#76
“Hyung, can we… talk about that later?”
“…”
“I have a prior engagement… and class soon.”
Ha-min’s uncomfortable gaze darted back and forth. Tae-rim’s intense gaze moved to Ha-min’s face as he approached. He glanced at Hee-gyeom, who was still standing with a displeased expression, then quietly looked at Ha-min’s face right in front of him.
“Ha-min.”
“Yes?”
Ha-min innocently opened his eyes wide at the low call. As his gentle eyes and puppy-like gaze widened, Tae-rim, who had been just looking, suddenly gritted his teeth. Remembering how they were close together, touching faces just moments ago, Tae-rim’s hand gripping the steering wheel tightened. Tae-rim continued speaking quietly, unaware of his own reaction.
“It won’t take long, get in.”
A subtly suppressed voice was heard. Ha-min, instinctively sensing that Tae-rim’s mood was unusual, visibly wavered.
Noticing his faint smile but somewhat subdued appearance, Ha-min turned back to Hee-gyeom, who was standing blankly.
“I’m sorry, Hee-gyeom. I think I need to talk for a bit. I’ll buy you coffee next time. I’ll buy it twice.”
Ha-min emphasized, showing two fingers with an apologetic face. Seeing his desperate effort, Hee-gyeom clicked his tongue with a disappointed face. He clearly didn’t like it, but seeing Ha-min so apologetic, he had no choice but to agree. Hee-gyeom nodded a couple of times.
“Alright. Go ahead, hyung.”
“Thank you.”
“But make sure to keep our dinner promise today.”
“Yes, definitely.”
As Ha-min nodded vigorously, Hee-gyeom smirked and grabbed Ha-min’s wrist.
“Hyung, just a moment.”
As Ha-min looked at him with puzzled eyes at the sudden grip, Hee-gyeom adjusted the sleeve that had risen up Ha-min’s wrist, pulling it down to where the watch strap was and neatly buttoning it.
“Just in case.”
Ha-min smiled faintly and thanked him for the thoughtful gesture. Seeing him being more cautious than himself made Ha-min feel like he had gained a reliable ally. That’s when it happened. As the tall figure of nearly 190cm approached from the side, a shadow fell. A gaze without a trace of smile touched them. Ha-min was startled by the ominous aura that made his body hair stand on end, and with a sharp sound, Tae-rim grabbed Ha-min’s left wrist. As he tightly gripped the hand with the watch, a small groan escaped. Hee-gyeom also frowned, startled by the intimidating behavior.
“Hyung…?”
As Tae-rim dragged him by the wrist, Ha-min followed helplessly. The pain in his gripped wrist made him involuntarily groan, prompting Hee-gyeom to intervene, grabbing Ha-min’s arm that Tae-rim was holding.
“What are you doing? Hyung is in pain…”
“Hey.”
As Hee-gyeom stepped in, concerned because it was that particular wrist being pulled, a subdued voice interrupted. At the same time, a cold gaze fell on Ha-min’s skin where Hee-gyeom was holding. As a heavy silence lingered for a moment, Tae-rim’s jaw, bruised blue, clenched tightly. Suppressing emotions about to burst, he spoke in an ominous voice.
“Stop touching him.”
At the quiet warning, both Ha-min and Hee-gyeom froze. As Hee-gyeom hesitated, taken aback by not only the voice but also the strange light in Tae-rim’s eyes, Tae-rim spoke with rare irritation.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“…”
“I said let go.”
Hostility, what he showed Hee-gyeom was hostility.
Tae-rim, who usually didn’t show animosity or anger even if he could be insensitive, stared at Hee-gyeom with irritated eyes. Ha-min blinked slowly, looking at him. The question “Why?” had settled in his mind, leaving him confused.
But it seemed Hee-gyeom felt the same way, as he opened his mouth in bewilderment.
“You let go first.”
Hee-gyeom had disliked Tae-rim’s strange wariness towards him since Jeju Island. Although Tae-rim greeted people with a smile, Hee-gyeom always felt out of place due to the lack of genuine warmth or sincerity. And sure enough, seeing him trying to control such a gentle and kind person, on top of his reckless driving, confirmed that his suspicions weren’t wrong. Moreover, the wrist he was gripping so tightly was Ha-min’s left one, which he always desperately tried to hide.
Hee-gyeom, with an indignant face, refused to let go. Tae-rim’s eye area twitched. Caught between their sharp, wary atmosphere, Ha-min let out a groan with a troubled face. With two well-built men unconsciously gripping his arm, it was becoming painful beyond just tingling.
“Could you both… let go?”
The white skin turned red under the tightening grip. Hee-gyeom quickly let go with a surprised expression.
“Ah, I’m sorry, hyung.”
