Side Story Chapter 9
“Seeing your family today, I think I know where your personality comes from, senior.”
“You’re not insulting me, are you?”
“Absolutely not.”
The guy who quickly denied it added a few words in a quiet voice.
“I was amazed that there are families who really get along this well together.”
At those words, I froze without realizing it for a moment. I remembered hearing from Song Ji-hyeok’s own mouth that he didn’t just have a bad relationship with Esper Song Tae-hyeok, but that his parents had also emotionally neglected him, almost to the point of abandonment.
As I fumbled for words to say, something suddenly entered my vision. At that moment, my lips moved on their own.
“Could you give me your hand for a moment?”
Song Ji-hyeok still extended his left hand without any doubt or resistance. Holding that hand, I kissed the back of his hand with a smack, like someone proposing to their lover. On that hand was the couple ring I had personally put on him earlier this year, shining beautifully.
“You’re part of our family now too. And I’ll love you much more from now on. No, I will love you.”
It wasn’t superiority or cheap sympathy. Regardless of Song Ji-hyeok’s upbringing or surrounding environment, these were words for my pair and partner who would spend a lifetime with me. Fortunately, whether my sincerity got through, Song Ji-hyeok pulled my nape with a pleased expression and lightly pressed our lips together.
“Thank you, hyung.”
The whispering voice made both my lips that were still touching and my eardrums tingle. I soon closed both eyes and wrapped my arms around Song Ji-hyeok’s back. Whether this was properly conveyed to Song Ji-hyeok too, the kiss quickly turned into a deep kiss.
As if a power button had been pressed, my body heated up instantly. The same shampoo scent as mine, the body temperature that was always slightly higher than mine, the broad and firm back that my palms were touching – all the elements that made up Song Ji-hyeok were maddeningly wonderful.
Without realizing it, I was absorbed in the kiss when I suddenly came to my senses. I felt a touch that was blatantly touching the center of my body.
Turning my head away and looking down, sure enough, I could see Song Ji-hyeok’s hand touching the front of my shorts. Before we kissed, Song Ji-hyeok was definitely lying on the floor and I was sitting, but somehow our positions had reversed as a bonus.
“Wait. Wait, Ji-hyeok.”
I hurriedly blocked Song Ji-hyeok’s face with both hands as he tried to approach again. As I barely defended myself and quickly escaped to the side, Song Ji-hyeok made a blatantly displeased expression.
“The siblings are in the next room.”
“We just need to be quiet.”
That would be nice if we could…
“I don’t have confidence in that.”
We could probably manage it if I somehow blocked my mouth, but the Confucian spirit that I couldn’t help having as a Korean remained within me. If we did such things in a house with all my family members, especially in my still-minor sibling’s room, I felt like I wouldn’t have the face to look at my family tomorrow morning.
“Really can’t we?”
“Sorry. Instead, I’ll make it up to you when we get home…”
“Wait a moment.”
Song Ji-hyeok suddenly cut off my words and sharpened his senses. He was staring at the closed door, so I looked at the same place, and soon I heard a knock from beyond the door.
“Yes.”
I responded, but the door didn’t open, and instead I heard my mother’s voice from outside.
“Is there anything uncomfortable? It’s not too hot?”
“No. It’s cool with the air conditioner on.”
“Good, you must be tired, so sleep well until morning. Ji-hyeok, you sleep well too.”
“Yes. Good night.”
I kept looking at the door, but it never opened in the end. Only then did I withdraw my gaze and send Song Ji-hyeok a look that said ‘See, it was good we didn’t do it.’
Song Ji-hyeok also seemed to have lost his energy and lay down sprawled again, making one deal.
“Not the bed, sleep next to me.”
“Won’t it be cramped?”
“Want to sleep on top of me?”
“You sleeping on the bed is… not a chance.”
The single bed looked too fragile to handle two sturdy young men. Moreover, if Song Ji-hyeok lay down, his feet would obviously stick out beyond the mattress.
