Having finished watching the performance, Inho and Haon went straight to eat. They had just had drinks at the cafe, but they felt a bit hungry, perhaps because they had walked around a lot. It was a moderate hunger that didn’t feel unpleasant.
Haon unfolded the menu with curious eyes, then closed it again. Everything was in English, and he couldn’t read a single letter.
“How much do you think you can eat?”
As Haon put down the menu, Inho naturally chose the food.
“Uh, a little… a lot.”
At the unexpected answer, one of Inho’s eyebrows slightly rose. He must have thought the answer would end with ‘a little.’
“I’m a bit hungry.”
“Okay. Then I’ll order a lot.”
Inho, who had been gazing intently at Haon’s expression as if checking his complexion, called the server. Haon’s face looked comfortable as he said he was hungry. It seemed he was now trying to accept his hunger naturally.
“It’s nice here, right?”
Inho, having placed their order, gestured towards the window. They were sitting in a spot overlooking the Hangang scenery. It was a high-end restaurant with elegant classical music playing.
“Yes, it’s wonderful.”
“I thought Haon would like it.”
Inho thought Haon would like this restaurant. He had chosen it because Haon seemed to enjoy Western food and wine. And above all, he thought the open view of the Hangang River would please Haon’s eyes.
His prediction was just about right. If it had been a regular seat instead of a private room, Haon would have felt overwhelmed by the luxurious atmosphere and might have gotten indigestion. Being alone with Inho in the room made him feel less awkward. Besides, there was alcohol too.
“I have to drive, so only Haon should drink.”
“Yes.”
Haon nodded, holding the champagne glass that the server had poured and left. Drinking alone, he didn’t particularly feel like having alcohol. Of course, it was cool and delicious, but he only sipped a few times before putting it down.
While waiting for the food, the two continued their pleasant conversation, talking about what they had seen at the aquarium. They laughed heartily even at small remarks and seemed happy, both Haon and Inho.
Thump-thump…
As Haon was carefully eating the food that was being served little by little, his phone rang in his pocket.
“Who is it?”
“Ah… it’s Hyung-cheol hyung.”
Haon’s expression brightened even more after checking the text. It was the first text message he had received from a coworker. It was just like Hyung-cheol hyung to send a single emoticon asking what he was doing without any other words.
“You know each other’s numbers?”
“Yes?”
Haon, who hadn’t heard Inho’s question because he was replying to the text, asked again. He had just sent a shy emoticon along with a message saying he was having dinner with Inho.
“It seems you’re close with your coworkers,” Inho said, lightly wetting his lips with his water glass, showing interest. He didn’t bother to repeat the question Haon had missed.
“It’s the first time. This is the first time I’ve gotten this close with people.”
Haon took a small bite of the octopus salad and wore a faint smile. He had worked many part-time jobs, but there had been no colleagues like Hyung-cheol hyung, who showed interest in his work and worried about him, or Tae-hwi hyung. Hyung-cheol, despite looking cold, was always a dependable older brother who made sure he ate. Not to mention the kind youngest, Ho-young.
“It’s a shame you’re quitting soon.”
“It’s about two weeks left, right?” Inho continued, fiddling with his napkin.
“Yes… I’m a bit sad about it.”
Actually, he was very sad. The thought of having to say goodbye to such precious people again already made him feel a little down.
“You can still meet up even after you quit. Don’t be too upset.”
Inho offered words of comfort, perhaps reading Haon’s downcast mood. Thanks to him, Haon’s expression quickly brightened again. He was surprisingly simple in some ways.
From Tae-hwi, he received a reply saying he’d contact him later, along with a sly-looking emoticon. Haon took a sip of his drink for no reason and turned off the screen. He decided to reply later and folded one thumb firmly.
“What are you doing?”
Just then, Inho followed Haon and folded his thumb.
“I’ve been curious, is it some kind of signal?”
It seemed he had noticed Haon folding his fingers whenever he had something to remember. Haon replied lightly with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“I’m mentally making a note on my finger. If I fold it like this, I don’t forget easily.”
“Oh, I should try that too.”
Inho smiled gently and folded his finger firmly, following Haon. He didn’t seem to be teasing but rather looked amused by the new information he had learned.
“By the way, Haon-ssi.”
Inho waited until Haon swallowed his food before continuing the conversation.
“Everyone there is a beta, right? Except for one who seems to be an omega.”
“That’s right. Only Tae-hwi hyung is an omega.”
So it shows that much.
Haon, who was not very perceptive when it came to distinguishing secondary genders, picked up a piece of grilled asparagus, feeling curious. He wondered how Inho had noticed that Tae-hwi hyung was an omega.
Is it because Hyung is handsome? Tae-hwi hyung had such a striking face that he had even received offers from entertainment agencies. His skin was fair, and he always smelled nice.
Silence fell over the table for a moment, with only the sound of cutlery clinking. A fork circled on a plate, and the light sound of a crystal glass touching the tablecloth occasionally echoed.
“Inho-ssi.”
This time, it was Haon who broke the silence.
Inho, who had been putting down his water glass, tilted his head and looked at Haon. A smile, as if it had been carved, bloomed on his moistened lips.
“Why aren’t you eating much?”
Conversely, Haon’s expression darkened as he checked the plate in front of Inho. His food hadn’t decreased at all.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I’m just not that hungry.”
Inho shrugged his shoulders and smiled as if telling him not to worry. Surprisingly, Haon had eaten much more than Inho.
“You didn’t eat breakfast.”
