Different Dreams in the Same Bed (20)
“Did you sleep well?”
When Jaehyuk opened the door and came out, Jeongbae was awake as expected. It was clear he’d barely slept at all. A mischievous face smiling as if nothing had happened. Jaehyuk was pissed off. He’d tossed and turned after going in like that yesterday, unable to sleep.
He’d planned to explain if he opened the door and came in at any time. That he’d had a drink with Kim Sejin, that he wanted him to be a little curious next time. But that hateful and lovable lover, even while awake, never came looking for him until the very end. He got even more heated at the sound of Dogyeom snoring peacefully. The angry Jaehyuk eventually kicked Dogyeom with his foot and rolled him into a corner.
‘Beagle bastard. You’re exactly like Kang Jeongbae.’
He deliberately didn’t even respond indifferently to Jeongbae’s greeting and opened the refrigerator to chug water. His throat burned for no reason. Jeongbae stood far away, nervously reading the situation.
‘When he should be clinging tightly and being cute even if it’s not enough…’
It wasn’t that he was oblivious, but at times like this, he was exactly like a bear.
“Get dressed. We’re going to work out.”
“Okay.”
After speaking coldly, Jeongbae awkwardly followed him out with his injured arm while he got ready. In short, Jaehyuk was completely sulking right now.
***
Jeongbae slowly took his eyes off the workbook he’d been looking at.
‘I should have said I’d stay home.’
He’d come to Jaehyuk’s school together. He’d secured a seat in the library and then left for class without a word. Jeongbae pressed his eyes hard with his hands. He couldn’t focus on studying.
‘As expected… he’s definitely sick of me.’
Jaehyuk didn’t say anything the whole time they ran together and ate breakfast. Even Dogyeom was reading the atmosphere.
‘What the hell, why is the mood so fucking ruined? Did someone die?’
Normally, Jaehyuk would have bickered with Dogyeom, saying he was being annoying from the morning or asking if he had a rag in his mouth, but he didn’t respond at all and just organized the finished dishes and soaked them in the sink.
Swooosh.
‘I’ll do the dishes.’
‘No need. It’s annoying, so go away.’
Jeongbae, who had followed along, felt his chest throb again. He meant to help with the dishes since his arm was injured, but… his tone and attitude were too cold.
‘Look at that way of talking. That viper bastard!’
Dogyeom muttered, but Jaehyuk didn’t even pretend to listen. Jeongbae slowly got dressed and thought he should move separately. Today of all days, he was planning to properly look for work.
As he carefully packed his bag and clothes, Jaehyuk smoothly approached.
‘Where are you going?’
‘……’
He couldn’t bring himself to say he was going to look for work. But Jaehyuk seemed to have already noticed and moved his eyebrows slightly. A shadow fell across his handsome face. The handsome man’s cool expressionless face was scary yet powerful.
‘Come to school with me. Study in the library.’
‘It’s okay. I have plans today…’
It seemed like a flash of light in his black pupils.
‘Plans?’
‘Ah, no. I don’t have any plans.’
Jeongbae stammered without knowing it. And then he ended up following the clearly angry Jaehyuk all the way to school. On the way there, he was nervous the whole time in the passenger seat. While driving, Jaehyuk didn’t even try to look his way.
Why is he like that? What did I do wrong?
Jeongbae, the master of digging holes in this area, couldn’t even think that far. He just thought what was coming had come. It was a day that would come someday, just came a bit early. He only thought about how to manage his already overflowing feelings.
There was no answer and it was hopeless. Just thinking about it made his eyes heat up. It was a delusion that would make the petty sulker Yoon Jaehyuk’s stomach turn if he knew.
Now that it had come to this, naturally he had no thought of trying to do anything well.
The misunderstanding was deepening between the arrogant alpha who was sulking for the first time in his life and the dirt potato omega who was digging down with the momentum of excavating bedrock.
It was approaching lunchtime. Jeongbae packed his things and left the library with a frustrated heart. Without Jaehyuk, he couldn’t get back into the library, but for now he wanted to walk a bit. He was thinking of going to Jaehyuk with the excuse of eating lunch together.
He didn’t show it, but it wasn’t that he himself didn’t want to hold onto Jaehyuk. After injuring his arm, he’d been coming to school often following Jaehyuk, and he’d become fluent in knowing the timetable and classrooms. The initial nervousness was nowhere to be found, and Jeongbae walked quite familiarly toward the humanities building. He now knew that no college students paid attention to him.
A small path that appeared after passing the pretty red brick building. The huge campus with lush trees made him admire it every time he came.
‘Will I… ever be able to become a college student someday?’
Jaehyuk encouraged him, saying that with his current grades, even if medical school was difficult, his own school was worth aiming for. In fact, he himself was also feeling a bit drawn to it. The law school classes he’d audited a few times were interesting, and surprisingly, studying suited his aptitude.
‘But… tuition and living expenses, it’s a pipe dream.’
The aspiration for medical school that anyone could see was an absurd dream. The goal he was running toward every night without sleep. And the reason that goal came to be. Under the lush and dense old trees, Jeongbae’s steps slowly slowed. He briefly raised his head to enjoy the clear, transparent sky and sunlight visible between the green leaves.