After making a quick decision, I pulled the pillow from the bed down without complaint. We fairly decided who would turn off the lights with rock-paper-scissors. Watching Song Ji-hyeok get up grudgingly in acceptance of the result, I giggled. When he came back and lay down next to me, I also raised my legs.
The room was pitch dark after the light disappeared, but my eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. As it became quiet and I could finally hear the cicadas chirping, it was a bit funny but I felt my heart strangely racing. Lying side by side with blankets spread on the floor in my parents’ home, it felt like sleeping with friends after getting permission from my parents when I was young.
My mind was wide awake. I usually fall asleep very quickly, but it was too early compared to my usual bedtime, so it didn’t feel like I could easily fall asleep.
Song Ji-hyeok was awake too. When he sleeps, he makes baby-like breathing sounds, but right now I couldn’t hear any sound at all. After a while, my gaze eventually turned to the spot next to me.
“Is the floor uncomfortable?”
“No. Compared to lying on dirt floors in dungeons or sleeping leaning against trees, this is heaven.”
“That’s true.”
Laughter leaked into my agreeing voice. It was because Song Ji-hyeok’s behavior in dungeons from early in his employment suddenly came to mind.
He had been as finicky and sensitive as some princess who could find a pea under several layers of blankets, but he had really changed a lot during the over a year of going around field sites. According to the Esper team members, not only his behavior but also his mindset was becoming increasingly flexible. My shoulders naturally shrugged at the words that having a pair definitely made him stable.
As our conversation continued like that, falling asleep became even more distant. Moving my mouth made my brain switch even more into awakening mode, and Song Ji-hyeok even propped his head toward my side.
I don’t know why, but at some point the conversation topic flowed to chicken and beer. My stomach was still full so chicken didn’t appeal to me, but cold beer was quite tempting. Thinking about it, although mother had personally prepared plenty of meat dishes like boiled pork and braised ribs for dinner, we had only quenched our thirst with cola instead of alcohol.
Eventually, unable to resist the temptation, I subtly cast a fishing line to Song Ji-hyeok.
“Want to go out and have a beer?”
“Suddenly?”
“Talking about it made me crave it. If you’re tired, you don’t have to go.”
“Tired? Me?”
Confidence oozed from his self-referring face. Well, the word “tired” was as incongruous for Song Ji-hyeok as telling a child they were old.
Soon we put our plan into action. Since it was a 5-minute walk from home to the convenience store, we quietly left through the front door in comfortable clothes. Song Ji-hyeok was the same. Wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt with large letters like “GRAVITY” and loose shorts, dragging flip-flops instead of shoes, he looked no different from a younger brother on vacation.
“It’s hot even though it’s night.”
“Yeah. It’ll be really hot next month.”
After leaving the quiet alley, a brightly lit convenience store appeared across the street. Almost there, I realized a mistake that wasn’t a mistake and pointed to the parasol table in front of the convenience store.
“Sit over there. I’ll go buy it.”
“Why, let’s go in together.”
“I’m worried it might cause a commotion.”
Unless someone lived a life cut off from civilization, there wouldn’t be anyone who didn’t know Song Ji-hyeok. At least I had worn a ball cap so I could cover my face to some extent.
Hearing my words, Song Ji-hyeok raised one corner of his mouth and joked.
“So that’s why only you wore a hat? Worried people might recognize you and swarm you?”
“Of course. …I’d like to answer that way, but of course not. I just put it on because I saw it.”
It wasn’t an excuse but the truth. If I had intended to hide my face, I would have prepared something for Song Ji-hyeok to wear first.
Anyway, as I, who at least had protective gear on, was about to go inside, Song Ji-hyeok suddenly took my hat and pressed it down on his own head.
“I’ll go and come back. Is there anything you want to eat?”
At the unexpected words, an expression of pride naturally appeared on my face.
In that case.
“Get the beer we always drink, and for snacks, just pick two or three things you want to eat. I don’t think I’ll eat much since I’m full.”
“Yes.”
The guy who answered opened the glass door and went inside. Left alone, I sat in the plastic chair I had just recommended to Song Ji-hyeok, and my gaze naturally turned toward the convenience store he had entered.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
