Haon had many first-time experiences since he started living at Inho’s house. He tried soaking in a bathtub for the first time, tasted sweet wine, and various foreign foods. Additionally, he experienced his first romance and first kiss. Although he felt a bit guilty calling it his first kiss, Haon wanted to believe that the kiss he shared with Inho was his true first.
Today was the day of their first date. Haon couldn’t believe it and kept pinching himself to make sure it was real.
“Ouch.”
Even now, as he was changing clothes, he pinched his arm hard. The pain confirmed that this was not a dream. After pinching himself all over, he finally accepted reality and zipped up his pants.
Naturally, he wore the clothes Inho had bought for him. Inho had given him several outfits, making it hard for Haon to decide what to wear. He felt a bit disappointed that none of the clothes seemed to suit him, but he remembered Hoyoung’s words and stood tall with confidence. Hoyoung had told Haon to be confident, and Haon consciously reminded himself of this advice.
“Looking good, looking great,” he muttered to himself in the mirror, trying to boost his spirits. He looked as nervous as a student on their first day of school.
It wasn’t the first time he was going out with Inho, but the word “date” made him feel completely different. Haon tried to calm his racing heart, repeating to himself like a mantra, “I am amazing, truly amazing.”
“Let’s do this, Jung Haon,” he said, clenching his fist in determination as if he were about to compete in a big event.
Even after his pep talk, Haon couldn’t easily leave the mirror. He looked at himself, feeling bitter about how he still looked poor despite the nice clothes. He opened a drawer, considering whether to put on some perfume. He hesitated as he opened the perfume Tae-hwi had lent him, remembering Ryu Su-hyun’s words.
‘Didn’t he tell you not to wear perfume?’
It seemed that Su-hyun had advised against wearing perfume. Haon wondered why Inho hadn’t told him directly and quickly put the perfume back. He almost forgot that conversation and nearly made Inho uncomfortable.
“Focus, focus,” he told himself, tapping his forehead and widening his already large eyes.
Haon wanted to remember every little conversation he had with Inho today. No, he was determined to remember everything from now on, forever.
“I can do this.”
Haon silently cheered himself on with a loud “Fighting!” in his mind. The “Let’s do this” he had repeated dozens of times since early dawn was a resolve to impress Inho. He wanted to show Inho his best side so that Inho wouldn’t regret dating him. In other words, he wanted to charm Inho.
“Ahem.”
He rubbed his cheeks, reaffirming his secret ambition, which he would never say out loud. Although he knew it was a bit much, he set his goals high. After all, he was in a relationship with Inho.
After spending two hours getting ready, Haon checked the weather and time on his phone. Fortunately, the weather was clear. Although they were planning to go to the aquarium, the good weather was still reassuring.
Feeling good, he closed the weather forecast and checked the time, only to let out a small sigh. It wasn’t even 6 AM yet, and the faint light of dawn was still lingering outside.
He had intended to wake up early, but this was too early. He planned to finish his chores before leaving, so he set his schedule tight. Haon decided to take it a bit easier. He didn’t want to disturb Inho’s sleep, so he thought he’d run the vacuum cleaner later.
Haon quietly opened his bedroom door, his face smooth with lotion. He was careful not to make any noise, even though he knew the small sounds wouldn’t reach upstairs.
“Uh….”
However, as soon as he stepped out, his efforts to be quiet were in vain. Inho was not in his bedroom but sitting on the living room sofa. The TV was off, and Inho was silently staring at Haon’s door.
“Inho?” Haon approached Inho, surprised. Inho just looked at him calmly.
“Shouldn’t that be my line?” Inho said, a smile playing on his lips as he saw Haon already dressed for their outing. “Do you have another appointment before our date?”
Haon, characteristically serious, quickly denied it. “No, I woke up early to clean.”
Inho looked up at Haon, his gaze lingering on Haon’s smooth cheeks, made even shinier by the lotion. The early morning made his gaze even softer.
