#79
‘Even if he asks for a reward…’
I need to know what would be good in the first place.
Choosing a gift was unexpectedly difficult and complicated. It had to be something the recipient would like, not something I liked or felt like getting at the time.
Moreover, it wasn’t just a simple gift but had to serve as both a token of gratitude and a reward. It was a moment when the difficulty of choice skyrocketed.
‘What would be good?’
It probably wasn’t something material that he wanted when he said that. Jin Woohyeon was wealthy. He lacked nothing and had even less of a collecting habit. Even at souvenir shops that others crowded around, he would just look around once with an indifferent face, then bombard me with questions about what I liked while watching me browse the items.
When the scope of choice narrowed to non-material things, the difficulty jumped once again. Something that couldn’t be bought with money. But something he wanted from me. And something he would be happy to receive…
Just before reaching a somewhat indecent conclusion, a low but gentle voice cut through my thoughts.
“What are you thinking about so intently?”
“Uh…”
“Not ‘uh,’ say ‘ah.'”
“Ah.”
“That’s right.”
Warmly grilled meat slipped into my mouth. The meat dipped in salty soy sauce melted in my mouth without needing much chewing.
“You said you don’t like sashimi. So you don’t like things like salmon roe either?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“What about grilled?”
“That’s fine.”
The raw fish that had been in front of me moved to Jin Woohyeon’s side, and a large braised sea bream head was placed in front of me.
I didn’t need to worry about how to eat it. Jin Woohyeon’s chopsticks moved diligently as he came closer, soon picking out only the white cooked flesh and transferring it to my plate.
I watched his movements as if entranced. It was elegant behavior that could be called a textbook example of chopstick usage, without any unnecessary movements.
‘He really lacks nothing.’
What could I possibly give to someone like you, when all I have is pathetic lingering feelings, old fears, and a bit of curiosity?
Instead of asking again what I was thinking about as I fell back into the maze of worries, Jin Woohyeon chose to feed me. Savory beans, mushrooms, pickled eggplant, and…
“Mmph.”
“Oh my.”
The moment I tasted something rather bitter, I snapped to attention. Sensing my unusual reaction, Jin Woohyeon placed his palm in front of my mouth and gently tapped my lower lip with his thumb.
“This isn’t to your taste. Spit it out.”
Just like when I was flustered trying okra for the first time on the first day, he had the same unhesitating attitude this time. The problem was that I couldn’t handle the flavor in my mouth right now and reflexively followed his words.
“…Sorry.”
“I’m the one who told you to spit it out.”
He wiped his hands with a wet towel and replied in a peaceful tone.
“It’s pickled plum, and people have very divided opinions about it. I wasn’t sure if you’d like it or not, but since it was there, I thought you’d want to try it at least once.”
It was interesting that something that looked exactly like a shriveled cherry tomato had such a shocking taste. Certainly, as he said, regardless of whether it was to my taste or not, I probably would have put it in my mouth at least once.
“You look like all your worries and everything flew away because you were so surprised.”
“Yeah…”
I glanced at him and added quietly.
“Sorry for spacing out. I’ll focus now.”
“It’s okay.”
Since he seemed genuinely happy rather than just saying it, I looked at him with a puzzled gaze, and Jin Woohyeon grinned.
“Watching your face as you spaced out and ate whatever I gave you was quite entertaining in its own way.”
“You really…”
“Really?”
“How are you so… in everything…”
“Obviously showing that I like you?”
He guessed exactly what I was going to say. When I nodded awkwardly, he handed me a cup of warm tea and said.
“You said so yourself, hyung. That the method doesn’t matter. But if you had to choose, it would be better if it’s in an easy-to-understand form.”
“…”
“I act obviously because I want you to notice, hyung. And it would be even better if you pretended to be defeated and came over to me.”
When I couldn’t find words and just stared at him blankly, Jin Woohyeon shrugged.
“It’s okay to be fickle or capricious. As I always said, you just need to be comfortable, hyung.”
The word “capricious” reminded me of what he had said while fighting with Lee Chan earlier.
That it started easily, that it came from shallow emotions, that it wasn’t without competitiveness.
