“…My head… Ah… My head…”
Seo Ha-yoon curled up like a pill bug, clutching his head with both hands, groaning. It felt like his skull was about to split open.
Tsk—.
A clicking sound came from above his head. Forcing his eyes open, he saw Choi Sang-hyuk standing there, holding a bottle of water.
“Sang-hyuk… My head hurts so much.”
Seo Ha-yoon groaned, complaining of his headache. Choi Sang-hyuk sat down on the edge of the bed and handed him an opened bottle of water along with two white pills.
“Take these.”
Following Choi Sang-hyuk’s instruction, Seo Ha-yoon took the medicine and water from his hand and swallowed them down his throat. Then, he collapsed back onto the bed, gripping his head again.
“Ugh, I feel like I’m gonna die. My head is killing me…”
“Seriously, who told you to guzzle down alcohol like an idiot?”
Choi Sang-hyuk scolded him. As if the unbearable headache wasn’t enough, hearing Sang-hyuk’s nagging made Seo Ha-yoon feel even more miserable.
“I was just so happy to be on a trip alone with you.”
Even in his pounding pain, Seo Ha-yoon muttered, sulking. Choi Sang-hyuk clicked his tongue again.
“Now that I think about it, my stomach feels awful too.”
Seo Ha-yoon clutched his churning stomach and groaned. Then, a thought came to him.
“Blowfish stew…”
“…What?”
“There’s a famous pufferfish restaurant in Haeundae. Their blowfish stew is incredibly refreshing and delicious.”
“…Then hurry up and get washed. We’ll go for some hangover soup.”
“Okay…”
Seo Ha-yoon slowly dragged himself out of bed.
When he looked in the bathroom mirror, his eyes were bloodshot, and his complexion was deathly pale.
For fuck’s sake. Not this look again.
Despairing internally, he quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth. A shower might have helped clear his head, but he didn’t have the energy for it. Besides, his stomach felt so twisted that all he could think about was soothing it as soon as possible.
Luckily, the medicine seemed to be kicking in while he was washing up. The headache had mostly subsided, but now his hunger was becoming unbearable. He could practically see the steaming blowfish stew floating before his eyes.
“Let’s hurry up and go. I’m starving to death.”
Seo Ha-yoon whined at Choi Sang-hyuk. Fortunately, Sang-hyuk was already ready to head out.
The two of them took a taxi to the restaurant. As expected of a famous spot, it was already packed with customers. Fortunately, there was an empty table inside, so they didn’t have to wait.
The moment Seo Ha-yoon sat down, he immediately ordered the blowfish stew before flopping onto the table, completely drained.
Lying face down, Seo Ha-yoon could feel Choi Sang-hyuk setting up the table. Peeking up just a little, he glanced at Sang-hyuk. He distinctly remembered the two of them drinking like crazy last night, yet there wasn’t even a hint of a hangover on Sang-hyuk’s face.
“Sang-hyuk, just how much can you drink?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been drunk before.”
Sang-hyuk answered nonchalantly. Seo Ha-yoon pouted. How was this even possible? Ha Jun-seo was the same way—both of them could drink an absurd amount without getting drunk. That completely took the fun out of drinking together. A drinking buddy should get tipsy, get a little rowdy, maybe even rant about nonsense. That was what made drinking together enjoyable.
Fortunately, the food arrived quickly. Seo Ha-yoon gulped down the clear broth like a man who had just stumbled upon an oasis in the middle of a desert. The refreshing taste of the blowfish stew instantly soothed his stomach.
“Ahh… This is the best.”
Muttering to himself, Seo Ha-yoon continued to gulp down the soup, and Choi Sang-hyuk let out a soft chuckle.
With his stomach full, his mind finally started to clear up. Sang-hyuk had also finished his bowl completely.
“Coffee. Let’s go get some coffee.”
Seo Ha-yoon suddenly craved a cold Americano. Thankfully, Sang-hyuk agreed without protest, and they grabbed a taxi to a café.
The place they chose was the same café they had visited yesterday. Since it was the weekend, most of the seats were taken, and they couldn’t get a spot by the window. Still, the fact that they found seats at all was lucky.
While Seo Ha-yoon was debating between a hot Americano and an iced one, Choi Sang-hyuk simply ordered both. His reasoning? Just drink them both.
And it turned out to be the perfect choice. First, he refreshed his mouth with the iced Americano, then soothed his stomach with the hot one. It was incredibly satisfying.
“Sang-hyuk, you’re seriously the best.”
Seo Ha-yoon gave him a thumbs-up in approval.
As they sat there drinking coffee, Seo Ha-yoon could feel the weight of people’s gazes on them. The café was already packed due to the weekend crowd, and nestled among them, they stood out even more. Seo Ha-yoon was used to receiving attention, but what really made his heart swell with pride was the attention directed at Choi Sang-hyuk. It made him want to shout, This man is mine.
“People are staring at you like crazy,” Seo Ha-yoon whispered into Sang-hyuk’s ear.
“That’s nothing compared to the attention you got when you were drunk last night,” Sang-hyuk replied.
“Last night?”
Seo Ha-yoon blinked, trying to recall the events of the previous night. He remembered having an absolute blast at the street stall… but after that, things were a blur.
“Oh shit, I blacked out, didn’t I?”
