The voice that flowed out gently was affectionate.
It was so natural that it felt almost playful, so Jaehwi, who sat in front of him, put the wrapped lettuce into his mouth with a blank face without any thought. Since it wasn’t a loud voice, those who were having conversations about the dates they had today didn’t seem to hear it. Haeyoung, who reflexively rolled his eyes and examined the faces of the others, finally caught sight of Sehee.
“…I see.”
She, who had been quietly observing Seonwoo as if studying him, asked in an intrigued tone.
“Did you have telepathy or something?”
“I guess so.”
At the mischievous question, Cha Seonwoo affirmed gently without a bit of agitation.
Rather, the one who was agitated was Haeyoung. Even if that was the case for Seonwoo, he hadn’t expected even Sehee to be like that. Wasn’t she the only person among the participants who knew their circumstances?
Haeyoung, who had been flustered by the gaze that seemed to be subtly probing, soon pulled at the corners of his mouth while pretending to be calm. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he declined to continue this strange atmosphere any further. Because he would be the only one who would get flustered with his feet tingling for no reason.
Instead of opening his mouth pathetically and bringing out lengthy excuses, Haeyoung turned his body. Then he picked up a few more pieces of meat from the center and placed them on the plate of Minho, who was sitting next to him.
“Huh?”
Minho, who had been distracted by the topic of the dates done today as it had come up, widened his eyes at the meat that appeared on his plate. Haeyoung, who had put the meat tongs back down on the bowl, discovered Minho’s gaze looking at him.
A light of emotion soon rose like waves in his eyes that had rounded in surprise. Haeyoung, who felt burdened by that gaze, swallowed a scoff and said calmly.
“Your plate was empty.”
“Why are you… trying to win me over?”
“……”
Haeyoung, who had almost reflexively told him not to be crazy, firmly closed his mouth. This bastard was cute, but the problem was he occasionally went overboard.
A mischievous look flashed in Haeyoung’s lips as he pondered for a moment. His lips that were drawing a curve opened and a plain question popped out.
“You’ll come over if I give you meat?”
“No, it’s because you’re suddenly taking care of me.”
“Easy, Kim Minho…”
At Haeyoung’s muttering, Minho immediately widened his eyes as if aggrieved. Conversely, his drooped eyebrows revealed his absurd feelings as they were.
“Hey, I’m not an easy guy.”
Hey. Haeyoung, Yoon Haeyoung. Are you listening? Simply letting the protests heard from the side flow by, Haeyoung turned his gaze. The person who came into view was Jaehwi, who seemed to have just emptied an entire can of beer.
“Hyung, can you give me one more can?”
Haeyoung called him while pointing to the beer cans in front of him.
“What about you?”
Jaehwi, who had nodded, asked Haeyoung back.
“Ah, I already drank one can earlier.”
At his question, Haeyoung smiled refreshingly and picked up a beer. Then he half-rose from his seat, handed the beer can to him, and sat back down.
As Haeyoung busily showed interest in the others, the conversation that had been continuing between Sehee and Seonwoo fizzled out inconclusively.
“Haeyoung-ah, this is really delicious.”
Afterward, perhaps knowing she’d been mischievous, whenever their gazes brushed past, Sehee squinted her eyes as if apologetic. In response, Haeyoung also shook his head as if to say it was fine and let out a silly laugh.
During that time, the plate that had been piled with meat gradually showed its bottom. Though the conversation certainly hadn’t stopped, perhaps because there were many people, the speed at which the meat disappeared was fast. However, none of the participants seemed full.
“Huh? Hyung, I’ll go grill more meat.”
Haeyoung stopped Jaehwi, who seemed about to get up from his seat, and got up saying he would grill it. Soyoon, who had been sitting close to the plate, quickly picked up the tongs and moved the remaining meat to another plate.
Haeyoung, who received the tongs from her, gave her an eye greeting as if grateful. Then he immediately took the plate and tongs, left the canopy tent, and approached the grill. The meat was in the ice box placed on the table next to the grill.
Haeyoung took out meat from the half-open ice box. Then, roughly thinking of the number of people, he placed an amount they could eat on the grill. The meat that went up on the grill where the flames hadn’t died down made a sizzling sound and quickly cooked.
“Haeyoung-ah.”
Haeyoung, who had been concentrating on grilling the meat, turned his head at the voice he suddenly heard. The one who had called him was none other than Seonwoo. Haeyoung raised his eyebrows while watching Seonwoo approach him.
“Yeah?”
Why did he come out when it’s cold instead of staying inside… When he was looking up with a puzzled face, a hand suddenly approached his mouth.
“Ah.”
As if telling him to open his mouth, Seonwoo brought a lettuce wrap to his mouth, saying “Ah.” A small wrap slipped into the mouth of Haeyoung, who reflexively opened his mouth unknowingly.
Haeyoung, who had naturally received and eaten the wrap, noticed Seonwoo looking at him and smiling. His face with a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth, as if something was so good, was affectionate. Haeyoung, who had been chewing the wrap, belatedly turned his gaze and diligently flipped the cooking meat.
