“Ah, fuck!”
“Ahahaha! Look at Tto-yul’s sorry state.”
“Whose fault do you think it is!”
Soaked from head to toe in seawater, Lim Haeyul stumbled awkwardly, trying to evade his friends like a head of cabbage just before being salted for kimchi-making.
Since it was raining cats and dogs, he naturally assumed the guys would be holed up at the lodging, drinking. But when he finally arrived at the beach after driving for a couple of hours, he found those maniacs frolicking around as if the downpour didn’t bother them one bit.
He had absolutely zero desire to join them. However, the moment they spotted him, they swarmed like a pack of hyenas, leaving him with no way out.
In a rush, he tossed aside the few belongings he had hastily packed, only to get dunked straight into the water. From there, it was all-out chaos.
“Fuck, this is so damn annoying.”
“Drink up! The sky’s pouring bottled water for you.”
Jo Ha-eon, a friend he’d been close to since high school, laughed, tilting his head back and opening his mouth toward the sky. Disgusted by the filthy display, Haeyul grimaced and put some distance between them.
“Did you assholes get drunk already? What’s wrong with you?”
“Like this is the first time he’s acted like that.”
“God, argh!”
“Ahahahaha!”
“Kehuk, keuk, kek! Cough! Aagh! Park Yeon-ho!”
“Serves you right for letting your guard down!”
“I said stop it! Stop splashing water, damn it!”
It was complete mayhem.
Knocked over once again by Park Yeon-ho, another friend from his high school days, Haeyul shook the water pouring down his face and glared daggers at him. In retaliation, he scooped up a huge wave and hurled it back, only to have an even worse deluge crash down on him.
He had swallowed so much seawater—practically mud mixed with rain—that his throat felt raw. Desperate to escape their clutches, he sprinted up the beach.
Admitting it bruised his pride a little, but he couldn’t deny it—being a maniac alongside them wasn’t half bad. It had been so long since he’d messed around like this, he could barely remember the last time. Probably when he was a little kid, visiting the beach with his parents.
Without even realizing it, he couldn’t stop smiling. Even as his nose stung from the seawater and his ears rang from all the noise, he was still laughing like an idiot. No doubt, in other people’s eyes, he looked just like the maniacs surrounding him.
But he didn’t care. It’s not like he’d ever see these strangers again anyway. Let them stare until his cheeks burned—it didn’t matter.
“Where do you think you’re running off to? You gotta drink your fill of seawater before you go!”
“Fuck off, you bastard! I’ve had more than enough already—gah!”
Despite running for his life, the relentless maniacs caught up to him, dragging him back into the water once again. By the time the so-called “water play” ended, he had indeed drunk enough seawater to feel full—just as Park Yeon-ho had predicted.
“Fuck… you damn bastards…”
“Our poor Tto-yul. How’s he gonna survive when he’s as thin as a sheet of paper?”
“Who’s a sheet of paper, you asshole!”
Haeyul snapped back at Jo Ha-eon’s teasing, but he couldn’t deny it. Surrounded by men well over 180 centimeters tall, he did look like a flimsy piece of paper fluttering around.
He couldn’t even catch his breath before getting dunked again and again, too many times to count.
Even though he was an adult man, they hoisted him up like he weighed nothing, bruising his pride even further. They had all eaten the same crappy school lunches growing up—so why the hell had only they gotten so damn big?
Not that he was short himself. Even after rounding up his height a little, standing at 176 centimeters wasn’t particularly tall, but it wasn’t small either. Still, compared to those giants, he felt like a stunted kid—at least in height, if not in maturity.
“Haa…”
Back then, he hadn’t cared whether they were tall or not. It hadn’t even crossed his mind.
But lately… maybe because he’d been spending so much time with Cha Jae-woo, he had started to notice it. Especially standing next to Cha Jae-woo, he couldn’t help but feel even smaller.
Cha Jae-woo was far bigger than any of his friends, to the point where comparisons felt pointless. His broad build only made him look even taller. Haeyul vividly remembered the moment he realized he had to tilt his head way back just to look up at Cha Jae-woo—and how utterly flustered he’d been.
He had to be at least 190 centimeters. Maybe even taller. He’d been curious before too, but he could never bring himself to ask. He and Cha Jae-woo weren’t close enough for such personal questions.
“…….”
Still, would it be okay? Haeyul shoved his shriveled, wrinkled hand into his bag to check on his phone.
Despite having left the bag under a parasol, it had gotten so damp that he was genuinely worried the phone might be ruined. Fortunately, it was still perfectly dry and unharmed.
With his hand still buried in the bag, he fiddled with the device absentmindedly. Only then did the realization hit him like a wave—he had done something reckless. While he was busy having the time of his life, Cha Jae-woo’s face, which he hadn’t thought about even once during the chaos, suddenly surfaced in his mind.
‘Will he be mad?’
Probably.
