Different Dreams in the Same Bed (21)
“You’re home now?”
Jeongbae quickly got up and went to the entrance. Jaehyuk stopped taking off his shoes and stared at him blankly.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
It seemed like he’d been about to say something…
‘Don’t tell me he’s going to leave now…’
Jeongbae fiddled with his fingertips for no reason. Awkward air wrapped around the two of them. It was to the point where even breathing sounds were noticeable.
“Did you eat dinner?”
“Yeah, I’m not interested.”
Jaehyuk didn’t ask further. He asked indifferently and then went into the bathroom.
Bang!
The door closing in front of his eyes. It seemed he’d been following around too annoyingly like a puppy. He’d sent a text saying he’d go home first and loitered in front of Jaehyuk’s school for a long time. In case Jaehyuk might call or text looking for him. Then he would have run right over. But no contact came from Jaehyuk. In a way, it was a natural progression.
‘Why… why do I keep trying to confirm it? Me.’
It was the moment to give up. Jaehyuk was someone who could pack up and leave at any time. And yet…
Jeongbae’s rough, bony hands clenched into fists several times.
‘I… I want to be together just a little longer. I’m not mentally prepared yet…’
He glanced around the empty living room. There was still… time before Dogyeom would come. If so.
‘Will… will it work?’
Time alone together. Before, he’d thought to make him sick of him with his body and send him away. But wasn’t the opposite also possible? Jeongbae was that desperate. He’d never held onto anyone before, so this was the only method he could barely think of.
‘If I work hard at sex… if his body is satisfied… maybe… his heart will stay a bit longer.’
His toes curled on their own. Strictly speaking, it was something he wasn’t confident about. He’d done one-night tutoring quite a bit, but his partners always evaluated him as clumsy.
Rather than pleasure, Jeongbae preferred to warmly embrace and comfort his partner in his arms. Being close enough for their breaths to mix, sharing body heat and patting backs. The softness and lukewarm warmth when their skin met. It was what he was always thirsty for.
Moments when just being by his side was enough. He’d liked people that way. He wanted to make them stay rather than pull them in, hoped they’d be comfortable rather than heated up. And he was always the one who let go first.
‘So… is that why he’s sick of me?’
Even while thinking of a way to bind him with his body, Jeongbae’s fingertips still hesitated. He knew too well that embracing and holding onto were completely different things.
Clunk.
Jaehyuk, who came out of the bathroom, opened the main bedroom door and went inside. Jeongbae’s gaze followed that short path.
‘I did wash earlier though…’
Without knowing it, he put his nose to his body and sniffed. It smelled like cheap soap. After injuring his arm, Jaehyuk kept trying to wash him, so today he’d struggled and washed first by himself. When he nervously opened the door and entered, Jaehyuk was leaning against the wall with a serious expression, then turned his head.
“What?”
One word asked accusingly. Jeongbae was intimidated but approached carefully. He sat down slightly touching his butt to his side and leaned his head. Fortunately, he didn’t push him away. Jeongbae was wrapped in happiness for a moment.
‘The arm of the person I like.’
He carefully hugged the thick arm tightly with his cast-wearing pathetic arm. Along with a snickering sound, Jaehyuk’s large hand ruffled Jeongbae’s hair. The feeling of his frozen heart melting smoothly. He gathered courage to try to embrace him…
Ring ring. Ring-a-ling-ling.
Jaehyuk’s phone started ringing. When he glanced, an unsaved unknown number was displayed. Jaehyuk jumped in surprise and hid his phone. His flustered appearance was evident. Since this had never happened before, Jeongbae was greatly surprised.
“Uh, um… answer it.”
He urged him to answer quickly, but Jaehyuk glanced at the ringing phone and got up.
“I’ll go take this call.”
It seemed he didn’t want to answer in front of him. The door closed and the sound of the front door opening was heard.