Haon thought about Inho’s words. Hearing Inho say “date” made him both embarrassed and strangely relieved.
“You don’t have to clean,” Inho said.
“No, I should. We agreed I’d start doing it again from today,” Haon insisted, shaking his head. “You should sleep more. I’ll be quiet.”
“You should sleep more too. We have a busy day ahead,” Inho said, reaching out his hand to Haon. “Save your energy. I don’t want you getting tired too soon.”
Inho did not withdraw his arm until Haon took his hand. Haon, who was weak to Inho’s charms, had no choice but to take it.
“Then I’ll just mop the floor and come back,” Haon said, although he promised to do it in just an hour. However, Inho firmly shook his head. Haon tried to insist that he could finish quickly, but eventually, he was drawn to sit on the sofa by Inho’s gentle gaze.
“What time did you wake up?” Inho asked, sitting close to Haon. He sat next to Haon, their arms touching, just like they had sat together on a convenience store bench before.
“Not long ago,” Haon lied, not wanting Inho to worry. He had actually been awake for two hours, but the scent of shampoo from his hair gave him away.
“What about you?” Haon asked.
“Same,” Inho replied, but Haon didn’t believe him either. An empty glass of liquor on the coffee table suggested Inho had been up for a while. Haon didn’t ask further, sensing that Inho might not be entirely honest.
“How about we leave around 11?” Inho suggested.
“Sounds good,” Haon agreed immediately. Secretly, he wished they could leave earlier and spend more time together, but he knew he needed to pace himself.
“Should we sleep a bit more? Aren’t you sleepy, Haon?” Inho asked.
“A little,” Haon lied again. He wasn’t sleepy at all, despite having slept less than four hours after his weekend part-time job. However, Inho looked tired, his usually calm expression betraying a hint of fatigue.
“Let’s rest our eyes for a bit,” Haon suggested. Before he could say they should get up by 11, Inho lay down on the sofa, gently pulling Haon’s wrist to join him.
Ah, he wants us to sleep together.
“Should I get a blanket?” Haon asked, but Inho shook his head slightly, indicating it wasn’t necessary. Haon lay down next to Inho, trying to avoid his outstretched arm, ending up in an awkward position.
He turned his head this way and that, trying to avoid looking directly at Inho’s chest, feeling embarrassed no matter where he looked.
“It might be more comfortable if you come up here,” Inho suggested, his voice soft and amused. He placed a cushion on his arm, offering it as a pillow for Haon.
Haon, who hadn’t considered using Inho’s arm as a pillow, slowly climbed up, wiggling into a comfortable position.
“Won’t your arm get numb…?” Haon asked, concerned.
“If it does, I’ll move it,” Inho reassured him.
Inho smiled and spoke as Haon struggled to get comfortable. This allowed Haon to relax a bit and lie on his side, facing Inho. The closeness was awkward but happy. Haon’s racing heart was starting to feel familiar.
“Let’s take lots of photos later. And eat something delicious,” Inho said, making Haon even happier. Haon silently clapped his hands together, glad that Inho seemed to be looking forward to their date as well.
Inho patted Haon’s shoulder, smiled, and closed his eyes first. He must be tired.
“Get some rest. Pretend I’m not here,” Haon said softly, his voice slowing down along with the gentle pats on his shoulder.
Haon watched Inho fall asleep quickly, his keen eyes noticing the faint scent of alcohol from Inho’s slightly parted lips. He breathed it in deeply and quietly exhaled through his nose. It smelled like strong liquor.
Did he… not sleep at all?
The thought crossed Haon’s mind, and he slowly raised his arm. He moved closer to Inho, gently patting his chest as it rose and fell with his breath. Haon hoped Inho would fall into a deep sleep, so peaceful that he wouldn’t even dream. He didn’t mind if they had to postpone the aquarium visit.
Unfortunately, Haon’s wish for Inho to sleep longer didn’t come true, but their first date turned out to be a success.