He had snuck out, ignoring clear instructions not to. But honestly, Haeyul thought Cha Jae-woo wasn’t entirely blameless either. He wasn’t some kid incapable of understanding; he could explain the situation rationally if needed.
Whatever. Tomorrow’s beating could be tomorrow’s problem. Today, he just wanted to enjoy himself to the fullest.
“Whoa, who’s that?”
“What?”
“That guy standing near the café. The one with the black umbrella. His proportions are insane. He’s tall as hell.”
“Oh, I see him. Holy shit, he makes someone whose only asset is a big head look pathetic by comparison.”
“Wait, are you taking a shot at me?”
“Jo Haeonie. Hit a nerve? I didn’t name names.”
“You little shit, did you not drink enough seawater earlier?”
The face of Cha Jae-woo, which had been floating stubbornly in Haeyul’s mind, was finally pushed aside by his friends’ endless bickering, even after they’d dragged themselves out of the water.
“What’s going on?”
Haeyul frowned and asked.
By now, Jo Ha-eon and Park Yeon-ho were absurdly grappling each other by the hair, their massive frames making the scene even more ridiculous. Kim Geon-ung, the only one who still seemed halfway sane, shook his head and answered.
“There was this guy with insane proportions over there… huh? He’s gone now. Anyway, they started bickering after seeing him.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“They’re just throwing a tantrum because they’re jealous.”
Kim Geon-ung shrugged and laughed. Haeyul still didn’t quite get it, but one thing was clear—Park Yeon-ho and Jo Ha-eon were fighting over something stupid again. Leaving the two idiots rolling around on the beach, Haeyul and Kim Geon-ung headed off.
Still, their steps toward the lodging they’d booked felt oddly heavy. The faint, almost imperceptible tension in the air—surely it was just his imagination, born from a vague sense of unease.
***
“Our Tto-yul, showing off those barbecue skills from his part-time job.”
“Hey! Stop inhaling everything the second it’s cooked! Let me eat too!”
“Uh-oh, the meat’s burning.”
“Then turn it over, damn it!”
The sheer chaos was exhausting. Grilling meat, replying to the idiots’ nonsense, trying to feed himself—it was nonstop.
When he first set the meat on the grill provided by the pension, he had been brimming with excitement. A few drinks down, a grill full of meat sizzling away, and soon he’d be so full he’d pass out. That was the plan.
Unfortunately, Haeyul had overlooked a critical fact: the three idiots with him were useless. No matter how good they looked physically, their life skills were practically nonexistent.
Seriously, how the hell does someone manage to set an entire grill on fire? Even now, thinking about it made him shudder. Determined to salvage the night, Haeyul grilled the meat merticulously. He was the only one here remotely capable of cooking it properly.
“Kkuh… Drinking in front of the ocean just makes the booze taste even better.”
“When did it ever taste bad?”
“Never. It’s always sweet.”
Their giggles earned a deep sigh from Haeyul. At first, they’d at least pretended to help, but now they were too busy stuffing their faces.
“One guy’s grilling, the others are just eating, huh?”
Irritated, he tossed out a sarcastic remark, and only then did the others scramble to act all contrite.
“Tto-yul, say ‘Ahh!'”
Moving quicker than anyone else, Kim Geon-ung grabbed a piece of meat with his chopsticks and offered it toward Haeyul’s mouth. Haeyul glared at him but grudgingly accepted the meat.
Whoever had grilled it had done a damn good job. The meat melted tenderly in his mouth. Jo Ha-eon wasn’t wrong—his part-time job at a barbecue restaurant had finally come in handy.
“Want a drink too? Beer? Soju?”
“Soju.”
“Okie! Hold on a sec.”
Kim Geon-ung hurried over from the table, pouring soju into an empty glass before rushing it over to him. When he held the glass up to Haeyul’s lips, he thought about refusing—but then he remembered his hands were full and ended up gulping it down obediently.
The bitter liquid burned down his throat, and before he could react, Kim Geon-ung shoved a piece of grilled meat into his mouth. It was a perfect combination.
“Kyaah… That’s good.”
“Good, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Aigo, you simple bastard.”
“Are you insulting me to my face? I’m putting the tongs down, you know? I’m quitting right here!”
“Nahh, that’s why I like youuu. Our Tto-yul is just adorableee.”
Kim Geon-ung had a real knack for smooth-talking when he wanted to. Haeyul narrowed his eyes but didn’t bother picking a fight. He was feeling too good to ruin it.
Night deepened, and the once-pouring rain began to taper off. If he could just eat until he was stuffed, get a little drunk, and pass out, it would be the perfect day.
“…….”
If only that nagging worry about Cha Jae-woo would vanish completely.
…He’ll be fine, right?
The anxiety he’d been pushing down kept creeping back up. Surely nothing major happened, right? What if a gate had opened? What if the energy waves were unstable? And what if he wasn’t answering his phone during all that?
Bad thoughts floated to the surface like scum. Even though he’d checked dozens of times with Kim Geon-ung’s phone since arriving at the pension—and confirmed that no gates had opened today—the unease wouldn’t go away.