‘Whose call is it… that he’s going all the way outside…’
Jeongbae’s lips pressed shut. The warmth of the arm that had been warm just a moment ago suddenly felt all like a lie. The face of the pretty female student he’d seen during the day, Kang Isol’s face, and the faces of people from the same world who would suit Jaehyuk came to mind one by one. They didn’t resemble him even by a hair’s breadth.
***
“As expected, he’s here.”
Isol quietly celebrated. Jeongbae was at the library he’d stopped by just in case. Even the sight of him looking at a workbook in an awkward posture by the window seat without losing focus was exactly as expected. Isol’s pretty eyes gleamed wickedly.
‘I was bored, so this worked out well. Perfect for playing together.’
Isol was popular with alphas due to his pretty appearance and award-worthy pretense. However, he couldn’t get along well with betas or omegas, regardless of gender. Those who knew his true self were jealous of Isol or found him annoying.
‘But pretending is so tiring.’
Since he was human too, relationships only with alphas were too exhausting. He desperately always wanted someone he could just open up to and treat casually. And the candidate he’d been keeping an eye on was right in front of him.
‘I can also get back at that annoying Yoon Jaehyuk, killing two birds with one stone.’
A small omega man with an always bright expression. That was Isol’s evaluation of Jeongbae. He had what was commonly called ‘cute charm’. He quite liked that his wits were fairly quick but his insides were soft and bursting. At first, he didn’t understand why Jaehyuk was so desperate. But after dealing with him a few times, he felt a strange charm.
‘He stimulates protective instincts… and above all, he’s honest. The person is transparent…’
For someone calculating like himself, it was the type he understood least. Conversely, he was that much drawn to such an unknown territory. Jaehyuk, who had a similar disposition to him, was even an alpha on top of that, so it made sense he couldn’t come to his senses.
Isol slowly approached Jeongbae. He deliberately killed his footsteps. Glancing at the workbook over Jeongbae’s shoulder, he casually spoke as if it were nothing.
“Is it going well?”
“Hiiik!”
When Jeongbae jumped in surprise, Isol quietly put his finger to his lips.
“Shh, come out for a moment.”
“Huh? Why?”
“For now…”
When the student next to them gave a look, Jeongbae quietly closed his book and followed Isol out.
“Um… what’s this about…”
“I’m just a bit bored.”
“Pardon?”
Jeongbae’s eyes widened. His flustered face was quite cute. Even though he was an omega, since he was also male, he didn’t mind this side of Kang Jeongbae.
“Play with me for a bit.”
“M… me? But I’m…”
His face immediately turned red. His hesitant attitude clearly looked like he was choosing words to refuse. Isol immediately drove in the wedge.
“That English instructor from before… if Jaehyuk finds out…”
“Ah, okay. Okay. I’ll pack my things and come out right away.”
Jeongbae waved his hands frantically and hurried to the reading room.
‘As expected…’
Isol felt proud that he’d properly grasped his weakness.
“Sss… ha…”
Tears filled Jeongbae’s eyes. His lips and cheeks were swollen. Isol quietly poured and handed over a cup full of Coolpis.
“You’re weak with spicy food.”
“B… but you… it’s too spicy.”
When Jeongbae sniffled and protested, Isol snickered. He picked up a bunch of tteokbokki with chopsticks and shoved it into his mouth. The two were at a famous tteokbokki restaurant near the school. It was a place Isol, who usually liked spicy food, couldn’t visit often because he was worried about getting chili powder stuck between his teeth. After always pretending with an alpha by his side and eating only greasy pasta, eating something spicy cleared his insides.
“No, why is this spicy? It’s just delicious.”
“Isn’t your tongue broken?”
Jeongbae took another sip of his drink with a suspicious face. The sight of him eating quietly even while covered in tears was funny, so Isol burst out laughing without knowing it.
“Jeongbae-ssi.”
“Hm?”
“Do you know you’re a bit strange?”
Jeongbae jumped in surprise and raised his head.
“Why… why?”
