#014
Yechan stared intently at Jiwoon taking off his shoes. Then he soon moved his gaze along Jiwoon’s temples and jawline.
“Hyung, you’re wearing summer uniform.”
Despite not looking like the type, Jiwoon always wore crisply ironed shirts with every single button fastened, never even loosening the front.
The gap between liking oversized casual clothes but wearing his uniform fitted perfectly was fascinating. Wasn’t it uncomfortable?
“It suddenly got really hot.”
“Right. Gyeongju was even hotter.”
At Jiwoon’s speech pattern returning to normal, Yechan smiled as his gaze slowly scanned Jiwoon’s summer uniform. Yechan’s eyes, which had been traveling down along his nape, eventually reached the white arms and fingertips exposed under the short-sleeved summer uniform.
Yechan pulled Jiwoon’s shoulder and sat him down in front of the dining table. Standing in front of Jiwoon, Yechan continued speaking without removing his hands from his shoulders.
“I’ll make you vongole. I think it’ll take about ten minutes.”
“I want to wash up, Yechan.”
Jiwoon, who had been quietly meeting his eyes, rested his forehead against the stomach of Yechan standing in front of him. Thud, the abdominal muscles where his head touched reflexively tightened.
Yechan’s hand that had been resting on Jiwoon’s shoulder grasped his chin. At that contact, Jiwoon’s heart skipped a beat for a moment. Yechan lifted his small head and grinned.
There was no expression on Jiwoon’s face.
“Go wash up. The noodles might get a bit soggy though. Should I give you clothes?”
“No. I have your clothes. Make the food.”
And by the time Yechan was completing the vongole properly, Jiwoon was sitting in front of the dining table wearing Yechan’s clothes. His wet hair caught Yechan’s eye.
Yechan placed the generously portioned vongole pasta on the table. Then he took off his apron and sat across from Jiwoon.
“Hyung, you have a pretty body.”
“What?”
At the sudden comment, Jiwoon, who was about to swallow a bite of pasta, nearly choked. Yechan said while twirling pasta around his spoon:
“The summer uniform suits you well. Your body type too, the balance is really good. Is it because you exercise?”
“…Are you a pervert, Yechan? Why are you suddenly talking about my body?”
“Because I’m envious.”
At Yechan’s nonchalant response, Jiwoon had to silently swallow the pasta in his mouth.
“Eat a lot.”
“It’s delicious.”
Jiwoon gave an honest impression. Yechan, who had been chewing pasta and smiling, suddenly asked as if remembering something:
“But did you really not eat yesterday?”
“No. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“Starving yourself hurts your body.”
That damn body, body. Recalling Yechan’s face saying his body was pretty, Jiwoon swallowed and focused only on eating.
Unaware of Jiwoon’s feelings, Yechan continued:
“Oh, right. Hyung, you said before that some kid you didn’t know cursed at me and left.”
“Yeah.”
“I got into it with him. A verbal fight.”
Seeing Jiwoon’s sharp eyes that shot up, Yechan quietly pulled down the corners of his mouth.
“I’m tattling to hyung right now. Is that okay?”
“What wouldn’t be okay about it?”
“This might make hyung feel bad.”
“Would it feel worse than the junior who made me curse when I can’t normally do such things?”
“I strangely wanted to hear it. I was wrong.”
At Jiwoon’s tilted head asking, Yechan rolled his lips inward and answered obediently. At Yechan’s apology, something cool yet hot suddenly arose in Jiwoon’s heart and soon spread throughout his body.
Crazy. Jiwoon chewed pasta while focusing on the endless changes spreading through himself.
“…Tell me first. What is it?”
“That kid I didn’t know, um… named Choi Yeon… they said he’s your friend’s younger brother.”
“Choi Yeon? Choi Min’s younger brother?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not friends with Choi Min.”
“What?”
“They’re just kids we hang around with.”
“Really?”
Jiwoon, who had taken a big bite of pasta, nodded his head. Watching Jiwoon’s cheeks moving as he chewed, Yechan continued:
“Ah… anyway, so that Choi Min hyung’s younger brother has been acting mean to me for a while.”
“Why?”
“I think it’s because of hyung. That kid seems to… like hyung. I’m sorry. I know you shouldn’t out people like this, but I thought it would be better for me to confess directly to hyung now rather than let you hear it at school tomorrow.”
Jiwoon was silent for a moment. His head spun rapidly. After considering various possibilities, Jiwoon’s thoughts soon moved to the next step.
Choi Yeon who likes Lee Jiwoon and is jealous of Seo Yechan. And Seo Yechan who dealt with Choi Yeon’s mean behavior.
The situation he predicted from the word “outing” made Jiwoon frown. It wasn’t because he was worried about being involved in gossip.
What others chattered about, as always, wasn’t even worth Jiwoon’s concern. The reason his heart was stirring was simply because of the word “outing” itself.
