He could just do as usual, but since he was conscious of it, his actions kept getting tangled. Nevertheless, his reflexive touch diligently lifted the heavy items onto the checkout counter.
“Should I just buy this?”
“……”
“I’ll pay for just this separately.”
Discovering Jiseo’s touch pointing at something, Yeongwon lifted up the snack he pointed at with a clearly flustered face.
He’d hidden it secretly to pay for it last without Jiseo knowing, but he got caught.
“Hyung, you like this.”
Yeongwon, who lifted his heels to match his height, deliberately put his lips to Jiseo’s ear and whispered.
Then, with a momentarily startled face, he placed the snack that finished checkout first in Jiseo’s arms and opened his mouth again.
“Go out first. I’ll lift the rest and pay.”
“The remaining stuff is heavy. It’s heavy, so hyung will lift it.”
Since he only had to lift a few piled items, help was unnecessary. Rather than harboring doubts at Yeongwon’s words, Jiseo was busy reflecting on his own actions. The brief hesitation was also because of that.
Originally, if a situation arose to go grocery shopping like this, from the moment they arrived at the checkout counter, Jiseo would send Yeongwon outside.
He’d give him a card, telling him to go buy a drink or something, or to buy something he wanted to eat. When busy, they’d order food or ingredients to the house, so there weren’t many opportunities, but that was usually the case.
Yeongwon seemed to want to do the opposite. Suddenly giving him his favorite snack, and the checkout, and carrying items—originally they had opposite roles.
I should let him do everything he asks me to. Still, things like rice… Jiseo, who had been staring intently at the cart, unknowingly reached out his hand.
“I’ll just lift this.”
“Okay. Now let’s go and have coffee, let’s have a cup of coffee each. Can’t hyung buy it?”
“I’ll buy it. Americano?”
“Something cold for me.”
Though even if it was heavy, Yeongwon could carry it sufficiently, his hand naturally went out.
Without time to realize that, Jiseo, pushed by Yeongwon, had no choice but to move away from the checkout counter to buy coffee.
‘I put it in secretly, so I need to pay secretly.’
It would have been good if he hadn’t been caught, but honestly, it didn’t matter if Jiseo found out about the snacks. There was something else he really had to hide.
He didn’t know how much cold sweat he broke sneaking kimchi and pork belly, which weren’t on the list, into the cart.
Should I have just passed it off saying I’m buying it in advance since we might eat it someday?
He thought that now, but if he found out later, he could just say that. Anyway, he was going to use it before that. Since Jiseo would be excluded from dinner duty, he might be able to hide it until the end.
“Coffee, here.”
“Checkout is done. We can go now.”
“It didn’t take as long as I thought.”
“Because we focused on grocery shopping instead of dating.”
“The purpose wasn’t originally a date anyway.”
“That’s naturally included. The time we’re together is originally like that anyway.”
Yeongwon harbored slight dissatisfaction at not spending a satisfyingly pleasant enough time.
Though he didn’t stick out his lips, chattering that naturally made them appear to protrude followed.
‘Because there was a slight delay from the selection.’
Jiseo, muttering to himself without Yeongwon knowing, looked at Yeongwon while returning the cart. He, who likewise held the heavy luggage in his hands out of habit, immediately added.
“For that, you weren’t very proactive earlier though? Didn’t you want to go with someone else?”
When he suggested going grocery shopping together, Jiseo naturally thought Yeongwon would diligently express his feelings.
Since he always acted aggressively, he thought he’d approach more earnestly once the program started, but he showed a completely different appearance from expectations.
“I wanted to go with hyung, but other people might have wanted to go together too.”
“Really? Then you should have done that.”
“Yeah. I’ll do that next time.”
Normally, at words telling him to try it with someone else, he would have clearly shown that he didn’t like it, but now it was strange that he smoothly let it pass.
He called him baby and treated him like a child, and acted like an adult, so he implicitly thought he’d charge in without considering his surroundings. So that’s probably why he felt surprised.
Today really seemed different from usual. He wasn’t even getting angry.