“Usually when you come to eat something like this, you get annoyed first, you know? But Jeongbae-ssi just… keeps eating.”
“Ah… it’s a waste.”
At that answer, Isol burst out laughing a beat late.
“You’re cute.”
It was a casually thrown-out remark, but his expression was quite sincere. Jeongbae wasn’t used to such gazes, so he lowered his head for no reason.
“Still… it’s been a while since I’ve eaten tteokbokki. It’s fun.”
The surroundings were full of female students. There were occasionally dating male-female couples, but theirs was the only table with two men.
“Right? Me too.”
Isol put down his chopsticks and propped his chin.
“Let’s hang out often from now on. It’s comfortable being with Jeongbae-ssi because I don’t have to think.”
Jeongbae paused for a moment, then smiled carefully.
“B… but I might not be able to see you at school anymore.”
“Why? Weren’t you coming out every day following Jaehyuk?”
“……”
At the sight of Jeongbae just smiling brightly, Isol felt something was off.
‘What? Aren’t they doing well? That can’t be…’
Just the day before yesterday, when he’d half-jokingly, half-seriously asked the passing Yoon Jaehyuk how Jeongbae-ssi was doing, he’d almost been grabbed by the collar.
‘Why are you curious about that?’
‘Well, we could be friendly.’
‘Jeongbae doesn’t need anyone close except me.’
‘He’s a full-grown adult, what do you mean…’
‘Shut up. If you touch what’s mine, I really won’t let it go.’
Yoon Jaehyuk, who said cringeworthy things with the momentum to kill someone without batting an eye. Jaehyuk still seemed to have his eyes turned upside down for Jeongbae, so then the one whose heart changed was… Isol subtly probed.
“Do you still like Yoon Jaehyuk?”
“Pfft… cough cough…”
Jeongbae, who had been eating one bite of tteokbokki and one sip of drink, choked at the sudden question.
“Why are you suddenly asking that…”
“Just curious.”
Even while saying it casually, Isol didn’t miss Jeongbae’s expression. His flustered face, the speed at which his gaze fell downward, the hand fiddling with the cup for no reason.
‘Ah, this is it. Yoon Jaehyuk isn’t giving him confidence.’
“If you’ve stopped liking him, you can say you stopped liking him.”
“N-no!”
Jeongbae hurriedly denied it. So needlessly honest. It was a face that clearly showed he liked Yoon Jaehyuk so much he didn’t know what to do. Isol held back laughter and propped his chin. Serves Yoon Jaehyuk right.
“…I do like him.”
His voice became smaller. Jeongbae hesitated for a moment, then muttered while stirring the ice in his drink.
“But… just because you like someone doesn’t mean you have to date them.”
“What does that mean?”
“Um… dating me could be a nuisance to the other person.”
At those words, Isol’s expression softened slightly. Instead of playfulness, real interest arose.
“Wow. Jeongbae-ssi.”
“Yes?”
“That sounds quite mature.”
“Does it…?”
“Yeah. Most people try to possess when they like someone.”
Isol picked up a piece of tteokbokki with chopsticks and put it in Jeongbae’s bowl.
“But Jeongbae-ssi is the type who just wants to be together.”
Instead of answering, Jeongbae smiled awkwardly.
“Just being together might not have much time left either.”
At the forlorn expression, Isol’s chest tingled somehow. To make that face over something like being together.
‘Ah, this kid is really annoyingly concerning.’
“Decision made.”
“What?”
“Let’s be friends. No, best friends.”
“Best friends?”
“Yeah. Without Yoon Jaehyuk knowing.”
When Isol winked and laughed, Jeongbae’s eyes widened in surprise.
“C… can we do that?”
“Of course. Because I like Jeongbae-ssi.”
It was a casually thrown remark. Words without calculation or ulterior motive. Jeongbae was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“…Me too. Today was really fun.”
“Jeongbae-ssi, next time let’s drink alcohol instead of spicy food.”
“…Yes?”
“I buy good drinks.”