‘This kind of leisure. How long has it been?’
For Jeongbae, who had never taken a break from work, even a daytime walk was a luxury among luxuries.
‘I’m spending such happy days that will never come again in my life. Let’s be satisfied with now, with the present.’
While slowly steadying his heart, he tried to crumple up the painful memories rising in his chest again.
‘I should see the face of the person I like a little more. Enjoy the time we spend together.’
At this rate…
There might not be much left.
Jeongbae’s steps quickened. The road to meet his lover. Regardless of the situation, his face brightened with anticipation and joy. It was just when he’d arrived in front of the humanities building. Even from afar, he could recognize him immediately. A large silhouette taller than others by a head. A confident gait. It was Jaehyuk.
“Why is my heart pounding again at something like this?”
Hoping that his bad mood since last night would be somewhat relieved… Jeongbae approached cautiously, step by step. At that moment.
“Jaehyuk sunbae.”
At the loudly heard voice from behind, Jaehyuk stopped walking and turned around. Tall with white skin, long straight hair. A fresh and innocent beauty who seemed like she’d smell like milk.
“About this academic society presentation group…”
“What about it?”
Jaehyuk answered in a low voice. Jeongbae unconsciously turned his body and ran the opposite way. The sight of the two standing matched the beautiful campus scenery too well. He could see a pure female student and Jaehyuk exchanging conversation with a serious expression. Unlike himself, a person who naturally fit into Jaehyuk’s world. A handsome man and a beautiful woman. A pair that looked good together to anyone.
Jeongbae ran for a while, then stopped to one side and drew in breath as his broken arm throbbed. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like Jaehyuk had caught him.
“Huff… huff… huff… Idiot.”
His nose stung for no reason and his chest felt stuffy. After panting for a while, Jeongbae slowly pulled out his phone.
[I’m tired so I’m going home first! Enjoy your lunch.]
‘It would be better to get out of the way.’
He wiped the moisture gathered in his eyes several times and trudged along. He shouldn’t have come today. He shouldn’t have gone to find him first to eat. He swallowed the emotions rising several times down his choking throat. When it came to Yoon Jaehyuk alone, he was definitely the universe’s number one dullard.
Jeongbae walked aimlessly without much thought, just wherever his feet took him. After walking quite a bit, he found himself standing in the downtown area in front of the school. He entered the nearest fast food restaurant that first caught his eye. He wasn’t sure if he was hungry, he just wanted to sit down and catch his breath for a moment. He stood in front of the kiosk and stopped his hand.
“Ah, why is this so complicated?”
A low, calm voice was heard from the side. When he turned around, a man in sunglasses wearing a black coat was glaring at the kiosk. His expression wasn’t very good. Tall with a thin build, naturally disheveled bangs. He was a man who gave off a chic yet languid atmosphere like a French film actor somehow.
Jeongbae avoided his gaze for no reason. He’d learned thoroughly through social life that getting involved with this type of person becomes tiresome. But the man pressed the kiosk screen a few times and then briefly clicked his tongue.
“These machines are really unfriendly. They could just put a person there.”
Jeongbae hesitated for a moment, then finally took a step forward.
“Um… if you have a menu you want, I’ll help you.”
The man glanced at Jeongbae from behind his sunglasses. Evaluating, indifferent.
“Really? Then.”
Bulgogi burger, zero cola, to go. The order ended quickly. The problem was what came next. On the payment screen, the man moved a beat late, then casually threw out a remark.
“Ah, can you pay for me?”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t have my card right now.”
There was no apology in his tone. Rather, his face said it was natural. Jeongbae was dazed for a moment, then eventually pulled out his wallet. There could be days like this. It seemed like he’d been aiming for this situation from the start, but he didn’t say anything particular. It wasn’t money, it was a person who needed food. He himself had gone hungry, so he knew too well how desperate and miserable that was. When he quietly finished the payment, the man only nodded.
“Thanks. I’ll pay you back later.”
Even though he couldn’t know whether that ‘later’ would come or not, Jeongbae just smiled broadly. He might look a bit foolish, but he felt good after helping others.
When Jeongbae smiled with his nose wrinkling, the man tilted his head, then slightly lowered his sunglasses and made eye contact. Light brown pupils with light pigment sparkled strangely transparently. They were pretty eyes, but… Jeongbae strangely had the thought first that this man was somehow dangerous.
“Well then.”
Jeongbae reflexively left his spot. The man walked to the pickup counter as he was.
“Excuse me, aren’t you ordering?”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
Jeongbae hastily touched the screen at the next person’s urging.
‘I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere.’
A strange sense of déjà vu came over him.
***
[I’m tired so I’m going home first! Enjoy your lunch.]
It was when Jaehyuk, who checked his phone, quickly turned his body toward the library.
“Why are you moving alone again?”
Just as he bit down hard once and was about to call Jeongbae, his phone rang first. Wondering if it was Jeongbae, he looked at his phone and an unfamiliar number appeared. It was a call from overseas. Jaehyuk hesitated for a moment, then pressed the call button.
“Yeah, it’s me. Right. I’ve been well.”
He took a brief breath and added.
“…Long time no see.”
His footsteps were already heading in the opposite direction.
