Even so, in his green youth, learning for only three years was woefully insufficient to make it a profession. Either Kim Yu-shin was a genius, or he’d just roughly filled in the appearance. Jun-wan guessed it was closer to the latter.
“You look doubtful. You’re questioning my credentials right now, aren’t you?”
“Whatever it is, what’s important is being immersed in it. Does experience matter?”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’m good at immersion. When I enter the studio, I sometimes don’t come out for days.”
Yu-shin laughed it off. He’d known all along that Park Jun-wan’s trust in him was as thin as a sheet of paper. It was something he’d naturally learn over time anyway. Explaining everything point by point with his own mouth didn’t suit his personality.
The conversation topic went back and forth like ping-pong. Jun-wan’s postdoc life came up, and they also discussed Yu-shin’s studio construction. The couple who met after a long time had postponed conversations late into the night. Though no one actively led the conversation, it flowed surprisingly without interruption.
“Let’s go to bed. It’s late.”
After one in the morning passed, Jun-wan was the first to get up. They naturally headed to the bedroom together.
The dazzlingly splendid mother-of-pearl cabinet still held the same position. Nothing in the bedroom had changed at all. While Jun-wan lay down on the bed first, Yu-shin went to the mother-of-pearl cabinet and took something out.
“Here.”
The box he casually handed over was heavy. The brand name engraved in intaglio was a luxury brand even Jun-wan knew well. The angle of his eye corners immediately sharpened.
“What is this?”
“Why are you glaring again? It’s secondhand, secondhand.”
“Kim Yu-shin.”
“You said the wedding gift watch was burdensome. I picked one that’s not too noticeable, so don’t complain.”
Jun-wan looked at Yu-shin as if dumbfounded. Yu-shin brazenly lifted his chin.
“Doing this without consulting me…”
“What, saying I wasted money again? Is that something the man who put this flashy ring on me should say?”
Yu-shin thrust out his left hand. The wedding ring positioned on his slender ring finger emitted an unusually brilliant light. Though it suited Yu-shin perfectly, it definitely wasn’t a ring a man would wear.
“If anyone says anything, just say it’s fake.”
“……”
“Though if Park Jun-wan wears even a knockoff, it’ll look real.”
Yu-shin grinned cheekily and opened the watch case instead. Saying he needed to get used to it, without even asking for consent, he fastened the watch on Jun-wan’s wrist.
“Not bad. You can wear this every day, right?”
Jun-wan didn’t even glance at the watch. He was only looking at Yu-shin’s gently curved eye corners, his slightly raised cheeks, his lips ripened to a soft reddish hue, and such things.
Yu-shin’s face was clearer than the watch face. That friendly smile wasn’t permitted to just anyone. After staring at Yu-shin’s face for a while, Jun-wan slowly lowered his gaze. Only then did the watch come into view.
“Fine, since it’s a wedding gift.”
He removed the watch and placed it on the watch case. When he obediently accepted the gift, Yu-shin collapsed onto the pillow as if he’d fulfilled his duty.
“Ah, I feel so relieved.”
“……”
“I think I’ll really sleep well tonight.”
It was truly a carefree comment. After putting an expensive watch on someone else, Yu-shin was all by himself making a refreshed face. Rubbing his cheek against the pillow, looking so pleased, Jun-wan could only sigh in exasperation.
Still, he couldn’t say something cutting to Yu-shin who was so happy. He swallowed his words and lay down on the bed as well.
“Sleep well, Jun-wan.”
“Okay.”
With those words, silence arrived. Jun-wan enjoyed the stillness with his eyes closed.
He was used to living alone. It was a formal marriage, and he’d never once considered this place a sanctuary, yet it was strange. It was absurd that just because Kim Yu-shin was lying next to him, he felt a sense of security.
The bed he lay in after so long melted Jun-wan without fail.
There was a warm human scent. Even using the same shampoo and soap, it seemed to mix with each person’s unique body odor and change into a different fragrance.
He opened his eyes briefly to steal a glance at the spot next to him. Yu-shin had pulled the blanket up to the tip of his nose and had his eyes closed. Whether he was really sleeping or pretending to sleep, his closed eyelids didn’t move at all and his breathing was steady. His gentle breathing made even the listener become drowsy with sleep.