Maybe I should call him, he thought, staring at the phone he’d turned off the moment they arrived. If he called and apologized now… maybe Cha Jae-woo would go a little easier on him.
“Hey, you idiot, are you drunk after one shot? You burnt the meat!”
“Huh? …Oh, ah, damn. It really did burn.”
“You’ve been zoning out all day today, you know?”
Kim Geon-ung frowned at him. Haeyul had been worried about Cha Jae-woo popping into his mind off and on all evening, but he hadn’t realized it was obvious to others.
Geon-ung leaned in close.
“What’s up? Still thinking about Cha Jae-woo?”
He whispered right into his ear. Haeyul recoiled instantly, rubbing his ear in disgust. Sure, they had to keep their voices down since Park Yeon-ho and Jo Ha-eon didn’t know anything yet, but did he really have to get that close?
“You’re so dramatic,” Haeyul muttered.
Kim Geon-ung just snickered, clearly doing it on purpose. Haeyul glared at him before quickly looking away.
“You already ran away and came here, right? Big decision. So why bother worrying now? Just enjoy yourself.”
But those words made Haeyul turn back and really look at him. Even though he hadn’t said a word, Geon-ung had already figured it all out. That Haeyul had come here without Cha Jae-woo’s permission.
“Didn’t even have to say it. You’ve been making everyone uneasy, fidgeting all day.”
“…Did I really look that restless?”
“Yeah. How many times do you think you snatched my phone?”
“I didn’t think it was that many…”
“Fifteen times, genius.”
“…Oh.”
“Not to mention, you left the search history open, dumbass. You were checking if a gate had opened, if Cha Jae-woo had gone out—you made it so obvious that even pretending not to notice was hard.”
Kim Geon-ung had always been sharp since they were kids. This time was no different. He already knew everything, even without Haeyul saying a thing.
Quick-witted and handsome, Geon-ung had always been popular with girls too. So much so that it was easier to count the rare times he didn’t have a girlfriend.
“Just pick one. Either call him now or keep pushing forward.”
“Easy for you to say.”
“What’s so hard about it? You already ran away like a thief…”
“You’ve seen Cha Jae-woo in person, right? If you had, you wouldn’t be saying that so lightly.”
“Hey…”
“You can’t even argue, right? It’s like… if he says ‘do it,’ you just have to do it.”
“Tto-yul. Hold up a second.”
“You think I don’t want to stand up for myself? You think I’m not pissed off and frustrated already?”
“Just—shut up for one second—”
“Now that I think about it, it’s seriously pissing me off. Think about it! How can I not be pissed? If he’d at least given a reason—but no! Just a flat-out ‘No.’ What am I, his fucking slave or something… mmph!”
“You mind shutting up for a second, buddy?”
The moment Haeyul finally had a chance to let out all the pent-up frustration he’d been bottling inside, it came rushing out like a damn flood—only to be smothered by Kim Geon-ung’s hand clamping over his mouth.
‘Why the hell is he covering my mouth now?!’
Haeyul squirmed and glared at him in protest. Geon-ung quickly let go, then motioned for him to turn around.
Whether he wanted to or not, Haeyul was about to start swearing up a storm. But then, a sudden presence froze the words in his throat. Goosebumps prickled across his skin. Now that he noticed it, even Park Yeon-ho and Jo Ha-eon, who had been making a racket moments ago, had gone utterly silent.
Trying to ignore the creeping dread clawing at him, Haeyul slowly turned around. And once again, his terrible gut feeling proved dead-on.
Why—why the hell was that person standing there, arms crossed, staring straight at him? Why, out of all people, was Cha Jae-woo here?!
“Uh, uh…”
The unexpected appearance of Cha Jae-woo completely robbed him of speech. And it wasn’t just him—the entire space was locked in a heavy, suffocating silence.
At least Kim Geon-ung knew the situation. Jo Ha-eon and Park Yeon-ho, on the other hand, had no idea. No wonder they were just standing there, mouths agape.
“H-Hello…?”
“Hello?”
Haeyul managed to stammer out a dumb greeting, only to receive a crooked reply in return. He could feel Jo Ha-eon and Park Yeon-ho’s eyes boring into him, but he didn’t dare turn his head.
“Had your fun?”
Cha Jae-woo asked, voice low, a slight frown furrowing his brow.
The fighting spirit that had been burning bright when Haeyul shut off his phone—vanished in an instant. All he could think was, I’m screwed. No rights, no excuses, nothing—just pure defeat.
So he nodded without hesitation.
“Yes. I’m done playing.”
“Then go home.”
“Yessir.”
Having spent the whole night badmouthing him, Haeyul now turned into the most obedient little servant the moment Cha Jae-woo appeared. He grabbed his bag and immediately followed behind.
Not one of his friends tried to stop him. Which, honestly, he couldn’t blame them for. If it had been him, he wouldn’t have either.
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