It was not a question asked with an expected answer in mind. He was merely curious, and it was because he felt that if he did not hear an answer now, he would end up harboring different expectations on his own.
The actions that showed consideration for him, the affectionate words, and the touches that roamed his body as if desiring him constantly made him hold onto a question that did not fit his station. Could it be… that he liked him?
“If it’s an uncomfortable question, you don’t have to answer.”
When an immediate reply did not come, Haon, who had become timid again, avoided his gaze. Haon still did not have much courage.
‘He really does kiss often.’ Haon accepted Inho’s silence as affirmation.
Actually, he had expected it to some extent. After kissing him while drunk, he was the only one who had felt awkward. Inho had treated Haon very nonchalantly, as if he were used to such situations.
He must have had many relationships, and he must have kissed without dating. He was such a handsome man that he drew attention wherever he went, so in a way, it was natural. There was no way people would have left him alone.
While Haon was lost in thought for a moment, Inho, who had closed his mouth, was deep in contemplation.
It was an easy question to answer, but the words just wouldn’t come out. It was obvious that it would disappoint Haon.
Frankly, Inho had lived his life making the most of his good looks. It was a life where he didn’t turn anyone away. He couldn’t even remember all the faces of the omegas he had slept with.
It was partly to relieve his rut, but from the start, he enjoyed sex.
There was a time when it was his daily routine to spend long nights borrowing the body heat of strangers whose names he didn’t even know. Sex always accompanied drinking sessions. Inho liked that. The only thing that could fill his empty heart was intense pleasure.
“To be honest,”
Inho, who had started speaking, plopped down next to Haon. It was a question he could have easily brushed off, but he told the truth. Haon’s round, innocent eyes made him confess the truth.
“I’ve done it all. Even without dating.”
“Ah… I see.”
Perhaps it was the answer he had expected, as Haon’s reaction was calm. However, seeing him nod and wipe his wet lips with the back of his hand, he seemed disappointed after all.
“But I haven’t since I met Haon-ssi.”
Inho, who had turned sideways to face Haon, said abruptly.
“I haven’t gone to any drinking parties either.”
It felt as if he were drunk. Inho watched Haon’s expression, answering even the questions that hadn’t been asked.
“I’ve turned down all offers to meet.”
The moment he finished speaking, he wondered what he was doing and laughed. He found himself ridiculous, rambling on like a child confessing their wrongdoings to their parents.
It was Haon’s eyes that were the problem. Looking into his pure, untainted hazel eyes, a sensation he hadn’t even known existed inside him kept stirring, trying to reveal its presence.
This feeling often brought about laughter, but sometimes, like now, it made him want to hide.
“Why…?”
Haon, who had been blankly staring at Inho, asked. His rapid heartbeat was fully conveyed to Inho. It was beating so fast. Even Inho’s heart seemed to faintly try to respond.
“I think I like Haon-ssi.”
Inho, who had moved a hand’s breadth closer to Haon, said.
“I like Haon-ssi.”
A little more clearly, so that Haon wouldn’t forget.
“I think I’ll like you even more in the future.”
Once he said it, his feelings became even clearer.
‘I like Haon-ssi.’ That’s why he kept looking at him, wanting to be good to him, and wanting to smell him.
“Did you drink…?”
At Haon’s bewildered question, Inho moved even closer and said no.
He hadn’t drunk a single drop of alcohol. If he had, he would have smelled of it. Inho always drank strong liquor, so even one glass would leave a strong alcoholic scent.
“But why….”
Haon’s eyes shook violently. He didn’t seem drunk at all, but he couldn’t understand why he was saying things that he would only say when completely intoxicated.
‘Could he be joking?’ Haon wondered, looking at Inho’s smiling lips.
However, the moment his gaze shifted to Inho’s eyes, the doubt he had felt about his sincerity vanished.
“Will you date me?”
His eyes were serious. Although it could just be Haon’s wishful thinking.
***
Haon, who woke up early in the morning, stared blankly at the ceiling.
He gazed silently at the plain ceiling for a full thirty minutes before slowly heading to the bathroom.
He brushed his teeth, and washed his face, all with a dazed expression like someone with a screw loose. He was so out of it that he even forgot to wipe the water from his face.
He wandered around the room, unaware of the water droplets gathering at his chin and falling to the floor, before collapsing against the wall. Even though he had just woken up, he sank down as if his legs had given out.
It was only after burying his face in his knees that he realized he hadn’t wiped off the water. He tried to roughly wipe the moisture with his clothes, but a heavy sigh escaped him first.
“Haa—.”
The successive sighs soon turned into deep breaths. He couldn’t calm down because the events of the previous night kept coming to mind.
Last night. Around the time when tired office workers were having a late dinner or enjoying their leisure time on their way home from work, something incredible happened to Haon.
“Will you date me?”