Worry filled Haon’s round face. Since they had left home together, he knew exactly what Inho had eaten.
“Are you really sure you’re not feeling sick anywhere?”
He was even more concerned when he remembered Inho drinking strong liquor without any snacks in the early morning. However, Inho only smiled nonchalantly and didn’t seem serious at all.
“I ate quite a bit while Haon-ssi was working last night. I think my digestion is a little off.”
He seemed to enjoy Haon’s genuinely worried reaction and told him to focus on his meal. Haon took a spoonful of soup but couldn’t take his worried gaze off Inho.
It was the first time Inho hadn’t touched his food in front of Haon. Could he really be okay? Haon, his eyebrows furrowed, stared intently at Inho every time he took a bite of food. He hadn’t done it on purpose, but if his intention was to make Inho eat, it was successful.
“It’s delicious.”
Inho followed Haon and slowly put food into his mouth. Haon, relieved by the sight, recommended other dishes as well.
“This is also good.”
Because Inho didn’t refuse, Haon thought he was enjoying the food and continued to recommend various dishes. If he had known Inho’s stomach wasn’t well, he wouldn’t have done that.
***
The sky was pitch black on the way home.
Haon was leaning further against the window, away from the driver’s seat, looking at the dark night sky. He pretended to look at the sky even though there was nothing to see.
“Haon-ssi, would you like some chocolate?”
To draw Haon’s attention, Inho held out a small snack. Haon was about to refuse but reluctantly accepted the chocolate that was already in his hand.
“Thank you, I’ll eat it well.”
He didn’t feel like eating it, but he didn’t skip the polite greeting. As Inho must have sensed from Haon’s attitude, Haon was slightly sulking. Not a lot, just very slightly.
“How was today?”
Inho, who had asked the question, answered before Haon could open his mouth.
“I had a lot of fun.”
“…Me too.”
Of course, Haon had also enjoyed himself. He had been in such high spirits the entire time that it couldn’t be summed up with such a simple expression.
“Really?”
However, Inho, who couldn’t see inside Haon’s heart, asked again as if to confirm. If he could have shared Haon’s emotions, he would have been surprised at how happy a person could be.
“I had an amazing time.”
Haon replied, hoping his sincerity would be conveyed.
A little while later, Inho stopped the car at a red light and suddenly leaned closer.
“But why do you look like that?”
He knows why.
Haon lowered his gaze, conveying his gloomy feelings instead of speaking. He avoided looking at Inho because he felt his expression would soften if he did.
“I told you, I’m really okay.”
Inho poked Haon’s puffed-up cheek and chuckled. It was a smile that made the dim interior of the car feel bright. Looking at his bright face, he really did seem fine, just as he said.
“You threw up though….”
But Haon also had a sense of things. It was a problem that he often didn’t, though.
Before leaving the restaurant, Inho had gone to the restroom alone again. And when he returned, a refreshing mouthwash scent wafted from his mouth.
“I didn’t. I just used mouthwash.”
Inho insisted on this until the end, but Haon didn’t believe him easily. There was visible evidence that he had gone to throw up. The fact that he had returned late from the restroom, the mouthwash, and his slightly reddened eyes were the proof.
“You forced yourself to eat, so your stomach must feel even worse, right?”
Haon, who had thrown up many times, quickly noticed.
“No, my stomach is perfectly fine.”
But Inho denied it until the end. He didn’t need to hide being sick.
“Okay.”
Haon didn’t press further. He had no intention of digging into something Inho didn’t want to talk about.
However, he felt upset.
Inho had always made rice porridge for him whenever he was sick. But he hadn’t even realized Inho was unwell and had even encouraged him to eat more.
He should have told him he didn’t need to force himself. He had just been happy seeing Inho eat along with him. What a fool he was.
“Shall I peel it for you?”
Inho asked, looking at Haon, who was just holding the chocolate.
Instead of answering, Haon directly unwrapped the square chocolate and put it in his mouth. Because he put it all in at once instead of biting off small pieces, he almost swallowed half of it. Only a bitter taste remained in his mouth, which had become sticky with melted chocolate.
After that, Haon only repeated simple answers to Inho’s questions. He couldn’t help but show his upset feelings towards Inho, to the point where he wondered why he was acting like this.
Before he knew it, the car arrived at the apartment parking lot.
Inho parked the car in his usual spot and looked at Haon without unbuckling his seatbelt. Haon also didn’t unbuckle his, following suit.
He felt sorry for the serious Haon, but honestly, seeing his sulky expression kept making the corners of his lips twitch upward. He liked it when Haon showed that he was upset.
“Haon-ssi.”
“Yes,” Haon replied immediately but didn’t make eye contact. Even his pouting face was so cute, it was a problem.
“I really didn’t throw up.”
Inho made an excuse, saying he had just used the mouthwash that was in the restroom. Haon was about to let it go but then faced Inho directly and asked, hoping he would answer honestly.
“Really?”
Just then, a horn blared louder than Haon’s voice.
Bbaaang! Haon’s shoulders flinched at the piercing sound, startled.
The loud honking came from right in front of them.
A short honk sounded again from a car parked across. The driver’s side door soon opened, as if they had been waiting for Inho’s car to arrive.
“Haon-ssi.”
Click, Inho unbuckled his seatbelt and spoke in a soft voice. He watched the person getting out of the driver’s seat, only slightly tilting his head towards Haon. It was a familiar face.
“Go on up first.”
Inho, his back to Haon, opened the car door, his expression hardening coldly.
