“Fuck, what the hell is this?” He muttered under his breath before continuing,
“He said watching a movie, going on a proper date, might make things better.”
“……”
“Because you keep saying you’re scared of me.”
“…Ah.”
“It’s not like I can just let you go, so I figured I should at least try something.”
Yi-beom, who had been staring at the advertisements the whole time, finally turned his head. The moment their eyes met, Eunho’s heart began to pound. It felt like if the ad volume dropped even a little, Yi-beom would hear it. When Eunho simply stared, Yi-beom lifted his chin slightly.
“…Should we just leave?”
“N-No.”
Eunho quickly shook his head and shifted in his seat. He couldn’t remember which one of those dark-looking Ahjussis was this “Younguk bastard,” but whoever it was, he was definitely a good person.
How does Ahjussi only have such smart people around him…?
That secretary Ahjussi was really smart too. Feeling his heart thump wildly, Eunho thought to himself.
Only now did he understand why Yi-beom suddenly suggested going to a movie theater… and why they were sitting in a couple seat. Like when they first started dating. His chest tingled, and he just fidgeted with the popcorn.
Yi-beom suddenly cupped Eunho’s cheek and planted a quick kiss on it. Only then did Eunho snap back to reality. He hurriedly covered his cheeks with both hands.
“We’re not at the k-kissing stage yet.”
“What the hell is a ‘kissing stage’?”
“I mean—it’s not a kiss!”
Scrubbing hard at the spot where their lips had touched, Eunho placed the popcorn bucket firmly between them.
“Let’s… s-start with this.”
At that moment, the theater went dark.
***
The movie was an action film. It was about an ordinary man who got swept into an accident and became a killer—but whether he was going to kill someone or got killed along the way, none of it registered in Eunho’s head.
The important thing was the popcorn. Even though they sat right next to each other, the darkness inside meant he had to focus completely to avoid touching hands.
Gulp. Eunho’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Since Ahjussi had just eaten some popcorn, maybe now would be a good time to grab one. Carefully, secretly, Eunho moved his hand.
“Hah…!”
The instant warm skin brushed against the back of his hand, Eunho pulled away quickly.
“What’re you doing?”
“Y-You eat first, Ahjussi.”
“We can just reach in together.”
Yi-beom shot him a sideways glance as if Eunho had suddenly turned into someone bound by strict propriety between men.
“You don’t like touching?”
“It’s not that…”
Not liking it? Absolutely not. Fidgeting with his hands, Eunho murmured softly,
“We’re… not supposed to be like this.”
Bang bang—gunshots from the male lead blasted loudly through the theater. But it felt like Yi-beom was the one who’d been shot. Letting out a hollow laugh, he leaned toward Eunho.
“Then what kind of relationship are we?”
“A r-relationship where even holding hands is still early…”
Yi-beom stared at Eunho, who was blushing from head to toe, with disbelief. Considering their first meeting involved Eunho literally body-slamming into him, it was absurd.
“Seriously.”
He was about to snap back but stopped himself. Acting shy like it was all new was ridiculous… but it was also cute.
I’m seriously sick too.
Just the brush of their hands had Eunho flustered, and somehow it looked better than expected. Even while thinking he’d lost his mind, Yi-beom played along.
“Then where do we start?”
“Hmm…”
“If not the back of the hand, what else is there?”
“F-Fingers…?”
If the back of the hand wasn’t okay, maybe fingers were? Eunho didn’t really know how new couples behaved. Since this was his first relationship, all his standards were based on Yi-beom.
He slipped the hand he’d been hiding into the popcorn bucket. At the same time, Yi-beom’s hand followed inside.
Their fingertips brushed among the caramel popcorn. Was it his index finger… or middle finger? Yi-beom’s fingers were so thick Eunho couldn’t tell.
But they were definitely as sweet as caramel popcorn.
Ahh…
His eyes stayed on the movie, but all his attention gathered at his fingertips. Every brush of Yi-beom’s hand felt like it grazed his heart.
Then Yi-beom’s finger moved, hooking around Eunho’s like forming a promise. Slowly, up and down, his index finger began to slide.
Eunho’s eyes widened at the sudden motion.
Anyone could see this was teasing. The way his hand moved back and forth felt dangerously suggestive. We said we’d go back to the beginning…! When Eunho whipped his head around, Yi-beom was grinning mischievously.
Who does this at the start of dating…!?
It’s all ruined. Eunho trembled, on the verge of tears. His lower body had long since been caught up in Yi-beom’s teasing.
Pulling his hand out of the popcorn, Yi-beom lowered his head. Eunho’s finger slipped between Yi-beom’s thick lips.