After catching his breath briefly, Jiwoon stared at Yechan quietly. Right now, he was thinking that while bad deeds should naturally be paid for, Yechan’s method was somewhat extreme.
However, at that moment, Yechan tilted his head and met Jiwoon’s eyes. In those eyes, hesitation, anticipation, and something unknowable were mixed together, creating waves.
Seeing him, Jiwoon bit his lower lip slightly. Yechan, who had confessed everything to him as soon as the school trip ended, had clearly perfectly predicted his upcoming response.
Jiwoon eventually reached the conclusion that Yechan was audacious. However, that audacious Seo Yechan in front of him was far too cute.
Soon Jiwoon began comparing weights. Seo Yechan’s cuteness and audacity. And Jiwoon ultimately decided to lose to his cuteness.
“Ah… I know.”
“What?”
“We meet often originally. Because our families are connected. I never really gave him any opening, but he kept acting that way, so I just thought that’s how it was.”
At Jiwoon’s words, Yechan was flustered. Jiwoon’s face saying he knew about Choi Yeon’s feelings was calm.
For some reason, irritation welled up from within. Had the pasta gotten to him? As Yechan pondered briefly, Jiwoon asked:
“So what did he do to you?”
Yechan told him about the incidents with Choi Yeon. Jiwoon, who nodded carefully and finished what seemed like enough pasta for two people, sucked on the straw of the carbonated drink Yechan offered. Jiwoon’s cheek hollowed.
“Yechan has a nasty personality.”
Jiwoon said, staring at Yechan who had finished his story.
“I’m embarrassed that I got caught.”
Yechan spoke sincerely. At such Yechan, Jiwoon lowered his eyes and organized his thoughts that were jumping in other directions.
Yechan always preferred things that were precise as if measured with a ruler and clear as if cut with a knife. He disliked burden to an excessive degree and detested purposeful approaches.
In other words, his boundaries were clear and the area within those boundaries was very narrow. Being such a person, Yechan obviously wouldn’t forgive someone who crossed his line and caused him harm.
Jiwoon went over that fact once more and chewed on it again. The moment you cross the line, you’re out. Seo Yechan was that kind of person.
“So in the end, in the frame you set up, you and I are the victims? Once I graduate, you’ll be fine too.”
“I get goosebumps sometimes when hyung is like this. Because you’re smart.”
“Yeah, I know too.”
Jiwoon answered leisurely and sucked on the straw once more. The sound of ice clinking in the carbonated drink glass could be heard.
It stung a little that Yechan had defined himself as just a close senior-junior relationship, but it wasn’t exactly wrong.
“Still, I’m sorry. I talked about hyung when you weren’t there.”
“My name was sold, but it’s not my story. The main subject is Choi Yeon anyway.”
“Wow… Hyung. Can you read my mind?”
“I can read it. You’re thinking Lee Jiwoon is cool right now, aren’t you?”
“No, Jiwoon hyung is cool.”
Jiwoon curved his lips prettily. Yechan’s eyes carefully observed such Jiwoon. The small white face wearing his clothes looked tiny.
“Are you accepting my apology?”
“There’s nothing to accept or not accept. That’s between you and him.”
Yechan was inwardly amazed at Jiwoon, who accurately grasped the essence of the incident and clearly confirmed the boundaries he had drawn. The line he was thinking of matched the line Jiwoon was thinking of.
Suddenly, an emotion similar to exhilaration bloomed within Yechan. A person similar to himself. As expected, while Jiwoon was different from Yechan in appearance, personality, and behavior, something deep within them was very much alike.
That’s when it happened. Jiwoon’s phone vibrated. After checking the caller, Jiwoon went to the living room to answer the call.
While Jiwoon was on the phone, Yechan cleared the table and started the dishwasher. When Jiwoon finished the call, he was expressionless.
“I talked with Choi Min.”
Choi Min genuinely despised his younger brother’s behavior. Of course, that wasn’t because of feelings for Jiwoon, but because of the reckless actions.
Choi Min was sorry that Jiwoon’s name had been mentioned here and there. At Choi Min showing a similar attitude to Yechan, Jiwoon responded appropriately and hung up. Strangely, Jiwoon felt a little envious of Choi Yeon being understood by Choi Min.
“Yechan. Don’t worry about this side and settle it with just you and Choi Yeon. Choi Min and I will stay out of it.”
Yechan nodded. He was proud of how the incident had been wrapped up so ideally. More than anything, he felt good because Jiwoon’s thinking and behavior were so satisfying.
In his satisfied mood, Yechan curved his lips broadly. He quickly approached the sofa where Jiwoon was sitting, sat down with his knees up, and asked:
“Are you really not angry?”
“I’m not angry.”
“Then are we going to keep our promise not to curse now?”
At the sly words, Jiwoon let out a snort.
“Hyuuung.”
“Yechan. Cursing is also language.”
“Is that so? Still, I’d like it if hyung didn’t curse.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
