The gazes of the people packed tightly inside the elevator turned toward the two of them. More precisely, toward Yi-beom. The looks were cold—wary, as if they were staring at a beast. As they took small steps backward, Eunho waved his hands.
“N-No…”
At that moment, a child clinging tightly to his mother’s hand burst into tears.
“H-Hic… M-Mom…!”
“……”
“Mom. Hic, that Ahjussi is scary!”
The child, tears streaming down, clung to his mother’s leg. As if protecting the child, the mother stroked his back while glaring at Yi-beom.
He hadn’t done anything, yet it felt like he’d become a criminal.
No. Our Ahjussi is…
Harsh gazes poured in one after another. No one spoke, but it was obvious they wanted the elevator doors to close quickly. Just as Eunho was about to say something, the hand holding his tugged him back.
“Ahjussi…”
“It’s fine.”
Yi-beom answered with a calm expression.
“We’ll just take the stairs.”
Before the elevator doors could close, Yi-beom pushed open the emergency exit beside them. The creaking sound echoed through the space.
Each step rang hollow as they climbed the stairs behind him. But Eunho couldn’t hear anything over his pounding heart.
He couldn’t forget the looks from earlier—the stiff faces, the way they had retreated.
Is Ahjussi really okay?
Eunho glanced up at Yi-beom. With an indifferent face, Yi-beom kept climbing.
“Ahjussi.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you… hate me like that too? Yesterday?”
At those words, Yi-beom stopped walking. Like a predator stalking prey, his body turned slowly.
“No.”
Yi-beom let out a short laugh.
“Want me to hate you?”
“N-No.”
Yi-beom stepped closer to Eunho, who stood there fidgeting like a child awaiting punishment. A large hand gently ruffled his hair.
“It’s fine. It’s not the first time I’ve gotten looks like that.”
“……”
“When you live like a gangster, you get used to it. It’s not exactly a job that earns kind gazes anyway.”
“You’re not a gangster, Ahjussi.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
You just do a few bad things. Eunho’s lips puffed out, his sense of ethics oddly lax in peculiar areas. Watching his clear, baffled expression, Yi-beom’s mouth curved upward.
His lover, Jung Eunho, was like a sponge. He sensed hostile gazes instantly, yet he didn’t get hurt or disappointed by them. He simply absorbed them, like a sponge. If he hadn’t had that kind of personality, he would’ve left long ago, unable to endure the stares.
It’s a relief our baby’s a fool. Brushing aside the hair that had fallen across Eunho’s forehead, Yi-beom thought to himself.
“I just feel sorry for you.”
“For me? Why?”
“Because when you’re with me, you have to endure looks you wouldn’t otherwise get.”
“……”
“I can’t just gouge out all their eyeballs, either.”
Something about that clearly annoyed Eunho again; his eyes sharpened. Then he grabbed Yi-beom’s hand firmly.
“Ahjussi.”
Seriously, this guy. Eunho lifted his brows.
“It’s not like you’re the only popular one, you know?”
“Hm?”
“Even when I’m alone, people stare at me all the time. It’s not because I’m with you that they’re looking!”
“……”
“Don’t act like you’re the only one who’s amazing…”
Yi-beom finally burst out laughing. Ha-ha—his laughter echoed through the stairwell. As he bent over, clutching his stomach, a pair of ears popped up from Eunho’s hair with a poof. A sign of excitement.
It’s true! Trembling slightly, Eunho added,
“A-And you’re not even the trendy style these days, Ahjussi!”
“That’s a real problem then.”
His face didn’t look troubled at all. With a teasing smile lingering on his lips, Yi-beom whispered,
“What should I do? Since I’m not the trendy type, looks like Jung Eunho will have to keep me.”
Ugh. Eunho glared. Normally he would’ve nodded eagerly at the idea of keeping him, but not this time. Jumping in place, he blurted out,
“You’re a mi-jungnyeon (handsome middle-aged man) now!”
Yi-beom’s laughter cut off instantly. The corners of his mouth dropped.
“What?”
His expression hardened like a demon’s, and Eunho gasped. Startled, a tail poked out from behind Eunho.
“Mi… jungnyeon?”
As if he couldn’t believe it, Yi-beom repeated the words. This is bad. Eunho instinctively took a step back.
