn’t want to avoid his eyes out of embarrassment. Seongjo just stared at Yujeong with a face that neither smiled nor frowned. The person who spoke first was Yujeong.
“This much should be okay, shouldn’t it?”
A nonchalant voice.
Seongjo still didn’t open his mouth. Instead, just like Yujeong had done, he reached out his hand and lightly twisted the tip of his nose. Seeing Yujeong’s nose that had turned slightly red, he could finally manage to smile.
“Let’s just sleep now.”
Seongjo, imitating his nonchalant voice, flopped down on the spot. Unlike Seongjo, after going through various processes like turning off the lights, straightening his appearance, and taking off his indoor slippers, Yujeong carefully lay down next to him.
It felt like a night where he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep easily. He could only hope that his heartbeat wouldn’t be too loud. Quite unlike Lee Seongjo.
* * *
At the rustling sound, he instinctively opened his eyes. When he looked to the side, the spot where Yujeong had been lying was empty.
Instead, he was bent over in front of the nightstand next to the bed, writing something. Since he wasn’t fully awake, he couldn’t see clearly, but it seemed like he was leaving a memo on the notepad provided in the room.
Looking closely, he had already put on his outer clothes. Unable to understand the situation, Seongjo sat up disheveled and asked.
“…What? I wondered why you were already up…”
His voice was hoarse, but he didn’t bother clearing his throat. He just looked at Yujeong with a frowning face. He looked back at Seongjo with a face that seemed very slightly flustered.
“You’re awake?”
By then, Seongjo could almost completely come to his senses. As he yawned and glanced sideways at the bed he’d been lying in, he became slightly embarrassed. The area Seongjo had occupied on the double bed was almost 3/4 of it. If it had continued like this, Yujeong’s sleeping arrangement must have been quite uncomfortable.
‘This has never happened before…’
Seongjo usually used a bed larger and more comfortable than this double bed even when alone, but he tended to sleep quietly enough to make the wide space meaningless. Even when waking up with another person, he would maintain the same proper posture as before falling asleep.
But today, who knows what happened. He had definitely thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep properly before falling asleep due to the strange tension, but had the bed been too comfortable once he actually closed his eyes? He felt a bit embarrassed and a little sorry.
But even so, wasn’t it too much to prepare to leave alone, abandoning the person who slept in the same bed with you?
Right now, Yujeong was clearly someone who had finished preparing to go out. What he was probably writing on the memo pad was likely that he was leaving first.
Seongjo asked again in a slightly sulky voice.
“What are you doing all dressed?”
“I was about to head back to Seoul now.”
Without answering, Seongjo looked for his phone and checked the time. It was still only 5 AM.
“…At this dawn? Alone?”
“Rest a bit more. I’ll take a taxi.”
Even to Seongjo’s incredulous question, Yujeong only answered calmly. Seongjo asked with a still-frowning face, displeased.
“Why? Because the bed was too narrow?”
Was it that uncomfortable? But contrary to Seongjo’s judgment, Yujeong showed an expression as if he hadn’t thought of that at all. Yujeong, who glanced back at where Seongjo had been lying, finally let out a small laugh as if he understood what he meant.
“Ah, haha, no…”
Yujeong seemed amused, but Seongjo had asked in earnest. Seeing him laugh like that, he could tell that wasn’t the reason. But his frowning face didn’t smooth out all at once.
Yujeong, who had been laughing for a moment, quickly recovered.
“How could that be? I’m going because I have to go to work.”
This time, Seongjo’s expression became subtle.
Going to work… Certainly, if that was the reason, he understood why he was setting out at the early hour of 5 AM. But from the time they drove here on a weekday, Seongjo had been subconsciously thinking that he would of course take the day off from school today.
“…You’re going to commute from here to Seoul by taxi? You’ll spend more money than you earn today.”
“It’s the students that matter more than the money.”
It was truly an admirable attitude as a teacher, and it was also true that such upright character was exactly to Seongjo’s liking… but still, it wasn’t entirely pleasant.
Because of Seongjo’s face that looked displeased even at a glance, Yujeong seemed troubled. It was clear he didn’t quite know how to soothe Seongjo’s feelings.
“Lee Seongjo-ssi should sleep a bit more…”
“No, what nonsense is that? You’re saying you’ll take a taxi alone, but I should just keep sleeping here by myself?”
There was no way he could fall asleep. Seongjo, who stretched, started putting on his clothes. Yujeong looked at him with a troubled expression but couldn’t stop him further.
He tore off the page of the memo he’d been writing and put it in his pocket. Having prepared incredibly quickly, Seongjo roughly arranged his disheveled hair with his hand, quite unlike his usual self, and said.
“Well then, let’s go.”
* * *
It was Yujeong who took the steering wheel. Because it was only 5 AM, he was still sleepy, and the aftereffects of last night’s driving remained, making his body stiff. More than anything, entrusting him with the steering wheel of his car didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable, so Seongjo readily gave up the driver’s seat to him.
Seongjo, sitting in the passenger seat, let out a long yawn. Yujeong, who glanced at him through the rearview mirror, said.
“Get some sleep on the way.”
He’d gotten angry at the suggestion to sleep alone at the accommodation, but this time Seongjo didn’t refuse the proposal either. Even with his arms folded and eyes closed, he could tell that Yujeong was being careful not to make any noise. Thanks to that, Seongjo fell back asleep with a comfortable feeling.
When he opened his eyes, they were inside an apartment complex. Although it must have been quite some time, it felt like only about 30 minutes had passed.
Yujeong, who had shaken Seongjo awake, smiled faintly when their eyes met with Seongjo still intoxicated with drowsiness. He pulled out the car key and handed it over, saying.
“Go upstairs and sleep some more.”
“…You said you have to go to work, why aren’t you going all the way to school?”
When he threw out that question even while drowsy, Yujeong answered as if it were obvious.
“If I take Lee Seongjo-ssi to school, you’ll have to drive home by yourself. You must be tired.”
Yujeong, who had pulled Seongjo’s hand toward him, kindly opened his palm and placed the car key in it. Seongjo, who looked down at his palm with dazed eyes, smiled languidly. Still intoxicated with sleep, Seongjo drew his body close to Yujeong and gently stroked Yujeong’s head with one hand.
To him looking down with a puzzled face, Seongjo said.
“Because you’re being rather admirable.”