Hng—
The feeling of a tongue sucking at his fingertip made Eunho let out a low moan.
“A-Ahjussi…”
Slurp. Tasting the lingering sweetness, Yi-beom lifted his gaze. As those long eyes turned toward him, Eunho whimpered softly.
Each time the screen brightened, Eunho’s flushed face was visible—his lips swollen with excitement. Fuck, what was this obsession with “going back to the beginning”?
We were already like this when we first met. Doesn’t that count as the beginning too?
If Younguk heard it, he’d probably wave his hands in disbelief—but Yi-beom’s miraculous logic made his eyes gleam. Golden pupils shining.
I still want to devour you either way.
He couldn’t hold back anymore. Now Yi-beom wanted to suck on something else. Gently biting Eunho’s finger with his teeth, he lifted his head and grabbed Eunho’s arm.
“Ah!”
Just like that, he dragged Eunho out toward the entrance they had come from. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any staff guarding the front.
Pulling him into the restroom directly ahead, Yi-beom locked them inside a stall.
“Ahjussi, w-wait…”
Pushing weakly against Yi-beom’s chest, Eunho whispered. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of his mouth.
When he looked up, Yi-beom was staring down at him like he was about to kiss him any second.
“N-No.”
“What isn’t allowed?”
“You’re… trying to kiss me, aren’t you?”
A large hand wrapped around Eunho’s jaw. He couldn’t turn away or avoid Yi-beom’s gaze.
No. We only just held fingertips…! As his carefully imagined “early dating” plan threatened to collapse, Eunho squeezed his eyes shut.
“We haven’t even h-held hands yet. Who k-kisses in a bathroom at the start of dating?”
“That depends on how you imagine it.”
“Huh?”
At the calm tone, Eunho opened his eyes. Yi-beom was smiling crookedly.
With his free hand, he tickled Eunho’s palm, tracing circles before sliding up along his arm.
“You can get turned on just from fingertips touching.”
Like a tongue licking, his fingers teased along Eunho’s neck. When the sensitive spot between neck and shoulder was brushed, strength drained from Eunho’s body.
“I rushed into the bathroom because I was desperate… and the other person felt the same.”
“……”
“Our eyes met at just the right moment. Both of us in a hurry…”
Removing his hand from Eunho’s neck, he stroked his cheek instead. It didn’t feel affectionate so much as predatory, and Eunho swallowed hard.
Yi-beom tilted his head as if he were about to kiss him. Close enough that their breaths touched.
“Once you’re inside the stall, a kiss or two isn’t too much, right?”
“……”
“Hm?”
The corner of Yi-beom’s mouth lifted slowly.
“Answer me, Jung Eunho.”
“Hnn…”
Rolling his eyes nervously, Eunho let out a small moan. The plan to act like it was the early days mattered… but his body was already leaning halfway toward Yi-beom.
His overloaded brain shut down. Now his lips belonged to his heart.
“Y-Yes…”
Drawing out the word, Eunho nodded.
“I think… that could be okay…”
The moment he finished speaking, Yi-beom’s lips crashed into his as if he’d been waiting. A hot tongue pushed between his lips, slowly sweeping along the roof of his mouth before lightly biting his lower lip like punishment for making him wait.
“Mm…”
There wasn’t a single place inside his mouth that Yi-beom’s tongue didn’t reach. Leaning against him, Eunho melted into the pleasure. Wet sounds slipped out whenever their lips parted.
It felt strange. They had kissed yesterday too, yet maybe because they were pretending it was the beginning of their relationship—or because of Yi-beom’s words—it felt completely different. Like their very first kiss, he didn’t know what to do.
When his hands hovered uselessly in the air, Yi-beom grabbed them and pulled them to himself, as if saying, Your place is here.
Strength drained from Eunho’s whole body, warmth pooling in his lower belly. His toes curled helplessly. Just as he tilted his head back at the tongue sliding deeper into his throat—
“This movie’s fucking boring, seriously.”
“What a waste of money. Who even wanted to see this?”
Loud voices came from outside the door. Startled, Eunho pushed at Yi-beom’s chest, but Yi-beom didn’t budge.
He simply continued kissing him, eyes lowered, silently ordering him not to stop.
W-What if we get caught!
Completely trapped in Yi-beom’s hold, all Eunho could do was hold his breath. When he kept his lips open, Yi-beom stroked his hair approvingly.
“Hey, did you see that carnivore Beastman earlier?”
“What, the guy near the elevator?”
“Yeah. Think he’s watching the same movie as us. I saw him heading up earlier.”
“No way… we were in the same place as him?”