Will he steal the blanket again at dawn? His terrible sleeping habits will probably remain the same.
“……”
Jun-wan turned his head straight and slowly closed his eyes. The fact that he fell asleep so easily was undoubtedly due to accumulated fatigue.
The wide bed was filled fairly for once. It was a peaceful night.
The peace didn’t last even a full day.
Early in the morning, while preparing to go to work, Jun-wan ended up noticing the changed dressing room.
There were piles of clothes he’d never seen before. Every single one showed signs of reflecting Jun-wan’s taste. The measurements were exactly his too.
Setting aside the fact that clothes were bought without permission, the problem was that those clothes were all expensive luxury brands.
Though only modest designs were selected, the suits were so refined they’d be difficult to wear casually, and the casual wear tags had absurd prices attached. Upon confirming this, Jun-wan ruffled his carefully groomed hair and furrowed his brow.
Kim Yu-shin simply wouldn’t listen. The range Jun-wan could allow extended only to the watch. No matter if they kept separate finances, Yu-shin’s thoughtless spending needed to be corrected.
He hastily left the dressing room. Jun-wan burst into the bedroom and shook awake Yu-shin, who was rolled up in a pile of blankets.
“Kim Yu-shin.”
Waking up Yu-shin, who was a heavy sleeper, wasn’t easy. With his commute time imminent, Jun-wan had no choice but to be somewhat forceful.
He forcibly sat up the person lying down. Yu-shin dozed off while sitting up.
“Kim Yu-shin.”
The form of address grew shorter. Jun-wan’s voice also became as cold as if frost had settled. Even in this moment, Yu-shin was carefree. He’d barely woken up but his eyes remained closed.
“…Mm, what.”
“Return the clothes immediately.”
“……”
Yu-shin didn’t even respond. Whatever Jun-wan said went in one ear and out the other. His crooked face still looked like he was dozing.
His white cheeks were clearly swollen and puffy. His soft hair was also sticking up in all directions. Yu-shin fundamentally couldn’t wake up all at once. The process of waking up and coming to his senses was several times slower than others.
Only Jun-wan was suffocating with frustration. He placed his hands on his hips and let out a long sigh toward the ceiling. Thick veins protruded over the back of his hand as he swept back his disheveled bangs.
“Return them. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Haah… Why are you waking someone up in the morning over that?”
Yu-shin was annoyed in his own way. His head throbbed from Jun-wan’s nagging. The unpleasant sensation clung like a leech, sucking his blood. Yu-shin held his forehead with both hands and lowered his head.
“At least show basic courtesy when having a conversation.”
“…Do we have to talk about this right now?”
“They’re all unnecessary things for me. I can’t even get a thank you for giving them, don’t you think it’s a waste of money? Does Kim Yu-shin have no concept of economics at all?”
Yu-shin laughed while covering his face. Come to think of it, he hasn’t said thank you even once. Just as Jun-wan said, it was nothing but a waste of money.
His fingertips pressing his forehead grew cold. Yu-shin let out a small sigh. His head was spinning from suddenly getting up and he couldn’t lift his face at all. His complexion would be pale anyway, so it was better to just hide it.
“If you don’t want to wear them, then don’t. Throw them away.”
“We’re not communicating.”
Jun-wan took a step back. If they continued this conversation any further, they’d end up fighting.
No, haven’t we already fought? Yu-shin stubbornly wouldn’t show his face. His conversational attitude was completely rotten from the start.
Jun-wan bit his lip and glared fiercely at Yu-shin’s crown. No matter how pampered he was raised, his self-centered behavior was thoroughly disagreeable.
There was no point in talking endlessly to someone who couldn’t grasp the essence of the problem—it would only make his mouth hurt. Jun-wan rolled up his sleeves. His eyes looking at his watch twisted viciously.
“I don’t want to argue with Kim Yu-shin anymore either. Do as you please. I’m staying out of it.”
He left a curt notification and turned around. Even then, Yu-shin remained on the bed. It looked like he might lie back down at any moment. It was the lazy, indolent attitude Jun-wan had always seen.