“N-Not mi-jungnyeon… a b-bachelor.”
“……”
“A handsome… bachelor…?”
The more he spoke, the more Yi-beom’s expression twisted.
That’s not right either!
Trembling, Eunho retreated another step until his back hit the wall.
There was nowhere left to run. Yi-beom closed in, planting both hands against the wall, completely blocking his escape. A dark shadow fell over Eunho.
“Must be hard, keeping around someone old and washed up, huh?”
A large hand touched his cheek. Despite the rough words, the touch was careful.
“Not trendy either…”
“……”
“Wish I were a rabbit. But I’m a tiger… and even a ‘handsome bachelor.’ Right?”
“J-Just a bachelor…”
A vein rose on Yi-beom’s forehead. I should just stop talking. Eunho hurriedly pressed his lips shut.
The hand stroking his cheek slid downward. Tracing along his neck, it moved toward somewhere more intimate. At the curling sensation in his toes, Eunho let out a soft, breathy moan.
“Should we try it here until the tiger turns into a rabbit?”
The flickering light went out, plunging the space into darkness. In it, Yi-beom’s golden eyes glowed.
“They say rabbits can go again after three seconds.”
“……”
“I think I could manage that too.”
Now his hand was rubbing Eunho’s lower belly over the T-shirt.
Their breathing filled the stairwell. His lower abdomen kept tightening, strength pooling in his thighs. At the strange sensation, Eunho’s eyes rolled restlessly.
At this rate, I’m going to get eaten.
The hand slowly stroking his stomach felt dangerously suggestive. If this kept up, they might forget about the movie entirely and end up doing it right here. Realizing that blurting something out might backfire like the “handsome bachelor” comment, Eunho thought hard. Then, finally deciding, he rose onto his tiptoes.
Smack. With a soft sound, Eunho’s lips pressed briefly against Yi-beom’s cheek.
“Just live as a tiger!”
While Yi-beom froze, Eunho shoved away the hand at his stomach and dashed up the stairs.
“Even if you’re a tiger, I’ll let it slide! So just stay a tiger!”
“Jung Eunho!”
Hearing Yi-beom’s growl as though he’d lost his prey, Eunho’s face went pale. His round tail twitching, he began taking the stairs two at a time.
An unexpected chase broke out. After sprinting nonstop up to the eighth floor, Eunho panted heavily as he pushed open the emergency door.
***
Thanks to the run, they thankfully weren’t late for the screening.
The two entered the theater while commercials were still playing. Holding a cola in one hand and Yi-beom’s hand in the other, Eunho followed behind him.
Reaching the top of the steps, Yi-beom stopped in front of the last row of seats.
Surely it’s not here… right?
With unsteady eyes, Eunho looked back at him.
“…Are these really our seats?”
“…Yeah.”
At a glance, they were completely different from the seats below. Everything was painted hot pink, two chairs stuck tightly together without an armrest. There were even small partitions on both sides so others couldn’t see.
This… is really our spot…?
Ahjussi actually booked a seat this embarrassing…?
“C-Can you check again? Are you sure it’s right?”
“How many times do I have to say it? It’s right.”
Yi-beom was just as dumbfounded. The tickets had been booked by Younguk after suggesting they might as well watch an evening movie. The only things Yi-beom knew were the time and the theater number.
No wonder those bastards were snickering at their phones.
Seeing the hearts drawn all over the seats, Yi-beom ground his teeth.
They really held a damn ritual wishing me ruin.
Leaving the stiffly frozen Yi-beom behind, Eunho slipped into the couple seats first. It was embarrassing in case anyone saw, but once he sat down, it wasn’t so bad. Without armrests, sharing popcorn even felt easier.
“Ahjussi.”
Chewing popcorn diligently, Eunho asked,
“What movie is this?”
“No idea.”
“You booked it… th-then why don’t you know?”
“Do you think I’m crazy enough to book these seats myself?”
“Then who booked them?”
Eunho turned fully toward Yi-beom. Each time the screen changed, light washed over Yi-beom’s face, revealing a faint flush on his cheeks.
Staring at him as if he wouldn’t look away until he answered, Yi-beom let out a sigh.
“That bastard Younguk booked it.”
“……”
“…I told him you said you were scared of me. He said I should try dating you like it’s the beginning again.”
