#28
Trudging along toward the dorm, Bonoh encountered Taeseong, who was unusually sparkling today. Even after rubbing his face once and looking again, it was definitely Taeseong. His eye for detail wasn’t that good, so he couldn’t tell what had changed, but there was something different about Taeseong standing in front of the dorm entrance.
Seeing Bonoh, Taeseong swept up his slightly fallen bangs as if he had been waiting for him. He thought only pure and lovely beauties could use such honey traps… Even to Bonoh’s tired eyes, Taeseong had an extremely attractive face. Instinctively, Bonoh raised his guard.
“What?”
“Since you finished your exam, let’s eat something good today.”
“I’m the one who finished the exam, but why do you look happier…”
He wanted to sleep, but with Taeseong acting like this, he didn’t have the courage to ask if they could just go up to the dorm and sleep or eat something simple. Bonoh slowly nodded his head a couple of times.
“Is there something you want to eat?”
“Get in.”
At least I don’t have to worry about choosing a menu. Though I wonder if I’ll fall asleep while eating… But exactly how far is he planning to go that he’s telling me to get in the car? Having idle thoughts, Bonoh rubbed his eyes.
He had been curious about what kind of person would park such a car at a shabby dorm. To think the owner was none other than his own roommate. Taeseong, perhaps unimpressed from riding it too much, got into the driver’s seat with his usual blunt expression. Bonoh, who quickly got into the passenger seat, forgot about being tired and started making a fuss.
“What, this was your car?”
“Yeah.”
“I was wondering who drives a car like this. Hey, I’ve only ever driven trucks, so riding in something like this feels really weird.”
“Trucks?”
“Yeah, since I’ve always driven trucks.”
Taeseong became quiet again. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Even though Bonoh was showing how excited he was to ride in the car that Taeseong cherished so much, and Taeseong should have been proud, the trucks bothered him more.
Bonoh driving a truck naturally came to Taeseong’s mind. Somehow he seemed like he’d be driving a rattling truck on a road full of tangerine trees. It was a plain image that suited him well. However, it was only a distraction from driving.
“The ride quality is amazing. No wait. Are you just a good driver?”
Bonoh, who had been enjoying the brief silence, wiggled his butt slightly.
“So-so.”
“But exactly how far are we going?”
If it were near school, there would be no need to take a car, so he had already thought it would be somewhere far. But… this is a bit… isn’t this excessively far? Having lived his whole life as a Jeju native, the only places Bonoh had been to in Seoul were near school and a few dating spots, and even expanding the range to the metropolitan area, only the airport. He had no idea where they were going now.
“We’re almost there.”
“Right. Well, if it’s a place you’re going to, it’ll definitely be delicious.”
Given that picky guy’s taste. From his observations so far, Taeseong was extremely finicky about food too. Since all his behaviors were that sensitive, it wouldn’t be surprising if his palate wasn’t dull—that would be more out of character. Perhaps because of that, Bonoh had unknowingly developed a habit of checking whether Taeseong was enjoying the food at restaurants he took him to. And if it was a place that satisfied that picky palate, anywhere was fine with him.
As Taeseong said, they arrived at the restaurant shortly after. It felt distinctly different from the restaurants near school they had been to. Huge and clean. Anyway, it didn’t look like a restaurant where two male college students would come to sit and eat together cozily. It seemed more fitting to call it a date or blind date course.
…To think Joo Taeseong had such tastes. While Bonoh hesitated in his steps, Taeseong strode right in confidently. After hesitating briefly, Bonoh followed him in.
“I have a reservation under Joo Taeseong.”
Oh my, even a reservation. The server who nodded led them to a window seat. Sparkling cutlery was well arranged, and a long menu was placed on the clean table. He opened the menu and scanned it once with his eyes to see exactly what kind of place this was.
Western food. Since he had eaten Western food with Taeseong several times, the menu itself wasn’t too off-putting. However, the prices were outrageously extreme compared to those near school. What pasta costs over 40,000 won? Did they sprinkle gold on it?
“Why did you come to a place like this?”
“Why?”
“This… No, never mind.”
“Why are you starting to say something and then stopping?”
Because I can’t outright say it’s like a date! Bonoh let out a deep sigh. However, since he was dragged here anyway, thinking he might as well eat something delicious while he was at it, he chose an expensive pasta with shrimp. Fortunately, his bank balance was comfortable since he couldn’t drink while preparing for exams. After calling the server and ordering, the table became quiet.
