- Side Story – [205X204] Easy Number
The liquid swirling in the small glass now felt just like water. Even though drinking more seemed meaningless, Jeonghyeon didn’t get up from his seat. He let the outdated songs playing in the background fade into noise, absentmindedly poking at the side dishes with his chopsticks. His foggy mind was fixated on a single thought.
The glass in front of him blurred for a moment before snapping back into focus. He grabbed it and downed the contents in one gulp. Slosh. Jeonghyeon wiped his mouth with a tissue, his hand swiping at the air a few times before he finally grabbed a wad and scrubbed his lips. The dull sensation on his mouth made him frown. He tried to regain feeling by opening and closing his lips, but it was no use. His whole body had been claimed by alcohol long ago.
“Huaaa…… Seong Yunjae……”
His equally sluggish tongue barely managed to slur out the name of the person who had left him drinking alone. His splitting vision flickered between two and one, and Yunjae’s face flashed before his eyes. Jeonghyeon swiped his hand at the afterimage.
“Seriously…… How am I supposed to like this……?”
His muttering carried the heavy scent of alcohol. Frowning, Jeonghyeon reached for the green bottle, only to realize it was empty. Right. Tonight, there was no Yunjae to bring a new bottle or pour him water when the alcohol ran out. He had told him not to follow or wait for him today, so he probably wasn’t lurking around.
Jeonghyeon abruptly stood up, swaying as he scanned the dimly lit bar. Even in his drunken state, he checked every corner meticulously. With a thud, he slumped back into his seat, clutching his throbbing forehead. His biggest problem these days was his stalker neighbor, Seong Yunjae. Somehow, he had ended up accepting Yunjae’s confession, and his own heart had been swept away by those desperate words. Now, they were awkwardly continuing to see each other.
It was strange enough that he ended up dating a man, but the man himself was a problem. Waiting for him in front of the villa after work or “accidentally” running into him near his place was one thing, but the moment Jeonghyeon opened his door, the door to Yunjae’s place would swing open. After a shower, Yunjae would text or call, cheerfully announcing he had just finished showering too. If Jeonghyeon laughed at something funny on TV, Yunjae would inevitably bring it up on their next date.
Jeonghyeon knew all about these behaviors—Yunjae had confessed them himself—but he never imagined they would continue after they started dating. The way Yunjae acted so openly, so innocently, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, was unsettling.
Ironically, when they were actually on dates, things were fine. Yunjae was more attentive and considerate than anyone Jeonghyeon had ever met. They got along well, shared hobbies, and had fun together. And the sex—when they were sober—was gentler and more thoughtful than when they were drunk. Jeonghyeon was starting to feel it more and more.
The thought sent a rush of heat to his already flushed face.
“Uaaaaaaah!”
Jeonghyeon clutched his burning cheeks, shaking his head back and forth. Clunk. The water glass on the table tipped over, spilling water all over his thighs.
“Ugh, it’s cold!”
He rubbed his wet thighs with his hand, then pushed his chair back and stood up. With unsteady steps, he stumbled toward the counter, paid with his card, and left the bar. The cool night air greeted him as he staggered toward the low-rise, four-story building in the distance—Lee Woo Villa, where he lived, and where Yunjae lived too. His drunken steps wavered, but his mind was already inside the villa, fixated on Yunjae’s soft smile. He couldn’t get it out of his head. Eventually, he sighed and admitted the truth to himself.
He’s a good person. He doesn’t mean any harm. Maybe I should keep seeing him and think about it more. He’s probably just like this because he’s been in love for so long. If we keep seeing each other, he’ll stop the stalker stuff, right?
“Seong Yunjaeeee!”
Jeonghyeon reached the villa entrance and called out for Yunjae, looking around. He wasn’t waiting for him, even though it was so late. A pang of disappointment hit him, but then he remembered he had explicitly told Yunjae not to follow or wait for him today.
“But still…… He’s really not here?”
Frowning, Jeonghyeon started climbing the stairs, zigzagging unsteadily. His alcohol-soaked legs lost their balance, and he barely caught himself on the railing. The sudden jolt sobered him up just enough to realize how dangerous the stairs were. Huu, huu. He exhaled sharply, steadying himself before continuing up, leaning on the railing. He thought about Yunjae as he climbed. Why did he always wait here? It was just two flights of stairs. It was ridiculous. But even as he thought that, Jeonghyeon’s lips curled into a smile. His dull lips formed a grin as he staggered up the stairs and down the hallway. His mind was spinning, but he managed to stay conscious. He just knew he’d collapse the moment he got inside.