Though glaring at it wouldn’t make the meat cook faster, his gaze didn’t leave the grill. Haeyoung, who had been poking at the meat for a while, pressed his cheek with the back of the hand not holding the tongs.
“Is it very hot?”
He felt hot heat from his face. Seonwoo, who didn’t miss that gesture, immediately asked.
“Not very. I guess it’s because I’m standing… in front of the fire.”
Though it wasn’t just because of that that he covered his face, it was fortunate he was grilling meat anyway. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to find an excuse when his face heated up.
“Give me the tongs. Haeyoung-ah.”
“No, I’m done grilling. I just need to transfer it now.”
Haeyoung, who shook his head at Seonwoo reaching out his hand, transferred the neatly cut meat to the plate. He reached out to pick up the plate piled high with meat again, but the plate was lifted into the air faster than him.
The person who picked up the plate first was, once again, Seonwoo. He nodded toward the tent saying let’s go inside while holding the plate with meat. Because of that, Haeyoung, who ended up flailing in the air, looked at Seonwoo and raised one eyebrow crookedly.
However, a sigh-like sound of laughter soon flowed from his collapsed lips. If there was a problem, it was that he was weak to him, whether before or now.
Even while cleaning up after grandly finishing the barbecue party, everyone showed excited appearances. It wasn’t a strange thing since it was the last day of December, not any other day. Originally, the time before the new year was bound to bring various feelings anew.
In the end, at Minho’s words that he had brought a mini beam projector when he moved in, everyone gathered their opinions to watch a movie. Their enthusiasm to not fall asleep until the bell announcing 12 o’clock rang was tremendous. It seemed like he was the only one getting sleepy.
“Haeyoung, you’re going to watch, right?”
While entering the house after finishing cleaning up, Minho asked. Haeyoung, who had been yawning small while covering his mouth, chuckled and nodded.
It seemed the fatigue from preparing the project all week still remained. When he was going around all day riding attractions today, he had forgotten that he was tired… At the belated fatigue that came rushing, Haeyoung rubbed his stiff eyes while entering the dining room.
“Are you very tired, Haeyoung-ah?”
He nodded at the voice heard from behind. At the same time, he slightly tilted his head diagonally and looked up at Seonwoo. Seonwoo, whose eyes met his, immediately hung an affectionate smile on his face.
Why does the neat smile with eyes slowly narrowing feel improper when he does it? It was when Haeyoung was staring blankly up at his face for a moment.
“Um… Seonwoo oppa.”
A cautiously heard voice caught Seonwoo, who had just entered the dining room.
The owner of the voice was Dain, who had been coming in last. At that small call, the gaze that had been looking up at Seonwoo also turned to her. Though the target of the call was Seonwoo, Haeyoung, who had stopped along with him, looked at Dain with a puzzled face.
It seemed like their eyes met briefly for a moment. However, Dain quickly avoided his gaze and made a request to Seonwoo.
“There’s one thing left to move outside, can you help me for a moment?”
For a hesitantly brought up question, it was a request that wasn’t difficult. Haeyoung, who had been standing next to her, tilted his head toward her.
“I’ll help too.”
Though it was a comment made without much thought, at the readily flowing answer, Dain’s shoulders stiffened noticeably. Haeyoung, who noticed the hesitant sign, rolled his eyes and looked at her face.
An unknown tension lingered over Dain’s face, which ambiguously avoided his gaze. No, rather than tension, it was…
“Ah.”
It was an excited emotion closer to fluttering. A quiet sigh leaked from Haeyoung’s mouth.
A realization that suddenly came to mind passed through his head. When he reflexively raised his head, his eyes immediately met the black eyes that had been looking at him since who knows when. At that moment, what raised his head was bewilderment.
A belated regret came, wondering why he hadn’t noticed right away. Even though he knew that Dain had shown interest in him from the beginning.
“Go and come back, hyung.”
A calm voice popped out from his mouth that opened drawing a curve. Haeyoung took his gaze off Seonwoo and soon smiled while looking at Dain.
“If the two of you can’t manage, call me.”
When he struck a pose raising one arm to show it, laughter that Dain couldn’t hold back finally burst from her mouth. At that quiet but bright sound of laughter, Haeyoung also inwardly felt relieved and silently pulled at the corners of his mouth.
Why he hadn’t noticed right away was obvious. As always, it was because he himself had only been looking at Cha Seonwoo.
“…I’ll go and come back.”
Seonwoo, who had been silent for a moment, tilted his head and spoke as if whispering. At the casual sense of distance, the fingertips stuck in his pocket twitched. Haeyoung, who stepped back one step and leaned against the table, smiled and nodded.
Finally, while watching the backs of the two people going out to the garden again, the smile that had been hanging at the corners of his mouth gradually faded. The two people who had stopped while walking looked at each other and conversed, and a smile even faintly formed on Seonwoo’s lips.
“…Ha.”
A heavy sigh was exhaled from his tightly closed lips. He wondered whether to rather turn his head and go up to the room first, but his feet wouldn’t move.
The appearance of the two people standing in one corner of the garden conversing looked quite well-matched. Haeyoung, who had been looking at them with even his breath stopped, pulled his hand out of his pocket and rubbed his face. His insides churned with unqualified impatience.
