74
* * *
Kyung Samin. Twenty-four years old this year, he was born as the youngest of three children—two sons and one daughter—in the Cheongju Kyung family and grew up monopolizing his family’s love.
His academic performance during school was middling. His head for studying wasn’t particularly good, but his relationships with classmates were very smooth and he had deep trust from others. In short, he was the typical slacker type who preferred playing over studying.
Due to his wealthy environment where he could have most things he wanted, Samin knew the dictionary definition of the word “lack” but had never directly experienced it. At least not until he met Doun.
Magnetic. After the emergence of the hunter class, this famous figure in the hunter world who received envy, jealousy, admiration and longing all at once was the first person to give Samin a sense of defeat.
Whenever Samin had something he wanted or a goal he wished to achieve, he had somehow made it his own. If there was something he wanted to have, he bought it with money. When he became deeply absorbed in boxing as a hobby, he suddenly wanted to win a tournament and eventually defeated formidable competitors to claim the regional tournament trophy.
Living a life where effort never betrayed him, when he became rank 2, he naturally thought he could become rank 1 as well.
‘So I went through all that trouble trying to beat this person…’
Samin swallowed his strange sentiment inwardly. Setting aside his embarrassing dark history, he looked at Doun with a pleased expression.
Doun seemed tired as there was no sign of him waking up even though it was close to lunchtime. Still, seeing him sleep peacefully beside him made Samin feel good. It felt like Doun had allowed him close.
‘Our hyung really has gentle sleeping habits when he’s not drinking.’
Having shared a bed several times, Samin could tell Doun’s sleeping habits. Actually, there wasn’t much to call sleeping habits. Doun only tossed and turned a little before falling asleep, but once asleep, he slept without moving at all.
However, this person who usually slept so quietly seemed to hug the person next to him tightly when drunk. And how deeply he would burrow into their embrace.
‘Ah, Lee Doun is fucking handsome.’
Doun’s distinct features never got old no matter how much he looked at them. After Samin’s peaceful and happy time had passed for a while, Doun finally slowly opened his eyes.
The pupils hidden beneath his tightly closed eyelids resembled a clear sky instead of their original light. Actually, Samin thought they were pretty, but he didn’t mention it on purpose. Because Doun thought of his changed blue eyes as a flaw.
“Did you sleep well?”
“…Yeah.”
Doun’s voice that came out a bit late was completely hoarse. Doun cleared his throat with a cough. Then he glared at Samin.
“Why are you staring intently at a sleeping person’s face from morning?”
Doun’s scolding had validity. He had opened his eyes feeling a persistent gaze, only to find the handsome face that had made him feel all sorts of emotions yesterday right in front of his eyes. He was so startled that it was hard to suppress the urge to throw a punch first. His heart was pounding from morning, which was very troublesome.
“I was surprised to open my eyes and find your face right in front of me.”
“What’s wrong with looking a little? Hyung is being harsh from morning so I’m about to get sad, you know?”
“No, it’s not being harsh, I was asking why you did that. Anyway, when did you wake up?”
Despite being thoroughly scolded and then told it wasn’t scolding, there should have been some rebellious feelings. But unfortunately, the listener was Samin. There was no way it could affect someone who would die for anything Doun said. Samin grinned as if he had never felt sad.
“About an hour ago?”
Doun was startled after belatedly checking the time on his phone. It was already close to lunchtime.
“Weren’t you hungry? You should have woken me up.”
“Just looking at hyung’s sleeping face made me full though?”
“Oh my.”
Doun let out what sounded like a sigh of happiness. The morning starting with Samin’s bizarre nonsense was more fun than expected.
Even with just one more person in the house, even the weight of the morning air felt different when he opened his eyes. Instead of the lonely, sunken heavy air he always felt, it was light and refreshing air.
Doun rubbed around his eyes habitually and asked Samin.
“Is there anything you want to eat for food?”
“I’ll eat anything.”
“Then come choose the menu.”
Doun naturally held out his phone toward Samin. Samin lowered his gaze. The phone screen showed the delivery food ordering screen that Doun frequently used.
“Let me see…”
Even though he was lying with his head close to Doun’s, he couldn’t focus on the screen at all. Sleeping in the same bed, waking up disheveled and worrying about lunch menu together. This situation itself was too stimulating for Samin.
‘If I live like this every day, I might die from my heart bursting?’
Doun after waking up even looked like a warm, soft steamed bun. With his fair, hot body temperature stuck right next to him, it was killing him.
When Samin couldn’t choose a menu for quite a while, Doun asked.
“Nothing you particularly want to eat? Should we go out to eat?”
“No. It’s not that…”
Samin didn’t feel like eating out. It would be troublesome if some flies swarmed around after going outside for no reason. Wasn’t there already some weird guy yesterday who stuck to Doun claiming to be his fan and staring with passionate eyes?
“Isn’t there anything hyung wants to eat?”
“Then should we have hamburgers?”
“Sounds good.”
While Doun was washing up in the bathroom after placing the order, Samin organized the bedding and finished ventilating.
Doun’s prospective boyfriend candidate life had already started with demerits yesterday. If he appealed with diligence and tidiness, he might get bonus points.
‘This is such a hard-won opportunity. I absolutely can’t let this go.’
