Instead of answering, Jiseo gently ruffled Yeongwon’s hair and made a rather flustered expression as he fiddled with his nose. What should he say… It was a bit much to call it a proposal, but he never thought he’d receive something like this.
He tried to get past this situation naturally with a joke, but he couldn’t.
Jiseo realized that the eyes staring at him kept craving an exact answer. What should he do at a time like this?
“Hyung……”
The body that started swaying back and forth seemed to be pestering him to do something.
Ah, isn’t this a sign he’s about to throw a tantrum? It seemed familiar, like he’d seen it once before, so Jiseo inadvertently nodded his head and answered.
“Okay, okay. When you grow up, let’s get married. But instead, you have to study hard and eat lots of food to grow tall.”
“……”
“Go to bed early and wake up early… When you’re all grown up later……”
‘I’m already all grown up!’
Behind Jiseo’s gradually fading voice, Yeongwon shouted loudly as if bursting out a lump he’d been holding in for a long time. Feet filled with excitement unknowingly pounded the mattress wildly as if rolling all over it.
Soon Yeongwon’s eyes snapped open. What greeted him wasn’t fifteen-year-old Jiseo but a dark bedroom.
Ah, no way… Even though he knew it couldn’t be, his quick hands fumbled to grab his phone.
December 31st.
Finally… finally confirming that the last day of the year had arrived, that the new year he’d longed for so much would begin tomorrow, Yeongwon swung his feet off the bed.
Since he had no schedule, he could sleep all day, but Yeongwon couldn’t easily close his eyes again.
He had no choice. The day he’d been looking forward to so much had less than a single day left—how could he fall asleep? What a historic day! He couldn’t sleep comfortably. Hands stained with tension and anticipation trembled while holding excitement.
He just needed one full day to pass. Now with hyung, what he’d been waiting for so long……
***
“The number in front changed, so you know it’s time to keep your promise, right?”
“……”
“The graduation ceremony was already in December. Hyung sent me a gift, so you know about that, right? It’s not a lie. Between us, a diploma is basically like getting certified, you know that too, right?”
“……”
“I let you sleep all this time because hyung said you were tired.”
The bold claims stated clearly and distinctly suddenly rushed at Jiseo from the early morning breeze.
Despite the loud voice, the owner of the half-asleep, dazed face glanced at the person sitting on the bed and fell back asleep.
“I know… Let me sleep two more hours…”
“Did you drink a lot yesterday? Should I go buy hangover soup?”
“Hyung will do it later… If it cools down, we’ll have to reheat it anyway, so save it for later. If your stomach hurts a lot, take the ion drink from the fridge and wait a little.”
Seeing the excited face, Yeongwon had apparently exercised maximum patience. But unfortunately, the sleep-drunk Jiseo wasn’t greatly moved.
He only inwardly recalled that his premonition from last night hadn’t been wrong. He knew that from Yeongwon’s perspective, this was more urgent than anything. But that absolutely didn’t mean he had to force himself to stay awake fighting off sleep to guard his conversation with Yeongwon.
Judging from the rustling movements, Jiseo believed without doubt that Yeongwon had listened to him.
Sleep first… and put the kid to sleep too…
Though he hadn’t insisted fiercely, the presence that had easily given up flopped down behind him.
Soon, Jiseo fumbled to reach out and pulled out the pillow he’d been using to hand to Yeongwon. At the hand that accepted it without hesitation, a faint smile spread even in his sleep.
He must have been tired from staying up late for the first time. It made sense. Since he’d been chattering non-stop for a while, saying he was an adult now too.
For Yeongwon who had just turned twenty, it might have been in many ways the most exciting wild night.
***
Yeongwon After the after-party ends, don’t go home and stick around for a bit.
After the year-end awards ceremony ended, the after-party that started late at night heated up without a chance to cool down. Though it felt like they’d barely enjoyed themselves, it was already well past 3 AM.
The reasons for the endless fun were varied. That they’d wrapped up the year well, that the new year had dawned happily. And because it was a special awards ceremony where those with long careers who had never won awards all shared the prizes evenly.
Among them, Jiseo, who had seized the glory of the grand prize, especially couldn’t refuse the pouring drinks and had to accept them all.
Though he accepted them, he didn’t drink everything. He appropriately passed them along and naturally melted into the pleasantly ripened drinking atmosphere without incident.
Thanks to that, he could face the message that arrived in the late early morning with an almost completely sober mind.
It’ll probably be at least 2 more hours? What? Are you nearby?
Did you come out today? Drinking outside?
With who? Friends?
That it had passed midnight and the new year had dawned meant that Yeongwon, who had sent him the message, could now sufficiently be out and about at this hour.
He would obviously know that there was an after-party after the awards ceremony, but he wouldn’t know where it was being held.
It seemed that news of where they had come to eat and have their company dinner was already being delivered in real-time through the internet.
Since it was an age when one’s eyes were bright to the internet, the methods Yeongwon could use to know the location were infinite.
Yeongwon I’m outside. I have something to say, so don’t go home later and stick around. Got it?
Let’s hear what you have to say at home. After you’re done playing, you come to hyung’s place.
Yeongwon If we talk at home, you’ll sleep first and then listen to what I have to say, or will you listen without sleeping?
I’ll listen after sleeping. I don’t know when I’ll be able to go in, but hyung is too tired right now. Got it?
At the continued messages to stay at the after-party venue without knowing why, Jiseo gently expressed his refusal.
After eating delicious food and going on at length about funny episodes that happened during filming, time had flowed by helplessly. It had been fun enough that the laughter never stopped.
But fun and stamina were unrelated. When doing all-night filming or pushing through a packed schedule, it was possible to endure with tenacious mental strength. However, he didn’t want to allocate stamina to that extent for playing.
Sleep and rest were slightly more important than playing. Besides, if it wasn’t an occasion like this, he’d almost never drunk and played until dawn.
Yeongwon If you’re sleepy, I understand. When it’s over, go sleep. I’ll come later than hyung.
Seeing that he’d come in late, Yeongwon seemed to be planning to play properly like a completely unleashed wild horse.
Well, how short must a day feel? It was the first day of feeling new fun after being suppressed for so long.
Though he himself, who had debuted when he should have been enjoying himself to the fullest, had no memories of properly playing, Yeongwon seemed to be enjoying himself better than expected.
It was a good thing. He’d been bothered because he couldn’t properly look after him due to scheduled commitments. It was fortunate he was playing well on his own.
Yeongwon had been the one to contact first, but so he could play comfortably, Jiseo only read the last arriving message with his eyes.
Though he was tired, when even those much older than him were enjoying themselves tirelessly, the youngest couldn’t be the first to collapse.
Since he’d received the most affection during filming, he had to repay it all.
Fortunately, someone’s bravado about drinking until morning was met with opposition from several people, and the company dinner ended not too late.
After checking the time for a moment, Jiseo belatedly sent the reply he’d only read with his eyes.
So what time are you coming in?
Take out the pillow and blanket and put them on the bed, don’t roll them up. Tell me if you need anything.
Since he could return home at the expected time, he sent messages to Yeongwon in succession.
Hyung’s leaving now. I’m going to fall asleep right away and wake up late. I’ll take out what you need, so use it. Got it?
I set an alarm, so don’t worry about hyung and just wash up and sleep. You should sleep in late too. You must be tired.
Jiseo prepared Yeongwon’s sleeping space even before washing up. If he didn’t take things out in advance, Yeongwon originally wouldn’t prepare anything. He’d probably just sleep curled up on the sofa.
