#027
Summer vacation had begun.
Supplementary classes and self-study, academy, weekends studying with Jiwoon, then academy again. Yechan, who had been spending his days going around in circles during the week, had to give up his Saturday lunch when Seungwoo said they should go eat pizza, asking if he hadn’t promised to treat them to pizza before.
The four of them—including Taehyun and Minho—gathered and ordered two pizzas, then efficiently filled their stomachs going back and forth to the salad bar.
“Ah, we’re going to the beach! Han Seungwoo, do you want to come with us too?”
Taehyun, who had stuffed pizza in his mouth, mumbled as he spoke. Seungwoo readily answered.
“Of course I’ll go. When are you going?”
“The date is this day.”
Taehyun pushed his phone toward Seungwoo. A calendar was visible on Taehyun’s phone screen.
“August 3rd?”
“Yeah, it’s going to be super hot though… Well, that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?”
Seungwoo, who had checked the date, said with a troubled expression.
“That day the hyungs called me… Ah, the hyungs are also going to the beach. Can’t you guys just go there too?”
“Hyungs?”
“Third-year hyungs. They’re going to Yeosu for the 100-day countdown to Suneung. Jukyung hyung is organizing it and kept asking for dongsaengs, dongsaengs, so I said I’d go. Originally, the 100-day countdown to Suneung is when first and second-years put on performances. Anyway, if you guys play around that area, I think I could join you at the right timing.”
“Oh! Yeosu is nice. Doesn’t the train get there quickly?”
“Not quickly… it takes more than three hours. Let me ask this girl first.”
Minho, who had answered Taehyun’s excited words, sent messages to his crush. Hearing Yoon Jukyung’s name, Yechan thought of Jiwoon and silently pushed pizza into his mouth.
“But where do we sleep when we get there? We can’t get accommodations by ourselves.”
“Ah, right. Then should I just ask Jukyung hyung if he can let you guys stay too?”
“Is that okay?”
“Hyung said to bring kids since he has many rooms. But you know, these days I don’t hang out with the kids. So I said I’d go alone.”
The kids who had been called Han Seungwoo’s gang at the beginning of the semester were now scattered and hanging out with different people. Of course, even so, Seungwoo was still a good lunch mate who could get food early.
Taehyun munched on potato salad and said.
“Alone? But who exactly are those third-year hyungs you’re talking about?”
“Jukyung hyung, Kyungjun hyung, Choi Min hyung, Jiwoon hyung. These four.”
Yechan recalled Jiwoon saying he would go to the beach once.
“You’re also fucking amazing for saying you’d tag along there by yourself… And except for Seo Yechan, we don’t know those hyungs at all.”
“I don’t know them either.”
“You’re close with Lee Jiwoon hyung.”
“I don’t know the rest.”
Yechan corrected Taehyun’s words.
“Yeah, well anyway Seo Yechan is there too. Then it’s two dongsaengs and two friends, so they’ll probably tell us to come?”
At the word dongsaeng, Yechan frowned. The three continued their conversation without paying attention to Yechan.
“Wow, then I’m totally happy. The day to finally properly expand my network has come. Are you guys okay with it?”
“I don’t mind. Oh, these girls said yes too. The grandmother’s house of a friend who’s going with them is in Yeosu, so they said we can sleep there.”
“Then you guys can play with the girls during the day and play at Jukyung hyung’s place at night. Seo Yechan, you’re okay with it too, right?”
The three, who had been chattering and reached a conclusion, looked at Yechan and asked. Yechan, who had been receiving the sparkling gazes of the three who seemed to have already arrived at the beach, answered.
“Whatever. But I’m coming back early on Sunday. I have to go to academy.”
“Yes! Hey, what should I wear?”
“You’re Oh Taehyun no matter what you wear. Then I’ll go tell this girl let’s go to Yeosu.”
“Then I’ll also call Jukyung hyung.”
Minho and Seungwoo picked up their phones and got up from their seats. Yechan downed the remaining cola.
“But when is Kim Minho going to stop being in that ‘thing’? At this rate he’ll become a senior. If he confesses at the beach this time, I’m going to tease him so much.”
Taehyun giggled and teased Minho who wasn’t at the table. Thinking about seeing the ocean after a long time, Yechan’s heart also swelled slightly with anticipation.
Yechan, who had been fiddling with his phone for a moment, thought of Jiwoon he would meet later and started eating pizza again.
“Jukyung hyung said okay as soon as I mentioned you guys. He likes you, hyung. He said there’s going to be a lot of delicious food.”
“The appointment with the girls is confirmed too.”
“So good, I’m so excited. Hey, Kim Minho. Are her friends pretty?”
A little later, Seungwoo and Minho returned. Once the location was confirmed, making travel plans also proceeded smoothly. The four chatted noisily and finished their meal grandly.
The four who left the restaurant scattered. Taehyun and Minho, leaving Yechan who was paying behind them, giggled and greeted Seungwoo saying they got to eat well thanks to him.
Hearing that, Yechan had the idle thought that strictly speaking, wasn’t this thanks to Jiwoon? After sending off the three who said they were going to a PC room, he headed to Jiwoon’s house. It was already three o’clock.
* * *
“Did you eat?”
“I ate. What time do you think it is?”
