First Date (6)
‘I want to pamper him.’
Meanwhile, under the pouring stream of water, Jaehyuk was lost in delusions again. The shock of construction labor, which he’d done for the first time in his life, hadn’t worn off. Even he, who’d been selected for baseball and exercised quite a bit, felt like he’d die. His legs trembled and his arms wouldn’t listen.
‘You do this work every weekend?’
When Jaehyuk asked, Jeongbae smiled, showing his teeth with the missing canines.
‘Yeah, nice, right? Work isn’t always available.’
‘……’
Jaehyuk lost his words at the shocking answer. He can’t do this hard work because there isn’t any? He didn’t show it in front of Jeongbae, but his shoulders reflected in the mirror were bruised with rebar marks, and his fingers were swollen.
‘So yesterday after doing this kind of work, he came to see me.’
Strangely, his throat tightened. Even when he swallowed and swallowed, it felt like something was stuck. He’d thrown a fit over push and pull without even knowing that. He was ashamed. I was draining that person’s stamina. Being jealous when I don’t even deserve to be loved.
‘What jobs make a lot of money? Preferably a professional occupation…’
Then he recalled that he was a law student.
‘As expected, I should quickly become a corrupt lawyer like Father.’
Honestly, it wasn’t a major he’d pursued with much enthusiasm. He’d been almost forcibly pushed into it because of the family business. He still had lingering feelings about baseball and wanted to do related work at least. But now that he thought about it, it seemed like the best thing he’d done in the world.
‘Father’s company will be mine now. I want to quickly make a fortune and travel around with Jeongbae by my side.’
Jaehyuk, who hurriedly finished his shower, opened his major textbook as soon as he came out. Then Dogyeom, who’d been clinging to Jeongbae, picked a fight.
“What, you unemployed bastard. Are you taking the bar exam or something?”
Jeongbae tried to stop him.
“Jaehyuk is a Hanguk University student. Unemployed, really.”
“Hmph, a college student who just wastes money is no different from unemployed.”
“He’s a law student. He might go to law school and become a lawyer, so don’t hassle him.”
Dogyeom got sulky.
“Hyung, why does it seem like you’re taking his side?”
“When did I…”
Jeongbae trailed off. His face felt hot for no reason. But after hearing Jaehyuk was a law student, Dogyeom seemed to see him differently and didn’t pick any more fights. At least it seemed livable now that it was quieter.
Meanwhile, Jaehyuk barely calmed his twitching lips. He was immensely happy that Jeongbae had taken his side over that beagle-like kid.
After studying his book diligently for a while, Jaehyuk naturally got up around sunset and started preparing dinner. Jeongbae also peeled off Dogyeom, who was clinging like a koala, and helped prepare the meal from the side. Only Dogyeom rolled around on the living room floor, crying out that he was hungry.
“Dogyeom, is Sejin coming today too?”
“I don’t know.”
Dogyeom answered sullenly. It was strange since they were kids who stuck together like thread following a needle.
“Why don’t you know?”
“Don’t ask me about that bastard anymore.”
Dogyeom answered while whipping his head away. Jeongbae was dumbfounded but didn’t probe further.
‘Did they fight…?’
Tonight’s dinner was store-bought bulgogi and lettuce wraps. Since Jaehyuk had done a ton of shopping recently and packed the refrigerator full, there’d be no food worries for a while even if war broke out.
“Hey, pit viper. Kimchi fried rice would be good tomorrow.”
“Don’t talk to Jaehyuk like that. Hyung will make it for you.”
“Hyung is busy working. Why, when there’s an unemployed college student?”
Jeongbae glanced at Jaehyuk. His gaze toward Dogyeom seemed languid, but upon closer inspection, his pupils glinted. The moment Jeongbae tensed inwardly.
“I’ll make the kimchi fried rice tomorrow.”
Jaehyuk said casually.
“Yeah, that’s what unemployed people should do.”
Dogyeom stuck out his lips.
Jeongbae pressed his temple with one hand. After sleeping over with Jaehyuk, running construction work all day, then mediating between Dogyeom and Jaehyuk, he was drained. Somehow finishing the meal, Dogyeom slithered around and rolled on the floor again, while Jaehyuk started cleaning up.
“You’re tired.”
Jaehyuk approached and spoke quietly. At the low-pitched voice, Jeongbae flinched for no reason.
“I’ll do everything today. Rest.”
“It’s fine. I can do it.”
Jeongbae stepped half a step back. Strangely, he felt suffocated.
‘Why does he keep doing this…’
An expressionless face smoothly approached and met Jeongbae’s eyes. When he flinched back, a snickering sound came.
“I won’t do anything. I’ll wait. By your side.”
The sound of closing the food waste bin, water droplets falling from the faucet, Dogyeom tossing on the floor became strangely distant.
Jeongbae bit his lip hard. Normal Yoon Jaehyuk was no better for his heart than crazy Yoon Jaehyuk.
Human beagle Dogyeom, who’d been throwing fits all evening, fell asleep. After cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry, Jeongbae sat down with his workbook open. Jaehyuk also helped with small chores and settled beside Jeongbae. Only the scratching sound of pencils echoed through the living room in silence.
I’ll wait. By your side.
The resonance those two phrases gave kept growing bigger and bigger in Jeongbae’s chest.
***
“…Jeongbae. That young man said he’s married to you, is it true?”