After what felt like an endless hallway, he reached his front door. He grabbed the blurry doorknob and fumbled with the door lock cover. 10101011. The alarm blared in his ears. Wrong code? He stared blankly at the lock, then realized he had changed the password.
“Ah~ so what was it again……?”
He hummed as if singing, trying to sober up his drunken mind. What was the new code? It was something as simple as the old one. Leaning on the doorknob, he lifted the cover again.
What did I change it to? Oh. Right. My birthday. Yeah, my birthday!
He nodded firmly and punched in the numbers, then lowered the cover. A cheerful melody played. He turned the knob, and the door creaked open. Stumbling inside, he kicked off his shoes haphazardly. Thud. He collapsed in front of the shoe rack.
“Ugh…… Ah……”
He groaned, struggling to his feet. Almost crawling, he made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He squinted against the bright light, scanning the contents.
Where’s the water bottle? What’s all this? Who bought all this stuff?
His hand rummaged through the chilled air, finally finding something that looked like water. The familiar plastic water bottles were gone, replaced by neat glass bottles filled with what looked like barley tea. Annoyed by the unfamiliar setup, he grabbed a bottle, twisted off the cap, and chugged it down. The cool liquid washed away some of the alcohol, but his breath still reeked of it.
He tossed the bottle back into the fridge and stood up, swaying. The brief sobriety from the cold water faded as the alcohol took over again.
He needed to wash up and change clothes. Stumbling, he stripped off all his clothes and reached for his bedroom door, then paused. In the dim moonlight filtering through the balcony, he squinted, confused. Something was off. When did his room move to the other side?
“Shit…… Who moved the door over there?”
Slurring his words, he staggered naked toward the visible door and flung it open. The room inside was unfamiliar, and there was a silhouette lying on the bed.
“Wh-what……?”
Jeonghyeon stumbled over and yanked the blanket off. The person on the bed jolted awake.
“Mmm… Huh? Jeonghyeon……?”
Even in the dim light, he recognized Yunjae’s face. Half-asleep, Yunjae blinked up at him as Jeonghyeon, thoroughly drunk, climbed on top of him.
“What the hell…? A dream? Ha. Now you’re even in my dreams?”
“Huh? No, I was just—sleeping for a bit…… Did you drink?”
Jeonghyeon straddled Yunjae completely, frowning. So he was stalking him even in his dreams? He pressed down on Yunjae’s hands as they reached up for him. Leaning over Yunjae’s chest, he smirked.
“Seong Yunjae… This love…sick stalker……”
“Jeonghyeon. How did you even get in……?”
Yunjae’s soft voice was cut off as Jeonghyeon’s lips pressed against his. Yunjae flinched, then relaxed, responding to the kiss. Mmm, um. Moans slipped between their tangled lips. As Yunjae woke from his drunken sleep, he surrendered to the kiss. Jeonghyeon, straddling him, felt Yunjae’s breath, warm and laced with alcohol, as he accepted it.
“Huu…… Mmm……”
Jeonghyeon’s dull tongue, tangled with Yunjae’s eager one, began to tingle. His hips moved instinctively, rubbing against Yunjae’s hardening cock through his clothes. Yunjae twitched his hips in response, but he didn’t pull his hands free from Jeonghyeon’s grip. After a while, as their lips parted, Yunjae opened his eyes. His ragged breath was already thick with excitement. Watching him, Jeonghyeon grinned.
In the faint moonlight, the smile was clear. As Yunjae stared, dazed, Jeonghyeon released his painful grip on Yunjae’s hands and slid his own under Yunjae’s shirt.
“Eek! Jeonghyeon……?”
Yunjae looked up at Jeonghyeon, who was shouting with his still-slurred tongue, unable to suppress his rising smile. He helped Jeonghyeon’s clumsy hands pull off his shirt, laughing softly the whole time.
“What’s wrong? Why are you laughing?”
“No, it’s just… you’ve never been this aggressive before……”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