“Good job.”
It sounded like “Good job, my ass,” but Bonoh tried to ignore it. Good things are good things. Soon the food came out, and Taeseong and Bonoh began sharing the food very naturally. While Bonoh was chewing away, thinking that expensive things were indeed delicious, Taeseong brought up a forbidden topic.
“So, how did you do on the exam?”
As soon as he heard the word exam, his stomach felt heavy. Bonoh swallowed what he hadn’t even finished chewing all at once. His throat stung, but his heart stung more. Forgotten memories came creeping back.
“…Why do you ask such things while eating?”
The pasta that had been delicious until just now wouldn’t go down well. Once his appetite was gone, it never came back. With his mouth feeling rough for no reason, Bonoh eventually just drank a few sips of water. Taeseong’s plan to take Bonoh, who had worked hard, somewhere to cheer him up was ruined by one careless remark. A look of dismay flashed across Taeseong’s face.
“…Not eating?”
“I’m full.”
Taeseong looked at Bonoh suspiciously like someone who had heard something unbelievable. It was definitely not the time to be talking nonsense about being full. However, Bonoh, who didn’t have the skill to act spoiled and demand that Taeseong take responsibility since his appetite was ruined because of him, just pretended not to notice Taeseong’s gaze. Soon Taeseong ate the food Bonoh had left and carefully wiped his mouth.
At the cashier, Bonoh confidently held out his card, but the staff said a member of his party had already paid. If it was a member of his party, that would be Joo Taeseong? Bonoh looked at Taeseong.
“I paid in advance earlier.”
“Huh? But I said I’d treat you.”
“Then, you thought I’d drag you all the way here and then ask you to pay half?”
“I was going to pay…”
Bonoh muttered quietly. He wasn’t confident his bank balance would be comfortable next time too.
“Kim Bonoh.”
Taeseong called Bonoh’s name in a very gentle voice.
“What?”
“Want to go for a drive?”
“A drive?”
Bonoh’s eyes, which had been dull like pollack, sparkled.
***
“Get out.”
“Huh, already? You said let’s go for a drive, so why did we come here? …Can we just enter here?”
Where Taeseong’s car had stopped was an apartment parking garage. Not just any apartment, but a place famous as Seoul’s highest-priced apartment for sale, where corporate CEOs and top celebrities live. The apartment name itself had become synonymous with wealth, so Bonoh had heard of it often, but this was his first time actually visiting.
But was this a place they could just enter? Bonoh gripped his seatbelt tightly. He worried they might get scolded by the security guard if they got out carelessly. Considering that the barrier had lifted when they entered, they probably wouldn’t get arrested, but…
“Yeah.”
Taeseong gave a short answer and got out of the car. Then he walked around the hood and opened the passenger door. Before Bonoh could get out, Taeseong bent his upper body and stuck his head into the passenger seat.
Startled by Taeseong suddenly closing the distance, Bonoh squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his body against the seat as much as possible. When he cautiously opened his eyes, he could see Taeseong right in front of him, opening the glove box and looking for something. They were so close that his exhaled breath seemed like it would touch Taeseong’s face.
He could smell Taeseong’s cologne from the tip of his nose. The scent with subtle musk following spicy woody notes was one he had often smelled, but smelling it up close felt strange. Bonoh didn’t have the presence of mind to see what Taeseong had taken from the glove box.
When Taeseong withdrew from the passenger seat, Bonoh, who had been gripping his seatbelt tightly, quietly opened the car door and got out. As soon as he got out, he saw the car parked next to them. The yellow sports car was a model Bonoh knew. It was the car his hyung used to sing about, saying it was his dream car and he’d buy it if he won the lottery.
It was fortunate that Taeseong opened the door for him; if he had opened it himself and the door had scraped against that car… Bonoh drew in a breath. Although there was sufficient space between the cars, Bonoh hunched his shoulders and carefully squeezed out. Looking around, there were only expensive cars everywhere.
“Hey… Why did we come here?”
Bonoh grabbed Taeseong’s arm with both hands as he tried to walk ahead. Taeseong looked down silently at his arm that Bonoh was holding. With Taeseong staying silent, Bonoh shook the arm he was holding to urge an answer.
“To get a car.”
“A car? We came in our car.”
“Not that one.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