Still, it seemed he wasn’t completely uninterested. It might be because you shouldn’t be too obvious due to the program’s nature. That’s why Jiseo poked at Yeongwon first.
“Are you more interested in new people? Do you want to hold hyung’s hand now? It’ll really feel boring.”
Rather than having another meaning, it was literally the point when he’d awakened to new interests. So he thought that contact with himself might not give much excitement.
This level of skinship was essentially no different from nothing in their daily lives. So he was already doubtful whether this action would become an opportunity to sprout feelings he’d never felt before.
“Try holding my hand. It won’t be fun at all.”
“It’s not unfun.”
“……”
“We’ve known each other for a long time and we’re close, so we can naturally hold hands, but still, it could be exciting.”
Perhaps because they hadn’t gotten in the car yet, Yeongwon deliberately stood on tiptoe to put his lips to Jiseo’s ear.
Since they were wearing microphones, it couldn’t be to make sure no one heard. Rather, he probably spoke confidently. Then why?
“Hyung, don’t be embarrassed holding my hand. I’m really attractive. I’ll let you know step by step.”
“……”
“Hyung has never properly received this kind of thing. Wouldn’t you be embarrassed since I’m a baby?”
“Just from holding hands?”
“Actively holding hands could be embarrassing.”
“Are you going to keep calling me that?”
Since he called him hyung well, he thought he’d forgotten about the changed title. If that wasn’t it, he thought he wouldn’t be able to do it in front of cameras despite making threats.
“Occasionally, like now.”
“Occasionally?”
“Because it’s not just you and me alone. To hyung, I’m a baby, but not to other people. And I have to endure it during the dorm period. Since we’re together.”
“……”
“I’m mature, right?”
He didn’t know if it was really to receive praise, or an automatically attached refrain, but the same atmosphere as before flowed out.
Honestly, it was true that he didn’t get much of a feeling that Yeongwon was focused on him at the dorm.
Was that why? Even now, he didn’t particularly feel that Yeongwon was focused on him. Literally, it might be because he was busy adapting to the new environment.
Rather than Yeongwon, Jiseo himself maintained an unclear attitude. It was because of the unexpected condition that everyone else’s age group was similar to his own.
***
“I think we’re almost done organizing, should we prepare a meal? The time is already……”
After organizing personal luggage and having conversations little by little, time flew swiftly, urging the next schedule.
Discovering the movement of someone entering the kitchen as if to cook directly, Yeongwon quickly followed behind.
“No, Yeongwon, you went grocery shopping with Jiseo. Dinner should be made by the people who rested at home.”
“I’ll help too.”
“Is it because you’re the youngest? Rather, if that’s the case, we should cook and feed you. Noona thinks that’s natural.”
As if she had no intention of making Yeongwon do anything, Seoyeon, one of the oldest among them, blocked Yeongwon’s way.
At the kind tone and affectionate behavior saying it should naturally be so, the desire to step forward from his side rose instead. Of course, that wasn’t why he was stepping forward.
“Noona, I’ll do it. It’s not because I’m the youngest, but because I want to. I’m good at cooking.”
“Did you learn? Where?”
“I didn’t learn, but if I follow recipes, it turns out similar. I just taste and adjust the seasoning, so it wasn’t very difficult.”
“Wow, you must have talent?”
Though he hadn’t done anything yet, praise as if he’d made an amazing dish could be heard. The praise heard before even taking out ingredients made Yeongwon’s actions noticeably faster.
“What’s the dinner menu? Should I help too? What should we start with? Should we start with washing?”
Jiwoo, who joined as if drawn in and followed to his side, was glanced at by Yeongwon, who added in a nonchalant tone.
“I decided on the menu reflecting what hyung said he wanted to eat earlier.”
“Really? That’s right. Did you buy it thinking of me?”
“I’ve never made it before, but there’s a detailed recipe so I can make it deliciously.”
Though there was a separate hidden purpose, this also belonged to the goal of going grocery shopping directly.
If they shared delicious food, they could get close faster. Even now, it felt like he’d already become close with the others, so somehow it seemed the initial goal had become a bit blurred.