Hee-gyeom, who had been caught up in the meaningless power struggle, let go with a startled face, but Tae-rim’s hand remained. Tae-rim stared expressionlessly at the mark left by Hee-gyeom’s hand. The soft, fair skin turned red wherever it was gripped. Feeling as if it was a mark left by someone else, Tae-rim’s brow furrowed deeply.
“You’re hurting him, you should let go too.”
Seeing no sign of Tae-rim letting go, Hee-gyeom glared at him with a face that said it was rude. Tae-rim ignored the defiant gaze and looked at Ha-min. He met Ha-min’s tearful gaze looking at him with a troubled face. He was frowning with his kind face, as if it really hurt.
Tae-rim didn’t let go but loosened his grip. Then he gently rubbed the skin that must have hurt. It was a gentle touch, as if asking, “Did it hurt?” At the same time, it felt like an intimate, sticky touch that could be perceived as sexual. As a result, Ha-min’s face began to turn red.
“Let’s go to the car.”
Completely ignoring Hee-gyeom’s words, he spoke gently to Ha-min. Ha-min hesitated, looking back and forth between Tae-rim and Hee-gyeom. He had a dumbfounded expression, as it was the first time he had seen the gentle Hee-gyeom show wariness, and Tae-rim, who usually knew how to get along with people moderately, openly display hostility.
“Excuse me, when someone is speaking…”
“That’s enough.”
“What?”
“I said, stop butting in.”
As Hee-gyeom tried to intervene when Tae-rim attempted to take Ha-min away while ignoring him, a cold voice cut in. Hee-gyeom let out a scoff.
“I had the appointment with him first, so technically, you’re the one butting in.”
“In any case, Ha-min wants to go with me, right?”
“From my perspective, it looks like you’re being coercive.”
As Hee-gyeom retorted without batting an eye, Tae-rim smirked and muttered.
“Shit, what’s he saying…”
Ha-min blinked his widened eyes in surprise at the muttering that sounded like a sigh. Discomfort was evident in Tae-rim’s usually calm eyes. At least Ha-min could feel it. Ha-min, who had been just observing the atmosphere, instead grabbed Tae-rim’s wrist. It was an urgent gesture as if trying to restrain Tae-rim. At the aggressive tone, Ha-min held Tae-rim tightly and spoke in an awkward voice.
“Hee-gyeom.”
Hee-gyeom’s brow furrowed at the call that seemed to say ‘that’s enough now.’
“Hyung.”
“I’m fine, so go to class. I have something to talk about with hyung too…”
Ha-min intervened to mediate the tense atmosphere, blocking between the two. At his desperate appearance that seemed to ask Hee-gyeom to leave, Hee-gyeom’s frowning face slowly relaxed. It was embarrassing to argue further seeing Ha-min trying so hard with an awkward smile. Hee-gyeom looked at Ha-min with a more subdued expression, then turned his gaze to Tae-rim standing behind Ha-min.
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Doesn’t he realize he’s being more rude and unreasonable? He was the one who had made plans with hyung first, and he was the one conceding, so who was telling whom not to butt in? And what was he so dissatisfied about to look at people like they were bugs? Moreover, his attitude of treating hyung like his possession was also strange.
Hee-gyeom put aside all his doubts and exhaled deeply, erasing his aggressive expression. Then he quickly returned to his usual gentle face and said to Ha-min.
“…Alright. Then I’ll contact you in the evening.”
“Ah, okay.”
Ha-min nodded vigorously like an obedient pet. Even though he was two years older, sometimes he felt like a younger brother, making Hee-gyeom chuckle.
“Have a good class, I’ll go ahead.”
As Ha-min hurriedly waved his hand and said goodbye, Tae-rim, as if he had been waiting, grabbed Ha-min’s hand and pulled him. This time, he interlocked their fingers instead of gripping the wrist. Hee-gyeom watched their retreating figures with a very suspicious look. Meanwhile, Ha-min gestured for Hee-gyeom to go, urging him to leave. Hee-gyeom felt very uneasy, as if he had entrusted a small animal to a hunter.
Tae-rim opened the passenger door himself and helped Ha-min in. He bent deeply at the waist to fasten Ha-min’s seatbelt, closed the door, then walked around the car hood to the driver’s seat. As he opened the driver’s door and placed his hand on the roof, he turned his gaze to Hee-gyeom as if he had just remembered something.
“Ah, Ha-min can’t make it to the dinner appointment.”
Hee-gyeom’s face frowned again at the sudden statement.
“What did you say?”
“Just so you know.”
“…”
“Don’t waste your time.”
He said with a kind smile, uttering twisted words. Having said what he wanted, he got into the driver’s seat. The imported car, now started, drove off without a moment’s hesitation. Left alone, Hee-gyeom watched the departing foreign car with a dumbfounded expression.