The rice soup restaurant owner poked Jeongbae’s side slyly and asked. Jeongbae dry-washed his face. There was no such thing as a normal version of Yoon Jaehyuk. Jeongbae painfully realized the meaning of ‘I’ll wait. By your side.’ It was just the great lunatic’s ‘stalker declaration.’
“Boss, no. It’s not like that.”
Jeongbae sighed while roughly wiping his cheek with the back of his hand.
“He’s just… a younger friend I know.”
“Well… if you say so. But he comes and works without even getting paid, so I’m grateful, but I feel bad.”
Looking where the boss glanced, Jaehyuk was wrapping each disinfected utensil in paper and putting them in the utensil holder. It was just menial work, but somehow when Jaehyuk did it, it looked like a scene from a movie. Jeongbae stared at that sight for a moment, then crumpled his expression.
These past few days, Jeongbae was vividly experiencing what ‘losing face,’ or being ’embarrassed,’ meant.
Pretending to coincidentally meet at the rice soup restaurant to work together, sitting stubbornly at a casino pub table glaring at customers, going around the whole neighborhood spreading that they were married—these were Jaehyuk’s daily routines.
Because of Jaehyuk, who ate three meals a day together in the same house and stuck to him all day, Jeongbae felt suffocated. He was used to and comfortable being alone…. On top of that, with Dogyeom camping out at home too, his head was always bustling. Unlike that, Sejin hadn’t been seen lately.
‘I hope nothing’s wrong with Sejin. He said he was fine by text, but…’
He was concerned, but right now he was overwhelmed with his own problems and had no time to look after others.
Jeongbae took a deep breath. Now even the rice soup restaurant customers seemed to know.
“Young people are lucky.”
“Is that young man your boyfriend?”
He heard such comments several times a day. After filling the utensil holder, Jaehyuk naturally entered the kitchen and started organizing the earthenware pots. On top of that, he was even good at work. Watching Jaehyuk work hard, the boss tried to stop him.
“Oh my, you don’t have to.”
“It’s okay.”
Jaehyuk replied with a grin. That expression was so natural it was even more creepy. Because he knew Jaehyuk’s true character well. It felt like working with a time bomb that could explode at any moment. The boss poked his side again.
“Jeongbae, you’ll never meet someone like that again. Treat him well.”
Jeongbae completely crumpled his expression.
“Boss, I said it’s not like that.”
His words trailed off weakly. No excuse was convincing. The fact that he and Jaehyuk were lovers was gradually becoming an established fact throughout Jeongbae’s entire sphere of activity. It was all the doing of persistent, fox-like Yoon Jaehyuk.
When the rice soup restaurant door opened and a customer entered, Jaehyuk naturally stood up from his seat.
“I’ll take the order.”
“Are you cra— Don’t! That’s staff work!”
Jeongbae said urgently, but it was already too late.
Jaehyuk passed Jeongbae calmly with a ‘why?’ expression.
‘Really… what is this?’
Jeongbae pressed his temple hard. His head throbbed.
The casino pub was the same. Jaehyuk couldn’t pretend to be staff here, so he stubbornly sat as a customer or came to pick him up out of the blue. He even became friendly with the manager and got various services. It was enough to make a ghost cry. What about the relentless Yoon Jaehyuk pleased that picky manager? When he’d caused that terrible scene just recently….
“Player wins.”
As Jeongbae was collecting the cards and chips, Jaehyuk grabbed his hand. Jeongbae just twitched his eyebrows slightly and smacked the back of his hand. Expressionless cold beauty Yoon Jaehyuk said one thing in a low, blunt voice.
“Manager, the dealer keeps hitting me.”
“Hey!”
A loud voice almost came out without him realizing it. One of the most troublesome problems was this. The constant skinship regardless of time and place.
Jeongbae could somehow let it pass when he ruffled his hair or patted his butt every time he passed by. But suddenly grabbing his hand, or rubbing his lower body from behind while washing dishes and blowing on his nape—the level was getting increasingly risky.
Yoon Jaehyuk, raising his hand high with his model-like face and tattling to the teacher like a kid. The couples sitting at the same table started giggling.
“Jeongbae. You can’t hit customers.”
The manager joked deliberately. Jeongbae felt wronged but couldn’t do the elementary school kid thing of saying ‘He grabbed my hand first.’ The woman from the couple spoke to Jaehyuk.
“You two are dating, right?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
When different answers came out simultaneously, the couple giggled again.
“We made a bet on whether you’re lovers or not. Please really tell us.”
“Which side did you bet on?”
At the woman’s words, Jeongbae smiled and responded.
“I bet on dating.”
“Then you got it wrong.”
Despite just answering ‘yes’…. Jaehyuk put on a serious face. When the woman was momentarily flustered, he continued with a serious, expressionless look.
“We’re not dating, we’re marr— ow, that hurts.”
“Ah, you’re married? You both look so young, I didn’t know.”
Jeongbae quickly punched Jaehyuk and explained.
“We’re neither married nor lovers. This friend likes to joke around a lot.”
“Haha, got it. We’ll keep it a secret.”
“That’s not it…”
But it’s true though…. Jeongbae felt completely drained. He was sick and tired of that marriage and couple talk. The shamelessness of acting real in front of people. Everyone seemed to believe Jaehyuk’s words as he cosplayed as a normal person.
‘Anyone can see we don’t match….’