Samin glanced at the bathroom door Doun was using. Hoping for the day when they would wash side by side in that bathroom, he crossed the living room and finished washing his face in the small bathroom attached to the small room.
‘I look decent today too.’
Samin’s eyes were full of life as he stared quietly at the mirror.
* * *
The delivered hamburger set was placed on the dining table. Samin, who was taking out the contents from the paper bag, tilted his head and muttered.
“Is this a delivery mistake?”
He examined the receipt attached to the bag. The printed address was correct. However, the quantity printed below was unexpected.
“Why are there three sets just for my hamburger?”
The quantity and contents written on the receipt matched. It meant everything came correctly as ordered. Samin looked at Doun with a face demanding explanation. Doun hesitated to answer and avoided his gaze for no reason. He had become strangely embarrassed.
It was just this dawn when he said he would seriously consider dating. Taking care of meals was like a measure of affection for Koreans, so it was a bit awkward.
“I thought you might run short while eating…”
“Hyung. I do eat well, but three sets is a bit…”
“Ah, is the amount insufficient?”
“No, it’s too much. I’m not a pig…”
When Samin’s mouth turned downward, Doun panicked. He had only a faint impression left that Samin ate heartily and well usually, so he thought the amount would be a lot too, but apparently not.
‘Ah. This isn’t it.’
Doun scratched the back of his neck. It was unnecessarily embarrassing that he had been shy by himself.
“If you get full while eating, just leave some. I can eat the leftovers.”
Doun muttered glumly while unwrapping the hamburger. When Doun’s reaction was strange, Samin belatedly looked back and forth between the receipt and the pile of hamburger sets.
‘Wait, did hyung order more thinking of me and I’m reacting weirdly right now? Crazy, crazy!’
Samin’s cheek twitched after belatedly understanding the situation. That sly Lee Doun. Samin screamed internally. Unable to contain his joy, Samin stuck the straw hard into his cola.
“When are you going to attempt floor 50?”
When he was halfway through his hamburger, Doun casually asked about the next schedule. Though Samin said not to worry about it, that wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Moreover, even if the first clear of floor 55 was out of reach, floor 50 was definitely a mountain that had to be crossed to challenge floor 56.
Samin bit into his hamburger and pondered for a moment.
‘If our hyung is being this insistent and I don’t listen, I’ll get demerits again, right?’
Demerits were concerning, but it was also true that the sooner the floor 50 attempt, the better. Moreover, Kim Siwon and Park Sangyeon, who had gone traveling abroad, were returning this evening. The conquest team would all be gathered and Doun’s will was firm, so Samin had no reason to delay either.
“As early as tomorrow or the day after? I was going to check everyone’s schedule today anyway.”
It wasn’t a very distant date. Doun chewed his hamburger energetically with an openly relieved face.
Seeing that, Samin’s heart wasn’t entirely comfortable. It was true that he had tried to recruit Doun to the guild because of difficulties with the floor 55 attempt, but he hadn’t intended to burden him this much.
‘Since hyung is worried, I’m getting worried too.’
He glanced at Doun. His cheek moving as he quietly ate his hamburger really resembled a hamster. Seeing the color in his slightly reddened cheeks, Samin felt proud.
The day Doun came to the building saying he would destroy the guild. Samin had never seen such a pale person. When he fed him various things and let him get fresh air, he could visibly see his pale complexion coming back to life. So Samin decided to take care of Doun’s meals no matter what.
‘He looks good eating well. What should I suggest for dinner?’
It was a happy worry. Samin hoped this daily life of sitting face to face with someone he liked, eating, and worrying about the next meal menu would continue. Even if their relationship wasn’t established, this kind of ambiguous relationship had its own thrilling taste.
Samin picked up a soggy french fry and dipped it in ketchup. Then he began drawing hearts on the paper bag. Filling it densely with his heart toward Doun.
“Tsk, why are you playing with food?”
“It’s not playing, I’m drawing my heart toward hyung?”
Doun checked the paper bag with ketchup squeezed on it. Large and small shapes were drawn in wavy lines. They were drawn with soggy french fries so it was hard to make out the shapes at all.
“Your heart is ketchup?”
“What… It’s obviously heart shapes!”
“You’re throwing a tantrum while eating again.”
“Why? Do I get demerits again for this?”
Doun said with a serious face.
“Yeah. You played around while eating and raised your voice. Demerits.”
“No, what exactly are the demerit standards? Why have I been getting only demerits since yesterday? Don’t you give bonus points?”
“…”
“What do I have to do to earn points? Can’t you just tell me outright?”
Doun was silent. Actually, there were no specific scoring items or anything. So he couldn’t answer. After saying demerits all this time, he couldn’t say now that there were no clear standards. The best he could do right now was just avoid eye contact and ignore Samin’s complaints.
“Hm? It won’t hurt to tell me a little.”
“I don’t want to. I won’t tell you.”
Finally, Samin, thoroughly sullen, shouted with a determined expression. In his hand was a long, droopy french fry.
“Evil prospective boyfriend Lee Doun, immediately disclose transparent scoring standards! I strongly demand it!”
It was the kind of vocalization and words you’d hear at a protest site. Doun burst into laughter as soon as he swallowed the cola in his mouth, finding it absurd.
“Are you crazy?”
“Didn’t you know? I’m completely crazy about hyung.”
Samin’s eyes were filled with madness as he gave his shameless answer.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