Finally realizing it, Seo Ha-yoon muttered to himself before cautiously asking Sang-hyuk, “Did I… do anything stupid?”
At his careful inquiry, Choi Sang-hyuk fixed his dark eyes on him and, after a moment, finally spoke.
“You yelled in the middle of the street about how badly you wanted to fuck me.”
“…What?”
“And you also went on about how you’ve been jerking off to thoughts of me the whole time we were in Haeundae.”
“Holy shit…”
“And then you clung to my shoulder all the way back to the hotel while groping my ass.”
“…Oh my god…!”
“And at the end, you fell asleep with your mouth wrapped around mine.”
“Ugh…!”
Seo Ha-yoon buried his face in both hands. He had made an absolute spectacle of himself. And not just anywhere—right in the middle of the street in Haeundae! On top of that, he apparently passed out while biting Choi Sang-hyuk. He was going to die of shame.
“I can’t live like this…”
Face burning red, Seo Ha-yoon muttered to himself. Now, all the people staring at them in the café felt even more suspicious. What if some of them had witnessed his drunken disaster last night?
“You should’ve stopped me,” Seo Ha-yoon grumbled, trying to shift the blame onto Choi Sang-hyuk. But Sang-hyuk simply raised his brows, feigning innocence.
“Agh…”
Seo Ha-yoon slumped forward, resting his forehead against the table as he reflected on his reckless drinking. No matter how good the mood was, he swore to never drink like that again.
How long had he been sulking with his head down like that?
“Ha-yoon.”
A voice he really didn’t want to hear right now suddenly spoke from right above him.
“Jun-seo?!”
Seo Ha-yoon’s head shot up as he stared in shock at Ha Jun-seo, who was standing right beside their table. Choi Sang-hyuk’s expression immediately darkened like he’d just swallowed something foul.
“How the hell did you end up here?” Seo Ha-yoon asked, completely bewildered.
Ha Jun-seo pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his legs. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out you two snuck off here without me?”
“No, I mean… how did you even find us?”
When Seo Ha-yoon asked again, Jun-seo simply tapped on the phone lying on the table in front of him.
Seo Ha-yoon blinked, confused at first, but then his eyes widened in horror as the realization hit him.
“You installed a tracking app on my phone too?!”
“Of course. You have a habit of running off, so I needed some insurance.”
Jun-seo stated this casually as he took a sip of the caramel macchiato he had brought with him.
“And what about practice?”
“I skipped.”
“…You skipped practice?”
Jun-seo nodded without hesitation.
Jesus Christ.
Seo Ha-yoon pressed his fingers against his temple. His headache was making an unwelcome comeback.
“This is nice. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the ocean,” Jun-seo remarked, gazing out at the waves with a serene expression. For someone who just ditched practice, he looked way too relaxed.
Well… I guess if he skipped, it means he could afford to.
Seo Ha-yoon sighed internally, deciding not to stress over it.
Meanwhile, Choi Sang-hyuk sat with his legs crossed, looking absolutely pissed.
The café buzzed with lively chatter. With the holiday in full swing, people at the beachfront café were enjoying their conversations, filling the air with a warm and familiar energy.
Seo Ha-yoon glanced at the two men sitting across from him. After working so hard, it felt incredibly peaceful and relaxing to be here with them, looking out at the ocean.
Slowly, he reached across the table and took Choi Sang-hyuk’s hand. Sang-hyuk, who had been frowning, looked up in surprise. Their eyes met. When Seo Ha-yoon flashed him a small smile, he saw the tension in Sang-hyuk’s brows loosen just a little.
“You should hold mine too.”
Ha Jun-seo, having watched the entire exchange, promptly extended his hand. Seo Ha-yoon let out a soft chuckle before taking Jun-seo’s hand with his other one.
A few people nearby stole glances at the sight of the three men holding hands at the table, but Seo Ha-yoon didn’t care in the slightest. Instead, a playful idea lit up in his mind, and his eyes gleamed mischievously.
“Let’s go for a walk on the beach together.”
“…What?”
“The three of us?”
Both men made faces like he’d just suggested something outrageous. In the past, their reluctance might have made Seo Ha-yoon hesitate, made him second-guess himself. But things were different now. Instead of backing down, he tightened his grip on their hands and nodded firmly.
“Since we’re all together like this, let’s get some fresh sea air. Or we could even go on a yacht cruise?”
At the mention of a yacht, both men visibly grimaced. Seo Ha-yoon burst into laughter at their reaction.
“Don’t push it, Seo Ha-yoon.”
“That’s not something to joke about, Ha-yoon.”
Both of them spoke in serious tones, making their disapproval clear.
In the end, they compromised with a beach walk. Though they refused to walk side by side, they eventually agreed to walk in a straight line, one behind the other. Three handsome men strolling along the shoreline naturally attracted plenty of attention. Some people even recognized Ha Jun-seo and discreetly took pictures with their phones.
The sea breeze felt wonderful as they walked. Seo Ha-yoon was completely overwhelmed with happiness, his heart swelling with contentment. Unable to resist, he linked arms with both men, pulling them close on either side. After some resistance, they gave in, letting him have his way.
“This is amazing.”
Seo Ha-yoon took a deep breath of the salty ocean air and murmured to himself. Seeing the pure happiness on his face, both men finally relaxed, their expressions softening.
Seo Ha-yoon pulled them even closer. His arms were full of warmth, full of happiness.