Remembering that voice that wouldn’t be forgotten even after death, he abruptly covered his mouth. Even though he had heard it directly with his own ears, he couldn’t believe it.
“I’ll be good to you.”
He also vividly recalled him taking his hand with a subtle grip while saying that. He could even clearly remember his body temperature and the feel of the sheets against his back.
Haon had only replied with an ambiguous nod. That was his limit. His tongue, frozen with tension, couldn’t form any words.
However, perhaps even that small nod was a sufficient answer, as Inho smiled brightly and kissed Haon’s forehead. Not his lips, but his round forehead.
After that, he left the room with a goodnight greeting. Then, before closing the door, he told him to wash up and sleep even though he was tired, so Haon had jumped up and gone into the bathroom. Almost as if he were running away.
‘Is it a dream? Yeah… that’s right. It might still be a dream.’
He didn’t know where the dream might have started, but it was a possibility. It was more plausible that he was having a long dream than that Inho had confessed to him.
‘I like Haon-ssi.’
Thump! Confusing dream and reality, Haon banged his head against the wall in surprise at Inho’s confession that brushed past his ear. It hurt, so it didn’t seem like a dream. If so, then Inho had really said those words.
“Was he not feeling well…?”
He wrung his hands, vividly recalling Inho’s complexion from the previous night. Inho, who ate well and rode a bicycle skillfully, had seemed healthier than anyone else. His condition even seemed better than usual.
Then why did he do that?
His head, heavy with a large question mark, gradually tilted towards the floor.
Eventually, Haon, who lay down with his cheek on the floor, fell into deeper thought in that position for a long time. His head, filled with Inho, felt endlessly heavy.
Vibration.
How much time had passed? Haon, who had been lying down like a fallen petal, raised himself up at the sound of his phone vibrating.
Thinking it might be a text from Inho, he quickly ran to the bedside table and picked up his phone. As expected, a familiar name was displayed on the bright screen. ‘Seo Inho-ssi’.
[Are you still asleep?]
He was about to reply, checking the stiffly saved name and the text message. Vibration—
Another text arrived with the vibration in his hand.
[If you’re awake, come out to eat]
‘Is he in the living room…?’
Because the door was closed, he couldn’t hear any sounds from outside. It was such a soundproof place that he could barely hear any outside noise unless he strained his ears.
[Yes, I’ll go out now]
Haon couldn’t press the send button and repeatedly deleted and rewrote the sentence. Somehow, no matter how he wrote it, it sounded too stiff, so he ended up not sending any reply.
He usually replied to texts right away. But now, for some reason, it felt difficult. Thinking that they were dating, he became conscious of even the slightest nuances in his manner of speaking.
“Let’s go out for now.”
He put down the heavy phone and took another deep breath. He wanted to face Inho as naturally as possible. Just like Inho always treated him, naturally and nonchalantly.
As he opened the door and went out, a savory smell wafted over. Drawn by it, he looked towards the kitchen and saw Inho just taking a blue bottle out of the refrigerator.
“Did you sleep well?”
As expected, his expression was relaxed. Holding the carbonated water he drank more often than regular water, he approached Haon.
Haon walked towards him and replied, “Yes.” He hadn’t expected to fall asleep so easily, but surprisingly, he had dozed off as soon as he washed up and lay down. It seemed to be the effect of exercising during the day. His surprised heart must have been exhausted too.
“Haon-ssi.”
Inho, standing in front of Haon, smiled gently. Again, Haon was zoning out, lost in his own thoughts for a moment.
Unaware of this, Haon widened his eyes. He felt that if he relaxed, his trembling heart would be revealed.
“Yes.”
For some reason, his own voice sounded awkward, which bothered him. Meeting Inho’s eyes was also strangely difficult. Because he kept thinking about his confession from last night.
‘Will you date me?’
“Did you shower?”
For a moment, Inho’s voice seemed to overlap. Flustered, Haon parted his lips and then collected himself, saying firmly that he had only washed his face.
“I, I brushed my teeth too.”
He didn’t even need to say that. Haon put strength into his lips, which were moving on their own, and swallowed his words. He had to be careful not to ramble nonsense like he did yesterday.
“I see,” Inho murmured, touching the top of Haon’s head. A little moisture had soaked into his fine hair.
“Because it was wet.”
He omitted saying that was why he had asked and took a step closer. Haon’s shoulders flinched, surprised by the sudden closeness. Haon belatedly tried to hide his nervousness by raising the corners of his lips.
“You have something on your lip.”
Inho gently stroked Haon’s lower lip and then went back to the kitchen, saying they should eat.
Following Inho, Haon touched his lips where his hand had lingered. What could have been on it?
He looked down at Inho’s hand, but the hand that had supposedly wiped something off was clean. Seeing this, Haon’s cheeks gradually turned reddish.