Yechan naturally stepped into Jiwoon’s house. He entered the room with Jiwoon, who was wearing a light sky-blue t-shirt and shorts.
Soon Yechan put down his backpack, washed his hands, came back, placed books on the desk with thuds, and took out his glasses. When he put on the glasses, Yechan’s face became even more neat.
He looks more like a model student than usual. Jiwoon watched Yechan’s face and asked.
“You wear glasses?”
“Sometimes. The ones I used to wear broke so I went without them for a while… I just got new ones fitted. Do they look weird?”
“They suit you.”
Hearing the compliment, Yechan smiled with a refreshing curve of his lips. The glasses over his white face looked natural.
Don’t glasses usually kill your looks? Far from killing his looks, Jiwoon stared at the glasses that enhanced his handsome facial features and soon curved his lips too.
After watching Yechan with glasses for a while, Jiwoon barely tore his eyes away from Yechan’s face and opened his book.
The room was soon filled with the scratching sounds of mechanical pencils and pages turning. Drinking beverages in between, the two continued studying.
How much time had passed? Soon it was getting dusky outside the window and then it turned completely black. Jiwoon closed his book and stretched his body fully. Then he went out of the room, took several sandwiches from the refrigerator, and returned.
Today was a day when studying went well. The two, who didn’t want to break their concentration, continued studying for a long time while chewing sandwiches. The studying that continued until late at night only ended at eleven o’clock.
Yechan, who had closed his book, opened the door saying he’d go wash up. At that action which naturally gave off the nuance that he would sleep over, Jiwoon chuckled. And soon, Jiwoon, who had finished solving the remaining problems, roughly organized his area and headed to the bathroom.
What greeted Jiwoon when he returned from washing was Yechan sitting cross-legged on the floor. Yechan was leaning against the bed checking his phone.
Jiwoon roughly dried his hair and sat cross-legged in front of Yechan in the same way. Then Yechan suddenly opened his mouth.
“Hyung, I heard you’re going to Yeosu.”
“How did you know?”
“Han Seungwoo told me. He said he’s going too.”
“Really?”
Jiwoon answered curtly, recalling Jukyung’s words that he would take care of everything so just bring your body.
At that, Yechan, who had been tilting his head for a moment, pulled Jiwoon toward him. Yechan turned Jiwoon’s body to sit between his legs, hugged Jiwoon from behind, and rested his chin on his shoulder.
At the sudden action, Jiwoon’s heart fluttered.
“You didn’t know?”
“No. I guess Yoon Jukyung called them.”
“That’s what they said. So I said I’d go too.”
“What?”
Jiwoon quickly turned his head toward Yechan’s face. Yechan raised his hand to touch Jiwoon’s cheek and chuckled.
“The kids were making a fuss about going to the beach. Then when I told Han Seungwoo to go together, he said let’s go there and play since it’s the hyungs’ 100-day countdown to Suneung. We didn’t have anywhere to stay, but it seems like Yoon Jukyung sunbae will let us sleep there.”
“Aha.”
“But you really didn’t know? Don’t I need to get permission from hyung too?”
“No. Everything related to going to the beach is Yoon Jukyung’s job. All the kids are staying out of it. If Yoon Jukyung said it’s okay, then it’s okay, so just come comfortably.”
Jiwoon answered thinking of Kyungjun who was busy with dating and Choi Min who was busy studying. Anyway, they were all kids who just needed to eat well and play well. And that was the same for himself too.
Jiwoon suddenly imagined the face Jukyung would have shown when he heard the news that Yechan was joining the trip. He was probably grinning.
Yechan nibbled on Jiwoon’s nape, who seemed lost in thought about something. Jiwoon, who had been thinking deeply about something, soon turned his head at the ticklish sensation. Yechan’s arm around his waist was firm.
“I’ll go comfortably then. Somehow we ended up going on a trip together. It’ll be fun.”
“Right. It’ll be fun.”
“It’s the 100-day countdown to Suneung, is there anything you want to do?”
“Not really.”
Jiwoon, who was thinking about seeing the ocean with Yechan, slightly lifted the corners of his mouth. Yechan kneaded Jiwoon’s ear firmly.
It’s cool. Jiwoon subtly leaned his head against Yechan’s face that was resting on his shoulder.
“I’ll buy a cake and bring it, blow out the candles.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going in the evening. Have fun playing, hyung. During the day I’m scheduled to be dragged into blind dates.”
“…Blind dates?”
The smile disappeared from Jiwoon’s lips at hearing the unexpected word.
“Yes. During the day I’m supposed to play with Kim Minho’s crush’s friends.”
“Girls?”
“Yes.”
At Yechan’s words, Jiwoon unconsciously let out a hollow laugh.
Girls. A powerlessness he had never experienced before spread throughout his body in an instant.
Jiwoon, who had been biting his tongue for a moment, opened his mouth while trying his best to seem nonchalant and put on a playful tone.
“Is Yechan cheating on me?”
Jiwoon raised his hand and pressed Yechan’s ear firmly. Since his hand kept trying to use too much force, Jiwoon struggled to control the strength in his hand.
Yechan, who had been looking up to check Jiwoon’s profile, laughed softly at Jiwoon’s joke asking if he was cheating. Jiwoon’s languidly opened eyes and slightly raised corners of his mouth were the same as usual.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