Of course, I know those aren’t appropriate modifiers to describe Jin Woohyeon’s feelings. The reason he didn’t refute Lee Chan’s words one by one wasn’t because Lee Chan was right, but because he was saving them to throw back all of Lee Chan’s reckless words.
But the fact that those words stung just a little, really just a little…
‘I’m hoping your feelings are serious, aren’t I?’
I nodded at his suggestion to take a walk to the convenience store after finishing our meal. It was almost bathing time, and I wanted to let my stomach settle even a little before then.
Throughout our careful walk along the dark road without streetlights, Jin Woohyeon held my hand tightly. As I obediently held his hand, he would tickle the back of my hand with his fingertips to tease me, or interlock our fingers and squeeze tightly.
“This is nice.”
He said with a gentle sigh.
“I never imagined I could spend time alone with you like this, hyung. Actually, just this feels like receiving a reward.”
“…”
“You were worrying about that, right?”
Caught right on target, I hesitated and asked.
“You knew?”
“Not from the beginning.”
Jin Woohyeon answered while gently swaying our joined hands. His voice sounded somehow happy.
“I guessed. I wondered what reason you had for worrying like that. Then I gradually noticed. You would look at me while worrying, and thinking about it, you seemed to have been worrying since I asked for a reward.”
“…You’re right. I was worrying about that.”
“I’m happy. That you’re worrying about me.”
He smiled brightly while opening the convenience store door for me.
“You said you were sorry for spacing out, but I’m actually okay with that too. Since you have me on your mind anyway, and we’ll be together all night regardless.”
To pretend I didn’t notice the ticklish sensation his words left behind, I turned my gaze to the refrigerator.
“Should we buy beer? Or highball?”
“…”
“Convenience store pudding too… Why.”
“Haha, ahahaha.”
“Why are you laughing!”
In the end, we bickered while buying two cans of beer and pudding, then returned to our accommodation along the dark path.
Our hands were still tightly clasped together.
Throughout changing clothes and heading to the bath, Jin Woohyeon’s teasing was relentless. Playing with my hands or stroking my hair was routine, and he even startled me so much I nearly jumped when he completely undressed me, saying I was wearing the yukata wrong.
‘Wait, wait, wait, just wait!’
‘Why? You were wearing a t-shirt underneath anyway. But why wear a shirt under a yukata? Isn’t it hot?’
‘I was worried it might show…’
‘You’ll see everything when we go into the hot spring anyway. We’re not going to bathe with clothes on.’
‘…’
‘Ah, hyung. Why are you being so modest? We’re both men.’
Thinking about it, that was true. We’d even been to a swimming pool on our first date, so it wasn’t like he’d never seen me undressed.
But still.
‘Why am I so nervous about this?’
Whether he didn’t know or was pretending not to know my restless feelings, Jin Woohyeon just looked purely happy. When he opened the sliding door with the key he’d received from the staff and ushered me inside, he even hummed a little tune.
He put the drinks we’d bought at the convenience store into a small wooden tub and said to the production crew.
“I’ll let you know when we’re done bathing. The interview is then too, right?”
The implication behind his smiling face was clear. It meant please leave now.
Since they couldn’t close the door properly while holding cameras with both hands, I followed them out, closed the sliding door, and locked it. There was a click as the rusty metal pieces engaged.
Why did that small noise from my fingertips sound so loud? Maybe it was especially because of the fact that we were left alone, just the two of us, without even cameras.
The moment I swallowed my dry saliva. I realized that my worry about what to give Jin Woohyeon had somehow ended.
Something non-material that could be given immediately. Not grand but not trivial, something I could show off about and that the recipient would be happy to receive. If I could just muster the courage to jump over a very small wall, it seemed like I could give it easily, and I wanted to try jumping over that wall for him.
“Woohyeon. I’ve been thinking about what to give you…”
It was when I let go of the door handle that had become slightly warm from my tight grip and turned around, calling his name.
“…”
Jin Woohyeon’s shadow, who had somehow come close, was cast over my head.
“You’ve been thinking?”
My insides began to flutter on their own at his gaze without any trace of laughter.
“So, what do you want to give me?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
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